Hi guys! Have an angst free (I think?) wedding fic ^w^
Enjoy!
Bouquet
Munakata can't really tell if this event is surprising or not. On one hand, it seems quite unbelievable that two important members of rival clans such as Scepter 4 and Homra decide to get married in a public ceremony like this. On the other, said members have always been flirting more or less openly for a long time and have on more than one occasion tried to make the two clans cooperate so everyone's always been kind of waiting for the two of them to finally take the plunge. Regardless, Munakata feels genuinely happy for his precious lieutenant, Awashima Seri, because even if he's never liked the groom, Kusanagi Izumo, he knows that she's chosen him for a reason and that the man must be less annoying to her than he is to Munakata.
Also, this union between the two second-in-commands of the two clans offers the perspective of more peaceful relationships between the Blue and Red clans. And more peaceful relationships mean fewer disturbances caused by HOMRA, and thus less workload for Scepter 4, which will give them more free time for social gatherings to strengthen their bonds (as well as more time for Munakata to spare for his puzzles)
It really is all for the better, Munakata concludes. Well, if not for the presence of a certain barbarian who always manages to annoy Munakata in some way whenever they meet. To the Red King's defense, though, he's done nothing wrong until now, has been behaving decently during the whole ceremony -for a barbarian, that is. If he were totally honest, Munakata would even admit that Suoh looks really good right now with his white suit, but it's not the right time to think about that, Munakata thinks, he hasn't come here to admire Suoh, after all. He's here as Awashima's witness, along with Fushimi.
They're not exactly Awashima's closest friends, but she probably thought that the presence of Scepter 4's three leaders would add meaning to this symbolic union between the two clans. Kusanagi's witnesses are Suoh –naturally, as well as their crow, Yata, probably for the same reasons as Awashima's. Needless to say they all accepted right away when they were asked, or well, except for Fushimi who'd only agreed when he learned that Yata would be Kusanagi's witness because at first he'd protested that there were people better fit for the role. But all four men are with the bride and groom in front of the Mayor now, and it's all that matters.
The ceremony goes without incident. It's a classic occidental style ceremony –a favor Awashima did to her western-culture-lover groom, and even their attires are European style; a white suit for Kusanagi, and for Awashima, a white gown, a bridal veil and a bouquet.
The moment Awashima's decided to throw the bouquet is at the exit of the town hall. The unmarried ladies –Scepter 4's female members and the Red clansmen's girlfriends for the most part – are all gathered at the bottom of the stairs, all hysterically doing their best to be at the front line to have more chance to catch the bouquet in hopes to become the next girl to get married.
As he watches all these girls getting all hyped because of a mere bouquet, Fushimi drawls to Yata, "Mi-sa-kii, shouldn't you line up with these girls now? I mean, with your girly name and you being a virgin, you totally belong there, don't you?"
Visibly angered by Fushimi's provocation, Yata shouts, "Come again, if you dare, shitty Monkey?!" Then he makes a move forward, probably to throw a fist at the smirking bespectacled boy, but Kamamoto stops him by pulling at his collar and says, "Yata-san, you should ignore that guy's comments. Kusanagi-san looked really serious when he'd said he'd murder anyone who makes any commotion at his wedding."
Yata clicks his tongue but calms down nonetheless and Fushimi starts pouting because of his former friend's lack of reaction. Fortunately for the two boys, the scene's went unnoticed by Kusanagi, so Awashima throws the bouquet at the crowd without further incident.
The "lucky girl" turns to be Anna. The child, thanks to her size, has been able to thread a way to the front line through the crowd without being hustled in any way. When he sees that it's their princess who's caught the bouquet, Kusanagi starts to freak out then squeals, more than screams, "Anna, there's no way you're getting married in the near future, so for the love of god, please give that bouquet to someone else!"
The young girl looks a bit disappointed but complies anyway so she starts looking around in search of someone to hand the flowers to. The ladies give her pleading looks, probably to bribe her into choosing them, but Anna seems to be searching somewhere else entirely. When she catches sight of Munakata, she starts walking toward him, to Munakata's greatest confusion. She then hands the bouquet to him but Munakata makes no move to take it –obviously.
He gives her a questioning look instead, and by way of an answer, she just starts looking successively at him then at Suoh. This makes the intent of the gesture crystal clear so Munakata wants to plainly refuse because so many things are wrong with this. For one, this isn't even how it's supposed to work; the next to get married is the girl who catches the bouquet, not the person she hands it to. For two, that bouquet is destined to future brides and unlike Yata in Fushimi's opinion, he unmistakably isn't a woman. And for three, he has no intention of getting married any time soon, even less to Suoh of all people.
However, when he sees Anna's hopeful look, he loses the guts to decline and stretches his hand to take the bouquet. "Thank you," he says, though he honestly has no idea what he thanks her for because this'll probably just end up in annoying misunderstandings for him.
The girl then runs in the direction of Suoh to hide behind him. Munakata meets the Red King's gaze who, as Munakata'd expected, is smiling at him, except that the smile lacks the mockery Munakata'd thought he'd find in it. It's too soft, actually; so soft that it could be mistaken for an incitement to seriously consider the child's implication so Munakata looks away, a bit flushed. "Really, you always find ways to cause me troubles, even on occasions like this," he mumbles, but he resolves to avoid Suoh for the rest of the festivities.
Munakata manages to succeed in his plan during the wedding meal, at least, but when people start to go to the dance floor, Munakata goes out to get away from the noise and Suoh follows him from behind. "Where'd you leave your bouquet?" he teases.
Mission fail, Munakata thinks. "I'm not going to carry it everywhere I go," he answers, hoping that the conversation won't take a more serious, dangerous turn.
"Those hysteric girls might steal it from you when you're not looking, you know."
"They're welcome to do so," Munakata says, in a drier tone than he intended.
"But Anna's gonna be sad if she learns you lost it, though. She looked really serious when she handed it to you," Suoh says.
Crap, Munakata thinks when he realizes that there is no way to avoid that subject now. "She's still a child, Suoh. She probably doesn't even know what it implies to get married to someone."
Suoh laughs, "Well, probably." After a short pause, he intently looks at Munakata and says, "But why not, though?"
Munakata frowns, "You must be kidding, right?"
Suoh shrugs without answering so Munakata adds, "We aren't even dating." Obviously, it's not meant as a suggestion that they do start dating now or anything and at least, Suoh seems to understand that.
However, his answer makes things even worse, "That's not what everyone here thinks."
"Could you not remind me of that," Munakata says sternly. The fact that their clansmen think they're romantically involved but try to hide it is an unpleasant thought for Munakata because he finds it humiliating on many levels if not only because of the fact that even if they try to hide their relationship, they obviously failed miserably at it, and there's also the fact he isn't romantically involved with Suoh.
Of course, they don't hate each other, they even care a great deal about each other, to be honest, but they just aren't compatible as a couple. "Anyway, if we lived under the same roof, we'd end up kill each other in no time," he adds.
"Why so pessimistic?" Suoh asks amusedly.
"I'm being realistic, that's all."
Suddenly, Suoh start laughing so Munakata asks what's gotten to him. Suoh answers, "Was just thinking that since apparently it's not me you're going to marry soon, I feel sorry for the person who's going to marry such a stuck-in-the-mud."
"I'm not going to marry anyone, though." Munakata doesn't know where he got that idea from.
"But the bouquet?" Suoh asks as if he really believed in that superstition, though he obviously doesn't but Munakata knows he'll act as if he does no matter what Munakata may say only to annoy him.
Munakata sighs in defeat. "Suoh," he says. "Is there no way to end this conversation without coming to hands? Because I don't want to be murdered by the groom, you see." Munakata's taken a fair amount of alcohol during the reception, so he might actually lose control if he lets Suoh tease him any further.
"So what about we make a deal, then?" Suoh proposes. "I stop pestering you about the bouquet -permanently-"
"Sold," Munakata cuts him, not caring about what he will say next, as long as he leaves Munakata alone with that bouquet.
Suoh continues, "And in exchange, we move in together."
Munakata stares at him bug-eyed so Suoh explains, "To verify if you're really being 'realistic' when you say we'll kill each other if we live together."
Munakata reasons that living together is practically the same as being married -without the administrative paperwork, but more importantly agreeing means no more talk about that stupid bouquet and it's what matters most to Munakata at present. "Fine," he says.
"What?" Suoh exclaims. Apparently, he wasn't expecting Munakata to actually accept, which only strengthens Munakata's (drunken) resolve to do this.
"You heard me," he says. "Now remember, you shut up about that bouquet. For good," and he triumphantly walks back inside the room.
He hears Suoh chuckle in resignation then say, "We've gotten ourselves in some incongruous situation, huh, Munakata?"
"And whose fault do you think that is?"
Suoh laughs again, "You don't want to hear the answer to that, do you?"
"You're right. I don't."
Though he already knows, actually. A bouquet's fault.