Work Text:
The guests arrived in pairs for the most part.
Two architects.
Two realtors.
Two lesbians.
Two parents.
Two very old former neighbors.
Four journalists, one of whom was a photographer.
None of them had seen the completed house yet, though many had scene blueprints or framing, even the early stages where the walls went up and it started to look like a house.
It had taken a year and a half to build, with three months of living in it while they gathered furniture and decorations. At the end of it, Veronica had vowed that they would never move again because she didn’t want to have to go through all that hassle again.
Secretly, JD suspected that she’d said it for him.
Now, they were finally opening it up to their friends in a rare attempt at being social and conventional, two things that didn’t fit either of them. Before people started to arrive, JD had been pacing on the first floor, listening to Veronica do the same on the second floor. They hadn’t followed traditions, but were trying to at least maintain some distance at least for the morning.
“Think we can do this Nosy?” The cat watched him with wide, yellow eyes. All morning, he had stuck with him, watching with his tail flicking as JD had crossed the room over and over again, occasionally glancing out one of many windows to see if any of their guests were arriving.
Copernicus was upstairs with Veronica, hopefully soothing whatever anxiety she was feeling.
“God, what if this is a terrible idea?” JD asked his cat. “I mean, after everything she’s been through, this is probably too much. I should… We can call it off, everyone would understand and we can still have the party. It would just be an awkward housewarming instead.”
No answer from Nostradamus, so JD walked upstairs and knocked on the door.
“Ronnie?”
“I thought seeing each other was bad luck,” Veronica said, from the other side of the door.
“I think we’ve had all our bad luck, don’t you? I want to talk to you.”
She opened the door, just enough for him to see her face. “You’re right; the universe owes us this one. What’s going on?”
“You would tell me if you didn’t want to do this, right? I know this is—”
“Well if we didn’t do it now we’d end up in a common law marriage seven years down the line. ” She paused for a long moment. “Because when I think about seven years from now, I still want to be here, with you. The same is true for ten years, or twenty. You’re my future, so we may as well tell our friends and eat cake.”
He wasn’t going to cry. Not yet. “I love you,” He whispered, not trusting his voice at full volume.
“I love you too, now go downstairs; everyone will be here soon.”
She was right; the first guests showed up almost as soon as his foot hit the first floor.
Colin arrived with Mike, but it didn’t take long for them to drift apart so they could examine various details about the house, complimenting liberally as they went.
JD smiled, happy to bask in the appreciation of his hard work for a little while, but then he showed them out the back where he and Veronica had set up rows of chairs on the beach.
Veronica’s parents arrived next, looking nervous and flustered around JD, like they always did. Meeting them again had been awkward, but they didn’t remember him well and had every reason to be nervous about the people Veronica dated. Eventually they’d come around, and now they almost liked him, though time with them was always weird. He showed them out more quickly than Colin and Eric, promising them a tour of the house later.
Heather hugged him when she arrived with Quinn. “Are you ready?” She asked eagerly.
“Are you?” He said. “You have kind of an important job…”
“Don’t worry; I can handle it.” She smiled at him. “Really, JD. Congratulations.”
“Thank you, Heather.”
“Is Veronica upstairs? I’m going to go say hi to her before we have to start.”
He nodded and led Quinn to a seat outside.
The others filtered in after them and made their way to seats outside as the breeze picked up, cutting through the summer heat and making it a perfect day for a wedding. JD took a deep breath, pausing to gather himself and stroke his cat before he walked outside and took his place next to Heather at the end of the aisle.
There was no music. Veronica walked down the aisle to the sound of the waves rolling against the sand, and their friends whispering admiration and congratulations.
Her dress wasn’t white, which didn’t surprise him. The soft shade of blue-gray reminded him of smoke and starlight, but he couldn’t stare for long before his vision blurred.
He would live the rest of his life and never feel like he deserved to be as happy as he was in this moment, but goddamn he wouldn’t trade it for anything. The world wasn’t a just place, and for once it was working in his favor.
Veronica took his hands when she reached him, squeezing them gently. He noticed that she wasn’t crying, but her eyes were dark and full of emotion.
“Dearly beloved,” Heather began, “We’re gathered today to celebrate a new beginning. A fresh start on a road that they took a long time to find.” She smiled and took a deep breath.
“"Do you, Jason Dean take Veronica Sawyer to be your wife, promising to cherish and protect her, whether in good fortune or in adversity, for the remaining days of your life?”
He had to swallow a very large lump in his throat before nodding. “I do.”
Heather smiled. “"Do you, Veronica Sawyer, take Jason Dean to be your husband, promising to cherish and protect him, whether in good fortune or in adversity, for the remaining days of your life?”
Veronica squeezed JD’s hand, and her voice was steady when she replied. “I do.”
“Then by the power vested in me by the state of Massechusetts, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”
JD did so with enthusiasm and they broke apart breathless and beaming.
Veronica took his hand. “We’re married,” She whispered.
“I know,” He laughed along with her and pulled her close so he could kiss her again. Technically, they had been legally married a couple days ago after acquiring the certificate, but it had felt more like a joke until they’d stood in front of everyone they cared about and made promises.
“So,” Heather said from behind them. “Do you think a marriage officiated by a Jewish lesbian is valid in the eyes of god?”
“Depends on whose god,” Veronica answered. “Thank you, Heather, you were amazing.”
“I have to imagine not many weddings are officiated by the bride’s ex-girlfriend,” JD commented as they made their way inside with everyone else.
Heather laughed and reached out for Quinn; weddings made everyone a little more romantic.
Food and drinks were brought out and consumed happily as people made conversation and Veronica found some music. They had a first dance that was cheesy and stupid and possibly the best moment of JD’s life.
Veronica barely let go of JD’s hand the whole night. He caught her glancing out the windows a couple times, the familiar look of fear on her face, but she always turned back to the bright glow of the living room full of people with a smile on her face.
He brought her hand up to his lips. I’m here. We got through it.
Hours later, he walked past Colin and Henry dancing together next to Veronica’s parents so that he could join Veronica on the back porch. She was looking up at the stars, a cigarette in her hands.
“I love you,” She whispered as he sat down.
“Good. We just promised to do that forever, you know.” He wound his fingers through hers.
Veronica shook her head. “I don’t want forever. I just want you to promise me tomorrow, then promise me again tomorrow night, and the night after that, okay?”
“I promise,” He said. Just in case, he sealed that vow with a kiss too.