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Nikolai watched Kiyaka carefully. She was enduring so much for the sake of keeping him from breaking down. Why? This selflessness, it wasn't something he was used to. Picking up the remote for him was one thing, but to endure burning alive? Even Leon was like that, dying for the sake of protecting him and risking his position to get him out of Hell.
The Sin glanced around as the room trembled and the lights flickered. Then, just like that, everything went quiet with a thick darkness covering them.
How cliche.
When the lights came back on, Nikolai breathed in sharply at the sight of Kiyaka collapsed on the ground. Before he could hurry to her side, he noticed quite a few presences filling the room, but the ones that piqued his interest the most were the ones that resembled Leon the most. This was undoubtedly his family, and although Nikolai was nervous, he couldn't help but wonder if he was older than even the parents.
The Sin warily watched the woman of the group approach him. "I am." he nodded when she asked him a question. "I'm to assume you're his mother, hmm?" he asked as he set a hand on his cocked hip.

Nikolai dropped his gaze when Leon's name was brought up. He was about to speak when he noticed the woman moving towards him. He hesitated as the hand was stretched out, only to fall back at her side. Nikolai looked at her for a moment before smiling fondly at her. Now he could understand where Leon got his overfilling kindness.
"I suppose that's why we make a good couple. He likes to take care of people and I like to sit around." he half-joked until his smile dropped back into a frown. "Unfortunately he's not here. He, er... He and I had a fight of sorts, you see..." He struggled to find the right way to explain this. How could he tell his love's family that he was caught cheating on him while still keeping up a good image? His looks could only get him so far.

"I'm well aware of how long one's grudge can be." Nikolai assured as he sat down. After a long sigh, he began his tale of everything that led to this point. He talked about the woman that had chased after him for decades, how she threatened to kill both Leon and Aysun (which he shortly explained was their new granddaughter) unless he pretended to be her boyfriend, and the trick of having Leon discover them.
"I suppose this is what I deserve for indulging her." Nikolai murmured, leaned forward in his seat and one hand running through his silver curls. "I don't want him to leave, but even if he were to come back he would have to endure me being with that wretched girl to keep him alive." His throat was dry. He needed some good old mind-numbing alcohol.

Nikolai glanced downwards and stayed silent for a while. There had been many barriers he broke to show that he loved Leon. After this, there would be nothing left to defend himself. He'd be completely vulnerable, and he'd never be able to turn back.
"Yes." he answered anyway as he looked into the woman's eyes. "I love him more than anything, and I'd gladly burn in Hell if it meant getting to be with him."

Nikolai nodded. He had never asked permission for marriage before. Sure he had gotten engaged to a few people before, but he always asked just them and would later leave them at the altar. If he dealt with parents he always got at least one on his side. Bedside, that is. And he wasn't in the mood for trying to seduce these two lovebirds.
But it wasn't like he could ask the wrong way, right?
"Mr. and Mrs. Court, will you let me marry your son?" he asked in a steady tone. He even lost his lazy drawl. Instead, what spoke was a voice that was nervous yet determined.

The Sin smiled lightly at the warm welcoming he received. It was strange, however, being around people like this, people he could regard as family. He never got close with his parents, he couldn't with the hard rule they were under at the time. Even now he couldn't remember their faces. Just faceless people that sat and ate popped into his memory whenever he tried to think of them. Maybe after all this he would try to find them.
When asked about the next step of the plan, Nikolai glanced elsewhere to avoid looking at any of their faces. "I'm not sure, to be honest." he admitted. "I planned on having some kind of ceremony, although I doubt he'd be willing to be ambushed into a wedding right then and there." He motioned to Kiyaka's body. "She mentioned having some kind of promise ceremony. I suppose that would be like a wedding. As long as I made my words clear and you all would be around for him to see that our marriage is accepted."

Nikolai looked at the mother as she spoke, feeling a lump form in his throat. He didn't want to think that there was a possibility Leon wouldn't even listen to him. He glanced at the brothers as they spoke, his eyes widening a fraction when he heard some interesting information. Those lime green eyes looked at Jared. Could it be...?
Nikolai turned around soon to see the father holding out the ring. He gazed at it, uncertain of taking it. It was a beautifully designed ring that still held some masculinity to it. Weaved in that metallic design were countless memories, and the Sin could tell that whomever wore that ring would be protected by the strong love that created it.
"... You realize who I am, don't you?" he asked after a while and looked at each one of the Courts. "I'm Nikolai Byko, I'm the Sin of Sloth. My past is no more better than Maggie's. Don't any of you despise my very guts? Or at least doubt me?" This entire time they had spoken to him with unwavering eye contact and kind smiles. They treated him like he was nothing more than a man with cold feet! Were they aware of how many hearts he broke? Of just how badly everyone wanted him out of existence?

Nikolai stared at the ring once again. Images of the kind hearted man with violet hair filled his head. The time they first met, when they told each other that they loved them, and all the other adventures in between. With this ring and the people holding it out to him he would win Leon back, no matter how long it'd take.
"Thank you." he spoke softly as he took the ring into his hands. Powerful indeed. The love embedded in the metal was stinging his unholiness. It was a pain he didn't mind, however. Pulling out his phone with his other hand, Nikolai looked at the time. It was almost dinnertime. Where would Leon go at a time like this?
No, that wasn't the question.
Where would Aysun want to go at a time like this?