You would think after smiling for a thousand pictures my face would begin to hurt, and you'd be right. Luckily, wedding pictures have a lot of "candid" cute ones! Posing with and looking lovingly at Gene was a bit awkward in front of our photographer, but they're probably used to it. I didn't exactly have to try to have stars in my eyes looking at my husband! It's just...PDA, y'know? Bleugh. The group photos weren't too bad, either! My smiles came from a combination of genuine joy and my ever-growing experience of being cheery at the maid café. Why don't I quit? Especially when Gene already has? Well...living solely on commissions is too risky, and how could I possibly quit on Aph?!
Speaking of Aph, I think I know who's gonna be getting married next~ BUT, today is Gene and I's day!! The mere mention of another couple...as I am currently "talking" to one, B/n and his wife. Did they ask me something? I should probably stop spacing out.
"The ceremony was beautiful, and so is the reception!" G/n said. "You must've had an amazing planner."
Gene placed a hand on my shoulder and grinned from ear to ear. "Y/n did most of the planning, with some help from her mom."
"Gene and I put together ideas, and I ended up sketching everything out. My mom helped with vendors," I explained. Our main colors were white for the table cloths, gold chairs, midnight blue for the table runners and napkins, and pink for the floral table centerpieces.
B/n's eyes widened. "Dang sis! Knowing you, your sketch matches the hall perfectly... That'll make a good memento."
I dropped my eyes to the ground and smiled. I guess I'm kinda talented~
The couple excused themselves to talk to my parents, leaving me to search the room for Maria; the mention of Mom reminded me of her. Upon spotting her, Gene and I made conversation. We didn't have our photographer for long, so we didn't have much time to chat at the ceremony.
"I'm sorry about Dante, you two. I kept asking to hear his speech, but he wouldn't tell me anything!" Maria exclaimed.
Gene rolled his eyes. "Mom, I heard you laugh."
"Well...it was funny! I just felt a bit bad, that's all. You weren't the easiest teenager, y'know."
He sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I know..."
I hugged his arm. "I'm glad I made you constantly smile~ You do the same for me."
"Aww, you still make me constantly smile, dork."
I'm gonna be called dork for the rest of my life... "Never mind, you bring me constant anguish."
Maria laughed. "C'mon, you two! The honeymoon stage is supposed to last at least two months; it can't be over with after just an hour!"
"Yeah, honey, you shouldn't be mean to me!" Gene remarked.
"Sorry, honey." I looked past Maria and met eyes with Katelyn, who was standing with Kawaii~chan, Travis, and Zane. I never realized how many couples there are! KC and Zane got together relatively recently, but they're pretty cute! A bit unexpected if you ask me, but Zane's warmed up over the years, and KC toned down a bit, so I guess they make sense?
Katelyn beckoned me over, so I left Gene's side and met with the group.
"I feel like I got to see the beginning of you two... I feel kinda warm and stuff," Katelyn said.
"You almost delayed the beginning of Gene and I," I retorted. "Glad to see you soften up."
"I could've been able to prevent you two if you didn't suddenly have a way with words."
'Suddenly'... I could probably count on both hands how many times in my entire life I've been good with words.
"Katelyn, don't be like that!" KC scolded. She met eyes with me. "I feel warm and stuff too since I was also there! Your guys' first kiss!!"
"You've always been really supportive, Kawaii~chan!" Maybe even more so than anyone else...is too supportive a thing?
"You two didn't get to see their very beginning, though," Zane said. "Even back then, Gene was so devoted to her that he threw me into a locker for having an incriminating picture. Although, the past three years are the ones that matter more."
I grimaced. He said it in a joking way, but I can't help but feel bad...
"Nowadays, it's hard not to look at Gene as a role model...not that I'd say he's a better man than me!" Travis remarked.
My man is of course flawless, but how can Travis say that after what Zane said?!
"I remember when Aaron was the sole competition for 'best man'," Zane said. "Those kind of comparisons make you seem a bit fragile, if you ask me. Like Laurance, for example."
Katelyn rested her head on Travis's shoulder. "He's not wrong."
"Aw, c'mon, babe! You know I don't actually compare myself to anyone. The diss at Laurance was very unnecessary, by the way."
He is a bit fragile, isn't— I mean, huh!? I should probably look for my good friend! After excusing myself from the group, I made my way to the bar where Garroth, Laurance, and Lucas were. This next sequence definitely isn't going to be annoying with two L names involved!
I took a seat next to Lucas, who was sitting to the right of Laurance. "Met with Laurance and Garroth, huh?"
The three men turned their heads to me, with Lucas narrowing his eyes. "We've all met before."
"...If it didn't happen in a chapter or I didn't summarize it happening in the past, it never happened."
"Y/n, you really concern me, y'know. I hope Gene and all your friends on your street keep a close eye on you."
I grinned. "Don't worry about me, Lucas! So, what are you three up to?"
"Moping about being single," Garroth replied.
"Garroth!" Laurance scorned. "We're having a great time, Y/n. The music's been great! Did you and Gene choose all the songs or...?"
"We chose most of the songs, but our DJ added a few songs herself." I glanced at the stage where the one, the only, the most beautiful and talented Masami Iwasawa would be performing. We booked her for later in the evening where things would be more lively after everyone ate and drank~ "We have a live performance, too, so look forward to it!"
"It helps being married to a record label exec, huh? That sounds really cool!" Laurance exclaimed.
"Is the live performance Masami Iwasawa?" Lucas asked. "Is she single? Looking for anyone?"
"I'm saying this because I don't want to see you embarrass yourself," I began. "She is way out of your league."
Lucas groaned. "How am I expected to have a love story like F/n's if you barely invited any single people to your wedding?!
"I'm sorry a lot of people in my life are likeable??" I retorted.
"Oh, so are we unlikeable, Y/n?" Laurance questioned.
"Y/n, it may be your wedding, but it's no excuse to be rude!" Garroth exclaimed.
"No, I didn't— Okay, I worded that—"
"Hmm...I think you meant it," Lucas said. "You think we're unlikeable."
I laid myself across the bar counter and groaned.
The bartender laughed and remarked, "Can't have the bride upset now can we?" She passed me a medium-sized glass with an orange liquid and an orange peel inside.
"Ah, I don't know if I want to be drinking..." I said.
Lucas nudged me. "It's cocktail hour, why wouldn't you? I'd assume Gene won't be drinking, if you're worried about getting home."
How does Lucas know? Maybe Gene has mentioned that he doesn't really drink? "And that's kinda why I don't want to drink... I don't wanna make him uncomfortable."
"No one's saying that you have to get drunk," Garroth said.
"Fair enough." I took a sip of the Old Fashioned.
"That didn't take much convincing," Laurance remarked.
"It's cocktail hour, after all. Bang for my buck or whatever!" I turned to the bartender and set the three with drinks. I shouldn't be ahead of anyone else, right? I grabbed my Old Fashioned and wandered off. I ended up at a table where Aph, F/n, Lucinda, and S/n were sitting.
"Planning on another wild night, Y/n?" Lucinda asked.
I sheepishly laughed. "I think my last wild night for good was my bachelorette party."
"You couldn't have waited to get married after I turned 21?" S/n complained.
F/n laughed. "You saw your sister drunk and probably have the best memory of the night. I'd take that over being completely plastered any day."
"My Irene I don't think I've ever seen Y/n so frantic. 'Nooo! Guys, I can't go home! Gene can't see me like this!' She probably would've stayed on the streets before going home!" Aph exclaimed.
I took another sip of my drink. "That's cause Gene's never seen me drunk!"
"And you've trapped him into marriage despite that?" S/n teased.
"He won't know what to do with no experience, after all," Lucinda said.
"Is how I act when I'm drunk that much of a deal-breaker...?" I shook my head. "No, I don't plan on getting drunk ever again. Especially as drunk as I was on my bachelorette party night."
Lucinda laughed. "You don't have to completely ban yourself. I might come up with a potion to cure drunkenness."
"You said that such a potion would be too risky," I retorted.
"Yes, we know," F/n remarked. "I'm surprised Lucinda didn't leave when you begged for a potion to 'cure you' cause you wanted to go home to Gene so badly..."
I placed my chin in my right palm and smiled. "I love him, after all~"
"Awwww! Not enough to let him see you drunk it seems," Aph remarked.
My smile dropped. Why is this all people are talking about?! I glanced at the bar. At this rate I might just—
Dinner was announced, and suddenly, all was well! I got up with my drink and met with Gene at our table for just the two of us~ We sat down and chatted about our first dance, considering that we planned it after dinner once Masami arrives. The last time we slow-danced together was prom. This time around people will be watching us... Oh my Irene, all is not well. Noticing my antsiness, Gene offered to get me another drink, but I furiously shook my head. I downed the rest of my Old Fashioned and held my head; Gene rubbed my back. A waiter placed our dinner plates down, and he filled our glasses with champagne. My stomach growled, and I swear the room became a hundred degrees hotter... I fumbled around with my napkin, spread it across my lap, and began eating. A wave of coolness crashed over me. You're not you when you're hungry. Slow-dancing isn't that bad, and it's in front of people that care about you. Minus like, Zenix.
The rest of dinner went smoothly. Masami and her band finished setting up, and once everyone finished eating...
"Now announcing to the dance floor for the first time as husband and wife, Gene and Y/n!" Dante announced.
Hand in hand with Gene, we approached the dance floor and got into position. He placed his right hand on my waist, while I placed my left hand on his shoulder; we interlocked our free hands and pressed our foreheads together. Masami didn't have any slow-dance songs, but she had a beautiful cover of one; she and her band began performing a cover of "I Will Follow You into the Dark" by Death Cab for Cutie. We decided on the song by going through Gene's playlists. He was really happy with what he came up with, and his happiness is mine~ That, and I really liked the song, too. Not every song with me has to be a Taylor Swift one!
As we swayed together, I felt the rest of the room disappear; it was just us and the music.
"If there's no one beside you when your soul embarks / Then I'll follow you into the dark."
*~o~o~o~*
The end of the night arrived, and the party had trickled down to its last few people.
"Y/n, did you switch our glasses?" Lucinda asked.
I gave a biiiiiigggg smile. "What makes you think that?"
"You said you'd be doing a shot of water to end the night, while I did a shot of tequila, but I tasted water."
"But your glass has a lime on it, mine doesn't!" I said.
She sighed. "Did you switch our glasses and the lime? Or...is the better question how many shots have you had within the last hour?"
Ms. Bartender turned around from her cleaning and narrowed her eyes at me. "I'm also curious."
"Four, okay?!" I laughed. "I had four shots!"
"So much for never being drunk again," Lucinda remarked.
"How did that even happen?" Ms. Bartender asked. "I know you asked for one yourself earlier in the hour, but..."
I looked around the room for Sasha and Zenix. Once I spotted them, I pointed them out. "Two from those two, and then...Lucinda's!!" I turned to her. "I'm sorry, I did switch our glasses..."
"It's okay, but I hope you're prepared to face Gene," Lucinda said.
"No preparing necessary to see my honey bunny~!" I exclaimed.
"Right... Anyways! I'll be heading out now. I had a lovely time today, Y/n. Be sure to take care of yourself, alright?"
I grinned. "Thanks, I will!!
As soon as Lucinda left, Sasha and Zenix made their way over.
"Why did you point at us?" Zenix questioned.
Ms. Bartender answered before I could. "I was trying to figure out how she managed to take four shots in one hour. If you ever want to pass your drinks to someone, you better be letting your bartender know. Irene forbid someone gets overserved."
"It won't happen again. Sorry about that," Sasha said.
"What's going on here?"
I whipped my head around and hopped off my barstool. "Honeyyyy~!!" I gave Gene a biiiiiiiggg hug.
He pat my head. "Hi, Y/n~"
"Your wife's a bit drunk," Ms. Bartender said.
"No, his wife is Y/n!" I exclaimed.
Zenix began laughing. "Have fun dealing with that!"
"I don't know if she's ever been drunk before..." Gene sighed.
Sasha joined in on the laughing. "Oh she's been drunk before alright. Why do you think she didn't come home the night of her bachelorette party?"
"And you didn't tell me?" Gene questioned. "Well, whatever. It's not like anyone lied about strippers...right?"
"There weren't any strippers," Sasha assured. "Anyways, it's getting late. Zenix and I are gonna head out."
"Bye you guys!!" I opened my arms to hug the two, but Zenix stepped backward, leaving me to only hug Sasha.
"Bye, Y/n. Congrats on today. Be careful of Gene tonight, okay?" Sasha said.
"Huh? Why's—"
Gene brought me back into his arms. "Sasha is just being the weirdo that she is. Don't worry about her."
I giggled. "Whatever my husband says!"
After the two left, it was now just Gene and I. Oh, and the cleaning staff; Ms. Bartender left soon after Sasha and Zenix.
"Are you okay to walk?" Gene asked.
I nodded. "Yup!"
"Thank Irene you don't ever wear heels... Alright, let's make our getaway!" He took my hand in his and we made our way to the car!!! And then our hotel hehe...
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A/n: OKAY I PULL UP HOP OUT AT THE AFTER PARTY—
Thanks for reading kawaii potato cats! I love each and every single one of you very muchly! Catch you all later! Baii~ 💖Shadow🎮