Title: euphoria

Summary: He'd never felt happiness quite like this.

Natsume stood awkwardly before the crowd, watching the large double doors as if he were about to set them ablaze with his flames. This was ridiculous, and it wasn't even his idea. It was quite obvious it wasn't his idea if you looked amongst the crowd and identified the guests. Shadow was sitting, looking irritatingly happy, and there was also that freak Tonouchi who Natsume knew had ulterior motives. Not to mention that stupid Narumi-sensei was sitting right up front, giving Natsume the biggest and brightest smile and it just made Natsume sick. Natsume glared at him, daring him to say something smart once all of this was over. He looked across from him, meeting the emotionless stare of Hotaru. She mouthed something, something Natsume couldn't quite decipher, but before he could glare her into repeating it, she jerked her head toward the double doors in the back just as the music began to play.

Quickly Natsume looked toward the back of the room. His gaze lifted from the guests, following their gaze, and what he saw knocked the wind out of him. Breathing deeply, he blinked rapidly. Their eyes were looking deeply into one another, and all she did was smile before she began to walk towards him, her arm looped with her uncle's. Natsume's mouth closed quickly as he swallowed hard. He felt numb all over, he felt like he was unable to think, let alone speak. He was completely overcome with a nostalgic emotion and the closer she got, the more he realized that years of feeling as though something was missing was subsiding exponentially. And once that feeling was completely gone, the feeling of obtaining something great. Something that, even after all these years, he couldn't place a value. That meant only one thing: she was precious beyond belief.

"You keep your promise," the high school principal told Natsume, "You protect her with your life." Natsume simply nodded as he handed her off, and she handed her bouquet of flowers to Hotaru.

As the officiator began to speak, she smiled adoringly, as smile she reserved specifically for him. "You look very handsome," Mikan complimented, having not seen him for the past few hours.

Natsume released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding in. Unable to find words, he squeezed her hand with affection and Mikan giggled softly. She understood.

"And now," the officiator, "the bride and groom have a few words to share. Groom."

"Mikan," Natsume began, no longer feeling like the child that would rather die than feel pathetic amongst his peers. "When I first met you, I was surrounded by darkness. I had almost everything taken from me, and I had very little left. But you—" Natsume paused, noting the tears that were accumulating at the corners of Mikan's eyes "—you became a light that I never knew I could see. You had this way of making me need you around at all times, and soon I didn't care what happened to me. I needed to keep you safe, and that's no different from now. I need you, and I don't want anyone else to have you. You're the woman I love, and that will never change. That, I promise."

Mikan allowed the tears to spill as the officiator transitioned, "And now, the bride."

Mikan took a breath then said, "Natsume. I hardly expected any of this happen when we met. I was sure you hated me, and I thought you were a perverted fox and there was no way I was going to fall in love with you." Mikan laughed along with the rest of the crowed as Natsume smirked. "But," she sighed, "Crazy things happen, right? I don't know how to explain it, but I don't love everyone else like I love you. I can smile for everyone else but I will always wonder if I am smiling enough for the both us. I can care about everyone else, but I will always wonder if there is anything more I can do to protect you. You have become a part of me, so much that I feel empty when I cannot be with you." Pausing, she wiped away her tears. Meanwhile Natsume was giving her all the attention she needed. "I love you, and I vow to protect you just as much as you protect me."

The ceremony continued, and Natsume's eyes never left Mikan's. Emotions were silently exchanged. Everything they couldn't say, everything they couldn't put into words, was passed between one another. Natsume felt inexplicably warm. He was snapped from his revere when he heard his name. "Do you, Natsume Hyuuga, take Mikan Sakura to be your lawfully wedded wife, promising to love and cherish, through joy and sorrow, sickness and health, and whatever challenges you may face, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," Natsume said without question.

"And do you, Mikan Sakura, take Natsume Hyuuga to be your husband to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, from this day forward until death do you part?"

"I do," Mikan bit her lip as she began to bounce in anticipation. Natsume looked on in amusement. She never ceased to intrigue him.

The officiator smiled at her as Mikan was radiating with pure happiness. "Do we have the rings?" Both Ruka and Hotaru stepped forward, passing a ring to their respective friend. Natsume took Mikan's hand first and placed the ring on her finger, allowing Mikan to follow suit. "Family and friends, I now present to you Mr. and Mrs. Hyuuga." Natsume smiled. He liked the sound of that. "You may now kiss." And just like always when Natsume moved to kiss her, Mikan began to slowly turn a bright shade of red. But she allowed Natsume to caress her cheek before pulling her into a soft lingering kiss just as the room erupted in applause.

Natsume sat at an abandoned table, occasionally sipping on the champagne that the catering service had served the guests. The ceremony had since ended, and Mikan disappeared to change into something more giving. Behind the venue, they had a tented area in which there was seating and an area where people could dance if they wanted to. Natsume had been present when Imai coerced Ruka into a dance, though Natsume knew it wasn't too much of coercion for Ruka seeing as he wanted to anyway. It was Imai who was too proud to act on their relationship openly. Natsume silently pondered how she was going to react when Ruka finally proposed to her. He'd chickened out the last four times, but Natsume was soon going to force him to do it so Ruka could stop stressing to Natsume about it.

"Hyuuga." Natsume looked up to find Imai's baka-gun staring him in the face.

He looked up to glare at her. "What do you want?"

She sat down, but kept the baka-gun in the same position, "Let's talk." Natsume released a sigh and placed his glass on the table. He leaned back to get comfortable as he imagined this would happen, and he imagined the lecture to be long. "I don't know why, but that idiot loves you to the moon and back."

"Obviously," Natsume interjected.

Hotaru shoved the baka-gun closer, "If you hurt her, I will kill you. You better not—"

"Yeah I got it Imai." Hotaru glared as she was interrupted again. Just as she was about to make an embarrassment out of him at his own wedding, she noticed that his gaze was fixated on something distant. She followed the trial of his eyes and found that Mikan had just walked into the tent and she was looking around… probably for him. Whatever, Hotaru thought, putting away her baka-gun and leaving to go find out where Ruka had gone to. Natsume, however, met Mikan halfway through the tent. At first he studied her, noting how she truly looked beautiful in anything. She was no longer wearing the wedding dress she had on earlier. Instead, she was wearing a simply dress that ended just above her knees. And her hair was let loose and pinned to the side, her slightly curled hair flowing with every movement.

Mikan smiled shyly, looping her arms around Natsume's neck, accepting his silent invitation to dance. "Stop staring, pervert." Natsume simply rested his forehead on hers, placing his hands on her hips, and began to sway with the slow music playing in the background. "You know," Mikan said thoughtfully, "This reminds me of the time we danced at the Christmas Ball except—" she surprised Natsume by suddenly pecking his lips. Natsume was always the one to initiate kisses… or, at least, he was always the one to tell her to kiss him. But she would always end up a blushing, stuttering mess, so a kiss from her was definitely unexpected. "—that was on purpose."

Natsume chuckled and shifted so he could bury his face in her neck as they continued. He breathed in her citrus scent as his arms completely entrapped her. She squeezed her body, loving the way she molded against him perfectly. He didn't know how to explain how he was feeling, but he felt like he had his entire world in his arms. Mikan was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen, and she was now his. She was no Mrs. Hyuuga. "Say it," he demanded.

"Hm," Mikan said as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Say what?"

"Say your name." He kissed her neck causing her to jolt slightly before giggling.

"Mikan?" She squeezed him a little tighter. She knew what he meant, but she wanted to tease him a little.

"No." He slowly pulled back, his lips trailing her jaw until their noses were touching. "Your last name."

Mikan smiled. "Oh, you mean Hyuuga?"

It was in that moment when Natsume fully smiled for the first time that night. It was in that moment that Natsume realized what he was feeling, and it was all because of the woman he had in his arms. It was really a simple emotion, but he felt like he could burst.

"What," Mikan laughed, noticing that he was staring again. "What are you thinking?"

Natsume simply shook his head and brought her into a tight hug. "Nothing. I'm just really happy."

Okay so this was longer than I expected it to be… and it's only the first chapter. So~ sorry about that. Anyway. I don't know when I'll post the second chapter but I will get to working on it ASAP for everyone. And I hope that Natsume wasn't too OOC but it's hard to imagine him expressing his happiness so I just winged it.

Thank you for reading!