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Title: fondly I watched her move here and move there
Author: helsinkibaby
Fandom: The Following
Pairing: Mike Weston/Debra Parker
Rating : PG
Spoilers: none.
Word Count: 1375
Summary: Five moments Mike and Debra had at his brother's wedding.

"All I'm saying, Michael, is..."

Shaking his head, Mike cuts off his mother in mid-sentence. "I know what you're saying, Mom," he tells her, just about resisting the temptation to roll his eyes. "And I promise, ok? I'll be on my best behaviour."

His mother gives him her best steely eyed stare, the one he remembers making him quake in his boots as a teenager. "Well, you can't blame me," she finally says, reaching up to straighten his tie. "After all, you don't come home, you barely call and then a week before the wedding you tell us you're not only coming, but you're bringing someone?"

Mike looks down at the ground. "It's complicated."

His mother sniffs. "That's what you and your brother have always told me." Smoothing down his tie finally, she pats his lapels. "But I am glad to have you all here."

"If you're so worried about me being here, maybe next time you should lay off the thumbscrews, huh?" Mike's only half teasing because his presence here is largely due to a hefty dose of maternal guilt, and maybe his mother knows that because she raises an eyebrow archly and stares him down.

"Just remember, if you and your brother feel the urge to cause a scene, they fit nicely in my purse."

With that, she turns neatly on her heel and walks back towards her room, leaving Mike to turn back to his door and go back into his, wondering why he can be over thirty years of age and still feel like a teenager out past curfew.

But when he walks into his room, he stops dead and stares, all thoughts of his mother fleeing his mind as he takes in the vision - and there's no other word for it - before him.

Debra pauses from putting in her earrings to look at him, raises an eyebrow in question. "Everything ok?" she asks and he shakes his head, looking her up and down.

"We can't go to the ceremony," he tells her, taking a step towards her as her jaw drops and he can almost see the million questions racing through her mind. When he reaches her, he slides his arms around her waist, turns her to face him, running his hands over the silky material, looking her up and down and enjoying every second. The heels she's wearing make them the exact same height, all the better to stare into her eyes. "We can't go to the wedding," he tells her, "Because I'm sure there's some kind of wedding etiquette about upstaging the bride? And you're definitely about to do that."

Debra casts her eyes to heaven but she smiles as she winds her arms around his neck. "You don't think I'm nervous enough about meeting your entire family, you want to give me a heart attack?" she asks and he presses his lips to hers gently in apology.

"You look amazing," he tells her and she must see the sincerity in his eyes because she relaxes in his arms.

"You're forgiven."

*

Even if the sight of Debra in that dress makes Mike want to stay in their room and remove it from her, they do actually manage to make it down to the ballroom and the wedding ceremony with time to spare. He introduces Debra to as many of his family as he can manage, shakes his brother's hand without the urge to swing his fist, smiles as his soon to be sister in law walks down the aisle on her father's arm. He takes Debra's hand as they sit down, entwining their fingers together, squeezing just a little tighter when the vows reach til death us do part. Her head turns towards him then, lips turning up in a small smile meant just for him and just like that, he knows he is exactly where he needs to be, know exactly what he wants for the rest of his life.

He tilts his head towards the happy couple, raises an eyebrow in question. Debra's cheeks darken but her eyes dance and it's answer enough.

*

He's determined to keep his promise to his mom so he keeps his distance from his brother, keeps any banter during the family photographs to a polite patter. He and Debra are seated at a table with the brother he does get along with, as well as some cousins he hasn't seen in way too long so the meal goes smoothly, full of laughter and catching up. The speeches are kept mercifully short and it's only later on, before the dancing begins, that Mike turns to see Steve behind him.

"Hey, man," Mike says, not having to work too hard to smile. Despite his misgivings about being here, he's having a good time, and he really hopes he's not going to screw it up now. "Great wedding."

Steve looks around the room. "Thanks," he says simply. "And thanks for coming."

Mike shrugs, slightly taken aback. "I wouldn't have missed it," he fibs, badly if the look Steve gives him is anything to go by.

"Right," is the response. "Look, I just wanted to say...I know we've never gotten along. But with everything this past year..." The scar on Mike's side twinges with remembered pain and he scans the room for Debra, as if to reassure himself that she's still there. "I'm just...I'm glad you're ok. And it means a lot to me that you're here."

Steve is so obviously sincere that Mike can't actually speak a response so he offers his hand instead. Steve grins, shakes it firmly before inclining his head towards Debra. "I spoke to Debra earlier on...she seems really great."

To Mike, that's the understatement of the century. Under this new detente though, not to mention threat of his mother's thumbscrews, he simply nods, meets Debra's eyes across the room. "Yeah," he says. "She is."

*

Much later in the night, he and Debra are on the dance floor together. The music is something slow and romantic that neither of them can place, but her body is pressed against his, her arm around his shoulders, his arm around her waist. Their other hands are clasped together over Mike's heart and he can't take his eyes off her.

"I was right earlier on," he tells her. "You totally outshine the bride." She blushes but she laughs too. His next question though is more serious. "How are you holding up?" he wonders. "We kinda threw you in at the deep end here..."

Debra looks around the room before she answers. "I haven't had a family in twenty five years," she tells him so softly he has to strain to hear her. "It's nice to be made so welcome."

He pulls her close against him, presses a kiss to the top of her head. "It's your family too," he promises. Her lips turn up in a smile and somewhere in the distance a flashbulb pops.

It's a great photo.

*

Near the end of the night, he and Debra sit side by side, surrounded by his family in several stages of enebriation. Mike, with his jacket off, tie long gone and top button undone, is not the worst but he's a little south of sober whereas Debra is fine, just eyeing the proceedings with bemused patience. His arms are around her waist and they're both grinning when his uncle starts a chorus of "Skibbereen." Halfway through, Debra's hand closes over Mike's and he realises that his fingers have been tracing small patterns over her stomach. He hadn't even realised he was doing it and gives her a guilty smile as he gazes into her eyes. The smile she gives him back is tender, loving, lets him know she doesn't mind at all, even if he'd almost given away the secret they'd sworn to keep so as not to take the limelight from the bride and groom.

"I think you should take me to bed," she murmurs in his ear and he doesn't have to be told twice.

As they leave, his uncle is singing "She
Moved Through the Fair" and the refrain follows them out the door.

"It will not be long, love, til our wedding day."

Mike hopes that's true.