Akane doesn't usually play video games. He finds them stressful; they draw adrenaline rushing through his veins until his palms get so sweaty he can barely hold the controller, and he has trouble breathing, and he tends to scream aloud when he's surprised. Plus Clay laughs at him, which is embarrassing for all that it's a common occurrence, and then he's panicked and blushing and it takes him hours to calm down again. But Clay has a new game, and Akane accidentally got invested in the plot and now Clay refuses to play it, and the meister knows he's being taunted into playing it himself but he can't stop.

All this means that he nearly yells when Clay opens the door to the bedroom, nerves wound too tight to let him react normally, and he barely glances at the weapon before his eyes lock back on the screen.

"Are you still playing this?" the blond says. Akane barely processes the words, but the amusement under the other's voice is enough that he knows he doesn't actually need to stop.

"You wouldn't," he protests. "I had to know what happened and now I'm in the middle of a fight don't interrupt me."

"Okay." The bed shifts behind Akane as Clay climbs on. Somehow the meister isn't surprised when legs come around his hips in spite of his order and a chin settles on his shoulder.

"You're doing pretty well," Clay's voice purrs into his ear. When Akane shifts his arms to lean in towards the screen the weapon's hands snake in around his waist to press into his chest. Akane can't help smiling at the contact, but the half-panicked focus on the game in front of his remains. He's not sure he's blinking enough as it is; he certainly can't spare the time to twist around towards his weapon.

"You pushed me into it." Akane can't relax enough to lean back against Clay, but the weapon comes forward instead to press warmth all against his back, and it is soothing, enough that it nearly makes up for the distraction of the contact. "Remember this is your fault."

"Wouldn't forget it." Clay's hand shifts; Akane realizes distantly that he's got his fingers curled against his palm instead of flat against the meister's chest. When the blond speaks again there's a strange sound under his words that would be stress were he anyone other than himself. Akane's never heard Clay sound stressed. "Akane, I need you to look at something."

"I'm kind of in the middle of this, Clay," Akane points out with what he feels is perfect rationality. "Can it wait?"

"Not...not really." There's something at the corner of Akane's vision, just below the point where his eyes are currently focused, below the bottom edge of his glasses. "I need you to see this right now."

That is panic, Akane realizes, his half-formed attention recognizing the sound before his rational side can declare that it can't be. He blinks, reaches for the start button on the controller as his head comes down.

"Clay, what -" Then he sees what Clay's holding and he entirely forgets everything he is doing - speaking, blinking, breathing, moving. The game carries on for another few seconds as Akane stares at the ring; then Clay shifts, and the sound cuts off as the weapon presses the button to pause the scene. Akane can't look up, but he manages, "Thanks," sounding as shell-shocked as he feels, and then he can talk again, at least, if not think or move. "Did...is that a ring?"

"Akane Hoshi, ladies and gentlemen." Clay is smiling. Akane can hear it in his voice, even when the blond is purring dark into his ear like he is now. "My meister. Genius in his own time."

"Hey," Akane protests, but it lacks any fire. He just sounds shaky and confused. "But. Why?"

"I'm sure you can put it together." Clay's mouth brushes against his hair, presses a kiss against the half-exposed skin behind the meister's ear. "A ring. From your boyfriend. Long-term relationship. What do these usually mean?"

"But -" Akane can't adequately form a protest. The controller drops to the floor and he reaches up to take the dark loop from Clay's fingers, but the weapon doesn't let it go.

"You can't have it unless you say yes."

Akane makes a strangled sound as he tries to inhale and whimper at the same time. "Yes."

"Yes what?" Clay's mouth is pressed so close to Akane's skin, working down the back of his neck to his shoulder, that the meister can barely make out the words.

Akane laughs, fingers still tight on the ring. "You didn't even ask properly, you know."

He can feel Clay smile. "I don't need to, with you."

"Yes." Akane takes a breath and struggles to speak around the smile breaking over his face. "I'll marry you." Clay lets go as he's still forming the sounds in his throat, brings his hand back to Akane's chest before coming down to pull up the bottom edge of his shirt.

"See," he says. "I knew I didn't need to."

Akane laughs. He tries to fit the plain dark band onto his finger, but both his hands are shaking so badly he nearly drops it. The fingers of Clay's hand are skimming over the skin of his stomach, but the blond's free hand comes up to gently take the ring from Akane's trembling fingers, and his steady hold fits the band over the meister's finger on his first try. Then it's on, and both Clay's hands are coming up under Akane's shirt and his mouth is pressing warm against the meister's neck, and Akane is staring blankly at the dark metal against his skin and forgetting to breathe.

Then a thought occurs to him, and he explodes into laughter that makes Clay pause in his movements.

"You okay?" he asks.

Akane twists around so he is half-facing his partner and can curl his shaking fingers around the loosened knot of Clay's tie. "I can't believe you."

"What?" Clay is smiling when Akane leans in to kiss him, so the meister presses his mouth against the corner of the blond's lips, still feeling bubbling laughter threatening in his throat.

"You just got engaged without ever actually proposing." His fingers work up the other boy's tie, curl around the back of the weapon's neck. "I think that's the laziest thing I've ever heard of."

"I have a reputation to uphold," Clay points out as he works Akane's buttons open from the bottom edge of the other's shirt. "Someone has to balance you."

Akane smiles, and kisses the other boy. He doesn't need to voice his agreement.