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He’s waited a long time for this day. Looking in the mirror, he adjusts his suit jacket once more. “It fits,” he breathes. No more evening gowns. No more updos. No more weight on his chest. Soul grins at his reflection in the dressing room while the rest of the groomsmen work on getting dressed themselves.
It had been a little awkward changing in front of a group of men for the first time, but no one stared or mentioned his scars. After the initial blushing on his part, it just felt… normal.
A hand clasps his shoulder, and Blake’s face appears in the mirror next to Soul’s. “Big day! You ready?”
“I’m supposed to be asking you that,” Soul responds. “I told Tsu there’s no running off somewhere, you’re getting up there one way or another.”
“There’s no running out on Tsubaki,” Blake says, voice suddenly very serious. “That’s not the kind of man I am.”
The two men look at each other then burst out laughing. Soul leans against the wall next to the mirror as their laughter dies down. “Seriously, congrats. You guys deserve each other.”
“Thanks, bro. So are you doing it today? You know me and Tsubaki won’t care, it’s about time anyway.”
Soul’s hand reaches into his pocket, fingers brushing the velvet of the tiny box there. “I dunno. I guess if the mood is right, then maybe?”
“What’s more romantic to chicks than a wedding? Anytime tonight would be the right mood.”
“Yeah maybe…”
A knock sounds at the dressing room’s door, and Soul goes to check on it. Opening the door a crack, he spots Maka and struggles to keep his mouth from dropping open. There she stands with hair pinned up, dotted with little twist-in rhinestones, and in a dusty blue bridesmaid gown with a slit up the front of her right leg. “Hey, I’ve been waiting for you, come with me,” she says urgently.
He raises an eyebrow at her but slips through the door to her side anyway. “Maid of Honor business?”
“No, just come with me, I need you right now.” Maka grabs hold of his tie and leads him down the hall of the event center until they reach a door that is presumably their destination. She opens the door to reveal a closet, full of cleaning supplies and a mop bucket. “Get in.”
Before he can object, Soul is shoved unceremoniously into the closet and the lights go out as Maka closes the door on the two of them. He’s blinded temporarily as Maka pulls the light cord dangling behind his head. “What’s all this about?”
“You forgot something before we left,” she says from behind him. “It’ll only take a minute, drop your pants.”
“Maka, we are in a closet in a public space, I am not doing this here-”
“I said ‘drop your pants’, Soul!”
He sighs but closes his eyes and does as he’s told. Maka moves her hands around him, moving down to -
“Ow!” he exclaims, trying not to jump at the pinch in his thigh. Looking down, he watches Maka remove the needle from his leg before feeling her pat his butt twice.
“Good work. I know you hate doing it yourself, but you forgot your injection before you left. Gotta do it.”
“I know, I know,” he says, pulling his pants back up. “But here? People are gonna think we’re getting handsy in the closet.”
She tip toes up to kiss him on the cheek. “Oh well. You better get back to Best Man duties now, go on!” Smiling, she holds the door open for him and leans into the door frame to let him out.
“See you at the alter?”
“Wouldn’t miss it.”
…
Soul leans back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest, as he watches Blake and Tsubaki slow dance together. Or at least attempt to slow dance as Blake keeps trying to pick up their tempo, and Tsubaki laughs each time. He smiles and glances over to Maka who sits perfectly upright in her chair, also smiling as she watches their friends.
Weddings were never really his thing. He’d agreed to play for a couple of family members’ weddings when he was younger, but they never felt… well, magical. Not like Blake and Tsubaki’s. Maybe he’s getting soft. Or maybe he wants to believe they are magical, who’s to say?
The wedding couple’s song finishes and the dance floor opens to the guests. Soul feels a tapping on his shoulder, and suddenly there’s Maka holding her hand out to him. “Wanna dance?”
“Don’t think I can get away with saying ‘no’,” he replies with a smirk. He takes her hand and gets up from his seat to be led out onto the dance floor.
It’s not exactly a slow song, but nevertheless his hands are on her waist and hers are on his chest. He can’t help but smile at her. Maybe he should do it tonight. Maybe the timing and the atmosphere and everything is right. Blake wouldn’t lie and say that Tsubaki would be fine with it, right? He doesn’t feel like pissing off a bride on her wedding day.
“You okay?”
Soul focuses back to Maka whose head is tilted curiously to the side. “Never better.”
“You’ve been kind of distant today, not all here. You’re sure everything is okay?” Her eyebrows furrow in concern.
Maybe he’s been a bit more distracted thinking about it than he had thought. Placing one of his hands over hers on his chest, Soul does his best to breathe normally while his heart thumps wildly. Can’t let her know what he has been planning for some time. Well unless now is the right moment.
“Come with me,” he finally says.
“Okay?” She gives him a confused look but lets him lead her away from the party by the hand.
Blake and Tsubaki catch Soul’s attention before they leave the ballroom, both giving a thumbs up to him before he and Maka are out of sight.
He leads her to a darkly lit hallway fairly far from the reception, Maka shooting him concerned looks the further away they get. “I just wanted some privacy,” he explains to her, letting go of her hand.
“A little overwhelming?” she asks.
“No? No, just… wanted to talk to you without being interrupted. You’re very popular.”
Maka laughs. “Hardly.”
“You are! And stubborn.” Soul takes her hand again and kisses a knuckle. “And thoughtful. And kind.” A kiss for each list item. “Maka, I want to love you for a very long time. I love everything about you, faults and all. I want… well I want you to answer a question for me.”
Maka watches him, mouth slightly ajar, as he kneels to the ground on one knee, her hand still in his.
He pulls the velvet box from his pocket and opens it, revealing a simple band with a small stone set in it. “I know it’s kinda cheap, but I hope you’ll still wear it. I hope you’ll say yes when I ask you… will you marry me?”
It seems to take her a moment to take in the question, the ring, the kneeling, before she’s a flurry and crashing into him as she wraps her arms around him, knocking them both over on the ground. She rights herself, sitting upright on the floor now, and pulls him to sit up too, laughing and blushing. “Yes, yes of course I will!” she exclaims, nodding vigorously and bringing a hand up to cup his face.
He’s never smiled this big in his life. It’s been a hard four years of college and life, but to be living the life he has now is so worth it.