The cold late Winter evening is peaceful throughout the apartment complex, but there is one unit where there is a storm brewing.
A woman sits by the vanity, putting on the finishing touches of the carefully set make-up, as her boyfriend sits on the bed and admires her work. Usually, he would smile and wax poetry about her looks, but tonight, all he could manage is a heavy scowl.
"Why do you have to leave, love?" Xander was coming uncomfortably close to whining.
It would be worth it, though, if it caused her to feel bad enough to stay, the man considered. He is not holding his breath over this.
Corrin looked at him from the reflection in the mirror. "We've gone over this. Sakura made into college and we're celebrating it. My mother will have a cow if I don't show up to this dinner."
Yes, he had been told that already. What Xander did not understand was why she had to spend the night with her parents. He concedes that her mother and stepfather did not seem the type to make one poke their eyes out with a rusting nail if forced to spend any amount of time in close proximity, like his parents and stepparents were, but still. It is hard to wrap his head around.
Truth be told, none of it would be a problem if his woman would just tell her family about him. He knows them, of course, since he attended school and college with her eldest brother, but he assumes that this sort of event was of a completely different nature. They had been an item for almost a year, having given her plenty of time to let her parents and stepsiblings in on their relationship.
He had to admit her refusal made sense at first. She had been worried that they would not last and telling her parents would only cause more complications on an already strenuous situation, but now, all these months in, it begins to look ridiculous.
On the limit, he was old enough to be her father, being fifteen bitter years her senior. This had caused a few problems at first with their friends and family, especially his siblings. Elise was ecstatic when told, as she often is, but Camilla was concerned about the long-time feasibility of their relationship, and Leo almost blew a gasket over the "inappropriateness" of it all.
Their opinions meant a lot to Corrin, he knew. So Xander swiftly got everyone together when she had been out shopping. It had taken a lot of work getting that woman to even consider him as more than a friend and he made it clear to everyone that he refused to let any of them ruin his chances with her.
At the time, he was surprised how angry the whole thing made him. As it turns out, he was exceedingly frightened that something would happen to scare the love of his life way. When their father died and he took over the family business, something in him broke. It had been painful, yes, since that man was the only one that he had, regardless of how terribly he played the role, but he still liked to think the change had been for the good. Now that this woman is a constant in his life, he knew he is a better man.
"You could always use this family event to introduce them to your brilliant and handsome boyfriend." The blond business owner teased. "Maybe your mother would stop trying to set you up with other men if she knew you were taken."
Her mother's incessant matchmaking had caused no small amount of frustration for Xander. Being a naturally possessive man meant that he did not like the idea of other men flirting with his woman. Especially when he was not around to properly deflect it, preferably through the use of intimidation.
Corrin chuckles. "She's only doing her job, you know? It's a well-known fact that mothers are supposed to find spouses for their children to settle down with."
She smiled and placed her arms around his neck, nuzzling his shoulder with her forehead. He could not help but to smile at the action. She always did that when she wanted him to stop infuriating her.
"Why won't you tell them, love?" He asked, earnestly.
Xander cursed his inability at keeping the vulnerability out of his voice. He really does not want to look this pathetic, begging for assurance like a puppy wagging its tail, but her reluctance in doing so was beginning to make him feel desperate.
Saying nothing, Corrin continued to rub against his shoulder. Then, suddenly, she pulled away and went back to packing her bags. What the hell was going on? Why was she making this so damn difficult? Maybe she had gotten tired of him and did not know how to tell him.
Xander was going to be sick. Half of him was yelling at him to let it go before he did some permanent damage, but the other half wanted answers.
Anger won and he said, "So, that's it? You aren't going to tell them? Well, that's fine with me. It appears that there's nothing to tell anyway."
The blonde woman turned to him as if he had physically stricken her. Her mouth opens to talk, but no sound ever comes out of it.
He took a deep breath and said, "I love you, Corrin, but I'm not going to be your dirty secret. I can't be with someone who's ashamed of me."
Oh, God, what had he just done? This is not true, this is not happening. Anxiety rises on his throat and all he wants to do is shout "sike!", if it made it all go away.
Corrin gazed at him in shock. Her mouth opened and closed several times before any actual words came out.
"I'm not ashamed of you," She hissed. "The reason I have been procrastinating is because I don't think they will approve! You know how Ryoma and Takumi are, and even if my mother decides to give you a fair chance, it'll be hard to win over their resistance. And for what? What purpose does it achieve? I don't want them to ruin what we have, Xander."
The anger seemed to leave her with those words.
She sighed before continuing, "I'm sorry. If me telling them means a lot to you, then I will call home right this instant and declare to everyone how much I love you."
He felt a little better now he knew her reasoning. "No, need for the dramatics, Corrin. I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have pushed."
Huffing, she said, "I should have told them a long time ago, really."
A mischievous smile appeared on her face. He watched as she got down on one knee.
Xander froze. Surely, she is not about to do what it looked like?
Corrin clutched his hand to her chest and spoke, "Would you, Xander, do me the grand honour of accompanying me to my parent's house?"
Goodness, he loved this woman.
Laughing, he knew there was only one thing he could say. "Yes, I'd love to."
