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It was a stalemate on the verge of an all out war. Relations with Aftokrator were tense with both sides constantly feeling threatened by the other. What they wished for was safety and security, yet it couldn't be achieved with the seemingly cold war taking place. Stronger fighters, bigger weapons, and more innovative technology offered only the desire for the security of ones planet even at the risk of war.
Something needed to be set in motion. A change for both planets.
"Say, what about an arranged marriage?" Jin offered, ever the leisurely, light tone in his voice.
"A WHAT?!" Chief Netsuki all but screeched.
The usually composed board of directors was filled with a bustling confusion and unease at Jin's sudden words. The man hadn't spoken once since the meeting began and while everyone had assumed it was out of boredom from having to attend another meeting repeating the question of what to do about Aftokrator, they didn't know it was in preparation to drop this bomb.
"An arranged marriage, or political marriage, if you will," Jin reiterated. He put a single finger up from each hand."Where two people from opposing sides come together in matrimony..." He put his fingers together."...to create an alliance between their two nations."
"We understand what a political marriage is, Jin," Chief Kido responded, folding his hands together."But why bring this up now? You know Boarder would never condone such a thing. We are an organization. We do not in anyway represent Earth as a whole."
Shinoda's eyes widened."Don't tell me...your side effect?"
Jin simply smiled.
"This is absolutely absurd! I can't believe we're even talking about this!"
"Now, now, here me out," Jin tried, though it almost looked like he was laughing."This'll benefit all of us, I promise."
"There is no guarantee that Aftokrator will follow the same rules as us," Chief Kido butt in."We cannot trust them to uphold the principles of an arranged marriage."
"C'mon, Chief Kido, even you should know how much that's a lie," Jin snarked back."You've seen the records we've collected about their culture and history. There have been plenty of political marriages like this in the past and they've all worked out. I see no reason we can't follow in the same foot steps."
Chief Kido gave Jin a scrutinizing stare, like he was trying to figure out what he really wanted. Jin actively didn't let a single thing slip past his mask, keeping a controlled smile on his face. Chief Kido could stare all he wanted, but Jin knew what would benefit them most now. He could see it.
"Even if we follow through with this, who would be our marriage candidate? We can't send anyone who doesn't want to do it. That would be unethical." As expected of Karasawa, straight to the point.
"Aftokrator values strength over anything, right? Then we just have to send someone strong," Chief Kinuta responded back nonchalantly."Knowing them, male or female doesn't matter. They just need someone strong enough to feel their nation is secure. Heirs don't matter."
"But again, who would be willing to enter a political marriage?" Chief Netsuki argued back."Most of our top fighters don't seem like they would be interested in the slightest. But if we don't send one of our best, then Aftokrator will think we're not taking them seriously."
"Exactly," Jin snapped his finger."That's why I'll be our marriage candidate."
"HUH?!"
"WHAT?!"
"Jin," Shinoda spoke past Chief Netsuki and Kinuta's confusion. He had a cold, solid voice in the crowd."Are you serious?"
Jin smiled."Completely serious. I think I fit the bill quite well, don't you? I already have an idea of who their candidate will be anyways. I think we'll get along quite well."
Shinoda looked like he still wanted to push, but kept it at that.
"You all speak as though we have already made up our minds," Chief Kido spoke up throughout the room. Everyone gulped."We cannot be hasty. While Jin may have an...interesting idea, there are still many loopholes and uncertainties. This is not a decision to make lightly." Chief Kido looked to Jin when he said that.
"I know," he responded back.
"We will discuss this further later after a recess, but Jin, can I count on your words? Not just your side effect, but your willingness to be our marriage candidate?"
"Yeah, you can," Jin responded."Don't worry, everything will work out."
Or at least he hoped so.
Chief Kido was, of course, naturally stubborn over the matter. Though everyone could see the strain this cold war was having over him. In any other circumstance, his automatic answer would've been a resound "no", but the fact that he even began to consider it was a profound thing of its own.
He refused to comment on the genius of Jin's idea until the end. They had to contact Aftokrator and see if they would agree to a political marriage before Chief Kido had even made his final decision. Even then, as he finally gave in once Aftokrator said they were willing to accept their terms, it was nothing more than a simple wave of his hand and leave out of the room that had everyone scrambling to make preparations.
Jin had become far too pleased with the matter. News spread slowly and only really reached as low as high ranked B-class agents. That didn't mean the murmurs would not persist. Of course there was no hiding the reason the cold war with Aftokrator was finally ending was thanks to Yuuichi Jin getting married.
Jin thought it was a perfectly fine thing to say that, sadly, the first person to comment on it was Tachikawa.
"Hey, Jin." He clapped him on the back."I heard you're getting married? Guess we all can't live the bachelor life forever, haha!"
"Apparently," Jin responded, half irked."Looks like it's time for me to get serious." Jin couldn't help the small smile that passed his lips despite everything.
Tachikawa, of course, noticed it. His eyes widened. That stupid smile was put back on his face seconds later."Why, don't you look excited for married life? Don't tell me you're marrying a beauty. Ahh, I'm jealous." Tachikawa leaned forward, putting an arm across Jin's shoulders."Knowing you, this isn't just about the political stuff, is it?" he whispered."You find someone you like who's out of reach?"
Jin smiled. He wouldn't give anything away."Maybe." He shook Tachikawa off him. Seriously annoying.
"Well, I wish the two of you a long and happy life." Tachikawa walked past him, waving."Knowing him, I'm sure your little Neighbor husband will keep you plenty busy, ahaha!"
Jin seriously wanted to punch him sometimes.
"Jin, you're getting married?! No way! I refuse to believe it!" Konami cried.
Those were the first words that greeted Jin once he got back to Tamakoma. Konami grabbed onto his shirt and shook him back and forth with cries of "How?!" and "Before me?!"
"Welcome back, Jin," Usami greeted casually.
"I'm back," Jin responded with a hand up while being shook back and forth."I guess you all heard the news? I was gonna tell you myself. It looks like word spreads fast."
"Ah, sorry." Mikumo, who sat at the couch with Kuga, Chika, Kizaki, and Yotaro put a sheepish hand to the back of his head."It just slipped out. I didn't mean to spoil anything."
"It's okay," Jin smiled back at him with reassurance.
"Hey, don't ignore me!" Konami yelled at Jin, shaking him some more.
"Konami, cut it out," Karasuma pulled her back."You're not the only one who's shocked. Let Jin at least explain things first."
"Well, I'm sure Mikumo's already explained everything," Jin commented, more so knowing he already did.
"But are you sure this is okay?" Chief Rindo, who was at the kitchen table with Usami, asked."A political marriage is a big responsibility."
"It's okay! It's okay! I volunteered, after all." There was an audible palm to the face from most of the room."I mean, knowing who their candidate's going to be, I really couldn't leave him in the hands of anyone else. Especially someone like that slippery Tachikawa."
"Eh? So the candidate on their end has already been decided?!" Mikumo asked.
"Who is it?! Tell me!" Konami demanded.
"Well, it's not official yet, but I've figured who it is." Jin tapped his temple right next to his eye."The future could still change, but I'm pretty set on this."
"Humu, someone who Jin feels fine marrying. How curious," Kuga thought, dumb look on his face and hand on his chin. They had met many more Neighbors throughout the years so the pool of possibilities was larger than one may think.
"Ahh, just tell me already! I'm tired of waiting!" Konami tried to move at Jin but Karasuma was still holding her back.
Jin laughed."Fine, if you insist...It'll be our very own ex-Tamakoma-2 attacker, Hyuse."
"Eh?!"
"What?!"
"Y-You and H-Hyuse...!"
"Hyuse?!" Yotaro spoke up for the first time, audibly perking up at the mention of the friend he hasn't seen in years.
"Yeah." Jin turned to Yotaro."Ah, I wanted to ask: Do I have your permission to marry Hyuse, Yotaru?" he asked somewhat playfully.
Yotaro thought about it for a second, arms crossing his front. He then nodded to himself, having made his decision."Fine, I'll approve of it. Knowing Jin, it'll be fine."
"Thank you."
"Well, if it's Hyuse, then I guess we don't have as much to worry about," Usami commented."It'll be fun to see him again, don't you think?"
Most nodded. Konami continued to rage.
"We will see him again, right?" Chika asked, fiddling with her hands."Or will Hyuse stay on Aftokrator?"
"Don't worry, he'll come here, just like I'll be away in Aftokrator sometimes. The details haven't fully been worked out, but from what I know, there'll be two weddings so that we can honor each nations customs. The first will be on Aftokrator and second here on Earth."
"Anyone else getting scared by how excited Jin looks?"
"So your really set on this?" Chief Rindo asked.
Jin laughed."Of course I am! I mean, who better to marry Hyuse than me?"
"I could think of a few people," Konami commented.
"Me too," Karasuma seconded.
"Give me a little credit, would you?!"
The wedding on Aftokrator was something out of a novel. Jin felt like he remembered the sights more than the people. He had never seen or heard much about Neighbors weddings or "unifying of Houses" as they liked to call it. The majority of the time there was spent prepping for the wedding with Hyuse explaining to Jin in detail the different steps they had to take together. Every country was different, so doing any research before was useless. It was best to hear from the source.
Seeing Hyuse for the first time in what was three years now was a sadly melodramatic affair. Yotaro was allowed to attend as both a Neighbor and representative of Mikado, a sort of bridging of multiple gaps if you will. Hyuse looked more excited to see him than Jin. It was heartbreaking, in a way, but to be expected.
Part of Jin wanted to say his attitude was because he was nervous or embarrassed. It would be cute, but it wouldn't be the Hyuse Jin knew. The man was just as stoic and even more formal than before. He had grown a bit, horns back on, and his clothes were completely different from the usual hoodie and sweats he wore back at Tamakoma. He looked extremely handsome, so handsome that Jin wanted to kiss him right away, but that wasn't how Aftokrator did things.
The beginning of the ceremony, instead of music or introductions, consisted of an epic battle between two of Aftokrator's best. It was said to hold a deep symbolism behind their relationship, a way of fortune telling to predict how their future would play out. Jin tried to pay attention, but he didn't understand what any of it really meant. But, based off the way Aftokrator's leaders relaxed themselves by the end of it and the upbeat murmurs of the audience, it seemed to be a good sign.
Next was a reading of feats where Jin and Hyuse were now called to the front where the rest of the ceremony would take place. A Neighbor stood behind them and listed off the feats of both members of the union. This was the time where people had a chance to interject if they didn't feel their individual feats in battle were equal to one another. Of course, no one did. It seemed Jin's reputation was acceptable to the people of Aftokrator.
Now, after the reading, was when the two of them really took the stage. There were no rings or kiss, but there was a single, substantial vow. Hyuse had gone through this particular part with Jin religiously. It was the most important. This sealed their two Houses together as well as their own selves.
Firstly, a large bowl was presented and placed between the two of them. Then, two sharp knives were handed to each of the grooms. Jin took the knife in his left hand, as did Hyuse. They then held out their hands in front of the large bowl and cut into the palm of their right hand at the same time. Jin had looked into Hyuse's eyes then for the first time, seeing in them his resolve.
This entire ritual, the entire wedding in general, was a constant test between the two getting married. It was asking them if they were truly resolved to get married. Any stumbling movements or slightly off motions would be considered a marriage doomed to fail. So, everything had to be perfect. Hyuse and Jin needed to be in perfect harmony with all their motions going forward, for the sake of both their nations, and for the sake of Jin's love.
A trail of blood streamed into the bowl below. They would both continue to let it fall until only droplets fell from their palms. After two drops exactly fell into the bowl, it would be onto the next step. They tested everything, even down to their blood. Jin remembered Hyuse telling him that for this part, it was okay if they didn't perfectly match up, because this could not be controlled. The closer in time their blood stopped flowing meant the more ideal the couple, but it didn't mean the complete end if they were off by a couple seconds.
Of course, Jin wouldn't settle for less than perfect. Not with the man he would spend the rest of his life with. So, of course, he grew smug when from each their palms the last two drops of blood fell at the exact same time. Their fists clenched back together in synch and with the movement, there was a small audible gasp from the crowd. But sadly, Hyuse's expression remained unchanged.
Next, the two of them clasp their bloody hands together with one anothers. It stung, but Jin held it together. From there, they waited for the Neighbor next to them to begin speaking the words that would bind them together for eternity. As he spoke he queued them forward. Their bloody hands created a streak along their arms and their hands slid further and further upwards until their forearms were fully touching, hands grasping their arms just before the elbow.
This was the reason Jin and Hyuse were put in cloaks with their arms left exposed. The rest of the night they were to brand their bloody arms as a sign of a new union. By the end of the night, the amount of blood leftover would be a show of how strong their marriage would be. The marks on their palms would also remain untreated so they could scar and show they had a partner.
The Neighbor finished speaking, then presenting the large bowl of blood to the audience and seeing the new couple off. The bowl of blood would be a centerpiece the rest of the night, then given to the department of matrimony on Aftokrator so they could truly officiate their marriage in writing.
Ceremony now finished, the rest of the night was left for celebration. Hyuse and Jin split up and came back together like waves. Jin charmed the people of Aftokrator as he did best. He did find that they were much more susceptible to his charms and words now. He had a feeling it was because they all witnessed his compatibility with Hyuse in the rawest form possible. Before, the marriage was still up in the air. Though they had promised Boarder an arranged marriage in the name of peace, if the candidates didn't match, it was a sign from fate to go to war.
Jin was glad he was confident in himself.
That night, Hyuse and Jin parted without any words of value. In two days it was right back to Mikado for the next ceremony. If Jin could vow one thing, it would be nothing like the wedding on Aftokrator. As much as he enjoyed fate telling him they were meant to be, it was missing the level of intimacy he craved. This marriage felt political. Now, it was time to show Hyuse it was anything but that.
The wedding on Earth was almost a disaster. Almost.
If you asked anyone besides Jin how it went, they would say it was a total disaster. If you asked anyone who helped Jin plan it, they would say it could've been much, much worse. And if you asked Jin, he would say it went splendidly.
Since Jin began thinking of the prospect of marrying Hyuse, he had plans for how their wedding would go. Firstly, it would be a western style wedding. Why? Because Jin wanted to see Hyuse in the tuxedo. He had seen plenty enough of him in baggy clothes to know he looked best in something tight fitting. Jin wanted to shove in everyones face the beauty of his future husband and show them that none of them could have him.
The venue was planned from the start: Tamakoma. It was the place Jin knew Hyuse would feel most comfortable. Depending on the weather, it would be either indoors or outdoors. Since they were entering winter, the wedding would be held indoors in the training facility, of all places. Tamakoma decorated it up enough that it looked fairly decent but anyone could tell exactly what it was. During the ceremony, Jin was pretty sure Chief Kido spent more of the time looking at the scenery with an exasperated expression than actually listening to their vows.
It wasn't a large wedding. There was everyone from Tamakoma, a couple of Jin's close friends, the board of directors from Boarder to oversee, and a small group of members from Aftokrator to also oversee the entire thing.
Jin had Yotaro be the ring bearer. He road Raijinmaru, who was holding a bouquet of flowers, to the front. The capybara had almost eaten the rings in the name of "safe-keeping", Yotaru had told Jin a couple minutes before he was supposed to walk in. It almost gave him a heart attack. Chief Rindo got certified the day before so he could run the ceremony. He had a tablet in front of him the whole time and started reading off the lines of the erotic novel he was reading earlier before he realized his mistake.
That was basically the last of what Jin was able to get away with before the rest of the wedding planning committee stopped him with a firm no. Jin hadn't budged on Hyuse wearing a black suit and was going to wear a white one himself until he was hit with another firm no. Apparently everyone thought he looked a lot worse in white than he thought he did. There was a lot of last minute planning due to the drastic change in weather and realization that they had forgotten to get chairs for everyone to sit in, but everything was running smoothly until Jin realized he hadn't told Hyuse anything about what he needed to do for the ceremony past making a list of vows.
So now suddenly Hyuse was being dragged around by Jin the entire ceremony, a true testament to the real relationship they had and how, in the end, this was all one elaborate scheme for this exact moment.
Jin read his vows first, as he realized he needed to go first for everything so Hyuse would know to follow along. They were sweet, probably some of the most heartfelt and honest words he had ever spoken so much so that he was sure he heard Usami or Yuri tearing up. There was also a "No way he wrote all that, right?" whispered by Konami that he actively chose to ignore.
By the end of it, Jin felt satisfied and drained at all the emotions that coursed through him. When he looked across at Hyuse to see his final reaction, it wasn't the love-stuck expression he was expecting. No, Hyuse looked worried. Had Jin given him the proper instructions on how to write his vows again? By Hyuse's expression, he had not.
Just when Hyuse was ready to fumble, Yotaro—who was next to him—suddenly handed him a slip of paper from his coat pocket like the valiant knight his was. Jin had silently thanked him until Hyuse stared at it with equal confusion. Right, he couldn't read Japanese.
And so, how were the vows ended up handled? Yotaro translated as Hyuse repeated his words. There were times when he would stop and furrow his brow like he didn't agree with them and then rephrase them to his liking. The vows were childish to begin with. Probably something Yotaro had cooked up after watching a bunch of movies. Hearing Yotaro's "I will always be by your side" turn into Hyuse's "I will be there when you are in need of my aid" was awkward enough that Jin wanted to hurry up and just skip to the honeymoon already. They had swung saying a two week honeymoon was apart of Earthly custom so he intended to use those days wisely.
Next were a lot more formalities and "I do"'s which Hyuse would often pause far too long to think about. It made Jin look like an utter fool. He attempted to tell Hyuse it was just custom and not to think much about it but of course he refused to listen.
Thankfully, the rest of the ceremony went without a hitch. The rings were presented by Yotaro with a smug look on his face like he saved their wedding. Jin took the first ring and had to gently lift Hyuse's hand up from his side to slide it on his finger. What was before a noisy audience trying to see through the disaster was now a quiet crowd as they watched the intimate moment between the two grooms.
Jin slid the silver band on with ease. A perfect fit. He looked at Hyuse and smiled, knowing that this was different than anything the other experienced on Aftokrator. Hyuse stared at Jin and then the ring with an utterly calm expression on his face. There was a hint of something different in his eyes, however. Something Jin drank in.
Next it was Hyuse's turn, and Jin reveled in the feeling of his hands holding his and sliding that promised silver band onto his finger. He let it sink it, the scar on his right hand and the ring on his left finger. They were truly tied together now, as if their hands were clasp in each others and they couldn't look at anything else but the others face. Jin found himself rubbing against Hyuse's finger as he slid back, heart aching.
After all was said and done, Chief Rindo spoke those final words and Jin moved towards Hyuse. He didn't rush anything, making sure Hyuse was fine the entire time. First, Jin put a hand around his waist and pulled him closer. He smiled at Hyuse. The other had an expression as blank as ever, yet his eyes felt like they were sparkling. Then, hand cupping Hyuse's face, they kissed. It was long yet innocent and loving.
And everyone in the room who watched them found there eyes looking at Hyuse, thinking:
He has no idea.