Work Text:
"That's what you're wearing?” Adrian's voice was strangled and—Harry tilted his head—held a hint of panic.
The Alpha glanced down at the Flexi-suit and set of standard armor he was wearing. "Yes?"
A displeased noise escaped Adrian, nearly a full out whine. "Harry!"
“What's wrong with it?"
“We're going to meet your mo—Mera. It's my first time meeting her. Don't you think that calls for something a bit more formal?"
"And more specifically, don’t you own anything that's not black?" Adrian's sister, Melanie, piped up. "I think that's more what Adrian's getting at."
"No, it's not!"
Harry glanced down at himself again. His Flexi-suit and armor were both completely black, it was true. "I like black. It goes with everything and it's harder to see the bloodstains."
"That's a new set, there shouldn't be any bloodstains on it yet," Adrian grumbled.
"But yes, l've got colors in my wardrobe. Green, red, and purple, to be more specific."
"And you're not wearing those, why?”
Harry rolled his eyes. "They're a Military Circle. They don’t stand on formality."
"They're Royals. I think some formality is required."
The Alpha arched a brow and decided to sit on the bed as he waited Adrian's mood out, because there was more to this than just his choice of outfit.
"I want to make a good first impression," Adrian muttered after a few minutes, shoulders slumping a bit. "And I can't do that if we look disjointed. I know it might not make sense to you since you haven’t had to deal with the whole 'meet the in-laws' thing yet, but it's important to me and appearances are critical to making a good first impression." He sat on the bed and curled into Harry's side a bit.
Harry sighed. "I don’t think you need to go to this extent," he murmured, running a finger under the collar of Adrian's very fancy dress robes and making sure to linger over the spot where his claim mark was displayed. “Wear your green robes and your medallion, that'll impress enough." He smiled when Adrian whined. "You're a Runes Master, it's very impressive and there's no harm in showing that off. And I'll change into a set of dress armor."
Not a very intricate set, but the set he was thinking of would probably be fancy enough to appease Adrian.
"Do I get to wear dress armor?" Melanie asked eagerly.
"You're not Gheyo," her brother muttered. “So no."
Already Harry could see Adrian calculating what Melanie had that she could wear.
"No armor," he agreed. "But Flexi-suits—for the both of you."
"Harry!"
He held up a hand. "Flexi-suit under the robe,” he repeated firmly. "Military Circle. And for all that they're Royal, they're still very rough. There's a very real chance of an accidental stabbing."
Adrian grumbled a bit at that. "Accidental stabbing. Merlin help us all..."
Since the grumbling had started and Adrian's sharp, dark eyes were flicking in every direction, Harry decided it would be wise to go get changed.
He ran into Hadrian on his search for the dress armor he was thinking of.
Harry suppressed a smile of the sight of his ACE in a set of standard armor as well. "I think Adrian wants to see you," he said instead. "He's in a very fussy mood right now."
"He always fusses," Hadrian grumbled, in a good-natured sort of way. It had required a bit of adjustment at first, but they'd grown to find the fussing endearing, particularly when it was over appropriate dress and Circle turn-out. Harry and Hadrian could both handle it if they had to, but Adrian seemed to enjoy it and the other fussy, formal things that tended to be required as Royals.
Still, because Harry had said something, Hadrian changed his course from his private room to the shared bedroom.
Harry waited a minute, heard the door opened.
“What are you wearing?"
And then promptly laughed to himself.
Harry's brow immediately arched when he saw the number of Gheyos milling about on the training grounds behind the Cunningham manor, including a couple of Jokers he knew preferred to roam the realms than stay in Nevarah.
She wouldn’t have…
He promptly rethought that assumption.
Yes, she definitely would have.
He was tempted to detour and greet those particular parents since it had been a few years since he'd seen them, but with Adrian pressed against his side, he kept to his planned path, heading directly inside to where he knew Mariana and Jascha Cunningham would likely be waiting.
"Mera, my lord,” he greeted with a wide smile and a short bow when he found them. "I do hope this isn't the reception I’ll always get when I bring someone new home. Because if so, I might have to protest on Hadrian's behalf, since he didn't get such a wonderful greeting."
Over Adrian's head, Hadrian shot Harry a dark look.
"Cheeky brat," Mariana said fondly. "And no. Only when you disappear off-realm for several weeks without warning."
"I stayed in touch," Harry returned, lips twitching.
Mariana smirked in reply. “It’s not the same,” she crooned playfully.
When Adrian shifted next to Harry, she waved a hand. "Go on then. Let's get this next part over with so we can move on to the more interesting things like tea and ensuring that you didn’t slack of on your visit to Earth."
Harry tried not to wince. So that's how today was going to go. He'd anticipated that he would have a few bruises before the end of the day, but if Mariana was going to get personally involved, there would be more bruises than he'd expected. “I wasn’t gone that long,” he muttered as he nudged Adrian forward a step. "I'd like to introduce to you Adrian Pucey, my new Submissive. Pureblood, Earth-born, and of our element. And his younger sister Melanie, for which the same applies." He tilted his head at the girl, who was standing next to Hadrian, the ACE's arm around her to ensure she wouldn’t run off.
Adrian mimicked Harry's earlier bow, though it was a fraction deeper. “My lord, milady."
Mariana's smirk grew. "Adrian and Hadrian. Adorable."
"I think so," Harry agreed mildly and pulled Adrian back into his side when the Submissive started to bristle. As much as the words could be perceived as an insult, he knew that wasn’t what Mariana intended.
Two pairs of sharp, dark eyes analyzed the Alpha-Submissive pair for a moment. Harry held still under the scrutiny, well used to how unnerving it could be.
Nothing escaped the Shadow King and Queen's eyes.
After a moment, Mariana's smirk slipped into a more genuine smile. "Tea?"
"Did you make it?" Harry couldn’t help but ask.
"Impudent brat."
"Your Mera terrifies me," Adrian said, voice flat, a few hours later, once they were securely sequestered in their home for the night.
Harry chuckled. "She terrifies everyone. I'd think there was something wrong with you if she didn't scare you in some way."
“I didn't think she was that terrifying," Melanie said.
"And thank you for proving Harry's point," Adrian said, with an overly sweet smile. "Because there's definitely something wrong with you."
"Adri!"
Harry continued to laugh as the pair bickered for a few minutes before, with the ease of any older sibling, Adrian soundly kicked Melanie out of the bedroom.
"I don't think you have to worry," he said when things quieted down, settling up by the headboard as he started removing his dress armor piece by piece. It was dented in a few places—it really wasn't a family gathering if he didn't get pulled into a few spars—but those were easily repaired. "She likes you. They all liked you—probably more than they like me. And you survived a full turn-out, which definitely adds a few points in your favor."
"Flatterer," Adrian murmured, casting off his dress robes with a spell and nearly collapsed into the bed, burrowing his face into Harry's newly bared torso.
Harry twitched when he felt sharp fangs nip his abdomen lightly. One of his hands immediately drifted down to curl in Adrian's hair—to soothe or to warn, he wasn't sure yet. "What's that for?"
"You didn't warn me they would turn out in full force."
"I didn't know they would. Be honored though. They don't do that for just anyone."
"Honored or threatened? Because that many Gheyos feels like a threat."
Harry laughed and tugged Adrian upward for a kiss. "Honored. Definitely honored."
Adrian rolled his eyes. “Gheyos…”