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The morning sun was unforgiving as it streamed through the crevasse between the curtains and landed right on Gran’s face. His brow furrowed and he threw an arm over his eyes. Sluggishly, his mind started to put together the pieces and separate dreams from reality. Behind his eyelids he could see someone—a certain someone—looking grim, his lips forming the words, I’m sorry before Gran’s eyes snapped wide open and he sat ramrod straight. He steadied his breathing, put a hand on his chest, felt his heart beating. The sensation of crushing rejection still stewed deep in there somewhere and every night he would relive it again, with the bitter aftertaste still lingering in his mind.
He closed his eyes again, willing away the apparition that so haunted him, and swung his legs out of bed. When he looked around, Vyrn was still snoring away next to his pillow. He nudged the little dragon awake.
“Hey, bud, I think we’re late for breakfast,” he said, stifling a yawn.
Vyrn stirred, then with a groan and a yawn, he rubbed at his eyes. “Gimme… five minutes…”
Gran smiled, knowing full well that he was going to have to force Vyrn awake if he wanted this to go anywhere. He kept on nudging and nudging until Vyrn finally let out an exasperated, “Okay! Alright… I’m awake.”
They got ready, washed up, and made little banter about how messy the room had become in recent days. Vyrn knew what was running through Gran’s mind, of course, but he kept the conversation tactfully away from it. He had a new plan this time, obviously, but he could never stop thinking about those two words. Right after he’d first heard them, after all, he’d gone into some sort of catatonic shock. If he heard them again, he felt like he would just… shatter completely.
When he and Vyrn were ready, they set off for the mess hall, only to be pulled aside by Rackam with an envelope signed and sealed in that most familiar handiwork. Gran pressed his lips together into a thin line and took the letter. It was probably the way he set his jaw as he pored through the contents that made Vyrn say, “He wants to see you, huh?”
Gran grit his teeth harder, the pain in his chest constricting his ability to breathe ever so slightly. “Not just him,” he said. “They all do.”
Vyrn and Rackam exchanged worried glances as Gran folded the letter and slid it back into the envelope. Katalina and Rosetta, who had emerged onto the deck, noticed their little circle and joined them, looking anxious. They’d likely seen the look on Vyrn and Rackam’s faces. When they learned of the letter—the invitation—Katalina looked tense, but Rosetta’s lips curved into a smile.
“It’s the sign you’ve been waiting for,” she said, placing a reassuring hand on Gran’s arm.
“I know,” Gran said miserably. “That’s why I… If he says it’s a no for sure, I don’t know what I’m going to do…”
The group was silent for a few moments, commiserating with Gran’s hesitation and fear. Then Vyrn spoke up, “It’s all or nothing. Whatever happens, we’ve got your back, buddy.” He grinned. “Besides, he probably needs you to knock some sense into him.” The others nodded in unison, all voicing their support for him.
With a sigh, Gran pocketed the envelope. “Alright. This time, I’ll make sure I ask properly and without… running away.”
“Yeah, you could do without that part,” Rackam agreed.
Katalina shot him a sharp look and said, “If you need anyone to practice lines with, you can ask any of us anytime. That or we can go for a round of sparring practice.”
“And if all else fails,” Rosetta said with a cunning glint in her eye, “they say the best way to a man’s heart is his stomach.”
—
The day came… and went. The death match against all ten Eternals had gone much better than Gran had ever expected. He had never known the strength he wielded until he had to go toe to toe with ten of the strongest warriors in the skies. Now something was brewing within him, a new power that he could feel slowly but surely spreading throughout his body. He took a few moments to calm himself, to steady his breathing like he did every morning. He looked down at himself, the new gloves, the new outfit, the new… everything. He’d seen the way Siete looked at him during the party. Maybe… something about him had changed, and it wasn’t just the clothes or the hair. Maybe it was something Siete didn’t like.
The sun had gone well beneath the horizon by the time he sat with a drink on a rocky outcropping, admiring the starry night sky and trying really hard not to think about what he needed to do tonight. Too bad he couldn’t put it off any longer. Siete himself would see to that.
“Knock knock, is there room for one more?”
Gran choked on his drink and Siete swooped in, rubbing circles into his back as he coughed and hacked. When he’d finally calmed down enough, he scowled. “I told you not to do that. Tell me before you just show up out of nowhere.”
Siete cocked his head to one side. “But I did?” When Gran kept up his scowl, Siete relented. “I promise I won’t sneak up on you like that again.”
It’s fine if you do. In fact, just do that all the time, Gran bit back the urge to say. He took up his drink as Siete clambered onto the rock next to him. He tried his hardest not to look at Siete, but it was impossible not to. Even though they hadn’t seen each other in almost a year, he was just as… beautiful as Gran remembered. Radiant. The starlight was making him sparkle, almost.
As usual it was Siete who broke the ice with a nervous laugh and random comments about the party and how Sarasa had eaten practically all the meat she hunted down for them, how good the cake Song and Nio had baked together was and how nice the decorations looked. He kept up the rambling for an impressive amount of time, even for him. Gran closed his eyes. Could he still see the nightmarish memory that plagued him every night?
“I’ve missed you,” Siete said suddenly, making them both start.
Gran flushed deep red, and hesitated before muttering, “I missed you too.”
His words seemed to reinvigorate Siete with a sense of relief. “Are we still fighting?” he asked rather impishly.
“If you mean another round like a while ago, I could do that,” Gran said, raising an eyebrow. “I didn’t know you enjoyed knees to your stomach like that.”
Siete laughed again, loudly. His smile faded. “So we are then.”
There was a pregnant pause in which neither of them wanted to speak or move. Finally, Gran steeled himself to say what he’d been meaning to say. Siete, however, beat him to it.
“I’m sorry,” he said, his tone sombre.
The words made Gran flinch and his heart sink. Well there goes all that planning, he thought. He hadn’t even needed to say anything and Siete was already rejecting him… again.The little box in his pocket was burning a hole through the cloth and his skin, searing into him a pain he doubted would ever heal. It was a wonder that he could even keep a straight face.
“Ahh, how do I say this…” Siete sighed. “You know when Quatre says things but he means the opposite?” He laughed nervously. “So… I said that… I mean… You know… Ahaha… words…” Siete fumbled with his sentences as badly as he could wield a sword well. “I wasn’t sure what you were saying…?”
Gran’s head snapped around to look at Siete’s face so fast that he heard his neck crack a little. “What?”
“Oh, come on, don’t make me say it aloud,” Siete groaned, burying his face in his hands. His ears were red, visible even in the dim starlight. He raised his head a little to see Gran eyeing him expectantly. He flushed even redder. “I… I didn’t know what you were saying… I was so nervous I kind of blacked out in the middle of talking… ahahaha…” He made a weak attempt at a smile. “But I ended up hurting you. And I was too scared to make the first move to make things right again. Truth is, I know… if I never found a way to talk to you, I’d lose you.” He pursed his lips. His eyes were shining with unshed tears. “And yet I kept going like that, avoiding you. If I hadn’t thought of this, I feel like I’d never have seen you again and that’s just…” His voice trailed away into silence.
“So you… were going to say something after I…?”
Slowly, he nodded. “I was going to say… oh god, I’m really saying this… I was sorry could you repeat that again…” He groaned into his hands. “I feel like an idiot.”
Gran sat back, relief going through him in massive waves. It wasn’t a rejection. His apology wasn’t a rejection. He was almost stunned into complete silence until he remembered that he was there for a reason. He took a deep breath and reached into his pocket.
“You are an idiot,” Gran said quietly. “You’re dense. You never say what you want to say. You never tell anyone how you really feel. When someone wants you to be serious for once, you dance around the subject and make dumb jokes. You make decisions before telling anyone. And you really can’t stop trying to beat me in a swordfight.”
“I know,” Siete said, sounding absolutely dejected.
“But that’s why everyone loves you.” Gran held up the box in the palm of his hand. “You act stupid, but you’re a steadfast leader. You act like an arrogant hero, but you care more about the world than yourself. When I first met you, I thought you were some bastard, but I…” He paused, blush creeping into his cheeks. “I know the real you now.” He steeled himself. “I know the real Siete. And I love him with everything I have and everything I ever will. I want to spend every single day of my life with you and your jokes. I want to see your smile every morning I wake up. I love you, Siete.” He paused again. He could feel his heart pounding a tattoo into his chest. He opened the box slowly, revealing a golden band tucked into the velvet cloth within. “Marry me.”
Siete choked back a sob, trying instead to laugh it away. “It isn’t a question this time, huh,” he said, his voice thick with tears. “And I thought I was the leader around here.”
“I didn’t want to make any more mistakes,” Gran admitted. “And looking at you now…” He smiled. “I… already know.”
“Now that’s a little overconfident of you, isn’t it,” Siete said, trying and failing to keep the smile off of his own red face. He’d already pulled the glove off of his hand and held it out to Gran who, with shaky hands, slid the ring onto Siete’s finger. “It’s beautiful,” he whispered, admiring the way the band fit perfectly around him. “Thank you, Gran. I could never imagine a life without you. If… I hadn’t said what I said back then, I wouldn’t have had a taste of it—being without you.” He shook his head. “It was awful. Everyone ignored me all the time. Sarasa always said my jokes sucked ass and Okto would give me that look. You know the look he makes when he’s really disappointed in you? Yeah, that. Even Song and Esser look like they just pity me. At least you make fun of me without making me feel bad.” He was rambling again. It was adorable. “And I didn’t tell you this—I wasn’t planning to—it’s embarrassing—but that new get-up you have is…” Siete cleared his throat, loosened his collar. “It looks… It looks really good on you.” He was redder than Gran had ever seen him.
He looked down at himself again. “Is it really that different from the usual me?”
Siete reached out and rested his palm against Gran’s chest. “You look like you could take on the entire world and win without batting an eye.”
“I want to kiss you,” Gran blurted. There was a rush of wind—a coldness that would have made them shiver if they hadn’t been so close.
They looked at each other, both flushed a bright red. Siete laughed. “We’ve been dating for years, Gran. And we’re kind of stuck together for as long as we live.” His voice lowered to a breathy whisper as Gran drew nearer. “You never have to ask.”
~ Fin~