Clearing The Mind

Chapter 17: Sundown

In a way, he smiled.
Christian knew that his time was up, and yet he was surprised that he had no second thoughts about taking her hand at all.

He stood by the altar, with Ethan beside him as his best man. Everyone he cared for and loved was all there, from the gang that he grew up with to the family that he adored the most.

Well, except for one person not there yet.

Julian wondered why was he put on pianist duty but okay.

As he started playing Canon in D, everyone in the congregation stood up.

Christian was trying to hold back tears.

His moment finally came.

There Yulia and Damien were, Damien, holding her head a bit as they both were in perfect warmth.

Gwen was there with Daphne as Daph's boyfriend was on pianist duty and Rose was there too, fixated on her boy wearing a suit.

There they all were, ready for Aaliyah to enter in with the Bridal March as the doors were flung open.

Julian started playing the Wedding March.

A flower girl and a page boy were in front of her as she entered with her father holding her hand.

This was it.
After so long of being together, this was finally it.

The steps were all slow and gentle.
With each step, she asked herself how much she loved him.

With each step, she confirmed with herself that she does.

With each step, she put herself in many scenarios to see how they would cope.

With each step, she knew that no matter what, they would have a solution found together somehow.

You could see Christian's expression, an expression of relief, an expression of relishment. 
You could see the smile that he had, it wasn't of excitement for what may come in the future, but to look at what was in front of him, this woman in white that would be his. 

The one which hands he decided to grasp the tightest, the one he chose to protect with his whole life, all of this sounded much more cliche to him when he really thought about it. 

Gwen looked from where she stood, looking at the woman in white almost reaching her betrothed. Looking at that hurt her for a short while, seeing Aaliyah hold Christian's hand in the chapel suddenly reminded her of the what-if between herself and Peter. 

She sighed. Then again, now is not the time to actually think about that, but to actually celebrate for her friends? She wasn't too sure. 

Damien's heart was beating hard with every beat of the piano. Yeah, it wasn't his wedding, but then again? His love is right beside him, they're both witnessing the union of two of their closest friends, what's not to love? 

He gripped Yulia's hand tighter as the bride and bridegroom finally took center stage, and the pianist left. 

Julian made his way to a room on the right of the chapel. A room for the groom and his groomsmen. He lapsed away for a short while, he couldn't bear not looking when he saw Aaliyah take his senior's hand. One wouldn't be able to feel anything except pure love, and passion for one another, it was beautiful, and nothing else would be able to describe this in any way else.

Heck, he wanted to play a short romantic Phantom of The Opera medley just for the sake of that beautiful sight.

"Juls," He heard someone call out to him. There was no one else in the room, though. The sound of a guy?

The guy walked out of a changing room. It was him.

"Peter. What are you doing here?" Julian asked, somewhat in a curious yet hurt manner to his senior. 

"It probably is pretty obvious, right?" Peter looked actually shy, a sight of him that Juls had never seen before. "I'm just here to see my fellow brother and his marriage." Peter placed his hand on Jul's shoulder before Julian shrugged it off quickly.

"I'm afraid I can't buy that, kind sir." His eyes were like daggers to Peter, visibly furious about what had happened between him and Gwen months past. "Especially after what you did to-"

Peter raised his arms up. "I know, I know. I was an ass for doing that. I-, I had other things that I had to commit to." 

"Then why be so careless to do that in front of her then?" Julian raised his voice, forgetting that the wedding was still ongoing.

"Could you at least let me prove to you that I still love her?" Peter didn't even dare mention her name. 

Julian quieted down and looked and Peter, with a rather concerned demeanour. "Can you really do so after what you did?"

That took Peter aback for a few moments. He wasn't ready to answer that question, perhaps. 

Shifting back to the wedding, everything went smoothly as planned, the choirs sang, the rings were exchanged, both Aaliyah and Christian said their vows, and the rings were exchanged.

Innocent love, one wondered how rare would that be now.

Peter raised his finger and looked at Julian, with a tinge of curiosity within him.
"There's something I want to ask you when this is all done. I trust you'll think properly of what you should do with that info later."

Julian looked at him, knowing what he meant as he nodded expressionlessly. "How do you know that that would be the better choice for my life than what I have now?"

Peter scoffed. "You know it's true, Juls. Stop lying to yourself any longer."

Julian laughed mockingly and walked back to the piano for the closing march.

Gwen saw as Julian went back to the piano, playing a different piece aside from the traditional wedding exit. 

The mellow medley that Julian planned from the Phantom of the Opera. 

Blending the first verses of Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again together with Think Of Me, and a chorus of All I Ask Of You slowly as the bride and groom left the chapel.

She smiled through the whole ceremony until she saw Julian with a frown on his face. 

"Gwen," Daph called out to her as he pointed out to a guy who was leaving from the east side of the chapel. 
"Yeah?" She saw him. She recognized him effortlessly and said nothing. 

Never a tear fell from her eyes, she just stood there looking in his direction till the doors closed.
Not a word nor tear from her. 

Daphne sighed. Even on the day that they were supposed to be happiest for her friends. 
"Amor vincit omnia." She said, knowing that no matter what may be, love will always conquer all.

Inside Julian's mind, he thought more. Could love conquer all?

A/N: Chapter 17 is done, which means just a few more to go, guys. Bear with me, we're almost there. Hope you guys enjoyed it.