Chapter Text
Ever since being proposed to- which, mind you, was the single most romantic thing that has ever happened to him, and he would be writing a movie script with that entire day’s events in it-, Puzzles had thrown himself into planning the wedding. It had to be big, glamorous, and feel as though it were straight out of a film. Every little detail needed to be worthy of five stars.
Floral arrangements, musicians, catering, venue, and so forth.
Puzzles nitpicked every little thing, and he had been calling all sorts of potential vendors to interview them. Of course, none of them were up to his standards. WPNZ tried to step in and help a few times, but, as much as he loved the man, WPNZ was not well suited for such fine-tuned details. He could vividly recall the conversation they had about the flower arrangements only a few days prior.
“Boxhead, I don’t see why ‘s such a big deal,” the weapon had snapped, brow furrowed in frustration. “‘S just a buncha weeds that’ll be sittin’ on a damn table. Just pick somethin’ and be done with it!”
“Weeds?!” Puzzles had let out an offended gasp, hand plastered against his chest for dramatic effect. “Excuse you! The flowers are incredibly important! Every wedding has them! We have to select the perfect arrangement for the tables! If we just choose something at random, then nothing will match! It will be chaos!”
“Why the hell does it matter if the fuckin’ flowers match with everythin’ else?” He gestured to the nearby window, exasperated. “There are plenty of flowers outside! Just grab some of those!”
“You heathen! Have you no respect for visual harmony?!”
“‘M ‘bout to show you how much damn respect I have for your shitty fuckin’ attitude!”
They had spent hours arguing, and, in the end, Puzzles had just shoved WPNZ out of the room with the demand that he leave him to his work.
Now, the TV was fretting over an entirely different issue. He was hand-writing invitations for their guests, but no matter how many times he drafted his test letter, it came out poorly.
Dearest friends, You are…
No, that wouldn’t work. Puzzles crumpled the paper and tossed it into the growing pile at his feet.
Friends and Family…
That wasn’t nearly eye-catching enough.
You’re invited…
This was a wedding, not some child’s birthday party!
Puzzles chucked the wad of paper at the door to his studio, a frustrated growl hissing out from his speakers. WPNZ pushed said door open just in time to get hit in the face by the projectile. He narrowed his eyes, then shifted his gaze to glare at Puzzles. The TV didn’t even bother looking up from his writing.
“Hey, Shakespeare,” the assassin called, stepping further into the room. “You haven’t eaten. Take a break.”
“I’m busy, WPNZ,” Puzzles replied with a dismissive wave of his hand.
“Uh huh.” The gunman was already at Puzzles’ desk. He set down one of the IV bags Puzzles kept in the fridge. The thick, black solution inside was spared a quick glance. “Unbutton your shirt, or ‘m doin’ it for you.”
Puzzles finally looked up to shoot WPNZ a glare. “I told you, I’m busy,” he re-emphasized.
“Yep. Sure did.” WPNZ slid the solution closer. “Your shirt. Now.”
With an annoyed sigh, Puzzles began unbuttoning the white top he had on. He stopped about half way, then pulled the fabric off to the side to allow access to the star-shaped panel on his chest. He popped it open, unfurled the feeding tube stashed inside, then took the bag of solution when WPNZ offered it to him. He punctured the bag, and once the tube began to fill with the black liquid, he set it back on the table.
WPNZ took a seat on the edge of his desk, yellow eyes casting over the pile of crumpled papers on the floor. “Havin’ issues?”
Puzzles groaned and rubbed at his screen. “I’m trying to draft our wedding invitations. Nothing is coming out right, though,” he admitted.
WPNZ seemed to consider that for a second, but ultimately moved past it. “Who all are we invitin’?”
“I haven’t come up with a complete guest list yet. I was thinking about inviting a few of your old friends? If you’d like, we could invite Karen and your kids as well,” Puzzles rambled. He idly tapped his finger against the desk. “I know that I’m not on the… best of terms with her, but I wanted to at least invite Meggy. We’ve been… attempting to work things out between us.”
“I don’t think Karen would come,” WPNZ said, quietly. He crossed his arms as a distant look glinted in his eyes. “Burnt that bridge.”
Puzzles softened at that. He reached out to place a hand on WPNZ’ thigh. “It’s up to you, my dear. We can still invite her, even if we don’t expect for her to actually come.
WPNZ slowly nodded. “Anyone else?”
The showman let out a sigh, eyes drifting off to the side. “I don’t have any other friends,” he answered. It hurt to admit, but it was the truth. WPNZ was his only friend. Well, Toomp, in a way, could be counted, but that was beside the point. His world started and ended with the metal man sitting next to him.
Although, there was one other person….
“My father,” Puzzles said, suddenly. “He’s the only other person I can think to invite.”
WPNZ snapped his head towards Puzzles, gaze hardening. “Why the hell would we invite that asshole?”
The tone WPNZ used elicited anger from Puzzles. He glared at the gunman, antennae flattening back against his head. “Because he’s my father! He has every right to be invited!”
The barking laughter that received only irked Puzzles more. “Are we talkin’ ‘bout the same guy? Box, that fucker treated you like shit! We don’t need someone like that at our weddin’!”
Exhaustion, frustration with his current task, and low fuel only made the coals in his chest burn brighter. A growl escaped Puzzles as he stood and gestured widely with his hands, accidentally ripping his feeding tube out of the IV bag in the process. He chose to ignore the black liquid splattering onto his desk. “How would you know what he’s like?! You’ve never even met him,” the TV yelled. “I want him there!”
A hiss sounded from his partner. WPNZ bared his teeth, pupils narrowing into angry slits. “I’ve heard enough shit ‘bout him to know all I need to,” he snarled. “I don’t-”
“You don't get it! This could be my last chance,” Puzzles shouted, display glitching as it tried to jump between a few of his more erratic expressions. “Everything has to be perfect! If I could just show him that I've improved- that I'm not the same worthless child he knew before-, then maybe, for once, he could be proud of me!” The manic, humorless cackle that tore itself from his throat was painful. He raised a hand, fingers reaching to dig into the vents on the side of his head. He gripped it hard enough to feel the metal protest beneath his touch. “It has to be perfect,” he repeated as tears pricked at the corners of his eyes. “I have to be perfect.”
WPNZ was forced to watch his distressed fiancé break. Puzzles heard the man slide off the desk, then take a step closer. He felt his cool, metal hand brush against his forearm. He didn't need to be an expert at reading people to be able to tell that WPNZ was unsure on how to react. Puzzles curled his arms towards his chest, which removed his partner’s hand from his frame.
“Puzzles,” WPNZ said, finally. He didn't try to make physical contact again, but he was hovering close by. A quick glance at the assassin showed a mixed look of concern and hurt on his face. “Look, I-... You're right. I don't understand. I didn't have parents. But, I know what ‘s like to want everythin’ to go accordin’ to plan. We can do our best to stick to it, but it ain't always gonna turn out exactly how we want it to.”
Guilt settled deep inside his chest. He couldn't bring himself to even try to make eye contact. If the weight of WPNZ’ words didn't tell him just how hard his fiancé was trying to fix the situation, then the use of his first name certainly did. The reasoning was sound, but Puzzles’ thoughts continued to sink their talons into his very core. He took a step back with unsteady legs. His emotions were a swirling tide of jagged, raw, and blistering sensations.
Something cracked under his grip.
“He’s gone his entire life seeing me as nothing more than a failure,” Puzzles wailed, voice hitting a higher octave as it cracked. “And he was right! I've done nothing but fail! I failed to be the child he wanted, I failed to reach my five stars, I failed to uphold my amusement park, and I failed to see that I had finally made a friend until after I had already hurt you!”
The side of his head burned, and he could smell the artificial tang of his own blood. Warmth dripped from between his fingers, but he didn't care. He just shoved them even further into his mutilated vents.
“I just want to do something right! If I fail at this too, then-...” His legs buckled, and he was forced to grab hold of the nearby desk to keep himself from collapsing to the floor. WPNZ tried to step in to help him, but he just pushed the assassin away. Manic laughter echoed throughout the room until an uncontrollable sob cut it short. “If I fail at this,” he tried, again, “Then, not only would I be letting him down again, but I'd be failing you.”
Tears blinded his vision, and static was framing what little bit of visuals he had otherwise. He couldn't bring himself to look at WPNZ. Couldn't face what would surely be either disappointment or anger in those yellow eyes. WPNZ deserved so much better than him. He was a royal fuck up from the very second he was conceived, and things had only gotten worse since.
Puzzles flinched, hard, when he felt a hand gingerly brush against his shoulder. His breathing hitched, eyes screwing shut in preparation to be hit. He deserved it. His plan was falling apart. The wedding was going to be a disaster, and it was all because of him.
“Can I touch you?”
The question sliced cleanly through the static lacing his mind. “.... What?”
“Can I touch you?” WPNZ’ tone was impossible to decipher without looking at the man, but it didn't sound angry.
Puzzles nodded, numbly. He wasn't given the opportunity to speculate on what WPNZ had planned. The assassin stepped closer, then pulled him into a tight, loving embrace. At first, Puzzles felt himself panicking. The feeling of being restrained brought back too many memories from his past; however, WPNZ’ grip didn't feel suffocating. It felt….. warm? Safe? Another sob tore itself from his throat.
“I don't give a fuck what your old man used to say,” WPNZ whispered, voice oddly wobbly. “You're not a failure. You've never been a failure. You've made some mistakes, yeah, but who the hell hasn't? I've fucked up plenty, and you don't think I'm a failure, do you?”
“No,” Puzzles answered immediately, tone harsher than he meant for it to be. “You're perfect. You're everything I could ever want and more. I don't deser-”
“Puzzles,” WPNZ interrupted. “I ain't perfect. That's the point.” A soft, shaky laugh left him as he gave Puzzles a tight squeeze. “‘M a fuckin’ mess. I can barely control my anger on the best of days. I wanna put my fuckin’ fist through the wall ‘bout ninety percent of the time. ‘M bad with emotions, I jump into shit without thinkin’, and that's not even touchin' on the damn messes I've made in the past.”
Puzzles didn't know how any of that was relevant. “That doesn't bother me,” he breathed, frame slumping more fully into WPNZ' hold. “How does that have anything to do with this?”
“You just proved my point,” WPNZ replied. “You love me, despite my flaws. Just like I do you. Neither of us are perfect, and that's okay. We don't need to be.”
Puzzles felt his fiancé's hand brush against the side of his head. Thick, metal fingers very gently peeled his digits out from where they had burrowed into his vents. It burned, but the sudden release of pressure in his head felt wonderful. He hadn't realized just how far he had dug them in.
“Listen, I know it means a lot to you that he comes. I don't like it, but I want you to be happy. If havin’ him there makes you feel better, then I'll support you. But, just- Puzz, the weddin’ ain't ‘bout him. ‘S about us. What makes us happy.” WPNZ tilted the television's head back so that they could look at each other. “I don't need some big, fancy party to be happy. I don't need the best musicians, or the highest rated, stuck-up officiant. All I need for my day to be perfect is you.”
WPNZ could be so poetic when he wanted to be. Puzzles felt the dam break inside of him as each work sunk into his mind. He smiled so wide that it hurt while digital tears dripped down his face. “When did you get so good at that?” His shaking voice was barely above a whisper.
“Learned it from the most dramatic guy I know,” WPNZ replied with the world’s most loving smile.
Puzzles snorted, hand raising to fumble for his dial. He cranked it until his vision was clear again, and he could see every detail of his soon-to-be husband's handsome face. “Oh, hush,” he chuffed, hand flapping off to the side.
As they lapsed into a comfortable silence, Puzzles hunched over to rest his chin on WPNZ’ shoulder, screen dimming and his eyes closing. For the first time all day, the overwhelming buzz of static in his head quieted down to something much more tolerable. There were still plenty of worries floating around in his mind, but they felt less all-consuming with WPNZ by his side.
“So,” Puzzles mumbled, eyes cracking open. “About the officiant? Your comment sounded rather personal. Did you want me to find someone else?”
“Fuck, yes,” WPNZ laughed, shoulders bouncing. “Fuckin’ hated that guy. Way too damn formal! Do I look like I know how to dress like a proper gentleman? ‘Cause he told me I should already know how to tie a fuckin’ tie,” he ranted, exasperated. “I wear a knife in place of a tie! ‘Course I don't know how to tie one!”
Puzzles dissolved into unrestrained giggling, his screen brightening as his frame trembled. “We'll hire someone else,” he said, once he managed to stop laughing long enough to actually breathe. “Actually, I think I have just the person in mind.”
The day of the wedding was one filled with stress. Puzzles was running around like a chicken with its head cut off in an attempt to make sure everything was going smoothly. He had forced WPNZ to do a few rehearsals of their actual ceremony over the past few days, so seeing the venue was nothing new. What was new, however, was the fact that it was decorated.
It had been difficult selecting a venue initially. Puzzles had wanted something big and elaborate, but WPNZ had been interested in something smaller. More personal. After their talk of things not needing to be perfect, they had settled on an outdoor venue. Lakeside property hidden in a dense forest of pines.
The chunk of land was truly breathtaking. As the sun sank towards the horizon, and the moon began to shine through the darkening sky, the forest surrounding their chosen spot glowed with fairy lights. The trees were wound with strings of little, yellow bulbs, casting the encroaching darkness in a magical light. It felt straight out of a storybook.
They were far enough away from the water to keep Puzzles’ nerves entirely at bay, but close enough to hear the pleasant sounds of it lapping at the bank. It was peaceful.
Puzzles took a few more minutes to admire the scene, the static that had been crawling in his head momentarily quieting as he took it in. He felt a hand brush against his shoulder, and he glanced off to the side to get a glimpse of the metal menace that had moved to stand next him.
“You good?” WPNZ gave his shoulder a light squeeze.
Puzzles let out a soft hum, screen dimming. “Yeah. Just nervous, I think.” He slotted his fingers together. “Which is ridiculous. I'm not one for stage fright.”
WPNZ shrugged. “‘S different. We're officially signin’ ourselves away to each other. That's a pretty big deal.”
“Good point.” Puzzles shifted to lean against his fiancé. The warmth radiating from WPNZ’ frame was comfortable. “Knowing that I'll be seeing my father very soon is making it worse. I haven't seen him in over a decade.”
A low growl left the assassin he was leaning against. WPNZ crossed his arms, eyes narrowing. “Well, don't think too much ‘bout him. Who else said they were comin’?”
Puzzles thought back to the registry as he tried to recall. “A few of your old co-workers,” he started. “I think Karen marked herself as going. The kids will probably be coming as well.”
WPNZ stiffened. “Shit,” he grumbled. “Didn't think she'd even open the letter.”
Puzzles peered down at him, silently taking note of how conflicted he looked. “Darling, don't stress over it.” He leaned down to press a light kiss to WPNZ' barrels. “You've made progress with her. I'm sure it'll be a pleasant reunion.”
The gunman clicked his tongue, a thoughtful frown on his face. “Probably,” he mumbled. “Anyone else?”
“Aside from my father? I don't think so.” Puzzles felt his antennae droop. He smiled, sadly. “I suppose it's just wishful thinking to hope that Meggy might show up.” Aside from WPNZ and Toomp, Leggy was the only friend Puzzles had ever managed to make. He wanted her to be present, but he knew how unlikely that outcome would be.
After everything he had done? That bridge had long since burned. Even with the attempts the two had been making at rekindling whatever was left of their friendship, Puzzles knew that Meggy would never truly be able to forgive him.
WPNZ fell silent, though he did make a point to wrap an arm around Puzzles' waist. The gentle squeeze that followed was appreciated. They stared out into the ethereal forest for a few more minutes before WPNZ finally shifted.
“Probably should start gettin’ ready,” he announced as he turned to fully face Puzzles. “I know there's that rule where ‘m not supposed to see ya until the ceremony, but if there's anythin’ you need-”
Puzzles smiled, hand raising to cup the machine’s face. “I'll be quite alright, my love,” he hummed. “Be ready to be starstruck when I make my grand entrance.”
WPNZ chuckled, gaze soft. He leaned into the hand against his cheek with a toothy grin. “I would expect nothin’ less from my Starlight.”
A soft snort left Puzzles, and he leaned in to press a gentle kiss to WPNZ’ lips. The assassin kissed him back with a loving passion that never failed to make Puzzles giddy. Unfortunately, it only lasted for a few, blissful moments before they had to part.
“I'll see you in a few hours, my star,” Puzzles breathed. “Be good, yes? I'd rather not have any more messes to clean up.”
“No promises,” WPNZ snickered. “But, for you? I'll do my best.” He yanked Puzzles back down for one final kiss, then stepped away with a bright smile. “Text me if anythin’ comes up. I'll blindfold myself, if I have to.”
That earned an amused giggle. Puzzles covered his mouth with one hand, while he flapped the other at WPNZ to shoo him away. “Oh, hush! Get out of here, you brute,” he demanded with far too much affection in his voice.
WPNZ rolled his eyes with a sweet smile plastered on his face. He gave Puzzles a solid punch to the shoulder- which earned a grunt- as he passed by.
Puzzles watched him leave with baited breath, antennae twitching from side to side. Once he was certain that WPNZ was out of ear shot, he let out a heavy sigh. He took a few more moments to enjoy the peaceful sounds of the forest around him, then turned to head back to their staging area.