A/N: Hello everyone. Here's another one shot, it's based off "From Afar" by Vance Joy. Don't hate me. I love you. I don't own Scandal or Vance Joy, never have and unfortunately, never will.

You told me 'boy, look the other way'.

You told me 'boy, bite your tongue'.

Yes not the way, yeah that's not the way.

Ah, that's not the way that friends behave.

He took a deep breath. He needed to gather his emotions. He needed to feel the air rush through his lungs, and feel the surge of his blood through his body, because right now, he couldn't think. Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III was incapable of breathing, because the love of his life was walking towards him in her white dress. He took another deep breath, as he watched the lace fabric of her dress outlined the shape of her body. He looked her body up and down, the white, strapless and lace dress, covering her cleavage a respectable amount, while the rest of the dress was tight among her curves. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't breathe as she took a step closer. He needed to breathe, or he wouldn't focus, and today he needed to focus. Fitz stepped away from the wall, removing his hands from the pockets of his suit pants, walking in the way of the love of his life.

"Olivia," he smiled softly gaining back his footing, both physically and mentally. He watched as the radiant smile on her face brightened, as she finally caught glimpse of him.

"Fitz," her voice filled with happy surprise. "I didn't know if you would make it." Olivia's sped up as she walked over to Fitz, handing off her bouquet of white lilies to her bridesmaid Abby Whelan. As Olivia stopped in front of Fitz, she looked at him, before wrapping her arms around him, hugging his body to hers.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Fitz said, allowing his hands to remember the warmth of her body as she pulled herself tighter to him. As his hands remembered the warmth of her body, his nose remembered her floral scent, and his body remembered her shape against his.

Olivia was the first to pull away, and Fitz noticed the tears forming. "Thank you. You don't know how much this means to me. I've missed you."

Fitz smiled at her, hoping that his misery did not show over his features. He needed her to know that he was happy for her, even if it wasn't the truth. Even if he wished, he was the one that she was walking towards, wanting to pledge her life to, vowing before the gods that they belonged to each other.

"There isn't any other place in the world I want to be. I'm supposed to walk my best friend down the aisle remember?" Fitz smiled, reluctantly letting her go, his hands no longer touching her, his body no longer feeling her body against his.

"Really?" Olivia asked, looking over to Abby, then back over to him, excitement written on her face. Fitz knew this was the right thing to do, even if it would hurt him in the long run.

"Of course," Fitz spoke softly, walking to her left side, joining the wedding party. "It's only right for your forever husband to give you away to your first husband." He smiled brightly, and Olivia laughed.

7 years old

Olivia stopped directly in front of his television set, during Happy Days, his favorite show. Fitz tilted his head, hoping to see more of the screen before looking at Olivia and glaring at her.

"Livvie, move. Happy Days is on," he said frustrated, he knew there would be a character twist soon, but he couldn't see what was happening and his mother never let him have the television up loud, so he couldn't really hear it either.

"No. I want you to play house with me," Olivia whined, putting her hands on her hips as she tapped her foot.

Fitz tried to hide his smile, along with his laugh, as he watched his best friend being a cry baby. He shook his head from side to side as he saw the Fonz walk from the right hand to the screen and behind Olivia's back.

"No...that game is for babies," he said, tilting his head again trying to see behind Olivia.

"No it's not...I want to play house now," Olivia stomped her foot again, pointing her finger at him, turning around, reaching to turn the television off.

Fitz jumped quickly off the couch and over to the television, pushing Olivia out of the way. "Do not turn that off."

"But Fitzy, please..." she watched him as she stepped away, seeing him sit in front of the screen. "If you don't play house with me, I'll tell your mom." She threatened, and was met with deaf ears. "I mean it Fitzy."

He turned to look at her, as a commercial was coming on. "Livvie, it's only on for another ten minutes...can we wait until the show is over, and I promise to play house with you?" Olivia huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Okay, but if you don't keep your promise, I will tell your mom, and you will be in trouble." Olivia gave up, as she came over to Fitz and sat next to him.

Fitz nodded his head, turning his attention back to the television screen.

"And this time you'll have to marry me," Olivia said, as she turned her attention to the television as well.

"I'll marry you, just name the place," Fitz said, nudging her with his shoulder, smiling at his best friend, before hearing the theme song to Happy Days, and watching the plot twist that he knew was coming all along.

Present Day

Fitz held out his arm for his Livvie, as she grabbed her bouquet of white lilies from Abby. He could do this. He could walk down the aisle with his best friend, the person that he imagined would one day walk down the aisle towards him. He could walk down the aisle, stop and hand her off to the man she believed she would spend the rest of her life with, a man that wasn't him. He could do this. He took a deep breath as Olivia wrapped her arm around his, and smiled at him. He could do this because loving someone meant letting them go. Loving someone meant that you wanted them happy, even if they were happy with a person that wasn't you.

One by one, each of Olivia's bridesmaids disappeared, as they walked down the aisle, to the priest, but Fitz didn't care. He kept his eye on Olivia, holding the hand that was on his arm tightly. He saw the nerves start to build, her next step would be becoming Mrs. Ballard. A part of him wanted her to run away, run away with him, while the other just wanted to soothe her nerves, let her know that she was never alone.

"Livvie," he spoke softly, her name going unheard as she was concentrating on fixing her dress.

"Livvie," he repeated, and Olivia looked up. "Stop fidgeting, you look beautiful."

Olivia took a full body breath, lifting her shoulders, then letting the air rush out of her body. She smiled sweetly, yet shyly, at her best friend. "Thank you Fitz."

"You don't have..." Fitz began but was interrupted by Olivia.

"Thank you for coming...I didn't know if you would make it or not, I know we didn't leave on good terms." Olivia's smile was gone, but Fitz lifted his hand to touch Olivia's face, allowing his hands to remember the feel of her face against the palm of her hand, her soft skin underneath his thumb as he brushed away a tear.

"You're still my best friend, my family, and I'll always be yours. Like it or not."

"I love you, Fitz," Olivia muttered softly, as she closed her eyes and let him cradle her face with his hand.

It took everything in Fitz to not Olivia that he loved her more than she would ever know, that he wanted her to run away with him, that he didn't want her to be marrying Jacob Ballard, but instead he wanted to be her husband. It took everything, but he loved Olivia enough to let her go.

"I love you too, Livvie," he muttered, trying to ignore the pain in his heart, ignore the screaming in his head, ignore the feeling of his soul leaving his body, and trying like hell to not let the history scare him into losing himself completely.

14 years old

You lined me up, across the room.

Two falling sparks, one willing fool.

And I, I always knew.

"Fitz," Olivia walked over to him, carrying her books, holding them tightly to her chest. She was still just a new freshman, her nerves tortured from every senior threatening to treat her like a lowly freshman. She would never be treated as such, because Fitz would always stop them, or give them someone else to torture. If they treated Olivia like a lowly freshman, someone would pay, and all the seniors knew it. They never understood why Fitz took care of her, but they knew to not touch her. Fitz made sure that everyone knew.

"Hey Livvie," Fitz opened his locker, grabbing his American History and Calculus textbooks. He quickly closed the locker, seeing his strong willed Olivia acting shy. "Who hurt you?" The anger surged through him, as he thought of someone hurting her or teasing her. "I will beat their ass."

"Fitz…" she said again, but a smile was playing against her face as Fitz began his rampage. "Fitz," she said placing her hand on his forearm. "No one hurt me, I just have a question for you."

At her touch, Fitz felt the air rushing out of his body, the anger subsiding, and warmth and happiness filling his soul once more. He shrugged his shoulders as he let out the breath, and smiled at her. "Good…"

"Yeah, because you would 'kick their ass'." Olivia teased, as they began walking to their American History class.

"I would," he nods his head, purposely bumping into Olivia.

"Don't be a bully."

"Only to protect you," Fitz smiled, opening their class door for her, following her to the back row, where they sat next to each other.

"Fitz." She said laughing, and Fitz's happiness grew, with the sound of her laugh and the way his name sounded coming from her lips.

"Then what is it, Livvie?"

"I…" Their conversation was interrupted, by the sound of Mr. Beene walking into the room, muttering that he hated kids and should have taken the job at Harvard.

As their class wore on, Fitz writing all the notes, he heard something hit his textbook, and for once during the whole class period, he looked away from the chalkboard and to a football shaped note that landed on his desk. He looked over to Olivia, who looked innocent as she wrote down whatever he was missing. He knew he would have to get those from her later, when they were at her house. He slowly opened the note,

"Fitzy, Will you go to the dance with me, my forever husband? ;) I'd love to teach you a few steps. Always, Olivia."

Fitz looked back over at her, and this time they locked eyes, and he nodded his head, mouthing "of course." He put the note in his pocket, as the bell rang.

Present Day

You told me "boy look the other way"

You told me "boy hide those hands"

But I've been living on the crumbs of your love

And I'm starving now

The doors opened, and Fitz looked over at Olivia one last time before he had to give her way. He knew he wouldn't be able to look at her when he was going to hand her off to Jake. He knew he wouldn't survive throughout his life if he saw the smile on her face, when she left his hands and touched Jake's instead. As he gave her one last smile, he walked her slowly down the aisle, but still felt he was moving too quickly. He wasn't ready. He smiled at his mother, smiled at Olivia's grandmother, joined in on laughing at Mellie's baby doing a dance on Andrew's lap, as they passed each pew.

They reached the last pew, and he closed his eyes as he pressed his lips against her forehead, not daring to look in her eyes, or watch her smile. He grabbed her hand and gave her away, taking a step back as the preacher asked:

"Who gives this woman away?"

"I do," Fitz said, although his mind was screaming at him that he couldn't give her away, and she belonged to him. He was her forever husband. He belonged to her. The preacher nodded at him, and Fitz avoided eye contact with Olivia as he sat next to his mother, who grabbed his hand, and nodded her head at him.

"Hello mom," he smiled, holding her hand tightly.

"It's going to be okay," he heard his mom whisper, but he shook his head, not knowing if she knew that he was in pain from saying goodbye to Olivia, or if she was speaking of something else. He took a deep breath as Jake and Olivia promised each other their lives. "You're a wonderful man," his mother whispered, and he looked over at her like she grew another head.

"You're so in love with her that you're letting her go," she whispered again, and he nodded. She knew. Of course she knew. She had watched them grow up together. Of course she knew that he wanted to scream, wanted to stop the ceremony, wanted to do anything but watch the love of his life marry another man.

"It's going to be okay," his mother whispered again and he nodded again in response.

"I know, but not today," he finally whispered back, as he watched Jake slip the ring onto Olivia's finger, shouting his love for her to the gods with promises of taking care of her when she was sick, loving her whether they were rich or poor, loving her forever, and only God ending their love.

I always knew, that I would love you from afar.

"Fitz," he heard Olivia calls his name. He couldn't bare to look at her, not right now. He couldn't look at her after she promised the heavenly gods that she would forever belong to Jake, and him to her.

"Fitz," he heard her call again. He kept his eyes tightly closed. He couldn't do it. He could deal with much, but he couldn't deal with this. His soul was breaking. He…his soul was breaking to pieces, and he knew one look at her would diminish his soul forever.

"Fitz," Olivia whispered as she grabbed his arm. Her warmth igniting his soul. He took a deep breath, afraid to look at her.

"Fitz," she whispered one more time, "Fitzy, look at me." He cherished her childhood nickname for him, and opened his eyes to look at her.

"Olivia," he whispered, and looked at his surroundings. They were home in Vermont, and Olivia was staring at him, a worry line forming on her forehead, her new wedding ring shining in the sun. He lifted his hand to run through Olivia's hair, as she rested her body above his. He noticed the wedding band on his hand.

"You were having a nightmare, everything is going to be okay." Olivia kissed him, fully awake, and Fitz breathed her in. Everything was okay. He had married the love of his life.

It shouldn't come as a surprise

What I'm feeling, what I'm feeling now.

It shouldn't come as a surprise

She's got darling hazel eyes.