Wedding Bells Are Ringing...And It's Almost Turkey Dinner

[manwithoutfear]

The ceremony itself is small and quick. The paperwork (what little of it there is) was filed earlier in the day, so by the time Ellen and I meet our officiant, the venerable Jamie Madrox, at the local church, there's not much left but to say our vows. Madrox wouldn't have been my first choice, but he's the only man I know to have a religious background, making the list of options fairly low. Regardless, the moment is sweet and understated, free of the drama my love life has historically entailed, and I let out a happy sigh of relief as I kiss Ellen for the first time as husband and wife.

The reception is a little more lively. With Thanksgiving right around the corner, it made sense to extend the invitation to anyone who wanted to drop by. There are tables and decorations (lost on me, but surely nice for the guests) set outside our newly renovated house, food and drink (plenty of water and juice for the bride), and enough wedding cake to go around. As long as I ignore Zeus chasing my heels, it's the perfect afternoon. A few friends, some good food, and the exciting promise of a good life?

For once it feels like I have plenty to be thankful for.

Open to all friends of Ellen and Matt, including students and any and all Marvels. Will be linked before the end of November.

Comments

[shewaswarned]

She'd been the one who'd asked for a short ceremony - mostly because she's having trouble standing for long periods of time without her back killing her. But she'd found a white dress, courtesy of the clothes box - it was like it had known she'd needed something perfect - and worn slippers on her swollen feet instead of high heels.

After the ceremony, she's sitting at one of the tables with her feet propped up, watching people mill around and chat. They'd extended the reception to everyone who wanted to stop by and celebrate with them - or just anyone who wanted to show up and eat. She's got a plate of food resting on her belly, occasionally picking up another piece to nibble from.

Zeus, of course, is there to gobble up anything she happens to drop on the ground.

[manwithoutfear]

I drop down next to Ellen, needing to execute a complicated little maneuver to avoid dripping over the damn dog before doing so. My smile is forced for all of a second before I catch the scent of her perfume, easing my mouth into a more natural grin as I press my lips to the warm skin of her neck.

"How are you, Mrs. Murdock?" I tease, snaking a hand to rest on the side of her belly.

[shewaswarned]

"Not bad at all, Mr. Murdock." She tilts her head slightly, enjoying the brief flutter that settles in her belly at the sensation of his warm lips against her neck. For a moment she's a little paranoid about the PDA, but they're newlyweds. They're allowed a few innocent kisses here and there.

"Just staying off my feet for now. Did you get something to eat?"

[manwithoutfear]

"Not yet," I admit, keeping my nose buried in her hair for a few more precious seconds before I pull back just enough to be polite in mixed company. "You want me to get you a piece of cake?"

[shewaswarned]

"Cake?" Her expression immediately brightens and she nods decisively, reaching up to gently run her fingertips along his jaw.

"Yes, please."

[manwithoutfear]

I chuckle a little, turning my head to press a kiss to her palm.

"Coming right up."

I don't take long, returning within a few minutes with servings for us both. I snag a chair with my foot, pulling it forward so I can sit down beside her.

"You wanna skip the part where we smush it in each other's faces?"

[shewaswarned]

"Aww, and here I was so looking forward to that part of the reception. Don't deprive me of the experience," she teases.

But she takes the plate from him with little more than a smile, cutting into the piece with her fork and humming a sigh after her first bite.

"Okay, who do I have to thank for this?"

[manwithoutfear]

"I'd love to take credit," I admit around my own mouthful, "but it's the work of the bakery."

Carefully, I cut off a small slice of my cake and pick it up between my fingers. "If you wanna take your chances with the cake-smush, though, I'll just remind you are married to a blind man."

[shewaswarned]

"Well, I can tell you right now, there's nothing in your way. No obstacles," she replies, cutting off a small piece of cake before gently pinching it between her fingers.

When she pushes it against his lips, she leans in to make it easier for him to find her mouth in answer.

[manwithoutfear]

I smile, keeping my mouth just wide enough for the cake to pass through before returning the favor. I meet more resistance on my end, an inch too far to the right and I snort a laugh in apology.

"Sorry--"

[shewaswarned]

She's laughing too hard to care, shoulders shaking with the force of it as he smashes the cake against the corner of her mouth. Her tongue snakes out to catch some frosting and the rest of it she swipes up with her fingers.

"If I didn't know any better," she replies, once she can breathe again, "I'd wonder if you did that on purpose."

[manwithoutfear]

"I did warn you!" I say, plucking one of the napkins I'd brought over to wipe off my fingers. Outside, it's more difficult to get a read on details without focusing, too much ambient noise around to distract.

"Here," I add, passing over a napkin before I crack up again.

[shewaswarned]

She's gotten most of the icing off by now from the mere application of her fingers against the corner of her mouth, but she dabs at the rest with a napkin, grinning slowly.

"I think you're supposed to smear it on my face anyway, so in that respect you were right on target," she adds.

[manwithoutfear]

I tongue at some icing leftover on my lip, grinning again.

"I wonder where that tradition comes from?" I think aloud. Truth be told, I haven't attended too many weddings. Shaking off the thought, I lift my head a little and smooth a hand down my chest to brush away any crumbs. "Icing free?"

[shewaswarned]

"Let me check."

She leans in under the guise of inspecting up close, taking advantage of the nearness to lean in and kiss him, her hand lightly coming to rest on his cheek.

"Yep. Totally icing-free."

[manwithoutfear]

With her still so close, it's hard not to steal another kiss, a sense of giddiness propelling me forward those few inches to press my mouth again to hers.

"Mm, good," I say, though whether I'm talking about the icing or her lips remains unsaid. "I love you."

[shewaswarned]

She keeps cupping his face lightly, giving it a fond pat before settling back in her chair again.

"I love you too," she murmurs, just loud enough so that she knows he'll hear the words.

[manwithoutfear]

I lean back in my chair, pushing the cake around my plate until I can scoop another piece back onto my fork.

"You know," I say, thoughtfully. "A lot of people back home would kill for an island wedding. If you think about it, we really lucked out."

[shewaswarned]

She brings her own plate to rest on the rising bump of her stomach. It makes a perfect resting spot these days.

"All amenities free?" she murmurs, grinning slowly. "It was perfect."

[daretodo]

I'm here. Of course I'm here. It would've been rude not to show. Hell, in some way, it's kind of good the usual Thanksgiving shindig isn't on Thanksgiving, because God knows I have some mixed feelings about that celebration here. The only family left to me is a clone from another universe. Not exactly the stuff dreams are made of. I look at Matt and his wife and his-- His baby on the way, though, and I have to think the guy stole my life.

Just stole my life right from under my nose. Because that was supposed to be me, yanno? Wife. Kids. Picket fence. Except all I have to my name is a dog the size of a pony I inherited from my best friend who vanished and an empty home. I don't have the right to be jealous. I know I don't. But there it is, anyway, that green-eyed monster lurking over my shoulder.

And I'm not talking about Bruce.

(God, even the Hulk has a better love-life than me. How's that for feeling low?)

I wish the happy couple the best, I do. I've grown out of my vindictive phase. But looking around this party, it becomes abundantly clear that I'll never have that. I'll never get this future. Even if Mary Jane comes back...

I don't know if I'm the man she fell in love with anymore.

Sighing, I put down my emptied glass and pinch the bridge of my nose.

"Happy Thanksgiving, all right."

[howmanylives]

We did it first. Layla and me. Last year. Ours was a little more spontaneous -- and it occurs to me in this moment that I have no idea what to do for our anniversary -- but still. A Thanksgiving wedding was our idea. Not that I officiated that one, granted... Although with the arrival of Old Delhi, that may have very well been possible. If only John Maddox were rattling somewhere in the back of my head still...

Though for his sake, it's probably for the best that he's not.

Wearing a collar had felt disingenuous -- he wasn't ordained, after all -- but that hadn't stopped Jamie from wearing all black to the ceremony and the reception after. Unfortunately, that meant the cake he'd just dropped down his shirt smeared very visible vanilla icing all down his front, sending him on a search for a napkin.

"Excuse me--"

[summerchild]

It was interesting to see another world's kind of wedding, where they pledged themselves in front of different gods that Bran didn't know. The important parts were the same, though, and that was what counted. There was a big party afterwards, too, which helped tremendously.

Bran was at the wedding cake and putting deep thought into just which slice to choose. Maybe he wanted the corner piece with the most sweet icing, even if it was almost too far away from him to reach.

[manwithoutfear]

I'm topping up my plate when I realize the cake is otherwise occupied. A smile hasn't been far from my face all day, but it widens when I realize who my company is.

"Have you tried a piece yet?" I ask Bran.

[summerchild]

He smiled up at Matt. "Not yet. Deciding what piece to get. It isn't like the cakes we had at home." Then remembering his good manners, he added. "It was a nice wedding. Congratulations. Your new bride's dress is very pretty."

[manwithoutfear]

"I'll take your word on it," I reply, though I don't him at all. It's only been a few months since island magic gifted me with my sight for a handful of days. I can still see Ellen's face, in dreams. She's beautiful.

"What sort of cakes did you have at home?"

[summerchild]

"Could you...touch it and try to imagine what it looks like?" Bran offered, though surely Matt has thought of it before. He was trying to be helpful, the way people could reach for things on shelves for him. "They don't have icing on them the same way," he says and seriously considers just taking an edge of icing to taste.

[manwithoutfear]

"I could and I have," I tell him through a smile. I've had my greedy paws all over that dress, though I've been discrete about it with the audience around. But that's not the type of conversation I should be having with a kid, regardless. I change the subject.

"Do they have icing at all?"

[summerchild]

"Not the kind you can make flowers out of," Bran said and then he did reach out and scoop an icing flower onto his finger then into his mouth. "Not any ice cream either. Even though it's colder at home."

[manwithoutfear]

"Well, with a name like Winterfell, I'd have to imagine," I say, shaking my head a little. "Was it always cold there?"

[summerchild]

"Not always like cold like it was beyond the Wall, where there is always snow, but colder than here."  Even on the warmest days you always needed a sturdy quilt at night. "There were summer snows, but our seasons are different at home."