Chocolate fic for melonpaan
To: melonpaan
From: cupid_johnny
Title: I hope you weren’t planning on marrying Prince Ohno
Pairing: Nino/Ishihara Satomi, with side pairings of Jun/Horikita Maki, Ohno Satoshi/a mermaid, Sho/Kitagawa Keiko, and Aiba/Becky
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Satomi’s chances for a happily ever after are thwarted at every turn. Or so she thinks.
A/N: I did my best to include the pairings listed, and to capture some whimsy for you dear requester. I hope this does not disappoint. Happy White Day!
Satomi had always thought she wanted grand, sweeping gestures from a man. The sort of thing that all the other princesses talked about when they had their annual summit. Well, only after discussing trade, cross-kingdom projects, regional stability, and what to do about the recent increase in divination related crime, of course! Last year, Takeuchi Yuko had explained quietly over tea that Kimura Takuya had wooed her with an entire field of sunflowers and a promise to strengthen her naval fleet. The last suitor Satomi could remember was a man with a bird's beak who said he'd been cursed by a witch and could only recover with true love's kiss.
Satomi had found him trying to pry precious artwork off the walls in the early hours of the morning when she couldn't sleep. In spite of his spending months in the dungeon, Satomi wouldn't have been surprised to learn that he'd found his special someone before she had!
Stealing from her home, rather than stealing her heart - not exactly the kind of grand gesture Satomi had been hoping to receive. Which was why, after some extensive thought and many nights spent dreaming of a love-life she was missing, she'd finally gone to her parents for help.
"With the right kind of events, and the right sort of guests, you'll be engaged by the end of the year," her mother promised.
"We'll start with a ball," her father proposed, laughing as Satomi threw her arms about him in a tight hug.
SPRING ❀
There had never been a more perfect, shining, shimmering, handsome prince in her presence! How lucky that Satomi had spotted him early! He had strong facial features, almost frightening if he weren't smiling, but that just made him all the more regal. Strong, attractive, and sophisticated - Satomi sighed and was careful not to melt right there in her seat beside the throne.
"Prince Matsumoto," her mother filled her in with a soft laugh. "Younger brother of the Princess of Western territories. You remember how well-dressed she is, I'm sure."
Satomi had always envied her fashion sense! It was hard to pair prints, at least in her eyes, but Princess Matsumoto had always managed it well. They were a glittering family, clearly, as she couldn't take her eyes off the girl's brother now. The soft blue of his formal coat was like something out of a dream.
Although it was tempting to take to the dance floor immediately and request he partner her and no one else, Satomi didn't want to appear too eager. Hopefully, if she waited long enough, she could find him later in the evening, when she'd have more of a chance of making a lasting impression. She couldn't flee her own party, she wasn't Cinderella! So a last dance of the night and a lingering kiss would surely do the trick.
"Excuse me," a man interrupted her thoughts, causing Satomi to suddenly stand in her surprise.
"Ah, sorry, I just thought you might like to dance," he explained, offering her a hand and nodding toward the guests already turning about the room.
It wasn't all that shocking that someone ask her to dance at a ball, but Satomi thought it was a bit bold of him to walk right up to her without hesitation. Bold could be a good thing, though. And one dance couldn't hurt, could it? She had some time to kill before she sought out the prince.
"All right, err..."
"Nino."
"Nino," she echoed with a soft laugh. It was an odd name, but it would be easy enough to remember!
At first she thought she might be taller than the man, but as he walked her down the steps and they positioned themselves to waltz, it turned out he was almost her height exactly. It was alarming, having his eyes lock with hers so easily.
She tried not to stare at her current partner, looking anywhere but his face, occasionally even glancing at Prince Matsumoto as he danced with her childhood friend Maki, conversing all the while. She would definitely have to pull the girl aside later and ask if Maki thought he would be a match for her. It would at least solidify a strong alliance between kingdoms!
"What kind of hobbies do you have?" Satomi asked politely, not wanting Nino to think her rude for ignoring him. Well, that and now she'd seen Maki chatting up a storm.
Most of the other dancing couples didn't seem to be speaking as they danced, but she was attempting to find the person she was meant to spend the rest of her life with, and that required a few questions at least. Prince Matsumoto was clearly okay with speaking while dancing. She needed practice now, and Nino seemed nice enough.
"Going on quests, taming unicorns, slaying dragons," Nino answered, his posture suddenly improving with the brag.
Satomi could admit she hadn't been expecting that kind of answer out of him. He did have a sort of something that made her stomach flutter - but she'd thought that was just his kind eyes and the spot on his chin that was undeniably cute. Adorable was not the same as heroic, though, and she hadn't heard any stories about a man named Nino circulating. Strange.
Still, if that's what he did as a hobby, how could she not be impressed?
"Amazing!" she praised, twirling away from him and returning with a smile. "Think of all the people you've protected, Nino-san!"
"Oh, many. Several, I'd say, saved from the bother of my company," he responded with a chuckle. "All that's just from make-believe. You know, the illusions you can get from the shops? Developed by mages?"
Satomi sighed and gave a curtsey, thankful that whatever piece the orchestra was playing came to a stop after his answer. He was just pretending, then. The very first question and he was already taking her for a fool!
Better not to wait then. If she could get time with the person she really wanted to have as a suitor, then why waste time? She was just about to head over to the prince when the orchestra started up once more.
"Dancing with Maki again," she whispered, watching as Prince Matsumoto decided against changing partners. Well, that didn't have to mean anything. Satomi knew how friendly Maki could be.
"I'm sorry," Nino apologized, reminding her that he was still there, "I was just joking. I mean, that is my hobby, but I also have other things."
"You'll have to tell me about them sometime," Satomi responded, "Thanks for the dance."
She did mean it, genuinely, but if she danced with Nino again, she might end up on this side of the ballroom for too long. Something in her gut told her she couldn't let that happen. She left him, carefully making her way through the couples until finally, finally, her friend and the prince were in sight.
The safest way she could observe them was from the tables overflowing with desserts for the guests. Grabbing a raspberry tart, Satomi nibbled and pretended to be occupied with food, all while listening intently for what the two of them might be saying.
"I like to go for a run in the mornings. Recently I've added more uphill paths to my daily route," the prince said, a wicked grin appearing on his face before he unexpectedly dropped Maki into a dip.
She shook her head at him, but was smiling from ear to ear.
"That means you're in shape, sure, but it doesn't mean you're strong. That's different," she argued, letting go of him for a moment to flex an arm muscle at him playfully.
"Well we know I could carry you, do you think you could carry me?" he challenged.
"I think I could carry you, yeah," Maki replied, stumbling over a move when her laughter became distracting. "I don't think you want me to prove that here."
"Where can we go then?" Prince Matsumoto asked. Satomi's eyes widened when Maki blushed and the prince leaned forward to whisper in her ear. She didn't like where this was obviously progressing, but Maki was her best friend. She wasn't sure if she had the heart to stop her as she watched Prince Matsumoto escort her off the dance floor.
It would be impossible to ignore what was happening between them, especially now that they'd left to be alone. Satomi accepted defeat, shoving the rest of the raspberry tart in her mouth.
Maybe it would be best to flee her own party after all.
SUMMER ☀
Satomi couldn't help but notice what this event had that the ball had lacked - skin! She secretly loved the curve of a man's bare arm, and she wouldn't complain about a good look at back muscles glistening in the sun! Satomi was also happy to show off her body in her brightest bikini. She didn't have the abs of Maki, but she was in decent shape given her sweet tooth and her aversion to exercise of all sorts. Seeing Prince Matsumoto and Maki in some sort of push-up competition in the sand made her glad she'd let the idea of him go. He was very pretty, of course, but clearly they were better suited for one another.
Using her hand as a temporary visor, Satomi scanned the beach for signs of an interesting man. When her eyes landed on a tan figure building a sand castle in the distance, Satomi was instantly intrigued.
"You're smart to bring the water to you."
He looked up at the sound of her voice, smiling and scooting over, allowing her to sit beside him as he worked. It was funny how calm and peaceful an aura he had, perfect for a hot summer's day. There was an energy around what he was doing, but without much sign of effort. Satomi brushed her hair out of her face and tried not to be too obvious about the batting of her eyelashes.
She waited for him to speak, and when it simply didn't happen, she cleared her throat and said, "It looks just like the castle!"
"Yeah?" he responded, tilting his head and looking it over. "I guess it does!"
Satomi giggled and decided to be helpful, scooping up some water from the pail at his side and sprinkling it over some sand that needed it. He wasn't much of a communicator, but that was okay! Satomi appreciated his artistic eye and the cute way he looked when he was concentrating.
"I bet my parents would love this," Satomi mentioned, glancing up for a moment to see if she could find them across the beach. She frowned when she noticed a fully-clothed man atop the dunes instead. What in the world?
Squinting to try and make out his features, Satomi was surprised to find it was Nino the fake dragon slayer, looking a bit miserable and alone. Ugh. She shouldn't be concerned with it. It wasn't any of her business why he'd shown up without a swimsuit and was seemingly determined to exclude himself from fun.
But no one else was talking to him either, and it wouldn't hurt to acknowledge him for a moment. It was the right thing to do as the hostess of the event. Let no one say she wasn't bound to be a fair and generous ruler someday!
She touched the her new companion's arm briefly with the excuse of needing it to help her stand (after all, it was too good an opportunity to pass up!), then let him know she'd be back in a flash. Wiping sand from her thighs, she started up the dunes, trying to think of what she could say that wouldn't be rude. Eventually she settled for--
"Hello."
"Your highness," Nino responded with a bow.
"You don't have to call me that," she told him sheepishly, waving a hand in front of her face. She wasn't Queen yet, and she wasn't inside the castle either. He might as well just call her Ishihara-san. That would be perfectly all right.
"Satomi-chan, then."
She knew it wasn't the sun that made her cheeks turn bright red then, and so did he if the smirk on his face was anything to go by. Still, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of having flustered her.
"You look uncomfortable. Do you need water?" she asked, pressing a hand to his forehead - which he quickly shook off.
"Water is what I'm trying to avoid, mostly," he explained, crossing his arms over his chest. He looked like a petulant child.
Satomi had to remind herself that it was not charming. In fact, it was ridiculous! Why come to a beach event if you didn't want to be near the water? Wasn't that sort of foolish?
Still, she had to wonder what his problem with water was if he didn't even want to go near it. She didn't want to stay up here and chat forever, but maybe it wasn't a long story.
"So, what's bad about the ocean?"
"It's annoying," he answered with a chuckle, rubbing his face with his hands. "Sand is itchy, saltwater stings, there's too much sun, ships!"
"Ships?" she repeated.
"Ships. I've been on my fair share of them, and never without getting sick."
"Yeah, but there aren't any ships here today. You could come down and play beach volleyball or something! If you don't get wet and you don't have a swimsuit on, you'll probably survive the sand," Satomi began talking him into joining the party.
In truth, she had no idea why she was encouraging him. If he hated the beach, it was highly unlikely that she'd change his mind about it at his age. But something about him watching everyone else - even if he wasn't obviously jealous, Satomi was sure he must have felt out of the loop.
"Thanks, but-- oh. Oh no," Nino groaned, his eyes suddenly looking past her over her shoulder. "I hope you weren't planning on marrying Prince Ohno."
"Prince Ohno? Was he the one building the sandcastle?" Satomi asked, quickly turning around.
She didn't have time to process whether he looked like his older sister or not. Satomi had only seen her once at the summit anyway. No, she couldn't take that kind of time because as of right now, the man she'd been trying to flirt with was being seduced into the ocean by some other woman.
"How can he be kissing someone already!?" she cried in distress as she watched their lips touch out in the waves. She rushed down the dunes then, not noticing at first that Nino was right in step beside her.
"OH-CHAN NO! YOU CAN'T GO WITH THE MERMAID! YOUR MOTHER IS GOING TO KILL YOU!" Nino shouted, waving his arms frantically above his head.
Oh-chan, was it? No, wait, no, she didn't have time to think about that either. It didn't matter how Nino knew the prince. The mermaid's tail was splashing as she swam with Prince Ohno held against her side, the two of them getting farther and farther away.
"Ohno-sama, come back! Your sandcastle isn't finished!" she pleaded, but to no avail.
Satomi frowned as he waved her, and their potential future together, goodbye - disappearing into the depths of the sea.
FALL ☁
Satomi loved watching the leaves fall from the trees, swirl in a gust of wind, then float to the earth below. It was why, in spite of the many concerns her parents had voiced, Satomi was pleased to be hosting a picnic on the castle grounds. It would be far more romantic with two people than a whole party, but given she was still searching for that special someone - she didn't have much of a choice.
This time she'd been careful about formulating a plan. Each blanket had assigned seating, to ensure everyone had enough food and drink (or so she would explain if questioned). Sakurai Sho, the merchant from the North she'd been told would be a good match, was seated with her and her friend Keiko.
She had struggled with the decision of who to have sit beside her, when so far she'd been unlucky with men and her friends. It was too obvious to sit with Sho alone, and Satomi couldn't bring herself to be that forward. It wouldn't be proper. Keiko, however, was very vocal about being perfectly happy in her independence. She wasn't really looking to be swept off her feet. Of all her friends, Satomi knew she'd be safe.
Or at least, that was what she had thought until they were halfway through the food and Satomi had hardly spoken a word.
"Ahhh, I always wanted to go overseas. I've been studying the language," Keiko informed Sho with a bright smile.
Satomi thought she saw an opening to add to the topic when it suddenly grew quiet. If it had been Sho alone, Satomi might have asked him to say a few romantic things and then complimented him on his accent. She was just about to give it a try anyway when Sho launched into a full-blown speech!
She could barely make out anything, except for "ten-year plan" and something about "coins". Keiko was nodding enthusiastically, captivated by whatever secret they were sharing now.
"I should go mingle with the other guests," she spoke over them both loudly, not bothering to hide her annoyance as she stood. She grabbed the bottle of wine that was meant for them to share and carried it with her away from the blanket.
God, people falling in love could be so rude.
She was in the process of choosing her new blanket buddies when she spotted him. He was most certainly not invited, at least not by her, as was obvious by his lack of blanket entirely. Maybe she could have forgiven it if he was socializing like a normal human being, but asleep in the middle of the grass?
"Nino, honestly!" she sighed, kneeling down and attempting to nudge him awake by lightly hitting his stomach.
He opened one eye, regarded her with seeming disinterest, and promptly rolled over.
"You can't just be on the castle grounds whenever you feel like it! Why are you at this picnic if you aren't going to eat food and talk with everyone? This is just like the beach."
"Good point," he grumbled, slowly pulling himself into a seated position. "Do you keep holding these events outside now because you know I hate it?"
What.
"No! It's my event so it's my rules, obviously. Why would I worry about whether you like it or not?" Satomi asked in exasperation.
He didn't answer her, instead taking the bottle of wine from her hands and setting it down in the grass between them. If he thought she was going to share with him, he was crazy. She hadn't brought any glasses over and she wasn't about to start indirect kissing!
"I hope Sho-chan wasn't boring you with business talk," Nino said, stretching his arms over his head and yawning.
There he was again with his familiarity. Oh-chan, now Sho-chan. Well, and he was calling her Satomi-chan now too. Maybe he just wasn't the type to use polite language if he could help it.
"Well, he was talking about the silk trade a lot, but I didn't really mind it. It was better than him running off with a wood nymph or something," she answered with a shrug of her shoulders.
Nino snorted with laughter, and nodded his head in what Satomi thought was agreement. After all, he'd been there to witness the mermaid incident in all its weirdness. It wasn't funny, exactly, because she had really liked Ohno, but she could see now that there was some laughter to be had about it all. She had especially liked the way Nino's jaw had nearly dropped to his toes when his friend had waved goodbye and ducked beneath the waves.
"He sent me a letter, but all it talked about was fish school. I think he meant schools of fish but I can't really be sure with him," Nino informed her, losing his battle with gravity and sinking to the ground once more.
Satomi thought it was cute, in a way, how he curled up on his side and propped his head up with his hand. She didn't find the ground nearly as comfortable as he seemed to right now, which was a shame when it had been her idea to picnic, and he supposedly didn't like it at all.
"Why do you keep coming, really?" Satomi asked, her curiosity still niggling at her.
"It's not obvious? Well, shit."
Nino laughed loudly and reached for the wine, popping it open and raising the bottle as if in a toast. She wasn't sure why he thought he could manage to drink it when he was still on his side, but she was definitely amused to see him try.
"Don't choke," she requested, glad that his lips hadn't touched the bottle when he handed it over to her. She leaned forward on instinct to dab at some of the spilled liquid on his chin before blushing and pulling back.
"The next one will be outdoors too, I've just decided," she let him know, then added, "Come if you want."
After all, he'd been better company today than her no-longer-a-future-husband Sho. With a laugh and a salute, Satomi drank to that.
WINTER ❄
He had been holding a white, fluffy rabbit. Satomi had nearly tripped over her own feet in her hurry to meet him. Mostly because of the cute animal, sure, but she hadn't failed to notice he was highly attractive in his own right. The first thing she could think of to get his attention? Obviously to tell him it was her birthday!
"IT'S MY BIRTHDAY TOO!"
Satomi laughed loudly, already enjoying the man's company. He had a smile warm enough to melt the snow around them. Lucky that the season's fairies had already assured her it would all keep until morning.
"We must have a lot in common, then!" Satomi pointed out, a hope slowly stirring inside her. "You can think of this as your birthday festival too, if you'd like."
She was surprised her parents had suggested something that was so obviously centered around her when she'd asked for another outdoor event, but the rest of the kingdom didn't seem to mind the extra night for celebration. She had already heard some children whispering excitedly about fireworks, and the local shops had another chance to display their wares in open stalls. It was cold, but not bitingly so. It was a magical evening, really.
She had already eaten quite a few not-so-good-for-her treats and tried her luck with a few games (pin the tail on the troll was far too difficult!), but this was already her favorite part of the festival. It was her first time ever experiencing a festival petting zoo!
"I tried to bring only the animals that would look wintery," Aiba told her, waving her over to get a closer look at a snowy owl. "Probably good too. As much as I love my monkey, she gets a little rambunctious with large crowds."
"You have a pet monkey?"
Aiba nodded, gently taking Satomi's wrist and leading her hand to the owl's feathers.
"Be gentle, but this should be safe. I think," he told her.
Not the most comforting thing he could have said, but Satomi didn't mind that so much. He was uncertain, but at least he was honest about it. She liked that he stayed close to her just in case. That was the sign of a person who really cared deeply for others, and had a protective instinct. This could be the man she had been waiting for, finally, after almost a year!
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a woman approaching quickly, but didn't think anything of it. After all, this was a festival! Plenty of people out tonight, and some were bound to be excited about the animals. Maybe, if she asked Aiba for a moment alone later when he was packing up, they could have a more private conversation. Until then...
"Excuse me, princess, could I borrow him for a moment?" the woman she'd noticed asked politely, suddenly at her side. It was unexpected, but her smile seemed genuine. Who was Satomi to say no? (The princess, actually, but she'd never thrown her weight around like that!)
Though her lips were pursed in confusion and she didn't entirely want to have Aiba leave, she nodded her head in agreement. The woman curtsied, then pulled Aiba away in a manner that indicated they must be familiar.
"I thought we agreed this was a look-don't-touch kind of zoo!" she spoke loudly enough that Satomi could still hear her.
"Well, yeah, but this is the princess, Becky! Don't you think she should get to pet the animals at least once? On her birthday?" Aiba argued, but Satomi could see by his body language that he felt guilty. She hadn't meant to cause trouble for anyone!
"I know you're trying to be nice, but if something went wrong, we could lose our livelihood. Too risky, don't you think? As of now?"
When Aiba reached out to touch the woman's belly, Satomi didn't bother sticking around for the end of the conversation. The woman was clearly his wife, his pregnant wife. Satomi wouldn't dare ruin such a good man's happiness. Instead, she fled the main pathways and trudged through some deeper snow until she was safely hidden behind a few evergreen trees. She needed a moment away from everyone and everything, a moment to process that she was unwanted.
She hadn't liked Aiba so much that she was heartbroken for him in particular, but she was devastated. How many times did she have to have her hopes crushed before it was allowed to be her turn? She was smart, and though it didn't really translate into expanding a business empire with Sho, he could have helped her run a kingdom! She wasn't so fit that she could do a hundred sit-ups in a minute, but she could have danced a million waltzes with Jun if he'd asked her! She might not have had the ability to breathe underwater, but if she had known Ohno was so into fishing, she'd have let him go out every single day to catch their dinner!
Or something.
Well, if this was how it was going to be, then she was just going to go back to the festival and find that Toma guy, the one who'd told her she looked pretty when she had paid for her takoyaki. He was handsome and he had a job making food! Satomi liked food.
"I'm not going to spend my birthday with icicles on my cheeks!" she spoke to the darkness, wiping her tears of frustration.
"That's the spirit," a familiar voice said behind her, making her jump.
Satomi placed a hand over her heart to make sure it was still beating, then slowly turned to face the person interrupting her private moment.
"Are you a stalker or something!?" she questioned him loudly, though she regretted it almost immediately when she saw the pained expression that flashed across Nino's face. In the blink of an eye, it was gone.
"Maybe a little, but I don't think there's anything wrong with worrying about the princess running off into the woods alone at night," Nino stated.
"You were the one that followed me here! So you're the one making it dangerous," she countered in a huff.
If she was being honest, he was right about it being a bad idea to come out here alone. She also knew she was being a bit harsh with him. Satomi had told him to come to the next event and here he was! She was just embarrassed about being seen this way. He wasn't exactly catching her at her finest hour.
"I know why you're upset," Nino changed the subject, stepping closer to her. She was terrified, only for a second, when he reached his hand out toward her. When all he did was zip her coat up further and tighten her scarf, she relaxed.
"And I think you have every right to be! Aiba can't really be helped, he's got a good excuse. The others... they're my friends, but they're blind idiots."
Satomi wasn't sure how to respond to a comment like that. It seemed appropriate to thank him for the compliment she thought he might be paying her, but what if that wasn't what he meant at all? Why was she so nervous all of a sudden?
"Satomi-chan, let me ask you a few questions. Just a few, and if by the end of them you aren't happy, I promise I'll leave you alone from here on out!" he begged, even going so far as to bow his head.
"Okay," she agreed, taking a deep breath. "Okay."
His first question was how she would feel if her husband was more admired for his fashion sense than she was around the kingdom. It wasn't hard to figure out that he was talking about Prince Matsumoto. While she would have liked to claim that it wouldn't trouble her in the slightest, she knew that she would be telling a lie. It was great to have someone who dressed well at her side, sure, but to be noticed more often? Satomi didn't want to be seen as attention-seeking, but it was nice to be acknowledged. She could admit within herself that she wanted eyes on her sometimes too.
Satomi had noticed at the ball that Nino wasn't the sharpest dresser. At least, he didn't go for extravagance. It was amazing how good he'd looked in something so simple. She'd just been so preoccupied with Jun's fancy coat and cutting in on his dances with Maki that she'd sort of forgotten.
Nino's second question was about whether she expected her husband to be a good listener or a good conversationalist. If she thought back to Ohno, she knew that she would have a good listener on her hands. He had at least acknowledged everything she'd said, he just hadn't had a lot to add. Even when they were calling for him, he'd not said a word. It was comfortable in the little time she'd had with him, but forever? Satomi couldn't imagine what it would be like to have such a big castle be so quiet.
Nino's third question was if she was the type of person who wanted to follow a set schedule. Without a doubt asked because of Sakurai Sho and his ten year plan for success. Satomi had admired it, in a way, but it was hard to know exactly what he was up to when he wasn't speaking her language. Satomi had a lot of responsibilities and it was hard to balance things without a routine. But even so, she was awarded a lot of freedom as a princess that she didn't take for granted. She was also incredibly fond of spontaneity and surprises.
The more she thought about each of the men she'd met, the more she understood that she had been attracted to them for their best qualities - but best didn't necessarily mean best for her. They were special, wonderful people who were right for the people they'd found. They couldn't give Satomi what she was looking for in a relationship. Maybe they had just figured that out sooner than she had.
"Last question," Nino announced.
"Please, go on," Satomi encouraged him, interested in what he might have left for her to consider.
"If a man stood in front of you, willing to do anything to be near you, ready to fight all your imagined monsters bravely, happy to love you every day for eternity, and he asked you to give him a chance - would you accept?"
Satomi's heart was racing so fast she thought she might faint, but she tried not to let it show. Nino had been kind to call his friends blind idiots for her sake, but right now she felt like the one who had been foolishly looking for a person who had been near her all along.
Every event she'd held, no matter how she treated him, Nino was there. Not just present, as the others had been, but there for her and with her, until the very end. Conversation had been easy with him, every single time, and even in her annoyance or frustration with him he'd managed to make her laugh.
She loved him! Every little part of him.
What a relief!
"I've decided," Satomi answered him, shyly sliding her arms around his waist. "Our wedding will be indoors."
"Am I finally invited?" he asked, planting kisses on her cheeks.
"No," Satomi answered, laughing and holding him tighter. "Other people are invited. You have to be there."
Of course!
---
Nino winced as a door flew open, the sound of hurried feet across marble floor disturbing him from his perfect slumber. There was only one person who would know where to find him right now.
"Satomi-chan?" he guessed, opening an eye to confirm.
"Prince Ninomiya of the North," she greeted coldly, dropping an RSVP on his chest.
"Oh good, Nee-chan is coming," he read. He could tell her handwriting even upside down. Worse than his own, which was saying something.
"You didn't mention--"
"--that you'd get a better alliance than even Jun-pon could provide? Must have forgotten," he finished for her, grinning and patting the space beside him.
"Fine. Nap now, but I'm still going to be mad at you when we wake up," she warned, cuddling up close beside him.
"Love you too," Nino promised, and closed his eyes once more.
From: cupid_johnny
Title: I hope you weren’t planning on marrying Prince Ohno
Pairing: Nino/Ishihara Satomi, with side pairings of Jun/Horikita Maki, Ohno Satoshi/a mermaid, Sho/Kitagawa Keiko, and Aiba/Becky
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Satomi’s chances for a happily ever after are thwarted at every turn. Or so she thinks.
A/N: I did my best to include the pairings listed, and to capture some whimsy for you dear requester. I hope this does not disappoint. Happy White Day!
Satomi had always thought she wanted grand, sweeping gestures from a man. The sort of thing that all the other princesses talked about when they had their annual summit. Well, only after discussing trade, cross-kingdom projects, regional stability, and what to do about the recent increase in divination related crime, of course! Last year, Takeuchi Yuko had explained quietly over tea that Kimura Takuya had wooed her with an entire field of sunflowers and a promise to strengthen her naval fleet. The last suitor Satomi could remember was a man with a bird's beak who said he'd been cursed by a witch and could only recover with true love's kiss.
Satomi had found him trying to pry precious artwork off the walls in the early hours of the morning when she couldn't sleep. In spite of his spending months in the dungeon, Satomi wouldn't have been surprised to learn that he'd found his special someone before she had!
Stealing from her home, rather than stealing her heart - not exactly the kind of grand gesture Satomi had been hoping to receive. Which was why, after some extensive thought and many nights spent dreaming of a love-life she was missing, she'd finally gone to her parents for help.
"With the right kind of events, and the right sort of guests, you'll be engaged by the end of the year," her mother promised.
"We'll start with a ball," her father proposed, laughing as Satomi threw her arms about him in a tight hug.
SPRING ❀
There had never been a more perfect, shining, shimmering, handsome prince in her presence! How lucky that Satomi had spotted him early! He had strong facial features, almost frightening if he weren't smiling, but that just made him all the more regal. Strong, attractive, and sophisticated - Satomi sighed and was careful not to melt right there in her seat beside the throne.
"Prince Matsumoto," her mother filled her in with a soft laugh. "Younger brother of the Princess of Western territories. You remember how well-dressed she is, I'm sure."
Satomi had always envied her fashion sense! It was hard to pair prints, at least in her eyes, but Princess Matsumoto had always managed it well. They were a glittering family, clearly, as she couldn't take her eyes off the girl's brother now. The soft blue of his formal coat was like something out of a dream.
Although it was tempting to take to the dance floor immediately and request he partner her and no one else, Satomi didn't want to appear too eager. Hopefully, if she waited long enough, she could find him later in the evening, when she'd have more of a chance of making a lasting impression. She couldn't flee her own party, she wasn't Cinderella! So a last dance of the night and a lingering kiss would surely do the trick.
"Excuse me," a man interrupted her thoughts, causing Satomi to suddenly stand in her surprise.
"Ah, sorry, I just thought you might like to dance," he explained, offering her a hand and nodding toward the guests already turning about the room.
It wasn't all that shocking that someone ask her to dance at a ball, but Satomi thought it was a bit bold of him to walk right up to her without hesitation. Bold could be a good thing, though. And one dance couldn't hurt, could it? She had some time to kill before she sought out the prince.
"All right, err..."
"Nino."
"Nino," she echoed with a soft laugh. It was an odd name, but it would be easy enough to remember!
At first she thought she might be taller than the man, but as he walked her down the steps and they positioned themselves to waltz, it turned out he was almost her height exactly. It was alarming, having his eyes lock with hers so easily.
She tried not to stare at her current partner, looking anywhere but his face, occasionally even glancing at Prince Matsumoto as he danced with her childhood friend Maki, conversing all the while. She would definitely have to pull the girl aside later and ask if Maki thought he would be a match for her. It would at least solidify a strong alliance between kingdoms!
"What kind of hobbies do you have?" Satomi asked politely, not wanting Nino to think her rude for ignoring him. Well, that and now she'd seen Maki chatting up a storm.
Most of the other dancing couples didn't seem to be speaking as they danced, but she was attempting to find the person she was meant to spend the rest of her life with, and that required a few questions at least. Prince Matsumoto was clearly okay with speaking while dancing. She needed practice now, and Nino seemed nice enough.
"Going on quests, taming unicorns, slaying dragons," Nino answered, his posture suddenly improving with the brag.
Satomi could admit she hadn't been expecting that kind of answer out of him. He did have a sort of something that made her stomach flutter - but she'd thought that was just his kind eyes and the spot on his chin that was undeniably cute. Adorable was not the same as heroic, though, and she hadn't heard any stories about a man named Nino circulating. Strange.
Still, if that's what he did as a hobby, how could she not be impressed?
"Amazing!" she praised, twirling away from him and returning with a smile. "Think of all the people you've protected, Nino-san!"
"Oh, many. Several, I'd say, saved from the bother of my company," he responded with a chuckle. "All that's just from make-believe. You know, the illusions you can get from the shops? Developed by mages?"
Satomi sighed and gave a curtsey, thankful that whatever piece the orchestra was playing came to a stop after his answer. He was just pretending, then. The very first question and he was already taking her for a fool!
Better not to wait then. If she could get time with the person she really wanted to have as a suitor, then why waste time? She was just about to head over to the prince when the orchestra started up once more.
"Dancing with Maki again," she whispered, watching as Prince Matsumoto decided against changing partners. Well, that didn't have to mean anything. Satomi knew how friendly Maki could be.
"I'm sorry," Nino apologized, reminding her that he was still there, "I was just joking. I mean, that is my hobby, but I also have other things."
"You'll have to tell me about them sometime," Satomi responded, "Thanks for the dance."
She did mean it, genuinely, but if she danced with Nino again, she might end up on this side of the ballroom for too long. Something in her gut told her she couldn't let that happen. She left him, carefully making her way through the couples until finally, finally, her friend and the prince were in sight.
The safest way she could observe them was from the tables overflowing with desserts for the guests. Grabbing a raspberry tart, Satomi nibbled and pretended to be occupied with food, all while listening intently for what the two of them might be saying.
"I like to go for a run in the mornings. Recently I've added more uphill paths to my daily route," the prince said, a wicked grin appearing on his face before he unexpectedly dropped Maki into a dip.
She shook her head at him, but was smiling from ear to ear.
"That means you're in shape, sure, but it doesn't mean you're strong. That's different," she argued, letting go of him for a moment to flex an arm muscle at him playfully.
"Well we know I could carry you, do you think you could carry me?" he challenged.
"I think I could carry you, yeah," Maki replied, stumbling over a move when her laughter became distracting. "I don't think you want me to prove that here."
"Where can we go then?" Prince Matsumoto asked. Satomi's eyes widened when Maki blushed and the prince leaned forward to whisper in her ear. She didn't like where this was obviously progressing, but Maki was her best friend. She wasn't sure if she had the heart to stop her as she watched Prince Matsumoto escort her off the dance floor.
It would be impossible to ignore what was happening between them, especially now that they'd left to be alone. Satomi accepted defeat, shoving the rest of the raspberry tart in her mouth.
Maybe it would be best to flee her own party after all.
SUMMER ☀
Satomi couldn't help but notice what this event had that the ball had lacked - skin! She secretly loved the curve of a man's bare arm, and she wouldn't complain about a good look at back muscles glistening in the sun! Satomi was also happy to show off her body in her brightest bikini. She didn't have the abs of Maki, but she was in decent shape given her sweet tooth and her aversion to exercise of all sorts. Seeing Prince Matsumoto and Maki in some sort of push-up competition in the sand made her glad she'd let the idea of him go. He was very pretty, of course, but clearly they were better suited for one another.
Using her hand as a temporary visor, Satomi scanned the beach for signs of an interesting man. When her eyes landed on a tan figure building a sand castle in the distance, Satomi was instantly intrigued.
"You're smart to bring the water to you."
He looked up at the sound of her voice, smiling and scooting over, allowing her to sit beside him as he worked. It was funny how calm and peaceful an aura he had, perfect for a hot summer's day. There was an energy around what he was doing, but without much sign of effort. Satomi brushed her hair out of her face and tried not to be too obvious about the batting of her eyelashes.
She waited for him to speak, and when it simply didn't happen, she cleared her throat and said, "It looks just like the castle!"
"Yeah?" he responded, tilting his head and looking it over. "I guess it does!"
Satomi giggled and decided to be helpful, scooping up some water from the pail at his side and sprinkling it over some sand that needed it. He wasn't much of a communicator, but that was okay! Satomi appreciated his artistic eye and the cute way he looked when he was concentrating.
"I bet my parents would love this," Satomi mentioned, glancing up for a moment to see if she could find them across the beach. She frowned when she noticed a fully-clothed man atop the dunes instead. What in the world?
Squinting to try and make out his features, Satomi was surprised to find it was Nino the fake dragon slayer, looking a bit miserable and alone. Ugh. She shouldn't be concerned with it. It wasn't any of her business why he'd shown up without a swimsuit and was seemingly determined to exclude himself from fun.
But no one else was talking to him either, and it wouldn't hurt to acknowledge him for a moment. It was the right thing to do as the hostess of the event. Let no one say she wasn't bound to be a fair and generous ruler someday!
She touched the her new companion's arm briefly with the excuse of needing it to help her stand (after all, it was too good an opportunity to pass up!), then let him know she'd be back in a flash. Wiping sand from her thighs, she started up the dunes, trying to think of what she could say that wouldn't be rude. Eventually she settled for--
"Hello."
"Your highness," Nino responded with a bow.
"You don't have to call me that," she told him sheepishly, waving a hand in front of her face. She wasn't Queen yet, and she wasn't inside the castle either. He might as well just call her Ishihara-san. That would be perfectly all right.
"Satomi-chan, then."
She knew it wasn't the sun that made her cheeks turn bright red then, and so did he if the smirk on his face was anything to go by. Still, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of having flustered her.
"You look uncomfortable. Do you need water?" she asked, pressing a hand to his forehead - which he quickly shook off.
"Water is what I'm trying to avoid, mostly," he explained, crossing his arms over his chest. He looked like a petulant child.
Satomi had to remind herself that it was not charming. In fact, it was ridiculous! Why come to a beach event if you didn't want to be near the water? Wasn't that sort of foolish?
Still, she had to wonder what his problem with water was if he didn't even want to go near it. She didn't want to stay up here and chat forever, but maybe it wasn't a long story.
"So, what's bad about the ocean?"
"It's annoying," he answered with a chuckle, rubbing his face with his hands. "Sand is itchy, saltwater stings, there's too much sun, ships!"
"Ships?" she repeated.
"Ships. I've been on my fair share of them, and never without getting sick."
"Yeah, but there aren't any ships here today. You could come down and play beach volleyball or something! If you don't get wet and you don't have a swimsuit on, you'll probably survive the sand," Satomi began talking him into joining the party.
In truth, she had no idea why she was encouraging him. If he hated the beach, it was highly unlikely that she'd change his mind about it at his age. But something about him watching everyone else - even if he wasn't obviously jealous, Satomi was sure he must have felt out of the loop.
"Thanks, but-- oh. Oh no," Nino groaned, his eyes suddenly looking past her over her shoulder. "I hope you weren't planning on marrying Prince Ohno."
"Prince Ohno? Was he the one building the sandcastle?" Satomi asked, quickly turning around.
She didn't have time to process whether he looked like his older sister or not. Satomi had only seen her once at the summit anyway. No, she couldn't take that kind of time because as of right now, the man she'd been trying to flirt with was being seduced into the ocean by some other woman.
"How can he be kissing someone already!?" she cried in distress as she watched their lips touch out in the waves. She rushed down the dunes then, not noticing at first that Nino was right in step beside her.
"OH-CHAN NO! YOU CAN'T GO WITH THE MERMAID! YOUR MOTHER IS GOING TO KILL YOU!" Nino shouted, waving his arms frantically above his head.
Oh-chan, was it? No, wait, no, she didn't have time to think about that either. It didn't matter how Nino knew the prince. The mermaid's tail was splashing as she swam with Prince Ohno held against her side, the two of them getting farther and farther away.
"Ohno-sama, come back! Your sandcastle isn't finished!" she pleaded, but to no avail.
Satomi frowned as he waved her, and their potential future together, goodbye - disappearing into the depths of the sea.
FALL ☁
Satomi loved watching the leaves fall from the trees, swirl in a gust of wind, then float to the earth below. It was why, in spite of the many concerns her parents had voiced, Satomi was pleased to be hosting a picnic on the castle grounds. It would be far more romantic with two people than a whole party, but given she was still searching for that special someone - she didn't have much of a choice.
This time she'd been careful about formulating a plan. Each blanket had assigned seating, to ensure everyone had enough food and drink (or so she would explain if questioned). Sakurai Sho, the merchant from the North she'd been told would be a good match, was seated with her and her friend Keiko.
She had struggled with the decision of who to have sit beside her, when so far she'd been unlucky with men and her friends. It was too obvious to sit with Sho alone, and Satomi couldn't bring herself to be that forward. It wouldn't be proper. Keiko, however, was very vocal about being perfectly happy in her independence. She wasn't really looking to be swept off her feet. Of all her friends, Satomi knew she'd be safe.
Or at least, that was what she had thought until they were halfway through the food and Satomi had hardly spoken a word.
"Ahhh, I always wanted to go overseas. I've been studying the language," Keiko informed Sho with a bright smile.
Satomi thought she saw an opening to add to the topic when it suddenly grew quiet. If it had been Sho alone, Satomi might have asked him to say a few romantic things and then complimented him on his accent. She was just about to give it a try anyway when Sho launched into a full-blown speech!
She could barely make out anything, except for "ten-year plan" and something about "coins". Keiko was nodding enthusiastically, captivated by whatever secret they were sharing now.
"I should go mingle with the other guests," she spoke over them both loudly, not bothering to hide her annoyance as she stood. She grabbed the bottle of wine that was meant for them to share and carried it with her away from the blanket.
God, people falling in love could be so rude.
She was in the process of choosing her new blanket buddies when she spotted him. He was most certainly not invited, at least not by her, as was obvious by his lack of blanket entirely. Maybe she could have forgiven it if he was socializing like a normal human being, but asleep in the middle of the grass?
"Nino, honestly!" she sighed, kneeling down and attempting to nudge him awake by lightly hitting his stomach.
He opened one eye, regarded her with seeming disinterest, and promptly rolled over.
"You can't just be on the castle grounds whenever you feel like it! Why are you at this picnic if you aren't going to eat food and talk with everyone? This is just like the beach."
"Good point," he grumbled, slowly pulling himself into a seated position. "Do you keep holding these events outside now because you know I hate it?"
What.
"No! It's my event so it's my rules, obviously. Why would I worry about whether you like it or not?" Satomi asked in exasperation.
He didn't answer her, instead taking the bottle of wine from her hands and setting it down in the grass between them. If he thought she was going to share with him, he was crazy. She hadn't brought any glasses over and she wasn't about to start indirect kissing!
"I hope Sho-chan wasn't boring you with business talk," Nino said, stretching his arms over his head and yawning.
There he was again with his familiarity. Oh-chan, now Sho-chan. Well, and he was calling her Satomi-chan now too. Maybe he just wasn't the type to use polite language if he could help it.
"Well, he was talking about the silk trade a lot, but I didn't really mind it. It was better than him running off with a wood nymph or something," she answered with a shrug of her shoulders.
Nino snorted with laughter, and nodded his head in what Satomi thought was agreement. After all, he'd been there to witness the mermaid incident in all its weirdness. It wasn't funny, exactly, because she had really liked Ohno, but she could see now that there was some laughter to be had about it all. She had especially liked the way Nino's jaw had nearly dropped to his toes when his friend had waved goodbye and ducked beneath the waves.
"He sent me a letter, but all it talked about was fish school. I think he meant schools of fish but I can't really be sure with him," Nino informed her, losing his battle with gravity and sinking to the ground once more.
Satomi thought it was cute, in a way, how he curled up on his side and propped his head up with his hand. She didn't find the ground nearly as comfortable as he seemed to right now, which was a shame when it had been her idea to picnic, and he supposedly didn't like it at all.
"Why do you keep coming, really?" Satomi asked, her curiosity still niggling at her.
"It's not obvious? Well, shit."
Nino laughed loudly and reached for the wine, popping it open and raising the bottle as if in a toast. She wasn't sure why he thought he could manage to drink it when he was still on his side, but she was definitely amused to see him try.
"Don't choke," she requested, glad that his lips hadn't touched the bottle when he handed it over to her. She leaned forward on instinct to dab at some of the spilled liquid on his chin before blushing and pulling back.
"The next one will be outdoors too, I've just decided," she let him know, then added, "Come if you want."
After all, he'd been better company today than her no-longer-a-future-husband Sho. With a laugh and a salute, Satomi drank to that.
WINTER ❄
He had been holding a white, fluffy rabbit. Satomi had nearly tripped over her own feet in her hurry to meet him. Mostly because of the cute animal, sure, but she hadn't failed to notice he was highly attractive in his own right. The first thing she could think of to get his attention? Obviously to tell him it was her birthday!
"IT'S MY BIRTHDAY TOO!"
Satomi laughed loudly, already enjoying the man's company. He had a smile warm enough to melt the snow around them. Lucky that the season's fairies had already assured her it would all keep until morning.
"We must have a lot in common, then!" Satomi pointed out, a hope slowly stirring inside her. "You can think of this as your birthday festival too, if you'd like."
She was surprised her parents had suggested something that was so obviously centered around her when she'd asked for another outdoor event, but the rest of the kingdom didn't seem to mind the extra night for celebration. She had already heard some children whispering excitedly about fireworks, and the local shops had another chance to display their wares in open stalls. It was cold, but not bitingly so. It was a magical evening, really.
She had already eaten quite a few not-so-good-for-her treats and tried her luck with a few games (pin the tail on the troll was far too difficult!), but this was already her favorite part of the festival. It was her first time ever experiencing a festival petting zoo!
"I tried to bring only the animals that would look wintery," Aiba told her, waving her over to get a closer look at a snowy owl. "Probably good too. As much as I love my monkey, she gets a little rambunctious with large crowds."
"You have a pet monkey?"
Aiba nodded, gently taking Satomi's wrist and leading her hand to the owl's feathers.
"Be gentle, but this should be safe. I think," he told her.
Not the most comforting thing he could have said, but Satomi didn't mind that so much. He was uncertain, but at least he was honest about it. She liked that he stayed close to her just in case. That was the sign of a person who really cared deeply for others, and had a protective instinct. This could be the man she had been waiting for, finally, after almost a year!
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a woman approaching quickly, but didn't think anything of it. After all, this was a festival! Plenty of people out tonight, and some were bound to be excited about the animals. Maybe, if she asked Aiba for a moment alone later when he was packing up, they could have a more private conversation. Until then...
"Excuse me, princess, could I borrow him for a moment?" the woman she'd noticed asked politely, suddenly at her side. It was unexpected, but her smile seemed genuine. Who was Satomi to say no? (The princess, actually, but she'd never thrown her weight around like that!)
Though her lips were pursed in confusion and she didn't entirely want to have Aiba leave, she nodded her head in agreement. The woman curtsied, then pulled Aiba away in a manner that indicated they must be familiar.
"I thought we agreed this was a look-don't-touch kind of zoo!" she spoke loudly enough that Satomi could still hear her.
"Well, yeah, but this is the princess, Becky! Don't you think she should get to pet the animals at least once? On her birthday?" Aiba argued, but Satomi could see by his body language that he felt guilty. She hadn't meant to cause trouble for anyone!
"I know you're trying to be nice, but if something went wrong, we could lose our livelihood. Too risky, don't you think? As of now?"
When Aiba reached out to touch the woman's belly, Satomi didn't bother sticking around for the end of the conversation. The woman was clearly his wife, his pregnant wife. Satomi wouldn't dare ruin such a good man's happiness. Instead, she fled the main pathways and trudged through some deeper snow until she was safely hidden behind a few evergreen trees. She needed a moment away from everyone and everything, a moment to process that she was unwanted.
She hadn't liked Aiba so much that she was heartbroken for him in particular, but she was devastated. How many times did she have to have her hopes crushed before it was allowed to be her turn? She was smart, and though it didn't really translate into expanding a business empire with Sho, he could have helped her run a kingdom! She wasn't so fit that she could do a hundred sit-ups in a minute, but she could have danced a million waltzes with Jun if he'd asked her! She might not have had the ability to breathe underwater, but if she had known Ohno was so into fishing, she'd have let him go out every single day to catch their dinner!
Or something.
Well, if this was how it was going to be, then she was just going to go back to the festival and find that Toma guy, the one who'd told her she looked pretty when she had paid for her takoyaki. He was handsome and he had a job making food! Satomi liked food.
"I'm not going to spend my birthday with icicles on my cheeks!" she spoke to the darkness, wiping her tears of frustration.
"That's the spirit," a familiar voice said behind her, making her jump.
Satomi placed a hand over her heart to make sure it was still beating, then slowly turned to face the person interrupting her private moment.
"Are you a stalker or something!?" she questioned him loudly, though she regretted it almost immediately when she saw the pained expression that flashed across Nino's face. In the blink of an eye, it was gone.
"Maybe a little, but I don't think there's anything wrong with worrying about the princess running off into the woods alone at night," Nino stated.
"You were the one that followed me here! So you're the one making it dangerous," she countered in a huff.
If she was being honest, he was right about it being a bad idea to come out here alone. She also knew she was being a bit harsh with him. Satomi had told him to come to the next event and here he was! She was just embarrassed about being seen this way. He wasn't exactly catching her at her finest hour.
"I know why you're upset," Nino changed the subject, stepping closer to her. She was terrified, only for a second, when he reached his hand out toward her. When all he did was zip her coat up further and tighten her scarf, she relaxed.
"And I think you have every right to be! Aiba can't really be helped, he's got a good excuse. The others... they're my friends, but they're blind idiots."
Satomi wasn't sure how to respond to a comment like that. It seemed appropriate to thank him for the compliment she thought he might be paying her, but what if that wasn't what he meant at all? Why was she so nervous all of a sudden?
"Satomi-chan, let me ask you a few questions. Just a few, and if by the end of them you aren't happy, I promise I'll leave you alone from here on out!" he begged, even going so far as to bow his head.
"Okay," she agreed, taking a deep breath. "Okay."
His first question was how she would feel if her husband was more admired for his fashion sense than she was around the kingdom. It wasn't hard to figure out that he was talking about Prince Matsumoto. While she would have liked to claim that it wouldn't trouble her in the slightest, she knew that she would be telling a lie. It was great to have someone who dressed well at her side, sure, but to be noticed more often? Satomi didn't want to be seen as attention-seeking, but it was nice to be acknowledged. She could admit within herself that she wanted eyes on her sometimes too.
Satomi had noticed at the ball that Nino wasn't the sharpest dresser. At least, he didn't go for extravagance. It was amazing how good he'd looked in something so simple. She'd just been so preoccupied with Jun's fancy coat and cutting in on his dances with Maki that she'd sort of forgotten.
Nino's second question was about whether she expected her husband to be a good listener or a good conversationalist. If she thought back to Ohno, she knew that she would have a good listener on her hands. He had at least acknowledged everything she'd said, he just hadn't had a lot to add. Even when they were calling for him, he'd not said a word. It was comfortable in the little time she'd had with him, but forever? Satomi couldn't imagine what it would be like to have such a big castle be so quiet.
Nino's third question was if she was the type of person who wanted to follow a set schedule. Without a doubt asked because of Sakurai Sho and his ten year plan for success. Satomi had admired it, in a way, but it was hard to know exactly what he was up to when he wasn't speaking her language. Satomi had a lot of responsibilities and it was hard to balance things without a routine. But even so, she was awarded a lot of freedom as a princess that she didn't take for granted. She was also incredibly fond of spontaneity and surprises.
The more she thought about each of the men she'd met, the more she understood that she had been attracted to them for their best qualities - but best didn't necessarily mean best for her. They were special, wonderful people who were right for the people they'd found. They couldn't give Satomi what she was looking for in a relationship. Maybe they had just figured that out sooner than she had.
"Last question," Nino announced.
"Please, go on," Satomi encouraged him, interested in what he might have left for her to consider.
"If a man stood in front of you, willing to do anything to be near you, ready to fight all your imagined monsters bravely, happy to love you every day for eternity, and he asked you to give him a chance - would you accept?"
Satomi's heart was racing so fast she thought she might faint, but she tried not to let it show. Nino had been kind to call his friends blind idiots for her sake, but right now she felt like the one who had been foolishly looking for a person who had been near her all along.
Every event she'd held, no matter how she treated him, Nino was there. Not just present, as the others had been, but there for her and with her, until the very end. Conversation had been easy with him, every single time, and even in her annoyance or frustration with him he'd managed to make her laugh.
She loved him! Every little part of him.
What a relief!
"I've decided," Satomi answered him, shyly sliding her arms around his waist. "Our wedding will be indoors."
"Am I finally invited?" he asked, planting kisses on her cheeks.
"No," Satomi answered, laughing and holding him tighter. "Other people are invited. You have to be there."
Of course!
---
Nino winced as a door flew open, the sound of hurried feet across marble floor disturbing him from his perfect slumber. There was only one person who would know where to find him right now.
"Satomi-chan?" he guessed, opening an eye to confirm.
"Prince Ninomiya of the North," she greeted coldly, dropping an RSVP on his chest.
"Oh good, Nee-chan is coming," he read. He could tell her handwriting even upside down. Worse than his own, which was saying something.
"You didn't mention--"
"--that you'd get a better alliance than even Jun-pon could provide? Must have forgotten," he finished for her, grinning and patting the space beside him.
"Fine. Nap now, but I'm still going to be mad at you when we wake up," she warned, cuddling up close beside him.
"Love you too," Nino promised, and closed his eyes once more.