Getting to the Altar
"Duo…Duo?...Duo!" Quatre tried gently shaking the covered lump lying unmoving in the middle of the guest bed, and when that didn't work he tried shoving it.
"Ngh, Quat, go away. I'm sleeping." Duo mumbled sleepily from under the covers, still not moving nor showing any inclination to move any time soon.
"Too bad, we've got to go now before we're late." Quatre tried pulling the covers down but found them to be held securely in place by the other boy. Letting out an exasperated noise Quatre was forced to resort to his last choice, giving Duo's messy braid a good hard yank.
"Ouch! Quatre!" Duo yelped, shooting out of his little burrow to snatch his hair away from the blonde Arabian and start pouting. "Don't abuse the hair." Duo started to gently pet his braid as one would a favorite pet.
"No time for that, you've got to start getting ready or we're going to be late." Quatre grabbed Duo's wrists and tugged him to his feet.
"Huh? What do you-" Duo's eyes suddenly widened almost comically. "Holy shit. Today's the day isn't it?"
"Yeah. Now get moving or-" Quatre was about to come up with some kind of threat that would work on the ex-pilot but found it unnecessary as Duo shot into the en suite bathroom, braid thumping the door before it slammed behind him. "Never mind." Quatre shook his head before heading back to his own room to finish getting ready.
When he walked into the kitchen eight minutes later he accepted the small fruit plate being offered by one of his staff members and had just started nibbling on it when Duo came into the kitchen, hopping up and down on one foot as he tried to get a shoe put on the other.
"This stupid thing won't go on!" Duo exclaimed, looking ready to throw the shoe out the window.
"You're trying to put your left shoe on your right foot." Quatre pointed out with a suppressed smile as a couple of servants hurried over to help get Duo sorted out.
"Right, I knew that." Duo said a bit flustered as he hastily tried to get his hair rebraided.
"Would you like some breakfast master Duo?" The head kitchen server asked as he made sure to stay away from the flailing elbows and whipping hair.
"Huh? Oh, no thanks, I don't think I could stomach anything right now." Duo declined politely before nearly snarling when his hair started tangling itself around his wrist.
"Duo, do you need help?" Quatre asked tentatively, watching his friend struggling to function.
"No! I'm perfectly fine." Duo assured as he finally got his hair braided. "There! See? Ready to go!" Duo said triumphantly.
"Duo, you've forgotten your jacket." Quatre pointed out, causing Duo to look down at his dress shirt with a considerable lack of suit jacket.
"Shinigami!" Duo rushed out of the kitchen and could be heard thumping up the stairs and running along the hallway above their heads.
"Is master Duo quite alright?" One of the servants asked Quatre worriedly, glancing up upon hearing a loud crash followed by a stream of curse words.
"He's fine." Quatre assured before going out to the entrance hall to wait for Duo's return.
"Okay, I'm ready." Duo announced once he'd rushed back down the stairs in his light lilac suit, slightly flushed from his mad dash.
"Duo calm down, you're going to give yourself a heart attack before we even get there." Quatre chided gently as he helped smooth his friend's suit out properly before they headed to the front door of the small mansion they'd stayed in overnight.
"How can I stay calm? How can I possibly be calm on today of all days?" Duo demanded as a valet ushered them into the waiting limo. "After all these years and all the waiting, it's finally happening." Duo sighed as he settled into a seat before starting to fidget.
"Duo." Quatre warned as he sat down beside the other and the limo started to pull away from the mansion.
"Talk to me Quat. I don't care what you talk about but I've gotta get my mind distracted." Duo's knee had started bouncing not two minutes into the ride, making Quatre sigh before starting to talk about his sisters, a subject that was sure to go on for quite a while.
The limo had no problems driving through downtown, but it was as it was trying to get on the expressway that they started to hit major traffic.
"This is unusual for this early in the morning." Quatre noted as he looked out the window, slight worry lacing his words.
"What if there's been an accident? What if there's a ten car pileup and he got stuck in it? Oh my god Quatre, he could be on the side of the road bleeding to death right now! Or he could be in the hospital clinging to life with a bunch of tubes and machines hooked up to him!" Duo started to hyperventilate, causing Quatre to turn his attention from the window to his friend with a very concerned look in his eyes.
"Duo, that is very unlikely and you know it." Quatre tried to reason with the unreasonable.
"Stranger things have happened!" Duo exclaimed before getting up and starting to pace, which, considering the narrow back of the limo and the low ceiling, was quite the sight.
"Duo, I promise nothing has happened to him." Quatre gently took hold of his friend and settled him back into his seat.
"What if he's not there? What if he decided it's not worth it and just never showed up?" Duo started on his next train of panicking as the limo started to inch forward.
"He'll be there." Quatre said with conviction as he started rubbing soothing circles on Duo's back to prevent either another hyperventilation attack or a full on panic attack, neither one would be very good for them at the moment.
"What if he got shot on his way? Or his car went off a cliff?" Duo seemed to have a never ending supply of possibilities, making Quatre wonder how much further they had to go.
"There are no cliffs here Duo." Quatre reasoned as he glanced out the window again, relieved to see that the cars were starting to move at a faster pace now.
"But what if-"
"Duo, there are a lot of what ifs in life, especially in ours. But you've got to get past those what ifs and pay attention to the things that are actually happening. What will happen will happen, but I know for sure that today everything will be perfect." Quatre said in a final sort of tone.
"You really think so?" Duo asked, turning big hopeful eyes towards his friend.
"Yes, I do." Quatre enveloped Duo in a tight hug as they continued on their journey.
"Finally!" Duo practically burst from the limo and rushed inside the quaint little church just on the outskirts of the town surrounded by beautiful oak and maple trees. Quatre followed at a slower pace, taking the chance to take a deep breath and calm himself from all the calming Duo down.
"Master Quatre?" The driver asked concerned as he watched his young master just standing there with his eyes closed.
"Don't worry Sebastian, I think everything's going to be okay now." Quatre gave him a small smile before walking towards the church where Wufei was waiting at the door.
"You're late." He noted as the two walked towards the main room where quiet murmurings could be heard through the door.
"We hit traffic due to a minor crash." Quatre replied, pausing to straighten himself up after having Duo cling to him for the last ten minutes.
"Is there a reason why Maxwell just rushed in here and threw himself on Trowa, nearly crying and babbling about cliffs and gunshots?" Wufei asked, sounding like he really didn't want to know.
"Don't ask." Quatre grinned as Wufei left him and he was left by himself behind the wooden double doors with angels carved into them. The doors gently swung open to reveal a petal strewn aisle with wooden benches on either side filled with close friends and lots of family.
Walking calmly down the aisle surrounded by all those he cared about Quatre found his eyes glued to the gorgeous man with the most stunning emerald eyes waiting at the end for him with a soft smile on his face. Beside him stood Heero, a silent as ever, and on the other side of the minister stood Duo, positively beaming at Quatre's approach while Wufei was playing the church's organ in the corner.
Standing beside his soon to be husband at last as the minister started the ceremony Quatre felt Trowa slip a hand into his. "How was it?" Trowa asked quietly so that only Quatre could hear him.
"He's been freaking out ever since I managed to wake him up." Quatre replied with a smile playing on his lips, causing Trowa to laugh quietly.
"Do you, Trowa Barton, take this man to be your lawfully wedded partner?" The minister was asking.
"I do." Trowa replied quietly and very sincerely, giving Quatre's hand a light squeeze.
"And do you, Quatre Winner, take this man to be your lawfully wedded partner?" The minister turned to Quatre next.
"I absolutely do." Quatre smiled, catching a slight sob from Duo's direction.
"I now pronounce you lifelong partners, you may now kiss the, er…" He seemed at a loss for words.
"Just kiss each other already!" Duo supplied, making half the people in the place laugh as Quatre did just that, lightly brushing Trowa's bangs out of the way before bestowing his new husband with a soul shattering kiss to loud cheering and applause.
"Just imagine him when it's actually him up here." Trowa said as they pulled apart.
"Huh?" Quatre seemed lost for a moment.
Trowa glanced behind him for a moment before looking back at his husband with a smile.
"Heero's asking him tonight."