#i almost gave her white & gold but that's *very* much not aria's style so subtle grey and tan it is :3 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

burndownthehousetonight · 7 years

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((HERE COMES THE WEDDIN! I have no idea what being a guest at this wedding would be like, but I’d love to just be a fly on the wall for all the conversations after this. @tinyredartist even had her own ideas for twists, it’s pretty much exactly what you’d expect yet not at all what you would expect from these two :D))

It was exactly the kind of space Aria would have expected for Manic's wedding. A club in the middle of his old home city, with a nice big stage and a large open bar. Walls were covered in photos and posters of bands and artists of all kinds, as well as it's fair share of cracks and holes.

What they weren't quite expecting was how glitzy it was. The club's many tables, usually for music performances, were covered in red tablecloths and all had small place cards. There were nice silk curtains all around in golds and blacks, and the few flowers they bothered to get all appeared to be some kind of roses. But the materials were fancy. The decorations were fancy. The cake on the central table? A deep red decorated with roses, "gemstones" made from sugar and icing, and golden fondant decorations? Clearly a very professional job. They'd gone all out for the wedding, no question.

Scourge couldn't say the same for his outfit, a loose dress shirt and dress pants worn under his normal leather jacket. But he wasn't there to worry about his clothes. He had everything else to worry about.

"God damn, I'm terrified," he said to the king, the only person with him in the backstage dressing room. He slammed down another empty water glass. His fifth already. "I feel like someone's gonna punch my lights out when I get out there."

Scourge took the glass away. “First things first. Stop drinking and go to the bathroom. You don’t want to pee yourself on stage. Second, take some gum. Mint calms nausea and anxiety. Here.”

He offered the other a stick of gum and held his shoulder tightly.

“Stay calm. The place looks phenomenal. Everything is according to plan. Your vows are written down on a paper in your pocket. Do not be afraid to look at it if you need it. Remember this day is about you and him. And that is all that matters.” "Yeah, I get it." Scourge said, chomping on the gum rather violently. "Dunno if it's only gonna be about me and him, though." The king gave him a look, but Scourge refused to explain. "I'll be back. You go 'n make sure Sonic ain't-" He paused in the middle of his sentence. "Make sure he ain't up to anything. You're at the same table as Ari. So's he." Scourge dashed down the hall to the bathroom. If he had stopped and listened, he would have heard a conversation between Manic and his sister through his dressing room door. "Point is, we knew they were gonna come, and we didn't want drama," Manic said. "So we gave them a table on the opposite side of the room." "This is a horrible idea," Sonia reminded him for the fourth time. "What do you expect ME to do?" But neither Scourge had the time to stop and eavesdrop. The king had to make sure there wasn't going to be any nonsense, and the groom had to use the restroom yet again. “You’re the only two that matter, I promise.” He encouraged the other before he ran off. Scourge wasn’t eavesdropping but he made a note to check in on Manic later.

Aria was out front, seating people. Everything was going smooth with her it seemed. People tended to respond positively to the small girl with a smile. After all, Aria was just as excited as the grooms were.

He stopped for a second, just staring out at the beautiful set up. It wasn’t what anyone expected, that’s for sure, but it fit so well with the grooms. Scourge checked over the guests, offering water or small snacks to tide people over until dinner. And he only had to correct people 10 times. "Oh, there you are!" Aria's attention was drawn by Sonia, just running towards her from the backstage area. "Thank you again for your help. It's so nice to finally meet you in person." She walked towards the club entrance, where a list of various details had been laid out. The guests they were all expecting were listed with table numbers the two had memorized. There were a few blank names given table numbers, maybe for anyone who just wanted to watch along with the wedding. "It looks like most of the guests are here already, wonderful." She crossed off a few more names, only leaving some of the blank spaces and a few guest names left remaining. The club was slowly filling with a few faces Aria and Scourge knew, and many, many more they couldn't identify. Sonia turned back towards Aria. Sonia's more masculine build was draped in a simple, elegant dress. A beautiful cranberry red, but for the most part nondescript. "I'm sorry if this is too formal to wear, but I asked Manic about the dress code, and all he sent me one of the text symbol smiling men of someone shrugging." Aria had opted instead to wear a nice sundress, fancied up by her accessories. Maybe slightly underdressed but nothing too shabby.

“Ah, it’s nice to meet you too! You would not believe how thankful I am to see someone who isn’t a green hedgehog.” She joked, peeking over the taller hedgehogs shoulder at the list. “So are we waiting for anyone important? By the way, I love your dress!”

Aria's eyes scanned the room, settling on her girlfriend who she waved to. She checked over faces as well, looking for anyone who seemed to be lost or out of place. No faces that were concerned. Few that her Scourge would react to.

Scourge, after tending to the guests, made his way to Manic's dressing room. “Hey, you alright kiddo?” There was a screen divider set up in the other dressing room. Manic was hidden behind the divider, ushering himself further behind at the sound of the door opening. "Yeah, I'm-!" He shouted, before calming down. "No, I'm scared, I'm just figuring out my makeup and all that. Uh, can you pass that large brush?" There was an older woman in the room, maybe in her late fifties, early sixties. Covered in amethyst purple quills and with a head of once royal purple hair, now faded to a barely purple tinged white. Her dress was clearly a very similar style to Sonia's. Given her facial features, it was clear she must have been Manic's mother. She silently passed him one of the few real makeup brushes he had in his little set. Manic leaned his head over from behind the divider, just enough so he could look at the king. Despite all of the makeup that was clearly used, his face was free of almost anything. The rag on the table was covered in all kinds of powders, foundations, and all other manner of make-up. "Oh yeah, this is my mom, Aleena." Manic put his hand on his mother's shoulder, and motioned towards the officiator. "Mom, this is King Scourge," he said slowly, as though he were explaining something to a toddler. "He's going to be running the wedding." He turned to look at Scourge for a moment with a simple smile, and reached out her right hand. It was clear at a glance she was rather weak. "Hello," she said simply. Despite a mild quiver to her arms and her obvious age, her voice was elegant and crisp, like a benevolent queens. And Scourge was not expecting Manic's mother. He, after a sudden and unusual pause, shook the offered hand and bowed like a prince would to a higher royal. “Pleased to meet you.”

He let go of Aleena's hand and looked over at Manic. The poor kid was stressed beyond belief.

“Well you two are really a set, aren’t you? You’re both panicked. Look dude. Just do whatever feels right. Don’t worry about anybody else but you right now. Scourge will love it no matter what. And you two are the only people in that room whose opinions actually matter. Do what your gut is telling you.”

He gave the others shoulder a pat, encouraging him as best he could. "Thanks, dude." Manic said with a wavering smile. "It means a ton from you, dude. Actually... You think you could help me with a few things back here? I can't decide if I wanna wear this with my pendant, or... ..." Manic's stress wasn't all about the ceremony. There were many, many things stressing him, and if he could stall Scourge for long enough, maybe things could go more smoothely when their special guest arrived. And as Scourge helped Manic with some various wedding details, Sonia put down the guest list at the sign of a certain licence plate pulling into the parking lot. "Oh, the last important guest has arrived," Sonia said, not quite knowing who this last special guest was. "Can you make sure table twenty is cleared?" As Aria was ushered off, Sonia watched from the window as two of Scourge's old friends, a simian and a lynx, went immediately towards the car and escorted the guests towards the entrance of the club. There were two guests coming from the cab. One was a little boy with light orange fur, maybe six years old and dressed in a precious little tuxedo. The other was a bit more severe. It was a Fiona, deigning to appear in a floor-length white dress. Not a wedding dress, but creeping dangerously close. "Welcome, you two." Sonia said, crossing off two of the unnamed blocks on the list. "Your table is right this way." Aria cleaned off the table near the back of the room, fixing the little details to appease even the pickiest of guests. When she saw the designated guests for that table, she was a little surprised, a sinking feeling starting in her gut. The dress was noticed. She didn’t appreciate the subtle elbowing in.

But then she saw the little boy and things made sense, at least a little. All she could do was pull out chairs for the fox and her son and attempt to keep herself calm enough to block her Scourge from seeing anything that would cause trauma.

Aria pulled Sonia off to the side, whispering to her. “This is bad. The King can’t see her. He might have a panic attack on stage. Trust me, I know it doesn’t make any sense but it will ruin the wedding. Does Castillo know they’re here?”

Meanwhile on the opposite side of the establishment, Scourge had finished helping Manic. The groom looked wonderful as always, and even though his nerves were still there, Scourge hoped that he had helped.

“So, does the ‘something old something new something borrowed something blue’ thing apply here?” He joked, trying to ease Manic down. Manic looked up with a confused expression that could have almost been called a smile. "Heeeeh?" He said simply. "I don't- No, I just went out, picked up something I liked from some vintage clothes place, and messed it up a bit. Though Sonia lent me her earrings. And I guess the mods are all new, and Sonia used blue thread when she..." He covered his mouth, and though. "Sonic did this all without telling me, didn't she." Manic said with a smile. "She's got everything planned."

“I have to admit. I admire your sister’s subtlety. She’s quite good at that… Besides, the luck it brings is good.” Scourge held the green hedgehog's shoulder and smiled down at him. “I’ve never seen you happier. I’m proud of you.”

His little speech was very paternal in nature, but the words were true.

“Now imma go check on your groom. It was nice meeting you”. He bowed to Aleena again and went to see his alternate.

Sonia did have most everything planned. Everything, that is, except for what to do about Fiona. Those two old friends of Scourge sat on either side of the four person table, more to guard everyone from the two of them. "Manic and Scourge said so, yes." Sonia explained, concerned. "They said she'd find a way in no matter what, and I suppose they didn't wish for drama, so they reserved a table for her." She clutched her arms to her chest and looked at Fiona, who seemed confused at being let in but calm. "Could we tell Scourge? Do we know where he is?"

Aria nodded to Sonia’s question. “Yes, come on. Worst case scenario, I’ll step in. Both of us have the licenses to officiate in case of this exact situation.” The motioned for the other redhead to follow her as they walked off to the dressing rooms.

“She’s in white, Sonia. I’m super pissed. She has no right to be wearing a wedding gown. I understand being bitter but come on, have some decency!” Aria hissed once they were out of earshot. "I can't believe it," Sonia added, more in concern than anger. "I agree completely, that was completely uncalled for."

“You tell Manic. I’ll tell the Scourge's.” With Aria's signal, the two split off, Sonia towards the rightmost dressing room. She gave three brisk knocks, and entered. "You look lovely, Sonia." Aleena commented with her warm smile. Sonia responded with a polite smile and nod of her own. Things were a bit too urgent at the moment for polite greetings. "Manic, Fiona's arrived with her kid." She delivered. "Are you sure we can't escort them out?" "No." Manic said simply. "She's got a lot of power. It'd just make things worse." "Things couldn't be worse," Sonia pleaded, "she's in a wedding dress. She's here to cause trouble." Manic balked at the comment, but quickly recovered. "She wants to see US screw up. If Faolán's with her, she isn't gonna make a huge scene." He adjusted his earrings for the third time. "Let her watch if she wants." Aria's friend, Otto, was taking Castillo’s pictures as she walked in. Manic's photos were next.

“Sorry to disturb you boys. But there’s a… Umm.. Otto how much time..”

“I’m gone kiddo, I just finished.” The cow insisted and put his camera stuff away. Aria pointed him in the direction of the other dressing room.

“Castillo, your ex girlfriend is here. Did she not get the memo that she wasn’t the one getting married?”

“What?” The other stood, confused.

“She’s in a wedding dress, brought your son and I think she’s gonna cause trouble… And she’s a Fiona alternate.”

King inhaled sharply, then relaxed, attempting to calm himself. This was a lot of information and he was taking it in quickly. “Okay. Imma go out there and test my guts. You two try and figure out how to deal with this new development.”

He left before Aria could stop him, shaking as he looked out onto the crowd. Aria was right, she was in a ball gown. And it made him weak to look at her, reminded of what his wife wanted for a wedding.

But he locked eyes with Fiona and knew instantly that he would be fine. Because the holes she was attempting to glare into his head was enough. ‘This is not your wife,’ he thought, and felt better.

“Ari. I’ll be fine. That woman is set to make a mess. She thought I was you and if looks could kill… Well I would have been deal long before now but you get the point.” "You're takin' it well," Castillo admitted, pleasantly surprised. "What, a real wedding dress? Christ, that's woman's petty..." There was a bit of a silence to give the groom more time to take in the information. Not just of Fiona arriving, he'd expected that. It was the rest of what Aria had said. "So how'd you know he was my kid?" He asked, looking down uncomfortably, but smiling more and more as he thought about the child. "It's the teeth, wasn't it? Kid's got his dad's grin..." The pride in his smile was bittersweet. "It ain't about him. Or her, or- None of 'em." Castillo reassured himself, tussling the collar of his jacket nervously. "It's about me and Manic, and- God damn, get me another glass of water." “Nah. White ball gown. Close enough,” Aria growled. She chuckled at his question. “Nope. Figured the only reason she would bring a kid would be if he was yours. Hope you’re not behind on your child support payments.”

Scourge nodded. “Everything about that is right except the water. Stop drinking.”

“Also, we need better nicknames for you two.” Aria reminded herself out loud, thinking. "Yeah, even Manic called me Castillo," he said. "Guess my name ain't much help when we've got two Castillos and two Scourges..." "What about the asshole?" Scourge half joked, sitting down and resting his head in his hand. "The asshole who let his old lover into his wedding?" There was a desperate laugh as he tried holding himself together. A few moments passed, and his expression began to shift. It twisted into a more genuine smile when he realized just how he could use this... "Nah... No, that's perfect." He said genuinely. He motioned for Aria to come closer. "Ari, come here. Go find Sonia, tell her to get Fiona away from the table. Then you go up... ..." The beginning of the ceremony was far too close for comfort. Final touches were made. Aleena was escorted from the back, and most of the guests were sat down. The crowds were growing anxious, the grooms most of all. And worst of all, Sonic's seat was still empty. He wasn't standing up his brother's reception, was he? “Get your shit together. You’re not a jerk or an asshole. And yes sir!” Aria mock saluted him and put the plan in motion.

Aria was sitting down, final touches having been finished a while before. She had a perfect view, sitting up front behind Manic. The photographer was on the other side, having orders to catch Scourge if he fainted. She looked to the empty seat beside her and looked at Sonia. Poor Manic. His brother didn’t want to see him get married.

“He's- he’s not coming, is he?” Sonia didn't say anything, just looked forward with a melancholy look in her eyes. Aleena didn't seem to notice the empty seat. The mother of the 'bride' was seated. Both Scourge's walked up to the 'altar,' a wedding podium set up on the stage with some curtains drawn to make the stage smaller. The room hushed as the wedding was bound to begin. The processional music came to life as the curtains on the stage opened, revealing Dante, Detour and Drench all set up, playing some down-tempo rock versions of traditional wedding songs for the processional. Castillo's impatient foot tapping was soon in time with the rhythm. The ushers were all seated, so it seemed the first person down the aisle was the maid of honor. For some reason, Rouge had opted to wear red to the wedding. She cemented her role in the wedding by standing next to where Manic would inevitable stand. But most people were distracted by a yapping sound. The front door burst open, and Sonic ran in. With a little brown dog on a leash, yapping and smiling and wearing a small bowtie. There's was a pillow attached to his back, where Manic's ring sat attached. Sonic's dog appeared to be the ring bearer. Sonia's crestfallen smile disappeared, replaces with an amused, unsurprising grin. She'd known the whole time Sonic was coming. Scourge fixed his tie, nodding his head politely at Rouge. At the sound of the doors busting open, Aria almost got ready to jump someone.

But the sight of Sonic's dog in the cutest bow tie she had ever seen was enough to make her smile and laugh. For today she could set aside their differences she figured. Sonic joined Manic's side of the stage, his dog stopping to sniff at everyone.

Was no one standing on Scourge's side? Aria was half ready to get up and circle around to stand with him. And then the flower girl walked in. Rather, flower boy. Faolán walked in with a basket of flowers, with some of the roses Scourge told Aria to take from the tables in the back. He walked forward cautiously, plucking off petals and leaving a small trail up to the alter as the walked. Fiona watched from a distance, visibly surprised at him having any involvement in the ceremony, but not saying a word. The lynx next to her held her arm, stopping her from getting up or saying anything. He stood next to Scourge on stage, Scourge ruffling his hair as he took his place. He wasn't just the flower kid, it seemed he was also being made best man last second. And then, Manic finally appeared in the doorway. There was visible surprise on some of their faces at the sight of Manic's makeup - he wore very little. Just for the wedding, he took off all his makeup, showing off his natural effeminate face to many of the wedding guests for the first time. Instead of a suit or a white dress, he opted for a long red dress, fading to a rich, deep red near the bottom of the gown, with a matching red veil. A dress train was similarly red, but instead fading to a dark ashy grey color. The dress looked as though it had been badly damaged, but every hole and cut near the bottom was carefully planned to make the dress look just grunge enough for Manic's tastes. This was also the first time many of the wedding guests would see Castillo genuinely blushing. Aria smiled, giving the child a thumbs up when he got to the front. Then she waited, along with everyone else, for Manic.

The crowd grew silent. Surprise was evident in their faces, but Aria just smiled. Oh he looked wonderful. The dress was so grunge, so punk, so.. Manic. It was literally the perfect fit for the two. Some of the rose petals scattered by Faolán gathered in his train and they fell to rest at the couples feet. Otto snapped pictures like crazy.

The king reached over as Manic got to the front of the alter and lightly lifted his alternates jaw to close his mouth. He was close to drooling.

He waited for Castillo to come back down to earth and then started the wedding.

“Dearly beloved. We are gathered here today to join these two in holy matrimony. May any opposed to this union speak now or forever hold your peace.”

Silence in the crowd. Utter silence. Oh, Fiona wanted to speak badly. She wanted to call him out. But her son was there, a fatal error on her part. Not to mention the arm wrenching hers down was more than enough to tell her to stop. Sonic had many, many thoughts running through his mind. But it was Manic's wedding, not his. As much as he hated to say it, Manic was with someone he was happy with. Even if that person was Scourge... Scourge and Manic just gazed at each other, taking in the sights of their partner. Scourge's grin widened as he stared at Manic. It was exactly the kind of dress he'd expected Manic to wear, but he didn't predict anything beyond 'mildly grunge.' The looked stunning, and Manic could see in his eyes that he was pleasantly surprised. Manic's gaze was more silly and judging as he looked at what was ostensibly a dress shirt worn under his normal leather jacket. His gaze just screamed, 'glad to see YOU went all out.' Scourge sighed in relief. He continued on with the ceremony, speaking his part and stopping when it was time for the vows. He finished off his sentence and looked to Manic to start his vows.

Aria slid Sonia a box of tissues, knowing that they were probably going to cry. Aria held Terra's hand too, under the table.

Castillo took reassurance in the piece of paper with his vows on it in his pocket. Looking over at his husband with just plain love in his eyes, for only Manic to see. Manic was at ease on stage. This felt much more stressful than usual, yet oddly no less comfortable. "You know, I still wear that ring from the first time we got "married." Any of you remember that? It was behind the club, Sonia left immediately, Sonic beat up Scourgey here?" Manic laughed at himself, Sonic looking away guiltily. "I don't care it was 'fake,' it was fake together. You telling me a marriage outside the law where we try and piss everyone off ISN'T more appropriate for us than some kind of princessy royal wedding?" He sighed, and looked down. "Those two years where you were gone... they were unbearable. I almost thought finding out you'd died would have been easier to bear, just to have some certainty. I tried everything, btu finally having some confirmation you were still around was..." He sniffed a bit, before putting on his smile. "Magical. Every year we've spend together's been magical. I honestly don't know if I'd still be around if I hadn't met you. I don't know if I'd even have survived depression without you. I should probably hate you for everything you've done, but it's not like I haven't done worse." He laughed at himself again, clearly nervous at admitting this much in public. "I guess we're just meant for each other. Sinners with no future outside of sinning." He stared at his husband for a moment, but then tilted to the king. "You sure we've gotta wait to kiss?" "Mmmm..." Scourge said, noticing the way Manic didn't seem to be checking any notes. "You making this up now?" "Maybe~" Manic teased, sticking his tongue out mischeviously. "Damn," Castillo said, pulling out the page of vows he'd had precomposed for days, drafted and rewritten time and time again. "I thought you'd be the one with the billion vows, kid." He looked at his vows with a smile. And then to the surprise of most of the room, Sonia in particular, Scourge tore up the page of vows and let it tumble to the floor. "Never got rid of my ring, either." Scourge started, making up most of the words on the spot. "I mean, I didn't care it was a piece of guitar wire that got screwed up in a few seconds, it was still a wedding ring... kinda. I thought you would've chucked that plastic garbage ring... Had no idea you wore it that whole time." He swallowed hard, trying to fight off his own nerves "Those years the old hag was controlling me, you were always my husband. She only knew you as my husband. Told her I wouldn't take off that tangled guitar string unless it was ripped off, so she... ripped it off. And my ring finger." Scourge didn't seem to take any about of sorrow at this, instead smiling and laughing to himself at the memory. "'N you know I'd do more for you. Went to zone jail for you, I ran away from Finny for you. You say this stuff like I ain't already risking my life for you regularly. And you know I love getting cut up for you~" Scourge caught himself mid sentance. "Crap, shouldn't have said that, should I?" "Nope." He smiled, leaning closer to gaze at Manic again. "Did I ruin the whole wedding already?" Manic gazed with that smug, sassy grin. "You ruined it perfectly~" The king, while the two were saying their vows, tried very hard not to laugh as Scourge screwed up. As much as this wedding was done formally, the two just couldn’t keep it 100%.

Aria had walked around to cover Faolán's ears gently prior to the vows, half expecting something like this, and the tiny prince merely looked confused. Fiona clearly wasn’t happy this woman was near her offspring, but said nothing when she came to the realization of what Scourge had said.

When the king was sure they were done, he continued. "The rings please?”

Sonic gave the rings to the proper spouses and stepped back. Manic held out his hand gently, hand held daintily and steadily in the air. Scourge gripped Manic by the wrist and slid on the large gemstone ring. They both looked down. It was the same color, same size as his old ring, but much more important. That last one was a plastic fake for a fake wedding. This whole affair was very much real. There was one more fake ring in the room that evening. Manic shoved the plain gold wedding band meant for Scourge into his pocket, and smiled. "Alright, kingy, let's get the real 'ring' out." The king seemed nervous at giving in, but eventually gave Manic a small device. There was only one tiny gem shape in the pattern left to finish. With no hesitation and a few gasps from the audience, Manic took a tattoo gun from Scourge and started to print the last few lines of his real ring into Scourge's finger. Despite the surprise from the audience, Scourge barely even seemed to wince at the pain, smiling the whole time. It only lasted maybe a minute at most for the few lines they left unfinished for the ceremony, but it was certainly a surprise for the crowd. The king actively looked away, the sight of the tattoo gun reminding him to check on Aria. She had uncovered Faoláns ears and had returned to her seat, hand clinging tightly to Terra's. The bat said nothing but held Aria's forearm, right over her tattoo, and kissed it gently. This subtle exchange went unnoticed by the grooms.

When he finished and gave the device back to Scourge, the king turned it off and set it aside, on a high self, and unplugged it to keep it out of Faolán's reach. The king coughed to regain everyone’s attention.

"Do you, Scourge Castillo, take Manic to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

“I do,” the other smiled, holding his mates hand.

"And do you, Manic Jezek, take Scourge Castillo to be your lawfully wedded husband?“

It should be noted that at this point everyone in the room was crying. "I do," Manic said with a smile. He didn't stumble over the words for a second. He just wanted it to be official already. "Then I now pronounce you-" The kings last few words were almost inaudible as Manic lunged forward and threw his arms around Scourge's head, pulling him close immediately. A few of the guests who had refrained from tearing up laughed at the interrupted final words. Manic's mother just stared up at the stage with that same large smile, and Sonia was... gone? The moment the kiss was broken, the two grinned at each other as a simple guitar riff started. It seemed the band members had left the stage at some point, Sonia and Sonic taking up the keyboard and rhythm guitar. The newly weds ran up to the middle of the stage area as the small podium was quickly cleared, Manic hopping behind his drums and Scourge taking up lead guitar. And judging by how fluidly the four of them got into their spaces, they must have practiced this sometime without a proper recital. It seemed the couple wanted everyone to be surprised by the wedding. And it wasn't a downbeat melody, either. All upbeat, energetic songs, rather than slow dance numbers or anything hokey. It was hard to ignore the gaze Scourge's son was giving as he was escorted off the stage, entranced by the sound and sights before him. Aria had known this was coming, couldn’t have imagined Manic not performing at his own wedding. Faolán's look made her think that the little prince was more like his father than originally thought.

However the music was wonderful and Aria laughed with joy. Her friends were married. The struggle was finally over. Oh they would love their gift, she hoped.

Scourge cleaned up the altar area and smiled at the two. The music was good, the mood was lively. For once, they weren't worried about something going wrong. Manic was still singing, even as he focused on the song's drum line. His vocals were no less clear. In fact, it almost seemed like he trained himself to sing specifically while he was playing drums. Ms. Manners, save it, we don't need moral crap We ain't gutter trash with hearts of gold, just criminal hacks No point in talking, save that uppity trash We don't need your help, just let us live in white And diamond black The second repetition of the chorus had a brief moment before it lead into Sonic's guitar solo. Usually. But before Sonic could prepare, he realized that Scourge was playing some new guitar part... that lead right into the solo, forcing Sonic to go back to rhythm guitar. Judging from the look on Sonic's face, he wasn't expecting this. Scourge stole Sonic's solo in the middle of their little celebratory set, and there was nothing he could do but take up the rhythm guitar part last second while Scourge stole the lead. Scourge could clearly see his son enjoying the little number. Was he honestly a fan of this kind of music? He nodded at him and gave him a grin as he turned around to face Manic, the two glaring at each other not just out of love, but like they were challenging each other to amp up their playing for the end of the number. Even Sonia and Sonic weren't expecting them to go all the way with volume and showy ornamentation all of a sudden, but it certainly didn't hurt their sound. Aria wouldn't have expected anything less from her friends, the extravagant show was just their style. Eventually though, the number did end in a wonderful crescendo of playing and a voice. Faolán was sent back to his mother, chattering on happily about his father and step fathers music.

Now was the fun part. Dinner! The king had offered the two his chef's services for the wedding and it was certainly a good choice. Everything smelt wonderful and tasted better.

What was that tradition to get the newlyweds to kiss again? They'd already had cocktail hour, that was essentially the whole waiting period leading up to the wedding. Manic and Scourge had already done their first 'dance' together with their little performance, most everything was already done beforehand, leaving them with dinner and the end of the reception. The menu that was prepared was a strange meld of German and Italian dishes, their two favorites, it seemed. Currywurst and spicy manicotti, eintopf stew and minestrone, knöpfle and pumpkin fettuccine. A few of his chefs walked around with platters carrying small sides or appetizers for the guests to take as they desired. And the couple's table was at the area of the club nearest the stage, in viewing distance of everyone. Scourge and Manic sat together, of course, with the king, Aria, Terra, and Manic's family and friends. They loved the implications of the sound, but the newlyweds were starting to get a little tired of the sound of clinking glasses. "You think we should just keep kissing 'til dinner's over?" Manic teased at the sound of yet another set of glasses clinking together. "I think Sonic's gonna clobber me if we did," Scourge noted, seeing the side-eyed glare Sonic was shooting him occasionally through the meal. Aria laughed at the sounds. “They’re all happy for you two. This wedding is long delayed.”

The dinner itself lasted for a while and during it Aria slipped Manic and Scourge an envelope. “I didn’t have a chance to set this with the other gifts I’m afraid.”

Scourge knew of its contents and sipped on his wine. Quiet. Would Sonic say something? Judging by the look Aria was giving him, an icy glare, he would not. "Aw, thanks, dude," Manic said as he happily snatched up the envelope wrapped in white wrapping paper, embossed with a simply floral pattern. "You wanted our reaction live, didn't you?" Castillo said with a sly grin. He seemed more than a little intrigued about the small size of the gift. Small and thin, too. "Open it already, we're getting impatient!" Rouge said from next to Manic. He just gave her a friendly nudge and started to undo the sticker. The sudden gift opening seemed to attract the attention of several of the guests at other tables. None of them would say anything, but there was definitely a silent interest in Aria's gift. Nothing but a card inside. Oddly plain for her style. But the card contained a brochure for a beautiful tropic destination and a five star hotel. Specifically the honeymoon package. As well as a sticky note in Arias handwriting, showing it was all paid for. The reservations were for the upcoming weekend and extended for two weeks afterwards. All inclusive.

“I figured you two would just chill in the back of your van for a honeymoon, so why not send you somewhere worthwhile? And don’t worry about plane fare, I’ve got you covered.” she said with a smile. Their initial confusion was quickly replaced by a pleasantly surprised smirk from Scourge and a wide-eyes, massive smile from Manic. "Oh, dude- Dude, you didn't have to! That's- Aw man, that's- Thank you so much, Ari, that's incredible!" Manic actually stood up and walked over to Aria, leaning down near her seat to give her a warm, thankful hug. Scourge smiled at the sight, going back to looking at the various amenities the resort had to advertise. Clearly, this place cost a hell of a lot. "You're wrong about the van, hun." Rouge would coo out to Aria as Manic wandered back to his seat. "We all had a very specific plan in mind." The few gazes swapped between Scourge, Manic and Rouge indicated their plan was very mischievous and doubtlessly very, very illegal. "We'll grab you a souvenir," Scourge said with a smile. Manic was still blushing a little at the surprise. It was clear the happiness of the moment was starting to boil over. "You alright, babe?" Scourge put his arm around Manic's side and smiled at him, noticing the swell of emotions. "I'm doing perfectly," Manic said, meaning every word. He leaned into Scourge's chest, who responded with a surprised smile and a few gentle pats on the back. They were almost disappointing the dinner portion of the after party was coming to a close. But they knew this meant they had dessert to look forward to... not to mention a resort vacation. Aria hugged back, purring softly and smiled. “You’re welcome. After all of this you deserve it.” She held Terra's hand under the table again. She had been saving up for an emergency or a special treat for years and figured this is what it would best be used for. Besides, the money she got from her previous place of employment due to the insurance set her up nicely for a few months.

Manic seemed so overwhelmed, Aria almost felt bad. But the smiles of the couple made her feel good and she just smiled along, content.

Scourge had remained silent through the dinner, just enjoying it all. Manic and Scourge were leaning against each other comfortably. "You even gonna finish that?" Scourge said, pointing to his almost empty plate. "Not really," Manic said, simply in heaven in that moment. He didn't care they were in public or supposed to be eating dinner, he just wanted to lean against his new husband. Scourge didn't exactly stop him, either. It was their wedding, and if people were gonna call them out for being disgustingly mushy, they were happy being called out. Manic was happy to look over the guests. The band members who had completely foregone any morals and were clearly very satisfied with their dishes, some of Sonic's old crew who weren't thrilled to see Scourge again but were being polite for the sake of the wedding, Muttski sitting below the end of the table having finished his own little currywurst meal... ...And at the far back of the room, Fiona and her son, who hadn't caused any real trouble besides any initial confusion from her dress. Scourge and Manic were stuffed, and most of the diners were finished by the looks of things. "You think it's time for the cake?" Manic said to Scourge. Scourge grinned and turned towards the king. "Clear the tables and get that knife out." Not a damn person cared that they were snuggling. The boys could have done almost anything short of fucking and no one would have said anything.

The staff cleaned the tables and the king drew his sword from where it had been at his side. Few people realized that he had it on him, as it's sheath was black, matching his pants. He handed it to the couple as they stood next to the cake.

“We figured the sword would be more fun,” he shrugged. "Mmm, fancy." Manic said, happily taking the blade from the king. Him and Manic walked towards a table in the center of the room. The cake was a bit small for a wedding cake, and decorated in all kinds of bright reds and gaudy golden decorations, but it was cute. The outside decorations were lovingly sculpted in... it looked like fondant, but a bit more dusty, maybe ivory tinted? It definitely couldn't have been any kind of frosting, but it clearly wasn't- "HhheeeeEEAAAAAAAAH!" Manic and Scourge both gripped the sword and, in time, delivered a fast, deep cut slightly off-center of the cake, the dramatic swing cutting the cake clean through. "So where're we starting with this?" The next few cuts were done by the chefs using proper knives. By the looks of it, it was that German cake Manic loved so much. Layers of a dense biscuity cake filling seperated by thin layers of marzipan. The exterior ended up being a dark chocolate flavored marzipan. All three added to a nice taste that the lucky couple seemed to simply adore. Scourge's staff were quick to run around the room and refill coffee as the guests stood up and waited to get cake. As the guests got their cake, they all passed by Manic and Scourge's seat at the table to wish some kind of blessing. But the line was getting closer and closer to the end. "So how are we gonna do this?" Manic said, as he could see Detour taking two slices of cake for himself. "What, talk to these guys?" Scourge shot back with his mouthful. "No, when-" He almost whispered the last line. "When Fiona gets up here." The thought clearly hadn't crossed his mind. “I’m not saying spill coffee on her dress, but spill coffee on her dress” Aria suggested, having turned down an offer of cake.

“Serves her right. White gets dirty very quickly,” Terra suggested, clearly not discouraging her mate's suggestion and taking a bite of her own piece of cake.

“No to both of you. Just stay calm, treat her like you would normally. If she starts something I can kick her out.” Scourge insisted. The two tried to relax and focus on their cake. This wasn't hard for Manic, who was very, very happy with his cake selection. But soon, that white dress was drawing closer, until they all went silent as she approached the table with her kid. "Congratulations," she said professionally, making it very clear there was no genuine happiness behind that statement. Manic silently considered actually tossing his coffee. "Thanks," Scourge shot back at her. He turned towards the little boy standing by his mother's dress, who clearly noticed the discomfort of the moment, even if he didn't understand entirely. "Glad you enjoyed the show, kid. You still learning the guitar?" "Yeah, my finger's keep getting weird lumps, though." he said, looking at his hands. "Calluces, those are good. You keep it up." Scourge delivered with a smug smile. Manic smiled at him. He definitely noticed that Manic was wearing a dress, but didn't seem to say anything. "I will." He said in response, happy for the affirmation. Aria could easily see those teeth Scourge mentioned earlier. Sure enough, he had his dad's pointed teeth, and green eyes the same color as his dad's quills. Fiona didn't have anything else to say that wouldn't cast her as the villain to the room. She hoped to stir up trouble, but so far, everything she'd done had been mildly perturbing, at best. She walked away without another word, her son looking back at his dad before running along. The visit had left some of the other diners cold on the thought of the marriage, but no one dared say anything at this point. "I'm sure just one cup of coffee wouldn't hurt," Manic thought out loud. Aria started to growl softly, unnoticeable, but everyone stayed calm around Faolán. No one wanted that kid to have to deal with the results of bad blood. Although Scourge was right, he did have his dad's chompers.

When they left, Aria giggled as Manic considered her suggestion. “I will do it and I will make sure it doesn’t look like an accident.”

Terra and Scourge grabbed her arms and sat her down. “No. Bad hedgie”

Soon, cake was finished. The band started playing upbeat songs for people to dance to or enjoy. Only this time around, it was the Fourth Degree. Dante, Detour and Drench were all performing on stage this time around, simple instrumental numbers that didn't need a vocalist. Manic and Scourge were mostly just cooing against one another, mingling with some of Sonic's old friends and making them uncomfortable. Scourge's son was eventually let loose to enjoy the dancing crowds as Fiona watched the newlyweds from a distance like a hawk. They didn't notice. They didn't care. "It probably shouldn't feel this different, huh?" Manic said, holding Scourge's hand and looking down at the ring tattooed to his finger. "We've pretty much been married anyways." "Now it's official," Scourge said, admiring the linework on his wedding band. "And we're getting a nice honeymoon out of it." The two stood there for a moment, Manic looking slightly awkward. "I didn't think I'd have taken that news so well..." Manic admitted. "We should've put off the wedding after you told me about him." "Who cares if I've got a kid?" Scourge said with a grin. "Is it gonna change anything about us?" "Of course. Now we've got a new relative to spoil." He leaned forward and smooched Scourge right on his nose. "Where's Scourge?" Manic said, looking over the crowd. "He's done all this for us, hasn't he?" "Hell, where's Aria?" Scourge said with a mischievous smile. "I know how we can thank her, too..." Aria and Terra were on the dance floor, dancing close together. They always touched somehow, bodies pressed together, hands touching. Nothing crazy inappropriate, but the love between them was obvious. Maybe the the two could wait to bug them. Besides, Scourge was in a far more interesting place.

He stood next to Fiona as she glared a hole in Scourges head. What he said they couldn’t hear, but Fiona stopped looking at them to look up at him.

The king offered his hand for the other to take as the song switched to something slower for the older couples. As the music grew quieter they could hear him joke. “Look, this is a party and everyone else is having fun. I know I’m not the right Scourge but hey, you ain’t exactly my Fiona, so I feel like we could both settle for less for five minutes. Besides, glaring at them does nothing except torture you.” "You should know I hate Scourges," Fiona added at the offered hand. But he did have a point, at least a little. She stared at the offered hand... The first the couple would see of the king after dinner was when he was walking with Fiona hand in hand towards where the rest of the couples were dancing. The confusion still wasn't gone. It was Scourge dancing... just not the right scourge. It was someone in a bridal gown... just not the right person. It wasn't passionate or intimate, but it was strangely close for the two of them. Scourge was carying most of the fun, Fiona mostly joining in so she wouldn't be completely evil. "What's she doing?" Manic whispered, watching the two dance strangely gracefully together. "Dancing." "I- I know that!" Manic said, slapping his husband playfully. "I mean, why?" "Who cares?" Scourge said for once. He grabbed Manic by the arm and dipped him out of nowhere, staring into his eyes. "Everyone else is dancing, right?" Manic gave up and let Scourge walk him over to the dance floor. Manic's dancing wasn't focused completely on the dance, it was on how... complacent Fiona seemed to be for once. Scourge on the other hand was much more mischievous. He watched Aria and Terra dance slowly, waiting for the perfect moment... When their lips were at the same level, Scourge 'accidentally' bumped into Aria, pushing her slightly towards her partner and into a surprise kiss. “Hey, we aren’t here to talk about our traumas. Believe me. I’d win.” He joked, hiding his pain behind a smile.

Faolán had sat down to pet Muttski, the dog and the boy both clearly enjoying the attention. They sat and watched the adults dancing around.

“You’re good at this.” Scourge said, surprised. “Where’d you learn to dance?”

Aria and Terra had their teeth knock together as the newlyweds hit them gently. However they kissed quickly, clearly more comfortable with it now. "It's not hard to learn," Fiona said vaguely. "I know a lot of things. It's my job." It was easy to tell that Fiona must have learned to dance with Scourge some time back. Scourge was dancing more passionately, more seriously than Fiona was, but they were similar styles. Manic didn't quite know his way around a ballroom floor, but he could pick up some of the basics. He mostly held on and let Scourge control their motions, surprising him whenever he went to do some fancy move that was a little out of his range. But even if they weren't totally graceful, they were happy. The wedding was already late. And it had drawn quite, quite late in the evening. The tables had been cleared, gifts had already been moved to the van, the van already decked out in ribbons and decorations. When the final song closed off, they knew it was time to put a big end to this ceremony. As much as they wanted the ceremony to keep going... "Let's see what this resort's got to offer~" Scourge offered Manic, knowing most of the eyes in the room were on them both. Scourge parted from his dance partner as the song ended. He bowed to her respectfully.

“Thank you for the dance. Now I think you ought to take tiny home.” He motioned to Faolán who had fallen asleep.

Terra and Aria were still slow dancing, swaying gently. Neither were as fancy with their dancing as the other couples but it was enough for them. People filed out, hugging and congratulating the couple before they left. Soon it was just Manic's family, Fiona, Faolán, Aria, Scourge and Terra.

Aria yawned and streached out, and Fiona scooped up her sleeping child. Scourge and Manic were still on edge with Fiona around. Even after she danged with Scourge. Even after she let her child be the flower boy. She still showed up to a wedding in a white gown. She didn't deign Manic or Scourge with a goodbye, or an insult of any kind. She only paused for a moment before leaving, looking at the king for a strange amount of time. Contemplating everything he had said and done, not knowing how much that dance meant to the king. Without a word, she carried her child from the building. No one else seemed to pay her any mind. Sonic and Sonia kept talking with Aria and Terra, Manic's mother standing with her son and watching on quietly. "He seems like a nice kid," Manic said to his Scourge. By the time the words were out of his mouth, Castillo was standing next to the king, patting him on the shoulder. "That was real brave," Castillo said with a smile. "Thanks. We should've warned you." Scourge noticed, waving goodbye as he returned to conversation with Manic. “Yeah, he’s a whole ball o'cute. Guess he looks like a Scourge more then his mom.”

He was surprised at the other Scourge's actions and words. “It's not bravery. In a way, I know how she feels. It doesn’t excuse her behavior, and I think she knows that… But you’re still around. She can have closure, I don’t have that so this was as close as I was going to get. I admit my reasons for asking were selfish…” He seemed ashamed, but shook it off.

“You two ought to go and get some ‘sleep’…” he hinted, jokingly nudging his alternate. He grabbed his coat from the coat check and pulled it on. "Thought you guys'd be trying to STOP us from getting closer," Scourge teased. Him and Manic shared a few saucy glances that Sonic and Sonia pretended not to notice. "Alright, let's get this honeymoon going!" Scourge scooped up Manic in his arms, surprising him for a moment. "Wait, babe?" Manic said, laughing through the surprise. "I was hoping I could pick up the love of MY life, too~" Scourge stopped briefly so Manic could reach down to the table and pick up everything that was left of their wedding cake, a good half of how much was made. And with Muttski chasing closely along to catch any falling crumbs, the few straggling members of the wedding party chased the newlyweds as they piled into their van, the entire cake in tow. "Alright, y'all, thanks for showing up. We'll be seeing you in, like..." Manic checked the brochure again. "Two weeks. Really, guys, thanks so much for helping with this. It really-" Manic was getting choked up again. "Hey, open up that warp before he starts crying," Scourge yelled out, Manic giving him a playful punch on the shoulder as Aria brought out her claws... Manic and Scourge drove in almost instantly, but not before Manic threw out a bouquet to an incredibly unfair crowd. After all, there were only two unmarried women left in the wedding party. The bouquet whacked an already weak Aria off the head, and it landed on her lap as she fell over. Terra rushed to her girlfriend and caught her head before it hit the pavement.

The boys drove through and the portal closed behind them, allowing them to drive into the parking lot of a lavish hotel. Warm sun, warm sand, cool water that was impeccably clear, a perfect location to celebrate their love.

#TinyRedArtist #Show's Over #There's A Melody Playing #Strong Language

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