howlingplayground | Arranged Marriage

It's a trope near and dear to our hearts. Arranged marriage.

Maybe it's for the family. Maybe it's for a friend. Maybe you know the person and have been expected to marry them for years. Maybe it's the wedding day and you have no clue who it is you'll be tied to for your natural life. Maybe you've been married a while, and you're just now starting your life, away from the expectations of others. Or maybe, the "others" are watching, waiting, making sure this marriage sticks.

Prompts for those who need them:

Reasons:

1. Station → You come from a royal, noble, or otherwise distinguished family who has chosen a suitable spouse for you.
2. Feud → You are being married to put an end to the bitter enmity between your two families.
3. Economics → Your economic state and/or your station will improve through the union, though one of you may be marrying down.
4. Empire → You and your spouse are merging your businesses and/or property to create something more influential or profitable.
6. Tribute → You have been offered as a gift or appeasement, alternately you're the spoils of war.
8. Bloodline → Carrying on your distinguished family name has fallen to you and the equally well-bred spouse of your family's selection.
7. Disapproval → Your marriage has been arranged to keep you away from the person with whom you truly wish to be.

Scenario:

1. First meeting → This is the very first time you're meeting your future spouse.
2. Courtship → To get to know each other and encourage affection, your family has approved of you going on dates.
3. Engagement party → Be it a huge, formal affair or a small, intimate get together, you're celebrating (or pretending).
4. Wedding day → The big day!
5. Reception → The big party!
6. Wedding night → Every meme needs a smut prompt, right?
7. Honeymoon → Where will you go with your new spouse and what will you do there?
8. Been at this a while → Just starting to get to know the other person

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

He grins. "Well, there's the elephants and all the big cats." He teases right back. "Can't feed none of 'em, but maybe they'll be interesting." He grins, brushing a gloved hand over her cheek. Besides, he just wants to walk around the zoo, with his wife and show her off.

She smiles, leaning a bit into his touch. "I guess we'd be missing a big opportunity if we didn't go see the big cats."

Because Kitty hahaha get it.

"Oh yes." He says seriously. "Depending on where the cat is, might be able to get a pic of you with it." He teases. Because that pic will be funny to Kevin.

Still, he mostly wants to show off his wife. He wants people to be jealous of him.

She laughs a little. "I mean, I could definitely make it so that we're in the same space. But I'm pretty sure that'd be against the rules."

Not to mention a bigger risk than she'd ever take. But the smile on her face at least shows that it's certainly not a serious consideration.

He boops her nose with one glove-covered finger. "No." He says, mock-seriously. But he's grinning. Kevin knows she's not serious. "All I really want to do is show off my wife." He says, taking her hand. "She's beautiful and kind. I want everyone to know it."

She rolls her eyes playfully. "Fiiiiine." But she smiles as he takes her hand, and gives it a gentle squeeze.

"Well in that case, it gives me a chance to show off my handsome, caring husband too."

He snorts. He's not that good looking and is okay with that. He doesn't see what she sees. He fully expects himself to not get any attention at all. Kitty, however, has a vibrant personality that draws people to her. That is what needs to be noticed.

"Well, eat up and then we'll get goin'. Don't want you to miss the chance to be adorable with the lemurs."

Honestly, Kevin didn't give himself nearly enough credit when it comes to his looks.

With a soft laugh, Kitty takes a few more bites of her omelet. "I think I'm pretty full," she admits after a moment. She didn't quite finish her omelet, but she tends not to eat a lot anyway.

He really doesn't. He knows he's not bad looking? He knows that some people even find him attractive. But he thinks those people are odd. He can't touch anyone. He has to wear all his coverings no matter the weather. He's best friends - and former lovers - with a guy who is gold and heals with a touch. His other best friend is Afghani and turns to dust with a thought. (Of course, she takes no shit from Kevin and has a tendency to use her shoe to hit him in the head if he's being too emo.) He's just not that interesting.

He finishes his omelet. Another problem with having powers 'on' all the time is he has to eat quite a bit. "Alright, then lets go feed some lemurs!" He takes their food and disposes of it, properly and then holds out a gloved hand to her. "Ready?"

To be fair, Kitty hadn't thought much about him before either. But getting to know him now has definitely changed how she had once seen him.

With a smile, she takes his hand as she gets to her feet, linking her arm in his. "Ready."

He smiles, just for her. Covered as he is, he can't just drop a kiss on her head, or hug her close. He wants to be able to do all those things, but without the inhibitor ring, it's dangerous.

Instead of worrying about it, he leads her through the familiar zoo. He'd gone here many, many times as a child. Every big elementary school trip had been here. He wanders along the streets of the zoo, stopping at various displays with her.

The lemurs are done the same way as the pandas. He keeps taping her as one of the lemurs tries to steal food from her fingers, laughing.

It is a bit difficult, not getting to be as close as couples normally would. But she doesn't blame him for that, for circumstances he can't change. It's enough for now, walking around with him and getting to spend time with him.

They would have the chance to do more later.

She's just as excited about feeding the lemurs, laughing a little as one manages to wrestle some food away from her. "Hey, you little sneak!" she admonishes between giggles.

He knows she doesn't blame him, but there are times that he gets very angry at God for it. Father Frankie, the priest at the closest Roman Catholic Church, has been helping him through it. They have a lot of talks. Honestly, Father Frankie has helped him more than any therapist the X-Men have tried to get him to see.

Kevin laughs, seeing the lemur steal the food. It's something that he's glad he can take part in, even if he doesn't dare touch the animals himself.

After about twenty minutes, they're sent out. Kevin's careful taking off the outer layers they'd wanted him to wear. "Wanna go watch the march of the penguins?" He asks, offering her one gloved hand.

She can only hope that she'll be able to help as well.

Hearing him laugh, she turns back to him and sticks her tongue at him playfully. Once their time is done and she's cleaned up and removed the outer layers, she gives him a smile and takes his hand.

"Definitely."

She already has helped. She doesn't flinch from him, she doesn't crowd him either. She offers him space to be who he is, and that's more than he can ask from anyone.

So, they have to dash across the zoo a bit to get where they need to go for the penguins, but they manage to make it, to watch the penguins march through their building. Kevin puts Kitty in front of him, allowing her to see, since he can watch over her head.

The emperor penguins ignore the crowd, headed to their enclosure. Kevin manages to get some of it on his phone.

It's a bit of the run, but it's definitely worth it to make it in time to see the penguins. Kitty can't help laughing a little as they walk by.

"The way they waddle is just so cute!"

He laughs, watching her watch the penguins. "Think you're cuter." He teases her. This is why he's glad that they're able to go out and have fun. A lot of their lives is running for their lives, or running to help other people - they need this chance to relax.

Plus, it's nice being away from the mansion and all that will entail when they get there.

She blushes faintly, and squeezes his hand in of being able to kiss his cheek. "Even if I waddled like that?" she asks, just as teasing.

His mind flashes to a thought of Kitty pregnant, of her carrying their child, of being part of his future.

"Maybe especially." He says, smiling crookedly.

Arranged Marriage

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