"I hate weddings."
Raven flashed her reflection a flat smile, then turned from the sink mirror.
"Don't you have someone else to complain to?"
Drifting notes of music made their way from down the hall, muffled voices and shuffling of fabric. There was a strand of fake flowers someone had hung up above the mirror in the ladies restroom. The yellowed light played off of Ravens blue draped dress, and make-up was scattered about the counter. She blinked expectantly at the man sulking to her right.
"No," Erik said, leaning against the wall, mouth drooping in a frown. His suit was crumpling against his arm, and his tall, polished figure stood uncomfortably.
"Really, Erik? Today of all days, you have to come down with whiney syndrome?"
Erik scoffed and his frown deepened, but he said no more.
Raven went back to fixing her lipstick. "You can at least try to be happy." She fidgeted some more until she appeared satisfied, then went to adjust her hair. A few shiny pins fell out. She fixed them and smiled. "And why are you hiding in the womens' bathroom with me, anyway? I know you hate people in general but they're not going to eat you alive."
Erik still said nothing, and her smile dropped.
"Erik? Come on. Is something wrong?"
"As I said- I don't like weddings."
"You'll be okay," she sighed and put a hesitant hand on his shoulder.
Erik glared at her. "I know I'll be okay."
She smiled. "Good. Then stop whining, and help me with my bow."
Erik grumbled something incoherent but moved to help anyway, and that was when the door to the ladies restroom burst open and a wide-eyed Marie stumbled in.
"Raven!" She shouted, before Ravens calming gestures halted the teenager in her tracks. She quickly glanced around the bathroom, and, except for the slight widening of her eyes, betrayed no surprise at seeing Erik with standing behind Raven with ribbons in his hands.
"Raven, we're in trouble," she continued, waving her arms, strands of dark brown hair splashed around her shoulders. "You know the men that were supposed to bring the extra chairs- they're not here, and the awning isn't set up right, the groomsmen are all over the place- seriously can none of them tie a tie? Logan ain't here yet, I don't know why, he said he was going to move his ass, and the catering is complaining that their food is getting wet!"
Raven paused for a moment, eyes widening. "Why is the food getting wet?"
"Because it's raining cats and dogs!"
Of course. Rain.
"I think its hailing some, too," Marie continued woefully. "What are we going to do?"
Raven glanced at Erik, who offered her absolutely no help. She stood stricken. "Um," she said, "Shit. Oh- sorry, Marie. Um- someone go talk to-"
She looked at Erik again and he shrugged. She frowned at him.
"Maybe this means we can just go to dinner instead," he said, only half-joking.
She swirled at stuck a finger at him, struck with a sudden stubbornness. "No! Look, this is happening, today! I'm going to go come up with something, and you," she jabbed her finger at him as she followed Marie around and back through the door, "are going to help."
Hank cleared his throat.
Charles leaned forward in his seat, attention so raptly on the paper in Hanks hand that he failed to notice the patter of rain on the window.
"My… My l…"
Charles blinked and nodded. "Go on."
"My love, my…" Hank read, then stopped. "Charles, I can't do this. I can't read these, they're not mine."
"Oh, come, Hank, I just want to hear them. It all sounds so stupid coming from me."
Hank sighed. "Professor, they sound perfect." He put the sheet of paper down before standing and fidgeting uselessly with his vest buttons. The professor harumphed, small lines of tension wrinkling through his face.
A minute passed in silence, before Charles stood, to. "Do you need some help with those?"
Hank frowned. "No, I've tied these things before." He commenced to pulling at the black band around his neck, attempting several unsuccessful loops.
The other man chuckled. "I'm sure you have- ah, there, you've got it."
Hank conceded with a laugh before finishing off a complete, if slightly messy, bow tie.
"You look good," Charles said, pride evident in his voice. He worried his hands. "Does everyone look good? I'm sure everyone looks wonderful."
"You can go out and talk to them, you know."
Charles shook his head, humor gone out of his face. He sat back down, shaky gaze finding the ground. "Honestly, Hank, I feel like I'm going to vomit."
"Professor," Hank said, forcing a smile, "Charles. You're going to be okay. It's all going to be easier than you think."
Charles let out a breathless laugh that was not at all comforting.
Ororo was seated in a rather grand patio chair when it started to drizzle. After she got over her first instinct to smile (she loved weather- it was a passion no one else seemed to share), she realized that rain on the wedding day was probably not the best thing.
Luckily there was an overhang surrounding the little patio on the Xaviers mansion. Ororo quickly stood up to make way for the herd of only mildly disconcerted guests bumbling their way under the make-shift tent to join her.
There were a lot of elbows and damp made-up faces. A lot of people she didn't know. She shifted on her feet. She hoped everything was okay in the wedding party- it was just a bit of rain. But, knowing the Xaviers, she couldn't say she wasn't expecting them to bend over backwards to just make all their guests feel comfortable.
She was just starting to enjoy the feeling of mist on her face when a shoulder bumped into her.
"Ah, no, the taco bar!" the man behind her said. He wore a mourning expression, dirty blond hair dripping into his face.
Ororo followed his gaze outwards to where the catering company had set up tables. There were chefs scrambling among the white, wet fabrics, hopping around from one table to another and gathering the dishes haphazardly. The rain came down heavier, and within seconds the fields of the Xavier estate were caught in a downpour.
A noisy creak announced the opening of the door into the house, and Ororo turned to watch her niece flail out in a flurry of limbs, followed by Raven Xavier. They both tumbled out and made a beeline to the caterers base, with no words to the small crowd, though Raven did try to toss an apologetic smile over her shoulder as sheets of rain engulfed her and Marie.
"We should go help them," Ororo said, already kicking off her heels.
The man was right behind her as soon as she jogged out into the rain. "Gotcha," he said. He sprinted ahead and held out a happy hand to shake. "I'm Wade, by the way!"
As nice as the rain was, Ororo found she didn't have to time to enjoy it as she, Marie, Raven and Wade all raced to help rescue the soggy appetizers.
"Where is Logan?" Charles stomped from the third dressing room searched and into the hallway bustling with groomsmen. There was complete pandemonium, in light of the rain and the ensuing chaos, and no one had seen the cranky Canadian.
"Where is Logan?" He asked again, this time trying to bring out the urgency in his voice.
Armando turned to face him, collected despite the basket of soaked streamers he currently held in his hands. "He said he would be here at four."
"That was an hour ago!"
The groomsman shrugged. Alex appeared beside him, jutting his chin into the conversation. "Does anyone have his phone number? My cell died, but you've got a landline, right?"
Charles was about ready to internally scream. It should not have had to be this complicated; everyone should have shown up fine, the weather should have bloody cooperated-
Someone swung around the corner of the hall and shouted. Turned out to be Moira- at least there was one sensible soul. "Raven says we're moving the ceremony to the library!" she barked. "We need someone to help with flowers!"
She noticed Charles and smiled. "Hi," she said, sidling up to him and stealing a hug. "I thought you'd be busy."
"With what," Charles said, "fending off the angry weather gods?"
"No, with hosting a wedding."
The groomsmen bustled around them, everyone moving even more chaotically than before. Charles was sure he saw several people pass who he had never seen before in his life. They must be catering. What were they doing- wait.
"Sorry, Moira did you say the wedding's been moved to the library?"
She nodded.
"Whose decision was that? We can't just migrate everyone- Why didn't you talk to me beforehand?"
Moira just winced in response, eyebrows raising to at least show some sympathy.
"Oh no." Charles grew firm. "This was his call, wasn't it. This is not a good idea- we have bigger rooms. Why didn't we think of this earlier, we could've come up with a plan- Moira-"
"Charles," she said, apparently having had enough of his mouth running around like a chicken with its head cut off. "It's gonna happen. Just let us work this out."
He swallowed, his throat dry. He was almost tempted to believe her, that it would all work itself out, but- it was just this day. This was not supposed to become a disaster. His upbringing may not have instilled much in him but it certainly taught him the stress that came with hosting social functions.
Charles took a breath- he wasn't a scared little boy anymore, he was a man who had been through his own oceans of toil to end up here. He could do this.
And that was when the power went out.
The house was bathed in cool darkness. Erik found his eyes adjusted quickly, though it had been dark for at least five minutes before Erik managed to find the cupboard where candles were kept.
So far he had managed to avoid most people. Apparently there was utter pandemonium outside, given that Raven and Moira and a small stream of others were constantly darting around and screaming about rain and disaster. It didn't really matter to much to Erik. In fact, he found he enjoyed the peace the darkness brought. If nothing else, it meant it was easier for him to slip away from the overzealous, if small, crowd of wedding-goers. No loud, made-up faces, no starched suits and perfect smiles he had to reflect, not here in the familiar hallways of the Xavier mansion.
The candles were laid, perfectly organized of course, string by string. Erik rummaged silently for a bit before finding some that were suitable, some that didn't smell too obtrusively like cinnamon or happy families. There were white with pretty gold bands around them, the simplicity of their shape reminded him of the magical nights of his childhood, the memories he so treasured and found he had come to share.
Erik smiled, small and to himself.
He followed his feet down a few more hallways, picked up some more decorations from the kitchens (there were a few flowers salvageable from the countless bouquets the wedding party had made that morning, and some strings of spices Erik thought would match). He wandered with his small treasure trove and turned into the library, the oaken door a comforting sight somehow.
The darkened walls of the large room met him with the smell of old books and the patience of an old friend. The patter of rain was gentle from this far inside the house.
The road had been long. Christ, had the road been long. There was a feeling Erik was getting, inside his bones, that told him he should somehow be surprised; be more in shock. But now he was… okay. A wedding. Erik had never been to a wedding in his life. Of course, he had been dragged to mandatory parties, he had had 'friends' that forced him to show up here and there. But he never felt like he had ever been wanted; he was always the looming cloud of darkness, the one sitting in the corner chair. At weddings there was little room for darkness. Perhaps that was why he found himself dreading the day he found himself a guest at one.
But now, the gentleness of the library ensconced him in darkness. The emptiness here wasn't something to be feared and then embraced, it wasn't a destiny to be abhored. Like the rain falling heavier outside, the silence wasn't suffocating anymore.
Erik set down the candles and the flowers, and ran his hands over the spines of books next to his chair. They felt soft. He decided he would stay here until the actual wedding started, when he assumed Raven would come find him and the rest would come pouring in.
Erik got to work.
It was still stormy outside by the time the pandomonuim seemed to calm down. Flowers had been moved inside, catering had set up in the grand parlor and was currently trying to make do without power, guests were wandering in from the patio, hats dripping and shoes sloshing.
Charles came inside last, after shepherding friends and family out of the rain. A strand of brown hair was curled against his forehead, his suit had long since gotten wet, and his cheeks were red with the bite of the wind and water.
Some of the guests were cold, and he felt useless as the house could only offer them shelter, not warmth. He thought about starting a fire in the library hearth, but was kept from entering the room by Raven and every other person in the wedding party. There were candles dotted here and there around the house, candles he briefly remembered using sometime in the distant past. He wondered who went to the trouble to get them out- god knows he had been busy enough.
There was chatter in the hall, and Charles was spread thin trying to make his guests more comfortable where he could. Back down the hall, Ororo, his good friend from the University, was not the only one trying to keep spirits up. Charles admired his friends for this, for their determination and cheerfulness, even in so disappointing a situation. He wished he could offer them food or drink or blankets, and his heart was simultaneously broken and warmed by their happy resilience.
He wasn't even thinking about the missing marriage officiant when Alex ran up to him, cell phone in hand.
"Charles, good news!" He said, smiling face framed by his only slightly-crooked bow tie. "Logan's going to be able to make it- apparently traffic was a bitch. He says he's bringing stuff, too."
"Oh- Oh thank god," Charles blinked at his younger friend. "But I'm not sure the wedding will be able to happen at this point. Many of the guests are chilled, and I'm not carrying through with the weddin gif half of us are getting frostbite. You said Logan's bringing stuff?"
Alex nodded. "Yeah- stuff for the power outage. Lights and like, warm drinks and stuff."
Charles breathed, smiling. "That'll help. He'll be here soon?"
Alex made an indecisive gesture before putting the phone back to his ear. "Are you going to be here soon? Okay, cool. I'll come out and meet you." After tucking away the phone, he looked back up at Charles. "He's here now- I'll get the other groomsmen and we'll go help him with the stuff."
And with that Alex, Sean, Armando, Angel, and some intimidating-looking gentleman named Azazel trecked out of the mansion to the front drive. When they returned they carried blankets and jackets, huge thermoses full of coffee and tea, and were followed by a grinning sea captain in a messy unbuttoned suit.
Charles went to help distribute blankets, and set up coffee, but found the kids were already doing most of the work. Logan walked up to him and laughed, a hand on his shoulder.
"I told you weather was gonna be bad," he said.
Charles sighed, but smiled as well, and shook Logans hand. "Thank-you for all this. You may have just saved the wedding."
Logan shrugged. "Nah, I don't think so. You guys are pretty stubborn. This wedding would have happened come hell on earth." He gave Charles a fond smile before walking off into the small crowd.
As it turned out, Charles discovered just a few minutes later, with the warmth of the room filling him, the coffee Logan had miraculously had the foresight to bring wasn't actually half bad.
When Raven walked into the Library that evening, she was greeted by the gentle flicker of candles and the smell of orchids. The room had never been so magical- it was just an old hidey hole filled to the brim with books and old furniture (which, granted, was charming, but not breathtaking by itself). But today, someone had strung white flowers from the ceiling and set up all manner of candles- small, big, bejeweled, skinny, hanging- around the room, glowing like a hearth, frozen in drops of light. Raven couldn't help but be enchanted- and a tad surprised.
She found the man responsible for making the library look like it had been enchanted by the Fey stood next to the long window at the end of the room. She walked up next to him, giving a light cough. Words were not usually her problem, but now, with her back to one of her best friends, the things she had meant to bark at him disappeared like the harshness of daylight behind the clouds. She let out a puff of air.
"Well," she said, putting a sarcastic strain on her voice. "Who would've thought: Erik Lenscherr- a romantic."
He grunted in response, concentrated on the rain outside, but when she turned to glance at him she didn't miss the small curl of his mouth.
"Shall I go tell them to start? Everything's ready. Logan got here a few minutes ago and apparently brought hot drinks." She leaned over to him. "That was good, you know, for the few of us who actually got wet."
There was no venom behind her words, and Erik grinned openly now. At least as openly as Raven could ever get him to grin. She used to resent that- the fact that she was only second best- but she was just a child. Raven knew the world couldn't blame her for having a crush on tall, silent and handsome in her younger years. But she had grown: grown to love Erik for who he really was, grown to understand teenage fantasies can't always be followed into happy realities, grown to understand that the world had so much more to offer her and Erik both.
He looked over at her, his eyes fond and full of the cloudy gray rain he had been staring at. "Am I to stay here?"
"Yes!" Raven said, shocking herself out of her little reverie, "I'll go get everyone- they can't see you yet!" And with that she rushed out of the room.
The ceremony was small. Guests were sat in small rows, some in rocking chairs, some bundled in blankets and some sipping mugs. It went quietly, the soft candlelight a cover for happy tears. There were kisses, smiles exchanged and flower petals tucked into pockets. The rain kept pouring over the mansion, its people all curled up into one little lit room, the darkness outside only serving to make the beloved library into even more of a sanctuary. When the final words were said, cheers were given and hugs were in abundance, whether they were wanted or not.
"Marrying you," Charles chuckled, "was the best decision of my entire life."
Erik grinned, a wide grin, the ones he only had when he was around one person. "I'm not sure I'd say that," he said, one hand aimlessly weeding through the other mans hair.
Charles laughed again, leaning back into the touch, settling back from where he lay on the back steps of the mansion. "What was it, then?"
"Best decision you ever made?"
"Yeah."
Erik hummed thoughtfully. He looked out at the rain falling over the lawns. He splayed his fingers out and ran them to the back of the other mans neck, dark hair soft there. "When you decided not to cut your hair."
This only made Charles laugh harder, until the young proffessor was melting against Eriks side dissolving into giggles.
Eriks face broke into a smile again, and he shuffled his legs in an attempt to accomodate the mess his husband had become. The two of them slipped a few rungs down the steps, slipping out from under the overhang and into the downpour. The thunder clapped, and somewhere across the grass a red tablecloth tumbled in the wind.
Charles induldged in one more laugh before pushing himself up clumsily, him and Erik a tangle of warm limbs and wet faces.
"My friend," he said, pushing his blushing face into the other mans, consequently bumping his nose into Eriks cheek, eliciting a chuckle. "Erik."
Erik watched him, eyes soft, heart amused.
The other mans expression turned serious, blue eyes locked in. "Thank-you."
It was Erik's turn to laugh. "For what?" he said, smiling into Charles cheek, "for spending a day with my family and my friends? For proposing? For being a selfish asshole and marrying the man I love?"
Charles brought a hand up to the other mans face. "No." He made lazy circles with his thum, and swallowed. "For loving me."
"Charles." Erik leaned into a kiss, then came up for breath heartbeats later. "If we're giving thanks for the unchangeable, I should be thanking you on my knees for ever being in my life."
Charles smirked, "I don't mind the sound of that at all."
"Later, Charles, later."
The two men settled back against the stairs. The water pouring from the sky refused to let up, but somehow neither newlywed felt cold.
"Erik?" Charles asked.
"Mm?"
The proffessor blinked, mirth in his eyes, as he snuggled tighter into the body next to him. "I'm glad it rained."
~The End