On the morning of the wedding they enjoy a complimentary hotel breakfast before getting ready in their own respective ways. Harry dresses in the main area of their room while Eden holes up in the bathroom for an hour, tending to her hair and makeup. After pulling on her outfit - a coral cocktail dress with a slight scooped back and tight long sleeves, she tugs open the door to see Harry reclined on his bed, flicking absently through the television channels. The top two buttons on his white shirt are open and the tie around his neck is still undone.
"Can you zip me up?" she asks, drawing his attention away from the screen. His face lights up as he fully absorbs her appearance, and he promptly scrambles to his feet.
"Y-Yeah, of course," he breathes eagerly, rounding the bed to reach her.
She turns and brushes the hair off her neck and back. His nimble fingers slowly drag the zipper up, stopping once he reaches the top of her dress. His skin is warm against the nape of her neck.
"There you go," he says, stepping away and clearing his throat. Eden bashfully peeks at him over her shoulder as she fully releases her hair. "But I highly doubt we can go now."
Her eyes widen and her heart sinks a bit. "What, why?"
Harry licks his lips. "It's a rule of thumb that the bride is the best-looking one on her wedding day. If we go through with this thing you'll definitely be breaking that rule."
Eden feels her entire body flush red-hot and she can't contain the smile that breaks onto her face.
"Don't be ridiculous," she mumbles under her breath. Suddenly she finds herself unable to meet his intense gaze. Keeping her eyes on the carpet, she brushes past him to pluck her purse and the invitation off her bed. "Come on, we should go if we're gonna make it on time."
Harry drives to the venue, as Eden doesn't trust herself to drive in heels. At the door to the church, they flash their invite and take a seat towards the back of the room.
"I can't believe we got in that easily," Harry remarks with a whispers as they slide into the pew.
"I can," Eden smirks. "It's a wedding, not a nightclub. Besides, how could they resist letting in the Julian Tate?"
Harry purses his lips in a wry smile. "You're quite the good actress, Miss Fern Delancey."
"Our aliases have rather alluring names, I'll give them that," Eden grins.
"Yes, good for the aesthetic," Harry adds teasingly.
"Too bad the real Fern and Julian won't be making an appearance. Though judging by the fact that they threw away the invite, I doubt they're upset about missing this."
"Yes, let's just hope no one here actually knows them," Harry muses.
Their conversation is interrupted by an older couple in their mid-forties asking to sit with them. Eden and Harry scoot to the middle of the row to make room.
"Much appreciated," the man sighs as he and his wife settle in. "Figured we'd join y'all back here before it gets too crowded. This is supposed to be quite the wedding." He nudges Harry while chuckling in amusement to himself.
"Oh really?" Eden asks, peering around Harry to meet the man's gaze.
He nods. "When one trust fund baby marries another, 'specially round here, it's no small thing."
A nervous flutter erupts in Eden's stomach. A big wedding would make her and Harry's presences more inconspicuous, but crowds are far from her forte.
"I'm Paul, by the way," the man says, offering his hand for both of them to shake. "This here's my wife, Hannah."
"Pleasure," Eden grins. "I'm Eden and-"
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the brave ones // h.s.
Fanfiction"the brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear."
