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After a year and some months of living with his roommate Miyano didn’t expect to fall totally in love with him.
‘It was natural’ Kuresawa said to him, and he didn’t understand what his friend meant at that time but he was right. Because loving Sasaki Shuumei was so easy and natural for him as breathing was.
And being away from him was as if he was drowning in the big and dark ocean.
After Sasaki got promoted, he indeed started to travel a lot. He was away for two weeks, then went back home for just merely 4 days before going to the opposite part of the country for three weeks. One week would be the longest he stayed during that time, and Miyano was tired of missing him.
He had grown used to stepping out of his room to find Sasaki already cooking their breakfast. TV dramas lost their charm without someone to share his favorite moments with, and sitting by the window, drinking sake, felt hollow when he was alone. On those solitary days, he began to realize the depth of his true feelings.
Miyano was in love with his roommate.
But there was nothing he could do about it, they were just that… roommates The thought of risking their ‘so good’ relationship and turning it into something complicated terrified him. So, on the days they were apart, he did his best to support Sasaki. He called him every night, video called him asking for his recipes (with zero success rate while cooking them), Yet, at the end of the day, he had to will his heart to stop aching, knowing there were still too many days left before they could see each other again.
Somehow, even after months of this, their bond as roommates grew even closer.
Miyano barely remembers the night he drunkenly confessed to his roommate how sad he felt whenever he wasn’t at home. No way he would have done it while being sober, but with all the embarrassment he felt the morning after, came the greatest conversation he has ever had.
Because Sasaki Shuumei declared his love for him.
“I like you Miyano”
He had never seen him so nervous like that day, Miyano was so shocked that he might have taken a little too long to say something back.
“You don’t have to give me an answer, but please, don’t let my feelings change the way we are living right now”
At another time in his life, Miyano might have needed longer to sort through his feelings and respond, but not now—not when living with Sasaki had become the best thing to ever happen to him as an adult.
“I like you too, Sempai!”
So then, Miyano went from living with a roommate to living with his boyfriend.
Boyfriend.
That word still felt so weird on his lips, but Sasaki’s lips felt amazing on his mouth.
"Sharing sweet, coffee-flavored kisses every morning, and ending each day with goodnight kisses that carried the sparkling taste of the sake they had just enjoyed.
Apart from the kisses, their day-to-day routine didn't change that much. What definitely changed, though, was how much more Miyano missed him now. After experiencing the softness of those red lips and the comfort of those warm, strong arms, going a single day without them felt almost unbearable.
One night when Sasaki’s flight was delayed and he didn’t arrive at their apartment until after midnight, Miyano quietly snuck into his bedroom to hug him while he slept. That single gesture was all it took for Sasaki to be the one stepping into Miyano’s room after the next delayed flight.
From then on, they began sleeping together every night—at least on the nights Sasaki was home—cherishing every moment of the little time they had together.
“I can’t do this anymore.” Sasaki said one December day while they were lying on their floor sofa, enjoying the little minutes they had left before he left for the airport.
Miyano’s heart shrunk. Scared, he didn’t say a word.
“I think I’m going to quit this job Myaa-chan”
He didn’t realize he was holding his breath until he heard those words.
“Eh? Are you sure?”
Sasaki was so good at his job that Miyano was certain he could find another one quickly, but the real perk of the bakery he worked at now was its proximity to their apartment—something Sasaki had really liked about their place when he first moved in with Ogasawara. Looking for a new job could mean Sasaki will have to move and he didn’t like one bit.
Feeling a kiss on his head that got him out of the train of thought, Sasaki stood up, their time already coming to an end. Miyano followed him, helping him with his things.
“I will think about it…” another kiss “I love you”
Miyano still feels weak on his knees every time he hears those three words.
“I love you too… Have a safe flight”
With that, the door closed behind Sasaki, leaving Miyano with all kinds of fuzzy feelings inside his chest.
Next day, despite trying to organize all the books returned by the students, Miyano couldn’t quiet his racing thoughts. Their apartment was amazing, yes, but what made it lovely was having Sasaki living there with him. The mere thought of Sasaki having to move terrified him, and he definitely didn’t want another roommate.
When Hanzawa-sensei arrived to have lunch with him that day too, he read him like an open book, so Miyano spat everything out (well, not all, deliberately skipping the part where they are already boyfriends and not just roommates).
“Why is that worrying you so much? If that happens then you can ask him to move with him too. You already know you get along well, and in that way, rent would be still cheaper for both of you”.
Hanzawa-sensei was a genius!
That night, on their video call while having dinner, Sasaki surprised him.
“Myaa-chan, my trip was shortened! I have good news to share with you and I’ll be able to go back home for Christmas!”
“Eh? Shortened? Wait, did you already speak with your boss?”
“I'd like to tell you more in person! But first, wanna go on a date on Christmas?”
“O-Of course!”
Christmas was just one week away.
A date, during Christmas. His heart raced at the idea.
Miyano didn’t recall ever having a formal date. Well, he kind of skipped all that and already living with his boyfriend. Maybe they were taking the relationship steps in a different order?
Putting that thought aside, if Sasaki’s trip was shortened and he had something good to tell him... could it be that he had already quit? But he looked so happy... Hmm. Well, whatever it was, if Sasaki was happy, Miyano would be happy too. He had already made his decision to move with him if needed. Now, he just needed to tell him that.
Wait… Christmas. Maybe he should get a gift for his boyfriend. After all, it was a Christmas date!
Finding the perfect gift was hard. He didn’t want something that could come across as 'please, keep cooking for me,' nor did he want something as simple as clothes. After searching for a while, he decided to ask his friends for ideas.
“He uses piercings, doesn’t he? Why don't you give him a new one?” said Tashiro
“Ah, I had a teammate in the basketball club that gave piercings to his roommate too, so maybe it’s something roommates do?” Shirahama said while looking at his phone.
So, Miyano started to look for piercings. Good thing Ogasawara was a huge help, recommending places to go and offering suggestions for things Sasaki might like. To his surprise, Hanzawa-sempai also knew a lot about piercings.
With time running out, he visited all those places but still couldn’t figure out what Sasaki might like. It seemed he didn’t know his boyfriend as well as he thought. At the last shop he visited that day, he spotted a beautiful pair of small earrings, each with a ruby stone. They would look perfect on Sasaki. Deciding they were the right choice, he went to pay, but then something caught his eye next to the cashier."
A beautiful silver pair of rings.
An idea crossed his mind and then his face was hot and red.
What was he thinking? A ring? That could be misinterpreted as… Well, he wanted to express the promise to be with him on the next steps of Sasaki’s life, to continue living together but…
Not really thinking more about it, he asked an employee to let him look at the rings.
The rest of the week flew by, consumed by the nervous anticipation of their upcoming date. Sasaki would arrive at their apartment and rest a little while Miyano was still at work, so they planned to meet afterward at the Yokohama Milight event, where the winter streets were decorated with colorful lights. Afterward, they would head to a small, local restaurant Miyano knew, hoping for some quiet time away from the bustling crowds.
(Honestly, they could stay at home to be alone, but there was some magic in the idea of going out together)
Seeing Sasaki waiting for him made all his nervousness go away.
It was a beautiful walk together, holding hands under the illuminated trees, Miyano talking about his day while looking at his boyfriend's beautiful smile. They even snatched some pictures together after realizing they didn’t have any.
Sasaki didn’t mention anything about his job, Miyano decided not to ask yet, trusting he’ll tell him just as he promised.
The illuminated path was soon to end and even with the cold, Miyano’s hands were starting to sweat. He was nervous again, but he really wanted to give him the gift there, in front of the Christmas tree. Letting Sasaki’s hand go and taking some air, he gathered some courage.
“Shuumei-san” after he became his boyfriend, Miyano started to use that name more frequently. “I… I wanted to give you something”
He then took out the little black box he was carefully hiding inside his pocket. Still closed, he started to speak.
“Umhhh, but first there is something I want to tell you. I know there might be things that will change in the future with your job, or who knows, maybe my work but… I want to give you this” he opened the box, the two silver rings sparkling with the blue lights around them “Whatever that comes in the future, please, let me continue living with you”.
Miyano could bet his face was bright red with the burning sensation he was feeling.
(And since he closed his eyes, he didn’t see the shocked expression in front of him, Sasaki’s eyes wide open while a big blush that spread in all over his face).
“Are you proposing Myaa-chan?”
“E-Eh?!” He opened his eyes again, saw how Sasaki was hiding his face with a hand and continued “N-No, not yet. But I wanted to promise you to be together for a longer time!”
The ‘not yet’ didn’t go unnoticed by both of them.
“You know, this really looks like a proposal”
“Then I promise I’ll do it properly later! For now, please let me continue living with you more time”
“Pff!” Sasaki laughed, but then gently touched Miyano’s cheek with his cold hand. “As if I would ever leave your side”. Then, with a quick peck on his forehead he added “I’ll be waiting for your proposal then” he smiled, and it was more beautiful than all the lights around them.
Then, Sasaki carefully took the little box with his hand.
“The two rings are for me?”
“Ah! No, sorry… I thought about them more as a matching pair, so I could wear one that looks just like yours”
Miyano took the bigger ring with his hand “umhh… can I put the ring on you?”
Sasaki blush returned, but he still offered his hand to Miyano, who carefully took it and started to slide the ring onto his finger… only for it to stop at his second knuckle.
“Eh?”
“Oh” Sasaki replied.
Miyano pushed a bit more, but it was impossible. The ring was too small for the finger.
The younger quickly hid his face with his hands. “I can’t believe it, I got the wrong size”
“Pfff!! Hahaha Myaa-chan, you are so cute!”
“But why!! I was sure it was going to fit! I tried many sizes! Your finger doesn’t look that big!”
“Hahaha”
“Please, don’t tease me about it, this is so embarrassing”
“Sorry, sorry” Sasaki moved his hands out of his face and made him look at him “It’s okay, you can give me a proper ring later, like you promised” he said winking one eye. “For now, I can wear it on my pinky”. So then, taking the ring out of his index, he changed it to a smaller one. A perfect fit.
“See?” he said proudly showing his hand to Miyano “Now, can I put in your finger, Myaa-chan?”
And he did.
Holding hands in front of their faces, a pair of rings touching each other.
Sasaki smiled at him, and Miyano smiled back.
“Ready for dinner?”
Walking side to side again while holding hands, Miyano loved how the ring felt on Shuumei’ s finger.
“By the way Myaa-chan, I haven’t told you about my work”
“Oh! Yes, were you able to talk with your boss?”
“More like he spoke to me. They told me they are going to open more stores in this Prefecture, so they want someone who will focus on getting them off to a good start.”
“And they thought about you?!”
Sasaki smiled. “Yeah, it’ll be a pain at first, but that means I won’t have to travel anymore! So I accepted that same day”
It was Miyano turn to smile “So that means you are not moving”
“Eh? Why would I move?”
“I was fearing that if you got a new job you’ll have to move out”
“I told you, didn’t I? There’s no way I’m leaving your side”
“Well, that’s good because I was planning on moving out with you in case that happened!”
“Hahaha! Is that what the rings are for?”
“Well, at first, yes! But I wanted something we could both use. But let’s not change the topic! What happened with your boss after that?”
And so, they continued walking, talking as if they were the only two people in the world, bound by the promise to always be together.
Miyano’s heart couldn’t feel warmer.
How lucky he was to be in love with, and loved by, his roommate.
