Its a short One-Shot
All right so this is my first FanFiction that I have actually published. But I must give the credit for this story to my girlfriend. She probably won't want me to say this but I will. She originally wrote this story about us, with our names…but after a little tweaking and add some parts here and there it became a Mai-Hime FF! Yay! XD
NOTE: I am aware that in the anime, Mai and Shizuru are not childhood friends, but I felt as though our busty friend needed to be in here so I threw her in as a childhood friend...deal with it :D
DISCLAMER: Don't own Mai-Hime or any of the characters, they all belong to Sunrise…sadly
"Oh my God," she whispered, and suddenly the smile was gone. The young bridesmaid who had been evening out the crown and veil atop her best friend's head lifted her own head to stare into the mirror at her friend's horrified face, worried that she had messed up the dream dress somehow.
"Shizuru?" she asked slowly, scared. "What's wrong? Is it the dress? What's wrong?"
"Mai," the bride-to-be turned away from the mirror around to face her childhood friend, lace and fabric flowing with her movements, "I'm…getting married." Her face was a mixture of emotions: happiness, fear, joy, and terror. You could almost feel the vibrations of her heart hammering into her chest. "I'm fucking getting married, Mai. I'm getting married!" Shizuru wasn't one to use such language, but at a time like this she felt it was only appropriate to use such a word.
Now the smile returned – huge and wide and made of butterflies and rainbows. A smile of pure and utter happiness. She began to start pulling at her own dress trying to put it straight, but all she did was fumble with the fabric and mess the beautiful white ruffles up.
"You know," Mai said once Shizuru settled down and started fixing the now lopsided hair and crown, "If someone had come up to me middle school and told me that my best friend Shizuru Fujino and the badass tomboy Natsuki Kuga were going to get married, I would've slapped them across the face."
Shizuru giggled and pulled at the fabric of the dress. "It was high school, stupid."
"Was it? God, I don't remember that far back."
A voice called from outside the door, "Five minutes ladies! Five minutes! Is the bride ready yet? Everyone make sure the bride is ready!"
Suddenly, the hands of her bridesmaids were all over her, fixing a flower here, arranging a ruffle there, securing the bride's dress, shoes, jewelry, and light makeup. Shizuru just stared in the mirror and watched as everything slowly unfolded into place.
On the other side of the building things weren't as emotional. Natsuki Kuga stood at the window looking down at the courtyard where she would say her vows to her love. Her heart pounded because she knew she couldn't mess this up. Her father was in the room, sitting on a black leather couch sipping Scotch. He was always a drinker but he knew his limits.
Natsuki turned to him and he noticed there was an expression of worry and anxiousness on her face. He stood and placed his drink on the table. He made his way over to her and enveloped her in one of his signature bear hugs. She wrapped her arms around him instantly and it calmed her to have her father there for her.
Suddenly a woman peeked through the door with signs of stress seeping from her pores. "It is time," she said and left.
A bell rang in the distance and Shizuru's heart stopped. This is it, she thought and a huge smile spread across her face. Her bridesmaids hustled out of the dressing room, grabbed their bouquets of flowers and gathered outside the big church doors, hearts beating in unison. The bride stood at the back, one hand looped around her father's arm and the other clutching a huge bouquet of white and red roses.
The music began, the classic wedding tune.
The doors opened slowly to the courtyard. Oh shit. Fear replaced the happiness and gripped the bride's heart with the talons of an eagle. Her smile faded and her eyes darted nervously back and forth between the rows of people before her.
It was beautiful. Like a dream, really. Rows upon rows of people sat staring as the bridesmaids filed out and took their places in a row at the altar.
Then it was Shizuru's turn. Oh shit. She took a step and then another, her head bent down to make sure her feet were moving. Then she was walking. She lifted her head and glanced anxiously ahead.
Yes, there she was. Clad in a black tuxedo, Natsuki stood at the altar next to the priest, hands folded neatly in front of her, hair flowing down in a smooth wave slightly past her shoulders, and a smile that both stopped Shizuru's heart and made it flutter at the same time. Natsuki's calm gaze, a deep green and dark, gave Shizuru the courage to calm her shaky knees and walk normally. Natsuki was beautiful. Perfect.
Shizuru's smile reappeared, wider this time, as she stepped forth. Halfway there. Natsuki looked like she was lost in a fantasy world. A goofy smile that stretched from ear to ear plastered her face and her eyes stared. Maybe it was just because she was walking, but Shizuru could've sworn her love swayed a bit on her feet.
The bride's mind was blank as she walked. The only thing in it was Natuski, Natsuki, Natsuki... however, she was so engrossed in this one thought that when the toe of her shoe bumped up against the bottom step of the altar, it took all her willpower not to scream and jump, and with much focus and concentration, she managed to climb them, one by one, until she was there, standing before her love who was staring at her with dreamy eyes.
Shizuru clutched her flowers close and turned to the priest who was smiling as well.
The priest cleared his throat. "We are gathered here today…"
He seemed to go on forever, something about love and soul mates. She tried to listen; she really did want to hear what this guy was saying, but she just couldn't. She didn't know what it was, but she just couldn't focus on his words. Her mind kept floating back to the memories of being at the movies with Natsuki, kissing Natsuki, sitting in the park with Natsuki, kissing Natsuki, snuggling up against Natsuki in her bed, and kissing Natsuki. For years and years she had dreamed of marrying her, and it was finally the day. She was standing at the altar with Natsuki…marrying her. Shizuru pinched herself beneath the coverage of the flowers she was holding and …nothing happened. It wasn't a dream. It was real. She felt the tears well up beneath her eyelids and she fought them back. Not yet.
Suddenly Natsuki turned towards her. Shizuru turned with her. They took hands and stared into each other's eyes. She watched Natsuki take a breath and say smoothly, "I, Natsuki Kuga, take you Shizuru Fujino, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part."
Shizuru watched as a single tear fell from her love's eyes as she reached that last line. She wanted so desperately to reach up and kiss away that tear, but she knew that it was her turn. She took a shaky breath, felt her heart slam against her chest, and clutched Natsuki's hands tightly.
"I, Shizuru Fujino, take you Natsuki Kuga, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part."
"I now pronounce you wife and wife," spoke the priest next to them; Shizuru had forgotten he was here. "You may kiss the bride."
Suddenly Natsuki's lips were on hers. She had no breath left from her vows, but she didn't care. Shizuru felt Natsuki's arm at her back, pulling her even closer while the other one still gripped Shizuru's hand. There was nothing different about this kiss than any of the others and yet this kiss was nothing like all the others before. Their lips moved in much the same way and yet it was deeper, more passionate. She could almost feel their souls colliding to form one large one and her heart skipped, like, twenty beats. Natsuki was hers. It was official. And she was Natsuki's. Forever.
Thanks for reading. Please review. Flames are welcome...I really don't care as long as you read it :P