Sloane sat in an empty hotel room, the only source of light pouring in was the glowing orange sky that seemed to grow increasingly brighter like the morning sun. Dressed in her white robe, she had been hemming her wedding dress for what felt like an eternity as she concentrated intensely on making sure it was just the right fit for her measurements. Without warning or even a knock, Ben walked into the room with a loud sigh, walking towards the mirror hanging on the wall.
"So it's official. My ears are broken, and the idiot with knives really can't sing," Ben said as he wiped the smidge of shaving cream off his cheek. "Diego. You know his name is Diego," Sloane clarified. "Oh whatever," Ben rolled his eyes. "Maybe you should try and be nice to him and the others," the Gravity Girl suggested. The Squid Boy turned to her, asking why on earth would he do that. But as Ben continued to linger around the room, her bubble of concentration was about to pop.
"As much as I'd love to work out your anger issues right now, I have to get back to this," Sloane gestured to her garment. "The wedding is in an hour," "Fei is dead. You know that, right? Or have you been too busy making goo-goo eyes with that girl that you don't even care?" Ben snapped. Sloane set down her needle and thread, meeting his gaze directly. "I know she is, and so are the others," She responded. "Oh, so that's it? You're just gonna turn your back on the Sparrow Academy?" Ben scoffed. "I mean, you heard Dad. We have training to do. Something big is about to go down!"
Sloane sighed, muttering that she wished he was talking about her wedding. Ben inhaled sharply, sitting across from her on the couch as he tried to be kind despite her testing his patience. "Sloane, listen to me--" "No. You listen to me," Sloane interrupted. "I'm sorry they didn't invite you to the bachelor party," the Gravity Girl gently squeezed his hand. But Ben denied that wasn't what was making him upset.
"You care more about being invited to the bachelor party than you do Fei or the others. Or even saving the world," Sloane looked deep into her brother's soul. "That's... that's crazy!" Ben remarked. "Is it? You and I, we've never been alone. It's always been the seven of us. Now it's just you. So, congratulations, Ben. You're finally Number One of One," As Sloane stood up and walked to the mirror to examine her work, Ben was left alone with her lingering words. Some of them left a bitter taste in his mouth.
"I'm a Sparrow, and so are you," he pointed out. "Not anymore," Sloane replied. "I don't understand, what's so damn special about them anyway?" Ben questioned. "They're a real family. They don't exist to sell action figures and tote bags," Sloane answered. "And Astrid, she makes me feel complete. Like I'm not living a lie," "Living a lie? What is that supposed to mean?" Ben inquired. Sloane looked at him through the mirror, silently asking herself if she should really reveal to him her inner thoughts.
"You've seen how those guys would gather outside of the Academy. How they'd always try to get past security to see me, Fei, and Jayme. The way they'd send flowers and chocolates and love notes. None of them flattered me, and you know me, I used to be the 'romantic' as Alphonso used to put it," she sighed. "The point is, I knew there was a void in my life. And I wanted desperately to fill it. But how could I when everything we did was heavily scrutinized in the media?"
Ben couldn't listen to this. He knew his sister had her secrets, but never did he expect her to come clean about her secret life. In a way, he felt betrayed, like she never trusted him enough to explain back then. "How could you not tell me this? I could've helped you, I could've-" "I didn't tell you because I knew you'd never understand," She silenced him. "We're complete opposites, Ben. I care about my family and the woman I love. The only person you care about is yourself. It's pretty sad,"
"Why is it so important for you to be a Sparrow?" Sloane questioned. But rather than answer her, Ben turned on his heel and walked out. "Because I have nothing else," He muttered quietly.
~~~~~~~~~
As the wedding drew closer, Astrid got herself ready, with Lila helping her with her hair. "Listen, I'm not one for putting my hair in fancy styles, but I'll do my best for you," Lila said as she took a few strands of Astrid's locks and inserted a few bobby pins into the colossal amounts of hair. Astrid applied a few dabs of pink blush to her cheeks and added another soft layer of eyeshadow and mascara. "And... done!" Lila stood back and looked at her work, very proud of it. "What do you think?" She asked, handing a circular mirror to the bride. "I-I love it!" Astrid gasped when she saw the beautiful details of the simple but elegant braid. Lila even threw in a silver flower clip to hold it all together.
"You better like it, 'cause I ain't dealing with that nightmare again," Lila chuckled. "But seriously, I'm glad you like it," As the two women left the bathroom, they nearly bumped into Luther, who had changed into the black tuxedo Astrid helped him pick out. It was rather snug around the shoulders, and the ruffle of the undershirt tickled his stubble, but there weren't many options for men who had the torso of an ape, so it was better than nothing. "Wow, you look amazing, Trid," Luther's eyes nearly bulged out of his head.
Astrid smiled and thanked him as they stepped out of the bathroom and into the hallway. "Is it almost time yet?" Astrid asked, feeling her legs begin to shake with anticipation at seeing her lovely wife-to-be. Luther looked up at the clock resting on the wall, only ten minutes before the walk down the aisle. "Shall we get going?" Luther asked, offering an arm to Astrid. With a nod and a tiny smile, Astrid wrapped her arm around Luther's, and they walked together into the elevator, Lila trailing right behind. And as the elevator came to a stop a few times, more and more of the Hargreeves siblings joined them.
Finally, the elevator slid open, revealing the large banquet hall. Each table was covered in white cloths, the dishes and cutlery already out, waiting to be used. The disco ball was rotating and shining bright, and the DJ Booth was already playing soft classical music on a vinyl record player. As they all stepped out of the elevator, the Hargreeves gasped in amazement. "Not sure this place is gonna be big enough," Klaus commented. "This place better have an open bar," Allison murmured, scooting past Viktor and Astrid without bothering to say, "Excuse me,"
"Ignore her, she's just jealous," Luther whispered. "I heard that, and I'm not!' Allison snapped. "Come on, it's for Trid and Slo. Let's perk up," Lila piped up before the glowing chandeliers and the few strobe lights turned on, lighting the banquet hall like a beacon. "Is my dress too wrinkled? Because I feel like the skirt wasn't as bunched when I tried it on," Astrid whispered to Luther. "Don't worry, you look like a princess," Luther assured. "Ah, I see you've gone for the oversized button-down. Original," Allison said with a sour look towards Viktor. Number Seven could only roll his eyes and reply with the same sourness. "You do realize that there's no paparazzi here, right?"
"What? Dang it!" As Astrid was about to break it up, Luther offered to handle it while Astrid waited for Sloane. "Listen to me, you two. This is Astrid's day, alright? So if you two can get along for a couple of hours, you can consider that her wedding gift," Luther warned. "Well, he started it, so-" "But you literally just started it!" Viktor insisted. "SHUSH!" The Apeman hissed, silencing them both again. "Astrid's day," He reminded. "Two hours. Do you think you can manage that?" Luther asked.
Viktor slowly nodded, agreeing that two hours of him and Allison tolerating each other's presence wouldn't be too unbearable. As long as Allison stayed in her lane. As the elevator dinged and slowly opened, everyone turned around and watched as the lights cast a soft halo over Sloane, and she stepped out, carrying a bouquet of white flowers. The air in Astrid's lungs immediately vacated when she saw Sloane in her silky white dress. It took everything in her not to run up and kiss her right there. The biggest grin she could muster formed instantly, and Sloane smiled back at her.
"Let's get this over with before I die of cringe," Ben rolled his eyes before making his way outside and sitting in one of the chairs lining the aisle. Viktor walked down first and stood on Astrid's side of the aisle, then came Lila, who took Sloane's wedding bouquet and held it tightly to her chest as Sloane walked down. While Sloane wouldn't admit it out loud, on the inside, she was terrified. Not because she was getting cold feet, but with the end of the world all but inevitable, she feared they would cease to exist before she and Astrid could say their vows.
But all those thoughts melted as she watched Astrid walking with Luther down the aisle. Diego wiped a few tears of joy from his eyes before anyone could see his tough exterior break away. Klaus grinned like the Cheshire Cat as he did his best to contain the immense happiness for his little sister, and even Five cracked a tiny smile. Finally, at the end of the walk, Luther handed Astrid to Sloane, whispering for the Sparrow to take good care of Astrid. "I will, I promise," Sloane nodded.
"Dearly beloved, we're gathered here today for a good time, not a long time, so let's have a good time, huh? Cause the sun can't shine every day. Can I get an amen?" "Amen!" The siblings responded in agreement. Klaus turned to Astrid; a trickle of sweat ran down her face as Klaus officiated the vows. "Triddy, do you be taking this banging hottie to be your lady?" he asked. Astrid reached out a hand to Sloane just as she said those fateful words. "I do," she affirmed. "Sloane, do you promise to love and cherish this blossoming daisy for the next 24 to 48 hours?" Klaus turned to Sloane.
"Give or take a day!" Five piped up from the crowd, but Klaus put a finger to his lips. "I do," Sloane nodded. Klaus couldn't back his tears anymore, they fell freely down his cheeks as he tried to keep his composure. He apologized, and Astrid and Sloane smiled and waited patiently for him. "Well then, I pronounce you married as shit!" Klaus announced. "Viva La Apocalypse!" Sloane immediately flew into Astrid's arms, and their arms wrapped around each other as they kissed ever so passionately. The Umbrellas clapping and cheers faded into the background, and for the newlywed couple, they drifted off into their own realm.
No family arguments, no Kugelblitz's, just the two of them and this magical moment.
~~~~~~~~~~~
You make me feel like I'm living a Teenage Dream
The way you turn me on, I can't sleep
Let's run away and don't ever look back.
Don't ever look back.
Astrid's gentle and smooth hands ran down the curves of Sloane's body, wrapping her arms around her waist as they slow danced, never taking their eyes off one another. Though no words were spoken, the message conveyed in the Gravity Girl's eyes was loud and clear. I'm yours. And as Astrid pressed a soft kiss to her wife's cheek, the twinkle in her eyes returned the same affection. Clouds of smoke streamed out of the fog machines, creating a more intimate atmosphere, and the strobes moved slowly to the beat of the music.
The siblings went back inside for the reception, and as they watched the beautiful moment from the sidelines, Sloane and Astrid glanced over to them with joyful smiles before continuing to embrace their moment. One by one, they all joined in on the slow song, dancing and slowly swaying to the beat. Astrid twirled Sloane a few times and pulled her back into her awaiting arms. Sloane ran her free hand's fingers around Astrid's hair, and the gentle caress on her scalp made Astrid's eyes flutter open and closed.
How Sloane was able to make Astrid melt like butter in her hands, she didn't know. But what she did know was that they both knew how to make each other feel safe and like they were in their little bubble that no one, not even the end of the world, could pop and ruin their moment. As their dance came to an end, the newlyweds grabbed their plates and grabbed some food before taking their seats at their table. The rest of the Hargreeves did the same, and as they settled in, Chet walked around with a large and bulky camera, frequently changing the lightbulb as he took pictures of the wedding party and the guests.
Chet's usual blank and emotionless mood had changed into an upbeat and happy one as he approached the married couple and instructed them to hold up their forks like they were about to feed each other. Sloane and Astrid gladly did so, and on the count of three, Chet took the photo with a flash of blinding light engulfing the table for the briefest second. "It's five dollars for a four-by-five. Eight if you want two of them," Chet smiled before walking to another table. Astrid picked up her fork and dug into her cut pieces of lamb.
"Did you know Luther made the cake?" Astrid asked, gesturing to the small yet elegant three-tier wedding cake with tiny white and pink flowers dotting the bottom layer. "He did all that?" Sloane's blinked with surprise. "Yeah, who knew he could bake cakes?" Astrid chuckled. "I swear, I underestimate that big old softie," Sloane pressed a soft kiss to her wife's cheek, getting just a smidge of her lipstick on it. But even with the kiss mark, Astrid was just as adorable.
They turned to look at their siblings conversing with one another and the occasional bursts of laughter that came with it. And while Ben and Allison were still in their grouchy moods, the women barely paid attention and only focused on the positives. "Have I told you how stunning you look tonight?" Astrid whispered. "Thanks, Triddy. You look stunning as well," Sloane blushed. The gravity girl looked down as she felt Astrid take her hand, stroking her knuckles as she brushed against Sloane's ring.
But as the old saying goes, good things must always come to an end, and unfortunately for Sloane and Astrid, an uninvited guest decided to crash their reception.