Work Text:
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I'm gonna love you forever. Forever and ever, amen.
As long as old men sit and talk about the weather. As long as old women sit and talk about old men.
Randy Travis
Bobby stared at his hand as he rubbed at the gold band now resting on his ring finger. There was a time in the not-too-distant past when he’d thought he would never again wear any woman’s ring, and here he was proudly wearing Athena’s.
He flexed his fingers and took a deep breath.
He never wanted to take the ring off, but he knew he couldn’t wear it at work. There were too many dangers associated with it – not just for him, but for his team, too – and if that wasn’t enough, it was against regulations for those lacking enough common sense to steer them correctly.
During his first marriage, he had simply removed his ring at the start of each shift and put it on again before leaving the firehouse. It had always felt like he was leaving a piece of himself behind, though, and it wasn’t a feeling he wanted to revisit.
And so he’d found himself thinking about silicone bands. He’d even gone so far as to look at a few before the wedding, but then he’d been suspended and wasn’t even sure he’d need a work ring. Now that he was back in uniform, though – and back at the 118 – he wanted to get it sorted sooner than later.
And that meant talking with Athena first and foremost.
She’d told him that during her shifts, she would wear her ring either in her shirt pocket or on a chain beneath her uniform. It would be the last thing she took off before hitting the streets and the first thing she put back on before coming home, but in the hours between, it would sit above her heart, and he loved that.
But Bobby couldn’t carry his ring, either.
He didn’t want or need anything unnecessary on his body that could conduct electricity, and the mere thought of his wedding ring melting was enough to keep him awake at night. The idea of a degloving or amputation in the field?
The stuff of nightmares.
So, a work ring it was.
And, sure, he should have maybe sorted this before the wedding, but after months of planning the perfect day, they had made an impulsive decision to head to the courthouse and say their vows – something his team and Michael had not let him forget – so he hadn’t had time, in the end.
And now he was due back at work tomorrow.
He felt Athena’s arms slide around his waist, and he turned his head towards his shoulder to catch a glimpse of her.
“How’s my husband doing? Hmmm?”
Bobby smiled. He had only been Athena’s husband for a few days now, and hearing her call him that made his heart swell almost to bursting. His face hurt, too, from all the smiling he was doing these days – and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Your husband is doing fine. How’s my wife doing?”
“Your wife is wondering what’s taking you so long in here, and why you haven’t taken me to bed in the last two hours.”
Bobby laughed and turned in her arms, looking down at her.
“It’s our last day off – ”
“ – and?”
“And we have a few errands to run.”
“I don’t remember any errands,” she mumbled, playing with the buttons on his shirt.
“There’s one you don’t know about.” She arched a brow, and he took a deep breath, placing his hands on hers to still them before she distracted him. “I want to go shopping for a work ring.”
“A what now?”
“A work ring. A silicone band I can wear when I’m on shift, when I can’t wear my gold band.” He could almost see the wheels turning behind her eyes. “You know I can’t wear my wedding ring – ”
“ – I know. It’s too dangerous.”
Bobby nodded.
“Yeah, but – I do want to wear a ring when I’m at work.”
“Okay. Silicone?”
“Yeah,” he said, again nodding – more of a bob, really. “They’re common among firefighters. They don’t conduct electricity, they don’t melt in a fire, and if they get caught on something, they break instead of pulling my finger off.”
She grimaced.
“You make it sound so romantic.”
He laughed again.
“Sorry, baby. I just – I didn’t have a work ring last time, and I always felt like I was leaving a part of me behind, and I don’t want to feel like that with you. I know it’s just a symbol of our love and what we are to each other, but – I want to look down and see that symbol. I want to feel its weight on my finger. I want everyone who looks at me to know I’m taken – ”
“Well, now you’re talking,” she laughed, letting her hands fall to his waist. “You could have led with that.”
Bobby licked his lips and nodded.
“Thought you might like that part.”
“I like all the parts.” She paused for a moment. “I love that you want to carry a part of us with you all the time, and I know you can’t wear your ring or carry it in your pocket like I can, so this makes sense. Wait – did you think I wouldn’t like the idea?”
“I wasn’t sure. It’s – not our actual wedding ring.”
“Hmmm. Maybe it’s not the one I put on your finger on our wedding day, but we’ll both know its meaning – and so will anyone else who knows us.” She took hold of his hand and brought it to her lips, kissing his ring finger. “And I can put the work ring on your finger, too, for the first time.”
Bobby held her face in his hand, his fingers curling beneath her jaw, leaning down to let his lips brush hers.
“I love you, wife.”
“I love you, husband.”
Later that afternoon
“So, this is the one, then?” Bobby asked, and Athena nodded.
“I think so, yeah. You’re happy with it?”
That time, Bobby nodded and indicated to the saleswoman that they would be making the purchase. When Athena excused herself to look at other jewellery, he leaned into the staff and made an additional request.
Walking up behind Athena, he slipped his arms around her waist and lowered his chin to her shoulder, swaying their hips just a little as they watched a younger couple selecting their own rings. Finally, he pecked her jaw.
“Want to grab some lunch?”
He had to delay their return home for a while, and he hoped to do it without drawing her attention to what he was doing.
“Mmmm hmmm. I could eat.”
“Good. I’m starving.” He moved his mouth to her ear. “I worked up quite an appetite last night, and this morning – and I’m gonna need my energy for later, too.”
“Boy, behave,” she laughed, playfully swatting at his hand.
“You like when I misbehave,” he reminded her as he nuzzled into her neck.
“Not when we’re in the middle of the mall!” She laughed and turned in his arms. “Take me to lunch before we get kicked out of here.”
Athena had lifted her brows in curiosity when Bobby said they had to drop back into the jewellery shop, but she’d seemed to buy his excuse that he hadn’t wanted to risk carrying the ring in his pocket during lunch. Finally back at home, he’d plucked the small box from his pocket and placed it on his bedside table to await his first shift the next morning.
And when morning came and it was time for Bobby to head to the firehouse and Athena to the station, they stood in their bedroom with the ring in her hand. Normally, Bobby would do the transfer when he was already at work, but this time – the first time he would wear the silicone band – they each wanted Athena to place the ring on his finger to mark the occasion.
She smiled up at him.
“Ready?” Bobby nodded, and Athena took his hand into hers, taking a moment to rub the gold band with her thumb. “I love the way this ring looks on you,” she said with another smile. “The way it says you’re mine, and I’m yours.”
She brought his hand to her lips and pressed a kiss over the ring before pulling it gently from his finger. She was about to replace the gold band with the silicone one when Bobby squeezed her fingers.
“Wait,” he said softly. “Look inside.”
Athena’s brow creased as she turned the band in her hand and looked inside, smiling when she saw the engraving.
Always.
“This is why you left the ring at the shop?”
Bobby nodded.
“I will always come for you. I will always come home to you. And I will always be yours.”
“Bobby – ”
She brought her hand to her mouth, tears making her eyes glisten as he smiled down at her. Bobby pulled her hand gently away and pressed his lips to hers.
“Always, baby,” he whispered.
Athena nodded, smiling as she finally slipped the ring onto his finger.
“Always.”