Ami’s wedding is a stream of red roses, joyous tears, heavy clapping, the occasional hoot from Chanyeol or Joshua.

    Her mother attends the wedding. After many long nights and much deliberation, Ami decided that she was emotionally ready to allow her mother to enter her life once more. When Ms. Kim arrives, she does not hug Ami, or congratulate her for her marriage. Instead, she enters her daughter’s room, eyes her from top to bottom, and then gives her daughter a curt nod.

“Good,” she says.

The two women eye each other. A look of mutual understanding passes between them.

Ami’s lips curve up into the slightest smile.

“Thank you,” Ami says quietly.

“I brought you someone,” her mother tells her.

“Yes?”

Ms. Kim turns, opens the door, beckons for someone to come forth. Ami cranes her neck, attempting to see who she is calling to-

Her jaw drops.

A man and a woman are standing near the entrance to her room. There are tears in both of their eyes as they gaze upon Ami.

“Ami,” the man whispers.

Ami stares at him for what feels like an eternity. She is moving- her feet are carrying her towards him, step-by-step, of their own volition. Her hands are trembling furiously.

“Dad,” she says in a thick voice. “Mara.”

Ami’s stepmother furiously wipes away at the tears streaming down her face. “Aemin.”

And then Ami bursts into tears.

“No, no, honey,” her father says, choking up. “Don’t cry. Don’t cry.”

“Oh my god,” Ami sobs, allowing herself to be embraced by both of them. “Oh my god.”

The three of them stand there, simply relishing the fact that they are finally with each other, they have finally reunited after all these years. Ami has found her parents again. Her parents have found their daughter again. The sheer emotion present in this situation is absolutely indescribable.

Ami makes eye contact with her mother over her stepmother’s shoulder. There is a grimly satisfied look Ms. Kim’s face.

“Thank you,” Ami mouths.

Her mother gives her a long, long look.

And then nods.

Everything feels like a blur to Lina.

She has shut herself up in her room for the past hour. She knows she should not be this weak. It is just Yoongi. The man she once loved. Nothing more. Nothing more. She needs to get a hold of herself, goddammit, she cannot permit herself to be so ing affected by him after all this time-

There are three knocks at her door. Her head snaps up in surprise.

Slowly, she approaches the peephole. A sigh of relief escapes her lips when she sees who it is.

“Hi,” Lina says. “I was- I was just getting some... powder.”

“Powder, schmowder.” Annabelle barges into her room and takes a seat on her bed. “We saw him, Lina.”

    Lina winces. “I don’t know who you’re talking about.”

    “Come on,” Preet says. “Does the name Yoongi Min ring any bells?”

    “Nope. Who’s that? Is he a member of Seventeen?”

    “Hey. I didn’t sprint from my room, scared as that Jungkook would see me, for you to deny everything.” Ami wraps her arms around Lina (and almost trips over the trail of her dress in the process).

    “Ami, if you keep moving around like that in my dress, I swear to Jesus I will rip your head off,” Anna says testily.

    Preet snorts. “. Does that kind of talk turn Sehun on?”

    Anna smirks. “You’d like to know.”

    “Well, seeing as how I have a girlfriend, I’m not particularly desperate for that information.”

    “Yo!” Ami snaps her fingers. “We’ll kinkshame later. Right now is Lina-time.”

    “Sorry,” Annabelle says. “Okay, Lina, look. We saw Yoongi. And you know what? him. Who gives a if he’s here or not? He can my crusty co-,”

    “Okay,” Preet coughs, cutting Anna off. “Lina, just tell us if you feel uncomfortable around him, okay? We’ll try and move him, and make sure he stays away from you-,”

    “I’ll fling him across the ing Atlantic Ocean by his balls if he tries to get within 10 meters of you,” Annabelle snarls.

    “What the , Anna?!” Ami and Preet say in unison, turning to their friend. Lina, however, collapses into hysterical laughter.

    “I would pay to see that,” Lina giggles. “You’re so ing kickass, Anna.”

    Anna grins. “Damn right. And I hope you know that all three of us would be willing to do that to him if he gives you any .”

    “Thanks.” A surge of gratitude surges up in Lina’s chest. “I think... I think I’ll be fine. Ami told me that he wanted to make amends with me or something. Right?”

    Ami nods. “That’s what he told Jungkook. I don’t know, Lina. I mean... your relationship with him was an absolute mess. Are you ready?”

    Lina bites her lip. When Ami had asked her about inviting Yoongi, Lina thought that it would be fine. It’s been two years, she told Ami. Everything will be okay.

    Now she does not know anymore.

    “I’ll be alright,” Lina tells her friends. “If I don’t feel okay, I’ll come to one of you guys.”

    “And we can beat him up,” Anna says.

    “If the situation calls for it, can we?” Lina grins, turning to Ami.

    Ami rolls her eyes. “What’s a wedding without a scene, right?”

    “But yeah.” Preet exhales. “Bottom line is that if you feel ready, talk to Yoongi. If you don’t feel comfortable about him, we’ll take care of it.”

    Lina smiles, nodding. “Okay, gotcha. Seriously, though, guys, thanks for being the absolute best friends ever.”

    Ami wraps her in a bear hug. “We love you, Lina.”

    “Yeah, you’re literally like my mom,” Preet says, thumping Lina on the back.

    “Ew.” Annabelle wrinkles her nose, joining Ami in hugging Lina. “I’m sorry that you have a son like that.”

    “Hey! I bring honor to my family!”

    “Really? Then why do I still pretend like I don’t know you half the time? Because you’re a dorky IT dweed.”

    “Okay, just because Jennifer Lopez or Lawrence or Aniston or whoever bought a wedding dress from you doesn’t mean you have to get all cocky-,”

    “Hey! Stop fighting! It’s my wedding day, heads!” Ami exclaims. “Can’t we all just be peaceful for once?”

    Lina snorts. “Peaceful? I think the word peaceful flew out of our dictionaries the moment we hacked into that stupid 4 Flames website.”

    “True.”

    They sit in silence for a few minutes, relishing the comfortable silence they are able to enjoy in each other’s presences. Lina rests her head on Preet’s shoulder as Ami and Anna loop their arms around hers.

    “Marcus is probably laughing at us right now,” Anna suddenly says in a soft voice.

    “Yeah.” Ami smiles, but she cannot keep the melancholy tone out of her voice. “Hey, Marcus, if you’re listening. It’s Ami. And Preet. And Lina, and Anna. The whole Anime Club’s here.”

    “I wish you were here,” Lina says, a lump growing in . “A lot of things have happened. Thanks for... for keeping us safe through all of it.”

    It is quiet for a moment. And then Preet whispers, “Hey, Marcus. Remember that bet we had when we were, like, 13? Who’d be cooler in 10 years? Well, it’s been 10 years since we made that bet, and I have to say, despite my best efforts... you still won. So I guess I owe you ice cream.”

    “Rocky road,” Anna murmurs, wiping away tears. “Your favorite.”

    “Oh, dammit,” Ami sniffles, grabbing a tissue from her nightstand. “Sorry, Anna. You’ll have to do my makeup again.”

    “You idiot.” Anna draws in a shaky, staggering breath. “This is, like, the third time today. Stop crying.”

    “We love you, Marcus!” Lina hollers to the ceiling at the top of her lungs. “You’re the best!”

    “You’re still badass as , man!” Preet shouts. “I have so much to tell you when I see you again.”

    “Three cheers for the Anime Club!” Ami exclaims, and all of them dissolve into enthusiastic yells, only a few steps away from complete breakdowns, their hearts aching with pain and joy and loss and laughter, their arms around each other, grins on their faces, because that is how Marcus would want to see them: smiling and enthusiastic and happy.

    And that is when Lina knows that she is going to be okay.

A/N: WHAT THE ..... I GOT SO FEELSY WRITING ABOUT MARCUS.... WHAT THE ?!?!?!!!!