[hughes] fanfiction post; bokurano

[digi_dragon]

Author: digi_dragon
Title: Inevitable
Fandom: Bokurano
Pairing: Waku/Machi
Rating: PG-13
Words (in total): 22,950
Disclaimer: I do not own Bokurano.
Summary: They meet and had no idea they'd seen each other before, but that's not the end of the story...
Notes: This is long. There are three parts. It is a love letter to my Bokurano_RP, but I tried to craft it so that anyone can really take SOMETHING from it. More notes at the end, formatting normal under the cut.

Part 1
Part 2



The problems start the night before, actually. The bachelor and bachelorette parties should have gone off without a hitch, if only there hadn’t been a hang-up with the flights in Narita, where everyone was flying in to. Kirie was vesting Maria in Kenya, and the two were returning on the last and first flight they could get. Maki was stationed at an air force base in Okinawa, and since Anko hadn’t seen him in months, Machi had no problem with her skipping some of the early bride’s maid duties as long as they were there for the wedding, of course. Komo and Kanji were away on an anniversary vacation and set to return after two weeks, their flight getting in to Narita early that day. Why not Tokyo? The flight times all just didn’t work very well. Surprising, since the Tokyo airports were always so high traffic, high business-- but see, a small outbreak of rats earlier in the month sent said business to a grinding halt. That factored in as well.

They’d all laughed about how coincidental it was that they were flying in on the same day, the day before the wedding. All to the same airport, all around the same time, give or take an hour. It wasn’t that far from Shinagawa, so it would be easy to get a group cab there, split the money. They would be back in time for the respective get-togethers and everything would be perfect.

Except there was a tsunami threat in Narita, and flights were held back to prevent possible panic. Desperate times called for desperate measures, so flight plans were changed. They ended up choosing Chubu Centrair International Airport in Tokoname, in the Aichi prefecture. Maria and Kirie, luckily, were able to get a flight out that evening, but the others would have to wait until the following day. While they would miss the parties the night before, they would definitely be there in time for the wedding, all of them.

Except now it is that day and they still aren’t there and the caterers (who had guaranteed punctuality) were late and Machi is starting to go into a proper freak out.

“How can I get married without my best friend here?” She asks, fidgeting like mad. “And-- oh, Waku, he’s probably out of his mind, he wants Maria here more than anything! And Kanji too, all of this is just--”

“Stop moving,” Nakama commands through a sewing needle, her hands at the end of Machi’s dress. Amazing that not stepping on a wedding dress suddenly proves infinitely more difficult in heels.

Machi complies, but she looks and feels like she’s about to burst, because this is supposed to be the happiest day of her life and already things are going wrong.

The others -- Chizu, Tsubasa, Mayako, Yuu (flower girl, even if she is seventeen) -- are there too, watching, waiting. (Kana, for the record, is busy with the boys making sure her big brother doesn’t freak out.) There’s not much they can say without it being too blunt, and all of them do blunt quite well (except for Yuu, but she’s a teenager and this is awkward for her). When Chizu stands up, a determined look on her face, they all can tell something is about to happen.

“Don’t worry. I’ll fix this.” And with that she’s out the door so quick that another wave of dread rises in Machi’s stomach, so fast that she wants to throw up, but Nakama’s almost done with that tear and that would be horribly insensitive.

------------------------

“They’ll be here, right?”

Waku’s nervously scrubbing a stain off the countertop, even though said stain disappeared five minutes ago and now said countertop shines so bright that it could be a mirror. The others -- Moji, Daiichi, Kako, Kodaka, Ushiro, and Naoto (ring bearer, even if he is sixteen) -- have tried to get him to stop, but Kana long since informed them that it would be impossible; her big brother is a nervous cleaner.

With his parents and older siblings -- Machi’s too -- ahead at the church, making sure everything is going off without a hitch (it’s not, stupid caterers, he hopes Shirou and Kaz are off tracking them down and beating them up -- no wait that would be bad), it’s just the little group of them trying to fix things here. In this case, fix things is code for make Waku stop obsessively cleaning every inch of the kitchen because he’s wearing his very nice, very expensive tuxedo that needs to be returned after the wedding. (Four kids tapped a family out of money after all.)

“I mean, they said they’d be here. So they’re going to be here.” He stopped for a moment, looking down into the countertop, his own cat-like eyes staring back at him. (Such a nervous, jumpy person looking back at him. Didn’t the younger Takashi Waku have no problem with keeping his cool? Didn’t he excel in the blasé?) Well. Time to choose another stain.

They’re all grateful that Moji is here, because at that moment, he walks over to his furiously cleaning friend and puts a hand on his shoulder. “Waku, just relax. I’m sure they’ll all be here soon. I bet they’ve already landed.”

“But,” Waku says with an uncomfortable frown, “they said they’d call when they landed. They were supposed to land at least an hour ago. Kanji would’ve called, right? He wouldn’t not call...right?”

This is met with a deafening silence, as all of them remember Waku’s rather humorous toast at Kanji and Komo’s wedding. (Humorous, but horrible, but he wouldn’t go this far, right, he wouldn’t--)

“...Maria would call. She wouldn’t be this mean.”

(But didn’t Maria have an unexpected wicked streak to her sometimes? No, not this wicked.)

To this, Moji looks uncertain, trying desperately to think of something -- anything -- to say to make it okay.

It turns out he doesn’t need to; the door bursts open moments later and Chizu, her bride’s maid dress hiked up all the way to her thigh. “MOJI! I need your connections, fast!!”

An awkward silence falls where -- if Kanji were in the room -- everyone is sure a horribly perverted comment would fall. In fact, all of them can hear Kanji’s little heh, connections, huh buddy in their ears.

“Ah, Ch-Chizu-chan--”

Immediately, Chizu groans and rolls her eyes. “Not like that, God, men can make anything dirty these days, just get on the freakin’ phone!!”

What surprises them most is that it doesn’t take that long. Moji and Chizu step into another room and, about five minutes later, they return, Chizu pulling her jacket back on before she can even start explaining. “Their flights all landed, but as it turns out, that tsunami? Its path changed. Virtually overnight. It hit just south of Tokoname, and the whole region’s virtually shutdown. Cell towers fell, so they can’t get a call out.”

Kako, a bewildered expression on his face, feels the need to ask the obvious: “Then how’d you find out?”

Moji can’t help but puff up his chest and reply, “Ah, a man with his foot in countless companies has a sort of prestige even out of the world of the stock market.”

(In actuality, it’s because between his mother and his step-father, Moji Sato has more connections than the rest of them combined, and they all know that.)

Face undeniably pale, Waku slumps over in a chair at the kitchen table. “Then that’s it. Game over. There’s no way they can get here in time.”

But Chizu’s still got her own phone up, typing on it furiously. “Not necessarily. Moji’s already got a military car on its way to pick us up, and Maria and the others have been hitchhiking for the last hour or so. They’re almost through Okazaki, but they’re having trouble finding another ride. If we leave to pick them up right now and they keep coming to meet us at the same rate, we can meet up with them somewhere in Shizuoka and be back here in three hours tops!”

None of them regret that Chizu decided to go into the real estate agency, thus giving her a much better grasp of math than the rest of them.

Though Daiichi says a moment later, “Wait...there’s no way you guys can get there and back that fast. That trip’s gonna take at least three hours, probably four.”

But then that grin that all of them are infinitely afraid of crops up on her face and she says, “Not if we push the speed limit a bit.”

(They also all know from experience that push the speed limit will probably mean drive at seventy miles plus.)

Waku shakes his head, standing back up and crossing the length to get to Moji. “No way. Nuh-uh. Maria and Kanji aren’t here. I’m not doing this if you’re going to be gone too.”

In response Moji just smiles that horrible smile -- the one that makes them all feel like they’ve kicked a puppy or something -- and assures, “We’ll bring them back. Don’t make me do the Cancer Eyes to convince you.”

With Waku all but conceding, Chizu says to Kodaka, “Masaru, I’m counting on you to keep things running smoothly while I’m gone, okay?”

Waku bites down a comment about how he’d hate to see rough if this is what smooth means.

“Leave it to me.”

A sounding horn from outside alerts them that the military car -- more like van -- has arrived and Chizu grabs Moji’s arm. “Come on, the sooner we leave, the sooner we’ll get there. We can call Machi and tell her on the way.”

“Ah, Chizu-chan, I was going to drop by the house to--”

“No time, let’s go!!”

With a wave, he’s dragged out of the house, and it’s at that moment that Waku’s spine starts to tingle.

------------------------

Chizu has been gone for the last twenty minutes (“She ran right out of the house,” Mayako had said when all of them asked just where she’d gone) and in that time Machi had developed a nervous twitch to her right index finger and left eye. Had this not been a time of dire worry, one of the others would definitely comment on it and inform her how they could probably sync it up to a techno song. (Honestly the thought had passed through Mayako and Tsubasa’s minds, but both had seen -- or been -- an angry bride before and didn’t want to risk her life.)

“Where is she, you don’t just say you have a solution and then charge out blindly, not telling anyone what you--” Her phone on the table rings, and she snatches it up before anyone can say anything. “Chizu!! What is taking you so--” And one hurried explanation involving tsunamis, hitchhiking, and Detective Sato and Captain Seki to the rescue, Machi’s headache is even worse. “No, no, no-- you never split the party! Especially when it’s already split!!”

“Someone’s been talking to Maki too much,” Tsubasa can’t help but mumble to Nakama, who nods automatically.

“Don’t worry. We’ll be back in time. We’re already out of Shinagawa and at this rate, we’ll be back before I expected! Just get to church and finish preparations there.”

Familiar dread filling inside her, Machi grumbles, “Okay, okay. I’ll tell the others.”

“Good. Remember -- happy day. Bye.”

She looks at the phone for a few moments after she hears the disconnect. In that time, Mayako asks, “So...what’s going on?”

Machi replies, fighting the urge to punch a wall, “Super Moji and Chizu Punch to the rescue.”

------------------------

They’re at the church and they’ve still got a few hours for everything to go right (or wrong). No news from the little rescue squad, but at this point no news is probably good news. With the bride and groom getting all set in their separate rooms, their friends are rushing around making sure the rest of the preparations are going off alright. Guests are all arriving on time, and Waku’s parents now have confirmation that the caterers are on their way. It all seems to be...getting better.

So naturally, a panicked call comes from Moji.

“What do you mean you left the rings at home?!” Daiichi hisses, which is quite a feat because he’s been one of the calm ones throughout all of this.

“I’m sorry,” Moji replies, and Daiichi and the others crowded around him -- Kodaka, Tsubasa, Kana, and Kako -- can almost hear the van’s engine blaring, confirming that yes, they are likely breaking several speeding laws. “We rushed out so fast that I couldn’t go back to get them and I didn’t remember to call until just now.”

“Kodaka-kun, don’t you have a key?” Kana asks hopefully; being Chizu’s best friend, it would be logical that the young genius would have one, right?

That potential solution is dies when he shakes his head guiltily in response.

Answering the unspoken question they’re all wondering, Kako adds, “And there’s no way we can risk them going to get them after they get back.”

For a moment, they’re stuck; no way can they go to Waku or Machi with this; that would only make things worse. And with no way to get into Moji and Chizu’s house...

Surprisingly, Daiichi comes up with the solution. “Can anyone here pick a lock?”

“Oh, I can!!” Walking over with Nakama in toe, Mayako raises her hand.

They all stare at her for a moment. “I don’t wanna know why you know that,” Tsubasa drones.

“Whatever. What’cha need it for?”

“We need you to break into Moji and Chizu’s place and find the rings,” Daiichi quickly explains, turning his head to make sure Waku isn’t going to pop up behind them. “Moji, you’re okay with that, right?”

A sigh. “I suppose I have to be... They should be in the bedroom, next to the night-stand. It’s a little messy, but--”

“I can go with to make sure she knows where to go,” Kodaka offers.

“And I can go with to make sure she doesn’t take anything,” Nakama deadpans.

Simultaneous cries of incredulity and relief sound from Mayako and Moji respectively.

“I guess that means I should make sure our short-stack doesn’t have a nervous breakdown, huh?” Tsubasa nods to the others and drifts off to her mission.

“Okay. We have our plan.” (Daiichi can swear there’s sweat on his brow.) “You guys be back soon. I’ll let Waku know what’s going on gently so he doesn’t freak out if he finds out you’re gone.”

“I’ll go with you,” Kana volunteers. “Oniichan can’t worry when I tell him to relax, right?” This is fact. “Good luck, Kodaka-kun.” Kana says that with smile, and they all seem to remember that Masaru Kodaka is one of the youngest of their group when he grins a goofy grin in response.

“Maaaan,” Mayako groans as they walk out of the church. “I can’t wait for the reception. There’s supposed to be sake, right?”

“I think you could just ask your husband if you really want some.” Nakama gestures to Shirou, who’s leaning against the holy building while downing what appears to be his third sake, little Yoko giggling in his other arm.

It takes Mayako only seconds to snatch up her daughter, run back inside, and hand her off to Junichiro. “Watch your niece, her daddy’s drunk!”

She zooms off after, leaving her brother confused and her daughter roaring with laughter. “...Kazuki, what just happened?”

Kazuki, sitting next to him and fiddling with a PDA, replies, “The usual. We’ve been watching over these guys for all of eternity, Ichi. I thought you’d be used to it by now.”

He exchanges a look with Kazuko Kirie, Kazuki’s plus-one, who shrugs with a little smirk, and he’s absolutely sure that he is the only member of the Council who has any semblance of what could be considered adulthood left. (Though Futaba comes close, he won’t deny.)

------------------------

“The rings are lost.” Waku stares at Daiichi, utterly still and wax-faced.

“No, not lost, they’re just not here right now,” he repeats for the third time. (He can swear his hairline is receding even more.)

In the exact same half-dead tone, Waku intones, “The rings are lost.”

Absolutely at a loss, Daiichi looks at Kana, pleading with his eyes.

“Oniichan, they’ll be right back. Kodaka-kun’s with them, and he’s the smartest boy in the entire world. He’ll bring back your rings and Nakama-san will make sure that nothing is stolen. Everyone else will be here on time and then you’ll get married with friends and family watching.”

Consensus is that Kana’s a little angel in a girl’s body, and the way that Waku immediately takes the little girl into his arms following means he’s of that opinion too.

------------------------

By this point, she’s all done up in makeup, so Machi makes a conscious effort -- no matter what happens -- to remind herself if she cries, she will have to get done up all over again. So, sitting in one of the church’s backrooms, brushing her hair for the thirtieth time that day, when the door opens behind her, she automatically launches into a reassuring speech.

“I’m okay, Mom, I’m not gonna start freaking out again, okay? I--” She turns and see Tsubasa, looking at her expectantly. “Oh. Never mind, my mom was in here just before you, she--”

“Saw you flip your lid?” Closing the door behind her, she walks into the little room.

Her smile thin, Machi amends, “Caught me at a bad time. Where’re Mayako and Nakama? Thought you three would be together, not wanting to be alone with the rabid monster.” She actually chuckles; when you can laugh at yourself, you’ve gotta be doing alright, right?

Tsubasa waves a hand dismissively. “They’re taking care of a little problem, they’ll be back soon--”

No sooner than the words leave her mouth, Machi is on her feet and in her face, vein on her neck surprisingly large. “Problem?”

But Tsubasa is unfazed, pushing the smaller woman back into her chair. “Little. Not really a problem anymore, actually. Almost fixed. So don’t get your garter in a bunch, Bridezilla.”

In a very dry tone, Machi comments, “I think I understand why Ichiro calls you Splenda now.”

“Yep! All the sweet and I don’t rot your teeth, the perfect combination!” The look on her face clearly says that she’s enjoying this. (Good thing one of them is.)

“Your job is to make sure I don’t fly off the handle,” Machi reminds. “You’re not doing it well. Right now, all I want to do is stab you in the heart with a pair of scissors.”

“And what good would that do? I’d be dead, you’d be in jail, and you’d get blood all over your dress.”

With a whine, she concedes defeat. “Fuuuck, I give up.” Machi holds her head in her hands. “I’m too stressed to even snark right now!”

And Tsubasa’s behind her, patting her on the shoulders. “C’mon, it’s not all that bad.”

“Mm...” A moment passes. “...Hey, Tsu? You think...you really think this is a good idea? We’re doing this right?”

“You mean-- Machi, you don’t want to get married?” There’s a hesitation in Tsubasa’s voice, and Machi knows one more step down that path and she’ll call in everyone she can to hold the You’re Making a Good Decision, We’re Planned This For a Year, Don’t You Dare Back Out talk.

So she shakes her head, because really that’s not it. “No, not that. I mean...this soon. We’re both so young. Not even a year through graduate school, and I’ve got so much work and now there’s gonna be finding an apartment or a house and bills and all that grown-up stuff that I shouldn’t have to deal with for at least a few more years.”

The instant it all leaves her mouth, she’s sorry that Tsubasa has to be the one to talk her down from all this; she’s sorry that anyone has to talk her down from all this. It’s too much stress, almost, and it’s too much pressure. It’s expected, but-- but shit, she’s scared. She’s scared and she can’t not be.

“...Yeah, all that kinda sucks.” Tsubasa’s voice is soft.

“So I’m crazy, aren’t I?”

“Oh, definitely.” And gentle, somehow. “But you’re also a girl who’s dreamed of this for years, and I’m not just talking about in one lifetime. If you really want this, you’ll make it work. You don’t need me to tell you that.”

Machi looks up and offers a smile, then quickly grabs a tissue to prevent her makeup from smearing. “Yeah. Guess not.” For a moment, there’s silence, and she can really reflect on this all this -- that she’s here, this is happening, that maybe, maybe, it’ll all go okay. “...You know, you’re a lot better at this then I’d’ve thought.”

“Please. You give me too little credit.” Tsubasa leans against the wall. “Besides, I’m one of the only ones who actually hasn’t caused you any sort of grief directly. I could’ve brought along my caveman step-brother from Ecuador.”

Stifling a laugh, Machi says, “He’s learned to talk in complete sentences by now, hasn’t he? ...And isn’t he from Somalia?”

“Hmm, is he...?” (It’s worth note that by now none of them can tell if she does this on purpose or if she genuinely doesn’t remember where poor Nabuca’s from.)

It’s a few minutes later that Tsubasa adds, “Whatever you do, just don’t worry about that stuff right now. Today’s for marriage, tonight’s for honeymoon sex, tomorrow’s for more honeymoon sex, and the difficult, adult stuff’s for after all that.” Over Machi’s laughter, she continues, “I mean, you could’ve chosen to be sane like the rest of us and wait until after school to get hitched, but you two’ve always been a little crazy, so just roll with it. ...Wow, you think I can give a speech, I think this would be gold.”

With a rising sense of pride, Machi points out, “You realize that law school takes years longer than most, right?”

As Tsubasa murmurs that maybe she’ll reconsider the whole after school thing, Machi mentally tallies this battle in the Snark War between them as a victory for her side.

------------------------

The guests have arrived. Everyone’s in place and the wedding is officially starting in half an hour. The rings were found and returned, and they’re just waiting on the rest of the bridesmaids and groomsmen to arrive. With the estimate given, they should be here soon... Machi’s got that twitch in her finger back again, but she’s determined to keep smiling.

That is, until...

Tell-tale cell phone ringing should be a forewarning, but the last bits of preparation have gone by so smoothly that Machi can’t help but be all smiles and hope, sunshine and positivity.

Such a foolish girl.

“Hello? ...Anko! It’s so great to hear you! Where are you guys right now? Almost here?”

“Machi-chan,” and immediately she can tell something’s wrong, because of the shaking in her friend’s voice, because of the slow, apologetic way her name is said, “I’m sorry. We’re in Akiruno.”

For a moment, Machi thinks she’s imagining the funeral dirge to Anko’s voice. Smile still on her face, she says, “But...that’s great! I mean, the rate you guys are going you’ll get here just in time.”

“No, n-no, Machi-chan, I mean...we’re stuck in Akiruno. There was some kind of accident and now the whole city’s in a traffic-jam. We’ll be lucky if we get there in an hour.”

And sure enough now Machi can hear the blaring car horns in the background, people yelling -- people who she’s sure are Maria and Maki -- for everyone to just get out of the way, utter desperation...and defeat.

Her throat closes up and she’s quiet, but the smile’s still on her face, probably frozen there, because if she stops smiling she’ll ruin her makeup, she knows she will.

“We’re so sorry. We really...really tried, you can--”

And because Anko sounds like she’s about to cry, Machi cuts her off. “Why’re you getting so upset? What? What, this? This is nothing. Come on, we’ve been through so much worse than this. Remember?” She laughs (shaky, forced). “It’s nothing. We can wait a bit. We’ll tell the priest to wait, we’ve got some leeway. So what if it doesn’t start on time. So what if it’s not perfect. All that matters is that you guys are here.” She raises her voice, as if that will make it so the others can hear her too. “You tell everyone else that. No getting down. We can wait.”

“...I will. I will! Stay happy, Machi-chan. I expect a great interview about the best day of your life.”

And both of them can’t help but laugh and Machi lets Anko go.

She calls in Mayako a moment later, because she needs someone to help her fix that damn makeup.

------------------------

So the wedding’s on hold. Funny, he never thought he’d think that, his wedding’s on hold. Waku’s in the church, because the groom can be out with everyone else, making small talk, but he has his ears trained for any hint of a car, and every time he hears one he looks out the window -- the window which he is firmly planted next to -- and every time it’s not the military van his hopes sink a little lower. There are no other weddings scheduled for today, no churchly duties that need attending, but they can’t keep everyone waiting forever, even if half the wedding entourage is missing.

And right now, honestly, the thing Waku wants more than anything is a cigarette; if he ever needed one in his entire life, ever truly needed one to function, it’s now. But no, Machi hates them, and he quit and he’s cured of that pesky nicotine addiction. He got through all the planning, the hassle, the screaming and he never had one once, so he’s going to hold strong.

Some people say that fresh air works to kick any habit -- not like there’s a habit to kick, no sir -- so he slips out back and breaths deeply and--

There’s Ushiro, sucking down a smoke.

Pitifully, painfully, he moans, “Do you hate me?” He is unsure of whether he is asking this of Ushiro or God. (But well, there’s technically not a God since all of them are God since they all created this world, everyone, so is he asking this of all those dead hims and everyones in the Otherworld or maybe Kokopelli, no that doesn’t work--)

To his credit, Ushiro does not smirk and sneer and call him a pathetic girl, but as a trained friend Waku can see a gleam in his eyes that informs him that he’s only just holding back. “A little bit over your head?”

“Only a little bit,” Waku replies, keeping himself from leaning against the church because remember, rented tuxedo. “Let’s not talk about my problems. Deflection, that’s a defense mechanism, right? How’re you?”

Scoffing, Ushiro says, “Well, let’s see. I’m at two of my best friends’ wedding waiting for the rest of my best friends to get here in an army van after breaking probably half of Japan’s road laws.” (To be fair, it’s an air force van.)

Waku hates it when people put his life in prospective. “...You bring that guy?”

“Yeah. Rue’s inside. No, before you ask, he’s not going to do anything crazy. He got you guys the best possible wedding present, by the way. You’ll love it.”

Fuck, he’s mocking him. Dry and monotone, Waku says, “It’s jam, isn’t it.”

“Is it ever anything else?” His lips curl up slightly in that way that Waku knows means he’s enjoying himself, and he bites back a comment about how at least one of them is.

The two settle into an easy silence, and Waku thinks that’s good. Ushiro put out his cigarette in respect for recovering nicotine addicts, and they’re just enjoying the afternoon now, enjoying the quiet that’s nothing like inside the church. He has half a mind to sneak in and find Machi and drag her out here too, because if he’d been going crazy she must be too, but that would break one of those stupid rules and doom their marriage or some shit like that.

But...

But before his thoughts can get any further, a familiar drunken groan that turns into a familiar drunken roar reaches his ears and he turns just in time to recognize Shirou’s scar and scraggly hair and fist and just in time to duck before said fist can slam into his face and probably break his nose. Said fist instead slams into the side of the church.

In the most eloquent and articulate way possible, Waku sums up his feelings on the moment. “Son of a bitch!”

Ushiro’s eyebrows shoot up to his hairline and he comments, “So it’s finally happened.”

And Waku just stammers, “Shirou, what the hell, I thought we were cool!” Shirou likes him, he’s like the little brother he never had and likes to torment because that’s how he shows Machi he loves her and it makes perfect sense.

Because something probably heard him earlier when he questioned the universe’s loathing of his very being, Shirou withdrew a switchblade from his sleeve and both boys go pale.

“She’s my fuckin’ baby sister! You’re defiling my poor innocent lil’ sister!” His words are slurred and slow and Waku moans because of course today Shirou chooses to forget that his sister is a grown woman. “I’m gonna fuckin’ kill you...so you can’t make her your...your wife-slave!!”

To his credit, Waku doesn’t break out into laughter at wife-slave, but then again there’s an ex-gang member in front of him with a knife. He’s so happy that he still has his soccer star skills, because it’s only that that keeps him from getting that knife embedded in his stomach and likely Shirou from doing something that he’d regret for the rest of his life.

But of course, right after that, there are cries and screaming from inside the church and Waku dimly wonders if people are stabbing each other there too, but one cry clearly tells him that’s not the case.

And that cry is “FIRE!!”

------------------------

The facts are these.

Waku and Machi’s parents should have never met each other, because while collaborating on the wedding, somehow Shiho and Misora got on this ridiculous idea that they should have traditional candles. Like, a whole freaking menorah or something of traditional candles, except not a menorah because that’s silly.

So there are these candles. These candles set up right next to the long, flowing curtains.

A recipe for disaster.

An odd man in a ragged tux clutching a jar happens to find the flames rather pretty and can’t help but stare at them. They’re beautiful and they look like dozens of little fireflies against a dark red background. He leans forward, one finger at his lips and head tilted in wonder. And he has the strangest desire to touch one of them, to poke one of the fireflies.

See, he doesn’t remember that they aren’t fireflies until he’s already recoiling and the dozens and dozens of candles are toppling over into the flowing curtains and the flowing curtains are now rolling flames.

The idea of putting out the curtains is abandoned as fast as the curtains go up, so everyone’s running and screaming and abandoning the church.

The odd man is pulled along with.

The odd man is Rue Ryuzaki.

------------------------

Both Ushiro and Rue apologize profusely, though Rue is more of a stammering mess, insisting that fireflies shouldn’t be that big. (Waku has half a mind to tell him that his boyfriend isn’t just a sociopath, he’s insane.)

For the record, this is what pushes him over the edge. Their parents are trying to douse the flames, their friends still aren’t here, there’s a crying priest and that’s the final damn straw. So Waku cuts off Ushiro in his apologies and says, “Just give me a goddamn cigarette.”

When Machi finds him, he’s sitting on a grassy hill overlooking the church -- and now there’s grass stains! Grass stains on his rented tuxedo! -- sucking down smoke and halfway through his cigarette. He’s absolutely positive she’s going to say something, but she just sits down next to him, shoulders slumped.

So here they are, sitting next to each other, breaking ten thousand wedding day rules, watching their parents try to put out the fire that’s burning down the perfect church.

Machi has lost the sunshine and rainbows insistence that has kept her going for the last few hours, and if there’s any doubt about that the moment that the fire reaches the cross pretty much cements it.

She is somewhat upset that he broke, but she can understand it; she’s half tempted to try as well, if she could get over how much she hates the smell of it. But it’s her wedding day and she made him promise, except she didn’t really because he donned the nicotine patch on his own. Still, she finds something to be unhappy about in everything now and no one can convince her otherwise.

A puff of smoke escapes Waku’s lips (her wedding day, God) and he just says, “Fuck, let’s just elope.”

And she’s on him in a second and she doesn’t care that he tastes like tobacco, because that’s the best suggestion she’s ever heard.

------------------------

But eloping requires planning as well!

The extent of this planning boils down to Machi, all smiles and impossible grins, cheering, “You grab the priest, I’ll grab everyone else!”

Because they need witnesses and for a moment he wonders how everyone else will fit in a car, but he realizes she doesn’t really mean everyone, just the everyone that really needs to be there.

For a moment, there’s a problem with where they’re going to go (but that problem’s resolved with a single glance, a single look) and then a problem with how they’re going to get there, but then a certain military van pulls up and their friends are piling out of the car, Chizu’s dress now a miniskirt and Moji looking exhausted and Anko and Maki and Komo and Kanji and Kirie and somehow Maria all tan.

“We’re here!” Anko cries, scrambling toward them. “We’re-- oh.”

“...I swear it wasn’t like this when we were here last week,” Moji says, mouth agape.

But Machi just runs right over to them and demands, “Everyone, back in the van! Hurry up, in, in, in! How many people can fit in here? Hm, we’ll need a car too. Who drove? Did Kako drive? Oh, just back in the car, back in now!”

She runs up to Tsubasa and immediately says, “You wanna help out Bridezilla? Gather up the others.” (She doesn’t need to say which others.) “Get them all and anyone who’s got a car, tell them to drive it. Carpool. And follow the van.”

Now, she’s got this particularly brand of crazy on her face, so Tsubasa just salutes her with a little smirk and Machi knows that she will accomplish what she needs.

She finds her brother by a tree, looking at another bottle of sake in deep contemplation. “Don’t you dare, oniichan.”

He looks up and immediately guilt crosses his face, and she knows he’s a bit more sober than he likely was an hour ago, when he was trying to stab her husband-to-be. “Yoko, I’m--”

“Uh-uh, water under the bridge.” Down there with that one time he told her it was illegal to be named Yoko and that one time he took her out in one of their parents’ boats and fake threatened to toss her overboard. “Come on, just come with me. Follow the van. Mayako drives.”

“But--”

“But nothing! I’m getting fucking married and I want my brother to be there!” And that’s all he needs.

She meets up with Waku halfway to the van and he’s got the crying priest by the arm, and Daiichi has him by the other arm, muttering socially awkward phrases of comfort.

They clamber into the van (too many people, just her, Waku, and the priest can fit) and the rest of them hurry into their cars and she leans up so she’s next to the driver and, with that impossible grin stretching off her face, cries, “Gotenyama Hill, my good man!”

------------------------

(At one point later, they apologize to their parents and the guests and everyone left behind at the burning church, they write so many apology letters that their hands ache after, but in this moment, nothing matters.)

At the top of Gotenyama Hill, a small group has gathered, a group of people in vacation clothes and tuxedos and dresses, some ruined and modified. There’s a priest. There’s a bride and a groom. There’re spectators, seventeen of them. And a little secret shared between nineteen out of twenty, about other Earths and worlds and entire lifetimes of pain and heartache and still the most beautiful secret in all of existence. The robots. The tournament. The Game. Creation, the Otherworld. It’s all still there. All between them, because they can never forget.

Except in this moment, nothing else matters but the late afternoon sun on Gotenyama Hill and vows and the words “I do.”

------------------------

Tsubasa was right in the end. All there was in the day and, after hasty apologizing to their parents and friends who weren’t there, there is honeymoon sex in the night. They fly out of Narita, because now without that stupid tsunami it’s totally fine to fly and no way are they driving, and they arrive and they relax and they go right to their hotel room.

The door’s only just closed and Machi’s already slipping out of her white dress, starting towards him and asking if sex will be easier without that silly old we aren’t even married excuse, except she’s only just through it when he starts kissing her and yes, it is mind-blowingly awesome.

(By this time next year, three different newlyweds join them, because Moji does get rich off the stark market, sickeningly, disgustingly rich, and he and Chizu have a double wedding with Maki and Anko around Christmastime, because they can’t resist the double wedding of Super Anko and Chizu Punch. Following that, Daiichi and Nakama marry in early summer, earlier than the new Mr. and Mrs. Takashi Waku did because they think it’s got something to do with the fact that Nakama’s definitely pregnant but not telling any of them. And Waku’s Maria’s maid of honor and yes, Tsubasa does cave and get married before the end of law school, and Kako and Futaba and Kodaka and Kana have proposals and happiness and happy normal marriage eventually, and there’s happiness and therapy for Ushiro and his on-off boyfriend who burned down the church, though the therapy’s all for the latter.)

They’re exhausted from the day, from the problems, from everything, and Machi keeps her ring on, even when they’re lying there next to each other in the darkness, breathing hard but smiling. Somewhat love drunk and delirious, she asks, “We’re gonna have to start calling each other by our first names now, huh?”

And diligently, Waku takes her close and breaths into her neck, “I’ll still call you Machi to fuck with the kids,” and peals of laughter bubble up from her lips and she’s kissing him again, because she has to kiss him again.

And yes, there’s death and robots and fire and scars and trauma all in the background, there’s horrible memories and horrible lives still to come. But tonight she’s happy, and tonight she’s married, and tonight she’s alive.

And for once, she’s got her whole life ahead of her.

And it’s beautiful.

Notes: So obviously this was long. It all started as a continuation -- or rather elaboration -- of a prompt that I did for the one-sentence stories, also on this comm. The prompt was Wedding, appropriately, though I worked others into this as well. It was originally just going to be the wedding, but then I wanted lead-up to it, and then I wanted the kids remembering each other and then it all spiraled from there. I hope it was at least enjoyable.

For any who aren't part of the RP but made it through this, 1) congrats, 2) I'm sorry. It must have been so confusing, but the heart's still there, right?

I hope all the research stuff was accurate. Like details about Japanese school and college and graduate school and travel times (the last of which were fudged because driving irresponsibly fast, of course). I think the only thing I didn't research extensively was student teaching, which honestly I should've, but by the time I remembered it I was too exhausted with research to do anymore.

There's more headcanon here than I could write, actually. Mostly it has to do with kids, but damn, I started thinking about where people would live afterward or more about the specifics of jobs and whatnot and it gave me a headache. So that's why it's not here. That and it would extend far beyond what I had and well...the wedding was the inspiration for this. The wedding (and the night after) is where it ends. I included those last parenthesis as a quick way of wrapping up more headcanon.

I'm infinitely sorry some characters got the shaft. Kodaka and Kana in particular, I feel, should have gotten more fic-time, but out of all the characters, I'm most uncomfortable at writing them. They got important moments, I suppose? Still, one thing I regret is too little of the both of them. Maybe I'll write them a drabble one day to make it up. (On the other hand, freaking Tsubasa wormed her way into the story and would not leave, girl kept sayin' "give me more scenes," and I just said, "NO! >:O" and it was very difficult.)

Regardless, this has kept be sane the last few weeks and I'm infinitely glad that it's complete, but I think I'll miss it. Please leave thoughts, even if they're short! Thank you for reading. I hope I left you with something, at least.