"Good morning, Father, Mother." Megumi greeted her parents with a kiss when she joined them for breakfast the following morning. She had woken up slightly disoriented, not sure if she had dreamt what happened the previous night. One glance at her finger confirmed that it had not been a dream. She had smiled and checked her phone as she slid out of bed.

Good morning, beautiful. Despite the jet lag I couldn't stay asleep – my heart's too full for it.

Her reply simple. It wasn't a dream.

Megumi surreptitiously tucked her left hand out of sight under the table and noticed her mother smiling widely at her. Megumi glanced at her father and frowned. He was reading the paper but it wasn't his usual Sunday fare – he had the Society & Lifestyle section.

Akio lowered the paper and asked his daughter, "Anything to share with your parents, Megumi?" He tapped his finger on the centerfold and turned the paper toward her. The headline screamed: "Two of Nagoya's Most Eligible Singles, A Couple?" Megumi felt her cheeks warm. There were full-color pictures of her and Sano exiting the car, Sano helping her into her seat at dinner, and the biggest photo of the set, of the two of them during one of the dances with their arms around each other. Sano was smiling down at her and Megumi was laughing. They looked happy.

Megumi cleared her throat and fought the urge to fidget in her seat. Finally she couldn't help it any longer and held her ringed finger up with a smile to rival the sparkle of the stones. Michiko squealed and ran around the table to hug her daughter. Akio chuckled and patted Megumi's hand.

"Oh, my dear, it's beautiful!" Michiko gushed over the ring. The stones were Sagara heirlooms which Sano had had reset, making it the perfect blend of old and new.

Once they had all taken their seats again, Akio addressed her. "Now Megumi, you had asked for a month before making your decision. You still have almost two weeks before your thirty days are up."

Megumi shook her head. "I don't need it, Otousan. Another two weeks, two months, two years or twenty won't change my mind." Michiko dabbed her eyes.

Akio nodded. "Very well, then your mother and I are very happy for you my dear."

The phone rang down the hall and Kaiyo entered the dining room a moment later. "Sir, a phone call for you."

"Who is it, Kaiyo?" Michiko asked.

"Mr. Sagara, Ma'am."

Akio stood up. "I'll take it in my office." He came back just a few minutes later. "My future son-in-law just asked to see me." He looked at his daughter. "Shall I give him a hard time?"

His voice was serious but Megumi could see he was joking. "Father!"

~O~O~O~

Megumi headed to her room after breakfast, nervous about her father's meeting with Sano. She knew her father would give his blessing – her parents had wanted this union before she, did after all. It was still rather awkward to be the subject of such an important discussion. She took the time to study her ring in detail. The slender silver band held a large, round-cut, easily 5-carat diamond, if she wasn't mistaken. It was flanked on either side by a pair of smaller, possibly 1.5 carat stones. The rest of the circle was completed by smaller, half-carat diamonds. It was beautiful and it fit her perfectly. Then a sudden realization occurred and Megumi narrowed her eyes.

Sano spent a good hour with Akio in his office. After they were done talking, the older man went to fetch his daughter.

"May I come in?" Mr. Takani called through Megumi's bedroom door.

Megumi opened the door. "Of course, Father." She didn't say it, but her eyes were begging him for an answer.

"I think," he paused and kissed Megumi's forehead. "You will be very happy, daughter."

Megumi threw her arms around her father. "Thank you, Otousan. I think I will be."

"Sano is a good man. I cannot have given my blessing to anyone less worthy. Now go to him. He's waiting for you in the library."

Megumi didn't need to be told twice. Michiko caught her in the hallway and made not so subtle hints that they would be spending the rest of the day elsewhere.

Sano was leafing through a book with his back to her when Megumi entered the library. She bit her lip and approached on stealthy feet, feeling girlish and playful.

"I know you're there." Sano said without turning around.

Megumi smiled and wrapped her arms around him, pressing her cheek against his warm back. She heard him deposit the hardcover on the table and felt his hands cover hers. They stood that way for a while, their breathing evening out together, silent but content in each other's presence. Suddenly, Megumi pinched Sano's side.

"Itai!" Sano spun around. "What was that for?"

Megumi planted a hand on her hip. "Aren't you forgetting something?" She said sternly. Sano leaned in to kiss her but she shook her head no. Sano frowned. He leaned back against the desk and studied her, brow furrowed in thought. Megumi sat on a couch and crossed her arms, not giving him any clues.

After a beat, Sano sat on the coffee table in front of her and leaned forward, forearms on his knees. "When we were little, I already loved you." Megumi perked up. "I loved the little girl with the sharp tongue, the perfect dresses, the impeccable manners." Sano paused, his look far away. "Then when we were in high school I hated that I loved the young woman the girl was becoming because—because she was pure, and perfect, and unattainable." Sano looked at her. "I wanted to run away from it. Then I grew up and I embraced that love for what it was – all-consuming and unchanging." Tears stung Megumi's eyes and she blinked them away. She had no idea… Sano dropped to one knee, his hands reaching for and clasping hers tightly, almost desperately. "Takani Megumi, will you marry me?"

Megumi nodded through her tears. "Yes." Yes.

With their arms holding each other close, Megumi could not miss Sano faintly trembling. "Are you alright?" She asked, worried. But it wasn't distress that was causing it, instead relief, excitement, and happiness, were blatant on his handsome face.

He nodded and buried his face against her neck. "Never better." He breathed. He kissed her then, slow and sweet. Her hands fisted in the collar of his shirt. This felt good. It felt wonderful. Just being with Sano on a lazy Sunday afternoon, kissing him in the library…

"I have your fathers blessing." Sano said when they broke apart to breathe a moment later.

Megumi kissed him. "You had it long before I even knew I wanted this." She wriggled her ringed finger at him before kissing him again.

They eventually found themselves lounging on the couch, Megumi laying with her head on Sano's shoulder, his arm around her and hand resting on her hip.

"Sano, I've been thinking, I want to get out of Mr. Yamada's research study. Father spoke of Grandfather's legacy last night. Doing this study, no matter how hypothetical, goes against what he stood for."

"Is that how ya feel or are you still exploring the idea?" Sano asked.

She looked up at him. "No, it's what I believe."

"Okay." He rubbed a hand over her shoulder. "Will he give you a hard time, do ya think?"

"I certainly hope not. I'll tell him tomorrow."

"Sooner rather than later."

"Yeah."

"Do ya need me to do anything?" She shook her head. She needed to get this done on her own.

Sano nudged Megumi. "How are we doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"There's more to an engagement than just a ring."

"I suppose we announce it formally, though somehow I think they're ahead of us and are already planning the details." Megumi smiled wryly at the thought.

"Are we having a long engagement?"

"Do you want a long engagement?" Megumi returned.

"Hell, no." Sano said. Those were the last words that were spoken between the two of them for a while as their lips and tongues were otherwise occupied.

Megumi melted into Sano's hard body as his warmth seeped into hers. His hands were solid on her back and his kisses were sweet and drugging. She felt as if her body was moving independently of her own conscious thought, following a summons that was foreign but not unwelcome. She rode a wave of sensations that would bring her up but before it crested, Sano would pull back and temper the fire his mouth on hers caused, calming, instead of enflaming.

Later, they were catching their breath on the couch, fingers threaded together, Megumi sitting between Sano's long limbs, resting with her back against his chest. Sometime earlier, Sano had added more wood to the hearth and it was now merrily burning, throwing a cozy warmth over the room's previously overheated occupants.

"Megumi."

"Mmmm?" The woman had her eyes closed, completely relaxed.

Sano kissed her temple. "I love you." She opened her eyes and turned toward him, returning the sentiment against his lips.

"I love you too."

~O~O~O~

Sano and Megumi officially announced their engagement to their parents over a traditional dinner at Sano's home that very night.

"When will you have the engagement ceremony?" Tamayo asked the couple after congratulations, hugs, and kisses had been exchanged.

"We were hoping you and Mother would guide us on the best date, Obasan." Megumi answered.

Between their bouts of kissing earlier that day, she and Sano had already had an extended discussion of where they stood on the engagement and wedding preparations. Sano had suggested that Megumi let their mothers handle it since they would probably browbeat her if she didn't. Megumi had gotten riled up and insisted that it was their wedding, therefore, they had the final say in everything. Sano had agreed, but insisted that it would only stress Megumi out in the long run.

Megumi, exasperated, had yelled out. "Is this how it's going to be? You would side with them over me?"

Sano had turned to her, dead serious. "No, Kitsune. I am always on your side. You know our mothers – I'm just giving ya a picture of what it would be like once the preparations go underway."

Damn him and his reasoning!

Sat sat her down and took her hands in his. "Tell you what. Why don't you decide what you absolutely want and we'll let them know which areas they can have leeway." She had begrudgingly conceded.

"Don't you want a say in it?" She had asked, curious. Usually he had something to say about anything and everything.

He shook his head. "Nope." Popping the "p". "As long as at the end of the day you're mine and I'm yours, I don't care about the details."

Megumi tilted her head to the side. "So I can wear a tux and you'll be fine with that?" The shocked look on Sano's face was priceless.

"Well in that case, I think we'll visit a consultant tomorrow. Michiko?"

"Hai, hai." The mothers immediately started trading contacts and suggesting date experts.

Megumi waited for Sano to say "I told you so." But it never came. She glanced over at him but he was already preoccupied sampling the dishes.

~O~O~O~

"Kaiyo, could you steam this blouse for me? Sorry for the late notice, I wasn't originally planning on wearing it."

"I'll take care of it, Ms. Megumi, I'll get to it right away."

"Thank you." Kaiyo hurried off with Megumi's blouse and Megumi picked up the paper the girl was reading.

Today's gossip column is especially juicy. You've all read the headlines, seen the pictures. Our favorite bachelor is off limits! Sagara Sanosuke was seen attending the Annual Nagoya Children's Hospital gala with Ms. Takani Megumi, a very eligible single herself. There have been no previous sightings of the two together or reports of a relationship so this is just as surprising for us as it for you, dear readers. While there is no confirmation from either party, we cannot deny that Mr. Sagara and Ms. Takani are evidently very comfortable and may we say, enamored with each other.

The page was covered with more photos taken throughout the gala. There were a couple of good shots with her and Sano in various activities throughout the gala but it made her uncomfortable that their private lives were so openly displayed to complete strangers.

Megumi laid the society page aside. She dreaded having to go to the university that morning. While the school was very strict with maintaining its students' privacy on campus, she knew the media could be ruthless in its pursuit of a story. She toyed with her ring. Maybe she should take it off to remove any further fodder for gossip? Megumi shot down the idea immediately. She would not remove her ring for anything. Let them talk and speculate, she decided. She thanked Kaiyo when the girl returned with her blouse and went to get ready for the day.

~O~O~O~

"Megumi-san! Congratulations!" Twin sisters Tae and Sae descended on Megumi as soon as she entered the biology building.

"We are so happy for you!"

"To have caught the eye of the most desirable bachelor in town!"

"I—"

"Will you have a winter or spring wedding?"

"Will it be at a cathedral to accommodate your thousands of guests?"

"Oh, your babies will be so genetically gifted!"

"Ladies, if you'll excuse me." Megumi extricated herself from the two over-eager females and beat a hasty escape to the lab.

Megumi found Yamada Jirou hunched over a ledger, running his finger down various columns and scribbling down notes in a notepad.

"Sumimasen, Mr. Yamada, I need to speak with you."

Yamada started and tried to cover up with a cough. "Ah, Megumi-san, how nice to see you. Please let me congratulate you on your relationship with such a prominent member of your class." Megumi was taken aback by his choice of words.

"Excuse me?"

"I hear that you are with Sagara Sanosuke. I offer my congratulations."

"Thank you. Now if you have a minute—"

"Ah, yes, about our research. I trust you have the briefs from the journals I requested?"

"Mr. Yamada. I can no longer work with you on this study."

"You won't be getting married so soon, surely?"

"It has nothing to do with my personal life. I do not agree with using opium in the way that you are pursuing. It goes against my firmly held beliefs and therefore I cannot help you."

"Such firm opinions in one so young." Megumi seethed at the patronizing tone. "Very well, Ms. Takani, if you insist."

She kept her tone civil. "I do. Thank you, Sir."

"You might be sorry you turned down this wonderful opportunity one day." He said, a parting glint flashing off his glasses as he walked away. Megumi felt a cold shiver run down her spine at the ominous words. She shook it oft and went to work, glad that it was over.

Sorry, I'm not great with describing the ring so if you want a better idea of what the engagement ring looks like, the link is on my profile. Note that the band on Sano's ring has more than the five in the picture – it's completely surrounded with smaller stones.

To all April babies, happy birthday to us! (^^,)