𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐏𝐘 | sasuke uchiha

二十四

"Are you ready, darling?" [Name] chuckled nervously as her father outstretched his arm to her, the both of them standing outside the doors that would lead them into the chapel where the official wedding ceremony was to commence. [Name]'s throat was dry; every fiber in her body was causing her to tremble, and nausea came and went as she struggled to keep her posture straight in her killer diamond encrusted Jimmy Choos. Her dress was a long and elegant gown from the Vera Wang collection; the silky white fabric folded over her sleeveless bust and waist, going in at the waist before coming out in the skirt half of the dress long and elegant, hanging just tight enough to showcase her curves, yet not too loose as to completely give her figure away. A grand diamond choker necklace adorned her throat and chest, complimented by a plain pair of matching diamond droplet earrings. Her hair had been immaculately done up into the perfect bun, around which her veil hung from, obscuring her face from view. Alongside the bouquet of pure white roses she held in her hands, to top it all off, [Name] wore a stunning, intricately wrought sterling silver and diamond tiara, which had been lent to her by Mikoto, who had worn it at her own wedding to Fugaku and said it had been passed down through the generations.

To make a long story short, [Name] glowed.

Music could be heard beginning to play from the other side of the doors, and [Name] was gently jolted forward by her father, whose eyes were already brimming with tears. She forced a smile, not wanting to end up like him; crying at her own wedding would make it look like she'd just dug her own grave.

"Curse this Uchiha bastard for taking you away from me so young," sniffed Mako, holding out a hand to open the door. "One, two..."

On three, he pushed it open, and without further hesitation, began to stride in with [Name] by his side, head proudly in the air as he kept his gaze fixed on the altar at the front. [Name] tried her best to both avoid the gazes of the crowd and staring at her feet, so she instead kept her eyes on the two little girls who walked before her, scattering white rose petals over her aisle. Mei, Emi and Fuyu were already at the front of the chapel, alongside Sasuke and his groomsmen; Itachi, Shisui, and Naruto. Her bridesmaids all wore the same matching colour of [f/c], each holding a bouquet of matching flowers, whilst the men wore black tuxedos with matching [f/c] ties.

[Name] heard a little noise from her just as she reached the foot of the altar, and looked to her side in alarm to see her father broken down into tears, furiously wiping them away with the back of his free arm. [Name]'s heart softened, and she felt a wave of agony at the sight of her father crying. Her own eyes beginning to fill with tears, [Name] hugged her father with one arm, a single tear escaping her eyes as she quickly pulled away from him and turned back to the altar, walking up. Sasuke stood on the right side of the priest, grimacing slightly. [Name] was silently choking on her tears, but she didn't want it to show. The priest cleared his throat, and began the formalities, urging [Name] and Sasuke to link hands.

"We are gathered here today to commemorate the holy marriage of Sasuke Uchiha and [Name] [Surname]..."

[Name]'s mind was transfixed all throughout the ceremony; nothing the priest said seemed to register as her eyes furtively darted around the room, her mind working furiously as she tried to sink everything in.

I'm getting married. I'm seventeen. I'm getting married. I'm still in school. I'm marrying Sasuke Uchiha. I'm seventeen. I'm getting married. She felt a gentle tug, refocusing her attention as her gaze met Sasuke's through the material of her veil. She felt him release one of her hands and bring it to her face, where he lifted the veil from her head and folded it over the top, so he could get a better view of her face. She awkwardly smiled at him, making him smirk as he took her hand in his again, slipping her ring onto her wedding finger from the ring boy who stood between them, the elegant bands resting on a cushion of velvet while he waited.

"I, Sasuke Uchiha, vow to love, protect and support you in any way shape or form there possibly is. I will try in every single way I know of to be worthy of you, because what you have done for me is beyond repayment. You have healed me, changed me, transformed me- you have given me therapy, opening my eyes and heart to the world around me. I promise to love you, to hold you. To respect you, to honour you. To encourage you, to inspire you. To cherish you above all else, through thick and thin, health and illness, trials and triumphs. Until old age, and to the afterlife, I will love you, [Name]. Forever, and always."

There was a lump in [Name]'s throat as Sasuke's words flew past her, while she herself struggled to remember the last minute lines she and Mei had penned together a few hours ago, showing them to Mikoto for approval. Hearing how sincere and thoughtful Sasuke's vows sounded made [Name] feel horrible for not taking the task seriously and felt a pit of dread in her stomach as she realised her vows were flimsy and unauthentic. Her hands were growing clammy in Sasuke's grasps, and her chest rapidly rose and fell undetectably as her mind whirred with words and quotes, unsure of whether to go with the original lines, or to make up something better.

"Now, [Name]." [Name] hesitated for a few minutes before finally speaking out, her voice strained and nervous as she took Sasuke's ring from the little boy and shakily slid it onto his ring finger.

Calm. Calm. Calm...

She took a deep breath, placing her hand over his.

"I... I promise you that I will try my best to be the best wife I can be, to stand by your side and to support you. I promise to return your love a hundredfold, to love you equally and more. I will love you to the moon, around every single star in the galaxy and back to Earth, no matter what it takes. I promise not to poison you with my cooking, so we'll have a better chance of being together longer." The crowd burst into laughter at [Name]'s impromptu remark, inflaming her to continue forward with her made up vows. "You'll be mine, and I'll be yours, from now, until the end of time. I... I love you, Sasuke."

There was no mistaking the sniffling coming from the crowd and bridal party, especially the likes of Kushina, Mako and Emi, who all looked on the verge of having breakdowns. The priest smiled, and raised his arms above [Name] and Sasuke's heads, beaming at the crowd.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife! You may now kiss the bride!" Although [Name] hesitated, Sasuke did no such thing. As soon as the priest gave the green light, he pulled [Name] to him, placing a hand behind her back as he dipped her backwards, making it easier for him to access her lips. There were "wooooo!"s and whistles from the congregation as Sasuke passionately pressed his lips against [Name]'s, a feeling of satisfaction filling him as he felt her soft, trembling lips touching hers. It wasn't an act of hormonal lust, but one of genuine love. Sasuke wanted [Name] to know how he felt, and there was no better way for her to know than through a heartfelt kiss.

When Sasuke broke away from her moments later, [Name]'s eyes were wide and surprised as she stared up the the Uchiha, while everyone else in the chapel burst into cheers.

"I-I..." began [Name], looking embarrassed. Sasuke gave her a small smile, then pulled her to him in a hug without another word, burying his face into her neck.

[Name] [Surname]?

More like [Name] Uchiha.