Fics Written in the Stars

Combining Day 6 and 7 for @burgertimewifi's TRSOT week!

The wedding had been a simple affair, all things considered.

Truthless Recluse, or Pure Vanilla rather, refused to have too many people up on the Peak. Blueberry Milk had been more than willing to shed the mask of the Sage of Truth. So, a small audience, mainly consisting of the Virtues and the Beasts, watched them exchange vows under the summer night sky.

The venue itself was decorated beautifully, with globs of light providing light and flowers curling everywhere. Everyone sat in chairs, all dressed in their best for the event.

Blueberry Milk and Pure Vanilla had agreed to arrange the others' outfits. The former had been delighted when he had been gifted a traditional Vanillian wedding dress, with waffle cone print across the edges. The blue of it was a much darker shade than he traditionally wore, but it was beautiful. He had tucked orchids in his hair and had waited at the aisle for his groom-to-be.

And, oh, how lovely.

Pure Vanilla, with a milkcrown tucked behind his ear, looked like perfection. He wore a beautiful white gown, edged with his normal darkness, with an elegant dark veil with golden constellations across the fabric. There was probably small jam stains from the Sage pricking his fingers. He had met his eyes and smiled, truly smiled, behind the veil.

They had held hands and refused to let go.

They were still holding hands even now, as they danced across the dance floor.

It wasn't their first dance as a married couple. That had been about an hour ago. Everyone was on the dance floor now, probably all with a few drinks.

Blueberry Milk laughed as Pure Vanilla, somehow, managed to lift him off his feet and twirl with just his hand on his hip. He pulled him closer once he was back on solid ground, or as close as they could be with company. "I love you," he said.

"I love you too," Pure Vanilla said, as easily as breathing.

"…do you remember the first time we said that to each other?"

Pure Vanilla snickered. "I do. You fell down the peak."

"I did~."

It had come out of nowhere, his dear Recluse's love confession. They had known for some time that they cared for each other, but he had been unsure if the depth of care he felt for him was requited. The Sage had been worried about burning bridges if he dared to say those words to him.

And then, his Recluse had been showing him his larger garden, set on a tucked-away cliff, and, seemingly out of nowhere, said "I love you." Easily, without strain, as if it were a normal occurrence.

The Sage had been so shocked that he had taken a step back and fallen off the cliff, and proceeded to tumble down the rest of the mountain. He could still hear his dear's shriek when he realized what had happened, quickly rushing after him like a very concerned raven.

"You insisted on kissing me by the time I found you." He had several broken bones and a concussion, but his sheer delight at having his affections returned had blocked out most of the pain. Plus, the taste of vanilla and darkness, the very ability to press kisses to any available gap of skin he could, had helped block out the discomfort of having his bones reset and feeling them stitch back together.

"You like it when I kiss you," Blueberry Milk pointed out, smugness rolling off him.

Their hold on each other's hands broke.

Before he whined, that hand cupped his face.

"I do," Pure Vanilla confessed, before rising up on his tiptoes to press his lips to his.

I'm starving you guys, I'm sorry T0T

His train wreck of a life and inability to accept love intrigues me LOL

"But that was our thing"

Burningcheese's first meeting in the College Cosplay AU!

It was a nice day for taking photos.

"Okay, hot stuff! Give me a scowl!"

Burning Spice gritted his teeth and growled into the camera. Shadow Milk cackled, his phone and camera both snapping at once. "Good, good, good! Now, flex!"

"How do you-"

"Go with your gut!"

Go with his gut…

Burning Spice lifted up his replica parashu, the sunlight almost making the resin gleam like a real weapon. He lifted it over his back, arching his back slightly. The water that Shadow Milk had spritzed him with gleamed in the sunlight, and based on the giggles, the effect was working.

Honestly, Burning Spice preferred the other costume, the Herald of Change. The Great Destroyer's design, in his opinion, was too simple. However, he had gotten all his fun with that costume the other day. It was the Great Destroyer's time to shine.

It took a few seconds to realize Shadow Milk had stopped snapping pictures. He was craning his head, looking past him. A brow was raised.

"What is it?"

Shadow Milk nodded. "Is that woman wearing a costume of who I think it is?"

"What woman?" Burning Spice turned to follow Shadow Milk's gaze.

He hadn't noticed, but there was a woman, posing in a costume of her own, and a blonde taking pictures, just like him and Shadow Milk. He squinted. The costume appeared to resemble an ancient Egyptian dress, with a white skirt, a golden belt, and a top that was almost hidden by the wide gold and blue collar she wore. She clenched a golden spear. She wore a giant pair of wings that looked heavy.

"Yeah, yeah, she is."

She turned, and her golden hair gleamed in the sun.

They made eye contact.

Without a thought, he pointed at her. She pointed back, wide-eyed.

They stood there for a long moment, staring at each other.

And then realization struck him.

He was the Great Destroyer. She was the Golden Radiance, Goldeuchijeu Kuki. Beyond being soulmates in the story, they were destined to meet in battle!

There was only one thing to do!

She seemed to have the same idea, because she dropped her wings with a thud and rushed forward. Her blonde yelped and scrambled for the wings, but he was more focused on her.

He straightened up and moved to block her spear.

The sudden attack allowed him a better look at her face, and she was beautiful.

Her golden hair was like a halo, framing an elegant, sharp face. Her eyes were searing amber, framed by turquoise makeup, gleaming with joy. As they held firm, she smirked.

He would never mock Eternal Sugar for her romance books again.

He pushed back, and their block was broken. She whacked at his parashu, and he quickly whacked back. She dodged the strike and took advantage of his open position to lunge again. He gave his own dodge, allowing himself to turn swiftly and aim for her exposed back. She grunted as it made contact, forcing her forward a few feet. Her smile grew wider.

"You're very good!"

Oh, her voice…it sounded rich and warm, and his heart almost gave out.

"So are you," he said before lunging forward.

She hefted up her spear, her eyes sparking as they came into another block.

"Where have you been?" she said, a soft grunt underlining her words. "I didn't know someone like you was around. If I did, I would've tried looking for you!"

There was only one reasonable response.

He yanked his parashu away, and as she stumbled back from the sudden break, he got down on one knee and took her hand, dropping the weapon. Her hand was so small in his, so warm. The moment she was steady, Burning Spice spoke.

"Will you marry me?"

The woman, Birdie as he was starting to call her in his mind, blinked. She took in a breath, her shoulders tensing.

And she burst out laughing.

He blinked, unsure of how to process that reaction. Gut instinct told him to step back and apologize, but his heart demanded to stay on his knees. Behind him, he could hear Shadow Milk stifle giggles of his own.

"…So…" he said as her laughter started to die down. "Is that a no?"

"No! I mean, no, it's not a no-!" Birdie snorted, adjusting her grip on her spear to wipe at her eyes. She still held his hand, her gold and turquoise nails standing out against his skin. "I'm sorry, I just wasn't expecting that!" She took in a breath, holding it before letting it out through her nose. "I'm Golden Cheese. What's your name?"

Oh, right.

"I'm Burning Spice."

"Well, Burning Spice," She finally dropped her spear, setting it down on his parashu. With her hand fully free, she wrapped it around his and proceeded to pull him up on his feet. He allowed it. The moment he was steady on his feet, she pulled her hand away. Before he could mourn the contact, she wiped something off his chest. Her touch was electric. "While I am very, very flattered, we barely know each other."

"So?"

"So, when we're both finished here, we're going to go get dressed and get lunch together."

Oh!

Before he could ask more questions, like what she liked to eat, she turned. "Pure Vanilla, my treasure! I'm sorry to cancel our plans so suddenly-"

The blonde who had been taking pictures smiled. "Ah, it's alright, my friend! If you want to, I don't have any dinner plans tonight. We can meet up tonight. Your new betrothed," She didn't correct him, and his heart ached at how fast it raced. "And- oh!" His eyes went wide, and Shadow Milk squeaked. "Hello again! You and your friend are welcome to join us!"

"You two know each other?" Burning Spice had to ask.

"Ah, yes! We ran into each other at the library! He wasn't expecting anyone-"

Oh, that explained some things.

"Anyway!" Shadow Milk interrupted, lifting up the camera. "I got a bunch of good shots of him, but I got some video of you guys fighting. Do you mind if I post that to my channel?"

Golden Cheese shook her head. "No, I don't. You run a cosplay channel?"

"Ah, yeah! I mean, it's also fashion and fashion history…" Shadow Milk gestured to Burning Spice's costume. "I made the entire outfit."

"Oh," Golden Cheese looked him up and down, and Burning Spice felt his chest puff up a little bit. "It looks wonderful on your model. Do you mind-?" He shook his head and held up his leg so she could tug on the cloth. "Oh, good quality too! My costume was much more expensive, and it doesn't look nearly as good."

"I think you look good!" Burning Spice said, alongside the blonde.

"Yes, but you're both biased." She had a point. "Share your channel with me. Do you have other outfits?"

"Yeah. I take commissions, too."

She hummed. "Well, let's take a few pictures together, and we can talk at dinner."

Shadow Milk and the blonde both lifted up their cameras.

-_-

The moment he stepped out of the park's bathroom, his costume now safely packed away and heading home with Shadow Milk, Burning Spice looked around.

Golden Cheese leaned against the wall, and she looked good, wearing a yellow crop top, with white shorts, and a white leather jacket. Gold jewelry gleamed in her ears. He was so lucky. She looked up from her phone and smiled. "You look nice."

"Not as nice as you."

"Oh, you're flattering me! Please don't stop." She offered her hand, and he took it without a thought. "So, there are a few places nearby that look good. Do you have anything you like?"

"There's a good Indian place down the street that makes the best dhokla."

"Ooh! I haven't tried dhokla. Is it good?"

"Not as good as what my mother makes, but it's pretty close."

"Ah!" Golden Cheese smiled. "I can't wait to meet her."

She was already thinking of meeting his mother? That was such a good sign.

No warnings, sfw

Truthless Recluse sometimes felt like the watchful eyes of sun and the moon bored at him for reasons far different than admiration.

Laid on his side, with a scroll in his hand—one of those useless things that he did not want to check over, yet did it for the other's sake—and boredom that far surpassed his normal tolerance, he found that the quiet began to feel…

Odd.

The warmth of the body at his side persisted, but it felt artifical. Worn and fabricated, as if stolen from someone else's breath—bottled into a shape that simply pretended to live.

A single finger, pale blue, with the fingernails bitten down to the point of blood, traced his side. It first began at his collar, the thick fabric dipping at the movement—followed down, to where the material wrapped around his chest.

The virtue hummed appreciatively, though their eyes did not quite meet the healer's.

Tracing their hand down, they grazed at the top of his thigh, not suggestive, yet not intimate past the usual point of simply laying together.

Truthless Recluse lowered the scroll enough to set it on the mattress aside.

"You know," Fount mused, cheek supported by their palm—the elbow pressed into the pillows' depths. "I recently found it hard to focus on the letters. Do you reckon I could simply close the inbox?"

The question came suddenly, out of character for someone who insisted on their service. Scrunching his brows, the hermit searched their face, but found little contact.

Fount's eyes flicked over him anew, from the very start of the neck, all the way down to his knees, as if their true mind was absent for quite some time.

"Didn't think you'd ever decide on doing something like this."

The virtue arched an eyebrow. Their hand then moved back, from the top of the thigh, tracing up his arm, before he decided to simply walk atop the dark curtain of fabric with his fingertips.

"Like what I said?" They asked. "I answered most of what was there to answer."

The change did not go unnoticed. Truthless Recluse wished that he could focus enough to provide his own opinion—something he came to understand that Fount valued, even if not enough to fully adjust to it each time—but something about the stare was…

Distracting, to say the least.

Fount breathed out an exhale. "Well, maybe it'd serve them better if I focused on what there is to share about the world, rather than what they want to know about themselves."

The recluse's brow arched. He did not budge.

"Ah, but that is only a foolish thought."

As their tone returned to the more soft, far less decisive hum, Truthless Recluse shifted slightly, facing the knowledge better.

"You speak so oddly these days," he mused. "You spend far too much time at that river."

"Do I?" Fount's eyes finally fluttered up, meeting the hermit's mismatched ones. "I suppose, though is it really too much time if it quenches thirst?"

The virtue's arm moved, loosely wrapping around Truthless Recluse's waist—fingers spreading out to feel the subtle shape of his torso. Fount came to enjoy the subtle shapes, the way that the thinner portions of the fabric could be pressed down to the other's figure.

He liked seeing the slightly defined strength, even though he felt almost vain for it.

Their hand skimmed down again, with less desire and more assessing.

"You know," Truthless Recluse cleared their throat, trying to ignore the pinch of the fount's fingers on his hip. Something felt odd about the entire ordeal.

Fount's hand cupped the material, the length of the black fabric folding as he moved his palm higher, to the hermit's chest. It came to lay right above his heart, near the weirdly shaped symbol at the front.

The virtue arched a brow. They were far too focused on staring at his chest, feeling the pulse thrum beneath his skin.

Truthless Recluse pressed his lips together.

"I believe I could focus better if you stopped—"

"Your heart is racing." Fount spoke, observational. He did not try to verbally pair feelings to the physical sensation as he always tried to, an index finger tapping at his chest.

The hermit's mouth ran dry.

He looked off into the large window, then at the countless pieces of parchment that lay scattered over the desk. His other hand sank into the mattress below with a move far too careful to have been natural.

Truthless Recluse couldn't put sense into his thoughts, nor could he arrange his feelings in a way that could make sense.

It was him who always hovered—now he felt that he should dip.

Like the sun, somewhere below the horizon of Fount's lashes.

The virtue hummed. "I'm sorry, what were you saying? I think I zoned out."

The hermit pressed his lips tight.

I can't help but feel like you are sizing me up.

"It's nothing,"

Like a snake.

Shadow Milk is never prepared for the next day off, nor the temptress that is Pure Vanilla Cookie to come hunting for him, staring at him with big ole heart eyes and soft words of adoration, of love. (Has he started preparing locations ahead of time? Yes.)

Well when the most yearnful cookie ever finds out he has a soulmate, and ends up bonding with him in the spire despite being a tyrant jester who kills others…and you’ve had to crash an airship into. But once he is redeemed you become to be more content and happy to try and be there for him!

Pure Vanilla start to spend more time playing card games with him. He asks him if he wants to go spend time with him and the sheep!