Work Text:
Keith let his sisters flit about him, obsessing over flaws in his outfit that he’s not quite sure even exist. The suit feels too tight, too stiff. He can’t breathe, but he’s not sure if its the tightness of his collar or the weight of what he’s about to do. He pulls at the starched collar, trying to get some air, only to have Acxa slap his hand away.
“Stop. Fidgeting does not calm your nerves.”
Keith scowled at her, but dropped his hand.
“You look perfect, Keith.” Ezor stood back and clapped her hands together. “If only Father were here to see -”
“Yes, well, if Father were here, I wouldn’t be having to do this, would I?” Keith snapped, shrugging Acxa’s hand off his shoulder, where it was dusting off imaginary lint.
“Keith,” Acxa’s voice was low, dangerous, “I know this is less than ideal but it is still your duty. Being belligerent will not change that.”
He was loath to admit she was right. As the eldest, it fell to him to better his family’s position. Nothing would change their current circumstances except this marriage. He straightened his back and pressed his shoulders down, feeling the pressure of everything bearing down on him.
“Ezor, did your companions manage to uncover any information about this Mr. Shirogane? It would be nice to have even the slightest bit of knowledge of the man I’m to marry.”
She shook her head. “Not even Zethrid was able to discover anything. Perhaps he’s new money?”
Keith sighed, letting his perfect posture fall away for just a moment.
“Doesn’t matter, I suppose. Not at this point, anyway.”
He checked his pocket watch. Five minutes until his life was bound to a complete stranger’s. Five minutes until he resigned himself to a loveless union, where his only role was to warm the marriage bed. Five minutes until he met the man he would be spending the rest of his life with, til death did them part.
“What do you think he’s like, this Mr. Shirogane?” Ezor stopped fussing over Keith’s appearance in order to fix her own curls in the mirror.
“Rich,” Keith said.
“Of course.” Ezor pouted. “We knew that already. If he weren’t, we wouldn’t be having a wedding today, would we? You’re absolutely no fun. I mean, his appearance. His temperament.” She smirked. ”His … stamina.”
“Ezor!” Acxa snapped. “We are in church!”
“And what of it? I wasn’t suggesting anything untoward.” Ezor lied, her eyes wide with faux-innocence. Behind her, Keith let out a small laugh that he managed to disguise as a cough.
“I bet he’s tall and devastatingly handsome.” Ezor turned back to Keith, continuing their conversation as if she hadn’t just been admonished by their sister.
“No, definitely not. No one ‘tall and devastatingly handsome’ has to take up an arranged marriage. I doubt he’s going to be agreeable at all. He’s most likely a sour old man if he has to rely on his wealth to get a suitor to marry him.” Acxa rebutted.
“Must you be so negative?” Ezor crossed her arms and glared at her sister.
Yet, Keith found himself agreeing with Axca. He was under no delusion about his situation - this was not going to be the fairy tale marriage that Ezor was predicting. How could a decent, handsome man of good standing let himself be roped into a marriage with someone of Keith’s status? Such a man didn’t exist.
***
Such a man did exist, Keith realized as he was walking down the aisle, and his name was Takashi Shirogane.
At the altar stood a man who could only be referred to as tall and devastatingly handsome. As the priest continued on about fidelity and the sanctity of such a union, Keith eyed the man who was to be his husband. Despite his snow-white hair, he couldn’t have been more than a few years older than Keith himself. He had a strong jaw, and a broad chest that filled out his frockcoat nicely. His warm grey eyes felt strangely familiar, as if Keith had known their gaze for lifetimes.
Mr. Shirogane caught his eye and smiled at him. In that moment, Keith had never been happier to have been proven wrong. He tried to school his expression, knowing that a gentle appearance did not a gentle demeanor make, but a small, superficial part of him was comforted in knowing that he would not have to be bound to a man that he was not attracted to. At least the marriage bed wouldn’t present the challenge that Keith had thought it might...
Keith put a forcible stop to his train of thought, refusing to let himself daydream about making the beast with two backs with the man standing next to him, no matter how pleasurable the thought now was.
“I do.” Mr. Shirogane’s words brought Keith back to the ceremony. His voice was soft and low, the timbre moving through Keith like a favored song. Again, Mr. Shirogane smiled, and again, Keith felt as if the ground was moving underneath him.
The priest cleared his throat and Keith realized it was his turn to speak.
“I do.”