Mizuki waited to inform her parents that she and Sora were going to go ahead and get married, until Monday after she got home from school. Her father's initial reaction made her avoidance of the topic the night before seem practical instead of cowardly.
Junshiro regarded his youngest daughter with exasperation, and asked, "What happened to giving him time?"
Mizuki protested, "Sora said he's ready to be married, just not to have kids yet."
"What happened to giving me and your mother time to get used to the idea?" he added plaintively.
Minori spoke up, "I don't need time, I think I am okay with it now."
Junshiro gave his wife an unhappy look of betrayal. Mizuki laughed and walked over to hug him.
She explained hopefully, "We aren't exactly planning a traditional ceremony, and were hoping you would let us use the bar?"
Her mother asked a bit dryly, when her father just stared blankly at her, "For free, you mean?"
"Well, yes," Mizuki admitted, though she quickly added, "but I'll pay you back if I need to?"
Junshiro sighed and hugged her, before admitting reluctantly, "I suppose that if you are serious about moving in with him after this term, it will be safer if he is already legally responsible for you, since you'll be hours away."
Mizuki promptly assured him, "I am totally serious."
When her mother questioned her further about having such a small informal wedding ceremony, Mizuki explained hopefully, "I was thinking we could have a larger anniversary celebration, and invite more people after I am old enough to drink the toasts with Sora?"
Minori asked worriedly, "Won't you regret not having had a real wedding later?"
Mizuki protested confidently, "This is completely real! And I won't miss having the extra fluff and expenses at all. All I care about is having Sora."
Her parents didn't object, but the conversation went on for hours, as they worked out compromises. Her list of 'immediate' family grew longer.
--
The next evening Sora called and told Mizuki uncomfortably, "I told my grandmother we are just filing the registration and she is demanding that we add a small spoken ceremony. She says we'll regret it after we move in together if we skip it."
"I won't regret it Sora," Miziki assured him firmly.
He grinned and pointed out, "Not that I don't believe you, but she's been married eight times, and might be headed for the ninth?"
She argued dubiously, "Traditional ceremonies are expensive and a lot of fuss. And I won't be old enough to drink the toasts with you yet."
Sora laughed and agreed, "Not legally, unless we cross the border. But will that rather archaic law really stop you Mizuki? Nothing else seems to?"
Mizuki stared at her phone incredulously and replied enthusiastically after barely a pause, "Not if you don't mind it Sora!"
"We could cheat and replace the alcohol with juice," he suggested.
Mizuki pouted at him. "Only if that will make you happier."
Sora shrugged and suggested, "Why don't I come there this weekend and we can discuss ideas with your parents." She hesitated and he asked, "You did tell them?"
"I did," she replied promptly. "And we just finished dredging over the whole thing last night. I wound up agreeing to invite more than twice as many family members as we had originally planned to. I'm kind of afraid of what will happen if we have to revise it all again."
Sora regarded her with embarrassment, and admitted, "Takumi reminded me of how many people I promised to invite to my own wedding at his too."
Mizuki blushed and changed the subject, "I was kind of looking forward to spending the weekend alone with you, while we're both well."
"Oh," he replied with a wicked grin.
Mizuki looked at his expression and said suddenly, "I understand why you usually want to talk by messages during the week."
Sora laughed and hung up on her.
Mizuki stared at her phone in shock, but he messaged immediately, starting with, 'I love you Mizuki.'
Eventually they agreed to talk to her parents about modifying their original wedding ideas the following weekend.
--
Friday they had dinner with Takumi and Eri. Saturday they woke up late, and went out for brunch.
Sora eyed a catalogue of local rentals critically, and commented on the growing trend in five year leases. "The monthly rental places that are left don't seem much better than where we are now."
Mizuki told him enthusiastically, "This town has such a pretty downtown, and several colleges. And since we'll be relatively close to both my grandmother and Eri-chan and Takumi-san, why don't you just plan on keeping this job as long as you want?"
Sora blinked at her and asked, "Won't you miss being close to your family?"
"It's not like we're that far away Sora," she pointed out. "We could even visit as a day trip, like Eri-chan and Takumi-san did for the New Year."
"In that case, let's go look at apartments next Mizuki," he replied after a moment.
She sighed. "But if we're really going to have to do a full wedding after all, we should save as much as possible. Maybe I should even get a job again."
"Don't get a job until you're done with school," Sora replied firmly.
"But," she protested.
He interrupted questioningly, "Do you think you can't rely on me Mizuki?"
"That's not what I mean," she complained. "But it is so expensive to have a wedding Sora, do you know how much Shizu-nee-chan and Shinichi-san spent?"
He grinned at her. "Does that mean that if we're going to go ahead with a ceremony you want the whole nine yards, fancy dress, flowers, and everything?"
She rolled her eyes at him and protested, "No, but feeding my extended family a meal costs a lot more than all of that anyway."
"Oh," he replied in a subdued tone.
She insisted, "It will be okay, but are you sure I shouldn't be working too?"
"I'm sure," he assured her promptly. "I guess maybe we should wait on apartment hunting until after you move here though," he added hesitantly.
"I don't care if we need to stay where we are for a while even after I move in with you," she informed him affectionately.
"Okay," he agreed more cheerfully, but added, "I really hope we can get a bigger place soon though, all your clothes will never fit."
Mizuki stuck her tongue out at him and Sora grinned at her happily.
--
When they went back to his apartment, Sora put music on his console and Mizuki complained, "I wish you didn't hate to dance, I love this song."
"I don't hate dancing," Sora informed her with embarrassed amusement.
She stared at him and then protested, "But you've always refused to dance with me!"
Sora shrugged and pulled her close. Her nose bumped against his chest and Mizuki glared up at him and told him grumpily, "If you say it's because of our height difference, I'm going to be mad."
Sora grinned down at her and pulled her arms up along his before settling his hands against her back. "No Mizuki," he said gently, "it's because I was trying not to admit I was already completely in love with you."
She gazed up at him questioningly as they danced. After a little while he admitted, "Takumi's father is the one who taught us to dance. He insisted that a man should know how to dance with the woman he loves."
Mizuki objected, "You've danced with other women Sora, I won't believe you if you say you haven't!"
Sora blushed and agreed, "Of course I have. But somehow I felt like if I danced with you, I'd be admitting I was in love with you."
They danced a while longer before Mizuki pointed out grumpily, "But we've been dating for months now, and we could have gone dancing when we went out in the evenings!"
"Sorry, we can go dancing whenever you want," he promised.
"We're going to have to go dancing a lot before I forgive you for letting me think you hate dancing," she informed him.
Sora bent and kissed her, before he replied agreeably, "Okay Mizuki. I love you."
"I love you too, you idiot!" Mizuki assured him laughingly.