ᴅᴀʏ ɪɪ: ᴋᴀᴇᴅᴇʜᴀʀᴀ ᴋᴀᴢᴜʜᴀ—ᴏɴ ᴀ ᴅᴀᴛᴇ
°❀.ೃ࿔* take me on a date, i deserve it, babe! ˚₊·—̳͟͞͞♡
❝ Meet me on the harbor at dawn, I'd like to profess to you the depths of my heart at a place worthy of you, my dearest.❞
that was all there was on the letter; vague, yet reminiscently straightforward, written in that gentle cursive that made your heart beat just a little bit faster whenever you saw the way "my dearest" was penned in his handwriting; his version of love forged from ink and quill.
so naturally, you made sure to show up on time. dressed in your best—just not to the nines. something simple, comfortable, and made for an overseas trip on the Alcor. a cute piece you were certain he'd like.
when you arrived at the dock, you found kazuha already there, helping carry some crates and cargo to the ship while another ship member was handling the process of listing and rechecking.
it wasn't an uncommon sight; your boyfriend simply couldn't help but to lend a helping hand at times. it was one of the reasons the captain continued to allow him a temporary crew member position anyway, aside from generally liking him.
"your beauty is one of which precedes me, my dear."
the abrupt presence of a voice startles you—likely not having realized you were essentially admiring him from a distance—but your recovery was quick once you recognized the soft lilt you only ever associated with kazuha.
"you needn't admire from afar. i'm all yours."
his bandaged hand came to gently take yours while his head lowered, placing a tender kiss on the tips of your knuckles—a cheeky habit of his. you felt your ears burn slightly at the lovingly familiar gesture, urging a sheepish laugh from your throat.
"hey lovebirds! we're setting sail!"
from the dock, you can see beidou kneeling against the ship railing, almost bellowing with laughter upon noticing the intimate positioning between you two. at her contagious laughter, kazuha couldn't help but laugh the same, cheeks tinted of a soft pink hue.
despite the abashment, not once did he let go. instead, his clutch on your hand tightened, graciously leading you to board the ship alongside him, which you enthusiastically accepted.
the place was in full swing as soon as the sails were lowered and the ropes were untied; crux members bustling about and hard at work, expertly arranging the goods on board which were for assumedly yet another cargo deal.
as the ship slowly maneuvered further onto the water, the floorboards creaked under the weight of consistent efficiency, rocking slightly with the transition. but as the wind pushed against the sails with a remarkable persistence, the dock slowly began to disappear into the distance behind you, replaced by the vast open sea with the sunrise reflecting on the crashing waves.
the waters rippled against the boat's acceleration, occasionally crashing against the railing you leaned on while you watched the sun rise from the distance, painting the sky in various hues of warm and cool tones.
"truly a mesmerizing sight, isn't it?"
kazuha joined your side, leaned similarly against the boat railing. yet instead of the sea, his eyes were trained on you with a fond smile.
you both stayed there for a while, basking in the simple sounds of the ocean—with the occasional addition of a dolphin jumping between waves once or twice, a prolonged yet comfortable silence enveloping you.
but once it was mainly the sea and sky surrounding you both, the presence of the crew had dissipated to mere background noise, replaced by crashing waves and soaring birds in the chilly morning breeze.
his idle hand reached over, slowly, tenderly, intertwining his fingers with yours.
"akin to birds, your mere presence uncovers a means to make my heart soar like no other, my dear."
there's something tender in the way his gaze strays from the open water.. to you, eyes fixated on you like nothing else even existed in the current moment. but then he moved, turning to face you before both his hands came to hold yours.
"dearest.. you're aware i sought for your appearance here, to truly pronounce my devotion; so i believe this is the ideal moment for me to.."
the commotion had died down, and the ship seemed to hold its breath. if for even a singular moment, the whole world seemed to shrink and move in slow motion. kazuha had let go, getting down on one knee before he moved your hand to cup his cheek, thumb slowly caressing your inner wrist.
"..ask for your hand in marriage?"
he pulled a ring out of seemingly nowhere, presenting it to you with a jittery hand. even his hand that was caressing yours began to shake, clutching your wrist just a tad bit tighter.
your breath had caught in your throat, running your head foggy and making you feel lightheaded as a result. even your own hands and legs trembled, far more than kazuha's nervous quivers. your eyes practically bulged out of their sockets as you stared down at the ring.
the ring itself was simple in design, molded to your ring size, and made with your preferred ring metal. but not even the thoughtful details could water down the sheer weight the single piece of jewelry held as it was slipped on your finger upon your agreement.
"a leaf disturbed by the exhale of the earth you are, dearest.. but I'm brought to ease at your acceptance."
you didn't even notice when kazuha had stood up, but now, he held you close, his other hand moving in a comforting motion against the small of your back. the hand that held yours tightened just a margin, thumb brushing against the band on your ring finger, a physical representation of his devotion positioned right on your finger like it belonged there.
before you could realize it, the ship erupted with a congratulatory round of applause, albeit quieter than what you anticipated—which thankfully wasn't enough to be overwhelming. once the commotion died down a little, beidou had come down from her station as well.
"well well, congratulations, you both. glad to see the proposal went smoothly. we have some booze onboard if ya feel like celebrating, or if you just want some couple time. join us if you're feeling up for it—but I'll leave you both alone for now."
she laughed, patting a firm, approving hand against kazuha's back before heading up to the quarterdeck, leaving you both to your own devices.
"well, what say you, my dearest? we shall join them if you'd like. I will all but stand beside you, no matter what you decide."
ending up posting this far later than the softlaunch, it was hard to conceptualize a date idea for kazuha.. (dont get me started on his dialogue.) and also cause i recently got off bedrest—went on a day trip and got my leg scarred? skinned? on the same day—now dealing with a bruised scar so i do apologize lol
now thinking about it this is likely to be a longer running series beyond just this yumay huh
credits┊@sweetestpeacreates #1 ⨾ @enchanthings #1 ⨾ @zclhs #1 ⨾ title song
