Hello! I know it's been almost a year since I updated this. Blame writer's block! I had one idea for this chapter, but I didn't know how put it into words, so it went on the back burner until I could figure it out. But I will not abandon this fic, so don't worry.

Love Makes Us Stronger

Chapter 2

A loud buzzing sound filled the room. Riko grumbled as she stretched her arm out to turn off the alarm clock, knocking the annoying thing off the nightstand. Naked except for her bra and panties, she sat up slowly and winced, her head pounding from a few too many drinks the night before.

"Ouch! Damn it." She exclaimed, massaging her temples in an attempt to dull the pain. She and Naoki, along with the rest of their group, left the party at closing time and the newly engaged couple walked back, or rather, he carried her back to his apartment.

"Good morning, sleepyhead." She heard Naoki greet as he set a bottle of water on a coaster for her.

"Morning." She took a sip of the water and flopped back down on the pillow, clutching her forehead.

"You okay? Here, let me get you something for that headache." He went to the medicine cabinet and returned with a bottle of Aspirin and offered her two tablets.

"Thanks." She washed the tablets down with another sip of water. "What happened last night? I don't remember a thing."

"Well, we all had a lot to drink."

"Ugh, did I say or do anything?"

"You asked me to take off your bra, and then you asked me to make love to you." Naoki answered with a chuckle.

Riko groaned in embarrassment. "Oh man! I could just shoot myself for that."

She was relieved that he hadn't touched her while she was drunk. She thought back to when she got drunk around him the first time on that summer night two years ago. She had gone to the supermarket to buy cleaning supplies to tidy up her and Mai's apartment and happened to run into Naoki. They went to their meeting spot at the park behind the apartment building and sat on the bench, sharing cans of beer. She probably drank about five or six then, she didn't remember exactly how many, and she ran after a couple guys who had dumped trash on the basketball court. She became sick afterward and Naoki carried her home and took care of her. He was such a gentleman, she told herself. He made her feel so safe and loved.

This was a big contrast to when she was in college and it seemed like every guy she knew would hit on her or try to get her in bed with them, despite her having a boyfriend at the time. She hadn't tolerated it. If they even laid a finger on her, she slapped them in the face or kicked them in the family jewels.

"You're a great guy, Naoki. Thank you."

"Anytime, love." He leaned down toward her and gave her a loving kiss on the lips, and she returned the kiss. She felt better by now, and because neither had to work that day, the couple decided they would spend it at the apartment and possibly go out later, with no particular place to go and just enjoy each other's company. They got dressed and went into the kitchen for breakfast to find his mother, Kamiya Makiko and his younger sister Yuri already at the table, drinking coffee.

"Good morning Naoki, you too Riko-chan." His mother greeted and Yuri simply mumbled a 'hello.'

"Good morning, Kamiya-san, and Yuri-chan." Riko greeted back politely.

"Oh, please call me Makiko. You've been seeing my son for a while. No need to be so formal."

"Okay, Makiko-san."

"Much better."

Naoki went over to the stove and prepared his specialty, French toast. The four of them ate together happily, and Naoki was pleased to see that his family was getting along well with his new fiancée, especially Yuri. He smiled as the almost nineteen-year-old talked her ear off about school and other things like shopping and Riko's job. Yuri seemed interested in the violinist's career and wondered if she should consider a musical career as well.

"You'll have to practice hard if you want to be a musician, Yuri-chan. I can teach you to play the violin if you'd like, but if you prefer another instrument, I know of a good place that you can go for lessons."

Yuri wasn't sure which instrument she wanted to play yet, but she was enthusiastic about the offer. "Really? That would be great! Yes! How long have you been playing?"

Riko smiled. "I was in third grade. My cousin played, so I wanted to give it a shot too, and after a family meeting, my parents took the money they were saving up for me to get married and bought me a violin."

"That's so cool!" Turning to Makiko, she asked, "Mama, what do you think?"

"I think it's a great idea." Makiko had always been supportive of her children and encouraged them to follow their dreams. The women continued their conversation until Naoki cleared his throat, having something he wanted to tell them. He and Riko had discussed it after leaving the bar and decided that this could not wait.

"What is it, Onii-chan?" Yuri piped up.

Naoki gently took Riko's hands into his own and took a deep breath before he spoke again. "Okaa-san, Yuri, Riko and I have something very important to tell you." Everything went so silent that you could hear a pin drop.

"You're not having a baby, are you?" Makiko asked nervously, breaking the silence. She wanted for Naoki to have children with the woman he loved, but this definitely way too soon.

"Calm down, Okaa-san. No, Riko isn't pregnant yet. Someday I hope we'll be blessed with children, but there's something we else we need to do first."

"Actually, we are getting married." Riko finally added, pulling him into a sweet embrace.

"What?" came Yuri's shocked response.

"Since when?" His mother inquired.

"Last night." Riko answered.

Makiko took a few moments to process the information that had been passed on to her. "Wow, congratulations! I'm very happy for you." She gave her son and his fiancée congratulatory hugs while Yuri observed with a grin on her face.

"Congrats, you two."

"Thanks Yuri." Naoki replied as he stretched an arm out at his sister and tousled her hair.

"So, do you have a wedding date in mind?" was his mother's next question.

"We haven't talked about that. We'll let you know when we figure it out."

They finished their breakfast and Naoki cleaned up, with Riko volunteering to help him. Yuri excused herself to go chat with her friends on her cellphone while Makiko left to run errands and visit oldest daughter Komaki Yukino and son-in-law Yusuke, who were expecting their first child together, a son, due to be born next month.

Riko and Naoki were alone for the time being, so after they washed the dishes, they decided to have a discussion about their upcoming wedding.

"When do you think we should get married?" Naoki asked. He was thrilled to be engaged to such a beautiful, kindhearted woman like Riko and couldn't wait to marry her, but he wanted to do it properly and not rush into it, and he was certain that she felt the same way.

"Hmm...Let me think. I've always wanted to have my wedding when the cherry blossoms start to bloom, so March or April?"

Naoki touched his fingers to his chin. "I like that. It's June now, so it gives us time to save up a little more money and Spring is the perfect time of year, weather wise. Now we need to find a church to perform the ceremony and a place for the reception, unless you prefer something more traditional."

"I say we should go with the church." Riko answered with her sweet laugh that Naoki had always thought was so cute. "I just couldn't see us getting married at a shrine and wearing wedding kimono."

"No, I guess not." He agreed, laughing along with her.

"Ne, Naoki?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you still sure you want to have children?"

"Yes, I am. I want them so much. Why? Do you?"

"Yes, I do." The violinist admitted.

She imagined what their marriage would be like and how many kids they'd have. She smiled at the thought of being pregnant with his child and her husband with his hands on her belly, feeling the new life inside her kicking as he kissed her on the lips. She didn't know when she wanted children, but she knew he'd be a wonderful father one day and looked forward to starting a family with him.

"How many would you like?"

"I don't know. Two or three, maybe. You?"

"I wouldn't mind if we had ten kids." The basketball player joked. "I loved growing up with my two sisters and I've always wanted a large family."

Riko shot him a look and playfully punched him in the arm, countering with a joke of her own. "Okay, you're going to have to adopt those last seven kids, or hire a surrogate if you want them that badly."

Naoki smiled at her through the pain and rubbed the spot where she had hit him. "On second thought, two or three is good enough."

There you go! Still a little shorter than I wanted it to be, but I think it looks good the way it is. I hope you guys enjoy it too. Please feel free to hit me up with ideas for the next chapter if you have any, because I have absolutely nothing right now. lol