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Shoutarou was going to go insane. Who had decided that planning a wedding would be like this . Why were there so many little details. Who cared?
Akiko cared. Queen and Elizabeth cared. Most importantly, Philip cared.
Which was why he put up with the torture of planning a wedding.
"Ah, MOU!" he cried, taking his hat off to ruffle his hair. "What does it matter if the trellis is white or black?"
Akiko, predictably, bonked him with a slipper. "It matters because it sets the tone of the whole wedding!"
Shoutarou scowled. "This wedding is giving me an entire headache! Aibou! Tell her it doesn't matter what color it is!"
Philip came in and studied the pictures. "Black, I think, and purple ribbons, with a crawling plant of green, preferably with yellow flowers if possible."
Shoutarou threw his hands up. "Why was I asked if Philip has all the answers???"
Akiko bonked him again. "It's your wedding! Care a little more!"
Shoutarou rubbed his head, pouting at nothing. He did care--after all, he was marrying his precious partner--but this was too many details!
"Shoutarou, I think you need a break," Philip said gently, massaging Shoutarou's shoulders--the previous week's Look Up had benefited them all.
"No, I want to get this over with," Shoutarou said gruffly.
"Half-boiled," Philip said fondly, kissing the top of Shoutarou's head and making him blush.
"Shou-chan's blushing~"
"Oi!" Shoutarou said to Elizabeth, who had just come in with Queen.
"You'd think he forgot we're all going to see him kiss at the wedding," Queen agreed.
Shoutarou wished he didn't have to put up with this sort of nonsense.
"There's so much STUFF!," Shoutarou complained. He had just gotten off a rather stressful phone call where he had patiently explained that he hadn't ordered all these wooden boxes, and while the company had agreed to send the correct items for a discount, they wouldn't take them back.
"Mouuuuuuu," he whined, except he didn't whine, he was just…letting out his feelings. In a manly way.
"You could take up carpentry," Terui Ryuu suggested, clapping a hand on Shoutarou's shoulder.
"Do not say that near Philip, we do not need that sort of disaster," Shoutarou warned. "Especially with the wedding getting nearer."
Terui Ryuu nodded solemnly before leaving Shoutarou to his now mess of a pool hall.
Shoutarou decided that he was gonna play some pool to clear his head, only to find that Mick was smack dab in the middle of the table he was going to use.
"Darn cat," he grumbled, although he gave Mick some scritches under his chin, going over to the next table to set up.
Right when all the balls were in place, Mick stood up, stretched, and jumped lightly to the table Shoutarou was at, batting at the balls.
"Mick!" Shoutarou said in frustration. Mick looked at him, blinking slowly.
"Cats like to mirror, Shoutarou. You should give him his own pool table. After all, we have all these boxes."
"Aibou! You startled me!" Shoutarou said, hand on his heart. He tried to coolly turn it into crossed arms, but the pool stick got in the way, making Philip laugh at him.
"We have a meeting with the caterer soon, don't forget," Philip said.
"Anything you come up with is fine with me?" Shoutarou tried.
Philip just gave him a smile. "Shoutarou, with the exception of maybe Aki-chan, you are the most opinionated of the Irregulars." He kissed Shoutarou on the cheek and made his way back up.
Shoutarou wished it didn't brighten his mood so much. Not very hard-boiled of him."
Still, the words hadn't left Shoutarou's head, of making the pool table for Mick. Since Mick would come over even if you left balls for him on a different table, Shoutarou figured it couldn't hurt to try. He was still decently close to his wood teacher, close enough to ask if he could use the power tools, at least, especially with the school being on break.
With permission granted, Shoutarou got to work. He didn't need it to be perfect, he supposed, except he kinda did, for his ego.
Thankfully, there were a lot of boxes, and all he was really doing was putting holes onto a top, and making a hole to be able to get the balls out.
It was more nerve wracking than he remembered it being, using the tools, but he powered through, Watcherman watching with interest.
"I bet Santa-chan will get you some stuff for the top if you ask," he said thoughtfully.
Shoutarou grunted, having cut through a box entirely and making it unusable.
He didn't give up, though, and being able to work with wood after going over tiny, fussy details was relieving.
(The fact that Philip enjoyed the scent of wood on him was a bonus.)
"Mick," Shoutarou said almost giddily, before realizing he was talking to a cat and clearing his throat.
"Here. Your very own pool table," he said, revealing it to the elderly cat. Shoutarou had dragged a desk out of storage and put it next to his favorite pool table, the miniature version on top of it.
"Is it working?" Philip asked, coming in.
"I dunno, I haven't set up the balls for him," Shoutarou said.
Philip watched in amusement as Shoutarou set up the smaller, but equally heavy balls. (Shoutarou rather thought Mick would be insulted if the balls were lighter.)
"You did a good job, Shoutarou."
"Mmm," Shoutarou agreed, getting his hand out of the way just in time, as Mick started batting the balls.
"Try setting up your own game," Philip suggested.
Shoutarou did, throwing a stick to Philip once he was done.
"Play me, Aibou," he said.
Mick ignored them, to Shoutarou's delight. It had worked and now Shoutarou could play in peace.
"It's been a while since we've done this, eh, Philip?" Shoutarou said, carefully lining up the stick with his next ball.
"Well, once we're married…"
Shoutarou wildly missed his shot.
Philip chuckled. "We are getting married, Shoutarou. Don't forget that."
"I'm not! I don't!"
Philip's expression was still amused, so Shoutarou did what he thought would best distract him: he kissed him, making Philip melt into him.
"Kissing me before the wedding? How improper, according to many custo-"
Shoutarou kissed him again, and again, and again.