Hello! I'm new to writing for this fandom, though I've been reading your wonderful fics for a while. Here's my contribution to the "Wedding Day Challenge". I know it's quite long, even though I tried to keep it as short as possible, but to no avail. I've changed most of the characters' family relationships, I hope not to confuse anyone and that you like it.
NOTE: -26/12/2005- This is the revised version. Even though it's edited since November, I didn't have time to upload it until now. I want to thank my beta-readers Maria Goldstein and my dear friend Ana, who offered to edit my fics when I couldn't contact Maria.
"..." dialogue
'...' dialogue inside flashbacks (in italics)
-
ADVANCE NOTICE OF TRUE LOVE
The sunrise surprised her as she leaned against the balustrade of her balcony, a soft smile gracing her lips as she watched the birds of a nearby tree jump from branch to branch pursuing each other in an endless game, their happy chirping filling her mind and body with a great calm.
A cool breeze blew past her, her short sleeved pyjama shirt dancing around her body, hugging it briefly. She stretched her arms in front of her, feeling each muscle tense and relax under her skin, lifting them upwards and repeating the action.
"Riku! Time to wake up!" a cheerful voice was heard at the other side of the door before it was opened energetically.
She turned in time to see her twin sister burst into the room and look around before shifting her gaze to her. The other girl then walked over to where she was and finally stopped, placing her hand on the stone railing. The orange rays reflected on her long hair, tied in a herringbone braid adorned with small flowers, some wisps of short hair framing her lovely face. She was wearing a light green vaporous organza dress which went down to her knees, the organza ribbon tied at the back showing the fact that she was going to have a baby.
"Good! Part of my job was done. I've been luckier than Daisuke," she whispered, leaning forward. "On my way here, I heard him and Dark arguing about it being Saturday and being too early."
The older girl smiled, the name echoing inside her, making her heart speed up slightly and her flesh tingle pleasantly.
"You know he's like that," she said. "Nothing comes between him and his beauty sleep. Since the first day, the hardest thing to do in this family has been the art of waking him up."
Risa laughed merrily but stopped abruptly with a gasp and looked down at her rounded stomach, lifting her fingers to caress it softly.
"Risa?" Riku asked, worried. "Is everything okay? Do I call Daisuke?"
The girl moved her head and grinned.
"The baby just kicked harder than usual. I probably disturbed his rest and he did not like it."
The soon-to-be aunt lowered herself to the level of her sister's stomach and put her hand on it.
"I'm getting married today, Daichi, so be a good boy and don't tire your mom. She has to help me with my dress, make-up, and everything else because I'm really clumsy and I'd make a mess, okay?"
They shared a moment of silence watching Risa's midsection, feeling the baby's response under Riku's palm before it became still again.
"I hope you would be at least half as happy as I am..." Riku stood up and smiled at her sister, whose expression turned from dreamy to mischievous "... because if you are not, I'm going to pound Dark into a pulp!"
Both girls chuckled and turned to the sun, letting it warm their skin. The sky was of the purest blue without a cloud in sight, announcing a beautiful, early summer day. The birds of the tree flew past them, chirping loudly, and they followed them with their eyes. A few seconds later, a knock on the door snapped them out of their reverie.
"Risa? Riku?" a female voice asked. "Are you getting ready?"
"The wedding!" panicked Risa, taking her sister's hand and dragging her into the room. "Y-Yes, Emiko! The bride's already in the shower!" she lied, pushing a protesting Riku into the adjacent bathroom.
"Great! Then, I'm going to help Daisuke to get that lazy son of mine out of bed!"
She closed the door after Riku and went to sit on the bed with a sigh.
"This stress is not good for me..."
-
"Come on, Dark, you have to get up!" said a very nervous Daisuke, pulling at the last sheet that still covered him.
"Get lost, Daisuke! Do you want me to look like a zombie for the rest of the day! We were up till late last night, I don't know how you manage to have any energy..." replied the figure under the covers, putting a pillow over his head.
"But you'll be lat-"
His words were cut off by the loud bang of the door against the wall. Even Dark peeked from under the layers of cloth to see what was happening.
"Mousy Dark!" the expression Emiko wore made them cringe and Daisuke moved a couple of steps back. "If you're not standing up in five seconds, I'll have to use the '173rd technique to make your son get up.'" Dark's eyes widened in panic. "And you know you won't like it... Five!"
"Mom..."
"Four."
"Ehh..."
"Three."
He crawled further into the bed.
"Two."
"Emiko..." Daisuke tried to intervene in the situation.
"One..." she sighed. "Honestly, I don't know what Riku saw in you..." she muttered pushing up the sleeves of her blouse.
"Riku!" Dark exclaimed, bolting up. "Wedding! Shit, I'm going to be late!"
He dashed for the bathroom, almost knocking the two astounded people who had witnessed the change in him. A sweat drop ran down Daisuke's temple as Emiko moved her head and shrugged.
"Poor, poor Riku..."
-
Risa hummed softly as she combed her sister's short, reddish brown hair with one hand and used the hairdryer with the other. They had been laughing at the commotion heard in the room across the staircase and how scary Emiko could be before they finally continued in silence. From time to time, she glanced at the mirror of the vanity they were in front of to admire her masterpiece, while she also observed Riku's expression with her brows slightly furrowed, her light brown eyes fixing their gaze at a certain part of the table and her lips slightly parted. She seemed to be deep in thought, oblivious to anyone or anything around her, and Risa wondered what could be the cause of her sister's reservations. She did not think it was last moment doubts, since she knew her sister's feelings for her fiancé were strong and that they had walked a long, hard path to that day, but she could not help being uneasy about Riku's current state of mind.
"Riku?" she asked softly and the girl jumped slightly. "I need you to look down..."
The other did as she was told and after a few seconds, the younger sister turned off the hairdryer and looked at their reflection. She remembered that on her wedding day she was all nerves and smiles, bubbling with excitement and driving everyone mad, barely believing she was marrying the man she loved. Determined to know what was on her sister's mind, she left the hairdryer and the comb on the vanity and put her hands on Riku's shoulders.
"Is something wrong?"
Riku looked at her sister for a moment and, realising the cause of her sister's concern, smiled softly and laced her fingers through those of Risa.
"Nothing. I... was just thinking of... how all this started and," she smiled before she continued, "that if you look at it from the outside, this situation is pretty weird..."
Risa laughed and sat beside her sister, both girls looking at each other's reflection in the mirror.
"Maybe you're right. But our family hasn't been normal from the start. Our dad married our teacher. I married your first love... you couldn't be an exception when it came to your wedding."
"That might be..."
The day after Riku had been rejected in favour of her sister by the boy she liked, Niwa Daisuke, their father, Kosuke, had announced to them he was getting married again. The twins knew he had been going out with one of their teachers from elementary school for three years, but never had they imagined that he was thinking of starting a family again. Their mother had left them suddenly when they were seven, the separation hurting him to the point that he had kept himself away from any romantic relationship and focused his attention on his daughters. That was, until Emiko, their new homeroom teacher, had visited their house.
They went out to dinner a week later, and with Emiko came their future stepbrother, a self-confident, handsome boy of seventeen with a charming smile and a mysterious air. Six months later, after a hectic period of preparations, the couple had gotten married and the whole family had moved to a bigger house.
Though Riku and Dark could not let a day pass without becoming involved in an argument in which she would end up flustered while he smirked after countering all her retorts with his smooth talking, he and Risa had connected immediately. They were together most of the time, either playing video games, going out to the cinema, doing some shopping or having ice-cream, to the dismay of the older twin who felt the rage bubble inside her as she watched Daisuke's efforts to gain Risa's attention. And one day she could not hold it anymore.
'I can't believe Daisuke is wasting his time in someone like you! It's not fair, he rejected me because of you and you don't even give him a second glance.'
'Da-Daisuke...?' had whispered Risa with surprised eyes.
'You didn't realise? Then you're more stupid than I thought!'
She had left the dining room in a rush, not caring about hurt feelings or surprised reactions, not aware of Dark's eyes, hard as red-hot steel, following her, questioning, jealousy shining on them. She only had known she needed to get out and get rid of the depression that grew greater with each step. It had been the first fight between the sisters and Kosuke and Emiko had been torn between mediating or letting them solve it.
The girls had spent a week without saying anything to each other, each girl avoiding the other as much as possible until their stepbrother excused himself in their silence at dinner, grabbing their hands and dragging them outside, locking the main door and threatening to leave them there until they talked about their problem.
After overcoming the initial reluctance, they spoke, cried, and eventually smiled. Risa had promised to think about her feelings for Daisuke and to give him an honest answer.
-
"You were pretty jealous back then," said Risa, adjusting a small ornament of flowers in her sister's hair.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Riku replied, her cheeks turning a light shade of red as she admitted to herself that maybe her sister was right.
-
She had not been aware of her feelings developing into something other than that for an obnoxious stepbrother who was the centre of attention of all the girls at school. He loved to boast about his looks and charm, and flirt with every attractive female, embarrassing her beyond words in front of her friends. That was why she sighed with relief when she knew he would not be at home the afternoon of their sixteenth birthday, since they were planning to organize a small gathering. The party had been a success and after it, Risa had gone out to celebrate it alone with Daisuke. An hour later, Dark had knocked on her window and she had let him in, wondering how had he jumped from his balcony to hers without breaking his neck.
'When I was a child I wanted to be a famous thief, like those in movies. I even started to train hard for it."
'And what happened?' she found herself asking, amused and interested in the story, watching him look around her room with open curiosity.
'I realized that being popular would bring many problems. I wouldn't be able to go out or date girls if my face was shown on T.V. I would have the police on my heels all day and no privacy at all.'
She had rolled her eyes and he had smirked, before extracting a small packet from his pocket and offering it to her, wishing her a late happy birthday. She had cautiously reached for and opened it, her eyes widening in surprise when she saw a small crystal pendant in the shape of a tear hanging from a silver chain. He had helped her to put it on and the brushing of his fingers on her skin had her holding her breath, a sudden heat invading her cheeks. And, after thanking him, she looked at her reflection in the mirror, admiring the gift and hoping that the colour would leave her face before he saw it, but not before he did something else that she did not expect.
He kissed her.
And she did not resist.
"What I still don't understand is..." Risa stopped using the eyebrow pencil "... why did you hide it? It was not as if you were doing something bad."
Riku looked down, her gaze fixed on her now interlaced fingers.
"Because I felt it was after that first kiss and Dark was gone. I thought it was kind of... incestuous. After all he was my brother..." a small smile played in her lips. "After avoiding him for a few days, he cornered me in my room, and when I told him all that he laughed and said that nothing we'd do could be sinful. We weren't related by blood, we were just two people who happened to live under the same roof." She tilted her head and her eyes shifted their gaze to the scene outside the window. "And to tell you the truth, I wanted to be convinced..."
"And then, the tomboy became a woman," proclaimed Risa with a grin.
"Hey!" protested Riku with a pout.
The younger sister laughed and went to the door.
"I'm going for your coffee and some toast. You have to eat before we can continue or you'll ruin your make-up."
-
After a quick breakfast, Dark was back in his room, eyeing the classic white suit that he was supposed to wear, not very convinced.
"When will somebody think of something more stylish for grooms? Like adding a couple of buckles to the cuffs, remove the lapels and a long zip to close the jacket instead of buttons... And maybe they could to something with the trousers, too..."
The sound of steps in the corridor and the excited chatting of Aya, their five-year-old sister and Emiko's answers warned him that there wasn't a lot of time left and that probably his mother would come back soon to see if he was ready.
"Guess I have no choice but to dress like a snowman... Boring..."
He took the shirt from his bed and started to put it on. Finally, the great day had arrived. He was going to marry Riku after so many years of waiting and a few obstacles in their path, but the journey was ending and they would start a new life, together and free of fear.
After persuading her, Riku and he had started their relationship, she insisting on not telling anybody in case things did not work. In her words, it would not be fair to compromise the family's peace when, if they decided to break up, it would be easy to pass it as one of their endless fights. At the beginning, he had not understood her stubborn decision and her anxiety about them being caught in their brief encounters in the corridors of the house, most of them consisting of light caresses and smiles or quick kisses, and her fear that they were going to split up bothered him.
After a few months, they had had their fist argument because of their situation. He did not care about the world's opinion as long as he could have her, but she was still afraid. To prove his point, he turned bold and took their relationship to a dangerous level in which he refused to let her go until the last second, kissing her when others were about to enter the room they were staying in or brushing her fingers with his when they were not alone. Until finally, they were discovered by Risa, who walked in on them during one of their stolen moments.
Their sister had proven herself to be an excellent ally. Though she had been a bit puzzled when Riku had asked her to keep things secret, she provided the proper cover to enable them go out without arousing suspicions on the condition that she could tell her boyfriend about them, so that he could help, too. Sometimes, the twins left the house together and Dark and Daisuke met them later and, at other times, the two couples went out as a group, splitting later, until finally Riku started to relax and feel comfortable. But for Dark, all of that was not enough, so he decided to do something about it.
The day after the twins' eighteenth birthday, he took Riku by the hand without a word and entered the room where their parents were, telling them everything and stating his intention of marrying Riku as soon as he got his degree. After a moment of confusion, Emiko expressed her delight while Kosuke remained silent, watching his daughter and stepson, their joined hands, the young man's determined dark red eyes and his daughter's bright brown orbs downcast, reflecting the turmoil beneath. Finally, he had given his consent on one condition, that they would not marry until Riku finished her studies at university. Dark clenched his teeth and tried to reason with his stepfather but ended up with no recourse but to accept, since Kosuke was firm in his decision. If he had to demonstrate to the older man he was mature enough, that he loved Riku and was willing to wait four more years for her, he would do it.
Although it seemed like waiting would take forever, preparations for the wedding had started during Riku's last school year. Risa, her twin, had married Daisuke, who made a name for himself in the art industry a couple of years before she had decided not to go to university and, instead, open a flower shop. Riku, on the other hand, had become a Physical Education teacher while Dark worked as an architect in a small firm.
He finished the knot of his white tie and modified his appearance, his gaze still directed at his reflection in the mirror. After a few final touches, he nodded in approval and smirked. He took the jacket and went out of his room.
"Hi Risa," he greeted his stepsister and future sister-in-law, grinning at the double kinship.
Risa turned with a smile but when she realized the identity of the person who had just greeted her, her expression changed into one of terror and she hurried to Riku's door, which was already open.
"Go in!" she shouted pushing something, or rather someone whom he supposed was his fiancée when he saw a piece of white cloth out of the corner of his eye.
"You should have told me you were still here! It's bad luck when the groom sees the bride before the wedding!" He put his hands up and tried to come up with the most innocent expression he could.
"Out!" Risa ordered as she ushered him towards the staircase. "I knew this was going to happen..." she muttered, watching him go down with carefree steps.
Once she heard the main door close, she came back to her sister's room, watching her for a moment. She was in the middle of the room and looking out the window, dressed in a gown that, to Risa's opinion was too plain. Riku had refused to wear what she called a meringue cake and had chosen an ivory crêpe dress with bateau neckline, cap sleeves and a duster train, and whose only ornament was an overlay skirt made of embroidered chiffon lace. She had refused to wear jewellery except for her engagement ring and Dark's first gift to her, the crystal pendant. Her upper body was covered by an almost transparent veil attached to the ornament in her hair that hung to the floor at the back, the same Emiko and she had worn on their wedding day. She was holding a small bouquet of white wallflowers, white azaleas and blue forget-me-nots made by her sister. Risa smiled. She had spent a lot of time searching for the right flowers for her sister, and worked on the arrangement until it was perfect. In her hand was a white carnation with a few forget-me-nots that she had forgotten to give Dark in the corridor during the fuss. She made a note to herself to remember to give it to him before the wedding.
"Riku?"
She did not turn, and her words, when they reached her sister, were soft.
"How did you feel when you left all this behind?"
Riku walked to her sister and held her hands tightly.
"Sad, because I was leaving you and dad, and Emiko and Dark, of course, and all that I had known in my life. But also happy because I was going to start a new path with Daisuke, and it was not as if I wasn't going to see you again..." The older twin turned to her, a wide smile gracing her features, her eyes bright with unshed tears.
"You're right. Come on, everybody is waiting."
They walked out together and Riku turned to look at her room one last time before closing the door.
"Good bye."
-
Her hair was like soft silk slipping through his fingers when he lifted his hand. He had touched it thousands of times before, but the feeling still fascinated him. Before the last lock fell he took a hold of it and brought it to his lips, kissing it reverently. She smelled of jasmine and of him, and he vaguely wondered if her scent was part of him, too. His eyes fell on the ring in his hand. The moment they had exchanged them he had been invaded by a strong sense of relief, of completeness and fulfilment that he had never felt before, probably because she had not been the only one scared in the relationship. Now they truly belonged to each other and were ready to continue their journey till the end.
His heartbeat was slow, strong, pulsing below her ear, a soothing sound to which she had become addicted back then when they held each other in the darkness of a corridor, she leaning her head on his chest, afraid of being caught. She was glad all that had ended the day Dark had been brave enough for both of them and uncovered their relationship. Though they were not demonstrative with their affection, at least she was no longer afraid. She watched as the fingers of the hand resting beside her mouth came alive, tracing small patterns lightly, memorizing every feature. The ring on her finger glinted in the light that entered through the window and she stared at it for a moment before bringing it to her lips, her face dusted slightly with colour.
"Having perverted thoughts, Riku?" his voice was full of amusement.
Her head shot upwards, her eyes staring at him surprisingly for a second before they narrowed.
"I'm not."
He lifted a finger, tracing a path across her cheeks and nose over her blush, which darkened, and he smirked.
"I told you, I'm not! I was just thinking about today."
"Yeah, a pretty tiring day, wasn't it?" His hand moved to her hair, fingers threading through her silken strands, making their way down her back. "I only wanted everything to end..."
"But the ceremony was beautiful" she put her hand on his chest and rested her chin on it. "And the reception was great, too."
"Yeah, especially when Takeshi tried to impress my cousin Agate by engaging in a drinking contest with Krad and ended up on top of our table singing old songs with Daisuke's grandfather and toasting for us. Or when our Aya took a fancy to Hiwatari. His face was precious when she fell asleep sitting on his knees."
He had been snickering while talking and Riku joined his laughter for a while.
"We'll surely have stories to tell about our wedding day..." she said with a sigh leaning her cheek on his chest again.
His hand came back to her hair and she closed her lids in contentment. They stayed in silence for a few seconds until Riku broke it.
"Also I... was thinking about Risa..."
He made a sound for her to continue and she felt it rumble under her head, making her giggle. He could not help smiling, too. She shifted her position and lay on her back, turning her head to him. He rolled to his side and put his head on his hand, the other going to her neck and playing with the silver chain around it.
"She could not hold back her happiness when she spoke about her married life. As she talked about every little thing they did together a special light appeared in her eyes and her smile was so bright...
"So she gave you details..."
"Now who's having perverted thoughts?" she chided him, pointing a finger to his nose.
He smirked and bit the tip gently. She reddened once again and drew her arm back, her brows furrowed.
"You're never serious when I'm talking to you..."
He sighed when she fixed her gaze on the ceiling and crossed her arms across her chest.
"So, you're telling me you want to be that happy..."
"At least a bit..." she muttered and he stared at her for a moment before lying down next to her and put his arm around her waist, burying his face in the hollow of her neck.
"I can only promise to do the impossible to see that light dancing in your eyes everyday..."
She looked at him and slowly, a smile drew across her lips. She put her hands on his arm and tilted her head to touch his, and closed her eyes.
"Thank you."
THE END
-
All the flowers have their meaning (I love to play with the language of flowers in my fics):
-white wallflower: simplicity
-white azalea: romance
-forget-me-not: sincere love
-white carnation: ardent love