A/N: Hello loves! I've been disenchanted with this story for a bit, which is why it has taken me so long to update. I feel like Musa and Nabu have the same cyclical conversation every other chapter, so please tell me if you think this story sounds repetitive. There is an actual plot that I am building up to, I swear. You lovely readers just have to ride the roller coaster of drama first! XOXOX
Luxe Aeterna
It was Riven's idea to have the rehearsal dinner in the palace.
Musa was just fine without one. She wanted to get the whole spectacle over with as quickly as possible. But no, Riven insisted on a four-course meal followed by a night of dancing with all the higher ups of Melodian society in the grand ballroom. The whole thing felt like a wedding reception instead of a rehearsal dinner, but Musa kept her mouth shut and smiled, nodded at all the right times, and laughed at all the right comments. Riven had not asked for much, and he made it clear that he wanted to profess their everlasting union from the rooftops. There was not much bigger a statement he could make, which made Musa somewhat afraid of what the wedding would entail. For better or worse, she would get to find out in the morning.
I am getting married in the morning, Musa thought, the fact hitting her for the fifth time that night. She kept forgetting what rehearsal dinners were for, what they meant, and what came after.
It only made her want to drink.
Musa and Riven sat at a table with their wedding party which consisted of the usual suspects. All the happy couples were there, holding hands and making lovey-dovey eyes at each other. Cynically, Musa wondered how much of that was fake. Did they all have their problems? Did they all fake their love for each other and lie day in and day out just to spare the other heartache? The idea made Musa sad. She didn't want to think about that. She wanted her friends to be happy, even if she wasn't.
Everyone seemed happy now, at least, chatting away, laughing and smiling. Tecna was showing off the specs of some brand new prototype while Timmy looked proudly on, Brandon and Helia asking questions while Stella and Flora chatted up a storm - probably about babies given the covetous manner Stella stroked Flora's belly. Bloom and Aisha seemed close, passing quiet conversation while Nabu and Sky did the same. Out of all the girls, Musa never struck them to be that close. Interesting.
About half way through the meal, Musa must have spaced out, because when her attention came back Bloom was standing up, getting everyone's attention. Her mouth was moving but Musa had yet to process the words.
What the fuck is Bloom doing?
Then her brain kicked in and remembered toasts - but wasn't that also for the reception? - and then she started listening to whatever sentimental bullshit Bloom had to say.
" - and I just wanted to say that I am so grateful our family was included in your special day," Bloom said, raising her glass of water to everyone's champagne. "To Musa and Riven."
"To Musa and Riven," everyone echoed, clinking glasses and taking hefty sips.
"Your family?" Musa asked, needing clarification though she was certain that she was adding up all the signs correctly.
Bloom smiled widely, serenely, and took Sky's hand in one of hers and placed the other hand on her flat stomach. "Sky and I are expecting."
Of course Bloom would find a way to make Musa's dinner about herself. How did Musa expect anything less of her brave and fearless Winx Club leader? She tried to tamp down the feelings of rage inside her, because did she honestly want this dinner to begin with? No. But wanting it or not clearly would not have stopped Bloom from opening her giant, entitled mouth and turning everything into the Bloom show yet again.
Flora cooed happily, already chatting up a storm about prenatal vitamins and herbs to aid nausea while Tecna ran down a list of logistics for any first time parent to meet. Aisha held onto Nabu's hand, smiling serenely, though there was a deep want of her own seated there. Did Nabu know that Aisha wanted babies? Was he planning on giving them to her while chasing Musa?
The only unhappy party besides herself was Stella, who was growing redder and redder by the second.
Turned out it only took thirty seconds for her to blow her top.
Stella let out a frustrated shriek and removed herself from the table, throwing her napkin onto her plate and storming off. Brandon, embarrassed, got up and followed after her. Musa felt bad for him just a little, knowing the full force of the storm he was about to face. But he had willingly chosen to stay with that high-maintenance mess of a woman. He knew what he was getting himself into.
"Oh no, is Stella upset at me? Do you think I should go talk to her?" Bloom asked, genuinely worried.
No, Bloom, of course Stella is not upset at you rubbing your new pregnancy in her baby-hungry face. Of course not, Musa wanted to reply, but that would only cause more dram, and she was already wishing this whole party was over.
"I think Brandon can handle this one," Musa replied instead with a tight-lipped smile, downing the rest of her glass of champagne to calm her nerves.
Bloom accepted this without a struggle, smiling and sitting back in her seat. Her hand never left her abdomen, as if putting it there would magically will it to grow. It was the most asinine cry for attention Musa had seen from Bloom yet. Musa fought back a roll of her eyes, and pointedly averted her gaze.
As if Stella's outburst was not bad enough, moments later Riven rose from his seat, dabbing at the corner of his mouth with his napkin before placing it over his barely-touched plate.
"Where are you going?" Musa asked, startled. This night was supposed to be about them as a couple, and he was just getting up and walking away?
Riven smiled tensely. "I think I've had enough excitement for one night."
"But this is our rehearsal dinner," Musa protested. As much as she did not want to be here, she wanted to be here by herself even less.
"And I am sure you can handle it from here," Riven assured, his tone making to clear that there was no changing his mind. He was leaving, and that was that.
Musa tried not to panic, tried to smile as he leaned in and kissed her cheek. But it was hard to remain composed when she could already feel the eyes burning holes into her. There would be talk of this in the morning. All the courtiers, council members, and the Queen herself would be whispering about how Musa's groom-to-be left her alone at the party.
Turned out Musa could only tolerate the scrutiny for another half an hour before she made an excuse to leave. No one questioned her, no one begged her to stay. It was her reception but the party would go on without her, which was fine. Musa didn't want this party to begin with. Even if it died upon her exit, she wouldn't have felt bad.
The closer she made it to her quarters, the easier it was to breathe. Musa had a feeling that Riven wasn't going to be there. He rarely spent his time in their room. Wherever he went, he wouldn't be back until late, which was fine. Musa didn't particularly want to see him either. She wanted to be alone. She wanted to stay in her living room, away from the world and everyone in it with her secret bottle of vodka and drink until her world was a numb haze.
She was half way to the vodka when the door creaked. Musa didn't have to turn around to know that she was no longer alone.
"You really don't know how to take a hint."
"You seem stressed."
"Fuck you," Musa whispered heatedly, whirling around to face Nabu. It was always Nabu. Who else knew exactly how to push her buttons? "You know exactly why I am stressed."
"You care far too much about what these people think."
Of course he would say that, with his constant nonchalance and devil-may-care attitude. He took nothing seriously - not his marriage nor his role as the Crown Prince of Tides. He spat in the face of tradition and responsibility. How could Musa expect him to understand the pressure she was under when he didn't care about it himself?
"The only thing that matters is what these people think," Musa fired back. Even now, she had to check over her shoulder to make sure that Nabu had shut the door so they were secure from prying eyes, that no one was peeking through a window, ready to invade a personal moment and start a career-ending rumor.
"The Musa I knew was not so caught up in appearances."
"You don't know me."
Part of that was true. He had not really gotten to spend time with her since he got out of his coma. Before then, the last time they had seen one another had been on Earth, right before a battle with the Black Circle. All that seemed like a lifetime ago. Musa was not the same girl who brought the belief in magic back to Earth. So many things had changed her, shaped her. So much time had passed. She might as well be a stranger to Nabu now. Except strangers didn't feel this connected.
"Perhaps not," Nabu agreed, pressing closer on the next step. Musa could feel his hot breath tickle her ear. "But I know chemistry. I know how right it feels to hold your body close to mine."
Too close. Nabu was too close, and she could already feel her restraint weakening.
"Why did you help me the other night?" Musa asked, getting straight to the point, no pussyfooting around. She was done with games. "I was drunk. I showed up on your doorstep. You could have done anything you wanted with me, and I would have let you."
"Forgive me for not wanting to rape you," Nabu spat, offended. "Is that really what you think of me?"
"I don't know what to think about anything anymore," Musa confessed, thinking of the ballroom full of people she called friend but could barely stand, the fiancé she had always wanted but was pretending to love. "I thought I had left behind all the drama and bullshit after graduation, after I moved back here, after I made a new name for myself. I worked so hard, but still..."
"Our friends still run around like it's high school, still caught in the same petty drama, and you're wondering if it will ever end," Nabu finished for her, and Musa found it startling just how close he came to hitting the mark.
"Am I that transparent?"
"Only to those who really see you."
Against her better judgement, Musa let herself sway closer to Nabu. She let him touch her, his hands trail down her waist to the swell of her ass, let his lips ghost over the shell of her ear, the line of her jaw, the swell of her lips. And then, just as he was going to close the distance, Musa pulled back.
"Aisha wants a baby. Did you know that?"
Nabu immediately went tense and uncomfortable. Musa had hit a nerve, just like she hoped she would.
He cleared his throat and said, "She has made her intentions clear."
"Are you going to give her one?"
"I am the Prince of Andros. Do I really have a choice?"
"You always have a choice," Musa said resolutely, stepping even further away. "And I'm making it for you."
"Musa - "
"Stay away from me, Nabu. I mean it. For you family's sake."
"Then stop giving me reasons to come back," Nabu countered, looking her dead in the eye. "You tell me you want me gone, then show up at my doorstep. You tell me to go back to my wife, but keep inviting us to all these fancy parties. What are you trying to prove to me, Musa? That you're happy with Riven? That you've finally gotten everything you worked so hard for? You'll have to do a lot harder to convince me when every single line on your face is screaming to be saved."
"I am happy," Musa said frostily, feeling angry tears sting at her cheeks. "I have everything I have ever wanted. I am needed here. I am adored here. I have a place and a purpose and a man who loves me."
"Yes, you do, But it's not Riven," Nabu replied, something unreadable and sharp in his eyes. "This life you think you have, this life of luxury, living under the scrutiny of some old hags with made up roles in heavy makeup, it's all fake. Nothing about this is genuine. If nearly dying and spending years in a coma taught me one thing, it's that all we have in this life is the here and now, not the promise of some nebulous, spectacular, stilted, sterile future. If that's the life you think you want, I can't stop you from chasing it. But you're going to wake up one day wishing you'd made different choices."
Musa didn't want to hear him, didn't want for Nabu to make sense. Damn him for making sense. Damn him for getting under her skin so easily. But Musa wouldn't let him win, not so easily, not without a fight. Not ever, if she had her way.
"If you really believe all that, you wouldn't have settled for Aisha."
Nabu shrugged, a little helpless. "Maybe I'm just trying to prevent you from making my mistakes."
Musa scoffed and rolled her eyes, refusing to accept that they were watering. "You know what I think? I think you're just jealous of what I have."
"Oh, is that right?"
"Yeah. You are miserable, and sad, and lonely, and you'd take it out on anyone who'll listen," Musa said, disgusted and so completely done with this conversation, with him, with everything. "I'm done being your shoulder to cry on and a warm body for you to fuck your problems away. Go find someone else to take pity on you, and leave me the fuck alone."
For a while they just stood there, Musa angry and red-faced, her chest heaving with the exertion of verbally eviscerating the only man who may actually understand her, and Nabu with his unreadable, incredibly sad dark eyes. How the man went from being an infuriating douche to a wounded animal so quickly was astounding. Truly, the man had skill. It made Musa even angrier, if only because she felt bad for him when she did not want to feel anything towards him at all.
"The blinders have to come off at some point, Musa," Nabu said, the fight gone from him as he turned away. "I just hope there's something left of you when they do."
And then he left.