What A Shame The Poor Groom's Brother Is A Whore

It was a bright May day, the late afternoon baking the park in a warm glow, the trees on the fringe of the park were softly rustling in the wind and ducks quack we happily as they drifted about the man made lake. It was a good, it was the perfect day for a wedding and downright impossible for any of the guests to distress.

But that didn't apply to bridesmaids.

"Every couple, every partnership will have their highs...no, their ups and their downs; it's inevitable. They're certain, they're bound to have their differences." Lucy Silas sat at the table, one leg crossed over the other as she quietly muttered her Maid of Honor speech, sanding over the rough edges before the dreaded time came and she had to read from four cue cards, scribbled on by her messy and practically illegible hand. "For example I asked Olive what she wanted from the marriage..."

"Hey, this seat isn't taken is it?" Upon hearing a voice break the silence in her personal bubble Lucy looked up from her cards, squinting for a moment as she took in the man standing in front of her. A mess of red hair, one crumpled suit that appeared to have been thrown on at the last second, a charming lopsided smile and eyes that despite being a common hazel intrigued her to no end.

"This is a wedding, the seats are assigned," she said, stating what most people knew, either from experience or from movies.

The man's smile grew a little wider before he replied, speaking slightly from the corner of his mouth as he pulled out the seat beside Lucy and sat down. "I know, I was just trying to find a good way to break the ice. I'm gonna be sitting here, my name's Gerard." He offered her his right hand, adjusting his tie with the other.

"That's the worst line I've ever heard but hi, I'm Lucy." She shook his hand with an easy grin then tucked her recently bleached blonde hair behind her ear. "Do you normally do that bad when introducing yourself?" Lucy was far from griping, she was trying her best to act coy as she talked to the attractive stranger but found herself rusty after three years without any serious flirting.

"No, I usually start with something like 'hey feel this shirt'." Gerard reached out and gently pressed the blonde's hand to his chest, her fingers splayed on the wrinkled fabric. "That's followed by 'you know what this is? Boyfriend material'." In an instant Lucy began giggling, she'd always been a sucker for cheesy lines.

"And what if your pickup doesn't work on whoever you're trying to seduce?" She asked, raising a styled brow as he kept hold of her hand, refusing to let her draw away, not that she was intending to.

"Then I would say 'my name's is Gerard Way and you're ravishing'." Before Lucy found herself able to respond Gerard had brought her hand to his lips and kissed the backs of her fingers, his hazel eyes meeting her nut-browns. The moment would have been dreamy if not for the way she stiffened upon hearing his full name.

"Gerard Way? Brother of the groom? The one who couldn't be contacted because he was off grid?" Lucy immediately pulled her hand out of the redheads grasp then purposefully angled her body away from him as she shoved her cue cards into her clutch purse, readying to walk away in search of alcohol. "Everyone's waiting to murder you because you didn't show up for the rehearsal. If I were you I'd avoid the bride, she'll skin you for not RSVPing. The only reason you've got a seat at this table is because Mikey insisted you have a place waiting for you if you decided to show."

Lucy was irritated by Gerard's presence, not because he seemed to be a particularly horrible person or because he had really shitty pickup lines. Her dislike for him was made from seeing firsthand how the now married couple panicked and stressed when they didn't receive a simple yes or no reply. Olive had all but ripped her hair out, not to mention Mikey who suffered many panic attacks after thinking of how Gerard would follow his streak of not appearing at any of the couple's celebrations. Mikey's brother had been a no show to the engagement party without even calling up to say why.

"I know, I know. It was a dick move for me to skip out on my little brother's rehearsal dinner but I did the damn best I could to make it here on time and I did so I'd call that success. Wouldn't you?" Lucy turned back to Gerard and stared at him before replying, slowly and unsurely.

"I guess..." Whether she wanted to accept the fact or not Lucy did have to agree that Gerard had arrived very early in the morning, long before the wedding started to ensure that he'd be able to speak with his brother and help set things up before the ceremony ensued.

"Believe it, I'm not a bad guy. I'm just really, really, really busy all the time. I simply want to take this week to relax, destress, hang out with my little bro and have some good old fashioned fun. I'll kick things off, I'm gonna sneak a bottle of something or other and you seem like a champagne girl, want a glass?" Everything about him was so bright, so welcoming that Lucy couldn't help but slowly nod when Gerard offered to fetch her favorite drink.

As soon as he had disappeared into the crowd of wedding guests Lucy let out a sigh, she really needed the drink, she hadn't allowed herself anything until after the ceremony, just to keep her head clear enough to sort out any dramas that might arise and require some sage advice straight from the Maid of Honor. She was definitely glad her sister had picked her for such an important role but she still couldn't help but feel pressured despite being the younger more perfected child who was meant to have all of her problems neatly sorted out into separate piles.

Lucy was the youngest in a family of two girls. She was the organized one who coasted through high school with the help of a fast metabolism, a keen edge in athletics and a mind as sharp as a tack, she'd been the supposed success of the family and to this day still hated the pressure they put on her with a passion. Her older, newlywed sister Olivia was the only person in Lucy's family who brought any serenity to Lucy's life and no more than an hour ago she'd watched her closest friend be carried off into the sunset, the promise of a new life in London with her husband on the horizon.

If Olive wasn't her sister or was rather an enemy than a friend Lucy might have wanted to curse the bride.
"Are you excited about your upcoming speech, dear?" A woman behind Lucy asked and she turned around to see a refined lady standing there, every bit the picture of elegance and sophistication that she sounded. "Honestly, Lucinda, I don't see how you wouldn't be. You've spent so much time in that apartment of yours that I don't know how you couldn't be anxious to socialize." Her mother sipped from the glass of red wine in her left hand then took a bite of the hors d'oeuvre in her right, a completely neutral expression on her face as she did so.

"I don't need to talk to people to be happy," she replied, unenthusiastic to enter a battle of wits with her mother at the beginning of her sister's wedding reception. Siobhan Silas was fierce competition in both polite conversation and the courtroom, competition that Lucy was unable to stand toe to toe with.

"All I'm saying, dear, is that locking yourself up with those delusional dreams of becoming a fashion designer is not the way to go. Why don't you become a lawyer, like me? You have always been able to hold your own in an argument and you were captain of the debate team." Siobhan was constantly insisting her daughter make more of herself, despite the girl having long since decided what she would gladly dedicate the rest of her life to. She hasn't spent six months crafting Olivia's dress for nothing.

Instead of telling her mother what she thought Lucy internally bottled up her frustration and annoyance before forcing a pleasant smile on her face. "If you think it's best I'll consider it. Shouldn't you be seeing Dad anyway? He can't be in a good mood after shelling out so much dough for the affair." As she talked Lucy ripped apart the dinner roll sitting on the table in front of her, she didn't intend to eat it, she simply needed a vent of some sort to release the unease in her stomach that would build whenever she was forced to socialize with her family.

"You're very right, he's become such a bitter man," Siobhan commented, gazing at the crowd in search for her husband, sipping her wine and shifting on her feet as though she intended to linger at the table and continue the conversation with her daughter. "I better look for him hadn't I? He'll probably end up upsetting the guests or insulting someone. Oh well, I'll see you when it comes time for the speeches." The older woman sighed to herself before putting the hors d'oeuvre back on a passing tray and wandering off, leaving her daughter alone but not not for very long.

"Your mother is so serious it's terrifying," Gerard noted, sitting down at the table with two champagne flutes and a bottle of bubbly that he must have stolen from the bar since when Lucy asked earlier the tender seemed unwilling to just hand out one of the bottles specifically reserved for the speeches.

"I know, it's a side effect from all the Botox and plastic surgery. She should have stopped when she went onto her fourth surgeon, at least she didn't end up looking like Joan Rivers." Lucy held the glass by the stem as Gerard filled it to the brim with bubbling Blanc de Blanc champagne. Interestingly Lucy hadn't felt truly in need of a drink until the unpleasant and rather cold conversation with her mother, now she was more than willing to empty the flute in two large gulps.

The woman had wanted control over the lives of everyone in her family from the moment she realized they were capable of thinking for themselves and that she couldn't control every situation they wound up in. Ever since Lucy had reached ten she had been pushed and pushed, pushed to be smarter, bolder, more athletic or more confident, prettier, Siobhan pushed and pushed and over time had gradually pushed her daughters to the fringes of her life.

Yes Lucinda and Olivia still spoke and met with their mother but neither of them took pleasure from the encounters, she had always been a cold figure in their lives, as was their father.

"Uh, do you want another?" Gerard asked, looking at her drained glass and his full one before filling the flute once again when she consented, holding it out to him then downing the glass nearly as quickly as she'd finished the first.

"I'm sorry, I just hate being around that woman. Bad childhood memories, you know? She's kinda like those cheerleading mom's you see on reality tv except the price tag she wears is about a million times bigger." Gerard seemed thoughtful over what Lucy had said as he drank, he didn't need much more alcohol before his system ticked over to drunk, not because he was a lightweight but because the tender at the open bar had let him take the bottle of Blanc de Blanc only thanks to him drinking about half of it.

Gerard put his glass down and moved a little closer to Lucy, inching his chair forward then leaning towards her as if he was ready to divulge a secret. "My dad did the same with me, he said 'Gerard, you're going to be a doctor' and I said 'no, I want to be an artist'. Thankfully I got away from the Way family web of parental pressure before I snapped. If it wasn't for that sister of yours Mikey probably would have cracked and ended up in an asylum." Gerard winked at Lucy as if they had exchanged some secret then sat back in his chair and resumed drinking his champagne as if nothing had happened.

Whether he was bad at arriving on time or not Lucy had to admit she was taking a shine to Gerard, his easygoing personality combined with his charm, smile and relatability were all up impossible to resist. Not to mention she loved the way he wore his crumpled black suit like he couldn't care less.

Lucy smiled and winked back, officially deciding that she loved the wedding as she went for her third drink of the afternoon, snatching a glass of white wine from a waiter offering beverages and bringing it to her lips as soon as it was in her hand. With all the repressed emotions, cattiness and mastered resting bitch faces among the women in Lucy's family it was impossible for any of them to be considered lightweight drinkers and she was far from being new at the hobby.

Granted most times she had a full stomach.

Music that was set at a background volume played as the guests intermingled, some standing as they talked, some sitting at their respective tables, others solely drinking at the bar without conversation. Children chased each other around the large marquee, squealing and laughing in a way only children could and through this all Gerard and Lucy remained silent as she drank, her doe-like eyes occasionally lifting from the ground and meeting with his.

Once she had emptied her third glass and what she labeled as her final drink for the afternoon Lucy calmly put the glass on the table, reached into her clutch to retrieve a tube of lipstick, painted her mouth a blood red then looked Gerard square in the face, not a hint of doubt or uncertainty in her eyes.

"I have had a really shitty week, my boyfriend of three years dumped me a few hours before I caught a plane out to this wedding because he wanted to marry his assistant. I have to spend another four days here with my mother, father and their entire goddamn family. The heels the bridesmaids have to wear are going to be the death of me, I've had to watch my p's and q's constantly, this dress is way too tight and to be quite honest I haven't gotten laid for over a month. Do you just wanna find somewhere private and fuck?"

Gerard almost didn't seem to believe her lewd question and would have started laughing if not for the serious expression on her face and her near monotonous voice but as suddenly as she'd asked he was nodding, drinking the rest of his champagne then jumping up from the table to follow Lucy across the expensive and luxuriously decorated marquee.

Despite her vices as a youth Lucy was now hardly the kind of lady who would throw herself headfirst into a heat of the moment hookup, at least not with a clear head. Currently she was suffering from nearly a years buildup of stress, the pressure of marrying put on by her sister, a bitter breakup and an empty stomach filled with alcohol, the perfect catalysts for her tipsily deciding to screw her equally drunk, new brother-in-law.

It could be said that Gerard had the same problems, his artwork hadn't been selling as well as it once did, both his parents were demanding that he get married now that he was thirty and although he hadn't been with his girlfriend for a year, the last he'd seen of her was the tailend of her car as she drove off into the sunset. With their dog...and his favorite albums.

To top it all off his late appearance at the wedding and lack of knowledge about anyone there meant he had yet to realize Lucy's exact relation with the bride, not that it would likely trouble him considering the way she looked. She had those dark brown eyes he loved, pale skin and thick, dark lashes that nearly touched her cheeks when she looked up at him. Nothing in the world could make him turn around and sit back down at the overly decorated table, waiting for something interesting to happen.

"I know somewhere we won't be seen, there's a bunch of these small 'summerhouse' things around here. All the snooty rich people country clubs need to have one." Gerard even loved her attitude towards the expensive venue and for Lucy, part of the attraction was attributed to his clearly dyed fire-engine red hair and cheap suit that she knew her parents would hate.

They hurried across the grass, Lucy stopping briefly to pull off her shoes then turning to give Gerard a vixen grin that made him loosen his tie.

As promised there was an isolated summerhouse nearby, like all the others on the large piece of land it was white, seemed vaguely reminiscent of a pagoda and was surrounded by latticing to make those inside feel a little more comfortable and out of view of the public eye. Exactly what Lucy and Gerard wanted at a time like this and better yet the wedding reception had begun not too long ago, nobody would be wandering out here just yet.

The second they were obstructed from view he reached out to her, grabbing Lucy's hand to stop her from walking any further away and pulling her closer to him, instantly leaning forward and pressing his lips to hers. Lucy responded eagerly, her mouth moving as her breathing increased and her small hands reaching up to pull his tie off. From the second her ex admitted what he'd done, the cheating, she wanted to fuck someone, to feel in at least some way she was getting revenge.

"Take my dress off," she breathed against Gerard's lips, easily slipping his jacket down his shoulders and to the ground. This situation was almost familiar to her, like the times behind the bleachers in high school.

Gerard reached behind her, his hands running up the back of the cream georgette dress and pulling the zip down. A couple of years ago he would have thought something that simple was difficult, not nowadays, Gerard liked to think himself reasonably skilled in removing a girls clothes.

By the time the Maid of Honor's dress fell to the ground Gerard took in the sight of Lucy's body, soft and pale. Her bra looked like something that he'd see in a boutique as did everything else she wore hidden under her demure dress. At first glance he'd assumed Lucy would be something more like a tomboy. Well, he was wrong.

"Suspenders? Nice." Lucy hadn't originally intended to wear them, they'd been packed exclusively for her boyfriend but when it came time for the wedding she found herself feeling sad and decided to put them on to feel, sexier, might as well since she's wasn't going to be letting go of the depression anytime soon.

Lucy pulled Gerard towards her, kissing him passionately and biting his lip as she reached for the waist of his pants. Her tongue met his and she kissed him harder, her breath coming faster from the sheer excitement of the situation. It had been a long time since Lucy last had a sudden hookup and this one was looking promising or at least the large bulge in Gerard's pants was.

His lips slipped away from her mouth and Gerard began kissing her neck, raining kisses on her skin as pressed his body agains hers, Lucy's back meeting with the latticing. She sighed, her voice breathy as Gerard's hand ran up the curve of her back, his fingers at first trailing over her skin until they met with the lacy fabric of her strapless brassiere then with a simple pull it came down, sitting around her waist like a belt.

By this stage, back at the gazebo Olive was having a meltdown after not being able to locate her Maid of Honor, Mikey was panicking over not knowing if his brother and second best man (his first being his best friend) was going to be a no show yet again. The bridal party was about to be announced, soon to be followed by a short speech from Stephen Silas. All the while Lucy and Gerard were in the summerhouse only a few hundred meters away, completely ignorant to the goings on.

"You are so fucking beautiful," Gerard murmured as he kissed her chest, a red blush following the trail of kisses as his tongue ran over her skin, eliciting a sharp gasp from the blonde as his lips and teeth closed around her right nipple, sucking lightly.

It wasn't quite the straight up fuck Lucy had been hoping for but that didn't mean she intended to tell him to stop. There was no doubt in Lucy's mind that Gerard knew what he was doing, she'd been with enough people to tell when someone had some serious bedroom talent and that Gerard had in spades whether he realized or not. Likely the former over the latter.

After enough distracted fumbling Lucy successfully removed black belt holding up Gerard's pants, undid the button with one hand while tugging the zipper down with the other. The tailor trousers fell to the ground, the belt hitting the wooden floor with a clatter that brought a smirk to the young bridesmaid's face before it was quickly replaced by a fevered moan when Gerard's lips, teeth and tongue found her other breast.

While practically using her sensitive nipples to distract her Gerard pushed Lucy's thin, delicate panties aside and ran his finger along her slit, feeling the building moistness before slipping a slick finger inside, adding a second as her quiet pants and mewls became more pronounced and her nipples turned to hardened buds. It was happening slowly but Gerard could see Lucy slowly falling apart in his hands, like petals off a flower.

"Fucking kiss me you animal," Lucy gasped, twining her fingers into Gerard's already mussed red hair and pulling his lips back to hers, kissing him as if the world were about to end and this was the last time she'd ever be with a man again.

Gerard only reached down once more, firmly grabbing Lucy's thighs and pulling her up until her legs locked around his hips in such a way that he felt she might not let go. Not that he had any objections when he could see her all but begging in front of him, her gasps nearly sobs as he pushed her against the wall and skimmed his rough fingertips over her nub. Lucy kissed him harder and hooked the waistband of his boxers between her pedicured toes, dragging them down while barely needing to move.

"I need to grab a rubber," Gerard muttered, sounding distracted when he momentarily broke his mouth away from Lucinda's.

"Don't even worry about it, I've got an IUD." Her words were hurried as she replied before pulling his attention back to the moment by reaching behind her and taking hold of his shaft, her fingers wrapping around the organ and pumping up and down, a lazy yet lustful smile resting easily on her lips as she looked at him. "Now do you wanna fuck like we came here for?"

Gerard could see the lambent passion in her eyes, there was an undeniable gleam of filthiness in them that made him feel as though he had taken a hit of something sharp and powerful and deliciously forbidden that made him feel as high as a summer kite, something exactly like Lucy.

"Hell yeah." He all but attacked her with kisses, none of them calculated or perfect, nothing more than an expression of passion that captured their feelings, their desires, their want like no amount of dirty words possibly could.

With the time nigh Lucy allowed herself to sink, carefully guiding herself onto his shaft, biting her lipstick smeared kiss swollen lips as she gradually took all of him in, inch by slow inch. Accustoming herself to his girth and length which was significantly more than her boyfriend ever had, even at his peak and with the help of pharmaceuticals. But what was even more was that regardless of familiarity Gerard and Lucy had an undeniable chemistry that wasn't simply stumbled across everyday.

"Mmm, you feel so nice and thick." Lucy's voice hitched in her throat as she spoke and squirmed against Gerard, her painted black fingernails digging into his skin through his shirt.

Angling himself in a way that enabled him to still hold her up Gerard pulled out a couple of inches before slowing pushing back in, hearing Lucy whimper in response and failing to hold in a husky moan himself. He'd gone far too long without getting laid but for someone like Lucy Silas...maybe it might have been worth it.

"So tight," he murmured, kissing her pale neck and tasting perfume and sweat on her skin. "Are you sure you aren't a virgin?"

Lucy laughed, a genuine, nearly musical sound. "Far from it, I'm just always this good." It could be clearly heard that the eight word sentence took a great chunk of her concentration to force out, especially now that Gerard had developed a steady (albeit slow) rhythm.

"And I'll bet you give a great blowjob."

"I can suck the chrome off a tailpipe. Fuck me properly and you'll maybe get a demonstration later." Gerard chuckled quietly and kissed Lucy's shoulder almost tenderly before more than happily complying with her demands to be fucked properly.

He gripped her thighs hard, pulling her closer to him before abruptly pulling out and slamming into her once more, a lewd moan pouring from Lucy's lips, showing she certainly didn't protest the rough treatment. Gerard repeated the motion, moving in and out of her faster and faster, quickening his pace and the speed of the obscenities falling from the blonde's mouth.

There was already a high building between them. Lucy could have easily been brought to orgasm by Gerard's mouth and fingers alone, this was nearly too much for her and Gerard was barely fighting off his climbing climax not that her tight, wet heat was supposed to be helping. Neither was her pretty face contorted by lust and pleasure, as a teenager that alone could have gotten him off in seconds.

What he would've given to have had someone like Lucy in his bed back then...

"Oh fuck. I-I don't think I can hold on long," she said, panting with beads of sweat forming on her forehead, loose pieces of hair sticking to her skin. She'd never come this fast before, none of the men she'd been with never understood how she worked, how she ticked, not even a three year relationship made any difference and it made her nearly breathless to reach the verge of her climax so fast.

"Neither can I."

It was now roundabout the time the first dish was being served under the gazebo, guests sitting down to an expensive entree of salads and seafood while the first best man (the one who was obligated to give make a speech in only a few short minutes) went over his notes. Checking for any needed last minute changes that had to be made before it was his turn to take the microphone and say a few words in the bride and groom's honor. Not that either of them were comfortable considering some of the lines and facts the best man was capable of coming up with to turn the spotlight either onto him or off him, depending on what the situation called for.

"Gerard, oh fuck." Gerard was only able to thrust into Lucy a few more times before she whimpered loudly and shuddered as she clenched around him. Tipping over her peak with stars dancing before her eyes and currents running strong under the surface of her skin, causing a crimson flush to show clear as day in her cheeks.

Lucy's spent expression combined with the heat of her walls drove Gerard to climax and he released inside her, his breath catching in his throat and turning his moan of pleasure into a high pitched whine that sent a shiver of excitement through Lucy's core.

"You're even better at fucking than you are at fingering," she panted, wiping her sweaty forehead with the back of her hand and laughing almost awkwardly as the nearly overwhelming sexual energy in the room began to slowly dissipate, returning them to two normal people who'd only just met each other for the first time at the wedding.

Lucy unclenched her legs, letting go of his waist and Gerard lowered her back to the ground, her stockinged feet flat but shaky on the wooden floor. Without realizing it Lucy's legs had gone numb, pins and needles but that didn't stop her from standing on the tips of her toes and kissing him on the lips before stepping away, pulling her brassiere up until it was a bra once again rather than a belt then snatching her dress up from the floor.

"Can you zip me up?" She asked after stepping into her dress, holding her long hair up with one hand.

"Sure." While she'd collected her things Gerard had tugged his boxers and pants on, he didn't look half as put together as Lucy but then again he wasn't wearing smeared makeup so that was easy for him to think. Gerard held the small zipper between his fingers and pulled it all the way to the top almost making it her appear as if she hadn't been unabashedly moaning his name out only a couple of moments ago.

"Do you think anyone's noticed that we disappeared at the start of the reception?" Lucy wondered, picking up her clutch purse and retrieving a compact, looking at herself in the small makeup mirror and adjusting the flaws in her makeup. Effortlessly turning herself from a mess of smeared eyeliner, smudged lipstick and sweat back into the runway model she'd been when Gerard first saw her although he significantly preferred the former since it'd been him to make her look that way.

After Gerard did his belt buckle and retied the skinny black tie he looked at Lucy and stuck his hands in his pockets. "There's so many people there I think half of them could disappear and nobody would mention it, that's the way these big weddings work. I've been to plenty of them, believe me." Despite his reaffirmations Lucy found it hard to agree, she'd played a very vital role in the wedding and had yet to see the whole thing through.

She was Maid of Honor until her speech was made, the night was over and the bride was off on her honeymoon with her new husband.

As if it were no great deal Lucy pulled a couple tissues out of purse and with a blank face put them in her panties, knowing it was unlikely she would be able to find the time to visit a bathroom and properly clean herself up (or rather out). The sky outside was nearly black and it was clear the pair had spent much longer in the summerhouse than they'd meant to, much longer and Lucy swore quietly under her breath, knowing that the speeches were either happening now or she'd already missed them. According to history there was a good chance Olivia was lying in wait, ready to pounce on her little sister and kill her or at least make her feel bad for not being there to make a speech.

Curious to see exactly what hour they were on Lucinda pulled her mobile from the clutch and one glance proved it was well past the time Lucy had expected and her already large, round eyes went wider in surprise.

"Fuck!" She grabbed her high heels and without another word for Gerard bolted out of the building, racing across the grass in the coming night, hoping she reached the marquee in time to do or say something. According to the time the best man's speech should be over or nearly over, not to mention it would be unlikely that she was able to sneak back into the reception without anyone making some notice of the bride's significantly sluttier sister.

"What's wrong?!" Gerard called out, hurrying after her and pulling his black jacket on as he run behind Lucy, attempting to catch her before they were within hearing distance of the fairy light lit party in the distance.

"My speech! I'm supposed to make a speech, I've been rehearsing it for the past month and my sister wanted it to be perfect! Fuck, I'm not gonna make it! She's going to kill me! Where the hell are my cards?" The running Maid of Honor came to a sudden halt halfway between the marquee and the summerhouse then began to rifle through her clutch, frantically searching for her cue cards, knowing they had been in her clutch the last time she checked.

"You'll be fine, I know the best man personally." He'd finally caught up with Lucy now that she had stopped and Gerard stood in front of her, hands on her arms as he looked intently into her eyes, reassuring her that everything would be okay despite the jumble of worst case scenarios floating through her skull. Currently things were ranging between her being shunned by her family to the entire wedding party pelting her with rocks as a form of punishment, none of them likely but in her mind they were still terrifying.

"But-"

"He'll be stalling for you. And as for your cards..." Gerard leant down and kissed Lucy with her almost wanting to push him away before noticing the feeling of paper slipping between her leg and the strap from her garter. He'd tucked her cue cards into her right stocking. "You're as sweet as battery, Lucy."
"What does that even mean?" She asked, feeling a smile curl the corners of her reluctant lips.

Gerard smiled back at her, his teeth showing as he did, "you've corroded me from the inside out and I'm loving every moment of it. How does saving your first dance for me sound?" Although she'd been to countless weddings Lucy had never liked dancing. Mostly because she either had a boyfriend who never came to any of the events and she didn't want to feel like she was cheating on him, besides it had been her sister who got the coordination when it came to things like dancing, not Lucy.

"Gerard, I let you fuck me upside a gazebo. Don't worry about the dance." With him leaning down towards her Lucy took the moment to kiss Gerard, her hands on the lapels of his jacket as if she intended to stay there in the middle of the darkening park before he reminded her there were still a few things needing to be done.

"Good, now you've gotten laid, you've got your cue cards, you're in a good mood and you'll be there on time. Give 'em hell, kid." They grinned at each other for a few second before Gerard slapped her on the butt and Lucy turned heel, running towards the marquee as fast as she could, Gerard following her and hoping nobody made note of the way he appeared so soon after the girl.

While it had gone dark out in nature the reception clearly wasn't interested in natural and her eyes caught the light of the million twinkle lights in neon blue, gold white and emerald green as she watched the wedding reception. Gerard had been right, the best man was stalling as well as anyone with a definite confidence she didn't have even with her years of debating and public speeches. Lucy had simply never thought she'd be making a speech at her sisters wedding, her big sister who was probably the biggest dork she had ever met.

The guests were putty in the best man's hands and not a soul noticed Lucy sneaking to back to the table only a few feet from the bride, pulling out her chair quietly then sitting down, everyone save for the best man himself. "Finally, there are a couple of thank-you's that I've been asked to say. Firstly, the seating arrangers. There was a method to where you are seated, the gift list. Mentioning no names, but Elisa and Patrick at the back, thanks for the candles! Secondly, there are two people who have worked very hard in making tonight possible, so first a round of applause for them. Ladies and gents, the bar staff. But seriously how do I get some one on one with all of these gorgeous bridesmaids you're keeping to yourself, Olive?"

Hearing the end of the monologue made Lucinda smile, she'd forgotten how much she loved some of the speeches at these events. Some of it may be long or stressful or boring but you could always rely on the best man to humiliate at least someone in the bridal party, critique the people hired and make a jab at one of the guests. At least that's what Lucy had learnt from the weddings she'd been attending since she was ten, most of them went like that unless everyone there was dead or the most boring people alive.

Hearing everything now almost made her wish she were here earlier to hear what else he had to say.

As the speech came to it's end Gerard took his seat bedside Lucy, turning to briefly grin at her before picking up the glass of water beside his plate and watching Wentz work the crowd in a way that the newlyweds might not be too happy with. "Well, I better wrap this up, Michael told me he can't wait to get his new bride's panties off. They're absolutely killing him. But seriously folks, let's get all of you standing and raising your glasses. Yeah that's it, glasses high and join me in wishing these two crazy kids all the love and happiness a couple can possibly have. To Mikey and Olive, may all their ups and downs be between the sheets." Lucy and Gerard toasted, both of them sticking with water rather than alcohol as they celebrated the happiness their siblings shared.

After the microphone had been handed back to the MC along with a couple of whispered words the man talked into it, looking at the guests with a bright smile.

"Don't worry everyone, the speeches won't be much longer. You'll be digging into dinner before long, it's good, don't worry. I've snuck a bit of everything. Let's get the maid of honor up here shall we? Lucy, would you like to say a couple of words?" As the MC talked Lucy had stood up and walked across the floor of the marquee and stood beside him, ready to accept the microphone without fear or the aid of her cue cards.

"Wow. Thanks, Pete. That was certainly enlightening speech there. I think I speak for a couple of us who have when I say the bar's just gotten a lot higher for me. I don't quite know how I'm going to follow what the best man said, but I'll give it a try. I'd think like to start by saying thanks for the compliments but all the bridesmaids here are spoken for, sorry! But me and Pete, we do have to agree on two things. Firstly, that beautiful woman in white, my sister Olivia she does look fantastic, and the dress is amazing. I just feel sorry for whomever it is that's picking up the bill for it." There was definitely laughter from the crowd but what came from Mikey's direction wasn't as carefree as it could have been. "I'm just yanking your chain, Mikes. It wasn't too expensive but the dress and your gorgeous wife combined look a million dollars. And secondly, I think we all agree that the couple are a match made in heaven."

For one of the first times ever Lucy felt herself relax as she talked in from of the crowd, dropping jokes and celebrating her sisters wedding in equal parts with a relaxed smile on her face. Although she rarely used it, it was clear Lucy had her mother's gift of the gab, there was a reason a woman as intolerable as Siobhan Silas was constantly surrounded by people. Her daughter had the same talent but the drastic difference between the two was that Lucy was likable even without the aid of a few drinks.

"Every partnership will have its highs and lows. It's inevitable, and they're bound to have their differences. For example this morning when I bumped into Mikey at breakfast I asked him what he wanted from the marriage. He said to me that he wanted happiness, a big family and to be with his beautiful fiancée, now beautiful wife, until the end of time." Without realizing it Lucy's eyes had drifted to Gerard as she talked, looking at him with the smile on her face growing wider when he smirked at her.

She liked him, a lot. She knew practically nothing first hand from him, only what she'd heard from Mikey (which was a lot) not to mention he was someone her parents would ever approve of but maybe that's what she liked. Maybe it made her happy to meet someone she liked, someone that she wanted to spend time with rather than a random guy her mother had introduced her to.

That's what her ex had been, a blind date arranged by her mother and father, they'd chosen him because he came from a famous family and had an impressive resume. He'd been to Yale and was captain of the track team, he wanted to be a famous surgeon that helped Ethiopians get plastic surgery of some bullshit Miss America answer.

"And when I asked Olive what she wanted from the marriage, she replied, cotton sheets and a bottle of Pinot Noir. Not quite the same as Mikey's hopes but still at least she is easy to satisfy, right?"

What Lucy had wanted all along and looked for without realizing it was someone who wore a crumpled suit, someone who would steal a bottle of champagne and treat her like a person instead of some shiny trophy locked up in a glass case, never to be touched.

What Lucy had wanted this entire time was someone exactly like Gerard.

Notes