A Very Merry Marvel Thanksgiving

[wasafreak]

Thanksgiving hadn't been something Teddy anticipated celebrating, and even now that he's here, it feels odd. Not just the fact that his jaw is wired shut and he's got a brace on his leg, but the fact that he was invited to Captain America's house and arrived to find the original Cap and Bucky and alternate universe Peggy Carter setting up a pretty impressive Thanksgiving buffet is just so surreal. Steve greets them at the door with a genuine smile and pats Billy on the shoulder and ushers them in to get drinks, and Teddy tells himself he's paranoid and Bucky isn't shooting him and Billy a sideways look warning them off of getting caught making out in any more closets, and then reminds himself that this is real life.

Kind of.

Instead of agonizing over what an appropriate tropical island equivalent of 'nice Holiday sweater' was, he let Billy dress him (also literally, see again: brace) and thinks they made the right call- the house is all warm wood craftsman, and the three heroes already there are dressed casually but nicely, and there are old photos and some pretty incredible drawings hanging up, which distract Teddy and Billy to the point of rudeness, except Steve seems all too glad to tell them stories and answer questions. Bucky chimes in to remind him of details and it's... it's maybe the coolest thing that has ever happened, other than discovering his connection to the Avengers.

It relaxes him, and Teddy types up short phrases and sentences on his iPad when he feels really compelled to contribute, keeps "Happy Thanksgiving" on his clipboard to copy and paste it when new people arrive. It doesn't take more than an hour for a pretty respectable number of people to show up, the chatter growing in volume, and even though it's been a pretty crappy couple of months, and a pretty rough couple of years, Teddy finds himself feeling pretty good.

Comments

[butterflyfactor]

It ain't Vegas, but there's a certain fantastic sense of showmanship in getting married by the original Captain America.

"Are you going to ask him to put on the outfit?"

[howmanylives]

"Someone should be in uniform," said Jamie, thoughtfully. "Think he'd dig it out? I'm not sure I've ever seen him in the full regalia here."

[butterflyfactor]

"If we haven't, it might be for a reason," Layla pointed out.

"Given how he arrived, he might not even have it. I'm fine without. Would've been nice, though. The little wings. Anyway," she said cheerfully, tucking her hand into Jamie's, "let's go ask."

[howmanylives]

Squeezing her hand, Jamie fought back a tiny grin as he nosed a kiss to the corner of Layla's mouth, pulling her along through the crowd to find the man they were looking for.

"Captain!" he said, pitching his voice to be heard over the murmur of conversation. "We need a favor."

[onlyforthedream]

I turn from my conversation, blinking, then feel a moment's guilt because Bucky is still in possession of the shield. As far as I'm concerned, I haven't accepted that title back from him.

Still, it's definitely me that Madrox is addressing.

"Jamie, Layla," I add, nodding to her, noting a smile that would be impish if it didn't seem so genuine.

"What can I do for you?"

[howmanylives]

For a brief moment Jamie considered actually asking him if he had the outfit stashed away somewhere in some beautiful hand-carved trunk, but ultimately, he decided forgoing the tangent for the more direct route. They'd waited long enough to do this. No more messing around.

"You can marry us," he said, with a smile that belied the fact that he was actually serious. "If you're not busy, that is."

[onlyforthedream]

I look between the two again, my eyes widening slightly. That's not a request that's been made of me before, and while it occurs to me I'm familiar enough with the institution to walk them through a shotgun ceremony, I'm still caught off guard.

"I'm- not, of course. If you're sure-"

[butterflyfactor]

"We are," Layla said, smiling more and leaning into Jamie, both arms sliding around his waist.

"No time like the present."

[howmanylives]

Instinctively, Jamie leaned back into her, slipping an arm around her shoulder as he ducked in close to press a kiss to her hair, unable to keep from smiling. After months of nothing but loss after loss, he wanted to celebrate the one person who stuck by his side.

"You heard the lady."

[onlyforthedream]

"...Well, then, of course," I reply, still mildly bewildered.

"I'd be honored. Was there somewhere-"

[butterflyfactor]

"Here's fine with me," Layla said cheerfully. Enough of a circle had cleared around them anyway, it wasn't like the party was pressing in.

[howmanylives]

"Don't want to pull you away from your, ah, company," added Jamie, gesturing to the small crowd around them. Besides, like he said to Layla before, this was basically all the people they knew.

"Also, we don't strictly speaking have rings, so you can skip that part."

[onlyforthedream]

"In that case," I say, realizing that this is the part where I'm going to extemporaneously perform a marriage in the middle of a Thanksgiving party, "Jamie Madrox, Layla Miller, do you have any vows you would like to exchange in front of this group of friends?"

[howmanylives]

Vows. Crap. I didn't really think far enough ahead for vows. This is the danger of acting on impulse instead of weighing your options for an eternity. Some things just slip your mind. Gotta think fast.

Jamie cleared his throat and looked from Captain America back towards his blushing bride, hoping for a sudden rush of inspiration. His heart felt too big for his chest, starting to race as the reality of it all finally hit him. They were getting married, and none of the team was there because they were the only ones left. He swallowed, thickly, struggling to find words that spoke to the enormity of his gratitude of her continued (if at times, inexplicable) willingness to be part of his life, both here and at home. He took one of her hands in both of his, and looked at her, a crooked smile threatening to overtake his mouth.

"Layla Miller," he said, because saying her name seemed like a good start. "You're my best friend... My sense of hope. In a place so full of uncertainty, you've been a constant in my life. Kept me grounded. Kept me whole. I promise to love and to cherish you, through sickness and in health. I promise not to laugh too hard if the Island insanity turns you into something ridiculous... To wake up smiling every morning we're still together... And to be true and devoted to you, as long as we both shall live."

[butterflyfactor]

Layla pulled Jamie into a hug, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and going up onto the balls of her feet. He was good at winging it. After a moment, eyes a little bright, she eased back down onto her heels and swallowed, wrapping their hands around each other and looking steadily up at him.

"Jamie Madrox. In a life where every road can lead so many places, and it can be really daunting to know which one to take, I know that every road I travel on leads me back to you. And that is my greatest comfort." She smiled a little and squeezed his hands more tightly.

"I love you, and it's worth everything we've gone through, will go through, and could go through to know that, and to be able to say it to you, here. I love you. Always."

[onlyforthedream]

It's rare, for us. The way our lives work, even though some of us fight side by side for years- the risks are so high, the future always so uncertain, that they're rarer than you'd think they would be, weddings in our circle.

"By the power invested in me by the people of Tabula Rasa, I am happy to pronounce you married, husband and wife," I say, smiling, foregoing the more traditional wording on the hunch that Layla might roll her eyes at it.

"Congratulations."

[howmanylives]

The relief Jamie felt for having the ceremony done was palpable, and his face broke into a wide grin.

"I can now kiss the bride," he murmured, sliding his hands up Layla's arms to wrap her in close. He ducked his head to catch her mouth in a slow, steady press, but mindful of their audience, he kept things chaste. Still, he didn't want it to end.

[butterflyfactor]

She felt warm. She felt happy. It was sublime and calming, a balm that sunk in deep and soothed a million little anxieties and insecurities she kept pushed down and knotted up to the best of her ability, every day. That lasted about three seconds before everything in her bubbled up as a kind of giddy joy, and she surged up against Jamie to throw her arms around his neck and hang on him, smiling into a somewhat more exuberant kiss.

There was a swell of applause and laughter and people were saying nice things. Someone whistled. It was totally white noise for Layla, appreciated but merely consequential compared to Jamie's arms around her back and his mouth against hers, and the promise he'd just made. She broke the kiss grinning and hugged him more tightly, chin on his shoulder.

"I'm gonna screw your brains out when we get home," she said into his ear under the blanket of congratulatory sound, before pulling back and smiling prettily at their friends and acquaintances.