Tying the Knot

Tying the Knot is the sixth Tim x Azusa fanfic. It was posted in 2015 along with 6 other fanfics on the Notes section of his Facebook page. It is the second 'main story' of the series.
== Notes ==
* Set in the K-On world where Azusa and I have been going out for 3 years. I use the name 'Shigure Saruwatari' for myself.https://www.facebook.com/timothy.gregory.923/posts/1855666017997746
* 3 years after becoming Azusa's boyfriend, I decide to pop the big question.https://www.facebook.com/timothy.gregory.923/posts/1233512400096217
== Text ==
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My phone's alarm suddenly blared out, jolting me awake. Rolling over, I swiped across the screen, silencing the device. Sitting up, I stretched and wiped my eyes. Hearing movement, I cast my gaze to the futon next to me. Azusa shifted position, then rolled over and kept sleeping. [Maybe I should get a quieter alarm I thought.] Taking care to not make too much noise, I got myself ready for the day. Opening the door, I whispered "I'm leaving now", then headed off.
It was now 3 years since Azusa and I had become a couple. She was in college and I was working. Yui-sempai and the others were in college as well. Their departure had been extremely hard for Azusa. She was very close to them and had begged them to stay. I offered her all the support I could, knowing that she needed a shoulder to cry on. I had decided that I would skip college and start work as I already had my own place to live and didn't want to keep relying on my parents for money. So with me working and Azusa's studies taking up a big chunk of her time, we really only had the weekends for couple time, but we didn't complain. Each evening at dinner, she would share stories about her day and how Yui-sempai and the others were doing.
It seemed that they were still a band, and were making friends. I was really happy to hear that the Light Music Club members had been reunited. I had gone with Azusa to the train station to see them off when they'd graduated. There were tears everywhere, and seeing Azusa so upset tore me apart. For the next year, she remained in almost constant touch with them, while also taking charge of the new Light Music Club. Ui and Jun joined at the end of the previous year. Then 2 more students, Sumire Saito and Nao Okuda, also joined. They became known as Wakaba Girls by Yamanaka-sensei.
I paid a visit to the club to meet the new members. Nao and Sumire proved to be very interesting characters. The new Light Music Club seemed to be just as entertaining as the previous. I attended their concerts, and they were just amazing. I was so proud of Azusa for stepping up to the plate. As the end of the year approached, Azusa was choosing the college she would go to. She knew which one the seniors had gone to, and was eager to join them. But she also knew that, if she decided to go full-time, she and I would be separated and our relationship might come to an end. Neither of us wanted that, but I also wanted her to be happy, so we met with our parents and had a discussion.
Ultimately, we reached a consensus. Azusa would attend college, but only part-time, and she would move in with me. She said that, although she really wanted to see Yui-sempai and the others again, she didn't want to risk losing what we had. And deep down, I didn't want to either. I wanted our relationship to continue. So things stood like this. Azusa would be up in the morning and head to college by train for the day, then return in the afternoon. As I had a bit more free time than her, I handled the grocery shopping, the housework and the cooking, doing dinner for us both and making her lunch each night.
There was some objection that I was doing more than I should, but I insisted that things were fine as they were. I told Azusa that her studies needed her full concentration, and that taking on more roles might push her too hard. The last thing I wanted was her collapsing from fatigue. She rather grudgingly accepted. Near the end of the first semester, Yui-sempai and the others invited Azusa to go spend the holidays with them. She was delighted by the invitation, but really wanted me to go along. It took a bit of convincing to get her to go alone. I assured her that I would still be here when she got back, and that I would survive without her.
I also had a secret agenda. I wanted to ask her the big question (you know which one I mean *wink*), but I needed something first, which was half the reason why I chose work over college. So her going away for a bit was perfect as I wouldn't need to be as secretive. When the day came for her to leave, I went with her to the station after work to see her off. When the train appeared in the distance, she faced me.
"Are you sure you don't want to come? I feel bad leaving you behind." She was really worried about this.
I placed my hands on her shoulders. "Azusa, when was the last time you got to hang out with them? You barely get to be with them during the semester because of your studies. This is a good opportunity to spend some time with them and properly catch up."
"Well yeah, but..."
I held a hand up to cut her off. "Look. I'm really touched that you always have me in mind, but these are your friends we're talking about. I can't be your whole life, sweetheart. It's important to try to maintain the connections you have with Yui-sempai and the others. If you start cutting them out of your life, things may go sour. Do you really want that?"
She fell quiet for a bit and dropped her gaze. The train then pulled into the station. "Come on, you need to get going." I pulled her into a hug. "If it gets really bad, you can always drop me a message. Just not during work hours, okay?"
Her arms wrapped around me. "Okay." We embraced each other tightly, then separated. I gave her a smile.
"I'll see you when you get back." She pulled me down and planted her lips on mine. After a few seconds, she pulled away.
"I love you." she whispered.
"I love you, Azusa." She then got her suitcase and boarded the train. Finding a window seat, she looked back at me, eyes still hinted with sadness. I gave her a smile. "You’ll be back before you know it. Just promise me you’ll enjoy yourself."
She nodded and smiled. "I promise." The train then started pulling away. I waved until it was out of sight. Sighing, I felt a small pang in my heart. Shaking it off, I muttered "You'll be fine, stupid", then clapped my face. I needed to focus. Making my way to the shopping district, I located a jewelry store. Even though I had secretly put some savings aside, I knew I was on a limited budget, so I skipped over the more expensive rings. Scanning through, I saw some nice-looking ones, but they were still unaffordable.
"Can I help you with something?" a voice asked. I looked up and saw the checkout person.
"Do you have any nice rings for someone on a budget?" I asked simply.
"We might. How much were you looking at?"
I quickly pulled out my wallet to check my cash, then motioned her forward. "Around 16-17000 yen?" I whispered, not wanting to announce to the whole store how much I had.
"I think we may have some around that price." She led me to a display case with rings that looked a bit more affordable. "Will these be alright?"
I took a quick browse through. "Yeah, I think these will be good, thanks." Scanning through the choices, I shortly found one that wasn't as spectacular as most of the others, but I thought looked really nice and I could afford. "Could I get a closer look at that one please?"
"Sure." She pulled it out and handed it to me. Looking it all over, I felt satisfied.
"Could I possibly reserve this one? I'm not looking to buy it just yet."
"Certainly. What was the name?"
"Shigure Saruwatari."
Once everything was sorted, I thanked her for her help and left. There was one other important thing I needed to do. As the weather was nice, I chose to walk. I was heading to Azusa's place to talk with her parents. I had received their blessing to have her as a girlfriend, but asking to go to the next level was a huge ask, I knew this fully. I felt that they would be okay with it, but I didn't want to take any chances. I knew they trusted me with her, but I was a little unsure whether they trusted me [that] much.
I soon arrived at her address. Ringing the doorbell, I waited. Footsteps quickly became audible. The door opened to reveal Azusa's mom.
"Oh, hello Shigure."
"Hi. Sorry for the unexpected visit." I gave her a smile.
"Do you need something?"
"You got a minute? I need to talk to you about something." My tone was quite serious, which surprised her.
"Certainly. Come in." I dropped my shoes off at the entrance and was shown the living-room. "Can I get you anything?"
"No thanks, I'm good." We then sat down.
"What is it you wanted to talk about?" she asked.
My heart was really pounding. "*chuckle* Sorry, I'm a bit nervous right now. Just give me a minute." I forced myself to try to calm down. "*exhale* Okay. You know Azusa and I have been together for quite some time now, right?" She nodded. "First, I really appreciate you guys trusting me with her. Thank you so much."
"Of course. We actually think you two are really good together. She would sometimes mention you while she was still here. It was quite cute when she got all embarrassed." she said with a smile. I felt myself starting to loosen up a bit, but I still kept my hopes squashed down for the time being.
[Okay, time to bite the bullet.] I inhaled deeply. "Alright. What I'm about to ask you is really big, and I'm fully expecting rejection. I just ask to be heard out." She gave me her full attention. "I'm gonna be completely honest. I love Azusa so much. She has become incredibly precious to me." My heart started pounding again, causing me to clench my fists. "I would love to be able to spend the rest of my life with her. So what I would like to know is..." This was it. "Will you allow me to marry her?"
The first reaction I got was a shocked look, which I had been kind of expecting. "I know this is a really big thing to ask you, and I have given it some serious thought. And I now know this is something I really want, but I need to know whether or not I have your consent."
She averted her gaze and fell silent for a moment. After what felt like an eternity, she looked straight at me. "Well, this is quite the move you're making, Shigure." I stayed quiet, letting her speak. "Azusa doesn't know about this, right?"
"Yui-sempai and the others invited her to spend the holidays with them. She'll be away for a couple of weeks."
"And you decided to come to us while she was away?"
I nodded. "I didn't want to run the risk of her finding out and getting her hopes up in case the answer was no."
"Okay. What would you do if we did say no?"
"If you say no... then that'll be it."
She paused to think briefly. "I think I need to have a discussion with my husband about this. Do you think you could leave it with us?"
"Sure. I can leave my cellphone number with you so you can tell me your decision later on if you want." I offered.
"Of course." A pen and paper was found, we exchanged numbers, then after thanking Ms. Nakano for her time, I left.
[Well, all I can do now is wait.] For the next couple of days, I carried on life as normal, trying not to think too much about what Azusa's parents would say. Sunday morning, I received a call just as I was doing some housework. "Hello?"
"Hello, Shigure? It's Azusa's mom here."
My heart jumped. "Oh hi. How's it going?" I urged myself to stay calm.
"Very well, thank you. Listen, what are you doing right now?"
"Just a bit of housework."
"Alright. Can you come by our place? This would be better said in person."
"Uh, sure. I'll be right there." Hanging up, I made haste to the Nakano's address.
After being welcomed in, we sat in the living-room. Her husband was with us this time. "I'll get straight to the point." Ms. Nakano said seriously. My heart was pounding. I was both hoping for the best and preparing for the worst. "My husband and I have talked about what you requested. First, as I said before, this is quite the move you're making, asking to marry Azusa."
I nodded. "I understand that."
"Right. Now, we know how much you love our daughter, but at the same time, we as her parents have to think about what's best for her." I nodded again. "We've already seen how much you two mean to each other, and she has told us how much of a sweet guy you are. But just being a sweet guy isn't quite enough. If we are going to allow this, we need to be sure in the fact that you will continue to look after her." The tension in the air was getting thick enough to cut. I was on the edge of my seat. "Can we trust you to do that?"
"I will treat her as a member of my own family."
Mr. Nakano then spoke up. "More importantly, can we trust you not to hurt her? Because if you do, she will be back here and you two will never see each other again." The mere thought of losing Azusa terrified me. I had to convince them I could be trusted.
I held my hand up as if taking a vow. "I can promise you right here, right now. I'd sooner hurt myself before I even [think] of hurting her." I tried not to think of the worst. "If I do, then I will willingly give her up and leave her."
An awkward silence followed. There were no words said from any of us. I held my pose like an idiot, then I saw them smile. "Very well. You seem very sure about this, and that look in your eyes says to us that you mean what you're saying." My heart skipped a beat as I lowered my arm. "Just remember what we've said. You hurt her, and it's over."
"You have my word."
"Alright. If that's the case, then there's nothing else that needs to be said. Right, dear?"
"Of course." Ms. Nakano said. She looked at me and smiled. "You have our permission to marry Azusa."
I wanted to leap up and cheer, but I held myself back. Instead, I stood up and bowed deeply to them. "Thank you so much. You have no idea how much this means to me."
"You're very welcome. We hope it all works out for you both." With that, we made arrangements to discuss things at a later date. After everything had been done, I bade them farewell and headed home.
After closing the door, I leant back against it and replayed their words in my mind. [You have our permission to marry Azusa.]
"YES!!!" I'd done it. I had the backing of her parents. Quickly coming back to Earth, I headed out again. Hurriedly making my way to the shopping district, I located the jewelry shop I'd visited before. Thankfully, they'd held onto the ring I'd wanted. I quickly bought it and returned to the apartment again. Now the next thing I had to do was figure out how the devil I was going to propose to Azusa. I needed the moment to be special. Putting the ring away in my bag (feeling it was least likely to be accidentally found in there), I checked the time. Just about lunchtime. I had little else to do that was important, so I decided to do a bit of scouting around town.
Making an early lunch, I wolfed it down and once again headed out. The rest of the day was spent looking for somewhere that would make the moment I would ask her the big question memorable. As the sun began setting, I had still not found anywhere that satisfied me. I soon gave up. Returning to the apartment, I made dinner. [This is tougher than I thought.] While I was eating, my phone's text tone went off, catching my attention. It was Azusa. She sent me a lengthy text telling me what was happening and asking how I was doing. I admitted that I did miss her a bit, but assured her that I was fine and said to try to focus on her time with the seniors.
Her next message contained a group photo. Seeing them all together looking happy, I smiled. My life was really one positive after another. I had made it through school without acquiring a bad reputation, I had a stable job, I had found the girl of my dreams, and I was now going to tie the knot with her. I leant back and briefly thought about what I would be doing if I hadn't met her. I'd have graduated like normal no doubt, but my life would be emptier. [I really have to thank Sakura High.] I suddenly sat up straighter. [Sakura High?] Something then clicked in my head. [That's it!]
I now knew how I was going to do it, but it was a very long shot. The school was obviously closed, so I couldn't contact them. I had to wait until the next day. Giddy with excitement, I tidied up and got ready for bed. When I got off work the next day, I all but ran to Sakura High. If my luck was in, my first year homeroom teacher would still be working there. All I could do was pray. Reaching the school, I made my way to the teacher’s lounge. I was in luck. My homeroom teacher was still at the school. She was called over.
When she arrived, it took her a second to recognize me. I wasted no time in explaining my situation. When she heard my request, she was initially hesitant since I was no longer a student there, which made sense, but I was insistent that this was what I wanted, so ultimately, she agreed to help. I gave some details as to how things would work, then left. Happy that things were sliding into place, all that was left was to wait for Azusa to get back.
The following Friday...
I waited at the station for Azusa's train to arrive. I could now officially admit that I had really missed her. My life had felt emptier, and she'd crossed my mind a lot. She had told me that she would be back not long after I finished work, so to avoid making her wait, I went straight to the station when I got off. Checking my watch, I paced up and down the platform. I knew that my impatience was unnecessary, but I was really starting to pine for her now, so I didn't care. The minutes passed by obnoxiously slowly. [I just hope she was able to enjoy her time with them.]
I looked down the line and saw a train coming. I checked my watch again, then consulted my phone. There was no mistake. This had to be the right train coming. Stepping back from the edge of the platform, I wondered which carriage she was in. When the train finally stopped and the doors opened to let the passengers off, I looked for Azusa. There were quite a few people getting on and off, so spotting someone her size was a bit tricky. I moved back to try to get a better view.
"Shigure!" Turning in the direction of the voice, I spotted her. We both then ran towards each other.
Snaking around other passengers, I kept saying "'Scuse me. Sorry. 'Scuse me". Releasing her case, my girlfriend ran straight into me and threw her arms around my torso. Wrapping my own arms around her, we embraced each other as if we'd been apart for years.
"Welcome back, Azusa." I whispered, cradling her head in one hand.
"I missed you so much." she replied, sounding like she was about to start crying.
"I know. Me too." We stayed embraced for a bit, then headed to the apartment. After putting her things away, she shared stories of her time away. It sounded like she had really enjoyed herself, and it was great to hear that Yui-sempai and the others were still doing well.
"Um, if it happens again, do you think you could maybe come next time? It just wasn't the same without you there." I could tell she'd really missed me.
"If I can sort out some time off work, then sure." This brought a large smile to Azusa's face. That evening, I made her a welcome back dinner. We continued talking about things and reminisced about high school, then headed to bed. Azusa was quickly asleep. I imagined she was tired after her trip. Smiling at her peacefully sleeping form, I gently stroked her cheek before settling down myself. We had the next day to ourselves as it was a Saturday. Unfortunately, it was raining, which disappointed us both. So instead, we hung around the apartment. I busied myself with housework while Azusa watched TV and rested up (at my insistence).
After lunchtime, the rain stopped and the sky cleared up a bit. I felt that now was as good a time as ever, so I quietly got the ring while she wasn't looking and told her that we were going out for a bit. Grabbing our umbrellas as a precaution, I locked up the apartment, and we headed for Sakura High. When we got there, we met up with our homeroom teacher and got the key for our old classroom. Azusa was puzzled about what we were doing, but I told her that all would be explained shortly. Reaching our destination, I unlocked the door and ushered her inside.
"Shigure, what is all this about? Why are we here?" she asked.
I smiled and headed to my old desk. "Have you forgotten already? This is where we first became a couple, remember?" The memories started coming back as I continued. "I can still remember it. Sitting here each lunchtime, watching you with Ui and Jun, trying to work up the courage to join in. *chuckle* Man, I was a real coward." I then looked back at her. "Then I finally found the guts to approach you, and now look where we are." I headed back to her and grasped her hands. "Azusa, ever since I met you, my life has become a wonder I could have never imagined. I really don't know where I'd be if it weren't for you. Thank you so much for coming into my life." I reached into my pocket and pulled out the box. Her eyes widened as I assumed the position. "And now I have one last thing to ask."
Heart pounding, I cracked the box open. "Azusa Nakano, will you marry me?" Her hands cupped over her face as she stared at the ring, tears appearing in her eyes. I said no more to give her time to take it all in. Closing her eyes briefly, she smiled brightly, then looked at me.
"Yes. Of course I will." Getting back up, I removed the ring, set the box on a desk, then slid the piece of jewelry onto her finger. She held her hand up to look at it, some of the light coming in through the window reflecting off of it.
"I will admit it's not as extravagant as I would have liked..." I started to say.
"It's fine. I love it." Azusa said, cutting me off. She then put her arms around me. "Thank you Shigure. This is all so beautiful. I couldn't have asked for anything better." She looked up at me. "Thank you for coming into my life. I didn't think I'd ever get to this day." We then shared a very passionate kiss.
After that, we broke the news to the seniors and my parents. They were all ecstatic for us, offering many congratulations. The next day, Azusa and I met with our parents to make plans. Considering that none of us were exactly loaded, we decided to have a small Western-style wedding. Invites were sent to friends and family friends. We also extended an invitation to Yui-sempai and the others, as Azusa really wanted them there, and after much back and forth, a date was found when they were free. Things moved along fairly rapidly, or at least that's how it felt. I went shopping for a suit with my dad, Azusa went looking for a dress with her mom, a cake was organized, and we located a priest.
Before we knew it, the big day finally arrived. We booked a small church to use for the ceremony. I arrived apart from Azusa to avoid us seeing each other until the appropriate time. Waiting in the groom's room, I milled around by myself. Even though I had made the move and really wanted this, I could not stop my heart pounding. This was really happening. My dad then came in. "Hey Shigure. You doing okay?"
I gave him a smile. "Yeah. Just suffering pre-wedding jitters I guess." He came over and put a hand on my shoulder.
"It's okay. Being nervous is normal. I'm pretty sure all grooms feel it." He smiled. "I just want to say how proud we all are of you. This is a big day, and we all hope it's one you'll remember."
I nodded. "Thanks." We then shared a man hug. Soon after, the wedding began. I stood at the end of the aisle, waiting. I gave a smile to my parents and my old high school friends in the crowd. The far door then opened, drawing all attention in the room. I got my first look at my bride-to be. She wore an absolutely gorgeous, yet also simple, white dress, with a matching veil that covered her face, her hair tied back in a bun. Her dad escorted her down the aisle. She gave a smile to the seniors. When she reached me, the procession began. Our rings were brought over, the introductory speech was made, and bows were exchanged.
The service was delivered in Japanese as there were few foreigners in the crowd. As we all delivered the opening hymn and listened to a passage from the Bible, Azusa and I exchanged smiles. After a prayer and the seiyaku message, we arrived at the vows.
The priest faced me. "Will you, Shigure Saruwatari, swear to love, support, and devote yourself to this person, in sickness and in health, as long as you live?"
There was only one answer. "I will."
He then faced Azusa. "Will you, Azusa Nakano, swear to love, support, and devote yourself to this person, in sickness and in health, as long as you live?"
"I will."
We then got our rings and slid them on each other's fingers. Once the registry had been signed, the priest said "I now pronounce you husband and wife. Now, seal your vows with a kiss." Lifting the veil off Azusa's face, I ever so slightly stooped down as I always did and joined our lips. The room then filled with applause.
Later on...
Azusa and I sat atop a hill, watching the sun set. The rest of the wedding had passed in a blur. We received congratulations from various friends and the seniors (with Yui-sempai giving her a huge hug and saying that if the two of us ever split apart, she should marry her instead. Azusa merely shoved her bouquet of flowers in the airhead's face.) Looking out over the town, we basked in each other's warmth.
"Hey, Azusa?"
"Yes?"
"Thanks for accepting a guy like me. I used to wonder whether any girl would ever see anything in me. For all anyone knows, I could have been a pervert, or worse."
She squeezed my hand. "Don't be silly. No-one is ever born perfect. Right now, I can't imagine being with anyone else."
She then pulled herself up and looked straight at me. "I should thank you for choosing me. I've always been really stubborn, and I've always had trouble being honest with my feelings, even with myself. Yet you saw through all that and fell in love with me. I don't think I'll ever be able to repay you."
I smiled. "I guess we both have things to be thankful for then." Grasping her head, I whispered "I love you."
"I love you." she whispered back. Pulling her in, we shared another kiss in the fading light.
THE END
==References==