Work Text:
Subaru sighed as he lay in his bed.
Tomorrow. Tomorrow it would be Valentine's Day. One of the few things he managed to implement from his world to this new one, even if it was only celebrated in the Mathers' dominion.
It was a holiday he didn't have much expectation for in the previous years, with his past-self more than aware of how improbable it was he would get any chocolates or confessions.
But now, a small hope bloomed in his chest. He knew that Emilia was still not sure of her feelings, and that Rem, without her memories, was as affectionate as a cactus, but still…
He hoped he could celebrate it with them. That maybe Emilia, surrounded by the holiday's atmosphere, would become closer to falling in love with him. A task that he tried to accomplish, but one that seemed like climbing a never-ending mountain at times.
He didn't hope for any confessions, or chocolate, except maybe friendly ones from some people.
But still, he held hope and anticipation in his heart that tomorrow would be a better Valentine's than those he had before.
And with that small hope in his chest, he went to sleep.
-
-
-
"Subaruuuuuuuuuu!!!"
Urghhh. All that excitement for tomorrow made him barely able to close his eyes.
What time was it? Was it still nighttime?
Wait, he heard a scre-
The door to his room was slammed open and Lucas, one of Arlam village's children, stood there with his head bowed, gasping, with his hands on his knees.
Subaru immediately got up to approach him.
"Oi, Lucas, what happened?! Everyone's okay?!"
He reached Lucas and rubbed his back as he tried to catch his breath.
After a few seconds Lucas raised his face, an expression of pure delight on his face.
"Okay?! It's amazing! Subaru, the merchants are selling chocolata cheap at the village, it's so cheap that even we can buy lots of it!"
What?
While chocolate, or in this world, chocolata, was not extremely expensive, it was something that could not be bought in a large amount by villagers.
He feared that these so-called "merchants" had more nefarious intentions in mind.
And he wasn’t exactly wrong.
He got on one knee and put his hand on Lucas' shoulder, keeping his voice calm and encouraging.
"Lucas, can you show me where they are? I would like to thank them for being so generous on Valentine's Day."
"Of course, I came here so you could buy some of that delicious chocolata too!"
And so, they walked out at a fast pace towards the village.
Subaru heard it before he saw it.
The excitement, the children's joy as they munched on that sweet miracle they had barely experienced tasting before.
Swooning and declarations of love all around them, from the young to the elderly. The sweet aroma of romance ingulfing the village.
…It seemed these "merchants" really set the mood. This was more than just selling chocolata.
Soon, they reached the village, and the full sight greeted his eyes.
Half a dozen stands were scattered across the center of the village, lines of people in front of each of them. Those stands didn't just sell chocolate-urgh-chocolata, they also sold flowers, from singular ones to full and colorful bouquets. Red, scented decorations were scattered throughout every corner, the sweet and new scent setting to atmosphere to be more lively, more joyful.
And in the center of it all stood… Anastasia?!
Why was she here?!
He ignored everything, including Lucas' shouting to regain his attention, and marched up to her.
"Anastasia, w-what are you doing here?"
While the incident in the capital when she used him in one of those failed loops was still in his mind, they had grown much closer since then. In Priestella, they both saw sides of the other they didn’t think the other had, and with all the adventures and talks they had after that, he could confidently call her his friend.
But she was still Anastasia, the Merchant Queen. No matter how you look at it, it was unnatural for her to do all of this. And in their territory as well.
She turned to look at him, he noted, with no surprise. Instead, a smile was on her lips.
"Oh, Natsuki-kun, how are you? Why, I'm jus' here doing business. This Valentines' Day was quite a marvelous' ide', if ya ask me. When I saw how much people earned last year, I knew that I couldn't let this opportunity slip away from me again."
There was nothing wrong with what she said, at least on the surface.
But…
"Then why so cheap? Lucas here told me you sold the chocolata at a price even they could get a lot of it."
He pointed at Lucas, drawing Anastasia's gaze to him.
Lucas flinched and blushed, the foreign beauty's attention too much for him as he backed away and hid behind one of the houses.
Anastasia's smile softened.
"Oh, well I didn't know ya were such an attraction for these children. And well, with how much I'll make from my sales, I'm not coming out of here with a loss."
She sent him a sly look and spoke a little louder.
"Although~ If ya want to "make it up for me", there's something you can do~."
Her words drew the attention of the villagers surrounding them, but Subaru hadn't noticed. His entire attention was on Anastasia and what she aimed to gain from this.
"And what is it I could do?" He asked suspiciously.
Her smile widened, like a predator finally seeing its prey in sight.
"Why, ya can spend the rest of the day with me. I get a little lonely, ya know? ~ And I could use a reliable knight to protect me, since Ricardo and the others are not here with me today."
His body went still.
Why would she ask him that?
If she wanted to speak privately to him, or set an appointment, going through Emilia was the easiest and most obvious choice.
And instead, it looked like it was what she came here for.
He was about to reject, not trusting where this would go-
"Wow, Subaru! This pretty lady wants to go on a date with you!"
Lucas-!
People started gathering around them, their muttering and encouraging words coming at him from all directions.
"Wow, for someone so kind to appear, offering such cheap prices all for the company of Subaru-sama…"
"Ha, it's just like my younger days. Such beauty and vigor at such a young age…"
"Go for it, Subaru! Don't embarrass the kind lady!"
That’s too much!
He looked around at the gathered crowd in shock, then back at Anastasia, who stood in front of him, smirking.
…She knew!
She planned this!
He sighed.
Dammit.
While he didn't know what she planned ahead, he couldn't, wouldn't, embarrass her by rejecting her in front of such a large crowd.
While he had anticipated spending the holiday with Emilia, he didn't have much high hopes for anything to happen.
And she had given them cheap prices…
"Alright," Subaru declared defeat, "then I'm yours for the day, Anastasia."
Her smile widened and she marched up to him, taking his hand in hers as she led him to who know where.
-
-
-
Emilia was waiting for a certain person to come through her door.
Today was Valentine's Day. A day to celebrate love.
And although she wasn’t sure what the feelings in her chest were when she looked at her dunderhead of a knight, she wanted to spend it with him. She knew he would be so very excited to spend the day with her as well.
She even made some chocolata(with Frederica's help)! He was sure to love it, she knew.
So, she waited for him to burst through the door, his usual enthusiasm on his face, making her smile every day anew.
Only- he didn't show up, despite her waiting over an hour.
So, she decided to search for him through the manor, and met Rem by accident in the halls.
"…"
"…"
They looked at one another, undecipherable and complicated emotions flickering through their faces.
Someone needed to clear this awkward air.
Emilia decided to "bite the bullet", as her knight would say.
"Rem, good morning. Did you see Subaru anywhere?"
Rem's face crumpled, a frown etched on her lips, as she tried to hide how she felt about what she said next.
"That person was apparently taken for the day by that royal candidate, Anastasia-sama."
She spoke with a sign, frustrated.
"To spend the holiday with someone not from your camp, how insensitive could you be?"
O-oh.
She didn’t really understand why or how they chose to spend the day together, but if Subaru wanted to spend the holiday with someone else, that was his right. She wasn't his, after all.
She looked down, expression heavy.
"Oh, I-I reaaally wanted to spend this day with him."
But still, what was this gripping and nauseating feeling in her stomach?
-
-
-
Subaru was ready for a lot. Interrogation masked as conversation about his origins. "Innocent" questions about an alliance, maybe. But not this.
The first thing they did after Anastasia let go of his hand was to get on a carriage that dropped them off in a nearby town. Then, she took them shopping through the street market. With her own money.
He was afraid of a 900% interest rate by the end of the day, but she assured him it was her treat.
Slowly, the trepidation he felt transformed into actual fun as they took the sights and he saw her haggle down grown men to less than a third of their asking price.
They then went to a small, but well-established restaurant, eating some Kararagi cuisine, which hit him with a strong blow of nostalgia mixed with fondness. Then, after walking off their meal, they found themselves sitting on a bench and watching the clouds, the sun slowly descending beyond the horizon in a marvelous sunset.
It was… pleasant. Enjoyable. Much more than he thought it would be when she first dragged him off.
Anastasia was a very fun and interesting person to talk and listen to. Maybe it was because, as a merchant, she knew how to engage and discuss things with a certain allure. Or her vast knowledge. Or maybe it was just because it was her.
It didn’t matter in the end. She took charge, something many people surrounding him don’t do, as she led him through what he could honestly say was the best Valentine's Day he ever had. So, for that, he was thankful.
Which had now led them here.
It was getting late, and he needed to go back.
But it seemed that Anastasia didn’t get the memo, as she tried to persuade him to stay for dinner.
It was a much more tempting offer than he cared to admit. The whole day was very enjoyable. So much so, that it somewhat distracted him from the pain of having to face another Valentine's Day unloved by those he wants to love him.
But still, it was getting late. The others were probably worried.
"I really do need to go, Anastasia. Thanks a lot for everything, it was… fun."
She looked at him with a playful pout.
"Why Natsuki-kun, a lady invites you to some dessert and you reject her? How hurtful."
A sly look flickered on her face as she feigned sadness, glancing to the side.
"Especially after I wen' through all the efforts to find a dessert with mayonnaise in it."
He froze for the second time today.
Did she say what he thinks she said?
"W-what?"
A small, sharp smile appeared on her face.
"Well, little ol' me know you like that stuff quite a lo'. So I wanted to treat you to some of tha' with the holiday in mind, but well…"
She shrugged and looked to side again.
While the dessert did sound appetizing, it wasn't what surprised or swayed him. Neither did the fact that she knew that tidbit about him.
He was…
He was touched, he realized. He knew that she probably didn't make the dessert herself. But the thought and care that went to her planning, to please him and make him stay, was not unnoticed by him.
It was probably some political move, his mind whispered to him. There has to be more to it, it reasoned.
And Subaru agreed. There must be more to this. Anastasia wasn't a person who would go to this length with nothing in her mind but kindness and friendship.
But, after all they did today, he decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. She was his friend after all, and he was thankful for all she did today.
The others were probably not too worried, right?
"Hah, sure, what the hell? What's an hour or two?"
Her smile widened.
-
-
-
It was a chocolate mayonnaise cake. And it was absolutely sublime.
They ate in a private room in one of those fancy restaurants, the ones that made him blanch when he saw their prices.
They were finishing their dessert, when Subaru finally decided to ask her.
"Anastasia, I had a lot of fun today. But… what is this day actually about? You're not the type to do these things without reason."
She looked at him for several seconds, befuddlement on her face.
"…Ya jokin', right?"
His confused expression showed her he wasn't joking in the least.
She put her hand to her head, a headache slowly forming.
"My, Natsuki-kun, you're supposed to be smarter tha' this. For what reason does a woman take a man out to spend an entire day with her, with the day being a day ta celebrate love?"
His brows furrowed, as if he was faced with a truly difficult question. Then, they shot up sharply, and his eyes widened in shock.
He-he was surely misunderstanding this, right?
But Anastasia's small blush as she refused to turn her gaze from him told him he wasn't.
What? How? When?
"W-why d-d-do, I…?"
She signed, shaking her head.
"If I understood it correctly, you are asking why I have this…feelings for ya. And honestly, I don' have one answer."
She locked eyes with him, not giving him the chance to shy away from what she laid out in the open, even as her blush deepened slightly.
"You're fun ta talk too. Even when we talk about nothing. A lot smarter and sharper than ya look, once we've actually had engaging conversations. Yar passionate, kind, and loyal. Fierce too. You're great with kids, Mimi won't stop ta badger me to visit ya."
She looked down for a second, catching her breath, before she lifted her gaze and once again locked him in her beautiful eyes.
"This gal didn't really plan to like ya so much, but she does."
He looked at her in shock, trying to comprehend what she said.
…She really thinks those things about him?
He wanted to deny it, not trust it. It sounded too good of a view about himself. Those were things he didn't even see in himself. But her resolute gaze and confident tone quelled any resistance he had, knowing it was meaningless in front of her.
…
He can't reject that. Suspect that. Not believe in what she was saying.
This was not the Merchant Queen, but Anastasia herself. Showing off her true feelings and thoughts.
That's why, the shame bloomed in his heart all the more.
"A-Anastasia, thank you. Truly. B-but I love-"
"I know."
Her casual tone, as if she spoke about the weather, threw him off.
He took in her face.
She didn't look at him in surprise, or sadness. Instead, she looked at him calmly, a small knowing smile on her face.
"Ya know Natsuki-kun, that even people who are loyal to a merchant for 30 years would switch sides immediately if a better deal was offered to them? That's life, and no one can argue that."
"I'm here ta show you my offering, and I kno' ya will take time to take it. But I'll show ya that this gal is the best deal you could ever have."
Her smile widened, as she laid down her winning hand on the table.
"Welp, that's I set out here ta do. I know you love her, but feelings change. That th' truth of the world. And I'm a greedy woman, ya know. So, I want these feelings, your feelings, for myself."
She finished, waiting for his response.
He looked down hesitantly, unsure of what to say to that, how to proceed.
"Well, I might've got somethin' that'll make ya see things a little differently."
He looked at her questionably as she smiled at him.
She wiped some chocolata frosting and crumbs from her plate with her finger, carefully traced it across her lips, then got up from her chair, towards him.
His gaze didn’t move away from her, shocked and entranced.
She cupped his chin in her hand and tilted his face up so his eyes could meet her blazing gaze.
"If you don't want this, then dodge."
He didn't know why, but he didn't. As she closed the distance between them, and their lips touched, he tasted once again the cake he ate only a few minutes ago. But why did it taste so much sweeter on her lips?
They lingered like that for a few seconds, and just as Subaru started to return the kiss…
She pulled back, that little blush still coloring her cheeks, a sly smile on her lips, some frosting and cake crumbs still clinging to them.
He wanted to clean them off.
"With my first kiss on the line, that ought to get you to treat me more seriously, no?"
W-was that her first kiss?!
He touched his own lips, now with the frosting smeared on them, lost in thoughts.
He took in the radiant smile before him.
His heart raced.
Blood rushed to his face and ears.
Words couldn’t reach his tongue.
It seems the road ahead of him might be more complicated than he first thought.
-
-
-
Anastasia walked through and closed the door to her room in the inn she stayed on after she sent Subaru away on her hired carriage, ready to retire for the night.
In the room there were many fluffy animal dolls and plushies, including a giant cat one on the bed.
She calmly, peacefully walked to her bed, not even bothering to change clothes.
Slowly, with each step, her face gained a slightly deeper shade of red.
When she reached her bed, she threw herself at it, hiding her beet-red face and stifling her squeal of mortification and joy in her cat plushy.
"Kyaaaaa…"
It seems the road ahead of her might be more complicated than she first thought. But that was fine. She was a greedy gal, after all.