Chapter Text
Epilogue
All the time I was sure you were mine
And before time demands our goodbye
Can you sing me a last lullaby?
“Oh, my God! Tyler, stop fussing with it! Your sisters and mom are gonna be here in like, any minute!”
Jamie can hear the huff that comes from the bathroom from where he is standing in the hallway.
Tyler pokes his head out of the doorway and says, “It's. Crooked. Jamie.”
Jamie shakes his head as Tyler ducks back in.
Tyler growls a little in frustration and Jamie wonders quietly why the hallway bathroom even needed any decorating, but if Tyler wants to hang 8 reindeer from the wall over the mirror, fine.
He chuckles, takes a sip of his eggnog, and goes into the living room.
Tyler had decorated the room like they were hosting Christmas for the Prime Minister or something.
The tree was fucking huge as it was, but then there was about a foot deep layer of decorations and lights. The curtains over the window had been switched to thick dark red ones that had green foil leaves stamped on them. There was a holly printed rug in the center of the room, 10 bulging stockings hanging from Santa tacks on on the wall, and tinsel around the window and door frames.
Presents. Everywhere.
He'd even found a fake wood stove which Marshall was curled up next to, wearing his elf costume.
Jamie had protested that a little, but the dog seemed perfectly content wearing it.
Plus, it gave Jamie some ideas about part of his present to Tyler.
About that….
Jamie slid his phone out of his pocket and sent a quick text to Sharpy.
The doorbell chimes the beginning tune of jingle bells and Jamie sighs, taking a moment to wonder if he should think Tyler’s enthusiasm about ‘Christmas Spirit’ is endearing or an obvious show of a lack of sanity.
He opens it to be socked in the arm by his sister, complete with a ‘merry Christmas, ya bum’.
To be fair, she does also hug him before pushing passed him into the house, Jack trailing behind with at least 10 presents in his arms.
Jamie hangs their coats and such in the hall closet, then helps Jack get all the presents into the living room.
“Jesus, Chubbs… Did the collective Christmas sections of literally every Macy’s on the planet vomit in your house?” Jenny laughs.
Jamie huffs out a laugh and says, “No, I just fell for a guy who loves Christmas on on a nearly insane level.”
“Ahem.”
Jamie turns to see Tyler standing in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest, looking grumpy, now in a ridiculously soft-looking Christmas sweater, red pants, and green socks.
He looks adorable and Jamie forgets what he was just saying and grins stupidly, leaning in to press a solid kiss to Tyler’s mouth.
Tyler squawks a little but kisses back.
“Aw, you two are so cute,” Jenny fake gushes, but is cut off when Jack tugs her close and kisses her.
When they part, Jack points up and says, “Look, hon. Mistletoe.”
Jamie looks up and, wow. Basically the whole ceiling has mistletoe hanging from it.
He looks back at Tyler and says, “So, this is a make out room, now?”
Tyler holds up a finger and says, “Ah! It's a Christmas make out room.”
Jamie shakes his head and says, “why don't we distribute them a little more evenly, huh, baby?”
Tyler melts like he always does at Jamie's pet names, and nods.
Jenny, Jack, and Tyler move around the house, redistributing the mistletoe and giving them a tour of the house, when Jamie sees a response from Sharpy, confirming their plan.
The doorbell rings again before the front door swings open and Marshall is barking and jumping around as Candace and Cassidy enter, dropping down in the foyer to pet him and coo over him.
It's eerie how much it is exactly how Tyler greets Marshall.
Jamie smiles and takes Jackie’s hands as she steps in passed the girls, kissing his cheek.
She hands Jamie a stack of presents and then takes her own as she follows him to the tree.
“Oh, looks like you let Tyler go wild with decorating, huh?”
Jamie smiles, sheepishly shrugging, taking her coat, hat, scarf, and gloves, hanging them in the hall closet.
“How can you say no, right? When he gets that childlike excitement around the holidays, it's hard to deny him anything, right?"
Jamie smiles wider and says, “The good news is now it's my job to spoil him. You get some relief.”
She laughs and wraps him up in a hug.
“It's not all about him, to be fair. After he turned 8 years old until he moved out, I didn't have to decorate a thing for holidays. He always did the work for me with an excitement unparalleled, while I was just happy to have one less thing to do.”
Jamie laughs and says, “Plus, it probably kept him occupied and too focused to think about looking for hidden presents.”
“And kept him out of the kitchen while I cooked and baked.”
“Yeah,” Jamie laughs again. “Sounds about like how our week went, actually.”
The door opens again and Jamie peeks around the corner to see his parents step into the hallway with dishes and presents.
He wraps them both up in hugs, helping them carry presents and put away their coats.
Candace and Cassidy join them, hanging their stuff up before hugging Jamie and helping him and Randy carry food stuff into the kitchen to prepare it for dinner.
Jackie and Heather chat the whole way down the hall to the dining room, both having been to Jamie and Tyler’s new home already, basically as soon as they moved in.
Jamie gives his dad a beer, hands the girls eggnogs, and grabs two glasses of wine to take to Jackie and Heather before starting the tour for the Candace and Cassidy and his dad.
They run into Tyler, Jenny, and Jack outside outside on the patio as they are talking about the little rink Jamie had worked hard to get ready for Christmas morning hockey.
Candace and Cassidy smother their brother in hugs before running off with Marshall into the snowy yard, throwing snowballs stopping when they remember they don't have their coats on.
Randy shakes Tyler’s hand and starts talking about the skeleton of a gazebo that Tyler had started on but hadn't had the chance to finish before the snow and the holidays crept up on them.
They'd only moved into the house together about two months ago.
Once everyone is inside, sitting around the table, drinking and talking while the food is in the oven, Jamie wraps his arm around Tyler, who sinks into his side.
Jamie presses a kiss to Tyler’s head, sighing happily.
He runs his fingers over the ‘Christmas 2020!!’ decorations on the green tablecloth and smiles.
A year and a half since he'd first met Tyler.
Now they were sharing Christmas together in their home with each other's families. The guys from the firehouse and a few of Tyler’s friends were going to be here for New Year's.
Things in Jamie's life were good.
He closes his eyes and sighs.
In his mind, it is all the same, but Jordie is here too.
He opens his eyes to see Tyler peering up at him.
Jamie smiles and squeezes Tyler.
Tyler smiles knowingly and squeezes Jamie back.
After dinner and a few hours of conversation, Jamie and Tyler show everyone where they are sleeping, Jamie's parents taking one guest room, Jackie and Tyler’s sisters in the other, and Jenny and Jack in the living room on the pull out sofa.
After saying goodnight to Heather, Randy, and Jackie, Jamie goes about making some cocoa for the rest of them as they all pile into what has been deemed ‘the tree room’.
As he's pouring mugs full, he hears Tyler's voice and then Cassidy giggling, followed by Jenny saying something that makes everyone laugh.
Jamie can't help smiling at the sound, even if whatever Jenny said was probably a joke at Jamie's expense.
He brings they tray with mugs into the room, handing them out and Tyler makes room for him on the loveseat, scooting Marshall a bit.
Once Tyler is settled against his side, Jamie wraps an arm around Tyler’s shoulders.
“This is a really nice home you two have made,” Jenny says looking at them warmly.
“Thanks, sis,” Jamie says, softly, scraping his fingers through Tyler’s hair gently.
Jamie sees Cassidy kick Tyler’s foot gently out of the corner of his eye.
They share a smile and Jamie wonders for a moment what it's about.
Candace and Jenny start talking about something and it draws the attention off of Jamie and Tyler for a moment.
“Hey,” Jamie murmurs into Tyler’s hair.
Tyler tips his head up, lolling it back on Jamie's shoulder, and Jamie forgets for a second what he was gonna say.
Weird that Tyler meeting his eyes still has such an immediate effect on him.
“You've been awful quiet. Everything okay?”
Tyler smiles slowly, teeth showing and closes his eyes as he nods, curling closer against Jamie.
“I'm really happy,” Tyler finally says.
Jamie hums, running his thumb along Tyler’s jaw, and finally says, “So that's how to get you to shut up,” very softly despite the joke.
Tyler opens his eyes and grins up at Jamie, nodding a little.
An hour and a half later, they're laying in bed in just their boxer briefs under the glow of the fairy lights Tyler had wrapped around all four bed posts (Tyler had desperately wanted a canopy bed and Jamie is not strong when Tyler wants things).
They're slowly kissing and gently touching and Jamie takes back everything he said about how they didn't need fairy lights over their bed.
Tyler looks even more beautiful in this light.
Jamie tells him so and Tyler smiles sort of dreamily before saying, “if you think I look good, you should see how you look right now.”
Jamie feels a little blush and he leans down to kiss Tyler again, murmuring against his mouth, “You were right about these lights. Maybe we should leave them up year-round.”
Tyler nods and wraps his arms around Jamie's neck, pulling him down again to kiss him deeply.
They get a little lost in kissing, to the point where when Jamie’s hand brushes over Tyler’s hip, Tyler jumps slightly, skin tingling and throat constricting at his sudden awareness of how aroused he is.
He meets Jamie's eyes, sliding his hands down to the sides of his neck, thumbs tracing over his jaw and, wow .
Jamie is absolutely gorgeous .
Some of his hair is falling over his forehead, hanging down as he looks down at Tyler and Tyler can't help but run his hand through it, brushing it back.
Jamie's eyes flick down to Tyler’s lips, then keep trailing down and he runs one hand down along the cut of his hips, over his stomach and chest til it reaches the side of his neck where he leaves it before leaning back down to pressing a searing, more sexually charged kiss to Tyler’s lips, tongue working into Tyler’s mouth like he's trying to remind Tyler what it's capable of.
The noise it elicits from Tyler is entirely involuntary and Jamie smiles against against his mouth.
“Merry Christmas, baby,” Jamie says softly, pulling away just enough to move his face down to Tyler’s neck, lips just under his ear and behind the hinge of his jaw. “What do you want for your first present?”
Tyler shivers and whimpers, hands clinging to Jamie's upper arms.
He can't decide, honestly. He wants Jamie to wreck him. They can't fuck, Tyler knows he can't be quiet at all if they do.
Jamie's mouth works the spot he was brushing his lips against and Tyler whimpers again.
“Jamie… your mouth… oh, god…”
“Where, baby?” Jamie purrs.
“Oh, fuck, everywhere. I want you to make me fall apart.”
Jamie smiles and takes nearly a full minute to kiss a line down Tyler’s neck to his nipple, sucking gently.
He runs a hand up and down Tyler’s ribs as he does, squeezing his hips a little rougher each time.
Jamie's mouth moves to the other nipple as he works it just as long and as slow as the other, stimulating Tyler as much as possible.
Jamie keeps working his mouth across Tyler's skin, moving down his body with the speed of an old cat lounging in the sun.
By the time Jamie gets to his waistband, Tyler's squirming and his fingers are clutching the sheets tight.
His skin is tingling and it feels like an electrical spark against it everywhere Jamie kisses. He is so wound up he thinks he'll vibrate out of his skin.
Jamie tugs Tyler’s boxer briefs off, kissing down from his hip, along the crease of the inside of his thigh, nipping and sucking marks all over the inside of both thighs.
“Fu-uuuck…” Tyler whimpers, breath catching in his throat when Jamie bites.
He's so over sensitive already and Jamie hasn't even accidentally touched his cock.
Jamie's hands run from the inside of his thighs up to his abs, one hand trailing back down to just above Tyler’s knee as the other stops just above Tyler’s hardened cock.
“J-Jamie... “ Tyler pleads as he shivers.
“I've got you, baby.”
Tyler moans the moment Jamie's fingertips brush his cockhead and Jamie stops.
Tyler lifts his head to look at Jamie.
Jamie places a finger over his lips and Tyler frowns at the smirk on those lips.
Jamie's fingers slide down Tyler’s shaft before following them with his mouth.
Tyler gasps and bites off a moan, surprised at Jamie sinking down til his lips are around the base and sucking back up quickly.
His fingers card through Jamie's hair, one hand cupping the base of his skull.
Jamie sucks and bobs and swirls his tongue until Tyler feels his orgasm crash through him.
He sees Jamie wipe his mouth on the back of his hand and move up to the nightstand, taking a sip from the glass of water there.
His hand snakes across the bed to touch Jamie's side and it makes the other man smile around the edge of his glass.
When Jamie turns back to him, Tyler feels so warm and fuzzy inside.
“Jamie, let me,” he says breathlessly, motioning for Jamie to roll onto his back.
Jamie obeys with a soft smile and Tyler tugs his boxer briefs down to his mid-thighs.
Tyler takes a moment to eye Jamie's body and bites his lip.
God, he is really breathtaking.
He rolls onto Jamie, kissing him fiercely and taking his length in his hand in one motion.
Tyler grins as Jamie lets out a soft, shaky sigh and hooks his foot in Jamie's boxer briefs where they're still caught around his legs to push then down the rest of the way, kicking them off Jamie's feet.
He kisses down Jamie's chest and stomach, running his hands all over his thick torso down to his muscular thighs.
Tyler feels a thrill at Jamie's hands gently closing around his forearms, not stopping him, but just holding on.
He nips at the inside of Jamie's right thigh, earning him a gasp and Jamie's hands tightening around his arms.
Smiling, Tyler takes Jamie's length in one hand, cupping his balls with the other, fingers stroking behind them gently.
He laps his tongue along the tip of Jamie's cock and after covering every bit of the head with his tongue, sucks it into his mouth.
Jamie lets out a little whimper and runs a hand through Tyler’s hair, cupping the base of his skull just as Tyler had done to Jamie earlier.
Tyler feels Jamie shaking with the willpower to not just push Tyler’s teasing mouth down and he smiles around Jamie, rewarding him by sucking him down to the base sucking back up, fingers still moving, sliding further back.
He slides his mouth down loosely but sucks harder each time he bobs his head back up as he keeps his left hand firmly planted against the crease, fingers scraping Jamie's inner thigh.
His right hand is fully under Jamie's balls, now, cupping them as his fingers rub slowly, inching back.
When his middle fingertip brushes against Jamie's hole, Jamie's hands grip Tyler’s hair tightly for a second before releasing and he bites down on a moan.
Tyler gently pulls back off Jamie and holds him loosely, swallowing the excessive saliva before looking up into Jamie's eyes.
“Do you want…?” he asks, rubbing the finger in a circle. “Jamie, do you want my fingers, baby?”
Jamie groans softly and hesitates for a moment before nodding.
They'd done this once. Jamie wanted to try bottom and Tyler had been excited, but it was a bit too uncomfortable and stilted so they didn't try it again, and just finished each other off with sloppy hand jobs and kisses.
But Jamie had liked Tyler’s fingers in him. Two of them at least.
This they could do.
Tyler holds his hand out when he sees Jamie open the drawer, pulling out lube.
He then makes quick work of slicking up his fingers and tossing the tube aside.
Jamie sucks in a sharp breath as Tyler sucks his length back into his mouth, and his hands card back into Tyler’s hair.
He slips his hand back behind Jamie's balls, stroking along until he reaches Jamie’s hole again.
Jamie yanks a hand out of Tyler’s hair to clamp it over his mouth as Tyler pushes one finger in and sucks hard at the head.
Tyler smiles around Jamie and pushes his finger deeper.
Jamie lets out little whimpers as Tyler twists his finger and sucks.
He rubs one calf along Tyler’s ribs and shivers, murmuring, “T-Tyler… P-Pleasssse.... An-nother… More…”
Tyler couldn't deny Jamie anything ever, but Jamie shaking against him, softly stuttering out a desperate plea for Tyler to put another finger inside of him as he tries not to buck up into Tyler's mouth…
Tyler loves him so much.
He pushes a second finger in and hooks them as he sucks down Jamie's length.
Jamie's so incredibly hard, and Tyler can feel his balls tightening.
Tyler finds that sweet bud inside of Jamie and swipes his fingertips against it, taking Jamie deep in his throat.
Just as he is pulling back to swirl his tongue around the head, Jamie makes makes a noise like a sob, stroking a shaking hand up the back of Tyler’s neck, and Tyler eases up a little.
“Ty, baby… I… I'm gonna-... I can't…”
Tyler pats Jamie's hip in confirmation, and sucks down again, swiping his fingers across the sensitive spot inside of Jamie one last time before Jamie grunts, biting on his fist and bucking his hips slightly as he releases into Tyler’s mouth.
Tyler wipes his mouth off and slowly extracts his fingers.
He presses a kiss to the inside if Jamie's thigh and slides up Jamie's shaking body to press another to his jaw, rubbing a hand up and down Jamie's broad chest.
Jamie shakily puts his hand on the small of Tyler’s back.
He still hasn't opened his eyes again, so Tyler gives him a moment, standing to get a damp cloth from their bathroom, washing his hands.
When he returns, Jamie is still breathing heavy, eyes slowly blinking open.
Tyler smiles softly, climbing gently onto Jamie, straddling his thigh and lifting his other thigh just a little to wipe the cloth along Jamie's sensitive hole, cheeks and up under his balls.
“Ty... “ Jamie says so gently, causing Tyler’s eyes to snap up to Jamie's.
He looks so gentle and loving and Tyler tosses the cloth aside to lean down, cupping one hand behind Jamie's head, the other tangling their fingers together as he presses his forehead against Jamie's, grinning a stupid happy grin.
“Hi, gorgeous,” he says.
Jamie huffs and smiles back.
“You good, baby?” Tyler asks gently as his hand rubs down the back of Jamie's neck, sliding up the side of his neck to his jaw.
Jamie shuts his eyes and nods, letting a breath out.
Tyler is about to slide off of him, but Jamie's arms wrap tightly around him, keeping him on top of him.
“Hey…”
Tyler meets Jamie's eyes again and, wow…
Jamie's eyes are so dark and fierce, Tyler feels stripped raw by them, more vulnerable than when Jamie had him pinned naked to the bed. Any time he's done that.
“Y-yeah?”
“I love you. So much.”
“I love you, too, Jame…”
Jamie’s hand shakily caresses Tyler's cheek before dropping back to the pillow.
Tyler leans down to kiss Jamie fiercely.
He pulls back and slides onto the bed to Jamie's side, still octopus’d around Jamie, who has both arms loosely draped around Tyler.
“Merry Christmas, sugar…” Jamie mumbles against Tyler’s temple.
“Merry Christmas, love,” Tyler smiles, snuggling deeper against Jamie.
They wake to Jamie's phone shrieking at them and he sleepily groans and gropes around for it.
Tyler smiles and grabs it, handing it to Jamie.
He looks at it with one eye and swipes the screen, answering with a groggy “yeah?”
Tyler watches as he murmurs a few more things and hangs up.
He runs his hand down Tyler's back and says, “I gotta take care of something, be right back, baby.”
Tyler wants to ask but Jamie is already slipping out of bed slowly, pulling clothes on.
He watches Jamie dress quietly with a smile.
As Jamie reaches the bedroom door, he says, “meet me by the tree in 10 minutes, okay?”
Tyler nods at him and watches him go.
After getting dressed and cleaning up a bit, he slowly pads out of the room, down the hallway and to the tree room, hearing his sisters and Jenny cooing.
Marshall yips excitedly and Tyler smiles, wondering what's so awesome.
He steps in to see the girls, Jack, and Marshall all crowded around Jamie, who has his back to the door, but is holding something that has everyone's attention.
Candace turns and sees Tyler, tapping Jamie's shoulder.
Jamie turns his head to see Tyler and grins.
“Merry Christmas, Tyler,” he says gently, turning to face Tyler.
Snuggled in his arms is a wiggling black puppy, wearing a smaller version of Marshall’s elf costume.
Tyler makes the least manly noise he's ever made and scurries to pet the puppy.
“Oh my gosh! He's so cute! Look at his tiny little nose! I- Jamie?!” Tyler meets Jamie's eyes, which are crinkled with his huge dorky smile as he watches Tyler.
“I thought maybe Marshy would want a little brother,” Jamie says softly.
Tyler barely registers his mom and Jamie's parents enter the room as he stares at Jamie.
“What's his name?” Tyler basically whispers.
“The place Sharpy and I found him was calling him Midnight, but they said he's young enough to change it, if you want to.”
Tyler mouths, ‘Sharpy’, shaking his head and making a mental note to thank him.
He turns his attention back to the puppy cooing over him and Jamie hands him over, letting Tyler cradle him, getting licked and whimpered at.
Jackie and Heather come over to pet him too, Randy stepping close to Jamie, putting a hand on Jamie's back and saying, “That's a hell of a collar, son,” grinning at Jamie, then Tyler.
Tyler looks up to see Heather, Jenny, Jack, and his mom looking as confused as him while his sisters have tears welling up with huge smiles.
Jamie looks unusually red, chewing on his lip.
Tyler looks back down, catching the puppy’s collar in his fingers.
It's just a small green collar, but Tyler turns it to see the tag and there's a bit of mistletoe.
As Tyler is about to laugh, he notices looped around the mistletoe is a hook with two gold bands on it.
His jaw drops so fast it hurts.
“Jamie?”
Jamie's fingers slip under his chin, tipping his head up to meet his eyes, suddenly standing so close to Tyler.
Tyler feels how much he's shaking.
“Oh my god!” Jackie squeaks, clapping her hands over her mouth.
“Tyler… I… I love you and I… if you want it too, I want to spend every Christmas with you from now on,” he chews his lips and slips the rings off of the collar. “Will you marry me?”
Tyler nods immediately, and Randy takes the puppy from his arms so Tyler can wrap his arms tight around Jamie, kissing any part of his face and neck he can get at.
Jamie clings tight to him, laughing and saying, “oh, thank god.”
Tyler pulls back, saying, “Oh my god, you thought I'd say no?!”
Jamie ducks his head a little, starting to stammer.
Tyler takes Jamie's face in both hands, meeting his eyes and then pressing a kiss to his lips.
Jamie moves back to take Tyler’s hand and slide his ring on and starts to put his own on before Tyler snatches it and slides it on Jamie's finger himself.
They stand there, holding each other's hands and smiling dopey smiles at their rings for a moment before looking into each other's eyes and Tyler almost can't handle how Jamie looks at him.
He feels tears welling up in his eyes and he wraps Jamie back in his arms, kissing him.
Tyler is only vaguely aware of pictures being taken and his and Jamie's mothers crying.
Jamie suddenly jumps and pulls back to look at Heather.
“You little shit, why didn't you tell me?!”
Jackie gives Jamie a gentle smack too, saying, “No shit! How could you not tell us you were going to do this?!”
Jamie smiles and stammers for a moment before saying, “It was supposed to be a surprise!”
“Why did he know?!” Heather says, pointing at Randy.
“I wanted his advice… And Candace and Cassidy helped me figure out some details I needed to know.”
“We have a group pinterest board,” Candace says.
“For wedding stuff and proposal ideas,” Cassidy adds.
Jenny smacks Jamie from the other side and says, “Why wasn't I in on that?!”
Tyler chuckles through his tears and snuggles his face into Jamie's neck.
Jamie asking his sisters was a smart move, actually.
“It's not just a present and surprise for Tyler, ladies,” Randy says. “He wanted to surprise everyone.”
“Who else knew?” Jackie demands.
“Um, Sharpy. And I got in touch with Blacker and Brownie about it, too… So they knew,” Jamie says, partially to Tyler.
He lifts his head to look at Jamie for that.
“Really? Brownie is terrible at keeping secrets from me, how did that happen?”
Jamie smiles and says, “I told him if he spilled I wouldn't do it,” he laughs and adds, “I mean, I still would have. But he doesn't know me well enough yet to catch my bluffs.”
Tyler laughs and lifts his hand to look over Jamie's shoulder at his ring.
Jamie presses a kiss to his forehead and murmurs, “Merry Christmas, fiancée.”
Tyler buries his face deep into Jamie's neck and mumbles, “Merry Christmas, fiancée…”
Later, when they're sitting together on the loveseat, watching their family exchange presents, the puppy asleep on Tyler’s lap as Marshall is cuddled up with his body stretched across Jamie's lap to keep his snout against the puppy’s side, Tyler softly says, “I think I'll name him Cash.”
Jamie snuffles in Tyler’s hair, mumbling, “Oh?”
Tyler nods and says, “Like Johnny Cash? Man in black?”
Jamie chuckles and says, “Okay, then. Whatever you want, baby.”
“I want a early summer wedding.”
Jamie smiles and says, “I know.”
“In the gazebo. And I want only white and purple flowers.”
“I know.”
“I want us both in black with purple accents and the wedding party in purple with black accents.”
“I know.”
“And I want my my sisters, Blacker, Brownie, and Pat as my bridesmaids,” Tyler giggles.
Jamie smirks and says, “What if I want to be the bride?”
Tyler sighs a theatrical sigh, saying, “I guess.”
“No, you can be the bride, I don't wanna wear a veil.”
“You don't want to throw the bouquet?”
Jamie laughs and says, “I'd rather remove and throw your garter at the reception.”
Tyler loses his straight face and crumples into Jamie, laughing hard enough to disturb Cash.
“Sorry, buddy,” he says, scratching one black ear.
“Who gets the honor of giving you away to me as my bride, then? Your mom?” Jamie jokes.
Tyler shakes his head and says, “None of that. We walk down the aisle both times together.”
“I know, Cass told me you wanted that.”
“That part's really important to me.”
Jamie nuzzles Tyler and says, “I really like that.”
They're quiet for a moment before Tyler quietly asks, “Who will be your groomsmen… women… people?”
“Mm, Jenny will demand it… Sharpy for sure. Spezz and Fidds. Morrow… Pevs… Oh, crap… I'll have to work it down to five somehow.”
“Fuck that, you can have up to 8 before it's gratuitous.”
“Oh? It won't look weird if it's unbalanced?”
Tyler shrugs.
Jamie smiles and wraps his arms tighter around Tyler.
Tyler is quiet for a while before asking, “Would it be weird if you had a photo of your brother as one of your groomsmen?”
Jamie bites his lip then says, “I don't know, would it?”
Tyler moves to meet Jamie's eyes eyes and says, “It'd be weird if he wasn't there. And if he can't see his little brother get married…” he trails off with a shrug.
Jamie looks at Marshall and chews his lip.
“He'll be there in everyone's heart, but I don't think anyone would think it's weird if we had a physical representation of him,” Tyler says.
Jamie looks at him out of the corner of his eye and finally says, “That’s… I really appreciate that. A lot. But I don't know. He probably wouldn't want that. I know he's always with me. And my sister and parents. That'd be enough for him, I think.”
“Okay, that's up to you, Jame. You have him with us however you want to and I'll support it. I want him there anyway we can have him.”
Jamie bites back the tears threatening to come and nods, wrapping Tyler in his arms and pressing his face into Tyler’s shoulder.
“Thank you, Ty…”
Tyler strokes Jamie's hair, kissing his temple.
Jamie sighs and settles close, letting Tyler move his hands.
His eyes land on the fake fireplace, watching for a while.
“It's weird,” he finally says and he feels Tyler turn so his lips are pressing against his temple. “I never thought a fire would bring a person I love, who makes me so happy, into my life.”
Tyler smiles and says, “It is weird. I never thought I'd be glad my home caught on fire.”
Jamie chuckles and laces his fingers with Tyler's.
“I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
End.