Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi

Chapter Eighteen: March 20th

It'd taken some crafty maneuvering to convince the Board to extend their imposed marriage deadline over six months out from their original one, which I'd conveniently missed. Sango and I had chosen to wait until after her time in physical therapy and her probation period had ended to schedule our wedding, gladly taking the opportunity to spend time together as an actual couple and regimenting a strict Saturday date night routine. Yet the day had finally arrived, and my own anticipation about sealing the deal was nearly frightening. If my willingness to settle for this one woman for the rest of my life meant anything, it was that there was no denying how much I loved her.

In any case, I was met with surprisingly very little resistance concerning my decision to marry an ex-murderer. And while Hachi was perhaps the least surprised at our sudden engagement, it also became quickly apparent that a few others had seen it coming. At least Kagome-chan had admitted to hoping it would happen after she mentioned seeing the looks Sango would give me when my back was turned.

"I mean, obviously I knew something was up when I walked in on you two in the hotel room," she'd explained over an office lunch one day, "But initially I chalked it up to your lecherous habits. Then I saw the way Sango-chan would steal glances at you when she knew you weren't looking and I wanted to just smack you across the face for not doing something about it!"

Kohaku-kun, whom I'd originally labeled as a potential enemy for wanting to marry his big sister, was surprisingly supportive as well. "She told me she thought you were cute, once," he had admitted, crinkling his nose in minute disgust. "After she first threatened you, I guess. I remember because I thought it was weird; Neesan would never say anything to me about the people she was sent after."

Inuyasha had, in my opinion, the greatest reaction, if only because it was so like him to be so ignorant. He'd confronted me after my spontaneous jewelry store proposal, sending a quick whack to the back of my head.

"What the hell, Miroku? I didn't even know you two were dating!"

"We weren't," I'd informed him irritably, rubbing the sore spot where he'd hit me. "But I love her, so I'm going to marry her anyway, okay?"

He scoffed. "That's batshit insane, you know that right?"

"Nah," I'd disagreed, grinning impishly at his disbelief. "It actually works. You'll see."

The look he'd given me then was absolutely priceless: dubious, curious, and baffled all at one. It was that look that cemented his reaction as one of my favorites even after we broke the news to the public, and that included incomparable ones like Kikyo-san and Aoi Koga.

All things considered, as I stood scrutinizing my reflection in the mirror and fought to get my bowtie to lie a little straighter on my neck, I knew my marrying Sango was going to be met with just as much doubt and disagreement as support. While I also knew I shouldn't be letting these things get to me, I couldn't help but admit to myself that the doubters and naysayers were grounded in just as much as, if not more truth than all those who congratulated me.

I never doubted myself however, and I knew nothing was going to make me back down from this. More importantly, I didn't want to back down from this. I'd been through too much to get to this point, and damn it, if anyone deserved a chance at a happy-ever-after, it was Sango and I.

Sango, though, was a different story.

I'd known that her adjusting to a normal life was going to be hard enough on her on its own, but suddenly being thrown into a media spotlight after her introduction as my fiancée was nearly pushing her over the edge. Obviously the life of an assassin was solitary, and Sango was often at odds trying to figure out how to handle this new swarm of unknown people wanting to talk with her all the time. While I initially tried to be understanding, the fear that the pressure would become too great for her to handle and she'd leave me was nearly suffocating me.

My reflection was turning into a crumbling mess of worry and doubt, and I was sure the real me looked much worse. I knew Inuyasha, as my best man, was probably due back in the room at any moment to continue his duties of calming the groom before the ceremony, but I couldn't wait any longer. Not to mention that he was not the person I wanted to see right now. I left my dressing room, navigated my way through the overly decorated hotel hallway, outfitted just for our wedding, trying to remember which room I'd seen Kagome-chan sneak into. Naturally I was forbidden from seeing Sango for the day until the actual wedding, but that didn't stop me from trying to keep tabs on her nonetheless.

Just as I was about to open the door, the knob twisted from the other side and I panicked, ducking behind an ornate vase showcasing the flowers Sango had decided on. The door opened slightly, and I caught a glimpse of Kagome-chan's arm as she paused on her way out, presumably finishing up a conversation with my soon-to-be wife still inside the room. Their voices were too low for me to hear anything though.

Finally Kagome-chan stepped fully out of the room, in full regalia of the maid-of-honor and thankfully headed further down the hall and away from me. I waited until she turned the corner before I stepped out from behind the vase. Sparing a single moment to debate whether or not to knock before entering the room, I decided against it and opened the door, poking just my head into the room.

Sango's back was towards me, and she hadn't seemed to notice my entrance. Though I could only see her back, I could tell she was deep in thought; her shoulders hunched and her hands held to her face contemplatively. From my position, it was hard to see exactly what she saw in the full-length mirror she stood in front of, and I wondered if I dared enter the room any further. My musing was cut short however, as unexpectedly she interrupted both my thoughts and her own with a soft snort.

"You know, I can see you in my mirror."

I grinned guiltily and stepped fully into the room, closing the door soundly behind me. Actually being inside the room gave me a perfect view of my bride, and I happily took advantage of the opportunity to drink in her reflection in the mirror directly opposite me.

As per my request, her hair was left down, though the top half was pinned back with her veil. Her dress was form-fitting until it flowed out fully from her waist and completely covered her feet as it brushed the matted carpet of her dressing room floor. The top of it was intricately embroidered with several hundred little diamond and pearl beads, swirling around in some floral design that was undoubtedly expensive and perfectly fitting of the wife of a highly successful businessman. Again I was left to vehemently deny the existence of anyone else out there for me but her.

"You look beautiful," I told her earnestly, deliberately meeting her eyes through the mirror.

Her reflection blushed a little and her lips curled towards that defiant smile of hers that I loved so much. "I thought it was bad luck for you to see the bride before the wedding," she retorted mildly.

I shrugged this off dismissively. "Trust me, it'll be worth it." Keeping my eyes locked with her reflection's, I walked towards her, wrapping my arms around her small waist and being careful not to crush her veil as I embraced her from behind. There was perfume sprayed just beneath her ears and I kissed her there, feeling her skin heat up in a blush as my lips stayed and traveled down her neck and jaw methodically.

"W-what are you doing, Miroku?" she sighed quietly, failing in her attempt to reprimand me as her voice sounded completely gentle and sincerely curious.

I hummed against her neck as I debated an answer, forgetting my effort to not smash her dress or veil as I all but crushed her against me, letting my hands wander with blind enthusiasm as I latched onto her neck again with reignited fervor. She started squirming against me, and I almost felt offended by her apparent struggling with me until I realized that she was trying to turn around in the embrace. Finally, I let her go long enough for her to face me and wrap her arms around my neck before I impatiently captured my lips with hers. My hands traveled down to her ass, cupping it and bringing her in tighter against me as I stepped forward into the embrace until her back hit the mirror. It wobbled precariously, finally tipping backwards into the wall behind it as I relentlessly pressed my body against Sango's until every dip and curve was pushed forcefully into me. The tilted mirror proved a horrible thing to lean against and I clumsily tried to move from the mirror to the wall, only to trip for my effort and bring us both to the floor. Not to be deterred, I hurriedly rolled her onto the soft rug underneath me just as she collapsed into my chest, finding a position that was more or less like the one back in the hotel room all those months ago as I pushed my tongue hungrily against hers.

Sango had, rather insistently and daringly, informed me of her status as a virgin, something that hadn't taken me by any sort of surprise. She was still very young, after all, and if she'd been gallivanting off with the opposite sex at her age I would've been a little—if somewhat hypocritically—worried. The purpose of telling me such, as I'd learned only moments after, was to lay down some moral law: she intended to stay as such until her wedding night. It was a heavy blow—I'd already gone so long without sex, and waiting until our honeymoon officially commenced would be the longest I'd ever gone, though I was determined to obey. It'd been hard at first, though Sango was diligent about informing me when we'd gone too far. What hadn't helped however, was those times when we'd repeat the hotel room scenario, take it a few tantalizing steps further, and just when I'd begin to think that she'd abandoned her virgin-bride obligation, she'd push me away, only to lean back in, her lips kissing my ear as she'd whisper that she needed something to keep me coming back for more.

In short, in the six months of our engagement, she'd driven me absolutely fucking insane.

Insane or not, however, I did keep coming back for more. Even currently, with my hips furiously grinding against hers and her hands seeking mine to fold our fingers together, I couldn't blame her for being so unattainable. I'd never been involved with a woman who made me work so hard in the relationship before, and I had to admit, the challenge was stimulating.

Eventually I could feel her begin to pull back, as far as she could being sandwiched between me and the floor anyway, and I slowly started reeling myself back in obediently. Our kisses became shorter, our embrace loosened, and the pressure of my hips against hers lightened. I kept my fingers intertwined with hers as I consigned myself to being content with soft, less urgent, less demanding kisses, only occasionally wandering down to her chin and jaw.

There was a soft knock at the door, so sudden and unexpected that I was still debating about whether or not to react to it when the door opened and Kagome-chan reentered the room. She seemed confused for a moment, then her eyes dropped to the floor to where Sango and I still lay more or less entangled and she immediately frowned disapprovingly.

"What the hell, Sensei?" she scolded me, placing her hands on her hips in a telltale sign of impatience.

I sighed, testing Kagome-chan's patience further as I placed one last kiss to Sango's lips before withdrawing my hands from hers to boost myself up. "What?" I asked, feigning ignorance.

"Oh, don't give me that! You know you shouldn't be in here. Inuyasha's been looking everywhere for you and honestly, control yourself a little better, please, Miroku-sensei! I'm tired of walking in on the two of you like this!" She shooed me off of Sango and helped my fiancée to her feet, her frown deepening as she smoothed out the wrinkles we'd made in her dress.

"Well, maybe you could give us a little more warning next time," I offered helpfully, giving my tuxedo a quick pat-down and reaching over to help straightening out Sango's dress only to have my hand slapped away for my effort.

I grinned impishly and righted the still-tipped mirror so Kagome-chan could check over her efforts as she placed Sango in front of it. Sango, who was still a little red in the face from being discovered as we were, remained quiet and let her maid-of-honor fuss over her while she obediently moved her arms out of the way. She met my gaze, offering me another hint of that brazen smile of hers before she glanced back at Kagome-chan, who was glaring at me lethally.

"Yes?" I inquired unnecessarily. I knew exactly why she was so irritated with me.

"Leave!" Kagome-chan bellowed angrily, pointing at the door and ushering me through it. "You do realize the ceremony starts in less than an hour, right? Get your ass into the ballroom already!"

"Alright, alright, I'm going!" I held my hands up in surrender on my way out of the room, only to turn back around once I'd reached the door, stalling my departure for a moment longer. Ignoring the look on Kagome-chan's face, I looked at Sango, once again conversing with her reflection in the mirror. "I'll see you soon, right?"

She nodded, a little hesitantly at first, then more assuredly. "Yeah. I'm not going anywhere."

For the first time, I noticed she looked a little at odds with herself, though in light of our recent time together and the fact that in exactly thirty-nine minutes this woman would legally be mine for time and eternity, I dismissed it without a second thought. Chalking it up to pre-wedding jitters, I grinned one final time before I stepped out of the room, pulling the door closed behind me.

I watched as the clock on the far end of the hotel ballroom, where the ceremony would take place, ticked slowly towards the twelve. Eight months, one day, and fourteen hours since the first day I'd ever laid eyes on Sango, and here we were: officially about to be married. Ignoring the overly populated seating area before me I kept my eyes focused on the large double doors directly opposite of me, where in less than a minute and a half I'd see my bride enter the room. I'd never felt so impatient in my life.

Being an international businessman, our wedding was westernized, if only to cater to my European and North American guests. There was no missing my fellow Japanese guests, however, as brightly colored and coordinating kimonos were to be seen just as much as cocktail dresses or suits and ties. I wasn't quite sure how a western wedding would play out; I only had a vague idea from the get-go and intended to just play along with whatever was supposed to happen, though as the organist to my left started playing the traditional march and the first person through the doors was not Sango, my stomach fell slightly. I hadn't expected there to be a procession. I mean, how many people did Sango intimately know?

Leaning over to Inuyasha, who stood dutifully to my immediate left, I whispered, "What the hell is this? Where's Sango?" I eyed all of the people now walking up the aisle, Kohaku-kun, Kagome-chan, and Hachi's wife Minako-san with disdain.

"Have patience!" Inuyasha snapped under his breath. "She's coming."

Finally, the music took on a different cadence and the guests stood collectively, all turning towards the doors to welcome Sango into the room. My stomach immediately jumped back up to my throat as I watched anticipatively. This was it, I was sure of it. She was coming now.

Except she wasn't.

The organist played a few measures of music grandly, ending exactly on cue and turning to face the minister as the small procession joined me up front. She did a double-take upon seeing Kohaku-kun in his place beside Inuyasha, with Kagome-chan and Minako-san standing across from them, yet her confusion was warranted. After all, where was the bride?

I glared at Kagome-chan pointedly—she had been the last one with Sango—though she shrugged her shoulders helplessly, exchanging a look with Inuyasha. There were a few coughs from the audience, and I heard several of them shift around awkwardly, presumably wondering if they should remain standing or if this wedding would take place at all.

Inuyasha waved for the organist to play again, and after verifying with the minister, she obeyed, beginning the march right at Sango's cue. She played a couple bars, twisting around in her seat to keep an eye on the double doors like everybody else. The music faded as it became apparent that Sango had missed her second cue as well. The organist looked vulnerable and confused as she again turned towards the minister to learn what to do next.

My whole world was collapsing in on me. My fears from earlier today in the dressing room swarmed around me, stampeding over my heart ruthlessly as I tried to sort out my jumbled thoughts. This couldn't possibly be happening. I'd seen Sango not even forty minutes ago; she'd seemed just as enthusiastic as I'd been to be married. Or maybe that was the kissing. It was hard to tell now, in retrospect. I remembered her strange look as I left, and the highly contemplative state I'd first found her in. Was it possible that she really was debating running away all along? As I stood in front of the minister with no bride to meet me, it didn't appear that I had any other option to believe.

The minister nodded for the organist to play the march one last time and, almost reluctantly, she obeyed, timidly plunking out the first notes as the guests started to murmur.

Finally, on her third cue from the organ, Sango poked her head around the doorway of the ballroom. The organist seemed surprised to see her and the music halted momentarily before flowing clumsily into the rest of the march. The murmuring from the audience, however, didn't entirely cease as Sango stepped awkwardly into the room and took a few preparatory breaths before she began her walk down the aisle.

The nervousness and dread didn't dissipate from my stomach upon seeing Sango arrive. There was the expected foolishness I felt at nearly being left at the altar by my fiancée, though irritation was the most prevalent emotion I felt. I still loved her more than anything, that I didn't doubt, yet I now wondered if there really was a mistake in proposing so soon.

I didn't have much time to sort out these new thoughts as Sango ran up the aisle, coming to stand at my side in record time and leaving the poor organist to stumble through the ending of the march hurriedly. Sango hastily adjusted her veil, and switched her bouquet into her opposite arm as she linked the other through mine. I watched as she exchanged a small, reassuring smile with Kagome-chan before we turned our attention to the minister. The minister, who seemed to be riding high on the opportunity to conduct the prolific Tsujitani wedding ceremony and was therefore oblivious to the larger awkward feeling that had settled over the ballroom, spread his arms wide to begin is undoubtedly lengthy sermon.

I cut a quick glance down at my soon-to-be wife. She looked every bit as beautiful as when I'd snuck into her dressing room to see her, though I did note several beads of sweat dotted across her forehead. It wasn't a heavy or noticeable sweat by any means, though it was still excessive for a short, twenty-foot jog up the procession aisle.

I leaned down to her discreetly, careful not the throw the overly-wordy minister off his track and said lowly, "You seem winded."

Sango looked startled, and for a moment, minutely guilty. "Do I?"

"Yeah. Is it warm in here?"

Frowning at my pointed question, she shook her head and muttered, "No."

"Did you suddenly feel like running a few laps before the ceremony?" If my previous inquiry didn't strike too big a nerve, this one certainly did. Sango pursed her lips in an angry pout and refused to answer me. Huffing, I turned back to face the minister only to see Inuyasha giving me an unusually hard stare.

I frowned. "What?" I mouthed at him.

He jerked his head subtly towards the audience. I cut a quick glance over my shoulder, taking in several judgmental and disapproving stares directed at Sango and I. Turning back to Inuyasha, I saw him look emphatically at Sango and then me.

"Shut … up," he snarled under his breath between clenched teeth.

I frowned again and turned back to the minister, who was apparently the only one unaware of mine and Sango's quiet yet heated discussion. I tried to ignore the demands welling up inside me, the need to know why I was very nearly the victim of a runaway bride.

"I thought you said you weren't going anywhere," I whispered violently to Sango after a short reprieve. I ignored Inuyasha's obvious eye-roll.

She groaned quietly, shutting her eyes tightly in frustration. "I wasn't," she defended shortly.

"Really?" I countered skeptically. "Because, from where I stood, it looks like you couldn't get away fast enough."

Rolling her eyes heaven-ward, Sango whispered desperately, "Listen, Miroku, do we have to do this now?" She flicked her eyes nervously to the minister, who was currently rambling on about all the blessings marital life would supposedly bring. When I gave her a disgruntled and pointed look that clearly told her I wasn't going to let the matter drop until she gave me a straight and honest answer, Sango sighed, defeated. She cast a silent plea for help at both Kagome-chan and Inuyasha, who both shrugged at her uselessly.

"I wasn't running away," she insisted again. "I was trying to figure out an escape route."

"Because that's totally different from running away," I interjected bitterly.

"Would you just listen? I needed an escape route in case you left me. The last thing I need right now is to be embarrassed in front of all these important people." Another glance over my shoulder told me our guests were still gossiping away about us bickering away before the minister, as if to prove her point.

I was stymied. Me, leave her? Honestly, the idea that I would even have a reason to leave her was baffling and had never occurred to me.

"Why would I leave you?" I asked, genuinely curious.

Sango sighed again. "Don't play stupid, Miroku," she begged, sounding miserable. "I know about Koharu."

I'd figured that Kagome-chan would've told her about my former fiancée sometime or another, so her reasoning still escaped me.

"What about her?" I pressed, smiling vaguely at the minister as he gestured towards us grandly while loudly assuring us of everyone's happiness at our union today.

Sango shifted, clearly uncomfortable, and her grip on my arm tightened as she mumbled, "I was worried you'd change your mind again. I was worried that you'd realize all the things you were giving up." Her voice was quiet and shameful.

She'd caught me off-guard. She thought I'd be sacrificing something by marrying her? That I'd made a mistake in calling off my engagement to Koharu-chan so I could marry her—the woman that I was truly in love with?

I placed my hand on hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "I love you," I informed her, my voice muted yet firm. "I'm not giving up anything by marrying you."

Sango looked at me anxiously, daring to hope. "Really?"

"Really," I confirmed with a smile. "I know I was going out on a limb by asking you to marry me so soon, and I know it was going out on an even bigger limb for you to say yes." There were tears in her eyes now, though stubbornly, she refused to let them fall. "I'm really grateful you did, though. I can't imagine a better life for me than one where I can be your husband." I gave her a subtle, encouraging wink.

She smiled, just as brave and honest and true as the day I'd seen her first genuinely smile at me. "Miroku…"

"Tsujitani-san?"

My attention snapped back to the minister. "Huh?"

"If you are ready, I'm sure your many guests would gladly like to know if you will take this lovely lady to wife," he said, his candor undercut with impatience. I wondered how long I'd kept him waiting.

"Oh," I said lamely, before laughing off my unintentional stalling dismissively. "Yeah, I do." Sango squeezed my arm again and I looked down at her, unable to stop my grin from widening stupidly. "Of course I do."

The minister clapped his hands together, over-emphasizing his approving pride and my affirmative answer. "How wonderful! And do you, Mizushima-san, take Tsujitani-san to be your lawfully-wedded husband?"

Sango blushed a deep red, nodding and answering in the affirmative as well. We slipped the rings onto the appropriate fingers; afterwards, I didn't even wait for the minister to signal for the sealing kiss before I cupped her face and brought her lips to mine covetously.

There was applause from the audience and I was able to detect several swift clicks of cameras brought in by the journalists and reporters who had undoubtedly snuck their way into this private affair to catch Sango's first moments as Mrs. Tsujitani. I didn't care, and I didn't think Sango particularly did either as she tossed her arms around my neck, smashing her bouquet carelessly into my shoulders as we continued to kiss.

As my new wife and I supplied the photographers with a field day of intimate pictures of our first moments together as a married couple, I was able to catch a bit of Kagome-chan and Inuyasha's conversation as they stood by us at the altar.

"Come on, Inuyasha," Kagome-chan was chiding him, "Lighten up. You're at a wedding!"

Inuyasha huffed. "Yeah, the sudden wedding of a lecherous CEO and a woman, who, by all accounts, should probably be in jail."

Kagome-chan didn't offer ant spoken reproach for demand of explanation, though the silent implication must've been enough as Inuyasha continued on an incredulous scoff, "Are we really going to pretend that everything is okay and normal from now on?"

"Yep!" Kagome-chan's reply was cheery and resolute.

"Alright," Inuyasha conceded, "I just hope no one asks them the story of how they met."

I didn't get to see if Kagome-chan reacted in any way to Inuyasha's regard, currently distracted by my wife's lips as I was, though I did smirk a little into the kiss. There was something to agree with in Inuyasha's point: Sango and I did not have the quote-unquote normal beginning. But, then again, since when has there been any fun in being normal?

The End