Work Text:
THIS MORNING:
Sonny wakes up to a headache and dry mouth. His left ear hurts from sleeping in the same position for too long, and his knee is strangely tender. When he extends his arm, he is met with an empty left side of the bed. Slowly, Sonny lifts his head up and croaks out, “Alban?”
Silence follows.
Sonny absently rubs his eyes and reaches for his cellphone. It’s sitting on the little table on his side of the bed, next to an opened but still full bottle of water probably courtesy of Alban. Sloppily, Sonny takes large gulps until he no longer feels parched.
It’s late enough in the morning that the streets outside of their third floor apartment are already busy with foot traffic. The weather is unseasonably warm for this time of the year, and Alban has left a little crack in the window to let some fresh air in. Sonny supposes this is not a bad way to spend the first day of the new year.
His memories of last night are still hazy. All he really recalls is going to Mika’s New Years Eve party and breaking his long sober streak. Sonny is still clad in the t-shirt he wore under his sweater last night, but at least he’s no longer wearing pants.
Where exactly are his pants? More importantly, where is Alban?
Sonny gets distracted from his train of thought when his phone buzzes. He unlocks the screen and frowns at the display. 87 Notifications???
“Oh God,” Sonny mumbles to himself as he thumbs through the messages. Most of them are different variations of congratulations, sans for an ominous text from Mika that just says you owe me dude. “What the hell,” Sonny swears just as another notification pops up. It’s from the big group chat that he usually has muted.
Slowly, Sonny opens it and reads from the bottom. The most recent messages are attempts to organize a brunch outing from a few hours ago. This is nothing out of the ordinary. Then he scrolls up and nearly drops his phone.
Dated around 11PM are a series of photos from different senders. All of them show Sonny on his knees in front of Alban. There’s even a video sent by Yugo. Warily, Sonny opens it. It’s filled with people hollering, juxtaposed by extremely shaky camera work. What truly terrifies Sonny is Yugo shouting at the very end, “Guess who just proposed to Alban!”
Sonny throws his face into Alban’s pillow and screams.
This continues for a good five minutes until Sonny feels less deranged. It helps that Alban’s scent calms him down. He tries to compose himself by drinking more water but nearly chokes when his phone pings again. After cleaning up the mess, Sonny takes a deep breath and dials Alban’s number. He waits a beat, then two.
Alban’s ringtone sounds from the living room. It’s a happy little jingle, and normally Sonny is glad to hear it. Now, he just curses Alban’s habit of leaving his phone behind. He does another cursory check of their entire apartment but does not find Alban, the love of his life.
Resigned, Sonny pulls up his contact list and calls Fulgur. The call connects almost immediately, yet Uki’s voice is the one that greets him on the other end. “Hey, bitch. Let me guess, you’re trying to do damage control for last night?”
“I-” Sonny opens his mouth, then closes it. He doesn’t even know where to start.
“Is that Sonny?!” Fulgur’s voice calls out from the end of the line, a good distance away from the mic. Some shuffling follows until Fulgur is the one holding the phone. “Hey, buddy. How are you feeling?”
Sonny rubs his temple. “Like shit. What happened last night?”
Fulgur hums. “Instead of asking me, you should be talking to Alban. Also, Uki wants me to tell you that you’re ruining our date and to call back later. Don’t forget to hydrate!”
The call is over before Sonny can even process what’s happening. In an act of true desperation, he calls Yugo.
The dial tone rings forever before Yugo finally picks up. There’s a lot of background noise from the other end. “Kyoudai! How’s it going?!”
“What the hell happened last night—” Sonny starts to say, but is interrupted by laughter from Yugo’s end.
“Oh, hold on—Sorry, you’re on speaker right now! I’m out getting food with Maria and Kotoka and Selen. Say hi, you guys!”
The girls chorus in greeting, which is nice and all for Yugo but very embarrassing for Sonny. He tries to make some excuse to hang up, but Selen manages to wrangle the phone from Yugo to speak instead. “Hey! Do you remember when you tried asking your own boyfriend out?”
LAST NIGHT:
Sonny is in love. He just saw the cutest boy standing by the chips table. He’s going crazy thinking about this brunet, it’s embarrassing how much he’s simping. Sonny is gonna make this stranger his man or he’s gonna die trying. Most likely he’s just going to die.
In the midst of Sonny’s musings, a familiar face appears by his side. It’s Selen holding a can of soda. “Hey, Sonn—Oh man! Your face is so red right now!”
Sonny has no clue. He tries to look at his reflection in the punch bowl, only to trip and nearly go plummeting into it. Thankfully, Selen grabs his arm and yanks him back. It’s fine, Sonny tells himself. The bowl isn’t reflective anyway.
“How much have you had to drink??” Selen asks, helping Sonny upright. Her grip is surprisingly strong.
“That’s not important,” Sonny responds seriously. He nudges Selen. “Do you know who that is?”
Selen squints. “Who? Alban?”
Alban? What a cute name. Everything about him is cute. Sonny bites his thumb and seriously considers how a name can be so charming. He doesn’t realize he is saying everything out loud until Selen cackles.
“Seriously, dude. I think you’ve had too much to drink. That’s Alban.”
“Is he single?” Sonny asks.
For some reason, Selen just starts laughing again. “You should go ask him!”
Sonny can’t possibly do that, but Selen is already pushing him in the direction of the brunet. The party is loud and full and they have to sidestep a bunch of people taking turns hanging off Luca’s arm while he flexes. That’s irrelevant to Sonny though, as any coherent thoughts he has turn into mush the closer they get to his new crush.
Strangely, Alban looks happy at the sight of them. He even sets a hand on Sonny’s arm to steady him.
“Hey Alban, this guy has something to ask you,” Selen starts. Then she gestures for Sonny to continue.
“What is it?” Alban says, looking between the two of them. He seems amused, then pauses when a hiccup comes out of Sonny’s mouth. “Did you drink?”
Sonny can’t remember. He can barely remember anything besides his own name as he stands here—in front of the man of his dreams. “I…”
Alban does a cute tilt of his head that makes Sonny want to explode. “What is it? Are you feeling okay?”
With monumental effort, Sonny half-yells, “Do you… Do you have a boyfriend?!”
Alban just stares back at him. After a moment, he says, “Yes?”
An awful weight appears in Sonny’s stomach, pulling him down. He feels anxious and defeated. This is the worst day of his life. Sonny is over this party. He’s over everything. Slowly, he crouches down on the floor and buries his face in his knees.
“Oh, come on!” Selen complains loudly enough for Sonny to hear. “Why did you say that?”
“I am, though?” Alban just sounds confused. “I’m dating Sonny!”
Hearing this, Sonny’s head shoots up. Alban is dating Sonny? “But I’m Sanni…” He whispers pitifully. His response is met by a grin from Selen and an exasperatedly fond look from Alban. Inspired and energized, Sonny stands up and makes himself dizzy again. Almost immediately, Alban wraps an arm around Sonny’s waist. “Are you really my boyfriend?” Sonny asks hopefully.
“Yes, silly!”
As if on cue, Fulgur arrives with two cups of water. “How’s everyone doing?”
“Fuu-chan! Alban just said he’s my boyfriend!” Sonny feels the need to share. He’s on top of the world. No one can bring him down. This is the best day of his life!
Fulgur just nods. “Alright, buddy. Here, have some water.”
Gratefully, Sonny accepts the glass. The rim is way too large though, and he spills water on himself in an attempt to drink it. “This glass is too big. It has offended me. It needs to perish.” This is the only way.
“Okayyyy,” Fulgur immediately takes the glass away from him. “Leave the cup alone. It didn’t do anything. Why don’t we sit down somewhere, huh?”
Tragically, Alban chooses then to pull his arm away. “I’ll go get some napkins. Can you guys watch over him?”
Something possesses Sonny then, and he latches onto Alban’s retreating hand. “No! Don’t leave me!”
Alban looks like he can’t decide how to feel. He gently retracts his hand. “I’ll be right back, okay?”
Against his will, Sonny is flanked by both Fulgur and Selen and dragged to a nearby couch. He sits down sullenly next to a group of people playing Uno on the coffee table. Kyo seems to be winning, but Sonny really can’t tell with all the commotion and Enna repeatedly shouting “you bitch!”
“Is he always like this?”
“I’ve never actually seen him drink before,” Fulgur replies. His voice is low and soothing, luring Sonny into a sense of comfort and allowing him to tune out the conversation.
Sonny is just about to close his eyes when a pair of hands land on his shoulder, squeezing him. They’re too small to be Alban’s, but still jolt Sonny up.
It’s Pomu, grinning. “Sonny, my man!”
“I’m not your man,” Sonny replies surly. “I’m Alban’s man. Only his.”
“Okayy?” Pomu says, an amused light in her voice. “Congrats?”
This gives Sonny a new idea. He wants to make Alban his man forever. There’s only one way to do this. Sonny must make Alban his husband. Determined, he gets up and beelines for Alban, ignoring Fulgur’s shout of “Where are you going?!”
Except Sonny has no clue where Alban is. He doesn’t understand the layout of this unnecessary complex apartment. Why must everything be difficult? Sonny circles past the same group of people three times before finding himself in the kitchen.
Mika and Uki are leaning against the counter, chatting. As the host, Mika should understand the burdensome nature of this layout, and Sonny tells her this much.
“Uh.. This place is tiny, what are you talking about?”
“Your face is so red right now,” Uki supplies unhelpfully.
Sonny ignores them both and continues his mission. He is struck with deep clarity and knows what he must do. Quickly, Sonny opens the fridge and finds what he’s looking for. He does bang his head against the freezer door when he stands up, but it’s not his fault that it was open in the first place! (Read: it was)
“Holy fuck, how drunk are you?” Mika asks as Sonny pulls out a sprig of green onion and begins manipulating it. “What are you even doing?”
It takes a few tries, but Sonny eventually manages to shape a long and durable string into a circle. “I’m proposing to Alban.”
“WITH MY ONION?! Uki, are you seeing this right now?”
“Oh,” Uki sounds amused as he takes another sip of his drink. “I’m more than seeing it. I’m living it and embracing it.”
Determined, Sonny ignores them as he examines his handiwork. The result is too crude. He must start again. Alban deserves better.
“Dude, how much food do you plan on wasting?” Mika asks when Sonny is on his third ring. She clearly doesn’t understand his art. Still, she watches as Sonny gives this ring another examination. It’s good and circular. Alban likes circular things.
Uki is pouring himself more wine now. “If you’re looking for Alban, he’s in the living room.”
Perfect. Sonny marches into the common area to find Alban talking to people while holding a handful of tissues. He’s so thoughtful. Sonny needs to put a ring on Alban before someone snatches him away.
“Oh, there you are-” Alban pauses when Sonny grabs his hand and gets down on one knee.
Unfortunately, Sonny’s coordination isn’t the best at the moment. He slams his knee too hard into the hardwood floor and yelps. Then he pretends it never happened because he doesn’t want to show weakness in front of these potential tissue thieves. The conversation around them settles down as Sonny kneels on one wobbling leg.
“Alban Knox—”
“Oh gosh. Is this really happening?”
“Sheeessh!”
“Let’s fucking gooooo!”
“Everyone shut the fuck up! I can’t hear!”
Under pressure, Sonny almost drops his engagement ring. “Alban, will you…”
“Holy shit,” Alban starts laughing at the first sight of the onion ring. He looks at Sonny, sweet and soft, and suddenly Sonny is speechless. Alban seems to understand Sonny’s predicament though, because he leans into Sonny’s ear and whispers, “Ask me again when you’re sober.”
Sonny just nods back happily. Everyone around them starts shouting and hollering. It’s then that Sonny notices all the cellphones out, recording and documenting this moment.
“Come on,” Alban says, gently pulling Sonny up. “Let's go outside and get some fresh air.” He expertly navigates them out of the party, through the crowd of people patting their backs and cheering them on. Alban is a good sport through it all.
Sadly, Mika’s apartment is on the second floor. The trek down the stairs makes Sonny feel woozy and unbalanced, and he has to sit down on the pavement when they arrive at the front outdoor part of the apartment complex. From here, Sonny can hear the party in full blast through the balcony. It’s not the only party happening here tonight.
“Are you good?” Alban asks, squatting down. “Take some time to rest, okay?”
Alban is so thoughtful. Sonny wants to tell him this, but he’s suddenly hit with another bout of vertigo. The nausea is unbearable, and Sonny barely has any time to warn Alban before he leans over and throws up. It’s gross and nasty and Sonny feels terrible, but he lets himself be manhandled by Alban so that his second round of vomit ends up in a bush instead.
This is awful. Sonny has tears in his eyes by the time he’s done. The air suddenly smells putrid and sour. Everything is ruined. The proposal. The party. Sonny’s life.
“Yo, what-” Someone says while Sonny is in the middle of his crises. “Is he okay?”
“Can you watch him for me?” Alban asks quickly. “I need to go inside and get cleaned up. Please please please don’t let him out of your sight.”
“Got it, Kyoudai,” Yugo says. “I came out to check on you guys anyway.”
This time, Sonny doesn’t stop Alban from leaving. He’s busy wallowing in self pity when Yugo kneels down and hands him a bottle of Pocari Sweat. “Here, drink this.”
Sonny obeys miserably. He rinses out his mouth and then slowly sips from the bottle as Yugo moves them away from the scene of the crime. Yugo doesn’t speak for a while and just hums a song under his breath. His voice feels warm and comforting, like a blanket covering Sonny.
Eventually, Sonny feels less disgusting. “Thanks.”
“When I said you didn’t have to stay sober with me tonight, I didn’t think you’d get so wasted,” Yugo says softly.
Now Sonny remembers. The reason he stopped drinking was to support Yugo’s own attempt to stay sober. It hadn’t been challenging in the slightest, because Sonny doesn’t really like the taste of booze to begin with. Before he knew it, two years had passed without him having a sip of alcohol. Yet, tonight felt different. He doesn’t do well in big social situations, yet he desperately wanted to let loose and enjoy himself.
“Urg,” Sonny groans into his hands. “It’s because I was so happy to see everyone here. The party is bumping. The alcohol is flowing. There is much suffering in the world but not in this room—”
“Shut up!” Yugo half laughs half shouts, when he finally catches on to the meme reference. He even smacks Sonny on the back and nearly sends him toppling over. “That’s no excuse for you to drink so much, you know?”
“I only had two beers!”
This just makes Yugo laugh. He’s not the best bedside nurse, but Yugo does keep Sonny company until Alban returns. “You good, Neko-chan?”
“Yeah,” Alban says. “I said goodbye to everyone and left some money to cover cleaning up. We’re heading home now. Thanks for watching him.”
“Anytime, Kyoudai.”
Sonny lets himself be tugged up by Alban. He feels like all the tension in his body has exited by way of his dinner, and Sonny is falling asleep by the time Alban gets them into the Uber. On the ride home, he leans into Alban and closes his eyes.
The next time Sonny blinks, he’s being maneuvered out of the car, through their own apartment complex, and up the elevators. Sonny blinks wearily as he’s pushed through the doors of his home and into the dark bedroom. He’s still half asleep when someone starts tugging on his clothes. Sonny turns his face into the nearby warmth and inhales.
Then Sonny pauses. This is not right. He pushes the hands away from him and shouts, “No! Stop!”
“What’s wrong?”
“You can’t do this!” Sonny says as he tries to pull the sweater back over his body. “Stop! I have a boyfriend! I love Alban!”
“What the hell?! I am Alban!”
Sonny squints at the offender. “You don’t smell like him!”
“I-wha-I’m wearing Mika’s sweatshirt because you threw up on mine!”
None of this makes sense to Sonny. He struggles in vain as Fake Alban starts undressing him again. Sonny feels so weak and his limbs aren’t functioning. He rolls over on the bed, presses his face against the pillow, and whines. “Stop it! Alban would be so upset if he found out! I can’t do this to him!”
A sigh and some shuffling ensues, followed by the dip of the mattress as Not Alban sits down on the bed. “Okay, I’ll stop. Please don’t hide from me.”
After a while, Sonny hesitantly turns around and rubs at his eyes. He feels less overwhelmed now, surrounded by familiar things on their bed. The face smiling back at him is a welcoming one. “Alban? Is it really you?”
Alban responds by running a soothing hand through Sonny’s hair. “Yes, Silly.”
“I’m so pathetic and messy,” Sonny mumbles as he turns his face into Alban’s wrist and breathes in. “I ruined tonight.”
“Hey, don’t be so hard on yourself. Besides, I love that messy side of you. It’s cute. And you didn’t ruin tonight. I don’t mind taking care of you.” A pause. “Just don’t throw up on me again.”
“You think I’m cute?” Sonny asks, voice wobbly. He gets a pinch on the arm in reply. They laugh and tussle a little, but mostly Alban just helps Sonny out of his clothes. Sonny yawns when he’s clad in a t-shirt and his boxers. He vaguely registers Alban telling him to brush his teeth, but Sonny’s eyelids feel so heavy. Bone deep exhaustion seeps into him as Alban rubs gentle circles on his back. “I love you Alban.”
Alban smiles. “Love you too.”
They’re interrupted by the sound of fireworks outside. The digital clock on the bedside table also shows that they’ve officially crossed into the new year. Sonny sighs as Alban brushes some hair out of Sonny’s face. “Sorry I made you leave the party and miss the countdown.”
“Don’t be sorry,” Alban whispers. “I want to spend the end and beginning of every year with you, and also every day in between.”
That sounds good to Sonny. It’s the last thought he has before falling asleep.
NOW:
The phone call is already over before Sonny finally recalls the events from last night. Selen’s retelling helps fuel the goblin’s inside of Sonny’s head to get to work, spinning the wheels of his brain until he finally remembers every excruciatingly embarrassing detail. For a moment, he seriously considers starting a new life elsewhere to avoid facing the consequences of his actions. It’s a moot thought, though.
Sonny knows what he must do. First, he washes his face and brushes his teeth. Then he digs out the secret object he’s been hiding in the back of the vegetable drawer. Belatedly, he remembers to actually put on pants. Sonny considers taking an actual shower to freshen up, but the telltale sound of the door opening interrupts that possibility.
“Welcome home!” Sonny hurries over.
Alban’s face lights up at the sight of him. “I’m back! How are you feeling? We were out of painkillers and energy drinks so I went to the konbini to grab some. Then I ran into our neighbor, the chatty one, and anyways… Sorry I was gone for so long!”
“I’m great,” Sonny lies. “Even better now that you’re back.” The second part is true, at least. Sonny opens his arms and feels relieved when Alban immediately steps into his space for a hug. Alban smells so nice and cozy, like a cat that’s been napping in the sun. “I’m sorry about last night. I promise to make it up to you.”
“Oh?” Alban teases. “How are you gonna do that?”
This time, Sonny is prepared. He doesn’t bother dropping down on one knee (mostly because it’s too bruised). Sonny does, however, take Alban’s hand and kisses his ring finger. Then he pulls out the box and—
“Shut up!” Alban says suddenly. “You can’t.”
Sonny looks up, panicked. “Huh? I-I mean. I thought you—I’m sorry—”
Suddenly, Alban is pulling Sonny into another hug as he cradles Sonny’s head. “No! Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. Hold on…” Then Alban is scurrying away, digging through the TV console until he returns holding something.
It’s another ring box. “I was gonna propose to you first!” Alban grins sheepishly. “I had it all planned too! Then you pulled that stunt last night and—”
“I’m sorry nothing will ever live up to the negi,” Sonny jokes, his voice finally coming back.
Alban gently takes Sonny’s hand. “Well, to make it up to me, you should let me propose first.”
“I suppose I can allow that.”
Thankfully, Alban is indulgent enough to play along. He opens the box to reveal a very sleek and modern ring. “Sonny, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I love it when you’re serious and focused but also when you’re silly and goofy. But what I love the most is that you’re willing to show these parts of yourself to me, even though I know it terrifies you to be so open and vulnerable. Also, you’re secretly so kind and thoughtful and I can’t imagine not bein— Are you okay??”
Sonny feels so overwhelmed. He’s taking critical damage with every word Alban throws his way. This all feels surreal and Sonny is not sure if he even deserves something this nice. He’s literally just some dude who managed to trick the cutest boy into dating him and—
“Stop whatever it is you’re thinking,” Alban tells him firmly. “I love you, okay? I wanna be with you forever, so will you marry me?” He beams when Sonny nods fervently. “Now it’s your turn. Tell me how much you love me.”
It takes a moment for Sonny to summon his previous bravado. “You’re the best thing that’s happened to me, Alban. I love every part of you. Sometimes I think you’re too good for me and I don’t deserve you, but then I hear your voice telling me otherwise. I want to believe you so badly because I love you so much and think the world of you. Also, I’m really selfish and just want to keep you to myself and— wait, Alban, don’t cry—”
“I’m not crying,” Alban insists, even though he’s definitely sniffling and wiping at his eyes with the sleeves of what appears to be Sonny’s shirt. “And yes, I’ll marry you! Now put the ring on me!”
“Bossy,” Sonny teases, even though his own voice is wavering. They’re both weepy while exchanging rings, and it normally would be kind of anticlimactic if only Sonny wasn’t so goddamn happy. This is actually the best day of his life.
It’s true that Sonny still has anxiety about so many things out of his control, and he tries his best to make the most of everyday with a doubtful heart. Yet, loving Alban is the surest thing Sonny knows. He tries to tell Alban this, but Alban just tears up more.
“I love you so much,” Sonny promises. “More than anything.”
An evil glint appears in Alban’s eyes. “Even more than negi?”
“Wellll—”
“HEY!”
In the end, they announce the news in the group chat with a selfie. Sonny is visibly blushing in the photo, covering his face with one hand while simultaneously showing off his new ring. Alban is doing the same while grinning at the camera, the bling on his finger catching in the light.
The replies flood in immediately.
Ewiwa (11:05 AM): Sheeeesh! Congrats!
PP Rainpuff (11:05 AM): Sonny, congrats on officially becoming Alban’s Man!!!!!
Box Agooma(11:06 AM) : Big congratulations! But I must say those rings are a downgrade from the negi
POGMAN(11:06 AM): NEG DEEZ NUTS
(Expand 35 Messages)
Selen Tatsuki (11:21 AM): Yugo is now shouting in the middle of the restaurant
Selen Tatsuki (11:22 AM): He’s trying to buy everyone a round of drinks but only for the ladies
Selen Tatsuki (11:23 AM): Maria is taking away his wallet and his phone LMAO
Fuuudanshi Ovid (11:25 AM): Congratulations! I love you both but please don’t let Sonny drink at the wedding. He’s gonna forget you just got married and try to propose to you again.
Ukiki (11:26 AM): bitch I better be a best man
Mika: Don’t forget. You both owe me.
Alban shows Sonny the last message. Since he’s leaning back against Sonny on the couch and using him as a pillow, Alban has to twist a little bit to move his phone closer to Sonny’s face. “I think we have to make Mika the best man.”
“Happy New Year to everyone but especially Mika Melatika,” Sonny mumbles, pressing a kiss against Alban’s cheek. “And me.”
“And me!” Alban insists. “I’m the luckiest person in the world!”
Sonny is pretty sure that he got the better end of the deal, but he’s fine letting Alban win this one.