Disclaimer: See chapter 1

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Days until the wedding: 13

"Let me get this straight DEAR," Sheena made the endearment sound more like a threat, "you decided to try and mess up Genis and Lloyd's love lives because YOU WERE BORED?!"

Zelos hopped over the chair he was seated in to dodge a well-aimed pyre seal that exploded right where his lap had been moments before. "Sheena, my sweet hunn-" he clumsily fell back on his butt to avoid another seal flying at his face. Sheena approached him, prepping her cards to summon Origin, allwhile her former-chosen future husband scurried crab-like backwards.

When Zelos's back his the wall of his mansion's bedroom, he glanced back up with puppy dog eyes. When the ninja temporarily lowered her hands at the pathetic look, he quickly took the opening to restrain her in a tight bear hug from behind.

"Let me GO you heartless slimeball!"

Said slimeball let out a distinctly unmanly squeak as he dodged an elbow aimed again at his crotch, still not letting go. "Sweetie, trust me, our honeymoon won't be much fun if you keep trying to hit me there!" Ducking his head to the side this time to avoid a head butt, he merely continued his strong hold until her struggle died down and her breathing returned to normal. "Now, can we talk like mature adults?" Ignoring a comment from the women in his arms that sounded suspiciously like "You're the last one to be saying I don't talk like a mature adult…" the red head released the ninja and turned her around in his arms to face him.

"I'm not trying to be an jerk to them, though messing with the brat's love life sounds fu- oww, don't hit me!" He rubbed his abused scalp where her fist had connected. After a small pout, he straightened back up. "As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted-" he gulped when Sheena made a wringing gesture with her hands. "Eh heh heh, yeah, so though messing with the brat's love life sounds fun, I'd rather see both of my buds happy, even if I don't like that kid."

Sheena sighed. "Did you even think about what'll happen if this backfires? You and I…well, at least I've known for a long time that Genis clearly wants to be more than just Lloyd's best friend. What happens when this stupid bet of yours is over, and things go back to the way they were before? He'll be broken hearted, and you know it!"

Zelos began walking towards the door. "Well then, we're going to have to hope Lloyd can get his head out of his ass and tell the brat how he feels! Now if you'll excuse me my sweet, I believe I have a tux fitting to get to!" He blew a kiss over his shoulder, and strutted out the door.

Sheena's shoulders slumped as the door slammed. "What a stupid inconsiderate, pathetic, sad excuse for a chosen! Martel, I can't even remember why I agreed to marry him in the fir-" Sheena was cut off when the door was flung open and Zelos slunk back in.

"Almost forgot!" He pulled her close enough to touch their lips together lightly in a sweet kiss. Though short, Zelos smirked at his breathless fiancé's blush as he sauntered out the door. "And THAT, my voluptuous hunny, is why you agreed to marry me!"

The redhead smirked as he stood outside the closed door. "1….2….3…" and he plugged his ears before the loud proclamation of "THAT JERK!" With a renewed grin, he continued on his way. "Works every time."

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"So, why are we here again, Professor Sage?"

Lloyd longingly at the doors, before continuing to follow his teacher and best friend down the halls of the reception hall in Meltokio. The room was almost completely barren unlike the previous dinner party they had been invited to. Only two tables covered with table settings remained in the room. While Raine continued to lecture a distracted Genis ("WOW! Can you believe the hand sculpted designs on these pillars?! Just look at all the detail on the wings of this angel! Quick Genis, tell me everything you know about this particular art style!" "Yes Raine…" "ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION?") Lloyd continued to inspect the room. Apparently, being the heroes who reunited the world meant that you also doubled as free wedding planners when a certain friend forgets to hire a professional in time. Now, not only were they stuck decorating, but Genis had also been roped into helping cook. (Zelos still mourns that he wasn't able to con Regal into helping too, because that man could make beef stew like none other!)

Lloyd sighed as he looked at a champagne flute, without really knowing what it was. "This isn't as exciting as I thought it would be."

"Why am I not surprised that you're bored already?" Genis winced when the dainty glass fell from the swordsman's hands and abruptly shattered.

"Wha- Genis! Where did you come from?" He hastily nudged the broken glass under the table, and tried to pull a tablecloth down to cover it up. He glanced over to spot Raine with her arm around a short coat rack, apparently animatedly informing it of "the wonderful history of the beautiful balcony, truly a finer example of the woodworking from the…"

Genis looked away from her exasperatedly and sighed. "She really gets into things like this."

Lloyd looked from the coat rack still under his crazed teacher's arms (was she foaming at the mouth???) then back to his best friend. "Why is she lecturing that coat rack?"

Genis sighed again, "when she gets in one of these moods, she doesn't really pay much attention to anything other than researching."

"But you're her brother, that's just an iron pole with hooks! Can't she tell the difference?"

Genis looked back at the scene. "Huh, guess not."

The two friends watched as Raine enthusiastically pulled 'Genis' up the stairs to the balcony, not noticing when one of the legs broke off when it got stuck to the door frame. As the echo of her voice faded up the stairs, the two glanced at each other, then immediately burst into hysterical laughter.

"Sh-she just completely-" Lloyd snorted lightly, then dissolved quickly into a fit of at spotting the abandoned iron leg still sitting on the ground, abandoned.

"Shut up, Lloyd!" Genis tried to slug his friend playfully in the head, but ended up missing and merely draping an arm over the brunette's shoulder. This caused a fresh bout of giggles to rise up from the half elf.

Lloyd, looking as though he just remembered something, immediately ceased laughing. Noticing this, Genis's laughter gradually died too, until an awkward silence hung in the air. Lloyd inhaled dramatically. "So, it's morning now…"

Genis tilted his head to the side, all the while giving a calculatedly blank look. He adopted a flat tone of voice. "Yup, I can kind of see that Lloyd. Wow, it only took you until now to notice? You're getting smarter!"

"I'm being serious Genis, you gotta help me out here!"

When blue eyes met pleading brown, Genis knew he was stuck. With an eye roll, he immediately adopted an authoritative tone. "Fine, then we're gonna do this my way, got it?"

At Lloyd's frantic nod, he smiled and nodded to himself. "Okay then, let's lay down some ground rules. One, no groping, and no, I don't care if Zelos would find that believable, if you want my help you'll listen. Two, you have to promise never to take one of his stupid bets again!" Another frantic nod from the brunette. "Three, you better not try and flirt with anyone else." Genis flushed lightly at the heavy gaze that seemed to be directed at him after this rule. His voice caught in his throat, and it took a couple of attempts to manage to speak. "And four, no kissing."

"But that would make it more believab-" In the midst of a frantic arm gesture, Lloyd has managed to destroy the remaining fine glass cups on the table. He bent over to try and collect some of the larger pieces of glass before Raine would fine out. "But that would make it more believable! Zelos would definitely believe it more! Besides, we're best friends, it wouldn't be that weird, would it?" Lloyd looked up at Genis from his position on the floor, and noticed his now glowing red cheeks and defensively crossed arms. When he refused to make eye contact, Lloyd smirked teasingly, "unless you're upset because it'd be your first kiss? Genis, you're such a girl!"

The red clad youth nearly toppled over in shock when his friend ducked down to help pick up the glass with a serious face. He glanced down at his own gloved hands, then the ungloved ones of his friend. "Hey, I've got this, I don't want you to cut yourself."

With his gaze still on the glass, Genis began, "Raine always used to tell me that when two people kissed, it was because they loved each other. If we don't love each other, then we shouldn't do that." Genis stood back up with a handful of glass lightly in his palm. Lloyd gathered the rest, and rose to follow him. "I'm sorry for dragging you into this. I didn't know you felt this strongly. I'll go tell Zelos to take his bet an-"

"What are you, stupid?" Genis smiled and laughed at him. "Lloyd, it's fine! I already said I'd help. Besides, it's Zelos. He's not too bright, we ought to be able to trick him pretty easily! And I know you really want Kratos's sword back, so stop thinking so much and let me help you! Besides, what are best friends for?"

Lloyd smiled and nodded back. "Yeah! We can do this!" He walked over and enthusiastically patted Genis's back. "Thanks again, Genis! You're the best friend I could ever have!"

With that, Lloyd walked over to the exit of the hall and left in hopes of finding Colette wandering about the temple of Martel. He definitely needed some advice.

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Staring down quietly at the scene that unfolded, Raine watched as her brother to rub his eyes with his fist, an action she vaguely remembered him doing as a child to keep from crying. Having long since abandoned the coat rack (of course she noticed, did they think she was an idiot?) she resisted the urge to run back downstairs and out the door to strangle Lloyd for upsetting her baby brother. She released her grip on the railing, and began walking briskly back downstairs.

Ignoring the fine artisan work done on the carved banisters, Raine decided that confronting and comforting Genis definitely came first. Once he was sufficiently calmed, then she would go about punishing Lloyd Irving for making him upset.

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About 40 views, 1 review, and two alerts. Life is good!

Thank you again for reading! Hopefully you enjoyed reading it, as I enjoyed writing it! I still feel like even though Genis is an angsty character in the game, maybe I'm playing it up to much? Oh well, next chapter shall be the shenanigans of the beginning of their plan to trick Zelos, as well as cake shopping and dress shopping with the girls! And let's not forget bug sister Raine's "chat" with Lloyd! So, hopefully you'll stick around and read more!

And thus, I end with another song quote!

~Oh no look what you've gone and done, you're creating pandemonium. That song you sing means everything to me, I'm living in ecstacy~

~New York in the Rain