Promise: to assure someone that one will definitely do, give, or arrange something; undertake or declare that something will happen

Keith pov

Only minutes ago Lance had suddenly texted me that he was coming over. No context, just a statement. I was slightly agitated as Christine, Dane, Meenah, Cole and I were in the middle of finishing supper as we watched the grinch repeat on tv.
I finished my supper and unenthusiastically told them Lance would be stopping by quickly.
As much as I love my adoring boyfriend; I just want some time with my family now.

I heard the bang of a car door outside minutes later and I jogged over to the door to see if it was Lance; It was.
I opened the door before he could even knock.
He was flustered and breathing heavily as if he'd just ran a marathon.
I let him in and he embraced me in a huge tight hug.
"I'm so sorry I showed up with barely any notice" Lance whimpered.
"It's okay" I chuckled and kissed his hair.
He let go of me and took both of my hands in his and looked deeply into my eyes.
"I-I forgot something today and I couldn't just let it slide" He said.
Lance brought each of my hands one by one up to his lips and tenderly kissed both of them.
He tucked some hair behind my ear.
He let one of my hands go and reached into his coat pocket.
He stroked my knuckles with his thumb.
His hands were warm but shaky.
He then pulled out a small red velvet covered box.
My heart began to pound.
I've seen this in movies.
Is he going to fucking propose to me??
Like right here in my front entry way??
Is he thinking of marriage?!
We're both just 18 what the fuck is happening right now?!
Lance swallowed hard.
"Keith, Ever since I laid my eyes on you I instantly fell in love with you. You make me feel like the luckiest guy in the world. I have never felt this way about any other person on this earth ever. You're such a beautiful person and words will never be able to describe how much you mean to me. I'm being a big cheese I know.
These past few months have been the best of my life and every day I think about you when I wake up and right when I fall asleep. I've never loved and cared for someone as much as I do for you.
Waking up to you is heaven on earth. Seeing your big mystical eyes look right back at me is just an indescribable feeling.
My heart fills with joy and love whenever I think of you. Just being in your presence is like a ray of sunshine.
You let me spoil you rotten and I expect nothing in return. Just having you in my life, as my boyfriend is the only thing I can ever ask for.
I'm promising to be with you through thick and thin. I love you more than anything in the universe, even more than space and the universe itself. I-I'm promising to be by your side always, Let me be by your side forever A-And I want you to be beside me..." Lance explained, voice quivering with anxiety and excitement.
He took his other hand and opened up the box.
Inside was a ring.
I felt tears well up in my eyes.
"This is a promise. A promise for me to be here for you forever, to love you forever" He said.
"It's a promise ring" Lance smiled.
He delicately took the dazzling object out of its box and put the box back in his pocket.
He took my left hand and carefully slid it on my ring finger.
I started to cry.
A few small tears rolled down my hot, blushing cheeks.
The ring is silver and has a small diamond in the middle. Next to the diamond on each side there are 6 little squares in a row in the rainbow order.
It's not a huge ring, it's nice and small.
"I love you so much Keith Alavai Kogane. I am moonstruck by you and unconditionally and hopelessly in the deepest form of love there is with you" Lance gushed.
I was speechless.
"Lance..." I gasped.
He smiled again.
I swung my arms around his neck and nuzzled my face into his collar bones.
"There's nothing I can do that can ever live up to this" I said.
"Oh but there is" Lance said putting his arms around my waist.
"By accepting my promise" He said.
I pulled my face away.
"Yes! Yes, Yes!" I cried and grabbed his face and kissed him.
I can just feel the fireworks.
I've never kissed him as passionately and full of love as I did just now.
Tears dripped from my jaw and onto my shirt.
Lance kissed me back, moving his mouth sync with mine.
We shared that kiss for a solid minute and a half before I let go for air.
I sniffed and more tears rolled down my flustered face.
"Don't cry" Lance said. He was crying too.
"Shut up you hypocrite" I giggled and wiped the tears from his dark skin.
"Stay with me forever, please" I whispered.
"I promise" Lance replied.
"I love you. You deal with my bullshit on the daily and you're such a big goofy cheese. That whole speech was disgustingly cute and romantic" I sniffed.
"I know" Lance replied.
"I have my matching one at home" He said and ran his finger over the new beauty on my hand.
"My heart will never stop beating for you" I smiled and kissed his cheek.
"Now you're being cheesy you big dork" Lance snorted.
"Let me have this one" I giggled.
"I love every little thing about you. From your hypnotizing eyes, your dainty yet masculine hands, your moodiness, your voice, your hair, your face and your big butt" Lance laughed and kissed my jaw.
I laughed too.
"It's beautiful Lance" I said and held out my hand to admire the ring.
"I can't believe you forgot to do something as significant as this" I chuckled.
"I'm sorry! You're just so distracting" He said and squished my cheeks together and kissed me.
"God you're so cheesy. It's gross!" I exclaimed.

We talked for a few more minutes. Just enraptured deeply with each other. I was smiling so much my cheeks were hurting.
It's kind of hard to just wrap up the presentation of a fucking promise ring up.
"You should go home. It's Christmas Eve" I mumbled into his shoulder.
"You're right" Lance said.
He drummed his hands on my ass in a quick little rhythm before releasing me from our very long hug.
"You're still coming for dinner after Christmas right?" Lance asked.
"Yes of course! You got to meet my grandparents so I've got to meet yours!" I exclaimed.
"Great" Lance smiled.
"I don't want you to go, especially now that you've taken such a significant step in our relationship..." I trailed off.
"I don't want to go either but it's Christmas and we both need to spend time with our families" Lance said.
"Yeah you're right" I agreed.
"Go home then stupid" I giggled jokingly.
Lance smiled and gave me one more big smooshy hug before heading off.
"I really don't know how to wrap this up. I didn't think ahead this far" Lance said halfway out the door.
"Just go home dummy" I chuckled and gave his head a ever so light shove.
"It feels weird that I just came here, gave you a fucking promise ring and I'm just gonna leave now" Lance chuckled.
"It's fine don't worry" I said.
He held me and covered my face in a bundle of kisses before finally deciding to leave.
"I love you" I called after him.
Lance gave me a 👌🏻 and I giggled once more and shut the door.
I grinned to myself and put my back to the door slid down to the floor and held my hand to my heart.
I can't believe this just happened.
My face is hurting from smiling so much.
I just sat on the floor. I've stopped crying so I guess that's good?
I'm surprised my family didn't hear anything.
Or maybe they did but just didn't want to deal with my dramatic ass.
Well and they're all in the kitchen on the other side of the house.
I saw Christine exit the kitchen and walk towards me.
She saw me on the floor and had a concerned look on her face but noticed I was grinning like an idiot.
"Are you okay?" She asked with a half smile.
I nodded rapidly.
She saw that I was clutching my hand and raised an eyebrow.
I stood up and took the few steps to get closer to her and held my hand out to her.
She gasped put her hand over her mouth.
"He did not..." Christine trailed off, looking at me wide eyed.
"It's a promise ring" I explained.
She took my hand in hers and she examined the ring.
"I-I don't know what to say" She said.
"I was not expecting this, like at all" I said.
She ran her manicured thumb over the diamond.
"Congratulations" She smiled and pulled me into a hug.
"I thought he was proposing until he said that it was a promise ring" I chuckled.
"I thought it was an engagement ring too" She said.
"I-I'm just shocked" I said.
"He really, really loves you Keith" Christine said and put her hand on my shoulder.
"Well I guess he really does" I smiled and looked softly at the ring.

We then went back into the kitchen.
I guess my face was still a little red and eyes a bit damp because Dane looked concerned too.
"Go show him" Christine said and gave me a little push towards him.
I sat at the breakfast bar next to Dane and showed him my hand.
"Lance proposed?!" He asked.
"Promise ring" Christine replied and took a bite out of a Christmas tree shaped cookie.
"Wow...Didn't think the kid had it in him" Dane chuckled.
"Hey!" I said and elbowed him in the bicep.
"Shh Dane" Christine said and swished her hand at him.
"I'm joking" Dane chuckled.
"Congrats Keith" He added and rubbed my upper back.
"That's a of an bit extreme Christmas present if you ask me" Dane said.
"Stop!" Christine said again.
"They're both grown up now. They can do what they want with each other" She said.
"Yes, Okay true" Dane replied.
"God, Just a few years ago you spent all your free time by yourself in your room, punching walls and mirrors and just plum full of angst and just being a rebellious teenager, and now you're in your last year of school and your boyfriend just gave you a promise ring" Dane said.
"I've come a long way haven't I?" I asked.
"You have" Christine said.
"What are you guys talking about?" I heard Meenah say from behind me.
She'd left her spot on the couch next to Cole who was eating popcorn.
"Lance got Keith a special present" Christine explained.
"Really? What is it?" Meenah asked. I patted the chair next to me and the climbed up into it.
"He got me a ring" I said and held my hand out to her as well.
Meenah's eyes widened.
"You're getting married??" She cried and grabbed my hand and ripped it towards her face.
"No I'm not" I chuckled.
"It's a promise ring" I said.
"What's that?" She asked.
"Well it's when your partner gives you a ring that symbolizes that they want to be with you forever. Not necessarily through marriage but just the fact they want to be with you and they don't need marriage to show that. It also means that Lance doesn't want to be just my plain old boyfriend anymore but he doesn't want to be my fiancé or husband just yet. Engagement rings mean that you're ready for marriage but promise rings mean that you're not ready for marriage but you want something more than just regular dating" I explained.
Meenah actually understood.
"Well, when you and Lance do get married I get to be the flower girl okay?" She said firmly. Me, Christine and Dane all laughed.
"Yes, you can be the flower girl" I chuckled.

Meenah admired the ring for a few more minutes then we all sat back in the living room to watch Rudolph. The lights were shut off and the only light source was from our Christmas tree.
Meenah was getting squirmy and restless after a while and wanted to lay on me because she likes the soft material of my sweater.
I sprawled out on the loveseat and she laid on top of me, head resting on my stomach like Lance likes to do.
She rubbed my sweater and went on and on about how soft it is.
"Your tummy is like a pillow" She then said poked my stomach.
God...Just what's with everyone and my stomach?? I just don't get it. I don't like all the talk.
I just mumbled a "'Mhm".
I frowned but I can't get mad at her for saying such an innocent thing.
I just cringed at that.
Enough is enough already!
I just want to ignore my weight situation and just focus on other things although it is hard.
I want everyone's focus to NOT be on my body because it's mentally hurting me.

Watching Rudolph took my mind off Meenah's comment and I just flushed all the negativity out of my mind.

Soon after the movie was finished Christine and Dane sent Cole and Meenah up to bed.
They're big Santa fans and were very excited for Christmas morning.
I decided to go to bed too.
Christine gave me a big hug before I turned in for the night congratulated me once again.
I said goodnight to everyone then hopped into my rook and into bed.

I laid on my back for the longest time just holding my hand in front of me and just stroking and admiring my ring.
I can't believe Lance did that.
It's a lot to process.
It's all happy thoughts though...mostly.
I had to set my hand down after a while because my weak lazy arm couldn't take it anymore.

At times I had my doubts if Lance truly loves me and if he's dating me out of pity.
Well now I know that's not true.
He wouldn't get me a fucking promise ring if he didn't love me.
I guess he loves me for me; My moody, grumpy, gay, angry self

Lance in all his glory never fails to make my mind a happier place.