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Tamaki Amajiki had many things to say, but no confidence to say them. Every sentence that left him was carefully plucked from his ever rambling thoughts, and even then, there was something that laced each word - a thick, viscous honey that latched onto every syllable in an attempt to stifle him. Whenever his words began to smother him, he balled his hands into fists at his side, frustration bubbling up inside him as he tried to figure out just exactly where The Something originated from. He knew what The Something was, of course. It encompassed his entire being since childhood, a familiar feeling that's always loomed over him like a dense fog that clouded every one of his senses.
Uncertainty.
Insecurity.
Fear.
That something, whatever you wanted to call it, took hold of him in ways he didn't expect, and suddenly anything he said sounded soft, unsure, riddled with doubt. After so many years, Tamaki wasn't sure if he gave up on fighting it, or if he'd grown to enjoy The Something's smothering. Honey was sweet. Warm. Comforting. Maybe The Something was too. The Something reminds Tamaki not to leave his safe zone. Don't do anything rash, nothing you aren't 100% sure about. Are you 100% sure about anything? You shouldn't be, your opinions don't actually matter. You bring nothing to the table. You're worthless. Spineless. A Freak.
When you and Mirio hurtled into his life, crashing through his walls at full speed, it was the first time The Something softened. It was still there, lingering in the background - a constant reminder not to stand out too much. But around his friends, the honey thinned, and words slipped out easier than they had before. Of course it helped that you two always seemed so certain, so confident, so fearless. Warm.
~
"I'm Amajiki, and, uh...And I like her--I mean..."
Every ounce of his body sank into The Something. Eventually he just gave up on trying to introduce himself, and the teacher reprieved him of his humiliation and allowed him to take a seat. Head down, he avoided eye contact as other children clustered to their solidified friend groups. Friend groups with no room for him. There was no reason why any of them would want to walk up and make friends with someone so boring and awkward anyway-
"Amajiki!"
He looked up in shock, eyes meeting two distinct grins. The boy with a golden blonde mane, the girl whose locks were wrapped in delicate pigtails.
"It was kind of hard to hear what you were trying to say up there earlier, but we were thinking..." The blonde leaned forward just a hair, careful not to invade Tamaki's space.
The girl leaned in too. "Were you trying to tell us that you like heroes? Was that it?" Her eyes sparkled as she clasped her hands together over her chest.
"Well, I, uh-"
"'Cause we like them too! They're so awesome!"
Two pairs of eyes sparkled back at him, and for a moment, the honey thinned. Melted.
"If you had to pick a favorite, who would it be?"
The little girl in pigtails tugged on the blonde boy's sleeve. "Mirio, Amajiki is shy, we need to give him space! We don't wanna scare him away!"
The one she called Mirio gasped and backed up. "Oh gosh, you're right, I'm sorry. Let's start over!"
Tamaki looked to the other two children as they introduced themselves, sheepish smiles spread across their faces. He felt the blush rise to his cheeks as they giggled. Too shocked to speak, he only responded with nods or shakes during their conversations. Neither of them minded, and they welcomed him with open arms. Tamaki felt their warmth, radiant and everlasting, and for the first time, he reached out to feel some of that warmth too.
The three of them quickly became thick as thieves. It was near impossible to find one without the other two in tow. While Tamaki had certainly made strides in his ability to speak, the other two still noticed The Something that held him back. They decided to tackle it in the most obvious way possible for six-year-old children: a game. On a sunny afternoon at the playground, the three found themselves sitting in a circle underneath a cherry blossom, their usual hangout on the weekends.
"Tama, Mirio and I were thinking of ways you could feel better about expressing yourself. Something holds you back, right? Are you afraid we'll make fun of you?"
Tamaki's eyes widened at her, the tips of his ears warm enough to bake bread. He shot his eyes toward the ground as he played with a blade of grass. "No! I know you guys won't make fun of me... it's just..." He felt his voice falter as the honey overflowed. Confrontation was too much. Too thick.
A tiny hand on his knee made him look up. She smiled.
"It's ok, Tama, we get it. We came up with a game we think might help! Wanna try?"
Mirio grinned at Tamaki's hesitant nod. "Alright! The game goes like this: whenever you want to share something with us and you want our full attention, no judgement, and no responding until you give the ok, go like this." Mirio used his index finger and gave two brief taps to the tip of his nose. "That tells us you have something you wanna share! So for example," tap tap, "I want to be a hero one day! Now if I wanna pass it to you and let you speak, I tap once, like this." Mirio gave a single tap to the tip of his nose. "Now it's your turn!"
Tamaki listened intently, eyes wide with curiosity. He hesitantly took his index finger, and tapped it twice, gently, on the tip of his own nose. He smiled.
"I think I want to be a hero, too."
No hesitation, no thickness. Tamaki's eyes widened as this newfound freedom. Eyes sparkling, his friends gasped, waiting for his next move. He tapped once, looking at his pigtailed friend. She double tapped.
"I want to be a hero, too! I'm gonna help so many people." She grinned as her hands came up to hold her face. "Ahh~ just thinking about it makes me so excited! We're gonna be so cool." Pigtails gasped and shook away her thoughts, remembering the topic at hand.
"I'm so glad you like this game, Tama! When we wanna end the game, we just do three little taps to close it out, but we can keep this up as long as you want to!" Her grin was infectious, and he found himself melting, a smile spreading wide across his face.
~
The game you three created that day became a focal point in your friendship. There wasn't a name for it - it remained an unspoken mechanic to your group's dynamic. Every confession, every argument turned apology, every vent began with a double tap. You double tapped when you all made the decision to apply to UA's hero course. You double tapped when Mirio and Tamaki got accepted. You double tapped when you were rejected. Double tapped when you were told your memory quirk would be better suited for UA's support course. Double tapped when you cried to them, afraid they would leave you behind. They assured you they would never. You made them promise, and they kept it.
Nejire was a welcome addition to your group. There was a part of you in the beginning that feared she was replacing you, especially when you caught wind of their nickname being "The Big Three" of the hero course, but you warmed up to her fast and you two became inseparable. Nejire picked up on the game relatively quickly even if she messed up the finer details, and in no time none of you could remember a time before she had joined. She double tapped for you to tell the others when you became the top student in the support course, and she was the first person you double tapped to when you expressed the feelings you had grown for Tamaki.
Double tap.
"Nejire, I have something to tell you that absolutely, positively, cannot ever leave this hallway."
Nejire cocked her head to the side, nodding silently as she waited your confession. You took a deep breath and clenched your fists, warmth creeping up your neck to the tips of your ears.
"I may have... ah, feelings... for someone." You slammed your eyes shut as your hands flew to cover your face. You weren't typically a shy person, but when you've been swallowing your feelings for so long, having to admit to them was a lot of pressure on your heart and you had to admit it terrified you. When you didn't hear a peep from your blue haired friend, you peeked through your fingers to see her holding in her reaction, practically bursting at the seams.
Haha, oh.
Tap.
"OH MY GOSH." The squeal that flew past her lips only deepened your embarrassment, but a small smile found its way on your face as you accepted her tackle. She squeezed you tight and you felt your feet lift off the ground. "Who is it? Are you gonna tell them? Do I know them? What department are they in? Oh my gosh, this is so exciting!" Your head was spinning over the plethora of questions, waiting patiently for her to realize you two were floating in the middle of the hallway. Eventually the realization dawned on her and she gasped, setting the two of you down gently with soft apologies and a sheepish grin. "Oh! Right, sorry."
Tap.
"It's okay, Neji," you assured her, smiling. "I haven't told them, I don't think I'm ready for that yet... If I tell you who, promise not to laugh?"
Nejire clutched her chest in mock insult. "I would never!"
You giggled at her theatrics, your own hands coming back up to clasp in front of your chest. "Okay okay, I trust you. It's... well...it's Amajiki." You whispered his name like it was forbidden. Both of your eyes grew ten times wider once the name was uttered, Nejire's out of pure joy, yours out of pure shock from admitting it out loud for the first time. Your hands flew to cover her mouth as she released another ear-splitting squeal, her eyes twinkling with something that you can only perceive as mischief. Panic rose within you at the glint, waving your hands as if attempting to wipe it away. "Remember Nejire, you promised you wouldn't say anything!"
Your fairy friend giggled as she hopped in place, unable to contain her excitement. "I promise I won't, but you have to tell him, you two would be the cutest couple~!"
Fingers curled through your hair, worry plastered onto your face.
"Who would be the cutest couple?"
Mirio's voice popped up from behind you, and you began to wonder if it was possible to die from humiliation. Nejire didn't say anything, but she looked toward you with a smirk and an expectation.
Tap.
Oh, so now she remembers the game.
There were two possible options: One, you told him the truth, and then two people would know the secret you've been bottling up for years now, which meant two more than you were even personally prepared for - or two, you lie through your teeth, play it off like it was nothing, and hope to the universe Mirio won't find it suspicious and Nejire will be good at playing it off. You knew the latter had little hope of working out in your favor. You hung your head in defeat and crouched to the floor, wrapping your arms around yourself to avoid looking at him.
Double tap.
"I have feelings for Amajiki." Your voice was louder this time, both to make up for the muffle from your face being buried in your knees, and in the hopes that you won't have to say it out loud for a third time. Mirio shifted beside you and you felt him crouch in front of you. Looking up, scared eyes meeting joyful ones, you tapped.
"It's about time you said something. I was starting to worry you would implode," he joked, nudging you to stand up. You chuckled nervously. You nearly did.
"So, do you plan on telling him?" Nejire's voiced piped up beside you two, and you shook your head.
"Not anytime soon, I could barely tell you." A hand came up to scratch the back of your neck as you flashed a sheepish grin.
Mirio held his chin in thought, cocking an eyebrow up. "Hm... what if you did it before we graduate?"
You blinked. "What?"
"You know, make a game plan! Tell him before we graduate UA. We're only second years right now, so you've got plenty of time to work up the courage."
You thought about the proposition for a moment. It didn't seem all that bad an idea - you guys had just started your second year so you did have ample time to work up the courage to confess - plus, you didn't think it would take that long; Telling Nejire and Mirio wasn't as scary as you anticipated. A newfound confidence settled in your bones as you nodded a little more aggressively than you needed to.
"You're right, Mirio, I will set a plan and tell him I like him before we graduate!" Chest puffed, you placed your fist in your hand like a gavel. An executive decision had been made.
"Promise?" His teasing voice spurred something within you and you huffed.
"Promise!"
Three taps. Close out.
~
The following week, you found yourself alone in the library with Tamaki. You had asked for help with studying for an upcoming exam, and he agreed to meet with you after-school to go over your notes. Tossing your bag on the table, you threw yourself onto the chair next to him with a sigh and looked over at your raven-haired friend.
"Thank you again for helping me with this, Tama."
He smiled and opened his backpack, pulling out his own notes. "It's no problem, you know you can ask me for anything."
The words fell out of his mouth so effortlessly, you felt the warmth begin to rise to your cheeks. Trying to play it off, you fanned yourself, leaning up against Tamaki's side. "Ahh~ so reliable! Whatever did I do to deserve such a dependable best friend~!"
Tamaki groaned and turned to his backpack, the tips of his ears turning pink as you laughed. "Don't make fun of me when I'm trying to help you."
Giggling, you offered an apologetic wave as you reached for your own notes. "Sorry, sorry, you know I'm only teasing."
He sighed in response, but when you looked over at him you saw the small smile that played on his lips. You swore his smile could cure cancer, judging by how the tiniest of upturns had your stomach fluttering so intensely. It was then that you decided you would do anything for that smile. It was also then that you made your first attempt to tell him how you feel.
"Hey, Tamaki, I have something important to tell you." The flutters in your stomach quickly turned sour, the sudden ache in your stomach weighing you down. You gripped the table and attempted to swallow your fear.
"Oh? What about? Are you okay?" Tamaki fretted over your pained expression, worry painted all over.
You nodded, but the nausea was practically sitting in your throat at that point. You swallowed thickly and reached for your water to hopefully wash the fear down. The second the water touched the back of your throat, it was immediately brought back up by your heaving. Your poor friend began panicking as you tried to stop choking on your water, the only sounds being your coughs and Tamaki's alarmed rambling. You could just make out him begging you not to die when your coughs began to die down, your face an almost purple hue as you wheezed to catch your breath.
Ok, so that didn't go well.
"Ah, I'm fine, I'm not dead, calm down, Tama," you rasped out, taking a gentle sip of your water.
Tamaki gaped for a moment before huffing in what sounded like relief and a hint of frustration. "How are earth have you lived this long."
A sad, wheezy laugh slipped past your lips. "I could ask you the same thing."
He chuckled at that. More butterflies. You swore he was trying to kill you.
"Now that you're not dead, what was it you needed to tell me?"
Startled eyes met patient ones, and you decided that today was not the day you were going to tell him. You grinned sheepishly as you held up a second notebook.
"Oh, just that I think I might need help with some of my English too - do you think we'll have time to go over that today?"
~
Around six months later, you found yourself getting hurt in the sports festival. You passed through the cavalry battle with relative ease, since you were lucky enough to pair up with Tamaki, Mirio and Nejire, and you decided to use the finals to try and showcase some of the support items you had made the past year and a half. Unfortunately, the student you were paired up with was another promising student in the hero course, and he was able to rip the wires out of your boots midair, causing the jets to short circuit and blast you not only out of the ring, but with enough force to make a noticeable dent in the wall. You were announced KO'd almost immediately and personnel carried you to Recovery Girl's room.
When you woke up, the first thing you felt was that you for sure didn't sleep enough. Then, you felt a dull ache settling in your bones. Then, you felt the warmth of a hand covering yours.
Opening your eyes, you peeked toward your left to see Tamaki holding your hand and napping, his head resting on your thigh. A smile spread across your face as you reached out with your other hand to softly push the hair out of his eyes, your heart squeezing at the way his nose crunched up at your touch. You stayed like that for a small while, letting him catch a few moments of well deserved sleep while you softly combed through his hair. The orange glow that gleamed through the windows indicated the sun was setting. You assumed you had been out for a while and he had come to check on you after the finals. While you absentmindedly played with Tamaki's hair, you wondered how the other three placed in the finals.
Tamaki stirred, opening his eyes and seeing you zoned out, looking off to the side, petting his hair with feather light touches. His heart skipped a beat as he looked at you in the warm glow of evening - you were just so beautiful, even after getting your ass absolutely handed to you, a complete mess of disheveled hair, scratches, and bruises. A soft smile spread across his face and his eyes softened as he ever so lightly nuzzled into your thigh. The movement snapped you out of your thoughts and your eyes met his, your hand halting its movements as your brain processed the fact that he was awake.
"Ah, sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."
He smiled at the hint of embarrassment in your voice. He sat upright, cat-like limbs stretching out as he let out a soft yawn. "It's okay, you didn't wake me. It was nice."
You prayed the lighting hid the frazzled look on your face. "Ah, that's, uh, good - I mean, good that it didn't wake you, not that it was nice - I mean, I'm glad it was nice, I don't want it to be not nice, of course. Uh, I-I just, um... how did you guys do during the finals?"
Great job at being chill. Luckily, if he noticed what a hot mess you were, he was kind enough not to say anything about it.
"Ah, none of us got too far..." He chose to leave out that he threw his first match so he could come sit by your side.
"Oh, I'm sorry."
"It's ok, I didn't even want to participate anyway." Tamaki raised a hand to your forehead. "How are you feeling? Should I get Recovery Girl?"
As you were about to raise your hands to ward off the idea of bothering the poor woman more than you have to, you noticed one hand was still being held by Tamaki. Your eyes fell to the two hands, his eyes following suit as his cheeks heat up and he retracts the hand, much to your dismay.
"Sorry."
He scratched the back of his head, and you stared at him, taking in every detail of his face as the gears in your mind turned. You weren't dressed well, you looked like absolute shit from head to toe and you knew that. But did you have to look nice in order to tell Tamaki you liked him? Would he care about that? He never seemed like the type. Just as it seemed the both of you opened your mouths to say something, the door opened.
"Good! You're finally awake!"
Recovery Girl trotted in at the absolute worst time, and you tried to smile through the internal pain of having your confession interrupted for a second time. As she explained that she only was able to heal a little bit of the damage, she kicked Tamaki out in order to dress your wounds, and you swore you felt a little piece of your soul leave with him as you watched him disappear into the dark hallway.
~
It had been nearly a year since you last tried to tell him. The last two disastrous attempts put a massive blow through your ego and your confidence, and at this rate, you were running out of time. Tamaki had asked you to help change up the design on his vest, and you offered to let him work with you on it so he can be more in control of the steps that go into the alterations. You had blueprints laid out across the table, fabric swatches splayed out on top along with various other materials. Sticky notes with little bits of sometimes helpful, sometimes useless information covered every inch of surface area.
Tamaki stared at the organized mess, eyes widening at all the little details you put into it. He was just hoping for a couple more pockets.
You'd come crashing into the room with more materials, blabbering on about how you couldn't choose a fabric or whether to have snap buttons or Velcro, asking how many pockets he wanted, if he wanted the vest itself to be Velcro or snaps - "How do you feel about velour? Too much?"
He couldn't help but smile at seeing you so in your element, so elated to be able to work with him. The familiar flutter in his chest that he often felt with you grew three times in that moment.
"Hey, are you listening?"
Tamaki snapped back to reality as he stared at you, holding up two different makeshift pockets, both varying in size, clasp type, and fabric. He shook his head and rested his chin on his palm. "Sorry, I was lost in thought. Those look nice."
You smiled at the praise, scooching closer to him to show him the differences. "Which one do you like better? This one has the snap button, I think that might be easy access. I could also make a magnetic clasp if you prefer that..."
You continued to ramble and he tried his best to listen and not just stare at you. The way your goggles pushed your hair back so it frizzed, the way your eyes held that excited glint whenever you came up with another potential option, just the fact that you were so unbelievably radiant and passionate. He would sit there and soak in this moment forever if he could.
Unfortunately for him though, you paused again, which meant it was his turn to speak.
"I think the magnets are a good idea. I like the depth of this pocket. Something a little more fire resistant might be a good idea for the material?"
"Smart thinkin', Tama, let me just write that down and I'll make a prototype!" You scurried off once more and he laid his head onto the desk facing the door, waiting for you to return. Rushing into the room with the final materials, you placed them onto another table and began measuring.
He watched from afar, not wanting to bother you or invade your creative space, and at some point he drifted into his own thoughts again. He noticed that no one made The Something more soluble than you. You comforted him in all the best ways, without even trying. If The Something was honey, then you were Chamomile tea, soaking up every bit of the honey and turning it into calm. Peace. Happiness.
He knew he was hopelessly in love with you, but he was also acutely aware that telling you meant a risk that he would lose you, so he had decided a while ago that he was perfectly content with the relationship you have, drinking in these brief moments of the two of you alone. He was unashamed to admit that the time he gets to steal you away from Mirio and Nejire are his favorite, because then all your attention goes to him.
After you finished the pockets, you turned around, measuring tape in hand. A small dust of pink tinged your ears. "Ah, sorry... would you be okay if I measured you? Just so I know how big to make the vest."
"Oh, yes, of course of you can." The frazzled look on your face flared up his nerves ever so slightly, a blush creeping onto his face as he stood up.
"Okay, just stand like this... good, now I'm just gonna come around and measure the chest..."
You reached your arms around him and involuntarily breathed in as you got close. The smell of honey and a hint of lavender hit you and you paused, trying to refocus yourself. Shakily, you brought the measuring tape around his upper chest, taking note of the inches and turning around to write it down quickly. Turning toward him once more, you reached back, hands lowered to around his waist. You took a step forward, getting way too close for you to be able to withstand it and brought your hands back to the front, once again taking note and writing it down. Facing him again, you reached for his hips this time. You noticed his shirt had ridden up a little from him raising his arms, so you made the mental note not to accidentally touch him as you reached for the measuring tape.
Your cold fingers drifted across his lower back and sides as you brought the tape around to the front. He sucked in a shocking breath at the sudden contact, and you looked up quickly to apologize. Dark eyes met yours and for some reason neither of you looked away. The two of you stood there, matching gazes, silent between you, but for the uneven breaths that neither of you noticed and the deafening sound of your hearts that you both swore each other could feel.
It felt like ages before you snapped out of it and averted your gaze, as if just looking at him would blind you. "Oh god, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to touch you."
You spoke through taking the rest of the measurements, marking the waist and taking two very quick bicep measurements. He didn't say anything in response, he was too busy trying to will the color to come back to his face. You avoided eye contact while you finished working on the prototype, deft hands sewing the fabric with impressive speed. You knew there were machines in the room that would have taken care of it much quicker, but you wanted to take a moment to calm down before facing him again.
"Okay! Prototype done, try it on, lemme know how it fits."
He grabbed the vest from you, throwing it on and messing around with its various functions. You clasped your hands together and waited to hear his thoughts. After a few moments, he looked up at you, that small amiable smile spread across his face. "It feels perfect."
Your eyes gleamed and you let out a gasp, a grin breaking out onto your face. "I'm so glad! I'll add some final touches and I should have it to you by the weekend."
You took the vest off and began packing up your stuff to take it home, Tamaki lending a hand as you mumbled a soft thanks. On your way out of the room, Tamaki grabbed a hold of your sleeve gently, causing you to turn around and cock your head in question.
"What is it, Tama? You good?"
Your words rang through him as he stood there, still holding onto your sleeve. Was he okay? Should he say something? I mean, you guys definitely had a moment back there. Did you feel it too? Or was that just wishful thinking?
He decided it was probably the latter.
"I... yeah. I'm okay. Just wanted to say thank you."
The bright smile that you gave in return made the ache of not telling you a little less painful. He reminded himself he was content just soaking in your warmth.
That weekend, when you gave him him his vest, he noticed the familiar scent that lingered on the garment.
Chamomile tea.
~
Present Day. Graduation day. You've officially run out of time. Out of options. You run through the halls, trying to find him before he finds his way to the ceremony. You're a hot mess, constantly tripping over your graduation garb, pushing through students, stopping every few steps to circle around, trying to find him. Sweat starts to collect on your neck, the worry and fear that you won't fulfill your promise beginning to get to you.
You may be a lot of things, but a promise breaker isn't one of them, and that sure as shit won't be changing now.
You rush out to the roof in a last ditch effort to find him and, to your surprise, he's standing in the spot where the four of you have eaten lunch every day for three years. You gasp and lean over, resting your hands on your knees to try to catch your breath. Besides the shocked look on his face, he gives you a moment to gather yourself before speaking up.
"Did you come to say goodbye, too?"
You shake your head.
Double tap.
Tamaki's eyes widen but he closes his mouth, giving you the floor. Your hands shake at your sides, and you pretend it's because you're out of shape and not because you're terrified of losing your best friend. You grip your clothes in an attempt to steady them as you look down at the ground.
"I have something I've been meaning to tell you for a while now." The words come out shaky and you curse yourself for being so nervous. You take a few more moments. "I... You see, I made a promise to Mirio almost two years ago that I would tell you this before we graduated."
Tamaki is quiet, waiting for you to pass it on so he can speak. The poor boy is practically vibrating in worry waiting for you to get to the point. What the hell can you need to speak to him about? Did he do something wrong? Are you trying to tell him you don't want to be his friend anymore? He can't bear that thought.
You laugh. A good sign.
"And, well I'm not one to chicken out of a challenge, so..." you say, taking a deep breath. "Here it is. I think I'm in love with you. No," you correct yourself. "I know I'm in love with you. I have been for a long time but I never managed to work up the courage to tell you. You just... you mean everything to me. You say we are the ones who are warm, but your warmth radiates so much brighter than all of us. You are the sun, Tamaki. You are my sun. My happy. I don't think I'd be able to forgive myself if I never told you."
You feel tears sting your eyes but you will them away. As terrifying as it is to put yourself in this position, for years you've shouldered this ache, this secret, this promise, and now, all at once, that weight is gone. It's no longer crushing you under the immense pressure. For the first time in two years, you can breathe.
"It's okay if you don't feel the same," you say, smiling as a tear slips. "I'll be okay. Our friendship is more important to me than anything. The last thing I want to do is complicate that. I'm content just staying by your side." You bow, then continue. "Please let me stand by you, Tamaki Amajiki."
You wait, bowed, for a few seconds to see if he will respond. When you're met with silence, you assume you've broken him.
You stand straight, mouth twisted into a pained smile.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done this today. I wish you the best," you say, bowing again, quick this time, and turning to leave.
Tamaki panics and runs forward, grabbing your wrist to keep you from walking away.
Looking back at his face, you see his eyes are pleading. Still, he says nothing.
Then, it dawns on you.
He's never been one to break the rules of the game.
Tap.
Tamaki has many things to say, but instead of saying them, he pulls you toward him and collides his lips with yours, letting go of your wrist to bring his hands up to cradle your face. The Something that has held him back all these years withers away as he surrounds himself in you. You melt into him, hands reaching up to grip the front of his coat, pulling him closer. He tastes like honey - smooth, delicate, sweet. You taste like Chamomile - warm, light, earthy.
Your breath control gets the better of you and you part, Tamaki resting his forehead against yours as he brings his thumb to brush over your lips. He's smiling so brightly, you wish you could bottle it up and hold onto it forever.
He takes a breath before kissing your nose.
"I love you, too."
Hearing the words out loud makes you break out into a laugh. You close your eyes as you close the gap once more, your hands moving to pull his from your face so you can intertwine your fingers.
The orange glow from the sunset is a mild reminder of the ceremony happening beneath you two, but you figure they can wait a few more minutes.
Tamaki kisses your shoulder as he begins to softly hum into your neck. He tries to focus on every one of his senses: the sound of your breathing, your lingering taste, your intoxicating smell, the feel of you swaying ever so slightly to his humming. He lifts his head to look at you, drinking you in, as if at any moment you will disappear or he'll wake up. You kiss him then, and remind him that you are here. You are real. You will always be by his side. And in that moment, he makes a silent promise, not only to himself, but to you.
That he will stay by yours. No matter what.
Triple Tap.