Summary:

It's the rehearsal dinner, the night before the wedding...

Chapter 6: I Think of You Every Night and Day

"Nebra, Solid, behave," hissed Nozel to two of his younger siblings, who were beginning their traditional snarky and bitchy comments game.

The Silva family (his mother, his father, Noelle, Nebra, and Solid) sat at a table with the Vermillion (Fuegoleon, Mereoleona, Leopold, and his cousins Mimosa, Kirsch and Kirsch's boyfriend Zora, his aunt Nickole, his uncle Sazerac, and Fuego's parents), nearly in the front of the ballroom space in the Roselei Manor. They were right near the main table for the Roselei family (Ruth, Primrose, James, Charlotte, and Lerola) and Yami, who looked ready to punch his future in-laws in the face.

Today was the long-awaited rehearsal dinner, the night before the wedding of Charlotte Roselei and Yami Sukehiro. And Primrose was giving a long-winded speech that they were supposed to be listening to before dinner.

"You know, Mom and Dad are here, you can't boss us around," Nebra hissed right back.

Nozel glared at her.

"Children, behave," said their mother, with a terrifying smile on her face. The four Silva children shivered.

They all missed what nonsense Primrose was spouting, but Nozel saw the cracks in Charlotte's carefully constructed stoic face, no wonder Yami looked ready to fight and Nozel couldn't blame him. After Charlotte's insufferable mother shut up, dinner was served and the conversation all around the ballroom flowed naturally. Nebra and Solid began their insult fest. Leo, Noelle, and Mimosa giggled to themselves, as they watched something on their phones. Mereoleona excused herself for the bar immediately. She hated events like this, but she came to support Yami and Charlotte. Fuegoleon and Nozel traded looks of the long-suffering brothers.

"Rich nobility people are so vapid," said Zora, bluntly.

"Rude," Kirsch gasped. "You're dating one of the rich nobility, Zora darling."

"My statement still stands," Zora replied.

"I have more style and grace than everyone in this room combined!"

"Says the man who tripped on air this morning at breakfast."

The two continued to trade comments back and forth, which was normal for them. How Kirsch and Zora worked was beyond Nozel's imagination and nor did he really want to know. Zora was likely to start a revolution from the shadows to overthrow the monarchy if given the chance and Kirsch reveled in attention because of his skills at the viola da gamba and his good looks.

If Aunt Nickole and Uncle Sazerac snickered under the breaths at Zora and Kirsch's not-really bickering, Nozel pretended not to hear it.

Wisely changing the subject before Zora went off on a lecture about classism and the like, Fuegoleon said, "I'm looking forward to hearing the song you and Vanessa wrote."

Vanessa, her bandmates/friends/roommates, and Yami's other friends were shoved in the back corner, no doubt a ploy by Primrose and James to avoid "embarrassment."

"She's singing after dinner, right," Noelle asked. "I can't wait!"

"You'll hear the rest tomorrow during the reception," said Nozel, mildly.

"It's a great accomplishment to write and produce so many songs in such a short period," said Uncle Sazerac, Kirsch and Mimosa's father, who just so happened to be a poet. "I'm sure that they're all great. Mimosa says that Miss Vanessa is quite the singer."

"She's lovely," said his mother, beaming widely. "I like her."

"I'm more surprised that Nozel's charming personality didn't scare her away from the project," said Mereoleona, coming back from the bar with drinks in hand (one for her and one for Solace).

"I'm not that bad," Nozel said, half-heartedly.

"No, you are," chorused everyone at the table.

Zora snorted, "Vanessa got the patience of a saint. She friggin' taught dumbass Asta how to actually write music properly."

"Didn't you try to do that," asked Noelle.

"Yeah, but all my patience for dealing with stupid is wasted on this guy," said Zora, poking Kirsch in the face, which just started another round of bickering from the couple.

Nozel sighed as he looked around the room. He caught Charlotte's stare, who mouthed, "help me." And when one's best friend asked for help, you sought a way to help. He excused himself from the table as Mimosa and Zora teamed up to tease Kirsch, and dinner began arriving by the servers. Nozel walked to the way back where Vanessa and the others were located.

"Noelle's big brother," said Asta, the ash-blond young man, who was friends with Noelle, Mimosa and Leo.

"Hey, Nozel," said Vanessa, greeting him. "What's up?"

"I need help getting Charlotte away from her parents before she has a breakdown...again," said Nozel.

Vanessa stood up. "Sure, we can drag her away to discuss the music, as our excuse to give her a minute to breathe. You think Yami can hold his shit together and not punch Char's dear old dad?"

"Perhaps," said Nozel, less concerned about Yami and more about Charlotte. Nozel's flickered away from Vanessa because she was truly dressed to impress. Granted, he was well aware that Vanessa was an attractive, beautiful, charming woman, but the dress was perfect on her.

Heaven help me.

Vanessa grinned. Together, they walked over to the front of the room and asked to speak to Charlotte about the after-dinner performance. The trio went out into the hallway away from prying eyes.

Charlotte let out a big sigh of relief. "One more day."

"You can do this. Once you and Yami are married, you'll only have to deal with your parents like once or twice a year," said Vanessa, cheerfully.

"Don't let them get to you, or they win," said Nozel.

"Thanks," said Charlotte, taking a deep breath. "I can do this."

"That's the spirit," said Vanessa, hugging Charlotte. "Now get back to Yami before he starts a bar fight in this fancy ballroom."

Charlotte returned to Yami's side, leaving Vanessa and Nozel in the hallway. Nozel and Vanessa sighed in unison. Vanessa giggled then. "So, you're looking quite handsome today."

Nozel felt his cheeks warm. "Uh, thanks. You look pretty too."

Vanessa grinned. "Charmer! So, Secre is more absorbed in her new book, so do you wanna play the piano for me?"

"I will," said Nozel.

"Great."

The two returned to their separate tables to eat dinner. After dinner, Charlotte told the crowd that there was a special sneak-peek for the soundtrack for the wedding tomorrow, introducing Vanessa and Nozel. Nozel sat at the grand piano owned by the Roselei family, while Vanessa adjusted the microphone, slyly winking at him.

Nozel began playing the opening chords of the song they chose to preview, a piano version of "Can't Help Falling In Love" with amended lyrics and longer piano sections.

And then Vanessa began to sing.

"Wise women say
Only fools rush in
But I can't help but falling in love with you
Shall I stay?
Would it be a sin?
If I can't help falling in love with you?"

Nozel focused on playing the piano and not looking at Vanessa while she sang because he knew what that did to his heart.

"Like a river flows
Surely to the sea
Darling, so it goes
Some things are meant to be
Some things are meant to be."

Vanessa hit the next lines perfectly, with heart and longing.

"Take my hand
Take my whole life too
For I can't help falling in love with you."

Nozel felt those lines in his soul and he knew he was screwed when she finished the song and looked at him and smiled brightly. Nozel felt himself smile back.

I love her.

The crowd erupted in cheers, startling Nozel and Vanessa out of their staring contest. Nozel glanced over at Charlotte, who had tears in her eyes and then at his family's table where he was getting such knowing looks.

Nozel was really screwed.

~to be continued