Chapter Text
Koutarou thought he couldn’t fall any harder for Keiji, but when he opened the first letter in the box Keiji had given him and saw his favorite photo of Keiji attached, he swore he was the luckiest man alive. The way Keiji remembered things like Koutarou's favorite photo of him never failed to make Koutarou’s heart warm. To put together a gift that Keiji excelled in and which he knew Koutarou loved - his writing - was one Koutarou would treasure forever.
He was so lucky to have the chance to love someone like Keiji.
Beyond that, he thought of how lucky he was to be loved by Keiji.
But as soon as he was reminded of just how much he loves Keiji, he felt the dread settle in: his gift for Keiji was nothing in comparison to what he had received. As communication is something the two have preached as something essential to the success of their relationship, Koutarou felt it necessary to voice his concern.
“Keiji, this is so unfair. I can’t give you something better than this,” Koutarou pouted, detaching his arms from Keiji’s waist and moving to place the box down on his dresser. He moves to where he had hidden Keiji’s gift inside his socks drawer.
“Kou, you know I don’t care for gifts. All I ask of you is to spend time with me,” Keiji smiles. He gets ready in his own corner of the room, searching for his favorite outfit that wasn’t set aside for work.
Koutarou hums, plucking the small velvet box from where it was snuggled in the corner of the drawer behind his endless stash of socks. He tosses it in between his hands a few times before shutting the drawer close, the nerves rising. He contemplates whether he should give the gift to Keiji now or wait for a better time.
After all, a ring is supposed to be a special gift, isn’t it? Especially one in which Koutarou intends to propose with.
To be fair, Koutarou hadn’t exactly thought this proposal through. He knew he wanted to propose on their anniversary, but hadn’t thought out how he would propose. He also knew Keiji wouldn’t want anything where too many eyes would be on them, but he also wouldn’t like something too casual. He figured he would pop the question after their dinner but he had nothing else planned from there.
Koutarou had originally settled on winging it like he does everything else. Not that he didn’t care to make the proposal a special memory, but he didn’t exactly excel in making the most grandiose events - they weren’t exactly his thing.
Keiji didn’t care for anything super fancy, either. They had been together long enough to know that all they needed was each other. They only felt it necessary to spice things up when special occasions rolled around, and they did so in ways that didn’t involve anything too extravagant.
Koutarou tries to set his thoughts aside and just go on with the rest of his day. The best proposal will come naturally, he thought.
“You say that but you give me gifts for every celebration,” Koutarou retorts, slyly shoving the box into the pocket of the coat he had planned to wear that day. He turned his head to make sure Keiji hadn’t seen him do so, and thankfully Keiji had been facing his drawer the whole time as he put his clothes on.
Keiji laughs, “I can’t deny that, but I just love seeing your reactions to what I give you.”
Koutarou laughs as he changes into the outfit he knows Keiji can’t take his eyes off of. It is a special day, after all. It would be perfect if Koutarou wears something he not only feels comfortable in but he also knows Keiji loves.
“Plus, don’t deny that you don’t love my gifts,” Keiji teases, “I know that you secretly brag about them to your teammates.”
Koutarou blushes as he thinks of how he normally sends pictures of Keiji’s gifts - as long as they’re appropriate for his teammates to see - to the MSBY group chat hours after Keiji gives him his gifts and instantly denies this, embarrassed that Keiji had knew all this time. It was supposed to be his little secret.
“That is not true!”
Koutarou hears Keiji snort and turns his head to see Keiji fully dressed now, adjusting the scarf that Koutarou had given him after Keiji’s graduation around his neck.
“Yeah, like how it’s not true that I love you,” Keiji snickers, turning to watch Koutarou get dressed.
Koutarou pouts and pulls his coat on, trying to find an excuse out of what he thought he had kept hidden from his lover, “You’re mean. You weren’t supposed to know.”
“Well you didn’t do a very good job of hiding it, Kou. You take pictures of the gifts in front of me and smile at your phone all big and funny like you’re talking to someone. Then your phone rings and you step out and you say, ‘I’ll talk to you guys later, I’m busy.’ Who else would it be?” Keiji deadpans.
Koutarou flushes and hurries to change the topic to something other than how he shows off Keiji’s gifts to his secretly nosy but caring teammates. They act like they hate it when Koutarou shows off any part of his relationship with Keiji, but Koutarou knows that deep down they support them and are happy to hear how they’re doing.
“Anyway! You wanted to try the new spot down the street, right?”
Keiji laughs as they make their way to the front door, thankfully dropping the conversation. Soon, they’re pulling their shoes on and leaving their apartment.
As they make their way to the elevator of their apartment complex, Koutarou feels the weight of the ring in his pocket. He does his best to ignore it to the best of his ability, wanting to make this day as memorable as possible. That means not getting distracted by his concerns over his gift.
The ding of the elevator shakes Koutarou out of his thoughts and they step into the elevator, the start to what Koutarou hopes will be a memorable day for them.
-
As the day approaches its end and Koutarou and Keiji are taking a stroll through the park after their dinner at a fancier restaurant they normally don’t eat at. The day had been perfect in every regard, and all it needed to be tucked away as one of their best dates was for Koutarou to give his gift to Keiji.
The cold air nips at their skin and Keiji shivers, wrapping his arms around himself to hold onto his warmth. Koutarou wraps his arm around Keiji’s shoulders, bringing him in closer and tucking Keiji’s scarf tighter around his neck. Keiji smiles and leans his head against Koutarou’s shoulder, sighing.
The pair walk in silence, enjoying the light breeze that blows through their hair. The sweet aroma of the trees hangs in the air, and the sound of leaves rustling set the scene for what Koutarou hopes is a night to remember. His mind is flooded with the countless phrases he should say to break the silence.
But, Keiji beats him to it.
“Remember when we would take this same path on our way home after practice?” Keiji asks. Koutarou smiles at the memory, glad to have something to take his mind off of the nerves.
“Of course, I was too scared to tell you how I truly felt back then,” Koutarou sighs, his hand tightening around Keiji’s shoulder.
“You’re lucky I decided to confess before you graduated,” Keiji teases, looking up at Koutarou’s face illuminated by the park lights.
“Yeah,” Koutarou grins, “I’m really lucky.”
The pair settle back into a comfortable silence, and Koutarou’s mind is, once again, racing at the thought of how to make this memory perfect.
When he sees the bench, Koutarou makes up his mind.
Now, he thinks, now is the perfect time.
As they approach the bench, Koutarou guides Keiji to sit. He places his hand in his coat pocket and feels for the velvet box which holds the promise of a lifetime. The weight of the world seems to be sitting in his pocket.
Soon, that weight would be worn on his boyfriend’s finger.
Koutarou clears his throat before speaking. He turns to Keiji who’s smiling as he looks out at the park, observing the families taking their own nightly stroll. Upon hearing Koutarou clear his throat, Keiji turns to him while raising an eyebrow.
“Keiji,” he starts, “I know this can’t compare to the gift you gave me but I hope you know you’re just too good at giving gifts and I’m not-” Koutarou is interrupted by Keiji placing his hands on Koutarou’s face.
“Stop that, you know I don’t care,” Keiji says firmly.
“I know, I know. I’m just telling you. But, just, hear me out for a second okay? I really tried my best with this one,” Koutarou says, grabbing Keiji’s hands and holding their hands between them.
Keiji’s smile is all it takes for Koutarou to confirm that this is a moment that they’d never forget for as long as they continue to love each other.
“Ever since you confessed to me before I graduated, I knew I wasn’t worthy of you or your love,” Koutarou pauses upon seeing Keiji’s eyebrow raised and mouth open to retort, but Koutarou doesn’t give him the chance to.
“But over the past few years, I’ve learned that no one is as perfect for me as you are and you taught me that no one is as perfect for you as I am.”
Keiji’s open mouth closes into a smile and he squeezes Koutarou’s hands.
“I’ve always admired you and you continue to make me want to be a better person. I’m so thankful that you love me. Extremely thankful. And I’m also so thankful that you support me and come out to my games even when you’ve had long days at work and just want to go home and rest. I’m so thankful that you’re not ashamed to be with me despite people who might judge us. But most of all, I’m so thankful for you, which is why,” Koutarou grabs the box in his coat pocket and takes it out and gets off the bench, kneeling on one knee on the ground. Keiji’s eyes widen and his cheeks bloom a fiery red.
“Keiji Keiji, will you make me the luckiest man alive? Will you marry me?” Koutarou drops the question.
Keiji’s hand shakes and Koutarou can see tears forming in his eyes.
“No, no, Keiji, please don’t cry. Now I’m getting nervous,” Koutarou mumbles, taking his free hand to wipe the tears from Keiji’s eyes.
Keiji laughs to himself as he wipes his eyes and chuckles, “I’m not crying, you are.”
Koutarou is startled by the salty taste of a tear that found its way into his mouth and lets out a small chuckle. Of course he would start crying when he sees Keiji cry.
When they both stop laughing, the silence settles in. Koutarou gets nervous when Keiji doesn’t respond and stares at Koutarou as he calms himself down.
“Well?” Koutarou asks, wanting to hear that Keiji, too, wants to spend forever with him as much as he does with Keiji. He looks at Keiji expectantly.
Keiji smiles and looks into Koutarou’s eyes with so much love for such a long period of time that Koutarou gets caught off guard when Keiji throws himself at Koutarou, mumbling “Yes, yes, yes” into Koutarou’s neck.
Koutarou smiles and wraps his arms around Keiji and the newly engaged couple share a quiet moment wrapped in each other’s arms. It seems like there’s nothing in the world except for them two. Nothing but two fools who have just promised to love each other for as long as they lived.
“So, when can I wear the ring?” Keiji says, breaking the silence.
Koutarou chuckles and pulls away, grabbing Keiji’s left hand and sliding the silver ring onto Keiji’s ring finger. Koutarou kisses Keiji’s knuckles and looks into Keiji’s eyes.
“You can wear it now, but you have to promise to wear it forever.”
Keiji laughs and moves to capture Koutarou’s lip in a brief kiss. They rest their foreheads against each other and close their eyes, basking in the moment and each other’s presence. The air no longer feels cold and they provide each other a type of warmth they can only find in each other.
To Keiji, Koutarou is his star.
To Koutarou, Keiji is his world.
Together, they’ll promise to give each other themselves wholly and love each other unconditionally. This love is one they’d never trade for anything in the world.