Chapter Text
Sesshoumaru had never seen his king so embarrassed or upset. Yes, he had not actually been in the country since before King Kurama had taken in the Amestrisan princess who was to be his consort, but he found it difficult to imagine that some little royal from a human country could cause such distraction to his King.
Yet Kurama was not his usual composed, calm, deadly self. Deadly, still, yes. But composed or calm?
Not in the slightest.
“Repeat that,” Sesshoumaru said, and Kurama dragged a hand down over his face with a sigh. It was probably for the best that the two of them had been friends their entire lives, or Sesshoumaru would be missing his head at speaking in such a manner to the demon he called King.
“I need you to save the dragon Amano Ginji from my princess.”
“That is what I thought you said. Is Amano not the Lightning Lord?”
“Yes.”
“And yet you need me to save him from a human?”
“Edward is… unusual. Powerful,” Kurama admitted. “And he is an alchemist who has seen Truth and survived.”
“Ah.” That explained it. “How long ago did he leave?”
“This morning. I received an angry message from the Lightning Lord’s consort only an hour ago.”
“I see.” Sesshoumaru called his yōki to form his faster mode of transport, and relief formed on his friend and King’s features. “I will return soon.”
“Thank you, my friend.”
Sesshoumaru inclined his head and took flight out of the castle.
Sesshoumaru was not entirely certain what sort of conflict he would arrive to find, but what he did see was… not what he had expected.
He had expected to, perhaps, have to rescue the human alchemist from an angry half-Naga, or from a finally-irritated-enough-to-shift lightning dragon, or even perhaps beat the human to the dragon lord’s dwelling.
What he found instead was a raging, tiny blonde human dangling from the webs of a bewildered-looking spider demon while a half-Naga stood protectively between the human and his surprised-looking dragon consort.
“Prince Kazuki,” Sesshoumaru greeted as he landed, bowing to the spider prince.
“Lord Sesshoumaru,” Kazuki returned, sounding as bewildered as he looked. “It has been years. Have you been well?”
“Yes, thank you,” Sesshoumaru inclined his head respectfully and turned his attention to the other two demons. The princess could wait. “Lord Amano, Lord Midō, the King sends his apologies for this… incident.”
“Ah, it’s fine,” the Lightning Lord waved off the apology with a smile. In his humanoid form he was completely unthreatening, unlike his wiry half-Naga consort. “So this is our soon-to-be Queen, then?” he asked curiously, turning his attention to the now-silent but fuming figure of the Amestrisan princess.
“Indeed,” Sesshoumaru gave a single, regal nod, and then turned his own attention to the fuming human, who was now hanging unresistingly in Kazuki’s webs. “We have not yet met, your highness. I am Sessoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands of your betrothed’s kingdom, and knight of his court.”
“So he sent you to collect me instead of doing it himself?” the human sneered, and Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow.
“The King is in the middle of the weekly Council session, your highness. I assure you, if he had the time, he would have not waited for me to return to retrieve you.” Sesshoumaru glanced between their audience, unwilling to say any more of his friend and King’s private matters in front of those not involved in the situation. “Prince Kazuki, thank you for your assistance. I will be returning the princess to the palace now. Lord Amano, Lord Midō, I again extend apologies for this incident.”
“It’s fine,” Amano waved a hand again, and then wrapped that hand around his consort’s arm and gave a tug. “See you around ,Sesshoumaru. You coming, Kazuki?”
“Just a moment, Ginji,” Prince Kazuki replied calmly, and with a few twitches of his long, spindly fingers the human was freed from his webs. “Lord Sesshoumaru.”
“Prince Kazuki.”
The three other demons left, and Sesshoumaru turned his attention once more to the human who was picking his way out of the strings still clinging to him.
“What?” the human snarled defensively, and Sesshoumaru restrained a sigh.
“We will be returning to the palace now. Do you have everything you left with?”
“I’m not going anywhere with you,” the human snarled, and Sesshoumaru did sigh this time.
“You do not get any say in the matter,” he said flatly, and with a burst of speed and power grabbed the human up and took to the air once more.
Kurama had just made it back to his rooms when his long-time friend came soaring through the doors to the balcony, a writhing and snarling blonde human tucked under one arm. Kurama sighed.
“Thank you, Sesshoumaru.”
“Hn. Keep better track of your princess, Your Majesty.”
“Stop callin’ me ‘princess’!” Edward snarled, one elbow connecting solidly with Sesshoumaru’s ribs, and Kurama’s eyebrows shot up when he saw a flash of pain on his knight’s usually-stoic face. Sesshoumaru threw the human towards Kurama, who caught his wayward bride-to-be with ease, and then the dog demon was gone a moment later.
Kurama winced slightly when one of his betrothed’s legs connected with his side, and gently placed the breakable human down on his feet. He did not fully relinquish his hold, however, keeping one hand firmly on the small human male’s shoulder.
“Why did you attempt to attack Lord Amano?”
“I wasn’t!” Edward protested. “I was trying to get away and he came out of nowhere!”
“…do you really hate it here so much?” Kurama asked softly, admittedly slightly hurt, as he allowed the blonde man to pull away from him. “I have done everything I can to make you comfortable here, to ease the transition from Amestris to Makai…”
“Hate it?” Edward whirled to glare at Kurama. “I was taken from my home, from my brother and sister, and you expect me to just at as if everything’s fine?!”
“…taken?” Kurama was gobsmacked. “I thought – I was told you had consented to the arrangement.”
“Yeah, well, when your bastard uncle threatens to send your little siblings to some random country alone in your place you’d consent to pretty much anything,” Edward snorted. Kurama flinched, taking a noticeable step back from the human.
“I… will call off the arrangement,” Kurama said quietly, bowing his head so as not to look at the aggravated human. “I was under the impression you had agreed to wed me. Now that I am aware of the truth of the situation…”
“No.”
“What?” Kurama couldn’t have heard right. He lifted his gaze to look at the human, only to meet determined but sad golden eyes.
“No, I – I’ll stay. It’s fine. I can’t… I can’t go back, or he’ll just send Al or Winry in my place. He won’t even ask them, won’t give them the choice – he’d just order them and they’ll obey because they always obey him.” Edward’s voice was bitter and sad, almost resigned. Kurama was not sure what to think or say. “So I’ll stay. I’ll…” Edward paused, swallowed, and ducked his head to hide his face and eyes from Kurama. “I’ll marry you.”
“…you know, we do not need to marry for you to become a member of my family,” Kurama offered slowly, hesitantly. “The conditions of the alliance were the joining of our families through you and I. Technically that can be done without marriage.”
Edward didn’t reply.
Ed was torn. On the one hand, he didn’t want to be forced into a political marriage, but on the other… Kurama was seriously attractive, tail and all, and if he went with the non-marriage route then there was a probability that any possible relationship with the demon king would have to be platonic. And, if he was being completely honest with himself, he didn’t want that.
“I… I don’t know,” he said finally. “How long til I need to decide?”
“The contract states within a year, and you have been here half that,” Kurama replied calmly, openly. He still looked a little distressed, but he was calmer than he had been. “Is that… long enough?”
“Yeah, that’s plenty,” Ed agreed. He paused, eyeing the ridiculously tall demon, and then a smirk curled his lips. “Before I start thinking on it, though… one thing.”
“Yes?”
“C’mere.” Kurama tilted his head, ears twitching, and Ed grinned at the curiosity he could see on the normally-blank demon’s face. He beckoned, and Kurama stepped closer. When he was in reach, Ed grabbed the demon by the front of his tunic and tugged him down so that their faces were level.
A startled yip escaped Kurama as his potential mate tugged him forcibly down to the same level as he, and his eyes widened when the human moved closer still. Their faces were only an inch or so apart, and Kurama almost despaired of what the human was planning.
A kiss, light and lingering, was not at all what he had expected. His eyes went even wider, lips parting in surprise, and he gave a surprised if quiet yelp when a daring tongue swept over his lower lip.
And then Edward had released him and moved away, still grinning but his eyes thoughtful as he moved out of Kurama’s reach.
“What?” Kurama managed, and Edward’s grin widened.
“Just wanted to see what it was like. I’ll let you know when I make up my mind,” the human said cheerfully, and sauntered out of Kurama’s quarters.
The demon king was left surprised – and, yes, a little aroused – in his rooms, staring after the daring, unpredictable human he was supposedly engaged to.
Well, regardless of Edward’s decision, life would never be boring with him around.