to have and to hold (tentative title)
Pairing: Kuroo/Tsukishima
Other characters: Nekoma and Karasuno ensemble, Original Characters
Tags: Arranged Marriage, Fantasy AU, Friends to Lovers, Mutual Pining

Character notes:

Lord Tsukishima Kei

- second son of the Tsukishimas who are an influential and affluent family within Karasuno
- has been engaged to Prince Kuroo since he was 15; was deeply resentful about it but he grudgingly admires Kuroo anyway (not that he'd admit it that easily)
- they met at a diplomatic visit to Nekoma; Kuroo and Tsukishima had a sparring match that started because of Kuroo's 'friendly' taunting and Tsukishima's apathetic patience only stretched so long
- Tsukishima lost, but he builds up a tentative friendship with Kuroo in the week that he's there
- And then on the last day of the visit, it's announced that he engaged to him (the week was actually used by the Nekoma royal family and Karasuno diplomats to finalize the arrangement before anything was announced)

Prince Kuroo Tetsurou

- eldest son of the royal family
- fond of Tsukishima since they first; doesn't mind the engagement as much as Tsukki does since he's very aware that it's political + he takes his duties as heir very seriously
- at least until he catches feelings that is
- even if he's a good leader, he has a tendency to keep more personal problems to himself like Tsukishima does (but the latter is just more transparent than Kuroo)

Others (not everyone will probably be featured that much in the actual fic, but good to know anyway):

- Yamaguchi - Tsukki's childhood friend and part of the Karasuno retinue that accompanies Tsukki
- Yachi - also with Tsukki; apprentice to Court Mage Shimizu
- Hinata - travelling mercenary for hire and aspiring hero
- Kageyama - outcast/runaway noble from the Kitagawa Daichi province of Seijoh; joins Hinata on his travels
- Michimiya Yui - princess of Karasuno
- Daichi - captain of the royal guard
- Sugawara - comes from a family of merchants; also has a spy network
- Asahi - finest warrior in the kingdom once he overcomes his glass heart; very fond of Nishinoya
- Nishinoya - wanderer/freelancer; probably an assassin? nobody really knows
- Tanaka - also a wanderer but definitely not an assassin
- Kenma - royal scholar and Kuroo's childhood friend
- Lev - clumsy warrior in training. distant relative of the royal family
- Bokuto - a blacksmith in Fukurodani. no one's really sure how he became friends with kuroo (except maybe for kenma) since they tell a different story every time.
- Akaashi - court mage of Fukurodani; Bokuto's favorite customer

Plot notes

- The story opens with Kuroo welcoming Tsukishima and the Karasuno diplomatic retinue to Nekoma.
- Nekoma and Karasuno have held grudges towards each other for nearly over a century until their grandparents started forging diplomatic relations with each others' kingdoms. Karasuno needs the alliance with Nekoma considering that their relations with Seijoh and Shiratorizawa have become strained, bordering on animosity as of late. Nekoma would also benefit from Karasuno's aerial units (mostly wyverns) against Nohebi.
- The party afterwards: foreshadowing about a possible betrayal from an OC (political figure who wants to prevent the marriage to prevent the royal family from gaining more power than they have)
- Kuroo knows that there is a plot, but he doesn't have more evidence on who it is. In the meantime, they plan to be vigilant because the more probable time to strike would be on Tsukishima's 21st birthday when they would announce the engagement to the kingdoms as well as foreign dignitaries
- Romantic development plot includes:
  - Snark and banter from Kuroo and Tsukishima with slow reveal of vunerability
  - lowkey courting
  - sparring with UST (if i could write it)
  - Mutual pining
  - Tsukishima trying to deny that he could grow to love Kuroo -- is falling in love with Kuroo, and the latter somehow taking how he says it to mean that he deeply resents the arrangement.
- Kuroo decides to break it off (for Tsukishima's sake) and tells Tsukki that he'll announce it during the 'engagement party' (also tsukishima's birthday like wow way to go)
- But Kuroo was also planning to announce that they wouldn't need a marriage to secure an alliance once he succeeds the throne
- The few days leading up to the party are tense. More ominous appearamces by OC that makes Tsukishima start to definitely suspect him.
- Everything comes to a head when OC stages a coup during the party, but at least Nekoma and Karasuno (courtesy of Suga) were given a last minute heads up.
- At one point, Kuroo gets injured from defending Tsukishima from a blow meant for him. Tsukishima immediately moves to incapacitate OC with his dagger.
- *brief angst*
- Ending: (from Kuroo's POV) after Kuroo recovers from his injury, Tsukishima takes him for a walk in the palace gardens. They talk about what happened, about communicating better, and about their kingdoms' relations.
- But Tsukishima, in a roundabout tsundere-ish way, kind of proposes Kuroo this time.
- Kuroo is floored to say the least.
- "What can I say? You've started to grow on me. Like a particularly stubborn weed."
- They agree to give it more time but now, them eventually marrying isn't out of the question.
- Kisses. More overt declarations of love. The end.