He stands in front of the mirror, trying, but mostly failing, to tie his tie properly. Even during the golden age of Jaeger pilots, the Becket Boys weren't expected to wear anything involving ties – they were better off with their casual clothes, giving a feeling of everyday men that pleased media and audience both alike. So the last time he actually had to suit up probably was at his little cousin's christening or something like that – a long time ago when giant monsters fighting giant robots were only something out of Hollywood.
His fingers keep trembling, his hands are damp, and his sigh of despair makes Tendo chuckle as the older man sneaks into the room.
"Nervous, Becket boy?"
Raleigh only responds by a sarcastic laugh but smiles gratefully as Tendo pushes his hands away and gets rid of the tie problem in a matter of seconds.
"What would I do without you, man?"
"Yeah, I've been asking myself the same question for the past ten years."
Raleigh's laugh is a little more light-hearted this time as he checks himself in the mirror and readjusts his cufflinks. Tendo rolls his eyes at his fidgeting, but he's graceful enough not to make a comment – he's been there before, he knows how these things go – and he simply pats the blond man on the shoulder.
"Don't worry, Becket boy. She's been in your head, today is just a formality."
He smiles again and is about to reply something when the door opens again and they both turn around to see a blonde head pop up in the gap. Jazmine flashes a grin at her brother but only enters the room when he smiles back and invites her in with a small motion of the head. Tendo takes that as his cue to leave, with one more pat on the shoulder and some muttered words about checking on his son.
The door is barely close behind her that Jazmine takes a flask out of her bra and holds it triumphantly. Raleigh can't help but laugh and sigh at the same time.
"I know, I'm awesome."
The whiskey burns his throat and brings tears to his eyes but Jazmine doesn't flinch when she takes a gulp – years on a strict diet versus years in New York, it shows. He hides a cough behind his hand and ignores as she rolls her eyes and insults him under her breath. Things are still weird between them, probably always will be, but he's glad she's here today, glad she's making sure there's at least one Becket next to him. She's not even trying to take Yancy's place, and he's grateful for that too. She understands the situation, in her own way.
"How is she?" he asks.
"Better at hiding her feelings, that's for sure." Raleigh corks an eyebrow. "Fine, she's fine."
The flask passes back and forth between them until it's empty, not enough to make him tipsy but the right amount to feel better already. Or lighter, at least. Jazmine then stands in front of him and plays with the damn tie until she likes what she sees. Even with her heels she barely reach his shoulders, small and thin and fragile-looking, but she stands straight – she's strong for the both of them right now, his anchor.
"Mum would be proud if she saw you right now."
She doesn't speak about dad. Neither will he. Still, he snickers a bit. "I hope she'd already be proud. You know, the whole 'saving the world' business."
She smacks him on the shoulder, like she did years ago when he used to steal her dolls, and it only makes him chuckle more. "Nobody likes a show-off, Rals."
She ignores his pout as she focuses on buttoning his jacket, and he feels eight again when she would force him to sit down and let her put some make-up on. When she's done, she pats his cheek in a motherly gesture – her, the youngest, taking care of her older brother. He doesn't miss the irony of it.
"Thank you, Jaz."
"She's good for you" is her reply. "I'm glad you're happy."
As he opens his arms, she doesn't hesitate. They hold on tight, trying not to mess each other's clothes and hair, and he kisses the top of her head. That's how Tendo finds them, hugging and muttering secrets.
"It's time, Becket boy." Raleigh's deep sight has him rolling his eyes. "Don't make that face, looks like you're about to enter the pod."
"Killing a Kaiju with my bare hands would be less stressful, trust me."
"Men…" Jazmine chimes in. "Compares facing death to marrying the girl of his dreams. Typical."
The garden is large and flowery, the salty wind tickling their nose and freshening the air – nobody would have believed that, only a few months back, this beautiful estate was only a sad beach devastated by Kaiju blue. It was, after all, why Tend had bought the house in the first place, taking advantage of the low price. Now the house stands proudly against the ocean, its garden perfect for kids and big PPCD gatherings – or, just like today, for wedding ceremonies.
Raleigh stands by the wooden arch, nervous as ever. By his side, and self-proclaimed best man, Jazmine sends him looks that stress him more than it calms him. Tendo stands by his other side, Bible in hand and rosary around his wrist – they told him they didn't want a Christian wedding but, well, Tendo does as Tendo wants.
It's as much of a Western ceremony as weddings go, because Mako isn't that big of a religious girl to begin with and agrees that traditional Japanese ceremonies are complicated and too strict for her husband-to-be. Something simple would do perfectly.
Still, Raleigh's breath catches in his throat when she appears down the aisle at Herc's arm. Her gown is in the pure Japanese tradition, a white silky kimono, with a hood over her powdered face. She smiles at him, almost shyly, and Raleigh finds himself grinning like an idiot, unable to take his eyes off of her. Herc lets go of her hand and delicately kisses her cheek, whispering words that both make her blush and bring tear to her eyes. She simply nods, smiles at the old Marshall as he goes to sit, then turns to Raleigh. Her smile dazzles him.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here on this beautiful afternoon in the sigh of… Oh, screw it."
All eyes fall on Tendo, who closes his book. Mako glances at him before looking back at Raleigh, trying hard not to laugh by biting on her bottom lip. He shakes his head and rolls his eyes, because of course Tendo would try to be serious and fail lamentably. The man clears his throat and speaks up again.
"The drift is the most intimate link that can exist between two human beings. You don't simply ride a robot together. You share your memories, your thoughts. Your soul. The stronger the bond, the better you fight – that was the old saying. We are here today because the stronger the bond, the easier you fall in love. We are here today to witness the union of two souls who found each other in the drift. Mako, Raleigh, you are the proof something good came out of this war and we are glad you saved the world for us to be here today."
The tears freely fall on her cheeks now, and her laugh is loud, but Raleigh can only squeeze her fingers tighter with his. They barely even notice Jazmine stepping in to give them the rings, barely even remember saying their vows, too busy staring in each other's eyes.
"You may now kiss the bride."
"Finally!" People laugh around them, so he probably says that louder than he wanted, but they still cheer when they kiss. It starts smooth and loving but soon Raleigh cups her face with his hands to deepen the kiss, and Mako grins against his lips as she wraps her arms around his shoulders. Her lipstick is smudged and he has white powder all over his fingers, but they couldn't care less, grinning at each other like fools in love.
Mako is out of her traditional kimono and in a modern dress – still white and silky but lighter, a blue belt enhancing her waist – in a matter of minutes and pointing at three little glasses of sake as she explains the tradition to Raleigh.
"You take three sips out of each glass and then I do the same. It's for good luck and happiness."
He nods and does as she says, because that and the dress are the only parts of her traditions she demanded to be added to the ceremony, and is rewarded by another smile that takes his breath away. Still, the sake is strong and the whiskey he had earlier with his sister didn't help, so the only alcohol he drinks after that is a cup of champagne when they bring the cake. He doesn't want to pass out on his wedding, because he wants to remember everything about that night.
Of course, he isn't disappointed.
The food is heavenly, the guests delightful. Their first dance is on an acoustic version of Flaws by Bastille. It's not the most romantic song out there but she found it on his old iPod once – the one he never update once the war started and that is full of oldies – and declared it was their song because the lyrics fits them perfectly. He isn't one to contradict her.
It's more about moving their feet in rhythm than it is about dancing, his arms wrapped around her and her forehead leaning against his shoulder. Other couples join them at some point, Hermann and Vanessa, Newt and his girlfriend of the moment, and it just feels nice. That is, until the song changes to an upbeat one and Herc taps on Raleigh's shoulder, asking to dance with the bride. Raleigh turns to his sister then, raising an eyebrow, and Jazmine chuckles as she accepts what is more of a challenge that it is a dance – they end laugh and stepping on each other's feet a lot.
Songs come and go, and so do guests until it's almost four in the morning and only the newlyweds are left on the dance floor. They wouldn't need any music, and the DJ is about to call it a night anyway, yet they keep dancing.
"So, how was your day, Mrs Becket?"
The name doesn't really suit her, and she will most likely keep her own when it comes to business but it rolls easily on Raleigh's tongue, brings a smile to his lips.
"Uneventful, sadly."
"Yeah, mine was boring too."
She tries to giggle but the noise that comes out of her mouth is exhausted at best and she leans against Raleigh like she could fall asleep at any minute now. Which she probably will, and he tightens his grip on her just in case.
And, indeed, he can hear her little snores only minutes later. He somewhat manages to place an arm under her knees to carry her. Tendo got the pool house ready for them instead of one of the guest rooms, which makes it easiest for Raleigh to move around. He delicately drops Mako on the bed and takes her shoes off before stripping to his underwear and joining her under the covers. She sleepily nuzzles against him, an arm around his waist, as Raleigh vaguely registers why Tendo gave them the pool house in the first place.
Well, they have a lifetime to take care of that.