and every moment brought me here, to this day, to you.
there it was. the day she had been looking forward to for so long. little more than a year after her proposal, she would marry lyon. and though she was certain that this was the right thing to do, she could not deny that there was a bubble of nervousness, located right beneath her ribs. but at the same time, she was calmer than she had been in a long time, feeling at ease as she checked her appearance in the mirror one last time. she was ready, prepared for just about anything that might go wrong.
she had hoped that she would feel like this, that any real nervousness that had kept her awake in the past few weeks would have subsided by the time she actually slipped into the heels that went so nicely with the dress she had chosen with jenny’s assistance. and now as she wiggled her toes inside her shoes, making sure that her shoes still fit and that she would not fall flat on her face as this would be quite embarrassing for her, she looked across the room — towards her bridesmaid, towards the brother who had agreed to walk her down the aisle — and felt the same kind of serenity she also felt each time she knew that she had all the facts and nothing could catch her off guard.
the happiness in her heart was great and powerful, swallowing her whole, and she felt like she was underwater ( in a good way ) as she would never be able to tell later on, which path they had taken from the room where they had gotten this close to the altar, because for a moment, she had gotten caught up in the memories of the past years and days.
looking at lyon now, she smiled. not because he looked handsome ( though he did, he always did ) but because after all the years they had spent travelling often but not always together, they were now taking some steps, important steps as a couple. for her, getting married to the man she truly loved was an important milestone deserving of celebration on the long way to living life the way she wanted it to be.
❛ take care of her, will you? ❜ jura muttered before he took a step back, his hand squeezing hers for a moment. then, he faded as well into the background as it was possible for him.
but then again, sherry’s attention was on her soon-to-be husband, focusing on him and his light smile to the point where the guests would have to wait for her i do for at least five minutes if jenny had not cleared her throat and brought her back to reality. but then, catching herself and smiling at lyon rather than for the cameras, sherry blendy said the words countless guests had gathered to witness.
❛ i do. ❜
lyon scowled at his reflection in the mirror. behind him, gray was rolling his eyes, tobi was blowing in a handkerchief and yuka was trying not to laugh. he ignored them, however, because today was his and sherry’s day and he was nervous. not about if he was doing the right thing because marrying sherry felt like it was the only right thing he was going to do. it was a natural feeling, he thought, to be nervous on the day you officially committed yourself to the love of your life.
there had been other lovers, yes, but there was only one sherry.
“they’re waiting for you,” gray’s voice got lyon out of his thoughts and sure enough, he noticed the absence of both yuka and tobi. gray was about to leave, “count to thirty and then come out.”
then, he was alone. lyon took in a deep breath and he smiled. he hasn’t seen sherry in a day, hasn’t even seen her dress. it was, after all, tradition. lyon himself wasn’t a traditional man, but–he would always do as sherry wished when it was necessary. he felt much calmer now, like he settled into himself. this was the best day of his life, after all. every action, regrets or otherwise, lead him here. and if going after deliora, fighting in the light alliance, becoming black ice, fighting against himself and other people his entire life all lead him to wedding sherry blendy–then he wouldn’t change a second of it. perhaps realize his love for her sooner, but still, he was here.
it was time to leave the back room and go out.
he saw ur in the crowd, first, she was smiling a small smile that told him she was happy. minerva was next and she, too, was smiling as if she knew this day was going to happen the night they first met. both of them bemoaning over lost chances and unrequited love. well–not so unrequited, eh?
he nodded at the three who dealt with him the last twenty four hours, a smile plastered on his face. it felt right. it all felt real and if he doesn’t deserve this, then who cares? because sherry chose him and he chose her.
then, jura came out with sherry. the sight of her (her being near him, in that dress and she looked so beautiful. she always did, even drooling on his arm) reinforced the fact that this is right. her being here, him waiting for her. he smiled, shyly a bit because of all the people, but his eyes never left her. the woman he loved.
jura’s word fell upon barley attentive ears, but he nodded. he would take care of her, of course, she could take care of herself. but. he wanted to care for her, and she would care for him. they were equals and they loved one another. for now and forever.
when prompted, lyon spoke with what he hoped had volume enough. he was an okay public speaker, but truly, he wanted sherry to hear them the most. the rest? they got the picture.
“i do.”
he watched sherry, she took a pause to answer but he wasn’t nervous. unlike when they got engaged, he knew where this conversation was going.
“i do.” she said and the world fell into place around him. he was itching to move closer, and felt his impatience with the speaker until finally, he gave the proclamation.
“you may now kiss the bride.”
both he and sherry leaned forward, the height difference wasn’t that bad, especially with her heels, and they kissed. his arm touched her’s and he felt the flower petals on his chest. people cheered or clapped and—
lyon vastia was kissing his wife.