This was going to be the wedding chapter, but it got longer than I wanted so I decided to postpone that. Enjoy!

Icing Bells

"I just realised something," I commented one afternoon as I was sitting on the couch working on some homework. Tsubasa and Azusa were on the other couch going over some lines. They weren't the only ones home though. Ukyo was upstairs working on something related to his work, Kaname was asleep, and Hikaru was...doing whatever he did during the day. Writing, probably.

The twins looked up from their script, and I frowned at the ceiling. "I don't know how to dance."

"Dance?" Azusa repeated bemusedly.

I waved my hand haphazardly to highlight my point. "Dance. For the wedding. I don't know how to! What if someone asks me to dance and I trip over my own ankles?"

Picturing the described event, Tsubaki laughed out loud, so I threw a crumpled ball of paper at his head. "Sorry, sorry!" He stood up and walked over to me. "Want me to teach you?"

Azusa rolled his eyes and sighed, which Tsubaki ignored. I blinked up at him curiously as I straightened up. "Really? I didn't know you could dance."

"We took lessons when we were younger," Azusa replied dryly with a faintly put-upon sigh. I snickered and took Tsubaki's hand. A small sound escaped me when he pulled me to my feet with just enough strength to have me falling against his chest, which smelled cleanly of cologne.

Azusa heaved another sigh as I re-established my balance. I placed my hands on his shoulders and tipped my head backwards so I could look into Tsubaki's eyes. "We'll do a basic waltz, okay?" He smiled down at me, looking much too pleased with himself. "Give me your right hand." I lifted my right hand and he laced our fingers together in his left. My left hand was still on his shoulder, and I was surprised when he wrapped his arm around my torso, letting his palm rest at the small of my back. "Follow my lead, little sister."

1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, ow, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, ow! After ten minutes of either tripping, stepping on Tsubaki's feet, and stepping on my own feet, I eventually groaned and leaned my head against Tsubaki's shoulder. "Why am I so bad at this?" I whined into his shirt, and felt a puff of air on the top of my head when Tsubaki laughed.

Ukyo chose that moment to come downstairs, and he paused at the bottom of the stairs when he saw us. "What are you both doing?" He asked, sounding both confused and interested.

"Trying to learn how to dance in time for the wedding," I spun myself out of Tsubaki's arms, and let him reel me back in, nearly tripping in the process before I steadied myself on impact. "Whoa! Trying being the operative word here."

Azusa smiled encouragingly. "You are improving. I'm sure you'll be fine for the wedding."

I shot him a smile around Tsubaki's shoulder, which was harder than I thought it would be. "I think it's because you're too tall," I decided, getting up on my tip-toes so I could see over Tsubaki's shoulder. "It's like you were all designed with the express need to make me feel shorter than I already am."

Tsubaki snickered and rocked me to the side, causing me to stagger slightly and cling to him. "You're so cute when you pout, Ame-chan~."

"Alright, enough." A rolled up script smacked Tsubaki on the back of his head. Azusa arched an eyebrow at him pointedly. "We do have a show to prepare for, and a session to attend in the next hour. Now let go of Ame-chan." Tsubaki whined loudly, hugging me tightly which wasn't all that bad. "Now."

Once Tsubaki had finally pulled himself away from me, and the two left, I looked around for Ukyo. He was no longer by the staircase, but I could hear the quiet rumble of the electric kettle boiling, so peeped into the kitchen. Ukyo was reaching for the tea in one of the top cupboards.

I snuck up behind him and carefully poked both his sides, a trick a usually employed on Ema, because she would always jump and squeal even no matter how obvious I was. Unfortunately, Ukyo just glanced around to stare at me. "What was that for?"

"You didn't react!" I pouted. "You're supposed to jump, or at least be surprised!" I poked him again for good measure, and he laughed. "Aren't you ticklish?"

"Not particularly," he replied, sounding amused. "Are you tired of your dance lessons?"

"Yes and no," I hopped onto the countertop. "Azusa and Tsubaki had to leave, so lessons are currently over. I'm still bad at it though," I sighed and swung my socked feet carefully, not wanting to hit the cupboard. "I wanted to dance with Ema at the wedding."

Ukyo tilted his head thoughtfully. "You did?"

I nodded. "Since this is the last time it'll ever be just us, you know? Now we have a huge family, so I want to celebrate that with just her with a dance," I pulled a face at the end of my explanation. "That sounds so weird. Maybe I just want to dance with my little sister while we're both made up and wearing cute dresses."

He had started laughing halfway through my second explanation. "That sounds sweet," he smiled at me, and I huffed, puffing out my cheeks. "You-" he started to say something, and then seemed to pull the words back in. I blinked at him curiously, but he just smiled and shook his head. The kettle clicked itself off, and he turned to make his tea.

I stared at his back thoughtfully, and then hopped off the counter. "I'm going outside for a moment!" I stepped out of the kitchen and lingered for a moment just out of sight, then I walked over to the door. My slippers were in the corner, and I slipped them on.

The weather outside held the warm sunlight of late summer, but the cool wind of autumn. I tugged the sleeves of my jumper lower over my palms, and blew on my exposed fingers. Why did I come out here again?

"Ame-chan?" I turned and saw Iori crouching beside a bed of what looked like tulips. There were red ones and yellow ones, and even a few purple ones. He waited until I was standing beside him before he straightened and got to his feet. I noticed there was a pot of what looked like lily by his feet. "Hello."

"Hi!" I chirped back, pleased that he was talking to me first this time. Iori was so quiet, and I barely saw him most days. I gestured to the lily curiously. "Are you planting that?"

He looked down at the flowerpot, and then back at me. "I can't plant it in the ground. The soil isn't the right kind." I nodded in understanding, and then blinked in surprise when he suddenly got closer. Close enough to run his hand through my hair. "Is Louis-nii going to do your hair for the wedding?"

"I guess," I replied. "That seems likely."

Iori nodded. He was still running his fingers through my hair, and as good as it felt, I was still confused by that sudden line of questioning. "Did you know white lilies are used commonly as wedding flowers?"

"Really? I always thought that was because they were white and they matched," I tilted my head wonderingly. "I wonder if there are going to be white lilies in the bridal bouquet," I gasped quietly. "I wonder if I'll catch it!"

"It would be interesting," Iori stroked my hair one last time, and then pulled away. When I followed his line of sight, I spotted Ema and Yusuke coming in through the gate. I ran over and hugged her, behaving like a dog whose owner had just returned home.

I didn't notice the red tulip he'd stuck in my hair until Ema pointed it out to me, but when I turned around to point to Iori, he'd already disappeared inside.

oOo

A week to the wedding, preparations were well underway, and all the brothers were present. All except two, one of which I hadn't met before, and the other...

I managed to hold in the groan threatening to escape when arms wrapped around my waist from behind, a familiar chin hooked itself over my shoulder. "Hello big sister~"

Maybe if I just focus on the stove, he'll magically disappear. Of course life doesn't work that way, so I eventually sighed and tilted my head back in resignation. "Hi Fuuto," I replied, just as Yusuke yanked the boy off me and threw him out the kitchen altogether. I left the soup simmering and followed them out of the kitchen. "Did you just arrive?"

Fuuto stopped taunting/arguing with Yusuke long enough to smirk at me. Or maybe that was just his default expression honestly I didn't know him well enough to be able to tell. "I got in about half an hour ago. Come on, big sister~" with the wide eyes of Ema, Yusuke, Ukyo, Azusa, Tsubaki, Kaname and Louis on him, he got right up in my face and leaned down like he was about to kiss me. "Won't you give your little brother a welcome home kiss~?"

"You've got some nerve-!" Juli hissed at him from the top of my head, forcing him to step back and glare at the squirrel warily.

Kaname whistled lowly. "I had no idea Fuu-tan was participating."

Ema and I stared at him curiously. "Participating in what?" She asked. Juli hopped from my head to my shoulder, and then onto hers.

Seeing that the threat seemed to be gone for the moment, Fuuto draped his arms around my shoulders, molding his front against my side. Tsubaki scowled and took a half-step forward. "Oi, stop clinging to Ame-chan like that!"

Fuuto turned to stare at him with a wide smirk. "Ame-chan can push me away if she wants, right?"

Think happy thoughts. Don't kick him. Go to your happy place. God this wedding couldn't come soon enough.

Ema came to calm me down when I was still taking out my repressed anger on the fish. "Ame, are you okay?"

I sliced the fish in half with a particularly vicious cut, and then sighed. "Yeah, I'm fine. As long as he doesn't do or say anything to or about you, I'll be fine."

Honestly I felt like the kitchen brightened a little when she smiled at me, and I smiled back. My sister suddenly clapped her hands together excitedly. "Oh! You'll never guess what I found while I was looking through our things!"

A few minutes later, she presented her mysterious find to me. "Is that...my old violin?" I stared at the black violin case that I hadn't touched since I graduated from high school. Ema nodded, looking pleased. I blinked and cocked my head to the side. "Why was it in your box?"

"I don't know, but isn't this great?" She held it out to me. "Maybe you can play something at the wedding!"

I laughed exaggeratedly, and gently pushed the violin back at her. "No, I can't. I don't even know if I remember how to play anything, unless you want me to serenade everyone with Hot Cross Buns."

She shot me an exasperated look, but a smile twitched at her lips. "No, but you were so good! I'm sure there's a song you can play!" She pushed it back at me. "What about that song you liked so much? The one about the cherry blossoms?"

"You hate that song."

"No I don't!" She blushed. "You just used to play it constantly, but I always thought it was a really nice song. Please, Ame," she pouted, and I sighed, because I will never be immune to her pouts.

oOo

Finally the day of wedding dawned bright and sunny, which was always a good sign. I'd passed out on Ema's bed after a long night of talking, and was woken up by Ema rising to open the bedroom door for someone.

I moaned and snuggled deeper under the covers. "It's too early to talk to people..."

"It's Louis-nii," she called back, and I only hummed my approval tiredly and began the long and arduous process that was waking up and getting out of bed.

Louis' soft, slow voice drifted into the room and honestly his voice was detrimental to what I was trying to achieve. "Good morning Chii-chan...Mai-chan." We both returned the greeting, though mine was mostly a grunt. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh, n-nothing!" Ema replied quickly, and I felt myself slowly grow more alert. "Can I help you with something?"

"Actually...I was hoping...to do your hair," he told her. I stood and stretched, walking towards the door to join them. He touched Ema's hair lightly, which still looked ridiculously cute after a night sharing a bed. "You'll be...wearing dresses today...right? In that case...your hair and make-up...should match...right?"

I smiled up at him, at least 95% awake now. "Yes please, that would be amazing!" Ema echoed my sentiments.

He smiled back at us. "In that case...we should start...as soon as possible."

As it turns out, professionally done hair and make-up takes a long time to do. As soon as Ema and I had bathed and put on our pretty pink bridesmaid dresses, we were immediately sat down and primped and curled until we could hardly recognise ourselves let alone each other.

The make-up was minimal though: cute pink lipstick, a light blush, and some mascara. The real change was in the hair. Ema's was done in a cute style that consisted of part of it being pinned up and held in place with a pale pink pearl headband with a matching rose clip, while the rest hung down to her shoulders in gentle curls and waves.

My hair was similar to Ema's, but the pinned up part was held in place with bobby pins, and then a section of hair had been braided and wrapped around where the band would have gone. The rest of my hair hung down to the middle of my back.

"This looks so amazing!" I squealed at my reflection, turning this way and that to take in the style, and then something occurred to me. "Where is everyone else?"

Louis looked up from where he was packing up his materials. "They've...gone on ahead...they should be at the venue."

"Oh," I shrugged and turned to help Ema put on her jewellery, feeling a thrum of nervous excitement. Once this day was over, we would all legally be family.

I hoped that improved things a little. For Ema, especially.

I actually really like Fuuto? Idek why because if I knew him irl I would probably kick him in the shin, but I actually?really?like him?