Courting a Salamandrian

Chapter 21: The Groom

While his bride happily awaited for the upcoming ceremony, Raphael was in the groom's changing room across the hall. He was fully dressed in his wedding attire, a black suit - pants and jacket - with a clean white shirt and brocade vest. His red mask was removed, gone for the evening. He was almost ready, with the final touch being his dark red tie, which Raph found himself in a struggling battle against. No matter how hard he tried, he would find himself with the same results.

"ARGGHH!" Raph groans in frustration as he fails for what felt like the millionth time, only being able to tie an ugly, sloppy knot around his neck.

"You're a full grown man and yet you still can't tie a tie?" Slash teases. Casey couldn't help but chuckle at his best friend's constant failure.

"Shut up! I know I can do this!"

As Raph tried again, staring intensely at himself in the mirror, behind him were his two groomsmen, Slash and Casey, who were both dressed and ready for the wedding. Both were quite snappy, wearing black suits with white shirts and gray vests. The only difference was their ties. Casey wearing a black one and Slash wearing a dark green one. The two continued to laugh at the annoyed groom dealing with his endless wardrobe struggle, failing once again.

"Dude, my little sister can tie a tie better than you," Casey laughed almost out of breath, his feet kicking in the air.

"Speaking of your sister," Raph said, trying to turn the focus away from his horrible tie work, "Is she coming to the wedding?"

Casey sits back up, collecting himself from the good laugh before answering, "Of course she is! My dad too."

"What about plus ones?" Slash smirks, nugging Casey's arm.

"Yeah," Raph grins, looking at his best man with a smirk through the mirror, "No date? That's unlike you. I'm surprised you didn't bring your new girlfriend to the wedding, Jones."

"We just started dating!" Casey explains, "I don't think Gabrielle is ready to know that I'm friends with a bunch of mutant turtles. Humans are still trying to get used to the idea of mutants in their society. I don't want to scare her away."

Raph shrugs, "What a shame. I wanted to meet her."

"Speaking of plus ones though," Casey said as he turned to Slash with a teasing smirk, "I heard you ask Alopex to be your date for the wedding."

"What?!" Raph shouts, stopping his tie tying and quickly turning around, jaw dropped.

"S-She's not my date," Slash protested, his face quickly turning red, "Raphael invited her, so Alopex and I just decided to go together... A-As friends!"

"Yeah... Sure, 'friends'. That's what Donnie and April said about their relationship in the beginning, but look at them now." Raph chuckled as he tried to tie his tie once again, but instead found his hand had now gotten tied into the knot, "DAMMIT!"

Once again, the two groomsmen begin howling with laughter.

"Shut up and help me!"

"Don't worry, your best man's got this." Casey gets up and carefully helps untie the knot, freeing Raph's hand, then begins to properly tie it for him.

"Are you nervous, Raphael?" Slash asked.

"What makes you ask that?" Raph asked, trying his best not to move so much so Casey could fix his tie.

He shrugged. "Just wondering. You seem kind of shaky."

"I know I would be nervous," Casey comments, finishing tying the tie, "Knowing I'm going to be spending the rest of my life with one woman. It must be nerve racking. I mean, like, why buy the cow when you're getting the milk for free? Am I right?"