Hardball: Finally.

Makino was simply… overwhelmed, if that was even the correct word to describe. She had been in the bridal shop since 9am and she did not see any respite from the flurry of activities going around her. Honestly, if Doumyouji had not barged into her boss' office to demand that she be granted leave for the wedding, she would have never agreed to waste nearly one entire damned day on choosing some meaningless dress.

"Woman!" Tsukasa boomed as he stood in front of her proudly, dressed splendidly in his tuxedo. She merely rolled her eyes. "I look magnificent, don't I?" Akira popped out from behind with Soujiro.

"Honestly Tsukasa, a tux is just a tux. Can you just make your mind and choose something?" Soujiro asked, exasperated. He had never known Tsukasa to have been a closet clothes-aphile. Akira on the other hand came over to inspect Makino.

"Makino, you are not wearing that."

"Hey why not! It's simple and nice." She defended her choice and looked in the mirror. Ok, maybe it did look a bit drab but hey! It was white and poofy, just the way most drama serials advertised a wedding to be, no?

"Woman! Can you look a bit more presentable? It's THE wedding of the year for goodness' sake!"

"SHUT UP Doumyouji!!! It's all your stinking fault that I have yet to clear my backlog of your cases!"

"Makino, shut up and follow me!" Akira practically hauled her away to the dressing room. Tsukasa merely looked at Soujiro and shook his head.

"Women."

Makino fidgeted as Akira held up dress after dress for her. She tapped her foot impatiently on the floor. Really, what was the big deal?

"Hey Akira, if you let me sneak out to finish the one case I was working on last night…"

"No. Tsukasa's instructions were clear. You have to look the best money can afford to make you!"

"UGH!"

"Ta da!" He emerged from the pile of dresses a hapless saleswoman was holding and held up an extremely white, poofy one. Makino was mildly put off by the poofiness, but she could not help but agree that it was a lovely choice. "You'll look stunning in this!"

"Akira…"

"No buts. Go." She merely rolled her eyes at him and trudged grudgingly into the changing room.

Tsukasa was modeling what could possibly be the 1000th tuxedo, if there were that many tuxedos' designs in the world and Soujiro could feel a headache coming on. Where was that damned Akira?

"Jiro, this makes me look slightly fat!"

"Tsukasa, can you stop being a woman and JUST FUCKING CHOOSE SOMETHING?!"

"HEY THAT'S NO WAY TO TALK TO A GROOM!"

"YOU'RE BEING AN ASS." Soujiro yelled and Tsukasa's eyes narrowed. It seemed like a fight was inevitable when a quiet 'Yo' was heard from behind. The two turned around to see…

Rui walking towards them, smiling. He waved.

"RUI! YOU MADE IT IN TIME!" Tsukasa cheered, enveloping his friend in a bear hug. Rui chuckled at Tsukasa's over-zealous welcome. Soujiro patted him on his back.

"You sly dog. Why didn't you let us know you were back?"

"I wanted to give Tsukasa a surprise. So, who is the proud bride? Tsukasa forgot to mention it to me over the phone."

"Oh, she's over there…." Tsukasa pointed in the direction of…

Makino who had just emerged from the dressing room with Akira in a white dress, poofy frills and all, fidgeting and scolding Akira until she spotted Rui. Rui felt his breath hitch, and his heart stopped for that split second.

Makino.

"Ta da! Tsukasa, I dressed her accordingly and RUI! IS THAT YOU!" Akira rushed over excitedly, hugging his friend. Makino by then, had blocked out all sounds, her gaze focused only on that one missing man.

Rui.

Rui broke the gaze, as he realised what a terrible, terrible mistake he had made in coming back. He had come back to witness his best friend's wedding to… the only woman he loved. He should have known better. He cleared his throat.

"I need to go somewhere." And with that, he walked out of the shop. Tsukasa frowned.

"Hey, where the fuck is he going?"

"TSUKASA!" A high-pitched female voice shrieked from the direction where Makino had emerged from. "I look like a monkey!!!" A petite lady with short, brown hair wailed as she came towards the group, in her splendid gown and all. Tsukasa could only smile at the sight before him.

"My dear Shigeru, you look as fine as any bride of Doumyouji Tsukasa could be."

"Really? Oh!" She turned her attention to Makino. "TSUKUSHI! YOU LOOK SPLENDID!" She hugged the poor lady who was now turning to stone from Rui's sudden departure. Akira and Soujiro winced at her loud voice. If there was one thing in common between Shigeru and Tsukasa, they were both really loud.

Makino looked around her suddenly, breaking out from her trance. "Er, I have to go." And she left the shop hurriedly. Akira merely looked at Soujiro, a knowing grin breaking out.

"Oh dear gods… did Rui just think?"

"Yup I think so, Akira!"

"What??" Tsukasa demanded, a bit pissed he was left out of the inside joke.

"Nothing Tsukasa." And they both chuckled.

Rui strode out of the shop, not knowing where to go, his feet propelling him forward when he suddenly heard a voice shout, "Rui!" He broke into a run, not daring to turn around to face her.

How could he? Not when he had let her down in the past, not when she was about to be happy, finally. No, he had to leave her, and running he thought then was the best option.

"HANAZAWA RUI!" A patter of footsteps only indicated the person had not slowed down, and was instead accelerating to catch up with him. "RUI!!"

Makino ran after the lithe figure, cursing him for his long legs which allowed him to outrun her. What was wrong with him? She had waited so long to see him and now, he was running away? UGH MEN! She cursed as her dress caught onto a stray corner, the pull forcing her to fall right on her knees.

She winced as skin scraped against the unforgiving, rough surface of the pavement. Her hair was a mess, and she looked absolutely terrifying, with her dress being ripped in one side. Her eyes smarted. Was she crying?

Of course she was. The man who she had longed for the past two years had simply walked out on her. She forced herself to blink back the tears and get up when a hand held her up. She looked up to see

Rui.

"You're always so clumsy." She bit her lip, unwilling to let her tears spill so easily.

"Why did you run?" She asked. It was a question that had burnt her to the core everyday since he had left. He looked at her and merely smiled a sad smile.

"I wouldn't bring you happiness, Makino. Tsukasa will." She frowned at his words, not quite comprehending what he just said.

"Huh?"

"You're marrying Tsukasa." He said it, even though it hurt him like hell to say it. He looked away, unwilling to let him see the pity in her eyes. Makino stared at him, bug eyed.

Oh. Dear. Lord.

DID HANAZAWA RUI ACTUALLY THINK THAT SHE WAS GETTING MARRIED TO DOUMYOUJI TSUKASA?

The thought hit her like a lightning bolt and she stood there and laughed. It was loud, cheery laugh that she had not heard herself doing so for the past two years he had left. She laughed until the tears that previously threatened to fall now fell as tears of amusement. She wiped them away and Rui stared at her strangely.

"For one of the best lawyers around Tokyo, you aren't very smart, Hanazawa Rui."

"Huh?" It was his turn to look mystified.

"You're so stupid, Rui. I am not marrying Tsukasa. I am just his maid of honour." And then, everything made sense and clicked in Rui's mind. He was a real fool, right from the beginning.

"Tsukushi… I…"

"Just shut up and kiss me."

And so he did.

Tsukasa's wedding really did turn out to be the wedding of the year, as he had previously declared to Makino. She could only grumble at the opulence of everything, and the fact that she had once again been torn away from her work.

Shigeru, Tsukasa's bride, had been a handful for her as well. She loved to turn up unannounced at Makino's office with two venti Starbucks (if Makino was in all honesty, grateful to her for) and messed through her files while she was busy preparing for a case. It reminded Makino of what Tsukasa used to do in the past.

Looking at the beaming couple, she could not help but feel a surge of happiness for them. After her discharge from the hospital, and the successful criminal prosecution of Shizuka, Tsukasa had flown to New York to take over the business once again. He stayed out of trouble, and even went so far as to volunteer with a kids programme. That was where he met Shigeru, a fellow volunteer and a bouncing ball of 'monkey energy' (in his words) who finally convinced him that she loved him and he loved her, and flew her back to Japan to get married.

Makino had been pleased to be picked as the maid of honour but scowled when it meant obscene amounts of time spent picking a dress and all the other things people did for friends at weddings.

And now, as the newlyweds stood under the arch of flowers with a large group of single ladies waiting to catch the bridal bouquet, Makino squeezed the hand which had been holding hers. She smiled affectionately at Rui, who in turn smiled back at her.

"WOMAN. JUST THROW THE DAMNED THING!" Tsukasa bellowed, his patience finally wearing thin with the maddening crowd around him. "Throw it!"

"Pfft! YOU ARE SO UNROMANTIC TSUKASA! OK I am throwing!" Shigeru yelled as she turned her back and with a flourish, tossed the bouquet high in the air. The women started screaming while Akira and Soujiro had merely chuckled, standing far away from the crowd as possible.

"So when do you think we should get married?" Rui asked innocently, looking at Makino. Or rather, she thought he was looking at her. She blushed.

"Er… isn't that a bit too early… I mean…" Her voice trailed off as Rui stretched out his arm and

Effortlessly caught the bridal bouquet. Her eyes widened. The horde of women groaned in disappointment. He merely smiled at her and presented the bouquet to her.

"Will you marry me, Makino Tsukushi? No playing hardball this time." He said playfully.

She did not hesitate as she took the bouquet from him, punching him for his playful remark.

"Yes, Hanazawa Rui. Yes."

The End.

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