Chapter twenty-one: The puzzle of wedding bells.
The Kinomoto household was in uproar, Touya and Ruby's wedding had been moved forward due to a new person that soon would be making their appearance. Ruby had discarded her previous dress and bought a new one. Ruby was sitting on Touya's bed, her hand on her rounded belly, pondering what to do with this now too small dress. Ruby looked up in inspiration.
"Sakura-chan, would you come in here for a moment?"
Sakura came into the room and stood looking at Ruby, who smiled at her.
"I want you to have this."
Ruby handed Sakura the dress, she took it wide-eyed.
"Ruby-chan, are you sure?"
"Yes. Go on, try it on."
Sakura nodded, grateful for such a beautiful gift and stepped behind the screen and took off her clothes, draping them over the screen. Sakura pulled the dress on and did it up. Shyly, Sakura stepped out from behind the screen. The dress was embroidered with pink open flowers, it was a medieval style, with gauzy arms still embroidered that widened at the elbow and continued to widen till they reached the middle of the hand. The basque fitted her well, made of latticed work with one set of laces up the centre of it. The bottom part of the dress was scalloped, and billowed out when she walked: it reached to Sakura's feet. Ruby looked at her, when she stepped out and smiled.
"Sakura-chan, you look beautiful."
Yue walked into the room and stood stone still in the doorway, his mouth slightly open. Ruby turned round.
"Yue-san!"
Sakura jumped and spun to face him, making the dress billow as she did. Yue's eyes went a little wider than normal, he shut his mouth. They both flushed, a little of it was embarrassment, a little of it was in longing.
Yue stepped up to Sakura: he took her by the waist and promptly waltzed her round the room. Sakura leant into Yue smiling, Ruby smiled at them, a hand over her mouth. Suddenly the two of them stopped dancing as they saw Touya standing in the doorway watching them.
"Please, don't let me stop you, the two of you look good together."
Yue and Sakura looked at each other and blushed. They backed away from each other, Yue turned to Ruby.
"How are plans coming along for the wedding?"
"Oh, very well, Yue-chan, thank-you, are you going to be at the wedding?"
"Yes, at the normal one as Yukito; I'll be there as myself at the Guardian uniting ceremony."
"Oh good."
Touya clicked his fingers and looked at Yue.
"Oh yes, I meant to ask you, Yue-kun, would you mind being my best man at the uniting ceremony?"
Yue looked at Touya, confused.
"Wouldn't you prefer Yukito to me?"
"No, Yue-kun, I want you to be my best man, so please will you do that for me?"
Yue looked at Touya and then at Ruby who was also giving him a pleading look. Yue sighed.
"Alright, I give in, I'll do it."
"Yay!" Ruby glomped Yue, who made strangling noises, Sakura and Touya laughed for a moment.
Touya then prised Ruby off of Yue, who smiled at the couple. Touya then kissed Ruby, who responded very passionately. Sakura came over to Yue, he took her hand, and quietly guided her out of the room closing the door behind them. Yue looked at Sakura and smiled.
"They seem very happy."
"I know they are: Touya is even being nice to me."
Yue smiled slightly.
"I didn't think that was possible."
Sakura laughed slightly, she then sighed.
"I don't think I'm ever going to know what it's like to get married."
Yue looked at Sakura, surprised, he stopped her from walking and took hold of her shoulders, looking deeply into her eyes, which appeared to be misted with sadness.
"Why not, Sakura-chan?"
"Well, for a start I'm ugly, childish and I love a man of whom I have no hope of ever loving me back."
Yue looked at Sakura: he stepped up to her and pulled her into him. Sakura clutched Yue's uniform, she sobbed once and then cried her heart out in his chest. Yue stroked her hair trying to comfort her, and after a moment, when her crying had subsided, Yue looked down at Sakura, once again holding her shoulders.
"Sakura-chan you are beautiful, just like the flower you were named after, you have wonderful emerald green eyes and beautiful brown hair. You're not childish, you're caring, and considerate of others. As for this man, he would have to be crazy not to love you, take my advice this man may actually love you but he is just really shy about saying something, give him time, he may yet surprise you."
Sakura nodded; throughout the conversation Yue had gently been stroking Sakura's face, and she had to admit it was rather nice. Yue looked into Sakura's eyes, smiling, she smiled back at him.
"That's my Sakura-chan, that's the young lady I know and love."
Sakura put a hand over her mouth. Yue looked a little surprised and tried the word again
"Love. I haven't used that word for a long time."
Yue turned to Sakura and smiled, the door downstairs unlocked as Mr Kinomoto arrived home from work. Yue's eyes went wide, he quickly transformed back into Yukito.
"I'M HOME!"
Sakura smiled and ran downstairs.
"Otou-san, I'm glad to see you're home. Ruby-chan gave me her old wedding dress for a present."
At that point, Ruby, with the help of Touya and Yukito, came into the living room. Mr Kinomoto looked at his daughter.
"I must say, Sakura-chan, that it looks lovely on you. It makes me think that some day I'll be giving you away."
Sakura blushed. Mr Kinomoto smiled at Sakura.
"You have grown into a beautiful young lady just like your mother was."
"You really think so, Otou-san?"
"Yes, I do."
Sakura threw her arms round her father and hugged him tightly.
"That means the world to me Otou-san, thank you."
Mr Kinomoto looked at Yukito and smiled at him.
"Don't you agree Yukito-kun?"
"I do indeed, Kinomoto-san."
"And do you not also agree that it will be a very sad day for us all when Sakura-chan gets married and goes away from us all?"
That comment hit Yukito like a ton of bricks, he felt sick in his stomach. Yue was having the same reaction, neither of them wanted Sakura to marry anyone else, move away and leave them all behind, let alone bear another man's children. Yukito gulped and looked down at Sakura.
"I think it will be a sad day for us all when Sakura finds a husband, marries and leaves us all behind."
Sakura looked at her father and Yukito.
"I couldn't go away and leave you all, I'd marry someone who lived near by so I didn't have to leave all my friends and family behind."
Yukito smiled a little, as did her father, Yukito spoke to her gently.
"I am glad to hear that when you marry, you will take someone who lives near to us, so we won't lose you so much. One thing, Sakura-chan, make sure that he is the one your heart truly loves before you marry him."
Sakura smiled at Yukito, he always gave her such kind advice.
"I will, Yukito-san."
Mr Kinomoto watched both Sakura and Yukito's expressions: to him they were as easy to read as one of his student's essays. Deep inside, Mr Kinomoto wished that Sakura and Yukito would come together and get married, he was sure they would make a good couple and make each other a wonderful husband and wife.
The Kinomoto household was in uproar, Touya and Ruby's wedding had been moved forward due to a new person that soon would be making their appearance. Ruby had discarded her previous dress and bought a new one. Ruby was sitting on Touya's bed, her hand on her rounded belly, pondering what to do with this now too small dress. Ruby looked up in inspiration.
"Sakura-chan, would you come in here for a moment?"
Sakura came into the room and stood looking at Ruby, who smiled at her.
"I want you to have this."
Ruby handed Sakura the dress, she took it wide-eyed.
"Ruby-chan, are you sure?"
"Yes. Go on, try it on."
Sakura nodded, grateful for such a beautiful gift and stepped behind the screen and took off her clothes, draping them over the screen. Sakura pulled the dress on and did it up. Shyly, Sakura stepped out from behind the screen. The dress was embroidered with pink open flowers, it was a medieval style, with gauzy arms still embroidered that widened at the elbow and continued to widen till they reached the middle of the hand. The basque fitted her well, made of latticed work with one set of laces up the centre of it. The bottom part of the dress was scalloped, and billowed out when she walked: it reached to Sakura's feet. Ruby looked at her, when she stepped out and smiled.
"Sakura-chan, you look beautiful."
Yue walked into the room and stood stone still in the doorway, his mouth slightly open. Ruby turned round.
"Yue-san!"
Sakura jumped and spun to face him, making the dress billow as she did. Yue's eyes went a little wider than normal, he shut his mouth. They both flushed, a little of it was embarrassment, a little of it was in longing.
Yue stepped up to Sakura: he took her by the waist and promptly waltzed her round the room. Sakura leant into Yue smiling, Ruby smiled at them, a hand over her mouth. Suddenly the two of them stopped dancing as they saw Touya standing in the doorway watching them.
"Please, don't let me stop you, the two of you look good together."
Yue and Sakura looked at each other and blushed. They backed away from each other, Yue turned to Ruby.
"How are plans coming along for the wedding?"
"Oh, very well, Yue-chan, thank-you, are you going to be at the wedding?"
"Yes, at the normal one as Yukito; I'll be there as myself at the Guardian uniting ceremony."
"Oh good."
Touya clicked his fingers and looked at Yue.
"Oh yes, I meant to ask you, Yue-kun, would you mind being my best man at the uniting ceremony?"
Yue looked at Touya, confused.
"Wouldn't you prefer Yukito to me?"
"No, Yue-kun, I want you to be my best man, so please will you do that for me?"
Yue looked at Touya and then at Ruby who was also giving him a pleading look. Yue sighed.
"Alright, I give in, I'll do it."
"Yay!" Ruby glomped Yue, who made strangling noises, Sakura and Touya laughed for a moment.
Touya then prised Ruby off of Yue, who smiled at the couple. Touya then kissed Ruby, who responded very passionately. Sakura came over to Yue, he took her hand, and quietly guided her out of the room closing the door behind them. Yue looked at Sakura and smiled.
"They seem very happy."
"I know they are: Touya is even being nice to me."
Yue smiled slightly.
"I didn't think that was possible."
Sakura laughed slightly, she then sighed.
"I don't think I'm ever going to know what it's like to get married."
Yue looked at Sakura, surprised, he stopped her from walking and took hold of her shoulders, looking deeply into her eyes, which appeared to be misted with sadness.
"Why not, Sakura-chan?"
"Well, for a start I'm ugly, childish and I love a man of whom I have no hope of ever loving me back."
Yue looked at Sakura: he stepped up to her and pulled her into him. Sakura clutched Yue's uniform, she sobbed once and then cried her heart out in his chest. Yue stroked her hair trying to comfort her, and after a moment, when her crying had subsided, Yue looked down at Sakura, once again holding her shoulders.
"Sakura-chan you are beautiful, just like the flower you were named after, you have wonderful emerald green eyes and beautiful brown hair. You're not childish, you're caring, and considerate of others. As for this man, he would have to be crazy not to love you, take my advice this man may actually love you but he is just really shy about saying something, give him time, he may yet surprise you."
Sakura nodded; throughout the conversation Yue had gently been stroking Sakura's face, and she had to admit it was rather nice. Yue looked into Sakura's eyes, smiling, she smiled back at him.
"That's my Sakura-chan, that's the young lady I know and love."
Sakura put a hand over her mouth. Yue looked a little surprised and tried the word again
"Love. I haven't used that word for a long time."
Yue turned to Sakura and smiled, the door downstairs unlocked as Mr Kinomoto arrived home from work. Yue's eyes went wide, he quickly transformed back into Yukito.
"I'M HOME!"
Sakura smiled and ran downstairs.
"Otou-san, I'm glad to see you're home. Ruby-chan gave me her old wedding dress for a present."
At that point, Ruby, with the help of Touya and Yukito, came into the living room. Mr Kinomoto looked at his daughter.
"I must say, Sakura-chan, that it looks lovely on you. It makes me think that some day I'll be giving you away."
Sakura blushed. Mr Kinomoto smiled at Sakura.
"You have grown into a beautiful young lady just like your mother was."
"You really think so, Otou-san?"
"Yes, I do."
Sakura threw her arms round her father and hugged him tightly.
"That means the world to me Otou-san, thank you."
Mr Kinomoto looked at Yukito and smiled at him.
"Don't you agree Yukito-kun?"
"I do indeed, Kinomoto-san."
"And do you not also agree that it will be a very sad day for us all when Sakura-chan gets married and goes away from us all?"
That comment hit Yukito like a ton of bricks, he felt sick in his stomach. Yue was having the same reaction, neither of them wanted Sakura to marry anyone else, move away and leave them all behind, let alone bear another man's children. Yukito gulped and looked down at Sakura.
"I think it will be a sad day for us all when Sakura finds a husband, marries and leaves us all behind."
Sakura looked at her father and Yukito.
"I couldn't go away and leave you all, I'd marry someone who lived near by so I didn't have to leave all my friends and family behind."
Yukito smiled a little, as did her father, Yukito spoke to her gently.
"I am glad to hear that when you marry, you will take someone who lives near to us, so we won't lose you so much. One thing, Sakura-chan, make sure that he is the one your heart truly loves before you marry him."
Sakura smiled at Yukito, he always gave her such kind advice.
"I will, Yukito-san."
Mr Kinomoto watched both Sakura and Yukito's expressions: to him they were as easy to read as one of his student's essays. Deep inside, Mr Kinomoto wished that Sakura and Yukito would come together and get married, he was sure they would make a good couple and make each other a wonderful husband and wife.