(Getting ready for a few con trips, so I’m a bit slow on updates. Please enjoy bad choices by smart people in the Foodieverse in the meantime. And no one tell @copperbadge that I’m sneaking around in here again)
“Where’s Steve?”
Tony finished wiping down his station with his usual obsessive attention to detail before he straightened up. “Still down in Washington with Isaiah,” he said, frowning at a smudge on the gleaming metal countertop. He bent over it, scrubbing with more enthusiasm than the small spot really warranted. “I don’t think he’s coming back.”
Pepper looked over the rim of her coffee cup at him. “He’s coming back,” she said, with the flat voice of a woman who was not interested in humoring his melodramatic ass. “I thought you said you were going out with Rhodey tonight.”
“I am going out with Rhodey tonight,” Tony said. He glanced at the clock. “If he ever decides to show up, that is.” He reached for the bottle of cleaner and found Pepper staring at him, her coffee cup hanging in mid-air as if she’d forgotten it. Tony arched an eyebrow at her. “What?”
“Who’s going with you?” Pepper asked.
“What?” Tony shrugged. “No one. What do you mean, who’s going with us? I’m sure he’ll drag my exhausted ass down to Mjolnir to start, but-”
“No,” Pepper said, her voice blunt.
Tony waited. There was nothing else forthcoming. “No?” he repeated, his lips twitching.
“No,” Pepper said again, her voice dire. “No. The two of you are not allowed to go out alone. With Steve? Sure. With Bruce? Absolutely. With Thor or Nat or Clint-” She stopped. “Actually no. Not with Clint.”
“I can go out with Clint if I want,” Tony said, because he was a contrarian bastard.
“Remember what happened the last time you went out with Clint?” Pepper asked, her voice sweet.
Tony thought about that, his brow furrowing. “No,” he said at last.
“Right,” Pepper said. “You’re not allowed to go out with Clint.” She drained the rest of her coffee. “Or alone with Rhodey.”
“What? Why?” Tony tossed the cleaning cloth back into the bleach water. “Rhodey’s the good one, Pep. Rhodey’s the-”
“Rhodey is as big of a human disaster area as you are!” Pepper said, nicking a slice of pickled carrot from his plate. “He just does a better job of covering it up. Until he’s in your vicinity. Then that carefully maintained facade collapses like an undercooked souffle.”
Tony took the coffee cup out of her hand, hoping she had a sip left. No such luck. “Is this your way of saying that you want to come out with us tonight?” he asked. “Because you’re always welcome, Pepper.”
“I’d like to live through the weekend, so no,” Pepper said. She stole another of Tony’s quick pickles, her eyes narrowed as her teeth sank into the crisp chunk of cauliflower. “Maybe Sam will-”
“I don’t need a babysitter,” Tony said, “and if I did, I’m pretty sure that I’d be insulted that you think that you can convince Sam to do it.”
“He’d do it just for the blackmail pictures, and you know it,” Pepper said.
“I’ll stop by Sam’s truck on our way across the road and see if he’s up for a drink, but I don’t need you setting up playdates, thank you,” Tony said. “Besides, any benefit that we might get from Sam’s presence will be immediately negated if Bucky’s hanging around looking for leftovers.” He braced a hand on the counter. “Add Bucky to the mix and we might as well hire a PR firm right now.”
Pepper rubbed a hand over her face. “Why are all of your friends so…” She stopped, and sighed. “So much like you?”
“Because I attract free thinking, hard drinking, culinary rebels who are ready to throwdown at any time,” Tony said. “With a wide variety of knives used for a wide variety of purposes.”
“You attract people who need bail money,” Pepper said. “Maybe Bruce-”
“No,” Bruce yelled back from the other side of the kitchen. He ducked down, just far enough to meet their eyes under the rows of gleaming copper pans. “Whatever you’re doing over there, taking my name in vain, the answer, uh, is no.”
“Come out drinking with us!” Tony called back. “C’mon, old man, you can-”
“No,” Bruce said, and then, a moment later, “Who’s ‘we’?”
“Me and Rhodey.”
“No,” Bruce said. “Absolutely no.”
Pepper made no effort to hide her smirk. Tony pointed a finger in her direction. “Not a word,” he said. “Fine. You’re all allergic to fun. That’s your problem, not mine.”
“Yes, but you are my problem,” Pepper said. Her foot tapped against the tile. “Fine. Last resort.”
“We end up booked there an awful lot,” Tony said.
“More than I like, honestly,” Pepper said. “Peter!”
“No,” Tony said.
“It won’t work,” Bruce said, shaking his head.
“Of course it won’t fucking work, it’s PARKER,” Tony said.
“What’s Parker?” Peter asked from the kitchen door. “Why, what’s happening?”
“You’re going to go drinking with Tony,” Pepper told him.
“He’s not twenty-one,” Bruce said.
“I’m not twenty-one,” Peter parroted.
“Fine,” Pepper said, her eyes rolling. “You’re going to go out with Tony while he’s drinking.”
“You think that PARKER can keep me in line?” Tony asked, incredulous. “PARKER?”
“He’ll slow you down, and that’s all I care about,” Pepper said.
“He’s not a speed limit, Pep, he barely qualifies as a speedbump,” Tony said, his eyes narrowing at Peter. Peter, for his part, took a nervous step back. “It’s not going to work.”
“I’m not really comfortable with this-” Peter started.
“I’ll pay you a hundred dollars,” Pepper said, and Peter stopped dead.
“Is… Is this on the clock?” he asked at last.
“It absolutely is not,” Tony said.
“Consider it a side hustle,” Pepper said. “Fifty dollars cash now, fifty more if you get him back to his apartment tonight without he or Rhodey causing any major disasters.”
Peter gave Tony a sideways glance. “What… What are we defining as a ‘major disaster’?” he asked at last.
“If I have to deal with it, it’s major,” Pepper said, her voice dire. “Keep it out of the papers, and them out of handcuffs and I’ll consider it good.” She held out her hand. “Do we have a deal?”
Peter took it. Bruce shook his head. “You’re going to regret this,” he said.
“I’m going to regret this,” Peter agreed. “But I’ll regret it with fifty dollars, and most of the time, let’s be honest, I’m regretting it with zero dollars.”
“Right. I’m getting my purse,” Pepper said, heading for the staff room.
Tony grinned at Peter. “You know I’m going to make you work for that fifty bucks, don’t you, kid?” he asked, his arms crossed over his chest.
“Yes, chef,” Peter said. He blinked at Tony. “So. Where are we going?”
“Denny’s,” Tony said with a straight face. “Just in time for a Moon Over My Hammy.”
“I’m trying to imagine you in a Denny’s and, uh, I’m failing,” Bruce said.
“I’m succeeding and it’s terrifying,” Peter told him. “Maybe this isn’t a good-”
“Knock, knock!” Rhodey’s voice echoed from the back door. “Anyone home?”
“We’re closed!” Tony called back. “Make a reservation!”
Rhodey poked his head into the kitchen, grinning like the fiend that he was. “I tried, but your front of house keeps hanging up on me,” he said. Pepper, coming up behind him, swatted at him with her purse. Laughing, Rhodey fended her off. “Hey, Potts, didn’t see you there.”
“You’re a liar and no gentleman, Rhodes,” she said, going up on her toes to brush a kiss against his cheek. “How’ve you been?”
“Can’t complain,” Rhodey said, tucking his hands in the pockets of his khakis.
“”You could, but no one will listen,” Tony said. He unbuttoned his chef’s jacket, shrugging out of it. “You’re late.”
“I had to change out of uniform, and besides, if I’d shown up any earlier, you’d’ve had me scrubbing a station,” Rhodey pointed out. He reached across the station to Bruce. “It’s been a long time, Bruce. You coming out with us tonight?”
“It has.” Bruce shook his hand with a smile. “And absolutely not.”
Rhodey laughed, a bright, boisterous bust of sound that never failed to make Tony smile. “I think I’m hurt, Banner.”
“Look, you’re, you’ve a very nice man,” Bruce said.
“No, he’s not,” Pepper said. Rhodey gave her a mock hurt look, and she just shook her head. “Good try, but not a chance.”
“But I learned my lesson the last time,” Bruce finished. “I, uh, I still have no idea what happened to my shoes or either of my melon ballers.”
“Right,” Pepper said. She reached into her bag, pulled out a bill and slapped it into Peter’s hand. “Half now. Half on delivery of a disaster free night, Peter.”
Peter stared down at the fifty. “This was a mistake, wasn’t it?”
Tony wrapped an arm around Peter’s shoulders. “It absolutely was,” he said. “Rhodes. Lead on.” He felt a laugh bubbling up in his chest. “The night’s short and-” He plucked the fifty out of Peter’s hand. “Parker’s buying."
Evil Angel Start - Luciel x MC Fic - Present for FantasyImmortal
// This story is based off of @fantasyimmortal ’s story Satisfy Me…Please read it! It in no way reflects the future plot of that story or the plot in general.
Between my brother and I, I am always seen as the ‘good' twin. However that was very far from the truth. In fact, if I were to be honest, I was the bad twin. I have seen and done things that would make even my brother’s stomach turn. Saeran was just more vocal and up front with what he did. He was an open book and let everyone see, not giving two shits what people thought of him. I am the complete opposite. I put on a friendly facade but deep down, I was just as sinister and evil. We were, of course, the son’s of Satan and I am the heir to the throne.
My wings flickered in frusteration as I laid in my bed. “God…Saeran must have another whore over there.” I grabbed my pillow and tried to drown out the wanton moans from the demon whore. I had no interests in women the way my brother did. Screw them and get rid of them, that was what he did. Letting out a growl, I threw myself out of the bed and walked towards my patio.
Throwing the doors open, I leaned against the twisted railing, looking down on the streets of hell. It was always so much lively at night, but tonight seemed very calm. There was a sound loud boom, almost look an explosion, coming from the blood red sky. I looking up, I saw what seemed to be a crack. I adjusted my glasses as I looked more closely.
“What the fuck?” The crack began to spread and faint, rays of light began to bleed through. It began to open up more and something appeared to be falling. Whatever it was, it was delicately falling in my direction. The object appeared weightless and small. As it got closer, I recognized what it was. I put my hand out and allowed it to gracefully fall into my palm. Tightening my grip on it, I brought closer for inspection.
“A white feather?” I twirled the iridescent feather between my fingers as I examined it. “Where the hell did this come from?” Looking back up towards the sky, I saw that the crack was starting to close up. Just what the hell was going on? I looked back at the feather and walked back into room. I ventured into the hallway and to my brothers room, without knocking of course. The smell of blood immediately filled my nostrils. Looking on the floor, I saw what used to be a whore. I clicked my tongue in annoyance.
“Geeze, do you always have to make sure a mess?” Saeran looked over and threw me a glare as he tucked his cock back into his pants.
“Nobody fucking asked you. What I do with my bitches is my business.” I chuckled as I stepped past the demon, ignoring as she grabbed for me. Poor thing wasn’t even dead yet.
“What is that?” I heard my twin ask as he pointed to the feather.
“I feather, you know the things on your wings.” Saeran growled in annoyance.
Warnings: Generally gross Danarius behavior. Nothing particularly explicit, but still sensitive.
Month one.
Fenris was brought to his master’s office sometime in the evening. He’d been having trouble keeping the time; Aside from morning and night, everything between had been... Blurry.
He was anxious, nearly shaking. He couldn’t tell if he’d done something wrong without knowing. He’d only just been able to start moving on his own after the ritual. How could he have done something wrong so quickly? He had yet to disobey an order, and they hadn’t given him many physical tasks.
Danarius gestured for him to sit, and he did so.
“Hello, pet.” He smiled. “Don’t worry, this isn’t a disciplinary meeting.”
Fenris felt a wave of relief wash over him. The tension in his shoulders let up somewhat, and he was able to steady himself. Focus on what his master had called him here for. Whatever it was, it must have been important. Everything said by his master was important, in one way or another.
“You’ve been called here because this marks your first month after enacting the ritual which gave you those markings.” He gestured to the lyrium, and Fenris’ eyes followed. “I would like you to report on how you’re feeling. Mostly physically, but if there’s anything else...” He let his words trail off.
Fenris didn’t know what to make of that. He swallowed, readying his marred voice for use. It felt pitiful.
“I... Am not sure,” he frowned, “I feel... Tired.”
“That’s a decent start.”
“Everything hurts,” Fenris continued, “It is hard to stand for long, and my eyelids grow heavy quickly.”
“Hmm...” Danarius writes something down. Fenris hadn’t even noticed the parchment was there. “What else? Are you able to pinpoint any specific things? Physical tension, pain or numbness in certain areas?”
The young elf looked down at his hands. They were trembling, but only slightly. “I’m shaking...”
Danarius rolled his eyes. “Yes, we can see that.” He tapped his quill against the corner of the parchment. “You’ll have to get better at that.”
“Better at what, master?” It was a risk, but Fenris felt a need to ask. Danarius didn’t seem displeased with it.
“Being able to tell when you are hurt, and where the pain is coming from,” he explained, “It’ll make it easier if a healer can’t see any outer wounds. Internal pain requires different treatment.”
Fenris nodded to show he understood.
“Continue.”
He took a breath, swallowed, and tried to think. “It’s hard for me to think. The markings are bright, and they... itch. Burn.”
Danarius wrote something else down. Even if Fenris could see what it was, he wouldn’t know how to read it. “They are still considered wounds, in a way. You’ve been cleaning them to the best of your ability?”
“Yes, master.”
“Good. Anything else?”
Fenris fidgeted in his seat. “I don’t know. I’m sorry.”
“A different approach, then.” Danarius shifted as well, leaning against the arm of his chair. “Close your eyes, and try to imagine yourself piece by piece. Begin with the head, then the shoulders, then the arms, and down from there. Can you do this?”
“I will try.”
It took some time for him to get a hold of all of the sensations. They were still fuzzy, and the burning of the markings was distracting at best. Still, he’d been ordered to do it. Danarius, his master, saw it as necessary. Danarius wasn’t wrong. Danarius was the only ‘right’ that Fenris knew.
“There is a sharp pain in my head.” He brought a hand up and touched the base of his skull. “E...everything is tense, like my body is being... being squeezed.” He shuddered.
He could hear Danarius’ quill moving against the parchment.
“Both of my shoulders are hard to move,” Fenris continued, “as are my elbows, my wrists, and fingers. My stomach feels ill. My legs are shaking, my knees and ankles are hard to move.”
When Danarius could tell he’d stopped, he hummed. “Anything else? Less physical, more... Emotional.”
That made Fenris nervous. It was hard to think of those sorts of things. “I think I’m a-afraid, master.”
Danarius laughed. “Why is that, my pet?”
“I’m afraid to displease you.”
“You should be.” Danarius stood, and Fenris stood in turn. “You are dismissed.”
There had been a tentative peace for five years already. A close knit group of heroes had brokered a truce between two warring nations, saved the world from entities that sought freedom and domination.
Then they parted ways, lives turning to various forms of normal domesticity and purpose. A reward for all the strife and sacrifice. Their deeds were celebrated and sung, their legends told and embellished.
For five years, the world settled to a sort of calm.
But that calm was only a brief respite for the continent of Wildemount, a land that was so accustomed to chaos and conflict.
It began with small rumors, gossip among pub-goers looking for news and stories to spice up the boredom of their lives.
Small talks of factions, upset with the state of their country, beginning to gather and plot rebellion. Locations that had once been integral to the war effort only a few short years ago falling under martial law. Borders being reinforced despite the encouragement that peace between the Kryn and the Empire was sturdier than ever. That people were, once again, disappearing, recruited for their unique skillsets. That Scourgers, who were in the midst of being disbanded, had instead begun to be dispatched throughout the Empire.
None of these rumors seemed to have much bearing other than to fuel the paranoia that many still had about the stability of their lives and livelihoods after so many years in conflict.
Until Felderwin disappeared.
A small town, barely larger than a village, had only just begun to regain it's footing after the razing it had suffered during an attack by the Kryn only years before.
Now all that lay in it's wake was a crater, nearly perfectly round, encompassing the whole area that had held houses, storefronts, the inn. Even the people who had resided there were all but gone, leaving no bodies.
Those who were nearby claimed to have seen the area consumed by a dome of void, hearing a horrible rumbling roar before there was complete silence.
There had been no warning, no explanation. Felderwin was simply… gone.
Though it may have been the first (on record at least), Felderwin was hardly the last. Villages all throughout the Empire and Dynasty and even along the Menagerie Coast were lost, all with the same description.
Void, then silence.
Accusations flew. Some blamed the attacks on the Kryn, others claimed the assaults were perpetrated by the Empire. Some even thought to suggest that this was, once again, a diversion away from a third, more insidious party. After all, both sides had taken these mysterious losses.
There were others still who began to seek out the heroes of legend who, only a few years before, had saved the world once before. They had gone against volatile powers before, surely they could do it again?
The problem with this, however, was that nobody knew where the Mighty Nein were.
the necromancer isn’t at all evil, keeps their reanimated cat as a companion - Makoto. Obviously. He may or may not have three cats, four goldfish, and a squirrel. (along with a few citations with the local necromancer’s guild or something for misuse of skills (Rin is getting so tired of getting called out to Makoto’s place for these things. He did not sign up for this. This is not why he became a law officer specializing in magical cases.)
the ‘dark lord’ is woman who wears a floor length floral cloak and pink kitten heels - Gou rules with an iron fist and totally perfect fashion choices.
the elvish archer is the clumsiest, most inaccurate little shit ever - Oh Momo…. You try so hard.
the bard writes deep emo poetry, constantly quoting sonnets by the most talented musicians of the era- ‘fall out bard’ and ‘panic at the inn’ - Kisumi. This is just… yeah Kisumi.
the mage only knows 3 spells- and they all involve cutlery - Haru. Haru is a culinary mage. Whatever that means.
the intellectual character that finds the powerful relic/enchanted item/mysterious glowy thing is 120% done with all of it ‘for GODS sake, that is the SEVENTH DARK ORB THIS YEAR are yOU KIDDING’ - REI. REI HAS FOUND SO MANY STUPID ANCIENT RELICS THIS MONTH HE IS SO READY TO BE DONE.
the healer character is also the most ripped, usually ends up treating their own wounds more than anyone elses - Sousuke. Definitely Sousuke. Ai spends most of his time scolding Sousuke for not being more careful and constantly coming to his shop for supplies.
the ‘deep broody’ character is actually mute the whole time but no one realises and thinks it’s just part of his moody persona until he has to fucking spell it out for them (literally), spends the whole story making exasperated faces and gestures - switch “deep broody silence” to “mischievous playful silence” then Nagisa is your guy. Most of his conversations consist of winks and cute nose scrunches and everyone just thinks he’s some sort of playful forest sprite or something.
the dragon that’s hunting them down for the whole story is actually just trying to give back the shoe that one of them lost while running away, and is actually very conversational ‘bro, you’ve got this all wrong– look, you dropped this bro, haha i’m always forgetting stuff too don’t worry’ - Sei. Sei is a dragon. I need Sei to be a dragon because of reasons.
Rin trying to figure which of Makoto’s undead cats is stealing the neighborhoods unmentionables. Rin having to haul Haru away for threatening the squirrel (which won’t leave him alone).
“Tachibana, seriously? This is the third time this week,” Rin snaps as soon as the door swings open. “I just. I do not have time for this. Can you maybe tone it down with the necromancy stuff?”
“Ah, Matsuoka!” Rin refuses to get taken in by those sparkly green eyes. It was not an indication of sweetness or adorableness at all. “Was it my neighbors again? I really wish they’d stop bothering you all down at the station. They know I don’t cause any trouble. Just because I studied Necromancy doesn’t mean I practice it at all.”
“You know I can’t tell you who filed the complaint.”
“Honestly if they are looking for a Necromancer who is using their skill for nefarious purposes they should look at Minami. But they don’t. I think it’s because he’s got such a pretty face.”
Rin sighs and rubs at his forehead. He needs to remember to stop by Ai’s shop on the way home for some kind of medicine for these headaches. “I am just getting tired of talking to you all the time because of this.”
“Is there another reason you’d like to speak with me?”
“Yeah he wants to ask you out.” Rin spins around and glares at his patrol car.
“Haru shut up.”
“Well you do.”
“I didn’t ask for your opinion.” He turns back to the door with a sigh and a tired smile. “I’m sorry but unfortunately since this is the third complaint this week I’ll need you to come down to the station and fill out some paperwork.”
“Oh.” Those sparkling green eyes dim a little and Rin refuses to be pulled in by the innocent kicked puppy look. “Just let me lock up and I’ll be right there.” Tachibana steps away and a small grey cat stares up at Rin. One eye is missing - a wound from an alley fight years ago before she became Tachibana’s cat apparently - and the other is mostly black with little specks of purples and blues and whites. To Rin it looks a little like the pictures of galaxies he used to see in books as a child. “Come away from the door, Ghost,” Tachibana calls out and Rin rolls his eyes.
Because of course he named the cat Ghost. Not suspicious at all, considering.
Rin heads back to the car and leans against his door.
“He’s gonna run.”
“No he’s not, Haru.”
“I would if I were him.”
“One, you’re not him, thank the Gods. Two, you wouldn’t run because then you’d leave me standing in your precious kitchen unsupervised.” Tachibana reappears in the door and Rin grins. “See. Told ya.” When Tachibana reaches the car and starts for the back door Rin shakes his head. “Nah, you can sit up front with me.”
Haru leans forward and stares at Rin through the window. “Why didn’t you let me sit up front?”
“Because you know like all of three spells and used one of them to try and stab me with a fork shut up.” Tachibana settles in and Haru drops against the back seat with an unimpressed huff. “Culinary mage, my ass,” Rin mutters as he pulls away and heads back to the station. “More like giant headache.”
Everyone’s Favorite Colors Are the Colors of Bruises
Sei/Nagi
Sei, Nagisa, and Momo all in the same university/on the same swim team.
Like they thought things were interesting with Sei. Then Nagisa shows up and things get a little louder and a lot more energetic. Then Momo charges in and it's chaos. Because Momo has Sei's tendency to be vocal and Nagisa's energy all bundled together with his unique brand of klutziness
So basically Momo is what would happen if Sei and Nagisa had a kid
Even better. Momo shows up and someone on their team is talking to Sei and says "If you and Hazuki had a child it would be that," and points to Momo
Momo first year, Nagisa second year, Sei fourth year (final year of university?)
It hadn’t taken him long to discover that after his time as captain he rather liked the anonymity of being part of his university’s swim team - they all enjoyed swimming but the team and university were small enough that it was less of a competitive atmosphere and more of a way to burn off extra energy and have fun. Even if he was in his third year the absolute last thing he planned was being a captain again; which is why the sudden shout of “Captain Mikoshiba” that ricocheted through the locker room startled him enough that he nearly cracks his shin on the bench when he spins around.
“Captain Mikoshiba?” Hikaru snickers as Sei stares at the blonde hurrying across the locker room.
“Oh shut up there are at least four of us here who used to be captains.”
“Oh I know,” Hikaru grins as he shuts his locker, “it’s just hard to imagine that the guy who sleeps in until noon if he can and willingly spent half of last break in the same set of clothes used to be a highly respected captain.”
Arranged marriage AU - future s1 ending AU? - Rin’s family rules the kingdom but Sou’s family rules one of the major areas inside the kingdom and they need to marry to show solidarity through the land? (shit man idek I am bullshitting this so hard)
Rin is all about the romance and walks on the beach and roses and candlelit dinners and all that cliche shit. Wanting to choose the person he marries, marry for love, etc
Sou is all about doing what needs done. He’s the only child in his family and this marriage is important so he’ll do it. It’s not that he doesn’t like the whole lovey-dovey romance schtick he just doesn’t really see the point.
Rin pouting and upset because no one will listen to him but he is not going to subject his little sister to an arranged marriage either. Sou doesn't understand why Rin is making such a huge deal out of it. It's just a marriage. Finding that one person to love forever is so romantic and childish and this is the real world and you don't always get what you want.
Rin hissing and sulking and glaring cause Sousuke is absolutely not someone he'd want to marry. Rin wants his friends to help him find a way out but they don’t really get why it’s so bad. Sou’s not a horrible person, he’s not mean, he’s good looking, he’s not overbearing or controlling, he’s told Rin he doesn’t expect anything physical just because they’ll be married.
Rin doesn’t know why no one else understands. He doesn't want some cold fish to be his husband. He wants arguments and make ups that nitori and mikoshiba have. He wants the way momo still keeps coming after gou and bringing her flowers (even though she rejects him every time he’s still oddly adorably into her probably because she rejects him but isn’t actually bothered by him asking her out it’s more like a game to them)
Momo eventually is bribed into clueing Sousuke in about what Rin wants from him cause poor guy actually wants this to work for his family (Gou can't stand to listen to Rin crying at her anymore and promises Momo a date if he talks to Sousuke. Momo heard the words "I'll go on one date with you if you" and he already agreed to do it)
Sousuke decides that hey why not give it a try and ambushes Rin after his classes bringing him a bouquet of roses. rin turns adorably red and sputters and well yeah okay sousuke admits that's kind of cute
It's totally just for the marriage to work and for his family and cause it's his duty. Absolutely not because Rin keeps blushing and being a total tsundere over it. until it is
his parents sit down with him and are all "so do you think this marriage agreement will work out because if not we'll find some other way" He forgot cause he was sorta busy trying to study what flowers meant what and if rin would understand
Sou is actually possessive. one day before he starts wooing Rin he and Rin and Gou are hanging out talking "getting to know" each other and Momo and Sei and Ai all come in and Ai is all "Rin! Rin!" and starts talking about something in one of his classes and Momo just flops onto the couch next to Rin and drops his legs across Rin's lap and his head on Gou's and Sousuke just kind of twitches because Rin is supposed to be engaged to him and he's sitting there with those two kids hanging all over him and he's laughing and just ugh Gou notices Which is one of the reasons she let's Momo talk to sousuke There's a fire there too just really really really hidden away
(aka: Piss poor choice I’ll show you a piss poor choice, how Ezzy and Ruru are vindictive)
Rin paces the library, too wound up to sit still a moment longer. He had known that there was always a possibility of this happening, especially with his father dead for so many years now. He pauses next to the window and takes in the view. The library lookout point has always been one of his favorites. You can see almost the whole kingdom from the wide windows here on a clear day. On the cloudy ones it felt like you were secluded and hidden away in fluffy blanket. Today was one of the former and he can almost see the wall of the western border glistening in the sun. A soft knock on table behind him draws his attention and he turns to see his mother standing there.
“Are you ready?” She asks.
Rin gulps and takes a deep breath. “No.” His mother laughs softly and holds out her arm for him to take.
“Let’s go meet your fiancé.”
Rin stiffens when they open the door to the study and he sees his fiancé to be. He knows immediately that this is not going to work. There’s nothing really wrong with the other guy. He’s a little taller than Rin is, broader shoulders, a strong and steady stance as he waits patiently next to what Rin can only assume is his father and mother. But there’s a cold seriousness to his eyes that instantly makes Rin wary. Those are not the kind of eyes he wants to be stuck waking up to everyday for the rest of his life.
“Rin.” His mother says gently. She nudges him towards the family waiting at the other side of the room.
He stands in front of the trio and bows slightly, right hand resting over his heart. “Matsuoka Rin. It’s an honor to meet you.” Rin hears someone shift and bow in return.
“Yamazaki Sousuke. The honor is mine.” Rin glances up through his bangs and meets those cool eyes. Calm, calculating, observant. Nothing of the warmth and fondness he had always dreamed of someday seeing in his fiancé’s eyes.
He had to make this work. For the sake of the kingdom and for the sake of not putting his baby sister through this. This was going to work.
--
This was not going to work. They had been left alone in the study for almost an hour now and Rin was ready to pull his hair out. Or cry. Or both. Yamazaki, well Rin should probably already get used to calling him Sousuke seeing as how they were almost engaged, was sitting on one side of the table and Rin had dropped into a chair opposite him. The other teen answered all of Rin’s questions with a yes or no or as few words as possible and it was driving Rin insane. Granted his two best friends were Aiichiro and Momotaro, both of whom are known for never shutting up, but this guy was just… silent. Rin is almost tempted to describe him as stoic.
He carefully eyes the other male. He isn’t even paying attention to Rin, choosing to look around the study instead. The atmosphere is awkward and Rin wants nothing more than to get out of the room and hopefully never see the man again.
But.. Rin thinks to himself, hands clenching at his sides. I have to do this. He turns to the man again, trying to gather up bits of hope. Maybe he isn’t so bad.
His courage is shattered though, when, apparently sensing his attention, Yamazaki turns those cold eyes to him. “This marriage,” he begins and Rin perks up, cheeks flushing at the mention of marriage and wondering what he has to say. “You don’t have to be worried about it,” he says firmly making Rin tilt his head in confusion because what? Does that mean Yamazaki disagrees with this arrangement as well? That he’ll also actively try to convince their parents not to go through with it? “It’ll simply be for convenience.” Rin’s stomach falls and the hope he didn’t realize had been building ever so slightly crashed. So much for Yamazaki being on his side. “You don’t have to worry about anything physical happening between us, or that I’ll get in the way of any of your… pursuits.”
“Pursuits?” Rin is sure the confusion is written on his face because this time Yamazaki tilts his head slightly and gives a sigh, it’s the most emotion he’s expressed so far.
“We’ll have an…” Yamazaki is obviously looking for just the right phrasing as he watches Rin’s expression closely, “open relationship. You’ll be free to see or sleep with whoever you want as long as it doesn’t interfere with the reason we’re getting married.”
“Ha,” Rin breathes out, eyes wide. Yamazaki sounds absolutely fine with that sort of arrangement. He’ll tie Rin and himself together in marriage for the sake of politics and doesn’t care what Rin does. A cold ball settles in Rin’s stomach and he feels ill as he continues to meet Yamazaki’s eyes. They’re the color of the sea in his father’s favorite painting but have none of the open warmth he always felt when looking at the picture.
