July 31st, 2016
"Has everything been set up, Pah?" A certain brunette individual asked.
"Pretty much. I called the minister and he's on his way." The pudgier man known as Pah, responded.
"Alright." The individual, Chifuyu Matsuno, said, "What about the wedding dress, Hakkai? Is Mitsuya here yet?" He asked the taller man who was close to the latter.
"I checked in with Taka earlier. He said he's getting pretty close." Hakkai revealed.
"Great, great." Chifuyu nodded with satisfaction at the information.
"Yo, Chifuyu!" A voice that belonged to Atsushi Sendo, alerted the former blonde.
"I just got a text from Takemichi." He revealed, showing his phone to him, "He said he and Yuzuha are almost here." He informed.
"Alright, that's great!" Chifuyu replied with a snap of his finger, "What about that wedding cake, Hina?" He asked his girlfriend who was currently on the phone.
"Already on the way!" She informed with a wink.
"Perfect!" He cheered with a grin, "Alright you guys, let's keep working. We've gotta make sure this ceremony goes right!" He encouraged, to which he received cheers of agreement.
What ceremony in question was he talking about? Why were there mentions of a wedding dress? And what are they waiting for a minister for?
Don't worry, there's an answer for that...
Ya see, today wasn't just another ordinary day or anything.
Today was July 31st, the exact date on which a certain marriage ceremony was taking place.
And which two people exactly were getting married?
Well, they're none other than our favorite couple...
The time-leaping hero, Takemichi Hanagaki, and the beautiful but badass brunette, Yuzuha Shiba.
That's right, the two have been dating for about 10 whole years now, and today was going to be the day they officially bonded with one another specially.
But when did they get engaged? Well, I'll do you a favor and answer that.
Answer that by giving you a little flashback...
July 10th, 2015
It was a bright sunny day at the park, and the sun shone over the residents as they did their various activities.
Some were jogging along, some were going on a date, some were even having a picnic.
Although, a certain individual was sat on a park bench, nervously staring at a certain object in his hand.
"... I hope this goes well..." He whispered to himself, "She'll be here any second now..." He stated, making it known that he was waiting for someone.
That individual was none other than our main protagonist, Takemichi Hanagaki, who's now in his 20s and has his original black hair instead of it being blonde.
But who exactly was he waiting for?
Well, it was his lovely girlfriend, Yuzuha Shiba of course.
Yup, the main couple of this story has been together for almost 10 years now since they first started dating.
Pretty impressive considering how most teenage relationships don't even last for a month. Unlike most couples, their bond stayed strong for many years to come, and grew even stronger since the first time they made love.
Although, their relationship wasn't the only thing that grew. The two had also done some growing themselves, seeing as how they're in their 20s now.
Takemichi, who'd grown a bit taller and reverted his hair back to its original black color, was still fiddling with the item in his hand as he waited for his loved one to arrive.
"... Maybe I should give her a call." He figured as he reached for his smartphone in his pocket, although he never got the chance.
"Takemichi!" A feminine voice called out our hero's name.
Said man hid the object in his hand and turned his head to meet the source of the voice, being met with none other than his girlfriend he had been waiting for.
Yuzuha Shiba.
She walked towards him with a bright smile, and he watched her with a blush.
Even though Takemichi pretty much saw Yuzuha everyday, he couldn't help but always be mesmerized by her appearance no matter how many times he looked at her.
Her appearance hadn't changed too much, apart from the fact that her hair was now a bit shorter, reaching only her shoulders.
But no matter how she looked, she always captured Takemichi's attention with her beauty.
'Honestly, it's like she gets prettier with every day that passes...' He thought fondly with a lovestruck smile as he watched her approach him.
"Hey Michi." She greeted as she sat towards him.
"Hi hun." He greeted back with a smile as they gave each other a quick peck on the lips.
"Sorry if I made you wait a bit long." She apologized.
"Oh no, it's fine." The brunette waved it off, "All that matters is that you're here now." He assured her with a grin.
She smiled back with a giggle before she decided to question him on something.
"Oh yeah, now that I'm here..." She started, "What's the matter?" She suddenly asked with curiosity.
"Hm? Whaddya mean?" He replied with a bit of confusion.
"Don't you remember?" She asked before she pulled out her phone and showed him their chat history, "You sent me a text saying I should meet you here because it's URGENT." She tried to remind him.
"And when I asked why, you said you had something to tell me and left it at that." She finished, "So what exactly did you want to ask me?" She questioned her lover with a raised eyebrow.
Once she finished her recap, Takemichi's eyes suddenly went wide.
"O-Oh! R-Right!" He said a bit loudly as he remembered what exactly it was he called Yuzuha over for, "Y-Yeah, there's something I wanna tell you..." He informed her as he scratched his head with an awkward grin.
"Okay? Well then spit it out already." She replied, curious to know what it is he wanted to say.
Hearing her request, Takemichi let out a deep breath as he steeled back his nerves.
'Alright... I guess it's time...' He thought with seriousness.
After all the waiting he had done, it was finally time to for him to carry out his plan, and this plan was going to change both his and Yuzuha's lives forever...
"Yuzuha..." He whispered out his girlfriend's name.
"Yes?" She responded.
"You know this place don't you?" He asked in a low voice as he stared at the floor.
"Uhhh, yeah...?" She answered with confusion, "This is the park. Why do you ask?" She questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"Do you remember what's so special about it...?" He suddenly asked.
Before she could let out a confused response, he put his hand out.
"Just... look around and try to remember something about this place." He instructed, "Think about what could've occurred here 10 years ago..." He added.
The last part he mentioned made her stop, and she began to look around their environment for a bit, thinking of what Takemichi meant before her eyes slowly widened in realization.
"This is... the place where we first became friends...!" She finally understood.
"Yup." He confirmed, "This was the place that started it all..."
"This was where you found me when I was at my lowest, and then you and I shared out troubles with each other, before those troubles slowly brought us together, and made us realize that we could find comfort in each other..." He recapped with a fond smile as he reminisced over the events that transpired on this same bench almost 10 years ago.
"Yeah." She replied with an equally fond smile as she too recollected the events, "And that was when I made you that offer which included us being there for each other when we needed support..." She added.
"Heh. Who would've thought that making that offer would lead to us becoming more than just friends?" The brunette joked with a chuckle.
"To be fair, I'm pretty sure both of us were hoping it would lead to that." She jokingly responded, making both of them laugh.
"Well, you've got a point there." He agreed with a smirk, earning a playful nod in return, "But anyways, back on topic." He resumed, getting back to what he wanted to actually do.
"There's a reason I asked you here today, Yuzu..." He said with a serious tone.
The brownette remained silent and simply listened to what her boyfriend had to say.
"Before I tell you, do you mind standing up with me for a sec?" He requested softly.
Though she was a bit confused by the request, she complied nonetheless, and they both stood up from the bench with Takemichi turning to look Yuzuha right in her eyes.
"Ya see... If you hadn't found me that day and tried to talk to me... I couldn't even imagine where I'd be right now..." He commented seriously, his gaze unwavering.
"By now, I'd probably still be a depressed loner, living by myself, constantly sulking over my failed relationship, wondering what went wrong and why this had happened to me..."
"I probably would've never even found the motivation I needed to continue trying to prevent Hina's death... and Kisaki probably would've taken over Toman..." He uttered, looking down at the floor with a downcast expression.
His expression, and words, made Yuzuha begin to slightly worry.
"Overall, I would've been in a very crappy situation..." He whispered lowly.
'... I hope nothing's wrong...' Yuzuha hoped mentally with a slight frown, 'I don't know why he'smentioning this all of a sudde-'
"But..."
The woman was snapped out of her inner worry by her lover's sudden interjection.
"In the end, none of those horrible things I mentioned happened..." He said, "... All because God decided to send a beautiful angel my way in order to save me..." He spoke before he looked up to face her.
"And that angel was you, Yuzuha..." He told her with a loving smile.
His statement made her look at him in surprise, with her cheeks gaining a noticeable blush.
"The more we spent time with each other after our relationship started, the more I realized how truly blessed I am to have a girl like you in my life." He continued to shower his girlfriend with loving comments, "A girl who's not only incredibly beautiful, and not only loves me just as much as I love her, but a girl who I cherish more than I cherish my life..."
His growing compliments flustered her a bit, but she was still touched by them nonetheless, evident by the way she blushed and stared down with a smile.
"Gee... Even after all these years, you still know how to give me butterflies..." She joked sheepishly.
He smiled at her statement, before he gained a serious look.
Then, he brought his hand to his pocket, getting ready for what be was about to do...
"Yuzuha..." He called out her name, "During the first time we made love, do you remember what you made me promise you...?" He asked her softly.
"Of course I do." She answered. She could never forget that night, as it was certainly an important moment in their relationship's timeline, "I can never forget that... You promised me that you'd never leave my side... and that we'll always be together..." She reminded him with a fond smile, still remembering how sweet his words were.
"Well... I meant what I said..." He affirmed, "... I truly do want to stay by your side forever..." He reaffirmed.
"Although, I can't do that just by being your boyfriend..." He suddenly uttered, making Yuzuha raise a brow.
"Just by being my boyfriend...?" She repeated with a bit of confusion, "Takemichi, what do you mea-?"
Right before she could finish her question, she briefly cut herself off with a small gasp and her eyes slowly widened when her lover suddenly got down on one knee.
He wasn't gonna do what she was thinking right now, was he...?
The brunette then brought his hand to his pocket, and pulled out a certain small box, making Yuzuha's eyes grow wider.
"But maybe I can..." He started before he opened the box to reveal a small diamond ring, "As your husband." He concluded.
Yuzuha's heart started to beat faster than ever, and she brought a hand to her mouth.
"Ever since that fateful day... I've dreamed of this very moment. Thinking about what I'd do, how I'd do it, and when the time would be right... but now I wholeheartedly believe that now's the time..."
She felt her eyes start to water as she listened to his speech.
"Yuzuha Shiba... you're the light of my life... and I want to be fully connected to you in every way..." He said lowly, "So will you do me the honor..."
"And pleasemarry me?" He finally popped the golden question, with a pleading smile.
Though Yuzuha wasn't really one to cry often, that was what did it for her, and she began to let out tears. Although these weren't tears of sadness or anything, but rather tears of joy.
Just like her boyfriend, she too had also been dreaming of the moment that he'd get down and propose to her; seeing that dream finally become reality had moved her to tears.
"*Sniff* Yes Takemichi..." She accepted with a tearful smile, "I'd love to marry you!"
Her answer filled her kneeling partner with immense joy, and, unable to contain himself, he immediately sprung up and pulled her into a deep kiss, which she had no problem returning.
Unbeknownst to them, the people around the park had been watching their whole interaction, and everybody there cheered with applause, happy for the now-engaged couple.
Although, the two were too into their own little world at the moment to acknowledge those cheers...
After that whole ordeal, they kept their engagement a secret from their friends, and Yuzuha's siblings, for about a month before they eventually let the cat out of the bag.
The reactions from their loved ones varied.
Hinata was overjoyed for them and almost cried, Chifuyu gave Takemichi a bro hug out of respect, Akkun and Takuya were happy for their friend while the rest of Mizo Middle went crazy at the fact that he was getting married, and Takemichi's friends from both Toman and other gangs congratulated them.
The hardest part, well, for Takemichi at least, was having to tell Yuzuha's brothers about their engagement.
Takemichi was nervous about it but Yuzuha assured him he had nothing to worry about, and that it would go smoothly.
When they individually told them the news, Hakkai, of course, was taken aback by it, while Taiju, who had actually come back to assist Takemichi during that one battle, was also pretty shocked.
Though he was shook, Hakkai had no problem accepting the news, as he had gotten used to their relationship a long time ago, and Taiju was surprisingly on board with it as well, even stating that a man like Takemichi was worthy of marrying his sister...
Yeah... the eldest Shiba sibling did have some odd respect thing for our protagonist... probably since he was the one who practically ended the Shiba Family Drama...
Anyways, after that, the couple spent months planning out their wedding. From the date it would take place, to the number of invitations they'd have to send, who would be the best man and maid of honor, the groomsmen and bridesmaids, the officiant. A lot of stuff was planned for, but they were eventually able to figure it out.
The hardest part was probably deciding who should be Takemichi's best man, considering how he was close friends with a LOT of people.
It was between Chifuyu and Akkun, and Takemichi couldn't decide himself because it was hard to choose between one of them without disappointing the other.
So, the two potential best men decided to make the decision with a good ol' game of rock paper scissors, and Chifuyu managed to score a win, much to his satisfactionion and Akkun's chagrin, though Michi made sure to comfort the latter.
As for who would be Yuzuha's maid of honor, she decided to give the title to her and Takemichi's friend, Senju Akashi, a former gang leader who they had met back in 2008, which she eagerly accepted.
Plus, Yuzuha really got along with Senju, to the extent that she saw her like a sister, so it pretty much made sense.
Anyways, now that we know the events that have led up to this entire ceremony, we can finally dive back into the present!
"Chifuyu!" A female voice that belonged to said individual's girlfriend, Hinata Tachibana, called out.
He turned to meet the pinkette coming towards him, "Oh, Hina, what's up?" He asked with curiosity, "Is Yuzuha getting ready."
"Yeah, she's already dressed up even." She revealed, "I just came to check and see how things are doing on your end"
"Oh, well, apart from our groom being as nervous as a kid going to the dentist, everything's fine over here too." He replied.
She giggled in response, "Well, that's Takemichi for you." Hina joked about her ex.
"Heh. Yeah." Chifuyu agreed with amusement, "Well, anyways, I've gotta head back and help the guys escort him to the main hall." He stated.
"Alright, I'll go back to Yuzuha's. See you 'Fuyu." She bid farewell to her boyfriend before giving him a quick peck on the cheek and leaving.
The former blonde watched her retreat with a fond smile.
'Sometimes I still find it hard to believe I was able to get a girl like her...' He thought to himself.
"Alright, back to best man business!" He said with a clap before heading back to the groom's room.
Meanwhile in the bride's room...
A certain brown-haired woman was staring thoughtfully at her own reflection in the mirror.
Said woman was currently donning a white wedding dress, and was holding a fresh bouquet.
The woman in question is the main girl of this story, Yuzuha Shiba, who right now is currently set to marry the love of her life, Takemichi Hanagaki.
Before she could go into further thought, she was brought back to reality by a tap on her shoulder.
She turned to meet the source, and it was none other than her friend, Senju Akashi.
"Hey, Yuzuha." She greeted, "How're you feeling right now?" The white-haired woman asked her friend curiously.
(Yes, I know her hair is canonically light pink, but I personally prefer it white. Deal with it XP)
"Oh, thanks for asking, Senju." She appreciated the concern, "I'm doing fine really. I was just... thinking..." She revealed.
"Ahhh, you're thinking about the wedding aren't you?" Senju questioned with a smirk.
Yuzuha playfully giggled before responding, "Alright, ya got me." She said in faux surrender, "But can you really blame me though?"
"No no no, I understand." The white-haired woman assured her, "After all, today you're officially going to settle down and become a married woman." She reminded to which Yuzuha nodded.
"It's just... back when I was a little girl, when my mom first told me what marriage was, and even described how her wedding with my dad went... It made me imagine what it'd be like to get married myself." The brownette revealed, "Stepping onto the alter, facing the man who'd eventually catch my heart before sealing the deal with a kiss..."
"I wasn't too fixated on it myself, and back then I could never understand why other girls my age were so obsessed with the idea of getting married." She revealed before scanning her appearance in the mirror once again, "Although... After looking at myself in this dress, and standing here as a soon to be married woman... I can say that I definitely see the appeal now..." She stated with a smile.
This made her white-haired friend give out a chuckle.
"So I guess it wouldn't be wrong for me to assume your groom is one of the reasons behind that, am I right?" She playfully questioned.
"I would be lying if I said you were wrong." Yuzuha responded with a giggle, "It's kinda funny y'know... Even though he doesn't really seem like he matches the description most girls give when they're describing their ideal man... In my eyes, he's the best husband I could've ever asked for." She praised her soon to be husband with a fond smile.
"Well, he did put my brother in the hospital after all. I'm pretty sure any woman would be lucky enough to have a guy that goes straight berserk over them getting hurt, don't ya think?" Senju joked.
"Yeah, I get what you mean..." She agreed, slowly running her hand over her arm as she knew exactly what event her friend was referring to...
You see...
It had taken place during September 9th, 2008.
Quick Recap Time!
The day of the battle between 2nd Gen. Tokyo Manji Gang and Kanto Manji Gang...
During a very interesting time-leap he went through that led to an unpleasant ending, Takemichi found out a dark truth about his friend, Manjiro 'Mikey' Sano, who had been consumed by a great darkness that changed his personality from the one everybody was used to, and Takemichi knew he had to go back and try to bring his friend into the light side.
After witnessing an impending gang war that was jumpstarted by the death of his close confidant and the former vice captain of Toman, Ken 'Draken' Ryuguji, which lead to him witnessing Mikey commit a murder and almost murder him too, he realized the only way to snap his friend out of it was to battle the gang he had created with one of his own.
So, he gathered every single one of his allies he knew, and created a new Toman to combat Mikey's gang, Kanto Manji.
Chifuyu, Mitsuya, The Kawata Twins, Pah, Peh, Hakkai, Inupi and even Senju had all agreed to help him, and in almost a short amount of time, the gang had steadily gained a lot more members.
Yuzuha was the first person he revealed his plan to, and even though he tried to protest against her joining the team, he eventually gave in when she wouldn't budge.
Once word got out and the date of the battle finally arrived, both gangs faced each other before engaging in a very long battle.
During some point of the battle, Sanzu Haruchiyo, Senju's older brother/ Mikey's new right-hand man, tried to kill every Toman member fighting on the tracks with a train, but Takemichi and his childhood friend on the opposite team, Kakucho, managed to foil his plan, but not without Kakucho sacrificing himself by taking a sword slash across the chest.
Before things could start going south, almost out of nowhere, Taiju Shiba, Yuzuha and Hakkai's older brother, who had apparently been informed of the battle by Mitsuya, crashed the party in style to aid Toman, shocking Takemichi and both of the younger Shiba siblings.
With his friends' support and Toman's fighting spirit keeping the fight going, Takemichi eventually managed to reach Mikey, and for anybody else, the fight would spell out death.
But Takemichi's extraordinary speech skills, his new seer-like ability, and his unbreakable will allowed him to somehow keep up with the more experienced fighter, and eventually defeat him before bringing him back to his senses, which eventually brought the fight to a close.
But just when it seemed like everyone could finally take a breather from the long battle, an enraged Sanzu, who blamed Takemichi for 'stealing his only friend' from him and 'steering his captain away from his true purpose' lunged at the teen with his sword in hand, vengeance in mind.
It would be too late for anybody to try and save him before he eventually got cut down, and Takemichi was too worn out to try and move.
However, right when the teen closed his eyes and braced for impact, he was thrown off when he felt himself being pushed away by a certain figure only for them to take the hit instead.
When he looked up to identify his savior, he felt his eyes widen in shock and utter terror when he realized it was his girlfriend, Yuzuha, who had pushed him out of the way.
Everyone else in the vicinity was shocked by the sight, but what really shocked everyone was the position of the brownette, who was on the floor, grabbing her rapidly bleeding right arm in pain.
This greatly pissed off every person who was close to her, from Mitsuya, to Hakkai, to especially Taiju.
Although none of them were prepared at all for what happened next.
With a deep growl, a deeply enraged Takemichi tackled Sanzu Haruchiyo the ground, and proceeded to beat the ever-living snot out of him using his bare fists.
The action flabbergasted every person who bore witness, even Mikey.
They had never seen him fight with such ferociousness before, but make no mistake, this was no fight, this was Takemichi thrashing a person who made the unfortunate mistake of harming the girl he loved, cursing at the downed man and staining his knuckles with blood in the process.
Even Taiju couldn't help but be a little scared by the beating he was witnessing.
Everyone's shock, slowly transformed into great worry when they realized he wasn't stopping, which prompted them to pry him off Sanzu, succeeding despite his attempts to fight back.
By the time they had removed him from his victim's body, the scars on Sanzu's mouth paled in comparison to the extreme injuries he had received to his face.
If they hadn't forced Takemichi to stop his assault, Sanzu's face probably would have become even more injured beyond recognition.
Recap Over
Even though the wound had healed, and miraculously didn't scar, Yuzuha still couldn't help but think about that day whenever she glanced at that arm.
She remembers how Takemichi never left her side when she was at the hospital, and she had to convince him not to blame himself for the incident, since it was her decision to save him, and he pretty much made up for it with the beating he gave that scumbag.
She also gained a tiny blush when she thought back to the... Passionate night they had when she got discharged from the hospital...
She offered it to him as way to calm him down, and remind him that she was still here, and wasn't going anywhere nor planning to leave him any time soon.
It was without a doubt the most emotional love-making session they ever had.
"You holding up there, okay?" Senju asked, bringing her out of her thoughts.
"Oh, yeah! I'm fine." Yuzuha replied, "Why do you ask?"
This made Senju turn away with an uncomfortable gaze.
"I uh... I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable by reminding you of... that..." She sheepishly apologized.
Yuzuha gave her an assuring smile.
"Hey, don't worry about it." She told her, "I'm not mad at you or anything. We've already moved past it so there's no need to dwell on it, alright?"
Senju smiled and looked at her in relief.
"Yeah, you're right." She answered before she stood up with a clap, "Whew! Okay, enough sad times. You're about to get married for Christ's sake!" She joked.
Her antics made Yuzuha laugh.
"You're the best bridesmaid ever." She complimented her friend.
"You know I am!" The white-haired woman agreed, puffing her chest out with pride.
The brunette giggled before looking back at the mirror, a thought coming to her mind.
'I wonder how things are on Michi's end...' She wondered before smirking at her next thought, 'Knowing him, he's probably nervous as hell right now...'
"I'm totally nervous as hell right now..." A suited Takemichi blurted in front of his mirror.
"Seriously, dude? What reason could you possibly have to be nervous right now?" Chifuyu asked with a raised eyebrow, "You're literally getting married to the love of your life." He reminded.
"That's literally the whole reason for me being nervous, man!" Takemichi exclaimed, turning from the mirror and raising his hands in exasperation, "Today's the day I finally get married to my girlfriend and you expect ME of all people not to be anxious?"
"Well I just can't help but find it kinda ridiculous that you're getting sweaty palms over marrying a girl when I've literally seen you go up against dudes who are 10x stronger than you without any fear whatsoever." His best man quipped.
"*Groan* Those two things are way different and you know it, man." The groom replied, clearly not amused, "You can't even compare fighting an unhinged delinquent to marrying the girl of your dreams."
"And yet somehow the latter part is the one getting you all worked up." Chifuyu commented, earning a sigh from his fellow brunette.
"It's just... Back when I was younger... I-I never really saw myself as somebody any girl would ever fall for." He revealed, looking down, "I didn't really have that much going for me in terms of looks, and my personality wasn't anything special..."
"Even though I did have my dreams then and there of having a girlfriend, before Hinata came along, I never really thought a plain guy like me would ever end up getting to date at least one girl, let alone two... And now here I am, actually getting lucky enough to say I'm marrying my second girlfriend in my entire lifetime..."
Before Chifyu could speak up, he quickly interjected.
"I know you might be wondering why I'm anxious considering that last part is a good thing." Takemichi said exactly what his partner was thinking before sighing, "Truth is... I'm kind of scared that I might screw things up again..." He revealed his deepest fear.
"Screw things up...?" Chifuyu repeated with a raised eyebrow, "Whaddya mean by that...?" He asked, even though he had a slight feeling he already knew.
"Well... My first relationship with your current girlfriend crashed and burned because of a stupid decision I made that pretty much predicted the eventual outcome..." He recounted that unfortunate event, "And yeah, I know, in the end, you could say that it was a good thing because that's what led to me getting the ball rolling with Yuzu..."
"But even though we've been going strong for about 10 years now, a part of me still can't help but worry that I might find some way to screw it up..." He sheepishly revealed, "Today's the day that two of us get married forever, but I've seen some marriages that've lasted even decades fall apart."
"I just don't want that kind of thing to happen between me and Yuzuha. And I if I somehow did manage to screw it up just like my first, I'd never be able to forgive myself..." He finally finished his rant, closing his eyes with a hand on his head.
By the end of the immense venting, Chifuyu was staring at his best friend in surprise.
This wasn't the first time he's seen his partner in crime doubt himself it, but it was the firt time he's ever heard him reveal such insecurities.
"Wow... That was... A lot to take in..." He commented in surprise.
"Yeahhh... Sorry for suddenly springing all of that on you..." The groom apologized shyly.
"No no, uh, it's fine. I'm not trying to complain..." His best man hurriedly assured with a wave.
A loud and uncomfortable silence sat in the room for few seconds before Chifuyu eventually had enough and broke the ice with a deep breath.
"Okay..." He started, clapping his hands together, "Now I know that I'm not as good at the whole motivational speech thing like you are... But I'm still gonna try."
He got up and walked over to his friend, clamping a hand on his shoulder, grabbing his attention.
"Look dude, I can totally get why you're feeling nervous right now... And after listening to that entire rant, It makes even more sense." The brunette sympathized with his compadre, "But that doesn't change the fact that none of what you said at all matters." He quickly added.
This made Takemichi turn to him with a confused gaze.
"What?"
"I get that what happened with your first relationship's made you doubt yourself a bit, but that still doesn't mean you should let it affect the one you're in right now." He stated, "In my eyes, I don't see any reason for you to be scared of messing up. You've probably had a lot of chances to screw things up with Yuzuha, and yet look at you guys. She still loves you, AND you've been going strong for 10 good years, my man!" He reminded the attentive Michi.
"And not only that, but it's gone on for so long that you're even getting flippin' married! If neither of those are a sign that you and her are gonna be long-term, then I honestly don't know what else is." The best man told his attentive partner, who blinked at him in slight surprise.
"Oh yeah, and that whole, 'I don't see myself as somebody special' thing?" He quoted his phrase from earlier with his fingers, "That's just a load of bullshit."
"You are Takemichi Motherfucking Hanagaki. I've seen you do and survive shit that not even a guy who somehow had the largest balls in the entire country could go through." The brunette stated with a serious expression, "In fact, I bet if I asked every single one of our friends here to use only one word to describe you, not a SINGLE one of them would use ordinary!"
"And sure, you might not be some ridiculously strong or tough-looking handsome ladies man, but you don't need to be one, because you're YOU, and that's why everybody likes and respects you so much. That's why Yuzuha loves YOU so much." He said, jabbing his finger in the listener's chest at the YOU part, " She loves you for your awesome personality, not just for your looks."
"Next time you start doubting yourself or you feel like you're not good enough, just remind yourself of what I said... Then you'll be good..." Chifuyu finally finished his attempt at a motivational speech.
Takemichi didn't say anything and simply stared at Chifuyu in a surprise and a bit of awe as he processed his words, his wide eyes and slightly opened mouth being proof.
The more he thought over his words, the more he started to realize that he was right...
Why was he worried so much?
It's true, he and Yuzuha had been going strong for 10 years, and during those 10 years, there didn't seem to be any sign or hint of their relationship crumbling.
It was almost like as the years went on, their relationship grew stronger every passing day.
And that's because it did...
Yuzuha still loved him, and he loved her too.
Whenever they were around each other, the love in the air was always noticeable, and they seemed almost inseparable.
The only thing he wanted to do and make sure he never failed at in life was make her happy for the rest of their lives together.
And he would rather DIE than let that happen...
"You okay, man?" Chifuyu asked, bringing him out of his thoughts, "Did I manage to get through to you?"
This made the groom chuckle.
"Oh you managed to get through to me, alright." He answered with a smile, "That was pretty moving for a guy who claims to lacking in the speech department." He said in a sort of tease.
"Well, I am friends with a good influence." The best man cheekily retorted with a grin.
Both of the men laughed at his comment.
"Thanks for the helping me out, Chifuyu." Takemichi thanked with a smile of gratitude, "I really needed that confidence boost."
"Don't mention it, man." Chifuyu sincerely replied with a smirk, "After all, you are still my partner." He stated, using the term that they've used with each other for years.
Takemichi may be getting married to the love of his life, but the bromance he had with Chifuyu would never die.
As the bromantic moment came to a close, the door to their prep room opened.
"You guys done in there?" Hakkai questioned as he poked his head through the door, "I don't know how much longer the rest of us can wait."
"Yeah, you guys can come in." Chifuyu answered, "I snapped him out of it." He added, earning a confused stare from the man in question.
"Phew, about time!" Hakkai joked before motioning for someone behind the door to follow him inside.
As he entered, in also came the other groomsmen, which included Mitsuya, Pah, Peh, Naoto, The Kawata Twins, and The Mizo Middle Five.
"See? It was obviously the right choice for Chifuyu to do it." Nahoya 'Smiley' Kawata commented with his famous grin.
"Wait a sec..." Takemichi squinted in suspicion before widened his eyes, "Are you telling me you guys planned this out?" He questioned the suited men in surprise.
"Ya got that right." Hakkai confirmed with a wide grin.
"We saw how much of a nervous wreck you were being, so we all huddled up outside and discussed which one of us should try and snap you out of it." Mitsuya revealed their plan. "And as you can see, we all agreed Chifuyu was the best option seeing as how out of all of us, he's the one that's closest to you."
"And in the end, our plan worked." Naoto added.
Takemichi stared at his groomsmen in awe.
"Wow... Uhm... Thanks, you guys." He sheepishly thanked, rubbing his head.
They all smiled right back at him before Mitsuya stepped in.
"You're welcome, but don't thank us just yet." The fashion designer, replied, "You can do that after we've fully prepped you for the wedding."
"I'm pretty sure you already helped with most of the prep by sewing mine and Yuzuha's outfits, Mitsuya" Takemichi quipped, making him chuckle.
"He may have done that, but he still hasn't given you advice on how to handle being married, which only I have, by the way." Pah stated with a bit of pride.
This earned a comical sweatdrop from his all of his friends, besides Takemichi.
"Well ya didn't have to rub it in like that, ya jerk." Souya 'Angry' Kawata commented in a deadpan tone.
"That was pretty unnecessary, Pah." Peh added his two cents in a similar tone.
Takemichi couldn't help but laugh at the banter among his groomsmen.
Even though a part of him was still a bit anxious of the impending events, he was glad he at least had his friends to calm him down and brighten his mood.
It was finally time...
After a few hours later, the church decorations, along with the wedding altar, had finally been set.
Most of the wedding attendants had taken their seats as they awaited the beginning of the ceremony.
Because it was a private ceremony, there weren't too many people.
Takemichi himself was standing at the altar right near the elderly priest, wearing a black and white suit with a rose in the breast pocket.
'This is it... This is it...' The brunette repeated mentally, 'In probably just a few minutes from now, I'm going to officially marry Yuzuha...'
He was still a bit anxious, although it wasn't as bad as before.
His eyes zoomed over to the large door, which his bride could be entering through any moment from now.
He also scanned all the people occupying their seats.
Most of his groomsmen were there, and Hinata was also there, sitting right next to Naoto.
The only people who he didn't spot were Hakkai, Taiju and Senju, which made sense consider the former two are Yuzuha's siblings and the latter is her maid of honor.
Honestly, even though the evidence was right in front of him, he still found it hard to believe he was actually getting married.
Married to his girlfriend of 10 years.
If you could have somehow gone back in time and told his 14 year old self that he would get married to a girl other than Hinata...
Well, he probably wouldn't even call you crazy, he'd be too busy focusing on how you supposedly time traveled.
'Man, I know it's pretty much too late to be a bit anxious but I just can't help it...' He mentally commented with a slight furrow of his eyebrows.
'I don't want this whole thing to go wrong, and I'm sure it won't... But a part of me still can't help but worry-'
Before he could finish that thought, the door to the altar opened, attracting the attention of everyone in the room, including Takemichi.
And the brunette instantly felt all traces of worry leave his body as he eyed the one who entered.
In came the bride herself, Yuzuha Shiba, donning a long beautiful sleeveless white wedding gown and a veil on her head, holding a wedding bouquet.
At both of her sides were her brothers, Taiju and Hakkai Shiba, escorting her down the hall.
Behind the three of them was her maid of honor, Senju Akashi.
As they came close to the altar, the two brothers finally detached themselves from their sister and walked to their seats, but not before sending a wink of their own to Takemichi, as if they were saying "She's all yours now."
Before she stepped up, the bride handed her bouquet to her maid of honor, who gently took it before going back to her own seat.
Yuzuha finally reached both of the awaiting men, and Takemichi couldn't help but stare at her in both surpise and awe as she stood in front of him.
She had a bit of makeup on, and was wearing red lipstick, something he doesn't usually see her put on, but it didn't change the fact that he was absolutely gobsmacked by how beautiful she looked right now.
His fiancée noticed his staring and couldn't help but giggle a bit.
"How do you like the look?" She whispered, silently going for his approval since she wasn't really used to wearing makeup and put it on just for this occasion.
"You're... You're gorgeous..." The brunette whispered back in awe with wide eyes, "E-Even more than you already are..."
His compliment gave her a warm blush to her cheeks, and if they weren't about to initiate the ceremony, she probably would've given him a grateful smooch right then and there.
"Thanks~" She whispered with a smile.
"Welcome, all of you! Thank you for coming!" The priest called out, finally getting things rolling, "We are all gathered here today to witness the union between Takemichi Hanagaki, and Yuzuha Shiba." He announced, motioning towards the couple.
"Before we initiate the ceremony, I must ask..." The priest began, "Will you, Yuzuha Shiba and Takemichi Hanagaki's friends and family, surround them in love, offer them the joys of your friendship, and your support in their marriage? If so, respond with we will." He instructed.
Everyone in their seats complied with his request.
Satisfied with their agreement, he began his speech.
"Marriage is an act of will. It requires a commitment to care for another person. By caring, we show concern for the life and growth of those whom we love." He explained to everyone in attendance, "Marriage requires a commitment to take responsibility for another person. By responding, we experience the needs of that other person and try to help them meet those needs."
"Today, guided by God's love and wisdom, we affirm and celebrate Takemichi Hanagaki and Yuzuha Shiba's wedding day." He closed before bringing his attention towards the main couple.
"No ceremony can create your marriage. Only the two of you can do that." He stated, "Through love, patience, dedication, perseverance, talking and listening, helping and supporting one another, and believing in each other. Learning to forgive, learning to appreciate your differences, and by learning to make the important things matter, and to let go of the rest. What this ceremony can do is affirm the love you have for one another in the presence of your friends and family..."
The groom and the bride paid close attention to the priest's words, their attention spans not wavering one bit.
"Look at one another and remember this moment in time. Before this moment, you have been many things to each other. Acquaintances, friends, companions and even teachers, for you have learned so much from one another these past few years." He added, "Shortly, you shall say a few words that will take you across a threshold of life, and things between you will never quite be the same..."
"For after today, you shall say to the world... This is my husband, and This is my wife..."
The priest let his words sink in for a few seconds, before he eventually decide it was time to bring things to a close.
"And now, it is time for the bride and groom to say their vows." He announced, "And we shall start off with the bride." He signaled to Yuzuha.
"Thank you, father." The bride thanked with a nod, before turning back to her fiancé.
"Takemichi..." She mentioned her groom's name.
"As a little girl, I was never really fixated on the idea of being in love, or why so many girls were obsessed with the idea of being married. And because of that, I wasn't really sure if I'd ever find a man who I could call 'The Man Of My Dreams...'" She revealed aloud before looking up at him with a smile, "But on that fateful day we met at the park, I can confidently say that that was the day my entire perspective changed."
"The more we hung out with each other, the more I slowly started to fall for you day by day... And when we had our first kiss during New Years Eve, I knew that I had found the man who I was in love with..." She stated fondly.
"Even though you might not see yourself as the perfect guy... And yeah sure, you're definitely not a Brad Pitt or Leo." She remarked with a smirk, earning a laugh from everyone in the audience, and making the groom shake his head and chuckle.
"You're still the only man on this Earth that I could see myself getting married to, which is why I'm standing at this alter right now."
"And believe me when I say that what I wrote on that Ema 11 years ago wasn't an empty promise. I meant it with all my heart." She reminded him of their Emas.
"As your wife, I sincerely promise to stay by your side for the rest of our lives." She sincerely promised, "I pledge to give myself to you and only you, in both body and soul. And I vow to support you through every up and down we go through, just like the promise we made to each other on that bench, which would eventually lead to this."
"I love you... I always have..." She stated with a sincere and warm smile.
By the end of her speech, most people in the audience couldn't help smile fondly at her for her sweet words.
Her lover was floored by her speech and the vow she made to him.
And somehow, he was able to will himself to not release his famous Hanagaki tears.
'Oh man... Her speech was so beautiful and heartfelt...' He mentally commented in awe, '... H-How could I possibly live up to that...?' He asked with a bit of anxiety.
When he and Yuzuha were writing down their own vows a few weeks prior, they made sure to keep them from one another and save it for the big day, and when he finished his, he felt pretty good about it.
But now he was starting to doubt it...
'Should I still go through with it...? I-I can't just say I'm not gonna through with it anymore. But still I-'
"And now, for the groom's vows." The priest stated, bringing him out of his inner turmoil.
His eyes gazed at his bride before darting over towards the audience that was awaiting his recital.
As he gazed over them, his eyes landed on his one and only best man, Chifuyu, who was staring right back at him, and quickly flashed a thumbs up.
'Now that just gave me some serious deja vu...' He comically thought with a sweatdrop.
Although, he still gave his friend a nod in return, as he knew he was reminding him of their talk from earlier.
So, brushing off his worry from earlier, he steeled himself, and faced his lover once again.
He wasn't going to ruin his wedding with his nervousness.
She deserved better than that.
He inwardly sighed before finally starting his speech.
"Yuzuha..." He mentioned his bride's name, "You came into my life at the exact moment I needed you..." He stated, gaining her interest.
"About 11 years ago... I was hurting, and I was at probably the lowest moment in my life..." He recalled, looking down, "Part of me felt like life wasn't worth living anymore. My entire world was shattered, and I felt like my life was over. I didn't think there was any possible way for me to get back on my feet, and I felt like I was ready to just give up..."
"But then, I met you..." He said, looking into her eyes with a fond smile, "And little did I know that you were the key to my life being fixed..."
"When you offered to hear me out and listen to my problems, we still weren't too familiar with each other back then, and yet... Something told me it wouldn't be a bad idea to confide in you, and that's exactly what I did."
"In the end, I revealed my struggles to you, and you revealed yours to me, and that's when we made that deal to comfort and support each other from then on. Heh, little did I know that that deal would be one of the best ones I've ever made." He fondly reminisced, "The more you and I spent time together, and confided in each other, the more I felt myself getting attached to you."
"At first I was confused, because even in my first relationship I didn't immediately feel that way about a girl... Erh, n-no offense...!" He quickly stated to a certain pinkette in the audience once he realized what he said.
Hinata simply giggled as she knew he was talking to her, and simply waved him off to assure there were no hard feelings, while chuckling could be heard among fellow attendees.
Even Yuzuha had to stifle a giggle at the situation.
The groom let out a quick sigh of relief before getting back on track.
"A-Anyways, like I was saying... I-I didn't really understand why I was feeling that way about you at first..." He continued, "But as time went on, I slowly started to realize that I was seeing you in a different light... One that I wouldnt mind standing under for a very long time..."
"Whenever I was around you, I felt like I was stronger, and that there was no force in this world that could hold me down, and I still get that feeling around you to this day!"
"You gave me strength, hope and courage... Many things that I never could've built up on my own." He praised her, "Once I realized how much closer I wanted to get to you, that's when it hit me... I was in love... In love with you..." He sincerely stated.
"And when you gave me the chance to kiss you on the day we became a couple, I didn't even have to think twice... Any person would be lucky enough to have you as a wife... And the fact that I'm the one who gets to do that proves I've been blessed..."
"Because I love everything about you... I love your eyes, I love your hair, I love your smile, the way you laugh, how easily we bounce off each other..." He listed, "But most of all... I love how easily I can confide in you..."
Yuzuha blinked at him in a bit of surprise awe.
"With every single up and down I've gone through, you've always stuck by my side no matter what... And believe me when I say your love and support are the two main things in life that allow me to keep going...!" He declared.
"And at the end of the day, I may not be the richest or most dashing guy out there..." He described himself, "But I don't care, because despite all that, you still love and accept me for who I am, which I couldn't be thankful enough for..." He got back on a more positive note.
"And so, in order to repay you for your love, I stand here today and vow that I'll love you and take care of you for the rest of my life, and also do the exact same for our family." He promised, no hint of deceit in his tone, "Also, I'm glad you brought up what you wrote on your Ema from 9 years ago, because just like how you promised to stay by my side forever, I'll do the exact same for you... I promise you that..."
"You're my everything, Yuzu... I'm truly blessed to have you as my woman..." He stated, even using his pet name for her, "And I consider myself even more blessed to have the blessing of both your brothers, and I promise, their blessings won't be in vain..." He indirectly promised the Shiba brothers, earning a nod from Hakkai and a proud grin from Taiju.
"You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I promise that I'll make you happy for the rest of our lives... And it's with every fiber of my being when I say..."
"I love you, Yuzuha Shiba... I truly do..." Takemichi finished his speech with a loving smile.
Judging by the wide smile on Yuzuha's face, and the tears of joy that were starting to leak out of her eyes, it looks like his speech had greatly touched her.
It wasn't just the bride that was affected though.
Most of the people in the audience were greatly moved by the groom's declaration, with the likes of Hinata and Senju using tissues to wipe the tears that were on their faces.
Hell, even the likes of Chifuyu, Hakkai, the Mizo Middle Five members, and Mitsuya couldn't help but shed some proud tears for their friend's beautiful speech.
"There he goes again, with those insane speech skills of his." Mitsuya said while wiping the last of his tears.
"Heh, if I was as good with words as he is, maybe I'd probably be married too by now..." Akkun joked while wiping his own, earning snickers from his fellow Mizo Middle members.
Taiju on the other hand, crossed his arms and sported a very wide and toothy grin.
"Well done, Hanagaki..." Taiju quietly praised the brunette.
The officiant of the wedding gave a satisfied nod at the vows before proceeding to pull out two golden rings from his stand.
He handed both of them to the bride and groom before turning to Takemichi.
"Takemichi Hanagaki, please place this ring on Yuzuha Shiba's finger, and repeat after me..." He instructed, "I give you this ring, as a sign of my love."
Hearing his request, Yuzuha offered her left hand to her groom, who wasted no time in taking it.
"I give you this ring, as a sign of my love..." The brunette repeated the priest's words as placed his ring on his bride's ring finger.
With that done, the priest turned to Yuzuha and gave her the same instruction, to which she complied.
Taking her fiancé's hand, she wasted no time in placing her ring on his ring finger.
"I give you this ring, as a sign of my love..." She repeated the words as she finished.
Once the two had finished with their rings, the priest spoke up.
"Let these rings be a symbol of the never-ending love you have promised to one another..." He told them.
"It's almost time..." Chifuyu whispered in anticipation.
"I can barely wait..." Senju also whispered to herself.
The priest then raised both of his hands in the air, holding a Bible in one.
"By the power of your love and commitment, and the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife!" He declared, making the couple adopt excited smiles, "And with that..."
"You may now kiss the bride!"
Once he gave the go-ahead, Takemichi and Yuzuha wasted no time as they rushed into each other's arms and sealed the deal with a passionate kiss on the lips.
At that, thunderous applause and cheers started to fill the room, with most of Takemichi's friends cheering him and his wife on.
"Ladies and gentlemen..." The priest called out with a smile, "I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Takemichi Hanagaki!" He joyfully announced the names of the newlyweds.
At that, the now married couple pulled away and stared lovingly into each other's eyes before they locked their arms together and walked down the aisle, basking in their union.
"Look at him... My boy's all grown up..." Chifuyu stated with a dramatic tear and a proud smile as he watched.
"Woo-hoo! That's my girl! Go Yuzuha!" Senju happily cheered for her friend as she clapped.
Hinata cried for probably the third time that day, unable to contain the happiness she had for the couple.
The Mizo Middle Five all chanted their beloved member's name as they applauded.
Hakkai couldn't contain the happy grin he had as he watched his big sister and his close friend(now in-law).
And Taiju let out a boisterous laugh as he also applauded, very loudly.
As flowers filled the aisle they walked down on, the newlywed couple couldn't be any more happier as they continued to experience the best day of their new matrimonial lives...
To say the wedding was a success would be putting it lightly.
After the ceremony, things only turned out greater from then on.
The dinner party had begun and everybody had used that as their chance to congratulate the newlywed couple.
The response was almost overwhelming for the couple, but they were still very grateful for the support from their friends and family.
While Takemichi was being crowded by his buddies, Yuzuha was off talking to her two siblings.
"Man, even though I watched it happen up close, I still can't believe my big sis is actually marred now." Hakkai revealed as he took a swig of his glass.
"Well, the proof's right here, baby brother." Yuzuha joked as she pointed at the ring on her left hand, "But don't worry, your time will come someday." She jokingly assured him with a pat on the shoulder.
"C'mon, don't even start right now..." The royal blue haired man sort of pleaded.
"Ahh, don't sweat it, my junior brother." Taiju wrapped an arm around his brother's shoulder, "Our sister may have gotten a significant other before you, but I assure you you'll find yours someday."
"H-Hey, quit reminding that I'm single, will ya?! Jeez!" He complained in frustration at his siblings' teasing, making Yuzuha laugh.
"Speaking of which, congrats on the wedding, Yuzuha." Taiju turned his attention towards his younger sister, "I never knew when exactly this day would come, but now that it has, I'm sure you're gonna be an amazing wife!" He told her.
"Eh, thanks for the words of encouragement, Taiju." She thanked with a chuckle, since she was used to his nature.
"And it also helps that the man who's earned your love is a worthy one as well." The oldest Shiba sibling praised his sister's husband, "Takemichi Hanagaki is a very special one. I'm positive that he'll treat you with the respect and love that you deserve! Unlike... Me... However..." He stated, his voice notably dying down at that last part as he averted his gaze.
His fellow siblings furrowed their eyebrows in concern as they knew very well why his mood had changed so suddenly.
"Taiju, listen..." She called to her brother, "You don't need to keep beating yourself up for what happened in the past okay? There's no need, we've all put that behind us now..." She tried to assure him.
"Sis is right, Taiju." Hakkai joined in, patting his senior brother's shoulder, "Sure, what you did wasn't a good thing at all, but we don't care about that anymore. You're on good terms with both of us now and you've improved much more these days in our eyes. We've gone back to being a family again." He reassured the taller Shiba.
"And you even came to watch and support me as I got married. A bad sibling definitely wouldn't do that." The bride reminded her brother, "We may not have always had the best relationship, but at the end of the day, you're still our brother, and we love you just as such." She stated seriously.
Their words seemed to get through to the burly man, as he brought his gaze back to both of them.
"Well, if my two younger siblings say so... Then I guess there really is nothing for me to worry about...!" He declared with his grin returning.
The two other Shibas smiled in relief at seeing his normal attitude return.
"I'm glad that worked, because the sight of our brother being a sad sap is one I'll never get used to." Hakkai joked with a grin, making Yuzuha giggle.
"I'm with you there." She agreed.
"Haha! This dialogue has given me a feeling of immense satisfaction." Taiju announced as he wrapped his arms around his younger siblings, "Now, let's go on and celebrate our sister's successful wedding with joy!" He commanded with a wide grin.
"Yessir!" Hakkai responded with equal glee.
Yuzuha rolled her eyes at the scenario but still smiled fondly nonetheless.
Despite everything that's happened amongst them, she still wouldn't trade anything in the world for her siblings...
"Wow..." A voice blurted out.
"Hm? What's wrong?" Yuzuha asked with curiosity.
"O-Oh! U-Uh, Nothing at all, really!" Takemichi quickly assured with an awkward grin, frantically waving his hands.
"It's just..." He started before looking back at the high view of their hotel room window.
"Even after all that's happened... I'm still kinda having a hard time processing that all of this is real, y'know?" He revealed to his wife who was laying on their bed.
"The fact that we've been together for 10 years... The fact that we're now husband and wife... The fact that we've gotten married and soon we might start a family... And even our honeymoon that we're on right now..." The brunette listed, "It all feels so surreal..."
"Don't get me wrong... These have been some of the best years of my entire life... But everything that's happened so far has gone so well, that I can't help but wonder if it's all just one big dream..." The crybaby hero revealed his thought process.
Right when he finished though, he was snapped out of his deep thinking state when he felt a pair of lips on his cheek and turned to see none other than his wife who was responsible.
"Does that prove everything you've experienced is real...?" She questioned with a smirk.
He was momentarily surprised, but quickly adopted a smirk as well.
"Well, I haven't woken up smooching a pillow yet, so I guess you could say yeah." The brunette quipped, making both him and his wife laugh.
As their laughter died down, they began to stare into each other's eyes, the mood in the room starting to change.
Neither of them said a word, just taking in the silence for a few seconds, until Takemichi broke it.
"Y'know... I meant every single word I said during our vows..." He suddenly blurted, not sure why he felt the need to but still did it anyway.
"I know... I did too..." Yuzuha responded with a smile, her hand unconsciously intertwining with her husband's own.
Their wedding rings brushing against each other, the married couple stared at each other, their heads slowly coming together without them even knowing.
Soon enough, they eventually closed the gap between and engaged in a deep kiss, their arms wrapping around one another.
Their mouths moved in sync with each other as they passionately kissed, and Yuzuha slowly snuck her hand underneath her spouse's top, feeling his chest.
Takemichi didn't even flinch since he already knew what she was signaling for whenever she did that, and so, he lifted her up with his arms, never separating from her as he did so, and brought her over to their mattress.
Laying her on the bed, the man got on top of her and didn't even wait for his partner to give him the go-ahead before he got to work at removing her nightgown.
The woman felt her dress being removed from her body, leaving her bare form out in the open, and she brought her partner in for a passionate kiss as he frantically worked at removing his own sleep attire, desperate to free his throbbing arousal.
With each of the pair's clothing finally being discarded, they wasted no time in beginning their act of pleasure.
For the rest of the night, the pair did nothing but satisfy the sheer need and want they had for one another.
Every single thrust and moan that sounded throughout the bedroom was a product of pure love and heat.
And the deep but passionate kisses that the pair gave each other was symbolic for how the pair couldn't get enough of one another.
Despite all the times they have performed this act, each time was always a form of pure bliss, and this specific moment of love-making was special to them...
The married couple let out tired pants as they recovered from their long session of love-making.
Yuzuha's hair was laid out, as it had been removed from its ponytail during the act, and Takemichi was lying on his back, making the scratch marks there unseen.
"That... Was... Surprisingly... Intense..." The brunette stated in between pants.
"Yeah... No kidding..." The fellow brunette agreed, "I don't remember the last time we've gone that hard for that long..." She added.
"But it was still great... Very great..." She reaffirmed with a pant.
"No argument there..." The male agreed with a chuckle, making his wife join in.
As they finally recovered from the aftermath, Yuzuha then spoke up.
"That was very special to me, you know..." She stated, gaining her partner's attention.
"Hm? Really...?" He asked in a bit of surprise, "How so...?"
"Well... All the other times we've done this, it was back when we were still only dating..." She started, "But this time, it was different..."
"Tonight, we didn't just make love like we always do..." She claimed before turning to her spouse with a smile, "Instead, we made love for the first time as a married couple..." She stated happily.
Her spouse widened his eyes once he realized and understood what she had meant.
"You're right... We did..." He confirmed her statement with a thoughtful expression before looking up at the ceiling, "Well... When you put it like that... I guess it's very special to me too..." He agreed with her sentiment.
She smiled at his agreement, and brought her body closer to his in order to cuddle with him, which he had no trouble reciprocating.
As the pair cuddled and stared at the ceiling together, Takemichi then asked a certain question.
"Hey uh... Have I told you today that I love you?" He questioned.
"Only like, 200 times today." His wife responded in a joking manner, "Why?"
"Well, let's make that 201." He stated with a smile before turning himself so that he was directly facing the love of his life.
"I love you, Yuzuha Hanagaki..." He sincerely declared to her with a loving gaze, finally using her new surname.
She lovingly smiled right back at him, and gave him a peck on the lips.
"I love you too, Takemichi Hanagaki..." She happily shared his sentiment.
The married couple passionately kissed before cuddling with each other once again, this time, the feeling of sleep filling their eyes.
As they succumbed to the feeling, the married couple both fell asleep soundly with a smile on both of their faces, knowing that they were content in the arms of their soul mate, and that the days that followed would only bring them even more joy in their marriage.
And during those days, they would stay by one another's side until the end of time...
As nothing could separate or destroy the deep love the Hanagakis shared...
BET YOU WEREN'T EXPECTING ME TO HIT YOU WITH THIS WERE YOU?! HAHA! I TOLD YOU I'D WRITE THAT WEDDING CHAPTER! Lol, but on a serious note, after 8 months of finishing the last chapter, there was no way I could just leave it off at that, and a lot of people said they wanted the wedding chapter, and I agreed, so I got to work 😌 This took me a very long while to finish, but in the end, it was worth it!😌
Yuzuha and Takemichi finally got the happy ending they deserve, and we couldn't be more happier for them!
Let me know if you guys enjoyed this long awaited chapter, and until then, I'll see you next time!
RinOta,out!
✌️😁
