Work Text:
"Damn."
Helmeppo looked over indifferently at Coby. "What’s up?"
Coby stared into the mirror and drew his fingers across his jaw. "When did I get hot?"
"Ahhh I see. Falling for yourself, huh?" Helmeppo teased. "Sorry, you’re taken."
"Well I mean…look at this! I'm actually hot. What the hell? What did that happen?"
"A few months ago. You’ve been too busy to notice."
"And you didn’t tell me?"
"Didn’t seem important. I didn’t figure looks mattered that much to you about the whole Alvida thing."
"Okay, I suppose that’s fair," Coby relented. He had a firm jaw now, his hair had grown out, and his body was lean and toned. He’d grown considerably taller too, much to his relief. "But damn I’m hot."
"My my, Coby. Vanity's never been your style." Helmeppo walked over and wrapped his arms around Coby's waist, placing a gentle kiss to the side of his neck.
Coby reached back to hold Helmeppo there, a small smile on his face. "I know, but hey, I'm allowed to have a moment once in my life."
"Mmm. I’m just teasing. You’re right, you’re hot, and I’m lucky to be able to hold and kiss you." Helmeppo brushed Coby's hair back behind his ear. "You remember what day it is, right?"
"Huh?"
"It’s Valentine’s Day. I know we’ve only been together a couple months, but I planned something for us. Hope that’s okay. May be a bit premature, but I didn’t want to wait anymore. I just wanted to show the most amazing guy in the world how much I love him."
"You…love me?"
"What’s not to love?" Helmeppo turned Coby to face him and softly kissed his lips, holding him tight.
When the kiss ended, brief as it was, Coby lay his forehead against Helmeppo's. "Well guess what? I love you too." He smiled from the corner of his lip. "So, what do you have planned for us?"
"Was thinking we can go out to an actual restaurant, not just a fast food joint or something. Get ourselves some quality food and good conversation, and I have a little gift for you, and if you’re up for it, maybe we could take a walk once the sun’s gone down. I know you like being under the stars."
"Simple, but romantic. I like it." Coby pecked his lips. "What’s the dress code?"
"I personally don’t care what you wear, you’re always handsome. Buuuut to fit in properly at the restaurant, maybe something semi-formal."
Coby blushed. "I am not…" he mumbled.
"Yes you are."
"Am not."
"You look good, you said so yourself like, five minutes ago. Quit denying your own attractiveness."
"You’re the pretty one."
Helmeppo nuzzled him, heart fluttering. "I love you."
"I love you too."
___________
"Well, ready to go?"
"Yeah, just a sec." Coby fiddled with the last button on his collar before turning to face his boyfriend. "Well? How do I look?"
Coby was nervous, how long had it been since he’d been on an actual date? He had dressed himself in ironed black pants, a black overcoat, and a navy blue shirt with a white collar and cuffs, and had ditched the headband and glasses for the evening. Nothing too fancy, but not casual either. Helmeppo kissed his forehead gently, smiling.
"You look amazing. You sure you’ll be okay without your glasses though?"
"Don’t care. They make me look all nerdy."
"You are nerdy."
"Am not!"
"It’s part of why I love you. You’re a nerd, but that means you’re smart, you’re my nerd. C'mon." Helmeppo took his hand and laced their fingers together. "Let’s go."
Once seated at the restaurant with their food in front of them, for the first time that week, Coby allowed himself to really relax. Yeah. A night out was exactly what he had needed. Somehow, Helmeppo always managed to know exactly exactly what he needed, even before he did most of the time, and he never failed to provide it for his boyfriend.
"Meppo? I love you."
Helmeppo paused, leaning across the table to kiss Coby's forehead. "I love you too."
"You always know what I need, and know how to give it to me."
"Of course. I’m your boyfriend. It’s my job to know you better than anyone else on earth. Today though…mostly I just wanted to ensure you got to have a nice evening out on Valentine's Day."
Coby smiled softly. "Get over here, I need to kiss you properly."
"After you eat. We'll go for a walk in the moonlight, then lay down in a field to stargaze or, if you’d prefer, make out under the open sky."
"Why not both? If we spend all night out there, we can have the best of both worlds," Coby pointed out.
"Both, then. We have all the time in the world, for now, eat."
"Oh, you said you had something for me, right?"
"Once we're done, be patient. I want you to be able to take the time to admire it. Even if you’re prettier."
The way Coby's eyes sparkled made Helmeppo's heart skip a beat. If he noticed, Coby didn’t comment on it. "I’m sure I will. After all…it’s from you," he pointed out.
"Why do you have to make my heart race?" Helmeppo groaned, but he hardly had a real complaint about it.
Coby's smile only grew. "I love you."
"I know. Now come on, finish up your food."
_______________
After eating, they’d gone out to the now-nearly-empty town, lit only by moonlight and dim streetlights. A light breeze was in chilly winter air. Coby would’ve been shivering if Helmeppo hadn’t draped his jacket over the rosette's shoulders, leaving him the cold one, but he didn’t care. He was with Coby, the love of his life. He paused halfway down the street and took Coby's hands, pulling him in to kiss his forehead before pulling out a small box.
"Meppo?"
"This is for you." Helmeppo held it out.
Coby's heart nearly stopped. "Meppo, tell me that’s not…"
"It isn’t, don’t worry. We're way too early into this whole relationship thing to even be considering marriage. It’s not an engagement ring, I promise."
Coby opened it. It was a ring, but it wasn’t, as Helmeppo had said, an engagement ring. "Meppo?"
"A promise ring. I promise to stand by you and love you forever, to always do my best for you, no matter what, and to be here whenever you need me. I’m not going to ask you to marry me just yet, Coby, but I am promising you I want you forever."
Coby slid the ring on and hugged him tightly. "I love you too, forever and always."
"Then let’s go find ourselves a field to lay in and you can admire the stars while I admire you."
"I think that’s the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me before." Coby laced their fingers together, the band of the ring pressing against skin, a firm and constant reminder of everlasting joy and hope.
_____________
"Helmeppo look!"
Coby eagerly pointed out a constellation, his eyes lighting up and shining in the moonlight. He was swathed in their jackets, and next to him, Helmeppo was as a result jacket-less, but he found that he really couldn’t care less. His heart was warmed by Coby. He lived and breathed Coby's presence, a ray of hope in a life shadowed by grief and guilt and self-doubt. He needed to take care of Coby. Coby gave him hope, gave him a second chance when he owed Helmeppo nothing. The least Helmeppo could do was give him a jacket and treat him to a Valentine's Day dinner off-base.
"I see it. You really love stargazing, don’t you?" Helmeppo pulled Coby against his side, brushing pink hair away from his boyfriend's face, gently playing with the strands, loving how thick locks fell between his fingers.
"I do. It’s peaceful," Coby agreed, voice a soft murmur. "The perfect end to the perfect day."
"No," Helmeppo argued.
"What?"
"This is the perfect end to the perfect day."
Helmeppo rolled over to hold himself above Coby and kiss him firmly. Coby laughed to himself and threw his arms around Helmeppo, cupping the back of his head, pulling out Helmeppo's hair clip and burying his fingers in long, thick blond hair, smiling through the kiss. Finally, he broke the kiss and stared up at Helmeppo adoringly.
"You’re right, kissing the man I love under the light of the stars in the middle of a field. That's the perfect end to the perfect day. I love you."
Helmeppo got off, kissing Coby's cheek. "I love you too."
Coby held open his arms, pulling Helmeppo closer, laying Helmeppo's head on his chest. "Happy Valentine's Day."