taken by rot

the thought of stepping back out into the gala sits like a stone in your stomach, but you knew you wouldn't be able to hide in the bathroom forever. you gather your courage and step out of the stall, stopping by the mirror to freshen yourself up. does it look like you've been crying? you hope not. no need to get toji and shiu more worked up.

this night could have held so many opportunities for them and now it's all about you. what an amazing wife you are.

freshened up, you weave your way around rich bastards and assassins, keeping an eye out for your husbands.

eventually, you see toji and a blushing shiu standing by the piano, shiu leaning against it while toji cages him in, whispering in his ear. your heart flutters at seeing your husbands flirting. they're so beautiful together it makes your heart clench.

your heels make your presence known as you click your way towards them, hands wringing the fabric of your dress.

"there she is," shiu gently smiles. "hi, princess." he reaches out his hand and you take it, the skirt of your dress waving as he pulls you into them for a hug, lips pressed against your forehead. his breath is warm on your temple as he whispers to toji to "lead the way."

toji caresses your jaw, his thumb gliding along your cheek. something in the way he catches your eye betrays that he can tell you've cried. the man always sees through you like cellophane. you close your, probably red, eyes and take a deep breath before toji guides you and shiu to a random, private bedroom.

your brain is a mess of anxiety and self doubt but the fluffy sheets below you soak up a bit of your disarray. shiu sits with your feet in his lap, fiddling with the straps of your heels as toji clicks the door shut.

"what'd the bitch say?"

"she's not a bitch," you sigh. the look toji shoots you makes you sink a bit deeper into the sheets.

"not a bitch," shiu amends, gently discarding your shoes and massaging your ankles. "but certainly unkind. and uneducated."

"and her dress is fucking tacky," toji snorts, collapsing on his stomach beside you.

you pinch his bicep and he flexes it under your fingers. you have a deep urge to bite it as shiu runs his hands up your legs. overwhelmed, you clam up.

"honey, what did she really say to you?" toji prods.

"i already told you," you sigh, fingers wringing your dress again.

shiu moves to massage your calves. "yeah, but what did you take away from it, baby?"

"nothing," you whisper. the look in shiu's eyes shuts that down quick. "i don't even know. i shouldn't be so bothered. she and her friends-"

one squeeze to your calf gave you pause. "her friends picked on you too?"

"i mean, "picked on" is a strong choice of words. they were just drunk and babbling."

then, from beside you, "so that makes it ok to bully you?"

"am i three years old? nobody bullied me," you groan.

"yeah, that's why we're in this baroque-ass room instead of out there showing count bitchula what's up."

shiu smacks the back of toji's thigh as you laugh, bewildered.

"literally what?"

"i don't know," toji muffles into the pillows. "i'm drunk."

"i didn't even know you knew the word baroque," shiu chides, pinching toji's thighs through his slacks.

"touchy," toji complains, scooting deeper into the cuddle.

you stare up at the, frankly, baroque-ass ceiling and feel your chest glow. if you let your eyes get hazy, the beam of light twinkles across the room like light bouncing off water. tears gather in your eyes as you ground yourself into the reality that these are your husbands and you love them so dearly and nothing is going to change that.

"you guys are sofuckingstupid," you laugh wetly, air punched out of your chest as shiu lays his head on you.

you are swiftly sandwiched by them.

"i just- i don't want people to- to- to judge? it's fucked up, but i don't want to be, like. i don't want people to look at us and think "wow, those guys are so lucky," and "wow, that girl is so slutty," you know?"

"ok well, first of all," shiu starts, resting on his arm to look you in the face, "toji is the sluttiest between the three of us."

in turn, toji grunts.

at the sight of your smile, shiu continues. "and second of all, if these old, miserable schmucks mattered beyond their wallets, they woulda been at our wedding."

you nod, sniffling snottily. toji must have found that endearing, judging by the death squeeze he subjected you to.

"their opinions only matter if we care," you reiterate.

"and do we care?" shiu asks gently, tenderly searching for an answer in your eyes.

"no," you laugh, running your hand through his hand. "we don't give a fuck shit."

"damn straight," toji muffled.

"not one fuck shit," shiu affirmed, eyes crinkling with mirth. "how are we feeling, baby?"

you wiggle around, encouraging your limbs to wake up a bit. "feeling good, feeling like i wanna fix my makeup and get back out there."

"you look gorgeous, my love," shiu kissed into your skin.

"you sure you don't wanna mess it up a bit more?" toji tempted.

though entirely tempted, you smack toji on his firm back, certainly hurting your hand more than you hurt him. "up," you demand. when toji makes no effort to move, you smack him a couple more times. "up, up, up."

he grumbled and rolls off you. shiu is smart and escapes without getting hit.

you watch them through the mirror of a fancy baroque-ass vanity as you touch up your makeup, heart fluttering at how much they mean to you and how, time and time again, they prove how much you mean to them.

shiu helps you put your shoes on as toji peppers kisses to your shoulder. you have to wave him away before you melt into it too much.

hand in hand in hand, the three of you make it back out to the gala, lovingly draped atop each other. any complaints fell upon deaf ears.

all you knew is that you couldn't wait to make it home. your boys had promised to prove to you how much the three of you truly belonged together and you could only giggle as you daydreamed the possibilities.