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“Right,” said Kaoru, slamming his hands down on the desk Kojiro sat at. They were both in the back of Kaoru’s studio, seeing as that was the only place they had access to a whiteboard Kaoru deemed big enough for their plotting. “Now that we’re both finally here-”
“Hey, I had a restaurant to close down, I got here as soon as I could.”
“ Finally here,” Kaoru went on, ignoring his defence entirely, “I can run you through my plan.”
Kaoru and Kojiro loved their friends. They really did. Miya, Langa, and Reki were practically their children, while Shadow was like a sweet, if slightly insane, uncle. They really couldn’t be more thankful for their little group.
That being said, their friends really were idiots. Sure, maybe Kaoru and Kojiro hadn’t explicitly said that they were dating. But they knew every detail about each other – they had a lifetime of memories together (and the photos to prove it), knew each other’s families, had keys to each other's apartments, not to mention the fact that they bickered like an old married couple – their friends really had to be dense not to pick up on any of that.
(Except Miya – the kid noticed everything, and Kojiro was convinced he knew more than he was letting on.)
Point was, a relationship reveal was greatly overdue.
“And that’s how we’re going to blow all of their minds,” Kaoru said, slamming the pen down with an unnecessary flourish for dramatic effect.
And if Kaoru wanted to come up with the most insane plan of the century, who was Kojiro to deny him?
---
1
---
“You sure they’re coming?” Kaoru asked, swirling a glass of white wine. Leaning back into his seat at the counter of Sia, he thought about how this had become his regular spot.
Regular spot, regular drink.
Regular presence sorting forks on the other side of the counter.
Teenage Kaoru would have despised this, he thought offhandedly. Teenage Kaoru wanted thrill, non-stop excitement. Recklessly skating through abandoned buildings, getting drunk at midnight, poking shitty piercings into himself with barely clean needles.
Falling for Ainosuke.
Teenage Kaoru would have been bored to death with this life.
Adult Kaoru couldn’t be more thankful for it.
Somewhere along the way, he grew up. He liked his routine and his work and his calligraphy. He liked his apartment. He liked that he could enjoy skating without having to worry about breaking a bone (most of the time, at least).
And he especially liked his boyfriend, his sweet, soft, safe Kojiro. His Kojiro who he could rely on and talk to. His Kojiro who wouldn’t leave in the middle of the night, who he didn’t have to play mind games with, who he could count on.
Turns out, sameness isn’t that bad when you like what you’re getting to begin with.
“Well, Reki’s at his sister’s concert and Higa has a family thing, but Langa and Miya said they’d be here soon,” Kojiro said.
“They better be. So, do you remember the plan?”
“The plan you went over twenty times on the four minute drive from your apartment? No, actually, my memory’s a little- hey!” Kojiro exclaimed, getting whacked in the face with Kaoru’s hand fan.
“Don’t be a moron. Now do you remember or not?”
“I swear, sometimes it feels like you have that thing specifically to hit me with.”
Smack
“Ow, ok, ok, the plan is to pretend we were on a date here and that we forgot they were coming. Then, when they come in, we act surprised, but we get them some dinner and act super awkward and couple-y for the rest of the night until they realise something’s up. Happy now, princess?”
“Very. Now, get me some pasta, I’m starving.”
“Whatever his highness desires.”
---
Meanwhile, Miya and Langa were both cursing the combination of dim lighting and tiny windows in Sia. Turns out, spying on people in a restaurant when it’s already dark outside was just slightly difficult.
“It looks like they forgot about us,” Langa remarked matter-of-factly.
“Will you at least try and duck, they’re going to see us,” Miya scolded, pulling Langa down from his hair.
“What are they doing, anyway?”
They could just barely see the two eating pasta from out of the same plate, the sides of their faces illuminated with a small candle, Cherry leaning his head onto Joe’s shoulder, Joe tenderly stroking his hair every so often.
To anyone with even half a brain, Miya thought, the situation was painfully obvious. Unfortunately, his blue haired friend wasn’t always the quickest to make the connection.
“I’m surrounded by slimes, constantly,” Miya muttered under his breath.
---
“Weird of them to never show up,” Kaoru said, half an hour later.
“Are you really complaining?” Kojiro questioned, smirking against his lips.
“Mmm, suppose not. Now c’mon, take me upstairs.”
“Whatever his highness desires.”
---
2
---
“Hair up or down?” Kaoru asked, pulling pink strands up before letting them fall, over and over again.
“I really don’t think your hair is what anyone’ll be paying attention to,” Kojiro murmured, enveloping him in a hug from behind.
“Just answer the question, you dopey faced gorilla.”
“Well, why don’t I braid it for you?”
He didn’t wait for an answer before he began weaving Kaoru’s long, pink hair, one piece over the other. He couldn’t remember whether he’d learned to braid on his sisters or on Kaoru, but either way, he’d been doing it long enough to braid with his eyes closed.
With Kaoru, though, closing his eyes was a less than preferable option. The beautifully soft colour, the way he would tilt his head back to watch Kojiro, his peaceful golden eyes – yeah, he really would be a fool to shut his eyes through that.
“And... done!”
“Hm. Not terrible,” he decided, though Kojiro didn’t miss the way he admired the braid as he slung it over his shoulder. “So, how do I look?”
“You should wear my shirts more often.”
---
Kaoru had to admit, it felt weird not wearing his usual navy kimono. Normally, the only time he could be seen out of his traditional clothes was when he was lounging in either his or Kojiro’s apartment, or in Sia after it closed.
It made him nervous enough knowing that their friends would notice his sudden change in style.
Knowing that their friends would comment on him wearing what was very distinctly Kojiro’s shirt was practically anxiety inducing.
It had been his idea, sure, and it’d seemed like a good idea at the time, but all of a sudden, it just felt like too much. He knew they’d all be staring at him, watching him, interrogating him about why he was wearing this shirt that was too big and the fabric too thin and it felt strange wearing short sleeves and for some reason his braid was way too tight all of a sudden and-
“Hey, hey, Ru, c’mon, breathe, just slow down and breathe, ok,” he heard Kojiro reassure. In an instant, he was being pulled into a gentle, grounding hug, already feeling his heart rate drop back down to normal.
“We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to, you know. This is obviously stressing you out – we'll just think of another way to tell them,” Kojiro said, still rubbing circles into his shoulder.
“It’s stupid I don’t know- I don’t know why this is freaking me out so much,” Kaoru whispered, as though it was some grave secret that he wasn’t invincible.
“It’s ok, it’s alright. How about we go home, I’ll make us coffee and cannoli, we re-watch a Ghibli movie for the thousandth time, and we put this idea to bed.”
“That sounds like a plan. But only if we watch Castle in the Sky.”
Kojiro chuckled and placed a kiss on the bridge of his nose. “Whatever you want, mea vita.”
“Shut up, you were in Italy for like, a year.”
---
3
---
“This is never going to work.”
“It’s my plan, of course it’ll work.”
“He’s not going to realise.”
“He will, as long as you don’t fuck it up. Now go,” Kaoru demanded, practically shoving Kojiro towards the flower shop Shadow worked at.
The second he entered, Kojiro was overwhelmed by the colour and scent of the place. It was a small store, but still well known around town for how beautiful and well-kept it was – even people who’d never bought a bouquet in their lives would stop by to smell the roses or take a quick photo.
He spotted Shadow cutting flower stems in the back of the store – it still took a second for Kojiro to recognise him without his over-the-top “S” makeup – and greeted him cheerfully.
“Hey, Nanjo! Nice seeing you, what can I do for you?”
“I’m just looking for a bouquet, something romantic, something... special.”
“Ooh, you’re really trying with this one. Well, come on, spill it – who's the lucky lady?”
“Lucky guy, actually,” Kojiro corrected, “and, well... I don’t think I can tell you just yet. But if things with him go well... let’s just say I’m hopeful.”
“ Really? You’re not even gonna tell me? I’m great at keeping secrets, you know, and I have the best advice. Plus, I’m super good at noticing stuff, I’ll be able to tell if he likes you, like, instantly!”
(And Kojiro had to stop himself from laughing at that last part.)
“Hey, I mean if all goes well you might be meeting him sooner than you think. So anyway, I was thinking maybe roses-”
“ Roses? Really? I thought you liked this guy?”
“What’s wrong with roses? They’re supposed to be romantic and stuff.”
“Yeah, maybe, but they’re just so overdone. I’ve sold at least six red rose bouquets just today.”
“So how about... pink roses?”
Shadow let out a disappointed sigh and shook his head. “Look, you have to do something different, something thoughtful. If this isn’t just another casual hookup – which I don’t think it is because you’ve never put this much effort into a hookup-”
“Hey, for your information, I’m a great lover.”
“My point is, if this guy really is special, you’ve got to do something special for him. Something meaningful. See, I really do give the best advice. But anyway, I’m thinking... gardenias, lilac, orchids... and maybe some orange blossom and honey flower to tie it all together,” he said, already pulling vibrant flowers from around his counter together.
“Just one more thing – can you add cherry blossoms?”
---
Shadow, to his credit, was persistent in his interrogation of Kojiro’s relationship, asking question after question as he worked.
“How old is he?”
“26, same as me.”
“How did you meet?”
“We were friends before, we’ve kind of known each other a while.”
“So, what makes this one different? Why is he so special?”
And Kojiro hadn’t expected that question. Good thing for him, he had no shortage of reasons.
“He just gets me. It’s cliché to say, but it feels like we were made for each other, like he was my other half, and all that sappy shit. Don’t get me wrong, he really can be annoying sometimes, but I can’t imagine being happier than I am with him.”
“Wow. I- you really like him. Do you think he could be the one?”
“Maybe. I hope so. Plus, he’s super fucking hot.”
“Ha, I’m sure. Anyway, this is done for you,” he said, handing across the most beautiful assortment of yellows and oranges and pinks, every bloom perfectly placed, with pale green ivy and eucalyptus leaves flowing in between, filling in the gaps.
He could imagine this bouquet on Kaoru’s kitchen counter, could imagine him admiring him in the morning, coffee in hand and hair out of place. Maybe he would get his sketchbook out and capture the curve of each beautiful petal on his page.
Or, maybe, someday in the future, they’d really have a place together, and maybe there’d be flowers like these in their shared bedroom, or their shared coffee table. Or perhaps they would be in the entryway, the second thing Kojiro would see when he got home, after he was done admiring Kaoru.
“Thanks, Higa. These are perfect. I think he’ll love them.”
“Yeah, don’t blow it. He sounds special.”
And Kojiro was about to leave when he turned to ask one more question.
“Hey, Higa, do you guys do flowers for bigger events?”
“Yeah, of course, though you’d have to book pretty far in advance. What kind of event were you thinking?”
“Oh, my cousin was just looking for a local florist for her wedding. I’ll tell her to call you.”
---
Higa rocked back and forth on his heels waiting for the door to swing open. While Sia was the go-to place to eat for their whole group, dinner at Cherry’s apartment was a much more exclusive affair (I.e., Cherry did not trust the kids not to wreck all his artwork).
Given that it was Cherry, Higa also knew not to show up empty-handed, which was why he’d put together a little bouquet – tulips wrapped in brown paper, simple, elegant, and in season.
Little did he know, his handiwork was already decorating Cherry’s dining table.
Cherry thanked him for his thoughtful gift as he entered and told him that Joe would be a bit late that evening.
“I’m glad you like them,” Higa said, taking a seat. “And I- hey, that’s such a coincidence, I could’ve sworn I made a bouquet just like that for Joe earlier today,” he said, pointing out that very same bouquet.
“Really! That is a coincidence,” Cherry exclaimed as cheerfully as he could.
Mentally, he was facepalming.
---
4
---
The next time Kaoru and Kojiro almost revealed their relationship, they didn’t even mean to. The group was all together at ‘S’, a long awaited chance to let loose and let the adrenaline rush take over.
Not for everyone, though.
Because the second Cherry saw him, he could tell something was wrong. Reki was usually a ball of energy and excitement, practically bouncing off the walls.
Today, though, he was like a puppy who’d been caught in the rain – sullen and sad; disheartened about something.
“What is wrong with you today?” Cherry asked, pulling him aside.
(To anyone who didn’t know him, it would’ve come off aggressive and accusatory, Reki thought. Luckily, he knew that this was really just Cherry being caring, in his own weird way.)
“It’s nothing, don’t-”
“Cut it, Reki. It’s obvious something’s bothering you.”
“I- It’s just-” he let out a deep sigh, “I don’t know if you knew, but I’ve kind of had this massive crush on Langa for a while now.” No, really? Cherry remarked sarcastically to himself. “And I just- I don’t know what to do, or if he likes me too, and every time I feel like I’m making it obvious he never seems to notice and- is it just because he doesn’t like me? Do you think that’s why he hasn’t picked up on anything?”
“Ok, calm down, take a breath,” Cherry said, trying to stall for time so he could think of a mature response than, ‘O f course I know you like Langa, everyone from here to Norway knows you have a crush on each other, why is everyone around me OBLIVIOUS?’
“ And as for Langa, you probably just need to talk about it with him. Who knows, maybe he feels the same and he’s been dropping you hints too, and neither of you have realised.”
“Yeah, I guess so. It’s just kind of scary, you know? I mean, what if he doesn’t feel the same and bringing it up ruins our entire friendship? Like, imagine if something like this happened to you and Joe, and it messed with your entire friendship?”
Lord, give him strength.
“ Well, I think the reason our... friendship... has survived so long is because we can talk about this sort of thing. We can bring up hard conversations and trust that our relationship is strong enough to get us through it.”
“Yeah, you’re right. Wow, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you and Joe were some old married couple from the way you talk about him. And from the way you guys argue.”
“Don’t you dare associate me with that feckless ape,” Cherry yelled over the crowds. (“Hate you too, Pinky,” a distinct voice yelled back.) “Anyway, you should go, I think I heard Miya challenging you to a beef earlier.”
“Ok, ok, I’m going. Thanks for the advice, dad,” Reki said, smirking.
“I am not your father!” Cherry scolded back. And if anyone asked, he absolutely did not get a warm feeling in his chest after being called that.
---
5
---
“Ok, there is absolutely no way that this won’t work. They’ve got to realise, right?” Kaoru said, slipping a ring on his finger (and praying that Kojiro’s sister didn’t notice it was missing).
“I don’t know, babe. I love them, but they can be pretty dense sometimes.”
“Well, if this doesn’t work, I’m not sure what will.”
“That ring suits you, by the way,” Kojiro said, casually changing the subject.
“It’s kind of loose. I’ve got to make sure it doesn’t slip off my finger, your sister would definitely kill me.”
“Must’ve been stressful, picking out a ring someone’s gonna wear for the rest of their life. Has to be perfect.”
Kaoru nodded in agreement. “Yeah, it’s like, no pressure, just find something in the perfect size, goes with their style, not too flashy, not too simple. This one really was perfect for your sister, though,” he said, holding the borrowed ring up to the light.
Wondering if he and Kojiro would ever have matching ones to call their own.
---
They did everything right.
Kaoru and Kojiro arrived at the skatepark together, hand in hand.
They flirt-fought back and forth until everyone, including them, was tired of it.
They shared an ice cream, for god’s sake!
And Kaoru showed off the stolen engagement ring every chance he got – he pushed his hair back every five seconds, he held up his hand-fan, he waved his hands like a maniac concert conductor – yet still no dice.
Kaoru threw himself face down onto their bed the second they got back to his apartment.
“Carla?”
“Yes, master?”
“Please locate the nearest building I can throw myself off.”
“...Master, would you like me to contact emergency hotline services?”
“WAIT CARLA NO-”
---
1
---
Saying Kaoru looked defeated at the festival the next day would be an understatement.
All that he had asked for was to reveal his relationship and make all his friends go slightly crazy in the process.
Now, instead, he was the one going crazy.
“Hey! Guys! Over here!”
The two turned to see Reki calling, Langa, Miya, and Higa at his side.
And as their little family chattered and laughed and ate, Kaoru stopped for a moment and smiled. The time would come, where he’d be able to tell them. For now, he was happy with what he had.
---
The rest of the group got distracted again a little later, so focused on winning a stuffed tiger that Kaoru and Kojiro were able to slip off unnoticed.
“You know Kaoru, we could always, oh, I don’t know just tell them?”
“ I know we could. I just really thought one of those ideas would work.”
“I know you’re disappointed, but come on, let’s put this aside and just try and enjoy the festival, yeah? You want some t aiyaki ?”
“Custard filling. Extra chocolate drizzle.”
Kojiro just laughed and kissed his boyfriend on the forehead before heading for the stall.
Kaoru, meanwhile, leaned against the railing and stared into the lake in front of him. It was mesmerising, the way the water reflected the warm, golden glow of lanterns, the colourful fairy lights, the pale, mellow moon. It was even more mesmerising how a single ripple would make the entire scene sway and dance with perfect harmony.
There was beauty in the stillness.
There was also beauty in its destruction.
“Hey, you getting philosophical on me again?” Kojiro said, reading his mind as he returned, handing him a taiyaki.
“Something like that.”
They stood together like that for a moment. Admiring the water; admiring its stillness.
“You know,” Kojiro started, “I happened to notice that they’re starting boat rides soon.”
---
“I swear to god, if you drop me in this lake I will dull every single one of your precious knives until you need your entire body weight to slice a cucumber.”
“Wow, where is the trust, Kaoru? Twenty-three whole years and you still don’t trust me not to ruin your precious kimono? I’m hurt,” Kojiro said as he rowed them out to a more secluded edge of the lake.
Ripples spread around them as they moved, slicing through the circles of light reflecting off the water’s surface, before letting them flow back together. They moved away from the crowds slowly, hearing their chatter fade away, replaced by the gentle swoosh of the water surrounding them, and Kaoru couldn’t help but think that this was one of those moments he wanted to freeze in time, capture the feeling like a photo so he could relive it whenever he wanted.
And then Kaoru turned around to see Kojiro and his loving smile and his soft hair, moving slightly in the breeze, and his beaming, glistening eyes and-
A ring.
Kojiro, down on one knee, balancing impeccably well considering they were in a literal boat-
Holding a ring.
“Koji- what- is this another part of the plan? You know they can’t see us here, right?” he panic-whispered. Terrified to believe it was true.
“Not part of the plan, Ru. This is for real. Will you marry me?”
“Kojiro I- Oh my god !”
Turns out that when your brain is occupied with, I must hug Kojiro, my fiancé , immediately, you may neglect some other important factors.
Factors such as boats not being the most stable inventions ever made.
Next thing they knew, the two of them were both drenched, badly treading water, desperately trying to scramble back into the boat while simultaneously kissing each other’s lips, each kiss interlaced with childish giggles and whispered ‘ I love you’ s.
Finally, they managed to heave themselves back onto their – now very soggy – boat.
“You know, I still haven’t said anything,” Kaoru said, wringing out his hair over the water.
“Said anything about what?” Kojiro asked, confused, as he started rowing them back to the shore.
“Whether or not I accept.” And Kojiro smiled at the shit-eating grin spread across Kaoru’s face, the one he put on when they both knew he was being a pain on purpose.
“Well, what’s your answer then?”
“I don’t know, I did specifically tell you not to drop me in the lake-”
“Hey, that was not my fault!”
“-And you haven’t even let me properly see the ring yet.”
Kojiro just lovingly rolled his eyes before retrieving the ring box from his pocket and holding it open again, letting his boyfriend – no, his fiancé - admire it. And even Kaoru couldn’t hide the wonder in his eyes as he looked at that stunning silver band, studded with the most gorgeous pale pink diamond and-
“Yes.”
“Wow, so the rock really was the deciding factor, huh,” Kojiro joked, “Glad I followed my gut and went for pink. Would you have rejected me if I’d gone for a circular diamond instead? I-”
“Shut the fuck up and kiss me.” Maybe the words were hostile. But the tone wasn’t. Kaoru couldn’t help but sound like the lovestruck teenager he felt like, right now. All at once, he was the child holding Kojiro’s hand on their walk home, the adult curled up into Kojiro’s side after a long day, the toddler who could barely hold a pen but scrawled down ‘ To Koji’ at the top of his friend’s birthday card, the boy writing letters that he’d never send to his best friend in Italy, who’d left him for the first time in their entire lives. Who was going to be gone, living a new life, for an entire year – who Kaoru never doubted would come back to him.
And suddenly, he was seventeen, hanging out with his best friend after school one completely regular day and, without warning, feeling a crushing wave of love for the green-haired boy leaning his head on his shoulder, and realising that this was it for him.
Kojiro was it.
His best friend, his past, his childhood, his love.
And now, his future.
His entire life.
And then Kojiro kissed him.
And he fell for his best friend all over again.
‘ I take it back,’ Kojiro thought to himself, ‘ This is the moment I’d freeze in time forever.’
---
They hobbled back to the festival, absolutely soaked, clinging to each other like lovestruck teenagers, and finally reunited with everyone.
“What happened, you guys are drenched!” Reki exclaimed upon seeing them.
Kojiro and Kaoru just looked at each other and immediately burst into laughter before Kaoru held up his hand.
Queue: everyone absolutely freaking out.
Waves of screaming and hugging and congratulations.
And in the midst of it, Kojiro leaning over to whisper in his fiancé's ear, “So, you finally got your relationship reveal.”
“And I got something much better,” Kaoru responded, kissing Kojiro’s cheek. “I mean the ring, obviously. You’re just a fringe benefit.”
“You heard it hear first folks!” Kojiro announced, “He finally admits I’m a benefit!”
And amongst the cheering and laughter and many, many toasts from Shadow, Kaoru smiled.
This was it, and it was complete perfection.