Trigger Warnings: toxic societal masculinity influencing Emile
Word Count: 1365
"Emmy?" Patton's voice filters through the door. "We're getting ready to leave soon, Remy and his group have already left."
"Right, right," Emile replies, staring at himself in the mirror.
"Emmy, you can come out now."
"Patton you know I'm gay right?"
Patton's giggle sounds from outside. "Not what I meant Emile. C'mon, let me see that awesome outfit Roman helped you get!"
Emile sighs. Roman insisted that he go for something he'd look back on and remember forever and be proud of. So, in a fit of courage, he asked that the style be like Garnet's at her wedding.
The place Roman took Emile to was very high end, they brought the two into a room so they could talk over what designs and fabrics and colors he wanted, and then take his measurements. He usually just bought his suits already made, even though Emile knew he could afford to buy at least one or two fitted suits.
Roman had told him that the place was very LGBTQIA+ accepting, so he took that chance. He loves what they created because it's almost exactly the same as Garnet's, except his tie is pink. But maybe Remy won't like it, maybe the others won't like it...
"Eeeeemileeeeeeee, we gotta go soon!"
Well, no way of going back. He sighs, then opens the door. Patton's standing outside of it, in a similar suit to what he wore to Roman's red carpet, but without the vest and with a white bowtie.
He just stares, causing Emile to bite his lip nervously. "I- I know it's not exactly the most traditional but I thought it was nice..."
"IT'S BEAUTIFUL!!!" Patton gushes, looking ready to burst from excitement. "Emile you look awesome!!!"
"Really?"
"Yeah!! Now c'mon, we're gonna be late!"
Emile smiles, glad Patton likes his outfit. Then he's pulled by the arm through the halls, Emile barely keeping his balance as Patton races towards the entrance. Logan stands there, putting his previously out phone back into his pocket. He's dressed in his usual navy blue dress shirt and black suit, black and lighter blue stripped tie tied perfectly as always.
"You look very nice Emile," he compliments.
"Thanks Logan!"
"Now, if we can make up time on the drive we should be there just in time," Logan says, ushering them out and into the hired limousine.
"How late are we?" Pattons asks, playing with his tie.
"If the drive takes the average time there, we will arrive five minutes and twenty eight seconds later than the ceremony starts," Logan recites, not checking his phone once.
"Oh no..." Emile whispers. What if he delays the ceremony? What if everyone hates him for taking so long? What if Remy doesn't like that he was late to his own wedding? What if he comes in late, and on top of that Remy hates his outfit?
"Hey hey, it's going to be okay Emmy," Patton soothes, rubbing circles into his back.
"Indeed, everything will be fine. They won't start without you," Logan reassures.
"But what if-"
"Emile, I want you to name me five things you can see."
"Wha-"
"Five things," Logan repeats calmly, "that you can see."
"You, Patton, window, um... seats, my shoes?"
"Good. Four things you can feel."
He bunches up the skirt in his hands. "Skirt, pants, seat? And uh, shoes."
"Three things you can hear."
"Traffic, the car motor, and uh, our breathing?"
"Two things you can smell."
"Leather and my deodorant."
"And one thing you can taste."
"The mint I had before getting ready," Emile sighs out, taking deep breathes. "Thanks Logan, I needed that."
"Not an issue Emile, I am pleased to use my knowledge of anxiety-reducing exercise to help."
Patton distracts the two by talking about his coworker's daughter's adaptation of twin baby puppies. Emile doesn't notice the time passing until suddenly they're parked in from of the place. They'd decided on a studio apartment-like space, with a large balcony with glass doors, which meant it was on the top of the building. As it turns out, they came with ten minutes to spare, in part to the driver's swift driving and the fact that the officiate was nowhere to be found. Emile peeks at the area from where he stands, wanting to see the space, even though he'd seen it just this morning.
The doors of the balcony had to be closed due to the wind blowing too much that morning, it almost destroyed the florists' hard work, but the sun was still allowed to shine through and light up the whole room. A worn white arch fits around it, pure white and lovely pink roses weaved into it.
Two neat sections of worn white chairs create the area for guests, the ones along the aisle edged with white tulle and held in place with a small bunch of white and pink roses. He can see everyone gathered; it's a small but close group. Roman in a flamboyant suit of bright red shirt with a white jacket and pants, both with gold decoration along the edges, no tie as usual. Virgil, dressed in a lilac shirt with a black suit and a dark purple tie, is rolling his eyes at Roman, who is talking with Remus, who is dressed like the inverse of Roman. A mossy green shirt with a black suit, edged much like Roman's but in silver, and without a tie. Janus, dressed in a black suit with yellow lapels and a matching shirt with a black bowtie, is talking with Talyn, who looks radiant in their shimmery teal suit and white shirt, along with Logan and Mrs. Sanders, in a lovely skirt with a white blouse. Joan, in a silver suit with a white shirt and a black tie, seems to be trying to convince Thomas, in his same outfit as Roman's red carpet, of something, though Emile can't tell what they're talking about. Valerie, in a gorgeous scarlet dress and matching flats, is talking with Terrence, white jacket with grey pants and a sky blue shirt, along with some of Emile and Remy's close coworkers and Patton.
The person running the building, and as such is in charge of cuing the beginning of the wedding, comes up to him. "Sir, the officiate is here."
"Oh good!"
"I'll get the guests in order if you could make your way to your place?"
"Will do! Thank you!!"
Emile makes his way pass a couple doors and gets into position. Remy will be a door ahead of him, when he starts down the aisle, Emile will move forward to watch be not be seen, bad luck and all. They weren't doing many traditions, but they weren't to see each other for the day until this moment.
He knows Thomas will be walking Remy down the aisle and Virgil and Remus are Remy's groomsmen, while Thomas' mom is walking him down the aisle, and Logan and Patton are his groomsmen.
Patton and Mrs. Sanders burst into the room, with Logan trailing them.
"Oh Emile, you look so handsome!" she declares after taking a quick circle around him.
"Aww thank you Mrs. Sanders!" Emile says.
"Now now, what have I told you for years? Call me Eve!"
"Sorry Eve," Emile giggles. Eve has always been a mix of a loving (or strict) mother to anyone or a young soul in a middle aged woman's body.
"Much better! Now, you ready to see your punk of a boyfriend?"
"Eve!!" Emile and Patton gasp in fake horror.
"Whaaaaat? I did raise him for five years, that boy's a punk," she grumbles. " 'Course," she says, turning sly, "you always did like bad boys."
"EVE!!" Emiel skrieks, blushing madly.
She laughs. "Sorry dear, but you're so easy to mess with!"
"Ugh I bet my face is all red now," Emile groans.
"Nothing a little makeup cannot fix," Logan says, stepping in with a smile. "I had a feeling this may happen so I asked Roman to wait outside the door."
And in comes Roman, like a knight in shining armor. "Have no fear lovelies! I got the stuff!"