Chapter Text
The clinking of hangers and the shuffle of clothes were her only companion as Solana rifled through her parents’ massive walk-in closet.
She wasn’t snooping.
This time.
No, she actually had a reason to be here. A jacket missing from her own closet that her mother had mentioned might be in theirs. She was in here with their full knowledge. Focused. Searching for the thing that belonged to her. Moving aside her mother’s jackets, dresses and uniforms.
Sighing, she stepped over to the opposite side, her father’s. She began looking through the line of tailored suits, leather jackets, sweatshirts, and all the other things her father apparently called clothes.
It was there that she found it, in the back, hidden by everything else.
An unassuming garment bag.
She assumed it must be one of her father’s many, many suits. But it made no sense why it was at the back, rather than set with his other suits.
Was it something important to her father?
She couldn’t help herself. She needed to take a peek.
Solana slowly pulled the zipper down a little to expose only a bit of the garment within. She didn’t know what she was expecting, but she wasn’t expecting to find this.
A dress. A white gown, lace patterns, ivory and pearl detailing. Elegant, timeless, classy.
Her mother’s wedding dress.
Solana stood there, fingers just barely brushing over the preserved fabric. In her mind, she attempted to imagine it, her mother wearing it, walking down the aisle to her father waiting at the end.
Just then, her mother poked her head in. “Find what you were looking for, sweetie?”
Solana turned around. “Nope, but I found this!” Her voice was gleeful.
Her mother stepped in, curious as to what her nosy daughter had found now. However, her steps stalled when she saw the dress in her daughter’s hand. “Is that…”
“Mom! Did you really wear this when you married Dad?” Solana interrogated, voice trembling with excitement.
Her mother’s eyes remained on the dress, a fond smile pulling at her lips. “Yes, Solana. I did.”
Solana bounced on her heels at this point. “This is incredible!” she chirped. “I’m gonna go tell Dad!”
Before she could say anything, her daughter had already disappeared, leaving her mother behind in the closet, holding the white dress.
She turned back to it, noting how well it had been preserved, like it was a sacred relic. Unable to help herself, she pulled it out of the bag, letting it flow to the floor in all its glory.
She moved to the mirror, holding the dress up against her body as the memories began to flood in.
“Yeah, Tara, everything’s going fine over here. I’m really sorry you couldn’t be here. Skye…its…he’s shy. We wanted to have a very small ceremony, only family. Xavier’s here representing the Hunters, so you don’t have to worry! I’ll see you at the reception!”
Caleb hesitated outside the door, hand hovering over the handle. He had spent the last handful of months since the wedding was announced in his own feelings, wondering whether he should attend, whether he’d even be allowed to. Was he strong enough for this? Would it just be better for him to put distance between them? He had even considered taking an assignment elsewhere, so she wouldn’t have to see him again.
Maybe, the best thing for both of them was for them to never meet again.
He’d done his part. Grew up with her. Protected her. Came back from the dead for her. Loved her.
But she ended up marrying someone else.
Someone who Caleb hated to admit, was the best for her. Who would protect her, the way he couldn’t. Someone she was genuinely happy with.
He wasn’t an idiot. He knew his time was up. So maybe it was time for him to just leave, so she could enjoy this new chapter of her life without him interfering.
And yet, he couldn’t.
Because he couldn’t just walk away.
So here he was, in a tailored suit, about to go in and meet the bride right before the ceremony began.
Taking a deep breath, he raised his hand to knock. When he heard her call from within that the door was open, he stepped in, and froze.
“Wow.”
She looked up from where she sat, eyes widening when she saw him. “Caleb…” She got to her feet as her voice began choking up.
“Hey, hey, don’t cry,” he said softly, closing the distance between them. His palms came up to cradle her face, thumbs brushing just under her wet eyes. “Wouldn’t want to ruin your makeup this early. We still have the rest of the night.”
She let out a small, wet laugh. “I…I’m really glad you’re here, Caleb. I wasn’t sure you’d come.”
“I didn’t plan to,” Caleb admitted in a low voice. “But…it didn’t feel right to leave things like they were.”
She nodded. “I wanted to call you,” she said. “It didn’t feel right to have this day without you.”
Caleb gave a soft smile as her eyes fell to his collar. “You’re not in uniform,” she murmured, placing a hand on his heart.
His hand moved to cover hers. “I’m not here as the Fleet’s Colonel. Just Caleb. Your Caleb.” His amethyst eyes gazed at her once more, in her dress. “God, you’re beautiful,” he breathed. “You’re truly all grown up now.”
His heart swelled with a multitude of emotions. Pride, happiness, as well as heartbreak. Because this dress wasn’t for him.
“Caleb? Are you okay?” she asked.
He shook himself out of his thoughts, turning back to her big, questioning eyes looking up at him. “Yeah,” he said, voice thick. “I’m just processing the fact that you’re really going to marry Sylus.”
She sighed. “Please don’t start again,” she pleaded. “I know you two aren’t exactly amiable with each other, but he respects you. Supports your reforming the Fleet. Heck, didn’t you say he gave you back your life?”
Caleb gave a dark chuckle as his thumb swiped over her cheek. He could feel the heat of her skin under his fingers, truly feel it. His mind ran with multiple emotions, but there was no other presence lurking in the back of his mind, assessing his emotions, judging them as useful or not, talking about suppressing his emotions or rewriting his memories. He could feel, breathe, live. All returned to him by Sylus.
“Yeah,” he said. “He gave me back my life. But he took away my reason to live.”
Her breath hitched at that. “Caleb…”
He shook his head. “No,” he said. “It’s fine. I understand.” His smile was soft, mournful. “He loves you in a way I never can. I’m your past, but he’s your future.”
She swallowed at that. “It…doesn’t have to be that way.”
Caleb raised an eyebrow.
“Walk me down the aisle.”
He almost choked on air. “Wh…”
She stepped forward, determination rising in her gaze as she became ever convinced of her absolutely hare-brained idea. “Please, Caleb. I have no one else.” She held his gaze. “And I don’t just want us to go our separate ways. Not when we only have each other in this world.”
Caleb let out a dark chuckle. “You really asked the bastard who confessed his love for you to walk you down the aisle?” It was more a statement than a question, a tinge of self-loathing, his hatred at how pathetic he was.
She shook her head, grabbing his hand. “I asked my only family,” she clarified. “You’ve always been there for me, ever since we were kids. I want you to be by my side now, as I start this new chapter of my life.”
He looked at her. Despite her determination, there was worry in her gaze.
He knew exactly what she was asking him, and also doing. Drawing a clear boundary between them. Closing a chapter of their lives forever. And yet, inviting him into her new one.
And she was worried he’d refuse.
He let out a shaky breath. “Sure, pip-squeak.”
Her eyes widened. “You…you’d really do that?”
Caleb nodded. “I already made my choice when I decided to come,” he said. “And…” He held out his hand for her. “I’d rather be in your life as family, than never see you again. I already tried, and it tore me apart.”
She placed her hand in his, his fingers tightening around her smaller palm. “If family is the role I must be to stay in your life, then so be it.”
Her eyes welled with tears once more, and she quickly blinked them away. Caleb offered her his arm, and she held onto his elbow as they began to walk towards the doors to the chapel.
“Stay frosty,” he said. “This is your big day.”
Her throat was tight, heart beating loud enough that she swore he could hear it. Unconsciously, she gripped his arm ever so slightly.
“Still,” Caleb leaned down slightly to whisper to her, “if he doesn’t stop breathing when he sees you, I’ll kill him myself.”
She couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity, feeling it dispel the tension wound around her heart as she approached the giant doors. Tension and anxiety eventually made way for anticipation.
The doors to the decorated chapel opened. The few heads within turned, rising as the bride appeared, clutching onto Caleb’s arm.
Zayne, standing at the top of the platform, raised a curious eyebrow upon seeing her on Caleb’s arm. He shot them a look of “we’ll talk about this later.”
Somehow, they had gotten Zayne to agree to officiate. It had come as a surprise to them that Zayne was legally authorized to do ceremonies, but apparently he was. And he agreed, in return for her giving him free use of her loyalty card to the dessert store round the corner from Akso Hospital, since he had long maxed his own out.
At the bottom of the stairs, Sylus awaited them. At first, he had turned to stare at the décor, at the stained-glass windows, the pipe organ on the raised platform, the venue transformed into a paradise just for them. Datura blooming along the walls, mingling with other flowers, their sweet scent providing a truly heady experience to this occasion.
But when the doors opened and he turned? He didn’t even notice that she was on Caleb’s arm.
No, his gaze was on her.
For a moment, it looked like he had lost the ability to breathe.
It took less than a minute to cross the chapel to him, but for her, it felt like years. Years that couldn’t go by fast enough, so she could be in his arms again.
They finally reached him, and Caleb placed her hand in Sylus’s. He leaned forward, his voice low.
“Protect her.”
Sylus nodded. “You know I will.”
And with a bittersweet smile, Caleb stepped back, heading to his seat.
As for Sylus, his fingers squeezed hers quickly, before he began to lead her up the stairs to where Zayne awaited them.
Along the way, he leaned down to her slightly. “This was your idea, wasn’t it?” he asked.
She grinned. “I wanted to surprise you.”
He gave a fond shake of his head. “When you asked to take over planning for the ceremony, I’ll admit I was curious as to what you’d come up with.” He cast a look around the place, a reimagining of their past, yet holding their future within.
“So you like it?” she asked.
He gave a chuckle. “I love it.”
She beamed. It had taken weeks of planning, of convincing him to let her take over the ceremony itself, of pulling details from her memories and trying to recreate it down to the last piece of painted glass. To know it had all been worth it, just to see that look of gratitude and wonder in his eyes, made her heart skip a beat.
By that point, they had reached the top of the platform, their forms silhouetted by the light flowing in through the stained glass. They faced each other, hand in hand, hearts aligned.
Zayne took this as his sign to start.
“It’s been a long road, for all of us gathered here,” he said, looking between the two of them. “We’ve experienced the end of the world, and come out stronger. And nothing is more a testament to that strength, than the weight of this union.”
He turned to Sylus. “You’ve prepared your own vows?”
Sylus nodded. For the first time since she’d met him, the look in his eyes was vulnerable, nervous, yet undeniably happy. Gone was the ruthless crime lord, leaving behind a simple man.
“When I first came to this world, all I could do was survive,” he said. “I never really lived, until I met you.” His crimson eyes softened, his gaze unflinching from her.
“You did the unthinkable. You gave a monster the chance to be human. And I’ll spend the rest of my existence being thankful that I met you.”
He took a deep breath. “I once said I wanted more memories of us, until they outnumbered the memories without. Now? I want to cherish every second we spend, our past, our present, our future, until doomsday itself arrives.”
He lifted her hand to press his lips against her knuckles. “Every moment in the now, every second yet to come, I’ll spend them all grateful that I get to love you.”
She let out a shaky breath. All the hours of preparing the words to say to him dissipated like they were nothing. And honestly, she wasn’t sure she could even talk anymore.
“Even the end of the world couldn’t end our story,” she replied to him. “There is one truth I know; I choose you, Sylus. Every day, for the rest of my days, I will wake up and choose you again and again. Because that’s how I get to love you.”
She didn’t even recognize the tears that had begun to run down her cheeks, for even they didn’t dare blur her vision.
“I’ll choose you, every day, every second, until time itself comes to an end.”
The look on his face was one she had never seen before, a mix of utter love, gratitude, and just emotion.
“Marriage is an important step in a relationship,” Zayne said, looking at them both. “It means waking up every day, and choosing to spend it with your person. It means being each other’s partners, not just spouses. It’s in the mundane moments as much as in the exciting ones.”
He held out the ring box, watching them as they removed them from their velvet resting place. “Do you take each other to be your partner not just in love, but in life?”
Sylus held up her hand, sliding the ring onto her finger. “I do.”
She, in turn, slid the ring onto his. “I do.”
Zayne nodded. “You may kiss.”
When Sylus’s lips found hers, the rest of the world fell away. It was just them, and this promise now etched into their hearts, their forever.
A few hours later, they stood in a large garden, fielding well wishes and congratulations from friends and acquaintances who only knew Sylus as Skye.
She certainly did not enjoy telling Zayne this.
“So, all your colleagues believe you’re marrying a fruit vendor…” he trailed off.
“Yes!” she exclaimed. “So please don’t tell them anything!”
Zayne pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head in disbelief. “You owe me.”
Meanwhile, Rafayel was somewhere, grumbling, “I can’t believe someone actually asked me whose side I’m from. Clearly I’m from the bride’s side!”
Xavier had found the snack station and was helping himself to a generous quantity of food.
After what felt like hours of being hugged by Tara and congratulated by all of her colleagues, her friends from college and school, other acquaintances, her legs felt ready to give up. She was about to sink into a chair when Sylus stepped forward, holding his hand out to her.
“You’re not off the hook yet, kitten,” he chuckled lightly.
Before she could ask what he was talking about, light music began to fill the venue. He took her hand and led her towards the clearing set aside for dancing.
It took her a few moments, but she realized she recognized this song. “Sylus! Is this…?”
“The song that played that night at the auction?” he supplied, a smug smile pulling at his lips. “Our first dance?”
She blinked, then threw her head back and laughed.
He leaned in. “You’re not the only one who had a surprise planned.”
She recalled the memory of that fateful night. When he had promised her the Aether Core’s location, but only after a dance. What had he said to her back then? “Refuse me all you want.”
She had been so hesitant to take his hand back then. And here she was now, taking his hand like it always belonged there.
They swayed in tune to the music, eyes locked on each other, their feet taking the same steps as a year prior. Only now, they were actually married, a new chapter in their lives. For that moment, the past and the present collided, preserved in the memory of this dance they shared.
Just as the second song started, Sylus stopped. He tilted his head towards Caleb, leaning against a table and watching the happy couple dance. “Go on,” he told her.
She reached up to place a grateful kiss on his cheek before going up to Caleb.
Her childhood friend placed his glass of champagne aside. “You okay, pip-squeak?” he asked.
She nodded. “Never better.” She cleared her throat. “Will you dance with me?”
He raised an eyebrow. “You sure?”
She hummed. “You walked me down the aisle. So now I get to demand a dance from you.”
He laughed lightly, holding out his hand. She took it, pulling him along onto the dance floor.
They danced in silence, yet their gaze spoke volumes. It was pride, happiness, yet also sadness at the final closing of a door.
She was almost immediately dragged away by Rafayel the second the song ended, demanding his turn. He spun her in wild circles, making her laugh.
“I’m really happy for you, you know?” he told her, voice serious. “After all you’ve been through, you deserve it.”
“I wouldn’t have done it without you.”
He sighed softly. “I’m glad I get to be a part of your story.”
The song came to an end, and the clearing of a throat behind him made Rafayel turn. Xavier stood there, adjusting his tie.
“If you’re done?”
Rafayel pouted, but stepped away, grumbling about how he was entitled to at least two more dances with the bride (for what reason no one was sure.) Xavier held out his hand to her.
“Might I request a dance with the bride?”
She obliged. They spun in gentle circles, until the song came to an end.
She stepped in front of Zayne, who had been standing by, watching her silently. Holding out her hand, she asked, “Well, aren’t you going to ask me to dance?”
He gave a fond shake of his head, taking her hand and repeating the question, even if the answer was obvious.
“I’m proud of you, you know?” he told her as they danced.
She took a breath. “You are?”
He nodded. “You’ve been through a lot. And after everything, I’m glad you found someone to share your life with.”
She glanced down for a moment. “Thank you, Zayne,” she said, sincerely. “For always being there.”
He smiled softly, then spun her, to her surprise. Especially when he let go of her hand.
She understood why when her back met a solid force, a very familiar one.
“Finally,” she heard Sylus’s voice in her ear. “I was getting tired of seeing you dancing with other men.”
Her throat clogged up again.
Zayne, her oldest friend, the one who literally cared for her heart, had sent her into the arms of the man she chose to make a life with.
She turned to face Sylus.
“You’re mine for the rest of the evening, my beloved,” he said. His arm snuck around her waist to pull her closer to him. “Any objections?”
“And for the rest of your life,” she added.
He chuckled. “Yes, from now on, until forever.”
“Until time itself comes to an end.”
As the memories finally lifted, she took a wistful look at the dress once more.
“Still as radiant as the day I first saw you in it.”
She turned around.
Sylus leaned against the open door, arms crossed, a fond smile on his face. He had barely aged since then, the only difference a handful of extra wrinkles around his eyes that she had to go looking for. He was dressed in his casual grey sweatshirt, glasses resting on his nose. His eyes twinkled with love and memory.
“Sol told me you were here,” he offered, pushing off from the wall and walking up behind her.
“I can’t believe you kept this,” she said. In the mirror, she saw the image of herself holding the dress up, with her husband behind her. His arms came to wrap around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder.
“I told you, didn’t I? I wanted more memories of us.” He gave a light chuckle. “Did you really think I was going to let you return this dress? Of course I bought it.”
She shook her head lightly. “You’re impossible.”
“And yet, you married me.”
“I did.” She turned her head slightly to catch his gaze. “I still can’t believe it’s been nearly fifteen years.”
Almost fifteen years ago, she stood in a cathedral, an echo from another life where they had been torn apart, and had pledged her life and days to him.
“Time certainly flies,” he murmured. “Yet, I can still remember it like it was yesterday.”
He took the dress from her. “And, I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing you in this dress again.”
She laughed. “Are you suggesting we renew our vows?”
“Is there a need to renew something that would never expire?” he raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know about you, but I’ve kept up my vows.” He pressed a soft kiss to the side of her neck. “I wake up every day utterly thankful that you’ve given me the chance to have a family.”
She shivered lightly.
“Although, I don’t think another ceremony would be such a bad idea.” She squealed as he lifted her, clutching onto his shoulders. “Solana can be the flower girl.”
She laughed. “She’d decide on special effects and probably burn the place down.”
“We’d get to have the most memorable event in that case.”
She shook her head, laughing.
This was her life. The man she chose. And she never regretted a second of it.
“You said you wanted to preserve our memories,” she said as he set her down. “Is the dress all you kept?”
He held out a hand. “Why don’t I show you?”