Archive of Our Own ^beta

That day, Kinich woke up earlier than usual, his phone beeping non stop under his pillow. It made his head buzz and feel as if the sound was coming from inside his skull. When his eyes opened, he noticed it was still kind of dark out, maybe one or two hours before sunrise. 

He absently grabbed the phone and held it up. His sight was blurry still, but he deduced that the caller was none other than Mualani; no one else in his contacts was saved with a billion colorful emojis, after all. She had fun tinkering with his phone from time to time. 

The ringer kept on going until he managed to find and press the green button. 

“Hello?”

“ Hi .” Her voice came from the other end, just as raspy as his sounded in his ears. “ Morning .” 

“Morning?” 

Mualani was a world-class sleeper, no one could take that from her. Not even the promise of a hundred crisp waves, ready for her surfboard, was enough to get her out of bed. Most of the time anyway. Kinich was surprised to hear from her at that hour. 

“Is everything okay?” Kinich promptly asked her. 

“ Yes. I need to ask you something. ” 

“…okay?”

A couple of seconds passed in silence as she audibly hesitated. “ I really wanted to ask it now… If I can’t say it now, I don’t know if I ever can, ” Mualani explained slowly, mumbling her words. Clearly, being awake at such an hour was not her first choice. 

Kinich couldn’t help the small smile on his face. He wondered if Mualani had forgotten about the last few months in her sleepy daze. 

Or maybe she was sleepwalking. Sleeptalking? Sleepcalling? Sleepconfessing? 

One or the other. 

“ I wanna do it now.”

“We went over this already,” he told her and moved to lie on his side, his face sinking into the pillow. “I will go out with you. I already have. I will again.” 

He had the feeling that the easy smile on his face would linger for a while longer. 

Kinich had carried a sweet little ache in his chest called “a crush on Mualani” for some time, about a year ago. It had sprung on him out of nowhere, without any warning, on some random day. 

He wasn’t surprised. Mualani was an amazing girl, and he hardly found anything to be amazing. But she was exceptionally good at surprising him. 

Then one day, just as random as the last one, she had huffed and puffed, and shocked him again. Kinich did not enjoy being caught off guard, but that specific instance was an exception. A both heart-stopping and jolting exception. 

“I like you. Romantically.” She blurted those feelings right out of the blue.  

And although Kinich didn’t mind it, it was weird. Like, it was really weird. 

Because he had been busy setting the table for dinner. At Mavuika’s place. 

Because Mavuika and her guests had heard both her abrupt confession and the way he dropped the cutlery in his hand in response. 

A few seconds of silence, as he picked his jaw up and put together words side by side in his mind, felt like a few hours then. 

“I… had no idea,” was what he had ended up saying. Surely there were better responses, like ‘me too,’ but that had been difficult to come up with for his poor state of mind. 

“Hah! Absolutely pitiful,” Ajaw had said, interrupting their “romance movie-everyone-gasping-and-staring” moment. “Why am I not surprised that this is the best response you can come up with?” However, the situation was so tense for everyone else that his comment had gone unheard. Except for Kinich, who had chosen to ignore it. 

“This is not what I had in mind when I was hyping you up,” Xilonen had also inserted herself in the conversation, even before entering the room. “But sure, a little showmanship never hurt anyone.” Once she appeared in the doorway, she threw Mualani a look , shrugging. 

This unspoken plan of theirs had the guests, and especially Kinich, wondering about Mualani’s intentions with this very public confession. 

When all eyes were on her, Mualani had blushed, her hands clasped in front of her tenderly. 

“Yeah, well… I was gonna take you outside so we could be alone and tell you there… but it all seemed like such a big deal and the more I thought about it, the more I stressed over it. I just wanted to get it over with because I just — I can’t live like I don't have these feelings anymore! I just wanted them to be…” She then motioned her hands continuously, moving them forward from her chest, “…out of me. Out in the…” Then, she waved her hands around herself. “Yeah.” 

Kinich could only stare, unsure of what to do next. So he went step by step. He knew that he did not want to continue the conversation there, so he started with that. 

“Would you like to step outside now ?” 

A word soup spilled from Mualani’s lips as she ran away, “Yesthatsoundsgoodlet’sgo.” 

They had left a confused —and curious— bunch inside the room and stepped out into Mavuika’s lofty terrace. When they came back, they had arranged a ‘date’ of sorts. 

The rest of the evening, the two of them had been impossible to talk to; Mualani was grinning and spiraling, high on the idea of going on an actual date with Kinich. And Kinich had fallen silent, his mind preoccupied with his agenda. His agenda being Mualani. That was it. 

The first date had been as good as any other, Kinich had thought. He didn’t know the exact formula to a proper date, or how these things would usually go, and he wouldn’t be able to realize if things were to turn sour. He didn’t hide that fact from Mualani. In response, she had waved her hands, going “pshh!” 

“You’re thinking too hard. We can just do whatever we always do. I don’t expect anything different. I mean…” She hummed a long while before speaking of a wish of hers. “I guess… holding your hand from time to time wouldn’t be a difference that I’d mind. But yeah. Same old us is enough for me. For now. How about you?” 

He nodded, now easily without the weight of expectations on his shoulders. “Me too.” 

After acquiring some type of validation, Mualani spoke more confidently. “I like being with you. And not having to try . We can simply be with each other, just in a new context. I’m sure things will progress as we get used to this. As long as we both want it to, that is.” 

Kinich could see that Mualani was choosing her words carefully, with the way she talked slowly and how she maintained eye contact, trying to make sure she didn’t set off any alarms in his head. Meanwhile, he had been simply admiring the effort. It was thanks to times like this, when she was considerate, caring and patient with him, accepting everything that was him and trying to communicate with him with everything she had; that the first bloom in his heart, which had come to life just for her, had survived this long. 

“I’d be happy with that.” 

Neither of them knew whether their first date was perfect, but it had felt perfect. So they went on a second one. 

And a third. 

And a fourth. 

On the fifth one, Mualani had gathered enough courage to enable her to fight a dozen bears. She used it to place a goodbye kiss on Kinich’s cheek, which was accidentally placed on the corner of his mouth once he turned his head to the side. 

The mistake had scared her, as she did not want to put pressure on him or move ahead of him in terms of their relationship. 

But Kinich was not disturbed by this happy accident, and he eased Mualani’s mind by reciprocating it. She had jerked her head back, so he closed the gap between them and kissed the corner of her lips in a very quick movement. 

Not exactly a kiss kiss, but not exactly a kiss on the cheek either. 

It was enough to make Mualani both shy and elated at the same time. 

It was enough to make Kinich think that he would have been fine with the accident taking place just a few centimetres to the left. But that would have to wait. 

She was red, and he was red. And they were officially together. 

And months had passed since that moment, unbeknownst to Mualani at that point in time, Kinich guessed. 

“ It’s about something else.” 

So Kinich had guessed wrong. He yawned. “Okay. I’m listening.”

And then… Mualani continued. 

There, everyone was again, at Mavuika’s lofty and spacious, meticulously decorated house. Truly, her house was more like an attraction to most people, what with all the knick-knacks she loved to collect and display. She wasn’t surprised that people liked to gather there. 

Although this time, the party had a specific purpose for being thrown there aside from being the ideal place for a party. 

Not that she wanted to spoil the fun, or anything. 

Kinich and Ajaw arrived together with materials and groceries, accompanied by a whole lot of grumbling from the latter. It was a funny sight at her doorstep, with Kinich holding a small shopping bag and a box, while Ajaw seemed to be struggling with the amount he had been carrying, bags stacked on bags stacked on bags. 

“Here, let me get those,” Mavuika said and grabbed them as Ajaw stepped forward and entered, cutting in front of Kinich. 

He quickly pulled his hands away once Mavuika held the bags by the straps. “Kinich gave me the heavy ones. And he made me carry more than he did!”

“Well. It only makes sense, since you are the strongest out of both of us.” Kinich shrugged and placed the items in his hands on a nearby table as he did. “At least, that is what you keep saying. You could have told me that you’re not cut out for it.”

Ajaw clicked his tongue, sharply turning his head away. “I was merely commenting on your unfairness and incredibly weak arms. I can’t keep compensating for your shortcomings.” 

Adding more to that conversation would prove to be a waste of time, so Kinich simply ignored the rest of Ajaw’s “comments” and turned to Mavuika. “I’ll be right back, gotta get my shirt from the car.” 

The woman smiled briefly. “Shirt? Like a button-down?” When Kinich nodded, she raised an eyebrow, half-amused. “How legitimate of you.”

Ajaw pursed his lips. “I’m glad. I am sick and tired of his stupid little compression shirts; like, have some decorum. A hint of a sense of style! For once, he is not going to embarrass me. Can’t believe the day has finally come!” 

In the midst of Ajaw’s monologuing, Mavuika’s eyes swiftly moved toward Kinich’s as she tilted her head in a silent question. Kinich shook his head. 

“I saw that!” Ajaw walked up to Mavuika and directed a finger toward her. “Didn’t think you would hold yourself back against me. What’s up with the googly eyes?” He then turned his head toward the bane of his existence. “Say it to my face!”

“I’m leaving,” said Kinich and left the two of them standing alone in the entryway. 

“Why don’t you check on the others and see how they are doing?” Mavuika offered and pointed toward her left, where most of her guests were currently. 

Ajaw didn’t move from his place, nor did he reply to her. He was busy staring into the space Kinich had left with disdain. 

“Or you can go to the kitchen and help the catering staff with the groceries you brought in.” This time, Mavuika pointed to the large double doors behind her. 

Ajaw made an annoyed sound and headed left. 

The room was lively, and Mualani was the first person to see him walk in. She seemed to be eyeing the door long before he had entered, despite being in a conversation with her friends. 

“You guys came, finally!” Mualani exclaimed excitedly and cut off whatever Xilonen had been saying. Walking up to Ajaw, she looked around. “Where’s Kinich?” 

“I sent him away until he learned his lesson,” Ajaw said, crossing his arms and lifting his nose up. Mualani made no sound or facial expression whatsoever, so he exhaled and held the bridge of his nose, his sunglasses lifted ever so slightly. “He went to grab his shirt or whatever.” 

Upon hearing this, Mualani grinned widely and clapped her hands. “Okay! Here,” she said and holding Ajaw by the arm, she basically hurled the boy toward Xilonen. “Make up for my absence while I’m gone.” Ajaw stumbled, defenseless against the girl’s tight grip and strong throw. 

Then she spun around and left a screaming Ajaw and a grumbling Xilonen behind her. Dodging people here and there, her eyes were searching for bright pink. 

She found Citlali out on the terrace with Kachina. 

“… So I’m still upset that I wore them instead of proper boots or something else! They’re still ruined and muddy to this day, even though I washed them plenty of times…” Kachina spoke with regret, her head dropping. 

Mualani approached them around the table. “Oh. The white sneakers and mud puddle incident?” 

Their heads turned to her upon hearing her, and Kachina nodded. “Citlali was telling me that a white pair of shoes would go better with my dress. Unfortunately, I can only agree.” 

“That might have something to do with the chemicals you used to wash them with. Some materials just never go back to how they were before,” Citlali said and shrugged, her eyes following Mualani as she grabbed a chair and sat down, scooting closer to her. Mualani blinked and flaunted her lashes as she leaned her head even closer to Citlali. “Can I help you?” 

“Are you busy with anything?” 

The older girl’s eyes moved to Kachina, then back to Mualani. “Not really. Why do you ask?” 

Mualani then squeezed her fingers into the pocket of her shorts, taking out a handful of hair ties. “Can you do that braid crown for me? The one you did to Chasca a couple of weeks ago that I liked so much? With the feathers?”

Citlali nodded. “I remember.”

“Can you do that to my hair, please? But without the feathers.” 

The older girl reached and grabbed the ties from Mualani’s palm, and Mualani happily turned around so that Citlali could start her work. 

“Aren’t you a little late to have your hair done?” Kachina asked. “We are in the middle of the party, I mean.” 

“I just… really wanted my hair to be styled by Citlali,” Mualani responded as she felt Citlali’s fingers moving on her scalp and separating the hairline. “Better late than never.” 

Citlali started to braid Mualani’s hair, which was already combed to perfection. She continued her conversation with Kachina until the latter got distracted by a person approaching just behind them. 

“Kinich! Hi…” she joyfully welcomed him, waving. Her reaction also jolted Mualani. 

“Hey! Don’t move so suddenly,” Citlali warned, as the strands of silky hair fell from her grip after Mualani moved her head. 

“Sorry…” Mualani apologized sheepishly, meanwhile, she couldn’t suppress the beaming on her face. “Welcome!”

“Hey.” Thankfully, Kinich sat down next to Kachina, where Mualani could look at him without turning her head. “I thought you wanted to have your hair loose,” Kinich told her. 

“It will be loose, Citlali is making a— like, a crown-thing out of my hair. She’s got a gift for this sort of thing. I couldn’t lose the opportunity, y’know.” 

After looking up and seeing the ever-growing blush on Citlali’s face, Kinich only nodded, and turning his attention to Kachina, he asked about the topic they had been talking about. 

Moments passed before Citlali finally stepped back and carefully admired her work on Mualani’s head. Sighing, she put both hands on her shoulders to signify that she was done. “Go ahead and check yourself out in the mirror.” 

Mualani got up with a spring in her step and turned around, aiming for Citlali instead of the door. She hugged the older girl briefly, keeping her hug loose in order to not suffocate her. “Thank you, I’m sure it’s perfect.”

The joy and excitement were so pure, Citlali could only pet her on the back instead of struggling awkwardly in her embrace. “Yeah, I know that. But just in case…” She could feel her face contort into that embarrassing expression, which appeared whenever she was flustered or complimented. Or whatever emotion those kids teased her about. 

“Okay, ask me anything, and I’ll do it for you.”

One might have thought that it was Kinich who spoke just then. However, the words had been said in Mualani’s voice. The three people who had heard these words stared at Mualani in amazement until the silence was broken with Kachina’s quiet giggle. 

“I remember hearing that couples tend to turn into each other over the course of their relationship,” she added, looking over to Kinich. 

Citlali glanced at Kinich also. “What are you doing to this girl?” 

Kinich didn’t have any comments, although he was smiling too. He’d had the instinct to push it down, but Mualani’s grin directed right at him had reminded him that he was free to enjoy this moment. Invited, even. So he didn’t even try to hide it. 

“Seriously, come oooon! What would you like?” Mualani had let her go, but she was still holding onto Citlali’s hand encouragingly. “My treat. For now or for the future.” 

“It’s just a braid, don’t make a big deal out of it,” Citlali said, looking away and pouting. 

Among everyone else, only Mualani could make her look as if she had been dipped in red paint from head to toe. She was so open with her admiration, that girl. It was a mystery how Kinich lived with it. 

“No, it’s not! It’s a very special braid—” 

“Mualani,” Kinich said suddenly but quietly, bringing attention to himself nevertheless. But said nothing further. This only made the situation more awkward and mysterious for Kachina and Citlali. 

Although it seemed Mualani was able to get whatever he had attempted to mean . She let go of Citlali’s hand and placed her hands on her waist. “Can I bring you a drink then?” A smile was plastered on her face, but hints of nervousness could be read underneath it all. 

The older girl stared at Mualani for a second with a speculative face, then nodded. “Yeah. Do that.” 

When Mualani turned around to leave, Citlali’s gaze found Kinich, and she didn’t avert her eyes from his for even a second as she pulled her chair and sat down. Throwing one leg over the other, she continued to stare him down. It was probably the longest they had ever looked at each other. She knew Kinich must have been done with her by that point, and she was also not enjoying the eye contact, but she had noticed something. Something that gave her an unnerving feeling that needed to be uncovered. 

True to her instincts, Kinich opened his mouth, only to shut it tightly without saying anything. 

This quick gesture only confirmed her suspicion. There was something happening that could be a discussion subject. And Kinich almost said something about it. He either didn’t want to be the first one to talk, or didn’t want to talk at all. But the fact that he knew something remained. 

Citlali folded her arms. “Might as well spill already.” 

The stare-down continued as Kachina’s eyes moved from Citlali to Kinich to Citlali to Kinich. 

He eventually nodded and breathed in. “Fine. But this information does not leave the terrace.”  

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Mualani had run into Ifa in the doorway, just as she was leaving and as he was entering. 

“Dude, I thought you were going to be late!” Mualani jumped once, her body language never once failing to cooperate with the thrill in her voice. 

Ifa was just as lively. “I was! Guess I was supposed to come even later. But Mavuika called me up and told me I had to come over immediately. So I just wrapped everything up and ran over.” He gestured to the box in his hand, which he later placed on the counter. 

“Why were you late anyway? Something came up?” 

Since Ifa was a veterinarian, and a very successful one at that, no one was ever surprised when he was late to events. Emergency patients were more important to him than anything. 

But he shook his head. “No, no. I got hit with inspiration for this incredible recipe! Then I had to wait for a while for Ororon to get me some fresh produce, obviously. I was in the kitchen for hours, bro.” 

Ororon had arrived way earlier, although Mualani hadn’t had the chance to speak to him. 

“Right… I remember something about you bringing desserts…” Mualani trailed off, then gasped. “But, what’s up with the veggies?” 

Ifa chuckled heartily. “For the most delicious vegetable loaf you have never tried in your life, dude!” 

Large and bright eyes blinked, staring at him. “Vegetable loaf. For dessert, bro ?” Mualani could not believe what she was hearing. 

“It’s unlike anything you’ve tried, trust me,” he tried to reason with her then, being somewhat familiar with Mualani and the distance she put between herself and vegetables. 

“You did not bring a vegetable loaf for dessert to my… uh… ” She brought her hand against her forehead, trying to shake off the tragedy.

Ifa could only laugh. “Chill, you’re right. I did not bring it. Or rather, I couldn’t. I was still in the kitchen when Mavuika called me, so I had to drop everything.” He opened the box and revealed a proper, actual cake. “Got this bad boy on my way over here.”

A relieved sigh escaped her lips. “Oh, artificial delicacy, how I longed for you in these past 10 seconds…”

Ifa nudged her on the shoulder lightly. “Bet you would’ve liked it though.”

Before Mualani could answer and tell him that he would lose that bet, Kachina ran inside at full speed and stumbled to stop in front of her. 

“Is it true?” she asked, out of breath. “Are you really…?”

Mualani tilted her head in worry, and Ifa placed a hand on Kachina’s back. “You should collect your breath first, calm down.”

Thankfully, as Kachina waited for her breathing to return to normal, they didn’t have to wait to understand what she meant. The doors to the kitchen threw open with sheer force, and Citlali entered the kitchen like an unexpected blizzard. 

“You’re getting married ?!”

Mualani stared at her blankly as Ifa blinked, suddenly feeling out of place.

Kinich pushed the doors open a second later and also entered, disappointment clear and abundant on his face. “I just said—“

His sentence was cut off when the door he had left behind him opened once more and hit him, making him stumble forward. It was thanks to Ajaw, who was squeezing through the half-opened door. 

“What’chu guys talking about?” Curious like a cat, he asked shamelessly, earning a glare from Kinich. “Ah. Okay. I get it. You guys are forming an inner circle within the friend circle. And leaving out Mavuika in her own home.” He grinned impishly. “Sneaky, hehe.”

“Seriously, not now.” Kinich had half a mind to smack some sense into him.

The door opened for the final time, and Mavuika entered with a disturbed expression. In front of her, a group of frazzled people stared at her, all of them seemingly defeated for different reasons.

“Why are you all huddled in here? There are people who are working,” she said, her arm lifted to point at the catering crew who had been there the whole time, focused on their task at hand. 

“Busted,” whispered Ajaw, his smile still intact.

“They’re getting married, Mavuika. Right now! That’s why!” Citlali opened her arms to gesture at the “crazy” kids in front of her. 

Ajaw’s jaw dropped. “What?!” 

“And I wanted to see Mualani the second I heard about it,” Kachina explained.

“A-and I had to come and see what was happening because everyone was coming here in a hurry. I mean if the likes of Kinich is getting involved, I should be informed as well, naturally,” Ajaw said, making his case. “And what’s up with that, Kinich?” he asked, pointing at Citlali. 

“I… was here to drop the cake,” Ifa started to say, turning slightly to show the cake on the counter. There was nothing behind him. “Which have since been taken away.” 

“Those caterers are no joke, dude. So stealthy,” Mualani said, nodding along with Ifa. 

He then stopped for a moment, asking, “Wait. Are you seriously getting married?”

Mualani continued nodding as a response.

Ifa blinked. “Aren’t you a little… young, though?”

Breathing out restlessly, Mavuika folded her arms and leaned back on the door. Her eyes found Kinich. “What happened to the plan? Wasn’t I supposed to reveal it?”

Citlali could feel her eyes bulging. “Are you serious? You knew?”

Mavuika nodded. “Who do you think gave them permission to get married here ?” 

“So, instead of knocking some sense into them, you offered your house for the ceremony?” Grabbing her cheeks with her palms, Citlali tried to calm herself. “What were you thinking exactly?”

“That I’m not in charge of them?” Suddenly feeling an intense gaze on her, she laughed. “They did present a very convincing argument,” Mavuika reasoned in a joking manner.

The girl could only stare and blink at that. “How?!”

“Okay,” Mualani said finally, putting a hand up and stepping forward. “Let’s all calm down. First of all,” she said, and walked up to Kinich. Grabbing his cheeks, she turned to Citlali. “Do you see him? Do you see this?” she asked, giving him a gentle squeeze.

“Yeah?” Citlali’s voice indicated that she was also asking, ‘Your point?’

“That’s one question answered.” Mualani nodded and let go of his face. 

Citlali groaned and threw her head back. “Is anyone here in their right mind!?”

Ajaw chimed in. “I agree.” He slowly turned around on his heel, then opened his arms to gesture at his surroundings. “Out of all the places in the world to get married in… and you’re doing it here?” He then quickly raised his hand, looking at Mualani. “Wait. Don’t tell me. It was Kinich’s idea, wasn’t it? This lack of insight, this absence of vision. I’d recognise it anywhere…” 

Kinich shut his eyes, exhaling rather loudly , and spoke to Mavuika. “Could you inform your other guests now , then?” 

“Of course.” Mavuika leaned and stood up straight, and left the kitchen. 

Citlali reached forward in an attempt to stop her. “Wait, we didn’t talk—ah, great.” She slumped where she was standing, feeling fatigued after trying to comprehend the mysterious and dangerous wedding about to take place. 

Mualani put a friendly hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, everything will be great.” Looking over to Kinich, she gave a thumbs up and received a weak smile in return. 

“We should change.”

Mualani perked up, and suddenly, she was beside him. “Before that, I have something to give you.” Holding his hand, she dragged him out of the kitchen, leaving the chaos behind them. 

They marched into the guest bedroom where Mualani had placed her clothes and other things. Now that they had entered, she noticed that Kinich’s shirt was also hanging on the handle of the closet. 

She closed the door behind them. 

“So…” Mualani started to say, slowly turning around to face Kinich. “More people know now. How are you feeling?” 

He shrugged. “The same.” 

“Alright. Just checking in,” she said, and turned her attention to her backpack in the corner of the room. 

Kinich sighed as he sat down on the bed to wait for her gift. She had done that “checking in” thing a few times already that day. Though he guessed that it was natural that she was uneasy about where he stood on the whole “getting married” idea. 

Mualani was the one who had asked for it. And Kinich had accepted without skipping a beat. 

“Would you be open to the idea… of… um,” she mumbled, her voice getting quieter with every word. 

“Yeah?”

A few seconds passed with them just breathing silently, together on the phone at this ungodly hour. 

“Are you there?” Kinich checked to see whether she had fallen back asleep.

“I’m here. Uh…”  Mualani then whispered some things to herself that he couldn’t quite hear. “Okay, okay. Are you there?”

Something about her disoriented speech made him chuckle. “Yes.” 

He then heard that she laughed just a little, also. Most likely her nerves had settled down after hearing his own laughter. 

“I wanna marry you,” Mualani revealed finally, the confession leaving her breathless. 

Now that, jolted him awake, and he sat up straight on the bed. There was a chance that she was merely being her usual goofy self, fawning over him and saying over-the-top things to express her adoration. So he waited for her silently to clear up any misunderstandings. 

But she did not elaborate. 

It fell on Kinich to continue the conversation. “Are you serious?” 

“Mhmm.” 

Kinich looked around the darkness until his eyes fell on his lap, and he exhaled. “Marry me, then.” 

It had been an impromptu decision for both of them, and he had been expecting Mualani to be agitated, given that she had caught him unprepared once more. But honestly, Kinich was doing fine. 

Out of all the things he had come face to face with that he was unprepared for, getting married to her was a treat in comparison. 

Mualani sat down next to him, her fingers closed in her palm. 

“Okay… here it is,” she said and showed what she had been holding. A tiny, plastic blue fish with a clip behind it. 

“This is…” 

“I have a matching hair clip. I’m gonna wear it with my dress,” Mualani cut him off excitedly. “I thought I would give this to you, so we can match. If you decide to wear it, of course. No pressure. Just wanted to give you the option to,” Mualani said gently, staring at the little fish in her hand. 

Kinich opened his hand so that Mualani could give it to him. “Thank you.” 

Slapping her thighs briefly, Mualani stood up. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to dress.” 

He nodded and got off the bed. Taking his shirt, he left Mualani alone in the room. 

Getting ready in the larger bedroom with her instead of the bathroom would have been more comfortable, but Mualani had insisted that she didn’t want him to see her in her dress before the ceremony. Even though he already knew the two options she had. But he didn’t think a discussion would have been worth it. 

His outfit wasn’t as complicated as hers; he only took off his shirt and wore another one, a black, long-sleeved, button-down shirt. He completed the look with a tie, and he was ready. No need to overdo it anyway. It was a simple get-together at a friend’s house, after all. 

Although he did spend the majority of his time meddling with his hair, pushing it back, pushing it to the side, ruffling it… Eventually, he left it as it was before. Staring at his head in the reflection, he mulled over the fish hair clip Mualani had given him, but couldn’t make up his mind. So the clip stayed in his pocket. 

When he left the bathroom, Kinich saw that Ajaw had been waiting in front of the door. He immediately spoke up. “You better move out after this, because I refuse to live there with all three of us,” he said, referring to the apartment he and Kinich shared.

“Then wouldn’t it be more appropriate for you to leave?” 

“No way! Where am I supposed to go?” 

“Wherever you thought we would go?” 

Ajaw rolled his eyes. “Isn’t Mualani filthy rich? Can’t she buy you a mega mansion or something?” 

Sighing, Kinich rolled his eyes as well, folding his arms. “I’d rather she didn’t, there are far more important things in life to pay for than an unnecessarily large house for just the two of us.” He then glared. “And don’t talk about other people’s financial situation so openly. It’s disrespectful.” 

Shutting his eyes tightly, Ajaw looked away. “No one takes me seriously when I tell them that you have zero aspirations in life. And here you are…” 

And only because he had been a little harder on Ajaw that whole day, compared to any other time, Kinich lightened up. “She’s not moving in. At least, for now.” 

Ajaw pouted in response, waving his hand toward him and walking away. 

Walking inside the main room, Kinich noticed pairs of eyes on him immediately. 

Mavuika gave him a relaxed thumbs-up. 

Citlali pressed her lips tightly, deeply breathing. 

Ororon waved at him. 

Ifa merely glanced. 

Kachina smiled warmly. 

He passed them by, waving so as not to ignore them, and walked into the next room, which was just the dining room full of snacks, food, and refreshments. 

The same dining room where Mualani had told him she liked him. 

He found Chasca and Xilonen chatting there, but didn’t make any attempts to join. Heading straight to the drink bottles, he made no sound. 

But they, of course, noticed him. 

“Congratulations,” Xilonen said, smoothly appearing next to him. 

“Thank you.” 

“You do realize that this is all happening thanks to me, right?” 

Kinich turned his head to her when he finished pouring himself a drink. “How so?” 

She placed her hands on her hips, standing proudly. “I was the one who encouraged Mualani to confess to you, if you recall.” 

He tilted his head, then nodded ever so slightly. “That’s true.” He took a sip from his drink before continuing. “Thanks.” 

“You’re welcome.” Xilonen then threw her hair over her shoulder. “So…”

Kinich looked at her questioningly. 

“What’s that worth in your books?” She had an easy smile on her face. He couldn’t figure out whether she was joking around or not. Not that it made any difference for him. 

“I’d have to think about it. There aren't many tangible aspects to this that I can weigh in my mind, exactly.” 

Yes, he was getting married today. Yes, he was still unsure of how to even begin to comprehend how emotions in general should be handled. Or how to handle them as valuables , actually. 

Thankfully, the feeling he shared with Mualani was one of the easiest things to comprehend in the world. Or maybe, it could have been hard to decipher if it weren’t for Mualani specifically. She was thoughtful, holding his hand through them and exploring that new territory alongside him. 

Xilonen reached inside her jacket, her hand fumbling in her pocket before she took out a small box and put it on the table with some force to dramatize the moment.  

“Here’s something tangible, then.” 

Kinich’s eyes widened. A ring box. The same ring box that contained their rings, which he had given to Mavuika for safe-keeping. 

He picked it up; once the box was opened, he could see that their haphazardly chosen, bare minimum wedding rings had vanished, leaving their places to two intricately carved rings. 

The smaller one had a thin band already; now it sported a tiny clear gem on it, which was supported by pieces of gold that were reshaped to look like tiny waves. 

The bigger one — his ring — had no changes on the outside of the band. It was smooth and devoid of designs. However, both of them had detailed and elaborate engravings on the inside of the bands. 

“I even hid your initials on each other’s rings in the patterns,” Xilonen added proudly, noticing him bringing the box closer to his face to inspect them. 

Kinich was frozen in place, mouth left open as he studied the rings. 

“Mavuika shared your little secret with me. Hope you won’t get too mad,” she said, knowing full well he was too awestruck to complain. 

“I… can’t. These are beautiful.” Kinich then turned his attention to Xilonen fully.  

“Again, you’re welcome.” 

Kinich then closed the box with a snap and left it on the table. “But I can’t accept this.”

Xilonen took offense to that, gasping softly. “Why not?” 

“I can’t pay you for your craftsmanship right now. I can’t afford to spend from my budget, that’s strictly saved for my upcoming trip.” 

Xilonen leaned on the table and grabbed the box, pushing it into Kinich’s chest. “It’s mine and Mavuika’s wedding gift to you. Just take it.”

Kinich shook his head, not lifting his arms to accept the box. 

She sighed and retracted her arm. “Okay. How about this: there’s an antique ore shop in Liyue. The ores and gems they dig up in that region’s mines are incomparable to anything else. But since they are incredibly fragile, it’s risky to ship them by cargo. Not that they ship them to other regions anyway… 

“During the year you’ll spend there, I want you to purchase the ores I’ll order on my behalf and bring them to me yourself. I assume you’ll be visiting frequently, so you’ll have many opportunities to carry them piece by piece. Sound fair?” 

Kinich stared at her in thought. How did she already know about the job he was going to take, or how long he would stay there; moreover, how did she know he was going to Liyue in the first place? When had she been informed that he accepted the job? 

“Uh…”

“Trust me, it’s frustratingly tedious work, and transporting those ores a few times will make us even. You might even want to charge me in the end,” Xilonen said, shrugging. 

After giving it some thought briefly, Kinich nodded, albeit hesitantly. He knew that aside from being a talented engineer, Xilonen was also a gifted jeweler. Any precious gem in her hands would never go to waste. 

“I’ll accept the rings, for now . But we will need to talk more about your business later.” 

Xilonen gave him a firm nod as well. “Deal.”

And Kinich was mostly content about it all. The rings were really beautiful and one of a kind. 

“You’re going to Liyue, Kinich?” 

When Chasca finally joined the conversation, Kinich answered her quickly. “For about a year or so. It’s a programming job. It will be hybrid, so I will get to come and go every once in a while.” 

Chasca nodded, then slowly, her eyes moved to Xilonen, who had turned her attention to her phone. 

Kinich stared at what Chasca was doing for a second, then studied Xilonen also. Then he picked up on what Chasca had realized, and his mouth opened in shock. 

“Did you plan this?” Kinich asked, calmer than he intended to sound. “The rings? For your projects?” 

Xilonen smiled, pressing the corner of her phone to her lips. “If I were you, I’d simply enjoy my wedding present.” 

Kinich couldn’t really argue, given that the rings he now owned were priceless items, having gone through Xilonen’s hands. 

When Xilonen brought her arm up with the box in her hand again, he shook his head to refuse. “You should hold onto it until the ceremony.” 

They would eventually need someone to pass the rings to them, after all. 

“Oh, I’m flattered.” Xilonen’s eyes then slid down in thought. “But… I know someone better for the role of a ring bearer.” 

She made her way toward the doorway, where she and Ajaw crashed into each other for the second time that night, as the blond boy was rushing to get inside. 

If he were going to make a comment on running into her, he didn’t. Turning his back on the semi-startled Xilonen, he kept his tempo until he was face to face with Kinich. 

“You really underestimate my worth, Kinich,” Ajaw said, pointing his finger against Kinich’s face. 

Kinich sent him an exasperated look. “How do you figure?” 

Lifting his face higher, Ajaw spoke. He tended to do so by lifting his nose up in the air when talking to Kinich, since they were around the same height. “Because,” he said, moving his hand so that his finger pointed at himself. “Right now, I am the only person in your life who is not trying to convince your girlfriend to not marry you.” 

A crooked and misplaced pout-like expression formed on Kinich’s face. The words “The heck are you on about?!” echoed in his mind in Cacucu’s voice. Sure would have been a fitting response if Ifa had brought him here. 

Instead, he asked with his own voice, with his own words. “What are you talking about?”

Ajaw turned around and stepped to the side to show him the scene behind him; from where he was standing, he could see the door of the guest bedroom directly through the open entrance of the dining room. 

“See?”

He caught a glimpse of the door closing shut, someone had just entered. 

“Mualani must have called the girls in to help her. With her dress or her hair, probably,” Xilonen thought out loud, then got curious about it herself. 

Kinich sighed, and his eyes shifted to Ajaw. “Can’t you find anything in the entire party to keep yourself busy with?” 

Ajaw’s face scrunched up, he ran a hand through his hair. “I’m serious, Ifa and Ororon are in there, too! What do they know about clothes and makeup?!” 

Xilonen raised an eyebrow and looked over to Chasca, who only shrugged. 

And then, unfortunately, Kinich was put in the position to take Ajaw seriously. He could put two and two together and deduce that if Ororon was in there, it was most likely because he saw the need to be present as moral support around Citlali. Of course, it was open to argument whether he was the moral support for Citlali or someone she had been targeting. And if she had been targeting someone, that could only be Mualani, in this case. 

In his mind, he was sure that their guests — their friends — only had good intentions. He agreed that this marriage idea was at least a little crazy. It was unbelievable how little they had thought about it. Perhaps, from the eyes of the outsiders, this decision on his part looked even more unreliable. When have they ever seen him jump into action on such short notice? Kinich could understand that. 

But in his heart, he just wished they would let it go, so that Mualani could enjoy the “getting ready for the ceremony” part of the day without distractions. He didn’t understand why that would be more intriguing than the actual ceremony. She had told him that it was about “suspense and excitement”. He was not convinced, but didn’t care for it as long as Mualani was having fun. 

“I’ll take a look,” Kinich said shortly. 

Seeing his shoulders drop with exhaustion, Ajaw continued to speak. “C’mon, Kinich, cheer up! At least you still have me!” Contrary to his jolly voice, a devious smile crept on his face. “Until I find a better, cooler roommate, that is.” He then tapped his chin, exaggerating his body language to appear to be thinking. Grabbing his sunglasses to tip them lower, Ajaw looked at Kinich over them. “I wonder if they’re telling her that she can do the same—gh!” 

In the blink of an eye, the glasses under his fingertips were yanked, and the sharp pull on his earlobe made Ajaw yelp as he was forced to bend slightly forward. 

“ Ah-ow!! Let go! Let go!” He grabbed Kinich’s wrist, but the more he tried to push him away, the more Kinich’s fingers pinched and pulled harder. 

He was quiet. “I don’t want to hear another word from you,” Kinich spoke with finality in his voice as he let Ajaw go. Seconds later, he was headed to the room to see what was happening with Xilonen right behind him. 

Scowling, Ajaw took a step forward to follow before Chasca stepped in front of him. 

“I think we should stay,” she said with that commanding tone of hers. 

“He took my glasses; he knows my eyes are sensitive! Damn him…” Ajaw pursed his lips and tightly shut his eyes. He truly looked like a pissed off small child. “That inconsiderate jerk!” 

“So you do know a thing or two about being considerate? How surprising…” Chasca shook her head as if to reprimand him. 

Ajaw flailed his arms in defeat. “I was pulling his leg! That’s what I— we do.” 

Chasca went ahead and pulled a chair, gesturing to him to sit down. “I want to believe that you know there’s a time and place for everything.” 

Now, truly defeated, Ajaw lazily dragged his feet and slumped on the chair. He did not want to cross Chasca at that moment as well. It would be a bother to try to dodge both Kinich and Chasca at the same time. 

His head fell forward, and blond strands of hair covered his face. Suddenly, he was glad to have procrastinated going to the barber shop. 

He heard Chasca’s high heels clicking away for a moment before they approached closer to him. He felt something being snugly placed on his head. “There.” Chasca had placed a cap on his head, which dropped a shade on his face enough to the point that he didn’t feel the need to squint anymore. Then, she placed her hand firmly on his head briefly. Not affectionate, but also not hostile. “Don’t cause trouble,” she instructed him. 

He quietly watched her before touching the cap on his head with curiosity. “You just carry this around in your purse…?”

Meanwhile, in the guest bedroom, the scene was just as Kinich had imagined it would be as he opened the door and peered inside. 

Mualani had taken a seat on the bed, staring at Citlali as she gave a lecture about the passage of time, the importance of not rushing into things, slowing down to enjoy the milestones in life and the like. Kachina was right by her side, also listening intently to Citlali. She wouldn’t miss life advice from an older, more mature and knowledgeable person. Mavuika was nodding along; even though she had been helping them through with their arrangements, she had her doubts as well and wouldn’t think it would be the worst thing in the world if they reconsidered. Ororon was standing by the far wall next to Ifa, listening in on the conversation whilst hoping Mualani would be spared from the scolding of a lifetime. Ifa was just… there. He had absently followed Ororon in, and now, once more, he felt out of place. 

Kinich wasn’t aware of the many things going on inside their minds, nor what had happened since they had gathered there. Also, he did not care. 

The door being open had gone unnoticed by the group, so they hadn’t been expecting when he spoke up. “What are you all doing here?” 

Heads turned to see him standing in the doorway, seemingly upset. And he was upset, Mualani hadn't even put on her dress yet! 

“It’s good that you came, actually,” Citlali responded to his non-question. 

He had meant to kick them out, actually, not find out what they were doing. 

“Kinich, I advise you to reconsider as well.” Her speech began before he could begin to say anything. “You should not take marriage as a light concept, it’ll wear you down! You shouldn’t take on the responsibilities of a husband and wife right now. There is no baby on the way, none of you are sick or dying… Is this because you will be away for some time? Because there are better, simpler ways to be closer to each other, trust me. You can move in together until you leave, for example. Maybe getting a promise ring could fulfill whatever desire you have.” 

Kinich only listened silently as Citlali went on. “It’s a nice thing that you love each other, that you want to do this thing, but did you stop to think what it really means? What if… things don’t turn out the way you hoped for? Would it be worth it if…” 

For a moment, Citlali seemed as if she was going to add to that, but she didn’t. “Young love can be… fleeting,” she ended up saying. “I only say this because I’d prefer it if your relationship remained stable and… happy. Don’t put a strain on yourselves when everything is going just fine.” 

His eyes found Mualani, who had been watching Citlali intently. She blinked a couple of times, then scratched the corner of her eye. 

Kinich raised his hands. “Alright. We’ll reconsider,” he said, to everyone’s surprise. 

“Really?” Out of everyone, perhaps Mavuika couldn’t believe it the most; although they had decided on this without thinking about it too much, Kinich did have a will of iron. So for him to take this into consideration was interesting. 

“Yes, really. So if you’ll excuse us,” Kinich said and moved out of the way, clearing out space for the group to leave. And leave they did, before Kinich shut the door with some amount of force. 

Now they were alone again. Which was strange. Even though it was supposed to be their wedding day, he felt like they had been away from each other longer than ever. 

He leaned his back on the door. “Checking in,” he said to her, mustering up a smile. It seemed to bring her spirits up. She lifted her arms and reached for him. Whenever she did so, Kinich felt as if they were magnetically attracted to one another. He settled next to her and allowed her to pull him close, her arms going around his neck. He took her in his embrace. 

Mualani was filled to the brim with wide-ranging emotions. She was excited, scared, ecstatic, confused, hopeful, anxious… but what she was not was hesitant. She wanted to experience and steer every feeling at that moment with Kinich; she was sure of it. 

The truth was, she had not thought about what marriage would mean for them, technically. Citlali was most likely right to be fearful for them. 

But that was the point. When it was Kinich, she didn’t think. She had never needed to. Her gut, her heart, never seemed to be wrong when it came to him. 

“Are you reconsidering?” She asked with her face still in the crook of his neck. 

Something akin to a chuckle escaped his lips. “No.” 

Then she moved away to face him. “You can.” 

Kinich had been expecting that. “You can too. That’s what I wanted to talk about.” 

But Mualani was determined. “I don’t need to. I know why I want to be married to you ,and I don’t need to think it over,” she firmly said. He noticed that her eyes, which were glittering just moments ago, were now back to normal. 

He was guessing it was because she had heard the answer she wanted to hear. 

“I want to do it too,” Kinich told her. His hand on her waist moved up to her back, from there he absently intertwined his fingers around the ends of her hair.

“You don't need to feel bad about it or anything, if you wanna postpone it or…” Mualani started to say, not quite being able to have a proper sentence out. “It’s okay, really. We can figure it out together later, I’m sure.” 

“I want to marry you. If you want to marry me, then I have nothing else to figure out.” 

Mualani was aware of how complicated and frustrating it could be for Kinich to talk about his inner world, so it always made her so happy to hear him speak with such confidence and certainty. 

“I guess I should get ready, then. For real this time.” 

Kinich nodded. “Please do.” 

He leaned in to put a small kiss on her temple as he stood up before leaving.

Now what was left was to set the record straight and give a lecture of his own.

He gathered Citlali and Co. and Mavuika in the dining room for the final time, in the dining room where they could talk without being disturbed. And by coincidence, Chasca and Ajaw were also there. 

He started by saying, “I don’t know what the general consensus is right now, but here you go. The wedding is still on.” The most noticeable reaction was Citlali’s, as she brought her hand to her forehead. But before anyone could say anything, he continued. “If you want to join us, you are all still invited. If you are disturbed by this or you don’t approve of it, I wish I could tell you that you are free to go without consequences. But you aren’t.” His face was as serious as his words. “You can sit and sulk if you want, but you have to attend.”

From the corner of his eye, Kinich noticed Ajaw making a face, but when their eyes met, Ajaw turned his face away with a “Hmph!”

So Kinich added, “I couldn’t care less about how this wedding takes place. But Mualani cares very much. She wants all of you to be a part of this, for all of us to be together.” 

Kinich didn’t care for weddings, ever. Not even his own, at that point. The same could be said about marriages. The only example he had ever known was what nightmares were made of. So no, the wedding didn’t mean much to him by itself. The importance of the day for him was that he would be sharing his life with Mualani’s. A fact that only brought him hope and comfort and a warm tingle in his chest. 

Nothing could ruin that day for him, for it didn’t have any worth in the first place. But if it was something precious for Mualani, then he wanted to protect it for her. 

Something light and small hit Ajaw’s chest and fell on his folded arms. It was his sunglasses. 

“She even wants you,” Kinich told him, face devoid of emotion. Ajaw didn’t reply. “Attend the ceremony and have fun. Make her happy. But don’t do it because I tell you to; do it because she would do the same thing to make you guys happy.” 

He hadn’t noticed it as he had been speaking, but they had been listening to him with full concentration, and Kinich suddenly felt a little… shy. His solution to that was to leave, since he had said everything there was to say. 

Mavuika found him sitting by himself in the main party area. Since it was crowded, it made hiding easier. But since this was Kinich’s wedding, hiding had been impossible. The mission had been to sit silently the whole time, yet he had only just found the time, after thanking everyone for their best wishes. 

“Wanna hit the balcony?” she asked him, as if to invite him out to “hit” the dance floor. 

“Too crowded already,” he responded, gesturing with his head toward it. Through the glass door, Mavuika could see people sitting and chatting idly. But that was not the balcony she was talking about. She led him to her bedroom, which had its own private balcony. And under normal circumstances, Kinich would not agree to it, seeing that her personal bedroom is not where he should be. But at that moment, he accepted the offer. He needed the space, silence, and fresh air. 

He thanked her quietly and leaned on the railings, dropping his head. 

“I couldn’t make out the side you’re on,” Kinich said, having been defeated by his own curiosity. Again, normally, he wouldn’t ask, but Mavuika seemed to be playing at both sides here. 

His question stopped Mavuika in her tracks, as she had been just about to leave him alone. She hadn’t expected him to start a conversation. It was strange. But he had been doing some strange things lately. In a good way, she believed. 

“I think you should have waited,” she confessed, her ears picking up on his silent sigh. “But only because I — actually, we — want you two to be happy for a long time. That’s it.” 

Even though the door was closed, they could still hear the music and the chatter from the party in a combination of muffled sounds. As parties go, it was a joyful one. Kinich was glad, he wanted to get the wedding part out of the way already so Mualani could enjoy it. Then she would drag him to dance with her, and he would stand awkwardly. And somehow she would still have lots of fun. 

Not long after, Mavuika spoke again. “But I don’t think what you’re doing is wrong, necessarily. If you ask me, you would make a very good husband.” 

A knot in his throat suddenly made it harder to breathe. 

He didn’t know how to be a good husband. He knew the things he knew. He loved Mualani and wanted her in his life. He wanted her to be happy, and he wanted to be the one who made her happy. He was up to the task. 

“I bet she would have been head over heels for you again if she heard you back there,” Mavuika said with a simple smile. 

“I was under the impression that she already was…” Kinich said, not understanding what she was trying to say. "I mean, she is marrying me."

“A woman who’s in love with you can fall in love with you multiple times. Think of it as a perk of stealing her heart.” Mavuika then gently pushed him on the shoulder. “I doubt that you’ll regret getting married.” 

I don’t get how stealing something would provide me perks, but… okay, Kinich thought before noticing Mavuika turning around to leave. 

“Can you—” He dug his hand in his pocket to bring out something tiny between his fingers. “Can you put this thing on my head?” 

Mavuika looked at the sparkly plastic fish on the hair clip he was holding. She did not question it. She took it from his grasp and moved closer. 

Kinich felt her hands lightly separate a fraction of his hair at the side of his head, not touching around his face. His bangs would frame his face the way they did before. 

She asked him, “By the way, did you have a chance to talk with Xilonen?” 

“Yes. Thank you for that. I think Mualani will love it, too.” 

Mavuika rolled her eyes at how he formed his sentence. Such an indirect guy he was, when it came to compliments. 

She made a cute little braid and put the hair clip at the end, securing it. “All done.” 

After his salon experience with Mavuika ended, he spent a few minutes alone to settle his thoughts. Eventually, Kachina came in looking for him, saying that he should come back. 

It was time. Finally. 

While passing by her mirror on his way out, he glanced at himself; the fish in his hair caught the low lights and sparkled in a blinding way. He was not used to such flashy accessories, but it was normal for people to be extravagant at their weddings, he supposed. 

However, Mualani… 

Kinich was dumbfounded as he stood at the make-shift altar that was placed in the main room, waiting for Mualani to join them, finally. 

And then she appeared, next to her father. Her parents had obviously been invited. Kinich had given them an invitation himself, informing them about their plan to get married. Well, more for asking permission than to inform them. 

Mualani had insisted that he didn’t need to; that her parents were laid back when it came to things like that, that they knew him and liked him. But Kinich had gone there with his intentions in mind, anyway. 

Her father had asked him, “And what will I get in return for giving my daughter to you?” 

And Kinich was left speechless. What could he give in exchange for Mualani’s hand, if such a thing were to happen? What would even begin to compare? He for sure wouldn’t find anything worthy in exchange, how would anything satisfy her parents ? 

They laughed heartily at his expression then. “Just messing with ya’. Like how you talk sometimes, right?” 

Her mother had nudged him gently. “Just take care of each other, that is all we can ask.” 

That topic of conversation had been a joke, he understood that. But it had stayed with him, even more just then, as he saw her in her dress. 

It was the simplest white dress he had ever seen. Just her dress, some bracelets and necklaces, and her neatly done hair, courtesy of Citlali. That was the whole outfit.

Her lips were pressed to push down a larger grin, she held onto her father’s arm excitedly, and walked with large steps. She was not graceful in her stride toward him, it amused him. Most likely, he was not graceful either with the way he had gawked at her. 

Meanwhile, Mualani felt extremely graceful at the moment. Although she was barely keeping herself together so as not to jump on her toes endlessly. A part of her was wondering how she had been able to get this guy to marry her. Another part of her was congratulating her on her victory. Another part was admiring and swooning over Kinich in his button-down shirt. Another part just wanted to dance. With Kinich, of course. 

Then, her eyes caught the sparkle in his hair. With large eyes, she gasped. “You actually wore it?!” 

He raised an eyebrow, turning his head to show the clip at a better angle. “Didn’t you ask for it?” 

“No. I mean— okay,” Mualani tried to say, laughing. Not because she found it funny, but because she had made a tiny mistake that Kinich had followed through. “It’s a matching hair and tie clip accessory! The hair clip was mine, the tie clip was supposed to be yours.” 

Kinich looked up. “This is a tie clip?” It strangely held his hair pretty well. 

“No, it is a hair clip. I realized I gave you mine a little too late. But I didn’t think you’d actually put it on!” 

Redness crept up his neck, to his ears. 

“You still did it because I asked you to?” Mualani made a never-ending “aww” sound and hid her face in her hands. “I’m so happy I could cry…” 

She felt his fingers gently push her fringe aside, and something small and sharp lightly scraped her head. He had removed the clip and placed it in her hair instead. 

“Looks better on you, anyway,” he said. The blushing bride in front of him didn’t object to it. 

When the officiant started their wedding, she first asked Kinich for his vows. 

He hadn’t prepared an actual speech; speaking his mind was the next best thing. “I grow tired of social interactions easily. I usually want that moment to end so I can go back to my business. But I never want it to end when you’re the one keeping me company. I want to be with you.” 

He could clearly see flowers blossoming and the sun rising and waves clashing and the birds chirping; all in the single smile she had presented him.

“Kinich,” she started quickly, not having the patience or the will to keep her feelings inside. Mualani was particularly bad at that, it seemed. It was exactly how they had ended up at an altar, after all. Actually, maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing. “I love you so much. I promise to be with you always. You’ll never have to look over your shoulder, because I’ll always protect you.” 

She then slowed down, but only because right in front of her eyes, Kinich’s calm and resting face changed. His lips tightened, and his eyelids lifted ever so slightly. He took in a sharp breath. 

He was touched. Mualani thought so, at least. 

“I mean it,” she said. “I’ll fight anyone and everyone. I’ll beat up whoever crosses you, I don’t care— I’ll fight your parents, Ajaw, that guy, Mavuika if I have to,” she said, then she got upset. She scowled and placed her hands on her hips in distaste. “I’m getting mad just thinking about it…” 

Softly, Kinich placed his hands over hers and brought them forward, holding her hands firmly. “It’s okay, Mualani. Continue?” 

She exhaled. “Yes, right. Um. I love you, that’s it, really. You make me the happiest girl in the entire universe. Thank you for letting me lock you up so fast,” she said, giggling sheepishly. 

He had not let her hand fall from his, so he swayed them as a reaction to her line. He knew she found those gestures irresistibly cute, in her words. 

When the officiant asked for the rings, his eyes moved to Xilonen, who pointed to her right with her thumb. Kinich’s eyes followed down, and he saw Kachina looking at him expectantly. It was a nice surprise. 

She approached with springy steps and handed him the rings, which he quietly thanked her for. At that moment, he also noticed his hands were sweating. But the frown on his face was short-lived; Mualani’s enlarged eyes glittering with amazement brought him back. 

“This is…!” As he held her hand and put on her ring, Mualani’s eyes were stuck on the gem, which was reflecting colorful lights on her hand. She quickly glanced over his ring, also, turning it to take a look at the designs inside. Not for too long, though; she wanted that man to be her husband as soon as possible. She placed that ring on his finger with no hesitation!

And then… They were married!

Keeping in mind that he didn’t want to kiss when they had eyes on them, Mualani basically threw herself onto him to receive the greatest hug of her lifetime. 

She had always said that he gave the greatest hugs, anyway. It was a shame to humanity that only she could benefit from it. But also, it meant that it was special for her, and Mualani couldn’t complain. 

With the ceremony done, it was time to wind down and relax. Or, for others, dance like crazy. Mualani, for one, was itching to dance until she couldn’t lift a single limb. But first…

She found Citlali in the crowd and walked up to her. “Do I have permission to speak with you?” Mualani shyly asked. 

Citlali pursed her lips and looked away, her arms crossed in front of her. “Stop saying nonsensical stuff,” she said quietly. “Of course we can talk.”

Mualani grabbed Citlali’s forearms. “Thank you for being here. And thank you for doing my bridal hair, I look super duper pretty and I couldn’t have done it without you.” 

Citlali was then taken by surprise when Mualani hugged him, now tighter than she had before. “You’re the best, and I love you…”

Her walls coming crashing down, she moved her arms away. “You’re such a silly girl,” she said simply and nothing more, as her arms embraced Mualani back. Just as quickly, though, she softly pushed her away. “Okay, go and dance or something. You put up such a fight to get married. Go along, enjoy it,” she said, shooing them away. 

And it was a joyful party. Mualani ushered Kachina to invite Kinich to dance, knowing full well he wasn’t strong enough to reject her. As suspected, he stood awkwardly. However, he stood awkwardly next to Kachina. And to Mualani. Which made them very happy. 

Xilonen and Ifa debated over the music; the former not believing that she could ever have competition in such an area, the latter insisting that the romantic melodies of a guitar would better suit a wedding party. 

Chasca made sure they both played music in order, whilst keeping an eye on Ajaw, who had surprisingly sat tight throughout the whole thing. She thought Kinich must have scared him straight for the night. In the meantime, Ororon also kept him busy with small challenges and plays like rock-paper-scissors. However, there was no guarantee for tomorrow. 

Citlali had allowed herself to have a drink finally, having stripped off the duties to protect the future of the literal babies in front of her. They had decided on what they wanted. And they seemed alright. From that point onward, she could only pray for their peace and union. 

Mavuika attended to her other guests; she couldn’t fixate on a small group of friends the whole night, you know! The wedding was the main event, obviously, but since everything had been sorted out, she was free to see what other people had been up to. 

In the late hours, the bride and the groom could find a minute or two for themselves in the crowd, standing idly in the dining room, over a plate of desserts. 

“Why did you want to marry me?” Kinich suddenly asked. 

They had really put in so little thought into this, it was crazy. 

Mualani thought about her vows. There was a small part that she had to omit during her speech, feeling that it would be more appropriate not to share it with everyone. But she wanted Kinich to know. 

“I want to be a family with you,” she said, pronouncing her words lazily. She wasn’t sure how he would react to it, exactly. “I mean, with just the two of us, for the foreseeable future. Obviously.” 

Mualani continued as Kinich lifted his hand and held the ends of her hair between his fingers, twirling. “I don’t need anything from you in terms of… uh… marital duties, I guess? Like, a house? I don’t know— I bet you knew that already,” she said and watched him nod. “I wanted to be your family, that is all.” 

He didn’t respond, but smiled nonetheless. He didn’t seem to be in thought or anything, just watching her and playing with her hair. 

“Why did you accept?” The question he had expected was delivered rather slowly. 

His lips tightened to a thin line. “I was sure I would never want to be married since I’ve known myself.” His other hand also moved up to her face, pushing aside her bangs. “But when you asked me, I realized I wanted to do it. With you. I didn’t question it.” 

He rested his palms on her cheeks. When he did so, all that was left of her was just a set of eyes peering at him softly. It made him chuckle. 

Using this move to his advantage, Kinich pulled her face forward, and leaning as he did so, he stole a quick kiss from her. An excited and bubbly laugh echoed in the room as Mualani was turning into a melting bride, rather than a blushing one. 

“I want more…” she pleaded, placing her hands on his shoulders. “You are now legally required to give me more, in fact!” 

He hadn’t even noticed how his hands naturally ended up on her waist. Playing along, Kinich asked. “Was that your plan all along?” 

Mualani grinned blindingly. “You’re starting to catch on, huh? I gotta find other ways to trick you into kissing me now…” 

Tilting his head, Kinich wondered if Mualani was actually funny, or if he just thought that way because he was smitten… “You don’t have to think too hard,” he confessed. 

He leaned in to place a kiss on her cheek, which Mualani accepted with pleasure. 

“You might not believe this,” Kinich told her as he leaned back, “But this might be the second time I’ve been duped in this room today.” He knew she would enjoy a good story right about then. 

When Mualani asked him to elaborate, he started to tell her about the moment that Xilonen gave him the rings and made a deal with him, taking in the emotion in her facial expressions, gasps, thoughts, and laughter. 

And later, Mualani got to listen to everything he had been up to by himself as she had been busy. 

In the end, they had done this whole thing for moments such as those. When any little mundane thing became the funniest story, when every kiss was delivered with a promise of another one, when every night was magical. 

At the end of the night, Mualani got hold of his phone once again. She said, “I know you like to keep it professional, so I’ll change it accordingly.”

So instead of saying “Mualani” with a billion heart emojis, it now said “Wife” with a gazillion heart emojis.