Kotori felt everything.
The frantic pounding of her heart in her chest. The nervous breathing against her lips. The shaking of her fingers as they gently grasped around her waist. Her friend's worried golden eyes staring back nervously as she leaned closer, the familiar sweet scent intoxicating all of the her senses.
She licked her lips.
With not as much hesitatance, Kotori leaned forward, expecting a pair of soft lips upon hers. Expecting the one thing she's been wanting since they met all those years ago.
Just a little bit more and—
She pulled away quickly, her nose slightly tingling. A barely noticeable sting, but still there.
"I-I'm sorry!" Umi frantically waved, tears in her eyes as she apologized profusely. Who knew a simple nose bump would reduce the extraordinary, stoic, and calm Sonoda Umi, into a sputtering, blushing mess?
At the sight, Kotori only let out an amused giggle. "You really are a bad kisser, aren't you?"
Umi just grew redder than before as she shyly looked away. Kotori held back another snort of amusement. Chuckling to herself as she realized her to-be girlfriend's arms were still wrapped around her waist. Opting to just grin teasingly, she slowly rewrapped her arms around Umi's shoulders and leaned in gently. Planting a much softer kiss upon the girl she loved so dearly.
Days passed. Months passed. Years passed,
And Umi still held in a breath of amazement.
Her eyes followed every movement of her beloved as the beautiful white dress swayed merrily around her feet. Kotori's smile as effortlessly charming and beautiful as she remembered it so many years ago.
The only noticable difference was, she herself grew maybe a head or two taller than Kotori. She would've laughed at the thought if it weren't for the abrupt feeling of inadequacy race through her body like wildfire as she suddenly stood motionless like a statue.
Dressed in a plain white suit with an anemone flower pinned to her chest that Kotori insisted she wore. She unconciously figdeted with the collar that seemed just a bit to tight at the moment. Sudden nervousness was building up in her system, along with sheer joy at the fact of spending the rest of her life with her once best friend. She was also against cross-dressing for this particular event, but who in the world could say no to her lover's disarming pout?
"But you'll look amazing, Umi-chan." She said, her lower lip trembling in a beg that replaced her usual bright smile. It took a huge toll on Umi's poor heart, making her break down just to get that endearing smile back on her fiancée's face. She got teased by Eli and Maki when they found out later. Spouting some nonsense about being whipped.
Kotori's mesmerizing golden eyes finally met hers, a soft smile playing on her lips as a sign of silent reassurance.
Umi let out a shaky breath she didn't even know she was holding in.
The vows went by in a flash, and before Umi knew it, she heard the familiar, "you may kiss the bride," phrase ringing through her head.
The tips of her ears grew hot, and the room she was in suddenly felt very stuffy. She felt the curious stares burn through her very being, and her hands were definitely clammy no doubt. But her heartbeat seemed to calm down to a relaxed thump as she felt Kotori lace their fingers together, sending her a soft smile.
Those beautiful golden eyes staring at her expectantly seem to be the only thing that matter in the world.
She gulped, leaning forward nervously, expecting those lips she's probably kissed over a million times over the last three years against hers.
But alas, the universe seemed to be against her today. It was as if it wanted to replay the event just like the first time it happened, just to embarass poor Umi.
Because instead of the familiar feeling of heaven, she felt a barely noticable lingering sting on the tip of her nose.
She immediately opened her eyes widely in shock and slight embarrasement as Kotori let out a soft giggle, gently squeezing her hand.
"You're still a bad kisser, you know that?" She whispered, just loud enough for only Umi's ears to hear. "But, we'll work on that later..." Before Umi could form a decent coherent thought at such a shamelessly suggestive comment, Kotori pulled her down by the shoulders and pressed a sweet kiss on her lips.
The audience immediately burst into a loud cheer that could rival the crowd at a sports game, Honoka's familiar voice the loudest of them all as the rest of μ's yelled their congratulations.
But none of that seemed to register in Umi's mind as she pulled her newly wedded wife closer, grinning as Kotori tugged lightly at her tie, chuckling against her lips.
