xp_logs | Nathan and Cain, early Saturday morning

Cain finds Nathan watching the sunrise on the morning of the wedding. He checks to make sure that no cold feet are in the offing and then gives the slightly nervous Nathan something of a pep-talk anyway.

Hurray for internal alarm clocks. He had managed to slip back out of the bedroom successfully, well before any of the rest of the castle had risen. But instead of going back to the room he'd been supposed to be sleeping in - he was a little restless, and he was quite honestly done humoring Moira's evil old grandmother - he'd hunted down some coffee and then gone to sit on the balcony to watch the sun rise.

People were starting to stir in the castle, he could sense it. The psychic atmosphere was alive with excitement, if of a sleepy sort, already. Nathan sipped at the coffee and leaned back in the chair, smiling out at the water. Looked like it was going to be a beautiful day even before Ororo got involved.

"That better not be a mocha," Cain quipped, coming up behind Nathan. "I ain't gonna be responsible if ten thousand ghosts suddenly show up demanding to be seated on the groom's side."

Adjusting his bow tie yet again, Cain grumbled something unintelligible about the proceedings, then turned his attention to the weather. "Couldn't ask for a more perfect day," he admitted.

"Just plain old coffee," Nathan said with a chuckle. "Moira and I agreed. No seeing the future at the wedding reception." He gave Cain a quick, assessing look. "Well, much as you grumbled about the tuxedo, it looks good on you."

"It ought to, fer what I had to go through to get it," the big man complained, exaggerating his grief with a twisting of his hands. "So you're all ready to head out there. Big step. Any second thoughts?"

Nathan raised an eyebrow, but smiled a little. "No," he said, quietly but firmly. "Well. Second thoughts about the big wedding, yes. About the actual wedding, no." He shrugged a little, still smiling. "But Moira wanted things this way, and I have the damnedest time saying no to her."

"No last grasp at freedom, no cold feet, no reconsidering your options?" Cain made sure to cover all the bases. "This is it, better or worse and all that. You're one hundred and ten percent sure about it?"

Nathan chuckled and shook his head. "What is it with this whole 'marriage as prison' thing?" he asked curiously. "I was married for eight years, Cain - there's nothing that traps you about marriage. As for options..." He paused, thinking. "I made those choices months ago. There are a lot of things I can look back on and wonder about, but not this."

"Good," Cain said, folding his arms across his chest. "'Cause if you were having second thoughts at this stage, I'd have people offering me money to put you into orbit. She's a great woman, Nate. She'll make one hell of a wife. Everything else aside - the Pack, Mistra, the X-Men - you want to look back on this moment as the best decision of your life."

He clapped the smaller man on the back earnestly. "She may not be chucking tanks into the ocean or shooting fire from her eyes, but she'll be the best teammate you can hope for."

"I know," Nathan said, glad that he'd waited to take a sip of his coffee until after Cain had decided to pat him on the back. "You know," he said thoughtfully, "it used to drive me insane when people told me how lucky I was to have her. Practically bit Hank's head off one time over it." He looked up at Cain. "I'm not any fonder of it now, honestly, but for different reasons. Luck doesn't have anything to do with it."

He took another sip of his coffee, his eyes flickering back out to the water. "It hasn't been easy," he said, "and most of that's been me, dragging my past and someone else's future around with me. But we held it together, made it work."

"That you did," Cain said. "For what it's worth, I think one or two of your favorite people may be giving Moira the same speech." Somber for a moment, he burst into a grin. "Relax a little, Nate. It ain't like you're walking to your execution here."

Nathan opened his mouth to protest, then stopped, grinning back. "Maybe I shouldn't be drinking the coffee, then," he said with a laugh. "The caffeine'll make me twitchy. And hell, I'd like to be a fly on the wall for Moira's version of this." He had to wonder who might decide to take it upon herself... no, probably best not to wonder. "So," he said whimsically, "I saw you and the male side of the bridal party deep in conversation last night at the rehearsal dinner. GW tell you that Lien talked him into the kilt after all?"

"Poor bastard," Cain mused. "I swear, all of you got yourself wrapped around those women's little fingers. I figure I gotta be an example. No dame's telling me what to wear here."

"I wouldn't say that too loud," Nathan said mischievously. "Here, maybe, but coming out with something like that is a challenge to every woman alive. Particularly the ones that get to attend a lovely wedding in a Scottish castle and either have designs of their own or are struck by the matchmaking impulse."

Cain whistled innocently, eyes looking skyward. "Now, I ain't sayin' it's a bad thing, mind you, women and weddings. I seen a few of th' single men walking around with some plans in their eyes. But that's an entire 'nother story, and one you don't need to worry about, since you're leavin' the bachelor life behind."

"Mm. Moira and I get to be the smug married couple now. Model of the stable, adult relationship for all the kids." He fought the snickering for a good five seconds. Did well there, I think... "Oh, it's just too funny," he managed. "And yet also strangely intimidating."

As the sun began to come up, Cain squinted at the horizon. "Want to talk intimidating?" he murmured, "Your pal Domino's been making noises to Alison about a tango, and she keeps makin' these grins like a tigress at me every time they're talking."

"Tango... I'm not surprised. If they can talk the band into that, watch for Mina and David. Mina's the one who taught Dom - her mother was Argentinian." Nathan cast a slightly regretful look at his cane. "Not sure I'd be up for it. Hell, I'm not sure I'll manage the opening reel very well." He couldn't help a smile. "But I owe Moira a reel. Have for a number of years now."

"All you," Cain smirked. "I believe I'll make the expected appearance, then hit the sidelines with Crazy Uncle Billie and try some of that scotch that's older than most of the kids here..."

"Ah, the Scotch. I think I'll stick to the very nice non-alcoholic punch Lorna's providing - I have enough trouble walking while I'm sober, still. Besides," he said, "we have to be heading down to Edinburgh almost this early tomorrow morning for our flight." He was very much looking forward to Tuscany, and that was putting it mildly.

"And speaking of early," Cain remarked, looking at his watch, "I believe I'll jump to the head of the line for breakfast, before the chaos hits and the caterers start flying." He turned, and paused. "Suppose the next time I see you, you'll be five minutes away from a Scottish Lordship, huh?"

"Strange thought," Nathan murmured, then waved. "I'm just going to sit out here for a few minutes more, I think." Just until the sun came up. Besides, the butterflies in his stomach suggested that breakfast was maybe not such a good idea.