Work Text:
The afternoon in Inazuma is calm. Cicadas sing from the trees, and the soft breeze carries the faint rustle of the leaves moving. Kazuha follows the path ahead, walking past clusters of colorful hydrangeas that look ethereal, down narrow ridges covered by moss, until the forest opens into a small clearing full of blossoming flowers.
Heizou, who is walking by his side, is the first to stop, his shoulders visibly relaxing as the sunlight touches his face. With a sigh, he drops onto the grass, stretching his arms over his head to help his sore muscles after working for a long time.
Kazuha offers a faint smile and crouches beside him. “We could've had some rest earlier.”
“You offered to rest on a rock.” Heizou replies with a teasing smirk. “This is better. Way better, actually.”
Kazuha hums in agreement, letting his gaze wander over the clearing scattered with soft pink and white flowers, petals moving in the wind.
A memory surfaces, one of children’s laughter from a distant port town, little hands braiding stems into flower crowns, inviting him to join. Though he was a stranger just passing through, they had accepted him and taught him as if he belonged with them.
That memory stirs something warm inside him, making his fingers itch to weave again. Without a word, he begins gathering flowers, choosing each stem carefully after studying their curves and strength.
From the grass, Heizou watches him closely with a teasing glint. “What are you doing? Planning to give me a bouquet?”
Kazuha shakes his head amusedly as he finishes choosing the perfect flowers. “Some children taught me to make flower crowns during one of my travels. Have you ever tried making one?”
Heizou thinks for a moment before responding. “I did it a few times as a child. Can’t say I have tried again since then.”
Kazuha hums, taking a seat next to Heizou on the grass, silently waiting for him to join him—which he immediately does, heavily leaning into his side like he doesn't want to be apart for even one second.
Their work is slow at first since Kazuha talks him through every step while Heizou sits cross-legged beside him, shoulders pressed together. The occasional shift of Heizou’s body sends a pleasant feeling through Kazuha’s side.
Kazuha’s fingers move with practiced ease, weaving stems together, petals brushing over his calloused fingertips. Heizou’s gaze follows each motion closely so he doesn't miss anything, his lashes casting thin shadows across his cheeks from the sunlight being directly on his face.
Kazuha explains the pattern and shows how to tuck one flower beneath another so they stay in place. When Heizou tries, his brow furrows in mock seriousness, fingers awkward with the delicate task.
“You make it look easier than it is.” Heizou mutters when his first attempt falls apart, one stubborn stem slipping free.
“It’s easier when you don’t fight the curve of the stem.” Kazuha replies while reaching for Heizou’s hands, letting his own close lightly over them. The air between changes, Heizou's breath brushing faintly against Kazuha’s temple as he leans in to watch.
“See?” He murmurs, his tone quieter now, almost caught between instructing him and something more. He guides the flower into place, his thumbs brushing over the ridges of Heizou’s knuckles. “Follow its lead, and it shapes itself.”
For a second, Heizou doesn’t answer. His focus has shifted from the flowers to Kazuha’s face, gaze full of an intensity that feels heavier than the summer air. Kazuha doesn’t pull back, keeping his hands over Heizou’s for a moment longer than necessary.
Only when the stem is secure Kazuha eases his grip, though he leaves his hand resting lightly on Heizou’s hand, just close enough to close the space between them.
By the time they finish, the ground between them is scattered with stems and petals, and the crowns are complete. Kazuha lifts the one he made and settles it onto Heizou’s head, his fingers brushing through soft strands of hair.
“Perfect.” His tone is full of love as he says it.
Heizou huffs a laugh, but his cheeks flush a deep shade of pink that he can't pass it off as nothing. “Perfect? You’re just praising yourself.”
Kazuha brushes a strand of Heizou's hair behind his ear. “No… I mean you.”
The words slip out before he can stop them, raw and honest in a way he only shows to Heizou.
Heizou blinks, eyes narrowing in a way that isn’t suspicion but something more searching, more vulnerable, trying to decipher what Kazuha is thinking.
And in that moment, Kazuha feels the same sudden ache he gets when Heizou is out of reach. A yearning so strong that he feels it throughout his body, almost like it's consuming him.
The way the light catches in Heizou’s hair and the crown frames his face like a halo doesn't help with soothing that ache. It makes it sharper, making him want more.
The air feels lighter now. The sound of cicadas, the rustle of leaves, all of it fades until the only thing Kazuha hears is the quick beat of his own heart.
Before the moment can pass, Kazuha reaches for the scattered stems between them. His hands move quickly, almost like he's not thinking about it. Twisting, braiding, tucking petals into place until a small ring takes shape.
Heizou tilts his head, curiosity flickering in his eyes. “What are you—”
Kazuha doesn’t answer right away. He finishes the last loop, ensuring it will hold, and then takes Heizou’s hand in his own. The touch is deliberate, fingers curling around his shakily, betraying the nervousness he feels.
“For you, my dear.” Kazuha says quietly, and before Heizou can make a joke about it, he continues. “Will you marry me?”
The words hang between them for a long time, the tension between them rising, and for a moment, he fears he might scare Heizou away.
He takes a deep breath, keeping his gaze steady, though he feels like his heart will beat out of his chest from how nervous he is. “I have wandered through countless nations, stood under different skies, and listened to winds that carried a thousand voices. Yet nothing—” His thumb brushes lightly over Heizou’s knuckles, “—nothing has ever reached my soul the way you do.”
Heizou swallows, shifting as if he’s unsure where to look because he can't keep eye contact. “Kazuha—”
“I love the way your mind works, quick and sharp, and in ways no one ever expects. I love the way your laughter sounds, bringing the same feeling a familiar tune does. And I love—” Kazuha pauses, a faint, wistful smile playing at his lips, “—the way you make every place feel like home.”
The blush on Heizou’s cheeks deepens, his usual composure fraying around the edges. “You can’t just… say things like that.”
“Why not?” Kazuha asks softly, almost amused. “If I could, I would carve your name into the wind so it would follow me wherever I go.”
Heizou’s eyes dart away, though his grip on Kazuha’s hand tightens. “Archons, you’re something else.” His voice has gone quieter, but his words lack any protest.
Kazuha leans just close enough that he can count the eyelashes in Heizou's eyes. “I'll never get tired of telling you how much I love you.”
Heizou lets out a shaky laugh, half-exasperated, half-overwhelmed. “You're so—”
“You don’t need to answer now.” Kazuha explains, his fingers fidgeting with the flower ring. “I was only—”
The words are cut short when Heizou suddenly moves, throwing himself at Kazuha, arms looping around his neck with all the force he could muster. The impact knocks Kazuha slightly back into the grass, his startled breath stolen away entirely when Heizou’s lips press against his.
It’s a very messy kiss. Their teeth clash together painfully at first, and their noses bump clumsily against each other until they find the perfect angle, and yet, it's the best kiss Kazuha has ever had.
He can taste the faint trace of Heizou’s earlier lunch—something deep fried, and it feels so him that he could laugh—and he feels the tension in his shoulders slowly go away as their mouths move together.
When Heizou finally pulls back, his forehead rests against Kazuha’s, breath still uneven. “Of course I want to.” He says, his voice timid but certain as he tries to hold back happy tears. “Yes.”
Kazuha’s chest feels impossibly light, swelling with an overwhelming joy that feels like it could burst out. He finally slides the flower ring onto Heizou’s finger, and he lets his hand linger there, thumb brushing over his ring finger like he can't believe this is real.
“Then…” He murmurs, smiling in a way he rarely lets anyone see as he tenderly brushes the tears away from Heizou's eyes with his free hand. “I’ll consider myself the happiest man alive.”
And then he moves to capture Heizou’s lips once more, this time making sure it's gentler and softer, filled with the unspoken promise to spend the rest of their lives together.