That Infamous S-Rank Sentinel

Guide x Sentinel [Cool and Self-Possessed x Flirtatious and Charming], a shamelessly melodramatic, old-fashioned Mary Sue story.

A story where [the seme thinks he doesn't like the uke, only to discover that the whole world is trying to steal him away].

*

The sentinel uke is the top sentinel of his generation, and someone the Guide Tower guards against with the utmost vigilance, strictly forbidding him from coming and going as he pleases.

His reputation among guides is terrible. In person, guides ignore the sentinel uke, and online, they've even banded together to set up a private "hate forum" just for him.

Despite all that, the sentinel uke falls in love at first sight with this generation's top guide.

*

"Seriously?" His sentinel teammate nearly choked on his saliva. "Have you even read the reports about him? He's cold as ice. Don't freeze to death."

The sentinel uke nodded and argued, "A man who doesn't talk is obviously charming."

His teammate: "?"

His teammate: "Fine. But I'm warning you, if you keep falling asleep anywhere and everywhere, the Guide Tower chairman really will come knocking and make you take responsibility."

The sentinel uke answered carelessly, then gave his teammate a sidelong glance with his beautiful, flirtatious eyes and asked with a bright smile, "How could that be? Am I not serious enough about love?"

*

Before the seme and uke met, every guide the seme knew had mentioned the other, one way or another.

The Guide Tower chairman said, "That brat! He's always causing me trouble, but there really aren't many sentinels who can match his strength."

The former top guide said, "He's the kind of sentinel no guide can resist."

The uke was a sentinel of exceptional ability, but utterly unlike those burly, musclebound idiots.

The young man stood quietly in the dawn light, looking at him. Pale and delicate, slender and upright, his light golden slit-pupiled eyes rested in a weary, vacant gaze. He had a broken air that left guides dazzled and desperate to save him.

The seme stood still, watching as other guides surrounded the other man.

The sentinel's gaze passed through the crowd and landed on him. When he smiled, he was dazzlingly beautiful.

Surrounded by people, and subjected to sarcastic questions, the sentinel uke didn't get angry. He simply smiled and asked, "What's the name of your new top guide?"

Silence fell.

*

That day, on the guide forum:

[Can the top guide swear to heaven that he'll never respond to him in this lifetime?]

[Let him get ignored, emotionally frozen out, heartbroken, and hated by his crush, for my sake! Please!]

[Is there a brave soul who'll forward the top guide that stats thread showing he never dates a guide for more than three months?]

The guides were at each other's throats on the forum. Meanwhile, in person, the sentinel uke made his first move, only to suffer a crushing defeat.

The new top guide treated him more coldly and warily than he treated anyone else.

Rejected and put off yet again, the sentinel uke left the room. Outside, he noticed the new top guide's senior, the former top guide, who was also the only person this time who hadn't poured cold water on him. The man called out to him with a smile.

"Failed again?" he said gently. "You don't know him well enough. Why not have a detailed chat with me?"

The sentinel uke blinked and accepted the hotel key card the other man held out.

"Sleeping with his senior," the sentinel uke asked with a perfectly serious face, tucking the key card into his pocket, "does that count as one way to get to know him?"

*

Standing by the window, the seme watched the sentinel uke leave the tower. The sunset was blood-red, its vivid light falling over the sentinel's hair and shoulders, and it brought to mind the former top guide's casual remark:

[He's the kind of sentinel no guide can resist.]

The sentinel looked up at the person watching him, raised the hand holding the card, and waved with a cheerful smile.

He blew the seme a sweet wink and mouthed, "Love you, hubby."

Content warnings:

1. A shamelessly melodramatic, old-fashioned Mary Sue story. It's about [the seme thinking he doesn't like the uke, only to discover that the whole world is trying to steal him away].

2. A short, melodramatic romance. Guide x Sentinel [cool guide x flirtatious sentinel], with a handsome seme and a handsome uke of contrasting builds.

3. The uke has no loyalty and no moral compass, but at heart he's a devoted wife who loves her husband. The story gets messy and melodramatic, but the couple ends up together, monogamous. They are not both virgins.

4. There is an extreme amount of dfxr toward the uke and humiliating pursuit. Don't read if you dislike that. I'm writing this niche story that's bound to perform terribly, so please cut me some slack.

Theme: Love requires mutual understanding.