Chapter Text
Chaol and Celaena were supposed to wed today but they called it off after they got into a huge fight the previous night.
Chaol left for Anielle the same day but Celaena stayed with the rest of the guests and went straight to the feast. “Just because the wedding is off, doesn’t mean the rest should go to waste, right?” she told Dorian.
“So, why exactly did you fight?” he asked.
“We already had enough problems. But a few days ago my ex showed up and uh… We didn’t do anything; I would never do that to Chaol. I loved him. I still do but… I realized my feelings for Sam are still there. I don’t think I ever got over him.”
Dorian didn’t know what to say to that. Chaol was his best friend and he should hate Celaena for hurting him like that, but she was also his friend. They were all friends back in high school, inseparable. Until Chaol and Celaena started dating and well… Dorian felt a little left out.
“I think we rushed into the whole wedding thing. I’m not even 22, yet.”
“Yeah, I understand.”
He had to ask her something though. He was the best man after all and paid for the entire thing.
“Hey, what are you gonna do about the honeymoon? Are you still going?”
“Well, I am leaving but not for Suria,” she said sheepishly. “Sam kinda promised me to take me to Wendlyn… We’re leaving tonight.”
“Oh, for fucks sake, Celaena-” he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“I know, I know! I’m a horrible person,” she cried.
“Do you have any idea how much it cost me? I even had to borrow money from my father who is gonna kill me when he learns it went to waste!” he said in frustration.
“Wait- you’re upset about the honeymoon but not over the fact that I’m leaving with another man on my wedding day?”
“I’m not even gonna comment on that matter ‘cause you won’t like my answer,” he glared at her.
“Fair enough.”
~~~
The evening passed surprisingly pleasant, everyone danced, laughed and ate. Then Celaena took the mic. Dorian’s heart stopped for a second because he was worried what idiocity would come out of her mouth but she didn’t look drunk or anything.
“So, since you all know that the groom isn’t gonna come back, there’s still the matter of the honeymoon.”
Everyone stopped what they were doing and listened to her carefully. Of course they did.
“There are two tickets. I would give it to my cousin and his girlfriend but since my maid of honor,” she glared at Lysandra “got stomach sick by eating too much cake, you’ll put your names into that box and the two names that I’ll blindly pick, get to go to my honeymoon!”
Everyone cheered and clapped and then went to write their names, fold the paper and dropped it into the box. Dorian could have sworn he saw Aedion putting his name twice. His girlfriend was sick and he still wanted to win. That insufferable bastard.
Celaena shook the box a few times and then picked the first piece.
“Ah. Congratulations, Dorian. Seems like your money won’t go to waste after all.”
Some of them murmured. Obviously. Most of them didn’t want to go to a honeymoon with him, not that he could blame them. Except some of the ladies that were smiling at him. He wouldn’t mind a woman to accompany him. As long as she was single.
It was Aedion who shouted, “What!? That’s not fair! He definitely cheated!”
“At least I’m not the one who put my name twice!” Dorian shouted back.
Lysandra glared at him, “I did not-” and they started bickering silently.
“And the next one is…”
She took the next piece of paper and unfolded it.
“Huh. Well, that’s interesting,” she murmured with a smile that started crossing her face.
“The next one is Manon Blackbeak.”
No-
She could have picked anyone but her.
It wasn’t that Dorian hated her. No, he could never hate that insanely beautiful creature. It was that he had a very bad crush on her back in high school. And well… he made it seem obvious.
Everyone whirled to stare at the white haired beauty that stood in the wall at the end of the room.
She just shook her head and said, “I don’t want it.”
Dorian didn’t know if he should be hurt or sigh in relief.
“Well, too bad. I picked you,” Celaena said.
“I didn’t put my name in there.”
“The paper says otherwise,” she insisted.
“I did,” her cousin Asterin replied.
Manon glared at her.
“What? Seems like you need a little vacation, cuzz.”
Manon said something only Asterin could hear but it seemed like I’m going to kill you.
“Oh, come on. I’m sure you’ll have fun. Especially with princeling over there,” she winked at him.
Dorian wanted to disappear especially when Manon turned her head to glare at him.
Dorian’s eyes got wide and he quickly turned his glance to Celaena who was grinning like an idiot. She knew his history with Manon. He wouldn’t be surprised if she planned this whole thing, too.
~~~
After a few moments of Asterin and Manon fighting, she sighed and agreed to go.
He would go on vacation. With Manon.
With Manon.
Dorian suddenly forgot how to breathe.
They would be two weeks together, in the same place.
He had to pull his shit together and look normal.
Dorian always had his way with the ladies. Men, too.
Half of his classmates had a crush on him back in high school and dated some of them.
But he always had trouble communicating with Manon.
Whenever he tried to talk to her, she just stared into his eyes and he suddenly forgot how to speak properly.
She definitely thought he was a weirdo, so she pretended he didn’t exist.
Dorian tried again and again, but he always did something stupid and ending up embarrassing himself.
So he made himself invisible every time she appeared.
He didn’t notice her tonight, though.
He took a better look now that they were waiting in line at the airport.
Manon was always beautiful.
She is the most beautiful girl he’s ever seen.
And hot.
But now Manon wasn’t just a girl anymore.
She was a woman.
He didn’t know how it was possible but she was even more gorgeous grown up.
And hotter.
She had beautiful tall legs but was slightly shorter than him. She had immaculate white hair that now was braided. And her eyes-
Her eyes.
She had magnificent hazel eyes that sometimes appeared gold. If Dorian could stare at them all day, he would.
She tensed a little, probably because she felt he was staring at her.
They didn’t talk the whole night until they got into the plane and Dorian decided to break the ice between them.
“Suria, huh? It must be beautiful this time of the year. Near the sea and all,” he nervously smiled at her.
Manon just stared at him with a cocked eyebrow.
“Look, I know things were a little… awkward between us in high school but we’re both grown people now,” he continued “so how about we just go and enjoy it?”
She didn’t say anything. He expected her to punch him or something but she just put her sleeping mask and headphones on.
They didn’t say anything else for the rest of the flight.
~~~
He must have dozed off too because when the pilot announced their arrival he woke up and realized Manon’s head was on his shoulder and he was resting his on top of hers.
He gently shook her to wake and she was up quickly.
Dorian found it adorable. She looks so calm yet she’s so tensed.
They called for a cab to take them to the hotel.
Suria was beautiful. The roads made you a little dizzy but everything else were stunning.
The cab inside was as dark as it was outside and Dorian took the opportunity to take a picture of the moon that was shining on top of the sea.
The only problem was that he forgot to turn off the flashlight and the cab’s darkness suddenly disappeared. He cursed himself and quickly turned it off. The driver was too focused on the roads to care but Manon was just shaking her head while she was staring outside her own window. Dorian put the phone back to his pocket and didn’t dare to move unti they reached the hotel's destination.