Hiroki yawned as he glanced up at a nearby wall clock.
11:52PM
"Getting tired, son?" Masanori asked from Hiroki's side. They were standing next to a refreshments table, which was slowly but surely getting cleaned up by waiters. About half of the wedding guests had cleared out already, leaving the closest family members behind. The place was still bustling, though, as the guests chattered and laughed.
"Just a bit."
"I understand. I'm sure it has been quite an exhausting day for you."
"Yeah…"
Masanori glanced at Hiroki before putting a firm hand on the nape of his neck and squeezing affectionately.
"I'm proud of you, Hiroki."
Hiroki's lips upturned ever so slightly as he glanced down at the floor.
"Thanks, Dad."
"I can't help but be a little sad, though."
Hiroki looked up at his father, whose mustache was downturned into a frown.
"Aw, Dad, come on…" Hiroki snorted.
"I'm serious! I feel like I'm giving away my little girl… but in this case, you're a boy."
"You suggestin' something?" Hiroki growled.
"Maybe I am."
"I'm not a girl!"
"I didn't say that!"
Hiroki and Masanori slapped at each other, turning their heads away to avoid getting hit in the face. Nearby guests stared at them, wondering why father and son were having a sissy-fight.
"Alright, everyone. It's getting late, so I think it's time for the last song. If the groom and bridegroom aren't off somewhere 'celebrating' their marriage, then we'd all like them to join us on the dancefloor!" the DJ announced over the speakers. Hiroki flushed scarlet as everyone chuckled a little. Family members turned and grinned knowingly at Hiroki. Masanori clapped him on the back.
"Go on, son. You have four minutes left of your wedding night."
Hiroki pinched his lips together and nodded once before jogging off towards the dancefloor, his black bow billowing out behind him. He heard the final song begin as he continued to make his way towards the center of the room.
I have fallen to my knees as I sing a lullaby of pain
I'm feeling broken in my melody
As I sing to help the tears go away
Hiroki got to the dancefloor, but as he glanced around in an attempt to find Nowaki in the mass of swaying couples. He rolled his eyes. He felt as if he was at a high school prom.
He was broken out of his thoughts as he spotted a black-haired head bobbing above all of the other heads on the dancefloor. Keeping an eye on the ebony tresses, he made his way through the crowd.
Then I remember the pledge you made to me.
The lights suddenly dimmed, casting everyone in darkness. A soft, blue light illuminated the room, but everyone still looked the same.
I know you're always there
To hear my every prayer inside, I'm clinging to
The promise of a lifetime.
I hear the words you say
To never walk away from me and leave behind
The promise of a lifetime
Hiroki huffed, but before he could move any further, a hand grabbed his and brought him into a chilled encasement. Hiroki looked up to see Akihiko, who grinned back down at him.
Will you help me fall apart? Pick me up, take me in your arms
Find my way back from the storm
And you show me how to grow through the change
I still remember the pledge you made to me.
"Akihiko?" Hiroki asked, reaching up to put his hands on Akihiko's shoulders as they slowly moved. Akihiko stooped down so Hiroki could hear him.
"You looked like a lost puppy, and I felt bad," Akihiko teased into Hiroki's ear. Hiroki blushed.
"Shut up! I was following Nowaki and I lost him when the lights went dark!"
"…Lost puppy."
"You're forgetting that my hands are within inches of choking distance," Hiroki hissed.
"Point taken."
"Where's Misaki?"
"I lost him, too."
"Hypocrite! Who's the lost puppy, now?"
Akihiko opened his mouth to respond, but looked up at something behind Hiroki. Hiroki glanced over his shoulder to see Miyagi slow-dancing his way over to Akihiko and Hiroki.
"Wanna trade partners?" Miyagi joked as he stopped beside Akihiko with a blushing Misaki held against him.
"Ah, do you mind, Hiroki?"
"Nope. Good luck, Misaki," Hiroki said. Without warning, Akihiko twirled Hiroki a few times before releasing him like a top. Hiroki spun into another pair of arms, and that time, they were warm.
"Hello, My Sweet Honey," Miyagi said cheerfully.
I know you're always there
To hear my every prayer inside, I'm clinging to
The promise of a lifetime.
I hear the words you say
To never walk away from me and leave behind
The promise of a lifetime.
"Why do you insist on calling me that?" Hiroki questioned dryly, allowing Miyagi to hold him tightly.
"Mm… because I can't call you Kamijou anymore."
Hiroki blushed.
"Well, you'll just have to call me Hiroki, then," he sighed, pinching his lips together. Miyagi grinned.
"What an honor!"
I am holding on to the hope I have inside
With you I will stay, through every day,
Putting my understanding aside…
Miyagi's eyes softened as he smiled ever so gently. He reached up to caress Hiroki's cheek and stroke his skin with the pad of his thumb.
"Congratulations, Hiroki."
Hiroki closed his eyes as Miyagi tilted his head forward and brushed his bangs back to press a kiss to his forehead.
…I am comforted.
To know you're always there
To hear my every prayer inside, I'm clinging to
The promise of a lifetime.
I hear the words you say,
To never walk away from me and leave behind
The promise of a lifetime.
Miyagi suddenly turned Hiroki around and held him by the shoulders as Nowaki appeared, looking somewhat awkward as Hiroki's mother clung to his waist. Nowaki glanced over and spotted Hiroki, and his eyes lit up. Hiroki blushed and shyly wrung his hands.
"Yōh!" called a nearby voice. Hiroki glanced to his right to see Shinobu jogging towards Miyagi with a wide smile on his face.
"Shinobu-chin," Miyagi purred happily, releasing Hiroki to eagerly bring his fiancé into his arms.
"I looked all over for you!" Shinobu gushed from behind Hiroki, his voice getting quieter as he and Miyagi drifted away into the mass of people.
"I looked for you, too, baby!"
Hiroki watched Nowaki as he got Tomoko's attention and pointed to Hiroki. Tomoko nodded and released Nowaki. Masanori, as if on cue, swept by to take his wife by the hand. Tomoko blushed, looking much more in place and joyful in the arms of her husband.
Shyly walking forward, Hiroki made his way towards Nowaki, who smiled and walked towards Hiroki.
"I was trying to find you," Nowaki said once Hiroki was safely in his arms. They swayed in perfect sync, Nowaki's hands on Hiroki's hips, and Hiroki's hands resting against his husband's strong chest.
"I was, too."
"So, my mom got her special dance, then?" Hiroki asked jokingly. Nowaki chortled.
"Mhm. She's a good dancer."
"Liar."
"Hiro-san?"
"Yes?"
Nowaki wrapped his arms around Hiroki's waist, resting his hands on the small of his back.
"You look beautiful tonight."
Hiroki looked up at Nowaki, who smiled back down at him with lowered eyelids. Nowaki stooped his head to brush his lips against Hiroki's. They stopped swaying for a moment to kiss for quite possibly the eightieth time that night.
I know you're always there
To hear my every prayer inside, I'm clinging to
The promise of a lifetime.
Looking back at me
I know that you can see, my heart is open to
The promise of a lifetime.
The song ended, and there was a chiming sound as the lights began to turn back on. Hiroki looked away from Nowaki and glanced up.
"Wow. Just like a movie. We kissed at midnight while dancing in a prom-like setting. Now if that isn't just the most cliché thing…" Hiroki trailed off, shaking his head and rolling his eyes. Nowaki lifted his wrist to glance at his watch.
"Actually, I think that clock is wrong, because my watch says it's only eleven."
Hiroki blinked.
"…Oh."
Nowaki tipped his head back and laughed.
"You're so unbearably adorable," Nowaki purred. Couples around them began pulling away from each other, but Nowaki and Hiroki remained locked in an unbreakable hold.
"One more song!" someone shouted without warning. Hiroki looked over at his mother, who was cupping her hands over her mouth. Again, Masanori was right behind her, slapping his forehead. Tomoko pointed to Hiroki. "My baby boy isn't finished yet!"
Nearby guests laughed as Hiroki groaned and buried his face in Nowaki's chest.
"Hiro-san, your mother is surprisingly bold for being part of your family."
"That's why I'm happy that I have my dad's genes."
Nowaki laughed, and as he did so, the lights dimmed once more and another song began to play.
I shouldn't love you but I want to
I just can't turn away
I shouldn't see you, but I can't move,
I can't look away.
"Oh, well, this song isn't very suiting at all," Nowaki commented from above. Hiroki looked up from Nowaki's chest to see him furrowing his eyebrows at the speakers on the ceiling.
"What is he singing about?"
I shouldn't love you but I want to
I just can't turn away
I shouldn't see you but I can't move
I can't look away.
"It's about not wanting to love someone," Nowaki said. He squinted slightly, listening to more of the lyrics. "And about not being able to look away and stuff like that."
Hiroki paused, briefly looking down.
"Um… I think this song is very suiting. It's more like our anthem, really."
Nowaki blinked.
"Eh?"
"Don't you think so? If it's about trying not to love someone like you said, then doesn't it about sum up our relationship when it first began?" Hiroki asked. "I mean… I don't know about you, but I tried very hard not to think about you or love you."
Nowaki stared down at Hiroki, his face contorting slightly.
"Oh, I didn't mean it like that!" Hiroki exclaimed. "I meant… no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop myself from loving you."
And I don't know
How to be fine when I'm not
'Cause I don't know
How to make a feeling stop.
"I knew what you meant, Hiro-san," Nowaki said softly. He held Hiroki a little tighter. "I was just thinking about how far we've come, what we've accomplished, everything that we've done to make our relationship perfect. We've come so, so far from when we first began, Hiro-san. We both changed for the better."
Hiroki smiled.
"Yes, we have."
Just so you know
This feeling's takin' control of me,
And I can't help it.
I won't sit around,
I can't let him win now.
Thought you should know
I've tried my best to let go of you,
But I don't want to
I just gotta say it all before I go
Just so you know.
"This song kind of matches what was going through my mind when we first started dating, too," Nowaki mused. Hiroki looked up again.
"How so?"
"Because I never would have let Akihiko win. I never would have let Miyagi, or anyone else for that matter, win."
Hiroki pinched his lips together and blushed.
"Okay, I think I get the song now, you can stop explaining it. You're such a corny loser."
Nowaki grinned.
"But you're 'madly in love' with this corny, idiotic loser, aren't you?"
"Shut up!"
It's gettin' hard to be around you
There's so much I can't say
Do you want me to hide the feelings
And look the other away?
And I don't know
How to be fine when I'm not
'Cause I don't know
How to make a feeling stop
"Say it."
"No!"
"Say it!"
"No!"
Just so you know
This feeling's takin' control of me,
And I can't help it.
I won't sit around,
I can't let him win now.
Thought you should know
I've tried my best to let go of you,
But I don't want to.
I just gotta say it all before I go
Just so you know.
"Hiro-san."
"I sai-"
Hiroki's words were smothered as Nowaki kissed him again, tilting his head to increase access. He held Hiroki by his neck, gently thumbing his jaw line. Hiroki blinked, startled, before his eyelids lowered and fluttered shut. He slid his hands around Nowaki to reach under his arms and splay his fingers over his broad back.
"Nowaki! Kusama!" a voice suddenly called. Nowaki and Hiroki pulled away, holding each other by the elbows. Alrik was rushing towards them, a bundle in his arms.
"What's wrong?" Hiroki asked with concern, releasing Nowaki to hold his arms out for Alrik to hand him a whimpering Fuyumi.
"She's fussing. We tried everything. I think she just wants you and Nowaki."
"Are you being needy, Fuyumi?" Hiroki scolded playfully, smiling down at his daughter as he pacified her with gentle bounces. Fuyumi whined and stared up at her papa and daddy. Slowly, her contorted face relaxed. Nowaki took Hiroki by the hips as his little husband cradled his daughter. They bumped their foreheads together and smiled proudly down at their baby. Fuyumi gazed back up at them expressionlessly, her little red lips flapping ever so slightly.
"Hey, Hiro-san?"
"Mmm?"
"You still have to say it."
"Are you kidding me?"
Hiroki looked up just in time for Nowaki to capture his lips once again.
This emptiness is killin' me
And I'm wonderin' why I've waited so long
Lookin' back I realize it was always there
Just never spoken
I'm waitin' here
Been waitin' here…
Nowaki pulled away, holding Hiroki back as he whined and tried to lean in for another kiss.
"Say it, Hiro-san."
"No… Fuyumi will hear..."
"I won't let you kiss me until you do."
"Ugh… fine, I love you."
Just so you know
This feeling's takin' control of me,
And I can't help it.
I won't sit around,
I can't let him win now.
Thought you should know
I've tried my best to let go of you,
But I don't want to.
I just gotta say it all before I go
Just so you know…
Just so you know.
"Say the whole thing."
"Oh, come on!"
"Please?"
Hiroki huffed and rolled his eyes.
"I'm madly in love."
"Again."
"I'm madly in love!"
"Again!"
"I'm madly in love with you, you idiot!" Hiroki barked. Nowaki burst into laughter, and Hiroki followed suit, smothering his giggles in Nowaki's shirt. He heard Fuyumi laughing in response to her parents' happiness.
Just so you know
This feeling's takin' control of me,
And I can't help it.
I won't sit around,
I can't let him win now.
Thought you should know
I've tried my best to let go of you,
But I don't want to.
I just gotta say it all before I go
Just so you know!
Just so you know…
"I'm madly in love with you, too."
"I couldn't imagine you loving me any other way."
"I'm so happy."
"Me, too."
"Mm? Even though you're married to a corny idiot who'll never, ever let you go?"
"Psh. You may be an idiot, but you're my idiot. Also, we can work on the corny thing. As for you being an idiot, I don't think there's a cure."
"I'm perfectly fine with being an idiot as long as I have you."
"Lesson one of not being corny: stop saying corny things!"
"It's not corny if it's true."
"You're hopeless!"
Thought you should know
I've tried my best to let go of you,
But I don't want to.
I just gotta say it all before I go
Just so you know…
Just so you know…
Just so you know.
The song faded to a stop, and everyone clapped. Nowaki and Hiroki didn't register the song's end, however, as they had kissed again. Fuyumi cooed and tugged Hiroki's shirt at the loss of attention, and he pulled away from Nowaki. Slowly, the lights came back up.
"Fuyumi, you're such a drama queen," Hiroki sighed, gently pinching her cheek. She smiled her precious baby smile, gurgling and babbling as she did so.
"Definitely ours. We're a couple of drama queens ourselves."
"I'll say."
"Hey, you two, ready for your honeymoon?" Akihiko asked as he materialized out of nowhere with a blushing, red-lipped Misaki in tow. A moment later, Miyagi appeared with Shinobu riding on his back.
"Honeymoon?" Nowaki echoed. He looked at Hiroki, who was averting his eyes with a little smile on his face. "I thought we weren't going on one!"
Akihiko blinked, then looked at Hiroki with a smirk on his face.
"Hiroki, you tease! You didn't tell him?"
"I wanted it to be a surprise, but you wrecked it!" Hiroki snapped. He sighed, then turned to Nowaki. "I had to give you an excuse not to go when you told me about the cruise, because I've been planning pretty much the same honeymoon this whole time to surprise you. Who would've guessed that we had the exact same idea in mind?"
"Wait…" Nowaki said, smiling a little as he squinted at Hiroki and pointed at him. "You don't mean…"
Hiroki burst into a wide smile.
"We're going for a week-long cruise in the Baltic!"
