Give it up for Day 2 of Panprice Week! We're going big with this one, so be prepared!
Today's prompt is: Partners! I won't keep you waiting, this one was fun to write! See you at the bottom of the page!
Rupert paced around, though at this point it was more like he was running back and forth. He'd started out calm enough, but as the conversation had gone on, he couldn't help but grow more and more tense. It was a dangerous game he was playing, asking this woman for help, but if she delivered on her promise, it could be worth everything.
He paused briefly to make eye contact with her. She'd been quiet for a while now, longer than he'd ever seen, eyes tracking his every movement like a cat toying with its prey. It was driving him crazy.
"You know I'd never ask a favor from you, ever," he said, resuming his pacing. "But my options are… limited. You… you're the only one I can ask for this, so… P-please…"
He felt his cheeks burn. He hated begging, especially from someone he knew could bloody well laugh in his face before prancing off to tell the world everything he'd said. If it came to that, he'd have to subdue her, but it wouldn't be an easy fight. She might go in for the kill… actually, no, the madwoman might let him live, just to make him suffer.
"Okay."
Rupert stopped short and stared at her. "Y… you'll help?"
She nodded, then raised a finger. "You'll have to follow my instructions, but if you play it right, I can get you what you want."
"It's not a want," Rupert snapped, "it's a need."
She nodded again. "I know. As it happens, I have a… personal interest in this case, so I won't charge you anything. I will help you get what you need. Just remember…" She pointed at him, jabbing slowly with each word. "Follow. My instructions. To the letter. Deal?"
That was probably a red flag, but he was in too deep at this point. He dragged his eyes from her finger to her eyes. There was a fire behind them; akin to a small, smoking ember in the brush that was dangerously close to erupting into a devastating flame. There'd be no going back.
He nodded. "Deal."
Later That Evening…
Rupert immediately regretted his decision, but that was hours ago, so he had no choice now but to keep going. It was like endurance training. Just keep going, and eventually, he'd earn his peace… and get out of this damned suit!
Admittedly, the suit he was wearing wasn't the worst option. He'd had to fight tooth and nail against the original choice, slowly wearing his quote un-quote, "patron" down until she refused to budge any further.
And this "outfit" he was wearing- a two piece black suit with a white dress shirt, unbuttoned by two buttons at the top, and two red roses in jacket pocket- was the result of his trials. Better than the frilly suits and ties and crap he'd been offered first, but only just. He wasn't much of a suit guy; his formal uniform was the fanciest he preferred to go.
Rupert stood awkwardly outside the building, wanting to lean against the wall but afraid of the wrath he'd face if he got even a speck of dirt on this suit, trying desperately not to look at anyone who passed by. It must have been a strange sight: a man in a suit standing alone on the sidewalk and staring at the ground as if he wanted to burn a hole in it, but Rupert held fast, refusing to acknowledge anyone but the one person he was here to see… assuming he arrived on time for once-
"Rupert?"
Rupert barely held himself back from jumping out of his skin, turning instead of whirling around to find- "Dave?"
Dave smiled shyly and waved, stopping a few feet in front of Rupert and letting him take in the view. Dave was dressed simply, with a white dress shirt tucked into dark gray slacks and a neat blue tie that was held in place with a pin to keep it from getting loose. Despite it being tailored to him perfectly, he looked small and awkward in the attire, but also so bloody-
"What happened to your hair?"
…Ah.
It was no secret that Rupert's hair was just barely in regulation, something that had given his superior officers in the government a headache many times. He liked it wild and free, even if he'd often been mistaken for a hedgehog or a lawyer, but tonight, he'd been forced to tame it, slicking it back and combing it so that it didn't "look like a rat's nest", according to someone.
Rupert's cheeks burned, and Dave quickly back tracked. "I-I mean, it's not bad, don't get me wrong! But I, uh… I almost didn't recognize you? Haha, sorry, that must sound so weird, I mean, we've known each other for so long, and-"
Rupert mentally slapped himself as Dave rambled. Pull it together, Price! The real battle was just beginning; he couldn't slip up now! Okay, after Dave arrived, he was supposed to do… something…
"HEY." He said, a bit more loudly than he meant to if the way Dave jerked back and the pedestrians on the street giving him weird looks were anything to go by. "Hey," he tried again. "You look… really… cutesome. I mean- handt! I mean you look Dave- cune- hatsome-!" Dave stared at him like he was having a stroke. Pull back, pull back! "Dave… you look… handsome… and c-cute…"
…Nailed it.
Dave blinked, his eyes as big as saucers. "Y-you think I'm handsome? And c-cute?" He asked.
Rupert nodded stiffly. Bloody hell, he must look like a total moron-!
"Th-thank you!" Dave smiled, and Rupert felt his heart soar. "I… I think you look cute and handsome, too…"
"...'nks," Rupert managed, trying and failing to keep his expression normal. Remembering the next step, he quickly plucked one of the roses from his jacket pocket and thrust it towards Dave. "This-is-for-you," he said quickly.
Dave looked surprised, then excited, and quickly took the rose in both hands, cradling it like the most precious thing in the world. "Thanks, Rupert! It's so pretty…" And Dave- bless him- rather than putting the flower in his pocket, tucked it behind his ear, and Rupert nearly melted into a pile of goo at the sight. Good thing he'd cut off all the thorns earlier…
"So, do you think the restaurant's open now? Can we go in?"
Rupert blinked out of his thoughts. Yes, the restaurant. The whole reason he'd invited Dave out in the first place. The big stage for the main event.
…Cripes.
"Yeah, it's open," he said, pulling open the front door and gesturing for Dave to go in. Dave smiled and thanked him, and the two of them walked inside.
"I'm glad you like this outfit," Dave was saying as they approached the front desk. "I wasn't sure about it first, but Ellie said-"
"Wait, Ellie?"
"Yeah, from the Triple Threat? She offered to help me out."
"...Did she, now."
A Little Later After That…
Dave leaned back in his seat with a sigh, patting his stomach. "That was so good! I don't know if I have room for dessert, though…"
"That's okay," Rupert said, chugging his ice water like a man in the desert.
The dinner had gone nearly perfectly, after the shock that was the fact that Ellie bloody Rose had gotten her hands on Dave (as soon as this was over, she was going to regret it). The table was covered with a white cloth and a deep blue overlay, with red rose petals scattered around a glimmering candlestick with a perfect view of the evening entertainment and the dark starry night outside. Rupert thought it was a little cliche, but Dave had loved it, so that was all that mattered.
Unfortunately, he'd been restricted to a single flute of champagne- just enough to ease his nerves, he'd been told, but not so much that he'd end up getting sloshed- as well as unlimited ice water, but that was not nearly enough. Dave, bless him, had offered his own flute to Rupert, but he declined. As much as he wished for the extra courage, he knew he needed to be as clear headed as possible when he brought up the main topic of the evening.
Speaking of which…
"Um, Rupert, are you okay? You're fidgeting a lot," Dave noted, reaching a hand across the table and setting it on Rupert's. God, he had an angel's touch, lighter than air but more powerful than lighting-
He took a deep breath. The opportunity was perfect, he just had to reach into his pocket, and-
Dave pulled away suddenly, and Rupert blinked in confusion. "Rupert, look, they're playing music again!" He said excitedly, staring raptly at the small raised stage nearby.
…Okay, after the music. Then he'd bring it up.
He adjusted his seat so that it looked like he was watching the stage, while in fact, he only had eyes for Dave's gentle, excited smile as he swayed to the music. Rupert didn't think the musicians were anything to sneeze at, but Dave was clearly enthralled.
Then Dave leaned over to him and whispered, "Hey, those musicians look kind of like the Triple Threat, don't they?"
.
.
.
What.
Rupert slowly turned his head towards the musicians. It was a duo, a woman playing a violin and a man playing a cello, while a third man conducted them with a fancy little baton. The conductor was hard to see from here since he was facing away, but the other two- the man with a sunny grin and the woman with fiery red hair- did, in fact, look very, very familiar.
And then all three members of the Triple Threat looked directly at Rupert and winked.
Rupert stood up, knocking his chair over with a clatter, and booked it to the exit. By the time he finally stopped seeing red, he had somehow found himself in a little park not too far from the restaurant, thankfully empty except for the chirping of late summer cicadas.
Dammit, dammit, dammit! He kicked a nearby tree and put his face in his hands, reaching up after a moment to scrub the bloody hair gel out of his hair. Everything had been going so perfectly- the mood, the lighting, the outfit, he'd followed every damn step- and yet he couldn't be left well enough alone, and now the moment was ruined. Could he even look Dave in the eye after-
Oh cripes, Dave! He'd left him in the restaurant! Thank God he'd given them his credit card beforehand, but poor Dave must have been so confused and worried! This was the worst possible outcome!
Rupert glared up at the moon, blinking furiously. Just once, couldn't he get something done right? How could Dave possibly forgive him for royally screwing up the way he did? And now Dave was either looking for him and getting lost, or he'd given up and gone home- Rupert wasn't sure which idea sounded worse.
"...pert? Rupert!"
Nevermind, he knew which was worse.
Dave stumbled to a stop nearby, panting with exhaustion as if he'd run the entire way. "Rupert?" He gasped. "What's wrong? Did I say something bad? I'm sorry if-"
Rupert whirled around. "You didn't say anything wrong!" He shouted. "You were perfect! Everything was perfect! I just… I bloody messed up, Dave! I'm… sorry…" Rupert turned his head away, unable to face his dearest friend like this. A burning sensation pricked at his eyes, and he fought hard to keep it in.
"...Rupert," Dave said quietly, and Rupert felt that angelic touch on his back, making him shiver. "Rupert, I don't know what happened, but I don't think you messed up. I mean… you're Rupert Price! You're strong, brave, and kind… even when things are bad, you keep going, because you know it's the right thing to do." Dave gently pulled Rupert towards him. "Whether we're having a fancy night out, or staying inside and watching TV together, every moment with you is… perfect." Dave's hands found Ruperts. "You're perfect," he whispered.
Rupert suddenly fell to his knees. Dave yelped at the sudden movement, then kneeled down as well. "Rupert, are you okay? What's wrong?!"
"Dave." Rupert's voice was strained. "I need you to stand up."
"Um, okay?" Dave said uncertainly. "Let me help you up-"
"No, Dave, I need you to stand up."
"But I don't want to leave you on the ground!"
"Dave, please, you need to be standing up."
"But why-?"
"Go for it, Rupert!" The two of them looked up to see the Triple Threat peering at them from behind a bush, grinning and giving them thumbs-ups. "Do it!" Charles shouted. Henry whistled.
Rupert snapped. "CAN'T A GUY PROPOSE IN PEACE?!"
Silence. Even the cicadas seemed to shut up.
…Oh, God.
Before Rupert could run for the hills, Dave tackled him to the ground, shouting, "Yes! Yes! Yes!" in his ear.
"...What?" His voice was hoarse.
Dave pulled back and smiled so broadly at him that his eyes were squinting. "Yes, Rupert! I'll-I'll marry you! Yes!"
"...Really?"
"Rupert Price," Ellie shouted, "if you don't give him that ring right now-!"
Rupert cursed under his breath, fumbling for the little velvet box that had been burning a hole in his pocket for a week now. He opened it shakily, revealing a neat gold band with a black pearl inlaid at the center. "S-so, Dave, do you wanna-"
Dave crushed him in a hug, squeezing the life out of him, but Rupert had never felt more alive.
Triple Threat was cheering and whooping in the bush, with Ellie shouting, "pay up, boys!"
"Aw, what?" Charles shot back.
"Rupert went to me first," Ellie said smugly, rubbing her knuckles on her shirt proudly. "That means you owe me fifty bucks! Henry owes me a hundred!"
The boys groaned and began reaching for their wallets, but Rupert didn't care. He slipped the ring onto Dave's finger, which was the last amount of control he had over his body before he rolled them both over, pinning Dave to the ground and showering him with kisses. Dave squeaked, tears of joy shining in the corners of his eyes.
So maybe not everything had gone as planned, but Dave was right. Every moment the two of them had together was perfect, and as partners, they were going to have so many perfect moments together in the future. He couldn't wait to get started.
Dave looks good in white collar attire, what can I say? Also, Rupert would be mistaken for a hedgehog; it's practically a rite of passage for characters with big, spiky black hair!
I imagine Rupert isn't particularly buddy-buddy with any of his fellow soldiers aside from Charles, and even then... would you really ask Charles for help with proposing to your crush? (Charlie's plan is, and always will be, to crash into the loved one with a helicopter while singing "This! Is! The greatest! Proposal!") ...Yeah, Rupert had to pick Ellie. Henry was definitely out of the question.
Ellie's "personal interest" is mostly just... wanting Dave and Rupert to get hitched already. So many dumb couples around her, too busy hemming and hawing over the decision to just go for it! Someone's got to push their agenda onto all those hapless couples; might as well be her.
I gave Dave a ring with a black pearl because I like shiny things, and while I can appreciate the simplicity of a gold/silver/platinum band or whatever, I like a little something extra for everyone, regardless of gender. Everyone who wants to get married should be entitled to a sparkly ring that fits their personality, if they want a ring at all. Them's the facts! Also, I think it suits him, both in terms of color and meaning, since pearls are considered a sign of innocence and humility (Dave is pretty humble, to the point of being self-deprecating, but we love him for it because it's relatable).
Rupert's ring would probably have a ruby or something like that, to show off his fiery, passionate side. Or maybe he'd also get a black pearl to match with Dave. Who knows?
I didn't really have a song in mind for the Triple Threat to be playing for Dave and Rupert, but Henry's conducting them with the Windwaker Wand from that one fail in Fleeing the Complex. That's probably why Ellie and Charles sounded as good as they did. Ellie can maybe play an instrument, but Charles doesn't have a musical bone in his body, aside from singing.
Okay, that's enough notes for one chapter! Tune in tomorrow (hopefully) for another prompt for Panprice Week 2023! Leave a review while you're here, and tell me what you thought of this one. I'll see you all tomorrow. Until then!