The last thing that Shiro left before going overseas was a blue nutcracker that Lance kept in his kitchen every day of the year. It's been so long since he last saw his fiancé and now his friends were presenting him with a huge present that sat in the middle of the living room. He never saw it coming.
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When Takashi gave Lance the ugly little nutcracker, he thought that he was joking.
"Haha, what the hell is this?" He asked with a giggle as he lifted the top of the box off, revealing a blue nutcracker. He looked up at Takashi with a small smile.
"It's for Christmas, since I won't be here and all," he said sadly, rubbing the back of his neck. Lance sighed and stood in front of the soldier and took his face in his hands.
"Takashi, it's okay," he said when Takashi sniffed slightly and directed his gaze towards the floor. He pulled his head towards him and lightly kissed his forehead with a smile. He pulled back and met Takashi's eyes. Takashi reached out and dragged the box closer to them.
"You should really look at this nutcracker though," he encouraged. Lance quirked a brow but decided to humour him and picked it up. His eyes widened at the box laying underneath it. Takashi picked it up with slightly trembling hands and slid to the ground in front of Lance on one knee. Lance gasped and covered his mouth with his hands as tears started welling up in his eyes.
"I don't want to leave without having any regrets, you are the most important person in the world to me. Lance McClain, will you marry me?" Takashi asked him, voice quivering in nervousness. He looked up, trying to gauge his reaction and saw tears rolling down his boyfriend's cheeks.
"Well?" He prompted after a few moments of silence. Lance launched himself at Takashi, wrapping his arms around his chest and burying his face in the crock of his neck with a sob.
"Yes, of course, I will," he said, pulling back with a gasp. Takashi smiled and held Lance's cheek in his palm, brushing away the stray tears with his thumb. Then he gently took Lance's left hand and slid the tungsten ring on his finger, before bringing the hand to his mouth to press a kiss to it. Lance let out another happy sob and pulled Takashi into a kiss.
"I love you so much," Lance whispered pressing their foreheads together. Tears streaked down his face, neither of them could care less though as they basked in the light of the new journey that they were about to take together.
Well, it would have to wait for now. Takashi was to be deployed overseas for the next year and a half, missing the next two Christmases at home. Lance understood though, this job was Takashi's life and being deployed was part of being a soldier.
"Oh my God, I have to call Hunk," Lance laughed after he pulled away from Takashi slightly. Takashi chuckled but got up and held out a hand for his now fiancé to take, easily hauling him up with the one arm. Lance smiled and kissed his cheek before turning and grabbing the phone from the counter. Takashi came up behind him and wrapped his arms around Lance from behind and rested his head on his shoulder.
"Hey Lance, whats up?" Hunk's cheerful voice came through the phone. Lance laughed a little still tearing up slightly.
"Lance? Are you alright? Did something happen?" His voice turned worried.
"Something did happen," he said with a smile, nuzzling his cheek into Takashi's.
"What? Is it bad? Did something bad happen?" He wasn't sure why Lance wasn't telling him anything but he could hear the emotion in his voice.
"Why aren't you saying anything? What? What happened?" He rambled.
"Hunk," Lance breathed out trying to calm his friend down.