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It was a very beautiful night in the countryside. As summer approached, the sunset stretched out further, making it so that at even 7pm the sky stayed orange and bright, stars only just beginning to peek out from their mask of sunshine and clouds. Green repeatedly adjusted their light cardigan as the wind tousled their neatly fixed collar, waiting by the outside fencing of the farm they called home for their date to come by.
It had been just around a year since Green and White met each other on The Skeld and developed a steady relationship, and only a few months since they started dating. But Green figured that they had known each other long enough that they were starting to get serious, and if there was anything Green knew about relationships it was that the most important part was making sure their families approved.
Now, Green knew that White wasn’t exactly a family person. So they weren’t expecting any proper invites to their ivory mansions to go meet their parents anytime soon. But Green was the opposite—hopelessly mixed in with their masses of cousins and siblings and grandparents and anyone else you could possibly find in a family. So, Green asked (quite tentatively) if White would be willing to come over one day, and to their surprise they accepted almost immediately.
They went over the call again in their mind as they waited for the familiar sound of White’s flashy limousine to whirr over the gravel and into the rustic plot surrounding their farm. They had sounded… well, not exactly enthusiastic, but… maybe intrigued was the word?
“Sure, I’ll come over. No problem.”
Their wording wasn’t what indicated that to Green. It was their tone, where the smallest note of condescension could be found if you pried between the lines. White was always a curious person—always interested in how other people worked, what they liked to do.
Black had suspected aloud to them once that some of that curiosity was simply ingrained in them from years of shallow conversation with other rich people they barely knew, but there was something else there—Green knew it. White asked a lot of questions. White would turn and face them as they answered. Even when halfway-blackout-drunk on their fine wine and relaxing on a cushioned, feathery loveseat designed just for them, they would always have these moments where their eyes trailed ever-slow over Green’s body, like the most luxurious thing in the room was them, alongside whatever story they were rambling off about with their palms curled in excited stimmy fists.
And the most interesting thing to White, Green believed, was how different their lives were. They weren’t new to the saying ‘opposites attract’, but their family had never been one that was privy to the idea, with most of their marriages being to other farmers and local businesses and people in the villages just out of their corner of the universe. White was their ultimate opposite, the antithesis of this whole idea; they were rich, ignorant, and really, the only personality trait they shared was kindness.
Apparently to the both of them, that was all they needed. Hopefully their families agreed.
Green fixed their cardigan again just as they felt another burst of cold air hit their back. When are they getting here? They idly thought to themself, turning around to properly face the road. Surely White didn’t stand me up. Surely it won't be that much longer.
Despite being somewhat anxious, they discarded the thoughts. They wouldn’t believe what some of the other crewmates said about the two of them—their love was strong, and White wasn’t as rude and stupid as they seemed at face value. That is to say Green never saw them that way, but it was apparent others did. Add that to the list of things to worry about their family being upset over. They whined to themself. Great…
Luckily, just as Green suspected, White wouldn’t do those things. They heard White’s car before they saw it—a large hunk of jet black metal so clean and shiny it was a mirror. Out here, it would have to be cleaned again. They mentally jotted down a reminder on their long list of things to do—apologize in advance for that effort.
As one of the many doors clicked open and a servant allowed White outside, Green felt an involuntary burst of excitement, as well as a bit of embarrassment. Yet again, even after collecting all of the best clothes they could find in their closet (including some several accessories that White had given to them that they found way out of their depth in fashion), their pressed three-piece business casual suit effortlessly overshadowed Green’s outfit.
“Y-You look great,” they stuttered out, finding themself immediately staring, bug-eyed. The green rose lapel was new, but welcome.
The door shut closed behind them and the car drove off as White stepped past the open fence gate towards Green, giving them a kiss on both cheeks (which obviously made them immediately melt, it always did, no matter how many times that they did it it would ALWAYS mess them up…)
“You like what you see?” They winked, and Green giggled.
“Maybe!”
They were just about to keep having their cute moment when another gust of wind made the both of them shiver, and White immediately got this aimless look on their face like they don’t know exactly what to do. Their partner had gotten used to this look by now—they called it the “problem” face, one they made every time they had a “poor-person” problem they don’t usually have.
“Let’s go inside,” Green said, ushering them down the dusty path up the nearby hill and towards the farmhouse they called home. “It’s a chilly night for spring, hehe…”
“Okay.”
By the time they got there, White was clearly tired of walking and very cold, while Green was taking the whole situation a lot easier than them. Still, they had sympathy for the other. But what would their parents think of someone who couldn’t handle just the weather?
No, their parents were accepting, and understanding. Nothing to worry about, Green. Like always…
They knocked on the small stained door to the inside of the house, and it only took a few seconds for someone to come running up and unlock both the mesh door that keeps all the bugs out and the main one. It was Green’s little sibling, Operator, who had also gotten into MIRA’s ranks after they set the standard for those in the family who wanted to get out there more. The younger grinned when they saw Green—but their face dropped just a bit when they saw White, just behind them.
“Who’s this?” they muttered.
“Did nobody tell you my partner was coming?” Green responded.
“Your PARTNER?”
Green glanced at White, who was starting to peek past Operator into the house, completely locked out of the conversation. They turned back to them, feeling a little scrutinized. “...Yeees?”
“...Nevermind. Just come in, they look cold.” They turned around and walked down the hall that leads to their living room, dining room, and kitchen, leaning halfway on the wall as they did.
Green took that conflicting response in stride anyway, tugging on White’s hand to get them to come with. Though it’s hard to, ‘cause immediately they’re surrounded again by more of Green’s family—mostly little kids who found the really rich new guy suddenly more interesting than playing House and The Floor Is Lava for the thirtieth time that night. White looked incredibly uncomfortable, while Green just started shooing them away and plucking them off of White’s legs, picking one particularly rambunctious child, Army, up and over behind a baby gate with ease.
“Y-You deal with them really well,” White complimented, surprised out of their mind—but the new voice only attracts more people, turning around from their places on the couches or at the table to see who’s there. If Operator didn’t know they were coming, then of course nobody else would either, other than Green’s parents, who they made it a point to tell (obviously). They should have expected the both of them would forget to tell anyone else.
“Everyone—” Green started, picking up yet another child babbling on White’s suit and placing them over the baby gate as well. “This is White, my partner…”
White princess-waved, despite being so far from their comfort zone they might as well have been in the tundra in a swimsuit. Meanwhile, the room resumed its chatter, this time a million different questions at once from people Green thought absolutely knew they had a partner. They were only able to really pick up one from the haze—
“White? Not just any White, but THE White? Ivory and Silk’s White? One of the richest people in the world, White?”
Green suddenly realized they left out a very important clause in all of their times talking about their trip and relationship.
The contest winner, sure, they were wealthy. And cool. And kinda pompous. But they could very well be mistaken for any guy under the general common name for those of lighter hex codes—”White”.
Instead of the worldwide nepo-baby celebrity White.
“Um.”
The room instantly quieted as Green opened their mouth again.
“Surprise?”
Not long after, the both of them were situated at the dining table for the real reason they were here—to talk to Green’s parents over dinner. Despite the clatter of plates, the ambient noise of ‘pass the salt’ and obvious shocked whispering about White, it felt like the four of them were in one tiny bubble together at their end of the table in an empty house.
“White,” Green cleared their throat and then began. “These are my parents, Brunswick and Celadon.”
“Just call me ‘Dark Green’,” Brunswick said, reaching across the table to shake their hand. White took it and shook it, then took out a handkerchief and laid it across their lap so as not to get it dirty as they ate, seemingly by habit. Celadon was a lot less immediately accepting, eyeing them with a pinched expression.
“It’s nice to meet you two,” White said, smooth as ever. “Your house—and, er, family… very beautiful. Very, uh, rustic.”
Brunswick’s grin grew wider. Celadon narrowed their eyes even further.
“Here, try the salad, friend,” Brunswick nodded down at the plate in front of White, their hands clasped next to their head joyously.
“With… uh, where’s the fork?”
“This one, White,” Green points at it for them.
“No—I mean, the salad fork?”
“In this house, we eat all of our food with the same kind of fork,” Celadon said bitterly, taking another bite from their assortment. “No matter what we’re eating.”
“Oh… I… I see!” White smiled, picking up the one fork with their pinky stuck out. They prod at their bowl, before piercing a few leaves on the prongs and tasting it. There’s a beat where they’re not sure if they’d like it, but White interrupts that thought with a pleasant hum of delight.
With bright eyes, they dug in for more, and Green couldn’t help but laugh fondly, partially silencing their giggles with a bite of their own.
The action seemed to tame Celadon, for now, and the conversation drifted off into a more relaxed tone as they started to get into things White is much more used to, like their endless fame and money.
From here, Green could see the rest of the family beginning to stare again—if a celebrity showed up at your dining table, you’d probably be interested in what they had to say, too. And since public speaking with paparazzi and a hundred faces is all White has ever done since they were a baby, they’re able to charm the majority with compliments and jokes that… well, they manage.
By the time half of the group had put up their plates and gone off to do their own things, Green was (mostly) comforted. Even with such a big gap between them, whatever White had that made Green swoon so badly clearly treated everyone else just the same.
Then…
“Operator, could you show White to the bathroom?” Celadon blurted, cutting the contest winner off in the middle of their sentence.
“What? Er, I’m not—”
Operator was already up and waiting for White to come follow them. They glanced towards Green, who squeezed their hand under the table and reassured them just to follow. The moment it was just them three, Celadon continued.
“They seem… spoiled.”
“N-Not really,” Green defended quickly. “They’re really nice, they get me all of these gifts and they’re really smart.”
“More like pompous.”
“Well—... Not in the way you’d think! Just… just, uh…”
“Oblivious?”
Green scratched the back of their neck, and slowly nodded.
They sighed, and tapped the table in a rhythm, thinking. “Well. You could have bothered to tell us it was—”
“Y-Yeah—I’m… sorry. It really slipped my mind. I thought you guys knew who I was referring to, and I just… assumed! I knew them so well already, it was like… I dunno, I didn’t…”
“It’s fine, Green.” Celadon’s blank expression slowly turned up, just slightly. “I think… They’ll be a great addition to the family.”
Green brightened like a bulb, immediately getting up from their chair and rushing over to them, hugging them. Brunswick quickly surrounded the both of them just like that.
“I love ‘em,” they added from their side, as if that needed to be said based on their behavior. “They’re funny.”
Green gasped. “Aren’t they?”
“Okay, don’t play them up.” Celadon rolled their eyes.
And Green burst into yet another fit of giggles.
Meanwhile, just beneath tons of paintings, photos, and peeling wallpaper in the hallway, Operator stared out at the group while right next to White, only barely out of sight for the few there.
“Looks like you did it.” Operator said matter-of-factly, glancing up at the suited crewmate.
White’s not really sure what to say. What do you say to the close family of your partner? What do you say to family in general? Green seems so close to their family, while White’s not sure of any of the sort.
“Yay,” they settled on, folding their hands behind their back a bit playfully. Habits they somewhat picked up from Green.
Operator snorted and pushed them off of the wall. “Okay, go see them again.” They said it like it’s the most obvious action in the world, though White would have never thought of it without their help.
White quickly power-walked back to the table and stood next to Green, not sure (yet again) whether to sit down and finish their mostly cleaned plate or to just stand here aimlessly. Celadon presented their hand, though, and White shook it carefully, almost thinking it was a trick—they had been so hostile, or looked like it, at least. Kind of like Black all of the time.
“You have my blessing,” they remarked. “Give me grandchildren.”
Green blushed feverishly. White’s eyes opened just a bit in surprise. “Uh-!!”
“What? It’s a reasonable request.” They pulled their hand away, amused.
“You’re welcome here anytime, White,” Brunswick added.
Green beamed over at White at those final words. White was suavely staring back.
Not a thing to worry about in the world.