Work Text:
Satori was pleasantly surprised when his darling kouhai Taichi invited him to lunch Monday afternoon. It wasn’t that Taichi never called, just that if Taichi’s boyfriend, Tsutomu, wasn’t coming, Taichi didn’t usually choose to spend time with Satori. As he waited in the café for Taichi to arrive, Satori played a guessing game with himself to see just what Taichi may want.
“Tendou-san,” Taichi greeted, seeming out of breath. “Sorry if I kept you waiting.”
“It’s Ushijima-san these days, Taichi,” Satori reminded him cheekily. “I’ll give you a free pass this time, though, seeing as Wakatoshi and I have only been married a month. What do you need?”
Taichi stiffened as he sat down. “Why do you think that I need something?”
Satori smirked and leaned forward, chin on his hands. “Well, Taichi-kun, you never ask to spend time alone with me. If you didn’t bring Tsutomu with you, clearly, you need something.”
Taichi’s expression remained unchanged, but color seeped into his cheeks. “Okay, I suppose you’re trying to prove that you’re still a good guesser after all these years?”
Satori laughed. “I don’t have to prove an-y-thing to you,” he sang, punctuating each syllable. “What do you need?”
“I–” Taichi glanced around, then leaned forward. “I want your advice on something.”
“Oya? Pray, do tell!”
Taichi averted his eyes. “I wanted to know…if you had…adviceonhowtoproposetoTsutomu.”
“Hah? I didn’t catch that last bit,” Satori said, even though he definitely had.
“Do you have any advice on how to propose to Tsutomu,” Taichi repeated, fidgeting with his napkin.
Satori beamed at him. “None whatsoever! But I’ll help you in any way I can! What do you have planned so far?!”
“Well, we have a date night planned for next month already,” Taichi began. “Once a month we do a bigger date than just little dinners, so it’s already special, or something. I thought when we took a walk by the water this time, maybe… Never mind, it’s dumb and cliché, right?”
“I think it’s private and romantic,” Satori corrected, smile softening. “Have you bought a ring?”
Taichi shook his head. “I want to go shopping on Saturday, but I’m afraid to go alone. I don’t really…have an eye for these things.”
“And why can’t’cha go with Kenjirou?”
Taichi sighed and scrubbed his hands over his face. “If I tell Kenjirou, he’ll tell Yahaba, who’ll tell Kyoutani, who’ll tell Tanaka, who’ll tell Yamamoto, who’ll tell Kuroo, who’ll tell Kenma, who’ll tell Akaashi, who’ll tell Bokuto, who’ll tell Hinata, and then everyone will know because that shrimp can’t keep a secret.”
Satori snorted. “You’ve really thought this through, huh?”
“I just want it to be perfect, okay?”
“Okay! No worries, Taichi-kun! Your faithful senpai will help you along every step of the way!”
Satori was less surprised but just as pleased when his darling kouhai Tsutomu invited him to lunch Tuesday afternoon. Tsutomu and Satori usually got together at least once a week, but since Satori and Wakatoshi got married, that pattern had been uprooted a bit. Satori was glad to be back to their routine as married life began to settle down.
“Tendou-senpai!” Tsutomu greeted, speeding up before hugging Satori in greeting.
Satori spared him the correction. The poor child – man, on a technicality – might have an aneurism if he realized there were two Ushijima-sans now. “Darling Tsutomu! How are you? It’s been ages.”
“I didn’t want to bug you and Ushijima-senpai while you were settling down,” Tsutomu explained.
“How are you?” Satori asked again.
“I’m okay,” Tsutomu squeaked, but his eyes flitted around like he was hiding something.
“Something wrong?”
Tsutomu bit his lip. “Not wrong, I’m just…nervous? I need your help, Tendou-san.”
“Oya? What is it? You know I’d do anything for you!”
“Well, okay…so you know how I’ve been dating Taichi-san for a really long time now…?”
Satori nodded. “Go on.”
“I…think I’m ready to ask him to marry me!” Tsutomu blurted out. “Or, well, I’ve been ready, and I’ve been dropping hints a lot, but he’s not super good at picking up on these things, so I really just want to do it myself so that at least we’re on the same page about our future!”
Satori took a deep breath. Of all his former teammates to propose to each other, he was unsurprised that it was these two. “Do you have anything planned yet?”
“Kind of…” Tsutomu mumbled. “It’s not very thought out, just a vague idea? I know when I want to do it, though.”
“And when is that?” Satori prompted.
“Every month, we usually schedule one big date night, right? To make up for take out dinners and Netflix nights for most of them? And so I tried to push an extra big one this time, so it’s a little more special. And we’re gonna end with a walk by the water, so I thought that maybe would be a good place to…ask?”
Satori schooled his expression into a gentle smile rather than a laughing one. “Well, Tsutomu, I think that sounds very romantic. Do you have a ring yet?”
Tsutomu shook his head, bangs swooshing across his forehead with the motion. “No! I don’t know what to do! I’d ask Shouyou to come, but if I tell Shouyou, he’ll tell Kageyama and Koganegawa and Kenma-san and Bokuto-san, and Bokuto-san will tell Akaashi-san, and Koganegawa will tell Futakuchi-san, and then Futakuchi-san and Akaashi-san will let it slip to Yahaba-san and Shirabu-san and they’ll tell Taichi-san!”
Satori hummed and stroked his chin, pretending to think. “Well, dear Tsutomu, I could probably go with you on Sunday, if you’re free?”
Tsutomu sighed with relief. “You’re a life-saver, Tendou-san! I don’t know what I’d do without your help!”
As soon as Wakatoshi entered the apartment, his eyes narrowed at his husband. “What did you do?”
Satori hid his smirk behind a cup of tea. “I didn’t do anything, my love, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Wakatoshi shook his head fondly. “I know that look, Satori. You can’t hide things from me.”
“That so, Wakatoshi-kun?” Satori set down his tea and stood up. “I did a pretty good job hiding your engagement ring for seven months.”
Wakatoshi hummed and wrapped his arms around Satori’s waist. “But we are married now. There’s nothing left to hide.” He leaned down to steal a quick kiss. “What happened?”
Satori grinned against his husband’s lips. “Oh…just some interesting information that has crossed my innocent path.”
“Are you going to share?”
Satori laughed. “Are you asking me to gossip with you?”
“I am merely curious what has you so excited, when the last most interesting thing you discovered was that your editor and your publisher were having an affair,” Wakatoshi argued, subtly trying to back Satori against the counter. “So?”
“You remember how I told you yesterday that Taichi wants to propose to our little Tsutomu next month?”
Wakatoshi nodded.
“This afternoon, I learned that Tsutomu plans to propose on the same date, at the same time.” Satori wiggled his brows. “Hilariously adorable, right?”
Wakatoshi snorted, just a huff of a laugh. “That is very fitting for them.”
“Isn’t it though!” Satori agreed. “And they both came to little old me for help! Can you believe it?”
“Of course I can,” Wakatoshi replied seriously. “Should Taichi tell Kenjirou, or Tsutomu tell Hinata, it would make its way back to the other within a day.”
Satori hummed. “That’s true.”
Wakatoshi nodded one last time before gripping the back of Satori’s thighs and hoisting him up.
“Wakatoshi-kun!” Satori gasped. “On a Tuesday?”
“Yes.”
The short and direct reply made Satori burst into giggles. “Alright, alright, let’s go then! But we have to make it to the bedroom today. The wood floors are bruising my back.”
When Satori arrived at the ring store on Saturday, Taichi was already there, pacing and wringing his hands.
“Taichi-kun?”
“Ten– Ushijima-san,” Taichi greeted.
Satori chuckled. “How about, just call me Satori, ya goof. It’ll get too confusing otherwise.”
“Of– of course. Shall we go in?”
“Are you sure you’re ready?” Satori asked, gesturing to the sweat dripping down Taichi’s neck. “What’s going on? Not buying into that bullshit marriage is a trap scam, are ya?”
“Of course not!” Taichi snapped, suddenly much calmer. “I want to spend forever with Tsutomu, and I don’t doubt that for a second.”
“Alright,” Satori conceded, “so what gives?”
“It has to be perfect, alright,” Taichi mumbled. “I need it to all be perfect. I haven’t exactly – uh – been the one to initiate, well, anything?”
Satori hummed. “Tsutomu is a little better at understanding and acting on his feelings. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about, Taichi-kun.”
“I just worry he may think that maybe I don’t love him as much as he loves me, because I don’t show it the same way.”
“He’d be stupid to think that,” Satori pointed out, patting Taichi’s shoulder. “Y’know, you’re a lot like my Wakatoshi-kun? Don’t do grand gestures or public displays of affection or give loving speeches, like me ‘n’ my Tsutomu, but ya do a lot of quality time and I bet you’re a real cuddler when you’re alone, right?” He took Taichi’s blush as a yes. “Just ’cause you show it different doesn’t mean Tsutomu doesn’t know you love him. Whatever you do, it’ll be perfect. C’mon. Let’s go buy a ring!”
There was a benefit to the fact that both Tsutomu and Taichi had turned to Satori for advice, Satori realized. That benefit was: their rings wouldn’t clash horribly, because Satori was there to guide them. Really, it was a blessing.
“Tendou-san,” Tsutomu greeted. He looked like he was vibrating with anticipation. “Sorry that I got here so early! I just couldn’t wait! I’m so excited!”
Satori laughed and ruffled Tsutomu’s hair. “I’m glad you’re excited! Let’s go inside, shall we?”
Tsutomu happily led the way.
It was such a polar opposite to the day before, but then, Satori supposed it made sense. Tsutomu was used to taking the initiative, trusting that if he extended a hand, Taichi would take it. But Satori couldn’t relate. He spent seven months trying to gain the courage to propose to Wakatoshi, terrified he’d get shot down. Yes, of his boyfriend of nearly ten years, since high school, he thought he’d get shot down.
“You seem really confident that this will go well,” Satori noted, leading Tsutomu towards the glass case with the best rings to match Taichi’s.
“Of course!” Tsutomu chirped. “Sometimes, Taichi-san can be dense, but I know he loves me and wants to be together forever. Leaving wedding magazines and sending him articles about wedding planning just won’t cut it. But that’s okay. I love doing romantic things for him!”
Tsutomu’s eyes were so bright and genuine, it melted Satori’s heart.
“You two are going to be so happy together, Tsutomu!”
“Ya wanna see the rings?” Satori asked Wakatoshi, rolling onto his husband’s chest. “I made sure that they go together nice!”
Wakatoshi hummed and sat up a bit. “Sure.”
Satori beamed at him and grabbed his phone. “Okay, so this one’s Taichi’s…and this one’s Tsutomu’s. See how they go together, but don’t match perfectly? I think they fit their personalities, really.”
Wakatoshi hummed again. “You did very well in helping them.”
“D’aw, thanks, Wakatoshi-kun.”
“You also appear to still have wedding-fever,” Wakatoshi continued, jostling Satori in his arms a bit. “Was ours a month ago not enough to satiate you?”
Satori laughed. “I just want all our friends to have as magical an experience as we did!”
“You were a menace the whole while,” Wakatoshi teased.
“I was not! You take that back!” Satori swatted him playfully. “I was perfectly reasonable, a blushing bride–”
Wakatoshi shook his head and chuckled, a rumble that Satori felt more than heard. “You were very demanding that the day be perfect.”
“I was frustrated that someone kept shooting down my flower arrangement ideas.”
“You included a flower that meant aversion, Satori. I couldn’t let you make arrangements that sent the wrong message.”
Satori pouted. “But they were pretty. And anyways, it sounds like you were the menace, Wakatoshi.”
“Was I now?”
“Mhm!”
Wakatoshi smiled, a full smile that crinkled his eyes, and Satori fell in love all over again. “Well, as long as you don’t give me a bouquet that conveys distaste for any anniversaries, I suppose we’re fine.”
Satori laughed. “I’ll be sure to do my research; don’t worry.”
Taichi wiped his sweaty palms on his pants for the fifteenth time in the last two minutes. Just waiting for Tsutomu to finish getting ready was sending him into panic. The ring weighed heavy in his pocket, along with all the possibilities that Tsutomu might not be ready for this step.
(“Don’t worry about it, Taichi-kun! I know for a fact that Tsutomu is just dying to make an honest man out of you!” Satori had assured him.)
Right then, Taichi was anything but sure. Tonight had to be perfect.
Tsutomu stared at the engagement ring for about five minutes longer than he’d meant to. It was just a simple band, but the inside was inscribed with a message, and Tsutomu just knew that Taichi would love it. He was so glad Tendou-san had agreed to help him out!
(“Trust me, Tsutomu, you want to be looking at rings such as these. I know what I’m talking about; have you seen your boyfriend’s style?”)
He trusted his senpai’s input. Now, there was only one thing left: proposing.
Taichi couldn’t stop fidgeting at dinner, while Tsutomu seemed calm and cheery as ever.
“–and I was telling Shouyou that obviously Ushijima-san will still be our ace by the time we go to the Olympics next year, but I really admire that he keeps pushing to pass him! Anyways, seeing Kageyama and Ushijima-san sync up on the court has been great, because Ushijima-san still had his doubts about him as a setter, and– Taichi-san? Are you alright?”
Taichi startled so hard he dropped his chopsticks. “Huh? Yes! I’m fine!”
Tsutomu huffed a laugh and reached across the table for his hand. “Long day at work?”
“Yeah,” Taichi breathed, squeezing Tsutomu’s hand. “Sorry, there’s a lot on my mind. But I want to be here with you, fully.” He brought Tsutomu’s hand up to his lips. “I love you.”
Tsutomu blushed, seemingly surprised by the gesture. “I – I love you too, Taichi-san.”
Taichi was definitely acting weird, but Tsutomu wasn’t going to ask why. It was probably just work. Although he seemed nervous…but it was probably nothing!
Anyways, Taichi was being a little more touchy than usual – not that Tsutomu was complaining – and Tsutomu could feel the air around them electrify with excitement as they approached the beach. If this wasn’t about to be the most romantic proposal scene ever, then Tsutomu didn’t know what would be!
That night, there were supposed to be fireworks going off at the pier, which was far enough away from their spot to be alone, but close enough to see the colors that would soon fill the sky. If Tendou-san was true to his word, then there would be rose petals scattered along the beach. This was going to be perfect!
And then they showed up.
Sure, there were flower petals, but there was also people.
Satori hadn’t planned for this, but apparently the fireworks were attracting a bigger crowd than initially expected.
He wanted to help Taichi and Tsutomu make this perfect, but it was too late. He messed up, and their perfect proposal was ruined!
Except…
When they arrived, Tsutomu deflated and Taichi looked momentarily confused. And then, Taichi cupped Tsutomu’s face in his hands and kissed him for a long moment before dropping to one knee.
“Goshiki Tsutomu,” Taichi began, but Tsutomu gasped and jumped, like he was over-excited. “Tsutomu?”
Tsutomu let out a giggle, covering his face before digging into his pocket and kneeling as well. “Yeah?”
“Oh my god,” Taichi laughed, shaking his head in disbelief.
“Yeah,” Tsutomu agreed, a couple tears falling loose. “Yeah.”
Taichi opened the ring box. “If it’s not the right size, we can get it fitted.”
Tsutomu nodded before opening his own box. “I really hope you like it, because I kinda went simple but I didn’t want it to be too understated, but–”
Taichi took Tsutomu’s left hand. “I had a speech planned, you bastard,” he laughed, kissing Tsutomu’s knuckles.
“You think I didn’t?” Tsutomu pointed out.
Taichi carefully slid the ring onto Tsutomu’s finger. “You always have a speech, Tsutomu.”
Tsutomu laughed again, now taking Taichi’s hand and putting on his ring. “Well, this one was meant to be the speech to top all speeches!”
“Save it for our wedding vows,” Taichi whispered, leaning closer.
“Oh my god,” Tsutomu murmured. “We’re getting married, Taichi.”
Taichi bumped his nose lightly against Tsutomu’s. “Yeah. Yeah, we are.”
“You’re going to be my husband.”
“Mhm.” Taichi stole a quick kiss.
“You’re my fiancé,” Tsutomu gasped.
“That is how this works,” Taichi agreed, kissing him again.
“I love you,” Tsutomu said, quieter than he’d been all evening. “And I wanted this to be perfect, but…I don’t think this moment could get any better than this.”
“I feel the same,” Taichi said, pulling Tsutomu close. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Tsutomu.”
“Taichi,” Tsutomu said, getting choked up again, “that’s really gay.”
Taichi snorted and dropped his head onto Tsutomu’s shoulder. “You’ve been hanging out with Satori-san too much, Tsutomu.”
“I should ask him to be my best man.”
“What? Why?”
“Well, he helped me plan this proposal.”
“He– he did what?”
“Helped me plan… Why?”
“Because that demon bastard helped me plan this proposal!”
“You mean he knew we were both–?”
Taichi sighed. “I shouldn’t be surprised, and yet.”
“That’s hilarious.”
“It’s terrible,” Taichi countered.
“He’s really good at keeping secrets, though!”
“Obviously, since that jerk didn’t try to stop us from proposing to each other at the same time.”
Tsutomu just laughed harder. “I love it, though. It’s perfect, Taichi.”
“Yeah. I guess it is.”
“Tsutomu already asked me to be his best man, Wakatoshi-kun! You know what that means?”
Wakatoshi didn’t look up from his paper. “That I’m going to have to stop you from ruining the flower arrangements?”
Satori scoffed. “Wakatoshi-kun! That’s just mean!”
Wakatoshi tried to hide a laugh as Satori threw a napkin at him. “I love you.”
“Yeah, yeah, I love you too.”