Chapter Text
❀ 1 ❀
A day before their very 1st anniversary, Bokuto Koutarou was watching the television at Akaashi Keiji’s house.
Locals are advised to stay indoors or immediately seek shelter if they are currently on the road. Landslides are also very likely. Strong winds with medium high floods are expectedㅡ
"This sucks," Bokuto grumbles as he turns off the television where the latest weather forecast is being announced.
He was planning to go mountain hiking with his boyfriend, but their months of long preparation was all for naught when a storm formed near their destination.
Stupid weather. Stupid storm.
"Kou?" Akaashi called from the kitchen.
They were already ready to depart by tomorrow morning.
With nothing else they can do because of the sudden appearance of a strong hurricane, his boyfriend decided to unpack their clothes and ready-made food.
Don't mind me, I'm just sulking here.
Akaashi was peeking at his boyfriend from where he was arranging canned goods, wondering why he didn’t respond.
His gaze was met by the cutely pouting face of Bokuto.
The smaller man’s face softened, approaching his louring lover who has slumped on the coach.
He warmly placed his hands around the taller man's chest, caging him into a back hug.
"Kou, my day off tomorrow is still in place. And I don't mind if we don't have to go somewhere far, as long as I'm with you," the florist kissed his boyfriend's cheeks.
Bokuto just grumbled, still pissed that things didn't go as planned.
"You rarely get a day off, Keiji," he mumbled gruffly.
"Then I'll work harder to accumulate more days off. That way, we can go on a trip for a longer duration," Akaashi suggested.
When Bokuto didn't respond, the smaller man sighed, affectionately rubbing his cheeks against the other's.
"We can always delay the trip to our next anniversary, when the weather's not too bad," he suggested.
The older man untangled himself from their position, and looked at his boyfriend. “Promise?”
“I promise.”
❀ 2 ❀
Bokuto never forgot the promise they made approximately a year ago, always reminding his boyfriend about it.
However, a week before their 2nd anniversary, he found himself pouting again.
“Kou, I’m really sorry,” the young florist cooed his boyfriend.
“But Keiji, you promised .” Akaashi felt his heart breaking at the tone the older man was using.
Both still trying to find a stable source of income, it was especially hard for Akaashi not to deny big projects.
The raven-haired is a full-time employee of a local floral shop, and while he deeply enjoyed his job, it pays less than it requires for him to freely go on dates with his boyfriend.
“I really feel bad, Kou. But our clients suddenly hired us, and even offered to pay extra for the trouble.”
The taller man kept on frowning, to which his boyfriend felt more guilty about.
“We had no choice but to accept. Not many big occasions like this wedding consider hiring us anymore. You do understand that, don’t you?”
The florist searched for the older man’s downcasted eyes, wanting them to look back at his.
"Kou, I understand that you're upset with me but I hope you get my point. I really do feel bad, and I'm sorryㅡ"
"It's okay, 'Kaashi. I'm not mad at you. Maybe just a little disappointed that we can't go," Bokuto looked at the guilty eyes of the younger.
Seeing an almost crying Akaashi made the taller man touch his lips against the scrunched up part of his boyfriend's forehead, where his eyebrows met.
"I'm sorry, but nothing changes, you know? I still love you whether we go somewhere far or somewhere super fancy that we can't afford to go for the second time," the florist promised.
"I know, babe. I love you too! So much," Bokuto promised after lovingly placing another chaste kiss on the smaller one's crown.
"What should we do then, Keiji? We have more or less a week to plan something simple yet special."
"Well… what do you have in mind, Kou?" Akaashi proceeded to hug the taller one, wrapping his arms around Bokuto's mid-section.
He feels so strong and dependable.
"How long will you prepare for this wedding? Oh, um, when was it again?" Bokuto circled his arms around the florist's shoulders, returning the warm hug.
"I can't request for days off during the weekdays but our anniversary lands on a Saturday, thankfully. We have all the weekend to ourselves."
"You mean I got you for the whole weekend," the older man teased, lightly swaying their bodies to a nonexistent music.
"Yes, that too." Akaashi smiled gleefully, feeling giddy at their playful banter.
"Aha! How about we go to Disneyland? I know you haven't been there, but I think you'll love it!"
The florist smiled, feeling loved and content with having Bokuto in his arms.
"That's not bad. I would love that, Kou."
❀ 3 ❀
It all started with a sneeze.
Akaashi, who was accounting the flower shop's spendings, looked back at his lover who woke up sneezing.
"Kou? Are you okay?"
Bokuto grumbled, turning his body to sit at the edge of the bed. He rubbed his nose as if in disdain, before sneezing again.
"Must be the dust," he tried.
"That can't be right. I just vacuumed yesterday."
The taller man released another bout of sneezing, making Akaashi stand up to go to him.
Bokuto, seeing his boyfriend approach him, waved his arms in front of him. "No! No, I'm fine. Must be because it was so cold last night. Continue what you were doing, Keiji," he said as he released an airy laugh.
The florist stopped at his tracks, assessing his boyfriend. "If you say so, but I thought it was weird that you were sleeping in the afternoon. Are you certainly sure, Bokuto-san?"
"120%, Keiji! Maybe I was just too tired... But! Our getaway is the next next day! That would bring back all my energy, right?"
Akaashi looked like he didn’t understand that logic, but agreed anyway. Bokuto can sometimes be that weird. “Sure. But tell me if it feels worse later, okay? I’ll give you some medicine then."
“You’re the best, Keiji!”
"Do you want to cancel our shopping date tomorrow? So you can rest more?" The florist asked while touching his hand against his boyfriend's forehead, despite the taller man's whining.
The couple planned on going to the store to buy extra supplies for their anniversary trip the next day.
"Of course not! I'll just sleep this off later, and I will be your shopping basket tomorrow," Bokuto exclaimed as Akaashi sighed in fondness, fiddling with the hair touching the other's forehead.
"Kou, people who recently didn't feel well shouldn't carry heavy things. They might really get sick later on," the younger explained before lightly flicking the other's sweaty forehead.
"Ow! Okay, okay then let's just get those pushy things!" The enthusiasm on his boyfriend's face made the florist smile in affection.
"Sure, let's do that," Akaashi said after placing a sweet kiss on the top of Bokuto's head.
"Yay," the older man cheered, albeit with less energy.
"Sleep early tonight, okay? Don't wait up for me. Now go eat something, and sweat a little after," Akaashi suggested as he was standing up to go back to his work.
"Eat with me, Keiji?"
The florist stopped and looked at the other man with affection.
"Of course, Kou."
The next day, however, Bokuto was nearly reduced to a crying mess.
"I'm so sorry, 'Kaashi. I really messed up this time." He was leaning his burning head on Akaashi's shoulder who was trying to calm him down.
It seemed like the taller man's condition worsened after last night, so Bokuto woke up to an alarmingly high fever and migraine, paired with a blocked nose and dry cough.
But what made Akaashi feel sadder for him is that his boyfriend seemed very guilty not because he got sick, but because they had to cancel yet another anniversary date.
To which the florist didn't mind, but he was getting worried about the older man's fever.
He needed to calm him down fast or risk getting dehydrated.
"Kou, can you look at me please?" The other man's eyes were swollen from crying, from which reason Akaashi doesn't know.
When their eyes met, the younger assured Bokuto: "I sincerely love you, Bokuto-san. The long times we have been planning this, despite the many setbacks, proves it. I don't care if we do this next year or on our 10th anniversary or 50th anniversary, as long as I get to care for the person I cherish most."
That seemed to make Bokuto stop from crying. "W-we'll have a 50th anniversary?"
"Yes we will, silly… Unless you don't want to?" Akaashi asked nervously, only half joking.
"What?! Of course we will! I'll even carry you to Fuji-san despite my age! That's how much I love you, Keiji!"
The florist can't help but give a chaste kiss on the older man's forehead at the heartfelt declaration.
"I love you too, Kou."
❀ 4 ❀
Lately, the flower shop Akaashi works for had multiple cases of order cancellations and refunds. This proved to be a problem because they made less than what they used up, nearly making the whole business go bankrupt.
This is a huge problem.
The florist went to his boyfriend's room, but stopped at his tracks when he saw him walking back and forth, looking very worried.
"Bokuto-san?"
The taller man jumped from surprise, nervously looking at Akaashi.
"Ah, Keiji! What is it? How were the sales?"
"Not good, to be honest. But more importantly, are you okay?"
"What?"
"You looked very worried a while ago. You were pacing around."
"Did I, now? It must be because I'm excited! Less than a week before our anniversary, right?" Bokuto looked nothing but excited to the smaller man.
Akaashi was certain that his boyfriend was hiding something. He stared at him, looking unimpressed yet patient with him.
Bokuto grimaced, and took the heavy stare as a sign to tell him.
"Keiji… I, um… You see…"
"What is it, Bokuto-san?" He calmly asked.
The taller man mumbled something, lips puckered as if embarrassed.
"I'm sorry I didn't get that."
Bokuto looked at Akaashi.
"I'm broke."
Oh.
"The flower shop nearly got bankrupt?!" Bokuto asked, equally surprised and worried.
After two crying fits and nearly a nervous breakdown because of yet another cancelled anniversary date, the older man calmed down and was currently listening to the florist explain the alarming decrease in their sales.
"Yes, the weather hadn't been kind to our suppliers. Almost all of our stocks were thrown away because nobody would buy them. There were also some people who would steal the stalks."
"Steal? Why would they do that?"
"I don't really know. But our suppliers were pretty saddened about it."
Silence loomed between the couple.
"So... we're both broke," Bokuto concluded.
They immediately deflated, looking sullen and just staring into the distance.
Bokuto nearly leaped in fervency, as if he thought of a good idea. The smaller man looked expectantly.
"I know! How about I get a new job?"
Akaashi immediately rejected the idea. "Absolutely not, Kou. You get fatigued enough. You don't need another job."
"But if it means saving the shop and earning extra, thenㅡ"
"Don't worry about the shop, Kou. We already have plans about it. I might get promoted so we can limit the people that handle the supplies. So I will work at the farm and shop interchangeably."
"You did?! That's amazing, Keiji! As expected! You're the best!" The taller man exclaimed while rubbing his cheeks against the other's, caging him in a bone-crushing hug.
"I said I might get promoted, Kou. It's just the proposed plan."
"I'm sure you'll get the position. You're so passionate in what you do, and you know how things work there. And you're their best arranger!"
Akaashi laughed. "You're just biased, Kou."
The older man tucked his boyfriend under his chin. "Maybe. But I know you're one of the best."
The florist hugged Bokuto, clutching the back part of his shirt.
He can feel the taller man's breath tickling his hair when he spoke:
"It's a bummer we can't go somewhere next week."
Akaashi agreed and hugged Bokuto tighter.
"We'll just save some more and lessen our expenses. That way, you don't have to look for another job. And we can level up our date for next year. How does that sound?"
"Okay, let's work for the best anniversary date next year! Hey, hey, hey!!"
❀ 5 ❀
Bokuto was currently taking a bath, humming softly as he welcomed the morning light into the tiles of the bathroom.
He and Akaashi planned on going shopping later for their out-of-town date 3 days from now.
As he exited the shower while diligently drying his hair, he looked at the sleeping form of his lover on the mattress.
The black-haired male was splayed on their shared bed, curled around sheets of blankets.
Bokuto approached him, checking if he was already awake.
If Bokuto wakes up before Akaashi, it's usually the sound of the shower running that wakes the raven-haired up. But instead the older man found him still asleep, with his eyebrows furrowed.
He touched his boyfriend's forehead in worry. "Keiji? Are you okay?"
Akaashi stirred, raising his head from the mop of blankets. He looked panicked but was relieved when his eyes met Bokuto's worried ones.
"Bokuto-san?" He asked, a little disoriented.
"Yeah, baby. Just me. Are you okay?" He sat on the edge of the bed to get closer to the florist, and the younger man responded by leaning his forehead against the other's lap.
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." Akaashi assured him. "I just had a very bad dream."
"Oh. Do you want to talk about it?" The older man reached his hand to the raven head's hair, battling against the persistent curls to no avail.
"I… I don't know, Bokuto-san. I have a bad feeling about today."
Bokuto moved his hand so he can affectionately run it against his boyfriend's back, who shivered at the contact.
"Don't worry, Keiji. No matter what that is, I'll fight it with you!" He brought his hands to Akaashi's cheeks and forced their stares. "I love you, you know."
The florist, while obviously worried still, found a smile creeping his face at the sweet declaration.
"I love you too, Kou. My body must've been too tired from work. I'm really looking forward to our alone time by the cherry blossoms," Akaashi declared, before kissing Bokuto's palm still holding his face.
"That's the spirit! You have no idea, Keiji! Chidorigafuchi will be amazing . We'll rent a boat and go to his very expensive hotel that's got the greatest view. And it's all ours!"
The florist smiled at the other’s enthusiasm, and decided to push his negative thoughts away.
“I can’t wait.”
They were walking around the shopping center when Akaashi received the call.
“Hello?” The florist stopped to answer his phone. Bokuto looked at his boyfriend, and led him to the side so they wouldn't bother other shoppers.
“W-what? Why?” The smaller man exclaimed, making Bokuto turn to him in worry.
“Where are you? I… No, okay. Okay, I’ll be there in 15 minutes.” And Akaashi ended the call before turning to his boyfriend.
“What is it, Keiji?” Bokuto asked apprehensively.
“It’s my mom. SheㅡThey said she collapsed, and I don’t… I should goㅡ”
“No, ‘Kaashi. Let’s go. Together. Which hospital is she in?”
The constant sound of the ECG echoed all throughout the room. But Akaashi can’t stop the frantic beating of his heart, with his hands clenched together.
A warm hand touched his shaking ones. The florist turned his hand to accommodate his boyfriend’s, feeling reassured by his touch.
Akaashi sighed. “I don’t even know where to get the money to pay for the whole treatment. It’s more than what I earn in a yearㅡ”
“Let’s use the money we’ve been saving,” Bokuto said with a note of finality. The smaller man immediately shaked his head, dismissing the idea.
“Kou, I know you mean well, but we can’t just do that . Not only is it financially impractical, but we sacrificed a lot to save up that amount.”
“Keiji, I understand why you’re worried. But she’s like a mom to me too. I want her safe and healthy. Besides, we saved up the money for each other, right? Because we love each other. We love her too, so I cannot not let you use that money for her hospital bills.”
Akaashi still looked unconvinced, hesitant about the idea of using their savings for their upcoming anniversary.
The taller man pulled the raven-haired in a warm hug, his strong chest against Akaashi’s cold back. “It’s fine. I know we worked hard for it, but I’d rather celebrate our anniversary in our apartment with a simple dinner than celebrate it with a person we both love hooked to a hospital equipment.
“I know you’re worried that you’ll use up our money, because it’s ‘your family, not mine’. But Keiji, this is my problem too. And I’d give away all of my possessions for the people I love, no questions asked.”
The florist felt a tear drop from his chin as he continued to lean against his boyfriend.
“Don’t hesitate. It’ll be fine,” Bokuto continued to usher him.
Eventually the younger man nodded, turning to look at the taller man with tear-stained eyes. “Okay. I will.”
Thank you, Bokuto-san.