They ended up falling asleep at 2am but it was the best night's sleep they ever had. No longer having to keep a pillow between them, they were able to hold onto each other and cuddle as they slept. Even just waking up in each others arms made them feel so grateful and they would never take it for granted.
The morning was just as wonderful as the night. Shigure showered first so that Amai could rest for a bit longer before going in herself. By the time she freshened up and came out, she could smell the wonderful aroma of breakfast. She went to the kitchen and saw Shigure making the tea to have with breakfast, which made her smile. Going to him, she held him from behind and rested her head on his back.
She breathed out calmly. "This is exactly how I imagined my future with you. Simply...peace."
He smiled at her words. "It truly is more wonderful than any book ever written."
"We've written our own story," she giggled quietly, "as cheesy as that sounds."
"Cheesy but true," he agreed with a light chuckle. "Let's eat."
They sat together and enjoyed their breakfast whilst they spoke about the wedding. Ayame would be visiting later on to begin the planning and Shigure was just as excited. It's what they had been waiting for. They had become separated for four years simply because he wanted to marry her. And the person who had cursed their relationship had now blessed their future. Back then it felt like a farfetched, fairytale dream. But they prevailed and it was more beautiful than ever.
After relaxing together for a while longer, they decided to make their way back home. Upon arriving, they entered the living room to find Hatori reading a newspaper and the kids watching TV.
"We're hooooome~" Shigure sang.
"Welcome back!" Tohru greeted joyously.
Hatori looked up from his newspaper. "It's good to see you both home."
"Thank you for taking the time to stay here last night," Amai said as they knelt down at the table.
He shook his head. "It was the least I could do."
"Aya will be coming later to discuss the wedding," Shigure said.
"Great," Kyo huffed sarcastically. "That's gonna be fun."
Amai laughed and swung her arm around his neck before giving him a noogie. "No one's asking you to be a part of the planning."
"Let go!" Kyo fought to push her arm off him until he was finally free. "You're so annoying!"
"That's rich coming from you."
Kyo growled at her whilst she simply stuck her tongue out at him. Tohru quietly laughed at their shenanigans whilst Shigure, Yuki and Hatori sweat dropped. Their relationship hadn't changed one bit. They enjoyed annoying each other but they were like the best of friends at the same time.
Yuki looked towards Amai. "If there is anything you need, do not hesitate to ask. We're still off school for a couple of weeks but since exams are over, school won't be so demanding so we'll be free to help in any way."
"You truly are the sweetest, Yuki. I'll definitely ask you if we need anything."
Tohru stood up. "I'm going to get started on lunch."
"I'll give you a hand."
Amai got up and went to the kitchen with Tohru, closing the door behind them. With Amai out of the room, Shigure took the chance to discuss something with the others.
"I was thinking of doing a surprise dinner for Amai," he told the others. "Not only is she going to be a member of our family by name, but she's also done a lot for us."
Hatori nodded. "I agree. Do you have any suggestions on where you would like to take her?"
"Her favourite restaurant is the Amethyst Garden. It's where we had our first date and I took her there the day I proposed to her."
"I'll call them and reserve it for a party of 20 and let the others know about the surprise."
"Thanks, Tori. I'll tell her it's a date. She's going to be so happy," he smiled, imagining the joy on her face.
"I can't believe you and Miss Amai are finally going to get married," Yuki spoke softly.
"Yeah, it's about time," Kyo agreed.
"I feel the same way," Shigure said with a smile.
They made a few more plans since the others wanted to buy Amai gifts so Shigure helped them decide what to get. Once Tohru and Amai returned to bring in lunch, the boys fell quiet and pretended to speak of something else. Yuki and Kyo would tell Tohru the details after.
They all ate lunch together whilst chatting away about random things. After eating and the table was cleared away, Ayame arrived to the house to begin the wedding planning. While he and Amai got started, Shigure went to make tea for everyone. The kids were also excited and so they decided to sit and listen in on the plans. Amai was glad since they all had huge parts to play during the wedding as well.
The first thing on the plan was a venue. Ayame knew their budget so he was going to finalise a few venues before shortlisting them so that Shigure and Amai could check them out and decide on one. Ayame was also going to design Amai's wedding dress so he took down all the details of what she wanted and then noted down her measurements. Once that was all done, he and Hatori left late in the evening.
Once everyone had gone to bed, Shigure and Amai cuddled up in their room to rest for the night. He brushed his fingers through her hair as she lay her head on his chest with one of her legs draped over his own. She just found it more comfortable that way.
"Are you awake?" Shigure asked quietly in case she was sleeping.
"Yes. I'm just super relaxed."
"I was thinking we should go out some time this week. What do you think?"
"You know I'd never say no," she said with a light laugh.
"Of course," he replied with a smile. "I'll try to make a reservation at the Amethyst Garden."
She lifted her head to look at him. "I love that place!" she gasped excitedly with a sparkle in her eyes.
He laughed at her reaction. "I know you do. Just leave it to me."
She pecked his lips. "Thank you."
"Anytime."
***
The next day, Hatori called Shigure to confirm that the restaurant had been booked for a couple days time. Yuki and Kyo had told Tohru about the surprise dinner that they had planned for Amai and she was super excited.
They all acted casual as if there wasn't going to be a party for Amai and she was none the wiser. She simply thought it was a casual date but she still took her time to decide on an outfit. No matter where they went for a date, she always dressed up to make it even more special. The Amethyst Garden was a fine dining restaurant anyway so she loved to go all out.
With Tohru's help, she finally opted for a knee length flowy dress with long sleeves and V-shaped neckline. She was going to accessorise it with heels and matching jewellery.
Meanwhile, Hatori had informed the others of the surprise party and they all wanted to be there. Akito also agreed that the party was a great idea.
Since the breaking of the curse, Akito had found herself to be more healthy. She could feel herself becoming stronger and she wasn't weak and frail anymore. It felt as though the curse had been draining away her life and now that it had been lifted, she could feel her strength returning. Even the amount of medicine had lessened and it had only been a few days. She owed it all to Amai.
On the day of the party, some of the family members went ahead to the restaurant to set it up with balloons and all the little gifts everyone had bought. It was going to be in the evening but they wanted to set up ahead of time. At home, Amai was still oblivious and got ready for her 'date' with Shigure. He almost felt bad that she thought they were going on a date but he knew her happiness would be even greater once she saw everyone there.
Once she was ready, she made her way down while Shigure finished changing. The kids were watching TV but they would get ready as soon as Amai was out the door.
"You kids gonna be okay?" she asked. "We won't be back too late."
"Yes!" Tohru chimed happily.
"Make sure you guys eat. And no fighting," she warned the two boys in particular.
Kyo waved his hand in a bored manner. "Yeah, yeah."
Yuki nodded. "Do not worry, Miss Amai. At least you have Miss Honda to supervise us."
Amai smiled. "Great!"
Soon, Shigure joined them. "Ready?"
"Yes. See you later," she waved at the kids.
Shigure placed his hand on her lower back as he guided her out the room before looking back at the kids and giving them a thumbs up. Once Shigure closed the front door, the kids quickly turned off the TV and rushed upstairs to get ready.
The plan was for Shigure to "accidentally" take a wrong turn to delay them from getting there on time. However, that was to allow the kids enough time to make their way to the restaurant.
"Shigure! You missed the turn!"
"Oh! I did, didn't I?" he chuckled nervously. "Oops."
She smiled with a shake of her head. "Nevermind. We still have plenty of time."
She took out her phone and took a selfie off them both. Shigure kept his eyes on the road but quickly grinned for the picture. Whilst she was busy admiring their photo, he took another wrong turn before she could realise. As he continued to take the long route, Amai noticed that something was off.
"Why is it taking longer than usual to get there?" She looked at the time on her phone. "We're going to miss our reservation time."
He placed a hand on her thigh to keep her reassured. "Don't worry. They'll hold the table for us."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course."
She sighed softly. "Okayyy. I trust you."
Once Shigure thought he had given everyone enough time, he finally went the correct route to the restaurant. When they arrived, Shigure pulled up outside the restaurant. There was valet parking so he didn't have to worry. The man working in valet opened the door for Amai and she stepped out whilst Shigure exited from his side.
"Thank you," Amai said.
Shigure came round and passed his keys over. "Thank you. Ready?"
"Yes," she smiled as he took hold of his hand.
The doorman opened the door for them as they entered and Amai couldn't help but smile. It was just as beautiful as the first time she went. The maître de recognised Shigure and greeted them.
"Good evening. Please follow me to your table."
They followed the man through the restaurant and Amai wondered where they were going since they were passing quite a few two seat tables. But as they passed by a few more tables, her eyes widened in shock.
"SURPRISE!"
At the back of the restaurant, she saw everyone waiting for her. They were all there with big smiles on their faces. Even Akito was there. Amai gasped joyously as she smiled widely.
"Oh, my goodness! What- When-" She became lost for words as she looked at Shigure. "You knew about this?" she asked making him laugh.
Hatori went over to them. "It was Shigure's idea."
"But Tori and the others organised it," Shigure added.
She hugged Hatori as he hugged her back. "Thank you. This is amazing. I had no idea," Amai said, still in shock as they made their way to the table. "Thank you, everyone."
"It's our way to say thank you for everything you have done for us," Akito spoke with a smile. "This is the least we could do."
Amai shook her head as she took her seat in the middle. "No, this is incredible. I'm so happy that you're all here."
Hatori had booked them a large rectangular booth table so there was more than enough space for all of them to sit. Amai was completely elated as they sat together and soon everyone wanted her to give a speech.
She suddenly felt nervous but Shigure gave her hand a gentle squeeze to remind her that she had nothing to be afraid of. She stood up and looked at everyone. Kyo took his phone out to record her speech and she coughed awkwardly.
"I suppose all I want to say is that I'm grateful. For everything. I'm grateful that I knocked on Shigure's door and that he took me in when I was scared and alone." She looked down at him, trying her best to hold back her tears as he smiled up at her. He kept hold of her hand, encouraging her to go on. "Thanks to Shigure, I had a home and a family." She took a deep breath and looked at everyone. "And I love you all so much. I don't know what I would do without you. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your family."
She then ended it with a quick bow to hide her tears. Shigure could tell that she had become emotional and stood before turning her to face him. He gently held her face to lift her head and he saw the tears just spill down her cheeks. He wiped them away and smiled.
"We are grateful that you chose our family. And if I'm certain of anything, it's that since the beginning of time, you have always been a part of this family."
"Yeah!" Kyo cheered as he continued to record.
Everyone clapped and the younger ones also cheered. Amai couldn't help but smile as she mouthed a 'thank you' to Shigure. They shared a quick kiss before sitting again.
Soon, everyone ordered their food and drinks. It was simply a wonderful dinner and there were nothing but smiles all around. Even the youngsters seemed to be getting on with Akito. They were no longer afraid of her. As everyone chatted amongst themselves, Shigure held Amai's hand and leaned in to speak to her quietly.
"I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."
She blushed softly as she looked up at him. "I can't wait either. I love you."
"I love you, too."
He leaned down and gave her another quick kiss on her lips. They both smiled, appreciating one another and feeling complete happiness.
As they reached the end of their meal, Amai quickly excused herself to use the restroom. She left the table and made her way to where the toilets were on the other side of the restaurant before she was suddenly apprehended by a man. She came to an abrupt stop so that she didn't bump into the man before looking at who had stopped her.
Her eyes widened. "Dad?"
He was a rough looking, stocky man and he was much taller than her. His brows had creases between them probably from the anger he always held and he had frown lines from years of being angry at her for being born. She was used to that face. He was always angry. She had never seen him smile.
He glared down at her. "Even after all these years and we still can't get rid of you," he spoke in a hateful tone.
Her brows furrowed in confusion. "What the hell did I do this time?! I'm just minding my own business."
Then a woman ran over and held the man's arm. She was a middle aged woman with hair that was so bleached that it had become frazzled. She wore tight fitting clothing that she wore to try and enhance an hour glass figure that she actually didn't have and really heavy makeup. She was trying to look younger than she was but it clearly wasn't working.
Amai's eyes narrowed as she recognised her. "Mom?"
The woman looked at her and sighed heavily. "Why do you always insist on ruining everything?"
"Exactly what am I ruining?! I'm just going to the toilet!"
Her father growled. "We're here on an important business meeting and you're there with a man much older than you! Mr Takahashi recognised you and he's ridiculing our upbringing!"
She rolled her eyes. "What upbringing are you talking about exactly? You've always hated me. And Shigure is five years older than me and I'm an adult. Get over it already."
"You've been with him since you were 17! Everyone knows that. My business partners know and you're there locking lips with him!"
From the table, the others heard some commotion. They couldn't see what it was because of the large decorative tree in the middle of the restaurant but they could see other people looking at something and whispering amongst themselves. Shigure got a bad feeling and was the first one up to look for Amai. And that's when he saw her arguing with a couple.
"And to think I gave birth to you!" the woman spat.
"This is exactly why I didn't want a daughter!" the man yelled.
Tears welled up in her eyes from both anger and hurt. "Maybe the reason you're so angry all the time is because mom's been cheating on you and you know it!"
There was a collective gasp across the nearby tables. Shigure froze in shock from what he heard. He instantly knew who they but he was mentally cheering her on. 'That's my girl.' He was low-key enjoying the drama.
Her mom's eyes shot open as if they were about to pop out. "How dare you spew such nonsense!"
"It's true. I've known about it since I was a child. But don't feel too left out, mom, because dad's been cheating on you too."
Now her dad was fuming. "You liar!"
Amai laughed as she wiped away her tears. "It feels so GOOD to finally get that off my chest. I was actually going to keep that secret to my grave because of how much you both made me suffer. But you know what? I actually feel sorry for your miserable lives so I decided to tell you both the truth."
"You bitch!" her mom screamed.
"You've ruined everything!" her dad shouted as he lifted his hand.
Upon seeing that she was about to get hit, Shigure rushed over to Amai. He stood in front of her and held the man's arm to stop his attack. Pushing his arm away, he gave them both a hard stare.
"Don't even think of touching her or saying another word to her." Shigure's voice was laced with pure anger. "I dare you."
Amai's eyes widened as she looked at the back of Shigure, tears now spilling down her cheeks. She had never heard him sound like that before but she felt safe again. He stood in front of her to act as her shield from further abuse and she felt protected.
Her father growled. "Why you-! Who do you think you are?!"
"Me? My name is Shigure Sohma and you are speaking to my wife."
Amai was scared that her father would do something to him and held onto his arm. "Shigure..."
Suddenly, the others came up behind her and surrounded her. Hatori placed his arm on her shoulder, making her look at him but his eyes were fixed on her parents. Kyo and Yuki sauntered to the front on either side of Shigure, both of them seeming ready to use physical force if they had to. Hatsuharu and Rin looked like a power couple, ready to back up Kyo and Yuki. Tohru, Ayame, Kureno and the younger ones also shot glares at the couple that had dared to raise their voices at Amai. She felt so empowered, as if her brothers and sisters had come to her aid. She felt untouchable.
Her parents were overwhelmed by the sudden strength that surrounded her. They took a step back but continued to frown in anger. They never imagined that she would have so many people with her. They always wanted her to be alone, thinking she didn't deserve family.
Shigure wrapped his arm around Amai's waist and brought her forward. "Her name is Amai Sohma. Remember that."
At that moment, Amai felt the strongest she had ever felt before. Soon, Akito slowly made her way to the front, biding her time as she looked the couple up and down. Amai watched her as she stood before them all and folded her arms. She truly was the head of the family.
"If I ever see or hear you say another word to Amai, then I'll be sure that your days are numbered. Amai is a Sohma so it would do you well to remember this: she is protected. Now get lost."
Knowing there was nothing they could do and actually feeling scared, they both shot one look at Amai before being escorted out of the restaurant. They didn't even want to stay around for their business deal. Soon, the other diners went about their meal, still gossiping about what had just happened.
Once they were gone, Amai let out a deep breath. She dropped her head on Shigure's shoulder as he embraced her gently.
"Are you okay?" he asked quietly.
"Yes..."
"We can go home if you'd like."
She lifted her head. "What? No way." She grinned. "That was the coolest thing that's ever happened to me."
Shigure laughed and the others found it amusing as well. She looked at them with gratefulness.
"You guys are seriously the best. And, Akito, thank you so much for what you said."
Akito shook her head. "It's the truth. You are under our protection now."
Kyo suddenly hooked his arm around her neck. "Yeah, if anyone tries anything with you, they'll have me to deal with."
Ayame laughed theatrically. "You have all your brothers to protect you now."
Hatori nodded. "You don't have to worry about a thing."
Amai couldn't stop smiling. She couldn't wait even more to be married to Shigure.
"Come on," Shigure said. "Let's finish off with some dessert and gifts."
Everyone hummed in agreement and went to return to their table.
Amai didn't move though. "Wait. I still need to pee."
The others went silent before suddenly bursting into laughter. So much had happened simply because she needed the restroom.