The early spring sun had risen warm over an almost deserted Orlando beach on this first weekend in the month of March. While others were engaging in holiday thrills, making the most of the parks and attractions in the lull before the peak of the holiday season, others had quite different tasks set for the day. On a swept stretch of beach, a careful heart was being drawn in the white sand, a bridal canopy lifted into place for the little ceremony due to take place as midday came and went. And in the back room of a small beach-side cafe, twins were arguing at varying volumes.
"I feel like a china doll, Lucy! No one wears this much make up unless they're a battered wife!"
Lucy sighed, rolling her eyes at her younger sister. "Look, either you hold still while I clean it off, or you go out there looking like Harry the Happy Panda, okay?"
Huffing nervously, Liv forced herself to stand still as Lucy wiped the disobedient mascara and eyeshadow off her face. "God, I feel like I'm six years old again," she complained, her fingers clenching in the folds of her dress momentarily before a slap from her sister on those white knuckles made her yelp and relax.
Lucy wasn't putting up with nervous, irritable Liv today, and she'd made that perfectly clear. "Shut up and stop whining," she told her little sister. "You're getting married, not walking to the guillotine. Just be glad Sue isn't in here with the baby - I'm sure that kid can aim his puke."
Liv glared at her sister mutely for a moment. "Thanks, that makes me feel so much better," she grumbled, taking a deep breath. She loved Johnny, she wanted to be here ....why did it have to feel so final"
"I'm not here to make you feel better, I'm here to get you to the beach on time and not half naked," Lucy informed her little sister, tossing the crumpled wipe into a nearby trashcan. She surveyed the damage of the minor temper tantrum, turning Liv toward the little mirror. "I think you look beautiful," she told the bride. "You don't need make up to shine, Livvie."
Drawn from her slightly petulant contemplation of her pale, blushing complexion, Liv met her sister's gaze in the mirror's reflection, raising a hand to tangle their fingers together on her own shoulder. "I've got Johnny for that, haven't I?" she said softly, turning to hug Lucy warmly, mindful of the gentle curve of her sister's pregnancy. "Thank you for being here, Luce. I'd be a wreck without you."
Lucy smiled, stroking her sister's dark hair fondly. "I know," she said with grinning confidence, glancing at the clock on the wall. "Time to go, precious. Need me to carry you?"
Liv gave her sister a dirty look, laughing a little when the answering expression was relentlessly innocent. "Not a chance in hell," she told her big sister. "Go give Steve the nod - I'll meet you out there."
With a last stroke of her hand against her twin sister's face, Lucy nodded herself, slipping out of the cafe to wave to her husband. Here comes the bride ...
*~*~*
Just down the beach from where the preparations were being made, two men stood waiting, almost twins themselves, nearly identical to each other. One was a little taller and broader than the other with blond hair that was parted on the side, as opposed to the short spiky hair on the other, but other than those slight differences, they were nearly identical. The only other difference was the fact that the shorter of the two, who happened to be the groom, was pacing frenetically enough to wear a groove in the sand, while the other stood as still as a statue, as calm as could be.
"What are they doing in there" What's taking so long?" Johnny asked, as he stopped his pacing a moment to glance over at the cafe where Lucy and Liv were getting ready for the ceremony.
"Take a deep breath and calm down before you set yourself on fire," warned Steve. "You aren't wearing your uniform," he reminded the other man. If Johnny went up in flames now, he'd have to either say his vows that way or do it naked.
"Don't remind me. You're just making me more nervous," Johnny complained as he stopped his pacing, shoving his fingers through his hair. He turned to watch the preparations being made for the little ceremony, but that was doing nothing for his jangled nerves. As picturesque and perfect as things seemed, he was clearly a nervous wreck. "What if she changes her mind" What if she says 'I don't'?" he asked, gnawing nervously at the inside of his mouth.
Steve laughed, finding the Torch's nervousness amusing. Had he been that nervous on his wedding day' He didn't think so. "She's not going to say no, trust me. She loves you. Any idiot can see that." Spying the signal from Lucy indicating that the girls were nearly ready, he waved back to acknowledge her signal.
"Why's she waving?" Johnny asked curiously, shielding his eyes from the sun to find Lucy waving at them.
"They're ready. The question is are you?" Steve asked the groom with a smile.
"As ready as I'll ever be," Johnny replied, looking as nervous as ever.
Steve smiled warmly at his soon-to-be brother-in-law and set a reassuring hand against his warmer than usual shoulder. "You're ready or you wouldn't have asked her. Come on. We don't want to keep them waiting." No big speeches, no lectures on being married. Anyone with a brain in their head could see that Johnny and Liv were deeply in love and belonged together.
Johnny nodded his head, though his stomach felt like it was twisted up worse than a pretzel. He knew he was doing the right thing; he loved Liv more than anything and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Funny how he didn't think twice about battling fires and dragons and super-villains, but put him on a beach with a pretty girl, about to publicly pronounce his undying love, and he felt like a bundle of raw nerves. Johnny turned and started toward the canopy where he and Liv would say their vows with his best friend at his side. It was now or never.
"I feel like a china doll, Lucy! No one wears this much make up unless they're a battered wife!"
Lucy sighed, rolling her eyes at her younger sister. "Look, either you hold still while I clean it off, or you go out there looking like Harry the Happy Panda, okay?"
Huffing nervously, Liv forced herself to stand still as Lucy wiped the disobedient mascara and eyeshadow off her face. "God, I feel like I'm six years old again," she complained, her fingers clenching in the folds of her dress momentarily before a slap from her sister on those white knuckles made her yelp and relax.
Lucy wasn't putting up with nervous, irritable Liv today, and she'd made that perfectly clear. "Shut up and stop whining," she told her little sister. "You're getting married, not walking to the guillotine. Just be glad Sue isn't in here with the baby - I'm sure that kid can aim his puke."
Liv glared at her sister mutely for a moment. "Thanks, that makes me feel so much better," she grumbled, taking a deep breath. She loved Johnny, she wanted to be here ....why did it have to feel so final"
"I'm not here to make you feel better, I'm here to get you to the beach on time and not half naked," Lucy informed her little sister, tossing the crumpled wipe into a nearby trashcan. She surveyed the damage of the minor temper tantrum, turning Liv toward the little mirror. "I think you look beautiful," she told the bride. "You don't need make up to shine, Livvie."
Drawn from her slightly petulant contemplation of her pale, blushing complexion, Liv met her sister's gaze in the mirror's reflection, raising a hand to tangle their fingers together on her own shoulder. "I've got Johnny for that, haven't I?" she said softly, turning to hug Lucy warmly, mindful of the gentle curve of her sister's pregnancy. "Thank you for being here, Luce. I'd be a wreck without you."
Lucy smiled, stroking her sister's dark hair fondly. "I know," she said with grinning confidence, glancing at the clock on the wall. "Time to go, precious. Need me to carry you?"
Liv gave her sister a dirty look, laughing a little when the answering expression was relentlessly innocent. "Not a chance in hell," she told her big sister. "Go give Steve the nod - I'll meet you out there."
With a last stroke of her hand against her twin sister's face, Lucy nodded herself, slipping out of the cafe to wave to her husband. Here comes the bride ...
*~*~*
Just down the beach from where the preparations were being made, two men stood waiting, almost twins themselves, nearly identical to each other. One was a little taller and broader than the other with blond hair that was parted on the side, as opposed to the short spiky hair on the other, but other than those slight differences, they were nearly identical. The only other difference was the fact that the shorter of the two, who happened to be the groom, was pacing frenetically enough to wear a groove in the sand, while the other stood as still as a statue, as calm as could be.
"What are they doing in there" What's taking so long?" Johnny asked, as he stopped his pacing a moment to glance over at the cafe where Lucy and Liv were getting ready for the ceremony.
"Take a deep breath and calm down before you set yourself on fire," warned Steve. "You aren't wearing your uniform," he reminded the other man. If Johnny went up in flames now, he'd have to either say his vows that way or do it naked.
"Don't remind me. You're just making me more nervous," Johnny complained as he stopped his pacing, shoving his fingers through his hair. He turned to watch the preparations being made for the little ceremony, but that was doing nothing for his jangled nerves. As picturesque and perfect as things seemed, he was clearly a nervous wreck. "What if she changes her mind" What if she says 'I don't'?" he asked, gnawing nervously at the inside of his mouth.
Steve laughed, finding the Torch's nervousness amusing. Had he been that nervous on his wedding day' He didn't think so. "She's not going to say no, trust me. She loves you. Any idiot can see that." Spying the signal from Lucy indicating that the girls were nearly ready, he waved back to acknowledge her signal.
"Why's she waving?" Johnny asked curiously, shielding his eyes from the sun to find Lucy waving at them.
"They're ready. The question is are you?" Steve asked the groom with a smile.
"As ready as I'll ever be," Johnny replied, looking as nervous as ever.
Steve smiled warmly at his soon-to-be brother-in-law and set a reassuring hand against his warmer than usual shoulder. "You're ready or you wouldn't have asked her. Come on. We don't want to keep them waiting." No big speeches, no lectures on being married. Anyone with a brain in their head could see that Johnny and Liv were deeply in love and belonged together.
Johnny nodded his head, though his stomach felt like it was twisted up worse than a pretzel. He knew he was doing the right thing; he loved Liv more than anything and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Funny how he didn't think twice about battling fires and dragons and super-villains, but put him on a beach with a pretty girl, about to publicly pronounce his undying love, and he felt like a bundle of raw nerves. Johnny turned and started toward the canopy where he and Liv would say their vows with his best friend at his side. It was now or never.