A/N: ok this is pretty lazy and random but i love these two. Also, I know nothing, I made the thing about the ring up and I'm pretty sure you have to sign a license AT city hall but its my story and i can do whatever i want heyehehheeheh
im so tired. Have mercy on me.
"You can't get married without a ring."
It was late November; the air was brisk and came in short wheezes of sharp cold, reddening the cheeks and noses of pedestrians as they walked the streets of the small city.
It was just a train ride away from Skid Row, where the sun shone a little brighter and the buildings bustled with the daily bustle of the working class. The structures stood tall with the dignity of buildings that people bothered to redo and clean every once and a while. Very unlike Skid Row. Very.
The air smelled just a bit cleaner and was carried with occasional bird chirps, happy little beings that sung perched from electrical wires that strung high along the sidewalks. White sidewalks, adjacent to subways and busy streets, that were walked on by crowds of busy people.
And down one of those busy streets, to the right of Luigi's Pizza, was the Nightstay, a clean little hotel.
And inside the clean little hotel, a room had been rented out for three days by two young adults who showed up late at night tattered, covered in ash, and strangely enough wearing wedding attire. The staff became wary of them.
But they left that morning in two different directions by two different subway trains. The girl, a thin blonde with a notable speech impediment, went North, while the boy, with a head of curly brown hair and a lopsided smile, went East.
Because apparently, you can't get married without a license.
Or a ring.
"A ring?" Seymour repeated indefinitely. It wasn't a crime, he had the money, and Audrey did deserve it. After all, he did propose in a blabbering mess of words just a night before, maybe redoing it wasn't such a bad idea.
"Yep." The man at the counter popped the "p". "You need something to seal the vows, ceremony or not. I don't care if you tie licorice around her hand, sir, you just need a ring."
Sir. That was an interesting change.
"We're new up here," Seymour began, taking the manila folder of papers before finishing. "Where do you suppose I'd find a jeweler?"
—
Inside of Raymond's Jewelers was an analog clock above the glass door. Seymour clicked his tongue— he promised Audrey he'd be back at the hotel before five and he didn't want to make her worry. He had two hours to grab the ring and get back.
But which one would he pick?
The engagement rings were lined in the display case of the far right. Along rows and rows of identical diamonds cut in slightly different patterns, sat a silver band with a square-cut holder. Inside was a diamond of the prettiest shade of green Seymour had ever laid his eyes on.
"That one, please." He said with a smile brighter than any jewel in the case.
"She like green or somethin'?" Asked the jeweler. "Tha's an odd pick."
"Yeah," Seymour said. "I think so."
—
Seymour stared at the diamond in the box as he sat on the edge of the bed. For some reason, his chest constricted and his hands became clammy. She wouldn't say no, she literally can't say no. She already said yes. She can't go back. But what if she thinks the ring is too much? What if the green tinted diamonds are tacky? What if it was a one time decision and she had second thoughts so she left the hotel and decided to never come back and Seymour would spend his life without the only person he's ever loved and everything would be horrible and—
"Hiya, Sweetheart." Came her sweet voice as she closed the hotel door behind her. In the crook of her right elbow she carried two garment bags. "Wanna see ya suit?"
"Of course." He shoved the box in his pocket. Audrey tossed a garment bag onto the bed and held the other one up, unzipping it.
It was pretty much exactly the same, dark blue, just not as torn and ashed. Audrey smiled and zipped it closed. "I was able to find near exact replicas. Even my dress." He reached for the zipper on the other garment bag but she grabbed his hand. "Hey, that's bad luck!"
"I almost watched the love of my life die in my arms in that dress, how much worse luck can it bring me?"
Audrey giggled. She took both bags and hung them up in the tiny closet, before sighing and resting her hands on her hips. "How was your day?"
"It was alright. Things are slow at City Hall, but I got the license."
Audrey clapped gleefully. He splayed the papers out on the little wooden desk in the corner and stood back as Audrey signed the paper. She handed it back to him.
"Elise?" He read her middle name aloud, squinting at the paper. "Pretty."
She shuffled to the window and drew the curtains for better light. He watched her crouch by the record player and open the cabinet underneath, drawing a record that was vaguely familiar to her. She slid it out and into the machine, setting the needle down diligently.
"We oughta worry about dinna' soon." She thought aloud, noticing the shift of light outside.
Soft music filled the room. Audrey hummed along gently. Seymour grinned. This perfect human being was his. Would be his. May be his. Was his? Will be? Almost. He tried to imagine that 'Audrey Elise' signed next to a 'Krelborn'. It made his heart warm.
Before he knew he was daydreaming, he was snapped back into reality by her hands on his shoulders. Quickly, Seymour adjusted and rested his hands awkwardly on her waist. She laughed her giddy, bubbly laugh and pressed her forehead to his. Intoxicating. Every inch of her. Her voice, her laugh, her sweet smile and sweet perfume. Her lips as she pressed them to his and let her nails graze his shoulders carefully, moving up his neck and into his hair. Seymour smiled, pulling away to breathe and say, "Hey, Audrey?"
"Yeah, Seymour?"
"You.. uh.. you mean a lot to me, ya know. Really. From the moment I met ya I was in love and I knew it. Without you, I-I'd be insane! I'm insane with you, too. You're everything to me. I really regret rushing the proposal last night. I put ya under pressure.. a- and it wasn't what you deserved... I just think it's only fair, fair to you, that I do this right."
The color drained from her cheeks. "Oh, Seymour, you're not breaking up with me are you?"
"No! No, no. No. Of course not— no." He took both of her hands in his. "I wanted to do this right, not rushed." He bent onto a knee and pulled the tiny box out of his pocket. "Audrey, lovely, lovely, Audrey. Will you... confirm.. that you're marrying me?"
—
She laughed.
She actually choked out a laugh and cooed over how beautiful the ring was. And then she laughed again, because he already asked her and she already said yes, and then she teared up because of his words. She let him slip the ring onto her finger, cooed over it's beauty again, cooed over how sweet Seymour was, and then kissed him.
They went down to Luigi's pizza for dinner and then returned around 7. Audrey picked up the hotel's phone, dropped a quarter in, and dialed.
"What you want?"
"Hey Crystal, it's Audrey. Sorry it's an odd time to call."
"Oh, Girl, thank goodness! We was worried sick since the shop collapsed! Is Seymour okay? The police was here and they didn't find a body."
"Seymour's fine, he's here with me."
"Oooh." She cooed. "Someone's gettin' it on."
Audrey rolled her eyes. "Actually on that note, how short of notice can I get you three?"
"How short we talkin'?"
"Saturday."
Crystal laughed. "The hell kinda gig you havin' tomorrow that you need us for?"
"I need bridesmaids, cause ya see," said Audrey. "We're getting married."
"You're gettin-" Crystal laughed, pressing the receiver to her chest. "Ladies! Audrey and Seymour are gettin' married!" Then, back to Audrey, "You sure didn't waste no time."
"Why wait? I know I wanna be with him foreva'."
"Who was right? We was right. Talkin' 'I could never be Seymour's girl. Seymour don't like me.'" Crystal mimicked. "Bull. I knew it from the start."
Audrey laughed. "Do you girls have matching dresses?"
"Somewhere. You got a color preference, Honey?"
"Nope. Anything works. Thank you."
"Thank you! Married. My girl's gettin' married."
They hung up the phone. Audrey sighed out, a small smile curving on her lips. Everything was perfect.
Who needs a family or a reception to get married, anyway?
—
3 photos were taken of their wedding.
One was a candid of the moment they kissed, the other was a photo of their embrace afterward. Those were taken with the remaining film in Chiffon's camera.
The last was a photo of all five of them taken by City Hall. Audrey kept it in her purse, beside three of her favorite flowers from her bouquet. The rest of the bouquet was thrown to Crystal, since she was the youngest.
The little blue car Seymour had rented bumped down the streets and the couple in question sat, smiling, with hands clasped together. Audrey turned her head.
"So, we goin' back to the hotel?"
"Nope, I checked us out this mornin'." Seymour grinned.
"Oh? Well, where're we going?"
"It's a surprise."
The car would bump for another ten minutes before Audrey became restless. "Seymour, where're we goin'?"
"Home," he finally finished. She understood once he had driven off the interstate and onto a little street.
Audrey gasped. "Seymour!"
Her eyes lit up at the rows of neat little houses. One after the other, exactly alike. He stopped in front of one of a bright blue color with a rust colored roof. She practically threw the car door open.
In the lawn, a sign poked out of the ground with the words "FOR SALE" covered by a card that read "SOLD". Seymour held out his hand for Audrey to take, walking her up to the fence gate and letting her in. He watched as she ran up the green lawn, her skirts gathered in her hands. In awe, she turned around and held her arms out to him. He ran forward as well, right up to the door which he unlocked with the key in his pocket.
The wallpaper, the floors, the smell of Pine-sol— it was heaven for Audrey.
She turned back toward her husband and wrapped her arms around him, holding one another for as long as time would allow. She pressed her lips to his cheek and whispered.
"Thank you, Seymour. It's all I could ever possibly dream of."
"You're all I could ever possibly dream of, Aud."
And as the sun set in the West, and the neighbors looked out their windows to see who just moved in next door, and as their one, solitary suitcase of valuables stayed in the trunk of the car forgotten, they shared a kiss. The first of many to mark the beginning of their new life together.
fin.