A/N: Regarding the wedding, I hope I got everything right. I did my research on traditional Jewish weddings, and I'm hoping I got it right and didn't offend anyone! Please read and review if you liked it!

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Raivis woke early the next morning. He knew it was the day of the wedding, but he wished he could have gotten more sleep than he had. Careful not to wake Lilli, he got out of bed and went out into the apartment to see if Toris was awake, which he was. And from what Raivis could tell, it looked as if Toris had slept maybe three hours that night.

"Did you even sleep?" Raivis asked his cousin, sitting at the table and grabbing at Toris's cup of coffee for a sip.

Toris pushed the mug toward his cousin. "Barely," he answered. "I'm just anticipating today is all. What if I mess up or something?"

"What kind of moron messes up their own wedding?" Raivis scoffed before taking a sip of the coffee.

"This kind of moron," his cousin spazzed, gesturing to himself. "I would most definitely mess up my own wedding!" He began breathing heavily. "I can't do this, Raivis. I really can't."

"Sure you can," Raivis answered. "I'll be right there in the crowd, watching you. You're going to be fine. You'll see. But in the meantime, you can't keep drinking all of this coffee. It's bad for your nerves. No wonder you're freaking out all over the place." He sighed. "Drink water for the rest of the morning, okay?"

Toris nodded and went to the kitchen to get water to drink. Seeing Toris so obedient like this made Raivis feel as if he were the older one for once. It almost made him feel powerful, if it wasn't for the fact that Toris was probably also scared of Natalia that day.

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At the wedding, Raivis and Lilli decided to sit next to Irunya and her baby, which she kept bundled in her lap. Lilli wouldn't stop staring over at the beautiful women, definitely able to tell that Ivan was her brother. She just couldn't understand why the two siblings weren't on speaking terms or couldn't live together like she and Vash did. Raivis did his best to assure her that it was a complicated situation and that it was best not to mention Irunya's brother to her that day. The young girl sighed, but she agreed with her boyfriend.

Soon, it was time for the ceremony to start. It began with Toris signing the marriage contract, or the ketubah, as it was called. The ketubah was then read aloud in front of the crowd in the original language that it was written in while Lilli sat there with a confused look on her face, wondering if Raivis could understand it like everyone else seemed to.

Toris was then led under the small canopy by Natalia's father and then Natalia was led under by her mother. Raivis explained quietly that it was supposed to be both fathers and bother mothers leading in the bride and groom, but Toris's family couldn't make it to the wedding. Lilli nodded her head in agreement as she watched Natalia circle Toris three times upon entering.

"What's the three circles mean?" Lilli asked him quietly, trying not to disturb any guests. She was just confused about the traditions of Jewish weddings.

"The three circles stand for promises of marriage," Raivis answered. "But I can't think of what they are at this exact second." He tried to summon the promises to his mind, but they just wouldn't come. "The bride usually circles the groom three to seven times to symbolize the promises or perfection."

Lilli slowly nodded, trying to make it seem as if she understood. What did perfection have to do with the number seven? She wanted to seem like she understood for Raivis, but she knew one thing. If they did get married, there was no way she could bring herself to have a traditional Jewish wedding.

The rabbi then began saying some blessings that Lilli didn't quite understand. The first one, she was almost certain, was blessing the wine before Natalia and Toris. She then realized that the second one was to bless their betrothal. Lilli began to get the hang of things as she watched them drink the wine. Though she was still confused, she didn't want to let on just how confused she was, for fear that Raivis would give her grief over it.

Raivis nudged Lilli's arm with his elbow. "How are you holding up?" he asked her. "Is any of this making sense to you?"

Lilli was watching Toris and Natalia drink the wine as she slowly shook her head. "Not really," she softly admitted. "This wedding is so different from any wedding I have ever been to."

"I understand that," Raivis said. He grabbed her hand and gave it a light squeeze. "Don't worry, Lil, our wedding doesn't have to be like this one. Natalia just wanted a traditional Jewish wedding is all."

The girl nodded, glad to hear that. She had been worried that Raivis would want her to have a traditional Jewish wedding as well when they got married. Now she could relax, knowing that he didn't expect that of her.

Toris then grabbed Natalia's right hand and slipped a gold band onto her index finger. He smiled as he recited the traditional vow, "Behold, you are consecrated to me with this ring according to the law of Moses and Israel."

Natalia then presented Toris with an identical ring and slipped it onto his right index finger. Her face lit up as she said her vow. "I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine."

Lilli took in the bright smiles on Toris and Natalia's faces. The two looked like they truly were in the deepest of love. It were almost as if they had been in love all their lives and never had been in love with anyone else. Their looks toward each other were so pure and wonderful that Lilli couldn't help but smile and feel a warmth in her heart for them.

Then came the time for the Sheva Brachot to be recited by the rabbi. Lilli asked Raivis what that was, and he had explained to her that it was the seven promises of marriage for the husband and wife. She simply nodded, asking for no more explanations than that. There wasn't anything else she really wanted to hear about this wedding, knowing that it was almost over anyway. She didn't want to get any more confused. Though it was a beautiful wedding, she just didn't understand it like Raivis did. And for some reason, it made her heart feel heavy.

Toris drank the wine, followed by Natalia, once the rabbi was finished speaking. They seemed so happy up in front of everyone in the wedding canopy. Lilli couldn't help but smile along with them and cheer with the rest of the crowd as Toris stomped on glass with his right foot.

"Mazel tov!" Raivis called out to Toris, along with most of the crowd, pumping his fist in the air.

Lilli looked over at her love, confused. "What does that mean?" she asked him, having never heard those words before. She didn't know if they were something special that she should say as well.

"It's a form of congratulations," Raivis answered with a wide smile. "You should try saying it. It's fun! Mazel tov!"

"Mazel tov!" Lilli called out. A wide smile spread across her face. Raivis was right! It was fun to say. She looked over at him, a wide grin on her face. She was so glad that she had been able to come to the wedding with him.

Caught up in the moment, Lilli kissed Raivis happily, and Raivis kissed her back, an arm around her waist. They kissed for a moment before being brought back to reality by cheering people.

Lilli looked up to see that Toris and Natalia were no longer there. She looked around them and saw no trace of the bride or the groom. "Where did they go?" she asked Raivis.

"It is Jewish tradition that the bride and groom go off to be alone for ten to twenty minutes after their wedding is complete," Raivis answered. "I never understood it until I got older, if you know what I'm saying."

Lilli blushed a deep red. "You mean they're off doing that?"

"It's quite possible," Raivis answered with a shrug. "Each couple spends their time differently, from what I've heard."

Lilli giggled. "Oh my."

Raivis smiled at her shyness over the matter. At least he wouldn't have to think about her wanting to do things like that for a long time. "Well Toris and Natalia are staying at their house tonight," he began. "We have the apartment to ourselves tonight before we leave tomorrow. So we should be able to get some good sleep at least."

She smiled over at him. "That sounds wonderful, Raivis." Her hands squeezed his with excitement. "You know, I'm glad that I came to this wedding with you, Rai. If I hadn't, then I wouldn't have had this wonderful time that I'm having right now. I think you're the most wonderful man I have ever met." Lilli leaned in and kissed his cheek. "I love you, Raivis Galante."

"And I love you, Lilli Zwingli," he answered before kissing her soft lips. "Forever and ever."

.

That night, Lilli emerged from Raivis's bedroom in her nightgown to find him reading on the couch. "What are you reading?" she asked him, cocking her head to the side. "Is it any good?" She walked over to him and sat next to him, so close that their legs were touching.

"I'm just reading over the Hebrew Bible that Toris has here," Raivis answered, looking up at her. "It's been years since I've read it. I had almost forgotten how to read Hebrew."

"You can read Hebrew?" Lilli asked, eyes widening. "I didn't know that." She blushed a little. There seemed to be a lot that she didn't know about Raivis that she was just discovering. "I had no idea that you could read in other languages."

"I can," Raivis answered with a nod. "I can read in English, Latvian, Hebrew, Lithuanian, Polish, and Russian." He smiled proudly. "I can speak all of them as well, though I'm not too great at Russian with both reading and speaking. I didn't live there long enough to get a good feel for the language. It's a lonely life, though. I am a master of many languages, yet I have barely anyone to speak it with."

"You have me," she told him, placing a hand on his arm. "I am willing to learn anything you could teach me." Her lips formed into a warm smile, which she directed at him. "Raivis, I want to know everything there is to know about you. You are a wonderful man, and I want to know everything you wish to tell me. That, and so much more."

Raivis smiled. "And I will tell you all of it in due time, my darling," he told her. "But just remember that it will all be in due time. You have to be patient, Lilli. Can you do that for me?"

"Of course I can, Raivis," she said with a smile. "Patience is something I can always handle. And it's because I love you." Lilli leaned in and softly kissed his lips. "You're wonderful, my dear. I could wait for you forever."

"I hope you don't have to wait for too long," he told her. "I won't make you wait forever."

"That's what I like to hear," Lilli told him with a grin. She leaned in once more and connected her lips to his. Everything inside of her body was screaming about how in love she was with him. She could honestly wait forever for him without a care in the world, not even worrying about becoming an old maid, just as long as she could be his.

"What are you thinking about, Lilli?" he asked her with a smile.

"Do you really want to know?" she asked him, smiling widely.

"I wouldn't ask if I didn't want to know," Raivis answered, smiling coyly. "Now tell me about the things going on in that pretty, little head of yours."

Lilli's cheeks flared up with a blush. She loved it when Raivis called her pretty. "I am just imagining what it would be like to be married to you," she answered. "After going to that wedding today, all I can imagine is what our wedding will be like. Raivis, I decided that I don't want to marry anyone but you." She bit her lip and folded her hands in her lap. "I love you, Raivis Galante. And I want to marry you, and only you. Please do me the honor of making me Mrs. Lilli Galante one day."

"Is that a marriage proposal?" Raivis asked with a smile. He wasn't expecting Lilli to propose in such a way, but he was glad that she did.

The young girl nodded. "It is," she answered. "Because I know that you would follow my brother's rules. But I don't want to. I want to marry you, and only you. I don't care what Vash has to say about it. He is not me. He shouldn't get a say in who I marry. I want to marry you, Raivis, and only you. You are going to be my first, and only, marriage."

Caught in the moment, Lilli grabbed Raivis by his collar and kissed him passionately. Her lips moved on his as she moved to sit on his lap. She twisted her fingers into his curly hair and pulled him closer, pressing her body against his. In that moment, all she could sense and feel was Raivis. All she wanted at that moment was the boy she was so close to.

Raivis knew where this would lead if they weren't careful. He didn't want that, so he made sure to calm himself down and relax himself and his mind so he wouldn't feel that dangerous bloodrush that would soon come if Lilli kept this up. He was just hoping that she would stop soon. If she didn't, he would soon begin to worry for his sanity.

Lilli pulled away from him, breath coming out in pants. "Raivis, you're so wonderful!" she breathed. "Let me be yours!" Her eyes were more than just loving as she looked at Raivis. They were also lustful, which worried him.

"What do you mean by that?" Raivis asked, striving to play dumb. He had to play dumb if he didn't want to have to take a chance with her. There was no way he could let himself make love to Lilli while they were in Russia. He had to stay a virgin for a little while longer, at least for her sake. She needed to remain innocent.

"Raivis, it's you that I love, and only you," she softly said. "Please let me be yours tonight. Take me into your bedroom and make me yours."

So she did mean that. Raivis gulped. "Lilli, you know we can't do that."

"And why not?" she asked, stubbornly placing her hands on her hips. "Who said? Vash? He's not here, Raivis! It's just us right now!" She placed a hand on his chest, feeling his rapid heartbeat beneath her fingers. "Please do this for me?" she asked sweetly.

Raivis couldn't believe what was actually going on! Was he really about to let himself be seduced by this goddess of a girl he had met in Switzerland only months ago? Was this really okay to let himself be seduced by her? He battled it over in his head for a few moments. What really was okay, and what wasn't at that time?

"What if I accidentally hurt you?" Raivis asked her. "What if you can't sit comfortably and Ivan finds out what we did?"

"Raivis, please!" Lilli begged. "You forget how wonderful of an actress I can be at times!" She began to unbutton the top buttons of her nightgown. "Please do this for me!"

He shook his head. "Lilli, I can do other things with you, but just not all of it," he decided. "I wouldn't mind taking a bath with you or something of that sort, but I will not make love to you tonight. I can't do it. Perhaps another time."

She frowned, but accepted his answer. "If you're sure," she sighed. "And since you mentioned it, I'll go draw the bath then." Her green eye winked at him. "There's no backing out since you already said you'd do it, Raivis." With a flourish of her nightgown, she made her way to the bathroom.

Raivis sat there for a moment, heart racing. What had he just agreed to? Then he thought about it for a couple more moments and realized that, in a way, it was actually his idea in the first place.

.

Raivis sat in the bathtub, waiting for Lilli to enter the bathroom as well. His heart was racing as he hoped she wouldn't be disappointed with him. Then again, why was he thinking something like that about himself? He didn't really understand it. There was nothing for her to really be disappointed about. Then again, she had never really seen him naked before. There was something.

Lilli entered, a towel wrapped around her slim body. She smiled at Raivis, her entire face lighting up. "So you really did come in here," she said, voice sounding relieved. "I was worried I was going to have to do this by myself."

He was about to ask what, but she removed the towel, revealing her naked body beneath it. The boy could think of nothing else as he saw his first nude female of his life. He couldn't help but think that she was perfect as she stood there before him as he took in the sight of her.

"Do you like what you see?" she softly asked him.

"You're perfect," he softly told her. "There is nothing I wouldn't like." His hand reached out on its own and rested on the soft skin of her left hip before pulling her closer. "Come join me."

Lilli's face turned bright red. "Okay," she softly said. Her body trembled slightly with nervousness as she got into the bathtub and took her place between Raivis's legs, leaning back against him. She let out a sigh of content as she did so. "Raivis," she breathed.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Nothing," she answered. "I'm just glad that I'm here with you right now. This is so perfect." She turned her body to face him, the tub being big enough to do so. "I just love you so much, you know?" Her lips crashed into his for a moment as they kissed. "You're amazing!" she gasped out when they parted. "Never leave me."

"What if your brother found another during this time?" Raivis asked.

Lilli bit her lip. "That was why I wanted you to sleep with me," she softly said. "So that he couldn't find another. So I could tell him what we did and how I only belonged to you."

"But you know what that could mean for me, Lilli," Raivis sighed.

"Which is why I didn't do it," she said, caressing his face with a frown.

Raivis used two of his fingers and pushed the corners of her mouth up into a smile. "You shouldn't frown. I'd be sad if your face stayed like that one day." He smiled at her. "Your face looks wonderful with a smile on it, Lil."

She couldn't help but smile at him. "But how can I smile when I'm a prisoner of my own love?" she asked him. "I can't even be free to love the man that I wish to love." She rested her head on his shoulder. "It's not fair, Raivis. It really isn't."

He sighed. "I know it isn't," he said, bringing a hand out of the water to stroke her head in a comforting way. "And such things shouldn't happen to a girl like you. You should be free to love whomever you wish." Raivis was quiet for a moment. "I just worry that if you were given that freedom, then you may have never loved me."

Lilli pulled away from him and smiled. "I would have always loved you, Raivis," she assured. "You are so good and wonderful to me. How could I not?"

"What if you would have found someone better before me?" he asked.

"No one could be better," she assured, caressing the side of his face once more, her hand slipping up into his curls which she loved so dearly. "I would always love you and no one else."

"Are you sure about that?" he asked.

"Indeed I am," she answered.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because you see, I'm just a prisoner of my own love. Try and break my shackles. You won't." She smiled at him. "I'm a prisoner to my love for you, but I enjoy every moment of it."