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"Your type," Lloyd repeats, his hands on your hips as he helps you balance on the metal scaffolding against his newest robotic weapon. A few days ago he showed you how to properly attach and alter some wires, and he finds your fingers nimbler and quicker than his. So instead of doing the painfully slow work himself, or observing a standard enlisted mechanical engineer, he would rather get you to do it.
"Clarify," you demand, finding a new wire and trying to mentally figure out where it has to go as you mostly ignore Lloyd. Ignore his hands on your hips, his voice, the way he was supporting you up high enough that a fall would cause serious and permanent brain damage.
"Sociopaths. Respectable. Older. Prominent and smart in their own fields."
"I think you're flattering yourself... Manual?" Your holding a wire against a small metal box, and Lloyd craned forward to see what colour it was.
"No, automatic. Move that wire to the left of the red one... Did you decide wether to accept Schneizel's offer yet?"
You almost snapped the wire in half and shifted away from him. Doing such almost made you fall and you grabbed hold of the scaffolding above you to lift yourself up a level. You slip into the pilot's cockpit and work on some of the wiring up there as Lloyd follows and gives you instructions, leaning against of the console.
"I think it's time you sat down and decided on who to marry- or if you don't want to at all. If you wait too long, the offers may vanish."
"Why? Planning on taking your offer back so soon?" You toy, and he grins as he leans forward and breathes against your lips. "No. I'm planning on keeping you to myself until the moment you and Schneizel are wedded."
"Who says I won't choose you?"
Lloyd kissed your lips, pushing you soundly against the seat, slipping off from his perch to pin you down.
"Decide before both of us get bored," and he stood up and left you alone in the confined space. And you sighed and continued to lean back, knowing you were not included in that 'us'.

~XxX~

"We were just discussing a few things, darling." Schneizel greets you as he stands up, an arm out for you. You walk to him and settle down in the seat next to him, that arm over your shoulders. The women he's talking to is chic and modern, and she looks strict and professional in a way which would make nobody doubt her words.
"Can I ask what it was you were discussing?"
"A shift in my popularity once we marry. It's a lot of public relations once you're part of my family. But since you're here, let's talk about how we can announce the engagement- once you accept, that is."
The most surprising thing was, besides the fact Lloyd ambushed you with a proposal after Schneizel gave you one, was that they were both pleased you would take your time deciding. In their mind, it was not a decision which should be made within a five second period.
"Just a few more days, I know it's an unusual request-"
"Anything you wish, darling." And that ended the conversation of engagements.

~XxX~

You could still kiss him.
You could walk into his office and drag Lloyd into a kiss which ended with him pinning you down his body so warm against yours. And you could throw your arms around Schneizel's body when he was alone in his study and he would pull you into his lap. Both men knew you were desperate for the other since you had to say goodbye to one- though neither said anything about you keeping that up after being officially engaged.
Schneizel and you had never dated. Acquaintances, yes. Briefly lovers, of course. He valued your opinion and you knew just how harsh he was on the inside. But if anybody was to guess, they would say it was you and Kanon who were having an affair.
You and Lloyd had been working next to each other for years. Never had he given you much of a second glance, you belonged to your department, and he belonged to his. You two were both civilians though, and that occasionally pushed the both of you into the same computer labs, in the same briefings, and eventually he would occasionally pop into your own office for some advice on more theoretical matters.
You thought he hated you until Cecile reported that he was fond of you, and thought of you as a friend. And then a few months later he suddenly asked for you to marry him.
You didn't know why either man said what they did.
You doubted it was romance though, perhaps rivalry between the patron and scientist, or maybe you were simply the only available option they knew of.
Regardless, you knew this was the only chance at marriage you would get. Besides, you really did love those two and would marry either in a heartbeat (if only one had asked). Why did they have to make you choose though?