Work Text:
The glare from the studio lights almost blinds Eijun and he squints a little. The slight movement is not lost on Haruichi who is holding two pairs of suits for his choosing.
“What’s wrong? You don’t like either of these?”
The makeup artist chooses to powder Eijun’s nose at that moment, which causes him to snort and start sneezing. He grabs a few pieces of tissue from the table and wipes his nose. “You know this isn’t my first commercial, Harucchi. Normally they just give me what I need to wear.” He gestures vaguely towards the nearly identical suits. “I have zero idea which of these look better, so uh, just choose which one you like more.”
Eijun doesn’t miss the slight exasperation that passes over Haruichi’s face; he knows his friend well enough—has played baseball with him all three years in highschool—and he’s quite sure Haruichi isn’t what someone would call meticulously fashionable.
“Just choose one, Eijun.”
He opens his mouth to argue—
“Now.”
It’s been years since he’s heard that tone of voice but it sends ice down his spine anyway. His eyes shift between the two garments and then his hand goes up to feel the fabric. “This one, I guess.” Eijun’s fingers linger over the edge of one of the lapels. “The cloth seems softer.”
“That wasn’t so hard now, was it? Just think of it as practice.” Haruichi turns and hangs the chosen garment on a nearby rack.
Eijun is grateful to see a pair of shoes beneath it, most likely chosen by the marketing people; he doesn’t want to make any more decisions today. “Practice?”
“For your own wedding, of course!”
Before he can reply, the makeup artist taps his shoulder, which is his signal to go and change into his required clothing. His PR manager, Kanemaru, grabs his suit and walks with him towards the changing area. “Eijun, you memorized what you’re supposed to do, right?”
“I did! Jeez, a guy forgets his lines one time—”
Eijun barely hears Kanemaru mutter under his breath, “Well this is a tad more important than usual.” He’s about to ask what he means by that when Kanemaru shoves him inside the changing area. “Don’t take forever!”
Used to his PR manager, who has been handling all his commercial contracts, Eijun chuckles. “Yea, yea. I’ll call you if I need help, mom.” He hears more grumbling, which makes him smile.
Eijun quickly changes into the suit, noting how the fabric feels really smooth and soft against his skin: expensive . He checks to see the designer's name but is surprised to find no tags on the suit jacket. He puts it on anyway and is amazed with how well it fits him— as if it was tailored exactly to his measurements.
He has just finished buttoning the suit and is gently smoothing the lapel down his chest when the curtain is pulled aside. “Are you done? Let us see!”
Eijun turns around and gawks at the crowd in front of him. A camera flash momentarily distracts him.
“Very nice!”
“The tailoring is superb.”
“The colors complement his features well.”
“Yea, Miyuki’s great with that sort of thing.”
Feeling like a fish inside an aquarium, Eijun nearly yanks the curtain closed. “WHAT— WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING HERE?” He shouts indignantly at Haruichi, Furuya, Toujou, and Kanemaru, who all huddled in front of the changing room.
The sound of camera shutters distracts him. “Eijun, look this way and smile!”
Years of posing for ads make him turn his head towards the voice and his features relax into what might pass as a smile. Toujou takes a few more snaps of him and then shows the images to Kanemaru.
“I thought the shoot wasn’t gonna take place until later?”
A guilty look passes over Kanemaru’s and Toujou’s faces but it’s gone in an instant. “Oh, yea, this is kind of a ‘behind-the-scenes’ thing.” Toujou’s eyes crinkle as he smiles, and Eijun has a fleeting thought that he knows more than he’s letting on.
“Right...” Eijun steps outside the changing area. “Where is Miyuki by the way? I haven’t seen him since I arrived.”
Silence greets his question and Eijun’s eyes shift over the blank faces of his colleagues.
Then Haruichi loops one arm around his and navigates him back to the make-up station. “Miyuki is running late, but don’t worry about him!” Haruichi pushes him down a chair and the hairdresser immediately gets to work. “You know, I never did hear the story of how you two got engaged.”
Eijun blushes. “Onii-san didn’t tell you?” At Haruichi’s raised eyebrow, Eijun chuckles. “I mean Miyuki normally tells Mochi-senpai about these things—” He trails off when he sees Haruichi shaking his head with a fond smile on his face.
When Eijun doesn’t continue, Haruichi prods him, “Go on then, tell me what happened.”
Realizing he can’t get out of this, Eijun blows out a breath. “It happened very casual-like, you know? We were eating breakfast; it was the weekend and we were both enjoying the down time. Then over eggs and miso soup, he popped the question.”
The hairdresser stops mussing his hair and peeks over his shoulder, clearly intrigued about what happens next. Beside him, Haruichi looks expectant, waiting for the rest of his story.
Eijun scratches at the back of his ears, a nervous habit he picked up from when he was younger. He can feel his cheeks getting warmer and he imagines they must be very red. “It wasn’t even a proper question. Miyuki made this comment about us living together for a couple of years now and asked me if I thought it was time to formalize the arrangement. I thought about it for a bit then I agreed. And that was that.”
“And?”
“And what?” He’d really rather not share what happened afterwards.
“Did you discuss the details?”
“Oh.” Eijun clears his throat and tries to banish his earlier thoughts. Hopefully Haruichi and the hairdresser will associate it with general embarrassment and not that he was remembering very dirty thoughts about his fiancé. “We talked about it, but nothing concrete. I’d mention things I’d like— private, no press, just family and friends— and he’d do the same: Western-style wedding, both of us in suits, he’d invite Chris-senpai and Mochi-senpai to be our best men.” Eijun chuckles, remembering the sporadic conversations that they’ve accumulated over the past year. “It’s actually almost identical to the set-up in this commercial.”
Haruichi bursts into a coughing fit and excuses himself. Before Eijun can call out after him, Kuramochi strolls over in a dark blue three-piece suit similar to the one he’s wearing. “Don’t you look spiffy!”
Eijun blushes; he’s been getting lots of praise today and he’s starting to be suspicious. “You don’t look so bad yourself!” Kuramochi is also appearing in the commercial; Kanemaru mentioned that the producers believed it would be more realistic that way.
“C’mon, I’ve been tasked to pick you up.”
The hairdresser dusts Eijun off one last time and then shoos him away with a smile.
As they walk towards the shoot location, the niggling feeling that something is going on pulsates like a bad headache in his temple. It has been going on and off since this morning when he arrived. They exit the small conference room that’s been turned into a makeshift dressing and make-up area, and Eijun marvels at the elegant hallway leading to the hotel’s grand ballroom: decorative ornaments hung from the archways in hues of dark blue and bright gold. Seido colors , Eijun immediately thinks.
Kuramochi steers him down a small hallway and into a small conference room that’s been turned into a makeshift foyer. Eijun is no stranger to commercials and modeling—after he was drafted into the professional baseball league, he was offered a modeling contract right away—yet today feels different for some reason.
Maybe it’s just nerves. In an effort to distract himself, Eijun looks around and notices a couple of crew members: one holding a professional digital camera while the other is holding a shotgun microphone. Maybe the main crew is waiting inside . He is just beginning to wonder when the director will show up to give him instructions when Kuramochi tugs at his sleeve.
Eijun turns to find a completely serious look in Kuramochi’s eyes. “Look, as your best man, I need to tell you something.” He watches as Kuramochi takes a breath. “Miyuki told me that you finally agreed to formalize being partners.”
Remembering his earlier conversation with Haruichi, Eijun couldn’t help but feel smug. Ah, so Miyuki did tell him. I was right.
“But everytime he brings up the topic of planning the ceremony, something or other always comes up: a game, an important overseas engagement, some professional obligation—that you both never get around to actually planning it.”
Eijun hums in agreement: thinking about it now, it has been a couple of months, but they never did get to sit down and finish their plans. “Yea, now that you mention it—”
“That’s why Miyuki thought this was the only way.”
Eijun opens his mouth to ask Kuramochi what he means, but a woman wearing a headpiece and carrying a clipboard approaches and tells Kuramochi he’s up in five minutes. Kuramochi nods then turns back to him.
“Look, we don’t have much time, so listen to me. All of this—” Kuramochi pauses and flicks imaginary dirt off Eijun’s shoulder, and Eijun gets the vague feeling that Kuramochi is having a hard time saying what he’s about to say. “—All of this is real: the ceremony that’s about to happen, the guests, the vows. All of it is real. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
For a moment, Eijun nearly asks if Kuramochi thinks he’s stupid. Of course it’s all real , Eijun thinks to himself, the clothes, the decorations, the people are all real! Why did he need to say— His mouth forms into a small “o” as his brain makes the connection.
Kuramochi’s eyes soften as he chuckles. “Yea, now I think you get it.”
Eijun’s mouth opens and closes several times, much like a fish, as he processes what Kuramochi just told him.
“So, are you ok to go through with it?” There was no denying the hint of plea in Kuramochi’s voice.
“I get to have a choice?” Eijun blurts out. “I mean, earlier the woman with the headpiece said—”
“Of course you have a choice!” Kuramochi shakes his head. “Look, forget what you heard earlier. Miyuki doesn’t care if he has to cancel everything. He gave me one task in this whole thing, and that’s to make sure you’re ok with all of this.”
That damned tanuki bastard! Eijun’s eyes start to water upon hearing Kuramochi’s words. He knows how well Miyuki likes to plan things—he is, after all, Japan’s #1 catcher—but the thought that Miyuki wouldn’t think twice of cancelling everything if Eijun says so does a number on Eijun’s emotions.
“Kuramochi-san—”
They both turn towards the wedding coordinator.
“Look, just give us a few more minutes—”
“No, it’s fine!” Eijun’s voice comes out surprisingly calm. The moment the words leave his mouth, he couldn’t be more sure. “We’re ready.”
Kuramochi gives him an approving and slightly relieved look. Eijun decides that he’ll have to tease him later about that, especially since Kuramochi tries very hard to hide how much he cares for Miyuki. Eijun feels confident the two are in cahoots planning this entire thing, and thus both deserve punishment.
He takes a deep breath as Kuramochi pushes the double doors open. The scent of lilies—his favorite flowers—wafts in, and Eijun smiles at how Miyuki even remembered that tiny detail. Kuramochi walks ahead of him, and Eijun suddenly feels nervous. The wedding coordinator hovers beside him, whispering details his brain is not able to process.
There is a vacuum of sound all around him, yet he feels the energy vibrating from everyone on the other side of the door. Then softly, he hears the faint strums of a tune he is very much familiar with, and Eijun instinctively knows it’s his cue to walk.
As his eyes adjust to the lights in the grand ballroom—what seems to be several dozen crystal chandeliers hanging off the ceiling—Eijun recognizes the faces in the crowd: friends from the professional league, his relatives, and teammates from highschool. As he continues to walk down the carpeted aisle, Eijun marvels at the depth of preparations Miyuki went through to gather everyone here.
Commercial shoot, my ass! Normally, Kanemaru approaches him for such things but Miyuki spoke about it so nonchalantly that he didn’t think to double check with Kanemaru afterwards. He probably spoke to Kanemaru after that anyway! Eijun smiles wryly at the thought that he probably didn’t stand a chance the moment Miyuki decided to do this.
As he nears the end of the aisle, the music rises to a crescendo.
~ You’re the reason I believe in love ~
Miyuki’s face comes into view and, along with the lyrics from the song, Eijun’s breath hitches and he suddenly feels all choked up. Miyuki has a worried expression on his face and while Eijun would love nothing more than to milk the situation for what it’s worth, he decides to reserve the punishment for later. He smiles and mouths the words “it’s ok” and Miyuki’s expression eases into one of relief.
~ I will love you, as long as I live ~
Eijun halts in his steps and stares as Miyuki lifts his glasses to wipe the tears from his eyes. The sight causes a tender emotion to wash over Eijun; he hastily pulls out a handkerchief and reaches over to wipe the tears from Miyuki’s cheeks.
“You are in a lot of trouble, Miyuki Kazuya.”
Miyuki’s voice is just slightly above raspy. “Yea, I know.”
Eijun pockets the handkerchief and then laces his fingers with Miyuki, staring into his eyes.
A well-known voice behind Miyuki interrupts them. “If you two lovebirds would like to move on with the ceremony, we’d like to finish sometime today.”
Snickers from the small crowd echo throughout the huge ballroom. With a laugh, the two walk up towards the officiant, and though Eijun has had the time to process that this is all happening for real, now that he’s standing here with Miyuki, he gets caught up in the moment.
The sounds in the ballroom fade away and even though the officiant’s mouth is moving, Eijun doesn’t hear a word of what he’s saying.
He feels a squeeze and Eijun looks down at their entwined hands—his and Miyuki’s. The sight makes his vision begin to blur. Miyuki’s hand feels so solid and his own feels so tiny nestled in Miyuki’s bigger one; Eijun’s heart flutters at the realization that he gets to hold this hand forever.
“... the rings?”
Eijun barely hears the words before he sees Chris appear beside Miyuki with two golden rings nestled in a catcher’s mitt. He nearly laughs at the symbolism but the sound gets stuck in his throat and he feels his eyes burn with a stinging sensation.
He stares as Miyuki takes one of the rings with his free hand, and without letting go of his right hand, Miyuki pushes the ring up his finger. It fits him perfectly. Just like everything in his life since he met Miyuki. Eijun looks up and the sight that greets him makes him gasp: Miyuki is bathed in golden light as a draft plays with his hair. Eijun can hear the faint strums of music from the quartet in the corner, but everything else fades away: there is only Miyuki in front of him.
Golden eyes stare back at Eijun with the same intensity as when they used to play in the same battery in high school. “I’ve told you once to trust in me and you never failed to deliver, constantly, consistently. Always exceeding expectations. Now I’m asking you to trust me again, but this time, I’m the one who will endeavor to deliver, constantly, consistently, in perennial hope to exceed expectations. This is the only thing I can offer you: take my heart. It has always been yours.”
Eijun really feels like crying now. Miyuki is a man of few words and he’s never one to waste unnecessary praise on anyone, not even him. Eijun swallows the lump in his throat and takes the remaining ring from a beaming Chris. He then takes Miyuki’s hand and pushes the ring up his finger. He takes his time, the act so inexplicably intimate that Eijun’s hands are trembling like mad. He still can’t believe this incredible man is marrying him .
When he looks up, Miyuki’s eyes are shining like molten lava. The intensity in those eyes causes all kinds of emotions to pass through Eijun so that he nearly chokes on the words. For a second, he’s afraid he’s forgotten the words, but then they tumble out of him one after the other. “You took a leap of faith in me, that day when we first met, and you continued to take a chance on me numerous occasions after. So take this chance with me again and believe that I won’t ever fail to meet you every step of the way. There has never been anyone else whose gaze I sought out more than yours, so please look at me and me only, now and for the rest of our lives together.”
Miyuki’s eyes flicker with emotion and it causes Eijun’s insides to turn into mush. He has about five seconds to feel smug that he isn’t the only one who got floored with the vows, before Miyuki tugs him close and swoops in for a kiss.
There is nothing chaste nor simple about the kiss—it is unabashedly hot and searing—and Eijun’s hand snakes upwards, his fingers threading through Miyuki’s hair, while his other hand clutches at Miyuki’s side. All too soon, the kiss ends and while Eijun instinctively reaches out for Miyuki, he catches himself in time and thinks it’s for the best. He does not want to embarrass himself, nor Miyuki, in front of all their guests.
The officiant clears his throat loudly before saying, “Usually the kiss is reserved after the pronouncements,” which causes the crowd to titter with laughter. After a beat, the officiant assumes a serious tone and with a big smile proclaims, “I now pronounce you husband and husband. Now , you may kiss again.”
The crowd chuckles and Eijun feels the heat creep up his neck. He feels a tug on his hand as Miyuki laces his fingers once more with his; the simple act sends shivers down his spine. As Toujou instructs the both of them to pose for their first official photo together, Eijun leans in and whispers in Miyuki’s ear, “You do realize you’re in trouble, right?”
Miyuki half-turns, the smile on his face a tad too smug for Eijun’s liking. “You already said that earlier.”
They both smile as the camera flashes. Eijun leans in again and says, “Oh but you have no idea how much trouble you’re in—” He unclasps his hand and deftly slides it over Miyuki’s backside to squeeze it shamelessly. “—and I intend to collect every last bit.”
The camera flashes again with Eijun grinning from ear to ear as Miyuki yelps in surprise.