Inspired by Friends Season 7: Episode 24
"Can you find him?"
"No, we've looked everywhere!" Lance Alvers shouted as he and Todd Tolanski raced up to Fred Dukes. "He's gone!"
"Oh, this isn't good, this isn't good!" Kitty Alvers moaned, running a hand through her hair. "The wedding starts in thirty minutes and if he's not there-"
"Babe, I know, okay?" Lance sighed, wrapping his arms around her. "We'll find him, I promise."
"I'll go look in the lobby again," Fred offered. "Lance, you should check the roof."
"That's a good idea, he likes the view."
"I'll check the front too," Todd said. "Maybe he went out for a smoke."
"Went out for a what?" Kitty shrieked.
"W-Went out for a drink of water..."
Todd left before he had to re-repeat himself. Things were stressful enough without having to track down the groom. They'd been trying to keep up with the bride and prevent her from knowing what was going on, on top of helping her get ready. They were lucky that Wanda was keeping her occupied with her fake "I'm never getting married!" sob story.
It's gonna take forever to convince him, Todd thought as he hopped to the giant door of the luxurious hotel. If I can even find him!
He stepped out into the summer air of New York and searched the stairs for the groom. Thankfully he found him towards the middle, a shaking cigarette hanging from his lips as he tried frantically to light it.
"'Tro!"
The silver haired young man jolted and spun around, the lighter slipping from his hand. He was dressed in a slick tux and his blue eyes had a slight craze to them.
"Don't freak!" Todd shouted before Pietro Maximoff could zip away. "I just came to check up on you!"
"You-came-to-trick-me-into-go-back-in-there!" Pietro shouted, pointing the cigarette at him. "Well it-won't-work!"
"Dude, what's gotten into you? You love Tabitha!"
"Yeah, yeah-I-do! I-really-do! That's-why-I-can't-marry-her!"
Todd shook his head and came down the stairs to stand in front of him.
"That's the most backwards thing I've ever heard, 'Tro."
"I know!" Pietro shrieked, plopping down on the stairs and grabbing the sides of his head.
"Okay, okay!" Todd said quickly, squatting next to him and putting a hand on his shoulder. "Just take some deep breaths and calm down."
"What-do-you-think-I've-been-trying-to-do?"
"Kill your lungs."
Pietro smashed the cigarette with his shoe and groaned.
"What-am-I-going-to-do?" he asked miserably.
"Well, you could start with giving me the cigarettes."
He held out his hand, cocking his eyebrow at his friend. Pietro's jaw tightened, then he growled and dug into his pocket.
"Just-'cause-you-and-my-sister-date-now-doesn't-mean-you-can-tell-me-what-to-do, you-know."
"I know," Todd said with a smirk, wrapping his fingers around the box he received. "But I'm only looking out for you, yo. Tabitha would be pretty livid if she smelled smoke on you..."
He stopped and glanced up at his friend. Pietro had gone rigid and was staring straight ahead, his eyes the size of saucers.
"I'm-gonna-screw-it-up," he said flatly. "That's-why-I-can't-marry-her."
"'Tro - "
"No! Just-think-about-it! My-track-record-of-girls-is-too-long, I'm-a-self-centered-asswhipe-who-can't-tell-when-my-fiancee-is-angry-or-happy, and-did-I-mention-that-I'm-related-to-my-father, who-still-after-twenty-one-years, has-little-to-no-time-for-me-and-my-sister?"
"But you're not like your dad, and you're not that self centered anymore. At least not when it comes to Tabby. You're actually pretty good at treating her right."
"Really?"
"Really."
Pietro shivered, then turned and stared at Todd, looking more lost than he'd ever looked before. It was making Todd uncomfortable actually, seeing the headstrong speedster so vulnerable.
"Should...should-I-go-back-inside?"
"You know the answer to that."
"But...what-if - "
"What if you don't go inside? How is that going to feel? I can garantee it'll feel a thousand times worse than what you're going to feel when Tabitha walks down the aisle."
Todd put a hand on Pietro's shoulder and smiled.
"'Cause you're going to feel great when you see her. Let go of everything else and just try and imagine what that'll feel like."
Pietro took a deep breath in and closed his eyes, swallowing hard as he clenched his fists.
"...Okay..." he exhaled, smiling uncertainly at Todd. "Okay. I'll do it."
"Good," Todd sighed, standing with his friend and heading inside the chapel. "We should hurry. Kitty's five seconds from blowing her top, considering you've only got..." He checked his watch and raised an eyebrow. "Five minutes before the ceremony starts."
A stream of curses flew out of Pietro's lips as he zipped out of sight, the swinging church doors the only sign of him. Todd chuckled smugly, taking his time as he climbed up and closed the doors behind him. He'd be in trouble later for lying about the time, but at the moment he didn't care.
He'd just enjoy the sight of his friends getting married.
Yoooooooo!
I'm back.
Figured I'd post this super duper short thingy majiig and then start working on the first XME that I started, or start a new story or something of that nature.
Let me know what ya guys think pleases and thank yous!
Stryker Young