houseofcards_rp | [OTA] We Are Gathered Here

A few things had gone wrong, honestly. There had been some confusion in the morning when they’d arrived to decorate the church - a few bouquets on the altar, some green and blue ribbons twined around a few of the posts - and it’d been locked. She’d managed to leave Spade Castle with her dress, veil, the coin from his mother strung on a thin leather thong, the emerald silk sash and Victor’s ring - but of all things, she’d managed to leave her shoes in their box in the closet, and Chives had had to go back for that. Hadyn looked a little green from his adventure shanghaiing Victor with Ben and Elisha, her cousin Sara had in usual Sara fashion managed to break the heel on her left shoe. Nerves finally hit as Chives was braiding her hair, and by the time the veil was settled over the smooth curls, her nails had left indents in her palms.

In the end, though, it was pretty much perfect. Two of her closest friends preceded her down the aisle in soft blue dresses with forget-me-nots in their braided hair and small posies in their hands. She’d walked towards her fiance on her brother’s arm with her hands full of spring flowers, and after the words were said and Victor lifted the veil, they were married. It only felt a little different than before, Zoe thought as their brief kiss ended. But it was different; she was Zoe Fox.

Zoe Fox knew, of course, that Victor Fox would have preferred them to just slip back to their apartment - no big party, no flowing wine and hors d'oeuvres - but she’d wanted something. And he’d given her carte blanche in the end, really; she’d chosen the small reception room that opened out into the Castle gardens, she’d picked the combination of hyacinths, hydragea, and lily of the valley for the table arrangements, the Greek-flavored menu of spanakopita, wild green and strawberry salad, linguine primavera and herb-encrusted lamb. She’d pored over cake designs until she finally picked a vanilla bean cake with strawberry puree filling, decorated in vanilla buttercream. She’d pruned the list of friends, family and acquaintances who might be expected to be invited to the wedding reception until they numbered barely fifty.

Under the strict supervision of Chives, of course the reception looked perfect, she thought as they arrived, and she smiled as she slipped her hand into Victor’s arm and the full skirt of her dress swirled against both of their legs. Perfect, though perfect didn’t matter quite so much to her right now.

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Wedding dresses were entirely designed to have the ladies in them picked up and spun around in fraternal bear-hugs. It's the way of the world. 100% and entirely.

And, when the tango comes on, it's also absolutely the way of the world to take calm hold of one's old, now married friend's hand and start things off with a dramatic sort of spin.

"You did."

She giggles as they're surrounded again by swirling fabric and ribbon, her hair flying about as she settles into the steps. It's not the sort of dance one expects at a wedding, but she doesn't want this wedding to be expected.

Even if it's looked mostly typical on the surface.

"Are you having fun?" She asks. She needs to ask. She knows he doesn't like Victor - that there are a few men in attendance with that particular opinion - but she loves him. She loves all of them, but in different ways.

It's not the sort of dance once expects in a wedding dress, really. Thank goodness they're both so incredibly fabulous that it will absolutely be the easiest thing in the world.

"I am." He's at his friend's wedding dancing a tango. How can he not be? "Y' know why?"

Thank goodness he's strong enough to pick her up if she trips on tulle. Thank goodness she didn't wear stilettos. Thank goodness for a lot of things, really.

"Not in the least," Zoe says, and giggles as he tugs her close. "Maybe you should tell me?"

"Because I ain't never seen you look happier, Zo. Honest t' God." And even being a grown-up married lady isn't going to stop him giving her a firm kiss on the cheek. "Seriously. All that bull about brides glowin' on their special day-- 's true."

Which is, at the end of the day, all anyone who loves her really wants, isn't it?

"Really, never?" She says, and tilts her head as she gives that due consideration it deserves before she smiles. "Well, I don't know if I've ever been happier. You wouldn't think the day would mean so much."

But it does. Truly, it does.

"Does if you do it right. An' I don't mean all this... thisness."

One hand has to leave her for a moment to gesture around the room expansively before the next twirl.

"I mean, 's perfect an' all that, but... It's the people. It's the makin' the right choice t' marry. That sorta thing."

"You think Victor's the right choice for me, then?" She knows he is. It's indisputable in her mind, but that's not what most of the men in her life think. She knows it.

But she does wish they understood how much she loves him. And how much he loves her.

...goddamn it Is she really going to make him say it? Out loud? With words?

Dipping her briefly is a good tactic to pause long enough to form the words he really means to say.

"I think he's a damn lucky sonovabitch, Zo, but-- I think the right choice is absolutely the man who makes you this dang happy."

Close enough, right?

It's probably the closest she'll ever get. And it's good enough to make her smile as she comes up vertical again, hair spilling haphazardly over her shoulders.

"Thanks," she tells him. "It does mean a lot, for you to say so."

Good. That's a nice supplement to the wedding present. So, hopefully, is the briefest moment of interrupting the dance to just pull one arm actually tight around her and press a firm kiss to her cheek.

"You should have all the happiness in the world, girly. Got it?"

The smile is a bit tremulous, but she nods at him. "I've got it," she says, and leans in to kiss him on the cheek in return, too.

"So do you, remember."

"'m gettin' there. You first, yeah? Tell me how it goes." The wedding thing. The kids thing. The living a stable, happy life with the person you loved best in the world thing.

All the good things.

[OTA] We Are Gathered Here | The Fox-Kattalakis Wedding

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