~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*One Month Later*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Ryo woke up earlier than normal that morning as he sat up and stared out his window. 'Today's the day!' he thought with excitement. 'Today Sakura becomes Mrs. Ryo Sanada.' He smiled happily as he lay back down and stared at the ceiling, thinking about all that was going to happen that day. Eventually he managed to drag himself out of bed and get dressed. He kept looking at his tuxedo sitting on a chair at the other end of the room. 'Just a couple more hours.' He said to himself as he left the room, White Blaze trotting behind him. He made it down to the kitchen where Sage, Cale, Dais, Anubis, Rowen, and Kento sat eating breakfast.
"Well, if it isn't the groom!" Kento said upon his entrance.
"Ready for today?" Sage asked.
"I've been ready for a long time!" Ryo said as he helped himself to some breakfast. The guys smiled in understanding as they continued eating.
"Where are the girls?" Ryo asked curiously referring to Mia and Alanna. He figured that Sakura would still be asleep being the night owl she was.
"Oh you won't see them till the wedding!" Sage said glumly at not being able to be with Alanna.
"Why not?" Ryo asked.
"Because they are helping your blushing bride to be get everything ready for the wedding." Dais answered.
"Sakura's up already?" Ryo asked interested.
"She was up at the crack of dawn running around the house like a miniature cyclone getting all the final things in place." Cale replied.
"Maybe I should go help her." Ryo thought out loud as he turned to go upstairs to the girl's room.
"I wouldn't if I were you." Anubis warned as Ryo scoffed at his remark and made his way upstairs. HE gave a smile to Kero sitting outside the door as he rapped smartly on the door and listened. He heard a flurry of papers, and objects being moved around as the door opened a crack.
"Yes?" Sakura's voice floated out.
"Hey." Ryo said.
"RYO!" Sakura yelled shutting the door almost all the way. "What are you doing!" she demanded.
Ryo stared at the barely open door stunned. This wasn't the response he had expected from his soon to be wife. "Trying to talk to you." Ryo answered surprised.
"You can't!" Sakura shouted back. "It's back luck to see the bride before the wedding!" Ryo threw back his head in a laugh.
"You don't really believe that superstitious nonsense do you?"
"You never know!" Sakura shot back from behind the door.
"Come one, I just want to talk to you for a little bit; then I'll go." Ryo said persuasively.
"But…"
"It's not like I haven't seen you before the wedding. I saw you all yesterday and yesterday was before the wedding." Ryo pointed out. Sakura sighed as she opened the door to allow Ryo entrance. Mia and Alanna looked up as Ryo entered and got up to leave, assuming that the couple wanted their few minutes of privacy. They shut the door behind them leaving Ryo and Sakura alone. Ryo stared at Sakura for a few minutes as she moved around the room. Ever since they had had their talk by the river that day, Sakura started getting that sparkle in her eyes back. The one that she had lost after she had let Seriyu go. Although there was still a hint of sadness in her gaze and Ryo wished that she would talk to him about it, but he had promised not too ask again. 'She promised to tell me when she was ready, and I'll wait.' He thought to himself.
"Where's your dress?" Ryo asked noting the T-shirt and jeans she was wearing.
"Hidden from nosy boyfriends!" Sakura joked as Ryo smiled. "So what did you want to talk about?" she asked impatiently
"I lied, I just said that so you'd let me in the room." Ryo admitted.
"RYO! Do you know how busy I am? I still have a lot of things to be done. And I haven't even found my something borrowed yet!" Sakura whined as she sat on the window sill.
"Something borrowed?" Ryo asked looking at her in confusion.
"Yes, there is a rhyme that every bride is supposed to have a something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue." Sakura recited. Ryo nodded in understanding.
"What's your something old?" he questioned.
"My mother's necklace." She answered quietly fingering the small crystal that she continuously wore.
"And you're something new?"
"The dress."
"Something blue?" Ryo persisted. Sakura looked up at him at before she answered this question with a sly glint showing from her golden eyes.
"I'll tell you that after the wedding." Ryo knitted his brows together in confusion before shrugging it off.
"So who is the maid of honor?"
"Mia, who's the best man?" Sakura replied.
"Sage," Ryo answered.
"Whose is going to walk you down the aisle?" Ryo asked.
Sakura looked out the window sadly for a moment before answering. "Well, since my father can't, I asked Anubis. He said he would be honored."
"Good choice." Ryo praised as he walked over and seated himself next to her. He reached out and covered her hand with his as she looked up at him.
"I love you, Sakura." He said.
"I love you, Ryo." She responded as she covered his mouth with hers. All too soon Sakura broke the kiss and attempted to usher Ryo out the door.
"I'll see you in a couple of hours." She promised at his objection to having to leave. Ryo stared at the closed door listening to the sound of the three girls preparing for the wedding. He shook his head as he smiled and headed to his room to change. He might as well get started.