Only Happy When It Rains

Chapter 3

If he had ever felt this awkward in his life before, Can couldn't remember it.

The bedroom he stood in now was apparently the biggest one in the entire house – but Can would still have called it cosy, if he had actually been comfortable. There was only one large bed with a sea of colourful cushions and blankets, looking like a pillow-fort more than an actual bed, and two old-fashioned armchairs facing each other, with a small wooden coffee table between them, and nothing else.

Okay, there was the door towards the ensuite bathroom, and if Can was lucky, there was a bathtub where he might find some sleep at least.

In front of him stood his new husband and... neither of them seemed to know what to say or do next.

Someone had put their luggage next to the door while they had been busy signing the marriage contract and all the other legal documents.

Can now wore an expensive-looking golden wedding-band around his left ring finger. He had never worn rings before and he found the sensation uncomfortable – and yet, it was strangely soothing, playing around with it while he fidgeted and tried to get a grip of the situation.

He had thought that he would be okay with everything once he actually had a face and a name to his husband... to Tin. But it didn't help at all, it only confused him more.

For one thing... Tin was tall and handsome, and Can couldn't help thinking how much Lemon would have swooned over him. He looked every bit the prince Ley had dreamt of, and the memory of his late sister pressed so painfully on his chest that he was afraid he might burst and break out in tears.

For another... Tin was cold and distanced and had barely dignified him with a glance...

Other than that he had kissed him.

On the lips.

In front of both sets of parents, and the registrar.

It shouldn't bother him.

Sure, it had been his first kiss... ever, and it had surprised him, and it hadn't felt as bad as he had expected it to feel... not bad at all, in fact... but he would just... somehow, he had expected that everyone in the room would have known what kind of marriage this was... but when the registrar had gone over the standard program for a normal wedding, she hadn't skipped over the "you may now kiss" part, and Tin had...

They had barely spoken a word to each other outside of the formalities of the procedure, even during the festivities that had followed, when both sets of parents had tried to get a pleasant conversation going, one that had quickly turned away from the newlyweds, as soon as the adults had fallen into reminiscence of the good old days, back when they had been expecting their now married sons, and now... now they were here.

Part of Can was scared that the kiss meant Tin wanted to make this a proper wedding night, part of him... wasn't opposed to it that categorically anymore, all things considered.

No... no, he corrected this thought immediately.

All of him was absolutely opposed to that.

One tickling kiss by a stranger couldn't change that – he hadn't forgotten the disturbingly graphical depictions in the mangas in his sister's room. There was no way he ever wanted to do that. No matter how handsome and well-proportioned his husband had turned out to be, the mere idea of his... thing pushing inside his... no.

No.

Can couldn't be swayed.

And, really, whatever...