Work Text:
“You’re all packed then? You’re really going?”
Ego shoved his hands in his pockets as he watched Anri from the entrance of the Blue Lock facility. Anri nodded and smiled.
“Yup! I didn't bring too much to begin with, so I didn't have to pack a ton.”
Ego's eyes drifted to the two bags she had; one giant suitcase and one purse, the purse he remembered where she kept her lip gloss, eyeshadow, breath mints, hair brush…
How did he remember all that?
His gaze returned back to Anri, who was waiting for her ride outside. The door was still ajar. Ego gently pushed it open and walked out to meet her.
She blinked in surprise. Her eyes looked even wider in contrast with the red fluffy scarf wrapped around her neck and covering her scarlet cheeks. Her red winter coat with a furry brown hood ruffled in the cold air
“E-Ego-san!” She squeaked in shock as he approached. “You aren't wearing a jacket! It's too cold out!”
“I'm okay.” He murmured. He kept his hands in his pockets, to keep them warm, and… to keep his gift secure.
“What are you doing out here?” She asked with a tilt of confusion in her head.
Ego stayed silent for a moment, just staring at her. God, she looked so cute like that, like a little owl turning its head to look at you with the biggest eyes ever, and amidst the gently falling snow, it looked even cuter.
He cleared his throat and rubbed his neck. “Nothing, Anri-chan. Just…”
She waited patiently for him to continue. When he was lost for words, she smiled a little.
“You're just shocked, huh?” She asked.
He raised an eyebrow. “Huh?”
“That Japan won.”
“Oh… yes, I suppose so.”
Ego looked strangely skittish. Anri knew Ego by this point; how blunt and straightforward he was with his opinions.
His feelings? Not so much.
It amused and confused Anri. And frustrated Ego himself.
“I… I knew it would lead to an eventual victory,” Ego started. “But to see it finally happen…”
Anri blinked in surprise, then smiled. “I'm a genius aren't I? Coming up with Blue Lock?”
She said that to elicit a normal “Jinpachi Ego-like” reaction from him. Something blunt, honest, maybe even a little rude, because this quiet shy version of him was making Anri a little nervous.
But instead of pointing out how Ego was the brains of Blue Lock, how all their kids followed his philosophy and teachings, and how he should have all the credit for making this work (as a rude remark), Ego simply said.
“Yeah… you are.”
Anri was even more shocked. She frowned. “Okay, Ego-san, you're starting to freak me out. Is there something on your mind that's making you… I don't know. Nervous?”
“I'm not nervous.”
“You sound nervous.”
Ego swallowed the lump in his throat. Then, he finally gave a long sigh and slumped forward.
“Fine, genius. Maybe I have… something to give you.” He muttered.
“Something to tell? Or give?” Anri hazarded.
“...Both. maybe. Neither.”
Anri groaned. “Do you ever make sense, Ego-san?”
Rather than retort back, a flush spread on his cheeks, and he mumbled something about how the cold was biting his face, when he knew there was more to it than that
He then pulled one of his hands out from his pocket, which he kept inside since it was cold, and out came a small packaged box with a red ribbon tied around it.
Anri gasped softly. “Eh? What's this for?”
“...you.” he muttered awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck again.
“Me?” Anri gasped again. “Why?”
“Just take it, Anri-chan.”
“Oh…” she shyly took the small box from his thin hands and into her gloved ones. She smiled a little at it.
“Open it.” Ego stated curtly. “Come on, I don’t wanna wait in the cold all day.”
Curious, Anri carefully unravelled the ribbon.
“Nothing is gonna jump out at me is it?”
“Nope.”
“Okay. I’m making the odd decision to trust you.”
“Says the one who entrusted me with the egos of a bunch of children.”
“That’s different from this.”
“Sure…”
Ego held his breath as Anri carefully opened the lid of the box.
And then she just… stared.
Which obviously made Ego’s heart rate skyrocket.
“I-It’s not that much,” he mumbled, clearing his throat awkwardly. God, he had never been this nervous in his life.
“I-I didn’t know what your size would be, so I got the smallest because your hands look small- but if it doesn’t fit we can exchange it and-” Ego stopped himself and cleared his throat again.
Anri simply stared into the box, gaping in shock at the single item inside.
A ruby and diamond ring.
“E-Ego-san, what is this?!” she squeaked, her flustered face turning hot and red.
“I-It’s a ring, genius!” Ego scoffed, trying to hide his embarrassment and the annoying red on his cheeks too.
Both of them stared at anything but each other as they sputtered and struggled to find their words, until finally, Ego had enough.
“Oh, for God’s sake!” he huffed and bent down on one knee right in front of her. His thin hands gently grasped her warm gloved one that wasn’t holding the box, which made her blush even further and almost fall backward.
“E-E-Ego-san?!” she stammered. Her voice was so high pitched.
Ego cleared his throat and tightened the hold on her hand. The other one gently pulled the ring out of the small box in her other hand and held it out like it was a coin.
“A-Anri-chan…” he hated the way his voice broke. He cleared his throat again.
“Anri-chan,” he said with more certainty and directed his tired heavy eyes to her bright, shining amber ones, wide with shock, utter confusion and hope.
“I know things between us haven’t gone smoothly. But I've thought a lot about you over the time we’ve hosted this project together, more than I should think of you. And I know I slack off and don’t eat well and I’m often rude as well, which I try to fix only around you but bad habits are hard to break but I’m trying to change, and I made my own yakisoba the other day. it burnt a little but I’ll keep learning to cook and I don’t even know what I’m saying at this point, I just wanted-”
“Ego-san.”
Anri stopped his babbling by placing her hands on his cold face, dropping the empty small box. Her eyes shone with a surprised hope.
“Are you asking…?” Anri started, but couldn’t finish because of the lump of emotion that swelled in her throat.
Ego felt his heart soar at the sight of her soft and shocked face, and the surge of courage finally returned.
He raised the ring a little and gave a sincere smile, unlike his usual deranged one.
“Yes, Anri-chan.” He breathed.
“I’m asking you… if you’ll marry me.”
Anri gasped and almost stumbled backward from his words. She gave a small wet chuckle, which made Ego smile a little more, his hearing ascending with even more hope.
“If I will?” she smiled brightly.
“Well?” he prodded. “Will you?”
Tears pricked the corners of her eyes. She laughed softly again and nodded.
“I will. I will.”
Ego couldn’t believe it. He had to stop for a moment and absorb the info before he stood up, grabbed her by the shoulders, and pressed a hard kiss to her forehead.
She squeaked in shock at the sudden kind gesture, but he didn’t let go
And neither did she.
She lifted her head and with a bright smile, she pressed a big kiss to his cheek.
Ego blushed even more, which looked unnatural for his pale complexion, but Anri just giggled. Ego gently slipped the ring onto her finger and held it softly for a longer moment.
Right then, Anri’s ride arrived. They momentarily broke apart so Anri could put her suitcases in the trunk.
Before Anri left, Ego grabbed her wrist gently. Anri paused and gazed at him.
“Anri-chan…” he gently lifted her hand to his mouth to press a kiss to his knuckles. “You’ll contact me?”
She smiled warmly. “I will. We have a wedding to plan, don’t we?”
Ego returned the smile. “Yeah.”
Anri giggled softly. She reached up to kiss his cheek once again. Ego wrapped his arms around her smaller body, letting her warmth surround for the last time in a while.
Anri hugged him back too. He kissed her neck before letting go. Anri got in the taxi and waved to him out the window. The ring that Ego put on her right hand glinted brightly in the brief sunlight.
Ego gave a small wave back, then clutched his heart with a deep relieved sigh.
He was in deep trouble. The kind of trouble that he welcomed because he knew that even though it had hurdles, it would be worth it.
Like Blue Lock.
"And Anri."