Not What He Was Expecting
If he were to describe the situation, he would say it was 'a complete mess'. But Feliks was not the type of person to give up. He was going to see this through and he was going to make sure that everything happened right. Which was going to happen. After all, Feliks had such natural talent for this! And he had Sadiq on his side, the man with all of the experience when it came to arranging things and weddings and all of that stuff.
...or at least he should have Sadiq on his side. If the other would just stop getting into arguments with one of the groom's (or bridegroom, Feliks was not certain whether that term was allowed to be applied to a man or not) grandfather. That was definitely the wrong man to be on the wrong side of for this event. Still, Sadiq seemed to have managed it and they were arguing about something that even Elizaveta agreed would not get done with the both of them going at it as they were (while Ludovicus, the strange man, watched from a corner and actually looked like he was being entertained). So the both of them tried to talk through it a bit more reasonably.
Of course, Feliks should have known that (in a wedding setting) Elizaveta would be unable to talk anything through reasonably as well.
"No, no, no! That totally won't do it at all!" he shook his head wildly and pulled it over again. "We have to seat Mangus over here. Mathias will throw a humongous fit otherwise."
"Mathias won't shut up if that's the case," Elizaveta sighed, shaking her own head.
Feliks opened his mouth to say something before he looked up at the ceiling. "Maddox! What are you, like, doing up there?"
"Finding the perfect angle," the man responded seriously as he continued to traverse the support beams. Feliks was not looking forward to the moment when Maddox fell down from there. Maddox may be good at balancing, but it was nerve wracking all the same.
"Sit him next to Tino, Tino by Berwald, Berwald by Hakon, and Hakon by Mangus..." Elizaveta was murmuring, tongue peeking out between her teeth as she scribbled that down.
"Eliza! That's just as bad! Like, seriously!" Feliks exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air.
"Tino will keep him and Berwald from fighting!"
"Nuh-uh!"
"Oh, is this the seating chart?" The both of them turned to see Antonio, as he picked up the list and glanced through it. "It's not done yet? I'll finish this up!"
"Antonio..." Elizaveta began, but Antonio had already gone to one of the chairs, scribbling away at the paper without any hesitation. "We... can check it over when he's done." Feliks frowned.
"I guess."
Elizaveta moved over to tell Sadiq and Marcus that it was settled (and that they could start arguing over something else now, honestly) and Feliks went out to get some air. Just for a few minutes before he had to go back inside and argue all of his points over and over and over... He just knew that when all of this was over he will have lost his voice. It was not a pleasing prospect.
He opened the door to step aside when he heard Natalia's voice.
"N-no?"
"No." And Ivan? Feliks could not believe it. Neither could he believe the next words that came out of Ivan's mouth. "He belongs vith Feliks. Leave him alone."
Natalia was glaring at Ivan. Glaring. Feliks was not certain what was more surprising, that or the words which had left Ivan's mouth. "What. Are. You. Talking. About. Brother?"
"I... you leave Toris alone," Ivan swallowed, having had taken a step backward.
Almost instantly, Natalia was screaming. At Ivan. Screaming. "Toris? This isn't about Toris! What do you care? I don't care about Toris! I don't care about Toris and I don't care about you! I did everything for you! Everything! Did you care? No! I just wanted my older brother to be my older brother! I just wanted that! But I don't care, not anymore! I don't care, I don't! Because you never wanted to be a big brother to your little sister!" She was starting to cry. "Of course, you'd be concerned about Toris. Feliks can have him, I don't care. I don't care. I don't..."
She was running away, but Feliks was still trying to understand what it was he had just witnessed. Natalia yelling at Ivan (something about him and Toris)? Natalia saying she did not care about her brother (he could have Toris)? Natalia running away from Ivan (what was with him and Toris)?
Ivan was worried about Natalia going after Toris? But Natalia was not... Because Feliks was going after Toris? No, no... he was not doing that. Because Toris was going after Feliks?
Feliks thought about that. He thought about it until it dawned on him exactly what that meant. Toris liked him? Liked? Oh. My. God.
He shut the door, pressing his back against it as he stared ahead of him. Toris? How had Feliks missed this? How was it that he had not noticed? Toris had been talking about Natalia lately and Feliks had thought that was just Toris having another crush that he was totally not going to do anything about, as Toris was just that type of guy. What if it was Toris trying to get Feliks jealous so that Feliks would do something? Would Toris really do something like that? It would not be the first time that Toris would do something strange just to get a reaction out of him, but...
Oh. My. Like. God.
"I kicked the both of them out, actually," Elizaveta was saying as she walked over. "Give the both of them a chance to cool down. The four of us should not be arguing so much (plus I think Ludovicus was almost laughing and that is so creepy)... we need to get our butts in gear for this wedding. What do you say to a truce... Feliks?"
Feliks stared at her. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He tried it again. Tell her what you heard. Tell her what's going on. Oh my God, you have to say something.
But he had no idea how to say it.
Notes:
Alfred does strange things because either a) he does not know it is strange or b) because he likes to make people laugh. Maddox does strange things to a) amuse himself and b) amuse himself. He is a bit more selfish like that.
For once Feliks is struck speechless. Totally does not happen often. At all. Like, ever.
I believe Ludovicus laughs (or is close to with his amusement) when Marcus finds himself on the short end of something. As long as Marcus is not dragging him down along with him, that is.
