There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)
Chapter 550 - 544. Black Wedding

Chapter 550: Chapter 544. Black Wedding

A black and red metal ship, guests in black uniforms, and a dark place called the Deathzone. Not exactly a recipe for a normal wedding.

But then again, they were not a normal couple.

The circumstances of their meeting, and what finally united them, was the tragedy called death. Romantic dates? Where could they find a place for that within the grey wall of the Borderland, and the curtain of darkness filling their horizon?

Others made promises of a bright future, expanding family, and growing old. They made promises of surviving to the next day. Their bond was not forged through words of affection, but through the clashing of metals. Their love language was not hugs and kisses, but saving each other from the claws of the grim reaper.

But even if their beginning was started with tragedy, and their path was littered with thorns of miasma, at the very least, they wanted their ending to be a happy one.

And so did Zein, who had watched them from the sideline during his three and a half years in the Borderland. Even more than Radia and Joon’s, or Abel’s wedding, this one for him was more personal.

The two people he had been relying on, and unknowingly always taking care of him in the Borderland.

Just seeing them standing there, facing each other, was enough to put a smile on his face. The berserker’s slightly nervous gaze, and the scout’s unexpectedly embarrassed look.

While some thought it was just a symbolic move, it was probably as good as a legal registry for them, who once thought they would stay behind that grey wall forever. At that moment, they probably couldn’t help but reminisce about their relationship from start to end--a journey even longer than Zein’s other big brothers in Althrea.

"I’m going to apologize in advance if I make a mistake later," the ship Captain said with a nervous laugh.

Another nervous Captain returned his laugh with a wave of his hand. "Haha--just relax, it’s nothing that serious--"

"It’s not serious?" Ron cut the older man sharply.

The berserker turned immediately. "No, that’s not what I mean, haha...just saying it so he could relax? Yeah?" he said sheepishly while raising his hand as if to give up before a fight could break out. "Obviously, it’s important for me! Haha..."

"Never thought I’d see the Captain fumble," Zein smirked.

"The man who charged into four fragments and kept them in place long enough for us to defeat them? Yeah."

"I guess weddings just make anyone fumble," Bassena chuckled.

Zein glanced at the esper and smiled mischievously. "Will you be too?"

"..."

As nothing came out of Bassena’s throat but a nervous swallowing of his saliva, the ship Captain cleared his throat and asked the couple. "Ahem--hmm, may I see the rings?"

"...what rings?" Agni blinked stupidly and Zein pressed his lips to hold back his laughter. "We’re using rings?"

Did this man really think of getting married without exchanging rings? Agni blinked dazedly for a second, before panic settled in his face. The ’guests’ were trying their best to hold back his laughter because, for them, it was hilariously disastrous.

But then, Ron took out a small box and calmly put it in the ship Captain’s hand. "Here. Don’t bother with speeches or unimportant stuff, let’s just stick to the point," he glanced at the shaking guests. "It’s fine to laugh."

The youngest burst first, crouching as her laughter filled the deck and spread to the others. Even Senia laughed while slapping the swordsman’s arm, and Zein chuckled while shaking his head.

Well, wasn’t it good that they could fill the dreary place with laughter? It should be a good day, anyway.

"Uhh...okay," the ship Captain just nodded obediently, feeling dazed by the abrupt duty while holding back from laughing like the others.

"When did you even prepare that?" Agni cleared his throat in embarrassment and stared at the small box that the Captain opened, containing two plain bands with small engraving on the inside.

"When I decided to do this," the scout replied nonchalantly with a shrug.

Agni was flabbergasted. "Why didn’t you tell me you have those?"

"Because it’s fun seeing you flustered," Ron smirked and clapped his hands once. "Alright, let’s do this."

"It’s happening! It’s happening!" Dheera jumped on her feet excitedly, holding hands with the healer, Charlot, who was just as excited as her. The ship Captain cleared his throat and Zein told the girls to keep quiet.

Again, the berserker could only blink as he stared at his lover--soon-to-be husband--who prepared everything from the venue to the rings. It was an abrupt plan that the scout brought up one day and he decided to agree to it without too much fuss. He had thought it was just something that came up because there was a chance to do it, but looking at it like this...

Did Ron want to do it that much? And...since when? They had never spoken about being tied in matrimony, although they had talked about staying together until the end of their life. Perhaps...was he thought about this whole thing too lightly? Agni felt his heart was pricked by hundreds of shameful needles.

It had always been like this. In the end, it was always Ron who did something for him, even though he had promised to take care of the scout.

At that moment, while the ship Captain started the ceremony, all Agni could see was the deep brown eyes of the man who persistently chased him all those years ago; who came back to him even after being kicked out; who kept staying with him in a place with no future like the Borderland. Beneath the calm gaze, there was a layer of excitement--perhaps even impatience.

Ah...he felt like a jerk.

"...please take the ring and repeat after me."

Agni woke up from his daze when the ship Captain put the box in front of him. He instinctively took one of the rings, rolling it between his fingers as Ron took the other one. He wondered where Ron had this made--no, even further, how did Ron know his finger size?

Heh--what a silly question. Of course, Ron would know. The man knew everything about Agni, down to the ugly things.

He started to smile, shedding the nervousness he had for not preparing anything earlier.

The ship Captain started again, placing his hand on the berserker’s shoulder. "I, Agni Khan--"

"I, Agni Khan..." the berserker’s eyes gleamed.

"Take you, Ron Hillard--"

"Take you, Ron Hillard," he smiled as the name rolled on his tongue; the name of both the man he loved and the older one he respected.

"As my wedded husband."

He held the scout’s hand, gentler than he ever did, and slid the ring perfectly, as if the nervousness before was a lie. A joyful smile was on his lips as he spoke with conviction. "As my wedded husband."

Even in the dim light, he could see the burst of red at the tip of the scout’s ear. It was rather adorable seeing the man trying to contain himself to appear calm and collected, when Agni could almost hear the hard thumping of the man’s heart.

Or was it his own?

The ship Captain put his other hand on Ron’s shoulder now, repeating the same phrase that the scout uttered without blinking while his heart was wreaking havoc. "I, Ron Hillard, take you, Agni Khan, as my wedded hus--"

And then a beeping sound came from the radar system, startling the couple and the guests.

"Fuck--" Zein cursed angrily, turning to the direction of the sea along with everybody else. The light above the cabin was glowing red in warning, and the ship crew ran back to the control cabin in alert.

Damn it! Couldn’t those creatures wait until a bit later? Zein scowled angrily and grabbed Bassena, wordlessly telling the esper to get rid of the enemy.

But within the alerting moment, Agni grabbed the scout’s hand without caring about the incoming attack, which was holding the ring, and made it slip onto his finger himself. While Ron was still blinking in surprise, the berserker pulled the man by the nape and kissed the scout hard.

When he parted a second later, he whispered with a wide smile. "In sickness and health, for better or worse, in life and death."

It took Ron two seconds to get ahold of himself and snapped at the startled ship Captain. "Pronounce it."

"I--I pronounced you as husbands!"

The announcement pulled the audience back to the wedding--which was completed despite the disturbance--and Dheera jumped excitedly, clapping. "Yaaay!"

For a moment, they tacitly decided to forget about the glaring red sirens on top of the control cabin.

"Congratulations!" Gus, Zein, and Cohen spoke at the same time, smiling amusedly.

"Congratulations!" Bassena laughed while glancing at the bottles of wine and champagne near them. "Would it be alright to keep the tickets for later?"

As an answer, the newly wedded berserker pulled out a claymore from a tattoo on his wrist, and swung the large blade, pointing it toward the approaching dark shadows in the air.

"In that case, shall we welcome the rude guests first?"