I don't even know what this is supposed to be.

The recent string of marriages between army members didn't bother Takumi at first.

Takumi figured that it was more (and probably still was) coincidence, that so many people would become engaged within such a small time frame. He wasn't bothered when Prince Xander had announced his engagement to Charlotte (although he had certainly raised a brow at his tastes in women, as well as the types of women he thought would make a good Queen). He hadn't batted an eye when Nyx wed Silas or when Effie walked down the aisle to marry her fellow retainer. Ryoma's involvement with Rinkah caught him off guard but he handled his marriage fairly well as it goes.

No, it wasn't until Hinoka announced her engagement to Subaki that he started to feel inadequate by his lack of fiancé.

Perhaps it was because Hinoka seemed more interested in fighting than marriage, that her announcement hit him so hard. He brushed away this thought eventually; she was older than him after all and Hinoka and Subaki went way back.

But when Sakura announced her engagement to Hayato he finally cracked and decided to do something dramatic in order to ease his sense of inadequacy.

X-X-X

"Marry me!"

"… I'm sorry, what?" Leo considered Takumi slowly, like he was trying to guess whether or not he had misheard or his partner had finally had his mid-life crisis (which was plausible, even though he was no more than eighteen, knowing how Takumi was).

Takumi shifted slightly from his knelt position on the floor. The ground was wooden and was uncomfortable beneath his knee. He suspected he had a bruise forming too; he had dropped to the position in haste the moment he heard Leo enter their shared quarters. He hadn't exactly planned it all very well. "You heard me. Just answer the question."

Leo glanced to the floor, as if considering it for a moment, before glancing at Takumi again when a brief smile lit his face. Leaning forward slowly, he lightly cupped the Hoshidian's cheek. He was close enough to kiss, Takumi mused, and the scent of mint and pine filled his nose. Leaning further forward, close enough that his lips were merely hovering before Takumi's, Leo scanned his lips briefly before looking Takumi in the eyes. His grin widened before he said slowly in that soft voice of his, "Why… of course not," before jerking back suddenly. He breezed past the Hoshidian, leaving Takumi with a gaping mouth, unsure of what had just happened.

It took him no more than two seconds to process the information, though.

"What? Damn it!" Takumi adjusted himself so he sat on his calves, punching his thigh with aggravation.

Leo moved over the bed as he eyed the archer again. The Nohrian looked somewhere between disbelief and amusement. "Don't get too upset. You didn't even offer me a ring, this isn't exactly the best location you could have picked and you are literally proposing as I enter the door. As a Hoshidian prince, I would expect you to sweep me off my feet, shall we say."

Takumi sighed before lying on the floor, ignoring how uncomfortable the position was. Well that didn't work out as expected. He analysed his partner's words for a moment before a hopeful glint returned to his eye and he began to push himself up with his elbows, "But hay, what if I do all-"

"The answer is still no."

"…Right." Takumi's back hit the floor again.

Staring to feel bad, Leo got up from the bed and walked over to the Hoshidian. Kicking him lightly in the side, he asked carefully, "Why are the proposing, Takumi? This all seems a bit sudden. I thought you didn't even want to marry until you were at least in your twenties."

Takumi rest an arm over his eyes in true dramatic prince fashion before he replied. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe because everyone in the army seems to be getting married, besides us? My entire family are either wed or engaged. Even the people who seem like they'd never marry are tying the knot. I have even heard rumours your eccentric, blonde retainer is planning to propose to Elise." He let out a long sigh, his arm sliding off his face. "I guess I feel a little left out."

"You proposed because you… felt left out. Am I right on that?"

"Yes! Well… no. It was something that encouraged the proposal, I guess. I do love you despite how you seem to have no qualms about ripping my heart out and tearing it to pieces before my very eyes."

"It is what I do."

"You truly are Nohrian scum," Takumi pouted. Despite the insult, his tone was more playful than scathing.

Crossing his legs as he sat, Leo responded, "Says the one who literally just proposed because they are feeling bitter."

"Hayy! I am not bitter!"

Leo laughed lightly, prodding Takumi with his foot, signalling the joke. Despite not appreciating the jab, Takumi found himself smiling along too.

"Takumi, we shouldn't get married just because everyone else is doing it. We should do it because we feel it's time."

"But isn't there 'no time like the present?'" Takumi mumbled in retaliation, finally deciding to sit up. Realising that Takumi was stuck in his inadequate mentality, Leo tried another approach.

"Takumi, do you truly want to marry me? Speak honestly," Leo asked.

"Umm…" Takumi considered the question for a moment, trying to deduct the truth from his feelings. "Honestly…I don't know. Maybe someday," Takumi said. "It's a bit daunting to have to decide something like that now. But I do know that you make me happy. Shouldn't that be enough?"

Leo smiled and leaned forward and brushed his lips against Takumi's for a brief moment. "It will be enough for now."

Takumi, despite himself, found a smile creep onto his face. Leaning toward his partner, he left another kiss, not nearly as chaste as the first. Leo chuckled to himself about 'Idiot Hoshidians' before the matter lay forgotten in their minds.

Marriage could wait until another day.