Rin - Your Foot in Marriage [Non-H]

Light invades my vision as I'm shaken to life by an over-enthusiastic woman, humming a tune as she jumps from one foot to the other. Her auburn hair sways in the air as she dances around, filled with more happiness than should be possible this early in the morning.

“C'mon c'mon c'mon we don't have all day!”

One more hour of sleep couldn't hurt. Or, at least, that's what I'd like to believe until she nudges me a little too hard and I roll off of the couch, nearly knocking my head against the glass-top coffee table. I've come to believe that this couch is my best friend in this house, having been barred from going anywhere near her room since y-

“If you don't hurry up we're going to miss our reservation!”

“Yeah, yeah, I hear you.” I respond.

I reach up to the table and pull myself off of the ground, reaching for the small white slab on its surface and tapping the thin button at the top. The screen lights up, indicating that it's ten in the morning. Not too early, not too late I suppose.

One text message lights up the screen, a small bit of text from my mother informing me that...Rin has been safely placed in her custody as of  9:21 AM?

“ACK.”

I jump to my feet upon realizing what day it is, resisting the urge to hammer my skull against the table for even forgetting in the first place.

The tenth. A day that would go down in history. Our history, anyway.

“Are you ready yet?” Mrs. Tezuka calls out from somewhere else in the house, her present location losing relevance as her brilliant bravado rings throughout every inch of the building.

“Gimme a minute!” I call back as I jump into the pair of khakis. A white dress shirt soon joins it, followed by a black denim vest. I have to use a substitute since it would seem that my beloved sweater-vest was confiscated when I wasn't looking.

I made sure to pack a backup; but still, I liked that sweater-vest.

Combing my hair and other general preparations only devours about five minutes, allowing me to scramble back into the living room to finish up. However, I'm only able to force the first shiny black shoe onto my foot before a deep voice splits the silence.

“Good morning, Hisao.”

“Good morning, Mr. Tezuka.” I reply, trying to straighten up despite only wearing one shoe.

The bear himself greets me at the front door, dressed in a red polo shirt and a pair of blue jeans. A cup of coffee steams in his hand, indicating that I wasn't the only one forced to wake up recently.

“Sorry if you were expecting some kind of big man-talk, it's too early in the morning.” he grumbles.

“Ah, don't worry about it.” I reply.

Good manners are key here. It took three weeks of convincing just to get him to consider, and I was only recently 'approved'. I'd hate if I got so close to the goal line only to have the ribbon cut and the race canceled before I could even finish.

“Nice to see you two up bright and early! Come on, we've only got thirty minutes!” the woman of the house chimes, the skirt of her black-and-red dress waving up and down as she skips to the door.

“Shizuka, it takes five minutes to walk there.” he answers as we step out of the door, the sound of a lock clicking following behind.

“You should know better than anyone the importance of being early.” she returns, nudging him in the side.

“Yeah yeah...” he sighs.

He clicks a button on the plastic slab in his hand, unlocking the doors of the red Coupe. Within the minute we all sit strapped into the black leather seats, engine humming as we back out of the driveway.

Just as Mr. Tezuka said, it only takes five minutes for us to arrive at the destination; an Italian restaurant packed to the brim with lunch crowd. Rather than waiting, however, Mrs. Tezuka nudges her way in, gesturing for us to join her as she practically cuts in line. No objections are thrown up as she flashes a small embossed reservation card, giggling as the three of us are given priority and seated in a booth.

“Hey, Touya, what's special about this place?”

“First date.” he answers without even looking up from his menu.

“Aaaaaand?”

“Also where I proposed to you. And where we ate for our 4th, 13th, and 19th anniversaries.”

“Exactly!” she calls back with about a hundred times the enthusiasm.

It's still a mystery to me how these two wound up together; a man with a physical build like a heavyweight wrestler and a woman with more energy than a chinchilla on speed. I know opposites attract, but this is ridiculous. Of course, I can't really say much, going by the picture of the red-haired girl in the background of my phone. We've certainly have the opposites part down just as well as them, at any rate.

It's easy to see that they have their moments, though, like when they both order the exact same thing and then thank the waiter in the same manner. I guess being stuck with the same person for 20 years can do that to you.

I feel out of place ordering something different, but I've never found myself one to experiment at expensive high-class restaurants. If the meal is 2,000 yen, then I'm going with what I trust; and spaghetti is what I trust.

Even if the waiter nearly drops it when he comes back with our orders.

“So, are you excited?” Mrs. Tezuka asks between bites of alfredo.

Am I excited? We've been planning it for what feels like forever, really. I think I've had enough time to get my nerves under control for today, and after the rehearsal yesterday it's not like there's going to be any surprises or anything.

“Not really, just anxious.”

“I'll bet you just can't wait to carry her away~.” she chimes.

Well I can't really say I'm not looking forward to that, but-

“I think he's just happy that he doesn't have to sleep on the couch anymore.” Mr. Tezuka interjects.

“Well with an upgrade from the couch to the bed, I think he has lots to be happy about.” the woman next to him counters.

"Your couch is nice, but a bed is certainly a lot more comfortable." I comment.

"I was referring to the cute girl that comes with the bed~." she whispers, nudging her husband in the side when he adopts a more threatening scowl.

******************

“Well, that was delicious. But if you boys could excuse me for just a few moments...”

She steps out of the stall and walks off toward the bathroom, waving goodbye as she leaves me alone with the bear-sized man across the table.

Unsure of what to say or do in the ensuing silence, we both stare out the window. Cars stop and pass through the parking lot to the side with all manner of people, dressed up or not, coming and going.

“Nervous?” Mr. Tezuka asks, without even turning to me.

“To be honest, yeah. A little.” I respond.

“That's natural. It's difficult to be perfectly calm on a day like this, even if it isn't your ceremony.”

Even if it isn't my ceremony. I guess that's right, it's not just a special day for Rin and I. Everyone else must be feeling pretty emotional as well. Even if they're good at not showing it.

“It's just...there's too many things that could go wrong. The priest could miss a line, or it could start raining, or I could drop the-”

“Relax.” he says.

“If there's any problems, you can work through them. That's what marriage is.”

Before he can add anything further, the waiter comes back and lays a black booklet on the table. All of our dishes are stacked onto a tray, with him trying not to let it tip over as he gives a polite bow.

“I understand that, it's just...is there any way to stop the problems from even happening? It's good to be able to solve things, but how can I just prevent it altogether?'

“It's right to wonder about those things, but the truth of the matter is; no man has ever gone into a commitment like this fully aware of what he'd be facing down.”

“First, let me say something as a married man. It's a real trip, I'm talking one crazy lifelong adventure. There's gonna be days where you two are the happiest people on the face of the earth, and on others you won't be able to stand living with one another. Marriage doesn't just 'work', you're going to encounter problems that won't solve themselves. What's important is that you work through it.”

He gazes into the small golden ring on his finger, smiling as memories rush through his head.

“But don't think it isn't worth it; that all the problems can't be worth it. You wouldn't be where you are today if you didn't think it was worth it, so you're doing one thing right.”

“I've been with the same woman for 23 years. And if I told you I loved her any more or any less than I did 23 years ago, I'd be lying through my teeth. But we've had our fair share of problems; more than that, even.”

“With that said, next let me tell you something as a regular man. I hate to sound like a chauvinist or a sexist or what have you, but women are problems. They cause bad things to happen, they start issues, they raise hell, and dammit we love 'em too much for it. You have to be able to handle those problems and fix things when they break; even the smallest things like a leaky pipe under the sink can become a huge deal.”

“I could tell you horror stories about that woman guilting me into the doghouse just for leaving the toilet seat up or coming home fifteen minutes late. And don't forget that all women grow up to be their mothers, so even a laid-back girl like Rin is going to be jumping on you for the smallest things.” he continues.

“Heck, I can give you some warnings on that front already. Don't ever rearrange or try to clean up her painting space. She had a fit the first and only time Shizuka did that.”

Next, he takes up a more stern expression, his dull amber eyes inspecting every inch of my face, just daring any imperfections to show themselves. I straighten my back and try to take the most refined posture possible just to wall off any possibility.

“Now then, let me talk to you as a father.”

He pauses as if to get his words in the correct order before going off, “that's not just any woman you're about to run off with; that's my daughter. My lifeblood and the most important thing to me on this earth, bar none.”

“Nuclear apocalypse or Rin? Rin. ¥30,000 pay raise or Rin? Rin.”

His chest heaves up and down in deep breaths as he tries to remain calm, twirling a silver lighter between his fingers as he tries to resist the urge to whip out a cigarette right here.

“I have been there every day it's possible for an insurance salesman. I was there the day she entered this world – when she was a tiny baby whose hand barely measured up to my thumb. I was there when she had to have surgery before she was barely a week old. I was there for her first word.”

He stops and mouths the word 'papa' to himself, trying to hold back a smile.

“When she was trying to open doors with her teeth at the age of five, when she was making messes in the kitchen trying to pour herself a glass of milk at eight, falling asleep in the backyard and staring up to the sky at twelve, using a typewriter with her feet at fourteen...”

He lists off all of his fondest memories, almost to the point of rambling – getting carsick at the age of seven, chasing butterflies in the park at six, picking flowers with her teeth for mother's day at eleven...

“But, those are just simple things, aren't they? I know Rin's a special girl to both you and me, but can everything she does be that much of a marvel?”

He stops for a moment to get his words back in order.

“What I'm trying to say is; you never truly understand how much a parent loves their child until you've have one yourself. I know how 'unmanly' it may be to say so, but Rin is my baby.”

“But I've been rambling here. Let me get to the point: I'm a man who protects the things he loves. If I ever hear anything about you abusing, harassing, or generally being a bad person to my baby, bad things will happen”

There's the bad things again. Every time I'm issued a warning, it merely ends with 'bad things.'

“What exactly do you mean by that? Not that I'd ever harm her, it's just...I'm curious is all.”

His momentum stops as he tries to think of a way to put words to the horrors in his head, scratching his chin in thought.

“Did I ever tell you what I did before I was an insurance salesman?”

I tilt my head in curiosity. With someone of his size, I'd expect anything from professional bodybuilder to MMA fighter. And I hope it's neither of those, although I'm sure he'd make a pretty scary ice cream man as well.

“Do you remember the SOG?”

SOG? Doesn't that stand for 'Special Operations Group' or something? Japan's Delta Force?

“I was never a high-ranking officer, and I never saw any action, but the training and the drills were real enough.”

Upon seeing that it hasn't sunk in as well as he'd hoped, he adds on “did you know that it only takes fifteen pounds of force to snap someone's neck?”

“You ever picked up two gallons of water? That's how much it takes. If I dropped two gallons of water on your neck from the right angle, you'd be dead.”

Just the thought of this man sneaking into my house and killing me in my sleep is enough to put any and all ideas of violence completely out of my mind. I can't even think of anything to acknowledge his warning with other than “yes sir.”

“Glad we understand each other. I'm sorry if you were expecting more, but that's all the 'man talk' I could come up with off the top of my head.”

Before I have a chance to respond, Mrs. Tezuka comes skipping back, disappointed to find her unfinished lunch already whisked away.

As the two of them talk about the bearded lady Mrs. Tezuka recently met in the bathroom, the plastic slab in my pocket vibrates, begging for attention. Upon turning it on, I find a new message, from my mother reading 'only a few hours left. Good luck on your big day~.'

Only a few hours left, huh?

*********************

ONLY a few hours left?! It felt like I was just putting my suit on five minutes ago! I swear it was noon the last time I checked the clock, and suddenly it's 4 o' clock! Today is going by way, way, way too fast. I still need to check everything again! The ring...ring...

“Where's the ring?!”

“The ring-bearer takes care of those, silly.” Mrs. Tezuka answers.

Oh. Right. I think one of my little cousins is the ring bearer, so that should be fine. And the flower girl is one of Rin's cousins, and...and...

“All the invitations got sent out, right?”

“Hisao, calm down. Everything's taken care of. Just relax.”

Right. Yeah. Relax. Bad things happen when I get worked up. Don't want to go having an event, especially not today. But...

“How far away is the nearest hos-”

“We're here~!” Mrs. Tezuka sings out.

My gaze is dragged to the scene outside. Everything's set up just as it was yesterday -- five rows of white folding chairs and a long carpet rolled out down the aisles. Shade awnings posted over tables lined with food, drinks both alcoholic and non, and a cake easily standing two feet tall.

The scent of fresh-cut grass and roses invades my senses as I step out of the car. A wooden sign nearby proclaims the twenty acres of green before me a national park, with cars upon cars filling the parking lot off to the side. In the very center sits a large oak tree, its branches swaying in the gentle breeze over a small white podium, where someone who I believe to be the priest waits in practiced patience.

At least fifty people have already gathered, including my parents, who give an idle wave as soon as they see me. I can count a couple of my cousins running around and other young relatives, dressed in their own eight- and ten-year old variations of the tuxedo.

Not only has most of my family gathered here, but so has Rin's. It would seem that her odd hair color is something of a family trait, as I can count at least six heads of auburn-red hair among the crowd.

Right upon stepping out of the car I'm bombarded by people giving their congratulations, good lucks, and other such well-wishing. Although, one voice happens to stand out against the rest...

“Dude! Where the hell have you been?”

Kenji.

Best Man Kenji, in fact.

I'm not entirely sure as to what was going through my head when I sent him the invitation. Maybe lots of alcohol. Regardless, I feel like I have to give it to him for sticking with me through college.

But still.

“What do you mean where the hell have I been? The ceremony starts in fifteen minutes.”

“Huh? I thought it started fifteen minutes ago.”

I know he's wrong, but a jitter rips through my body as I yank my sleeve up and check my watch. Fifteen minutes early, as I thought, but I still pull a folded schedule out of my back pocket just to make sure.

“Oh. Well damn, man, good luck.”

“Kenji, you're my best man, you're supposed to be doing a little more than 'good luck'.”

That explains why I've been so nervous today. Most grooms are supposed to have something along the lines of 3~5 groomsmen, plus his best man. I've had Rin's father at the most, while Kenji did god knows what over here. At least he isn't drunk, despite the fact that the champagne is already laid out.

Now that I think about it, the pre-ceremony has been set up for five hours now. Why did we wait until five P.M. to start the actual wedding if the only pictures we're taking are afterward? I understand the idea behind this whole 'switching parents the day of the wedding' deal, but the fact that we're not allowed to even communicate until the actual ceremony seems a little extreme.

“Yeah, I know. Maybe if you'd given me better instructions or something. I've been sitting here since noon wondering when you'd show up."

"Kenji, I told you we were meeting at-"

"But whatever, man, what's done is done. Today you must go forth and conquer the menace known as matrimony, slay the demons of commitment, bring forth the chalice of amalgamation, and...I dunno, get some on your honeymoon? Are dowries legal here?”

“I'm pretty sure they are, although I doubt we're getting any money from her parents after that.” I respond.

"Well just do whatever you want then, no financial obligations."

"The bride's parents pay for everything. All this? Them."

"Oh."

Actually, I think he's a little drunk. That might just be normal Kenji as always, though.

Content that his message has been delivered, Kenji sinks back into the crowd, standing out only by virtue of his yellow and red scarf, which clashes with the normal black tuxedo he managed to throw on.

Mrs. Tezuka leads me through a red curtain and positions me at the front of the audience as the attendees all take their seats, heads now counting somewhere between eighty and ninety.

“Took ya long enough.” a familiar voice calls out from beside me.

“Emi?”

“Well duh! Who else is gonna be the maid of honor? Those crazy kids she met in uni?”

“I guess you have a point there.” I reply with a chuckle.

“Well, good luck to you. Not just today either, for the rest of time.”

“Thanks.”

“Trust me, you'll need it.” she says with a playful smirk.

It's at this point that I notice the priest, a quiet man in black attire with a dark-blue robe thrown over his shoulders, already standing at the podium with small book at his side. A slim silver cross dangles from his neck, swaying back and forth with his long, unkempt hair.

“What is troubling you, child?” he asks out of the blue, his deep voice splitting my thoughts like an axe to wood.

“Ah, nothing, just nervous.”

“Nerves should not keep you from enjoying this day. Rejoice! Though your future may certainly contain harsh times, today is a day that you must relish. Tell me, what is your wish?”

My wish?

Do I have any wishes?

“I wish that today would go without an issue?”

“Ah, that is something that only you may grant for yourself. But rejoice, Hisao Nakai, you have something that others don't, and that it the fact that your wish may be granted on this day.”

My wish...may be granted on this day?

May? What does that even mean?!

His dark eyes look first to me and offers a nod before clearing his throat and announcing that the ceremony is about to begin.

I guess it's up to me not to mess anything up, then? But I already knew that, and at any rate; it's in his hands now. From this point all I have to do is stand here. Easy enough, right?

****************

This is not easy. THIS IS NOT EASY AT ALL.

The carpet is too loose. Someone's bound to trip over that.

What if the ring bearer trips?! It'll be impossible to find those things in the grass here!

Or even worse, what if Rin trips? The happiest day of her life and she missteps and falls to the gr-

The air becomes stops as a few piano notes strike the canvas of silence. All eyes shoot to the red door at the back, anticipating the moment when the two curtains split and-

It's starting.

Only a few more seconds until something goes wrong, I'm s-

I'm sure, right?

I, uh...

It feels as if my heart stops beating for a moment as time slows to a complete halt.

Across the grounds, standing right in front of the red curtains with her father...

Auburn hair pulled back into a bun and tied off with a pin adorned with a green rose. A thin white veil hung across her face, swaying in the breeze as she takes each meager step. White slippers, dangling emerald earrings, a thin black choker, and no makeup save for a thin layer of black eyeliner.

I can't even keep my thoughts in order. It feels as if every breath has been sucked out of me, my thoughts slowed and addled even further as my mind spins like a top. The gentle applause of the crowd, the soft piano music, the sound of the branches rattling overhead, everything goes silent. Everything is excluded for my mind except for Rin, my eyes tracing each practiced movement as she paces down the aisle.

Her ankle-length dress shimmers as she draws closer and closer to me. The design is simple, and yet it looks perfect on her. The white cloth stops just above her chest, her shoulders bare, while two white, disconnected sleeves hang from her arms, tied off in knots just like everything else she wears.

Reality gradually fades back into my mind as she passes the front row, gliding across the carpet with Mr. Tezuka at her side.

Before I can get everything back in order, she stands in front of me, that same deadpan stare in her eyes as she comments “it's hard to walk with that ring you put on my toe.”

“Well where else was I gonna put it?” I whisper back, trying to hold back a smile.

“You should've gotten an earring. Or maybe a pair of pants. Engagement pants.”

“I'll make sure to trade that ring out for some pants after this.”

“No, you don't have to. I like the ring.” she replies.

The priest clears his throat, drawing the attention of everyone present opening the small leather-bound book at his side. A small nod to each of us confirms that we're ready before his deep voice splits the silence apart.

“Who gives this woman to be married to this man?” he recites before allowing his gaze to climb back to Mr. Tezuka.

However, before the father can give his permission, another voice shouts out from the audience “I do!”

Mrs. Tezuka shoots us a grin as she raises her hand and waves, a big dumb grin on her face.

“I can't really argue with that, can I?” Mr. Tezuka responds, letting out a sigh as he shakes his head.

“Very well.” the priest announces over the laughter of the audience. Rin's father steps down from the small hill and takes his seat next to his wife, who covers his face with his palm while she nudges him in the side.

“Ready?” he murmurs to the two of us.

Rin and I both nod our heads. Somehow she's managed to remain calm despite the number of stares boring into our backs almost reaching the hundreds. I wish I could say the same, but my heart feels like it could tear out of my chest at any moment.

“Welcome, everyone. We are gathered here today to celebrate the union between a man and a woman, Hisao Nakai and Rin Tezuka, in holy matrimony. On this day, we shall witness the amalgamation of two souls into one, and we shall rejoice in the strengthening of a bond created by their love, trust, and experience.”

“When you love someone, you do not love them all the time, in exactly the same way. Such is an impossibility, and even a lie to pretend to. And yet this is exactly what most of us demand. We have so little faith in the ebb and flow of life, of love, of relationships. We leap at the flow of the tide and resist in terror its ebb.

At this point he begins flipping the pages at an alarming pace, his smooth voice reaching ridiculous speeds as he reads off the meaning of marriage, its history, what may be in store for us, and about a hundred other things I can't even catch.

I guess the condensed version is just something he reads at rehearsals.

What has quickly turned into a history lesson on the origin of marriage has my focus dwindling, although I dare not lose my posture or even look anywhere but the priest's face. Rin seems to have the same mindset, although at one point I manage to catch her yawning and glancing at the greenery above.

It's funny how we've wound up here today. We've never formally 'dated', but somehow we've managed to stick together for almost 5 years. Helping her study for exams over the phone, conversations about what trees would discuss if they could talk, debates over just how fishy clouds would taste...

Half the time her homework perplexed or outright confused me. I knew she didn't want to be a painter for the rest of her life, but child psychologist? Straight out of left field.

And even despite the fact that we lived 6 hours apart, we always managed to wind up together during those little breaks between semesters. Staying out til 1 in the morning to look up at the night sky, hiking through the woods around her house, and even falling asleep on top of one another on the couch.

Hell, a month ago I didn't even imagine we'd be here today. We were pretty much a couple, but at the same time we weren't. I'd say something like 'lifelong companions' was more fitting at that point, since we definitely weren't just buddies, but the idea of a formal relationship was still rather farfetched.

She'd made tons of friends with all the crazy artists at her university, she never failed to come to me for anything, whether it be to discuss how foreign the place felt for her, or how foreign her British roommate was.

Then one night we were just staring up at the ceiling on my bedroom floor, talking about how crazy it would be if the stars started falling, and then out of nowhere...

“I wouldn't like it if the world ended. I like being with you, and I think if the sky smashed all of us I wouldn't get to be with you anymore.”

“I'm sure you'd find someone better in the afterlife.”

“I don't want someone better. You're just fine.”

Of course, given how improvised the situation was, I wasn't even able to give her an engagement ring until yesterday. Even if it'll be getting replaced soon, I still had to d-

“Are you in there?” Rin calls out, nudging me with her foot.

It would seem that the priest's long monologue has ended, and he stares into me, waiting for my response.

“I, uh...huh?”

“Your vow, Hisao Nakai. Do you take Rin Tezuka to be your wife, your constant friend, your faithful partner and your love from this day forward?”

Ah, crap, I zoned out, didn't I?

“I do.”

The priest, as well as most of the audience give a hearty chuckle. I'm unable to understand or return Rin's amused smile thanks to the feeling of a certain stare boring into my back, bound to burn a hole in my tuxedo jacket.

“As we rehearsed. You have to repeat what I say this time.”

“Oh.”

I'm just going to go lie down and die now.

“Do you, Hisao Nakai, take Rin Tezuka to be your wife, your constant friend, your faithful partner, and your love from this day forward?”

“I, Hisao Nakai, take Rin Tezuka to be my wife, my constant friend, my faithful partner, and my love from this day forward.” I echo, focusing on each word before the previous embarrassment has a chance to rip me apart any further.

“And do you, Rin Tezuka, take Hisao Nakai to be your husband, your constant friend, your faithful partner, and your love from this day forward?”

“What you just said, but with 'I' and 'my'.” she answers.

This time the audience laughs even harder, or at least, the half with the reddish hair scattered among them do.

“We have to do this right if we want it to be official.” the priest responds with a chuckle.

“I, Rin Tezuka, take Hisao Nakai to be your...my husband, my constant partner, my faithful friend, and my love from this day forward.”

“Good enough.” he concedes before flipping a few more pages in his book.

Without being called, a small red-headed girl runs up to us with a pillow, two black boxes resting on it as if anticipating this moment.

“With this ring, do you, Hisao Nakai, offer your hand and your heart to the woman before you?”

I grab one of the small black boxes and pop it open, pulling out the golden ring with a small diamond embedded in the seat.

“With this ring, I, Hisao Nakai, offer my hand and my heart to you, Rin Tezuka.”

The next part wasn't rehearsed, so it's a little bit more than awkward having to drop down to one knee and set Rin's right foot on it. I pull the silver engagement band off of her fourth toe and replace it with the small gold one before sliding the white slipper back onto her foot.

She shifts her foot around for a bit, trying to find a more comfortable position before nodding.

“And with this ring, do you, Rin Tezuka, offer your hand...”

I don't even have to turn around to feel the enmity of over a dozen death glares stabbing into us.

“Ahem, and with this ring, do you, Rin Tezuka, offer your foot and your heart to the man before you?”

“I, Rin Tezuka, offer my heart and my foot to Hisao Nakai, the man before me.”

He gives an awkward cough as Rin sits down and picks the small black box up off the pillow, opening it up, and manipulating the golden wedding band onto my ring finger.

“By the power vested in me by the holy church, I pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

I turn to her, feeling like my sternum is on the verge of cracking thanks to the force of my heart knocking against it.

Kissing isn't something we do very often. In fact, I think the last time I kissed her was on that hill many years ago. Needless to say, I'm not very confident about this part. What if I miss? What if I go too far? What if I...I don't know, screw it up SOMEHOW?

“I'm not gonna bite.” Rin comments with an amused smile, the scene around me totally silent as they wait for the moment to end.

There I go worrying again.

I lift the thin white veil over her face and brush it back before laying my hands on her shoulders and leaning in, my eyes shutting on instinct as our lips connect.

Well, that's it.

We're married now.

Everything is a two-man job now, even if I can easily do it myself. Likewise, I have to always be there for her, even if she doesn't need help.

Stuck together as man and wife for the rest of time. Eating at the same table, living in the same house, watching the same TV, using the same dishes, paying the same bills, everything.

Waking up and falling asleep to that messy hair, that gentle smile, that cute little nose, and those emerald green eyes so deep I could drown in 'em.

And the bad news? Is there even any bad news?

“Congratulations. I present to you Hisao and Rin Nakai.” the priest's booming voice calls out.

The audience bursts into applause and cheers. An excited Emi hops p and down in excitement, so much so that her skirt almost flips up on itself as she calls out every sort of congratulation she can think of.

“Well are you gonna do it or not?!” a female voice calls out.

Mrs. Tezuka shouts out at me as she makes a gesture with her arms, as if to carry something...

Oh.

Uh, we didn't practice this.

I turn to Rin and shrug my shoulders before placing one arm against her shoulders. With a surprised 'ah” she falls back into me, trying to find her own balance as I lift her legs up with my other arm.

“I'm glad you're really light.” I comment as I jump away from the tree trunk, carrying Rin out to the reception area in my arms.

“And I'm glad you're...”

She searches around for a response before giving up and placing a small kiss on my cheek, the last thing I'd expect from her.

“I'd do that more often but you never want to hold still.” she finally says as we cross the center aisle and step out from between the red curtains.

“Then I'll be sure to stand still a whole lot more.”

*********************

“Ahhh~, Toooouya, you're driving right?” Mrs. Tezuka slurs out.

“Yes, Shizuka, that's why I said no every time you tried to get me to drink.”

“You said no because you're no fun~.” she argues, holding herself up on the bear-man's arm.

The past two hours has been spent dancing (and finding out that Rin is a surprisingly good dancer, unlike me), devouring a cake as tall as some of the children here (then finding out that Rin has a surprisingly large stomach for cake), and laughing at the drunken antics of Mrs. Tezuka and Kenji (and finding out that Rin is surprisingly...no, it's not a surprise that she talks in calm, collected lines of thought when introduced to the effects of alcohol.)

“Anyway, you already have the tickets and the plane takes off tomorrow around noon. Just be sure to enjoy your week in Paris.”

“Ah, no problem Mr. Tezuka.”

“Just call me Touya now.” he comments.

“Alright, uh...Touya?”

“Never mind, keep calling me Mr. Tezuka.” he replies with a grimace.

I wrap my arm around Rin, who leans pretty heavily against me as we wait for the Taxi back to my apartment.

“Come back whenever you want.” Mr. Tezuka calls out with a wave.

The yellow car rolls up to the curb, its driver snickering and giving me a grin as I help a wobbly Rin into the car.

“Disregard 'dat, don't come back 'til you got some kids to show me!” Mrs. Tezuka calls out.

Her husband stutters and groans as he tries to think of something to sway her, shooting a threatening glare at me between bouts of handwaving.

“She's his now.”

“No, she's mine.” Mr. Tezuka replies.

“You just gave her away.” she argues with a catlike grin.

“Then I take it back!”

“C'mon Touya, you don't want any more babies?”

“Of course not, I already have Rin!”

The two argue back and forth as I try to close the door as quietly as I can, whispering for the driver to go ahead and go.

“Hey now, there's no need for those tears, she'll be just fine.”

“But...I...”

His emotional moment is then cut short as he notices the Taxi rolling forward, and soon he's left struggling against his drunken wife's hold as he tries to run after us.

“BAD THINGS, HISAO. BAD THINGS.” he calls out.

His voice fades into silence as we drive farther and farther away from the park, although his warnings still ring through my head. Rin lays against my shoulder like a weight, calm breaths sauntering out of her mouth as she slumps into rest, murmuring in her sleep.