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Bojan thought Kris was more the sort who kept quiet about his relationships since he didn’t broadcast them to the world so he never questioned the lack of outward signs of their new relationship. They had always been physically affectionate even just as friends so when nothing changed in how they touched one another in public, that was obviously just because they already hugged and poked and played with one another’s hair. And because they both had trouble not taking kisses further so it was simply easier to restrict those to private times and places - it wouldn’t do to interrupt an interview or a gig with a make out session, or more. They’d also always swapped clothing around, both between one another and amongst the band, so one occasionally stealing the other’s shirt because he was feeling clingy still looked like their usual level of interdependence. This occasionally extended to accessories as well so Bojan didn’t think anything of it when for the third interview in a row Kris picked through his rings to find something to wear. It wasn’t until after they’d wrapped up that a brief conversation with Jan had him rethinking things.
“Isn’t that one of your rings? Subtle,” Jan teased. “Especially with how he keeps flashing it.”
Bojan frowned at him. “What are you talking about?”
“Kris deciding to wear a ring of yours in public,” Jan said, giving him a look that clearly meant he expected Bojan to get more out of that statement than he was.
“Kris often wears my rings,” Bojan informed him.
“Since when?” Jan asked. “I don’t remember that being a thing you two did.”
“Since…” Bojan thought about it for a moment. “Since you got back from Thailand, I think?”
“You mean since you officially got together?” Jan pointed out. That stopped Bojan in his tracks, the look of surprise on his face causing Jan to snicker at him. “You really didn’t realize?” Bojan shook his head. “But you know how he is about gifts from his partners.”
“Yeah, he doesn’t really do them,” Bojan nodded and it was Jan’s turn to give him a disbelieving look.
“Bojan, he wears them all the time, even after the relationships are over,” Jan explained slowly. “Where do you think that little black heart necklace came from or the snake ring he wears on his pinky?” Bojan blinked at him as he took in this new information. A noise vaguely resembling “huh” was all he managed but that seemed to satisfy Jan. “Yeah, you think on that,” the guitarist said, patting him on the shoulder. “Now let’s go catch up with the others.”
The following day was an off day for the band and originally, Bojan and Kris had planned to make a day of it but when the Guštin family decided to spend some quality time together ahead of Maks going off to university, Bojan found himself with some extra time on his hands. He tried to work on new songs for the upcoming album but the conversation with Jan kept playing in his head until finally he gave up, grabbing his keys and heading for their favorite thrift store.
Three thrift stores, an upscale jeweler, and a mall trip later saw a frustrated Bojan headed back out as empty-handed as he’d started the trip. Near the outer edge of the mall a small kiosk caught his eye. He’d initially dismissed it as the decor hinted at its target audience being 12 year old girls rather than nearly 24 year old men but as he’d struck out so far, he figured he may as well give this one a glance as well.
He’d been digging through the offerings with continued disappointment when the attendant finally addressed him. “Are you looking for something for your…” he glanced at the Hello Kitty themed pink rings Bojan was currently poised over, “little sister?”
“My, uh, partner, actually,” Bojan stuttered, pulling his hand out of the bin.
“I see. And what’s her style? Young and cutesy?” the attendant asked, reaching for another bin full of jewelry of similarly small animal and cartoon characters.
“No, I don’t think I’ve ever seen - well, there was this one time, but that was a stuffed fox,” Bojan rambled. “I’ve just been struggling to find a ring - I’m not looking for anything serious and we both like pink so…” he gestured vaguely at the cart.
The other nodded, putting that bin back and grabbed another with brightly colored plastic and macrame rings. Bojan looked through it, carefully examining a couple but putting them back when he tried picturing Kris wearing any of them. “Have you been together long?” the attendant asked, putting that one back and walking around the cart to pull out two more bins.
“A little over a month,” Bojan said, unable to keep the smile from his face. “But we’ve been friends for something like a decade so new relationship but not new to each other.”
The attendant hummed thoughtfully, putting one of the baskets back. “Did you miss your anniversary and that’s why you’re looking-“
“No,” Bojan quickly cut him off. “We both just really like rings and necklaces and such,” he waved his hand to show off the two gold rings he was wearing, “and mine keep getting borrowed which as one of our friends pointed out means it’s time for me to find something a little more permanent - but not too permanent since it’s all so new so…”
“So something like these?” the attendant asked, showing him a bin of gold colored rings.
Bojan immediately shook his head. “Silver is more his style,” he informed him, tensing when the other paused at the pronoun. It was on the tip of his tongue to ask if that was a problem when one last bin was presented to him.
“I don’t have a lot of silver rings but you might find something in here,” the man said and Bojan set to looking through the last bin. If he didn’t find what he was looking for now, he decided, that was a sign to just give up on the whole endeavor - Kris could keep stealing his jewelry. Near the bottom of the bin a particularly shiny ring caught his attention and he pulled it out, face lighting up as he realized what he’d found. The small silver ring had two hearts overlapping and fit his own finger perfectly so he knew it would work for Kris, too. “I can get you rung up right over here,” the attendant directed, not even bothering to ask if he’d found what he was looking for. Bojan happily paid for it and stuck it in his pocket, a bounce in his step as he headed home to wrap it.
The next morning saw Bojan lazily browsing his pantry for breakfast options ahead of another radio interview when his phone dinged with a text.
💕Krisko💕
I’m in the area - want to get coffee?
Or I can get coffee and some of those muffins from the bakery near you and bring them over
Might look through your rings again too
Because I think I may have left one of mine over there not for any other reason
If you’re awake that is
Bojan smiled at his phone, grin widening as more messages came through. He turned off his coffeemaker and sent a series of quick replies,
Bojči
I’m up and breakfast sounds great
Mis anillos son tus anillos
Also, I have a surprise for you that I think you’re going to love 😘
Kris’s reply came almost immediately and Bojan didn’t bother holding back a laugh when he read it.
💕Krisko💕
Your dick is not a surpriseBojči
That’s not what I was going to give you but if that’s the first thing that comes to your mind when I say “I have something for you you’ll love”, I’m more than happy to oblige 😘💕Krisko💕
I’ll be over soonBojči
😏😏😏💕Krisko💕
Not for thatBojči
😢💕Krisko💕
🤨
Bojan laughed and went to put the wrapped box on top of his small bowl of rings. He stared at it for a moment before hurrying off to find a gift tag, settling for one of the Christmas themed ones he’d just purchased for family presents, and quickly filled it out and attached it to the box. When that was done, he set to straightening up his apartment to keep himself busy until the other arrived. He was just finishing making his bed when the knock came and he hurried out, beaming as he opened the door. “Happy better morning!” he enthused, grabbing the other by the shirt and pulling him down for a quick kiss before accepting his drink and the bag of food.
“The greeting is good morning,” Kris pointed out, amused at the other’s energy.
“But it’s not just a good morning now,” Bojan explained. “It was a good morning but it’s a better morning now that you’re here.”
“You’re ridiculous,” Kris declared, but he didn’t bother trying to hide his pleased smile at the other’s words. “I’m just going to go look for that ring then we can eat.”
“Go ahead,” Bojan said, nose already in the bag. “I’m not going to wait though so you better hurry up.”
Kris disappeared into his room and Bojan barely had time to get a pair of plates out before he was back, the box in his hand. “Bojan, what is this?”
“It’s a present,” Bojan said, beaming at him. “Open it!”
“It’s not my Christmas present you forgot to hide?” Kris asked skeptically, tapping the holiday themed gift tag.
“Nah - I’ve already got those hidden safely away,” Bojan smugly informed him. “I told you I had something for you - open it!”
Kris turned the box over in his hands, drawing his examination out the more Bojan fidgeted with excitement. When he looked about ready to grab it and open it himself, Kris finally gave in, ripping open the wrapping paper and pulling the box out. He glanced at Bojan then opened it, going still at the sight of the ring. “Bojan?” he asked, voice small. “What… what is this?”
“It’s a ring. For you,” Bojan replied, suddenly uncertain. “You keep borrowing mine so I thought I’d get you one so you didn’t have to.”
“Oh. So this is just because I keep taking yours and you don’t want me to do that anymore?” Kris asked, failing to keep the disappointment off his face.
“No!” Bojan said quickly, walking over to him and taking the ring out of the box. “This is because I wanted you to have one from me for you to wear to show that we’re… us… Look,” he sighed, “this doesn’t have to be more than just a trinket for you to wear whenever you feel like it - or never, if you don’t feel like it! - if that’s what you want. And it’s not like it’s an engagement ring-“
“I should hope not,” Kris interrupted him, a teasing grin on his face. “This is way too cheap-“
“Hey!” Bojan protested. “This is a symbol of our love - it isn’t cheap!”
“Symbol of our love, huh?” Kris echoed softly.
“Yeah,” Bojan replied, staring up into his eyes. “And it would make me very happy if you wore it for me. For us.”
“Well, if it makes you happy then I guess I can’t refuse,” Kris said, trying to act like he was doing him a favor but ruining the pretense by holding out his hand and eagerly demanding, “give it to me.”
Instead of just handing him the ring, Bojan took his hand and flipped it over then slid the ring onto his fourth finger. “With this ring, I thee adore,” he announced, grinning up at him.
“Wrong hand for wedding rings,” the younger teased, a huge smile on his face as he admired the ring on his finger.
“That’ll come later,” Bojan replied, serious now. When Kris’s eyes flickered back up to meet his, he softly informed him, “the first ring I’m putting on that finger will be when I ask you to marry me.”
“If,” Kris corrected breathlessly.
“When,” Bojan insisted firmly. “Kris, we’ve been friends since we were teenagers and we may have only decided to be together recently but that doesn’t mean my feelings are in any way uncertain - do you really think I don’t already know this is it for me?”
Kris immediately grabbed his chin and pulled him in for a kiss, their breakfast swiftly forgotten. They were nearly late to the radio interview and when Kris couldn’t stop smiling and flashing the ring, Jan sent the older a knowing smirk. Bojan winked back and dropped his hand down to Kris’s knee, feeling content in a way he hadn’t in weeks when he felt the warmth of the metal touch his skin as their fingers tangled together.