Work Text:
Acts of Service
A groan rang out from their shared living space where Yuu had placed his feet over the other man’s thighs. Yuu, looking up from his own laptop, glanced over at the long haired man with wide, feline-like eyes. He often knew the respective type of groans from Asahi, but this one wasn’t one out of good nature or fun - Asahi was a hundred percent anxious and annoyed and the low, gruff groan told him that Asahi was about to snap like a rubberband.
When there were angered or irritated groans, Yuu usually knew it was up to him to help Asahi ease his frayed, tired nerves. Unceremoniously he got to his feet and bolted right for their kitchen, reaching for the tea cabinet and reaching for the canister of lavender tea. He made sure to have a kettle of water on the stove to wait for it to boil.
Yuu proceeded to get the tea set, lovingly given to Asahi by Yuu’s grandfather, who had kept it for a while and gave it to them when they moved in together. It was a beautiful gold-rimmed tea cup set, painted with cherry blossoms, suited for the current season of picnics and love.
He went to get the tea strainer and carefully put two spoonfuls of dried lavender in the strainer. When the kettle whistled a sweet tune, he tipped the kettle gently and poured the water, and covered the teapot. He placed the teaware carefully on a tray and brought it out to the cozy living space, where Asahi was still visibly frustrated with his work. He looked an inch away from crying. Yuu took sympathy, smiling as he sat on the couch arm and placed his hand in the older man’s hair.
Instantly, Asahi sighed and relaxed, closing his eyes and leaning his head against Yuu’s chest. “How are you always so good at helping me relax, huh?” He chuckled, letting Yuu play with hair just a bit more before glancing up. “Thank you. I’m feeling better now.”
Yuu placed his palm on Asahi’s cheek, brushing his finger on the prickly stubble and grinning. “How about this - since it’s after hours, put down your laptop, and rest with me. We have a great view of the sunset! Drink some tea with me. It’s your favourite lavender tea. Then we’ll order takeout, and we can have an early night. I promise to cuddle.”
Asahi had definitely wanted to protest at the thought of relaxing that night, but of course, the thought of cuddling with him just felt too good of a proposition to pass up. Eventually, Asahi relented and nodded, taking Yuu’s smaller hand and kissing his open, bare palm, and smiling just a little more. “Sure. Wanna sit outside?”
“Sure.” Yuu readily agreed, but before he got back to his feet, he pulled the hair tie out of Asahi’s hair gently and took off his glasses for the older man - he looked younger without the stress lines and just a bit younger with his long, luxurious hair down like this, like how they met in high school all those years ago. He remembers when he was just an obnoxious little libero who met the beauty that was Asahi, his form perfect as he soared.
Yuu was truly weak in the knees for the man.
As they settled on the comfortable couch outside, Yuu invited Asahi to lay his head in his lap, and the man readily accepted. He laid down and closed his eyes, relaxing immediately as Yuu brushed his hand through Asahi’s hair and pressed the tender spots to give him a slow, gentle massage. The sun was just beginning to settle, painting the horizon orange and pink. Yuu began to hum something under his breath, a japanese folklore about love, and the tension from Asahi’s shoulders further dissipated.
When he was sure Asahi was relaxed and probably asleep from the comfort of the couch, he pulled up his mobile phone and called a certain number - Fukunaga Family Restaurant! The voice chirped, and Yuu grinned at the ever familiar voice of an old friend from volleyball.
They had gone to Fukunaga’s to try the food one time, simple Japanese food with modern twists that both of them adored. Because Yuu was a world traveller and Asahi often travelled for work, they were accustomed to the tastes in different countries. Over the years, they’d learnt to love spicy food, too. And Fukunaga’s catered to that - spicy delicacies that Asahi surprisingly adored.
After placing his order and leaving the rest to his old friend, Yuu settled in to keep Asahi company, too. The comfort was just right. The gentle breeze of the evening settled on their skin as Asahi’s breathing mellowed to a gentle pace, and Yuu found himself falling asleep too. Having alone time with Asahi like this was one of his favourite things about being in Japan; despite the amount of time they spend travelling and away from each other, their hearts were always connected. A souvenir from every place, a message of love, a call with love attached. Everything they did, they thought of each other.
Some time must have passed, because when Yuu woke up next, Asahi was gently shaking his shoulders to wake the man up. Dazed, he looked up at the older man, and Asahi tucked his hair behind his ear. “Dinner just arrived. Let’s eat? We can get comfortable in bed later.”
Yuu nodded in soft agreement. They enjoyed their dinner together, even if the apartment was quiet, the peacefulness of knowing the other was there enjoying just a simple meal was comforting. Asahi loved the food and so did Yuu. And that was all that mattered.
They settled in for the night later, comfortable under the blanket, held close together. Despite his bigger stature, Asahi preferred laying his head on Yuu’s chest, where it was warm and the soft thump of Yuu’s heart soothed him enough to bid goodbyes to his endless worries at least for the night. Yuu, ever kind, brushed his hand through the older man’s hair and kissed the crown of it. “Good night, love.”
And with every fibre of Asahi’s being, he squeezed Yuu’s waist just a bit and closed his eyes with content. “Good night.”
☆
Words of affirmation
Today had been a bad day at work.
With his proposal for his next line rejected due to budgeting costs and its irrelevance to the fall theme, and his boyfriend away in Italy for a project, Asahi found himself in a lonely pit. He could call someone for a drink, but everyone was busy with upcoming commitments. Most of his friends within Tokyo were either busy with financials for the quarter, training for the new season of V.League, or with their own children.
With a disappointed sigh, Asahi packed his bag and left work promptly, promising to work through the lonely evening to rectify the errors on his proposal to hopefully meet his bosses’ satisfaction and push this line out during the fall.
The house was quiet when he arrived home that evening. Traces of his boyfriend lingered as if he hadn’t left about a week ago for his Italy trip, and all Asahi wanted to do right now was order a ridiculous amount of greasy food and eat it without Yuu.
After taking his time to bathe under the warm water, his muscles now less tense than they had been, Asahi ordered take out and sat on the couch, cuddling Yuu’s pillow, the scent of Yuu’s shampoo left on it. Asahi always had the habit of cuddling things that he associated with the younger man for comfort reasons. It just felt easier to avoid the world that way.
When the food arrived, Asahi settled it on the coffee table in front of the television and got out a can of beer. Seeing as it was Saturday night, Asahi knew he deserved some time alone with a treat. He cracked open the cold, sweating can of beer and took a small sip, relishing in the beverage. It began as a joke, the way Yuu had bought the beer, but he had been so proud when he came home with the six can pack, proudly lifting it, “Look! It has the same name as you, Asahi beer!”
Asahi chuckled at the memory of his boyfriend’s childishness, settling in front of the television and opening the package. With the man’s hunger, the sight of the pizza in front of him, cut into eight slices, made his stomach growl. He knew he couldn’t possibly finish it all, he was just so used to ordering a nine inch pizza as if Yuu was around, but really, the man was looking forward to a slice of pizza for breakfast.
As he tucked into his first slice, his phone buzzed with a notification. He picked it up off the table and scrolled through the messages, ignoring those from work until his eyes set on the one he had been looking forward to seeing.
Hey handsome! My friend’s grandma offered to cook veal chops for all of us this afternoon. I wish you were here! You would have loved the herb crust! Potatoes too!
With a sappy smile, Asahi glanced over the picture Yuu took of the food and another of himself in front of the sea view. The Italian sun was gorgeous on the man’s golden skin, reflecting like a mirror. Asahi wished he could be there, too.
Miss you too.
I wish I had more to say, but today kinda sucked. Might hide under my blanket tonight.
Of course, he remembered to attach a photo of his pepperoni pizza, which paled in comparison to that of his boyfriend’s delicious lunch.
It took a while before Asahi got a reply, but midway into his second slice, his phone pinged again. Dropping the slice on the cardboard and dusting his hands, he picked his phone back up and read the text, attached with a sweet photo of him and his friend’s grandmother. He took a moment to appreciate the photo, before reading the text.
You’re always worried about the small little things.
Maybe you should look at it from another perspective!
I’m sure you’re on the right path already. I might not know anything about what you do, but I know you’re amazing and you’ll be able to design something as stunning as you. So don’t worry your anxious little heart.
The little things, huh? Asahi laughed at the text, because as much as it was true, Asahi wished he had that confidence to be that carefree and do what he wished to. But of course, there were expectations, a level of confidence placed in him to meet what was required, and numerous other things.
His phone pinged with another text.
I believe your next attempt will be successful.
And if Asahi didn’t already believe it that same night as he got the text, then maybe fate would have chosen to laugh in his face, or perhaps, through an email on a fateful Monday morning, one month after, with results of his success sealed. In the email, his fate sealed, and the words so filled with hope.
Maybe, just maybe, Asahi thinks, Yuu was a prophet.
☆
Gift Giving
The fashion line Asahi put out for the fall was massively successful with big names. With the fashion line’s success also came Asahi’s fame and time in the spotlight. The man smiled at every interview he had, claiming him to be the talk of the industry, talking about how he was the next big thing to look out for. What an honour that was, to share that space with many other big names.
Asahi held a big box of goods in his hands. The box was wrapped in fine leather, since his company loved adoring its clientele with luxury. Asahi may have placed Yuu on his PR list quite secretly for the release pending in just a couple of days, but Asahi wanted Yuu to have his own matching set to Asahi’s. He had designed a set that could be custom picked to the wearer’s taste, in a variety of pale, brown, orange and red tones, in velvet soft material that was perfect for the coming winter, too. Ladies got to choose if they wanted the high skirt, trousers, or high waisted shorts, while the men stuck to the classic long trouser pants.
The leather box had also included several accessories, including cufflinks in shapes of classic elements, and of course, a necktie handmade with their company’s trademark material and design.
Opening the door, he toed off his formal work black dress shoes and lined it against the wall, before placing the box on the dining table near the main walkway. In a routined fashion, Asahi removed his coat and hung it by the door rack, beside his lover’s smaller one, placed his socks in the dirty sock pile, and dropped his keys on the Asahi-crow key hanger on the wall beside the light switch.
When Yuu arrived home, Asahi sat by himself in the living room, their favourite soft vanilla candle lit up, making the room smell fantastic. The smile on his lover’s face was stunning, and Asahi widened his arms in request of a hug, much like a child asking an elder to be carried, or a dog asking for affection. Yuu laughed as he noticed the wine on the table, too, as he went over to hug Asahi. “What’s all this for, love?”
Asahi chuckled, lifting the glasses after they parted from their loving hug and passing one of them to Yuu. “My launch was successful, and I wanted to celebrate it with you.” He gently clinked the glass with Yuu’s, his smile still wide as ever. “Chateau. My boss gave one of the bottles to me and said it’s one of the best, and I personally like the rich taste.”
Yuu returned the gesture by swirling his glass and taking a sip of his wine, and made a satisfied noise as he swirled the glass in his hand. Of course he would know how to do that, he travelled in France for a month going to the finest wineries thanks to some friends. “This is some rich stuff,” Yuu commented, swirling it more to admire the dark colour stain left behind on the glass.
“The celebration was big.” Asahi placed the glass down, “And of course, I managed to get you on my PR list.” He gestured to the leather box on the table, sat beside the vanilla candle, with his name embossed on top of it. “Surprise.”
“You didn’t have to!” He placed his glass beside Asahi’s, and picked up the leather box with utmost care. Yuu took the time to admire the fine embossing on the box before opening the box to reveal its contents - the orange silky shirt, much like his libero jersey. For all the power that Yuu could do with just his arms, he touched the fine fabric with gentle fingertips, lifting the shirt out of the box with care. He admired the elements of flowered embroidery along the collar and black shirt buttons, all carefully sewn on. The flowers embroidered were fall blooms, and if one looked closely enough, they would recognize that the flowers symbolized strength and passion.
“These are beautiful, Asahi.”
“Even more beautiful if they were on you.”
“What are you waiting for then, big boy?”
Asahi laughed. Having him home felt sweet. He pulled out the silk shirt with delicate fingers, lifting it up to reveal the smooth material. The shirt fit Yuu perfectly, accentuating the blonde streak in his hair and his broad shoulders, and the buttons were done up just under his chest. The pants were tailored just long enough for Yuu’s tiny stature, and it managed to make Yuu look just that little bit taller. He thinks the love of his life could not look any better in colours so bright, his boyfriend was used to the spotlight like this, relishing in the new clothes and the attention Asahi gave to him. He stood like a model, head lifted high, hands on his hips.
“How do you like it?”
“It’s perfect.” Yuu grinned, pride smeared all over his cheeks.
Asahi laughed brightly, lifting the wine glass to his partner. “I’m glad you love it. It’s good for formal events, but the silk shirt would look good on you wherever you choose to wear it.”
Yuu beamed, eyes brightening with an idea. The glimmer in his eyes made him smile, because it was so uniquely Yuu. “Well, then, how about we go on a date wearing these silk shirts?”
And of course, Asahi laughed again, the sweet melody of Yuu’s laughter filling his ears, too.
☆
Physical Touch
There were many different types of touches that Asahi adored when it came to Yuu.
For starters, there was the gentle touch on his back while Yuu mindlessly flicks through the television channels, a lazy Sunday afternoon on the couch as they watch endless episodes of some trash reality tv show with even trashier drama and quality. It was so clearly scripted, and they both knew it, but it was too good to stop. Yuu loved it. Asahi just liked hearing him laugh.
Then there was the comforting touch, which Yuu usually saved for the early restless mornings when Yuu would be the first to wake and get Asahi out of bed for work, often with a cup of coffee. There was also the nightly one, when Yuu would brush his hair and Asahi would get all sleepy. It felt nice. Yuu adored his hair and Asahi was thankful that Yuu would help him to brush it out, too.
Today, Yuu’s hand held his own, squeezing it as they took a walk down in town. Daichi and Suga had asked to meet them in town for dinner on a double date, and Yuu had readily agreed, because they hadn’t seen each other in a long time since Asahi and Yuu moved to the main heart of Tokyo and Daichi had been itching for a drink of beer with Asahi again. The beer sat warm in Asahi’s stomach, post izakaya visit, and the two of them walked home hand in hand. Spring had just begun and both of them bundled up from the cold, and Yuu looked absolutely adorable with the scarf around his chin.
Mindless idle chatter as they spoke, and the soft, radiant smile of his lover. Asahi couldn't quite believe he got to wake up to that every morning.
He pulled his hand back, stopping by the entrance of their apartment complex, and pulled Yuu into a deep hug, one that engulfed all of Yuu’s tiny being. The younger man laughed at that, his hands wrapping right around Asahi’s body. Yuu was tiny, but his heart of love was huge. Asahi loved the way Yuu snuck his hands down his jeans pockets, cupping his butt, which made Asahi laugh again.
“You are terrible, Yuu.” Asahi gazed down at the man, cupping one of his hands around Yuu’s cheek, which made him laugh more from the cold, “Look at you making me get all sappy.”
Yuu feigned offense, gasping but the laugh only gives his amusement away. “Hardly my fault, mister. You are perfect, and that’s why I love you with every single second that I have.”
“Aw, look at you. You’re getting better at being a poet.”
“I learn from the best.”
“Flattery gets you everywhere.”
That somehow starts Yuu on a tangent about one of his recent travels to Europe, where he had met an old friend and they had gone on spontaneous poetry writing course together. Asahi remembers this, the week following his return home, Yuu had been like a drunken bard in a medieval tavern, serenading him with poetry at any chance he could. Some were terrible, some were amusing, but there were the awfully romantic ones that gave him diabetes.
Still, Asahi loved every one of them.
As they toe off their shoes in the hallway, lining them against the wall, Yuu recites a line he wrote during class, “Just like how the sun rises and sets, I will always love you, Asahi.”
Asahi could only laugh. Feeling the warmth surge through him, he waited till Yuu had fully removed his coat and picked him up, carrying him in his arms.
The other type of touch he adored dearly: close body contact.
You see, Asahi loved cuddles. He wasn’t called a bear for nothing - he adored cuddles like a baby bear would from its mother, and adored every single second he got to stuff his face into Yuu’s neck. Carrying Yuu like this was his favourite, because Yuu was so tiny and so cuddly, too, it made this a win-win situation. Both cuddlers adored being close to one another.
Yuu was warm too. Asahi sometimes ran a little too cold, especially in winter, and Yuu often gave him the comfort of warmth that he needed. It was nice to just cuddle like this, close to his favourite person, and hear the laughter from Yuu that rumbled deep in his chest.
In short, he was absolutely in love with his best friend.
Yuu’s laughter filled his ears as Asahi brushed his stubbled chin to Yuu’s sensitive neck. Yuu loved that, too, and he remembered it all the time. It worked like a charm when waking him up, when they were cuddling, when they were in bed just resting. It filled Asahi’s heart with warmth to hear Yuu laugh the way he did, so loud and from deep within his chest.
Asahi moved to lay down on the couch, with Yuu laying on top of him, and he brushed his hair between his larger fingers. “You’re terrible, Yuu.”
“Mm, bold words for someone who carried me like I was going to fall and injure myself.” Yuu teased, eyes bright with the faintest sparkle, “How bold of you.”
Asahi laughed again, loud and from deep in his gut. “You’re such a heartbreaker. I used to think you would go off on some big adventure on your own, travel the world, tell us stories when you came home. But when you kissed me on the last day of my senior year, I think perhaps I knew I couldn’t be apart from you, y’know?” Asahi placed a hand on his back. “I still think about when you first took one of my spikes with ease. It was amazing.”
“I had never felt a hit that powerful before, it was incredible.” Yuu agreed with Asahi’s words, brushing a finger to the tip of his nose. “You’re such a sap, even after all these years of knowing and dating you.”
“Only for you.”
When they crawled into bed together that night, the nightstand table lamps dimmed down, and the blankets covering over to provide warmth in the winter cold, both of them held onto each other like a lifeline, so tender and gently. With a hand on each others’ backs and Asahi’s hand in Yuu’s now washed, loose strands of hair, both of them drifted off into a peaceful slumber, enjoying the quiet breeze outside, the soft hum of a silly lullaby that Asahi remembered from his mother, and the loving touch of his boyfriend.
☆
Quality Time
Time spent together was subjective. When Yuu was abroad for his journeys, time spent together was awfully sparse. But of course, couples in periodic long-distance relationships often found ways to make things work as best as they could until they got to see each other again. It included every method, including random postcards from every corner of the world, a trinket sent carefully wrapped in the mail, and a phone call when Yuu could find good connection.
That day, Asahi found himself on his laptop in the dining room, on skype, listening to his boyfriend rattle off endlessly about his travel in South America. The connection held up pretty well, and Yuu had time for calls before he went to bed.
Asahi should have been focusing on his work, sketching and looking at his textiles for the upcoming collaboration piece with a luxury brand, but yet, all he could focus on was Yuu. He wasn’t even fully listening to Yuu, either, just staring at Yuu while propping his head on his hand, smiling brightly and stupidly, his eyes bright. His smile was so stupid, grinning while just looking at Yuu.
“You’re not listening to me are you, Asahi?” Yuu asked, tone teasing, and Asahi laughed it off too. “You’ve been staring at me this whole time. What’s up? I thought you had a busy schedule and work that needs to be completed.”
Asahi shrugs, closing his book with the textile pieces slot in between them like a bookmark. “I could always work on it later. It’s the weekend anyway, and it’s only 10 in the morning,” Asahi shrugged once more. “You’re more important right now, because we rarely get to talk like this while you’re working and travelling abroad.”
Yuu rolled around in his hostel bed, reaching over to his bag that was taking up the other side of the double bed. “I saw something along the shopping street today that reminded me of you and I had to buy it for you.” He took the piece of ore out carefully from the silk cloth bag, and showed the smooth amber ore to him. “It’s a fossilised tree resin that’s known for being naturally beautiful, kinda like you. It may look boring, but deeper inside, it is amazing.”
Asahi’s heart melted, his smile loopy. Ever since they started dating, Yuu had always thought about him, even thousands of miles apart, and today was just another example. They had always been inseparable, and Asahi loved every bit of Yuu just a little more with every single day.
“Thank you. And I can’t wait for you to see the new collection I’m working on, it’s something I think you’d like.” He turned to the book of his samples that he was working on, “Would you like to hear about it? I mean, you don’t have to-”
Yuu stopped him quickly with a soft tsk, grinning so softly. “Of course I would, my love.”
Asahi’s eyes lit up, and immediately he began to tell Yuu more about his ideas: a spring collection inspired by cherry blossoms, the flower Japan was so known for, the very thing tourists came to visit Japan for during the Golden Week festivities. How nice would it be to turn something of such cultural importance into a gorgeous horticulture inspired artistic piece for a collection that Asahi had been invited to take part in? Wouldn’t it be perfect to represent Japanese culture with something so well known by the international audience?
He explained the idea of his sketch: a white dress, almost like that of a wedding piece, and on the front it’s plain, but on the back, with a long train attached, there is a tree branch, with cherry blossom pieces attached by hand, and a layer of mesh and petals falling, and at the bottom a bed of blossoms.
“Artistic.” Yuu grinned, even though it was painfully obvious he couldn’t visualise it well. Asahi laughed at that, and shook his head.
“You are so funny, Yuu.” Asahi closed up his book, then placed it away to focus his attention on Yuu. “Tell me more about your South American trip this time.”
Yuu was more than delighted to: his visit to see Shoyou in Brazil, watch a Brazilian league game, play on the sunny golden sand, going to Argentina to experience the rich flavours, a day trip to the beautiful Iguazu waterfalls, snorkelling and catching massive fish in Colombia, wine tasting, and lots of hiking. The upcoming weekend, Yuu had planned a paragliding trip with his friends. The thought of being high in the sky with the bare minimum support scared Asahi, but he didn’t voice it, because he knew his beloved was the opposite, a daredevil who sought out the thrill of heights and jumping from the steepest ledges he could.
“After this collection, let’s go on a trip, you and me.” Yuu grinned, “We’ll go see the northern lights and camp out in the cold, go experience sledding and the city where the sun never rises for the entire winter,” he suggests excitedly, and that makes Asahi’s travelling senses tingle slightly. He hadn’t been on vacation in a while since the last two back to back collections, and perhaps taking a half year break to travel and enjoy the slice of life wouldn’t be a bad idea.
“I’ll take you up on the offer, my love.”
“Wonderful.” Yuu smiled so softly, “I’ll start planning for the winter, and then when the date comes around, we can just whisk off to our holiday.”
“That sounds perfect.”
It wasn’t too long until sleep took over for Yuu, and through the screen as he lifted his head, Asahi was greeted with the beautiful sight of an asleep Yuu, tucked so comfortably into his blanket in his hotel room, curled up in his little ball like he always does. Asahi longed to see his boyfriend again, to just hug him to sleep and forget about his anxieties even if just for a night. Soon, he tells himself, soon he’ll get to see Yuu again and take him out on dates before his boyfriend got whisked away on another work trip. Until then, Asahi will love him, cherish him, and hug him close.
“Good night, love.” He whispered to nobody, turning off his skype and carrying on with his day.
☆
Bonus: a shared moment
“Reservation for two?” the waitress smiled, her Norwegian accent full and thick as she spoke.
“Ja,” Yuu grinned back, and the waitress led them to their seats by the window, quiet and with a beautiful view of the dark skies outside, filled with stars. Norway at this time of the year was a tourist dream, when the expected northern lights would show up in the sky to present itself like a gift. The stars hung low outside, and the two lovers clinked their glasses of wine together with a chuckle.
“Do you like this place?” Yuu asked, his tone hushed unlike his usual loud self, “I found it by chance, and a traveller friend said this was perfect for us, so I went ahead and got us a room. Thank god they had one at this time of the year.”
Asahi laughed in return, his smile just as bright. “It’s perfect. I thought we were going to see the northern lights, not live right under them. The guided tour was very beautiful, too.”
Now that Asahi had the time away from work to just comfortably enjoy his time, Yuu could get all the attention he deserved from him, and for that Asahi was grateful they could take the time to venture out and have the whole world to themselves. Add to the fact that Asahi needed a vacation for the longest time, but this was the absolute best thing he could have asked for.
“Next time, let’s go somewhere tropical. Maybe Thailand, maybe Singapore!” Yuu suggested excitedly, “I have friends in every country. Just tell me where.”
They settled into the quiet atmosphere, pleasant and soft as they watched the people come and go whilst they waited for their food. Soon enough, the waitress started them on their appetiser, a salmon dish. Both of them tookthe time to savour the deliciousness of local cuisine, sighing in happiness at both the flavour and the warmth that a dish could bring. Feet touching each others’ under the table, they talked about the silly little things with smiles on their faces.
The highlight of the night was the beautifully grilled steak with the many sides that sat on the plate. The temperature of the beef was utterly perfect and both men groaned happily at the wonderful flavour.
“No matter how we cook it at home, it just doesn’t taste as great as this.” Yuu hummed in satisfaction, “There must be something they do to make it this incredible.”
Asahi nodded in eager agreement. “I think so, too. It’s perfect, almost too perfect.”
Both of them laughed again. Dinner carried on, and they enjoyed each others’ company. Dessert was served shortly after the waitress cleared their plates, and in front of them sat a delicious vanilla cream dessert with a biscuit layer. Asahi eagerly took a bite, though something hard came into contact with his spoon and he couldn't quite push his dessert spoon through it.
“There’s something stuck between the layers,” Asahi told Yuu, frowning deeply as he tried to cut in deeper. When the biscuit layer finally broke, there sat a ring beneath it, with the fruit below the hollow biscuit dome. The ring was gorgeous, a diamond sat in the middle.
Yuu grinned knowingly, and Asahi realized what this was.
“When I was away in South America, I suddenly thought of you. I know we spend a lot of time apart, but at the same time, my favourite part of travelling is coming home to you and showing you the gifts I brought back for you.” Yuu reminisced., “And every time you hug me again, it feels like home, regardless of where I am. I’ve been in love with you since the day we met, and I know it sounds silly, but really, can you blame me?”
“Yuu-”
“Shh. Let me finish.” Yuu hushed Asahi, and Asahi listened. “So much of my life has been worrying about whether I’m too much to handle for others. But after meeting you, I realize someone does love me, and it feels just as great when the person who loves me is someone I love, too.”
Asahi felt himself almost break down, laughing back in return. Yuu shared the laugh too, picking up the ring. After he cleaned the ring with a napkin, he walks around their table, kneels on one knee, and smiles. “I would like to have a future with you, our own adventure. Will you marry me, Asahi?”
Asahi nodded eagerly without a second thought, did he really need to think about it when this was his best friend they were talking about? The person who understood his fears, his worries, and never for a second stopped him from sharing those problems, the person who saw him for who he was, loved him regardless. This man adored him, and who was Asahi to deny the fact that the future was only as bright if Yuu was in it?
“Are you kidding? Of course!” Asahi laughed wetly, tears filling his eyes. He could see flashlights go off, suspecting that the waitress had come to take photos of them in the moment, and Asahi made it a point to thank the staff later for their help. He allowed Yuu to put the ring on his finger, admiring the simplicity of it, before picking his now-fiance up and hugging him so tightly.
Their relationship wasn’t perfect, but it felt like home.
And Asahi couldn’t ask for more.