Holiday shots

My Big, Fat Valentine's Wedding

This one is for my friend Aryan, Ares_Evans or Rayden_Cries (All the same person). Happy Valentine's day, sweetie. Sorry it took so long!

This is really happening! I thought excitedly to myself.

My wedding. I never thought I’d be getting married. And to the love of my life! I was about to become Mr. Aries Tatum. Me! I’m marrying Channing Tatum. The Channing Tatum!

My best friend and maid of honor came bustling into the room, “I can’t find my freaking hair ties.” She grumbled.

“Dezi, sweetie,” I grabbed her by the shoulders and gave her a little shake. “Your Hair looks fine. You don’t need any hair ties.” And it was true. She looked beautiful. Her dress was a long swishy thing that showed off her curves. It was red to accentuate but not overstate her sexy side; also because anyone who came for me had to wear red. Channing was blue. At the reception, everyone would be wearing purple.

Desiree glared at me and I gave her a big grin. As her expression softened, she threw her arms around me. “I’m sorry. I’m being dumb, I know,” she said into my chest. “I am just so excited. I’m excited for you. I can’t believe you’re taking such a huge step in your life,” She drew back and looked up at me with tears in her eyes, “I’m so proud of you.”

I felt my own eyes water as I hugged her close again. “Thank you for being my best friend. I don’t think I’d be where I am today without you.”

“Well, I know I wouldn’t be where I am now without you.” I felt her face break into a huge grin. She was talking about her fiancé. I was kinda the one that got them together. I get to be their best man at the wedding next year!

She unwrapped herself from me and wiped a shaking hand across her eyes. As she did, a line of black smeared across her face as well. I giggled and pointed to a mirror.

She turned, looked, and swore loudly. “It took Ariel twenty minutes to get this fricking line straight! God firetrucking damn it!” She stomped out of the room to look for Ariel to redo her eyeliner.

Laughing, I turned back to the mirror behind me and pick my tux jacket up from the back of my chair. As I’m slipping it on, a little voice announces Twenty minutes to curtain! from a hidden speaker.

Twenty minutes. In twenty minutes I would be getting MARRIED. Suddenly the reality hit me. I sank down into the chair in front of me and exhale hard. “I’m getting married. In twenty minutes.” I intoned to my reflection.

“But not to me.” came a familiar voice from behind me. I cringed and found the drunk idiot’s face in the mirror.

“What are you doing here Liam?” I glared at him. He was leaning against the door frame. His thick, brown hair hung heavily into his eyes. His tux jacket was hanging slightly off his shoulders, his dark blue tie was completely crooked, and his pants were wrinkled, but somehow he still looked too sexy for words.

“Channing invited me,” he slurred slightly “Does he know about our past?” HIs head lolled to the side and he broke into a grin.

I blushed as memories flooded my brain.”That was a long time ago, Liam. Channing and I have agreed to put it behind us and let it go.”

He raised an eyebrow, “Oh, so you told your current fiance about your ex-fiance. Little ol’ Liam Hemsworth. How did Channing take that?” He took a stumbling step into the room.

I turned to fully look at him and my breath hitched. How was it that eleven years away from him couldn’t dull my reactions? His eyes still had the same mischievous sparkle, his smile still had the same little dimple. Seeing him here, on the most important day of my life, fate must be playing some kind of cruel joke.

He took another step forward “Eleven years. You don’t call, you don’t write, you don’t text.” He scowled down at his feet. “I thought you were dead.”

I literally felt my heart shatter.

I rushed out of my chair and pulled him into the circle of my arms.

“I guess you’re not dead” He laughed into my shoulder.

We stood there for a while, just being comfortable in each other's arms. Finally, the tiny voice from before broke the silence with the announcement of Ten minutes to curtain. Places everyone!

“I guess I should let you go. That whole, getting married, thing.” He unwrapped his arms from my waist and took a step away from me. “I’ll just...Go.”

“No, wait.” I grabbed on of his wrists and tangled my fingers with his. I blushed furiously as he looked up at me with bright hope in his eyes. I stared down at our hands and said quietly, “I’m glad you’re here.”

I heard the smile in his voice when he mumbled, “So am I. It’s good to see you again.” I felt his free hand slide around the back of my neck and, before I could tell him no, his lips crashed down onto mine.

He mistook my groan of surprise for pleasure and pulled my body flush with his. His tongue snaked along my bottom lip, demanding an entrance. When I refused, he bit down, causing me to gasp and he dove in. As he wrestled with my tongue he growled, “Stop fighting me.”

My back bumped against a wall, breaking the connection for just long enough for me to say, “Liam, stop. You’re drunk and I’m getting married. We can’t be doing this.”

His eyes sparkled as he said, “I’m completely sober. I’m an actor, remember? As I recall, that’s what you liked most about me,” He grinned evilly, “Remember that time I acted like a firefighter? Or the time I was a nurse?” He laughed deeply “The time I was a teacher,” He sighed happily.

My face heated at the memories that he mentioned. “That’s in the past-”

“It doesn’t have to be.” He buried his face in my neck. “Call off the wedding. We can get back together and it’ll be just like old times.” His voice was so sincere I honestly thought about it for a second.

“Liam-” He cut me off with another heated kiss, but this time I was able to break away. “Liam, I love Channing. With all of my heart and soul. I’m going to marry him. I’m...I’m sorry you can’t be happy for us, but this is happening.”

Abruptly, he pulled away and stomped out of the room without another word.

I felt like crying. I thought I would. But I picked up my bouquet and calmly moved to my spot outside the door leading to the big doors that opened to the gazebo. The small voice that I’d heard twice before now said One minute and counting!

One minute. One minute until my life would forever belong to someone else. I’ve waited a long time for this. My whole world was waiting for me just outside those double doors. All I had to do was walk out there, say a few words, and I’d get to be married to the love of my life. My heart sped up and a nest of butterflies suddenly erupted in my stomach.

The voice came one final time, counting, “Five...four...three...two...one.”

*** *** *** *** *** ***

My alarm blared. I sat straight up in bed, panting. I looked around and, finding nothing amiss, I reached over and shut it off.

I let my head fall back onto my pillow and smiled up at the posters on my ceiling. “Good morning. Channing. Good morning, Liam. Happy Valentine’s day. I just had the strangest dream about you two...”