Chapter Text
Estinien fiddled with the silk velvet box sitting in the sleeve of his yukata, half listening while Aymeric stood by one of the stands of the night markets in Kugane to look for souvenirs. He doesn’t mean to space out, but his heart has been racing, continues to race in his body in preparation for what he plans to do tonight. What he’s been planning for months on end.
It must be tonight.
“Estinien?”
“Hm,” he grunts, blinks his attention back to Aymeric who is as dashing as ever in his blue yukata, opposite of Estinien’s own crimson one.
“This one would be nice for Lucia, would it not?” Aymeric shows him a small chain with some charms on it.
Estinien looks at him and shrugs. How would he know? Aymeric sighs and shakes his head, going to the counter to pay for it while Estinien follows him like a shadow.
“That should be everyone,” Aymeric mumbles to himself, mentally catalogues his spendings while they walk through the rest of the market. Estinien guides him with a discrete hand on the small of his back, tugging on his side occasionally when he wanders too far out. He’s warm beside him, leans his head against his shoulders every so often that makes Estinien scoff and turn away to hide the blush on his face.
A sweet vanilla scent wafts past him and he turns his head to see a bright taiyaki stand. He doesn’t have to look behind him to know that Aymeric’s looking at him with concealed pleading. Estinien sighs and looks anyways and Aymeric holds his hands up as if he’s been caught committing a crime, “’Tis alright. We had a large dinner.”
“You want it.” Estinien raises an eyebrow.
“No,” Aymeric insists as he usually does.
“What flavor do you want?”
“Tea…”
Aymeric smiles sheepishly at him and hands over their coin pouch for Estinien to purchase the sweet treat and they take a moment to sit on a bench nearby and eat. Aymeric holds it with both hands, using the warmth of the treat to warm his fingers, chilled from the night breeze. Estinien holds his hair back when Aymeric holds it up to his mouth for him to take a bite and the taiyaki is gone in moments.
Aymeric gives him a delighted smile and Estinien’s pulse picks up once more as he remembers the weight in his sleeve.
“Let us find a view for the final festivities,” Estinien gently tugs his arm until he stands and brushes his clothes down. He meanders them through the crowds until they arrive on the bridge, empty, as he had coordinated beforehand.
“Aymeric,” he releases a heavy breath and turns to him, holds his fingers between his nervously.
His lover tilts his head, “yes, Dear?”
“I-”
For months he had thought of what to say in this moment, how to best please Aymeric and express his love verbally. Never has he properly thought of how to say it. In the heat of the moment, he is at a loss for words, for thoughts, even. His heart pounds in his chest, a flush creeps through his body, and he squeezes Aymeric’s fingers between his, shifts them so they’re fully holding hands.
And then he looks him in the eye, takes a deep breath before kneeling down on one knee.
“Esti-” Aymeric gasps, eyes widen.
“Please,” Estinien whispers, lets go to pull the box out of his sleeve and open it up towards him.
Sapphire surrounded by gold, a hint of ruby ever so slight in the elegant design.
“Estinien…” Aymeric’s lips quiver, a hand coming over to cover it soon.
“Please be mine,” Estinien’s grip on the box shakes a little, he swallows down the anxiety in his throat, “to have and to hold forevermore,” he manages to grit out under the weight of his emotions.
Aymeric half stutters a response before kneeling and taking his hands in his, “yes,” he sniffles, “yes!”
Estinien feels like his chest is going to explode, that nothing he has ever experienced in his life is more joyful than this moment. He slides the ring onto his finger before they can get too ahead of themselves, a matching grin on his face as Aymeric tumbles into his arms, knocking them both over into a fit of smiles and tears. He holds Aymeric tightly, fingers digging into his back as Aymeric nearly chokes him in his excitement.
They both jump at the sound of a bang and look up to see a colorful shower of lights dispersing through the sky, followed by a series of more and more. With a laugh, they turn back to each other and Estinien has a hand on the back of Aymeric’s head and pulls him down into a kiss.
Aymeric kisses him back with a whispered ‘yes’ between their lips.