Archive of Our Own

Things were solid.

Solid in the sense that everyone was awake, and the simulation hadn't gotten a hold of him nor his friends in a long, long time. Solid in the sense that nightmares were less frequent, and not all that scary anymore. Solid in the sense that Hajime could in fact look at himself in the mirror again, without fearing to see his hair as long and dark.

Solid in the sense that he'd accepted he had feelings for a person that had threatened to blow all of them up, and asked him out too. Solid in the sense that they've been dating for a long time now, long approaching a five year mark.

Thing was, Komaeda wasn't half as bad after a long, long period of therapy and self reflection that had brought him to apologize in his own way for all the chaos he'd caused. Blame it all on the fact his life had always thumbed upon him without any way to prevent it. Hajime wasn't going to judge a mentally ill person, no thanks.

And while falling for him wasn't exactly in the plan as it were written down, finding out that those feelings were mutual hadn't been bad at all. The opposite, believe him. He was actually quite delighted about it.

Komaeda was attentive, eager to please when it came to their relationship. A little too eager, perhaps, given the way he threw himself into any sort of situation to be next to Hajime's side. Having all the talents one could name meant that Hajime's presence was often required almost everywhere, after all, and it was more frequent than not that they were forced to go long periods without seeing each other.

The remains that the most tragic, most awful event in human history were still evident on society, minor remnants of despair still stubbornly trying to make it all collapse once again. Hajime had caught almost all of them. Almost. It was a long job, really, but he could say he was getting the hang of it. Kinda.

Thing was, he was often called to go basically anywhere under the Foundation’s orders, and he was actually quite glad to comply. His body could handle levels of exhaustion that would send a more human being in an early grave, after all, and to use the mess in his head for something good made him feel quite pleased. Hajime was less to say fucked up, but in a good sense, finally.

Komaeda sometimes insisted on coming along. His luck was a powerful tool, often edging a high risk of everything going south, yet more likely finding itself to be ever so useful. It was a gamble the Foundation was usually willing to play with, and yet. Yet it was usual for Komaeda to find himself in some sort of explosion, or anything that required spilling drops of blood, or slashing someone's throat. Make it an act of impulse, or simply his luck's fault, Komaeda always, always found himself in some sort of danger.

It made Hajime just a tad nervous.

He was aware that as long as they went together, nothing significant would actually happen. Hajime was more than capable to keep him safe, to stop any sort of bleeding or shove him out of the way of anything that could remotely hurt him. He would be quick to scoop him in his arms if he couldn't walk, if he twisted an ankle, if he fell down. If he simply wanted to get him as far away as possible as quickly as he could manage.

And albeit Komaeda would be absolutely delighted, giggling all innocently as if he hadn't just caused bigger trouble than he could handle and snuggling closer in his arms, gushing — mainly to embarrass him, because Komaeda just loved to embarrass him— about Hajime giving all of himself to look like a knight in shining armor, sometimes he just wanted to go alone. Sometimes he insisted he could handle it, and actually come back in one piece.

Hajime had tried to protest against it, really. He was trying to act like a caring boyfriend and save his partner from imminent death — but Komaeda would then give him that look, looking down at him with that raised eyebrow and narrowed eyelids with irritation not hidden in the slightest, and speak in that condescending tone that made Hajime actually duck his head and apologize.

And so sometimes it happened that Komaeda went on solo missions. Whatever, he'd told himself, his boyfriend might have been fragile in the past but as of right now, he knew what he was doing. There was surely no reason to freak out. Probably.

And while he was supposed to stay at the island, and certainly not the Foundation headquarters, not when he didn't have any assigned mission or duty that needed him to take care of, Hajime was also known for doing what he wanted to do, thank you very much. If he wanted to sit at his assigned desk and sulk and cross his arms and move his leg up and down until his partner came back he was going to, alright? That was a completely reasonable behavior.

Naegi had long given up on trying to stop him, anyway. Not even Togami nor Kirigiri could convince him to move, and so they didn't try anymore. Hajime was simply going to stay there, search up for anything to adjust in case he needed to take his mind off his anxiety, and be ready to open his arms when his lover would come back. Like, you know, the usual.

But Naegi, bless his heart, was also quite keen on trying to convince Hajime to at least take a break. Or a nap, or anything that might help him relax a bit. He was standing next to him right now, for example, fidgeting with an awkward yet persistent smile, having to clear his throat as to make his voice sound pleasing.

“Hinata,” He said, “You know, we could, uhm, advise you once Komaeda is back—”

“No need.” Hajime said, once again. “I can stay here.”

“Uhm,” Naegi cleared his throat, “You know, you've been here for a while now…”

“Mh. I know.”

“Without food. Or water.”

“I'll manage.”

“You could, uh, take a break? At least?”

“No thanks.” Hajime shook his head, ignored the way the other boy winced. He almost felt bad, really. Almost. “I have no need for this kind of things.”

“Y-Yes, I know, but uh…” Naegi scratched his cheek. “You, uhm, you see —”

“Are acting extremely childishly,” Came Togami’s voice, who was apparently standing closely. Hajime hadn't cared enough to notice. “That's what he means.”

“Not like that…”

“Exactly like that.”

Hajime let out a sigh. He gave the two of them a glance, “I appreciate the concern —”

“—No concern. We want you to leave.”

“Togami…”

“—But I'm good here.” He closed his eyes. “You can go.”

“I-I'm sure that—” Naegi intervened, “When Komaeda comes by, which should be soon, he will be in extremely good conditions. I understand your worry, but uh—”

“Naegi,” Hajime interrupted, “I'm fine. Seriously.”

“Hinata, I'm just worried.” He sighed, “You've been here for too long.”

“Not the longest I've been here by any stretch.”

“Yes, but I'm trying to avoid that…”

Hajime decided it was better if he tuned down the noise, closing his eyes and merely focusing on what he’d do when Komaeda was back. He suspected it would depend on his mood, as sometimes even someone who never dropped a smile like him could get so irritated he didn’t want to see anyone, but as per usual, Hajime just wanted to pick him up and carry him home. Not an usually appreciated reaction unless they’d been separated for very, very long, really, where he’d get the clingiest out of the two of them and allow Hajime to fuss over him. But, once more, it did not happen often, as most times Komaeda was so focused on looking cool in front of the other Foundation members he would — albeit playfully, truly — swat his hands away and settle for a welcome back kiss.

There were times, as he said, where he just settled for a smile. That was usually reserved for rare times where a mission was successful, but extremely tiring, and any sort of physical contact could get overwhelming. Or sometimes anything could have actually pissed him off, like seriously pissed off, and he would glare if Hajime merely came too close. He made a point to stay far away from him if that were ever to be the case, because he loved his boyfriend just as much as he loved not having to chase him and be forgiven, thank you, at least until Komaeda himself came to sit on his lap and demanded Hajime comforted him.

And he did. Every single time.

Considering Komaeda had been out for only a day and a half, he doubted he’d be all that tired, nor too enthusiastic to see him. The condition of his mood depended on data Hajime didn’t have as of right now. He guessed that would be a surprise, and he entertained the option of merely walking towards him and letting Komaeda personally decide how to act. He hoped in at the very least a hug.

That was usually Komaeda’s range of greetings. In their first days of dating, he guessed things were a little more enthusiastic — honeymoon phase was good at making everything seem bigger than it actually is. Truly, Komaeda took a while to fully get costumed to the whole affection deal, to not flinch when Hajime touched him or to master the courage to initiate something himself. It had taken him exactly four months, two weeks, three days and one hour and a half from the moment they’d first gotten together to ever so much so reach out to grab Hajime’s hand himself, and even then his fingers were shaking. The more Hajime accepted the gestures, however, the bolder he’d gotten, and watching him grow like that had been so satisfying.

So, in the following months, he could guess it had all felt much more exciting. He wouldn’t say it faded over the years, but it had definitely subsided a little bit. He still got the urge to kiss his boyfriend when he got too close, and certainly wouldn’t protest if they got to touch in any way, but he didn’t feel the need to run up to him and beam like he would have done at first, and that was okay. Beaming smiles were just replaced with softer ones flashed across a room, or a smaller, quicker wave that still never lacked of the same warmth that accompanied their actions. Komaeda’s eyes always lit up upon seeing him, and it made Hajime so happy each time.

And well, while Komaeda claimed he wasn’t big on touching in front of others, he was usually the one approaching and hoping Hajime would do something about it. Just, you know, to put the fault on him if they got embarrassed. What a sweet boyfriend he had.

Hajime did do something about it, however, so he guessed the fault was a bit on him, indeed. He couldn’t be blamed, not when he felt so in love with this man it made him kinda stupid.

They’d gone a long way, the both of them. From arguing every single time they saw each other, to actually managing a proper conversation without getting too riled up, to finding out they actually worked quite well together. Komaeda had been closed off, impossible to read no matter how many talents Hajime put into action, and if it weren’t for his undying stubbornness, he guessed they would have never made it to this point. He was glad they did, truly, as he now couldn’t ask for a better person to stay by his side.

If he had to be honest, which he usually wouldn’t, because it was really just embarrassing, Hajime couldn’t see himself without Komaeda anymore. This guy had become his whole world, seriously, and he wasn’t sure if he could ever imagine a reality where they weren’t this close to each other. He did imagine a forever with him, sometimes.

Many times, actually. When they lay in bed together, and Komaeda fell asleep on him, and Hajime had the occasion to place small kisses on top of his head and onto the limited parts of his face he could reach without moving, Hajime allowed his eyes to close and his mind to run. To picture his boyfriend’s face beaming with flowers surrounding him. To imagine what he would look like dressed up in white — or black, really, Hajime wasn’t picky — and with his hair pulled back in that ponytail he loved so much, to debate if his eyes would be glossed over with tears or if he would manage to keep it together and hold his voice from shaking as they held hands and said I do.

He did imagine what he would look like with a ring on his finger. Komaeda’s prosthetic was detachable, and Hajime had admittedly never really seen a piece of metal adorned with jewelry. He already knew he would rather make a ring on his own rather than buy one, so he could use the excuse of a check up to take measurements, perhaps. That would make things easier, and albeit he could easily determinate a ring size by merely looking at his hands for less than a second, Hajime would have much rathered make sure it would never fall off, not even by accident, and still be loose enough so it wouldn’t seem forced onto the metal. With Komaeda’s luck, after all, the thing could get lost the second one looked away from it, and he really didn’t want to risk that.

So while he wouldn’t admit it if questioned, and if those were mere fantasies rather than actual plans, Hajime did imagine a future with Komaeda. A lot. He was aware it would barely be valid, believe him, as there was no way anyone with a brain would ever be willing to allow two redeeming terrorists to get married, not when the world was slowly recovering and still needed a lot of time to get through the whole process, and he was analytic enough to recognize it would be pointless. They were barely allowed to leave the island as they were, and being kept alive because useful. Marriage wouldn’t seriously add anything to their relationship if not a further contract that could guarantee they’d never separate at most.

And, well, they’d never talked about it — unless small jabs and awkward comments counted as a conversation about it, which he doubted — so he had no idea if that was something Komaeda would actually want in the future. He guessed he should just actually ask him his thoughts on it. Sooner or later. He wasn’t going to dwell on it right now.

He honestly doubted Komaeda would ever be straightforward about it. He still struggled a lot when it came to the whole being honest about what I want deal, and even more when the question was about fully admitting the length of Hajime’s affection for him. He knew he loved him, but saying it out loud with confidence was still difficult.

That was okay. Hajime was patient, when it came to Komaeda. He would wait forever if it meant he could finally feel comfortable.

That just meant he had more time to think this over. It was positive, believe him.

Anyway. He was sure he wanted something even more serious. He just wanted to take his time and decide when it was going to become, like real serious. And he was, he wasn’t the kind to rush through it. Not him, no sir.

Hajime had a lot of self control. He was able to keep himself from making rash decisions, and he could hold himself back from acting out on sudden thoughts that seemed to get the better of him for about two seconds before he regulated them.

“—And we’ll call you the second he — Ah, wait, there he is.”

Most times.

Because Hajime shot to his feet the mere second he heard the helicopter’s blades approach the foundation building, already walking towards the stairs. The noise was so loud it was easily noticeable, you wouldn’t need superhuman hearing to notice it. And yet he almost immediately picked up footsteps he’d memorized, no matter if they were several floors upwards, Hajime only focused on them despite the much clearer sound of Naegi calling his name. Whatever, he’d make up to him later.

It took thirty seven seconds too long to reach the roof, where Komaeda was already getting off the helicopter, a serene smile on his face making Hajime guess the mission went well. He had his back turned, his hand extended to make another foundation member Hajime didn’t know nor really cared about come down safely, his hair a little messy from whatever he’d just gotten done with, slightly darker eye bags decorating the top of his cheekbones. He probably stayed up the whole night, judging from his condition. Hajime would probably scold him about it later.

For the moment, he stayed by the door with a smile he couldn’t contain if he wished to, waiting not so patiently for Komaeda’s head to turn on its own. It did, as it merely had to to reach the exit, and a ton of emotions crossed him all at once. Surprise at the sight of his figure by the door, expected since Hajime didn’t tell him he’d be there. Slight confusion, blinking his eyes twice to see if he was mistaken. And then his face lit up completely, eyes wide and lips curling, and he settled for a slightly calmer expression, but still skipped in his steps as he reached him, the other member completely forgotten.

“Hinata-kun,” He smiled, hurried towards him. Hajime opened his arms, letting out a small huff of laughter when Komaeda all but threw himself on top of him. So it was one of those greetings. Good.

“Hey,” He patted his back. “Had a good time?”

“As good as you can call it.” Komaeda sighed out. “It got messy pretty quickly, if I must say. Just my luck…”

He let out a hum, pulling away to cup his face. “You’re not hurt, right?”

“I’m fine.” Komaeda turned his head around, kissed his gloved palm. “Why? Is Hinata-kun going to pamper me?”

He shrugged. “You said you’re fine…”

“Hm, actually—!” Komaeda smiled. “I’m aching all over. How I wish I had the talented hands of a medic to cure me…”

“Hm. You’re right.” Hajime smiled. “I’ll call Tsumiki.”

“Hey.”

Komaeda laughed, laying their foreheads together. Hajime felt his expression soften.

There was the sound of someone clearing their throat next to them. The guy Komaeda had come back with was standing awkwardly beside them, his lips slightly pursed.

“Sorry, uh—” The guy cleared his throat once more. “Komaeda-san, sorry to uh, interrupt—? Naegi-san wants us downstairs.”

“Oh,” Komaeda blinked, “Apologies, Sato-san. I’ll get there in a moment.”

Hajime frowned. Tightened his hold the moment Komaeda tried to get out of it, actually, earning a small startled noise and a raised brow.

“Naegi can wait,” He said, more like a grumble than anything else. “And who are you?”

“Hinata-kun.”

“Oh, sorry, uhm—” The guy extended his hand. “Sato Naoki. You must be, uh—”

“Hinata Hajime.” He shook his hand rather quickly. “It’s fine. I’ve never seen you around.”

“I’m a new member, sir.” He paused, “Uh, intern?”

“A redeemed remnant.” Komaeda explained, his hands now resting comfortably on Hajime’s shoulders. He’d given up quite easily on leaving, it seemed. “Naegi-san insisted it might be good to stimulate their hope towards being a better person,” He beamed, “As expected as someone as amazing as him!”

Hajime swallowed down his irritation, because Naegi was pretty much engaged and he was not going to get jealous of him again. No thanks. Not him. Komaeda lied every time he pointed that out, thank you very much.

“I see.” He just mumbled. “Well, welcome. I hope Komaeda didn’t give you much trouble.”

“Hey.”

“Not at all!” This Sato guy raised his hands, giving a somewhat shy smile. He didn’t seem much like the secure type, he noted. “Komaeda-san was actually quite helpful. I wouldn’t have been able to come out clean if it weren’t for him.”

“Nonsense, truly.” Komaeda shook his head, gave him a smile. “Your analytic capabilities were more than useful, Sato-san. Such an incredible work for someone that hasn’t been working here for long.”

Hajime had a sharp vision. Even sharper abilities, thank you very much, nobody had them as sharp as him. He noticed the blush on this guy’s cheek basically the second blood started to rush through them.

His eye twitched.

“Well then.” He said, holding Komaeda a little tighter. The latter let out another noise. “I bet you two are tired. How about some coffee? My treat.”

“A-Ah, I wouldn’t—”

“I insist.” He let go of the embrace, but still snatched Komaeda’s right hand, holding it in a tight grip. “Come on. Naegi wants to see both of you after all.”

He started walking towards the exit before either of them could say anything else, pulling Komaeda along.

“Hinata-kun—!” His boyfriend protested, as Hajime might have used a little too much strength. Woops.

The guy whose name Hajime already struggled to remember despite having an advanced memory struggled to follow suit, and he didn’t really bother to check if he was catching up all that much. Odd, truly, for Hajime was usually kinder than this. Oh well. He blamed it on the lack of sleep.

As he said, things were solid. Solid in the sense he trusted his boyfriend with his life, truly, he trusted Komaeda more than anyone else he’d ever met — perhaps not the sanest decision he’d made, but love does kinda make you take stupid decisions, so it wasn’t really his fault.

Anyway, he did trust his boyfriend, and he was acutely aware Komaeda did not have eyes for anyone else. Hence why Hajime was not the type to get jealous, because he was aware of that, thank you.

But he was still, you know, a guy. A guy with emotions that tended to be higher than the average person because of obvious reasons, that was, but still, y’know, a human being with normal reactions. Komaeda himself sometimes got a bit too protective if someone got too close for comfort, after all. So he was allowed to. He told himself that.

He did slow down a bit when he heard Komaeda was about to be out of breath, and they made their way towards the bottom of the stairs. Naegi was still in the same spot Hajime had left him, looking a bit taken off guard, but not all that surprised. Togami had left, he noted, figuring he was not in the mood to deal with nonsense as of right now. Not all that uncharacteristical of him, truly.

“Komaeda, Sato,” Naegi smiled, “Welcome back.”

“Good evening, Naegi-san,” Komaeda smiled wide, (unfortunately) letting go of Hajime’s head to clasp his own together. His eyes were sparkling, like every single time Naegi was in near proximity. “Pardon us for the delay.”

Komaeda’s obsession with the concept of hope was not completely gone. He still tried to find the positive side of things a little too insistingly, and sometimes he came off too strong trying to find solutions for matters that simply had to be let go of. Sometimes he got too excited, sometimes he smiled when something bad happened. Sometimes he still spiraled. Sometimes Hajime had to hold him until he stopped laughing and settled for a slighter and much quieter shaking.

But he was getting better, slowly, with some time. It took a ton of encouragement, that was for sure, but Hajime believed in him, and was willing to accompany him for every step of the way. Now he was capable of actually recognizing when a situation required a silent comfort rather than big speeches, most of, and he held himself back most often than not.

Albeit he’d done all this progress, albeit his worldview was slowly shifting, Komaeda did tend to get a little… overexcited, when it came to Naegi. The two of them shared similar luck cycles after all, and he’d always been fascinated by the variation that it brought to both of their lives — Naegi’s luck hadn’t ruined his life like it did for Komaeda, and his bad luck was not as devastating nor as intense as it’d been for the entirety of his existence. Naegi’s luck cycle mainly focused on making it seem like an event was pointless, only to reveal it was actually a wonderful stroke of luck. It could cause a headache to follow, sometimes.

(Komaeda was fascinated even by Hajime’s luck cycle, too, for the record. Just so if you were wondering.)

And well, other than that, Naegi was still the Ultimate Hope. He didn’t have all the talents Hajime had, but he believed in people and saw the world through a sense of optimism that was not common in everyone. Naegi believed in self work and correction, redemption being one of his numerous objectives and the very reason why most of them was standing right in front of him that very moment. Naegi had done a lot of good for this world, and Komaeda was absolutely enthusiastic about it. After some time, they’d merely gotten used to it.

“No need, uh—” He eyed Hajime for a second, who looked away and ducked his head apologetically. Naegi smiled a bit. “It’s fine. I hope your mission went well.”

“Sato-san was certainly perfectly capable for his first time.” Komaeda nodded, gesturing to the intern Hajime had completely forgotten about. “It went all much more smoothly because of him.”

“I wouldn’t say that…” Sato mumbled, managing a small smile in return. When had he walked up to them? Hajime didn’t notice. “It was mostly thanks to you, Komaeda-san…”

This was getting irritating.

“I’m glad you two got along well,” Naegi said, “I was a little worried.”

“No need whatsoever, truly,” Komaeda raised his hands, “My luck didn’t even interfere too much! It was a splendid success.”

“Would you mind giving me some of the details?”

“You’re aware I do not, Naegi-san.”

Naegi led Komaeda to the desk nearby, the latter following happily. Hajime smiled a bit.

It was good to see him this cheerful. It had taken him a long time to get this comfortable, after all, and it was always a pleasure to see him get this used to speaking to other people. Without making anyone uncomfortable, at the very least. Small steps.

He glanced sideways. Frowned.

This Sato guy was… hm. He was new, so he obviously didn’t know a lot of things here. He was obviously quite shy, a little insecure for that matter. He was fidgeting, sweating a bit, and his eyes were locked on Komaeda.

Now, don't get him wrong. Hajime was perfectly aware his boyfriend was an extremely beautiful man, especially now that his physical condition had gotten much better. His skin was still pale yet smooth and delicate, his eyes a little brighter and twinkling with eagerness to help out, his hair better kept and tied up enough so his face was more visible than it would be if he kept them down. His body had gotten a little nicer, too, it was always nice but it had gained some curves in the right places the moment Hajime had insisted he went on a regular diet to get him to stop skipping meals.

Komaeda was a pretty guy. A handsome man, truly, and it made sense that some other people might find an interest in him. This new guy was probably just as fascinated as Hajime himself had been in their first few days together. Nothing to be all that angry about.

Except.

“So,” He begun, maybe a little too suddenly, given the way the other man jumped. “You and Komaeda got along pretty well, huh?”

“U-Uh—” He cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his head. “Well, I guess so—? Komaeda-san was extremely friendly.”

“I bet he was.” Hajime forced out, because of course he had been. Komaeda was friendly with everyone. He was not special for getting a friendly smile and a calm wave and strings of compliments because Komaeda acted like that with anyone. Hajime fought the urge to tell him that, as he guessed it could be considered to be a little rude. Probably. “Komaeda is a wonderful person.”

“He is…” The guy mumbled, smiling a bit. “He’s uhm… really nice…”

Hajime clenched his fists tight. He wanted to scream.

“He is, isn’t he?” He let out, forcing a smile that was probably a little too sharp. “The best husband one can ask for, believe me. I would know.”

That was. Huh. Not the word he’d intended to use. It’d slipped out, believe him, he really didn’t mean to.

But, well, it did feel nice on the tip of his tongue. Calling Komaeda his husband felt… yeah. It felt right. It was right, he figured, as they were merely made for each other. Just as he’d thought, a future with him sounded more than correct. He smiled a bit, gaze stolen once more by the way Komaeda was chuckling at Naegi’s confused smiling expressions, possibly still finding it a little hard to follow Komaeda’s ramblings.

His husband. Hm.

In the meantime, Sato blinked, lifting his head up. He tilted his head.

“Pardon me,” He frowned, “Husband?”

Hajime blinked too, snapping out of the daze. Ah, right. That was technically a lie. Oh well.

They were basically married anyway, everyone had told them so already. They fought and bickered like an old married couple more times than not, they lived together, they shared every moment where they were separated either thinking or speaking about each other. A small label wouldn’t change a thing, he decided.

Yup. This was the right thing to do, surely.

“Oh, hm, yeah.” He nodded, taking a small breath. “He didn’t tell you?”

“He, uh, mentioned having a partner back here,” Sato rubbed the back of his neck. “I kind of figured it was you from the way you acted after we came back.”

“Ah, yeah,” He forced out a laugh. “We do tend to be a little obvious. We got married only a few months ago, you see, honeymoon phase and all.”

“I see..”

Take that, he wanted to say. He did not, however, because he was mature enough to recognize it would be quite childish in the middle of an office.

“You’re a very lucky man, Hinata-san,” Sato smiled, looking a little dejected. “Komaeda-san is a wonderful person.”

Hajime smiled. He did feel a little bad, really deep down and layers below his satisfaction in demonstrating that his lover belonged to him and him only, as this guy here probably didn’t mean any harm. He was shy, so Hajime doubted he’d ever try any sort of advance on anyone, even if he did indeed get a crush on his boyfriend. Which, well, who could blame him.

But, you know, still. A man needs to protect what’s his. Or something.

“I am.” He patted his shoulder. “Great work out there, Sato. Welcome to the Foundation.”

He then walked over to where Naegi and Komaeda were still speaking, placing a kiss on the latter’s cheek and resting his hand on his upper back.

“Are we done here?” He asked, “Sorry to interrupt but my back is killing me, I need to get back home.”

“Don’t worry, I understand,” Naegi said, kind enough not to point out he’d been telling him to take a break and avoid this exact situation for a long time. “Have a safe trip home.”

Komaeda raised his hand in a wave. “Goodbye, Naegi-san! Thank you for everything!”

He was still waving even as they got out. Some things just never changed.

Hajime grabbed his hand, bringing it up to kiss his knuckles. Komaeda smiled.

“Say, Hinata-kun,” He smiled, “How come you knew the exact time I would land?”

Hajime rolled his eyes. “Are you that surprised?”

“No,” He shrugged, “But you did say you had no work left to do for the rest of this week. So there was little no reason at all for you to stay at the headquarters, was there not?”

Hajime let out a groan, rubbing his forehead with his free hand. “Are you just trying to tease me?”

Komaeda scooted closer, “I am.”

“Komaeda…”

“Aw, my Hajime is so cute when he’s all embarrassed!”

“Shut up. Shut.”

“We talked about this, Hajime…” He sighed out, “You, camping at the office because you’re so worried about my well being…”

“I was not— S-Shut up—!”

“No, no, I’m flattered, truly—”

“Nagito!”

“But it is still a great concern for your health. Not to mention such childish behavior coming from the Ultimate Hope…”

He groaned once more, clasping his free hand against his partner’s mouth. The latter laughed against it, softly patting the gloved skin.

“Are you done talking?” He asked, and earned a nod. He removed his palm. “Good. Not a word about it, okay?”

“Hmm, fine, if I must…” Komaeda sighed out, “I love you too, if that weren’t implied already.”

Hajime felt his cheeks heat up. For no reason, really, because he knew that already, and they’d told each other ever so often. Still. It got him a little fuzzy, what could he say.

“L-Let’s just go home…” He mumbled, “The ship is already here anyway. C’mon.”

Komaeda giggled, “Sir yessir.”

Hajime pulled him forward. He would not admit he was smiling, albeit he did not protest when Komaeda beamed right back.

How could he, really, when it was such a beautiful sight.

Their shared cabin wasn’t all that bigger by any means, even if Hajime had done his best into arranging spaces so it could get a little wider so it could contain two people, and still avoid being too overwhelming for those living nearby. There was very little to do about wooden walls, unfortunately, but they made it do.

Hajime’s desk was usually backed up in a corner of their room. While he could definitely get a bigger room just for himself, he didn’t truly mind the set up all that much. It often meant he could just get absorbed in his work and get to spend time in the same room as Komaeda at the exact same time. Not exactly what anyone would call a dream date, truly, yet none of them ever complained about it, so he guessed it was just good for both.

It was just one of the items belonging to the long list of things they shared, this silent yet mutual agreement to be able to merely bask in each other’s presence without any need for more. It was nice to talk, and even nicer to touch, but it was also really good to know the love of your life was standing a mere distance of about four feet away from you, ready to welcome you in his arms the moment he would get anything consistent actually done with.

Hajime actually passed a nice week, once they came back from the Foundation’s headquarters. He always had things to get done, don’t mistaken him there, but it was only small amounts that he could take care of in no time, all the time. As a consequence, he had a lot more when it came to spending time with his friends and boyfriend, and that was always a plus.

He did take advantage of having a clearer head to think about… other things, too. When he and Komaeda walked around the beach, hand in hand, shoes left by the sand so they could dip their feet in the cold water, Hajime felt like everything couldn’t be more perfect. Like he could stay like this until the sun exploded and earth collapsed, like he could watch Komaeda laugh and let his face bask in sunlight forever and ever once more.

It was easier to imagine a forever with him, when they had time together like this.

Hajime had discussed it a bit with his friends, too. Soda had grabbed his shoulders and shook when he told him to throw himself in it. Kuzuryu had swatted his arm, and told him to chill out. Pekoyama had suggested she took over some of his and Komaeda’s duties so he’d have free camp — understandable and appreciated, but undoubtedly denied soon — to act, Koizumi had told him not to get too lost in fantasies and focus on not freaking him out. He hadn’t dared speak about it to Mioda and Sonia, as they were admittedly more prone to telling Komaeda about it on accident, but as for the rest, everyone had been pretty supportive.

He wanted to do it by the beach, he decided. He wanted to get on one knee on the same place where everything between them happened, and ask the man of his dreams to spend the rest of his life with him. As for his reaction, he was not going to dwell too much on it, otherwise he might — would probably without a doubt — chicken out, which wouldn’t really be ideal for him as of right now.

Anyway. He just had to work on the ring, and he could actually put some more mind into it. He could conjure up a picture perfect proposal quite easily, but when it came to Komaeda, Hajime tended to dislike doing things by the book. He was simply more prone to following his heart than his brain, which would be a first.

Unfortunately, free periods never last all that long, and he was back having to take care of longer issues quite soon. Hajime was soon to be assigned tons of work he could luckily take care of from home rather than having to show up on his own by the headquarters, hence why he was now sat there by his desk, door closed behind him to avoid anyone disturbing him during a call. Which was probably going to happen anyway, but Hajime wasn’t going to stress about it all that much, otherwise he’d never keep his sanity intact.

He was tapping his fingers distractingly on the wooden surface below, briefly listening one of the Foundation members describe the details of the next mission that would be assigned. Not exactly necessary, to be completely fair, given he could figure out remnants’ backgrounds with ease, but he let her have this moment. The foundation was hiring new employees as of recently, it seemed, some of them much more secure than others. This one fell on the I’m trying my best, please be nice category, probably. He didn’t comment on it, as she seemed nice enough.

“The last known locations are still a variety.” She said, “They move rather quickly.”

He raised a brow. “Are they Ultimates?”

“It’s not certain.” She shook her head, “There’s suspicion about it, but it’s not nearly enough to decide.”

“I understand.” He nodded. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it.”

“Naegi-san wishes for you to have a partner for it,” She said, a little hesitant. Hajime wasn’t really one to go accompanied, and he guessed that voice spread quickly. “He is uncertain as of if it would be safe enough to go on your own, Hinata-san.”

“It’s fine,” He waved his hand, “Naegi knows I can handle it.”

“Of course, but uhm…” She rubbed the back of her neck, “He might have, uh, specifically told me to specify it?”

Hajime let out a long sigh. Naegi meant the best, he knew that, and this was mainly out of concern for his own health, for sure. For how slightly irritating being underestimated could be, sometimes, he guessed arguing would change nothing if there was particular insistence.

He shrugged, “Yeah, alright, fine. Can I at least decide who to bring?”

“Of course, Hinata-san.” She smiled, “Do you have anyone in mind?”

“Hm, yeah, I think so.” He shrugged, “I was just wondering if—”

“Hinata-kun!”

The door opened, easily, because of course it did. Because Komaeda had a key and he did not stop and wonder why the door was locked. Or maybe he did, and just did not care. He was leaning against the doorframe, smiling so nicely it did not matter if he interrupted anymore.

“Sorry to bother, but Tanaka-san is losing control of the cows again and he asked—” He paused, eyeing the laptop. “Ah. Pardon me, am I interrupting something?”

Hajime sighed out. “No, we were almost done.”

He stepped closer, bending down so his face could be in the camera’s frame. He waved, “Good morning! Sorry to disturb with my disdainful face— ah, Hinata-kun!”

Hajime had pinched his cheek for good measure.

“Mind your words.”

Komaeda rubbed the injured spot with a huff. “So mean to me…”

“Uhm,” The intern said, giving a small smile. “Hello?”

“Sorry, he—” Hajime sighed. “He tends to be like that.”

“Guilty as charged!” Komaeda smiled, “Komaeda Nagito, charmed.”

“Oh, I see.” She nodded. “Sato-san told me about you.”

Hajime clenched his jaw. He took Komaeda’s hand for good measure, and thought he’d never found a name so irritating in his life.

“Has he now,” Komaeda chuckled. “My best regards to him—”

“You must be Hinata-san’s husband, then, correct?”

A lot of things happened at once, then, which was curious, because usually a situation brought people’s reactions to be as similar as they could become. And yet she kept smiling like she wasn’t saying anything weird, which she really wasn’t, not in her perspective, it wasn’t her fault seriously, but Komaeda frowned, crossed with confusion shown in the way he blinked consecutively, and Hajime merely froze up. If in fear or in shock, he wasn’t really in the right state to counter that right now.

He cleared his throat. Heavily, as he felt like there was something stuck inside of it, so much so he had to cough a few times to get it out. Well, not exactly. Because there was nothing in it, really. What was happening.

Komaeda cleared his own throat, too, smiling apologetically. “Uhm, pardon me. Husband?”

“I’m assuming that’s also who you were planning to bring with you,” She nodded, “I now see it. I assume that would work, I’ll inform Naegi-san.”

“A mission.” Hajime explained briefly, the moment Komaeda turned to him. “Just a mission.”

“Ah—?” Komaeda blinked again. Maybe he had something stuck in his eye, what did Hajime know. “I, uh, I see? Now about the husband thing—”

“I can tell you all about it later.” Hajime interrupted, really just eager to close the call. “Are we finished here?”

“Hinata-kun. She called me your—”

“Are we?” He stressed, his eyes pleading.

She blinked in confusion, managing an awkward smile. “Uhm, I guess—?”

“Pardon me,” Komaeda said, gripping the desk. “Husband?”

“Uh, yes—?”

“Didn’t you say Tanaka wanted to see me?” Hajime laughed, hoping it did not sound strained, “We should—”

“I’m not — Husband? Really?”

Komaeda’s face was burning a hot shade of red. He sounded like a broken disk, too, which probably showed his reaction to the whole thing quite well.

“Pardon me, is something wrong—?”

Hajime raised his hands. “Nothing’s wrong! I’ll —”

“Husband. You called me his husband.” Komaeda gripped Hajime’s arm, quite tight for someone with such a weak hand, as if that could actually do a good enough job in keeping him locked there. “Why did you call me his husband.”

“Because… you are—?”

“I’m not.” He gulped. “We’re not married.”

“Oh.”

Hajime buried his own burning face in his hands. He hoped this would just end quickly.

The intern looked embarrassed, too. Or maybe just uncomfortable under Komaeda’s insisting gaze. One of the two, surely.

“It’s just, uhm,” She cleared her throat, “Sato-san mentioned he spoke to Hinata-san and —”

“I need to go.” Hajime declared, hands on the keyboard. “Thanks for the info, really, goodbye.”

“I—”

He closed the call, shut the laptop close. Komaeda was still staring at it, like it had personally offended him. Or something.

Hajime cleared his throat heavily, making a point to stand up as quickly as being a superhuman could allow you.

“I better check that issue out,” He said. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll—”

His wrist got snatched before he could make one step towards the door. He internally groaned.

He turned towards Komaeda, who was staring at him really intently, eyes wide open as he refused to take them off him, not even blinking with how hard he seemed to be thinking.

He was not escaping this, wasn’t he.

Hajime gulped. “Uhm. Komaeda—”

“Husband.”

“Komaeda.”

“She called me your husband.”

“Yes, Komaeda, I heard her.”

“Hinata-kun.” He deadpanned. “She called me. Your. Husband.”

“Y-Yeah. Uhm.” He rubbed the back of his head. “That’s kinda, uhm…”

“And she said Sato-san talked to you.” He kept going. “And so you must have told him something.”

“H-Huh… No?”

“Hinata-kun.”

“O-Okay, okay, fine, uh…”

Hajime’s heart was thumping heavily against his ribcage, and by logic he was very much aware it couldn’t really break any bone by merely beating against it, but he still wondered if that could ever be a possibility. He couldn’t breathe all that well anyway, and he had to refill his lungs with air more than once for them to work properly once more.

This was probably fine. Sure, Komaeda was going to tease the absolute living hell out of him for the next three months perhaps, but at the end of the day it was just a harmless mistake. It didn’t matter if Komaeda looked so bothered, or if his expression had gotten unreadable once again, which it hadn’t in a long time. Surely that did not matter.

He felt like he could pass out any second.

“L-Listen uh…” He begun, “That guy, Sater—”

“Sato-san, you mean?”

“Him. He was, uh… He really admired you, y’know?”

Komaeda frowned, watching the way Hajime fidgeted with his tie intently. He let out a hum.

“And?”

“A-And. Uh.” He rubbed the back of his head. He felt like his face had just caught on fire. “It kinda… uhm, bothered me?”

Komaeda just kept staring. Hajime groaned.

“I got jealous.” He admitted, snatching his hand back just so he could bury his face in it. “And I wasn’t thinking, I just wanted him to know you were taken and uh — I blurted that out. That we were married. I didn’t bother correcting him.”

Komaeda still wasn’t saying anything.

Hajime took a deep breath. “Look — I’m sorry. I’m really sorry, Nagito, seriously, I had no idea the word would spread like that — I promise I’ll fix things, okay?”

Komaeda merely hummed. He placed his hands behind his back, glanced at the floor. He looked like he was pondering.

“So, just so I understand.” He said, “You got jealous of a coworker I’ve known for a mere week, and actually considered for less than two days.”

Hajime crossed his arms, grumbling, “He looked at you like he wanted to eat you.”

“No, he did not.”

“Yes he did!”

“Not everyone looks at me like you do, Hinata-kun.”

“S-Shut up! I don’t do that!”

“And not only that, but you also told hm we’re married, which we aren’t as far as I’m aware…” He paused. “Unless we are?”

Hajime frowned. “Huh?”

“Unless we did get married,” Komaeda smiled, “And you didn’t invite me?”

“Oh my fucking god— no.”

“I mean, I sort of understand…” Komaeda sighed. “Someone like me doesn’t even deserve a wedding ceremony, with how dreadfully awful I am…”

“Nagito.”

“But hence, you could have still told me!” He was fully smiling now, that smile that indicated he was fucking with him, and getting lots of fun from it too. What a nice boyfriend he had, seriously. “I would have loved to actually know what title I should use to call you!”

Hajime groaned, “Stop it.”

“Oh, and, forgive me if I’m mistaken, I probably am, but did we get married without a ring? I might not be an expert but I think it is costume to —”

“Nagito. Shut up.”

“But why? Don’t you want to listen to your husband express how he’s feeling?”

“Nagito,” He groaned, and saw him giggle about it, like it was all a joke. Which probably was to him, since he wasn’t the one dying in embarrassment right now. “Shut. Up.”

Komaeda hummed. He walked toward him, didn’t force him to open his eyes when he placed his arms around Hajime’s neck, still smiling when Hajime wrapped his own back around his torso.

He tapped the back of his head, “If anyone mentions this again,” he said, “you’ll be the one bearing the embarrassment of explaining, got it?”

“Hmhm…” He sighed out, actually too frustrated to look at him in the eye, resorting for resting their foreheads together. “So you’re not mad at me?”

“Why would I be?” He shrugged. “It’s definitely not the worst you’ve done.”

“J-Jeez… thanks…”

“Still, you could have told me you wanted to get married this badly…” Komaeda shrugged. “Ah, Hinata-kun really doesn’t tell me anything at all…”

“I-It wasn’t like that—!” He protested, tightening the hold he had on him. “I was just — I just blurted that out…”

“You could have told him we were dating, you know…”

“It— it’s the same thing.”

“It’s really not.” Komaeda sighed out, “We’ve talked about your jealousy outbursts, Hinata-kun…”

“Why do you seem so against it, huh?” He grumbled, feeling his heart sink, just a bit. Then again, they’ve never talked about it. For what he knew, maybe Komaeda wasn’t a marriage guy. Maybe he thought it’d be too much commitment. Hajime would never hold that against him, as his boyfriend’s happiness was truly his main concern.

It did hurt a bit, to think his still not-really-existent proposal was already ruined, but well, it was kinda what he got for acting on impulse, he supposed.

Komaeda tilted his head. He looked at the ground, played with the much shorter strands of Hajime’s hair for some time.

“I’m not.” He said at last. “We’ve… never spoken about it, have we?”

“Uhm. No.” He grimaced. “Komaeda…”

“It’s fine.” He shrugged. “It’s just a tad awkward. I truly don’t mind.”

“I-I mean…” He gulped. He wanted to say so much, but words were a powerful weapon, and he ought to choose them as carefully as it comes. He sighed, “Hey…”

He cupped his beautiful face, tilted it enough so they could meet. He stroked his cheekbones with the tips of his gloved thumbs, studied the shifts in his expression carefully. Komaeda was annoyingly good at keeping up a poker face, even when Hajime’s vision was much more developed, he still couldn’t figure out most of what he was feeling. He guessed he was just really used to it, perhaps.

As of right now, however, he merely hoped he would drop it.

Hajime leaned forward, pressing a kiss on the tip of his nose. That broke a little smile out of him, which was soon matched back.

“We don’t have to talk about it now.” He said, “I’m sorry I acted stupid.”

Komaeda shook his head. “I’m not mad at you. I was teasing.”

“I know, but—” He shrugged. “I dunno. It seemed like it was getting pretty serious.”

Komaeda didn’t answer.

Hajime hesitated. “So… would it be a no?”

He blinked, “Hm?”

“If I asked you,” He blushed, looked at the ground. “If we ever… would you say no?”

Komaeda stared at him. He looked back at the ground as well for about three seconds, raised his eyes back up again.

“Why would you ask me?” He shrugged, “I’m trying to think of many reasons as of why you’d ever want to act like such a masochist. I can’t come up with one.”

Hajime frowned.

Ah.

So that’s what this was about.

“I love you,” He said, “I don’t need a list of reasons. I just love you.”

“Enough to spend eternity with me?”

“Enough to have fallen for you every single time my memories were wiped, Nagito.”

Komaeda pursed his lips together, rather tight. He laid their foreheads back together, caressed his nape rather lovingly.

“Hajime…” He whispered, face slightly red. “When you say these things…”

“I mean them,” He smiled, “You know I do.”

“I do.” He sighed out, “I love you, too.”

“Hm. I know.”

He pressed another kiss between his eyes. Komaeda scrunched his nose in response, and let out a light chuckle.

Hajime smiled.

“Marrying you is a dream, Nagito.” He confessed, keeping his eyes closed. “We can talk about it later on. We have time.”

Komaeda bit his lip.

“I’ve…” He paused, “I’ve never allowed myself to think about it.”

“Really?”

“Really.” He shrugged. “I merely guessed I was lucky for dating someone like you, already. The love of my life. My light in the darkness. Hoping for more was a recipe for disaster.”

“Strange,” He smiled, “You’re usually the one to hold onto hope.”

“Pshh.” He rolled his eyes. “I’m trying to make a serious statement.”

“It is really serious.” Another kiss, on his cheek this time. “And stupid. You already know luck has nothing to do with my love for you.”

“I merely never…” He let out a sound. “I never thought you’d want to marry someone like me.”

“We already talked about this.”

“I know. It’s still rather difficult.”

“And yet you’ve come so far already,” He smiled, “I’m so proud of you.”

Komaeda visibly melted. He pressed himself closer, enclosed his arms around him properly, burying his head in his shoulder.

“So…” He mumbled, voice muffled, “Does this mean you’re going to ask me?”

Hajime’s heart thumped. He was still smiling, albeit it was a little more nervous than it would usually be. He guessed it was normal, given how uncertain everything still was.

“I am.” He promised. “I am, soon. I love you.”

“I love you.” Komaeda pressed himself closer. “Where will you bring me?”

“I haven’t thought that far yet.”

“Hm. Will I get a ring?”

“The best I can craft.”

“Goodness. How gentlemanly.”

“Only the best for you.”

“Pfft.”

They stayed like that for some time. Komaeda was shaking a bit, but Hajime didn’t comment on it, simply settling for stroking his back comfortingly. It seemed to be the right choice, and he prided himself for getting to know him better than he would have just a few years ago.

He bit his lip, pressing himself closer.

“Will you say yes..?” Hajime whispered, unable to contain himself. He heard Komaeda chuckle against his shoulder.

“That would be spoiling the surprise.”

“Hey.” He hit him lightly. “I told you my plan.”

“Hm. Not exactly.” He shrugged. “I will only debate saying yes to an actual proposal, thank you.”

Hajime paused for some time. He pulled backwards, just enough to look at him in the eyes, to meet his questioning gaze.

He slid on the ground.

Komaeda went completely still.

“I love you,” He grabbed his hand. “I am working on something. I promise you it’ll be beautiful, even if the surprise is spoiled. B-But—” He gulped. “I really want to be with you. For as long as we both live.”

Komaeda stared at him like he were a ghost. Hajime stroked his hand, his right one, the one made up with actual flash and not just cold metal. His Nagito’s hand, where he could feel his heartbeat, steady under his fingertips.

“I promise you,” He continued, “That I’ll keep you happy. Will you say yes?”

Komaeda gulped. His face had gone a violent pink.

“Hajime…” He mumbled, “This— What are you doing—?”

“I’m promising.”

“You don’t— Need to do that—”

“I want to.” He tightened his grip. “Please?”

Komaeda was visibly struggling. He took a deep breath.

“I don’t deserve this.”

“Yes you do, come on.” He insisted, “And I won’t get up until you give me an answer.”

“What if I never answer?”

“I’d wait forever for you.”

“Ugh,” He closed his eyes. “You’re so corny.”

“Nagito.”

Hajime leaned forward. Pressed a loving, lingering kiss on his knuckles.

“Please?”

Komaeda faltered. His lower lip trembled, and he lost control in his knees, collapsing on the ground right in front of him. He would have been more concerned if Komaeda hadn’t hurried to cup his face, staring back with eyes that were visibly conflicted as they were glossed over by a layer of tears that he did not let fall down his cheeks.

He leaned, pressed kisses all over Hajime’s face. The latter laughed, embraced him and pulled him closer, just so they could hug at their best. It was really worth the ache in the knees, believe him.

“Of course I’ll say yes.” Komaeda mumbled. “I want to be with Hajime for the rest of my miserable life.”

“Nagito…”

Their lips met slowly. There was no hurry when his head was being caressed this carefully, this gently, when his own hands roamed all over the nicest body he’d ever encountered. Komaeda smiled against his mouth, and Hajime mirrored it perfectly.

“Next time,” Komaeda mumbled, “Please remember I’m absolutely crazy about you, and getting this jealous is completely pointless.”

Hajime flushed, “P-Please just drop that…”

“I never am.” He smiled. “My Hajime is so protective!”

“Nagito…”

“And kind of embarrassing.”

“Nagito.”

“But it’s okay! Love is blind!”

“Nagito.”

He laughed. He could get drunk on that sound.

They leaned in once again, Komaeda’s lips smacking against his own in a gentle rhythm, bodies pressed a bit closer, and Hajime would never have pulled away if it weren’t from the knocking that came onto his door just a few seconds later.

“Hinata!” Came Soda’s voice, “You gotta come like, right now, man, there’s cows running everywhere!”

He frowned. Looked at Komaeda, who blinked and parted his mouth.

“Oh, right!” He smiled, “That’s why I came here in the first place!”

“For fuck’s sake..” He groaned, leaning his forehead on Komaeda’s chest, who stroked his hair lovingly, and called, “I’m coming!”

He glanced back at his boyfriend, who smiled back.

“Duty calls.” He stood up, helping him out as well. “Wait for me here?”

Komaeda chuckled, walking behind to sit by the edge of the bed.

“I’d wait for you forever, Hajime.”

He actually smiled at that. He would have rolled his eyes just two years ago, to be honest, so that could be considered some sort of growth.

Or maybe he was just getting mushy. Whichever worked.

He hurried to get out of the cottage, and there was, indeed, a cow running around.

He sighed out.

He really just hoped he could get this done with as soon as possible. He had a ring to work on, after all.