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She had decided to do it on a Tuesday of all days, so really the plan had been doomed from the start.
They both had busy schedules, so finding a time where they could both take the night off to go out to a five star restaurant was a task in and of itself. When Alisa said “Tuesday works”, Miwa had really tried not to let her sudden pessimism show, but she couldn’t help but be somewhat dejected. Who the hell wanted to get engaged on a Tuesday? Still, she was determined to pull this off.
The only person she’d told was her brother. She initially planned to keep it a secret from everyone just in case Alisa said no, but her nerves had gotten so bad that it wasn’t long before she couldn’t stand to hold the news in. Tobio hadn’t really understood her anxiety about the situation, and had found it even more unnecessary when she’d asked to rehearse her speech with him.
“At least read through my first three ideas,” she’d begged. “I wanna make sure I don’t end up sounding like a total idiot.”
“You wrote them down?”
“I’m nervous, okay? Give me a break.”
“Why are you making such a big deal about this?” He’d frowned.
“Easy for you to say, you and your boyfriend practically get engaged every time you speak!”
That proclamation had only confused him more.
After some more debating, he relented. Tobio may like to act tough, but at the end of the day he was nothing but a sweetie with no brain cells. He let her rehearse her speeches and even gave her a few pointers on how to improve the one she planned on going with. Thank God for little brothers.
Although Tobio and Shoyo hadn’t done the whole marriage thing themselves yet, neither of them were any stranger to weddings. Just recently their friends Asahi Azumane and Yu Nishinoya had tied the knot; and Miwa herself had witnessed when her friend Saeko’s little brother finally married Kiyoko Shimizu. Everyone was getting older now, making these big life decisions. Now it was Miwa’s turn.
Growing up, Miwa never saw herself getting married. She’d struggled with comphet for awhile in junior high and had tried to picture it, but that phase didn’t last long. Even when she realized she liked women, she always saw herself more as the type to date around without ever settling down. That is, until she met Alisa Haiba.
They’d met when Miwa landed a job styling Alisa’s hair for a photo shoot. They found out their little brothers were both third years in their school’s respective volleyball clubs. They’d bonded over being older sisters and Alisa ended up deciding she liked Miwa’s hair-styling skills enough to give the woman her number. After about a week or two of talking they decided to start dating.
Here they were, almost three years later, and Miwa isn’t the type to believe in soulmates but if they do exist, she’s sure Alisa was made for her.
It hadn’t been easy, of course. Their personalities were vastly different and they went through a period where they argued over almost everything. But once they learned to listen to each other and communicate more they fell into a natural rhythm. They began to understand each other, to fall in love. A year in, they’d bought a shared apartment and handled every obstacle that came with that big milestone as they did everything else- together, hand in hand. Saeko liked to call them a power couple, and Miwa would smugly agree.
Now here she was- sitting in a crowded, overpriced restaurant on a rainy Tuesday night in the middle of august, waiting for her girlfriend to arrive. Alisa had texted her fifteen minutes ago with a warning that traffic was bad and that she would probably end up being a little late. Miwa couldn’t decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing. She was semi-grateful for the delay, but it also gave her extra time to wallow in her own nerves instead of being able to just get it over with.
She immediately scolds herself for that thought. She’s proposing to her beautiful girlfriend at a nice restaurant, this is a major life moment. She shouldn’t want to just “get it over with”. That might be Alisa talking though, she’d always been the more sentimental of the two; encouraging Miwa to take extra pictures on holidays and schedule more “family meals”. Upon moving in with Alisa, the dark-haired girl had quickly found herself thrust into domesticity. It was hard to adjust to at first, but she was rapidly warming up to it.
She glances at her watch: 8:45
Traffic may be heavy but she’s sure Alisa won’t end up being that late. She cannot waste this time she has to rehearse.
How should she do it? Put the ring in the wine bottle, in the bread? Let Alisa pour herself a glass only to notice a glinting object floating in her cup. She would then deliver a smooth, “How’d that get there?” and watch the realization settle over her girlfriend’s face.
No, too tropey. Also, Alisa could choke. That would be a mood killer.
The bread is an idea, but that might end up being gross. What if the ring ends up getting butter all over it? What if it gets greasy? Who would want a greasy wedding ring???
She realizes she’s been gripping the table in her state of concentration and relaxes her hand, letting out a breath. She mentally tells herself to calm down before she breaks either the table or her hand. After all, she’ll need all her fingers in-tact if things go well tonight.
The waiter comes and asks if she wants a refill on her water. She says yes and contemplates pouring herself a glass of wine to ease her nerves after he leaves. She’d planned to wait until Alisa showed up to open it but…
No, none of that, she is going to wait on her like a good girlfriend. Gosh, why can’t she just get it together?
She pulls out her phone to pass the time, texting Saeko for emotional support.
✨Saeko✨
I feel like I’m gonna >
throw up
< Just relax, you’ll do great!
< Break a back ;)
She rolls her eyes at the text, stuffing her phone away. She does anything to distract herself, drumming her fingers against the table, checking the time, observing the people around her. In traffic, her and Alisa liked to play a game where they would look at the car next to or in front of them and make up a story about the driver’s life. The only rules were that the story had to be creative, and it had to end with a conclusion to where they were going and why they were going there. The person with the most creative story won. It was a game Alisa had been playing for years with her brother, one that she won every time(not that Miwa minded). Miwa had once tried to get Tobio to play it but he couldn’t quite grasp the point, and all his stories were somewhat bland. When Shoyo was with them, he could easily rival Alisa with the wild plots he came up with while the Kageyama siblings watched in astonishment.
Looking around now, she tries to make up stories about the people eating near her. Spy. Accountant. Secret government agent. Former clown. Tom Cruise in disguise. Escaped convict. Babysitter. Struggling actress. She’s sure if Alisa were here, she’d be able to add more flair to her stories.
She nearly jumps in her seat when she hears someone call her name from behind. The knot in her stomach tightens, and she has to clench her teeth to keep from screaming. She’d know that voice anywhere.
She turns around and, sure enough, there’s Alisa in all her glory. And, fuck, of course she chose tonight of all nights to look dropdead gorgeous.
Her long blonde hair is pushed to the side in a loose, wavy style. Her makeup might as well have been done by a professional and her earrings look like real diamonds. She’s wearing a velvet, dark green fitted dress with a square top and loose sleeves that close around the wrists. It reached her mid-thigh, leaving most of her long legs exposed. The shoes she’s wearing are close-toed, ruby red heels with a bow around the ankle. A tricky combination to pull off- unless you’re Alisa Haiba. Miwa’s heart nearly stops at the sight.
Alisa smiles brightly as she makes her way over to the table, taking her seat across from Miwa and slinging her small, cross-body bag over the back of her chair.
“Sorry I’m late,” she says. “There was a lot of traffic.”
Up close, Alisa looks even more breathtaking. Her face is flushed slightly, presumably from rushing to get to the top floor of the restaurant as quickly as possible. Her eyes shine in the candlelight, and her smile is enough to knock someone out. They’re seated at a table by a long, floor-length window, and the light of the dark city below them reflects against the side of Alisa’s face. Miwa’s hand itches to reach out and touch it, but she doesn’t.
“It’s fine,” Miwa attempts a smile. “You must be thirsty though, I’ll pour you a glass.”
She reaches out with a shaking hand to grab the wine bottle, trying to jerk the cork out.
“I can do tha-”
“No, it’s fine, I’ve got it.”
After some struggle, the cork comes out, and Miwa gives herself a mental round of applause when it does.
She reaches over the table again to pour Alisa’s glass, but her grip on the bottle isn’t steady enough and she ends up spilling it…all over Alisa’s lap.
“Shit!” She half-screams, standing up with her napkin immediately. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Alisa laughs, nervously. She pulls back from the table to wipe her lap off. Miwa tries to help her without causing a scene, but a couple eyes from around the room have already turned towards them.
Great, not even five minutes in and she’s already messed something up. Might as well just throw the ring out already. Miwa wants to slam her head against the table, to crawl underneath it and never be seen or heard from again.
To make matters worse, the waiter from before comes over to them.
“Is there anything I can help you with, Miss?”
“We’re good,” Miwa insists.
“Maybe more napkins?” Alisa asks, hesitantly.
The waiter nods. “Of course.”
Fortunately, the material is probably too dark to stain, but Miwa still feels bad that her girlfriend will have to sit through the rest of this meal with a sticky skirt because of it. She’ll probably be taking it off of her later anyways, but it’s still bound to be uncomfortable. And on a night like tonight, no less.
At least they haven’t gotten their food yet, so she didn’t risk ruining Alisa’s meal with that little mishap. Most of the actual liquid seems to be dried up pretty easily, and by the time the food comes out the table cloth should be dry.
The waiter returns shortly, stack of paper napkins in hand.
“Here you are, Miss.”
Miwa turns back to take them and Mishap #2 occurs. She has her arm raised, unaware that the waiter has bent down to her level to deliver the napkins, and when she turns she ends up elbowing him right in the face. He lets out a loud grunt, immediately falling backwards.
“Holy shit,” Miwa gasps, turning to him immediately. “I’m so sorry- I didn’t break it, did I?”
A few more waiters rush over to them, helping him up.
“You’re alright, Miss,” the waiter insists, unconvincingly. “That was quite a bit of force you put behind it, but I think I’ll be fine with some ice.”
“It was an accident,” Miwa promises. “I’m so, so fucking sorry.”
Horrified looks from the staff around them remind her that this is considered a “high class” dining place and that that type of language isn’t exactly standard procedure here.
“Sorry,” she mutters, again.
“Is there anything we can do to help with it?” Alisa asks, like the absolute fucking angel she is. “You can send us the medical bill if it turns out to be broken.”
“Like I said, I’ll be fine,” the waiter insists. “Saotome here will take over for me while I deal with this.”
Another, younger waiter steps forward, examining the scene before him. “Is there anything I can get you two?”
Alisa shakes her head. “Just the napkins will do.”
Miwa sits back down after that, mortified. She hides her face in her hand, trying to pretend everyone in the room isn’t staring at her.
She just wanted this night to go well. It didn’t even have to be perfect, but was it too much to ask to get through it without almost breaking someone’s nose? She’s never felt this way about someone before and all she wanted was to give Alisa a nice, memorable story to tell their grandkids. At this point, any plans she had to propose have been thrown out the window. She’ll have to find some other time to do it. Hopefully next time will be on a proper Friday or Saturday.
A soft, delicate hand reaches across the table to hold her wrist.
“Miwa, dear?” Speaks that silk-like voice that she’d know anywhere. “It’s alright, it was only an accident.”
“Yeah,” she laughs, bitterly. “Two accidents in a row. One of which might get me sent to court.”
“Oh, come on, now you’re just being dramatic. The man said he didn’t think it was broken.”
“What if he was just being nice?”
“Well, then I’ll get you a really good lawyer.”
The two of them laugh, and it makes Miwa’s shoulders relax a little. Alisa always has this brilliant ability to make her feel better no matter the circumstances. Miwa’s pretty sure Alisa could make her smile in the middle of a house fire. She silently hopes they don’t have to test that theory tonight though.
“Let’s just start over and hope the rest of this night goes smoothly,” Alisa suggests.
Against all odds, Miwa smiles. “I’d like that.”
~
They manage to make it to the main course without any other major catastrophes. Alisa ordered crabcakes and Miwa ordered a lobster Alfredo pasta, both of which were outstanding. They ordered a second bottle of wine since most of the first was lost in the spill earlier, and decided to put the rocky kick-off to their evening behind them.
The two of them talked and laughed, catching up on their busy weeks. Alisa had been dealing with back-to-back photo shoots all week, and had hardly even been at their apartment. Miwa’s schedule had been no cakewalk either, and every moment she spent not planning the proposal, she’d been booked up. Of course, she leaves out that first detail.
They talk about their brothers- Tobio won his most recent match and Lev was recently on the cover of some reputable magazine. They discuss plans to meet up with the two of them and Shoyo soon, and Alisa even says they should get Lev to bring Yaku along. Apparently they’ve been dating for a few months now but are still trying to keep it on the downlow. Alisa theorizes that it might be because of the media, and how news like that can have mixed reactions.
Miwa fondly remembers when they first made their relationship public. People had been shocked to hear that such a well-known model was seeing another woman, and it had sparked mixed reactions. Some had been overjoyed at the news, praising Alisa for being herself and giving young queer women a rolemodel to look up to. Others had been enraged, claiming it was all part of some “agenda”. Neither of them really cared about the negativity, because it didn’t change the way they felt about each other. In the end, the craziness of it all only drew the two of them closer together. It had been a nice, oddly intimate time in their relationship and they were proud that the world now knew of their love.
The rest of the meal goes smoothly, and Miwa ends up enjoying herself so much that she forgets about the ring in her purse. That is, until the check comes.
“I’ll get it,” she offers.
“Are you sure?” Alisa protests. “This place is pretty expensive.”
“I can handle it, I was the one who invited you after all.”
Alisa looks mildly unsure but doesn’t protest.
Miwa struggles with the snap on her bag. When she finally gets it to pop open, out flies a small, golden object. She watches in mortification as it lands on the floor by their table.
For a moment, time seems to freeze. It’s as though the ring falls in slow motion, making the softest thud as it hits the floor. The sound still echoes in Miwa’s ears and she feels her blood freeze in her veins.
She looks to Alisa to see if she noticed it, and of course she did. Her green eyes are wide and trained on the small object on the floor, mouth slightly agape.
“Miwa?”
Time starts again. She starts to sweat, her heart racing, her breath is caught in her throat, her mind feels scrambled, suddenly everything in the room feels too tight.
“Is that what I think it is?”
She needs to act fast, to get the ring, to hide it. Hide it from what though? Alisa’s already seen it. The damage has already been done.
Still, she feels herself get out of her chair before her brain can process the action. She’s standing up, throwing her cloth napkin back into her chair and kneeling down by the table to get the ring.
“I’m sorry,” she has no idea what she’s saying but the words come out anyway. “This night wasn’t supposed to go like this, I messed everything up, I’m sorry. Please just pretend you never saw this.”
“Miwa…”
“Don’t say anything, just let me-”
And then Miwa makes yet another mistake. She lifts her head too quickly and hits it hard against the edge of the table, dropping the ring from her hand at the shock of the hit.
She lets out a groan and Alisa immediately stands up to help her, hand softly grazing her forehead.
“Miwa, are you alright?”
The dark haired girl blinks, looking up at the goddess above her. Her head feels swimmy and her heart is still racing. It’s cool inside the restaurant but sweat makes her black dress stick to her back. She frowns.
“I’m so sorry, this isn’t how this was supposed to go,” she fights back tears. She hasn’t cried since her grandfather’s death, she’s not about to cry right now. She’s dealt with embarrassment before, even dealt with heartbreak before. But something about the combination of it all coupled with the fact that she might lose Alisa because of her own stupidity makes her want to hit her head again, this time with more force.
Alisa smiles down at her with a sympathetic expression. “I’ve had a lovely time, dear. I’m sorry this didn’t go the way you planned, but I don’t think the night was ruined at all. It will certainly be a funny story to tell once we make sure your head is okay.”
Miwa looks up at her, stunned. How is it possible for a person to be this perfect? She doesn’t know why she worried so much in the first place. No matter how badly she messes up, Alisa will understand. She may be short-tempered but she’s still patient when it counts. And, more importantly, she loves Miwa and would never leave her over something like a messy date. Miwa wants to slap herself for how dense she’s been about this whole affair.
Without fully registering it, she grabs the ring, adjusting herself so that she’s down on one knee.
Alisa’s eyes widen again but they’re filled with more hope and joy than Miwa has ever seen from her. Her smile is practically glowing as she lets Miwa take both of her hands in one, holding the ring up with the other.
“Alisa, I…well, I must’ve hit my head really hard because I don’t remember any of the speeches I had planned,” she begins. The blonde laughs, already sounding a little choked up. “I never thought I would meet someone like you. Someone who makes me want to try to be a better, happier person. You have taken my life and spun it around for the better, so it’s yours. Have my life, have my future and my everything. All I am is yours, so please let me stay by your side from here on out. I want every morning with you, every holiday and car ride and disastrous meal. Will you marry me?”
The choked noise she gets in response is enough confirmation, but then Alisa is shouting “Yes!” and leaning down to throw her arms around her and crying into her shoulder and Miwa couldn’t imagine a more perfect moment.
The restaurant erupts into cheers and Miwa suddenly realizes they’re in a public place. They pull away, laughing. The waiter makes his way over to them to offer his congratulations but Alisa speaks before he can.
“Does this mean we get a free dessert?” Miwa pinches her side and Alisa pouts, swatting her hand away playfully.
The waiter smiles. “Yes, I believe that is tradition.”
They get back in their seats to order a plate of tiramisu, hands clasped across the table.
Once the waiter leaves, Miwa lifts Alisa’s right hand to place the ring on her finger. Alisa holds it out, smiling at the medium-sized diamond.
“Miwa this is gorgeous, you spoil me.”
“Only the best for my fiancé,” she grins.
In the end, it does make for an entertaining story to tell at parties and gatherings. Alisa likes to add a few fudged details to make the story more dramatic- like how the waiter had blood running down his face, or how the wine bottle fell to the floor and shattered after Miwa dropped it. Alisa’s always been the more creative one out of the two of them, and if she wants to make their engagement story more theatrical than it already was, Miwa feels no obligation to stop her.
They tell all of their close friends and family before making it public, and Saeko insists on planning the engagement party so it ends up being more like a rager. When the news hits the media, the reviews are more positive than negative this time. With the engagement properly announced and celebrated, the two of them move forward, hand-in-hand, preparing to spend the rest of their lives together.
They get married on a Tuesday.