the next five days were barely less anxious than the previous nine. the anxious waiting made your stomach twist. your date didn't warrant a paid expenses shopping trip (that promise was not kept), but it was certainly a big deal. time certainly made you wait, those five days did not pass quickly.

there were almost 20 minutes left until 5 o'clock, but the time fleeted by like nothing. your doorbell rang and it was already 5.

bokuto stood outside, his hands behind his back. he wore a white polo shirt under his navy blue crew neck. his jeans were well fitted and his shoes matched his shirt. of course he finished off the look with his gorgeous smile.

"hi."

"hey."

"look, i know you said no gifts," he started. you let out a disappointed sigh before he continued, "but in my defense, i got this for you before you said not to."

he pulled a black velvet box from behind him. you examined the long box as the boy handed it over. embossed on it was the word "bijoux" in gold. it was obviously french but you had no knowledge of the language. you opened the box, revealing a gold necklace. the thin chain had a lonely charm dangling at its center, a golden star. you weren't one to wear jewelry often, but you liked stuff like this. simple yet still eye-catching.

you eyed the box's content for a while before dragging bokuto inside with you. when you reached the confines of your bedroom, you stood in front of a mirror and slid the necklace out of the box.

"put it on for me," you said, handing him the necklace. the hairs of your neck stood on edge when his fingers brushed against your skin. the necklace clasped together and fell onto your neck. it matched beautifully with your outfit, not too much, not too little, just perfect.

"do you like it?" bokuto stood behind you, hands hidden in his pockets. your eyes drifted back to the necklace, a soft smile on your face.

"yeah. i really do."

~~~

you were out the door soon after. bokuto led you to the bus stop by the hand, his fingers laced between yours. the bus ride wasn't long. the two of you talked on the way to your destination, cuddled up close to each other. your face curved into a smile whenever his hand squeezed your shoulder on a sharp turn.

the city wasn't somewhere you went often. you only go when your mom has a big project for work and that was quite rare. the streets were filled with passing people, all bundled up and safe from the cold. you watch them all pass through the stores, the restaurants, and the riveting sights that tokyo had to offer. nothing failed to catch your eyes.

"our stop," bokuto said as the bus came to a halt. he held his hand out for you and led you off of the bus.

he directed you through the crowds, this was a familiar place for him. he maneuvered past people, his hand gripping yours as tightly as ever. he stopped in front of a tall glass building on the corner of the street. the large glass panes went up hundreds of feet. he flashed a smile before dragging you inside.

inside, you were greeted by a host in an all-black uniform and a nice wave of heat. the host led you to an elevator and you were sent up to the 6th floor.

when it stopped, she led you through a maze of tables and dining customers to a nice two-seater table by the windows. the world looked so tiny behind the glass. the view was amazing from your seat. the streets below were shadowed by the withering sunlight, cars bustling past each other.

"have you ever been out here before?" bokuto asked while taking his seat.

"once or twice, but i never got to see any of this." you rested your head on your hand, watching light refract off of buildings.

"we'll have to come back sometime then," the boy smiled as he scanned the menu. you watched him concentrate like the meal he picked was his last hope. you smile to yourself and look down at your own menu.

this boy...

~~~

dinner was amazing. the food exceeded every expectation you had, you got to watch the sun set over the high-rise building across the city, and now tokyo was truly awake. neon lights illuminated the buildings and streets. the cars flashed by along the highways, their lights leaving streaks behind. truly mesmerizing.

"the stars are super easy to see over there," bokuto mentioned in reference to a snow-covered hill nearby. with curiosity, you allowed him to lead you there. it was a couple of minutes into the uphill climb when an idea struck you.

"bo?"

the boy trudging in front of you slowed himself, turning to face you.

lunging forward, you threw a ball of snow at his face. he let out an angry gasp. his hand groped towards the ground, forming his own snowball. you slowly back up, grabbing more snow to defend yourself. the boy flung the snowball towards you. you deflected it with your arm, soaking your coat. in retaliation, you pelted your snowball, only for him to perfectly dodge it.

bokuto charged at you and wrapped his arm around your waist, lifting you up and throwing you over his shoulder. you kicked and flailed, trying to escape his grasp, but nothing worked. he carried you up the rest of the hill.

when he stopped, he lightly dropped you onto the snow. you watched him sit next to you, his silhouette covering you. he looked back at you with that unbearable smile. your heart sank and a light blush swept your face. he turned, his front now facing you. one of his hands rested on the other side of you, holding him up. the other hand touched your face, his thumb tracing along your jawline. his finger met your cheek and brushed thin hairs from your face.

"you're gorgeous," he mumbled. you squinted as an unwarranted blush spread across.

"and you're a tease." your hand touched the bottom of his chin, your thumb lightly tapping it. he just looked back, that doting face of his never moving.

"can i kiss you?"

the soft words almost passed you by. everything was unnoticeable, all you could hear was your accelerating heartbeat. there was always a part of you on full alert. that part of you was raging at the moment. all of the possible outcomes were mind-numbing. the good, the bad, there was no clear winner. it was all just a blur of choices and hopes. maybe it wouldn't go so poorly, but there's always a possibility that it goes worse than expected. was that risk worth it?

to be fully honest, overanalyzing often worked in your favor, but love wasn't an equation. love was an unsolvable conjecture. sitting down and trying to work out the numbers would be a waste. if you can't solve a problem, what do you do? you take an educated guess.

at that moment alone, your heart felt smarter than your brain ever did. your heart didn't store answers or information, it just kept you alive. so what good was it going to do now? maybe it was your brain shutting off. or maybe it was your brain telling you that this was a job for the heart. a job that can't be completed with book smarts.

so you let your heart take control for once. your hands wrapped around bokuto's neck, pulling his face closer to yours. the inch between you felt thinner than ever. you looked at him closely, only for a second, before you closed your eyes. you pulled him closer, waiting for the gap to close. after an eternity, it did.

his soft lips pressed against yours, the taste of ecstasy on the tip of your tongue. his fingers ran through your hair as he kissed you. he tasted like euphoria, nothing but goodness. your hand cupped his cheek, the other caressing his bicep. the rhythm you had was careful, slow, all that you could ever ask for. maybe your heart wasn't as incompetent as it seemed...

when your lips parted, the tension never faded. it was that empty feeling, but it never left. it just waded within you. bokuto sat up, turning back to the dark sky. you stayed on the ground for a bit, your brain still trying to catch up on what happened. you felt so slow. like your heart was lagging behind and eventually, it'd just stop.

when you caught your breath, you sat up and crawled in front of the boy next to you. you sat between his legs, your head resting against his chest. he chuckled quietly, wrapping his arms around you. he stroked your hair, kissing the top of your head. you stayed like that for as long as you remembered.

~~~

the ride and walk home were nothing special, just the same comfortable silence mixed in with hand-holding. you reached your doorstep, bokuto's hand letting go of yours so you could find your keys. it was too late for him to stay, but you wished he'd never leave.

"i'll see you tomorrow, (Y/n)," his soft voice said. you turned back to him, your key already halfway in the lock. you let the key fall to the ground, giving him one last kiss. it was like a farewell as if you'd never see each other again. his arms wrapped around your waist, pressing his lips onto yours. it just felt so right.

as your kiss ended, you let your hands fall from his face. your cheeks were furiously red, something you didn't bother to deny. bokuto intertwined his fingers with you, seconds before he walked away, letting you touch him until he was out of reach.

you watched him walk away, clutching onto your jacket and biting down on your bottom lip.

heavenly.
that was the only way to describe today.