Friday, February 23, 2018

Chapter 57: Bachelor(ette) and Bride(groom)

The timing of Stefan's proposal was quite fortunate, as all of our family was gathered inside our house for the Christmas celebration. It allowed us to easily share the good news with everyone.
    I started off by greeting Stefan's mother—one of the people who first suggested the wedding, in fact, when Stefan and I were just children.
    "After everything that's happened, what with Stefan losing his father when he was young, you losing your mother when you were a child, and the horrible circumstances surrounding your death, it's wonderful that you two have found love in each other," she said.
    I hadn't really thought about it like that. It was true, though that our circumstances were similar. Neither of us had ever had any close friends, but at the end of the day, it didn't really matter so long as we had each other.



While I was telling Daddy the good news, Cousin Ami was near enough to overhear our conversation.
    "Oh my goodness! That's wonderful!" she gushed, glancing back and forth between Daddy and I.
    There was something about Cousin Ami—the way she wore her hair, the coat she wore, the colour of eyes—that reminded me of my mother, no matter how ridiculous it seemed. The thought that my mother approved of the marriage, even in spirit, comforted me.


It wasn't long before the bachelorette party. Seppen Hiver was the only one I felt close enough with to ask to be in my wedding party. The wedding wouldn't be big enough to actually mandate having bridesmaids, but she constituted any role that would be required.
    Somewhat humorously, since I lacked female friends, my bachelorette party comprised mostly of family members I was close to. Harry and Bert both showed up, thankfully. Although Seppen was my sister, Harry was still the sibling I felt closest to. We were twins, after all.
    Cousin Ami, Cousin Sydney, Cousin Andrew, Doc, and Dopey were all in attendance.


"Congratulations, baby sister!" Bert declared, giving me a hug.
    "Thanks, Bert. That's an... interesting outfit choice."
    "Seppen made me wear it. She'd figure you'd get a laugh. So, Yuki... The last one of us to finally get married, eh? Does that mean I should expect another niece or nephew soon?"
    I shrugged. "Bert, look at me. I'm a ghost. I don't even think that's possible."
    "Well, I don't want to inquire about your love life, but you should probably have an idea by now."
    I couldn't help but blush, even if Bert wasn't able to see that. "Hey, my wedding dress will be white for a reason."
    Bert raised an eyebrow. "So traditional, Yuki! I guess as your brother that comes as a relief to me. Well, if you need a babysitter, Alvin will be happy to help out."
    I thanked him, but considering Alvin's history of being a troublemaker, I figured that I had plenty more nieces and nephews to choose from.


    To my surprise, the party had barely even begun when Seppen strolled in with two shirtless cops in tow. It wasn't until they started dancing that I realized they were here to put on a show. They were surprised to see me—they probably didn't attend many dead girls' bachelorette parties.
    I clapped along and cheered to them, but I didn't even have any money to offer since I hadn't expected this turn of events. Most of the guests hadn't even arrived yet, so Dopey filled in as my female friend and cheered along next to me. It made me miss Doc's company. We had grown apart over the years, which was admittedly a strange turn of events given that he had begun as a figment of my imagination.


I was letting loose the best I could sober—alcohol was never my thing—and stepped up to the karaoke machine. It wasn't long before Harry joined me. I couldn't help but scoff at his outfit which made him look much younger than he was. The truth was, we were both getting old. Starting a family in your late thirties was no easy task, but I was determined to make it work. If we had to adopt, then Stefan and I would. It just meant that I would lose the inheritance. Harry would probably be the most eligible after me since he would easily be able to move back in but—well, it didn't really matter. If I got pregnant, I would, otherwise, there were more important things in life than money.
    Harry and I sang a few country sets as a nod to our childhood spent in front of western television shows.


"Yuki, I really need to talk to you," he said as the last song died down. "I need to apologize. Shauni aside, I should have never tried to deter you from being with Stefan. Clearly he's better at protecting you than I ever was, despite the fact that I'm your older brother. I used to dislike him but... he's the reason that you're here now. And I would be the reason that you're not. I don't know how to explain to you all the guilt I've felt, and I don't want to be a downer on your celebratory day, but—"
    "Then don't," I said with a smile. "Harry, I never blamed you. And if it's forgiveness you need, then you have it. I love you, Harry, and you being blinded by love wasn't something you could control. Besides, you have a daughter from the situation. Please don't feel badly. You got the short end of the stick and you have to deal with the repercussions every day. Don't beat yourself up, okay? Let yourself fall in love again. You owe that much to yourself."


"Wow. Well, thank you, Yuki. I just wish there was some way I could really show you how sorry I am."
    I chuckled. "Well..."
    "What is it? I'll do anything!"
    "Go kiss that stripper."
    Harry smiled. "You've got it!" A few seconds later, the truth seemed to dawn on him. "Oh. Right. The strippers are men." He dejectedly walked over to the one I had pointed at.


"Hey, there," Harry said, nerves jumbling his voice in a way that never happened around women.
    The dancer leaned away from him. "Hey, I don't jive that way, man. And even if I did, I don't want people to think that's on the job description. I can give you my friend's number, if you want?" He gestured to the other stripper.
    Harry shook his head vehemently. "I'm good, thanks!" he squeaked. I couldn't help but laugh. Well, he had proven that he was willing to embarrass himself, that was for sure.


I challenged Bert, Doc, and Dopey to a game of pool. I was confident that I would lose, but didn't mind since it gave me a chance to talk to the group of guys I grew up around.
    "Doc, how's life at home?"
    Doc sighed. "I feel like the primary caretaker sometimes. I love all of our kids to pieces, but sometimes they're a bit much for one person to handle."
    "Oh, don't exaggerate, I help out as well," Dopey interjected. "Seppen is the one who brings home the bacon, so she has an excuse."
    I pocketed the eleven ball. "I know that you guys both have a relationship with Seppen, but do you have one with each other?"
    They both glanced at Bert, who was focused on making use of the foul Dopey racked up.
    "I mean..." Doc stuttered, face growing red.
    Dopey smirked. "It depends on the night."
    My face glowed to match Doc's and I quickly changed the subject.


In all, the night was a blast, and at the end we all went skinny dipping in the pool in the back. Yes, even me, the prude! Thankfully, the water and outside darkness obscured any nudity. Swimming felt a bit strange for me, but I won every breath-holding contest by an incredible margin.


I told Stefan the details of the night with bated breath, hoping without asking that he would tell me about the events of his own bachelor party. Harry had volunteered to host that one (to make for his previous indiscretions, no doubt), so I couldn't help but worry about any events that may have transpired.
    "Honey, I'm sure you're wondering if there were strippers," Stefan began. Not the best start.
    "Were there?"
    "There were... exotic dancers. No stripping actually happened."
    "You seem disappointed." I tried to keep the jealousy to a minimum.
    Stefan chuckled. "There's only one person I'd want to strip for me."
    I tried to hide my blush. "Maybe if you're good..."
    Stefan's eyes widened at my uncharacteristic words and turned red as well. "An—anyway..."


"I can't help but think that Harry invited them for his own benefit," Stefan laughed. "He was... really into the performance. I'm sure the paparazzi got a picture."
    "There were paparazzi?"
    Stefan sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "After missing out on yours, they made sure to find out when mine was. I had work colleagues at mine so I'm not surprised that word leaked."
    "I'm just surprised they still care. We're barely relevant."
    "I mean, your dad owns most of the town. Combined, we're the wealthiest family for thousands of kilometers. We've both got royal blood. You're a ghost. One of your brothers is a surgeon, the other is in the armed forces. I'm sure they've got plenty of gossip-worthy material there."


    "I wasn't exactly dressed up for the event," Stefan continued. "I was a bit tired from work and didn't really want to a bachelor party in the first place. I just wanted to appease Harry. He and I have never really gotten along."
    "Did you guys talk?"
    "Yeah. I thanked him for hosting the event and asked if he wanted to have a special role in the wedding. He said that being there was enough for him. I think he was a bit tipsy—it's not often that the hospital's top surgeon gets to unwind."
    "And did you drink?"
    "With all the paparazzi? No. I still have a public image to maintain. Besides, I was surrounded by coworkers and my in-laws. Not exactly prime drinking environment."


    "So nothing eventful happened, then?"
    Stefan smiled sheepishly. "Well, I wouldn't say that... Ariella, my coworker, has always had a thing for our boss. I guess I might have... encouraged her... a little..."
    "Stefan!" I gasped, covering my mouth to hide my smile. "She could risk her job for that!"
    "They had both had a lot to drink! And I really thought that he would reciprocate her advances. After, she's young, beautiful, intelligent—"
    "Hey, do I need to remind you who you're marrying?"
    Stefan smiled and gave me a peck on the cheek. "No one holds a candle to you, Yuki. Anyway, let's just say that her advances were rebuffed. He said that it would be a scandal, and especially horrible as they were surrounded by paparazzi."


Stefan sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "It seemed reasonable enough, until he turned around and started swapping spit with one of the dancers. Yeah, because that looks really good in any political circle. Ariella was pretty devastated. I spent the rest of the night treating her to drinks."
    "Did she get home okay?"
    "I asked Harry to take her home in a taxi. I thought it would look bad if I left with her."
    I frowned. "You care so much about reputation—what effect does it actually have?"
    "I don't know, but I'd rather not find out. Better safe than sorry. Speaking of which..." Stefan glanced at the time. "It's almost midnight. And I shouldn't see you on our wedding day until you walk down the aisle, right?"
    I nodded. "I mean, we've followed tradition thus far. Where are you sleeping tonight?"
    "Your Uncle Buzz offered his place, and the guys will meet me there in the morning."
    He stood up to leave. I couldn't help but reach out and hold his hand. "I'll miss you."
    He smiled and placed a gentle kiss atop my knuckles. "I'll see you soon, love."


    I woke up with a bundle of nerves the next morning. The nice thing about being a ghost was that any blemishes were impossible to see. It also made doing my hair a bit harder, though. Seppen helped me, and I couldn't help but feel a pang of regret in my heart that my mother wasn't there. Daddy managed to keep it together when he saw me, and it all felt worth it when I saw the look of happiness of Stefan's face.
    Flame had been with me since the beginning, so I saw it fitting to have him with me on my wedding day as my ring-bearer.


When we said our vows, I couldn't stop giggling.
    "I know that I'm a funny guy, but I'm not joking when I say I love you," Stefan whispered.
    I choked out another giggle. "I'm sorry. I love you too. I'm just nervous. I'm excited to start our life together, but I'm nervous."
    Stefan lifted up the ring. "I'm nervous too, Yuki. But let's go on this journey together."


With that, Stefan slid the ring onto my finger. We had no minister, but Daddy was officiating the marriage. He looked away, and with a quavering voice, said, "I declare you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."
    Our kiss was soft, sweet, chaste, and one I would remember for a long time. It didn't hurt that we had practiced a lot beforehand.


We had chosen to marry in the park for a few reasons. Money, for one, and it was also a place where we shared a lot of memories together. However, as we cut the cake, I couldn't help but think of a much better reason—it was susceptible to the weather. As rain started to drizzle, Stefan and I, clutching each others hands, smiled at the crowd.
    "I guess we'll have to cut the wedding short," I said bashfully. If there was one thing that people didn't mind, it was a short wedding.
    For Stefan and I, however, we had more indecent reasons to want to leave.


    Stefan and I were all over each other from the moment we got home. Daddy was still at the wedding taking care of procedures and talking to guests, so we knew that we'd have plenty of time alone.


Stefan pulled back for a moment and looked into my eyes. The expression on his face made my heart melt.
    "You know that you are the most wonderful woman, right? How did I ever get so lucky to have you... my darling wife?"
    I giggled again. "Well, my dear husband, it doesn't hurt that you brought me back to life. You really made it impossible for me to doubt your love after that, didn't you?"


    "Do you know how much I appreciate you?" I asked softly, pressing my face into his.
    "Do I?" he teased.
    I trailed my lips along his jaw. "Let me show you," I breathed.
    He scooped me up in his arms. "Don't need to tell me twice!"


    As we settled into bed, my nerves were starting to jumble in my stomach.
    "Hey, that dress looks hard to get out of. Do you need some help?" Stefan smiled.
    I laughed, but nudged him with my elbow. "Hey, listen, Stefan. Have you ever... been intimate with another woman?"
    He shook his head. "I've kissed a few other girls, but never anything else. Have you?"
    "Yep, seven or eight ladies, all at once, in fact."
    He blinked twice, then laughed. "Okay, I'll take that as a no."
    "Stefan, you're the only one I've ever even kissed."
    "Then that makes this easier. If we both don't know what we're doing then we can hardly judge. Although I have to say..."
    I took his hand in mine. "What's that?"
    He squeezed my hand and chuckled. "The thought of you and seven or eight other ladies is kind of hot."


I shook my head and pulled him closer to me. We laid like this for a few minutes, simply enjoying each other's company. The tension between us rose, however, and Stefan began to trace a hand lightly down my my arm, sending shivers down my spine. My head turned to him and we began kissing again, more passionately this time. His hand caressed my side, then along the side of my breast, until I remembered that getting out of my dress without ruining it would be a challenge.
    I made him stand up and help me out of the dress while I simultaneously shed his clothing, until we were both down to our underwear.


I lay beneath Stefan, thankful for the size of the bed. I recalled the time Stefan had fallen asleep in my bed in his underwear. Back then, we were really only kids. We had both changed a lot, and... well, I certainly wasn't complaining about the physical changes. Stefan had filled out a lot, and my hands sought out his arms, his shoulder, even his back to touch. He had more hair now, too. My hand traced his well-defined abs, then followed the trail of hair beneath his belly button.


Afterwards, we held hands and gazed at each other, fitting every honeymoon stereotype. "I love you," I whispered.
    Stefan smiled slowly. "I love you too, Yuki."


We dozed off for a little while. When we woke up, Stefan pulled my closer to him. I snuggled in the warmth of his embrace.
    "You know..."I murmured, leaning my head against his, "If we keep going at it like this, it might not be long until we see if we can have a child yet or not."
    Stefan was silent for a few moments. "Are we ready for a child?"
    I laughed. "Maybe we should have discussed that before having sex without protection."
    "We both want children. We want to have a family. I'm not getting any younger, and I want to see my children marry. Are you ready?"
    I kissed his cheek. "Yes, but I wouldn't mind having a long honeymoon period with you."


    "Well, let's wait and see what happens. Okay, love?"
    I nodded, then smiled fiendishly. "Now that we have that settled... do you have any more energy?"
    Stefan responded with a kiss.
    It was to be sure that would find out about my fertility fairly soon.


I just wasn't aware of how soon that truly was.