Archive of Our Own

Kotone and Aigis have been dating for about two years now. Like all couples, they shared their ups and downs, either way they greatly enjoyed their peaceful life together. Aigis kept on working for the Shadows Operatives. Most of the time from home, only leaving her girlfriend’s side for emergencies and important meetings, or simply when she missed her coworkers. Meanwhile Kotone was close to mastering the guitar and even started practicing the keyboard. While still not a superstar, she managed to gain a small but growing following thanks to multiple covers and a few original songs she has posted online. With pretty much all them being dedicated to her lover.

The once lonely woman has fully joined her partner’s group of friends and was considered a proper part of the family. Much like Chidori who despite being a former enemy managed to win over, not only her man’s heart, but SEES as a whole. The latter could be seen during hers and Junpei’s wedding. The ceremony was gorgeous and brimming with joy from everyone included. Kotone thought it absolutely wonderful to be a part of it. To feel included in an amazing group of friends. To be able to celebrate something healthy and normal along with them. To witness the support, care and love from all these good people. This incredibly positive experience planted a rather life-changing wish inside both her head and her heart. The musician thought that perhaps it was time to get married herself.

To be perfectly honest, the idea of marriage has been tempting her for a while now. And honestly, why wouldn’t it ? Aigis was the love of her life and she was very well aware of this fact. However, seeing the normally stoic Chidori beaming with such intense joy was the final push to fully convince her. Now, more than anything, Kotone didn’t want to refer to Aigis as her girlfriend anymore, but as her wife. Although, this was a feat that proved easier said than done. The simple idea of picturing her and Aigis on the aisle sent butterflies in her stomach, and serotonin in her entire body.

Kotone supposed that before taking any form of action whatsoever, she should at least discuss it with someone, mainly her friends. However, it wasn’t everyday she could talk to the ex-SEES members without Aigis being a part of it. Luckily, she managed to take advantage of her being away on a solo mission for a few days. Kotone organized a small grouping at their shared apartment, inviting all her available companions. Only Yukari, Fuuka and surprisingly, Mitsuru had the time to visit but this was more than enough for her. At first the conversation remained casual. The only unfamiliarity being a slightly nervous and strangely silent Kotone fidgeting nervously in the corner. Fuuka was the first one to notice the bubbly girl’s odd behavior.

“Is something wrong, Kotone? You haven’t said anything in a while.”

“Huh ? Err… C-come on now, iis it really that weird for me to not be a blabbermouth for five seconds ?” She joked, but without her usual bravado, it just sounded forced.

“Not necessarily… Your stuttering however is far more concerning.” Mitsuru pointed out.

“Oh… I-I guess the cat’s out of the bag, huh ?” Kotone exaggeratedly shrugged with a very uneasy smile on her face. This display only managed to bring an awkward silence around the table, along with both strange and concerned pairs of eyes on her.

“So you’re gonna explain or… ?” Yukari finally asked, tired of waiting.

“Umm… How should I put this… There’s been something on my mind lately. And I feel like talking about it to someone before anything happens. It’s just… kind of a big deal.”

“You can tell us anything, we’re here for you.” The tech-lover told her gently.

“What she said. But please don’t tell me you’ve killed someone.” Yukari said, already expecting the worst, which actually managed to make Kotone snort despite her worked-up state.

“Okay, not that serious. Plus, no offense guys but I would have asked for Aigis’ help if I needed to get rid of a corpse.”

“Speaking of her, is it safe to assume that you arranging this meeting during her absence isn’t just a mere coincidence ?” Mitsuru added, already knowing she hit the jackpot while still being apprehensive about the reason behind it.

“I… Yeah… You got me.”

Upon admitting to her hypothesis, everyone at the table started worrying greatly. It was very unlike Kotone to keep a secret from Aigis. She shared absolutely everything with her before anyone else, be it good or bad. This combination of odd factors was not a good sign according to all of them.

“I hope you guys aren’t fighting or something ?” Fuuka asked.

“I swear to God. If you tell me you’ve cheated on her, I will personally beat your ass.” Yukari told her threateningly, while hoping she was wrong at the same time.

“What ?! No ! The hell, Yukari ?! I would never do that ! Also, we’re not fighting !” Kotone exclaimed, slightly offended by all these accusations.

The actor let out a sigh of relief before explaining herself. “Listen… between Aigis being out of all this and the way you worded it, I just expected something very bad. I’m sorry Kotone, I honestly don’t even think you could ever do something like that to her. I just… panicked, I guess.”

Kotone visibly calmed down after her sincere apology. She supposed that she was acting pretty suspicious after all.

“Okay, okay, I see your point, and I forgive you. Also, do feel free to beat me up if I ever even think about cheating on her.” Kotone sighed, realising this discussion was going nowhere. “I guess I'll just spill the beans or we’re all gonna be here all night. So… I’ve been thinking for a while, as I said. And I…” She didn’t finish her sentence as she started drawing out.

The three curious women leaned in, while Kotone was having a lot of trouble revealing the news. Realising she was subconsciously stalling for time, she got tired of her own self. She stopped whatever she was doing, psyched herself up and summoned all the courage she needed to finally cough up.

“I want to propose to Aigis !”

A few surprised gasps could be heard at the news, but these were quickly turned into supportive comments.

“Oh my god ! I hope you realise you scared me half to death for nothing !” Yukari exclaimed, before telling her with a smug smile. “By the way, you probably don’t have to worry about her saying no.”

“Indeed, I’m sure she would be ecstatic.” Mitsuru agreed.

“Oh that’s wonderful ! I can’t wait to help you pick out the dress, it was so much fun with Chido-…” Fuuka’s tone changed completely as a sudden realization hit her. Disappointment, apprehension and pity evident in her voice.

“Is something wrong ?” Kotone inquired, a bit worried about this sudden change of mood.

“Kotone… I’m so, so sorry. This is a bit hard for me to say but…” Fuuka winced before announcing the bad news. “Same-sex marriage still isn’t legal in Japan.”

Her eyes shot open as self-exasperation hit her like a truck upon hearing the very obvious problem she somehow didn’t take into account.

“I’m such a moron !” She screamed while angrily face planting her head on the table.

Fuuka and Yukari felt terrible for her and had no idea as to how to comfort her. Mitsuru didn’t seem too phased however. In her mind there already was a solution to this problem, which she at first assumed was Kotone's plan from the very beginning. Seeing as this wasn’t the case, she’ll have to be the one providing it.

“Why don’t you get married abroad ? I know it’s not ideal since it won’t be legally recognized here, but it would still be a wonderful proof of love to Aigis.”

Kotone tilted her head up to properly look at her friend, she supposed this could work. She actually was more than happy with simply enjoying a wedding with Aigis even without its legal benefits. Call her a hopeless romantic, but it really was the love aspect of it which drove her forward. Besides, if gay marriage ever becomes legal in their home country, they’ll probably gain said benefits, or they’ll have the pleasure of marrying each other a second time. Honestly, she wasn’t really sure how this worked. While an agreeable solution, getting wed abroad posed another major issue however.

“I mean, I guess we could but… A wedding by itself already costs a fortune, I don’t think we can afford a whole trip.”

“I could finance it for you.” Mitsuru instantly offered nonchalantly, which made Kotone choke on her own saliva out of pure shock.

After coughing a little, she managed to ask. “W-what ? Are you actually for real ? I can’t possibly ask that of you, Mitsuru !”

“You’re not asking me anything, I’m the one making a proposal. If it makes you more comfortable, you can just think of it as an early wedding gift. And if you wish to provide a more personal input, I’ll just finance the costs needed for the voyage. You and your soon-to-be fiancée can take care of everything else.”

“That’s besides the point ! I-I mean, it’s very kind of you and don’t think I don’t appreciate it but… It’s just… It’s too much.”

“Honestly, Kotone for her it really isn’t.” Yukari added, causing a small blush for the wealthy woman.

Casting her own embarrassment aside, Mitsuru kept one trying to convince her friend.

“Kotone, I understand how you feel. However, do not think I would do this for just about anyone. You and Aigis are people I care about immensely. Please, as your friend, let me do this for you, for the both of you.”

Kotone took a moment to think carefully about her offer. While still not very comfortable with accepting help from others, she also knew her friends weren’t just other people anymore. She could rely on them, as they could rely on her. The more she thought about it, the less Kotone could think of a good reason to decline her. However, she still thought that if they really go through with this, she’ll really have to make it up to her somehow.

Hesitantly, she asked her again, just to make sure. “Are you really, really sure about this ?”

“If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t have proposed.“ She told her matter-of-factly along with a small, sly grin.

Feeling tears of gratitude prying in the corner of her eyes as intense gratitude and emotion filled her heart. She swiftly got off her seat and crushed the redhead in a hug.

“Thank you so, so much, Mitsuru… You have no idea how much this means to me.”

As she was blushing and awkwardly patting her back at the same time, Mitsuru had quite a bit of trouble forming an actual sentence. To be fair, she never really was comfortable with physical affection, no matter from who.

“I… Umm… You’re welcome ?”

“Wow. I think you broke her, Kotone.” Yukari quipped, both amused by the whole situation, and happy for Kotone.

“It is rather funny to see Mitsuru act this way.” Fuuka added, only adding up to Mitsuru’s embarrassment.

“That’s because despite her cold exterior, she’s a big softie !”

Kotone's comment was the final straw for the heiress who couldn’t take it anymore. She made a groan while pulling away from Kotone's embrace, much to the other girls’ amusement. Once out of her clutches she fake-coughed in her hand, attempting to change the subject as quickly as possible.

“E-enough about me, please… Say, Kotone, do you plan on purchasing a ring for Aigis ?”

“Yep ! I saved money that I earned on my own. I haven’t bought it yet but I was thinking of getting her one with a blue sapphire on it.” She let out the next part with a subtle blush and fondness dripping from her voice. “To match with her eyes.”

“Awww. That’s so romantic !” Fuuka gushed.

“Aigis is gonna love it.” Yukari provided, sure of herself.

Once again, care and appreciation filled Kotone's entire core. Being surrounded by such wonderful people truly was a blessing. Her old life was an absolute nightmare. Now, she got to wake up every single day to live a life she truly enjoyed, in the arms of a woman which she loved with all her heart. A love she wished to celebrate, along with all the people who made this life of hers worth living. A smile formed on her face, thanking her luck for having met Aigis. However this smile did not last for long, as it quickly faded away when dread and fear suddenly took over her features.

“Oh god.”

She suddenly let out for all to hear, with her voice slightly shaking. For what felt like the tenth time this evening, worry took over everyone involved. A series of concerned questions and inquiries flew over Kotone's head, asking her what was wrong. She didn’t hear any of them, still lost in a realisation which irrationally frightened her.

“I’m gonna have to actually propose to her.”

They all groaned at the brunette’s overly dramatic antics. Of course, you’ll have to, they were all thinking exasperatedly. In truth, they all knew this was just Kotone being Kotone, and this was why they all loved her.

Despite the many words of reassurance received from her friends and being pretty sure herself that Aigis wouldn’t say no to her, Kotone's nerves were still betraying her. To think she didn’t even own the ring yet. She did order it online but she still needed to retrieve it from the jeweler, which actually proved much harder in practice. Since Aigis unknowingly thwarted her plans by coming back home sooner than expected. And given how they pretty much never left each other’s side, she couldn’t really plan a trip to the jeweller on her own without providing a good explanation.

Hand-in-hand, the couple were currently getting their weekly groceries together as they always did. They didn’t really need to go together, especially since all they really were purchasing was food for Kotone. Either way, Aigis had always insisted on coming with her, wishing to spend as much time together as they could. Gradually and since Kotone felt the same way, she didn’t need to ask anymore as it became a normal habit for them. While the musician found her adorable, at this very moment she was trying very hard to come up with an excuse to be seperated from her just for a few moments. Unfortunately for her, the observant android seemed to have picked on her girlfriend’s internal struggle.

“Are you okay, Kotone? You seem nervous ?”

‘Oh great, now Aigis is on to me. I need to come up with something quick…’ She thought.

“Huuuh… I-I’m okay, babe. The thing is… I think I lost my… Phone ! Y-yeah, my phone ! Oh no ! I-I must have dropped it in the clothing store. I’ll be right back, I’ll go look for it !” Perhaps her acting skills still needed work, nevertheless Aigis bought her story having no reason to doubt it.

“I’ll go with you.” She kindly offered, which Kotone felt both appreciative and disinclined of simultaneously.

“No ! I mean huh… Y-you should go check the… the fruit aisle ! In the supermarket ! Just to make sure !”

“Why the fruit aisle in particular ?”

“Okay, gotta go ! I’ll send you a text if I find it ! Let’s meet here in thirt- forty minutes if neither of us find it ! Okay ? Okay ! Cya later ! I love you ! Byeeee !”

Kotone purposefully avoided answering her question by steadily stepping away from the very confused android while spouting her nonsense at the same time. The moment she finished saying her goodbye, she dashed like a mad woman in direction to the jeweler, out of Aigis sight in seconds.

“I love you too but… Isn’t the clothing store in the other direction ?”

When she arrived at the jeweler, Kotone was relieved to see it was mostly empty. She entered slightly out-of-breath from running, and quickly got to the person holding the counter. The young man behind it didn’t even bother looking up from his phone to greet her. Clearly he wasn’t very interested neither in his part-time job nor the people entering his store. Kotone meanwhile wasn’t deterred as she didn’t even have the time to be bothered by this employee’s lack of good manners.

“Hello, I’m Kotone Arisato, I’m here to pick-up my order.” She said quickly while showing him her phone with the order’s ID on it.

The bored young man let out an annoyed sigh, he definitely wasn’t in as much of a hurry as her. He slowly took his time to strip his eyes away from his own phone before finally setting them on Kotone. They lit up as he apparently rather enjoyed what he was seeing. After clearing his throat, he greeted flirtily with his best attempt at a deep, seductive voice.

“Well, hello there Kotone. I hope you're having a nice day, my name i-”

“Yeah yeah, it’s been great. Listen, I’m sorry to rush you, but I’m kind of in a hurry right now. I just want my order please.” She cut him off, having neither the time nor the wish to deal with him right now.

Forced to actually do his job, he grumpily complied and checked her phone to go pick up her ring along with its case. Putting two and two together, he came back nonchalantly, still set on shamelessly flirting with a woman who was about to propose.

“Wow, so you're gonna pop the big question, huh ? You seem so young though… But what has the world come to ? To think a cute girl like yourself has to be the one getting on one knee for her boyfriend. Hey, between you and me, and before you make a big mistake, you should dump that loser. If he doesn’t even have the guts to propose himself, then maybe you should find yourself a real man. If you know what I mean ?” He wiggled his eyebrows at her, trying and failing to be smooth.

Meanwhile, Kotone was trying very hard to contain her anger and to not puke because of this douchebag. With a death-glare, she harshly took the box from his hands before telling him.

“Yeah don’t worry about that, pal. SHE’s already way more of a man than you’ll ever be.”

Appreciating his silence due to his bruised ego, Kotone smugly left the store and put the case in her pocket. She then proceeded to take out her phone to text her beloved. Before doing so, she took a moment to reread their previous conversations.

Aigis <3 : Congratulations on the five thousand views on your latest song, Kotone! I believe this one might be my favourite. I’ve been listening to it on repeat during my mission.

Kotone: aww thx so much baby <3 <3 <3

Kotone : worked rly hard on that one !

Aigis <3 : I know you did, but your efforts are paying off. I’m so proud of you.

Kotone : omg thats so sweet aigis ! ily so much !!!

Aigis <3 : I love you too :)

Kotone : have i ever told u just how much i love it when u send emojis ?

Aigis <3 : Should I start using them more often then ? :o

Kotone : nah it'll lose its charm..

Aigis <3 : Understood ! I shall maintain my level of charm to a maximum for you.

Kotone : god ur such a dork i wanna kiss u so bad >///<

Kotone : btw when r u coming back ? i miss u ;(

Aigis <3 : As soon as possible, I might actually be able to come back this week-end. And I miss you too, I wish I could pack you in my suitcase.

Kotone : thats so corny but knowing u u prolly rly mean it and <3333

Kotone : still tho watch out for urself okay ?

Kotone : and kick some shadow ass while ur at it !!

Aigis <3 : I promise I will. Sadly, I can not talk for much longer. I’ll call you next time I get the chance, Kotone. I love you !

Kotone : i love u 2 babe talk2u soon ‘3’

Aigis <3 : :)

From the texts displayed in front of her to the case weighing in her pocket, Kotone actually found herself relaxing. She really loved Aigis, with all her heart, and love was all she needed. She chuckled to herself realising that maybe her friends were right, she had been acting a little too dramatic. As she was starting to type her text to Aigis, the idea of proposing didn’t sound as terrifying.

Kotone : guess who found what they were looking for ;)

Today was the big day. Or was it the first step leading to the big day ? Kotone wasn’t sure. Either way, she was ready. Aigis was out due to a company meeting, and the brunette made sure to not waste this opportunity. She was currently preparing a romantic dinner for the two of them once the android gets home. For the menu, she prepared a caprese salad for herself, in honor of their first outing together and Aigis’ favourite food.

Blueberry-flavored chewing gum.

It definitely was odd to call gum your favourite dish but Aigis still hated swallowing food. One day, Kotone had the amazing idea of making her try chewing gum. Now, Aigis could enjoy the feeling of tasting without any of the inconveniences. Although in reality, the android actually couldn’t discern taste very well. As for blueberry, it was her preferred flavour simply because it was the one Kotonemade her try first.

The musician chuckled to herself, thinking that putting gum under a cloche might give heart attacks to a few chefs. Frankly, this did not matter in the slightest to her. Kotone accepted a long time ago how weird and unorthodox her relationship was. Which was perfect for her. After all, she absolutely loved this weird and unorthodox relationship of hers.

As she was done with the final touch, Kotone proudly looked at the room around her, taking in all her hard work. Candles, rose petals, nice music, every single cliche in the book and more importantly, the ring. Everything was planned to perfection with all the love and care in the world. With the box hidden right under her self-designated chair, all she had to do was to wait for her girl.

Given how long this took to prepare, the brunette had to fidgetly wait in front of their shared appartement’s door only for a couple of minutes. Upon hearing her girlfriend’s footsteps, Kotone took a deep breath and rearranged her hair a little, making herself look as presentable as possible. Once Aigis entered her appartement, she started announcing her arrival but was quickly cut off by the breath-taking display in front of her.

“I’m hom-”

Smiling at the surprise in her lover’s eyes, Kotone greeted her fondly.

“Welcome back, Aigis.”

“Kotone? What’s the occasion ? I-I didn’t forget anything important did I ?”

The musician couldn’t help but giggle a little, she really was too cute for her own good.

“The only thing you forgot was a kiss to your favourite Kotone.” She pointed to her cheek.

Relieved she apparently didn’t forget anything of importance, Aigis gladly complied with the request. She then spent a few seconds taking in all of Kotone's work while she was away, and Kotone herself who made sure to dress to impress. She knew which attire Aigis was weak to.

“Y-you look very pretty.” She said a little bashfully, having trouble keeping her eyes off her girlfriend and her form-fitting dress. In response, Kotone grabbed her by the shoulders and pressed herself against her.

“Why thank you, you don’t look too shabby yourself. Unlike me though, you’re not even trying.” She said with a teasing wink. Before Aigis could retort that she didn’t need to try to look beautiful, the brunette gestured to their dining table.

“Now how about you go sit on that chair and relax for me ?”

Aigis did as she was told, unfortunately she mistakenly went to sit on the chair Kotone planned for herself, the one with the case hidden under it. Noticing where she was heading, panic took over Kotone, fearing the surprise might be ruined. Before Aigis could take another step closer she quickly called after her.

“Nonononono ! Aigis ! Wait a sec !”

The blonde woman stopped dead in her tracks to look at her lover, wondering what she did wrong. Kotone cursed herself for being a wreck of emotion. Needing to come up with a proper explanation without making Aigis suspicious of her, she tried to sound as natural as she could.

“I- huuuh… Your food is on the other side of the table.” She ended up deadpanning with a poker face.

“Oh. Okay, then ?” Aigis answered, still a bit weirded out by her small outburst. Having noticed her tone, Kotone did not wish to let the moment pass as if nothing happened and decided to apologise for her odd behaviour.

“S-sorry about that, Aigis. I’m just… a little nervous.”

This seemed to work as Aigis’ expression softened, but now another question was on her mind.

“There is no need to worry, Kotone. But what are you nervous for ?”

“O-oh ! N-nothing at all ! Don’t worry about it !”

In the end she decided to leave it at that, trying not to make things worse. Aigis’ incomprehension definitely remained but Kotone supposed she’ll find out soon enough anyway. Attempting to change the subject, she went next to Aigis to reveal her food. As she was about to lift the coupe, she couldn’t help herself but let the silliness out a little. She announced with an horrendous and overexaggerated french accent.

“And for ze very pretty lady, our chef haz prepared a truly special dish.” She dramatically lifted the coupe and exclaimed. “Chewing gum à la blueberry.”

Aigis played along and clapped at her silly antics, happy that Kotone could still be herself despite the romantic mood and her apparent nervousness. Said girl bowed quickly at her before going to her own place to perform a similar act for her own food, also calling herself pretty in the process. Once she was done, she set the coupes aside and sat down once and for all.

Kotone asked Aigis if she cared for a glass of wine, mostly out of politeness as she expected her to decline. Surprisingly, she actually agreed due to her feeling like the occasion was special enough, despite still not knowing what was happening. She still didn’t drink much throughout the night, but this did not stop her from enjoying it. The two proceeded to spend an incredible romantic evening together. Looking into each other’s eyes dreamily, sharing soft caresses and exchanging sweet words of love.

Once they were finished eating, or rather once Kotone was finished seeing as Aigis was still chewing her meal, their hands found each other. They didn’t need to exchange words anymore, the glint in their eyes was proof enough of the love they shared. At this exact moment, both wished time could stop, so they could enjoy this small moment together forever. Not being able to stop time, Kotone thought the least she could do was make this moment memorable. Taking one last deep breath, Kotone determinedly called for her beloved.

“Aigis ?”

“Yes ?”

“I have been thinking about asking you something for a while now, something very important actually. And I will, but first there are a few things I wish to tell you.”

Aigis only nodded, letting her continue without interruptions.

“Okay… First of all, I love you. I love you so damn much like you could never imagine. I know I’ve already told you like a million times but I truly, truly mean it. You’re my angel, Aigis. And you’ve turned my life into a paradise. I’m so happy to be able to spend my days with you, to wake up and fall asleep in your arms, to laugh, to touch, to cry and everything else I can’t think of right now… Aigis, I want us to spend the rest of our lives like this.”

She slowly got up while reaching for the case. With the box in hand, she approached the blonde woman slowly, hiding the ring from her eyes all the while. She didn’t even need to go through the trouble, the only thing Aigis could focus on at this moment were her lover’s eyes.

“This is why… This is why I need to ask you this very important question. A question that might change everything, and change nothing at the same time. A question which, at least I hope, might show just how much I care about you. Just how much I love you.”

During the entire ordeal, Aigis remained silent, not daring to interrupt her improvised speech. However, while the emotion was very evident in Kotone's voice, it was just as visible in the android’s eyes.

One step at a time. Kotone got on one knee, and showed her the case. As she did so, Aigis let out a gasp while putting her hand over her mouth. As Kotone slowly opened it, she revealed the ring to the world, to her world, to Aigis. Unable to back away anymore, she finally asked her this question she has rehearsed in her head countless of times..

“Aigis, would you… Would you marry me ?”

The android was utterly stunned, the emotion and love for this woman overwhelmed her rendering her incapable of speaking. A few tense seconds passed as Aigis didn’t move nor say anything, these seconds felt like hours to Kotone. Doubt took over logic, as worry and self-doubt were eating her away. Did she mess something up ? Was it too soon ? Too much ? Was Aigis really not interested ? These insecure questions kept on circling inside her head until she couldn’t take any more. Shakily, she called for her lover’s name, in desperate need of an answer.

“A-Aigis ?”

Brought out of her trance, Aigis was failing to focus on Kotone. Her body was starting to feel abnormally hot, uncomfortably so. She wished to answer her, but had trouble speaking as her vision was getting blurry. She felt as if she was about to break down.

“K-K-K-Koton-ne-n-ne. I-I-I-I-I-I-” Aigis response came off as an unnatural, robotic stutter, until suddenly.

Nothing.

Aigis’ head lay low, as the light disappeared from her eyes. Her body made a terrible mechanical sound, a sound Kotone has never heard from her before. She could only watch in horror, as her lover’s body lay limp in her chair.

“A-Aigis ! Aigis !” She called, but found no answer.

She tried to grab her by the shoulders but almost burned herself in the process. Despite the layers of clothing, Aigis’ body felt incredibly hot to the touch. It was even starting to let out steam. The terrible display in front of Kotone made her panic, she hurriedly picked up her phone and started calling Mitsuru, tears very present in her frantic eyes.

“Come on, Mitsuru ! Pick up ! Please, pick up !”

She repeated these same words desperately, praying anyone could help her, that someone could help her Aigis. When nobody picked up, her hope disappeared as she felt the tears roam freely on her cheeks. Thankfully, the horrible sensation did not last long as she felt a hand gently grab her naked shoulder. Despite the unexpected contact, she quickly recognised the cool touch she’s grown so accustomed to. Upon turning around, she saw her woman, back up and running again. She was okay, if not apologetic. A wave of relief hit Kotone who instantly launched herself at her, dropping her phone on the ground.

“AIGIS !” She shouted, voice full of relief as she embraced her. Once in her arms, Kotone let herself cry. She gripped her as hard as she could, as if she was afraid that Aigis might leave her again.

“O-oh my God, I-I was so scared ! I-I thought I lost you…”

“I-I am so sorry for worrying you, Kotone. I was overheating so much I needed to reboot. B-but I’m doing okay now, I promise. I’m so sorr-”

Kotone cut off her apology by crushing her lips against Aigis’. She didn’t need her making amends, she just needed to feel her. The kiss was messy, desperate but soothing. Aigis kissed her back just as hard, giving Kotone all the love and comfort she was craving. Once the brunette finally calmed down, she pulled back to rest her head on the other woman’s shoulder as exhaustion took over her.

A moment passed, with the two still in each other’s arms as Aigis rubbed her back reassuringly. While Kotone's previous question was completely out of her own mind, it was the only thing Aigis could think about. She couldn’t believe just how much she freaked out over it, even though the answer was so painfully obvious. To think she didn’t even overheat when Kotone touched her heart, which ended up being a common occurrence for them. Taking her mind off the intimate memory, Aigis broke the silence.

“I suppose I’ve never answered your question.”

Finally remembering the cause of all this, Kotone froze, feeling her heart skip a beat. She didn’t dare speak, only waiting for Aigis’ response.

“I-I would love to marry you.”

Kotone started crying again, thankfully, her tears were accompanied with an ecstatic smile this time. She looked into her girlfriend’s, or rather, her fiancée’s eyes and asked her.

“Y-you really do ?”

Not trusting her own voice, Aigis could only nod, happily smiling at her all the while.

“W-we’re gonna get married ? You and I ? W-we’ll be together forever ? I’m gonna call you my wife ?”

Aigis started crying too. After finding her voice she answered yes to all of Kotone's excited questions. Both girls embraced and kissed again, as a form of celebration this time. When the brunette pulled back, her thoughts came back to the forgotten ring.

“Oh ! Wait a second !”

Hurriedly, she fetched the dropped case on the floor, and bashfully showed the ring inside to Aigis.

“I-I hope you like it, I picked blue because I-I just love you eyes so much. T-they’re so pretty.”

“I… Thank you, I-I love it. I love you.”

Smiling widely, Kotone gently grabbed her hand, hovered the ring over her finger and asked for permission.

“May I ?”

“Y-yes. Please do.”

Slowly, she slipped the ring on the android’s metal finger. It was a perfect fit. Looking at the small sapphire, Aigis felt her smile growing endlessly and her tears flowing helplessly. To think, she once thought these fingers’ only use was to shoot at monsters. Kotone cupped her cheek, and brought their lips together once again.

As they pulled back, the fiancées looked at each other, smiling happily. Kotone caressed Aigis’ finger, enjoying the feeling of the ring brushing against her hand. Despite Aigis collapsing, both counted this night as an absolute success. The two women couldn’t be happier. This moment of pure and abundant joy came to an abrupt end, as a sudden realization hit the android.

“K-Kotone?”

“Yes, my fiancée ?” Kotone answered cheekily, very proud to be able to address the blonde woman by this title.

“Um… I-I don’t think we’re allowed to marry each other in Japan.”

“Ah… about that… How do you feel about America, Aigis ?”

“Man, with the wedding coming up. We might have to stop throwing parties for a while.”

“It would be nice to be the ones invited once in a while.” Aigis agreed.

Both women were finished preparing the final touches of the get-together they were planning. Somehow finding the time to do so despite their very busy schedules. The two still needed to work, and the wedding’s organisation took almost all their remaining free time. As Kotone just finished setting the table, she went to her fiancée, engulfing her in a hug.

“You still okay with telling them tonight ?”

“I suppose so. It’s not everyday we can all be together like this.” She stroked her hair gently while speaking, enjoying the small moment of peace they had together.

“Aside from Mitsuru, did you talk about the wedding to anyone else ?”

“Yeah, Fuuka and Yukari were there too. Sorry for telling them by the way, I kinda needed to let it off my chest.”

“There is no need to apologize. I actually did something similar when I wanted to ask you out.”

“Really ? You never told me that. With who ?”

“Yukari, my self-proclaimed wing-woman. I called her to talk about my crush… You.”

“Yeah, I figured, sweetheart.” She chuckled amusedly.

“I also told her how worried I was about her discovering this body of mine. I was quite self-conscious back then. I guess I still am to this day from time to time.”

“Oh, Aigis… You know I love you the way you are, right ? I really wish you could see yourself through my eyes. There is nothing about you I would change.”

Pure and unfiltered adoration filled Aigis’ core. She squeezed just a little harder, bringing Kotone as close to her as she could before asking.

“Say, do you think it’s too late to cancel ? We could just send a text to let them all know and… do something else tonight ?”

Kotone laughed lightly at her girlfriend's very unsubtle message. “Well, aren’t you impatient ? Don’t think I didn’t notice you not wearing any ribbon or tie too.”

She closed in on Aigis’ face, their lips being merely inches away from meeting. As she was doing so, she whispered sultrily. “Maybe… I’ll have to take you up on your offer…”

The sound of ringing interrupted the couple, bothing feeling like a deer caught in the headlights for a second. With an amused and slightly apologetic smile on her face, Kotone pulled away from her pouting fiancée to answer the door. The musician flung the door open, cheering for whoever was behind the door. Much to her surprise, Junpei and Chidori were the firsts to arrive. Junpei cheered in turn, bringing Kotone in his arms for a friendly hug. Seeing the display in front of her, Aigis’ pout quickly disappeared as she happily greeted her friends in turn.

They kept on coming one by one, until everyone was finally here. The night was fun and lively, they all laughed, ate and drank to their hearts' content. The group of friends spent their night catching up, and throwing pleasantries and light bickering alike at one another. After a while, once the get-together mellowed out a little, Kotone thought this was an appropriate time to deliver the good news.

“Shall we ?” she asked Aigis for approval, to which the android simply nodded in agreement. The couple got up from their couch as Kotone clinked her glass with a spoon demanding all her guests’ attention.

“Attention, please ! Okay, so first of all. Thank you all for coming !”

Everyone whooped and cheered loudly at that before resuming their conversations as if nothing happened. Kotone clinked her glass again, yelling in mock offense. “I wasn’t done !” which was met with fake-disappointed groans and booing.

“Ugh… Cry about it, why don’t you. Anyway, as I was saying before getting RUDELY interrupted, Aigis and I got a pretty big announcement…”

She paused for dramatic effect, playing a small drum roll in her head. She made sure to wait as long as possible, a way to get back at her friends for being annoying. Once she sensed her guests were actually getting impatient, she glanced at Aigis as a shy but happy smile formed on her lips. Suddenly she raised the android’s hand, showing the engagement ring to everybody.

“We’re getting married !” She squealed, along with a very red-faced Aigis.

If the cheering was loud before, it was cacophonic now. Even the three women who already were in on the plan joined in. Teasing and congratulations alike were thrown from everywhere. Junpei joked about how this was the end of their freedom which earned him an elbow from both Yukari and his wife. Aigis and Kotone looked in each other's eyes, both acknowledging and appreciating the love and support coming from their friends. As the party died down and people started going home. Only Junpei and Chidori remained, wishing to talk about the couple about their upcoming wedding.

“Do you already know in which state it will take place ?” Chidori asked.

“No, not yet. We wanted to let everyone know before deciding on that.” Aigis explained.

“Someone’s VERY excited about the honeymoon.” Kotone teased.

“And you’re not ?” Aigis retorqued despite the evident blush dusting her face.

“Guilty as charged, my beloved.” She admitted truthfully with a chuckle.

“Geez, save that for the wedding, you two.” Junpei said with a teasing eye roll.

“Psh, big talk for mister ‘I-I-I-I promised myself not to cry wah wah wah’” Kotone mocked, only slightly exaggerating his reaction during his own wedding.

“H-hey ! Cut me some slack ! It was the biggest day of my life ! Plus, don’t talk too soon ! I bet you’ll cry too !”

“Yeah I will, but unlike you I’m not gonna pretend like I won’t.”

“Do you think he’ll cry during our wedding too ?” Aigis asked.

“He definitely will.” Chidori confirmed.

“Wh- You too ?! Betrayed by my own wife…”

Ignoring her dramatic husband completely, Chidori continued. “Are you two feeling nervous ? I know I was when Junpei proposed.”

“Yes and no ? Like, married or not, I want us to be together for the rest of our lives anyway. But at the same time, it still feels like a big deal.” Kotone answered. “What about you, honey ?” She turned to Aigis.

“I… I am actually very nervous but… I’m thrilled too. It’s odd, I want the day to come as soon as possible and to never come at the same time.”

“Heh, you guys will be fine, don't worry too much about it. Even if something goes horribly wrong, I bet you’ll just laugh about it the day after !”Junpei said, trying and failing to be reassuring, causing a small grimace from the couple and an exasperated sigh from his wife.

“And on these kind words, I believe this is our cue to leave, Junpei. Thank you for your hospitality, you two, and congratulations once again.”

“Wh- What did I say wrong ?!” He complained as Chidori pretty much dragged him out of the apartement.

And thus, Kotone and Aigis found themselves alone in their apartment once again. Kotone was the one to cut the silence Junpei had set in.

“So, something horribly wrong, huh ?”

Aigis sighed. “This is going to stay on my mind until the wedding.”

“Hey, come on. What’s the worst that could happen ?” Noticing her side glance, Kotone quickly added. “Okay, nevermind. Don’t think about it.”

The two shared a small laugh before looking around, thinking about all the cleaning they’ll need to do tomorrow. Aigis however, decided to focus on something a little more entertaining.

“Kotone? Shall we continue where we left off ?” She asked a little too innocently.

Chuckling, the brunette teased. “Y'know, tradition says we’re supposed to wait until the honeymoon…”

After saying that, one of her hands found Aigis’ back, while the other started caressing her neck, right where her papillon heart was hiding.

“Lucky for you, I’m not very big on traditions.”

Turns out planning a wedding is hard, especially one abroad. True to her words, Mitsuru provided a very generous budget for the two of them. The couple however still had to plan everything themselves which while totally understandable, was still a pain. The very first step was to choose the date.

They decided to give themselves a little less than one year. Allowing them to comfortably prepare for everything and enjoy their wedding in the summer. With the help of the wedding planner they’ve hired and the internet, they slowly but surely took care of everything one step at a time. Kotone being fluent in English did help a lot but the entire process remained very slow.

After searching on the internet for the venue, the couple decided it should take place on a Hawaiian beach. Aigis failed to hide her excitement when she realised this was an actual option. She absolutely loved the beach, it was a very special place for her. Kotone didn’t really have any preference and was simply happy to give this to her fiancée. Besides, she had to admit she was pretty stoked about traveling to Hawaii.

The guest list was a no-brainer, given how the two didn’t really have any family aside from the ex-SEES members. They also decided to not form a wedding party, neither of them were comfortable choosing between their friends. They were all understanding and none of them minded at all. The couple only made one exception, deciding that Ken could be the one bringing them the rings. They doubted the other members would mind and both were aware as to how ecstatic that would make him. They were right as he almost began crying when they revealed the news to him, no matter how much he tried to deny it.

As for the honeymoon, it will take place in Hawaii as well. The two planned three weeks of vacations, just for the two of us. They’ll stay in the same hotel during that time while their friends will travel back home to resume their daily life. As for the activities, they decided to wait until they were actually there to decide. Although both knew they would be spending a lot of time together, just the two of them.

A few months have already passed, the couple still had a lot of things to do and decisions to make, but things were going pretty smoothly. At this very moment they were discussing another very important part for their wedding.

“I’m definitely going to wear a wedding dress. Never been much of a suit kind of gal. What about you, Aigis ?”

“I… I suppose I should wear a suit…” She said, rather unsurely.

Seeing right through her, Kotone asked. “You should ? Or you want to ?”

“I mean… A suit would be more the logical choice. It’s not as expansive and… It would be more suited for…” She paused to look sadly at the gauntlets donning her forearms.

“Camouflage…” She answered shamefully with a low voice.

Kotone had a feeling this was coming, she doubts Aigis will ever feel comfortable in her own body. No matter how much love she and her friends shower her with. The brunette needed to make her understand that, not only was she beautiful, but that she also gets to have a choice. She grabbed her hands, and looked deep into her eyes.

“Aigis… You do realise this is YOUR wedding, right ? You don’t have to wear something you don’t want to. This choice is yours to make, and yours only. And as dashing as you’d look in a suit, you’d also look absolutely gorgeous in a dress. So, what’s it gonna be ? No money bullshit excuse or whatever. Just tell me what YOU want to wear.”

Hesitantly, Aigis looked into her fiancée’s eyes, looking for an answer. She found none as all she saw was love, honesty and encouragement. Kotone didn’t bulge, she said her piece, all she wanted to know was what Aigis herself wanted to wear.

“I-In that case. I think I would like to wear a dress. Like you.” She admitted shyly.

Smiling softly, Kotone embraced her. “Of course, baby. You’re gonna look great. Hehe, two dresses for the price of one ? The girls are gonna be thrilled !”

Turns out Kotone was right, they were. Even if trying out and purchasing the two dresses ended up being rather chaotic. They were divided into two teams, one for each bride. Yukari and Mitsuru were in charge of picking Kotone's dress. Meanwhile Fuuka, Chidori and a very unenthusiastic Junpei were picking Aigis’. The two teams made sure to never meet each other, their friends absolutely forbid Aigis and Kotone from seeing each other while wearing wedding attire. The couple was slightly salty about it, secretly wishing to witness the other in such beautiful clothing, but were forced to comply either way.

The main objective was to obviously pick a dress both girls loved. Team Kotone didn’t have much trouble, between Yukari’s fashion sense and Mitsuru’s class, they managed to find the perfect dress for Kotone pretty quickly. The dress was an off-the-shoulder, tea length which showed her sleeves, it was a light pink instead of the traditional white. While the brunette wasn’t very hard to please, when she looked at herself in the glass, she thought the dress was very… Her. She had a feeling Aigis would love it, meaning she loved it too. Kotone and her team then spent time together in the boutique, trying out more dresses despite having already made their choice.

Team Aigis had a lot more trouble however, despite the limitations imposed due to the android’s body type. The staff were also not allowed to help Aigis put on the dress for obvious reasons. Which meant the two girls had to be the ones putting it on for her, which was not always an easy task. Aigis’ standards were also significantly higher than Kotone's while picking her dress. If she chose to wear one instead of a suit, it might as well be perfect. In the end, after a dozen dresses which either did not fit nor please the blonde woman. Aigis was slowly getting discouraged and was starting to have second thoughts about getting a dress. Deciding the next shall be their final try, it was actually Junpei who picked it. Needless to say, Aigis did not have much expectations.

As it turned out, when she saw her own reflection in the glass of the changing room, she gasped in awe. She thought the dress was beautiful. She thought she was beautiful. The dress was modest but very elegant, as if it was made for a princess. It was a high-neck ball gown of pure white that didn’t show an ounce of skin. Her sleeves, shoulders and neckline were covered by floral illusion lace, showing only hints of her body. At this very moment, the android was glad she listened to her fiancée. Fuuka mentioned how the veil could hide her headphones, but the blonde woman declined. The recent boost of confidence made her proud of this part of herself. She did not wish to conceal entirely what made her, her. The entirety of team Aigis gave her their enthusiastic approval, with Chidori feeling extremely proud of her husband.

Texting to each other that they were finished, the teams reunited with the couple back in their normal clothing. Curiosity took over Kotone who whispered to her fiancée.

“Soo, how did it go ? Found the dress of your dreams ?”

Aigis thought back of herself wearing the dress. A content smile appeared on her lips, as she took Kotone's hand in hers.

“I can’t wait for you to see me in it.”

The big day was approaching, slowly but surely. Time flew by as the couple kept on taking care of things they hadn't even thought about at first. Kotone joked about how so much work was going into a wedding that won’t even let them have any legal benefits. Joke which, for once, didn’t make Aigis laugh in the slightest as she was losing her mind over paperwork. Despite the boring process, the both of them thought it was worth it. Today, Aigis went to retrieve their wedding bands, she almost cried while doing so.

Kotone meanwhile was taking care of writing the height invitations for each of the ex-SEES members, Koromaru included. They already knew they were all available, so the process was mostly useful for handing over the plane tickets. She chuckled a little to herself, realising just how little people were going to attend. Not that she actually cared, what really mattered were the people invited. Right when she was done, Kotone received a rather unexpected phone call. One she’ll definitely need to discuss with her fiancée.

Aigis came back home, still in a very good mood due to her recent purchase. Expecting the usual bubbly greeting from Kotone, the protective woman was surprised when all she was met with was her annoyed expression.

“Kotone? Did something happen ?”

“Yeah, I guess ‘something’ is the best way to describe it.” She answered snappily before realising she was being unfair to Aigis for no reason. She sighed, and forced herself to change her tone.

“I’m sorry Aigis, it’s just… My foster parents called.”

Aigis had been expecting a lot of scenarios that could explain her sour mood. While this one made a lot of sense, it was not one of them.

“What ? Why would they have done that ?”
“Beats me. Apparently, they somehow heard about the wedding and wished to congratulate me. He was being all chummy with me, as if nothing ever happened. And he asked to meet the ‘lucky woman’. Pissed me the hell off.”

“To be honest, they’re not wrong about me being lucky.” The small quip actually managed to cheer up Kotone a little, as the ghost of a smile graced her lips. “What did you tell them ?”

“I wanted to tell him to piss off but I think I was too shocked to talk, so I said nothing. He probably sensed this was going nowhere, so he told me to call them again to let them know when we can meet them.”

“I see… What do you want to do, then ?”

She sighed before answering. “I… actually don’t know. I mean, knowing them it’s probably some sort of ploy. Maybe they want free vacations in Hawaii ? I dunno… It’s probably gonna sound weird but I still kinda wanna see them.” She admitted, before instantly backing away.

“Y-y’know what ? It’s a stupid idea. They’re the biggests jerks I’ve ever known, and that’s saying. Just forget what I said Aigis.” She rambled, it was as clear as day that she didn't really believe what she was saying.

“Kotone, it’s okay if you want to see them.”

“I… B-but, it’s not though. They never loved me and threw me away like garbage ! I haven’t talked to them in years. You’re gonna tell me they miraculously grew a soul overnight to start over ?!“

“I’m not saying you should forgive them for what they’ve done to you. I know I won’t. But if meeting them is important to you, then it’s important to me too. I will support your decision, no matter what it is and no matter why. As long as it comes from a place of honesty. Like me and the dress, remember ?”

Kotone couldn’t argue with her, instead she chuckled lightly and embraced Aigis.

“What did I do to deserve someone like you ?”

“Being Kotone Arisato is a pretty good start.”

“Dork…” She said fondly, before admitting. “I want to see them. At the very least to know how they found out about us.”

“Of course. Do you wish to call them back, or should I ?”

“Nah, don’t waste your breath on them. I’ll just send them a text. It’s more than what they’ve done to me.”

Aigis had a feeling this whole ordeal will end poorly, but at least she’ll be there to support Kotone. And thus, after multiple attempts at writing a civil enough message, the two were officially invited over this Saturday. Kotone supposed the earlier they get rid of it, the better. She absolutely did not plan on forgiving either of them, nor did she believe they’ve changed over the years. But Kotone just couldn’t let it go, she had to turn this page definitively before moving on with her life.

When Saturday morning came, Kotone woke up feeling moody. All she wished for was to go back to sleep and let the day pass. The android, who was already awake, must have sensed it.

“Do you regret your decision ?”.

Kotone let out a small huff of resiliation before saying. “Let’s just get this over with.”

The two were now in Aigis’ company car on the highway. The android rarely drove given how practical the train was but still knew how to. Kotone normally enjoyed long road trips, she liked watching the scenery and it was the perfect excuse to listen to music. Although given the circumstances, she had a bit more trouble this time. She had a feeling this two hours long trip will probably just be met with inevitable disappointment. Still, she forced herself to stay the positive and bubbly Kotone, at least for Aigis’ sake, who has done nothing but support her.

“Say, you think I should get my driver’s licence ? I know we don’t drive much, but it could still be useful right ?”

“I do not think I trust you behind the wheel.” Aigis answered with painful honesty.

“Wha- Hey ! What makes you say that ?!” She exclaimed, partly offended, partly amused.

“I’ve seen you play Mario Kart.”

“That’s just a video game, Aigis ! I’m not some kind of lunatic !”

“The window we had to repair might have something to say about this.”

“The controller slipped from my hands ! I told you a million times !”

“And to this day, I still do not believe you.”

Kotone crossed her arms and pouted, mostly as a joke. Aigis noticed her behaviour, and despite knowing her fiancée was kidding, she still apologetically rubbed her shoulder to comfort her. Kotone couldn’t keep up the act anymore and started laughing.

“You know I love you, right ?”

“And I love you too. How are you feeling ?”

“Weird. Didn’t expect to see them again after all this time. I’m just not sure what to expect, I guess. Aside from something bad, obviously. But as long as you’re with me, I know it’s going to be fine.”

This hopeful statement led her to a very awkward aperitif. Kotone and Aigis were sitting together hand-in-hand while her foster parents were sitting opposite to them. Her foster dad was wearing a very forced smile on his face, while his wife seemed annoyed, as if Kotone was intruding her home again. The brunette was glaring at them and did nothing to try and hide it. As for Aigis, she remained passive with a neutral expression on her face, not showing the disdain she felt for these two people.

“So…” Her foster mom started. “You really are marrying this woman ?” She asked almost disdainfully, still not quite believing what she was saying. Her husband cleared his throat loudly as a way to tell her to not make a scene, which obviously failed pretty hard at being subtle. Kotone wasn’t sure what annoyed her the most.

“Yep.”

“Um… Well… Congratulations again, honey !” Mr. Yuki forced out the words of his mouth.

“Honey, huh ? That’s a first. Or maybe you just forgot my name.”

“Now, don’t be ridiculous ! Of course we wouldn’t forget our dear daughte-”

“Cut the crap already.” She finally snapped. “‘Dear daughter’ ? Are you kidding me ? We haven’t talked in literal years. You threw me away like garbage when I was still a kid. I never was your daughter.”

“Kotone, please be reasonable. W-we know we’ve been… harsh to you.”

“Understatement of the year.” She scoffed.

Her foster mom seemed to be already tired of this charade. Despite being an absolute coward, he had to be the one continuing the conversation.

“Think of it as a form of… tough love ! And look at you now ! A bright young woman and her wonderful… partner.” He gestured to Aigis as the word had a lot of trouble coming out of his mouth.

“Do you even know her name ? Or maybe, what I do for a living ? Or how I managed to survive on my own for so long, huh ? Where the fuck were you all these years ?!”

“H-honey I-”

“Don’t you ‘honey’ me ! You took everything from me ! You took HIM from me ! Where were you when he died ?!” She screeched at them, heart full of resentment and fury.

Concerned, Aigis wrapped her arm around Kotone, comforting her as best as she could despite her own fury. Kotone calmed down a little thanks to her touch, taking deep breaths, she tried as best as she could to contain her tears. She refused to let them see them. An unsettling silence set, until her foster mom rolled her eyes and told her husband.

“I told you, it was a waste of time. She’s just as useless to us.” Kotone definitely picked up on that word. It’s been engraved in her brain during her stay in this awful house. If she wasn’t useful to these people, she didn’t deserve love.

“‘Useless’ ? What’s your little plan, exactly ? I don’t believe for a second that you two give a single shit about me. So at the very least be honest and tell us why we’ve wasted precious hours of our lives just to see you.”

“W-well, you see… E-elections are coming up, a-and your mother and I, we-”

“He thought that supporting your little… affair would make us win vote, but of course you had to ruin it. At least this proves we don’t need help from a bunch of deviants.”

Kotone didn’t even have the time to get angry, her fiancée beat her to the punch.

“How dare you.” These were Aigis’ first words ever since arriving here, and they were dripping with venom. Kotone didn’t know she actually was capable of sounding so hateful.

“You two are the most despicable human beings I’ve ever had the displeasure of meeting. You should be ashamed of yourselves !”

“Excuse me ?! You come into my hous-” She started screaming but was quickly cut off by Aigis’ icy tone.

“Don’t you say another word to me, or to Kotone. To think people like yourselves have been given the right to live on sickens me. So many sacrifices and lost lives for a pair of pathetic, small-minded little creatures such as yourselves !”

The disdain was very evident in her voice. She probably wasn’t making a lot of sense to the couple she was currently insulting, but she didn’t care. She needed to get this out of her chest.

“Both Kotone AND Makoto are some of the most wonderful people I have ever met in my life. Knowing that you two brought so much pain to the two of them…” She failed to finish her sentence, afraid of her own anger as her body was starting to heat up dangerously.

“Do not even think about trying to reach out to us again. I never want to see your faces again.” When Aigis made her move to leave, too furious to bear the sight of the couple, Kotone turned to them. The stunned look on their faces was priceless to her.

Smugly she told them. “I’M the lucky woman.”

She wasn’t sure if they remembered this specific comment of theirs or if they even heard her, but she didn’t care. She left and went after Aigis without saying any other word. She was angrily waiting in the car, almost shaking with fury. Kotone had never seen her act this way before. Despite being built as a weapon, Aigis was the most gentle, patient and calm person she’s ever met. She felt bad for dragging her into all this, but at least she didn’t have to think about the Yukis ever again.

When Kotone entered the car beside Aigis, the simple presence of her lover visibly calmed her down. Another feeling took over her anger, shame. The android had trouble meeting her gaze, only focusing on the steering wheel she’s been viciously gripping for the last few minutes. Kotone wasn’t really sure what to tell her, her only wish right now was to be back home and spend the rest of the day with her.

“I’m sorry.” Aigis whispered, finally breaking the silence.

“Huuuh… For what exactly ?”

Clearly both women failed to understand each other at this moment.

“I-I’ve lost my temper so easily. I was feeling so angry. Angry for you. Angry for Makoto. I just couldn’t stop myself. I’m so sorry, Kotone. I know this meeting wasn’t supposed to be about me.”

“Okay, first of all. Don’t apologize for being awesome. These jerks absolutely deserved it and man did you lay it on them. Second of all. No matter what these bigots say or think and no matter what the law has to say. In three months from now on, we are going to be married. We are going to become wives. Which means, there is no you, and there is no me. Just us. You had every right to say your piece, and I’m glad you did.”

Aigis chuckled lightly as her anger fully disappeared from her body. “You always know what to say.”

“Nah, I just say what I think.”

“Then, you always know what to think.”

“Hehe, I guess you’re right ! Now can we go home ? Getting real sick and tired of this place. I don’t even care about knowing how they found out about us anymore.”

Aigis complied and started the engine before setting off.

“They must have some sort of connection to the Kirijo group. Most politicians do. It is rather worrying that they could access such private information however. I’ll have to talk to Mitsuru about this.”

“Maybe they actually know her personally and they somehow talked about me ? I’ve never mentioned them to anyone aside from you.”

“I suppose this is also a possibility. Either way, how about we take it easy for today ? I think we both deserved it.”

“God yes, it’s like you read my mind.”

“Who said I can not ?”

Kotone played along. “Oh, really ? What am I thinking about right now ?”

“A, that you love me. B, that you want to order pizza for tonight. And C, that you want to pick the next song playing on the radio.”

“Okay, are you actually psychic ? Surely I can’t be that predictable, right ?”

Aigis smiled as she brought Kotone's hand to her lips and delivered a soft kiss on her knuckles.

“Only to me.”

Kotone woke up, with only one thing on her mind being ‘Holy shit, this is actually happening.’. She glanced at their packed suitcases, to the woman sleeping peacefully in her arms. Doing so did absolutely nothing about the lump in her throat nor her fast heartbeat. Needless to say, she has never been this terrified or excited in her life. To think the wedding wasn’t even taking place today.

When Aigis woke up, just a few minutes later, she was in a similar mindset. Searching for her fiancée, she realized Kotone woke up earlier than her and was currently washing her teeth. She got up and went to talk to her, right outside of their bathroom.

“Good morning, Kotone. How are you doing ?”

“Mornin' baby. I’m pretty nervous. How about you ?”

“I have to admit, I feel the same way.”

“I guess this is gonna be a long flight then, huh ?”

“Indeed, it will take approximately eight hours to reach Hawaii. Speaking of which, is this going to be your first time riding a plane ?”

Kotone spit out and washed her mouth, before carrying on with her morning routine.

“Now that you mention it… I was so preoccupied with the wedding I didn’t even realise, but yeah it’s gonna be my first time.”

“Will you be alright ?”

“Awww, you worried about lil’ ol’ me ?”

“Always.”

Kotone couldn’t help but snort at her very serious and matter-of-fact response. “Fair enough. For real though, I’m sure I’ll be fine, babe. I’ll probably sleep during the whole thing anyway. If… I somehow manage to forget about the wedding for five seconds.”

Aigis fake-gasped at her. “We’re not even wedded yet and you already wish to forget our union ?”

“Wh- You know what I mean !”

Both girls shared a laugh, feeling their nerves easing a little.

“By the way, when are we supposed to meet up with the others again ?” Kotone asked.

“At noon sharp.”

The music-lover took a glance at their clock, reading that it was still very early in the morning.

“Oh, we still have plenty of time left.” She then proceeded to pull Aigis in the bathroom before telling her slyly. “Still, juuust in case maybe we should probably shower together.”

“But… I don’t need to show-”

“Oh.”

After a not so productive morning, they met their friends at the airport. Thankfully, everyone was on time, seeing as they were all pretty hyped up about the trip. They all excitedly boarded the plane together. For most of them, this will be their first time leaving Japan. True to her words, Kotone fell asleep mere minutes after takeoff, her head laying on her fiancée’s shoulder during the entirety of the flight. She woke up with a sore neck but feeling refreshed nonetheless. Apparently the flight didn’t go without turbulence and it would seem she and Akihiko were the only ones who managed to get some sleep.

“Man, I slept like a baby ! I sure do LOVE the plane ! What about you guys ?” She couldn’t help but joke to her very tired friends upon landing.

Luckily for her, their urge to kill died down rather quickly once they took in the beauty of the tropical American state. Unfortunately, both their exhaustion and jet lag led them all to collapse on their respective beds upon reaching their hotel rooms. Aside from Akihiko who was feeling pumped and decided to, unsurprisingly, go out for a late night jog. Kotone and Aigis were feeling fine as well, instead of exercising they decided to take a nice and long walk on the beach together, where their wedding will be held. Hand-in-hand they gazed at the alluring night sky as they walked in the clear sand and listened to the calming ocean waves.

“It’s beautiful.” Aigis referred to the stars.

“Would it ruin the moment if I said ‘not as beautiful as you’ or… ?”

“Perhaps you should try your luck ?”

“Nah, I’ll just think it so hard you’ll hear it anyway.”

Aigis laughed lightly before continuing. “Perhaps I should have bought a ring and proposed right here. This would have been a great opportunity.”

“I dunno if you can do that but whenever gay marriage becomes legal in Japan, you’ll know what to do.”

“We never did figure out how this worked.”

“No, we did not, but… No matter how tense I am feeling right now, and how much time it took to prepare. I’d do it all again. Huh… Still with you, of course.”

“Me too. However, maybe we should wait a couple paychecks before preparing a second wedding.”

“Yeah, I also wouldn’t really mind keeping it casual this time. Just me and you.”

“That does sound nice… Are you having second thoughts about tomorrow ?”

“Not a single one. You ?”

Instead of providing an obvious answer, Aigis simply decided to bring her lips to hers. Their last kiss before the fateful one that would seal their alliance. After their nice little outing, they proceeded to return to their respective hotel rooms. Despite their lack of respect for traditions, and how much they liked being near each other. The couple actually decided to stay in different rooms and to avoid seeing each other until the ceremony. They’ll share the same room, only once the honeymoon starts.

And finally, the awaited day came. Upon waking up, both girls instinctively tried to reach for the other woman only to remember they weren’t lying in the same bed. This was when realisation hit the both of them pretty hard. If they’ve been nervous this entire year, it definitely couldn’t compare to what they were feeling right now.

Despite not having planned a wedding party, their group of friends have once again divided into a group of two. Not only to help the couple prepare themselves, but also as a way to make sure they wouldn’t see each other. Aigis took quite a long time to get ready, as Yukari had a bit of trouble doing her make-up due to her face’s substance. Which meant Kotone was the first one out of the hotel. While readying herself she decided, for once, to drop the ponytail and let her hair loose. Now on the beach along with a part of her group of friends, she was standing on the aisle, forced to wait for Aigis tensely.

Meanwhile, the android in question was almost done getting prepared. She found herself in awe upon looking at her own reflection in the mirror. Despite being called beautiful countless times by Kotone, the instances she herself thought so were rare. At this very moment however, Aigis truly believed her. She could already feel her tears coming as happiness and emotion were starting to overwhelm her.

Thankfully, she somehow managed to contain them, saving them for the ceremony itself. Her friends then proceeded to reach for the beach, while she was taking care of the final touch of her attire. She was putting on an accessory she purchased for herself just for this occasion. It was a beautiful butterfly-shaped blue pendant which covered her papillon heart perfectly. Not being able to wear her usual garments, she still wished for Kotone to remove an article of clothing off her before reaching for her heart during the honeymoon. Appreciating its beauty, she thought it might have to replace her tie entirely. Finally ready, Aigis took a deep breath and made her way to the beach by herself.

As the android arrived, all eyes were on her. Her friends who haven’t seen her wearing the dress yet felt their jaws drop on the spot. But Kotone, she was astonished. She had always thought that Aigis was incredibly pretty, but right now, she was majestic. This wasn’t only due to her current attire, as the brunette did not fail to notice the confidant light in her eyes.

Despite not being accompanied while walking the aisle, Aigis could feel Makoto’s spirit alongside her. Guiding her, as he always did, to her soon-to-be spouse. The closer she got to Kotone, the more she could take in her beauty. The android at first, had a lot of trouble defining this specific word but at this very moment, she thought she was looking at the living definition of it. No amount of make-up, hair stylists, or classy dresses could make Kotone any prettier to her eyes. It was knowing that she went through all this trouble just for her that made her so beautiful.

As Aigis finally reached her, the couple just couldn’t keep their eyes off each other. The officiant started his greeting speech which neither woman managed to pay any attention to, both still baffled by the other’s appearance. They started whispering to each other softly, as the consultant took everyone’s attention off of them.

“Aigis… You look… Wow.”

“I could say the same to you. I… I really like your hair.”

“Thank you… but you know you get to see it like this everytime I wake up, right ? Um… But I guess it looks a little better when it’s not bed-hair.”

“Bed-hair, or not. I still love it.”

Kotone smiled at her, before focusing again on the officiant. Just in time as he started addressing her.

“Do you, Kotone Arisato take Aigis Kimijama to be your wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, in good time and not-so-good times, for richer or poorer, committing yourself unto them for as long as you both shall live ?”

“Of course, I do.”

“And do you, Aigis Kimijama take Kotone Arisato to be your wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, in good time and not-so-good times, for richer or poorer, committing yourself unto them for as long as you both shall live ?”

“I do.” She said a little too quickly and forcefully, earning her a few snickers from both her friends and fiancée. Aigis wasn’t embarrassed in the slightest, she thought her eagerness was totally understandable. Either way, the officiant carried on professionally.

“Now that you have declared your intentions, I invite you to share your vows with one another.”

Kotone was the first one to start, and was suddenly hit with a bit of stage fright.

“U-um. Okay so, I-I actually planned this whole speech but I forgot absolutely everything. So… I’m just gonna roll with it.”

She cleared her throat a little before starting, as nobody was surprised by what she just said. The brunette found her usual confidence as she started speaking from her heart.

“Aigis, before I met you, I was miserable, I truly was but you… You’ve changed everything. You brought me so much happiness just by being the wonderful person that you are. I love how you laugh at my jokes, even the very bad ones. I love how protective and jealous you get when a jerk hits on me. I love how kind you are, and how you let me be myself, for the good and the bad. I could go on for hours and hours but I’m not sure our friends would appreciate it very much. This is why I hope that by being yours and yours only, I can make you understand just how much I love you, even if I forgot this dumb speech. I love you so much, Aigis.”

The blonde woman finally felt the tears coming back and flowing freely. They were discreet at first, unlike how Junpei’s were currently. As it was her turn to share her vows, she knew this won’t be the last of them.

“Kotone… I know how it feels to love and lose. I know how painful it is and I know that one day, I will have to experience this pain again. Despite this and even if time flies so quickly, I will make sure to enjoy every single second of our lives together until the very e-end.” She was sobbing now, as most of her friends were. No matter how much Kotone wanted to shed her own tears as well, she stayed strong for her lover who was pouring her heart out for her.

“I-I love you so much. A-and when you love someone, you fear how much it hurts when you lose them. B-but I-I’m tired of being afraid of the inevitable. R-right now, all I want is to love you, to spend as much time as I can loving you. I w-want to be by your side, protecting and c-caring for you. To be the one to make you h-happy, to make you smile a-and to make you laugh. Y-you are what’s most precious to me and this is why…” She took a deep breath, having trouble finishing her last sentence. She looked into Kotone's eyes, and in them, she found the strength she was looking for.

“This is why I want to be your wife, as I want you to be mine. Forever and ever.”

This was the last straw, Kotone couldn’t take it anymore as both women were openly crying. Despite Aigis’ strangely worded vow, the consultant continued, he had no say in this after all and was in no place to judge.

“May I have the ring, please ?”

Ken was brought out of his trance, as he quickly brought the two rings to him while trying to hide his obvious crying. Upon receiving them, the consultant gave one to Kotone, then to Aigis in turn. The two were shaking as they grabbed them.

“Kotone, please place the ring on Aigis’ finger.”

Kotone did as she was instructed. As she placed the ring right on top of Aigis’ engagement ring, she felt herself smiling upon seeing them together. Both served as a reminder of this incredible journey they shared together. As a proof of their love for each other. Aigis’ ring finger might be able to kill someone, but at this moment, it was the most beautiful thing Kotone has ever laid her eyes on.

“Aigis, please place the ring on Kotone's finger.”

In turn, Aigis placed the ring on Kotone's once naked finger. Her heart filled with joy, as she saw their fingers match. They were married, her and Kotone were wives and even had the rings to prove it. Aigis would have never thought that this is what her life would come to. That she’d be able to call a woman she loved her wife. That she could love and be loved in return. And if she could experience such happiness, it was all because she’s been given the chance to live on. The Arisato twins truly were blessings brought upon this world.

“Now that you, Kotone and Aigis, have promised to give yourselves to one another, to love each other through your sacred vows, and through the giving and receiving of these rings, I have the great honor and pleasure to now pronounce you married ! You may now kiss !”

Kotone and Aigis have shared countless kisses before, despite this there were only a few they would never forget. Even if they haven’t committed to the act yet, both were convinced this one won’t be any different. Kotone's hands cupped her wife's face and chased the tears away. They showed to each other one last sincere smile, before closing their eyes and bringing their lips together. And sealed their union forever. Their found family cheered, clapped and celebrated for them but neither could hear as they were too lost in the moment. Upon pulling away, Aigis started carrying her wife, spinning her around happily. With their delighted laughter echoing along with their friends’ cheering, the couple innocently celebrated their love for each other.

A love that will last forever and ever.