Work Text:
Gou winded his arm for the umpteenth time that day. His shoulders were stiff again and his back was probably going to scream in agony later. It was time for a break.
He pushed his chair away from his desk and stood up. He could already feel his ass start to get numb from the shitty rolling chair. Just another inconvenience that came with an office job. As he made his way to the vending machine, Gou made a mental note to buy more eye drops on his way home.
"Hey, Suzukaze!" A friendly greeting from the junior who sat three seats to the right from Gou. He had originally trained this glasses-clad junior, after helping him deliver a stack of documents up some stairs. "Taking a break from the monitor?"
"Yeah. Are you done with the fax machine?"
A sad nod and a sigh came from his junior. "It's been hours... and I'm finally onto making photocopies for the heads' meeting tomorrow."
They both looked at each other with a complicated expression. It was an unfortunate fact that the head of Production and the head of Finance were always at each other's throats, whether it be in or out of the meeting room. Abdiel did get everything done on time... but Gou knew that one of the HR employees, Tao Isonokami, was getting a few more than a couple complaints from the Production division. Koshimizu was the head of Finance, where Gou was working under. He looked like a hardass and talked like he was disappointed in all of your work. He was so glad to not be Yuzuru Atsuta, who was taking on the important tasks assigned by their mutual division boss.
Gou wasn't quite sure what to say. Those copies had to be perfect, or else Koshimizu would get chewed out by Abdiel. "At least you don't have to bring the papers in the meeting?"
His junior sighed again, taking a long sip of his drink. "I wish we had the head of R&D... Apparently he's real chill and, you know, doesn't argue with the other division heads."
"Don't let Koshimizu hear that, or you'll be demoted." Gou said, coming closer to whisper. "Maybe he'll even transfer you to Abdiel."
His junior shuddered. "That's not funny."
"Sorry." Gou pointed to the vending machine. "Want something else? I'll pay."
"No, it'll probably take me 'til the end of my shift to finish these scans and photocopies. I'll just hold out." His junior tossed the can in the recycling.
"Don't die on me."
A lazy wave was given to Gou as his junior left. "I'll try not to."
Gou got his own drink, a canned coffee. He honestly hated the taste but needed the boost to keep himself working. It was way past his lunch break, so he couldn't get a moment to scream in the emergency stairwell or anything that could help keep his sanity. It was unfortunate. But that was what he signed himself up for with an office job.
Gou sat down at his desk again. There was practically a mountain of paperwork left to file and only two hours left in the workday. It was going to kill him to finish this by clock out, but he'd do it. He had plans tonight, and he wouldn't miss it for the world.
The 3D model disappeared onscreen. The congratulatory text came up along with a list of his drops. Aogami clicked a shortcut, allowing him to emote along with his fellow guild members.
This was a great way to spend his night, especially since he was off tomorrow. With Koshimizu and Abdiel constantly at each other’s throats, everyone in the company was stressed. He could tune out everything and relax with by playing the critically acclaimed hit MMORPG, True Goddess Metempsychosis, and sip away at a mug of tea.
Aogami’s attention was brought back to his screen, where their resident support had initiated a high-five emote with his character. He quickly emoted back, completing the prompt. Within the guild, they were the two who played the most frequently together. This was a common ritual between Aogami and the guild's support and it wasn't going to stop anytime soon.
Susano-o: as always, thank you.
Nahobino: thats my line my one and only tank <3
mani: can you two not flirt in guild gen
Nahobino did an emote, clearly demonstrating that they would not be stopping anytime soon. It brought a smile to Aogami’s face.
mani: i dont know what i expected
Madonna: aw come on they’re having fun!!!!!
Madonna: come on
Madonna: dont tell me you dont see a wedding between them!!!!
mcCool: i think they added more features this update
Nahobino: hell yeah they did
As this was an MMORPG, the wedding option in the game ranged from free to paid. The minimum that was included in the package was a ring, basic clothing, a cake, an emote, and some hairstyles. There was also a small selection of decorations, cutscenes, and music for the big day. As you paid more, there was more selection for the big day and dyeable clothing. The real reward out of the wedding, paid or not, was a ring that would let you teleport to your partner.
Nahobino: its real popular now
Madonna: yeah i think you need to actually book ahead of time!!!!
Nahobino: so sooner the better?
Nahobino: lets do it bb <3
His response was obvious. Aogami was interested in all the wedding perks, of course. Being able to teleport to their support in a pinch would make it easier to protect them. But having a closer connection to Nahobino made him feel… something. Maybe it was sentiment, considering how well the two matched in both playstyle and avatar customization. Something about the two of them just clicked.
Susano-o: yes. let’s.
Nahobino: wait
Nahobino: really
Susano-o: i realize this is not the location for a proposal.
Susano-o: but yes.
Susano-o: Would you marry me, Nahobino?
What in the heck was Gou supposed to say to something like that!? Okay, well, 'yes' would probably be the right answer. He tried to drink some water to snap him out of his panic—and promptly choked on it. Why was he panicking in the first place? It's not like Susano-o was the most understanding person ever whenever he complained about work. Yeah, it totally wasn't a crush on some random person on the internet!
He shouldn't be hesitating, just type already!
Nahobino: omg ogmogmfkldjhakjhgj
Nahobino: Yes!! I do!!!
Madonna: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Tsukuyomi is online.
Madonna: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
mcCool: congrats you two!
Madonna: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Tsukuyomi: What’s going on?
mani: susano-o and nahobino are getting married
Actually, thinking about the process of this game marriage was very exciting. TGM's marriage system was pretty advanced and basically acted like a real wedding. He'd have to pick out his clothes and match with Susano-o... Did he have to think about his vows!? Gou was already losing it...!
Nahobino: thats right baby!!! i bet see your faces there!!!
Nahobino: better**
Nahobino: im excited dont look at me!!!
Susano-o: should we sort out a date when everyone is free?
Susano-o: i will head to the church now.
Madonna: yes yes yes!!! i dont wanna miss a thing!!!
The ceremony would be two real life hours, including their entrance, an address, and the ring exchange. It was going to be a real challenge to get everyone together for such a long amount of time. Gou even considered playing after work, but he actually wanted to enjoy himself at the wedding, as fake or virtual as it was. There was going to be the Golden Week holiday coming up in a month, if everyone lived in Japan. Whoever mcCool was, they forgot to switch their keyboard sometimes and typed in English. Were they waking up at 5am to play with them? Even with all his worries, a date was magically set. He was going to get married (in a game).
Oh god, now he really had to go write some wedding vows.
Overtime sucked. He hated staying in this office for longer than necessary when no one was around. It was like going to the school at night—generally a normal place, but a perfect location for a horror movie when devoid of people. It really did suck, but Gou had to do it to attend his wedding.
Damn, that sounds really weird out of context.
As he hoped, the wedding between Susano-o and Nahobino was going to take place during Golden Week. The company was going to take a break then, with some skeleton members to keep the place running. No, thank god, Gou was not one of those members. But he did have to make the framework in case any of the documents he handled needed to be accessed. So basically, it was either come to work if he needed to do anything or set up everything in advance.
And he wasn't going to ditch Susano-o at the altar! He wouldn't do that to his beloved tank! Susano-o had saved him from numerous situations when someone didn't draw the aggro away—not that Gou really held a grudge, but it was nice to not repeat the raid boss for the tenth time.
That's why Gou was here, slugging away at work at an ungodly hour of the night. The one thing about Koshimizu that Gou appreciated was that he was able to direct their work and streamline them so that overtime was not a regular thing, unlike most Japanese office companies. So this was actually outside of the norm for him. And apparently, it wasn't just him.
A hand on his shoulder bought Gou's glance away from his monitor. "Suzukaze, any later and we'll miss dinner."
Yuzuru Atsuta was his desk neighbour, sitting at Gou's left. For some reason, he was also here to do some overtime work, which was weird because Gou would swear that Atsuta was the most punctual person in this office, aside from the division heads.
"Hold on, I'm gonna finish up this table first."
Atsuta nodded, sliding a paper menu on Gou's desk. "I'm gonna go make some coffee."
It was concerning that Atsuta needed coffee at this hour. Just how much work did the guy have?! Maybe Tao would be getting an HR complaint from Finance soon... Well, maybe not. Gou couldn't imagine Atsuta complaining about Koshimizu.
Well, he shouldn't be thinking about that right now. Gou needed to finish this table before his stomach ate itself.
"That was great. Nice pick, Atsuta." Really, he would've had to eat another convienence store meal if his desk neighbour wasn't there.
"It's my go-to for long days in the office."
Wait, so, Atsuta actually stayed in the office for more than necessary? "Speaking of which, why are you here?"
He gave Gou a look that the other boy could only interpret as confused or insulted. "What do you mean?"
"I'm pretty sure everyone in the department would've never thought that Yuzuru Atsuta would do overtime. Heck, maybe even the whole building!"
Atsuta relaxed once he heard the answer. "I doubt my name has reached that far." Now he sounded actually amused. "But I have plans this Golden Week that I can't afford to miss. I'd rather save myself the trouble of an emergency and prep now."
That was interesting. The straight-laced Yuzuru Atsuta had plans for Golden Week? Oh, maybe it was with Miyazu. Gou discovered the picture on Atsuta's desk of him and a similar looking girl. It was his little sister, who was currently in med school for nursing. Japan was an island country, after all. It made it really hard for overseas travel, which is why tourism was so booming for both Japanese and foreign visitors. It's also why everyone in Japan usually chose to travel during Golden Week, as it had the longest number of days off for both students and workers.
"...What's with that face?" He was now back to that face that suspected Gou of insulting him again.
"Just wasn't expecting you to do things during Golden Week."
Atsuta left out a huff. "I wouldn't have expected you to have plans either."
"Ouch... but I guess I deserved that."
Gou didn't think Atsuta could be that witty, either. They hadn't talked too much aside from passing work to each other or grabbing an extra drink from the vending machine. Maybe that'd have to change sometime soon. If Gou could slide more work onto Atsuta, then he could go home and play more TGM. It was a totally friendly friend thing to do, yup.
Yeah, Gou really couldn't wait to go home.
Aogami was nervous for his (virtual, in-game) wedding. Madonna had suggested that the happy couple do their vows with actual words instead of just copy and pasting their words in chat. He was willing to do so, but actually thinking out what to say and practicing it out loud was much more nerve-wracking than he expected. Is this how people felt during actual weddings? And they would have to do it face-to-face as well...!
...He really hoped the neighbours didn't hear him reciting his vows. It would be very embarassing to explain if he ran into them. Japanese apartment walls were really thin.
A notification noise brought his attention to the game's DMs, where his future life partner was messaging away for Aogami's attention.
Nahobino: hey future honey~
Nahobino: just did mic check with kahaku!
Susano-o: i did mine with tsukuyomi earlier.
Susano-o: i will admit...
Susano-o: i am afraid my vows won't be up to par with yours.
Nahobino: dont worry!
Nahobino: im sure we will be the cheesiest couple in daat!
Nahobino always knew what to say to cheer him up. Perhaps this marriage wasn't just one of material benefits after all. Not like it ever was. Aogami was honored to be able to experience this for the first time with Nahobino. They were one of the main reasons that he could relax after any strenuous day after work. This was just one way to repay the person on the other side of the monitor.
His phone alarm went off. It was time for the guests to arrive in the chapel. Because they had paid for the premium pack, there was also a guestbook to sign before entering. The wedded couple would each get a copy of the book at the end of the proceedings.
The chat was ablomb with everyone's well-wishes and excitement. The guest list consisted of the guild they both were in, the players that they partied with when the guild wasn't available, and some scattered acquaintances from either one of them.
Madonna: fjkdlsjfkdlsfjkdgjhfgkjfhgkjhfdkj
mani: i know youre excited. but please
mani: contain yourself.
mani: they havent even started going down the aisle
5gram: Ah, those two will be so beautiful when they do.
Hinata: A sight to behold, indeed!!
selene: it's not everyday that we get to experience something like this!
kahaku: yes, let's get excited!
mani: @Kushiel is in armor
Kushiel: ceremonial armor!
Amanozako: lololololololol
That was about what he expected to see with so many people here. All of them had quite the personality, even if some of them were being true to themselve or if some were roleplaying as their character.
pyroMANIAC: hey do u think i can set off fireworks
charster: YE LIGHT EM UP
Tsukuyomi: Please don't.
mcCool: at least not while theyre talking
pyroMANIAC: k @mcCool
Azura: i thought @Tsukuyomi was your guild leader?
Madonna: he is!
Amanozako: lololololololol
...They still had 15 minutes to go before the ceremony started. Hopefully there wouldn't be any bans in the meantime.
Nahobino: [VOICE ENABLED]
Susano-o: [VOICE ENABLED]
> (Microphone is set to "Voice activity." You can change this to "Push to Talk" under "Settings > Audio.")
> (These messages appear only for you. You can toggle these messages off under "Settings > Chat > System Messages.")
kahaku: aaahhhh it's staring!!
kahaku: starting**
Amanozako: lol
selene: here they come!
There was a narration by the chapel's NPC about how they were gathered here today to celebrate a union of the soon-to-be wedded couple. It was the typical beginnings to a wedding. As Aogami chose an angelic race to play as, there was a cherub leading his character down the aisle, throwing light sparkles. Susano-o's armor was white with something that looked similar to a tailcoat, so he had chosen to dress in a black tuxedo for today. He wondered what Nahobino chose. They had both agreed to keep as many things as secret as possible to be revealed at the wedding.
Except for the silver ring, adorned with a sapphire. That was an easy, mutual choice they both made.
It was silly to think his heart skipped a beat, seeing Nahobino walk down the aisle. Their race was human, so there were pixies flying to lead the avatar with flower petals. They had chosen a stereotypical white wedding dress for the day, and Aogami agreed that it was a good choice. Nahobino didn't even need a veil due to their long, luscious hair that flowed like a river.
Nahobino had reached the front, interlacing their hands with Susano-o. A timed prompt came up to ask whether or not to skip through the address. Aogami heard the click of a mouse. He also used his own mouse to press the 'No' button.
It was the moment.
"So... we're here." To be able to hear Nahobino's voice made Aogami a little bashful. Perhaps they should've talked sooner.
...To hear each other's voices before now. Not because of any other implications. "Yes. We are."
"Geez, what are we doing?" He could hear the smile in Nahobino's voice.
"Throwing. We are throwing. Hard."
"Pffffffttt—ahahahaha! Oh god, we are, aren't we?" Aogami found that he liked the sound of Nahobino's laugh.
It turned out that Aogami wasn't the only nervous one. It made him feel a bit more relieved at the situation, knowing that they were both taking this marriage seriously, even if it was in a game.
"Oh, uh, sorry, can someone flip a coin or something to see who goes first?" It was a good idea from Nahobino. Aogami felt some pride, hearing his soon-to-be partner have such a clever way to choose who would speak.
Kushiel: i got it!
Kushiel: loser goes first?
"Call it," they said.
Of course, he was smiling already at the prospect of this wedding. But Aogami felt it get a bit wider, hearing the slight mischevious tone in Nahobino's voice.
"Tails."
The one thing about MMO chatboxes is that there wasn't a notification line to show people typing. It was understandable, as there could be quite the amount of people in a chat channel. They were all waiting with bated breath to see the results of the coin toss.
Kushiel: tails!
"Well... here I go." Was it mean to say that Aogami was excited, hearing the nervousness return in Nahobino's voice again?
"By all means."
"I can't believe I was able to meet someone like you."
Aogami had to take a moment. Yes, they were doing these vows as if they were their in-game characters for the fun, but it was still quite moving to hear such kind words technically directed towards him.
"The moment I entered this world, you reached out your hand and saved me." ...From any griefers or scammers about to prey on a newbie. "I'm forever grateful for what you did that day. From then on, we couldn't be separated from each other. We were practically made for each other."
Aogami would attest to that himself. Whenever Nahobino needed to do a quest, Susano-o was not far behind with the same objective. They had played new expansions together, sharing their reactions and experiences as one.
"There was one moment where I almost feared losing you. On the top of the mountain in Tennozu, where we faced our biggest challenge yet."
He remembered that as well. It was four hours of repeating a fight against the boss Baal the Deity. In the end, Aogami had actually gotten the Holy Grail drop. There was a trade that Aogami insisted on making free... until he logged in again and was bombarded with Nahobino's trade requests to give him a Storm Talisman.
"Is it cheesy to say that love prevails over all? I wouldn't let you die there—I won't let you die, ever." It was quite the grueling fight, with Baal's wind attacks that had a Pierce effect through Susano-o's equipment. Aogami was sure that both he and Nahobino were both having a hard time during that fight. He couldn't imagine doing it with random players.
They really did know how to fight alongside each other. "From this point on, I will give you my all—if that was even possible. You already have everything that I could ever give you."
"I'll hold and cherish you through each and every moment of our new lives together. So, please, stay by my side. You're the the only one I want there."
"I..." Aogami was speechless. "Nahobino..." It was such an honor to know that they valued his company so much.
"So! Y-Your turn."
"Ah, yes..."
Aogami wondered if the shuffle of papers could be picked up on the mic. His second monitor had broken, so while he was waiting to find a good one on sale, he had written his speech out instead. It did mean that he could take in the wedding in its entirety, being able to see everyone's avatars and the chat box. He braced himself, giving himself a moment to breathe and clear his throat.
"You are the light in my life. I can't imagine being in this world without you."
Aogami could see the chat filled with Madonna's incessant scramble of keysmashes. "I remember you weren't very trusting of me at first, which was understandable. This world can be cruel and unforgiving. But you took that first step to take my hand. It still makes me incredibly happy, even to this day."
Susano-o was the designated tank, a role to draw the aggression of the enemies and keep their party safe. He especially had to keep watch on their members who had weaker defenses, such as the mages. Nahobino was one of those, a healer/buffer with a powerful spell that had a long recharge. It was obvious they would have to learn each other's little habits to work together as a successful duo.
"There are no words to express the feeling I have knowing you trust me enough to leave your life in your hands, and how this trust extends both ways. I would give my all for your sake."
He paused, hearing a sniffle. The chat hadn't indicated anyone else's mic turned on, so was it...?
"S-Sorry! You can continue!" There was the faint noise of tissues being pulled from a box.
It brought Aogami a bit of pride to know that his speech was so moving.
"Every day, I eagerly anticipated your return. There are numerous times when your missing presence beside mine would cause me sorrow. I wished that you were there, if only to make the world a bit brighter." Although altered a bit to match the situation, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that he would wait until Nahobino was online to do certain quests or events.
"I wanted to protect you out of duty. But now, I want to protect you because you are the most precious to me than anyone in the world."
"Susano-o..." Nahobino's voice was still wavering. Perhaps they hadn't fully recovered from their tears yet.
The flood of messages reminded Aogami that, yes, they did have an audience also celebrating their union in chat.
Madonna: GFDSGIERWFBHDFHDFKJS :'D
Azura: yeah thats what i expected her to say
selene: oh my gosh, that was so beautiful!!
Kushiel: whoa thats some real sap there
5gram: Such emotional vows, very real.
mani: seriously. you guys did good
pyroMANIAC: dats some otp material rite there
kahaku: i'm so happy for you two!!! <3
Amanozako: hey whyd you have to make ME cry!!!!
Hinata: Brilliant!! A union for the ages!!
Tsukuyomi: Not bad.
mcCool: here comes the best part!
charster: (whistle)
The ceremony resumed with the chapel's NPC speaking once more.
Will you love and honor Susano-o as your other half, to have and to hold, to be true to in times of better or worse, richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?
"I do." The mouse click also echoed from Nahobino's microphone and it brought a smile to Aogami's face.
Will you love and honor Nahobino as your other half, to have and to hold, to be true to in times of better or worse, richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?
He hovered his mouse over the selection. "I do." And pressed the button to say so.
Susano-o and Nahobino exchanged their rings, putting it on each other's ring fingers as the NPC continued with the proceedings.
Under the heavens and upon this earth and above the damned, you make this vow. Your bond will last forevermore under the eyes of the angels, humans, and demons.
You may now kiss and unite as one.
And as the chat filled with more jeers and cheers, there was a smile on Aogami's face. It was also quickly discovered that, yes, you could light fireworks in the chapel.
"Thank you-ho! Have a lovel-hee day!"
Gou gave a nod to the salesclerk, leaving to the tone of the 'bing-bong' of the automatic sliding doors. Thank god there was a Hee Ho Mart near his work, or he'd be starving until lunch. For all of Golden Week, he had contented himself with TGM the whole time and only took breaks to eat and stretch and make sure his body wouldn't collapse from staring at the monitor.
Maybe he really shouldn't have, considering he was going to have to go back to staring at a monitor, just in a way more uncomfortable seat. Gou was dreading the next couple of days already... But it just meant that he was able to spend all of Golden Week with his other half. Gou felt a stupid smile come to his face. The wedding was really good, and he couldn't believe the phrase that Susano-o engraved on his ring. The whole event still made him giddy on the inside. He would be using this high to keep him motivated for the week. Things weren't so bad either, as Gou caught the elevator while it was still on ground floor. He took out his phone, clearing out his notifications.
With a ding from the elevator, the doors opened and Gou looked up. It wasn't his floor...
But someone entered.
Gou just nodded his head in greeting because what else were you supposed to do when Abdiel, head of Production entered the elevator?!
She gave him one back before staring at the elevator doors. Oh, good, he wasn't expected to make conversation. They were both just waiting for their floor to come so they could go to work. Good. That was good.
The door opened once more and this time, Gou tried really hard to keep his gaze on his phone. He wasn't going to have another 'situation' again.
"Hmph. I hope you had a productive Golden Week." Abdiel was speaking to the newcomer, not him. Gou kept his head down, concentrating on the tweet that talked about maintenance for TGM.
"Thank you for asking, Miss Abdiel. I hope you had a good Golden Week as well."
Wait. Hold on. Gou knew that voice. That was the voice of his other half (from the game)! Who in the heck was he to talk to Abdiel so casually!? He moved only his eyes, keeping his head down to see a tall man with blue hair. Actually, the guy looked pretty similar to Koshimizu. Everyone knew that his brother was also working in the company, but was it really...!?
No.
No, maybe he was just hearing things.
Abdiel took a moment to look at the man, as if scrutinizing the meaning behind his words. "It was. Give my regards to your brother, Aogami."
"I will pass on your sentiments." ...There was no lying to himself about those dulcet tones. It only made the realization all the more worse.
The head of R&D was his beloved Susano-o...!?