#I declare a second wedding for these two plus Amethyst. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

meetmeatthecoda · 6 years

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First of all ... A+ for the new fanfic on ao3 !! now for the new fanfic Red and Lizzie #22 please 😊

AU Prompts

22. two miserable people meeting at a wedding au

Hello anon! :D Thank you for the lovely compliment, even though it’s been a million years since you originally gave it. I’m sorry about that… but I finally filled your prompt! :D I hope you can still enjoy it

“I now declare you husband and wife!”

The wedding guests cheer and Liz joins themreluctantly, managing with considerable difficulty not to roll her eyes.

Long live the happy couple, Liz thinkswith disgust.

She watches as Tom, her cheating ex-husband,and Jolene, the home-wrecker he cheated with, turn to beam at the guests in theirfolding chairs. They raise their linked hands in celebration before walking upthe makeshift aisle of their backyard wedding. Liz personally thinks it’s alittle sloppy, but she supposes they had to go cheap, considering it’s Tom’ssecond wedding.

And Jolene’s third.

Liz stands with the friends and family ofthe bride and groom, watching and listening as they break off into groups andgush about the new couple, leaving Liz feeling very much like an outsider. Ifit hadn’t been for the frilly invitation she received in the mail, written inJolene’s girlish handwriting – seriously, what self-respecting female over theage of fourteen draws little hearts over their i’s? – than Liz wouldn’t havecome to this stupid excuse for a wedding at all.

But she does have a sense of dignity.

And the invitation was clearly a tauntfrom Jolene, who took far too much pride in stealing Tom away from her when shewas about ready to get a divorce anyway, and Liz couldn’t stand thinking of hersmug expression as she put the invitation in the mail, fully expecting Liz to makesome half-hearted excuse and not show up.

Over Liz’s dead body.

So, to prove a point, Liz decided to donher short, blue dress, complete with silver heels and matching clutch, and goto her ex-husband’s second wedding.

Without a plus one of her own.

And now she needs the bar.

Liz works her way through the small crowd,now milling around in the large backyard, waiting patiently for their turn tocongratulate the newlyweds. Liz suppresses a scoff at the thought of standingin front of Tom and Jolene, gritting her teeth and plastering a smile on herface, and gives them a wide berth, heading instead to the large table set upunder the oak tree at the back of the yard that is serving as the bar.

Liz is evidently the first guest with thisidea, causing the bored-looking bartender manning the table to straighten up asshe approaches.

“What can I get you?” he asks genially.

But before Liz can answer, a man issidling up to the bar next to her, looking almost as miserable as she feels,leaning both arms on the table and not waiting for the bartender to ask.

“Double scotch on the rocks.”

Liz’s eyebrows raise at the curt order,but the bartender doesn’t seem taken aback. He just nods quickly and turns backto her.

“And for you, ma’am?”

“An aviation cocktail, please.”

The bartender nods once again and goes offto make their drinks. Liz glances over at the man who so rudely took theattention of the bartender away from her. He is handsome, middle-aged, andwell-dressed in a grey suit and blue tie.

(His tie matches her dress. What a weirdcoincidence.)

And he’s looking at her.

“Aviation cocktail, huh?” he says to her.“Good choice.”

“Thanks,” she says back, surprised that he’stalking to her. “It’s a favorite of mine.”

He nods in easy agreement. “Tastes likespring, doesn’t it?”

Liz smiles despite herself. “Yeah,” shemurmurs. “I’d go for a scotch like you, I could certainly use it, but hardliquor tends to go straight to my head.”

The man turns fully to face her, his facebrightening as he takes her in. “Mine too,” he agrees. “But, in this situation,I couldn’t ask for anything better. This is the last place I want to be.”

“Ha!” Liz barks a sarcastic laugh. “Jointhe club.”

The bartender returns then with their drinks,a small glass with amber liquid for the man and a tall wine glass with crimsonliquid in it for Liz.

The two of them go straight for thealcohol by unspoken agreement, postponing their conversation for a moment. It’sonly when Liz has taken several grateful gulps from her glass and the man hasdowned half his scotch that he turns back to her.

“I bet I have it worse than you,” he saysruefully, raising his eyebrow in challenge.

“Oh yeah?” Liz can feel hysterical gigglesbeginning to bubble up in her chest. “Wanna bet?”

The man chuckles in response. “Sure, what’llit be? Another drink?”

“Deal,” Liz says immediately. She’ll needall the alcohol she can get her hands on. “You first.”

“Okay,” the man says, obviously confident.“I’m a former co-worker of the groom’s mother. The last time I saw her wasabout…ten years ago. And today’s the first day I’ve clapped eyes on her son. Itruly don’t know why I was invited, I think it may have been a mistake.”

Liz nods sympathetically. “That’s rough,”she allows, and he nods solemnly. “But I think I’ve got you beat.”

His eyebrows simply raise in question. “Doyour worst.”

“I’m the scorned ex-wife of the groom.”

He winces immediately, his confidentexpression melting off his face in an instant. “Oh dear,” he murmurs. “And thebride, is she –?

“The woman he left me for? One and the same.”

“Ah,” he grimaces. “Yes, you win, handsdown. Another cocktail, please!” he calls down the bar to the now busybartender, who nods in acknowledgement. “Why did you come then, if you don’tmind me asking?”

Liz shrugs. “There’s no secret to it. Whatwould I look like if I didn’t show up to my ex-husband’s second wedding, whichI was explicitly invited to in what would seem a gesture of good faith?”

“Petty and weak?”

“Bingo,” Liz says, draining her glass andpushing it towards the other side of the bar. “Even if the aforementioned‘gesture of good faith’ is actually a cruel jab from the vindictive new wife.”

The man nods unhappily. “A rock and a hardplace,” he murmurs sympathetically.

(A handsome man who sees her plight. Ather ex-husband’s wedding. How unusual.)

The bartender reappears to slide a freshcocktail towards Liz, whisking away the empty glass without a word.

“Hence, the alcohol,” Liz says with a grinthat feels more like a grimace, raising her glass to the kind man who justbought her the drink. “Thank you, by the way.”

“It’s my pleasure, uh…?” he trails off,clearing asking for Liz’s name.

She swallows her mouthful before hasteningto answer. “Liz.”

“Lizzie,” he finishes with a kind smile.“I only wish I could do more.”

It’s at that moment that the DJ starts up,playing some god awful, gag-worthy romance song as Tom and Jolene take to thesmall square of the yard that’s been designated the dance floor. Liz can’t stopherself from actually rolling her eyes this time, taking another sip of herdrink to fortify herself.

The mystery man at the bar next to her watchesthe dancing couple for a moment before looking down thoughtfully at his own glass.Liz watches as he comes to some sort of decision before he throws back theremainder of his scotch in one smooth gesture and turns to her.

“Actually, perhaps I can,” he saystentatively. “May I ask you to dance, Lizzie?”

Liz blinks in surprise, looking curiouslyat his outstretched hand and then back to his earnest eyes.

(Maybe she should trust this handsome, understandingman with the blue tie. He can’t be worse than Tom. And she has a good feelingabout him.)

“Yes, I think you can, uh…?” she trailsoff the same way he did, asking for his name.

“Raymond,” he supplies helpfully.

“Raymond,” she smiles. “I think that wouldbe nice.”

Liz sets her half empty cocktail on thebar and takes Raymond’s waiting hand, letting herself be escorted to thedancefloor by a man who clearly isn’t her cheating ex-husband.

Maybe this stupid excuse for a weddingwon’t be so bad.

And maybe she won’t need as much alcohol asshe thinks.

Because maybe she has a plus one afterall.

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