#tiz ​the season of giving so why not give feels

[hitwiththetmnt]

Sad Robot P1 | P2

[auncyen]

If you're still taking drabble requests, could we possibly get some Tiz and Yew bonding? Maybe Yew asking for relationship advice lol? Thank you!

“...Sir, the truth is...I came to visit because I wanted to ask you advice.  It’s been some time since our journey, and, um...”  Yew started to redden and fidget, causing Tiz to raise his eyebrows.  Just what was this about?  “...In that time, Magnolia and I have grown close.  And I want to... I want to ask her to marry me!  So I came to talk to you.  How should I ask the question?”

“Oh.”  Tiz felt a little flush coming on himself now, as well as a bit of disappointment.  “I can’t really help you with that, you’ll have to ask Agnès.  Agnès--!”

Yew frantically waved his hands, shushing Tiz.  “D-don’t call her over!  Magnolia’s with her!”  Tiz quickly closed his mouth, but Yew was still flustered.  “And just what do you mean, you can’t help?!  You married Agnès!”

“Agnès is the one who asked.”  Yew stopped, dead still, and stared at Tiz, who considered a bit more and added, “Well, she kind of just declared herself Agnès Arrior, and it sounded wonderful to me.  No objections on my part.”

“You...didn’t ask?”

“No, sorry.”

“Sir...I looked up to you.”

“Uh...okay.  Don’t you think that’s a little harsh...?”

“There’s only so far shyness and modesty can go!!  The man isn’t supposed to make the lady ask!”

“I have no idea what you mean with that first part, but you sound like Ringabel now,” Tiz sighed.

Yew straightened up.  “I should ask him about this.”

“He would tell you to do it now, immediately and passionately, or to wait for the most dramatic moment, like when you’re using the hourglass to stop time or nearly dying from letting the succubus whip you one too many times.  ...He’s got a weakness for being charmed,” Tiz explained at Yew’s horrified look.  “But there, that’s Ringabel’s advice for you.”

"...Then I don’t know what to do,” Yew sighed, pushing back in his chair at the small table in the Arrior kitchen.  “I don’t know anyone who’s actually asked, well, properly, and I want to do it right for Magnolia...”

“Look, Yew, even if I had been the one to ask Agnès, that doesn’t mean what worked for us would work for you.  Agnès and I have more simple tastes.  Magnolia’s very much a romantic, and she’s from a world that has different romantic traditions.  So...”  Tiz trailed off and then frowned.  “Guess it’d be a little hard to ask Appleberry with Magnolia knowing.  At least you already know how they propose on the moon?”

“But is it still special if I already did that by accident?” Yew sighed. “I’d have to find some way to really outdo it.”

“Why do you have to outdo what’s already a special moment to her?”

The younger man paused.  And then he looked up, beaming.  “You’re a genius, sir!  I don’t have to outdo it, just redo it!”

“Uh...I didn’t think that was so extraordinary, but...glad to be back in your high esteem, I guess...?”

Yew had not been as subtle as he thought.  Though Magnolia had not caught his conversation with Tiz, he had been acting a little oddly for a while now...and Edea had started asking “Did he propose?!  Did he propose?!” whenever they talked.  Magnolia had thought for sure that it was coming.  Or maybe she simply wanted it that much.

It did not come, even after a few months.  She tried not to show her disappointment or be annoyed, but once in a while she felt a sting.  Yew loved her...but did he not love her enough to marry?  Was he afraid of committing to a lifelong bond?  She’d made it clear how she felt, she thought, given him her true name and all, but... sometimes the thoughts made for uneasy sleep.

But one morning, she woke up feeling strangely energized, despite having tossed and turned while going to sleep.  There was something pleasant in the air...Magnolia smiled and drew a deep breath through her nose, drawing in the sweet, heady scent of...flowers.

Yew didn’t give her flowers, she thought, yet then her hand brushed against something soft, but too velvety to be her sheets.

She opened her eyes.  Immediately in front of her were flowers, a dizzying array of them: small but vivid red poppies, delicate orchids, buttercups so full their leaves were tightly packed, elegant lavender peonies and darker, smaller clematis aside them.  There were a few varieties besides those, too, ones she hadn’t learned yet.  The bed was full of flowers, and Magnolia instantly felt wide awake, her toes curling with excitement, because Yew never got her flowers.  Not after he’d learned what they meant on the moon, to avoid misunderstandings.

This most certainly couldn’t be a misunderstanding.

There was the softest cough, and Magnolia looked over to see Yew, blushing slightly but beaming.  She rolled over to see him better, and noticed he was holding a small jewelry box.

“...Good morning, Magnolia.  I wanted to wait until the magnolias were in season,” he admitted.  “But that seemed too long for what I want to tell you, so...I had one made.”  He opened the box, and Magnolia gasped at the magnolia flower sitting inside: made of white gold and decorated with pale amethyst gemstones, it was beautiful.  “Magnolia...um...will you--”

Alfred heard Magnolia’s shouted “OUI” from all the way downstairs, in the kitchen, and smiled as he continued to prepare the couple’s breakfast.