#baritone x reader

"Hahahaha~!"

"Waaaait, (Y/N)!!!"

"Hurry up, Baritone~!!!"

A classic scene from any sort of romcom media.

Both lovers running in slow motion across the beach shore in swimsuits, laughing and playing while sparkles continued to circle both of you, highlighting your special day.

Feeling the sand beneath your feet while Baritone continued to chase you, giggling like a child while you ran farther and farther.

"Wait for me, (Y/N)!!!"

"Then hurry up~!"

Ah...it truly felt like a dream...

...because it was.

The second you two had arrived on the beach earlier, Baritone tripped on a rock and hit his head onto the pavement. He's luck that he didn't crack his skull open.

....or maybe it already was?

Who knows. All you knew was you were trying to nurse him back to health.

"Baritone...." you muttered his name, watching his sleeping expression while taking care of his head injury. "Are you going to wake up, or what?" you sighed.

"Wait..." Baritone's expression giggled with the most innocent expression on his face. "Wait for me..."

"...what are you even dreaming about?"

That's a good question. Let's find out!

"I caught you!" Baritone gasped, finally grasping a fictional you into his arms. He released a squeal once he finally felt your warmth and could hug you over and over. "Oh (Y/N), you're finally within my grasp! I don't want to let you go ever again!"

"Oh, Baritone!"

"Oh, (Y/N)!"

"Baritone!"

"(Y/N)!"

"Baritone!"

"(Y/N)!"

"BARITONE!"

The poor man finally woke up from his slumber after you kicked him right in his injury, making him squeal like a pig as he jolted off of the blanket. Baritone rolled around in the sand as if he were on fire while you merely sighed. "You're finally up, aren't you?"

Baritone sobbed, holding his forehead in his hands. "Why?! Why would you do that?!"

"Because a jolt of pain should wake you up, right? And it did."

Baritone sniffled. "T-that hurt..."

"But it hurt even more when I saw you hit your head. Do you know how worried I was?"

"I'm sorry..."

~ Baritone only takes his wedding ring off in the shower, or in situations it could get ruined or dirty. Other than that, you will never catch him with it off. It’s a point of pride for him. He’s proud that you’re his, and he’s yours. 

~ Additionally, he definitely shows off his ring to anyone and everyone. In public, he purposely uses his left hand as much as possible, so more people will see it and know he’s married. 

~ Something that gets him feeling especially domestic is having shared routines with you. More specifically beauty routines— skin care, hair care, nail care, all of that. But any daily ritual between the two of you is the highlight of his day.

~ Baritone’s incrediblely dedicated to those routines too. You’re not allowed to back out for even one day. If you find you’re physically not able to do something, he’ll do it for you. You could be bedridden with an illness or injury, and you’d get a full spa treatment from him.

~ Following this, acts of service like those are his specialty. When you get home from work, collapsing on your bed or couch, he’s already next to you, offering to rub your shoulders. He acts aloof the entirety of it, or maybe he’s lightly scolding you for working too hard. But in reality, he just cares about you, and wants to relieve some of your stress.

~ Baritone expects and needs you to go to bed at the same time as him. He will wait for you, no matter how long you’re taking— though he’s complaining and rushing you the whole time. While he won’t admit it, he gets lonely and restless when you’re not next to him. So he’s not just waiting to be polite. He physically can’t and won’t sleep until you’re there.

~ He will complain if you’re moving around too much, or if your feet touch his. He’s also a blanket hog, and will get upset if you try to pry it away from him. So not the best person to sleep next to every night, but you get used to his antics. 

~ Extremely clingy in the morning. You’ll always wake up to him practically glued to you. If you manage to get out of bed before him to make breakfast, he’ll do the thing where he wraps his arms around your waist and rests his head on your shoulder as you cook. All the while, he’s mumbling complaints about waking up alone.

~ It’s in his nature to bicker, and sometimes those little moments evolve into arguments. The two of you may need some time to cool off, but it’s never worse from that. Most of the time, the topic you were fighting over was so unimportant that neither of you care anymore. 

Suite ending spoilers for the next four!

~ Post-reformation, Baritone has his own job working in Major Land. Luckily though, thanks to the magic path, he can easily travel back and forth between your world and his. That being said, he still gets rather grumpy being so far away. And Major Land doesn’t exactly have the best phone service, so contacting you during his absence isn’t the easiest. 

~ He’s a bit dramatic upon coming home, harping about his job, even though he enjoys it. For the sake of his pride, he tiptoes around saying he missed you, but it doesn’t take a genius to pick up what he’s putting down.

~ He often brings back souvenirs from Major Land. Little trinkets, or maybe a meal when neither of you feel like cooking. He’s proud of where he comes from, and likes sharing the culture with you— mostly for the sake of showing off. 

~ Speaking of which, he takes you on as many trips to the kingdom as possible. Thankfully, it’s extremely easy and quick to get there, so neither of you have to worry a whole lot about planning. He loves taking you to the best and fanciest places to impress you. He takes you to the concert hall, the palace garden and even to meet the royal family— which you’re on very friendly terms with thanks to him telling them so much about you. 

~ I can see him wanting at least one child, specifically a girl. This is mostly caused by his almost familial relationship with Siren/Eren. He’d be a very doting father, spoiling your kid rotten. He’s not great at the messy parts of parenting, but he has the other parts down pretty well. 

~ I can also see the two of you getting a cat. You probably found it as a stray, and took it home. At first, Baritone was less than eager to keep it. He found non-talking cats strange, and he also didn’t wanna have to take care of it. But it didn’t take long for it to grow on him. Think the “dad who didn’t want a cat” meme.

~ You better believe that he’s the best cat dad ever. He keeps them well groomed and only gives them the best food. While me tries his best to act nonchalant, he immediately melts when the cat cuddles him, his words devolving into baby talk. It’s quite obvious who the cat’s favorite parent is too. The difference in reactions between when you come home and when Baritone comes home would be funny if it didn’t sting a little.  

~ I like to think that Baritone is super good and thorough when it comes to household chores. He’s not exactly a huge fan of cleaning, but he can’t stand it when things are dirty. So when it’s his turn to clean, he makes sure to do his absolute best. 

~ He’s quite good at cooking! He’s usually the one who cooks dinner. On the other hand, he can’t bake, no matter how hard he tries. Your birthday cakes will be bought from Lucky Spoon rather than being made by him. It’s for the best. 

~ Baritone’s the type of husband to keep a picture of you in his wallet, or in something he always carries around. It’s likely a picture of you on your wedding day(if you had a wedding). And yes, he’d take any opportunity to show it off to someone.

Dividers by(in order of appearance) @designlikenonsense | @saradika-graphics

~ Baritone knows he’s an attractive man, and he knows he has charisma and suave. These traits, though, often went unused. His teammates don’t fall for them. After all, he would only use his charm on them to get something he wants. He’s never sincere when it comes to them. He can flip his hair and make his voice as smooth as honey all he wants, but he’s not getting anything out of them. So he quickly learned to stop trying. 

~ Of course, after he met you, all of that changed. The realization of how little effort it was to get you flustered hit him hard. He almost couldn’t believe it. Finally, someone he could use his charm on! You couldn’t understand why he seemed so excited. Though, you would soon find out. 

~ If you didn’t already find Baritone annoying, you definitely did now. Now that he knew how easily embarrassed you get from the littlest bit of attention, he was unbearable. You began missing your natural skin tone because of how used to it being red you were.  

~ You’re name is rarely used ever. Your “affectionate” boyfriend insists on calling you the most over-the-top nicknames he can come up with. They’re not the cringey, mushy ones— like honeybun or snookums. The ones he calls you turn heads, because of how dramatically worship-like they are. “My flower”, “god/goddess” and “my universe” are only the tip of the iceberg. It’s even more irritating when you remind yourself that he only calls you those things because of your reactions. You know this, because he waits until he can see your face to call you them. 

~ Now, gift giving serves two purposes for Baritone. To make you happy, and to feed his ever-inflating ego. He makes sure that anything fancy and expensive you like is no longer a privilege— but a right. Expect your gifts to always be given in person, because your reactions to receiving them are his top favorites. He loves being bashfully thanked, scolded or both. If spoiling you means he gets to see your flustered state more often, then he’ll happily treat you like royalty.

~ Like mentioned before, making you flustered feeds his ego. So anyone else doing the same causes harm to it. And with how easy it is to get you to feel that way, Baritone isn’t exactly special. And he can barely stand it. Wanting to be better than his “competition”, he tries one-upping them. Since they weren’t even purposely attempting to make you flustered in the first place, it just confuses the “opponent”— making them feel uncomfortable enough to back off. 

~ You’ll have to be firm with Baritone if you want him to stop his antics. Politely asking him with a pink-tinted face is only going to egg him on. In order to get it through to him, you’re going to need to tell him when you’re not flustered. Once he sees you’re genuinely upset, he won’t tease you so much anymore. Sure, he’s disappointed, but he doesn’t think it’s worth it if you get mad at him. Besides, even when he’s not deliberately trying to make you flustered, he still gets the reactions he loves anyway!

Dividers By: @strangergraphics | @cursed-carmine

Time really does fly by, doesn't it?

Baritone finally realized that the second he saw his calendar.

The year was almost over, but it would always feel like yesterday to him.

Each moment spent with you felt like they happened an hour ago. Each date, each kiss, each embarrassing moment, all of them repeated within his mind.

But the photos on his desk? They're proof that time continues to move, no matter what we think.

"(Y/N)?" Baritone asked you, watching you shuffle through your binder filled with stickers. "Why did you ask me to take these photos out?"

"I wanna do some scrap booking~!" you cheered, taking out a bunch and tossing them onto the desk. "You've got so many of them, and I really wanna try to scrapbook, soooo-"

"B-" the knight whimpered, sniffling. "B-but that would mean.." his fingers instinctively reached towards the photos like an overprotective mother worrying about their child. "We would have to cut them, wouldn't we?!"

"...I mean- we don't have to. We can just tape it!"

"B-but-!"

You glanced at him, tilting your head. "What's wrong...?"

Baritone whimpered like a puppy once more, holding one of the photos close to his chest. "I don't want to ruin them..."

You couldn't help but snicker, gently patting his head and placing a kiss onto his forehead. "We're not ruining them, Baritone. We're just making them look cuter. But if you're that worried about it...then how about we go print some extras? That way we can share them!"

Baritone glanced at the multiple photos spread out on his desk. "....there's way too many though- who's going to pay for this???"

The last time you remember your birthday being a big event was when you were still in school. Your classmates were invited, everyone brought presents, and you all had a fun time playing games and eating cake. Since then, adult life has turned your birthdays into an underwhelming, repetitive affair. You assumed that was the way it was supposed to be. Adults don’t celebrate birthdays that much, right? Still, you had begun to miss the excitement of waking up knowing there was a day of celebration planned completely around you. 

This birthday, however, had a special addition. Absent from all your other ones, but was eager to make his presence into tradition. Your boyfriend, Baritone. 

The moment he realized your birthday was coming up, his pride and smugness was amplified by dozens. He vowed to do something special, to break the cycle of dull birthdays that had formed over the past years. 

He didn’t tell you what you’d be doing. Of course he didn’t. You hardly expected him to. So now, you walked about your room, preparing yourself for whatever he had planned. 

It felt nice to have an excuse to dress yourself to the nines. The outfit you wore was bold— something you’ve been dying to wear for ages, but never had the chance to. The feeling of finally seeing all the components out from your closet, and on your body, was nearly overwhelming. It wasn’t the occasional feeling of disappointment when an outfit doesn’t look as good on you as you thought it would in your head. You admit— you looked amazing. It felt odd, considering the outfit wasn’t even formal. Just a few levels above what you normally wear. You were glad Baritone insisted on wearing something you really liked. 

A knock at your front door pulled you out of your moment of self-admiration. Knowing exactly who it was, you dashed to answer it. 

“Baritone-“ You began as you opened the door. Though, you paused when your eyes met with flowers instead of your boyfriend’s face. 

“Happy birthday, my dear.” Baritone greeted with an overly suave voice. 

You forced your eyes from rolling— choosing to appreciate his gesture instead. “Aww, thank you! How did you know these are my favorite flowers?” You asked, taking the bouquet from his hands.

His attitude shifted into disappointment at your question. “You underestimate how much I remember about you.” He sighed, acting hurt.

It was then you allowed yourself to roll your eyes. You chose to ignore his little dramatic moment. “Well, again, thank you. Let me put these inside, then we can get going.”

~~~~

Baritone assured you that the flowers were only the first gift out of many. You felt a bit conflicted by that promise. On one hand, you were excited to receive presents— anyone would be. But on the other hand, you had no clue what kind of things to expect from him on your birthday. His attitude towards the day already seemed over the top. So you were nervous as to what he’d surprise you with.

You didn’t have much time to ponder the idea, however. Your first destination turned out to be very close to your home. It was the Lucky Spoon; a bakery owned by the Minamino family. 

Baritone took you to the outdoor eating area, leading you to a table with an umbrella, and two chairs. “Wait here. I’ll be right back.” He ordered, letting go of your hand, and making his way inside the building. 

As you waited, you happily breathed in the sweet aroma. It was faint, being outside of the bakery. Yet it was still pleasant. It paired well with the nice, warm weather— which you were glad to have on your birthday. You honestly had no clue what the plan would’ve been otherwise. 

“I’m back.” Baritone called out to you. He carried a small cake box in his hand. 

Taking his seat across from you, he set the box down. “I ordered this for you. Go on, open it.” He hurried you. 

“Okay, okay.” You chuckled, following his command. 

Inside the box was— as you had guessed— a birthday cake. It was on the smaller side, perfect for just the two of you. Yet despite its size, it was extremely impressive to look at. It was expertly frosted in your favorite color, with dollops and candy decorations meticulously arranged around the edge. In the center of the top read “Happy Birthday (name)” in cursive. 

“Wow.” You marveled at the dessert. “This is definitely the fanciest birthday cake I’ve ever had.”

“I don’t doubt it.” Baritone responded, wearing the proudest grin on his face. 

“Thank you, sweetie.” You leaned across the table to give him a quick kiss.

He chuckled. “If you’re going to thank me after everything I do today, you’ll be saying it a lot. Though, don’t let that stop you.” He said smugly.

You breathed out a laugh. “Okay. Now, let’s cut this cake.”

~~~~

After the cake was eaten, the two of you continued your journey together. You walked down a familiar path— one covered by trees. It was often used as a way to run away and hide from Baritone’s friends when they were being third wheels. The trees provided a nice shade, with streaks of light peaking through— creating a pretty atmosphere. 

You eventually came upon the bench you normally sat on, and Baritone led you to have a seat. He took his place next to you a moment later, now sitting shoulder to shoulder with you. 

“Here’s your next gift.” He announced, pulling a small, flat box out of his cloak. It was simple, tied with a shiny ribbon. 

“Thank you.” You said, gently taking it from his hands. You then pulled at the ribbon, untying it. The bow was so pretty, it made you feel a bit guilty to ruin it. 

The top was lifted off, revealing its contents. You paused, staring at the two shiny gold chains inside. They were necklaces, and they appeared to be matching. While you were no expert, you could still tell that the gold was definitely not fake. How Baritone was able to afford real gold jewelry, you had no idea. But what really caught your attention were the charms on the necklaces. One of them had a “B” on it, while the other one had the first letter of your name. 

“Oh wow…” You breathed. “Baritone, these are beautiful…”

“I know. I had these made in Major Land.” While his answer was still definitely smug, it had a gentleness to it. “And I’m sure you already put this together, but they’re for both of us.”

He lifted the necklace with his initial on it out of the box, and undid the clasp. He scooted closer to you, signaling for you to lower your head. You did, and he wrapped the chain around your neck, securing it in the back. 

Without speaking, you did the same thing for Baritone. You smiled when he lifted his long hair so it wouldn’t get in the way. 

The two of you took a few moments to stare at each other’s necklaces, all while holding the charm of your own between your fingers. 

“I know I’ve already said this a million times, but thank you, Baritone. This is so sweet.” You smiled. 

Taking his face into your hands, you placed a kiss onto his lips. It was long and loving, representing the gratitude you felt for him. He reciprocated, placing his hands on top of yours. 

“These were actually supposed to be the last gift,” Baritone admitted after the two of you pulled away. “But I just couldn’t wait any longer.”

You chuckled. “Of course. You were always impatient.” 

“Don’t ruin the moment…” He complained, lowering his voice. 

“Okay, okay, sorry.” 

Baritone huffed. “Well, we should get going.” He stood up, and offered his hand to you. “The rest of your presents are with Bassdrum and Falsetto, and I don’t exactly trust them with them.”

You took his hand with a laugh. “Then I guess we better hurry.” Playfully, you clung to his arm as you began walking again. 

With each step, your necklaces swayed back and forth. Each motion, a reminder of Baritone’s adoration. Feeling the cold metal hitting your skin made a smile spread across your face.

~~~~

As you can imagine, you were spoiled absolutely rotten by your loving boyfriend. Each opened box came with a proud grin from him— a look showing how much he knew how happy he was making you. And he wasn’t wrong. 

The joy of birthdays was something you thought you left behind in your childhood. But Baritone brought it back in full swing. The day was filled with fun and surprises. He made you feel special, loved, and like you were the center of the universe. And to him, you are. And that fact will forever be remembered by the jewelry you both wear around your necks.

Dividers by @agsthv

Baritone felt elated. Pride and entitlement beamed within his chest— heart displaying such with the nearly deafening pounding in his ears. The cause for such emotions? The small metal key in his hand.

It’s gotten to the point in you and Baritone's relationship where you trusted him enough to give him the spare key to your home. And with it, the assurance that he can visit anytime he pleases— so long as he gives you a heads up beforehand. 

That he did. He gave you a text around an hour ago. Though, you didn’t seem to have read it yet. He even tried calling you, but to no avail. A little strange, but Baritone figured that you might be occupied with something more important at the moment. And since he did let you know in advance that he was coming, he didn’t see any reason to cancel his plan to visit. 

The metal cold against his palm, he observed the item that unlocked his lover’s house. He pinched the round top between his pointer finger and thumb. With his other hand, he traced the jagged edges of the end.

Being too full of excitement to wait a moment longer, he slid the key into the keyhole. With a twist, he heard a click— the door was unlocked. 

Not wanting any further self-inflicted suspense, Baritone turned the doorknob, and opened the door. 

He froze in his tracks right then and there when he was met with a gust of frigid air. It was as if he had opened the portal to some winter wonderland. He let go of the doorknob to fully wrap himself in his cloak while he shuddered. 

“What in Major Land?” He questioned. For a split second, he considered that he might’ve stepped into the wrong place. But it wasn’t possible. The key unlocked the door, and after peering inside at the familiar furniture, he confirmed that it was in fact your house. 

With an irritated huff, he stepped inside, closing the door behind him. 

The first thing he did after taking off his shoes was run to the thermostat. Checking the temperature, he was taken aback to find that it was set to a whopping sixty degrees fahrenheit*.

*Around 15.5 degrees Celsius 

“Dear Aphrodite… why did (name) make it so cold in here?” He mumbled to himself as he aggressively tapped the screen— turning up the heat to a more reasonable temperature. 

After both hearing the click of the vents and feeling the air change, he let out a satisfied sigh. Now, he resumed his mission of tracking down his lover. 

“(name)! Are you home?” He called as he wandered through your house. 

The living room was barren, with no signs of it being used recently. It was the same case for the kitchen. There was no evidence of you having made breakfast or lunch for yourself. No dirty dishes or remnants of food or ingredients on any of the countertops. 

As Baritone made his way down the hall, a raspy cough caught his attention. Thinking nothing of it, he redirected himself to where the sound came from— your bedroom. 

“(name), there you are.” He sighed once he entered, his tone making it quite clear that he was not pleased with how much time and effort it took to find you. 

Hearing you shuffle around in your bed, he finally looked at you. His attitude dissipated, and replaced itself with concern. 

You looked awful. Face pale, nose and eyes red. It looked like you were miserable for just existing.

  “What are you doing here?” You asked groggily— voice hoarse.

Baritone held up the key. “You gave me your spare key, remember?”

“Oh, yeah.” You began fanning yourself with your hands. “Did you turn the AC down? It’s hot…”

“Um… yes. It was freezing.” Baritone answered, continuing to examine you. “Are you okay? You look kind of… unwell. You haven’t replied to my message either.”

Tossing the blankets off your sweaty body, you made your way over to the thermostat. Your figure trembled the whole way. It looked as if your legs would collapse at any moment. 

“Sorry. I’ve been sleeping.” You dismissed him as you rapidly turned the temperature back to its original setting. Baritone scoffed at having his work undone, but it didn’t matter to him as much as confirming his suspicion.

Slowly and carefully, as if you’d topple over at the slightest breeze, he took hold of your hand. It was searing— instantly warming up his own cold hand. For more proof, he placed the back of his hand on your forehead. 

“(name), you’re really warm.” He noted. 

“Yeah, probably because I’m sick.” You responded— attitude as thick as the sweat on your skin from your prominent fever. 

Baritone rolled his eyes. “Yes, I see that now.” He wanted to combat your sass, but seeing your miserable face made him feel bad. 

With a sigh, he placed his hands on your shoulders, and began leading you back to your room. “Well then, let’s get you back to bed.”

You simply hummed, not at all against the idea. 

~~~~

The sound of water trickling filled your ears as Baritone wrung out a wet cloth next to your bed. You lied there with a thermometer in your mouth, waiting for the results. 

He gently placed the cold cloth on your forehead, earning a sigh of satisfaction from you. Just then, the small device between your lips began to beep. You took it out, going to read it yourself, but Baritone took it from you. 

Being inexperienced with your world’s technology, he fumbled with it a bit— turning it in multiple directions to read the numbers on the tiny screen. “One hundred… point nine degrees*. That’s high.”

 *Around 38 degrees Celsius

You responded with a simple hum— too tired and sickly to form actual words. 

“Well, I’m glad I came over. Who knows, you might’ve died without me here taking care of you.” He said smugly. 

It seemed that your strength and energy returned specifically to snap back at him. “Don’t get all high and mighty now, Baritone. I might just get you sick too. Then you’ll be whining like a baby, begging me to help you.”

“Oh, well if you don’t want me here, I could just leave.” He turned, and casually strolled out the door.

“Wait-”

“I’m joking, darling. I’m just getting you some food. I’ll be back soon.” He chuckled from down the hall. 

You scoffed at the sweet nickname, and at his stupid joke. 

~~~~

The once argumentative, somewhat immature tone that once resonated within your bedroom was now nearly entirely absent. Instead, a rather domestic scene took place. One could look at it and see a loving husband taking care of his ill spouse. Which wouldn’t be entirely incorrect. 

You sat up slightly in your bed, room the perfectly cold temperature you wanted it. Meanwhile, Baritone spoon-fed you your favorite soup. His hand always stayed cupped underneath the utensil to prevent spilling onto the blanket. Each time it reached your lips, he gently held your chin— tilting it up to help the soup go down.

You were fully capable of feeding yourself. However, the scenario in front of you was far too precious to pass up. No matter how sassy your boyfriend could be, he really loves you, and would do anything for you. 

You’re certainly glad that you gave him that spare key. 

Dividers by @agsthv

If Kurokawa Ellen said she wasn't at least curious, she'd be lying as naturally as she breathed.

It all started when Baritone asked her, Bassdrum, and Falsetto some help on proposing to you. For an entire month, he'd been planning the perfect confession, taking time out of everyone's schedule in order to figure this out while keeping this a secret from you. It's why Ellen and Minamo Kanade attempted to get closer to you: so they could find out what you'd like in a proposal or a marriage ceremony.

Although Hojo Hibiki was a bad liar and always did her best to not give the secret away, she always did her best to cheer the group on with all of her heart. She even tried getting her dad and mom to help her compose a piece just for you two!

Shirabe Ako seemed like she didn't care, but everyone knew she was secretly overjoyed (she could barely hide the excitement and smile on her face). She always enjoyed your company and cherished you as a great friend. Although she's sure you and Baritone would be able to take care of each other, she gave a very stern talking to the former villain in order to make sure he's ready for this.

Even Otokichi decided to pitch in, allowing the Shirabe Mansion to be used as the chapel since it was a special place for everyone.

Hummy...well...Hummy didn't get what was going on, but she was happy for you two at least~!

On the day of the confession, Ellen thought there wasn't anything to fear. After all, Baritone said he could handle the rest himself and, after the good luck party from last night, was fully fired up to do what he needed to do. Unfortunately, the world had other plans. "SIREN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Ellen groaned, cupping her forehead within her hand, her eyes closed as she fought against the impending headache that was Trio the Minor. "Bassdrum, Falsetto, what did you two want?" she sighed, attempting to rest her head against the seats of the Shirabe Mansion. "I thought you two were busy?"

"WE CAN'T HELP IT!" Falsetto screamed, tears streaming down his cheeks. "WE'RE TOO WORRIED!"

"THAT'S RIGHT!" Bassdrum sobbed, sniffling and wiping the snot coming out of his nose with his gorilla sized hands. "WE'RE TOO WORRIED ABOUT BARITONE! YOU'VE GOTTA HELP US!"

"You mean spy on (Y/N) and Baritone?" Ellen hissed. "Baritone said he can do it himself, didn't he? You two worry too much. Besides, I have things to do so-"

"PLEAAAAAAASE!!!!!!!!!"

And that's how Ellen got wrapped into spying on your date with Baritone while strolling through the beach in Kanon Town. It was supposed to be another regular day for you two. There was a special event going on at Kanon Town's beach that held an international market! Baritone knew you were excited about it, so of course he took you! Ellen grumbled as she once again fought her headache from dealing with these idiots while attempting to comfort Bassdrum and Falsetto's whimpers and sobs.

After taking a break from the market, you and Baritone had begun playing and swimming at the beach as the sand wiggled in-between your toes. "Baritone!" you called his name, waiving towards him while wading through the water. "Aren't you coming?" No response. He's been like this all day too, always lost in his own thoughts. You sighed as you waded back to him, reaching the shore and flicking his forehead.

"O-ow!" Baritone whimpered, rubbing his forehead. "What was that for?"

"You're really out of it today," your eyes softened. "Is something wrong? Did I do something? Are...you not having fun...?"

Baritone took a deep breath, shaking his head. "N-no...no, it's just...I'm thinking about a lot of stuff right now."

"I can't do it."

"Judging from your expression," you paused. "Seems like it's something serious. You can tell me, you know?" you said with your usual smile. "It's what I'm here for. I'm your partner, Baritone. If there's something on your mind, you can talk to me."

Damnit. That damn smile.

That smile of yours that always found a way to take his breath away. All of his fears, doubts, anxieties, and any sort of negative thoughts were drowned out by that intoxicating smile of yours.

"This...this is why I fell for you."

"..huh?"

"It's now or never, Baritone! Just do it!"

Baritone knelt on one knee, digging his knee into the grains of the sand. "I...I apologize for worrying you, my love...it's just...I can't hold it back anymore." Baritone took a deep breath, his hands shaking as he reached into his pockets, pulling out a ring within a lavender purple box and presenting the bouquet of lavender he had bought from the market. "You truly make me the happiest man in this world, (Y/N)...I want to continue being your knights for as long as I live. I...I want to be with you. Forever." With another deep breath, Baritone attempted to steady his nerves. "I was told lavender can mean "waiting for love"...so...um...if you do not answer me today, then I can wait. I can wait for as long as you need to think about this. So...(Y/N)...will...you...marry me..? If you do not accept today, then I can keep waiting. I'll keep waiting for you."

"Please don't say no please don't say no please don't say no please please please please please please please-!"

Your eyes widened, cupping your mouth with your hands. Tears streamed down your cheeks as you eagerly accept the bouquet. "Do you really need to ask, you silly man? Of course I accept. I do Baritone."

His eyes widened as you jumped into his arms, quickly embracing him as he did the same. "Thank goodness...all of this paid off..."

"Did you plan on presenting the bouquet to me or something?"

"Actually- no-! I was hoping they would be selling some here, and it was a coincidence that they were!"

Screams could be heard as the two of you quickly looked to the side to see Ellen, Bassdrum, and Falsetto screaming their heart out and taking pictures.

"OH MY GOD HE REALLY DID IT!"

"DON'T WORRY I GOT PICTURES!"

"I GOT THE WHOLE THING ON VIDEO DON'T WORRY-!"

"QUICK I GOTTA TELL THE OTHERS WE GOTTA MAKE THEM SEE THE VIDEO QUICK-"

Even the usually calm and collected Ellen seemed to be enjoying this moment from the bottom of her heart.

"H-HEY!" Baritone screamed. "WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING?!"

"WE'RE CHEERING YOU ON!" Falsetto screamed.

"I TOLD YOU I COULD HANDLE IT MYSELF!"

"BUT WE WERE WORRIED!"

You couldn't help but chuckle at the usual antics of the chaotic group that you always enjoyed hanging around.

"Is it the look in your eyes, or is it this dancing juice?"

To say that Baritone was devastated was an understatement. He felt as though his heart was ripped out and trampled on. The number one thing he took pride in— his beauty— was gone. And it was all for a stupid upgrade.

His fair skin was now a strange texture, and an unnatural grayish blue. His arms were longer, as well as his fingers and nails. Lastly, his feet were unrecognizable. Instead of ten, small toes, he had six large ones. They resembled the feet of a bird.

Baritone was absolutely disgusted and terrified of his new look. But there was one thing that scared him more.

What would you think?

Once he came to the realization that he had to tell— and show— you what happened, he wanted to just disappear. In his new form, he felt unworthy to be in the presence of his partner. His looks gave him confidence. So now that they’re gone, he had none.

~~~~

“What am I gonna do? I can’t let them see me like this! I’m hideous!” Baritone cried.

“Well, you’re gonna have to one way or another.” Bassdrum shrugged.

“You’re not helping.” He snapped. “Listen, without my looks, I’m nothing!” He sighed, hiding his face in his hands.

“But isn’t it a whole thing that ‘looks don’t matter’?”

“Maybe. But my looks matter!” Baritone huffed.

A few moments of silence went by. Bassdrum thought hard on how to make the situation better. He himself was now ugly, so he could at least relate to his friend there. But he wasn’t in a relationship, so he didn’t know what advice to give other than the basic stuff.

“I dunno, just talk to them.”

A loud, exasperated groan erupted from Baritone’s throat— stating that he was clearly not happy with what was just said. But he figured that with no other option, he had to at least try.

Pulling out the phone you’d given him, he dialed the number he’d memorized— yours.

~~~~

You paced around your house, stressed out of your mind. How could you not be? Your boyfriend just gave you the most concerning, yet vague call ever.

He basically just said that he needed to talk to you, because he was “different”. You were honestly bugged that he didn’t give you more information— just letting you wallow in your anxiety instead. But you figured that maybe it was too confusing to explain over the phone.

The second you heard a knock at your door, you bolted to it. After fumbling with the lock for a few moments, you finally opened it.

Instead of being met with Baritone’s face, you saw a purple hood instead, being held over his head by odd looking hands.

“Baritone?” You questioned, wondering if you had the wrong guy.

“Yeah, it’s me.” He grumbled from behind the fabric.

“What are you doing with that over your head? Also, did you get taller?” You asked. You were correct. He was, in fact, taller. “And are your hands… blue?”

Baritone pushed past you, dashing inside. “I- okay?” You stuttered out in surprise, before closing the door.

“Baritone, what is going on?” You asked, getting frustrated now.

His back was facing you. You still couldn’t see much— his body still being covered my his cloak. “You can freak out. But try not to be too loud, okay?”

“Oh my gosh, Baritone. Just tell what’s going on. You’re creeping me out.”

“I’ll show you first.” And with that, the cloak came off, and he turned around— revealing his new look.

You gasped, stepping back a bit from the shock. “What the heck happened?”

He began tearing up— something you’ve rarely seen. “It’s from a new ‘upgrade’. I know, I’m hideous!” He covered his face with his hands. You couldn’t tell if it was to hide his looks, or his tears. Probably both.

“No, that’s not what I meant.” You quickly tried to comfort him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “I just wanted to know why you looked different. I don’t think you’re ’hideous’.”

Baritone scoffed. “Yeah, sure. There’s no way you still think I’m beautiful anymore. I’m nothing like myself now.”

“That’s not true. Look.” You ran a hand through his long locks. “You still have your hair.”

Baritone jerked away. “Don’t touch it!”

“Haha! You’re still the same alright!” You laughed. It was then that you caught a glimpse of his feet. “Woah.”

“I know. They’re so gross.”

“No, they’re cool! They’re like bird feet. Wait, are you a bird? Can you fly?”

“….No.” Baritone gave you the most judgmental look from your questions.

“That’s still the same too. See, you’re still the Baritone I know.” You pulled him in for a hug— though you had to stand a big taller due to his new height.

With a relieved sigh, he hugged back— being careful with his new, long nails.

“And before you ask, yes, I still love you.” You clarified.

Baritone huffed. “I wasn’t gonna ask. I already know.” But you saw through him. You both knew he was thinking about asking.

Dividers by @agsthv