Author's comments:

This is being written upon request by the same person who requested "Dear Mother." I hope it's just as good as (or better) than the prequel to this fanfic because I've honestly spent months working on this (I literally have over 22 pages of just this one chapter on my computer.) I'll try to post the second chapter as soon as possible hopefully in a far shorter time span than it took me to post this. A word of warning though, the next chapter will most likely be rated M for, ya know, the honeymoon night...

Let me know what you think in the reviews.

Chapter 1:

Come on, Senri. Get ahold of yourself. I tell myself and I once again try the breathing exercises that Rima taught me back when I was pregnant with Mizuki. They used to work, but as I try them for my- what did Takuma call them?- pre-wedding jitters- or something like that- they don't seem to help much. I wipe my hands on the legs of my pants but that only works for a few minutes before they're damp again. Now I'm worrying about holding Kaname's hand down the aisle.

I look over at my fiancé and am surprised to see him looking so composed; as if he's incapable of feeling anything but calm and in control. Then I remember how stressed he was during my pregnancy and can't stop the small smile that tugs at the corners of my mouth.

Kaname looks over at me and smiles. "What's so funny?" he asks and I shake my head. "It's nothing." I tell him. He comes to me and pulls me to him. "Are you sure?"

I nod. "I was just wondering how you can stay so calm."

Kaname arches a brow. "Calm?" he laughs, "I'm terrified."

"…Really?"

"Well, not as much as I was with Mizuki," No one could be as stressed as you were back then, "But still."

"Well, you're really good at hiding it then." I can feel a low rumble in his chest with his laughs again.

"Am I? I've never noticed." I have to resist the incredible urge to roll my eyes at that. How could he not notice? As usual though he seems to read my thoughts - is he really?- and takes ahold of my hand. "Here, let me show you." And he presses the palm of my hand to his chest. At first I don't know why but then I feel it, his heart pounding hard in chest from… anxiety? I look up at him surprised. "See? I'm not perfect, Senri."

But he is; if not in general than he is to me! I want to tell him this but when I open my mouth to talk I hear, "Am I interrupting?"

Kaname and I look up to see our friend, Takuma, standing beyond the gazebo we are under. He's beaming up at us with a sort of radiance that's almost blinding and a smile that's somehow wider than it usually is.

"No." Kaname answers. "What is it?"

"I just came to ask you two if you're ready to start the ceremony?" Takuma chirps still glowing. Kaname and I share a short gaze before telling him yes. At that my bubbly blond friend leaves practically skipping with enthusiasm as if he's the one getting married. Regardless I wish I can be as carefree as him.

The second he's gone I start to feel sick. I don't mean that I'm feeling ill- that's almost impossible for me as an aristocrat- but so anxious that I feel like curling up into a ball. I feel a coil starting to form in the pit of my stomach and as Kaname checks his silver rose cufflinks and satin bowtie I feel it starting to tighten even more.

A series of scenarios play out for me ranging from me postponing the wedding out of shear nervousness to me passing out halfway down the aisle. I'm still panicking when Kaname holds out his hand.

"Shall we go?" he asks and I give an unsure jerking nod. I wipe my hands on my pants one last time before taking his hand.

Before we leave Kaname kisses my cheek. "Everything's going to be fine." He assures me with tender eyes, "This is going to be the wedding of our dreams; I promise." It's a comfort and I give him a small smile. It's not much but it's enough for us.

Upon our arrival Kaname and I are introduced to a crowd of our friends and family by the sound of violins. Everyone turns around in their seats to face us and the coil in my stomach sinks. I squeeze Kaname's hand. It feels like my first catwalk all over again and I'm more relieved than I thought I would be when we finally reach the wedding arch. The officiant- an aging vampire with thinning brown and grey hair- welcomes us with a smile and half bow before beginning the ceremony.

"We are gathered here today in this beautiful garden to join together Kaname Kuran-sama and Senri Shiki-sama." The man starts. "On behalf of the couple I would like to thank all who could attend this ceremony. By being here you celebrate with these two men the love that they have discovered within one another and you support their decision to commit themselves to one another for the rest of their lives."

I glance back over my shoulder at the crowd. The officiant makes it sound so easy, but I know that supporting Kaname and I is a challenge. I mean, we're cousins getting married after having a child together. I don't like to think about it much but I know deep inside that pretty much everything about our relationship is very much tabooed. Seeing everyone sitting there smiling up at us, though, helps reassure me that everything really will be okay.

"We are here to celebrate love. This is the union of two individuals; two hearts, two bodies, two minds, and two souls. Therefore, marriage is not to be entered into lightly, but reverently, honestly, and deliberately. And it is into this union that Kaname Kuran sama and Senri Shiki sama come now to be joined. Now, two readings to express the joy and love on this occasion the first being 'From Leaves of Grass' by Walt Whitman, the second is the 'Arbor' by Sappho." The officiant clears his throat before reading the poems from a small book that he has in his hands.

I'm familiar with both poems. Kaname used to read them- along with other poetry- out loud late at night. Sometimes I would sit across from him on the couch listening to the mellow sound of his voice with my eyes closed and our child kicking in my stomach. They're likable works so I wasn't surprised when Kaname wanted at least one of them to be read.

When the readings are done the officiant clears his throat again.

"Now then, will you Senri Shiki take Kaname Kuran to be your life partner, to love and respect; to be honest with and the to stand by through whatever may come?"

I look at him, my cousin, my fiancé, the father of my daughter, and one of the most important people in my life and say without hesitation, "I will."

The officiant asks Kaname the same thing and still staring into my eyes he says, "I will." There is a sniffle from the crowd and I look to see the headmaster wiping his eyes.

"Now, Senri and Kaname sama, it is time for your vows."

"Senri Shiki sama please repeat after me." He says and I do, word for word.

"In the presence of our friends and family, I, Senri Shiki, choose you, Kaname Kuran, to be my life partner, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, to love and to cherish, and to be faithful to you alone. This is my solemn vow."

Then,

"In the presence of our friends and family, I, Kaname Kuran, choose you, Senri Shiki, to be my life partner, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, to love and to cherish, and to be faithful to you alone. This is my solemn vow."

With the vows said and done the rings are presented to us by Rima's little brother on a dark red pillow.

"These rings symbolize the never-ending circle of love. May they remind you always of the vows you have taken this day and of the eternal love which you both share. Now take these rings as a symbol of this commitment, that wherever you go, you will return to each other, whatever you have you will share with each other, for your lives are joined in love and trust."

Kaname takes my hand. "With this ring I commit my heart and soul to you." He says as he slips the ring onto my finger.

I take the ring from the pillow and do the same, repeating the same phrase.

Our guests instantly erupt into a series of applauds forcing the officiant to wait a good three minutes before he is able to announce our marriage.

"With the power invested in me I now pronounce you married. You may now kiss."

While Kaname and I have unquestionably kissed before the wedding, the kiss at the altar is somehow… different. My heart soars in my chest as we kiss and for a moment everything and everyone just disappears. It's just me and him then, trying desperately to hold onto at least some ounce of control so that we don't end up clawing at each other like animals, pulling at our clothes and our hair…

I feel weak in the knees once we separate and it reminds of the first time that we kissed, back when I thought I was dreaming the whole situation up until Kaname's lips on mine sent my heart pounding and my mind racing.

Kaname holds onto me to keep me from falling. Then, without warning, he kisses me again, harder this time to the point that I think my lips are bruised. And it's in this moment- as people whistle and clap and Takuma repeats a series of aww's- that I think, I can't possibly become happier than this.

More author comments:

I'm still looking for a beta reader for this fanfic. Message me if you're interested and I'll check out your beta profile. Also, I made up Rima's little brother in this chapter. I don't recall her having any younger siblings but I couldn't think of any official Vampire Knight characters who would be able to fulfill the role of ring bearer.