Chapter 21

They really love each other

"It's all gonna' be okay, you guys have made it this far, what are you even getting nervous about now?"

Everything, maybe?

Rationally speaking, he knew he shouldn't be feeling so fucking terrified, but the irrational part of his brain was having none of that "rationality" nonsense. Because why be calm and reasonable when you can have a fucking panic attack over every little thing, right? Like, for starters, how stuffy this kimono was. What if he tripped and made a fool of himself? Why didn't they get married in normal clothes?

Because Shin-chan looks perfect with a kimono, that's why.

Then there was the matter of Shin-chan's parents never replying to the invitation. Shizuku said she was coming, but she apparently didn't know about her family. For months now he'd been torturing himself over the stuff he'd said back then, fearing his rash, thoughtless words had damaged Shin-chan's relationship with his family beyond repair. The poor hair-stylist was doing his best to show support, but he was losing his temper with all his paranoia.

The more he started thinking about everything that could go wrong, the more he felt like fleeing. What if it rained and everything was ruined? What if the food was horrible, what if the flowers were inappropriate, what if their friends got bored, what if the honey moon turned out terrible, what if he forgot his vows and…?

Oh fuck. I'm a total bridezilla now.

He remembered how annoyed he'd been when he was helping Kanako plan her wedding, and he realized, to his horror, that he was starting to act just like her when she was at her worst. But what could he do about it? He would be getting married in a few hours and there were so many things that could go totally wrong, he couldn't think of anything else.

What if Shin-chan changed his mind last minute?

That thought alone made him forget about each and every one of his worries. He chuckled lightly, feeling ridiculous for losing his sanity like that. Even if it rained, even if he tripped on the kimono, if he forgot his vows or if the food sucked, the one thing he was certain of was that Shin-chan would be there holding his hand. That knowledge alone was all the reassurance he needed.

"Alright, I'm ready now."

They met outside the hotel. The chill of winter was gone, and only a soft spring breeze graced his skin. Shintarou looked breath-taking in his formal black kimono, not that Kazunari was surprised. The suit they'd picked in Tokyo for the wedding with Kanako was divine on him, but you could tell from his composure and expression, and how naturally he carried himself, that –like Kazunari had always known- this attire made him shine the most. It just dawned on him that all of this was real. He was marrying Shin-chan. They would spend the rest of their lives together. His heart raced and he felt impatient.

Shintarou held his breath when his eyes found Kazunari's figure. He could tell Kazunari felt a little bit uncomfortable in the kimono, but he looked indescribably handsome and mature wearing it, almost an otherworldly vision, and once again he was reminded of how lucky he was. A single cherry blossom petal fluttered around them and landed on Shintarou's open palm. Where had it come from? There weren't any sakura trees in the vicinity. He decided it must be a good omen for today and for the future they would share together. He offered his hand to his betrothed and their fingers laced naturally as they walked towards the car that would drive them to the temple.

Passersby stared at them, some took pictures, some pointed at them, others walked away hurriedly, whispered to their companions or looked away in disdain. It wasn't unexpected, this hotel was gaining notoriety for being the only one to offer same-sex wedding services. It would take a while for this country to change so that people like them were accepted into the community, but the fact that this existed and that it would allow them to join their futures and proclaim their love in public was already a pretty big step, and they both felt grateful for that.

The crowd gathered for the occasion was unsurprisingly small. Kazunari's parents and his sister were there and that was it for his family. His father had called his grandparents, but he said they hung up the phone once he explained the situation. They didn't even bother calling other uncles or cousins, they weren't really close anyway. Kazunari had only personally invited his cousin Yuuto, who was a couple of years younger than him, but they'd played together a lot when they were kids, and had gone to the same elementary school, so they were pretty close. For Shin-chan's family, only Shizuku was present. As far as friends, some of their former Shuutoku teammates had showed up –the true nature of their relationship had apparently been common knowledge in the club-. The Generation of Miracles with their respective partners had come too, including Akashi. Kazunari had never had a really good relationship with him, but after Shintarou explained how much he had helped, they'd started getting along a little better. Kanako had come too. After everything had cleared up, she'd insisted in helping to plan the wedding and, not surprisingly, she and Kazunari had become really good friends, much to Shintarou's dismay. Two of Kazunari's comrades from the streetball team came too, two more couldn't afford the trip to Kyoto and he had reason to believe the other three would not react kindly to hearing they had a gay teammate. None of their colleagues from work had been invited, it would have been too risky for both of their careers. This was one of the many setbacks they'd known they'd have to face, but the fact that they could have this small concurrence to share the happiness of their union made them feel quite blessed already.

They followed the monk inside the temple, with Kazunari's parents in tail. Their friends came in afterwards. The hall was spacious, with a tall ceiling and beautiful gold-foiled sliding doors connecting to the adjacent rooms. Some of them portrayed flying sparrows, while others had a painting of a wide tree, maybe a cypress. Kazunari wasn't very well-versed in art, but he was certain the paintings were at least a couple centuries old. Surely Shintarou and his family were a lot more appreciative of them than Kazunari ever could be. Over the altar there were three long scrolls with paintings of people Kazunari couldn't recognize. There was a small table covered by a red and gold cloth on the left corner, next to the altar, where the priest would perform the ceremony. The room smelled of incense, and the air itself seemed charged with a magical, sacred atmosphere. To know that they would get married, entwine their fates and proclaim their love in such a place, made Kazunari's skin tingle.

Before they could get to their assigned positions, Shizuku rushed inside and grabbed her brother by the arm.

"Father is here." She whispered quickly, making them both stare wide-eyed in disbelief. She giggled. "He says if a priest can approve of this, then he has no ground to oppose it, even if he doesn't agree with it. But the truth is he was really moved by Kazu-san's speech from a while ago. He's still mad at you, though, so don't push him."

Shintarou smiled, obviously happy to hear the news, and Kazunari smiled too. "Proud and stubborn, I wonder why that sounds so awfully familiar…" he mumbled teasingly and his beloved elbowed his ribs sharply just as Midorima Shingen and his wife entered the temple. He didn't look up to meet his son's eyes, but instead went straight to sit a little far apart from the altar, on the opposite side of the room from Kazunari's parents.

The head priest entered the room and greeted them with a bow, then turned towards the altar.

"We will now proceed with the wedding ceremony of Midorima Shintarou-san and Takao Kazunari-san." One of the priests announced while the head monk placed a stick of incense on the altar and began chanting a prayer. Kazunari's heart started thumping. This was happening. It was real.

They were both seated in the center of the room, facing the altar. They bowed their heads and joined their palms in prayer, as did everyone else present. When the chanting began, time seemed to freeze. The smell of incense, the ringing of the gongs and the voices of the monks echoing in the walls and filling space of the main hall made his brain go fuzzy. He looked at Shin-chan again, whose hands were trembling slightly and he realized his were too. The atmosphere was overwhelming, he could barely make out the words of the chants and the flow of time became strange and confusing. It moved slowly and extremely fast at the same time. His heart was thumping so loudly, it was a wonder that no one else could hear it. As he mused this, he realized he wasn't hearing just his own heartbeat. There was another one, just as loud and rapid. Shintarou's. For the third time he looked at his loved and their eyes met and he could hear his heartbeat, his breathing, the blood pumping through his veins and even his thoughts. And he knew Shintarou could hear him too. A spark ignited between their eyes. He'd often wondered what it would feel like to become a single entity with Shin-chan. This was it, and they both knew it. The world ceased to exist and in that moment they were one. Even if their bodies weren't touching, they still knew they had somehow merged into just one existence like they were always meant to be.

When the prayers were finished, the priest approached the altar and lit a candle, then instructed both of them to come closer too, which pulled them both out of their mystical trance. He asked them to hold a long wooden stick with fire on its tip, together, and to light two more candles. Kazunari's hands started shaking violently, but when he felt Shin-chan hold the lighter too, the shaking ceased and they were able to complete the task without knocking any candle over and setting the temple on fire (something that Kazunari had thought terrifyingly plausible).

Finally, they were instructed to move to stand in front of the priest, who was now behind the table next to the altar, holding a large book of scriptures. Kazunari wanted to hold Shin-chan's hand again, because he suddenly felt a little terrified by this, but that would've been improper, so he held back. He gazed at his love from the corner of his eye and caught the serene expression in his face, which somehow helped to calm his own nerves down.

The priest then invited them to recite their vows and exchange their rings. At last, their hands that had been itching to touch, found each other, lacing their fingers so tightly they felt they'd never let go. Shintarou held both of Takao's hands in his, stroking them lightly. Kazunari suddenly remembered how nervous he'd been about this particular part of the event, and how unimportant that nervousness felt now that their hands were bound like this.

"Kazunari, I am grateful to you. You, who has accepted me with all my weirdness, all my awkwardness, my stubbornness and my terrible pride. You, who has given me so many chances after making so many mistakes. You, who keeps loving me unconditionally in spite of everything. Maybe it seems like I've told you this a million times already. That I love you with all my heart, and that I will devote the rest of my life to make you happy. That you complete me, that my life would be empty without you. That I am lucky and blessed to have you, to be accepted and loved by you, to be able to join my fate with yours. Maybe you are already tired of hearing it. But I have wasted too much time making mistakes, missing you, and wishing I had been more honest about my feelings, that saying these things never feels unnecessary. I have nothing but words to show now, but from this moment I wish I can prove with my actions that I am worthy of everything you've given me. And that this intent of mine shall not falter in spite of the hardships, because I am certain that if we stand by each other, we can build our own future, our new happiness together."

Kazunari's eyes were burning. He was in deep shit now. He was supposed to say something –and he'd rehearsed it so many times too- but he couldn't even talk because he was crying so much. His vision was blurred by the tears, and he felt he couldn't even breathe. He felt weak in the knees, and the raw sincerity and determination in Shintarou's beautiful emerald eyes –also glazed with tears- wasn't helping at all. He squeezed his beloved's large calloused hands, which he adored so much (and he wasn't wearing any tape just for today and that small gesture was so special) and managed to bite back a sniffle to take a deep breath.

"You know… Shin-chan… Shintarou, I… always thought I was very skilled with words. But when I was thinking of what I wanted to say to you today, it was really difficult. No promises of love or eternal devotion seemed right. After thinking about it so much I realized that words would never be enough to explain everything we've gone through, to express my feelings for you, or how happy I am for this day and the beginning of our future together. That's what I thought, but after listening to you, I feel a little guilty for not trying a bit harder. So my promise is that from now on, I'll always try harder, no matter what. Because Shin-chan is my best friend, my partner, my Ace-sama, my favorite tsundere and the love of my life, and you deserve that I always try my best. For you, for us, and for our future. And I don't care if I'm worthy or you're worthy, because the fact that we love each other is all that matters to me. And because I know that's all we need to be happy together."

By the time he'd finished the tears had stopped flowing and a comfortable, joyful flush had blossomed in both of their cheeks. He could hear a couple of sniffles in the background, and he could almost swear he knew which of them was his mother's dramatic sobbing. Shintarou grabbed his hand and slid a white gold ring down his finger, right on top of the engagement knot he had given him a few months ago. Kazunari copied the motion, his fingers trembling a little as he watched in awe how beautifully Shintarou's pale skin matched the shine of the ring. He briefly contemplated that this was Shin-chan's precious left hand, and he stroked it with his fingers adoringly, loving the thought of seeing the mark of their bond on one of the fingers that had always been such a treasure to him.

Once they were done with that, the monk presented them with a small cup of sake. Shintarou drank first and Kazunari second, after the cup was refilled, taking three small sips each. The liquid burned his throat and made him a little bit dizzy.

The priest continued with his blessings before handing them a piece of paper and a pad of red ink. Shintarou grabbed it and lifted it so they both could see the text printed in thick black ink. It was a vow that they had to read out loud, together. Kazunari's voice wavered as they started reciting the words. Their voices together seemed to fill every bit of empty space in the hall, just like the sutra chanting earlier had. Kazunari felt tears welling in his eyes again, feeling dizzy from the incense, the sake, and overwhelmed with emotions. By the time they were done reading, he was out of breathe. Shintarou seemed to notice, and gently guided his hand to lay the paper back on the table. He then pressed his thumb to the pad of ink and then to the paper. When he watched Shintarou's fingerprint appear in bright red on the paper, Kazunari felt at ease. He followed suit, while the monk explained the terms of the contract. They stared quietly at their prints next to each other, red like blood in contrast to the black ink of the writing and the white paper. A promise of forever. They turned to look at each other, their eyes locked in a loving gaze that needed no words to convey what they were thinking, the oath they were taking.

Finally, the monk pronounced them wedded and they shared a chaste kiss while their friends and families clapped softly in the background. Kazunari's mother was now wailing loudly too.

Kazunari was surprised to know only thirty minutes had passed since they first walked inside the hall. It had felt like he'd spent all of his life in that tiny room filled with the smell of incense and the sound of ethereal voices. He was blinded by the light of the sun and the cheers and congratulations from their friends that greeted them as they came out, still holding hands tightly.

"Alright, alright you guys, stand right here so we can take a picture to remember this happy occasion, shall we?" Kise, who had recently found his true calling behind the camera rather than in front of it, instructed them, pointing at a spot under the pine trees. Still too bedazzled by everything that was happening, they both let themselves be shoved to the desired location. Kazunari looked up to find his husband looking back at him.

"Shin-chan… we just got married." It was really dawning on him now, and the whole thing was overwhelming.

"That we did." Shintarou replied, a faint blush now permanently stationed on his cheeks. Kise seemed to be telling them stuff, but they couldn't really hear what he was saying, completely captivated with one another.

All sorts of emotions bubbled up from both of their hearts: love, hope, happiness, excitement, and they smiled, never letting go of each other's hands. A gale of wind rose and carried a storm of cherry blossom petals with it, isolating them from the rest of the world, and they allowed the pull of gravity to bring them together in a kiss.

Kise had been trying to make them look at the camera, but he grew quiet when he saw the scene unfolding in front of his eyes. Everyone did. The newlyweds seemed to belong to a completely different world from the rest of them. The whirlwind of sakura petals that surrounded them gave the whole scene a surreal quality. Had anyone ever seen any of those two look so happy, so fulfilled? Could anyone possibly doubt they belonged together? The way they smiled, and how they looked at each other, and how they held hands, everything was breathtakingly beautiful. Kise didn't know when he'd started taking pictures, but he didn't even need to look at them to know they were the most magnificent he'd ever taken. He felt tears well up in his eyes.

"They… they really love each other, huh?" Someone said, but no one could really tell who.

"Yeah… yeah, they do." Someone else replied in equal stupor and then everyone's voices died for what seemed like an eternity, as the pair got lost in each other's eyes.

"Shintarou."

Midorima Shingen's voice cut through everyone's daze like a razor.

"Father."

There was a tense moment of silence. Kanako and Akashi glanced at each other. They had discussed the possibilities of a confrontation and had agreed on a battle plan if it was necessary, but the demeanor of the two Midorimas was of polite contempt, rather than aggression.

"Your mother and I shall return to Tokyo immediately." The father began with a stern face. "So I must give you this now." He handed over a large plain black lacquer wooden box. It had no wrapping or ribbons, just a small elegant detail of green tea leaves on the lid's corner. Shintarou took it, a little stunned, not knowing what to do with it. "I would not allow a son of mine to start a new life without the most basic supplies of our trade. It would be unbecoming, as a member of the Midorima family." He glanced briefly at Takao and scrunched his eyebrows judgmentally and huffed. "At the very least, I am proud that the good education we gave you is somehow reflected in the choices you make." He said with finality before turning his back on them.

Shintarou's mother smiled at them. She was wearing an extremely elegant kimono, probably the most luxurious one Kazunari had ever seen. It was black, with a large pattern at the hem that appeared like a beautiful painting of gold and white chrysanthemums, with dashes of green trees and a golden river in the background. The Midorima family crest was brocaded on both shoulders, the back and the sleeves. The wide obi was a light copper color with a brocade of white ornaments. "Please do forgive your father. It is a slow process." She explained calmly. "It was a lovely ceremony, Shintarou, I am very happy for you." She added, touching her son's cheek lightly with the palm of her hand. Then she turned for Kazunari. "I trust that I can leave my son in your hands, Kazunari-san. Please take proper care of him. It seems like you understand better than anyone how much he ought to be treasured."

Kazunari blushed. He heard Shintarou gasp next to him, and he could imagine his ears burning furious red. It was a cute mental image. "O-of course, Ma'am. You can definitely count on it." He replied finally.

She bowed and turned away to catch her husband, who was already waiting by the black car that had brought them here. He glanced at them one last time and nodded ever so slightly, and if Kazunari wasn't used to catching Shin-chan's subtlest expressions, he would have missed it.

The newlyweds stared at the car in astonished silence until it disappeared in the distance.

"Hey, Shin-chan? Did your father just give me his approval?"

"I think he did. At least I think it is the most acceptance we could have expected from him."

"Well, now I finally figured out where you got the tsundere from. I always thought your mom was too refined for such a thing."

Shin-chan smacked him across the head and he laughed.

"What did he give you, anyway?"

Midorima opened the box hesitantly, and a smile drew itself on his lips when he felt the distinct smell of home, and recognized the full Midorima branded chabako set.

"I think he gave us his blessing." He replied simply, feeling his heart warming up to the sight of his husband's smile.

The reception hall at the hotel was quite enormous, but it felt even moreso given the small concurrence. Shintarou was okay with that, he'd never liked big crowds. And he was more than happy to be able to share this day with his closest friends and family. He couldn't have asked for better. As he walked hand in hand with Kazunari towards the dance floor, their friends clapped and cheered. The continuous clicks of Kise's camera, followed by his squeals of delight were a little bit dizzying, but he was very much looking forward to seeing the photos too. Though he was sure that, even without them, memories of this day would remain vivid in his mind for as long as he lived.

"Everyone, please welcome Midorima Shintarou and Takao Kazunari." Shizuku and Kazuha announced solemnly, and everyone clapped and cheered louder.

Shintarou breathed deeply. He knew what was coming next, and he was awfully nervous about it. He never quite liked doing things he wasn't confident about in public, and dancing had to be somewhere close to the top of the list of things he wasn't confident about. Kazunari seemed to sense his insecurity and squeezed his hand gently. Shintarou smiled, feeling blessed to have him by his side.

Unexpectedly, instead of hearing the recorded track they'd picked for their first dance, the notes that rang across the hall came from real, live instruments. Shintarou looked to the opposite side of the room to find Akashi smiling at them his violin tucked under his chin. Behind him, Shizuku was playing the accompaniment on the piano. It was the same piece they had chosen, but when it was played by people they loved, it felt completely different. Kazunari tugged on his hand.

"Let's go, Shin-chan."

He nodded and faced Kazunari to place his hand softly on his waist. His feet started moving slowly, tentatively. Their clothes didn't allow for a large range of movement, which was fine with him because he could've never learned a more complicated choreography. Kazunari was leading though, and he made it all feel easier, even effortless. For a moment, Shintarou even forgot to make sure he wasn't stepping on his husband's feet.

The piece was a waltz, slightly upbeat and light. It was hopeful, sweet and bright, full of the dreams they shared for their future together and the love they shared. They spun around slowly, taking small steps, their bodies ever so close to each other, sharing mutual warmth. Kazunari was smiling, his eyes sparkling with wonder and his cheeks tinted a soft pink. He was so, so beautiful, and Shintarou felt like the time when he'd first fallen in love because everything felt so new and so perfect.

"I love you." He whispered when the music reached its climax, and it was all he could do not to stop the dance to kiss Kazunari and forget about everything else.

"I love you too." he whispered back, and in that moment, the music went quiet, and almost as if he'd planned it all in advance, Kazunari stopped dancing, stood on his tiptoes, never letting go of his hand, and pressed a soft, slow kiss on his lips. Shintarou pulled him in closer by the waist, melting into the moment. He could hear their friends clapping, and Kise was now sobbing too. It made him wonder how he wasn't crying right now, when he was so overwhelmed with emotions, but it didn't really matter.

"Oi! Save something for the wedding night!" Someone yelled (probably Aomine) and the other guests chuckled. Kazunari pulled back from the kiss, smiling as brightly as ever, and he giggled lightly.

"Can you really blame me, though?" He asked, turning towards the crowd. "I mean, look at him, he's gorgeous!" he made a gesture with his hand, signing at Shintarou from head to toe. "Actually, I don't mean to sound rude, but if y'all could clear out so that we can skip straight to the wedding night, that'd be pretty cool."

Everyone laughed, except for Shintarou whose face was burning. Gods, he loved that Kazunari could be so ridiculously inappropriate some times, but sometimes it just killed him.

"Sorry to burst your bubble, big bro, but it's all too early for the wedding night, and we already have all that food and alcohol, it would be tragic to let it go to waste." Kazuha interjected, nudging them towards their place in the main table. Shintarou turned to look at Akashi and nodded at him with a smile. He couldn't find anything else to say for the friend that had played the music for his first dance as a married man.

They finally reached their seats, facing the crowd. They'd ordered the centerpieces from Shintarou's original choice, the old lady that did the flowers for the shop. She had refused at first –she was close with his father and as offended as he was about their "lifestyle"- but once she'd actually gotten to meet Kazunari, she'd been completely charmed. Kazunari did have that effect on people after all. Shintarou had briefly worried that she was trying to steal his fiancé away. In the end, the flower arrangements with peach-colored roses, white gladiolus and tall lavenders that did match wonderfully with the mint green tablecloth. Kazunari had been a little too much into the preparations, and Shintarou had had problems keeping up with his talks of color palettes, fabrics, flavors and lighting.

Shintarou stood up and glanced once again at their friends and loved ones, and his heart swelled.

"I want to thank everyone for coming and sharing this most special occasion with us. It means a lot for Kazunari and for me to have such kind and supportive friends and we thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for being here with us, today and every day for however many years you have been part of our lives. I could not have ever asked for better friends."

The guests clapped softly. Kise was finally composing himself after sobbing for the last ten minutes. Kazunari's mother was not.

"Beautiful words, Shin-nii! And now we'll move on to the good wishes from our guests." Kazuha announced, passing a microphone to Kuroko, who picked it up, as if unsure of what to do with it, and then looked up to smile at them.

"I've known Midorima-kun for half of our lives now, and I can't say the experience has been completely pleasant." He began, his face blank. The crowd chuckled and Kazunari covered his mouth to muffle his laughter. Shintarou frowned. "I assume everyone is laughing because they agree." Kuroko added nonchalantly and everyone did laugh again. "It is true that I rarely see eye-to-eye with Midorima-kun. Partly because we have very different opinions on certain things, and are very stubborn about it, and partly because he is thirty centimeters taller than me." Shintarou wasn't sure of why Kuroko had suddenly decided to play comedian, but even he couldn't suppress a light chuckle. "But in spite of that, I have always thought of Midorima-kun as a friend. And as a friend, I respect him and wish him to be happy." He paused briefly to let the final chuckles die out. "It just so happens that Takao-kun is a precious friend of mine too –and much more pleasant than Midorima-kun, I must say." There was more laughter. Shintarou flicked Kazunari's forehead when he stopped trying to hide his giggles. "And because of that, I know for certain that these two are made for each other. They've proved that their bond is strong enough to tear down any barrier and survive even the most furious of storms. I will not wish you happiness, because I know it is not necessary, you have it already. Instead I want to congratulate you, for coming this far in spite of all the hardships you had to face, and for proving one more time that love does conquer all."

Everyone clapped and aww'ed. Shintarou heard Kazunari sniffling a little.

"Damn, I didn't see it coming." He whispered, rubbing a stray tear off the corner of his eye.

The next one to get the microphone was Kise. "You know, many years ago, before I discovered Takaocchi was the evil twin brother I never had," Kazunari laughed loudly and blew him a kiss. Kise winked when he caught it. "I was trying to find Midorimacchi for something, I don't even remember what it was. When I stumbled on Takaocchi I told him 'just the person I was looking for!" he began with a light, cheerful tone. "And when I told him I was looking for Midorimacchi, he asked me why I'd said that. 'Because wherever you are, Midorimacchi's sure to be closeby" is what I answered, and Takaocchi said that was totally not true." He made dramatic a pause. "Well, look at where we are right now!"

The crowd burst into laughter. Kazunari slammed his fist against the table, completely done with attempting to hide his roaring laughter. Shintarou quirked an eyebrow, he hadn't heard of this particular incident before, but Kazunari obviously remembered it. Maybe he'd ask him about it later.

"And by the way, Midorimacchi was indeed closeby too. They weren't even dating back then, and they were already joined by the hip!" Kise continued. There were some cheers and voices calling 'True! True!' and Shintarou wondered if their friends knew them too well. "And now here we are and they're joined by their hands forever and..." his voice started wavering. "And I'm so happy for you two…" he sobbed, fat tears rolling down his pale cheeks. "Damn, I's tryin' soooo hard not to cry… My suits gonna' get all messed up…" he hiccupped. Shintarou could see Kazunari smiling fondly and wiping more stray tears off his cheek.

"Alright, alright, let's all be glad you're wearing water-proof make-up or we'd have to pay to change the carpet of this place." Aomine interrupted, getting the microphone from Kise's hand and shoving a tissue to his face so he could wipe the tears away without messing his eyeliner.

"AOMINECCHI, RUDE!" Kise replied before blowing his nose loudly.

"Anyway, what Ryouta and I wanted to say is that we're really happy for you guys and now that I've seen the wine menu I can sincerely say I'm grateful that you invited us today."

Everyone laughed loudly. Kise squealed "Aominecchi, you're an embarrassment and I'm never going out with you again ever!"

In the commotion, Miyagi-senpai grabbed the microphone.

"I just wanna' say real quick that I'm glad you guys finally tied the knot. I always knew you would, and now lil' Yuuya owes me a lot of money!" he grinned, raising his cup, while his little brother came up behind him and smacked him across the head and stole the microphone from him.

"Midorima! That guy's the best Point Guard Shuutoku ever had. He's so good he was able to make a selfish insufferable so-called-genius cooperate with the rest of the team, so you better treat him kindly!"

Shintarou glanced sideways to find Kazunari at some middle point between laughing and blushing.

"Midochin, I'm just glad you married someone who can actually cook, otherwise you would've poisoned yourself eventually. I feel more relaxed knowing you won't die from eating your horrible food."

His gaze returned to where Murasakibara was standing, towering over all the other guests as expected. Shintarou glared briefly, then saw as the microphone was passed to Akashi, who cleared his throat before speaking to allow the remaining voices to quiet down.

"Shintarou has been my closest friend for the last fourteen years." He commenced solemnly. "Even if we didn't have many interests in common, he's always been one of the few people who could truly understand me, and who I could really trust. I would like to think that feeling is mutual." He made a short pause. "And because I do believe I know Shintarou better than most, I am confident when I say that he is never happier than when he is with Kazunari-san. I think all of us who have known him for a long time could tell. It was obvious since they first met that Kazunari-san was Shintarou's perfect complement. Seeing them today, celebrating their love after all these years confirms that. Shintarou, you said earlier that you were grateful with us for being here with the two of you today. However, I believe I speak for everyone when I say we are the grateful ones. Thank you for letting us share with you both the first day of many years of happiness that are surely ahead of you." Everyone clapped again. Shintarou felt his eyes started stinging, but he bit back the tears and instead turned to look at Kazunari.

"We're very lucky, aren't we?" Kazunari sighed with a large smile and eyes once again watery with tears. Shintarou could only nod in agreement.

"Okay, okay, no more speeches or everyone's faces will be red and swollen by the time we take the photos." Kazuha interrupted, taking the microphone back and away from the crowd. "I just want to say that whoever's patient enough to deal with my Big Bro is an idiot, but also that someone that can make him happy must be incredibly lucky. And I also know that Shin-nii has always been blessed by good luck, so please share it with my idiot brother from now on."

"Oi, Kazuha!" Takao's head snapped towards his sister, who was giggling lightly. Shintarou smiled, they were too much alike.

"I knew Kazu-san was the right one for my brother since that day when he appeared on our doorstep at seven in the morning, looking like he'd just run to Hokkaido and back, and he said 'Cancer's luck was at the bottom today and Shin-chan needs his lucky item'." Shizuku interrupted, and everyone laughed again. "I know better than anyone that Kazu-san has always been able to bring out the best side of my big brother and I could never imagine any other person that my dear brother should be sharing his life with."

"Awww" Kazunari sighed, squeezing Shintarou's fingers in his "This people just won't let me stop crying, will they?" he added, his eyes already a little teary.

"Let us toast, then" Akashi said, raising his cup of champaigne. "For Shintarou and Kazunari-san and all the years of happiness they shall have." Everyone raised their cups too and cheered "Kanpai!"

Shintarou clinked his cup against Kazunari's and took a short sip. He'd never been a big fan of alcohol, and didn't quite appreciate the bubbling sensation in his mouth, but it felt like such a meaningless thing to be bothered with. When he put the cup down, he found Kazunari's finger hooked under his chin to pull him forward for a short kiss, the faint taste of the liquor lingering in their mouths.

The food was served, and soon the celebration devolved into people betting how much Kagami would be able to shove down his throat. In the end everyone lost money, since Kagami didn't eat more than his individual serving, and Kuroko's scarce leftovers.

"What do you guys even think I am? I do know how to behave properly, I'm not a troglodyte." Kagami protested, when Aomine asked him whether he wanted to have a second serving or not for the millionth time.

Many laughed in disbelief, Kuroko included.

They sliced the cake next. Murasakibara had baked it himself. The bread was green tea, with white chocolate cream in the middle, and it had five levels. The frosting was plain white, and it was decorated with dark brown sakura tree branches that had delicate flowers blossoming at the tips, all made of chocolate. Shintarou grabbed a piece of the cake with a fork and fed it to Kazunari, who beamed.

"It's amazing! Thanks a lot, Murasakibara-kun, it's perfect! Look, Shin-chan, try it too!" he squealed with sparkling eyes, holding his own fork with a piece of cake that had one of the sakura petals on top, and offering it for Shintarou.

"It really is." He confirmed after taking the piece in his mouth. "Thank you, Murasakibara, it's delicious."

Mursakibara crossed his arms over his chest and frowned. "Well, Midochin was the only one to invite me to his wedding" he glared at Kuroko and Akashi. "so I did my best."

"I'll make sure to invite you too, Murasakibaracchi, this is awesome!" Kise squealed, his eyes sparkling with delight.

"Don't invite me just to get a free cake, Kisechin"

Kise giggled.

The dessert time soon devolved into people betting over whether Kagami or Murasakibara would eat more cake. Many lost money because they bet on Murasakibara, but he was no match for Kagami's apparently bottomless stomach.

"I thought you weren't a troglodyte." Aomine said with a deep scowl.

"Oi, this is different! Look at all that cake, there's too much for so few guests! It's better than letting it go to waste!"

"You're always so considerate, Kagami-kun." Kuroko mumbled, amused, as he counted the money he'd made. Kagami frowned and scooped some of the white chocolate cream with one finger to spread it on Kuroko's cheek, and then he licked it away. Kuroko blushed and hid his face behind his newly-earned money. "Kagami-kun is unfair."

"Did I ever tell you, Shin-chan? They're always this disgustingly cute." Kazunari said, pointing at them. "When I was living with them I thought I'd get cavities just from watching them, I almost couldn't take it!" he said dramatically, although he giggled at the end.

Shintarou smiled at him fondly. It wasn't often that they would talk so casually about those days. The therapy was working very well for Kazunari, but recovery was a very slow process after all, and the past months hadn't been without difficulties. He still had nightmares and panic attacks. Some days, he would wake up so paralyzed by fear he couldn't even get out of bed, and Shintarou had to call both of their work places so he could stay home with him. Some nights, Shintarou had to pull out the extra futon and sleep on it because Kazunari wasn't feeling good enough to share the bed. And sometimes, Kazunari would break into tears out of nowhere and start apologizing for making his life so difficult. Shintarou would hold him in his arms for hours, reassuring him that his life was never as insufferable as when Kazunari wasn't by his side and that all he ever wanted was to see him well. He knew they still had a harsh road ahead of them, but he also knew everything was worth it if it helped Kazunari's healing, and he was sure they could make it out of this storm together.

He noticed Kazunari had a little bit of cream smeared on the corner of his lips, and before he thought twice about it, he leaned forward to kiss it clean. When he pulled back, Kazunari stared at him, his cheeks bright red and his clear eyes wide with shock.

"Sh-Shin-chan, let me make this c-clear to you now, y-you're the tsundere character in this marriage, you can't be doing bold and manly r-r-romantic moves on me or the balance of the universe will be disrupted and we're all gonna die."

Shintarou allowed himself a small smile, but he was cut off before he could reply anything.

"Shin-nii, you have to throw the bouquet now, the bouquet!" Kazuha announced excited, and many in the crowd cheered.

Shintarou blinked slowly, confused. "But… we don't have a bouquet. Our ceremony didn't require one. We could use one of the centerpieces, but I think the effect is supposed to come from the flowers being held during the marriage, so these wouldn't have any special properties."

Kazunari rolled his eyes. "We'll throw this one and it'll have magic properties because I say so." He interrupted, grabbing the bouquet at their own table.

"But Midorima can't throw it because he'll just shoot it to whoever he wants!"

"Don't be ridiculous, these are flowers, not a basketball, it's not like Shin-chan's gonna shoot a three with them, and throwing backwards too!"

"I could do it if I tried."

Kazunari sighed, defeated.

"Right, I'll throw them."

Some of their friends laughed, while some others gathered together, waiting for him to throw the flowers. Shintarou watched with mild amusement as some of them struggled to get into a better position. Kise and Momoi in particular were apparently bickering to get the best spot. Everyone already knew Kise was very obsessed with getting married, but maybe Momoi's earnest in this "competition" would make his oblivious and overly-apologetic boyfriend realize some things. Shintarou just hoped he wouldn't have to tear his friends apart if they started really fighting over a flower bouquet.

"Alright, one… two… three!" Kazunari called, standing with his back to the crowd and throwing the flowers through the air. They flew far from where the people waiting for them were. Instead, to Shintarou's horror, they seemed to be heading straight to where Shizuku was seated, chatting with Kazuha and not realizing the danger she was in. He briefly forgot that the flowers had "no special properties" and almost yelled at his sister to move away from that place, but someone else flashed in front of her and snatched them away. Shintarou sighed in relief. His eyes followed the path the flowers had taken, and he found them secure in Aomine's hands. That was unexpected. Aomine hadn't been with Kise in the group that wanted to catch the bouquet, and he'd always seemed less enthusiastic about getting married, but now he'd launched himself from the opposite side of the room to catch a merely symbolic bouquet.

Aomine got up from the floor and stomped across the room with determination marking the angles of his face, up to where Kise was staring at him, his golden eyes wide with shock.

"D-daiki?"

Momoi screamed when Aomine went down on one knee in front of Kise. Kazunari, who finally turned around to see who had been the lucky winner, jumped and covered his mouth to muffle his own delighted screech.

"Damn it, I really wanted to have a ring for you today, but they had some problems at the shop and they won't get it done until next week, so I hope this is enough." He presented Kise with the disarranged flowers. "Ryouta, would you marry me? It'll take some time before I can save enough money for an actual wedding, but I've always intended to spend the rest of my life with you, and I want you to know that."

Kise's face was bright red and he seemed to be having trouble breathing. "D-d-daiki you c-can't p-p-p-propose in someone else's w-w-wedding, that's so rude! Today's Midorimacchi and Takaocchi's day, w-what am I gonna d-do with you?!" he whined, his voice thin.

"It's okay, we don't really mind!" Takao yelled, a wide grin on his face.

"A rose was Virgo's lucky item for today." Shintarou added nonchalantly.

"See? They say they don't mind. I just… I wanted us to be engaged, officially, just so you never doubt that I do plan on becoming your husband, however long it takes."

Kise was trembling from the top of his head to the tips of his toes. His hands were cupped over his mouth and he was crying once again. "S-s-stupid Aominecchi, y-you're just trying to make me cry again, I h-h-hate you."

"Well, you're an ugly crier, so this way I won't feel like you're too beautiful and that I don't deserve you."

"Aominecchi's the worst."

"But you're still gonna' marry me, aren't you?"

Kise nodded before collapsing into Aomine's arms, the flowers long-forgotten. Everyone cheered when they kissed.

"See? I told you those flowers did have magical properties." Kazunari said teasingly, clapping louder than anyone and snapping pictures of Kise and Aomine kissing and wrapped in each other's arms with his cellphone. Kise would probably be grateful for that. "Isn't this the best? Sharing our happiness with our friends and letting them share theirs with us?"

Shintarou smiled and his fingers found Kazunari's hand lace it with his. There hadn't been many moments today in which their hands weren't entwined into each other. It felt like a good omen for their future together.

"It is. It is the best."

"Okay, wow, that was unexpected, and really cute too! But now it's time to dance and really get this party going!" Kazuha announced.

"Yay!" Kazunari cheered, bouncing on his feet. "Shin-chan, we've got to dance lots, okay? I promise I won't force you to dance with me after tonight." He declared, pulling Shintarou towards the dance floor by the hand.

"I… I actually enjoy dancing with you, even though I am not proficient at it." Shintarou admitted, not putting up much resistance.

Kazunari froze. His lips curled upwards in a big, beautiful smile and his cheeks took on a lovely pink color. "Shin-chan, being so cute is not fair." He said merrily as the music started playing.

Once they reached the dance floor, though, someone tapped on Shintarou's shoulder.

"Shintarou-kun, can I borrow your husband for just this dance?" Kanako asked with a small smile on her lips. "Promise I'll get him back to you in perfect condition."

Shintarou quirked an eyebrow and turned back to look at Kazunari. "If he wants to." He replied simply.

Kazunari giggled. "My, my, Shin-chan, you should be more cautious. Don't you know that it's really dangerous to let the ex and the current get too friendly?" he asked teasingly as he let go of Shintarou's hand to offer the other one to Kanako.

"There is nothing that she could tell you about me that you don't know already. Especially in terms of incriminating or embarrassing matters."

"Oh?" Kanako chirped delighted. "I'll have you share all those stories then, Kazu-chan!" she said, hooking her arm around his and pulling him to where some of the others were already dancing.

Shintarou watched quietly as they started dancing. The song was upbeat and cheerful, some couples were even twirling each other around. Kazunari and Kanako seemed to be in perfect synch. He'd never known her to be a good dancer, but then again, there were many things he'd failed to learn about her. They looked like they were having fun, and he could see their lips moving even in between twirls, exchanging words and laughter. Kazunari couldn't move too much in his formal kimono, but he still looked very graceful in every step he took. He'd have to take some dance lessons so he could enjoy this activity with Kazunari in the future.

His eyes swept over the dance floor. Akashi was holding Furihata Kouki very close by the waist. Furihata looked very insecure and clumsy –he was probably as incapable in this as Shintarou was-, but Akashi was a good lead and Furihata obviously trusted him fully, so it looked as if they were moving effortlessly with the music.

Kise and Aomine were dancing in the center of the floor, and some couples had even stopped to watch them. That wasn't really surprising, Kise had always been a very talented dancer, but what did surprise Shintarou was that Aomine was perfectly able of keeping up with him. Kise's cheeks were still marked with tear-tracks, and his eyes were red and swollen after how much he had cried, but Shintarou had never seen him smiling so brightly. He'd taken one of the orange roses from the centerpiece-turned-bouquet and placed it over his ear. He honestly looked so happy one could've thought it was his wedding party.

Kuroko and Kagami were dancing too, but they were far less talented at it. Kagami in particular stepped on Kuroko's feet repeatedly, and then fretted about it, mortification evident on his face. Kuroko would just wave his free hand dismissively and peck his cheek, while he continued to sway clumsily trying not to crash into other dancers.

Kazuha and Shizuku were dancing playfully in a corner, and Shintarou had to smile. The girls had become really good friends after meeting during one of Shuutoku's games back before he and Kazunari even started dating. They'd stopped getting in touch after they broke up, and he remembered how saddened Shizuku had been about it. He was glad to see they'd rekindled their friendship so easily.

When the song ended, some of the pairs exited the floor. Shintarou saw Kanako and Kazunari walking towards him, their arms looped together.

"Here he is, safe and sound as promised." She said ceremoniously. "Seriously though, after all the things Kazu-chan told me, I'm really starting to regret letting you go so easily." She added with a giggle. Her cheeks were growing a little pink, and he suspected she'd had quite a bit to drink already. "I always knew you were a good catch, but never that good!"

"Sorry, he's already taken." Kazunari replied, circling his arms around Shintarou's body protectively.

"Yes, yes, I know, enjoy yourselves lovebirds, I think I wanna play a little with Sei-chan's boy, he's so easy to mess with." She claimed with a mischievous smirk. "Ah, but you have to dance with me later too, Shintarou-kun, you owe me that at least." She continued before getting lost in the crowd.

A new song started playing, cheerful like the previous one, but with a slower rhythm, and Kazunari clapped in excitement. "I love this song! C'mon Shin-chan, da—"

"Shin-nii, you've got to dance this one with me!" Shizuku announced, appearing out of nowhere.

"Eeeeh?" Kazunari protested. "Is it too much to ask to dance with my husband?!"

Shintarou's heart skipped a beat, hearing himself referred to like that. For moments, his mind couldn't really wrap itself around the idea that they were really married now.

"Oh, come on, Kazu-san, you're stuck with him for the rest of your life, let me borrow my brother for a little while!"

"Fiiiiine."

He let Shizuku pull him into the dance floor. A quick glance around showed they were close to where Murasakibara and his boyfriend, who Shintarou didn't know very well, were dancing closeby. Or more like barely moving while standing very close together. Also closeby was Yuuya-senpai, who apparently had invited Momoi for a dance, and she was showing that she was as talented as Kise in it, except that Yuuya-senpai couldn't really keep up with her skills.

"I'm gonna lead because you're a terrible dancer, okay?" Shizuku said, pulling him back from his thoughts and grabbing him by the wrist with one hand, and the shoulder with the other, to guide him. When she started moving, Shintarou's eyes shot straight to the floor, concerned about following her steps and not stomping on her feet by accident.

"I haven't had the time to say this, but thank you for playing the piano earlier. It was beautiful."

She looked up at him, her bushy eyebrows scrunched slightly. "I hate to admit it, but it was Kazuha-chan's idea. She said having live music would make it extra special, and she's just like Kazu-san, she's a shameless silver-tongue." She explained. "Not like me and Akashi-san needed much persuasion, but I wish I had come up with it first." She mumbled, her cheeks puffed out in frustration.

He smiled at her and said nothing. They danced in silence for a minute, Shintarou still being overly conscious of what he was doing with his feet. Eventually, Shizuku looked up at him, her eyes serious, and he knew whatever she was about to say was the real reason she'd wanted to dance with him.

"Shin-nii I just… I just want you to know how much it matters to me that you finally married Kazu-san." She said softly. "I wasn't making it up before, every time Kazu-san came home really early in the morning just to bring you your lucky item, I thought 'he must be the one'. And when you two broke up I… I thought I'd never see you find true happiness again. I'm so, so glad that I was wrong. I'm sure Mother feels the same way, I remember how happy she was when Kazu-san started coming to the house more often. I think she always knew how special you two are together. And I'm also sure that Father has started to see it too. That's why please, be very, very happy, Shin-nii, and don't worry about us, we'll always be family, even if it takes Father a little longer to realize it. It's all going to be alright, okay?"

Shintarou looked down at her and smiled. She looked truly beautiful today. He felt nostalgic seeing how much his little sister had grown. It seemed that it had been yesterday that Mother had first come home from the hospital and shown him that bundle of blankets that contained a tiny, tiny, screaming human being. He had been seven years old, and he still remembered how it felt to hold her tiny body in his arms, or how she'd always laugh when she saw him. They didn't always understand each other, and they'd said very hurtful things during many fights, but Shintarou had always known he could rely on her as she could on him.

"Thank you." He whispered, tucking a strand of her long green hair behind her ear. "You are the best little sister I could have ever asked for."

She grinned. "Of course I am!"

They didn't say much afterwards. They danced slower than most of the other couples, and Shintarou managed to only step on her feet once. When the song was over, Shizuku stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek.

"Come on, my new brother-in-law is totally dying to put those awful dancing techniques of yours to use." She said, pulling him back to Kazunari. "He's all yours, Kazu-san, remember we won't accept returns."

"Oho? Does that mean I get to keep him forever? Woe me, whatever shall I do."

Shintarou felt himself blush, but he didn't respond, and just frowned at Shizuku, who made a peace sign before disappearing into the crowd. A new piece started, much slower: a romantic ballad. It was one of the few songs he had chosen –Kazunari was much better versed in party-appropriate music-. He liked this piece. When he played it on the piano, it soothed him.

"Would you grant me this dance?" He muttered, finding Kazunari's hand as if on instinct. Kazunari's face turned bright red

"W-what did I just say about being bold and romantic, Shin-chan, what kind of marriage is this gonna' be if you don't even listen to me?" he whimpered, his eyebrows knit in a tight frown.

Shintarou rolled his eyes and sighed in defeat. "It's not like I really want to dance with you, I am just adapting to the social expectations for the situation." He intoned, unamused.

Kazunari blinked perplexed for a second, but then his expression lit up and he snorted. "Yeah, that's definitely more like it." He said, walking beside him to the dance floor. He let go of Shintarou's hand and circled his arms around his neck, pulling him closer and looking up to stare directly into his eyes. Shintarou's knees failed him for a second. Something about that look and that touch made it hard to even exist, let alone think or attempt to have any control over his body, so he just allowed his hands to find their way to Kazunari's waist, like they always seemed to do.

"This song is perfect to dance like this." Kazunari whispered, leaning his head against Shintarou's chest, leading them to take small steps and sway slowly. "Listening to Shin-chan's heartbeat always calms me down." He whispered softly. "You know? This morning I was very nervous. I was worried that something would go wrong today. I just kept filling my head with all the possible ways in which everything could go wrong." His voice was so soft, Shintarou could barely make out what he was saying. "But then I thought that, no matter what went wrong, Shin-chan would still love me. When I realized that, all of my concerns became meaningless."

Shintarou could feel it, even if he couldn't see it, the loving smile on Kazunari's lips, the way his clear eyes sparkled with hope, the way their hearts beat in unison. He stroked Kazunari's sides with his thumbs and felt him sigh against his chest.

"I am glad that you realized that." He mumbled, rubbing circles on the small of Kazunari's back. "That I love you no matter what. I quite hope that you are always aware of that fact." He felt Kazunari's breathe hitch, and his fingers, tangled in his emerald hair, trembled. "I don't… I can not remember how not loving you even felt like."

Kazunari laughed, soft, sweet and clear like the tingle of a wind chime made of glass. "That's the single cheesiest thing you've ever said to me." He pulled back slightly to look at him directly in the eye. "I can't believe you actually have a straight face after saying such an embarrassing thing." He chirped, his own cheeks dusted in pink. He then stood on his tiptoes until their noses were touching, his eyelashes tickling Shintarou's cheek when he blinked. "Then again, it's the same for me, so I guess I'm embarrassing too."

Shintarou felt his lips curl into a smile and he tilted his face so his lips could touch Kazunari's.

"I guess we have the rest of our lives to share the embarrassment." He whispered against Kazunari's mouth. Kazunari nodded brightly before sealing that vow with another kiss.

Shintarou shut the door to their suite behind them whilst Kazunari sighed and collapsed on the bed.

"Damn, getting married is exhausting!" he said, burying his face on the mattress.

"The clothes are rented, please don't get them wrinkled." Shintarou admonished simply, already undoing his obi.

Kazunari groaned in displeasure and pushed himself off the bed. "Help me get them off, then." He whined, just slightly aware of the tantalizing implication.

Shintarou swallowed hard as Kazunari virtually stopped supporting his own weight and instead leaned heavily on his husband's body to keep himself upright. He tried not to pay much mind to it as he helped undoing Kazunari's himo and obi, but he swallowed again when the clothes started loosening up and revealing just a little bit of skin. The fact that it was completely unintentional made it even more provocative.

"Hey, Shin-chan, do you reckon everyone is expecting us to fuck now?" Kazunari mumbled groggily. He was so exhausted.

Shintarou stiffened a little as he pushed the haori off Kazunari's shoulders and folded it carefully so it wouldn't get wrinkled. "I'm afraid I don't really understand what you mean." He replied simply, pressing a chaste, impulsive kiss on his husband's neck, which had just become available to him.

"Well, y'know… it's our wedding night. People are expected to, uh… consummate their marriage right? It's kind of funny if you think about it. Like, maybe your old man is imagining I'm defiling you or something. Or, dunno, maybe Kagami and Aomine are betting on who's on top or some shit like that." Kazunari tilted his head to the side, exposing his lightly tanned neck, inviting further kisses and Shintarou wasn't one to refuse such invitations.

"Can't say I find the thought particularly amusing. It's mildly unsettling, actually." To think that other people were thinking of them having sex made him awfully self-conscious to say the least. That was before even considering whether his father, or, god forgive, Kazunari's parents, where amongst those people. He latched his mouth to the spot on Kazunari's neck where his pulse ran and he sucked lightly, earning himself a soft whimper. He started fumbling with the hakama, and in no time it was bunched down at Kazunari's ankles. With no more clothes to deal with, his large hands settled complacently on Kazunari's hips while he continued his ministrations on his neck.

Kazunari shivered, and that pulled Shintarou out of his short trance.

"You should put on your pijamas. You'll catch a cold." He breathed, taking a step back and blushing when he noticed he'd left a very inconspicuous red mark on his husband's neck.

"That's where you're mistaken. I'm not putting on more clothes. You're taking yours off."

The implication didn't escape him this time, and he chewed on his lip. It was a tempting offer but…

"Taka-"

"Don't." Kazunari stopped him, his clear eyes steady with determination, pressing his fingertips to Shintarou's lips. "Don't say it. Don't even think about it. We just got married. Married. It's the happiest day in my fucking life, and I want it to keep being so. I'm done with being held back by the past. What are you even gonna' say? Am I sure? About what? I want you with all my soul, I've never been so sure about anything. Am I scared? I'm fucking terrified, but I want you and I love you even more. I can feel it, it's gotta be tonight. Trust me a little on this one, yes?" He smiled a small smile and kissed the corner of his lips. "That is, of course, if you want me too."

"I can't believe you really need to ask." Shintarou replied as he leaned forward and captured that offending mouth hungrily and he was overcome by the most primal of urges. He circled Kazunari's waist with his arms and pulled his naked chest flush against his clothed one. Kazunari kissed back, mirroring his hunger and moaned into the kiss, his hands wrestling with Shintarou's clothes that were so in the way now. The temperature started going too high, too fast and Shintarou got scared about how quickly he was losing grasp of himself. He pulled back to catch his breath, not letting go of Kazunari, who felt so small and fragile in his arms, and allowing his brain to cool down a little.

"Promise me—"

"I will."

He was still afraid of hurting him and he would've kept arguing the point, had he not looked into those mesmerizing clear eyes to find sincere confidence and a reassuring smile. He was brought back to his senses when the cool air of the room hit his naked flesh. His clothes had disappeared without him noticing, and an insistent mouth was teasing his nipple, demanding attention. He sucked his breath in, he just couldn't deal with this guy. He cupped Kazunari's cheek and nudged a little so he could meet his eyes again.

"I love you."

Kazunari smiled from ear to ear and stood on his tiptoes to peck his lips. "I love you too, Shin-chan."

They resumed the kiss and the temperature skyrocketed once again, but this time neither seemed to be too concerned about it. Still holding Kazunari by the waist, Shintarou took a few steps back until the back of his knees collided with the edge of the double bed. Panting, he broke the kiss, sat down on the edge of the mattress and spread his legs, pulling Kazunari by the waist to stand in between them so he could pepper hot open-mouthed kisses over his chest and belly whilst pushing his underwear down.

"Shin-chan's really eager." Kazunari said, trying to sound teasing, but instead coming off as pretty needy himself, and the fact that he was already half-hard wasn't helping.

"You were asking if I wanted you. I thought you might need a reminder."

"You're not taking your glasses off?" he asked his thumb and index pinching the bridge of the frame. Shintarou stopped him by the wrist before he could proceed.

"I can't see you without them." He replied, his tone hard and unyielding. Being able to watch Kazunari when they made love, observe how his face contorted with pleasure, how he smiled, how his eyes glazed over with need and how his cheeks took on that beautiful, burning red color, had always been one of his greatest pleasures, and he was too blind to be able to enjoy it without his glasses.

Kazunari chuckled and let go of the glasses. "I forgot Shin-chan was a pervert." He pushed his husband down to lie on the bed so he could sit on top and straddle his hips. He gave himself a moment to relish on Shintarou's fevered look, the flush on his cheeks, the desire that clouded his emerald eyes (and how he wished he could stare at them directly, without the lenses getting in his way, but he knew how important it was for Shin-chan to be able to see), how his toned chest rose and fell with his uneven breathing. He ran his hands slowly down his body, tracing his pectorals, pinching his nipples –and earning a very satisfying gasp as a response. Shin-chan's eyes followed the movement of his hands intently as he continued down his abs and stopped to twirl his fingers on the shy bush of dark pubic hair playfully. Kazunari found it particularly delightful to be able to pull a small groan out of his prideful beloved's throat, which he rewarded with a deep kiss. Their height differences made the position a little awkward, but not bad enough to not enjoy it.

The intensity of the kiss escalated rapidly and before they knew it, their bodies had started to rock in sync, creating much needed friction. Shintarou's hand found itself on Kazunari's scalp, digging his fingers through his raven locks and holding him as close as possible, whilst Kazunari continued to tease the pubic hair and its surrounding area. When he started to feel too short of breath, he pulled back and glanced at his love once again smiling even as he felt his neediness running out of control. He nuzzled Shin-chan's left hand, which was cupping his cheek, and pressed his lips to the palm playfully. Shintarou traced Kazunari's lips with his thumb, pressing the corner lightly. Kazunari responded by grabbing his wrist and he smiled when he felt it loosen up, showing they both had the same thing in mind. He parted his lips compliantly and licked Shintarou's fingertips before taking the index and middle fingers into his mouth at once.

The heat of Takao's mouth engulfing his fingers combined with the lustful glance he was shooting him with, sent a shock of pleasure straight to his groin, and he moaned through gritted teeth. His glasses were starting to get clouded with his hot breathing, but he still stubbornly refused to take them off. Once he was through the initial shock he started moving his fingers, exploring the inside of that mouth he knew so well. As he pushed his ring finger in to join the others, he felt Kazunari's tongue circling around the flesh and sweeping lightly over the edge of the wedding band, and he felt almost ashamed to realize how erotic it was to watch Kazunari worshipping his hand like he'd always loved to do. Kazunari closed his lovely eyes, focusing completely on his task, and Shintarou's erection throbbed painfully. He pulled his fingers out, producing a satisfying schlick sound and a protesting whimper from his love. He reached out for the nightstand to find a bottle of lubricant, which he uncapped, pouring a copious amount of the thick transparent liquid on his fingers.

"Huuuuh… So Shin-chan did come prepared for this… You just wanted me to beg for it, didn't you? Such a meanie." Kazunari chuckled, rolling his hips so his inner thigh would rub on Shintarou's manhood and he was rewarded with a needy groan.

Shintarou blushed. He would be lying if he said he hadn't hoped for things to go in this direction –it was their wedding night- and it was also true that he'd waited for Kazunari to raise the issue because he didn't want to make him feel obliged to do it, but acknowledging it made him quite embarrassed. His lubricated hand found its way in between Kazunari's buttcheeks and he tentatively pressed the pad of his index finger on the edge of the entrance, hoping to drive Kazunari's mind away from the issue. In recent weeks they'd gotten as far as two fingers in, but he still wanted to be extra sure that he wouldn't hurt his love.

Kazunari smiled at him reassuringly. "Shin-chaaaaan…pleaaase…" he whined hotly.

Shintarou took a deep breath. He needed to concentrate and clear his brain from the fog of lust to make this right. Once he felt confident in his self-control again, he pushed into the puckered hole slowly, meeting almost no resistance. He still took his sweet time probing around, testing the waters, making sure there was no pain. He smeared the lubricant around the passage before pushing his index further in. The ring of muscle clenched around him, sucking him in deeper.

"Everything alright so far?" he asked calmly. His right hand was holding Kazunari's hip, trying to keep him from squirming too much. When Kazunari lost himself to the heat of passion, he could get too eager without noticing it and he'd try to speed things up when he wasn't really ready for it yet.

Kazunari nodded, his breathing soft and quiet, almost relaxed. "Yeah… it's fine. Feels good. I can handle another one."

Shintarou heeded the request without asking more questions, pushing one more finger inside, this time all the way to the base. Kazunari moaned softly when he started scissoring his fingers, slowly loosening up his muscles. His clear eyes found Shintarou's, half lidded in concentration. He hadn't really thought about how hard this was for Shin-chan, having to stay rational and in control, being ready to stomp on the breaks if anything happened, almost neglecting his own pleasure in favor of Kazunari's, and he felt a little bit guilty about it. They were making love, it should be a moment in which they shared the joy and the pleasure of being together, but in the end Shin-chan couldn't lose himself the way he should. The fingers inside him were starting to reach his good spots, so it was difficult to think straight, but the least he could do was reward his beloved, and so he wrapped his hand around his neglected girth and started stroking leisurely.

"Shin-chan… one more… I think I'm ready." He moaned, rocking his hips to emphasize the point.

Once again, Shintarou nodded and complied, although this time he was even more careful. The finger went in as smoothly as the previous two, and with now three fingers in, he could more confidently stretch and loosen the entrance in preparation, but he could also try to make it more enjoyable for his love. Shintarou didn't have Kazunari's innate talent when it came to the bed, and he wasn't particularly gifted at reading people's feelings, so it was quite fortunate that Kazunari had never been shy when expressing how good he felt, and Shintarou had used that as an advantage to study and learn the most effective ways to please him. Even after all those years apart, that knowledge remained ingrained in his body and he could use it to the fullest in this situation. Curving his fingers just slightly and grazing the muscle around them with his fingernails would make Kazunari shudder, pulling them back leaving just the tips inside before thrusting them in all at once would draw out a long, delicious moan out of his throat and if he pressed just the right spot with the three of them at once, he knew for a fact that he'd make Kazunari see stars.

He remembered briefly their first encounters, how awkward and embarrassed they both felt, how they'd rush towards the end, driven by the desperate fire of youth and a strange sense of urgency. The situation was very different now for a variety of reasons, but he couldn't say he disliked taking it slow, relishing in every moment, in every shock of pleasure that coursed his body, in every moan and plea he could draw out of Kazunari's lips. With his free hand, he grabbed the back of Kazunari's head and pulled him to lie on top of him, their naked chests now pressed against each other, and he saved the small distance between them, eager to taste him, to drink from his warmth and savor the pleasure in his voice.

Kazunari could only marvel at the way Shin-chan's kisses made him swoon, how he seemed to suck the air straight out of his lungs. He probed blindly around to find the lubricant and, still completely immersed in the kiss, squirted a generous amount into the palm of his hand which he spread over Shintarou's manhood, making it slick. He bit Shintarou's lip tenderly to draw his attention and pulled back from the kiss, a thin string of saliva briefly connecting their tongues.

"Shin-chan…" he breathed, rocking his hips to meet the pace of the fingers inside him. "I want you… please…" he rose on his knees, allowing the digits to slip out of him with a sinful pop and he stared at those emerald eyes intensely.

"Shin-chan… make love to me…"

Shintarou's heart got caught in his throat. The raw passion in Kazunari's voice, the desire in his eyes, how his body trembled in anticipation as he aligned his entrance with Shintarou's girth, the soft pants that dripped out of his mouth…

"I love you." He whispered, overwhelmed with emotions. He cupped Kazunari's face in his hands and leaned in to press their lips together in a sweet kiss that overflowed with love and longing and devotion.

Kazunari felt the hardened length pressing at his entrance and pushing past the first barrier, and he bit his lip. Shintarou held his hips to keep him from going down any further, letting him adjust to the intrusion.

"There's no need to rush it. You're in control, you decide. I'm right here. I won't let go. Take your time." Shintarou whispered softly, raining light kisses down Kazunari's neck.

Kazunari had to take a moment just to appreciate how Shin-chan was still capable of keeping his head cool enough to reassure him and make him feel safe and loved. The heat that was taking over his body from the inside out made it hard to think straight, but he had to at least make the effort, for Shin-chan needed as much reassurance as he did.

"'S okay… it doesn't hurt." He pushed down a little further, a few tears pooled at the corners of his eyes. "It's been a while but… my body remembers you… I'm… I'm happy…" he smiled, holding to the back of Shintarou's neck as if for dear life.

Trust was of the essence given the circumstances, and thus if Kazunari said it was okay, Shintarou ought to trust him, just as Kazunari trusted that Shintarou wouldn't hurt him. He kissed the tears flowing down his love's cheeks and wrapped one hand around his erection, stroking it gently. It was a mesmerizing sight, the faint blush on Kazunari's cheeks, his eyes sparkling with the tears, and the lovely smile on his kiss-swollen lips. He was beautiful beyond words and Shintarou felt now more than ever the need to treasure him.

Kazunari whimpered and continued taking Shintarou in, feeling his insides burning oh so good. He gasped for air when Shin-chan's thumb pressed the head of his manhood and pre-cum started to ooze out of the slit. He panted heavily and in one more motion finished burying Shin-chan into him, filling him up and he threw his head back with a loud moan.

Shintarou had to bite his lip to keep a hold of himself once he was completely drowned in Kazunari's heat. When he felt Kazunari clenching and moving around him, he started thrusting his hips upwards, slowly at first, letting Kazunari decide the pace, searching for the right angle, loving the tightness, the warmth, how right it felt to be connected like this. He sped up the strokes of his hand and their lips met by instinct as their movements reached a nice, beautifully delicious pace.

"Shin-chan… Shin-chan…" Kazunari mewled in between kisses. "Take me, please… all of me. I'm yours… always yours…" he pleaded breathlessly, increasing the pace of his movements, wanting him hotter and deeper and more, always more.

Always mine. The thought sent electricity and heat all over Shintarou's body and he pulled Kazunari closer by the waist, their chests glistening with sweat and flush against each other. His hand held on to Takao's tender flesh tightly. I'm never letting you go again, he seemed to be saying and Kazunari smiled. They'd made many mistakes already, and had been so close to losing each other so many times, but they now had the confidence that their mutual love was stronger than any obstacle they could ever face.

"Will you be mine too? I want you… please…"

Shintarou licked the shell of Kazunari's ear. "I am… I've always been… I'll always be. Heart and body and soul and everything. All yours…" he spoke in a soft deep voice without a moment's hesitation. His prideful self would normally have more qualms about surrendering his entire existence to someone else, but not Kazunari, for he had been his first and only true love, and even when they were apart he'd been the one to own his heart completely.

Kazunari moaned when Shin-chan found the perfect angle to hit his sweetest spot. It was hard to wrap his mind around the thought of having Shin-chan, of belonging to one another, being together for the rest of their lives. It sounded too good to be real.

"I'm not dreaming, right?... Shin-chan's finally mine… we're finally becoming one… ahhhhh." A particularly well-angled thrust muddled his thoughts with pleasure, and he decided this was too good to be just a dream and gave up on trying to make sense of anything.

On one hand, Shintarou was quite amazed that Kazunari could still form full, coherent sentences, even when he was so close to his climax –he himself could barely manage grunts and growls and random words of love- and on the other, he was fascinated by all the words that kept pouring out of that mouth. Kazunari had always been shamelessly vocal about his physical pleasure, and the closer he got to the end, the dirtier and more explicit his reactions got. But this time he wasn't giving luxurious details on his body's sensorial overload, rather, it was as if his inner, most private feelings and emotions, almost as if his heart itself was flowing from his mouth in the form of words. The spot where they were connected tingled and throbbed, and their hearts raced. Dirty talking would send shocks of pleasure and desire down to Shintarou's groin, but these words were just overwhelming him with love. Becoming one with Kazunari sounded and felt like the most wonderful thing too.

"Shin-chan…I'm close… I wanna do it… together…"

Shintarou's large hand found Kazunari's and their fingers laced together as their pace grew erratic, consequence of their approaching climax. Everything was tight and hot and felt so good… Just like during the ceremony, their hearts started beating in unison, and they could hear each other's hearts and breaths and thoughts. Their mutual gravity pulled them together and they met in a kiss that wasn't particularly different from any other they'd shared and it still felt like the sweetest of them all. They breathed each other's name and the entire world ceased to exist as they drowned in a shared moment of pure white ecstasy.

It took a few minutes (or maybe a few hours) for Kazunari's eyes to regain their focus. When he finally became aware of his surroundings again, he realized he had collapsed on top of Shin-chan's chest, breathing heavily. He could hear Shin-chan's quick heartbeat close to his ear, their bodies slick with sweat tangled into one another.

"I'd almost… forgotten how good this was…" Shin-chan breathed, his left hand splayed over the small of Kazunari's back.

"Toldja today was a good day." He chuckled. "That was amazing."

"It was."

They lay in silence a few more minutes, trying to catch their breathes and make their pulses go back to normal, basking in the delicious afterglow, letting their hands absentmindedly explore each other's body. This was pure and absolute bliss.

Finally, Shin-chan sighed and stirred beneath him.

"We should get cleaned up." He said simply, nudging Kazunari to get off of him.

Kazunari pouted. "Don't wanna." He said childishly, wrapping his arms around Shin-chan's chest, fully intending on keeping him down like that.

"I'm not asking you to get in the shower, but we can't sleep like this." One of his hands found its way in between their bodies and pointed at the semen smeared over their lower abdomens.

"Watch me." Kazunari said defiantly, tightening his hold on his husband's torso and burying his nose in his chest.

"It's going to be extremely disgusting come morning."

"I don't care, I don't wanna move."

"You don't have to, I'll go bring us some towels and tissues."

"Shiiiin-chaaaan! I don't want you to move either, get a clue! I'm so comfy like this!"

Shintarou huffed, but ultimately managed to push him off to the mattress and get up from the bed. Kazunari glared at him before burying his face in one of the fluffy pillows. "Stupid Shin-chan." He mumbled, already missing the warmth of his husband's body.

When Shin-chan came back, he didn't even ask for Kazunari to clean himself up, and instead he diligently cradled him in his arms and started wiping him clean with a warm towel. Kazunari let himself be manhandled, loving the fluff of the towel on his hyper-sensitive skin, and just the overall comfort of getting pampered by his beloved Shin-chan. He nuzzled Shin-chan's now clothed chest. Shin-chan was a blessing.

When the towel wiped the sweat from his back, Kazunari shivered and his eyes shot open, but it took him just a moment to remember whose arms were holding him so gently and lovingly. There was no safer or happier place in the entire world for him.

"Hey, Shin-chan?" he mumbled softly, almost melting into the embrace.

"Yes?"

"Why did you come that day?"

Shin-chan didn't say anything. Kazunari realized he wasn't understanding the question.

"The day… when he was arrested. You were supposed to be at the hospital, but you came home when he did."

He didn't know why he was asking the question, in such an inappropriate moment, but he'd been wondering about it for months. Maybe getting touched on his back, where the biggest scars still remained, had triggered it as a gut-reaction. He could tell Shin-chan was startled by the question.

"It's okay, you don't—"

"I felt you calling for me."

Kazunari opened his eyes again and looked up to find Shin-chan's stern expression.

"Felt…?"

"I realize it does not… make quite a lot of sense but it is the only thing I know. I just… I had a feeling. That you were in danger, that you needed me. I felt that I could hear you calling for me and I didn't even think about it." He'd long finished wiping him clean and was now just stroking his hair and shoulders with his hands, slow and soothing.

Kazunari trembled slightly and he grabbed on to the collar of Shin-chan's sleeping yukata. "Shin-chan was destined to be my hero after all." He said, a small smile appearing on his lips. "I'm sorry for bringing that up, on our wedding night to boot."

"Don't apologize. Whenever you feel that you want to talk about that, I will always be willing to listen." Shin-chan stroked his cheek gently and kissed his forehead. "And get dressed now, it is still spring, too soon to be sleeping in the nude."

Kazunari chuckled as he untangled himself from Shin-chan's embrace and reached over to his own yukata, which Shin-chan had brought along with the towels and tissues.

"You're no fun at all."

"You knew that and still chose to marry me."

"Don't try to make it sound like I drew the short end of the stick when you're the one that married a shameless idiot."

He plopped down on the bed and snuck under the covers. He looked up at Shin-chan and spread his arms wide and inviting. "Now c'mere, Takao Shin-chan-san."

Shin-chan rolled his eyes but still lied down next to him. "I am not changing my last name."

Kazunari frowned. "Eeeeh?! Then what was even the—" he yelped mid-sentence when Shin-chan's arms wrapped around his waist and pulled him in for a hug. Once he recovered from the sudden movement, he laid his hands flat on Shin-chan's chest and nuzzled the crook of his neck. His lips found Shin-chan's pulse and he placed a slow, wet kiss on the spot, relishing in the shiver it earned him. Shin-chan's embrace was becoming one of his favorite places to be. Or maybe it had always been so. "I'm not changing my last name either." He pouted, trying to sound upset and vengeful, even if that wasn't at all how he felt.

"I never expected you to do that, I quite like your last name." Shin-chan said flatly, unaffected by his fake dejection. "Besides, I have become too accustomed to saying 'shut up, Takao', it would be no good to have no one in the house with that name."

Kazunari scowled and pulled back from the spot where he'd left a very satisfactory love bite, and looked up to find Shin-chan's gorgeous emerald eyes twinkling with mirth. "Shin-chan is becoming too much of a smartass, I might be a really bad influence for you after all."

Shin-chan actually laughed. Kazunari felt his heart sing to that sound he so loved.

"Oh, the absolute worst."

Kazunari dropped the last box on the floor and proceeded to collapse on top of it.

"That's it. I'm dead. Tell my parents I love them and that I'm sorry if I ever disappointed them."

Shintarou passed him by, carrying a small box with bathroom supplies and sighed. "And what should I tell your husband? I think he would be completely devastated." He uttered nonchalantly before going briefly to the bathroom to drop the box before coming back to the lobby where Takao was still lost to the world.

"Tell him it's his fault for having so much shit. I swear to God I'm never moving houses again. EVER." Akashi, Kanako and Shin-chan's mother had given them extremely generous wedding gifts, with which they'd been able to get a loan to buy a two-story house that was perfectly located in a middle point between both of their workplaces and was much more spacious than their previous homes.

"I believe that is the whole point of buying a property." He crouched in front of his exhausted husband and flicked his forehead. "Get up, you can't die before we unpack."

Kazunari groaned in protest and stretched his limbs lazily. "At least give me a dose of Shin-chan to recharge my battery." He said, teasingly, thinking his love would get all red and flustered and adorable beyond words. Instead he looked up to find a pair of lips covering his for a quick, chaste kiss and now it was his turn to get all red and flustered and giddy.

"Done. Now get up, I'm too young to be a widow."

Kazunari giggled as he finally forced himself to stand up, only to hold on to Shin-chan's back and embrace him from behind, nuzzling the space between his shoulder blades. "Aren't you gonna' propose now?" he asked, playfully.

Shintarou didn't need to ask where that question even came from. He leaned back into the embrace, placing his hands on top of Kazunari's and marveling on their matching rings. "I'm afraid it is too soon for that. If you so desire, we can move out again in 25 years and renew our vows or something. Hopefully by then we will be able to do it legally."

"Nope, never. I'm never moving houses again. If you make me carry one more box I'm filing for divorce."

Shintarou chuckled and turned around to face his love. "I can't have you doing that. You see, I rather enjoy having you in my life." He responded the embrace, circling Kazunari's waist with his long arms and leaned down until their foreheads touched.

"Good, we can agree on that." Kazunari stood on his tiptoes to briefly kiss his husband on the mouth. "C'mon, Shin-chan, we can be lovey-dovey later, now we've gotta make this place look decent before everyone arrives." he chirped, disentangling himself from the embrace and immediately missing the warmth. Some of their friends had volunteered to help them clean up the place and arrange the furniture, so they'd decided to make a small lunch to celebrate their new home.

Shintarou huffed but ultimately smiled as his beloved walked into the sun-lit living room with a large grin on his lips, his arms stretched wide in the empty space, looking almost angelic with the frame of the sunlight around his lithe figure. Oha-Asa had said today would be a day of new beginnings, of hope and opportunities, of important changes with your significant other. Oha-Asa never got it wrong.

They'd been married for nearly a month now (and Shintarou already had plans for the first month celebration), and living together for almost half a year, but every time they took a new step, everything felt new and wondrous and perfect. They'd been through hell and back to be together, but that had made their bonds stronger, unbreakable. Their promise, their dream from all those years ago, had finally come true and they could face the future hand in hand, continuously finding happiness together.

"Hey, Kazunari?"

"Yes, Shin-chan?"

"I know you said to hold back on the 'lovey-dovey' things but I really want to kiss you right now. If that's okay with you, of course."

Kazunari laughed. "Can't believe you really need to ask."

The end.

I can't believe this is over, it's been such an amazing ride and I feel like I put pieces of my soul on this story, I just wanna cry forever about it.

But before that I need to make some clarifications about the wedding scene.

This is a thing that actually exists. The Shunkoin temple in Kyoto has entered a partnership with the Gran Via Hotel to carry out LGBT weddings. You can find more information on the hotel's website: . . I tried looking up the prices, but honestly the reservation site is not very user-friendly in that regard, you can't even check that unless you email them directly asking for details, but imagine filthy expensive, since the package includes the wedding, the styling, the reception, a luxury dinner and a four-night stay at a super fancy suite. Japanese weddings are overall expensive by definition.

I also recommend this article in HuffPost that has an interview with the head priest, where he explains why he started to hold LGBT weddings in his temple: entry/shunkoin-temple-gay-marriage_us_56290990e4b0aac0b8fbeb01

The description of the temple was based on photos I found on its blog. You should go check it out if you want to get a better picture of the scene... The wedding itself, I mixed the information available at the same website and a video I found of a Buddhist wedding. Buddhist weddings are actually a rarity in Japan, most people marry either by Shinto, Western style (catholic) or not religious, so it was hard to come across information about how the ceremony would be. I hope it wasn't very confusing, if you want to see the video search for "Japanese Buddhist Wedding" on youtube, it's a ten minute capsule and although it doesn't quite explain the different moments, it's still good to give you an idea.

In spite of this, I did purposefully avoid giving any descriptions or dialogues for the actual monks, because I thought it would be disrespectful, since they are real living people. I also didn't want to invent characters for the monks, since they have a different name structure from regular Japanese names and I wouldn't know how to go about it.

The kimono Mahomi is wearing is a black tomesode, it's the most formal kind of kimono a married woman can wear and it has five family crests on it. It's not uncommon for people to rent them for marriages or other such formal occasions (like one would rent a tux), but since the Midorima family is rich and prestigious, I'm sure Mahomi owns one

The flowers in their centerpieces are orange roses (passion, intense desire), gladiolus (faithfulness, sincerity, integrity and never giving up) lavender (devotion). While Japanese hanakotoba is different from Western flower language, I was unable to find a decent guide for it, so I went the easy route and used the Western meanings.

The incident described in Kise's speech is actually canonical, it happens in one of the drama CDs. It gets even better when Takao starts asking Kise to tell him more things about Midorima, since he thinks Kise should know more stuff about him since they've been friends for longer, but the conversation ends with Kise saying "see, after all Takao-kun knows Midorimacchi better". It's canon y'all.

In Japan, when invited to a wedding, rather than gifting the newlyweds some home appliance or something like that, you're expected to give a very generous amount of money. The least acceptable is somewhere around 10,000 yen (roughly a hundred bucks), and that's only if you're like a student or unemployed, otherwise you should be giving a lot more than that. For friends it's somewhere in the 30K yen spectrum, and around 50K or higher for family members. Obviously Akashi, Kanako and Shin-chan's mom dished out A LOT more cash, but they're filthy rich, so that's normal.

Also, you guys wouldn't believe the amount of wedding dances and dancing videos in general I watched. I even watched a little of the Rock 'n Roll World Championship and some dance lessons, only to put that knowledge to exactly no use because I can't describe people dancing (nor can I dance worth shit in real life orz). Then again, there's a lot of shit I research and end up not using it at all. In general, it's funny the amount of wedding-related research I had to do about this, considering how little enthusiasm I generally have for weddings irl.

I can't even begin to describe how I feel now that this is over. I want to thank everyone who's read so far, everyone who's left an encouraging comment and everyone who's been patient with me, especially in these past two months. It means a lot to me that I was able to share this with you guys, thanks for all your support. I don't want to make this disgustingly long chapter even longer with my already humongous author notes, but it really means the world to me to have so many wonderful readers. I really hope you've enjoyed this and I can't wait to read your thoughts about it.

Until next time!