Chapter Text
Hiyori’s eyes were glued to the ring around his finger, golden and encrusted in ethically sourced diamonds and emeralds. In Hiyori’s belongings, there was even a certificate stating all the stones’ origins. Hiyori didn’t really need it, frankly. He could have taken synthetic, he could have taken something that simply looked nice, he didn’t really need something expensive. However, Ibara cared that Hiyori got something both beautiful and humane, and Hiyori was eager to appreciate it. He ran his thumb gently across the stones and watched as the light coming through the window shined off of them. Brilliant rainbow hues glistened, and Hiyori was reminded of how in love he really was.
It had all been so sudden. One moment, Hiyori was faced with a contract binding him and Ibara for life, the next he heard wedding bells going off in his head and he was suddenly struck with all the ideas he’d been holding onto since childhood. A fancy and beautiful church, an organ playing in the background, and Hiyori himself dressed in a beautiful fairytale princess ball gown. His family never understood the obsession, but from an early age, Hiyori had always been obsessed with such fashions. To the point that he wanted to grow his hair out even. Unfortunately for him, his parents wouldn’t allow it.
“...What are you thinking about, Hiyori-kun?” Nagisa’s voice nearly startled Hiyori, just in time for him to gasp and choke slightly as the strings around his waist tightened. “...Ah, sorry, did I surprise you?”
“Just a little~” Hiyori had been so lost in thought, he nearly forgot he was being corseted into the dress of his dreams. A perfect look for a princess, and as Hiyori looked in the mirror, he couldn’t help but feel like something was missing. What was it? He had a gorgeous emerald necklace to accompany the sweetheart neckline, which matched well with the teardrop shaped jewels that dotted the skirt of the dress. So what was it? “Mm, Nagisa-kun...You probably don’t remember this, but...When we first met, I was quite conflicted about seeing you!”
“...I don’t recall you showing anything but adoration towards me when we first met,” Nagisa remarked, finishing off the corset’s tie with a bow and placing his hands on Hiyori’s hips. “...Well, aside from the panic you displayed when I reacted to you talking to me, since you thought I was inanimate for the first few minutes.”
“Ahaha, you remember that part?” Hiyori was in shock, and it made him feel terrible that he did. He always underestimated how much Nagisa actually recalled from their childhood together, but that was simply because they viewed time differently. Nagisa was nostalgic for them like a bygone era, but to Hiyori, they would always be fresh in his mind, as if they were just yesterday. “I’m talking about after that. Once I learned you were a boy...I was actually a little jealous.”
“...Jealous?” Nagisa’s eyes widened, something Hiyori could see from the full-length mirror they were facing. His childhood friend rested his chin on Hiyori’s shoulder, and Hiyori reached up to pet his head.
“It’s embarrassing,” Hiyori admitted, letting their temples collide and his eyelids lower. “I was quite upset because of the fact that when I was small, I wanted to have long flowing hair like the pretty princesses in movies and in TV shows. I thought they were the most beautiful things in the world, and I wanted to look just like them. My parents were adamant that only girls could have those hairstyles however, and that if I grew my hair out, I would look unrefined. Not even historical shows helped my case any, as they said wavy hair like mine would look unkempt and unclean~ Then, we met, and you had wavy hair that was long. Less wavy than mine, but still, I couldn’t understand why you were allowed to have long hair, and I wasn’t.”
“...I didn’t know that at all,” Nagisa murmured, the shock in his voice still evident. Hiyori felt terrible about keeping it from the other as it was, and his tone didn’t help. “...Why didn’t you simply grow it out, then? I and many of our fans surely would have supported you. You would look beautiful, I’m certain.”
“It feels a little too late, though~” Hiyori lamented, closing his eyes and placing his hand over Nagisa’s as it rested upon his waist. “I’m alright with it. The role I took as the cheeky second son couldn’t be compromised, and this is part of who I am now. And besides, I think I look quite pretty with my current hair in my wedding dress, don’t you agree?”
“...Mm, you’re just missing one thing,” Nagisa nodded, kissing Hiyori’s cheek before letting him go and picking up a box that was sitting on a nearby table. Hiyori’s eyes were drawn firstly to the glass vase next to him, containing a single rose. As the sunlight struck it, dewey drops resting on its petals glistened a rainbow array, distracting Hiyori from the sparkly thing Nagisa was now holding. As his childhood friend approached however, Hiyori’s eyes widened in shock.
“Nagisa-kun, that’s...” Hiyori was struck speechless by the beautiful design of the tiara, made up of diamonds save for four small jewels at the bottom of different colors. Red, green, magenta, and blue―Eden’s colors, with Hiyori and Ibara’s right in the center. Attached to the tiara was a veil, a soft sheer fabric that would conceal his face.
“...The next person to see you as you are right now will be Ibara,” Nagisa stated as he adjusted the veil and tiara on Hiyori’s head. Once done, he took Hiyori’s hands in his own. Though his vision was slightly obscured, Hiyori could always feel the way Nagisa’s heart was racing. They were linked like that, having given each other their lives when they were small. “...Hiyori-kun, is it wrong of me to feel melancholic about today? I feel like it must be. I’m happy for you two, but whenever I thought about the future, I couldn’t imagine it without you. Both you and Ibara are important to me. I don’t understand why it’s difficult for me to accept this...”
“Oh, Nagisa-kun, come here!” Hiyori raised his arms and quickly pulled Nagisa into another hug, embracing him tightly. “We’ll always be together, don’t you worry about that. You and Jun-kun both, you’re my lights. I wouldn’t give you up for the world, and neither would Ibara. We’ll all stay together, because we’re family, and families love each other!”
“...Mm~” Nagisa’s smile resurfaced, or maybe it hadn’t faded at all. Hiyori was just going based off of what he felt from the other, able to tell Nagisa’s feelings as though they were his own. “...I think my confusion comes from the need for a legal contract to be involved...That’s how Ibara is though, so if it makes him happy to form this sort of bond with you, it suits you two well.”
“He is quite silly, isn’t he?” Hiyori giggled, their foreheads colliding and separated only by the sheer fabric. Even so, Hiyori was comforted by the smell of Nagisa’s peppermint fresh breath. “He was so scared of me finding that contract he’d written, but it wasn’t in my heart to be anything but flattered. He’s so cute, and I couldn’t help but find it a proper proclamation of his love. He never wants me out of his life, so he made it so we never could. And with me around, he’ll never be free of Jun-kun or you either, so it’s a win-win~”
“...Mm, it would be the same no matter who was wedded today, I think,” Nagisa closed his eyes. “...I’m happy Hiyori-kun gets to be the bride he always wanted to be. Ibara will make a good husband.”
“I agree!” Hiyori grinned. “He already makes me quiches and takes me on dates, what more could I ask for~?”
“Hey~ There’s a groom waiting for his bride out here―Nagi-senpai?! Ohii-san...?”
The two turned their heads towards Jun, or who Hiyori could presume was Jun based on voice alone, standing at the doorway. Focusing through the veil, Hiyori could see a mess of fluffy blue hair. Yep! That was certainly his Jun.
“Jun-kun, there you are!” Hiyori held out his arm, his hand making a grasping motion to hug his junior. “I was wondering when you were going to come see me. It’s my last day as a free woman, you know, you ought to take advantage of that~”
“W-What?!” Jun’s form backed up, hitting the wall as he did so. “Goddamn! What’re you talking about...?! Is there something going on here between you and Nagi-senpai that I should be letting Ibara know?”
“We’re just hugging~” Hiyori retorted playfully, Nagisa extending his own hand out. Jun froze on the spot upon seeing the offer, carefully extending his own hand out but not taking it yet. “Come ooon, don’t you get it? Once I’m a married woman, Ibara will have all legal rights to hug me, as well as take me away from any man who he thinks is hugging me for too long. This is your last chance for a proper ‘Ohii-san’ style squeeze~”
“You know you sound suspicious as hell talking like that, right?” Jun sighed. “You definitely do. Hold on, let me drop Mary-chan to the ground at least so you don’t suffocate her―”
“You have Bloody Mary?!” Hiyori took advantage of Jun’s stillness and lunged forward, grabbing his arm and pulling him in. Nagisa assisted of course by wrapping one arm around Jun’s waist, causing an adorable squeak to escape the junior in surprise. Hiyori felt a fluffy body against his chest, one he instantly rewarded with pets on its small head. “Hello, Bloody Mary, my beautiful~ I’m so happy to have you on my wedding day! Has Jun-kun been treating you nicely? Of course he has, he’s always a delightful parent to you even if he used to complain about you non-stop~”
“I did not complain about her period,” Jun attempted to correct, “I was worried about us getting caught with her, because I knew we’d probably lose her forever if we did.”
“And we didn’t because you truly did care in the end,” Hiyori hummed. “I knew you always did. Thank you, Jun-kun, for being such a good caretaker.”
“Um,” even through the veil, Hiyori could see how dark Jun’s face became with blush from his senior’s words. “Thanks, Ohii-san...You look really beautiful today. Ibara’s gonna lose his mind.”
“Oh, he better,” Hiyori furrowed his brow as a slightly devious grin crossed his face. It melted into a warmer expression the instant he felt Jun finally relax into the hug. Although, Hiyori made a mental note that at the moment, it was really only Nagisa holding Jun. “So, did you come here to ask if you could walk me down the aisle?”
“Eh?!” Jun adjusted Bloody Mary in his arms and shook his head. “No way. That’s Nagi-senpai’s role, ain’t it? Besides, Mary-chan’s the ring bearer. She’s got your rings in a little pocket that’s on her dress. I’m gonna be escorting her down.”
“There’s nowhere where it says the ring-bearer can’t also walk the bride~” Hiyori insisted, finally pulling Jun in closer as he wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “I want you both to give me away to my husband. You will, won’t you?”
Jun and Nagisa exchanged a glance that Hiyori couldn’t really see, but afterwards, he found the two linking their arms with his own. Held on either side by the two boys he’d helped raise, both as humans and as idols, Hiyori couldn’t help but grow emotional. He didn’t have a tissue on hand, so he held back the tears as he always did, but somehow, it felt harder than ever before in his life.
“...Hiyori-kun, here,” Nagisa pressed something into Hiyori’s hands. When he looked down, he saw the bouquet in question. A tight red rose bouquet with pink peonies, tied together with a light green ribbon. Hiyori’s heart swelled, and he held it close to his heart.
“Nagisa-kun, Jun-kun, thank you,” Hiyori whispered, hearing the jingle of Bloody Mary’s collar heading towards the door. They took one step, and as they did, Hiyori could hear the sound of an organ playing a tune he’d heard in movies before but never in real life. “I love you, thank you.”
There would be no guests at the chapel today. In fact, the one playing the organ was one famous composer from the ES that happened to jump at the opportunity to play the authentic instrument inside the centuries old structure. The trip to the Italian countryside hadn’t been enjoyed in full yet, but that was okay because they’d get to enjoy it more once Hiyori and his groom were on their honeymoon. Everything was exactly as Hiyori had asked for, down to the last detail, and Hiyori really couldn’t have cared less that there were no other eyes aside from his unit mates to witness this occasion. When it came down to it, they really were his family, more so than his blood related ones. The tight grip on both of his arms left Hiyori feeling light as a feather.
The aisle was short, but for Hiyori, it felt miles long. Every step was so slow, the bouquet in his arms causing his palms to itch with anticipation, and the heels he wore felt shaky beneath him for the first time since he first started wearing them. Meanwhile, he could see a figure at the end of the aisle, and though his veil obstructed the full clarity of their face, he knew that shade of magenta red hair anywhere. Suddenly and without warning, he felt himself holding back a sob. Why was he starting to cry? He’d been strong this long, and he’d seen Ibara countless times before. In fact, they were about as legally married as they would be able to in their home country, so why?
Arriving at the step just before the altar, the supports on Hiyori’s arms were fully relinquished. One of the two took the bouquet from his hands, but Hiyori’s eyes were too fixated on what was in front of him. A hand reached out, and he took it. It was warm, a little calloused, but wonderfully firm as it helped Hiyori find his balance. He wasn’t about to trip over, but he did feel so light that he might fly away altogether. Instead, he was here, standing across from the man he was about to marry.
Hands reached up and pushed back Hiyori’s veil. As they did so, Hiyori realized just how much he was towering over the other right now. He was wearing heels of course, so they added a few extra centimeters. In doing so, Ibara, who was already small compared to him, was an adorable size as he had to stand on his tippy toes to fully push back the veil. He did so fluidly and without hesitation, confidently sturdy where he stood even when balancing on the ends of his feet.
The world no longer out of focus, Hiyori was faced with the sight of Ibara’s face first and foremost. He was smiling the gentlest smile that Hiyori had ever seen grace the other’s face, dressed in an all white wedding suit decorated with black, thorny vines. Even if covered in thorns however, Hiyori only knew the man to be completely and utterly soft. Their hands clutched each other tight, and as they breathed in tandem, Hiyori completely blanked on what they were supposed to be doing next.
Ibara reached into his pocket first, clearing his throat, and pulling out a piece of paper. He unfolded it, and then unfolded it again, and then unfolded it a third time. Hiyori’s heart swelled as he watched the man clear his throat, ready to read his vows, and though their hands were no longer linked, Hiyori couldn’t stop himself from at least holding onto Ibara’s arms.
“Your royal highness Hiyori Tomoe,” Ibara began, his voice gentle as it spoke rather than the bombastic loudness that Hiyori was used to from him. “I struggled greatly in writing this. Not for the fact that I could not think of the countless ways in which you make life beautiful, but for the fact that I could not fathom how I was deserving of such things. Your kindness, your empathy, and your love, they were all things I feared because I did not want to waste them. I don’t wish to live this way any longer. It is useless to fear anything from you, your highness, because you are a dream that I found unexpectedly that gave me everything I needed. You are the love of my life, the one who fills my days and nights with passion and vigor for living. You are the sun that shines so brightly that I could not help but stare, even if it meant blinding myself in the process. I am Icarus, but by your grace, the wings you’ve given me will not surrender their flight. I...”
Ibara still had more to read, judging by the placement of his thumb on the paper, but his mouth began to struggle to read from the page while his eyes darted back and forth between it and Hiyori’s face. Eventually, he closed it, pocketed, and reached up to cup Hiyori’s cheek in his palm. Their eyes met in an unending gaze, and Hiyori watched as tears pricked the corners of astonishingly beautiful blue eyes.
“Your highness,” Ibara breathed out in a serene sigh, “thank you. I fear nothing more in this world than loving something only for it to be lost, but that fear is all but gone when I am with you.”
Hiyori’s palm pressed against the back of the hand that held his face, and Hiyori’s own vision began to grow bleary. Weddings were terrible, actually. They could only kiss once they exchanged their vows in full, as well as put on each other’s rings, yet Hiyori wanted nothing more than to kiss the man right in front of him straight away. Horrible, horrible, traditions were just made to make people suffer!
“Ibara,” Hiyori spoke the man’s name as their hands dropped to the space in-between them, clutching each other fast just as they had earlier. “Ibara-kun. My viper. I’ve called you so many different things, I’ve been endlessly suspicious of you, and I’ve over-concerned myself with every little thing that you do. It was never out of malice, though. I’ve always seen too much of myself in you, the way you put others before yourself, the way you smile, the love you put into everything, and yet how much you deny any of it being real. We’re opposites in that way, and we are also the exact same. I thought it was natural to see so much of myself in someone and despise it, the way I’ve done to myself far too many times, but I simply couldn’t with you. You were always everything I wanted to be. Committed, loyal, and overly warm to a fault. Eventually, I realized what anger I felt was truly concern, and then concern evolved into love. I love you, Ibara. I love you with every bit of my being. I love you, and that is my promise to you. We’re together forever, because we’re family, and we always have been from the moment we first came together. All thanks to you, my sun, the light of life.”
That was who they were. Mistaking brilliance for an unreachable light, they were always in each other’s grasp despite that. Holding hands as they were now, Hiyori really couldn’t understand why he’d ever allow himself to treat someone as adorable as Ibara as a stranger. His embarrassment, his uncharacteristic shyness, it all faded away the moment their eyes met. He loved Ibara, that was the truth by which he wanted to live his life from now on. His family together, Jun standing by Ibara’s side and Nagisa by Hiyori’s, watching over them and there to shelter the two with their arms. If only group hugs were a wedding tradition. For now, however, it was time for their unification to be completed in the eyes of God.
“C’mere, Mary-chan,” Jun whispered as he tugged her leash lightly. Mary quickly bounced over to her father’s side, and Jun picked her up in his arms. Opening up the pouch, he held it out for the bride and groom to reach inside. Hiyori caught Jun’s eyes staring at him with a goofy grin on his face, and his heart swelled. He then felt Nagisa’s hand on his shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly. Hiyori felt loved. He felt truly and utterly loved.
Reaching into the pocket, they each picked out the rings fitted for each other, and soon the bride and groom were once again lost in each other’s eyes. The groom went first, taking Hiyori’s left hand and sliding onto the finger the same one that held his current engagement ring.
“I take you, your royal highness Hiyori Tomoe, to be my wife in the eyes of God,” Ibara stated with a certain confidence that couldn’t be mistaken. “Until death do us part, and ever after, I would go to Hell for you, your highness.”
“Hell’s no place for an angel like you, Ibara,” Hiyori giggled, unable to contain himself. Ibara could really be so melodramatic. Following in his steps, he took Ibara’s left hand as well, sliding on a ring that fit perfectly on a dainty digit. “I take you, Ibara Saegusa, to be my husband, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, in this life and in the one after. Eternally, I am yours.”
The rings were on, the light through the stained glass windows basked the two in its golden shade, but the brightest color of all was the blue of Ibara’s eyes. Hiyori lowered himself, hands holding Ibara’s tightly, and before long, he was pressing a kiss to the man of his dreams. Ibara, Ibara, the man who could do anything, who would do anything, all for Hiyori. The hand hold turned into an embrace, and at long last, Hiyori could feel Ibara’s heart racing against his own.
They parted, and there was clapping. Polite but happy, Jun and Nagisa having retreated to the step before the altar and standing shoulder to shoulder to get a better look at the couple above. Hiyori giggled, having fully prepared himself for complete silence. He wasn’t going to get the adulation of the crowds or even his related family’s support in this wedding. He was an idol, this all had to be kept secret, and he was also marrying someone of the same gender, although Hiyori wished he could be honest about that as well. No matter. It didn’t matter in the end, because he got the wedding he always wanted with the one who made it his life’s aim to make Hiyori’s dreams come true.
“Come now, your highness!” Ibara exclaimed as the organist began to loudly play once again. “Come here, come here, I’ll take you in my arms.”
“Excuse me?” Hiyori tilted his head, but before he could protest, he screamed as he found his legs being lifted off the ground. He was being carried like a princess in Ibara’s arms, bewildered as he wrapped his arms around the man’s shoulders. “I-Ibara, how...?”
“Ahaha~☆” Ibara’s signature laugh echoed amongst the echoing chimes of the organ. “I’m much stronger than I appear, your highness, surely you know this well!”
It was true, Ibara had shown his strength in the past with how he was able to move furniture to clean, but Hiyori really hadn’t expected this. He was so much leaner compared to Jun and even Nagisa, muscles not taking to his body almost at all. Yet in spite of that, he was still strong, amazingly so, able to carry a man who had a good half a head’s worth of centimeters over him. Hiyori’s face was bright pink as he clutched Ibara closer, resting his forehead against the man’s temple. He’d never been happier than today.
“Uuu,” Hiyori whimpered, “don’t hurt yourself, okay? Or else, I’ll carry you!”
“It would be absolutely ludicrous to allow my princess to carry me,” Ibara retorted as he reaffirmed his hold with a squeeze. Stepping down from the altar, Jun and Nagisa headed down to the end of the aisle to open the doors to the outside. Ibara continued to walk, and his gait was shockingly even. “If I cannot go to Hell for you, your highness, then I will carry you to Heaven in my arms.”
“Oh...That’s much preferred~” Hiyori delighted, his heart fluttering and feeling like he was still a young teen. In the arms of his beloved, it was like falling in love for the first time again. “Be my wings, Ibara. I’ll be your home.”
“It’s good to be home then, your highness,” Ibara returned. Their eyes met, and somehow the joy they found in each other was brighter than the sun shining down upon them as they re-entered the world.