author's note: sorry im excited to post, take it as a sorry for not updating yesterday 😳 also if ur reading pls comment i'm desperate for comments😩🖐🏼✊🏼
February 8
Hanae swallowed the lump growing in her throat as she held onto Kyoya's hand tightly. He'd convinced her to wear a blindfold after they got off his car, telling her that the surprise would be worth it, and he was now leading her through the darkness.
She would be lying if she said she wasn't confused though.
This was their third 'date' and they were in the middle of winter, but he'd warned her to wear light layers, and wherever they were–it was warm.
She could feel sand dragging through her feet, and she could hear the water crashing into–what she could only assume was–the shore... but that made absolutely no sense, there was no way they were at the beach.
"Kyoya, where are we going?"
She heard him chuckle and then she felt his hands slip away from her own before they landed on her shoulders.
"We're here," She could practically hear the smile on his lips as he took the blindfold off and her heart nearly stopped when she saw the scene laid out in front of her.
She blinked rapidly, doing her best to take it all in, there was a gazebo-like structure with white curtains draped around the edges, and fairy lights hung from the ceiling. On the inside, there was a small table with woven pillows and a rug.
"What's all this?" She whispered as she looked at the pretty scene.
"I figured we could go somewhere more private tonight," He began pulling her towards the elaborate set-up and she could feel her hands begin to get sweaty as she kneeled down on the woven rug.
He did say that he liked her... maybe he was trying to make things more official? Maybe he was going to ask her if they could make things exclusive, or maybe even ask her to be his girlfriend?
She could feel her cheeks begin to flush at the thought so she bit the inside of her cheek and looked up at the glass ceiling as he popped open a bottle of white wine.
If he did ask her out officially, would she say yes? If she did agree, the relationship itself would be short-lived anyways, her mother was definitely trying to arrange another marriage for her, so she would have to end things with him the second her mother found another suitor.
She closed her eyes and shook her head, she should stop worrying so much about a future she couldn't do anything about. She had to live in the present she had to enjoy the little freedom she had left. She took a deep breath and did her best to center herself back into reality.
It looked like they were inside a make-shift beach... a waterpark?
"Going all out for our third date," She looked up from the plate of fruit that had been set in front of her, with a mischievous smile on her face. "You trynna get laid or something?"
"Not tonight," His eyes scanned her down and he flashed her a confident smile. "Still worn out from last night."
"You have no stamina." She sneered.
His hand landed on her thigh and she felt a chill run up her spine. "Wanna test that theory out,"
"No way," She shook her head, her nose crinkling. "We're not having sex with all this sand around."
"That's what stopping us?"
"That's what stopping us." She laughed.
"What a shame." He smiled before he wrapped his hand around her own, and it instinctively made her lips tug upwards.
Conversation flowed like water in a steady stream for the rest of the night, she didn't know if she hated or enjoyed that, time always seemed to slip away from her when she was near Kyoya.
Things, in general, seemed to move smoothly around him, before she realized what they were doing, they had leaned against the huge pillows and she'd draped her legs over his own.
The world just always made sense around him, hell she didn't even carry her pack of cigarettes when she knew he'd be around anymore.
"Rain?" He snorted.
"Yes, rain, asshole. I don't know, I just love storms, the smell, the sound, the feeling of the cold rain, sleeping in the rain... I just love it." She rambled as she looked up at the sky, and she almost didn't catch the way he looked at her.
But unfortunately for him, she did notice.
"What is it?"
He raised an eyebrow.
"You're looking at me, do I have strawberry on my teeth?" Her hand instinctively shot up to her mouth.
"No," He looked down at the ground, as he drew circles around her thighs. "I just love hearing you talk about things you're passionate about."
Her breath caught in her throat and her eyes flickered down to his lips, the atmosphere around them suddenly growing thick, and she realized how close to each other they were.
So close that she could feel his nose brush past her own.
She felt every muscle in her body tense up so she pulled away quickly, "A–Actually, I almost forgot to show you... I don't know if this is weird but I got you something."
She dug into her bag and she could feel her face grow red when her hand landed on the squishy gift. "Here it is, I saw it at the store and I thought it kinda looked like you,"
When she brought the small, white stuffed bear up to his face, she didn't expect him to laugh.
"Stop!" Her ears felt impossibly hot and she threw her head back on the large pillow. " You know what screw you–"
"No–no it's... it's adorable." He picked the tiny bear up from her hands and he smiled when he saw the small accessory on its face. "It even has glasses."
Hanae's lips formed a flat line, and she nodded, her hand instinctively going up to brush her hair behind her ear.
She didn't tell him that she'd made the glasses separately and sowed them on herself with the help of a thousand tutorials.
"I know it's dumb, but I–I thought it was cute and I wrapped a happiness amulet around its neck." She looked down at the ground. "It's small enough to fit in your pocket... it should bring you good luck if you carry it around."
"I will, thank you." His face was soft as he placed the bear in his pocket, careful to not damage it, but that's when his hand brushed against the small velvet box, and he could feel his leg begin to move on its own.
Was he shaking?
"Are you okay?" He felt her delicate hand hold his own and his heart skipped a beat when he looked into her worried eyes.
"I'm fine." He averted her gaze, and she could tell something was off.
"Kyoya, you don't need to be scared, I–I'm not trying to move things too quickly–"
"Quickly? Things aren't moving fast enough," He replied making her eyes widen and her lips part in shock. "Hanae, I want to be with you."
Her eyes were wide as she looked up at him
"Kyoya, I don't–I don't know what to say, I don't know– the way you make me feel–" She was cut off when his warm hand landed on her jaw and his soft lips met her own, she closed her eyes and let herself melt against his grasp, but just as quickly as he'd pulled her in, he jerked his head away abruptly.
"What–What is it?" She asked, her eyes wide.
"I lied to you, Hanae." He mumbled his face flushed.
She felt her stomach sink and she began to pull away from him
"Lied?" She shook her head, her lips parting slightly.
"Do you remember when I told you, I thought I loved you?"
She nodded, and she could practically hear her heart hammering in her chest.
"I lied, I knew I loved you. I've known since New Years." He said holding her hands tightly, and if she was shocked at his confession, she wanted the earth to swallow her whole when she saw him get down one knee.
"What–What are you doing?" She stammered frantically as he pulled out a small velvet box from his pocket.
"Hanae I know this is sudden, but I know what I want in life." He swallowed his nerves as he looked up at her, at the woman he'd fallen so stupidly in love with, and he opened the box to reveal a fifteen-karat diamond ring.
"I love you, and I know you might not be there yet, but... I–I have never felt anything so intensely before. Every day I wake up and you're the first thing on my mind, I look forward to seeing you because you're the best part of my day, you're the only person I feel comfortable being vulnerable around, you're the first person in life to make me feel nervous. And I want you to be the person in my life, I want to wake up every day and see you lying next to me, I want to spend every single day of my life with you."
Hanae only blinked as she looked down at him, she tried to speak, but she couldn't string together a sentence.
Kyoya could sense her apprehension and before he realized what he was doing he was placing the box in her beautiful hands, and closing it in her palm.
"Please don't give me an answer yet, think it over for a couple of days."