Cringe--is--dead - }!{

𝖀𝖒𝖊𝖒𝖎𝖞𝖆 𝕳𝖆𝖏𝖎𝖒𝖊 𝖝 𝕽𝖊𝖆𝖉𝖊𝖗; 𝕬𝖗𝖗𝖆𝖓𝖌𝖊𝖉 𝕸𝖆𝖗𝖗𝖎𝖆𝖌𝖊; 𝕻𝖙. 2

𝕻𝖆𝖗𝖙 1

Word Count: 2,643

Your husband-to-be had a level of energy and happiness you found foreign.

He was bright, and his smile seemed to never fade. You found yourself nervous in his presence, and yet, it never seemed to stem from him. You felt comfortable being near him, despite having just met him that day.

“I hope the voyage was a calm one.”

You were seated at a table across from him, drinking a warm tea— something you never had at home, it was rather delicious.

You looked up from your cup, “It was.”

Despite your two word response, he beamed in response, “That’s good! Sometimes we get bad storms at our port so I was worried, but I’m grateful that the weather seemed to agree with your arrival.”

You two were sat in a room that seemed to have entirely open walls, letting you see outside, nature just a few inches from you.

There was a garden, lush and beautiful, trees reaching high and flowers in full bloom. You had a garden at your home, tended to and cared for. But it paled in comparison to this one.

Looking at it made you feel warm— the buzz of the insects, the singing of the birds. It felt warm, it radiated… love. It was well kept, cared for deeply.

“Do you enjoy gardening?”

You turned, embarrassed at having been caught staring outside so absentmindedly.

“Oh,” Your gaze lowered back to your cup, “I’m not much of a gardener, no. My mother used to take me for walks in our garden when I was younger. I just…”

You looked back outside, the swaying of the branches almost hypnotizing, “This garden’s just… so beautiful.”

He chuckled, and you found that the sound was as warm as his smile, loud and room-filling, but rich, “Well thank you. I spend most of my free time tending to it, I’m planning on adding a vegetable section next season.”

You turned, almost shocked at the revelation that he was the one tending to the plants. He kneeled down in the dirt, standing in the hot sun for hours on end— he had no gardener?

“You… tend to the garden yourself?”

He nodded, a soft smile forming on his face, “I have a bit of help from one of my friends, you’ll meet him soon, he’s quiet, but he’s a good man. I’ve found peace in gardening, taking care of things and helping sustain life that isn’t just my own.”

The way he spoke of it; so simple but he made it sound beautiful and rewarding. Your father once yelled at one of the gardeners for coming inside with dirt on his clothes, threatening to fire him should he ever let that happen again.

And yet Umemiya, the lord of this estate; regularly went out with no regard for cleanliness or what-not. He was a strange man indeed.

“You’re free to wander in the garden whenever you may want,” He continued, taking a small sip of his tea, “And if you have a favorite flower, or vegetable you wish for me to grow, let me know and I’ll till an area just for those.”

“Oh,” The startled noise left you before you could stop it, and your cheeks warmed at the look on his face, morphing from a simple happiness to something more soft, something deeper.

“I,” Did you have a favorite flower? You had never been given flowers to know if one smelled nicer than another, never studied them enough to know symbolism in the petals.

You didn’t need to say that, the look on your face must have said enough, and he nodded, more to himself than you.

“If you think of any, please let me know.”

“I will,” You murmured, voice soft as you, for the first time since arriving, smiled genuinely at him.

For a moment he felt mildly stunned, the looks on your face thus far had been apprehensive at best, and neutral at worst. Your smile, however small it may be, was breathtaking.

“Oh!” You jumped, slightly startled at the exclamation, both your attention turning to the newcomer who was staring in.

She was young, brown hair tied neatly back, wearing a kimono that bore the same colors as Umemiya’s, but was more toned down. Umemiya lit up at the sight of her, and you briefly worried you’d have to deal with concubines or courtesans. Your sister had gotten lucky to have women with respect for her, and grew meaningful relationships with them, but you had heard horror stories from the workers back home.

“Kotoha!” He stood up, moving towards you, offering his hands to help you up.

His hands were warm, his palms were… soft. Your father had always had a rough grip, tight and demanding. It felt natural, almost, as he held your hands, helping you stand.

Umemiya introduced you to her, “She just arrived earlier!”

The woman, Kotoha, smiled at you, and you were once again struck by how kind everyone you had met here was.

“This is Kotoha,” Umemiya continued, “My little sister.”

He sounded rather proud as he introduced her, and you noticed her roll her eyes, though her fond expression didn’t fade.

“I’m glad to finally meet you,” She looked you over briefly, “Ume, have you not let her go to her room to rest?”

The question seemed to catch him off guard, and he paused, before his eyes widened as if he just realized since you had gotten off your boat, you had spent your time with him.

“Oh my,” He turned to you, “You must be exhausted, I’m so sorry! Kotoha will show you to your room, feel free to freshen up and rest.”

The smile on his face seemed never ending, as bashful as he was seeming now, and he moved to clean up the cups of tea. You stood there, brain catching up slowly as Kotoha moved, ready to show you to your room.

“Are we—”

Your voice felt loud in the room, and both turned to look at you. You cleared your throat, feeling the warmth in your cheeks grow.

“I mean… our marriage. Are we not officiating it tonight?”

They both paused in their movements, looks fading into a mixture of shock and confusion.

Umemiya spoke slowly, “You just docked from a long voyage, to an entirely different country. I imagine you need time to rest and recuperate, I hadn’t planned our ceremony for another week.”

You were the one who appeared shocked now, hands ringing in front of you, “What— why would—”

Kotoha moved, hands gently laid on your bicep, smiling comfortingly at you, “I’ll walk you to your room, we can talk on the way.”

She turned her attention to her brother, “Mizuki and Momose wanted to talk to you, I imagine they’re still talking with Hiragi.”

He opened his mouth as if to argue, but thought better of it, nodding in agreement. He bid you a goodnight, and soon it was just you and Kotoha.

She nudged you forward, “That cat I saw in your room, I assume they’re yours?”

You swallowed, allowing her to slowly steer you down the hallway, “Yes. Her name’s Cherry.”

“She’s cute,” She hummed, “Her coat reminds me of Sakura, have you met him yet?”

You racked your brain for a moment, “Oh yes, he was one of the three who escorted me here.”

She laughed quietly, but didn’t move to explain what about that was funny to her, “I imagine you have a few questions?”

“Why… does your brother want to wait?”

She hummed, “Well, like he said, you just arrived to a new place, you don’t know anyone here, we all imagine you’d be rather tired. He doesn’t want to force anymore stress onto you.”

All of your siblings had been married within hours of meeting their betrothed, the weddings had been large and loud. Even as young as you were when your oldest brother got married, you remember how tired and just… sad his wife had looked.

As if sensing your thoughts, Kotoha sighed, pausing her steps, and you followed suit, turning to look at her.

“Umemiya and I aren’t blood related,” Your eyebrows shot up at the reveal, “My parents died when I was very young, and his died when he was a bit older; mindless violence that wormed its way into our city. We were taken in by the same couple, they were kind, took in a lot of orphaned kids. He went through a lot of… dark thoughts growing up, but ultimately, he had a goal. Protect the town he loved, and protect the family he had grown to cherish. He dubbed me his little sister, and he thinks of almost everyone you’ll meet as his family.”

The story laid before you began painting your husband to be in a bright light. He’d been kind thus far, talkative and energetic, but so different than the men you had met in your household growing up.

“The point is; Ume is genuinely a nice guy. He’s giving you time to adjust, because he knows ultimately this isn’t something you had picked for yourself. He wants you to be comfortable, he wants you to grow to be happy here,” She smiled, and though they weren’t blood related, you saw the resemblance in their smiles.

Bright and welcoming, kind and gentle.

Warm.

You nodded, hesitantly, but far more comfortable now than you had felt earlier. She took that, though, and continued to lead you to your room.

“I know this is all scary,” She stopped, moving to open a door where you saw many of your stuff dropped off, Cherry meowing once she saw you, rolling over on the bed, a futon, you believed.

“But please know that everyone here will be nothing but kind and welcoming to you. No one here has a cruel bone in their body, Umemiya the least.” She smiled, “If you have any questions or need anything, you can ask anyone you run into, they’ll help you.”

She bid you a goodnight, leaving you alone in your new room. You knelt down, petting Cherry’s fur, her purrs comforting you as your mind whirled and ran.

You moved in a sort of haze, brushing your hair, changing into the sleep clothes you had brought, before snuffing out the candles in your room, burrowing into your futon, Cherry snuggling into you.

You slept for what felt like days, and yet when you opened your eyes you still felt rather groggy. The sun was rather high in the sky, indicating it was no longer morning. Cherry was seated by the window, watching the birds and butterflies float about, tail flicking.

You sat up, feeling an odd mixture of well rested and exhausted.

Your mother had warned you that the times were different and it would take a toll on you, but feeling it was different than hearing about it.

Allowing yourself more time to sit there, you worked your way through the previous events. Once you felt ready to move, you were up, haphazardly making your bed, changing into a thinner dress; the weather here was rather warm.

The hallway was empty, the floorboards beneath your feet cool. You allowed yourself time to explore, taking in the art that decorated the walls, the floral arrangements around the corners. It was so familiar but so different than what you were used to.

You found yourself back in the room from yesterday, staring out into the garden. It was just as beautiful as it was yesterday, but now, alone, you were able to study the little details more. There were nests in some of the trees, those pink flowers you had seen near the docks decorating the branches. There were sections, you realized; flowers, vegetables, what looked to be herbs. It was precariously laid out, and it took you a moment to realize there was someone in the garden. He appeared to be digging up the weeds.

His hair was rather long, down and almost messy. Even from where he was crouched over you could tell he was tall, maybe even taller than Umemiya.

He had mentioned yesterday that he had a friend who often helped with the garden, and you wondered if that was him. Part of you thought you should introduce yourself to him, he was friends with your husband-to-be, but the louder part of you told you to lay low.

Kotoha said everyone here was welcoming, and that may be true, but you were still an outsider. Perhaps their definition of welcoming would differ for you.

“Oh— good afternoon!” You turned, Umemiya strolling in, wearing a more casual outfit than he was yesterday.

He smiled, charming and light, and you found yourself feeling a bit more comfortable, smiling back at him.

“Afternoon?”

He nodded, “I wanted to let you sleep in, I figured a trip like that would have been rather exhausting.”

You hummed, not agreeing but not quite disagreeing. He continued, unfazed.

“I have a bit of free time until later this evening, would you like a tour of the grounds? I have plenty of people to introduce you to, but we can start small.”

“Oh,” You swallowed, hands suddenly sweaty.

“You can refuse if you’d rather rest still, if you’d like to bathe, Kotoha can take you to the onsen, I imagine it’s different than what you’re used to.”

Washing up did sound nice, but you also knew regardless of how much you pushed it off, you’d have to meet everyone sooner than later.

“I… later tonight. Maybe,” You hated how timid you sounded, but Umemiya was asking you questions and giving you options, giving you choices.

Those were simple things you had never been offered back home, especially by the head of your household; your father.

“I’d like to see the grounds.”

He nodded, offering you his arm.

He was patient, hesitation clearly palpable, but you took his arm. The smile you were rewarded with made your knees feel weak, a strange feeling, one not brought on by fear.

He led you into the garden, the grass still cool with dew, and the stone path warmed by the sun.

The man in the garden stood once he noticed Umemiya approaching.

“This is Sugishita, he helps me with the garden when I’m not able to get to it, so you may see him quite a bit.”

As if just noticing you, Sugishita started, before collecting himself, bowing towards you, but not saying anything. Umemiya laughed, as if it was a normal thing to witness.

“If you have any requests for the garden and I’m not around you can come to Sugishita,” The man in question nodded aggressively, before pausing.

He seemed to be having some type of internal struggle, and his cheeks turned a light shade of pink, before he turned quickly, fiddling with one of the bushes near him.

Before you could send a questioning glance towards Umemiya, Sugishita turned back around, gingerly holding his hand out towards you.

In his hand he was clutching a purple flower, one you didn’t recognize, so you assumed it wasn’t native to your home. You reached out, tentatively taking it from him. Before you could thank him, or subtly question the action, he bowed once more, before scurrying further into the garden, cheeks now red.

You looked down at the flower, the petals were thin and dainty, and it smelled rather sweet. You looked up, not surprised at the smile still adorning his face, but slightly so at the soft look.

“I see our azalea’s are growing nice and strong,” He reached out, gently taking the flower from your hand, before moving, placing it behind your ear.

He kept his movements soft and slow, as non-aggressive as he could show, before he pulled his arm back, happy with his work.

“Now, let’s continue.”

A/N: this will definitely be more than two chapters, considering you guys haven’t even gotten married yet! I have minor ideas, so it may end up being 3 or 4 parts! stay tuned! 💕

also! be so prepared for so much flower symbolism, I love flower meanings!

ρα૨ƭ σɳε

ρα૨ƭ ƭɦ૨εε

𝖀𝖒𝖊𝖒𝖎𝖞𝖆 𝕳𝖆𝖏𝖎𝖒𝖊 𝖝 𝕽𝖊𝖆𝖉𝖊𝖗; 𝕬𝖗𝖗𝖆𝖓𝖌𝖊𝖉 𝕸𝖆𝖗𝖗𝖎𝖆𝖌𝖊 𝕻𝖙. 3

𝕻𝖆𝖗𝖙 𝕺𝖓𝖊

𝕻𝖆𝖗𝖙 𝕿𝖜𝖔

𝓐/𝓝: again, I go into writing these as blind as y'all reading them so I'm so sorry if this is rushed! >.< Also! It's been a hot second! So sorry! I had a bit of... a mental health crisis, got myself put under a bit of a 72-hour hold... but I'm here! And back! Kind of. I'm not super proud of this chapter, I'm so sorry!

It had been a few days since your arrival, since your official first meeting with the man who was to be your husband. Yet, though you assured him and Kotoha you were well rested now, that's all he remained. The man who would be your husband.

It was almost... frustrating to deal with. Your first meeting with your oldest brother's wife was at their wedding; she was beautiful, quiet in her white, lacey, dress. It was quick, you were scolded when you fidgeted in your dress, and your brother and his wife took off not long into the reception. The same thing happened when your second and third brother got married, and it wasn't until you turned thirteen you had learned what happened after a wedding such as those.

Your sister's wedding had been different, the man she had married was kind with both his words and his actions. He allowed your sister to mingle with her family, mainly you and your mother, before he introduced her to people he knew; those he did business with, his own family that had managed to show up and, looking back on it you realized now, a handful of his concubines.

Though she hadn't been taken to bed right then, the wedding was still a quick affair, and you were beginning to question why Umemiya was prolonging yours.

"You seem upset by something."

You thanked the years of etiquette practice that you didn't jump and drop your spoon, merely turning your gaze towards Kotoha who was sending an almost pitying look your way. You placed the spoon down, hands falling to your lap.

"I'm just thinking, I suppose."

Cherry meowed quietly, upset that Kotoha had stopped petting her. Your future sister-in-law continued to pamper her, studying your figure, "Is something the matter?"

"I'm just..." You bit your tongue.

You were allowed to speak freely here, so far. But you were worried that there was a line you'd accidently cross.

"Go on," Her voice was kind, reminding you, in a way, of your own mother.

"It's been about a week since I arrived here, and well," You twisted the fabric of your outfit in your hands, the clothe more comfortable to move around than the ones you grew up in, "There's been no discussion of when I shall be married to Umemiya officially. Have I... done something to offend him since arriving?"

You can only imagine how angry your father's letters will be once they begin arriving. At this rate, you had been gone for months, and he hadn't received one word of your wedding. You wouldn't be surprised if he appeared on one of his ships, demanding answers.

“No, you haven’t done anything,” Kotoha leaned towards you, gently placing her hand atop of yours, the warmth comforting, “I promise you. He’s just… working on finishing a few things.”

“And those things happen to be completed!” Umemiya’s voice was loud and boisterous, having the two of your startle where you were, turning to see him walking towards you, a large smile on his face.

“Kotoha, if I can borrow my fiancé for a moment?”

You felt your cheeks warm at the title given to you. Yes, you knew logically since you two were to be married you were his fiancé, but he said the word with so much warmth.

She looked from him to you, before nodding, telling you she’d find you later, and leaving you two alone. You weren't entirely sure what to say; he must have known you were growing rather antsy to wait, not that you would have disclosed that to his face.

If he was anything like the men you grew up with he would have exploded at you by now, reminding you that your opinions and your annoyance was of no importance to him, to know your place. Instead he smiled at you, and it was as warm and welcoming as it was the first time you ever saw him.

"I know you must hate waiting as long as you have been," He began, gently taking your hand in his and tugging you to follow him down the hall, leading you towards the entrance to the estate, "But I promise you, I think it will have been worth it."

You merely nodded, unsure of what it was he was planning. Maybe he had more business to attend to before becoming a married man? Granted, there was really only one type of business you could think of that would be affected direly due to his marital status, and though you may not know him all too well, you felt as if that wasn't within his character.

Outside the estate was an older woman, much shorter than you, accompanied by a man a few years older than you both. He was holding some type of clothe cover, allowing the older lady to gently fuss over whatever it held.

"Granny!" Umemiya paused, and you followed suit, nodding your head politely while he bowed towards her.

She turned, a serine smile on her face when she saw the pair of you, "Oh goodness! Umemiya-kun wasn't lying, you're quite beautiful young lady."

"Oh," You felt your heart skip a beat in your chest, cheeks ablaze as you thanked her, glancing towards your fiancé who didn't look ashamed at the statement.

"I know our traditions regarding weddings are rather different," He turned towards you quickly, and you felt a bit confused as to what the point he was going to make was, "So I had Kotoha and Tsubaki find different styles and ideas that were closest to Western wear that they could, and we commissioned this for you."

The lady began gently unwrapping the cloth her son, or grandson, was holding. Your knowledge of Japanese wedding kimonos was rather limited, but you knew immediately that the dress before you was not one. It was beautiful, to say the least.

It was far less showy than the dresses you had seen at all your siblings' weddings, but that was fine with you. The fabric appeared rather light, swaying in the gentle breezes that danced past. It wasn't too thick, no extra padding or extra fabric that would make your skin itch and crawl.

"It's beautiful," Was all you could muster to say, eyes wide as you stared at the dress-- at your wedding dress.

"I'm glad you like it, my dear," She quickly wrapped it back up, ushering her son to take it inside, "It was quite fun to make, I made sure the fabric was softer than the poor examples Tsubaki-chan brought me. The dresses your father sent with you were rather uncomfortable, I do hope you'll let me make more clothes for you in the future. Your children, too."

"C-Children?"

"Alright, granny!" Umemiya cut in, pointedly, but not unkindly, all while the older lady giggled rather mischievously, "We've got one more place to go to, thank you for the gown."

She waved you two off as he led you two out, hand on the small of your back as he ushered you out. The estate wasn't quite as large as the one you grew up in, but it was large none-the-less, and you two were quickly eloped in a comfortable silence. He had yet to move his hand from your back, and the touch was burning, in an unfamiliar way.

It was rather... nice.

"Thank you. For the gown. It really is beautiful."

He smiled, eyes crinkling as he chuckled, "It's your wedding as well, I wanted to incorporate some things from your culture as well."

"You didn't have to."

He shrugged in response, "But I wanted to."

He wanted to. For you. Your heart fluttered once more, your chest squeezing uncomfortably, and you quickly looked away from him, studying the cherry petals that danced in the afternoon breeze.

"I know that this marriage isn't something you had asked for," It was startling how quiet he had become, his voice lacking the boy like charm or the energy it had contained before.

"But I promise you I will do everything I can to be the best husband for you, I'll make sure your needs are always met, that you're never left unhappy or wanting." He had stopped walking at this point, and, in turn, you had stopped as well, facing him with wide eyes.

"You will have freedom here, to study and learn whatever your heart desires. You'll be able to help with decisions for the town if you so choose, your opinions and voice matter her," Your hands were in his, and you dropped your gaze to them.

They were much larger than yours, and you could feel the callouses on the palms of his hands. He worked hard, he held power over his town, but he worked with them as well as for them. You'd seen first hand these past few days how many people felt comfortable and safe coming to him with problems, requesting aid or help, and how quickly he was to ensure they received that help.

"I- I don't doubt it," Despite how certain he always seemed, you could hear the vulnerability in his voice, the desire to make sure you believed the words he was saying to you, "You... have been far kinder than most men in my life before now."

He nodded, and you glanced up, noting that, while that seemed to assure him, the sentence seemed to make him deflate a tiny bit. The melancholy look was quickly replaced, movement seeming to catch his attention. He nodded over to where he was looking, and after a moment of confusion, you looked over, curious as to what he was trying to show you.

"It's rather beautiful here," You felt your mouth open, a gasp much louder than intended falling from your lips, "Seems a rather nice place to settle down."

You were taking off down the pavement before you realized it, warm tears budding in your eyes as you ran. For how quickly you made your way to your destination, your sister had managed to drop the bag she had been holding, uncaring as it fell into the grass. You all but fell into her arms, sobs of-- what? Happiness? Sadness?

Whatever you were feeling, you were sobbing in your big sister's arms, her holding you as close as she had when you were a mere child. Her hands were combing through your hair, and you felt a few warm tears of her own fall onto your head.

"You look beautiful in your kimono, darling," You laughed, squeezing her tighter.

Some part of you was vaguely aware of Umemiya walking to join you all, greeting her husband, the pair of them allowing you two your moment as they directed where the bags should be sent to.

Finally, you pulled back, sure your face was blotchy and red in all the wrong places, "What are you doing here?"

Her hands cupped your cheeks, thumbing under your eyes as she rid you of the few tears still falling. She smiled, looking as radiant and beautiful as she always did to you.

"I'm here for your wedding, silly goose," She placed a gentle kiss on your forehead, "Your fiancé sent us letters as soon as you departed from father's, we would have been here sooner but we ran into a minor storm on the way here."

Before you could panic over that idea she shushed you, "It's all fine now. We just may have to stay a bit longer now," She winked, "Just to ensure our ship is in top shape."

"You all are welcome to stay as long as you please," Umemiya spoke, and you turned to him; he was smiling, a true smile, large and happy and warm and everything you were feeling in that moment, "We have enough room."

Your sister stepped back, thanking him, her husband moving to pick up her bag, smiling softly at you, "It's nice to see you again."

You nodded, rubbing at your nose, "You as well."

Umemiya shifted to stand a bit closer, "I hope the waiting seems worth it, I was hoping things could have worked out perfectly, but I'm not one who can control the weather. Nor do I understand making clothes, Tsubaki scolded me every time I went to check on your dress--"

You threw yourself towards him, wrapping your arms around his shoulders, having to stand on your tiptoes as you pulled him into a tight hug.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you so much." You felt as if you sounded borderline hysteric, but you couldn't bring yourself to care.

He wrapped his arms back around you, the weight on your waist oddly comforting, grounding.

"Anything for you," You pulled back after a moment, flat on your feet as you looked up to him, "I mean it."

A/N: part four will (should be) the wedding! and maybe more!