Omg I love love LOVE this chapter!!! I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I do!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~(Y/N)'s POV~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As carefully as I could, I dabbed concealer under my chin, trying to cover the marking that Lightning had left on my skin. The small cut had scabbed over quickly, but every time I looked in the mirror I winced, thinking about that day. Every time I looked at the healing tissue, I thought about how I could have died that day. He could have killed me. He was sent to protect me, and he had held me at sword point, the tip of the sharp steel digging into my skin as I struggled to breath. A shiver raced down my spine at the thought, and I let out a shaky breath, looking at myself in the mirror.
My makeup was partially done, I still had a few finishing touches, and I still had to figure out something to do with my hair. Today was the day of my father and Mio's wedding. For some reason, I was insanely nervous. I had no idea why my hands were sweaty and my heart was racing. It wasn't my wedding. Sure, I was in it, but this was all about my father and Mio. I was just a bride's maid. Well, actually, I was the maid of honor, my brother taking the place of my father's best man.
I sighed as I looked in the mirror, suddenly wishing I had Mephisto's powers so I could make my hair exactly how I wanted it to be. I had never done too much with my hair, always leaving it down or putting it up in a simple bun. My looks had never been a huge concern of mine. I was too busy trying keeping my grades up in school to worry about shallow things like how I looked. In the end, it didn't matter how I looked. My family loved me for me, and I had the most wonderful boyfriend I could ever ask for. A boyfriend who reminded me on the daily that he 'wasn't dating me for my looks, but it was an added bonus'. A shy smile worked its way across my lips as I thought about it, a soft blush covering my cheeks as I thought about Bon. I knew no one was perfect, but he sure was pretty close.
I was torn from my giddy bliss when there was a knock on the door to the bathroom. I jumped at the sudden noise but quickly shook it off, reaching over to open the door. Outside stood Mio, her hair in a half up half down do. Small strands of hair were curled and framing her face. Her bright makeup made her dark eyes pop even more.
"Wow, you look amazing, Mio," I gushed, unable to keep my excitement from spilling over. She really did look absolutely stunning. Even though she was still only dressed in a robe, she looked amazing.
"Thank you, (Y/N)," she said, a smile on her lips. "You look beautiful," she commented, causing me to blush. "You look just like those pictures of your mom that your dad showed me; a beautiful young lady," she continued, reaching over to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear.
"Thanks," I said, looking up at the woman who would be my father's wife by the end of the day. "I don't know what to do with my hair," I muttered, looking down again.
"I'll do it," Mio instantly offered, moving into the bathroom.
"Y-you don't have to do that. This is your wedding day. This is supposed to be all about you," I stuttered out. She only smiled at me, ignoring my comment with a question.
"What do you want to be done to it?" she said, grabbing a comb and pulling it through my hair. I stayed silent, not believing that she was going to do this for me. It was her wedding day! I saw her eyebrows raise in the mirror.
"I normally just leave it down or pull it back," I muttered, not meeting her eyes. It was silent for a moment before she spoke again.
"Should I surprise you? If you don't like it I could always take it out," she offered as she continued to run the comb through my hair. I nodded after a moment, wondering if this was what having a mother was like. "Alright," she said. "Remember, you can tell me if you don't like it," she reminded me softly. I nodded once more. "Okay," she whispered. She directed me to sit on the closed toilet seat so she could have better access to my hair. I followed her instructions, letting her do her work, letting myself drift off into a daydream as she combed, teased, curled, and pinned my hair into place. I didn't know the last time someone had done my hair, well, except for what Mephisto did it before that meeting. But that was magic. This was real and in the moment.
Before I knew it, she was telling me to stand and look in the mirror. I gaped at what I saw. She had curled my hair, pulling it back into a messy but elegant bun at the base of my neck. On the right side of my head, there were two braids leading to the back of my head before they disappeared into the bun. Along with the braids on the right side, there was a piece of curled hair, hanging down to frame my face.
"It looks amazing, Mio, thank you so much," I gasped, turning my head from side to side, taking it all in. She smiled at me, her eyes shining. "Why?" I asked, turning around to face the women. She cocked her head at me, looking confused. "Why did you take time out of your wedding day to do my hair?" I asked. "This is probably one of the most important days of your life, and you took the time to do my hair. I could have just left it down, and it would have looked fine." She gave me a small smile, putting her hand on my shoulder. I looked at her in questioning.
"Your father told me your mother never had the chance to do something like this," she said. I frowned, confused as to what she was getting at. Her next words were shaky as she spoke. "I figured we could try and get some bonding time in before the wedding," she said. "I never had my mother do my hair; we didn't have a good relationship," she explained when I looked at her with even more confusion. "I didn't want you to feel the same way I felt, never having another woman in my life that I could go to." I could tell she was getting choked up now, and I didn't want her crying. If she starting crying then I would cry, and we would both be a mess. I threw my arms around the woman in a tight hug that I reserved for the most important people in my life.
"Thank you, Mio," I said simply. Her arms then made her way around my waist, hugging me back tightly. After a few minutes, we broke apart, both of us slightly teary-eyed but smiling.
"I know I can never take the place of your mom, and I don't wish to, but I'll always see you as my daughter," she said, her voice waving, probably afraid of what my response would be. I didn't have the words, too overcome with emotion, so I threw my arms around the woman, pulling her into another strong hug. This hug lasted for a few minutes before she pulled back and held me by shoulders at arm's length. "Alright, enough crying," she said through a laugh. "We'll have more time for that later, but now we both need to finish getting ready." A different look passed over her face, and I narrowed my eyes. "You better get ready, your dad has a surprise for you," she said with a wink as she left the bathroom.
I stood in shock for a moment before stepping out of the bathroom, watching her walk down the hall. "What the heck is with you guys today?" I called to her. "This is supposed to be your day, not mine!" She only laughed and disappeared into her room. I sighed and shook my head before making my way to my room to do the finishing touches on my makeup and get dressed.
For the wedding, I had picked a (F/C) dress that had spaghetti straps and met in a v-neck. The top was cinched at my waist before it transitioned into the knee-length skirt with was flowing but not overly so. The best part about the dress was the fact that it had pockets. I strapped on a matching pair of wedges before leaving my room and making my way down the stairs.
I stopped halfway down the stairs as a familiar voice reached my ears. I frowned as I realized who it was. What is he doing here? My curiosity getting the better of me, I finished descending the stairs before entering the kitchen where the voices were coming from. Standing in the middle of the kitchen was the last person I expected to see. It was Ryuji, standing in the middle of the kitchen making casual conversation with my brother and dad. All three men were swathed in expensive-looking suits. They all looked very nice, but I was too shocked and confused to acknowledge that fact and take the time to compliment them.
"What are you doing here?" I asked. All three men paused their conversation as they turned to look at me.
"Wow, someone's happy to see me," Bon said with mock hurt on his face. Without a word, I approached the boy and threw my arms around his middle. His arms snaked around my waist, and I felt a kiss being pressed to the crown on my head. When we broke apart, she held me at arm's length as he looked me up and down, causing me to blush heavily. "You look amazing," he said shamelessly. I heard my brother snicker as my face no doubtly turned the color of a tomato even through my makeup.
"You clean up pretty nice yourself," I stuttered out. "Even took the piercing out," I commented as I reached up to flick his earlobe. He swatted at my hand, causing me to giggle.
"If we weren't going to a wedding in a few minutes I would tickle you again," he said, a glint to his eyes. I smiled at him, the heat in my cheeks not giving me a single break.
"But seriously, what are you doing here?" I asked, looking between the three men for an explanation.
"Your father invited me," Ryuji said simply with a shrug. "I'll be one of his groomsmen," he informed me, though I could tell he was a little unsure. We both looked at my father for confirmation. There was a smile on the man's face as he nodded.
"Yup," he said, popping the 'p'. "He'll be escorting Emi since you and Tobias will be walking together." I couldn't keep the shock off my face as I stared at the man with bright red hair standing in front of me. "He obviously loves you very much, (Y/N), and he's part of the family now whether he likes it or not." I almost erupted into tears right there. I left Bon for a moment to throw my arms around my dad's middle.
"Thank you," I muttered into his chest.
"Of course, sweetheart," he said simply before I pulled back, a bright smile on my face. I then returned to Bon as my father and Tobias picked up their conversation again. A few minutes later Emi arrived, and then we were left just waiting on Mio, but no one wanted to rush her. Soon enough, we could hear her heels in the steps. I saw my father take a deep breath as he stood up taller and straightened his tie; he was obviously nervous. A large grin spread across my face. He was always so happy when he was with Mio. I never wanted that to end.
I nearly squealed in excitement as Mio entered the kitchen. She was swathed in a white lace dress. It was a modest v-neck dress that had lace all the way up to her collarbone. The sleeves were made of nearly transparent lace except for a few spots that had beautifully embordered white lace patters. The bodice was form-fitting which while the skirt was flowing fabric, falling all the way to the floor and even trailed behind her. The hem of the skirt where it touched the floor was covered in subtle lace patters. She looked perfect. One look over at my father, and I knew he was thinking the same thing.
Looking increasingly nervous, my father finally approached his bride. He took her hand and spun her around, just drinking her in. "You-you look amazing, Mio, absolutely stunning," he whispered, his voice breathy as he stared at the woman in front of him. "I feel underdressed," he joked, causing Mio to laugh aloud.
"You look fine, Cole," she said, straightening his suit jacket. "You look perfect, as handsome as ever," she said, leaning in to kiss her fiancé on the lips.
"Let's get this show on the road, people," Tobias shouted, grabbed Emi's hand in his own, causing the girl to laugh. "I'm ready for cake!" This caused all of us to laugh heartily.
"You heard the man," I said, grabbed Ryuji's hand in my own. "It's dangerous to keep Tobias from his cake." Everyone laughed as we headed toward the door, more than ready for this wedding.
{Line Break}
The wedding was beautiful for lack of a better word. It was perfect. Dad had been in tears as Mio walked up the aisle, her arm locked around her father's. They had both cried as they recited their vows. Mio's vows had caused both Tobias and me to cry when she pulled us up to the center of the altar, telling us we were both her kids whether we liked it or not. Dad's vows had been just as beautiful and moving. The wedding had been small with only very close friends and family in attendance.
Now, we were at the reception. Mio and dad had just cut the cake which ended in Mio smashing an entire piece into my dad's face. In turn, dad smeared icing under her nose like a mustache. This had caused everyone to laugh, Tobias and I making disgusted noises as they kissed. Their first dance as husband and wife had been beautiful as well. The whole wedding was perfect, and one look at the newlywed's faces, and I could tell they agreed.
"Care for a dance?" I heard and looked up to see my boyfriend standing in front of me, his hands stuffed in his pockets.
"I don't know how to dance," I stuttered, suddenly drawing a blank on how I was supposed to respond.
"Me neither," he said with a shrug. He extended a hand, and I took it, letting him pull me to my feet. He led me out into the small area that was reserved for dancing. Tobias and Emi were among the few other couples. Emi winked at me from over Tobias' shoulder, and I flushed. Following Emi's example, I put my hands on Ryuji's shoulders as his hands found their way to my waist. Slowly, we both became more comfortable, and I ended up laying my head on his shoulder as he held me close.
"I love you, babe," he muttered in my ear. I smiled against his chest before leaning back to look up at my boyfriend. There was a soft smile on his face as he looked down at me. He looked so undeniably handsome today as he walked Emi down the aisle. I couldn't stop staring at him during the ceremony. The lack of piercings made him look every bit a man, but I had to admit, I loved it when he had his earrings in. It was uniquely Bon.
"I love you, too, Ryuji," I said with a smile. His smile widened as he leaned down to press a kiss to my lips. I could only smile up at him as we broke apart, still swaying slightly to the music. He leaned down to whisper in my ear, and my face flushed red with embarrassment at his words.
"I can't wait until there's a ring on that finger," he whispered. I could only blush and pull him into a tighter hug. He chuckled at my actions, pulling me flush against him.
"Me neither."