Author's Note: Warning! Part of this chapter is lemony, so it has a rating of 'Mature'. If you don't like lemons or shouldn't be reading them, skip from the first break with a '—∞—' to the next '—∞—'.

Previously:

"But before we go..." Kazama said, putting his arm around Sumiko with his hand on her far shoulder as he gently pulled her closer to him. "There's the matter of our wedding to discuss."

"Ah, right. I did say we could have it once Hijikata-san was better, huh?" Sumiko said, smiling a little wryly. Kazama really was being very patient with her, since she kept putting it off.

"We'll have to get a shiromuku, then," Chizuru said, smiling. "We can split the cost, and I can wear it after you."

"Deal," Sumiko said.

"Is that all right with you?" Hijikata asked Chizuru. Was she really okay with being second?

"Of course. We share clothes all the time," Chizuru said. "Sumiko-san is only a few inches taller than me, so as long as it fits her, it should fit me as well."

"I see," Hijikata said. It seemed she was okay with it. Well, as long as Chizuru was happy, it was all right.

Chapter 66: The Wedding Night

Chizuru smiled as she watched Sumiko and Kazama complete the San San Ku Do, the exchange of nuptial cups, together. They had already gone through the ritual of purification and exchanged their vows. Since neither Sumiko nor Kazuma had parents present, the ceremony was going to be a little different at this point, but Chizuru thought it was a touching moment to see her friend's barely contained happiness as Sumiko tried to remain formal and respectful for the wedding ceremony. Then they moved on to the offering of the branch of the sacred tree, the Sakaki, symbolized by a zigzag-shaped paper streamer used to adorn shinto-related objects. When the wedding ceremony was completed, and they had left the shrine, Kazama grinned at his wife as he held her hand and kissed it. Sumiko blushed as she smiled up at her husband. It was clear he couldn't wait to get her home.

"We still have the reception party," Sumiko reminded Kazama. They were having a little get together so the rest of the neighborhood could feel involved and be thanked for their kindness. They had all been oddly invested in the idea of Sumiko's marriage and had given her gifts to help out.

"If we must," Kazama said with a sigh.

"We must. But then I'm all yours," Sumiko told him with a smile. Kazama smirked in a way that made her wonder if she was going to survive whatever he had in mind for later.

—∞—

Later seemed to come sooner than Sumiko had thought it would. The reception went off without a hitch, and everyone had a good time, but instead of letting it draw out, everyone had tactfully excused themselves after a while, leaving just the new married couple and Chizuru and Hijikata in the house. Sumiko could tell from the sly, knowing looks some of the guests had given her that they knew exactly what they were doing. It wasn't that Sumiko didn't want to start her wedding night early, it was just that she was nervous. She knew what to expect, but it was going to be her first time. Kazama put his arm around her and smiled at her.

"I hope you are prepared for what's next," he said slyly. Sumiko felt her cheeks turn red as she nodded.

"Good luck," Chizuru told her friend quietly with a smile. Sumiko was too nervous to answer as Kazama held her hand and led her to the room they would be sharing from that point on. Sumiko went in and stopped in front of the futon while Kazama shut the door behind them. Sumiko removed her tsunokakushi from her head and carefully set it and the hair ornaments she also removed aside in a safe spot. Kazama came up behind her and started sliding off her outer kimono. She let him take the lead, and he kissed her repeatedly while they removed their clothing. He was ardent; you would think he had never done it with her before. Kazama guided Sumiko to lie back on the futon. He stopped, pausing to take in the sight. Sumiko could feel her whole face turning red as his eyes caressed her whole body. She decided to return the favor. She was unsurprised to see that his body was strong and beautiful, but she became a little concerned that he might not fit and her nervousness increased.

"Sumiko, be at ease," Kazama said soothingly, moving closer to her so he was hovering over her with his forehead lightly touching hers. Sumiko took a breath and reminded herself that men and women were made to fit together, so her body should be able to accept his without a problem. "That's better," he said when some of the tension left her body. "Take another breath. I've heard it might hurt at first, but you don't have to worry. I'm going to take good care of you," he promised. Sumiko took another deep breath and relaxed, reminding herself that she wouldn't have agreed to marry Kazama if she didn't think she could trust him. Maintaining eye contact with her, Kazama made his first move. Sumiko gasped as he slowly slid his long, strong finger inside of her and placed his thumb over her clitoris. She couldn't stop the soft moan that escaped her as he moved his fingers to please her. Her moans became louder as more fingers joined the one going in and out of her, faster and deeper. The pleasure kept building and building. She started to feel a deep aching in her stomach. Then, suddenly, it was like a release.

"Ah—!" she started to moan loudly, but Kazama immediately kissed her to silence her. A release. That was the only way she could describe it. Like all of her clenched muscles were beginning to release. She was a little uncomfortable with the feeling, because it was so unfamiliar. It wasn't quite the 'fireworks' that most people described, but the pleasure was intense. So much so that her legs began to shake a little bit. She was sure she must have just had an orgasm.

"I don't want you to feel self-conscious when you should be enjoying yourself, but... Don't let that man hear how you sound when you're like this," Kazama said, letting her have a moment to recover. He didn't want Hijikata to know that about her. "I don't want to share you with anyone."

"W-Was I that loud?" Sumiko asked, embarrassed. Kazama smirked, and she blushed.

"You're too adorable," he told her, kissing her and caressing her face. "I want to make you scream and writhe with pleasure." Sumiko's face was the reddest he had ever seen it. He smiled. "Are you ready for the main event?"

"As ready as I'll ever be..." she said, biting her lip a little nervously.

"None of that. I want you to relax," Kazama told her. "It'll feel better if you do."

"Okay," Sumiko said. She closed her eyes, took a breath, and relaxed her muscles as much as she could. Her legs were still trembling a little bit. Her eyes shot open as she felt him enter her, and she groaned from the uncomfortable feeling. She bit her lip again and clung to him as he began to move. He was careful, surprisingly gentle, but it still hurt her a bit. Even though she'd endured far worse pain, tears were beginning to form in her eyes.

"Should I stop?" Kazama asked, concerned.

"No! I was... advised that... it's better... not to stop..." she gasped, trying to focus on him rather than the pain, which was already beginning to pass. Pain turned to pleasure and pleasure to ecstasy. It was much more intense than when he had only used his fingers. Kazama got his wish. She was writhing with pleasure beneath him, and she had to keep one of her hands clamped firmly over her mouth to muffle all the noise she was making while she clung to him with the other. Kazama grinned, pleased that she was enjoying herself as much as he was. She became tingly and then her muscles started contracting. Her legs actually went numb for a second, and they began to shake as she and Kazama came together. There were fireworks this time, but not just any fireworks—it was the famous fireworks festival in Katakai in the city of Ojiya, Niigata Prefecture. She was so flushed afterwards. For a moment, she wasn't sure what had happened to her. She was sweaty and her legs wouldn't stop shaking even after the orgasm was over. 'Now that's an orgasm...!' she thought, panting. She definitely wouldn't mind having one of those again.

"Ready for round two?" Kazama asked, fully satisfied and ready to do it again.

"Already?" Sumiko asked, surprised. He didn't seem winded at all.

"I'm an oni," he reminded her, smirking. Sumiko smiled coyly at him. She wasn't sure she could keep up, but she was certainly going to try.

"Let's go, then," she said, kissing him.

—∞—

"Do you think we're going to see Sumiko-san and Kazama-san again tonight?" Chizuru asked Hijikata as she began to cook dinner while he read a book.

"Somehow, I doubt it," Hijikata said. He knew that if he was with Chizuru, he wouldn't come back out until morning.

"I'll just make dinner for two, then," Chizuru said.

They didn't see the newlyweds for the rest of the night.

—∞—

Kazama lied with Sumiko in their futon, listening to her soft breathing while he held her. She had only just nodded off, and now the sun was beginning to creep into the window, making it glow. He just lied there with her, not wanting to miss anything as he watched her sleep, while the light grew stronger as the sun rose higher. He smiled when she snuggled closer to him and buried her face in the crook of his neck to hide from the brightening light. He was content to stay there until she woke, but then there was a knock on the door.

"Sumiko-san. Kazama-san. Are you going to eat breakfast?" Chizuru asked through the closed door.

"Mmn," Sumiko groaned. "Coming..." she groaned on reflex, attempting to get up. She was stopped by Kazama, who kept her trapped in his arms.

"You should rest," he told her. She was obviously worn out. He was tired himself.

"I'll rest after I make breakfast..." Sumiko mumbled, still half asleep. "We should eat somethin'..." She started to nodded off again.

"Sumiko-san?" Chizuru asked through the door.

"I said I'm coming..." Sumiko said, waking up again. This time Kazama let her get up, and she pulled on a kimono, but she was doing a messy job of it, so Kazama helped her to make sure she didn't stumble out looking too immodest. Once she was dressed, Sumiko joined Chizuru in the kitchen, and they began making breakfast together.

"You seem tired," Chizuru observed, watching Sumiko.

"I am," Sumiko said. But it was completely worth it.

"Didn't you get any sleep?" Chizuru asked, concerned.

"You can't seriously expect me to answer that," Sumiko said, blushing a bit.

"Why not?" Chizuru asked innocently.

"Chizuru... You're the daughter of a doctor, and you don't know what's supposed to happen on your wedding night?" Sumiko asked, sweat-dropping.

"B-but you wouldn't do that all night, would you?" Chizuru said, blushing.

"You'll understand when it's your turn," Sumiko said as her own blush deepened. "Speaking of which, when do you think that will be?"

"Eh? I don't know..." Chizuru said. "We only just celebrated your wedding, so we should probably wait until at least next week."

"So we'll wait to go to the Yukimura Village till after next week," Sumiko said.

"Yes, it seems like that'll be a long journey," Chizuru agreed. "What do you think we will find there?"

"Tragedy," Sumiko answered solemnly. "But still, I think we need to go. And if it's secluded enough, maybe we might want to settle there."

"Settle there?" Chizuru asked.

"Hijikata-san can't spend the rest of his life here hiding his face," Sumiko said. "He's bound to be found out someday. But if we went somewhere no one knew him, even if he was spotted, it shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"I suppose you're right," Chizuru said. "If that's the case, then hopefully there will be another village nearby that we could go to for supplies. One that's not too close, but not too far."

"That would be good," Sumiko agreed.

"Do you think Kazama-san would be all right with that?" Chizuru asked.

"He's already told me before that he didn't care where we lived as long we were together," Sumiko said.

"Kazama-san is actually an obliging person, isn't he?" Chizuru said, surprised.

"For some things," Sumiko said, smiling wryly. "He can also be strangely stubborn for others."

"I was worried at first, but it seems like he's a good match for you," Chizuru said, smiling.

"Yes, I think so, too," Sumiko said, also smiling happily. They finished making breakfast, and then the four of them ate together.

"Are you going to open the clinic today?" Chizuru asked Sumiko.

"No. I don't think anyone expects me to, and I'd like to take it easy," Sumiko said honestly, looking forward to getting a decent amount of sleep.

"Yes, it would be better for you to rest today," Kazama agreed. He planned for their second night together to be very much like their first. And it was. He and Sumiko slept most of the day away, getting up only to eat. So she was feeling refreshed by the time evening rolled around and agreed to make love with him again after they turned in for the night. Although her intention was to only do a normal amount and then sleep, she was once again drawn into another marathon of orgasms. The trouble was that it just felt so good and made Kazama so happy that she had a hard time saying no. But she really needed her sleep, so she eventually had to put her foot down at three-thirty in the morning and made him let her get a few hours of rest so she wouldn't be stuck in 'zombie mode' during work.

—∞—

"So, how was it?" Reiko eagerly whispered to Sumiko while she was treating her ankle the next day, which really was sprained this time.

"You'll need to keep off of this ankle for a bit. I'll give you some crutches," Sumiko told her.

"No, I mean—" Reiko began, but Sumiko cut her off.

"I know what you meant, and I'm not discussing that with you," she said strictly. It was private, and there was no way she was telling someone who had a crush on her husband how good he was in bed.

"That good, huh?" Minoshita-san said, smiling knowingly at Sumiko, making her blush.

"Minoshita-san..." Sumiko said, wishing she wasn't so sharp. Between these two it would undoubtedly soon be all over the neighborhood about how she'd had such a good wedding night. 'I'm going to be teased mercilessly...' she thought with a sigh.

"What are you all smiling about?" Chizuru asked curiously, coming over with the bandage and poultice that Sumiko had requested for Reiko's ankle.

'Am I smiling?' Sumiko thought, sweat-dropping. She didn't think she was.

"It must be a bit awkward living with a couple of newlyweds," Minoshita-san said to Chizuru.

"Not at all," Chizuru said, smiling. "Are you feeling better today, Minoshita-san?"

"Oh, yes! I just stopped by to see how Miyagawa-sensei was doing," Minoshita said brightly.

"You came to get the gossip, huh?" Sumiko said wryly as she finished bandaging Reiko's ankle.

—∞—

While Sumiko and Chizuru ran the clinic, Kazama and Hijikata were taking care of some other chores.

"You really don't seem the type to do domestic chores," Hijikata remarked while he and Kazama cleaned the floors of the verandas outside the house.

"Sumiko taught me," Kazama said.

'However did she manage that?' Hijikata wondered, amazed she got him to listen to her.

"Your face says you don't believe me," Kazama remarked.

"I believe you. I just find it strange. In my previous experience, you always disregarded everything she said to you," Hijikata said. 'Although, come to think of it, he's been behaving himself and is even being helpful since he got together with Sumiko...'

"That's because before she wanted me to go away and leave her alone. I wasn't going to do that," Kazama said frankly.

"I see..." Hijikata said. Kazama going after the girls really was a pain. He was glad that was no longer an issue.

"I bet I can finish cleaning this faster than you," Kazama said, smirking.

"Hmph. You're on," Hijikata said, also smirking.

—∞—

"Let's get started on lunch," Chizuru said as she and Sumiko closed up for their meal break.

"Sounds good to me," Sumiko said. They were about to step out onto the veranda, when Hijikata and Kazama zoomed past them.

"RAAAAAHHHH!" the two men roared as they raced. Sumiko and Chizuru blinked and stared after them.

"Well, at least they're getting along," Sumiko said, smiling wryly. They seemed to be enjoying themselves.

"Yes," Chizuru agreed, also smiling wryly. "I bet they'll be hungry after being so energetic."

"Let's make a big lunch," Sumiko agreed.