Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Akko had known Lotte for as long as she can remember. They both had moved to England as small children. The two had felt estranged from their other peers, due to the culture shock that came with leaving home. It was what made them become friends.
Eventually, they had met a girl named Sucy in year 6. Also acquiring quick friendship, the trio became inseparable.

They had watched each other grow, live through mistakes, hardships, reminiscing about embarrassing memories that would make them laugh until falling over in tears. Even their friendship had its darkest moments, but no little bump in the road could change a thing.

Until, according to Akko, something had changed. Not in a bad way type of change.
Year 13 is when Lotte would spend much more time giggling at her phone. Instead of calling Akko and Sucy for help on their homework, she always played it off as “I’m busy talking to someone else.”

Who?

Akko was the nosiest one out of the three. Many people see that as a bad thing, but Akko was just concerned for her friend.

“You know,” Akko would nudge Lotte, which earned Lotte’s immediate attention away from the phone. “You should be careful when talking to strangers.”

“Yeah,” Sucy chimed in. “They could kidnap you or worse....”

Lotte interrupted before Sucy could finish. “I appreciate your concern, but I'm just not ready to talk about it yet. I hope you guys can understand that it feels too sudden for me.”

Well, one thing Akko could respect was privacy.

When things were set in stone, however, Lotte soon revealed her secret.

She had been chatting with someone named Barbara Parker. A girl from a private school that was not too far away from the current school they attended. They were both huge fans of the Night Fall series, and met on a chat forum, then eventually at a convention, and they were thinking about dating.

There were some complications in the beginning, as Lotte thought it was too soon, and by no means was Barbara trying to rush her. It was mostly a long journey of communication until both finally agreed that they were ready.

Akko and Sucy’s first time meeting Barbara was kind of... odd. Her demeanor and the way she presented herself at first was kind of snobby, but she had a personality underneath the fancy button up. She cracked jokes, mostly directed towards Akko, but she didn’t want to bring it up to Lotte. If this was the woman Lotte really loved, she wouldn't say anything that would make Lotte upset. Besides, it was nothing too harsh.

Akko never pursued to know much about Barbara’s life, because she could care less. Lotte always talked about her and Sucy eventually meeting Barbara’s friends, but that was never a thing that they could fit into their busy schedules after graduation.

It was a regular Saturday morning. It was cold, the air feeling like instead of a nip from jack frost, it was a sucker punch. Akko groggily continued her trek to her apartment's mailbox in the cold mailroom. She used her key, and inside was a letter from Lotte. She opened it up eagerly, reading as her eyes widened.

HUH!?

Akko was dialing her as soon as she closed her apartment door, eagerly waiting for Lotte to pick up.
“Hi, Akko.” Lotte yawned. “What’s up? You caught me really early.”

“You got engaged!?” The brunette exclaimed.

Lotte told Akko that morning about everything that happened. From the proposal to wanting Akko and others to help decorate and plan. The proposal, as Lotte described it, was the best thing to ever happen to her this year. It was simplistic, yet romantic. Lotte wasn’t the one to be swooned by fancy things, rather keeping things rustic and cheap, just like how she’s always lived.

Lotte said that they could plan in person, or in real life if their schedules could change for it.

Over the course of a few months, as early summer started to approach, so did the date of the wedding. Akko, Sucy, Lotte, Barbara, and Hannah had been planning extensively for the type of wedding that they wanted. They decided to go for a Nondenominational wedding, and the theme was a medieval vampiric. It was something Lotte was excited about.

Sometimes Akko overheard conversations between Hannah and Barbara about someone... she really couldn’t catch the name, but it still made her slightly confused. Lotte seemed to understand it, Sucy didn’t really care, so she brushed it off because ‘why ask about it if nobody else cares or already knows?’.
However, this person had spent LOTS of unexpected money on certain décor pieces and even some money on the dress payments. Akko gathered from the little information she was given, that this mysterious person was just a rich person Barbara knew.

They had rented out an old English church for the ceremony. The bridesmaids wore a black dress, with mesh sleeves that were glittered with sparkles and other gem arrangements, Amanda, however, opted to wear the classic black tux option. Every bridesmaid on Lotte’s side wore a carefully crafted necklace that resembled a reference.... that Akko couldn’t remember, but it was still beautiful. Barbara’s bridesmaids wore a ring Edgar had in volume.... 68?

What really blew everyone away was the finished outfits. Lotte wore a white dress, which was also a Night Fall reference. It was a replica of something Belle had worn to a wedding in one of the other volumes. It was a separate, with a beautiful cape that draped in the back, the embroidery of gold thread depicted images of this faraway land. Even though it was separate, the skirt had resembled that of a balloon dress, and little tuffs of mesh fabric hung off the bottom seam, golden and red beads sewn carefully.

Barbara had decided to wear a tuxedo as well, something that resembled one from the Edwardian era, but it also had lots of other weird choices. Akko wasn’t a history major but had a slight hyper fixation on fashion history once. For a romance novel about a time-traveling vampire and a human, most of the mixed styles from each era made sense... And looked good.

The cravat was an aged gold, complimented easily by the velvet red vest that had been complemented by the gold chains that draped across her collarbone. It was tight fitted at the sleeves and looked expensive. The rest of it was basic, and even the shoes were regular dress shoes, supporting a little bit more heel than usual, but it was fine.

When the big day finally came, Akko was excited.
She was happy that Lotte was opening a new chapter in her life, even though it made her sad she couldn’t always be a part of it, she wanted the best for Lotte. Her toast was so gonna rock.

She woke up early to meet Lotte and the others at the church. Barbara decided her group was going to the local hotel instead to set up, which let room for Akko’s spontaneous mind to crack up jokes she wouldn’t have made if Barbara and Hannah were watching her.

Akko had arrived, stepping in through the main door, and making her way down the old stairs to the other closed-off rooms. As she neared the door, she heard some commotion, instantly barging in to see what was happening.

Lotte sat in front of the vanity with Sucy at her side. Amanda and Jazminka were slightly arguing in the corner, something along the lines of “We can’t change the buffet now! Shoulda’ thought about that weeks ago. Looks like we’re lucked out of cheesecake.” the American sighed, crossing her arms across her chest and leaning back onto the wall. Constanze was on her phone, playing Candy Crush.

Lotte turned around as soon as she noticed Akko in the mirror. ‘Hey! You made it.” She smiled warmly.
“Yup, I also brought my dress and accessories.” She raised up the plastic that had concealed itself around the fabric inside.
“So, shall we start?”

“Okay,” Akko spoke up, her usual enthusiastic tone grabbing everyone's attention. “First, we should help Lotte get ready. I’m sure the dress will be easy for her to put on herself,” She placed a hand to her chin. “Does anyone know how makeup works...?”

“You’d be surprised that I know a thing or two.” Amanda chimed in.

Akko was lost at words for a moment, but she was soon able to speak.

“Yeah, I AM surprised... Really surprised, actually... But hey! It’s not a bad thing, sooooo, at least Lotte will look nice.”

Soon, a routine was set up. Everyone huddled around the vanity, conversing about what would look nice in general, or if we should match the outfit, or maybe match the décor. Sucy’s suggestion was to make her eyes stand out or to look sunken and dead as if she was bit by a vampire. Lotte slightly cringed at the idea but thanked Sucy for her suggestion.

Eventually, it was decided that Lotte would have a light blush and pink lip. It was simplistic, yet they stressed forever over that final decision. Then, the group proceeded to get dressed.

After all, was said and done, Lotte had texted Barbara that she was ready.
Lotte and Barbara had decided that the first time they see each other should be when Lotte was accompanied by her dad down the aisle. It was a shame her parents weren’t here at this moment to help with her makeup, but they were on their way soon.

As everyone had started leaving to meet all the guests that would be coming soon, Akko stayed behind.
“Lotte,” Akko shut the door and looked back towards the blonde. “I’m really happy for you.” She smiled.
“Thank you.” Lotte returned the smile.
“Are you stressed? Anxious?” Akko started
“Very much so for both.” Lotte sighed.
“Well, you can’t run away now.”
That made Lotte laugh. “I wouldn’t do that.”

“I know, just for jokes. I’m proud of you, by the way. I won't say more because I want to pour it all out during the speeches! Bye!” Akko exclaimed, leaving quickly.
It would take about 2 hours in total for guests to arrive and settle themselves in before anything would begin. Akko had a timer on her phone saved for when she and the other maids should get in their positions. In the meantime, Akko had skipped out on breakfast and needed a quick snack just to satisfy herself. It would be so embarrassing if her stomach growled during the ceremony!

The dining hall was closed off until after the ceremony itself, But Akko had the guts to sneak past everyone and slip between the wooden doors. She was so worried about people catching her, that she did not scope the inside of the room first.
She bumped into someone and immediately fell on her ass.
She could feel her heart drop as she was officially busted.
She dare not to look into the eyes of whomever she had bumped into. “Hiiii,” She started, rising to her feet and cleaning off the back of her dress.
She was about to walk away before someone grabbed her wrist and twirled her to be face to face.

“Why are you here, if you don’t mind me asking?” The woman spoke, and Akko just stood with her mouth agape.

She was blonde, with light tea green highlights, wavy hair that had shaped her face, and piercing blue eyes. She was tall and well built. Her dress was blue, and it hung off her shoulders, revealing a beautiful pearl necklace that rested upon her pale collarbone.

“Excuse me?” She spoke up again. “Who are you?”

Chapter Text

Akko jolted out of her mind and laughed nervously. “Atsuko Kagari. Please just call me Akko. I’m a bridesmaid for Lotte.”

The woman nodded and crossed her arms. “Alright, well, why are you here? Shouldn’t you be with the bride or at least waiting until it’s time for the ceremony?”

“Well, it’s a funny story,” She chuckled nervously. “I woke up SUPER early, earlier than what I'm used to, and I was so caught up with wedding stuff and trying to arrive here on time that I forgot about breakfast- Hey! Why are YOU in here!?”

The woman sighed. “I’m Diana Cavendish. I’m a bridesmaid for Barbara. I’m simply here because I wanted to see if there were any complications with decorations or the food that I paid for.”

Akko felt her heart drop. THIS WAS THE WOMAN THAT PAID FOR ALL THESE EXPENSIVE THINGS!? Wow, she had such a nerve to show up here. She met all the other bridesmaids because they helped Lotte and Barbara plan and set everything up.

Akko had to swallow her pride. She didn’t want to ruin Lotte’s wedding by causing a fight between her and Barbara’s friend. She huffed, and instead of being straight forward, she was also intrigued as to why the woman had never shown up, yet still paid for a lot of this.

“I never have seen you before,” Akko cleared her throat. “You mentioned being a bridesmaid, huh? Well, why didn’t you show up for planning and decorating? Yet you still paid for nearly everything?”

Diana chuckled a bit at such an invasive question. “Well, if you must be so nosey, I was caught up with work. I wanted to attend the planning meetings, but now you mention my sorrow at the best moment when I can be here. I think it’s beautiful, though.”

Well, Akko sighed. There was no way of asking her question politely. She was still very intrigued as to what field of work would keep a young woman like Diana so busy. She was going to ask more, but before Akko could say a word, Diana had already stolen the mic.

“We should get going instead of talking here,” Diana walked to the door. “I’ll see you at the after-party.” And with a few steps, she was gone.

Akko was going to eat, but she looked at her watch. She would have to start getting ready for the ceremony soon. She sighed and decided that she could wait until the party.

Lotte looked so beautiful. Barbara was a lucky girl. Akko nearly burst into tears as she saw Lotte being walked down the aisle, with Mr. Jansson at her side to accompany her. Eventually, Akko did find herself crying, even hearing a few sniffles from Sucy who was behind her. The exchange of vows, and the exchange of rings. An hour played out as if it was only 6 minutes.

Not a second later, Lotte and Barbara had exchanged a kiss, and were together, arm to arm, and walking down the aisle. Akko felt her heart cheer until a nudge came from Sucy.

“Walk.” was all the girl whispered, and Akko had immediately jolted out of her head and chuckled as she followed behind them. Couldn’t have a day in her body without one little mess-up.

The party had kickstarted with the opening dance, Lotte and Barbara wanted to save the speeches for later when things were dying down, preferably after some Rich people who weren’t close with Barbara had left, so it would remain as close relatives and friends only (and maybe a few outliers, but it was no big deal.).

Lotte had thrown her bouquet, and Mary had caught it. Avery and the rest of the crowd teased her about it. Akko got caught up with some old school friends, but secretly couldn’t help but wonder where Diana had been this whole time. Akko approached Hannah, who was dancing with Amanda.

“Have you guys seen Diana?”

“Who? You mean Cavendish or Wonder woman?”
Amanda retorted with a smirk upon her face.

“Psh,” Hannah interrupted. “She should be somewhere around here.”

Akko nodded as a quick Thank You, even though that wasn’t helpful. Thanks captain obvious. She hadn’t looked super hard besides glances around the pretty crowded room. She wanted to ask more about her, or at least get her number. It was probably her best interest to try and make up for earlier since her best friend was now married to Diana’s friend. They’d be seeing more of each other.

Akko wormed her way through the crowd, ‘Excuse me!’ ‘Pardon me!’ and many apologies were said. She eventually stumbled back to her starting point. Had Diana already left? Why would she leave? Nothing made sense. She wanted to make up for earlier, but she may not do that tonight at least.

Sucy eventually caught back up with her and sat down at a table next to her. “You’ve been running around all night. Why?” Sucy questioned.

Akko sighed, sitting down on a chair and resting her elbows on her knees, head resting in her palms as she pouted. “I’ve been looking for Diana.”

“What are you doing actively looking for the bourgeoisie?”

“I may have offended her earlier in the Dining Hall,” Akko sighed. “She paid for mostly all of this, well, I think so. Lotte and Barbara won’t let me see anything, but she has me intrigued.”

“Well, don’t stalk her, weirdo.” Sucy took a sip from her drink, and Akko gave her a glare that could kill.

“I’m not going to stalk her.” Akko pouted, crossed her arms across her chest, and laid back against the back of the chair.

“Whatever you say,” Sucy put the empty glass down on the table and stood up, turning to head to the Dining Hall. “You might be able to find Diana where the ceremony took place. I think she’s dealing with something there.” When she finished, she walked away.

Akko smiled and Thanked Sucy in her head. She had a mission to complete.