It was only 7:30 in the morning when laughter rang throughout the Pizzaeria.

"Dude...What the fuck are you wearing?"

Jeremy shifted in the suit, the sleeves long enough to keep his hands hidden. "A tuxedo" He replied, eyeing the laughing security guard. "What's wrong with it?"

It took Mike a minute to catch his breath before he could answer. "For one, why are you randomly wearing a suit on the job?" He chuckled. What, was he trying to impress a certain chicken or something? "Two, you knotted the tie as a bow tie!"

The night watch tilted his head, confused. "I-isn't that how it's supposed to be done?" Mike shook his head. "Something tells me you've never worn a suit in your life, Jere"

To be honest, the suit wasn't even his. It was an old hand-down from his cousin, but Jeremy's pride hurt a bit too much for him to mention that. "Oh geeze, did you wear that the entire night?" Mike asked. Jeremy nodded.

"Wow, you trying to impress somebody?" He teased. "Sneak a girl in here last night or something?"

The suggestion brought a fuzzy pink color to Jeremy's face. "N-no! Nothing like that!" He defended, much to Mike's amusement. "C'mon, I'm just messing with ya..." He leaned off the desk, ruffling the teen's hair. Jeremy flinched, swatting his hand away and working to smooth the now untamable mess.

Mike raised a brow. This was strange behavior. "You, um, got a date or something?" He coughed awkwardly, looking away. The pink color made re-appearance in Jeremy's cheeks. "N-no, actually. A wedding."

Shocked, Mike's shoulders slumped significantly. "Oh" He forced a smile to counter the negative body language. "Sweet, dude. I'm happy for you!" He laughed softly. "So uh, who's the lucky girl?"

The color in Jeremy's face was getting deeper, now threatening to leave a permanent stain. "I'm not the one getting married, you know." He said, crossing his arms. Mike went quiet, before giving a sigh of relief. "Right, you just seem a bit stressed."

Jeremy slouched, looking down at the ground. "I am." With his eyes glued to the floor, he missed Mike's confusion. "Why's that?" The night watch gave a small shrug. "T-there are customs at weddings, right?" He hesitated. "I don't really know...how to one of them..."

"Well, you obviously don't know how to wear a tie"

Jeremy pouted and Mike just snickered. But in the back of his mind, that tie was really bothering him. "Seriously, fix it." He said. Jeremy tugged at the garment. It was a simple black neck tie, but his lack of understanding of knots made it difficult to wear it,so he tied it in a bow-like fashion, alike Freddy's own. It sounded much better in his head, now that he thinks about it. But in reality, it looked like a mess.

"My tie isn't the Issue" He mummered. Mike smirked, inwardly resisting the urge to cut it off. "Sure...then what's the deal?"

Jeremy swallowed nervously. Squinting, Mike watched as the pink started to bloom into a powering red. "Uh, you ok there, Jere?"

The younger male nodded. "Y-yeah! Um, it's just that..." he stuttered, the warmth in his cheeks disturbing. "My Mom is getting r-remarried and uh..." The word rolled bitterly off his tongue, and mixed feelings panged in his chest at the thought of it. "T-there's a m-mother and son dance after the v-vows and uh...." The rest of his sentence faded off into incoherent mumbling.

Mike blinked. "What?" His answer was even more mumbling. The security guard rolled his eyes, slightly annoyed."Speak up, Jere-"

"I have no idea how to dance"

Silence hushed over the two, and Jeremy could of sworn his heart stopped in embarrassment. Another moment passed before the corner's of Mike's mouth jerked upwards, giving out a raspy cough that sounded suspiciously like he was trying very hard not to laugh.

Jeremy's pouting face only made it harder. "That's it?" He rasped. "That's the reason why your so worked up?" The subtle chuckles escalated into full breath laughter. "It's not even that big of a deal, I'm sure your-"

"No, Mike. It is a big deal, o-ok?" Jeremy retorted, stopping the other's laughter abruptly. It wasn't everyday he was this...focused, for lack of better word. "It has to be perfect. It would mean a lot to my mom." He fiddled with his sleeve ends. "And to me"

"...Why is it so important to you?" Mike treaded. "If you don't mind me asking, I mean"

Jeremy bit his lip, searching for a decent response. He didn't want to make a fool of himself? Maybe to prove that he could something right for once? Afraid to disappoint his mother on her special day? The last thought made him shudder.

Mike zeroed in on the action, a flash of guilt echoing in his chest. "Uh, geeze. You don't have to answer that you know" He said, not liking how incredibly uneasy Jeremy had gotten. The younger male gave a shrug. "Its fine. I just have reasons."

The security guard sighed. "So, how come you never learned?" Jeremy shrugged. "Never had the time...or reason, I guess." Mike crossed his arms, unconvinced. "Really? Never went to any fancy party or 'school dance' before?" Jeremy shook his head. "Not really my kind of thing..."

Understandable, given his timid and anti-social nature. Mike could relate, not really having the option of friends during his school days, for obvious reasons. "What's your plan of action?" He asked, checking his watch. Being a Sunday, he didn't have work that afternoon. In fact, the only reason he even showed up to this god forsaken place was to make sure Jeremy survived the night.

But as far as the night watch knew, he was here to file paperwork.

Jeremy shrugged, tugging at the make-shift bow tie some more. "I was going to see if one of my cousins could teach before the dance, she's been to lot's of formal gatherings, so..." He pulled a tag of the tie outwards, frowning when it came partly free, settling around his neck.

Mike's eye twitched.

"Just stop" Jeremy looked up, a little surprised at the order. "W-what? Why?" He questioned with the slightest amount of caution. Mike's lips thinned, heavily distracted. If that tie remained the way it was now, it was going to drive him insane. "C'mere"

Jeremy raised a brow, taking a step forward. Once he was within reach, Mike leaned off the desk and grabbed the front of his suit, effectively shortening the distance between them. Jeremy yelped, feeling bandaged hands move around his neck. Mike grit his teeth at the handiwork. It had been looped around the collar twice, before being tied like shoelaces. Only now the bow had been half undone.

"A-are you alright, Mike?" Jeremy stared at the security guard, who was too preoccupied with unwrapping to notice. He flinched slightly as the fabric went around his head. "W-what are you doing?"

"Pay attention to what I'm doing"

Jeremy blinked, unsure. "What?" Mike held up the unfastened tie. "Just watch me" He wrapped it around Jeremy once, overlapping the two ends.

"Cross the wider section over the narrower one on the seam here" He placed his thumb at the seam, glancing up momentarily to make sure the night watch was listening."After, bring it around and through the opening..." He did so, his finger bumping the bottom of Jeremy's chin as he pulled it upwards. "And back into the knot"

He may have pulled it down too roughly, as Jeremy cringed at the action. He mumbled an apology before continuing. "However loose it gets, you straighten it." His hand glided up the length of the fabric, securely fastening it. "Like this. Got it?"

Jeremy was too focused on the warmth in his skin to mutter a coherent answer. "U-uh, y-yeah, I think so..." Mike nodded, taking the under end of the tie and pulling it downwards, erasing all of his work. "Ok, now show me"

Jeremy took a deep breath. Looking down, he took both ends in his hands, right thumb resting at the seam. Carefully, he crossed the narrow strip with the wider one, looping it and pulling it through the hole before pausing. He gave Mike a fleeting glance.

"Tuck it into the looped flap"

Jeremy swallowed. "R-right."

Finally, he flattened the fabric, straightening it best he could. A tiny smile spread on his face; he'd be lying if he said he wasn't proud of himself, even for doing something so insignificant.

Mike nodded with approval. "See? You learn quick. Dancing shouldn't be a problem"

The night watch tucked his tie in the suit, quite happy with himself. "Only because I had a good teacher..." He trailed off, fixing his cuffs. This tiny victory was enough to give him a bit of a confidence boost, believe it or not. Now that he looked the part, he felt a lot more certain about himself.

"Fuck yeah, I'm a good teacher." Mike adjusted his beanie, smirking. "Don't expect anything less."

"...Any chance you know how to dance, heheh..." Jeremy joked, his confidence powering him blindly now.

The smile he dawned dropped when he realized that Mike wasn't laughing like he had hoped, and instead was staring intensively. So much for confidence. "It, uh, w-was a joke, you know..."

The security guard grew a wide devilish smile, holding out a hand for him to take.

"M-Mike, I was kidding!"

"Yeah, I'm not."

"D-do you even know how to dance-?"

"Yep"

"Y-your just saying that!"

"I'll have you know I'm a snazzy fucker, mind you"

"I-I'll step on your toes!"

"Bullshit"

"...But it'll be weird-"

"Only if you make it weird"

"That's not funny!"

"You're just chicken"

"W-well...you're a dick!"

"But I'm a nice dick"

"...d-did you hear yourself just now?"

"..."

"..."

"...Just take my hand, Jeremy"

With nervous hesitation, Jeremy placed his hand in Mike's palm. "Ok, a waltz" The guard muttered, the slightest trace of irritation sown into his features. "It really can't get much easier than a waltz"

The pair stepped away from the desk, further into the room for more space. Before Jeremy could argue, Mike's other hand wrapped around his torso, drawing the night watch in. "I'll lead, then we'll switch and see how you do"

"Why's t-that?"

Mike paused."You watched me knot a tie and was able to do it almost perfectly afterwards. Let's say that technic works with dancing too..." There was no reason why it wouldn't of, though, Jeremy couldn't help but feel like the older male was leaving a vital piece out of the explanation.

"Put your left hand on my shoulder," Jeremy did so. Now, hardly a foot's length were between the two, not like either of them noticed. "You move you feet in a box-like shape, with me taking the first step. Ready? Go" Mike took a positive step forward, only for his chin to butt into Jeremy's forehead when he did the same.

"Ok, first of all, ow" The security guard whined, Jeremy shaking his head to rid himself of the throb now evident behind his bangs. "Second, move backwards, and follow my lead to the left. Go" Jeremy took a quick step to the side, leaving a disgruntled Mike behind.

"My left, Jere"

"R-right, sorry" He quickly stepped back into place, a hush looming over the two. "Ok..." Mike said, thinking for a moment. "Count to three in your head. On three, move clock-wise. Look down at the ground if you need to" Jeremy nodded, wasting no time to glare at the floor, his dress shoes and Mike's sneakers suddenly becoming very interesting indeed.

Those sneakers took a sudden step forward and Jeremy found himself stepping back, keeping in rhythm as they glided across the checkered floor. "Ok, so far so good." He heard Mike mutter, the gentle hand on his back guiding him as they moved. "Don't forget to breath"

The out of the blue instructions made him realize just how breathless he was. Jeremy took a deep breath, savoring the air that filled his once empty lungs. "Ok, got the rhythem?" Mike asked, curious to wether or not the night watch was paying attention. The brown mess of hair nodded.

"Good. Now try to stay in rhythem looking at me, not at your feet."

Jeremy brings his eyes to meet Mike's obediently. He half expects to lose track of his own feet, to tangle them with Mike's and stumbled to the floor. But the hands guiding him and the numeral count of beats in his head combined like clockwork to make waltzing with Mike a strangely natural feeling.

"I-I think I'm getting the hang of it!" Jeremy stuttered. Mike grinned. "See? You're doing grea-FUCK"

Jeremy made a sharp step forward, when he should of made a step right. The heel of his shoe planted firmly into the toes of Mike's sneaker. Said security guard bit his lip harshly. Jeremy watched the pain in his face grow. "M-Mike!"
"Jeremy"

"Y-yeah?"

"Move your foot" Reality smacked into the nightwatch, and he lifted his shoe.
"...S-sorry..."

"...Don't sweat it"

The ten seconds were agonizingly long, a blanket of awkward draping over the two. "So uh..." Mike broke the silence. "Your Mom...."

At the mention of his mother, Jeremy's attention spiked. This didn't go unnoticed. Mike smiled. "You seem like you really want to make her happy. She must mean a lot to you" The brunette nodded. "O-of course, she's my mother."

"So, what's she like?" Mike asked, a slice of panic running in his senses when the younger male didn't answer right away. "I mean, you don't have to tell me if you don't want-"

"No, it's fine. I was just...thinking" The roomed echoed their footsteps to fill the pauses in their words. "...It's hard to put into words, but she's done so much for me than you could i-imagine" Jeremy smiled warmly at the thought. Mike let a grin creep onto his face. "Yeah, I could see that"

Left, forwards, right, backwards. Had to keep up with the tempo. It might have seemed strange without any sort of music, but Mike preferred the quiet. Besides, the music would probably just be a distraction, or even give him another one of those infamous headaches he was prone to.

"What about the guy's she's marrying? He ok?"

Jeremy faultered slightly in his step, before quickly correcting himself. "H-he hasn't done anything for me n-not to like him, so I guess he's alright"

The older man remained quiet, keeping his thoughts to himself. "Ok, switch. You lead"

Still in his place, Jeremy felt the hand of his waist disappear and move to take his leading arm, while the hand he was holding lowered down to his shoulder. Unsure of himself, he copied the movement, a hand around his mid-section and other hand clasped firmly with Mike's. "I-is this right?"

"Yeah. Remember; when you lead, you guide your partner's actions to flow with your own, the control is yours." Oh geeze. Maybe he was over thinking it, but the pressure that suddenly weighed down on Jeremy's shoulder's made him inwardly cringe. What if he messed up? What if this happened during the wedding? What if he freezes, just like he was doing right now...

"Helloooo...earth to Weeaboo!"

Jeremy snapped up, recognizing the nickname. He opened his mouth to defend himself before cutting short, now fully aware of the concern that filled Mike's face. "Lost you there for a minute" He chuckled, a trace of uneasiness in his voice. "You, uh...nervous?"

The teen shuddered. "Incredibly so"

The security guard offered an encouraging smile. "You'll be fine, just trust in yourself" Sighing, Jeremy took an uneasy step back, pausing when he felt Mike follower with a step forward. A step to the left, and he did the same. The routine continued, gradually picking up speed until Jeremy was comfortable enough to move on his own tempo.

In fact, Jeremy was picking up enough speed that even Mike felt his own feet stumble. "Shit, slow down,. It's not a race." He said, settling back into the rhythem. Jeremy looked away, mumbling an apology. "Sorry, a lot on my mind, you know?" The guard nodded, understanding. "When's the wedding?" The night watch thought for a moment. "I-In a few hours. Mom's probably getting ready right now..."

"You sure your ok? I mean, you did just finish your shift like, three hours ago."

"I slept before then, so I'm fine. I've never been more awake." It wasn't a lie, for more reasons then the obvious.

Mike, although unconvinced, shrugged. "If you say so, just don't get too drunk-" Jeremy caught him with a sharp glare. "M-Mike! I'm underage! My mother would kill me!" The olderman only chuckled at the innocent display. "Your mom's a good person, then"

The glare instantly softened, transforming into a thoughtful, happier look. "Yeah, she is."

Neither of them noticed how their movements had been slowly decreasing in speed. "So," Mike started, a families smirk resting on his lips. "How many chick's numbers you think you'd get using my dance moves?" His partner rolled his eyes, resisting the tiny grin that tugged at his mouth. "The only lady I'm dancing with tonight is my mother, Mike"

"Pfft, lame" The guard stuck his tongue out. "There's gonna be a shitload of bridesmaids wanting to dance with you waltz with your mother, I swear it." Jeremy softly scoffed a the declaration. "W-what makes you think that?" As if he had been waiting for the exact question, Mike seemenly stood straight, making his shoulder's seem broader and himself taller.

Jeremy watched with an unamused stare. "You know, I got all the women when I was in high school. I was a god-damn player! Girls just couldn't get enough of this" Mike stuck his chin high, a smug grin splitting his cheeks. The air went quiet.

"...Mike"

"Yeah?"

"That's bullshit and you know it"

"..."

"..."

"...did you just curse?"

The night watch pouted. "Mike, be serious! I have to get this dance right! I-It has to be perfect!" He said, a unwelcome rush of worry running through his veins. "You're doing fine, Jere. Just focus on where you moving and who ever your leading will-"

"I-It's not as easy as your making it sound, Mike" Jeremy interrupted, taking the security aback a bit. Mike felt Jeremy's hand shake in his own; his breath quickening. He wasn't going to have an attack, was he? "It's just going to be me and her, and everyone is going to be watching..." His footsteps started to slow even more so, progressing to a halt. "I-I only have few hours to learn this b-before the actual thing! I-I don't know w-what song is going to be playing, o-or whose going to be there, a-and if I need to w-write a sp-speech or something..."

"Jere..."

"I-I couldn't tie my own stupid t-tie, how am I supposed to lead my mother on her w-w-wedding day? T-this really mean's a lot to her, I-I j-just can't afford to m-mess it up!"

"Jeremy"

"I-I don't even know what her wedding dress looks like! W-w-what I accidentally make her trip and f-f-fall? It'll ruin her! She'll...she'll hate me!"

"Jeremy"

"O-Oh god I can't do this. I can't do this! I-I have to tell them, have to call them. T-tell them I'm not ready, t-that I can't do it...b-but Mom? W-won't she be disappointed? W-what if I tell her and she thinks I-I d-don't love her anymore? I-I can't do this-!"

"Jeremy"

Hands clasped his face, big enough for the palms to cover his cheeks and the thumbs to keep his mouth shut. The water that had formed in his eyes gradually faded away, a single tear escaping to flow down his cheek and into bandaged skin. His eyes locked on contact with Mike's, his lip quivering.

Their dancing had stopped minutes ago.

"...One; just breathe, Jeremy"

Jeremy's lungs ached as bad as Mike' head did. Not because of the unexpected outburst, but because of the relief that left his mind in a shattered wreck as he heard the night watch a take a breath.

"Two; I have no idea why your acting so fucking prissy over something so fucking little..." He trailed off, fighting back the urge to snap at the younger male. He knew it wasn't the correct thing to say, but his brain damage didn't. "but you just danced through six rounds flawlessly, until you started doubting yourself"

Jeremy sniffed as the hands gently lowered back to the leading position. "I still don't get why this is a big fucking deal, or why you have to lose your shit over it, but you're going to that wedding, and your going to dance with your mother. And you know what?" Jeremy exhaled, listening.

"She's going to love it, not only because your going to fucking kill it out there on the floor, but because you're her son, and that dance is going to be one of the greatest highlights of her night"

Another sniff and Jeremy felt a unstoppable feeling crawl up his throat. "I-I'm such a wimp..." Mike shrugged. "Maybe, but you're the best kind" Those leading hands pulled him into a hug, one which Jeremy nestled into instantly. "I'm going to freeze out there, in front of all those people, Mike"

"Just imagine them all in their underwear or something"

Jeremy hiccuped. "...N-no! T-that's weird" He leaned back, frowning at the playful look Mike dawned. "No, what's weird is that I'm sure you're more nervous than the bride."

"I-I don't handle pressure very well, ok?"

"Obviously"

The brunette frowned. Any trace of the panic from before had faded away, slowly being replaced with what seemed like a mixture of annoyance and...something else.

"I take back on w-what I said about you earlier"

"Yeah? I'm not a dick?"

"No, y-you still are. And you're a terrible teacher to boot"

"Bullshit"

A tiny giggle made it's way out of the teen. "You're the worst, Mike" The security guard rolled his eyes. "Don't lie, you know my moves are some pretty Superior shit-"

"A s-simple waltz isn't that hard-"

"Says the dweeb who's been working to learn it for the past two hours"

"F-for good reason!"

"Yeah, and I won't even get to see it"

"W-who ever said that?"

"Oh?" Mike raised a brow, curious. "And what are you suggesting?" Jeremy's eye widened into their signature child-like form, like they always did when he started to hope for something. "Y-you should come to the wedding!" He offered, his voice cracking ever so in the slightest. "It'll be fun! T-there'll be cake, a-and people, a-and I think a live band!"

Mike blanked at the offer, looking away. "I don't know Jere, people aren't really my forte" He scratched his head through his beanie, ignoring the warmth that flashed in his cheeks for half a moment. He glanced back at Jeremy, his throat dry when he saw the disappointed hurt on the night watch's face. Mike grit his teeth, guilt from the rejection hitting him like a brick.

"I mean, no one there knows me. I'll just be some random stranger to them-"

"B-but I know you!"

The security guard fidgeted, tapping the front of his foot against the tile. More mindless behavior that went unmentioned. He looked all around the room, at the torn posters on the walls to the outdated phone set on the desk. Anywhere was better than Jeremy's gaze.

"Listen, I-" Oops. Didn't mean to make eye-contact, now did you, Mike?

Geeze, it was like something was squeezing his heart from the inside out. Biting his tongue, he held a solid glare, before slumping with a sigh. No use, he'll just have to give in.

"I'll see what I can do" He inwardly prayed for a small amount of people, and in the back of his mind, hoped that there wouldn't be any children, or at least any kid recognize him. He gets enough badgering during the week days.

It was like the light had seeped back into Jeremy's eyes. "P-Promise?"

Aaaaaaaaaand there went any chance of him escaping. "I promise"

A smile full of teeth and glee erupted onto the younger male's face, and he practically dived forward into Mike, wrapping his arms around him. Mike froze. This kind of reaction was definitely not something he was used to, especially from Jeremy. It was all too new to him.

But even so, with the way his head nuzzled neatly under his chin and his floofy brown hair smelled like acorns and ink, he couldn't help but to wrap his arms around the smaller form, a hand on the base of his head and on the small of his back. "Geeze..."

"Will you two just kiss already before I puke?"

The pair's snap to reality hit them like a train. They jumped away from each other, fully alarmed and searching for the feminine voice. Jeremy made a incoherent noise of surprise, causing Mike to swiftly turn to his direction. He followed his gaze until it landed on a certain animatronic, observing carefully through the vent.

"Oh," Chirp voiced, using one hand to rest her head on, twirling her beak casually with the other. "Bad time?"

"-the fuck? It's the middle of the fucking day!" Mike vaulted over the desk, Jeremy backing behind him.

"It's also the weekend" She bawked with annoyance. "You two should of left hours ago" She turned to look at Jeremy, cowering in his spot. Unable to make himself move, he really wished he had his mask right about now.

"Hey, nerd" Jeremy locked eye to endo with the animatronic. To the side, he heard Mike mutter a curse and the sound of something being lifted. He gulped. "M-Me?"

"You know your tie is undone, right?" Jeremy looked down. She was right, it was untucked and loose. How did that happen?

A chair smashed into the vent. Mike let out a growl, listening as the chicken scuttered away.

"I'm going to roast that fucking bird"

- - -

Who ever came up with the wedding theme and decorations was a pure genius. It was held outside at night, the air was warm and the sky was clear, show casing every star the human eye could possibly see. Lit lanterns were hung from ribbons, dangling a few feet above joyous laughter and activity.

The ceremony was lively. After the vows had been spoken, and the two newly wed's had their photo's taken, the entirety of the guest list had devoted themselves to partying and getting drunk off their asses. All except for Jeremy, who was quietly observing the organized chaos next to the punch bowl, where his uncle had passed out in. He'd have to remind himself to give him an asprin later.

A tap on his shoulder stole his attention. Jeremy whipped around a bit too enthusiastic, to see his mother, a smile on her ageless face and glow radiating off her wedding dress. Jeremy's excitement dropped the slightest. Not like he was any less happy to see her, only, he was expecting someone else.

"Hey, pudding" She leaned forward to hug her son, to which he gladly accepted. "Are you enjoying the party?" Jeremy nodded, freezing when his mother rose a brow. "Then why are you over here by yourself?" She questioned, gesturing out to the bright lights and busy crowd.

He shrugged. "J-just thinking about the m-mother son dance, that's all" To this, her smile deepened. "Nervous?" He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Y-yeah, just a little, Mom" Ok, so a lot was more like it. There were a lot more people here than he had hoped, and the groom's side of the family didn't seem like the understanding type.

The incident with the ring boy and flower girl earlier proved that.

Jeremy sighed. "I'm fine, Mom." The woman put a perfectly manicured hand on her hip, pressing her lipstick clad lips into a thin line. "Really? Because it looks like your waiting for someone." He felt his own body language give away the truth before he ever had the chance to deny it. The woman gave a hearty, elegant laugh. "I saw that, you know"

Jeremy looked down to the floor, a joyful smile splitting his lips. A mother knows her son.

"So, when are they coming? Do then know they missed the vows?" She asked playfully. Jeremy shrugged again. She pouted, jokenly wagging a finger in the air. "Well, shame on them to keep their date waiting..."

Jeremy jumped at the word 'date', turning to stare at his mother with wide eyes. "It's not like that, it's just-" He was interrupted, his mother pulling him into a close hug. "Ohhhh, my baby's growing up!" She cooed. Jeremy felt his cheeks heat and pried himself away. "Mom!"

"Oh, tell me about them, pudding! Is she smart? Pretty? How tall is she? Is she nice?" Jeremy covered his face with a single hand, praying that the onlooker's trying to eavesdrop on the bride and her son didn't spot the pink color.

"Mom! I don't think he's even coming..."

"Oh, so it's a boy..." Jeremy's face fell into state of pure dread as his mother's squeals just got higher. "Pudding, I'm so happy for you! Oh, You're going to tell me everything and-" Her high pitched sequels were interrupted as a slim arm wrapped around her waist.

Jeremy stared up at his new step-dad. "H-hey" The man gave a simple nod, acknowledging the greeting. He turned to his wife. "They need us up front, the priest would like to speak to us both" The cloak of happiness she wore damped by a touch of disappointment. She looked up to him. "Of course."

Jeremy gave a smile and a small wave at their retreating figures, letting it drop into neutral state once they were gone. Mike wasn't coming, and he was foolish for thinking otherwise. It was obvious he had more important things to do with his time. Jeremy didn't blame him, the party was filled with rowdy party goers, which of course, neither of them liked.

"Hey kid, why didn't you tell me the cake was chocolate?"

Jeremy turned to meet the familiar voice. His eyes widened. "Mike! Y-you came! You..." He froze.

"You didn't..."

"I did"

"Mike..."

"I regret nothing"

"Mike"

"I'm snazzy as fuck, Jeremy"

As if to further emphasize his point, Mike tipped his fedora. "Don't deny it"

A moment passed before Jeremy broke into a fit of giggles. "I thought you weren't going to m-make it" Mike shrugged, stuffing his hands into his suit pockets. "Yeah, well..." Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted several clearly wasted couples 'embracing' each other on the opposites end of the room. How could Jeremy stand that? "I keep promises."

"You m-missed the vows, you know."

"My bad. So, I'm assuming the lady in white is 'dear ole mum'?"

The two glanced over towards the front, where the bride stood. He hair was wrapped neatly in a braided bun, a white lace veil hooked to the band. Under the low lighted lamps, the warm glow shone off her dress, creating the illusion of star dust when she walked. Jeremy nodded. "Y-yeah, that's her"

"...You ready for that dance?" Mike asked. Although his tone was lighthearted, he meant it in complete seriousness. The guest count was huge, larger than either Mike or even Jeremy had anticipated. Apparently, the groom's side of the family wasn't too stingy with the wedding invitations.

Jeremy fiddles with his sleeves with uncertainty. "Y-yeah! I practiced, remember?" The olderman rolled his eyes. "You seem pretty nervous." He said. Jeremy fidgeted, hoping that the glow from the lanterns masked the blush that had invaded his skin.

Little did he know that it was doing the same favor for Mike. He held out his hand towards the teen, a grin with an intention on his face. "Pop quiz"

Jeremy stared at the palm, confused. "W-what?" Not waiting for permission, Mike simply took the younger male's hand in his own. "It's almost time for the son and mother dance, right? I'm just making sure you remember the steps."

Mike pulled him away from the buffet table and out into a much roomier corner. Not exactly wallflowers, but definitely not in the bustle and hustle. Like they had their own personal bubble.

"You lead" Mike ordered, calmly placing a hand on Jeremy's shoulder. He obeyed, one hand swinging around to settle at the mid-section, the other taking a bandaged hand in his own. "Good, now do you remember which way to turn?"

Jeremy bit his lip, thinking. "Clock-wise..." He mummered, already taking the first step. Mike beamed, proud. "Look at me, Jere, not the floor" Jeremy looked up from his feet, anxiously staring into blue eyes. "Just focus on where your going, and the person dancing with. Most likely even if you make a mistake, they'll keep going and all you'll have to do is fall back into rhythem, got it?"

"Where did you learn to dance, Mike?"

The question seemenly came out of no where. Though it wasn't unrelated to the topic, Mike was still a little surprised. "What did I tell you? I was a player back in the day-" "Mike..."

He let out a chuckle. "Ok, ok. I'll tell you the truth..." Pausing, he thought for a moment. Oh, where to start? "After the incident, I had to go through different kinds of therapy to help me adjust without my frontal lobe." He sighed, images flashing through his head.

Jeremy urged him to continue with intrigued silence. "One of the methods they tried was dancing, to see if I could not only control my physical moments, but to test my memory too." Their movements synced, neither leading, but in perfect alignment.

"I had to memorize step after step, and while it was pretty boring at first, it kinda became second nature." Mike stopped, his thoughtful look faded. "Keep your chin up, and your back straight"

Taking a deep breath, Jeremy stood at his fullest. Even if he had stood on his toes, he wouldn't of come any higher than Mike's nose. Either he was incredibly tall, or Jeremy was unlucky in the height gene.

"Did you hate it?" He asked, curious. The older man shook his head. "Wouldn't say I hated it, more like I didn't like the idea of it." Jeremy eye brows furrowed. "W-what do you mean by that?"

"I didn't learn because I wanted to, but because I had to."

Jeremy's throat went dry. They danced to the band's music without further conversation, in slow tempo and comfortable silence. Until Mike felt the pressing need to get something off his chest. "Jeremy-"

"It's now time for the Mother and Son dance! Will the bride and son please come to the center floor?"

Jeremy froze, his heart leaping. Behind them, the crowd began to clear a hole for the beloved bride and son. Mike's face dulled. Whatever he was going to say was going to have to wait.

The hands that held Jeremy steady disappeared. "Break a leg, Jere" Mike urged. "You'll do great" The words flew in one ear and out the other, as Jeremy watched his mother take the floor. She spotted him and smiled, gesturing for him to come dance.

Everyone's eyes were on him.

The sign his heart was even beating anymore was that it was pumping a lot a blood to his face. His hands were clammy and his eye's darted from side to side. But his mother stood, waiting. So he forced a smile and sauntered up to her, taking her hand in his.

The music started again. To the side of them, the groom danced with own feeble mother, the woman apparently moved surprisingly well for her old age. Jeremy's mind rushed. Clock-wise, count to three, step back, left, forward, right, repeat. Stay with tempo, guide his mother, he'll be alright. He'll be alright.

It wasn't the dancing that was proving difficult, no, it was that everyone's attention had been solely focused on them, excluding the groom and his mother, of course. But it was working on Jeremy's last nerve.

Then whispers of approval echoed from the crowd, and Jeremy smiled. He was doing something right for once, and his mother never looked so happy before.

This fueled him, boosting his confidence. Before thinking twice, he sent his mother for a twirl, bringing her back in as she laughed in delight. The crowd began to applaud.

In the back of the room, Mike watched them both, a shit-eating grin plastered to his face.