Work Text:
Damon finished drying the last glass in the dishwasher, placing it in its designated cabinet and hanging the towel back on the rack.
“That takes care of all the chores…”
He glanced down at the black cat batting at his pant leg.
“Well…almost all of them.”
He grabbed the canned tuna on the kitchen counter and crouched down by the cat’s food bowl, emptying the contents. After throwing the container out, he looked up at the kitchen clock.
“6:00 pm.”
That gave him two hours to get ready.
The debater made his way up to his room, opening the door slightly and slipping inside. As he removed his favorite suit from the clothing hanger, he made sure he didn’t wake the woman sound asleep in his bed.
Well, their bed.
He quickly slunk to the bathroom, setting the clothes flat and picking up the iron. The suit wasn’t too wrinkled, but he wanted to make sure it looked near-perfect for tonight. When running the iron over the folds of the fabric, he took some time to admire his parents’ handiwork. The serpent patterns on the blazer gave it a unique look, something he believed only he himself could pull off.
Although this one was easily his favorite, the Ultimate Debater owned many suits, for multiple events. Now that he was a renowned politician, he had to make sure he showed up to meetings professionally, and it would take too much effort to constantly wash the same tuxedo over and over again, especially since he was the one doing the majority of the house chores.
Him and his partner used to split the chores 50/50, but for the last two months, it’d been more like 90/10. She’d come home after 8 pm and be too exhausted to do any housework, so Damon had taken the brunt of it. Not that he minded, though. He knew her reasons were important.
They’d talked it out beforehand. The first time she came home during the late evening, he’d sat her down to make sure her boss wasn’t overworking her.
He’d be damned if he let her get exploited again.
She’d assured him she did this by her own volition.
“I’m on the cusp of something, Damon. Something big .”
That’s what she told him. She also told him that coming home late would be a common thing, and that he’d probably have to take on the majority of the household duties.
“I…understand if something like that isn’t manageable. If you’re not able to do it, then…I can abandon my project. I won’t be upset.”
“...”
He was a busy politician, and doing just 50% of the chores was too much for him sometimes. Even so, he couldn’t get that intense look in her eyes out of his mind. And knowing how intelligent she was, she wouldn’t be saying something like this for an unimportant reason.
“...I’ll handle it, don’t worry.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. I think I can manage.”
And manage he did, although it certainly hadn’t been easy. Even though taking care of cooking, cleaning, laundry, and the cat had been a pain, it pained him more to see his partner coming back from her work every day on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion. Some days, he had to drag her to bed with him, because she would refuse to go to sleep at a reasonable time.
For two whole months, she worked tirelessly. Her eyebags grew worse each day, and she’d fainted at least five times. It almost made him regret not telling her to abandon her project, until he witnessed the fruits of her labor this morning. It was broadcasted, not just on national television, but international television all over the world.
“RIEMANN’S HYPOTHESIS PROVEN BY ULTIMATE MATHLETE: EVA TSUNAKA”
Damon had remembered her talking about it numerous times, but he didn’t quite have a strong understanding of what exactly it was . He didn’t get to do his own research, though, because Eva had burst into the room not long after, her hair completely frazzled, her clothes dirty, and her face drenched with sweat. Once he had taken a glance out the window, he realized she was probably running away from all the journalists that were chasing her.
He’d encouraged her to get comfortable and finally get some rest while he dealt with the crowd outside, and she obliged without hesitation. It took some time, but the paparazzi finally left them alone.
When he had finally come back upstairs, he spotted her sitting on the bed, now in a pair of Pokemon-themed pajamas. He’d sat down next to her, and she’d leaned her head on his shoulder, almost instinctively.
“So…you finally solved it, huh?”
“…”
“Too tired?”
“Bweh…”
“Want to go out at 8:00 tonight? We can talk more about it then, if you want.”
“...okay.”
She’d pulled the covers over herself and fallen asleep almost immediately. That was at 2:00 pm.
Damon figured he’d have to wake her up soon. If she slept any longer, she wouldn’t be able to sleep properly tonight. And she also needed to get ready for their outing.
Even though they hadn’t talked much after the TV broadcast, he was still awed by her achievement. From what he told him, this was a complex mathematical hypothesis that hadn’t been proven or disproven since 1859 . Solving it was such a challenge that there was a 1 million dollar cash prize awarded to the first person who could. Not that the money mattered too much; he and Eva usually didn’t struggle with finances.
What mattered was the breakthroughs this revelation was going to entail. He remembered Eva mentioning something about how solving this theorem could improve existing technology or even spark innovation for new and unforeseen creations.
He was proud of her. This was what being an Ultimate was about. Not entertainment, but advancing society.
Even when he first met her, he’d never looked at her talent in a bad light. It’s true that he wasn’t impressed with most of his former classmates’ talents, but Eva’s, along with a few others, was an exception. He came to Eden’s Garden Academy to meet others with academic-related Ultimates, so he didn’t care to talk to people with talents like “Gamer” or “Fencer”. Even if Eva herself didn’t hold her title in high regard, Damon knew he’d be a fool to think that being good at math wasn’t going to get her anywhere. Although, he did know it held her back in some ways.
The debater reminisced on the time they had their first real conversation:
He had seen Eva around the Academy, but never started a conversation with her. One day during his freshman year, his roommate dragged him out for a party hosted by the Ultimate Gamer. Once he and Kai arrived, they met up with Diana and Eva, the latter looking like she didn’t want to be there.
When the party officially started, the music got deafeningly loud and the lights went dark. There were too many people crammed into one area, and Damon was reminded of the reason why he never went to parties in high school.
He had searched around the house for a room to take solace in, but all of them were occupied by drunk teenagers or couples. Finally, he found a staircase, and descended down into the building’s basement.
There, he had seen Eva, staring blankly at a wall.
He had cleared his throat.
“Having fun down here?”
“...I’m avoiding the others.”
“And you picked an underground hallway to hide out in?”
“No one wants to come to a gross, spooky place like this. Well…no one except for you.”
“...Hm.”
They stood there in silence for a couple of moments, before Damon started a conversation about their talents. She’d opened up to him about how she felt her talent didn’t “fit well”, how the older kids would bully her for being better at them at math, and how the adults in her life exploited her for her academic potential. He had to admit—in a weirdly endearing way—her story was kind of depressing.
After that party, he’d found himself continuously returning to her. He’d find her sitting on the grass outside, or during lunch, or anytime he had some free time, and they’d talk. Sometimes it was about her past, or his past, and other times it was about things like video games, anime, or memes. Not like he knew too much about that kind of stuff, but he never minded listening to Eva rambling on about it. He’d realized she thought a lot like him, even down to their mutual dislike of their goody-two-shoes classmate Wolfgang.
Eventually, they exchanged numbers. And finally, he asked her if she wanted to be study buddies. They didn’t share many classes since their talents were so different, but he found her presence comforting, even when they sat and studied in silence.
During sophomore year is when they started to get weirdly comfortable with each other. People at the Academy would always find them together whenever they weren’t in their classes. They started hanging out at places outside of the school. She took him with her to get bubble tea occasionally. He came to a fan convention with her, too.
That was probably the first time they ever held hands.
The progression of their relationship was…odd, to say the least. Sometimes during their junior year, they’d get close. Really close. He instinctively looked for her whenever his classes were over, and it looked like she did the same thing. They’d walk everywhere together, more often than not hand-in-hand. She’d lean on his shoulder. He’d lean on her shoulder. Occasionally, he’d put an arm around her.
Around junior year midterms is when they’d gradually start getting more handsy. But strangely enough, it always felt natural. Like they weren’t intruding in each other’s spaces. Like this was okay for them to do.
Was it okay? He wasn’t really sure. They’d never put a name to their relationship. Were they friends? Something more? And did it even matter? Sure, students were spreading rumors across the school, speculating about what they were, but he never found himself caring.
Their senior year was when their class all got single dorm rooms, and Damon was relieved to have his own space after three years of dealing with the Ultimate Influencer. But it also meant he and Eva could spend time at each other’s dorms without having to worry about their roommates.
She invited him to her dorm numerous times, for various reasons. Sometimes they’d study. Sometimes they’d watch a movie. Sometimes they’d just talk. Sometimes they’d cuddle. And sometimes they’d do more.
It was the end of senior year when they finally came to a conclusion about their relationship. In all honesty, he wanted to avoid the topic, but Eva had forced his hand.
During their last few weeks at the academy, she had started avoiding him. She’d no longer meet up with him after his classes, she’d constantly cancel any plans they made to hang out, and she’d stopped inviting him to her dorm.
Damon didn’t know the reason at the time, but he remembered that persistent feeling of emptiness he had whenever he walked out of class and didn’t see her. Without realizing it, they’d become so intertwined in each other’s lives that her absence made him feel like he was missing something. It wasn’t as if he couldn’t live without her, but he certainly wouldn’t like to.
He figured that was probably why she was avoiding him. Once their senior year ended, they would go their own ways. He didn’t know if he’d ever see her again, and he hated to admit that the thought scared him. It must’ve scared her, too.
Damon called Eva to the boiler room sometime during their last week at the Academy. He wasn’t even sure if she’d show up, but he waited anyway. To his surprise, she’d actually come.
He remembered the painful conversation that ensued back then.
“...”
“...”
“...so…”
“...why did you call me here, Damon?”
“I wanted to talk.”
“About what?”
“About us.”
“...”
“...what…are we?”
“...I-I don’t know. Friends?”
“Just friends?”
“...”
“...well?”
“I don’t know! What would you say we are, then?!”
“...I’m not too sure, either. It’s definitely more than just friends, but I…I don’t think the term ‘lovers’ fits well, either.”
He’d reached for her hand, but she’d jerked it away before they could make contact.
“It doesn’t even matter. School’s ending in a week. We’re both just going to move on.”
“So that’s it then? Move on and pretend the last four years never happened?”
“What do you expect me to do?!”
“I-I…don’t know…”
Those next few minutes, they stood there in silence. Then, Damon had taken her hand and pulled her along out of the boiler room.
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.”
He didn’t like what he had done next, but it wasn’t as if he had another choice. Who else was he supposed to turn to for this kind of thing??
“Toshiko.”
“Mochi! Did you come to me seeking romantic advice?”
“...sort of.”
The debater had explained their dilemma to the girl, and she listened intently. If this happened during his freshman year, he wouldn’t have even considered approaching her, but seeing as the matchmaker was now eighteen, he figured she was mature enough to give some sort of meaningful insight.
“Hmm…I see, I see. Too intimate to be friends, too reserved to be lovers, too decisive to be something in between, and too inexperienced to figure it out yourselves. This is certainly an issue indeed.”
“...right.”
“Worry not, Mochi, for I have the answer to all of your troubles! By the power vested in me, I officially dub thee: Partners!”
“...partners?”
“Yes, partners! I believe that is the perfect term to describe your relationship!”
“...huh. Partners.”
And she was right; it did sound perfect. It gave them the flexibility to do whatever they found comfort in, whether that be things friends usually did or things lovers usually did. Eva had seemed to think so as well; a small smile crept onto her face when she heard that word.
“I like that.”
Toshiko had given them a dramatic bow, before waving goodbye and scurrying off to some other place.
After that conversation, they had hung out as normal. And on their last day at the Academy, they finally decided they were going to live together: as partners.
Eden’s Garden had provided them each a generous stipend for graduating, and they used that money to buy a house (and a cat) immediately after their senior year ended. Graduation also guaranteed them excellent careers with above average salaries, so financial stability was never an issue.
Damon hated to admit it, but he was eternally grateful to the Ultimate Matchmaker for her insight. Without it, him and Eva truly might have just moved on from each other. They might’ve never had a life together.
The debater finished ironing his suit, but before he put it on, he went back downstairs to check on something.
He opened the cabinet where they kept the drinks, and reached behind the soda bottles, taking out the small black box he’d kept hidden for the last three months.
“...”
He carefully opened it, staring directly at the feather-designed ring inside. Real gold and real diamond—he made sure of it. It wasn’t cheap, but he knew it was worth it.
“Today’s the day.”
Damon had been wanting to ask her for a while. They’d been living together for over three years, and he figured it was about time. The only issue was that the two of them were always insanely busy, and he could never find a good opportunity to get down on one knee.
Now, though, it was perfect. She was probably already in a good mood from her accomplishment this morning, and they finally had some free time. He had made sure to take care of all the chores for today so they had nothing to stress about. They were going out tonight. He was wearing his best suit. His speech had been proofread by Diana, Wolfgang, and Toshiko. He’d rehearsed it in his head at least 50 times today. Everything was ready. It had to be perfect.
His grip on the box tightened. Damon didn’t care if the relationship between him and Eva was platonic, romantic, or some secret third thing. All he knew was that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.
And he was going to make that official today.
He went back upstairs to finally put on his suit, but as soon as he reached the bathroom, the doorbell rang.
“Ugh, must be a journalist…”
He shoved the box into his left pocket and walked back downstairs, ready to tell the person off for disturbing them.
When he opened the door, however, he was not met with a journalist.
Outside his door, an older couple stood. He looked at them curiously, never having met these people before.
Although he didn’t recognize them, he did recognize some of their features. The woman's straight, jet-black hair, the man’s bluish-gray eyes, and the fact that they were both wearing glasses gave him an air of familiarity.
The couple looked at Damon, almost as if they were judging him.
“Hello,” the woman said. There was no mistaking the rasp in her voice. “We’d like to speak with Eva.”
The debater leaned on the doorframe, not allowing them entry.
“Who are you people?”
He knew the answer to that question, but he wanted to hear the couple say it.
“We’re…her parents.”
“I figured.”
He stood there, unmoving, and staring at the two people in front of him with what could only be described as scorn.
The man spoke up. “Can we come in?”
“No.”
“...can we at least talk to Eva?”
“No.”
“Why not? We have the right to speak to our daughter.”
“That’s not a law. I would know, I work with the law all the time.”
Eva’s mother sighed. “Yes, we’ve heard about you. ‘Damon Maitsu, Ultimate Debater, a prodigy among prodigies, someone who simply can’t be outmatched.’ You were elected as a representative the same year you turned 25.”
“That’s correct.”
“But…we’re not here for you. We’re here for Eva.”
“I know.”
They stared at each other in silence. Damon could tell her parents were trying to be polite, but his constant refusal was starting to get to them.
Not that he cared, though. These people were not going to step foot into their house.
Her father started speaking again.
“What relationship do you have with our daughter?”
“I’m her…partner.”
“Partner as in…? Boyfriend? Fiancee? Husband?”
“Just her partner.”
The man furrowed his brow.
“Okay. Well, why exactly won’t you allow us in?”
“I don’t think you have my partner’s best interest at heart.”
“What?! Of course we do! We’re her parents !”
“Exactly.”
There was no mistaking it. This couple was furious.
“Why do you think you have the right to tell us whether we can see our daughter or not?! We’re the ones who raised her for eighteen years! I don’t know who you think you are, but-”
And there it was. He tuned out the long rant her parents went on, opting to think about Eva, instead. He wasn’t going to pretend his partner was completely mentally healthy; she somehow had an inferiority complex, superiority complex, and victim complex all at the same time. Unsurprising, considering the way she’d been treated all her life. Gifted child syndrome could really do a number on someone.
Damon could name multiple instances where she’d acted irrationally, emotionally, and immaturely during their time at the Academy. She had a habit of blaming others for problems she caused herself. She was afraid of showing a sliver of vulnerability to anyone else, and she constantly isolated herself, only bothering to spend time with him.
At the end of the day, Damon was no therapist. But he’d at least managed to work through some of her issues during their time together.
It was more than her parents had ever done, that was for sure.
He’d never forgive her parents for how they treated her. Eva didn’t like to talk about it, but she’d told him all he needed to know during the seven years they’d known each other.
Her parents had never cared about her. Sure, they had told her she was smart, gifted, “a genius”, but they only ever sang her praises when she did something they deemed as valuable (which wasn’t much, according to Eva). They constantly took credit for her own achievements and would use those achievements to brag to their friends. Every vulnerability she showed in front of them was remembered and exploited. She was exploited. Her parents were narcissists in every sense of the word.
They’d never called her while she was at the academy, but they did text her occasionally. He’d seen glimpses of their messages, and it was always centered around grades or otherwise academic-related subjects. He didn’t remember seeing a simple “Hi, how are you doing?” even once.
When him and Eva finally moved in together, she’d blocked her parents everywhere and cut off contact completely. Damon didn’t protest; although he wasn’t planning on getting involved in her business with her own family, he was relieved that she wouldn’t have to deal with such selfish people anymore.
He remembered the first time he took her to his own parents’ house. He introduced her to them as his “partner”, not exactly elaborating on the term any further. It didn’t really matter, though, because his parents adored her. Although Eva was closed off at first, she slowly began to warm up to his family once she realized their actions were genuine.
Damon would be lying if he said his parents didn’t play a part in his planned proposal. Of course, he was going to ask Eva anyway, but the constant calls and messages of excitement from his family may have caused him to decide to propose a little earlier. Just a little, though.
He zoned back in once he heard soft footsteps behind him. He turned around to see Eva descending the staircase, rubbing the sleep out of her bleary eyes.
“Damon…? What’s all this noise? Who-...”
She stopped in her tracks once she saw who was at their doorstep.
“Oh, Eva, how we’ve missed you!” her mother exclaimed in an exaggeratedly sweet tone of voice. “Could you come out here so we can talk? Your… *ahem* ...partner is not allowing us inside.”
Her expression morphed into something Damon couldn’t quite describe. Shock? Anger? Fear? A mix of all three? All he knew was that the mere sight of her parents was making her distressed enough to be on the verge of tears.
“You can go upstairs, Eva,” the debater said, “I’ll handle this.”
She nodded and quickly headed back to their room, but not before mouthing a “Thank you” towards him.
He turned back to face her parents, glaring at them.
“You think I can’t see what you’re doing?! You don’t bother to try and regain contact with your daughter for the last three years, and now you suddenly want to talk on the day she’s made it on international television?! Do you think I’m an idiot?!”
Her parents remained silent. He walked towards them, leaning forward and getting in their face.
“You don’t care about her. You just care about what she can offer you. And you’ve always been like that, you self-absorbed narcissistic pricks ,” he spat, his voice laced with venom.
“Shouldn’t we get at least a little credit for her discovery?!” her mom shrieked. “After all, we’re the ones that raised her to be goal-oriented and hardworking!”
“Yes, and she didn’t even thank us,” her father added.
“Thank you…? THANK YOU?! ” he snapped, aggressively grabbing the man’s collar and bringing him down to eye level. “You’ve treated her as nothing more than a trophy for her entire life and you want her to THANK YOU?! ”
The Ultimate Debater was always someone who believed in the philosophy of brains over brawn. Damon had never used any kind of force to persuade people, his words alone had done the job for him, but god damn did these people make him livid .
He had to admit, though, seeing the fear in her parents’ eyes as he grabbed Eva’s father gave him a twisted feeling of satisfaction.
“Listen here,” he snarled, “Eva solved Riemann’s Hypothesis all by herself. You weren’t there for her when she took 11-hour workdays for two months straight to get this done. You weren’t there when she fainted multiple times out of pure exhaustion. You didn’t have to drag her back to bed at 2 in the morning because she wouldn’t rest until she finished. You were never there, and you NEVER witnessed just how hard she worked to prove this theory. In fact, you probably didn’t even know about her work until today, considering you haven’t spoken to her in the last SEVEN YEARS !”
Damon let go of her father’s collar and shoved him backwards. “The only thing she should be thankful for is getting away from you.”
They tried to speak, but we’re immediately cut off by him again.
“And don’t even think about apologizing. You’ll never be forgiven.”
Her parents gazed at him, intimidated. The debater probably appeared manic right now. Not exactly the best look for a politician, but that was an issue he’d resolve later.
“Don’t ever come near me or my partner again,” he growled, stepping back inside and slamming the door behind him.
He took a quick glance out the window, spotting the couple walking away from the house.
Letting out a sigh of relief, he turned back towards the staircase, seeing Eva run towards him. He barely had time to react when she threw her arms around him, burying her face into his shoulder.
Thank god he hadn’t put that suit on yet.
“I-I didn’t think I’d ever have to see them again. I…”
“Hey, don’t panic, okay? They’re gone. They’re never going to come back. I’ll make sure of it,” Damon responded, reciprocating the hug.
“I know,” she sniffed, “thank you. You-...you have no idea how thankful I am for you.”
She sniffed again, then spoke quietly. “...I love you.”
He smiled, and threaded his fingers through her hair. “I love you too. Now let’s stop thinking about those people. You should go get ready.”
“Huh? Why?”
“I’m taking you out tonight, remember?”
“O-oh, yeah, right…right.”
She let go of him and went upstairs, causing him to let out another sigh of relief.
“A lot of big events have happened today, huh?”
He reached into his left pocket, fingers tracing the shape of the box he'd shoved in there not long ago.
“...I think Eva can handle one more.”