"Oliver finally agreed to be my date for Madoka's wedding," Mai gushed to Masako.

"Who else did he think he was going with?" Masako asked, incredulous.

"He hoped he wasn't going at all," Madoka said as she exited the changing rooms. "What about this one?"

Madoka spun around, giving the girls and Luella a good look.

"It's beautiful," Mai declared. "But I think I liked the princessy one better."

"But this one shows off her bum better," Masako countered. "But the detail on the other one was better. I think I like the mermaid tail, but the lacy detail is needed."

"I agree," Luella said. "Let me just see if I can find one…"

She bustled into the depths of the shop and returned moments later with five more dresses for Madoka to try on.

"I think Madoka regrets inviting her," Mai whispered to Masako.

"I think we will when we get to bridesmaid dresses," Masako muttered back.

Mai groaned at the thought.

"Did you mention bridesmaid dresses?" Luella asked, ears piqued in interest.

"Uh—"

"Maybe I should start picking those out too. How do you feel about strapless?"

"Oh please," Madoka said from behind the curtain. "Neither of them have any boobs to worry about!"

"Oi!" Mai protested. "I'll have you know my boobs are perfectly fine and definitely not insignificant!"

"And who told you that? Was it Noll?" Luella asked, her face clearly displaying her amusement.

Mai blushed furiously as Masako and Madoka laughed.

"I hate you all."

"So was it Noll?"

"No it was not!"

"I don't believe her," Masako said, giggling at her friend's frustration.

"I hate you all."

"Of course you do, now how about this one," Madoka said, striding out of the changing room once again.

It was perfect and they all knew it.

"It fits you so well!" Luella said, tears welling in her eyes. "Oh you look so beautiful. My baby all grown up!"

"Baby?" Masako whispered to Mai, who shrugged in reply.

"Just roll with it," she advised.

"Let's find you a veil," Luella said. She bustled off again and returned with plenty of veils to try.

Within ten minutes, Mai and Masako were prancing about in various pink dresses. Luella had chosen pink and Madoka had not objected.

"It'll look so good on the twins too," Madoka said. "Ooh, I could have two pairs! How perfect! These two are practically sisters and then…" She sighed dramatically.

"Who is walking you down the aisle?" Masako asked.

"I asked Martin to, as he has no daugher of his own, he agreed."

"That's nice of him."

"Mai, who would you pick to walk you down the aisle?" Madoka asked.

"Hmm, tough one," Mai mused. But before she could say any more, Masako gasped in offence.

"You mean I am not your first choice?"

"You'll be my maid of honour!"

"What about Gene?" Luella suggested.

"He'll be Oliver's best man, duh."

"Oh really," Luella's said, eyebrows raised. "So you have been thinking of marrying my son?"

She narrowed her eyes at Mai, who went scarlet and ran back into the changing rooms amongst her friends' laughter.

Mai knew she could not win, but did not care. She was happy.

Eugene scowled as his brother beat him at cards yet again.

"You're cheating!"

"I am not, and you know it," Oliver replied, smirking. "So that means you have to dance with the old people at the wedding."

"Eugh, fine! Okay, what next?"

"Who has to look after Mum when she gets teary," Oliver read from his list.

"Dad will do that," Eugene replied.

"Until he has one too many to drink and falls asleep in a corner. That's the next one."

They were playing cards to see who had to suffer the most at Madoka and Lin's wedding. Whoever lost a game had to accept a forfeit in the form of a responsibility.

"Well there is no point playing for this one. I'll take Mum, you take Dad."

Oliver frowned, questioning Eugene's choice.

"If you take Mum, and she realises it is you, then she'll be wondering why you haven't proposed to Mai yet," Eugene explained.

"Mai has been sixteen a matter of days," Oliver muttered.

"And our mother, when drunk, will see that as several days too many that you've deprived her of a daughter-in-law."

Oliver sighed, knowing his brother was right.

"That's another thing then," he said. "Someone to keep Mai away from the flower throwing thing. For her own benefit of course."

"Just distract her," Eugene said. "Dance and be soppy or something."

"I don't dance."

"For Mai's happiness you will," Eugene pointed out.

Oliver sighed again.

"Now have you seen the suits?" Eugene asked.

Oliver shook his head.

"They are grey, light grey. Someone needs to have them changed."

"What?"

"Light grey? In summer? We'll all be sweating like pigs and it will show up on grey! It's a bad idea!"

Oliver looked at his twin blankly.

"They've already bought them," Oliver said. "There is no changing them now. I think it would be better to arrange for aircon."

"Aircon is noisy in a church."

"Quiet aircon then."

"Do we have to get them a wedding present?" Eugene asked suddenly. "Like, they already live together, what do you buy people as a wedding present?"

"Luella will deal with that surely," Oliver said, scribbling a few notes on his list. He looked up at the sound of a vibration.

"It's mine," Eugene said, as he unlocked his phone. "Ooh, you want to see this!"

"What is it?"

"The girls in their bridesmaid dresses, from Masako."

Eugene spun his phone around to show Oliver the photo. Mai and Masako were standing side by side in pale pink one shoulder dresses.

"They look good huh?" he prompted as Oliver's eyes scanned the picture.

"The dresses fit them well."

"Really?"

"What?"

"Your girlfriend looks stunning and the best you've got is 'the dresses fit them well'."

"Well what would you rather I say?" Oliver asked, amused by his twin's indignation.

"How about 'they look stunning'?"

"They look stunning," Oliver deadpanned. "Happy?"

Eugene sighed and fell back on the bed.

"What am I going to do with you…"

"Put up with me," Oliver muttered.

Eugene chuckled.

"Yeah, I guess so," he agreed. "What are you doing?"

"Texting Mai."

"Saying what?"

"That she looks stunning in the dress."

"You can't just copy my words!" Eugene objected, sitting back up. "Give it here!" He reached for his brother's phone, but Oliver held it out of reach.

"I'll look up a synonym then," Oliver muttered.

"You're supposed to speak from the heart, Noll," Eugene reprimanded.

"Then I would tell her that I don't care what she is wearing because I like her not some pink dress."

"Then say that, but in nicer words."

Oliver rolled his eyes, but began typing.

"Will this do?"

He spun his phone around and let Eugene read the two texts that he had sent Mai.

Oliver: Gene showed me the picture of you and Masako in your bridesmaid dresses. You are stunning.

Oliver: The dress isn't awful either.

Eugene smiled.

"Maybe you aren't so hopeless after all," he muttered bumping shoulders with his brother. "Now, what's next on the list?"

The end.

Author's note: Thank you all for reading this mess. I know the end isn't the best, but the topic of abuse in relationships hits home rather hard and I really struggled with the ending of this story, more than usual. I used some of my own experiences to try and make this more real. Even now, I can't go back and try to edit. It has been suggested to me that I re-write this as an original story. But I'm going to have to wait a while before I try that. Thank you all for your reviews and kind words and apologies for the messy update schedule for the last few weeks.

I have started on another longer piece... So please keep an eye out for when I eventually get around to posting it.