A Dance Of Blades and Hearts

the proposal

"yellow would look lovely on you my darling " the old lady selling fabric said to tera and tera smiled at her before nodding and handing her money

"I sure hope so " she says touching the fabric, Tera had also taking to sowing. I had dragged her to the market telling her we needed to get fabric cuz I wanted to watch her work

She was too excited at the thought of me being interested with anything that had to do with sowing to even realize that I was distracting her,

we had been walking from store to store getting fabric, and she had been explaining everything there is to know and which fabric is good.

I listened half heartedly and nodded for good measure, trying to stall, giving azumi enough time to carry out the plan

It was almost noon and azumi said to bring her back by then, he had this amazing thing planned for her and I'm so proud of him .

" The store that sells multiple colors will probably be closed by now, we should probably just head back " she says and I freeze

We can absolutely not head back right now

"hey we can't just assume, we need to check " I say intertwining my hands with hers, hoping that I don't look too eager, she chuckles

"I'm loving your new found enthusiasm kiara, but I've been going there for months, I know it's closed now"

Dammit

"well today might be our lucky day " I say with a grin I hope looks real and start half walking half pulling her as far away from the house as possible and towards the store.

she just laughs

"never thought I'd see the day kiara "

"well there's a first time for everything yeah?"

Tera talked excitedly as we walked back home and I prayed to the heavens that azumi was all set

She was talking about how she couldn't wait to show me and how we could make make matching outfits and I just smiled to myself as the house came into view, fingers crossed for my brother,

Tera was talking too much to notice but when she did her eyes went wide and she stopped

"did we walk into the wrong compound? " she asks eyes wide and gleaming, taking in the roses and flowers littered all around the clearing,

There was a pathway of roses leading to the center where azumi stood looking like a nervous wreck, tiny fire lights tera loved so much floating in the air.

It was beautiful and felt a little bit like magic as I saw my best friend walk towards azumi, eyes gleaming , taking in everything.

I gave azumi a thumbs up from way behind tera and he breathed in

"azumi this is so beautiful, what's going-"

Azumi gets on a knee and I hear my best friend gasp, my heart grows bigger in my chest

"tera, baby, we've been together for five years and I didn't know what it felt like to be complete till I found you, you're not just my lover, you're my partner and you're my best friend, you make me a better man, and I love you so much. I know I'm stupid and annoying some of the time, okay most of the time " he says laughing and I hear my best friend laugh too, through the happy tears I know are falling from her face.

"but I can't imagine my life without you, I want to spend every night kissing you goodnight and every morning kissing you awake, make me the happiest man alive " azumi says before he brings out the arm that was at his back,

he opens it up and holds a betrothal necklace up

It's beautiful, it has a single crescent moon that almost seems to shine and beautiful embroidery on its band

Tera stares eyes wide and shining

"marry me? " he finally finishes,

looking incredibly nervous and tera is crying now, nodding her head repeatedly

"of course I'll marry you azumi yes! Yes!" she says smiling through the tears and a wide grin breaks out on my brothers face before he gets up and places the necklace on her neck,

Tera touches it, eyes full of love and it's so, so beautiful. He hugs her and clapping breaks out from nowhere

I grin widely, joining in the applause as teras family and our friends come out to the clearing, shouting whooping congratulations with big smiles on their faces.

Tera breaks away from azumi surprise clear on her face but her grin is wide

"mom " she says and looks back at azumi, mouthing words I recognize as 'I love you' before she's pulled into a hug by her family.

It's later after all the celebration and congratulations that azumi, tera, bran ty min and I sit outside on the drinking table under the stars.

Azumi and tera lean on each other, whispering words and cute smiles and it's really very endearing to see

Ty min just watches her husband chug back liquor with an exasperated but fond look on her face.

Later on everyone starts talking,

"you're about to leave the single life behind brother " bran says wiggling his eyebrows, he looks slightly drunk but still sober enough to have a conversation and azumi rolls his eyes, but there's a soft smile on his face

"you can run before its too late " he whispers playfully

Azumi and I snicker, ty min wacks his arm, glaring playfully at him and he grins at her before placing a kiss on her cheek which seems to calm her right down.

They're all so inlove, I think heart clenching

I move to pour a cup but azumi stops me, eyebrow raised, I roll my eyes

"it's just one cup azumi "

"you have zero tolerance for liquor kia " he says and I huff

Bran snickers

" our warrior prodigy can't hold down her liquor? " he teases and I glare at him

"she's only had it once, all it took was half a cup and kia was trying to leave the house at the middle of the night saying she needed to go perform at the town square "

They all look like they're trying not to laugh and I shoot daggers at my brother who isn't looking at me

"said the bunnies were waiting and they couldn't sing without her "

The room goes quiet before they all break into laughter and I groan, burying my head in my hands

That wasn't something I liked to think about or even remotely acknowledge

"freaking bunnies, bunnies? " bran says wheezing and I look at Tera, smiling sweetly, azumis eyes are gleaming,

"Tera you'll have to forgive me but I'm going to kill the groom before he can make it to the wedding " I say getting up from my sit, and launching for my brother

but he already anticipated this and untangles himself from his girlfriend before flying out of my reach

I chase him round the table, loud bouts of laughter following us

And it's in moments like this, that the pain and ache reduces to a prick underneath my skin.

Till I'm back in bed that night, dreaming of warm golden eyes that till now make my heart hollow with pain, longing, regret and so much more.

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Sending you all purple hearts 🤗💜💜💜