Spellbound Affection

Chapter 14: I Ask You to be Mine

(Third Person Point of View)

The Violet Eagle's name had spread throughout the Espeleirian Peninsula. They had been a powerful party with powerful members, known for their unbeatable teamwork and bond.

Of course, there was one bond that stood out the most.

By this point, Tendou had forgotten about the curse of Spellbound Affection, and him being together with Ushijima and the others was all that mattered.

Tendou had came out of the dressing room. They were in the local shop to treat themselves after the countless quests they have been embarking, deciding to take a break for a short while.

"What do you think, 'Toshi?"

Tendou was wearing a shirt that had the statement 'CHOKE ME DADDY' written in bold letters.

Ushijima stared at him speechless, and tried to take the shirt off of Tendou immediately.

"Please do not advertise inappropriate things."

Tendou squealed. "Ahh!! I'm being censored!"

Semi gasped. "What the fuck--"

Shirabu jumped to cover Goshiki's eyes.
"Dear lord don't do something indecent in public!"

Goshiki was taken aback. "Shirabu-san, my eyes are starting to hurt."

Reon was dumbfounded. "Okay, who the heck actually has the guts to buy that thing?"

Tendou went back to the dressing room to try another dumb shirt, again.

This time, he came out with a blue shirt that had an Emperor Penguin on it.

"So?"

Ushijima hummed. "Hmm, interesting."

"Eh? What? Why?"

"That penguin looks like you."

There was no sarcasm in Ushijima's voice. And that fact probably made it worse.

Tendou gaped at him. "What? Really? Does it look like me?"

Ushijima chuckles, much to everyone's surprise. "Yes."

Tendou was offended. "And you stand firm by that it even makes you laugh?"

Semi was whipping his head back and forth.
"Holy shit, Ushijima is laughing. Bleach my eyes."

Shirabu was rubbing his eyes. "What the actual fu--"

Goshiki was clapping. "Good job, Tendou-san!"

Reon whispers in Ushijima's ear.
"Buy it, Ushijima-san. Buy it and make him wear it."

Ushijima gave Reon a thumbs-up and looked back to Tendou, who was still offended.

"I will buy that."

Tendou protested. "What the heck. I can pay."

"No, I insist."

Semi was already choking on laughter at this point, and Shirabu had to drag him out of his spot.

Reon was still whispering to Ushijima.
"Ushijima-san, I heard from Oikawa-san that tonight they will be hosting the Espeleirian Festival. Would you like it if we will leave you and Tendou-san alone for the night?"

Ushijima thought about it.
"That will be highly appreciated, thank you."

Reon snickered, and pulls out a questioning Goshiki away from the scene, with Reon silently mumbling "we need to give the two lovebirds an alone time, Goshiki."

Ushijima holds Tendou's hand.
"Satori, I heard that there will be a festival around the nation for later. I want you to come with me."

Tendou laughs. "That sounded like a command, not an invitation, don't you think? But nevermind, I will go with you wherever you want to go."

That night was humid. Nightingales were singing, and the moon shone so bright, and the twinkling of the stars made the moment perfect.

Ushijima holds Tendou's hand tightly.
"Satori, tell me, who put the sunlight in your smile?"

Tendou hums, gripping Ushijima's hand tighter.
"Yeah? Maybe the same person who put the stars in your eyes."

Ushijima smiles. "Before I met you, I never knew what it was like to be able to look at someone and smile for no reason."

"'Toshi..." Tendou's cheeks burned, and Ushijma's cheeks also burned by the sudden nickname.

"I act like I don't care, but every time I see you so upset, I feel like I want to protect you and make you happy."

Tendou smiles back at him.
"I know I'm nothing special.... But I hope you don't replace me."

Ushijima looks at the sky, the moon shining even brighter as if blessing them.
"We come to love by not finding the perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly."

Tendou started running away, dragging Ushijima with him.
"I know a place where we can watch the fireworks perfectly!" he said in between ragged breaths.

Ushijima still felt the familiar butterflies in his stomach, smiling at Tendou's figure who continued to run.

"Being together with someone you love is truly one of the best things in life."
Ushijima whispers to himself.

"So many stars and the moon with them."
Tendou marveled at the scene in front of them.

Tendou had dragged them to a nearby hill on top of a tree, with Tendou's small pupils bathing in the ocean of stars.

"So many stars and the moon with them, but I'd rather look at the ones in your eyes."

Tendou whipped his head to Ushijima's direction and laughs.
"Can you please not say a cheesy line while wearing a stoic facial expression?"

"Pardon."

Tendou gave him a small smile.
"You know, my thoughts are free to go anywhere, but it's surprising how often they head in your direction."

Tendou leans in and puts his head on Ushijima's shoulder, with Ushijima wrapping an arm around him. Tendou inhales Ushijima's scent.

"As long as I'm with you, I will always have everything I need to be happy. My only nightmare is to wake up in a world when you're not mine. What if I haven't met you in the first place, Wakatoshi-kun?"

Tendou pulls up his head and looks at Ushijima. Ushijima leaned in and their foreheads touched.

"Then I would find you. I'll find you no matter where you are. Even if I have to slay dragons and monsters along the way, I would gladly do so, just to be with you."

Ushijima hugged Tendou.
"Talking with you. Laughing with you. Being with you. It changed my whole world. I can not imagine my life without you in it, Satori."

Ushijima cupped Tendou's cheeks.
"I want to hear the secrets you've carried for far too long. I want to talk about the memories of your childhood that pulls tears out of your eyes. I want you, every part of you."

"'Toshi.."

"In you, I have found cities and oceans I wish to travel. You have stories within you that I wish to travel with you. All I want to do is spend my life loving you and making you happy."

Ushijima wiped a tear that came out from Tendou's eyes with his thumb.

"Satori, please believe in me. Please believe in this promise of forever."

Bright fireworks lit up the night sky.

"I never asked for the moon, or a diamond ring, or some mansion high up on a hill. All I ever wanted was you. Just you."

Ushijima leaned in more, their noses touching.

"With this, I ask you to be mine."

He sealed the promise of forever with a kiss.