10. Full Circle
Back at the Beginning, Onto Forever
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Marriage is not a ritual or an end. It is a long, intricate, intimate dance together amongst the stars.
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The day arrives sooner than he thought it would. He's surprised the elders consented (however grudgingly) to his wedding a commoner. It took him a few tries to explain himself correctly without losing his temper. Mind you, he was very tempted at one point to whip out Senbonzakura.
Yet… the elders (those annoyingly narrow-minded pathetic excuses for leaders) are still breathing. And here he is, in one piece, Hisana by his side.
How? He doesn't even know himself.
…Perhaps there are such things as miracles.
- - -
It's just the two of them, plus a priest.
Hisana had asked him if he planned on inviting anyone. He, being a highly influential person in the Soul Society, would surely want his friends to share in his special day, right? Not likely. Large crowds and celebrations were not his kind of thing.
The odd trio – Lord Kuchiki, his soon to be wife, and a shriveled holy man – slowly walk out to the gardens of the manor. The wind is blowing gently through the trees, making cherry blossoms dance around their faces and land in their hair. It matches well with their clothes, makeshift wedding robes of red and white.
They are standing in the spot where he first spotted Hisana on his one of his routine midnight walks. She had been huddled under the very tree they were now by, clinging to warmth from a single match stick. It was that night that marked the end of all normality in whatever lives they were living.
Given the circumstances of their meeting and engagement, they had not felt it necessary to follow the customary betrothal steps, buy proper wedding garments, or prepare excessively for this day. Not only that, but neither of them was sporting a ring (surprising, given how Byakuya could certainly afford two), nor were they looking forward to a honeymoon after they were wed. Still, they hired a priest for this day, if only to bring one small ounce of 'normal' into their unorthodox wedding.
They view him as their saving grace – quite literally, as he is now blessing them. Byakuya finds it quite ironic how they chose a priest of all custom wedding icons, when the last thing they really need is for their souls to be saved. Soul Society is, after all, what humans might view as 'heaven'.
Heaven indeed. Aside from the priest's rhythmic murmur of prayers, there are no other voices to be heard. He can hear Hisana's gentle breathing by his side; her hand is warm in his.
It is peaceful.
He was glad the elders chose not to impose themselves in this affair. Given he was marrying a 'worthy' girl under 'normal' circumstances, they would have organized this wedding themselves, making sure the 'happy couple' got the best of the best – a ceremony to be remembered by all, one that would show off the prestige and wealth of the family. Such is the Kuchiki clan's way of doing things. You get all the material wealth you could ever want, and all the elders ask for in return are an heir and your unwavering obedience.
He knows he is breaking everything the Kuchiki clan values by joining in a quiet act of matrimony with a peasant. No overblown rituals, ceremonies, fake smiles, or empty words; just him, and her, and their simple happiness of being in each other's company.
The priest finishes his stream of prayers with a resigned sigh. "May you experience every happiness throughout your married life," her murmurs sincerely, stepping back. His job is done.
Byakuya feels a sudden rush of adrenaline, something he only experiences right before fights against an enemy. His thoughts come in a whirlwind, making him feel momentarily lightheaded. It's over. We're married. I've done it. He realizes he feels extremely happy; in fact, he doesn't remember ever feeling this joyful before.
In a rare show of genuine emotion, he lifts Hisana up, bridal-style. She gasps, startled, and proceeds to blush a deep shade of red, all the while protesting weakly against his actions.
"B-Byakuya-sama, please--"
But he ignores her, and swings his new wife around in a joyful circle. As his garden turns into shades of pink, white, and green around him, he laughs (oh, if only the elders could hear him now). Hisana soon joins in, giggling profusely.
And amid the cherry blossom trees and their laughter, he swears he hears the high, musical notes of Senbonzakura's voice, joining in on their moment of triumph.
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And so you called and courted fiercely
You reached out, entirely fearless
And yet you knew of reservation and how it serves
You were up for this but not totally
And so you fell and you're intact
You dove in and you're still breathing
I salute you for your courage
And I applaud your perseverance
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There's always room for two, six feet under the stars.
A/N: Yup, that's it! We've reached the end of this little story. Surprised? Sad? Mad? I sure hope not. (Hopefully all the cheese in those last few paragraphs didn't make you pass out or anything.)
This was my first time wrapping up a fanfiction of mine (not to mention, this was my first time writing a romance fanfic in general!) and I hope I did alright. I'd really hate to disappoint you guys at the last chapter...
The beginning quote came from some website, and the person who said it wasn't cited for some reason. The first quote at the end is from "Surrendering" by Alanis Morissette. The second quote is from "Six Feet Under the Stars" by All Time Low. These are both really awesome songs (and the ones that inspired me to write this fanfic!) so I recommend that you give them a try. Listening won't hurt you!
It took me a little under a year (by one month, actually) to finish this, so thanks to all those who stuck with my crappy updating skills - my reviewers, story alert-ers, and favorite-ers. You really kept me going; without you, I probably would have abandoned this story. But, thanks to all the positive feedback I recieved, that (thankfully) didn't happen. (Hey, who knows - I might turn out another ByakuHisa story in the future! xP)
Lastly, one final request: please review and let me know what you thought!
Till next time,
Red Princess