Flourish
11 Nov 18
Sometimes Matthew thought that their customs were old fashioned, then they worked in his favour. For months he had been receiving gifts and small tokens and after so long writing back and begging to know the other's identity, and hoping that it was who he longed for himself, they were both finally at the same ball. In the note, he'd been told what the other would wear, and his breath had caught as he'd looked up a full hour after arriving and after nearly arriving at the brinks of despair as the longing inside himself had crashed and thrashed and pulled him closer then far away in misery from the door with each new fashionably late arrival that was never the person he wanted and needed to see. Then the other had finally arrived, and his hopes had been fulfilled.
They met in the garden. The other had nodded towards the more private area, and Mathew had nodded back, especially when he saw the Rose of Courting in the others hand. He tried not to let it overwhelm him. Perhaps the other merely meant to hand him the rose without the proper courting words and so it would just be another gift, but he hoped it was what he wished for.
Alone in the garden, Mathew had hesitantly spoken the words of starting a courtship, but hid them within their small talk. Hoping the other would still pick up on what he hoped they both wanted, no matter how hidden it was. In their world, it wouldn't do to be forthright with this sort of thing after all. The other blond had responded though, his brilliant blue eyes lighting up in delight as he swept down gracefully onto one knee and presented him with the rose that he'd kept mostly hidden behind his back with a flourish. Despite Mathew's hesitance upon seeing it was being presented as a Courting Rose, Francis kept it presented without faltering himself. Holding the token out for Matthew take if he so chose to and oh did he choose to.
It would have been an understatement to say Mathew was happy that he'd been responded to and that Francis had likewise chosen him with this gift. Somehow, he knew through from the answering expression on the other's face that he'd managed to express what he was feeling and that it was likewise reciprocated.
Mathew held tight to his Courting Rose for the rest of the night, and they danced together without break until the clock struck midnight and the custom was fulfilled.
Yes, I am presenting you with yet another short Franada one-shot all while not having finished ongoing stories. I'm evil. I know.
Hugsss
North of the North