UTOT- From This Day Forward

1- Anticipation

Hello dear readers!! Due to recent announcements with the UTOT universe, I decided to just create a little AU modern day wedding story for Riftan and Max. I just want them to be happy. I hope that the writer will reconsider and expand Riftan's POV and universe in the future. 

Please support the writer's work legally so that the OAK Army can finally see a decent conclusion to this love story.  

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Riftan's tan fingers carefully buttoned the cream blouse he had picked out last week at a thrift shop. It was a small shop near a train station by the bustling docks.

He rummaged and found what looked like an appropriate top and tried it on in the dressing room in the back. In the dim light of the small room, he smoothed back his black hair, frustrated at the lock that always seemed to fall to the right no matter what he did. Riftan tried to look at himself from different angles— it was only about a week until his wedding and he had to figure out an outfit.

"Are you coming out or not," his friend, Ruth Serbel, called from outside of the dressing room.

Riftan sighed and reluctantly stepped out of the room. The college student who worked the register gawked at the tall man from across the shop. Ruth smoothed his silver hair back and rolled his eyes when he noticed the girl staring. He was used to people noticing Riftan by now, but it was annoying when they openly stared.

He took stock of his friend's appearance. The white button up was simple but elegant. It made Riftan's skin look vibrant, and would pair well with most formal outfits. The cuff of one sleeve had a subtle but ornate embroidered dragon sewn into it, which made Riftan like the top so much more. A little personal detail without having to go too over the top

"The black pants you found at the other shop would look really nice with this," Ruth told him.

Riftan slipped back into the dressing room to change back into his t-shirt and sweats. It was Riftan's turn to help him find a wedding outfit. His co-worker Hebaron texted photos of his own outfit. They had all agreed to wear black and white to the wedding, which suited Riftan better. He hated gaudy suits and curled his lip in disgust at some of the outfits and color schemes he had seen on wedding planning websites with his fiance. Maximilian giggled at his expressions and joked that she had always wanted an intimate wedding and was considering a thrifted dress.

It gave Riftan the idea to go thrifting with Ruth. The curtain of the dressing room opened again. Ruth stepped out and grinned. Riftan raised an eyebrow at the ensemble.

"What, it's technically unisex," Ruth retorted, twirling in the dark long grey skirt that he paired with a button up and dressy leather boots. "And I think I look quite nice."

Truth be told, the handsome but somewhat pale and scrawny IT genius did look good in the ensemble. Subversive basics, or some other new fashion description Riftan had read in a magazine recently. It was settled, he'd wear a simple outfit for his wedding.

"What's next on our list?" Ruth said from the dressing room.

"I have to drop off the deposit at the fortress for the venue," Riftan replied. "We have to stop by the bakery too."

Maximilian and her friend Idcilla were shopping around for final decorations and double checking the food and drink menu. His chest fluttered when he thought of his nuptials.

Growing up somewhat of a loner after aging out of the foster care system, and putting himself through college thanks to the military, Riftan had figured he would just be alone. He had his friends and coworkers and he had Ruth. The ever present Ruth, who was infuriating, but stern, dependable and loyal to his tight knit circle of friends.

And now he had Maximilian. Maxi. Even just thinking her name felt like an omen, like a desperate prayer as if he had uttered it a million times before. It rang in his head over and over again as he went about his day, running the rest of the wedding errands on his list.