Work Text:
"Do you (y/n) take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?"
You quickly glance over at the man, the stranger, beside you who wore a stretched out tux that seemed to be a little too small for him. He wasn't completely unattractive; that wasn't the problem. What made your heart nervously beat was that this was your first meeting with him, a man twice your age, and already getting married. This was entirely arranged by your parents. He was fairly well off with a considerable fortune, something your parents highly desired. You however cared little about the materialistic things they sought after. You couldn't blame them for wanting riches so badly. Living in poverty wasn't something that one wanted to remain in for the rest of their lives.
You kept that thought as you opened your mouth, hoping it would bring you some conviction. "I. . ." To say you were freaking out was an understatement. Beyond panicking now you have a death grip on your elegant bouquet of fresh white flowers that dizzied our head more so with their pungent fragrance. You couldn't do this. Everyone turned in their seats to watch you bolt right from the chapel.
*
How shameful. That's what they would think of you. You couldn't go back and show your face.
After tripping several times in your escape you decided to kick off your heels hastily. Leaving them behind like your life. You'd never done much running before in your life. Your muscles ached and begged you to stop, lungs and throat burning as you tried to swallow in as much air as possible. Woods filled with tall, dead looking trees welcomed you in with their sickly looking branches. Picking up a handful of the skirt of your dress, you pick up speed. Veil behind you catch wind and floating on the current you provided. There was no destination you had in mind. You just wanted to run as long as your body allowed you to.
And that wasn't for long.
You collapsed moments later, in the depths of the woods against an ancient looking tree with a gnarled trunk. The bodice of your wedding gown constricted your heaving ribs. Not the best attire to be running in.
What a mess you've made (y/n).
"I. . . I just could't say it. . ." Lifting up your left hand you stare wearily at the gold band on your ring finger that would've bound you to that man for the rest of your life. Tears filled your eyes at the thought of your parents never speaking to you again. You had told them you could do this. That you wanted to in order to pull them out of their debt.
After all they've done for me. . . I couldn't do this for them. I brought up their hopes only to throw it back in their face.
You took the ring off and hold it between your fingers. I couldn't say. . . "I do." Dejected you place the band on the ground beside you. Hopeless over your situation you lay back against the coarse bark of the trunk and close your eyes. Everything was still there and you hoped time would perpetually stop for you right there. Jarring your eyes open was the tremor thrumming against your hands that were splayed on the dirt crusted ground of the earth. Escalating to a violent shaking you fling yourself away and watch with horror filled fascination at the ground breaking apart. Your abandoned wedding ring that was situated on a multi branched twig twitched. Widened eyes staring as those small branches literally came to life, curling exactly like fingers. They clawed at the soil, pulling whatever was connected out along. You shriek when a head bursts from the crevice the tremors had created. Stumbling around on your bottom you don't dare to tear your gaze away. Common sense was telling you to get your ass up and start running. Morbid fascination forbids you and steals any movement from you. Face still hidden from view, broad shoulders make their way out as the body is now crawling forward. Without anymore effort, it stands to reveal a tattered tuxedo. Beautiful bluenette haired head lifts to reveal bluebell pigmented skin. Large dark gray eyes instantly meet your (e/c) ones. You've lost all control of your breathing. There's a large piece of skin missing on his jaw that shows a few of his teeth. Ribs visible on the right side where his suit was torn. A skeletal hand, the one that bore a gold wedding ring- your's- peeked out of his left sleeve. Strange colored skin and the sight of his wounds that didn't seem to bleed made something click in your head.
This- This is a corpse. . .
Then it smiles at you and starts advancing where you're still sprawled out. You try to get up but catch the hem of your dress underneath your foot and stumble once again. Something holds onto your arm, preventing you from falling. An oxygen deprived hand is tightly gripped around your wrist. The blue flesh on it is unbelievably cold and waxen. Unable to even speak a word all you can do is open your mouth.
"My bride." He coos. "I do."
"Wh-What?!"
As he leans in to kiss you your vision blackens and your head grows warm.
*
Distorted voices greet you when you finally come to. The fog that had rendered you unconscious was slowly lifting to reveal warped faces looking down at you with concern.
"Poor thing fainted."
"Must've been overcome with excitement!"
Vision clearing you sit up abruptly at the sight of skeletal faces peering at you, trying to get away the man from before smiles in relief. "She's okay!" He turns to the others behind him. Looking back at you he helps you up. "You had me worried there."
"Wh-What's going on?" with a quivering tone your (e/c) frantically dart around the room that appeared to be a bar. There were so many questions that were tumbling out of your mouth uncontrollably. The azure toned male in front of you chuckles, finding you simply adorable.
"You don't remember? We're married!" There's a cheer throughout the room.
You can practically feel your skin become clammy. "I. . . I don't understand. . ."
Putting an arm around your waist he escorts you to a seat and beckons someone to bring you a drink. "You were in the forest and said 'I do' then put the ring on my finger." A tender smile graces his unconventionally handsome features. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for you."
"But-But. . ." You didn't want to state the obvious problem, but your mouth seemed to have no filter in your panic. "You're dead. Aren't you? I don't understand! Does this mean I'm dead too?!"
His face falls yet he's still patient with trying to explain things to you. "No you're not dead, but-"
The other dead residents around you seem to close in. You wanted to scream. Could've if you weren't hyperventilating.
"Please calm down. I can explain!" Desperate for you to listen he gently holds your hands, making you involuntarily shudder. "Er- I should start with an introduction. Yeah! My name is Emil! And yes I am dead- Please don't be scared! It's okay. What's your name?"
Emil had seen the immediate terror in your eyes. Tears filling them up to the brim where they threatened to spill over. Thinking it over now he probably shouldn't have brought you somewhere where there were a whole bunch of corpses, all in various states of decomposition. A quieter place would've been best for you to better adjust. He takes the handkerchief from his chest pocket and gingerly hands it to you. Warily you retrieve it with a trembling hand.
No. He didn't appear to want to hurt you. Neither did any of the others. After forcing yourself to calm down you tell him your name, making him smile again.
"(y/n)." Emil repeats with a dreamy sigh. "I'm sorry I scared you. The faults on me. I should've known better. But I was just so excited. I wanted everyone to meet my wife!"
"Wife. . . I'm your wife. . ."
He grins. "Yes!"
Finally you bring your gaze up to meet his wide, excited eyes. Even dead Emil was extraordinarily handsome and disturbingly young. Too young to be dead. "What happened to you?"
Clearing his throat Emil suggests the two of you take a walk.
He told you his story as you strolled along side him under the perpetually dark violet sky above. How he met a girl and instantly fell in love only for her to betray him in the worst way possible. She fooled him into eloping with her and bringing as much money as he could for them to start their new lives together. Only when he got to the woods, where they agreed to meet, he immediately saw how foolish he had been. His foolishness cost him his life.
"It was too good to be true." He sighs. "But now. . . Now I have you."
Chewing on your bottom lip you don't know what to tell him. So you tell him your own story and how it brought you there in the same woods.
"Then we were meant to be." Emil grins and weaves his bony fingers with your's. This time you don't flinch.
"I'm still alive though. . ." You murmur and look up at what you could only call a sky. "You seem awfully nice, but I don't know how this would work." Going back didn't even come as a concern to you. You'd separated your ties to everyone in the land of the living. There was nothing left for you there. But you couldn't stay down there. You didn't belong. And Emil really did seem incredibly nice and kind, desperate for a companion- a wife.
Emil halted, concentrating on the ground. "I didn't think of that. . . There were a lot of things I didn't think of. I'm sorry (y/n)."
"Unless I was dead too. . ."
Head snapping back up he stares at you. "Y-You would do that? For me?" Gray irises full of hope made your heart flutter. It wouldn't be so bad being married to him. Much better than the other man you would've had to marry. This was guaranteed to last for an eternity.
"Of course." You finally smile at him.
Death, it appeared, wasn't really the end.