Become Mine Only, With Three Simple Words

He knew, he understood. But sometimes people said things they didn’t mean, or said what they thought the other person wanted to hear. Jericho just wanted to know what he truly wanted, and what his intentions were. He clung onto him, his head leaned against his shoulder to listen as he spoke. His eyes were closed, just to focus more on his words. His fingers gingerly traced up and down his spine, slowly moving over each vertebrae. Without saying anything, he wanted to be there, to just be present- if just to allow him to fully speak what’s on his mind. He wanted to give him everything he asked for, so when he insisted to meet his family, Jericho nodded. "That… Can be arranged. They’re gonna love you, I’m sure."

Before he could be lulled off into his boyfriend’s warmth, something stirred within him the moment Cairo spoke up again. He pulled out of his shoulder, when Cairo cupped his hand around his cheek. But the expression on his face made it seem like he barely registered it. Even then, it was hard to tell what he was feeling by looking at him. He moved away a bit- to fully look at him, then at his ring, then back at him. A feeling overcame him- something indescribable. But this time he tried to keep himself together. He didn’t want it to manifest, to scare Cairo, to be enough mental power to break his window or something. He couldn’t find the heart to interrupt him, and just when Jericho thought he had helped he had inadvertently opened another can of worms. He still kept telling himself that he was okay. His hopes were dashed when Cairo pushed him off of him, and as a result Jericho didn’t fight it. Promptly, he got up from the bed, his wings folded tightly against his back- almost like a shield. He was silent as he opened the window. The rain became audible as cool air poured into the room. Jericho breathed in, his hands lifting to run through his copper hair. He looked outside. It was just so tempting to spread his wings and take off. Away from these uneasy feelings, away from feeling like he’s been nothing but a form of strife for Cairo. But as he reached for the screen, his fingers just traced the meshing of it. No, he wasn’t going to run away.

"Cairo, listen. I’m flattered you see me in such a bright light. That… That you wanted a forever with me." He turned his head. His baren hand clutched the one holding the token of love. "But.. You need to save this. Not the ring itself, but the meaning behind it. I know that I’m the first of your lovers to want to have a long lasting relationship with. But this isn’t about me. It’s about you. You need to understand how much this means. M-" The word was almost difficult to say. "Marriage is a really adult decision. Not like we aren’t adults but.. It’s serious, it’s the ultimate commitment to one another. It’s only been a few months, Cairo. A few, long, beautiful months. I’m so happy I could have given those to you. But this..." He held up the ring, looking past its expensive exterior to see what it meant- true love and commitment, though a bit more dark in implementation. "I don’t… I don’t deserve to be your fiance. Not yet, anyway. I don’t feel like I’m ‘the one’."

He looked down, and sighed. "Though I suppose with you, that’s an unfair title for me to give myself."

He approached the bed again, looking down at his boyfriend. "You’ve dated wonderful people Cairo, and some not so great ones too. You can marry who you want, or how many people you want. But even if you want to marry more, I want you to make sure that forever is meant for you. I want you to foresee yourself growing with them, both physically and emotionally. I want you to foresee yourself committing some part of you towards them- enough for them to know that you really want to stay. I know I want to stay with you. But if there’s anything I’ve learned tonight, it’s that you have a long way to go before you’re ready. Marriage isn’t just a happily ever after. It’s a commitment, and one of the hardest tests life will give you. You need to seriously ask yourself in the future if you can truly handle the challenge. I know I can’t, not now." It was hard to say, but he felt that he needed to put it out there. For his safety.

"But that doesn’t mean I don’t love you unconditionally. I made a promise by accepting his ring. While marriage wasn’t explicitly stated in the terms and conditions, I still agreed to everything else. So long as you love me, I promise to grow to be the man that’s truly fit to be a husband. If it all works out.. Well, perhaps an upgrade will be in order." He smiled. It was hard, but he smiled. Just for him. His head tilted, his eyes slowly blinking. ”Protect yourself, Cairo. Love your relationships, but know your personal boundaries and comfort levels. People come and go all throughout life. Time is the true surveyor of love, after all."

"Did… Any of this make sense?"
​

That was hard. Jericho didn't want to bring out the tough love, but it was the only way he felt he could bring a point across. Truth was, Jericho sincerely cared about him. He tried to show that as much as possible, even at the cost of having to put out more brutal honesty then he liked. He just wanted his Cairo to be safe and love freely- be it him, or anyone else. But even he couldn't ignore the potential of someone taking advantage of him the way he did in the past with others. Just looking at his delicate face told Jericho that he had already changed. He just hoped the world would be as kind to him as he deserved.

He shook his head. "You didn't ruin anything, love. Trust me, tonight was one of the best of my life." He whispered, coercing him from hiding in the covers. A hand of his, cooled from gripping the windowsill earlier, caressed his cheek as he spoke. He soaked up every word and only responded in a manner he saw fit. "Take all the time you need to get used to this, Cairo. I'll be here every step of the way. You don't need to thank me." He kissed his forehead, smiling cutely. "It's what I'm here for."
When Cairo laid down, Jericho followed the motion by curling up and laying his head on his stomach. He looked up at him, almost too comfortable in the moment.

"Yeah," He yawned, a bit sleepy from the day's events. "We'll always grow. Older, wiser, stronger. I have a good feeling we will, anyway." He gently touched his lips where his head laid, his wings becoming visibly more relaxed, the large feathers of the tips grazed across the floor. When Cairo asked him to stay the night, he chuckled a bit, nestling his face in further.

"You don't have to ask me twice. I think I'd like to make tonight one of many where I fall asleep and wake up here..."​