[ 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.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2024-03-24 02:22 am (UTC)[Actually he had been thinking about it before he got the ring, but details.]
no subject
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.
no subject
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.
no subject
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.
no subject
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. ]
no subject
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.
no subject
Date: 2024-03-24 03:03 am (UTC)Nero's no different in that sense. ]
...
I'm not gonna call you "Boss" again.
no subject
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.]
no subject
Date: 2024-03-24 03:55 am (UTC)You're Brad to me.
no subject
Date: 2024-03-24 04:16 am (UTC)Yep. I'm your Brad.
no subject
Date: 2024-03-24 10:56 pm (UTC)Not yet.
no subject
Date: 2024-03-24 11:13 pm (UTC)[Hopefully it's before one of them heckin' dies though.]
no subject
Date: 2024-03-25 02:27 pm (UTC)What's it like to be this confident in yourself?]
no subject
Date: 2024-03-25 02:28 pm (UTC)