Summary: Damien Nazario had just three rules to follow:
1. Don’t date coworkers (something he learned after Alana broke his heart);
2. Stop getting involved with clientes (something he learned after he met the Park cousins and started spending time with them. Too much time);
3. Don’t fall in love with a Park (something he learned after Allen).
And yet, here he was about to break all these rules at the same time because of Ellie.
Note: So, this is an AU/spin-off of Perfect Match. The story takes place two years after they brought Eros down we don’t know if this is going to happen, but I believe so. I hoped that Damien and Nadia would become a couple (since I am such a hard Namien stan), but then I realized that Steve Tennyson is a total sweetheart and pure soul and that he would do anything for Nadia because he loves her so much, so… Yep, that was PB’s way of saying “stop trying to make Namien happen, it’s not going to happen”. And I felt sorry for my favorite skeptical Puerto Rican detective, because I love my robot girlfriend Hayden and I decided that my PM MC Allen will choose her in the end. So, I had this headcanon… What if there was another Park cousin? And now we have my OC Ellie. Get to know more about her here
Note 2: My PM MC is male (Allen) and I’ll let him like this here, but I’ll refer to Hayden as they/their.
Pairing: Damien x OC (Ellie)
The man was awakened by the sound of someone shouting on his ear. He blinked a few times, getting on his surroundings. He was on his small apartment. And Nadia was there, yelling on his face to wake up.
“OH MY GOD, YOU ARE UNBELIEVABLE, D! UNBELIEVABLE!” – she shouted as she paced through his bedroom, picking something from the floor and throwing at him. Although he was still a little sleepy, Damien managed to catch his shoe before it hit his face. – “DID YOU REALLY SLEEP LIKE THIS? DID YOU REALLY DRINK SO MUCH YESTERDAY THAT NOW YOU ARE UNABLE TO WAKE YOURSELF UP?!”
“What the fuck is going on, Nadia?” – he asked with a croaky voice. She just glared at him, with a murderous expression on her face.
“THE PERSON THAT SHOULD BE ASKING WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON IS ME! SO, WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON, D?! WHY ARE YOU STILL ON BED? DID YOU FORGET WHAT DAY TODAY IS?” – hm… Was it Saturday? – “TODAY IS MY AND ALLEN’S WEDDINGS!!!!” – she yelled so loud that it made his ears ring. – “WHAT ARE YOU STILL DOING HERE?! AND LIKE THIS?!” – she pointed to him. He still was using the same clothes from the day before. – “YOU SHOULD BE HELPING ALLEN WITH HIS BIG DAY! YOU ARE HIS BEST MAN! YOU ARE OUR BEST MAN!”
Damien growled, attempting to go back to sleep, but Nadia was already over his bed, pulling him by the collar of his jacket. Nadia Park was stronger than she looked.
“WAKE UP!!!”
“Alright, alright, I’m awake!” – he said, freeing himself from her grip. The woman was already giving him his other shoe.
As soon as he was finally fully dressed, she shoved him outside of his own apartment. He never regretted so much the day he gave her its key.
“Seriously, I can’t believe how irresponsible you are, D! I’ve never thought you would do this! Especially today!” – she said as she drove furiously throughout the Saturday afternoon New York traffic. Damien was on the passenger seat, his head resting against the window. – “Look, I know that you’re not very happy that Allen is getting married today, but it’s happening whether you like it or not!” – her words cut like knife. – “So, please, can you at least pretend that you’re having a good time? Is it too much to ask? For him? And for me?”
“You’re right…” – he muttered, but Nadia kept talking, completely ignoring him:
“And I am a bride after all! I shouldn’t be having to go rescue my missing and drunk Best Man! I should be having a bride’s day! You know, relaxing before my wedding! Or better, stressing out about it and eating all the candies! Very well done, D!”
“I know. I’m sorry, Nadia. You’re right.” – he said louder.
She let out a sigh.
“I’m sorry, D. I know this wasn’t the way you pictured today would be.” – Yeah. When he thought about it, he actually would be right next to Allen in the altar, like how he was going to do later that day. But marrying him, instead. And not standing there like his fucking Best Man. – “But we need you. We want you there. For us.” – she said, much calmer. By the tone of her voice, Damien knew that she was about to cry. Probably it was the stress about the wedding hitting her.
He squeezed her shoulder.
“You’re right, N. I’ve been acting like an asshole. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have drunk so much last night. I shouldn’t be feeling sorry for myself. I’m actually happy for you and Allen. I really am.”
And he was. All that he wanted was his best friends’ happiness.
Even if it wasn’t him who was marrying Allen today.
Nadia took a deep breath, calming herself.
“Okay, okay. I accept your apology. Jeez, I must be looking like a mess!” – she glanced at him. – “And you are too. But you’ll be looking almost new when we get your tuxedo!” – she beamed, parking the car. Someone suddenly opened his door and he saw a staff from the café smiling at him.
Damien got out of the car, following his friend inside the restaurant, still feeling a little uneasy. Nadia wanted to marry in The Plaza, but it was too expensive, so she and Allen were having a double wedding in The River Café, another popular and famous New Yorker wedding venue (although it wasn’t cheap either). Plus, it was a short drive from their homes, since the three of them lived in Brooklyn.
Well, the five of them. Hayden and Steve had been part of the group for two years now.
Nadia rushed him to one of the back rooms of the place and Damien froze when he saw Allen in front of a full length mirror, fixing his tie.
“Finally! I thought that you have forgotten about today!” – the groom turned to him, smiling widely.
He looked so happy. He was almost literally glowing.
…Fuck.
“Never.” – Damien forced a smile and felt Allen’s arms around him, hugging him affectionately. Fuck. He hugged Allen back. – “Uh… Congratulations on your day, my friend. Are you feeling nervous? Because Nadia almost threw up in the car.” – Allen giggled.
“You know how Nadia gets when she drinks way too much coffee. I’m super excited though! I can’t believe I’m marrying!” – yep, he neither. – “Oh my God, Damien, you’re smelling like cheap beer!”
“Yeah… I might have drunk a few yesterday…” – Allen let out a laugh, throwing his head backwards. Damien immediately felt on ease. His laugh always had this effect over him. – “Ugh… where’s my suit?” – he looked around.
“Oh, it’s here!” – Allen pulled a tuxedo from behind a door. – “Are you sober enough to dress yourself alone? Or do you need my help?”
“Shut up, you jerk.” – Damien side smiled before going to change in the restroom.
He locked himself in and leaned against the counter.
“Alright, you can do this, Damien.” – he said as he looked to his own reflex on the mirror in front of him. God, Nadia was right. He was looking like a mess. – “It’s just for a few hours. You can do this. For Nadia. For Allen.”
Damien Nazario thought that he had already lived the worst day of his life. Like when that incident happened in Beitan. Or when he was crazy enough to let someone with no prior experience to fly an actual plane (turned out that Sloane was a pretty good pilot, but either way those were the most stressing and terrifying hours of his life). Or when he had to fight an evil robot army to free his friends and himself from that megalomaniac psycho with a God complex called Rowan West.
But no, he was mistaken. The worst day ever was being today: it was Allen’s wedding.
…And he was his Best Man.