"Ryyyyyooooshi!" Amaterasu sings, her left arm linked through Jared's, pulling him with a force reminiscent of Otohime's iron grip on Taro. Her wide, pink-lipped smile flashes at Ryoshi and me.

I silently frown at her, my anger pulsing in my veins. Once again this moron is in the way of my feelings for Ryoshi...

She halts on the pool patio in front of us. Inhaling sharply, she announces,

"I'm going to go inside now, because it's getting late and all. I just, well, I wanted you both to know that I'm totally pro your relationship, I mean, if there is any relationship. I'm not ticked or anything."

"Tch," I click my tongue stubbornly, "That was a pretty quick change." Frustration churns in my stomach. I was THIS close! Argh! Why does this always happen to me?! A hot feeling in my chest makes me want to smack Amaterasu. And myself.

"Well, quick or not, it's true. I mean, I was never that into you anyways," Amaterasu nods in Ryoshi's direction, obviously not noticing how ticked off I am.

"Uh, good?" he says.

"I mean, you're a peach, but I've got other priorities." What the—did she just glance at Jared?!

"Well… we wish you all the best too." Ryoshi's face relaxes in relief.

"Smashing. Okay, I'll see you guys later!" She turns and skips off with Jared, waving over her right shoulder in a vaguely flirty way. I guess she must just be a flirty person. Tch. What a pain.

Ryoshi's gentle voice distracts me. "Ryoko, I want you to stay," he says, and his hand brushing my arm. "But you have work tomorrow, and you need to be rested and everything."

I sight quietly. He's right, and the atmosphere we had going earlier has changed. Telling him now just wouldn't work. Which sucks.

Then again, tomorrow is another day, right?

"I'll see you then." I smile softly.

"Yeah," he whispers. I'm wondering if we should hug when I realize that I've already reached in. His arms tighten around me in a way that makes me melt into them, and then, with a final squeeze, we separate.

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"The stares don't bother you?" I whisper to Ryoshi, and squeeze his hands. Standing right across from me, his eyes smile back at me.

"No one's paying any attention to me, Ryoko. All eyes are on you." He whispers in return. I blush, but I don't look at the crowd in front of us, though I notice Ringo wiping her eyes from my side. Ryoshi is the only one I see.

The preacher to the left clears his throat with a cheerful smile, clutching his Bible.

"Do you, Morino Ryoshi, take Okami Ryoko as your lawfully wedded wife?"

Ryoshi's eyes gaze into mine. His lips curve into a smile of pure love, and my heart melts.

"I do."

"Okami Ryoko, do you take Morino Ryoshi to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

My heart beats strongly, a glow rising to my cheeks. Ryoshi's thumb traces over the back of my hand gently, and my russet irises meet his emerald ones.

"I do." I say clearly, hearing the joy in my own voice.

"Then by the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife; you may now kiss the bride."

The second he finishes the sentence, Ryoshi and I merge together. His arms lock around me longingly, our lips—

Brrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiinnnnng! Brrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnng!

My eyes flutter open, revealing the darkness of my room. I turn over and switch of the alarm. It's too early… I bury myself into the sheet stubbornly, closing my eyes…

"Sweetheart! Time for work!" Jared's chipper call penetrates the door, shattering my peace.

"Huh?!" I bolt up. "Ugh. 'Kay." I say flatly. My lids begin to droop closed again… The idea of getting out of bed makes me sick. It's just another day of work. Another long day of work.

No. Wait.

My eyes pop wide open.

"It's my last day!" I whisper.

It's my last day! We're leaving after tonight! It's the last day!

I grin and jump out of bed, click on the lamp, and start the hunt for my clothes.

This is it! I'm finally going to be with him! I've sure as hell worked for it.

I fight the urge to sing and dance as I skip down the hallway to breakfast. The dining hall is busy as usual. I spin past Jared and take his hands, twirling him around.

"Hey Jar!" I laugh, playfully grabbing his muffin and taking a bite.

"Whoa, uh, hey Sweetheart!" He smiles awkwardly, obviously confused.

"Why are you so…?" he begins, but I twist out of his reach before he can finish, and dart away.

"Hey—! Hold on a se—! Sweetheart, gimme back my muffin!"

"Good morning, Carol!" I beam.

"Good morning yourself," she says casually, an eyebrow cocked up in my direction. "What's happened to you? You're pretty cheery."

"If you say so," I shrug, a slight smile on my face.

Carol-san glances at me for a second before lowering her eyebrows and resuming her conversation with John. I shoot him a smile before running off to the line, dodging people as I go. There's nothing that can mess me up today. It's all coming together!

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Morino Ryoshi's stomach has so many butterflies in it he can hardly swallow his breakfast. After tonight, he'll be back with his friends and with Ryoko, after he thought it was all over… A smile refuses to leave his face, even though he's exhausted from staying up late—finishing the letter.

Amaterasu, eating beside him, is uncharacteristically silent, except for the clinking of her silverware against her shiny white plate. Ryoshi barely notices his mother sit down in front of the two of them.

"Good morning, guys!" she says enthusiastically.

"Hey," Ryoshi says quietly.

"Morning," Amaterasu yawns.

"You two don't have much to say today, do you?"

"Uh, just a little tired, Mom."

"Mhhm. Well, I've got a busy day to get to. We're refurnishing the house so I'd appreciate it if you made yourselves scarce around here. I don't want anyone getting underfoot; lord knows the servants will be more than enough to handle." Ryoshi's mother takes a bite of her eggs.

Ryoshi's heart jumps with excitement. There's a chance she'll be too busy to notice me at all—maybe I can sneak away and see Ryoko for a while!

"Sure Mom!" he grins.

"Huh. That sure woke you up…"

"I just like a day out, that's all," he says, followed by a nervous laugh. Amaterasu perks up as well.

"Anything you want, Morino-san!"

"Thanks dear," Morino-sama chuckles, finishing off her breakfast. "Well, I better get to it—the people are getting here at eleven and it's ten-thirty already. See you in a few hours!"

"Bye!" Amaterasu calls as Ryoshi's mother exits the room, leaving her plate for the help to pick up. The second she leaves the room Amaterasu twists to face him.

"Listen," whispers, "I want to see Jared. You want to see Sweetheart." Who? Oh right, Ryoko's fake name.

"So if you didn't see anything, neither did I—you dig?" She says firmly.

"I… dig." He says. At least we're on the same page…

"Bien! I'll see you later," she says, and quickly leaves the dining room, through the servant door.

Ryoshi jumps up and abandoned his food. He's way too excited to be hungry. After checking down the hallway for signs of his mother—and finding none—he begins the hunt for Ryoko.