Archive of Our Own

Makoto sighed in relief as she crossed the threshold of the Niijima apartment, grateful the day was finally over.

Months had passed since the Maruki incident, and with Makoto's high school graduation and subsequent entry into college, it hardly felt like there was a moment of downtime. The Valedictorian speech, college applications, entrance exams, and then the flurry of lectures, projects and classwork had made relaxation impossible for the burgeoning law student. Even with her girlfriend's constant support, even helping her with some of her assignments, the pressure and stress continued to pile on.

She would never be ungrateful for her Sae's support, however. She already felt like her hair was due to fall out from stress any minute now, and if she were doing this alone, she was sure she would have ripped it out herself.

But she wasn't alone. She had friends. A sister/girlfriend who lit up every moment they were together, and who just so happened to have tread the same path Makoto was walking on now. While she felt like she was due to stumble any moment now, she knew they would be there to catch her. That didn't make the day to day any less painful in the moment, though, so she was glad to finally be home and able to decompress. 

Unfortunately, Sae wasn't home. Sae was busy as well, acclimating herself to her new job as a defense lawyer ate up most of her time, so late nights were back on the menu. She didn't miss Maruki's false reality for even a moment, but she Sis having time off was definitely a part she liked about it.

So while Makoto was a little grumpy that her girlfriend wasn't home to blow off some steam, she understood that for all of the stress Makoto was under right now, Sae was under just as much. So she did what any sensible person would do in her circumstances, and stripped herself down to her underwear and faceplanted onto the couch, heaving a deep breath as she basked in the comfort of the plush cushions. Releasing the tension from her shoulders, she let the day's stress melt off her body, bonelessly sinking into the softness of the couch.

Her mind drifted, blissfully away from coursework and thesis papers, and into the soothing nothingness of an empty mind. She sighed in pleasure, grabbing a throw pillow and sinking her face into it, ejecting the stress out of her soul. Everything felt so far away; homework wasn't real, and Mr. Nakajima's droning lectures didn't exist. All that existed was plush softness.

Makoto awoke to the sounded of an unlocking door, having apparently drifted off. She wiped the drool threatening to spill from her lips, and sat up, her eyes naturally drawing towards the sight of her wonderful sister. 

Her sister was beautiful. This was a well-established fact among everyone who knew her, but it didn't make it any less true. Wavy silver hair and a carved jawline were aesthetic marvels, and Makoto couldn't run out of words to describe her sister's crimson eyes. She cut an incredible figure in the suit and slacks she defaulted going to work in as well, the perfectly fitted suit expertly showing off the excellent physical condition she kept herself in. Sae was gorgeous beyond belief, and Makoto didn't go a moment without thanking her lucky stars that she had her to herself.

Sae smiled, and Makoto realized she had slipped into a gay trance admiring her girlfriend. 

"Welcome home, Sis." Makoto said, an easy smile gracing her lips.

"I'm home." Sae slipped her purse onto the coffee table, taking a seat next to her sister. 

"How was your day?" Makoto said, taking her place snuggled into Sae's side.

"Less stressful than yours, I bet." Sae slipped her arm around Makoto, pulling her sister even closer. 

"Somehow I doubt that." Makoto smirked. "I just had a boring lecture and a group project; I'm well prepped for the Gen Ed courses."

"I only had to stay late due to paperwork; it was a slow day otherwise. I know from experience how stressful even the easiest college work is."

"I can handle it as long as you're here, though." Makoto gave a teasing smile, nuzzling into her sister's side.

"Smooth." Sae chuckled.

The short conversation faded and the decompressing snuggles intensified, with Sae laying down and pulling Makoto on top of her. Naturally, a kissed followed, and the worries of Makoto's adult life once again faded away, this time replaced by the warmth of Sae's lips. Getting reacquainted with her sister's lips was the best de-stresser, and the fact that it inevitably led to her getting reacquainted with her sister's body as well made it even better.

Clothes came off and the two relocated to their bed, and hours later, Makoto found herself basking in the afterglow of their well spent alone time. The fuzzy feelings that always accompanied these moments of intimacy never failed to send Makoto into a dizzying spiral of pleasant emotions. Love, happiness, contentment, all swirled together into a bubbling warmth, begging to be shared with the object of her affections. So naturally, she did. When the kiss broke, Sae tucked a lock of hair behind Makoto's ear, a dizzyingly bright smile on her lips.

"I love it when you're like this." 

The leftover flush from their earlier activities bloomed into a full blush on Makoto's cheeks, giggles bubbling up from her chest. "I can't help it when we're together like this. You make me so happy."

Sae let out an embarrassed huff, "You're ridiculous."

"It's your fault that I say these ridiculous things, you know." Makoto said with a cheeky smirk.

"Oh, so you're victim blaming now?" Sae laughed.

"Oh stop, you're not a victim. You love it."

"Oh so you're gaslighting me now too?" Makoto and Sae both broke down laughing.

God, Makoto loved her sister. 

Makoto wiped a tear from her eye, her cheeks straining against her wide smile. In that moment, everything was so simple. Sis made her so happy. She couldn't imagine a life without her, without this warm feeling that accompanies her sister every time she's near. Makoto remembered a joking question Futaba once asked during one of their group meetups.

"So when are you gonna put a ring on that sexy lawyer of yours?"

Makoto died of embarrassment at the time, especially when everyone else decided to take the teasing even further, asking whether she'd wear the dress or Sae, or if they'd have a spring or a summer wedding, etc. etc. While she didn't appreciate being the teased so mercilessly, it did plant the seed into her mind. She was well aware they couldn't be legally married, that much was obvious, but the idea of walking down the aisle to see her beautiful sister in a trim suit, and putting a ring on her finger, memorializing their love for all time. It was enough to make her inner romantic drool.

Looking at her sister now, eyes full of mirth and a lovely smile brightening her face, Makoto knew she had to put a ring on her finger as soon as possible.

Tomorrow morning, she had some calls to make.

. . .

The underground mall in Shibuya was always bustling with activity, but going there just after school hours was maybe not the best idea Makoto's ever had. It was impossible to see over the sea of people moving throughout the narrow walkways, and with the storefronts perpetually crowded, window shopping was an impossibility. 

So Makoto stood off to the side, leaning against a wall, waiting for Ann and Haru to text her. Haru's lecture let out later than Makoto's, so the brunette had the opportunity to arrive early to scout out the place. That fruitless endeavor was quickly discarded at the first sight of the horde of people trying to shop, clamoring about in a sea of moving bodies and noise. She was almost glad Futaba didn't want to join, because for as much progress as the little hacker has made with her social anxiety, she might explode if put under these conditions.

Makoto had little to do but wait, playing on her phone until the sea of people was suddenly disturbed, a murmur of discontent passing through the crowd as a familiar pair of blonde pigtails parted the crowd like a biblical messiah. 

"Makoto! Hey!" Ann shouted at the top of her lungs, waving an arm in the air. Makoto flushed in embarrassment; Ann really didn't know the definition of subtle.

Breaking through the crowd, Ann dragged a pair of familiar faces along with her. Haru was expected, but Shiho was a surprise. As far as Makoto was aware, Shiho had no idea about her relationship with Sae. Did Ann invite her crush to go ring shopping with her? Real subtle Takamaki.

"Makoto!" Ann shouted, letting go of her hapless friends and pulling straight Makoto into a running tackle hug. "I'm so freaking proud of you, oh my god." Ann squeezed the life of the poor girl, vibrating with barely restrained excitement.

"Ann, please." Makoto wheezed out, desperately trying to convince her friend to release her, but her captor only squeezed even harder. Makoto looked to her two companions for help, but the traitors just looked on in amusement.

"I am so excited! I can't believe you're gonna get married!" Ann had yet to lower her volume, drawing some glances from the crowd. 

"Ann- Ann please." Makoto tapped on her friend's shoulder, begging to be released to no avail, as Ann started jumping up and down in excitement, somehow hugging even tighter.

"You gotta let me pick out the dress, and I better be your maid of honor. Oh my god, you gotta let me walk you down the aisle too. Oh, this is so great!" Ann squealed, voice getting even louder with every word. Makoto, even while being crushed to death by her best friend, still found it in her to be embarrassed, and hid her face in Ann's chest. 

Really, Makoto asked for it. She knew Ann would be excited, and she knew she would react like this, but she really should have seen Ann in private first so she could let this all out without the public embarrassment.

Eventually, Ann released her from her comfy asphyxiation, and Makoto sucked in gulps of air into her straining lungs. Haru rubbed her back as she recovered from her near death experience.

"So, do you have any ring ideas?" Ann began again, "Ooh, you could get matching rings! You could get rubies to match that necklace you got her for Christmas. And you should totally get them inscribed too."

"Ann, I think we should actually go to the store first." Shiho said with fond exasperation, "She should get one that she likes, not the ones you're dreaming up."

"We should actually see what they have in stock first." Haru commented, "And don't worry about the cost, Mako-chan; I'll cover whichever ones you decide on."

"That's really too much, Haru." Makoto rushed out, "I can cover it mys-"

"Not going to happen, Mako-chan. I'm paying for your wedding rings, so you just make sure they're perfect." Haru said with a smile that brooked no argument. There was nothing Makoto could do but relent.

"We still have actually get to the store, however." Makoto sighed at the large crowd.

"Oh don't worry about that." Ann dismissively waved her hand before plowing into the crowd, forcing them to make way. The three girls looked at each other in shared exasperation at their ridiculous friend, and followed behind.

The jewelry store was thankfully less crowded, with only a moderate amount of people milling about. Makoto was thankful for the reprieve from the crowd, and began to idly browse the displays. Ann seemed to drag Shiho away to look at rings themselves, eagerly babbling away about something, while Haru hovered around Makoto, looking for anything that caught her eye. 

"Did you have anything in mind, Mako-chan?" Haru asked conversationally.

"Nothing concrete." Makoto shook her head, "I was hoping to find something while we were here." 

"Well I think Ann-chan's idea of matching rings was wonderful, so you could start there."

"It's not a bad idea." Makoto hummed.

"Ooh, what about those?" Haru pointed to a pair of two silver, filigree rings, crowned with what looked like two clear diamonds. Gorgeous, but Makoto took one look at the price and blanched.

"That's way too much." Makoto shook her head.

"I said I would cover the costs Mako-chan." Haru chided.

"That doesn't mean I want you to spend that much."

"Mako-chan." Haru said, gravely serious, forcing Makoto to look at her, "Do you love Sae-san?"

"Yes. I do." Makoto said, matching her seriousness.

"Do you think she deserves the absolute best for her wedding?"

"Yes, of course, but that doesn't mean-"

"What it means, Mako-chan," Haru interrupted, grabbing a hold of both of Makoto's hands, "is that you should get her the perfect ring, regardless of how much it'll cost. I have more money than I could possibly spend, Mako-chan, so I'm happy to spend it on this." Haru gave yet another smile that brooked no arguement. It really is impossible to say no to Haru. 

"Regardless," Makoto separated their hands, "I don't think Sae would want something that expensive. She would feel guilty that you spent that much on her." 

"That's fair." Haru nodded.

The next few minutes passed by in silence, the two browsing to little success. Something was always just a little wrong: wrong gemstones, wrong band designs, too expensive, etc. Each of them just shy of being the perfect one. Makoto had a hard time not getting frustrated; she almost felt like she was being too picky, but she knew if she just settled for one, Haru would never purchase it, so it had to be perfect.

She was just about ready to give up until the whirlwind known as Ann Takamaki made her presence known again.

"Makoto! I found the perfect one! You gotta see it!" Ann said while grabbing Makoto's arm and dragging her to a display, while Shiho watched in amusement. Ann eagerly pointed to a matching pair of silver rings with relatively simple bands, crowned by two small, expertly cut rubies, with what looked to be several small diamonds circled around them. The thinness of the bands and small size of the gems kept it just innocuous enough to not stand out too much, but absolutely radiant when viewed up close. 
Makoto was in awe; they were perfect. She almost wanted to faint when she saw the price, but Haru's threatening aura behind her forced her to shelve that concern. 

"Soooo, are they perfect or what?" Ann leaned in smug as can be.

"They're gorgeous." Makoto was in a reverie; imagining slipping that ring onto Sae's finger was enough to make her salivate.

"Are they the one?" Ann's looked ready to explode in anticipation.

Makoto stared for a few moments longer, eyes drinking up the rings in all of their glory. They were the one. Makoto gave a single nod, and Ann squealed in excitement, grabbing Haru's arm and dragging her to the hapless attendant, Makoto and Shiho pushed to the side by Ann's enthusiasm.

"So who's the lucky lady?" Shiho asked, the picture of fake innocence. Makoto froze. She was glad Ann didn't out her, but there was no possible way she could explain herself and not lie to Ann's probably future girlfriend. Shiho basked in the older girl's stunned expression for a few agonizing seconds until she finally decided to show mercy.

"You awake in there?" Shiho giggled, "I'm just messing with you, Makoto. Ann already told me about it." 

Makoto audibly sighed in relief, "Thank god I don't have to explain that."

"So how did you and the hot lawyer happen anyway?" Shiho asked, brimming with curiosity.

"Do you know about the Maruki situation at the start of the year?" 

"I know that Ann's perfect world was us being together, and she still hasn't confessed after all these months." Shiho said emphatically. 

"Well, that how it happened with me and Sae, but we actually confessed after it was over." 

"Ughhhhh," Shiho groaned dramatically, "I can't believe you confessed to your sister before she could confess to her best friend. Why do I have to be in love with a coward?" 

"Just give Ann some time." Makoto said reassuringly. 

The two watched as Ann lead the attendant around with such fervor you'd think she's the one getting married. Shiho let out a fond sigh.

"I know. I just wish she'd hurry up." Makoto placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, a gesture Shiho appreciated.

Soon enough, Ann had accosted the singular employee enough for Makoto to be the proud owner of two new engagement rings, of which Haru had made a point to hide the receipt for. Makoto still felt a little guilty for the small fortune Haru had to shell out for her engagement rings, but Haru had made it clear over and over again that she was happy to pay, so Makoto had no choice but to accept it.

Makoto left the store with rings in hand, marking step one of marrying Sae as finished, and now it was on to step two: actually proposing. She needed to make some more calls.

. . .

Truthfully, Makoto didn't know why she felt the need to show up to the French restaurant that would be her and Sae's date spot half an hour early. More than likely it was the bubbling mixture of anxiety and restlessness that stewed deep in her gut.
Tonight was it. 

The plan was in place: invite Sae to a private date at a expensive restaurant that Haru 'just so happened' to have reservations for that she couldn't attend, enjoy a nice dinner with her girlfriend/hopefully soon to be fiancé, and then slip in the proposal right after their perfect date. It was completely foolproof, ran by each and every one of her fellow thieves, all of whom thoroughly vetted her plan, and gave their stamp of approval. 

As Futaba had said, "Not even Ryuji could mess up a plan that simple." much to the boy's indignation.

The sole problem with the plan was that Makoto had to, y'know, actually do it. Which just so happened to be the biggest hurdle she could possibly face. Makoto was 'romantically challenged', as Haru had put it. Sure, when they were in private or Makoto was really in the zone, she could be considered passably suave, but in a situation like this, where she had one chance to get it right, no takebacks or do-overs? She could imagine each and every scenario where she messes up the dramatic speech she has crumpled up next to the rings in her jacket pocket.

Speaking of which, Makoto was feeling more than a little stupid, showing up in her usual summer ensemble of a white blouse and leather pants, plus one leather jacket she was fond of. It was barely past sundown, but it was hot and humid, and beads of sweat that threatened to drip down her face at any moment were not helping her anxiety problem. The weather report stated it would be cool tonight, but the weather report was apparently a lie, so Makoto was stuck between a rock and very sweaty place.

Makoto glanced around the empty street, looking for any sign of her sister. The more the minutes passed, the more the rambunctious cocktail of emotions brewing in her stomach was unsettled. Now the completely irrational fears were coming out to play. What if Sis got lost? What if she forgot about date night? Stupid thoughts really; Makoto had been precise in her directions, and date night was a regularly scheduled occurrence, so unless something urgent came up, Sae would be there.

Makoto found herself pacing at the front door of the restaurant anyway, silently pleading that Sae would show up, just to calm down her raging thoughts. 

Makoto checked her texts. A few good luck messages from her friends, but otherwise nothing. Makoto was ready to scream. Now she was drawing sympathetic looks from the lone employee manning the door. She checked her phone again. Three minutes before their scheduled time. Why did they have to agree to come separately? Why did Sae have to work tonight? Why can't Makoto stop being a miserable mess of anxiety?

None of these questions required answering, however, because just as Makoto was about to contemplate time traveling to their wedding day, Sae finally rounded the street corner, waving to her girlfriend from across the way. Makoto responded with her own enthusiastic wave.

Sis, as always, was stunning. Both girls agreed on the idea of wearing whatever they want on their date nights, and while Makoto talked herself out of dressing up tonight, since she thought she would psych herself out if she dressed too formally, Sae did not.

Black, double-breasted, pinstripe suit, form-fitted to Sae's curves, with a white undershirt and sharp, crimson tie underneath. The matching, form-fitted slacks and jet black pumps completed the look of someone fearless and sharp-witted enough to defend the justice Sae stood for. 

Makoto felt ready to pass out. Sae was gorgeous. Sure, it wasn't much of a depature from Sae's usual formal wear, but Makoto had never seen that suit before, and Sae looked positively arresting in it, pardon the pun. The roiling mess of emotions churning inside Makoto did not appreciate the hefty dose of arousal thrown into the mix. Sae was looking the best Makoto had ever seen her, and anxious, nervous Makoto had to propose to her tonight.

Oh god, she had to propose tonight. Fuck.

"Hello Mako." Sae's amused voice drawled, snapping Makoto out of her panic. 

"H-hello, Sae." Makoto stuttered out. Sae lightly chuckled at Makoto's awkwardness.

"Mako, it's just me." Sae placed a reassuring hand on Makoto's shoulder.

Makoto took a deep breath, held it for a moment, and exhaled, "Right. Shall we?" Sae hooked an arm with Makoto's

"Let's."

A quick confirmation of their reservation, and the two were lead inside the thankfully air conditioned restaurant.

To say that Makoto had never been in a place that looked this expensive would be an understatement. Velvet carpet, what looked to be real mahogany chair with plush leather cushions, the walls were line with scenic landscapes that would make Yusuke drool. The walls were gold, for goodness' sake. Some part of Makoto's brain thought that they made have been made out of actual gold.

Makoto felt so severly out of place and underdressed that she considered calling the whole thing off right there. That was quickly dismissed, though; some memory of that strength she felt as Queen held her together.

They were seated and a waiter with an almost indecipherable french accent had left them their menus, and then they were alone. Now that they were alone, the nerves returned. Sae was right there in front of her. The love of her life, someone she trusted implicitly, and someone she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, no matter what. All she needed to do was present their rings, and ask a simple question.

That would wait until after dinner, however. Right now, Makoto needs to get through this dinner without passing out, and the smouldering, unbroken eye contact Sae's been maintaining was drastically lowering the chances of that happening.

"You look lovely tonight, Mako." Sis said, unprompted. 

"Y-you look handsome yourself," Makoto took a quick look around to see if they were alone, "S-sis." Sae's face morphed into a frown.

"Mako, are you alright?" Sae took Makoto's hand, full of concern, "You seem nervous."

Makoto couldn't help but smile, and squeezed Sae's hand, "I'm okay. Just restless. I've never been in a place like this before." Sae gave a wry smile, separating their hands.

"The execs always liked taking me to places like this. The bastards always thought they could butter me up into putting out." Makoto's face curled up in disgust.

 "I wish there was something I could do." Makoto spoke with barely restrained fury.

"Don't worry about them, Mako." Sae spoke soothingly, "I got the last laugh anyway; I actually put out for my little sister. Those decrepit assholes lost to someone I saw in diapers." 

Makoto flushed, but let out a shocked laugh. The shocked laugh quickly broke out into full unrestrained cackling. It was decidedly undignified, and so was the snort she couldn't hold back that sent Sae into a fit of laughter as well. The two sisters laughed for minutes on end, until the only thing they were laughing at was their own laughter. The tension was gone, and the two lovers were left smiling ear to ear as they finally settled down.

It's just so easy with Sis. One moment she's nervous, and the next Sae has so expertly broken her out of it. She was still thinking about the proposal, but that seemed so far away for now; after all she had a date to enjoy first.

The two sisters chatted effortlessly, conversation flowing like an unending river, and Makoto was genuinely surprised when their waiter showed up to take their orders. She ordered a chicken dish with some incomprehensible name that Haru had recommended, and the conversation resumed like nothing had happened.

 
Makoto admired her sister, in so many ways. She was strong, determined, sharp-witted and wickedly intelligent. Yet she was also kind, effortlessly considerate and patiently supportive of Makoto's goals. Makoto admired her, admired the curve of her jaw, her alluringly full eyelashes with just a hint of eyeliner, and her shining crimson eyes. She sees those eyes reflected back at her in every mirror, yet she never gets tired of looking at Sae's. Just part of her sister she finds of so charming, she supposed.

It feels like only moments had passed when the waiter returned with their food, and conversation became sparse as they dug in. However they prepared that chicken must have been magical in nature, because it was beyond delicious. It practically melted on her tongue, and the mere thought that Haru could casually afford to eat something this good put a pit in her stomach. She couldn't imagine how expensive this was, seeing as the menu had no listed prices, but it must have been over the moon if the taste was anything to go bye.

The tiny proportions and exquisite taste made it disappear from her plate in an instant, with it arrived the realization of what she needed to do. The small box stowed away in her pocket suddenly felt like a bar of lead. The easy atmosphere was gone, replaced by the resurgence of anxiety that was kept down so easily before. Makoto hid her hands under the table, unable to stop their shaking, and sweat started rolling down the back of her neck, the chill of the liquid unbearable against the uncomfortable warmth that seized Makoto's body.

She tried, tried to hide her anxiety, but Sae saw through those attempts with ease.

"Mako, are you okay? What's wrong?" Sae asked urgently.

Makoto was hyperventilating now, full body shakes tearing through uncontrollably. She knew she needed to calm down, she knew she needed to get herself under control, but she just couldn't. It wouldn't stop, that aching, clawing feeling in her gut threatened to tear her apart.

"Mako!" Sae shot up from her chair and pulled Makoto into her arms, "Calm down, Mako. You're okay." Sae said into the shaking girl's hair, planting light, careful kisses between breaths.

"S-sis." Makoto shuddered out, hot tears flowing unrestrained. She shouldn't be upset. This was supposed to be happy. Yet she just couldn't stop trembling.

Minutes passed by in agony, only the soothing words of comfort from Sae and the ocassional gasping sob from Makoto disturbing the previously pleasant atmosphere. Makoto tried and tried to pull herself together, sinking deeper into the safety of her sister's arms, Sae's words reaching deep into the recesses of her mind, pulling her out of the depths of unfiltered emotion that threatened to drown her.

She took a deep breath. In and out. In, and out. Her nerves began to settle, and soon enough the shaking stopped, and she separated herself from Sae's arms.

"Are you okay?" Sae asked.

"Y-yeah." Makoto stuttered, taking another deep breath, "I'm okay now, sorry."

"Good." Sae nodded resolutely, returning to her seat. "What happened Mako?" 

"I-" Makoto stopped, drawing in every ounce of her courage, and stood up and bent down on one knee, staring straight into Sae's eyes, brimming with determination. She pulled the small, velvet box from her pocket, and Sae gasped in shock. Sae sat there, frozen in her seat, as Makoto's eyes shined.

"Sae." Makoto started, voice flooded with emotion, "I love you. I've loved for almost my entire life, and I can't imagine not loving you for the rest of it. I want to lie down next to you every night, and wake up in your arms every morning. I know." Makoto's voice dropped, "I know we can't get married legally, but I want to do this anyway. I love you Sae. Will you marry me?" Makoto's tears began to fall as she opened up the box in her hands, revealing the shining ruby rings to the love of her life.

Sae's hands had long since covered her mouth, and her tears had long since started falling. She didn't say a word, far too overwhelmed to form a single syllable. She just sat there, eyes unblinking as she stared at the silver bands in awe, the only sign of life being the tears rolling down her cheeks. 

Sae had shut down, and Makoto was starting to get worried. The seconds kept passing by, the silence going from dramatic to uncomfortable very quickly while Sae sat there, trying to process. Makoto's knee was starting to ache a bit from kneeling for so long. Her face twisted from a hopeful smile into a concerned frown.

"Sae?" Makoto tried.

Sae mumbled something, but it was muffled by her hands.

"Sae?" Makoto tried again, "I couldn't hear what you said."

"Y-yes." Sae spoke louder this time, voice watery, "Y-yes, I'll marry you, Mako." Sae's face broke into a smile, and Makoto beamed. She launched herself into her sister's arms, uncaring about any employees who might have been watching, and kissed her sister right on the lips. The kiss only lasted for a moment before Makoto broke away and buried her face into Sae's neck.

"I-I'm so happy." Makoto warbled.

"How are you planning on us getting married, though?" Sae asked as she buried her own face into her sister's neck.

Makoto smirked, grabbing her sister by the cheeks and planting a firm kiss on the mouth.

"Don't worry about that. I have it covered."

. . .

"Makoto! Can you not go bridezilla on us!? Please!?" Ann cried.

"No!" Makoto shouted back.

As it turns out, wedding days are stressful, even if it is the happiest day of your life. Weeks spent in preparation, an undisclosed amount of Haru's money had been spent, and Makoto was dolled up in an immaculately fitted tux in Ren's former room, and she was having a hormonal breakdown.

"It's her big day," Futaba said nonchalantly from her position on the bed, tapping away on some handheld, "She can go bridezilla if she wants. Or groomzilla, since you're wearing the suit?" Futaba looked thoughtful for a moment, "I don't know. Whatever, she can go full jurassic if she wants to, Ann."

"Don't encourage her!" Ann snapped. "Look Makoto." Ann grabbed Makoto by her cheeks and snapped her head to look into her eyes. "It's going to be fine. You're going to go down there, say some cheesy vows, kiss your hot wife on the lips, and eat some cake afterwards. Stop." Ann clapped Makoto on cheeks, "Stressing." Ann clapped them again.

Makoto shoved her way out of the blonde's grasp. "How am I not supposed to stress!?" Makoto practically screamed out, Futaba covering her ears to block out the banshee screech, "What if I forget my vows!? What Sis falls and sprains her ankle!? What if some customer walks in on us!?" So many things could go wrong, and somehow Ann didn't see that.

"Boss already closed the shop, Makoto. No one's gonna walk in." Ann put her hands on her hips, shooting Makoto a judgmental look. "And knowing you, you have your vows written on the inside of your eyelids, so you're not going to forget them." Ann said, almost sort of close to being reassuring.

"So you're saying Sae might sprain her ankle!?" Makoto screamed, taking the entirely wrong message. "Oh god did you check the floorboards!? If she rolls her ankle, it could be a permanent injury!" Makoto started chewing on her bottom lips, ready to bolt down the stairs and check each individual floorboard if she had to.

Ann grabbed a hold of her arm before she could do something stupid, and see the decorations Yusuke and Ryuji had spent hours putting up for the surprise. And Ann wasn't about to miss her chance to walk Makoto down the stairs, dammit! If there wasn't an aisle to walk down, the stairs will have to do.

"The floorboards are fine, Makoto." Ann said, dripping with irritation, "Just sit down."

Makoto huffed, taking a seat on the couch, arms crossed in indignation. Makoto shot a fierce glare at her blonde "friend" that seemed to be wholly unconcerned with her soon to be wife's safety. Ann wore a tasteful, simple, red dress, with no neckline or cleavage to speak of, that would be considered low-key on literally anyone else. Immaculate makeup of course. She'd hope so, seeing as how Ann was the one who did her makeup too. Her hair was free from it's usual pigtails, flowly freely down her back in it's full, fluffy glory. Did she have to look so good? It'd be easier for Makoto to be angry if she wasn't drop-dead gorgeous, thanks.

Futaba was thankfully more low-key, seeing as how her navy blue dress showed zero skin at all, not even her arms, and she didn't change her hair or use any makeup. She didn't have a reason to be angry at her, though. 

"I just want to make sure everything goes well."

"It will, Makoto! We've made sure of it. Now stop worrying about stupid stuff." Ann chastised.

"It's stupid..." Makoto mumbled.

"Oh!" Futaba shouted in realization, "Queen did you want me to change some stuff to make you legally married. I just need to falsify some documents and I can set you up." Futaba wiggled her eyebrows.

"Uhhh." Makoto said dumbly. Futaba just casually offered to commit an extremely serious felony, but at the same time, it would be a tax deduction... Makoto shook her head; she must be really out of it if she was seriously considering that.

"Futaba, you do realize I'm studying to be a police officer right? And my wife is an attorney?" Makoto said, dripping with implied threat.

"Oooh, calling her the wife already, huh?" Futaba blew completely past her meaning. Makoto faltered.

"I-I mean, what else am I supposed to call her?" Makoto hastily defended herself.

"I don't know," Futaba shrugged, "but she's not your wife yet. She still has time to leave you at the altar." Makoto went white as a sheet as the mischievous gremlin cackled.

"Futaba! Don't say that!" Ann screeched, "I just got her to stop freaking out!" Ann looked ready to throttle the orange haired girl.

Futaba hadn't stopped laughing as Makoto slipped into her mental breakdown. She hadn't even considered the possibility of Sae getting cold feet. Oh fuck, what if Sae realizes what a horrible mistake she's making and call it all off. She'll kick Makoto out, and Makoto would have to panhandle in the subway station for pocket change. Why didn't she consider this before. This was such a bad idea, she should have never tried to do this stu-

"Makoto, snap out of it!" Ann shook Makoto out of her downward spiral. The anxious bride gave Ann a doe-eyed look, the genuine fear present in her eyes. 

"Makoto..." Ann sighed, pulling her into a hug. "Everything's going to be fine." Ann stroked Makoto's hair lightly, "Sae loves you. I guarantee she's just as excited to do this as you are. You two are gonna be happily married by the end of this, and everything's going to be perfect, okay?" Ann gave her best bright, reassuring smile.

Makoto let out a deep exhale and settled her shaking nerves, "Right." she nodded. 

Everything's going to be fine. The wedding's going to go well, the celebration afterwards is going to be great, and Sae will certainly want to consummate their marriage tonight. It'll all be perfect. She's willing to be that Sae wasn't even freaking out about it, and she was making a big deal out of nothing.

Sae was level-headed. She knew what she was doing.

. . .

"I have no idea what I'm doing." Sae stated, feeling like the biggest idiot on the planet.

"Sae-san... It's a dress." Okumura-san said helpfully. Sae turned, saw the honest sympathy in her eyes, and turned back to the object of her distress.

Okay, maybe she was the biggest idiot on the planet. Okumura-san had been so helpful throughout the entire process of preparing for the ceremony, and had been so kind to have provided a wedding dress to wear as well. There was just one problem, Sae had absolutely no clue how to put it on. Apparently, it was a simple enough dress to put on by yourself, but Sae had never worn a dress before, and the abundance of frills and lace made the task seem impossible. Okumura-san had made it seem like you just step into it? But how does that even work, because she made it quite clear when Sae tried to put it on the ground that she shouldn't do that.

So she was stuck inside the Sakura family residence, staring at a wedding dress, desperately trying to figure out how to put it on.

"Did you want some help, Niijima-san?" Yoshizawa-san asked from the couch, shining in the violet dress she was wearing. 

"No, I'll figure it out." Sae wasn't an idiot. It's a piece of clothing, it can't be that complicated.

"Are ya sure you don't want help? You've been starin' at that thing for a while." Sakamoto-kun so bluntly put it. 

"Why are you all even here?" Sae asked touch more rudely than she intended, looking at the ragtag group of Kitagawa, Sakamoto, Yoshizawa and Suzui, all sitting on the Sakura's living room couch watching a Neo Featherman movie, looking quite ridiculous watching a children's movie while dressed in formal wear.

"Ann made it quite clear we weren't welcome with the groom." Kitagawa-kun sounded genuinely hurt.

"Is Makoto the groom? Doesn't the groom have to be a guy?" Suzui-san asked the completely irrelevant question.

"She's wearin' the suit, though. Wouldn't that make her the groom?" Sakamoto-kun responded.

"I believe since Niijima-san's will don the bridal gown for the ceremony, Makoto would naturally be the groom." Kitagawa-kun concluded. The rest of the peanut gallery all nodded, content with that answer. They turned their attention back to the television, focusing on the flashing lights and colors once more.

 
"This really is quite dreadful." Kitagawa-kun said with a frown. Sae groaned.

"Sae-san, are you sure you don't want help?" Okumura-san frowned. Sae really wanted to say no, but something about Okumura-san just made it hard to say no to her, especially when she's dressed up in the cute, lavender dress she had on. It was like saying no to a small animal. Sae's pride folded, and nodded in assent. 

Okumura-san gave a determined nod, and the twenty minutes of Sae's life was an ordeal, to put it nicely. She was stripped, rather forcefully she might add, right where she stood. She was mortified until she realized no one on the couch even spared a passing glance at her lack of clothing. Okumura-san then made her wear the raciest panties she's ever seen and a corset for goodness' sake. Air was apparently something she didn't need and when she looked in the mirror, she realized how ridiculously huge her boobs looked in that thing.

"Okumura-san-"

"My name is Haru. Just Haru." Haru said sternly. Sae faltered.

"Right." Sae nodded, "Haru, why do I need to wear this?" 

"It'll help you fit into the dress!" Haru bounced happily, excited to talk about the corset for some reason, "It also does a great job of accentuating your figure, and I guarantee you'll look absolutely stunning when you're fully dressed up. Plus," Haru's voice dropped in with mischief, "it'll be a nice surprise for Mako-chan later." Haru gave an over the top wink, and Sae couldn't help but sigh. Every single one of Makoto's friends are ridiculous. She didn't take the corset off, though.

After the underwear was the actual dress itself, which Sae was entirely certain she would have ruined if she tried to put it on herself. Haru painstakingly guided her every step of the way and Sae still almost managed to tear open a hole with her foot trying to step into the thing. Thankfully, disaster was dodged each time Sae was about to fumble her way into ruining her wedding, and the dress was finally on. 

Sae looked into the standing mirror Haru had so nicely set up and was struck. She looked straight out of a storybook, the long, tastefully frilled, flowing satin skirt just barely avoided touching the floor, while the tight bodice proudly displayed her accentuated curves. The lack of sleeves allowed her toned, muscular arms to be admired freely, and the rather steep neckline provided plenty of cleavage to look at as well, with the added benefit of showing off the silver necklace that had been her Christmas present, all those months ago.

She was gorgeous; she felt gorgeous. She could barely recognize herself, seeing the reflection of the blushing bride a younger her had always dreamed of being. The image was obscured by the sudden mist clouding her vision, tears threatening to spill over from the unbridled joy she felt.

"We still need to do your hair and makeup, but for right now it's fine." Haru stated simply, "Do you like it?"

"I-" Sae choked up, turning to face the younger girl, "I love it Haru." she pulled her into a smothering hug, that Haru gladly returned. "Thank you so much." Tears spilled onto Haru's shoulder, but she hardly minded.

"You're welcome, Sae-chan." Sae chuckled.

"Don't get too familiar, Haru, I'm still your senior." Sae stated in faux chastisement.

"You're marrying my best friend, Sae-chan. You brought this on yourself." Haru teased.

"Oh my god, Niijima-san, you look so pretty!" Yoshizawa-san squealed, getting up close and personal, inspecting every inch of Sae's magnificent dress.

"You are quite the aesthetic marvel." Kitagawa-kun admired as well, though from a much more reasonable distance.

"This goes without saying, but if you better not hurt Makoto, or you'll have to deal with us." Sae was almost proud of how readily Sakamoto-kun threatened her at even the idea of hurting her sister. He didn't need to worry about that, however; Sae would sooner die than hurt Makoto even unintentionally.

Sae was going to say as much until Suzui-san spoke up first, "Ryuji, I'm pretty sure she'd beat your ass if you tried anything. Have you seen her forearms?" Suzui said, looking at those muscled arms with a bit too much interest.

"Hey!" Sakamoto-kun shouted, but then took another look, and grumbled, "Whatever. Just treat Makoto right, okay? She deserves it." Sae wasn't about to disagree with that.

"She does." Sae smiled, "I'll take care of her. I promise you all that." Sae took in their satisfied smiles, one she happily shared.

"Now," Haru clapped her hands, drawing everyone's attention, "we need to finish getting you ready; I believe a certain lady is waiting for you."

Sae let out a small laugh. That's right, Mako was waiting on her. Knowing her, she's probably just barely keeping it together. It wouldn't be good to keep her in suspense much longer.

. . .

Makoto really, really did try to stop fidgeting. She even went as far sitting on her hands, but the restless energy needed to be released, so fidgeted she did. She, at the very least, avoided picking at the immaculate nail job Ann had so graciously done for her, but fiddling with her cuffs and playing with her fingers was far from off limits.

Sae was still getting ready, and Ann had taken away her phone after Makoto had checked it twelve times in the span of a minute, so she was left to marinate in her restlessness. She almost wished she had something to think about, but really her mind free from coherent thought, leaving only the stirring emotions in her chest as a point of focus. Which just so happened to be a terrible point of focus, because every time she could find a feeling to focus on, it would shift into an incomprehensible mass of nervous energy.

It was maddening. She wanted to do something, anything. Anything that wasn't sitting around, drowning in anticipation. She didn't even have friends to distract her anymore, since Ann and Futaba had left to finish some last minute preparations. She was half tempted to walk down the steps to the repurposed Leblanc that would be hosting her and Sis's wedding, if only to have new surroundings. 

Ann would throttle her if she did that, though. If there was one thing Ann made abundantly clear, it was that she couldn't walk Makoto down the aisle, she was going to walk Makoto down those steps.

Makoto had enough and stood up from her place on the couch and flopped onto Ren's former bed. That was something to focus on. Sis had managed to expunge Ren's criminal record and had managed to keep him out jail, but he still had to return to his home town after his probation was over.

She missed him. Ren had been nothing but a positive force in her life ever since that fateful day he took her into Kaneshiro's palace. He was calm, patient, even when Makoto was being entirely unreasonable, and was quietly one of the funniest people she's ever met. Not that she'd ever admit that to him, since underneath that facade of a demure, quiet highschooler was a bordering on egotistical showoff. She wished he could be here, but he was three-hundred miles away and had already texted her his well wishes. 

There was nothing to be done about it now though, so there was no use in focusing on the negatives, not on a night like this. She had wonderful, accepting friends, and the quite literal woman of her dreams, ready to take her hand in marriage. The ceremony was due to start at literally any moment, and she was going to see her unreasonably beautiful sister in a wedding dress, for her wedding. 

Nervous anticipation morphed into energized giddiness. She was going to see Sis in her wedding dress. It was handpicked by Haru as well, so she was guaranteed to look spectacular, to put it as mildly as possible. God, she was going to put ring on Sae's finger tonight. Seven year old Makoto would be seeing stars if she knew that. 

"Ohhh, Makotoooo!" Ann trilled, coming up the stairs with the brightest smile Makoto had ever seen. "It's time."

Makoto jumped to her feet and patted down her tux, straightening it out before Ann had time to notice. It was time. Ann came forward, her megawatt smile somehow growing even larger as she closed the distance, and hooked her arm through Makoto's own.

"Shall we?" Ann tried to ask flirtatiously, but it came out wrong due to the tears threatening to spring forth. 

"Let's." Makoto nodded, holding back her own.

So began the slow walk to the staircase. Makoto kept her shoulders squared and her chin held high, but she felt the tremors in her legs with every step. Thoughts were gone, replaced by pure adrenaline as she walked closer to a faraway dream she had held for so long, now suddenly just a few steps away. If the dizziness was anything to go by, she was about to pass out, but doing so would mean she'd miss her wedding, so that wasn't happening.

They reached the steps, and with a deep breath, the two began their slow descent. Makoto's legs wobbled dangerously, and if it weren't for the steadying grasp on her arm, she almost of certainly would have fallen. Makoto took a furtive glance to the girl on her arm, and found someone barely holding herself together, even as she smiled ear to ear. Appreciation for her friend soared in her heart; Ann was just as happy to be doing this as Makoto was. Makoto almost wanted to laugh, the tense but happy atmosphere bubbling up in her throat, until giggles began to spill forth uncontrollably. Once Makoto started giggling, Ann couldn't help but follow, the two friends cracking under the weight of their fumbling nerves. 

The giggling didn't stop after they reached the bottom of the stairs and made their way into the cafe/wedding hall proper, continuing on until the two were doubled over each other, laughing way louder than a groom? bride?, and their maid of honor had any right to be right before the ceremony proper. 

It was a bit silly, being so excited over an unofficial wedding ceremony set up by mostly high schoolers, but it was hard not to be. Makoto would almost certainly never have a chance for an official marriage, and there was something special about this, a private ceremony with people she trusts with her life. So they laughed and laughed until they had finally laughed themselves out, settling down into a quiet sort of happiness. Ann finally unhooked her arm from Makoto's and faced her with a blindingly bright smile.

"Thanks for that." Ann said mirthfully. "I'm glad I got to do that, at least once."

"You don't need to thank me. I was happy to." Makoto smiled back. Ann apparently still had an extra giggle left over, because she let out one final little laugh and gave Makoto a quick, flirty kiss on the cheek before sitting down in one of the nearby booths.

Now that Makoto was free to take in her surroundings, she took the opportunity to admire the decorations her friends had spent time setting up. The decor was rather modest, seeing as how Boss still had to open up tomorrow, but the white carpet runway and over the top white archway leading to the attic was still eyecatching. That's not to discount the floral arrangements either, since Haru had almost certainly grown the pots of white lillies that were present on each table. The banner of strung together white lillies that was hung from the countertop was probably her doing as well. The finishing touch was the custom ordered "Mrs. and Mrs. Niijima" banner hung from the rafters that Makoto couldn't help but chuckle at.

The decor was perfect, really, but it didn't get a second glance. The real eye catcher was her friends sans Haru and Ren taking up the Leblanc booths, all dressed up in formal wear. 

Ryuji wore a black tux that Haru certainly loaned to him, but had forgone the white undershirt, instead opting for a garish yellow tee with, "Work Hard, Go Hard" emblazoned on the front in bold red capitals. She didn't expect anything less of Ryuji. 

Ann and Futaba hadn't changed, but Yusuke definitely stood out in the quite frankly ridiculous royal blue kimono with a shining gold dragon streaking down the front, tied together with a jet black obi. She got the feeling Yusuke picked it himself.

Sumire's violet dress drew a smile to her lips, but Shiho's surprisingly conservative white dress caused it to fall. From what she knew about Shiho, she was almost certain that the girl would have worn something more outrageous, but seeing her in a normal dress scared Makoto a little.

The bright smiles all around were more dazzling than their clothing, however, the pride in their eyes was a soothing balm to the lingering nerves in Makoto's heart. It was a silly, fake ceremony for a wedding with her sister of all things, but they all smiled ear to ear like the proudest friends in the world. It was hard, holding back the tears that threatened to spill, but Makoto had long since decided to save those for when she saw Sae.

"Attention!" Futaba shouted from her seat across from Yusuke, looking up from her laptop, "The hot one is on her way!" 

"Hey, Makoto's hot!" Ryuji defended Makoto's honor.

"Yeah, but have you seen her sister? She's definitely the hot one." Shiho so bluntly responded. Makoto's didn't really disagree.

"The eldest Niijima is quite beautiful, and I don't believe Makoto would disagree." Yusuke took the words out of Makoto's mouth.

The conversation was quickly shut down by the jingle of the doorbell, all eyes snapping to the two people walking inside. Haru looked nice in with her cute lavender dress, but Makoto only saw the woman locked with her arm.

Sae was ethereal. Am image conjured from a young girl's dreams of a fairytale wedding. A figure, clad in white, stepping out of the realm of imagination into the real world. The bridal veil obscured her face, but watching the slow steps of her sister walking towards the end of the cafe, walking towards her, Makoto was transfixed by her otherworldly beauty. Makoto had no words, no breath, as that angelic figure finally reached her, only able to stare, unblinking.

Haru unhooked her arm from Sae's, an ecstatic grin painting her cheeks at Makoto's stunned expression, and took her seat across from Ann.

Makoto stared, longer than was probably appropriate, at her sister's face through the thin veil. She saw the hints of eyeshadow and the small smile on her face, with lips painted the same black as her Shadow from her Palace. That small smile only grew wider and wider as the seconds passed, eventually breaking into an amused smirk.

"I'm guessing you like it?" Makoto took a deep gulp of breath, snapped out of her reverie.

"Sis..." Makoto whispered, "You're... You're beautiful..." Makoto eyes shined with wonder.

Sae couldn't stop a chuckle, "You look quite handsome yourself." Sae drank in Makoto wearing a suit, clearly pleased with what she saw.

Makoto slowly formulated a response but had no time to use it, because a familiar voice spoke up from the bathroom right next to them.

"I'm glad you two are enjoying yourselves, but I believe it's showtime." 

The bathroom door burst open, revealing outrageous showboat Ren Amamiya, fully decked out in his Metaverse outfit.

"Ren?" "Amamiya?" The two Niijimas asked at the same time, but Ren just put up a single hand.

"I am not Ren Amamiya. Tonight, I am Joker, and I will be officiating your wedding." Joker spoke with such bombast that the loud groan Makoto wasn't even close to exaggerated considering the circumstances.

"Ren-" Makoto began.

"Joker." Joker cut in swiftly, full of amusement. Makoto groaned again, hiding her face in second hand embarrassment.

"Joker?" Sae asked in amused confusion.

"It was his codename in the Metaverse." Makoto answered in exasperation. "Joker how did you get here? Weren't you supposed to be back home?" 

"I was supposed to be." Joker answered simply, but the smug grin on his face told the whole story.

"Are you even ordained?' Sae asked.

"No, but I've never been good at following the rules." Sae laughed at that, shaking her head in amusement.

"Alright then."

"Did you all know about this?" Makoto looked to the rest of her friends, the cheeky smiles on their faces answering her question.

"Of course, Makoto-senpai." Sumire chirped, "Haru-senpai paid off his parents to let him come for the ceremony."

"Haru!" Makoto chastised, but the girl didn't look apologetic for even a moment.

"I wasn't just going to let Joker miss your wedding, Mako-chan." Haru said cheekily.

"Yeah!" Ryuji shouted out, "C'mon Makoto, it's your wedding! He couldn't just miss it."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world, Queen." Makoto could only sigh and accept it.

"Shall we begin then?" Joker asked, and Makoto turned back to look at Sae and nodded. "Now then, please lift the bride's veil." Makoto was more than happy to oblige.

Gingerly, Makoto lifted the veil covering her sister's lovely visage, revealing a dazzling smile and rose tinted cheeks on full display. Makoto was overwhelmed with the urge to kiss her bride and never stop, and really, the only thing that stopped her was that she hadn't given her the ring yet.

"Now then." Joker's deep voice began, "Since this is a Phantom Thieves wedding-"

"I'm a Phantom Thief now?" Sae interrupted, clearly entertained by the theatrics.

"You're marrying one." Joker stated simply.

"Fair enough." Sae chuckled.

"Now then," Joker began again, "Friends, loved ones, Phantom Thieves. We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of our very own Queen," shouts and applause came from the booth seats, "and her extremely hot sister." More hoots and hollers came, this time with a fierce glare from the two Niijimas, which Joker shrugged off with a grin. "Since this is a Phantom Thieves wedding, we can skip all of the boring legal stuff and skip straight to the good part. Queen, would you please say your vows." 

Right. This was happening. Makoto took a deep breath in and mentally ran through the speech she prepared. Each word had been meticulous selected and carefully organized to properly relay the depths of her love. She mentally threw that all away though, and grabbed Sae's hands and spoke from the heart.

"Sae, I love you. I love you more than anything in the world. I've loved you my whole life, ever since you punched out that one kid picking on me." Sae grinned at the reminder while the rest of her friends laughed. "You mean the world to me. You're my role model, someone I've always looked up to, and someone I've always wanted to make proud. Ever since Dad died..." Makoto's voice broke a bit, but she picked it back up quickly, "Ever since he died, you've been the only person I've had left. You've taken care of me, fed me, clothed me, held me when I cried," as if on cue, her tears began to fall, "and ever since we woke up from Maruki's reality, dating you has been even better than I could have dreamed of. I love you. I couldn't stop loving you if I tried, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you." Makoto smiled, her heart full, as the whoops and hollers came out in full force from her rousing speech.

Sae's eyes shined with unshed tears, seemingly too overcome with emotion to say anything, and all Makoto could do was smile and wipe at the tears falling from her eyes, doing her best to not smudge her makeup.

"That was beautiful Queen." Joker spoke with pride. "Thank you for that. Now, Gambler," Joker looked at Sae, "would you please say your vows."

"I'm Gambler now too?" Sae asked with a watery laugh.

"You're a Phantom Thief, so you need a codename." Joker said cheekily. 

"Gambler's a super cool codename, don't you think?" Ann asked.

"Yeah! Way better than stupid Skull!" Futaba shouted.

"Hey! Don't say that! I like my codename!" Ryuji shouted back.

"Gambler, huh?" Sae chuckled, "I like it." The sly grin on her face sent Makoto reeling.

"Wait, when do I get a codename?" Shiho cut in, clearly annoyed at her lack of a codename.

"When Ann finally gets around to marrying you." Ryuji said flatly. All eyes turned to Ann expectantly, especially Shiho's pointed glare, and the blonde suddenly found the wall extremely interesting, embarrassment painting her cheeks the same color as her dress.

"Getting back on track." Joker pulled the attention away from Ann's crippling inability to not be a useless lesbian, "Gambler, your vows." Joker nodded, giving Sae the floor.

"Right." Sae took a deep breath, grabbed Makoto's hands, and stared straight into her eyes. "Makoto. It would be the truth to say that I've loved you your entire life. I've been with you at every stage, and I've always loved you. I've watched you grow, and change, and become the absolutely wonderful woman that you are now." Sae sniffled, "I'm proud of how much you've grown, and I want to be there with you as you grow even further. I couldn't imagine a life without being at your side. I love you, so much, Makoto, and it would make me the happiest woman in the world to be married to you."

There were no words after Sae's speech. No claps, or hollers, or any rambunctious behavior. The only sound in the rooms was the full breakdown Makoto was having, tears streaming down her face and sobs escaping her lips. Sae pulled her bride into her arms and held her as Makoto cried the happiest tears she'd ever shed. Minutes passed before Makoto could finally reign in her tears enough to continue the ceremony, but the smile told the whole story of just how much she needed to hear Sae's words.

"That was beautiful, Gambler." Joker said, clearly a bit emotional himself, "Thank you, for those kind words." Finally claps came out from the rest of the Thieves, much more subdued than before, thanks to Ann and Ryuji's sympathy crying preventing them from clapping as loudly.

"Now. I believe it's time for the main event. Mona, please bring us the rings." Morgana, who had apparently been hiding behind the counter, lept onto the countertop, a velvet box holding the two rings strapped to his back. Clearly a bit embarrassed about being the ring bearer, Morgana begrudgingly walked towards the soon to be married sisters and leaned his head down, allowing them to take their matching rings. 

Rings in hand, Joker continued. "Queen, if you would please put the ring on Gambler's finger." Makoto was more than happy to oblige. 

The ring slid on effortlessly, a perfect fit to Sae's slim fingers, shining brilliantly in the light of the cafe. The conspiratorial smiles the two shared as Sae returned the favor lit up the room. It almost felt unfair, being this happy. Makoto really had no clue what she'd done to deserve this, but she'd always be grateful for this moment; one that she'd remember for the rest of her life.

"Queen." Makoto snapped to attention at Joker's tone, "Do you, as head advisor of the Phantom Thieves, take Gambler to be your unlawfully wedded wife? In sickness and in health, 'till death do you part?"

Makoto looked into Sae's matching eyes, full of fiery determination.

"I do."

"And do you, Gambler, as the newest member of the Phantom Thieves, take Queen to be your unlawfully wedded wife? In sickness and in health, 'till death do you part?"

"I do." Sae answered with just as much certainty.

"Then, as leader of the Phantom Thieves, I now pronounce you wife and wife. You may now kiss."

And kiss they did.

Cheers erupted as the entire cafe flew into a frenzy of hugs and cheers, the raucous noises heard well down the empty streets. To Makoto and Sae, though? It may as well have been silent, so focused on each other. In that moment, it was only the two of them; their love and the happiness they shared.

. . .

Makoto Niijima sat down in her chair in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. The promotion had been finalized, and the move was complete. Makoto Niijima was now the Police Commissioner of the entire Tokyo Police.

To say Makoto was proud of this moment would be an understatement. Years of work, of blood, sweat, and tears, were poured into this. A constant struggle against the monotonous grind of paperwork, against sexist co-workers and bosses who would never see her as anything more than a naive overachiever.

All of that pain, all of that suffering, for this. An office to call her own, and the power to finally start making changes, to fix the problems that were so thoroughly ingrained. 

She couldn't have done it alone. Makoto looked at the framed photo on her desk from all of those years ago. Her and Sae, smiling for the camera, their makeup ruined from the heavy bouts of crying they both shared many times before the picture was taken. It was impossible for her not to smile at the memory of the day when they pledged to spend their whole lives together, side by side.

Makoto stroked the ring on her finger, still as luxurious as the day it was put on her finger, and smiled. In some ways the ring helped, since it stopped any unwanted advances from men who thought they could snatch her up. In others it hurt, since she often heard that she should be staying at home and leave the work to her husband. She'd never take it off either way, the meaning it held trumped any benefits or drawbacks of wearing it in the workplace. Besides, it was always amusing when people thought that her and Sae had simultaneous weddings; in a way, they weren't wrong.

There was a knock at the door, and in walked just the person she was thinking of.

"Good evening Commissioner Niijima." Sae said knowingly. She hadn't aged a day since their wedding.

"Ah, Niijima, it's good to see you." Makoto grinned cheekily, "To what do I owe your visit."

"Well, I just wanted to congratulate you on your new office." Sae stepped around Makoto's desk and brought her face to Makoto's. "I know you worked very hard for it." Sae whispered.

"I couldn't have done it without your help." Makoto whispered back, itching to close those last few inches between their lips.

"Well," Sae stood up straight, much to Makoto's disappointment, "we've also been invited to a wedding."

"Oh?" Makoto raised an eyebrow, "Is it someone we know?"

"Ann and Shiho are finally having their wedding. Apparently, it's in Paris." Makoto chuckled, shaking her head.

"It took her long enough to propose. They'd only been dating for twelve years."  Sae laughed at that. 

"Better late than never, I guess." Sae grinned, "Now, when are you going to tell me who you're married to, hm?" Sae's warm breath tickled Makoto's lips as she brought their faces together once more.

"Hm." Makoto hummed, "I think I can let you in on the secret. Just don't tell anyone else, okay?"

Makoto closed the distance, locking their lips together. 

It was hard, getting to where they are now, but they'd do it all over again, as long as they walked together.