Work Text:
June 28th, 2030
“Mariah, hold still or you’ll wreck your hair!” David said to his five-year-old daughter, struggling to hold a half-finished French braid in place as the young girl squirmed.
“It hurts when you pull it, Abba!” Mariah protested.
“I’m sorry, but it won’t look right if it’s too loose. What does Nana always say?”
“Beauty is pain,” Mariah grumbled.
“Mhmm. I promise, if you sit still, I’ll be finished in five minutes.”
Mariah pouted, but let David finish. She had been grouchy all day, and David was losing his patience. Mariah was incredibly excited to be the flower girl for her dads’ vow renewal, and a consequence of that excitement had been an inability to sleep the night before. She’d refused to take a nap earlier in the day, determined not to miss out on any of the excitement.
Eloise, on the other hand, had sat patiently while David styled her hair and was now quietly doing her make-up on the other side of the room. Every time Mariah whined or cried out as David brushed and braided her hair, Eloise winced.
David watched his eldest daughter carefully, looking for early signs of sensory overload. He pinned Mariah’s hair in place and set it with hairspray before crossing the room to Eloise.
“How are you doing?” He asked softly, placing his hand on her shoulder. Eloise shrugged, leaning closer to the mirror and carefully sweeping eyeshadow over her eyelids. David sighed—non-verbal Eloise was a red flag.
“You look beautiful, honey,” he said with a smile. He meant it—Eloise looked positively ethereal in her floor-length gown. Flower appliqués were scattered over the bodice, meshing beautifully with the illusion neckline. The bodice gave way to a long skirt composed of several layers of white tulle, all of varying lengths. He and Patrick had allowed her to buy a pair of “real” heels for the occasion—gone were the days of one-inch chunky heels from the children’s section.
“Thanks, Abba,” Eloise replied with a slight smile. David adjusted his tie, then walked back over to Mariah, who was watching videos on Patrick’s iPad. He hated to disrupt her now that she was quiet and content, but he had no choice.
“Mariah, time to put the iPad away.”
“No!” Mariah snapped, and David frowned.
“The ceremony starts in five minutes, we need to go get your flower petals from Auntie Alexis. Come on, let’s go.” David took the iPad from his daughter and switched it off before picking up Mariah.
Big mistake. Mariah screamed right in his ear, trying to free herself from her father’s arms.
“NO!” she shrieked, and David heard Eloise’s make-up case slam closed before she pushed past him out of the room, unable to handle a Mariah temper tantrum at that moment. Frankly, David couldn’t handle it either. He carried Mariah down the hall to the room where Alexis and Stevie were getting ready along with Stevie’s date, Nina, and Charlie.
“Can you guys set Mariah up with her basket and maybe try to make...this…” he gestured vaguely to his crying child, “stop?” David handed Mariah over to Stevie, before heading out to track down Eloise.
***
After coaxing Eloise to join him, David met Stevie, Nina, Alexis, Ted, Charlie, and Mariah by the doors to the main ballroom. Just on the other side, Patrick and all their guests were waiting. Mariah’s eyes were puffy from crying, but she’d settled down enough to walk down the aisle. When everyone was ready, Stevie took Nina’s hand, opened the doors and the couple led the two youngest kids through them. Charlie, David realized in horror, wasn’t wearing the suit he had picked out to coordinate with Mariah’s dress. Instead, he was in overalls and a t-shirt printed with colourful dinosaurs.
“Alexis, what the fuck is your son wearing?!” he hissed in his sister’s ear.
“He wouldn’t put his suit on, David, he wanted to wear his favourite outfit instead! He still looks super cute, relax. Besides, you’re just renewing your vows, it’s not like this is your actual wedding!” David glared at her. “Oh my god, I am so close to setting your hair on fire right now.” A low murmur from the crowd caught David’s attention, and he looked up to see that Mariah had dropped her basket about halfway down the aisle. She gaped at the basket and the pile of petals next to it, her lower lip quivering for a moment before she started to wail. Poor Charlie, who had already made it to the end of the aisle, looked back at his cousin with concern. He ran back to Mariah and picked up the basket, scooping up petals and putting them back inside.
A soft chorus of “aww”s rippled through the crowd, and David didn’t even need to look at Ted to know he was on the verge of tears. Mariah stomped her foot on the ground and yelled, “No, Charlie! That’s mine!” before looking towards the end of the aisle. Her gaze locked on Patrick and she bolted towards him, tears streaming down her face. Patrick bent down and opened his arms, catching Mariah as she barrelled into him, picking her up, and holding her close.
“Shh, it’s okay, it’s okay, baby girl,” Patrick murmured soothingly, patting his daughter’s back gently.
David felt like he was going to melt into a puddle. Just as he was running out of patience, Patrick was right there to tag in and handle the situation. He couldn’t wait to marry this man all over again. Stevie motioned for Alexis and Ted to start walking, and the music resumed as they made their way down. Then, David linked arms with Eloise and they walked to the altar together. Patrick’s face lit up at the sight of them, and a wide grin spread across his face.
There was no officiant this time around, they had no need for one. Instead, David joined Patrick at the altar, still arm-in-arm with Eloise, while Patrick gently swayed Mariah back and forth in his arms. David took a deep breath before reading his vows.
“Patrick, ten years ago, I did something I didn’t think was possible for me—I married the love of my life. Little did I know, I was about to check off even more items on my ‘never-gonna-happen’ list. You have mended old wounds in me that I thought would never heal, and you opened me up to more forms of love than I thought I was capable of feeling. I love you, our life, and our family. And I’m just as excited to say these vows today as I was for the ones we took ten years ago.” David blinked back tears as he finished, smiling adoringly at his husband, who was crying a little.
“David,” Patrick began with a sniffle, before softly clearing his throat, “You came into my life like a hurricane—the moment we met, I knew everything was about to change. You introduced me to my true self, David. I was made to love you and to be loved by you. I wanted to be holding your hand for this next bit, but I think Mariah is asleep so I think we ought to skip it for now.” Patrick, David, and all the guests chuckled. “Anyway. Not a day goes by where I don’t thank every deity out there for leading me to you. I love you, David, and these first ten years were just the beginning of what will no doubt be an amazing story.” David gave his husband’s arm a squeeze, careful not to disrupt Mariah. Then, he turned to his eldest daughter.
“Eloise, Dad and I are including you and your sister in our vows, too, because today isn’t about just me and Dad. It’s about all of us, as a family. That being said...Ells, you bring so much to our lives. We have loved you since the day we met you, and we love you more every day. Having a kid was another thing on my ‘never-gonna-happen’ list, but thankfully your dad gave me the courage and strength to open my heart, and I’m so glad he did.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek, then took one of the small boxes from Charlie’s ring bearer pillow and gave it to her. Eloise opened it to reveal a beautiful rose gold necklace, with a delicate chain and a rose-shaped pendant. Engraved on each of the four little leaves that surrounded the pendant were each of their initials: D, P, E, and M.
Patrick smiled fondly at his daughter. “Eloise, today we want to re-commit to you as your family. Abba and I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in everything you do, and to always provide you with a safe haven.”
Eloise grinned, tears in her eyes, and David helped her put her necklace on.
While David fiddled with the small clasp, Patrick gently woke Mariah, setting her down to stand beside him. She rubbed her eyes and whined softly, but looked up at Patrick expectantly.
“Mariah, our little princess,” Patrick began, kneeling down to her eye level. “You are an absolute firecracker. Just like Abba, you walk into the room and make everyone notice you. I’m so happy I get to be your dad, and Abba and I are so excited to watch you grow into an amazing young person.”
David crouched down and picked up where his husband left off. “Mariah Mae Wren, I love you so much. You have two dads and a big sister who absolutely adore you. Today, we promise to always love and support you. We will be there for all your successes, all your failures, and everything in between.”
Patrick gave Mariah an identical necklace to Eloise’s, fastening it around her neck. She carefully touched the pendant with her fingertips before reaching towards Patrick with grabby hands. “Daddy, up!” she demanded. “One second, sweetie,” Patrick said, before leaning in and kissing David deeply, cupping his jaw in his hand. David returned the kiss enthusiastically as their guests applauded.
Once they broke apart, Patrick lifted Mariah back into his arms, then turned to the crowd and exclaimed, “Who’s ready to party?!”
***
As the main course was being cleared, Ted went up to the microphone. Everybody had a little too much to drink by this point, but Ted was a notorious lightweight and he was very clearly wasted.
“Hey, everybody, can I have your attention, please?” Ted shouted into the mic. The room fell silent and Ted grinned. “When I first met David, he thought he was dying. And Stevie brought him to me, even though I’m a vet, not a people...vet...uh...DOCTOR! That’s the word! I’m not a people doctor.” Alexis buried her face in her hands, too embarrassed to watch.
“Obviously, David didn’t die, because he’s right over there, being alive! You’re alive, David, and you even helped create life!” He exclaimed brightly, and David tensed. “Patrick, bud, you are such a lucky guy. Being married to a Rose can be pretty dang weird sometimes, but we lucked out, big guy.” Patrick gave Ted a small smile and nod, placing a steadying hand on David’s shoulder. “AND,” Ted continued loudly, “I know for a fact that David Brewer-Rose is a great kisser with super soft lips. They may even be softer than Alexis’s—no offense, babe.”
Alexis slouched down in her chair as if she was begging the floor to swallow her whole. The vein in David’s eye was twitching hard, and Stevie got up and attempted to grab the mic from Ted. “To David and Patrick.” Ted cheered just before Stevie pried the microphone away from him.
“To David and Patrick,” the guests repeated half-heartedly as they raised their glasses in a very uncomfortable toast.
While they waited for dessert to be served, most of the guests headed to the dance floor. Patrick took David’s hand and coaxed him into a dance. They swayed in each other’s arms, occasionally going in for a soft, unhurried kiss. Nearby, Stevie and Nina were dancing together, although the ‘dancing’ had been mostly forgotten in favour of a full-blown makeout session.
Near the end of the song, Eloise stormed across the dance floor towards her fathers, unceremoniously shoving people out of her way.
“Abba, what the hell?! You kissed Uncle Ted? Were you two, like...a-a thing?! ” she exclaimed, and David huffed in annoyance.
“God, no! It was one kiss, and may I remind everyone that HE kissed ME ? Because that part keeps getting skipped over!” Patrick’s jaw clenched angrily. “David, I don’t wanna talk about this,” he said in a low, warning tone.
“Jesus, Patrick, how many times do I have to tell you it didn’t mean anything ?” David was shouting at this point.
The sound of her Abba yelling and her Dad using his ‘I’m-about-to-start-yelling’ voice sent Eloise into a panic, tears springing to her eyes as her instincts took over, and she ran out of the room. Her heels were slowing her down, so she kicked them off and left them lying on the floor.
David turned to Patrick, clearly fed up. “I have to go take care of our daughter now,” he said, sounding unmistakably bitter, “remember that, how we have children together? Clearly, I wouldn’t have had kids with you if I was planning on shacking up with Ted, so I suggest you drop this shit before I get back.” Patrick frowned at him. “Fine, but we’re not done discussing this,” he grumbled. David turned and rushed out the door, trying to catch up with Eloise.
After some searching, David found Eloise huddled in a small alcove, crying and hyperventilating. He sat beside her, feeling horribly guilty.
“Ells? Is it okay if I touch you?” he asked in a gentle voice, and he saw Eloise nod. Wrapping an arm around her shoulder, David started to gently rub her arm. “Breathe with me,” he instructed, taking her through the slow breathing exercises they had been using with Eloise since her very first night at home. Once her breathing slowed, David pulled her close.
“I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry for what happened back there,” he said, hugging her to his chest protectively. “I didn’t mean to yell at you.” Eloise’s whole body was shaking and she pressed her face into David’s shoulder.
“D-Dad and Auntie Alexis looked so mad,” she said, and David sighed.
“I know. They need to get over it, honestly. They were pissed off about this back when it happened, too.”
“This is so f-fucked up.” Eloise said. David didn’t bother telling her off for cursing.
“You’re right, it is fucked up,” he agreed and set about making Eloise feel better.
Twenty minutes and a lot of shit-talking Alexis and Ted later, Eloise was calm. “My make-up is ruined, I look stupid...Abba, can I please just stay here? I don’t wanna go back in there.”
David turned to her and pulled out a handkerchief from his jacket pocket. He gently dabbed under her eyes, wiping away the errant mascara on her face. “There, that’s better. You know I wouldn’t send you back in there if you looked stupid, right?” Eloise nodded.
“I promise, you look incredible. Besides, you don’t wanna miss dessert, right?” David helped Eloise to her feet and put his hands on both her shoulders, looking her in the eye. “We’ve got this.”
***
After dessert, the DJ announced the father-daughter dance. Mariah ran to David, eagerly pulling him towards the dance floor. She was mid-sugar rush and not in the mood to sit still. David followed his youngest child dutifully, noticing that she wasn’t wearing any shoes. “Mariah, where are your shoes?” he asked. “They hurted my feet so I took them off,” she replied, and David suppressed the urge to make her go put them on. Instead, he lifted her into his arms as the opening notes of “Hero” by Mariah Carey played. He saw Patrick and Eloise dancing together a few feet away and he caught Patrick’s eye, mouthing “I love you” to him as he gently swayed Mariah back and forth. David took a moment to really focus on Mariah, looking into her lovely brown eyes and grinning brightly. ‘I made her’, he thought to himself. ‘This perfect little person is half me.’
He was in awe, as he so often was, at the sheer amount of love he felt for his daughter. Midway through the song, just as they’d planned, David set Mariah down at Patrick's feet and seamlessly picked up dancing with Eloise. Patrick took Mariah’s hands and helped her step onto his shoes. He and Mariah both laughed as he shuffled around with her dancing on his feet.
David twirled Eloise playfully across the dance floor before leaning in to whisper in her ear.
“Scale of one to ten, how’s the anxiety?” he asked. Eloise thought for a moment. “Four,” she replied, “but it’s down from an 8.5, so I guess that’s progress?” David smiled and kissed her forehead as the song ended. Mariah came over to them and grabbed her big sister’s hand, pulling her towards the large dessert table in hopes that Eloise would help her snag a second piece of cake. Patrick furrowed his brow and called after the girls.
“Mariah Mae Wren, I told you no more sugar!”
David shook his head and kissed the frown off his husband’s face. “Let her go,” he said softly. They’d deal with the nightmarish consequences later, but for now, all that mattered to David was the man of his dreams.