It was all white flowers and happy faces. The bridesmaids were dressed in beautiful peach coloured dresses and the groomsmen wore nice fitted black suits with pink flowers in their lapels.
The vows went down without a hitch and everyone um'ed and aw'ed their approval when the bride and groom had their first kiss as a married couple. All in all, it was a very nice and tasteful ceremony.
Then the reception started and it continued to be just as nice and just as tasteful. So when the speeches came around everyone was on a strange kind of high. Laughing and jeering. Flirting and joking.
Everyone that is but Marco. The best man. He looked at the newly weds beside him, they seemed so happy and content. Smiling and looking into one another's eyes.
It made him feel lonely. Not because his best friend had just got married and not because he'd got married to his ex girlfriend. The relationship ended on friendly terms and he was more than happy for them when they had announced they were getting together and even happier when they had announced they were going to be married. But, now the day had come and everyone was happy and giddy, and he just felt empty.
He really was happy for them, but he wanted to be happy too. He wanted that someone that could make his heart stop and beat so fast at the same time. The one that would make time stop for him, whilst making it speed up in some strange kind of deliriously happy daydream.
Marco sighed to himself, eyeing the bottom of his champagne glass with distain.
"Marco. Is everything ok?" asked the grinning groom. Marco really had to admit, his friend cleaned up good. If he didn't know him, he might have been attracted to him, but only if he wore this suit and styled his hair like this all the time. The suit fitted him well and his smile was big and cheeky, like always. He'd grown his hair out for the wedding so it could be styled, so not his usual bristly scalp, and Marco had to admit it suited him. Connie was a big ball of sunshine, and Marco felt guilty for being such a drag at the guys wedding.
"Yeah Marco, are you ok? You looked depressed." said his new wife with a mouth full of cake. "You don't look like a Best Man at all." she smirked, cream smeared around her mouth.
"And you don't look much like a bride with a face full of chocolate sponge." he sang sarcastically. She glared at him playfully and he laughed.
"I'm sorry." he sighed, shoulders slumping. "It's just… Well, I guess I'm a little jealous." he smiled at them sadly and they smiled back. Big bright, stupid smiles. It was them all over. Sasha and Connie. Connie and Sasha. They were the perfect pair. Marco was surprised she hadn't dumped him for his friend straight after he had introduced them. It was obvious they were meant for each other. Soul mates. Where was his frigging soul mate when he needed them?
"Cheer up Marco. You'll find the right guy soon enough." she sang. He looked at her sceptically, but she stared him down happily, daring him to tell her any different. He loved Sasha, he really did, she was hard headed and tuff. She ate like a pig too, but that was just part of her charm. Yet he was happy to admit that his bank balance started to rise again once they'd split up, he'd let Connie deal with the high food bills.
"Yeah." Connie cheered, slapping him on the arm. "He'll show up soon." he smirked.
"Really? When?" he huffed. "Because I don't see him around anywhere." he waved his hand aimlessly at the bristling hall, knowing there was no one of particular worth standing around. He knew them all and he didn't like anyone that way.
He sighed again. He'd wasted half his life being in denial and now he was paying the price. Mr right was probably already taken or not even interested in him.
He contemplated his chances of finding somebody who'd make him swoon, it was unlikely. And it was even more unlikely that, that person would be attracted to him too. He was a miss match. He was tall and mildly built, that suggested he was a mans man, someone strong. But he also had doe brown eyes and a ridiculous amount of freckles, they were everywhere, and he meant everywhere! Everyone who knew him called him sweet and kind, so it didn't help him that he was built to be contradictory.
He'd get guys coming onto him, wanting to be swept away, but then they'd lose interest because he wasn't aggressive enough. The truth was, he was the one that wanted to be swept away, wanted to be taken care of and treated like a queen. Or maybe a king, it didn't matter.
They laughed as he pouted miserably. He was their Best Man, but he wasn't doing a very good job. He just wanted to be happy too, he just wanted to get married too. Was that to much to ask?
He sighed dejectedly and looked up at them to see them smiling widely at him. His stomach lurched. He knew those smiles well and it meant they were up to something.
"What?" he asked cautiously.
"Oh, don't be so suspicious all the time." Connie droned, making Sasha laugh.
"It's nothing really!" Sasha giggled. "It's just that the wedding singer's coming on soon." she said shovelling another piece of cake into her mouth. "And I think he's just your type." she smiled around the cake, waving her fork in the air like a fairy godmother and her wand.
Marco groaned loudly. His type? His type and what they thought was his type, were two different things.
"A wedding singer?" he cringed.
"Yeah. What's wrong with that?" Sasha said with a scowl.
"Do I really have to explain?" he scowled back. Wedding singers were usually talent less hacks with bad hygiene. Hardly what he was looking for in a boyfriend.
Connie laughed at the look of disgust on his face and decided to explain the situation.
"Well…" he started. "It's not really a wedding singer, but a band." he smiled, noticing Marco's face lighten up a bit. A band sounded so much more appealing than a wedding singer. A lot more talent, but maybe even less hygiene, depending on the type of band. Connie and Sasha were well known for their strange taste in music. So much screaming and loud noise. Marco doubted he'd be into some early Mettalica, Megadeath wannabe.
"A friend of mine at work is dating the lead guitarist and told us to check them out." he continued. "So, naturally we made a night of it and went to see them. They were really good. Their music is more to your tastes than ours, but we didn't want to bust Granny's ear drums, so we asked them if they would play tonight." he finished proudly.
"Yeah, and the singer is super hot and I mean hot, he's totally your type." she clapped happily and Connie nodded his agreement.
"He comes across a little prickly at first, but once you get to know him he's totally cool." Marco smiled, Connie always was good at making friends.
"What was his name again?" Sasha asked the air. "Gene?" her face scrunched up in concentration.
"John?" Connie tried to help, but then both their faces contorted in thought, until…
"JEAN!" they shouted in unison, huge smiles spreading across their faces.
"Yeah, that's it. Jean." he beamed.
"Seriously, I thought I'd never get those two separated, it was like bro-mance at hello." she giggled. Connie just grinned.
"Whatever." Marco huffed, sitting back in his chair. "A bit of eye candy won't do any harm." he smiled. "That is, depending on whether he's as hot as you say he is." he sneered and Sasha glared back at him playfully, as he pretended to doubt her.
"Just you wait Marco Bodt! You'll be drooling all over these expensive table clothes." she pointed at him.
"Might save you a dry cleaning bill, what with all that cake you've splattered everywhere." Marco chuckled.
"Ha ha." Sasha deadpanned. Connie burst out laughing and they continued to laugh together until the band began to set up.
Marco sat waiting patiently, watching the band set up their instruments, tuning them and shouting at people behind the stage. He was less than impressed, he hadn't seen any ridiculously hot guys like Sasha had promised. The guitarist, Connie's work friend's boyfriend, was short and had a smug face. Not really what Marco was looking for. There were two others, one was really tall with dark hair and the other was a bit shorter and built like a wrestler. The wrestler was rather scary looking, until he burst out laughing as the taller of the two tripped over something on the stage, almost face planting the floor. Connie and Sasha shook their heads at him, with big grins as he questioned them with a unimpressed look.
"He's not up there yet." Connie droned, like he was talking to an impatient child.
"Well, where is he?" He demanded impatiently. "It would seem, that my eye candy is a no a show." he huffed.
"He'll turn up soon." Sasha giggled at him. "He must be back stage sorting out all the wires and stuff." she smiled.
"Yeah, apparently everyone else in the band is useless when it comes to all that." Connie informed cheerily. Marco could tell that this Jean guy had left a good impression on his friend, so he couldn't be all that bad. Also, if Sasha said he was hot, he probable was.
"Ok." he whined, sitting back in his chair, staring impassively at the stage. So Mr Hottie is making me wait, he better be worth it.
"CHECK ONE TWO. CHECK ONE TWO." came the irritating voice of the lead guitarist as he checked the singer's microphone. He then gave a thumbs up to someone behind the scenes and all the band members got into position.
The tall gangly one slipped into his bass's strap and flicked his lowest sting in a dark funk like tune, while the wrestler plonked himself down behind the drums, tapping on the symbols with a gentleness you wouldn't expect from someone of his build. The lead guitarist took on a rock n' roll stance, ready to pummel his strings to death. Yet, there was still no sign of the singer.
Marco was about to voice another complaint to his friends when someone dashed out on to the stage.
His jaw dropped as the lead singer bounced happily up to the microphone and pulled it out of the stand. He was dressed in the same fitted black suit and old style bow ties, which really suited them, as the rest of the band, but he stood out more than the others. His long thin legs, striding gracefully along the stage. His long, chiselled face beaming from ear to ear, with the worlds most gorgeous smile. His nose slightly scrunched at the top. His hair was perfectly styled in a undercut and two contrasting colours, blond on top and a dark brown underneath. He was lean, with long limbs and Marco couldn't keep his eyes off of him. And when the guy turned around to address the drummer, Marco saw that he had a nice tight bum too. His stomach did a flip and a somersault and any other kind death defying circus trick it could think of.
He was gorgeous.
He was perfect.
He was… Marco couldn't think of what he was, but he liked it.
The singer began to speak and all Marco could do was listen to the honey laced words as they tumbled from his perfect thin pink lips.
"Hello!" he yelled. "I'm Jean" he said poking his thumb into his firm chest. "And this is Eren, Bert and Reiner." he pointed at them as he said their names. "And we are the "The Wings Of Freedom!" he finished, the wedding guests clapping them. "First of all…" he continued. "We wanna say congrats to our new friends Connie and Sash on becoming husband and wife."
Connie let out a agonisingly loud whistle of approval, nearly deafening Marco in the process.
Jean chuckled deeply down the microphone, making Marco's legs turn weak.
"Now, it's tradition that we play something fitting for the couples first dance, but the bride and groom have requested something a little different." he informed the audience. Marco looked to the pair sat next to him, to see them beaming brightly, their eyes twinkling with mischief. Marco wondered what they were up to.
The band shuffled in their places eager to play. The lead guitarist said something to the singer and earn himself a glare, it looked like Jean wanted to do more but held himself back.
"Anyway, they have requested a special song for someone very important to them." he carried on, smiling slyly. Marco looked to his friends again and saw them trying to rein in their glee at what was happening. Sasha smiled at him and he knew this was for him. His heart fluttered at his friends thoughtfulness. This was supposed to be their big day and yet they did this for him.
Marco smiled bashfully and continued to watch Jean and listen to his rich voice.
"Apparently this is his favourite song. Which is awesome, because it's mine too." he smiled, Marco's stomach flipping as he and this singer had something in common. "So… the song we have been requested to play is called "Sugar", I'm sure most of you know it. But, before we do, we're going to have to get this guy down here." he smiled cheekily.
Marco's heart stopped. Down there?
"What was this dudes name again?" his brow creased and he looked at the palm of his hand, clearly having written it down there. "Marc?" he creased his brow even more as the sweat on his hand had smudged the name. "No Marco!" he exclaimed happily.
Marco loved the way he said his name, it made the heat rise to his cheeks.
"Marco?" he squinted in Marco's direction but couldn't see him across the dim room.
"Polo!" chuckled the guitarist, causing the guests to start giggling. Sasha and Connie too.
Marco groaned at the lame joke and was happy to see another glare aimed at Eren from Jean.
"Marco! Lets go!" Sasha and Connie squealed, pushing him out of his seat and around the tables. They were laughing and smiling the whole time, ignoring his protests as they pushed him onto the dance floor.
Suddenly someone shoved a chair at them and they pushed him down so he sat facing the stage and looking directly up at Jean. He suddenly felt really small and too close to the extremely handsome singer.
"I can hear it from up there…" he tried to leave but Connie pushed him back down forcefully.
"Now now, Marco boy, we did this just for you, so sit down and enjoy it." he grinned wildly.
Marco groaned loudly, trying to cover his blush as he stared up at a smiling Jean.
Except he wasn't only smiling at him, but looking at Marco as if his was his favourite kind of dessert.
Marco shifted nervously in his seat as Jean devoured him with his eyes. They were a bright amber and they were all over him.
Suddenly there was a loud high pitched noise, the kind you only hear if you're a sexy lady walking past a building site. Did he just wolf whistle me? Marco looked up at him in disbelief, a blush crashing all over his face, Jean just grinned slyly out the side of his mouth.
"Best man indeed." Jean chuckled darkly into the mic, licking his lips. Connie laughed heartily behind him. "You never said he was an angel Con'." he said crouching down to look at him better, a lecherous grin on his face. This caused Sasha to splutter as she tried to hold back her giggles. Marco's skin felt hot as Jean's eyes peered at his face. He shifted uneasily in his seat again as his body started to react to this man's undivided attention.
The man known as Bert coughed awkwardly, letting Jean know he was causing a scene. Thank you Bert.
"Huh?" Jean twisted his head in surprise, a small blush forming on his high cheek bones. "Uh, yeah right." he stood up with an embarrassed smiled, scratching the back of his head shyly. Marco thought it was really cute. So cute. "Right!" he said happily. "Now all the players are accounted for, lets get this party started!" he yelled.
Relief flooded Marco as Jean went about his business. He reintroduced themselves and named the song again. "Sugar" which was most definitely Marco's favourite song.
But Marco's relief was short lived as the opening cord began and Jean declared:
"This is a beautiful song, for a beautiful angel." he smiled cheekily down at him, biting his bottom lip in approval as he gave him a final once over.
Marco insides went tense, his heart thumped in his chest and his knees were turning to jelly. This has to be better than a lap dance.
Jean looked down at him, grinning as he started to sing the first line.
"I'm hurting baby, I'm broken down." he began, swaying his hip seductively, trailing his hand down his body to stoke his inner thigh, making Marco's insides lurch lustfully.
"I need your lovin, lovin. I need it now." he sang, clawing his fingers back up his thigh and dangerously close to his lower regions, with a face that looked so devilishly desperate.
Marco breathed in deeply. He could do this. He could sit there, while a fantastically hot guy danced around sexily for him, and not get aroused. He could. He most definitely could.
"When I'm without you. I'm something weak." Jean walked forward to the edge of the stage and suddenly jumped off, landing right in front of Marco.
"You got me begging, begging. I'm on my knees." he fell to his knees, eyeing up Marco and crawled closer. Marco gasped as Jean laid his hand on him, sliding it up his thigh and squeezing him.
He could hear Sasha giggle excitedly behind him, but he couldn't take his eyes of Jean. The way his voice trickled into his ears and made his insides burn wantonly. The way his touch felt like fire. The way his eyes shone with lust and need. Oh god.
He couldn't do it after all, he couldn't not get turned on by this dreamboat of a man.
Jean lifted himself up, extending his hand to caress Marco's cheek, leaning forward to look into his eyes as he sang to him.
"I don't wanna be needing your love, I just wanna be deep in your love. And it's killing me, when you're away. Oh baby!"
Marco blushed madly at the closeness and the thumb gently tracing over his freckles.
" 'Cause I really don't care where you are, I just wanna be there where you are. And I gotta get one little taste." he leaned in a little closer then, their legs brushing against one another, smiling seductively as he crooned out the last word.
Then he sprang back and started the chorus.
"Your sugar! Yes please!" he pointed at Marco, making it sound as if this song was written for him and him alone.
He danced smoothly around him, putting his hands all over him, until somewhere near the end he came up behind him, wrapping his arms around Marco's shoulders and began singing into his ear, sending shivers shooting up and down his spine as soft warm lips moved against him. Marco had to suppress a moan and he shuddered under the man's touch.
"I want that red velvet. I want that sugar sweet. Don't let nobody touch it." he held him tighter, nuzzling into him. "Unless that somebody's me. I gotta be your man. There ain't no other way." Marco could feel him smile against his burning skin. " 'Cause boy you're hotter than a southern California day!" he crooned seductively, then quickly placed a kiss on his cheek before bouncing off back towards the stage.
Marco sat dumbstruck as he watched him jump up the stairs singing wonderfully as if he hadn't just kissed a total stranger.
"I don't wanna play no games. You don't gotta be afraid." he continued as he hit centre stage once more. "Don't give me all that shy shit." he eyed up Marco for what was probably the hundredth time, grinning all the while and singing every word as if it was about Marco. "No make-up on. That's my… Sugar!"
Marco's heart beat so fast he thought he might die, his palms were sweaty, his legs were weak and the heat was pouring disconcertingly downwards.
The display seemed to go on for an age, yet it was also over far to quickly.
As Jean lulled out the last words Marco found himself able to breath again. He was relieved it was over, but also disappointed.
"Thank you!" Jean yelled happily, startling Marco back into the real world, a big smile plastered on his face. The audience shouted and clapped their approval.
Suddenly Sasha jumped on him from behind squealing with excitement, shaking him from his daze.
"Oh my god Marco!" she screamed, hugging him tightly.
"Yeah man! I mean… Wow!" Connie flapped, smacking Marco on the back.
"Eee! That was so good!" Sasha squealed. "What did you think!?"
"I think you wont need to buy me another present ever again." Marco said breathily, still not quite believing what had just happened. Connie and Sasha laughed loudly.
It was then that Marco noticed all the whistling and jeering from the women in the crowd. He looked up to the stage to see Jean blushing and laughing nervously. Maybe he couldn't believe what he'd just done either. Marco smiled bashfully.
"Don't worry ladies. Our lead singer will be out in his G-string later. Bills only." laughed the obnoxious guitarist.
"Shut it Jaeger!" Jean shouted. It wasn't into the mic, but it was loud enough for people to hear. Eren just laughed at him and pointed at his blushing face.
Marco thought that Eren needed knocking down a peg or two, or at least he would have thought that he if weren't afraid that Jean was about to beat him to death, and at his friends wedding no less. Not that Connie or Sasha would mind.
Bert spoke up again, obviously the voice of reason.
"Now now guys, lets not fight. This is a wedding after all, not a bar brawl." he stated sweetly. Jean backed down and Eren tried to suppress his giggles.
"Ok, so lets get this show on the road." Jean smiled, trying to hide his embarrassment. "This one's for the bride and groom."
Marco shuffled off the dance floor so Connie and Sasha could have their first dance, relieved to give up the spotlight.
He watched them sway to the music with a proud smile. His friends were perfect together, no one could tell him different.
Jean, was also perfect. He voice was the most amazing thing Marco had ever heard. He wasn't bad to look at either, and as Marco watched, every now and then their eyes would meet and Marco's body would instantly heat up. He couldn't help it, Jean just made things happen, things he hadn't felt in a long time, maybe never even felt before. He just hoped that all that flirting and touching actually meant something and wasn't just an act.
He sighed, content to just let it lie and enjoy watching his best friends first dance.
The reception was nearly at an end. The band had played exceptionally well, coaxing even the most stubborn of people to dance at least once. Marco had danced a lot. Prancing about with Connie, slow dancing with Sasha and then Sasha's mother. She was a nice lady. He also danced with all the kids, they really like him for some reason, but it was ok, he enjoyed looking after children. And all the while he could feel Jean's eyes on him. Not that he minded, he just wished he'd stop blushing every time they made eye contact.
Connie and Sasha stood in entrance, seeing off their guests and thanking them for coming. It was usually the guest seeing off the newly weds as they went off on their honeymoon, but that wasn't happening until a week later and they were determined to see everyone out.
Marco was stood watching them from across the function room with a lazy smile, when Jean appeared by his side.
Jean gave him a lopsided smile and laughed nervously as Marco stared at him in surprise.
"Hi." he started. "Er, I'm Jean." he huffed, embarrassed at stating the obvious.
Marco smiled at him, he was cute when he wasn't bristling with confidence.
"Hi. I'm Marco." he said holding out his hand, hoping to god it wasn't sweaty. Jean shook it with a slanted grin.
"So how are you?" he grimaced again, feeling stupid. "I mean, I hope I didn't go to far earlier, I just kinda…" he stumbled. "… well you know, got excited, I guess." he laughed, rubbing the back of his neck insecurely.
"Excited?" Marco questioned, cocking his head to the side in confusion. Excited? About me?
"Yeah." he scoffed, not believing how adorable Marco was being. Did he know how great he looked or how cute he was? "It's not everyday I get to sing to a hottie like you, you know." he smiled brightly as Marco began to blush, his freckles dancing as he smiled nervously.
"Ah well…" he failed, his mind going blank as Jean's words ran though his head. Hottie? He giggled. He felt stupid, but he giggled. Jean just though it was cute.
"So Marco. How's about we go on a date?" he blushed as the words fell from his mouth.
"What?" Marco's jaw dropped. Did he really just ask me out on a date? "A date?"
"Yeah." Jean smirked, watching Marco shuffle nervously in place. "I promise I'll be on my best behaviour and you'll like it so much, that when I ask you out again, you wont be able to refuse." he said cockily with a lopsided grin.
Marco's knees tingled. A date with Jean?
"Um, ok then." he smiled back. "How bad could it be?" he joked.
Jean beamed from ear to ear.
"It wont be bad at all." he cooed, sliding closer to him. "In fact, it'll be so good, that you'll be dating me for the rest of your life." he whispered seductively, lacing his arms around Marco's waist.
Marco giggled, staring into Jean's eyes.
"Now that does sound good." he smiled sweetly.
Jean nodded his approval and closed what little distance was left by pressing his lips to Marco's.
Marco hummed with satisfaction, Jean's lips were soft but talented. They travelled over his with ease and Marco couldn't help but feel like he was floating.
They separated with soft smiles, chocolate brown and amber eyes glued to each other.
"Do you want to know what else sounds good?" Jean smirked, making Marco shudder in anticipation as well as unease. He didn't want this to go to fast.
"Hmm, I don't know. Do I?" he smiled nervously. Jean noticed his reluctance and smiled back reassuringly.
"I think you do." he said squeezing him lightly.
"Hmm, ok then. Tell me." he surrendered, leaning into Jean's hold, making Jean smile all the more.
"In the future, when people ask us how we met. I get to say…" he looked at Marco to make sure he had his attention and he did. Marco gazed at him dreamily. "…oh I just serenaded a super hot stranger and…" he smiled, feeling Marco go gooey in his arms. "…then he became the love of my life. You know…" he smiled at Marco then, leaning in the nuzzle their noses together. "…and all that jazz." he chuckled, drinking in Marco's doe like eyes.
Marco laughed breathily. This guy was smooth.
"Well I wouldn't be opposed to the idea, especially not if you dance for me like that again." he smirk at him. "But in private this time."
"What!?" Jean squeaked and Marco laughed at him.
"I'm kidding." he grinned widely.
"No no, its fine. I just didn't think we'd be getting kinky so soon." he huffed, his mouth quirking upwards at the corners.
"What?" Marco asked in shock. Kinky?
"I'm kidding!" Jean laughed loudly, having turned the tables. Marco laughed too, loving the way Jean snorted every now and then. It was infectious.
They soon stopped laughing and began kissing again. Marco loved the way Jean kissed him. Holding him flush against his chest, his hands running up and down his body. The way he made him moan when he sucked on his bottom lip. Marco couldn't say for sure just yet, but his soul mate might have just shown up. Finally.
Hello again and thank you for reading. This was really fun to write, even if it did take me an age. But that's just me being crap. Lol.
Anyway, a shout out to my friends who are the probably the only people who actually read this. I hope there not the only ones but yeah… so to Dani, who shouts at me to get stuff done and complains all the time and to my new friend PhoenixofFire177, who loves JeanxMarco as much as I do. xxx.
Thanks all and keep on truckin!