Nightshade: A SimLit | Chapter 105: To Love and To Cherish
"Skylar," Amelia gasped, "you look absolutely amazing."
"You really think so?" Skylar smiled, nervously fiddling with her fingers and hoping no one would notice how shaky her hands were becoming. "I hope you're right... I'd hate to disappoint him."
She returned the smile reassuringly. "When it comes to Orion, I really don't think you have anything to worry about."
"Yeah, Sky'," the other woman -- Skylar's prior university dorm roommate, Priyanka -- added, "I know I haven't met him, but if he's any kind of guy worth marrying, you're gonna leave him speechless at the altar."
"Thank you both," Skylar sighed. "I guess I'm just a little nervous... that's normal, isn't it?"
Amelia nodded. "Absolutely... but honestly, I think the real nervousness sets in after you're married. Like, the realization of what just happened, and then you start worrying about every possible tiny thing--"
"Like saying that's going to help her!" Priyanka laughed.
Skylar managed a dry laugh and turned to face her friend. "By the way... I'm really glad you got the chance to come, Priya. I wasn't actually sure you'd want to. I know we haven't actually seen each other since right after our graduation, but--"
"Please don't worry about it," she interrupted. "I understand. Life got busy, it's been busy for me too. Getting married, having a baby, not to mention I moved all the way to Oasis Springs... neither of us have had a lot of time to catch up with each other. I was really happy you invited me to your wedding."
"To be fair, I did hesitate a little," she admitted. "Only because I wasn't sure how you'd react to me saying I'm getting married to an alien from another planet and that most of the guests are also... not human. It isn't that I didn't trust you, but... well, you know how things are between humans and supernaturals."
Priyanka grinned. "Well, yes, I know that all too well, considering I'm not exactly a human either."
"It's not like you ever told me that!"
"You never asked!"
"Ladies," Amelia interjected in a slightly raised tone, "I know we'd all like to stand around and talk, but, uh... you should probably look at the time."
Skylar glanced at the nearby wall clock and tensed. "I-It's almost time? Already? But-- but I'm still not done mentally preparing myself! I can't walk out there!"
Priyanka raised an eyebrow. "I've never seen you in a mess like this. Not even for our finals."
"This is a little different than finals!"
"Skylar, look at me," Amelia said, trying to sound as calm as she could. "You're going to okay. I know it feels overwhelming, but when you walk down the aisle and see him standing there waiting for you, nothing else is gonna matter. You'll forget everything you were worrying about."
"...you're right," she quietly responded after a deep breath. "I don't have any reasons to worry or be nervous. Everything's going to be great."
"That's the spirit!" Amelia smiled warmly. "Now get out there and have the happiest moment of your life. I promise I'll make sure Onyx doesn't cry too loudly and ruin the ceremony."
"You think it's Onyx that'll be crying?" Skylar playfully grinned. "I'm not so sure it won't be you."
"Me? Cry? Pssh, of course not." Amelia rolled her eyes and waved her hand dismissively. "I've definitely never cried about anything sappy like that. Ever. Besides, he's a total sucker for weddings."
"How do I look...?" There was a subtle tremble in Orion's voice. Despite his calm visage, inside, he was a complete wreck. His feelings were complicated. He was elated, he was terrified, and probably everything in between the two emotions.
"Wow. Y-You look... wow, Orion," Uranus's lips curled into an awestruck smile, perhaps one a bit more shy than usual. "y-you look like... I'd totally marry you."
Orion's face flushed. "Um... t-that's good to know--"
Uranus quickly interrupted. "I-I mean, in theory! Totally in theory! 'Cause, you know, I'm married and you're about to get married, and, uh..." His cheeks were scorching hot. "Y-You get what I was saying!"
Onyx, who was standing silently in the corner, awkwardly cleared his throat. "I think you look great... but I'm more worried about how you're feeling, not how you're looking."
"How I'm feeling?" Orion sighed. "I feel... scared," he confessed. "I-It isn't about Skylar, it's just... hard not to think about the past today and I hate it. I shouldn't feel scared, or anxious, or nervous... I'm supposed to be happy, and I am happy, but it isn't all that I am."
"Hey, that isn't true," Onyx said. "I remember my wedding day like it was yesterday... and I was absolutely nervous and anxious. Honestly? Above anything else, I was scared, too. Just for different reasons than you."
He glanced up at him. "...you were?"
Onyx paused and averted his gaze, seemingly considering his next words. "Don't get me wrong, Amelia and I had a great relationship. Maybe it didn't seem like I had anything to worry about, but it's only natural to be nervous when your entire life is about to change. But... what I was afraid of was losing her. She wasn't a vampire then, and I didn't know if she would want to be turned, especially considering how much some of her family hated not just me, but vampires generally, and so I just..." He quickly wiped his eyes with his sleeve, disguising the tears that were forming in them. "...I went into our marriage assuming that someday, she was going to die and leave me all alone. I was terrified."
Orion frowned. "But she loves you, she wouldn't just break your heart like that, right? You had nothing to be afraid of."
"That's the thing." Onyx managed to smile again. "My heart was afraid of being hurt even if my brain knew she'd never hurt me. It's the same for you because of your past. It's okay to be afraid... but your love is going to outweigh that fear, and before you know it, it won't be there anymore."
The sincerity of his words put Orion at ease. He was right -- his love outweighed his fear, and no matter what, he knew today was going to be the best day of his life. "Onyx... thank you."
"Hey, uh, for what it's worth, I was nervous on my wedding day, too," Uranus said. "You've just gotta take a deep breath and say, 'I've got this', even if you kinda don't got this! You know what I mean?"
"Yeah," Orion laughed, "I know what you mean. I-I really don't know how to thank you both enough for being here for me. Your support is worth a lot to me and..." He sniffled and blinked back tears, but more came in their place. "...s-sorry, I just..."
Uranus approached him with open arms. "Hey, hey, don't get all sappy on us! Save it for the wedding!"
Following suit, Onyx extended an arm to him as well. "Just come here..."
He eagerly went into their arms, pulling them both into a tight hug that they returned with just as much enthusiasm.
"You're the best friends anyone could ask for..."
The sun started to lower on the horizon in the moments before the ceremony began, illuminating the expansive room through the windows with a warm, golden glow. Guests poured into the building, and with every seat that was filled, the couple grew increasingly anxious. Despite Skylar's insistence that there was no need for a fuss, no expense had been spared. The venue was stunning; fancy golden chandeliers hung from the ceiling, elaborate curtains were draped from every intricately designed window, wreaths and garlands of delicate blush flowers adorned every wall. In some odd way, Orion had hoped the grandeur would be distracting enough to repress the memories of the first time. He was panic-stricken by the flashbacks he'd struggled to fight back all day; of the day that he'd vowed himself to Tiffany. He didn't want to remember, not today, not ever.
Even through the processional, his mind was filled with worrisome racing thoughts that smothered any rational ones. He stood stiff as a board underneath the arch, sweating from the palms of his now shaky hands. It was now that every ridiculous thought wormed it's way into his subconscious, though there was one concern that was unfortunately valid: never in a million years had he expected his sons to show up to the wedding when he sent them invitations. They'd hardly spoken to him since he divorced their mother no matter how hard he tried to reach out to them, and heck, they didn't even know who Skylar was.
Yet, much to his surprise, their reserved seats hadn't been left empty; and it was far more daunting than he thought.
Of course he was glad that Rocket and Meteor decided to come, but what if they weren't ready to accept a stepmother? What if they caused a problem, or even worse, objected to the wedding? He couldn't be so sure that their intentions were to make amends. He could only hope that.
The sound of the pianist striking the first chords of a song jolted him back to reality enough to notice Skylar starting her walk down the aisle with a bouquet of pink roses in tow. Her smile was soft, yet bright enough to light up the entire room. Their eyes connected from a distance and his heart leapt up into his throat. The world hadn't ever felt so simultaneously real and like a hazy dream.
It was as though all of his fears and doubts simply disappeared underneath her gaze, melted away by the love that was burning in her eyes. He was melting, too, completely captivated by her beauty -- she was beautiful all the time, but today, she felt a little more special to him, a little more beautiful in a way far deeper than appearances.
When she moved into place to stand across from him, it was as though time stopped. The two stood in silence, soaking in the sight and the moment, as the officiant began to speak.
"Family and friends, we have gathered here on this beautiful evening to celebrate the marriage of Orion Star and Skylar Ansari. It is with their deepest regards that they thank you for your love and support, of which this wonderful day wouldn't have been possible without..."
Orion struggled to concentrate on the officiant's opening statement, instead reaching out to gently caress his bride's cheek. "You look beautiful," he silently mouthed.
She leaned into his touch and smiled, a breathless giggle escaping her slightly parted lips.
"Marriage is a symbol of the most deeply intimate bond, a solemn promise to dedicate the rest of your lives to each other. It isn't always easy; it requires patience, kindness, understanding, and unwavering support, but above all else, it requires unconditional love. This ceremony is the beginning of the most important journey in the lives of this couple, and for this reason, if anyone can show just cause as to why they should not be lawfully unified, let them speak now or forever hold their peace," the officiant said, and after a short pause, looked to the couple in front of her and continued. "Do you both come here, freely and willingly, of your own accord, to give yourselves to one another in marriage? If yes, please answer with 'I do.'"
"I do," they both responded.
"Then let us begin. You have chosen to write your own vows, and with them, you make the promise to commit yourselves to one another in the unity of marriage, come what may, for the rest of your lives. You may now declare your vows."
Orion's chest tightened. He could feel every set of eyes in the room falling onto him, and he struggled to find his words despite how many times he'd went over them before the ceremony. Sensing his tension, Skylar offered her hands to him, which he gratefully took in his own. With a quick squeeze and a deep breath, he finally spoke.
"Skylar," he began, "no amount of words could express how lucky I am to have you in my life, or how much you really mean to me. At the most difficult time in my life, when I needed you most, even if I didn't know it yet, you found me. When the world seemed dark, you lit it up. You made me stronger, you gave me hope when I felt so hopeless... I've come so far from the person I was before all thanks to you. I don't think that we crossed paths by coincidence. I truly believe that you and I were meant to be, and... I... I can't thank you enough for everything you've done for me. The love you've shown me has made my life worth living, and from this day forward, I promise to spend every single day of the new life you've given me cherishing and loving you no matter what life has in store for us, no matter what challenges we may face together, through all the good times and bad times. My heart is forever yours."
Skylar's hands trailed up his arms to rest on his shoulders, gently guiding him into a tender kiss. She felt his arms wrap around her waist and his lips softly smile against hers, and as the spectators erupted into cheers, she could only imagine how much he must have been blushing.
"Aww, they're the cutest!" Uranus squealed. "I'm so happy for them!"
Onyx sighed. "Me too. It's about time he got his happily ever after..."
"Their vows were so sweet. I'm almost jealous," Priyanka chuckled. "I wish my wedding was this romantic--"
"Hey, you call that a kiss? Come on, we're looking for some action, here!" Alexander yelled from the audience.
Amelia grinned. "You know, for once, I agree with my idiot brother. You can do better than that!"
Onyx shook his head and decided not to say anything -- there wasn't a point in trying to keep those two out of trouble.
The bold interruption was embarrassing enough to put an end to their kiss, but rather than complain, Orion reached up to wipe tears from his eyes.
"Are you crying?" Skylar frowned. "Is something wrong...?"
"N-No, that's the thing..." Orion laughed softly. "Nothing's wrong, I'm just... s-so happy right now, I can't help crying..."
Now it was her turn to fight tears. With a smile, she leaned in and kissed his cheek. "You might be happy, but not as happy as me... because I'm the happiest person in the world."
The first half of the reception went off without a hitch. It was now time to cut the cake, which meant that everyone's eyes were on the newlyweds again, to Orion's slight dismay. Despite the nervousness that bring the center of attention caused, he kept his focus on Skylar and, of course, the giant tasty dessert in front of them. Once the first slice was made, they exchanged bites. The cake was delightfully light and moist, which contrasted sharply with the rich icing. He'd eat the whole thing if it didn't have to be shared -- at least he could hope there'd be leftovers.
But judging from the fact Amelia was eyeing it like it was the sexiest thing she'd ever seen from across the room, there probably wouldn't be.
"Was the ceremony everything you hoped it would be?"
Skylar's question snapped him out of his cake thoughts. "Honestly? It was even better than I ever dreamed it would be... what about for you? Was it your dream wedding?"
She smiled. "Orion, any wedding would have been my dream wedding as long as I got to marry you."
"Stop being so sweet, I'm getting enough sugar from the cake," he teased, a flustered blush spreading across his cheeks.
Her flirtation didn't falter. "You're sweeter than me and the cake combined."
"D-Don't you have the bouquet toss to do?"
For a moment, she stood in disbelief. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment at the realization that now, as far as the entire room full of people was concerned, she was next in line to get married.
Absolutely not. No way. She had no one to marry, right?
"Nice catch," Skylar said, turning to face the group of girls. "Aurora... not who I'd expect to get married, but hey, I'm glad your happily ever after is nigh."
It was then that the other women erupted into a fit of giggles.
"W-What's funny?" Aurora stammered. "What, you think I can't find a nice guy and settle down? I--"
"Aurora," Skylar interrupted, trying not to laugh herself as she gestured off to the side, "look."
Aurora peered over her shoulder only to be met with Alexander's intense stare from across the reception hall.
"Ooh, isn't that sweet?" Katy grinned. "Looks like the flowers were right..."
"They were not!" Aurora whisper-yelled. "It's just a tradition, it doesn't mean anything!"
Skylar laughed. "I don't know... he looks awfully smitten."
Alexander's dreamy smile widened when their gazes met. The nearby candle's flame danced in the reflections of his gleaming umber eyes, the ever-present hint of mischief as obvious as always. She didn't want to know what he was thinking, not with his teasing -- but unusually adoring -- expression.
Yet she couldn't help feeling a deep-down spark igniting in her heart, though she didn't know why. Maybe it was the romantic atmosphere, or that he did look kind of handsome dressed up so luxuriously, or the fact that the way that he was staring at her was turning her legs to jell-o as much as she hated the thought of it. She swore she'd never be so foolish as to fall for his pathetic charms again, so why was she feeling so helpless to stop herself tonight?
The party was going strong with no end in sight. Loud conversations of mingling guests could be heard in every corner, muffling the pianist's music. The wedding had been exhausting and the reception even moreso, and as much fun as it was, Orion was thankful it would be coming to a close soon.
But there was still one thing on his mind: Rocket and Meteor, who had managed to avoid him like the plague for the whole reception. As much as he wanted to, he wasn't really sure how to approach them, and it was just his luck that he wouldn't have to worry about it -- finally, he saw them weaving out of the crowd and coming in his direction. He gave Skylar a quick nudge to draw her attention to the potential situation and opened his mouth to speak, but Rocket was already sputtering before he had the chance.
"I-I can't believe you! Did you really think you could just... hardly even talk to us for years, then come out of nowhere, tell us you're marrying a woman we've never even met, then invite us to your wedding?"
"I didn't ask you to come here so we could fight," Orion said quietly.
"What, so you wanted us to come here and pretend everything's sunshine and rainbows?" Rocket snapped.
He tensed. "I've tried to have a relationship with you. Maybe if you didn't shut me out of your lives, I would have been able to tell you--"
"Maybe if you didn't hurt mom and ruin her life, we wouldn't have shut you out! How are we supposed to just let go of everything that happened--"
"If you hate your father so much, why did you accept the invitation?" Skylar interrupted. "He's always the one trying to reach out and fix things, even though you believe a bunch of lies about him that aren't even true! You're only here to ruin everything!"
"Shut up, what do you know!? You weren't even there! You have no idea what my brother and I have been through!" Rocket yelled. "You don't know what it's like to find out that your whole life was a lie! That your own father hates your mother so much that he'd try to frame her for attempted murder!"
The room was now silent, save for a few quiet gasps, echoing his words as he finished them.
"No, you don't understand what I've been through!" Orion was in tears, straining out every word like a choked sob. "I never hated her! What reason did I ever give you to believe that? Or worse, to believe I'd actually lie about attempted murder? Everything I said that day was the complete, honest truth! I spent years enduring her hatred for me, terrified every single day, shielding you from the truth because it was the only thing I could do! I could have left her years sooner, I could have escaped the worst of it, but she used you to trap and manipulate me! She's still using you, she's manipulating you, can't you see that!? I was never anything but a pawn in her game and neither are you! She doesn't love you! I endured all of it for your sake, so that you would be safe, because I loved you more than I feared whatever might happen to me, and you don't... y-you don't even believe me." His voice was reduced to a weak, defeated cry. "I-I don't understand..."
As he broke down further into uncontrollable sobs, the brothers watched in stunned silence, and Skylar was just as much at a loss for words.
"Dad," Meteor hesitantly spoke, "I--"
"Get out, both of you," Skylar growled, "now."
Rocket glared. "You-- you can't tell us what to do. Who do you think you are?"
It was her turn to snap. "Who do you think you are, coming here just for the sake of ruining our reception? Orion's dealt with enough, he doesn't need problems from you! If you can't see how much he's hurting, then your pathetic excuse for a mother blinded you beyond repair! I don't think you even want to believe the truth anymore!"
"Don't talk bad about my mom!" Rocket stepped threateningly closer. "You're the pathetic one! You'll never be my stepmother!"
"Good, because I don't want to be!" Her eyes narrowed. "I mean it. Leave, before I have you thrown out."
"Fine!" Rocket turned away, his chest heaving as he trembled with rage. "I'm tired of being here anyway. Let's go, Meteor."
Ignoring any further conflict, Skylar rushed to Orion, who was still incoherently sobbing, and held him tightly in her arms. "H-Hey, everything's okay now... please don't cry..."
Meteor started to follow his brother as he walked away, but hesitated for a moment to look over his shoulder.
He could see how genuinely they cared for each other, but more importantly, he could see that his father's pain was no lie; at least that much became clear to him. But what did it mean? He didn't know what to feel or believe. What he did know is that it didn't matter either way. It was far too late to have second thoughts. There would be no convincing Rocket to consider that maybe there was more to the story regardless, and his bond with his brother was more important than anything else, including the truth, whatever it may be.
"Meteor, are you coming?"
There wasn't any reason to question things now. He didn't need Orion. His life was happy the way things were, even if there was a chance it's foundation was built on lies.
With little hesitance left, he walked away and didn't look back again.
After a while, the strained atmosphere gave way to a cheerful one again. The explosive encounter couldn't be allowed to ruin the whole night, so the reception continued as normal and the music slowed, setting the scene for the first dance. The tense situation left Orion shaken up, but luckily, he managed to regain his composure enough to focus on the positives that were left rather than the negative that was already said and done.
Though neither of them were slow dancing experts, they were determined to have fun and make the most of the night. Their feet fell into step with the music and their bodies were pressed close together. In the moment, they were able to fool themselves into believing that everything was perfect. Maybe it really was.
"I still can't believe that we're really married," Orion quietly said, glancing up to meet her gaze. "I really don't know how I got so lucky..."
Skylar chuckled. "Yeah, being married is going to take some getting used to, but... if anyone's lucky, it's me."
"No, really, I mean... sometimes I still don't understand why you want me." His smile began to fade and and he lowered his head. "If you'd married someone else, maybe there wouldn't have been a giant fight at the wedding and maybe your groom wouldn't have had an emotional breakdown, and maybe everything wouldn't have been ruined--"
"Sweetheart, don't," she gently interrupted, lifting his chin to force their eyes to meet again. "I don't want to hear you talk badly about yourself. As far as I'm concerned, nothing was ruined, especially not because of you. Today's been the happiest day of my life. Nothing and no one is taking that away from me."
"Skylar..."
"For what?"
"For loving me. I don't know how I ever lived without you."
Comments
Post a Comment