Chapter 6 – Home 2
"I've got to say; I didn't realise you were quite this popular kid."
"Me neither… I might throw up after all."
"Go for it, as long as it doesn't get on your suit. I guess there's no chance we're getting you in there unnoticed is there?"
"Nope, the main entrance is the only one with a ramp."
"I'll try and keep them out of the way' so you've got a clear run at the ramp. Damn I knew I should have brought my baseball bat."
"Oh well, let's get it over with."
Akio-san's shout to "Move it or lose it" worked wonders for crowd control. Everyone we had invited had already had seats marked out as reserved, otherwise the church was full to capacity. I had thought the crowd outside was the entirety of the uninvited mob, but it was just the ones that hadn't been able to fit in the church.
"Is the whole school here?"
"It does kind of look that way, but at a guess I'd say a hundred at most, looks like a lot more but that's just how crowds are."
"I'm a little worried about the bridesmaids now, Kotomi-chan isn't too good with crowds, and well you know how Negisa-chan can be." It was then that I saw a head of silver hair in the seats towards the front. "We might be in luck. Tomoyo-san, I'm glad you're here."
"If you're that glad to see me, why didn't I get an invite?"
"We were planning on it being nice and small, but…"
"Yeah, didn't quite work out that way did it."
"Can you do me a favour?"
"Sure, what do you need?"
"I need someone on crowd control outside for when the girls get here, Kotomi-chan and Negisa-chan aren't too good with crowds and I don't want Ryou being too stressed out. I'll make sure you've got a seat in here, but I really need someone I can rely on out there."
"Alright then, crowd control it is."
"Thanks, I owe you one, when you come back in just head to the second row, it's all been reserved so you'll have room there, and we should have room for you at the reception if you'd like to come."
"Really? Thanks, I'd be grateful of a chance to congratulate your wife, so I'll take you up on the invite."
"Your welcome, just stick by Akio-san, he'll make sure you get there." She gave me a thumbs up and marched off outside.
"Is she seriously going to be able to control that lot all by herself?"
"Oh yeah, I have no doubt about that." Pastor Ashton greeted me as I got to the front.
"Given you said you wanted small and intimate, I'd hate to see a big wedding. I don't think I've ever seen this place so full."
"For some unknow reason it seems Ryou and I have turned into some sort of celebrities at school, and they've all invited themselves."
"I can try asking them to leave if you like but I'm not sure how much good it'd do."
"No there's no sense in causing a fuss now, they'll be here any minute now."
"You're the boss, do you have everything?"
"Yes, thank you." There was a brief sound like a scuffle outside, Pastor Ashton peered out through the doors.
"Looks like your betrothed is early, she's eager isn't she. Let's get this show on the road shall we." The wedding march started and a few moments later in walked Ryou and her father, with the bridesmaids trailing behind. Ryou looked genuinely stunning, her dress was more form fitting that I'd imagined it to be, it had an unusual pattern of folds and pleats that almost made it look like it was wrapped around her, there were a few glittering diamond like stones scattered here and there, making her almost twinkle as she walked. Her veil was thin so I could still clearly see rosy cheeks and sparkling eyes.
Ryou arrived at the front and her father place her hand in mine and stepped off to the side.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have gathered here today to bear witness, as these two people declare their love for each other and swear themselves to the other for the rest of their lives.
If anyone here, knows of a reason they may not be married, let them speak now or forever hold their peace." For the first time since I arrived at the church, it was silent.
"Tomoya-san and Ryou-san have chosen vows based on the traditional Japanese vows."
"Okazaki Tomoya, repeat after me; This woman, I marry…"
"This woman, I marry. In good health or in bad. I will love this person. Respect this person. Console this person. Help this person. Until death, remain faithful. This I swear."
"Fujibayashi Ryou, repeat after me; This man I marry…"
"This man, I marry. In good health or in bad. I will love this person. Respect this person. Console this person. Help this person. Until death, remain faithful. This I swear."
"Okazaki Tomoya, you marry this woman and become her partner. Will you in peaceful times, during sickness, love her, respect her, comfort her, help her, until death, do you promise to fulfil this vow?"
"Yes, I promise." I gently slipped her ring onto her trembling finger.
"Fujibayashi Ryou, you marry this man and become his partner. Will you in peaceful times, during sickness, love him, respect him, comfort her, help him, until death do you promise to fulfil this vow?"
"Yes, I promise." Ryou slid my ring on to my finger.
"By the authority vested in me I declare you husband and wife, you may kiss your bride."
Ryou leaned forward and we kissed, as the congregation cheered "Kampai!" We didn't have any sake but then again 90% of the people here weren't old enough to drink anyway. Pastor Ashton led us into a room at the back of the church to sign some paperwork.
Ryou was a little giggly at having to sign her name as Okazaki Ryou for the first time. With the paperwork signed, we had a brief moment to catch our breath.
"Ryou, you look stunning."
"Thank you, you look very handsome yourself."
"So much for small and quiet, I've got to wonder how they found out where and when we were getting married."
"It makes it seem grander and exciting I suppose, did you ask Tomoyo-san to help outside?"
"With all the people out by the front door I was a little worried that they'd cause problems when you got here, so when I spotted her in the church, I figured she could handle it. Did you have any problems?"
"No, Tomoyo-san had it all in hand when I got here."
"I didn't think you'd mind but I invited her to the reception."
"I was going to suggest that too, after all she was really helpful out there."
"So, Okazaki-chan, shall we go and face the music?" Ryou giggled and stood up.
"That's going to take a little getting used to. I think Tomoyo-san may have her work cut out for her as we get outside."
"I'm sure she will, okay, let's go." Pastor Ashton headed out just before us, so he could announce us, I wasn't quite she what that meant, but he's American so it could be a western custom.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please be upstanding for Mr and Mrs Okazaki." It was a western form of naming, but it did have a nice ring to it. We stepped out of the office, and a wave of cheers practically hit us, a round of applause followed and continued for the entire time we were heading down the aisle, we had setup some music for our exit but it was almost drowned out entirely by the sheer number of people there. We stepped out into the sunlight and I just had time to see Tomoyo-san giving a disturbingly fierce glare to rows of people either side of the ramp, after that we were briefly lost in a cloud of confetti and rice. After the initial barrage, the confetti stayed at a more manageable level, with occasional puffs appearing from one side or the other. With the worst of the excitement passed Tomoyo-san turned towards us and threw her own hand full of confetti and joined the applause as we reached the limo. Once inside the sanctuary of the limo we could finally relax, the reception was a private function and hotel security could remove anyone who wasn't invited, so it would be a lot calmer from here on.
"Well, that was interesting."
"I think I'm going to be picking confetti out of my hair for a week." Ryou flicked some of the confetti out of her hair, then wrapped her arm around mine and kissed me on the cheek. "It doesn't quite feel real just yet does it."
"Yeah, but I'm sure we'll get used to it soon enough."
"You get off easy, I've got to try and remember to sign my name as Okazaki."
"Maybe you could, sign it a bunch of times on some scrap paper, but all that can wait, all we've got to do for now, is enjoy our reception, with our friends."
When we arrived at the hotel we were greeted by the concierge, with two glasses of champagne, alcohol free obviously but it still made it feel special. We were led into a suite that had been set aside for us to relax in while our guests arrived.
"Mmm, alone at last." Ryou sat down next to me and gave me a kiss that left me feeling lightheaded. Ryou sighed and snuggled up to me while we waited for our guests.
Our peaceful break didn't last though, and we were soon called to the reception room. The cheering and applause were much tamer this time around, we had about an hour to mingle and give the speeches before the buffet would be laid out. We made a point to seek out Ryou's parents first off.
"Well if it isn't Okazakis, congratulations you two."
"Thank you, Kaori-san."
"I hadn't realised you had become so popular; every man and his dog were at the church." Hatsuo-san reached out to shake my hand. "Congratulations, you're officially our son in-law now."
"Thank you, we got a lot of attention the first few weeks back at school, but I thought it had mostly blown over. As for being your son in-law it hadn't occurred to me yet, but I guess it's true."
"I'd say you've got more important things to think about today, by the way did you see the photographer from the local paper as you left the church?"
"Really? I couldn't see too much, between all that confetti and being so low down. Why would the paper be at our wedding?"
"From what he told me, they've been keeping an eye on you since your accident and all that business with your dad, and then with all the fuss you've been getting at school, they found out about the wedding and well the rest goes without saying really."
"I guess, but it still seems a bit weird, all this nonsense because I had an accident and a crap dad."
"I think part of it is about hope really."
"You've lost me."
"Well people can look at what happened to you, and where you are now, and think that if you can go through all that you have and still end up happy, maybe they can too."
"I suppose you're right, at the very least it'll be an interesting story to tell our kids one day."
"There's no rush for that though, I'm still far too young to be a grandfather."
"We know that, thank you Daddy, Tomoya and I should probably mingle a bit, there's a few people I want to thank."
"Look at that, married for an hour and already she's dropped the honorific." I'll admit it was a bit unexpected, but I had planned on telling her to drop it anyway. I guess it was her way of trying to get her head around the fact that we were actually married.
As we wandered the function room talking to friends here and there, I watched Ryou as she spoke to one of her friends, she looked so elegant and poised, I couldn't wait to see the photos.
I spotted Tomoyo-san hanging out with Negisa-chan and her parents and decided we should head over and thank them.
"Tomoyo-san, Akio-san, thank you for stepping in at such late notice, we're both really grateful."
"Hey, why do I get thanked last?"
"She's scarier than you are."
"Yeah, okay."
"On that subject, did you have much trouble out front, I thought I heard a scuffle just before Ryou arrived."
"Oh, not much really, just some guys that were getting in the way."
"Guys? I thought most of them were girls. Anyway, what happened to them"
"Oh, don't worry they'll recover." That was a bit worrying. "Relax, all it took was a whack on the back of the head." Knowing Tomoyo-san that could still do a lot of damage, but she doesn't tend to use any more force than necessary.
"How did you hear where the wedding was going to be anyway?"
"On the last day of term there was a reporter at the bottom of the hill asking people about if we're going to be there things like that."
"And he let it slip did he."
"I don't know if I'd call it letting it slip, it was more 'the wedding is going to be at such and such, are you going.' So, it's probably mostly his fault so many turned up."
"Mmm, I will be having words with his editor then. Anyway, I just wanted to make sure I thanked the pair of you personally, between the two of you I think you kept it from turning into a circus, so thank you."
"Tomoya, it's time for the speeches."
"Oh, goodie. Okay let's get it over with. I'll talk to you later."
We headed back to the top table to get ready for the speeches, Ryou's Dad was up first so at least I had a moment to gather my thoughts.
"Good afternoon everyone, thank you for coming. It's customary for the father of the bride to lament the loss of his daughter, but in this case, I am very happy to be placing my daughter in Tomoya-san's care. As any good father would be, I was concerned about who my daughter was dating, I had heard of his reputation as a delinquent, but both of my daughters spoke very highly of him, on the few occasions I met him, he was respectful, and thoughtful. But still, I kept a close eye on him. What I saw, was a kind and loving man, who did everything in his power to build up Ryou's self-confidence.
But then Tomoya-san's accident happened, and I had to watch as Ryou refused to ever leave his side, on the day he came out of the coma, as the doctors told him of his injuries, and in what must have been his darkest hour, his highest priority was Ryou, in the days that followed, I saw them grow closer and closer. Then I heard how hard his life up to that point had been, as my daughter beg us to help him. It goes without saying we couldn't turn him away.
In the following months I got to know him better, and let me just say, he makes fantastic coffee. Where was I? oh, right. It wasn't long before Tomoya-san did something that truly amazed me, he forgave the person that caused his accident, not the all too common lip service forgiveness, real forgiveness. That in its self was enough to blow away the last vestiges of doubt about his character, but for him to then ask forgiveness for his anger, toward her while he was still in hospital, well I was utterly lost for words, and anyone who knows me is well aware that doesn't happen often. I was asked a number of times if I was concerned that they were marrying so young, and every time my answer was 'nope, not in the least' anyone who spends any time around them as a couple, says pretty much the same thing. I couldn't wish for a better husband for my daughter.
I should probably shut up now, before people start to starve to death."
"Well then, I guess it's my turn. I'm sure you won't mind if I don't get up," Surprisingly I got a laugh. "Basically, the groom's job when it comes to his speech is, to thank everyone and then shut up so people can get on with eating. So, firstly I'd like to thank Hatsuo-san and Kaori-san for taking me in when I had nowhere to go, but most of all, for allowing me to marry their beautiful daughter. We'd also like to thank Kyou, for making such an amazing wedding cake, and also for being Ryou's maid of honour, there was a time where I didn't think Kyou and I would ever speak again, much less be friends, but I am very glad I was wrong.
We'd like to thank Kotomi-chan and Negisa-chan for being Ryou's bridesmaids and being here as our friends to help us celebrate. I'd also like to thank Furukawa Akio, for being my… you know I'm not quite sure what you'd call him, but thanks, you have been a great help. I'm afraid Akio-san has chosen to give a speech as well, there's nothing I could do to stop him I'm really very sorry. And last but by no means least, another last-minute helper, Sakagami Tomoyo, who was such a huge help managing the crowds at the church. I shall now hand you over to Akio-san."
"His cheeky side notwithstanding, much like all three of the Fujibayashi's, I too am a member of the Okazaki Tomoya appreciation society." Akio-san had to wait a moment for the laughter to die down. "As I said I quite like the kid… hmm, I guess I can't really call him that anymore can I, Tomoya-san has been a friend to Sanae and myself, he'll even put up with my bad jokes and insistence on playing baseball. But more importantly he has been a true friend to Negisa, she can be shy and timid at times, but thanks to Tomoya-san, she now has a group of good friends who care about her, he has always been there to give her a push, or an encouraging word when she needed it. And for that both Sanae and I will be forever grateful. That's everything I wanted to say, so I get to be the hero that announces that the buffet is now open. Although we should probably let these two go first."
Before we headed to get some food, Ryou stopped me.
"You see, I told you they all respected you."
"Yes dear, of course dear." Ryou didn't manage to stop giggling until we got to the buffet. Once everyone had been to the buffet at least once and had time to eat it was time for us to cut the cake. If I'm honest the whole cake cutting thing felt really quite weird, you stand there both trying to hold the same knife that is halfway through the cake, grinning like a fool, while a bunch of people take photos.
Kyou had truly out done herself with the cake, it was five tiers of perfectly smooth fondant icing, with lots of extremely detailed and realistic flowers made of icing that perfectly matched Ryou's bouquet, she wouldn't tell us how long it took her to make it, but it must have been a really long time. The cake inside was soft, fluffy and absolutely delicious.
We spent the next few hours eating, drinking and chatting with our guests, my face was starting to ache with all the grinning. As it got later, the tone of the reception changed and the lights were dimmed as the dance floor filled with party goers, I'd never been a dancer really, but we did our best to approximate a dance, not easy in a wheelchair, our "dance" culminated in Ryou sitting on my lap as I span us through 360 degrees, earning us a round of applause. Even though I had told Ryou I didn't mind if she wanted to go and dance, she stayed with me, she said she wasn't ready to part with her husband just yet. After a few hours of the dance Ryou decided she was ready to go home, and I wasn't about to argue.
When it came to the throwing of the bouquet the single ladies in the crowd were remarkably aggressive. A forest of hands sprang up as the bouquet arced through the air, the hands that caught them belonged to a now bright red Kotomi. I'd been surprised she had got involved in the scrum for the bouquet, she had spent the majority of the reception staying as far away from anything resembling a crowd as she could, she had sat with us for a while but we had maintained a clump of well-wishers for most of the night, so she moved off to sit with the Furukawas. We were showered with yet more confetti as we headed to the limo to go home. The back of the car was festooned with party streamers and a lot of tin cans, and even a few spanners had been tied on to the rear towing hook. The cacophony of clattering and clanking was horrific, so we were both glad when the driver stopped once we were out of sight and removed them, so we could finally hear ourselves think.
Carrying her over the threshold was easier than I'd expect it to be if I wasn't in a wheelchair, but Ryou was lost in fits of giggles as I rolled us in to our home. When Ryou managed to stop giggling and catch her breath, she sighed and kissed me on the cheek.
"Mmm, home at last," There was a gleam in her eye, and she blushed as she stood up. "If you don't mind, I'm going to go and freshen up." Her tone of voice and the smile on her face, made my heart rate spike and my face heated up in seconds.
"Oh, umm yeah, go ahead." Ryou walked through to the bathroom, with an extremely alluring sway to her hips, that she was defiantly doing deliberately. I had to remind myself to blink.
I finally regained enough of my senses to head through to our bedroom, I sat in bed checking my breath for the tenth time, with my heart going a mile a minute. The breath caught in my throat as the door slid open, and Ryou stepped in wearing a form fitting and low cut, violet silk nightgown that stopped just above her knee. In a change her previous confidence, she held her hands in front of her fidgeting with her thumb nail. I could just about manage to say one thing.
"Wow…" Ryou looked down blushing bashfully.
"Thank you… I was trying to be brave, but… I'm a bit nervous."
"Me too, there's no rush you know, if you're not comfortable or not ready yet then…"
"No… I do want to, I'm just nervous."
"I know, so am I, so how about we just snuggle up, and let things happen naturally."
"Okay." Ryou relaxed a little and went around to her side of the bed, she slipped under the covers. She snuggled up to me and rested her head on my chest. As I ran my fingers through her hair she giggled. "It feels a little naughty."
"I'd have to disagree," Ryou looked up at me looking surprised. "It feels a lot naughty." Ryou laughed and buried her face into my shoulder, laughing went a long way to help us relax.
"You've got much bigger muscles than last time we shared a bed." Ryou ran her fingers over my chest.
"You think so, well it's hard work getting up that hill to school, do you like the extra muscle then."
"Definitely."
"You've changed a lot yourself you know."
"Really, I didn't think I'd lost any weight."
"No not your body, your mind, you are far more confident than you used to be, the way you spoke to Tomoyo-san on the first day back at school was proof of that."
"I hadn't thought about it like that, it's all because you keep telling me how beautiful I am and that you love me all the time." Ryou shuffled up a little and kissed me on the lips, she paused for a moment and kissed me again more passionately, we didn't need much more encouragement, to keep going, after a few minutes, Ryou's eyes had regained the gleam they had when we got home.
At this point, Ryou's hair was getting a bit dishevelled, between that and the wolfish smile on her face, it was the sexiest thing I had ever seen, right as I was thinking that, Ryou pushed herself up, above my chest, she looked like she stopped for a moment and bit her lip and then slipped her night gown off over her head, she threw it off to one side blushing furiously, she pulled the covers up over her shoulders, and snuggled up to me again. I was acutely aware of the feeling of her skin against mine, in particular, a soft and bouncy feeling against my chest.
Ryou kissed me one more time, then her hands slid down my stomach where she paused for a moment, she shuffled down the bed for a moment, and then reappeared with a bundle of fabric in her hands and threw it off in the same direction as her own night clothes. She then lifted her leg across and sat across my hips, it was as she sat more up right that I got my first look at her breasts, Kyou had once told me that Ryou was surprisingly busty, she was not wrong, larger than I had thought, they were full and round, the skin was pale and smooth, completely without blemish, I was transfixed by her small, perky, pink nipples.
When Ryou noticed where I was looking, she blushed and instinctively started to cover herself up, but she stopped and returned to her previous posture, giving me a fantastic view.
"Do, do you like them?"
"They're awesome." Ryou blushed a little more. "C-can I touch them?" Ryou, still blushing gave a small, nervous nod. I reach out and gently caressed her skin, sliding my fingers up her sides, then inward until I cupped my hand around her breast, she shivered, and goose bumps rose from her skin and she took a small sharp intake of breath. I gently squeezed, marvelling at the soft, yielding and elastic flesh. Sliding back and forth across her silky soft skin, I brushed my thumb across her rapidly hardening nipple. Ryou whimpered quietly and shuddered at my touch, with her groin pressed down against mine, Ryou began to squirm and roll her hips back and forth with a remarkably hot sensation against my crotch. Taking her nipple between my finger and thumb, I gently squeezed, surprised at how stiff they had become so quickly. Ryou gasped and arched her back, this had the effect of thrusting her chest toward my face.
Never one to let a good opportunity go to waste, I leaned in and kissed, and licked her nipple, Ryou shuddered like she had been electrified.
"S-sorry, did that hurt?" Ryou shook her head, her breathing was rapid and shallow.
"No, please… don't stop." Her voice was breathy and pleading, she leaned forward, giving me easier access, her hips still squirming against mine. I didn't need to be asked twice, so with my left hand fondling her other breast, I sucked the nipple into my mouth and flicked it with my tongue, Ryou's hips increased their pace, and she let out a soft moan, and tilted her head back with her eyes closed.
I could feel her heart pounding as I continued to play with her breasts, after a short while Ryou shifted her position, putting her breast out of reach of my mouth, she leaned in and kissed me, her tongue hungrily searching for mine. Pulling out of the kiss she gazed at me with fire in her eyes.
"I can't wait any longer." Ryou raised her hips away from mine and reached down between us, taking hold of my shaft, she placed the tip against her opening and pressed her hips downward. The sensation was out of this world, as I was enveloped in her hot, slippery vagina.
Ryou winced as I felt a sudden resistance to my progress.
"It's okay, there's no rush. Just take your time." Ryou shook her head and increased the pressure.
"I know, but I really want to feel you inside me." Biting her lip Ryou pushed down harder still, until all of a suddenly the resistance gave way, and I slipped the rest of the way in. Ryou gave a slight yelp and buried her head into my shoulder. Wrapping my arms around her I hugged her and gently stroked her back.
"Are you okay?" She nodded into my shoulder. Her breathing slowed and she sat up a little more.
"I'm okay now, I just didn't expect it to hurt quite so much. Mom said it would hurt a bit the first time, but I didn't think it would be like that."
"It's okay if you want to stop here for tonight." Reaching up to her face, I wiped away a tear and gently caressed her cheek.
"Thank you, but no, I've been looking forward to this for months." Ryou blushed at her own admission but smiled.
"So, have I, but take your time, I don't want to end up hurting you again." Ryou nodded and shifted position so she was in a more upright position, with her hands on my chest and began to slowly raise her hips, the sensation was mind blowing, only to be surpassed when she lowered herself down again. She kept the pace slow to begin with, but she soon sped up her movements. Soon her breathing began to become raged and uneven, she was making quite gasps and moans and her pace increased even more as her nails dug into my chest.
"Tomoya… I… I think, I'm…"
"Me too…" Ryou's movements became less and less controlled, so I griped on to her hips, to help her. I have to admit I really regretted that I couldn't move my own hips.
We were both gasping for air and Ryou's moans increased in volume, between that and the wet squelching noise we were making, it was incredibly erotic.
"Ryou… I can't hold on any longer." My mind went blank and I instinctively pressed Ryou's hips down on to mine as I reached orgasm and my semen gushed into her womb. Ryou shuddered and convulsed, arching her back she dug her nails even harder into my chest before going limp and collapsing on top of me, she lay there gasping for air, her hips still twitching as I continued to fill her with my cum.
"Wow, that was… awesome." All Ryou managed in response was a grunt. We laid there for a while as we got our breath back, eventually Ryou slid off to the side, where she stayed for a little longer before kissing me on the cheek and sat up.
She reached over to the bedside table and grabbed a box of tissues and placed it on my chest.
"I'll be back in a minuet." Without bothering to put any clothes on she got out of bed and headed towards the bathroom, giving me a fantastic view of her butt on her way out. a couple of minutes later, she wandered back into the room, still totally naked. She noticed how intently I was watching her.
"What?"
"Well, it's actually the first time I've seen you totally naked." She blushed and dove back under the covers.
"Sorry, I was a little out of it."
"what are you apologising for? You've got a fantastic figure and we're married, so really don't see a problem, the view as you left was pretty darn awesome too."
"Sorry, but it's still really embarrassing, you're the first person to see me naked since I was ten, and even then, it was my Mom, so it'll take a bit of getting used to. But I'm glad you liked what you saw." Ryou was still bright red but she relaxed and snuggled up to me, laying her head on my chest, she smiled and let out a contented sigh.
"Wouldn't you rather put your nightgown back on then, although I'm not entirely sure where it ended up."
"I'll find it in the morning, right now I'm enjoying the skin contact, so it can stay where it is."
"Well you won't hear me complaining, there is something comforting about the skin to skin contact isn't there?"
"Yeah, it feels really comfortable." Ryou let out a yawn and closed her eyes. "Goodnight Tomoya."
"Goodnight, gorgeous." I kissed her on the forehead, closed my eyes and drifted off into a contented sleep.
I woke up in the morning, to find a pair of deep blue eyes gazing up at me.
"Good morning, gorgeous, have you been awake long?"
"No just five minutes or so, you looked so cute and peaceful I didn't want to wake you."
"Did you sleep okay?"
"I had a very comfy pillow, so yes, I did thank you."
"I'm glad to hear it, would you like some breakfast, or do you want to stay put for a bit longer?"
"Breakfast sounds good, I'm starving."
"Me too, I can't for the life of me think why."
"Must have been all that dancing. Did you see where my nighty went?"
"Over in the far corner I think, I wasn't really paying much attention to the nighty at the time." Ryou shuffled down the bed, try her best to keep hold of the sheets as she did so. "You don't need to be quite so bashful you know."
"I know, but it's still a little embarrassing, I'll get used to it eventually." We put our night cloths on and headed through to get some breakfast.
"What time did Kyou say she was coming to pick up your dress and my suit?"
"she said she's let us have 'a lie in' so she's coming at about ten."
"Did she do the air quotes as well?"
"Do you really need to ask?"
"Probably not, we've got some croissants and some posh strawberry jam for breakfast."
"Oooh yummy, where did you get those from?"
"Akio-san made them for us, would you like some tea?"
"They do look good don't they, I think I'll have some coffee today."
"Really? I didn't know you drank coffee."
"I've developed a taste for it."
"How would you develop a taste for it if you don't drink it?"
"When do you finish your first cup of coffee?"
"A bit before we leave for school."
"And what happens right before we head to school?"
"Usually I get a good morning kiss… ah, I see your point, okay, two coffees coming up." We had just settled down to eat when there was a quiet knock at the door.
"Who's that… What time is it?"
"Five past ten, I didn't realise it was so late." Ryou put on her robe and opened the door. "Morning Onee-chan."
"Good morning Ryou, Tomoya…" Kyou froze and went bright red.
"What?" Kyou was staring at my chest.
"Maybe you should have put a shirt on." Ryou started to blush as well.
"Huh? Why?" I looked down to see eight crescent shaped marks on my chest. "Ah, I see what you mean. Kyou… you still in there?"
"Huh? R-right, yes… g-good morning." To be fair it was pretty obvious what they were, so I don't really blame her for being a bit flustered. "I'll go and get the dress and suit, shall I?"
"Maybe put a shirt on while you're in the bedroom." By the time I returned, Kyou was talking to Ryou about the party after we left, but she still wouldn't make eye contact with me. Even when she made her excuses and left, she still looked a little shell shocked.
"Her face was priceless."
"That was really embarrassing, when you think about it, you may as well have worn a T-shirt with 'I've had sex with your little sister' printed on the front."
"I know, but I don't think it's all that shocking as a concept is it, we did get married yesterday after all, and she's the one who said she'd let us have 'a lie in' quote marks and all."
"Yes, but the implication is one thing, what she saw was actual proof."
"Maybe you're right, with all that being said, maybe you should trim your nails, it could raise a few eyebrows getting changed for gym class. Just don't go asking Kyou if she's got any nail clippers, she'd probably spontaneously combust."
"You have a point, I'll see if mom has something, was there anything you wanted to do today?"
"Apart from spend some quality time with my wife, not much, Oh, I was going to phone the editor of the local paper, but that's about as far as I got plans wise." We enjoyed a relaxed breakfast, then snuggled up and watched TV for a while, once Ryou decide she wanted to go for a shower, I figured it was the perfect moment to call the paper.
"Could I speak to the editor please?"
"May I ask what it's regarding?"
"Yes, I'd like to make a complaint."
"Very well, could I take your name please?"
"Okazaki Tomoya." There was a brief pause.
"TheOkazaki Tomoya?"
"I'm not aware of another one, so yes, probably."
"Please hold." Two minutes later an older man answered.
"Okazaki-san, congratulations, what can I do for you."
"I would very much like to know why your reporter chose to turn our nice quiet, private wedding into a circus."
"Excuse me?"
"We went to great pains to keep the location of our wedding private, we'd had quite enough of the attention we were getting at school, however, your reporter saw fit to tell everyone and anyone at the school gate, where it was going to be."
"Did he now? He told me that you had invited him to attend."
"I have never spoken to him, much less invited him to an event we had hoped to keep quiet."
"I am extremely disturbed to hear that; I will of course have words with the reporter in question and there will be an apology in tomorrow's paper."
"Apologies are all well and good, but it does nothing to correct the effect on a once in a lifetime event."
"I do see your point Okazaki-san, would it be acceptable for me to call you back, once I've spoken to our reporter and there are a couple of others I would like to consult with on this situation."
"Okay, would you have any idea what time that would be? I'm sure I don't have to tell you I'd rather be spending some time with my new wife."
"Of course, how does 4pm sound?"
"That should be fine, thank you."
"Thank you for bringing the problem to my attention. I will speak to you later then Okazaki-san." Hearing Ryou come out of the bathroom, I turned to tell her what he had said.
"Well, that went… better… than…" Ryou was wearing a towel, and only a towel. Ryou blushed slightly but smiled as she walked over to me.
"Better than what?"
"Huh?" Perched on the end of the sofa, her cleavage was at exactly my eye level. She placed a finger under my chin and lifted so that I was now looking at her face, smirking as she did.
"You said that something went better than something."
"Right, yes…" I couldn't stop me eyes from wandering south again.
"What am I going to do with you?"
"I'm sure you'll come up with something." Ryou leaned forward, having a magnificent effect on her cleavage. Her face stopped inches away from mine, then I heard the clunk of the brakes on my chair being released. She took hold of both of my hands and towed me toward the bedroom. But with both of her hands now holding mine, her towel did not remain in place for long. "I should have told him five o'clock."
"Would you like to get some lunch?" Ryou looked up at me from her position against my chest.
"Sounds like a good idea, what were you talking about before."
"Hmm?"
"Before I lost my towel."
"I remember the towel part… Oh, right yes, I had just been talking to the editor of the paper."
"What did he say?"
"The reporter told him that we had invited him to report on the wedding."
"What?"
"As far as the editor was concerned, we asked the reporter to come and the location was public knowledge." Ryou was dumbfounded by such a blatant lie. "The editor is going to have 'words' with the reporter and see what he can do about compensation. Then he's going to call back at about four o'clock."
"Quite how he thinks he's going to compensate us for that mess I don't know, if it hadn't been for Tomoyo-san it could have been a disaster."
"Well let's just see what he comes up with."
"Okay, what do we have in for lunch?"
"That depends, do you want to cook or not?"
"Not, I don't really have the energy after yesterday's excitement."
"Microwave or phone then, I've got some beef curry in the fridge if you fancy that."
"When is it left over from?"
"I made it yesterday."
"When did you have time to cook yesterday?"
"I couldn't sleep so I was up from about five in the morning."
"I was too excited to sleep myself; I didn't get too sleep until nearly three o'clock… I think curry is probably better for dinner."
"Spicy miso soup and tofu?"
"That sounds nice. We should probably put some actual clothes on, Mom and Daddy are bound to show up with the wedding presents at some point. And I really don't want a repeat of what happened with Onee-chan, it would be really embarrassing if my parents saw the same thing."
"Spoil sport."
As I watched Ryou getting dressed, a thought occurred to me, a thought I had yesterday as well, Ryou has got a fantastic figure, but the way she dresses a lot of the time really hides it, it's probably a hangover from her less self-confident days, but I wondered if I should mention it.
"What's wrong?"
"Huh?"
"You were frowning, is there something wrong?" She looked really worried, the reason why suddenly popped into my mind, I was watching her dress, and frowning while I watched.
"Sort of, I had a thought yesterday, and I just had the same thought. You've got a really great figure, but your wedding dress was the first dress I've ever seen you wear that really shows it. I just thought it was a shame."
"Oh." Ryou looking surprised, sat on the corner of the bed. "You really think so?"
"Yes, I do, those nice floaty, summer dresses you wear, they do have a certain appeal, but I still think that they'd look even better if they were a little more closely fitted."
"what do you mean by a certain appeal?" She looked a little suspicious.
"I'm not really sure why, but they've always struck me as looking especially feminine. But then again it could be because it's you wearing them, women's fashion choices have always been a little lost on me until we started dating."
"Oh…" She returned to her startled expression again, but she was a little rosier cheeked now.
"I didn't say something weird, did I?"
"No, no, just… a little surprising."
"Surprising how?"
"I'd just never really thought about it… But Kyou and I share clothes all the time, does that mean you think the same about her?"
"Is there a way I can answer that, without sounding like I've been creeping on your sister?" Ryou gave me a slightly unimpressed look.
"How about honestly?"
"I haven't really noticed. Look, when was the last time you borrowed something of Kyou's?"
"Umm… maybe three weeks ago."
"And what was that?"
"A sweater, that blue fuzzy one."
"And when was the last time you borrowed something like a dress?"
"I don't know, why does that matter?"
"I've seen her borrow dresses off you before, but never the other way around."
"Oh… you could be right actually."
"Okay, when Kyou wears something a little more form fitting, do you think she looks bad in it?"
"No, but why does that matter?" I raised an eyebrow. "Oh, right, I see what you mean."
"You having a twin sister makes these conversations way easier." Something dawned on her all of a sudden.
"That's right, you did the same thing just before we started dating, something like if Kyou is popular then I should have the same potential."
"Yes, the beginning of my campaign to boost your self-confidence."
"So, umm what do you think I should do." Ryou's old uncertain way of speaking made a brief return.
"How about we go shopping tomorrow, and we can get you a couple of nice dresses." Ryou face lit up with a bright smile. "Come on, I'm getting hungry."
Just as we sat down with our lunch, there was a knock on the door.
"What is it with people's timing around here?"
"At least you've got all your clothes on this time." Fair point really, especially now there was sixteen red crescent marks on my chest. "Hello Daddy, Mom."
"Hello sweetheart."
"Good afternoon, Tomoya-san. Something smells good, I hope we're not interrupting." I was sorely tempted to crack a joke, but the look Ryou gave me persuaded otherwise.
"No, no, just a bit of a late lunch, I'll put some coffee on, shall I?"
"I was hoping you'd say that." Hatsuo-san smiled and rubbed his hands together.
"Now, now, we wouldn't want to impose, it's their honeymoon after all."
"Don't worry about it, I'd soon tell you if you were imposing. Do you need any help with the presents, I can't carry much in my hands, but I can make a convincing trolley." Ryou gave me whack on the shoulder. "See that? Spousal abuse already." That earned me a second whack.
"Well, you two look quite comfortable at least. Do you have any plans?"
"We've got the editor of the local paper calling us back at four, we've got a bit of shopping to do tomorrow, and we still need to bring the rest of Ryou's stuff over, but beyond that, no not really."
"What did the editor say?"
"According to him the reporter had told him we'd invited him to be there, and that we had made the location of the wedding public knowledge. He said he would have 'words' with the reporter and then speak to some other people about compensating us."
"Wow, you have to wonder if he really thought he would get away with it."
"We thought same thing, but it does make you wonder about the scruples of a person that would happily spoil a couples wedding day just to get a story."
"Speaking of the story, it's in today's issue if you'd like to see it."
"How did they spin it?"
"Just a standard puff piece really, all very nice and romantic sounding, but I doubt it would ever get any awards or gain him any kind of notoriety, it'd be one thing if he'd just turned up himself for the story, but the mass of students makes no sense."
"Well, without the hoards there isn't really a story, it's just a young couple getting married, it means a lot to us but not to anyone else. Throw in a hundred crazed well-wishers and tada! You've got yourself a story."
"Ryou, are you sure this is the same guy that used to be a delinquent, he didn't get switched out while he was in hospital?"
"Daddy." The Icey glare that Ryou gave her Dad gave me chills. Kaori-san gave him a whack on the arm.
"At least I know where Ryou gets it from now."
Once the last of the presents had been brought through, we couldn't see the table anymore, and the pile had spread to the sofa. Ryou and I set to work opening them all, Ryou was making notes of who gave us what so we could send out the thank you letters.
"We did tell everyone to use the online gift list thing, didn't we?"
"Yes, why?"
"Then why do we have three woks? A wok wasn't even on the list to start with."
"They're from… the Furukawas."
"All three woks… are from the same household?"
"Yes… one from Akio-san, one from Sanae-san and one from Negisa-chan."
"This has got to be one of Akio-san's jokes, right?"
"I don't think it is, they're pretty expensive."
"But they're all exactly the same… oh well, we won't need to buy a wok for a few years at least." I really do worry about them at times. "We've been at this for an hour and I still can't see the table."
"That's popularity for you I suppose, I keep trying to tell you that you're actually well respected."
"It's all your fault you know." Ryou gave me look that told me I'd better explain myself. "I was a delinquent that everyone avoided until you came along you know."
"That's true actually…" She looked like it was the first time she'd thought about it. "But I don't think any of that was my doing."
"Who else was it going to be?"
"You. It was you that helped Negisa-chan, and Kotomi-chan and you helped Misae-san when her cat was sick. And you helped Tomoyo-san when the judo captain was being really pushy."
"So somewhere along the way I ended up respectable, and you don't think you had anything to do with it?"
"I don't think I did no."
"So, I spent two years at that school as a delinquent and just happened to turn respectable after I started dating you?"
"Well… but… umm, joint effort?"
"Yeah, let's just go with that." As we worked our way through the pile of gifts, the phone rang. "Is it four o'clock already?"
"Hello."
"Okazaki-san?"
"I'll just get, oh yes, sorry I haven't quite got used to the new name yet."
"That's quite alright, I spoke with your husband this morning, is he available."
"He's right here, would it be okay if I put you on the speaker phone?"
"By all means, it does concern both of you after all."
"Good afternoon, can I assume you have spoken with your reporter by now?"
"Yes, he is writing the apology as we speak, it will be run on the cover of tomorrows paper. It will also be his last piece for this paper."
"It's your decision obviously, but I didn't intend to put him out of work."
"It is clear that he lacks the integrity I require of all of our reporters, he was on thin ice already, that's why he was given, and I'll hope you won't take offence but the story was considered to be a fluff piece, strictly page seven."
"Oh, no offence taken, I thought the same myself."
"Good, I have taken the liberty of calling in a couple of favours in regard to compensation, I am well aware that his actions cannot be undone, but I hope that we can help make your life a little easier."
"Okay…" It was a bit cryptic. "What do you mean by make life easier?"
"I have acquired a car for you and your wife."
"A car? You are aware I'm paraplegic?"
"Oh yes, it will be specially adapted to be able to be driven by someone without the use of their legs."
"That's quite the apology, would I be correct in assuming you hope to use this as some sort of publicity for the paper?"
"I understand why you would think that, but you are incorrect in this instance. I have a family member that owns an Audi dealership, and I have worked out a deal with him for a suitable car and the adaptations and we'll cover the insurance for the first year. Assuming that you are happy to accept." Ryou stared at the phone wide eyed.
"I think it would be quite stupid of me to refuse such a generous offer."
"I am pleased that we could come to an agreement, it will take about a week for the adaptations to be completed, I will arrange delivery once it's ready. Thank you for your time."
"Thank you." The phone was hung up, and Ryou and I stared at each other in disbelief. "did that just happen?" Still a little lost for words, we decided to return to the pile of gifts.
"I have to question the thought processes of some people."
"Why what is it?" Ryou peered over the top of the box I had opened.
"Satin bed sheets," Ryou gave me a 'so what' look. "and a baby monitor." Ryou's face instantly turned bright red.
"W-who gave us that?"
"Dunno, there's no label on it."
"Maybe it came off in the bag," Ryou's face was beginning to return to normal, but she was still a bit pink. "I can't see any loose labels."
"Somebody obviously thinks they're funny, could be Akio-san, but it could just as easily be Kyou."
"But Onee-chan made the cake, so we told her not to give us a gift."
"Since when has that ever stopped her? Maybe we can work it out by seeing if any of the guests didn't give us anything." Ryou looked sceptical, but at the moment it was the only way I could see us finding out. After another hour of unpacking we had finally run out of things to open.
"Alright, how did we do with the gift list?"
"Umm… We got everything we put on the list, plus a few things that weren't on the list."
"The extras were probably because the list got filled. It probably explains why we got the woks from the Furukawas, they're not exactly known for forward planning, so they just grabbed something that seemed useful. So, we've got 3 woks, a set of expensive kitchen knives, a set of cookbooks, a gift voucher for a posh homewares shop and the satin sheets, baby monitor combo. That weren't on the list. Did anyone not give us anything?"
"No, everyone gave us something, and there no gifts that looked lower in value than we'd expected off anyone." We'd tried to cater to all budget ranges, not everyone can afford much so we didn't want anyone to feel uncomfortable because they couldn't afford something off the list.
"Drat. Oh well, it'll just have to stay one of life's little mysteries."
"You don't think it's from Kotomi-chan do you? She does have some strange ideas about marriage sometimes."
"No, she gave us the cookbooks, plus if she made the association, she'd think it was totally normal and put her name on it. And after Kyou's reaction this morning, I doubt it's her. Your Dad's adamant he's too young to be a grandfather so he wouldn't do it, and Akio-san would have put his name on it."
"What about Sanae-san?"
"I wouldn't have thought so, what made you think that?"
"She made some suggestions about our wedding night, last week." From the colour Ryou's face went I'm guessing it wasn't about food or taking care of her wedding dress.
"Really?" Ryou nodded, still blushing. "Sanae did?" another nod "Furukawa Sanae gave you advice on our wedding night?"
"Yes."
"I did not see that coming, she always seems so, wholesome and quiet. Did you follow any of her advice then?" Ryou went completely crimson and shook her head rapidly.
"N-no, it would have been far too embarrassing." Now I really want to know what she said.
"What did she say?" Ryou shook her head vehemently refusing to say anything, she also seemed to be attempting to gather all of her blood in her face. "Alright, if it's really that embarrassing, I'll drop it, but you'll have to tell me some day." It really does make you wonder though; I hadn't seen her go that red in months.
We spent the rest of the evening snuggled up in front of the tv binge watching one of Ryou's favourite anime shows. The following morning was nice and relaxed, a welcome change from the tension of the preceding week. We had lunch with the in-laws, Kyou still wouldn't look me in the eye. The apology was on the front of the paper, it was quite a lot of damage control for the paper really, making sure to say it was all the reporters doing, he did appeal to the readers to give us some privacy, but I don't hold out much hope for that really.
After lunch we headed off on our shopping trip. If I'm honest, it was all a little bit creepy, nobody actually approached us, but there was a large number of people that just grinned at us as we passed. It had a similar feeling to a 1950's horror film, like everybody else had been replaced by robots or aliens in disguise. Almost everyone we actually interacted with, mentioned seeing us in the paper. We did get one shop assistant that was a little odd in her approach to us.
"Oh, didn't I see your picture in the paper?" How would I know what you saw in the paper?
"It's possible."
"I remember now, you got married the other day didn't you, it's not really the sort of thing usually bother to read," Why mention it then? "The pictures were quite nice though." Is she complimenting us or the photographer?
"We didn't actually want the press there in the first place, but they decided to come anyway, along with a hundred people we barely know." The shop assistant looked a little surprised at my brusque tone.
"Is that so… well they can be a law unto themselves sometimes, can't they? Let me know if you'd like any help."
An hour of browsing later, we had picked out a few things for Ryou to try on, mostly fairly casual stuff, like she normally wears, just a bit better fitted, and one rather slinky black dress, it wasn't that daring, but it was for all intents and purposes backless, a few minutes of blushing, nail chewing and a lot of "are you sure" later I had got her to go and put it on. Once the rustling behind the changing room curtain stopped, Ryou's head popped out looking quite pink.
"I'm really not sure about this one."
"Come on, let me see." Ryou, blushing a little more, hesitantly stepped out of the changing room. "Woooow… You look amazing, turn around, let me see the back." It wasn't what you'd call revealing, but it was really well fitted, and it did an excellent job of accentuating her curves. I think what made her the most uncertain was the fact that there was no way she was going to get away with wearing a bra, she really didn't need any help in that department but it's understandable that she'd be a little self-conscious.
"Do you really think it looks good on me?"
"Are you kidding me, it fits perfectly. We'll have to go out for dinner so I can show off how amazing my wife looks." Ryou was blushing all the way to her ears, but she was smiling too. "Did you want to try on the other stuff as well or just bring them back if they don't fit?"
"I think Onee-chan wears that size, so it should be okay."
"Alright then, go and get changed and then we can work out where we're going for dinner tonight."
When it came to actually getting her to leave the apartment in her new dress, I had to call in reinforcements. Both Kyou and Kaori-san watched as Ryou rotated on the spot. It was a slightly bizarre concept when you really think about it but there it is.
"Tomoya's right, it looks great on you."
"But I can't wear…" Ryou folded her arms across her chest. "anything underneath…"
"What are you whispering for? There's nobody here that doesn't already know." Kyou didn't see why she was being so bashful, neither could I for that matter. "The neckline is quite high anyway; nobody is going to see anything."
"Ryou sweetheart, do you really think that Kyou or Tomoya-san would ask you to go out in something that was inappropriate or looked bad on you?" Kaori-san to the rescue.
"No, but…"
"Then there can't be a problem can there?"
"Ryou, I wouldn't ever try and embarrass of humiliate you, would I? Kyou might, but Kaori-san and I wouldn't, would we?"
"Hey!"
"So, you just have to try and trust us, I'm not going to force you to wear it, but I'd really like it if you did, you look fabulous." Ryou finally agreed she would go, Kyou had recommended a suitably posh restaurant, and now Ryou was on board with it, we were off on our 'first date night' as a married couple.
Ryou certainly did turn heads, there were a few of the grinning bystanders around as well but you can't have everything, I guess. When we walked into the restaurant we were greeted by a familiar face.
"Oh, hello Ryou-chan, or should I say Okazaki-san."
"Harumi-chan, I didn't know you worked here."
"I only work in the holidays; I don't want my studies to suffer. Did you have a reservation?"
"Yes, we booked this afternoon."
"Okazaki, party of two, here we are, the manager has put you in the back corner, he must have recognised your name, you should have some privacy at least. Follow me," We began threading our way through the restaurant, easier said than done, but the privacy is worth the hassle. "Where did you get that dress? it looks wonderful, very classy."
"Tomoya picked it out for me." Ryou was blushing a little, but she looked quite pleased with the compliment.
"Oh really? You have excellent taste Okazaki-san."
"Thank you, but to be fair it isn't hard to find something that looks good on Ryou." We arrived at the table to find that a chair had already been removed so I could get my wheelchair in. It may not sound like much, but waiters fussing around moving furniture around always draws more unwanted attention.
"Your waiter will be with you shortly, enjoy your meal." Harumi-chan handed us the menus and returned to the front desk. We had a mercifully quiet meal with only two tables spotting us and pointing. Ryou was still turning heads on the way out, I was really, really glad that she had a nice shiny ring on her finger. Ryou was all smiles as we got home from dinner, Kyou's head popped out of the window as we passed the house.
"So, how'd it go?" Ryou's smile was all the answer I needed but Kyou wanted details, or gossip most likely.
"Come on in, I'll put some coffee on." Kyou met us at the back door of the house.
"Soooo~"
"Can we maybe get through the front door first?"
"Well?"
"Patient as ever Kyou." I continued through to the kitchen. "I think with the way Ryou turned heads; we may end up with some whiplash claims."
"Tomoya, you're exaggerating."
"You didn't see the guys at the taxi rank then? I swear the look of disappointment on one guy's face when he saw the ring on your finger, that will keep me smiling for months."
"See, we told you that you looked great in it didn't we, I may borrow it off you at some point." Ryou gave Kyou a slightly pained expression. "What?"
"Well, it was a present off Tomoya… so." Kyou gave me a look of utter distaste.
"You couldn't let her buy it for herself, could you?"
"No, not when she wasn't really sure she wanted to wear it." Apparently, the twins had an agreement that basically said they didn't borrow things that were a gift, so the tanzanite pendant I got Ryou when we were first dating was off limits too, the agreement pre-dated any suggestion of a boyfriend, so it was probably intended to be so that birthday presents and such stayed special to the one that got it, but I think Kyou was wishing that they hadn't come up with it, of course I had been aware of it when I had offered to buy the dress for Ryou. Kyou stayed for a little while to chat, I had decided some time ago, back when Ryou and Kyou first started talking to each other again really, that I would do my best to give them plenty of time to chat, they have always spent so much of their time together, so I didn't want to get in between them. But in this instance, I had a new wife, in an incredibly sexy dress, so it was definitely time to pull rank.
"Alright Kyou, you've finished your coffee, scram, go on shoo."
"Aww, come on, it's not that late."
"I am well aware of the time, thank you Kyou. Off you go."
"But she's my sister…"
"Ryou, is also my wife. Bye now, don't be a stranger."
"You're pulling rank on me?"
"Yup, ta-ta." Ryou giggled as Kyou made a big show of being evicted. "Alone at last, do you need any help with your zip? You do, excellent, let's go." Ryou, was in fits of giggles as I corralled her into the bedroom.
The rest of our first week of our honeymoon was maybe a little quieter, thankfully, Kyou did drop in for coffee almost every day, but she started to text Ryou before coming over, she didn't want to interrupt anything, was her reasoning behind it. Remarkably considerate really. We had Kotomi-chan and Negisa-chan over for dinner as well, Ryou had really got into the idea of throwing dinner parties, she said that it was the sort of thing married couples did, I didn't really have much of a frame of reference personally, but it made her so happy it wasn't something I could deny her. Incidentally we decided not to mention the wok debacle to Negisa-chan, there's nothing to be gained from it and it would just embarrass her, she didn't think that Sanae-san had given us the mystery gift either, but then again she wasn't aware the her parents both gave us the same gift as she did either so I'm not sure how much credence I give her word on that one. On the Monday morning we got call from the editor of the local paper to say that our car was ready to be delivered.
They dropped it off the same day, it wasn't brand new but I hadn't expected it to be anyway, it had some funny sort of leaver thing that worked as both the brake and accelerator, the idea being that I use that with my left hand and hold a rotating knob on the steering wheel with my right. All I need now is a driver's licence. I'd looked into getting lessons after we were told we'd be getting the car; I had found an instructor that could give me lessons, but we needed the car with the adaptations before I could start lessons; so I would be starting lessons on Saturday afternoons. Ryou was really quite excited about the idea of us having a car, unfortunately the nature of the control changes mean that the only way to drive it is with the leaver control thing and Ryou wasn't too keen on using them; she wasn't too keen on learning to drive at all really, Kyou did but Ryou was content to walk or take the bus; and be driven around by me as well obviously.
After the first week was over and done with, it seems that everyone else decided that it had been long enough and they could start dropping around to say hi, it wasn't too intrusive really, and Ryou was pleased of the chance to show off her wedding ring; it was more or less a repeat of how it was when we got engaged really. The car drew quite a lot of attention, understandable true but going in and out to the car got old pretty quick. By the end of week two we had seen all of the guests from the reception and a couple of extras as well; this made the weeks after that much quieter, so we were able to take things at our own pace again, and just get used to living together.
Alas our honeymoon had to end eventually, and it was time to go back to school and deal with the excess attention all over again.