Author's Note: An update, much much later than I'd planned. Thanks to all the readers who are sticking with this, and welcome to anyone who just found this! You're all amazing and I love you.

"Do I really have to wear flowers?" Duo complained as Quatre pinned the boutonniere on his lapel.

"You really do," the blonde said. "Just be glad you're not wearing a tux."

"You're lucky I'm wearing this suit, Duo," Trowa pitched in. "I don't mind the flowers – I've worn way worse for costumes – but you know how I feel about formal wear. A tux would have been a hard no."

"Relena's mother will be scandalized enough as it is," added Quatre, moving over to pin on Trowa's boutonniere. "Regular suits are practically casual wear in her books. A few flowers to match the bouquets is the bare minimum."

"What type of flowers are these purple ones, anyway?" Duo asked. "I didn't think roses came in purple."

"They don't. These are purple lisianthus. Apparently the proprietor of the flower shop had quite the selection of roses and flowers that resemble roses. Seemed to have a bit of an obsession, or so Dorothy said. At length."

"Dorothy sure is… vocal… about her opinions," Duo said carefully. Quatre snorted.

"That's a polite way of putting it. She rarely holds her tongue, and never pulls a punch. It can be a bit much, but having a friend who's so brutally honest has its benefits."

"I know what you mean," Duo agreed.

"Oh?"

"Catherine."

Quatre grinned. "I knew I liked her for a reason. Duo, will you pin mine on?"

"Sure thing."

"So," Trowa mused as Duo complied, "you're really doing this."

"I'm really doing this," Duo insisted. Part of him didn't believe it. After all, it was a crazy idea. He was getting married to a complete stranger. But then, he'd been known to have worse ideas. There was that time with the motorcycle and the cliff, for example. He'd survived that just fine, if a few broken limbs, a concussion, and extensive abrasions counted as "just fine." Which it did, in his book. The motorcycle hadn't been so lucky.

But this was reckless in a different way. Sure, they were signing a prenup, so they were both protected financially. There was something else risky about this, though. Something he was trying very hard not to admit to himself. Something about the way he felt when he looked at her, the way he felt when she looked at him . Something about the way his stomach fluttered and his heart raced when she was around.

But that didn't really mean anything. It was just anxiety and adrenaline from doing something so rash. Right?

Duo shook himself out of his musings as he finished pinning on Quatre's boutonniere. The blonde was looking at him shrewdly, and Duo had the irrational fear that somehow he had heard what Duo was thinking. He cleared his throat awkwardly in an attempt to cover up the rising flush he could feel heating his cheeks.

"That's us ready, then, right?" he asked.

"That's us ready," Quatre confirmed. "As long as you're ready for this?" he asked searchingly.

"Ready as I'll ever be. Let's get this show on the road!"

The wedding was taking place near the railing on the top deck, where a small dais had been raised just for the occasion, with only a couple of folding chairs placed in front of it. Aside from Duo, Relena, their friends, and Captain Rashid, the only attendees were Relena's parents and her father's body guards.

Duo hadn't noticed them at dinner the two previous nights, which he supposed meant they were doing their jobs. They were both Asian, one with black hair in a short ponytail, and the other with a messy mop of dark brown that he apparently couldn't be bothered to comb. They were both standing to the side, eyes always moving and telltale bulges over their shoulders.

The sound of a violin tuning brought Duo's attention back to the dais. Quatre, it turned out, played the violin, and had offered to play the music for Relena to walk down the aisle to. Trowa had surprised him by offering to make it a duet with his flute – he hadn't known his friend played. They'd rehearsed in secret, insisting that they wanted the song choice to be a surprise. Duo was touched by the unexpected gesture, and Relena had been delighted. He couldn't have helped the warmth that infused him at the sight of her broad smile and sparkling eyes when Quatre had told them. She had been a sight to behold.

The two began to play, and Duo looked up to see Dorothy beginning the procession down the aisle – a length of pink cloth they'd gotten he knew not where – wearing a fetching pink dress with a purple sash. The bouquet consisted of the selfsame pink roses and purple lisianthus as his boutonniere, accented by baby's breath and ferns. He had to admit that it was quite beautiful.

As Catherine followed Dorothy, Duo realized he recognized the piece Trowa and Quatre were playing. It was Pachelbel's Canon in D. He felt tears prick his eyes, and held them back only by sheer power of will.

Canon in D had been his adoptive mother's favorite classical song, and they'd played it at her funeral. Hearing it now, it was almost like she was with him, and given the dubious nature of this wedding, he wasn't sure how he felt about that.

All thoughts of his mother vanished as he spied Relena coming toward him on her father's arm. She was stunning. The simple gown she wore fit her like a glove, putting her curves on full display. Her hair was swept into an elegant updo, with a small tiara that matched her diamond earrings and the engagement ring. Her skin seemed to glow in the golden light of the setting sun. She looked up from contemplating her bouquet and locked eyes with him, giving him a soft smile that made his heart stutter.

All of a sudden, everything became heart-stoppingly clear. That little heart-stutter and the joy swelling in his chest was telling him in no uncertain terms just how he felt about this wedding. He was head over heels for her. Somehow, in just a few days, he had completely lost his heart.

With this realization, he found himself fighting down panic. This wasn't for real. She hadn't signed up for a real marriage, and while they had certainly hit it off, Duo couldn't imagine she felt the same way. Not after such a short time of knowing each other. What was he going to do?

There wasn't time to figure that out just now, though. Relena and her father were ascending the steps. As Relena stepped across from Duo, Mr. Darlian gave his daughter a kiss on the cheek before letting go of her arm. As he turned toward the empty chair awaiting him, he fixed Duo with a Look, and Duo had to fight not to swallow nervously. Instead he nodded at the man in what he hoped was a respectful gesture. Then Mr. Darlian was gone, and Duo turned to look at his bride.

The music came to a calm resolution, and Trowa and Quatre moved over to stand as his groomsmen. Dorothy stepped forward and took Relena's bouquet, a larger and more elaborate version of her own, then stepped back. Duo noticed none of this, eyes fixed on Relena.

Next to them on the dais, the captain cleared his throat.

"Welcome, everyone. It is my great privilege to be officiating today. We are gathered here to celebrate one of life's greatest moments, the joining of two hearts; to give recognition to the worth and beauty of love; and to add our best wishes to the words which shall unite this couple in marriage.

"Relena Darlian, do you take this man, Duo Maxwell, to be your husband?"

Relena's smile widened as she looked directly into his eyes. "I do."

"Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect him, forsaking all others and holding only unto him?"

"I do."

Duo wanted so badly to believe that she would, but that really wasn't part of their deal, was it? No good getting my hopes up, he chided himself as Rashid turned to him.

"Duo Maxwell," the Captain continued, and Duo could feel his palms start to sweat. "Do you take this woman, Relena Darlian, to be your wife?"

Duo took a deep breath in a vain attempt to calm his racing heart. "I do."

"Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect her, forsaking all others and holding only unto her?"

"I do," he said, meaning it much more than he'd thought he would.

Rashid cleared his throat again. "Wedding rings are an unbroken circle of love, signifying to all the union of this couple in marriage. Relena, Duo, you may now exchange your rings."

Trowa and Dorothy stepped forward, holding the open ring boxes. Looking at the white gold rings gleaming in the fading sunlight, it was hard for Duo to believe that they'd bought them just two days before. It seemed a lifetime ago. Giving himself a mental shake, he took Relena's ring out of the box, then lifted his other hand for her to put hers onto.

"This ring is my sacred gift," he said, sliding the ring onto her finger, "with my promise that I will always love you, cherish you and honor you. With this ring, I thee wed."

Relena repeated the same ritual, again looking him straight in the eye, as if he were the only one in the room. She's putting on a great show for her parents , he thought bitterly, then chastised himself. He had no right to resent her for doing exactly what they'd agreed upon. He was the one who'd gone and lost his head.

"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Duo, you may kiss the bride."

The kiss was soft and sweet and everything Duo could have hoped for, making his heart ache all the more. It was over too soon. As he pulled away from his new bride, he noticed that the sun was making her cheeks flush. It only made her more beautiful.

The clapping and cheering from Dorothy and Trowa brought him back to himself, and he took Relena's hand while he turned to smile at the small gathering. Then he turned to the Captain.

"Thank you, Captain Rashid. That was perfect."

"Anything for a friend of Master Quatre's, and especially for Miss Relena." His jovial manner gave way to a serious look. "Now take care of her. She's more special than you may realize."

"Yes, sir."

"Oh Rashid," Relena interjected. "Of course he'll take care of me. We love each other, after all."

It felt like a knife in the heart when she said that. Forcing himself to keep smiling, he took Relena's hand and gave it a kiss.

"So," he began, turning to address his small audience. "If I remember correctly, there's a party planned for after this?"

"There sure is!" Dorothy said. "And it starts with your first dance. Boys?" She looked over to Quatre and Trowa, who were picking up their instruments again and heading over to the dance floor on the other end of the upper deck.

Duo turned to Relena and gave her a bow. "May I have this dance, my lady?"

Relena smiled, then curtseyed. "Happily, my dear."

Duo hardly heard the music as he led her toward the dance floor, then took her in his arms. Relena had wanted their first dance to be a waltz, so he began leading her in the steps. She was more than a capable dancer, to his delight, and he felt himself getting lost in the feel of her as the music flowed around them. The music stopped and they kept on dancing for a few beats, totally engrossed. When Duo realized it had gone quiet, he stopped abruptly.

"Er…" he said awkwardly, suddenly self conscious. Relena just smiled at him, looking a little dazed but definitely happy. Happy was what he wanted for her. If he could make that happen, he could get through this, he told himself. He could get through this.

Relena was more than a little tipsy hours later, when their friends jokingly cheered them along to the stateroom they would be sharing for the rest of the voyage. It was probably a good thing that Duo was carrying her. She felt safe and happy, cuddled up against his chest. This had been a very good night.

Trowa opened the door for them, and Duo brought her across the threshold, then kicked the door closed on the whoops and catcalls of their friends. He set her down gently, kissing the top of her head before stepping away.

"Alright, you wanna rock-paper-scissors for the bed?" he asked.

"Nonsense," Relena replied. "There's plenty of room for both of us, and the couch is tiny. Just..."

"Just what?"

"Are you like all the other guys I know?" She had a sneaking suspicion he was, and she wanted to be sure to set some boundaries with him. Especially given how sober she wasn't.

"Umm... we agreed this is a fake marriage. I'm not expecting–" Duo said quickly.

Relena began to giggle. "No no no. I mean, do you usually sleep naked?"

"Oh, um... yes," he replied, looking relieved.

"Well, tonight you're sleeping with boxers on." That should help prevent temptation, right?

Duo just grinned at her, giving her a joking "Yes ma'am!"

As she crawled into bed, however, she couldn't help but wish for just one more kiss.

End Notes: You can find a rendition of Canon in D on flute and violin on YouTube, which I would link, but this site doesn't allow that. Grr.

Thank you again to all my readers!