Inspiration: http :/i5. photo bucket. com/ albums / y151 /el _saz /Tandem %20 felix / 539 .jpg (remove the spaces)
MxM, after GSD
"I still wish you'd gone for something more elaborate."
Halfway through applying mascara she caught her friend's gaze in the mirror. "Didn't we go through this already? Things are fine as they are."
"You don't think it's too simple? Too quiet?"
She smiled, blotting off the excess makeup. "If we could have made it quieter, we would have. What's really important is the meaning behind it, not all the fanfare."
A sigh. "I guess you're right. Maybe I'm jealous." Moving to sit on the chair beside her the older woman passed her the bundle of lace, helping her pin it into place. "Ours ended up being something everyone picked for us, not what we'd have picked for ourselves."
"I wanted this to be a day just for us and our friends. Something everyone can remember."
"You wanted it to be a day for him." Erica corrected, adjusting the fabric around her shoulders. "A happy memory for someone who doesn't have many."
She nodded, twisting the silver engagement band around her finger. Though it had been over six months since the war had ended he still didn't remember everything about his past. Dreams and her stories had helped him piece together his time on Archangel, and events that had stood out like his graduation from the Academy and the battle at Grimaldi had been quick to come back to him. But other times, like his childhood and most of his time in the military, were hazy and fragmentary. He pretends that it doesn't bother him, but I know that it does. And I can't help him.
"It'll take time."
"That's what the doctor said. He thinks that everything will come back, but he wasn't able to say when."
Her friend laughed. "Tough call for someone with no patience."
"He has a little more than he used to, but not enough for something like this."
"Bet he's been fun to live with."
She leaned back in her chair. "Not too bad. Just the occasional fit of sulking, which I can deal with. And he is acting a lot more like himself now."
Erica snorted. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"
"Maybe a bit of both." More of a good thing, though. "It's nice to see him smile again."
"He hasn't been smiling?"
"He has, but not like he used to. He.." She tapped fingers on the vanity, trying to find the right words. "It's like there was something missing. Like his heart wasn't in it."
"Doubt he's had much to smile about."
Understatement. He'd finally told her a few nights ago about the time he'd spent with the Alliance. It had taken several hours, he lying on the sofa staring blankly at the ceiling of their apartment while he spoke. When it was over he smiled a little, said he'd understand if I wanted to call the wedding off. But that wasn't why he told me. He told me because he wanted to get it out in the open, didn't want more secrets between us. And he wanted forgiveness, though he'd never have asked for it. "He'll be all right now."
"He will be once today is over." was the amused reply. "I saw him out front just before I came to help you. Boy looked terrified."
Murrue giggled. He'd admitted as much to her the night before - that he'd been less nervous about a battle. "I did tell him that we could wait a little longer. It's not like we need to rush."
"And what did he say?"
"That he'd thought about giving it a bit longer, maybe until next year." She glanced over at the bouquet of white and pink roses in its vase of water. "A bit more time to get used to things."
Erica pursed her lips. "Maybe you should talk to him first."
"And if we decide to wait?"
Her friend smiled. "We eat the cake. The dress and everything else can keep until you're ready."
The chapel smelled of flowers and furniture polish. He sat (okay, slouched) on one of the front bench things staring up at the stained-glass windows. It was peaceful, quiet - a bit of a contrast to how he felt. And it was dumb. Of all the things to be scared of, why this? Not the ceremony itself...that was words, rings, nothing complicated or worrying. It was more about what came after. All he remembered was being a soldier - he didn't have a clue how to live a regular life. Kira and the others had all settled right back into it, reconnecting with friends and family, but he didn't have anything to fall back on. Only Murrue, and he'd leaned on her enough already. Not that she agreed, of course. She'd been endlessly patient, listening to his thoughts and worries and always finding reassuring words. It made him feel better, but worse at the same time. She's been through enough. She shouldn't have to shore me up like this.
"Erica said I could find you here."
Despite his worries, he smiled, still looking up at the coloured windows. "She said I wasn't allowed to see you yet. Something about tradition."
She made a 'hmm' sound, dress swishing on the tiled floor as she walked down the aisle toward where he was sitting. "That one never made much sense to me."
"You always did bend the rules."
Soft laughter. "Maybe I did. But it usually worked out." She paused at the top of the aisle to look at the same windows, giving him chance to stare at her. She'd resisted all attempts to get her into one of those big floaty dresses most brides wore, calling them 'meringues', and had picked out something much simpler. Her friends had been disappointed, but he couldn't say he felt the same.
"You look great."
Murrue peeked sideways at him, pink tinting her face. "You think so?" At his nod she fairly beamed, the expression making him feel fuzzy inside and (almost) evaporating his concerns. Holding out a hand he brought her to sit beside him, chuckling at the bare feet beneath the dress.
"Shoes weren't part of the outfit?"
She grinned. "No-one said I had to wear them." Moving closer she rested her head on his shoulder, murmuring happily when he wound an arm around her waist. There was comfortable silence for a little while, he finding comfort in her presence like always.
"Think we should elope?"
"She'd find us."
He felt her smile. "She would. Or you know, we could just go home. Leave this for another day."
"Wouldn't everyone be mad at us?"
"No, I don't think so." She looked up at him, amber eyes softened with affection. "This isn't about them, it's about us. You and I, and what we're comfortable with."
Mwu smiled, brushing a thumb over her cheek. "You've been looking forward to this, though."
"But you haven't. I could tell."
He sighed. "Just nerves."
She poked him in the chest. "Stop trying to hide things from me."
I have been, haven't I? Old habits die hard. Taking her hand he squeezed gently. "I just.." He scrubbed at the scar on his nose. "I have no idea what I do next."
"Neither do I."
He blinked, taking in her cheerful smile. "Really?"
Murrue nodded. "It feels like this changes everything. Like things won't be the same when we go back home. But they will."
"You think so?"
"Mmm-hmm. All this does it make it official. We just carry on as we have been."
"Even if I don't know how to do that yet?"
Her smile became fond, she leaning to kiss him lightly. "There's plenty of time to learn. For both of us."
"Both of us?"
"I can do 'captain' okay, and I'm pretty good at 'mechanic'. I don't know how to be a wife. But I'd like to learn."
He hadn't thought about it like that, but she was right. "Is that why you've been talking to the Director lady and Kira's mom so much?"
She blushed, fiddling with a lock of her hair the way she always did when nervous. "Pointers."
Mwu had to smile. "What did they tell you?"
"That they think we'll be just fine. And I think they're right."
"Even if we don't know what we're doing?"
She grinned. "Even if we don't know what we're doing. Yamato-san says that's why it's called 'taking the plunge'."
"How long do you think it'll take to learn?"
"Erica says she's still learning now."
"And you don't mind me leaning on you a bit longer?"
She squeezed his hand. "If I can lean on you."
Leaning forward, he kissed her forehead. "Deal."
