#brantrover

Rover looked around, noticing the teasing, mischievous eyes that rested on both him and Brant, and then pressed his lips into a thing line while the heat crept up his face and a light shade of pink covered his skin. "…the others are looking, stop it," he muttered, his voice barely louder than a whisper.

"Bwahahah, oh my dear," Brant smiled, his voice loud and carefree, "only the best actors are gifted with the audience's gaze. Let them look, for I have nothing to hi—"

"S-shh!" Rover interrupted him, closing his fingers around Brant's lips and blushing a little harder at the sound of the Troupe giggling at them.

"Stop speaking nonsense, you're drun— agh!" Rover gasped in surprise, pulling his hand away as he felt Brant's tongue against his palm. He cringed, his nose wrinkling slightly as he wiped it off on the captain's shirt. "I'm serious."

"Hah," Brant smirked, wrapping one hand around Rover's waist and pulling him closer before he could increase the distance between them any further, "that's your first mistake. We are here to celebrate, aren't we?!" He spoke out loud, raising his cup with his free hand. Brant's smile widened as his troupe cheering along with him and turned his attention back to Rover when the sound died down again.

The captain took another large sip from his cup, sighing happily with his beverage. "Your second mistake is to think a mere round of drinks can take a toll on me, Rover," he smirked, his face inching closer, "now, why don't you give me a smile, hm? You've been a pile of nervous all night long and ending our gathering like that would be the most miserable of defehehe- h-hehey!"

Brant looked down to the small gap between his and Rover's chest, quickly spotting the other's hands clinging at the sides of his chest. Then, as Rover's fingers prodded again as the gaps between his ribs, Brant let out another surprised giggle, but only tightening his grip around Rover's body and the cup's handle. "W-why ahahare— AHaha, a-ahare yohou tihihickling me now?!"

"Because you wanted a smile, captain," Rover hissed, now a bit out of patience and somewhat annoyed after being forced into the center of the captain's stage. "I'm giving you one. Is it good enough? Or do you want more?"

"E-enohough!" Brant giggled, unsure if he should defend himself from the tickling or secure his drink, "i-it's plehehenty, Rohover! Y-you cahahan stop now!"

"So soon?" Rover teased, trying his best to ignore the chatter around them and the comments about his relation with the troupe's captain, listening only to those in their little crowd that telled him to continue. "Maybe if you acknowledge how drunk you already are, captain."

"I neheehever! AHAhah, n-nehever gehehet drunk!" Brant still managed to boast, flashing Rover with a confident grin just inches away from his face, "you'll hahahave t-to do mohore than this to tahahake me down!"

"Bet," Rover smirked, unknowingly joining the captain in his foolery. That surely was going to be a long night, full of stories to tell by the time the sun raised again.

A/N: Never expected to write for WuWa of all fandoms when I first started this TickleTober, but I guess being pushed out of the "comfort zone" is part of the fun

Brant wouldn’t admit this to anyone, not even to Rover herself, but overhearing those very words come from her had been his motivation to weather of storm of Rinascita’s seemingly never-ending familial conflicts. No amount of trespassing Fractsidus or empty pockets could come even close to stopping him dead. When Brant ever felt as if he was beginning to lose his footing, the ever-looming thought of marrying Rover sent him right back to balanced on his own two feet.

His unusual merriment was noted by all, even Roccia, who had long since grown accustomed to his eccentric ways. Thus, when she inquired him about his noticeable shift in behavior, Brant merely froze up and made some sort of excuse to not give an honest answer.

It was just Brant being Brant, he hoped they would conclude, but hiding things was futile, when the way he smiled around Rover was unmistakable. Rather easy to come to the conclusion that whatever it was, it had something to do with her. Nobody had to ask, so nobody bothered to ask.

As time went on, the end to all only seemed to be further and further away. Nevertheless, the growing distance to the finish line was not enough to stop Brant from chasing it like an animal. Eventually, Rover’s seemingly came to a conclusion in Rinascita, and suppressing his hope and excitement became a near impossible task. He wanted to nudge her, somehow, but he couldn’t quite figure out a way to do so without alluding to him previously catching on.

On an clear night when the waves were at their calmest, Rover sat upon a cliff looking out over the sea. Happening to catch sight of her as he was passing by, Brant imagined this to be a most opportune moment. Though, he had gone in completely unarmed, and the entirety of his plans would be ad-libbed, he wasn’t about to pass up his chance should it arise within the conversation. Better yet, there was the possibility that Rover had a plan of her own, thus being a contributing factor in her decision to pass the time so distant from the crew. However, Brant mustn’t overexcite himself. At the very least, it would be time to spend with her alone, a treasure in itself.

Before he spoke a single word to her, Brant noted that Rover’s expression was rather somber. One would expect a more celebratory feeling, but perhaps exhaustion was weighing heavily on her. As she sat down on the ground silent, he stood tall besides her, overlooking the moon as it hovered over the sea, its reflection glistening magnificently in the gentle waves.

"Is this not a time for celebration?" Brant asked.

"For you, it might be," Rover said, sparing him a brief glance, "my problems still persist elsewhere in this world."

Brant tilted his head. "Why, whatever do you mean? The waters are calmer than they’ve ever been."

"Here, they may be, but I still have yet to find my answers. Unrest still persists elsewhere."

"...Elsewhere?"

Rover stood up and crossed her arms. "I’m leaving for the New Federation soon. As much as I would like to stay here, I’ll never find out who I really am, and these Tacet Discords will probably never stop coming."

Brant's heart dropped immediately upon hearing the word "leaving." It was as if nothing else she said after that registered in his mind.

"L-leaving?"

Rover nodded her head.

"As in, leaving me? And going away? Forever?"

"Hang on, I didn’t say-"

Rover perhaps should have chosen her words more slowly and carefully. No lies were stated, but Brant had a tendency to get just a little ahead of himself. She quickly turned up to look at him, and was greeted with the very rare yet all the more upsetting sight of the joy being completely drained from Brant’s face.

"W-wait! Tell me what I did wrong! Please!" Brant said, throwing himself down into her

If only she could get a word in. In between his desperate pleas, Brant was unknowingly squeezing her half to death, ignorant of his own physical strength. Rover would be shocked if Abby had yet to wake up after all of that commotion, but it probably learned to keep quiet after putting up with those two for so long.

"Brant..." Rover said, trying to at least wiggle an arm free.

It was hopeless. He was relentless. And he probably couldn’t hear her.

"Brant..." she once again said, louder.

He finally looked up at her. He looked like an absolutely pathetic sobbing mess, half slumped onto her and half on the ground. It was a sorry sight, even for someone like him. She couldn’t help but silently blame herself, in a way.

"Hold it," she said, sighing and pushing him back, "you’re jumping to conclusions way too quickly. I just said I was leaving for the New Federation, not leaving you. In fact, I didn’t even say anything remotely close to that."

"But you’re still leaving. And…and I cannot be sure if I’ll ever see you again," he said as he was attempting to stand up and straighten out his shirt.

"What makes you think that?" Rover asked, a bit confused at that point. "I’ll come back to see you. Promise. It’s just that I have a bit of divine nonsense that still needs straightened out.”

Which wasn’t an exaggeration, either. All of that "Sentinel" and "Lady Arbiter" talk only raised more questions than answers. Rover knew nothing, but she knew more than enough to blindly believe the claims of this so-called previous incarnation of hers...

Regardless, horse gods and Spectro dragons could wait. She had a more pressing matter to tend to at the moment.

"...You will? Promise?"

"You don’t look very convinced."

Brant shied away, as if he wanted to answer her with confidence but was still in shock from such a misunderstanding. Rover wasn’t exactly sure how she would be able to make amends. This matter was something that only time would be able to assure, but unfortunately, she didn’t have all of the time in the world. Plus, she couldn’t depart from Rinascita leaving Brant with such a feeling of dread.

An idea had occurred to her. But was too soon? At this point, hardly. She had known Brant for practically the entire time she was in Rinascita, and she had no intention of ever letting him go.

“Well,” she said as she started to shift through one of her pockets, “I did initially plan to save this for when things calmed down, but I have a feeling that won’t happen any time soon.”

As Brant anxiously watched her as she shifted through her pockets, a glimmer of worry fell upon Rover that, perhaps, she was rushing things after all, and instead her efforts seemed more desperate than genuine. Then again, would Solaris-3’s most genuine fool even be with her if he didn’t hold faith in her sincerity? If that were the case, then he would be nothing more than that; a fool. Any and all hesitation that was left lingering within her became a concern of the past once she had hooked her fingers around what she was seeking. She pulled it out, and presented her closed fist to Brant.

“…Do you believe me now?” she asked, opening her palm.

Brant looked down at the silver ring she held in the palm of her hand. Then he looked back at her. And back at the ring. And back and forth again. Something told Rover that he didn’t believe him, though this time, for entirely different reasons.

Now she felt as if she was the fool.

“My lady, you couldn’t possibly be asking me what I think you are?” Brant said, utterly bewildered. “There’s no way that Solaris-3’s most precious treasure could be wanting to spend her life with someone who amounts to nothing more than a mere stage performer.”

She nudged her palm up towards him a little closer. “There is a way. I won’t be able to stay in Rinascita much longer for now, but we will be tied together by something greater than the distance that will come between us.”

Brant reached out his hand as if to accept, but something still silently held him back. Rover grabbed his hand and placed it into her palm, or at least to the best of her ability, as his fingers alone were almost bigger than her hand.

“There are some things I dare not joke about,” she continued. “This is one of them”

Taking off his hat to use to hide the flustered expression on his face, Brant turned away and nodded his head. A complete and utter mess he was; a look that Rover never got tired of. He did manage to give her an answer, but it was not quite how she wanted it.

“Can’t hear you,” Rover said, smugly.

“My lady, I-I didn’t quite catch your question,” Brant said, making an obvious attempt to stall.

As much enjoyment as she got out of lovingly toying with him, perhaps this time, it would be best if she spared Brant’s heart health.

“I know you know exactly what I am asking you, but I’ll say it for your sake. Will you let me stand by your side not as your captain for a day, but as your wife, till death do us part?”

Brant closed his eyes and took a deep breath, as if it was possible to screw up saying the word “yes.” Though it was him in question, after all, and it was more than possible. Still hiding the lower half of his face, he at least mustered up enough courage to look at her.

“Yes, my dear, with pleasure,” he said.

Rover could feel the nervousness in his hand, and so she was kind enough to aid in sliding the ring onto his finger for him. He glanced down at his hand momentarily in awe, then suddenly threw his arms around Rover and put his hat on her head, pulling it over her eyes so that she could not see the embarrassment that was present on his face. He was proving rather impossible to hold, given his large size, and Rover was using all of her might to keep him from tipping them over the side of the cliff.

He seemed to be crying. But at least, it was a happy cry.

“…How do you think the rest of the crew is going to take to this?” Rover asked, just then thinking of the new conundrum that had arisen. “Actually, how do you think Roccia is going to feel about this?”

“Ladies and gentlemen! We have returned, and I bring you the most stellar of news in regards to the honorary captain and I!”

Others had hardly bothered to bat an eye, except the few who were morbidly curious. Roccia, though rather used to such tomfoolery, turned to look, as a greeting from Brant of that scale never bought good news.

“Now, what are you up to this time?” she asked, with a deadpan expression.

Taking a brief glance at that theatre kid with his arms raised in the air, she saw a glimmer of silver light on his finger.

“No way, you actually did it,” she said in awe, having quickly come to the correct conclusion.

“Well, technically she did it,” Brant said, nudging Rover, “but, yes! Yes I did, indeed!”

“Is that so?” Roccia said, narrowing her eyes. “If that’s true, then at least half the crew owes me some money...”