A/N: Hey guys! Hope you're all doing well :D I've finally graduated high school and aced most of my exams! For Vicky the guest: I couldn't find her name in canon, so I went with Kaori. I will bring the parents together soon and reveal what names I picked out for the others :p

Chapter 8

As the alcohol started losing its effect, Pin was getting increasingly annoying. Shouta had brought Pin inside the Sanada house with Ryu's dad, while Sawako dropped off Touta and Kumi. Ryu had returned from work and was observing the situation calmly. He had known Pin wanted to tell Shouta something important, but was thoroughly surprised to find out that he was getting married.

'Seems like marriage season is coming closer.' He thought with a little smile. Shouta looked like he was about to pass out. Pin was being difficult and wouldn't stay still, insisting he had to go see Mai-chan. Ryu thought of the petite woman with the kind, blue eyes. She adored Chizu, so she automatically landed a spot in Ryu's good book.

"Will you quit moving?" He snapped at Pin, who had banged his head against a doorframe on the way in. With a band aid in one hand and disinfectant in the other, he approached the older man, who tried to squirm out of the chair he had been forced into. He was bleeding a little from his forehead, but hated the stinging of disinfectant.

"I want Mai-chan." Pin whined like a child, inching away from Shouta. The young man couldn't recall what Mai-chan looked like, having only met her twice. Sawako would surely remember.

"Shouta, I'm thirsty!" Pin clutched his head, a dull throbbing slowly starting.

"Why did you have to drink so much anyway?" He asked and fetched him a big glass of water. Ryu perked up too. Pin would never get completely wasted for no good reason.

"…I was scared." He muttered in an odd moment of sobriety. His eyes were clear and he looked exhausted, but then the spark in them returned and he immediately went back to whining about being hungry.

Shouta felt a pang of sympathy for his old teacher. It took balls to propose, he knew it first-hand. For Pin to drink so much, he had to be scared out of his mind. Sawako had returned and had heard the last of their conversation. She smiled knowingly at Pin, who returned it weakly.

"How is Mai-chan doing?" She asked, striking up conversation and sat down next to Mr. Sanada.

"Great. She just opened her clinic a few weeks back." He answered with a fond smile and a dreamy sigh. Sawako had never seen him like this and neither had Shouta. He seemed like a different person! The Kazehaya couple exchanged glances. Pin caught them looking at each other and snickered. He was still a little tipsy.

"Don't start getting all gooey eyed here. There's no need to rush the Kazehaya-babies." He teased them. Shouta turned a bit red and left the room, while his wife blushed.

"Oi, Kurohaya. I need'ta ask ya something." Sawako got up and walked over to Pin, who was beckoning her closer. Ryu and his father were speaking quietly in the other end of the room, and weren't paying attention to the half-drunk teacher.

"Is… Is Yano doing okay? I saw Miura a while back and he was all glum and mopey. I figured something happened between them." He explained rather awkwardly. He had always had a soft spot for Ayane, and still cared about her. The thought warmed Sawako's heart and she nodded.

"They broke up. I was afraid she would be heartbroken, but she's worked so hard to be happy again." Sawako told him, letting concern seep into her voice. Now that she thought about it, Ayane had been oddly silent again lately. She needed to spend some time with her and Chizu. Sawako still had a few days off, and was determined to spend time with her friends and visit her parents.

"I… see." Pin felt bad for the girl. She was a good kid, and no one deserved to have their heart broken.

"Sawako? We should head back soon." Shouta returned with some food for Pin, whose stomach growled loudly. Sawako nodded and bid her old teacher and the Sanadas goodnight. Shouta followed her out a few seconds later after making sure Ryu would get Pin home.

On the way home they were both silent. There wasn't really much to say, but the two of them were worrying about two different things. Shouta was trying to figure out how he felt about seeing Pin again, while Sawako was worried about Ayane. The brunette had returned to her internship in Sapporo the previous week, but hadn't really contacted her friends. She was, however, scheduled to be back in town by tomorrow.

Deciding that lunch with her two best friends was in order, Sawako texted them both to ask if they were free. She mentioned it to Shouta, who agreed that it would be a good idea. He knew the noirette missed her friends, and he felt a little guilty about it too. He didn't really have a reason to feel guilty, but sometimes he felt that they had missed out on a lot by marrying so young. This train of thought came from thinking that Sawako maybe hadn't accomplished all she wanted to before getting married. He hadn't noticed, but he had been staring at her for a few seconds.

"What is it?" Sawako's voice brought him out of his reverie. She was looking at him curiously and waited for his response.

"I love you." He grabbed her hand, while turning his eyes back on the road. He just realized how big a part Sawako was in his life. He couldn't imagine a day without her, that's how much she meant to him.

"Why the sudden declaration?" She smiled. "You tell me almost every day. Did something happen?"

"I just…" He finally spoke after a few seconds. "I don't know. I feel like I never get to tell you how much I love you. I mean, I can't imagine my life without you and it sometimes scares me how lucky I am to have you. You always support me, and you make me so incredibly happy. I never want to take you for granted and I owe you at least that."

Sawako was very touched at his words. Shouta wasn't the best at expressing what he felt, and to have him describe his love for her so openly was a moment to remember forever. Putting a hand over her heart, she vowed to never forget his words. They may not have been many, but the meaning behind them was clear. Sawako leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"I love you, too." She told him and leaned back in her seat. He glanced at her sideways with a grin and returned his focus to the road.

"Our anniversary is coming up in a few months. Do you want to go somewhere?" Shouta asked her once they pulled up in their driveway. Locking the car, they went inside the house where Sawako turned on the lights. "We could take a trip for a few days." He suggested as they made their way upstairs.

"Hmm…" She thought for a while. "A trip away would be nice. We haven't been on vacation for a while." Sawako beamed at the idea. They had both been so caught up in their work, they hadn't really had a chance to relax. A vacation sounded great, even if it was a few months away.

"Think about it and let me know." He told her. They were preparing to go to bed, and ideas were swarming both their heads. It was getting late, but the prospect of having some time for themselves was keeping sleep at bay. "We'll be pretty busy with Pin's wedding, so planning ahead is a good idea." The noirette hummed in agreement.

"Were you okay with seeing Pin again?" Sawako had been about to read, but shut the book in her hands and observed her husband, who was lying on his side. The bedside lamp cast a warm glow over his face while he thought about the question.

"It was… weird. I had expected it to be somewhat awkward after all this time, but it felt so normal to be around him. I just still can't believe he's getting married." Shouta propped himself up on his elbow and reached for a lock of Sawako's hair. Twirling it around his fingers, he marveled at the softness of it.

"I'm glad it wasn't uncomfortable. Do you think he'll be happy with Mai-chan?" She had been thinking about it since they left the Sanadas. Shouta looked thoughtful for a moment before replying.

"That's hard to say. I hope they'll be happy together. They both deserve to be. She's the only one who can stand him for longer periods of time, but I think they are good for each other."

"What do you mean?" Sawako was surprised he had thought so much about his teacher's happiness. It was evident that he cared very much about Pin.

"Mai-chan was the one who supported him, when we all couldn't, and she broke through his shell. I think that's pretty admirable. Pin on the other hand is very loyal to her, and very good at reading her. You remember how easily he lifted her spirits after her breakdown a few years ago? They kinda complete each other." He looked up at Sawako, who contemplated his words. Shouta was right, she realized. Pin and Mai-chan were a good match.

"That's very deep." Sawako teased him to lighten up the mood.

"You must be rubbing off on me." Her husband poked her in the side and pulled her closer. Sawako had placed the book on her bedside table and was stopping herself from yawning. The day's excitement had taken its toll on her, and she was getting very sleepy now.

"I'm proud of you." She whispered to Shouta, who had placed an arm across her waist.

"What for?" He asked, genuinely curious. He turned over so he was facing her again, and watched as she fought off sleep.

"You handled Pin very well. Most people wouldn't have been able to under your circumstances, but you did so well." Sawako's eyes closed and her breathing slowed. Shouta was left awake, pondering her statement. He thought about what Sawako had said, and about the whole situation with Pin and his wedding.

Mai-chan had been Pin's physiotherapist following his accident two and a half years ago. She had helped him regain the ability to walk, after his left leg nearly had been crushed during a collision of cars. Pin had been full of despair at the thought of never being able to walk again, and was eternally grateful for what Mai-chan had done for him.

They started developing feelings for each other, but couldn't act on them, since Pin was her patient. It took him almost half a year before he could tell her. He had been lucky his nerves hadn't been damaged, but he was stuck with a slight limp for the rest of his life. After his rehabilitation he told her upfront that he liked her and wanted to be with her. It took them a few months before they officially became a couple, and Pin decided to move to Okinawa, where Mai-chan had her practice. That was partly why Shouta felt they had drifted apart, but he was truly happy for Pin, he realized. Shouta fell asleep not long after that.

The following day saw Sawako and Shouta preparing lunch for Sawako, Ayane and Chizu. Shouta had decided to spend some time with his parents, while the girls had a chance to catch up. They probably had a lot to discuss - they always had. The doorbell rand and the two brunettes entered. After talking for a while, Shouta bid them goodbye and headed out himself.

"It's been awhile since the three of us have hung out." Chizu noted with her mouth full of strawberry. "I miss sitting around doing nothing. We are getting old." She whined and put more of the sweet berries in her mouth.

"Me too," Ayane agreed, "I hate having to go back and forth all the time. It's incredibly tiring." It was tough commuting all the time.

"How much is left of your internship?" Sawako asked and poured them something to drink. Ayane thought for a while, as if struggling to remember. She was never good with dates.

"Two months, I think. Then I'll be transferring over to the branch they have south of here." She grabbed a sandwich from the pile Sawako had prepared and took a bite. She still loved Sawako's cooking. It had only improved with the years, Ayane silently concluded.

"That's great!" Both her friends replied.

"It will be a lot easier to hang out. I've been feeling so lonely without you guys." Chizu complained. She hated being too busy to see her friends. Sadly, her job was very demanding and she had very little free time.

"I've missed us talking about trivial matters." Sawako laughed sheepishly.

"Ryu told me Pin popped up yesterday." Chizu turned her attention towards her black-haired friend who nodded. She didn't know whether or not they knew about Pin's upcoming wedding, but decided to tell them anyway.

"He came barging in, announcing that he was getting married." She retold them the events from the previous day, at which both her friends paled.

"Pin getting married?" They both asked with wide eyes. 'The world must be coming to an end', they thought.

"Remember Mai-chan?" Sawako received two nods. "He proposed to her the day before."

"When's the last time we saw Mai-chan?" Ayane asked. She liked the peppy brunette. Mai-chan always knew how to lighten the atmosphere. Her natural cheeriness also added to a great time, whenever they saw each other.

"The last time we went to see Pin. Two years, I think." Sawako asked. It had really been a long time. She made a mental note to call Mai-chan and invite her over, now that she and Pin were staying.

"I look forward to seeing her again. She's always so nice." Chizu told them with a fond smile.

"That's because you remind her of a child. She can't help being nice to you." Ayane let out a laugh. She loved teasing Chizu. Her reactions were always hilarious.

"Hey!" The bubbly brunette protested loudly, earning her a throw pillow in her face. Sawako shook her head at the two brunettes, before joining them.

I hope this answers some of the questions about Pin's sudden marriage. Also I missed some girl time, so I brought them together to have some fun. From here on, the chapters will be centered around Pin's wedding, but fear not, a lot of drama and secrets will follow. Thank you for being so patient with me, and if you have some scenes or moments you wish to see, I will try and incorporate them in the story, so feel free to PM me. Until next time! (=w=)/