"What do you want?" I ask him immediately. We're in the service hallway the waiters and waitresses use to get around.

"I thought it would be good if we talk before we have to go out there," he chuckles, oblivious to my tone.

At first I want to snap about what?, but then I remember Rip and the whole mission.

"Right," I agreet. Neither of us say anything as we move away from the door. I lean on the far wall, pristine white so it won't mess up my dress. Not that I care.

"You look nice," he admits, gesturing to me without actually looking, but I know he means it.

"Thanks. Uh, you too. Thanks for fixing the ring," I continue. He does look nice. The wedding theme is purple, funnily enough, so he's wearing a black tux and waistcoat with a purple tie and handkerchief.

He looks super hot in black.

"This is really uncomfortable," I admit with a nervous mirth.

"Your dress?" He asks, confused, "Because I was going to say that it really suits you compared to those others-"

"Uh, no," I chuckle awkwardly, "I mean this. Us." I gesture between us. "And, thanks again. I didn't want any of those lacy frills anywhere near me."

He grins. It's a dashing, enticing look on him. It makes me want to reach out and dig my nails into his face and squish his cheeks together.

What the fuck.

"You're right, it's super uncomfortable," he admits. I don't know what to respond with, so I just nod silently and fold my arms.

I could do that cliché thing and say 'Let's start again', then we shake hands and re-introduce ourselves like losers in a Hugh Grant romantic comedy.

From inside the room I can hear the others playing their favourite drinking game. Hopefully Heather and Christa don't start making out on the floor. As much as I don't care about this whole thing too much, two bridesmaids with smudged lipstick and a bunch of boys with hard ons might spark certain reactions.

"Have you seen the venues?" Richard suddenly asks. I look from the door to him and shake my head. "Would you like to? They're something."

Mai will be pissed if she finds out I left within ten feet of the room.

So of course I say yes.

"Alright," I push off the wall and the two of us walk side-by-side through the servile hallway. It's coated in clean, dark carpet with cream embellishments on the walls. Trust my father to go extravagant in a space only employees will see.

Well, them, and my husband.

My stomach flips in a way it shouldn't. Not a giddy, happy oh my gosh I'm getting married way, but in a gut-convulsing, sick way.

We pass the kitchen. It smells like all different types of food, probably intricately designed with gold flakes on pearl plates. I stop to glance in for a moment.

When a hand wraps around my wrist I nearly snap the fingers, but then I remember who I'm with. My eyes meet Richard's for a moment.

They're filled with mischief.

Maybe that's a little exciting.

He kicks the catering door behind him open and pulls me towards it. Both of us peak out to the veranda which leads to the beach. There are people there still setting up, but it shouldn't matter.

Keeping up appearances we both silently agree to loop hands. Both of us have rough, calloused palms. He works hard on those nights.

We step out and my shoes make clattered noises against the hardwood. The people carrying things from the other door to the storage rooms freeze up when they see us.

All it takes is a charming grin and a finger to his own lips from Grayson. They fall silent with nods and get back to work.

Amazing. This guy is a poser who is not posing.

Still intertwined we step down the quartz-decorated staircase. At the bottom it is a stretch of sand before the ocean. I can just see where those grains should begin as we descend, but they are not there.

Instead I can see some kind of wooden lay out.

When we're low enough I realise what he meant when he said it was something. 

At first I don't know where to look. At the gigantic vinyl flooring lay-out spanning for at least 100 yards of beach, covering the sand? At the purple tule overhanging covering the whole thing coated in fairy lights? The monumental number of flowers lining the aisle? Each seat decorated with extravagant violet and lilac? 

"I asked for a beach wedding, so they put it on a beach and hide the beach," is the first thing I say, moving forward to walk down the aisle for the first, but not the last time.

I let go of his hand.

The lights are yellow. Even if it is an overbearingly purple upset, it has still got some sort of beauty to it. 

To think that this theme all comes from the colour in my eyes.

It could do without the flowers. They make me think of memorials. I guess this is a death to my freedom, but it doesn't mean I want them here.

My eyes travel around the room trying to take in everything from the altar lit up like a football stadium to the candles lining the outside.

When my eyes fall back onto him, he's watching me closely with a strange look.

"What?" I ask, staring back. His hands are in his pockets, head shaking side to side as if dusting away thoughts.

"Nothing," he murmurs, sounding mystified. Suddenly I don't want to be here anymore.

"The reception?" I press as I breeze past him. He turns quickly to follow.

"It's all five of the venue rooms here."

Good Goddess, of course it is. We walk through the servile hallways towards them. Neither of us say anything until we reach the room.

He opens the door and my eyes hurt.

"Alright, there's a limit and this crosses it."

"Damn," he coughs in response as we both walk in. Obviously he hadn't been here yet.

Where do I begin?

The walls have opened up creating a gigantic venue. At the head of the room is our table. It sits on a stage which puts us above everyone. Typical dad.

"Let's elope," I murmur, amused by the ridiculous extravagance my father has poured into this in an attempt to make it as legit as possible.

"Sure, Vegas?" Richard responds as both of us venture into the empty room.

From the ceiling, bunches and strings of flowers hang, all different shades of purple and pink. Purple flowers on the table, purple embellishments lining the walls, purple table décor, purple seats, purple flooring, purple lights.

"Is the food purple?" He jokes.

"Didn't get a look. I bet eggplant is on the menu though."

He laughs from behind me. I walk along the tables, having to shut my eyes every now and then because it's almost blinding.

I stop and look up, watching him as he approaches the bride and groom table. Tonight we will sit there, as husband and wife.

"About the kiss at the altar," he suddenly says. It catches me so off guard that I nearly knock over a glass tank containing a purple fish.

"What about it?" I ask, swallowing the discomfort in my throat.

"Well, how do you want me to do it?"

I don't. 

Actually, that's a lie. If I didn't want something from him I wouldn't be walking around our wedding venue, making jokes and being at least slightly comfortable with each other.

"Um...make it short and sweet, okay?" I tell him, digging fake nails into my palm.

"Right."

Right. 

There are fish tanks every eight chairs. The tables stretch long and there are multitudes of them. I round the first and start along the next.

The fish on this one are a different shade.

"Is this how you imagined your wedding?" Richard asks, slowly moving towards me.

"I'm not the kind of girl to imagine her wedding," I admit.

"Didn't think so," he smiles, "Sorry I'm probably not your ideal groom either." That sounds guilty. He rubs the back of his neck with his hand.

Then I feel guilty.

"It's okay," I say immediately, "The person I thought I would marry is dead."

Way to go Perich. Put a damper on the already-dampened mood. 

Before he can say anything my shoes are clacking against the dance floor.

"Here's where I throw the bouquet, right?" I say, holding my arms out.

He nods, "Uh yeah, that's where it usually happens. Why?"

I clasp my hands together, imagining the dumb look on my father's face when I fuck everything up with one flower toss.

"Just steer clear of it. Shit's going to go down," I tell him.

"Anything else I should be warned about?" He jokes.

"My family are a bunch of drunks. Not violent, just nuts. My sister is a hoe even more when she's plastered so keep, uh...Tim, right? Yeah, keep him way from her. The little one's going to have his cheeks pinched by my Grandmothers. I have aunts who are married to old, old men for money. Your father's in danger. Other than that, nothing. Anything I should be warned about?"

He ponders for a moment after he stops smiling, "I think you met everyone who would be a problem."

"Your asshole brother and the moody baby of the family?" 

"Yep, my friend Steph might be a bit to energetic for you. You'll like my sister Cass though."

I'm really not good with keeping moods up, "And, the red head?"

He knows who I mean.

"Babs and I aren't together," he says, a little more serious. 

"Really?" I respond dully.

"I mean, we were, but that was a long time ago. I was single when you and I met," he admits. Why the crap didn't he just tell me that before? I wouldn't have had to do a whole contract on the situation if I knew. "What about you?"

I glance away from the flowers, "Me?"

"Were you single before all of this?"

I guess all questions between us can go both ways. I'll have to get used to that. Every invading query has every right to come back at me.

"Like I said. He's dead."

He nods, looking down at the floor, "I'm sorry."

It hurts. It hurts that he's both sweet enough to make my teeth ache and fake enough to create distrust in my chest.

"Thank you," I mumble back.

Neither of us speak again as we walk back through the hallways. It's a little more busy being closer to the wedding. We have to sneak through the veranda to avoid my parents but as soon as we're back in the servile hallways it's safe.

"Think they've killed each other?" He asks as we close in on the room where everyone is.

"I think the only death happening will be Mai killing me for leaving," I respond.

"Seems like she cares a lot about you."

"Seems like it. You know she put a shot of adrenaline in my arm to wake me up this morning?" I tell him. 

He gives me a shocked look at first, but it boils down to a laugh.

"She's a very dedicated body guard then."

Oh yeah. 

"Sure is." Just an asshole doctor really.

We stop at the door, the group in there still being as loud as a flock of galas. I feel like I need to stand out here with him, just us, for a moment longer.

I need to catch my breath.

When did I start feeling like I could breathe around him?

We're back where we begun. Leaning on opposite walls, facing off yet on the same side of a great battle.

My eyes are glued to my shoes. If one of us doesn't say anything we'll be here for a long time. Perhaps that's a good thing; they'd have to find us.

"This isn't going to be easy," I admit, still staring down at the hem of my silk dress.

"It probably won't get easier either," he admits.

"No," I agree, "but-" I'm choking on my words, "-I think we can make this easier for each other."

"I agree," he says, straightening up. "We have to work together."

Well, that was a whole lot easier than I thought it was going to be. I nod as we draw a little bit closer.

"I'm not a nice person. I haven't lived a life of sunshine like the media says. I have scars. I'm an addict. I'm going to hate Gotham and I'll miss the beach. You willing to work with that?"

His brows furrow and he looks up at the dull lights, "I keep secrets, I stay out late, I leave town a lot for personal business in Blüdhaven. Also, I don't do anything at Bruce's company. You're willing to work with that?"

We meet eyes, nod once, and that's that.

Until it's not.

Neither of us are moving for that door. I know why. I don't want out first kiss to be in front of hundreds of people. I don't want it to fumble because then we'll both look like fools.

It's not like I want to kiss him.

He steps just a little bit closer. 

"Are you going to do it or not?" I whisper boredly into the space between us.

He closes in, "Short and sweet, right?" He asks, but there is no point in responding. It was just a distraction, because right as he finishes speaking, he kisses me.

Maybe, just maybe, we can close the distance between us.