#jeopardyevent

It was at age sixteen when people received the silver coin that would decide a large piece of their destiny. The ritual was a sort of rite of passage and involved reaching into the city fountain and choosing a coin at random. This was one of the most nerve wracking parts of a person’s childhood because it was the very first step they would take in the journey to find their soulmate. For you, it had taken a lot of reassurance from friends and family before you found the courage to do it. When you finally made your choice and held the shiny wet coin up to inspect it, you wondered if somewhere out in the world, your soulmate had been just as skeptical to plunge their hand into the cool water and pluck out their own coin.

“Careful not to misplace it,” others had warned you. “Keep it close!”

But you already knew how important it was not to be careless with something so important. Carrying the coin around day in and day out was what allowed it to collect precious data about you. Your favorite foods, your sense of humor, songs you liked, your hobbies, and countless other details were stored up. Every choice you made and every experience you had would accumulate until a perfect match for you was found.

Sometimes life was cruel though. No matter how cautious you tried to be, there was no way for you to control the actions of others. In a world full of heroes and villains, it was even more difficult to predict and plan for anything that might go wrong.

“Have a nice day!” The barista hands you your usual order with a smile and you go find a table to sit at. Years had passed since you’d begun carrying around your coin and you hardly noticed the weight of it around your neck anymore. Having it close was as much part of your daily life as stopping at the same cafe every morning for breakfast, so the last thing you’d expect was for something out of the ordinary to happen. As you step back outside after finishing your meal, you hear someone shout.

“Watch out!” Before you can properly react, someone comes barreling toward you at full speed. You throw your hands up in defense and almost miss it when a hand comes up to snatch the locket right off your neck.

“My necklace!” You shout in panic just as another figure blasts by, a blur of black, orange, and green with spiky blonde hair and a confident grin. “Don’t worry! I’m on it!” It was the same growly voice that had tried to warn you before, and now that you saw him, you easily recognized him as the pro hero Dynamight. “Come back here you damn thief!”

The guy who’d snatched your locket stops running when it becomes evident he wouldn’t be able to outrun such a persistent hero. He pulls out a knife and turns around to face off against his pursuer. You’re hardly able to process the short skirmish due to your panic, but a few things happen in almost the same instant. The villain slashes out with his knife and Dynamight lets off a small explosion. The heat from the blast forces you to close your eyes and flinch away, and when you look back you see that the hero has successfully pinned the villain down. Sidekicks show up right away to take him away while Dynamight makes his way over to you with your locket hanging from his fist.

“He dropped it while we were fighting,” he says roughly and lets the necklace fall into your outstretched hands. He notices the concerned look on your face immediately. “What?”

“It must’ve popped open when it hit the ground!” You start looking around your feet frantically, “My coin was inside it.”

“Your coin?” The hero tilts his head until understanding blooms in his intense red eyes. “Oh, it can’t have gone far.” It only takes a few seconds for him to locate the precious item, however another problem presents itself just as quickly.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me!” His sudden outburst shocks you and you see his hand instantly go to a small pocket on the side of his uniform. His fingers quickly find a small slash through the fabric from the villain’s knife.

“Are you hurt?” You ask cautiously, nervous about his apparent temper.

“No, but we’ve got an issue.” He waves you over and points at the ground where two silver coins lay side by side on the cement. “Any idea which one’s yours?” You squat down to get a closer look and feel your heart sink.

“They look identical,” you whisper before looking back up at Dynamight. Even with the mask covering half of his face, you could see that he was going through the same whirlwind of emotions as you. You both would have to just take a chance and hope that you picked the coin that truly belonged to you. And what was worse, you had no idea what would happen if you picked the wrong one. Perhaps you’d end up matched with the wrong people, or maybe you would end up not getting matched at all. Either outcome seemed horrible to you. “What do we do?” You ask softly, hoping he’d miraculously have an answer. You watch him for a moment as he continues to stare down at the two coins, his mouth pressed into a grim line. Finally, he closes his eyes and lets out a sigh.

“You can,” his voice comes out a little strained and he clears his throat before trying again. “You should just take both of them.”

“What?” You gasp, hardly believing he would suggest something like that.

“It’s my fault this happened,” he averts his eyes and crosses his arms. “I should’ve been able to catch that thief faster, or at least been able to avoid his knife. I’m not going to risk your happiness because of my own carelessness. I’m supposed to be a top hero, so the consequence should be mine alone.”

“That’s not fair!” You can’t help but protest, “Nobody could’ve predicted something like this would happen. And if anyone deserves a shot at having a soulmate, it’s a hero who risks their life for others every single day.”

“Being a hero means making sacrifices,” he reasons stubbornly. Before you can say another word he bends down to snatch up both coins. He reaches out to take your hand and gently tucks them into your palm. “Now take these before I change my mind.”

You’d seen Dynamight in the news a lot. He was a top hero despite always coming across as a bit arrogant and rough around the edges. Being face to face with him now though, you could see just how genuine and great of a hero he really was. There was nothing to gain from making this selfless gesture, and you could tell that giving away his coin had not been an easy decision. You open up your hand to look down at the coins, wondering how you could ever repay his kindness.

Dynamight lets out a sigh before moving to stand up. He’d made his choice, so there was no longer a reason to linger around. There were sure to be plenty of other people in the city that could use his help.

“Gotta get back to my patrol,” he mumbles, hand moving to fiddle with the rip in his pocket one last time as if to double check his coin was really gone. “Stay out of trouble.” He turns away and prepares to make his exit until a small gasp from you has him glancing back over.

“They’re changing!” You hop to your feet and rush over to him, holding out the coins. “Both of them!”

“Huh?” He looks irritated as he leans over to inspect the coins to see the color shifting from silver to gold, most likely wondering why his coin would change now of all times, the moment after he’d given it away. “What do they say?”

Tiny script appeared on the golden surfaces to show a specific arrangement of numbers that told the day and time you would meet your soulmate. It was what you’d both been eagerly waiting for since the moment you’d obtained the coins.

“They’re exactly the same,” you couldn’t hide your shock. “Not only that, but the time has already passed.”

“What?” Dynamite can’t help but snatch the coins back to hold them up to double check. “It’s today’s date but the time was just a few minutes ago.” He looks back at you, completely baffled. All you can do is shrug since you felt just as confused. You’d never heard of coins changing to show a moment that had already come and gone.

“Supposing we haven’t messed things up by passing these back and forth,” the hero swallows nervously, “does that mean…?” Your eyes go wide as you realize what he’s suggesting. You’d both met at the time now etched into both of the coins. What other explanation was there for such a coincidence? “You and me?” You ask hesitantly, hoping you really were on the same page. “Would that be… a bad thing?” Seeing him look so uncertain and hearing the vulnerability in his voice was a shocking contrast to the pure confidence that was normally expected from him.

“No, I think it’d be okay.” You admit shyly. Clearly there was more to this hero than people realized. He didn’t seem to be disappointed that a random civilian off the street turned out to be his soulmate. Instead, he looked scared that you might deem him unacceptable and walk away without a backwards glance. “As long as you’re okay with it?”

He lets out a small laugh at the question and then his mouth pulls into a genuine, boyish smile that has your heart jumping in your chest. This was who he was behind the hero name. “Dynamight.” As if he’d read your thoughts, he reaches up to pull off the black mask from around his head and reveal himself to you. It’s not the first time you’d seen his entire face. The real identities of heroes were hardly ever kept a secret. Still, the gesture meant a lot to you.

“Call me Katsuki,” his voice still had the familiar gruffness, but there was still an underlying nervousness as he reached out to push the coins back into your palm. It was almost as if he was telling you that he was putting his future in your hands. “What’s your name?” You tell him and he graces you with that wonderful smile again. The last of his hero persona had crumbled to bits now and all you could see was the man who had turned out to be your soulmate. You store both coins into your locket and hang it back around your neck before offering Katsuki your hand. Even though everything had happened so quickly and so suddenly, he doesn’t hesitate to slip his hand into yours. Finding your soulmate was new and scary, but both of you were ready to take the next step into discovering your destiny because you knew now that you would be able to face that unknown together.

There are seven things you love the most about your boyfriend, Keigo Takami. You’d be the first to admit that he wasn’t exactly easy to get close to due to his past and the nature of his job, but every time you took a step forward in your relationship and learned something new about him, you fell even more in love. Of course, everyone already knows what a great hero he is. That was obvious by his status as the number two ranked hero in the country. You are the only one though that knows just how great of a human being he also is.

The very first thing you’d noticed about Keigo was how obviously handsome he was. You’d seen him on your television plenty of times, but nothing could have prepared you for meeting him unexpectedly in person during a spontaneous trip into the city. You’d been running to get out of the sudden rain that the weather forecaster had failed to predict when a canopy of red feathers had appeared over your head as a makeshift umbrella.

“Looks like someone forgot their raincoat at home, huh?” You couldn’t identify him by the sound of his voice right away, but the moment he landed in front of you there was no mistaking who had come to your rescue. He made some charismatic comments while walking you to the nearest train station, but you’d been too preoccupied with the weird adjustment people had to go through when meeting a celebrity. Hawks was no longer just a character to admire secondhand through the news and social media, but a real living breathing person.

You’d had a hard time not blatantly staring at him as he filled the silence with practiced ease. It wasn’t even that you were starstruck. It was just that there was a vividness about him that the magazines and interviews had never quite captured. His eyes were intense and piercing, the golden color accentuated by the thick black markings around them. His feathery windblown hair looked incredibly soft, even with the dampness from the rain. And his wings, although being his most distinctive feature, had taken you by surprise the most. They were such a vibrant shade of red and so much bigger than you’d ever imagined. He wasn’t as tall or as buff as some of the other top heroes, but he had a presence that was larger than life.

“I wish I had an extra coat to give you,” he’d flashed you a smile once you arrived at the station that made your heart skip a little. “Or at least an umbrella, but at least you’re not outside anymore!” He’d helped you get a taxi to take you back, thinking that would be more comfortable for you than a train. And at the last second, he’d pulled off his gloves and tucked them onto your hands, telling you to get home and stay warm.

One of the first things that had really attracted you to Keigo was how fun loving he could be. He turned up the charm while interacting with citizens on the street all the time, but there was a less deliberate, innocent type of playfulness that came out whenever you got to spend time with him in private. You could tell that he wasn’t used to being so genuine with others, but the fact that he still tried so hard to make you smile and laugh when he wasn’t feeling as confident continued to fill you with immense affection even to this day.

“You’re so cute when you blush, Keigo,” you always liked to tease him whenever he realized he’d done something awkward or made a cheesy joke.

“Come on,” He’d groan dramatically even though it made his heart flutter to see the smile on your face. “I’m doing my best over here.”

Another thing that had come as a shock to you was how modest Keigo could be. He came across a little cocky sometimes in public, but saying he had an ego couldn’t be further from the truth. You’d learned rather quickly that he was very critical of himself and understood his limitations and weaknesses, both as a hero and as a boyfriend.

“I know I need to open up more,” he’d admit to you, running a hand through his hair as his wings twitched to shake off the anxiety over making himself vulnerable. “And I know sometimes I work too much. I promise I’m trying.”

It always made your heart melt when you could see the pleading look in his eyes, begging silently for you not to leave him. Of course you wouldn’t though, not when he was also so extremely brave for you. He pushed himself every single day to be more accepting of your touches and loving words, and you never felt as proud of him as you did the moment he finally sat down and revealed to you the secrets of his past. You could tell how hard it was for him, but you made sure to hold him close and assure him that he had nothing to be ashamed of.

Something that you probably should have foreseen was Keigo’s tendency to be unconditionally selfless. As a hero he put his life on the line all the time, but even with you it seemed like the word ‘no’ did not exist in his vocabulary. You appreciated the sentiment of having a compliant partner who’d move heaven and earth if you asked them to, but it was more important for you that he both knew and enforced his boundaries and limitations so that you could both enjoy the time you spent together. Relationships were about compromises, and it was something Keigo had gotten better at over time.

As much as your boyfriend had learned from you about how to slow down and be himself, there were plenty of things you’d learned from him as well. The main one that came to mind was how unrelentingly positive he could be. Keigo seemed to see the good in everything and everyone. He was never deterred by stereotypes or labels, always wanting to do his own investigations and form his own opinions. The thing he really taught you was to always hold on to hope and always do what you felt in your heart was right.

“That’s why I had to get to know you,” he liked to tell you when he was feeling particularly soft. “It pushed me out of my comfort zone, but I knew something good had to come out of it.”

The final of the seven traits you associate with Keigo is the most interesting of all. It’s something that you didn’t even know you valued until you experienced it first hand, and that is how observant he tended to be. In hero work, it could be attributed to necessary vigilance, but in your relationship, it was expressed as attentiveness. Keigo never allowed you to go a day without feeling seen, validated, and loved.

“Hey, I uh… brought you a little something.” One of your boyfriend’s love languages was gift giving, but he never was too excessive about it. The things he got you were always extremely personalized and thoughtful. It was no wonder that your heart beat in anticipation before you even knew what was in the box. “Keigo,” you run your hand over what appeared to be a large quilt folded up nice and pretty in some tissue paper.

“I know it’s hard for us to be a typical couple sometimes,” he explains with a sheepish chuckle. “I can’t even let you steal my jackets and hoodies because of my wings. So, I had some of my shirts made into this blanket so that you can snuggle up in them whenever I’m not around to wrap you up in my arms. I hope that’s not too weird.”

“It’s perfect,” you tell him sincerely, emotion welling up in your chest. Keigo smiles, relieved that you seemed pleased before coming over to take the blanket and drape it over your shoulders.

“I love you,” he says quietly and then leans in to give you a kiss.

There were seven things you absolutely loved the most about your boyfriend, but that list was by no means exhaustive. You could probably name one hundred things or more that you admired and adored about him. He was an incredible hero, and an incredible person, and you were more than grateful that you got to call him yours.

Bakugo was very pleased with his ability to balance both his work life and romantic life. His friends and the sidekicks at his agency all liked to call him a workaholic, but hardly a day went by that he didn’t make time to spend with you. Thankfully, you were as dedicated as he was to making the relationship work, and equally as willing to be flexible when it came to scheduling dates and times to hang out. Because Bakugo’s apartment was closer to his agency, more often than not you both ended up crashing at his place if it ever got too late. It was easier for him and gave him more time to make you breakfast in the morning before going to work.

You honestly didn’t mind this arrangement because, even though you had your very own house, it was worth it to stay at your boyfriend’s place which was more modern and had a lot of newer appliances that made your busy lifestyle more efficient.

“It’s good that you have a house though,” Bakugo often told you. He was really looking forward to the day he could move into an actual home with you. He didn’t want to be cooped up in a tiny apartment forever, plus he never passed up the chance to utilize all your glorious kitchen space.

You understood where he was coming from, but he never seemed to like your suggestion of selling your old home and using the money to start building a new one that the two of you could make your own.

“That’s your family home, dummy,” he’d say while wrapping an arm around you and pulling you to his chest. “I’m not going to let you sell it. If there’s anything you want to change about it, we can just make renovations. I don’t mind.”

Most of the time you just dropped the subject since it wasn’t that huge of a deal and there was plenty of time to worry about it anyway. At least, that’s what you had assumed until Bakugo started to notice things after the first couple times he’d stayed over.

“Hey, wake up!” He nudges you awake before climbing out of bed and pulling his shirt on. “I thought you had a security system here!”

“What are you talking about?” You groan while turning over to go back to sleep.

“I just heard someone walking around,” he growls. “They sure picked the wrong house. Stay in here.” Before you can get another word in, he’s out the bedroom door and stomping around the house. You roll over and yank the covers back over your head.

“The hell? I know I heard footsteps go right past the door!” Bakugo comes back a few minutes later, confusion written on his face.

“It’s nothing Katsuki. I hear that all the time,” you groan into your pillow. “Just go back to bed.”

“You hear people walking around your house all the time?” You could hear the disbelief in his voice. “I think you would’ve told me about that before now.”

“You don’t understand,” you glance over your blanket, eyes squinted with exhaustion. “I’ve heard disembodied footsteps in this house ever since I was little.”

“Disembodied footsteps?” He asks flatly, clearly not amused. “What? Like ghosts?”

“Yeah, I guess. And sometimes I see the figure of a small child when I walk into a room at night,” you add. “But it disappears as soon as I turn the light on.”

“Stop joking around,” Bakugo growls in frustration. “I actually heard something.”

“Well you said it’s gone now, so just come back to bed.” You didn’t feel like arguing over it. Your boyfriend stares at you incredulously for a moment before begrudgingly crawling back into bed and pulling you close. He makes sure to keep his guard up for the rest of the night.

The next morning, Bakugo checks all the doors and windows to make sure they’re locked, and tests the security system to confirm that it’s working before heading to work. He also insists on staying the night at your house again after his shift, just to make sure everything was truly safe for you.

“Whatever makes you feel more comfortable,” you tell him with a shrug and he scowls.

“You’re not going to convince me your house is haunted,” he says, his strong arms crossed over his chest. “And if you’re just saying all this to get me to agree to sell it, that’s going a little too far don’t you think?”

You bite back a laugh, finding his stubbornness both amusing and endearing. He wanted to be right, but he also wanted you to be safe. You couldn’t fault him for that. However, as you slept soundly that night, Bakugo tossed and turned. Every little noise registered as a threat in his mind which made it impossible to relax. When he finally heard the footsteps again, he leapt off the bed and raced out into the hallway, ready to blast the intruder away. The coast seemed to be clear, but Bakugo widened his red eyes in surprise when the sound of footsteps came right down the hallway again, leaving him with a cold eerie tingle up his spine. He followed the direction of the footsteps into the kitchen he’d always loved so much, only to stop dead in his tracks at the sight of a small hazy figure standing in front of the dishwasher.

“What… a kid?” Bakugo blinked once, then twice, but his eyes were not playing tricks on him. The little boy was really there, so he reached towards the wall and flicked on the light to get a better look. The figure immediately vanishes. Suddenly your wild claims didn’t seem so far-fetched. He turns on his heel and marches back to the bedroom.

“Wake up.” he nudges your sleeping form. “We’re going to my place. I don’t care how late it is.”

“What? Katsuki, why?” You groan, hating that your precious sleep was being disturbed yet again.

“I saw it… the kid you were talking about,” he shivers, not really feeling afraid, just kinda weirded out. He felt bad that you’d been dealing with this for so long.

“Well, you’ll have to get used to it since you want to live here one day,” a teasing grin pulls at your lips and Bakugo huffs.

“You know, you could’ve told me about all this from the beginning,” he mumbles. “If you don’t like living like this, we can build a new house like you wanted.”

“Sure,” your self-satisfied tone made your boyfriend roll his eyes. “Now go back to bed. We’re not leaving in the middle of the night.”

“Are you kidding?” he asks.

“Don’t tell me you’re scared,” you instigate. Bakugo just scoffs while sliding back in under the covers. Sure, the thought of invisible entities and phantom children running around was strange, but he found that it didn’t really bother him that much. He wondered if it was his reaction that you’d really been concerned about all along. If that was the case, he still might be able to make your old family house a home for the two of you after all.

The snow looked beautiful falling outside your office window, coating everything in a layer of pure white fluff and making the normal view of the city look so much more magical. You were content to enjoy the winter weather for now, but you knew it was going to be a problem as the work day came to an end. With a wary glance at the clock, you realize that you should probably think about how you were going to get home, sooner rather than later. The buzzing of your phone against your desk pulls your attention away from the clock and you smile as the screen lights up with your boyfriend’s name.

“Hey Eijiro!” You answer the call, “You’d better be staying warm out there today.”

Normally you wouldn’t complain about the way his hero costume showed off his lovely muscles, but in this weather he really shouldn’t be galavanting around the city half naked.

“Of course, love! Ask anyone! I’m even wearing the scarf you bought me.” He pauses to laugh lightly, a sound that always seemed to help ease your worries. “The snow is really piling up fast though. The trains are already shutting down.” You let out a groan at the news.

“That’s what I was afraid of. I suppose I’ll have to take a taxi home.” The thought was less than pleasant for multiple reasons. You didn’t live in the city center, so the cost of the ride would be much more expensive than the train. On top of that, the snow would make the commute slow, meaning you would be getting home far later than normal.

“Hey now! Did you forget you have a perfectly good boyfriend with an apartment right here in the city?” Kirishima had a knack for making the solutions to problems sound simple and effortless. “Pack up your stuff and I’ll come pick you up. We’ll go back to my place and snuggle up together.”

“What about your work?” No matter how nice his offer sounded, you hated to be the one to distract him from his hero work.

“I just finished up my patrol a couple minutes ago,” He promises. “It’s really slow right now anyways. The crime rate is always down when the weather is like this. Don’t worry, love, right now you’re my top priority.”

The sweet words have your heart skipping in your chest and finally you agree. If there was ever a good time to be selfish with your boyfriend, it was now. With the weather outside getting worse by the minute, your boss had no issue with you getting out a little early either. Soon enough, Kirishima showed up to whisk you back to his apartment where he put on a kettle of water and pulled out some extra clean blankets to bundle up in.

“Thanks again for saving me from an awful cab ride home,” you tell him honestly while taking your shoes off and getting settled. Even the trip from your office to Kirishima’s place had been long enough to let a chill sink in, and you were eager to wrap up with your boyfriend in a blanket and have a hot mug in your hands. “Guess I should’ve planned ahead and left a change of clothes here, huh?”

“No need to thank me,” Kirishima wraps his arms around you and pulls you against his chest to warm you up a little. “If I didn’t come to your rescue, that’d make me a pretty lousy boyfriend, not to mention a terrible hero.” He leans down with a smile and rubs his nose to yours before pecking you once on the lips. “And I think I might have something comfy for you to wear. Follow me and we’ll go look.”

His attentiveness made you swoon and you followed him into his bedroom to help look for anything that might fit you properly. Once that was done, he left to give you privacy to change. When you came back out into his tiny living room, there were two steaming mugs sitting on the coffee table. Kirishima was already plopped on the sofa and he beckoned you over to join him.

“This is so nice,” you tell him softly while curling into his side under his arm. He pulls one of the blankets over the both of you, then hands you your drink.

“Careful, it’s hot,” he warns, but the temperature is perfect for your cold fingers. You glance over to the window to see the snow still coming down pretty heavily. Trying to get home in all that would’ve been a nightmare for sure, and snuggling up with your boyfriend was a definite upgrade.

“If this keeps up, I might just call off work tomorrow,” you admit sheepishly, earning a playful chuckle from Kirishima who leans over to press a kiss to the top of your head.

“Let’s make a deal,” he tells you with a huge grin. “We’ll both take work off tomorrow and spend the whole day keeping warm in here or playing outside in the snow! I’ve got plenty of food, so there’ll be no reason to venture out.”

Looking up into his eyes all lit up with excitement, there was no way you could refuse. There was no way the snow would be cleared up by morning, so you didn’t see the harm in staying safe and indoors while spending time with your amazing boyfriend.

“Sounds good to me,” you nod your head resolutely, a different kind of warmth spreading through your chest. “But I might need to borrow more clothes in the morning.”

“Whatever you want, love.” Kirishima gives you a small squeeze as he laughs lightly, “I’ll make sure we have the perfect snow day.”

Being the daughter in a samurai family came with its fair share of both privileges and pressures. Unlike the girls born into lower classes, you had spent your childhood years learning to read and write as well as training in a variety of different forms of martial arts so that you’d be able to manage and protect your family home and business whenever the men were called off to war. The long rigorous hours spent with strict teachers either hunched over a calligraphy table practicing your writing or getting scraped up and bruised from honing your fighting skills could sometimes get overwhelming. It did feel like too much at times, but for you, there was one thing that made you extremely grateful for the position you’d been born into. That thing was Daichi Sawamura.

You had been very young when you’d met Daichi for the first time, but you would never forget that day as long as you lived. He was the son of one of your father’s close samurai friends, and at just five years old had already been well on his way to becoming a great warrior. It had shocked you to learn that he was already training using real swords at that time, making you feel a little shy and childish in comparison.

“A good samurai must be skilled at fighting and learning,” Daichi would say every time a new responsibility was introduced into either of your schedules. Music, poetry, art, tea ceremony, and academics were all things you were both expected to master. Seeing how hard and diligently he worked always motivated you to do your best as well.

That is how your feelings for him started out, through admiration. It was easy to think of him as a friend even though you only really saw him in passing because he always seemed happy to see you and fill you in on everything he’d learned and how much he’d accomplished since your last encounter. His absolute favorite thing to talk about though was calligraphy.

“I’m not that great with words,” he’d admit sheepishly, “but there’s something extremely relaxing about forming the characters and moving the brush across the page, one stroke at a time.”

Perhaps it was in an effort to understand him better or build a closer bond that you asked him to show you what he meant, but you found the decision to do so quite rewarding. Watching him exercise such extreme focus and concentration had only solidified the respectable impression you had of him. The way he could be so strong and intimidating, yet so gentle and precise made him the perfect image of a true samurai.

“I wrote this haiku recently. Would you mind reading it and telling me what you think?” It wasn’t the first time Daichi had asked your opinion on a topic, but the fact that he was now sharing something that had come straight from his own mind felt a little different than before. You happily agreed and found yourself offering both your compliments and advice after reading the slightly clumsy sounding phrases written in the most crisp and beautiful handwriting you’d ever seen. He’d seemed so shy but also receptive to your feedback, and it only succeeded in endearing you to him all the more. You decided to share some of your own work with him and through that the doors to an even closer relationship began to unfold. From then on, Daichi always brought you samples of his writing to critique as long as you promised to reciprocate the gesture.

At fifteen years old, things really started to change. The things Daichi had learned in theory would now have to be put into practice. He went through the rite of adulthood and received the twin swords he would carry with him for the rest of his life. You were proud of him, of course, but now he’d have to move to the capital and undergo even more intense training. You found yourself worrying about him every single day, wondering how he was doing and if he was happy.

It was a while before he was able to come back home, and when he stopped by to visit you were surprised to see that he’d changed so much yet somehow remained the same as he’d always been. His hair was longer and he’d grown taller and more muscular during his time away. Still though, he greeted you with the same warm smile and gentle eyes that you remembered as he handed you a few rolled up scrolls. You had heard him say “I wrote this” plenty of times in the past, but you felt your heart miss a beat when his greeting changed to “I wrote this for you.”

You sat and read through the various poems and stories together, each one sending another wave of butterflies fluttering inside your belly. His writing had improved a great deal since he’d left and it was difficult not to let the flowery words go to your head. Having such attention from a good, handsome man like Daichi felt extremely romantic and the enchanting emotions inside of you began to grow even more.

After becoming an official servant to the shogun, Daichi spent more and more time away from his home and you. There were always disputes breaking out between the feudal lords and a samurai was expected to go and fight whenever they were called upon. You’d grown up knowing it would be like that for him, but he eased the pain of his absence by sending you letters whenever possible. It made your heart soar to know you were always in his thoughts, even when he was so far away. It was a relief every time you received correspondence and you cherished each and every message, running your fingers over his perfectly written characters. It was easy to close your eyes and picture him concentrating hard on each one until the page was filled with lovely verses he’d come up with or tales of different experiences he’d had during his travels.

The Daichi of your imagination always paled in comparison to the real thing however. Each time he showed up at your door looking a little more handsome and wiser made it harder to say goodbye. Luckily, the feelings you had for Daichi were not one sided. After he’d proven his skill in battle and made a name for himself, he knew it was time to share those honors with you.

The day he showed up to your home with both of his parents behind him had been a little frightening for you. He’d obviously come with some serious business in mind, and you couldn’t imagine what was happening when he sat down with his family across from yours. Perhaps you should’ve realized, but it still came as a shock when his parents proposed the idea of Daichi taking you as his wife. Heat had rushed to your cheeks and you nearly melted at the hopeful smile Daichi sent your way.

“I’m glad your parents agreed so quickly,” he tells you later once you find a moment to yourselves. “But I’m more concerned with how you feel.” He holds up a hand when you try to reply and pulls out a rolled up scroll to give to you.

“I’ve told you before that I’m no good with words,” he chuckles bashfully, “but we’ve always seemed to communicate better this way. I’ve written up a list of promises I intend to keep once we’re married. Let me know what you think before agreeing to anything.”

You already knew you would agree, and happily so. Daichi was the only person you’d ever want to dedicate your life and heart to. As you read down the beautiful lines of text he’d prepared for you, it only confirms that he is the most honorable samurai to have ever lived. What he described for you was a life full of love and devotion; a life where you meant more to him than anything, even the shogun himself. Once you get to the bottom of the scroll, you tell him honestly that there was nothing you’d want more than to live that kind of life with him. As he pulls you into his arms, teary eyed and smiling, you know that every pressure you’d encountered as the daughter of samurai was well worth it for the privilege of marrying the greatest warrior and man you’d ever known.

Finral could not remember the last time he’d felt so anxious. It was sort of a strange thing to feel considering he was on one of the nearly countless perfect dates he’d planned for you since you both had first gotten together. It was getting later in the evening and he was walking with you over a grassy hill towards a small ridge. It was one of his favorite places because of the patches of wildflowers that grew sporadically around the area. Fireflies loved to dance around the colorful blossoms around dusk, and he thought it might be a particularly romantic spot to take you to watch the sunset.

“You still with me, Finral?” You give his hand a squeeze and his lilac eyes come quickly back into focus and glance over at you. Guilt and worry bubble up inside him as he realizes that not only is he making his current predicament obvious, he’s also being a neglectful date.

“I’m sorry, my love.” He offers the best reassuring smile he can muster at the moment. “I was just lost in thought.”

“That seems to be a trend with you lately,” you tease lightly, “you must have a lot on your mind. Is everything alright with the Black bulls?” “A lot on my mind?” another nervous chuckle slips from his lips. “No, no, everything is fine.”

It was kind of true. He didn’t really have a lot on his mind. Just one thing. The one single solitary thing that had been plaguing nearly every thought in his brain for several months now.

Marriage.

Subconsciously, marriage had always been in the plans for Finral when he thought about his hopes for his life. Sure, a lot of people had called him out for flirting with any cute face he’d come across, but it had never really been about a need to score dates. If Finral was crazy for anything, it was pure and simple love itself. He didn’t actually care that much about titles like boyfriend or girlfriend or developing a reputation as a player. What he truly craved was emotional intimacy; a connection with someone who loved him unconditionally for who he was. He longed to find someone who he could give his heart to and be with forever.

Over the years though, he’d experienced rejection after rejection until it seemed like it would be a miracle for someone to even give him the chance to show just how much love he had to give let alone agree to spend the rest of their life with him. Things had really started to seem hopeless after a while, but then he had the immense pleasure of meeting you.

Everything changed for Finral the day you walked into his life because you were even more than just the answer to all his hopes and dreams. You were also the calming breeze that made him forget his insecurities and brought him peace. He couldn’t recall ever being as happy in his past as he was with you. So, of course it made sense that he’d end up with the desire to marry you. Giving you his future seemed like the most natural thing to do.

“The view up here is amazing!” You turn to him with that breathtaking grin that always made his heart race every time he saw it. “I can’t believe this is the first time you’re bringing me here!”

“I was waiting for the perfect day,” he admits, and it’s the truth. He always agonized over the small details before he brought you anywhere. Was it too warm or too cold? Too windy or too cloudy? What time was sunset and were the flowers in bloom? Would it be too crowded?

He knew he couldn’t always control the way dates unfolded, but he still took great care to make each experience the best it could possibly be for you. That was just how much he loved you. Your happiness meant everything to him.

So, why was he dragging his feet and feeling so overwhelmingly nervous? Well, he’d waited so long to find someone like you. What if he ruined it by presenting you with the ring that had been burning a hole in his pocket for the past couple weeks? What if you said no? What if he lost you? The very thought made his stomach turn uneasily.

“It’s always the perfect day when I’m with you, Finral.” You go up on your toes to kiss his cheek before plopping down on the grass right before you reach the edge of the ridge. You pat the spot next to you so that your boyfriend will join you. He silently takes a seat by your side, looking out at the horizon which was starting to fade into an assortment of different colors of pink, orange, and purple.

For a moment you both stay quiet. Finral wondered if you really meant those words. Were you really truly happy whenever you were with him? If so, he was just wasting time going back and forth about his decision. He knew what he wanted and all he could

do was trust that you felt the same way. He reaches over and takes your hand into his.

“I love you,” he whispers, grabbing the box out of his pocket as the sun continues to sink in the sky.

“I love you too.” You assure him so sincerely that it takes a moment to process that he’d tucked something into the palm of your hand. There are already tears in your eyes as you pop open the box to see the shining ring inside.

“Then… marry me?”

“Yes.” The answer came with no hesitation and you turn to throw your arms around the wonderful man sitting next to you. He returns your embrace and lets out a soft laugh, all the nerves disappearing in an instant.

“Really?” He asks, happy tears streaming down his cheeks now.

“Really!” You smile.

For such a peaceful fall evening, the nearly vacant beach seemed to be alive with sounds. The lazy ocean waves lapped rhythmically against the shore, a few crickets chirped their song somewhere off in the grass, the wood on the fire popped and crackled soothingly, and the hushed conversation and laughter from you and Tooru all blended together as the sun made its descent. The slight chill in the air had deterred most beach goers from venturing out, but you and your boyfriend had decided it was a perfect night to stargaze and make smores. It had not been long since your friendship with Tooru had blossomed into something more and the thought of doing something so nice together had filled you with a giddy excitement.

“It’s gonna burn,” you warn him while opening up the box of graham crackers and pulling the large chocolate bar from its wrapper so everything would be ready to go when the marshmallows were done. You roll your eyes when Tooru ignores you completely. He was crouched down next to the fire pit, tongue poking out in concentration with his marshmallow skewer stuck into the dancing flames.

“Tooru, it’s going to catch on…” A well timed yelp interrupts your comment as your boyfriend’s marshmallow ignites. He jerks his skewer out from the fire and blows out the flames but the damage was already done. His whole body slouches in disappointment at the sight of the marshmallow that now resembled a lump of charcoal.

“At least we know it’ll melt the chocolate,” he reasons.

“Actually it won’t,” you come over and take the skewer from his hand to pull off the ruined marshmallow with a paper towel. “The top layer is scorched but the middle is completely cool, see?” You offer to let him poke at his failed attempt and he frowns when there isn’t even a trace of heat on the gooey inside of his marshmallow. You chuckle and lean into his side.

“No pouting,” you tell him encouragingly, “that’s why I brought the whole bag with us. Here, I’ll show you.” You reach into the bag and pull out a fresh marshmallow, sticking it on the end of the skewer and going back over to the fire. You plop your bottom down on one of the log benches and hover the marshmallow to the side of the fire where a few pieces of wood had broken off and started to smolder. Slowly but surely, the outside of the marshmallow began to turn a nice shade of golden brown.

“Well, look at you,” Tooru teases, his pout from before pulling into an impressed smile. “I didn’t know I was dating a smarty pants.” He stands up to go grab another marshmallow and skewer so that he can try again. Your eyes follow him instinctively and your heart gives a little skip at the reminder that you are dating now. Sometimes it still felt like a daydream.

“Aren’t you supposed to be turning that?” His question pulls you from your musings and you realize you’d started to neglect your own marshmallow. He chuckles at the way you startle and quickly pull the skewer back to inspect the damage. “Sorry,” his big brown eyes sparkle with mischief now, “I didn’t mean to distract you.”

“You wish,” you click your tongue. “Besides, it’s fine. I just need to roast the other side now.”

“Right,” Tooru sits himself next to you on the bench, close enough so that your whole side is smooshed against his. He sticks his skewer over the embers and starts rotating his marshmallow like you’d shown him. After a few close calls where his marshmallow nearly fell off into the fire, it was time to move on to the next step.

“All right, so just put the marshmallow right on top of the chocolate,” you tell him while sandwiching it all down with the top graham cracker. With the both of you working together, you’d thought it would keep the mess down to a minimum but you were mistaken. By the end, you both end up dissolving into giggles with your fingers covered in sticky marshmallow goop.

“Believe it or not, the mess is part of the charm,” you explain once you both finally have your smores in hand. “Go ahead and try it.” Tooru brings the treat to his mouth and takes a big bite, face lighting up instantly at the taste.

“Oh wow, that’s really sweet. I like it.” He hums and then lets out a laugh when you take a bite of yours. “Uh oh, you got a little chocolate there.” He points to your cheek. “Want me to get it?” The question seemed innocent enough and you found yourself nodding your head even though it was a little embarrassing to have him wipe your face. You gasp in surprise though when he simply leans in and kisses the chocolate off you.

“Tooru!”

“Sorry!” He says in a sing-song voice that didn’t sound sorry at all. “You have some on the other side too, may I?” His eyes search yours for permission playfully.

“Yeah… sure.” He leans in and kisses the other side, leaving both your cheeks tingly from the new feeling of his mouth on your skin. Your boyfriend surprises you one last time when his thumb comes up to brush your bottom lip.

“Might be a little here too?” he grins eagerly, “it’s hard to tell in this lighting.”

“Better safe than sorry I suppose,” the words slip out before you can stop them and Tooru wastes no time in pressing his lips softly to yours for the first time. Your eyes flutter closed but it only lasts a brief moment and then he’s pulling away.

“Think I got it all,” he says softly, a pretty blush spreading over his face.

“Thanks,” you let out a little laugh while reaching out to take his hand into yours. The reassurance seems to give him a bit of confidence back.

“We should finish our smores while they’re still warm and gooey, yeah?” He asks, glad that his affection had been received so well. You nod in agreement, hesitating for just a second before replying.

“Just let me know if you need to get any more chocolate off my face, okay?” Your boyfriend’s delighted look gives you butterflies and he readily agrees, ecstatic at having an excuse to kiss you again soon.

“Of course,” he tells you resolutely. “I’ll make sure not a single spot gets past my attention.” After leaning in to give you a quick nuzzle, you both go back to munching on your smores. Even as the fading daylight allows the stars to shine through more prominently, the familiar sounds of the beach persist, including the soft laughter between you and Tooru who just use the crisp night air as a chance to snuggle up closer in the light of the fire.