And here we go again! Can you tell I'm having fun? I must admit, I am a girly girl- I'm having such fun picking out the wedding dress and flowers and such! I totally failed at being a tomboy in my youth.
Theme song/inspiration music for this chapter in Mokona's character song- I am not going to type out the title since it's WAY too long. I don't care if it doesn't fit- it's CUTE!
I don't own anything that I don't own.
Haru jumped slightly in her seat. "E..Excuse me?"
Xanxus growled. "Are you stupid as well as impulsive?" "N..No, I just... ah, just...what? Why would you want to crash the wedding?" "Simple. We've never done it before. It would be amusing to splatter blood on the aisles, burn the church down, shoot holes through the wedding cake, etc... If you want, I could kill the groom, and steal the bride."
Haru gulped. Everyone was truly insane. "Haru... doesn't think those last two are necessary... Or the first two. Er, and the cake is for the reception, not the ceremony..." "Whatever. It's a sweet piece of shit. I could crash the wedding, and pass through the reception hall on the way out to shoot it."
The brunette fidgeted. Finally, she gathered enough courage to speak. Raising her bowed head, she stared him in the eyes. "Haru... Haru may not want this wedding, but she can't think about herself all the time. There are other people affected by this too. H..Hibari is stuck. He can't just run away- it would ruin his and my reputation. And Tsuna would be disgraced if his own subordinate did something like that. Perhaps we could have found some legitimate excuse to break the engagement, given enough time to make it seem more natural- but with this powerful lady pressuring us, we have no choice right now. I... told him he could divorce me later, whenever he felt it was a good time... I know that then I'll be considered a little... oh, I don't know...unwanted... used...something... a..and I really wanted... really wanted.." She choked back sobs, straightened her back, and bit her lip. "I really wanted to marry Tsuna. But fate or something decided otherwise." She smiled wistfully. "I know Tsuna's liked Kyoko more... since the beginning. I guess, after all these years of trying to get him to love me more, I'm supposed to move on. I just wish the sign was a bit more... subtle."
Haru slowly looked up, and froze. Xanxus was glaring at her rather wrathfully. "Oi, woman. Do I LOOK like a psychiatrist?" "Ah, sorry!" "... if you feel like having your wedding crashed... tap your knuckle with your thumb a couple times during the ceremony, and we'll massacre the place." "Ahaha, got it!" she laughed nervously. "I..Is there anything else you wanted to know, sir?" "Noth..."
At that moment, they were interrupted by a walking ball of orange feathers.
Or rather, Lussuria with one too many... okay, fifty too many feather boas. Haru wondered if he'd been the same place a Bianchi last night. "Ooo, darling student!" he cooed, waddling forward to apparently hug her. "Uh, hi teacher..." "Ooo, you remembered me! I'm so touched!" he sobbed, wrapping his arms around her. Well. This certainly was a... unique experience. It's not every day you get hugged by a walking neon chick lookalike. That smells very much of alcohol and... she wasn't going to ponder that one... reminded her too much of dissection class.
"I came to congratulate you! I just heard, and I am soooo proud of you! You must have followed my instructions perfectly, to net yourself a man like that!" The girl froze. "I.. uh..."
"Oh, I know you must have so much to do, but can I ask one teensy, weensy favor? Just a whim of your Sensei!" "...Haru supposes so..." "Oo, yay!" Lussuria let go of Haru, and sat down beside her, taking her hands in his and staring at her earnestly through the neon feathers.
"Can I be a bridesmaid? It's because I want to be there on the happiest day of my favorite pupil's life! It's certainly not because I hope to be escorted by the totally wonderful Ryohei."
" What?... Sure, Haru will think about it- she hasn't made the list yet-okay?" "Yay!"
The bride-to-be turned to the boss. "May Haru go now?" "Whatever. Keep the offer in mind, or else."
/-/-/-/
Haru hurried away from the madhouse, merely grateful she got out alive- plus without doing the password! Score!
Her happy mood quickly died a violent death, however, when she saw the cause of quite a lot of her grief standing at the intersection of the path which she was running down.
"Madam Anastas... what a surprise!" The old lady smiled benevolently. "Isn't it, though? I have wonderful news! Your parents are in-flight right now!" Haru gulped. "Uh.. how lovely! When will they get here?" "They touch-down in Athens at lunchtime- my people will pick them up- so they'll be here in time for tea! In the meantime, we have planning to do, wedding parties to select, and a wedding dress to pick out! The seamstresses will be here at nine, so let's have breakfast together to discuss the wedding party while we're waiting! Oh, how I love weddings!"
Haru took a deep breath, smiled, and stuck out her arm. Elbows hooked, the odd pair skipped off to plates of eggs, toast, olives and prosciutto. Yes, skipped. Madam Anastas is incredibly spry.
/-/-/-/
"So, dear. I believe you said you wanted Tsuna as your best man?" "Ah.. that was what you said Haru said, right? It's kinda a blur now.." Haru nervously fiddled with the olive speared on her fork, since it isn't polite to twiddle one's thumbs. M. Anastas beamed, and scribbled down 'Tsuna' on a napkin. A cloth napkin. The brunette bit her lip. Waste of good fabric. Never mind, she's rich enough to write everything on napkins. Rich enough to have her morning newspaper printed on her napkins. ".. your girl friends?" "Eh, sorry, what? I'm afraid Haru zoned out there!"
"For the bridesmaids, do you want to use your girlfriends? I think some came here, right?" "Yes! Haru'd like Kyoko, Chrome, I-pin and Bianchi. Haru doesn't know if Bianchi would join, though..." "Oh? But four is a good round number for bridesmaids!" "Haru knows..." She ruminated a moment, then suddenly got a sly look on her face. "Haru knows someone eager to be a stand-in, should the need arise!" "Oh, good! Then we should pick the groomsmen- or would your fiancee like to do that?"
Haru got the sudden, very chilling image of Hibari selecting his party by testing every candidate's strength. Personally. "Er, I think we'd better pick! He's not really the type... Tsuna, of course. Lambo would have fun escorting I-pin, so put him down. Ryohei- he's my best friend's brother, plus he's lots of fun! But who should he escort? Chrome? He might scare her. But if he escorts Bianchi... she's way older than him. Not to mention what her replacement might do... Oh, Gokudera follows Tsuna everywhere- he'll probably want in. But we can't put him with Bianchi, and I think Chrome's scared of him..."
"Hmm, you think on it, dear. In the mean time, isn't the prosciutto delicious?" "Mm, yes! Haru LOVES it! Have you ever had Yamamoto's dad's sushi, though? It's even more delicious!" "Really? I'll have to get some flown in! Maybe for the reception? After all, you are Japanese!"
They chatted freely about food for the next half hour, somehow deciding through all the talk of favorite dishes that the bridesmaids dresses would be orange, that the flowers would also be orange- though white would be mixed in, that the food would be eclectic- just like Haru- and that neither of them wanted to make speeches- an M.C. would have to be found.
That was when Reborn dropped in. By parachute.
"I volunteer to be M.C." he offered, while folding up his parachute. "Oh, really" the women cooed. "Thanks so much!" "Don't mention it."
Had Tsuna been around, he would have warned Haru of the terrible things that could happen with the Arcobaleno in charge. Unfortunately, he was... occupied at the moment. The author leaves that to your imagination.
/-/-/-/
"Now then, dear" smiled M. Anastas forebodingly "What of the..." -She glanced around furtively, then leaned in- "trousseau". "Hahi!" Haru squeaked, nearly falling off her chair.
Blushing, she leaned in as well. "Haru... hadn't considered it, really..." "Oh come, dear- they do care, even if they're men. Men can tell the difference between cotton and silk, you know!" "Hahi... Haru's never... well... had anything really... fancy" she ended, blushing bright red. The old lady grinned. "Well then, we shall have to remedy that, eh?" Haru hunched her shoulders self-conciously. "You..don't have to...it.." "But I want to! And we have two something hours to kill- so let's go shopping!"
She pulled up the girl, waved to the servant standing stoically in the shadows to fetch a car, then hurried off for her shoes. By the time they had gone to the lady's room for her favorite pair of 'shopping shoes' and hustled down the halls to the front entrance, a lovely limousine was waiting out front. Along the way, the Madam had managed to snag Chrome- from a nook where she had been reading- in passing, and now she hustled the two girls into the leather seats eagerly. "To my favorite lingerie store!" she commanded regally, giggling at the girl's faces.
For the sake of any gentleman readers (and those with short attention spans), suffice to say that when the women left the shop, Haru had- quite against her will- enough nightclothes for two brides. Also, somehow Chrome had ended up with three violet-lace trimmed nightgowns. The illusionist had also used up enough blushing for several months- and knowing Chrome, that's a lot.
As they arrived back at the mansion, several large cars drove away. "Oh, those must be the seamstress's cars! Which means we can finally get started on the wedding dress! Alright, Chrome dear, it was lovely meeting you. Come around to the front this afternoon- say twoish? We'll hit the town for bridesmaid dresses! Understood?" "Y..Yes, Madam!" stuttered the shy girl. "No need to be so formal- that goes for you too, Haru. Call me Aella! Now, off with you, dear- Haru has to be picking a wedding dress. Maybe you could show those gowns to a special someone?" "..Ah..eh..I..um..mmmm.." "Run along, no need to be shy!"
Chrome dashed off, red as a tomato, looking quite relieved to be away. Haru was not so lucky. Instead, she was whisked off to a private parlour. As she entered, she gasped.
Everywhere, wedding gowns were laid- across the chaise lounges, sofas, side tables... It was a veritable white wonderland. Except with many more sequins.
Slowly, wonderingly she entered, skirting a very long ruffled train cautiously. A woman looked up. "Ah, you're here!" Several other women hurried over, surrounding Haru- and eying her up and down.
"She's cute!" remarked one to Aella. "Of course she is! Now, what would you recommend? I was thinking natural waistline myself, but you're the professional."
The seamstress- a petite, black haired woman, eyed Haru once more, then turned away to rummage through the piles of gowns. "True, natural waistline would look good... but princess A-line would look best, I think. In my humble opinion, of course!" she hurriedly added, as she extricated a shimmering white dress from its counterparts. "Something like this" she said, holding it up in front of Haru.
"Hmm, yes. I see what you mean. Any others like that, set them aside."
The bride-to-be stared at the near- reflective dress, and gulped. It was likely incredibly expensive- and incredibly hard to walk in. There were no sleeves, only straps. The neckline was a sweetheart cut, lined with crystal beading- not bad, she acknowledged. The waist wasn't too fussy either- a nice, close-fitting satin, overlaid with beaded chiffon folds. The skirt was where the problem lay. The gleam of the underskirt could barely be seen through the billowing layers of chiffon, of which there were so many that it would be like having a personal cloud surrounding you wherever you went. Not to mention that the ribbons that hung from the waist downwards, over the skirt, were simply coated with beads, flashing like a million miniature suns everytime the light caught them. She wasn't sure she wanted to see the train- it was likely even worse.
Haru sighed. It was going to be a long morning.
Three hours later, after convincing the women that she really didn't need the equivalent of a fairy-tale princess's best ballgown, Haru finally settled on the simplest dress she could find. Simple but stunning, the cooing seamstresses assured her. Nervously, the bride-to-be stepped out of the makeshift change room to model it for Aella. The smile on the old lady's eyes told her it was a good choice, as she swirled around the single open space in the room, not able to resist twirling a little. Her hair clip had long since fallen out, and she didn't really care- even though her hair kept flying in her face. Finally, a little dizzy, she stopped, and plopped down beside Aella. "W..What do you think?" she questioned, a bit out of breath. "I think it's lovely! Well, it could do with a bit more embroidery, but that's just me- you know how I love embroidery! Oh wait, you don't. We've known each other less than a day. Isn't that funny?"
For some reason, this struck them both as being hilarious, and they laughed heartily.
"Now then, dear- it's lunchtime! Amazing how time flies when you're having fun- or spending money! Go and change back now!" Haru paused. The mention of money reminded her... "Um, Aella?" "Yes dear?" "Um.. thank-you. For everything. I really had fun!" she exclaimed, bowing. Aella smiled happily. "I did too!"
/-/-/-/
After lunch, which was even more delicious than breakfast- if that was possible- Haru was told to go up to the roof. Why, she wasn't sure. The sun was quite bright, and the air fair shivered and shimmered in the heat. She had shed her sweater a long time ago, and had to shield her eyes with a hand to see anything at all.
Then she heard it- the sound of a helicopter. Haru's eyes widened. Could it be? Would Aella really... Yes. Yes it was.
The helicopter touched down on the emptied roof, sending leaves flying off the trees- which she was still blaming, by the way. Slowly, the door opened... And there they were, her mother and father. Her father looked slightly dissettled- probably motion sick like usual- as he set foot on the rooftop. And there was her mother, looking around hopefully while sliding out the doorway, her graying hair limp in the heat. Suddenly, all her worries and troubles seemed to fade away, replaced with an urge to hold on and never let go of her parents. Haru broke into a run, flipflops slapping the roof loudly and dress flapping in the wind of the slowing blades.
"Father! Mother!" They turned slowly, smiles breaking out as they saw their 'little girl' running towards them, hair whisking in her face and her grin breaking out infectiously. She leapt into their arms, and for a few minutes, the world was right again.
/-/-/-/
Once the hugging had died down, her mother looked around, then asked "So, Haru, where's the lucky man?" Haru gulped. "Hahi! I mean.. I'm not sure at the moment- but you can meet him soon, I'm sure. He had.. business to take care of." "I see" remarked her father, loosening his tie. "A business man, then?" "Something like that... How about we go inside, since it's rather hot out!" "Lead the way, dear" smiled her mother, happily.
/-/-/-/
Once down the stairs, the family was greeted immediately by Aella, who bustled forward to shake hands and offer congratulations all around, before ushering the three into her parlour- which was now quite devoid of wedding gowns.
Haru's mother and father gazed around, ever so slightly dazzled by the opulent decor. ( Haru had gotten used to it by now, to the point that she never even noticed when the pillars were coated in goldleaf, or that the furniture was likely all custom-made.)
"Sit down, sit down!' she urged, motioning towards the sofas. Once they had all settled, Aella leaned forwards eagerly. "So you're Haru's parents?" "Yes" "Well, like I said before, it's lovely to meet you! I'm sure you'll be wanting to meet her fiance, and to talk to Haru, so I'll leave soon- my staff is hunting down Mr. Kyoya as we speak, so I'll just wait 'till he arrives- you don't mind, do you?"
"Not at all!" beamed Mrs. Miura "It's a lovely mansion you have here- I had no idea it was so large!" "Oh, thank-you! It was my late husbands..." "Oh, I'm so sorry!" "No, don't be- it was eleven years ago- the pain's long faded."
A quiet 'Ahem' issued from the doorway. A servant stood stiffly, as if trying to ignore a back pain. "Madam- we found him. He's en route as we speak." "Wonderful, you may go now- to the infirmary, I suspect. There is a large gash in your back, is there not? Try not to get blood on the floor- the maids have enough work as it is..." "Yes, Madam"
He bowed slightly, wincing, then backed out of the room.
Aella turned back to the company. "Don't worry- this happens all the time. The wage is excellent, so they deal!" she grinned. Haru rolled her eyes. Ah, Mafia. How lovely are your violent tendencies.
Then the window shattered.
Hibari calmly picked himself up off the floor. "My apologies. I was unaware that the window was closed. Ah, you must be Haru's parents." He paused a moment to brush glass out of his hair, then bowed. "My name is Hibari Kyoya. I am your daughter's fiance. Pleasure to make your acquaintance."
He stood amidst the shattered glass, and eyed the company calmly, completely relaxed. Aella smiled briefly at him, then turned to . "Now then, Mr. Miura. I suppose you want to question his suit?" "Ah, er yes.." "Excellent!" She clapped her hands gleefully, then rose. "If you'll follow me, gentlemen? Let's leave the ladies to do female things!" Aella ushered the men out in a furry of rose silk bustle, then winked at Haru, and closed the door.
Haru and her mother were left in awkward silence. The bride-to-be fidgeted, unsure what exactly to say, how to start to explain the madness... How does one explain a mess like this, anyway? She was snapped out of her reverie by her mother placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Something's bothering you, isn't it? What is it?"
The girl looked up, tears just beginning to gather. Her lip trembled. "I..." "Oh, honey..."
Warm, familiar arms wrapped around her, and pulled her close. Haru stiffened, then finally, for the first time since last night, relaxed, collapsing in her mother's arms. "Now, tell me all about it" she whispered in her daughter's ear.
/-/-/-/
And so Haru recounted the whole tale, right up to the arrival by helicopter. When she finished, Mrs. Miura looked thoughtful. "You know I can't really stop this, right?" "Yes, Haru knows. Frankly, nothing short of a hurricane could stop Aella, Haru does believe. Even then she'd be almost evenly matched!" They both laughed, then ...ach, Ayame. Ayame smiled at Haru reassuringly.
"There are worse things, you know." " Haru knows" "In fact, this is sort of like an arranged marriage- and those can work out very well, you know!" "Yes, but those have people who are compatible!" "Ah, well... Let me tell you something. I probably should have told you before, but well.. your father didn't want me to." "What is it? And why does he always treat Haru like a baby?" Haru stuck out her bottom lip slightly, then realized it was making her look childish.
Her mother sighed, and leaned back. "He does it to protect you." "Protect Haru?" "Yes. You see, you made him... shall we say... man up. Once he realized he had someone who was going to completely depend on him, it gave him a bit of a shock, and made him finally proud to be a man- so he wants to continue protecting you, just like he first did." "R...Really?" "Yes." "Haru sees..." The girl stared off into space. Funny how you learn so many new things about your life just before you get married.
"So,what was it? The thing you should have told me before?" "Oh, right..."
Ayame shifted nervously. "Well... you see... oh, this is really hard to say... Well, believe it or not, your father was quite the womanizer in his day" "HAHI?" Ayame smiled. "Yes, really. Hard to guess from looking at him now, eh? Anyway, we had... a night. And then I found out I was having you. My mother... well, she arranged a dekkichatta kekkon."
Haru's jaw dropped. "Ah... a shotgun wedding? H... Haru never knew..."
"Yes, well, your father wanted it kept a secret from you. My point is, this can work. You can find happiness! You'll just have to work at it!" "Haru... Haru... Thanks. Thank you for telling me. Thank you for raising me, for shielding me. I'll think about this... Thank you."
"You're very welcome."
Somehow, the atmosphere felt relaxed, regardless of sudden revelations.
/-/-/-/
Sure, a marriage like this could work out- if the people were normal. Neither one was.
Though of course neither of them would admit it.
Reviews are treasured!