PROMPT: Emily and Toby join forces to stop Spencer's wedding with Wren
A/N: Added some Jason stuff too because I love him so damn much.
Speak Now Or Forever Hold Your Peace
Today is the big day: my bestie is getting married! You are going to make such a beautiful bride, Spencer!
He released a guttural noise of disapproval as he happened upon Aria's Facebook status, shoving his phone unceremoniously in his pocket to put it out of mind. Browsing the website brought him nothing but pain and frustration, no matter how fanatically he wished for the contrary. He never used to care about what his former peers were posting; he could give two shits about Noel Kahn's constant partying and Kate Randall's photo play-by-play of the diet she was embarking on. He had never bothered with Facebook when it first became a trend, and he certainly didn't want to be any more involved in it now.
But somewhere in the span of the past year, he had gotten accustomed to the terrible habit of picking apart particular updates with a fine-toothed comb. The moment he had seen Spencer's relationship status change to 'engaged,' he had become what would most assuredly be considered a certified stalker. He kept a close eye on her page, as well as the pages of her friends. If asked, he would be required to shamefully admit that he could more or less commentate the entire wedding planning experience, right down to the day she bought her dress.
Yet he had never been able to bring himself to say a single word to her since it had happened. Not so much as a text or a friendly wall post. For all she knew, he hadn't the faintest idea what today meant to her.
But as the storm brewing in his heart could testify, he had been privy to more than he was willing to confess. He had spent the better part of the last several months praying that time would slow down and give him a chance to move on before the fateful day arrived. Some piece of him had been foolishly resistant to accepting it as a reality, consistently hoping that some unconquerable circumstance would foil her plans for holy matrimony. That perhaps she would come to her senses and call the whole thing off. That maybe Wren would come out of the closet or sustain an incurable bout of amnesia.
But fate had not been kind enough to oblige him. And now the time had come – and instead of being the one with the boutonniere on his lapel, he was the creepy asshole staking out the back door.
As if on cue, it swung open, revealing a panic-stricken blond-haired man in a staunchly ironed tuxedo.
"It's about time," Toby grumbled, stepping quickly past him and into the back hallway of the church.
"I'm sorry," Jason hissed. "My dad and Veronica are guarding the front door like harpies, and I had to make sure it cleared out back here so that you had a bit of cover."
"It's fine, there's still time," said Toby brashly. He instinctively ducked behind a wall outcropping as Aria came hurdling out of the dressing room, her lilac-colored gown flowing wildly behind her.
Jason stood rigid, his mouth pressed into a thin line of irritation. "For the record, I think this is a terrible idea."
Toby did not reply. Instead he straightened his suit coat and looked surreptitiously over each shoulder before heading for his destination once more.
"Have you talked to Emily?"
"Yeah," Jason said dejectedly. "She said she'd take care of the girls. Aria's probably heading to prevent some fake emergency right now."
"And Hanna?"
"Last I saw her, she was trying to find Spencer's bouquet. Which I hid in the broom closet upstairs."
"So it's just Emily and Spencer left?" Toby asked eagerly.
Jason paused for a beat before nodding. He paused at the door to the dressing room, studiously assessing Toby with his pale sea-green eyes.
"I hope you know what you're doing," he said earnestly. "Because if I find out I ruined my sister's wedding day for nothing…"
"Hey – I know what I'm doing," Toby confirmed, clapping Jason on the shoulder. "I just…I can't let her go through with it without knowing how I feel."
The elder sighed heavily, but some degree of uncertainty seemed to dissolve from his expression. He raised a knuckle to rap lightly at the door.
"Emily, your mom needs you," he called. With that, he took a step back and offered Toby a short nod. "All right, man. It's up to you from here on out."
"Thanks, Jason," Toby said gratefully. "I'd say that I'll let you know how it goes, but…"
"But I'll know either way in about ten minutes," Jason chuckled darkly, walking backwards slowly to return to the main hall. "I'm gonna go make sure her mom stays occupied."
Spencer's older brother had just disappeared from view when the door flew open, a very harried Emily scurrying out and shutting it discreetly behind her. It took him a moment to recognize her, if he was being honest. Her black hair was pulled up into a sleek ponytail of curls, she was wearing more makeup than he had perhaps ever seen her in, and the lavender tone of the satin gown countered her complexion in a way that gave her the illusion of being more tan than she already was.
"Hey, Em, you look nice," he offered kindly.
She scoffed impatiently, taking him by the wrist to yank him a few feet away from the door. When she turned to him, her dark eyes were blazing with a panicked intensity.
"Are you sure about this?" she whispered suspiciously, her gaze flickering toward the main hall to ensure that no one was coming their way.
He took both of her hands in his, raising them into the air between their bodies and shaking them gently with a confident fervor.
"I've never been more sure about anything in my life."
Her expression softened at this, a somber sort of smile teasing her glossy lips. She squeezed his hands in a way that gave him the distinct impression that she was attempting to send him positive vibes.
"I'll watch the door," she said quietly.
He raised her hands to his lips to quickly kiss them with appreciation, sprinting back toward the dressing room. In the pause that it took him to gather his bearings, he chanced one last glance at her. She nodded reassuringly.
He inhaled deeply, took the knob in his hand, and pulled it open.
"Please, please tell me someone found my – "
She turned to face him, and the world stopped.
"…bouquet."
She was a vision of exquisite perfection. The immaculate white hue of her gown was complementary to her porcelain skin, and she appeared to be emitting an ethereal glow all her own. The bodice hugged her lithe frame in all the right places, pressing her breasts into a tasteful curvature above the top hem. Her hair had been tousled by a curling iron, long curtains of ringlets framing the delicate planes of her face. As she stepped hesitantly forward he saw that the dress pooled into a long train that extended out behind her, giving the illusion that she was a weightless goddess gliding effortlessly across the floor.
It took him a moment to find his voice. And even when he did, it was difficult to speak past the emotional lump lodged in his throat.
"You look beautiful, Spence," he breathed.
She pressed her scarlet lips together uncertainly. "Toby, what are you doing here?"
"I had to see you," he said quickly. "To tell you that you're making a huge mistake."
She sighed with what could only be considered polite impatience, her face scrunching up in sadness. It was a morbid thing to think, but he was somehow uplifted at the realization that seeing him was just as painful for her as it was for him.
"Now?" she asked hoarsely. "You've come to tell me that now?"
He took a step toward her, wrapping her trembling hands into his.
"I'm sorry it took me so long. I'm so, so sorry."
Her eyes were glistening with incoming tears, and she diverted her gaze to the floor.
"You can't do this to me," she whimpered. "You had months to make a move – you had a chance – but you didn't say anything. And I just…I thought…if you had moved on, then…"
"No," he interrupted firmly, his fingers sliding across the curve of her jaw. "I haven't moved on. I've never moved on. I didn't say anything sooner because I didn't want to put you in that position."
"So you pick now?" she scoffed bitterly. "Toby, I know that timing wasn't always your strong suit, but this breaks records!"
"I know," he said shakily. "And I've been arguing with myself for weeks about whether I wanted to do the selfish thing – whether I wanted to tell you how I feel."
A stray tear escaped from beneath her eyelashes, cascading down her pronounced cheekbone. Instinctively, he brushed it away with the pad of his thumb.
"I – I didn't know what else to do. I thought you didn't want anything to do with me. And then – then my parents…they love Wren…and I just…" She inhaled sharply, trying to catch her breath. "I wanted you to do the selfish thing. I wanted you to tell me I was wrong. That you still wanted to be with me."
"I do," he breathed, fighting to ignore the stinging in the corners of his eyes. He pressed his lips to her forehead – to her cheeks – her nose, her chin – anywhere that could be deemed chivalrous territory right now – with such fervor that it caused her to sob quietly. "I love you. I love you more than anything in this world, Spencer Hastings, and I can't stand the idea of you spending your life with someone who isn't me."
She brought a shaky hand to her mouth, her eyes squeezed shut as if to close off the floodgates. It caused him literal physical pain to see her in such a state, but he continued.
"I know that you love me, too," he whispered, and he found this his voice was raspy with the threat of tears. "I know you do."
"Of course I do," she wailed softly. "But I love Wren, too."
It felt as though someone were squeezing his heart precariously in hand, ready to smash it into oblivion. Regardless, he pushed on.
"Do you love him more than you love me?" he asked quietly, his voice breaking. The prospective answer terrified him to his very core, but he had to know. "If you tell me you do, I'll walk away. I'll walk away and we'll pretend this never happened. And you can go on with your life."
She brought her eyes to his, and the candor in their chocolate depths made his soul ache with sorrow. Her face began to swim out of focus as the moisture collected in his line of vision, and he soon felt warm droplets dribbling down his chin.
"I could never love anyone more than I love you," she said, her words punctuated by involuntary sobs. "I love Wren, but it isn't the same. It's – it's security, and comfort. It isn't passionate or unpredictable like it was with you. He doesn't give me butterflies. He doesn't make me weak in the knees when he kisses me. Nobody ever has – nobody except for you."
And suddenly, he didn't care if it wasn't appropriate. He smashed his lips onto hers with unprecedented hunger, sliding his hands around to the small of her back and pulling him more tightly against his frame. She responded with equal enthusiasm, moaning quietly into his mouth as he darted his tongue across hers. Her hands were wrapping around the back of his neck, her nails fishing into his hair and scratching at his scalp in a manner that had always been utterly debilitating.
When he pulled away they both inhaled deeply, fighting to catch their breath. There were tearstains coursing down her face, spreading lines across her once flawless makeup.
But if possible, she was more beautiful than she had been the moment he stepped through the door.
He pressed his forehead against hers, his azure eyes darting back and forth between hers.
"Marry me," he pleaded quietly. "Come with me and I'll take you anywhere you want to go. Vegas – the courthouse – anywhere."
She laughed in amused surprise, her mouth spreading into a wide smile.
"Toby…"
"I'm serious," he said with fiery conviction. "I swear, Spencer, I'll marry you today. It should have been me this whole time. And I should have been smart enough to realize that months ago."
Her smile faltered in slight as his meaning began to sink in, and suddenly she inhaled sharply as if she had forgotten to breathe.
"You're serious?"
"As a heart attack," he murmured. "You're my world. And if you'll have me – if you'll take me back – I'll never make you wait for me again."
Her eyes were blazing with intensity as her face slowly began to light up. And then, at long last, she shook her head emphatically.
"I don't want to wait, either."
His heart swelled to twice its size, and it seemed so cramped in his ribcage that it was somehow satisfyingly painful. He was pulling her in for another kiss, lifting her clear off her feet, when the door swung open.
"I finally found – oh, my God."
It was Hanna and Aria, with a frenzied Emily stumbling up frantically behind them, an expression of sorrowful apology on her face.
"I – your bouquet," Hanna mumbled pathetically, pointing to it with her free hand.
"I won't be needing it," Spencer declared with newfound confidence. "I'm leaving."
There was a beat. And then Hanna's loud whooshing exhale broke the silence.
"Thank God," she muttered. "I thought I was going to have to spend the rest of my life doting on tiny British godchildren."
Emily smiled at him from behind the girls, and he returned the hopeful gaze.
Aria was grinning widely, her hands clasped in front of her mouth with giddy excitement.
"You have no idea how long I've been waiting for you to get your act together," she told Toby brashly.
He exchanged a look with Spencer, who seemed just as delightfully surprised as him.
"Oh, I'm so happy for you!" Hanna cooed. Toby was being pushed unceremoniously out of the way as the three girls crowded Spencer into a group hug, laughing tearfully at the twist of fate.
He didn't quite understand women.
"Caleb owes me twenty bucks," Hanna said in a muffled voice from somewhere in the depths of the huddle. The girls shared a laugh, and Toby could not help but chuckle a bit himself.
"All right," Spencer announced after a beat, pulling back and taking a deep breath. "What's the most polite way to cancel a wedding?"