You Will Marry Me

Fashion week 2039 ended sooner than I expected, though that may have been my fault since I was only fixated on Tano and ignored many of the other models walking down the runway. It was beautiful, her form walking down exuding grace and showcased the best of the clothes the designers made. Such grace vanished as we arrived back at our hotel room, seeing as she lazily plopped down on the bed. "Your manager invited you to a party with some other tomorrow night. How about we go around the city tomorrow before the celebration?"

"Ehh! I don't even wanna go to the party!" She whined childishly, frantically swinging her arms and legs on the bed.

"There's going to be cake." I laughed silently. I didn't even need to hypnotize her to get her to change her mind.

"So what time's the party?" Easily swayed by her sweet tooth, she immediately sat up with glee.

"Around seven or eight. So we'll have all day to go sightseeing." I was excited as well, seeing as it was my first time in the city of love.

"You know, we can always come back here, even if it isn't Paris Fashion Week." She retorted, but I was deadset on walking through the city with her. I rubbed the back of my head, walking over to take a seat on the bed beside her. I looked at her, getting lost in her eyes once again. She stared back, seemingly entranced by me. "But...since I have a free day, why not?" I gave her a hug and a peck on the cheek before we got under the sheets and snuggled up against ourselves. The dawn woke me up before her, so I did some morning stretches before I went through our luggage.

"Alright. Time to take a shower." I said as I shut the bag, entering the bathroom in our room after pulling out one of the provided towels. It took her a few hours before she roused for the day, the walk and various backstage hassle of the fashion show taking a heavy toll on her energy reserves. "Good morning honey." I gave her a warm smile to start her day, already having set her towel out for her as I checked my phone for something.

"Morning...did you get some coffee ready?" She sat up, looking at me with her hair a mess and her clothes wrinkled from being slept in. She shot a glance out the window of our hotel room, watching as Paris' streets were filled with people that looked like ants from how high up we were. She smacked her lips, getting them hydrated since they've chapped overnight.

"We're in France...let's just go to a cafe." I stared at her blankly as she pulled strands of hair that was stuck to her lip due to her drooling. I waited for her to finish her shower, my hands trembling in anticipation for today. The moment she left the bathroom, I entered it to give her some privacy while she got dressed.

"Oh. What's this doing here?" I heard her mutter through the door, which made me smile from ear to ear. It took her a few minutes to get dressed, though I did tell her to dress lightly. I emerged to find her wearing skinny jeans and a striped V-neck that highlighted her cleavage. I gulped, steeling myself to keep my mind off of sex. "So, the cafe?" She asked before the two of us left to explore the city.

Our first stop, since I had suggested it, was a cafe and boulangerie with a view of the Louvre. She started her day with a croissant while I was satisfied with just some coffee. Since it was already in sight, I suggested entering the museum.

"But the line is huge. We'll be waiting for at least an hour for...tickets..." She nearly dropped her food as I pulled out a pair of tickets I purchased in advance. "Did you plan this?"

"Maybe?" I grinned back at her, winking with my eye as I sipped my morning coffee. I hurried her a little bit since I also purchased the privilege of a tour. The two of us glanced at the painting and sculptures all the while taking in the beauty of them all. I did my best to mimic some of the poses except for the nude ones, getting her to giggle though she had to stifle it since we were in public. After that, the two of us talked by the exit for a while, though my mind wasn't too fixated on the conversation, seeing as I had the rest of our day planned ahead. "Ah, want some macarons?" I smiled, seeing her beam with her own excitement as she dragged me around by the arm. Even after all these years, she's still faster than me. I directed her to a certain building and told her to wait for me at the door while I got macarons of various flavors.

"A guessing game?" She asked me the moment I opened the box. I pulled a brown one with a white filling, one of two. "Hmm! I think it's graham crackers and marshmallow!"

"Not smores?"

"I don't see any chocolate." She takes the other one and the two of us eat it to find out. "Ohh vanilla and cinnamon." Her eyes widen as she reached for the next one, a bright yellow one with a paler yellow cream. That one was lemon and honey. The two of us finished the box just as we arrived at our next stop, a charcuterie, allowing me to pick up a sausage that I had them slice up. We also went to a fromagerie before stopping to snack on them near Notre Dame, which had gotten restored to its former glory after the fire that happened in 2019. We admired the view for a few minutes as the day slowly turned to dusk, munching on our snacks before my phone buzzed. "What's that?" She asked, but I didn't answer.

"Let's go back to the hotel now..." I said, firmly taking her wrist in my hand and stuffing our food in a bag to allow me to move a bit more freely.

"What? Why? The party isn't until later."

"True, but you take forever to do your makeup." I teased her, causing her to pout the rest of the way back. As soon as we shut the door to our room, I took off my shirt and pants in order to change into something more appropriate for the occasion. A simple suit, though I didn't bother with a tie since I'd be standing next to someone who'd take all of the attention away from me. I rummaged in our luggage before shutting it.

"I hate to admit it, but you were right to take us back here so early." She grumbled as she sat in front of a mirror, currently applying eyeliner on her right eye. She had gotten into a red dress that was accompanied by black, elbow-length gloves that still left her fingers exposed, and a pair of black heels. I moved to her back, getting her hair into a bun that was quite high on her head. "How much time do we have?"

"Forty-five minutes. Your manager is waiting in the lobby with a limo on standby." I said, checking my messages to confirm my statement.

"Are you sure about this? You're usually not one to attend these sorts of gatherings." She asked, looking at me with concern in her eyes. I hadn't seen that emotion from her in a long time, nonetheless, I smiled and insisted that I join her tonight. We arrived at the location, some paparazzi had gathered on the street to snap a few photos.

"Ugh...cameras..." I mutter, slowly feeling a sense of dread take over me. I walked out first, going to the other side and opening the door for Tano, who walked with her hand holding mine. Once we were inside the sound of shutters diminished. "It's on the roof," I say, leading her over to the elevator as I placed a hand on the inside of my coat. It was beautiful, a starry sky above and the lit-up Eiffel Tower within sight. It was already fairly populous, with thirty faces making conversation and sipping drinks while waiting for the rest of the attendees.

Since I made an effort to not dress in a flashy manner, I ironically stood out like a sore thumb amidst the sea of dazzling models and well-dressed celebrities. My hands started shaking at that moment, my fingers tingling under the immense pressure I was under. Tano had noticed my unease, walking away to get a few drinks to hopefully drown my worries away. "Are you ready?" Another person walked up to me before she got back, her manager.

"As ready as I'll ever be..." I replied, walking over to the edge of the roof to lean against the glass barrier that acted as a railing. The wind picked up, though whether it was the weather or our altitude that caused it was uncertain, blowing my hair to the side as I rested my arms on the guardrail. "It's so beautiful tonight," I said as the lights of the city switched on and off randomly. I spotted a handful of fountains spraying water on some other tourists, a few boats lighting up the Seine River, and the Arc De Triomphe.

"It really is breathtaking." Tano walked over to my right side, holding two glasses filled with reddish-purple liquid. "How about some wine, Aki?" She said, cheekily offering me some alcohol while already somewhat red in the face. That's when I noticed that the amount of wine inside the glass she offered me was less than the other and that it was stained slightly with the color of her lipstick. I humored her, pretending to not catch the obvious signs and taking the glass she had already drunk from. Sharp, with a hint of fruitiness, but it wasn't for me. I swallowed, hiding my discomfort with a smile. "Ugh...I don't think I'll ever get used to this." I muttered, forcing myself to sip it for a while longer; wine is wine and this looked expensive and considering where we were made it easy to come to the conclusion.

"By the way, I haven't been able to ask since we've been so busy, how's university life treating you?" Looking out at the city, she swirled the refreshment in her glass before delicately lifting it up to her lips.

"It's going fine. Though nothing of note has happened." I reply coldly, finishing the drink as fast as I could to hand it to a waiter or butler of some sort that was taking care of the guests. "It's not nearly as hard as this..." I added, implying meaning using my gaze that glazed over all the people in attendance. Fashion designers, reputable names in the modeling world, make up specialists; I knew some of them personally, but it still felt strange being here while having no real investment in the industry aside from Tano. I let out a long sigh, pulling out a familiar book from the inside of my coat.

"I was wondering why you brought that with you. Because I know that I didn't pack it." She teased as we both began reading the hypnosis book. "Why though."

"I want to try it again. Just one command..." I said as I shut it with a soft clap. "Do you trust me?"

"Alright, it's done," I said, having not done anything to her. "Your one command..."

"What? You haven't done anything yet. Aki, what are you-" She opened her eyes in confusion, finding me down on one knee with a small box in my hand. She paused, seemingly forgetting to breathe as the sound of her wine glass shattering silenced the rest of the party. Her hands went up to her face, covering her quivering mouth as I continued talking.

"Nakumi Tano, you will marry me, right?" I asked with as gentle of a tone as I could while still wording it as an order. I opened the box, uncovering a ring with a stunning diamond on a gold band that matched with her gloves; a stroke of luck on my part, but a welcome one.

"Of course! Of course, I will!" Her face turned red as I slipped the ring on her finger, rising up with both of her hands in mine as I leaned in for a kiss under the stars, the shining tour Eiffel illuminating the occasion.

That story always brings back memories, so many fond memories that I still think of every time I see her. "Aki!" My wife's voice seemed panicked as she called out to me. My door slammed against the wall as she opened it forcefully.

"Tano!? What happened? Is everything okay?" I asked her as she walked in with one arm supporting her weight against the wall. It had been a handful of years since Paris, and she had retired as soon as I got a job after university.

"Car! Now!" She screamed at me, clutching her bulbous belly with the other arm before I ran up and carried her over my shoulder. With that, the two of us left home that day and quickly drove to the hospital. I had forgotten something though. I left our rings on my desk, next to a framed picture of us. As you can tell, I have a lot to do now. Shall we continue this some other time? "Less monologuing, more driving! She's kicking like a soccer player!" She yelled at me as the light on our current intersection turned to the signal to go.