Spring—it is a season of change, of new beginnings—and even of death. It is the death of many things, and the birth of many things. It is the resurgence of the animals that come out of hibernation, the humans that come out of hiding to enjoy the pleasant weather, and of the bright, warm sunshine. It is the death of the ruthlessness of winter and its bitter cold.
The time is March, and the snow has finally melted from the streets of Den City. Children are out in the streets laughing and playing with their friends while their parents enjoy the lovely, balmy weather. Business has never been better at Café Nagi, and Yusaku’s ragged composition leaves no room for doubt on that.
It’s been many years since Kusanagi managed to open a bigger venue for the café and offered Yusaku a full time position fresh out of high school, and while he is grateful—so grateful—days like today run him so ragged he fears he won’t make it home without collapsing en route. The bags under his eyes are as dark as the night, his knees are so stiff he barely manages to pick himself up, and his feet—oh god his feet—they are so sore it’s painful just to walk on them.
Kusanagi always manages to take notice when Yusaku finds himself like this though, and so offers to drive him home. See, despite being a grown adult with a job and responsibilities, Yusaku never felt a need to own a vehicle. The public transit system works well enough for him, especially since he works so close to home. Both Ai and Roboppi had no trouble getting used to it—Roboppi regularly rides the bus to and from school, and while Ai usually works from home, he does enjoy his forays into the city—Yusaku is more than happy to help if he needs it anyway.
After thanking Kusanagi and waving goodbye, Yusaku slowly walks up to his apartment while fumbling with his keys, unlocking the lobby door and hobbling into the elevator. He presses the button of the floor he needs and waits to be taken where he needs to go. When the elevator stops, dinging to indicate it has made it to its destination, Yusaku yet again hobbles along and towards his apartment door, his keys loosely dangling between his fingers in their lanyard as he fumbles to get his door open.
Upon walking inside he lets out a huge sigh, placing his keys onto the hook that’s nestled closely by the entrance. The door closes with a slam that’s not too loud to wake the dead, but it isn’t quiet either.
After turning the hallway light on however, Yusaku notices something. There’s something on the floor that looks like some kind of… flower petal? It’s blue, but looks somewhat similar to the red rose petals you can buy online. Intrigued by the peculiar display, he notices they’re scattered in a way that resembles a path—leading further into his apartment. He takes a guess that this is Ai’s doing, especially given that the hour was well past Roboppi’s bedtime. Curiously, he follows the path of the petals, yawning and rubbing his eyes as he walks onward.
The path forward leads him down the entrance hallway and towards the bedrooms on the other side of his apartment—seemingly stopping in front of the main bathroom door, which is slightly ajar with some light peaking from the opening. Yusaku feels like he can hear water running…
When he opens the door to satiate his curiousity, Yusaku is greeted by Ai, who is dressed in a lilac bathrobe with fluffy slippers. He’s sitting on the ledge of the Jacuzzi—it’s nothing very fancy, it happens to take up most of the bathroom!—but it’s big enough for someone even of Ai’s size to take a bath and have their body be fully submerged. It was his one request when they went looking for a new apartment to share together so many years ago.
“ Welcome home, my dearest Yusaku-chan!” Ai greets him warmly. He’s running his hands down into the bathtub as if to make sure it’s a suitable temperature—this was the water running that Yusaku heard.
“ Do you remember what day it is today?” Ai asks, pulling his braided hair to the side.
Of course Yusaku knew what day it was today. He felt so horrible that he had to work today of all days , but there was no getting around how much he would be needed at the café today—one of their busiest days of the season.
He still felt horrible though. But it’s just a part of the job unfortunately.
Yusaku smiles, his voice gentle. “It’s our 10 year anniversary… how could I forget?”
Ai smiles as well, stopping the running water and standing up to greet his fatigued partner. He wraps his arms around Yusaku’s neck and kisses his forehead. “Happy Anniversary,” He hums, kissing the back of one of Yusaku’s blistered hands and leading him towards the bathtub.
“ I made this up just for you. It’s a lavender infused bath so it’ll help you relax. I put some fresh flowers in too.”
Yusaku nods, looking like he was ready to pass out at the mere thought of it. Wait for me to leave first, Yusaku!
“ Have a really nice bath Yusaku-chan! You look… really haggard.” Ai sighs. “It must have been hell today.”
“ Yeah, it was,” Yusaku groans. “I thought people would never stop coming in.”
“ Well…” Ai trails off, slowly beginning to unbutton the top of Yusaku’s shirt. “I might join you later if that’s okay~?”
Yusaku nods yet again, eager to hop into the bathtub and just dissolve for a while.
Ai took the hint and left his boyfriend to relax.
It didn’t take Yusaku very long to throw all of his work clothes off and hop into the steamy hot bath, feeling his body melt in the heat as his nostrils inhaled the calming scent of lavender.
This was exactly what he needed… Ai did have a habit of always giving him such practical gifts, and he was so grateful for it, but he is especially grateful today.
He couldn’t possibly think of a better gift.
Yusaku feels his entire body heat up instantly, his cheeks turning a lovely shade of rosy red as he closes his eyes thinking about nothing but the intense love he has for his beloved partner. He wasn’t always the most romantic person like Ai could be, but the blue rose petals leading to his bathroom were a really nice touch. It was just like Ai not to go the traditional route too—using blue flower petals instead of red. There were even petals scattered around the ledge of the bathtub.
I wonder if there’s any meaning behind the blue… Yusaku wonders, shifting his position in the bathtub to stretch out his legs.
He feels his consciousness slipping in and out, the scent of lavender helping to relax him and soothe his very achy muscles.
Tucked away in a corner of his and Yusaku’s bedroom is Ai, who has begun taking off his bathrobe to put on something fancy—a plum, long-sleeved cocktail dress. Its sleeves are sheer and the dress is decorated in a polka dot pattern, with a belt cinching the waist. He also puts on his signature earrings, alongside a heart shaped pendant, but he fumbles with the clasp a little bit before the necklace stays closed around his neck.
He turns around to stand in front of the full length mirror, admiring his reflection. He looks so damn good in this dress. The cutest Ai-chan you could ever imagine! He does a little twirl and watches his skirt dance around in the mirror, and giggles to himself. He loves being this damn cute, and he’s sure Yusaku will too.
Now standing still, Ai breathes in deeply, and exhales slowly, trying to calm his rattling nerves. He pats the right pocket of his dress.
Okay, the ring is in my pocket! I can do this…
Ai breathes in and out yet again, mentally preparing himself for what he’s about to do. He’s going to have a nice bath with his lover, put this dress on, seduce him in the bedroom, and ask Yusaku to marry him. Simple, right? There’s no way he’ll fuck this up!
Ai’s nerves tell him otherwise though. What if Yusaku says no? What if this moment isn’t romantic enough? What if he falls asleep before Ai can pop the question? What if he isn’t even in the mood? What if he stumbles and stutters and his words come out wrong?
… No, Ai can’t be thinking of all these ‘what ifs’. If he keeps asking all of these pointless questions he can’t answer, he’ll never propose. If Yusaku says no, that’s okay. All that matters to Ai is that he gets to spend years and years and years with his beloved Yusaku. They don’t have to be married. It’s okay. Yusaku loves him unconditionally—ten years of being together as romantic partners has solidified that.
Still, Ai can’t seem to shake off his nerves. He’ll just have to do this with some shaky hands and an increased heart rate, but it will be fine. It will all work out.
He shakes his head and starts walking back towards the bathroom, but not before making sure his black stilettos are out. They match with his new dress so perfectly after all, and he wouldn’t want to forget them!
Knocking on the door to the bathroom, he calls out, “Yusaku, can I come in?”
He hears nothing for a while and figures his partner has fallen asleep in the bath. This may put a bit of a wrench in his plans… but hopefully not.
“ Yusaku I’m coming in,” Ai announces while turning the knob on the bathroom door. He walks in to see Yusaku soaking contently in the bathtub, his cheeks rosy and his hair limp and damp.
He’s so damn cute.
Ai proceeds inwards and closes the door, and begins to slip off his dress very carefully so as to not let the small box in his pocket slip out.
Just as he begins this process, Yusaku’s eyes flicker open.
“ Ah, finally coming to join me?”
After sliding off one of his sleeves, Ai looks at Yusaku, part of his chest exposed. “If that’s alright with you. I missed you a lot today,” he confesses, blushing.
Yusaku smiles. “I missed you too, Ai. I’m sorry I had to be away so long today.”
Now slipping fully out of his dress, Ai hangs it off of the hook placed on the back of their bathroom door. He twirls his braid above his head and keeps in my place with a bunch of bobby pins. Afterwards, he walks towards the bathtub and Yusaku brings his knees closer to his chest to allow Ai the room to slip in behind him.
Ai slowly dips one of his feet into the bathtub, and then the other. He slips into the space behind Yusaku, his legs wrapping around his partner. His arms naturally go around Yusaku’s waist, as he pulls him ever so close to him.
The water in the bathtub raises and splashes a bit at the new addition, but nevertheless stays at a safe level. The steaming heat along with the lavender infusion filling Ai’s nostrils helps him to finally begin to relax. He sighs into Yusaku’s neck and finally feels his heart rate drop.
Ai can feel Yusaku lean back into him, and he squeezes him tighter.
“ Thank you for this, Ai.”
“ For me or the bath?” Ai teases. Yusaku just sighs, but he can’t even be bothered to get annoyed at Ai’s teasing. He is way too relaxed.
“ For the bath. I really needed this today…”
“ I’m glad it’s helping to relax you. You looked like you got beat up when you came home!”
Yusaku can only laugh. It sure felt like he got beat up, but Ai’s lavender bath and his loving presence made coming home even more pleasant than usual. He could feel himself getting a little bit more open with how relaxed he is…
“ Ai,” Yusaku starts. “I love you.”
The sudden confession causes Ai to squirm a little bit, the tips of his ears turning red. He giggles, pulling Yusaku closer and planting small kisses on the back of his neck.
“ I love you too, Yusaku-chan,” Ai breathes in-between his kisses, moving to plant even more on the side of Yusaku’s face.
Could there have been any moment more romantic? Ai was so foolish to believe it not to be so. All of his worries were placated just being so close with his beloved. His kissing endless, he heard a small sigh escape Yusaku’s lips—a sigh of contentment. A sigh of keep going .
And so Ai continues, his kisses endlessly caressing Yusaku’s rough skin, every bit of love that Ai has stored up releasing with each touch. Yusaku couldn’t stop himself from leaning back and closing his eyes at Ai’s gentle caresses. Ai’s touch was like a gentle healing washing over him, and he couldn’t help but to relish in it—to melt in it.
It didn’t take very long for Ai to notice Yusaku’s quiet snoring, making him stop his flurry of kisses. He hugged Yusaku even closer as he rested his head on his shoulder.
It was these moments, these quiet, serene moments, that Ai cherishes the most. Where he can be vulnerable with Yusaku, and enjoy the quiet intimacy they share.
He closes his eyes as he relaxes even further, feeling himself melting into his beloved.
Ai wasn’t sure how long he had been resting on Yusaku’s shoulder, but when he felt movement, he noticed the water had gotten quite cold. Brrrr.
He removes his arms from Yusaku’s waist and starts rubbing his upper arms to try and warm up. He notices Yusaku has started to get up and get out of the bath, so he follows suit not long after.
His hands were so pruney. How long was he in there?
“ Did we both fall asleep in the bath…?” Ai asks as he grabs a navy blue towel from the nearby shelf and begins drying himself off.
Yusaku is doing the same, trying to dry off his damp hair. “It seems so. I didn’t think you’d stay in so long.”
Ai groans, “Ough, my hands are all pruney! And my hair is so frizzy!”
Yusaku laughs as he begins to put his clothes back on, “Does it really matter, Ai? It’s well past midnight at this point.”
“ It does matter…” Ai pouts, running his fingers through his now undone hair as he looks at himself in the bathroom mirror. His hair is ruined ! It’s so frizzy! It’s so flat!
“ Just moisturize it like you usually do. I’ll help braid your hair after you’re done.” Yusaku suggests, doing up the buttons on his shirt.
Ai continues to pout, but offers a shy smile, “Okaaaaay, fine! But don’t you dare fall asleep before then!”
Yusaku giggles, throwing his sky blue tie over his shoulder. “I promise. I’ll keep the lights on in our room for whenever you’re ready.”
Ai nods, finally beginning to slip into his cocktail dress, as Yusaku exits the bathroom in his work uniform. He probably should have brought his pajamas to change into, but if he needs to keep himself awake for Ai, it’s definitely for the better that he isn’t in super comfortable clothing.
He slips into their bedroom and plops down on the bed, which is covered in navy blue sheets. He throws his tie by the clothes hamper and waits patiently for his partner to finish pampering his hair. He wasn’t sure why it really mattered this late at night, but he enjoyed braiding his hair anyway. It was an activity that always made him feel at peace, especially considering Ai had decided to grow his hair significantly, so there was a lot more hair to tie.
Moments later, Ai walks out of the bathroom with his hair down—the many strands of his long hair now silky smooth and damp. He plops down beside Yusaku in bed, his dress hugging his waist so tightly. It makes Yusaku blush, but only a little bit.
Yusaku shifts his weight so that he is sitting behind his partner, and runs his fingers through his hair. Ai hands him a thick scrunchie to tie his hair with when he’s finished, and Yusaku takes it eagerly. He wraps it around his wrist and begins to braid.
The whole while, Ai is doing his best not to pout. This was supposed to be the part where he seduces Yusaku with his sexy dress and asks him to marry him, but… he couldn’t well do that with horrible, frizzy hair! What else was he supposed to do? Seduce the man with his hair sticking up every which way? No way in hell. He had to be looking his absolute best. He was trying to think of how to change things around when his hair was done when—
“ Hey Ai? Do you still have some leftover lavender?” Yusaku asks, still continuing to braid.
Ai is taken aback by the sudden question, but answers honestly. “There should still be some in a basket in the bathroom. Why do you ask?”
“ I think putting some in your hair would be really nice… The colour looks so good on you.”
“ Y-Yusaku? Are you delirious? You’ve been a lot more affectionate than usual today,” Ai stutters, blushing at the compliment.
Yusaku can’t help but laugh, but Ai is right—he’s usually not such a lovey-dovey person. But after a long and hard and stressful day, he’s lost most of his reservations. And besides… today is really special.
“ Well… it’s a special day, isn’t it? I’m sorry I haven’t given you a gift yet… I’m waiting for it to be finished.”
“ Ooooh?” Ai responds, fascinated. “What did you get me Yusaku-chan!?” He asks excitedly.
“ I got some custom earrings made for you,” Yusaku admits, shyly. “But the artist had some things come up so they won’t be finished for another week…”
Ai giggles. Yusaku is so cute when he’s shy, especially after all of their years together. “That’s okay. I can’t wait to see them!”
Yusaku nods, continuing to braid the length of Ai’s luscious hair. He’s finally about halfway finished…!
Ai has a hard time holding back, his cheeks and the tips of his ears turning a bright shade of pink. Every time Yusaku decides to share his affection, Ai has a hard time keeping himself in check. All he wants to do is turn around and kiss his beloved all over, but he can’t do that right now! It’s so unfair.
Yusaku notices Ai has gone rather quiet, and the notice makes him concerned. “Is everything alright?”
“ Mmm,” Ai mumbles, slightly shaking his head up and down so as to not mess up Yusaku’s handiwork. “Everything is fine! Sorry for being quiet, I just…”
“ Just what?” Yusaku asks, beginning to take the thick scrunchie off of his wrist. He’s almost done!
“ I really like it when you’re so affectionate…” He trails off, his eyes glazing.
After tying up his hair, Yusaku plants a tiny kiss on the back of Ai’s neck, and hugs him from behind. He can feel his lack of sleep getting to him, but he refuses to close his eyes for even a second. This moment, this quiet, peaceful moment is one he knows means a lot to Ai, and he wouldn’t want to ruin it with his exhaustion.
“ Shall I go and get the lavender?” He asks.
Ai sighs longingly, leaning into the hug. “Yeah, I’d really like that.”
Yusaku doesn’t hesitate in his movement to get up and off of the bed, stumbling a bit on the walk to the bathroom.
Now is my chance…!
Ai sits up rather quickly, removing any wrinkles that have gathered in his dress. He taps his dress pocket yet again to make sure of the ring box’s location. Hearing it tap against his palm reassures him.
He breathes in deeply, and exhales slowly. He needs to break out of the mess he’d found himself in (breathless; hot) so he can lure Yusaku into a more intimate moment…
Ai takes the chance while Yusaku is still away to slip on his stilettos which have a purple ribbon accessory on the back of the heels. He loosens the plum collar around his neck and stands by the bed, waiting.
And just in time, because Yusaku walks into the bedroom not long after, carrying with him the basket of lavender Ai had bought earlier that day. He’s grinning from ear to ear, taking in the soothing scent once again.
“ Ai, are you ready?” Yusaku asks, eager to put this bunch of fresh, fragrant flowers into his partners hair.
Ai grins, turning to Yusaku in his heels. He smiles, softly—proceeding to kiss his boyfriend on one of his squishy cheeks. He sits down on the bed, gesturing for Yusaku to do the same, and makes sure his hair is nestled neatly behind his back.
“ I’m ready,” he answers, and Yusaku plops down behind him on their bed and begins carefully placing flowers into the braid he’d woven into Ai’s hair. Ai breathes in the fresh, calming scent of the lavender he’d picked and sighs contently.
“ How do I look, Yusaku-chan?” Ai asks, his voice placid.
Yusaku pauses, running his eyes up and down the braid he’d intricately woven, and then up and down the back of Ai’s dress. Ai always looked really handsome in dresses, but this one was especially beautiful…
“ You look um… really beautiful. The lavender matches your dress really nicely.” Yusaku spits out less than extravagantly. He really isn’t very good at giving out compliments like this but knows Ai will understand his clumsiness.
And of course he does. Ai giggles as Yusaku continues to adorn his hair in flowers. “I know that must have been hard for you. Thank you.”
A few moments later, Yusaku finishes the final touches of his handiwork, and announces he’s finished. Ai rushes to the mirror in excitement, glancing at his reflection in the mirror to have a look at how the flowers look in his hair. And goddamn Yusaku was right, it matches his dress so, so nicely. He feels incredibly adorable with the flowers accenting his hair. He twirls around and watches his reflection dance in the mirror, and he can’t contain his excitement.
Now is his chance.
“ Yusaku,” Ai begins. “There is something I want to ask you.”
“ What is it?” Yusaku asks curiously.
Ai moves back towards his partner, all the while slowly rummaging into his dress pocket to pull out what he’s been dying to reveal all night—he pulls out the ring box, and leans forward towards Yusaku.
“ I really wanted this to be a bit more special but—” Ai says nervously, fumbling with the ring box in his pocket. He brings it up for Yusaku to see, and he bends down to be on one knee.
Yusaku gasps.
Ai opens the box and it opens to reveal a ring—it has a rose gold band with crushed amethyst and imitation meteorite. There is also an arrow inlay engraved into it, and Yusaku can see his name is also engraved into the back of the band.
“I love you, Yusaku. I know in the beginning we hurt each other—a lot—neither of us knew how to trust each other back then. But we grew closer gradually... I don’t know when my feelings really changed, but when we fought against Bohman together I felt a closeness with you that I’ve never felt before. And then after everything that I did—betraying your trust, fighting against our friends, and then making you decide how I was going to die? You never gave up on me. You never gave up on our future together—one where we both live together in peace. And you made that future real, Yusaku. We’ve been together for 10 whole years and I couldn’t be happier to be wrong.”
Ai stops to catch his breath.
“You mean everything to me, Yusaku. Every day I get to wake up to your sleeping face and it is all I could ever want. You, me, and Roboppi, we’ve been a family for years, but... would you do me the honour of deepening this bond? Will you marry me, Yusaku-chan?”
In his tired, delirious state, Yusaku can’t stop himself from crying—which definitely was not a reaction Ai had accounted for. But Yusaku just nods, squeaking out a “yes” when he finds his voice again. His emerald eyes have become glossy, and they can’t take their eyes off of the ring that Ai has now so generously placed on his left ring finger.
“Ai...” Yusaku trails off. Finding the words to how he is feeling is a difficult thing, especially given how heartfelt Ai’s proposal was, but he tries his best.
“I... never could have imagined I’d feel this way about anyone, especially not you.” Yusaku begins to say. “I couldn’t trust anyone for so long and you were one of the first ones to see through that. You always kept pushing, and at the time it annoyed me to no end, but... when the fight with Bohman started, I could feel myself beginning to open up. And you were there that whole time, helping me and being my friend, despite how cold I had been to you. Between you and Takeru, I could feel myself healing. Ai... I love you. You’ve made me the happiest man alive right now,” Yusaku confesses through tears that haven’t been able to stop falling from his eyes.
“That is all to say, um... Yes, I want more than anything to marry you, Ai.”
Ai just can’t bring himself to be calm. He wraps Yusaku in a hug, spinning him around the bedroom. His eyes quickly fill with tears and his nose gets stuffy.
“ Ai love you!!!!” He yells, wrapping his arms around him so tightly and squishing one of his cheeks into one of Yusaku’s, causing the boy to yelp.
“ Ai—” Yusaku spits out. “Hey, that hurts!” He winces.
“ Oops!” Ai gasps, releasing his tight grip on the boy. “I got too excited…”
Yusaku sighs. But still, he can’t be too mad about it.
“ Can I thank you some other way then…?” Ai asks, his voice sultry.
“ Huh…?”
Ai doesn’t respond to Yusaku’s confusion, only cupping his cheeks in his palms. His golden eyes have fully glazed over now, and Yusaku finds himself stricken. His face heats up and his heart rate starts to quicken. His exhaustion has made him feel a lot more vulnerable than he normally would be in this situation... He even starts to feel his knees getting weak—though that may be more from exhaustion.
Ai places his glossy lips onto Yusaku’s, kissing him with so much fervour he could barely keep himself together. His love for Yusaku was so overwhelming and overflowing and he had to show that love immediately or he was going to combust. He closes his eyes, continuing to brush against Yusaku’s lips, his appetite increasing with every moment that passes between them.
Yusaku feels his knees buckle, so he rests his body closely against Ai’s—which he isn’t complaining about. Being so close allows him to feel Ai’s body heat against his own, similarly feeling the silky material of his dress against his rough skin. He places his arms onto Ai’s chest, dissolving into the kiss. Yusaku’s head won’t stop spinning at the rush of affection, and he finds himself closing his eyes. He can’t help but to let out a small sigh at the pleasure.
Ai smirks at the sighs Yusaku is now emitting, and so he continues. He moves his hands to gently push Yusaku down onto the bed. He places his hands into his lovers, and pushes them above Yusaku’s head. He feels Ai push their lips closer together, and Yusaku can taste the plum flavour from Ai’s lip gloss. He lets out a small moan as Ai continues to kiss him, and an even louder one when he feels his tongue enter his mouth.
“Yusaku...” Ai groans, moving to kiss the side of Yusaku’s neck.
Yusaku sighs heavily as he feels Ai bite down, his teeth sinking into his supple skin. He can hear Ai fumbling with his dress, lifting one of his legs onto the bed. The skirt has risen up his legs quite significantly, and Yusaku adores the sight of it. He can see part of a garter belt that Ai is wearing to hold up his black knee socks—they’re black with a cute heart shaped accessory in the middle of it.
“ Will you love me forever, Yusaku?” Ai inquires, running his tongue and his teeth up and down the sides of Yusaku’s neck.
“ Ah,” Yusaku sighs as Ai’s lips at last return to his, and he breathes into his partner with delight.
“ I will love you as long as you’ll have me,” Yusaku answers, his breath erratic.
Ai grins, licking Yusaku’s chapped lips. “That’s forever then darling~”
Just as Ai releases his hungry tongue from Yusaku’s lips, he hears the door swing open.
“ Master? Aniki? What are you doing?”
Ai looks up only to see Roboppi standing sheepishly in the doorway, and he feels his robotic soul leave his body. He laughs awkwardly.
“ Uhm, Roboppi… what did I tell you about knocking…?”
“ I’m sorry…” He whines. “But I had a really bad nightmare…”
Ai’s annoyance quickly dissipates as he moves off of Yusaku and kneels down on the floor as he wraps Roboppi in a hug.
“ Sorry, Roboppi. Do you want some company?” Ai asks, concerned.
Roboppi nods, his eyes bearing a trickle of tears. Ai pats him on the head, rubbing away the tears he’s cried.
“ Can you give me and your Master a moment? I’ll keep you company tonight.”
Roboppi nods yet again, and takes off from their bedroom to wait outside of the door. He didn’t want to be very far, because being in his room by himself wasn’t a very appealing situation… He closes the door and waits patiently in the hallway.
Ai turns to Yusaku yet again, who has just gotten his composure back—somehow. He rubs the part of his neck that Ai was just smooching and giggles.
Ai approaches him and gives his one cheek a quick kiss. “Can we continue this tomorrow morning?” He asks, continuing to kiss Yusaku over and over again.
Yusaku escapes from Ai’s grasp for but a moment to respond. “Of course. Do you need me to help keep Roboppi company?”
Ai shakes his head. “No, I’ll take care of him myself. You need to get some sleep, sleepyhead!”
Yusaku laughs, and then yawns. He is truly so damn tired.
“ Especially if we’re going to continue this in the morning… you’ll need all the rest you can get, Yusaku-chan~” Ai teases, which causes Yusaku to blush.
“ I’ll get lots of sleep then. But don’t hesitate to call on me if you need me. Roboppi is a teenager now.”
“ Yes yes, I’m sure I’ll be fine though—it’s just Roboppi. He’s probably just had a nightmare about monsters under his bed again.” Ai sighs. “Why does he have to watch horror movies at school…?”
Yusaku chuckles, leaning forwards to give Ai a quick kiss on the lips. “I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
Ai smiles at the affection, and ruffles Yusaku’s hair. “I hope you know you’re never getting rid of me now, you know. You’re going to be mine forever.”
Yusaku smirks. “That’s the idea.”
Ai blushes, his face beaming. That was exactly what he wanted to hear the most. That his darling Yusaku would be his forever.
His kisses Yusaku’s forehead, and makes ready to leave the bedroom. Just before he closes the door, he whispers, “Good night, Yusaku.”
After the door shuts, Yusaku flops down on the bed and sighs contently. He looks at the ring on his finger and beams. The colour was just what he would expect from Ai—it was simple, yet intricate. It was so hard for him to imagine that he’d be marrying an Ignis—that he’d be marrying Ai… but he couldn’t imagine being with anyone else, now or in any other lifetime. No one has ever or will ever understand him like Ai does. They share a special connection that can never be severed, and while he’s clumsy at expressing himself, he’s grateful for Ai. For everything he’s done and for everything he will do. Nothing could ever possibly come between their connection.
Yusaku smiles, tossing off his buttoned shirt and pants to finally change into his pajamas. He tucks himself in under covers and closes his eyes, his mind only focusing on Ai. He falls asleep to a dream of an upcoming wedding, imagining the sight of an Ai donned in a wedding dress…