chapter rating: pg
word count: 719
summary: When Farkle gets cold feet on his wedding day, Lucas talks him through it, using his own experience as an example.
Lucas sat calmly in an arm chair, his bow tie left undone, and his best man's speech in hand as he went over it one more time. There was still plenty of time; the ceremony itself hadn't even happened, but he liked to be prepared. Looking up from the cue cards, he watched Farkle do another round of pacing and shook his head, a faint tilt to his mouth. "Would you calm down already? You're gonna wear a hole in the carpet if you keep this up."
Inhaling and exhaling with exaggerated effort, Farkle clawed at his neck. "I think I'm having an asthma attack."
Lucas blinked. "Considering you don't have asthma, I find that highly unlikely."
"Maybe it's late on-set," Farkle croaked out. "Maybe a great-great grandparent had it and never knew and now it's going to kill me, today, of all days, when I should be getting married."
"You aregetting married." Lucas rolled his eyes. "It's just nerves."
"Blasphemy! I have been planning this day since the moment I met Riley. Admittedly, I'd once thought there would be twobrides rather than one, but I've come to accept that Maya and I were not meant for a romantic love."
He snorted. "I'm sure she'll be real broken up about that."
"How'd you do it?" Farkle wondered. "You didn't panic at all. You were cool as a cucumber on your wedding day."
"We all react differently, I guess."
Farkle glared at him. "As my best man and best friend, I demand you tell me your secret. Was it over the counter drugs?" He gasped. "Was it under the counter drugs?"
Shaking his head, Lucas rolled his eyes. "I just wasn't nervous. I knew I was doing exactly what I wanted." Shifting forward on his seat, he rested his elbows on his knees. "Listen, do you love Riley?"
"More than is quantifiable," he answered with a brisk certainty.
"And you would do anything to make her happy, right? You'll spend your whole life doing everything you can to be a good partner to her? Someone she can love and rely on and who'll support her through everything coming."
Farkle's brow furrowed. "Yes, absolutely."
"Then what's there to be scared of?" Lucas grinned. "This is a great day, Farkle. You're marrying the girl of your dreams."
"Not just my dreams, my reality too. Riley is the best parts of me. She's a whole person, her own person, but she's also my other half. And I don't know what I'd do without her. I… I don't want to know."
"Good. So…" Lucas stood and patted Farkle's shoulder encouragingly. "Marry her then."
"Right." Farkle nodded. "Okay. I… I'm going to be Mister Riley Matthews-Minkus."
Chuckling, Lucas nodded. "You sure are."
Smoothing out the lapels of his jacket, Farkle took a deep breath and turned. "I'm ready, he said decisively, and started toward the doors leading out into the church.
Lucas tucked his speech away in the pocket of his jacket and followed after him. Just as he stepped into the hall, he was met with the curious image of his own wife.
"Is he all right? He was acting a little strange."
"Doesn't he always?"
Maya snorted. "True." She took a step toward him then and reached up for his bow-tie, quickly putting it in order. "You ready, Huckleberry? Our best friends are officially tying the knot."
"Finally," he muttered.
Grinning, she smoothed out his tie and took a step back. "There. Perfect as ever."
Sliding an arm around her waist, he tugged her against his side and kissed the top of her head. "Hey, were you nervous on our wedding day?" he wondered.
Covering his hand against her hip, their wedding bands gently knocking together, she tipped her head back to look at him. "No. Why?"
He shook his head. "No cold feet or anything?"
"Nope." She shrugged. "I knew I was marrying my best friend… My cowboy… There was nothing to be scared about."
A slow grin pulled his mouth up and he nodded, leaning down to kiss her once, twice, and a third time before he said, "I love you."
"Love you too, ya sap." She bumped his side with her shoulder. "Now lets get these dorks hitched. I want cake."
Laughing, he happily let her drag him forward.
{end}