—Preparation.
Hey, guys. I know there was a really long hiatus with this story, but I lost a lot of inspiration. I can't really promise that another update will come anytime soon, but I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Oh, also, I got a fan art! Photo is by @Izumilre
~*~
"Do you, Giotto Vongola, take Soren Corona as your beloved wife?"
It was a day of joy.
"I do."
Someone murmured in the crowd, "This is going to be the worse mistake in human history..."
It was day of bliss.
"Why is there a snake in the bride's bouquet?"
It was a day that will be spoken of with happy memories and wistful eyes.
"Somebody's going to die in this marriage and it's definitely not going to be the bride. Have you met her family?!"
The cathedral was decorated and packed with all their loved ones.
"That Giotto guy has a lot of balls whisking away the old Corona's beloved granddaughter. I'll give him a week after the honeymoon before they find his body..."
The bells rang and music echoed as they held each other's hands and stared into each other's eyes.
"Before discussing about whether or not Vongola's chances of survival is imminent, can we get to the alcohol already? I was promised alcohol-"
"I'm telling you. This is a terrible mistake. The bride's too beautiful and radiant and the groom is... well... the groom is..."
"He looks like he's going to keep over and die. Look at how the Coronas are glaring him!"
Yes, this will be a day to be remembered-
"And do you, Soren Corona, take this a$$hole as your most dearly bastardized husband who's very existence is an unfortunate stain to the history of all humanity?"
The Vongola and the Coronas sweatdropped.
Today was the wedding rehearsal for Giotto and Soren. The ceremony is supposed to be in two weeks and everyone was getting ready for the ultimate day.
"Okay. I think that's enough for today, Grandpa," Soren saw the sad look the old man had on his face, but she wasn't fooled. "I know you don't approve, but you were the one who engaged us in the first place... And supported the relationship."
She added as an afterthought.
Luca cried crocodile tears.
"You and that pervert had plenty of time to break it off! I changed my mind more than a year ago! I don't want to see you married! Waaahhh, Soren...!"
It was true. Luca had hoped his granddaughter would annul the engagement when she realizes that Giotto was an a$$hole via sending her to live with him.
Who knew that their fvcking relationship became deeper!
Uncharacteristically, Luca was bawling.
Soren sighed and attempted to placate him, letting go of Giotto's hands to do so. The blonde felt mildly abandoned, but smartly blended into the shadow in fear that the Corona Settimo might decide to beat his a$$ in public.
"I know, Grandpa. But Giotto and I have talked and we think that it would be beneficial that Vongola and Corona could unite in partnership. The business could do some good with both trading companies working together."
Everyone in the cathedral sweatdropped.
Yup. Soren still pretended that she didn't know about the Mafia.
"-And love!" Giotto hastily cut in. "We also decided to marry because of love."
Soren glanced at him and nodded, smiling kindly before walking over and kissing Giotto on the cheek. "And love." She echoed reassuringly.
There was a moment where the would-be guests for the wedding felt their brows twitch at the display of affection.
Quit flirting in public! Giotto! You lucky bastard!
"I know, my dear. But..." Luca sighed. "I only want you to be happy. And if being happy means marrying this idiot, well, I will try and look at the positives of this unity."
"Thank you, Grandpa."
"Okay. Enough of this shit. We've been here for three hours. I think we're done for the day." G spoke out for the crowd.
Everyone agreed and soon, they were exiting the cathedral.
Within Giotto's (overprotective) arms, Soren walked down the stairs of the building and quickly walked over to Elena and Daimon.
"Elena-Chan! Let's go pick out a wedding dress!"
"Ah, yes! Let's go, let's go! I know this boutique by the bakery..."
The two brides to-be went on their merry way to the bridal shop, hopping onto a carriage with the rest of the soon-to-be bridal party consisting of Neve, Tobias, and Ren.
This left Giotto and the rest of the soon-to-be groom party all on their own.
Giotto's POV:
"Giotto."
Turning around, the blonde found himself face to face with Soren's older brothers.
The doctor, Dante, was smiling at him creepily with a syringe (full of suspiciously neon colors, glowing) pulled out into the open, ready to be tested.
Finne held a dagger that looked very sharp and pointy, no doubt to draw some blood.
Alba, with an expressionless face, held a gun that was eerily pointed at his face.
They did this all out in the open, where everyone could see the display, but no one could interfere.
His hyper intuition pulled the alarm.
Next thing Giotto knew, the syringe went flying and stabbed into his exposed neck.
"Alright, let's toss him into the river..."
That was the last thing Giotto heard before he blacked out.
It would seem his in-laws did not look particularly happy with him.
~*~
"Soren, is that Giotto being kidnapped by your brothers?"
Elena, bless her heart, asked this as she saw a carriage with the Corona symbol dashing down the street through the window of the bridal shop.
Giotto could clearly be seen, passed out and unaware while Soren's brothers rode solemnly on the seat across from the Vongola.
Soren, who was looking through the displays, turned her head.
"Hmm?"
She squinted and then shrugged. "He'll turn up eventually."
"If you say so..."
~*~
Giotto walked into the Vongola Mansion, sopping wet and looking like a wet fish with hair.
The dignified Vongola Boss squeezed water from his cape.
"Where have you been?"
G appeared at the staircase, looking at all the water his boss had brought inside. Ah, the carpets. The expensive, velvet carpets!
"I don't want to talk about it."
"-But-"
"I don't want to talk about it."
G stares at Giotto for a long time.
Deciding that he doesn't really want to know, he merely accepts Giotto's current sulkiness and have the boss a thick packet.
"It's the paperwork for the wedding expenses. Happy working!"
He leaves out the door.
Giotto stand all by his lonesome, eyeing the thick packet in his hand.
He wants to cry.