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Suits - Melissa
Fredrinn woke up with the most brutal hangover known to mankind.
He did not know what happened last night—but judging from how he woke up with Xavier next to him, half-naked and littered with his mark, he knew it must be damn good.
Unfortunately, Fredrinn didn’t have time to linger. He had business to run today, meetings that required his presence. So he kissed a sleeping Xavier on the cheek, got ready for the day, then headed to his shop…
… Where Melissa is sitting by the door, her lips twisted in a way that only an irritated teenager could muster.
Fredrinn had a sinking feeling he was in trouble.
True to his suspicion, Melissa got up from her seat on the sidewalk the moment she saw Fredrinn. Both of her hands were on her hips, and she was glaring . Like he’d personally burned down her favorite boy band poster.
Uh-oh.
“You!” Melissa strode towards him, looking absolutely annoyed Fredrinn was starting to think that she must have woken up on the bad side of the bed this morning. “You’re going to ruin it!” she said suddenly, upfront, straightforward, with no context or regard for Fredrinn’s soft heart.
“Wh… ouch,” Fredrinn said. “Where does it come from, lil lady?”
“I just know that! I mean look at you,” Melissa exclaimed, crossing her arms in front of her chest and giving Fredrinn a once-over. She wrinkled her nose, and Fredrinn almost felt like he had to be offended for some reason if only he knew why he was being attacked at 9 AM. “For one, you have a terrible, distasteful, horrendous taste in fashion.”
At that, Fredrinn quickly glanced at his reflection on the shop’s mirror. He’s wearing a white shirt today, blue coat, and a pair of black slacks. Nothing out of the ordinary. Melissa had never once protested about the way he dressed before this.
“I don’t know, young lady. This looks okay to me,” he said, which was welcomed with Melissa’s exasperated sigh. “Seriously, where does this come from? What do you want?”
Melissa shook her head and muttered something under her breath—something that sounded suspiciously hopeless . Fredrinn furrowed his brows; he absolutely did not have any clue what was going on.
“Alright, come on,” she said, dragging him by the hand, away from his shop. For someone so tiny, she did have quite a bit of strength in her. “I’m gonna fix you. No way in hell Xav’s wedding will be ruined by your terrible choice of fashion.”
Fredrinn hummed. That, at least, he agreed with.
But then, he realized that he was being dragged away from the shop he was supposed to open, then the word Xav’s wedding finally registered in his mushy brain.
“Wait, what?”
-
As it turned out, Melissa was dragging him to the tailor where she was working part-time.
The shop was not even opened yet; they entered through the back door. But the lady who owned the shop did not seem to mind, chuckling to herself after she waved to say hi.
And so here he was, standing in front of a double mirror, with Melissa hovering around him like a flying fairy. She was taking measurements of his chest, shoulders, waist, hands, wrist…
Basically, every inch of his body.
And she did not even stop there. She also placed a bunch of sample fabric on his skin, examining, humming, wincing, or nodding. Sometimes, she even pinned them above his clothes, like she was considering something.
“Hey, lil lady, you know I have somewhere else to be, right? I have important business this morning. So normally, I’d let you take your sweet time, but this—ow, hey!” Fredrinn’s protest was cut off when a needle Melissa pressed to his coat somehow got through and stabbed his skin. “What the heck, lil lady?”
“Oh, did it hurt? I didn’t know you could still be in pain there, with that armor skin and whatever,” she answered with her voice half muffled by the ball of cotton full of needles. That looked really dangerous.
“That armor’s part of my body. Also, you didn't answer me. What wedding? Where does this all come from?”
“Sssh, don’t move around,” Melissa hissed. “I’m almost done.”
She measured Fredrinn’s side of feet, and then she got up, placing the ball of cotton on the table near her and picking up a book and a pencil, jotting down something with a stern look on her face.
“Okay, lil lady now you gotta tell me what—”
“What color do you think best suits a garden party or wedding?” Melissa asked suddenly., pointing the butt of her pencil towards Fredrinn. Her eyes narrowed, and only then Fredrinn knew that she was not playing around. She’s dead serious.
And that threw him off balance.
“Huh? Uh… Black suits?”
Melissa rolled her eyes with a dramatic tch , loud enough to make Fredrinn feel personally insulted.
“Shoes?”
“Uh… black boots? What does this even—”
Melissa sighed. “Boring. Absolutely hopeless,” she jotted something down on her note.
Fredrinn suddenly felt exhausted. Melissa had been cryptic the entire time; he really wanted to know what this was all about. But before he could say anything else, Melissa suddenly placed the pencil back on the table. She was smiling, like she was very satisfied with herself.
“Lil lady, what does that even—”
“Ugh, stop sounding like a broken record,” Melissa rolled her eyes. But the ghost of her proud smile was still there. Apparently she was deciding that Fredrinn’s confusion would not ruin her mood now. “Fine, you can take a peek. Here. Look .”
She showed the book she was holding, which now contained a sketch of a tuxedo. A messy one, but it did not hide away the elegance of the design. It was an elegant tuxedo in a traditional morning coat style. The tailcoat had a longer back, sharply tailored shoulders, and a waist that tapered with deliberate precision—classic, yet commanding. Beneath the coat was a light-toned, double-breasted waistcoat with dark buttons and a faint glint of chain peeking from one of the pockets. The vest covered a crisp white dress shirt and a dark tie that anchored the look with quiet confidence.
Every line and detail seemed designed to flatter broad, armored shoulders—like Fredrinn’s. He wasn’t much of a fashion man, but even at a glance, he knew this would look damn good on him.
“The tux is going to be in Royal Blue,” Melissa said. “So it compliments your hair and skin color. The color also compliments Xavier. He would pop off next to you and still be the center of attention. I’m a genius. What do you think?” Melissa asked. With the way she huffed with absolute pride, it was more of a fishing compliment than a question.
“Lil lady, this is amazing,” Fredrinn whistled. “You made this for me?”
Melissa scrunched her nose. “Ew, gross. No. I’m not doing this for you,” she said. “I’m doing this for Xavier. Because no way in hell his garden party wedding is gonna be ruined with the groom sporting boring black suits and equally boring black boots. Nope, I love him too much for allowing such tragedy to happen.”
Fredrinn was going to ask again about Xavier's wedding she kept talking about and why he did not know that. But again, before he could speak, she snatched the book from Fredrinn’s hand and pushed him away from the shop.
“Ok, now let me get to work. Go do whatever important business you gotta do, bye!”
And… slammed the door on his face.
Fredrinn blinked, staring at his own reflection on the door’s glass.
This is going to be a weird day, isn’t it?
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Flowers - Yin
Surprisingly, Fredrinn’s day went back to normal after Melissa’s ambush. His meeting was a bit late, but it was going smoothly. His business was going as usual—nothing out of the ordinary.
That was until Yin entered his shop a little past 2 p.m., carrying a bunch of colorful flowers.
“Hi!” he greeted him cheerfully.
Fredrinn had a feeling that this was going to be another weird part of his day.
But he played along, anyway. “Hey, lil fella. Looking to appraise the worth of those flowers?” he asked playfully.
“What? No! This is not for sale. I’m making a crown for Xav’s wedding. Can I sit here?” Yin asked as he pointed the empty seat behind the counter, just right next to Fredrinn. He said it so casually, like “Xav’s wedding” was no more unusual than commenting on the weather.
Yin was a simpler person than Melissa. He had no concept of keeping secrets, so Fredrinn thought he would get a better chance getting an answer from him.
“Sure, sure, c’mere,” Fredrinn said.
Yin sat on the chair, humming as he laid out the flowers that he carried. It came in many sizes and colors but was dominated by white, grey, and goldish yellow. Yin then grabbed something from his side—a twig, a thread, and what looked like a needle. Something he must have obtained from Melissa. Yin was humming something suspiciously familiar—a love song from the Swan Lake region if Fredrinn had to guess.
Thankfully, the shop was quiet at this time of day, so Fredrinn decided to strike a conversation.
“Y’know, Mel said something about Xav’s wedding, too, earlier today,” Fredrinn started.
“Oh, you’ve met her!” Yin said in a surprised voice. He sounded genuinely pleased, like hearing about a fun match. “How’s the suits? Ah, it’s Mel. I’m sure she’ll do a great job,” he laughed while his hands did not stop skillfully weaving the fresh flowers together. The largest petals that made the craft he was making were white, a beautiful contrast to the smaller pale blue and golden yellow petals that accompanied it.
“Yeah, it was amazing,” Fredrinn hummed. His eyes still fixated on Yin’s craft, mesmerized how those calloused, combatant hands were so gentle around such delicate petals.“Dude, I didn’t know you were skilled in flower craft.”
Yin blinked. “What, this?” he asked, raising his hands chest-level. “Oh, it’s nothing. You know I come from Floral Falls, right? In my hometown, flowers bloom all year. So making flower crowns or decorations is something we were taught as kids to pass the time,” he said, laughing while placing another small gold flower between the pale blue and the white. The colors were beautiful. “I think this is the least I can do to contribute to the wedding,” he said, all excited as usual.
Fredrinn blinked, suddenly reminded that he’d been meaning to ask about this Xav’s wedding thing that both Mel and now Yin were so casually bringing up. Damn Yin and his absurdly beautiful flower crown. It almost distracted him.
“Oh yeah, about that. Who said anything about Xav getting married?”
“You did! Last night!” Yin beamed. “Well, I didn’t hear it directly. But Julian did. He went to the kitchen to grab some water and heard you proposed to Xav! And Xav said yes! Julian went ahead and woke me up and Mel to tell us about it. Mel was so pissed that you proposed to Xav while you were drunk. But I think she’s more annoyed that she did not hear that first-hand more than anything. But well, it’s happening, right!” he continued, chuckling happily as he tied a tiny knot to the fourth white flower in his homemade crown.
Yin tilted his head, examining the half-finished crown. He mumbled something about “need more gold”, and untied the last knot, humming another part of the love song, unassuming to Fredrinn’s near-heart attack.
Wait, proposed?
Did he do that last night?
Man, just how drunk was he last night? And was Xavier drunk just as bad for playing along with his drunken antics? It was also strange that Julian was the one who told them. Of all people, Julian wasn’t the type to gossip—especially not from half-heard midnight conversations.
But maybe because of the same reason, the kids instantly believed him without a question. Because Julian didn’t gossip, he rarely talked—and when he did, it was usually something important.
Fredrinn stared at Yin, debating whether to tell him the truth about last night.
“Kid…”
“Hey, Fred, can I ask you a question?” Yin was beating him to it.
Fredrinn sighed, then nodded. “Sure, shoot.”
“Do you think Xav’s going to like this?” he asked. This time, he was pursing his lips, a hint of nervousness on his face. Fredrinn almost gaped. For someone as simple and as happy-go-lucky as Yin to look so… unsure, was a miracle on its own. Fredrinn closed his mouth, halting the words he would say and decided to humor Yin instead.
“Cause, you know,” Yin continued, not even allowing Fredrinn to respond. “Mel could stitch nice clothes for you and Julian… Julian could do metalwork. I want to do something too, but I can’t make something nice. I don’t even know what a wedding in Moniyan is like,” he paused, frowning as he lowered the crown he was making. “I went to the market and asked around about it. Old man Galen said that sometimes male elves wear flower crowns on the day of their… Sacred Union. That’s what Elves call a wedding day, right? And I thought, cool, at least there’s something I could do. But now that I think of it… Xav’s never talked about his Elven lineage. I’m not sure if he likes his heritage, as Mel doesn’t like her noble blood. What if I ruin the wedding instead?”
Now, this was something Fredrinn had never thought that he would ever see. Yin looked hopeful, sincere, and almost dejected, like an overly excited puppy who’d just been stepped on by mistake. He couldn’t bring himself to break it with the truth about last night or about the fact that Old Man Galen probably spouted that old tradition so Yin could buy his flowers. Well, technically, the flower crown tradition was true, but it was usually worn by the male Leonin elves, not the light elves.
And Fredrinn refused to do that to Yin. Because seeing him look half-gloomy like this, it’s just so unbearable. Like, Melissa sometimes had a bad day, and Julian was reserved most of the time. But not Yin. Never Yin. He always beamed and excited. Seeing him like this was like looking at the sun dimming.
Yeah, nope. He won’t be the one to break it to him.
“Y’know,” he said. “I’m sure Xav would be really thrilled to get such an awesome crown. Heck! Even if he refuses to wear it, which I’m sure won’t be happening, I’m gonna wear it. I think the color matched Xav’s best, of course. But I’ll look so damn good with it, too, right? C’mon, place it on my head!”
At that, Yin let out a relieved and amused laugh. “No, don’t! It won’t fit you! Your head is larger than Xav’s!” he chuckled. “I’ll adjust it later! But if you think so, I’ll make it for Xav for now!”
Fredrinn laughed. “Yeah, go ahead,” he said. “Bet me my left shoulder that he’d looked absolutely stunning in that flower crown. Thanks, man. That’s really nice of you!”
Yin beamed with pride and absolute joy. His confidence now came back in full force. “Right? I asked Mel what color I should pick the flowers, and she gave me the complete color list!” he said. “Oh, wait, we have more flowers than we need! I think I could make you a small flower for your suits! Well, I gotta ask Mel if it’s acceptable or if I need to buy different colors of flowers to match your tux, but…”
Yin continued to enthusiastically chirp about the flowers and the small arrangement he would make, which looked endearing and contagious. Before he knew it, Fredrinn was suddenly super excited about this wedding that Yin spoke of, too, almost completely forgetting that it most probably wouldn’t even happen at all.
Well, he must probably talk to Xavier about that when he got home.
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Metalworks - Julian
When Fredrinn got home that evening, he saw Xavier in their front yard, crossing his arms as he stared at the closed door of their small warehouse, which had been repurposed to be Julian’s workshop.
It was the first thing Julian ever asked for that hinted at his past: a blacksmithing workshop of his own. Xavier and Fredrinn quickly granted that wish, even asking the local blacksmith to teach Julian. After a few sessions with Master Jeralt, it was clear to them that Julian had a natural talent. Because before long, he could already craft metals and make beautiful weaponry, various household tools, and… well, accessories.
Julian liked making the latter, mostly for Melissa, who was always thrilled whenever Julian brought her his homemade accessory. Fredrinn understood her excitement, though. Julian’s craft was usually really great.
He was truly Terizla’s son.
Xavier had always allowed Julian to stay as long as he wished at the workshop. In fact, he always seemed thrilled whenever Julian was there. He never disturbed Julian when working on something, fully supporting him in whatever craft Julian made.
So it’s weird to see Xavier standing outside the workshop’s door, looking like he was seconds away from busting it open.
“Hey, Gem,” Fredrinn greeted him.
Before he could put any word in, Xavier let out a relieved sigh. “Finally, you’re here!” Xavier exclaimed.
What is it with everyone interrupting his attempt at talking today?
“Julian had been in there since this morning and refused to go out. He hadn’t had lunch yet," Xavier said, looking genuinely worried.
“Huh,” Fredrinn raised his brows. “That’s not unusual. He must be working on something that interests him so much.”
After that encounter with Melissa and Yin, Fredrinn had a vague idea of what Julian was working on, but before he could speak it aloud, the door to the workshop opened. Julian poked his head out of the door, staring right at Fredrinn.
“I hear… Fred,” he hummed. He looked sweaty and tired, but his drooped eyes perked up when he saw Fredrinn. “Oh, you’re here! I need… help! Inside?”
Xavier raised his brows. “Oh, so he’s invited, but I’m not?” he said, looking like he was trying not to combust. “What is it that Fredrinn could do that I cannot?”
Julian blinked. He must have felt the irritation radiated off Xavier because he flinched a little. “Fred uh…” he paused, tapping the left side of his chest at the place that mirrored the place of Fredrinn’s crystal. “Has crystal,” Julian said. “Need…. Help.”
“Alright, I get it,” Fredrinn nodded. “Gem, just get back inside. Let me help ‘im.”
Xavier turned to him, narrowing his eyes. “No,” he said. “I’m not losing a point against you. Not from Julian, at least.”
Fredrinn raised his brows because, honestly, what the heck even is that? They both knew that Xavier was always Julian’s favorite—a hundred percent. Xavier should not have to fear losing a spot of being Julian’s favorite person. Much less to Fredrinn.
Today‘s just getting weirder and weirder, huh?
Julian blinked, looking nervous. He looked like he was having an internal debate, and Xavier must have realized the shift in the redheaded boy’s expression, too, because he finally exhaled. As if trying to regulate his emotions.
“Fine,” he said. “But it’s better be done when dinner’s ready. You barely eat anything since this morning, Ju.”
Julian nodded. “It’s… almost done,” he said, almost uncharacteristically too enthusiastic. “Will tell you. I promise.”
Xavier nodded. He glanced at Fredrinn, quietly asking him to do whatever Julian asked. Then, as he went inside the house, Julian opened the door to his workshop, allowing Fredrinn to enter.
“Whatever you are making,” Fredrinn started. “Is it for the wedding too?”
Julian perked up again, and Fredrinn, honestly, could get used to more of this. Seeing the usually stoic boy smile, his eyes light up in joy; it was almost worth all the headache of this whole… misunderstanding.
“Mel… makes dress,” he said. “So I make… this.”
He showed two pieces of small jewelry on the table, and when Fredrinn was close enough to really look at them, he could feel his heart almost stop. His jaw dropped, and the entire system of his brain halted.
Because…
What the fuck.
There was a pair of rings on there. One ring was decorated with an aquamarine gemstone that looked like the color of crystal that made Fredrinn’s heart, framed by beautiful metalwork with swirls resembling the wave of Xavier’s magic cloak in motion. The color was so similar to his crystal heart, that Fredrinn had to double check his own crystal to make sure that it was still whole, no one was chipping it away in his sleep.
Just next to it was a ring that looked slightly chunkier. Its design was similar to Fredrinn’s shoulder armor, and it held together a round sapphire stone that resembled the color of Xavier’s eyes.
The rings differed, but Fredrinn could see how they were perfect fits that complimented each other.
“It’s… simple… ring,” Julian said, looking nervous. “This one’s Xav. He holds your heart … so the metalwork looks like a hand. But also it shapes like the ends… of his magic cloak,” he paused, looking unsure. “And this one… is yours. You protect… Xav, so I make… the design of your armor… protecting Xav’s gem. But I’m not sure. It feels right for me, but it’s for you, so…”
Julian paused again, his words dangling like a half-formed sketch—waiting for Fredrinn to fill in the rest, as he always did when Julian’s feelings ran ahead of his vocabulary. But Fredrinn still couldn’t find it in him to speak.
Because holy fuck, that was such a fantastic piece of jewelry he had ever seen. And to listen to Julian’s explanation about his design…
Julian made his ring look like his armor was locking in a gemstone in Xavier’s eyecolor, which looked like a promise he had made was now manifested in metal; that he would protect Xavier at all cost.
And Xavier’s ring… Julian made it in a smoother, gentler line, waved smoothly like the ends of the magic cloak that Xavier had used to protect him in return, to keep him close, and how those wavy lines resembled a gentle hand protecting the gemstone that resembled the bright blue of Fredrinn’s heart. It captured Xavier’s role in his life clearly; he holds Fredrinn’s heart, he holds Fredrinn’s entire being.
Fredrinn felt like crying now.
Right there, in this sweaty little workshop, over two damn rings made by a kid who barely spoke but somehow understood everything between him and Xavier.
Damn Julian.
Damn these kids.
What did Xavier do to make them so adorable like this?
“I haven’t fit it… to your finger’s size,” Julian said nervously. “So I wish to… do it, and finish it… if it’s okay.”
Fredrinn blinked away the tears that almost gathered in his eyes. No, not in front of Julian. “Yeah,” he managed to croak. “Yeah, sure, it’s okay.”
Julian nodded, looking excited in his quiet, reserved way. The boy grabbed the ring with the sapphire gem, fitting it to Fredrinn’s ring finger. The kid hummed as he tightened it, asking whether it was too snug or just right.
But he did not have to make too many adjustments.
The ring was already perfect.
Fredrinn savored the silver and blue against his skin, before Julian removed it from his finger and picked up his tool, apparently making final adjustments now that he had the ring fit to Fredrinn’s finger. He almost mourned of the loss, until he reminded himself that he’d get it back soon enough.
“Hey, kid,” Fredrinn finally spoke. “How long had you been making this?”
“A… while?” Julian’s eyes wandered like he was mentally counting the time. “Almost… a month. Fred and Xav… were kind. I like… seeing you together. So I want to make… something,” he said quietly, almost looking bashful. Julian blew gently on the ring and wiped off the small flakes and metal dust from Fredrinn’s ring. “Fred’s proposal… makes me want to finish it soon.”
Julian paused, and then, almost instantly, he froze mid-motion, his eyes wide.
“Does Fred… have a ring ready?” he asked suddenly. “Have you… buy for Xav?”
Fredrinn shook his head. “No, no, I haven’t bought any rings nor made any commissions to any jeweler, no. And I’m not gonna commission anyone now, not when such a perfect pair of rings already exists,” he smiled, nudging Julian’s shoulder. Again, he didn’t have the heart to tell the boy he might’ve misheard that proposal.
Julian’s tiny smile was an answer enough.
He gently wiped both rings with a clean cloth, then set them back on the velvet square on the table. Fredrinn watched, then couldn’t help but ask:
“If I may ask, buddy,” he started. “Where did you get those gemstones? I mean, I’m a treasure appraiser. I know how expensive such gemstones could be.”
“Oh,” Julian raised his brows. “I don’t… buy. It’s from… The Duke,” he said. Julian took a breath. Speaking was still difficult for him, so Fredrinn waited patiently. “When Mel saw me… starting this, she said something about… birthright. She wrote him a letter, asking for gemstones… in a specific color. We’re lucky… he had this. He said.”
“Oh, huh,” Fredrinn hummed again. “So Aamon just agreed to give them?”
Julian shrugged. “Natan… visited.”
Fredrinn raised both brows. “Ah. Now that makes sense.” He chuckled under his breath—baffled, but also, strangely proud. So Melissa had leveraged her half-Paxley blood to talk Aamon into sending over expensive gemstones… and somehow got the Duke’s boyfriend to hand-deliver them, too. That sounded like her, alright.
The girl was terrifying, but undeniably brilliant. She was going to go far in life.
The appraiser stared at Julian’s metalwork again and thought that Julian had spent all day rushing to finish it now. It gave his heart a strange, warm sensation. To have that level of artistry dedicated to him and Xavier… perhaps they hadn’t been as subtle as they thought they were.
Sure, they exchanged a few pecks here and there in front of the kids—just enough for them to know Fredrinn and Xavier were together-together . But somehow, with those little exchanges, Julian had seen something deeper happening between him and Xavier. He could somehow see how Xavier holds Fredrinn, literally and metaphorically. He must have seen Fredrinn’s dedication to protecting Xavier, too, him, and everything that Xavier holds dear. Including their life in this small town.
Including the kids.
Julian did not just see it; he expressed it in his design, shaping it into existence with his exceptional metalwork.
It sort of makes sense now, how quickly Julian had told Yin and Melissa about his drunken proposal if it was what had happened last night. Julian was not the type to assume, much less to gossip about half-heard drunken conversation in the middle of the night. Perhaps it was just a product of his own belief; Julian had already had an idea about the length of Fredrinn’s relationship with Xavier. Maybe, in Julian’s mind, a wedding wasn’t a matter of if , but when . He had already anticipated it, and Fredrinn’s drunken proposal to Xavier was just the confirmation he had been waiting for.
What the kids had been waiting for. Fredrinn wouldn’t rule out Melissa’s perception and Yin’s romantic inclinations.
“What do… you think?” Julian asked nervously. “Do you… like it?”
Fredrinn scoffed. “Like it?” he asked. “Ju, what the heck, I LOVE it! It’s the most amazing piece of jewelry I’ve ever seen, and I’m a treasure appraiser! I’ve seen lots and lots of jewelry in my lifetime!” he side-hugged Julian, ruffling his red hair with pride bubbling in his chest. He thought he heard Julian’s quiet laugh, an exhale in a tiny rhythm that resembled a chuckle.
“But Xav…” Julian hummed. “Do you think… Xav will… like it?”
Fredrinn let go of Julian to see the expression on his face. He looked genuinely nervous now, like he hadn’t created the most meaningful piece of art with his bare two hands. Fredrinn shook his head, feeling amused.
“Honestly? I think he would absolutely love it,” he said. “But why don’t we ask for his opinion now and find out?”
__________________________
The Revelation - Xavier
When they finally wrapped up the stuff in the workshop and entered the main house, Fredrinn asked Julian to go wash himself. Because he reeked of the smell of fire, metal, and well… sweat. Julian scrunched his nose when Fredrinn mentioned the latter, only just realizing how stinky he was now that he was back in the fresh air.
So while Julian went to the bathroom, and both Yin and Melissa were still nowhere to be seen, Fredrinn approached Xavier, who was looking at him expectantly. Xavier opened his mouth to ask, but Fredrinn quickly raised his finger.
“Now, before you interrupt me like everyone else did today,” Fredrinn said. “Let me just give you a rundown of what a strange day I’ve had today with the kids.”
Xavier furrowed his brows, but he allowed Fredrinn to speak, anyway.
The entire time Fredrinn told him about his day, Xavier’s brows continued to furrow. However, there were softer emotions played on his face here and there: about Melissa’s design, Yin’s insecurity about the flower crowns, and, of course, about the rings that Julian had made.
“I see,” Xavier hummed when Fredrinn finished his story. “So they were mistakenly thinking that we’re getting married.”
“I know, crazy, right?” Fredrinn chuckled nervously. “I mean, it’s so unlike Julian to even gossip.”
“And you did not even bother to correct them the first time,” Xavier said, his words thick with accusation.
Fredrinn gaped. “Well, you weren’t there,” he said, defensively. “If you’re there and see Yin’s dreamy eyes, or Melissa’s fierce love, or even Julian’s determination, you wouldn’t dare break them out of their hopes, either!”
“Maybe, but I wouldn’t directly lie to them…. Or, what did you say again? Temporarily concealing the truth .”
“Shesh,” Fredrinn huffed. “Now, what do we gotta do?”
Xavier crossed his hands on his chest, his smile tugged into a smirk. “We tell them,” he said. “Or rather, you tell them.”
Fredrinn groaned. “Ugh, you sneaky piece of ass,” he rolled his eyes. “Why don’t you be the one to do it? Since you love your truth so much.”
Xavier leaned on the counter, narrowing his eyes. There was a playful glint in there, lingering for a few seconds before he blinked it away. “Why should I?” he challenged. “It’s not me who drunkenly proposed to the other in the middle of the night.”
“Well you… you played along with it!” Fredrinn retorted. “I was drunk. I didn't even remember anything after that last glass of Whiskey. You were the sober one. Why did you say yes?”
“Maybe I just want to indulge you,” Xavier said, leaning closer to Fredrinn and whispering in his ear. “The sex is always good whenever you’re a drunken romantic.”
Fredrinn could feel the electric effect of those words, how it traveled straight to his brain and to his dick. But before it could draw another reaction from him, Xavier pulled away.
He smiled smugly, knowing that Fredrinn had thoroughly lost this battle.
That sweet, cheating bastard.
“Fine,” Fredrinn palmed his face, already imagining the dejected expression of the hopeful kids. “We’ll tell them over dinner.”
-
“Excuse me. No wedding what?”
Melissa was the first to speak, looking absoluterly disheartened. To her left and right, Yin and Julian both looked… disappointed. Yin furrowed his brows, while Julian was utterly shriveled, like a sogged kicked puppy.
Fredrinn needed to try his might not to wince, or palm his face again, or cry. He stared at the velvet box on Julian’s hand, and he turned to Xavier, who was still sitting with a straight face and his arms crossed.
“Yeah, you heard him,” Xavier said, straightening his posture. “What Julian heard last night was just Fredrinn’s usual drunken antics. Apparently, when he was blackout drunk, his mental age went several years back before we even met each other, and he always proposed to me. So I will not be marrying him the second time. Once is already a questionable decision enough.”
Xavier’s words were swallowed by the silence of even more visible disappointment in the kids’ faces until the implication truly sinks in.
Julian raised his brows, and Melissa lifted her chin up from the table where she planted it.
“Wait a minute…” she said. “The second time?”
Fredrinn blinked in disbelief. “Wait, we’re just gonna tell them? I thought…”
“I already told you, dumbass. We’re going to tell the truth,” Xavier smiled. “Besides, what’s the point of keeping it a secret, anyway? They already saw us as a married couple. If it’s that obvious, might as well just let it out in the open.”
“Excuse me, the second time?” Melissa repeated, with higher pitch this time. Her face was already twisted into a pure shock; like she was suffering from the world’s greatest betrayal.
“Wait—so you’re already married? For real?”
“But no… rings,” Julian finally found his voice, his fists balled on the table, like he’s gonna smash it in two. “Xav… Fred… wears no… rings.”
At that, Xavier finally let out an open laugh.
“Alright, alright, calm down, kids,” he finally said. One of his hands landed on Fredrinn’s shoulder, patting him twice to calm the thunder in Fredrinn’s heart. “I can’t tell you if our voices are overlapping.”
As if on cue, Yin and Julian clamped their mouth shut. Melissa still furrowed her brows, clearly displeased, but she followed suit anyway. Resting her chin on her palm, her eyes zeroed in at Xavier.
“I’m sorry we never told you,” he said. “We were married before you all settled here. It was a very rushed decision, too. I was still on the run, and he was still a random fixer making his name in Los Pecados. We officiated it in the village by the Wind Fort. No one wants any rings because it would make things complicated. So we got matching tattoos as our symbol of union. As per Wind Fort’s tradition,” Xavier said, tugging the sleeve of his shirt up.
Fredrinn followed suit, giving them a full view of their matching Wind Tribe-style tattoo.
“So uh… tribal marriage?” Yin asked.
Xavier nodded. “That was what we could afford back then, with our… difficult situation. And for a long time, we thought it was just enough. We don’t need rings or parties. We barely have any close friends to talk to, let alone celebrate something sacred.”
Melissa narrowed her eyes. “And you fail to mention it to us all this time because?”
“Because he thought you’d all be weirded out,” Fredrinn said. “We fought together nicely, and we settled in alright. But the few months together were fragile. It could be taken away anytime. And now that it’s almost two years since we were housed together, Xav was worried that if we mentioned anything about it, you’d be forced to think of us… as family. Xav… well, we both don’t want that. We welcomed you in, sure. But we don’t want to force the idea of a family to you. ”
Silence welcomed Fredrinn’s words for a moment as they processed the new information. Julian was the first to react. He huffed, almost looking like he was annoyed.
“But this… is family,” he spoke. A little louder than usual, as if trying to be assertive. “Xav, Fred, Yin, Mel, Julian. We’re family… to me.”
“For me, too!” Yin said. “Am I the only one who already thinks of us as a family since we beat that demon lady? We share food and space. Isn’t that what makes a family?”
“Right?” Melissa added, with a pure annoyance in her voice, as if it was supposed to be so obvious. As if it was silly even to think otherwise. “This is already a family for us for how many years now? Two? Well, just a little over two years, maybe, but our bond is stronger than that! You don’t keep such a huge secret to us! We’re already family!”
Then, Melissa shifted her gaze towards Fredrinn, crossing her arms in front of her chest with the same fury she showed earlier this morning.
“Also you coward! Why don’t you be a gentleman for once and get Xav a ring? How could you think that a matching tattoo is enough for a lifetime? Aren’t you raised in nobility? Didn’t they at least teach that in House Vance?”
Fredrinn gaped at her sudden accusation. “Wh… Why is it suddenly my fault again?”
“Because it is! Even Julian thinks Xavier deserved a proper ring,” Melissa nudged Yin’s shoulder. “Yin, back me up on this!”
“Wh… oh, yeah! You should… uh, give Xav a proper… uh, wedding, at least? I mean, with suits, and flowers, and metalworks… something like that… right?”
Melissa glowered at Yin, who was clearly unhappy with his half-assed pressure on Fredrinn. Yin raised his brows, looking somewhere between confused and giving up. Julian sank in his seat, looking like he was bracing for Melissa and Yin’s banters, but the slight tug of his lips gave away his amusement.
It did feel like a family.
Xavier laughed, interrupting Yin and Melissa’s banter now about ‘pressuring Fredrinn to admit it sooner’.
“Don’t worry about it, kids,” Xavier said, finally. “Now that we’re settled and no longer actively on the run, I think it’s a good time to finally have a wedding. There’s already enough people to celebrate properly, anyway,” he quirked up a gentle smile, which was so beautiful and so sincere that Fredrinn could feel that he fell in love with him all over again. “So what do you say? Do you think you can help us prepare for the proper ceremony?”
“YES!” Yin perked up, and both fists punched the air as he jumped from his seat. “Yes! I could help with the decoration!”
Melissa pouted, staring at her fingernails, faking nonchalance. “I could help, I guess,” she said flatly. “I mean, I already started making the wedding tuxes for both of you. Would be a waste if I scrapped it now, wouldn’t it?”
Julian blinked, staring at Fredrinn, Xavier, and then at the small box in his hand. “I made… ring,” he said slowly. “But it’s already finished. So maybe I can help Mel, and Yin. But I’m not great… with flowers…”
“Oh don’t worry, you can help make the frame. See, for flower decorations…”
Before long, Yin was already invested in telling Julian how his skill in metalwork could help create the frame for the decoration. Then Melissa chimed in, stating that a frame that was shaped like a dragon would not look good at Moniyan's wedding. Then Yin interrupted her, saying it was just an example and they could have an Elven mystical creature as the main decoration. Then, to their surprise, Julian quietly suggested they include a frame resembling a structure from Wind Fort. That was all it took. Suddenly, the three of them were deep in wedding planning, completely forgetting that they were actually mad at Fredrinn and Xavier.
Xavier opened his mouth to interrupt, but he paused when Fredrinn reached across the table, gently took his hand under the table, and gave him a small squeeze.
“Let them,” he whispered, quiet enough so Xavier was the only one who could hear him amid Melissa and Yin’s argument.
Xavier paused, and then, with an amused smile, he nodded.
After all, this wedding wasn’t just about the two of them.
Not anymore.