Every single day without fail, Oha Asa would list out the ranking for each of the twelve zodiac signs, and their respective compatibilities and lucky items of the day.
And every single day without fail, one Midorima Shintarou would listen to these daily broadcasts, listening intently to every word the announcer spoke, paying especially close attention to the lucky item of the the for Cancers.
Also every single day without fail, Midorima would buy said lucky item, if he didn't already own it; no matter how strange or absurd it may be.
Plastic frog? No problem, he already had one.
Rubber duck? Of course, this he also had one of already.
Red balloon? Sure.
Pink rubber rain boots with little cartoon monkey faces on them? Yes, fine whatever.
After years and years of collecting, Midorima had built up quite a large collection, filling up most of the available space in his home. One item a day does add up; even if a few were repeated more than once over time, but that's besides the point. He firmly believed in Oha Asa horoscopes, as well as blood type compatibility. Very rarely had they been wrong throughout his lifetime, so why should he not continue to believe in them as he ventured into adult life?
When Takao Kazunari first met the green-haired miracle, he thought it was both extremely hilarious and outrageously strange to carry around such oddball items on a daily basis, all in the hopes of improving an individual's luck for the day.
But Takao quickly got used to the other's quirks and strange antics. Although that surely didn't stop him from finding every opportunity to constantly tease Midorima about it. It also didn't help that he was just so easy to tease and poke fun at.
Needless to say, the Midorima did not enjoy the teasing. He did in fact only put up with it for one specific reason;
He, Midorima Shintarou, loved Takao Kazunari.
Now, Midorima wasn't typically the type of person to outwardly share his feelings, he was a very reserved person in fact. Usually, he kept any feelings he may posses to himself, and would often times become a tad bit aggressive when expressing his feelings (or just being a 'tsundere', as Takao called it).
Over time though, Midorima had started to do or say small things to let Takao know about his feelings.
For example, staying after practice to help Takao with 3-pointers or improving his form. Or willingly help him with his homework, not calling him names when he would get a problem wrong.
Takao wasn't stupid, contrary to popular belief, and was actually pretty good at picking up on hints. But no normal human would connect either of those things to having romantic feelings for a person; unless that person happens to be Midorima Shintarou. It wasn't until the end of their second year of high school that Takao started to suspect that something was up with the way Midorima was acting.
On top of helping him with basketball and homework, the miracle would occasionally let him ride in the rickshaw instead of pedaling, and would willingly invite him over on the weekends to hang out.
While these were slightly shocking at first, Takao soon grew accustomed to them.
But there was one thing in particular that shocked Takao the most:
Midorima would go out of his way to pick up the daily lucky item for a Scorpio, which just so happened to be Takao's sign, on top of his own.
They were nearing the end of their first year at Shūtoku when he first received Scorpio's lucky item, all because they were ranked last, and Cancer first. This surprised Takao immensely; but then it started happening more and more frequently. One time turned into once a month, then once a he knew it, Midorima was bringing him his lucky item, on top of his own, every single day without fail. It was then that Takao knew that something was definitely up with his classmate.
And it was over the summer of their second year, that Midorima had finally got tired of waiting for Takao to figure it all out, so he confessed his true feelings, and Takao finally figured it all out.
They started dating soon after.
When they got back to Shūtoku for their third and final year, they were the best Captain/Vice Captain power couple the Shūtoku basketball team had ever seen, and were likely to be the only one it would ever see.
That brings the two of them here, six years later.
Six years of living together through both Pre-Med and General Education school.
And quickly approaching their seven year anniversary.
Usually, Takao was the one to go all out for anniversaries. Planning big and extravagant dates, surprising Midorima at school, or even attempting to cook fancy dinners. And each and every one would end with the best sex either one had had up to that point, and was one-upped by the next year.
But with year being lucky number seven, Midorima had to do something extra special.
He wanted to do something to thank Takao for putting up with him for almost nine years. Nine years is a long time to be with anyone, especially when this person was the biggest tsundere nerd on the entire planet. Only Takao would be able to put up with him for that long, most people would leave him in less than half that time.
The easiest part was actually just deciding to do something special.
All that was left was the hard part:
Deciding what exactly it was that he wanted to do…
Once he figured that out, he'd have to find some way to plan it in secret, since he and Takao did almost everything together now.
They lived together.
They ate together.
They slept together (in both senses of the term).
They even listened to Oha Asa each morning together.
And they'd been doing this for years.
So it wasn't like he could just out one day to plan or call someone to talk about it without being called out on it. On top of that, they had very little free time. What with Takao being a full-time elementary school teacher, and he always being on call at the hospital, and having several classes on top of it all.
Sure he could just nonchalantly ask his co-workers for advice, but there was no way he would ever do that. Plus Midorima doubted that they would be of much help to him anyways.
It wasn't until a few weeks later that Midorima finally got the opportunity to plan in private.
Midorima was home alone one day, since he didn't have any work or classes to attend to that day, and Takao was at the school. He worked with the little elementary students down the street, and he'd be there till at least 4:00. So Midorima went into his office, sat at the large oak desk in the middle of the large room, and opened his laptop to search for some ideas on the internet.
But everything he came across just didn't seem like it would be right. Some things were way too vulgar and embarrassing for him to do. Others were too cliché to even give a second thought.
Just as he was about to give up hope, his phone started to ring. Looking to the screen, he saw that it was none other than Akashi Seijuurou calling him.
In all of the years since Teikou, Midorima had kept in touch with his former captain. They called each other to talk every once in awhile, although they didn't talk that often, since the both of them were so busy. Midorima with Medical School, and Akashi with running his family's business.
Picking up his phone, Midorima pressed the button to accept the call. He lifted the phone up to his ear, "Hello?" The custom of asking the phrase in such a way confused him greatly. Most of the time he knew exactly who was calling, so it was pointless to ask like that, but he always just went with it anyways.
"Shintarou, hello," the voice on the other end answered.
"Akashi, hello. How are you?" Ever since middle school, Akashi had used the first names of the Generation of Miracles to them. It seemed like most of them used some form of nickname; -chi, -chin, or -kun (although that was the most acceptable out of them). Even Takao had used a nickname, calling him 'Shin-chan'. Midorima had always prefered to use people's family names when referring to them.
"I am alright, and yourself?"
"Likewise," Midorima paused. "Was there a specific reason for calling today? Or was it just to talk like old friends?" He didn't want to sound annoyed, but he really did not want to get distracted. He needed to focus on the task at hand, not reminiscing about old memories.
"Actually, I do have a purpose for calling you today. I do hope I'm not interrupting anything important by calling you so suddenly," Akashi stated.
"No, you weren't interrupting anything. So by all means please continue."
"I plan to," Akashi paused, and Midorima could tell that he was wearing a grin on his face, without even seeing him. "Well, a little bird told me that your seven year anniversary with Kazunari was quickly approaching…" Correction, it was a shit-eating grin, the tone of his voice gave it away.
"Yes, it is," Midorima replies.
"And it's lucky number seven, how exciting. Congratulations."
"Thank you. And yes, it has been seven long, and wonderful years."
"Have you planned anything special yet?" Midorima's breath caught in his throat, and Akashi snickered. "I thought so, I know you too well Shintarou. You know that is exactly the reason why I'm calling you today. To help you out in your time of need."
Midorima scoffed, "I am not in a time of need. I don't need your help, I have plenty of ideas already!"
"Oh really? Let's hear them then…" When Midorima didn't answer, Akashi deadpanned, "Exactly, you don't actually have any ideas. But your damn pride won't let you say so." Akashi was right, he had absolutely no ideas, and their anniversary was in only in a few short weeks.
"What sort of ideas did you have in mind?"
"Well…" Akashi started to list off numerous ideas, all of which Midorima had previously thought of. After a few minutes of Akashi naming ideas, and Midorima shooting it down immediately, the redhead had to use his final resort. "Well, have you thought of the future you would want to have with him at all?" Midorima froze. Of course he had! He'd thought about it since before he had realized his feelings for Takao, and Akashi knew he had, so why was he asking? "More importantly," Akashi began when he once again didn't receive an answer. "Have you thought of the next step in your relationship with Kazunari?"
Next step? They've already done everything except-
Marriage.
Midorima had also thought about marriage, but he had never dwelled on it for too long. "I have yes…"
"And..?" Akashi questioned. After a pause, he continued. "The thought of marrying him doesn't disgust you, does it ?"
"No, it doesn't," he answered a little too quickly.
"There you go! I have a solution for you. When the day of your anniversary comes, you propose to him."
"I-I don't know Akashi…"
Akashi sighed, "Kazunari obviously loves you. So why wouldn't he want to marry you?" Akashi did have a point. Why wouldn'the want to get married? Takao had stuck with him for this long, why not the rest of his life? He could go with the obvious answers, but Midorima really didn't want to think of that right now… Or at all really.
"I don't see why he wouldn't…" Midorima mumbled.
"Exactly, Shintarou. It's the next logical step for the two of you to take. So what's stopping you? I'm positive, that there is noway Kazunari would turn you down if you actually plucked up the courage and asked him."
"I know but still…" Akashi sighed as Midorima answered him, he knew that this would happen. He spent the next few minutes trying to convince his friend to actually to do it. Ever since middle school, Akashi had always had his friend's best interests in mind, and the fate of his ex-teammate definitely fit under that category. "At least give it some more thought before you abandon it completely. And that wasn't a suggestion, it was an order."
"Alright, I will. Thanks Akashi."
"It's my pleasure Shintarou. Goodbye." Midorima was about to bid him farewell, but Akashi had hung up before he had the chance to do so. Sighing heavily, he set his phone down next to the desk lamp, turned in his chair to look out through the window.
For the rest of the day, and throughout the next week, Midorima thought long and hard about what he wanted to do. But is what he wanted the best thing for them? For him? Marriage was the next logical step for them to take as a couple.
It wasn't until he was lying in bed awake one night, with his arm cradled around Takao, who was snuggled up close to his side, smiling dreamily, that he finally came to a decision. It was the best possible thing for them to do. Whether Takao would be happy with it or not, only time could tell, because Midorima would surely need a lot of time, at least a few weeks. But he could only hope for the best; otherwise their relationship might be ruined forever.
This just had to work.
It just had to…
When the day came, Midorima made sure to wake extra early, everything had to be perfect. The more time he had to set everything up, the better.
Now Midorima was usually the first one awake, even on weekends when he could have slept in. So Takao didn't think much of it when he woke up in their shared bed alone. Though he can't say that he wasn't even a little disappointed to wake up to an empty bed, no warmth left to even say that Midorima had spent the night there.
Sitting up, he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, blinking a few times after to adjust to the brightness of the room. Midorima must have drawn the curtains when he woke, the rays of light were casting the room in the glow of the morning sunlight.
Takao swung his legs over the edge of the bed, standing up and stretching his back. He put on his favorite pair of house slippers before trudging over to the connected bathroom to relieve himself, as he did first thing every morning.
After relieving himself, Takao took off his pajamas, throwing them in the hamper before stepping into the shower. He turned on the water, which startled him to a fully awake mind because of how cold it was, cowering at the back of the shower as he wait for the water to heat. He really shouldn't be surprised that the water was cold when he first turned it on, as this happened to him almost every morning. Soon it began to warm up, making the raven haired man sigh in content. He liked to take a shower first thing in the morning, that way he would be clean and fresh for whatever the had in store, Midorima felt the same way. Although he liked to sing in the shower, whereas Midorima prefered not to.
Once he was all clean, he turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, grabbing a towel to dry himself off. He put his pajamas back on after he was dry. Although he did put on a fresh pair of underpants, they had been neatly folded on the counter of the sink. Midorima must have predicted that he'd forget to grab a pair before showering and put them here to wait for him. Which wouldn't be that hard of a feat, considering he forgot to grab a pair almost every time he took a shower.
Walking back out into the bedroom, he was surprised to see that Midorima wasn't in the room. The miracle always met him here after he finished up in the bathroom, but today he wasn't there. Odd. His boyfriend wasn't one to stray from tradition, but maybe he was still in the hall and just hadn't reached their room yet…
He walked into the hallway, Midorima wasn't there either. He peeked into each of the rooms on the top floor, looking for the green-haired miracle. Midorima wasn't in their room, any of the guest rooms and bathrooms, or the laundry room. "Shin-chan?" The man wasn't in any of the upstairs rooms. Where the hell was he?
Just as he reached the top of the carpeted staircase, Takao could smell something coming from the ground floor. He couldn't quite tell what it was from his position, but he made his way the the steps, smirking because he had found where his lover had been hiding this whole time; the kitchen.
Stepping down onto the hardwood flooring of the ground level, Takao quietly padded his way into the dining room. He was surprised to see the table elegantly decorated with formal placemats, napkins, silverware, plates, and a vase of flowers sat in the middle as a centerpiece. Takao immediately knew that this was Midorima's doing. Everything was so neat and proper, plus he had said he'd do something special for their anniversary, which just so happened to be today. A single rose lay on his plate, but it was the vase of flowers which piqued his interest. Upon inspection, he saw that the flowers were lilacs, his absolute favorite. Which smelled amazing , but not as amazing as the smell that was coming from the kitchen. A fancy breakfast must have been what Midorima had meant by 'something special'.
Sneaking into the kitchen, Takao saw Midorima in front of the stovetop oven, he appeared to be cooking something. The smell was unmistakable, the green haired man was cooking pancakes and bacon, which genuinely surprised him.
Nonetheless, Takao smirked and quietly tiptoed his way up to Midorima, who didn't notice his lover sneaking up behind him. When Takao was within reach, he wrapped his arms around the other's waist, causing him to drop the spatula that he had been holding. 'What the-?" Midorima started. but was cut off by someone snuggling against his spine. He turned to see Takao smiling brightly up at him.
"Good morning Shin-chan!" he cooed, the whites of his teeth showing as he grinned.
"Ah, good morning…" Midorima turned the stovetop burners down, and waited for Takao to move or say something else, but when he did neither, Midorima spoke again. "What exactly are you doing?"
"Happy anniversary!" Midorima smiled, turning around to envelope Takao in a tight hug, which
Takao happily returned.
"Happy anniversary, Kazunari," he replied, placing sweet kisses on the top of Takao's head, who grinned even more. He loved that Midorima had started to use his first name, even if the first time he had done so was a few years ago, every time he heard the other use it, Takao couldn't help but smile. But when he realized Midorima had only kissed the top of his head, his grin quickly faded into a frown. He pouted his lips and widen his eyes, silently asking for a proper kiss. Midorima sighed and shook his head, leaning down to place another quick kiss on Takao's lips. As their lips connected, Takao grabbed the front of Midorima's shirt, pulling him down to try and deepen the kiss, but his lover pulled back. "Not right now, later."
"Later?" Takao asked, feigning an air of innocence, "Ooh~. What do you have planned for later?" A blush quickly covered Midorima's face up to the tips of his ears, as he stammered out a response.
"I… I hadn't necessarily planned anything beyond this m-morning… So if you wanted to do something, we'll just have to w-wait and see what happens and go from there…" God, Takao loved teasing his boyfriend, because he got all flustered and blushed a lot, something only he was allowed to see. But what Midorima had said wasn't entirely true, but it wasn't necessarily a lie either. He did have something loosely planned for this morning, but beyond that was open territory, and he knew Takao would take advantage of it if he could.
"And what exactly did you have planned for this morning, pray tell?"
Midorima sighed and pushed Takao away leading him by the shoulders out of the kitchen and out towards the dining room. "Please just wait in here until I'm done." Takao smiled and did as he was told, taking his seat at the dining room table. He picked up the rose that was sitting on his plate and held it up to his face. As Midorima went back into the kitchen he could hear him mutter 'If it all hasn't burned by now, idiot…" Takao had to try hard to stifle his obnoxious laughter.
Takao didn't have to wait more than a few minutes before Midorima returned, holding two plates of food, setting them in front of Takao, who beamed at him as he took his seat across from him. "You made me pancakes," Takao stated, although he'd already known that.
"I did. Happy to see you have the ability to identify what food is on your plate," Midorima retorted. Takao smiled, pouring on a generous amount of maple syrup onto the fluffy stack of pancakes on his plate, before using his fork to get a piece of pancake and put it in his mouth, not breaking the eye contact with Midorima as he did so. His eyes fluttered shut with a moan, one that Midorima took to mean that the pancakes were satisfactory, not arousal.
Takao took more bites of his pancakes before speaking again, "I can't believe you actually made me pancakes!"
Midorima scoffed, "It's not that special, they're just pancakes.. I don't see why this is so amazing to you"
"Yeah, but it's pancakes that my loving boyfriend slaved over the oven to make for me on our anniversary! So of course it's special!" Takao paused, smiling at Midorima's flushed face. Adorable. "And need I remind you of every other time that you've attempted to make pancakes? How they've either been burnt to a crisp or landed on the floor after trying to flip them?" Midorima turned his head away in embarrassment and pursed his lips, mumbling out a 'whatever'. Takao just smiled and continued eating what was left of the pancakes on his plate, not lifting his gaze from a very flustered Midorima, who noticed his prolonged staring.
"Shut up, Kazunari. And hurry up…"
"Why? What if I wanted to savour every bite of the meal that my precious Shin-chan worked so hard to prepare for me," Takao said, drawing out the last part for emphasis. "And aren't you going to have any?"
"No, I already ate before you woke up. And I said to shut up, I don't want to miss today's Oha Asa…" Midorima didn't add the part about needing any amount of extra luck he could get today, he didn't want to spoil anything. "It starts in a few minutes, so hurry up." Takao obliged, shoving the rest of his pancakes into his mouth. smiling at his lover, cheeks stuffed with food. Midorima stood up shaking his head, walked over to Takao and took his now empty plate away from the table. Just as he was about to walk away, Takao stood up and pulled on his arm, tugging him far enough back to give Midorima a kiss.
"Thank you Shintarou." Midorima nodded and blushed, walking quickly back into the kitchen, as Takao's laughter could be heard behind him.
Takao walked into the living room, still laughing. After years of living with Midorima, you'd think he would have gotten used to it by now, but every time that he made the man blush, it still sent him into a fit of laughter. Sitting down on the large couch in the middle of the room, Takao's laughter died down as he waited for Midorima to return from the kitchen. Within a few minutes, Midorima came out of the kitchen and sat down shoulder to shoulder with Takao, grabbing the remote on his way down. He aimed it at the television to turn it on, setting to the right channel for the Oha Asa broadcst. There was still around five more minutes before it actually started, so they left it on the same channel, as something neither of them cared about, played in the background. The two were left to their own devices, silently sitting next to each other, hands intertwined between them.
"So Shin-chan, are you ever going to tell me just what you had planned for today?" Takao asked, swinging his leg over Midorima's to straddle his legs, now sitting face to face, arms wrapped loosely around his neck.
"No, I am not going to tell you. You will just have to wait a little longer. Be patient."
Takao pouted his lips and whined, his fingers playing with the ends of Midorima's hairs on the back of his neck, "But I wanna know now ! You're supposed to be nice to me today, and right now you aren't, and it's our seven year anniversary you know…"
Midorima shushed him, "I am well aware of that fact. But be quiet, Oha Asa is starting now." This caused Takao to pout even more, he really wanted to know what his boyfriend was planning, and he didn't like waiting. Although, if he had to admit it, Takao was enjoying this new secretive version of Shin-chan. He was easy to tease before, but now it was even easier to get him all flustered and blushing, something Takao loved to do. Maybe if he played his cards right, he might get to see this side of him again. Though he would definitely need luck on his side.
Midorima nudged him just as Oha Asa had begun. Takao smiled in acknowledgement before slumping against Midorima's chest, resting his head on the other's shoulder, looking at the intricate designs of the throw pillows to his right. "Yes! Scorpio is in first place today. Make sure to spend time with those closest to you, expect good things to happen! You have an exceptionally high compatibility with Cancer today. Your lucky item today is a special gift of gold from a loved one." A loved one huh? Maybe that's what Midorima had been planning, but then how would he know the lucky item ahead of time?
A gift of gold from a loved one? Thank god, luck must be on my side today, Midorima thought, glad that things were working out to his favor on today of all days. He was pulled out of his thoughts as the broadcast announced the next horoscope.
"And the star sign that is in last place today is- How miserable! It's Cancer. Today isn't your day to be taking any unnecessary risks! Make sure to have your lucky item with you at all times, just in case. You have a high compatibility with Scorpio today. Your lucky item is a single red rose." How could this be happening? He couldn't be in last place, especially not today! Midorima was beginning to panic internally, the horoscopes for the other signs playing in the background, when Takao raised his head to smile reassuringly at him.
"Don't worry Shin-chan! I'll give you some of my luck, plus you had that rose on my plate from earlier, everything's gonna be alright!" Midorima smiled, he appreciated it, he really did. But he was afraid it wouldn't be enough. He was so wrapped up in his internal panic, he didn't hear Oha Asa wish the listeners a good day as the broadcast ended.
Takao seemed to notice his internal strife, because he asked, "You okay Shin-chan?" Midorima just nodded in response. "Are you sure? You're acting pretty strange right now, and you're all stiff… Does it have something to do with being in last place today? Because if it is, don't worry, I'll protect you from any bad luck that comes your way!"
"I'm afraid that's not going to help in this situation." Before Takao got the chance to ask what kind of a situation this was, Midorima pushed him off of his lap, got up and walked away into his study across from the living room, and firmly shut the door. Takao was left on his knees, grasping the back of the couch, wondering what the hell was up with his green-haired lover.
Turning around, Takao pouted his lips as he sat back down on the couch. What the hell was his problem? This was absolutelynot the way to treat the one person you love more than anything on your anniversary. He picked up the abandoned remote control and turned off the t.v. because it was bothering him.
Takao sat in silence for a few minutes, before he got tired of waiting. Grumbling to himself, he stood up and walked out of the living room, to the still closed door of Midorima's study. Angrily, he knocked on the wooden door a few times. When he got no response, he yelled, "Hey, Shin-chan! What the hell are you doing in there?"
From the other side of the door, Midorima answered his question quietly. "I-I'm just finishing up some work papers."
"Work, seriously ? Couldn't you take a break, just for today?" Takao asked, raising his voice angrily. This time he received no response, causing him to sigh. "It's our anniversary… I don't want to fight, especially not today, I just want to talk. Can I please come in?" From inside the study, Midorima sighed, looking down at the gift box resting on top of the grand piano where he was sitting. He didn't want to fight either, it would ruin his whole plan. He'd come so far, why had he chickened out now? "Shin-chan, I'm coming in okay?" Midorima's head shot to the door.
Just as Takao was turning the handle to open the door, Midorima stood up and shouted desperately, "No! Wait, I'll come outside. Just give me a minute." He heard Takao say a meek 'okay' in response. He stood up from the piano bench and walked over to his desk. Using the silver drawer key, which had previously been resting on the edge of the desk, Midorima unlocked the bottom desk drawer, and set the small gift box inside. He couldn't risk Takao seeing it early, especially when he wasn't ready to present it. Making sure to lock the drawer, he placed the key in his pants pocket so he wouldn't lose it, walked over to the door, opening it to see Takao still standing there. Hearing the door open, Takao looked up at Midorima with confusion and disappointment written all over the soft features of his face.
"Are you done with work now?" he asked.
"Yeah, I am. I just had to finish up one small thing that was due today." He saw how Takao was looking at him, and it broke his heart. He hated seeing Takao like that, even more than he hated lying to him. Midorima pulled him into a tight hug before continuing. "I'm sorry. I should have finished it at the office yesterday. But now I'm all yours for the rest of the day." Takao looked up at him and smiled.
"Does that mean I can do whatever I want with you?"
"Ah no, that is not what I meant…" Midorima said, looking away from Takao's alluring gaze and indecent smirk.
"Does that mean no sex?" Takao asked suggestively, causing Midorima to stare in him, dumbfounded.
"That is also not what I had meant…"
"So… Is that a yes on sex?"
"No. Yes-no. Yes we can… But no, not right now, later possibly." Takao smiled widely before pulling Midorima down for a passionate kiss, which Midorima gladly accepted. He wrapped his arms around Takao's waist pulling him even closer, and Takao put his around Midorima's neck. After a while, Midorima pulled back, looking Takao in the eye. "At eleven I scheduled you an appointment for a full body massage at your favorite place in town," he stated. Takao looked at him in shock.
"You did? Seriously?"
"Yes, and if you don't leave within the next few minutes, you're going to be late. Hurry up."
Takao smiled and kissed him again, "Thank you Shin-chan."
"You're welcome. And after that, you've got an appointment with your hair stylist, you could use a trim, now get going…" Midorima said, twisting a lock of Takao's hair in between his fingers. Takao obliged, walking over to the front closet to get his shoes, and slip them on. Midorima walked up behind him, wallet in hand and open. Takao looked at him in confusion when Midorima handed him money from his wallet. "When you're done go out and buy yourself something nice to wear, like a new dress shirt and pants."
"You're not coming with me?"
"No, I have something to do here…" Takao's look of confusion quickly turned to one of anger, and Midorima noticed right away, promptly giving an explanation. "Don't worry, it's nothing bad or work related. It's just something I need to do with you out of the house, because it's for you…"
" Another surprise? Shin-chan you spoil me~!" Takao teased. Midorima pushed him by the shoulders out towards the door, a blush covering his face again.
"Hurry up or you're going to miss your appointments, and since there's no refunds, if you miss them you're paying me back."
"Okay, Okay. I get it Shin-chan. I'll get out of your hair. But promise me this surprise will actually be worth not spending a majority of our anniversary alone, while you're at home doing who knows what."
"I promise, it will all be worth it." At least he hoped it would be anyway…
"It sure as hell better be. And one more thing," Midorima looked at him curiously as Takao slowly turned to face hm. "Kiss me." It wasn't a request, and Midorima obliged, leaning down to press a light kiss to Takao's lips. Takao pressed back before turning the handle on the front door and pulling it open. He walked outside and waved at Midorima who stood on the front porch as Takao got into his car, turned it on and pulled away.
After Takao was out of sight, Midorima closed the door and collapsed against it. He had at least four hours before Takao came back. He just hoped it was enough time to set everything up.
Sighing, Midorima pushed himself off of the door and walked towards the stairs leading to the second floor to retrieve everything he would need for this evening. His walk slowed as he passed the open door of his study. The gift box still lay in the locked drawer of the desk, where it would stay until Takao returned home this evening. Would Takao like it? Midorima huffed, quickening his pace, he shouldn't dwell on 'ifs', but instead be focusing on the task at hand, setting everything up in the allotted time. This was going work, he was sure of it.
And what if it didn't? Cancers were ranked last today, even if he had a high compatibility with Scorpio today, he wasn't sure if he wanted to take that chance. Before going upstairs, he quickly went into the dining room where the rose that had been on Takao's plate was laying peacefully on the table. He picked it up feeling the soft petals between his fingers, contemplating his options. Walking towards the stairs, he tucked the rose in his back pocket, making sure not to crush the fragile flower, he couldn't afford to have his lucky item ruined, especially since he had decided to go through with his original plan.
Takao walked out of the dimly lit men's clothing store, out into the brightly lit city square, just as the sun was starting to set. The square was basked in the orange and pink light of the setting sun. He'd done just as Midorima had asked him, go out and buy new dress clothes. The shirt and pants he had bought were some designer brand Takao didn't care to remember the name to, all he knew was they were on the more expensive side of things. This didn't bother him much, as Midorima had given him enough money to pay for it with some to spare, plus it was their anniversary, he deserved to spoil himself every once in awhile. Grasping the plastic bag in his hands, Takao walked over to the parking lot to his car.
Unlocking the car, he threw the plastic bag into the passenger seat, and climbed into the driver's side. Putting the keys in the ignition, the turned them, and the car hummed to life. He pulled out of the parking lot and into the evening rush of traffic.
Spending hours alone today, really gave Takao a lot of time to think about what Midorima could have planned for later this evening.
A fancy dinner? No, Midorima couldn't cook.
Stargazing? Possibly, if the sky stayed clear when it got dark.
Some sort of pet? No, Midorima with a pet? Yeah, that's not happening anytime soon.
Go see some sort of theater show? Maybe, it would explain why he had to buy new dress clothes.
A movie night in? He could see that, but why dress clothes?
A wonderful night of the best sex either had ever had? Very likely , but they did that every year, so it wasn't all that special. Midorima had made it sound like something new, not something they did every year…
Takao sighed, gripping the steering wheel tightly. Just what could Midorima be up to? Why had he wanted to be alone for long?
What if he's going to propose? Takao froze, thankfully he was at a red light, or he probably would have crashed. What if he was? I mean, it has been seven years, that's his lucky number… Takao shook his head, turning onto his street. Midorima wouldn't do that, he'd never be able to pluck up the courage. He smiled as he pulled up into the driveway, got out of the car once he had pulled the keys out of the ignition.
Walking up to the door, Takao fiddled with the house keys in his right hand, as the plastic bag containing his new clothes was in his left; the setting sun casting his shadow onto the dark wooden door. Shin-chan wouldn't though… He'd chicken out too much. My adorable tsundere boyfriend~! He turned the doorknob to see if it was locked. Takao sighed as he pulled the door open after he found it unlocked. If I wanted to actually get married to that nerd, I'd probably have to be the one to propose, lord knows, Shin-chan won't do it… As Takao stepped inside the house, silence eerily greeted. Odd, Midorima should be home, the door was unlocked. "Shin-chan? Are you here?" No response, very odd.
After taking off his shoes, and placing them into the hall closet, he walked into the living, no Midorima. Pouting, he walked into the kitchen, he found it empty as well. the study door was open, so he couldn't be in there. And he could see from his position in the middle of the kitchen, that his lover wasn't in the dining room either. Everything was quiet, nothing out of place, other than a missing Midorima, and the piece of paper resting on the granite countertops. Takao walked over suspiciously, picking it up, he read the neat handwriting.
Takao,
If you're reading this, I can assume that you have returned home from your day out. I hope you enjoyed yourself, and actually went out to buy something nice to wear like I asked.
If you did, please go upstairs and change into it after you have read this note. Please freshen up and brush your teeth/hair before coming back downstairs.
I have prepared dinner for this evening, but it won't be done for awhile. So while you wait, please get dressed. There is absolutely no rush, so please take your time.
Once you finish, come back here to receive further instructions.
-Midorima Shintarou
So he really did have something planned for this evening. Takao smiled as he set the note back where he found it, and walked through the kitchen and dining room, and up the flight of stairs to their bedroom.
The stairs creaked under his weight. He walked to their bedroom, making sure close the door behind him, Takao set his shopping bag on their bed. He pulled off his shirt and pants before taking out his new dress shirt and pants from the bag. He'd bought a soft purple button up shirt to contrast his gray eyes, along with a pair of black pants. Picking them up, Takao walked into the bathroom and firmly shut the door. Placing the clothes on the counter, Takao decided to brush his teeth and freshen up before getting dressed. He didn't want to get his new clothes dirty before he saw whatever Midorima had planned for him.
He spent his sweet time brushing his teeth and hair, just as Midorima had asked him to do. He also made sure to use his favorite cologne, because he knew it drove Midorima crazy, especially during sex. After Takao was done. he walked out of the bedroom, out of their room and down the stairs.
As he reached the ground floor, he noticed something was different. All of the lights had been turned off. During the time he was getting ready, the sun had set, so the house was dark enough for Takao to not know where any of the furniture was, so he could very likely bump into anyone of them. He walked blindly into what he believed to be the front hall, before he saw a soft light coming from the living room.
Deciding to investigate, Takao walked carefully into the living room, and around the couch. Everything was the same as before, except now the curtains were drawn closed, there were flowers in vases and a few lit candles on every flat surface in the room, casting a soft glow on the walls. A single piece of paper, lay on the coffee table in the middle of it all. Another note? Slowly, Takao walked up the table, carefully picking up the note, not wanting to knock over any of the flowers or candles.
Takao,
If you followed the instructions from my first note, you are now fresh and dressed in your new clothes. (If you aren't then I have no idea what you were doing upstairs for so long)
At this time I ask you to please go into the dining room, and follow the path. You will know what I'm talking about when you see it.
-Midorima Shintarou
Takao set this note down back in its place, smiling as he looked at the decorations that Midorima had put up. This was all too sweet, how could anything top this? What Takao didn't know, was that something very much would top this, and he would find out what that was soon. Very soon.
Hesitantly walking out of the living room and into the dining room, he realized what Midorima had meant by a path. From the entrance of the room, Midorima had set out two rows of small white candles, leading to the sliding glass door that opened up to the backyard. A few petals, of what he assumed to be roses, lay in between the rows of candles, almost inviting him to walk forward. And he did. Slowly, Takao walked up to the door and slid it open.
As he stepped outside, Takao's jaw dropped. There were even more flowers and candles out here. On top of that, there were strings of different colored paper lanterns coming from the side of the house to the tops of the newly bloomed cherry blossom trees, marking the little stone path that lead to the garden patio light up. Along the stone steps lay even more candles. And standing in the middle of the patio, next to a set of cast iron table and chairs, was Midorima. He was sharply dressed in his best suit, a soft orange dress shirt paired with a dark gray pair of pants and over coat; he smiled warmly at Takao as he approached. "What's all of this for Shin-chan?"
Midorima held out his hand, which Takao accepted. "Happy Anniversary Kazunari." He raised Takao's hand to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on the top of it, making Takao blush. Releasing the hand, Midorima motioned for the chairs. Takao stepped over to sit in a chair, which Midorima pushed in for him, before sitting down across from him. The table in front of them had two glasses of red wine in them, a small vase of lilacs, two plates, and a larger one in the middle with a cover, preventing Takao from seeing what was under it.
"What's under the cover?" He asked curiously. Instead of a verbal answer, Midorima lifted it up and set the cover aside on the ground. Under it was a large silver platter of his favorite food. Takao looked at Midorima with a wide grin,"You made me kimchi."
"I did," Midorima replied. Takao smiled as he helped himself to a large portion. Midorima watched intently as he took a bite. Judging by the face and sound that he made, Midorima could infer that Takao enjoy it.
"Oh my god, this is amazing! Where did you learn to cook like this?"
"Um… well… I may or may not have taken a few cooking lessons from Kagami," he mumbled, clearly embarrassed, and Takao could tell. He stood up and leaned over the table to place a soft kiss on Midorima's cheek before sitting down again.
"Thank you," Takao whispered, Midorima only nodded in response, quickly looking down at the table as he grabbed a smaller portion of food and put it on his plate.
The two ate in silence, Midorima bouncing his knee under the table nervously, Takao didn't seem to notice, he was too busy stuffing his face anyway. After a few minutes more of silence, just as they were finishing up the meal, Takao broke the silence. "Say, we never did get your lucky item today… How did you not die today? Because we both know how you get yourself in the position where you could die if you don't have it with you…"
Not making eye contact, Midorima replied, "I just used the rose I had laid out on your plate this morning, I hope that's alright with you."
"Of course it's alright! I can't have you dying on our anniversary, now can I ?" Midorima chuckled quietly under his breath. Takao hadn't yet noticed how nervous he wa, which was a good thing. "Say, we never got mine." Takao continued after a pause, and Midorima froze in his seat, just as he was in the middle of taking a bite of food. "I mean, I know Scorpio was ranked first today, but still. You usually get it for me regardless of what rank I am."
Midorima didn't respond, he couldn't because he was too nervous to speak, he had a hard enough time trying to swallow the food in his mouth. His hand immediately went to his pants pocket, where the gift box that had previously been kept locked in the study now resided. Reaching into the pocket, his fingers grasped the small box, as if holding onto to it for dear life. His face was most likely showing the nervousness he felt, and by now Takao would surely notice.
"Shin-chan… Are you okay? You look pretty tense." And Takao had noticed, his hand grasping Midorima's other hand which rested on the table.
At this point it was now or never. Midorima had seconds to make the biggest decision of his life. One that he actually had already made, but that was a few weeks ago. This was now. The moment where it all happened. Where weeks of planning came into play.
"Shin-chan?" By now, Takao had abandoned his chair. and was kneeling in front of him, face contorted with worry. Midorima turned to look at him, and Takao's face lit up a little more.
Suddenly, Midorima stood up, pushed in his chair and quickly walked farther into the garden of hydrangea bushes, leaving Takao still crouched on the ground. Standing up, he hesitantly walked over to where Midorima was standing, his back turned towards the raven-haired man.
Takao raised his arm to stretch out his hand towards Midorima's figure. He was about to place his hand on the other's shoulder, when Midorima abruptly turned to face him. Startled, Takao took a step back, quizzically looking at the serious expression on Midorima's face. "Shin-chan…? What's wron-" Midorima interrupted him before he could finish.
"Takao Kazunari." Midorima looked him in the eye, and Takao could clearly see that he was nervous. But reason as to why, was beyond him. He was about to confirm his boyfriend that it was indeed him, but Midorima continued before he got the chance to. "Do you recall how earlier you had mentioned that we never got your lucky item for today, even if you were ranked first?"
Takao hesitated to answer, he wasn't sure if it was rhetorical and Midorima would interrupt him just as he was about to speak. After a moment of silence, Takao thought it okay to answer him, "Yes, I do recall me saying such a thing. What of it?" Now he was suspicious. Just what was Midorima doing?
"I have a new horoscope for you." A new horoscope? Now this was interesting. "But this one is different from the others, this one is good for the rest of your lifetime." He stared at Takao, as if looking for an incentive to go on, like he wasn't sure if he really wanted to continue, or that he needed a push. So Takao nodded, signaling for Midorima to proceed.
Midorima took a deep breath, looking down at his shoes. His hand went into the pocket to retrieve the small gift box, taking it out of the pocket, and holding in his hand behind his back. Looking back at Takao, he continued on with his well rehearsed speech. "As of today, the Scorpio born on the twenty-first of November, will always be ranked first. Ranked not on luck, but place in the heart and mind of the Cancer born on the seventh of July." November twenty-first? That was him, and the seventh of July was Midorima. Where was he going with this?
"Today marks a new beginning for said Scorpio and Cancer, on their seven year anniversary. A new chapter in their lives. One that neither of them will ever spend alone, for one will be by the other's side until the day they die. This will all be set in stone by a vow made between the two, in front of family and friends. The lucky item, good for a lifetime, will be identical, and will serve as proof of the vow made. This all depends on your answer to the most important question…"
What the hell was he talking about? New beginning? Never alone? A vow ? A ring ? the most important question? He couldn't mean…
Could he?
"Takao Kazunari," hearing his name, Takao stood up straighter, staring into Midorima's tense green eyes. "I understand that you must be very confused right now. Just give me a moment more, and I swear to you it will all make sense." Takao hesitantly nodded, and Midorima once again continued.
"I have known you for for over nine years, all of which have been the best years of my life thus far. At first, I wasn't sure what to think of you; a small, obnoxious, loud, and annoying boy who had vowed to get revenge on me. But I later learned that you were still obnoxious, loud, and annoying, but also kind, funny, amazing, and beautiful; everything that I wasn't. And you eventually grew on me, becoming my best and first friend, completing my life in the best way. Before I knew it, I had fallen in love with you.
"I never expected you to return my feelings, but you did, and for a moment I was the happiest man on Earth. And everytime time we were together, or were even in the same room, the feeling returned, and to this day it has yet to disappear." Midorima paused, taking another deep breath. Behind his back, he was fiddling with the gift box, turning it over in his hands. "I… I have been meaning to ask you this for a while now… And I believe that you have been waiting longer than I have." Now Takao was really confused, what was he talking about?
Takao's question was answered when Midorima lowered himself down onto one knee, the hand with the gift box still behind his back. Takao gasped, his hands slowly raising to cover his mouth.
"Takao Kazunari. My best friend, and the love of my life. Would you please do me this one honor..." Takao's breathing sped up, was this going where the thinks it's going? If it was, he might just pass out. "Will you marry me?" Midorima pulled out the gift box from behind his back, opening it up to reveal the most beautiful gold ring Takao had ever seen.
Eyes watering, Takao tried to stifle a whimper behind his hands, but it didn't work. He stared at Midorima, who looked up at him, both nervously and slightly annoyed.
"Well? I'm going to need answ-" but he was abruptly cut off by Takao jumping onto his shoulders, effectively knocking them both to the ground. Takao latched onto Midorima's shoulders, body shaking with violent sobs. Midorima pushed himself off the ground, sitting up and cradling Takao to him, and was about to ask him if he was alright, but Takao answered before he could ask.
Through his tears, Takao mumbled, "Yes…"
"Yes?" Midorima asked, just to clarify that he'd heard correctly. Takao lifted his head off of Midorima's shoulder, furiously nodding, his crying more intense now. Smiling, Midorima took Takao's hand and slipped the ring out of the box and onto its designated finger. At this time, Takao had stopped crying, using his other hand to wipe his nose, still a mess.
Once the ring was in place, Midorima gently cradled the side of Takao's face, using his thumbs to wipe away any leftover tears. Takao tried to say something, but could only sniffle, causing Midorima to smile warmly. He tangled one of his hands in Takao's hair, before pulling him down for a kiss, which Takao happily returned.
At first it was sloppy, but Takao soon composed himself, and the kiss became more passionate. After a few moments of happily kissing his new fiancé, Takao pulled back to catch his breath, resting his forehead against Midorima's as he whispered, "Thank you Shintarou…" Midorima smiled and gently kissed him on the lips.
"You're welcome." He pulled Takao into a loving hug, and Takao rested his face against Midorima's neck. Around them, the wind began to blow gently, causing some of the pink blossoms from the trees around them to slowly fall to the ground.
"Hey Shin-chan?" Midorima hummed in response. "Will I become Midorima Kazunari, or will you become Takao Shintarou?"
Midorima sighed, "I suppose that's up to you. I wasn't necessarily planning on changing my name, but if you wanted to you could. Or you could keep the one you have now."
"I guess you're right." He paused for a moment to consider his options, "The more I think about it, the more I'm liking the sound of Midorima Takao, so I might go with that…"
"Whatever makes you the happiest, Kazunari." Takao smiled, he didn't deserve this. But he'll keep it regardless, Midorima was his alone now, and from now on. And he was Midorima's, just the way he wanted it.
After a few minutes of the two holding each other, still sitting on the patio, Takao broke the comfortable silence. "Hey Shin-chan? I have a question of my own to ask…"
Midorima turned his head the best he could to look at his fiancé, "What is it?"
"Can we have sex now?" he bluntly asked. "We have to one up last year, don't we?"
Midorima froze, and Takao laughed at him. "Shut up…" Takao lovingly kissed his neck as an apology, but stopped when he heard Midorima mumble, 'Yes we can have sex now', causing his smile to grow and hug Midorima closer, who in turn hugged him closer as well.
The both of them were enjoying being held by the other, and looking forward to the years ahead. They would spend them together.
Every good morning and goodnight, every stolen kiss, every conversation, every glance, every 'I love you', every shared moment. They would do it together. Neither of them could ask for anything different, they were perfectly happy with how things turned out.
And were ready to face whatever the future had in store for them, just as long as the other was by their side. Which they would be; every single day, without fail.