Author Note: The overarching plot of this fanfic is largely inspired by my roleplays on Tumblr with Anne (my lovely Shiho) and Caitlin (the mun of the two amazing children Yzak and Shiho will have). If you want to read our roleplays, my Yzak is yzakduelist on Tumblr, Anne is shihohahnenfuss, and Caitlin is your-muses-kid. (Be warned, I may post NSFW content on Yzak's Tumblr from time to time.)

Thank you for being my wonderful muses. This is dedicated to you both.

Shiho twirled in front of the mirror. "Mom, what do you think?"

Kimiko Hahnenfuss frowned and pursed her lips. "I think you shouldn't be rushing into things. I think you and I should sit down with your father and discuss this before you get in too deep."

Shiho sighed, letting go of the handful of wedding dress clenched in her hands and let her shoulders slump. "I thought you were fine with this."

"Fine?" Kimiko repeated in shock. "Fine? You're being forced to marry a Joule!"

Blinking away the disappointment in her eyes, Shiho turned around and said in a desperate voice, "I'm not being forced into a marriage, I agreed to it. Please, can we not talk about this now?"

Kimiko clicked her tongue. "He didn't even ask himself. His mother asked you to marry him!"

"Mom!"

"I'm here!" came a singsong voice from outside the dressing room. A quick knocking was heard, then Ezaria Joule popped her head in, a cheery expression on her face. "How is everything, my dear? Oh, you look wonderful!"

Shiho pushed her lips into a small smile and answered, "Going well. I don't think this is the one though."

Ezaria slipped into the small dressing room and made her way around Shiho, picking at the dress and inspecting it. "No? Hmm, it is a little too simple for my tastes." She sighed, and placed a hand on her chin. "I do believe we'll have to go custom then, dear. You only get married once!"

"Hopefully," Kimiko muttered to herself from her chair in the corner. "With Yzak Joule, though, you can never be sure." Shiho threw her mother a look.

"Oh, I didn't see you there, Kimiko," Ezaria said coolly once she realized they weren't alone. "Must be hard not having any real presence."

Before Kimiko could come up with her own scathing reply, Ezaria whirled out the door, muttering, "Let me speak to the manager about their custom pieces."

"Mom!" Shiho hissed when Yzak's mother had disappeared.

"What?" her mother feigned, flipping nonchalantly through a wedding magazine.

"Can you not be like that?" she said in a small voice. Shiho let out a sigh of frustration and gently folded her hands over her small belly. She stared at herself in the mirror and tried to not let her fear show.

"Oh, sweetie," Kimiko crooned, putting the magazine down and walking up to her daughter. "I only want the best for you! And I'm not sure this is the best course of action. You're just living in the moment, holding onto that little cup of love you think you have for Yzak, hoping for the best—"

"I know what I'm getting into. And it's not a 'little cup of love,' Mom. I do love him."

Kimiko stroked Shiho's cheek in a loving manner. "Oh, my beautiful Shiho. I'm just worried you haven't thought this whole situation through."

"I have. It's the only thing I've thought about for the past few weeks."

Her mother sighed. "Of course you have. I just have my reservations on your impromptu marriage."

"I know. And I do too, but I have to try to make it work. I don't think I'd be able to live with myself if I didn't even try."

Ezaria burst through the door at that moment, saying, "Okay! I've found someone. Get out of that dress and we'll start on finding something that we like, yes? With the wedding only three weeks away we've got lots of planning to do!"

While Kimiko set about freeing Shiho from the trappings of the wedding dress she wore, Ezaria went on, "I suppose we'll have to set the dress fitting as close to the wedding as we can. Can't let that baby bump sneak up on us, can we?"

"Not all at," Shiho answered, staring into her eyes through the mirror. Her hand landed on her smooth stomach again, rubbing in small circles. She wondered if she would ever be ready.