AXIS | Yuzuru Hanyu

26.

They didn't mention the subject of marriage again, but in secret, both had their heads full of thoughts of that night, even after two months. Most people would say that it was too crazy, to get married after only being together for a year, but they both knew they weren't getting any younger, and truth be told, they were pretty much already living a married life.

So it rang in both their heads, they couldn't control it. Brianna often daydreamed about calling that man her husband and he would always call her out to reality with a snarky comment that made her pout. 

This was a weird situation for her, Bri always imagined her future without a husband, and suddenly all she could think about was marrying that man and having kids. This was not the same Brianna of 2 years ago.

Yuzuru, on the other hand, also thought about the matter, but less into the details. Something told him that there was some kind of problem in her head, she spaced out too often and that made him wonder if it had anything to do with their conversation. One thing he knew, whenever she entered that state, there was a small smile on her face, making him hopeful.

It was on one weekend that after meticulously planning, Brianna decided to take action. They were doing date night at home like usual. It was far too complicated to have dinner in a public place with Yuzuru and she found out about it early on. This type of planning had some decent advantages, one of them being the proximity to the bed, she didn't complain.

Ordering some of their favorite foods and preparing everything carefully while he was at the ice rink, the girl started getting more nervous with every minute that passed. Dressing up was probably stupid, but a deep red velvet dress with some good memories for them was hanging in his closet (like most of her clothes) making her eventually decide to wear it tonight. She hid the small box containing an intricately engraved gold band in one of the kitchen drawers for easy access later and laughed at the situation. Their parents will probably kill them both for this.

When Yuzuru arrived after his training time, he was surprised to see the nicely decorated living room table. Heading towards the kitchen, he saw his girlfriend in one of his favorite dresses and heels that made her legs look incredible. The sight alone made him weak.

"Hey beautiful, what's the occasion?" he asked hugging her from behind and placing a kiss on her cheek. The look on her face made him worry, had he forgotten any special date? "Bri? Did I forget something? I'm sorry..." he started almost immediately while making a map of the special dates in his head and trying to figure it out before she got even madder.

Brianna started laughing without control, making him very confused now.

"Hahaha, sorry" she started in between laughs "You didn't forget anything, I expected you a bit later, that's all"

The relief he felt was like nothing else. He couldn't bear the thought of forgetting something important.

"I texted you when I left the rink"

"You did?" She asked while searching for her phone, finding it lost on the couch. "Yeah, I didn't see it" she answered "Sorry"

"You haven't answered me yet, are we having a date night?"

"Yes, we are. it's been a while"

"Should I dress up too?" he asked teasingly.

"You don't have to, I just know you like this dress"

"I will be right back" was all Yuzuru said before kissing her and running upstairs. Brianna assumed he was going to put his training clothes in the wash like he always did. It surprised her when she heard him descending the stairs in black slacks and a black fitted shirt, one she had said once to be her favorite on him.

"I told you you didn't have to"

"I hate to feel underdressed and I know you like this shirt" he replied with a wink "Do you need any help?" Yuzuru asked, already bunching up the sleeves on the shirt, ready to work.

"No, no. Go sit, everything is done."

He ignored her like usual "What can I take to the table?"

Brianna huffed, this was the man she loved but he got on her nerves sometimes. "You never listen to me"

"I never let you do all the work, you mean"

"I guess...". The attempt to make herself look mad never worked, especially when he placed small kisses on her neck and face while holding her close.

"Not mad anymore?" he asked when a sigh of pleasure left her body.

"Shut up" was all she said before taking the food and carrying it to the table, silently gesturing to the fuzzy drinks that he brought to the table while giggling. 

They ate while talking about the day. Brianna had been especially busy with work after being recruited by a huge company to be the main software developer. It had taken a toll on her so it was nice to have these small moments together to talk about the most random things.

After dinner, she told him to stay still with a very serious look, one she knew he would obey. She took the dessert from the fridge, a strawberry Shortcake she knew he loved and carried it to the table. The grin on his face brought a huge smile to hers.

"You are going to be responsible if I can't land any jumps because I'm too fat" he told her, still grinning.

"Sure, because you won't land your beloved Axel if your body fat percentage is like 5% instead of 4"

He laughed and gestured for her to sit on his lap and pouted when she nodded no.

"No? Do I have to drag you?"

"Let me get something first"

"Okay?"

Brianna went to the kitchen and retrieved the small box she had hidden before. Yuzuru looked at her carefully when she got back, clearly hiding something behind her back.

"What are you hiding?" he asked with a raised brow. She sat in his lap without a word and pecked his lips to distract him. "Not working" he said with a grin "show me".

The girl showed him the small box she was holding, making Yuzuru more curious than ever. He was strong enough not to ask what it was, waiting for her to speak.

"So, this is silly" she started "And probably a really bad idea, but I have been thinking about it non-stop and figured I should at least try and..."

"Breathe love, you're rambling" he said to his nervous girlfriend. She opened the small box and Yuzuru's eyes widened. "You're not serious" was all he said when he saw the gold band.

"Shut up, let me speak before I regret it" she said, still as nervous as ever "I know we haven't been together for long and this shouldn't even be something on my head but since you mentioned it at the Ryokan, I can't think of anything else when you're around. You said that maybe I should be the one taking the leap, so here it is..." Brianna was almost breathless when she finally uttered the words "Will you marry me, my Yuzu?"

"No"