Chapter Text
Arthur awoke with a soft gasp, breath immediately getting stuck in his throat. It was dark and silent where he lay. The weight of a blanket and something else settled across him like fog in the morning.
A few cars could be heard passing by in the distance, either people who got home from a long night's work or were already going back to continue their shift. Arthur stared at the darkness above him, trying to process where exactly he was and why the fuck he was lying down in complete darkness. His mind reeled, sending him memories of the marriage he had just witnessed. His heart clenched at the mere thought, but something else in the back of his mind refused to let him drown in misery for some reason. Had it been a dream? Had he passed out from the cake?
Arthur turned his head experimentally, trying to take in his surroundings. He could very faintly make out the outlines of a window to his left, curtains swaying softly whenever a slight gust of wind slivered through the gaps. Arthur furrowed his eyebrows.
The room was familiar—too familiar. He was back in their room. Back at the cathedral, back at the brink of the world collapsing. Back with his newfound family.
More silence. He didn't know why he expected something to happen at his mind-blowing realization. Still, his lips parted and let out a shaky exhale. His heart was no longer beating like the world depended on it, slowly calming down and settling into its usual rhythm. Just as he thought about getting up, getting something warm to drink, or just making sure that he really was back in his home—a soft breath fanned against his ear. Arthur jolted and swiveled his head around and found himself nose-to-nose with a very asleep Shinra.
Once again, Arthur felt his breath get stuck in the back of his throat.
Of course it had been a dream. His mind was playing tricks on him all the time; it shouldn't be so out of the ordinary by now. His heart did something stupid. Something else bloomed in his chest, replacing the suffocating feeling of his dream. Relief.
Arthur shifted to lie on his side, just to feel something move ever so slightly against his waist. Shinra looked peaceful, mouth slightly open and hair so messy as if he had just brought down four infernals. Arthur watched as his boyfriend's chest rose and fell at a steady pace; the arm slung around his lower body was like dead weight. Shinra looked warm and safe. For once not plagued with the constanta worry or fear of being viewed as something evil. The world had halted, seemingly giving him a moment of peace. Still, Arthur nudged Shinra's nose with his own affectionately, testing if this was real. After getting his confirmation, he blinked the remaining sleep out of his eyes for the last time before he settled on a decision.
He ungently pinched Shinra's cheek with his hand, forcing him to wake up. The boy's face immediately distorted, and he groaned, trying to move his head out of Arthur's reach sleepily. The movement was so familiar, Arthur felt his body warm up at that.
"Devil, wake up," he hissed nonetheless, now flicking his forehead. Maybe, if he hadn't just had the worst dream of his life and it weren't as early as now, he'd wake him with sleepy kisses and soft words. But this was not the right time.
"Wha….. S' not ev'n 6… lemme sleep…" Shinra whined, shoving his face into the pillow. His arm tightened over Arthur's waist ever so slightly, pulling him just a bit closer as if the closeness would lull him back to sleep. The blond felt his heart jump at that, and he realized that he actually had no idea how early or late it was.
"Don't care." Arthur snapped back, his voice wavering just a bit because he just woke up from a very deep sleep. That didn't help, however, because all that Shinra did in response was groan into the fabric, already settling down again. Pah, he didn't even know how important this was. Arthur decided to just go ahead with his task. He shifted, moving a bit closer so that his knee bumped against Shinra's.
"What do you think of Iris?" Arthur pointedly asked, wide awake now as he stared at what he could make out of Shinra in the darkness.
"Right now I think she'd probably let'me sleep…" the other boy answered, and Arthur had to stop himself from smacking a pillow over his head. Blunt force wouldn't make this any better, the voice of reasoning in him said.
"Would you marry her?"
"Wha…?"
"Would you marry her?"
"No, I heard wha' you said. What the fuck kinda question is that?" Shinra, apparently more awake than he was just a few seconds ago, lifted his head abruptly. His red eyes were glowing ever so slightly even in the dark, and Arthur could see the aftermath of a small drool path next to his lips. He looked so stupidly handsome, there was no denying, and Arthur considered abandoning his quest and just throwing himself at the other boy, but just for a split second.
Shinra looked so sleepy; part of Arthur felt a tiny bit bad for waking him up in the middle of the night.
"She's nice." Arthur added, trying to provoke a reaction.
"Why the fuck would I marry her?" Shinra questioned again; the confusion stood clear in his eyes, and he used an elbow to sit up just a tiny bit, trying to grasp the situation better.
"Why wouldn't you? The sister is pretty. And nice. She'd make a fine princess."
"Because I don't love her?"
Arthur was a bit stunned at Shinra's simple answer. Once again, silence draped over them. The arm that lay around his waist pulled back, and Arthur immediately wanted it back, but all Shinre did was run a hand through his hair and lay back down, seemingly not waiting for an answer. Arthur simply stared at him.
Didn't he love Iris? His brain had never been the fastest, and he could practically hear his own gears turn over and over. Why didn't he love her? Maybe the love would come later; maybe Shinra wasn't sure about her yet. He'd definitely be sure later in life; at least his dream told him so.
"…but do you think she's—"
"What is this even about?" Shinra interrupted him, sounding more present than before, but there was an undertone of annoyance. Arthur figured if they didn't settle soon, they would end up sparring on the rooftop, and Hinawa would be pissed.
Arthur's mind was already scrambling to find a proper answer when Shinra caught his attention by opening his arms, inviting him in. It couldn't have been simpler, but in Arthur's eyes this was a marriage proposal in itself already. He shuffled closer, fitting himself into the other's side and into his arms, placing his head on Shinra's shoulder. Almost immediately he felt two arms come up around him, one grasping his waist once again while the other traced soft lines up the back of his neck, dipping into golden strands of hair once in a while.
"Just wondering if you're considering us as long-term or not." Arthur explained, not even bothering to sound soft. He didn't mean to accuse. His words held no ill intent, but he was simply curious. Still, he settled against Shinra, throwing an arm over his ribcage and pressing his cheek into the fabric of the other's shirt. It was warm, comfortable, and his.
"The fuck?" Shinra spat, his voice rising just a pitch. "Should I not?"
"No, you absolutely should!"
"Then why the fuck are you talking about me marrying Iris?!" his voice was dangerously close to rising into something angry. Arthur shrugged in response.
"Dunno, had a weird dream."
Shinra stayed silent. The hand in Arthur's hair had stopped, and the silence seemed somehow louder than their conversation. It's not like Arthur had meant to wake up Shinra to make him question their relationship. He had wanted some odd form of comfort he couldn't even place either. Despite the tense air, neither of them moved. Only the sound of their breathing filled the room, and for a brief second, Arthur feared that Shinra had fallen asleep again. Then, he felt Shinra's chest deflate, a loud sigh escaping the other's lips.
"I'm 17, I couldn't even afford a—"
"We were older. The world was different; Ogun even had a beard."
"….. I don't know—" Shinra started, before breaking off. The arms around Arthur tightened, pulling him closer, and he felt the other's breath once again fan against the blonde tufts of hair. Silence settled over them once again. Both their eyes had slowly adjusted to the darkness, now being able to make out vague shapes, such as the posters above Shinra's bunk, some dangerously close to falling on their heads. The sound of cars outside echoed in an unpredictable pattern. Arthur could feel Shinra's head turn, mouth brushing over his temple as the other gently pushed his face closer to his. Soft, like a cat head-bumping another, Arthur thought and exhaled loudly
Arthur didn't really want to elaborate on the dream. He didn't want to conjure back those unpleasant memories. Still, he found his lips parting, although hesitantly.
"Everyone was happy. I think. I watched her walk down the aisle in a white dress. You stood in front, not in a very knightly suit in my opinion, but good enough. She—"
"Would you marry Ogun?" Shinra interrupted him, voice muffled against the crown of his head. Arthur's words died in the back of his throat, irritated at being so rudely ignored. Still. He answered almost immediately: "No!"
Arthur could feel annoyance build up. This wasn't about him or Ogun. Shinra should know better than to deflect such an important question. He was turning the tables, rudely making the discussions' core rotate about something completely else. Arthur felt a scowl build on his face.
"Why not?" Shinra then questioned.
Arthur groaned, loud and clearly on edge. He'd absolutely kick his ass in their next sparring session.
"Maybe I will marry him; he'd probably take this seriously!"
"No—just answer the question, you fucking idiot."
"Fine, I'll indulge your devilish actions. I would never marry Ogun because he's not you—" Arthur stopped himself from continuing. The gears in his mind turned, clicking into place and making his eyes grow wide.
"Oh." The realization dawned upon him like the sun on a summer evening. It was simple. Just the way Shinra had said it at the very beginning of this. Maybe he was the one who should've listened in the first place. The arms around him tightened, and a satisfied hum left his boyfriend.
"Wouldn't marry Iris; she's not you. And I will only marry you if you start cleaning up our room," Shinra mumbled, voice already drowsy and tired again. Arthur didn't respond for a long time. He felt his heart flip for the hundredth time tonight; his entire body felt warm and gooey, and his mind was cheering. He turned his head, sticking his cold nose against the warmth of Shinra's collarbone,, and inhaled the other's scent.
Arthur didn't even try to fight down the smile on his face as he pulled the blankets closer around the two of them. He'd been thinking too much.
The car's outside faded into the distance, a few streetlights turning on as the late night slowly bled into early morning. It would only be a matter of time before the sky would be painted with hues of pink and orange.
The thought made Arthur tighten his hold around Shinra only more as he closed his eyes. The exhaustion of his dream and the argument had tired him, and he could feel his body slow down, settling into something calmer. Shinra was already half asleep again, steady breaths against the other's body. Before Arthur's brain decided to shut off for another few hours, one single thought crossed his mind.
"We're not gna have lemon cake at our wedding."
"I hate lemon cake anyway…," Shinra replied in a heartbeat.