seriously thinking about just posting the rest tonight and finishing it up...

I Will. (No Man's Land.)

Anthony walked downstairs and tried not to scuff his nice shoes up.

"Fix the tie." David pointed at him before turning back to the mirror and trying to pat his hair down.

"My tie looks fine."

"Does it?" David eyed it, "Oh. Wow. It does."

"Did you just assume I couldn't tie a tie?"

"Well, you couldn't the last time you actually had to."

"You're just grumpy because Ian's already there."

"I'm just grumpy because someone forget to set their alarm and is making me late to my own wedding."

"That alarm is possessed, I swear. I had the alarm set; I don't know what happened." Anthony frowned.

"It's fine, Anthony. Really. I'm just a little panicked that I'm going to be late."

"What are your vows?"

"I'm not telling you that." David frowned.

"Come on, Dad." Anthony grinned.

David grabbed his car keys, "I thought I was pops."

"Come on, Pops." Anthony said with the exact same tone of voice.

"We're leaving now."

"We need to pick up Kalel."

"Dammit." David muttered, "Get out of the car. Please. Go pick Kalel up in your car. I need to be there as soon as I can, and I can't afford to lose time by picking her up. I'll meet you there."

"Okay. I'll see you then."

"Bye. Make sure to be there. On. Time." David looked Anthony in the eyes.

"I promise." Anthony nodded, turning to go grab his car keys.

"Did you get in contact with Mari?"

"Yeah, Dad, I did."

"I thought I was Pops?"

"Same thing." Anthony rolled his eyes, "Just go. Go get married to my dad. I promise I'll be there on time."

"Good."

"And do me a favor."

"Sure." David looked at him.

"Don't bring up the juvy thing to anyone, okay?" He frowned, "I don't want anyone to worry."

"Anthony, we talked to the school, and you're only going if you continue to get low marks on how far you've progressed in trying to contain your kleptomania."

He nodded, "I know, Dad told me, but please, don't bring it up. I want us to go on like it never happened until we actually have to go to the court about it."

"It's not legal court, Anthony, we just meet in a courtroom because some part of it needs to be 'legal.'"

"How do you know so much about this?"

"Because I work at your school, Anthony."

"Yeah, but you just teach English. My grades in your class have nothing to do with you helping me over this klepto thing." He waved a hand around.

"I know, but that doesn't mean I can't eavesdrop in the teachers lounge. Did you know that your science teacher is dating your math teacher?"

"Ew, no!" Anthony made a face, laughing, "Don't say that! Thanks for changing the subject, though, but did it have to be that? Ugh. I'm going to have to sleep tonight with that picture in my head. Thanks a lot, Pops."

David rolled his eyes, "Look, your dad is going to kill me instead of say his vows if I'm late, so I really need to go. I'll tell you all about their romantic date night when we get there."

"Stop pacing. You're not late. You still have like twenty minutes to spare." Mari put her hands on David's shoulders, "Calm down."

"Are you even allowed back here?"

"I'm your 'best woman,' David." She frowned, "I think I'm allowed."

"Is that what you're calling it?"

"Well, neither of you are the bride, so I can't be a bridesmaid, and I'm not a man, so I can't be the best man, but I am the only woman allowed to stand up here."

David shrugged, "Fair enough. I suppose that works."

"Are you wearing suspenders?"

"I might be." He looked down.

"Ian's going to fuck you so hard tonight." She patted his cheek before turning around, "I'm changing my dress before the reception, by the way."

"Alright."

As Mari walked out, Matt came in.

"Hey there's the man of the hour." Matt grinned.

"Here I am." David smiled at him, "You look nice."

"You shouldn't be telling me that. You should be telling Ian that."

"I will."

"Then tell him." He looked excited.

David frowned, "Are you okay?"

"I'm just really happy for you. You've been dating Ian forever and now you're finally getting married. It's really exciting for me."

"It's really exciting for me too." David nodded, "It's been years. I met him what….ten years ago? Anthony was seven, or almost seven at least. I don't remember, but he's seventeen now. That's ten fucking years of waiting."

"Well, to be fair, you broke up after a few years for at least a year. That probably put a damper on the idea of marriage, you know?"

"But we got back together. That was when Anthony was in eighth grade."

Matt shrugged, "By the way, did Ian invite Melanie?"

"I don't think so." David frowned, "Why?"

"She's out there."

"She is?" David groaned, "Fuck."

"David, she's a nice woman."
"I know, but we still haven't told Anthony she's his mother yet."

Matt blinked, "He's seventeen, he knows you and Ian can't make a baby."

"I met him when he was seven, he knew then that I wasn't his father. He knows he has a mother, he just doesn't know who."

"You should probably tell him. I bet she'll get drunk and tell him."

David shook his head, "Nah. She doesn't seem like that."

"She can be pretty rude when she's drunk. I've met her before. She'll gush and apologize a million times over when she's sober. She hit me once at a bar, and when she found out the next morning, she called me, apologized, made me dinner, and sent me flowers."

David nodded.

Mari walked back in the room, "David, get out there."

"What?"

"It's time to start now."

"I-okay." He made a face and glanced at Matt, "Do I look okay?"

Matt took a step forward and straightened his tie, "You barely look okay."

Mari rolled her eyes, "Oh, shut up, Matt. David looks awesome. Ian's going to love it. You won't be walking tomorrow, I can promise you that."

David shook his head as he opened the doors and walked up to the front of the room, waiting for Ian.