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------- I. -------
Travis was making breakfast in the kitchen when he got the call. In the middle of scrambling his eggs, his phone started to buzz on the other side of the counter. He reached over to check who it was, and to his surprise, it was Dave! He wasn't as close as he used to be with him, but he still loved him dearly.
After the Inkspedition was officially over, and both Apollo and Alpha had moved on, Dave and Travis lived together for a bit, but after a while, they both realized they wanted different things. Dave wanted to move out and travel, while Travis wanted to settle down somewhere. They still wanted each other, of course, but over time they slowly lost contact.
Travis picked up the phone and put it on speaker. "Er-Hi Travis!" Dave said through the grainy speakers.
Travis gave a small chuckle, "Howdy Partner, it's been so long since we've last talked, how ya been?"
He asked as his egg sizzled. "I've…been good. Running about, doing meaningless tasks like always." Dave awkwardly laughed. He paused, filling the air with silence.
"Somethin' bothering ya?" Travis asked.
"Oh no… I'm just not entirely sure how to ask you this."
"Ask me what?" Travis' eyebrows were raised in anticipation as he turned down the heat on his eggs.
Dave sucked in a breath, "Well… I know we haven't spoken in a bit, but I'm getting married in a little less than a year, and I want you to be my best man."
Travis stopped, the frying pan still pouring his egg bits onto the plate.
Married? Married?? His Partner is getting married! Well, Dave won't necessarily be his partner anymore, now that he's getting married!
Married! Married. Married?
Dave is getting married? "Wha- Partner, that is absolutely amazin'!" Travis' mouth was agape, in the shape of a smile. He stood over his stove, completely dumbfounded. "Congratulations! Oh my lord, who's the lucky one? Do I know 'em?"
Dave laughed, and started to say, "Oh you haven't met her, she's this really funny girl named Courtney. We met a few years ago on a work trip, shesocaring…" Dave's words began to meld together as Travis spiraled in his head.
Married. Married. In a year! Married.
Travis knows he should be happy—no, ecstatic, for him. And he is! But he can't help but notice that there is a part of him that's almost…bitter? He wants nothing but the best for Dave, but he wants nothing but the best with himself.
Oh shit.
"…anyways, I'm rambling. You know, she kinda reminds me of you," Dave awkwardly laughed. "I know it's been a bit, but we've been through so much together, I can't imagine anyone else being my best man. It's always been us two, right?"
"Always." Travis replied.
"Um, I gotta get going," Dave continued, "but I'll text you the details later. It would mean so much if you were able to be there."
"Of course!" Travis sputtered, as he walked over to his table, "I am so so so honored that you'd ask me such a thing."
Travis could hear the smile in Dave's voice, "Right… I'll talk to you later, kay?"
"Anytime Partner," the side of Travis' mouth tugged upwards, "congrats again by the way."
"Thank you, seriously," Dave replied, "buh-bye."
"Talk to ya." He was now smiling ear to ear.
Travis put his phone down, his smirk fading. His head fell into his hands, and he let out a deep sigh. "Married…huh?"
------- II. -------
The months flew by before the wedding. The future marriage escaped Travis' mind before the later months leading up to it. Travis met Courtney, and they got on great! They both had similar roots, being raised somewhere in the south. They had akin senses of humor, and Courtney was bold and sassy. It's baffling to think that Dave managed to charm her, but then again, he did the same with Travis.
In the upcoming weeks of the wedding, there were a few rehearsals he had to attend, but it was nothing special, yet. Travis personally couldn't wait to see everything come together. The venue, the guests, Dave all fixed up in his suit. He would be delighted to see his Partner walk down the aisle.
The day of the wedding arrived, a perfect, bright June noon. There were many familiar faces, people Travis hadn't talked to in years. The entire Inkspedition crew was there, Alpha's siblings—even Omega! (However, they did not look happy to force their bandages underneath a tailored suit.)
It was all going smoothly, but Travis hadn't seen Dave all day. He figured he would go investigate his whereabouts, he was being a horrible best man. Aren't they supposed to stay by the groom's side? Fuck.
He found Dave sitting in his dressing room, his back facing him. Travis looked through the window, and knocked. Dave immediately whirled around, his face was red, tears pooling in his eyes. He rushed to open the door.
"Travis…" Dave mumbled, his voice quavering as his hands wiped his eyes.
A knot in Travis’ stomach formed. “Dave…" They both scurried to the other side of the room, where two chairs sat in front of a mirror. The two sat down, putting them both at eye level.
“Talk to me Partner,” Travis’ face morphed into a softer, kinder expression, "what's the matter?”
Dave just avoided looking at Travis’ eyes, and let his body weight slump onto his torso. He tried repressing his tears, but they just kept coming, dampening Travis’ shoulder.
Travis placed his hands on His Partner’s back, tugging him closer. “It’s pretty common to be emotional on ya weddin’ day,” he chuckled softly, “startin’ a new chapter with the love of ya life…beautiful stuff, ain’t it?” He focused on Dave’s warmth. No matter what, he will always want to be by his side.
Dave finally picked up his head, and wiped his face again. “It’s…It’s not just that…” He sighed, “I just- It’s not because of Courtney.”
“Then?”
Dave got up and started pacing the room, hands behind his head. Travis could hear his frantic muttering in this restless frenzy. His voice was trying not to break, but he could make out some things. Something about…his parents? Acceptance—no. Disapproval. Life, ruined. Can’t. Can’t. More mutterings.
Dave acquired his composure. “I’m just not entirely sure how to tell you this…” He sucked in a breath, and turned his head to face Travis.
“It would have been you.”
“Wait—what??” Travis stammered.
Dave’s hands slid down from his neck and started to pick at his arms, “I don’t know, Courtney’s such an amazing person ... but every time we tried to make love and stuff it always felt uncomfortable… For both of us.”
Travis’ head began to spin, the warmth from his body rushing up and bubbling in his cheeks. “Lemme get this straight…” he started to grasp his face, and gave an uneasy laugh, “You’ve been in a lavender relationship for…four years? About to get married, and ya jus’ now realizin’ this??”
“Yeah.”
“Oh my god…oh my god.”
“Just looking at you made me remember-”
Travis pushed himself off from where he was sitting and hugged Dave. He felt him melt into his arms.
“Y’know…I wish it were you too.” He finally murmured into Dave’s ear. The soft spoken words floating to the ear.
Dave’s voice began to break again. “I’m so sorry, Travis.” He separated a bit from the hug, “I…I just can’t. Not now.”
“Right now…don’t worry about what ya can and can’t do at the moment.” He reached to fix Dave’s collar. “What ya are goin’ to do is get married, be happy for a bit, and we’ll figure this out together.” He wiped a tear from Dave’s eye. “It’s always been us two, right?”
Dave’s voice faltered a bit. “Always.”
“Attaboy.” Travis offered a small, warm smile, watching if Dave returns it. Dave gives an unsure but reassuring one back. Travis tips his head up and gives Dave a kiss on his forehead, leaving a gentle, benign feeling behind. A blessing. Dave’s face immediately brightens, overtaken by red shortly after. Travis opened the door, showcasing the party waiting outside.
“Together then?” Travis asked. Dave gave him a curt nod in return.
The pair walked off into the crowd.
------- III. -------
The wedding march was about to begin. Travis was sitting backstage with all of the wedding party. Some people were familiar, like Apollo, who was talking to the bridesmaid who he was to walk down with. They were all chatting quietly, waiting for their signal.
The wedding march both Courtney and Dave had chosen was this old human song that got dug up recently, Can’t Take My Eyes Off You. Historians have been able to translate certain parts of the song, and it’s a sweet, romantic song. Perfect for a wedding.
After a string quartet starts the wedding march intro, Dave gets ready to walk down the aisle after Courtney’s mother. Across the room, Travis is looking at him intently, and they both share a cautious smile before Dave walks out, his face getting basked in sunlight.
As Travis walks down the aisle, the crowd seems to disappear. He looks to Dave, standing there, looking back at him. He can’t look away. It feels like a dream, but not his.
Travis watches as Courtney glides down the aisle, her placement next to Dave, the officiant’s introduction, their vows, their ring exchange, the unsteady kiss, the crowd's cheers.
A single tear escapes his eye as he watches His Partner give himself away. He just couldn’t take his eyes off Dave.