#themagnusbaneffect

Planning Ahead- Or, “Prideship Proposal Time!”

Early one morning, before they’re even out of bed, Kaiba nuzzles at Atem’s cheek and asks him out to dinner. Which itself isn’t unusual, Kaiba has the most free time in the evenings after all, and being with Atem has finally given him a good enough reason to dine out rather than at home (or alone in his office) all the time. But the thing is… it’s not really like him to plan it only a few hours in advance.

Which means he must have had it scheduled already just in case Atem said yes, and waited until then to seem spontaneous.

And when Atem puts that together, it….is honestly really cute to him? And definitely like Kaiba. So Atem kisses him and says sure, he’d love that. And doesn’t think anything of it.

His first sign that something was different should have been when Kaiba actually didn’t change their reservation when Atem asked if they could try that new place that just opened, instead (very gently) insisting on one of their more favored places. But Kaiba almost always let’s him pick, and they were already getting dressed up more for their usual spot, so again, Atem doesn’t really think much of it.

(in his defense, Kaiba hasn’t pulled on a shirt yet. so.)

Kaiba kisses his shoulder as a thank you, and tells him to take his time getting ready, since they’ve got plenty of time left before their reservation, and while Atem doesn’t dally he does take extra care to do himself up that evening. A little more gold to frame his eyes, the wings of his liner making them look a little more sultry than usual. Highlighter on his cheekbones with a soft sort of shimmer in it… the earrings Kaiba bought for him last christmas, the pendant from his birthday. He’s a stunner even before he slips on his clothes, and Kaiba just sort of watches him with a soft look for as long as he can before Atem catches him looking and laughs, gesturing at the sloppy job he did with his tie. “Distracted, are we?”

“Maybe..” Kaiba smiles, and Atem rolls his eyes in amusement as he steps forward to redo it for him. A skill he developed literally only for occasions such as this.

“You’re incorrigible.” Atem says, a small smile taking over his own face. Sweet and warm.

It tugs at Kaiba’s heart, the familiarity of it all. Domestic bliss already.. he’s never had so much nervous energy converted to excitement so quickly. “I love you.” He says, one of the softest voices he’s ever used.

Atem looks up with an eyebrow raised, not sure what he’d done to spawn that kind of reaction. And that look on Kaiba’s face… He thinks he maybe knows what’s going on, then, but he doesn’t say a word. Just kisses him (quickly, careful not to get any of his gloss on Kaiba’s skin and accidentally cause a media frenzy…. again)

The drive there is a jittery one for the both of them, but the good kind. The ‘we keep glancing over at one another when the other’s not looking’ kind of jittery. The ‘I can’t wait to get there and see what happens’ kind of jittery.

(Atem catches Kaiba looking once, just once, on the way there. Kaiba calls him beautiful and Atem feels a rare heat flood his face at the words. He’s not really the type to blush, but..)

Atem’s not sure what he’s expecting when they get there, but a restaurant (his favorite restaurant) rented out just for the two of them isn’t it. Normally Kaiba likes for everyone to see them, to put a hand on the small of Atem’s back, or vice versa, and walk into a room knowing everyone must be dying of jealousy for how happy they are together. What a perfect couple they clearly make. And he’s even more sure…

He admires the candles, the flowers, the only table set in the whole place being theirs. Soft music playing in the background, and it’s the song that makes Atem realizes it’s made to look like their first proper date. Without having to ask he already knows he can expect the menu to be the same despite this place ‘Trendily’ changing the actual menu every six months. They don’t serve older items for anyone, is the word. And yet, as it’s handed to him, there it all is.

“Kaiba…” Atem says, the name having become something of a cheeky endearment over the years, toted out in playful moments like this. One hand partly covering his face as his smile grows a little wide, an odd but cute quirk Kaiba’s never tired of watching. “This is too much….”

(Kaiba’s confidence takes a small dip, and he takes a deep breath, measures out some calming thoughts. A silent reminder to himself not to expect the worst, that Atem clearly means things like this in an idiom way the way anyone would, and not in the ridiculously hyper-literal way his pessimistic mind throws at him despite no one ever meaning it in such a way.

But the doubts don’t stick like they used to, and Atem’s laugh has always cut right through them anyway)

Atem drops the hand and looks at Kaiba with nothing but pure affection, and for the first time that night Kaiba has a sneaking suspicion Atem knows exactly what he’s there to ask.

“I just… wanted it to be special.” Kaiba says, and Atem looks like he’s about to melt in his seat at the words.

“It already would have been.” Atem admits, maybe breaking the facade, but finding it worth it to say so. And by Kaiba’s smile, he’d say he made the right choice. “Still, this… this is beautiful, Seto. I’m never going to forget it.”

He reaches for Kaiba’s hand across the table, and Kaiba takes it without hesitation.

Kaiba had planned to propose in the garden outside the building, the whole place done up in lights in a way that gives the place an air of magic. He’d had them plant some of Atem’s favorite flowers, fix the old fountain Atem admired so much…..

But kneeling on the floor of an empty restaurant before they’ve even ordered drinks, somehow, feels more right.

And judging by Atem’s face, the way his eyes glimmer in the soft lights as they grow a little misty… he’d say he was right.

(Atem kisses him before he says yes, and then kisses him again. Barely casting the ring a glance on his way to meet Kaiba on the floor and take his face in his hands and kiss him again…)

(he rest of the date goes as planned anyway, with Kaiba confessing as they have their dessert in the garden that this is where he’d meant to propose. Atem just gives him that soft-eyed gaze and tells him that would’ve been nice too, but he’ll never forget the way Kaiba did.

Someone could propose in fireworks and Atem wouldn’t find it half as sweet or half as special, to be perfectly honest.

Kaiba laughs at that one, the kind he only breaks out amongst the people he trusts. “I’d thought of that too, actually.”

One day he’ll let Atem see the notebook full of ideas for that night he’d wind up deciding against. One day.

(Atem will have a lot of questions for the one that just says ‘New constellation’ with a question mark beside it. A lot)

Atem does admire the ring during the drive back, when he can finally take his eyes off of Kaiba, anyway. It’s beautiful, honestly. Natural white gold, with a slightly wider band and a flared shoulder setting for a stone that’s clearly meant to resemble the color of Atem’s eyes. It’s perfect, honestly, like Atem picked it himself. Though it does give him a thought..

“Would you wear an engagement ring? If I picked one for you, I mean…”

Kaiba’s not even sure what it is about the sentiment that hits him so hard, but he practically stumbles over his “Yes, of course.” in an excited rush to say it.

“Good,” Atem says. “I… may have bought you one. A month ago.”

“Ah..”

(Kaiba has him text Mokuba on the spot to let everyone know they’re taking the entire next day off)

———

<3