Title: Rules of Engagement
Rating: T
Disclaimer: I do not own Macross Frontier.
Summary: A prequel to The Longest Battle. Ten shots where Saotome Alto attempts to propose to Sheryl Nome.
"This is breakfast?" Sheryl Nome stared at the box of cereal and carton of milk in disbelief. Alto settled into his chair, shrugging indifferently, "I felt lazy."
"But you always make fancy meals! Your cooking makes up for your lack of fashion sense."
Alto ignored the light barb as he reached for the folded newspaper on the table and opened it. "Like I said, I felt lazy."
As he pretended to read a random section, he could picture the pout on Sheryl's face as she scraped back her chair and sat, all while muttering something about coldhearted princesses who didn't care a whit of a fairy's need for proper nourishment.
The newspaper effectively shielded Alto's smile as he listened to the jingle of cornflakes pouring into a bowl and the drowning of it with milk. He sucked his breath in anticipation. Any moment now, she was going to find the prize in the cereal box. He waited for her reaction.
…
Five minutes later, he was still waiting.
Annoyed, he placed the paper down to see what the hell was taking so long. Sheryl was contentedly chewing on her soggy cereal while regarding his sudden attention with a curious stare.
He looked down at her bowl to find it nearly empty— and no ring in sight!
Before thinking, he grabbed the box and poured more flakes into her bowl, much to her surprise.
"Alto?"
"Have some more."
"But I'm already"—
"I said have some more…." He seethed. The tone in his voice killed any further protests from Sheryl. With a frown, Sheryl poured more milk into her unwanted second bowl of cereal.
In less than a few minutes, she finished it.
Alto was not happy.
He gave her another round of sugar-frosted cornflakes.
"Now, wait a second, Alto! I've already had enough!"
"I care for your nutrition."
"What am I? A kid?!"
"It's already in your bowl, you might as well eat."
"You eat it then!"
Sometime, after a lot bickering, he managed to get her compliance in the end. So there she sat, going through her third bowl in frustration. Once in a while, she looked up to throw a glare at him.
Alto didn't care. Because once she'd find the ring, she would immediately forget her anger.
Unfortunately, that wouldn't be the case as Sheryl finished her third bowl, with no indication of having found a sparkly piece of jewelry. She leaned back in her chair, patting her tummy with a quiet groan.
"I'm full…"
His patience snapped.
He was reaching out for the box again when Sheryl, aware of his intention, slammed her hands onto the table with enough force to have it wobbling.
"I've had enough already!"
"But"—
"Enough!"
"But Sheryl, it's"—
"I said enough."
…
…
"You still have some milk left in your"—
Sheryl pushed back her chair, got up and stomped away furiously from the kitchen, leaving a trail of French expletives in her wake.
Alto sat there, blinking and utterly confused at how things went. Sheryl was supposed to find the ring he had earlier slipped into the breakfast cereal— and then he'd spring the question.
Sighing heavily at his failure, he reached for the box, nearly empty, and dumped some flakes into his own bowl.
The bright diamond ring dropped into his bowl with a clink.
…
Alto cursed.
