Disclaimer/summary see chapter 1
My Own Life
Chapter 5: Ready?
The bells of the old church chimed out on the morning of the Yuy-Peacecraft rehearsal wedding. Clusters of people waited, chatting about their hopes and wishes for the young couple. Confetti was strew over the golden shimmer carpet marking out the beautiful décor of the aisle. Flowers bloomed from the gleaming, perfectly polished vases set either side of the entrance doors and about the magnificent altar, standing proud at the head of the stunning cathedral. White horses waited outside patiently for the ceremony to end to take attended guest for cuisine at a near by restaurant. Chauffeurs standing straight stayed tolerantly beside the horsed carriages. The sun shone brightly, lighting up the day which was sure to bring traumas in this situation. Two 'O clock drew nearer and more and more people arrived at the practise wedding, the bride and groom yet to come but the mixes of people meant one person couldn't be singled out. A flash of sharp amethyst eyes and the criss-cross of a chestnut brown, metre long, braid were indistinguishable from anyone else.
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"Are you ready for this Heero?"
"Yes Father, it's only the rehearsal after all." The young groom was dressed in a spare wedding suit and tie, preparing for the run through ceremony in the towns church, then dinner at a traditional Japanese restaurant. He answered simply but opposite to what his mind was screaming at him.
"I know. You look so smart all dressed for your wedding, I'm so proud of you son, and I'm sure your Mother would be also."
Heero's stomach churned at the words.
'That is what you're doing it for,' he reminded himself, 'your Father.... And your Mother.'
"Ready son?" His father was beaming at him.
"Yes Father, lets go."
They walked out into the cobbled street, were a posh horse drawn carriage with a pompous, highly dressed driver waited to open the door for them.
"I am Laurence Bolton and I shall be your driver for today, for your wedding." Only his tight-lipped mouth moved to give the information, his posture stayed upright and his eyes didn't flicker.
"Rehearsal," Heero spat icily. He didn't even want to think about the actual event. The snobbish driver ignored him but when Heero and Alninio were comfortably seated in the back, he slammed the door rather harshly.
"Any worries Heero?" Alninio was extremely excited, even over the prospect of just the rehearsal ceremony, reception and dinner, but was anxious his son didn't feel the same. He put it down to nerves; after all it was a big step in a man's life.
"Just nerves Father, no real bothers."
"Excellent."
Nothing else was spoken until the required destination was reached.
"Here we are." The driver stopped and the clomp of horse hooves came to an end. He opened the door once again and stood like a beef-eater at the tower of London as the two men excited the carriage. He then led it over to where the other spare carriages stood.
Heero glanced around at the masses of people that had shown up. Many of his family and family-friends appeared to be there, as did Relena's. Everyone stood in their best clothes and biggest hats waiting for him, the groom, to arrive.
A soft whistle floated with the breeze over the heads of the crowd until it reached the young Japanese boy. He looked over and caught a glimpse of a long braid flicking out of sight.
"Do you want to head straight in Heero, or you can stay out here for," Alninio checked his golden pocket watch, "the ten spare minutes we have?"
"I think I'll walk around the church gardens for ten minutes. He looked back over to the corner where Duo had disappeared round, he knew his secret lover would be waiting to see if he got time to see him before the ceremony started.
"Okay Heero, I'd better greet the guests. Ah Helèna, thanks for coming, how are you?"
Heero turned away from his father and aunt, and cautiously made his way through the forest of people to the man he wished would be the one in the wedding dress the next day. One last glance told him all the guests were in conversations with each other, and not monitoring his movements.
He turned the corner out of the church to the back of the old chapel. The figure of Duo sat hunched against the rough wall, head dipped low, one arm wrapped tightly around his bent legs, his other hand fiddling timidly with the knot in the tip of his braid which had fallen heavily over his right shoulder. His shoulders were hunched and sagging, his posture made him look...unhappy. Something Heero never expected to see bouncy teen.
"Duo..." Words failed him as the huddled up boy looked up at Heero with leaking eyes, brimming with emotion and a tears streaked face. He crouched down next to the distraught teenager, "what's up?" He wrapped his arm around Duo's shaking shoulders and gently gripped his shivering arm.
"The sky." The coldness in Duo's sarcastic tone shocked Heero.
"I'm serious Duo." He cupped duo's damp cheek in his spare hand, half expecting him to pull away.
"So am I." was the answer he received in the same icy tones.
"Duo, why are you so upset?" He was concerned, an upset Duo was unnatural.
"Why? Why? Oh forget it Heero, go practise marring your bloody fiancé."
"Is that what this is about, my wedding?" He asked in warm tones. The braided boy turned his head away from Heero and the other boys touch.
"But Duo you knew I was getting married, right fro the beginning, it's not like I just sprung it on you yesterday."
He took the saddened boy back up in his arms, Duo didn't pull away this time, but he didn't show any return either, just bent his head back to his knees, small, wet, patches soon formed on the folds of his black trousers.
"Duo, it's okay, nothings going to change."
Duo raised his tanned face and looked at Heero with pouring, pleading eyes, "nothing?"
"Nothing. I'll still love you."
"You...love me?"
The Japanese boy nodded.
Duo flung himself on to Heero, fresh tears, this time of happiness forming clearly in his eyes. Both boys fell back to the floor, experiencing the sweetest kiss they had shared.
They stayed in each others embrace, mouths working until their desperate call for air broke them apart.
"...love you...too." Duo managed to gasp out. He kissed tenderly along Heero's jaw-line as the boy closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation, before planting another kissed full on the Japanese boy's lips.
"You okay now?" The cerulean-eyed boy questioned whilst he sat up and held Duo close, wiping at the almost dry violet orbs.
"I was ok right up until I whistled you over, I wanted to see you, then I thought to myself, that's the only time I get to see you, in private, and it's going to be even worse than it is already after yous marry. I just wish we could be together all the time.
"Love... you know I would make it so if I could, but I just cant up and leave like that, my Mother's wishes were for me to grow up and have a traditional arranged marriage and my Father aims to follow that, just for her. And I know if I just told my Father he'd respect my decision, despite what he and my Mother had hoped for me, and that only makes it worse, I can't let him down with not going through with it, but don't ever think that means I don't want to be with you."
Duo snuggled closer, he glanced round and seeing beyond the wall remembered the reason the two were right next to the church and the numerous people waiting for the same reason they were. "When have you got to be back?"
Heero checked a pocket watch similar to his father's, "five minutes ago."
"You not going straight away then?" Duo asked, making a move to pull away, but finding himself unable to move, locked tightly in Heero's strong arms.
"No, I'm staying here; I'd only be going back so I could stand at the altar for half an hour waiting for her because it's fashionable to be late."
"I'd better make it worth your while staying then."
Heero moaned as his lover moved over him, pushing him to the ground and began kissing every part of exposed skin.
Within five minutes, a lot more skin was exposed than to start with. Heero's shirt was unbuttoned and loosely hanging off his body. Duo's hair, untied, was falling gracefully like a blanket and spilling forward in front of him.
"Sorry Duo, I'm going to have to go back." He was worried about the reaction he was going to get, but he didn't want to keep everyone waiting too long.
"Ok," he pushed himself up and held out his hand for Heero, who got up made a move to go back around the corner to the church a muscular arm stopped him in his tracks, "you might wanna fix yourself up first."
Heero looked down at his open, creased shirt, "...yeah." Duo helped him fasten his shirt and neatly fix his tie back into place, he tried to flatten the impossible hair, but quickly gave up.
"There, you look presentable now, gorgeous even." He winked and Heero's cheeks darkened in a blush and Duo burst out laughing , he'd never thought he'd be able to extract a blush from the boy. He always seemed to hide his emotions so well, from everyone other than Duo, but there were some feelings he would conceal even from his lover, a blush being one of them.
"It's good to see laughter rather than tears."
Duo flashed him a brilliant smile before lightly dropping a kiss on his nose, "Good luck sexy."
Heero walked around the corner, an invisible smile resting on his lips. His watch told him it had been twenty five minutes since he and his father had parted. As he approached the church yard, only few guests were left outside, many had entered the church in hope of the ceremony beginning shortly. In front of the oak effect doors with two joined hands as a door knocker, showing God would always be there to help you through tough times, stood Heero's father apprehensively waiting for his son's return from his walk.
"Heero, where have you been?" His tone was shaky but not angry, Alninio was certain his son would have an explanatory reason for his absence and late coming.
"I went to try and buy some flowers for Relena." The lie slipped off his tongue easily, it was a good job, he didn't want to even try to tell his father, the guests and Relena what he'd actually been doing, he could imagine the conversation.
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'Oh yeah sorry I'm late I was busy with my secret lover, who happens to be male by the way, and we just seem to lost track of time, got a bit carried away, but never mind that at the minute, on with the wedding.'
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A talk he would prefer not to have, not now, not ever. He wished he could make Duo happy though.
"But Heero, there's vases full of flowers in the church."
"I know there is, but I wanted roses, she likes them." His father smiled, he was defiantly appearing to make an effort, buying flowers, flowers he knew she liked. "I couldn't get any though, his stall isn't on the market today, family business, but he'll have returned tomorrow, I'll buy her some roses before the actually ceremony at two. Has Relena arrived yet?"
"It's a nice though of you to get her flowers. No, she hasn't turned up yet, but I'm sure she won't be long, you'd better go wait at the altar, the best man is already there, and I must wait out here for Relena as I shall be accompanying her and her father down the aisle."
With a small nod in his father's direction Heero made his way up the hard marble step and past the doors, he caught sight of the knocker and even though he wasn't religious, he sent a quick up to God, basically asking for help.
He made his way up the petal-scattered aisle, smiles followed him until he reached the altar, then people fixed their gaze or went back to their chats.
A man with a shawl of silvery-blonde hair, perfectly straight, now stood in front of him. He turned, revealing eyes, the blue shade of a river on a mountain, iced by the winter chill in the air. The older man produced a delicately fingered hand to Heero, "Milliardo Peacecraft."
Heero clasped the offered hand lightly and shook it in a polite handshake, "Heero Yuy." He noticed the glint of the gold band on Milliardo's left hand, no one else in the county seemed to have a problem with arranged marriages, but of course, chances are Milliardo could actually like his wife.
A young woman with short purple hair came over and entwined her fingers with Milliardo's, "Heero, this is my wife, Lucerzia Peacecraft, she is to be one of Relena's bridesmaids and I am to be the best man, I hope that your marriage with my sister turns out as well as ours did."
"Thank-you. Lucerzia, nice to meet you." He took her hand and softly placed a kiss on it.
She giggled. "Such a gentleman, I'm sure you and Relena with be very happy for many years to come."
A realistic fake spread across the young grooms features, while a mental gagging image stuck clear in his mind at the though of those 'many years.'
As tradition with Japanese marriages a close male member of the family was providing the service of best man. It was usually a brother, and since Heero was an only child Relena's only brother was best man. The bridesmaids are the sisters or sisters in law of the main family, but the bride chooses her own maid of honour, it is usually a bridesmaid, but sometimes there aren't many, so the bride chooses someone else. Both fathers, from either family walk the bride down the aisle, one to give their daughter away, the other to welcome her into a new family. All the traditions were being followed, but Heero didn't care, well he cared slightly because his father cared, but deep down in the pit of his stomach, he couldn't care, it all meant so little to him that nothing mattered. He was just doing it for the other, the other people, but not all other people where happy about it, Duo certainly wasn't. But his father was and that's what mattered right? ...Wasn't it?
Owari Chapter 5
A/N Just thanks once again to all my lovely reviewers, it really means a lot to me, thank-you so much.
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