Seducing Ariana

Chapter 1:

The Proposal Idea

My life was a normal life. I grew up in the smallest town of the smallest county in rual Mississippi. I had a conservative stay home mother who I hardly ever could deal with in peace, and a happy-go lucky dad who always worked hard to make sure that we all had food on the table and lived a comfortable life style. I had two siblings, both younger than me; a sister who lived her life aspiring to be me, and a brother, so much younger than me that we never did get along. I lived as an overweight goth nerd girl with an emotionally scarred past that rooted it's way all the way back to Mooreville, Mississippi, and a had a horrifying paranoia of religion.

I was never liked in Middle School. The kids there tortured me to tears everyday that I went. The friends that I thought I had, metaphorically stabbed me in the back every chance they got. Being the naieve girl I was, I forgave them. I was so innocent; too blind to see thier wicked ways.

When I started high school, all of that began to change. My personality bloomed as more and more friends flocked to me. I was surprised; nobody had ever treated me as nicely as this. I always had more guy friends than girl friends, but now it was the opposite. The people I chose to hang out with were strong in their own ways and had battles of their own that rivaled mine.

From the ages fifteen to seventeen, my mother and I fought; I for my freedom, she for the chains that she had always bonded me with to her religious world. In the end, I won. My freedom was mine, and I did with it as I pleased.

I graduated highschool, and went on to college to become an art major and get a business degree. My parents were proud. The child that they thought would never amount to anything, was now able to support herself. I opened up an anime shop and cosplay shop in Corinth, Mississippi with some of my best girl friends, and I started my manga, the one I'd always dreamed of starting since I was in highschool. The shyness along with the weight had gone from me. I was as thin as I was outgoing.

I had never dated much in my years of existence. The closest thing I had to a boyfriend was my five guy friends that crashed at my house every saturday night to watch anime with me. But it didn't matter to me, I was happy, at least I thought I was.

One day my average, ordinary life changed with two words.

"Marry me..."

My eyes blinked in surprise as I looked at my guy friend from across the table in the chinese resteraunt that we sat at.

"What?" I managed to squeeze out through the confusion clouding my usually receptive mind.

"I'm serious, Ariana..." his blue eyes looked me dead in my hazel ones. We had been talking about him being sent off on his last mission for the military , and how he had nearly lost his life. I kept his two children the entire time he was gone, because their mother had abandoned them along with him a year or two ago and nobody knew where she had gone. I took them often to visit him until he recovered, because I wanted to see him and because they were such little things and convinced that Daddy would leave them too.

"I don't know what to say Devyn..." I told him at last, then trying to lighten the situation I added, "Marrying me is a high price to pay for the wellfare of you kids..." His eyes grew sad and I immediately regretted it. He missed his ex-wife Alessa greatly. She had sent him divorce papers through the mail, but hadn't shown for court. I wasn't surprised; she had always been a coward.

"I'm...sorry Devyn-" I started but was cut off with a wave of his hand.

"It doesn't matter. All I know is that I've known you for a while, and nobody I know is more capable of caring for Anna and Mori if I should pass away. All these years, even with Alessa I leaned on you and you held me and my marriage together." I winced at this, "Okay... well except for the last part..." he added quietly. I nodded in understanding.

"Why don't you keep on looking for love? You'll never be happy with me." I told him as I drank my Dr. Pepper though a straw. The astonished stare he gave me made me squirm in my seat.

"Ari, I've known you since highschool. You've always seem to find a way to make things better. You have this wierd gift on bringing light to dark situations and you're stronger than any woman I've ever met. The only person that made me happier to be around was Alessa and that was at the first of my marriage. And besides," he added with a crooked grin, "Anna and Mori love you." I couldn't help but smile at the last part, but I pushed it back as quickly as it appeared.

"I don't know..." I shifted uncomfortably in my seat as his eyes darkened.

"Is it because that you don't think you can make me happy or is it because...you know I can't make you happy?" I glared at him. He was trying to guilt-trip me into marrying him.

"You don't want to marry me for love, you want to marry me so that I become the beneficiary for your kids if you die. So don't make this sound like I'm rejecting you. I don't expect you to love me if we did get married. So the subject of making each other happy is non-existant..." I folded my arms and he sighed.

"I didn't mean it that way, Ari...I was trying to ask you if you were still looking for love." I rolled my eyes at him as he stared at me sheepishly. This conversation was just as uncomfortable for him as it was for me.

"Of course not! I gave up on dating years ago." I sipped my drink as he laughed.

"I remember that night well..." he grinned, "I believe your melodramatic words were something like, 'Doomed forever to be a lone swan.'" He chuckled again as I threw my napkin at him.

"I was depressed you asshole. I say wierd things when I'm depressed." I tried to be mad, but I couldn't help the smile that covered my face. Suddenly I was laughing too.

"See now, Ari? Everyday could be like this. Please bear my children." he tried to keep a straight face as he grabbed for my hands. I couldn't help but smile. He was using a Miroku line from Inu-yasha; an anime I had loved since I was in highschool. I raised an thin black-dyed eyebrow.

"Keep using lines like that, and you'll get a Sango reaction..." I laughed mentioning Sango, the girl that usually slaps around Miroku. He winced playfully.

"Alright, alright fine. No slapping. That crap hurts." We both laughed. I looked up after a minute and his face was serious again.

"Please, Ari? I promise I'll do whatever's in my power to make you the happiest girl I can." his blue eyes pleaded with me and I sighed as I took a drink of my Dr. Pepper again. What could it hurt after all? I would never find love and my parents were ragging me about getting married. We were best friends, it would work out nice for the both of us.

"Fine..." I said and a shocked look passed over his face and then he smiled at me.

"You won't regret it, Ari. I promise!" he grinned as he planted a big wet kiss on my cheek.

"Ewww..." I groaned, wiping at it, "You slobbered on me..."

"Get used to it babe. You have two kids now. They slobber a lot." he told me jokingly with a wink and I winced, afraid of the future's oncoming events.

Author's Note:

Hey all3! Crimson here again. I hoped you liked the first chapter of Seducing Ariana. I bet some of you were wondering how this story came about. Usually I write fanfiction, so most of you that have read my other stories are like "What the friggen crap is she doing writing an original story?" Lolz^^ Well, for those of you, (or any of you) who have read any of my stories and you people who randomly found this one, I watched I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry before I went to bed, and what you're reading is an elaborate version of my dream. A really elaborate version. See, in my dream Devyn's name was Chaaka..._...Yeaaaahhhh...I know...Don't ask questions. Just go with it. Lolz^^ I figured the name Devyn was more romantic and less monkey-like...

So anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please Review and I'll see you in the next chapter!

- Crimson