Best Man
"Ugh!"
I roll my eyes irritably. Again? I ignore the commotion coming from the corner.
"Pink! Why pink?" Yumi complains, stepping from behind the dressing screen, stretching awkwardly to zip the back of her silky dress.
I shrug casually, pretending as though she and I hadn't already been through this argument dozens of times. Really, it's just a color.
From the petite vanity mirror I sit in front of, I watch Yumi's aggravated eyes narrow with frustration.
"Why don't you wear it?"
"Because it's my wedding." I speak serenely as I sweep another coat of mascara across my eyelashes. "I have to wear white."
"Silly traditions," Yumi mumbles to herself, smoothing the creases from her glossy bodice. I give her an exasperated look from my seat at the vanity and she sighs softly. "I guess it's not so bad."
Smiling at her words, I know intuitively that she secretly adores how she looks in such a delicate color. It highlights the roses in her cheeks becomingly and raven hair brushes across her pale face with tiny pink beads entwined throughout her tresses. She just might be the loveliest maid of honor ever.
"It's a little too late for you to be complaining, anyway." I can hardly keep the smile off my face. Happiness swells within me, pure ecstasy pours from my veins.
I'm getting married today, I'm getting married today!
My mind cheers and it takes everything within me to keep from spinning childishly in the vanity seat. Girlish giggles escape my lips and I fail to remember the last time I felt this perfect.
"You look amazing," Yumi promises as she teeters toward me in her high heels. Giggling at her unsteady steps, I stand up quickly to help balance her. She rolls her eyes at her impractical shoes before smiling warmly.
"You know, Jeremie thought you were beautiful when you were a handful of pixels." She brushes her fingers sweetly across my cheek and my eyes close with her friendly gesture.
"Aelita, you are going to blow him away," she whispers in my ear as we hug. I clutch her tightly, grateful for her words. We cling to each other a moment longer before she steps away and gathers her bouquet of pink carnations.
"I'm going to make sure everything's set up," she says cheerfully while she toddles to the door. Pausing at the exit, she turns around a final time, beaming brilliantly. "I'll see you down the aisle."
"Wait!" I call out hastily before the door clicks in place. Yumi pokes her head in again curiously, wanting to know if I need any more help getting ready.
"Thank you, Yumi."
She nods silently, beaming still. Her dark head disappears swiftly, the door clicks, and I am left alone.
Humming the wedding march joyfully, I skip across the small room to the bay window. Pulling the burgundy curtains away, the room floods with sudden light and everything appears as bright as I feel. While I open the window, I hear footsteps outside my door.
"Yumi! If this is you coming in to complain about the dress color one more time, well, I don't know what to tell you!" I shout teasingly. I'm in far too good of a mood to be bothered by her numerous complaints.
"I'm not worried about the dress color," comes a falsetto voice that is most certainly not Yumi's. I twirl around to discover Odd standing in a feminine pose in the doorway.
He places a hand dramatically on his forehead and continues his ridiculous imitation of Yumi.
"I'm worried about whether Ulrich and I will dance together at the reception. I'm worried if we'll make it painfully obvious that we love each other even though we never admit it. I'm worried we might actually finally confess our love for the first time."
With his last words, he pretends to swoon and falls spectacularly onto the carpet. His freckled face glows in the stream of sunlight that he landed in and his smile appears more radiant than the sun as he looks up toward me.
"Hello, Odd," I manage to say between giggles.
"Hi," he answers me as he stands up, brushing invisible dust off his shoulder. I glance by the entrance, expecting to see Yumi standing there irritated by Odd's joke.
"Did Yumi send you in to check on me?" I question when I fail to see Yumi's blushing face.
"No, I just saw her leave and decided to come see you."
"Oh."
Am I thrilled that he chose to visit me on his own? Secretively I am, but I know I shouldn't feel my heart race more rapidly due to his presence.
'This isn't Jeremie!' I remind myself furiously. Odd turns his wide smile onto me, and, all of a sudden, I feel as though my make up is much too heavy and my dress is much too revealing.
A blush smolders on my cheeks and I look away from Odd's gaze. He, too, blushes and looks down at his dress shoes.
"So," Odd says shuffling his feet, "do you need help with anything?" He turns his face awkwardly towards mine.
"No. I'm sure I can manage," I say quickly as I turn away from the blithe boy who shines like the sun. I settle once again by the vanity to dust more blush onto my already colored cheeks. "Thank you, though," I speak softly, careful not to turn around and face him.
"Anytime."
I hear his footsteps patter behind me hesitantly. My breath catches in my mouth and my heart leaps into my throat as Odd tenderly takes the brush out of my hands. He lays it on the vanity table before standing behind me. My skin burns at his touch as he encircles his arms around my lithe frame and rests his head on my bare shoulder.
"You're beautiful, Aelita."
His genuine words spill low and serious from his throat and make my heart skip a beat. Goosebumps spread across my arms as his breath tickles the small hairs on my exposed neck.
"Aelita," I repeat tentatively. My name settles thick and awkward in my own mouth. The foreign syllables tumble across my tongue. It's discomforting to hear Odd call me by my given name. "Am I no longer Princess?"
"You're not a princess today. Today you're a bride."
A thoughtful silence falls around us as we lean against one another. Staring into the mirror, I observe how the sunlight brings out his freckles, how his cheek is dimpled with a smile. His world-blue eyes dance and I realize that he is staring at the pair of us.
Us. There will never be an us.
I watch the mirror as a look of pain briefly crosses my face in the mirror as I suddenly realize that this is probably the last moment he and I will share before my marriage to Jeremie. He notices my expression and swiftly moves his head. The secret patch of skin beneath my ear burns where his lips graze.
With my entire being, I will myself to not cry. To not fling myself into Odd's arms and run off with him. I could never break Jeremie's heart like that.
But I cannot stop myself from the next sentence I utter. My words feel like iron, grating against my throat, desperate to escape.
"I love you, too, you know."
Suddenly, my side feels cold and misses his body warmth. He hurriedly steps away from his spot behind me, and I am forced to turn around and face him. From his new stance, the sunlight can't quite reach him, and half his boyish face is cast into hazy shadow.
"I know," he tells me bluntly with a small trace of happiness laced in his voice. "But we both love Jeremie more."
Without another word, he leaves my dressing room. Unable to watch the door shut, I examine myself one last time in the mirror. Careful to not smear my mascara, I wipe unshed tears from my glistening eyes.
"No sense crying, Aelita," I whisper to myself. "Odd's right, you love Jeremie more."
With renewed vigor, I smile. At first, it wavers on my face, unsteady and unsure. But quickly, it gathers determined confidence, and I feel nearly as good as new.
'I'm getting married today, I'm getting married today.'
My thoughts drift to Jeremie and Odd falls to the back of my mind.
"Princess?" A rough voice reaches my ears, and I turn around to see Ulrich standing in the doorway nervously.
"Yes, Ulrich?"
"Your public awaits you," he answers me. I feel the blood drain from my face. "Are you alright?" he asks, cautiously, looking behind his shoulder as though trying to locate Yumi and have her deal with whatever mess I am about to shelve onto him.
"I'm fine. Really," I reassure him. His shoulders relax and he smiles sheepishly at me. Honestly, you'd think he'd be the one getting married for how anxious he just looked. "Nervous, that's all."
"Aw, don't be. It's Jeremie," he says like it's the answer to all of my questions. "You look great," he adds as he gives me a once over.
"Am I pretty?" I joke lightly, looking up at his handsome face through my lashes. He gives me a stern look that's ruined by the twitching of his lips.
"You're fishing for compliments," he says, neglecting to answer my question.
"Indulge me. It's my wedding."
"Yes, you're pretty," he admits reluctantly, straightening his tie and avoiding my eyes.
"Prettier than Yumi?" I bait him, amusing myself with my own tactics. Ulrich sighs oppressively, but sneaks a look at me through the corner of his eyes.
"Will you settle for as pretty as Yumi?" he asks. His exasperated tone makes me laugh, and I bring his warm hand up to my mouth to kiss his knuckles gleefully.
"Yes. I think that might be the best praise anyone could ever get from you."
Rolling his eyes, he ignores my teasing. The wedding march swells in the background, and all the guests stand, eagerly waiting for my entrance.
My heart runs a mile a minute. I glance anxiously up at Ulrich and impatiently wait for him to urge me forward for I have lost the ability to move. With a knowing smile, he pats my head like the older brother I never had.
"Ready, Princess?"
Swallowing my apprehension, I accept his proffered arm and lean into his comforting warmth.
"Ready," I whisper softly as we take our first steps down the carpeted aisle.
"You may now kiss the bride."
My elation from earlier has returned in full swing. The delighted cheers from our guests fall upon our deaf ears. I am lost to a world of sky-blue eyes and the loveliest, most caring smile. His touch not only tingles against my lips, but fills me with affectionate warmth that travels the length of my spine and directly into my soul.
We break our chaste kiss much too quickly and together we laugh as joyfully as children. Yes, I know I may love Odd, too, but I know, as Jeremie shyly leans in for another kiss, that I have made the right choice.
Jeremie kisses me, and I am his entirely.
I have a trend of writing OxAxJ stories where Aelita never ends up with Odd. It's sad and a little tragic, but it's more realistic, I think. I openly adore stories with unrequited love or love that exists but doesn't work out.
OxA is a perfect example of that, I think. Anyway, I hope you like this and that you aren't too upset that Aelita didn't choose Odd. Also, this is a one shot so there will most likely be no updates. Have a nice day, all. :)