Chapter Text
It had been a characteristically quiet evening, after finishing cleaning the pots and pans in his kitchen Shu poured himself a glass of red wine and opened up his notebook to go over the lyrics for a song he was composing.
Though the quiet ambiance didn’t last long. From the corner of the table, his phone pinged several times. It had to be Mika, Shu had set a special tone for his texts and calls so he knew immediately if he was trying to reach him. Well, it wasn’t as if he was completely interrupting him at the moment, he’d barely begun to work.
It wasn't that he didn't expect Mika to text him, after getting used to using his phone that's all he seemed he wanted to do, if the bombardment of messages constantly pinging his phone was anything to say about it. No, there was something else that seemed a bit off. Shu did a quick calculation in his head, it was past 2 am in Japan right now. He sighed. What could possibly be going on with Mika?
He'd honestly prefer to call, in case Mika needed help with anything. But it was rather late, so he may not want to bother anyone in the neighboring dorm rooms with his call.
Kagehira:
ah dw it’s not important
Kagehira:
i shouldn’t bother you with stupid stuff
Shu:
…Kagehira, just let me know. I’ve finished cleaning up after dinner so you’re not disturbing me.
Kagehira:
have u met someone in france u’d considered marrying?
What?
Shu looked down at the text on his phone, reading it twice over. Where in the world had this come from?
Shu:
No. I wouldn’t trouble your mind with such ludicrous ideas.
Kagehira:
Oh!
Kagehira:
That’s a relief!
Kagehira:
Naru-chan had me worried maybe you’d found the love of ur life in france
Kagehira:
She’s got a lot of things to say about u sometimes
Kagehira:
I mean she’s my best friend and all
Kagehira:
But I was talking to her about this stuff and she had me all worked up.
Kagehira:
It was dumb, I shouldn't have assumed that.
Kagehira:
:)
Shu:
I’m glad I could put an end to such preposterous assumptions. While I am immersing myself in the culture to get the best education and experience abroad, and I have made a few acquaintances, none of this should be anything you worry your pretty little head over.
Of course it was all traced back to Arashi. Shu wasn’t exactly on bad terms with her, but it was hard to call them good terms. It was more of a mutual tolerance. She was Mika’s best friend, after all, so he needed to make at least somewhat of an effort to get along with her. For Mika’s sake. Though he could tell how she’d stare at him sometimes with a sort of glare in her eyes, a disapproving, judging look about their dynamic.
But that was to be expected. What he and Mika had, it wasn’t easily understood by the common people. And Shu was fine with that.
No one needed to understand their relationship except for them.
Kagehira:
ur right Oshi-san
Kagehira:
I got a bit distracted
Kagehira:
It’s all I’ve been able to think of lately
Kagehira:
have you thought about it at all?
Shu:
Marriage? I mean, it’s not a topic I think about with any sort of frequency, though I’m not opposed to the concept. It is rather romantic, is it not? To formally declare your love to the world, in a grand showcase where everyone is invited to witness?
Kagehira:
i hadn’t thought of it that way before
Kagehira:
i guess
Kagehira:
i saw it as more like
Kagehira:
super dating
Shu:
Kagehira you never fail to surprise me.
Kagehira:
what about proposing?
Shu:
What about it?
Kagehira:
augh I dunno, just anything about it?
Kagehira:
I figured you’d have this all planned step by step
Shu:
This is such an odd question to ask me. I suppose it would depend on if I was doing the proposing or not.
A dangerous thought crossed Shu’s mind. One he didn’t want to put into words, but the more he pushed it away the more prominent it became, forcing itself to be known.
Was Mika thinking of proposing to him?
Shu took a sip of his wine and tried to calm himself down, but his heart was beating almost out of his chest. First the talk about marriage, next proposals… Why else would he be this curious? He was obviously trying to get as much information as he could in order to make it the absolute perfect proposal he could muster.
Shu thought for a moment. He had to choose his next words carefully, lest he force Mika to propose in any particular way. Though it would be nice to do things his own way, it was an important step for Mika’s growth for him to decide things on his own. The boy struggled with self confidence, and no matter how many times Shu scolded him over it, his perceived self worth was an arduous battle. Sometimes, he wished Mika could see himself through his eyes, just once would do the trick. While Mika tended to doubt his own competency, he also ignored the areas of his obvious strength. Sometimes Shu wanted to grab him by the shoulders and kiss some sense into him, but knowing Mika that would just distract him from the problem at hand.
No, Mika would have to come up with this on his own, if it was something he truly wanted. It was excellent. Shu swirled his wine in the glass. A perfect symbol of Mika accepting his humanity. Shu couldn’t have thought of a better artistic expression himself!
Shu:
Hm. The more I think about it, I find more parts to consider that I hadn’t accounted for before.
Shu:
I would prefer an artistic proposal, something that shows me you truly understand me as a person, and are singing a song directly to my heart to capture and keep it forever. I would want to feel comfortable knowing that I am with my soulmate, someone who cares for me above all else.
Kagehira:
ur words are always so pretty Oshi-san
Kagehira:
they’re just like u
Kagehira:
ehehe
Kagehira:
i would’ve thought you’d have been more interested in this kinda stuff
Kagehira:
since like
Kagehira:
there’s so many opportunities to design stuff
Kagehira:
like the outfits
Shu:
It’s not that I haven’t thought about getting married and more so we’re just so young.
Shu:
Design work takes time, and it’s also not to be hastily rushed. It isn’t just about how the outfits would look, I would have to take into account the venue and the decor surrounding where the pictures are going to be taken as well.
Well, it was a bit of a lie if Shu said the thought of getting married to Mika had never crossed his mind before… But in all the ways it did, never had it been Mika sending out the feelers first, trying to see Shu’s thoughts on it. He was almost impressed, yet slightly peeved that he hadn’t made the first move. Had Shu known Mika was interested, he would’ve brought it up sooner.
Kagehira:
Naru-chan said rich people get married super young
Kagehira:
arranged marriages n stuff
Shu:
My family does nothing of the sort. Narukami needs to mind her own business.
Kagehira:
that’s my fault
Kagehira:
I talk about u to her non stop
Kagehira:
she always teases me about it
Kagehira:
i can’t help it though
Kagehira:
I just miss u so much
Shu:
I miss you too, Kagehira.
Kagehira:
Ur coming for graduation right?
Kagehira:
I have a surprise planned for you
Kagehira:
:)
Shu gripped the phone tightly so he wouldn’t drop it. A surprise? For him? Even though it was Mika’s graduation?
He had to be planning the proposal.
There was no other explanation.
Shu shook his head. Of course he waited until the last minute, just a week before they would meet again. Classic Mika. If he weren’t so elated, he would think to scold him for the lack of preparation. Though perhaps it was more genuine this way, more unique to Mika himself.
Shu:
Of course I am. I’ve already booked my tickets.
Kagehira:
Great! I’m so excited
Kagehira:
I can’t wait to see you
Shu:
Neither can I. I miss the days which we’d practice together in unison dearly. Your videos are wonderful, but they’re not the same. I will be there soon, Kagehira. So just wait another week for me. We will be reunited soon.
Shu:
You better be taking care of yourself. This is your first reminder to make sure your dorm room is clean as a whistle.
Kagehira:
it’s not bad!
Kagehira:
just some stuff
Kagehira:
uh
Kagehira:
it’ll be clean when u visit
Kagehira:
i promise
Shu:
Excellent. I will be the judge of that. And I won’t be lenient this time.
Kagehira:
ehe i’ll try my best.
Kagehira:
I can’t wait to taste ur cooking again
Shu:
I’ll cook whatever meals you request, it is a special occasion, afterall. But you simply must come grocery shopping with me. I want to pick out only the best ingredients for you.
Kagehira:
oshi-san ur being too nice to me
Kagehira:
it’s just graduation
Shu:
Non! Kagehira we must celebrate!
Kagehira:
ok
Kagehira:
oshi-san
Kagehira:
I’m getting so tired
Kagehira:
but i want to keep talking
Kagehira:
i dont think i can wait a week
Shu:
You should go to sleep, Kagehira. You need to take care of your body. We can talk tomorrow. It’s late for you. Sleep well.
Kagehira:
aaah yeah i should go to bed
Kagehira:
i wish you were here
Kagehira:
<3
Shu:
I will be, soon. Goodnight.
Shu:
Sweet dreams, Kagehira.
Kagehira:
Night!
Part of Shu wanted him to call Mika right here and now just to hear the sound of his voice again, but that would be completely selfish of him. Blasted time zones. He couldn’t deprive Mika from his sleep just because he missed him. He’d see him soon enough anyways…
It took him a minute to notice but his heart was still racing in his chest. Everything was so exciting, he couldn’t even remember the last time he felt this kind of anticipation before.
They’d have to get married in France. Shu made a mental note to bring that up to Mika when he had the chance. He’d been meaning to bring Mika to France to visit, but there had never been an opportune time. Oh, the places he’d show him. There was a seemingly endless list of locations Shu absolutely had to take him, from more renowned museums like the Louvre, to the classic tourist destinations like the Eiffel tower, but also a plethora of local cafés and boutiques. Of course there was the antique shop where he’d gotten Mika’s own doll, it may be nice for Shu to bring him there so he could see where Shu had first found her.
Shu calmed his mind down a bit. He shouldn’t be planning this early, especially since Mika needed to have his input as well. As much as it annoyed him not to be planning everything all at once, sometimes, waiting was worth it. For Mika, it’d be worth it.