"The Wedding" – part 6

Summary and notes in part 1.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi.

6-

In the middle row Fiona furrowed her brows as she looked out the window.

She was starting to think they were lost. She had been to Niagara Falls a few times as a child. Once on the Canadian side and twice on the U.S. side. It seemed like they passed the same park more than once.

She turned to Adam and saw that he was absorbed in a new comic book. The sight made her smile. She looked past him and she saw Clare listening to headphones. She had to admit that Adam had achieved an impressive feat. Eli and Clare were actually going as wedding dates. Technically, just as friends, but the fact that these two were going together at all surprised her.

Last semester there had been moments of open hostility between them. She had thought a reunion wasn't in the cards, especially since they both had dated other people, but now it was anyone's guess. The two had been hanging out more as a late. Adam's invite couldn't have come at a better time. However, when asked about it they got defensive. The official party line was that they were still frenemies, but Adam and Fiona knew better.

Her thoughts turned to the wedding. In truth, inside she was a ball of nerves. But she knew what she felt was small in comparison to the inner turmoil that the love of her life was experiencing.

Fiona smiled as she entered the room. Adam was on the floor doing crunches. He started working out regularly when he joined the basketball team last fall. But now that a date was set for his top surgery he paid much more attention to diet and exercise. Since returning to Degrassi three weeks ago he could be found in the weight room nearly every day.

She watched as he finished his set.

"You can sit, you know," Adam teased.

He raised himself from the floor and sat on the edge of the bed. He glanced around the room for one of his button down shirts. He didn't see any in sight. Perhaps it was silly, but he felt a little self-conscious just wearing a binder shirt around her. It usually was all he had on when they were hooking up, but in the heat of the moment he didn't care. Right now he did because he was wearing an old one that didn't flatten very well. He hated that the shape of his chest was visible.

Fiona sat down next to him. He opened his mouth to speak but before he could she kicked off her shoes and curled up on the bed.

He chuckled and joined her. "Comfy?" he asked as he lay beside her. He loved that she felt so at home in his bed.

"Yep!" she nodded. Fiona looked at him for a long moment. Staring into his eyes was something that never got old. She reached for his hand and smiled as their fingers intertwined. "Is there something on your mind?" she asked.

As dedicated as he was to fitness these days, he didn't usually exercise in the middle of the day. She knew that physical activity was his distraction of choice when he didn't want to think.

Adam shrugged and looked away. "No." He quickly realized it was no use. She knew him well and wasn't buying it. "Well, I was just thinking about things."

"Is this about the wedding?" she asked delicately.

It was just a few days away. They had already picked out their outfits. She loved her dress and thought all the girls looked beautiful. Adam had gotten a new suit but he wouldn't let her see it ahead of time. Sure it was nerve-wracking to meet Adam's grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, uncles, and various cousins but she could only imagine how nervous he was about it all. This was huge step for him. The people who had known him since birth as Gracie were finally going to meet him as the guy he really was.

"Yeah," he said softly. "I just don't want you to walk into an ambush."

When he thought about it, really thought about it, he figured if the worst happened he could deal with being shunned by his relatives. It would be painful, but he could get through it – or so he told himself. After all, he had faced this kind of rejection for years. What really bothered him was the idea of Fiona going through that unpleasantness. It would be bringing her into the lion's den. He knew it wasn't possible to shield her from the world or the ignorance they faced as a couple, but he had a strong desire to protect her.

Fiona shook her head. "I'm a big girl. I want to be there," she reminded him. "I know you're scared, and that's okay," she added addressing the five hundred pound gorilla in the room. No matter how brave a front he put up, she knew he was worried about being rejected by his family.

Adam sighed. "It took my mom years to come to terms with it. I still don't think she fully accepts or understands but she is much better than she used to be. I don't think they're going accept me overnight."

She cupped his cheek. "Whatever happens, we'll deal with it together." She looked deeply into his eyes. "I love you."

Adam smiled. He leaned forward and pressed his lips softly to hers. "I love you too."

When she looked up, Adam was smiling at her.

"What are you thinking about?" Fiona asked curiously.

He paused, purposefully building up suspense. "How much I love you," he said sincerely.

In the row behind them Eli made a gagging noise. Clare, Drew, and Jess laughed.

"You're killing me here! Death by cheese," Eli mercilessly teased.

Adam rolled his eyes.

"Guys, keep it down," Audra scolded, reminding them about the noise level. They were close to the reception location and she was studying the map.

The irony was that he had been completely honest. He had been thinking about how much he loved her! He was so happy that she was coming with him to the wedding. He knew there were bound to be awkward moments, but the fact was four months ago his mother would have been absolutely set against it. She likely would have asked him to stay home. Yet, here they were.

It was amazing to him, especially since six weeks ago he had been so despondent that he felt his only option was end it all.

Adam shuddered when he thought of that terrible low. Somehow he managed to make it through the darkest night and see the sun rise again. Adam looked at the girl next to him and smiled. He had promised himself as long as she wanted him, he would be there. No insecurity or fear would stand in the way. He was overjoyed to find that she wanted to be with him for the rest of her life. It was what he wanted more than anything too.

"I wasn't kidding, you know," he quietly told her.

Fiona looked deeply into his eyes. "I didn't think you were."

.

tbc

A/N: I think I'm going to post the next part tonight. Reviews = Awesome ;-)