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It started with the apartment.
After Darkwick, finally free to integrate into normal society, Yuri had immediately begun looking for apartments for the two of them.
The two of them. Jiro didn't know how to approach the topic, sipping his coffee absentmindedly. “What do you think of this one? The commute would be ideal-” Jiro was finding it hard to get a word in, so he simply interrupted.
“You don't want a place of your own?”
“The cafe we like is.. huh?” Jiro took another sip, the bitter taste settling on his tongue.
“Most people want to live on their own after school, to get their own space. Don't you want to have your own apartment?” Yuri sputtered, looking at his notes spread across the table, pictures and maps, then at Jiro.
“You would dare put yourself at that sort of risk!? I must be close by in case your medical care needs urgent adjustment!” He ‘tsk’ed, wagging a finger at Jiro. “I refuse to lose the only other intelligent medical professional in miles because of a little personal space! Your care is far more important than that.” Jiro didn't miss the slight wavering of his tone, the nerves that played across his face, he was probably not saying something he wanted to. His arms crossed and his finger tapped impatiently on his arm. “Well!?”
“... You're right.” A small smile graced the corner of his mouth, any tension he had unknowingly been holding melting away. “Forget I asked... Personally I think apartment two is better, it also intercepts the cafe if we take this path..”
Several years later
It was exhausting work, getting the funding for their new research and having to move to a new city, but they made it happen. This was the second time they had done this, and Yuri had handled planning everything this time before Jiro could lift a finger. However, it wasn't until they were almost done unpacking the basics, that Jiro spoke up.
“Yuri? We may have missed something.” Yuri huffed, crossing his arms.
“What are you talking about? I am perfectly within the budget, the building is in the perfect location, I have not left a single carpet unturned! What could possibly be missing from my calculations that I didn't handle?” Jiro looked at him, then into the single bedroom, then to him again. It had two dressers and closets, two bathrooms attached, even, but...
“We only have one bedroom, and one bed. And there are two of us.” Yuri looked, his eyes widening a bit, he went to talk but the words were caught at his lips.
“I-I.. you... That was a calculated sacrifice!” He waited for some objection or statement from Jiro, but the silence he was met with gave him the okay to keep talking. “If our research grant is also covering our living expenses, it’s most sensible to dedicate as much of that money to our research as possible! We barely spend time here, and spend most of our time in the labs anyways, it’s not like we use our beds often. Why would we double our housing expense by finding an apartment with two bedrooms, and add to it further by getting two smaller beds, which are so much more expensive than one large one? Do you have any issues with this!?”
“No.”
“And another thing- wait, you don’t?” Jiro smiled and shook his head, turning to Yuri.
“No, that makes sense, and I don’t mind. It’s a good way to save money for more important things.” Yuri gaped a bit, but closed his mouth quickly.
“Good! I’m glad we’re in agreement! Stop dawdling and keep unpacking, we don’t have time for idle chatter!” Jiro chuckled, and immediately went back to unpacking, while Yuri was clearly more distracted by frazzled nerves. He picked up a set of plates and opened an empty cupboard. “
That’s the wrong spot.”
“What!?” Jiro took the plates out of Yuri’s hand, opened the cabinet next to it, and put them on the pile of other matching plates. Yuri went to say something, but this time his voice caught in his throat for good, and he just went back to unpacking. Jiro smirked, watching Yuri bring a box labeled ‘livingroom’ in big red letters to the bedroom, face growing redder by the second. If this is how he reacted now, what was he going to do when he DID acknowledge his feelings? Either way, Jiro could be patient.
Several Months Later...
It was a strange day, Yuri had woken up ill, and Jiro was out at the store, picking up cold medication to replace their dwindling stock. Soup, tissues, and other amenities slowly filled the basket, and all that was left was checkout. Standing in line and receiving stares from others didn’t bother him usually, but something was starting to feel wrong. Was he so used to being everywhere with Yuri, that simply being without him felt strange? No, it was more pressing than that, more..
The pain struck him, hard, and the basket fell from his grip. Soup cans rolled away, a bottle broke, but Jiro didn’t notice, vision blurring and sound growing fuzzy around him. He shakily reached for his phone on instinct, staring at the screen as it lost focus, looking for the button he knew would alert Yuri, something they had installed as a safeguard. Someone was speaking to him, trying to ask if he was alright, but all he heard was Yuri’s ringtone as his phone began to buzz, and he tried to answer with shaking fingers. He couldn’t hold it any longer, the phone slipped from his fingers, and everything went black.
An unimportant unspecific amount of time later...
“I’m sorry, we cannot have-”
“Do you have any idea who I am!? Unhand me! I know friends aren’t allowed in you simpleton, I am his doctor!” The familiar voice and commotion outside the door finally brought him some consciousness, but something still wasn’t right. There were people checking him, all unfamiliar, all confused by his charts and readings, whispering to each other. The injections hurt more than usual, the lights more blinding, and the only thing he could focus on was the enraged voice coming closer down the hall. He only needed to close his eyes and count down to his approach, three, two.. “What do you think you’re doing to my patient!? Didn’t you read his chart? I can’t believe you’re giving him this, it will worsen his condition! And you, don’t just stand there gaping, you’re holding test results, give them to me!” When he could crack his eyes open, Yuri was there, face red, bundled in a scarf and sweater, masked and gloved to prevent spreading his cold.
“Y-Yuri.. they’re doing fine, you should-” A latex-gloved finger came to his lips, silencing his attempt to calm him.
“Quiet, don’t strain yourself on these amateurs’ accounts. If you stress yourself too much, your condition will worsen.”
“But.. So will yours..”
“Hmph! A little cold cannot stop me from doing my most important job! Taking care of you! You there, I need 50 milligrams of..” Jiro started to lose focus again, hand reaching up slowly to take hold of Yuri’s. He startled a bit, but immediately went back to barking orders. Slowly, he let his eyes slip shut, knowing he was in good hands again.
A day and some change later...
“I cannot believe it! They tried to keep me away from you, called me a roommate, a mere friend- a-a boyfriend! Said I couldn’t be let in!”
“They didn’t know, to them you were just someone who stormed in demanding to see me.” Jiro was laying in their bed now, finally home, Yuri sitting at the end. He sniffled, still a bit sick, but mostly recovered, and stubbornly refusing to leave Jiro’s side.
“I cannot allow something like this to happen, when every second passing puts your life further at risk! I will not! What’s strange is how you are not more worried about this, considering it’s your life on the line, is it not!?” Jiro thought about it for a second, then laid back, too tired to keep himself upright and think.
“I guess I wasn’t worried because I knew you were coming as fast as you could, and you would take care of me. As long as you knew where to find me, I would be alright.” He opened his eyes and peered over at Yuri, his pout frozen and blending with some other emotion Jiro couldn’t quite recognize yet. Pride? Worry?
He didn’t know, and decided not to concern himself with it for now, he went back to resting his eyes.
“Besides, what could we do? We can’t become family in their eyes. We aren’t brothers.”
“There must be some other way to become family...” Jiro never thought it a possibility, nor found himself particularly wanting, but he did know there actually was a way to become family.
“We could get married.” Yuri went to speak, but he was so shocked the words became caught in his throat. He turned to look at Jiro, unable to blurt out the question hanging on his tongue. “It is how unrelated people become family, they get married, so they can’t be separated at hospitals or housing. I’m not opposed to the idea.” Yuri sputtered again, trying to force the words out of his mouth.
“You- I.. I cannot believe-” He stood bolt upright, shoulders tense, and marched towards the door. “I’m going for a walk!” The door slammed behind him, leaving the apartment in silence once again. Jiro sighed, closing his eyes.
“It was just a suggestion...” He wondered how long it would take Yuri to cool off, but the image of his cheeks bright red and steam pouring out of his ears left him feeling nervous. He was certain he'd either never see him again, or he would appear only to insist they never bring up the topic again. All he could do was close his eyes and let Yuri work out... whatever he's working out right now.
One nap later...
The front door hitting the wall as it slammed open was the first thing to wake Jiro from his sleep, then the bedroom door followed suit. He cracked one eye open to see Yuri, panting heavily, holding..
“Yuri..?”
“You're correct, I had to consider all the options, but if we are to keep from getting separated we need to use every option available! Our time slaving away in that sorry mistake of a school has taught me at least that much! So!” He pulled out a small ring box from his pocket, and held it out.
“Yuri.. you're not doing it right.”
“If we have to- what!?” Jiro held his fist to his mouth, trying not to laugh, letting out a small cough to replace it. Perhaps the cold was wearing on Yuri's mind, it was the only explanation he had for why he was so amicable to this option. Jiro was wondering how far he could take this before Yuri would outright refuse, but in the meantime...
“If you want to propose to me, you have to get down on one knee. You're the one who says we have to do everything right, we've lived together, shared a bed,” and he certainly didn't miss the way Yuri jolted at hearing that phrase, “and now you need to get down on one knee to propose.” It was getting harder to keep his face schooled into its usual expression, as he waited for any response from Yuri, frozen still, before-
“Hmph, you're right, how careless of me.” Jiro almost couldn't believe the sight, Yuri getting ready to kneel by the bed, but Jiro stopped him again.
“Wait... You don't want to wait until we're both feeling better? Or do it somewhere romantic? If you're going to propose, you should do it right, shouldn’t you? On a date maybe?” Yuri's jaw hung open, and Jiro tried desperately to keep his most serious “thinking” expression up. “I always thought I'd propose to someone at their favorite spot, maybe at the place we met? We haven't had a first date, so it can't be there. Some propose around family and friends-” The ring box hit him in the chest, Yuri had thrown it at him, and that settled it, he couldn't stop the laughter from spilling out now.
“DO YOU WANT TO GET MARRIED OR NOT!?”
“Yes, I do!” He spit out between chuckles, watching Yuri break into another rant.
“You'd think we were in love with the way you're demanding things of me, well fine! If you're going to be difficult-”
“I said yes.”
“Then I.. oh, well then! It's settled! We're going to the courthouse to get married once we're better!” He stormed out of the room, and finally closed the front door, realizing it had been open the whole time, and wondered what the neighbors were thinking about all of this, and what exactly they heard. “I'm going to get some cough medicine! Go back to sleep, and tell me if you need anything!” Jiro smiled to himself and thought about how eager Yuri was to “get better,” or rather, get married. It would probably be tomorrow, with how determined he seemed, he'd come up with a cure for the common cold with this sort of motivation. Perhaps Jiro should get sick more often...
Several years later... Again..
Jiro held the letter, glancing over it, as Yuri sorted out the bills next to him. It held the Darkwick insignia, and left him wondering what exactly he was about to read, when he glanced at the return address. “From the Chief Officer of Ghoul Relations.. I don’t remember that being a position when we were in Darkwick.” Jiro mostly muttered to himself, but Yuri tutted anyways.
“Do you think it’s actually being taken seriously, or do you think it’s some cursed idiot being given an incompletable task again?”
“Only one way to find out...” He opened the letter, and he shook his head when he read the name at the top. “It’s the honor student. They're still there...? At least they got a promotion from.. what was it? Inspector?”
“The honor student? They CHOSE to go back!? Hmph! Didn’t they learn anything while they were there? Mainly, that Darkwick is to be kept as far away from as possible!?” Jiro laughed to himself a bit, his eyes skimming the paper. The “officer” skipped the flowery language Darkwick liked to use, and instead included a very straightforward paragraph, and a bullet list of important information.
“We may find ourselves there again, it seems they’re having a ghoul reunion, specifically of all the ghouls from their first year. It’s the first one they’re holding, and they’re saying attendance is mandatory if you wish to keep your Darkwick credentials. I’m sure it’s the only way they could convince everyone to come back..” Yuri ‘hmph!’ed, crossing his arms.
“The nerve! It seems they’ve demanded nothing but perfection and impossible tasks again, to the surprise of nobody. Probably holding a promotion over their head if they can get every ghoul to arrive. When is it?” Jiro found that the bullet points were actually glued to the paper, and he peeled it off, leaving him with a little card of all the important information. He passed it to Yuri, who looked it over.
“Next month? That’s not so bad, what’s this in the fine print..” He squinted and leaned in to read it. “Keep this card so you can’t forget, I know this is the only section you read Taiga, there will be free anomalous food. As much as you can eat. All the information you need is listed here.” Figures, the only part he reads is the part he's suspicious of. Dress code, to preference?”
“Not like everyone would follow it anyways, we should probably go in our scrubs since I expect someone to need medical attention by the end of the evening.” Yuri snorted, and ripped open another bill.
“Honestly, who thought this was a good idea? Do you think Jin kept up with his antidepressants and therapy?”
“If he shows up, yes. If not, no. Do you think Rui is still cursed?”
“Sadly, I hope he is for the sake of every HR department.” Now it was Jiros turn to laugh, trying to hold it together. He went to raise his fist to his face and paused, eyeing the ring sitting on his finger. It was a simple band, silver, for it's antimicrobial properties. Yuri's was copper, for the same reason. He remembered his conversation from years ago about a proper engagement, remembered that they met at Darkwick, and hummed to himself.
“Yuri, hold this.” Yuri simply held up his right hand, Jiro passed him, “clumsily,” the rest of the letter, awkwardly dropping it and gripping Yuri's hand. They stumbled for it and Yuri fussed, bending over to grab the fallen paper.
“What's the matter with you!? Do you want me to lose this paper!?” Yuri started to fuss, but Jiro wasn't listening, slipping the small copper ring into his pocket.
“Sorry, I was distracted.”
“Honestly, if we were in surgery, and you handed me a scalpel like that...”
One month later...
The car came to pick them up, right on time, and began the drive to Darkwick. Yuri was still fussing with the teal flower on Jiro’s dark blue suit, matching Yuri's hair color and his own. Yuri was wearing the alternate colors, the two of them matching nicely.
“It's already secure, why are you so nervous?” He didn't miss the way Yuri jolted, and looked away, almost looking... Ashamed? The way he barely muttered a response confirmed his suspicions. “What was that?”
“I..” He looked away, mumbling again. “I.... I can't find my wedding ring..” Jiro smiled to himself while Yuri couldn't see him, and slipped it out of his pocket.
“Oh, I found it while cleaning the other day, I forgot to give it back since you weren't home. I grabbed it before we left so I wouldn’t forget.” Yuri turned to speak but was cut off from saying anything by Jiro taking his hand. He slid the ring gently onto his slender finger, enjoying every second Yuri was frozen. He could feel his rising pulse, the heat of his palm growing, and he finally spared Yuri from exploding by letting go. “There. Does it matter that much to you?”
“Of course it does! I-” He was cut off again by a meow, turning to look at the driver perched over the head of the seat- “Wait, you mean to tell me a cat drove us here? This cat has a driver's license!?”
“We probably should have checked beforehand, but this is a Darkwick car, I'm not surprised...” They had barely had time to finish a single conversation, and they were already at the Academy. The car door was opened, and Jiro motioned to it. “After you, Captain.” He smiled, and Yuri let out a typical “hmph!” before exiting, muttering about the lack of safety in allowing animals to drive cars.
There were flashes for pictures, leaving the two of them covering their eyes, but once the blinding light was gone they could see the walkway to the massive double doors waiting for them. Yuri held his elbow out to Jiro, and he smirked and snaked his arm through it. He thought it really should be the other way around given their height difference, but he wasn't going to complain. Once they stepped through the doors, however, any plans Jiro may have had for laying low tonight fell apart. Everyone was staring at them as soon as they entered, it seems they were the last to arrive.
“And look, there they are! Answer this docs, are ya married yet or not!?” Every ghoul immediately turned to look at them. Taiga was grinning like a hungry shark, but it was probably more accurate to say hungry sharks grinned like Taiga. Yuri looked ready to die on the spot, and Tohma walked up, a small smile across his face.
“Apologies, but I've been asked to mediate a bet..” he took a look at the rings on both their hands, then nodded. “Engagement rings, or wedding rings?”
“Stop it, let them sit down first! I need to make announcements!” The former Honor Student, now Staff, pointed right at Tohma, who gave a small bow and returned to his seat. Then they pointed to Taiga, eyes narrowed. “And don't interrupt me, the food isn't coming out until I finish them.”
“Eh? Are you threatening me?” His expression darkened, and Romeo covered his face, not ready to deal with an outburst this early in the night. At least, not sober, as the bar wasn't open yet either.
“Yes, yes I am. Sit down.” It seems they grew a backbone at least, what was their name again..? “
You're lucky I'm hungry Kitten..” Their name definitely wasn't kitten, but it didn't seem to phase them. Taiga kicked out his chair, turning it around, and sat with his chin leaning on the back of it. While nobody was staring, Yuri and Jin quickly made their way to their chairs, the only two left empty, each with a name placard. Once they sat, Tohma, who happened to be seated next to Jiro, leaned over.
“Well..?”
“It's... A wedding ring, but it's out of practicality. We can't be separated by hospitals or housing if we're married, so he can always treat me in an emergency.” Tohma nodded, and smiled.
“An important distinction. Ritsu wrote up a contract for this bet, you two have to be married out of love and not convenience.” The honor student's speech was far lost on him, his cheeks slowly turning red. “Oh, Jiro, don't tell me...”
“He doesn't know I.. I don't think he loves me, and if he does he doesn’t know it...” He fidgets with the box in his pocket, and Tohma hums to himself.
“Will you two shut up? Some of us are trying to listen.” Jin interrupted, and Tohma sat back, that mischievous smile returning to his lips.
“Terribly sorry.” He redirected his attention, just in time for the announcements to finish.
“... And with that out of the way, enjoy the rest of your night! I encourage you to visit your old houses and explore the grounds, please have fun, and- I cannot stress this enough- if you break anything you're being re-enrolled for four years.” There were gasps and a few protests from the crowd, but they were quickly cut off. “It’s the only way I can guarantee you all behave, so shut it! If I see one student injured or harassed, one fountain broken, or a single cat running behind, I WILL find you and I WILL stick you in a uniform! Understood!?” It was Jins turn to laugh this time, low under his breath, most likely because he could simply buy the whole school, but- “I heard that, the rules apply to you too! And I have plenty of paperwork that needs running, I could use a new servant- I mean, student assistant.” There was fire in those eyes and ice in their tongue, and every ghoul actually shrank an inch in their seat.
“... Tch. You haven't let that go yet? Fine, it’s not like you have to worry about me behaving-”
“And no smoking on campus grounds.” Jin glared, their eye contact connected them like a steel cable, and finally he leaned back and shrugged, silently conceding.
“Good. And with that, enjoy the night!” They grabbed something in the middle of the room and pulled, and a giant tablecloth became visible, being ripped away. What was better was what was underneath said tablecloth, a massive feast. Bottles upon bottles of alcohol, food of every kind, and the most delicious looking desserts Jiro had ever seen. They pulled a wall next, which turned out to be a curtain, hiding a target practice room, and another, revealing a sparring ground. Finally, they kicked open the massive doors behind them to reveal a sprawling garden, different anomalous creatures all making themselves at home in the trees and fountains. There was even a small patch of Kyklos flowers growing, all waving and giggling to each other, none large enough to cause any harm. Alright, perhaps the honor student HAD gone crazy since they had all graduated, after all it's the only reason anyone would choose to stay here, but at least they used their madness to pull all the stops for tonight. They were even fast enough to grab Taiga as he made his way for the garden. “Look I don't care how much you eat on the table, but you can't eat anything that's still walking. That includes the plant anomalies, even if they can't walk! Ritsu, you got that on tape?” He simply held up his tape recorder and the honor student returned the gesture with a thumbs up.
“You know, you're starting to really piss me off...” Romeo stepped in to grab Taiga and turn him around, which was all it took to set his eyes back on the prize, as he shoved his hands in his pockets and headed for the table.
“BB have you finally SALYM?”
“Yes, TYVMFN. And if you keep that nickname for me, I will find and wear your most recent design before it's revealed on the runway and brag about how the great Romeo Lucci custom-made it with me in mind. That's right, the little number you made for someone with an hourglass figure that I definitely don't have? I can have it made from your sketches tomorrow.”
"How the hell did you get those!?" Romeo looked like he was about to die, and Jiro was starting to wonder if the best part of the night would be listening to... Really, what was their name...? He always made sure to remember his patients names, but they hadn't been a patient in years.
Rui was already handing out drinks, with no gloves. It seems he was freed from his curse at least. Even the floating biwa and doll were in attendance at Hotaburi’s table, though the doll was staring right at him in a way that felt too intense for basic curiosity. He gave a small wave, and they covered their mouth and looked behind them at... Something, like there was a person there. Huh. His thoughts were cut off by Haru, blasting past everyone, and hugging a giant, familiar looking mouse-creature.
“PEEKABOOOOOO! MY BABY! YOU'RE ALL GROWN UP!” Tohma had also bolted into the garden, being followed by Lyca ripping off his tie and jacket. Ren was sitting in a corner on his phone, Leo was clearly filming for blackmail, and Sho was commenting on the banquet food to Suba. Really, it was starting to get overwhelming, but Yuri grabbed his hand and scoffed.
“Come on, I must see if the students at Mortkranken are actually going to be worth anything once they leave this godforsaken school, or if the future of anomalous science lay solely in our hands. Let's leave these idiots to their drunken revelry.” He pulled Jiro towards the door, but he made eye contact with Rui on the way by. He reached subtly towards him, and a glass of amber liquid was slipped into his hand with a sly wink. He drank it down in one gulp, for his nerves, and left it on a ledge by the door before being pulled out across the campus. They were let in, it seems staff and students had been prepared for their arrival, and the sight before them was beautiful.
Wall to wall, all Yuri and Jiro could see was the latest and most advanced in anomalous and medical technology, and all sorts of specimens lined the walls, kept stored cleanly and safely. Any complaints they had once were gone, even the security was better, cameras eyeing them carefully from every corner. Jiro was dumbstruck, and Yuri wiped a tear from his eye.
“It's beautiful, I.. I don't think I've ever seen something this magnificent...” Jiro smiled a bit, and walked up to a medical table, letting his hand brush over the familiar texture. “What are you doing? Of all the facilities, specimens, and tools in this room, you go to a table?”
“Do you remember what I told you, a few years ago? When we considering getting married?” Yuri pondered for a second, then shook his head.
“There were quite a few things said, you have to be more specific.” Jiro sat on the table, placing a hand in his pocket.
“This is where we met. This is the same table I was laid on when you came in and insisted everyone back away from me, since you were the only person capable enough to handle my case. The one we took turns sleeping on during long research nights.” He turned around and slid off the table, taking in a deep breath to steel his nerves. Yuri was flipping through some papers nearby, and Jiro took the time to kneel down, hoping to hide the way his legs began to shake.
“They should have replaced it by now, how unsanitary. With all these new facilities they could afford a new-” his words caught in his mouth, turning to look at Jiro, his throat going dry. “Jiro, what are you doing?”
“Yuri... I realized here long ago, we’d never be able to be separated again. There’s nobody else I’d rather face that fate with. For all our misfortune, for the hell we’ve been through, the one good thing it gave me was you.” His eyes started to water, he couldn’t see Yuri’s face anymore. “We’re already married, but I want you to know the truth. I love you. I have for a long time now, and I want to marry you. Not just at the courthouse, I want our friends and neighbors and families to be there, I want to hold you in our bed every night, and hold your hand, I want to know what it feels like to kiss you...” He opened the ring box, revealing a silver ring with blue gemstones. “And if you feel the same, I’d be lucky to call the smartest man I’ve ever known my husband.” He reached out a hand, unable to see Yuri’s reaction through his tears, but a delicate hand was placed in his, and he ran his thumb over the old wedding ring.
“You... You waited this long!? I.. We’ve been sharing the same bed for years, living together, and all this time we could have been... I can’t believe you!” Jiro held his fist to his mouth to stifle his laughter, and Yuri scoffed. “What is it!?”
“You didn’t say anything either.”
“I- Shut up, obviously, I’m your doctor! I can’t make the first move, it’s unethical!” With that Jiro doubled over into a full belly laugh, and Yuri stamped his foot. “Stop it! Is this a proposal or are you going to spend the night poking fun at me?”
“It’s a proposal. Yuri, will you marry me? For real this time?”
“Of course I will! I’ve already married you once, haven’t I?” Jiro smiled, wiping the tears from his eyes to see Yuri clearly, who was not faring any better. He had fat tear streaks down his cheeks, and a bit of a pout, as Jiro gingerly slipped the copper ring off his finger. He replaced it with the silver ring, pulling the hand to his mouth after and gingerly kissing the back of it. Yuri was shaking, almost as badly as he was, and he huffed, gripping Jiro’s hand now and pulling.
“Well, come here already! Aren’t you going to kiss me properly!?” Jiro stood and in one swoop, lifted Yuri off his feet to carry him, bridal style. He made an undignified yelp and threw his arms around Jiro’s neck, squeezing him tightly. “Jiro!”
“I would love nothing more.” He pressed his face to Yuri’s, a slow, gentle kiss, but it seemed Yuri was not as patient. His mouth parted and he pulled Jiro harder, ignoring the thought of every germ they could be passing between each other rushing to his mind for the sake of love. It was the sniffle that caused them both to jump and turn toward the doorway, and there was the former Honor Student, wiping their eyes.
“Oh I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt! Just- here, you uh, you should think this over.” They placed a manilla envelope on the table and smiled. “And uh, congratulations, again. Sorry I missed the first wedding. I still owe you a gift for that.”
“Thank you, but we didn’t invite anyone to the first wedding.” Jiro said matter-of-factly, as if they weren’t just interrupted post-proposal. Yuri, on the other hand, had his face buried in Jiro’s shoulder, trying not to combust from having someone spot them during this moment.
“Oh! Well.. Glad I didn’t miss anything then. People are looking for you, by the way, Tohma refuses to give an answer to the bet and says you should answer it yourself. See you back at the main hall! Ritsu owes me a hundred bucks!” With that, they took their leave, and Yuri finally unfolded his face from Jiro’s shoulder.
“The nerve! We were having a moment, and they- I- Mph!” Jiro’s lips stopped him from continuing, the kiss knocking all the fuss out of Yuri, just enough to bring the moment back.
Thirty minutes or so later...
“You’re smirking like you know something, come on, I know they told you!” Despite Leo’s insistence, Tohma smiled and shook his head, putting a finger to his lips.
“And I am saying it’s not my place to say.” Sho groaned, putting his elbow on the table and head in his hand, while Leo laughed. “Besides, couldn’t you listen in anyways and find out for yourself?” Leo frowned and rubbed the bruise on his cheek. When he had reached for the Honor Student’s hand, they had yanked it away and punched him. They apologized, claiming they were startled and it was some sort of reflex, but it was hard to believe they were actually sorry.
“They were.. Out of range. What about you and Alan? We have a side bet going on. Were you dating in school, or what?”
“I don’t know what you could be referring to.” Tohma put his drink to his lips, and Alan walked over, placing a hand on his shoulder, then leaned in close next to his ear. Tohma was frozen stiff, mid sip.
“You were the one who asked me out first, don’t act like it was nothing, you’ll hurt my feelings.” With that, Tohma slowly put down his drink, expression schooled as neutrally as possible. Sho groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose, and Leo raised his hand, gladly accepting a pile of bills dug out from his pocket.
“Alan, how much have you had to drink tonight? Please be careful what you say.” For the second time that night Jiro and Yuri walked in, and for the second time that night, Taiga’s voice cut through the room, slurring slightly.
“Y’done being idiots yet? You ask him yet?” Yuri sputtered, but Jiro pulled up Yuri’s hand with the ring on it, and smiled. Yuri couldn’t form a single word after that, his face turning shades of red that would have Jiro suspect he was coming down with something. Sho snatched the money back out of Leo’s hand, and several cheers were made around the room. Jin huffed, writing something in a checkbook, then ripped it out and handed it to Taiga. Kaito pumped his fist in the air from across the room, and Haru fell to his knees.
“Yesss! Love wins again! I’m on cloud nine, I gotta ask them out now or never! This is fancy date money!”
“Tohma, how soon do you need me to pay out our bet..? I have Peekaboo’s college fund to consider now..”
“Eh?” Lyca looked over the table, and shook his head. “You all really couldn’t tell? They smell like they share a bed. Probably have for years. And they get that funny look whenever they make eye contact too.” Rui elbowed him.
“You can’t just air out people’s business to everyone! Even if it’s business that means Ed is going to wash my clothes for the next month... Actually, screw it, can you really rub it in a bit louder?”
“You all are- I can’t believe- have you no shame or decorum!? No modesty about how you gamble on the lives of others!? You have nothing better to do than mock the future head of Darkwick’s hospitals!?”
“Yuri, we haven’t formally accepted yet...”
“That apparently doesn’t matter, since no information is private or sacred to this lot!”
Ross, the almost-forgotten party member crossed their arms, watching the chatter from the doorway. Years of hard work, sweat and tears, and this prison for ghouls was finally becoming a haven. With positions offered to most of the other ghouls, Darkwick would soon finally have resources available to help the next generation of supernatural forces find stability and community. God, maybe they could even find a therapist, or at least convince Rui to become a counselor.
“Ross, wait! I have a question!” Kaito ran after them, grabbing their hand. “I’ve liked you since I first laid eyes on you, I’ve dreamed-”
“No thanks Kaito, I don’t like you like that.” They sighed, feeling a weight lifting off their shoulders. “Fucking finally. Sorry bro, you really should chase people who are interested in you though, I’ve been waiting for you to pipe up for years instead of dancing around the topic like the clumsiest ballerina I’ve ever watched.”
“Augh, my heart! You couldn’t even turn me down easy!?”
“Not when you lay it on that thick. Seriously though, we’re about to be coworkers, if you take on the Financial Aid position I offered you, a relationship wouldn’t work out very well. You saw the paycheck right? I know you literally can’t afford to turn it down.” Kaito sputtered, then shook his head.
“When did you become so ruthless...? I don’t know if I want to date someone like that. In hindsight, it’s kinda scary...” Ross laughed, looking out over their first batch of ghouls, their first crazy family, and shook their head.
“I had a lot of inspiration, from some really determined, crazy people. Sometimes you need to be ruthless to protect yourself, and what you love. And you guys? I’d do anything for you. I do love you Kaito,” they ruffled his hair, beaming at him, “just, not like I wanna kiss you.”
“Well, at least I know there’s nobody here you like better, that helps my ego a bit..”
“Oh, no, the first chance I get I’m jumping Taiga and climbing him like a tree.”
“ROSS WHAT THE HELL!?”