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s t u c k- -> in <- -t r a f f I c

The groom sat there, anxiously gripping his pant leg. His blonde hair was gelled, his tie was on straight, his shoes were tied… Everything seemed ready. Except for maybe his mind.

“Rox, you okay? You ready for this?” the brunet best man asked softly, gripping the groom’s white suited shoulder.

“O-of course, I’ve been waiting for this moment for forever… It’s just…” he trailed off, biting his lip as he looked down at his feet.

“What?”

“I’m just so hung up… Why didn’t Axel want to be my best man?” Roxas turned his blue eyes up to gaze into his brother’s equally blue eyes. “I mean, I love having you as a best man, Sora, but Axel… He seemed so—I don’t know…”

“He said he couldn’t make it, right?” Sora mused, now beginning to gently massage his twin’s shoulders.

“Yeah, but who exactly plans something five months in advance? I asked him the instant I was engaged… I didn’t even have the date, and he was all, ‘I dunno, I’ll have to check my schedule when you get the date.’ I mean seriously… It’s like he’s avoiding me. What’s so important that he can’t reschedule to attend his best friend’s wedding?” Roxas stressed the last part, leaning back and placing his forearm across his eyes.

“Look, I’m sure he has a reason… Maybe he had another wedding to go to! Or…Knowing Axel, it’s probably so he can surprise you with something stupid halfway through the service!” Sora brightly responded, smiling goofily.

“Augh… That’s getting me more stressed now… I don’t want anything to ruin today for Namine,” Roxas moaned, gripping his head. Sora rolled his eyes and sighed.

“Roxas, you’re too much of a worry-wart! Calm down, go with the flow! You love Namine, right? You want to marry her, right? So today should be happy!” Sora finished, flashing another big grin.

“I—Yeah I guess… I…I just wish Axel could be here to tell me it’s all right. That I made the right decision. I mean, the instant I told him I was proposing, he just gave me this distant look, followed by some fake-ass smile, saying ‘Whatever floats your boat’. I mean, what’s he trying to tell me?” Roxas buried his face in his hands once again.

“Eh? Are you sure about that? Axel thinks Namine’s a great girl… Fake-ass smile?” Sora questioned, placing a gentle finger to his lips. Roxas sighed, looking up to Sora again.

“No, it was a real smile… I just keep looking back on it, keep having dreams about it, and each time it seems more and more fake,” Roxas brought his hand up to rest against his temple.

“You’re just stressing out. And who knows, maybe Axel’s just not ready to let go yet. Maybe he’s sad that he has to go chick hunting all by himself now,” Sora smiled, laughing as he said it.

“I hope you’re right.”

The redhead bit his lip, glancing at his watch.

I can still make it… If I wanted…

He gripped at his pant leg. He was sweaty; tuxedos weren’t exactly beachwear.

Do I really want to stop Roxas from marrying Namine? He loves her. I’m just being selfish…

He scratched the back of his head, looking at his watch hastily. If he was going to go, he would have to leave now.

I love Roxas, but he loves Namine. I know he’ll be happy this way. But… But what if?

Axel’s eyes flung open, his thoughts racing.

I have to go.

He grabbed his keys, tossing the door open as he tried to readjust his tie. He swiftly jumped over his car door into his red convertible, snapping on the seatbelt. As soon as he was situated, he floored it. There was no time to waste.

As he got onto the freeway, his heart sank. Traffic.

Shit shit shit shit! This is going to add who knows how much longer to my travel time!

As he sat in the traffic, honking his horn in futile, his heart began to race. He was sure now.

He had to stop that wedding.

He looked at his watch again.

Shit.

“Roxas, the service is beginning,” Sora called, Roxas gripping his pants one more time before standing.

“I’m ready.”

Shit.

Normal wedding. Normal practices. Normal relatives crying. Normal relatives falling asleep.

SHIT.

“Namine, do you take Roxas Strife to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

“I do,” she answered sweetly, looking straight into Roxas’ deep blue eyes. He smiled back gently.

Shit…Shit…Shit…

“And Roxas, do you take Namine Lockhart to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

“I…I…”

Roxas, please… PLEASE. Give me a chance. Don’t do it.

“I do.”

Why am I so indecisive? If I had left earlier, if I had known earlier… I just hope I’m still in time…

He was off the freeway, speeding toward that quite little church.

“Does anyone have any reason these two should not be wed?”

I do, I do… I have a reason. I love that groom, I love him.

As much as he recited it in his head, it was never heard.

“Speak now or forever hold your peace.”

Don’t do it, DON’T DO IT. Roxas, please!

He ripped the keys out of the ignition, leaping from his car, running toward those double doors.

“I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride.”

Roxas grinned, Namine replying with a tender smile. Roxas pulled her in, kissing her gently. She smiled into the kiss. He did too, kissing her again, this time leaning her back.

The doors flung open.

Roxas and Namine broke apart, both of them turning to the door. All the heads in the room followed their gaze, also looking at the intruder.

The redhead stood there, panting, green eyes widening. An invisible tear sliding over his permanent tears tattooed to his face.

“A-axel?” Roxas whispered softly, eyes widening. Namine clutched her husband softly, looking over at her bright headed friend curiously.

“I…I… Congratulations, Roxas, Namine,” he muttered, head turning down, tears more freely escaping his emerald eyes. “Don’t stop for me, continue with your ceremony!” he quickly added, head popping up, any previous tears having vanished, empty smile plastered on his face.

He was too late.

The blonde approached his best friend during the reception.

“Axel, why didn’t you come earlier?” Roxas asked, looking up at his taller best friend.

“I…I was stuck in traffic.”

Description
s t u c k- -> in <- -t r a f f I c

The groom sat there, anxiously gripping his pant leg. His blonde hair was gelled, his tie was on straight, his shoes were tied… Everything seemed ready. Except for maybe his mind.

“Rox, you okay? You ready for this?” the brunet best man asked softly, gripping the groom’s white suited shoulder.

“O-of course, I’ve been waiting for this moment for forever… It’s just…” he trailed off, biting his lip as he looked down at his feet.

“What?”

“I’m just so hung up… Why didn’t Axel want to be my best man?” Roxas turned his blue eyes up to gaze into his brother’s equally blue eyes. “I mean, I love having you as a best man, Sora, but Axel… He seemed so—I don’t know…”

“He said he couldn’t make it, right?” Sora mused, now beginning to gently massage his twin’s shoulders.

“Yeah, but who exactly plans something five months in advance? I asked him the instant I was engaged… I didn’t even have the date, and he was all, ‘I dunno, I’ll have to check my schedule when you get the date.’ I mean seriously… It’s like he’s avoiding me. What’s so important that he can’t reschedule to attend his best friend’s wedding?” Roxas stressed the last part, leaning back and placing his forearm across his eyes.

“Look, I’m sure he has a reason… Maybe he had another wedding to go to! Or…Knowing Axel, it’s probably so he can surprise you with something stupid halfway through the service!” Sora brightly responded, smiling goofily.

“Augh… That’s getting me more stressed now… I don’t want anything to ruin today for Namine,” Roxas moaned, gripping his head. Sora rolled his eyes and sighed.

“Roxas, you’re too much of a worry-wart! Calm down, go with the flow! You love Namine, right? You want to marry her, right? So today should be happy!” Sora finished, flashing another big grin.

“I—Yeah I guess… I…I just wish Axel could be here to tell me it’s all right. That I made the right decision. I mean, the instant I told him I was proposing, he just gave me this distant look, followed by some fake-ass smile, saying ‘Whatever floats your boat’. I mean, what’s he trying to tell me?” Roxas buried his face in his hands once again.

“Eh? Are you sure about that? Axel thinks Namine’s a great girl… Fake-ass smile?” Sora questioned, placing a gentle finger to his lips. Roxas sighed, looking up to Sora again.

“No, it was a real smile… I just keep looking back on it, keep having dreams about it, and each time it seems more and more fake,” Roxas brought his hand up to rest against his temple.

“You’re just stressing out. And who knows, maybe Axel’s just not ready to let go yet. Maybe he’s sad that he has to go chick hunting all by himself now,” Sora smiled, laughing as he said it.

“I hope you’re right.”

The redhead bit his lip, glancing at his watch.

I can still make it… If I wanted…

He gripped at his pant leg. He was sweaty; tuxedos weren’t exactly beachwear.

Do I really want to stop Roxas from marrying Namine? He loves her. I’m just being selfish…

He scratched the back of his head, looking at his watch hastily. If he was going to go, he would have to leave now.

I love Roxas, but he loves Namine. I know he’ll be happy this way. But… But what if?

Axel’s eyes flung open, his thoughts racing.

I have to go.

He grabbed his keys, tossing the door open as he tried to readjust his tie. He swiftly jumped over his car door into his red convertible, snapping on the seatbelt. As soon as he was situated, he floored it. There was no time to waste.

As he got onto the freeway, his heart sank. Traffic.

Shit shit shit shit! This is going to add who knows how much longer to my travel time!

As he sat in the traffic, honking his horn in futile, his heart began to race. He was sure now.

He had to stop that wedding.

He looked at his watch again.

Shit.

“Roxas, the service is beginning,” Sora called, Roxas gripping his pants one more time before standing.

“I’m ready.”

Shit.

Normal wedding. Normal practices. Normal relatives crying. Normal relatives falling asleep.

SHIT.

“Namine, do you take Roxas Strife to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

“I do,” she answered sweetly, looking straight into Roxas’ deep blue eyes. He smiled back gently.

Shit…Shit…Shit…

“And Roxas, do you take Namine Lockhart to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

“I…I…”

Roxas, please… PLEASE. Give me a chance. Don’t do it.

“I do.”

Why am I so indecisive? If I had left earlier, if I had known earlier… I just hope I’m still in time…

He was off the freeway, speeding toward that quite little church.

“Does anyone have any reason these two should not be wed?”

I do, I do… I have a reason. I love that groom, I love him.

As much as he recited it in his head, it was never heard.

“Speak now or forever hold your peace.”

Don’t do it, DON’T DO IT. Roxas, please!

He ripped the keys out of the ignition, leaping from his car, running toward those double doors.

“I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride.”

Roxas grinned, Namine replying with a tender smile. Roxas pulled her in, kissing her gently. She smiled into the kiss. He did too, kissing her again, this time leaning her back.

The doors flung open.

Roxas and Namine broke apart, both of them turning to the door. All the heads in the room followed their gaze, also looking at the intruder.

The redhead stood there, panting, green eyes widening. An invisible tear sliding over his permanent tears tattooed to his face.

“A-axel?” Roxas whispered softly, eyes widening. Namine clutched her husband softly, looking over at her bright headed friend curiously.

“I…I… Congratulations, Roxas, Namine,” he muttered, head turning down, tears more freely escaping his emerald eyes. “Don’t stop for me, continue with your ceremony!” he quickly added, head popping up, any previous tears having vanished, empty smile plastered on his face.

He was too late.

The blonde approached his best friend during the reception.

“Axel, why didn’t you come earlier?” Roxas asked, looking up at his taller best friend.

“I…I was stuck in traffic.”