Venzel started the engine, the low rumble of it echoing in the quiet morning street. Without wasting a second, he pulled out of the lot and turned toward the road that led to Kana's neighborhood.
As he drove, he hit the dial on his phone.
It rang only once.
"Ouch," Kana greeted him, her voice wincing yet somehow light.
His heart jumped. "What happened? Are you okay?"
There was a soft giggle on the other end, sheepish and sweet.
"Hehe, I tripped," she confessed. "My foot's kinda hurting... Can you pick me up?"
Venzel sighed—half worry, half exasperated fondness.
"Of course I can," he said, already turning the wheel harder, pressing the gas a little more. "Stay where you are. I'm on my way."
Kana chuckled softly. "Okay… I'll be the limping bride."
Venzel smiled, the tension in his chest loosening a bit. "That's fine. I'll just carry you into the civil office if I have to."
"You better," she whispered, warmth tucked behind her words.
"I will," Venzel said, then blew her a playful flying kiss toward the phone.
He was just about to hang up when her voice rushed back through the speaker.
"Quick! Make it fast before my parents realize I'm gone—" she ended in a mischievous giggle, the sound lighting up his heart like sunlight through morning mist.
He quickly started the engine, his hand steady on the wheel, and pulled out of the lane with purpose.
The tires rolled over the gravel with a crunch as he accelerated, his heart pounding just a little faster than usual.
"Hang in there, Kana," he murmured under his breath, a soft smile tugging at his lips.
"I'm coming."
Buildings blurred past in a quiet hush of motion as he turned down the familiar road to Kana's neighborhood.
When he reached the end of the lane near her house, he saw her.
Kana was standing on the sidewalk in casual clothes, one shoe on, one shoe in her hand, hopping slightly as she leaned against a utility pole. Her hair was slightly tousled, her face flushed from the rush, but she smiled when she spotted his car.
And even with one bare foot and a slight limp, she looked radiant to him.
Venzel parked and got out immediately.
"You really did run out of the house," he said, half amazed, half scolding, as he jogged over.
Kana pouted playfully. "I wasn't kidding."
She tried to take a step toward him and winced.
Without another word, Venzel closed the distance and crouched in front of her. "Come on, hop on."
Kana blinked. "What—?"
"I told you. I'd carry you if I had to, didn't I?"
A soft, fluttery laugh escaped her lips. "You weren't joking..."
"Never about you," he replied, glancing up with a teasing grin.
Giggling, she looped her arms around his neck and let him lift her into his arms. Her head nestled against his shoulder, the scent of her hair filling the morning air between them.
As he carried her back to the car, she murmured softly, "I didn't even get to grab my bag."
"You don't need it," he said. "All we need today is you, me, and a couple of pens to sign our forever."
Kana pressed her face closer against his neck, and in a whisper only he could hear: "You're going to make me cry again."
"Let it out," he murmured. "We'll start our life with tears of joy."
He opened the passenger door and gently set her down, helping her tuck her foot in before closing it with care.
Kana tapped rapidly on the window as soon as Venzel closed her door, her eyes wide with urgency and excitement.
"Get in! Hurry! Drive drive drive!" she half-whispered, half-yelled, bouncing in the seat like they were in a getaway scene. "Go go go before someone looks out the window!"
Venzel glanced one last time at the towering mansion behind her.
The place loomed like a private fortress—sprawling walls, ivy-covered pillars, and sleek black gates that looked like they were built to never open without permission.
For a moment, he blinked in disbelief.
"That's a mansion," he muttered to himself. "How did you even manage to get out without being noticed?"
He slid into the driver's seat, buckled up, and hit the gas.
Kana leaned back, grinning like a little devil. "I climbed the wall from the back."
Venzel nearly swerved. "You what!?"
"I climbed it!" she laughed, holding up her scraped hand proudly. "Scratched my palm and twisted my foot but totally worth it."
"You're unbelievable," he said, shaking his head with a laugh, eyes on the road but smile tugging at his lips.
"I know," Kana beamed, reclining like a victorious escapee. "Now, drive, my noble steed. To the civil office—we've got a wedding to crash. Ours."
Venzel stepped on the pedal just a little harder.
The wind whooshed past them as they drove through the city streets. Traffic was light, and the sun had fully risen now, bathing the buildings in a warm golden glow.
The civil office came into view soon enough.
Venzel pulled the car smoothly into the parking lot and killed the engine.
"We're here," he said, glancing at Kana.
Kana looked out the window, her breath catching just a little.
Her eyes shimmered, not with hesitation, but with the full weight of what they were about to do.
He got out, circled to the passenger side, and opened her door. Without a word, he crouched slightly and reached out his arms.
Kana blinked at him. "Again?"
"Of course," he said. "If we're doing this, we're doing it right."
She giggled and looped her arms around his neck again. "Okay, but don't drop me. I still want to walk down the aisle someday."
Venzel smirked."The butterflies in our stomachs are fluttering so wildly, I swear we might just float away."
"Romantic," she snorted through her smile.
With that, he lifted her once more into a princess carry.
Her cheeks flushed pink, her hands resting gently over his chest, and her eyes softened as she gazed at him.
Step by step, he carried her up the short flight of steps to the civil office door. People turned to look but Venzel paid them no mind.
To him, there was no crowd.
Just her.
Just them.
Kana leaned closer, resting her forehead lightly against his as they reached the doors.
"Let's do it," she whispered, her breath warm against his skin.
Venzel nodded, heart full.
"Forever starts now."