Work Text:
“I can’t believe it, dude! Our very first Christmas together while we’re sharing an apartment! It’s gonna be so much fun decorating everything!” Ryuji stuffed his hands in his pockets, a grin spreading across his entire face. The freezing winter air had painted his cheeks a delicate pink, and Akira felt his own face flush at Ryuji’s warmth.
“‘Dude’?” Akira chuckled softly, giving Ryuji a teasing eye roll. “We’ve been dating for almost three years, and you can’t find anything cuter to call me than ‘dude’?”
The pink tint on Ryuji’s cheeks darkened and he averted his eyes from Akira’s gaze. “Force of habit, man. Sorry.”
“No, no, don’t be. It’s endearing.” Akira reached out and threaded his hand through the space between Ryuji’s arm and torso, interlocking their arms effortlessly as they walked through the streets of Shibuya. “Have you decided what you want to try making for dinner this year?”
Ryuji snickered. “Cooking? I thought we were just gonna order takeout since the gang can’t make it for Christmas this year.”
Akira averted his eyes from Ryuji’s playful gaze, playing it off as a laugh of his own. In reality, he couldn’t help but feel the guilt simmering in his gut. Ryuji didn’t know this, but Akira actually asked the former band of Phantom Thieves to come to Leblanc for their annual celebration later in the week. After explaining why, everyone demanded to stick their nose in Akira’s business, but this was something he knew he had to do alone. Despite his best efforts to keep the secret, the days creeping closer to Christmas only reminded Akira of what was to come.
He was going to propose to Ryuji. This was not a spur of the moment decision. In fact, Akira had been planning to propose to his boyfriend for months now. Somehow, all of his plans fell short, and there never seemed to be a good time to pop the question. Now, with Ryuji’s teaching position secured and Akira’s pHD just within reach, their lives were taking a turn for the better. Akira only hoped that Ryuji would feel the same way. There was no doubt in his mind that Ryuji loved him, but marriage is a lot to put on someone, especially considering how young they were in the grand scheme of things.
In reality, Akira had somehow known since high school that Ryuji was the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, no matter what that entailed. He was perfectly content with simply being high school friends or maybe college roommates, but he never expected anything more involved than that. Despite those initial reservations, Akira and Ryuji somehow pulled their heads out of their asses during college and realized they liked each other, and now they were committed to being in a serious relationship. The past three years had brought Akira nothing but happiness, something he never thought he deserved, and he selfishly wanted to cling to that for the rest of his life.
Something in his heart told him Christmas morning was the perfect opportunity to do the proposal he had been agonizing over for months. His other opportunities had been flukes, but this one was going to be the one. Akira just had to make sure their first Christmas alone together would be one Ryuji would never forget.
~ * ~
Decorating for Christmas was not just a one day event for Ryuji. Akira knew better than anyone that once Ryuji got into the Christmas spirit, it was endless Christmas music and hanging lights anywhere there was space. Sometimes, he would be at it for the entire month of December, much to Akira’s chagrin. However, Akira found himself almost taken aback when Ryuji suggested waiting until Christmas Eve to put all the decorations up.
“I figured we could just, I dunno, make a day out of it or something? Since it’s only going to be the two of us, I mean…” Ryuji sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. “We don’t need to go crazy this year.” Ryuji furrowed his eyebrows at the blank stare Akira had across his face. “What? Did I say something wrong?”
“N-no,” Akira stammered out in surprise. “It’s just…you just always take your time making sure everything is perfect. It’s one of the few things you actually plan in detail.” That comment earned a soft punch to his arm from Ryuji, but Akira continued on. “Are you sure this is what you actually want?”
Ryuji nodded. “Yeah, I mean, usually it takes so long because you have school and I have to do it in between work and stuff. But we both have Christmas Eve off together for once, so I thought you might wanna join in on the fun.”
Akira smiled warmly to his boyfriend and reached out to take Ryuji’s hand in his. “There is nothing I would rather do more.”
Well, there was, but that could wait until Christmas Day.
So, Akira made sure to finish his gift shopping early and make a list of everything they needed so he could make the proper grocery trips ahead of time. He and Ryuji both agreed they didn’t want to leave their apartment on Christmas Eve unless it was absolutely necessary, so they both made their own separate preparations for the special holiday to come.
When December 24th finally came, Akira found himself awake much later than he had anticipated. His eyes fluttered open to daylight streaming in through his bedroom window, and when he rolled over, he found his bed surprisingly empty. It wasn’t until he noticed the faint smell of instant coffee coming from the kitchen he realized that Ryuji was still here, so he lazily pulled himself out of bed and padded towards the smell while rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
Ryuji turned around and smiled at his sleepy boyfriend while turning off the stove in front of him. “Good morning, Sleeping Beauty. Your alarm woke me up this morning and I couldn’t go back to sleep, so I figured I’d get started on breakfast.” Akira tried not to snort as he poured himself a cup and went searching for the sugar. Ryuji was still in his sweatpants, but he had forgone a shirt and instead slapped on a frilly Christmas apron. He expertly hid his giggles behind his first sip.
Before Akira could make his way out of the kitchen to drink his coffee in the living room, Ryuji gently grabbed his free hand and tugged him back. Akira turned to face him with a menacing glare that Ryuji had practically grown immune to. “Are you going to let me drink my coffee before we get started on today’s festivities?” He said.
“Not without paying your toll first.” Ryuji pointed smigly at the top of the entryway between the kitchen and the living room.
Hanging by a small thread was a bundle of mistletoe and Akira was shocked he didn’t notice it before. With a slightly over dramatic eye roll, Akira set his coffee on the counter before gently putting his hands on Ryuji’s hips and bringing him closer. “Did you put this here just to get extra kisses because you knew we’d be spending most of our time here?”
Ryuji couldn’t help but grin, but he tried his best to be coy regardless. “Maybe…or maybe not…”
Akira sighed and pressed their foreheads and hips together with ease. “My, my, what are we going to do with you, Mr. Sakamoto?” He purred. “This is the kind of trickery I would associate with a dastardly Phantom Thief.”
“Me? A trickster? Nah, I think that’s more your department, babe.” Ryuji closed the gap between them and their lips met in a chaste kiss. When they reluctantly pulled apart, Akira buried his face in his boyfriend’s neck and sighed contentedly.
“As much as I love kissing you, unfortunately I must refrain for the next few minutes until I’ve had my coffee.” Akira pointedly plucked his mug from the counter and turned to walk into the living room before pausing to look teasingly over his shoulder. “You know I’m an absolute menace without it.”
~ * ~
The day passed much faster than Akira would have liked. Between all the cooking, baking, and sneaking away to wrap presents in secret, Akira and Ryuji were having a blast all on their own. For the majority of the day, the annual gathering that was cancelled went entirely forgotten. It wasn’t until the sun had set and the couple was curled up on the couch that Ryuji had mentioned it again.
“Man, I feel bad that we couldn’t host the Christmas party this year. It sucks that everyone has other plans tomorrow.” Ryuji looked at Akira with a sad smile, and Akira pointedly avoided his gaze. The blonde raised an eyebrow suspiciously but didn’t push it. Instead, he turned his eyes back to the TV and continued to scroll through all the holiday movies on sale.
Without thinking, Akira’s hand found its way into the pocket of his sweats, where the small black box had been sitting almost all day. The fact that Ryuji still hadn’t noticed its presence was a miracle, and Akira was grateful for that. Still, that didn’t stop him from being nervous about it all day. Part of him wanted to jump the gun and just propose right now, but he still wanted to wait for the perfect opportunity. Watching movies on the couch didn’t seem like the most romantic time to ask someone to marry you. Akira looked back at Ryuji and noticed his boyfriend's gaze transfixed on him. “Ryuji? Are you alright?”
Suddenly, as if someone had snapped him out of a daydream, Ryuji stood up from the couch and dashed off towards their room. Dumbfounded, Akira wrapped the blanket around his shoulders and quietly followed him. He leaned in the door frame as he watched Ryuji scramble through his dresser for clean clothes to wear. “Forget something important?”
Ryuji practically jumped out of his skin when he spun around to face Akira. “Uh…not exactly? I just realized that there’s something I want to get you for Christmas still.” He turned back to his dresser and pulled out jeans and a long sleeved shirt before tossing them on the bed and running towards the closet. “Do you think the mall is still open right now?”
“Probably not. Are you sure it can’t wait until tomorrow?” Ryuji shimmied into his skinny jeans with his jacket draped over his shoulder while Akira walked towards him. “It’s dark and people drink on Christmas. I don’t want you getting hurt.”
“I’ll take the subway, babe.” With some awkwardness, Ryuji managed to pull on his jacket but couldn’t manage the zipper. Chuckling to himself, Akira reached out and zipped it up in one fell swoop. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
There was a long silence between them where their eyes were locked and Akira could tell Ryuji was gazing over his entire face. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but Akira found himself shying away from so much attention. Akira moved his hands to Ryuji’s arms and rubbed them gently, causing Ryuji to sigh contentedly. After a few more moments, Ryuji was the first to break the silence. “You know I’m madly in love with you, right?”
“As you should be.” Akira quipped back with a smirk, trying to keep the mood light, but his heart skipped a few beats when Ryuji didn’t smile along with him.
“No, no, I mean, seriously. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” Akira felt his face flush with embarrassment as Ryuji leaned in to peck him on the cheek. “Thanks for looking out for me all these years.”
Akira cupped Ryuji’s cheek and brushed his thumb across it. “There’s no one I’d rather fuss over than you, Ryuji.” He pulled away and the two of them made their way to the front door. Ryuji slipped on his shoes and grabbed his keys before giving Akira one more kiss before disappearing into the night.
He was asleep on the couch when Ryuji returned, the credits for Die Hard scrolling across the TV. His eyes fluttered open to see his boyfriend standing over him with a grin.
“C’mon, babe. Let’s get you to bed.”
~ * ~
The first to wake on Christmas morning was Akira. He rolled over to gaze at Ryuji’s peaceful smile as he slept, highlighted by the light coming through the window behind him. For a few minutes, Akira allowed himself this moment of peace, clearing his mind of every worry he had about today and focused only on the beautiful man in front of him. The creases forming in Ryuji’s forehead were soft, his eyebrows relaxed and his eyelashes laying across his cheeks. Akira felt like he could stare at Ryuji for hours, simply studying the planes of his face. Alas, he had bigger plans for their morning than simply lying in bed all day.
“Ryuji…wake up, love.” Akira propped himself up on his elbow before giving Ryuji a gentle shake. Much to his dismay, Ryuji groaned and rolled over, wrapping himself in a burrito of blankets. With a chuckle, Akira forced himself to sit up and swing his legs over the side of the bed. “Tell you what. I’ll put our cinnamon rolls in the oven to bake and start on my coffee. Just come into the living room when you’re done, okay?”
After receiving a muffled reply that sounded positive, Akira slipped on a warm shirt and felt around in his pockets to make sure the box was right where it was supposed to be. Once his heart rate slowed to a reasonable pace, Akira set out to start making breakfast.
For once, Akira was grateful Ryuji liked to do dishes, because everything that was dirty from their cooking and baking escapades yesterday was all washed and stacked on the drying rack. He got to work putting the dishes away to clear some counter space after preheating the oven to the proper temperature to let the cinnamon rolls bake. When the timer went off, signaling the oven was ready for use, Akira pulled the cinnamon rolls out of the fridge and slid them carefully inside. That gave Ryuji at least twenty minutes to come out, and Akira was certain he would once he could smell the baked goods.
While waiting for the coffee to brew, Akira heard shuffling feet come up behind him right before two slightly tanned arms wrapped themselves around his midsection. “Good morning, Ryuji. Merry Christmas.”
“Mmm…you too, ‘kira. Somethin’ smells really good in here.”
“Well, it’s probably the rolls in the oven. They’ll be done in a few minutes. Do you want anything to drink? I can bring it to the couch if you want.” Akira felt Ryuji nod and mumble something that sounded like ‘egg nog’ before he detached himself and disappeared from view. It wasn’t until he heard the distant sounds of the TV and he began to pour his coffee that Akira realized his hands were shaking.
It was now or never.
After plating the freshly baked goods and pouring Ryuji a large glass of egg nog, Akira made his way into the living room. Ryuji greeted him with a smile and gratefully accepted his breakfast so Akira could comfortably sit down. Neither of them spoke much, with Ryuji chowing down on his breakfast and Akira sipping his bitter coffee in a feeble attempt to calm his nerves. Once Ryuji had finished his second cinnamon roll, Akira softly cleared his throat and Ryuji stopped mid-bite to look at him.
“Listen, Ryuji. I have something important I want to give you. I’ve actually…wanted to give it to you for a while now, there just never seemed to be a good opportunity.”
“So you waited until Christmas? Dude, I could never be patient enough to wait on something that long.” Ryuji laughed. “To tell you the truth, I have somethin’ to give you too, I mean, seperate from what I got your for Christmas. But, uh, you go first since you’ve been waiting longer.”
Akira took a deep breath before setting down his coffee and taking Ryuji’s hands in his. “Ryuji, words can not express my gratitude for you. I know it may not seem like much to most people, but you came into my life when I desperately needed a friend. Little did I know, I was getting much more than I bargained for.” They both chuckled at that, and Akira swallowed his anxiety just enough to say exactly what he had rehearsed several times. “I wouldn’t trade our friendship, our relationship, or the hardships we faced together for anything, because my life has become so much better thanks to you. I am amazed by your strength and fighting spirit, and you never hesitate to do the right thing when it really matters. I was so happy to have you as a friend that I never wanted to wish for anything more because I was afraid of being too selfish. But, now that you’re mine, I realized I don’t want anyone or anything else but you .”
Holding his breath, Akira slid as gracefully as he could off the couch onto one knee and reached into his pocket for the box. Ryuji’s eyes widened, and Akira could see they were beginning to well with tears as he whispered “Holy shit,” under his breath. He took a deep breath, and finally flipped open the ring box.
“Ryuji Sakamoto, would you do me the honor of spending the rest of your life with me?”
Ryuji looked between the ring and Akira, tears threatening to spill down his cheeks, until a look of realization crossed over his features and Ryuji suddenly burst into uncontrollable laughter. Akira was confused by this turn of events more than anything else, and he tried to ignore the way his heart sank into the floor as he watched Ryuji cry from laughter. “Did…did I say something funny?”
“Ha ha…oh, Akira, I’m not laughing at you, I promise…” Ryuji barely managed complete sentences between breaths. “It’s just…ha ha…wait, let me show you.”
In Akira’s defense, had he not been so busy, he would have seen it coming a mile away. He was still on one knee, dumbfounded as Ryuji reached into his pocket and pulled out a red, velvet box. He flipped it open and, sure enough, there was a black metal ring encrusted with red stones sitting safely inside the box. Akira could hardly believe his eyes. “I…wait, when did you… how long have you had this?”
Before Ryuji spoke, he tried to take a large deep breath, but still couldn’t contain some of the giggles that escaped him. “Remember when I left last night in a hurry? Well, I took the subway to that big mall a few stops away, and I ran into the jewelry store right before they closedー”
“You bought this last night ?! Ryuji, I bought this ring for you four months ago !” If not for his embarrassment, Akira might have laughed along with his boyfriend. Instead, he shook his head in disbelief. “How did you come to such an important decision so quickly? I mean, I agonized over this for so much longer before I even bought the ring but…you were certain about it last night?”
“Well…” Ryuji’s laughter died down and was replaced with a sincere smile. “I looked over at you on the couch and just thought to myself ‘I want to do this for the rest of my life’ and then it hit me. I just wanted to make sure no one came and snatched you away from me, so I didn’t want to wait any longer than I had to. Sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh, it’s just this whole situation is kinda hilarious right? I mean, you planned to propose for four months and I only just got on board yesterday!”
“So…” A smile spread across Akira’s face and he leaned up towards Ryuji just a bit. “I take it you’re saying yes?”
“Freakin’ーYES, babe, I am one hundred percent saying yes!” As soon as the words crossed Ryuji’s lips, Akira couldn’t resist and surged forward into a kiss. Ryuji’s chapped lips were softened only by the tears running down both of their faces, and Akira wished that he could live in this moment forever.
Most of the kisses shared between Akira and Ryuji were the same, albeit with varying degrees of passion or intensity. Very rarely in their relationship has something so simple carried so much weight. That changed entirely today. Their lips connected with a passion unlike any they had experienced before, and the conviction in their hearts made this kiss feel much bigger than itself. It held the weight of the future, of their hopes and dreams for themselves and for each other. It gave them comfort and sincerity in a life where neither of them had much to begin with. It promised a lifetime of happiness where Ryuji and Akira would never have to bear the pain of being apart again.
Akira and Ryuji were truly inseparable now, and just like they did when they first met, they felt like their lives had only just begun. New beginnings had been bittersweet for both of them in the past, but this one was the sweetest that life had to offer.