author's note:
lalalalalalala~ yume no meiro, yuri no meirooo! rise for the national lesbian anthem, everyone!
ahh weddings.. i get emotional when i witness weddings in person, idk theres something magical about watching a couple marry. it's a major step for them, and whenever im invited to a wedding, i get so happy they chose to have me witness the start of their forever lol
and you, my fellow readers, shall witness the marriage of NozoEli in 'Baby, Maybe''s timeline uwu... in the next chapter lmao
i had a poll on ig whether i should cut it into two or continue writing the chapter, so ya- next is definitely the wedding a timeskip to kotori's birthday (major event uwu)
btw, to those who are curious how umiko looks like.. posted a doodle of newborn umiko on my ig @minami.chun, just shoot a dm after requesting to follow and ill accept it~
Responses for Review:
MakAndChiz: rin learned it really meant something else that night.
Hiei's Curry: ehhh really? i like drinking and having fun! i actually watched love live while tipsy, watching the scene where kotori was about to leave for france made tipsy me v upset and i apparently cried.. but anyways, yes, poor umi-- and poor you, too ;;
Prince Ushio: based it on my little brother getting scared of me wearing a charcoal mask lmao-- mamakoto infected papaumi, poor umiko is left alone ;;
blinkkittylove: glad you enjoyed it!
FallenVengeance: yeah im pretty sad its ending too :( but dw, i got a little suprise when this story ends~ stay tuned!
KotoUmiFtw: ahh are you referring to 'by the rainbow's end' children? they are set in different universes, so no, umiko is not kohaku ;) the 'baby, maybe' universe will be full of fluff and no angst cause i cant take it-- but yes, nozoeli baby will come soon, i changed their name though. nicomaki baby will be the youngest of the sg trio babies :DD
With all that said, lez go!
Disclaimer: I do not own Love Live.
Chapter Twenty Nine: A Maze of Lillies
9 AM, Next Day
"Rise and shine, bride!"
"Nico-chan, five more minutes.." Nozomi groaned, rolling to the side of her bed. Honoka (who barged in earlier to prepare for the wedding) and Nico looked at each other, and mischeviously smiled before pulling the sheets off of the bride-to-be "Kyaa!"
"Nozomi-chan, it's time to wake up!" Honoka clapped repeatedly as Nico removed Nozomi's eyemask "The groom and groomsmen are gonna get ready soon!"
"I'm up, I'm up..!" Nozomi yawned, squinting her eyes as she adjusted to the brightness of the room. She sat up on the bed, and with a surprised expression, exclaimed "Oh my god I'm getting married today."
"I'm getting married today!" Eli cheered, yanking the blankets off of Maki and Rin with a grin. When the two finally sat up (after a few minutes of struggling,) Eli happily hummed a tune as she made her way to the cabinet, smiling at the sight of her tuxedo. She took it out, flattening any visible wrinkles ("You do know we're going to steam-iron our suits later, right?" Maki said, frowning) and let out a giggle.
"It's today..!"
"Weren't you just whining about it last night last night, nya?" Rin whined, rubbing sleep out of her eyes.
"It is at times like this I envy Eli, look at her.. no hangover whatsoever," Maki mumbled, making her way to the bathroom. From the bathroom, she yelled "Brush your teeth after this, I bet your breaths stink."
"Like yours is any different," Eli scoffed.
"I wanna eat first! I brought ramen with me, nya!" Rin smiled, taking out instant noodles cups from her bag. She took the seafood flavor, then walked over to Eli with a smile "Here ya go, Eli-chan! Your last ramen as an unmarried person!"
"Thank you, Rin." Eli chuckled, taking the cup from her hands. The orange haired girl gave her a grin, then quickly went to the kitchen, boiling water for their ramen cups.
"Oi, Rin! Make one for me, too!"
"On it, Maki-chan!"
"Umi-chan, Umiko-chan~"
"Mm.."
When Kotori woke up, she found Umiko back in Umi's arms, the two fast asleep. While she would usually adore this sight and try not to wake them up.. the parents had to prepare quite early -- after all, they are the maid of honor and best man, with Umiko being the little flower girl (to be held by Mama!Koto.)
"Wake up, you two. We can't delay any further."
"Okay.." Umi opened her eyes, pouting slightly. Upon feeling Umiko burrow her face deeper into her chest, she chuckled "This one doesn't want to be up."
"Let her be, I'll just bring her with me to Nozomi-chan's room later," Kotori giggled, lighting patting Umiko's back as she leaned in to give Umi a chaste kiss "Good morning, Umi-chan."
"Good morning to you too. You seem very cheerful this morning, I take it it's because..?"
"I'll see my first ever wedding dress on Nozomi-chan~ That, and Honoka-chan told me that A-RISE is willing to wear outfits I'd make for them! You know how famous A-RISE is, this will give great exposure to my business!"
"I'm happy to hear that. Next month is the opening, yes? Nico recommended that you should post something on our old social media account for.. more exposure, I suppose," Umi shrugged, carefully sitting up while holding Umiko close. The little one's eyes fluttered open, and for a moment, Umi swore she saw irritation in her daughter's amber eyes "Good morning, princess."
"Mmbah..."
"Eheh, seems like she isn't so happy about being up.. I already took a shower minutes ago, I'll go and feed Umiko while you get ready," Kotori reached out to hold her daughter, instantly holding her close the moment she was passed to her "Good morning, my dearest~ Did I accidentally wake you?"
"I'll go and get ready now, then. I need to check on Eli and the others in a few minutes." Umi finally stood up, stretching. She gave a chaste kiss on Umiko's forehead, and smiled "Don't be a headache to your mom while they get ready for your aunt's wedding."
"What about a kiss for Mama, too?" Kotori tiptoed and closed her eyes, expecting a kiss from Umi. She pouted when all Umi did was pinch her cheek and chuckle, before leaving to go to the bathroom "Mou, Umi-chan!"
"La-ter, Kotori!"
"Mmgah?"
"Your papa didn't give me a kiss but gave you one.." Kotori puffed up her cheeks. She was stunned at first, when Umiko gave her a kiss on a cheek, but soon giggled "Thank you, Umiko-chan. Let's go and eat?"
"Bueh!"
A few minutes later...
"Yes, yes -- I've sent a wedding dress to the hotel laundromat for ironing just yesterday around 6 PM, under the name Minami Kotori. I expect it to be well-taken care of? It is quite a pricey dress.. Ah, you'll just steam-iron it again to get rid of the rest of the wrinkles? Wonderful, then. Please bring it to room 2704 once you're done."
Once Umi exited the bathroom after a quick shower, she was greeted by a sight the past Umi would consider shameless -- but now, she found it amusing. Actually, she found it confusing as to why breastfeeding became a taboo topic, it's the way a mother bonds with her child after all.
The topic of Kotori's work brought up small arguments between the two, as Umi argued that no one would watch Umiko if she focused on designing, while Kotori insisted she could be a fashion designer and a seamstress all while being a mother to their child, and she did prove it right as she prepared Nozomi's dress by hand. Occasionally, Umi would find Umiko latching onto her mother while the ashen-haired sketched dresses, sometimes the little bluenette would be strapped in a baby carrier, fast asleep while Kotori sewed on the final and smaller details of the dress.
That was enough proof for Umi that Kotori, even with her business, would always put Umiko first -- similar to how Umi would prioritize the two of them before herself and her work. Since then, arguments about that topic slowly decreased and eventually came to a halt.
Now, Kotori spoke with a stern and strict voice, instructing the staff what to do with the wedding dress she made for half a year. She held Umiko close with one arm, the other hand she used to hold the phone against her ear. She'd pause and give Umiko smiles from time to time, then continue talking with a serious look on her face.
"Bueh!" Umiko pulled away from Kotori's chest, giving Umi a gummy smile.
"Oh, Umiko-chan, you're done already?" Kotori returned the phone back to its stand. After she adjusted her clothes and covered her chest once more, she began cooing to her daughter before smiling at Umi "Ah, she saw you."
"As much as I'd love to spend the rest of our morning cooing to our daughter.. I think we need to start getting busy, no? Would you like me to bring Umiko along?"
"Hmm.. no need, I can take care of her with the girls while you get ready, then you can take her while we get ready. I'll message Honoka-chan first so she knows we're coming soon."
Bachelorette's Room
"Okay, Kotori-chan will be here in a bit with Umiko-chan. Until then," Honoka clasped her hands together, eyeing the telephone "what do you guys want to eat?"
"Ugh.. I don't feel like eating anything, I'm afraid I won't fit in the wedding dress--"
"Yakiniku rice bowls for.. five! Oh, and bring some rosé wine, too!" Nico cut off Nozomi. While Honoka nodded and dialed the front desk's number, Nico frowned at Nozomi "Nozomi, you'll fit fine in your dress, okay? You better not let your insecurities ruin your day."
"But-"
"No but's, we're having yakiniku for breakfast and that's final. Hanayo, you better eat, too!" Nico turned her attention to her kouhai, who instantly sat up straight and exclaimed 'y-yes!' "Alright, what shall we do with the final hours of Nozomi being a maiden?"
"Um.. get ready for her wedding?"
"Besides the obvious, Hanayo.."
"No, she's right, we gotta start preparing in an hour," Honoka looked at them, then went back to ordering "Yes, so we'd like five yakiniku bowls and a bottle of rosé wine. Ooh, also some onigiri if you have some!"
"By the way, Nozomi-chan, what accessories will you wear today?" Hanayo sat beside Nozomi, giving her a smile "I'm sure you'll be a lovely bride today!"
"Mm.. a diamond necklace that my mother gave to me, and the bracelet Elicchi gave to me on our first dating anniversary," Nozomi giggled, then let out a content sigh "So it really is today.."
"We should definitely take out the dresses now, then! We do need to steam-iron them and all.."
"But the wedding gown, where is it?" Nico asked as she opened the cabinet, revealing three light blue bridesmaids outfits and one navy blue maid of honor dress "There's no white here. Also, Kotori really gave it her best for the dresses, huh.. even if she wasn't the one who tailored this, I remember how strict she was with the seamstresses. 'No, it has to be like this!' 'Please follow my design, even the littlest bits!'"
"Kotori-chan wanted to make the dresses perfect, after all. Elicchi will be wearing a white necktie, and I heard that the rest of the girls' neckties will be baby blue, navy blue for Umi-chan -- I suppose they aim to match with us?" Nozomi said, then leaned back on the bed "The dress.. Kotori-chan said she left it at the laundromat, says it'll get too wrinkled if it isn't on a stand.. she'll bring it in later, I guess?"
"Last time I saw it, it was half-way done.. but still very pretty! Eli-chan wasn't allowed to enter the room to see at all!"
"Yep, thank you!" Honoka finally ended the call, and smiled when she heard a knock on the door "Umiko-chan!"
"Are you sure you'll be fine? I can take Umiko with me if you want."
"We'll be fine, Umiko-chan is a behave little girl. Besides, like you said, Eli-chan needs you there."
"You girls have more things to deal with.. anyways, fine. I'll send you a message once the makeup artist is done fixing our looks so I can take Umiko, okay?" Umi let out a sigh before bending to kiss Umiko's forehead "Be good to your mother, don't be a headache."
"Wuh."
"What about me?" Kotori pouted, then smiled at Honoka as she opened the door "Umiko-chan, look, it's Auntie Honoka!"
"Come here, I've got bread for you to suck on!"
And with that, Honoka went inside the room, holding little Umiko close to her. Kotori just let out a giggle, all while Umi yelled out 'she just started with solids!'
"Don't worry, don't worry~ I'll make sure she won't feed Umiko-chan bread! Now, go ahead and check the others for me. I can't wait to see you in a suit--"
"That you tailored just for me," Umi chuckled, tucking stray ashlocks behind Kotori's ear. She leaned in, giving her a chaste kiss on the lips, and when she pulled back, she gave her a charming smile -- one Kotori would fall in love with again and again "Thank you, Kotori."
"Don't flirt with the makeup artist, okay?" Kotori pouted, holding Umi's hand and somehow hesitating to let go -- even if it was just for a moment.
"I won't and I don't have to. I got you, anyway."
"Umiko-chan, your parents are flirting.. you want a baby brother or a baby sister?" Honoka teased, interrupting the two's moment.
After a flustered Umi gave Kotori another chaste kiss, she headed to the elevator and Kotori went inside the room, giving Nozomi an embrace, ignoring her and Honoka's teasing eyes.
"You'll look beautiful today, Nozomi-chan! Ah, right, the wedding dress will be brought here soon, the hotel's staff are currently ironing it," Kotori giggled, then turned to Honoka. Though she still had a smile on, Hanayo and the rest noted that the smile seemed a bit more like a warning "Honoka-chan, Umiko-chan can't have bread, okay?"
"Hueh?" Umiko pouted to her mother, letting out a little sniffle and a tear. She looked up at Honoka, then snuggled into her bosom "Bueh.."
"No bread, Umiko-chan.. Sorry.."
"You two look like something horrible happened to you. Death, maybe," Nico muttered, watching the two mourn. She then shifted her attention to Kotori, and raised an eyebrow "I've got a question. Once we dress up and all, or while we're preparing, can we see the other girls? Like, I know Nozomi and Eli can't see each other yet, but can I see Maki-chan?"
"Of course! But not now, though. They're having a quick breakfast and will get their makeups done soon," Kotori explained with a smile, then quickly frowned as she muttered something in realization "Will the makeup artists flirt with them? Oh, no.. my Umi-chan looks great in suits."
"If they do, I'll personally maim them."
"I'm sure they won't~ Well, they better not, I'm not sure what we're capable of doing if we see their hands all over our girls," Nozomi assured the girls, then cooed to Umiko "Hi, darling! Don't worry, your Auntie Elicchi and I will give you a playmate very soon, you won't be lonely for long~"
"Ah... a combination of Eli and Nozomi..."
Bachelor's Room
"..why is everyone having ramen?"
"I saved one for you, nya!" Rin interrupted Umi's sentence, patting the seat beside her. When the bluenette sat beside her, she instantly smiled, handing her the cup noodles "Eat up, nya!"
"Is this even enough to fill our stomachs? We've got a busy day, next time we'll eat--"
"We can have snacks here and there, no? The wedding takes place sunset, reception around 7:00, the works.." Maki muttered, handing chopsticks to Umi "The makeup artists will be here shortly, eat up. Well, doesn't matter, we can order food and eat from time to time."
"They're Nico's makeup artists, right? I wonder how many times did Nico yell at them.."
"Probably thousands, nya.."
An hour later..
"Alright, everyone done taking showers?" Umi, the only one who was able to take a shower in the privacy of their own room, asked as she combed her hair.
"Yeah!" Rin excitedly exclaimed as Maki blowdried her hair. ("Cat was whining about not reaching the back of her head, and I don't like whining," Maki shrugged her shoulders) When Eli exited the bathroom, she waved at her with excite, but soon regretted it as Maki pointed the blowdry a little too close "It hurts, Maki-chan! It's too hot!"
"Stay still and don't move..! It'll take ages to dry your hair!"
"It's already short, nya..! It should be easy to dry!"
"Not when you keep on moving..!"
"Hey, hey. If you miss arguing with your Nico that much, you're free to check her out later once we're done with the makeup and all," Eli snickered, crossing her arms.
In return, Maki muttered something inaudible (though Rin swears it's something about Nico) and continued to blowdry Rin's hair. Once Rin was finished, Eli quickly took her spot and asked Maki to blowdry her hair as well, much to the redhead's dismay.
"By the way, is the steam iron here? I messaged Maki this morning about it."
"Yeah, the staff brought it earlier. You're gonna iron your suit now?" Maki asked, touching her hair to check if it was still wet. She frowned and mumbled "Well, after drying two heads, I don't have to dry mine at least."
"Thanks, Maki."
"Yeah, thank you, Maki-chan!"
"I mean, at least they're grateful.." Umi comforted Maki, and soon made her way to the door after hearing a doorbell "Yes?"
"Hello! We're the makeup artists, Ms. Yazawa hired us to do the makeup for today's wedding. Is this Ms. Ayase's room?"
Umi blinked twice, and looked back to ask for confirmation from Maki. Maki quickly understood the look on Umi's face and nodded, beckoning them to come inside.
"My, we've got some good-looking girls today.. My name is Ai, by the way! And this is my assistant~"
"The name is Cherry, nice to meet you~ Who shall we start on today?"
"Um.. could you give us some more time?" Umi picked up her suit, as well as the steam iron "Or perhaps start with the others? I'll have to wear my suit first before doing the makeup to make things, well, quicker for me."
"Hm.. fine by us! Who will we work on first, then? Ah, the groom must be last, by the way!" Cherry hummed, setting up makeup case while Ai helped her "So that we'd be able to spend the most time on her! So, who will it be?"
"Rin, why not have a go?"
"Ehhh? Why me, nya? You have a go!"
The two bickered for what seemed like an eternity for Umi, who felt embarrassed. She turned to the two makeup artists (who almost swooned when Umi called their names) and spoke.
"If it's okay, can you give me just thirty minutes or so? I'll iron and wear the suit, then we can start whatever makeup needed."
"Of course, we're willing to wait for you, Miss!"
"Umi will do."
"Umi-chan, then!"
"Oh, Kotori will not be pleased with this.." Eli let out a chuckle, shaking her head. She took the other steam iron available, and began helping Umi iron out her suit, even though the bluenette hesitated at first.
"I'm sure they're dying to get their hands on you, Umi," Eli whispered to the bluenette, who just let out a sigh.
"Eli, please don't start.."
Bachelorette's Room
"Ehh? I can't drink while caring for Umiko-chan!" Honoka shook her head, then cooed to the baby in her arms "Isn't that right, Umiko-chan?"
"Honoka..!"
"I'll eat quickly so I can take care of her, Honoka-chan, but thank you!" Kotori beamed at Honoka, then turned her attention to Nico, who was handing her a glass "Um, Nico-chan.. pass on the wine for now. I want to make a toast to the newlyweds later~"
"Ugh, I forgot you're still breastfeeding.." Nico groaned, handing a wine glass to Hanayo. She looked offended when the girl shook her head, then glanced at Nozomi "Well? Someone has to drink with me!"
"Mm.. I'm sure we'll be drinking a lot at the reception, so let's just wait until then, okay, Nico-chan?" Nozomi chuckled before taking a spoonful of her favorite food.
"Mou, you guys are not fun.. Now what do I do with this bottle of rosé?"
"You can bring it at the reception?" Hanayo suggested, smiling when the raven-haired just mumbled in agreement before setting the bottle aside. She glanced at the dresses that Kotori laid out on the bed, and sighed "It has truly been a while since I dressed up so.. formally."
"You'll look amazing, Hanayo-chan, don't worry!"
"Easy for you to say, Kotori-chan.. you have such a nice body even after a pregnancy, it amazes me!"
"Eheh, not really.. Umiko-chan has left a few stretchmarks here and there, I don't find it appealing at all.." Kotori mumbled sadly, picking at her food before taking a spoonful.
"But it's okay! That proves you brought this cutie into the world~" Honoka reassured Kotori (and Umiko, who seemed sulky after the bread that was previously in her hands was taken away by her mama) "I'll feed you bread next time, don't worry!"
"Yeah, and besides, that's normal -- even the great Nico-nii will get some when I have my own kids with Maki-chan~" Nico confidently said, puffing her chest out.
"Nico-chan, your narcissism is showing.. but yes, like what Honoka-chan said, it's just proof that you brought this cutie into the world~"
Kotori just giggled, muttering a thank you in return. They spent their breakfast chatting, and occasionally giggling or cooing to Umiko, who would babble from time to time. When Nico informed them of the time, they basically inhaled their food, and soon took turns taking shower.
"Hey, hey! Nozomi should be last, cause she has long hair and showering that will take longer than us!"
"True!" Honoka nodded in agreement, then soon stared at her hair, then at Nico's, then at Hanayo's "Er.. who has shorter hair between us three?"
"Nico-chan's hair is longer than ours, definitely," Hanayo said, and Honoka nodded in agreement.
"H-Hey, wait--"
"Then, Hanayo-chan!" Honoka stuck her fist out. With much determination, she continued "Rock, paper, scissors!"
"O-Okay!"
"Nozomi-chan, it isn't just me, right..? I think.." Kotori leaned to Nozomi, whispering to her ear "Hanayo-chan has shorter hair than Honoka-chan, yes?"
"I think so, too. What about you, Umiko-chan?" Nozomi looked down on her lap, where the six month old happily sat while chewing on some teethers.
"Gah."
"I take that as a yes.. by the way, Kotori-chan, we added a few organic baby food to the menu for Umiko-chan! She's started with solids, yeah?"
"Yep! Started her about half a month ago.. Umi-chan wasn't so happy we didn't wait til she turned six months but hey," Kotori tickled the little one's stomach, smiling when she saw the tooth slowly coming out "she was. Thank you for that, too~ You know, it's Umiko-chan's first major event.. I hope she won't be too fussy."
"I'm sure she wouldn't, she's Umi-chan's kid, after all. It's like Umi-chan already disciplined her when she was in the womb."
"Really? I think Umi-chan kind of spoils her, though.. Especially with Umiko-chan teething and all, she gives her anything that could soothe her gums.."
"Hey! Nico-chan, not faaair!" Honoka exclaimed as Nico ran to the bathroom, holding a robe and her change of undergarments "Nico-chan, I was gonna shower first!"
"Forget it! I'll shower first!"
"But you take ages!" Hanayo -- surprisingly -- whined, but their woes didn't do anything after Nico locked the bathroom door. The two carb-lovers just whined together, all while Nico happily sang a tune while showering.
"Bueeeh!" Umiko called out to the two, asking for their attention. When she saw Honoka fake a cry, she reached out, almost falling from Nozomi's arms. She then held Honoka's cheeks, and with a grin, giggled.
"You're so cute..! Mou, I just wanna take you home and put you on my shelf!" Honoka now laughed, but soon winced as Umiko pinched her cheeks "O-Ow.. Umiko-chan, it hurts! It hurts!"
"No DNA test required, she really is Umi-chan's," Hanayo muttered, slightly terrified of the little bluenette. She could've sworn she saw Umi's iconic glare in Umiko's eyes when Honoka removed her hands from her face.
"Mou, Umiko-chan..! That hurt!"
"Bbueh! Mmgah!"
"Oh, right-- should I talk in baby language too, then?" Honoka shuffled a bit to face Umiko directly, and began to mimic her babbles.
For some reason, Umiko seemed offended by this.
And once more, Auntie Honoka was 'slapped' by a Sonoda.
"Seems like Honoka experienced a flashback.." Nozomi chuckled, bouncing the little bluenette on her lap "Good girl, Umiko-chan~"
Bachelor's Room
"Alright, pants done, inside polo done.. Go ahead and wear that for now," Eli spoke, still focused on ironing Umi's suit jacket "Put this on later."
"I can iron it--"
"They're waiting for you, Umi-chan, nya!" Rin reminded her, pointing at the chair where the makeup artists set the things around "Hurry up so we can get things finishedd!"
"F-Fine.. Ehm, is a light makeup okay? I have never been into such.."
"Perfectly fine, of course! And hair-do?"
"I'm not quite sure yet.."
"Y'know, putting your hair down would really suit you!"
"No! It should be up so everyone could see her pretty face~"
Hours later..
"And... done!"
Finally, Eli's makeup (and Rin's retouching for the nth time) was finished. All of them wore their suits (minus the suit jackets and ties) as well as their shoes. They all agreed on wearing a high ponytail as well, while Rin's short hair was just styled with a little bit of gel.
"We'll just take a quick break before continuing the makeup on the other girls, please tell them to prepare soon!"
"Alright. Thank you, Ai-san, Cherry-san."
The two makeup artists left, dragging behind them the suitcase full of makeup, but Eli swore she saw them wink at Umi.
"Psst, Maki, when was the last time you saw a jealous Kotori?" Eli whispered to Maki's ear. The redhead raised an eyebrow, thinking for a moment, then answered.
"Kuronuma Yuuki days, why? Oh.. shit."
While Umi was getting her makeup and hair done, Rin was actually taking photos as a keepsake, and she continued to do so to the other two.
Though.. it was obvious that both Cherry and Ai were flirting with Umi as they did her makeup, with them leaning a little too close, especially when it came to doing Umi's lipstick.
Instantly, their heads turned to Rin and Eli gripped her shoulders.
"You scared me, nya!"
"Did you send those photos to the groupchat?" Eli asked.
"Eh, of course, nya! I didn't send Eli-chan's, though--"
"Umi's?" Maki interjected.
"Yeah, why?"
"..I will now pray for Umi's soul," Eli backed away, putting her hands together as she closed her eyes.
"When did you become religious? Also, by any chance, do you think Umi's soul will go up or down?"
"Pray for my soul.. cause of what?" Umi muttered as she shook her head. She placed her navy blue tie to her pocket, and went to the door "I'll be picking Umiko up. Be careful not to mess up with your makeups, please. The next retouch is thirty minutes before we enter the venue, and it's only.. 12 noon. We'll enter the venue around 5:30, so please, try not to do anything, okay?"
"They're waterproof, right? I want to test it out, nya.."
"Rin, no-"
Bachelorette's Room
"Umiko-chan, you'll be placed with Papa for now, okay? Be a good girl with her. It's great that you'll be with her, actually," Kotori smiled to Umiko, who was sitting in the middle of the bed. After she made sure that the nappy bag had complete set of items -- bottles with water, containers of formula milk, bibs, diapers, change of clothes, the works.. -- she took Umiko in her arms and smiled "I'll have to talk to Ai-san and Cherry-san. Ah, let's put on your little dress~"
"Rin totally made a mistake on sending those pictures to the groupchat.." Nico muttered as she inched further away from Kotori, who had a terrifying aura despite singing a happy tune "Hanayo, Honoka, have you two decided on a hairstyle?"
"Mm.. I'll probably just have waves on the bottom. What about you, Hanayo-chan?"
"E-Eh? Probably just straighten it a bit, that's all."
"And you, Kotori? Nozomi?"
"Nico-chan, don't worry, we aren't going to copy your style.. I'll have a side braid, of course~" Nozomi reassured Nico, who just muttered something under her breath "What about you, Umiko-chan? And Kotori-chan?"
"She has enough hair for two cute pigtails, I think that's all I'll do. I'll put my hair down and probably curl it slightly? But anyways, Umiko-chan~" Kotori took out a little flower girl dress, showing it to Umiko "Time to get dressed! You'll be with your Papa til we meet at the venue, after all!"
"Bbueh.."
"..Umiko-chan looks a lot like Umi-chan.." Hanayo muttered in awe as the little bluenette scowled.
Much to Umiko's dismay, however, Mama!Koto put on her dress and began to work on her little pigtails. Even though she seemed against this, like her Papa!Umi, she didn't utter a word and complied to everything Mama!Koto did.
"You're a lot like Umi-chan, after all~" Honoka cooed to the little bluenette "You're so cute..!"
"And.. two little bows~ Perfect! Gosh, you're so cute," Kotori carried her once more, holding her close "I can't believe you came from me!"
"..it's been a year and I still cannot process the fact that Umi had a 'one night stand' that resulted to..that," Nico pointed to Umiko, then turned her head to the door after hearing a knock "Coming!"
"Oh, Nico. Kotori, is Umiko all ready?" Umi entered the room, shutting the door behind her.
For some odd reason, Kotori (quickly) put on a lipstick just moments before Umi walked in.
"Yep, but ah, go to your Auntie Hanayo first while I talk to your Papa," Kotori placed Umiko in Hanayo's arms, the two watching as Umi took a gulp while the ashen-haired approached her. While she buttoned up the first two buttons of Umi's polo, Kotori spoke "I've seen the photos of you while you were getting your makeup done, don't you think they were getting a little too close to you?"
"Er.. isn't that required for putting makeup on?"
"It is, but I see no reason for them to practically put their chests against your face, no? I can't blame them since you do look great," Kotori held out her hand, signaling for Umi to give her the tie. Once she tied it neatly, she tiptoed and whispered to the bluenette's ear "But I don't like them doing that to what's mine. Understood?"
"I.. will take note of that- W-Wait, Kotori--"
Sonoda Umi, father to a six month old, almost fainted when Kotori kissed her neck. She stood frozen, however, until Kotori came back, holding Umiko.
"Mmgah!"
Umiko's cheerful babbles and cute appearance brought Umi back to life. With a wide grin, she took the little one in her arms, cooing to her.
"You're very pretty today, little Miss."
"You broke Umi-chan for a moment.." Honoka muttered with a terrified look, handing Kotori the nappy bag "What did you even whisper to her?"
"Just a little warning, I suppose? Now, you two go ahead, and I swear Umi-chan if you mess up her hairstyle or attire--"
"I will try my best not to."
"You better.. Umiko-chan, be a good girl with Papa and your other aunties, okay? I'll stay here since I need to keep watch of what everyone will do with the dresses," Kotori gave a small headpat to Umiko, then looked up to Umi "Try not to mess up your makeup, either, Umi-chan. I'm sure Ai-san and Cherry-san worked very hard for that."
"...okay."
With that, the two bluenettes were off. Cherry sent a message to Nico, saying they'll be there by 1 PM, so they were free to do anything for the last few minutes.
"I got it~" Kotori skipped to the door after hearing the doorbell ring. Her eyes glimmered at the sight of the complete wedding dress she made, and once the hotel staff happily handed it to her, she instructed the other girls to cover Nozomi's eyes as she brought it in "Okay, Nozomi-chan.. open your eyes in three, two, one..!"
Nozomi's eyes instantly glimmered in awe as she laid her eyes on the finished wedding dress. It was detailed, down to the littlest crystal butterflies. When Kotori saw her eyes tear up, she instantly thought of the wrong thing, but when Nozomi embraced her while muttering 'thank you' again and again, she knew that those six months of backpain, of pricking herself with a needle, etcetera.. they were all worth it for this special moment.
Both Eli and Nozomi wanted it to be a special moment, without any photographers until the wedding and reception starts, so both thought they wouldn't have any 'high quality' photos that immortalized what happened hours before the 'I do's.'
And that's exactly why both Nico and Maki took photography classes during their freetime, so they could capture this moment. (That, and the fact that there would be a same-day edit video of the wedding, bachelor and bachelorette nights shown at the reception. Shh, the parents of μ's don't know that will happen.)
"Alright, Nozomi, pose beside the wedding gown..! Kotori, you too!" Nico took her job as a photographer seriously, compared to Maki, who just took photos without anyone's consent ("What? I don't want it to seem fake. If I tell you guys, you would act fake.") "Great, I got nice shots!"
"Kotori-chan, amazing..! I can't believe you did this while raising Umiko-chan, I could never!" Honoka exclaimed, staring at the dress.
"So pretty.. even down to the final details!"
"Thank you, Hanayo-chan, Honoka-chan! I'm glad the bride loves it, I'm sure it will look even more prettier on Nozomi-chan later on!"
When the two makeup artists finally arrived minutes later, Kotori instantly requested to have her makeup done first.
"Hm.. Cherry, later on, who will do the bachelor's retouches? Someone has to stay here to finalize the touches of the bride after all."
"Ah..! That's such a hard choice to make, I'd love to do the bride's makeup but I want to see Umi-chan again, too!"
"Umi-chan? Ah.. Yeah, it's best if you guys check on her, Umiko-chan loves to touch her face," Kotori hummed, closing her eyes as Cherry began working on her eyeshadow.
"Umiko..? Who is that, Kotori-san?"
"Our daughter. Appreciate the look you guys did on my partner, by the way, she looks stunning," Kotori hummed, satisfied after hearing the disappointed sighs of the girls "Hm.. Maybe I can do the retouches on her? After all, I'm the only one who can get really close to her."
"You know, this is.. more terrifying than Kotori-chan holding a knife. Her statements are just.." Honoka cringed, hugging her knees as she watched Kotori interact with the two "Nico-chan, what are you doing?"
"Sendin' videos and pictures to the other girls, I want them to see how terrifying Kotori is after they sent those videos."
Bachelor's Room
"Oh, Kotori's.. creeping out Cherry and Ai," Maki mumbled, showing the video to Rin "See what ya did?"
"I-I am innocent, nya! Ain't that right, Miko-chan?"
"You are adorable and you know that!" Eli cooed to Umiko, all while Umi furrowed her eyebrows as she checked her phone "What's up, Umi?"
"Yeah, I am.. screwed later on tonight."
"Ooh! Are you guys gonna have a bed fight, nya? Who will win?"
"Kotori.." Umi muttered. She passed by the mirror and shot a confusing look at her neck, letting out a groan after realizing Kotori left a kiss mark "Kotori..!"
"Yeah, save that for later. Umiko, seems like you will be sleepin' with your Aunt Yui tonight, hmm?" Maki tickled the little bluenette's stomach, smiling when she let out a giggle "Adorable, but so much work."
Hours later..
After everyone had their makeups finished, they started putting on the dresses and doing the necessary retouches, with Ai taking care of the groom and her groomsmen's retouches.
Honoka excused herself minutes ago so she could call the bride and groom when it's time to enter the venue, while Kotori helped with Nozomi's dress. Both Nico and Maki still continued taking photos, especially when Eli and Nozomi's parents (and Alisa) arrived to check them.
"Nozomi? My, you look beautiful.." Mrs. Tojo walked into the room, smiling at Nozomi, who wore her wedding dress.
Nozomi examined herself in the mirror, letting out giggles here and there while Kotori helped with the flow of her wedding dress.
Nozomi and her parents spoke for a while, tears were involved when her parents talked about their regrets of not being present enough in her life, and a lot of hugs were involved as well.
Bachelor's Room
"Eli-chan, everyone," Honoka knocked on the door, and grinned when Umi -- holding Umiko -- opened the door "Lookin' great, Umi-chan!"
"Is it time? And thank you, you look beautiful as well, Honoka."
"Yes, you guys and Eli-chan have to go down first. We'll follow shortly after," Honoka nodded, then smiled teasingly "By the way, Umi-chan~ Kotori-chan looks stunning in your image color!"
"I see.. alright then, thank you," Umi turned her head back to the others, frowning when she saw Eli panic again "Hey, too late to back out now -- it's time for us to go down. You'll walk down the aisle in fifteen minutes."
"Breathe, nee-chan, breathe!" Alisa repeatedly told her sister, all while the Ayase's spoke to Eli in Russian, comforting her.
"I'll see you guys later, have to give the girls a headsup as well! Please hurry down now, you know Eli-chan and Nozomi-chan can't see each other yet!" Honoka shut the door, skipping happily to the elevator while humming Garasu no Hanazono.
Minutes ago, when Honoka left the room, Nozomi wasn't in her dress yet. And to be fair, Honoka spent a lot of time with her senpais to the point that she considered them as her older sisters,
so technically, she's allowed to have a bit of tears of joy, right?
"Honoka-chan, if you cry, you'll ruin your makeup~" Kotori teased as Honoka peeked her head through the door "Is it time?"
Taking tissue out of her purse and carefully dabbing away the tears from her eyes, Honoka nodded with a smile.
"Yep, it's time!"
side-note:
wow 7k words. hm. well i am to have more than 6k words per chapter now that we're nearing the end (5-6 chapters left!) but wow i did not expect that lmaoo
anyway, apologies for the grammatical errors/typos! my laptop isn't working atm so im only using my phone to write/proofread.
next chapter is nozoeli's 'i do's' and kotori's birthday, aka the day umi decides it's time to take the next step of their relationship.
also a glimpse of yui and her twins (umiko is a nee-chan!!)
ive planned out the kids for all μ's members, btw! i held a poll on ig and the ppl there seemed fine with having an all girls type of thing for the kids :3 i also made their personalities and looks already (havent posted nozoeli bb yet but umiko is there)
nozoeli bb looks a lot like eli despite being a mama's girl (i did this so nozomi could say "i bore you for 9 months, been through 21 hours of labor, and you came out looking like your father") while the nishikino twins, are, well.. bickering since birth.
until next chapter!! i'd like to apologize for uploading v late btw ;-; with the 7 SRs event going on in LLSIF, i delayed a shit ton of things to guarantee i will get those seven girls (even online classes lol)
stay safe and take care!
- zumi