Prompt 296: List 7 reasons to turn down a marriage proposal. (Characters: Hibiki, Yamato, Miyako, Alcor, Hinako, Daichi, Joe; Ronaldo)
There was something to be said about being proposed, Hibiki supposed. It was... kinda flattering, really. And really, really weird. Especially when the person doing said proposal was your best friend.
It was so weird, in fact, he couldn't even turn it down, despite his wish to do so. He just... couldn't accept it. And, if Daichi had to leave heartbroken... Well, it wouldn't really be the first time his friend was turned down. He would get over it. Even if Hibiki couldn't be there to help him this time. He just... Well, this was Daichi. Daichi was his brother, almost! They just… weren't that. I mean. It was kind of… Hilarious to think about them even dating.
"... Daichi...?" He managed to choke out after a couple of seconds of utter shock, staring in disbelief at the one person that had stood by him since he was a kid. "Wha-?"
"Please, Hibiki! Please, say yes!" Daichi begged, eyes wide and wild. Hibiki could see his hands shaking, too. He had half a mind to try to calm him down, but he was mostly worried about himself at the moment; when had the world broke down? "Please, please, you need to do this, man! For me, please?"
... Wait. What? He managed to choke that much out loud, too, after trying to commit suicide with his own saliva.
"... What what?" Daichi asked meekly back at him, shaking slightly less than before.
"You're... not asking me to marry you?" He asked back, blinking slowly.
"No! Why-?... No!" Daichi chocked out seemingly scared. "No, gods, no! Where did you...? No, Hibiki. I... No. Man, no."
Hibiki was so relieved by now that he couldn't help himself — he laughed. "S-Sorry. Sorry, Daichi. I... must have misheard you. Sorry!" He said between laugher. Really, he never managed his relief very well. That was just expected.
"Oh, man. Now I'm embarrassed to ask you to go to the dance with me. Urgh. Hibikiiiiiiiii..." whined Daichi pitifully, staring at him with his face burnt red.
"Oh. The dance." Right. The guys on their class had made this joke about 'asking others hands for the dance' instead of inviting a date. Hibiki had totally forgot about it. After a couple of weeks of fight, he had absolutely no sense for common school life. He needed a break! "I thought you would ask Io."
Daichi blushed even redder. "Well, yes, I wanted to, but... Well... She was so excited about asking Miyako-chan to come with her... I just..."
Hibiki nodded understandingly. Io had took to Miyako with a shine; she wanted the girl to feel included in everything, just like Hibiki himself once taught Yamato about the civilian way of things. "Ah, yes, I suppose she was planning on asking Miyako, right? Oh. Well, if you're sure... But... I was thinking about trying to get Yamato to come, too..."
Daichi groaned. "You're both awful, you know it. Why do you always pair up with Yamato, by the way? He's not even a student!"
Hibiki blushed slightly, staring off to the side. He had no desire to answer to that. If he did, it would probably come out as slightly... childish, or teenager-ish. Or girly. Totally feely. "I just want him to have every possible experience, that's all." He ended up using as an excuse. And that wouldn't even be an excuse — if it had been asked of him some time ago, at least. Now, that was just... Part of it.
"Right." Daichi drawled, and Hibiki just knew he was rolling his eyes. Hibiki hid a smirk at the thought. "Whatever. I'm still coming with you, okay? I can hang out with you guys for a while, if I must. At least Yamato is not half as scary anymore. Urgh."
Hibiki laughed at that.
Hibiki never thought he would live for it to happen once. Twice, then, was...
"You're asking what?" he almost yelled, pretty sure he had misheard it. Really. There was no other explanation. Really. Or... There was. "Wait. Is this a joke?" This was Joe, after all.
Joe put up a mock-hurt (at least, he hoped it was a mock) expression and frowned at him. "Of course not! I never joke!"
Hibiki glared at him, crossing his arms over his chest. He was feeling... less flattered and more violated this time around, really. Maybe it was because of how Joe had said it? He didn't really know, he just knew he couldn't accept it, not even the idea. Urgh. It made him feel slightly dirty. He didn't even know the man that well, even though they were friends. Well, he should have expected something like this from Joe. Really.
"Urgh. I told you it was an awful idea, Joe." Chided Ronaldo with a glare at the second oldest of the group, who was laughing at him.
"But, Ronnie! How else am I supposed to practice? Hibiki is the only one who would ever let me get away with it!" Joe said excitedly, and then Hibiki realized. Of course — Joe wanted to ask his girlfriend in marriage!
"Oh. Okay." He said, at last. He couldn't say he was exactly... Happy with it, but he wasn't angry either. It was disconcerting, and he hoped none of his friends ever got wind of it, but he wouldn't mind helping Joe with his nerves. If all he had to do was to stand here and pretend to be his girl... Well, he could do that. He guessed. "If you must, you can practice with me, Joe."
Joe brightened with a large grin. "Thanks, Hibiki! I knew I could count on you!" Then, putting on a serious face, he licked his lips and took one of his hands into his. "So, I know we've been dating for so long... You're my love, I love you, I can't live without you... " he singsong off-tone, and Hibiki cringed slightly. "So, will you do me the honor of being your man?"
... Really. Was that a way of asking someone's hand? Hibiki particularly preferred Daichi's way — and he had been only asking Hibiki out to a dance.
"Joe, this is... Slightly off-putting. I don't know if your girlfriend would like if you started to sing to her like this. Maybe... A little bit more..." He tried to find a word that didn't make it sound like he was calling this a crap, but... Yeah, this was a crap. Hibiki didn't know how to help Joe without sounding rude, however. "A little bit less rude, maybe? More polite? A little bit less 'being your man', and a little bit more of..." He chewed on his bottom lip and glanced around. Unless he was counting Ronaldo, who was still staring at them (glaring, in Joe's case), they were alone. He sighed, and swiftly exchanged his hold on Joe's hands, so he was the one holding them. "Like, 'we've been together for this long, and I know we're in love, so I want to make this official. Would you do me the honor of giving me your hand?', or something."
Joe blinked, dazed, before grinning broadly. Before Hibiki could react, he was pulled into a hug, and then Joe was off calling a thanks over his shoulder and singing another off-tone song, leaving him shell-shocked with Ronaldo. Who stared at him as if he had just done something really, really stupid.
"It's... not going to work, is it?" He asked at last, voice weak.
"No, not likely." Ronaldo agreed calmly. "I should go see that he doesn't screw it up too big."
Hibiki sighed. He knew he should have said no.
First Daichi. Then Joe. Now Hinako? Was there a really big sign on his back saying 'I'm single and unguarded. Try to marry me'? He was feeling... Strange. Exposed. Like a walking dog — on heat (and, okay, there had been some time between each of them. But this is not the kind of thing you just forget. Really, he would be lucky if he ever forgot about it. He was half expecting to still remember it when on his deathbed).
"Oh, come on, Hibiki. You're my best bet! I know you probably don't really want it, but... Please, won't you consider it?" Hinako begged grabbing his arm when he made to escape. "I need to find someone, my mum says, and you're perfect! I mean, you're considerate, nice, good-looking... Really funny... Smart... A good leader... You even know a little bit of how to dance! Please, it would be really great if you could just, you know, try to give it a thought before refusing?"
No! No, Hibiki didn't want to marry Hinako. She was awesome, really. Beautiful, a good dancer, really smart too. He liked to spend time with her. But... To marry her... That was just...
"Oh, god." he muttered feeling sick. "No, Hina. Sorry."
She sighed, like she expected it. He bet she did, too. It wasn't nothing against her. It was just... Well. Marriage was something he wanted to do with someone he loved. And Hinako was being forced to marry someone. That wasn't even fair, as far as he was concerned, actually. But, well, he didn't get a say on this. So, all he could do was postpone it by not being the perfect groom she wanted.
"Well, I needed to try." She said, as if that explained everything.
It kind of did.
"Yeah. Well, good luck." He managed, smiling a little bit at her. "I'm sure you'll either find someone you'll like or bother your mother so much she'll just give up."
Hinako laughed, hugging his shoulders with a thin arm. "Yeah, I hope so. She's just so stubborn!"
Hibiki knew his lips were twitching; he didn't say anything, but he certainly thought — just like the daughter.
When he looked at Yamato and saw those too purple eyes, he almost said "yes". Almost. It was a near thing.
It wasn't near enough for him to really say it, however.
"No, Yamato. I won't be your partner on creating the perfect heir to the Hotsuin family." He sighed. Then he frowned, thinking about it. "We're both males. Weren't you thinking about leaving this to Miyako exactly because of it? Because she was a female, so you didn't need to find a wife just to get an heir?"
"Yes. But you're the strongest person in the whole Japan now. Possibly in the whole world. I would hate to have to give you to that vixen." Growled Yamato in a way that, Hibiki would never say so out loud, but reminded him of a child. "So, I'm asking you to be my partner. 'Marry me', I think you said it's the civilian term. There's a ritual we can do so we can share spiritual power, and I could then find another woman to carry the child. It won't be as powerful as if you were to have an heir directly with a strong woman, but it should be enough so that the Council can't complain. The Hotsuin family would have a strong heir, as they need, and I wouldn't be tied to someone I don't care for."
Well. Wasn't that almost sweet?
"No." He repeated, rolling his eyes. "I'm not marrying you so you can have a third party carry a child of ours. You should just leave it be for the moment. If need be, we'll think about it."
Yamato sighed, but he did uncross his arms and nod. Hibiki had won this battle, once again.
It would be years later before Hibiki would have to think, "again?", and feel dread creeping up on him.
He would never think that Saiduq would once do this, but he was apparently wrong.
"Saiduq. We're friends, and I really like you, but..." okay, so maybe this was the first time Hibiki ever tried a soft refusal, and he didn't want to think too much about it. Maybe it was because Saiduq was looking at him so earnestly, with those shining eyes and small smile. Or how he had asked so shyly. Or how he once asked him, in the middle of a week of battles, if he could go with Yamato and Hibiki in their travels. "I'm sorry, I don't see you like that."
He really liked Saiduq. Really. Saiduq was incredible. But he was also someone he would always think of as… Well, a little brother that was centuries old? His most precious ally? The person he taught how to be human? The one who tagged along when he went with Yamato in a travel around the world, seeing everything they didn't know about? It was strange. Complicated. Hibiki almost felt guilty for saying no, actually. He really liked Saiduq — loved him, really. But it wasn't enough, it seemed.
He hated this. He hated hurting one person he held so dear.
"I understand, Shining One." Murmured Saiduq in return, but Hibiki could hear the hidden hurt in his voice. "You're still in love with Yamato, then?"
Hibiki tried to hold his shock in, he did. But he didn't think he succeeded very well, for how Saiduq chuckled at him.
"It's very obvious, if I can say so. I was of the impression you two would get together as soon as you were free of all the battles, but seems like I was wrong. So, I thought maybe I had a chance." He shrugged easily, a lot more human now than he had been years ago, when this world had been first created. "Very well. I hope you two can be happy, one day. I'll be rooting for you."
Hibiki wanted to cry; damned Saiduq, always the best. Instead, he held him in his arms, hiding his face into white curls.
"I'll be rooting for you too, Saiduq. I hope you find someone that can love you like you want to." He murmured softly.
If his tears wetted Saiduq's clothes, no one said anything about it.
Miyako stared down at him with crossed arms and a put upon expression, but didn't waver out. "So?"
Even Miyako! Why wasn't he surprised? "No."
She rolled her eyes, but a small smile threatened to break up on her face anyway. "I thought so."
Hibiki stared at her without understanding.
"What?"
"You should tell him so. You're dating, aren't you?"
Hibiki blushed. Well, he had planned on it for quite a while, really...
She giggled. "Go on, then."
He almost wished she hadn't said anything. It would be so much easier if he could just pretend nothing had happened! That, that…
"Urgh. Vixen." He muttered at her, fleeing before she could do anything to him.
He spent way too much time around manipulating people.
"So. I heard you were talking with Miyako." Yamato said pleasantly, looking up from where he was sitting on their couch. "What did she want?"
Hibiki stared at him for a moment, before deciding for the truth. "Asked me to marry her."
The reaction was instantaneous, and Yamato was growling and looking ready to go kill his twin in a blink. He decided then never to tell Yamato about the other five proposals he had heard over the years. Really. He rather liked his friends, after all. Hibiki laughed, and leaned down to kiss him on the lips before he could do anything. "Don't worry. I told her no, of course."
"Good. I wouldn't want her stealing my chance." Yamato growled again, not exactly happy, but a lot mellower than before.
"Mm, your chance, is it?" Hibiki asked, nuzzling into his cheek.
"Yes." With practice, Yamato quickly pulled him down to his lap, holding him down with ease. "Hibiki. You know I'm not good at these things, and that I still struggle with most... Human feelings most of time. But, you've given me the chance to be with you for the last couple years, and I've never felt happier." Started Yamato slowly, tracing patterns on his waist under Hibiki's shirt. "Would you give the chance to make it official? Would you marry me, Hibiki?"
Hibiki smiled and kissed him fully on the lips again. He was so damn happy! He almost giggled, really. It was a struggle to keep it down. He managed to just chuckle slightly, and kissed him again, leaving a hand on Yamato's cheek with fondness. His heart was beating faster than ever — except, perhaps, when he first asked Yamato to date him. "Well. Since you asked so nicely..." He said cheekily, before leaning back to stare at purple eyes. "No, not really."
Before Yamato could react too much to his shock — and he was shocked, Hibiki knew —, Hibiki kissed him again and kept going, shutting him up. "Because I wanted to ask you to marry me, idiot. Would you give me the honor to be your partner? I know you're still the JPs Chief, Yamato. I love you exactly like that. And I'll always be your Right Hand man. So, it's only fair for me to become your partner. Hotsuin Hibiki. Does it sound nice?"
Yamato laughed, kissing him deeply before pulling back and scowling up at him. "Stupid. I don't know why I love you."
Hibiki laughed again. "Well, then. I guess you'll have some time to discover, right?"
"Right. Hotsuin Hibiki." Yamato murmured fondly, shaking his head.
Hibiki loved him, too. This was the only marriage proposal he ever wanted to accept, really. And that was the only reason he had needed to refuse it; he had to show him this would be for both of them. And they worked a lot better on the world Yamato knew best. After all, they were both leaders of a spiritual defense force. Why do it the civilian way? Hibiki would move Heaven and Hell if Yamato wanted him to — but he would drag Yamato with him.
Hibiki loved him just that much.