Work Text:
The soft spring sun climbs high over Watatsumi Island, warming the crowd that gathers on the pink clamshells that surround the Sangonomiya Shrine.
At the head of the crowd, standing under the massive shrine gate, is Kamisato Ayato. His title today: the groom.
The Yashiro commissioner faces away from the crowd. To onlookers, he seems to be eagerly awaiting the arrival of his bride.
Inside, however, his mind tracks back to the meeting that started this all.
*Ayato sits at his desk at the Kamisato estate, regarding his visitors with unreadable eyes.
It’s unusual for Lady Guuji to come to call. For the Raiden Shogun to accompany her? Unheard of.
“To what do I owe this pleasure, Your Excellency, lady Guuji?”
The Shogun regards him with a soft, unyielding look. The feeling of being sized up sends a prickle of unease up his spine.
“He’ll do,” she murmurs, before addressing him directly. “You’re to be married at the beginning of spring.”
For the first time since Ayato took up the position of clan head, his mind screeches to a halt. “Pardon me, Your Excellency. I’m not sure I heard correctly. Married?”
“You heard correctly.”
Ayato’s heart cracks, the ornate ring that has been sitting in his pocket for nearly a month now, waiting to be given to you, now weighing heavier than the mantle of clan head.
“Who will I be marrying?”
Yae Miko is the one to answer him. “I have been speaking with Sangonomiya Kokomi and we’ve agreed that a marriage between an extended family member of hers and someone from the clans that run the tri-commissions would go a long way to mending the rifts between us. As you’ve yet to be married, we decided that you would make an ideal candidate.”
“Will you agree to this?” Raiden Shogun asks.
“It is my duty to serve, Your Excellency.”
“Good. You and Miko will be in charge of planning the ceremonies.”
“Yes, Your excellency.”
Raiden Shogun and Yae Miko stand.
“I’ll be back, Ayato-kun.”
With that, Ayato is left with the pieces of his broken heart.*
After that, Ayato had done his best to find you, but to no avail.
As he continues to wait for his bride, the soft sound of the shrine’s fountains doing nothing to calm his nerves, his mind turns to you.
You were his first love, and hopefully his only one.
The two of you had met one sunny day at one of the vendors Ayato frequents. You had started talking, laughing at the antics of the people around you and the situations you both found each other in. Neither of you thought of each other’s station. It was… nice.
Soon random meetings in the city turned into clandestine meetings whenever the two of you were on the same island. You had often stated that you weren’t often free to enjoy the sights of the city and he was inclined to agree. Being the head of the clan doesn’t allow for the free time he wishes he had.
Secret meetings became public as the two of you started courting. Both Ayaka and Thoma were happy to aid Ayato in marrying for love, not the politics he hates.
But that means nothing now.
Ayato tries to ignore the lance of pain when he thinks about your lively eyes and lyrical way of speaking, the way you always seemed to dance when you walked. A married man can’t love another woman after all.
Music fills the air, drawing his attention away from the past and the heart ache to the opening shrine doors.
Sangonomiya steps out with a woman in a flowing blue dress and a lacework veil. Four priestesses follow the pair.
Ayato ignores Sangonomiya and focuses on the bride. A nagging sense of familiarity tugs at him.
Her figure, her gait, something about it seems familiar, comfortingly so.
Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Yae Miko catching his eye, mouthing “Your welcome”.
Ayato’s heart jumps. A familiar figure and one of Miko’s “I know something you don’t know” looks. It couldn’t be….
Except… he knows that you live on Watatsumi Island, that you find your duties to be rather tiring and that you admire one of your cousins--though you never named names. Still, it’s too convenient, right?
Sangonomiya and the rest of the bridal party stop under the gates.
Ayato lifts the bride’s veil and his heart stops. “Y/N?”
Your eyes glitter as you try and fail to hold a straight face. “Lady Guuji said I might see an interesting face today. It looks like she was right.”
“Lady Guuji…”
Ayato falls silent as the Divine Priestess starts the ceremony.
“You may kiss the bride,” Sangonomiya concludes with a smile.
Ayato cups your face, tracing your jaw with his thumb before capturing you in a deep kiss.
“I love you, Y/n. Will you marry me?” he asks you.
You laugh at his question. “I just did, Ayato-kun.”
“I know. I just wanted to ask.”
Heartbeat becomes joy as the two of you join… for eternity.