the wedding - open rp post

[wereokay]

The big day is finally here and Betty shifts between being extremely nervous one minute, and completely calm the next. Guests are arriving already, and after the short ceremony there is going to be a comfortable reception.

Even though the approach to this wedding has been somewhat casual, there is no mistaking the investment in time and effort. It's an outdoor wedding, and the gazebo couldn't be decorated any further, flowers and ribbons are basically everywhere.

If you hurry, you can catch the bride to wish her luck!

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[totherescue]

Seeing as Tony has no concept of punctuality, Pepper takes it upon herself to get into the driver's seat and get them to the wedding before the ceremony begins (honestly, if left up to Tony, they wouldn't get there until the start of the reception - which would have been his plan all along). Things being as they are, she's able to get them there just in time to shoo Tony off in the direction of the other guests while she managed to slip her way behind the scenes in search of Betty. While there's no reason for her to be jittery - it's not as if she's the one getting married - there's an underlying rush of nerves and excitement that comes from seeing Betty reach the alter after all this time.

Of course, she hasn't gotten there yet. And the last thing Pepper wants to do is jinx her friend.

Case in point, she holds the handle of the small gift bag tightly between her fingers as she weaves her way between bridesmaids, groomsmen and other guests of importance. She has to get her present to Betty before the ceremony begins. Pepper may not really be a stickler for tradition, but she's nothing if not one to keep her promises - especially when it comes to something like this.

She stops at a door that's a little too decorated to be just another room and figures this is where she needs to go. There's no telling what commotion is taking place on the other side (their previous talk of bridezillas come to mind), but Pepper knocks anyway, and braces herself for whatever's about to come.

[wereokay]

Actually all of the noise and fuss seems to be regulated to the workings of the catering team and the various family members who are smiling and exchanging stories after long absences.

Leo's family, that was. There was a notable lack of blood relatives on Betty's side, though it wasn't because her father hadn't wanted to come.

Tucked away, Betty is staring at herself in a mirror and debating if her hair actually looks right or not. Elaborate twists and a hair pin count of some astronomical number, she's actually quite glad for the distraction and opens the door a crack to see who it is.

"Oh, Pepper!" Seeing her friend vanishes any trace of self consciousness and she motioned for Pepper to come in to her little world away from the world. "It's getting close to that time. I'm so nervous."

[totherescue]

Maybe it's because her hormones are out of whack (definitely not due to what she once thought it may have been, thank goodness), but Pepper can already feel a lump forming in her throat just at the sight of Betty.

"Betty, look at you! Aw..." She pulls the bride in for a warm, congratulatory and consoling hug. "I'm nervous for you, but you're going to be fine. Everyone and everything is absolutely beautiful, you especially."

She steps back to hold Betty at arm's length, then beams excitedly as she holds out her gift. "I know I was supposed to get you something blue at the bachelorette party, but I wanted to make sure I picked out the right thing. I saw these and they just looked like you."

[wereokay]

(Thank goodness indeed. They can celebrate with champagne now.)

The hug is a welcomed gesture and Betty's eyes are already a bit misty, then when she opens her present, a few tears actually slip out. Expressing herself in tone more than the actual words, Betty feels truly touched at Pepper's choice of gift. "These are so beautiful, thank you."

She has to put them on, of course. "Can you help me?" Between the hair, and the dress, and being easily flustered at this moment, Betty's hands tremble too much to be of use.

"I'm so glad you're here. You have no idea how many relatives he has." In fact, the majority of the bridal party is made up of Leo's cousins. "I feel so outnumbered."

But it's good to have her own friends here for her.

[totherescue]

Pepper nearly gets teary herself as she leans in to affix the jewelry to Betty's ears. "I think I have a good idea, if the crowd outside this door is anything to go by." Although, it really does drive home the fact that, before Pepper came in, Betty had been sitting in here alone. From weddings Pepper has been to in the past, the bride always had a gaggle of ladies swarming around her, fussing over one thing or another clear up until the moment the bride took her place at the foot of the aisle. Perhaps Pepper had missed out on that portion of Betty's pre-wedding activity? Or maybe the bridezilla shooed everyone away for some peace of mind?

She smiles as she encloses the post of the last earring and takes a small step back.

"Things may be a bit heavy on the groom's side, but for what it's worth, you've got me...and Tony, who is the equivalent of at least twenty party guests." Then, because Pepper is attuned to these sort of things, she pulls a tissue from her clutch and holds it out to her friend. "Also, it's too early for tears, Pretty Lady. You'll mess up your makeup."

[wereokay]

"They're all very nice." Betty defends them, not really to Pepper, but more to herself.

"It's just that they're all... very nice. I'm not really comfortable with his parents." Sheepish, but honest. She smiles softly, her face kept forward so that Pepper can do that wonderful thing she does, and make all the details fit together cleanly.

"Thank you."

Everything always feels more manageable when Potts is around. Which should just be the Stark Industries logo, if you thought about it.

"In fact, I think they really don't know what to make of me. I just told his mother that I wasn't expecting the General to show up today." Since she hadn't invited him.

[totherescue]

"You wouldn't be the first bride whose father didn't show up to her wedding." Pepper doesn't know the details behind Betty's relationship with her father, but she knows enough to know that it's hardly roses and butterflies. Far from, in fact. And honestly, that's all she needs to know, especially when the particulars really don't matter in the grand scheme of things.

"All they need to know is that Leo hit the jackpot when he met you," she replies in full confidence. "He couldn't be marrying a sweeter, more intelligent, more beautiful woman. The General's absence doesn't change that."

That said, she can relate to not feeling at ease around overly nice people. Years of working in the confines of Stark Industries has left Pepper so weathered around the edges that she doesn't even trust extreme kindness. "When you say 'very nice', do you mean too nice?"

[wereokay]

Blushing now, Betty has to wave her hand lightly. "Oh, stop. You're going to make me shy."

The words have done the trick though, any tension that she's been carrying is released in favor of simply enjoying this moment. Betty's eyes shine brightly, sharing the excitement of the day with Pepper. "They're like some kind of model photo family. I'm serious, I don't think I've ever heard them argue."

Like pod people.

"At least Leo turned out well. I can't believe this is actually happening."

Betty runs her hands down her dress, flattening out imaginary wrinkles. "His father offered to escort me down the aisle, but I'm avoiding answering him."

[totherescue]

Before she can catch herself, Pepper's wrinkling her nose at the thought of Betty being indoctrinated into some sort of Stepford Hallmark family. "I can't say I blame you. I would gladly walk you down the aisle, but then they really wouldn't know what to think. But just know that, this time next year, if I find that you've given up margarita night for scrabble and church bake sales, I'm going to have to stage an intervention. Just letting you know now."

Of course, the more Pepper thinks about it, the more she begins to feel what very well could be the beginning of the loss of her best friend. And it's silly; Betty isn't going anywhere, obviously, but this is always how it happens. Marriage, then babies, then in a blink it's getting together for lunch every now and again, when husbands, babies, jobs, and so on permit. As the thought begins to settle in her mind, her vision begins to blur with impending tears.

Selfish, Potts. Selfish...

She dabs quickly at the corners of her eyes and shakes her head. This is Betty's big day, and despite how it may look, Pepper is happy for her. Extremely so. Given all she's been through, no one deserves Happily Ever After more than her.

"Okay, okay. Let me get out of here so you can gather your thoughts, say a prayer, smoke a cigarette, or anything else you may need to do." She holds her arms out for a hug. "Don't be afraid of your father-in-law. Seriously. Just think of it as a quaint way welcoming you to the family."

[wereokay]

Almost as if Betty were reading her thoughts, she counters with, "I was going to ask you actually, but Leonard's mother would have a heart attack, I'm sure."

Then, as if she's absentmindedly sharing a secret, Betty grins conspiratorially at Pepper and adds; "So then I thought of the next best thing, I asked Tony if he would give me away. That should shock them well enough."

If Tony agrees, which, hadn't actually been ironed out. Though even if he's not comfortable with that, Betty is going to be proud to walk down the aisle with or without anyone at her arm. There would be no cookie cutter family expectations that kept Betty from having things the way she wanted them.

"And for the record, margarita night is sacred." She knows exactly how Pepper is feeling right now. Though they'd only known each other a relatively short amount of time, the women had become incredibly close. Odds were, that if the wedding plans had started when Betty actually knew Pepper this well, she would have asked her to be the maid of honor. As it was, that duty fell to an old high school friend. Someone that Betty had asked more out of sentimentalism.

"Make sure you get a seat up close, okay?" Betty hugged her friend tightly before letting her go.

The clock was counting down now.