Chapter Fifty: I Do (Part One)
The day before the wedding Ash begged and pleaded for Eiji to stay home from work. He was a nervous wreck and the last thing he wanted was to spend the entire day alone. However, Eiji was still fairly new to this job and Ibe-san had already pulled a few strings for Eiji so that he could have two weeks off for his honeymoon. A week was typical. A week and a half was pushing it. Two weeks was unheard of. But everyone liked Eiji and he did good work, excellent even. And he hadn't missed a single day since he started. So his boss let it slide. But Eiji didn't want to push his luck by skipping a day right before his break started. After all, he wanted to have a job to come back to.
Instead, he called Ash on his lunch hour.
"How you holding up?" Eiji asked over the phone.
"Well, you know how we have, like, 20 feet of intestines?"
"Yeahhh…"
"Well, I think I've emptied all 20 feet...so that's how it's going."
Eiji choked on his food. "HA! Ash, that's disgusting!"
"HEY. Bowel health is no joking matter, Eiji!" Ash said sternly into the phone, but he was smiling for the first time that day.
Eiji continued laughing, "Okay, okay." His laughter subsided and he cleared his throat. "But really, how are you doing?"
"I wasn't exaggerating," Ash replied, "I've really been in and out of the bathroom all day."
"Ohhh, Ash," Eiji mused sympathetically. "You have nothing to worry about. Everything is perfect and I promise I will not leave you on the altar."
That got a small chuckle out of Ash. "Gosh, Eiji, I know that."
"So what are you so worried about then?"
"I don't know...everything? I want it to go smoothly and for everyone to have a good time and…"
"And?"
"You already know the and...I don't want any of your relatives to judge you for choosing...me."
"Ash. You know I don't care even if they do. They don't know you the way I do and they could never fully understand how much I love you. You're perfect-"
"Eiji, I'm not-" Ash interrupted.
"Perfect for me," Eiji completed his thought, "And that's all that will ever matter."
Suni, one of Eiji's coworkers, passed him in the courtyard where he ate his lunch and flashed him a knowing smile. He called Ash most days while he ate his lunch and Suni also enjoyed eating outside, so she often overheard his conversations without even trying. Eiji often gave her the latest scoop after he finished talking with Ash. She'd never met Ash but she was fully invested in their relationship by now and felt as if she did know him.
"Tell Ash I'm excited for tomorrow," she told Eiji as she began opening her lunch at the next table down.
"What? Who's that?" Ash asked over the phone.
"Suni. She says she's excited for tomorrow."
"Oh, uh, good," Ash replied, caught off guard. "Um, I'll let you eat, Eiji."
"Alright, go do something, Ash. Walk Buddy or something, just forget about the wedding for now. It's all perfect, I promise."
"I'll try, Ei-chan, I'll try."
With that, they said their goodbyes and hung up.
Suni smiled at Eiji. She picked up her lunch and moved to his table. She was a short woman in her late twenties, originally from South Korea, with long dark hair that was always perfectly curled to frame her face. She was soft-spoken and humble, but Eiji knew she must be wickedly smart. She spoke three languages fluently and Eiji thought her writing was the best of all the company's journalists.
She asked Eiji out once, before she knew about Ash. Eiji turned her down politely and told her he was already engaged. She looked at the pictures on his desk the next time she passed, taking note of the people in the photographs. At first, she thought the picture of Miyuki was his bride-to-be, but upon a second glance, she realized she looked far too much like Eiji to be anything other than his sister. Plus, she was in a family photo from when they were years younger. Clearly a sister. That's when she noticed the picture of the mysterious blond. Eiji blushed when she guessed it. Eiji falling for some gorgeous, model-worthy, tough boy made him impossibly more endearing to her. She'd been obsessed with their relationship ever since.
"What's he so nervous about?" She asked Eiji as they ate.
"Oh, you know Ash, he's worried about a little bit of everything." Eiji smiled at his food. "He wants the wedding to be perfect...more so for me and than himself. But he doesn't care if it's perfect for him and I don't care if it's perfect for me, I'm just happy to be marrying him."
Suni smiled. "I assume he knows that?"
"Yeah, I've told him just about a million times. He knows it, he's just stubborn and wants me to look back at the day without a single regret."
"That's so sweet," Suni said softly with a tender smile. "Your relationship sounds so perfect. I can't wait to finally meet your Ash tomorrow. I imagine it will be an emotional day for everyone."
Eiji blushed, "Yes, I think it will be."
Aki's alarm blared earlier than normal on the day of the wedding. She stretched her arms restlessly over her head as she woke. She gave Shun a nudge and pulled the blankets off him as she hopped out of bed.
[Today is finally the day,] she whispered excitedly.
Shun's eyes were barely open as Aki practically danced around the room getting dressed. Blindly, his hand fumbled on the nightstand in search of his glasses.
[The ceremony's not until tonight, right?] Shun asked, despite already knowing the answer.
[Yes, but there is no way I could sleep any longer!] She squeaked. [I set the alarm to wake you but I've already been up for an hour.]
[Been up an hour?] He asked groggily. [But it's only…] he checked his watch, [5:15.]
[Yeah, well, it's like how they show Christmas in American movies. I'm too excited to sleep.] She changed into a pair of straight-legged cropped jeans and a black sweater as well as a pair of house slippers. She nudged Shun's shoulder. [Come on, up.]
Then she disappeared into the hall, leaving the door open so that light flooded into the room, shining directly in Shun's eyes.
He smiled sweetly despite the light in his tired eyes. He was very happy to be back where he belonged on the day of his son's wedding.
Ash doubted anyone was watching, doubted it mattered. But to humor Blanca, he staggered the arrival date and location of his New York guests. Kong and Bones flew first to Hawaii, stayed a few nights, and then came to Tokyo. Ash sent Sing to Singapore, Sing imagined Ash laughed at his own stupid pun when booking the flight, and then to Kyoto. Alex stayed several nights in Seoul, South Korea before then flying to Okayama. Cain Blood flew first to Hokkaido and then to Izumo. Blanca assured Ash he was more than capable to handle his own travel arrangements. Ash longed for the guest list to be more extensive, but even this posed a risk.
Ash made sure they each stayed somewhere luxurious, regardless of location. They all deserved the mini-vacation he treated them to, after sleeping in abandoned buildings and hideouts day in and day out. They deserved plush beds instead of threadbare sofas and creaky mattresses.
Now, on the day of the wedding, they all arrived at their final destination in Izumo. They met up in a cafe around noon to kill time before the ceremony that night.
"So this is where the Boss lives?" Bones wondered aloud as they occupied the outdoor seating of the quaint cafe.
Around them, the air smelled fresh and sweet, free of the smog New York City harbored. Cherry blossoms bloomed on the surrounding trees, creating a pink haze around the city. It felt like a place from a fairy tale, a perfect setting for Eiji Okumura...but for Ash Lynx? It was hard for his guys to imagine.
"The fuck, Bones? I'm the Boss," Alex scoffed, offended that after all this time Bones still considered Ash the true Boss. "It's been, what, two years?"
"Sorry, Boss, but Boss will always be Boss to me, ya know, Boss?"
Alex shook his head at Bone's confusing choice of words. "Whatever," he gave in with a wave of his hand.
"So it's just us?" Sing asked, changing the subject.
"Well, Max is already here with his family. And rumor has it that Blanca dude is gonna show," Alex replied.
"Rumor?" Kong asked skeptically.
"Well, not really, Max told me, and I assume he knows what he's talkin' about."
"But seriously," Bones started up again, "Can you really picture the Bos- er, uh- Ash, ew no that feels weird, Boss living here?" He asked again, still not fully comprehending the idea. "I mean Tokyo? That's a big city. That would make sense. I could see that. But here?"
Sing shrugged, "I dunno makes sense to me. He's gonna go wherever Eiji goes and this is his home. Simple as that."
Exhausted from traveling, Kong yawned before contributing, "Plus we all saw the picture of his hair...Boss's gone soft."
Alex glared at the further loss of title. He'd just have to accept that he'd never be their boss in Ash's presence...or in Ash's town for that matter.
Bones laughed at the memory of Ash's pink hair.
"Hey, wait!" Sing shouted. "I never saw that!"
"Yeah, me neither," Cain Blood chimed in.
"No?" Kong dug his phone from his pocket and began scrolling through old texts until he found the one in question. "Here." He turned the screen towards Sing and Cain.
On the screen was Ash standing in front of the Okumura's bathroom mirror with freshly dyed hair. Eiji and Miyuki could both be seen in the reflection. Eiji was smirking with the knowledge of where this picture would be sent and Miyuki was simply smiling at Ash. Cain's deep voice rumbled like distant thunder as he broke out in a fit of laughter.
"Who's that girl?" Sing asked without even commenting on Ash's hair.
"Eiji's kid sister, you perv!" Alex smacked the back of Sing's head, "Don't get any damn ideas."
Sing rubbed the spot Alex whacked. "Fuck's sake, man, it was just a question." He looked at the phone again as Kong pulled it back to himself. "But she's hardly a kid," Sing muttered to himself, fully recognizing the girl in the picture was just about his age.
"What's your outfit look like?" Eiji asked nosily as they both got ready for the ceremony. He pushed against the bathroom door, trying to peek at whatever Ash was wearing.
"No!" The door slammed shut before Eiji could see it. "You don't get to see until we get there!"
"But you already saw mine," Eiji complained, with his face pressed against the outside of the door.
"Yeah, but I didn't see it on you. It's different," Ash argued. He didn't dare tell Eiji that he had seen the kimono on himself, thinking it was his when he opened the package. "Besides, they're gonna be here to get you any minute," Ash added, referring to Miyuki, Aki, and Shun.
Eiji frowned. "I don't care if you come with us, you know?" Ash heard him sigh. "I'd actually prefer it."
The door opened a crack and Ash's eyes peeked out. "Eiji, that's so untraditional," he said sarcastically as if he cared. Eiji tried to wedge the door open further, but Ash's hand kept it firmly in place. "You know the bride and groom aren't supposed to see each other until they walk down the aisle."
"And which one does that make you?" Eiji teased.
Ash smirked, "Well you're the one wearing white," he began. "Although, I'm taking your name...so you tell me."
"Point is it's already untraditional," Eiji reasoned.
Ash pulled the door closed again. "Too bad."
A knock resounded through the house as Miyuki excitedly pounded on the front door, announcing the Okumura's arrival.
"Sounds like they're here!" Ash announced in a sing-song voice.
"Sure you won't come with us?" Eiji asked again.
"I'll see you there, Ei-chan!" He said with a smile Eiji couldn't see.
Eiji grumbled a goodbye and then his footsteps carried him away.
"EIJI!" Miyuki's screams reached Ash all the way upstairs. "OH MY GOD, YOU LOOK GORGEOUS!"
Ash smiled. He wondered if she knew Eiji had also selected a white kimono. He figured she must have, otherwise she'd likely have blown his surprise. Then again, if she had known, she kept Eiji's secret safe from Ash.
Ash heard Eiji laugh at his sister's reaction and then his voice drifted away as he left the house.
"I'll be right out!" Miyuki called to Eiji.
Ash heard her footsteps carry her up the stairs and to the bathroom door. "Ash!" She chirped. "Let me in!" She rattled the door handle, which was unlocked, and practically fell into the room.
"Dude!" Ash scolded, quickly stepping out of the door's way. "What if I had been naked?!"
Miyuki blushed, "Oops." She smiled and punched his kimono-clad arm. "I figured you might need some help."
"Yeah, actually," Ash held up the belt, he'd been attempting to tie, in defeat. "I could use some help with this. I don't remember how to tie it properly."
She took the ends of the belt from him and tied it with ease. "There!" Her eyes drifted up to his hair which was slicked back in a way he typically didn't wear it. "Eiji's gonna die when he sees you," she said fondly.
That, of all things, brought color to his cheeks. "He better not die," he joked, hoping to distract from his flushed face. He held out his arms. "Is the rest of this right?"
Miyuki gave him a once-over. "You're supposed to wear tabi with those zori," she said pointing at his bare feet in the kimono sandals.
Ash glanced down at his feet. "Really? But that looks so stupid."
"Trust me," she said smartly, "You'll look much stupider to everyone Japanese if you don't wear them."
Ash pouted and began putting on the special socks. "Fine," he grumbled.
"Otherwise, you look great!" Miyuki added. "I better go," she decided, "I bet they're cursing me for taking too long." She smiled at Ash once more before turning to leave. "See you there!"
For a long moment, Ash stared at himself in the mirror in disbelief. Twelve-year-old Ash wasn't sure he would live past the age of fifteen. Dino typically dumped his special toys by the wayside once they "aged out." If future Ash appeared to him now dressed in the white wedding attire, he would have laughed. Or maybe he would have cringed. Until Eiji, he would have never dreamed he'd ever find love.
Another knock broke his train of thought. He walked somewhat unsteadily in the foreign shoes to the front door. Buddy followed close behind him down the steps, causing him to almost trip not once, but twice. He inhaled deeply, knowing full well who awaited him on the other side of the door. He opened the door to find Blanca dressed in his typical expensive-looking suit. Ash couldn't quite meet his eyes.
"Hey. Thanks for coming," he said awkwardly.
Blanca's hand settled on Ash's shoulder like a heavy weight. "I wouldn't dream of missing it, Ash."
The corners of Ash's mouth twitched half-heartedly in an attempt to form a smile he couldn't quite manage.
"Look, Ash, I know we spoke on the phone a while back but I…"
Ash's eyes raised to meet Blanca's, curious about the uncharacteristic uncertainty that filled his voice.
"Well, I just wanted to say I'm sorry. Again. Because you deserve to hear it face-to-face. I'm sorry, Ash."
Ash gaped at him. Blanca wasn't typically the emotional type, yet the remorse and guilt in his voice were palpable.
Blanca's hand tightened on his shoulder. "I failed you as a kid. I couldn't take down Dino but I should have got you out of there nonetheless. I should have escaped with you then. To Europe or the Caribbean or really anywhere...But I shouldn't have let you stay there. I failed you, Ash. I'm sorry. I don't deserve your forgiveness and I certainly didn't deserve the apology you gave me over the phone." His hand fell, shamefully, from Ash's shoulder.
"You're right," Ash began seriously, "You did fail me. And you don't deserve my forgiveness. Especially after what happened last summer." Blanca nearly flinched. "But my therapist says the hardest part of healing is forgiving those who've wronged you. She says that cases like mine are more unique. The people who've wronged me don't deserve forgiveness. They deserve to be raised from the dead, castrated, and left to bleed out. They should be left for dead so the animals can come and pick the meat off their bones." Ash snorted a sarcastic laugh when Blanca's neutral default expression faltered ever so slightly. "My words, not hers."
"But I've realized I don't really have anyone I can forgive. Except you. And maybe I'm just being selfish. Maybe I'm just doing it to feel closure. Maybe it's just for my own healing. But I've decided to forgive you, Blanca. It doesn't help anyone for me to hate you, if anything it keeps me from fully healing. So I forgive you and that's that. You'll just have to deal with it." Ash took in Blanca's expression. The neutral expression he wore so well had slipped. His mouth was tensed in a straight line and his eyes were scrunched and shinier than normal. Ash punched his arm lightly, but not so light that it didn't sting. "Don't go getting all emotional on me, now. This is my wedding day. It's supposed to be a happy affair."
Blanca closed his eyes for a grand total of two long seconds, and when he opened them they had reverted to normal, no longer glazed with tears. He cleared his throat. "Thank you, Ash. That means more than you could ever know."
"Yeah, yeah, you want a hug, old man?" Ash asked sarcastically.
"You offer hugs now?" Blanca asked with a raised eyebrow.
Ash squinted at him, trying to decide if he was being teased or if Blanca was being genuine. He decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. "Yeah, I do. I'm a changed person, remember? The Okumura's have sucked New York Ash from me like the venom from a snake bite."
"Actually, that's a common miscon-"
"Shut up." Ash slung an arm around Blanca's shoulders. He hugged him briefly and then pulled back like nothing had happened. "Alright, I'm ready, let's head out," He said casually. Ash grabbed his keys. "You a praying man, Blanca?"
Blanca scoffed, "No, not particularly, Ash."
"Damn."
"Why?" Blanca inquired amusedly.
"I was gonna tell you to say a prayer that my intestines behave themselves. This ain't exactly the easiest thing to use the bathroom in."
Blanca actually laughed.
When they arrived at the wedding venue, Taisha Grand Shrine, Ash departed from Blanca. Blanca began making his way to find a seat among the sea of white folding chairs that sat before the shrine. He stopped in his tracks as he saw two Japanese women catch his eye. Both saw him from across the venue and both were now storming towards him.
Iku-san and Aki.
Iku-san reached him first, as Aki was stopped by a chatty relative.
"So you came," she said shortly.
"I promise I was invited." The words were defensive but his tone was even and devoid of emotion.
"Well, I know that."
Obviously, she knew, Blanca was the topic of many therapy sessions.
"But Ash wasn't convinced you'd show."
"Hmmm, well, believe it or not, Ash is very special to me and I am very happy he found his little Japanese soulmate."
"Eiji. He has a name. Eiji." She crossed her arms and tapped her foot in annoyance.
Blanca smiled with genuine fondness. "I apologize, I did not mean anything by it. I am very happy he has found love in Eiji."
"Hmmm," she studied his face with a furrowed brow. "Very well. I suppose I'll see you at the reception later. I hear Ash sat us together as some cruel joke. Eiji warned me. But I assured him it is more unfortunate for you than it is for me."
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
"It means I'm not scared of you. I plan on giving you hell all through dinner. You deserve it after what you did to me last summer." She smirked. "See you then!"
She spun on her heel and left him speechless as he watched her walk away. A punch to his arm interrupted his stare. He looked down to find Aki practically snarling at him.
[Before you get any ideas, Ash was the one who invited me,] Blanca told Aki.
[He broke his hand because of you,] she said spitefully. [You caused a lot of damage. Eiji and I were the ones who had to put him back together.] She glared at him. [If Ash wants you here, fine. But you put one foot out of line and I'll make sure you never see him again.]
[Ha,] he couldn't help but laugh at the irony of a woman less than half his size threatening him, a highly-skilled assassin. [Is that a threat?]
[Yes, it is.]
He extended his hand for her to shake. [Deal.]
She pursed her lips angrily and stared at him for ten long seconds before finally shaking his hand. [I'll be watching you,] she whispered bitterly. And then, just like Iku-san, she turned and left him. Blanca watched her walk off. She barely made it twenty feet before another guest stopped her to talk. Blanca turned then and found a seat near the back and waited for the ceremony to start.
Guests continued to trickle in. Aki tried to talk to everyone. She was particularly excited to greet Eiji's friends from high school, especially the boys who had been on his pole vaulting team.
[Daichi!] She said affectionately as she hugged one of Eiji's past teammates. [It's been too long! Eiji will be so happy to see you. How have you been?]
[I'm doing well, Okumura-san. I go to school in Tokyo now...]
Aki listened attentively as Daichi caught her up on his life, but her eyes couldn't help but wander to a group of boys all wearing suits instead of the typical kimonos that most of the other guests wore. Several of their suits were ill-fitting, either a little big or a little short, or too tight. One wore a jarringly bright tie that hurt your eyes if you looked at it too long. They were a strange bunch and although they were obviously together, Aki wouldn't have put them together in her mind. By the looks of it, a few argued while the others joked around. A short boy with pink hair spoke obnoxiously loud in English. Aki could almost make out what he was saying from across the venue.
[Excuse me, Daichi, there's someone I need to speak to. I'll see you at the reception,] she said politely. She pushed through the crowd. Several people tried to stop her on her way to the boys in suits. She smiled politely but kept walking. When she finally reached the boys, she wasn't even sure what to say. As brave as she was, even Aki was intimidated by the foreign boys who towered over her.
She cleared her throat to announce her presence. Bones who had been rambling on at a mile a minute to Kong stopped talking. Sing, who had been arguing with Alex and Cain about where they should sit, shut his mouth. They all turned to look at her with curious eyes.
"H- Hi." She inhaled deeply and stood up straighter. "You all must be Ashu's friends from New York."
They all stared down at her with puzzled faces.
"I am Eiji's mom," she clarified.
Their faces immediately softened and erupted with smiles.
"MAMA OKUMURA!" Bones shouted affectionately before flinging his arms around her in a tight hug, causing her to stumble back several steps.
Sing clapped his hands over his ears. "Bones! Do you always have to be so fuckin' loud?!"
"Language, asshole!" Alex kicked Sing's foot. "That's Eiji's mom!"
"I'm not deaf," he shot a pointed look at Bones. "Yet." He turned back to Alex, "I know who the fu- I know who she is."
Kong laughed and tugged on Bones's shoulder, "Let her go, Bones."
Bones released Aki. She regained her balance and straightened her kimono.
"We're all big fans of your son, Mrs. Okumura," Alex told her.
She hadn't been sure what to expect. She knew Ash had led a gang back in America and she knew these men must be gangsters as well. But once she observed their petty arguing and loud voices, they reminded her of Ash. She smiled. "Thank you for coming. It will mean a lot to them both." Before she could say anything further, the live musicians Ash and Eiji had hired began to play, indicating the imminent ceremony, like flashing lights at the theatre. "I think we're starting. Sit anywhere," Aki told them with a smile. Then she turned and left them to join Shun and Eiji with whom she was to process in.
Made evident by their attire, Ash and Eiji chose to make this wedding their own. Technically, their vows weren't even recognized by the government since same-sex marriage was still illegal in Japan, so they decided to make the wedding exactly what they wanted it to be, keeping the traditions they liked and tossing the ones they didn't. There was some difficulty deciding if the wedding should follow Western or Japanese cultures, but in the end, they decided to include a mix of both.
Ash walked down the aisle first with Max at his side. It was traditional for the groom to be accompanied by his parents, but that wasn't exactly in the cards for Ash, so he asked Max instead. Max filled the void his father left in many ways, asking him was a no-brainer.
Ash's white attire elicited a few hushed gasps from the more traditional guests. Even his guys from New York were shocked, although for a different reason.
"Boss wore a dress?" Bones whispered quite loudly.
Sing rolled his eyes and shushed him. "It's not a dress, dumbass. It's a kimono." He glanced around at the sea of Eiji's friends and relatives, many of which looked just as surprised as Bones. "But from the looks of it, white ain't the most traditional."
Alex looked down the row of seats at Bones and Sing. "Shhh." Both of their mouths snapped shut.
Ash stopped at the end of the aisle as he reached the threshold of the shrine where the presider stood.
In a typical Western wedding, this was the point where the bridesmaids and the groomsmen walked down the aisle. However, this is one of the traditions they chose not to include. Ash had said that Shorter should have been his best man. No one else would seem right. He was worried that having a procession of groomsmen would be a jarring reminder of his fallen friend. But of course, he was willing to have groomsmen if that's what Eiji wanted. It took a lot of work for Eiji to convince Ash he didn't mind not having groomsmen. The day was about them and all their friends and family would be in the audience anyway. In the end, Ash believed him.
Next down the aisle walked Akira in a beautiful red and pink kimono, tossing rose petals as she went. At first, her face was stern and focused on her task. But the closer she came to the end of the aisle, the softer her face grew. By the time she reached Ash, she was smiling ear-to-ear. With the basket of petals balanced on her wrist, she scooped the last of the petals in both her hands and tossed them with all her strength onto Ash. He laughed as the petals cascaded down his kimono, hitting the stone floor beneath his feet. Akira ran up to him and hugged him before returning to her seat with Ibe-san.
A collective "Awww" arose from the audience.
The music changed as Eiji appeared at the start of the aisle with Aki and Shun on either arm. A teary smile erupted over Eiji's face as he finally saw Ash in his beautiful white kimono. He was happy to have his parents as support as he walked down the aisle, uncertain his legs would have held him if they hadn't been there to lean on. When they reached Ash, he was actively wiping tears from his eyes, desperately trying to hold it together. Aki and Shun hugged Eiji, a sign they were giving him away to Ash, before joining Miyuki in the front row.
Ash didn't care if it was technically bad form, he held Eiji's hands the second he stood before him. "You look gorgeous," he said softly as the music continued playing.
"And you look stunning," Eiji whispered back. He touched Ash's kimono, "Did you know I was getting white or did we have the same idea?"
"We had the same idea."
Eiji chuckled under his breath. "Figures."
The music stilled and the presider began speaking. Ash's eyes scanned the audience and found his boys. They sat together staring blankly at the presider who spoke in Japanese. Maybe he should have warned them that they wouldn't understand a word of the ceremony. Even Ash, who understood what was being said, had a hard time focusing. Eiji was the most beautiful distraction he'd ever seen. He couldn't stop staring.
When it came time for their vows, Ash went first. He twirled the cordless microphone nervously in his hand. [Eiji…] Ash began softly. [Wedding vows are a strange thing. What can I promise you that I haven't already? What can I tell you that you do not already know?] He smiled at him gently. His eyes flickered to the invited New Yorkers. They looked pissed that Ash was saying his vows in a foreign language. He smiled wider.
[I wish I could be perfect for you. I wish I could promise you only good things. But you've seen me at my lowest and my highest and everything in between. You already know what you're in for and yet you're still here. I was a shell of a man when I met you. Hardened from the cruelty of the world and nearly empty in the center. I believed I was broken then and I'd still believe that now, had I never met you.]
Tears turned Eiji's eyes glassy as Ash continued. [And I was no easy fix.] Ash chuckled, [Understatement of the century, right? I was like taming a wild horse. Not even I would have blamed you if you had decided to give up on me.] He paused. [But you never did. I don't think it ever even crossed your mind. Remember the plane ride back from Tokyo? I was certain you'd leave me after that. Who'd want to be with a panicked mess like me? And yet you didn't. If anything, you loved me more. It's because of you my past no longer defines me. It's because of you I am no longer a broken, haunted mess. You introduced me to love and family and a life worth living.] He glanced purposely at the front row where the Okumuras sat. All three of them were fighting tears.
[As a child I never dreamed I'd find love, let alone devote my life to one person. I thought happy families were a myth. That anyone who said they loved their family was lying. I thought true love was a story created by Hollywood. It's no secret I despise being wrong...but when it comes to this? I couldn't be happier to be wrong. You and your family have brought out the best in me, Eiji, and still I'm not sure I deserve the love you give me.]
Eiji laughed tearfully and muttered a simple, [Yes you do,] under his breath.
Ash continued, [But you say I do, and you promised long ago not to lie to me…] he smiled cheekily, [so I have no choice but to believe you.] He took a deep breath and continued. [So what, then, can I promise you? I promise you every ounce of me that is good. I promise you the love you helped me cultivate. And I promise to let you love me, even when I'm not easy to love. I promise to keep nothing from you, except maybe a few surprises,] he pulled at his kimono sleeve with a smile, [I promise to always be truthful. Eiji, I pledge to you my fidelity. I could never love another and that I swear on my life. You are the love of my life and truly the best thing that ever happened to me. I vow to love and cherish you always as I do now, until my dying day. And if there's something after this life, I'm yours there too.] There were tears in Ash's eyes now too. [Oh and Eiji?] He turned towards the crowd [And this is the big one, folks,] he looked back at Eiji whose face was filled with tears and suspense. [I even promise...] he paused dramatically, [to give natto a second chance.]
Eiji laughed and wiped at his tears.
[I'm yours, lovely. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Forever.]
"Oh, Ash," Eiji said sappily through tears. He slipped his arms around Ash's waist and hugged him for a good 20 seconds. A short amount of time, yet it felt like forever and somehow still not long enough. When Eiji pulled away finally, wiping his tears as he did so, Ash slipped the microphone into his hands. [How am I supposed to follow that?] Eiji wondered aloud. The crowd chuckled. He cleared his throat and faced the crowd. "To our American guests," his eyes found the gang, "Sorry about all the Japanese but I want my dad to understand my vows. If you're wondering what Ash said," a smile crept onto his face, "Well, just imagine the sappiest thing you can and then double it and that'll get you close." Eiji chuckled. "I'm sure he wrote it down somewhere, I'll translate it for you later."
He cleared his throat and turned back towards Ash. [Ash.] He inhaled deeply. [What you said was true. You were a shell of who you are today, when I met you. But even with your tough exterior, I could see the good in you. And you were always so good to me. When I first met you, I asked to hold your gun, which was so very stupid of me, but you let me without question. Skipper told me later how rare that was. How lucky I was you didn't shoot my fingers off. You trusted me right away, without any good reason. And while I felt the same way about you, I was naive and sheltered and from a completely different world. My trust didn't mean as much. You had been through hell and back more than once. You had no reason to trust me. That's why your trust meant everything, even if I didn't fully know it then.]
[From the start, you looked out for me. I was helpless in your world but you protected me time and time again. And you were selfless. I knew you enjoyed my company. That you could feel that special bond that I felt too, yet you still tried to send me back to Japan. To protect me from your world. To protect me from you. It's a good thing I'm stubborn or we might not be here today.] Ash laughed through his forming tears and nodded in agreement. Eiji was definitely the reason they were here today.
[I knew pretty early on that I loved you, but I didn't tell you until later because I didn't want to scare you off.] Eiji smiled. [They say that you can only love someone else as much as you love yourself but you and I both know that's not true. Because when we met you were so hard on yourself, yet you loved me and still do love me unconditionally. You say I'm the reason you know what love is and I think that's probably true, but you're also the reason I know what love is. Romantic love, anyway. You're the first, the last, and the only person I'll ever love, Ash...And sometimes I just sit and think about how remarkable that is.]
He looked into the crowd. Aki and Miyuki, as well as a good majority of the crowd, wiped tears from their eyes.
[I know you think of yourself as a work in progress, something to be fixed, something only I can fix.] Eiji met his eyes with the sweetest smile, [But you've never given yourself enough credit. You have put in emotionally grueling hours of work. I couldn't help you all on my own, you had to do a lot of the work yourself. You've come a long way, and I'm proud of you, Ash. So, so proud. Ash.] He paused purposefully. [We've been through so much together and we've grown together. I don't know what the future holds, Ash, but I know whatever it is, it will be with you. Ash, I vow to love you always. In good times and bad. In sickness and health. But I also promise you so much more than that. I promise to tease you, to bicker with you, to laugh with you and at you. I promise to read to you, to let you read to me, to watch crappy TV with you. I promise you fun nights out and relaxing nights in. I promise to create memories with you and capture them on film. I promise to take you to physical therapy after you inevitably throw your back out from lifting our seventy-pound dog one too many times.]
Ash laughed and wiped a tear from his eyes.
[I guess what I'm getting at...is that above all else, I promise you my life. Whatever the future holds, my soul will forever be with yours.]
[Eiji,] Ash muttered tearfully. Following Eiji's lead, he hugged him tightly.
After they finished wiping the tears from their eyes, the presider continued the ceremony. At this point in the ceremony, the presider recited more traditional vows, to which both men proudly proclaimed, [I do,] and upon instruction, Ash and Eiji drank traditional, purified sake as a symbolic bond that now connected them.
Michael, acting as the ring bearer, came forward with two simple gold bands that both men added to their already adorned fingers.
The presider spoke those fateful words, [You may kiss.] And the crowd clapped and cheered as Eiji and Ash sealed their marriage with a kiss that was two-thirds love and one-third show.
Music began to play, cameras flashed, and Ash could hear his boys hootin' and hollerin' as Ash pulled Eiji closer and wove his fingers into his hair. He smiled against Eiji's lips before finally pulling away, leaving Eiji as pink as the sakura blossoms.
Max scrambled up to the presider and snatched the microphone "Ladies and gentlemen, Eiji and Ash Okumura!"
Ash kissed Eiji once more, hardly able to contain his smile. They walked back down the aisle littered with beautiful, delicate rose petals, hand-in-hand and absolutely beaming.
Author's Note: Thank you for your patience! I decided to split this into two parts because this alone was about 7k words and I figured you all have waited long enough. I have more written and there's still more I wanted to include, so I thought this was a good place to split it. Part two will be about the reception and I plan to have it up much sooner than it took me to get this one up. So far, what I have written for the reception is a lot of fun, so get your party hats ready lol! See you in the next one, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!