Trust Me

Authors note.
Well, here it is, the chapter that when I started the story, I thought I would never write. Yes, Bob was actually supposed to die at the start of the story but the Ray/Bob happened and I just couldn't do it, I couldn't kill him off so the plot changed completely. (And don't tell anyone I gave my secret original plot away! hehe!)
It's taken me five days to write this and I'm still not happy with it. I've read and re-read, edited obsessively, and still, I don't think it's very good. Please, read on and let me know what you think. It will be up in two parts, second part shortly!

3RD PERSON POV.

Robert Nathaniel Bryar awoke with a very uneasy feeling in his stomach. Today he was to be married, to a man whom he loved with all of his heart. Needless to say the uneasy feeling was just nerves about the big event, it would change the course of his life forever.

Leaving the room he was sleeping in he crept downstairs, unsure if anyone else in the house was awake. He found his good friend Tre sat at the kitchen table drinking a cup of steaming coffee.

"You feeling alright?" he asked Robert. He nodded, unable to find his voice.

"Eat something, you'll feel better," said Tre, Robert nodded again.

After forcing down some toast Robert felt no better, he was still nervous beyond words. All three of his friends that stayed at that house the night before were now in the room with him.

"Bob, don't be scared," said Mike, putting a comforting hand on the drummers shoulder.

"I'm not scared, I'm nervous is all," said Robert stubbornly but he knew deep down it was a lie. He was scared. This would be the biggest day of his life so far and meant more to him then words could ever describe. It was a mixture of fear, nervousness and huge excitement that he was feeling for the day ahead.

About a mile away the other half of the couple, Raymond Manuel Toro-Ortiz, was being shaken awake by one of his bandmates.

"Up you get," said Frank, prodding Ray once again. Ray groaned and rolled over, pulling the blankets over his head in the hope it would make Frank leave him in peace.

With a shock like a bolt of lightning through his system, Ray realized what day it was and threw the blankets off himself quickly and sat upright, staring at Frank, wide-eyed and terrified.

"You'll be fine Ray, come and get something to eat."

"Be there now," said Ray and Frank nodded and left the room. Ray fumbled in his bedside drawer and pulled out a photograph.

He looked at it and felt all his worries about the day fade slightly. It was a photograph of himself and the man who meant the world to him, both smiling, both happy, and both only feeling that way because they had each other. The photo was taken with the two of them sat on the couch on the tour bus, Bob's arm draped around Ray's shoulders and a deliriously happy smile on both of their faces as they looked into each others eyes.

With a new-found confidence Ray walked down the stairs and forced down some food.

After drinking a cup of coffee twice as fast as he normally would he dashed back upstairs and jumped into the shower. He thought about the day that was to come as he washed his hair and body. Once acceptably clean he got out of the shower and dried off, pulling on some clean clothes to wear for now. He would be putting on his suit later so it didn't get crumpled before the ceremony.

Robert, however, wasn't feeling so confident.

"You alright?" asked Gerard, rubbing his back a little to try and soothe him.

"N-no," spluttered Bob, retching again and emptying his stomach into the toilet.

Gerard handed him a glass of water to sip and sat down beside him on the bathroom floor. Robert flushed the toilet and sat back, taking a few deep breaths and closing his eyes. He ran his hands through his hair and sighed.

"You alright?" asked Gerard again.

"I will be, once I see Ray, I'll be fine," he said, taking another sip of the water.

"Well, you wont have to wait much longer now."

"That's what scared me. In a few hours time, I'll be a married man."

"You will. Aren't you excited?"

"Yeah but... I'm now not so sure if I'm ready."

"Do you love Ray?"

"Yes."

"Enough to spend the rest of your life with him?"

"Yes."

"Well then you're ready, it's a big step Bob but it's the right step."

Robert nodded and pulled himself to his feet. Gerard left him alone to brush his teeth and went back downstairs to the other two men.

"Is he OK?" asked Tre, concerned about his friend.

"He's nervous, puking too which probably isn't a good thing."

"It's just pre-wedding nerves, he'll be OK," said Mike.

"I hope so," said Gerard, shaking his head and going to make some more coffee. This was going to be one long morning.

After several cups of coffee, hours of worrying and nerves, everybody began to get ready to go down to the church where the ceremony would be held.

Frank Iero was half in and half out of his best shirt when the phone rang. He ran to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Frank! I need to talk to Ray, right now, theres something he has to know..."

"Bob? What's wrong? What did you do?"

"Nothing... actually, forget it, bye." Frank was left very confused with the phone in his hand and his mouth open in shock. He hung up the phone and walked back upstairs to resume getting ready, now worried about what Bob could possibly need to tell Ray so badly.

He shook it off and dressed himself quickly, fixed his hair and checked the effect in the mirror. He looked pretty sharp but it wasn't quite done... eyeliner! he put just a little on, not wanting to go over the top.

It felt strange for him to be all dressed up in a very smart suit and tie and to be going to a wedding, this wasn't something that happened very often.

One of the bands hair and make-up people was helping out today, getting everybody all smart for the wedding. She had finished Ray, putting the tiniest little bit of eyeliner on him and trimming his hair so it was the same length as when the band first released 'The Black Parade'. He had always like it a little shorter anyway.

Frank went next, getting his hair straightened even though he complained numerous times that it made him feel like 'a pansy'.

Ray retreated back upstairs to get dressed and emerged looking better then anyone in the house had ever seen him looking before. He was dressed in a very smart black tux with a white shirt and a black tie. He seemed uncomfortable but eased up a little after numerous compliments from his friends.

Robert was staring at himself in a full length mirror. Unhappy with his appearance and trying to get it just perfect. No matter how many times his friends told him he looked great, he always found something to fault.

"Bob, no matter what you look like, Ray will still feel the same way about you," said Gerard.

Robert ignored him and continued to fiddle with his clothes and hair until Tre slapped his hands away.

"Stop it! Just leave it all how it is, you look fantastic, anybody would want to marry you," he said, wiggling his eyebrows and causing all of the men to laugh. This was one of the times Robert thanked God for letting Tre to be here to lighten the mood. He could turn any situation into something funny, cheer anybody up.

A black limousine pulled up outside and the driver knocked the door of the house. Bob felt a huge surge of excitement, his nervousness was fading.

Twenty minutes later the limo pulled up outside the church and all the men scrambled out. Gerard's job was to keep Ray and Bob from seeing each other before the ceremony, he would be having a difficult time doing so.

"Churches are always cold," muttered Mike as they stepped inside.

"Random much?" asked Tre.

"Well, it's true!"

"It is, but that was very random."

"Hey guys! Keep groom number 2 over there," called Mikey from one side of the church.

"Since when am I number two? I should be number one!"

"Bob, wait there!" called Mikey. There was some scuffling and then a door closing. Mikey walked over to Bob and the other newly arrived friends.

"Bob, can I ask you something?"

"Mikey, it's a little late, I'm about to get married!"

"Shut up that's not what I meant! Walk with me," he led his friend outside the church and they stood together.

"So what is it?"

"Ray has been thinking. He was wondering if maybe you could take each others names, put your name first, be Bryar-Toro."

Bob thought for a moment and then smiled.

"That would be perfect. Then he gets my name..."

"And you get his and nobody gets left out."

"That's great Mikey, tell him... no... wait... I'll tell him when I see him," said Bob. Both men headed back inside and Mikey went back to the small room where Ray was waiting with Frank, Bob walked in the opposite direction into a different small room. Upon entering the room, Mikey found the older man huddled in the smaller man's arms, looking close to tears.

"Ray! What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just nerves," he said, wriggling out of Frank's brotherly embrace.

"Alright. People are arriving now, you know what your going to say to Bob right?"

"Obviously."

"Good, I'm just gonna go see how he's doing."

"Rub it in my face why don't you."

Mikey laughed and left the room, crossing the church to the other side where his other best friend was waiting anxiously.

He found his brother deep in conversation with him, trying to keep his mind off the nerves he was still feeling. Gerard would be Robert's best man, Mikey would be Ray's. Frank was the ring bearer so he was not left out at all. Mikey and Gerard had decided they would be speaking together about the newly weds at the reception afterwards.

Half an hour later the church was filled with people. Raymond's family was there, his parents, his brother, his cousins, his aunts and uncles, his whole family and even some old friends of his. Robert's family and friends were there also, all so happy for him. Among the family and close friends were others from bands the men had met on tours and become close to, they had come to show their support for the couple.

Both men waiting nervously in the small antechambers were given their two minute notification. The priest asked people to kindly take their seats and everybody readied themselves.

The music started to play and a hush spread through the rows of chattering guests, all eyes craned towards the back of the room where both men would walk from.

Michael walked first, a ten second wait and then Raymond right behind him, still having not set eyes upon his partner since the day before, Gerard walked after Raymond once again after waiting ten seconds. Robert took a deep breath and followed his friends down the aisle, unable to keep the smile off his face, Frank followed finally and one by one, the men all reached the altar.

Michael and Gerard walked over to one side and sat in the very front row of pews, with their parents. Gerard and Mikey's parents were good friends of all the band members and when they were told Ray and Bob were being married, they were overjoyed the men had found happiness.

Robert reached the altar and took Raymond's hand, both of them looking at each other for what felt like the first time. They just stared into each other's eyes as the priest began his opening speech. Robert's hand was trembling and Raymond gave it a supportive squeeze and smiled at his soon-to-be husband.

"We are gathered here today, to join Robert and Raymond in holy matrimony in the eyes of god."

Michael's young son Daniel began to fuss and Alicia tried to soothe him. Mikey turned around to him and started to pull silly faces, making the baby coo in happiness and grab at his fathers face.

"Robert, do you take this man, Raymond Manuel Toro-Ortiz to be your husband? To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish 'till death do you part?"

Robert looked into the deeply into the eyes of his fiancé and took a deep breath.