Getting married is decided on impulse, but she's known she's loved him since before their relationship even began. He caught her interest from the very first day, and working with him was always a pleasure, both because of how his eccentricities never left her bored and how he always respected her and never treated her like she was too young to be there. She was intelligent for her age, so much so that she had moved up quickly in life, and seemed much too young for her level of success. Some people still treated her as if she was, and as if she couldn't possibly be as smart as her accomplishments insisted, but Shingen never did that.

And so she falls for him rather quickly and the two become quite the team, and then quite the couple, and so she knows from nearly the beginning that she wants to marry this man. It's the first serious relationship Emilia has had, seeing as she's always been more focused on other things, but that isn't the only reason she wants it to succeed and sees it going far. She knows well enough how this is supposed to work, and she honestly can't imagine herself finding anyone else that she feels quite so at home with. More than anything, she wants to be a part of his life.

~X~

There have been a few woman over the years- he's only a man, after all- but there has never been anything serious, and he wasn't counting on anything serious ever again, least of all getting remarried. His first wife had been someone very special, and finding someone to hold with that level of regard had never even been a thought in his mind. And then Emilia came along, and he realized that he couldn't have counted on meeting someone he could be serious with because there was no way he could have predicted someone like her.

She's much too young for him, but it's hard to remember that when she's easily one of the most intelligent women he's ever met, and he often found himself forgetting her age. Until he really took a good look at her, and how goddamn gorgeous she was, and it became very apparent. But then it became more and more apparent that she was just as attracted to him, and then things escalated, and before he knew it, he was most definitely in love with her. Their marriage is an impulsive decision, perhaps, but he's thought about his feelings for a very long time.

~X~

"I've always wanted a family of my own," she says absentmindedly. It's a rare occasion; the two of them have enough time to themselves that they're able to go on a proper date, and a couple passed by, struggling with a twin stroller. "Maybe not one like that, but just something."

"And why's that? Do you like children?" he asks.

She pauses, tapping her chin. "I think I do, but it's more than that. I wouldn't mind if I never had children on my own, just as long as I had some sort of family. Does that make any sense?" Her face turns self-conscious, and he wants to laugh at how needlessly worried she seems. Already, he is thinking about her words, and what they mean for him.

"What about adopted children? Or maybe stepchildren? And not just babies either, but children that have already done most of their growing," he says. "Or maybe even all of it?" He's sure that he's being obvious, but she gives his words serious thought, rather than calling him out on it.

"I don't see why not!" She smiles wide. "I've just always thought it would be nice, having a lot of people around and living with others...oh, am I not making sense again? I don't get to see my own family much, not sense I got really serious with my studies, and then work got so busy that it's hard to visit...so I guess that's why I want a family of my own here so much!"

"Then we should get married," he says, and he manages to sound so casual that it feels like he's talking about nothing in particular.

"We should...we should do what?" Her eyes widen, but she doesn't look offended at the suggestion, so he's sure that he's made the right decision in bringing it up now.

"Well, naturally, we spend so much time together as is, and I've been thinking about asking you to move in with me anyway," he says. "Getting married is the next step, really! And a family usually starts when two people get married, and even if you decide you don't want to have your own children, you know about my son and almost daughter-in-law. You'll be starting out with a complete family already! I know they don't live close to us, so that doesn't solve the visiting problem, but we could always work something out there."

Emilia's eyes begin to shine as they fill with tears, her mouth slightly agape as she struggles to think of what to say. It's everything she ever wanted, and what's more, it's with him, and she loves him more than she knows how to say. She wants to marry him more than anything, but she had never even entertained the thought because she was sure it was too soon, or that he secretly didn't take their relationship seriously. And now he is proposing to her and she's so close to tears that she's having a hard time finding her voice to tell him yes.

"If you need time to think about it, I understand," says Shingen. "But the offer is still open, for as long as you want it to be. I love you, Emilia, and I want to be able to give you your family."

Finally, finally, she recovers her voice and says, "I can't think of anyone else I'd want that with more than you, I love you so much...I do want to get married!" She had been surprised by his sudden proposal, but she is even more surprised by his suggestion for a date.

"We should go by city hall when we're done eating, then," he says. "If we apply for a certificate today, we should hopefully be able to be married by tomorrow!"

~X~

And so they go and they get their marriage certificate, and they scrounge up some coworkers to serve at witnesses. Emilia wears a new dress, and they have a small dinner party that evening before going to the hotel that Shingen booked for their honeymoon. Their wedding is a private affair, but it's the most magical day of her entire life, and the best part is knowing that it's just the beginning.