That night, the castle was quiet.
*Taejoon's Room*
Taejoon lay flat on his back, staring at the ceiling. He'd been like that for hours. Sleep wasn't even pretending to come.
He kept replaying it. The fire. The kiss. Han kissing him _back_. The way Han's hand had come up to his jaw like he belonged there.
Then Alexander's voice. _"Boys! Everyone head back in."_
Taejoon groaned and pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes. "Of all the timing," he muttered to the dark. "Of all the damn timing in the world."
He rolled onto his side and his hand hit his jacket, thrown over the chair. The weight in the pocket was still there. He pulled the small box out and flipped it open.
The ring caught the moonlight from the window. Simple band. Nothing flashy. He'd picked it three weeks ago, when Han could finally walk to the window by himself. Taejoon had known then.
He snapped it shut. Frustration crawled under his skin. He'd had the words. He'd had the moment. Han had said _I'm not going anywhere._ And then—
"Stupid curfews," Taejoon hissed at no one. He shoved the box back in the pocket, then pulled it out again. He couldn't decide if he wanted to throw it or hold it all night.
He wouldn't sleep. Not when he was this close. Not when he could still feel Han's lips.
*Han's Room, Down the Hall*
Han was sitting up in bed, knees drawn to his chest, staring at the wall.
He wasn't thinking about the kiss. Okay, he _was_ thinking about the kiss. The way Taejoon hadn't hesitated. The way it felt like breathing after being underwater. The way Taejoon had said _I love you_ like it was obvious.
But it was the _after_ that was keeping him awake.
Taejoon holding his hands. Thumb on his ring finger. _Rubbing circles._ The look on his face. The hand going to his pocket. The way he'd said _I brought you here because I—_
Han buried his face in his knees. "No."
There was no way. No way Taejoon was about to do _that_. Propose? Taejoon? The guy who couldn't even say "good morning" without sounding like it physically pained him? The guy who argued with him over chair obstacle courses?
He was reading into it. He had to be. That was just… Taejoon being intense. Taejoon was always intense. Especially after Han nearly died. It was gratitude. Or guilt. Or post-trauma whatever.
But his brain kept circling back to Taejoon's eyes. He hadn't looked grateful. He'd looked _certain_.
"Stop," Han told himself out loud. "You're delusional. He probably just had a rock in his pocket. Or lint."
His heart didn't believe him. His heart was being stupid, doing flips at the memory of Taejoon's thumb on his ring finger.
Han flopped back against the pillows and glared at the ceiling. "He wouldn't. He can't. We're— we're us. We bicker. We—" _Kiss._ "We don't…" _Propose._
He wouldn't sleep either. Not when his brain was at war with itself. Not when part of him, the stupid hopeful part, kept whispering _what if_.
*Between Their Rooms*
The hallway was empty. Two doors, both with the lights off. Both with someone wide awake behind them.
And if either of them had gotten up, walked ten steps, and knocked, the night would've ended different.
But neither did. Not yet.
*Next Morning – Breakfast Hall*
The sun was barely up, but the breakfast hall was already loud. Plates clattered. Lorenzo was arguing with Hudson over who got the last piece of bread. Caleb was half-asleep in his porridge.
Taejoon walked in last. He hadn't slept. It showed. Dark circles, hair a mess, but there was something set in his jaw that made everyone go quiet when he sat down.
"I'm going to propose to Han," he said. No buildup. Just dropped it on the table like a grenade.
Silence.
Then chaos.
"What?!" Harrison choked on his water. Ace actually dropped his fork.
"Shut UP," Lorenzo yelped, then slapped a hand over his mouth and looked toward the door. "Is he— is he here?"
"No," Taejoon said. "He's still asleep. Hopefully."
Jace blinked. "You're serious?"
"Dead serious." Taejoon ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. "I was going to do it last night. By the fire. Then Alexander—" He made a strangled noise. "Doesn't matter. I'm doing it."
The shock melted into grins fast.
"Holy shit," Kai said, then actually smiled. "Finally."
"I knew it," Adriel — Alpha Boys' Adriel — pointed his spoon at Taejoon. "The way you were hovering? Dead giveaway."
"About time," Ace said, already pulling his phone out. "We taking bets on how hard Han cries?"
"Delete that thought," Taejoon said flatly.
Then he sighed, and the energy drained out of him a little. He stared at his untouched plate. "I don't know how to do it. What if I mess it up? What if I say something stupid? What if he…" His voice got quieter. "What if he says no?"
The table went quiet again. But not shocked. Soft.
Alexander, who'd been silent at the head of the table, finally spoke. "He won't."
Taejoon looked up.
"Han loves you," Alexander said simply. Like it was fact. Like the sky was blue. "Just as much as you love him. We all saw it. The whole time you were taking care of him."
"He literally kissed you back," Harrison pointed out. "Pretty sure that's a sign."
"He held your hand in his sleep for three weeks," Caleb mumbled into his porridge. "If that's not a yes, I don't know what is."
Lorenzo reached over and clapped Taejoon's shoulder. "Man. His answer is gonna be yes. The only question is how fast he says it before he starts yelling at you for being dramatic."
A few of them laughed at that. Even Taejoon's mouth twitched.
"Yeah," Jace said. "He'll say yes. And then he'll complain about the ring. And then he'll wear it anyway and pretend he's mad about it."
That got a real smirk out of Taejoon. Small, but there. He sat up straighter. The exhaustion was still there, but under it was energy now. Like someone had lit a match in him.
"So when?" Hudson asked. "You doing it here? Now?"
Alexander shook his head before Taejoon could answer. "No. Not here. Wait till you're back in the human world."
Kai nodded. "He's right. Take him on a date. A real one. No us. No guards. No castle. Just you two."
"Do it right," Jace said. "He deserves that. You both do."
Taejoon thought about it. Han, not in a castle recovery bed. Han, in the human world. Han, with no audience, no near-death hanging over them. Just dinner. Just them.
He nodded, slow. Then firmer. "Yeah. Okay. Human world. A date. I'll… I'll do it then."
"Good," Alexander said. "Now eat. You look like death."
The table burst back into noise. Ace was already planning "discreet" ways to film the proposal. Lorenzo was debating what Taejoon should wear. Caleb offered to help pick the ring, and Taejoon had to tell him he already had one, which set off another round of yelling.
In the middle of it, Alexander caught Taejoon's eye and gave him a nod. Proud. Certain.
Taejoon nodded back.
"Alright," Harrison said, standing and stretching. "If we're heading back to the human world soon, we should pack."
"Yeah," Jace agreed. "Shows to prep for. Songs to record. And apparently a proposal to witness."
Everyone started pushing back chairs, talking over each other about schedules and bags and "do not let Ace near the camera on proposal day."
Taejoon stood too. "I'll pack," he said. "My stuff. And… other things."
They all knew what "other things" meant.
He walked out with more energy in his steps than he'd had in days. The box was still in his jacket pocket. But now it felt like a promise instead of a weight.