#💞📕💞once upon a time💞📕💞

[libertys-lovers]

💌🎣 𝘿𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝘿𝙚𝙗𝙩 🎣💌

What started as merely a brotherly feud had quickly evolved into a devastating bet for Karamatsu. Everything was on the line; his money, his persona, and even his romantic confidence. Can the mysterious woman across the fishing grounds help him with his debts?

SHIP: 🕶💥Dramatics💥🕶 (Karamatsu x Freedom)

WARNINGS: Swearing, blood’s mentioned as an effect for a gag, and there’s a single virgin joke. (That being said this isn’t an NSFW fic, NOWHERE near it- It’s… well, it’d be fluff if it wasn’t so chaotic-)

AUTHOR’S NOTES: Erm.. this one’s definitely longer than my last fic… just a heads up lmao- Also this takes place before Freedom got her nickname, which is why she’s referred to as “Liberty” instead of “Freedom” throughout this thing lol-

—

The skies of Japan were once again painted with Autumn clouds, the softest breeze blowing through its capital. It would only make sense for its citizens to take advantage of the weather around them. Some would go on simple walks, and others would take their families out. One group may go to the oden stands, and another may go out for a round of pachinko. Strange enough, there'd even be people that'd head to the fishing grounds. Yes indeed, donning their cool-colored clothes, Karamatsu and Todomatsu would visit the grounds. They’d claim their staple spots and throw in their lines, waiting for a catch.

It truly was a day for relaxation... perhaps too much relaxation. Dozens of minutes would pass, and their lines would barely recieve any action. There weren't even any conversation topics that could fill the time in-between catches. They had no choice but to be stuck in the worst silence of all: the Familial Awkward Silence. The brother in blue would fidget with his sunglasses, and his pink counterpart would scroll mindlessly through his phone. The temptation to leave began to grow stronger and stronger, but if they left already, then that would mean they came all this way for no reason, and they simply couldn't have that. So even if they decomposed right in their seats, they could not leave until they had caught something.

A distant giggle suddenly snapped the two out of their boredom-induced zoning out. It came from the hill behind them, the source merely being a couple walking along the street. The two would scoff at the commotion; if this show ever bothered to give their eyes color, they'd most definitely be drenched in green.

Karamatsu sighed, pushing his glasses up; "It must be nice, being blessed by cupid's arrow. To be able to navigate this maze called life, with the compass that is a lover... they better enjoy it while it lasts". His raw jealousy leaked through his smiling teeth.

Todomatsu glared at his brother as he died from second-hand shame. "Why can't you just say you're a virgin?! How did you manage to make your situation sound even WORSE?".

Karamatsu winced from the directness of his unfortunate, self-brought reality; "But... surely someday, the gods will grant us a love never before experienced! We just need to pay for our inner sins". The poor man was willing to say anything to give himself an ounce of hope.

"Mhm, good luck with that"; Todomatsu dismissed him, turning his attention back to his phone.

"...you realize that goes for you too... right?", asked Karamatsu, flabbergasted by his brother's indifference.

Todomatsu shrugged; "Obviously, but I still have the best chance out of all of us to get a steady partner. I've gone on dates, after all". He slyly waves his phone as he spoke, conveniently having his list of (inactive) girls' phone numbers open.

"EH?! Well- well that doesn't mean the rest of us don't have a chance!"

"Karamatsu, have you ever even talked to a girl before?"; Todomatsu asked, with a faux-clueless look in his eye.

Karamatsu opened his mouth.

"That wasn't Totoko-Chan", Todomatsu added.

Karamatsu closed his mouth, furrowing his eyebrows in thought.

"Well... no- BUT that doesn't mean I can't!", spat out Karamatsu. But alas, he had a persona to keep up. With a snap of his fingers and a tilt of his head, he hid his embarrassment and replaced it with a poor veil of confidence. "As soon as I see someone that could truly handle my never-ending love, I'll happily approach them and show them how it FEELS to be one of my Karamatsu Girls, haha!".

Todomatsu shook his head; all of his brothers were shameful, but Karamatsu was on an entire other level. It'd sure be nice to knock that ego down a peg or two.. yes... yes it would be. He’d just need to make Karamatsu realize that he’s not as suave as he LARPS to be, and surely he could! Their fishing lines were still dead after all; there was time to cause a little tomfoolery.

Todomatsu stood up, observing his surroundings. His expression remained innocently blank as he began pointing at the people around them: "Well, there's a girl right there, and right there, and there's a couple of them walking by outside! Plus there's probably all sorts of them on the street right now".

Totty walked in front of Karamatsu, staring down upon him. "If you want a chance so bad, there's a ton of them right here!". Though his face remained wide-eyed, his cheery voice couldn't have been more suspicious.

But alas, it worked. Karamatsu's eyes went white, sweat beads quickly forming into existence on his face. He had been outsmarted, cornered in a conversation of his own creation.

He turned away and shrugged, praying to whatever deity was out there that Totty wouldn’t smell his fear. "Pl-Please! This is no environment to find love! The atmosphere is all wrong! There's too many old guys here watching. There's not even any scented candles! Is wine even allowed in this place-?".

DAMNIT! Totty was so close. He just needed one final push, his +4 card of arguments. And it'd finally hit him; his innocent facade would completely fade into a taunting smirk.

"I’ll give you money if you successfully get a date".

Karamatsu's head immediately snapped back towards Todomatsu.

"How much money?".

"I don't know. How much is in your card right now?".

"Eh? Wait, where are you going with this?".

"Well, if you actually do it, I'll just double it or something. But if you don't, then it'll all be mine, okay!?"; his devious smile beamed brighter than even Karamatsu's sequin pants.

All of Karamatsu's senses officially left his braincell. Deep down he knew he'd absolutely blow it, but both his ego and his money were at stake.

"Hmph... very well. Prepare yourself, young brother, for the lesson of a lifetime".

Karamatsu rose from his seat, taking glances at the people around. This, single-handedly, must've been the most intimidating moment of his life. He didn't want to risk embarrasing himself in front of anyone, and if HE considered something embarassing, then you know it must've been bad. But he couldn't let himself get distracted by these thoughts, not this time. Most of the girls he could've talked to just simply felt out of his league; they were surrounded by friends or seemed much too busy, or they were quite literally out of his league, being up the hill and all.

He turned to the front of him, catching sight of something... peculiar. Across the fishing grounds sat a woman with an entire folding table set up, art supplies scattered all across it. She glared at her notebook, barely paying mind to the fishing line set up next to her. Her headphones cut her off from the rest of the outside world; she seemed at peace, almost. Yes... she certainly seemed easier to approach.

"Hmm, you're considering her, huh?", Todomatsu asked as he walked to Karamatsu's side. "Yeah, she's been here even before we got here". Totty glanced at the woman's desk set-up; "The weirdest part is, I haven't seen her draw a single thing since we got here", he whispered.

Karamatsu pushed his sunglasses up, letting his hand cover his face as he posed; "Heh, maybe she just needs a muse then~".

Leaving his brother disappointed in his cheesy lines yet again, Karamatsu started navigating the fishing grounds to get to her. Though his stride started off confident, his sturdy form became shakier with every fishing stream he walked past. His eyebrows were furrowed, his mouth reduced to a mere squiggly line. It was taking everything out of him to not just rush back and sit at his original spot, but man... he really didn't wanna go broke. At least the girl was still focused on her notebook; he didn't have the added pressure of her watching him as he approached.

He'd eventually stop, only being a few feet from her desk; he couldn't even look at her directly, and he hoped that his sunglasses hid that fact. His chest rose and sunk quicker than ever before; it felt like his breathing was much too loud, but yet this woman still paid him no mind. Maybe this would be less intense than he imagined. He put on his signature smirk and slid himself to the side of her folding table. He didn't let his body face her, as he wanted to remain "cool” and "mysterious". He stood there with his hands in his leather jacket's pockets. He felt sweat form along his face, flustering his thoughts even more.

"Heh... so.... out of all the fish in the sea.... out of all the fish in these very streams... we still found each other... isn't that interesting~?".

Karamatsu smiled, waiting for the girl beside him to respond. Seconds of silence went by; perhaps she was so enamored by him that she was left speechless? He looked over at her, only to see that her eyes hadn't left her blank notebook page. Her headphones were still on; maybe she just didn't hear him? He cleared his throat and closed his eyes, lightly gesturing towards her notebook.

"Hmm, maybe you could draw me a map of your eyes... because I'm already lost in them....".

Karamatsu opened one of his eyes, glancing at the woman. She hadn't even moved since the last time he looked at her. What the Hell was happening right now?! She... she was still alive, right? Like her music couldn’t be THAT loud.

Karamatsu looked back across the fishing grounds, and caught sight of Todomatsu trying his hardest to contain his laughter. Karamatsu's face went white; he knew his finances were all going down the drain if he couldn't successfully talk to this woman. So what was he gonna do? He wasn't just gonna rip off her headphones, and if he tried leaning on the fold-table, the entire thing would surely fall over. He had no other choice; it was the least-romantic thing he could ever do, but he'd have to tap her shoulder.

His hand was shaking as it inched towards her, but eventually it'd reach its destination.

He tapped her shoulder: Once... and then twice.

The woman jumped from Karamatsu's touch, her eyes going wide from surprise. She tore her headphones off, slamming her notebook shut as her head jerked to face him. While the woman was surprised by Karamatsu's precense, Karamatsu was startled by her quick movements; both of them jumped back, practically in sync. Her hips would bump her table by accident, spilling many of her supplies onto the ground. She glared at her notebook through her sunglasses, watching as it landed right on the edge above the fishing stream. It was perfectly balanced; one half chilling on the ground, the other half hanging right over the water. She sighed dramatically, her hand clutching her nonexistant pearls.

"Stay.... sttaaaaaayyyy....."; the woman pleaded, like an owner to their rambunctious dog.

She kept glancing between Karamatsu and the notebook, unsure if this moment was even happening. Her face was incredibly red, her hyper-focused demeanor from a second ago suddenly flipped into a exaggeratedly-embarrassed expression. A similar statement could be said for Karamatsu; all he could do was stare at the woman, for his brain wouldn't let him think of any other action to take. And so he watched as the woman took a gentle step towards the notebook, staring at it with petrified eyes. Right as she took a step, the notebook slipped into the water.

"SHIT-"

She scrambled to the edge of the stream, dropping to her knees and watching as her notebook... floated at the top. Oh thank lord; that's what she gets for failing physics. Her notebook was perfectly fine, one side of cover was just a little wet. She reached to retrieve it, but heard footsteps behind her.

"Please~ Allow me", said Karamatsu as he kneeled beside her.

He got ahold of the notebook, and as he turned to look at the woman, he was greeted by her staring right back at him. The two flinched at the realization that their eyes met. The woman’s hand was still extended towards the book, almost giving the impression that she was reaching for his hand. Karamatsu relaxed his body; maybe this bet would work out just fine… maybe it'd work out a bit too fine. His mind truly got lost in the possibilities of this moment.

And it seemed that Todomatsu saw those possibilities as well, as he watched their shenanigans with a pale face. If his lamest brother got to hold a hand before he did, it would ALL be over. Karamatsu’s advances weren’t supposed to succeed damnit! He had to intervene!

Todomatsu rose to his feet, gesturing to his brother from the other side of the fishing grounds; "KARAMATSU-!", he shouted.

The shouting snapped Karamatsu out of his star-struck trance, startling him enough to stumble. And thus, before he could process anything else, his body was submerged in the water... with the notebook still in hand.

The woman could only watch as Karamatsu fell in the water, getting splashed as she rose to her feet. She glanced around in the direction of the yell, locking her eyes with Todomatsu from the other side. This wasn't the same sort of connection as before though; her eyebrows were furrowed, her confused gaze hardened. Todomatsu caught her gaze, and sat back in his seat faster than her eyes could process. She quickly jerked her attention back to the stream, darting her eyes across its surface. She held her breath and waited for any sign that Karamatsu would come back up.

And alas, he'd emerge from the waters, even with a few fish clinging to him. In his hand was a soggy, sad excuse for a notebook, but it was her notebook nonetheless. He handed the book back to her, a shaken grin on his face as he tried to stand unbothered.

The woman stumbled over her words, her face red with plenty of emotions (90% of them being embarrassment); "I... Are you okay?!? That was- that was terrifying- Thanks though!!, I guess!?".

Karamatsu chuckled, slicking back his soaken hair; "Hmph, it was nothing~ I-".

He heard shuffling from behind him; the woman had seemingly dismissed his ramblings yet again. She was scrambling through her bag, oddly focused on what was inside. She seemed to notice that Karmatsu stopped talking, and she quickly turned back to him.

"Oh! No, I'm listening! I'm just..."

Her voice trailed off as she finished fishing through her bag, whipping out a hand-towel. She gestured it to him, practically staring through his soul. Karamatsu hesitated, being caught off-guard by the offering, but he accepted it. His grandiose gestures immmediately softened as he stared at the towel. Did... did this count as a gift from a girl?!? He began drying himself off, knocking the fish from himself and conveniently covering his blushing face. His eyes remained closed as he dried himself, but even if he didn’t see the woman right now, he still heard her.

"I.. I'm just?? I'm so sorry man!! I just... I didn't see you- And I didn't hear you- And I definitely didn't mean for... all of THAT to happen-"; the poor woman was embarassed as hell, her voice getting incredibly shaky.

Karamatsu sighed, still trying his best to seem intriguing; "No, it's alright. Don't be sorry! It was just fate for us to meet like this, I guess”. His tone became much more somber as he clenched his fist; “I just wish that I could've actually protected that notebook. Just the thought of all those pieces, now forever tainted. Their true, original meaning being only known to your memories and the goddess of time... The poor-".

The woman scoffed to herself with a smirk on her face, and though she tried her best to be quiet, she noticed that Karamatsu was glancing at her. He went silent again, and she took that as a cue to speak.

"Well... it's not like I really lost anything... so it's all good..."; she shrugged as she spoke, beginning to smile.

Karamatsu, meanwhile, threw the towel away and rushed to her side. He posed, almost leaning against her shoulder.

"Ah, but you can't say that about your works of art! I may have never seen them before in my entire life, but I just KNOW they leaked of raw, uncontrolled, passion. You put your heart, your soul, your blood, sweat, and tears into those works. There had to be something in there worth saving~!".

Karamatsu paused his antics to see how she would react. She was frozen, glancing up and down at him. Within an instant, she turned away, holding her face in her hands. Her laughing ensued, but what Karamatsu didn't see was the light pink on her cheeks. She'd eventually regain enough composure to look at him again, shaking her head as her hand still held onto her forehead.

"No... no... like there was literally nothing in there. I've been trying to draw in that thing for weeks, but I just couldn't come up with anything. I was hoping coming out here would do something for me, but... ya know..."; she gestured at the notebook, which was both soaked and still completely empty.

The two chuckled together, and as Karamatsu looked at her, he suddenly remembered his entire reason for being there. He straightened himself and cleared his throat.

"Ah! But... who do I have the pleasure of meeting today...?"; now that he was snapped back to reality, all he could focus on was the mission at hand. Unfortunately for him, the very idea of it made him nervous, and the dreaded sweatbeads had made their return.

The woman seemed to be confused by the question at hand, at least for a second. Her eyes would eventually light-up at the realization of what he was asking; "Oh!... I'm... Liberty! The name's Liberty".

She closed her eyes, too overwhelmed to make proper eye contact. She rolled her hand as a gesture for him to speak; "And you're...".

Karamatsu grinned brightly, filling in her intentional silence; "Karamatsu Matsuno, at your service~!", he said as he extended his hand.

His intent was to merely offer for Liberty to hold his hand, and though he didn't expect her to respond to it, it almost seemed to work. She hesitated, one eyebrow raised and the other furrowed, but she'd reach back to him...

"Well it's nice to meet ya, Kara", responded Liberty as she held his hand.... and gave it a quick, firm shake.

Karamatsu stared at his hand, dumbfounded by what just happened. The shake wasn't... entirely what he was going for... but it still technically counted as her holding his hand. His mind was swarming with thoughts, all of them blending together into static noise. One thought would congratulate him on taking a step towards leaving NEEThood, another thought was playing the sound of wedding bells, and plenty more were questioning the fact this was happening at all. What he didn't realize, however, was that he was muttering every thought he had. All though they were quiet and incomprehensible, they were still blatantly noticeable. Liberty tilted her head, releasing a confused chuckle.

"Are you good?", asked Liberty.

Her voice snapped Karamatsu back to reality; "AH! You-... Your art! I was just... reflecting on the fact that you draw! Yes... what does it look like anyway?". Perfect, he found his scapegoat!

Liberty rubbed her neck, glancing away from the man in front of her; "Awe, well... I don't know... it's like... anime-ish... I guess sometimes it goes into semi-realism." She sighed, reaching into her back-pocket; "Do... do you really want to see it-?".

Karamatsu's entire being lightened; "YES! No doubt about it".

Liberty giggled from his enthusiasm, an "if you say so~" being sung from her lips. She whipped out her phone and scrolled through her phone gallery, selectively showing her personal best pieces. Kara only asked to see as a cover-up for his mutterings, but... but these were actually pretty good-

"Hmm... not too bad... not too bad at all! FANTASTIC, even! STUNNING!"; Karamatsu's smile grew larger with each statement, even giving Liberty a little thumbs up at the end.

 As well, with every statement Karamatsu spoke, Liberty's gaze became more and more averted. Unbeknownst to Karamatsu, Liberty had a curse that plenty of artists shared: the curse of not being able to accept praise properly. He'd watch as she'd wave her hand and dismiss the praises, giggling uncontrollably and struggling to even form a sentence. His eyes widened, his mind trying to comprehend what was in front of him. He couldn't even have a comedic-reaction at this point; his mind was shooting blanks. It's not exactly like the sight of flustered woman was a normal one for him. He… he greatly enjoyed it.

Liberty sighed, blissfully unaware of the state Karamatsu was in. She finally recollected enough braincells to speak; "...Thanks... Thanks man... But yeah, I'd have more of this sorta’ stuff, but ya know... brain's been empty on ideas".

Karamatsu put a hand to his chin as an idea spawned in his head. With a snap of his fingers, he slid in front of Liberty, switching between an endless selection of poses.

 "Heh, then let me be your mine of inspiration; your pencil being the pickaxe!".

Liberty stared at him, utterly confused; "huh?".

Karamatsu froze and stared back at her; "what do you mean 'huh'?".

"I don't know... are ya... like… asking me to draw you?".

"...would you really draw me?".

"Yeah, sure!".

The willingness of her answer nearmost threw Karamatsu in shock, delaying the reaction of his ecstatic persona. He practically danced around her, almost tripping back into the water a couple of times. He sung his thanks to her, promising not to disappoint.

"Then it's settled! I shall be your model, your muse! A bit of charity work from yours truly~".

Karamatsu paused next to Liberty, glancing at her with a bit of a concerned look; "This... isn't going to cost me anything, right-".

Liberty facepalmed as she turned to face him. She was using every force imaginable to hide her smirk, though she was failing quite miserably.

"No, Kara, you need to give me your entire life savings. Hand it over"; she extended her hand, gesturing for him to give her his wallet.

Karamatsu choked, the sticker shock of this commission making him cough up an exaggerated amount of blood. He collapsed and Liberty jumped back, barely preventing her purple blouse from turning a shade of red.

"GOOD GOD KARA, I WAS KIDDING-".

He immediately got back up, his body being completely unfazed. He rubbed his neck, his face donning a reddish-hue from embarassment; "Ah... of course-".

Liberty smiled at him, a pitiful attempt to make him feel less awkward. She'd turn her attention back to her phone though, opening her notes app and beginning to type; "So, what'dya want me to do for this? You got any specific poses in mind, or...?".

"Hmph, I have plenty of ideas for you. We could do this, or this one, or even this one"; he slid back in front of her, switching through poses at a much quicker rate.

Liberty began typing furiously on her phone, trying to describe each one of Kara's poses in substantial detail. But alas, her fingers just weren't fast enough. She shook her hand at him, calling for him to wait a damn second. He'd pause for her, and she'd proceed to type. A flick of her wrist signalled for him to switch to another one, and she'd type again. This process would be rinsed and repeated plenty times, enough times for the both of them to enter an auto-pilot sort of mode. By the time Liberty refocused herself... the amount of concepts typed in her notes was enough to make her app lag. She scrolled through them all, nodding to herself.

"Well... well I definitely have ideas now... I'm sure I'll be able to pick one from these 50-billion concepts...". A genuine smile grew on her face as she glanced back at Karamatsu, who was still swapping through poses. "Hey... thanks man... I really appreciate it-".

The sound of proper praise snapped Karamatsu from his modeling trance. He seemed to have forgotten where he was for a second, but he regathered himself rather quickly.

"It's no trouble at all..."; he smirked as he waved his hand dismissively.

"Yeah, well, I still appreciate it. You've been a real help man!". Liberty grew a teasing smirk as she walked towards him and draped her hand across her forehead. "Perhaps you were the angel I needed today. A true muse sent by the forgiving hands of God, mm~?".

Liberty giggled at her imitation of his character, but Karamatsu was stunned from the display. He couldn’t tell if it was genuine praise or a mockery of his attempts at poeticism, and frankly he didn't care. While Liberty conveniently faced away from him, he covered his mouth and fidgeted with his sunglasses. The sound of her continued speaking jerked his attention back to her.

"Alright... so what'dya want me to do once I finish this thing? Am I just dropping this off at your house, or-".

Karamatsu had no hesitation in answering; his brain was being ran by adrenaline at this point. The sudden boom behind his answer jumpscared Liberty, making her take a step back; "YES! Yes! You can... definitely do that". He held his hand out expectantly, "But I'll need to give you my address~".

"Yeah, yeah, hold on". She rolled her eyes and smirked as she opened a new notes page. "Just go ahead and write it in here, and give it back to me when you're done".

She handed her phone to Karamatsu, being caught off guard by a terrified noise. Her and Karamatsu turned their head to the sound's direction, seeing a petrified Todomatsu across the fishing grounds. He made eye contact with them, immediately shifting back into an emotionless gaze towards them. Liberty turned away with a shake of her head, meanwhile Karamatsu was becoming enthralled with the device in his hands. No wonder Todomatsu freaked out; he finally got to feel how Totty feels whenever he's giving his phone number out... well... it was similar-enough feeling anyway- Karamatsu typed the address in as lightly as humanly possible. He seemed nervous to break the phone, or to even taint it at all.

Curiosity began swarming his mind though... what did a girl's phone even look like? Her phone case was various shades of purple, looking like one of those spilled-paint art pieces. The thing also had... glitter in it? It matched her outfit's colors, but the design seemed almost too cutesy for her; needless to say, Karamatsu was obsessed. He couldn't help but wonder what her wallpaper was... or the sort of photos she took; hell, he was curious enough about what other notes she had in that phone. He had a fight with his inner demons on whether he'd try to secretly snoop…

Liberty noticed he stopped typing, and extended her hand out to him. She glanced away from him, trying her best not to seem demanding. Karamatsu sighed, and placed her phone back in her hand. Those sort of questions could be answered another day, he supposed.

"Sweet! I guess I'll... stop by sometime then..."; Liberty was unsure about the entire idea, but a soft smile was still carved into her face. "But uh, I guess I should probably start on this! I should be done with it by... I don't know... Saturday? Is that a good time to invade your house?".

"Mhm. Sounds perfect~".

"Great! Or, perfect, I guess. I'll try to stop by in the afternoon, but you never know what'll happen, right? But until then… I’ve got a masterpiece to work on~!”.

She began putting her set-up away, somehow fitting it all within her over-shoulder bag. Truly, the workings of this franchise's logic were an enigma. She headed for the exit of the fishing grounds, giving a quick salute to him as a farewell.

"See ya later man!".

Karamatsu watched as she walked out, noticing the slight skip in her step as she left. She seemed to be muttering something to herself, and though he couldn't understand what it was about, he could at least tell it had a happy tone. That went over decently well, he thought.

That being said... what the HELL just happened to him?!? He began jumping around, pumping his fists and laughing joyously. A dramatic "YAHOO!" belted from within him, probably loud enough for Liberty to hear outside the grounds. His cheering was interrupted by a yank backwards; Todomatsu had spawned right to his location, and he wanted answers.

"WHAT WAS THAT?!? WHO'S NUMBER DID YOU GIVE HER, THE HOUSE NUMBER?? WHAT'D YOU D O?!??!?", said Todomatsu, having a crisis over his plan backfiring.

"Relax brother, relax. I didn't write a phone number in there, just our address".

Todomatsu's expression went blank for a second, having to process what his brother just said; "Our... our address? What is she even coming for? Is she picking you up for somewhere?!?!".

"Nonononono! She's just dropping something off for me!". Karamatsu smirked; "She's agreed to create a work of art for me, heh~".

Todomatsu raised a brow, all of his fears immediately being tossed through the window.

"So... so you're not going on a date?".

Karamatsu sighed; "No... but that's alright. The next time I see her, I'll surely sweep her off her feet. You should've seen her, dear brother... she was obsessed with me. Every word of mine had her begging for more-".

Karamatsu cut himself off, noticing the drastic change in Todomatsu's body language; "Why... why are you smiling like that-".

Todomatsu’s eyebrows raised, giving him the slyest expression known to man; "Because you lost the bet~".

Karamatsu went dead silent. He… he kinda forgot about the bet for a minute there- His brain went into overdrive, getting even more shocked once he processed Totty’s words; "EH?!? HOW DID I LOSE?!? Did you not see how well that went?!".

"The bet was for you to get a date Kara, not to get a commission from some starving artist".

Todomatsu giggled, reaching into Kara's pocket and yanking his wallet out for himself. He ran off, staring at Karamatsu with a shit-eating grin.

"Thanks big brother~!".

Karamatsu called for his brother to come back, but in a flash Totty took all of his fishing gear and left. Karamatsu stood in place, his arm reaching out for a brother he knew would never return. He sat down defeated; his rollercoaster of emotions was all for nothing.

Or... maybe that was too harsh of a sentiment to have. There was a certain warmness inside him that he hadn't felt before. Even minutes after the entire encounter, his face was still visibly warm. He wasn't really sure how he felt. Was this how true love felt? Was he just riding off the high of being close to a girl? He couldn't decide, but maybe that was alright for him. He knew he liked her in some form though, and he knew he couldn't wait for Saturday to roll around. He was excited, perhaps inspired. This could finally be the start of the mutual-pining, suspenseful romance he’s wanted all along! Or it could just be another disappointment, but the chance it could work this time… that’s where the fun was.

If only he knew how reciprocated those feelings were. Along the streetside walked Liberty, an aura of excitement surrounding her. She came to Japan for a specific purpose, but never in her life would've she expected her plans to come together so smoothly…

[libertys-lovers]

🌧️🌁𝑩𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒈𝒆-𝑺𝒊𝒅𝒆🌁🌧️

Pt. 1 ~ Hidden Away | Pt. 2 ~ What is it, Karamatsu? | Pt. 3 ~ Bop it, Drop it, 💍Pop it💍!

The clock has struck 5; this night will be the single-most important moment of Karamatsu’s life. Or, if all goes well, it may just be the second-most important.

SHIP: 🕶💥Dramatics💥🕶 (Karamatsu x Freedom)

WARNINGS: Swearing and 6000+ words of fluffy build-up!

AUTHOR’S NOTES: This is Pt. 3 out of a Three-Part saga; make sure to read Parts 1 & 2 before this! This is also by far the LONGEST part out of the three, so… 😎👍

Karamatsu had been hogging the bathroom for the past hour. He was combing his hair oh-so carefully, making sure every strand was in place. Despite his brothers' pleads to dress properly, he had decided on his standard leather-jacket attire for tonight. He observed himself in the mirror, tracing the shine on his sunglasses with his eyes. He was incredibly satisfied with his outfit decision; it was an oldie, but it always gave him a boost of confidence. It certainly helped that his sunglasses hid his nervousness as well. He couldn't help but admire himself as he stood there, both for his looks and his cunning. He was absorbed into his own world; part of him even forgot what he was preparing for.

The pounding outside the room had become nothing but white noise to him, which was incredibly inconvenient for the group that had formed there.

"Karamatsu, what the hell are you doing in there?!", exclaimed Todomatsu.

"Honestly, hoarding a bathroom when you're living with five other people? SEVEN if you include our parents!? That's just wrong," scolded Choromatsu.

"die shittymatsu," muttered Ichimatsu.

The observing brothers, Osomatsu and Jyushimatsu, simply laughed at the chaos occuring in front of them. They were all back to their standard banter; it felt like a normal day again!

But a knock was heard downstairs.

The house immediately went dead silent, every brother questioning if they heard correctly. Did they really lose track of time that easily? It couldn't have been 5 already, right?

But a familiar voice rang in from the ground-level; "I'm gonna break in~! If anybody wants to stop me, speak now or forever hold your peace".

The brothers stared at each other as they all went pale. Within an instant the bathroom door was thrown open, and a panicked Karamatsu stepped out through it.

"she's here?!?", whisper-yelled the man.

"she's here", responded the rest of the brothers, matching his whispering tone.

Osomatsu shrugged. He started descending down the stairs, much to the dismay of the other brothers.

"DON'T LET HER IN!!", shouted the non-Osomatsu brothers.

The shout seemed to have echoed throughout the entire neighborhood, or at least made it to outside the home, for a chuckle was soon heard from below. The door didn't seem to open though, so all was good in the household.

Karamatsu bolted throughout the house, collecting everything he needed like a fetch-quest. The rose bouquet?: Check! The sweetest lil' package of peppermint bark?: Check! And, of course, his heart-picked ring?: Check; right into his pocket it goes. He'd eventually find himself in front of the household doors, his brothers standing behind him.

Osomatsu patted his back (a bit too hard); "Heh, try not to screw this up, okay?". Despite the inherent harshness of his words, a jovial tone & grin were used to speak them.

Karamatsu nodded back at his siblings, using what was perhaps his most-genuine smile towards them in years. He re-painted himself with a persona of confidence as he prepared to greet his guest. Closing his eyes in an attempt to look that much cooler, he slid the door open and spoke, making sure to hide his gifts behind his back.

"Hmm, a pleasure to see you as always, my Karamatsu Girl~".

"Hehe, and the same can be said to you... my sweet Freedom Boy~!", returned his date, a teasingly-loving attitude coming from her lips.

Karamatsu took a look at the woman in front of him: his partner in poeticism for many years, Freedom. His confident persona immediately melted at the sight of her. She had gotten all dolled-up, her hair and dress being lightly waved by the breeze. It was... a bit cold for her to be wearing such a short dress... but it wasn't like he was complaining-

"Ah... wow! Y-You look absolutely stunning! Gorgeous!", stammered Karamatsu.

Freedom glanced away, her teasing manner being reduced to a flustered mess; "A-Awe! Come on, don't start attacking me right as I get here-!". "Besides, look at you~! I think that'll always be one of my favorite outfits of yours... even though they all look great...".

"Hmph, you flatter me," Karamatsu replied. He whipped out his gifts from behind his back; "Shouldn't it be the other way around~?".

Freedom gasped, gently taking the items from his hands; "I- sweetheart~! You didn't have to... but thank you!". She took a closer look at the items in her possession, her face brightening up a dramatic amount. "NO WAY! You even got me peppermint bark?!? You absolute miracle! You absolute GOD! You-".

Though she intended to continue her thanks, she cut herself off when she noticed more... unnerving sights nearby. The rest of the Matsuno brothers were standing behind Karamatsu, all with their gaze fixed on the two of them. This in itself wasn't that weird, but something felt off. They felt on-edge, maybe even nervous?

She leaned towards Karamatsu, her excited tone reduced to a mutter; "Are... are your brothers okay back there-?".

Karamatsu quickly turned behind him, seeing the cause of Freedom's concern. He slammed the door shut quicker than Freedom could process.

"Don't mind them! They're just... jealous! Yes!... and how could they not be!?..."; Karamatsu tried to regather his confidence, but his stammering gave him away.

Freedom raised an eyebrow at this excuse, but luckily for Karamatsu, she decided not to point out the blatant suspiciousness of it all; "O...kay.... That's fair!".

She went to stand next to Kara so they could walk, but she remembered the gifts in her arms. She glanced around, an elongated "hmmmm" coming from her as she thought.

"What's wrong, my dear~?'', Karamatsu asked.

“Oh, I'm just wondering if I can put these anywhere... I'd just hate for anything to happen to them while we're out!", Freedom said, still in thought.

Karamatsu nodded; he didn't consider the fact she'd have to carry them around for hours on end.

"Ah! I'll carry them for you~".

"No you're not-", said Freedom, immediately rejecting the notion. "I'm not making you do all that work, come on now!".

Karamatsu had a slight smile of relief. His date suggested that she could drop them off at her home before the date began, but that idea was quickly shot down as well, this time by Karamatsu. After all, wasn't that just a waste of time and energy? So a compromise was made; Karamatsu would keep these items at his home, so they could pick them up once the date was over. He stepped back inside, having Freedom wait outside for a split-minute more. The gifts were carefully placed on the kitchen counter, displayed in a way that would surely look nice to Freedom when they came back.

Karamatsu turned to his brothers as they all continued to stare at him with the same expression as before. He gave them a smirk.

"Heh, my dear brothers...".

His expression took on a much more serious tone after he first spoke. The brothers found it a bit terrifying, honestly. Even his speaking voice got much graver.

"I'm trusting you all to take care of these. Do you understand? I am expecting these to be exactly the way I left them. So. Don't. Touch them".

The remaining brothers nodded a silent vow, and with that, Karamatsu was off. The front door slid shut as he exited, and immediately Osomatsu began eyeing at the gifts left behind.

"...Really, who's gonna notice one thing of chocolate being missing~?", he slyly suggested as he slid to the counter.

Choromatsu whacked him down; "You are NOT stealing Freedom's gifts".

"Okay, geeze, fine. I guess we have to leave soon anyway, huh?", lamented Osomatsu.

The brothers tip-toed to the front door, each one peeking out of it through a small sliver. Karamatsu and Freedom were already quite a distance away. Osomatsu gestured to the brothers, and they all persued the couple themselves. It was simply tradition to observe new romantic developments among themselves, and if any development called for it, this one sure did.

All things considered, the walk to the restaurant wasn't actually that bad; the couple's banter made the minutes pass along quite quickly! Before the two of them knew it, they were standing at the entrance to Tokyo's finest. A simple, breathless "wow" could be heard from Freedom, and Karamatsu couldn't be happier. They walked into the building with star-struck smiles, though they were for vastly different reasons. Freedom was hopelessly distracted by the building's decor, while Karamatsu was just amazed that this day was happening at all. Karamatsu claimed their reservation, and the duo couldn't help but notice how smiley the receptionist was. It was in that moment that Karamatsu came to a dire realization, the realization that he told the restaurant he was proposing tonight. He... he may or may not've bragged about it over the phone-

The two were guided to their seats. Karamatsu was sweating bullets; if any of the staff even implied the proposal was gonna happen, his entire operation would fall apart. Freedom was a poetic type, just like him! Surely she'd be able to read into the deeper meanings of any sort of implication made-

"Oh congratulations!"; a waitress came to provide them glasses of water. "Mr. and Mrs. Matsuno, right? You two look absolutely precious together!".

Karmatsu froze in place, unable to even respond. It was over; it was ALL over. He glanced at Freedom from behind his menu, seeing her aboslutely puzzled expression.

"Oh- ...Thanks!", replied Freedom, caught off-guard by the sudden statement.

Freedom glanced around as the waitress left, unsure if what just happened really happened. She took looks at Karamatsu, looks at her own hands, looks at everything really; she was just trying to comprehend what just occured.

"Did... did she think we were married? There's no way she thought my rings were wedding rings, right?", muttered Freedom, still looking at her own hand.

Karamatsu stared at her as she thought, his anxieties making him consider revealing his plan right that minute, just so she wouldn't beat him to the punch.

Freedom's eyes narrowed as she continued to think, but within an instant she shrugged the issue off. "Eh, whatever, that was weird. I'll happily take it as a compliment though!".

Karamatsu sighed; maybe she couldn't figure it out. Maybe everything would end up alright...

It certainly seemed that way; their orders were placed, and the scent of wagyu beef began to fill the air around them. It was a pleasant time overall. The food was delightful, and their ecstatic conversations could be observed from across the way. This proved quite convenient for a certain group of men watching from across the street, hidden away behind walls and shrubs.

"Hmph, are they all clear right now?", asked Choromatsu.

Todomatsu responded, "They're all clear. This is going surprisingly well for him...".

"wait, what's that-", muttered Ichimatsu as he looked through binoculars.

"Eh? What are you talking about?", Choromatsu asked, snatching the binoculars from Ichimatsu.

Through the restaurant's window he saw a waiter carrying something; "WOW- That's a huge platter of mochi! That... that actually looks really nice-".

"Doesn't it look like it's heading to their table though?", said Ichimatsu.

"So what? They ordered it, big deal", chimed in Todomatsu.

"There's no way he'd be able to afford that. There's no way ANY of us would be able to afford that, seeing as we don't have jobs", refuted Choromatsu, emphasizing the fact they were jobless.

"Freedom could though".

"Wow Todomatsu; I really hope you don’t expect your date to pay for everything instead of you-".

"Huh?! That's not even close to what I meant Choromatsu, and you know it!".

"Wait, don't some restaurants offer free desserts or something if you propose there?", brought up Osomatsu. "I think I heard about Iyami trying to do that once".

The brothers went cold.

"Damnit! I bet that bastard asked for that when he still thought he was gonna propose there!", exclaimed Choromatsu.

The brothers began bickering among themselves, trying to figure out what was really happening or what they could do about it. Among all the chaos, Jyushimatsu snatched the binoculars without anyone noticing. He stared at the waiter through layers of glass, watching as they got closer and closer to the couple's table. He threw the binoculars to the ground and began to run.

"ON IT!", shouted Jyushimatsu.

This caught the brothers' attention in a snap; Choromatsu called to him, asking what he thought he was doing, but it was too late.

Meanwhile, the couple was too enthralled in their own happenings to notice the commotion outside. Entangled hands and chaotic stories of life were all that they could focus on... at least until Freedom saw a waiter in the distance carrying something on a platter.

"Hmmm, is that like… mochi or something? -", she muttered under her breath.

Karamatsu turned behind him, glancing at the waiter's delivery; "Oh, it is. 'Looks like daifukumochi to me".

Freedom looked on with a confused look; "Daifuku mochi?".

"Daifukumochi. It's basically just mochi with filling".

His date's eyes lightened up with curiosity; "w o a h - Damn, how could you even tell that's what it was?".

"Heh, when you're on good enough grounds with the universe, you can recognize any of its creations~", said Karamatsu as he pushed up his sunglasses.

"Nahnah, I'm serious! How'd you know?".

Karamatsu sighed light-heartedly as Freedom saw through his poetic facade; "...They're usually bigger than normal mochi... and also one of them was leaking the paste-".

"Oooohhhh, okay!". Freedom couldn't help but take continuous glances at the dish, rubbing her hands together in a plotting manner; "I'm kinda tempted to try it. I could try to get our waiter if ya wanted some too! It's on me!".

As she spoke those words, she heard increasingly-loud footsteps from outside the window. Her and Karamatsu turned to their side, seeing Jyushimatsu bolt his way across the street.

and he was heading straight for them.

"INCOOOMIIIIIIIIIIING!"

The couple scrambled out of the way as the 5th-eldest brother threw himself through the window. Leaping like a gazelle among the flying glass, he perfectly aligned himself with the waiter's platter and devoured the entire thing. Unfortunately, he couldn't land as elegantly, for he proceeded to crash directly into another table. But hey, all that matters is that Karamatsu's secret was kept! That... that plate was going to them, right? Eh, it was too late to question that now. Jyushimatsu enjoyed his hunt and gave a thumbs up to the couple, a sign that everything was okay.

Freedom and Karamatsu stared at each other, at the window, and even at the crashed Jyushimatsu. They couldn't even be mad; their brains were too fried for them to be.

"What… what the Hell just happened-", muttered Freedom, laughing from the shock of the situation.

"I.... I don't know...", muttered back Karamatsu.

Freedom turned to Jyushimatsu, frantically asking "Well- Are YOU okay??". Jyushimatsu nodded, prompting her to turn to the waiter and ask the same thing. They nodded as well, giving Freedom a sigh of relief.

She turned back to her lover, restraining herself from holding him; "And you're okay, right? Are we good?".

Karamatsu looked at her with his signature smirk, though a stressed sigh revealed his true thoughts; "Never better...".

He grabbed Freedom's hands; “But are you alright too?!”.

Freedom laughed; “Oh yeah, I’m good. Mentally shot, but good!”.

“Good… good…”.

He held onto her hands for a prolonged time and gazed at her with a loving look, wanting to profit from the intimate moment they had accidentally created. Though Freedom was utterly confused by what was happening, she did her best to reciprocate, and the moment was almost nice! Karamatsu suddenly had an epiphany though, which snapped him out of everything. After all, if Jyushimatsu was here, that'd mean only one thing...

"Hold on!! I'll be back for you!" shouted Karamatsu to his beloved, as he bolted for the restaurant door.

Freedom called for him to wait, but to no avail. She was left stranded there, still hopelessly baffled by what took place. She would be okay though, Karamatsu was sure of it. He stopped himself on the sidewalk as he searched for the rest of his brothers. They had to have been here! There was no way Jyushimatsu would've come to sabotage his proposal on his own, right? Yes... sabotage... it had to be sabotage; Karamatsu couldn't interpret it any other way.

"I know you're all here! Come on out my brothers; I promise I won't do anything!", he called out. His words had the potential to be kind, but his poorly-hidden attitude proved otherwise.

He ran down the sidewalk, still looking for them, but he couldn't find signs of anyone else being there. He'd eventually stop himself in his tracks and admitted defeat. Wherever the rest of the brothers were, they certainly weren't there anymore. He stood alone with his own thoughts as each one lamented his family's interference.

Running footsteps pulled him out of his frantic mind. He assumed they were the steps of his brothers, or at least Jyushimatsu. But no, running towards him was nobody else than Freedom. She slid a bit as she stopped herself, a testament to just how fast she was trying to catch up to him.

"Kara? What's going on man, are you okay?", she asked nervously.

Karamatsu's panic came back, ironically because he wanted to prevent Freedom from panicking; "Ah! Yes, everything's perfectly fine, don't worry~!".

Freedom crossed her arms and tilted her head. The both of them knew that answer was complete bullshit.

"Are you suuuure? That was kinda… intense-", she replied.

Karamatsu relaxed his body, giving up on hiding his worries. "It's just... I should've expected them to try to ruin everything, but I didn't. I'm sorry about him... and all of them".

"Awe, you don't have to apologize for anything. It's not like ya summoned him here on purpose, ya know?". Freedom shrugged, a smile being forced on her mouth. "And hey, at least we got to eat before all that, right?".

"Yeah... I guess... Hey, where's Jyushimatsu anyway? Is he still in there?".

"Nah; he just said 'you're welcome!' and jumped out another window. I don't know where the hell he went though, but I paid for everything, offered to fix the windows, and left".

Karamatsu looked at Freedom with tired eyes, and yet his expression was still soft; "You... you paid for dinner? Thanks Freedom...".

"Eeehhh, it's nothing. I was the only one in there anyway, so... ya know, might as well," said Freedom as a light-hearted remark.

The two of them chuckled at her fake bluntness, but the air around them was still quite tense.

"But hey... if you're done with today... we can wrap it up. I don't wanna keep you out here if you're too stressed" she offered, almost hesitantly.

Karamatsu snapped back into a nearmost-frantic mode; "Nonononono! I still want to continue the date!". He paused after he spoke, his expression softening from a question he dreaded to ask.

"Did... did you want to go home, Freedom?".

And now it was Freedom's turn to fret a bit; "Nahnahnah! I'm all good! ...It does feel weird to just... stand out here though-".

Karamatsu felt relief wash over him, a pleased smile sprawling across his face; "Good... I'm glad to hear you say that...". He stepped to Freedom's side, lightly placing his hand on her back as he walked her forward. "What did you want to do next, then?".

"Mm? I don't know... I'm cool with anything, I guess...", said Freedom as she eased into his slight embrace. "Did you have anything you wanna do, or~?".

Her words reminded Karamatsu of today's purpose. His confidence was slowly returning to him; "Actually... I do... A simple walk through memory lane~? What do you say?".

Freedom nuzzled against him as part of her response, a move which made Karamatsu's face explode in blush; "Sounds great~".

The man moved his hand to her waist and placed a soft kiss on her head. She'd retaliate with a kiss to his cheek, and suddenly all felt right in the world. The two of them left before they could be questioned for the vandaism that took place; throughout the streets of Tokyo they'd go, the crisp breeze and the clouds above giving them even more of an excuse to stay close. Even when the clouds began to bring them rain, their attitude didn't budge. If anything, it only fueled their intimacy.

It wouldn't take too long for them to arrive at Karamatsu's secret destination; their beloved bridge. The lights had a blurred glow through the stormy weather, like the lighthouse beacons Karamatsu had been looking for all along. Nobody else seemed to have followed those beacons though; the bridge was clear of people... perfect. He watched as Freedom broke free from his grasp. She was overwhelmed by the beauty of the weather and simply couldn't help but relish in it. She leaned against the railing of the bridge and stared into the stream below, but even that didn't last long; it's like she couldn't explore the bridge quick enough. They've come here plenty of times, but there were still moments when she acted like she'd never seen it before.

"Man... I'm so glad it rained today... everything's just absolutely gorgeous out. The clouds, the air, the SOUND! And the lights?!? Creepy as hell, I love it!".

She leaned against the lightpost. Though she jumped from the sudden coldness of it, she wasn't a coward, and she continued to lean against it. She swapped through various poses, each one representing a different scenario; her artistic inspiration was going wild.

"They're like... ghost-like! It's like you could just see a ghost right here! Or you could use it to reference that one musical. Ya know, the singing in the rain one! Or there could be a mournful widow, waiting for her husband lost at sea!".

Karamatsu couldn't help but chuckle at her enthusiasm, and despite his best efforts to keep it quiet, Freedom still heard him. But it only added fire to her burning inspiration.

"Yeah, yeah! But then she turns around, getting ready to leave as she's lost all hope, and suddenly he's just STANDING there! He'd been alive the entire time, finally being able to get back home! And they see each other for the first time in... probably years, to be honest". Freedom took steps towards Karamatsu, continuing on with her rambling thoughts. "And suddenly... everything was okay... they knew it'd be. Despite the rain and DESPITE the hardships, they were still together. And if they could get through all that, then they could do damn near anything".

"And that woman would get to stare at her sweet... incredibly cute... incredibly kissable husband, for as long as she wanted. Which, if it were me... that'd be forever..."; she smugly spoke as she got closer to Karamatsu. The forwardness of her statements made her devolve into a giggling, blushing mess.

Luckily for her, she wasn't the only one flustered as hell; Karamatsu couldn't help but find Freedom cute during these rambling moments, and her closeness certainly didn't help either. But he couldn't let that distract him. After all, what harm would there be in playing along? He walked back to the lightpost as he narrated.

"Hm, and her lucky, lucky husband would happily stare back. She would've been a sight for his salt-stained eyes, stained from both the ocean's wind and his own tears~ His brunette gem straight from the bottom of the ocean's treasure chest. A perfect distraction from his own... incredibly chaotic crew".

Freedom would follow suit, even sliding in front of him as a literal way to cut him off, but she'd continue to walk; "And that wife... that wife would value that man more than any treasure. While he was out doing god knows what... she had her own adventures too. And she had... a lot of weird damn things happen on those adventures. And a lot of great things! But one of her favorite things to happen to her, was still that man".

She had returned back to under the lightpost, and Karamatsu had followed her the entire way. They were standing right in front of each other, close enough that they could feel the lightest warmth from each other's breath. She slowly reached her hand to his cheek, carressing it as gently as she could.

"And even as they stood under, conveniently, this exact same light... she could still see how much of a miracle he was. Even when the lighting wasn't that good because of the storm, she could still see how perfect he was...".

"And maybe the realization made them want to join as one~?", Karamatsu playfully suggested as he attempted a kabedon against the lightpost. He toyed with his sunglasses, trying to make sure he could look as cool as possible.

Freedom laughed from the implications of his statement. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, filling the gap between them; "Oh, I don't know? Did it?".

The two of them smiled at each other, and Karamatsu went for the score. A kiss was shared under the light, the two of them acting oblivious to the rain. As sweet as the kiss was, it couldn't last long. Freedom started giggling, which was evidently contagious.

"Good god... we're ridiculous. We're literally just playing in the rain." Freedom's laughing calmed down, leaving her with a genuinely happy expression; "I guess it's nice that we're able to do that though...".

Freedom's softened expression was a signal that Karamatsu could soften up too; "It really is... I could've only dreamed of doing something like this", he said.

"You're telling me! I'm not even supposed to be here, ya know. But like... I couldn't imagine missing this either. Where would I even be right now...".

The two of them looked out to the view in front of them, watching as the light rain-drops dived into the canal. Their view didn't reach too far, as the fog and the darkened clouds worked together to obscure the ends of the water. It made the two feel truly alone, separated from the zany world they lived in. Any normal person would've called their sights cold, desolate, downright melancholic... but the solitude was perfect for them. And as the two stood there, silently reflecting on their lives entangled in each others' arms, a breath would exit Freedom's lips.

“I guess it doesn't matter where I could've been though, right?. I mean, I’m here right now... and right now I wouldn't want to be anywhere else", she finally said, her voice being softer than the clouds above them.

"Same...", responded Karamatsu, matching Freedom's tone.

This was it; he HAD to pop the question. He couldn't just outright say it though; he had to ease into it... he had to be smooth. Not just for the sake of his persona, but for the sake of his nerves. The very idea that he could propose birthed a colony of butterflies within him. He leaned against the railing of the bridge as an attempt to stabilize himself.

"Freedom... have you ever thought about how long this would last?".

That question rang through Freedom's ears like a gong, the resulting vibrations being ones of slight nervousness.

"Not really. I kinda just assumed it'd be like this forever".

"R-Really?!?".

Freedom leaned against the bridge's railing too, staring down at the water as she clarified; "Well, I guess I've had, I don't know... fears? The standard 'what if something happens' or 'what if he leaves me' kinda thoughts. But those aren't like, my actual thoughts, and I promise you did nothing to make me think that. That's just, like, anxiety or something".

"But, this just feels so normal by now; it really feels like this was how the universe intended. I'd honestly be surprised if something made us split up"; her face lit up as she talked. She'd nudge his arm and laugh as she continued; "Why? You don't plan on proving me wrong, do ya?".

Karamatsu took the joke much more seriously than intended; "No! Of course not, never! ...I just wanted to know, I guess".

He began focusing on himself; he wanted to bring out his romantic side for this! Even in a relaxed place, he wanted to give Freedom the most eccentric, bombastic, dare he say dramatic proposal possible! But somehow... he was struggling to muster it. Was he simply too nervous? Or maybe he was enjoying the vulnerability of the moment. He couldn't decide which one it was, but then again, he shouldn't be dedicating his energy to doing so.

"But we really have known each other for a long time, haven't we?", he said.

Freedom nodded; "We really have, huh... and it’s been great! So many crazy stories we get to tell… so many… nice moments that live in my head rent free. I wouldn’t change a damn thing!".

Karamatsu smiled at her, moving his sunglasses in a way that let her see his gaze; "Heh... glad to see we're on the same page... my honey~".

Karamatsu watched Freedom's reaction closely; a sense of pride came as he watched her cover her mouth and mutter incomprehensibly, her staple sign of being flustered. That's just what he needed: an ego boost. He pushed himself from the railing, embracing the rain as if it were his own spotlight.

"But I must admit, I've had those thoughts... thoughts about how we'd last forever. A permanent anomaly... we're Venus and Mars reincarnate!"; sparkle effects could practically be seen around him as he spoke. He furrowed his brows and gestured to the sky, secretly begging that any of this sounded cool.

He took a quick look over at Freedom, who was simply enthralled by his words. Her body still leaned against the railing, but the way she propped her head up with her hand… it painted her as... love-struck? Definitely confused, but love-struck; at least loving enough for her to go along with his speech instead of questioning his point. Part of him swooned a little; he sure loved it when people actually listened to him. He had to snap himself out of it though. He couldn't lose focus.

"We really go together so well, and I couldn't be happier about that fact! It's like we were made for each other, or maybe you were made for me. I... I still think about how we met. I know everyone in this small town, but you… you just seemed to come from nowhere. I know why that is now, but sometimes I still lay awake at night and think about how lucky I am. If you end up telling me one day that you're actually my guardian angel, I would full-heartedly believe it".

Freedom opened her mouth, desperate to respond. She could never let praise be spoken to her without having it returned to whoever gave it, but Karamatsu shut her down. He gently shushed her, a finger being just barely place upon her lips. The woman was completely flabbergasted by his audacity... but she couldn't exactly complain either. Karamatsu asked her to let him finish, and the only response she could muster was a light nod. It took a second for Karamatsu to process his own audacity as well; part of him almost wanted to apologize for being that bold, but something about Freedom's expression told him he'd be fine to continue.

"To be quite honest Freedom... I can't imagine letting you go. I can't... I won't. If the day ever comes when you decide I'm too much of a guilty man to be around, I won't stop you. I'd respect that.... but until that day comes, I'll stop at nothing to love you! To cherish you! To make you my Karamatsu Girl! You're just too precious to let go! We've done everything together... and we'll do even more in the future...".

The man was beginning to get a bit teary-eyed as his speech crawled closer to its point. It's like his raw passion was leaking through his eyes, that and his raw nervousness. The butterflies were beginning to resurface in his stomach. "That's why... why I... I...".

He took a deep breath; he couldn't ease into it anymore, he had to just spit it out. He reached into his pocket, dropping to his knee as he whipped the ring out at lightning speed.

"FREEDOM, WILL YOU-".

He cut himself off, noticing his fingers were suddenly empty. The ring had slipped out of his rain-soaked fingers. The world seemed to go into slow-motion for both Karamatsu and Freedom as they watched the ring with hyper-focused eyes. Karamatsu quickly rose to his feet, reaching to retrieve the ring, but Freedom did something a bit different. Her poor excuse of an attempt to catch it was to swat it upwards, her brain being too frazzled to come up with anything else. And somehow, someway... it worked. Karamatsu stepped out of the way as the ring crashed onto the bridge's floor. It wasn't shattered, not even dented, but adrenaline was still flowing within the both of them. Karamatsu split glances between the ring and Freedom, who returned his glances with ones of her own.

The two stood in place for quite some time purely, both unsure of what to do in this moment. However, someone would eventually act; Freedom stepped towards the ring, almost as if she was walking as slowly as possible. Karamatsu's mind began to panic as she approached the ring-

"FREEDOM! It's- It's not what it looks like- I mean, it is, but-!".

Either Freedom was actively ignoring him, or she was too invested in the ring to process his words. She plucked the ring up with her fingers, staring at it like she was questioning the reality of her situation. Karamatsu could see a light glimmer in her eyes as she looked. Her mouth was ever-so-slightly gaped open, not a single word being spoken, and yet that expression was worth an entire novel's worth of words. Words of being star-struck, words of an entire life flashing before her eyes, and words of the possibilities she could take right now.

"Kara...?", she finally said with a breathless tone.

Karamatsu immediately froze, standing still as a plank. His mind and heart were racing at the same pace, and yet he held onto his breath. Part of him was worried that he was gonna pass out, but he had to try to play it cool. Freedom walked back over to him, the ring carried within her cupped hands. The closer she got to him, the more Karamatsu realized how she was really feeling. Her own breath was stilted as well, and her entire being shook as she walked. But despite all of that, she was still smiling. As she stood right in front of him, she carefully positioned his hands to a cupping-formation, letting the ring fall.

"You can finish... I'd like to hear you finish".

Karamatsu looked up at her, his sunglasses hiding the tears piling in his eyes. He was met by Freedom's own misty eyes. With the ring nestled between his fingers, he wrapped his hands around Freedom's and descended back to his knee.

"Freedom... no... Liberty... ".

"Will you take the pleasure of being my bride~?".

Any last shot of Freedom keeping herself composed was completely thrown out the window. She allowed herself to fall to her knees, matching Karamatsu's level. Her hands slipped from his to desperately hide her flustered face, but it was a fruitless effort.

"Sweetheart... the love of my life... my absolute miracle of a man... of course! Of course I will!".

He flinched a little at the answer, but in the best way possible. Back onto his feet he rose as he processed her words. It took all of his focus to keep his tears in his eyes.

"EH-?!? Wait, really?!? Do you... do you really mean it?!?".

"Oh Kara, of course I do! How could I lie about something like this?", Freedom playfully responded.

She hastily removed her existing rings from her hands, shoving them into her dress’s pocket with no second thought. Her left hand extended out to Karamatsu, her fingers sprawled apart as she glanced to her side. Karamatsu took a deep breath and let the tears flow down his face. Unstable hands slid the ring onto her finger… and it was a perfect fit. He couldn't help but hold her hand for much longer than needed. It was his way of absorbing the situation.. at least until he resorted to pulling Freedom into a hug. He rambled on with his gratitude, his tears joining the raindrops in soaking Freedom's dress. Freedom laughed from the enthusiam in the air, hugging back Karamatsu harder and harder, eventually even lifting him off the ground.

"Honeybunches, the fact you'd even ask!! I must be the luckiest damn girl in the world, in the universe, in the multiverse! I'm gonna be the best wife ever for you, I promise you!".

She softly put Karamatsu back on the ground, before re-trapping him in a hug; "…I swear on it...".

"Oh precious, I don't need you to promise", said Karamatsu as he rested his head upon her shoulder. "I already know you will be... the best possible one".

As he lowered his hands to her waist, he made a promise of his own; "But I promise that I'll be the perfect husband as well. My days as a guilt guy are over! Anything you want, anything you need, I'll take care of it for you".

He cut himself off as he felt Freedom nuzzle deeper into his embrace. She took that as a chance to speak; "Well, luckily for you, you don't have to change a single thing about yourself to do that. Just keep being perfect, dollface".

"As long as you do the same~".

The two of them leaned in together, preparing for the best kiss of their entire lives. Their breaths became one, filling them both with the fresh breath of a new life. In an instant, the world around them became nearmost worthless to them. The concepts of time and space became nothing, and yet, in a sense, they were worth even more to them. The rest of eternity would be dedicated to them and them alone, and everywhere they went could be a marker of their love. Even in such a peaceful kiss, their minds were swarming with the implications this proposal held. They didn't mind though; they'd deal with that later.

"Awe, we didn't miss it, did we?".

The voice echoed across the bridge, ripping the two of them from their lovers' ecstasy. Eh, might as well get out of the headset before they started enjoying it too much, right? They quickly split from each other, immediately pretending like the past minute didn't happen.

The voice belonged to Todomatsu, and behind him followed the remaining five brothers.

"Ugh, well that sucks. I really wanted to record it".

"I can't believe we got here while they were kissing! Talk about gross!", chimed in Osomatsu with a teasing face.

"What are you, a middle schooler? They're fiances, Osomatsu. I’d be more concerned if they didn’t kiss", pointed out Choromatsu.

Freedom's gears started turning in her head She turned back to her lover, gesturing in the brothers' direction; "Wait, what the Hell? So they were in on it?".

"We sure were!", happily responded Jyushimatsu.

"Yeah, sorry we got here so late. We didn't realize which bridge you meant", said Choromatsu.

“aka: choromatsu wanted to beat y’all to the proposal spot and got us lost”, interrupted Ichimatsu.

It was Karamatsu's turn for his head’s gears to turn; "So... so you WERE following us! What was that at the restaurant?!".

"Huh?... Oh yeah! We stopped that waiter from revealing your plan! You're free to thank us~!", answered Osomatsu.

"What the Hell are you talking about?!"; Karamatsu was getting more and more confused, and it was making him lose a bit of patience.

Luckily for everyone involved, he was quickly snapped out of that by his fiance's logic; "Eh, it doesn't matter. Everything worked out nice and dandy anyway, right?!".

Karamatsu sighed; she was right. With a conflict nicely prevented, the brothers came around to congratulate the two... or to bully the two... or to do both. As the celebrations died down, Choromatsu asked a very important question.

"Wait; did you ever tell mom or dad about this?".

"...no... i did not-"; Karamatsu never intended on telling them before the proposal, but he did forget that he'd have to tell them at all. That was gonna be a whole other situation to deal with.

All of the brothers glanced at each other. 5 of them had the exact same idea; it just depended on which brother would ennact it.

"Heh, guess I’ll be the one to break the news! See you later, suckers!", yelled Todomatsu as he began to dart across the bridge.

"NO! I wanna tell them!"; Jyushimatsu followed suit.

"Huh?!? None of you can tell them! You're all going to make it sound stupid!", scolded Choromatsu.

The brothers dashed off in a race to return home, leaving Karamatsu and Freedom completely caught off-guard.

"WAIT- Don't you think the one actually getting married should be the one to tell them?!?!".

Karamatsu and Freedom ran after the loose hoard of brothers, the soon-to-be groom running on desperation while his partner merely enjoyed the thrill of the chase.

"So... ya wanna take the short-cut home, or are we gonna do this fair and square~?", asked Freedom, itching to take advantage of her dimensional-awareness.

Karamatsu thought about it, but he smiled and shook his head; "Well... I guess it'd be too easy if we did it your way. Why don't we give them a chance~?".

Freedom laughed at the notion, but she still happily accepted it; "Whatever ya say, lover boy! Let’s go!".

Maybe this was a good precedent for things to come. Even when they do get married, there's no way they'd be able to get rid of his brothers. And really, what fun would it be if they did? They're family after all, and finally that applied to Freedom too. All five of them, when the time comes, will become her brothers-in-law. Hmph… it’s a bit of a horrifying reality to live in, but it was one she was willing to dive into, and it was one Karamatsu was willing to drag her into. After all, as both sides knew a bit too well, that reality would certainly better than one where they never met at all.

——

Stay tuned for a future blog announcement!

[libertys-lovers]

✨🌕Melody of the Night🌕✨

During a late night working, The Journalist hears mysterious music echoing across the RED Base grounds. What could possibly be the source of this tune?

SHIP: 🏜️📰One Shot📰🏜️ (Sniper x Journalist)

WARNINGS: Nyctophobia (the fear of the night/darkness) + Descriptions of suffering from Nyctophobia + Swearing

The nighttime never promised much to the Mercenaries. Not a single spark of action, but not really much peace either. After all, it may have been rare for the opposing team to attack at night, but that doesn't mean it was impossible for them to. The night, if anything, was a time for rest... or at least, it was supposed to be.

For The Journalist, nighttime was the only time she could really work. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing; all she had to do was rewrite her notes from the day into a proper report, maybe listen to some music while doing so. It wasn't anything she could complain about. She had worse things to worry about, such as the opposing Spy, who seemed to have an unhealthy fascination with both stabbing backs and stealing her notes. Tonight wasn't a scheduled interrogation night though, so she was spared from his unsuccessful shennanigans... or so she was sure, right? The more she thought of it, the more she couldn't remember. She was sure it was fine though. Her brain was always rather rude at night, making her worry over the smallest of details. And so, she'd dismiss the entire matter, throwing on her Deadbeats and focusing solely on her work.

She typed away on her desktop, spacing out to the sound of her keyboard fading into the music. Or, perhaps "spacing out" is too soft of a term; she truly got lost in these songs, finding backing sounds she never noticed before. One tune was especially outstanding to her; she couldn't identify what instrument it was, but it had a sudden entry into the song. It was faded, but still bombastic and energetic. It'd dance between the main rhythm, ending sporadically only to rebuild itself in the same fashion. It almost felt... out of place. Journals couldn't help but be intrigued by it; she'd rewind her music just to try to single out that piece...

But it wasn't the same as when she first heard it.

No, the vibes of this backing piece were the same, but these were definitely different notes, right? She'd rewind over and over again, and each time it was different. That’s when it hit her.

She took off her Deadbeat headphones, listening closely to the ambience around her. Sure enough, the faded song was still audible. In fact, it was even louder than before! She rose from her desk, unsure of exactly what to do. Her mind was racing through 50 different questions. What was the music? Who was playing the music? Who would've still been up anyway? Was it one of her teammates, or was it an opposing member who just comedically revealed themselves? Her speculative answers reawoke her worrying nature, and yet that only fueled her curiosity. She'd take a deep breath, and ultimately decide to let her inner "horror movie protagonist" shine. Donning herself with nothing more than slippers, a flashlight, and a jacket to cover her barren arms, she'd creep outside of her office to explore the base.

The base was already a winding mess of halls during the day, but at night it felt all the more hopeless to wander through. She'd lean her ear against plenty of the fort's doors, but to no avail. When she wasn't closely listening, her eyes were glued to the floor, though sometimes she'd take foolish glances through the windows. They only revealed a barren desert under a blanket of black, but that rarely made her feel better. It still felt like something could be hidden out there, watching through.

"Alright... alright fine... I'll just peak once... and then that'll be it. There's nothing out there, Liberty. Nothing at all..." muttered The Journalist, to untrusting ears.

Step, by step, by agonizing step, she made her way to the window. She was near one of the doors, probably a side door? She didn't come to this part of the fort that often, so she wasn't exactly sure where she was-. What she was sure of, however, was that the music had grown much louder. She didn't even realize it while walking; her freaked-out lil mind must've blocked that fact out. And though she saw nothing new through the window, it was definite that the sound was coming from outside. She froze, just wanting to close her eyes and breathe for a bit. Every sense was isolated, every sense but her hearing. Her focus made her realize another thing; the sound was all too familiar.

"Is that... that's gotta be a saxophone, right? I've heard this before... I know what this is".

She made her way to the door, trying as gently as she could to ease it open. She failed, of course, since every door there was both old and loud as hell, but it seems the sound didn't matter. She turned her flashlight off and looked in the distance, where the faint figure of a camper and its owner rested. There that owner was, sitting alone as he blasted his saxophone to the stars above. That was the source of the music, the source of Journals's troubles; it was just Sniper playing his damn sax.

Journals couldn't help but stand there and laugh to herself, letting her held-in tears of panic finally fall. She let herself get this anxious over a damn teammate doing band practice. Not even just a coworker, no, she had to get freaked out over the love of her life just minding his business. The nighttime was a beautiful state of the world for Journals. Hell, she'd consider it her favorite time of day, but she sure hated how irrationally it made her think sometimes. She couldn't be too mad though; she did walk out to a lovely sound, after all. Nobody could deny Mundy's talent for the instrument, even if it did surprise everyone when he first showed it off. Maybe she could stay here for a little while; she certainly didn't wanna walk through all the halls again.

She stepped through the doorway and closed the door... or at least tried to. The damn thing got jammed, and she resorted to leaning her bodyweight on it. Bad move; the thing crashed shut, and the sax solo immediately cut-off. Journals watched the shadowed figure put his instrument down, only to take hold of something else. A bright light popped into existence; thank god, it was just a flashlight. Journals got flashed right in the eyes though, truly a fate worse than death.

"AH- Shit- Well hello to you too, Mundy!", shouted Journals, inbetween laughter.

"Libs? Crikey, is that really you down there?!".

"Yup! ...yup".

Sniper made his way down the camper, jogging over to Journals. He opened his mouth, a slight smile cracking through, before reshaping his entire expression with furrowed brows.

"Wait a minute- How do I know you're not one of those Spies?", inquired Sniper.

"Oh? Can they even turn into me? That'd be kinda neat... maybe a bit OP though-", responded Journals, devolving into mindless speculation of what the Spies could do as her.

Sniper interrupted her train of thought with a laugh: "Alright, you're definitely not a spy".

The circumstances they met under finally clicked for him though; it must've been 2 in the morning by now, and there was this woman, clearly dressed for bed with stains down her face, just standing in the desert with him. Mundy had one question for her, until he took a closer look at what sort of stains her face had: those dreaded tear stains. From that point, he had a few too many questions.

"But bloody hell sheila, what're you even doing out here? You look all sorts of shaken up! Did something happen in there? You're not hurt, are ya-?".

"No! Nonononono, I'm all good! I've been like this for a while now, don't worry about it!".

"Liberty...”, he called with great suspicion, “are you sure...?".

"Yeah man! I mean, I freaked out earlier, but it was stupid, I promise. Somehow your sax ended up scaring me".

"My sax? Now how did that happen?".

"Hell if I know; I guess I just get real nervous at night. I mean, I wasn't really expecting to hear a random saxophone outside my room tonight, ya know?”.

A single "hmm" made it through Mundy's lips. He nodded; he knew the sentiment all too well. Nighttime wasn't really easy for him, either.

"But... it did sound really nice... Gorgeous, even! I was actually just gonna sit here and listen for a bit... but THEN the damn door sabotaged me"; Journals couldn't help but laugh again, at the sheer absurdity of the situation.

She was expecting laughter in return, or at least a giggle! But no, instead she was met with the sight of Mundy rubbing his neck. If only the lighting was better, perhaps she would've noticed that it wasn't just sunburn making his face red.

"Sorry if I interrupted though-".

"No, don't be"; his intonation softened greatly, just as his body language did. He was barely a few stages above muttering at this point.

Silence quickly filled the space between two of them. Not once did their eyes meet, though many glances were taken from both sides.

"Well... if you wanted to listen still... I wouldn't mind ya joining me".

"Really? I don't wanna be an inconvenience or anything-".

Mundy paused, being caught rather off guard. "Now where'd you get the idea that you'd be an inconvenience?".

He decided to make his move; walking to Journals's side and softly grazing his hand across her back, he began walking her to the camper.

"Come on now, love. Unless you're afraid of heights too, there's no trouble at all with ya coming along", said Mundy, trying to hide his signature grin.

"Heeeeyyyy now; don't get all snarky with me, hehe~", muttered Journals, unsure if she wanted him to hear her wit.

Almost instinctively, Journalist leaned in towards him, nuzzling her cheek to his chest. Another restrained giggle rose from her chords, and just like that, Sniper's entire being was back to being stiff. Journals wasn't done with him just yet though. Rising to the tip of her toes and staring through his soul, she muttered those magical words.

"May I~?".

Mundy froze in his tracks. Somehow he never expects that question to pop up. But, of course, the answer wasn’t too hard for him to think of.

"You may".

Journals stretched upwards, as far as her body could reach. She'd sheepishly wrap her arms around Mundy's neck for balance, only so she could plant a kiss on his cheek.

"I love you, Mundy~ Thanks... for, well, everything. Even for bullying me about my deeply-rooted fears~".

She lightly tapped him on the arm as she spoke that final part, shaking her head and glancing at him with a taunting smirk. Mundy ever-so-lightly punched her shoulder in retaliation.

"Yeah, yeah~”: that was the most he could think of to say... until he realized he could give her something back.

“hmm... May I, Libs?".

Journals fell back to her feet, placing a finger to her cheek and glancing to the sky.

"Weeeeelllllllllllll... I guess soooo~", she teased, immediately rising back to her toes.

She closed her eyes, her smiling cheeks only growing stronger once she felt his lips upon them. She couldn't help but return to her basic stature and cup her face once it was over, though she took great care that her hand wouldn't taint the kissed spot too much. Mundy, all the while, couldn't be more entertained. He was almost tempted to ditch the saxophone gig entirely, but he couldn't deny his curiosity on what her expression would be during it. Would she be smiling as hard as she was now, or would her expression be painted with pure whimsy? He just couldn't wait to find out.

"I love you too, darling. Ya better keep that energy while I'm playing. I'm not sure how good you're expecting me to be here".

"Mundy. I heard ya earlier, and I can guarantee I've heard you a thousand times before. You're gonna be absolutely stunning, I just know it!".

Before they knew it, they had already arrived to his signature camper. Sniper helped his date climb to the top, where he was greeted by not just his newest audience member, but his trusted audience of stars. He grabbed his sax and prepared to blow, hoping with all his might that the night could last forever. Or maybe he was just hoping that Heavy wouldn't come out to yell at him to stop again; he wasn't sure which one it was, and frankly he didn't care. He just wanted to make the most of the night; to make the most of the opportunity that just waltzed in from the shadows.

[libertys-lovers]

☁️🌁𝑩𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒈𝒆-𝑺𝒊𝒅𝒆🌁☁️

Pt. 1 ~ Hidden Away | Pt. 2 ~ What is it, Karamatsu? | Pt. 3 ~ Bop it, Drop it, 💍Pop it💍!

Karamatsu’s finally returned home! The silence of the household lulled him into a false sense of security, but the hidden presence of his brothers yanked him out of it. And boy oh boy, do they have questions.

SHIP: (Discussed) 🕶💥Dramatics💥🕶 (Karamatsu x Freedom)

WARNINGS: Swearing

AUTHOR’S NOTES: This is Pt. 2 of a Three-Part saga, so make sure to read Pt. 1 & stay tuned for the final installment.

How convenient was it that today had such pleasant weather? Sure, the December cold was most definitely present, but that seemed to work in Karamatsu's favor! The chill on his skin energized him for the upcoming day, as if his little shopping spree hadn't fueled him enough. He had left his home just a couple of hours ago, barely having said a word to his brothers. Part of him hoped that he hadn't worried them, but another part of him knew that his sudden disappearances never exactly worried them. And besides, he had bigger things to worry about! For once, he was a man that had plans, and he had to focus on those plans. In one hand he carried a package of peppermint bark, in the other a fresh rose bouquet. Merely holding these items made him overwhelmingly happy, maybe even nervous! He had a pep in his step the entire way home, even humming himself a tune in an attempt to spend some energy.

He slid the front doors open.

"Brothers~! I'm home!", he called out.

He waited for a response, surprised by how quiet it was. Maybe his brothers weren't home? He shrugged it off, deciding to head into the kitchen to drop his items off. He could put the chocolate in one of the cabinets so they didn’t get stolen immediately... and he could put the flowers in a vase until it was time to head out! Yes... everything was falling into place for him. Now he could just relax. Seeing as how none of the other brothers were to be found, Karamatsu figured he could watch whatever he pleased on the TV, for once. So he slid one of the kitchen doors open, cutting straight into the living room.

"THERE HE IS!".

Karamatsu jumped back; all of his brothers were gathered around the living room table, with Todomatsu pointing at him and standing.

"Oh! Well- well hello, my brothers!", spat out Karamatsu.

"Don't try to act innocent with us," grumbled Ichimatsu. "We know your secret".

"Honestly! This is the most Exclusivematsu thing you've ever done, Exclusivematsu!", exclaimed Todomatsu.

Karamatsu looked at them with a puzzled expression, sweat beads dripping down the side of his head. "Huh-? Whatever do you mean? I... I would never hide anything from my family, let alone my dear brothers-", he said as his voice shook.

The gathered brothers stared at Choromatsu, who rose from the table. He walked over to Karamatsu, like a prosecutor approaching a witness.

"Look Karamatsu, we already figured it out... or at least, we're pretty sure we did".

Choromatsu held out his fist, and slowly opened it to Karamatsu. In his hand was a shining ring, complete with gems in his signature blue.

"I found this hidden in one of the nesting dolls on the bookshelf," Choromatsu said as he stared at the ring. He moved his gaze to Karamatsu, practically piercing his soul; "You're planning to propose to Freedom, aren't you?".

Blush immediately coated Karamatsu's face, his gestures becoming much more frantic; "Ah-?! Pro-PROPOSE?! Haha! I wish! No... that's just... a ring for me! I thought I'd give myself a more.... sensitive touch~".

Ichimatsu turned to Jyushimatsu; "Jyushi. Octoupus hold".

Jyushimatsu saluted and prepared to pounce on his older brother. Alas, Karamatsu's barely-hanging-by-a-thread lie completely tore at its seam.

"WAITWAITWAITWAIT!! OKAY! Okay! I'll tell you", yelled Karamatsu, waving his arms.

Choromatsu blocked Jyushimatsu's path with his arm, signaling for him to cancel his plan. Jyushimatsu sat back down, and all eyes were set on Karamatsu. In an instant, his body language became much softer.

"Yes... I'm planning on proposing to her... tonight, actually," he said as he avoided eye contact. "That's why I left earlier; I wanted to buy a couple more things for her before I left".

The rest of the brothers gasped at the reveal.

"Oh Karamatsu... why didn't you just tell us?", asked Choromatsu with a sincere tone.

"You're joking right? You remember how we reacted when he first said he was dating Freedom?", said Osomatsu.

Most of the brothers laughed as they remembered those fond times, but Choromatsu jerked his head towards them and told them to be quiet.

"No... well.. I wanted it to be a surprise. I thought it'd be a nice surprise for you guys... and I also didn't want you telling her... and I also didn't want to be put into a headlock".

Karamatsu's brothers all nodded, muttering various phrases of agreement.

"Okay, wait a minute-", chimed in Todomatsu, "How do you plan on proposing to her, Karamatsu?". He sounded oddly serious in this moment.

"Oh man, good question! What if it's something really painful?!  Like proposing to her right in front of the movie screen at the movie theater? Or like, using fireworks that look like his face?!"; Osomatsu had lost all seriousness in this situation, and was just laughing his ass off at this point.

Karamatsu sighed, his eyes glued to the floor; "I was just gonna take her out to dinner... I even managed to get us reservations". His mood seemed to lighten up. He put his hand to his chin, having a confident smile as he continued his thought; "I was thinking of having the question written on our dessert, and then I could pop on my knee and tell her how I've truly felt all these years! Or maybe I could tap on my wine glass and announce it to the entire restaurant...".

Karamatsu began beaming, practically acting out how he imagined the scenario to go, "Yes... I'll tell them all how much I love her! The entire world will know that I'll marry my Karamatsu Girl! I'll-".

"NO, nononononono-!", interrupted Todomatsu, rushing to Karamatsu and trying to snap him out of his daydream.

"Huh? I didn't think it was that bad," said Choromatsu. "Those might've been some of the best ideas he's had in a while".

Todomatsu glared at Choromatsu; "You didn't think it was bad because you don't know Freedom like I do".

He turned his attention back to Karamatsu, who was incredibly bamboozled by his ideas' rejections; "Unlike you Karamatsu, Freedom doesn't like the idea of everyone watching her all the time. Having all those eyes on her while you ask the most important question of her life is NOT going to make her feel good!".

Karamatsu threw himself into a flashback montage. Freedom did always seem on-edge whenever attention was drawn to her. Hell, even when attention was drawn to the brothers, she'd get awkward purely due to association. Karamatsu's expression went blank at this realization, his eyes becoming pure white with fear.

"I- you're... you're right-".

"I know".

"So... I can't propose to her there...".

Karamatsu, needless to say, began to freak out; "Well wHAT DO I DO- I already asked her out to dinner tonight!!! Do I just cancel?! I can't just cancel on her, right?!".

His fellow brothers shouted in sync; "DON'T CANCEL!!".

"Come on Karamatsu, the dinner date's the only good idea you've ever had", light-heartedly pleading Osomatsu.

"Yeah, you don't have to cancel everything!", added Choromatsu. "Just propose somewhere else!".

"Hmm... but where else could I do it? If it has to be somewhere both romantic and not crowded...", mumbled Karamatsu.

"Well, have you gone on any dates to places like that?", asked Choromatsu.

Karamatsu threw himself deep into thought. Most of their dates have just been walks throughout the city, window-shopping or simply going out to explore. They've had beach-dates before... but restaurant wear wouldn't be suitable beach wear... and it was probably too cold out anyway. They could go to the park; if it snowed that would've made it extra cute, but the park's not exactly special. No... nowhere he could think of felt right... nowhere except for one...

"The bridge... I could take her to the bridge", he uttered, as his face softly lit up.

His brothers look at him, all with confused faces as their faith in his plan quickly began to dwindle. A syncronized "huh?" escaped all their lips.

"Eh?! Don't look so surprised! It has a beautiful view, it's ROMANTIC, it's NOT BUSY!... and we've had a lot of good times there...".

Choromatsu shook his head, facepalming with one hand and shrugging with the other; "Yeah, sure, that works".

"Hmm... I don't know... isn't that kinda lame?", asked Todomatsu, almost with a genuinely-concerned tone.

"Well, you did tell him not to do it anywhere crowded. That takes away a lot of his options, you know," defended Choromatsu.

"Heh~ As if anything we could do together would be lame~", said Karamatsu as he pulled out his sunglasses. "Nothing can be boring if you're doing it for the great adventure of love~!".

His brothers groaned, cringed, some even had to stand up and pace a little bit. At least Karamatsu's confidence was back, right? Maybe that wasn't an entirely accurate statement though; he seemed to still be holding onto his breath, and slight sweatbeads still dripped down the side of his face. But at least he had a plan. That's all that mattered, right? All that mattered was that he was prepared.

Or so he originally believed. As Karamatsu thought more about the night ahead, he remembered the key function of the universe: time.

"AH-! And I have to get ready for that adventure!!", shouted Karamatsu as he began rushing for the door.

"Huh? What time are you supposed to meet her at?", asked Choromatsu.

"5 o'clock, tonight!", Karamatsu worriedly responded.

Todomatsu glanced at his phone as he heard the commotion; "Karamatsu, it's only 12 o'clock".

"And that's BARELY enough time to get ready! I've got to plan my outfit for tonight! I've have to make sure I've got all of my gifts for her! I've gotta brush my hair, and floss, and figure out which cologne's gonna fit the best for tonight!"; Karamatsu kept rambling to himself. He glanced at Choromatsu's hand, seeing he still was holding his ring. "AND I have to practice proposing!".

He swiftly snatched his ring from Choromatsu's hands and rushed to the living room door, just barely dodging Osomatsu’s grasp on his shoulder. Osomatsu stood there, retracting his hand as he sighed. The remaining brothers followed suit with their own sighs.

"I... I can't believe we're not stopping him...", muttered Ichimatsu.

The 5 brothers all stared at the floor. It was pretty strange for them not to. Every other time a brother's made romantic progress, they've tormented said brother about it. Hell, they tormented Karamatsu about it when he first started dating Freedom. The atmosphere just felt... different though. Half of them planned on doing it again; they waited for a perfect time to tackle Karamatsu, but the time just never came.

"Well... Freedom’s our friend... I'd hate to admit it, but messing with Karmatsu's messing with her, too", said Todomatsu.

"I guess the news is easier to handle when he's hooking up with someone none of us are interested in, right?", joked Osomatsu.

The brothers sat back in silence.

"Maybe we'll just torment him at his wedding, haha!", suggested Osomatsu.

The brothers’ eyes widened at the devious idea.

"EH?! That's going WAY too far Osomatsu!", scolded Choromatsu. "Weddings are civil. They're a time for love, they're-".

"Awe come on! I think Freedom would find it funny!", defended Osomatsu.

"You're talking about attacking her fiance, Osomatsu", Choromatsu said with a blank face.

"That's assuming she says yes, though", pointed out Ichimatsu.

The brothers turned their gaze to him, instantly making him feel on edge… but he wasn't exactly wrong. Technically they didn't know whether she'd say yes or not, but none of them even considered that until he brought it up.

"...What if... what if him getting a girlfriend was just a fluke?", continued Ichimatsu. "You know that every time we've tried to pursue any sort of romance, its ended up failing miserably".

Choromatsu looked at his younger brother with a concerned look; "Ich... Ichimatsu..."

But his younger brother went even further; "Karamatsu getting hooked up at all must've been a huge exercise of good karma... but once something good happens, something bad of equal value will happen. Or, in our case, it'll probably be something worse".

Though most of the brothers seemed unnerved by this theory, Todomatsu simply shrugged it off; "I don't know, Freedom's kinda obsessed with him... okay, she's really obsessed with him".

He looked at his brothers, seeing their facial expressions not change a single bit; "Huh? Why aren't any of you agreeing with me?".

"Well... Freedom might be in love with him.... but that doesn't mean she's ready to marry yet", said Choromatsu, hesistation being heavy in his voice.

"Ugh, I can't imagine how Karamatsu wold take that...", said Osomatsu.

The room went silent again. They couldn't argue Ichimatsu's logic. They had countless times when they thought they'd finally get a stable relationship, only for it to fall at the seams. Jyushimatsu's girlfriend had to leave, they fell for that Rental Girlfriends scam, Nyaa-Chan actually changed her mind towards Osomatsu, not to mention all the times when it'd seem like Todomatsu would get a date, only for him to fail. Hell, Karamatsu had plenty of these stumbles. All of them had the displeasure of meeting his flower fairy, and there was that one chick that just used him for a free meal.

But current times just felt different to the past; most of them had fulfilling relationships now, after all! The universe had certainly been kinder to them than it had been for the past few years. And yet, Ichimatsu still wasn't technically wrong. Especially for Karamatsu, AKA: The brother the universe seemed to spite the most, there was always a chance for things to go wrong. There was a chance it could fail. A chance everything could revert back for him, back to the way status-quo originally intended.

The silence in the room was deafening; their own heartbeat was pounding in their ears. They cared about the outcome of this proposal more than any of them would like to admit, even to themselves.

"But we have to be there for them anyway, right?"; finally somebody spoke, and it was nobody else than Jyushimatsu.

The brothers snapped out of their reflective thoughts, an uncharacteristically soft expression worn by all of them. They nodded and stood.

"We do... we really do", said Choromatsu.

"Well let's do it then!", shouted Jyushimatsu as he hopped to his feet. "Knock this game outta the park! HOOOOOMMMMMME RUN!".

The brothers smiled and shook their heads at Jyushi's antics. Even if it was drowned in baseball lingo, the sentiment was understood clearly. Frankly, none of them felt like playing wingman. Some of them didn't feel the need to anyways. At the very least though, they could make sure everything goes well, the only one they knew how...

But it was much too early for that; the date was still 5 hours away. So while Karamatsu practiced his proposal poses in the higher level of the house, the rest of the brothers could simply relax.

Time is a never-ending enigma though, and before Karamatsu knew it, the clock had struck 5.

and a sudden knock could be heard.