Chapter Text
“Remind me again why I agreed to do this?”
And a soft giggle chimes through the expanse of his apartment. It echoes over empty rooms and dances through every drum in his ear – the dulcet tune nearly washed exasperation off his stiff frame.
“Because you’re my friend. ” She punctuates with a playful shove of his shoulder. “My best friend. And friends help each other out.”
Friends…
Settled on the couch before one another, sunlight streams through the window of the living room. It casts a soft glow brightening aureate eyes crinkled in mischief. They’re gold, so gold, shining brighter than any treasure and simmer a gentle hearth. It beckons him to embrace amicable comfort, and Xiao considers it as his heart pounds into his ears and a heat creeps up every fiber of his neck.
But they're only friends . He laments. Friends coming up with fake wedding vows for her theatre project. A ridiculous task, but none he wouldn’t be able to help with, probably. Though still…
And he lets out a ‘tsk’ between his teeth as he tears himself away from her gaze.
“You could have asked someone else, or consulted the web.” He scoffs with no bite. There are few things he would not help Lumine with, but of all things she could have required assistance in, why did it have to be something so… so delicate?
“Hmm I’d rather not.” She says nonchalantly. “I want this to sound authentic, you know. Out of everyone I know, I trust that you, of all people, would let me know if I’m writing some sappy, cheesy lines that Instagram poets would be proud of.”
Reasonable, perhaps, but Xiao firmly believes his input wouldn’t be necessary.
“Come on, we’re almost done.” She tells him. “We just need to do the groom's vows and I can figure out the rest.”
He grumbles in annoyance — a hint of anxiousness too perhaps. Reaching for his glass on the coffee table, he scarfs the water down within seconds; refreshing he thinks, as his nerves dissipate ever so slightly. When he turns back to Lumine, he finds her notebook and pen in hand while she looks at him expectantly.
Leaning forward, her voice is eager as she speaks. “Well?”
“Well what?”
“You’re the pretend groom today. What would you say?”
What would he- “You expect me to conjure up some words for matrimony?”
Lumine only shrugs. “Well I could do it myself but that defeats the purpose of me coming here. I would like to know what you would say. Clean slate, no inspiration or influence from me.”
Xiao looks at her, mouth ajar and eyebrows creased, dumbfounded that she wants him to come up with vows that compliment the ones she wrote. He- he can’t just- not when he, towards her- “I…” He spoke before inhibitions could fully take control. “I don’t know how to- what to say.”
There’s a huff then a comforting hand cups his shoulder, and it did little to quell his roaring pulse. The nonexistent speck on the wall behind her is suddenly very intriguing. “Xiao, just look at me for a second. Like at me. Not the wall or the space between my eyebrows, just me.”
They meet each other’s gaze and all he wants to do is lose himself in her.
“Now, pretend that I’m someone you’re absolutely in love with.” And that, of all things, is not something that he really needs to fake.
“Butterflies in your stomach, but not silly enough to get cold feet, you’ve waited years for this. To see me walking down the aisle, white dress and face covered by a veil, they got something playing like, I don’t know-” Lover’s Oath. “-ver’s Oath. Still with me?”
Pay attention. He scolds internally, taking a gulp and nodding stiffly.
“Okay, so now I’m standing in front of you, and you remove the veil, finally seeing my face again, all dolled up and looking beautiful with makeup on.” Not that you need it . And he was all too close to saying it.
“This woman is the love of your life, and she is now your wife. What would be the first thing you say?”
A million thoughts run through his head and every word and syllable catches in his throat. She asked him to imagine it and he wants to, he really does- could. But at some point he started repressing the images, because it’s…
… It’s Lumine .
And as much as he wants to help her with this, he stubbornly refuses to fall into the abyss over some made up scenario. It’s dangerous, too dangerous. A fools errand over foolish sentiments.
“Nothing huh.” Her voice yanks him from his thoughts. “I wonder if it’s a bit hard for you to see it.”
No. “No it’s, it’s not, I just…” can see it all too easily.
Setting her pen and paper down, Lumine takes the cardigan she tossed over the couch. “Alright, it’s fine if you really can’t come up with anything. But let’s try one thing.”
And she tosses the fabric over her head, covering her face like a– and at this moment, defenestration seems to be in his best interests.
“So we’re back at the altar now, all you need to do is remove the veil.”
Hands clammy and heart drumming loudly, shivers and tingles run from his chest to the tips of his fingers, through every fibre of his being. She can’t possibly expect him to do this, but then his name escapes her lips inquisition and his limbs move of their own accord.
Shaky hands take the false veil, a deep breath and he slowly drags up the fabric to reveal her face. Suddenly, Xiao isn’t sure if he remembers how to breathe.
“Well?” She says, lips angled and eyes crinkled in the sweetest smile — pure and affectionate. “What do those amber eyes of yours say?”
The sun shifts and it casts a halo over Lumine, making her appear almost translucent. The light refracts and under the cardigan, her hair glows starlight and her eyes gleam a treasure.
Lumine, so beautiful and so lovely.
She’s truly an enigma.
Xiao feels the tension dissipate, seamless as silk brushing skin. He feels his gaze soften, there is no scrutiny and yet she fidgets before him the longer he stares. They’re only pretending.
It’s not real.
But…
For this quiet, almost delicate moment, it sure didn’t feel like it.
Fully seeing her eye to eye, the words flow in sure as the tide. And before he could stop himself, they tumbled from his lips.
“You are the love of my life,” He tells her, “Everything I have, and everything that I am, is yours. Forever.”