Work Text:
Prompt: ‘Take your shirt off’
When Connor stepped into the sweet, sweet air conditioned atmosphere of the hotel room he nearly cried with relief. He’d always wanted an outdoor, summer wedding, while Kevin had dreamed of a destination wedding in Florida. As the couple (and many, many disgruntled friends and family members) found out today, those two concepts didn’t mix well.
He couldn’t be too upset about that though, because the day was done and the only important thing now was that he was finally able to say he was married to the love of his life.
God, it was so euphoric. At the reception everyone was dancing and making the most heartwarming toasts to the newlyweds, and all Connor was capable of doing was sit there with a dopey grin and think, ‘Kevin Price is my husband !’ while rubbing circles over said man’s hand joined with his own.
“That was perfect.” Kevin practically collapsed on the bed. The force caused him to bounce for a few seconds and a pillow to end up on the floor, but he pensively ignored it and let out a relaxed sigh into the air.
“It was,” Connor said, hanging up his and Kevin’s suit jackets. “Except for the part when your sister kept coming up to me and asking, ‘so how do you, like… do it?’ Also I’m pretty sure your great aunt thought I was a woman.”
A laugh. “Yeah, sorry. Suffice to say my family hasn’t been to many gay weddings.”
“Wow, what a shock.”
Connor leaned against the door, arms crossed and a content smile on his face, watching the other from afar. He was so caught up in feeling like the luckiest man in the world that he almost didn’t notice Kevin walk up and take him in his arms.
“I love you, Connor McKinley.”
“Excuse me, that’s Connor Price to you,” he teased, to which Kevin rolled his eyes and leaned in for a kiss that made the other man sigh and pull him in as close as he could.
When Connor dropped his head to begin peppering kisses down his husband’s neck and tug slightly at his tie, Kevin chuckled. “Woah, someone’s eager.”
“Damn right I am. You have no idea how sexy you look in a suit.”
He smirked. “Well in that case, wouldn’t it make more sense for me to keep my clothes on?”
“Kev, take your shirt off.”
Despite the playful stubbornness, he happily obliged.
Soon enough, they were both down to very little clothing and each took the opportunity to roam their hands around the other’s body in slow, caring movements that made them both want to melt into a puddle at their lover’s touch. It was beautiful in a way they’d never thought would be.
Kevin stepped back, unwrapping his arms from Connor’s body and instead moving to hold his hands while looking on with an unreadable expression. He did that a lot, according to Connor, who made it known that it was one of the few of Kevin’s little quirks that he held a more than moderate amount of disdain for.
“Kev, honey? Are you okay?”
“I’m perfect. Everything is perfect, that’s the thing.” He rubbed his thumb over the silver band on the other man’s finger. “I just… I’m sorry, I looked at your wedding ring and had to take a moment. I can’t believe this is real. You’re actually my husband.”
Connor smiled softly and brushed circles over Kevin’s hand, leaning in to give him a gentle kiss. One full of pure love and gratitude and every amazing emotion in between. It reminded him of their first kiss, back in that stuffy mission hut all those years ago. Five years, to be exact, of romance and heartache and reminders of ‘it’ll be okay, I’m here’ that kept them going when everything in life seemed hopeless—it was all worth it, because it aligned to get them to this exact point. Connor wished he could go back in time to tell his scared teenage self he didn’t need to be afraid. That it’ll all work out, just as it should.
The two pulled apart, but kept their foreheads touched together and Connor said, “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, Kevin Price.”
“As are you, Connor McKi—Price. Connor Price.”
Yes, they were having a romantic moment, and Connor knew he shouldn’t laugh. But he did. He burst out into such hysterical laughter to the point he found himself having to let go of his husband’s hand to instead steady himself against the wall.
“Shut up! You’d be having just as hard of a time if I decided to take your name,” Kevin defended, though failing to hold back his own amusement.
“Yeah, but you didn’t, so I get to laugh at you as much as I want.”
Kevin rolled his eyes and sat himself on the bed. “We should’ve hyphenated.”
“Are you kidding?” Connor followed. “The company that makes those custom napkins I ordered for our dining room charges by the letter! It’s like you don’t even care about the quality of our cheesy dinnerware.”
“When did you get so gay?” Kevin said.
Connor pushed the other so he fell onto his back, moving to join him on the bed and leaning so close that Kevin could feel his husband’s breath against his face. He let out a small noise.
“Last I checked you were pretty gay yourself, mister.”
The two kept their eyes on each other for a lasting moment, then leaned in for another tender, lingering kiss which still made their hearts melt as if it were the first time. It was so simple, yet full of raw and unequivocal emotion that couldn’t be found in any other conceivable place—and trust both Kevin and Connor when they say they looked. This was their life. They’d blindly stumbled into it five years ago and wouldn't dream of ever looking back unless they did so side by side and hand in hand, a trail of breadcrumbs in their wake.
This is home, they both thought. And it’s beautiful.