RP LOG | WITH notskywalker
[Bendy time back to Thursday 29th October, after Andrew's last post]
When Luke heard that Andrew wasn't feeling well, he happily abandoned his accounts paperwork for The Bondi and went over to check on his cousin. Aiden had just finished running through the next schedule of promos for the bar before he went back to his ivory tower in Manhattan to meet with a new client. Everyone was excited about Ali and Andrew's wedding on the weekend. They usually nabbed any excuse for a good party, but this time it was huge. It wasn't just family. By the time Ali and Andrew had been done with the guest list, it was pushing two hundred. Both knew a lot of people, and factor in all of the Jackson/Connor clan from Australia, it was always going to be a huge affair.
Which is why Luke wasn't particularly surprised to hear Andrew was feeling sick. The Groom-to-be greeted Luke at the door with baby Jamie nursed on his hip, eyebrows raised questioningly, though he looked tired. Jamie was sucking contently on a pacifier, her little hand playing with the collar of Andrew's shirt. "I saw your message. So, I figured as Best Man I should come over and be a man at my best," Luke explained with a shrug, reaching to stroke Jamie's chubby cheek with the backs of his fingers, smiling at her.
"Absolutely no doubt about your abilities there, Puke," Andrew returned, stepping aside to let Luke in. "I didn't even realise you were in New York today. But then, I barely even know what day or time it is right now, so ignore me. I thought you were Mum." He went through to the livingroom and set Jamie down on her blanket, handing her a biscuit, which she happily spat the pacifier out in favour of and broke into a drooly smile for him. He sat down on the sofa, slumping in the seat and rubbing his hand over his face.
"Got paperwork," Luke explained as he took the armchair and put his foot up on the coffee table. Blatant lie, of course. He was actually in New York for the night, ready to kidnap Andrew from his fake shift at work to drag him to an impromptu bachelor party at the bar. Andrew thought he had a shift, Ali actually arranged for his leave to start two days earlier and he wasn't technically due back at work until after their honeymoon. All very covert and devious. Andrew was oblivious to the plans. "Plus, Lei's flying in with the war-wounded tonight so I wanted to be around in case she needed anything. He's getting admitted to a private hospital here. It was that or the military one in Washington, which would have sucked for her. She said he's doing okay. Just kinda distant, which she hopes will get a bit better once he's back home. I can't say I blame the poor bloke, lying out there in agony next to his dead friend for fuck only knows how long. How are you feeling? You look rough, mate."
Andrew nodded. "I told her to call me when they land. I was going to go over to the hospital once he was admitted, but I don't know if I'm going to be able to. The last thing he needs is me sitting there spewing in front of him. Ali said she would go if I can't, though. Just to make sure Leila had everything she needed. He's just going to need some time to process what he went through and find a way to deal with it. It's good he has Leila, though. How much would it have sucked if this happened to him before, with no one to come home to? I'm alright. I just feel really crook in the gut. I know what you're going to say, and yeah, it could be nerves, I guess. Can you blame me? You know what I'm like."
"You love Karaoke singing, but anything more than a small crowd in a bar, you want to crap your pants for fear of being in the limelight. Yeah, I know. I was on the receiving end when you barfed all over my car on the way to that speech you had to give in uni, remember? I thought you were just a little too cool for comfort this past couple of weeks. Have you told Ali about it?" Luke asked pointedly and laughed when Jamie suddenly turfed the biscuit off to the side and crawled over to him, trying to pull herself up against his leg. He leaned forward and scooped her into his arms, kissing her head and then settling her in his lap. "It was just a relief to hear he wasn't dead. She was waiting for that call. I was with her when they called to tell her he had been found and she nearly fainted thinking they were going to tell her he was dead. She's fallen hard, man. Never thought I would see the day. But it's also why this is going to be so hard on her too. I'm not sure she knows really how the hell she is supposed to feel or what she's supposed to do for him. Added to the fact that next time he gets shipped out, this could happen all over again."
"I mentioned to her that I hate being in front of crowds for speeches and stuff. I just haven't been sure how to tell her that might span to my wedding day. And I don't friggen want it to. I need to just focus on Ali because that's why I'm there. Everyone else is secondary. I just know she is going to looking gorgeous and everything is going to fall into place on the day, but I can't quite convince my brain otherwise right now. It's not like the wedding is flamboyant and over the top. It's not. It's very understated, almost bordering on casual, like we both wanted. There's just... so many fucking people." Almost on cue of the realisation, Andrew felt his stomach turn again and he had to shoot out of the seat and bolt up the hall to the bathroom with his hand over his mouth, barely making it before losing the cup of tea he managed to drink before Luke came.
He came back a few minutes later, wiping his face with a damp cloth and shaking his head. "I might need to borrow your brother-in-law for some sort of injection to stop this on the day. I'm not ruining Ali's wedding day. This is massive for her, I know marriage is a sensitive thing for her in general. I think I'm the luckiest bloke in the world that she wants to marry me. I want the day to be perfect for her, after everything she's done for me and given me. Even if I think she ordered me a size too small for my suit pants." He watched Jamie for a few moments, a faint smile on his face seeing how much she like Luke and how natural his cousin was with kids. "Everyone thought out of the three of us, I would be the first to get married. Then you two went and overtook me. I probably should feel cheated, but I'm more smug that so many of our family lost that bet. I'm just glad you're both happy. And Lei will be, when Rob is on the mend. What happens once he heals will be something for him to decide. After the ordeal, he might want to retire. I've heard a lot of soldiers do after stuff like this."
Luke's face scrunched up. "Retire at, what, twenty eight? Something like that. It seems screwed. What's he going to do for income if he retires? Not that I'm saying he is needing to support Lei like the old days, but I get a feeling he's the sort of guy that would want to. She told me he was adamant he pay for the house because it was his duty or something like that. I suck at tradition, but I respect it. I mean, Tab and I pretty much just throw all our cash into one pool and use it as we need to. I've got a shitload of investments tied up, but it's just money." He stopped for a moment with a small frown, pulling Jamie's little pink frilly sock back onto her foot where it had started to fall off. "Do you think he's going to be alright? What if he's not? She said he got pretty banged up. Had his spleen removed, too."
He smirked a little at the pants comment. "Come on, man. You can be so thick sometimes. They aren't a size too small when they're custom-made. She requested they be made that size so she can perve on your arse. You didn't see the gay tailor complaining about the fit, did you? He was mighty impressed. But seriously, you need to just try and relax. I know that sounds hypocritical coming from me considering I freaked the fuck out on my own wedding day, but I see how stupid I was now. And it's different, too, because you've always wanted to get married, have kids, the whole domestic package and you're made for it. Things have been real crap for you, Andy. This is just the start of being happy again, with Ali and Jamie. Just keep reminding yourself that, and reminding yourself that the reason all those people are there are because they want to see that happiness. Not to mention one fuck of a Halloween party to celebrate," he added with a laugh.
"Not retire like an older person. Retire from the Army or retire from the frontline. He seems pretty qualified. He can maybe do something else in the service that isn't actually in combat. Think about what he just survived, he might not want to face that again. There's got to be options for guys in his position. You're probably right about him wanting to take care of her... I feel the same about Ali and Jamie. It was a hard thing for me to understand she didn't actually need it in a financial sense." Andrew thought for a few moments. "I think he will be, once he gets over the initial shock and trauma. Leila will help him through. That's what it's all about. That's something us lot get pretty loud and clear. They just need to find their feet as a married couple. They didn't get that chance. That could be the trying part, especially if he's injured. He might not be able to... you know, make love to her. And I'm thinking she probably really needs that right now. As strange as it sounds, it was that close physical contact that helped Ali and I reconnect. Not saying it was porno or Karma Sutra material, it definitely wasn't. But it was just being together."
His eyebrows shot up. "No way! The tailor wasn't perving on me! He had a wedding ring!" he insisted. "How am I going to get through the day without castrating myself? What about the wedding dress? Is that hard to get off when you finally get to the wedding night? I know she has paid a lot of money for it and I don't want to ruin it." He rubbed his face again. "I'll be fine once it gets going, I'm sure. It's just a huge thing! We're getting married and I want it to be right. Which reminds me, she asked me to take Jamie's little flower girl dress out of the box and hang it up so it's not wrinkled on Saturday. You should see it. It's gorgeous. I'm not allowed to show anyone, though."
Luke tucked his finger into Jamie's hand and she immediately tried to put it in her mouth. She and RJ were much at the same stage, only being a few weeks in age apart. Nothing was sacred and if it fit in their mouth and wasn't bolted down, it was going in the mouth. Luke didn't mind, he was hardly bothered by a bit of baby drool. They were teething and it felt good to rub their gums on something. Jamie had two teeth, though, RJ only had one, and if she got enough force behind it, it could sting sometimes. He watched her in thought. "He might feel differently now he has Leila. From what she said, his last marriage was pretty fucked up. Maybe Lei can show him what it should really be like, give him a reason to reconsider other options. To be honest, sounds like the poor bastard just needs a long rest, physically and mentally. Gotta agree with the sex thing, though. I've learnt it's not just always about getting hot and horny."
He stood up, holding Jamie close against him. "What, like Aiden and Pat's rings? Or Riley and Evie's? I'm taking your beautiful daughter for the day. She can keep me company at the bar while I catch up on my book work. You can get some R and R, try and work on soothing those nerves. You got work tonight, right? You should take it easy today. This time on Sunday, you're going to be a married man, mate. Welcome to the dark side."
Word Count | 2,230
When Luke heard that Andrew wasn't feeling well, he happily abandoned his accounts paperwork for The Bondi and went over to check on his cousin. Aiden had just finished running through the next schedule of promos for the bar before he went back to his ivory tower in Manhattan to meet with a new client. Everyone was excited about Ali and Andrew's wedding on the weekend. They usually nabbed any excuse for a good party, but this time it was huge. It wasn't just family. By the time Ali and Andrew had been done with the guest list, it was pushing two hundred. Both knew a lot of people, and factor in all of the Jackson/Connor clan from Australia, it was always going to be a huge affair.
Which is why Luke wasn't particularly surprised to hear Andrew was feeling sick. The Groom-to-be greeted Luke at the door with baby Jamie nursed on his hip, eyebrows raised questioningly, though he looked tired. Jamie was sucking contently on a pacifier, her little hand playing with the collar of Andrew's shirt. "I saw your message. So, I figured as Best Man I should come over and be a man at my best," Luke explained with a shrug, reaching to stroke Jamie's chubby cheek with the backs of his fingers, smiling at her.
"Absolutely no doubt about your abilities there, Puke," Andrew returned, stepping aside to let Luke in. "I didn't even realise you were in New York today. But then, I barely even know what day or time it is right now, so ignore me. I thought you were Mum." He went through to the livingroom and set Jamie down on her blanket, handing her a biscuit, which she happily spat the pacifier out in favour of and broke into a drooly smile for him. He sat down on the sofa, slumping in the seat and rubbing his hand over his face.
"Got paperwork," Luke explained as he took the armchair and put his foot up on the coffee table. Blatant lie, of course. He was actually in New York for the night, ready to kidnap Andrew from his fake shift at work to drag him to an impromptu bachelor party at the bar. Andrew thought he had a shift, Ali actually arranged for his leave to start two days earlier and he wasn't technically due back at work until after their honeymoon. All very covert and devious. Andrew was oblivious to the plans. "Plus, Lei's flying in with the war-wounded tonight so I wanted to be around in case she needed anything. He's getting admitted to a private hospital here. It was that or the military one in Washington, which would have sucked for her. She said he's doing okay. Just kinda distant, which she hopes will get a bit better once he's back home. I can't say I blame the poor bloke, lying out there in agony next to his dead friend for fuck only knows how long. How are you feeling? You look rough, mate."
Andrew nodded. "I told her to call me when they land. I was going to go over to the hospital once he was admitted, but I don't know if I'm going to be able to. The last thing he needs is me sitting there spewing in front of him. Ali said she would go if I can't, though. Just to make sure Leila had everything she needed. He's just going to need some time to process what he went through and find a way to deal with it. It's good he has Leila, though. How much would it have sucked if this happened to him before, with no one to come home to? I'm alright. I just feel really crook in the gut. I know what you're going to say, and yeah, it could be nerves, I guess. Can you blame me? You know what I'm like."
"You love Karaoke singing, but anything more than a small crowd in a bar, you want to crap your pants for fear of being in the limelight. Yeah, I know. I was on the receiving end when you barfed all over my car on the way to that speech you had to give in uni, remember? I thought you were just a little too cool for comfort this past couple of weeks. Have you told Ali about it?" Luke asked pointedly and laughed when Jamie suddenly turfed the biscuit off to the side and crawled over to him, trying to pull herself up against his leg. He leaned forward and scooped her into his arms, kissing her head and then settling her in his lap. "It was just a relief to hear he wasn't dead. She was waiting for that call. I was with her when they called to tell her he had been found and she nearly fainted thinking they were going to tell her he was dead. She's fallen hard, man. Never thought I would see the day. But it's also why this is going to be so hard on her too. I'm not sure she knows really how the hell she is supposed to feel or what she's supposed to do for him. Added to the fact that next time he gets shipped out, this could happen all over again."
"I mentioned to her that I hate being in front of crowds for speeches and stuff. I just haven't been sure how to tell her that might span to my wedding day. And I don't friggen want it to. I need to just focus on Ali because that's why I'm there. Everyone else is secondary. I just know she is going to looking gorgeous and everything is going to fall into place on the day, but I can't quite convince my brain otherwise right now. It's not like the wedding is flamboyant and over the top. It's not. It's very understated, almost bordering on casual, like we both wanted. There's just... so many fucking people." Almost on cue of the realisation, Andrew felt his stomach turn again and he had to shoot out of the seat and bolt up the hall to the bathroom with his hand over his mouth, barely making it before losing the cup of tea he managed to drink before Luke came.
He came back a few minutes later, wiping his face with a damp cloth and shaking his head. "I might need to borrow your brother-in-law for some sort of injection to stop this on the day. I'm not ruining Ali's wedding day. This is massive for her, I know marriage is a sensitive thing for her in general. I think I'm the luckiest bloke in the world that she wants to marry me. I want the day to be perfect for her, after everything she's done for me and given me. Even if I think she ordered me a size too small for my suit pants." He watched Jamie for a few moments, a faint smile on his face seeing how much she like Luke and how natural his cousin was with kids. "Everyone thought out of the three of us, I would be the first to get married. Then you two went and overtook me. I probably should feel cheated, but I'm more smug that so many of our family lost that bet. I'm just glad you're both happy. And Lei will be, when Rob is on the mend. What happens once he heals will be something for him to decide. After the ordeal, he might want to retire. I've heard a lot of soldiers do after stuff like this."
Luke's face scrunched up. "Retire at, what, twenty eight? Something like that. It seems screwed. What's he going to do for income if he retires? Not that I'm saying he is needing to support Lei like the old days, but I get a feeling he's the sort of guy that would want to. She told me he was adamant he pay for the house because it was his duty or something like that. I suck at tradition, but I respect it. I mean, Tab and I pretty much just throw all our cash into one pool and use it as we need to. I've got a shitload of investments tied up, but it's just money." He stopped for a moment with a small frown, pulling Jamie's little pink frilly sock back onto her foot where it had started to fall off. "Do you think he's going to be alright? What if he's not? She said he got pretty banged up. Had his spleen removed, too."
He smirked a little at the pants comment. "Come on, man. You can be so thick sometimes. They aren't a size too small when they're custom-made. She requested they be made that size so she can perve on your arse. You didn't see the gay tailor complaining about the fit, did you? He was mighty impressed. But seriously, you need to just try and relax. I know that sounds hypocritical coming from me considering I freaked the fuck out on my own wedding day, but I see how stupid I was now. And it's different, too, because you've always wanted to get married, have kids, the whole domestic package and you're made for it. Things have been real crap for you, Andy. This is just the start of being happy again, with Ali and Jamie. Just keep reminding yourself that, and reminding yourself that the reason all those people are there are because they want to see that happiness. Not to mention one fuck of a Halloween party to celebrate," he added with a laugh.
"Not retire like an older person. Retire from the Army or retire from the frontline. He seems pretty qualified. He can maybe do something else in the service that isn't actually in combat. Think about what he just survived, he might not want to face that again. There's got to be options for guys in his position. You're probably right about him wanting to take care of her... I feel the same about Ali and Jamie. It was a hard thing for me to understand she didn't actually need it in a financial sense." Andrew thought for a few moments. "I think he will be, once he gets over the initial shock and trauma. Leila will help him through. That's what it's all about. That's something us lot get pretty loud and clear. They just need to find their feet as a married couple. They didn't get that chance. That could be the trying part, especially if he's injured. He might not be able to... you know, make love to her. And I'm thinking she probably really needs that right now. As strange as it sounds, it was that close physical contact that helped Ali and I reconnect. Not saying it was porno or Karma Sutra material, it definitely wasn't. But it was just being together."
His eyebrows shot up. "No way! The tailor wasn't perving on me! He had a wedding ring!" he insisted. "How am I going to get through the day without castrating myself? What about the wedding dress? Is that hard to get off when you finally get to the wedding night? I know she has paid a lot of money for it and I don't want to ruin it." He rubbed his face again. "I'll be fine once it gets going, I'm sure. It's just a huge thing! We're getting married and I want it to be right. Which reminds me, she asked me to take Jamie's little flower girl dress out of the box and hang it up so it's not wrinkled on Saturday. You should see it. It's gorgeous. I'm not allowed to show anyone, though."
Luke tucked his finger into Jamie's hand and she immediately tried to put it in her mouth. She and RJ were much at the same stage, only being a few weeks in age apart. Nothing was sacred and if it fit in their mouth and wasn't bolted down, it was going in the mouth. Luke didn't mind, he was hardly bothered by a bit of baby drool. They were teething and it felt good to rub their gums on something. Jamie had two teeth, though, RJ only had one, and if she got enough force behind it, it could sting sometimes. He watched her in thought. "He might feel differently now he has Leila. From what she said, his last marriage was pretty fucked up. Maybe Lei can show him what it should really be like, give him a reason to reconsider other options. To be honest, sounds like the poor bastard just needs a long rest, physically and mentally. Gotta agree with the sex thing, though. I've learnt it's not just always about getting hot and horny."
He stood up, holding Jamie close against him. "What, like Aiden and Pat's rings? Or Riley and Evie's? I'm taking your beautiful daughter for the day. She can keep me company at the bar while I catch up on my book work. You can get some R and R, try and work on soothing those nerves. You got work tonight, right? You should take it easy today. This time on Sunday, you're going to be a married man, mate. Welcome to the dark side."
Word Count | 2,230