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“That’s the problem with you flashy heroes,” Yamada said very loudly next to Yagi’s ear, “you put more emphasis on how big and shiny something is, not the quality.”
Yagi wanted to point out the obvious: that Yamada was, quite probably, the flashiest hero to ever grace the UA campus. And as a second point, if all Yagi cared about was flash and shine, he never would have fallen in love with Aizawa Shouta. Understated Aizawa, who was sharp and wickedly fierce under his quiet demeanor.
“Seriously, if you think Shouta would prefer that ring, you probably shouldn’t be proposing.”
The sad thing was, Yagi knew Yamada was right. Just because Yagi felt Aizawa deserved the brightest and most expensive things didn’t mean that was what the other man would prefer. And that was why Yagi brought Yamada along as he shopped for an engagement ring: because, at least when it came to his best friend, Yamada was level-headed and would hopefully temper Yagi’s overenthusiasm.
“What about this one?” Yagi pointed to a ring toward the back of the glass case. It was a simple silver-colored band with a cord running its length. In the middle were three small black diamonds.
Yamada leaned close and adjusted his sunglasses so he could see better. “Fits his aesthetic,” he agreed.
“You’re picking up words from the students again.”
“Hey, aesthetic has always been a word,” he argued. “It’s not my fault that kids started saying it.” He straightened up and waved a sales clerk over. “So, my buddy here is looking for a ring for his boyfriend.”
Yagi pointed to the ring in question. “What can you tell me about that one?”
The clerk unlocked the back of the case and slid it open. Her gloved hand picked up the ring and held it out for Yagi to inspect over the counter. “This ring includes treated black diamonds set in a tungsten band. Tungsten has become popular in jewelry for heroes because of its higher durability over more traditional metals, like silver or gold.” She gave Yagi a knowing look. His face flushed. He was out, both as All Might and gay, but sometimes having average people know things about him weirded him out. But the world knew All Might was dating another hero, so he supposed he should get used to things like this.
“May I take a photo of it?” he asked.
The clerk hesitated, but then nodded.
Yagi took a picture of the ring and sent it to Kayama and Tsukauchi, who were standing by. Kayama answered instantaneously with a smiley face. Tsukauchi just said, ‘looks good’. “Well, if you guys approve.”
“Do you like it?” Yamada inquired.
Yagi studied it. It certainly wasn’t the boldest ring there, but this wasn’t about him. The ring was durable, which the practical Aizawa would approve of. Treated black diamonds were cheaper than naturally-occurring ones, but again, Aizawa would approve. Yagi also felt a parallel between the process of creating black diamonds and his own journey. From what Yagi had read, researching rings on a private browser at home, this type of black diamond was created by taking low-quality white diamonds and treating them with heat to give them the black color. Yagi knew what it felt like to be thought of as useless, until an outside force helped him to have value.
Shimura would have punched him if she caught him thinking down on himself like that.
Yagi wished she was here to see him now. He wondered if she would be proud of him.
The closer he looked, the more intricate the detailing on the ring became. The cord was actually a tiny braid of tungsten. The diamonds had wonderful faceting. Aizawa didn’t look like much at first glance, either. It was only when Yagi let himself look closer that he recognized the beauty in the other man. He was starlight trapped in human form—inconspicuous and breathtaking.
Yagi nodded. “I do.”
Yamada held his hands up. “I’m not the one you gotta say that to, dude.” He then laughed at his own joke.
Yagi couldn’t help but chuckle at Aizawa’s friend—his friend, he amended. He turned back to the sales clerk, who politely stood quiet and out of the way, but also seemed interested in what they were saying. When Yagi’s attention returned to her, she straightened back up. “Yeah, I’d like to put a down payment on this one.”
She beamed at him. “Yes, sir.”
They discussed the ring size and payment plan. Yagi was willing to pay for it all up front and pick it up after the resizing. He filled out more forms than he thought necessary and handed over his card and ID.
“How’d you get his ring size?” Yamada inquired.
“Ah, Shouta can be a heavy sleeper if he sets his mind to it. I just measured the circumference of his finger with some thread.” He blushed lightly. “A little underhanded, but effective.”
The clerk gave Yagi his cards back and bowed, thanking him for his business. She told him the date that the ring would be ready, and Yagi’s heart pounded.
The two men left the store and Yagi reveled in the afternoon sunlight that bathed them in warmth. “Want to grab some coffee on the way back?” He asked Yamada, who agreed enthusiastically. Aizawa would probably scold Yagi for providing Yamada with caffeine—the other blond was loud in more ways than one—but Yagi was in a good mood and he really did like hanging out with Yamada.
They stopped by a little café. Yagi ordered his latte and Yamada’s flat white with a double shot of espresso. For luck, he also grabbed Aizawa a hot, black coffee.
As they waited for their drinks, Yamada had a quiet look on his face that, by now, Yagi knew meant he wanted to discuss something serious—usually something to do with his best friend. “You’re sure he’s good with this? Like, I know you guys are serious and all, but is he ready?”
Yagi felt a knot of anxiety lurch in his stomach. “We’ve talked about it, believe it or not. Why, has he said anything?”
Yamada scoffed. “You know how Shouta is. He doesn’t talk about that kind of thing, even with me. But if he had doubts, you wouldn’t still be in the picture.”
That was true, Yagi supposed. Aizawa wasn’t one to waste time on anything that wasn’t important, including relationships. Especially relationships.
The barista called Yagi’s name and they grabbed their drinks to go. Once again, they fell in step with each other as they walked back to Yagi and Aizawa’s apartment.
“You know when you’re going to pop the question?” Yamada asked, his mouth wide in a smirk.
Yagi laughed nervously. “I have no idea.”
Yamada nearly spit up his coffee. “Really? I’d have thought you’d be the type to plan the when and how out months in advance.”
Shrugging, Yagi offered, “I imagine it’ll just be the two of us.”
“Yeah, he hates big gestures,” Yamada agreed.
He did. Yagi realized that when he was still All Might. Aizawa hadn’t particularly liked him when he was the grandiose hero. And in their relationship, he wasn’t impressed by posturing or outstanding declarations. He was the sort to appreciate quiet sincerity, something Yagi was much better at, now that he was broken down.
They arrived back at the apartment. Yagi opened the door and immediately spotted Aizawa at the kitchen table, surrounded by lesson plans and juice pouches. He smiled warmly when he saw Yagi. His face fell when he noticed Yamada following, however, and his gaze narrowed when he noticed the coffee cup in Yamada’s hand.
“Since when do you two hang out?” He stood and approached them. Yagi was taken aback by how good he looked, hair in a half-hearted bun, one of his old All Might shirts over loose lounge pants and bare feet. Face warm, he handed Aizawa the black coffee as a peace offering. Aizawa sniffed it before retreating to the kitchen to add sugar to it. He never trusted anyone else to add the correct amount of sugar, so Yagi figured it was easiest to just bring him straight coffee and let him fix it himself.
“What’s wrong, Shouta?” Yamada called, following him into the kitchen. “Worried I’m going to steal your boyfriend?”
Aizawa gave him a tired look and sipped his coffee. He added one more spoon of sugar and stirred it around. He didn’t deem the question worthy of a verbal answer. Yamada sniggered.
It wasn’t that Aizawa thought Yagi would cheat on him, nor that his best friend would even think about doing something so cruel, but the idea of them hanging out without him bothered him for some reason. He knew he needed to get used to the two separate parts of his life entwining. Yamada was a good guy; Yagi was a good guy. But the two of them together, without him? Aizawa could only imagine the mayhem his best friend could get his lover into. And Yagi would be too kind to say no to even the most disastrous idea, if presented correctly. He knew from experience how persuasive Yamada could be.
So, of course he was curious where the two of the had been for the past couple hours.
Yagi gave him a soft smile from over Yamada’s shoulder. Aizawa tucked a loose lock of hair behind his ear and glanced away. His face felt hot.
A month later, Yagi found his moment.
After class ended, he wandered the campus. The weather was starting to cool off. Yagi preferred the warmth of summer, but Aizawa enjoyed autumn. Yagi found the other man behind the cafeteria, feeding the stray cats, as was his custom.
Aizawa’s hair was windswept, his cheeks pink. His capture weapon lay on the ground next to a plastic bag that was doubtlessly full of empty cat food tins, so Yagi could see his smile when he noticed the blond’s presence. Yagi had a hard time breathing, even after their years together.
The ring was hidden in the deep pocket of his overcoat. He liked to keep it there, just in case. Luckily, Aizawa never needed to handle his coat.
“How was class?” Aizawa asked as he approached Yagi.
“Good. We had a team-building exercise today.” Yagi smiled as he remembered how enthusiastic this group of students was. So many of them wanted to be just like Deku.
Aizawa rested his head against Yagi’s shoulder and took in the other man’s scent. He felt something inside him settle, a tension he wasn’t aware of.
Yagi turned his head to kiss Aizawa’s temple. The moment felt right somehow, so he figured, what the hell?
“Shouta,” he started. Aizawa blinked sleepily up at him, a question in his eyes. Yagi was surprised at how not-nervous he was. As Aizawa took his weight off Yagi, the older man fumbled in his pocket. He took a deep breath. Here goes.
Aizawa’s eyes widened as Yagi dropped to one knee, and he couldn’t breathe. Was this really happening?
Yagi opened the ring box and offered it to Aizawa. Aizawa didn’t see the ring at all, only Yagi’s face staring up at him.
“You are the best thing to happen to me. I want you to be by your side. I want to support you and hold you up for the rest of our lives.” His expression was hopeful, his posture humbled. “Shouta, will you marry me?”
Aizawa was speechless. He’d already assumed their future would be together, but now this strange, miraculous man was offering it to him out loud and for the rest of the world to see. Why couldn’t he move? Yagi would think he was rejecting him if he didn’t say something. Why was he so quiet? He wasn’t scared—
He wanted this.
“Yes.” It came out a weak whisper. “Yes, Toshinori.” Words were failing him. He cleared his throat and tried again. “Yes, I want to marry you.”
The grin that brightened Yagi’s face shone clearer than the sun. Tears formed at the corners of his electric blue eyes.
“Are you crying?” Aizawa asked.
“Sorry,” Yagi apologized as he stood. “I’m really happy.”
So was Aizawa. He couldn’t help but smile as Yagi removed the ring from its box and slid it on his finger. Just like that, he was engaged. He’d never thought this would happen to him, that anyone would be willing to put up with him, let alone cherish him to the degree Yagi did. “I love you so much.” Too much. Yagi had seen him open and trusting, like he’d never allowed anyone before. He’d never been one for dependence. In fact, he hated having to rely on anyone. But this was a promise that Yagi would be there, whether he needed it or not, and he would be the same for the other man. He offered his lips and Yagi accepted with a sweet kiss. He knew the feel of those thin lips against his, the warm hand on the back of his neck. He knew Yagi so completely.
“I love you, too,” Yagi affirmed, tucking a wild lock of hair behind Aizawa’s ear.
If forever existed, Aizawa wanted to stay by his side the whole time.