IC Inbox

[pinkblinded]

Comments

( action )

[inthewood]

Henry's sitting at the dining room table, fiddling with the ring on his finger as he waits for Gaura to bring dinner. Once the other man is seated, before they can even start eating, Henry simply blurts out, "Are we engaged?"

[pinkblinded]

Gaura had barely sat down in the chair when the question was blurted out. Startled, he blinked at the other man. Oh. Right. They really hadn't discussed this at all. It had all just happened. Blushing, he looked down. "I've been thinking we are. If you would like to be..."

[inthewood]

It's okay that they didn't discuss it! They're discussing it now.

Henry breathed out a sigh of relief and practically melted into his chair. He hoped that was the meaning of the rings, but he wasn't sure if the exchange meant something different to Gaura, given that they're from different times with different customs.

"Yes, I would like to be! Very much."

[pinkblinded]

Surprised by the sigh and how Henry seemed to melt, he wondered what it meant. Was it a good thing? A bad thing? He truly couldn't tell until finally the man spoke up. The way his face lit up with relief at hearing that Henry felt that way... He ended up letting out a laugh as well.

"When you gifted me the star it just...it felt right. Like we were somehow promising ourselves to each other. I'm so glad you felt the same and, I guess, said yes to me." Then he laughed again. "This was quite the untraditional proposal!"

Yet...it was somehow so perfect. For them.

[inthewood]

Gaura's laughter was like notes of music between them. Henry couldn't help but join in. He fixed his posture in his chair (what would his mother say with him slouching like that!) and beamed across the table at Gaura. He wondered how he got so lucky; to meet a man like this in a place where they could actually marry! Not that he's in any hurry! A wedding must be planned properly, and they're still young enough to take some time.

"We're hardly a traditional sort of couple."

[pinkblinded]

"I like that we aren't though. It all feels more natural because we approached it so differently."

Reaching across the table, he took Henry's hand for a moment. So warm in his own. And so soft as well. He smiled warmly at the man. "My fiance. I like how that sounds."

More than liked. He loved it.

[inthewood]

"Say it again," Henry urged, twining his fingers between Gaura's.

[pinkblinded]

He laughed and then moved over so he could sit next to Henry instead. Taking both his hands this time, he smiled at him. "My fiance."

[inthewood]

Henry smiled, too, but it was a soft smile full of warmth and adoration. "Jisu." He squeezed Gaura's hands and leaned in to steal a gentle kiss. Color rose to his cheeks and he felt like he might burst from happiness. "I love you so much."

[pinkblinded]

Hearing his real name was so special. It made his heart beat so fast. Giving those hands a squeeze back, he smiled so warmly that his eyes were sparkling. "I love you too. Let's eat. The rest of the night is ours. I think we should do something to celebrate."

[inthewood]

"Let's go out for ice cream after dinner," he suggested. It was a nice evening and they could take a stroll while eating a sweet treat. "Unless you have something in mind, of course!"

[pinkblinded]

"I didn't!" He's honestly been planning on just figuring out something on the fly. This? It was the perfect suggestion. Grabbing his dish, he moved it to where he was seated since that was his new spot. "Ice cream while we do our nightly walk is perfect."

[inthewood]

"That sounds perfect." Then again, he thought anything done with Gaura was perfect. Even just sitting here sharing a meal. It was all so... blissful. Even though his smile couldn't be wiped away, he managed to tear his eyes from his fiance -- ah, that was wonderful! -- and look at his plate.

"What have you made for us tonight?"

[pinkblinded]

"Braised short ribs with vegetables. And if you'd like to try having them spicy then I brought over some seasoning you can add."

His were already covered in it. But he always put the spices in a bowl for Henry to add as he liked when it wasn't something like a soup or stew. That way it was easier for Henry to get used to how spicy some dishes could actually be since he wasn't used to it.

"The vegetables are all from the garden as usual."

[inthewood]

"Ah," he sighed, reaching for the bowl to add a little bit of the spice to his meat. "You spoil me, my dear."

[pinkblinded]

Gaura always loved how Henry was getting himself more and more used to the spice. He smiled and leaned over to kiss his cheek before finally having his first bite of the meat in his dish.

"I like spoiling you. It makes me really happy to cook for you."

[inthewood]

Well! It was incredibly thoughtful of Gaura to put the spice on the side so Henry's poor English palate wasn't overwhelmed. He was careful not to apply too much at first, knowing he could add more if he wanted to. After a few bites, he did just that. Just a little more, but still more.

"I feel like I should do more around the house." After all, he's responsible for most of the mess in it.

[pinkblinded]

"You have your studies to do. I don't mind."

He really didn't either. It kept him busy. Little things to pick up here and there, food to make, a garden to care for... Honestly just a household to take care of and someone to love and care for as well. It was everything he'd ever wanted in life. Certainly he hadn't expected to find it here but he was grateful that he had.

"I love hearing about all the stuff you write and read about."

[inthewood]

"There are so many fascinating stories here! And the ayakashi are interesting, too!" It made Henry wonder where the line between myth and reality lay in this world. It was much more defined in his own.

He looked down at his plate, adding a little more spice before taking another bite. He really lucked out falling for someone who not only enjoyed taking care of the household but was good at it! When he looked over at Gaura again, his expression was nothing short of curious.

"Jisu, will you tell me some stories from your home?"

[pinkblinded]

"Oh. I mean, if you like. I'm not sure if I have any interesting stories like you do. I always lived a very normal life. Even when I ran away from home."

Gaura thought about it a bit, humming softly. "Maybe I could tell you about the time that I got to play music in the subway in New York..."

[inthewood]

"What's 'the subway?'"

[pinkblinded]

"You know the trains here? There are tunnels that go underground and the trains will run there instead. That's a subway." It was the best way to describe it really.

[inthewood]

"Oohhh~ That sounds amazing!" Henry's whole face lit up imagining it. How splendid underground trains would be!

[pinkblinded]

Gaura laughed a little bit then nodded. "This story isn't about the trains though. Just something that happened on the platform where you'd board the train."

[inthewood]

Henry was already hooked. He leaned his chin in his hand and stared at Gaura expectantly. "Please tell me the rest."