Okay so I seem to be on a roll with the short fluff this week.
Enjoy the fluffy future fic drabble.
I own nothing but the idea.
I Can Hear the Bells
The hair and makeup stylist was gathering up her things when there was a knock on the dressing room door. She opened the door as she left and I looked in the mirror to see her handy work, my makeup was simple but elegant and my curls had been partly pinned up and pulled away from my face by diamond pins. The door was closed and I saw Jake's face appear in the mirror, during senior year at DeGrassi my father had run off with his new wife and signed away parental rights so Glen had adopted me and my mom had adopted Jake. Yes Jake was actually my brother now not just a stepbrother and we simply ignored the fact that we ever dated.
"Are you sure about this Sis? About him?" Jake asked unable to even say my fiancés name and I was less than an hour from marrying him.
"Yes Jake I love Lewis and I'm sure I want to marry him now get out so I can get dressed." I insist pushing him to the door.
"Should I send in a couple of bridesmaids to help?" He asks.
"No I can do it and they need to get their own dresses on. Go make sure Mom isn't causing a scene." I tell him pushing him out the door and closing it behind him.
I shook my head and went to the closet pulling out my silk empire gown and laying it on the chaise lounge. I put on my white sheer stockings and hook them to the garter belt, next goes on the satin and lace garter. I'm able to get my gown on fairly easily but trying to hook up all those silk buttons running up my back is next to impossible and then there's a knock at my dressing room door. I call to come in and look up to see the Torres brother's faces. Adam and I have been best friends since grade ten and our friendship never wavered, it even survived mine and Drew's relationship all during senior year. Eli and I parted mutually when the long distance thing became too much that summer and as soon as my cancer was in remission. As for Drew and Bianca well they also parted mutually after Dallas and Bianca fell in love. Bianca and I have become very good friends, in fact she's one of my bridesmaids and she and Dallas are still together.
"You guys made it!" I smile rushing over to throw an arm around each of their shoulders in a delighted hug.
"Of course we made it and you look beautiful," Adam smiles hugging me back as he closes the dressing room door behind him.
"Very beautiful," Drew smiles.
"Thank you, can one of you button me up please?" I request turning around.
"I always preferred getting you out of your clothes not into them," Drew remarks and I can hear the salacious grin on his lips.
"I got it," Adam says and I feel him beginning to fasten the buttons.
"So this guy you're marrying, how well do you really know him?" Drew asks sitting on the chaise lounge in front of me.
"Andrew I've been dating Lewis for a year and a half and I love him." I assert.
"Yeah but he spent most of that time in places like Tibet and China, you've spent less time in the same vicinity with him in the time you've been together than in the first month of your relationship with Eli." Adam remarks as he finishes fastening my dress.
"That's because Eli was clingy," Drew responds and I twist my face at him as Adam sits down next to Drew.
"Lewis has to travel a lot for his job it's fine." I respond as I get out my shoes and sit next to Adam to get them on.
My satin heels have glass stones along the ankle straps, I pull my skirt up a little to get them on but Drew kneels in front of me lifting my foot to slip on one of the shoes.
"Then how about the way he treats you? He travels all the time for work, he's barely home and when he is he isn't very attentive to you. You've been dating him for a little over a year and I've seen him twice in all that time and I have never seen him treat you the way you deserve to be treated. You know I normally try and stay out of your relationships but you're about to marry this guy Clare and I don't think you should." Adam implores me.
"And I don't trust him I don't think he's being faithful to you with all this travelling, you can't marry this guy Clare." Drew contends as he stands having put my shoes on.
"Drew you've never even met Lewis," I point out as I stand. "Both of you go sit down out there I have to finish getting ready, I'm getting married in less than fifteen minutes." I command pointing to the door.
They both look reluctant but they both leave the room, I sit at the vanity and put in my diamond earrings and just as I'm putting on my diamond necklace there's another knock at the door.
"Come in," I call trying to fasten the necklace at the back of my neck.
The door opens and I see K.C.'s face reflected in the mirror, he smiles at me and I smile back. Despite the shortness of our relationship and the way it ended he can still make me blush with just a smile.
"I'll get that," he says walking up after closing the door, he fastens the necklace and helps me to stand, we embrace in a happy hug. "You look amazing, but you can't marry that guy." K.C. tells me.
"Not you too! Did you all get together and discuss this or did you all decide to show up to tell me this was a bad idea?" I inquire.
"What?" He inquires.
"Jake and the Torres brothers have already tried that I'm getting married K.C. today to Lewis." I affirm as there is yet another knock at the door. "Oh my gosh if that's Eli or Owen or Fitz I think I might scream!" I exclaim but the door opens and Bianca peeks in, I let out a relieved breath.
"Hi K.C. it's good to see you but you have to get out now and sit down they're starting in five minutes." Bianca tells him, K.C. gives me a look but leaves the dressing room. "You look fantastic Lewis is going to die when he sees you. You okay?" She asks looking me over closely.
"Yeah I'm fine you and the other girls should line up in front of the aisle I'll be out in a minute." I tell her.
She smiles at me and leaves the dressing room; I pick up my bouquet ready to go out as I silently repeat to myself that I'm doing the right thing and that I love Lewis. Just as I'm about to open the door to go out the door opens on its own and Fitz comes in. When Drew and I went to separate Universities we broke up because we knew we hated the long distance thing. I was accepted to Princeton and so I moved to the states, as fate would have it Fitz had moved to the same city. He was going to a community college to get a masters in social work and working part time at the department of social services. He'd gotten his GED and decided to do something with his life and he wanted to work with at risk kids as he'd once been to keep them from making the mistakes he'd made. After all that time of not seeing him I'd been extremely impressed at how he'd turned his life around and his determination. Our relationship had been short, passionate and very physical, what can I say he excited something in me. Six months into my first year he'd been offered an opportunity to work with at risk youth in Brazil by one of his professors. It was an opportunity that he couldn't pass up obviously and as I hated the long distance thing we parted ways. He was in Brazil for a year and then Ecuador for a year, we'd kept in touch through letters and remained friends through University but we'd both moved on from each other or so I thought!
"You can't marry him I won't allow it," Fitz informs me.
"Fitz this isn't something you get a say in now get out and sit down so I can get married," I command pushing him out the door.
"But Clare…" he starts, I look at my bridesmaids and cut him off.
"Make him sit down or leave," I request and Bianca grabs his arm as the music starts.
"Okay I'm sitting but I'm not letting you go through with this." Fitz says.
Maya grabs his arm and has him escort down the aisle and then he takes a seat by K.C. as Jenna begins walking down the aisle. The front door to the church opens and I turn to look but I already know who it must be and Owen walks in wearing a tux. I bite my lip at the sight, always did love the site of him in a tux. Six months after Fitz left and during my junior year at Princeton Owen transferred there being given a football scholarship. Did you know he's actually quite smart? Three years of high school with the boy and I had no idea. We were dating two weeks after he'd arrived and we dated for two and half years. Then he was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers and well I hate the long distance thing and that was the end of me and Owen.
I know I know I keep saying I hate the long distance thing and I'm about to marry a guy who travels nine months out of the year for work not to mention that I dated Owen longer than I've been with Lewis. Lewis' job does takes him away a lot but it works for us I swear and I know that I love him and I want to marry him, I do, really I do.
"Clare you can't marry that bastard I won't stand for it," Owen implores me as he takes me by the arms.
"Owen sit down or get out I'm getti…" I get cut off when he kisses me! My lips part for him, his tongue slips into my mouth and I start to melt into the kiss but then I come to my senses and push him away. "Escort Bianca down the aisle and sit down!" I affirm.
Bianca links her arm with his and they start walking down the aisle. I start walking a little early and a little quickly because I don't want to give Eli a chance to show up and try to talk me out of this too. I make it to the end and to Lewis, he takes my hand and we look at the preacher.
"We are gathered here today to join in holy matrimony this man and this wo…" the preacher is suddenly interrupted by the church doors bursting open!
The setting sun pours in and everyone squints trying to see who it is but I already know.
"Oh no," I exhale gripping Lewis' hand a little tighter and he looks at me.
"CLARE DON'T DO THIS YOU'RE MAKING A HUGE MISTAKE! YOU CAN'T MARRY HIM!" Eli yells but in a beseeching tone as he runs down the aisle to me.
"We tried that already," Owen, Fitz, Drew, Adam, K.C. and Jake all say together making Lewis and his groomsmen glare at them.
"Who are you?" Lewis asks Eli ignoring the others.
"Lewis Eli, Eli Lewis. Eli has always had a flare for the dramatic Eli sit down with the rest of them and be quiet please." I plead.
He opens his mouth to say something but Jenna whispers something to him and he finally sits down.
"Okay let's see where was I? Ah yes to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony. If there is anyone here who can give just cause why these two should not be married let them speak now or forever hold their peace." The preacher says and I close my eyes because I know what's coming.
"We object!" Owen says loudly.
"She can't marry him!" Drew exclaims.
"We won't allow it," Fitz adds.
"We're stopping this wedding you can't marry him Clare!" Eli asserts.
All of them including Adam, K.C. and Jake start talking and objecting at once, I can't hear what any of them are saying over the cacophony of all their voices at once.
"All of you stop or I'm kicking you out, I'm getting married!" I scold them and they all fall silent. I look back at my soon to be husband and the preacher. "I'm sorry about all this; can we maybe just skip ahead before they start objecting again?" I request of the preacher.
"Uh sure you're the bride whatever you like. Lewis Sullivan do you take this woman to have and to hold, for better or for worse, for richer or poorer from this day forward as long as you both shall live?" The preacher asks.
Lewis smiles and looks at me, "I do."
"Clare Edwards do you take this man…" the preacher begins but I sort of tune him out suddenly this whole thing seems like a terrible idea and I start doubting not just my love but my whole relationship with Lewis.
He squeezes my hand and I look at him realizing that the preacher and the whole church is waiting for me to say I do.
"I'm sorry I can't do this I don't think I'm in love with you, I don't think I ever was." I tell Lewis releasing his hand and turning to the row containing my ex-boyfriends and best friend. "Get me out of here please," I request as I begin walking down the aisle. They all hop up and surround me. I link arms with Owen and Fitz and we start walking out until we reach the end of the aisle. "Wait," I say and they stop all of them looking at me afraid I might go back and go through with this. I turn and toss my bouquet, Bianca catches it, Dallas' face was hysterical somewhere between shock and fear. "Call you three later," I say to my bridesmaids before running out of the church with the guys following me.
We run into the limo that should be taking Lewis and I to our reception and the seven of us sit in the back.
"Uh where to?" The limo driver asks with a confused expression when he sees us all.
"Somewhere I can get out of this dress," I reply and the limo starts driving.
"Sweet," Owen grins lustfully.
"We'll help you get out of the dress right here," Drew offers.
"Not what I meant I'll get out the dress on my own but thanks for stopping me I would have regretted that." I tell them.
"So after you get that dress off what then?" Adam questions.
"I think I'll need a drink," I reply.
"That can be arranged," Fitz tells me.
I smile and sit back getting comfortable between K.C. and Drew while Eli finds a bottle of champagne in the limo opens it and hands it to me. I take a drink and then another as I worry about the hissy fit my mother's going to throw.
"So now that you're single and you've left that bastard for all of us…" Owen is saying when I spit out the swig of champagne I just took and cut him off.
"Excuse me? I walked out on my wedding this doesn't mean any of us are back together." I stipulate.
"I doubt that," Drew shakes his head.
"The night is young," Eli says with confidence.
I bite my lip and hand the champagne bottle to Drew. A few minutes ago I was about to be Mrs. Lewis Sullivan and now I was in a limo with my ex-boyfriends and best friend and the night held endless possibilities.
Hope you all enjoyed Clare's not wedding!