You want- You seriously want to get married here? To me?
[ He does love Bradley so much. There's no other reason he would put him in jail to keep him safe. That exact same fact is the reason he absolutely doesn't think they should get married. Bradley deserves somebody better than him. ]
[ Always? How long as Bradley been thinking about this? Nero hasn't thought about this- never thought about marriage, never thought about the tie that binds a wizard down to another person, the way that any infraction upon that bond would force them to lose their magic.
Maybe when he was much younger, when he was still starry eyed and didn't understand the world nearly as well.
Yeah. I know. I've had a few of 'em forced on me in my life.
[His forced prison sentence, his forced summoning by the Sage, his forced contract by the Nuts & Bolts company. And though he won't say this one out loud, his forced acceptance of a promise from Nero.]
We can change the wording of the vows to suit our needs, but I still wanna make 'em. It's a promise I want to make. I've even got a ring for you and everything.
[ Why are you thinking about getting married this much-
He doesn't meet Bradley's eyes, tilting his cheek into his hand. Nero feels like he's the more practical one out of the two of them. And... there's a part of him that wants to say yes- but the rest of him is so scared.
Nero's always been a coward, when it comes down to it. ]
Brad... I've been around the world and... there's nobody else like you. I'll always be willing to die for you. You know that, right?
... So... even if we do this, please... I'm begging you, if I try to kill you, you have to kill me.
[Because he's a romantic at heart, and he knows himself well. There's never going to be anyone else after Nero. When Nero dies, Bradley will spend the rest of his days looking out for the young wizards born into their uncaring world. But nobody else will ever touch Bradley's heart like Nero has.
Even the betrayal, even 100 years in prison, even Nero's awful habits can't change Bradley's heart. So at that point, why not get married?]
I know. And if I see you awake on Thursday night, I'll do it.
[Nero promised not to run away, after all. Bradley's going to honor that promise.]
[ Nero can say, with certainty, "I loved you", but "I love you" is harder. He doesn't think he'll ever love somebody the same way as Bradley, but he also knows how deeply he's hurt him in so many ways. ]
...
[ This is so tense for him. Bradley's giving him so much, and he really shouldn't. A shaky sigh. ]
... This really isn't how I thought anything would happen.
...yeah. I was kinda waiting for things to get a little better.
[Like he said. Back home in a field of flowers. But 'home' is still a month away, and they could die any day.]
I just thought...if someone else killed you, or you got voted out, I'd hate myself for leavin' it unsaid. SO even if you say no, or 'not now', or anything else, I've said it. I wanna marry you.
[ He laughs, it's soft, bitter and directed entirely at himself.
He's never been as brave as Bradley is. Never as decisive. Never as sure of the things that he says. ]
I don't know how you can be so sure of yourself all the time.
[ What is it like to live like that?
Nero's so conflicted all the time, about everything in his life. There's so little he's felt decisive over, and so many decisions that he's never let go. ]
[Being conflicted? What is that? Once Bradley has decided on something, he sticks with that decision. He will boldly step forward when no other wizard will, because that's what leaders do.]
But that's how it's always been with us, hasn't it? You flocked to me because I was a great leader, after all.
[ There's a reason so many other wizards gathered around him. His little bandit group survived for longer than any other group of wizards had before him and since. Something about Bradley is simply magnetic, he pulls people in and makes them adore him.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2024-03-24 01:53 am (UTC)[Probably. Maybe.]
I wanna get married. With you.
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Date: 2024-03-24 01:54 am (UTC)Sorry.
What? ]
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Date: 2024-03-24 01:57 am (UTC)It doesn't have to be today. We could do it next week, on whatever planet we go to. Shepherd's a priest, so he could officiate.
I'm serious, Nero. If we could die at any time, then I wanna make these days count.
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Date: 2024-03-24 02:00 am (UTC)[ He does love Bradley so much. There's no other reason he would put him in jail to keep him safe. That exact same fact is the reason he absolutely doesn't think they should get married. Bradley deserves somebody better than him. ]
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Date: 2024-03-24 02:04 am (UTC)[He'd always imagined. He's been thinking about this for a while.
He pulls back from their hug and cups the side of Nero's face, smiling softly.]
You're the only one for me, Nero. Even after you die, my heart will only belong to you.
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Date: 2024-03-24 02:09 am (UTC)Maybe when he was much younger, when he was still starry eyed and didn't understand the world nearly as well.
His face flushes.
His heart beats faster.
He's at a loss for words. ]
................
You know how dangerous a promise is.
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Date: 2024-03-24 02:18 am (UTC)[His forced prison sentence, his forced summoning by the Sage, his forced contract by the Nuts & Bolts company. And though he won't say this one out loud, his forced acceptance of a promise from Nero.]
We can change the wording of the vows to suit our needs, but I still wanna make 'em. It's a promise I want to make. I've even got a ring for you and everything.
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Date: 2024-03-24 02:21 am (UTC)[ A ring?! ]
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Date: 2024-03-24 02:22 am (UTC)[Actually he had been thinking about it before he got the ring, but details.]
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Date: 2024-03-24 02:27 am (UTC)He doesn't meet Bradley's eyes, tilting his cheek into his hand. Nero feels like he's the more practical one out of the two of them. And... there's a part of him that wants to say yes- but the rest of him is so scared.
Nero's always been a coward, when it comes down to it. ]
Brad... I've been around the world and... there's nobody else like you. I'll always be willing to die for you. You know that, right?
... So... even if we do this, please... I'm begging you, if I try to kill you, you have to kill me.
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Date: 2024-03-24 02:35 am (UTC)Even the betrayal, even 100 years in prison, even Nero's awful habits can't change Bradley's heart. So at that point, why not get married?]
I know. And if I see you awake on Thursday night, I'll do it.
[Nero promised not to run away, after all. Bradley's going to honor that promise.]
no subject
Date: 2024-03-24 02:42 am (UTC)...
[ This is so tense for him. Bradley's giving him so much, and he really shouldn't. A shaky sigh. ]
... This really isn't how I thought anything would happen.
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Date: 2024-03-24 02:48 am (UTC)[Like he said. Back home in a field of flowers. But 'home' is still a month away, and they could die any day.]
I just thought...if someone else killed you, or you got voted out, I'd hate myself for leavin' it unsaid. SO even if you say no, or 'not now', or anything else, I've said it. I wanna marry you.
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Date: 2024-03-24 02:52 am (UTC)He's never been as brave as Bradley is. Never as decisive. Never as sure of the things that he says. ]
I don't know how you can be so sure of yourself all the time.
[ What is it like to live like that?
Nero's so conflicted all the time, about everything in his life. There's so little he's felt decisive over, and so many decisions that he's never let go. ]
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Date: 2024-03-24 02:57 am (UTC)[Being conflicted? What is that? Once Bradley has decided on something, he sticks with that decision. He will boldly step forward when no other wizard will, because that's what leaders do.]
But that's how it's always been with us, hasn't it? You flocked to me because I was a great leader, after all.
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Date: 2024-03-24 03:03 am (UTC)Nero's no different in that sense. ]
...
I'm not gonna call you "Boss" again.
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Date: 2024-03-24 03:09 am (UTC)You can call me whatever you want.
[People might adore him, but he adores Nero the most.]
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Date: 2024-03-24 03:55 am (UTC)You're Brad to me.
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Date: 2024-03-24 04:16 am (UTC)Yep. I'm your Brad.
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Date: 2024-03-24 10:56 pm (UTC)Not yet.
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Date: 2024-03-24 11:13 pm (UTC)[Hopefully it's before one of them heckin' dies though.]
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Date: 2024-03-25 02:27 pm (UTC)What's it like to be this confident in yourself?]
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Date: 2024-03-25 02:28 pm (UTC)