Quite Dubiously A Ceremony
a random wedding fic


The captain was chatting idly with one of the entertainers during the post-dinner clean-up when two of their passengers entered the event hall.  It was unusual enough during the off-hours that the pair caught his attention.

They were scanning the room with an excited haste.  An emergency, perhaps?  No, they didn't look worried.  A game?  Variations on hide-and-seek and scavenger hunts were not unheard of on the ship.  Many found it just as pleasant to create their own amusements as it was to partake of the ship's many offerings.

As it did seem as if the two men were searching for something or someone, he was not completely surprised when their eyes fell on him and they started forward with a swift, determined stride.  Was it he in particular, he wondered, or he simply because he had acknowledged their presence.  Well, all things would soon be answered.

He took a moment to finish what he had been saying to his crew member, and then they were beside him.  "Are you the captain?" one of them asked.

"Captain Fleming, at your service," he answered, turning towards them with a smile and a nod.  "How can I help you?"

They gave each other a quick glance before the first man spoke up again.  "We wanna get married."

Fleming blinked, only belatedly noticing how their hands were joined, and there was certainly that distinctive sparkle in their expressions that usually meant they were completely besotted.   "Ah," he answered, not completely unfamiliar with this situation.   Most people logged their requests before their launch, but a cruise ship was often a place for quick decisions -- for better or for worse, as it were.  "Well, congratulations.  How long have you been together?"

The man beamed.  "Three years."

"Six months, and fourteen days," the second man added quietly.

The captain breathed a sigh of relief.  He had braced himself to hear 'three days', or maybe even 'three hours'.   Stranger, more regrettable things had happened.  "Good to hear.  Well, when would you like to get married?"

They communicated again with but a look.  "Is right now okay?" the first man asked.

Fleming's associate, his chief morale officer, chuckled, and called out to the bar.  "Hey, Leila!  Bill!  These guys are getting married!"  He did so enjoy a good wedding.

The bartenders paused in their wiping.  "Now?" Leila asked.

He looked to his captain, and the captain could do naught but shrug.  "Sure.  No time like the present, I suppose."

The bartenders were not the only ones in the hall.  The dance instructor was called over to join in the festivities, along with three grinning members of the cleaning staff.  Once the witnesses had been gathered with a good amount of cheer, the captain turned back to their guests.  "Uh, your names, please."

"Duo," the first answered, looking as if he might have stuck his hand out for a shake, had it not been currently bonded to his partner's.  "Duo Maxwell."

"Heero Yuy," the second said with a brief nod.

"Okay then.  Duo Maxwell and Heero Yuy."  Fleming clapped his hands together in preparation.  "Let's get this wedding started.  Do you have any special vows prepared?"

"Um..."  With the tip of his tongue showing between his teeth, Duo looked like he was racking his brains for something special to say.

Heero took the first move, turning towards his partner with a careful deliberation.  He took up Duo's other hand and held them both close to his heart.  He opened his mouth, almost started to say something, then closed it again for further consideration.   Twice more he did this, before he simply smiled mysteriously and raised Duo's hands for a reverent kiss to the knuckles.  "I do," he murmured against skin, eyes closing for a moment before they rose to twinkle at his partner's.

There was a moment of silence before Duo laughed with equal parts joy, amusement, and adoration.  "Yeah.  Me, too."   He pulled Heero towards him and started quite vigorously depriving the both of them of oxygen.

The captain blinked at them for five long seconds.  He'd really been looking for a yes/no answer to his question, but he supposed this would do just as well.  He spent a few more seconds exchanging bemused glances with his crew.  "Okay, then.  By the power vested in me, I declare you united in the bonds of matrimony.  You may... never mind."

During the subsequent cheers and clapping from the staff, he looked down at his wristwatch to clock what would surely be the shortest wedding ceremony he ever performed.  It was, in fact, so short that it was quite dubiously a ceremony at all.

Fleming cleared his throat as the happy couple continued to kiss in wedded bliss.  Some laughs were shared at their sweet oblivion.  The captain spared yet another glance for his watch, then decided that timing this particular part of the celebrations would require a patience he didn't have.  "Well... congratulations.  I'll, uh, go start the paperwork, I guess."

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This piece of fiction is the intellectual property of the little turnip that could. The basis for this fic, i.e. Gundam Wing, Kyuuketsuki Miyu, et al., is the property of someone else. The author can be con tacted at jchew at myrealbox.com. This has been an entirely automated message. http://www.cs.hmc.edu/~jchew/misc/gw.html

last modified : 2/6/2005 03:28:53 PST