Archive of Our Own

“Are you almost done?” Ballister called out to him from inside his room, “You’ve been in there forever.”

“I’ve been in here for barely 45 minutes, actually.” He responded, doing the finishes touches on his hair. He knew Bal hated waiting for him to finish his hair and skin routine, always saying he looked perfect as is, but he’d be caught dead before he listened to a man who used a two-in-one shampoo and conditioner to wash his hair. He eventually put his things back down and walked out his bathroom with a grin. Ballister, who was sitting on his bed and going through his phone, looked up at him and a matching grin made its way onto his face.

“About time. Now let’s go before you realize you forgot something and spend another hour in there.” Bal grabbed his hand and dragged him out his room, and although he wasn’t fighting back, not once did their hands separate, staying interlocked up until they left the Institute grounds, where Ambrosius reluctantly let go. Because he would be lying if he said he didn’t feel butterflies flying around in his stomach anytime he had any type of physical contact with Bal, or when the guy smiled at him, or when he laughed, or when he- or when he did anything really. Because Ambrosius was head over heels for Ballister Boldheart, the commoner dreamt of being a knight. What’s not to love? He was handsome, kind and gentle. He had came off shy at first, but as soon as he had been paired up for a spar, his face had lit up, and despite his movements being choppy at first, he still radiated an incredible confidence as he moved. He was the one who comforted Ambrosius and listened to him rant about his day when the citizens decided they just wouldn’t leave him alone, but he also wasn’t going to go easy on him while sparring just because he was a Goldenloin and Ballister had put Ambrosius (and all the other cadets actually) on their asses. Hell, he was perfect.

“Hello? You still with me?” Ambrosius snapped back to reality, looking over at Bal who was sitting across from him. His dark eyes were looking intently at him, a hint of worry in them. He must’ve been daydreaming.
A bashful smile made its way onto his face, and he could feel his cheeks heating up, “Yeah, sorry, zoned out for a moment there.”

He swore his heart was ready to beat out of his chest when Bal smiled back and chuckled. He really was in love, wasn’t he? The waiter came to take their order before Ambrosius could get lost in daydreams of him and Ballister going on dates again, the both of them ordering their usual: nachos.

“And hold the olives!” Bal called to the waiter as he left, a grin cast his way, and he grinned right back.

The two talked for a little while, waiting on their nachos. They talked about training, the fact that they couldn’t wait for their knighting ceremony, Todd being an asshole. They very rarely ran out of things to discuss. A few minutes after they received their plate of nachos, a lady walked up to them, though, lost in their own world, neither noticed until she spoke.

“Sir Goldenloin?” Slightly startled, Ambrosius reflexively plastered his public-pleasing smile on his face and turned to look at her. She had large brown eyes and black hair that reached her shoulders.

“Yes, can I help you with something ma’am?” He asked, already reaching for the pen he kept in his pocket, expecting her to ask for an autograph. Ballister was silent in front of him, choosing to munch quietly on the nachos.

“Well, I heard you don’t have a spouse yet, so would you marry me?” His hand froze mid-way to his pocket, and he swore the whole pub went silent, the only sound being Bal choking on his nachos. At his shocked and confused look, the lady seemingly felt the need to explain, “Well, you are eighteen now, right? So, by common practice, it is now reasonable for people to start asking your hand in marriage. I’m sure it was the same for your parents and grandparents!” She had a smile on her face throughout that whole explanation.

Sure enough, his mother had often told him stories of how some men would ask for her hand in marriage. He’s fairly sure he could recall one where a man had paid a taxi driver to get access to her room and serenade her, though patrolling guards stopped him pretty quickly. It was common knowledge that as soon as Gloreth’s direct descendant was of age, people swarmed them in hopes of becoming their chosen spouse. In fact, his mother and father met on her eighteenth birthday. Ambrosius’ father had been invited to the party organized by her parents and had spent the night distracting her with stupid jokes. It’s a few months later that she asked him to marry her. Ambrosius loved hearing that story.

But now that it was his turn to be asked, he didn’t know how to react. He knew he could say no, but he was always taught to please the public. Wouldn’t this hurt her? Many questions were going through his head. He could feel not only her eyes on him, but also the rest of the pub’s and, most importantly, Bal’s eyes were staring into his soul. He felt frozen under everyone’s gaze, unsure what to do, when the lady broke the silence.

“So, is that a yes or a no?” She already looked like she was expecting a negative answer, so Ambrosius mentally shook himself and gave her the most apologetic smile he could muster.

“I’m sorry ma’am, but I’m afraid I’m not interested. Plus, I don’t… swing that direction.” He explained, trying to subtly explain that 1) Marriage was far from his mind at the moment and 2) He was gay. Luckily, she didn’t seem too hurt. She gave and understanding nod before she piped up again.

“Well if you’re interested my brother’s bi! I could introduce you, he’s right over there!” She pointed towards a man who was trying to hide behind his beer in embarrassment, and as Bal’s muffled laugh reached his ears, he could tell this day was going to be a long one.

Sure enough, the rest of that day was spent either rejecting people asking to marry him or avoiding said people, running away with Ballister in tow, the man laughing his ass off at Ambrosius’ antics, and although that sound was music to Ambrosius’ ears, he really wished Bal wouldn’t laugh at his trouble. Because it wasn’t only that day. That continued on for a whole week, and not only when they were out on the streets. A good handful of knights at the Institute asked for his hand in marriage, but his breaking point was when Thodeus fucking Sureblade asked.

“Hey Goldenloin.” Ambrosius resisted the urge to roll his eyes. The Director’s lecture about respect for his fellow knights still fresh in his mind.

“Need something, Todd?” He asked, giving a half-hearted smile, putting his chest plate away before turning to the only person he would ever really wish he could punch.

“Can I have your hand in marriage?”

Any and all thoughts Ambrosius might have had before that came to a screeching halt as he froze.

“Excuse me?” He asked, bewilderment clear on his face.

Todd looked almost as uncomfortable as he was, “Do not make me repeat myself. Yes, or no? I’m only here because my parents forced me to try for ‘better relationships with their family’ or something, so hurry it up, I don’t have all day.”

“Hell no.” The words came out before he could stop them. There was no way in Gloreth’s name that he would marry Todd of all people. He looked, surprisingly, relieved. Without a word, he turned and left, leaving Ambrosius in the locker rooms to wonder what the fuck was going on.

This marriage thing really was a curse.

Another week went by, this time with less people trying to corner him in the streets, which was a good thing. He had went to his parents’ house for dinner earlier that week and had left annoyed as they had laughed at his problems. It was slightly comforting to learn that this type of stuff usually died down after three to four weeks, but Ambrosius was absolutely done with all of this and just wanted everyone to leave him alone.

“Hurry up, you’re gonna be late. Again.”

Okay, maybe not everyone. He does not mind Bal staying around. He was currently getting ready for an interview while Ballister read a book in hi- their room (because the Director had finally agreed to let them share one). Looking at the clock, he almost jumped out of his skin because, sure enough, he was gonna be late. Reluctantly putting back his face cream, he bolted out the door, grabbing his jacket out the way out, almost tripping but catching himself at the last second. Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t stop the blush creeping onto his face as Bal’s angel laugh reached his ears.

God, he loved that man. But right now, he had an interview to get to, and on time if he didn’t want the Director to scold him in punctuality again.

Ambrosius was lucky enough to arrive right before the interview started and get seated right on time.

“And we’re live!” A woman behind the camera said, and the interview started.

It was the basic questions really, all just things he had learned to answer properly throughout the years. "How is your training going?" and "What do you think of Sir Ballister Boldheart's current performance were the most common ones, the latter giving him a reason to give a small (big) rant about Ballister.

This time though, there was a new, though slightly expected question.

“Now that you are eighteen, it’s been said that a lot of people have been asking for your hand in marriage, but you keep rejecting those advances. Is there a particular reason for that?”

He thought about his answer for a few seconds before finally answering, “I don’t really have a particular reason. I suppose marriage is simply far from my mind as I am trying to focus on my training.”

Still, the interviewer pushed and prodded, “That is understandable, but as a descendant of Gloreth, isn’t it important to start thinking about your future spouse or husband, as well as the heir to Gloreth’s legacy?”

Ambrosius was slowly starting to get annoyed. It felt like everywhere he went, the only thing people saw was Gloreth’s descendant and the heir to her legacy. All they saw was the man who was supposed to continue her legacy so that the kingdom can stay safe. What about what he wanted? Or who he was beyond that? So, because of the amount of pressure put on him, mixed with the anger slowly filling him, he blurted out the first thing that came to mind in a half-sarcastic tone, “Then I guess I’ll marry the first person who can beat me in a single combat.”

If only he had known how the realm would take his words to heart.

“We hadn’t even left and there were already demands to organize fights! Truly Ambrosius, I do not know what you were thinking.” The Director was furious to say the least. His idea had seemed kind of good at the time. Now, as he saw her force herself to ignore the many notifications popping up in her inbox, he realized that maybe he should have just kept his mouth shut. He had came to the interview on his own, but had to be picked up at the end because there was a literal group of at least twenty people waiting for him outside to challenge him to a single combat just for a chance to marry him, and it was safe to say neither the Director nor the Queen were happy if the call the two had shared was anything to go by.

Ambrosius lowered his head in shame, not sure what he should say to calm the atmosphere, “I guess it just got annoying that everyone just wouldn’t take a simple no as an answer, and I snapped.” It was half the truth, but there was no way he was going to tell the Director of all people about how he was struggling with the amount of pressure all these expectations were putting on him and he just cracked, especially considering she wasn’t helping at all, always telling him-

“I understand that Ambrosius, but you must stay strong. The blood of Gloreth runs through your veins after all.” That. Exactly that. Even to someone like the Director, who was supposed to support him through his journey to becoming a knight and make sure he was in healthy condition, he was nothing more than something that would help raise the Institute’s reputation. He was about to snap again when his phone let out a sound, letting him know he had a notification. They both glanced at it, and while the Director didn’t seem to want to drop the matter immediately, she gave a curt nod and went back to managing her inbox, which was now completely flooded with messages. It was a scary sight honestly, to see the Director fuming. She was normally so calm and collected, it took a lot to anger her.

And yet Ambrosius couldn’t have stopped himself from smiling even if he tried when he saw the message that Bal had sent him.

❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥

Bal <3
So I saw the news and we gotta talk, so d’you want tea or hot chocolate?

Amber
Hot chocolate please

Bal <3
Gotcha. See you later

Amber
Thanks! See you later!

❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥
“Yeah…” Ambrosius thought as he looked down at his phone, a giddy smile etching its way onto his face, “I really am in love.”

The Director had asked Ambrosius to follow her to her office before he could go rant about his stupidness to Bal (she had not said that but that’s what he was going to do, so why not imagine it had gone like that) and, once there, had explained that before anything could be deemed official, a meeting had to be arranged with Queen Valerin and a message had to be sent out from her directly to either confirm that the combats could happen or explain that he was joking light-heartedly and did not mean for it to be taken literally. Which is what had happened, he truly did not meant what he had said. He was simply annoyed and blurted something stupid out. But no one except him seemed to have caught on to that. Still, Ambrosius nodded before turning and exiting her office. He walked calmly through a few corridors where he knew there were quite a few knights on guard, but when he knew he couldn’t be seen, he was sprinting through those corridors like his life depended on it.

He repeated this little game until he reached his dorm room. Upon entering, the first thing he noticed was that the TV was on and opened on the news channel, KTV, and, of course, the reporters were talking about his interview and what he had said. He wasn’t even listening as he searched for the remote, finding it on Bal’s nightstand and turning the TV off right as the door opened. Turning, he smiled at the sight of Bal in dark grey slacks and a black turtleneck, a cup of what he guessed was hot chocolate in each hand. Face to him, Bal was smirking.

“Rough day?” He asked, handing Ambrosius his cup, chuckling as the man in question took a huge gulp before answering.

“That’s an understatement.” And the two sat down on Bal’s bed as Ambrosius started ranting about how much of an idiot he was and about how much the citizens were annoying.

“…and now I need to have a meeting with Queen Valerin to either confirm or deny if I was joking or not when I said that.” Ambrosius finished his rant almost 20 minutes later, both his and Ballister’s cup now empty. He huffed for a moment, “Thanks, I really needed that.” He really needed to add 'Great listener when you need him to be one' to the list of Bal’s qualities.

“Not a problem.” Ballister said, stretching before adding, “Although, there is the question of whether or not you were joking or being serious.”

“I was joking obviously!”

“Okay, but were you joking because you wanted to or were you joking because the emotions got to you, and you just blurted out the first thing your mind came up with? Because those are two different things, and you tend to do the second one a lot.”

Ambrosius opened his mouth to get a quip back at him, but closed it just as fast as he thought about the question. In reality, the latter was the better answer. He had been annoyed, let the emotions get to him, and said the stupidest thing. And he couldn’t really blame the public either; he knew they looked up to him and took everything he said to a literal degree, and he was aware of the whole marriage thing, so there was no one to blame than himself.

“I’m such an idiot!” He groaned out, hiding his face in his hands while Ballister simply chuckled, “What the hell am I supposed to do now?”

Ballister laughed for a little more before setting his cup down and leaning back with a hum, though he still had a small smile, “Well, you could tell the Queen you weren’t thinking when you said it and would like it to simply be treated as a joke… Or, you could go through with it.”

Now that got his attention. Raising his head, he looked at Bal, a confused look on his face, “Are you saying I should… Agree to fight civilians?” Ballister laughed, and if it wouldn’t have been for his current situation, Ambrosius would’ve swooned.

“Well, kind of?” He had phrased it like a question, but Ambrosius didn’t need to be a genius to guess that’s what he was alluding to. He huffed, “Doesn’t that go against what we’re training for?”

“It does, but if you do go through with it, the Queen will have approved it, so you’ll be fine. Plus,” Ballister shrugged, a sly grin on his face, “it’d be kind of funny to see people fail miserably in front of the great Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin!” Bal poked at Ambrosius’ sides, making him shove him away with a laugh. “And it would serve as proof that the training we go through in the Institute actually teaches us things to use in real life combat, so what d’you got to lose, really?”

Ambrosius smirked; this was a pretty good idea now that he though about it.

A week later, the meeting took place. Ambrosius’ parents also came, and although he didn’t particularly appreciate his mother’s teasing about all this, he was grateful she at least didn’t scold him for his action, and instead laughed about it. It took a bit of convincing, but after around two hours it had been established that, every week, three civilians could try their hand a single combat with Ambrosius, but a background check needed to be done before hand to be sure he wasn’t being married off to some psycho. A message was later sent out by Queen Valerin and his mother where they explained how people could sign up and how the selection would go, and to say the citizens were excited for this was the understatement of the millennium. It didn’t take a day for everyone to start talking about it, and Ambrosius couldn’t set a foot outside without reporters crowding him and asking if he was excited for the first fight which would take place on the following Friday.

His mother had been kind enough to ask him if he had any candidates in mind he would like to compete with first or if he wanted to try with any of the knights or cadets first, but he had turned that idea down pretty quickly. Almost every knight who had asked him so far had done it because their family had asked them to so they could have a good relationship with the Goldenloin family. Plus, even if he someone did catch his eye, he didn’t want to risk ruining everything by asking them to join the event. He was grateful that she didn’t push at the matter, and he also requested that it be made clear that the fights for his hand will only take place on the scheduled time, just so the kingdom didn’t get the wrong idea if another cadet happened to beat him in single combat.

Everyone awaited the day with impatience, a lot of the cadets whining about how slowly the week was passing, and even a few teachers seeming to get more fidgety as the days passed, but to Ambrosius, it felt as if he had blinked, and he was already getting ready for the first fight that would take place in just ten minutes. He kept having that prickly feeling that popped up that was basically just him wondering “What if I mess up and end up marrying someone I don’t want to?” Because as good as he was, there was no way to know how a fight was going to go, especially when he didn’t even know his opponents’ fighting style.

“Ambrosius!” The man in question jumped, quickly turning around to be met with a confused Ballister, “You alright? I’ve already called your name a few times.”

Ambrosius sighed and his shoulders slumped, “I’m alright, just…” He struggled to find the right word.

“Anxious?” Bal offered.

He shook his head, “Not really no, or not to that extent at least. Just… nervous, I guess?”

“Oh.” Bal said softly, “Well I came to ask if you knew about this new series they were starting, but now I’m not sure if that was a good idea.”

He chuckled half-heartedly before his head popped up, “Wai- A series?”

“Mhm.” The other confirmed, “‘Fight for the Right’ is what it’s called I believe.”

Ambrosius stared for a moment more before shoving his head in his hands, “Dear Gloreth, this is gonna go wrong in every way possible!” He whined out, only lifting his head when he heard Ballister’s quiet laugh.
“You always say that and yet I can’t recount one time that happened.”

Ambrosius glared at his best friend and crush, trying (and failing) not to let his blush show, “I can recall two actually; the first family party I was allowed to invite you to and the interview that got me in this mess in the first place!”

The black-haired man didn’t even try to suppress his laugh this time, throwing his head back, his angel voice filling the changing rooms. All of Ambrosius anger and worry seemed to dissipate at that. Good Gloreth, he was in love. If only he could find it in himself to admit his feelings to Ballister, but every time he told himself he was gonna do it, he went all nervous and scared that he didn’t reciprocate them and ended up not telling him anything at all.

Right as Bal was finally recomposing himself, Ambrosius’ mother popped her head through the door, “Ambrosi- Ah, hello Ballister!”

“Hey mom.”
“Hello Lady Goldenloin.”

“Oh, please, call me Vivian!” His mother told Ballister, something she kept repeating every time she saw him, but the man was too polite. His mother then turned to him, “Anyways, I came to say that the combats are starting soon and they’re waiting for you dear.”

Ambrosius pursed his lips and nodded, tense, but all it took was for Bal to place a reassuring hand on his shoulder and for his mother to cast him a comforting but encouraging smile for him to shake off the tenseness and make his way out towards the Glorodome, where they had previously decided the fights would take place. As he left, his mother called out to him.

“Me and your father will be watching in the higher up seats with Queen Valerin and the Director!” Then, quieter this time, “Would you like to join us Ballister? You’d be allowed if I said that you were requested there by Ambrosius, and you’d have the best seats.”

“If it’s not a trouble for you Lady Go- I mean, Vivian.”

Ambrosius couldn’t help but chuckle along with his mother.

He hated to admit, but after a few weeks of this, he had to give it to Bal; this was a damn good idea. It was incredibly fun to fight new people, watching and learning their moves, forcing his mind to think up new strategies as the one he used with his fellow knights wouldn’t work. Beating the asses of people who hadn’t taken “No” for an answer when they had first asked for his hand was also incredibly satisfying, more so after a particular talk with Bal after a month of this that had left him feeling like the happiest man alive.

Ambrosius groaned as he stretched his arms. The earlier episode of “Fight for the Right”, or, if you prefer, the tournament for his hand that had taken place earlier that day, has left him bruised and sore. The 20-year-old man who had lacked in physical strength, but made up for it in both speed and flexibility had given him a particularly hard fight, but he was pretty chill with loosing and congratulated Ambrosius, wishing him to find a good spouse. Although still enjoyed around the kingdom, the original hype that had surrounded these tournaments for someone to have Ambrosius’ hand in marriage had died down after everyone realized that most fights were over fairly quickly, Ambrosius having an advantage thanks to his training at the Institute. He did hear a rumor about bets going on between the knights, but he decided to not spend too much time on it.

“The contestants sure we’re good today, huh?” He asked Ballister while stretching his legs. After a quick shower (or as quick as one could get with his routine) he had dragged Bal outside and onto one of the platforms that overlooked the Glorodome, really needing a few hours of quiet with his best friend. When his only response was silence, he opened his eyes, about to ask if he was listening as it wasn’t rare for him to space out and just block out all sounds, but his breath was stolen from him when he locked eyes with the other man.

Ballister’s eyes were filled with fondness as he gazed at his face, a calm but charming smile lighting his face up. Ambrosius was sure he imagined it when his eyes darted down to his lips, but when he does it again, he resists the urge to lick his lips, the feeling of being so intensely watched surprisingly not uncomfortable for once as he subconsciously mimics Bal’s action and looks at his lips, and if he was sure his smile couldn’t grow, well he was proven wrong.

Ballister’s voice then cut through the silence, quiet but firm, “About the whole ‘Fight for the Right’ thing…” He trails off and Ambrosius nods, inviting him to continue. He swallows a chuckle when Bal turns away, not wanting to scare him away now that he’d started… whatever this was. Ballister cleared his throat before speaking up again, “I was just wondering… Would I have to do the same thing if I wanted to ask you on a date?” A heavy blush was dusted on his cheeks as he said, still not looking at Ambrosius, who had positively stopped working. All his thoughts came to a screeching halt, and he could feel his cheeks slowly heat up. He opened and closed his mouth many times, looking like a fish as he tries to gather his thoughts to form a phrase, or even just a sound. But Ballister seems to have taken his shocked silence for rejection as he gets up to leave, his previously bright face now haven fallen.

“I’m sorry- This was stupid. I’ll just le- ACK!” His sentence is abruptly cut off by Ambrosius grabbing his arm and pulling him back down. The man having moved without thinking, he didn’t calculate his strength correctly, and Ballister ended up falling on top of him, trapping Ambrosius between himself and the floor by accident. There was a moment of complete silence and stillness as they locked eyes, both holding their breath as if afraid it would interrupt the moment. Ambrosius felt his heart flutter when Bal leaned down slightly, though he stopped half way, looking for the sign that this was okay. In response, Ambrosius placed his hands on his shoulders, his eyes fixated on the other’s lips, and he lifted his head up, trying to reach him. That was seemingly all the ‘okay’ Ballister was waiting for as he hurriedly leaned down and the two locked in a kiss. It was in no way rushed or heated. It started off hesitant and tentative, but then descended into something soft and gentle.

Ambrosius was sure that if he wasn’t lying on his back, his knees would have given up on him. His stomach felt tingly, the same butterfly feeling he got when he was excited or nervous for a certain event, but this was a thousand times better. His heart was beating wildly, ready to beat out of his chest if given the approval, and although he was sure Bal could feel it as well, he couldn’t find it in himself to care or be embarrassed. His arms wrapped themselves around Ballister’s neck, his hands entangling themselves into the other’s black hair, and he shivered when he felt Ballister’s hands lift from the ground, one sliding down his waist before eventually settling on his hip, rubbing small circles into his exposed skin, while the other moved up to cup his cheek.

Ambrosius felt overwhelmed with so many emotions. He felt giddy at having finally been able to kiss Ballister, but there was also a tinge of relief. He didn’t need to hide his feelings anymore, and they were in fact mutual. One of his hands slipped down to Bal’s neck, pulling him down, trying to bring their bodies even closer if it was even possible. Ballister groaned and obliged, practically laying on him at this point, but Ambrosius couldn’t care, not when he was finally, finally kissing Bal, when he was finally allowed to touch. He breathed in through his nose, the scent of Bal’s shampoo making him even more dizzy with happiness. The need for air eventually took over and they separated, albeit reluctantly on both ends.

They were both panting, not heavily, but still enough for it to be noticeable. Ambrosius still felt dizzy, and when he locked eyes with Bal again, the man’s hands not having moved from their places on his hip and cheek, he was positive he could’ve just melted into the ground beneath him. At least he would’ve died a happy man. Actually, no, not happy; fucking ecstatic.

Ballister chuckled, bringing him back to his sense, “This wasn’t how I had planned this out, but I’m not complaining to be honest.”

Ambrosius could only give him a dopy grin, “Sir Ballister Boldheart made a plan and didn’t stick to it? That’s a first.”

Ballister laughed again, and the butterflies were back now that Ambrosius’ head was clear, and he could manage thoughts that weren’t “Holy shit I’m kissing Ballister!”

“Well, you did make it hard to stick to.” He said, rising back onto is knees and bringing Ambrosius up into a sitting position, “But if you don’t mind, I’d like to redo this.”

The blond giggled, but he still nodded, calming himself back down to allow Ballister to do what he wanted to, though he was a bit surprised when he took both of his hands into his own.

“Ambrosius…” Ballister started, taking a deep breath before he continued, “I just wanted to tell you, you’re… amazing. You're gorgeous, strong, kind. I could go on and on about all your qualities that I absolutely adore.” Ambrosius could feel his cheeks slowly heating up, but he kept his eyes fixated on Bal, “But I’ll put it simply; I love everything about you. Your laugh, the way you talk faster when you’re exited, even how jealous you can sometimes be.” He let that last part out with a laugh, “Basically, what I wanted to ask you was, Ambrosius Goldenloin, will you go out with me?”

Ambrosius took one of his hands back to cup one of Ballister’s cheeks, bringing him closer to peck him on the lips, and when he pulled back, he smiled and said, “I will gladly go out with you, Bal.”

A similar smile made it’s way onto Ballister’s face, “Good.”

“Yeah…” Ambrosius thought when Bal brought his hand to his mouth and kissed each knuckle, “I could get used to this.”

Ambrosius had decided that he was officially the happiest man alive. He was finally dating the man he had been crushing on for months and could freely show his affection for him without fearing that he’d come off as weird. When he had broken the news to his parents, she had been delighted and was simply glad he was with someone like Ballister, whom she knew she could trust with her son’s life, and his father simply stated how he knew it was bound to happen sooner or later. The only concerns they had was if he wanted to continue the trials for his hand, to which he had said yes because 1) They were fun an made him develop better reflexes and strategies and 2) They barely did it anymore because the hype had died down pretty quickly after he’d defeated the first 20 people.

So, per his request, they continued on doing it, and it was safe to say that each and every time he defeated a contestant, Ballister was the one cheering him on the loudest from where he sat next to his parents and the Queen. When he wasn’t training, at school or doing the trials, he was always with Bal. Out on a nacho date, watching a movie cuddled up in bed, or even just sitting around on the training grounds and talking between classes. He didn’t care about anything now that he had Ballister all for himself. Didn’t care about the looks he’d get from the other cadets and knights, didn’t care about the rumors going around that they were “A lot closer than before”, didn’t care about the Institute, the wall, or the monsters roaming behind it.

The two of them kept training, Bal always finding ways to somehow get better. They passed their final exams with flying colors, and suddenly it was the day they were finally going to become knights. Absolutely nothing could annoy him (except maybe Todd who decided he was gonna be an asshole one last time while he was helping Bal with his armor) because this was the happiest day of his life. He was going to make his family proud, Ballister was going to prove everyone who had ever doubted him wrong, and, best of all, they were going to be together.

Nothing could go wrong, and he was sure of it.

It wasn’t until two years later that Ambrosius realized that he was completely and utterly wrong. So much had happened, and everything that could go wrong, had went wrong. First, Bal’s sword kills the Queen right as he’s knighted, and, without even realizing it, Ambrosius cuts off his fucking arm (he was still working through that) then there’s the whole chaos at the Institute and he starts a manhunt for Bal. Not even a day later, there’s another confrontation at the Institute and he quite literally points his sword at Bal and orders their arrest (still trying to get through that as well). After that there was the whole Nimona thing before they sacrificed themselves for the city, and they got a break for maybe three days before they immediately jumped into the reconstruction of the realm and taking a part of the wall down to allow for safe travel into and out of the kingdom. It was pretty safe to say that everything going on during those few months could simply be described as totally chaotic.

But at least now they finally had time to rest. Nimona had come back a little more than a year after their sacrifice, the city was fixed, and Ballister and them were now considered heroes. That simple fact brought a smile on Ambrosius’ face as he munched on the strawberries he had packed for his and Bal’s picnic date.

“What are you smiling about?” Ballister asked him as he played with his hair, Ambrosius having laid his head on his lap. His hair was getting longer, not having had the time to visit his hairdresser, but he liked the new look, and it was clear Ballister enjoyed braiding his hair or just passing his hand through it, so he decided he’d keep it.

“Just thinking about how much I love you.” He said, grinning as Bal’s cheeks flushed, just a little bit, but he knew what to look for. The black-haired man just snickered and hummed, Ambrosius still snacking on the strawberries. Nimona had brought them back after one of their adventures beyond the wall, and he had to admit they were much better than the ones grown on the inside of the wall. Sweeter, bigger, juicier, just in general better. That train of thought ended with him wondering if there were other fruits outside the wall that are better. He’d have to ask Nimona to look for some the next time they leave-

“Hey, Ambrosius?” Ballister asked him, interrupting his very interesting mental questioning about fruits. Looking up at him, Ambrosius noted how he seemed to be admiring each and every of his features, lost in thought as he examined every part of his face.

“Yes, my love?” He said, smiling fondly, taking another bite of his strawberry.

“Will you marry me?”

It took a second for the words to register in his mind, but when they did, Ambrosius shot up, almost choking on his food, but quickly swallowing it and turning to gape at Ballister, the man in question simply looking at him expectantly with those big doe eyes.

The blondie already knew his answer (Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!) but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t joke around, so as he reached for the bottle of water to at least calm his aching throat, he says, “Beat me in single combat first, darling.”

He really, truly expected Ballister to just take it as a yes and laugh it off, but when a beat passes and he answers with, “Remind me to call your mother later so we can organize it.”

Let’s just say their date abruptly ends with Ambrosius actually choking this time and Ballister fretting over him, trying to make sure air got into his lungs.

“Bal, I was joking! You know, that thing you do when you say something that’s meant to just be laughed off and not be taken seriously?!” Ambrosius cried, trying to stop this nonsense his lover had gotten into his head. Granted it was his fault, that didn’t mean Bal was allowed to take him literally. And yet despite all he had said in the past 20 minutes, when they reached the doorstep to their house, he simply turned to him with a grin.

“Oh, but I have to follow the rules like everyone else, don’t I? It wouldn’t be fair or honorable if I didn’t, would it?” He said, turning back around and unlocking the door, stepping inside and leaving a dumbfounded Ambrosius to follow him inside after gathering his thoughts.

“What the fuck happened on your date?” Was Nimona’s blunt greeting. Looking over, they were sprawled over the couch as a wolf, most likely leaving a bunch of fur everywhere which made his eye twitch, but he kept his mouth shut as he removed his, even as they kept talking. “Seriously. Boss came in and just rushed to the office and you look pissed. Did you break up or something?”

Ambrosius scoffed, hanging his coat and going to the kitchen to put away the rest of the food they hadn’t eaten. “Quite the opposite.” He mumbled towards Nimona who had shifted into an owl and followed him into the room. The office being the room right next to the kitchen, Ambrosius could hear everything Ballister was doing and saying.

“Ballister! Well, how did it go?” His mother’s voice was muffled, but still recognizable, and Ambrosius felt the corners of his mouth twitch up as he realized that, of course, his mother would be fully supportive of this.

She had been the one to comfort Ambrosius when he bawled his eyes out because he couldn’t help but doubt that the man he loved for all these years had truly loved him or if everything was just a lie. She had been the one to give him advice as to how he could help Ballister after everything had happened, and she was the one who had pushed both men to talk to each other to at least get over the first step of fixing their relationship. She had been their biggest supporter through thick and thin, from the beginning of their relationship up until now, so it was only natural that Bal had checked with her beforehand.

Still putting away the food, Ambrosius blocked out the sound of Nimona playing with a yarn ball as a cat, instead choosing to concentrate on what his mother and Ballister were saying. (Sure, spying wasn’t good, but they were gonna talk about a marriage proposal he already knew about, so where’s the harm in that).

Ballister chuckled, “It went well, in a sense?” He questioned himself, and Ambrosius could practically see his mother’s confused face as a muffled “Oh?” floated through the thing walls.

“Let’s just say your son wants to stick to our little traditions.” Ballister said, and the relieved giggle that reached Ambrosius’ ears made him smile again as he tried and failed to keep up his angry demeanor, though he had no one to fool but himself as Nimona had already retreated to their room.

“Ah, well I’ll have to remember to contact the directors of Fight for the Right to tell them that we need them for one last episode!”

“Oh, for Gloreth’s sake!” Ambrosius mumbled under his breath, really not wanting another instance of this, but as he heard his mother and boyfriend (fiancé?) chatter away, he realized perhaps talking about the single combat events again wasn’t his best idea.

Finally putting the last of the things away, Ambrosius sighed, making his way towards his room for a much needed shower. He didn’t bother to tell Bal where he was; the sound of running water would tell him everything he needed to know.
He sighed again when the warm water hit his back, tipping his head back and letting his hair get wet. He was halfway through rinsing his body when, on the other side of the curtain, he could hear Ballister getting undressed before he eventually joined him in the shower.

“You alright, love?” He asked, his accent slipping into his speech more due to sleepiness.

“I don’t know. D’you accept that I was joking?” Ambrosius responded, trying to muster as much sassiness as possible.

He could tell Ballister was grinning as he kissed the back of his neck, “You’re the one who said to follow the rules.”

“Like I said earlier; I. Was. Joking.” Ambrosius groaned out, turning to face his smirking lover and wrapping his arms around his neck.

A glint of malice passing through his eyes was the only warning Ambrosius got, “The same kind of joking that brought those rules to life in the first place?”

Other than the still running water, it was completely quiet for a good thirty seconds. Ambrosius then rolled his eyes and lightly pushed Bal away to let him finish his shower. As he exited the bathroom, he called out, “You’re sleeping on the couch tonight by the way!”

Ballister’s undignified screech of protest was enough to make him reconsider lovingly murdering his boyfriend, at least for now. And yet even as annoyed as he was with the whole situation, he still ended up joining Bal on the couch and spooning him in the middle of the night.

By the next day, the whole kingdom was already talking about what was to take place (hopefully) that following Friday. It was trending everywhere, and the only thing all the news channels talked about was, you guessed it, the long awaited last (hopefully) episode of the Fight for the Right series. People were stopping Ambrosius on the streets to ask him dozens of questions about the subject, and yet that was far from the most annoying part of his week.
He had spent the greater part of the week consistently telling Ballister that he was fucking joking and that his answer was “Yes, of course I’ll marry you, you idiotic man!” but he’d just smirk and say “Don’t I have to follow the rules like everyone else did? It’d be unfair if I was given an advantage.”

Nimona had figured it out at some point, and they had made a pretty good point, “Wouldn’t that mean that you guys got engaged when Boss beat you at the Institute?” He had never been more grateful of them stating stupid stuff and had tried to play it off that yes they were already engaged, so they could just start planning the wedding now.

But then his mother had stepped in and stated that since it hadn’t been organized and filmed like all the other fights, it wasn’t acceptable and had to be redone in a more “professional” setting. He loved his mother, really, but when she did stuff like that, sometimes he wondered if having your mother as a number one fan for your relationship really was worth it.

Now, he was getting ready for his duel with Ballister. He was glaring holes in the wall as he put on his protective gear, maybe a little more forcefully than necessary. He kept imagining beating his lover’s ass, but he knew in the back of his mind that unless Bal let him win (which he wouldn’t) he’d lose, and he wasn’t sure if he liked that idea or not

“Are you alright, dear?” Vivian asked, stepping into the room. Turning towards her, Ambrosius gave something between a sigh and a groan.

“I’m fine, I guess.”

Vivian smiled, “Well, do your best out there! Channeling all that pent up emotion on fighting may help, you know?” She added, giving him a wink.

Ambrosius giggled, “I’m surprised you’re not telling me to purposefully lose so you can start calling Bal your son-in-law.”

His mother chuckled behind her hand before looking back up at him, “Even if you do win darling,” Her face softened, “that man would duel you as many times as it takes so he can have the pleasure of calling you his. He loves you, and I hope you realize that.”

Vivian Goldenloin had been the first one to start believing Ballister and doubt the Director. She had believed him before he did, and although Ambrosius would never forgive himself for letting that happen, and not believing not only Ballister, but his mother too when she had tried to knock some sense into him, he knew his mother had always been the smartest of the bunch, much like Bal. She had told him on many occasions that she saw bits and pieces of herself in the boy, and, when the manhunt for him was going on, she had told Ambrosius many times that as confusing as all this was, what wasn’t a lie was that Ballister loved him dearly, and that was clear.

He was simply glad he was able to believe it now as he smiled and nodded, pressing a kiss to her forehead as he headed towards the arena.

The crowd was loud when Ambrosius stepped out, even louder than at the knighting ceremony, louder even than the ceremony where Ballister and Nimona had been deemed heroes of the realm and they had been cheered on by all. But those instances had been different than now. Now, Ambrosius already felt adrenaline and annoyance filling his veins as he saw his smug lover standing on the other side of the arena. Behind him, on a higher platform, stood Violet, Queen Valerin’s daughter and the soon-to-be Queen. Around her were some of the knights (Todd and Nakano, an old friend of his, stood out) and Nimona could be seen grinning, even as an otter resting on Todd’s head, the man looking visibly unsure of what to do with the little gremlin so close to him. Vivian and William, Ambrosius’ father, joined them soon after
.
Ballister joined him in the middle of the arena, and Ambrosius just wished he could lovingly strangle that smug smirk off of his face, but he held back, and when the horn signaling the beginning of the duel blared, the men immediately jumped at each other. Kicks and punches were exchanged, and Ambrosius considered himself lucky to have memorized Bal’s moves, or he’d have fallen to some dirtier moves the man had learned when he lived on the streets.

The crowd kept on encouraging them, the level of noise not once reducing. The two men moved quickly and smoothly, falling into a routine they had done many times before. They moved as if this was a simple dance, dodging on the right and kicking towards the left, trying to get the other on his back. Ambrosius put forth all of his pent up anger and annoyance in the fight, giving Ballister a hard one, and yet the man still kept giving sly smirks every now and then, his eyes practically sparkling as he rolled away to avoid Ambrosius’ kick.

The crowd seemed to be divided into three groups. There were the ones who were simply glad to be able to witness such an impressive duel, they yelled encouragement towards no one in particular. Then there were the ones who supported their relationship, who cheered Ballister on. They were the ones who chose peace with how the two lived their lives and didn’t care much. In that second group were some old friends of Ambrosius. Nimona’s voice occasionally buried the others, yelling out encouragement and praise to her boss, and although Violet, Vivian and William didn’t say anything, Ambrosius knew they were silently cheering Ballister on.

But as big as the other groups were, there was still that one group of people who didn’t approve of this at all. They were cheering for Ambrosius not because they favored him, but because, to them, a marriage between a noble and a commoner was incredulous, dumb. They were the ones who still believed Ballister didn’t deserve to be recognised as a hero. Ambrosius felt an indescribable amount of rage towards these people, and concentrated all of that in the way he moved, attentively watching Ballister, taking note of how he positioned himself and then dodging or attacking depending on what he was doing. It went on like that for almost an hour, stretching on and on.

But then Ambrosius realized he had made a mistake, gave way to a vulnerable spot, and he knew Bal had realized it too as his eyes glimmered, and the next second Ambrosius was flat on his back and panting, the crowd’s collective gasp filling his ears. He could already feel bruises forming, and the silence was oddly loud. Sitting up a bit and looking up, Ambrosius was met with Ballister’s reached out hand. He rolled his eyes, though his smile removed any trace of malice, and grabbed, allowing Bal to hoist him up.

He was going to say something when Bal dropped to one knee and took out a small, rectangular, red box and opened to reveal a simple golden ring, and everyone in the stadium collectively held their breath, Ballister’s voice the only thing breaking the silence.

“Ambrosius Goldenloin.” Ballister started, and already, the blond man could feel tears forming in his eyes, “We’ve had our highs and our lows, been through so much together, and yet even after everything, not once have I ever stopped loving you. So, Ambrosius, will you marry me?”

There was no stopping the tears flowing down his face even if he tried, and Ambrosius was almost sobbing as he yelled out, “Fucking- Yes! Yes, you idiot! I’ll marry you!” And he threw himself on the ground, grabbed Ballister’s face and kissed him, putting all his emotions in this one single kiss, and, almost immediately, a roar of joy erupted through the crowd, drowning out whatever booing some assholes had to do.

When they separated and pushed their foreheads together, slipping on the rings, the two fiancés were bubbling with happiness, and the fact that Vivian and Nimona’s voices reached them clearly above all the other people was simply fueling their joy

Ambrosius had spent the rest of the day gushing about the ring with Nakano, the two examining and cooing at it. Vivian sang praises to Ballister, not about the fight, but about the speech, as it turns out he had stressed all week trying to write one only to throw it out the window (literally) at the last second and choosing to improvise with what his mind came up at the moment. Ballister was flushed the whole time as the three praised him as much as they breathed, blushing in embarrassment the whole time. Nimona just talked about how “metal” the fight was and got into a long discussion about fighting techniques with William (he was still wary around them, but he was already warming up quicker than half the kingdom, so Ambrosius considered that a win) and even Violet came to personally congratulate them. Todd took him aside at some point to both congratulate him and apologize (he had done so before, but he kept doing it over and over again, and as much as Ambrosius still disliked him, he had to give to him that he at least recognized his mistakes).

Now, Ambrosius was laying in bed spooning Ballister, half-asleep with a smile on his face as he recalled the day’s events, ready to finally fall into slumber.

“Hey Amber?” Bal called out, awaking him a bit, and Ambrosius hummed in acknowledgement, keeping his eyes closed. He opened them though when he felt Ballister shuffle and turn towards him, his eyes glimmering in the moonlight as he grinned.

“You know…” He started, and Ambrosius raised a brow in question, “If you wanted me to beat your ass, you could’ve just asked me normally, love.”

Staring him down for a few seconds, Ambrosius makes the quick decision to push his now laughing lover off the bed and turn away from him before he lovingly strangles him.

And if Nimona asks him what the two notebooks that he hid in the back of his closet labeled “WEDDING” and “HOW TO MAKE BAL’S DEATH LOOK LIKE AN ACCIDENT” are about …

Well, no one has to know that they made a deal and he wouldn’t tell them off about going through his and Bal’s closet as long as they didn’t rat him off to Ballister.