Starbuck hadn't even glanced at engagement rings when looking for a gift for Kim. He knew they weren't ready for that. Sure, they were kind of living together right now, and they were in love, and almost everything was perfect, but their relationship was too new for a proposal. He knew Kim was the one he wanted, but they had time, and Starbuck had already made his feelings clear about marriage... he didn't need rings or legal documents to prove to Kim that his heart belonged to her.
He knew right away that she was freaking out. He could sense it in the way her muscles got tense and her skin grew pale. "It's not a ring," he said with a chuckle and opened the box for her. "Earrings." He kissed the nape of her neck and nuzzled it slightly. "Besides.. it would have been too hard finding an engagement ring to fit under your boxing gloves... and without them, you'd leave one hell of a mark on my face when you punched me... because we both know you would have if it was a ring in the box." He was laughing a little more now. It helped lighten the mood.