Hippo frowned doubtfully at his uncle. "Do I need to wear a tux?" he asked in the way a person - well, ten year old boy who thought wearing khakis and a striped shirt was a form of extreme punishment - might ask 'Why do I need to suffer unbearable torture for your cruel and sadistic amusement?'
Uncle Four looked at his girlfriend - no fee-ants-say was the word people were using now that Reggie was wearing a sparkly piece of jewelry on her finger now. Hippo wasn't really sure how that changed anything, but everyone seemed super happy and excited about it. Grammy had even cried a little when she saw the ring the first time, but she said it was happy tears, so Hippo wasn't holding it against Reggie, who he thought was overall a pretty awesome person. (And he wasn't just saying that because she invited his family to go skiing with her every winter - though that certainly helped add to her cool factor since his family didn't ski except when they went up with Reggie.)
What he was holding against her was this whole tux thing. He'd heard about weddings and the things people wore to them. Tuxes, according to Henry at school who was in a wedding for his aunt not that long ago, were like suits, but somehow worse.
Four and Reggie had been together for as long as Hippo could remember. They'd been at Sonora together when he first met them, and they'd gone to college together, and more recently they'd been living here in Massachusetts together after they graduated. So as far as Hippo was concerned, Reggie was already his aunt and had been for years. Why did he have to get all suitified over it now?
"Maybe not a full tux, Hips," Uncle Four began tentatively, watching Reggie carefully for disagreement, and Hippo knew if Four saw it on her, it was Hippo who was going to suffer the consequences. He frowned at Reggie, just daring her to overrule Four. But then Four betrayed him anyway by saying, "But ring bearers do need to get dressed up nice."
"If they want you to wear a tux, you'll wear a tux, Ben," his dad put in, and Hippo looked at him in total pleading despair, hoping he might show mercy on his only darling son whom he was supposed to love and protect from the great horrors of the world.
"Daaaad," Hippo pleaded piteously. "Nooo..."
"Benjamin," warned Grands Amelia, giving him her sternest look, and Hippo fell quiet, not daring to cross her. Last time he did that, he spent ten minutes as a frog - and not even a talking frog either because, she claimed, that would defeat the purpose of a quiet time-out - and he did not want to repeat the experience.
He turned pleading eyes back to Reggie and Four, as they seemed to be the final judges of his fate.
Four looked at Reggie again and they had a short eye-conversation before his uncle told him, "We haven't really talked about what the wedding party is wearing yet, but I can tell you, you won't be wearing a t-shirt, even if you aren't the ring-bearer. But you will probably have to dress up more if you are. Would you rather we find someone else?"
Hippo bit his lip and stole a look at his mom. Yeah, it looked like he would face worse than frog time if he said anything but that he would do it. "No," he said sullenly, "I'll do it." He heaved a heavy sigh, "But can I at least have an awesome hat?"
Four beamed, "I'm sure that can be arranged, right, Reggie?"