I glanced at my best friend fidgeting in his seat in the back of the car. I couldn't help but laugh a little and he glared at me "What?"
"Nothing, Sollux. You're just so nervous I can't help but laugh." He glared at me again and I laughed again. "Your menacing glare doesn't work Sollux." I could barely see his eyes though the stupid glasses he still wears, 13 years later. He looked terrified, but I knew he'd be alright.
"Ugh. I'm tho nervouth," he said, leaning his head back "Maybe thith wath a bad idea."
"Why?" I asked.
"I'm getting married, what do you think KK?" I smiled at him.
"You're 29. I did it when I was 24. You'll be fine," I said, rolling my eyes. "Trust me." He glared at me again for mocking him.
"You were crazy doing it at 24."
"Whatever. We'd known each other since like first grade. I think we were ready." He sighed again. Terezi was in a different car with Feferi who hopefully was not freaking out so much about getting married. The light turned red so I stopped.
"I'm just not thure if I thould do this."
"Sollux," I said, turning around again to face him, "you'll be fine. Trust me. She loves you."
"I know, I know. Just maybe today wath a bad choithe."
"No, today was the perfect day." I stared out the window. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the sun was shining. "Again, just trust me."
"Something sad, something happy." He said quietly. The light turned green and I kept going. Sollux wanted to drive and I had to force him into the back seat. No way could he drive today. We were quiet until we reached the church.
"Come on, let's get ready," I said, getting out of the car. He nodded. "Wow you're even more nervous then I was."
"That'th cauthe you never get nervouth," he said.
"What? No I was nervous. I thought...well I don't know what I thought but I thought something was going to happen, something was bound to go wrong. Nothing did, though, did it? You'll be fine."
"Nothing did, you're right," he mumbled. He got out of the car and we walked into the church to get ready. Before we knew it the ceremony was about to start.
"Good luck," I said smiling "You'll be fine. Wait Sollux!" he turned around and I walked over to him and took off his glasses.
"Ah! KK!" I looked into his eyes. One was green while the other was blue. Calico. I smiled and held the glasses away. "Theriously KK, give them!" I'd never once seen his eyes before. I let that sink in for a second. They were actually cool and I don't know why he always wore those stupid glasses.
"Does Feferi know what they look like? I asked.
"Yeah, I thowed her. A while ago actually. I thtill want them." He said, reaching at me.
"Not today Sollux. Just this time go and show her how much this means to you. So much you'll take off your glasses."
He sighed. "Fine." Then he left because it was almost his time to go down. I placed his glasses on the ground and hoped he didn't find them.
I was the Best Man and Terezi was the Maid of Honor. Soon Sollux walked down the aisle and I followed with Terezi, then Feferi who looked beautiful in her wedding dress. She handed the flowers to Terezi who took them, smiling.
"We are gathered here today," the pastor said, "to celebrate the marriage of Sollux Captor and Feferi Peixes." He continued to preach, or in my mind lecture, about marriage. Then he turned to Sollux. "Sollux will you have this woman to be your wife, to love her, to comfort her, honor and keep her, forsaking all others, as long as you both shall live?"
Sollux nodded "Yes." I noticed how he didn't lisp.
He then turned to Feferi. "Feferi will you have this man to be your husband, to love him, to comfort him, honor and keep him, forsaking all others, as long as you both shall live?"
She nodded, blushing, "Yes."
The pastor nodded. "Now Sollux repeat after me. 'I, Sollux Tristan Captor,"
"I, Thollux Trithtan Captor"
"Take you, Feferi River Peixes,"
"Take you, Feferi River Peixeth,"
"To be my wedded wife,"
"To be my wedded wife,"
"To have and to hold,"
"To have and to hold,"
"For better or for worse,"
"For better or for worthe," I admit, his lisp made this 10 times better.
"For richer or for poorer,"
"For richer or for poorer,"
"To love and cherish from this day forward."
"To love and cherith from thith day forward."
He turned to Feferi "I, Feferi River Peixes..."
"With this ring, I thee wed," Sollux said, putting the ring on Feferi's finger.
"With this ring, I thee wed," she said, doing the same to him and smiling.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife," he paused, most likely for dramatic effect. "You may kiss the bride." Sollux and leaned in and kissed her, then dipped her like in all the best rom com's I've watched. Then they parted, smiling and blushing.
We then went to the reception. I couldn't stay the whole time since I had something to do, but I could at least be there for them for a while. I stood next to Terezi as Feferi and Sollux started the first dance. I had to sort of teach Sollux how to dance because he didn't even know how and it was kind of funny watching him learn. Soon I took Terezi's hand and led her to the dance floor and we started dancing, me smiling, her full of concentration. I had also had to teach Terezi how to dance, several times. Once when we were young for when Dave had asked her to the school dance and a few weeks before our own wedding. She stepped on my foot and I smiled.
"Sorry Karkles. How did you learn to dance so well?" she said, trying to avoid stepping on me again.
I shrugged, "They dance a lot in rom coms."
"Still doesn't explain how you can dance so well." She stepped on my foot again. "Ugh! Sorry."
"Terezi, you're blind. You don't have to be sorry for stepping on my foot while dancing," I said, rolling my eyes. We continued dancing for a bit, then Terezi said she wanted to stop and I rolled my eyes again and said sure. She went and got lost in the crowd and I sighed and saw Feferi and Sollux and decided to go talk to them. I walked over to them, then stopped. I could hear them talking and thought maybe I shouldn't interfere.
"Hey FF?" Sollux asked.
"Yes Sollux?" she asked smiling. He moved closer to her and interlocked their hands.
He sighed, then smiled, "I'm tho thorry."
"Sollux," she said, "you know you still don't have to do that."
"I promithed I'd thay it every day until you died. Every day."
"Sollux, you know I've forgiven you. I did a long time ago," she said smiling. "You don't have to be sorry anymore."
"Yeth I do. I'm still tho thorry for everything." He placed his other hand on her shoulder. "I'll always be thorry.
"Ok. As long as you know I forgive you."
He smiled. "Thanks FF." He gently kissed her and she smiled back. I walked away. Sollux always said he was horrible at romance. Sollux was a liar.
I ended up walking over to the table with all the wedding gifts. I looked at the one Terezi and I had given them. Two scale mates, one yellow with a dark pink stomach, the other one reversed, but with green eyes. There was also something else. A tile with a poorly drawn Sollux and Feferi, a heart drawn around them. It had been odd getting that. I had gone to the biggest apartment complex in town and knocked on room 33. Much to my relief Meulin answered, shocked to see me.
"Karkat! Why are you here?" she spoke really loud because she was deaf.
"Hey Meulin. Um, can I go into Nepeta's room?" she looked shocked yet she nodded. I heard she had married Kurloz. I went into Nepeta's room, which seemed untouched since her death. I sighed and walked over to her shipping wall and looked at it for a bit. I didn't know how long I sat there, looking at all her ships, from friendship to hatred to love. I also didn't know how long Meulin was standing in the doorway behind me. She moved a bit and I heard her and turned around. She was messing with a hearing aid she had in.
"You can take it. All of her legendary shipping wall. I've spent too much time staring at it. I know the order it's all in." She closed her eyes, "Eridan and Feferi, Aradia and Equius, Sollux and Feferi, Tavros and Gamzee…" she trailed off, "and you two are in the middle." She looked at me "Honestly Karkat if you want it, you can have it."
I looked at her, "Really?" She nodded. The plaques weren't attached too tightly to the wall so I took them off and placed them in a box in my closet, next to the box with all my old birthday presents. I took them out every once in a while and looked at them along with my birthday presents. I'd look at the scrapbook, including all the pictures Terezi and I had added. I took the tile of me and her, fully colored, OTP written underneath our picture which was better drawn then the other drawings, and placed it on her grave. Sometimes I go and make sure it's still there. It is.
Also in their gift there was a bottle of grape Faygo. I looked at it for a while then walked away. I found the flower girl in the crowd of people.
"Hey daddy," she squealed, smiling.
"Hey sweetie," I said. "You did great."
"Thanks!" she certainly had the best qualities of both me and Terezi. She was tall for her age, had short brown hair and was always happy. I was so glad she wasn't blind like Terezi, but even if she was I was sure she could get by.
"Let's go find Sollux," I said. She smiled and followed me though the crowd. We found the newlywed couple and she ran up to say hello.
"Hey Aunt Feferi. You look beautiful."
"Oh thanks sweetie. You did a great job," Feferi said smiling and hugging her. I could tell how giddy Feferi was.
"Thank you!" my daughter said. It was funny how she called Feferi her aunt but I'm sure they didn't care. I know I didn't.
"We might have to leave kind of early. I promised Kankri we'd go visit him tonight."
"That'th fine," Sollux said. "Pluth I know what elthe you have to do."
"I'm pretty sure Kankri's here somewhere."
Sollux shrugged "Somewhere."
"I can't wait to see Aunt Latula," my daughter said. "It's been forever."
"Why don't you go find mom?" I said and she nodded and ran off. She was only five and I loved her to death. She was the most important thing in my life.
"And you thought you were gonna be a horrible dad." Sollux said, smiling.
"And you thought this was going to be a bad wedding." Sollux nodded.
"It's such a shame Tavros couldn't come. I was so excited to see his new legs!" Feferi said, genuinely sad. She and Tavros were close now but he was still recovering from his surgery and couldn't come.
"I haven't seen him in a while. Isn't he dating someone again? Like a girl?" I asked. Feferi rolled her eyes.
"Yes he is. He says she's the only girl he's ever felt an emotional attraction to. Remember Jade from back in high school? It's her. They met up again in college."
"It'th not going to work out. At all."
"Sollux!" Feferi said, elbowing him genially "Don't say that! I personally think they're adorable together. Nepeta would have shipped them so hard." She suddenly stopped short and looked at me, afraid she set me off or something. I didn't do anything.
"I guess we'll have to wait and see." I said with a shrug. "It's time for Tavros to decided how gay he really is." Feferi laughed and Sollux snickered.
"I jutht find it hard to believe he'd date anyone who ever had a cruth on Dave Thtrider."
"Well he did have a crush on Vriska before, but I agree, it's not working out."
"Guys! You're sounding like teenage girls! Geez."
"Whatever," I said. "Congratulation guys. I'm going to go find Terezi." Time passed as I walked around aimlessly, talking to people I knew. After a while I noticed Feferi wasn't with Sollux. I saw her walking over to a guest in the corner. Instinct took over and I walked near them to see who she was talking to.
"Hey Fef."
"Hey Eridan."
"I didn't think you'd invvite me."
"I didn't think you'd come."
I could see him only a little. He hadn't changed much. Same hipster glasses, same dumb hair, but something seemed older. "WWell, I felt like I had to, Fef. Remember those promises wwe made in fifth grade? That wwe had to go to each others wweddings?" I could see her smile a bit "At the time I thought I'd only need to go to one. Noww you're married to Sol, someone I hated my wwhole life and I can honestly say I'm happy for you. You wwouldn't havve been happy wwith me."
"Thank you Eridan. What has life been like for you since high school?"
He shrugged. "Boring. I wwent out wwith Vriska for a bit but that failed. Not much really. I wwent to college and stuff."
"Oh." Feferi said.
"Fef," he said, turning towards her, "I knoww it's too late to say sorry."
"Much too late."
"Yeah, but I'm saying it anyway. I'm sorry Fef."
"OK Eridan. I'm still mad. I'll always be mad." She softened a bit. "I'm less mad though." He seemed relieved.
"Thanks Fef. I'vve missed you."
"I've missed you too."
"You look beautiful tonight."
"Thank you." Suddenly she turned, "I think we're having cake now."
"Alright. Maybe I should leavve."
"Do what you want."
"Yeah I'll go noww that wwe'vve talked. Bye Fef."
She went over and hugged him "Bye Eridan. Oh and by the way, whenever you get married, call me and I'll be there," then she walked away.
Time passed and we had cake and then I realized it was late. I had somewhere to be. I found Terezi in the crowd talking with our daughter.
"Hey Terezi," I said walking over to her.
"Hey Karkles!" she said "It's a nice wedding isn't it. Not that I can tell." I rolled my eyes, thought it was nice to hear her make jokes. She'd been stressed lately because she was studying for the bar exam.
"You rolled your eyes didn't you? That would be just like you! I can sense it." I rolled my eyes and kissed her on the cheek.
"Terezi, I think it's time for me to go. I'll meet you at Kankri's house later."
"Can I go with daddy?" my daughter squeaked.
"You should take her." Terezi said. We hadn't explained what had happened yet to her. I mean, she was only five.
"OK. We have a bit of a walk honey."
"OK," she said, and followed me out into the fresh evening air. I looked at her for a second and thought for the millionth time she looked nothing like me. Her hair was brown and she had blue eyes, which was weird because neither Terezi nor I had blue eyes. She was wearing a white and red dress she'd picked out with Feferi and Terezi a long time ago. She was also wearing a red and pink scarf I had given her. One that hadn't been worn by anyone for years. The last time someone wore it we had gone to the movies, and the girl who wore it asked me halfway through if I was crying. And I looked at her and thought she was beautiful.
That was a long time ago.
The graveyard wasn't that far away and she kept running up ahead and coming back. Before I knew it we were up on top of the hill, the place I always went on this day. I sat in between Gamzee's and Nepeta's graves, like always. Now this day had double meanings. A marriage and several deaths. I should be happy and sad, and that was what I was feeling. I sat there and closed my eyes. The grass had grown over those letters I had written and I was glad for that. My daughter sat next to me at first then left and returned with wild flowers she had picked from the forest. She rested some on each grave. I had a strange thought...if Nepeta hadn't died, the little girl in front of me would never have existed. She sat down and leaned on me, and we sat there for a few minutes in silence. Then I realized that I had finally achieved what I had wanted since all those years ago. We were OK. Everything was perfect. I had made it perfect. I sighed and looked at the little girl leaning on me.
"Come on Nepeta, it's time to go home."
"When violet eyes get brighter and heavy wings grow lighter I'll taste the sky and feel alive again. I'll forget the world that I knew, but I swear I won't forget you. Oh, if my voice could reach back through the past, I'd whisper in your ear.
Oh darling, I wish you were here."
-Owl City, Vanilla Twilight