Weddings are not Nayeon's thing.

First of all, there's a reason why she's the person in her family who is the most difficult to be spotted at a wedding - she hates how sappy everything is. Nayeon hardly considers herself a er for those promises of forever or the big deal everyone makes when they catch the damned boquet, and the only reason why she even comes to a wedding is usually for the free food they supply. Ever since the age of... well, ever since she can remember, Nayeon's always been a deep appreciatior of all the free things in life, and after going to her first wedding as a bridesmaid (she was seven, and it was her aunt's third wedding), she'd discovered the joy of weddings.

The food (especially the wedding cake - usually the wedding cake).

"Why do you need my white dress?" Nayeon's mother asks, quirking a brow of suspicion as she stares at her daughter standing hopefully in front of her. It's a lazy Sunday morning and the crisp scent of coffee lingers in the kitchen, the static noise of the television serving as background noise. Nayeon's house is a two-story residence in one of the more crowded corners of the town, and her family itself has cemented their place in the neighbourhood as the neighbours who have parties for every occasion (the latest party they threw was when Nayeon passed last grade with flying colours - it was a wild party, with all that lemonade and barbeque and forty-something year-old neighbours trying to introduce their sons to her) and Nayeon knows her mother is usually the one responsible for welcoming the new ones to the neighbourhood. Long story short, Nayeon's family is the perfect picture family, and Sunday mornings are usually filled with long hours of game day and watching family movies (or Disney TV shows), not weddings.

"It's for an event," Nayeon answers, feeling slightly uncomfortable as she stands and endures her mother's scrutrinizing gaze. Her hands fumble together awkwardly and she tries to stare at her mother in the eyes when she answers, but she finds it hard as the floor seems to have a magnetic effect on her eyes. Her palms are sweaty and she stays rooted to the spot, trying her best to not show her nervousness. "I mean, my friend invited me to come with them to their family wedding, and I don't have anything good enough for a wedding. Please, mom? I promise I'll start mopping the floor after dinner," She adds the last bit hopefully, though she hopes she doesn't have to go that far.

Fortunately, Nayeon's mother simply sighs, but she nods anyway, a motherly smile enrichening her warm features. "Alright, alright. Do get home before 8PM though darling, I need you to help your younger brother with his homework."

"Can't you help him instead? I mean, not that I'll come home late, but, um, yeah," Nayeon stutters out, trying to not make a mess of herself with her words.

"I'm having dinner with your father tonight." There's no mistaking the dread in her mother's eyes, and Nayeon feels her heart throb painfully at the sight of the sadness enveloping her mother. That's the thing about families - no family can be completely perfect, and Nayeon's isn't an exception. "We're going to discuss over some things, and I don't know if I'm going to be home late."

"It's okay," Nayeon quickly assures her mother, trying to be the least of her mother's worries. "I can handle it. You don't have to worry about Jae's homework, mom."

"You're a good daughter, Nayeon," Nayeon's mother murmurs, reaching out with her right hand and placing a thumb on her daughter's cheeks, it gently. Then, she pats Nayeon's cheeks before letting go, the smile still plastered on her features. "Now go get ready. That friend of yours might be here at any second."

/ / /

Junhwe picks her up half an hour before the clock strikes twelve, and Nayeon's mother opens the door widely for him, a happy grin settled on her face. She takes a glance at the neat tuxedo Junhwe's pulling off, gives a critical gaze at his styling for a few moments too, and then she nods her head in approval. "Nayeon! Junhwe's here," She calls to her daughter, receiving a quick muffled sound of 'Okay!' from Nayeon's room down the hallway. "Why don't you come in for a while, Junhwe?"

"Thank you, Mrs. Im." Junhwe enters the house after slipping off his shoes and following Nayeon's mother, leading him to the living room, he takes a seat in one of the plush couches right in front of the television, where the chosen channel is playing an old nineties cartoon he vaguely remembers. "Where's everyone else?" He asks politely, trying to make small talk even though Junhwe's not really good at small talk. Junhwe's not very good at talking to people, period. (He can try, but really, most of the times he doesn't bother - talking to people is more of Jinhwan's thing, him being the person he is).

"Gayeon is staying over at her friend's house." That explained the lack of Nayeon's obnoxious younger sibling, Junhwe notes idly as he glances around the living room that isn't in a mess like usual. "Jae is studying right now, and my husband's..." Her smile falters, and Junhwe feels his heart starting to pound as he anxiously tries to figure out how to solve the mess he just made. He doesn't want Nayeon to enter the living room and see her mother being sad while he just sits there, looking wide-eyed with sweaty palms and shaking fingers.

"I didn't mean to pry," Junhwe assures quickly, although his voice is slightly shaky because of his nerves. Thankfully, Nayeon's mother nods, the light slowly returning back to her eyes.

"That's alright, dear." She chuckles, and she peers when she sees the silhouette of a girl, a dressed up Im Nayeon soon coming into view wearing a white wedding dress with her hair tied up in a wavy bun. "Nayeon!"

Junhwe shifts so he can see whatever's behind him, fully expecting to see Nayeon wearing a white T-shirt with white jeans and call it a go, but he's pleasantly surprised when he sees Nayeon looking like a girl (frankly, Junhwe's kind of scared by the effort he sees Nayeon's putting in the whole fake dating thing compared to him), and he feels his go dry. He presses his lips into a thin line, and upon realizing they've dried as well, he gives it a quick , trying to not look at Nayeon as he does, just so she doesn't get the wrong idea. It's not that Nayeon's not pretty enough - because it'd be a lie if Junhwe says he'd never admired Nayeon's beauty before, but it's just that the fact they've been best friends for so long looms over him and it seems weird enough for him to think about her differently. ('You've never tried though,' a sly voice whispers in the back of his mind, reminding him that he's never actually tried to think about Nayeon in a way other than a platonic way, but he shushes it desperately).

"I'm ready to go!" Nayeon beams at him, and Junhwe nods, giving a small glance at Nayeon's mother who's looking between the two of them like she's seen something the two of them completely missed. 

"Have fun, you two," says Nayeon's mother, walking over to her daughter to give her a quick peck on the cheek and hug, before waving at Junhwe. "I'm expecting you to take good care of her, Junhwe," her tone is teasing, and there's something underlying there that Junhwe can't seem to make out, but he nods anyway, doing his best to give a reassuring smile at the older.

"I will!"

/ / /

The wedding venue is roughly a twenty-minute drive from Nayeon's house, and when they get there, the reception is in full swing. Junhwe shows their invites to the greeter who quickly ushers them inside after handing the both of them complimentary wedding souvenirs (Nayeon's liking the wedding already, Junhwe can tell), and when they step inside the ballroom, the lights are dim and soft violin music is playing through the speakers overhead. Chatter surrounds them as the people mingle and talk, the scent of freshly cooked food flying around the room as some plates filled with eateries have been placed on a few tables. Before Nayeon gets the chance to drag the both of them to the food, Junhwe grabs a hold of Nayeon's hand and walks towards his family, tugging a flustered Nayeon along with him.

Flustered why, he hasn't a clue.

"Is that who I think he is?" A loud holler comes from the family table, and one of Junhwe's cousins (and the best man of the wedding), a college student named Daesung greets them boisterously. Junhwe feels Nayeon clutch his hand tighter and inch closer to him, and somehow that brings a small smile on his face, but he's trying to convince himself it's all completely platonic. Completely platonic.

"Daesung hyung!" Junhwe greets back, a smirk on his face as he strides towards his cousin who's gazing at Nayeon curiously as he grasps a glass of expensive champagne. 

"I see you've brought a lady friend." Daesung's wiggling eyebrows and mischevious smile only makes Junhwe laugh comfortably, and he can hear Nayeon's soft giggle in the background. A tense part of himself relaxes upon hearing her giggle, because it means Nayeon's getting comfortable, and that's a good thing. Junhwe wouldn't want to get stuck in a family wedding with an awkward, half-frozen Nayeon (no matter how gorgeous she may have looked with that dress on). "I'm Daesung, his cousin. If that idiot over there doesn't treat you well enough, feel free to come to me!" Daesung's teasing the both of them, but Junhwe can't help the heat that rises to his cheeks. "Ha! He's blushing." With an affectionate smile, Daesung reaches and stands on his tiptoes (because Junhwe's really that tall) and ruffles Junhwe's hair, a warm chuckle slipping past his lips. "Don't worry, I wouldn't actually do that. Or would I?"

The warmth in his hand that comes from holding hands with Nayeon fades as Nayeon slips her hand away from him, and she steps forward, giving Daesung her most charming smile. "I'm Nayeon, it's a pleasure to meet you," she says formally, and judging by the smile on Daesung's face, Junhwe can already tell he's charmed.

(That's the effect Nayeon has on most people - she's charming, and it's a rare occasion when someone doesn't see her charm).

"You know, I take back what I said. I think I'm stealing this cutie away," Daesung murmurs teasingly, eyes lighting with mirth at Junhwe as he tries to make a reach for Nayeon. Just before Daesung's hand reaches Nayeon's, Junhwe's already pulled her to his side, arm draping over her shoulder protectively. Nayeon has a small blush on her cheeks, and Junhwe can feel a heat rising to his neck as well. "No need to be so posessive, Junhwe-ya."

"Find your own, hyung," Junhwe retorts back at him, a smirk on his handsome features. Daesung scoffs, but grins anyway, and soon the two of them are laughing over nothing and Nayeon joins them hesitantly, chuckling with a sense of dorky awkwardness that's just so Nayeon and its familiarity basks over Junhwe with warmth. "I'm going to go greet the others. See you later, hyung," before Daesung can utter a word of protest, Junhwe's already off to the bride and the groom, arm sliding off Nayeon's shoulder and reaching to grab her hand. Nayeon lets him take her hand, and he notes how their hands seem to fit perfectly, albeit his seems to be only slightly bigger.

Near the wedding cake, the wedded couple sit together, the two of them gazing at each other with adoration etched on their features, looking like they couldn't see anyone else in the world other than the two of them. Junhwe hesitates, unsure whether or not he should cut in during such an intimate moment, but Nayeon beats him to it as she walks towards them (seemingly tactless, but Nayeon lacks tact, really), and startles the couple by congratulating them loudly.

"Congratulations on the wedding!" She cheers, a somewhat forced smile on her face, but it looks pleasant either way because it's Nayeon.

Junhwe walks towards the couples and stands next to Nayeon, offering a polite smile to his relative and his.. cousin in-law? Is that even a thing? "Congrats, man," He says easily, and his cousin nods, giving the both of them a grin.

"Thank you! Would you like to take a picture?"

"No, that's not necessary," Junhwe smoothly intercepts before Nayeon gets the chance to answer, because he's not sure if he looks good enough to be in a picture today. Not that he usually doesn't look good, but he's not sure if the tux goes well with his skin colour in the lightning of the picture (he's seen the flashes when he entered the room, and flashes don't really work well in making him look more flattering than usual). "We'll enjoy ourselves, though."

"Alright." He shrugs with a carefree expression. "Have fun!"

After another few minutes of greeting family members and stumbling upon some of the drunken wedding attendees, Nayeon and Junhwe settle on one of the seats near the stage, Nayeon already devouring her plate of fettucini and Junhwe picking on his meat, not really in the mood to eat. Their respective glasses of juic