aster

Chapter 11

KEI POV

"I need help, I can't figure out how to propose."

Yamaguchi states in amazement before letting out a small squeal, "I can't do much for you on my own except help brainstorm. Maybe you should send her to the store or to visit her brother and ask the team for advice. I'm sure everyone could help! Especially Yachi and Kiyoko-Senpai!!"

I mulled over his thoughts, thinking that maybe it wasn't such a bad idea. Hinata and Kageyama may not be much help, but I can use them to rule out the stupid ideas.

"Do you have a ring yet?" He asked, drawing me from my thoughts. I grabbed the purple, velvet box from my pocket, opening it up to show him the ring.

It was silver, a thin band with vines snaking around the ring, and a flower shaped diamond at the top.

Mine was a thick silver band with flowers engraved in the ring, sticking to our whole flower thing.

I bought her flowers every single day, and the day I proposed would be no different.

Only, these flowers will last longer.

Her favorites are purple Asters, which, coincidentally, are also my favorite.

"She knows I'm going to do it, but honestly, while she's very smart, she's extremely dense about these types of things. So I'm sure she's vaguely suspicious, but I don't think she knows for sure."

Yamaguchi opened his mouth to reply, but Aiko interrupted, "Boys, dinner is ready!!" We exchanged a glance before rushing to the dining room.

Thinking about proposing had me in a sappy mood, so after Yamaguchi left, I held her lightly by the hips and buried my head in her golden hair. She smelt like strawberries, and it filled my mind with thoughts of our past summer dates, the heat soaking into her sun kissed (Kei kissed too) skin. She was perfect in every way. I'll admit, the treatments made her lose a bit of weight, and even though I'll love her no matter what, her cheeks had become sunken in, and her body more bony. It made me think of the life slowly being drained from her frame, bringing instead a thin lifelessness I wasn't used to.

She could probably tell I was thinking about it, so I tried to wipe it from my mind and think more about the upcoming proposal.

"Kei... Let's go to the park." Aiko mumbled, moving away from me to write a note about a whereabouts.

Yeah, my girlfriend's a mind reader. She could totally tell I was thinking about it again.

There was no changing her mind when she has made a decision, so I just grabbed a blanket and two of my warmest jackets and followed my beautiful girlfriend to her favorite park.

As we laid there in the field, only a thin blanket shielding our bodies from the damp grass, I pulled her closer to me. I could vaguely hear voices near us, but I was too focused on my sheer adoration of her.

"Kei, why are we taught to fear death?" Aiko's voice was filled with confidence and curiosity, not a rare occurrence for her.

I sighed deeply, feeling the air filling every crevice of my lungs.

"I don't know, Ai. All I know, is that you can't contract weird terminal illnesses when you're dead, so I'd almost rather be there."

I could feel her giggle and shiver a bit, so I grabbed the zipper of the jacket she was wearing, my favorite jacket, and zipped it up, pulling the sleeves down her arms to warm her up more. She turned on her side and buried her face in my neck with a bright smile.

"All I know, is that wherever you are, I want to be. I want to be with you forever. My whole life, Aiko. And I know, there's a small chance, hell, there's almost none at all, that that can happen, so at least let me spend as much time with you as I can. I mean it. I want to hold your hand and give you kisses and cuddle you in my arms and do your hair. I want you to be with me!" At this point, the tears were streaming down my face, and I couldn't stop them, "So please, Iwazumi Aiko, please marry me." I pulled the velvety boxes from my pocket and laid them in the very small space on the blanket between us.

She just buried her head further in my neck and held her hand out to me, asking me to put it on her.

I sighed in relief and grief, all at once.

"Kei..." I heard her sputter, tears and sobs wracking her fragile frame.

"It's alright, Aiko, I got you." I picked her up in my arms and gathered the blanket, making my way home.

HINATA POV

By the time I was on my way home from practicing with Kageyama, i heard laughter and mumbling coming from the corner of the park I passed through every day.

I recognized the two people laying cutely and cuddly in the grass almost immediately, and when I saw Tsukishima fiddle with a velvet box in his pocket, I figured it was best to give them privacy and leave.

So as I was on my way home,'I started thinking about Aiko and Tsukishima.

I mean, he's a huge asshole, but not to her.

It's almost like the asshole part of him is fake and the only one who knows its fake is Aiko.

I got sad when I realized that they don't have much time left together.

They deserved so much.

I mean, he bought her flowers everyday!! That's a lot of money and a lot of flowers!!

Usually they were those purple ones, AGH I can't remember what it's called!

Oh right.

Asters.