𝚂𝚖𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚗 - 𝙸. 𝙼𝚒𝚍𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚢𝚊 𝚡 𝙾𝙲

31 - Absolutely Smitten

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE

"Ready?"

Midoriya stood at Iida's side in front of the doors of an upscale hotel and brushed lint off the shoulder of his well-tailored gray suit.

A serene smile curved Iida's lips as he considered the event that was about to take place. He was looking forward to marrying the woman of his dreams, to have another way to prove just how much he loved Uraraka, and to celebrate their union with those most dear to them. "I've been ready for years," he hummed.

With a smile of his own, Midoriya patted his back and opened the door for him. "Perfect."

Led down a cobblestone path decorated with small bushels of blush pink and white peonies toward an expansive array of white wooden folding chairs set up within the immaculately kept gardens in the venue's courtyard, Iida tugged on his suit jacket to ensure it was in its proper place. His heart jumped with excitement and he nodded and smiled politely to their guests as he approached the beautiful latticed arch covered in flowering vines.

Iida shook his brother's hand as he stood in front of him, happy that Tensei had offered to follow through with the requirements to officiate their wedding as a gift. It was such a special moment for them and to have his older brother's approval and blessing meant the world to Iida. The rest of the wedding party made their way down the aisle seamlessly just as they had in the rehearsal the day prior, and when Uraraka made her appearance with a parent on either side of her, he felt his mouth go dry. Wearing a stunning lace dress, she looked like an angel - she was an angel - and he felt like the luckiest man on Earth.

Uraraka beamed brightly at her groom as she stood before him and clasped their hands, her eyes sparkling from the sheen of happy tears that threatened to spill. He looked so handsome and more than anything, she was looking forward to officially being married to him.

As Tensei began speaking of love and commitment, Midoriya just couldn't focus on the bride and groom he stood beside. His gaze was fixated on his beautiful girlfriend seated in an aisle seat on the groom's side. Her lips were pulled into a gentle smile and her gaze was soft. She wore a pair of tapered burgundy pants and a white Peter Pan collared blouse, her hair pulled into a French knot that highlighted her bone structure and allowed her to show off the emerald studs Midoriya had gifted her that morning as a surprise along with breakfast in bed.

It had only been six months since they'd met and three since they started dating, but in those months Midoriya had fallen so irreparably in love with Nishida that it felt as if he'd known her his entire life. He didn't consider himself an especially spiritual person, but he thought that if reincarnation was indeed real, he and Nishida had known each other intimately in their past lives. There was no other way he could think to explain how connected he felt to her nor how his love could feel so profound.

Midoriya admired his girlfriend as she thoughtfully watched their ceremony, her hand pressed against her heart when she noticed a tear slip from the corner of Iida's eye. Nishida hadn't particularly struck him as someone who would enjoy weddings as she wasn't as interested in overtly feminine seeming things, but seeing her now only made him realize how flawed that notion was. Weddings weren't feminine nor were they dull - they were a celebration of love and if anyone loved love, it was Nishida. Even if she wouldn't admit it aloud.

He was right, of course. Nishida had only been to one other wedding in her life but there was something so special to her about celebrating the love of your life with your friends and family. These days there had been a lot of darkness in the world and when there was an opportunity to relish in something delightful, she wanted to do that. Nishida was determined to love fully and deeply, and it made her so happy to see others wanting to do such things as well.