Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Blood and Amber ❯ Wedding ( Chapter 28 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

The weeks and months went by quickly, in a flurry of planning, ordering, and everything else that comes with a wedding. It was the day before the big day. They had finally found a monk- letting him know that they wanted to write their own vows- and a cake they liked, food they loved, a guest list that included everyone they knew (even Saito had been invited and Hiko had agreed to come) and a place to hold the wedding. (the reception would be at the dojo. Thanks to the efforts of the men- even Yahiko- the dojo was spotless.) Yahiko had agreed to be the ring bearer, and Ayame and her sister were to be the flower girls. Tae had agreed to cater on top of being a bridesmaid, and Kai and Komakai had agreed to be the best men. Megumi's mother had agreed to be the other bridesmaid.
Kaoru sighed happily.
"This is perfect." she told her soon-to-be-husband. Kenshin smiled back at her.
"Aa. It is." he said, holding her hand. Such touches had become second nature to them, and they shared kisses and hugs in public. Anything more intimate than making out, however, would be saved for their wedding night. It was teh same with Sanosuke and Megumi. they were waiting until they were legally married to do anything more than make out- which they did a lot of.
"Are you going to tell me what you wrote in your vows?" she asked jokingly, knowing the answer.
"You'll find out tomorrow, Kaoru-koiishi." he said, kissing her on teh nose. She laughed.
"I had a difficult time writing mine. So much to say, but I don't want our wedding to last for years! I wrote as much as I could without going on for hours."
"I did the same. There's too much to love about you, koi." Kaoru smiled.
"I can't wait until tomorrow. Finally, I'll get a big wedding with the man that means more to me than he'll ever know." she said, leaning against him as they watched the sunset.

"Tomorrow's the big day, huh?" Sanosuke said to Megumi as she double-checked the wedding plans. She nodded absently.
"That means you're stuck with me." she said happily. She heard Sano chuckle behind her.
"Wouldn't have it any other way, Fox." he said. He still sometimes used his pet name for her. Not that she minded.

Kenshin smiled at his reflection. There had been enough money to buy himself and Sanosuke wedding outfits. His was a black kimono with a golden dragon embroidered on his side with a white yukata underneath. Sanosuke had a black one as well, but with a red pheonix embroidered on his.
"The Fox has some humor. The embroidery shop probably wouldn't do a rooster." sanosuke grumbled, but Kenshin could tell that he loved the kimono. It may have been a bit more confining than his regular outfit, but he would do anything for Megumi.
"Aa, that she does." Kenshin said thoughtfully. Snaosuke nodded.
"I'm actually kinda nervous." he said. Kenshin looked at his friend in surprise.
"Nervous?" sanosuke nodded, but then shook his head.
"I'll be fine. It's like stage fright." he explained. Kenshin nodded, and the two men took their places by the alter to wait for their wives-to-be.
Kaoru looked at herself in the mirror. She looked breathtaking and she knew it. It had taken a pretty penny to get a wedding kimono for herself and for Megumi, but the Takani's had helped. Not having to pay for Sanosuke's sake and gambling habits helped. Kaoru glanced at teh beautiful creation again. It was made out of delicate white silk and had light purple jasmines stitched carefully onto it.
Megumi smiled as she smoothed out her own kimono- a delicate white silk kimono with a reddish fox embroidered on the stomach and chest.
"You look fine, don't worry. Of course, I look better, but that's to be expected." Kaoru turned to Megumi, scowling. At the joking and expectent look on her friend's face, Kaoru's scowl turned into a smile.
"You both look great." Lady Takani told them. Now it's time." The girls nodded as they heard the rpocession start. First the flower girls, then the ringbearer, the bridesmaids, and finally the brides. Kaoru walked in front of Megumi (this was the decided order for the ceremony.) and went to the left, towards Kenshin. She stopped after taking a few steps. Megumi went right and stood next to Sanosuke. The monk cleared his throat.
"We are gathered here today to witness not one, but two joinings. Kamiya Kaoru, master of the Kamiya-Kasshin Ryu dojo, and Himura Kenshin, formerly Himura Battousai, a great manslayer and now a rurouni wandering for redemption, are to be married this day. Takani Megumi, a great doctor, and Sagara Sanosuke, cadet of the Sekiho Army and formerly fight merchant Zanza, are to be wed today. At their request, they have written their own vows, In the name of Buddha, Himura Kenshin and Kamiya Kaoru will pledge themselves to one another first." The monk bowed many made a holy sign in teh air. This was Kenshin's cue.
"Kamiya Kaoru. I have loved you since the day we met. That first day in the alley, when you challenged me. I was drawn to you then. I had always kept you at arms length, though, to protect you from me, and me from you. I was worried about what would happen if I confessed what I had been feeling for you to you. I didn't want to face your rejection, so I kept silent and contented myself with protecting your happiness. I was finally able to admit the truth to you not so long ago, and today we are to be joined in marriage forever. I will love you no matter what. I know that I am impure, having killed many as Hitokiri Battousai and that you could find a better man than me to love, but I love you with all of my heart." Kenshin smiled at her. Kaoru smiled back, tears in her eyes from the sweetness of his words.
"Oh, Kenshin..." she said happily. "I've loved you since we met, too. I was always so worried that you would one day leave, so I never said anything to you, convinced that my confession would drive you away faster and that you wouldn't even visit when you left. You're not impure- you're the most wonderful thing in my life. You don't need to protect my happiness. You are my happiness. I will love you forever and for always." The monk nodded. By this time, many people who had come to witness the marriages had misty eyes. Kenshin and Kaoru certainly did. Megumi and Sanosuke as well.
Kenshin leaned down to meet Kaoru in a furious kiss, happy when she responded just as eagerly. They were promising each other what would happen that night. They broke the kiss and just smiled at each other.
"The next union shall be of Sagara Sanosuke and Takani Megumi." the monk said.
"You know I'm not good with words, but I tried to come up with my vow by myself." Sano said. Megumi looked at him, eyes shining. "I've loved you for a long time. I can't pin down when I started to love you. I always thought that you were too good for me, being that I was just a street brawler and you were a great doctor. I sometiems got into fights with small-time Yakuza gang members and get hurt a bit so I'd have an excuse to go to the clinic. I enjoyed seeing you. Gods, I love you. I loved you then and I love you now and I'll love you until the day I die and maybe even then I won't stop. you're the only woman I want to have by my side as my wife. You're the only person for me, from here on out." Megumi was almost in tears as she heard his confession.
"I love you. I can never get tired of saying the, especially not to you. I never want to be with anyone else either, and I want to wake up in the mornings next to you, wake up to prepare our breakfast, make our lunches, make our dinners, and fall asleep with you beside me. You are the only man for me, and I never want you to leave my side." Megumi kissed Sanosuke firmly on his lips, and he took them even deeper into the kiss, wanting this perfect moment to last forever. Eventually, they broke apart.
"There were four seperate people that came to join in marriage. Now there are two married couples that will live happily for a long time. May Buddha bless your homes." The monk said the closing prayer, and the wedding party and witnesses were allowed to go back to teh dojo.
"We're married!" Kaoru squealed, hugging Kenshin happily as he carried her in his arms- bridal style- to the dojo.
"We are." he agreed. Megumi and Sanosuke walked a bit behind them, side-by-side and holding hands.

They reached the dojo in a few minutes. Hiko was already there, drinking sake.
"Yo, baka deshi!" he said, smirking at his student. "You got a pretty one, that's for sure!" Kenshin blushed and set Kaoru down.
"Uh, arigatou gozimastu, Master Hiko." he said. Kaoru smiled and squeezed his hand, then turned to the guests.
"There is food and drink for everyone. Please, enjoy!" The guests needed no further urging. Everyone dug in, grabbing plates and chopsticks, bowls of rice and bowls of soup. later there would be dancing, but for now there was food.

Yahiko stood outside the dojo. He hadn't seen Tsubame all night, but he knew that she was there somewhere.
"Yahiko-kun?" her soft voice sounded from behind him. He almost jumped but managed to calmly turn around.
"Oh- hey Tsubame. Glad you could come."
"I didn't want to miss it. I had some work at the Akabeko to take care of before I could come- I must earn my keep. I'm so glad I got done with my chores early!" Yahiko gulped and blushed, looking at her outfit to avoid paying attention to her.
"Y-yeah, I'm glad too." Tsubame smiled.
"You already said so, but it's nice to hear." Yahiko looked up at her face.
"I did?"
"You did. Do you want to join Kaoru-san and the other for food? I can't wait until the dancing!" Yahiko nodded dumbly, holding his arm out so that she could hang onto it. She gladly took his arm, both blushing a bit more if that was possible.
"Yeah. Food is good." Yahiko muttered.

The meal lasted for about an hour, and then it was time for the dancing. The guests that remained- some had left after the food- danced for hours. Kenshin and Kaoru always stayed together, and Megumi and Sanosuke never left each other's side.
Yahiko and Tsubame were staying pretty close as well, but they tried not to make it so obvious.
Eventually, the guests left. Tae-san was the last to leave.
"Do you want me to invite Yahiko-kun to my house for the night? Or maybe for a week- the newlyweds will want a big space for themselves, hmm?" Tae said knowingly. The said 'newlyweds' blushed, but nodded.
"A week would be good, yeah. Our honeymoon and all." Kaoru said. Kenshin nodded. Tae smiled.
"I'll be happy to take him. We'll be seeing you." With that, Tae gathered up Tsubame and Yahiko, making Yahiko get enough things for a week and then taking them to her house.
"Shall we?" Sanosuke asked his wife with a glint in his eye.
"We shall. We're retiring to bed now, goodnight. See you in the morning." Megumi said.
"Or in a week from now." Sano said, just loud enough to be heard. Megumi smacked him lightly.
"Not a week, tomorrow! We have to eat, after all." Sanosuke nodded. The two left for Sanosuke's bedroom.
"We should go too. It's our honeymoon." Kenshin told his wife. Kaoru nodded, a bit shy.
"We will. Let's go now- we can clean up from the reception in a week."
"Or have Yahiko do it...." Kenshin said. Kaoru smiled.
"That too."