The Wedding (Proposal)

Part II of The Wedding Series.

He was not going to make it.

Natsume Hyuuga knew there would be a lot of unforeseen accidents when you're about to do something important, or legendary, and in this case, it's both (at least for him) – which probably explains why he currently has the absolute worst luck in the world.

"What do you mean the blimp exploded?!"

"Look, man," Mochu sighed from the other end of the line, "We can't have the perfect proposal. Sometimes an idiot has to come in the way."

"And who is this goddamn idiot who blew up the goddamn blimp for my goddamn proposal?"

"An intern. Daisuke Saito."

"So much for being helpful," Natsume snorted. "I want the intern fired."

"I think you missed the part where you're not the boss."

"Are you?"

"Nope."

"Well, tough luck," he sighed heavily. There was no need to dwindle on the conversation. He had to get moving. "Fine, whatever. Thanks for your help."

"Sorry 'bout the glitch. But a word of advice? Mikan practically proposed to you first, Natsume. She'll probably say yes even before you go down on one knee. I doubt how you do it actually matters to her, as long as you do."

Natsume was silent for a while, considering what Mochiage had just said. His friend was right, he knew. Natsume could ask a groggy, sleep-deprived Mikan at two in the morning and she'd scream a jubilant yes.

But then, there's the fact that Natsume never wanted another girl in his life other than the one he was going to propose to, and since he was doing this for the first and last time, he was determined to make sure it was something for the books.

"How's it going?" were Ruka Nogi's first words when Natsume rang him.

"Did you contact the event organizer?"

"Yes, but apparently there was a glitch with the electricity and they had to temporarily close some of the rides."

"For Pete's sake, it has to be the goddamn Ferris wheel?!"

"It's the middle of June, Natsume. Couldn't you have chosen a different day to propose? Preferably when it's not the rainy season? Or was it too much of a bother to check the weather update?"

"I couldn't exactly check three months before, alright? Cut me some slack. So I guess the carnival idea's out. I need to pull out another contingency plan. Thanks, Ruka." He hung up and quickly dialed Yuu's number.

"I'm sorry, Natsume.," was apparently the other's idea of a greeting.

At this point, Natsume was not even surprised, but he couldn't hide the exasperation from his voice. "Come on, Yuu!"

"The museum is closed for an internationally-recognized exhibit tomorrow. I warned you, remember? I told you we might not be able to reserve the whole place—"

"I sent a check worth—"

"The check is insignificant right now, unfortunately."

"Could you work your magic? If you haven't noticed I'm bordering little to utmost desperation right now."

"I'm sorry, Natsume, but my powers are limited. Any back-ups?"

"Yuu, this is my back-up."

"Any other back-ups?"

Natsume thought for a moment and quickly ran over everything through his mind. The blimp was gone, which means the hotel and restaurant reservation had to be cancelled. The fireworks had to be put on hold because it'd be meaningless and worthless without the Ferris wheel. If the museum was out, that meant so was the string quartet. His last resort was supposed to be the yacht, but given there was the rain, that had to be cancelled too. Now that he came to think of it, even if the blimp or Ferris wheel plans had gone as he wanted, the downpour would be raining on their parade.

"I've got nothing."

"She'll say yes to anything, Natsume," Yuu said comfortingly, "You don't really need the grand gestures."

"She deserves it," he replied automatically.

"She deserves you. And to be honest, your proposal ideas are really grand, but they're not you. Mikan would want something that was well-thought of, yet still Hyuuga."

"If you mean randomly popping the question—"

"Trust me, that'd still be a winner."

Natsume thanked his friend and hung the phone for possibly the hundredth time that day. He peered through the window and saw that the sky above him was already filled with nimbuses. He cursed silently when raindrops pitter-pattered against the window shield of the cab, slowly picking up pace until it practically slammed against the glass. He should've known everything was going downhill when his car wouldn't start in the morning.

Not for the first time that day, his phone rang. He flinched when he saw the caller ID. "Mikan?"

"Hi, Natsume!" was her cheerful greeting. "I just got off the train. Where are we eating?"

"How about you choose? Somewhere nice." Also because I might be proposing there.

"Let's go check the new restaurant across your office! Remember, Ruka said it was pretty nice and the even Anna liked the food."

"Sure. Sorry I can't pick you up. Do you have an umbrella?"

"Yes, so stop worrying! You sound tensed. Are you okay? You're probably hungry. You get cranky when you're hungry."

Natsume snorted. "Speak for yourself. I'll meet you there."

"Alright. I love you."

"I know," he said, almost laughing, before he hung up. The next time she'd say that, she'd be his fiancée. He had no idea how the heck he was going to propose now, but at least he had the ring. The thought immediately made him feel the box on his coat pocket. With his current luck, he wouldn't take any chances.

"Hey," he called the attention of the cab driver, "Can we just go back to my office? Let's take a turn there."

The driver nodded and then switched to the lane nearest the aisle. However, the next line of events almost came as a blur, even with their slow driving. Another cab sped up when their cab was just turning, and then hit their rear.

"Of all the—" Natsume practically kicked open the car door and peered outside. His suit was getting drenched but he couldn't even care anymore.

The driver got out of his cab, just as the owner of the other cab did.

"What were you thinking?!" he practically yelled at the other driver. "You could've killed me!"

"Sir," his cab driver interfered, trying to hold him back, "Sir, it's alright. It's nothing that can't be fixed."

But Natsume was practically fueled by frustration at that point. "No, it is not okay! I'm proposing in five minutes, if he has a death sentence then he shouldn't have thrown us in!"

"Sorry, sir," the other cab driver almost knelt on his knees, "I sped up when my passenger pleaded me, I didn't notice that you were turning."

"Well then maybe we should sue the both of you, then!" Natsume growled and then turned to the other cab. "Where is he? Let him out!"

Just as he said that, the car doors opened, and out came a lady in an annoyingly bright yellow coat.

No one else would wear something as annoying as that.

"Natsume?" asked she. The rain was getting hard, and other motorists were honking loudly. But of course he'd hear her. There could be a mariachi band playing, or hell breaking loose, and she would be whispering with her heart, but he'd still hear her.

Mikan Sakura, in her annoyingly bright yellow coat, stood with a half-confused, half-amused smile. This was the first time he'd seen her in three days. She had been at Alice Academy at the request of their former adviser, Narumi, to accompany him in a very important matter. Even though Natsume rehearsed what he would ask Mikan, from when they meet until they finish dinner and he proposes, his memory failed him for the first time in his life. And so, with all common sense gone, he opened his mouth.

"Mikan, will you marry me?" Natsume blanked for about half a second and added hastily, "That's not how it should've happened."

Mikan just blinked at him.

"This isn't the most romantic way to propose—"

"Obviously—"

"But I couldn't imagine myself being with anyone other than you. And everyone's been telling me how it wouldn't matter how I was going to propose as long as I do—"

"Which is true—"

"And that you'd say yes even before I popped the question—"

"I'd be stupid if—"

"And try to butt in through my every sentence because even though you're sure you want to marry me, you're still a nervous wreck."

Mikan shut her mouth, and then frowned, "Did they really say that?"

Natsume smirked. "No, I did. What are you so nervous about? You knew this day was coming."

There was a pause, and then: "I do. You didn't."

And now he was rendered speechless.

"You were just so sure you weren't going to make it," Mikan said quietly, "And every single day, it's like you expect yourself to drop dead. Maybe that's why you were such a commitment-phobe. I don't think you even imagined yourself settling down—"

"—until I met you."

"Until you met me," Mikan agreed with a smile. "But it doesn't change the fact that the main reason you want to get married is because I want to, right?"

"…Mikan, sweetheart, are you getting cold feet?"

She snorted and lightly swatted him on the face. He reached for her hand and kissed the back of it.

"Look, I've never done this before," Natsume breathed heavily, "And I know I never want to do this again, so trust me when I say I don't see myself being with anyone else in the future other than with you. I didn't think I could make it, but I did, and I'm still trying to get through because I want you to be happy, with me. I know it's like being on a freak show with me. But you're still here, and I can't be any more—"

"I love you," Mikan laughed, before kissing him. Her lips wandered on his, on his chin, his cheek, his nose bridge, his eyes, his forehead… "I love you, Natsume. I love you and I couldn't ask for anyone else."

"Marry me?"

"Gladly." And then more kisses, and tighter hugs, and lots of giggling and laughing and smiling. "Just do me a favor?"

"Hn?"

"Never ask help from Google again."

A/N: Daisuke means 'great help'. Yes, that was my pathetic attempt to be pun-ny.

This is admittedly not my best work. I wrote the initial part of the story two years ago for the 2013 Gakuen Alice House Cup. I didn't get to publish it anymore when the House Cup ended and I had to go back to school. I have a long five months of summer vacation ahead of me—this is my first official break from university. I'm planning to finish all my stories as soon as possible, and publish all my unfinished ones. I'm a little worried because I haven't written for pleasure in over two years, and I think I've lost my creative touch. Ah, well. Here's to the great stories we could make.

Also, this concludes my The Wedding Series: The Wedding (Ring), The Wedding (Proposal), The Wedding (Dress), and My Best Friend's Wedding. I'm still debating whether I should make more, since I seem to particularly enjoy it. If ever, there would be The Wedding (Gift) and The Wedding (Vows).