#askredknight

“Raven, I won’t sugarcoat it. I feel like I’ve known you just about forever by now. Which is silly, even though we only met a little over a year ago. I mean, I met you way back in the days of the fifth season when we were still trying to game-end each other over something as stupid as ranks, or V-bucks, or even weapons that as of last month don’t exist anymore. Through all of those times we spent together—either frozen and forced to against our will, rescuing one or trying to save the other’s lives from an overdose of shadow stones—heck, even just sharing a pizza however long it took to decide what toppings we got on it—I’m glad I have somebody like you to keep me grounded on this island. Because god knows I’d be lost without you.”

It seemed at first that was the end of her little speech. None of what she said had been planned or written down, just words off the top of her head; the frantic beating of her heart pounding in her ears was starting to get to her, lips pursed wondering if what she said was enough. That singular second where she paused between sentences seemed to go on for an eternity, slowly creeping by the more nervous she was. With a small breath, she smiled and continued along.

“My father, who everyone knew as Black Knight… Well, my mother and I knew him as Isaac. But when he was still here, he taught me that the dark is something to fear, an evil so heavy and poisonous, that it had to be vanquished at all costs. All these years, I’ve been so scared of that darkness, to be alone in it, with no source of light or a guiding hand. But then you came into my life, and you’ve shown me the dark isn’t so bad—that it can be warm, and comforting, instead of something to constantly fear and run from. If it weren’t for you, I’d be lost, angry, and scared of the dark for the rest of my life. So thank you. Thank you for pulling me out of that darkness without destroying it. Because while it can be terrifying, it’s part of what makes us human. So on the days where I’m mad, down-trodden, tired, or just done and sick of everything? No matter what happens, I will feel nothing but love for you. I will always love you, Raven.”

Raven blinked, almost as if in shock, but his expression softened; for once that hardy, repelling exterior subsided and he allowed the world to see him in a somewhat rawer form. He wasn’t comfortable at first, but he saw his sister, felt her assurance. Then he looked back to Red Knight, and he remembered immediately why he was here in the first place.

‘Don’t ruin the one good decision you’ve made for yourself,’ he thought, and sighed away his hesitation.

“Wow... You're much better than this than I am. I'm not much for words. But... here goes, I guess. Almost everyone that knows me knows me as the guy who doesn't want anything to do with anyone. That's true, but... now I'm beginning to question that. For a long time I always thought it was just my sister and me against the world. I wasn't willing to bring anyone else into my flock, and I didn't like the idea of sharing my life with a third person who I knew in the end I wouldn't be able to trust. And... it's weird. In all that we've been through together, as friend or enemy, I've never felt like I couldn't trust you.

“Like you were the type to come to my aid even if we weren't on the same team. And back then I thought that was stupid, but now... It actually makes sense. You taught me that there's more to this world than just the fighting, and the winning, and the things we collected along the way. Whether you meant to or not, you gave my life a whole other layer of meaning. I hope that this decision we've made means many more years together: learning, arguing, laughing, loving. As long as you promise not to go soft on me. I still like a challenge, Red. But yeah, I do love you. That part's clear. And I don't think that's ever gonna change.”

Red blinked in mild surprise, lips pursed amid the anticipation with which she listened to his words. He was right; she was definitely better at coming up with words on the fly—but that didn’t mean his words didn’t also have a profound impact. Her heart thumped in her chest, mouth curling up into a soft smile.

Love Ranger leaned forward, book in his hands, and with an eager grin asked aloud. “Do you have the rings?”

Raven turned his hand over and uncurled his clenched fingers. Resting upon the palm of his hand was a silver ring, simple in design, in the center of the band a small ruby gemstone. Its size was minuscule, but the red shimmer attested its value to be far greater than any piece of fine jewelry. He reached out, tenderly taking Red’s hand in both of his, and careful not to poke her with his steel talons slid the ring onto her finger.

“Roseanne Kavanaugh, do you take Raven to be your husband, though times of joy, darkness, bliss, wrath, and everything in-between?”

“I do.”

“And Raven, do you take the Red Menace as your wife through every birth and death of this world, and the ones to come af-”

“Yes.”

“Well, that makes my job so much easier. By the power invested in me, on behalf of the People’s Alliance of Fortnite, I now pronounce you man and wife!” With his hands clapped, Love Ranger’s face curled into an all-too-pleased smile as he leaned back. “You may now kiss the bird!”

Raven’s eye twitched for a moment. He turned his head ever so slightly, stealing a glance at the makeshift Master of Vows. “Y-you mean bride?”

“I know what I said~.” He chirped back, expression unchanging, though his eyes held a pointed glare beneath the giddiness.

The moment Raven turned back, there were two hands on either side of his hood, thumbs hooked around the fabric, and the pitch black edges of his hood faded away as the fabric fell around his neck. At first he was apprehensive, but once he saw the look on her face, his expression softened.

“Well?” The corners of Raven’s mouth curled into a slight grin. “Is it as scary as you thought it would be?”

What she saw wasn’t the face of a monster, but the face of a man who had been corrupted, frozen, and dragged through a hellish landscape time and time again. The hair which tumbled over his face in asymmetrical bangs was a deep shade of purple, contrasted heavily by his pale blue-violet skin. Handsome face aside, what captured her attention most of all were the eyes—irises embedded with the luster of tanzanite, scleras tinted so dark they were nearly black—but the darkness which they carried didn’t deter the sweet demeanor in the slightest.

There were tears in her eyes.

At the sudden sight, Raven’s face fell, and he briefly felt his heart shudder in fear. “Did I-”

“No.” She grinned wide, hurriedly trying to wipe away the fat teardrops rolling down her face, and with one hand cradling his jaw just beneath the ear she gazed over his face with a light laugh. “You’re perfect.”

The look on her face was quickly mirrored. Roseanne leaned up, pulling herself close until the proximity between them was closed. With his arms wrapped around her waist, he bent down just a tad, and in anticipation planted a kiss upon her lips. The audience erupted in applause, whistles, cheers, and hollering around them drowned out in the tender moment. Everything about the embrace was filled with emotion, positive and negative alike—joy, relief, excitement, anxiety...

But it was the warmest feeling either of them had ever experienced.