Rachel's there, of course; she's never been one to let others fight her battles, and this war with her father is one that stretches back far longer than either will probably ever admit. Although Caleb, clearly, isn't one to care about bringing up old wounds.
"--making a foolish mistake and you know it. You think you won't lose it completely if he dies? Oh, you're wrong. You're so, so wrong. Standing there thinking you're such a perfect Diamond but you can't even ignore the fact that you feel just as deeply as I did. As your mother did-- and you know what's gonna happen--?" There's the briefest halt in his tirade, not only because Santeri's comes to grip his shoulder, but also because he's stopping to take another swig from his flask. He'll finish his sentence to his daughter before responding to the words of her future husband, "--You're gonna end up like me, kiddo. Washed up and alone and wondering how you could ever've been so blind to how stupid you are."
And then he'll turn an absolutely shit-eating grin to Santeri, completely ignoring the other man's calm words, "You're making a mistake, too. She's a waste of time, has been for ages. Probably still in love with that Eicheln boy she let get away all those years ago--" to Rachel, "--That was stupid, too, hon. Got to settle for what wants you." Back to Santeri, and he's actually reaching to clap a hand on his shoulder, though the flask gets in the way of it being properly done, "You deserve better, milord Ace."
His placid expression swiftly shifts into cool fury as Caleb speaks, and doesn't change again even when the man turns to him. He merely removes the flask from Caleb's hand, quickly opening it and up-ending it over Caleb's head. "I don't deserve her, no, because she's much better a woman than I'll ever be a man. But I do deserve the ability to dictate the guest list at my own wedding, and you, sir, are not on it."
If Caleb doesn't resist, he's just going to be dragged out now.
The dunking of the contents of the flask stuns Caleb just long enough for him to be able to get dragged out without protest and too much resistance. The people meant to keep watch at the doorway demurely promise to do better about watching who comes in.
It takes just long enough for Rachel to mostly have pulled herself out of the hurt shock and back into her typical Diamond cool by the time Santeri returns.
Well, the wedding's already off-kilter. Best cut the losses and make certain things are right. He's seen the pain in her eyes; the mask won't do anything now. Still, it's not for others' eyes. He tugs her gently into the nearest room, pulling her into his arms once the door is closed behind them. "Rachel? He's gone now. You needn't worry."
"I'm not worried," she responds automatically, although the tonelessness in her voice indicates that other emotions are likely at play. For a moment she just presses her face into his chest, relearns how to breathe.
"...I'm sorry you had to deal with that."
It'd been so long. She'd almost, almost hoped he'd changed.
He hooks his chin over her head, stroking her hair lightly. The ceremony can wait. The guests can wait. He wants this wedding as perfect as they can make it, even with the intrusion of unwanted persons.
"You don't have to be sorry. It's dealt with, and now it's over. It's over, and you needn't care about him in any way."
He's right. She knows he is. That doesn't mean she hasn't stopped caring nonetheless.
"He's not all wrong," she murmurs after a moment, only barely audible.
She is going to lose it completely, if he dies. She does love as deeply as her mother did, as her father did (and she is so, so afraid she will become exactly like him if ever the circumstances repeat themselves.)
Santeri does deserve better, at least in her and her father's shared opinion.
His fingers tighten a little on her shoulder as he presses a kiss to the top of her head. "Nonsense. All that foolishness he shouted- you shouldn't bother about that anymore. Put it out of your mind."
He tips her head up and presses a kiss to the corner of her mouth. "We're going to be happy. You'll see."
His heart lifts just a little with that kiss. Will be far too high to see when they're both at the altar. For now, that buoyancy he's feeling will have to be enough.
"Rakastan sinua, Rachel." He needs to say it in his native language. Needs to feel the shape of the syllables in his mouth, needs her to hear it that way.
She doesn't understand much of what he murmurs in Finnish when they're alone together, but those two words are ones she knows intimately. It has her kissing him again as if she's trying to steal the taste of them from his mouth.
She's properly smiling again when they part. "Let's go get married."
He knew the words long before they were ever a pair, but it remains something amazing to speak them to her, to have her hear them from his mouth and not anyone else's.
And no one will be happier than the two of them when they're allowed to kiss again. He'll even dip her in doing it.
"--making a foolish mistake and you know it. You think you won't lose it completely if he dies? Oh, you're wrong. You're so, so wrong. Standing there thinking you're such a perfect Diamond but you can't even ignore the fact that you feel just as deeply as I did. As your mother did-- and you know what's gonna happen--?" There's the briefest halt in his tirade, not only because Santeri's comes to grip his shoulder, but also because he's stopping to take another swig from his flask. He'll finish his sentence to his daughter before responding to the words of her future husband, "--You're gonna end up like me, kiddo. Washed up and alone and wondering how you could ever've been so blind to how stupid you are."
And then he'll turn an absolutely shit-eating grin to Santeri, completely ignoring the other man's calm words, "You're making a mistake, too. She's a waste of time, has been for ages. Probably still in love with that Eicheln boy she let get away all those years ago--" to Rachel, "--That was stupid, too, hon. Got to settle for what wants you." Back to Santeri, and he's actually reaching to clap a hand on his shoulder, though the flask gets in the way of it being properly done, "You deserve better, milord Ace."
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If Caleb doesn't resist, he's just going to be dragged out now.
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It takes just long enough for Rachel to mostly have pulled herself out of the hurt shock and back into her typical Diamond cool by the time Santeri returns.
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"...I'm sorry you had to deal with that."
It'd been so long. She'd almost, almost hoped he'd changed.
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"You don't have to be sorry. It's dealt with, and now it's over. It's over, and you needn't care about him in any way."
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"He's not all wrong," she murmurs after a moment, only barely audible.
She is going to lose it completely, if he dies. She does love as deeply as her mother did, as her father did (and she is so, so afraid she will become exactly like him if ever the circumstances repeat themselves.)
Santeri does deserve better, at least in her and her father's shared opinion.
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He tips her head up and presses a kiss to the corner of her mouth. "We're going to be happy. You'll see."
It's as much to comfort him as to comfort her.
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"...I love you."
And that's something she believes in far more than she believes her father's words.
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"Rakastan sinua, Rachel." He needs to say it in his native language. Needs to feel the shape of the syllables in his mouth, needs her to hear it that way.
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She's properly smiling again when they part. "Let's go get married."
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What the hell, one more breaking of tradition won't hurt.
And they both have to make it down the aisle somehow.
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But, likely, not as entirely happy as Rachel is once they exchange their vows.
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And no one will be happier than the two of them when they're allowed to kiss again. He'll even dip her in doing it.
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