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Little disclaimer: technically this is the second part of my other fanfic "Is He Proposing Or…?" you don't HAVE to have read that one to understand this one, but if you are perhaps interested in reading the "prequel" or the "context" for this fic (or maybe just a JosuHan fanfic that you didn't know existed) I highly recommend giving it a chance
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The days had gone by way faster than he could have imagined, with his mother's birthday on the horizon and his attention focused on polishing the last details, it took only a blink when he realized that the day had arrived: Today he was going to propose to Rohan
To say that he is nervous would be underrated. He hadn't been able to sleep at all the night before thinking about each of their dates, their kisses, their fears and strengths, everything that had led to this moment. Josuke understood all too well that in just a few hours when his boyfriend woke up, their relationship and their lives were about to change forever. There was no room for regret or turning back, but he wouldn't want to anyway, he had already made out his mind and his decision was final: he wanted to marry the love of his life and so he was going to
Little by little the room began to be painted in various shades of yellow as the rays of dawn passed through the windows, it was his signal to start the day. Careful not to wake up his lover, he gave him a little kiss in the back of his head and got out of bed ready to go down to the kitchen and start making breakfast.
First he started with the steam rice that would go along with the natto, in the meanwhile he was also working on the miso soup and the tamagoyaki, once all that was done he could finally add the last remaining plates such as the bowls with the side vegetables and salmon. To finish up he made sure to make a good amount of matcha tea as it was Rohan's favorite.
It had taken him a good amount of time to prepare everything but he had no doubt that it was worth it, now the most difficult part of all: waking up his lover.
Going back upstairs to their bedroom, he approached the mangaka who was still fully asleep and slowly began to cover his face with kisses until one of them would wake him up. It didn't take too long for it to happen as Rohan began to open his eyes (or at least as much as he could, he was still very sleepy) finding Josuke next to him leaving a path of kisses starting from his cheek all the way down his neck and his collarbone. It took him some time to adjust his vision to the light of the room and to get his thoughts together after a nap that had completely taken him out of the plane of existence, however, the second he was starting to get a grab of his surroundings he immediately notice the delicious smell of freshly cooked vegetables and smoked salmon
"What is that smell?"
"I made breakfast, do you want some?"
"What did you make?"
"Some rice with natto, tamagoyaki, salmon, vegetables… miso soup"
After saying those last words he could feel Rohan's eyes light up and immediately getting back to all his five senses, leaving the bed right away.
Despite the refined palate that he had developed over the years thanks to eating almost exclusively at the best high-end restaurants in Japan, the mangaka would always have a special weakness for said dish, and as simple as it was, there was simply something about a classic miso soup with tofu, wakame seaweed, mushrooms and green onions that brought so much comfort to him.
They both went to the dining room where they devoured each plate until nothing was left, there really was nothing that compares to a good breakfast to start the day
"Remember today we gotta go out so I can do some live studies" the mangaka had a strict practice policy when it came to his artwork as he considered it a fundamental element if he wanted to be able to improve his skills as an artist, it is for that very reason that he had created the habit of going out into the town once a week to look for references so he could do some sketch exercises. Although many times there were places traveled more frequently than others, there was never a specific destination, it was simply prowling the streets of Morioh until he found any source of inspiration that he considered worthy of drawing
"How could I forget? I wouldn't miss it for anything" and of course, every time Rohan had to go out to do some sketching he would always make sure to drag his boyfriend with him.
He still remembers when they started dating and Rohan used to say that the only reason the young man was invited was so he would carry his art materials since he was much stronger and taller after all… yet deep down both of them knew it actually was because they just enjoyed having each other's company.
Ever since it became the routine of their Saturdays, that last part "routine" being key to Josuke's plan as he was counting on exactly that to happen today
When they both finished eating the tall boy was in charge of picking up and washing the dishes, eventually getting distracted by the feeling of a pair of arms wrapping around his waist as Rohan's warm body rested on his back.
Discreetly turning his head to be blessed with the cute scene his boyfriend was unconsciously giving him, looking at him with each string of his green hair that falls out of place he knows more than ever that there aren't enough diamonds in the world to put in a ring to describe how much he loves this man, he's completely helpless
"So won't you tell me what you're planning?"
"Do I need to be planning something to make breakfast for my boyfriend?"
"Knowing you, yes" after dating the blue-haired boy for almost 4 years, he was already used to almost all of his affectionate gestures, Josuke was a good old fashioned lover boy and it really showed; surprise gifts, dates, kisses… he already knew his boyfriend was a hopeless romantic and he loved every part of it and time has given him enough experience to know that every time gourmet food was involved it was because he was up to something
"I just wanted to make us a nice breakfast for once, something different from the tea and egg toast we eat everyday, that's it" Rohan can't help but to torn apart every gesture in Josuke's face, his sapphire blue eyes slightly drifting and his lips roses forming a subtle smile when speaking.
There's no need to use Heaven's Door to know that the younger man is lying, or at the very least hidden something. However... after the whole "ring fiasco" he got himself into just 2 weeks before he has learned his lesson, it's probably for the best to just let Josuke do his things and enjoy any surprises that may come his way instead of trying to find out beforehand
"I'm going to get ready so we can leave" the mangaka said goodbye with a kiss but not before being interrupted by the warm voice of the other
"Roh...you should wear your light blue shirt, it looks really good on you" he wasn't planning to give anything away and he didn't want to raise more suspicions than necessary… but he knows that his boyfriend would kill him if he let him go to his own marriage proposal with the wrong dress code.
After being done with the dishes Josuke also began to get ready; getting his hair in his signature pompadour style, putting on some nice clothes, grabbing everything they needed such as the art materials, a comfy blanket, some snacks and surely most important, the little box he had been hiding so we'll for over a month. It was time.
The car ride was always a mystery because most of the time they didn't have a specific destination. Josuke would take the lead and take them wherever his unpredictable mind would come out with. Sometimes they ended up in a new cafeteria that they had not visited before, others in a museum and... there was even one time where they ended up in a farm surrounded by cows… that last one was not Rohan's favorite as he remembers the animals trying to eat the pages of his sketchbook, his clothes and he is almost certain that one of the cows mistook his hair for grass and tried to chew it (thankfully) without success. What he couldn't deny is that from each one of his trips he always returned with excellent drawings, some of his best artwork being the results of going to places he might never have gone on his own if it wasn't because of him.
Finally after half an hour of travel they had arrived, today's destination being a beautiful Japanese garden on the outskirts of Morioh.
The landscape was beyond astonishing with the wildlife covering with its beautiful intense green color every inch of land as far as the eyes could see, adorned with flowers and vegetation of all kinds of shapes and colors bringing the ideal balance of harmony to the whole picture. He would definitely use all of his watercolors today.
Without wasting a single moment they both entered the garden. They would spend a certain amount of time in the same place so the mangaka could draw and paint whatever had caught his attention and once he was done, they would move elsewhere searching for new references, repeating this same process over and over again throughout the afternoon.
Rohan was really fascinated with the beauty of his surroundings, he couldn't believe that he had never thought of going for inspiration to a Japanese garden before when it seemed to be one of the most obvious places to visit. An extremely calm atmosphere with no people in sight, uniquely being surrounded by the relaxing sound of the water falling from the waterfalls and the birds flying from tree to tree. Some of his favorite details of the scenery had to be the pond full of koi fishes in which they stopped to admire for about half an hour (you can bet he got tons of sketches out of them) and the rich traditional architecture of the bridges and gazebos all around the place. Over all, he was having the time of his life, so much that he was not realizing where his boyfriend was taking him, making him go up a stone path to the top of the garden
Once at the top, the boy with the pompadour began to arrange the blanket for them to sit again, he also made sure to put lots of flowers as decoration, pretty romantic if he could say so. Rohan would have also agreed it was all pretty romantic if only he had even noticed what was going on around him but his attention was solidly on drawing the beautiful view in front of him. Josuke wasn't bothered at all to see his boyfriend so focused on his work, on the contrary, he thinks it was really lovely to see him working so passionately on his art and enjoying so much their trip, at least he knows that in that regard the visit had been a complete success
"It's a beautiful sunset, don't you think? You should draw it" Josuke's voice took the artist completely out of his thoughts, not realizing how absorbed he had been in his art or at what point the sun had already begun to set
"You think so? I already made plenty of drawings of the sunset before, I don't know if I want to waste a whole page in another one of those"
"one more can't hurt, plus I think this one is particularly cute"
Don't get him wrong, Rohan liked sunsets just as much as everyone else and to be fair the sunset was indeed very pretty... but it wasn't anything particularly breathing or never-seen-before, just a normal sunset like the one the day before. He couldn't see anything particularly unique or remarkable like his boyfriend had said, yet he agreed that one last drawing of the horizon to close the day before returning home couldn't hurt.
He started sketching as quickly as possible. Even though sunsets weren't precisely difficult to draw they did present a particular difficulty: speed. They were events that only occurred in a very finite amount of time and it could be a matter of minutes if not seconds for the environment and its colors to change drastically, so you had to have a very agile hand and a great capacity for concentration to be able to capture the moment. Luckily for him Rohan knew he had all the required skills to pull it off.
Taking advantage of the fact that he had managed to distract his lover for at least a couple more minutes, Josuke carefully took out the small velvet box that had been in the pocket of jacket all this time, opening it just to verify that the ring was still in good condition and indeed it was.
With a sigh he pulled it out of his place and carefully leaned behind the smaller man resting his head in the space between his shoulder and his neck.
Rohan was very close to finishing the art piece and Josuke could only think of how much talent his boyfriend seemed to have to make beautiful pieces. To make everything he touched into something beautiful, and now he wants nothing more in the world for his boyfriend to make his life beautiful forever too
"You know I love you a lot, don't you?"
"I guess I'm starting to catch on it"
"I wouldn't want to live my life loving anyone other than you, I wouldn't be able to do it… and I don't want to live my life in any other way that isn't by waking next to you every morning and going back to your arms every night"
Rohan dropped everything he was doing to turn around and take a glance at his boyfriend who seemed to be being extra corny today, at first only going for a sweet kiss on the lips yet he was stopped dead in his tracks the moment he noticed the ring that Josuke was holding, immediately covering his own mouth with his hand in shock trying to catch his own breath
For a split moment he felt the world freezing in time, the clouds standing still in place and the noise of the water being nonexistent, making the frantic beat of his heart the only sound he could hear, accelerating like he never thought was even possible before. Rohan fixed his gaze on his boyfriend's face, seeing how the sunset was reflected in his charming sapphire blue eyes. He didn't have the slightest doubt that it was truly the most wonderful sunset he had ever seen in his life, there was no other like it.
It wasn't until his boyfriend carefully grabbed his hand that he noticed how much he was shaking, especially compared to the other's firm and steady grip, carefully placing the most gorgeous engagement ring on his finger.
"So what do you say? Will you marry me?"
Of course he would, there wasn't any other answer in his mind other than yes.it would have been even better if only he was able to talk at all yet he couldn't bring himself to speak as he was still in such a state of shock that the words wouldn't come out of his mouth. In the best way he could he began to nod his head as he felt the tears begin to fall down his face.
Not even him was completely sure why he had started crying. The only thing he knew at the moment was that it felt like an explosion of emotions inside him, each fighting to get out at the same time. He couldn't help it, it just feels so good to be so loved.
"It's fine Roh, you don't need to cry" josuke tried to help calm down the artist holding him in a hug. Of all the reactions he would have expected he never thought he would see his boyfriend -now fiance- cry so much. Usually Rohan was quite a reserved person when it came to emotions, rarely being so expressive about his feelings… seeing him so openly vulnerable was an exception to the rule, but a welcome one, it's quite adorable to see him being happy even if it is liquid happiness.
They stayed like that for another twenty minutes in which the older man didn't stop sobbing in the arms of his lover. He was eventually able to return to normal.
Once they both returned to the car, Rohan couldn't take his eyes off his hand, it had to be the most beautiful engagement ring he could have ever dreamed of, and it was his, his only and no one else's.
Every little detail had him completely mesmerized, the main piece being an oval-shaped tsavorite surrounded by small diamonds on each side and with sapphires on each end. The mere thought of how much love and care was put into the ring was enough to make him star sobbing again
and again
and again…
Basically every time he looked at the ring he would start to sob uncontrollably. It got to the point where Josuke had to stop and go to a grocery store mid road just to buy a tissue box. He still finds it adorable, a little concerning but adorable.
But with that out of the way they continued they trip to their home as the night had already completely fallen and covered with its darkness the town, being the light poles the only thing illuminating the streets of Motion. They were already close to reaching their house and as Rohan was preparing to unbuckle his seatbelt when… they passed by?
"Jojo you passed by"
"Yeah I know"
…
Oh god there was another surprise left for today, wasn't it? his poor faint heart couldn't take anymore… although he should have known Josuke was not going to stop only with the proposal.
After going a few more laps Josuke stopped the car announcing that they could get off... were they in the port? This was new, although to be fair the whole day had been full of new things. Josuke took his hand and dragged him along the pier until they reached a candlelit floating restaurant, where a waiter served them and led them to his table.
The setting was extremely elegant and cozy thanks to the live music and the conversations of the other diners that filled the room. It didn't take long for them to order their food and being served a variety of seafood accompanied by a Sauvignon Blanc wine. The view outside was splendid, the calm water reflecting the lights of the town. At any other time Rohan would have been fascinated by the landscape and would not have hesitated to take out even a pencil to immortalize it, but not today. His attention was solely focused on the young man who sat in front of him.
He can't take his eyes out of him. His pink lips made to be devoured like the sweetest of delicacies, his soft and delicate skin made to be touched like a sculptor touches a marble work and his blue eyes made to lose yourself like an astronomer counting every star in the night sky. Josuke was the biggest star in the galaxy and the brightest too
Love has definitely made him softer and cheesier than he ever could have imagined. A few years ago the only feeling he would have found within himself would have been shame, his pride would never have allowed him to admit that he fell head over heels in love, specially with Higashikata of all people. But despite his cold personality and how horrible he is when it comes to expressing his emotions, he can't hide how delighted his heart feels.
It's true that it feels so good to be so loved, but it also feels so good to love so much
The dinner went as expected, the dishes were wonderful and they even got some photos taken. It turns out Josuke even went all the way to hire a photographer for their engagement celebration. He would have loved the idea way more if it wasn't because he was sure his eyes were completely red and swollen from all the crying… It was fine, he would continue to treasure those photos forever, he just wouldn't show them to anyone ever. Never.
Finally, after a long day full of surprises, they both returned home (this time for real). Upon arrival Josuke immediately went up to their room ready to jump into bed, it had been a spectacular day but also extremely exhausting, nerves had drained almost all his energy and he felt relieved to know that he could lower his guard, at last everything had gone as he expected. Rohan, on the other hand, arrived at the room a few minutes later.
"What did you do that you was taking so long?" Asked Josuke as he was taking down his pompadour
"Nothing really, I just needed to do something quick in my art studio" the mangaka answered while he changed his clothes for something better suited for sleeping. He had no intention of making his lover wait, but before he could get comfortable between the sheets he knew even before arriving that he had to search for a frame in his studio so he could put on display the best piece of artwork he ever did; a beautiful sunset, the most beautiful there will ever be. Painted with watercolors, and most importantly, signed with today's date at the left corner of the piece. Amemory for eternity.
With that being done finally they were ready to go to bed, it would be their first night sleeping together as an engaged couple but surely not the last.
really wholesome if you don't think about the fact that they were about to break the mattress in the most brutally animalistic way indulging in their deepest carnal desires type of sex
but besides that it was really wholesome!