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“Bastard,” Kageyama hissed across the table. “You damn idiot.”
Tsukishima sighed as he shut the ring box closed. “Go on.”
“Can’t believe you’re actually doing it,” Hinata pounded Tsukishima on the back, nearly knocking his cup of coffee over as he grinned widely. “Always thought Tadashi would be the one to get his act together first.”
“Well,” Tsukishima said delicately. “We have talked about it, but it was just a matter of who got to it first. Figured that I might as well.”
“How delightfully unromantic,” Yachi sighed. She propped her chin on her hand and looked him over critically. “I don’t suppose you could be even the slightest bit more cheesy about this?”
Tsukishima sighed. “I’m marrying him because I love him and want to be with him forever, not for the cheese factor.”
“That’s better.” Yachi took a sip of her drink. The four were sitting in a café, as Tsukishima had asked them to meet up a few days prior. He, however, had not informed them properly of what he was planning on doing, but it had soon been revealed once they had arrived.
Kageyama shook his head. “Can’t believe it,” he said. “Seems just yesterday we were all in high school, and you had the whole ‘Shut up, Yamaguchi’ and ‘Sorry, Tsukki’ thing going on.”
Tsukishima scowled at him. “My intention in asking the four of us to meet up was not to be bashed for our high school mishaps.”
“‘Mishaps’,” Hinata imitated. “So what’s this for, Tsukishima? Didn’t think you’d need our...approval or anything!”
“Not quite approval. I’m just…not entirely sure of how to do this.”
“You mean, you don’t know how to propose to him?” Kageyama asked.
“No, I don’t. It’s supposed to be all romantic and whatever, and obviously, I’m not an expert in any way.”
“Well, whatever you do, he’s sure to love it!” Yachi said, patting Tsukishima on the shoulder with a smile.
“Yeah! Yamaguchi’s not gonna care what way you propose. He’s always been all...” Hinata flapped his hands in a few awkward gestures. “...for you, you know? You’ve been together for ages. He’ll love whatever it is.”
Kageyama nodded stiffly in agreement. “He’s Yamaguchi,” he said plainly as if that explained everything.
“And besides, even if you’re not an expert in romance, you’re the expert in Tadashi, if there is one.” Yachi beamed at Tsukishima. “Glad you’re finally doing this, though.”
Tsukishima let out a breath. “Still, I want it to be perfect,” he said shortly. “It’s Tadashi, after all.”
Hinata huffed. “Tsukishima, always a stickler,” he muttered. “So when are you doing it?”
“Well, we’ll be heading back home in a month or so for Thanksgiving. The university gives him a long weekend, and so does the museum, so we’ll be driving back into town.”
“So are you planning a sort of...nostalgia thing? Or just something with the family?” Yachi asked.
“Don’t really know yet. He likes autumn, so I might just take him out for a walk or something, ask him in the park.”
“That’s sweet.” Kageyama sipped at his coffee while staring at Tsukishima critically. “Have you talked to his parents or anything?”
Tsukishima let out a short laugh. “Yes, before I got the ring. I’ve known them since I was young, right? All they had to say about it was that ‘It’s about time.’”
“It is, though! You’ve been dating since like, senior year of high school. Don’t you think it’s time to take it to the next level?” Hinata asked reproachfully.
“I thought I was making that quite obvious,” Tsukishima said dryly, gesturing toward the ring box.
Kageyama barked out a laugh. Yachi snorted. Hinata rolled his eyes.
“Still, Hinata’s right,” Yachi said. “It is about time. And we’re gonna help you make it absolutely perfect.”
“I don’t want you three to get too involved, though. Remember Coach Ukai’s retirement party?”
Kageyama groaned. “Let’s not talk about that.”
“I don’t know what you mean. That party was an absolute success,” Yachi sniffed. “So maybe a few people got a little tipsy but it all turned out for the better, no?”
“Okay, maybe let’s not get too involved,” Hinata cut her off smoothly. “But it needs to be big, and awesome, and great.”
“I’m planning a proposal, not the Tokyo Olympics,” Tsukishima said dryly.
“You’d be luckier to get Yamaguchi to say yes than if you lit the torch yourself,” Kageyama muttered back.
“Why don’t you do a sort of trip down memory lane, Tsukishima?” Yachi cut Kageyama off with a stern look. “Like, take him to all the old places you used to go when you grew up. You know?”
“That’s not a bad idea,” Kageyama mused. “Like you could start at your mom’s place or his parents’, and then make your way around.”
“Oh, that’s a good idea, Tobio. And then you could still do the proposal outside!” Hinata slammed a hand down on the table, promptly knocking over his mug. Tsukishima swore loudly as hot coffee spilled over his arm. “Shit, sorry!” Hinata said, scrambling for napkins.
Tsukishima grimaced as the drink dripped onto his clothes. “It’s fine. These jeans are old, anyway.”
“Unlucky day, huh, Tsukishima?” Yachi asked, calmly handing him a handful of napkins. “Hinata, sit properly. I’m surprised you didn’t knock it over earlier.”
“High school Tsukishima would’ve blown up at you for that,” Kageyama said to Hinata with a laugh. “He’s changed quite a bit, hm?”
“Aw, do you love me, Tsukishima?” Hinata asked teasingly, leaning into Tsukishima’s shoulder.
Tsukishima scowled and pushed him away, his ears red. “No.”
* * *
A few weeks later, Tsukishima entered the campus of the university that Yamaguchi taught at, striding across the field at a fast pace. Pretty soon, he entered the building, said a quick hello to the familiar security guard, and walked down the hall to where Yamaguchi’s office was.
“Hey, Mr. Tsukishima!” a student called out to him. He waved—probably one of Yamaguchi’s students, although he was terrible at remembering all their names—and continued on to Yamaguchi’s office. When he reached there, he knocked on it quickly.
“Sorry guys, office hours are closed today—oh!” Yamaguchi looked up at Tsukishima, surprised.
Tsukishima held up his car keys. “I’m picking you up, remember? Your mom asked us to be there by six.”
“Yeah, sorry, just some of my students had questions before they left...I didn’t even give them any readings for the break, but they always seem to forget…” Yamaguchi gave him a quick kiss on his cheek and gestured for him to make his way into the room. “I swear, one day I’m just going to close office hours permanently and watch them suffer.”
“You wouldn’t.” Tsukishima watched him, amused, as Yamaguchi sorted through a stack of papers.
“I wouldn’t,” Yamaguchi admitted, picking up a couple of binders and folders and slipping them into his bag. “I’m going to get a handful of panicked emails over the weekend, though.”
Tsukishima let out a sigh. “Please say you won’t be answering them while we’re on vacation.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve told them several times that I’ll be completely MIA until Sunday afternoon.” Yamaguchi swung his bag over his shoulder. “Alright, I’m ready.”
The two of them left the cramped office, and Yamaguchi turned to lock the door. “Do you mean it?” Tsukishima asked.
“Of course. This weekend is for family, food, and lots of bad karaoke in the car ride over. Now, who’s driving first?”
* * *
Preparations for the family dinner began the day before the big feast, always. The Tsukishimas and Yamaguchis had been celebrating Thanksgiving together for years, even longer than the two had begun dating.
It was gratifying, Tsukishima thought to himself, that he wouldn’t have to worry about annoying in-laws or any sort of animosity between their two families. That was one thing he didn’t have to worry about. If Yamaguchi even said yes.
As soon as they arrived at Tsukishima's childhood home—the two families alternated who hosted—the two were thrown into the chaotic scene that always arrived with family gatherings. The moment they walked through the entryway, a dozen family members began fussing over the young couple, asking questions, sharing news. Immediately after, they were whisked into the fray. Tsukishima quickly got kidnapped to go last-minute grocery shopping, while Yamaguchi was shoved into the house cleaning.
It was a while before they had a quiet moment to themselves, after dinner had been served and the table cleared and dishes washed. Most of the family had made their way to the guest rooms, and last, the hustle and bustle had settled, if only for a few hours. Yamaguchi gave his boyfriend a relieved smile as he made his way to the couch.
“So.” Tsukishima sat down beside Yamaguchi, resting his head on his shoulder. “Have you missed the calm and quiet of the small-town life, yet?”
Yamaguchi let out a laugh. “This time of year is anything but calm. How was grocery shopping?”
“They were out of cranberries.”
“Damn, that’s unlucky. We have some in the freezer back home.”
Tsukishima attempted to squash down the thrill that erupted at Yamaguchi’s words, to no avail. Back home, he said, Tsukishima thought to himself, forcing down a smile. “And how were my mother and Akiteru, then?” he asked aloud.
“Your mother was sweet as always, and Akiteru seemed happy to see me. Saeko, too. Asked how the cats were.”
“Of course they did,” Tsukishima chuckled, before a thought occurred to him. “Say, did I remember to pack that green sweater?”
“Miso tore it up before we left, remember?”
“Damn. I wanted to wear it on Saturday.” He curled into Yamaguchi’s side. “Unlucky again, I suppose. But if I run out to the store tomorrow morning, I might be able to get the cranberries if people really want them.”
Yamaguchi leaned into Tsukishima and began carding his fingers through his hair. “What’s on Saturday?”
“Hm?”
“You said you wanted to wear it on Saturday. Are you doing something? A hot date, perhaps?” Yamaguchi asked, his tone teasing.
Tsukishima felt his stomach drop, but he simply reached out and laced his fingers into Yamaguchi’s free hand. “A hot date, indeed. I was wondering if you’d mind me stealing you away for the day.”
“Whatever for?” Yamaguchi squeezed his hand.
Tsukishima attempted a nonchalant shrug. “Just for the day. We haven’t been back here for a while, and we usually don’t have that much time alone together.”
“That’s for sure. Well, you have me reserved.”
“I’m a lucky man.”
“You are. And so am I.”
* * *
It was Saturday, and for better or for worse, the day of Tsukishima’s long-awaited proposal. He had woken up early from a dreamless, restless sleep before the sun had even risen. After a quick glance at his phone—5:47, early even for their relatives’ early risers—he swung his legs out of bed, careful not to disturb Yamaguchi, still snoozing beside him.
The kitchen was blissfully quiet in comparison to the hustle and bustle of the days before, and Tsukishima took his time making himself coffee. He exhaled slowly as he drank it, leaning against the counter.
By the end of today, hopefully, he would have a fiancé, with a ring on his finger and memories to last a lifetime. He couldn’t help but agree with Yamaguchi’s parents. It was about time. It had been around over 2 decades since they had met, and almost half of that was the time they’d been dating. They’d had dozens of conversations about this very topic, and it was simply the matter of who did it first.
Briefly, Tsukishima reflected on Hinata’s words from their earlier conversation. “Always thought Tadashi would be the one to get his act together first,” he’d said. He supposed that Hinata was right—after all, Tadashi was the one to take all the big steps, relationship-wise—but now it was Tsukishima’s turn.
“You’re already up?”
Tsukishima choked on his coffee. Wiping off his chin, he looked up, and there was Tadashi, leaning against the fridge, looking amused. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you,” he said, looking not sorry at all. “What are you doing up?”
“Couldn’t sleep. It’s early, you should’ve stayed in bed.”
“Eh, it’s hard to sleep when you’re not there.” Yamaguchi poured himself a cup of coffee, then stood beside him, leaning into his side. “So, what was your plan for the day?”
“We’ll eat breakfast when everyone wakes up, take a walk through town, take a stop at the park, the bookstore, and then grab lunch...then we'll head to the museum and walk back home.”
“Oh, good plan. It’s such nice weather, too.” Yamaguchi yawned, then glanced around the kitchen. A mischievous look grew on his face, and he turned to Tsukishima with a grin. “How about we sneak out and grab breakfast at the diner, like old times?”
“Come back home to red-faced parents because we didn’t even leave a note?”
“We’re grown men now. Surely we can leave the house without telling our parents where we’ll be.”
“You’ve heard my mother’s lecture over the phone. I don’t think you’d like to imagine what they’ll be like in person.”
Yamaguchi hesitated for a moment. “Maybe we should leave a note,” he admitted.
* * *
The diner had remained the same over the years—the same menus in the same laminated sleeves, the same photographs on the wall, the same colorful jukebox playing the same Beatles songs. Yamaguchi had gasped in delight aloud as he’d entered and spent the entire time pointing out the things he’d remembered. Tsukishima joined in, and the two spent their morning swapping nostalgic stories, laughing and cringing at their memories from their youth.
They’d ordered the same things as usual. Waffles for Yamaguchi, pancakes for Tsukishima, and topped with a healthy amount of whipped cream and strawberries. Neither, it seemed, had lost their sweet tooth from their youth, clearly evident after they’d stopped by an ice cream shop with a silent agreement that they’d splurge a little on the dessert for the weekend.
And then there was the bookstore.
Tsukishima suddenly wished he hadn’t spent so much on the ring. Or assumed that Tadashi Yamaguchi would spend less than an hour in a bookstore.
“Kei, they have a sealed collector’s edition of Pride and Prejudice,” Yamaguchi informed him, three hours later, surrounded by piles of books on every side of him. “And a secondhand copy of the Iliad. And they have a copy of The Little Prince.”
“Isn’t that a picture book? Are we planning on adopting anytime soon?”
Yamaguchi gave a mock gasp of horror, bringing the book close to his chest. “It’s The Little Prince, Kei. Possibly the greatest picture book of all time, and I don’t have a copy of it at home.”
“Right. Sorry.” Kei crouched down beside the piles of books. “Hang on, don’t we have this one at home?”
“I lent it to Shouyou, and I think he lost it. But look!” Yamaguchi gently pulled a thin book out of a stack. “You know how your mom donated a bunch of your books when we went to university? I think she sent them all here.” He showed a book to Tsukishima, grinning. The Rise and Fall of Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World, was displayed on the cover. Yamaguchi flipped it to the first page, and written in Tsukihima’s small, cramped print, was his name and a phone number. Underneath it was ‘Borrowed by Tadashi!!’ in Yamaguchi’s loopy cursive. “What a coincidence, right?”
Tsukishima let out a laugh, taking it out of his boyfriend’s hands. “Can’t believe it’s here,” he said, flipping through the pages. His small annotations were written on almost every page, accompanied by Yamaguchi’s familiar scrawl. “It’s known as one of the best dinosaur biographies.”
“They probably didn’t get it because of all our writing. Look, I think this was Tobio.” Yamaguchi pointed out a terrible scribble of a volleyball in a black gel pen. “And I think Shou drew the chicken, and Yachi did the stars on the last page.”
Tsukishima laughed as he traced over the scribbles with a fingertip. “Want to buy it back?”
Yamaguchi nodded, grinning. “I have a few more that I want,” he admitted, looking around at the stacks of books surrounding him. “I do want The Little Prince and Pride and Prejudice, but I think I can go without the Iliad.”
“And how many more after that?”
“...Maybe six or seven.”
Tsukishima let out a breath. “Can we cap it at five?”
“I think so,” Yamaguchi sighed.
“Good. Are you hungry?”
“Definitely.” Yamaguchi let Tsukishima pull him to his feet. “Help me put the books back?”
* * *
They arrived at the museum a while later, with Tsukishima nervously touching the ring in his pocket every other minute. Nothing could prepare him, however, for the unfortunate news that awaited them as they arrived.
The museum was closed for Thanksgiving weekend. Tsukishima cursed under his breath, reading through the sign that was posted outside the museum door. “They said on the website that it wouldn’t close down until tomorrow,” he exhaled. “Guess not.”
Yamaguchi let out a breath. “That’s too bad,” he sighed. “I was looking forward to seeing it again. We haven’t been here since we were teenagers.”
“We can check out a couple of places in town, I guess.” Tsukishima’s mind raced as he hurriedly attempted to patch up his plans. He’s wanted at least two hours in the museum before leaving. “Are you hungry at all?”
“Not really,” Yamaguchi admitted. “Hey, how about that old movie theater? Surely there’s something playing.”
“It closed down a couple of years ago.”
“That’s unfortunate.” Yamaguchi sighed and looked around. “How about we just walk around and see if there’s anything interesting?”
“Tsukishima? Yamaguchi? Is that you?”
The two mens’ heads turned, and lo and behold stood an old woman, hunched over a cane. “Mrs. Hashimoto,” Yamaguchi said, breaking out into a smile. “Still running this place, then? It’s good to see you!”
Mrs. Hashimoto laughed as she approached them. “I’m still kicking, but I retired a few years ago. My son runs this place now. I was just finishing up a few things before heading home.”
“That’s too bad,” Tsukishima said, shaking her hand with a warm smile. “Tadashi and I were just stopping by.”
“Ah, you’re in town for Thanksgiving, then? And how’s the city?”
“Good.” Yamaguchi squeezed Tsukishima’s hand. “We thought it would be nice to see the place before heading home, for old time’s sake.”
“You don’t say! Well, it’s too bad that we’re closed for the day,” Mrs. Hashimoto sighed, looking at the museum doors. “But I suppose…”
She turned back to look at them, giving them a mischievous smile. “I think I can sneak you in for a few hours. All the lights are always on, and if you meet any staff, just say that you’re a few of my old friends, alright?”
Tsukishima looked at Yamaguchi, who hesitated. “Are you sure?” he asked. “We don’t want to be a bother.”
“Anything for my two favorite visitors,” she said gaily, unlocking the doors. “The documentaries aren’t playing, but all the exhibits should all be open.”
“Thank you,” Tsukishima said to her, exhaling a huge sigh of relief. “And thank God you were passing by at this time.”
She laughed and gave them each a quick kiss on the cheek before going her way.
* * *
Despite his fortunate set of coincidences, Tsukishima was still on edge as they walked through the museum. His hands automatically reached for his pockets to check for the small ring box whenever he had even the smallest sliver of time to worry. Yamaguchi didn’t seem to notice, excitedly reminiscing over all the exhibits, which remained unchanged since they were last there.
Eventually, they reached the last of the exhibits, and Tsukishima checked his pockets one last time as they entered the planetarium. Yamaguchi looked around, surprised, as they walked around the displays curiously. “Did they add a new wing or an exhibit or something?”
Tsukishima gave him a quizzical look. “Do you not remember?”
Yamaguchi shook his head. “I remember the rest of the museum well, especially the dinosaur exhibits and the aquarium. But not this part.”
“Really? We used to come here all the time.” Tsukishima led him down the hall, gesturing toward several large models of planets. “Is it familiar at all?”
“Vaguely, yes,” Yamaguchi admitted. “But not really.”
Tsukishima took his hand, opening the door to a darkly lit room. “And what about this?”
The two entered the room. Yamaguchi let out a delighted gasp as he did, looking around with a giddy smile. Thousands of stars were projected onto a domed ceiling, galaxies, and planets shining as bright as the night sky. “Oh, I remember this place now!” he breathed. “We used to spend hours here, didn’t we?”
“Just sitting on the ground, staring at the ceiling,” Tsukishima said with a smile. “Mom used to send out search parties for us.”
“Remember that one time when we were gone almost all day? My dad was so mad, I thought his face couldn’t get any redder.”
“We took the team here once, our second year, right?”
“We did! Shou nearly barfed after the documentary. Said he was nauseous.”
“And then we lost Noya for a bit, didn’t we?”
“And Ennoshita and Tanaka were caught making out behind the shark exhibit,” Yamaguchi snorted. He craned his neck to look up at the stars scattered all over the ceiling with a content expression.
Tsukishima reached out to take his hand, lacing their fingers together. “You used to memorize all of the names of constellations, and then list them all when you were bored.”
Yamaguchi gave him a sly little smile. “And you would always forget them, no matter how many times I told you again.”
“Well, no, actually,” Tsukishima admitted. “I would always pretend to forget, to be honest. You would always look so invested whenever you would remind me.”
“You’re terrible.”
Tsukishima squeezed his hand. “It seems I’ve forgotten again. Care to give me a refresh?”
Yamaguchi shook his head, pulling his hand out of Tsukishima’s grasp. “There’s Andromeda,” he said, pointing. “Perseus is there...Aries is over here…”
Tsukishima watched him, turning around and pointing and gesturing toward various constellations. Instinctually, he reached for his pocket, checking once more for the ring.
Nothing.
“Fuck,” Tsukishima swore under his breath. He shoved his hands into his pockets, searching frantically, but found himself empty-handed. “Fuck.”
“What is it, Kei?” Yamaguchi was standing a few feet away from him, staring at him curiously. “Is everything alright?”
Tsukishima didn’t look at him, just continued to search his pockets. His heart was pounding in his ears. “Yeah, I just...dropped something, that’s all.”
“Oh, shit. What was it?”
“Nothing, it’s not important...I literally just had it, though,” he said distractedly, checking his pockets once more. “I’ll find it, it’s fine, Tadashi—”
“Wait, is that it?”
Tsukishima looked up. Immediately, his heart felt like it had leapt into his throat. Yamaguchi had spotted the box lying on its side a few feet away and was picking it up. While he watched, horrified, Yamaguchi popped it open and stared down at the ring.
It was silent for a few moments. Yamaguchi stared at it a while longer, then looked up at Tsukishima. “Kei…” he said, slowly. “What’s this?”
Tsukishima let out a breath. “An engagement ring,” he said.
“Yes, of course, but...it’s yours, right?”
“Well…” Tsukishima strode forward, taking the box out of Yamaguchi’s hands. “It’s yours, actually, if you say yes.”
Yamaguchi inhaled sharply as Tsukishima got down on one knee. He covered his mouth, taking a step back.
“Tadashi Yamaguchi.” Tsukishima took a breath. “Will you marry me and make me the luckiest man alive?”
“Holy shit,” Yamaguchi said, breathless. “Oh my God.”
Tsukishima laughed. “Well?”
“Oh my God. Yes. Absolutely, unreservedly, positively, yes,” Yamaguchi said, then jumped into Tsukishima’s arms. Tsukishima embraced him, kissing him deeply.
After a moment, they separated, and Tsukishima slipped the ring onto Yamaguchi’s hand. “It’s lovely,” Yamaguchi said, still sounding out of breath. “Oh my God, I can’t believe it. We’re engaged.”
“Indeed we are.” Tsukishima kissed him again.
Yamaguchi smiled widely, gripping his hand tightly. “Do my parents know? What’d they say? Is this why you’ve been so jumpy the past few weeks?”
“Yes,” Tsukishima admitted. “I was rather obvious, wasn’t I?”
“And is that why you didn’t let me look through the sock drawer?”
“Tadashi…”
“And you nearly crashed the car when I was looking through your bag. And Hinata’s been acting weird, too, not to mention Yachi, and also Kageyama...do they know? Do they all know? Is that why Akiteru’s been cutting off our conversations early? I know he can’t keep a secret—”
“Probably, yes—wait, since when do you talk to Akiteru—?”
“—wait, so were you planning on proposing here? In the planetarium?”
“No,” Tsukishima admitted. “I was going to do it in the park where we met, since I know you love how the trees look in Autumn. I’ve just been checking my pockets every other minute.”
“Oh no, I ruined your proposal! Damn, Tsukishima, why’d you let me do that?”
Tsukishima burst out laughing. “You didn’t ruin it. I’m perfectly happy with the result.”
Yamaguchi kissed him again, then pulled away slightly. “Me too,” he sighed.
Tsukishima hugged his fiancé— fiancé —tightly, then kissed him once more. He really was the luckiest man alive.
* * *
BONUS:
Yamaguchi—or Professor Yamaguchi, as he was referred to at work—was practically skipping as he walked into class, and he knew it. A bright smile was plastered on his face, and he gave a friendly wave to everyone he saw in the halls, getting a few questioning looks in return. He shoved the lecture hall door open with a BANG—he really needed to get someone to get that fixed—and turned to face the few students that were already there, waiting for the lecture to start.
“‘Morning, Natsu, Rumi, Sosuke!” he greeted, his jaw almost aching from how hard he was smiling.
His three students stared back at him. Natsu Hinata, with her bright red hair, Sosuke Sawamura, attempting to hide a grin, and Rumi Suna, looking at him with a blank expression. He didn’t really care. He was engaged, for fuck’s sake, he deserved to feel giddy. He dropped his bag on his desk, grabbed a marker, and turned to the whiteboard.
He’s going to need a wedding playlist.