Unbreakable Duty

Fate Has Laid a Hand

Earn and Bow approached Fahlada, standing near the stage, overseeing some final adjustments to the catwalk. Bow, always the first to dive into any situation that may cause discomfort to her best friend, gave a playful nudge as they reached her.

"Hey, Cap," Bow grinned. "How do you feel about stepping out of the shadows and into the spotlight?"

Fahlada raised an eyebrow, her arms crossed as she studied Bow's expression. "What do you mean?"

Earn took a deep breath, stepping forward. "Since one of the models for the finale gown is... well, let's just say unavailable. And we need someone who can fit the gown and handle the pressure of being on stage."

Fahlada narrowed her eyes, sensing there was more. "And you want me to be that someone?"

Bow jumped in with a wink. "Look, you've got the perfect build for the gown. Plus, we all know you can handle more pressure than anyone else here. You're practically built for this."

Earn hesitated for a moment, then added, "It's not just any gown, Fahlada. It's one of the finale gowns - for a bride and bride wedding.... and you'd be paired with me on the runway." She glanced at Fahlada's expression, gauging her reaction.

Fahlada stared at them for a second, the weight of the request sinking in. "You want me to walk down the runway... as your bride?" Her voice was calm, but there was an underlying tension in her words.

Earn felt her heart skip a beat at how it sounded aloud, and she quickly added, "It's just for the show, of course. We're out of options, and the launch needs to go smoothly. You're the only one who can step in." She explained the situation so fast that Earn almost lost her breath while setting off her doe-eyed eyes to Fahlada. 

Fahlada let out a soft chuckle, shaking her head in disbelief. "You're really pulling me into this fashion world, huh?" She sighed, then smiled at Earn. "Alright, fine. I'll do it."

Bow clapped her hands together, clearly enjoying the situation. "This is going to be epic! Just wait until the crowd sees Captain Fahlada in a wedding gown."

Earn smiled, though the nervousness in her stomach hadn't fully dissipated. "Thank you, Lada. You're really my savior." 

"No worries, Earn," Fahlada softly responded, keeping her emotions in check. "I already saved you from bullets, how about I save you from the runway?" she jokingly quipped.

Earn smiled and thanked her again telling her to approach Engfah for the last-minute adjustment for the wedding gown she would wear before returning to the fitting room.

As Fahlada's stare followed Earn's retreating figure, Bow blocked her best friend's line of sight with a mischievous smirk. "So Cap, it looks like you're officially runway material now. And no, I didn't even need to sabotage anyone this time. Looks like fate has laid a hand."

"Shut up, Bow," Fahlada chastised her friend, but a small smile was already forming on her lips.

"And now," Bow continued to tease her friend, clearly enjoying herself, "you and Earn will walk down the runway as a pair of brides. Sounds perfect, right?"

Fahlada tried to brush off Bow's teasing, but there was a hint of nervousness in her voice. "Look, I'll do it because Earn was short on models. I am just helping her."

Bow gave her a sly grin. "Sure, Captain. Whatever you say. But let's be real - it's going to look amazing. Earn and you, side by side in those gowns. As I said, fate has laid a hand."

Fahlada shook her head, trying not to let Bow's words get to her. "I'm just doing my job."

"Right, right," Bow said with a wink. "Just don't be surprised if Earn starts looking at you like you're the only person in that room. She's already halfway there, Lada. She'll eventually remember."

With a playful salute, Bow skipped off, leaving Fahlada standing there, still absorbing everything that had just happened. As much as she tried to push away Bow's insinuations, Fahlada couldn't help but wonder about the box under the floorboards of her apartment, containing pictures of two women in love, looking at each other while wearing white dresses with matching rings on their left hand while the sun sets over the sea horizon. 

==================

A/N:

Yup. I know. I know this is short. But an update is still an update, right? ;D

And to those who knew me on Twitter, just a random update. I am safe and just got out of a cave in the northern part of the Philippines. Also, the good thing is my homestay has an internet connection although, my phones have no signal in both networks. xp