"Can you see better in here?"
Phil looked around through his large black shades. He could make out several details of the shopping mall they were in, but he had difficulty due to the eye drops the eye doctor had placed in his eyes.
His daughter Alex walked beside him as they walked towards the pick-up section of the store for their Oder. It was a turquoise Italian glass bowl, the gift Claire decided to get for Mitchell's and Cam's wedding today.
"A little, but those drops are really hanging on." Phil said as he squinted his eyes, but things were still hard to see. "I'm like Han Solo right when he came out of the carbonite."
Phil waited in anticipation for Alex to get his reference. After a few seconds of silence, he frowned in disappointment. "Really? Nothing?"
"I get it. It's "Star Trek." Alex said in dismissal.
"You're breaking my heart." Phil said in a pained voice.
"Save it for Luke. He'll love that." Alex looked at him, and Phil couldn't help but be saddened by her expression. She seemed down.
"Can we just get the gift and get out of here?" Alex said and turned away. It seemed she noticed him looking at her. "What?"
"Alex." Phil stopped walking and stepped to the side. "Honey, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." Alex said and avoided his eyes. "Why do you ask?"
"Are you and Harvey still not talking?" Phil asked. "Alex, you can't just ignore the problem. I'm sure if you two talk to each other, you'll be able to get past this and be friends again."
"Not you, too, Dad." Alex spun around and crossed her arms. She closed her eyes tight and took a deep breath. "We're still… I just can't yet, okay? I don't want to talk about this. Can we get the stupid bowl and go home?"
Phil turned his head to look at the pick-up section and saw a long line forming. They would probably be late for the wedding if they didn't hurry and get the gift. He would never hear the end of it from Claire. But Phil didn't care about that. His daughter needed some help.
"Alex." Phil said and put a hand on her shoulder. "The longer you put this off, the harder it will be. It's been a few weeks since Harvey came back, and you two have been ignoring each other. I know it's hurting you. It's hurting Harvey. But if one of you don't take the first step, then you'll never talk to each other again."
Alex frowned and looked down. Phil could see that his words affected her. All he could do now was to let her think about his words and make her choice. "Whatever you decide to do, I'll support you one hundred percent. Now, let's go get that gift before your mother kills me."
Lifting his hand from Alex's shoulder, he saw her nod and began walking toward the pick-up section—a deep, thoughtful look on her face. Phil smiled and looked at the long line.
"Oh boy."
•••
"PIETRO! HARVEY!"
At the sound of Wanda's panicked scream, Harvey jumped down the stairs with the Blades of Chaos in his hands; they were flaming and pulsing with power. Blurring beside him, Pietro raised his dual holy blades and looked around with a panicked look.
"Where are they!" Pietro yelled and dashed in front of Wanda. His blades pointing at every inch of the house.
"What's wrong, Wanda!" Harvey said and dashed to stand behind Wanda. Blades raised at the ready, orange flames began to rise from his neck, exposing his skeleton. "HYDRA?"
"No, Worse! They moved the wedding from five to one!" Wanda yelled and showed them her phone with a message from Cameron. "We have to get ready!"
Slowly, both Harvey and Pietro turned to Wanda with baffled expressions. Harvey sighed and raised one blade over his shoulder and the other around his back. The blades dissipated into the seal on his back in a small explosion of embers.
"We thought you were being attacked!" Pietro yelled with annoyance. His blades were placed away in their sheaths. "I thought I was going to get a heart attack!"
"Forget about your weak heart." Wanda waved away Pietro's annoyance and pointed upstairs. "You two, go wash up and get dressed! There's no time!"
Wanda then ran by them and walked up the stairs with haste. "I have to get my hair and makeup ready… I thought I had time to wash it, but now I don't! Maybe I can use magic to dry it…"
Harvey and Pietro heard her continue muttering to herself as she closed the door to her room. They then looked at each other with deadpanned expressions.
"Want a bowl of cereal?" Harvey asked as they walked into the kitchen. Pietro nodded and grabbed two bowls.
•••
"You guys! Over here!"
The trio, composed of Harvey, Pietro, and Wanda, turned to look at Luke, Manny, and Haley. Luke was waving at them from across the venue.
Said venue was open and inviting. A large area of cement and flat rock slabs comprised the primary walkway, and rows of chairs sat on large patches of grass. Up on the stairs was an intricate wooden arch with two tall stone arches. Luscious green trees surrounded the venue, creating a peaceful natural environment.
Several dozen people dressed in suits and dresses whispered as they waited for the wedding to start. A band was off to the side, playing a slow and majestic tune.
Wanda wore a crisscross off-the-shoulder red dress that hugged her curves and a pair of black heels. Her hair was styled into soft waves, which framed her face and insinuated her beauty.
Pietro wore a silver and grey suit with a blue tie and black dress shoes; his hair was combed back, and a single strand hung over his forehead. Harvey wore the black suit Haley picked for him alongside a black tie and black dress shoes. His hair was combed, but a few wild strands were picking out here and there.
"Hey, guys. Looking sharp." Harvey said as they all joined up. He then looked over at Haley and smiled. "Haley, you look gorgeous."
"Aw, thanks." Haley said with a light blush and smiled. She then looked over to Pietro and whistled. "Wow, looking good, Quicksilver. You clean up well."
"Funny." Pietro grinned. "You look stunning as well."
Haley smiled and looked away shyly. It went unnoticed by her and Pietro.
"Nice dress, Wanda." Luke complimented.
"Thank you, Luke. You're looking very handsome yourself." Wanda said, causing Luke to smile and blush. "You too, Manny."
"Thank you. I wasn't sure if I should have gone with my black three-piece, but I wanted to stand out a little." Manny said and looked down at his dark orange and beige suit.
"Where's… where's Alex?" Harvey asked, but he already knew. He could sense her soul nearby. A frown grew on his face.
"Oh… she's uh- helping our mom!" Haley said quickly and grabbed his hand. "I know. Let's go take some pictures!"
Everyone nodded and began following Haley. Harvey allowed himself to be dragged but turned his head to look at the venue's main building. Thanks to his enhanced hearing, he could hear a quiet squeak as long black hair danced around the door frame. Harvey sighed and pulled his hand away from Haley.
"Harvey?" Haley asked as she turned to look at him questioningly.
"I can't let this keep going." Harvey said and started walking towards the building. "I want my friend back."
Alex closed her eyes as she leaned on the door. That was a close one. She was almost spotted. With a sigh, she stepped off the wall and exited the building. Maybe her mom needed a hand with something. Immediately, Alex impacted something solid. Almost as if she walked directly into a wall. Causing her to release another silent squeak.
"Alex." Harvey looked down at her. Alex looked up wide-eyed and stepped back, her heart beating quickly.
"H-Harvey." Alex whispered and felt a rush of heat on her face. She looked him up and down and couldn't help but be impressed at how he looked in his suit. It reminded her of the homecoming dance they went to. "Oh, I- uh… you look good!"
Harvey smiled and chuckled. "Thanks. You… look beautiful in that dress."
Alex felt her face heat up and looked away. Taking a deep breath, she calmed her heart and looked back to Harvey. "Thank you."
An uncomfortable silence was shared between the two. Alex looked down at her shoes as if they were the most exciting thing she's seen all week.
"But if one of you don't take the first step, then you'll never talk to each other again." Her father's words rang through her head.
"I-I don't want us to stop being friends!" Alex said and gripped the hem of her dress. Her eyes were still on the ground. "I don't want us to stop talking… I miss you. I'm sorry for ignoring you."
"No, Alex. You have nothing to be sorry about." Harvey said and shook his head. "I messed up, and my actions pushed you away… pushed my best friend away. I'm the one who's sorry."
Alex looked up and saw Harvey's face. It was laced with regret and shame. Slowly, the weight that had been resting on her heart began to grow lighter. Less oppressive. Now that her emotions weren't blinding her from the bigger picture, Alex knew she had already forgiven Harvey. She knew that even after he unintentionally hurt her with his actions, she still loved him. She still loved him with all her heart.
Without a second more hesitation, Alex jumped up and hugged Harvey tightly. She could feel hot, stinging tears in her eyes, but she didn't care. She wanted her dear friend back.
"I'm happy to have you back." Alex whispered into Harvey's chest. "I missed you."
"I missed you too." Harvey said as he leaned his head against the top of Alex's hair.
Off to the side, the Maximoff twins, Dunphy siblings, and Manny all watched the reconciliation with smiles. Pietro muttered, "It's about time." Which resulted in Wanda and Haley pinching his arms.
"PEOPLE! Take your seats! The ceremony will begin in five minutes!" Pepper Saltzman yelled and hurried everyone to their seats.
Harvey and Alex reluctantly let each other go and looked back at the quickly moving guests. Alex wooded her eyes and looped an arm around Harvey's elbow. They walked out to the open seating area and took their seats. Wanda sat to Harvey's right, and Pietro next to his sister. Haley sat on Alex's left, followed by Luke and Manny.
Pepper motioned at the band, and they began playing soft classical music. Everyone stood up and turned their heads to look at Mitchell and Cameron. They were smiling happily as Mitchell held onto Cameron's elbow. Lily walked in front of them, performing her flower girl duties.
"On three, boys." Pepper said while looking over at the grooms-to-be. "One, two-"
"ATTENTION! Attention, please!" A fireman yelled as he ran into the venue from the back. Several other firefighters ran in behind him. "The fire has jumped the freeway. I'm really sorry, folks. I'm gonna have to evacuate everyone immediately."
"So, this is our bump." Mitchell said and waved his arms around—a horrified expression on Cameron's face.
All the guests looked at each other in concern and confusion. Fire truck sirens were now blaring loudly in the parking lot. Harvey felt Alex grab his hand. He looked down at her with a knowing grin.
"Can you stop it?" Alex whispered. Haley leaned in and looked at him expectantly.
"A simple forest fire? Of course." Harvey said and took off his suit jacket. His eyes shined briefly with power.