You honestly hated getting hit on all the time - if only your boyfriend was with you, but he was away for work.
Shiro was, actually, half a world away, so while he was off training for a mission to space that wouldn't happen for another couple of months, you were in a small coffee shop, manning the only cappuccino machine within two miles of the high school. Those boys always said they had a girlfriend when their friends are in earshot, but when it's just them ordering, they say their name is your number or they order you as their drink.
You even tried wearing a fake engagement ring to ward off their advances, but if anything they only tried harder, thinking that you were some prize to be won.
Sometimes, you wondered how many of them wrote fake numbers on their cups and claimed that it was yours. Honestly, it was pathetic and highly annoying.
Shiro heard your complaints often and asked you why you didn't change jobs, and you didn't know why. Maybe it was the joy in the regular customers' faces when you started on their order the second you saw them approaching in the window, or the tips those kids gave you when trying to impress some girl, or the small glimpses into other people's lives when they were in your place of occupation. He would often say that you should write a book with the way you told him this on the phone as you were getting ready for bed and he was eating lunch.
Sometimes, if you were lucky, he'd be at his room, but he rarely got a day off. You were so proud of him, telling him before you said goodnight so he wouldn't give up.
"You're so lucky, babe. You get to see the stars without any light pollution to ruin the view." He chuckled.
"I'll have to send you a picture, won't I? Then we could look at them together." He always had a way of making you swoon.
"Hey. I love you." He knew good-bye was coming soon since you couldn't stop yawning.
"I love you too, [y/n]. I can't wait to see you again." As far as you knew, that wouldn't be until the last week before the launch, so that he could hold you before leaving the planet for a few months.
"Goodnight, Shiro." You could hear him smile.
"Goodnight, beautiful." You hung up and as you were plugging your phone in, you remembered when the two of you started your nightly (his daily) routine. You knew he said goodnight to you because where you were, it was ten-thirty, but for him it was one-thirty in the afternoon, and his friends were with him sometimes. They probably thought it was weird, so you asked what they thought about it.
They thought it was cute, him calling you every day so you could hear his voice before bed since those times for you were set, but Shiro's bedtime changed as often as the phases of the moon - you hardly ever caught him on your break.
One time, on Thanksgiving, you called him on Skype so you could meet his friends, and from what you had heard (and also from what you had saw), they liked you and also wondered "what are you doing with a schmuck like Shirogane?" You simply smiled.
"He's good to me. I would never ask for anyone else." To which at least half of them 'aww'ed at. Climbing into your comforter, you fell asleep bracing yourself for tomorrow.
The next day, as you were trying to explain to some girl that you didn't have chai lattes, your phone went off. It only rang like that for an emergency.
"I'm sorry, I have to take this." She was angry, but you went into the back while your manager took over. "Hello?"
It was Shiro.
"Okay, I'm sorry, I know this is only for emergencies, but I need you to not open the thing I sent you until we're Skyping, okay? I need you to promise me, [y/n]?" You nodded.
"Okay, I understand. Kind of. Don't open the package."
"Yes. I know you're probably busy, but I couldn't risk you opening it early."
"Yeah. You actually saved me from a teenaged nightmare. Thanks babe~! I'll see you tonight then?" You really wanted to see him, it had been a few weeks since the last video chat.
He laughed. "Yeah. Tonight. Bye, gorgeous." He hung up. When you went back outside, the girl was gone and a regular customer who always changed their order every week was next in line.
"Hey, [y/n]. How's it going?" He said.
"Good, Alex. What'll it be today?"
- - - - - - -
Sitting at your computer that evening, your heart was pounding. The mysterious box was sitting on your desk off to the side. You listened to the familiar ringing, eagerly awaiting the man who was going to pick up your call. You were biting your lip in anticipation, a habit that Shiro often got after you for.
You let out a sigh when he picked up, but it wasn't your boyfriend on the other end.
"Hey [y/n]. How is it over there?" Matt, Shiro's best friend, roommate, and mission mate asked.
"It's going good. Where's Shiro?" You were very confused. He usually tried to avoid making promises he couldn't keep.
"Oh, he got called off to some extra training last minute, and he left his phone here, so I guess I can't call him. He did say that you would be calling, and if his laptop started to ring I could answer it. He said that you could open your box and tell him about it when you see him next?" You nodded, and in the haste to open the medium package, you didn't notice Matt hang up.
Ripping off the tape, you saw that inside the box was only an envelope. It was weird for someone to send a letter inside of a box, but you didn't dwell on it too long. You opened the envelope and another, smaller one fell out. This one was entirely covered in packing tape. Letting out a frustrated groan, you searched through your desk drawers for your scissors.
With some difficulty, you managed to cut it open to see a small piece of paper folded in half. Nervous, you peered at the message scrawled inside and widened your eyes in response.
"Will you marry me, [y/n]?" It read. You glanced back at your monitor to see the screen saver showing off your favorite picture of you and Shiro.
You tried calling Shiro twice but remembered Matt's story and how he had held up Shiro's phone. Your Skype dialings also went unanswered.
Something was gnawing at your stomach as you lay in bed, having given up attempts at reaching Shiro for the time being. You would try again tomorrow.
At work, your boss could tell you were uneasy about something, but he didn't approach you, which you thought was odd, as he was usually on you about your health and such.
Three orders into the day, you saw something weird passing the shop. It almost looked like Shiro was outside. You shook your head and busied yourself with cleaning a counter. You must have been hallucinating because of the shock of the question he asked yesterday. Beginning a simple latte, you didn't look up when the bell on the door rang, you just called out your usual welcome.
"[y/n]?" your head snapped up. Shiro. Leaving your station, you rushed to hug the man, shocked at how muscular he had become in the few months you had spent apart.
"Shiro, sweetie, I thought you weren't coming for a few more months?" You were in tears, so happy to see your boyfriend that every thought left your mind as you squeezed him as hard as you could to make sure he wasn't an illusion.
"[y/n], hey." He pulled away and kissed your cheek. You looked up at him, curious, before he knelt to one knee. "You stood by me, even if we weren't actually with one another. You stayed loyal, even though you had so many chances to leave me. I love you so much and it would give me such pleasure if you would do me the honor of marrying me." You hands were covering your mouth.
"Oh, Shiro, I thought last night was a dream! You actually- Yes! Yes, I will." You kissed him like a man drank water when he was without for a few days. Cheers erupted around you and when you glanced at the line of impatient high schoolers, you thought some of the boys looked embarrassed.
