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Breathe in. Breathe out. This was no problem. She could totally do this! She loved Ren… She had been waiting for this day for months. Why was she so nervous…?
"Anne, hold still." Shiho's half-exasperated, half-fond voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "You're going to wrinkle your dress with how you're fidgeting."
Anne glanced down, smoothing out the wrinkles of her dress. She and Ren had talked about whether to do a Shinto ceremony or do it more Western style, but… how only family could be present during a Shinto ceremony was the deal breaker.
They wanted their friends to be all there. And of course, they were all in the bridal party.
She had asked Shiho to be her maid of honor, while Makoto, Haru, and Futaba were the bridesmaids. Ren had chosen Ryuji as his best man. Likewise, Morgana, Yusuke, and Ken were the groomsmen.
Picking a color scheme for the wedding wasn't hard. They both had an affinity for red, after all. Anne had debated on the secondary color with her parents. They had suggested white, aqua, amongst others. But she and Ren ended up picking gold as their secondary color.
But in regards to her wedding dress, nothing popped out at her. And she had tried many. After Ren proposed, Anne's parents insisted on designing the dress for her. But none of their sketches popped out at her. None of it just screamed that it was the one.
But then her dad struck gold. Her parents were talking about developing a line of kimono wedding dresses, and Anne stumbled upon one of their designs. Anne instantly fell in love with it, and her parents set to work.
She honestly felt it was perfect, using a kimono wedding dress.
It was mostly scarlet but her skirt partially opened, to reveal gold patterns. The same gold patterns were embroidered on the bodice of her dress. There was a corded rope tied at her waist, cinching it just enough to show the curves of her waist.
Anne tried not to fidget as Shiho patiently applied her make-up.
"So…" Futaba interjected. "How does it feel, Anne? To almost be a married woman?"
Anne exhaled deeply, making Shiho shoot her an annoyed look. But she had to do it to soothe her racing heart.
"Terrifying," she confessed. "Do you think it's going to change things between you and Ren…?"
"Nonsense," Haru said firmly, as she separated Anne's hair into sections to curl. "You've been in love with Ren-kun since high school, Anne-chan. You've been through so much with him… Marriage is just the next step."
Futaba snickered. "Hoping to get married next, Haru? You prolly will have to be the one to propose because Inari's as dense as a brick."
"Oh, come now," Haru chuckled softly. "If anything, it'd be Mako-chan and Ken-kun who's next. They've been dating for almost as long as Anne-chan and Ren-kun."
"Even though it took forever for them to get their act together," Futaba muttered under her breath.
"D-Don't drag me into this!" Makoto began to blush furiously.
Shiho laughed, before winking at Makoto. "Maybe if you're lucky, you'll catch the bouquet today. Or maybe Ken will catch the garter."
"Stoooop…" she moaned out, turning even redder due to everyone else laughing. "This is not funny."
"So, do you have everything, Anne?" Shiho asked. "What was the saying again?"
"Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue," Anne recited. She gestured to her dress. "My wedding dress is new. One of a kind! So obviously, it counts."
This drew some giggles from the women in the room.
Anne then held up her wrist, where a silver charm bracelet with six charms—representing the six Christmases she had spent with Ren—dangled. "This is the something old. And one of the charms is blue so…"
"We just need something borrowed," Makoto concluded.
Anne shook her head before she pointed to the earrings she wore. "Mom gave these to me the night before. It belonged to my nana, on my dad's side. Her mom gave them to her on her wedding day as a present. Mom wore them when she married Dad so she thought it'd be nice if I wore them today."
Maybe if she and Ren had any daughters, they would wear it on their wedding day. The thought of that just made her giddy. Her thoughts couldn't help but drift to the future children they would have. They would be so adorable!
"Oh, then that's perfect then!" Shiho said with a smile, before stepping back. "Okay, Haru-san, you can focus fully on Anne's hair now."
Haru giggled. "Will do."
"Though I've gotta wonder…" Futaba tugged a little at Anne's skirt. "How tall are your heels? Ren's not that much taller than you."
Anne giggled. In their senior year, Anne had hit a small growth spurt, giving her another two inches in height. Ren had hit one too, but his growth spurt was smaller than hers—just an inch. This gave them a two inch difference now, compared to how Ren had been three inches taller in their junior year.
"Just two inches. So, we'll be the same height during all this."
"Perfect to kiss him," Shiho quipped with a knowing smile.
Anne blushed furiously at that. "Well…"
"Don't kiss too long at 'you may kiss the bride'," Futaba snickered. "It'd be super awkward if we just watched you make out for like, five minutes."
"What is your record?" Shiho wondered.
"G-Guys!" Anne stammered out. "W-We're not that bad!"
"I still remember how you and Ren stole away to the castle in Destinyland for some private time," Makoto mused. "How long did you leave Ryuji alone, anyways?"
"I-It wasn't that long!" Anne cried. "Honest!"
A knock on the door interrupted everyone else's laughter and Shiho went to answer the door. "Oh, hello, Takamaki-san," she greeted.
"Hello, Shiho," Dad greeted, before Mom let out a happy sigh.
"Oh, sweetheart, you look stunning!" Mom breathed.
Her mom looked stunning as always. Her silver-white hair was twisted up in a half bun, with the rest of her hair curling elegantly down her back. The green dress she wore complimented her equally green eyes perfectly.
Dad, on the other hand, had salt and pepper hair and blue-gray eyes. He looked handsome in the suit and tie he had chosen. All tailor made, of course.
"That Ren fellow better know how lucky he is," Dad grumbled. "You look absolutely beautiful." He then nodded. "Yes, the kimono was a nice touch. Better than any plain wedding dress."
"Daddy!" Anne cried out.
This earned him a pinch from Mom, making him yelp.
"Enough, Keita," she scolded. "Anne-chan is a grown woman. You trust our daughter's judgment, no?"
"Yes…" he grumbled out. "But must you pinch me so hard, Airi? Especially with manicured nails!"
"Mom, Dad, please don't fight!" Anne said.
"Not fighting, love, just some good old bickering." Her mom then batted her eyes at her dad. "Isn't that right, darling? I keep you on your toes."
"If you weren't there to challenge me, then I'd be hopelessly bored." Her dad chuckled, leaning in to kiss her mom on the temple.
Then he turned to look at Anne, only for a sigh to escape him.
"A father half-dreads, half-anticipates this day the day his daughter is born, giving her away to someone she loves," he mused, only to smile. "But you look absolutely radiant, Anne. And I know that Ren is a good man, and he makes you unbelievably happy."
"Oh, Dad… I'll still be your little girl," Anne said, blinking rapidly to hold back her tears. "Even when I'm old and gray."
Her friends pretended to busy themselves, but Anne was grateful.
"Sweetheart, you look so grown up…" Mom then let out a small laugh. "I can't believe it… My little girl is getting married."
She then let out a little wistful sigh.
"When did you become such a beautiful lady? I can't help but feel bad that we missed so much of your growing up!"
Anne gave a watery giggle. "Mom, Dad—I'm still me. A total klutz, a ditz—"
"Nonsense, my daughter is the perfect woman," Dad declared.
They all couldn't help but laugh.
Mom then turned to Haru. "Ah, Okumura-san, this is a lovely hairstyle. Roses fit my Anne so well."
"Let me see!" Anne exclaimed before hastily standing up.
She nearly tripped over her skirt, but Shiho grabbed her arm and steadied her.
"Hey, no need to rush!" Shiho said in between laughs.
Anne pulled a face at her before examining her reflection in all angles.
Haru had gently curled her hair. But somehow she had gathered part of Anne's hair, crafting a bun shaped like a rose.
She looked… different. More mature…
Someone… who looked ready to become a married woman.
The aisle seemed to stretch for miles. Ren tried not to stare too much. His stomach did a pretty big flip as the music struck up.
First Akihiko-san and Minako-san's six-year-old daughter appeared, adorable in the white dress she wore. She cheerfully threw the rose petals in her basket as she passed by.
He scanned the crowd. The Shadow Operatives, the Investigation Team, and of course all of his confidants were here to see him and Anne get married.
Then Junpei-san and Chidori-san's four-year-old son appeared, clutching a felt pillow where the wedding rings rested on.
And now… it was the wedding party.
First it was Futaba and Morgana. When Morgana had regained his human form, it turned out that Morgana was physically five years Ren's junior. Morgana was in his last year of high school right now. The strings Mitsuru-san had pulled to give him an identity… it was honestly kinda scary what she could pull off. With the other two bridesmaids and groomsmen being couples (as well as the best man and maid of honor), they decided to pair Futaba and Morgana together.
It was… hard picking a color that fit the darker haired Shiho and Makoto, Haru's lighter hair, and Futaba's bright orange locks. So, after some deliberation, Anne had just decided to have the bridesmaid wear their favorite color in similar cuts while their partner had to wear a tie matching them. Futaba wore her usual green, but Anne had chosen a rich forest green for Futaba.
After them, it was Yusuke and Haru. Yusuke looked at Haru in awe as they slowly made their way down the aisle. It was a good thing that Yusuke didn't care about wearing a lavender tie, as Haru's dress was lavender. She looked pretty enough in pink, but lavender was definitely Haru's color. Ren had to stifle a laugh as Yusuke seemed torn between admiring Haru and admiring the wedding decorations.
Then came Ken and Makoto. Makoto looked striking as ever in dark blue. She then glanced towards Ren at first, and then back to Ken, a little blush spreading across her cheeks. Maybe she was thinking about getting married herself.
Ren couldn't help but smirk at Ken. Ken noticed, of course, shooting Ren a warning look.
Ryuji and Shiho appeared at last, arm in arm. Ryuji grinned down at his girlfriend, bending his head to whisper something to her. Shiho looked gorgeous in the white dress, the only splash of color being the yellow rose corsage she wore on her wrist. Shiho suddenly said something teasingly to him, though, and he grew flustered. Ren had to stifle a laugh at that.
And then… the music changed to the wedding march. Anne's hair gleamed gold as she appeared at the door. The crowd's murmur fell to a hush as Anne and her father slowly came up the aisle.
Anne… looked like a vision. He thought that she had been stunning, absolutely gorgeous, when he had first met her so long ago, but that… had nothing on her now. When he had met her, she had Kamoshida's attention weighing her down… being ostracized by everyone but Shiho…
Her smile was as brilliant as the sun as their eyes met.
"Take care of her," Anne's dad whispered to him, before handing Anne over to her.
Ren shakily took Anne's hands in both of his. Anne gave them a squeeze, before giving him yet another breathtaking smile.
God, how did he end up so lucky?
The priest began his speech, but Ren found himself zoning out as he gazed into Anne's eyes… until it was time for the vows. After discussing it for a lengthy time, they had decided to write their own vows.
Ren took a deep breath when the priest prompted him to say his vow.
"Anne…" he said softly, "when I first met you… I was so miserable. I was questioning if I had done the right thing because it got me expelled from school and shipped off to a place I had no idea was like."
Then he looked toward the crowd, smiling wryly. He searched the crowd; it took him a few moments to find Sojiro.
"Even my guardian was an ass to me in the beginning," he said, allowing his shoulders to slump.
"Are you ever going to drop that?!" Sojiro called out to him, making the crowd burst into laughter.
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see his parents exchanging guilty frowns. He caught their eye and gave them a smile. His parents may have originally thought that the accusation was right… but they've done more than enough over the years to make amends to him.
"But when we met… you just smiled at me," Ren continued, turning back to Anne. "You were the first person to be kind to me since I arrived at Tokyo. We've been through so much together… And… now…" he said shakily, his breath suddenly hitching.
He didn't think he'd get choked up over this, but he just couldn't believe that he had reached this step with Anne.
"I can't believe that you chose to love me. Anne, you've been with me from the start. When we were just two kids, struggling with our separate burdens You've supported me through it all. And I can't wait to walk towards the future with you."
Anne's eyes were filled with tears, but Anne forcibly blinked them away.
"Ren…" she breathed. "I can't pin down when exactly I fell in love with you. Sometimes I can't believe that you love me. I can be a total airhead… so silly and ridiculous, but you just shake your head and laugh."
She gave his hands a light squeeze. Her lips pursed together for a moment but then she took a deep breath.
"But you… you've been with me from the start, too. You've always encouraged me… you helped me realize what I wanted to do with myself."
She then gazed into Ren's eyes, her aquamarine eyes shimmering with love. Love for him.
"You showed me that I could stand up… that I could always fight back. Fight for what I want. You showed me that there's always a different way. You're my light, Ren… no…"
She shook her head, giving him a tearful smile. "You're my everything, Ren," she sniffed. "I love you so, so much, and I can't wait to start our lives together."
He could hear sniffling. From Haru? Oh, who cared.
The priest then asked for the rings and Ren carefully slid Anne's former engagement ring on her finger. It was a one-of-a-kind piece, so Anne wanted it to be her wedding band. Anne then did the same with the wedding band they picked for Ren, a platinum band with red and black gems cut into triangles, fitting together perfectly.
"So, in the power vested in me…" the priest began, "I pronounce you husband and wife. You may…"
Ren couldn't wait. He pulled Anne in his arms, making her squeak a little. He dipped her before kissing her gently.
"…continue kissing the bride," the priest finished lamely.
He could hear people laughing again but he didn't care. He just cared about the woman in his arms. His wife. Holy crap, Anne wasn't Anne Takamaki anymore. She was Anne Amamiya.
Anne sighed against him. He could feel her fingers curl into his hair before she nibbled at his lower lip.
"SAVE IT FOR THE HONEYMOON DAMMIT!"
Ryuji's shout brought them back to reality and Anne scowled over Ren's shoulder when he righted her. "Thanks a lot, Ryuji!" she huffed.
"I'm just speaking the truth, Anne," Ryuji grumbled over the laughter from the crowd. "Nobody wants to see you suck each other's faces for like, five minutes."
"See, Ryuji agrees with me!" Futaba called out, giving the audience another fit of laughter.
The priest cleared his throat. "May I present the Mr. and Mrs. Ren Amamiya?" he interjected.
"It's all right, at least it's just this one time," Ken said dryly. "You don't see them on a weekly basis."
"Love you too, Ken," Ren called out to him, making the crowd laugh again.
The crowd then rose to their feet, as Ren took Anne's hand in his. His heart welled up at he looked at her… his wife. The word wife never sounded so magical to him.
"I love you, Ren," Anne whispered.
Ren just lifted her hand, lightly kissing her palm. "I love you too."
"I'll have you know that Ren had it bad for Anne for ages," Ryuji said during the wedding toasts. "But he was a total wuss and wouldn't make a move for months…"
"I'll second this!" Ken called out, making the crowd burst into laughter.
Anne couldn't help but giggle as Ren glowered at their two friends.
"But it wasn't alllll Ren's fault, y'know," Ryuji continued. "Anne was kinda blind to how he totally was into her. She thought that he was datin' Makoto! And she was all dramatic 'bout it. You should be open about it… you deserve to be happy! But enough was enough, you know? I had to give 'em a push… literally."
Anne blushed furiously at that, before shooting Ryuji a glare of her own. How they got together would probably be always a little embarrassing… but Ryuji just had to put it like that.
"But it's been a good six years," Ryuji announced, before he flashed them a goofy grin. "Kinda crazy that you guys ended up getting married on the anniversary you guys met! Along with a... bunch of other stuff."
Then he abruptly raised his glass of champagne.
"Congrats, to the both of ya! I know you'll make each other insanely happy! To Ren and Anne!"
"To Ren and Anne!" everyone chorused back.
Ryuji had been the last to make a speech, so the DJ announced that it was time for the first dance.
Beautiful, soft piano music filled the air as Ren led her to the dance floor. Ren's hand rested on her waist as they spun around and around on the floor.
She still remembered how they had struggled over finding their song… the song they would first dance to. Futaba had been the one to find this song, actually.
It was such a sweet, romantic song. Even the title seemed romantic to her… simply titled Meeting.
Futaba had barely started asking what they thought when Anne had jumped to her feet, declaring that was it… that was the song she wanted to be their song.
Anne sighed happily, gazing into her husband's—her husband's!—eyes. It felt surreal. She couldn't believe that she had felt nervous about marrying Ren just an hour ago.
"Am I boring you already, Mrs. Amamiya?" Ren teased lightly.
Anne snickered for a moment, winking at him. "Not even close, Mr. Amamiya. I'm just thinking about how happy I am right now."
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see couples joining them in the slow dance.
Yusuke and Haru were dancing the closest to them. Haru was smiling up at him, Yusuke leaning in close to listen to what Haru had to say to him. They were really a sweet couple. They balanced each other out and Haru never stopped letting Yusuke know how much she adored his art.
Ryuji and Shiho suddenly spun by them. Ryuji moved a bit stiffly. Sadly, his leg never had regained its full strength even with him going through the surgery that Mitsuru-san had paid for. But Shiho didn't mind, patiently following his lead. She still remembered the day that Shiho told her that she had a crush on Ryuji. That had been quite a shock! But her best friend and Ryuji were really happy together, and she trusted Ryuji to keep making Shiho happy.
Though even Ryuji wasn't as stiff as Makoto. She kept staring down at her feet before Ken said something to her. She scowled at him, swatting at his shoulder but Ken just laughed. She then shifted, slipping her arms around his neck while his arms went to her waist. They just swayed together, since even after all these years, Makoto still wasn't the best at dancing.
"So…" Ren said lightly, following Anne's gaze. "When do you think they'll get married? They should be next, shouldn't they?"
"Oh stop, Ren." Anne rolled her eyes at him. "They'll get married when they're ready."
"I think we're entitled to know after having to watching how embarrassing they were back in high school," Ren huffed.
"You're horrible," Anne huffed, before someone tapped on her shoulder.
Morgana smiled at her. "You look stunning, Lady Anne," he said sincerely, holding a hand out to her. "May I steal you for one dance?"
"What about you, Ren?"
"Me!" Futaba pounced. "Come on, Ren! Let's dance!"
"What about poor Mishima, eh?" Anne couldn't help but tease.
Futaba snorted. "Mishima is busy with taking pictures for ya! We'll dance later. But for now, Ren's my partner!"
They danced for a long time. She danced with Morgana, her dad, Ren's dad, Sojiro, and her other male friends. Her poor feet were rather sore after it all.
But then Anne stepped forward, gazing out at the crowd. Since she and Ren wanted a more intimate wedding, they had invited their friends, some coworkers Anne was close to, and their family. So, the crowd of single women were on the smaller side.
She then turned around, looking down at her bouquet. Bright red roses were the main draw (of course), but there were also calla lilies and baby's breath tucked in. Ren's old employer at the flower shop had done the flowers. She swung it once, twice, before tossing it over her head.
There were a few excited squeals from her coworkers, and then a beat of silence. Anne turned around to see that a rather stunned and red-faced Makoto had caught the bouquet. Futaba then started snickering.
"Well, that settles it, huh?" she asked teasingly.
"T-This doesn't settle anything!" Makoto stammered out.
Haru giggled. "Congratulations, Mako-chan."
"Stop acting like this makes me and Ken engaged!" Makoto protested.
Somehow Makoto turned even redder. Then again, the subject of Ken had always turned Makoto a blushing mess.
Off to the side, she could see Ryuji and Ren elbowing an also red-faced Ken. Minako-san then joined them, teasing him as well.
Sojiro then brought forward a chair, so Anne could sit down. They were doing the garter toss too. Ren knelt in front of her.
"Isn't this a common sight?" he said teasingly as Anne rearranged her skirts.
Anne blushed furiously at that, before lightly swatting his head. "Oh stop!" she whispered. "Behave—there are children here!"
"So you're going with your teeth, huh?" Ryuji called out to him. "Good to know that you're not wussing out by using your hands too."
Ren grinned wickedly. "There's a time and place to use my hands after all," he whispered to her.
"Ren!" Anne hissed.
Ren just grinned at her before lifting her skirt and diving in. And Ren being Ren… he had to be a tease. As he moved his way up, he pressed light butterfly kisses against her thigh. Anne bit her lip, her hands curling around the edge of her seat. Even after being with Ren for nearly six years, his touch still took her breath away. And it was just a promise to come what would happen tonight.
His teeth then grazed the soft skin and Anne bit down harder so she wouldn't making any inappropriate sounds. Ren really was too good with his mouth. He finally snagged the garter, dragging it down slowly. When his head finally popped out of her skirts, the lacy garter clenched between his teeth, there were several wolf whistles and whoops from certain people.
Ren waved the garter for a moment before he smirked. He then tossed it right at Ken's head.
"What the hell, Ren?" he sputtered out as he pulled it off his head.
Ren just crossed his arms over his chest. Anne rolled her eyes at his cheeky smile.
He called out, "Now it's your turn!"
"S-Shut up!" Ken reddened at that. "You're awful," he grumbled out. "Positively awful."
"Love you too, Ken!"
The reception dragged on well into the night. It was nearly midnight when they finally made it back to their apartment. They would be jetting off to Paris in the afternoon tomorrow.
Anne giggled as Ren suddenly swept her off her feet, as they entered their bedroom. It was special after all… they were man and wife now.
"I love you." The words fell so easily from Anne's lips as he set her on their bed.
Her make-up was smudged. Her bun was loose, several strands of hair falling out of it.
She looked so beautiful.
"And I love you." Ren crawled over to her, leaning over to kiss her. "I don't think I'll ever forget that."
"I think Mishima-kun will ensure that with all the pictures he snapped," Anne said with a smile, before sliding off the bed. "Help me out?"
He helped her out of her wedding dress, and he folded it, draping it over the chair. Anne lounged on the bed, her eyes half lidded as they traced his every move. When he rejoined her on the bed, she tugged at his tie and pulled him close for a kiss.
"You're wearing too many clothes," she said huskily. "I should fix that."
"So greedy," Ren couldn't help but tease her. "It's not like we haven't done it in a long time. It was only two days ago."
"I know… but I was making love to my fiancé," Anne breathed. "Tonight… I want to do it with my husband." She then tilted her head. "Besides… I thought a gentleman made it his duty to bring his lady pleasure."
Ren laughed. "And so I will. Prepare yourself."
He muffled Anne's giggles with another kiss.
He had spent five years as Anne's boyfriend. Several months as her fiancé. And he couldn't wait to spend the rest of his years as her husband.