The day was a delightfully cool one, all soft summer breeze and golden sunlight. All the windows were thrown open; the air was fresh, crisp, wafting into the cosy apartment Haruhi shared with her boyfriend, carrying the sweet scent of flowers.
Noel was sitting on her lap, a little furry space heater. Occasionally she'd butt at Haruhi's hand, demanding to be petted, and the young woman would reluctantly give in. A little break now and again never hurt, after all. For now, the cat was still, dozing peacefully, and Haruhi was free to work on her report.
"What's your ring size?"
Haruhi stopped typing, and glanced over her laptop at her boyfriend. His hair was rumpled cheerfully, somewhat tamed bed hair that needed a bit of a brush. "What?"
Kyoya was lounging on the couch, absently reading, unaware at how loaded that question was. Beams of light illuminated his figure, giving him a pleasant glow. "Your ring size. What is it?"
She stared at him for a good few seconds, dissecting every sliver of his side profile. Kyoya hadn't noticed her delay, he flipped the page, eyes scanning the next row of text. Finally, a smirk worked its way across her lips. "I know your ring size." She replied, gleefully smug.
Grey orbs protruded over the top of the book. He blinked. Once, twice, three times. Haruhi smirked even wider. She carefully moved Noel onto a nearby chair, closed her laptop and flounced over to grab her jacket.
Realization dawned on him with all the subtlety and grace of a two-tonne truck. "Haruhi, don't you dare."
"I know your ring size." She repeated, eyes glittering with challenge. He threw his book down and went marching towards their bedroom, a determined air about him. She stopped, narrowing her eyes. He wasn't. "What are you doing?"
"I'm getting your Jewellery box. I know you have a couple of rings in there."
Oh, he was.
"It's not a Jewellery box."
"Haruhi, it's a box that you keep jewellery in, ergo it's a Jewellery box."
Haruhi tried to block the doorway, but he faked a right and then dived left, almost tripping over a chair in his haste to locate his target. Kyoya barely had a hand on the box before Haruhi had jumped onto his back, grappling to pull it from his hands. "Oh no you don't! Give it to me!"
"Make me." He shot back, stubbornly, holding it way out where she couldn't reach. He tried to shake her off, but her legs wound around his waist, keeping her secured in place. Considering he couldn't move very much with his girlfriend clinging to his back like a little Koala bear, and she couldn't get to the box, they had reached a stalemate. At least, he thought so. Haruhi had other ideas.
She dropped from him. Sensing freedom, he fought to escape. Haruhi rammed into his stomach and they fell backwards onto the bed, him clutching the box at his chest, her sprawled awkwardly, winded from the motion. "That was a bad idea." She admitted, pushing the hair from her face.
He stole a kiss against her forehead. She wouldn't be distracted, and went in for the kill, attacking his sides with her fingers. He dropped the box immediately, kicking to free himself from Haruhi, half laughing, half begging her to stop. She snatched it up and left the room at a run, leaving him gasping and breathless.
She needed to grab her keys, purse and then scoot. Go to a nice jeweller's and find a ring that'd be perfect for him. It didn't have to be expensive or fancy, just something that reflected him. Something he'd like. Because Kyoya was delusional if he thought she'd just sit back and let him do all the work.
With a derisive snort, she pushed the box a little further under the couch, where his more muscular arms wouldn't be able to reach, and headed towards the kitchen. Or, at least, she tried to get into the kitchen. For, quite suddenly, she was no longer touching the ground. Haruhi realised she'd made a grave error in forgetting Kyoya still had legs and would most definitely come after her for revenge.
"And where do you think you're going?"
"To get my keys. I'm going to buy you a ring."
He was laughing, arms gentle around her frame. "Don't you dare propose to me while I'm trying to propose to you!"
"Watch me." Her feet pedalled at the air.
The arrival of Noel surprised him. The cat brushed against his legs, wanting attention, and he gave a start of surprise, loosening his grip just enough for Haruhi to wriggle free. The unexpected motion startled the cat, who went skittering under the table. He reached the doorway before Haruhi, blocking her way to the kitchen. She wouldn't be stopped and slid between his legs.
"Get back here, dammit, I'm going to win this."
"I'd like to see you try."
Her phone and keys were snatched up from the counter. As an afterthought, she grabbed Kyoya's, too, and pushed them down her shirt. They went down in a tangle of limbs, breathing hard.
Kyoya's lips were against her ear. He lowered his voice to a soft murmur. "Do you really think I'm too shy to take them from there?"
The keys were cold against her skin. Kyoya's arms were around her stomach, fighting to get hold of them. He prised one of her arms away, and almost had a grip on the keys. Time to take drastic measures. She licked the back of his hand and he reeled back, shocked. Haruhi merely laughed at him, fluttering her lashes. "Really? I've done worse things."
He wiped the saliva off with a little chuckle. "Yes, but I was expecting it then."
Suddenly she was lifted up, off the ground, his hands under her thighs. He tripped on the rug, and fell against the wall. Her hands braced either side of his head, boxing him in.
His eyes flickered down, and he smiled. "You're going to go out with no shoes?"
She touched their noses together. "Like you can talk. You don't even have socks on."
His expression softened to one of pure undiluted affection. "Is there any hope that you won't fight me on this?"
"None. And thinking you can beat me is a fools dream."
He laughed against her lips. "Then I guess I'm a fool."
She hummed, the note like gold and honey, music to his ears. "Is this just an elaborate plan to distract me? You're going to steal the keys and book it?"
He pretended to look offended. "Do you honestly think I'd be that low?" She gave him a long, hard look. He sighed, shifted, and held up the keys. "Fine, you got me."
"I know you far too well."
His smile was soft, delightful. She loved that smile. It always reflected how truly happy he was. It wasn't forced, or fake. Kyoya never felt the need to hide behind masks around her. He gave a content sigh. Their foreheads came to rest against one another. "I had grand plans of how this was going to go, you know. It would be… breath-taking. The most romantic thing you could've ever imagined."
She stifled a laugh. "Oh, really?"
He tried to nod seriously, and almost smacked their heads together. "Really. I was thinking stargazing out in a field with fireflies, all mushy and sickeningly sweet. You wouldn't like a to make a huge spectacle out in front of everyone. Neither would I, to be honest."
"Don't be disappointed. I actually prefer this way. It feels more crazy… more us."
He studied her thoughtfully. "You're not going to back down on this, are you?" She shook her head, smiling innocently. "And I'm a stubborn mule, so I won't either."
"You won't budge even a teeny bit?"
"Not in your wildest dreams." Was his immediate response. But then he caught sight of her puppy dog eyes and reluctantly amended his statement. "Well, maybe a little... How about this; why don't we both propose?"
"Both of us?"
"Both of us." Kyoya confirmed, looking quite pleased with himself. "That way, we're both happy. You can do your thing, and I'll do mine. It'll be a surprise, and though I'm not very fond of them, I'm sure I'll like this one. What do you think?" He added, with an edge of hesitation.
"It sounds perfect."
Life was good.
A/N: Here's a sappy little one shot of my favourite nerds being adorably in love. Hope you enjoyed!
