Chapter Text
The night has not completely given way for day yet when Jensen wakes up for the first time on the day he will marry. This is a day he has been waiting for a long time, even before he met Jared. He has not always had a strong idea of what the day would look like or who he would marry, but he always knew he wanted to get married, that he wanted to start a family with someone. He has been blessed with a family, and extended family, that has consisted of what has looked like good and solid marriages. As an adult, he has realized that there has probably been a fair share of problems in all of those marriages, but they have worked on those, and they all seem happy to have each other.
He is very much aware that not everyone has had a family like that.
He feels blessed that Jared wants to get married to him. He wants to wake up each morning and chose, again and again, to live with Jared and make this relationship work.
The sound of the refrigerator door being opened and closed makes Jensen aware of what it was that woke him up so early. Jared's side of the bed is empty, but not yet cold.
Jensen get up bed and throw a glance at the clock before walking barefoot across the cold flor. Wrapped in the blankets from the bed, he walks out in the kitchen, to investigate what it has brought Jared up at this time of night.
"Hey, are you okay?" The voice, still raspy from sleep. "What are you doing up so early? It’s only ten past four?”
It’s usually around that time that Jared’s episodes starts, and they both know that.
"Needed something to drink." Jensen notice the coke bottle in Jared's hand and then the pill box on the counter. "Are you sick?"
“I don’t know.”
“Okay?”
“A little nauseated. Doesn’t know if it’s just nerves, or what. Don’t know what to do. I don’t want to not take medication, gambling on it being just nerves, and then wake up tomorrow in a full-blown episode.”
“I understand that.”
“But I don’t want to take medication now, if it isn’t an episode, and then maybe trigger another episode late tomorrow, and then I can’t take enough medication, because I used too much of my daily dose now.”
“It’s not easy, is it?”
“No.” It’s barely there, but Jensen can hear the tremor in Jared’s voice. He’s bending his head down, and the light is dim, so Jensen can’t get a good look at his face, but he doesn’t have to see to know that there are tears running down Jared’s face.
“Come here” he says and take a step toward Jared. Jared stand still for a moment before he turn toward Jensen to be wrapped up in his arms. Jensen wraps them both up in his blankets, and just hold him for a long time while Jared finally let his tears run free.
“I hate CVS!” he barely whispers, before he takes a deep breath and say it again. This time louder and then pull out from Jensen’s embrace. “I hate CVS, and I won’t let that fucking monster ruin our wedding.”
Jensen looks at him for a while, while he is holding the pill box, and eventually pops out one pill and swallow it down with coke.
“I take one pill now, just in case.” He usually takes three. “It’s not enough to abort an episode, but hopefully it will ease it enough, so that if it really is an episode, I am able to abort it later.”
“Sound like a plan.” He grabs Jared’s hand to lead them back to the bedroom.
“I put the alarm on at 6, so that I can check again, and take the last 2 pills if I need.”
“Okay.”
“Then I’ll have a few hours before the ceremony starts, so that I can at least be free of vomit and diarrhea by then. I can always stand there with pain. I just have to make sure that I don’t have to be in a bathroom.”
“I love you,” Jensen says as they climb into bed. He wishes there were something he could do, he feels so helpless.
“Love you too.”
“And by the way,” he says as they are tucked into bed again, “I hate CVS too.”
~*~
Jensen lies awake for a while just watching Jared sleep. No matter what happens this day, he is determined that he will do everything in his power to make sure this day will be filled with happy memories for Jared.
~*~
The third time Jensen woke up on the day he was getting married, it is to find Jared wrapped around him like an octopus.
~*~
Oh My God I’m getting married today, the words pops into his mind, and makes his heart jump. “Oh my god, we are getting married today.”
“I know,” laughs Jared, “didn’t you realize until now?”
It wasn’t that he hadn’t realized, it was more that everything has been crazy this morning. He hasn’t had time to think. Their mothers and sisters showed up way too early, and he couldn’t even remember making plans for them to come over According to everyone else though, Jared included, it has been in the plans for a long time. Why both mothers and sisters had to be there, is completely unknown to Jensen, but they seem to be busy enough.
They ran around, asking about their shirts and socks and shoes and whether everything was ironed and ready to be worn. They talked to each other and on the phone and constantly asked the boys to hurry. Like the wedding would even take place without them.
“People have appointments to get married after you, silly,” his sister said, making him aware that he had voiced that particular thought out loud. Apparently his brain to mouth filter isn’t adjusted for ‘oh-my-god-I’m-getting-married-today’-panic.
They have done their best to obey their mothers, and told their sisters they look wonderful - and their mothers too – and finally they are able to leave. Jensen remembered last minute that he has forgotten to eat the sandwich he had made, but it is too late to do anything about it now.
“Have you eaten?” He manage to whisper to Jared as they climb into the back of Jeff’s car.
“Yes, have you?” Jared answers.
“I forgot,” he says and give a little laugh.
“Oh Jensen!”
“I know! But I’m fine. I can wait until dinner.”
Dinner won’t be for another 4 hours, but he can go far longer than that without food. To be honest, he isn’t sure he could have eaten anything anyway, not until the butterflies settles, and he can breathe again. It’s far more important that Jared has had anything to eat.
“You look great today,” he says, and enjoy the view of Jared. Dressed up to get married, and with a radiant smile on his face.
“So do you.”
They entwine their hands and say nothing more for the rest of the drive.
~*~
All of their family and friends are waiting for them outside the city hall. The sun is hidden behind a veil of clouds, but there is no hint of rain, and the temperature is comfortable. There are smiles, and happy faces, and hugs and cameras and flashes going off, and a lot of people wishing them well.
“Are we ready to go in?” It’s Jared that asks the question, while Jensen is still a little overwhelmed by all the people being there just for of them. Family and friends having flown in to celebrate that he and Jared will promise each other to spend the rest of their lives together. So many people being happy for them, even though he knows that a few of them had needed a little time to accept that if he ever would get married, it would be with a man.
“Yeah, I’m ready,” he says, and for the first time all day, he feels completely calm.
~*~
“Do you, Jensen, take Jared Tristan Padalecki to be your lawfully wedded husband?”
“I do.”
“Do you Jared, take Jensen Ross Ackles, to be your lawfully wedded husband?”
“I do.”
“So give each other your vows.”
"Jared, I promise to love and care for you, and I will try in every way to be worthy of your love.Iwill always be honest with you, kind, patient and forgiving.Ipromise to try to be on time, but most of all, I promise to be a true and loyal friend to you.Ilove you."
“Jensen. I love you. I thank the gods every day for meeting you. You make me a better person. I promise to love and care for you and honor you until the day we die. I promise to be honest with you, to communicate with you; not only to be clear about my needs and wishes, but to listen to and respect yours as well. I promise to always do my best to make our relationship better. I promise to never take you for granted.”
Jensen has a hard time holding back the tears while Jared is saying his vows. It doesn’t matter though, because Jared has already opened his tear flood, and there is oh’s and ah’s and tears and laughter from all the females present.
“The rings,” Jared whispers, and Jensen fumbles to get them out. Damn, he was sure he would be able to do this without shaking hands. And yet, here he is, basically unable to put it on.
“Need any help?” Jared asks, but Jensen just shake his head. This is something he will do himself.
Jensen feel almost a little smug when Jared seems to have just as much trouble as he did.
“By the authority vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and husband.”
Jared breaks out in a smile, and Jensen is completely lost in it. He can’t believe it, he is married to this wonderful man.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you Jensen and Jared Ackles-Padalecki.”
Everyone is cheering and clapping, and someone calls for a kiss.
And they do. They grin and meet in a kiss, and then one more.
~*~
“Ma, look, I’m married!” Jared says and hold up his hand so that his mother can take a look at the ring.
“I know, honey,” Sherri says with a smile, and grabs his hand. “Congratulations.” She reaches up to give him a kiss on the cheek, but Jared grabs her and engulf her in a hug. Jensen gets teary-eyed
watching them, and get even more happy when his father suddenly puts his arms around his shoulder and say “Congratulation, son. How does it feel?”
He turn his attention away from his husband and mother-in-law, to look at his father instead. “unreal.”
“Yeah,” Alan nods, “I can still remember the feeling when I married your mother. Couldn’t believe how lucky I was that had managed to make her agree to marry me.”
“Yeah?” Jensen says and toward his mom who’s standing just behind her husband.
“Took a lot of convincing,” she laughs and moves in to give her son a hug. “Congratulation, Jensen, you’re a great couple.”
“Thanks.”
“He’s a good man.”
“He really is. I’m lucky to have found him.”
“And he’s lucky to have found you!”
“That’s right,” Jared suddenly say right behind him, and Jensen can just reach out his arm to grab his husband’s hand.
“Are you ready to go, husband?”
~*~
Danneel has gone before them and greets them at the entrance to Miranda’s. The store is decorated with flowers and candle lights, and all the tables are sat together to form an L. The wedding couple’s seats are sat at the corner of the L, so that everyone can see them, regardless of where they are sat: in the main section, or in what will be the wifi-section of the store.
All the staff are lined up behind the counter, all dressed in white underneath their white aprons. The wedding cake has been delivered early in the day and are placed in the cooled tower-display at the end of the counter. The rest of the cakes and pastry that are placed in the brand-new pastry counters.
He can see the moment Jared sees it. His breath hitches and then he gets completely still.
“Really?”
He turns to Jensen and ask again. “Really?”
“Of course.”
“Wow, Jensen, I…. I have no words. Thank you!” He walks over and reach up to touch the steel. The sign mounted over the coffe machine in the wi-fi section of the store. The sign that spells out “Jared’s corner.”
“You’re my Miranda,” he whispers into the creek of Jared’s neck when Jared pulls him in a massive hug.
~*~
Jensen has to dry his tears many times during dinner, he had no idea there would be so many speeches and so many loving words about him and Jared. He can’t stop watching his husband, and feel enormous relief that Jared hasn’t been sick today. He can see that Jared is tired, but he’s happy, and that’s what’s important.
“Do you want some coffee?” he asks Jared, assuming that some caffeine would be good for him now.
“Yeah, but I want to make it,” Jared says, “to us both.”
“No, no, keep still, I’ll do it.”
“Jensen, please I want to do it,” he says and gets up before Jensen can say no more. He watch Jared as he walks up to the coffee machine. He can see that Danneel offers to make the coffee from him, but he refuse her help as well. His heart swells every time he can see Jared glance up at the sign, while he’s making the coffee.
“It looks good great,” a voice says next to Jensen and making him startle. “You’ve done really good.”
“Yeah, you like it?” Jensen turn toward the voice, and see his uncle standing beside him.
“I really do. Mom and dad would be proud of how you’ve run the shop.”
“You think so?”
“Yes, I do. I’m proud of how you run the shop too.”
“Thank. It means a lot. I was worried you might think I’ve removed it too far for what it once was.”
“Jensen, when your mother and I sold the shop to you, I sold my right to have any say in how the shop is run. You never have to worry about that. But even if I had the right to an opinion, I would have agreed to how you do it. You have taken well care of the legacy from mom and dad. Well done.”
“Thanks.”
His uncle is about to leave for his seat when Jensen stops him. “By the way, I have some old cups from the old shop, with the original logo on them. I saved a few in case you guys want some. I have enough to everyone; kids and grandkids. Just ask Danneel to get them before you go.”
“Thanks, I would love that.”
He give Jensen a pat on his back before he moves over to talk to some other guests. Jared is carefully balancing two cups of coffee back to the table, and place one of them in front of Jensen. He looks down, and smile when he the art. “A heart this time, huh?”
“Yeah, you like it?”
“I love it. You’ve done well!”
“Thanks. I think so too,” Jared laughs.
“And this you can even serve to customers.”
“Nope,” Jared says and leans in to give Jensen a kiss, “this one is reserved for you.”
~*~
It’s night, and already a few hours into the day after their marriage when Jared turns toward Jensen. “I know who I am now,” he whispers.
Jensen doesn’t answer, just rolls over to face Jared as well.
“I’m still me,” he says, “only a lesser version than I otherwise would have been.”
Jensen opens his mouth to response, but Jared silence him with a finger to his lip. “But that’s okay. Because I am still me.”
THE END