Author's Note: As always, thank you for reading~ Sorry for the late update, but I have been busy writing for a new pairing. Anyone reading this Demon Slayer fans?
Translations and other Notes:
Hikidemono - Gifts that are presented to the guests of a Japanese wedding by the couple as a thank yous for attending and for giving gifts of money (or Goshugi) to the married couple. The gifts are left by the chairs before the guests arrive at the reception and are usually tableware or catalogs from which the guest can pick and order their gift of their choice.
hikigashi - Gift cakes that can be given out to the guests at wedding receptions.
Baumkuchen - Translates "tree cake." A German-style spit cake which is popular in Europe and in Japan. It has rings which lends to its name.
Dialogue in regular font=Spoken Japanese
Dialogue in italics=Spoken English
Text in italics outside of quotes=Shinsuke's inner thoughts
Dialogue/text in bold=Emphasis on word(s)
Dialogue/text that is italicized and centered inside dashes=Shinsuke's flashbacks
Centered "..."=A time jump of less than a day
Centered ":::"=A time jump of about a day or more
The weeks following the unexpected meeting and reprimanding from Vince McMahon Shinsuke and Asuka returned to her usual rehab training in the ring before they had attempted implementing Shinsuke's offensive moves into their practices.
Initially, Asuka had been ready to put their secret plan B into motion as soon as possible, but Shinsuke cautioned her to wait for a little and see if Hunter could persuade his father-in-law to change his mind the slightest bit. While at work, he tried dropping subtle hints to Hunter. When that proved fruitless, he went forward to more direct discussions with the older man.
"Why do you two want to do this so badly?" Hunter asked him during one of their conversations.
"First Asuka wants like rebirth for herself," Shinsuke replied. "She feels WWE and fans have overlooked her, even she was champion; even though she has beaten most of women's division. She wants new challenges, to prove herself to everyone that she is more dominant and relevant than before her streak was lost."
Hunter said nothing as though absorbing his words, so Shinsuke continued, deciding to be frank. "Asuka does not want to be mid-level competitor, she wants to be the top or among the top. To be honest…she does not want to remain here much longer if she becomes mid-level competitor. She is not so young like other women, so she wants her remaining years in wrestling to be memorable. If she cannot win another title, she wishes to accomplish more feats no other woman in WWE has. She wants to continue building her legacy and she wants to continue evolving women's division for future women."
After another pause in order for the other man to process his words, Shinsuke went on, placing a hand to his chest. "I support her in this ideal; that men and women can be together in wrestling without women seen only as like lovers or managers. We still believe men and women can team up, can support, and feud with each other safely. It does not need be so violent as Japan to be great matches. We believe the fans want to see this in WWE. If done correctly, I think matches between men and women can be safe and…" he mulled around for the right word. "Tasteful, not promote violence toward women."
"But there will always be those that will think it's all right," Hunter argued levelly.
"Of course," Shinsuke agreed. "But if WWE is concerned with that, don't you think it was bad idea for your wife to take a spear, even accidental? Or for her to be knocked into table? What about Ronda attacking you? You didn't fight back, but surely fans thought for you to do so. Then Becky challenging John Cena. If what you say is true, even hinting the possibility of it could influence male fans, right?" Shinsuke leaned back in his seat and folded his arms across his chest. "America shows men and women fighting violently in TV and movies. All of these things may promote violence against women, but I don't think they are the real problem here."
"What is the real problem then?"
"Patriarchal society," Shinsuke answered. "Men not learning love and respect for women when young. Men have been controlling women, like property, for so long that today it is still seen as normal for women to submit. When they don't submit, the man feels his authority threatened, so he must put her in her place. Because he was taught that men hold the power over women and they belong to him. He doesn't know what he is doing is wrong, and he often gets away with it. It will only stop once women are seen equally powerful as men, given the same respect and privileges men are given in society. And I think…women seeing that they can be powerful facing men, they will look for ways to defend themselves when before it felt impossible."
Shinsuke pretended to drop his water bottle. He said a quick apology and took his time retrieving it in order to give them both a much-needed moment of silence. "If boys are taught to respect women and not control them. If girls are empowered and not put down. If laws against domestic violence are strengthened; then I believe men and women can do anything together. Domestic abuse will be less this way."
"You make some good points," Hunter said after a long pause. "I'm still not sure it's so easy."
"Change is never easy," Shinsuke nodded. "But change can never happen if no effort is put into it." He then decided to leave their chat with that for Hunter to chew on. Shinsuke bowed his head to his boss. "Thank you for this discussion."
After his interview and match, Shinsuke called Asuka to relay his talk with Hunter to her.
"And how does he seem to take it?" she asked once he finished.
"I'm not sure," Shinsuke divulged. "But at least he has put up with my hints all this time and still was willing to listen to me. That's more than what I felt from Vince."
"Vince is going to be a tough nut to crack. I think we should go forward with our plan."
"Have patience, Niji," he soothed. "Hunter has been a fundamental power behind the evolution of the women's division. I still think having his ear will prove fruitful for us."
"He has power, but look at how many times the evolution has gone backward since it's got forward," Asuka pointed out. "Hunter wants to move forward with us, but Vince wants to either remain static or move backward." Finally, she conceded to him, "I will give you more time. Maybe a miracle will happen."
"You have such little faith in me?" he pouted.
"I have all the faith in the world in you," she cooed, easing his half-wounded feelings. "I just don't have very much faith in the old man."
"I know and I agree with you," Shinsuke said. "So let's hope your world of faith in me trumps the little faith you have in Vince."
"Yes let us hope," her voice softened. "I love you, Shinsuke."
"I love you too, Asuka. I'll see you soon," he murmured before ending the call.
...
That night after the show, Shinsuke took a flight home, napping as much as he could on the plane, then slept a few more hours in his own bed. Though he longed to sleep in, and Asuka said she could get on without him at the PC, he got up in mid-morning and accompanied her.
There he worked with her on the basic drills: running the ropes and countering counters for cardio and to build agility, as well as grappling. He then turned himself into her practice dummy as she ran through her usual move set. The most he did towards offense against her was provide attempted attacks for her to counter into her own attacks.
After their practice, Asuka was examined by the trainer and then given the all-clear to begin reintroducing power moves back into her training. Asuka expressed her desire to bring more moves to her repertoire. Those consisted of the triangle choke and the reverse DDT, which she used in Japan, as well as two new moves, the arm drag and the full nelson bomb that both acted as transitions into her Asuka Lock.
The trainer gave his approval, so it was decided that tomorrow she would start working those into her move set. However, she wouldn't know for sure if she could use them on televised shows until Vince and the other higher-ups approved of them.
"So what do you wanna do now?" Shinsuke asked as they left the PC.
"Me?" she looked thoughtful. "Well, I wouldn't mind going to Disney World. But you look like you could use a nap."
"We can go if you want."
"I was just joking Shinsuke." she patted his arm. "Really, you need some rest."
"I wasn't joking though." His lips quirked up at the corners as he ignored her protests and drove towards the theme park.
"B-But…" Asuka began another excuse after she appeared to be running out of them, then she brightened as though she had come up with the perfect reason for them to turn around and go home. "We have one last piece of business left to take care of before the wedding. Gifts for the guests!"
- "I really think our guests will appreciate this kitchen set," Emiko said as she held up a brochure the wedding planner left for them.
Shinsuke leaned over the back of the couch to get a better look at the brochure. The page Emiko had flipped to displayed a beautiful matching set of floral plates, bowls, and sake cups.
He gave her a quick kiss before throwing on his jacket and grabbing his dufflebag full of wrestling gear. "I'm sure they will love them," he offered with a warm smile. -
Shinsuke internally shook the memory from his mind. "We can talk about that tomorrow," he said simply.
"Shinsuke!"
He gave her a cheeky wink and a grin and continued on to their theme park destination.
Asuka tried to put her best sulky face on but once they arrived however Shinsuke could tell she was just trying to mask her amazement at the enormity and grandeur of the place. They started out in the Magical Kingdom after purchasing tickets and grabbing a map. By the time they made it to Cinderella's Castle, her face was one of open awe.
"It's so huge!" she cried as she stood in front of the spectacular edifice, looking up at the tall ornate spires.
Shinsuke joined her in her examination of the castle's exterior, though often he snuck glances over at her, not wanting to miss one beautiful expression.
In truth, he really was tired. Between being on the road, working shows, planning their wedding, helping Asuka with her rehabilitation, and then working on their storyline, he didn't get too many nights of restful sleep. And sometimes – try as he might to fight against it – planning his wedding with Asuka became painful emotionally for him, occasionally drudging up memories of Emiko and how she had hurt him. But most of all, he didn't get too many days where he and Asuka could do something completely spontaneous as this. And he was a sucker for that completely uninhibited smile of hers.
"It is quite tall," he agreed.
"I dunno, I think it's just the right height for you, Kitsune," she teased with a giggle.
Shinsuke rolled his eyes dramatically. "I'll let you get away with that one."
"What?" she asked innocently. "A king needs a castle doesn't he?"
"And a queen!" he ribbed, grabbing her around the middle and playfully spinning her around through the air.
"Empress, you troublesome man!" she reprimanded half-heartedly through her laughter.
They took a selfie together in front of the castle before entering the crowded archway the lead inside.
"Ya know I've never been here in all the time I've lived in Orlando," Asuka said as they walked through the castle at an unhurried pace.
"I haven't either. I've never really been big into Disney. The most I know of it is Mickey Mouse."
"I wasn't either," she admitted. "But some of the girls in back in NXT liked Disney and insisted I watch some of the movies. They are kind of nice, especially the ones with strong, smart, and independent princesses. Those and the animal movies."
They examined each detailed mosaic depicting the story of Cinderella, both of them impressed by the artistry.
"Which were your favorite Disney movies that you saw then?" Shinsuke asked once they finally left the castle.
"Well, Mulan is an easy favorite for me," Asuka seemed to consider her options. "I also liked Lilo And Stitch, Beauty and the Beast, The Princess And The Frog, Pocahontas, Rescue Rangers, 101 Dalmatians, The Fox and the Hound."
"Of course you would like the one about foxes," he nudged her impishly.
"It's not because it's about foxes," she scolded. "I like it because it's about accepting each other's differences, so far as to say that those that should be enemies can be friends, no matter what others say. Or at least that's what I got from it."
Shinsuke hummed thoughtfully. "Doesn't sound bad, I guess."
"Maybe we could have a Disney movie marathon sometime."
"I suppose I could see what all the fuss is about," he agreed.
With the time constraints of the day, they could only tour the Magic Kingdom portion of the park. They visited the Hall of Presidents, A Pirate's Adventure, the Swiss Family Treehouse, and Tom Sawyer Island, and various stores where they both picked up some souvenirs. Shinsuke got a Mickey Mouse mug while Asuka purchased a Mickey Mouse hat, a Mulan shirt for herself that said "I followed my heart to him", and a Li Shang shirt for him that said, "She won my heart."
"Well, I'd say these are pretty accurate for us," Shinsuke commented, finding the couples' shirts pretty cute.
"I know!" Asuka squealed, jumping up and down. "Let's go change into them!" She grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the nearest men's and women's restrooms. Shinsuke chuckled at her and shook his head at her enthusiasm.
They grabbed some food then rode as many rides as they could, including Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Space Mountain and Splash Mountain, and Haunted Mansion, and Pirates of the Caribbean.
Shinsuke enjoyed the first three thrill rides but found himself appreciating the latter two much more. These slower rides through darkened tunnels, peppered by enchanting scenes allowed for him to sit close to Asuka in a much more intimate setting.
Asuka jumped a little when the first ghostly specters appeared in the Haunted Mansion. "Ohh spooky!" She scooted a little closer to him.
"Don't tell me the Empress is afraid," he leaned in and blew gently onto the shell of her ear, causing her to shiver.
"No!" she huffed, a faint blush visible on her cheeks in the dim lighting. "Just surprised is all."
"You can sit on my lap if you'd like," he offered coquettishly.
"Behave yourself, Kitsune, or I'll banish you back to the spirit world," she threatened.
"Fine, fine," he relented, but not before putting a sly arm around her shoulder.
"Didn't I say to behave?" she scolded, "This is a children's ride."
"This is me behaving," he whispered huskily. He stole a kiss from her pouty lips before she could pull away. Asuka, despite her earlier warnings, melted into his kiss.
"Damn you," she muttered heatedly, her hand sneaking up beneath his shirt.
Shinsuke grinned against her lips and stilled her wandering hand. "Now, now Devil Woman. I think you should behave yourself?"
"You insufferable man!" Asuka said in a low shout and scooted to the other side of the ride, one leg crossed firmly over the other.
On Pirates of the Caribbean, they first sat mostly in silence and marveled at the intricate mechanics of the singing pirates but as the ride went on, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. Sensing his pure intentions, Asuka tucked herself into his side and laid her head on his shoulder. He turned his head and gave her crown a lingering kiss, taking in her delicate scent.
Her relaxing presence and the placid rocking motion of the ride were all it took for him to doze off. He awakened to her poking him lightly in the cheek.
"Hmm?" he murmured, sleepy eyes glancing around his surroundings.
"I really hated to wake you," she said sheepishly. "But we're kind of holding up the ride."
"Nggh…" was the closest thing to an intelligent response he could give her, but at least he managed to get himself up and out of the boat.
Lastly, they ate a quick dinner of a chili-cheese hotdog and a bacon-macaroni and cheese foot-long hotdog and fries at a place called Casey's Corner before heading out of the park. As they were heading back towards Cinderella's Castle they found it even more enchanting in the sunset, lit up by mesmerizing colors that shifted beautifully over the outer architecture.
"Ohh amazing~" Asuka gasped as they stopped to take in the sight of it in the distance. Her fingers twined with his and she rested her head on his arm.
"I think I know why people, even adults, come to places like this over and over again." Shinsuke confided eyes moving from her back to the castle. "Whimsical atmospheres like this…they can make us feel magical, younger."
"That's very true." He felt her head nod.
"But there is one thing, or should I say person, which this place cannot compare with."
Asuka blinked up at him. "Huh? Who's that?"
"You." He booped her on the nose. "You always make me feel magical and younger." He smiled at her sudden blush and leaned down for another kiss.
Slowly she met him halfway on her tiptoes, one hand caressing his face as it made its way to cradle the back of his head.
When they parted her hand kept him close. "I could say the same about you, Kitsune." She gave him one last peck on the lips then said. "We better go and get you into bed, sleeping beauty, 'cause though you speak of youth, you look dead on your feet."
This time Shinsuke blinked as he fell into step with her. "I can't tell if you paid me a compliment or insulted me?"
"Both, but consider it mostly a compliment. Even half-dead you look gorgeous," she winked up at him.
He foggily told her "Thank you" then she told him that she was driving. He fell asleep again on the way home.
...
Asuka's fingers caressing his face brought Shinsuke gently out of a dead sleep during the night. He could just barely make out her form in the lightless room. Sensing a pensive vibe coming from her, he stroked a hand through her hair.
"Sorry for waking you." Her fingers paused in their movement.
"It's okay," he murmured. "It feels really nice."
Encouraged by his words, her digits continued their dance over his features. "I know it bothers you sometimes."
"What bothers me?" he asked softly, becoming a little more aware with each passing moment. He twirling a lock of her hair.
"The stuff around the wedding," she said. "One moment you're open, then when we talk about the planning, you start to shutter yourself off."
Shinsuke came fully awake then. He bit his lip, guilt trickling into his bloodstream. "I'm sorry, Asuka," his voice was a croak.
Her thumb brushed lightly over his cheekbone as her hand cradled his face. "There is nothing to apologize for. Sometimes the past is hard to let go of, especially when it seems to cling on. I commend you for sticking around to help me with this. Facing your past, for me, it means a lot and I want you to know I don't take it for granted."
Relief played a game of chase with the guilt running through him. "Not all of the planning has affected me, just certain things randomly remind me of her and have given me flashbacks. They wiggle their way in and try to grip onto me. But then I remember that you're Asuka, not Emiko, and it's enough for my trust in you – in us, to push away my doubts."
Using the arm he had wrapped around her while sleeping to pull her just a little closer, Shinsuke vowed, "I love you too much to let fears and doubts win. I'm here with you now in this and I don't intend on running. Not now, not ever."
Asuka tilted her head upward so her words gently tickled the shell of his ear. "I will not run either. No matter what." Her hand slid across his torso and came to a rest on his sternum.
A newfound strength instilled itself within him, scaring away the guilt altogether. He covered her hand with his and gave it a little squeeze. "Feel it?" he asked. "My heart is saying "I love you" in Morse Code."
"Mmm, I don't know Morse Code, but I feel it." He felt her smile against his neck.
"Perhaps I should teach you," he suggested, waggling his eyebrows before belatedly realizing she couldn't see it.
"I'd like that sometime," she kissed his throat. "But for now, sleep."
"A little hard when you kiss me there, but I'll try."
"You'll be out in the next five minutes," she promised, snuggling into his side.
"Will not," He argued with a pout.
"Will too."
"Will not."
"Will too."
"Will no—mmm~"
Asuka had removed her hand from his chest and smoothed it through the stubble on his head, and like an obedient cat, he purred and relaxed into her touch. It was the last conscious memory he had before sleep claimed him again.
:::
At the PC the next day, Shinsuke took on the role of observant as Asuka practiced with Io Shirai. The two women had worked closely together in Japan as part of the group Triple Tails along with Io's sister, so it was a natural choice for the two to work together for this portion of Asuka's recovery. Not only that but Io's size wouldn't put any extra strain on Asuka's arm.
Back when Shinsuke dealt with his dog bite, Asuka had confided that though she knew he was cleared to take Joe's Cochina Clutch, she had been worried about his stitches reopening. At the time, he winked at her and said she needn't have worried.
Now as he stood ringside, each time Asuka delivered a hip toss, a snap suplex, an arm drag, a German suplex, a running back elbow, a double underhook suplex, a powerbomb, a hammerlock suplex, or took a bump, Shinsuke's heart would skip a beat and his fingers would grasp nervously at the ring apron.
These moves were all thus far untested and he felt extra anxiety being that he wasn't the one in the ring with her as he had for the past months, but could only watch. These things couldn't be helped, but now he understood Asuka's feelings of helplessness from before. With nothing else he could do, he focused on squashing down these feelings and trying to watch the practice as objectively as he could to maintain his own sanity.
Asuka is tough, she is resilient, she will be fine, he reminded himself over and over.
Finally, Asuka tried out her new move, maneuvering her arms beneath Io's and linking her hands behind Io's head. She gave a mighty cry and lifted the younger woman into the air – with an assist by Io – then dropped so they were both seated on the mat. From there, Asuka trapped into her Asuka Lock. Being that the full nelson bomb was new to Asuka's arsenal it wasn't completely smooth, but she pulled off the move without a hitch.
"Good," Mike Quackenbush said from where he stood next to Shinsuke. "Again!"
Asuka performed it again, and again, over and over, until she and Mike were satisfied that the move was done as flawlessly as it possibly could be. The practice was over for the day.
"Why are you sweating, Kitsune?"Asuka asked as she slid out of the ring. "I'm the one that did all the work."
"It's hot in here," he evaded, nonchalantly waving his shirt against his chest to produce some air current.
"I'm sorry but I can't help my sex appeal." She shook her hips sassily.
Shinsuke snatched her by the hips and pulled her against him so they were pressed front to front. "That'll be enough of that," he said lowly against her lips. "Or I can't guarantee there won't be another locker room incident."
"But that was fun~" she pouted, teasing his lips with a quick flick of her tongue.
"For you…" he grumbled, feeling his cheeks heat at the memory.
"I dunno, you seemed to be having a lot of fun too."
He grabbed her wandering hand as it skirted over his stomach and secured it behind her back. "Sometimes I wonder if you'll be the death of me."
"But what a wonderful death it would be, don't you think?" she asked, her grin beguiling.
"Hey, you two gonna go at it in front of everyone or something?" Io shouted from where she stood resting her forearms on the top rope of the ring.
"Not likely," Shinsuke said at the very same time Asuka replied, "Possibly."
Io rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, a hint of a smile on her face. "I swear you guys are becoming more like the Americans every day."
"Oh, that has nothing to do with it," Shinsuke disagreed.
Whether they were in Japan or America, he was certain he and his fiancée would have trouble keeping their hands off each other. Asuka constantly pulled him towards her like a compass needle seeking magnetic North.
He released Asuka's hand and gestured with his head towards the trainer's room, silently questioning her. She nodded with a smile and they walked that way. The trainer moved Asuka's arm around, poked and prodded the muscle, asked her some questions, writing down her answers on a clipboard. He gave her the thumbs up and they left the PC.
When they arrived home Asuka began preparing herself a sandwich for lunch. Shinsuke came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and nuzzling her neck.
"What are you doing?" she asked as she leaned back against him.
"I'm just happy you're okay," he said, kissing her temple. "I was concerned for you."
"Ohh I thought you had other things in mind." She wiggled her bottom. "But that's sweet of you too."
He turned her around in his arms and hoisted her up onto the counter so they were more at eye level. He gave her a brief but passionate kiss then told her, "I always have plenty in mind when it comes to you, Niji."
...
That evening they went over potential Hikidemono ideas for the wedding reception. They had already decided on what Hikigashi they would provide for the guests, that being Baumkuchen, which was popular and both of them felt was a safe bet.
"Do you really think anyone would really need tableware?" Asuka questioned.
This time she was in bed with her trusty laptop on her blanket-covered lap. Shinsuke sat next to her, playing Candy Crush and occasionally looking over with interest when she asked for his attention.
Shinsuke looked at the tableware choices on the LCD screen. He stroked his stubbled jaw in thought as he considered their options. "Some might," he replied after a bit of silent contemplation. "But many others might feel they already have too much tableware. What about a catalog? Did Akemi say whether or not she had one?"
"Yes." She said and pulled up the catalog. The orderable gifts ranged from more tableware to food, clothing accessories, bed sheets, curtains, decorations, and soaps to name a few.
"How about we give each guest something like a set of nice chopsticks, bowls, soba noodles, sweets, and also include the catalog as well?" he suggested. "That way there are a few simple things they can have right away, so we don't seem too lazy or unappreciative. And later they can order something they really want or need."
"Sounds like a good idea," she smiled and leaned over to kiss him. "I'll take care of sending our decision to Akemi. You just worry about getting some rest, sleepyhead."
"You're just trying to get rid of me again so you can plot your take over of the world," Shinsuke accused. "And can't I play more one more level?" a telling yawn escaped between his words but he continued to play on. He was so close to completing the level he was on.
"Why don't you check your Instagram?" Asuka said without taking her eyes off her laptop.
"Why?"
"Just something you might want to see."
Shinsuke side-eyed her but paused his game to bring up the Instagram app. After some searching, he found from his notifications that Asuka had tagged him in a post. When he clicked on the thumbnail, he found a picture of them on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. His head was lolled against her, clearly showing him dozing heavily while she smiled for the camera. The caption read, "Pirate adventures were too much for Sleeping Beauty."
"Okay, okay. Fine," he said without heat and put his phone away
He gave a great stretch, reveling in the feeling of his spine popping in a few places, before settling down into a bed. The mattress cradled him nicely and his eyelids already began to droop.
"Sweet dreams," Asuka told him, her hand taking his.
Shinsuke hummed in response, holding her hand over his chest.
The only time he stirred in the night was when the bed shifted as Asuka's body moved to cuddle against his.
A.N. If you liked this chapter, please let me know~