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It was a beautiful day for a wedding in Pelegion. The sun shone through the stained glass windows of Saxleoh Temple. The usually empty inside of the temple now had a part of it occupied by a small gathering of people standing around tables decorated with desserts and drinks.
Alphen was talking to Law at one of the tables about the next leftover business the group should take care of before their mission on Rena. Then Kisara came up to them.
"Alphen," said Kisara. From her face and tone of voice, Alphen braced himself for a scolding. "Why are you letting Shionne feel lonely at a wedding?"
"What...? But I thought you and Rinwell were with her." Alphen looked over to the other women at a table on the other side of the gathering. Shionne was smiling while chatting with Rinwell until the younger girl walked away. Shionne then sighed and her posture slumped a bit.
"You should be the one keeping her company," Kisara said while pointing at him with her nearly empty flute wine glass. "And I hope you really don't think giving her those matching wedding-themed weapons made her feel that much better."
Alphen averted her stern gaze. "Uh..."
Kisara sigh-groaned, putting her face in her hand.
Law piped in. "If that's true, why isn't Dohalim with you? Want me to keep you company in his place?" he asked in a teasing tone.
"I am not lonely, young man," Kisara responded before walking away over to Dohalim, who was occupied being at the center of attention of a few people.
Shortly after, everyone was told to gather in front of the largest table with a tiered wedding cake. They watched in awe Nottio the groom—who insisted on wearing his Renan armor for this day—tower over his bride Cagari, but still delicately hold her hand as they cut the first piece of the cake together. And just as gently, he hand-fed the cake piece to her.
In front of Alphen, Kisara downed the last of her second drink. Next to her, Shionne heaved a sigh. Alphen looked back and forth between her and the newlyweds giggling and huddled together.
Ah, maybe she wants to do that! Alphen thought. And if he was careful, they could do that without him getting hurt by her thorns.
Slices of the cake were then served to the rest of the guests. Alphen took one and went over to Shionne.
"Hey. I brought us some cake."
She still had a forlorn look on her face but turned up to him. "Oh! Thanks, Alphen." She smiled and took the plate from him.
"Um–"
She had already cut the cake in half and stabbed the large piece with the fork. "Yes?"
Did she not hear the part where he said "us"? "N-nothing..."
Her eyes narrowed at him. "Okay..." She then ate the bite she had on her fork, barely chewing it before swallowing. "You didn't get a piece for yourself?"
"Ah... no. I'm not a fan of frosting."
"Really?" Shionne had a surprised look on her face before shrugging and eating her second bite and finishing the cake piece. "More for me then."
"I should've asked for a bigger piece," Alphen said, chuckling. "Want another one?"
"Do I...?" She blushed adorably looking away. "Can I?"
"Wouldn't hurt to ask," he said as he gestured for them to walk back over to the cake.
Shionne sat at a table in the plaza in Viscint, looking forward to Alphen's "surprise." What felt like a lifetime ago was only a few days since they came back from the space station, and before that, when she despaired over having to leave her friends behind. Though they still hadn't "saved the world" quite yet and she still had her thorns, she was the happiest she had ever been, feeling like a real couple with Alphen, as best as they could for their circumstances.
At last, Alphen came up to her with a large glass goblet of ice cream. Shionne put her hands together with an excited grin.
"Annnd here you go," he said while taking a spoon, scooping some ice cream, and holding it to her face.
She tilted her head. "Don't I get a spoon?"
"Let me feed you! That's what couples do, don't they?"
Admittedly, Shionne was nervous. She glanced around at all the other people in the plaza, then back to Alphen, still eagerly holding the spoon of ice cream to her with that stupid adorable grin on his face.
Well, everyone else is minding their own business, so... Shionne took a deep breath through her nose, before opening her mouth–
"Oooooh!" Law's voice broke the moment. "Whatcha guys doin'?" He and Rinwell approached their table, with Rinwell also holding a large goblet of ice cream.
"Sharing an ice cream," Alphen said before smiling back at Shionne. He raised the spoon back to her face.
"I-I..." Shionne began, while a blush crept onto her face, "Could you just... hand me the spoon?"
"Come on, one bite, please!"
She turned her head and pouted, unfortunately turning where she could see Law and Rinwell holding back from snickering. "No. Alphen–"
He only brought the spoon closer to her mouth where she could feel the cold radiating from it. "Heeeeeeere comes the starship!" He began to make rocket exhaust noises.
Add embarrassment to the list of things Shionne couldn't die from.
"Ahhhhhhh–AHHHHHHHH!" Alphen's voice crescendoed, in more of a painful than musically pleasing way.
Everyone nearby in the plaza turned to the sound of something like a man with strong lungs being electrocuted. Alphen passed out on the table, though his arm was still extended. Law and Rinwell gave each other awkward looks as they sat down with Shionne, now eating the ice cream with the spoon she stole from Alphen, her face annoyed and red.
At camp at nighttime, Shionne was looking forward to finishing the last serving of mabo curry, even while her current bowl was still half-empty. She would have eaten it faster if it wasn't so spicy. Still, it was probably the most delicious version Alphen had ever made!
Letting out a deep sigh and taking a swig of milk, she was finally done with that serving. She hummed to herself as she approached the cooking pot, also daydreaming about having this curry in her humble kitchen sitting with her handsome husband–
Huh? The pot was empty?! Shionne was alarmed until she heard him clear his throat.
She turned around to Alphen who held a bowl in one hand and a spoon in the other. The way he held that spoon looked threatening, though.
Shionne narrowed her eyes at him. "Oh, Alphen, did you get the last serving?" she asked with obviously feigned ignorance.
"Yeah." He gripped the spoon tighter with his thumb. His eyes narrowed as well and his voice was serious. "Did you want some, too? We could share..."
Of course that was his plan. Shionne wasn't going to give in for a second, though. She would get that last bit of mabo curry in her stomach without his help. "Sure." She held up her own spoon and bowl, threateningly. "Just put some in my bowl..."
"Why don't you let me feed you some?" Argh, he used his gentle and sweet tone of voice! How could he?!
Shionne inhaled and steeled herself. "I can feed myself, silly!" she countered with her own sweet and cheery tone. She took a step, but Alphen reacted by holding his arm out.
"Move or I'll drop it." His voice was completely grave now.
Meanwhile, at the other side of the camp, Law stretched and yawned. He was feeling unmotivated about training, but he didn't have anything else to do.
That was when the serious voices of whoever was at the cooking pot caught his attention. Law realized it was Alphen and Shionne. He tilted his head and put his hands behind it. Suddenly, Alphen stuck out his arm holding a bowl, and Shionne appeared to panic.
Law strode over to Dohalim and Rinwell, who were studying a newly obtained Dahnan artifact. "I'm sure that's uh, really cool, guys, but something is going down over there by Alphen and Shionne!" Dohalim and Rinwell looked up to Law, and then to where Law was looking. "I think lately he's been really wanting to feed Shionne, for whatever reason... But she's also being stubborn about not going along with it. Now, look, it's a freaking standoff!"
"Why would you do this?!" they heard Shionne plead.
"Because we're both stubborn as hell. You left me no choice," said Alphen.
"Now whose side are you on?!" Law whispered loudly to Dohalim.
Dohalim put his elbow on one hand and raised the other hand to his chin. "I shall stand with my fellow Renan here."
"Me, too," Kisara piped in with a low voice as she came by holding clothes to wash. "Really, I don't want to see that curry go to waste."
"Come on guys, don't make a game out of it!" Rinwell whined along with Hootle, but she still kept her voice down.
"I won't let you," declared Shionne.
"Please..." Alphen begged.
"I refuse to let you!"
"This is your last chance, Shionne. Just one spoonful is all I ask."
Everyone held their breath at that moment. Law stood with his fists pumped waiting to see the end.
"If that's the case, then go ahead and drop it! See if I care!" With that, Shionne swiftly turned around on her heels with her arms crossed.
Alphen heaved a sigh and plopped down on a bench with the bowl, that he started to eat from while looking pitiful.
When Shionne headed toward the others, Kisara quickly picked up her laundry basket and walked away. Rinwell and Dohalim continued their earlier conversation about the artifact.
Under pressure being left with no activity to continue to hide the fact he was eavesdropping, Law started... doing meditative martial arts poses.
Shionne let out a sigh when she was near. "You guys didn't hear that did you?"
"N-no! Of course not!" Law said a little too loudly while squatting and slowly moving his arms around.
"Okay, sure you didn't." Shionne sighed again and held her hands together over her stomach. "That mabo curry was really good though..."
Law looked over at her sad face, then to the sad Alphen sitting by himself at the campfire. Man, was being in love supposed to be this weird?
On another night at another camp, the group was running last-minute errands and preparations before going to Rena for the final fight. Their starship towered over the camp.
After finishing his business on top of their latest artifact that was sitting out, Hootle began making his usual rounds checking on his friends.
Kisara was haggling with a traveling merchant. After much hesitation, she finally handed over a large bag of gald, then picked up one of the merchant's crates.
He then flew over to Rinwell and Law who were looking up at the sky.
"That doesn't look like a lion at all! It looks like a hook!" said Law.
"It's called using your imagination, you big dummy!" Rinwell said as she shoved an open book in his face. Law recoiled as if the book was going to attack him.
Hootle rolled his eyes and flew back over to the campfire, passing by Dohalim holding the artifact Hootle was perched on earlier. The owl flew a little faster when he noticed Dohalim frown at the bird poop on it.
At the campfire, Alphen stood next to Shionne as she stirred whatever was in the pot.
"Here, try this," Shionne raised the wooden spoon with meat on it to Alphen's face.
He beamed at her before taking the bite. "Mm! Can't wait to add some kick to it!"
"Really? That's good. I wanted to try out this new combination of seasonings."
"It's good! Ah, you need me for anything else?"
"No, you can go back to sharpening your sword or whatever."
Hootle looked at Shionne's face from the side as she watched Alphen walk away. She looked really pretty, especially when she smiled like that!
She looked off to the side and noticed Hootle hovering beside her. "Oh, hey Hootle." She giggled into her hand before winking at him. "Keep what you saw a secret from the others, okay?"
Hootle hooed quietly in agreement.
It was a beautiful day for a wedding in the yard of a humble house in the fields of Menancia. After the couple said their vows and had their first kiss as husband and wife, everyone gathered around the table with the wedding cake.
Mrs. Shionne Imeris eagerly stood at the table, eyeing the vanilla three-tiered white frosting cake decorated with berries and berry-flavored icing. Mr. Alphen Imeris hugged his wife at her side and whispered in her ear, "I have a surprise for you."
Alphen bent down to get something from under the tablecloth. Shionne put her hand to her mouth as she realized what it was, a metal spoon the size of one of Kisara's maces.
Her face became warm as she heard Law's voice rile up the crowd: "Are you guys ready?!"
"Yes!"
"I can't hear youuuuuuuu!"
Law raised his hands repeatedly to get the crowd louder and louder, while Alphen carefully scooped up the entire top tier of the cake with the giant spoon.
This was the happiest day of her life, so Shionne couldn't be angry at Alphen for putting her in this situation. Not to mention she was starving since that morning as she was planning to eat a whole lot at the wedding, including the cake.
"Feed. Her. Feed. Her!" Law and the crowd cheered.
With a big goofy grin, Alphen brought the spoon to Shionne's face. She rolled her eyes but still licked her lips.
"Feed! Her!" The crowd then cried out in joy and clapped.
Shionne laughed from getting more frosting on her face than in her mouth. Alphen hugged her from the side again, laughing as well. She grabbed a fistful of cake and shoved it in Alphen's face, making him an equal mess. They then shared a messy, cake-flavored second kiss as husband and wife.