HÅKON

The day before the wedding is exciting to say the least. Rocket and I spent the morning frantically trying to find one of us a tie that went with our suits because we mistakenly brought the one damn tie that we both have with us to Sweden and neither of us had a second. So after Rocket finds one that's the same (ish) style as his suit and would work okay with the color he has going on (it's this forest green that I love on him but doesn't match fucking anything but that damn tie) and mine's a rougher kinda red brown color that kinda matches up with his.

Then of course we're given the duty of getting the bridesmaids and the groomsmen out of Isa and Leo's way so Rocket and I drag all of their asses out to the cabin and essentially quarantine the gang of 6. Vera, Eva, Astrid, Kaz, Petar, and Sven. which brings us here.

"Your name is like, actually Sven?" Rocket's hand is over his mouth, staring at Leo's friend who's looking at me for assistance.

"Uh, yeah," he manages. "Why?"

"Like the reindeer?" Rocket is mindblown.

"No, not like the reindeer." Sven mumbles. "I'm... older than that."

"Håkon you didn't tell me that there's actual Swedish people named-"

"Rocket, I'm literally named Håkon."

"Okay, but, like, c'mon, it's Sven." Sven, a normally very very quiet man, is slowly edging toward the door to the yard. I nod at him to let him leave and he takes it and books it. "Did I scare him off." Rocket seems disappointed.

"Yes, you did," I take a step across the kitchen. "It's okay, though, Sven is incredibly shy."

Rocket winces. "Now I feel bad."

"It's okay, you're good."

Then he pulls in a deep breath. "Okay, I will be honest, I've never been to a wedding and this actually happening right now is freaking me out."

"You've never been to a wedding? Why not? I thought most hockey guys had been to one of their teammates weddings at least once."

"Well, you see you're missing the whole, 'Steph and I weren't cool' part of that."

I shrug. "Okay, what part do you need me to explain?"

"Most of it."

"So we're gonna be up somewhat early to drive down and help mom and dad with whatever they're doing in the morning, then at noon we're gonna eat lunch, obviously, then at like one, Isa's gonna be doing her whole... thingy thing, you know, and we're going to fuck around with the boys until, ya know, like three, and then we just need to be on standby until like the preparty thingy that they have at the actual venue, then-"

"There's a preparty?" He mumbles. "God please don't tell me this is gonna involve the same level of drinking it did in Norway, I'm gonna cry."

"No, no, god no, my parents don't do that, at all, none of my family drinks outside of church, Leo's would definitely be chill with taking a few shots beforehand but that's just the Beckstrands for you."

"Nice, nice, I like them already, but I can't drink like that so I'll just stay away from that part of it."

I nod. "So then after that at like 3:15 the whole ceremony thingy starts and we sit through that, I assume I'll cry, but-"

"Language check?"

I wince. "Definitely most likely Swedish,"

He waves it off. "I'll probably cry anyway."

"And then after that there's, I dunno, the party bit. And then we're done by midnight."

"Because the carriage is gonna turn into a pumpkin? You guys are no fun."

I smile, leaning in to kiss his head. "Yes, because the carriage is gonna turn into a pumpkin."

"So what exactly is up with the afterparty thing?"

I pull in a breath. "So far, what I know, is that Isa and Leo are going to run off with their two groups and recharge for a bit and we're gonna eat a little and wait for dinner, then dinner is gonna happen, then the dancing bit, more photos, a lot of damn photos, then the drinking part, then it winds down and we're good to go."

"So, we've got a plan, and I'm just supposed to vibe with it," he says. "I really hope you're okay with me clinging to you like a damn barnacle tomorrow because I have a really bad feeling everything is going to be happening in a language I can barely pick up basic phrases in."

I frown. "Since when can you pick up basic phrases?"

"I know 'I am' and then like 2 adjectives. It's weird, kinda fun, but weird."

I can't help the blush on my cheeks. "You've picked up some Swedish?"

"Yeah, some, not like, enough that you could leave my side tomorrow and I'd be able to find the bathroom, but some, like, hello and yes and no." He raises his eyebrows when he catches the look on my face. "Do not ask me to say them outloud."

"Mmhmm, I wouldn't mind."

"I would," he pokes my stomach. "I am absolutely not saying anything Swedish near you, or the gang of Swedish people out there, this is a gun-to-my-head-and-nothing-less situation."

"Let me go get the gun-" I start toward the door jokingly but stop when my phone goes off.

"Hello?" I answer. "Hi Isa."

"Don't you think you and Rocket are getting away with that hair tomorrow, millions of photos are being taken and I'm not letting you show up looking like boyfriends that just got off naked and afraid."

"Oh," I look to Rocket, trying not to laugh under my breath. "He'll kill someone before he lets them cut that."

"He's fine, not my brother in law yet so I don't have executive control over him. Astrid is literally a certified hairdresser on the side and she's got her stuff in her car, now please."

"Mhmm, how short do you want it, ma'am."

"Håkon I swear on my life-"

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," I respond. "Regular length or do I get to keep some."

"Just go with what Astrid says she's really good at it, she's doing my hair tomorrow and I just called her, just take that sweet boy of yours outside and let her fix you up."

"Damnit, okay, love you."

"Mhmm, love you too and I you better be on damn time tomorrow."

"Will do." I respond, twisting my hand up in Rocket's before slinging it over his shoulders, wrapping him up against my chest. "Love you."

"Yes yes, go, chop chop. Mhmm, bye." she's off the call before I can breathe.

"Unfortunately," I begin. "Astrid has her hair cutting materials with her."

"Nooooooooooo," he complains. "This is my pride and joy." His head knocks back against my shoulder, hair flopping.

"Right right, she says we need to not look like two boyfriends hot off naked and afraid tomorrow."

"Do you think we'd survive naked and afraid?" He looks over to me. "I've never watched any of them, but my money is on absolutely not."

"You have so little faith in me."

"We eat like... twice as many calories as normal people do and go through like three times as much water, sure our bodies would be so good for that shit but I have to admit our lifestyle would murder us."

"Eh," I shrug. "As long as I go down fighting through a forest with a hot naked man by my side I'm good."

"Perv."

"You love me."

He sighs, kissing my ear. "Like nothing else." 

***

this one was basically a filler but that's oaky. also i've never been to a wedding so i honestly don't know what happens at one so I'll warn you the next few chapters are honestly just guesswork <3

also this song is in german and I honestly don't know what it says but it slaps like hell so it's going on here.

if someone who speaks german wants to drop a basic summary translation i'll love you forever

-rabid