Work Text
“You know, Cellbit,” Baghera says one day, one arm stretched over the table as Pomme plays with the rings on her fingers, “the french have this- this word, right? For what you and Roier have.”“Do they?”She nods, Pomme is clutching a flower in her little fist- barely even a flower, its sea kale- that wags back and forth as she kicks her legs under the table. Cellbit hums into his tankard as a sign for Baghera to continue.“They say matelotage, and it’s like- a marriage. For pirates. Sometimes they do it purely for the money but,” she reaches her other hand over to smooth over her daughter’s hair, too big of a tricorn hat messing up the girl’s twin braids, “you and Roier love each other a lot, yeah? Maybe that would work for you two.”And Cellbit places his cup on the table softly, bringing his hands up to rest his chin on them. Taking a glance around the inn, he surveys the current customers:Today is a rather rare day; most of the crews inside Bad’s inn Cellbit is familiar with, newly or otherwise. They’ve all met up for the triplet’s birthday (they’re not even related Cellbit thinks, just that Dapper and Ramon found out they have birthdays close enough to Leo that they’ve become a little trio) in the Republic. Bad had even managed to convince Jaiden to bring Bobby in, through his weird little ways of always being there. She sits at the counter, Foolish excitedly speaking with her in a volume that would not be tolerated in the building other than today. Fit must’ve sent himself upstairs to watch the kids, since all of them together like this could only result in a fire if left alone.His own crew have gathered themselves into a corner table, with it being mostly Pac and Mike covering the table in various maps and blueprints of buildings Cellbit can’t find it in himself to ask where they got them from. They’ve also carefully circled the papers around where Felps has laid his arms, and the man is most likely asleep there at the table. He can’t spot Bagi anywhere, which would make him nervous any other day, but he can assume she’s helping Bad bring over pastries from Niki’s place down the road.The rest of the French crew are currently huddled around a table that is occupied by Etoiles and Roier, who are seemingly throwing threats and insults at such a fast succession that it’s coming out as jumbled nonsense. Roier’s own crew stand on the side he sits at, with Vegetta gripping his son’s shoulders as a way to subtly egg him on. Roier himself is grinning wildly at Etoiles, in a way that tells Cellbit he has no idea what the other man is saying to him, but that he’s also aware Etoiles cannot understand him. This has become some sort of ritual they’ve created, and it will devolve into them giggling like children and shoving shoulders. Cellbit finds himself lingering on Roier’s form for much longer than he meant to, because Baghera laughs from her seat across from him.“Oh yeah,” she snickers in her hand, “I definitely think it would work.”Cellbit hums, tilts his head a little in thought. Baghera’s suggestion has put his current situation into perspective for him; that him and Roier haven’t even had a conversation about what they are to each other. Putting his mind to it now, he does rather enjoy the idea of putting a label, moreso Roier wearing a wedding ring that matches himself. It feels more official than boyfriend or partner ever could to him. It’s a physical symbol of them. He had never considered the idea of marrying him- however legitimate- until now because that seemed so out of reach. Perhaps Roier would laugh in his face at him even toying with the idea.“Tio Cellbit,” Pomme says, and he can’t help the small smile that he pulls at her little accent around the words, “do you feel like you overthink too much?”Baghera makes a noise, something close to a gasp of surprise, before pulling back the hand Pomme was holding to gently smack her on the arm. “Pomme! Tu es si grossière!”Cellbit is so shocked by the girl’s question he doesn't even feel offended, simply raising a brow at the girl before laughing quietly. Pomme bows her head a little at Baghera’s scolding, but is quickly reassured when Cellbit speaks,“I’m sure I look like I do,” he eyes how much wine is left in his mug, and wonders if he’s drank enough to make him get sappy with this child, “but something like a marriage requires some overthinking in my opinion.”“Oh please,” Baghera waves her hand dismissively at him, “Roier is head over heels for you. And you look at him like he hung the stars,”“But-”“And! Everyone in this room sees you two as a package deal anyways, why not throw a little party about it?”“Baghera-”“Also! If Roier says no, so what? It’s not like it’s some official government thing, I don’t think he would say no either, but I also don’t think him denying some pirate marriage would change how he feels about you, Cellbit.”Pomme is laughing now, head low on the table to hide her face behind the sea kale she’s holding onto, and Baghera is looking at him with a smug little grin that tells him she’s successfully won this one-sided debate.“Alright, okay,” he sighs, “I’ll talk to Roier about it.”“Talk to me about what?” Cellbit almost jumps at the arms that are thrown over his shoulders, but Roier links his fingers together across his chest and it seems to have trapped him in his spot. Neither of the girls sitting at the table gave him any sort of warning that the man was coming over, so he doubts Baghera was smiling like that over what she said, and Cellbit narrows a look at her for a moment before turning his head up to look at Roier.“It’s nothing-”“That you wouldn’t like!” Baghera shouts over him, truly mastering the art of cutting him off, shoulders hunching as she leans towards the two of them, “isn’t that right Richarlyson?”“Richarlyson?” Cellbit cranes his neck around Roier to see Pomme has jumped off her seat to whisper something into Richas’ ear, who was about halfway between the stairs and where they were sat. The dread hits him all at once as he sees his son’s face drop into something akin to pure shock and amazement, and Pomme looks back at Cellbit with the most shit-eating grin he’s ever seen her pull. This mother-daughter duo could being him to his knees if they tried, and it horrifies him. Richarlyson must catch the look on his father’s face because it morphs into something of fury, and the boy stomped his way up to the table.“Pai! Você vai se casar sem me perguntar?” he slams his little hands against the table, clearly furious with his father over the idea Cellbit could be marrying Roier without consulting him first. Cellbit doesn’t get the chance to put his son at ease before Roier is laughing overhead, and Cellbit then forgets how much Portuguese the man has been picking up lately.“¿Pero de qué hablas? What makes you think we’re getting married?” He moves away from Cellbit to crouch down slightly to Richarlyson’s height, and places a hand on the boy’s head.“Pomme said you two are gonna get married! Why didn’t you guys ask me first? Or Mãe Bagi?” he gasps suddenly, and then is clutching Cellbit’s sleeve in the next moment, “Unless he already did ask her…”“Richas,” Roier smiles through a sigh, “there’s no ring on my finger, we aren’t getting married.”“I can get you a ring.”It doesn't even register he’s said that until Roier snaps his head towards him with a 'Cómo?' And Cellbit has to fight the strong urge to run out of the inn and jump into the ocean, but he manages to sit still and looks back at the other like a deer looks down a hunter’s rifle.“I said,” he feels his voice shake a little, “that, uh, I can get you a ring. If you want one? If you would like to get married.”The pause feels much longer to Cellbit that it does to the world. The only people who could even hear this conversation is Baghera and Richarlyson. Roier looks back at him with wide eyes and mouth slightly agape. He can't tell if its surprise in a good or bad way.Even in the current state of panic, Cellbit mulls over how the building’s lighting does wonders for the man in front of him. The glow of the various lanterns cast him in a soft yellow and the candle at their table reflects across his eyes in a way that makes him look something Cellbit could only consider holy. If there’s anything to blame on the reason why he has decided to ask, he could blame it on how angelic the man in front of him looks.Cellbit barely registers Richarlyson stepping away because Roier hasn’t broken eye contact and it’s suffocating. The man in front of him furrows his brows slightly, like he’s just finished processing the question.“Are you proposing?”“Do you want me to be?”And Roier basically snickers at him. He feels Roier’s hands come up to his face, cradling it. Cellbit can’t name a time he’s been handled so gently before meeting Roier. Fingertips that graze over him like he's made of glass, something precious and worth it. His thumb passes over his cheekbone, and he can’t break away from the man’s gaze, as it turns to something soft and thoughtful. The tankard in his hand nearly cracks with how tight he’s holding it.He can hear the inn’s doors open, and the voices he’s drowned out around him rise up as they see Bagi and Bad come inside with the baskets of various goods from the bakery. Hears the chair at the table with him scrape across the wood as Baghera stands to meet them. Roier pays the commotion no mind, so neither does he. Cellbit sees people pass behind Roier, likely the children to grab at the pastries, but he watches the candle flame flicker in his eyes and could lose his sense of taste without a care in the world. If he were doomed to never taste a sweet food again he hopes it from Roier's hand.“Okay,” Roier speaks low, “let’s get married. I want my ring to be from a rich Navy guy. Maybe a captain.”“Claro.” Cellbit finds himself nodding, dazed, “I’ll leave his dead body at your feet as proof.”Roier leans forward to press a kiss to his head, and Cellbit can’t control the smile that breaks as the other takes hold of his hands to pull him up. In a setting like this, he would normally hold back on showing affection, but he’s so overwhelmed with himself that he doesn’t fight it as he grabs at Roier’s middle to pull him into a proper kiss. Roier laughs into it, and throws his arms over his shoulders.“Cellbit,” Roier smiles at him after he manages to pull himself away from Cellbit’s little celebration, “everyone is going to take all the good ones. I want a cake before they’re all gone.”“I got you one already.” a voice speaks up, scaring the two. Richarlyson is stood, holding up the little cake to Roier, half finished one in his other hand as he chews on a bite. Cellbit lets his arms fall away as Roier reaches over to take it from him.“Oh! Gracias, Richarlyson,”“So, are you two getting married?”Cellbit sighs at his son, and with a sharp look in return from the boy does he simply give him a nod. Richarlyson grins, big and happy, and lunges forward to wrap his free arm around Roier’s leg.“Do I stop calling you tio now? I can say pai? What about Pa Roier?”“If Roier would like for you to call him that, sure.” Cellbit answers for him, as Roier chomps at his own cake, humming happily at the fresh sponge. Richarlyson tilts his head up to look at Roier, who looks back owlishly before swallowing to speak.“You can call me whatever you want, Richas,” he sets a hand in Richarlyson’s hair. The boy nods knowingly, like he’s figured out everything, and turns to walk back to the crowd gathering around the triplets. Cellbit watches him go, a silly little smile on his face at how invested his son is in his love life.“Ay, culero,” he looks back to Roier, “they’re gonna sing to the kids!”Cellbit nods, and snatches Roier’s hand up in his as they make their way over to join in on the terrible group singing. When Cellbit leans over to peck Roier on the mouth afterwards, its sugary and sweet.