MAPS [Tamaki Amajiki x OC]

Chapter 20 - A Promise

🧭

"Haru, we're going to be late."

Tamaki paced the hall that connected their rooms, tugging on his black suit sleeves and charcoal gray bow tie, fidgety and anxious as his dress shoes clunked across their hardwood floors. As far off as the Support Awards had seemed when he'd accepted her plus-one invitation, the event was suddenly upon them.

And they were running horrendously late.

"One more second!" Haru yelled from inside of her room, a thud resounding from inside along with some muffled curses. "Almost there!" A chorus of giggles sounded out, both hers and Nejire's.

He sighed and leaned against the wall across from her door, massaging his temples. "You're going to miss your award altogether if you-"

Her door flung open with a slam, revealing Haru all dolled up and beaming, burgundy lipstick emphasizing her pearl-white smile. Nejire swept eyeliner into sharp cat eyes on Haru, curling her periwinkle hair into soft, vintage finger curls that culminated into an elegant chignon. Adding all of that to her tulle-and-smoke evening gown, Tamaki wasn't sure that he'd be able to make it out of the apartment before kissing her senseless. Nejire and secrets be damned.

Sweeping her floor-length, ash-gray skirts out of the way of her black heels, Haru stepped into the hall, toe to toe with Tamaki. "Ready," she whispered with a smirk, voice breathy and light. Her silver bracelet winked in the light of the hall as she teased him just a little, adjusting his tie and tossing a wink up to him.

Tamaki's brain uselessly tried to reboot, floundering for a response that wouldn't be ready for another few minutes.

Nejire stood in Haru's doorway with a proud, tearful look, phone in her makeup-swatched hand. "Let me get at least one picture! Haru's hair is perfect right now, and I want photographic evidence that I got it to curl for this long," she pleaded, ushering her friends into the living room for better light.

Pouting and grumbling through Nejire's forced photoshoot, Haru and Tamaki finally tore themselves from Neji's grasp, citing their even later lateness. "Be safe," Neji said as the two put on their coats and grabbed their keys, "I'll hold down the fort until you get back. Won't even send pictures to your parents, Haru, promise! I can't wait to see how many awards you come back with!"

"No pressure, huh, Nej?" Haru laughed, slipping out the door.

"Zero pressure!" Nejire called out the closing door with a laugh.

Tamaki pressed a gentle kiss to Haru's lips the second the door closed, well out of range of the peephole of their apartment so Nejire couldn't spy. "You look beautiful," he muttered, chewing his lip and avoiding Haru's royal blue gaze.

"Thank you." Heart fluttering, she tilted his chin up, forcing him to lock nervous eyes with her, and kissed him softly. "You're beautiful too, Tama."

His flushed cheeks warmed him all the way to Haru's car.

🧭

The Support Awards weren't far.

It didn't make sense for them to pay for a ride or a taxi, considering neither of them planned on drinking, so that would just be a waste of money. But with Haru's dress and heels, Tamaki insisted on driving Haru's car there. With his driving anxiety and overly cautious tendencies, it took twice as long to get there as their GPS predicted. But Haru stayed patient through the whole process, deeming it an adventure, and didn't yell at Tamaki, tease him, or berate him.

He couldn't have been more sure that he loved her.

Tamaki pulled up in front of the museum that hosted the Support Awards, and a valet popped open Haru's door, helping her out with a gloved hand. Handing over the keys, Tamaki nodded to the guy, who promptly drove off. Haru snaked her arm into Tamaki's and tilted her head toward the front doors. "Shall we?" Snowflakes already caught on her long, fake eyelashes, and dusted over her hair like glitter.

Bending down, Tamaki pressed a long, lingering kiss to her soft lips as he brushed his trembling fingers along her jaw, and felt the residual driving tension seep from his shoulders, his back, his arms. "Yeah," he sighed, her breath warm on his cheek, "Let's." Her easy smile anchored him, warming him from head to toe.

Together they made their way into the awards gala, surprised by the decadence and amount of people. After going through security and getting their invitation checked, Haru and Tamaki checked their coats and made their way into the heart of the party. Scads of people milled through the exhibits of the museum, chatting and catching up and joking and boisterously laughing.

Anxiety flooded Tamaki's veins at the sight of the audience, compounding his already heightened tension from driving. His social anxiety demons reared their ugly heads, clawing at his stomach and twisting off his vocal chords. 

When he didn't move and didn't follow Haru toward the crowd, she stalled and turned back to face him, her arm caught on his rigid elbow. Tamaki's gaze lingered over the throng, unfocused, his fingers picking at each other like they were fighting for dominance and his lips caught in his teeth, chewing. Maybe it was immature or naïve of him, but he hadn't expected so many people. He didn't want to get recognized, to be bombarded by fans, to be swallowed in a sea of strangers.

Silently, Haru tugged him away from the crowd, away from prying eyes. Tamaki followed in a daze, disconnected from the world. She found an empty exhibit and guided him in, doing her best to keep her cool and not stress him out further. "Hey," Haru said softly, propping him up against the wall, cupping his cheeks in her hands, "Tamaki?"

He didn't answer. His gaze slid right over Haru when she turned his head this way and that in her fingertips; his lips went right back to his teeth when she pried them apart; his nails tore at his skin when she tried to push her own fingers into the gaps between his fingers. His breaths tore from his lungs in heaves and spurts.

Haru didn't need to use her quirk to know he was having a panic attack.

With a sigh, she wrapped her arms around his torso, slowly squeezing harder and harder. Haru could only hope the pressure would break him from his funk, but she didn't want to push him. She just wanted to be there. The worst possible idea would be to leave - even with good intentions - to abandon him when he needed her most.

Even though she had no idea what they were (some kind of friends-with-benefits situation? dating? boyfriend/girlfriend?), he was still her best friend.

She wasn't going anywhere.

Haru got an idea when he still didn't respond, and peeled away from Tamaki to ease him to the ground. She managed to lean against the wall, legs crossed at the ankle, and maneuvered Tamaki to rest his head in her lap. With gentle fingers, she ran her hands through his hair and let her eyes drift closed, humming the first song that came to mind.

Can you feel the heat

The flames are chasing me

Bit by bit, Tamaki's senses came to, drifting back through the swirling thoughts. The lyrics first, tentative and echoed, with a gentle hum of talking in the far back. Smell next, lavender and lemon and hairspray. Taste sifted in, but the only flavor on his tongue was her toothpaste from too many kisses. Not that he minded. Vaguely, Tamaki noticed tingling on his scalp, fluttering of butterfly-light touch on his tense skin. Finally, he opened his eyes, found the lights dimmed in the room, her eyes half-lidded as her wine-red lips let lyrics loose, a smile turning up her lips at the sight of him waking.

I want to burn this house to the ground

After playing with fire

Haru's fingers traced over the tip of Tamaki's ear, tingles coursing down his spine in response. Cautiously, she smoothed his furrowed brow, traced down his slender nose, and over both bloody lips, still gently singing.

I want to burn this map of the stars

Now I'm on fire

He smiled softly, raising a shaky palm to cup Haru's flawless cheek. His other hand found her fingers lingering on his face, and pressed her knuckles to his lips, whispering thank yous and weighty promises into the empty exhibit, carving them into his bones, stitching them into her heart. "I'm going to remember this forever," he vowed, "I'll keep you safe. I'll show you how much this means to me, somehow. Someway."

I'll die for it