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It’s 10:23 AM on a normal weekday. He’s sitting in an airport close to a nearby window, dressed casually in a dark comfortable hoodie, jeans, and his favorite shoes. His cheap hair tie had unfortunately snapped on his way here, leaving his hair falling across his shoulder, which made his neck feel hot. He’s drumming his fingers against the metal airport bench, waiting for the long hand of the clock to reach the number six.
Six, no , five more minutes and Hinata Shouyou’s plane will touch the ground and he’ll meet Kenma here. After around three years, Kenma has somewhat gotten used to his boyfriend leaving for stretches of time. They did two years of long distance while Shouyou was in Brazil, followed by another busy year of tryouts and practice. He's sure there'll be more years ahead of it. It does get a little lonely at night for the both of them but they were mostly fine throughout the day. The existence of phone calls and video chats helps. It doesn't ache like it used to anymore because it comforts him knowing that both of them are taking steps forward in their lives.
Even as a crowd of people rush out the gate, Shouyou is ridiculously easy to spot. His bright orange hair aside, the way he carries himself has significantly changed from when he was a teenager. His confident strides make him more noticeable. Those eyes scan his busy surroundings before finding Kenma. He only has a moment to soak in Shouyou’s wide grin before the younger man runs at full speed and pulls Kenma into an engulfing hug.
It happens so suddenly but he doesn’t hesitate to return it. Wrapping his arms around Shouyou’s shoulders tightly, Kenma enjoys the feeling of holding the person he loves after so long. PDAs aren’t usually Kenma’s thing but it’s hard to care about his reservations, at least for a few seconds.
Kenma is much too used to what happens after they pull away from the hug. He’ll help with the bags and both of them will walk out the airport while chatting along the way. They’ll hop into the car Kenma used to get here with Shouyou in the passenger seat and Kenma driving. They’ll tetris the luggage in the trunk, struggle to get out of the crowded parking lot, get cooked inside the car, and then finally hit the road as the aircon properly does its job.
“How long can you stay?” Kenma asks when they stop at a red light halfway back home. He taps his fingers against the steering wheel impatiently as he waits. Just a few more minutes.
“Probably a while. A month?” Shouyou hums. Kenma sees him taking out his phone from his pocket and opening up his calendar app. “There’s a few practices that I’ll have to skip but it should be fine.”
Kenma almost misses the light turning green. Shouyou, who’s so eager and hungry for volleyball, intentionally skipping practices? The other man probably noticed the odd look on Kenma’s face as he burst out laughing.
“It’s mostly optional,” He shrugs. “I have lots I want to do! I’m excited to watch one of Natsu’s games!”
Kenma nods along. He always finds it quite fascinating how Shouyou’s love for volleyball managed to reach his sister as well. He had never seen her matches before but he likes the way Shouyou’s voice rises with excitement and pride whenever he speaks of her. Kenma finds it endearing.
“Kenma, you should totally join me! Natsu will be glad to see you too.” Shouyou grins as Kenma turns the car towards the last stretch of the road of their home. “We’ll have to be sneaky about it though, I don’t want her to know we’re there so she doesn't get distracted. Oh, unless you’re busy with work?”
“I’ll go. It’ll be…fun.” One of the perks of working as an online personality: being master of his own vacations. “But a whole month?”
“I also want to celebrate our anniversary for at least a week.”
Thankfully, Kenma has already parked the car in their drive through or else he would’ve slammed the brakes due to how flustered he suddenly got.
Their anniversary.
This year would be their sixth one. The number doesn’t seem that big but a six year relationship is quite the feat. It’s a long time when you think about it, enough to turn their clumsy teenage crushes into something solid and steady in their adulthood. And while Kenma is not usually one for celebrations or parties - even for his own birthdays - he feels like this achievement deserves one.
“Six years….” Kenma hums under his breath. None of them leave the car, the mood of the conversation blanketing over them. “You want to celebrate it for a week? ”
“Yeah,” Shouyou leans against the chair and turns his head to gaze at Kenma, hands folded across his stomach. He’s relaxed and a lazy smile is etched across his lips. Now that he isn’t driving, Kenma too can observe Shouyou’s face for as long as he can, leaning slightly against the steering wheel. “I think six years is amazing and I want to remember it. I’m fine with missing out on a few practices because I want to spend the time with you instead. Can I?”
And how could he ever say no to a heart-pounding request like that ? Kenma laughs a little, reaching across the car to hold one of Shouyou’s hands. It’s both a gesture of affection and his answer to the request. “Most people only spend one day for anniversaries.”
“That’s boring. Why have one when you can have the whole week? It’ll be our anniversary week.”
Someday Shouyou may even suggest an anniversary month. He squeezes Shouyou’s hand. He doesn’t say that he likes that idea too. “Right.”
That being said, their anniversary wouldn’t be for another two weeks which gives Kenma enough time to buy a gift for his boyfriend. But the problem is not buying the gift (He has enough money to not worry about finances), it’s finding a gift. They’ve also decided to ban expensive gifts which adds to the difficulty.
His first thought, of course, went to the other love of Shouyou’s life. Volleyball. Unfortunately after scrolling and digging through ideas, he couldn’t find anything that appealed to him. And if he was being honest, he would like to find a gift that celebrated them, not volleyball.
Back to square one.
Luckily, Kozume Kenma is not the type of person to admit defeat. While people who don’t know him would consider him to be laid back and mild, his closest friends and family know how scarily persistent he could be when doing things he loves. A few things come to mind. Hard, challenging games are what he usually tackles. Volleyball, in highschool and his thesis in college. He’s overcome so many things and this predicament that he’s found himself in wouldn’t be any different.
He texts Kageyama Tobio as another route. He knows that, despite the fiery rivalry between him and Shoyou, they were close enough to be best friends. So he sends a casual text to the volleyball player, asking directly if Shoyou has shown any interest in anything lately. He ignores a text from Kuroo that said, “who would know him better than his boyfriend?” with a winky face. Blocked. Now is not the time. Unfortunately, Kageyama’s replies didn’t really help much either.
Kageyama: t shirts. for training. he says he doesn’t have enough.
Kageyama: and a vacation?
If only Shouyou hadn’t insisted on spending his day off at home, Kenma would’ve already jumped on his computer to book plane tickets to some beachside resort. And T-Shirts? Kenma doesn’t think he could give anything worse than that (Would Shoyou, being the excited ball of light that he is, be happy about it? Absolutely. But Kenma wouldn’t.)
After he unblocked Kuroo, Kenma sees his suggestion about going simple. Chocolates. A romantic dinner date and a movie or a walk after that. It sounds nice, of course, but Kenma still doesn’t think that it would be enough. They were all things that could only be experienced in the moment and Kenma wanted something that could stay with Shoyou longer, not just as memories. Plus they were going to do those things anyway so that definitely won’t work as his present.
So Kenma continues browsing mindlessly one night when Shoyou is taking a shower. Lounging on the couch, his thumb scrolls down his phone quickly. He doesn’t search for anything specific. Instead, he lets his homepage suggest things it thinks he would like. As expected, it’s filled with things related to his career. Video equipment, computer upgrades, new games, and the like. Not what he’s looking for. Shoyou steps out of the bathroom before he can find anything. Kenma closes the online shopping app and smiles up at his boyfriend as he approaches the couch.
“You smell like oranges,” Kenma notes.
Shoyou pushes back his wet hair and maneuvers around the couch to take a seat next to Kenma, careful not to let his wet hair touch the couch. “I thought the bottle had fun colors. Do you like it?”
Kenma takes the opportunity to sidle up close to the orange scented man. He lets his head rest on Shoyou’s shoulder as he inhales the new shampoo smell. It smells too artificial and very sweet but Kenma says, “I like it.”
“What were you doing?”
Kenma tucks the phone further in his pockets. Leaning against his boyfriend is way too comfortable. He usually feels energized at this hour but his eyes are starting to feel heavy. “Window shopping.” He mutters.
He feels Shoyou nodding and shifting around in his seat before settling down comfortably with an arm loosely wrapped around Kenma’s waist. “You’re sleepy? Now ? Are you fixing your sleeping schedule?”
Kenma rolls his eyes. He’s heard that countless times from various people but he plays along for a bit. “Sure, so I can match yours.” Whether he was abroad or at home, Shoyou always seemed to wake up ridiculously early. Too early. During some of their calls, Shoyou would already be awake and dressed for his morning run while Kenma has just started to lie down to sleep.
“By the way,” Shoyou shifts a little. “Is it really okay to pause your stream schedules? I feel bad, your fans on Twitter seem upset. You don’t have to pause just because I’m here.”
“It’s fine,” Kenma sighs. “They’re being dramatic, they can live without me for one month.”
“Hmmm, I see. But I get how they feel.”
He frowns. That’s a sentence he’d never expected to come out of Shoyou’s lips. When he shoots an incredulous look at his boyfriend, Shoyou simply shrugs. “I mean, I would die too if I can’t see or talk to you for a month.”
Kenma gapes, suddenly speechless. It’s not the words itself that surprises him, rather it’s how casually Shoyou says it. Kenma decides to hide his face on Shoyou's shoulder. Honestly. When they first started dating, they were shy and awkward about it but Kenma was good at hiding it and he had fun being the one to tease Shoyou and make him blush. He hadn’t expected Shoyou to actually be good at it too. While he wasn’t the type to do it on purpose, the way he says these lines in that cheerful, earnest and genuine tone always pushes the right buttons. And always in unexpected moments when Kenma is completely defenseless.
“Kenma?” Shoyou pokes his forehead. Kenma glances up and sees Shoyou looking at him with those innocent eyes, orange strands of hair already long enough to fall across them. He swats the hand away with a huff but leans in closer to kiss him because he really wants to do that now. Shoyou laughs at that, despite being responsible, and Kenma couldn’t help but think to himself. He really, really, REALLY, needs the perfect gift.
“ Natsu! You did amazing!” Shoyou laughs, wrapping his little sister in a tight hug. “I’m proud of you!!”
“Thank you! But you’re going to get my jersey wet with your snot.” Natsu grins, returning the hug and laughing at whatever sob-laden reply that Shoyou gives her.
Kenma remembers her as a tiny little girl who was very similar to her brother in both looks and personality. Now she’s almost as tall as Shoyou and the way she played on the court today made Kenma feel nostalgic for those high school volleyball days when they stood on opposite sides of the net. When Shoyou finally lets go, there’s a small spot on the shoulder of her jersey, despite what she said just now.
“Kenma, you’re here too!” Natsu exclaims and Kenma smiles at the way she feels comfortable enough to call him by just his first name. It definitely took a while for her to warm up to him, but he’s glad she finally does.
“If I didn’t come, your brother would’ve had to use the bus.” Kenma jokes. “But I hope you don’t mind tagging along, Shoyou invited me.”
Shoyou pouts at his joking remark while Natsu shakes her head. “Of course not! I’m so glad you came. And honestly, it’s nice to see you together. You wouldn’t believe how much nii-chan was whining over the phone about being away from you.”
He lets out a laugh. “But he is right. You did great.”
The three of them walk around the place for a while. Shoyou fell into conversation with his sister quickly, catching up and, of course, talking about volleyball and their experiences. At one point they run into one of Natsu’s teammates and Kenma holds back an amused chuckle when the girl seems to freeze in shock when she is introduced. They spend a few more minutes walking and talking before ending up at the area selling merchandise and food. While Shoyou goes to the bathroom, Kenma ends up following Natsu as she browses for t-shirts.
“Your anniversary is coming up right?” She asks curiously as she pulls out a set of hairpins that she uses to clip her bangs away from her forehead. “Any plans?”
“Well,” Kenma starts. “He wants to celebrate it for a week. ”
“I’m not surprised. I wasn’t joking when I said he kept whining about being far away from you. I think he just wants to make up for the long distance stuff.”
“Yeah,” He clears his throat, suddenly feeling a tickle in his chest at those words. “But as for actual plans, it’s nothing special. Dinner, movies, that kind of stuff.”
“Please, in nii-chan ’s eyes, everything you do is special.” Natsu teases, rolling her eyes playfully. “He’ll be happy with whatever, in my opinion, so don’t sweat it.”
“Was it that obvious?” He sighs. “I really want to give him a gift but I’m completely lost on what it should be.”
The younger girl hums, tapping her chin, as she thinks about it. “Like I said, you could give him pretty much anything and he’ll cherish it no matter what. Like when he lost the wallet I gave him, he kept apologizing nonstop. But if I were him…I would be happy with some more practical things? I don’t know what he actually needs these days though. Something that I can keep close to me at all times is also quite nice. Then he’ll think of you whenever he sees it.”
Kenma thinks about it, running through the last few days that they spent together. Something practical for everyday use that Shoyou can hold on to everyday. Hmm. For now, Kenma can only thank Natsu with a promise to buy her a free lunch some time soon.
And then the day he's excited for arrives and Kenma is ready, the neatly wrapped gift box sitting inside his bag. The weather outside is supporting their special day too, with clear skies and just enough clouds and wind to tone down the heat. Kenma would usually rather die than step out under the brutally hot sun, but with Shoyou next to him he can use the man as an umbrella to block the light and heat. Shoyou didn’t even need to help him wake up this morning as he made an actual effort to sleep earlier than midnight so he won’t drop dead from exhaustion.
When they step out the door, he’s unexpectedly nervous. He shouldn’t be since they’ve been dating for six years now but his heart is pounding similar to when they had their very first date all those years ago. He glances at Shoyou from the corner of his eyes and Kenma catches him taking a deep breath. So he’s also nervous. That comforts him a bit. Shoyou catches his gaze and smiles, offering his hand which Kenma takes as they make their way to the park as their first date spot.
“I’m sorry it’s sweaty,” Shoyou loosens his grip a little to let some air in between their connected hands. “Aagh, I don't know why I’m so nervous all of the sudden!”
“Maybe because this is our first date in a while,” Kenma suggests before closing the gap between their hands again. “And it’s fine. I kinda like the nerves, it feels like our first date.”
Shoyou groans as he recalls. “Don’t bring that up! I’m still so embarrassed over the flowers. It was so cringey.”
Kenma’s mind sees a much younger Hinata Shoyou who gave him a bouquet for their first date, face flushed and hands trembling from the sheer nerves. Sure, it might be a tad bit embarrassing, but he likes that memory. It’s sweet and cherished. They spend their time at the park reminiscing about their dates during highschool and ranking them for fun. Their impromptu date in Kenma’s childhood home living room where they did nothing but play a game in Kenma’s DS, ranked first. The date where they had their first kiss came in a close second.
Their time at the park flew past quickly.
“What do you think is the best gift I’ve given you?” Shoyou asks him as they enter a restaurant for lunch. The wave of cool air brushing over his face makes Kenma lose track of his thoughts for a bit but his mind clears up as they sit down. The topic is dangerously close to the one dilemma Kenma’s been having for the past week and he wonders if Shoyou knows something about his gift. Maybe from Natsu.
“That flower bouquet is hard to beat,” Kenma remarks, half joking.
“Come on! But, really,” Shoyou pouts. “I’m curious.”
“Then that four leaf clover you accidentally found and gave to me. I was so sad when it wilted, it was so cute. Gave me actual luck.” Like you asking me out the next morning. “What about you?”
And then their food arrives before Shoyou can answer and they turn their focus to their meal and lighter conversations. Their lunch date went by quickly too, even with two servings of dessert for each of them. They hang around the shopping district until evening arrives and the moment Kenma has been both dreading and excited for is finally here.
Back home, Kenma prepares his gift. A part of him is worried as he looks at the box that only fits in the palm of his hand. It’s so small, now that he’s looking back at it. He just hopes it’ll be enough. Everything so far has been so perfect and he would hate himself if this gift is the thing that ruins it. Much to his relief, Shoyou’s gift also fits in the palm of his hand, albeit just a little bit bigger. As they sit down on the floor between the couch and the TV, the excitement continues to grow in Kenma’s chest. Has he ever been this nervous before when trying to give someone a gift?
“Keep your expectations low,” Kenma warns. “I’ll die if you’re disappointed with it.”
Shoyou shakes his head. “No way! I’m so excited for it! I’ve been waiting ever since I stepped out of the plane.”
“That’s so dramatic,” Kenma snorts, amused. Well, no point in delaying this any longer. He takes his gift and drops it into Shoyou’s waiting hands. “Here,”
Shoyou grins at him with gratitude before slowly opening up the box. When it opens, he stares at what’s inside with his lips slightly parted. Kenma can see in his mind how the objects are placed inside. Two silver hair clips made from metal; the one on the left has a little orange sun ornament while the one on the right has a little calico cat ornament in a sitting position. After a few days of scrolling and scrolling, he’d gotten the idea after talking with Natsu after her game. A little more browsing after that and he finally found the two that he thought represented them perfectly, especially the sun.
Of course, before he can ask Shoyou if he likes it or not, Shoyou answers it first with bright laughter that sends relief down Kenma’s chest. “WOAHH! Kenma! This is so cute, I love it!! The cat one is so you!” He takes it out carefully and slots the clips to his bangs, keeping them away from his eyes, and exposing his forehead. This way, he looks similar to his high school version. Nostalgia hits Kenma. “I’m going to wear this all the time, can I? I’ll think of you when I look at them.”
Kenma shrugs. He already feels a flush across his cheeks from Shoyou’s excitement and giddiness. “They’re yours, do whatever you want with them.”
“Then I’ll take care of them. Now, here,” It’s Shoyou’s turn, this time. He slides his gift over towards Kenma. “Open it up! I feel more excited about it now.”
When Kenma opens the box, his eyes widen at the gift. It’s a shiny medium-sized brooch that looks so pretty, shining under the light. What takes him aback, however, is the image of the cat hugging the sun, keeping it close with his paws. Oh…how did they have the same idea? Kenma takes it out and runs a thumb over it, feeling the smooth and glossy surface. It’s amazing.
“Oh, and this,” Shoyou hands him a small sticker set with the same themes as the brooch. “To stick on your laptop and stuff. You like it?”
“You already know the answer,” Kenma laughs. He pins the brooch to his shirt pocket for now. It’s a little too heavy there but he doesn’t mind. His heart feels full and the weight of the brooch just matches that. They meet for a hug, one that makes Kenma feel out of breath but he’s sure that he’s hugging with the same strength as Shoyou is. There’s so many things he could say to Hinata Shouyou right now, about his feelings or about how he hates that Shoyou can’t stay beside him all the time. So he just hugs him tighter.
“Oh, wait! I still haven’t answered your question, the one at the restaurant.” Shoyou suddenly says, he pulls away, much to Kenma’s dismay, but keeps their hands connected to one another. Their eyes meet and Kenma’s breath hitches from the way Shoyou is looking at him. “Don’t laugh though, this is going to sound sappy, I know. But my favorite gift that I got from you…is your ‘yes’. Like, you have no idea how over the moon I was when you said ‘yes’ to becoming my boyfriend. I really want to make you happy.”
“You do.” He says simply. He holds Shoyou’s cheek before leaning in further to kiss him. As they continue to focus on each other, one of their phones buzzes somewhere on the table. They pay no attention to it, but a notification flashes by the home screen, a message.
Happy anniversary, Kozume Kenma and Hinata Shoyou. May you two be happy forever.
P.S invite us to your wedding in the future.