The Stepfather (MxM) ✓

Chapter 26

I was quiet while I worked. Getting photos of Kelly as she got ready, of the bridesmaids making a fuss over her - each and every angle, I tried to get. There was no small talk between Kelly and I. There was nothing we could say to each other with the others around anyway, and even then I had a feeling Kelly didn't want to talk to me anyway.

She was still angry, and she had every right to be.

So I was every bit a professional until Kelly said that I should go get pictures of the groomsmen now, catching my eye in the mirror - her look meaningful.

I nodded, grabbed my gear, and made my way out to where the groom and groomsmen were getting ready - only one floor up. Taking a few breaths outside the cream door, I set my jaw in a firm line and knocked.

There was laughter on the other side of the door, loud and infectious. One laugh rang loud above them all, one that I could always pick out from a crowd from the sheer volume of it.

The door opened and I jumped. Some guy in a suit stood there, a wide grin on his face - presumably from something said in the room.

"Hey, photographer's here!" he yelled over his shoulder before turning back to me. "Come on in, man. Make sure you get my good side."

He clapped me on the shoulder as I walked in, hearing the retort of, "you have no good side, Frankie," from who was presumably a groomswoman.

Another chorus of laughter, I even offered a polite smile, almost too nervous to look around the room.

Turns out Austin wasn't even in the room, emerging from the bathroom a few moments later while I was setting up, toothbrush in his mouth and shirt completely unbuttoned.

"Hey, has anyone seen my --" he trailed off, and I didn't need to look up fully to know why. But I did when nothing else was said, catching Austin's wide eyed look. Well, briefly before he ducked into the bathroom and I heard the distinct noise of him spitting. When he returned, it was with plus toothpaste around his lips and minus toothbrush.

I made my way over to him, a soft smile on my face, and pulled him in for a hug. The first one I'd ever instigated myself with Austin. Not to say we hadn't hugged in the past before - Austin had been way too physical of a person to escape from that inevitable encounter.

"Congratulations, Austin," I told him, hugging the man tight - panicking for a split second when he kind of just stood there like a limp noodle. But then Austin's brain seemed to kick into gear and he clung to me like a koala.

"Oh my god, am I hallucinating?" he sounded breathless, choked up. And I couldn't blame him, I felt pretty choked up too.

"Nope, not hallucinating," I assured him with a laugh, pulling back a few moments later.

"How -- when --" Austin was stuttering, a dopey smile on his face that kept coming and going as presumably more questions flocked to his head.

"Hey, don't worry about that right now. You have a wedding to get ready for," I assured him with a smile. A brave front. It was the least I could do. Try and help make this the best day possible for Austin, so that was what I was going to do.

"You're right," Austin stood up straight, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand - wiping away welling tears. "I'm getting married. And I have my best friend here for it."

It felt like a punch to the gut, and my own eyes threatened to well up. But it was the chorus of, "hey I thought I was your best friend!" from the six others in the room, including the wedding planner, that distracted me long enough to avoid that.

I continued to do my job, interacting with Austin far more than I had been with Kelly had I took the photos - being introduced to the groomsmen and groomswomen (because Austin was never one to pick favourites and having six was probably him narrowing down his friend group as much as he was emotionally able to), listening in on jokes - smiling.