Make Me Whole [bokuaka]

Chapter 25: Beginning

[Two weeks later]

"Kaashi, why won't you tell me where we're going?"

Akaashi grinned mischievously, "I told you, Bokuto-san, it is a surprise. You are going to have to wait."

The couple was in the back of a taxi on the way to a destination known only to Akaashi. He was smiling ear to ear. His boyfriend, on the other hand, was pouting because Akaashi had a blindfold on him and he REALLY wanted to know where they were going. After a fifteen minute drive, the taxi stopped and Bokuto heard Akaashi paying the fee. Then he was being guided out of the car, still blindfolded and now practically bursting with anticipation.

Bokuto heard the car away and Akaashi pulled him several steps forward. Bokuto could hear the excitement in his lover's voice when he said, "Okay. We're here! You can look now."

The ace reached up to remove the blindfold. His eyes took a moment to adjust to the brightness but when he was able to focus, he saw that they were back at the National Museum of Art.

He smiled and turned to his boyfriend. "You wanted to come back here?"

"Yes. Is it okay?"

"Yes, it's perfect. It reminds me of how happy we were when we first started dating."

Hand in hand, they approached the window, paid the fees and began walking around enjoying the exhibitions. Bokuto seemed to be paying more attention to the artwork than he did on their first visit, which intrigued his boyfriend.

Akaashi asked, "You seem more interested this time around. Are you appreciating these works more now that you've seen them again?"

Bokuto blushed slightly. "No, I think it's just because I'm remembering how you reacted to them. And how I reacted to you."

Another soft smile from Bokuto, and it was Akaashi's turn to blush. He lifted their joined hands and placed a soft kiss on the back of Bokuto's hand.

"That is a very sweet thing to say."

After a while, they came into the room with a very large painting that Bokuto remembered Akaashi examining for a long time. Bokuto stopped in front of it and stared long and hard, taking in the colors, the shapes, the shadows, trying to imagine how Akaashi saw the piece and why he loved it so much. Bokuto also remembered how Akaashi looked at that one moment when he turned and mouthed to him "It's so beautiful."

He turned to his lover and said earnestly, "Keiji, this is where I fell in love with you. Right here, in front of this painting. You said it was so beautiful but I thought you were so beautiful. And that was when I think I knew I loved you."

Akaashi smiled, tears forming in eyes, and said "Let's sit for a minute." They both went to the bench directly in front of the painting and sat side by side.

Akaashi began, "It's funny you said that because this place, this museum, is where I fell in love with you. We were outside and I asked if you'd be bored and you said you couldn't ever be bored if you were with me. And that's when I fell.

This is a beautiful painting that I admire very much, but it's not as beautiful as you. Your beauty comes from your kindness, consideration and selflessness. And no work of art could ever hope to match the beauty I see in you. When I'm with you, I feel whole, like you are a necessary piece to a puzzle and without you I have a hole in my heart.

So if you'll stay with me and make me whole, I promise to do the same for you. When you are high, I'll bring you down, and when you're low, I'll pick you up. I love every part of you, Kotaro, even the parts you don't love yourself. I love everything all together, the whole you.

I can promise you that I won't go away even when you're not yourself. At those times, I promise to stay with you till you're you again. And I know that that may be hard for you to believe, so I wanted to give you this."

Akaashi paused to reach into his pocket and pull out a small velvet box. Bokuto's eyes went wide and tears started to accumulate in their corners.

Akaashi opened the box revealing a white gold band with small diamonds all around. Then he continued, "I want you to trust that I won't leave you, no matter what. And I thought that if we were married, you would trust that. I love you so much, and I want us to spend the rest of our lives filling in each other's missing pieces. So what do you think, Kotaro? Will you marry me?"

Tears escaped from Bokuto's eyes and rolled down his cheeks. Akaashi reached up with his hand to cup Bo's face and gently wiped the tears away with his thumb. "Please say yes," he whispered softly.

"Yes," Bo whispered back.

"I love you, Kotaro, and I'm so happy I found you."

"I love you so much, Keiji. And I'm happy I found you too."

THE END

[A/N: wow, i can't believe i finished this off so quickly but all the words just seemed to flow to bring this story to its fruition!

if you enjoyed it, please leave me a comment --- i love reading them! 
and if you're inclined to vote or share with a friend, i'd appreciate that too.

now onto sakuatsu!]