glass-oceans:

@atlinmerrick asked: Number 61: “I love you. I’m completely and utterly in love with you. Please don’t get married.” Clydeland or Benarmie.

Armitage fumbled with his wallet, pressing what were probably far too many notes into the driver’s hand, but that was the least of his worries right now. He opened the cab door, almost falling out as he got tangled in the seat belt, before he began to run up the steps. This was madness, sheer madness, Armitage thought even as a couple of scattered pieces of confetti swept past his shoes, making his heart twist uncomfortably in his chest. Ben had made his decision, and Armitage, well; he had to make his too. And he had. Yet he still found himself racing up the steps to the temple, hoping he wasn’t too late.

Armitage stopped at the last step, breath burning in his throat, watching as the guests milled around the car park, slowly breaking off and heading for their vehicles. The crowd was subdued, a sure sign that the happy couple had already moved on to the reception, leaving their guests to follow. Armitage folded over, resting his hands on his knees as he fought to get his breath back. When he stood up again, he looked down the stairs, but he couldn’t face going down again yet. He vaguely remembered Ben telling him the garden next to the temple had a seat swing, and found his feet starting to take him in that direction before he’d finished the thought.

Armitage stopped in surprise when he saw the swing. There, curled up on its cushions was a dark haired woman, her hair done up in an elaborate series of buns, who was leaning into Ben’s side, while Ben used his long legs to keep the seat rocking gently. Armitage looked around for a photographer, thinking maybe the happy couple was to follow after the guests instead, but there was no one else to be seen. Confused, Armitage was about to step back when he heard the woman speak;

“Is that him?”

Armitage didn’t hear the answer, but whatever it was had the woman standing from the seat and striding towards him like she had an army behind her. Armitage hesitated briefly, looking over her shoulder at Ben, and when he saw Ben wearing one of those half smiles he favoured when he was in a joke at Armitage’s expense, he steeling himself to meet her gaze.

The fact that he stood a head taller than her didn’t much help as she jabbed a finger into his chest.

“You,” she said her voice dark with threat, “you had better take care of him, or you will have me to answer to.”

Mission complete, she looked back at Ben, who smiled and waved at her, before heading towards the temple car park. Armitage watched her walk down the path, golden dress swirling about her, until she vanished around the corner. Then, with trepidation, turned to look back at Ben.

Ben had sat back on the chair, arms spread across the back, still rocking himself gently. His bow tie was undone, as was the top button of his shirt, but his suit was still immaculate and he looked mouth-wateringly handsome. Armitage began to shuffle towards him, his feet leaden. Maybe there was a part of him that really had hoped it was too late, though Ben at least saved him from having to speak first.

“I thought you told me you wouldn’t come to my wedding,” he said, swinging slowly.

Armitage huffed, waving one arm towards the lack of cars remaining.

“Technically I didn’t,” he replied.

This was so much harder than he imagined. The words that had crowded his head that morning were suddenly absent as he watched the dappled sunlight fall on the ground between them. There was a low creak from the swing as it continued to move, and the rustle of leaves in the gentle summer breeze.

“I guess congratulations are in order-“

Ben snorted and sat forward on the seat, hands rubbing together anxiously.

“No, there aren’t.”

“There…aren’t?” Armitage repeated, silently cursing the hopeful swell of his heartbeat.

Ben snorted again, squinting as he looked up at Armitage.

“I was left at the altar,” he said. “Poe left a note behind, apologising for the drama,”

Armitage groaned, than instantly coloured at the reaction, but Ben only smiled as he looked to the ground again. If there was one thing they both knew about Poe, it was that he loved his limelight.

“He said he’d met someone else, and that he realised he couldn’t go through with this anymore.”

Armitage watched the top of Ben’s head as he spoke, feeling like the world was spinning out of control and Ben was the only fixed point.

“He also said he knew I had someone else too, I just needed to admit it to myself, and go find him.”

Armitage’s mouth dropped open. His mind was completely devoid of words; his pulse was thundering in his ears he was sure he was going to pass out. He couldn’t tell if a cloud had just passed in front of the sun, or if his vision was starting to darken.

“Did you find him?”

Armitage heard the words spoken, but couldn’t be sure that they came from him. Not until he felt Ben’s fingers close around his, the warmth of his hand giving him a lifeline. Ben tugged at him gently, and Armitage swayed forward with the motion, moving until he was standing between Ben’s legs. Ben’s other hand came up, skirting over the phone in his pocket until it rested just above his waistband, a place Armitage never wanted it to move from again. Armitage looked down at Ben, at his wet, dark eyes, at the lip that was caught at one edge as his own nervousness bled out. Armitage found his own hand lifting up, fingers spread to card through his luscious dark hair, feeling giddy as he watched Ben’s eyelids flutter from the sensation. He smiled then, properly, in a way that lit up his eyes and made Armitage feel like he could never become tired of looking into them.

“He found me.”