Birds of a Feather | Soul of Yokai AU

I Do

I was standing in front of a door with a bouquet of red roses and lilies and my dad holding my arm. I felt some butterflies flying around in my stomach and I bit my lip.

"Hey, sweetie." My dad spoke, "Everything's going to be alright."

"I know." I replied, "Still, I can't help but get those jitters."

My dad soon looked towards me, "You know, you look beautiful in that."

I soon stared myself down. I was wearing a red qipao with a long train that was behind me. I couldn't see it much but I also had a phoenix coronet was placed onto my head with my navy blue hair tied up into a bun in order to place the coronet on my head.

"Thanks." I shyly smiled.

"It reminds me of how your mother looked when we got married." My dad remarked.

I soon chuckled a little.

"Do you think Miyuna would've liked the way I look now?" I asked.

"Of course, she would've." My dad responded, "But speaking of your sister, I think she shouldn't have made so many jokes about how much you liked Yokai that you should marry one."

"Well, what else I was I going to marry? Miyuna always knew what I wanted." I joked.

"True." My dad nodded.

Soon, a peaceful and sweet tune started playing. We gave each a nod and we pushed the doors together.

Everyone turned heads to stare at me.

Everyone stood in silence as I slowly walked with my dad. The stares made me start to sweat a little and I felt my heart beating. My knees soon began to feel wobbly and I took each step carefully, not wanting to trip over and make an embarrassment of myself. 

But soon my eyes met a pair of scarlet red eyes from across the pathway.

Sakuya was standing there, at the end of the walkway. His hair was half-done up and the rest flowed down. Sakuya was covered up with a long black cape that had layers of gold feathers at the end as well as gold detailing. He was also wearing sandals that were decently thick.

When I saw him, all my worries soon disappeared instantaneously and all I could focus on was him. I soon arrived towards him and my father soon let go of me and walked to his seat next to my mother.

I smiled at him with a soft gaze and I could feel my cheeks becoming warm. Sakuya took my hands into his and held them gently.

I could see that under his cloak, he had a white kimono that also had a gold pattern on it.

"You look gorgeous..." Sakuya spoke in a faint whisper. It was almost as if an angel were speaking.

"Thanks..." I smiled bashfully.

"Welcome, family, friends and loved ones." The priest spoke, "We have gather here today to celebrate the wedding of Sakuya Hirano and Nami Yamamoto. On the bride and groom's behalf, thank you for all coming..."

The speech soon passed by, Sakuya and I both saying our lines and doing the actions for when each segment came until the most anticipated moment for me started.

"Please turn to each other and share your vows." The priest spoke.

Karasu soon handed Sakuya a slip of paper and Sakuya silently thanked him. He took a deep breath and began to read out what he wrote down.

"Nami... When I first met you... I admittedly didn't think that fondly of you. Believe it or not, I pitied you and felt sorry for the situation that you faced because some people dragged you into this world that would endanger you." Sakuya glanced at Yukio and Hayato for a moment, both of them wearing sheepish grins, "To protect you, I wanted to get rid of you and take you back to your home. However, I never would have imagined that I would have been shoving away the one thing I would never be able to leave behind."

Sakuya went on, "But soon after my brother escaped from jail and I was forced to see him in person, my guilt over what had transpired resurfaced to me despite the fact that there was little I could have done to prevent what ultimately occurred. But you gave me a slap to bring me back to reality, in a literal manner. You were humiliated that you had to act physically, but that smack was just what I needed. I soon started spending time with you and learned more about you, such as how much you loved Yokai, your sister and how you would spend time with each other when you were younger. I became more intrigued by you as I learned more about you."

"But even if it was only for a short while, our time together had to come to an end eventually. In order to return to your responsibilities in the human world, you were departing from the Yokai World. I was only able to think about you when you were away. Some item, phrase or place reminded me of you, your bright smile, eyes filled with curiosity and wonder, cheerful attitude and timid but kind words. I eventually came to the realisation that I fell in love with you. And as time passed and I got to see you again after you returned, my love for you just grew until I wanted to marry you. Thus, this is where we are right now. Nami, I adore you so much and would do everything for you. And I want to spend as much of our remaining time together with my sweet, precious human as possible." Sakuya ended his vows.

I was bawling and my cheeks ended up becoming wet from the amount of crying. I tried to wipe away the waterfalls coming out of my eyes. Hayato handed me a folded sheet of paper and I soon thanked him and took it into my hands. I soon unfolded it.

"Sakuya... I want to thank you for helping me gain confidence in myself and learn to speak up, for comforting my worries and sorrows, giving me flights around the Yokai World, teaching me how to defend myself, being brave and strong for me whenever I would get scared, always trying to look out for me and keep me safe, sharing your memories and experiences with me, giving me a place that I can call home and accepting and loving me for who I was, even though I'm a human and not some Tengu who can fly in the sky with you or kitsune who has fluffy, pillowy ears and tail." I sobbed, "I cherish your long, dark, silky hair, your loving stares, your confidence and assertiveness, your strength as a warrior, your thoughtfulness and consideration when making out plans, your tender affection and just simply you in general. And I promise to always stay with you no matter how bad and rough things get, to comfort you whenever you get upset, to share my world with you, to face challenges with you and to keep loving you as we both grow and change. You're the person I've been looking for my whole life and I'm luckiest person in the universe to be able to marry you."

Sakuya wept at my vows and smiled contently.

The priest soon spoke up, "Sakuya Hirano, do you take Nami Yamamoto to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do." Sakuya responded.

"And do you, Nami Yamamoto, take Sakuya Hirano to be your lawfully wedded husband?" The priest stated.

"I do..." 

Yukio soon went up to us and opened a rectangular box which contained both of our rings. Sakuya accepted the silver ring and took my left hand and cradled it in his. He slipped the wedding band on my ring finger and I soon eyed it with amazement. I soon picked up the other wedding ring and slipped it through Sakuya's finger. Sakuya grinned at the ring when it was put on.

"Now, by the power invested in me by the Yokai World, I now declare you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride." The priest announced.

Sakuya soon cupped my face and soon pressed his lips against mine. The crowd of Tengu and me and Sakuya's family and friends cheered and clapped loudly.

I soon felt myself being lifted and I saw Sakuya holding me like a princess.

"Woah!" I exclaimed, "This is unexpected!"

Sakuya chuckled in reply and we both walked down the aisle as the Tengu cheered and celebrated.