Dlbn: Found out through family members who found out through the grapevine that my cousins are getting married today. TO each other. Go ahead, make your comments and share opinions. I will wait (waits a few minutes) I don't personally give a damn; they're adults, they can do what they want. I just hope their kids don't get bullied once kids find out and ostracized one their parents find out. I know the way kids are in the school they go to. Elitist brats that will find one tiny thing different about someone and bully them to no end about it, and the school won't do a damn thing because it happens off school grounds and therefore not their problem. (Seriously, my friend's half-brother was being bullied a lot about his weight and his father being in jail and school said since it was happening online and via phone, they couldn't do anything about it, and proceeded to punish him when he fought back but didn't punish the ones who did it. No Place for Hate Initiative my ass)
Nbld: Enough ranting. Congratulations to the happy couple even though they hate me. Without further ado, here we go.
000
"I never pictured Pinky as a Bridezilla." Yoji commented after Yuiko stormed off after trying on a dress for the fifth time and still not finding the right one.
"Tell me about it." Ritsuka rubbed the back of his neck. "Is it bad Best Man behavior if I tell the bride to shut her trap?"
"It's bad Human Decency manners if you don't." Natsuo complained, shaking his finger in his ear to get hearing back into it. "Seriously, Yoji, if you act like this, I'm throwing you into the lake. In December."
Yoji rolled his eyes. "Oy, stop treating me like a girl."
"Groomzillas are a thing, you know." Ritsuka pointed out. "Just not as common."
"I bet you're going to be one." Natsuo chuckled. "You're so high maintenance."
"Shut up, I am not."
"You're just picky." Yoji offered.
"Right…hey…I can't be that picky…I've got you two for best friends."
They glared.
"I blame blondie." Yoji stated eventually, nodding his head once.
If Soubi hadn't defeated them in battle and left them too frightened to go home to Nagisa-sensei, they probably wouldn't have been friends. The truth stung a little more than it should have, but they knew it as such and accepted it to be fact.
Yuiko came out of the dressing room in a sixth dress. This one seemed to fit her a little better, and had a ton more sparkles than the other ones had, but as soon as she stepped in front of the mirrors, it was obvious from the look on her face that she didn't like it.
"Still not right." She sighed, shaking her head. "Try again I'm getting a little annoyed…"
"I'm sorry, miss." The woman bowed. "I'll try again. Be back shortly."
Ritsuka heard her muttering curses about a spoiled brat under her breath as she left.
"Hey, Yuiko?" He asked.
"Hai, Ritsuka-kun?" She turned to look at the low swooping back more, only to frown at it. "What is it?"
"You're shopping for a wedding dress. Something you're only going to wear once. Not a house. Think you could tone it down a bit?"
She frowned at him. "But Ritsuka-kun, you know how important having the right dress is for me." Her eyes were tearing.
"Yes, I am more than aware. After that last tirade from the last dress, so is the rest of the store." He responded, fixing her with a level gaze. "But you being overly picky about it isn't the consultant's fault. Give her a break. You're not the only bride she's had yelling at her today."
"I know. You're right, Ritsuka-kun. Thank you." She sighed, shoulders slumping in defeat. "I don't want to be mean to anyone. People were mean to me all the time growing up. I hated it. I never want to make anyone feel like that." She stepped down off the platform. "I'll apologize when she comes back."
The woman came back, arms full of dresses. "I hope the one is in this batch, miss."
"Hey, I'm sorry for snapping. I'm really not like that at all." Yuiko smiled gently. "Can we start over?"
The woman smiled politely. "Oh, why thank you, miss." She blushed. "I do appreciate that. It's a pleasure to help. Let's start off on the right foot."
Yuiko followed her into the dressing room, chattering.
"You're a miracle worker, Aoyagi." Yoji informed. "One word from you and she does a complete one-eighty."
He shrugged. "I've always had that influence over people. I'm not certain why."
"Maybe that's the power of your name. Since, you know, we all know there's nothing Loveless about you, with all the people after your ass."
Ritsuka rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, you've told me a thousand times, Zero."
The twins laughed as Ritsuka's phone rang. He rolled his eyes and answered.
"Loveless." He said without thinking.
"We sure his name isn't Shameless?" Yoji rolled his eyes.
"I have no idea what that means, but hey, Ritsuka." Yayoi greeted on the other end.
"Oh, hey. Sorry, thought you were someone else." Ritsuka flushed. "What's up?"
"How are things going?"
"Not that great. She hasn't found one yet and almost went into Berserk mode."
Yayoi groaned. "She's been like that with a lot of things. I'm doing the invitations with my sister now, but I'm not sure she's going to like them. I don't want her flipping out on me."
"I'm sure you don't. I had to correct her for yelling at the consultant."
"I'm glad you went. She listens to you." He paused. "Are the twins behaving?"
"As much as they can." Ritsuka shrugged. "How are the invitations going?"
"Alright, I guess. Like I said, I don't know if she'll like them. She just gave me cards and decorations and told me to have fun. But you know what that means when it comes to her and all this wedding stuff. It goes to her head."
"I know. But she'll at least appreciate that you put the effort into this. A lot of guys can't be bothered to help out with their wedding stuff."
"Does Soubi help with yours?"
He flushed. "We're not really in the planning stages yet, Yayoi. We just got engaged, for God's sake."
"Sorry, sorry." Yayoi laughed. "You know, back when we were kids, if someone told us you'd be marrying Soubi and I'd be marrying Yuiko, we'd think they were nuts."
"Yeah, you thought you didn't have a chance in hell. Glad I came out, aren't you?"
Yayoi laughed. "Yeah, you're a lifesaver, Aoyagi. We wouldn't be anywhere without you."
Ritsuka laughed. "You know you love it."
"Yeah, yeah, don't get cocky."
"I'm an Aoyagi. Cocky is our main quality."
"I can't argue that."
"Hey!"
They both laughed as the dressing room doors opened.
"She's coming out, I'll talk to you later. Don't stress over the invites, alright? They'll look great."
"Thanks. Later."
Yuiko seemed to be in a better mood as she stood on the platform to check out the new dress. Red sparkles covered the sweetheart neckline and trailed down to thin out at the middle of the white dress. The back was a corset with red lace that matched the sparkles. It went to her feet, but they were still slightly visible underneath it. She beamed as she spun in a circle on the platform, the dress fanning out around her.
"What do you think, boys?" She asked.
"Very shiny…" Yoji rolled his eyes.
"And fluffy." Natsuo added.
She pouted. "You're no help. Ritsuka-kun?"
"It suits you, Yuiko. Color matches your theme, too." He informed. "I think you found it, if it's the one you like."
"I do like it." She looked at herself in the mirror again. "I'll take it."
"Finally!" Yoji all but jumped out of his seat, gripping the ends of the armrests. "No more Bridezilla dress meltdowns. Can we go now?"
Yuiko giggled behind her hand. "Sure, Yoji. Let me just change and we can pay for it."
"You mean your father's credit card can pay for it." Natsuo laughed. "How much in the hole is he?"
"The dress costs 165,403 Yen." The woman informed softly.
"Daddy gave me a budget of 165,000." Yuiko hung her head. "Back to the dressing room, I guess."
Yoji groaned.
"I'm sorry, miss…" The woman bowed her head. "If I had a way to lower the price, I would…"
"No, it's okay…I understand." She sighed. "I'll be back."
Ritsuka stood and grabbed the consultant's arm as she started to follow. "Hold on, Miss." He told her. "She's over budget by what, four hundred and three?"
She nodded. "That's right."
"Put the 165,000 on her father's card. I'll cover the rest."
"Are…are you sure?" She asked.
He nodded. "My fiancé won't mind. We've got plenty of money to sustain us. Besides, we can always charm a few hundred out of Ritsu if we have to."
Yoji and Natsuo snickered. The sensei still had a soft spot for Soubi, even though he was older and unavailable now, and seemed to like Ritsuka despite who his brother was. He'd do anything to keep the two of them happy and Ritsuka in Septimal Moon. Pathetic.
"I'll tell her, then." The woman smiled.
Ritsuka shook his head. "Just let her go through the rest of the dresses. She'll give up and on the way out, hand her the receipt."
"Sure." She smiled. "You're a good friend, Aoyagi-kun."
He smiled back. "Just doing my job as best friend and Best Man to prevent the bride from having a total breakdown."
She giggled and nodded, leaving to talk to a coworker.
"You saved us all." Yoji whispered as Yuiko came back. "Great job."
He nodded. "Thanks."
She went through the other four dresses the consultant had brought out, but none of them affected her the way the other one did.
"I guess we can just try somewhere else." She sounded dejected.
"I'm sorry we couldn't find anything to your liking, miss." The woman offered.
"It's okay…I guess I'm a little picky."
She returned in her street clothes, a pink hoodie over a black shirt and grey jeans.
"Come on, guys." She sighed, leading the boys out the door.
The man at the register gave chase, holding the door in place so they couldn't leave.
"Excuse me, miss, but I believe you forgot something." He greeted.
"My purse?" She checked her arm it was slung over. "No, I've got that. What is it?" She sighed.
"Your receipt." He winked and handed her the paper before rushing off to help a couple out.
"Receipt? I didn't buy anything…" She looked at it. "B-But…" She looked at her friends.
"Don't say a damn word to Yayoi." Ritsuka informed. "Or Soubi…I'll tell him later."
"Ritsuka-kun!" She hugged him tightly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
"You're welcome, Yuiko." He patted her on the back. "But you're crushing me. Let me go."
"Oh, sorry." She rubbed the back of her neck, blushing. "But seriously, thank you so much. We'll pay you back."
He waved her off. "Just enjoy the wedding. And no more melt downs, got me?"
"Got it." She giggled. "Come on. I've got to meet up with Breya," Yayoi's half-sister, "Ai, and Osamu to look for bridesmaid dresses."
"Hey, Yuiko?" Yayoi asked.
"Yes?"
"I think you forgot about the veil."
She groaned at the same time that Ritsuka smacked him upside the head.
000
Later that night, Ritsuka and the twins sat with Yuiko and Yayoi as the future groom and his sister showed her the invitations they had made. Yayoi was nervously wringing his hands between his knees as she looked through them. The bright red envelopes with white writing were hard to miss sitting on the counter, but she'd kept her hands to herself until after dinner. Breya was smiling gently as Yuiko read the wording on them. The invitations were white with a bright blue border, strawberries in the bottom left corner, and red writing.
"I…um…" She bit her lip.
"Remember what we agreed on, Yuiko." Ritsuka told her gently.
"I know, I know." She sighed and smiled. "The wording is a little off to me, but they're very pretty."
"What's off?" Breya asked. "This is only a prototype, so we can change anything."
"I'm not sure." Yuiko looked at it again. "Hawatari Teyma and Maya cordially invite you to witness the holy union of their daughter Hawatari Yuiko and Shioiri Yayoi." She read. "I don't know. Shouldn't it mention your patens, too?"
"They normally don't." Ritsuka informed. "It's usually the bride's family. But you can do both. Just omit the first names."
"Mr. and Mrs. Hawatari and Mr. and Mrs. Shioiri cordially invite you?" Breya asked. "That's pretty wordy."
"The Hawatari's and Shioiri's cordially invite you…" Yoji offered, picking at his nails.
"A little better." Yuiko stated.
"Words are your strong-suit, Natsuo. What do you think?" Ritsuka sked the Fighter.
He shrugged. "I dunno." He responded. "I think it sounds fine the way it is, but if Yuiko wants to change it, that's her choice. Maybe take out the word cordially. There's nothing overly formal about this, right? You wanted to keep things light and casual, Yuiko?"
She nodded. "I did."
"Then take out the cordially, but leave it as is for the rest of it." He stated. "Oh, and drop out the holy part. This isn't some religious shit. It's a wedding."
"Actually, for my grandparents, I'd like to keep it a little religious, if that's okay, Yuiko." Yayoi rubbed the back of his neck. "They're kind of all…tch" he made a strangling motion with his hands, "about religion."
"I'm so ditching that crap for my wedding." Breya muttered.
"That's fine, Yayoi. I think my grandparents would like that, too." She smiled gently.
"So, Hawatari Teyma and Maya invite you to witness the holy union of their daughter Hawatari Yuiko and Shioiri Yayoi, at Three PM on Saturday, September Second, 2017. The ceremony will take place at Sens ō-ji Temple." Breya read, crossing off things and writing on the invitation prototype as she read. "Sound better?"
He nodded. "Yeah, that's good. Yuiko?"
"I like it." She smiled softly.
"Me, too." Yayoi added.
"Glad that's settled." Ritsuka informed.
"You and me both." Yoji replied. "All I can say, four-eyes, is good luck."
"I've asked you not to call me that…" Yayoi rolled his eyes.
"Just be glad he's not your best man. He'd incorporate it into his speech so many times you'd want to strangle him." Natsuo informed, receiving a glare from his partner.
"More than you already want to." Ritsuka added.
Yoji hit him with a throw pillow, making the raven-haired Sacrifice laugh.
"I'm glad that's settled." Breya smiled. "I'll make the new invitations for you tomorrow after class." She stood. "Father will kill me if I take too long to get home, so I should get going."
"I'll drive you." Yuiko stated, standing. "Don't you three disappear while I'm gone, okay?" She winked at her friends.
"Bye, boys. See you tomorrow, Yayoi." She hugged her brother.
"Thanks for your help, sis."
"Any time." She grinned.
The two girls left. Once they did, the boys all breathed a sigh of relief.
"I believe this is where we break out the booze and gossip on how we thought that was going to go worse than it already did." Yoji informed.
"What did you agree on, Ritsuka?" Yayoi asked. "You asked Yuiko to remember when she was going to snap earlier?"
"Oh, it's nothing."
"He promised he wouldn't tell." Natsuo offered.
"Well he did just come out and say it out in the open here…" Yoji offered.
"I made her promise me she wouldn't have any more meltdowns or we're not helping anymore." Ritsuka covered. "That's all."
"Oh…did she find the right dress? I hope she did…she seemed happy when she got here to get Breya…"
Ritsuka and the Zeroes met up with Soubi and his friends Akira and Kio for lunch near the older men's college after dress shopping with Yuiko. They'd only come back to the apartment after because Yayoi had begged them.
"Oh, she found it alright." Yoji commented. "Forgot the veil though, so we had to go back in."
"If you hadn't opened your big mouth we would have been out of there and finding one would have bene the girls' problem." Natsuo told him.
"Did she have any luck with them?"
"Yeah, Osamu said they found the right dresses, but Yuiko was a Bridezilla about it for a bit. Osamu smacked her." Ritsuka informed.
"Oh, god."
"Maid of Honor privileges." Ritsuka laughed.
"Speaking of special privileges you two get because you're the most important party members after Bridezilla and four eyes themselves," Yoji ignored Yayoi telling him once again to not call him that, "have you started on your speech yet, Aoyagi?"
"No." He admitted. "And when I do, I'm not telling you guys."
They groaned.
"Oh, did you have any luck with the photographer?" Yayoi asked. "I know you were going to ask your classmate since Yuiko refuses to let you do it for us."
"Yeah, I talked to Hajime earlier. He's willing to do it. 400 YEN."
"That's not bad. Thank you, we owe you."
"Privileges of being best friends with an artist. We get you good shit for good prices."
"Like drug dealers." Yoji laughed.
"Only you would know that, Yoji." Ritsuka rolled his eyes.
Natsuo playfully shoved him. "And you didn't share? How rude." He pouted.
"Next time, I'll include you in the transaction." Yoji commented. "Might get dangerous. Might need someone to bail my ass out."
"Not the only thing I'd like to do to your ass…" Natsuo muttered.
"I think this is where you two get lost." Ritsuka informed.
"Yeah, we better go make sure Nagisa-sensei didn't call."
They got new cell phones but refused to give the numbers to the sensei they once called their mother and only gave her the phone number to their apartment instead. The twins stood.
"Anything else wedding related we're stuck with?"
"She's working tomorrow, so I'm stuck making wedding favors if you guys want to help…" Yayoi rubbed his neck.
"Nah, let Ritsuka deal with the artsy-fartsy shit." Yoji stretched. "Come on, Natsuo. Call if you need anything or Pinky goes off again, okay, Brain?"
"Yeah…" Yayoi rolled his eyes as the twins left.
Yoji thought he was clever as shit when he decided their couple name should have been Pinky and the Brain because Yayoi was smart and Yuiko was a pink haired airhead. Soubi called it his pre-midlife crisis to give things nicknames based on shows from his childhood.
"Sorry." Ritsuka stated. "I know they're a handful."
"Yeah, but other than you, they're the best friends I could have asked for…"
"Same here, Yayoi. Same here."
000
Hot glue was a gift straight from Satan himself, Ritsuka had decided about an hour into making party favors. He'd had to glue silver buttons onto bright blue ribbons on mason jars and bright blue fabric onto lids of other, smaller mason jars. A lot of it had gotten onto his fingers. He wished he was a Zero so he wouldn't have felt the pain. But he did. Every. Single. Time. Yuiko had better appreciate all the effort that went into making the party favors. Yayoi tied cards with the words spread the love on them attached to blue ribbon around the tops of the smaller jars. Soubi joined them to give an extra hand since the Zero boys were elsewhere. He made sure the ribbons had enough room to slip a spoon under by putting a blue plastic spoon under each, but were tight enough to not fall off and hold the spoon well. Akira and Kio had said they were going to help, but last-minute projects prevented them from assisting. Yuiko had liked everything, but Ritsuka had a feeling she'd complain once they left.
"This isn't even your wedding, and you're stressed to hell." Soubi told him after dinner that night, rubbing his shoulders as they watched reruns of Mr. Robot.
"Yeah, well, with Yuiko going off the handle every five minutes, it's hard to destress." He paused the episode on the DVR and tilted his head to give Soubi more access to a sore spot.
"I hope you're not going to be like this while planning ours."
"Like Yuiko or like I am now?"
"I'd say both, but I feel you'd be highly offended by the first."
"Natsuo told Yoji not to be like her when they plan theirs and he got mad."
Soubi chuckled. "A Zero tantrum would be a thousand times worse than a Yuiko tantrum. Thank God Yoji's not the Fighter."
"We'd be screwed. Even more than we already are with Seimei around."
Soubi frowned. "Speaking of your brother…are you inviting him?"
"To our wedding?" Ritsuka rolled his eyes. "I barely want to invite my grandmother, let alone my not dead brother. I can see how that reveal goes. Would ruin the entire wedding. Screw that."
Soubi chuckled. "I'm sure you'll be invited to his."
"He'd have to drug me with chloroform and tie me to a chair if he wanted me to go to that." He crinkled his nose. "He's never going to get married anyway, so please don't give me any more images of my brother in a suit…or Kio in a dress…"
Seimei and Kio's twin sister Chouma had some sort of thing going on between them, from what Akame had said when they ran into him and his boyfriend a few months prior, but Ritsuka was certain it meant nothing and wouldn't go farther than whatever it currently was. Seimei didn't like other people touching him, let alone other people.
"I'm pretty sure Akira would like to see that."
"Halloween plans."
Soubi chuckled. "I'll suggest it to him."
"See to it that you do." Ritsuka shook off his fiancé's hands. "Hey, Soubi?"
"Hai?"
"I know what else will make me destress."
"Oh, yeah?" Soubi smirked, leaning in for a kiss.
"Ice cream."
"Tease." Soubi pouted.
"You can get that later." Ritsuka winked. "Get ice cream first." He stood.
"Where are you going?"
"Our room."
Soubi's eyes lit up as the younger Aoyagi brother laughed his way down the hall. He scrambled to the kitchen for ice cream. His Sacrifice might be a tease, but he wouldn't have it any other way.
000
Yayoi's bachelor party two weeks later was small and short, like he had asked. Yoji and Natsuo had tried to get Ritsuka to invite strippers, be he was bound by his promise to Yuiko that he wouldn't do that. However, liquor was definitely there, along with some desserts and a cake Yoji and Natsuo ordered without permission that looked like breasts in a red bra.
"That is in bad taste." Kio complained, crinkling his nose at the cake.
"It's funny as shit and you know it." Yoji stuck his tongue out.
"It's making me uncomfortable…" Yayoi complained, hiding half his face behind his glass of champagne.
"They're lopsided." Soubi pointed out.
Ritsuka snickered into his drink. "I hate all of you."
"You know you don't." Akira informed, raising his glass in a mock toast. "At least some of us have class."
He and Kio had taken Ritsuka in when he was fourteen and his mother tossed him out. Even though they let the Zeroes come over and spend the night every so often, they still weren't okay with their rather brash nature. For Ritsuka, and Soubi, they'd deal with it the best they could.
"You love us." Yoji offered.
"You know damn well we don't." Kio stuck his tongue out.
They all laughed.
"So, no strippers…what the hell do we do for entertainment? Binge watch crap on Netflix and drink every time someone does something?" Yoji rolled his eyes.
"Well…I hadn't planned for much." Ritsuka informed. "Actually, I was thinking we could head out somewhere. To a bar or something. But no strip clubs."
"Yeah, yeah, loyalty to Yuiko and all that blah." Natsuo waved him off.
"So, we're just pre-drinking?" Yoji grinned. "Game on."
"I'm cutting you off after a certain point, since you never know when you're close to alcohol poisoning." Kio informed. "Just so you're aware and don't try to bite me for it later."
Yoji stuck his tongue out and grabbed another beer. "Game on, Kaido."
"Shujimeki." Kio corrected with a glare.
"I know that. I just don't care."
000
Yayoi swirled around his drink as he sat with Ritsuka and the three eldest males at a table at the bar. Yoji and Natsuo were off flirting with random strangers and drinking more than Kio had agreed to let them drink, thinking he wasn't keeping track.
"This is just how I want to spend my after-bachelor-party-party." Yayoi commented. "Cleaning up their vomit."
"I vote we dump them on their doorstep in an hour and let them figure it out themselves." Kio muttered.
"I second the notion." Soubi agreed.
Yayoi laughed. "But seriously, thanks for the party, Ritsuka-kun, though we're not really doing much."
"Once we ditch the twins, we can do whatever you want to do. This shit is only to keep them busy until they're no longer sober enough to realize we're gone."
"Why, Ritsuka, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were taking after your brother."
"Well, you do know better, but you said it anyway. You can babysit the Zeroes after we ditch them, just for that." Ritsuka playfully shoved him.
"That hurts, Ritsuka." Soubi commented.
He rolled his eyes. "Good."
Yayoi giggled. "I mean, honestly, I didn't want strippers anyway, but I appreciate it that Yuiko asked and that you're sticking to it, Ritsuka."
"Thanks. Oh, and Midori says he's sorry he couldn't come. He had some last-minute shit to do in Gora. Ai's with Yuiko, though."
As the ring bearer, he said he'd feel out of place amongst the majority of the bridal party and their dates. And friends in the case of Kio and Akira.
"He does realize we're not part of the bridal party either, so feeling left out is a little foolish?" Kio asked, taking a drink.
"I don't think he does, honestly, but that's Midori for you."
"I'll never understand that one, honestly." Soubi stated.
They'd been sent to find Ritsuka for Septimal Moon, twice, and Soubi defeated them in battle, twice. When they went to the academy, Ai became a little more understanding of Soubi's two Sacrifice issue after talking to him alone and seeing that he understood about a Sacrifice-Fighter bond better than she thought.
"Do you get along with anyone that's not present here?" Akira asked. "And don't say Yuiko, Osamu, or Hanabi."
"Well…"
"Or Shinonome-sensei, because we all know you're okay now." Ritsuka added.
"Well…"
"Or anyone from your childhood." Kio added. "I don't need to hear stories about you and your sensei tonight."
He flushed. "I guess you have a point…" He muttered.
"It's alright. Outside of our little group, we don't really need anyone else." Ritsuka offered.
"He's right." Yayoi smiled softly. "We're fine the way we are now."
"Ironic. Soubi doesn't get along with anyone, and Ritsuka gets along with everyone." Kio mused. "Opposites really do attract, eh, Sou-chan?"
"You'd know. You're always sugar high and Akira puts up with it."
Akira laughed, earning a smack from his husband.
"Sorry to interrupt your lovely time here, gentlemen, but it seems like the rest of your group lost their fight with alcohol for the night." A woman told them, pointing at Yoji and Natsuo, who were slumped together at a table.
"God in heaven." Kio muttered, his head in his hands.
"You know how they are, Yamato, you shouldn't be surprised." Ritsuka stood to hug the young blonde woman.
"Oh, I'm well aware. At least Koya and I know our limits."
"You know yours." Koya commented softly, adjusting her glasses. "I can't feel anything, remember?"
They were the older generation Zeroes. Yamato's name started to fade and her sense of pain started to return after she and Koya fought the male Zeroes.
"Right." She smiled softly. "Good to see you again, Agatsuma."
"You as well." He nodded, taking a drink to avoid having to talk with her more.
She and Koya had been sent by Nagisa to lynch him, and if Ritsuka and the Zero boys hadn't found him when they did, he wasn't certain where he'd be now, let alone if he'd be alive.
"I don't think I know your friends, though."
"Shujimeki Akira and Kio, and Shioiri Yayoi." Ritsuka introduced.
"Nice to meet you." Yayoi told her.
"Likewise." She smiled. "Celebrating something, boys? Don't act like I can't see the ring, Aoyagi."
He hid it as she giggled.
"Not for me." He corrected. "Yayoi's getting married in two weeks."
"Oh, congratulations." She told him.
"Thanks."
"We would have invited you to ours, but we just signed papers at the courthouse."
Koya showed off her ring a little. "It was small."
"Congratulations."
"When's yours?"
"Next year, probably." Ritsuka shrugged. "Akira and Kio got married when I was fourteen."
"Awesome." She grinned. "So, where's the other lucky groom, hm? Not one of the twins, I hope."
"You and I both know those two are only going to end up with one another. No one else would take their shit."
"True that."
"And my fiancé's a woman." Yayoi corrected her.
She blushed. "Sorry. Sometimes I forget there are actually straight people in this world."
Koya giggled a little. "Yamato…" She warned.
Yamato laughed. "Well, we won't intrude on your night anymore. Just thought you should know they're done for."
"We're ditching them at their front door." Ritsuka informed.
"Well played." Koya offered.
"And so lovely." Yamato winked. "Well, nice meeting you boys. Agatsuma, no hard feelings, I hope?"
"I suppose."
She grinned. "Great! Well, good luck. And congratulations again, Yayoi-kun."
"Just Yayoi is fine, but thank you!" He smiled.
She and Koya left after one last hug to Ritsuka, whispering to one another.
"How do you know them?" Kio asked.
"They almost killed me." Soubi responded almost instantly.
Kio didn't ask any more questions after that.
000
Ritsuka sat with Yuiko the following with a massive hangover and enough yawning to power an entire army as she went through her checklist of things that needed to be finished. They had thinned down the guest list and made seating arrangements about an hour ago, and he was honestly wiped out. She's hounded him for a good two hours about the bachelor's party and made him swear there had been no strippers and no funny business. Once they had dropped off Zero at their house, inside at Yayoi's good-natured insistence, they went back to Ritsuka and Soubi's place for some old school party games and some tamer Bachelor Party games Ritsuka had found online. Yayoi hadn't drunk as much as his friends had, but he'd had enough for Yuiko to yell at him when he got home. He had called Ritsuka that morning complaining that she was a Bridezilla and he wasn't sure if he wanted to do this anymore, but a few choice words from the older neko about how much he loved Yuiko and worked to be with her, how hard they'd work to get them together, and that he better not blow it made him change his tune.
"I think we've got everything settled. I even picked out my hairstyle and where we are going for that…" She paused. "Are you listening, Ritsuka-kun?"
"Huh?" He rubbed his eyes. "Yeah, I'm listening. I'm just tired. You think we're all set."
She nodded. "We had our reception planned from the start, and all he and I have to do now is write our vows. Honestly, I'm a little nervous for that. Oh, when you guys did the favors, did you do the flower girl basket and ring bearer pillow too? I forgot to ask."
"No, we didn't. we were supposed to?"
She laughed. "Yes! It's okay, I'll get the materials."
"Alright."
She giggled and left the room. He closed his eyes. He wasn't aware she was back until she shook him and called his name.
"You're dozing. Do you want to go home and sleep? I can handle this?"
"No, no, it's fine. I know how you are with hot glue. Just get me the template."
"Right here." She handed him a photograph.
It seemed simple enough. He started measuring the bright blue ribbon for the pillow. She wrung her hands between her knees.
"Ritsuka-kun?"
"Yes?"
"Are you certain you want to marry Soubi-san?"
"Huh? Why are you asking? You know I do. You're not getting cold feet, are you?" He set down the scissors and ribbon once he cut it so he could focus on the bride-to-be.
"A little…" She sighed. "I love Yayoi, I do. And I appreciate all the effort you and the twins and he did to help us get together, and everything you've done to help us stay together…"
Ritsuka had had to have a serious talk with her in senior year when she let rumors get to her because Yayoi was helping a new girl on orders from the school and people took it to be something it wasn't, while the Zero boys threatened people to shut them up. Took a few weeks for the rumors to go away, but in the end, it worked.
"But it's scary…"
"Getting married? You're handling it well."
"Yeah, but the whole spending your life together thing…I was researching traditional vows to find something to put in that would make his grandparents happy, and some of the things I read kind of scared me…but I know you're so certain about Soubi, and Akira and Akio are certain about each other, and Ai with Midori, and the twins together…which I still think is weird, you know."
"To each their own." He shrugged one shoulder.
"And it just makes me feel weird. Like I want to be that sure about us, too, you know? I don't want us to be getting married because our families are pushing us into it or because we feel like we have no choice in it. I want to get married because I love him but, honestly, I was feeling the pressure from mommy before he proposed. I'm partially concerned I said yes to make her happy."
"Let me ask you something then." He leaned forward, arms crossed over his legs. "Would you be disappointed if you didn't get married? Let's say he never proposed because he was too afraid to. Would that be okay with you? Just dating for the rest of your life?"
"No…I…I always knew I wanted to get married…back then, when we were kids, I thought it could possibly be you…but you came out and Yayoi confessed and…I don't know, it was all a whirlwind. I mean, I know Yayoi liked me since we were kids, he did ask me out before but I turned him down because I was scared."
"Scared of what?"
"I don't know. I just was scared. Like I didn't want to risk ruining our friendship but…"
"It's only gotten stronger."
"Yes." She smiled sadly. "I know I'm truly marrying my best friend, other than you, and I know he feels the same. But at the same time…I just don't know. I want to get married before I'm twenty-seven, and I want to start having kids before then, too. My career is going great, and he's getting promoted soon, and I just want to keep my life going in the right direction."
"And…?"
"Marrying Yayoi is number one on my Things I Want to Do list, but it's still scary, you know?"
"Yeah, I get that. I mean, you asked about Soubi and me so I'll tell you a bit without making it seem like this is about me, because it's not." He took a deep breath. "The scariest day of my life wasn't when I woke up without my memories, or when mom started to beat me, or when Seimei died. It wasn't when I had to switch schools, or when I met Soubi, or when he left. It wasn't when my mom kicked me out of the house and I had nowhere to go, or when I had to settle into a routine living with Kio and Akira. It's not the days I helped Yayoi and you, or the day I came out to you guys, or at school. It wasn't when I had to tell countless doctors and my therapist and the police every little detail about what my mother did because my father found out I was living with friends and called the police. It wasn't when he came back into my life, or his and Amia's wedding, or my sister being born. It wasn't any of that. It was when he came back. It was when he proposed." Ritsuka gave her a small smile. "Even when he left, I knew I loved Soubi, no matter how much I fought it or said I didn't. You knew that, Yayoi knew that, the twins knew that. Hell, Shinonome-sensei, Kio, and Akira knew that. So, did Ai and Midori, and Yamato and Koya, and my other friends out in Gora. So, did Ritsu and Nagisa-sensei. So, did Tai, and Nana. Everyone knew that, even I did to a degree. I always told myself I'd take him back if he came back, because I know that's where I'm meant to be. With him." A pause. "But did it frighten me? When he came back, and we interacted for the first time in seven years, did it scare me? Yes, because I didn't want my heart to be broken again, to leave myself open to him and be hurt again. It scared the shit out of me. And when he proposed, I said yes without thinking. He knew I would, you all did, or you wouldn't have come and he wouldn't have invited you all. But it still scared me. Soubi and I could live together without me taking his name, without a ring on my finger or a paper in our safety deposit box, and I'd be happy. But he proposed, made it that much more official. It's scary. Going from just dating to someone to promising to marry then, and then marrying them. You're promising your life, your mind, body, and soul, to Yayoi. And that's a scary thing, I get that. But it's worth the fear. After the wedding, you're going to laugh about how silly you were being, and smile about how happy you are to be a Shioiri. I know that, and so do you, or you would have called it off without talking to me."
Strange that both she and her soon to be husband would be feeling the same doubtful feelings on the same day.
"I…I didn't know you had that much going on in your head about things…"
"I have about a thousand things going through my mind at any given moment, Yuiko. Of course, I've thought a lot about this. But I've also thought about how my life would be if I hadn't taken him back, or if I didn't say yes when he proposed. And I found that I didn't like it all that much. I've been through a lot in my life, you know that now that I've been more open with my past in the past couple of years."
She nodded.
"But I wouldn't change it because it got me to where I am. It got me back with Soubi, got me my own apartment. Soubi and I are thinking of getting a house after we get married, for god's sake. If you told me when I was twelve that I'd be this far in life, I'd think you were as insane as my mother."
She giggled. "I can see what you mean, Ritsuka-kun. I wish I thought about things more like you do. You're always thinking about things."
He shrugged. "If I didn't, I probably wouldn't be alive right now. I always have to have an exit strategy, sometimes two. Always a plan A, B, and C. Always an option. Before I moved in with Kio and Akira, I had no clue. I didn't know where I'd go or what I'd do now that I was on the streets. Before them, I didn't know how to be comfortable in my own skin, because before I wasn't what my mother wanted, and I didn't live up to expectations. But with Akira and Kio I had the freedom to do as I please, come and go as I please. I had to learn how to think better and plan better. They guided me, sure, but they weren't out to take the place of my parents. I still had to make my own mistakes. I had to go through shitty relationships before Soubi came back. I had to make mistakes and get myself into situations I never should have been in, in the first place. I don't want to say you're always had it easy, because I know it's never been easy for you. You were always taking care of yourself. It just came naturally to you. You didn't have to think about what you would do or could do. You didn't have to think about how things would be if you took the other way. You just did what you did to survive because that's what you always did. It wasn't easy, it was just different."
She smiled. "Thanks, Ritsuka-kun. You know, I've always admired you, even after I stopped wanting to be with you." She informed softly. "You were always brave and you stood up for me when I couldn't. You were always so nice and you took care of your friends, of Soubi-san. You were outspoken and so sure of yourself. I was nothing like you, neither was Yayoi. You're more like Zero then you care to admit, but you're nicer about it. I know he's envied your confidence just like I envied your strength and bravery. I think that I am the way I am now because of you giving me that push. My envy of you made me want to do better, to be more like you. And I thank you for that, Ritsuka-kun, I do." Her eyes welled up a little bit. "If you weren't here…I don't think I'd like that outcome very much. I probably wouldn't be with Yayoi, or opening my own Day Care, or working on my Master's degree. I'd just be a servant to my old friends without knowing it, and after graduation, I'd be alone. You inspired me to be better, you gave Yayoi the confidence to ask me out. You showed me that I can have friends that didn't use me, that I deserved friends that didn't use me. Without you, I don't think I'd like it very much either."
He smiled gently. "Thank you, Yuiko…you just gave me an idea."
"What…?"
"Sorry, but you're going to have to do this." He stood, handing her the pillow and a spool of thread that matched the blue ribbon. "Be careful and follow the template. Video chat me if you need help. I have a speech to write."
000
The wedding two weeks later went smoothly. Yuiko's mother and Yayoi's step-mother held one another and cried while their husbands rolled their eyes and shared a look. Yoji and Natsuo behaved and didn't need to be smacked by Soubi, who sat with Kio and Akira up front so they could deal with them if they had to. Yuiko's old friends came and were civil, and the rest of her family seemed to get along. Yuiko looked stunning in her white and red dress with a matching long, layered red veil and red kitten heels. If she wore anything too big, she'd be too tall for her already much shorter groom. The priest offered him a box to step on, much to his chagrin and the amusement of everyone, but he denied it. the bridesmaids and maid of honor wore strawberries on their nails and in their hair to match their wedding, and Ritsuka and the groomsmen wore blue tuxes to match Yayoi's with little strawberry clips on their blood red ties. He wore pretty much the same thing, but his tux was just a shade darker and his tie a shade lighter. Yayoi read moving vows that even had his bride so in tears that Osamu had to read her vows for her. Midori handled only being a pillow holder, as Yoji had put it, rather well, even though he tripped on his way down the aisle because he hadn't tied his shoelace properly. The reception was well decorated, though the amount of teal and strawberry red was enough to make Ritsuka feel like he was going to go blind the moment he stepped into the venue. Strawberries were obviously the theme everywhere, from the color of the placemats to the balloon shapes blue and chocolate covered strawberries near the buffet. Even the cards for the table numbers had strawberries in the corners. Yuiko and her father's dance was short and sweet, since she had to run to grab tissues halfway through. Yoji made an insensitive emotional broad comment that made Soubi cast a silencing spell on him for an hour, which only made Natsuo laugh and tease his Sacrifice instead of trying to reverse it. the younger guests played party games with the DJ while the adults mingled at their tables and around the room. Yuiko and Yayoi shared hushed whispers at the head table as people began to sit down and eat, music playing softly in the background. Soubi, Kio, Akira, and Ritsuka's step-brother and half-sister sat at a table with his mother and step-father near the head table. Ritsuka didn't need to listen in to tell that things were awkward between the men that raised him, the man he was sleeping with, the father that didn't really care about him growing up, and the woman he'd pledged his life to. The cake was wheeled out three hours into the after party. It was a square, three-tiered cake. Two layers were turquoise with intricate white designs, with a layer in the opposite format sandwiched between them. Red candy roses sat on top, with chocolate covered strawberries designed like a suit and dress sat in the middle, and petals cascaded around one side. There was also a three-layer tiered tower of red velvet cupcakes with blue frosting and topped with a strawberry for guests allergic to the chocolate in the three-tiered marble cake. Once everyone got a piece and sat down, a waiter went around filling glasses with champagne. The DJ tapped on the microphone before anyone could chow down, though Yoji already had half of his slice in his mouth.
"May I please have everyone's attention?" The DJ asked. "I believe the Maid of Honor and Best Man have toasts they'd like to present."
Osamu stood first with a nod from Ritsuka and took the microphone.
"Okay, so I know the Maid of Honor speaking isn't as traditional as some of the older generations might be willing to accept, but Yuiko said it's okay, so be mad at her. Not me." She began with a wink, gathering laughter. "But in all seriousness, I'm going to keep it brief. We all know how long winded Ritsuka can be with his pep talks, and I'm sure you don't want to be bored to death twice in one night." He flushed as people laughed, especially the Zero twins. "Settle down, guys, it was just a joke. Drama queens." Osamu cracked a grin. "So Yuiko and I haven't known each other as long as she and Yayoi, or even she and Ritsuka have. But she's come to be one of my best friends, and I'd feel improper if I didn't congratulate her and her new husband on their nuptials. Yoji and Natsuo, that does not mean what you think it means."
"Shut up!" Yoji countered, getting laughter.
"Hey, you can talk again." Natsuo commented. "Shit."
More laughter as the greenette glared at his twin.
"Yeah, we're all screwed now." Osamu commented. "Except these two. Clearly their ears are real."
Ritsuka shook his head, noting how Yuiko and Yayoi's grandparents were both glaring at the speaking girl for her indecent joke.
"Okay, enough out of me." Osamu stated. "Congratulations to my former rival. Though, let's be honest, neither of us stood a chance since the former object of our affections prefers men."
"No one wants to be reminded of that…" Ritsuka muttered.
"No, but we all have to see it since blondie's here. Hi, Soubi!"
"I know where you live." The blonde threatened.
Laughter as Osamu fake gulped and pulled at one of the straps to her crimson dress.
"And on that note, it's Ritsuka's turn. Yuiko, Yayoi, congratulations. You're a perfect couple, you really are."
People cheered and toasted with a sip of champagne. Ritsuka had to fight to swallow his and not spit it out from the taste. He hadn't liked it at Akira and Kio's wedding, nor at his father's, and he didn't like it now.
"Here, Aoyagi. Knock um dead. But not really." Osamu tossed him the microphone.
He caught it by the chord. "I'll try to keep it brief, since you've done enough mortifying us for one day." He told her, receiving a few chuckles. "I know I have a history of never shutting up, but for everyone's sakes tonight, I'll try and do that for once." He cleared his throat. "When I switched schools back in sixth grade, Yuiko was the first person there to talk to me, outside of sensei." He gave a nod to their teacher, who was sitting with her family and a couple other people at another table. "And, honestly, I was an asshole. Pardon my Japanese." Laughter. "But she stuck with me, and here we are. And yes, like Osamu said, there's a history with us as far as Yuiko liking me goes, but none of that matters. It stopped mattering when Yayoi asked me to help him confess and not get his heart ripped out of his chest. Even the twins behaved for five minutes with that one. Shocker, I know." More laughter. "Honestly, I wasn't certain what to say here, but like at Akira and Kio's wedding, sometimes inspiration just hits you in the face. Seriously, my ego's still bruised. It was the bride herself that gave me the inspiration here." He winked at the now flushing pinkette. "We were talking the other day, about relationships and where we'd be without the people in our lives today. And I got to thinking, I wouldn't exactly like my life without both her and Yayoi in it. sure, Yayoi and I have had our differences in the past. But in the end, we're still friends, and I'm still best man, and those two aren't." He nodded at the twins. "Thank god. You don't want to hear what kind of speech they would give, and neither do I." Laughter. "When I switched schools, I was still bitter about having to do so, about what happened to lead to me doing so in the first place. I didn't want to make friends, I just wanted to go about my life and graduate and get the hell out of here. Quite clearly, all that is a thing of the past and I'm stuck here not only with the love of my life, but the best friends I could have ever asked for." He looked at the wedding party. "Yuiko, you told me something the other day that I'll never forget. That you envied me for my confidence and my willingness to defend you to some girls in our class that wouldn't take the hint and used you as nothing more than a pack mule and a metaphorical punching bag just because they could." He ignored the glares from her former bullies. "You said I inspired you to be better, to want more out of life than what you were getting. You thanked me. You actually thanked me for just being a decent human being, though we all know I wasn't a decent human being in a long time before I moved here. But the truth here, Yuiko, is it's not you who should be thanking me. It's me that should be thanking you." He looked down at the bride, smiling softly. "Despite everything that was happening to you, despite being bullied by people that pretended to be your friend, despite being a latchkey kid and taking care of yourself most of your life, despite all that, you were still a strong person, you were still brave. Maybe you didn't realize it before I came around, but all that was inside of you. There's no need to thank me for that." He shook his head. "You took everything that was coming with your head held high and you just plowed through." He stretched his arm that was holding his champagne flute out towards the floor. "If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be who I am today. You inspired me to do better than to wallow in my own self-pity, self-loathing. You inspired me to be brave and confident. I defended you not just because it was the right thing to do, but because no one had bothered to do so before I came around. The truth is, Yuiko, in your own little way, you were far braver and far more confident than I ever was or ever will be. I wouldn't be where I am today, be who I am today, if it wasn't for you. So, don't thank me, Yuiko. I'm the one that should be thanking you. Thank you." Cheering. "I wish you and Yayoi the best of luck and the best future you could possibly have. You both deserve it, you know you do. Congratulations Shioiri Yuiko and Yayoi!" He held up his glass.
"Congratulations!" The crowd cheered.
Yuiko stood and hugged him, eyes streaming tears, as people drank from their glasses or clinked them together with other people at their tables. Yayoi stood and hugged them both.
"Hey what about me?" Osamu complained, practically jumping across the table to hug them.
"Don't forget about us!" Natsuo pulled Yoji over and nuzzled into Ritsuka's back.
"That's frigging creepy; stop it." Ritsuka scolded.
"Agreed. His hair is much softer." Yoji nuzzled the raven locks.
Ritsuka tried to shake them loose as Yuiko hugged him tighter.
"Thank you, means a lot that you think that highly of me." She informed him. "I'll never forget this. Never."
000
Ritsuka and his friends threw confetti at Yuiko and Yayoi and shouted goodbyes as the two walked to the gate their flight was leaving from. Yuiko had always wanted to travel the world, and Yayoi granted her that wish with a two-week trip including stops in France, Spain, New York City, and New Zealand for their honeymoon. She had cried about a thousand times on the way over to the airport, hugging her mother tight and swearing she'd call and send photographs every day. Ritsuka handed her a wrapped gift when they first got to the airport.
"Don't open this until you're on the flight, okay?" He had asked. "It's a last-minute wedding gift from all of us. Hajime helped put it together last weekend."
"Okay, Ritsuka-kun. Thank you. You've done so much already." She'd commented.
"Just doing my job as best friend to make sure you two have a great wedding, and an even better honeymoon." He had winked, making her laugh.
Now, as the airplane pulled away from the tarmac, she squeezed her husband's hand tightly.
"I'm so excited." She informed him. "This is going to be so much fun."
"It was really nice of Osamu to loan us one of her good cameras and some extra film rolls." He smiled gently. "I'm sure we're going to take a lot of photographs to show off when we get home."
"And to our kids one day." She smiled. "If you're okay with that, that is!"
He kissed her knuckles. "Yuiko, nothing would make me happier than to have you be the mother of my children."
She giggled. "You're so sweet."
Once the plane took off and they were able to take off their seatbelts as it steadied in the sky, Yayoi took the gift from the overhead and handed it to her.
"You want to open it now?" He asked.
"I'd love to."
She pulled off the strawberry covered wrapping paper carefully. Clearly, they had been drawn onto the white paper, most likely by their friends, and she didn't want to destroy them. He neatly folded up the paper as she ran her hand over the cover. There were two photo memory books inside the wrapping. One was a slightly smaller blue one, and the larger one was big and strawberry red. She opened the smaller one to find it empty, but with a note written on the front cover in nice, neat kanji.
"For your honeymoon. Take lots of pictures to fill up your new memory book. Love, Agatsuma Ritsuka and Soubi." She read. "How cute! They're not even planning the wedding yet, and he's using Soubi-san's last name."
"Adorable." Yayoi responded, taking the book from her. "We'll make good use of this.
She opened the second one, which had a photo of their wedding cake peeking through the visibility window on the front. On the inside, he had written in kanji, again, but it was signed by all their guests.
"There's more signatures on the back. Small wedding my butt." She read the crossed-out words. "Sorry, Yoji did it. we had a great time at your wedding. Can't wait to see you again. Until then, keep these memories of us close to home so that when Paris feels a little too welcoming, you know what you're going to go back for. Love Ritsuka and company." She read.
"Let's look." Yayoi tuned the page.
There were photographs from the wedding inside, the red and turquoise suddenly looking much brighter than it had there. It started with a photograph of the wedding party surrounding the happy couple that had been taken right before the ceremony. Everyone who had attended was in there at least once, along with crowd shots and couple shots from the photo booth they'd had set up there. Each one was labeled, and the pages were all decorated in their wedding colors and strawberry stickers and borders on some of the photographs. At the end was an old photograph from their high school graduation in full color. Soubi stood with his arms around Ritsuka's neck, and Yoji and Natsuo were trying to wrestle each other. Yuiko and Yayoi were holding hands, their free hands holding their diplomas up high. Osamu was sticking her tongue out and giving the camera a peace sign. Since she didn't go to school with them, she was one of the only ones that wasn't an adult in regular clothes, the others being Ai and Midori, and a pink and purple haired girl that they only met that one day and never spoke of again. Kio and Akira stood next to Ritsuka, a hand on either of his shoulders. Akira held the neko's college acceptance letter next to him and Kio sucked on a lollipop. It was taken right outside of Yuiko's house by her parents. Yoji and Natsuo's mother was standing with her face turned up and away from the camera, as she had been arguing with the silver haired male next to her just before the picture. He looked like he was still arguing with her. A bluenette woman and another gay couple stood there as well, rolling their eyes at the bickering teachers. Shinonome-sensei stood between Ritsuka and Yuiko and Yayoi, grinning as she held a bouquet of flowers they'd given her. Written over the top of it in thick, black kanji was the words THANK YOU.
"You know, Yayoi?" Yuiko asked, shutting the book.
"Yes?" He took two champagne glasses from the woman strolling by with the snack and drink cart.
"I'm going to love this trip, I really am." She grinned, taking her glass. "But I'm going to love going home to our friends even more."
"I second that."
They clinked their glasses together and wrapped their arms around one another.
They both took sips from their glasses, saying the two words that were the real theme of their wedding.
"Thank you."