**THE FOLLOWING WARNINGS IN EFFECT**
**FLUFF**
**DRAMA**
**M**
**YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED**
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-Colors in Autumn-
-Chapter Twenty-Five-
[always]
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Upon arriving in the courtyard, Sora was met by Mimi as she threw herself onto her with a hug.
"Can you believe it, Sora?" Mimi asked with excitement. "Who would've thought a crazy girl like me would ever get married?"
"I always knew you had it in you, Meems," Sora replied, squeezing her in return, then giving Izzy a hug just as warmly.
Tai smacked Izzy's back in greeting. "Izzy is the man!" he said. "Look at him, all grown up and getting married!"
"Way more grown up than you are, Tai," said Matt as he joined them, lightly punching Izzy's shoulder at his other side.
"Who's going to doubt that?" Tai asked with a grin.
"I sure won't," said Joe, who appeared behind Sora.
She exchanged a smile with him as he approached the others, then she and Mimi joined the boys, watching Matt and Tai get into light banter, which got Izzy to smile as he observed them. Sora felt the need to throw in a comment in jest for those two, which brought everyone to laugh.
"We all really should get together more often," Joe added, sounding nostalgic.
"We can set something up after the honeymoon!" Mimi said. "We can try to work around your schedule. I miss seeing you around!"
"It truly is wonderful to have you all here, though," said Izzy, smiling warmly. "It wouldn't have been the same if any one of you couldn't show up."
"He's right. The wedding wouldn't have gone as well as it's going right now."
"Let's be honest here," said Tai, his arm around Sora. "You'd only cancel the wedding if this girl couldn't make it."
Sora made a face. "Don't be ridiculous," she said.
"Actually, I could see that happening," said Joe.
"Yeah, me too," said Matt.
"He's right," said Mimi.
"I would agree," said Izzy.
After the photoshoot with the wedding party, everyone except Sora and Matt dispersed to join the guests for the remainder of the open bar cocktail hour. The two headed into the building to the reception hall, where the catering and bar were being set up. The circular tables and chairs were all arranged to Mimi's liking, topped off with neatly designed flower and table decor, placed on either end of the wood laminate dance floor. At the end of the floor, adjacent to the tables, was the long table where Mimi and Izzy would sit. Closer to the other end of the floor was the stage, where Sora met with Matt's bandmates, including Kyo, the lead guitarist who offered to help DJ the reception alongside Matt that evening.
"We've got some songs where I'll be singing, but we'll have a lot of instrumentals," Matt told Sora as he picked up his bass to tune. "I thought you were going to change out of those shoes?"
Sora looked down, realizing then that she still had the heels on.
"I think I've got the hang of these," she said. Then she turned, and, as if on cue, she lost balance but caught herself before falling onto the wood laminate floor.
"You're a trooper," he said, after stifling a chuckle. "I wonder how you'll fare on the dance floor later?"
"Who said I was going to dance?"
Sora ignored his knowing smile, then turned to check with the caterers, ensuring that the food was ready and that there was enough for the reception. Once everything was ready, and Matt got a thumbs up from the rest of his band, he and Sora went to the large entrance doors and opened them together, which alerted the guests to make their way to their tables.
As the guests filed into the room, Sora fell into the wedding party lineup once again for their reception hall entrance. She passed by Aika and TK, both with drinks in hand and laughing at each other as they walked by.
Matt wore an expression that Sora couldn't help but notice.
"You good?" she asked.
"Yeah," he replied, as he watched TK stop by the bar, getting a new bottle of beer handed to him.
"Davis is already on his third drink," Tai mentioned as he lined up in front of them. "I swear, they're like kids in a candy store when it comes to free drinks."
Sora noticed the sound of his speech. "How many have you had already, Tai?" she asked him.
"Two," he replied with a grin when he turned to them.
"The biggest kid of all," Matt muttered under his breath.
Tai frowned. "Yamacchi, you're no fun."
Matt groaned as Tai and his partner walked through the entrance and into the hall.
"It might be weird hearing it from me," said Sora, nudging him. "But, lighten up, Matt. Today's all about joy and happiness. I'm sure you'd probably want to have a drink or two later, after all of this."
The music blared as they started walking down the line, with Joe and his partner making their entrance. "It probably would have been a good idea to have a beer to relax, considering that I'll be on stage later," said Matt. "Maybe another one for the speech, too."
"Speech? What speech?"
"The one that I have to give, being Best Man. The one after the Maid of Honor's - yours."
Sora's shock and horror were drowned out by Kyo's introduction for them as they entered the room. Just when she thought the wedding had been running smoothly on her watch - she had been focusing on dealing with everything else about the wedding, handling her issues with Tai, so writing a speech completely slipped her mind.
Matt and Sora took their seat at the table, where the wedding party and their invited guests sat together. Sora sat between Tai and Matt, who had Aika sit on his other side. Mika sat across the table with Joe, and waved at Sora who smiled back, although, she hid the fact that she was panicking.
"You okay, Sora?" Tai asked, watching her closely.
"Mmm," was her reply - a failed attempt of a positive response.
Kyo announced the entrance of the bride and groom as Mimi and Izzy waltzed in together, both of them flashing big grins before going straight into their first dance as newlyweds. All Sora could think about then, was that she had from that point on and throughout dinner to come up with words to say for her best friends.
"What's gotten into you?" Tai asked again, as though he sensed that something was up.
"It's best not to ask," said Matt, and Sora knew he had an idea what that 'something' was. He took the glass in front of her and slowly slid it toward her. "Water?"
She accepted the glass, lifting it to her mouth and drinking gulps.
"Ohh," said Tai suddenly. Sora caught him and Matt as they exchanged glances. She didn't hear them talking, but she could tell that Tai got the gist of what was happening. It was beyond Sora as to how they did it, but the two guys beside her had a way of sharing messages without moving their lips. "Not again, Sora?"
"Don't, Tai," she hissed. "I don't need this right now."
The waiters arrived with salads, starting the countdown to Sora's speech. It was just another last-minute plan, right? Just like the bachelorette party. It didn't take her very long to plan that. Even when it came to writing speeches for her presentations, she didn't find it too hard to come up with the words she wanted to say.
She just didn't like feeling unprepared in front of a room full of people.
As the main course arrived - a selection of Italian dishes of eggplant parmesan, seafood pesto linguine, and spaghetti with meat sauce - Sora observed her friends at her table as they chatted and ate together. She took a bite of her eggplant, and, for a moment, the taste steered her away from worrying about the speech.
"Mmm, this is amazing!" Sora said, the savory taste of eggplant and marinara heavenly on her tongue.
"Wait until you try mine," said Tai. She looked over to see him rolling his pesto linguine on his fork, adding a piece of shrimp for her to try. Then, he lifted his fork for Sora to take a bite.
"Oh, wow," she said. It tasted just as good, if not better than her meal. "Now, try mine."
Tai scrunched his nose. "You know I don't like eggplant."
Sora frowned at him. "It wouldn't hurt to try, right? I mean, I used to hate apple pie."
"Fair point." He let Sora cut a piece of eggplant, which she fed to him with her fork. Sora waited as he looked away, chewing with a thoughtful look on his face.
"Well?"
"I'll admit..." he said after swallowing the bite. "It tastes a lot better than I remember it. You and Mimi sure have good taste."
He had a point there. Mimi ultimately made the decision, but she always made sure Sora agreed, not only with the catering, but with all the other decisions with the wedding, including the venue and the decorations. She ran through every crazy night out and every fun night in with her. Even during their rough moments, they did things together as best friends did, bringing each other up and looking out for one another.
Sora looked ahead, beyond her table where she saw Izzy and Mimi sat at their table, holding their own forks to each other's mouths as they fed each other at the same time, followed by laughing amongst themselves. She smiled at the sight, knowing then exactly what she had in mind to go into her speech.
During the rest of the dinner, Sora finished off her plate, taking a few more bites from Tai's plate. Tai had been doing the same to Sora, while chatting with Matt and Joe; and, as he sipped on his third beer, he had been throwing in jokes for her and for everyone at the table to laugh at. It was one of those instances where she felt grateful that Tai was there, when he was helping her ease her mind even as he didn't realize it.
Then, as the time finally came for Kyo to hand Sora the microphone, she stood up from her chair and took a deep breath, feeling the nerves through her heart pounding, all eyes on her. She felt an encouraging nudge from Tai, and bright smiles coming from Mimi and Izzy.
"I'll have to begin by talking about how I cannot be any happier than I am for Mimi and Izzy right now," she started. "I'm sure you all probably saw, seeing that we ran out of tissues out there…"
That garnered a few chuckles from the guests, which made her feel a little more relieved.
"I was just as delighted when Mimi first asked me to be her Maid of Honor. I was a little nervous at first, because you all know Mimi - she'll even agree - that she's not that easy to please."
"You're perfect to me, babe!" Mimi called out, and even Sora laughed at that.
She went on to talk about how they met at summer camp in their elementary school days, where Mimi first met Izzy. Then, she transitioned to talking about their friendship growing throughout the years, leading up to their love that bloomed after Izzy finally asked Mimi out during their time at university.
"There is no doubt that Mimi will tell you all the reasons why she chose me as her Maid of Honor, and why I'm her best friend," Sora continued. "For the record, when we first met, we could not be more different from each other, but here I am, getting all dolled up and wearing a dress and heels and not minding it one bit! -Okay, just a little bit, but you know what I mean."
Mimi laughed, and she and Sora shared a look, knowing the oncoming emotions with Sora's next words.
"Mimi loves to talk, and as we planned this wedding together, there was never a time where she didn't say how much she couldn't do this without me. Izzy has said the same thing once or twice. But Mimi's always been there for me, even when I was trying to decide to go down the path of a fashion designer. She always found a way to cheer me up, whether it was finding time to hang out with me, or getting me into apple pie.
"As for Izzy, my soccer buddy since grade school, he's always given me the most logical, level-headed advice, even when I couldn't handle it. When I think about our friendship, and where I am in my life now, I don't know how I'd be able to do it all without the two of them, either."
Sora sniffled then, and she knew it was the right time to wrap up her speech. "Another thing Mimi talked about was about sparks. Sparks between two people, and that she never thought she'd ever find it with someone, until she found that with Izzy. Well, Mimi, Izzy… I'm so happy you two found those sparks with each other. Congratulations to you both."
When Sora sat back down and handed the microphone to Matt through the applause, she was met with bright smiles all around her table. She saw Mika shedding a few tears, and Aika leaned over Matt's seat to tell her how amazing her speech was. Tai pulled her close, and she found herself leaning into him for comfort while they listened to Matt say his words, the anxiety of the speech now rushing through her after the fact.
"Not bad for last minute, huh?" Tai whispered with a grin.
"Tai," she said with a light groan, and he chuckled as he held her tightly and kissed her cheek.
"That was great. Well done, Sora," he said. "You had Mimi crying buckets."
"Seriously, Tai," she repeated, but she laughed along with him. She sat close to him as they listened to Matt talk about Izzy and Mimi in his speech. Sora laughed along the way and even felt a few tears roll down her cheeks, to which Tai held out a few tissues for her to wipe with.
Both Tai and Sora patted Matt's shoulder as he sat back down and watched him breathe a sigh of relief.
"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Sora asked, and Matt shot her a look.
"I think it's time for a drink," he said.
"Be right back," Tai said then, and got up from his chair while the Kyo announced the Father-Daughter dance. A song played on the speakers as Mimi and her father danced slowly together on the floor. As she watched the two smiling at each other, Sora couldn't help but look over to her parents, both who sat together at a table on the other side of the floor, watching along with everyone else.
"I come bearing gifts," said Tai, returning to the table with a few bottles of beer in his arms, one for each of those in the wedding party, and setting them in front of him.
"Geez, Tai," said Matt. "I know it's open bar, but, really?"
"You better take yours before he changes his mind, Matt," said Sora, taking a bottle for herself.
She took a few sips as Mimi and her dad finished off their dance, and then when it was Izzy and his mom's turn. It moved Sora to get up from her table and meet her parents at theirs. She first said hello to Mimi's parents, and Mrs. Tachikawa got up to give her a tight squeeze. Then, when Sora got to her parents, she hugged them both tightly, and leaned over her dad's shoulder, watching Izzy and his mom dance together.
Soon after, she noticed Matt get up from his spot and carried his drink with him as he headed toward the stage. Sora remembered then that it was Matt's time to shine for the second time that evening.
"We are Wolf's Bane, and we have the pleasure of providing your entertainment for the evening," said Matt in a cool, casual tone, slinging his bass over his shoulder and doing a quick tune-up. He looked over to Kyo, with his lips curling into a smirk. "I think you've heard enough from Kyo tonight. You probably might have heard enough from me, too, but... well… sorry."
"Dork," called Aika from her seat, and Sora bursted into laughter, and watched Tai do the same.
"Now, I know you've been watching the bride and the groom dancing already," Matt went on, pointing to the drummer to cue a fast, bouncy bass drum beat. "But I think it's high time we gave the rest of you a chance to dance." Matt tapped his foot as he began to play a bass line, and Sora could see Matt's stage persona coming into play. He turned his head toward her, his blue eyes lighting up and staring straight at her. "Hey, Maid of Honor - I'm not letting you hide."
Sora stood up from leaning alongside her parents, noticing that a few of the guests around her were clapping along to the beat. Matt gave her a wink from the stage, and she knew it was him taunting her. She would never admit it to anyone - at least, not before she had any drinks in her - that she loved to dance.
She heard light, joyful laughter nearby, and realized that the young ring bearer was out of his seat, clapping and stepping out of sync. With a smile, she knew immediately what to do next. She approached the boy, holding out her hand, and he gave her a wide grin, even with a missing tooth, and reached for her hand to hold.
"There she goes," Matt said, laughing through his words as Sora walked onto the dance floor with the boy. She clapped her hands together with him, swaying her hips from side-to-side. Before she knew it, the lead guitar kicked in, Matt started to sing, and slowly, the other guests trickled onto the floor, dancing along to the band.
Looking over to her table, Sora watched Aika and Tai get rest of the wedding part to stand up and move to the dance floor. Aika took Mika's hand, with Joe following behind, and they all met Sora and her toddler partner in the middle.
"Get it, Sora!" Aika yelled through the loud music, joining her as she danced along. The little boy squealed in delight as Aika and Sora formed a circle around him with everyone else. It amused Sora to see him bounce with joy the more he got attention drawn to him.
Matt's band transitioned to the next few upbeat songs, and Sora danced her way through the floor, greeting everyone, stepping in sync with the beat. She ran into Mimi and Izzy who were greeting the guests still sitting at the tables, and Mimi wouldn't let her walk away without the tightest hug and kiss on her cheek. Sora hugged back warmly.
"Thank you, Sora," Mimi said. "You truly are the best."
Izzy was the next to hug her without finding words to say, but Mimi threw her arms around the both of them, making Sora laugh.
She made her way back to her toddler dancing partner on the floor, who was holding out his hands for her to hold, before she realized where Tai had been all along.
He appeared before her with a grin, bouncing up and down to the music while he carried the curious-eyed flower girl in his arms as he danced.
"No idea how this happened," he said, reducing Sora to a fit of giggles. Then, they shared the same knowing look, and Tai brought the flower girl down to the floor. The ring bearer seemed to catch on, and held his hands out towards the flower girl instead. She hesitated at first, but then took the ring bearer's hands before they began to swing together.
Sora smiled at the sight, then turned to Tai, who held his own hand out toward her. She pressed her finger to her lips, pretending to be deep in thought, but Tai continued to stare, knowing her bluff. She eventually took his hand, and stepped her way towards him.
Dancing close with him brought her back to the days at university. She rarely went clubbing, only going whenever she gave in to Mimi's endless pleading. She usually ended up having a good time during those few occasions, but she remembered having much fonder memories on those bar nights with her friends, somehow finding herself dancing when she had a few to drink, and somehow, dancing with Tai.
Feeling adventurous in her heels, she held Tai's hand loosely as she lifted her heel and twirled toward him, trusting him to catch her. When she stopped at his chest, she looked up at him, both of them laughing.
"Impressive," he said. "You didn't twist anything this time."
"I've learned my lesson," she said with a giggle.
Before she knew it, Matt stopped singing and Kyo struck the final chord of the song, the drummer tapping the cymbals. After the cheers and applause, Matt removed his bass guitar from his shoulder as Kyo began to play a soft melody and the drummer played at a much slower tempo.
"Slowing things down a bit," said Matt through his mic. "This one's for all you lovers out there. Enjoy this slow dance."
Without question, Sora wrapped her hands around Tai's neck, and Tai brought her close with his hands holding her waist.
"This wedding has been amazing, Sora," he said, slowly swaying along to the music. "I'm proud of you."
"Hey, now," said Sora. "It wasn't all my doing."
"Right, but if you think about it... You've been greeting the vendors, the priest, the guests. You've been holding everything together. You even saved Mimi's dress."
"As a Maid of Honor would do."
Tai smiled. "You're amazing, Sora, don't deny it. I wouldn't be surprised if you were the Maid of Honor for your own wedding."
Sora raised her brows. "My own wedding, huh? Care to expand on that, Tai?"
Suddenly, Tai started laughing softly, as though he was hesitant.
"Come on, now," Sora said, watching him sheepishly avoid her gaze. "I'm not letting you backtrack on your words."
They continued to make their slow turn on the floor, and beyond Tai's shoulder, Sora eyed Matt and Aika in each other's arms, both of their eyes closed as they swayed together.
When Tai's bright brown eyes met hers again, his lips curled into a smile, with her heart already in a flutter.
"I will if you will, Sora," he said gently, and he took her hand hanging on his neck, his eyes locked with hers as his lips pressed against the back of her fingers. His eyes fell on her hand then as he held it, and she felt as he brushed his thumb across them. That look of curiosity shone in his eyes, a look Sora had noticed him have once before. She couldn't tell what he was thinking about then, but with her fluttering heart beating in her chest, the sheer guess in her mind of what it might be, gave her a hope she never thought she would ever want.
"I guess I can tell you what's going on in my closet," Tai said then, stopping his thumb but keeping his hand on hers as his eyes lifted back up to meet hers again.
"Other than the usual mess?" Sora asked.
"It's about the promise I made to Davis."
Sora tilted her head, interested. "So, it's about Davis?"
"Uh-huh. It's about… Davis…"
Tai suddenly stood still, even though the song wasn't over. Sora furrowed her brows, observing his attention was no longer on her but over her shoulder. She turned around and realized Tai was watching Davis, who was alone at the bar, although he was standing up, his eyes fiery and his fists clenched at his sides as he began his stomp back towards his table.
His table, as Sora observed, where Kari stood with TK, the look on her face frightened and on the verge of tears.
"Shit…" Tai muttered under his breath. "That kid, of all times…"
Sora turned to Tai, moving her hand to his forearm. She sensed what was about to happen next, but she couldn't ignore the angry tone in Tai's voice.
Her heart already sank before she watched Kari's tears flowing down as she ran towards the door.
"Kari! Wait!" said TK, running after her, and Davis followed closely behind.
"Tai-" Sora said, but he had already turned to follow Davis, and before she knew it, Matt rushed past her.
"Sora- Sora, what's going on?" Mimi asked as she showed up, her voice with a slight tremble. "Why are they running out there?"
Taking a deep breath, Sora turned to Mimi, holding both of her hands. "It'll all be okay, Meems," said Sora. "I'll take care of this."
Aika appeared in front of Sora just as she whirled around to face the door.
"We'd better hurry," said Aika urgently, and together they ran through the doors, avoiding the concerned stares among the other guests.
As Sora and Aika made their way outside to the courtyard, the cold evening air blasting against her. Kari let out a scream, and TK already swung and missed. He was held at Davis' mercy and fist, being held by his collar as Davis prepared to throw a punch.
"Stop!" Sora cried, running toward them, knowing it fell on deaf ears as neither of them budged. It was only before Davis made his thrust when Tai grab him from behind, nearly falling backward as Davis struggled to break free.
"Enough, you two!" Tai yelled, with Matt dealing with TK as he held him back. Sora held her forehead with her hand, seeing the rage that Tai was not afraid to hold back. "Are you guys insane?!"
"Let. Me. At him!" Davis growled as he threw himself forward, only for Tai's strength to keep him back.
"Don't fucking screw around like this! Do you even realize where the hell we are right now?! Did you have to bring this shit to the wedding?!"
"Did you see what the fuck he did, Tai?!" Davis yelled back, breaking free and throwing his arm to point at TK. "Do you see what he's been trying to do all along?!"
"That doesn't give you the right to throw a punch!"
"Oh yeah, Tai? Try and fucking stop me!"
Tai smacked his hand on Davis' shoulder to stop him from turning, and Matt held his hand out as he stood in front of TK. "I fucking swear, Davis, if you do anything, I'm going to make you pay for it."
"Let go of me, Tai," said Davis in a low, dark tone. "Or else I'll punch him first and then you'll be next."
"You'll wish you never said that-"
"Taichi."
Sora had enough. Tai's fist was near Davis's face, but both he and Davis looked up at her as she stood before them, her own fists clenched at her sides and her blood boiling. Aika had run to Kari by then, who was now sobbing quietly in her arms.
"Think about what you've been saying before you decide to wreak more havoc, Tai," she said in her quiet anger. "And you, Davis, TK - remember where the hell we are. This is Mimi and Izzy's happiest day of their lives - do you really want to turn it around over this?"
Davis' shoulders relaxed to a slump, his head lowering. Tai loosened his grip on him, the expression of guilt creeping onto his face. Sora looked over to Matt, silently observing the others, and TK's back facing everyone as he stood behind Matt.
"We all need to cool off right now," said Sora, the heat in her words dying down as she breathed her exhale. "Tai, take Davis to one of the suites downstairs."
"Sora…" said Tai, and Sora avoided his remorseful stare.
"We'll talk later," she said, and she heard Tai's and Davis' footsteps along the dirt and grass fade away.
"Come on, Kari," said Aika then, her arm still around Kari's shoulder. "Let's take a walk, shall we?"
Kari sniffled. "Hang on." She walked over to TK, looking up at him as they stood face to face.
"I'm sorry, TK," she said, placing her hand against his cheek, her tears still flowing. "We'll always have those times, but we can never go back."
Sora's heart tightened as she watched Kari slip her hand from his face. Kari then latched onto Aika's arm then, the two of them walking away. Sora exchanged concerned stares with Matt, who then made an attempt to place his hand on TK's shoulder, only for it to be swatted away.
"Don't even start this, Matt!" TK shouted, dropping to his knees, throwing his fists against the dirt, and Sora realized his current state with the slurs she was hearing for the first time then. "I know what I did! I'm a fucking idiot. I can't believe…"
"TK…" Sora bent down next to him, suddenly feeling guilty. If only she told him to do what was right, instead of giving him her doting comfort. "Only you can decide to stand still, or go where your heart is really telling you to."
"I know, Sora…" TK closed his eyes, his drunken tears spilling onto the ground. "All I did was run from her when we were together, and since we broke up, I've been trying to run back. I can't run head first for her. Not anymore."
His words stung her, as they called to the way she had been in the past - the way she tried not to be any longer. Sora couldn't find any more words to say. She took him in her arms into a cradle, rubbing his back gently.
"I'll call him a taxi," Matt murmured above them.
The taxi arrived soon after, and Sora and Matt helped TK climb in, then watched as it drove away. Matt sighed, squeezing Sora's shoulder.
"He'll be alright," he said.
"I know," Sora replied, knowing that what they both said aloud was in hopes to convince themselves. "You should head back to your band. I'll check on Tai and Davis."
Down in the dressing room suite, Sora found Davis and Kari sitting together, Kari silently weeping and Davis sitting next to her, appearing calmer and more apologetic. The moment she opened the door, Tai stood up from his chair, turning to her and immediately heading towards her.
"Sora, I'm sorry," he said, panicked and guilt-stricken. "I lost my temper. It didn't help that I drank, either. Really, Sora, I'm-"
Sora threw herself into his arms, clutching at the front of his shirt.
"I'd be a fool if I ever ran from you again," she said, her face buried in his shirt, her voice cracking in the midst.
It took a while for Tai to respond, but when he did, Sora felt his arms wrap around her tightly, like a child to his teddy bear.
"If you run, I'll only chase you down," he whispered.
They stood there for a while in their moment of peace as Sora calmed herself down. As soon as she felt ready, the door to the suite burst open once again, and Mimi barged in, Izzy peering from behind it.
"What the hell happened, Sora?!" Mimi asked. "I tried to get Matt's attention when he went back on the stage but he wouldn't tell me anything!"
"Let's just say that TK finally woke up," said Sora, leaning against Tai with his arm slung around her neck.
"Mimi!" Davis called then, running to her, then dropping to the floor with a bow. "I am deeply, truly sorry for nearly wrecking your evening! This was between me and TK, and Kari…"
"Hey, it definitely could've gotten worse if it wasn't for Sora," said Tai. "I nearly lost it myself."
"Did you, now?"
Sora watched Mimi's eyes narrow into a glare at Tai with her increasingly seething expression.
"Don't worry, Meems," said Sora, smacking Tai's shoulder, then stepping forward to face Mimi. "I set these boys straight. "Everything's alright now."
"You sure, Sora?" Mimi asked, her face back to its worried state.
"Positive," she replied with a smile, before Mimi smiled back and they shared a hug between them.
"Mimi's a tiger when she's furious," mumbled Davis to Tai. "But compared to Sora, she's a kitten."
"I'll say," said Tai, though he and Davis both shut right up the moment Mimi and Sora glared at the two.
After the cutting of the cake, the tossing of the bouquet and garter, and the final dances, it was time to end the night, and for Izzy to whisk Mimi away as they climbed into a limousine before it drove off into the night. Sora bade farewell to the guests, then hung back at the reception hall to help clean up. As she checked the tables for any possible leftover items, she ran into the red ponytailed Kasumi, who was in the process of closing down her camera.
"Sora, before I leave," she began, quickly digging through her pockets. "I know someone in fashion that would totally love your style. What you did to that dress was absolutely stunning! Here-" she held out a pen and the back of a card. "Write down your number and I'll be in touch."
Sora wrote it down, handing the paper and pen back to Kasumi, who grinned before walking away.
"Never thought your heart could be stolen by another woman," said Tai, passing by with a large plastic bag as he helped with cleanup, to which she rolled her eyes and continued making her run through the venue.
As soon as they finished the cleanup, including Matt and his band clearing the stage, they all met outside at the front, where a large van pulled up and the band began to load their equipment on.
"After-party tonight, guys?" Matt asked, with Aika leaning against his chest.
"Are you kidding?" Tai asked back.
Matt glowered. "Of course, I am. I'm exhausted."
"Spoken like a true Best Man. Awesome job tonight, Yamacchi," Tai said, patting him on the back. Matt appeared too tired to reply. Tai then turned to Sora. "Shall we head home, Sora?"
"To your place, Tai," she said, feeling the weight of exhaustion falling on her, but the warmth of Tai's blazer over her shoulders.
As they climbed into their taxi, she rested her head against Tai's chest. The pain from her shoes gnawed at her feet, but felt cozy enough as she lay in his arms.
She noticed a buzz in her pouch then. When she took out her phone, she saw the popup for a new message from TK:
"I'm home. Thanks for everything, Sora."
The moment she entered Tai's house, the first thing she did was slip off her shoes and throw them against the floor.
"I was so sure you would run to turn on the heater first," said Tai, taking his own shoes off.
"I was debating on it," she said, smiling at him as he headed toward the thermostat himself. She walked barefoot toward the fireplace, the carpet soothing her feet with each step. As soon as she ignited the fire over the logs, she moved back and sat crouched on her knees, emotions mixed as she ran the whole day in her head, but finding comfort in the flames licking the burning wood.
She felt Tai gently place his hands on either side of her arms as he sat beside her, the warmth of his lips touching the crook of her neck.
He's amazing.
"You know, you're amazing, right?" he asked.
"So I've been told," she said, turning to him to meet his eyes. "You're just as incredible."
"Me? Nah…"
"Your collar's been straight ever since the end of the ceremony," Sora said then, glancing at his neck in her slight surprise. Tai laughed.
"That was all thanks to you."
Tai had been massaging her arms slowly, running them up and down as they sat in front of the fireplace. She sensed what he was up to, feeling warm from his touch but chills tingling on the back of her neck.
"Your feet must be killing you…" he said, and without question, she stretched out her legs, placing her feet in front of him. He held her foot in his hands, adding pressure with his thumbs at her soles.
"Mmm…" she said, his touch giving her relief and an impulse for something more the longer he worked his fingers.
He gave her a smirk. "Feeling warm yet?"
"Getting there."
He moved to sit behind her, his hands now working on her shoulders. She sensed what he was up to, but as he pressed his fingers to loosen her knots, followed by soft kisses on her neck, she couldn't deny the urge to join the ride he was already set on taking her.
Sora turned her head, lifting his with her hand to draw his lips to meet hers. She turned around on her knees to face him, her kisses slow and deep while her fingers trailed around his neck, running over the goosebumps forming. Her other hand reached his shirt collar, the collar that she straightened up numerous times, only to then be crooked and unbuttoned at her bidding. She let her tongue slip into his mouth as she unbuttoned the rest of his shirt, and lifting up his shirt underneath, her hand running up against his muscled chest. His own hands ran circles around her lower back, giving her goosebumps in return.
"Getting warmer now," she uttered softly through her kisses, weakened by his touch. Tai let out a gentle laugh, yet she could tell there was a smirk on his lips as he broke off their kiss. He threw his shirt off completely before he pulled her close again.
"Allow me," he said, holding her close as his lips brushed against her neck and behind her ear. Before long, her dress had fallen to the floor, followed by her bra, until she herself fell against her back, with Tai gently laying her against the rug. "Where to, Sora?" he whispered against her ear, making her shudder.
"Anywhere," she whispered back, helplessly. He kissed her deeply against her lips before lowering them onto her chest, kissing his way down to her belly button, where she had to let out a laugh, feeling tickled by his lips.
She let him slip off her panties then, and she knew where his lips would end up next.
"Tai," she breathed, feeling his kisses against her inner thighs as he made his way in. She felt her whole body tense up at the first touch of his tongue, not knowing what to expect next, her mind going crazy. Even then, he kept going, and so did her soft moans escaping her lips, only getting louder. The feel of him tasting her deepened as she held her hands at her sides with her fingers gripping the rug, and her toes curling at her feet, feeling him go wild until she finally reached the point of exhilaration.
She grasped at the rug as she caught her breath, and Tai crawled on top of her, greeting her with another kiss. Her hands left the rug as she ran them through his hair, taking in his long, sweet kisses.
"One more request," Sora said, when their lips parted again, breathless as his chocolate brown eyes bore into hers.
"What's that?" he asked, his hard breath softening, but his quickening heartbeat matching hers against her chest.
"Love me."
His brows furrowed, and he looked at her curiously, but those twinkling brown eyes never faltered.
"Always," he said, lowering his lips to hers, kissing her as though he never wanted to stop.
Their stare never left each other as he lowered himself, with her legs wrapped around his torso before set things in motion as he pushed himself into her. She moved with him slowly at first, her nails digging into his hair and his back, only deepening her grasp, her cries louder as they rocked with each other. She never felt more in sync with him as they sped up, then slowed down to drive each other crazy, only to quicken their pace before driving each other into a moment of sweet, sweet ecstasy.
The moment didn't seem to leave either of them, even as they both breathed out, Tai falling onto her, his head resting on her breasts, the weight of his body on her like a warm blanket.
"Always," he said again, both of them calming their breaths, his hand reaching for hers to lace his fingers with. It was right then, Sora closed her eyes, her mind feeling at peace.
Finally, finally, she was happy that this felt so right.
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A/N: Hooolymoly. Hope the last two chapters Tai- ahem tides you over for a bit. FYI, Kasumi is named/modeled after the new character for the upcoming Persona5R - now, haven't I used a Persona 5 name before? Hmm. Anyway, I had fun with a lil Phantom Thieves reference I threw in this chapter. xP
Speaking of references, there's another bit in this chapter that I'll expand on in a one-shot EDIT: Go read Colors in Dancing (part of Color Shots) :)
I'll have to say for the reviewers from Ch23&24: THANK YOU TO Lin Lu Lo Li, Vigatus, Guest A, skymont, Named After Irony, SoraxKairi7, and makeyourlifehappy for taking the time to review! And thank you to my followers and favoriters (I see you clicking *all* the buttons ;) ) Thank you everyone again for reading! There are still some questions left to answer, so.. see you all next update! xx
Y'all warm after this chapter? Need a fan?
..Stay warm..