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Joe and Ox had been together for over a year when Joe brought it up. It was still early in the morning and they were lying in bed, legs intertwined with Ox’s head on Joe's chest, listening to the heartbeat he loved so much. Everything was still so new, them being together, finally being able to be the mates they were supposed to be. New, but also so very familiar because this was Joe, Ox’s best friend, the one he knew better than himself and the one he’d always loved. His heart stumbled when Joe pulled him tighter against his side, a hard line of muscle against his naked skin.
Ox had to get up soon, Gordo surely waiting for him at the garage with a grumpy look on his face and grumbling about Ox being late once again. It had become a habit of his, it was just too hard to get out of bed with Joe next to him and clinging to him like an octopus that never wanted to let go.
It was then, that Joe looked at him so softly, full of love and wonder, a crease forming between his brows in a determined expression. And before Ox could prepare himself Joe said, “Marry me,“ heartbeat stumbling like it never had before.
Ox’s mind was still clouded with sleep and he was sure it was a dream when he heard Joe's words- no, his proposal because this is what it was and Joe's voice was unsure but full of hope and so beautiful.
Ox was sure his heart stopped beating for a moment because what he was hearing was too good, too wonderful to be anything but a dream. He leaned up so he could look at Joe’s face. It was open and vulnerable, “What?“
It wasn’t what he wanted to say or what he had ever planned to say in a moment like this but Ox had never been the smartest and Joe Bennett managed to make him speechless once again. Joe intertwined their fingers and brushed his thumb over the back of Ox’s hand and for a quick second Ox remembered how Jessie had used to do that too and that it'd never felt like that. It'd never felt like that with anyone.
Joe pressed his foot against his leg and Ox got the overwhelming feeling of home. It made his heart ache.
“If you want. Only if you want. Just know that I want to. I want to marry you so, so much and I can’t stop thinking about it.“ Joe's voice was nothing more than a whisper but he wasn’t scared or embarrassed. No, he was in awe as if he had been waiting to ask for a while. Because maybe he had.
Ox’s face broke into a smile, “Yes, of course, I just thought- I thought we already are. Somehow. You know?“ They were mates and that was a forever kind of thing.
Once again, he was perplexed by how little he knew about werewolves. He was in love with one but he had no idea how Joe worked. He was one and he had definitely no idea how he worked. But he wasn’t a natural wolf, he was bitten which meant he still had so much to learn.
Joe smiled a quiet smile, one that was meant just for him, “Yeah, we are. And we are mates and that is so much more. Being mates is much more than that. It’s a bond deeper than anything else, connecting our souls and hearts forever. And I know you don't have to take my name to be mine but don't you want to be a Bennett? Then it would be legal and official and it would be on your passport and everyone would know.“ Joe’s voice was more a growl than words by the time he was done.
Ox had trouble breathing. “Yeah. I would love that. I would love that so much."
“Really?“ Joe’s eyes glowed red and he made a noise more wolf than man as if he hadn’t expected Ox to say yes. As if Ox would ever say no to Joe. Then he said, “Ox Bennett,“ as if he was trying out the taste of it, the words sounding beautiful out of Joe’s mouth.
“Okay."
“Ox."
“Yeah."
“Ox."
“I know."
Joe was silent as he studied his face, eyes moving rapidly, taking everything in, looking for what, Ox didn’t know.
“Make me a Bennett.“
Joe’s face broke into a blinding smile that must have been mirrored in his own. He wanted to kiss it away. So he did.
—
Ox didn’t have a stonewolf to give to Joe. And he knew it wasn’t necessary, that his word alone and the beat of his heart was enough to tell Joe how much he loved him. But Joe had given Ox something meaningful to represent his love, his trust and his devotion to him and Ox wanted to give something back. He didn’t have a stonewolf to give, so all he could do was to give him a ring. That was the second thing he was most excited about getting married to Joe. The first thing was getting fucking married to Joe. He couldn’t wait to be bound to him in every way possible, for everyone to know who he belonged to. And that Joe belonged to him.
Ox took Carter ring shopping who’d also helped Joe and Ox trusted him to make sure that he would get a ring that matched Joe’s. Ox kind of regretted that decision when Carter suggested to get Yiff forever engraved in his ring. All Ox did, was to give Carter’s shoulder a hard shove as he was trying not to laugh. But in the end, taking Carter had been a good decision when he smiled at him softly, nodding enthusiastically after Ox had laid his eyes on a beautiful simple silver ring and he knew that it was the one he wanted.
In the end, when they were in the car on their way home Carter asked, “Next stop, lingerie store?“
Ox almost choked on his tongue, “The what?“
Carter’s laugh was mischievous and dangerous when he answered, “You know. For the wedding night,“ wiggling his eyebrows.
Ox stared at him blankly, “I hate you so much right now.“
Carter only laughed harder.
—
It was hot on the day of their wedding, mid-July and the sun was burning down on them, even when it was late in the afternoon with the evening approaching fast. The ceremony would be in the woods, in the clearing, where they would feel most connected to the earth and the trees around them. Their territory. Their home. The light filtered through the canopy, wrapping everything into a golden glow.
Elizabeth, Kelly, and Gordo had done most of the decoration and had turned the clearing into a beautiful paradise of flowers and lights and magic.
There were chairs on each side of the aisle, just enough for each member of the pack. Tied to the back of the chairs were purple and white irises. They’d been Maggie's favorite and it’d been Joe’s idea. He'd thought it’d be a way to honor her, have a part of her with them on one of the most important days of their lives. When Joe had brought it up, Ox had never loved anything or anyone more than him in that moment, wondering how so much happiness could mix with so much blue.
Joe was wearing a black suit with a bow tie and he was sweating like crazy, though he thought the heat wasn’t the only reason. Ox’s eyes glazed over when he saw him and it gave Joe all kinds of nasty thoughts and he suddenly couldn’t wait any longer, eager for the night.
Carter walked Joe down the aisle and as they were approaching Ox slowly, Joe felt like he got punched in the chest. Ox’s eyes were so soft when he looked at him and he was sure that expression was mirrored on his own face.
There wasn’t just happiness, though. Joe could feel the blue coming off in waves off every pack member. As Carter was walking next to Joe, it was more prominent than ever who was missing and Joe was overwhelmed with grief at the thought that his father would never walk him down the aisle on the most important day of his life. He would never get to see this, would never see the day when Richard was defeated and his pack finally got to rest and live their lives. Maggie would never see her little boy standing at the altar, getting married to the love of his life, never would be able to help with the wedding preparations or laugh with them at Sunday dinner.
Their absence was a loss that curled around all of them so much it had become a part of them, no matter how happy they were.
Mark was the one officiating the wedding and he stood in the front, smiling at Joe when he and Carter reached the front. Carter moved to his place on the side as Joe’s best man. Kelly was on the other side as Ox’s and they were both looking incredibly proud.
It was then, that Joe’s brain was an asshole that could never let him rest when memories of terror flashed before his eyes for a short, awful moment. The sounds of his screams, the feel of his warm blood, red and bright against his skin, the floor, Richards knifes. The smell of agony and tears and the feeling of absolute hopefulness. For a moment he forgot where he was, remembering when he was a child and that man came for him. That man who was made of nightmares and evil and took him, robbing him of his innocence and his childhood.
And at that moment Ox took Joe’s hands in his and Joe was back in the present, just like that. He only saw Ox and all the bad things in the world disappeared.
And Joe relished the fact that he now got to have this. This overwhelming happiness, finally feeling like he belonged, with his home, his pack, his mate.
Sometimes Joe thought he was still in Richards basement. Sometimes he thought Ox was just an illusion. But Ox always managed to pull him back from that thought, grounded him with a simple touch, the hint of a smile, with nothing more than a whisper against his skin that said homesafemate.
Mark was trying to focus on Joe and Ox but everyone could see how his eyes kept moving towards Gordo. It was embarrassing and a little endearing, but mostly embarrassing.
It was a sweet ceremony, Joe and Ox didn’t once look away from each other, too caught up in their own world. Gordo refused to admit that his eyes watered but everyone was seeing right through him. Chris, Tanner, and Rico made fun of him before they all tried to pull him into a hug but Gordo shoved them away.
Rico called him a big old sap and Gordo rolled his eyes, grumbling to himself.
A warm breeze was whistling in the leaves around them and it blew over Joe’s skin and through his air as Mark pronounced him and Ox husbands. The others were cheering and clapping loudly, disturbing the birds in the trees. Joe smiled against Ox’s lips when he finally got to kiss Ox and Ox’s hands in his tightened.
After, Joe got a clap on the back from Gordo, a squeeze on his shoulder from Mark. A high five from Jessie. A thumbs up from Robbie. A tight, tight group hug from his brothers who he loved so dearly. He got his mom’s hand on his cheek as she looked at him with tear filled eyes, voice shaking when she said, “Your father would be so happy to see you today. And he would be so, so proud of you. Please never doubt that.“ He buried his face in her neck then, breathing in the smell of his mother, trying not to weep.
—
The party afterward was filled with all kinds of stupid games, dancing, and laughter.
Jessie had brought her girlfriend Matilda, who looked sweet as candy but was tough as hell. They were spinning around, barefoot in their Summer dresses that were flowing in the wind, the wildflowers they’d braided into their hair were colorful and messy.
When the sun disappeared behind the horizon and made room for darkness, the fairy lights and lanterns that Elizabeth and Mark had put up were bright and pretty in the trees, like thousands of fireflies under the stars.
Joe and Ox's first dance as a married couple was clumsy and all over the place but they wouldn’t have it any other way. The air was warm. The grass was cool. Ox's breath was hot against his face. Kelly had tried to teach Joe how to dance but he wasn’t really good at it himself so the end result wasn’t expected to be very good. But they didn’t mind because Ox was even worse. He was nervous and claimed to be too tall to be a good dancer.
Joe smiled at that and said, “I’m just as tall, you know?“, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
Ox blushed and pouted but his hands on Joe’s back tightened possessively, “Whatever.“
Joe couldn’t wait to grow old with him.
There must have been something on his face that showed his emotions because Ox suddenly looked at him curiously, and he smiled so brightly when Joe said, “We're mates,“ sure as ever, as if nothing else mattered.
“Yeah. Yeah, Joe. We are.“
“We are married.“
Ox’s whole being was blinding, "Yes."
"I love you, Ox. I love you more every day."
There was a deep happiness inside of Ox that wrapped around his heart and tugged every time he looked at Joe. "You too, Joe. Do you have any idea how much?"
Joe reached a hand up and traced Ox's eyebrows, "I do. I can feel it. I can smell it. I can hear it in your breath. In your heartbeat. I can see it in your eyes. I never want to look away. You’re mine, Ox. Forever. And I will never let you go.“
—
Ox didn’t know for how long they had been celebrating but it was getting late and he noticed Gordo standing alone at the side of the clearing with a glass of wine in his hand, watching their pack with a thoughtful look in his eyes. Ox realized he hadn’t talked much to him that evening and he couldn’t have that. Gordo was his father - brother - friend and he was too important. Ox made his way over to Gordo and leaned against a thick oak tree right next to him. "I saw you dancing with Mark earlier. For a while. For a long while.“
Ox expected a snarky remark to hide the fact that the big, tough, Gordo had feelings but instead Gordo chuckled silently and said, "Who would have thought? That we would end up here one day?“
"You didn’t?“
"Did you?“
Ox looked at his family. Carter and Jessie were at the buffet, trying to see who could stuff more cake into their mouth, Elizabeth and Mark were chatting silently with each other, heads sticking together like they were trading secrets.
He was a little shocked but not surprised when he saw Robbie and Kelly in their own little corner, hidden behind low hanging branches. Robbie’s hand was lying on top of Kelly’s, thumb carefully moving against Kelly’s skin as if he wasn’t sure if it was okay. Ox had been sensing the feelings blossoming between them for a while, it was about time Robbie finally made a move. Kelly was blushing as he was looking down at their joint hands.
Joe was nowhere to be seen but Ox suspected he’d wandered off, deeper into the woods like he always did when he wanted a moment to himself, needing to feel the leaves under his feet and the bark of the trees under his fingers.
He looked back at Gordo. His tattoos had been glowing brightly and colorfully all day. He was happy, Ox realized and he felt so green.
—
When the moon was high and bright in the sky they didn’t resist the pull any longer. The shift was easier for Ox every time he did it. His bones ached and pulled but it was uncomfortable only for a moment until his body sighed in relieve as his wolf was free. The humans ran with the wolves through the woods, leaving footprints in the dirt, twigs and leaves getting caught in their fur. The pack was howling until they were in unison, singing for their alphas and for the vow they took that would never break them apart. It has never sounded more beautiful.
Eventually, they went home, one after the other until Ox and Joe were the only ones left. They’d lied down on the grass in the middle of the clearing. They’d shifted back to their human form and the cold breeze of the night was cold against their naked skin. But they were comfortable in their nudity, enjoying to be so close to each other with nothing in between. Ox's head was on Joe's chest, tucked safely under his chin. His arm was slung around Joe's middle and their legs were tangled. His head was slowly rising and falling with Joe’s breath as he was listening to his heartbeat.
He was almost dozing when Joe’s voice pulled him back, his voice was soft, "I will love you forever, Ox.“
And how beautiful the steady rhythm of his heart was. It didn’t stumble, no alteration.