Disclaimer: I own nothin'
Pairings/Warnings: SouMako, implied RinHaru, sap, fluff
A/N: More of my AO3 fics...!
Whispered Words
It was a frigid morning when Sousuke set out for his jog. He knew that Makoto would disapprove as the cold weather always seemed to flare up his shoulder and Sousuke would return home with a scowl on his face and would spend the rest of the day grunting under his breath. And Makoto would not be sympathetic, chiding him with a small look, a cock of his head, a look of recrimination that said "I told you so" but without saying it. Makoto was too kind to be an asshole about it. Sousuke had to admire that as he really, he'd deserve Makoto's annoyance.
The jog around Iwatobi had begun in darkness, Sousuke dressing in his running gear in a room only lit by the light of his cell phone screen. Sousuke hadn't wanted to wake Makoto who was having a well-earned lie in on this particular Sunday so he'd tried to be as quiet and subtle as possible. It hadn't entirely succeeded as Makoto had rolled into the warm spot Sousuke had vacated and made a sort of kitten-ish sound in protest at Sousuke leaving the bed but then Sousuke heard heavy snoring again and it appeared Jiji had decided to keep Makoto company in Sousuke's stead – the black cat curling up close to Makoto.
With a small chuckle under his breath at his boyfriend, Sousuke had left the small simple two story house they shared and began his stretches in the tight black Lycra leggings that felt like his old swimming legskins and his old Samezuka jacket – it still fitting him. He wore thick black gloves and a black hat with a bobble on top that Rin had bought him for his winter early morning jogs and once he was warmed up enough, Sousuke began to run.
It was a slow steady pace. Occasionally, Makoto would join him but this morning Sousuke had wanted to jog alone. He did sometimes miss Rin as a companion for his runs and their teasing talks and bumps of shoulders as they ran but Rin was training with Haru with the Japanese swim team and far away. And this particular morning, he did miss Rin more than usual as the reason he'd dragged himself out of bed at a ridiculously early time was due to the rolling nerves in his stomach. As today was the day he was proposing to Makoto.
It wasn't going to be anything cheesy - Makoto wasn't the type that would want some big fuss and Sousuke knew he was…, well, lacking in the romance department but for some time he'd had this particular Sunday mentally logged and he was stealing himself for the inevitable. The asking the "big" question.
It wasn't because Makoto would say no - hell, they'd been together for far too long for that. They even had a property together which was perhaps a bigger commitment than a wedding band. Plus they had Jiji and they shared joint custody of her despite the fact the black cat seemed to have a rather large streak of favouritism towards Makoto.
Of course, the ceremony would be only symbolic - the law still against their union but when Sousuke had read about ceremonies offered for same sex couples in some temples, he was quick to contact and find out more.
Now all he had to do was propose.
As he ran, Sousuke began talking under his breath, little wisps of white trailing from his lips as he practiced. His practices went from ridiculous to dumb and despite Rin's often annoying nature, he would've appreciated his best friends advice in the field of romance. It had worked on Nanase, after all, who on the exterior seemed pretty cool.
"Hey, Makoto… Marry me," he whispered, stopping and taking a few deep breaths as the cool breeze from the sea whipped his hair into his eyes.
He looked out towards the ocean, dark blue in the early morning light and he decided to slowly jog back home and ask simply in the most straight forward way he knew.
As Makoto didn't need him to rehash their past, didn't need Sousuke to tell him how he saved him as he tried to find his place in the world. Makoto already knew all that. All Sousuke needed to tell him was he wanted to be with Makoto forever. And he could do that, he thought, as his pace sped up again, his gloved fingers curling around the box in the pocket of his Samezuka jacket.
It was the safest place to hide it and as he'd run and mumbled under his breath, he'd felt it - the symbol of his future - the simple silver band that rippled like water in the sunlight.
On arriving home, Sousuke smelt bacon and as he walked towards the kitchen he saw Makoto, making pancakes and feeding Jiji bacon sneakily - doing so when Sousuke wasn't in the house to chide him for spoiling the animal. Walking towards Makoto, he discarded his hat and gloves, his sneakers already left by the door and Makoto gave a small sheepish smile, aware Sousuke had seen him treat their cat.
"Thought I'd make a special breakfast - one like Rin used to make," he said and Sousuke smiled, walking to Makoto and wrapping his arms around him from behind, burying his cold nose in the material of his soft sweatshirt.
"Hmm," Sousuke murmured and he let go of Makoto with one hand, grabbing the box and fumbling with it for a moment with icy fingers before he presented it in front of Makoto's face.
Sousuke kissed Makoto's bare neck and whispered those words into his skin. "Marry me?"
Makoto shivered from either Sousuke's cold lips or his words and without questions and doing a very Makoto-like leap of trust and faith, he answered "yeah", leaning back into Sousuke's body and kisses.
As details would be for later, breakfast would be for later, it turned off so it didn't burn, and Jiji would be fed more later but right at that moment, Sousuke was intending to think of nothing else but Makoto who would be joined with him forever.