Page 71 of Cherry Moon

My breath hitched at his beauty, the sheer magnitude of it always leaving me breathless.

“You look incredible,” I told him.

He sparkled to me every day, but this suit polished him to even greater perfection.

“You too,” he responded shakily.

We took hands, Zach holding Aki’s cane for him.

This is it.

The registrar began with her opening words. I barely heard her, lost in Aki’s gaze. Beyond this cocoon of us, the world seemed so far away. He was all I’d ever wanted, all I’d ever dreamed of.

“You are my everything,” I blurted without thinking.

A pause from the registrar, laughter from the spectators.

“Not yet,” the registrar said.

Oops. My face heated with shame.

Akira mouthed, “I love you.”

My embarrassment was officially dead.

And now the vows.

“You’re the best, G,” Aki began. “You’re the other half of my heart, my soulmate, my cutie pie honey bunny.”

The guests chuckled.

“I couldn’t do life without you. I love you more than my raspberry brownies. I’d give up baking for you if I had to, which shows you how much I love you, bruv.” He winked. “With all my heart. Forever.” He released a nervous breath, its delicate warmth reaching my lips. “You ain’t getting rid of me.”

These tears were hard to wrangle.

My turn.

“Seeing your face every morning is more than I could ever ask for, Aki. Maybe less snoring wouldn’t go amiss, but let’s not be greedy with wishes.”

He snorted loudly as the guests laughed again. “You’re one to talk.”

“You make each day a happy one,” I continued. “You are my life. You are my destiny. I’ll never leave your side, always here, always propping you up. Call me your ride-or-die, because I am. And you…” Darn it, I trembled, fighting back the threat of a whimper. “You are my everything.”

Cherry blossoms swirled between us, rushing up and over the cottage. More words, sniffles from our friends and family, and then the rings.

The new, golden wedding bands. Out of their boxes, ready for our fingers.

I slid the ring onto Aki’s finger first.

He did the same to mine, my heart thumping in my ears. I lost track of time, wrapped tighter in our cocoon of love.

By all the tenshi, and all that’s amazing in this world, I really love you.

“I now declare you husband and husband. You may kiss.”

And with those final words from the registrar, our lips joined along with the rest of our bodies, our souls, and our hearts.

The Sade song kicked in again, our guests applauding.