Chapter Text
“Leighton! Are you dressed?” Leighton huffs from the other side of the curtain, turning and looking back over her bridesmaid dress. Bridesmaid? Groom’s woman’s dress? She doesn’t really know what to call it. She’s never seen a woman on the groom’s side before, but with her slight dislike of Nicos’s soon-to-be wife, she was glad Nico wanted her on his side.
“Yes. Hold on.”
“Leighton, we don’t have time to wait for you to change all day.” Mimi tapped her foot obnoxiously on the other side.
Leighton swung the curtain open and glared at her mother.
“Oh, Leighton! Honey, you look great! But here, let’s get your hair fixed.” Leighton just rolled her eyes and moved off to where she dropped the small list of tasks she’s been given by her mother.
“Mom, just leave it. It’s nearly time, I’ve still got things to do.”
“Fine, but don’t look back at the photos and regret not checking in with the hairdresser.” Leighton rolls her eyes once again.
She reads over the list. Check to make sure Nico has Dad’s pocket square. Check with the caterer about allergies. Check the timing of the bridesmaids and groomsmen.
Why was she running around checking everything when her family had hired at least three wedding planners, and yet her mom still insisted she was the only one who could check, is beyond her.
Mimi took the list from Leighton’s hand, analysing each sentence carefully. “Okay, I need you to add something to this.”
Leighton just stared blankly. There were 10 things already on that. Mimi searched around for some kind of pen. “When you go and check the caterer has a separate meal for you, can you double check Tatum’s?”
“Tatum? What is she allergic to?” She doesn’t even try to hide the disdain from her voice, she takes a second and mumbles, “Except for manners,” Under her breath.
Tatum Jacobs. Leighton could not think of anyone so stuck up. She’d been nothing but a complete bitch from the moment they met, and that stupid barbecue hosted by Nico and Katherine. Leighton could barely stand Katherine, let alone her snobby sorority sister, Tatum.
Tatum was hot and god she knew it. She was dressed head to toe in designer and staring at Leighton with a disgusted look on her face. Yet Leighton swallowed her pride, offering her a cocktail made by her father and watched as she rolled her eyes and walked away. Leighton knew at that moment what a snob her almost sister in law’s best friend was.
According to Nico, she truly was nice and funny, but Leighton was still convinced she knew two Tatum’s because that wasn’t right.
“Apparently, she has something against buffet food.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Just do it, Leighton.”
“Fine. What am I even asking for?”
“I don’t know Leighton! Just go check for god’s sake.” Her mom was clearly on edge, so she decided to just go out. If she decided to fight with her, she’s scared that’ll make her mom snap.
She knocks on Nico’s room as she passes and waits for one of the six people in there to answer the door. She can hear music blasting through the door and knocks harder again.
“Nicholas.” Just as she shouts, he finally opens the door.
“Leighton.”
“Hi, I just need to check you got Dad’s pocket square. I know it’s ugly, but it means so much to him.”
“Yes, I got it.”
“Nico. How much beer have you had? Jesus.”
“Only a couple.”
“Nico, have some water and get a mint. You’ll be okay, the nerves are going to wear off.”
“I know. I love her. How much longer?”
“Uh, 45 Minutes. So you’d better drink that water fast. Katherine doesn’t want your first day as husband & wife for you to be drunk.”
“What else are you doing?”
“Just checking with the caterer about the food.”
“Last thing we need is you to blow up because you eat shellfish.”
“Yes, almost as bad as her Tatum having to eat like everyone else, apparently.”
“What?”
“Oh, apparently, Tatum has a thing with buffet foods. What does she really think she’s much better than everyone else that she can’t eat with us? Is she scared someone might look at her food funny?”
Nico’s laughing. “What? Leighton, she is not that bad.”
“Yeah, I’m about to go ask about her food for fun.”
“Nico! Look!”
“Okay, see you in 45.” Nico releases a breath, checks his watch and pushes her out of the doorway. “See you soon!”
She makes her way all the way to the other side of the villa, ending just at the bridal suite. Knocking on the door a bit lighter than she did on Nico’s door. It feels calmer already, without shouting and loud music.
The hairspray and perfume smell that hits her as soon as the door opens is ridiculous. She’s trying to stop herself from coughing when she comes face-to-face with Tatum, of fucking course.
Tatum in a robe. Hair tied up and makeup done perfectly, and said robe loosely tied, the outline of her bra sticking out, and Leighton needs to remind herself who she’s looking at. “Oh, Layla. What can we do for you?”
“You know that’s not my name.” Leighton glares at her. “Why are none of you dressed?”
“Relax. That’s what we’re about to do.”
“Yeah, it looks like it. I’m sure the other sorority geniuses are going to find their dresses at the bottom of that champagne bottle.”
“You came all this way to critique the champagne?”
“No, I came all this way because apparently you’re ten years old and can’t eat like an adult.”
“What?”
“Apparently, you have a small problem with buffets?”
“You don’t? Figures you’d be okay with sharing with everyone else. I personally don’t enjoy everyone else’s breathing all over my food.” Leighton fights the urge to cackle right in her face. She knew it.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing.” God, Leighton wants to slap the smug look across her face.
“Whatever. Because I’m sure you wouldn’t know what to do without your maids, I’ve come to check what food you’d like.”
“Oh! I heard you were out of a job. I’m so sorry, I didn’t realise you were the chef. ”
“Do you actually think anything that comes out of your mouth is worth anything, or do you just like hearing yourself speak?”
“Both.” Tatum’s easy smile just makes her clench her jaw.
“You’re such a narcissist-“
“I already spoke to the kitchen and double checked, so it looks like you walked all the way over here for no reason.”
“Good. Wouldn’t want me to tell anyone to spit in it.”
“Anything else? I’m sure one direction over the other side is missing its fifth member.”
Leighton rolls her eyes directly in Tatum’s face and storms away. She is such a bitch.
—
They’re lined up outside the doors waiting to enter the chapel.
“Okay, everyone. Just like we practised, gentlemen and Leighton, arm out to escort your partners.”
Leighton looks at Tatum, who’s lined up next to her. She’d rather smash her head against a wall. She decides that it’s Nico’s wedding, and she’s going to try and get over herself and hold an arm out for Tatum.
“I’m sure you’re desperate for action, but I’m not. Let’s just hold the flowers.” Tatum replies boredly, barely even glancing at her.
“You’d think for your best friend’s wedding you’d get over yourself.”
Leighton grips the flowers with both hands to stop her from whacking Tatum in the face with the bouquet.
Nico looks at her from where he’s talking with some member of staff and glances at Tatum as a way to plead for her to just try and get along with her.
—
The wedding went absolutely perfectly. Nico had managed to sober up in time, and Katherine seemed to be the one who needed a reminder to slow down on the champagne. They were sitting there listening to the last of the speech.
Of course, both Tatum and Leighton stand up at the same time, making their way over to the microphone as Leighton’s uncle wraps up a semi-touching speech.
“You should go first. I read something-.” Tatum bites, but is quickly stopped by Leighton’s rebuttal.
“I think the most shocking part of that sentence was that you read something.”
“Katherine showed me a version of your speech. I’m surprised that you wrote something so vomit-inducing.”
“Of course, Katherine showed you. Good to see your sorority sisterhood still going strong.”
Tatum finally looks at her, and Leighton can take in the features of her face, her earrings no doubt costing more than the entire wedding, the sky-blue dress she’s wearing that makes her eyes stand out more. The dress on its own is stunning, it’s the same as the other bridesmaids’, but still different in the process. She glanced at the dress before they walked down the aisle, a slit in her bottom drawing attention to her leg.
“You seem to have something against sororities. What could you not get past an initiation?”
“No. I just thought I didn’t fit in with all the bottle blondes, although you seem to fit right in.”
“Jealousy doesn’t look good on you.”
“You are truly such an unpleasant person, and you-“ Leighton is about to argue back until it seems all eyes have moved onto her, waiting for her to come up onto the stage.
Leighton gives Tatum one last look before stepping on stage.
“Hi, everyone. Slight disagreement.” She tries to joke as she looks at Nico, but he looks a little concerned. She opens her speech from her phone and starts reading it.”
“I don’t even know where to begin. Nico, you are the best older brother I could have ever been gifted with. Growing up with Nico has been like having some kind of protector. Anyone said anything nasty on the playground, even at twelve, Nico would be the first one kicking their ass-“ Leighton loses her place in her phone when her mom texts her.
Mom: Straighten up your posture
Leighton pushes the message away and tries to keep going.
“Kicking their ass. I always try to pay him back, and that just happened to include the many heartbreaks I’ve witnessed.” She laughs a little, and the hall joins in. “But when Katherine came into his life, I realised that I didn’t need to help him anymore. That his era of heartbreaks is over, and that she was there for the long run. The date Nico had rushed into my apartment and declared that he had found the one, I knew that he was serious. I could hear it in his voice and see it in his-“
Her speech is cut short when Katherine makes a noise, and Leighton looks up to see her fussing, and then she’s throwing up. She’s managed to turn and put it on the floor, but Leighton is already disgusted. Of course, she fucking drank too much champagne, and she already feels sorry for her brother.
Speaking of, he’s placed a hand on her back just before he throws up. What the fuck.
Just like that, it’s like a domino effect. Moving from Katherine and Nico, to the bridesmaid and groomsman, and it’s like a train wreck, everyone throwing up one by one.
“I knew this was going to be vomit-inducing, but I didn’t think it’d be that bad.” Of course, Tatum decides to chime in right now.
Leighton can’t even look at her as she tries to hide herself in the corner away from the amount of throw-up that’s happening right now. Tatum doesn’t add any more commentary, much to Lightning's surprise, and follows her into the corner, eyes closed, hand over her mouth and nose.
“If you’re going to be sick, get away from me.”
“I’m not, but I need to get out of here.”
“I think that’s the first smart thing I’ve heard come out of your mouth.”
She shoves Tatum towards the exit door, trying to dodge everyone throwing up and running towards the bathrooms.
They finally make it outside before Tatum breathes again. “I fucking told you the buffet was disgusting. No doubt that’s what’s caused this.”
Leighton looks at her and rolls her eyes. Fuck this day.
—
She hates that Tatum was right and it was the buffet that caused the mass food poisoning, or more so, the shellfish specifically. She feels horrible for Nico when she makes her way into his bedroom, he’s lying on the bed, clutching his stomach.
“Nico. I am so sorry.”
“It’s fine, Leight, it’s not your fault.”
“I do have a favour to ask of you. Since your allergy saved your life.” He paused to drink some water. “I need you to go on my honeymoon for me.’
“What, Nico? No.”
“Yes. It’s non-refundable, figured someone should use this fucking disaster for good.” He looks and catches that her face is still saying fuck no. “Leighton. You aren’t working right now, so why not take a quick trip to Maui? You only need my last name.”
“Nico but-“
“Please go.”
“Fine.” She admits that it wouldn’t be the worst thing to get away from this Villa of Death.
“Yes, thank you. Can you go check on Katherine and update her on what’s going on? Last I checked, she was going to check on her family.”
“Okay.”
She opens the door and makes her way to the bridal area, knocking on the door. She comes face to face with Tatum.
“You’re kidding.”
“Yeah, you’re the last person I want to see right now. I am just heading out to see your brother, actually.”
“What do you need him for? In case you forget, he’s a bit preoccupied.”
“Yes, I’m well aware, however, I need all the papers for their honeymoon.”
“And why would you need that?”
“Well, Katherine is giving me the honeymoon.”
“No. Nico gave it to me.”
She hears Katherine yelling from inside the door.
“You’re both going.”
Leighton groans. No fucking way.