Warnings : Het, main character x original character, slight cursing, roundabout endgame spoilers, and this whole thing is possibly a strange idea in the first place.

Also, I took the fact that Western-style weddings are pretty popular in Japan as an excuse not to research Shinto-style weddings (solely because I wanted a wedding dress as I know them, although Shiki would've probably loved switching outfit several times).

Disclaimer : Still don't own it, it still owns my soul.

Shiki Misaki's wedding day is not the best day of her life, but that's because nothing beats resurrection. It is still pretty amazing.

For one, she looks as close to perfect as she's ever wanted to. She knows it is partly because Eri spent an hour doing her hair and make-up, but she also knows it is mostly because of her dress. Eri designed it for her, but under Shiki's general directions and Shiki was the one who sewed it, herself, and she is damn well pleased with her own work. It is a thing of beauty that looks right out of a fairytale, and it is actually possible and comfortable to wear and it suits her.

For second, she tripped on her way down the aisle. Not on purpose of course but that is the perfect anecdote, the perfect detail to the day : Shiki Misaki tripped on her way down the aisle and her soon-to-be husband caught her hand and grinned at her, wide and fondly amused. They shared their vows (the bride's voice was steady but maybe a bit too loud and shrill, and the groom's caught in his throat and his eyes were slightly moist as she smiled at him) and slipped their rings on eachother's fingers (hers is a little too small and tight but she can have it fixed tomorrow) ; and afterwards when Shiki went to get a bonecrushing and heartfelt hug from Eri, her best friend laughed through tears of emotion and mussed her hair (just a little, and she fixed it right afterwards, of course) and said you silly dear, you.

Shiki Misaki looked wonderful on her wedding day, in the dress she sewed for herself, and she tripped on her way down the aisle and her husband smiled and looked as if he couldn't believe his luck and that is all she wants people to remember about this day.

She has just sworn to spend the rest of her life with this man and it still makes her heart skip a beat every time she thinks about it because she loves, loves him.

o

Shiki kisses her husband - husband, oh god - and sends him off to get slapped on the back by his friends, drags Eri by the arm to introduce her to a small group of attractive young male guests of hers (because a few days ago Eri said I know you're thinking about how future couples always meet at weddings. I just know it and I'll never forgive you if you try to set me up.) and cheerfully waves her goodbye before skipping away, holding up a fistful of the fabric of her skirt so as not to trip on it again - too much of a good thing.

She sighs, tired with the exhaustion brought by an overload of happiness, then shakes her head (lightly, so as not to mess up her hair again) and beams at the waiter offering her champagne. She accepts a flute and weaves through the crowd in her fairytale wedding dress, distributing grins and hugs left and right, fiddling with the small golden ring on her finger.

A boy is standing alone by the buffet, a plastic cup in hand and his eyes focused on her. She meets his gaze and grins even wider before hurriedly slipping through the crowd to get to him.

He smiles when she finally stops in front of him and holds up his cup to clink it against her champagne glass. The sound is cristalline, otherwordly eerie.

"You look very pretty," he says, simply.

She swallows.

"And you look as unfussed as ever, but since you're wearing my favorite shirt I may forgive you one day."

He laughs. What he's wearing is a white button-down, very simple, no-nonsense dress shirt. It dates back from the first line of clothing Shiki and Eri started selling as their own brand, and it is one of the simplest items of the whole brand because it is the only one Shiki designed. She made only one, the one he's wearing right now, and never tried to design anything else ever since ; never will again. It's Eri's job and she has accepted that long ago.

So the shirt is quite simple, but it's still classy and it looks pretty good on him, even though he has the gall to wear it with a pair of baggy slacks and sneakers on her wedding day. She once had to beat fashion sense into him, she recalls ; now he plays with trends and has a knack to make any piece of rag look appropriate, to make it work in his own personal I-don't-give-a-damn way.

"Now, your hair," she sighs. "I'm not sure I can forgive you for that."

"Sorry, didn't have any time this morning," he apologizes smoothly, perfectly relaxed and casual, fiery locks sticking in his eyes and everywhere. "You know how it is. Besides, didn't you say you liked it better when I stayed natural ?"

"I said I liked it when you made efforts, you sneaky little rat !" she laughs and swats at his head playfully.

He yelps and ducks (makes a show of letting her fingers almost brush his hair so it's not too glaringly obvious just how easy it is for him to avoid the blow), then grins and waves it off. "You're the one supposed to look good today," he reminds her. "And you do. Everything's in order, stop whining and remind me why I'm here."

"You're here to see me and congratulate me on my happiness !" she huffs, crossing her arms and sulking.

"Oh yeah." He smiles again, very softly. "Congratulations, Shiki. Wish you the best."

Something in her chest seems to swell and somehow she almost feels like bursting into tears.

She closes her eyes and breathes in.

Opens her eyes.

And smiles.

"Thank you, Neku."

o

"He looks terribly normal," Neku comments later, sipping at his orange juice and watching her husband while she dabs at her eyes discreetly with a gold embroidered napkin.

"Doesn't he ?" she chirps, beaming. "He is. So wonderfully normal."

He glances at her, not saying anything because he's gulping down his juice but raising an eyebrow eloquently.

"I need normalcy," she explains quietly, smiling. "I need someone to ground me, to remind me of the difference between day-to-day life and, well."

She's fidgeting with the lace of one of the layers of her skirt, she is acutely conscious of it, but she can't help it.

"He doesn't get it, of course." She laughs a little.

"Can't fathom what an amazing girl like you sees in a guy like him ?" He smirks slightly, but with no ill meaning.

"Woman, Neku. But thanks for the compliment."

"You're welcome, Mrs No-Longer-Misaki."

"Hm. Well yes, of course. He can't understand why I love this so much, why I don't want something exciting, less..."

"Boring ?" he offers. She makes a face and he just shrugs half-apologetically.

"Well, that's what others say, yeah," she sighs. "I think of it as comforting and relaxing, though."

"To each their own," he reminds her calmly. She smiles and nods. "I suppose I get what you mean. Kind of."

Her smile is a little strained, but not so much. The words slip out of her mouth before she even thinks them.

"I still miss you," she says.

He glances at her for just a second, then looks away to ask a waiter to refill his glass. He says nothing.

"I love my life," she whispers when the waiter's gone. "I love my normal life and normal job and normal friends and my normal husband, I really love him, but I still think about... that week, sometimes. I can't believe I'm saying this, but - we did have some good times, didn't we ?"

He stays silent for a long time still, but she simply waits until he eventually swallows a gulp of juice and speaks up. "Yeah," he finally sighs. "Yeah, we did. Sometimes I miss playing it, too." A corner of his lips perks up in a hint of a smirk. "Can't say I miss my partners though."

"Oh, you jerk," she giggles, giving him a playful punch in the shoulder. He doesn't even bother ducking this time ; they both know she couldn't hurt him if she tried.

"Couldn't help it, sorry. Bad influence. My boss is an ass."

Right on cue, his cellphone rings and he groans before picking up, not even looking at the screen and rolling his eyes already.

"I told you I was taking today off, you asshole." He gives Shiki a look of excuse, and she shrugs. "Sorry my boss sucks, Shiki," he says without taking the phone away. She can hear a calm voice answer something, although she can't make out the words, and Neku sighs. "I'd say 'screw you'," he retorts conversationally, "except you'd get back at me again."

Shiki can hear the warm chuckle and something that sounds like my, you're learning, Neku ! ; Neku makes a face and looks at her.

"Going to take long ?" she murmurs.

He winces and nods. "I hate my job," he says out loud. "Wait, no, actually the job's fine - my boss, on the other hand..."

She shakes her head, grinning, and flicks her hand at him, flightily, before waltzing away. He waves back with yet another apologetic cringe, phone still stuck to his ear, and she turns away.

o

She lasts a few more minutes in the crowded room before she needs to get out, into the mostly empty hallway, to get some fresh air. Eri finds her there and grabs her bared shoulder.

"Who was that kid ?" she asks, eyes twinkling with curiosity. "Nephew ?"

Shiki smiles down at her glass of champagne. "Friend."

"You have a sixteen year-old friend."

"Fifteen."

"Riiight."

Eri watches her suspiciously, screwing up her face and squinting at her - she looks absolutely side-splittingly ugly when she does that ; Shiki's told her so a few times before and thinks that's why Eri still does it. The charming bride ignores her friend in favor of nibbling on a salmon mousse toast, though, so Eri sighs and gives up.

"More importantly !" she exclaims, her whole face lighting up with excitement. "Where did you find this hilarious Daisukenojo guy and why have you never mentioned him to me ?!"

Shiki almost chokes on her toast. That was not a match she expected to make.