[AU] Put a Ring On It

[Serena Rivers]

Serena sighed out loud on the bed, She rolled to one side and grabbed the sheets. She then rolled up and looked over to Zoe on the floor, she gradually pulled her legs towards her so her knees were about level with her face. She peered at the other girl over them and then buried her face into her legs, as if she was trying a number of positions of sitting to make the situation less confusing or scary.

She giggled lightly at the other girl's comment. "Dying? not as far as I'm aware. Not unless I like, reallllllly overuse my power in one go." Serena had only really overused her power to life threatening levels once, and that was when she was in a weird emotional place and was pushing herself unnaturally hard during a solo training session. 

She had since learned after being stuck in recovery for a week that she should not ever exert herself that hard, coughing up your own blood was also no fun either, nor was losing consciousness. 

Serena peered at the door and then put her head back on top of her legs. "I know... It's just... I don't wanna face people. It's like I'm missing time, or I'm the one being left out on some joke or something just standing here in confusion."

She sighed. "I know we should go out there, but there is this part of me that just wants to hide in here with you and not go out to the party, reception, whatever you call it." She knew it was weird, maybe selfish. But that was just how she felt. 

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Zoe couldn't help but sigh slightly as the other girl explained that she wasn't dying. That was something, something good, even. Zoe had suspected that the whole moving blood thing might affect the lifespan; she didn't quite understand how powers worked after all, at least, beyond her own. It seemed like things were more or less set up that way at any rate.

They thought along the same lines too: Zoe found herself nodding. "Yes, I don't--my family is out there too," Zoe looked and frowned, "I haven't seen them in months... not since... I became a mutant," the admission of which made Zoe shift. Anymore, she hated explaining it not quite so much because of the traumatic experience: nearly everyone had a story that matched, but because she'd come into it so very late in life. She felt like the last girl in class to get breasts, and then they'd been absolutely massive ones that nobody could miss.

Though such wasn't the case with petite Zoe; she still knew what that was like. She took another breath. "I wonder if someone put us under hypnosis or something," she said, pausing to chew her lip and flush. "That does seem silly though, right? Who would go through all the trouble of setting us up to get married..."

[Serena Rivers]

Serena smiled gently at the other girl. She was still doing her best to be nice despite the stress and confusion the both of them were currently being placed under from this terribly awkward situation. She blushed lightly and nodded. "I don't know who is out there for me, if anyone." She stared at the ceiling for a minute.

She realised she should probably elaborate. "My only family as far as I'm aware currently, is a sociopathic grandmother I have met twice and my estranged younger sister I met a few months ago." She sighed loudly. She pulled one of the pillows to her and hugged it tightly.

She really wasn't sure where to go or what to do. It was all just too much for her. She buried her face in the pillow. "I... I don't know." She squeeked from behind the pillow. It was just so disconcerting not knowing what had happened, why she was here and why she was now married to the other girl. 

There wasn't anyone who really disliked Serena that much was there? She seemed to get along with pretty much everyone, at least most of the time. The other girl also seemed too nice, and shy to have had such enemies who would do something like this. 

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Zoe couldn't help but feel sad for her wife as Serena explained that no one waited for her. No one? Even Zoe had people, though she couldn't say with any degree of certainty how much she wanted to see those people or they wanted to see her. She sat and listened to the elaboration, the family, the estranged sister, the whole complicated mess of it.

Zoe shifted, seeing the buried face, knowing what Serena had just shared. She flexed her fingers, feeling them move within her gloves. She took another deep breath, pinching her eyes shut for a few moments to gather her strength.

"You have me now," she offered, opening them and looking, "and, um, my family, I guess... I just... when my power kicked in I--- I was kissing... my step-sister and--" she flushed, her hands working one another nervously, "and the power kicked in and I put her in a coma and--I haven't seen her since and--I don't know if she's out there or not."

Zoe bit her lip then, turning to the door. Was Ava there? Should she go and see her? This all just felt so much like a dream that Zoe couldn't quite believe any aspect of it was real, and certainly not her step-sister...

[Serena Rivers]

Serena felt a tint of red touch her cheeks again at the other girl's comment. It was almost funny in the fact that it was true, The two of them now had each other, one way or another. They were married. It was as if they were tied together by some strange puppeteer who enjoyed to plot out their lives and were amused by their struggles.

As the other girl spoke and clearly became a little more upset Serena stood, it was almost an involuntary reflex at this point, if somebody Serena was friends with or was well acquainted with was upset, she would hug them and tell them it's okay. In this case they seemed to have skipped all the other steps including the relationship and gotten married.

She leaned down on her knees and wrapped her arms around the other girl. "It's going to be okay.... We're in this together one way or another." She forced a gentle but reassuring smile. 

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Serena's sudden movement had Zoe freezing for a moment. She was just convinced that she'd said or done the exact wrong thing and now the other girl was just going to---go over and hug her? Zoe stiffened, as she always did when touched any more, and she had to remind herself to relax, that Serena meant to comfort her, that Serena should be comforting her. They'd just gotten married, after all. That, plus they'd just kissed rather passionately. A hug was something of a step down after that.

The words felt good too, and Zoe took another deep breath, relaxing as she released the air. She could smell Serena's light perfume rising up, and it made her feel even more relaxed. "Yes, we shall,' agreed Zoe, nodding. She hesitated for a moment longer before bringing her own arms up to return Serena's hug, adding a tentative little squeeze before releasing the other girl, taking yet another deep, calming breath.

"We should, um, probably, uh, head down," Zoe murmured, though she made no move toward the door or even away from where she was now. "to show them that we're not, um, scared or something," it sounded like the right thing to say, and Zoe felt some confidence leaking into her just through saying the words. She just wished it was enough to help both Serena and herself get through this at least semi-intact.

[Serena Rivers]

Serena couldn't quite explain her thing with hugs, they were just so nice to her, they always made her feel warm when she was cold, bring a smile to her face when she felt like crying. She rested her chin on the shoulder of the other girl, her breath gently on the other girl's neck. 

She stood up slowly and nodded to the girl's sentence. "Yeah, I agree." She held her hand out for the other girl to help her up. She had to admit said other girl looked very very attractive in that wedding dress. The situation was just too weird to make a straight up connection though.

At the very least though, they could smile nod, get through the evening and then get a good nights sleep.... Although it appeared they had a honey moon to go on in the morning, what kind of honey moon would they have planned? Serena had never thought about it at all. 

She decided to just shake it off and just focus on getting through the rest of the evening. She smiled. And opened the door, gesturing for them to go out. 

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Okay, so they were on the same page. Zoe took a deep breath, trying to steel her nerves again. She rose, smoothing down her wedding dress. Well, at least she looked quite pretty in the dress and all. Though she'd hoped that her hair would've been longer by the time she actually got married... she'd always wanted to get intricate workings in there. There did seem to be some white lace and what have you though: whoever set this up had certainly pulled out all the stops.

Zoe looked away from the mirror, seeing that Serena stood by the door. Zoe smiled, nodding to her wife and walking forward. She paused at the door, working her hands. "We should, um, probably, hold hands or something," she said, flushing. They probably should link arms, even. It just felt weird, seeing as Zoe didn't even like having the people she got serious with touching her.

Still, she loosened her arm a little, reaching toward Serena. Link arms in some fashion, then head forward into the fray. They could get through this: it was only for a little while longer, right? And everyone was sure to be happy for them...

[Serena Rivers]

Serena guessed the other girl was right. They should try to make it look natural. They shouldn't need to be trying to make anything look like anything to be fair, they were kind of legally married now. Or at least Serena assumed it was legally binding, she wasn't sure what state they were in but she assumed it was one in which same sex marriage had been legalised.

She cleared her throat and straightened her shoulders setting them back. She had to look confident. And if she looked confident, maybe it would make her feel a little bit more confident. She turned to the other girl and nodded, more steadily than she had been. 

"I'm going to try and make it look natural, I hope that's okay." Her voice was still low, but most definitely steadier. She did feel slightly less awkward the whole ordeal now that both her and Zoe were on the same page, relatively speaking anyway. 

She gently linked her arm through Zoe's and leaned against the other girl lightly. Luckily Serena herself was extremely light so it shouldn't be a problem, she started walking slowly so the other girl would be somewhat in step with her. She could face the rest of this evening. She could do this. 

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

"Natural?" repeated Zoe, blinking. She wasn't quite sure what that meant, and even if she did, nothing about this felt natural. Oh, she didn't have some sort of archaic view on marriage or anything like that, not Zoe. No, it was more the setup, this whole arrangement just felt like something strange.

Still, they'd linked arms and they would face this together. The thought steadied Zoe's nerves and kept her cool. She moved forward, eventually switching to a relaxed, almost gliding step after a few paces. Zoe glanced over at Serena, at her wife, wondering if there should be anything else she should say. She opened her mouth, wanting to try a few things. However, they arrived at the reception area soon enough.

The crowd of people almost made Zoe want to turn right back around and scurry away. She tightened her grip around Serena and pasted a nervous smile on her face. Nearly every head had swiveled toward them, expectant eyes. A handful of people applauded, and one or two that Zoe recognized dimly as being younger even added whistles and the like. clearly they were expecting them to say or do something though.

And Zoe couldn't think of a thing. She simply stood stock still, gaping at the gathered people and wishing that she would wake up soon.

[Serena Rivers]

Serena walked in pace with her wife, slowly contemplating the fact that she had a wife and what legal effects that would have on her. Not even wanting to give a thought to what this could do to her social life. Or other stuff along those lines. She just needed to focus on something else right now, anything else.

She glanced at the slightly nervous girl besides her, linked to her arm as if they were tied together by a chain which signified that their fates were bound. Serena really needed to stop reading poetry so late. She smiled and looked ahead of the two of them. Again, she took solace in the thought that whatever this situation would be throwing at her, she would not be facing it on her own. Regardless of others, she had Zoe in the same boat as her.

As they approached the reception area she smiled nervously again. The people in the area all turned to look at the two of them expectantly. Serena stood there, smiling awkwardly, as if she had been caught off guard doing something she should not have been doing, hoping. Praying that her wife would say something, after a painfully long silence in which her wife did not interject(Which Serena did not blame her for considering the circumstances), She decided to speak. 

She opened her mouth but found her voice coming out quietly and more nervously than she meant. "Ha-have you all been wai-" Of course they have been waiting, dummy. It's your special day. She took a moment and cleared her throat before speaking. "Well, you've all seen us already. Let's get this party going!" She managed to feign a little enthusiasm.

The wedding goers all seemingly shrugged and proceeded to get on with said after party. It wasn't long before Serena gradually felt less awkward, people seemed to forget all about it being 'her special day' and instead found the alcohol and food and music and became lost in it. Serena could make it through the rest of the night. So could Zoe. and they shall.