Valentine’s Day is tomorrow. It’s like Christmas again with all the lights and heart-shaped balloons and cut-outs decorating the main streets and the stores.
The main streets are packed and Taiga doesn’t know how long he has been standing in front of this specific shop just staring at that silver bangle watch for women displayed inside that Hokuto is so in love with.
‘I can pair it with most of my clothes.’
He could remember how Hokuto’s eyes glowed when he said that with a wide silly smile breaking his face. It was love at first sight for him while Taiga falls in love with him even more. Hokuto has wanted that watch for almost a year now and as his boyfriend, he can only hope he can afford that for him someday.
Someday.
With a heavy heart, Taiga finally walks away from the store. Every time he’d pass by it after work, he’d spend a few minutes just staring at that watch, hoping that it would not get out of stock or get phased out when the time comes he can finally buy it. He knows it will look perfect on Hokuto no matter what he wears it with and he badly wants to get it for him, but he doesn’t have that much extra money to buy it.
There is this pair of watches his parents gave to him last week from his late grandparents that he’s planned to give Hokuto when the right time comes. They don’t buy anything similar as a couple as they clearly have different tastes. Hokuto likes to coordinate clothes and like vintage accessories while Taiga doesn’t even care about any of it at all. He’s more after his comfortability while Hokuto likes exploring the different dress coordinations and styles. Taiga doesn’t use wrist watches, too, and he’s only got one his entire life which is definitely out of battery now as it was a hand-me-down watch from his father when he graduated university. The one thing Hokuto likes from Taiga when he’s too lazy to dress up is to use Taiga’s oversized shirts as he likes having Taiga’s smell lingering on him.
But for Hokuto to like something for a year now, Taiga is certain that his boyfriend really wants to have it and Taiga can’t stop from wishing to be able to afford it for him one day. He thought the hours of overtime he took at work would give him an extra income to save for it but he thought wrong. It isn’t even a very expensive watch as it’s not from a known or luxurious brand but it’s the sad reality of living almost from paycheck to paycheck with all the bills and the responsibilities he has that he doesn’t have so much left to save.
What hurts Taiga more is he had promised himself to get it for Hokuto on his birthday which is just a few months away. Valentines is a bit too early but thinking ahead and after assuming his budget for the coming months, he’s still too far from the price.
Someday.
Taiga enters a coffee shop and immediately sees Kouchi seated near the entrance with a wide smile on his face while waving at him. Kouchi texted him earlier asking him if he’s free after work as he needs his help to choose a gift for Jesse and he agreed because Hokuto will be home a little late.
“I’m not sure what to get for you so I just ordered the same as mine. Iced matcha lattè.”
“It’s fine, thanks.”
“Have you eaten?”
Taiga shakes his head. “I’ll just eat at home. We can look around now if you’d like.”
They both leave the coffee shop with their drink in their hands. They catch up with each other as they walk in from one store to another looking for a gift that Kouchi wants Jesse to surely love.
“What’s Jesse into lately? Maybe we can start with that,” Taiga suggested when he noticed they had been walking around for an hour already and Hokuto’s surely already home.
“He’s into sunglasses again, those oddly shaped ones. But I want to give him something new or something he won’t expect I’ll get for him.”
Kouchi halts in front of a luxurious bag brand’s store to just take a peek of what’s inside only to shake his head after.
“This will only be our second Valentine’s and I always find it hard to get him a gift. When we spent his birthday together for the first time last year, I gave him this pair of sneakers that I thought would look really good on him only to find out after giving him that he already has it. What do you usually get for Hokuto?”
“Me?”
Taiga bites his bottom lip and pretends he’s thinking. He can literally count on his one hand the material stuff he got for Hokuto since they started dating.
“Yeah, I might use some advice. You’ve been dating for ages now, right?”
“On our fifth…year?” Taiga looks at Kouchi with surprised eyes. “Yeah, fifth. Oh wow, I just realized that.”
“You just stopped counting, didn’t you? Well, I’ve always seen you two as a couple who’d last when Hokuto introduced you to me back in college. You fit like the perfect puzzle pieces—soulmates. Do you still go all out when celebrating or—”
“Oh, no, Hokuto and I treat it just like any normal day but from time to time, we’d get those little things for each other. We just mostly spend time together.”
“That reminds me, Hokuto’s not really fond of presents.”
“Yeah, so if in case you won’t be able to find Jesse a good gift, maybe an intimate date would do even though I know you go on one a lot. Or maybe a cooked meal from you or homemade chocolates! You’d be surprised to know they enjoy the simplest things the most. Hokuto loves it whenever I cook for him.”
“To the point he literally asked us how to frame a food.”
Taiga’s eyes widen as he feels his cheeks get warm. He remembered how he overheard Hokuto from the living room asking Siri how to frame a food the first time he cooked for him way back in college and he just playfully smacked him on his head for being silly. He just didn’t expect he’d ask his friends about it, too.
“Oh, man, he’s really embarrassing sometimes.”
“What?! It’s cute! Shintaro seriously searched with him but before he could even get into it, he’d already eaten everything. You won’t even expect him to be on social media like Insta, but look at the account he opened. It’s like a cookbook of everything you’ve made for him. When Jesse likes to cook something, he’d look it up first in Hokuto’s account.”
“Just say your boyfriend’s in love with my boyfriend.”
“Deshou?!”
Then they both laugh.
“But really, Hokuto treasures anything from the smallest to biggest things especially when it’s from you, Taiga. And I get why being together just the two of you is already enough of a celebration because—I’m sure he has told you this numerous times already as he’s cheesy like that—you are more than enough for him. You are more than enough for each other.”
Taiga blinks as he feels his eyes get watery. Why does Kouchi need to tell that to him? He still even gets shy and overwhelmed whenever Hokuto goes a hundred percent sweet with his words, what else more to be told by a third person?
He’s probably blushing hard now but thanks to Kouchi’s words he got reminded that Hokuto is different. That they are different. He’s been beating himself up the past few days just thinking about how to make Hokuto’s Valentine’s Day special for once because ever since they started dating in their third year in university, they always celebrated the important dates and events within the walls of their shared dormitory room giving their very best to make it special. When they graduated, they moved from their campus dorm to their 1LDK apartment. They do date and eat out sometimes—mostly somewhere affordable but serves good food—but they just really prefer to be in their humble abode. It’s less costly but with the luxury of their preferred comfort—with each other. But it doesn’t also mean it stops Taiga from wishing to give Hokuto something better. He doesn’t want to get comfortable saying ‘it is what it is’ when he knows he can do more.
Taiga snorts, scratching under his nose. “Just pick a gift already so we can go home!”
“Did I make you want to hurry your ass home?” Kouchi teases as he playfully nudges Taiga on his side.
“So much that I want to leave you behind now.”
“Hey! Valentines is tomorrow, I need to buy something now!”
“Just have sex ‘til morning.”
“Why are you so wild?!”
“As if you haven’t done it.”
“Have you?!”
“We’ve been together for five years, Kouchi. We’re waaaay past that.”
“Ohhkay, married couple. For your information, we’re just in our second year unlike you two.”
“We did that even before our first year,” Taiga teases Kouchi with feigned competitiveness. But he didn’t lie, either.
“Mouuuuu, oversharing! Do I really need to know that?!” Kouchi cries out as he grabs Taiga’s hand to drag him to walk faster.
Taiga just laughs on his own as he gets off teasing Hokuto’s best friend.
After another hour more of going store after store, Kouchi has finally decided to get Jesse a necklace instead, aside from the home-cooked meals and chocolates he planned.
And less than an hour later, Taiga is finally home. As he enters their apartment, Hokuto’s shoes are already by the entrance facing the door and there is already the smell of their leftover nikujaga from last night welcoming him.
“Tadaima,” he greets as he marches to the kitchen where Hokuto is.
He’s not sure if Hokuto heard him get in as he has his earphones on both his ears while he reheats their dinner, so he makes his presence known by wrapping his arms around Hokuto’s waist while his cheek rests on his broad back. Nothing can really beat the feeling of finally being at home after a long, tiring day with the person that makes every second worth-living.
“Tadaima, Hokuto.”
Hokuto slightly jumps in surprise before he turns his head to look behind him. He sighs in relief upon seeing Taiga as he takes his earphones off and turns to face his boyfriend.
“Okaeri, Taiga. I didn’t hear you come in.”
Hokuto leans down to give him a kiss on his forehead only for Taiga to frown at him.
“I just smoked,” answers Hokuto before Taiga could even ask and kisses him again but this time on the tip of his nose.
“I don’t care. My lips here are free.”
Taiga grabs Hokuto by his nape to draw their faces closer and kisses him on his lips. It was just a quick peck but Hokuto then wraps his arms around Taiga to pull him closer before leaning down to capture his lips again, this time longer and more intimate.
It’s Taiga who pulls away first after he attempted to slide his tongue inside Hokuto’s mouth and tasted the nicotine instead.
“Go brush your teeth. I’ll set up the table.”
“Don’t say I didn't warn you.”
Hokuto gives him another peck on his lips before he walks out of the kitchen to brush his teeth.
“You’re oddly quiet,” Hokuto notices.
They have already turned in for the day and they are in bed waiting for sleep to take them. Taiga is cuddled next to him with his head lying on his arm and this is usually the time he babbles a lot of random things to make them both fall asleep.
“What are you thinking?”
Taiga sighs as he lays on his side and looks up at Hokuto who has his eyes closed facing their ceiling while his hand unconsciously starts drawing soothing circles on Taiga’s back.
“Uhmm…is there anything you want?”
Hokuto opens his eyes and looks at him with a frown. A few moments later, his brows relax and raise them simultaneously to insinuate something Taiga already knows.
Taiga hits him on his chest but keeps his hand resting there.
“I’m serious.”
Hokuto lays on his side, too, and faces Taiga. “When did I ever consider sex a joke?”
“Well, that’s not what I meant. Tomorrow on Valentine’s day…do you want anything?”
Hokuto brushes the few strands on Taiga’s face to a side and tuck them behind his ear. “I only want to be with you. Please don’t take overtime.”
Taiga feels himself blush but it’s not the answer he’s going for.
“No, that’s not it. Do you want any-thing ? Do you want me to get—buy—you something?”
The frown on Hokuto’s face comes back as he leans his head back a little to get a proper view of Taiga’s face and study his expression, especially his eyes.
“Why are you suddenly worried about that? What happened? Did Kouchi say somethi—”
Taiga clicks his tongue as he’s starting to get irritated. “Can you not answer me with a question? It’s just a simple yes or no, Hokuto.”
Hokuto is quiet for a second before he gently pulls his arm away from Taiga and flatly says, “Then, no .”
Taiga feels the pang in his heart as he watches Hokuto walk out of their bedroom without saying any more words to him. He got his answer. As simple as that. And he feels the sting in his eyes.
Only after at least half an hour did Taiga follow Hokuto outside their bedroom. He knows it’s better to give each other space first and let the steam off. Hokuto is on their balcony, smoking, and though the door is slightly ajar that Taiga can smell the smell of smoke he despises lingering in the air in the living room, he doesn’t point it out anymore to avoid getting on Hokuto’s nerves even more.
He joins Hokuto at the balcony and when he has made his presence known, Hokuto immediately blows out the smoke away from Taiga’s direction and dips the cigarette butt on the ashtray.
“Get inside, Taiga.”
“I’m fine, it’s open air here.”
Hokuto doesn’t force it anymore and just lets Taiga stay.
“Hokuto…I’m really sorry about earlier. “
“I just don’t get what you wanted. Do you want us to properly celebrate Valentine’s together and get out this time?”
“No, no, it’s not that.”
“Then what is it?”
Taiga sighs as he moves closer to Hokuto. “I don’t know what’s gotten into me. It’s just all I hear about at work that gets me thinking that I haven’t done enough for you as your boyfriend.”
“What are you talking about? Since when did I ever ask for something?”
“That’s the point. You don’t ask for anything.”
“It’s because I don’t need anything. Just you are enough for me. Do you want something?”
“I just want you, too.”
“Then what are we even arguing about?”
“I really don’t know.”
“If you really want something different, then we can have yakiniku here at the balcony. I can borrow my mom’s electric grill and it’s not going to be really cold this week so we can celebrate out here. We can buy better meat than the usual discounted ones we get and we can have champagne instead of beer. We can light a candle or I can set up the Christmas lights again and if you want, we can wear our suits we use at work so we can look—“
Hokuto stops when Taiga giggles.
“What?”
“I’d love that over anything else.”
Hokuto sighs as he pulls Taiga by his waist and hugs him from behind, wrapping his arms around him. “I don’t need anything, Taiga. I’m serious. And it’s not just because of the never-ending bills we have to pay, but it’s because what matters to me the most is being with you. You’ve given me more than you could imagine that I can’t even ask for more. Just be with me.”
“Cheesy,” Taiga mumbles as he feels the tears in his eyes because he feels the same.
“There’s nothing else I’d want more than I want you in my life, Taiga.”
Hokuto holds Taiga’s cheek to make him face him and then plants a gentle kiss on his lips.
“Mouuuu, I haven’t planned this properly yet but you leave me no choice. Damn the right timing. Wait here.”
Hokuto watches with a pout on his lip as Taiga leaves him to get something in the drawer in the living room. Taiga returns with a pouch in his hand and has Hokuto curious because he’s certain that that pouch wasn’t there yesterday.
“Before you say anything else, I didn’t buy this. Remember when I told you that I was at home last week, right? Mom called me over to give this.”
Taiga brings out two wrist watches from the pouch and Hokuto can tell by the looks of it that it’s not brand new.
“This is a ‘wedding watch’ as mom calls it,” Taiga says as he hands Hokuto the other watch. “This is passed from my great, great grandparents down to my parents. Look inside.”
Hokuto tilts the strap a little to shed light on the inside and he sees names engraved on it. “Chiyo. Ichika. Misaki. Tai…ga…”
“Haruhito. Kenji. Touji. Hokuto.”
“What…”
“Mom said that a lot of our ancestors were watchmakers and they had these watches symbolized their oneness and eternal love—”
“—instead of a ring.”
“Yes, instead of a ring. I didn’t know my ancestors were such romanticists—“
“But wait, Taiga!”
Taiga looks up at Hokuto and he notices how his eyes are wide and glistening.
He smiles at him as he scoots closer to get the watch from Hokuto’s trembling hands and wears it around his wrist as he speaks, “I don’t know how to do this right, Hokuto. You were saying all those cheesy things to me, breaking down my insecurities, and all I thought is there is no way I’ll ever let this man— you —go.”
“Are you…”
Hokuto bites his bottom lip when he feels a tear fall from his eye. He finds it hard to breathe with his throat constricting because of how his heart is hardly drumming in his chest when he finally understands what Taiga is trying to do. He is currently overwhelmed and in full panic mode inside because they just had a silly argument a moment ago and now, Taiga is saying all these things about wedding watches—that he undeniably found very romantic—with their names engraved on the strap next to Taiga’s parents’ names. And what’s making Hokuto even more nervous is how Taiga’s not being direct and is taking ages to finally ask THE question.
“Shit , wait, wait, wait…”
Hokuto’s tears start pouring out from his eyes like an open dam as he looks simultaneously at Taiga then down to the watch on his wrist then back at Taiga who looks so freaking calm with that stupid smile on his face that he badly wants to smudge off with a loooooooong kiss.
“Do you want to or is it too early yet—“
Not exactly the question Hokuto is expecting but he answers immediately, “I want to! Of course, I want to! I’m yours forever, Taiga, just yours!”
Hokuto Taiga for a tight hug, failing to contain his happiness and excitement.
“I’m sorry if I couldn’t get you a proper—“
“Why are you being sorry when I’m the happiest man on earth, not just today, but ever since I laid my eyes on you?”
Taiga grins before he pulls Hokuto by his nape and kisses him again on his lips, tears slipping from the corner of his eyes. “God, I love you so much. You make me the happiest man, too, Hokuto and I’m yours forever.”
With tears still in Hokuto’s eyes and nose, he looks up at Taiga with the widest and brightest smile Taiga has ever seen. “Can I put our engagement watch on you?”
Taiga sniffs, nodding his head, and he watches as Hokuto puts the watch around his wrist. He didn’t appreciate the beauty until it’s on him and Hokuto and this is definitely the only watch he can ever wear.
Hokuto interlocks their hands and lifts them to the air, letting the moon shine light on the watch decorating their wrists. It’s very beautiful. Like Hokuto will ever lay his eyes on another watch again.
“Happy Valentine’s Day, Hokuto.”
“Said the person who didn’t want to go grand on this day. But happy Valentine’s day, Taiga. Thank you for always loving me and for loving me forever.”
“If this is your definition of a grand celebration, then I don’t mind proposing to you every each day until the day comes when we can actually get married.”
“Then I assure you it’s going to be a yes for me every each day.”
They smile sweetly at each other before they give each other another kiss but this time it’s longer and intimate. Taiga yelps when Hokuto scoops him in his arms and carries him back to their bedroom and before he could even know it, all their clothes are already gone.
And when the next morning comes, they both sleep on their alarms as they call in sick from work and remain tangled in their sheets the whole day—the perfect Valentine’s date.