Work Text:
“I…”
Desir held his breath as the two of his closest companions still fumed at him.
“Can’t say…” He finally stated, much to the dismay of his current close friends. It was very anticlimactic, and his love interests weren’t having it.
“That’s not an answer, Desir!” Ajest screamed at the top of her lungs, losing her composure.
“Just tell us who you have a feeling for!” Romantica shouted anxiously, holding her fists up, but resisted the urge to grab him by the collar.
“Well, I really can’t just choose.” He said with a stupid grin on his face. One that was awfully slappable.
The man thought about it. The academy days. Their friendship. His journey with them. Their relationship as leader and party members. The war they've been through together. And their very special relationship.
“You’re both important to me. In this life… And my past life. To reject one of you would be akin to rejecting a part of myself.” Desir said sheepishly whilst scratching the back of his head.
He paused for a moment, studying their confused expressions.
“So I guess what I’m trying to say is I’m going to try following my own path for now.” He added.
Their faces then turned from confused to annoyed.
“Ha… Isn’t that just a way to say you want to date both of us?” Romantica asked with a sigh, placing her hands on her hips.
“W-” Desir tried to correct.
“You’re trying to have your way with your Empress and the designer of the royal family?” Ajest asked bluntly, crossing her arms.
He blinked once. Then twice. And decided to sing his last words.
“Sure!”
The slap came instantly. From both women. Hard but not hard enough to leave permanent damage. It was spontaneous, and both slaps just happened to land at the same time, giving his head a nice spin.
““Idiot!”” Ajest and Romantica screamed in the aftermath as Desir was on the floor.
The two women held him by the back of his shirt together and began dragging him out of the training room.
“Dirty cheater…” Ajest muttered, a blank countenance on her face.
“If you ever cheat, I’ll castrate you,” Romantica stated with a pout.
He heard their words through his ringing ears. Desir couldn’t help but smile. Because he was sure they weren’t going to be fighting over someone as silly as him anymore.
Omake:
In the unsuspecting, average-looking tavern within the capital, cheers and clamor could be heard throughout the lively night, and loud chatter filled the noisy air. But at a table in the corner, one that seemed to be isolated from everything else, sat three people wearing cloaks that concealed their identities completely.
“I didn’t think you’d enjoy a place like this,” Romantica commented, her eyes darting around the room as she ate a piece of her steak with a fork.
“They have good beer.” She paused for a moment to take another big gulp. “That’s all.” Ajest finished, slamming the wooden mug into the table.
“Hm, I figured,” Desir recalled the ‘perfect’ world he was trapped within.
He cut a piece of chicken apart and brought it up to his mouth with a fork. Then suddenly, a drunken Ajest swiped her head towards his food and stole his bite. She chewed with an all-encompassing confidence befitting of an empress.
“Hey! It was my turn!” Romantica complained with a flustered face.
“If you want some, just ask. I’ll even feed you.” Desir stated before he cut another piece of chicken breast and presented it to Romantica, who happily accepted the bite.
“There are no such things as turns when it comes to love,” Ajest said without a beat.