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The mountains were cold, and windy. Having been there since before Shinonome was built, they'd long since aged, and had become the perfect quiet spot to get away from the school- from the supervision, from the watching.
Matt and Ives didn't get a whole lot of time to themselves, outside of school grounds. Since Shinonome had to be closed off to the world, there weren't a whole lot of places where students weren't lurking.
In such a nice season, however.. the mountains were always cold, empty, and perfect to hang out. And the hot springs were nice against the weather, and quiet, and they could just.. hang out. As teachers. Professionally.
Or, it was perfect for.. a date.
Ives settled down next to Matt in the hot spring, feeling the other's head rest in the small crook between his horn and his shoulder. It wasn't much room to nuzzle into, but they made it work. After all, Ives wouldn't be alive without those prosthetics- they'd have to live with it.
Plus, the prosthetics were sometimes warm. Sue him, he was comfortable. He listened to Ives' jokes with a warm chest, laughing and pretending to fight over silly things.
It.. it was domestic, in a way that Matt didn't remember having before. Not even with his prior marriage. It felt, in a way.. sugary.
He'd never been too much of a fan of sugar, but..
Beneath the water, Ives splayed out a hand, pressing closer. He continued to talk in that drawl, acting like he hadn't done anything at all. His horns clicked gently against Matt's forehead, a reminder that he was still there.
..Matt got the memo, wrapping a pinkie around Ives' own, initiating just the slightest hint of contact. His face burned red, and he hoped it could be brushed off as heat from the spring.
Or perhaps drunken stupor. He was good at that, lately.
The contact was punctuated with strong, calm silence, the kind that settled between two people who had told all their stories and had nothing to share. Ives was, arguably, the more open of the two of them, but Matt had tried. That was all that they could ask for.
"I still can't believe your real name is ████ █ █████." Ives presses, moving to grab his phone. He opens up what looks to be the faculty groupchat, scrolling aimlessly. "I should tell the others, it'd be sooo funny.."
Matt's heart skipped a beat. While it would be kind of funny- he digresses- that was against his policies. And he didn’t want to be known as the guy who was named ████ █ █████. He instinctively reached for the phone, pushing through the water, leaning over Ives. "Hey!! Gimme that, no way!"
Both of them leaned into the fighting, the intoxicating push-pull of physical altercations. Despite the amount of chaos they were causing- water lapping at the frozen ground, sending a voice message into the Faculty groupchat that would surely have them both under fire by the board- they only found fun in it, spinning around. Even while they both splashed through the water, the phone luckily landed outside the spring, unharmed; when they finally managed to come to a steady ground, they both rolled over, landing with Matt on Ives' lap.
Matt could feel his face burning, and he thinks that if Ives were actually processing what was going on, his would be too.
Even as their laughter died down, he didn't move. He continued to stare, catching on the small details in Ives' face, the depth and heart in his eyes. The way his nose was slightly crooked.
He could tell that Ives was doing the same for him. Watching, looking, waiting.
Wanting.
"..Matt. Would you.." Ives murmured, turning to look at his partner, their laughter finally quiet. "Would you.. ever be serious about marrying me?"
A long, heavy silence rests over the hot spring. Matt thinks, turning the idea over in his head, the low buzz of alcohol in the base of his brain smoothing the rough edges that would normally keep his mouth sealed.
It.. it had been a long time, since he'd committed to someone like that. It had been a really, really long time. But.. could it hurt? Ives had already put so much down for him. Had shown him trust and power and respect.
He could do this.
"Dead. Dead serious. Serious as abstract pure mathematics." Matt murmurs, pulling away slightly, leaning back on his haunches. He's not sure whether he wants to lean in or not.
Ives' hand comes to brush on his right cheek, dusting over the cheekbone, underneath the jaw, and over his bottom lip.
Both silent, they stared, capturing the love and life in the others' eyes. It was honest. True. Something that they never thought they could have.
"Do you like fancy rings? I'll get you one, if you want.. a diamond, maybe," Matt hummed, leaning forward into the touch.
Ives fought back with a tease; "I don't think the one being proposed to is supposed to get the ring, munchkin."
"M- Munchkin??? I think that's worse than you calling me Robin." Matt stifled a laugh, the anxiety in his chest still knotted tight.
"Okay. Sweetie-pie, then. Snookums. Apple of my eye." Ives looked at him, one hand bracing under his lower back, drawing Matt in. "Pumpkin?"
"..I'll take pumpkin. Pumpkin is fine. But only if I get to call you honeybun in exchange." Matt grumbles, his hands coming up to wrap around Ives' neck.
"Food nicknames. Alright, sure."
"Hey! You started it!" Matt pouted.
Ives rolled his eyes in response. "No, I did not."
"Yes you-" Ives pulled forward to cut him off, trapping Matt in a kiss. "--mmph!!!"
Matt had half a mind to fight it, to try and tease back, but he found that he didn't want to. He melted into it, and found himself lamenting the loss of contact when it was over.
"..I love you, Matt Amatics." Ives whispered, pushing his own head to rest on Matt's shoulder, the horn prosthetic digging into the flesh ever so slightly. It was a comforting pressure.
"And I, you, Ives Gate. Even if you're terrible and awful and annoying and love to piss me off."
Matt found himself stealing the small time they got together, cherishing it. He decided he wouldn't forget today. Not if his life depended on it.