I DO

Aoi couldn't believe it. Never in her wildest dreams did Aoi Hakucho think that at twenty years old, the white-haired Jounin would get married to the love of her life, surrounded by her friends and family.

As she looked down at her left hand, her mind went back to the night her life would change forever for the second time…

Kakashi had taken her out to a nice restaurant after she had come back from a two-week mission to hunt down a criminal who had been dealing in selling children on the black market, leaving her mentally exhausted and Kakashi to take care of her. Afterwards, they wandered the streets, enjoying the soft lighting of a festival she hadn't been aware of and the sound of children laughing without a care in the world.

When they had stopped at a fish-catching game, Kakashi had managed to win her a little white dog plushie when an older woman came up to them. "Oh, you two are absolutely adorable together. How long have you been married?"

"Uh, we're not married…"

"Really? Could've fooled me… You kids take care." With a wave of her wrinkled hand, she left the couple alone.

The fireworks had begun in the distance as Kakashi and Aoi had found a place to watch from a bridge overlooking a sparkling river. "I can't believe that older woman thought we were married…. How funny is that, Kakashi?" Aoi's soft laughter at the older woman's words still echoed in her head as Kakashi didn't look at her.

"Would it really be so strange, Aoi?" His words caused her to look at him, the echoing boom of the fireworks filling the air between them.

"What do you mean by that?" Both of Kakashi's eyes, one coal black and the other red with three tomoe around the pupil, looked into hers, having forgone his headband when they had been alone, leaving Aoi wondering what was on her boyfriends mind.

"Aoi, if I asked you right now if you would marry me, would you say yes?" Words seemed to escape Aoi at that moment, her voice caught in her throat as Kakashi got up from where they sat… and knelt in front of her. "Aoi Hakucho, three years ago when you saved me, the moment I saw you I thought I had died and gone to heaven to have met such a beautiful girl; your beauty having surpassed any other girl I've ever known like a celestial maiden… When you said you wanted to stay in the Hidden Leaf, I felt my heart almost stop… And these past years where you've stayed by my side no matter what has made it clear to me that… I love you, Aoi Hakucho… Will you marry me?"

It was by this moment that tears of joy spilled from Aoi's eyes, watching as Kakashi presented a little blue velvet box to her as a smile made its way to her face through the tears. "... I thought you'd never ask…. Yes, I'll marry you!"

The days that had followed were…. Hectic, what with coming out with their engagement to their closest friends and sending a letter to her family back home to setting everything up for the big day. She had gotten a message back from her village via the one of the Washi Eagles, which had told her that the leaders of each tribe, along with a few others, would be arriving by horseback within the next week or two, and that they would probably need some housing for a while, as they planned to stay for the duration of the wedding and for a few days afterwards.

Then came the day.

"Are you alright, Aoi?" Her father asked her, watching his daughter's face tense up like it did when she was nervous.

"... I'm ok Father, it's just… I wish Mama could've been here to see all of this…" Her father closed his eyes, agreeing with her completely. His deceased wife would've been so happy to see their little girl grow up and get married, wearing the kimono she had worn to their own wedding, but such is life.

As the music began to play, signaling that the wedding had begun, Hiroto walked his daughter down the aisle to the man he had entrusted Aoi to when they had returned the Shinobi to his village. Vows were exchanged after Hiroto had handed his daughter to Kakashi, promising to be there for one another through all walks of life and even in death. Their kiss, much like the first one, was sweet and full of passion as the crowd went wild.

Today marked the beginning of their story together as man and wife. Today marked their life together.