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“This man I marry,”
“While we both wish it, I give y’ that which is mine t’ give,”
“No matter our health,”
“Though y’ cannot command me,”
“I will love this man,”
“I shall serve y’ in the ways y’ require,”
“Respect this man,”
“I pledge t’ y’ that yours will be the name I cry aloud in the night and
the eyes into which I smile in the morning
“Console this man, help this man until the day our souls no longer walk the same plain,”
“I shall be a shield for your back and y’ for mine,”
“Protect this man, give him shelter when he wishes, give him warmth when he aches.”
“I shall honour y’ above all others,”
“I swear, to be with him, to love him, until I am no longer capable of breathing,”
“This is my weddin’ vow to y’,”
“The vow I shall honour for now and ever more.”
With no need for a command, their lips connected in a heated but loving kiss, the older mans arms dropping his hands to wrap around his waist. The younger man smiled into the kiss, yanking the other man deeper with hands on his cheeks. “Y’know, William?”
“Hm?”
“I love y’.”
“Mm, I should hope so. I don’t make it a habit to get this dressed up for a little fling.” Ronald could feel him grinning.
Slowly, they parted and Ronald actually had to wipe his eyes, jostling his glasses in the process. “Who’d a thought. Mr. Spears gettin’ married.”
William reached out, brushing away a stray tear from Ronald’s cheek, gently soothing his thumb under the younger man's eye. “He never believed he would. Alive or not, marriage always seemed like a far off dream for him.”
“Y’ dreamed about it?”
“A few times.”
Ronald looked around. It wasn’t a grand ballroom, nor a church, nor anywhere that could really be classified as fancy. In fact, it was the farthest thing from that. It’d been William’s idea and though anxious at first, Ronald agreed it was a nice idea, a way to show his parents that he fulfilled their dream like he did his own. “And…is this kinda what you thought about?”
William looked around himself. “To be honest, I didn’t have na exact idea what my wedding would look like. I’ve seen many grand weddings, but none of them ever striked my fancy.”
“Did your parents have an ideal marriage waiting for y’?”
“No. They never planned any part of my life.” he found himself laughing slightly, “I wasn’t even planned.”
Ronald blinked then frowned. “I’m sorry.”
William waved his hand. “I wasn’t planned but they did not cast me aside if that’s what you’re worried about.” he pulled Ronald into him again with another sweet kiss. “Nor do I ever plan to cast you aside.”
“Not even for work?”
“Not even for work.”
Ronald feigned a shocked gasp, covering his mouth with his palm. “Good golly gosh, I gotta be important if Mr. Spears is gonna put me before work.”
William rolled his eyes, adjusting his spectacles. “Honestly.”
Ronald grinned, stepping back once more to really eye his now husband up and down. The suit he wore wasn’t really different from his work attire, but the suit jacket was white with black trimmings, the dress shirt a black silk to match. The tie was white as well and his hair was slicked back instead of to the side. Ronald himself wore the complete white suit with black trimmings on the jacket, his shirt remaining white with a black bowtie. “I want y’ t’ wear this more often.” he said, tugging the lapels of William’s jacket.
“Why’s that?”
“Looks good on y’ and it’s nice t’ see y’ in something other than black.”
“I thought I looked rather dashing in black.”
“Well, yeah, y’ do. Y’ look dashing in anythin’.” he smirked, tugging again at William’s jacket. “Even in yellow and sparkle pants.”
William playfully cuffed him on the back of the head. “I specifically remember telling you, we will never speak of that again.”
“Y’ did.” his grin only grew.
William rolled his eyes, stepping past Ronald. The blonde watched him, his grin fading as the older man stepped up to the two worn away headstones he paid for out of his own pocket from the underpaid job he had at the time. To his surprise, William bowed to them. “I thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Knox, for giving me your son. I know this may not have been your ideal marriage nor would you have liked him to be here, but I will assure you, I will take care of him. I will love him for the eternity we will spend together. I wish I could thank you personally for giving me such a charming, wonderful young man. Thank you.”
Ronald felt his eyes water for a new reason. He stood next to William, hugging him from the side. “Y’ think they’d be proud of me?”
“I’m sure they would be.” he hugged Ronald, running his hand over his back. “Forgive me for asking, but, how old were you when you lost them?”
“Fifteen.”
William sighed, squeezing him gently. “I cannot imagine how hard that must have been on you.”
“It was difficult.” he admitted. “But I worked hard so I could make them happy…”
William kissed the top of Ronald’s head. “I know you did. If you make me this incredibly happy, I’m sure you made your parents just as.”
Ronald took a shuddering breath, grasping to William’s suit. He’d avoided coming home for so long now and not only to stand in front of their graves but to have just gotten married to the man he loved, it was overwhelming. “I miss ‘em.”
“I know you do.”
Ronald took a deep breath, wiping at his eyes again. “Y’ think we can get t’ the honeymoon now?”
William nodded, turning around with him. “By the by, Ronald.”
“Yeah?”
“I love you too.”
Ronald smiled, enfolding his arm around William’s. They left the house behind, Ronald daring to look over his shoulder. He smiled at his old house, the home that was somehow still standing, the home that he’d been born in. How fitting, he thought, that he’d started life in that house and now he was starting another life in the very same place. As much as he wished for his parents to have seen this, he knew they would have loved William, knew they’d be happy for him. So, he looked forward again, eager to properly start a new life, married to the man he’d fallen so hard for.