Riku and I have been… around each other for many years now. I took a liking to him when I was 8 because he was the only boy on the estate who would ever spar with me. The others just watched and didn't dare partake in out outlandish fighting games. We were friends but as time went on we grew apart. We stopped sparing when he went to boarding school in our early teens and I didn't see him for a while. The most appealing thing about him is the fact that he isn't intimidated by me, but he doesn't fall at my feet either.

It was the first party held to find a significant other that I saw him again after so many years. He came to the first seven as he was obligated to be one of the eligible men in the group. He however skipped out on the past four so I haven't seen him in a couple months. Just like always he makes his grand entrance and stirs the pot just as he's ready to leave again.

“What do you want Riku, I'm clearly busy.” I said standing up off the bench not noticing that when the rabbit I was talking to had jumped off the bench and darted back into the closure of the bushes in the garden. “Yes I can see that. Where are you just talking to a bunny?” He asked in a curious and slightly concerned tone. “Rabbit, and yes.” I said hearing how absurd that sounded. “I know I haven't been here in a while but if you were that lonely here without me you could have just picked up the phone and called.” He said in an arrogant tone he stepped closer to me, invading my personal space. “Speaking of witch, what are you doing here?” I asked as I brushed past him making my way away from the cramped area between him and that bench. “Well I heard that the race was on for you to finally pick one of us. We all get dragged here twice a month. It's about time you decided. I figured I'd make my grand appearance and take your hand in marriage.” I couldn't help but laugh at that last part. When I finally caught my breath I was able to rebuttal. “You really think I'm going to pick you, not gonna happen Riku.” He didn't look surprised.

“I'm your only option princess. Have you been in the dining room? It's a meat market in there, and you hate almost all of them. Besides, you know you want me.” He said as he brushed my cheek with his thumb. Going off of instinct I grabbed his wrist and twisted it pinning it behind his back. I couldn't help but smile, this was a familiar feeling and as stressed as I've been this was helpful. Before I could get too cocky he kicked me in the knee and swept my legs from beneath me. As he dove down to pin me to the ground I grabbed his arm and flipped over onto him. I grabbed his arm and bent back as I restrained him. “Fine you win now let go.” He said as he smirked ever so slightly. We both got up and dust ourselves off as if nothing happened. “You're getting sloppy.” He said in a cocky tone as if he went to the ground a second ago. “Excuse me.?” I asked slightly offended

“I'm just saying, you're out of practice. I can tell.” “I just beat you in not even 2 minutes. Out of practice my ass.” “You know what i mean, when I reached you could have gone for a shoulder throw, but you didn't. And when you pinned my arm you didn't push it close enough to my shoulder blade so I broke it easily.” “Whatever.” I said as we both walked back into the main house. We were just talking about what our lives were like after we got thrown all these responsibilities. “We are literally 20 years old and we are getting ready to take over the biggest mafia in china, what the hell!” I said as we got to my room. We walked in and I immediately face planted on my bed groaning into the pillows as Riku sat in my desk chair facing me as I rolled over sitting up. “What if we just ran away?” I asked as if that was an actual option. He laughed at the thought of living like commoners.

“Not an option for us, and since when is there an ‘us’.” He asked with a smug look on his face. “Have you forgiven me for my absence?” He asked, prying at me with his curious gaze. “Riku, I'm literally being forced into marriage. I have bigger things to worry about, and they do not include why you decided to take a 4 month hiatus from your responsibilities.” I said as I racked my mind looking for as many other options as I could. “I have an Idea, but you're gonna need to be open minded.” “I'm open to suggestions.” “Ok so what if when that party's over and it's time for you to announce who you've picked, you just picked me.” “WHAT!” I almost yelled at the thought of marrying Riku, he was the only person who I could tolerate in long increments of time. He was someone I fought with, we threw knives at each other. He's more like a brother to me. We grew up together. Thinking about him in a romantic way would just be weird. “Not like for real, but you pick me, we get married and we go our separate ways. It's just a piece of paper.” He said pulling the chair closer to my bed.

“I can't do that.” I said with a blank expression on my face. I thought of all the things my mother would have wanted. Everything I heard about her. I had three letters that she wrote to me saying she was pregnant. One for my 16th birthday, one for my first heartbreak, and one for my wedding. “Why not it won't be romantic at all. We'll have to live together but we kinda already do that anyway, you don't even have to wear a ring.” “I was supposed to get married with my mothers wedding ring.” I said emotionless as all these thoughts darted through my head. This is actually happening, why? I couldn't help it but feel like my life was being taken from me.