Work Text:
Markus had had no idea how much work it was to plan a wedding. At first it was meant to be a small affair, an intimate ceremony with just the people that were closest to Simon and him; North, Josh, Connor, Carl, and even Leo who would have gotten out of the hospital by then. But the news had spread, and soon everyone was talking about it. Media wanted to cover it, the androids of New Jericho saw it as a symbol of the rights they’d fought so hard for. Even President Warren had strongly hinted to Markus that she expected to be invited, since it would be seen as a gesture of good will.
Markus had been torn. He didn’t want to turn their wedding into a PR stunt, but he didn’t want to be rude by insisting to keep it to themselves when he knew what it meant to their people to see two of their leaders wed - the first legal android marriage. In the end it was Simon who helped him decide. Simon, who always thought of others first, who knew the importance of showing their union to the world, who wasn’t fond of crowds but still advised Markus that they should have their wedding be a public event. They could still have the celebration afterwards be just for their friends and family.
And so they changed their venue to a place that could host anyone who wished to attend, scaled up their plans a few dozen times, and when it all became too much to sort through by themselves, they followed North’s advice of hiring a wedding planner, an ST300 named Lilli. While she worked with Simon on the details of the event itself, Markus focused on the media aspect of it. It was an exhausting few months, and everyone involved needed every hour of recharging they could get.
Three nights before the ceremony, Simon peeked in through the open door to Markus’ office, knocking gently on the doorframe.
“Sorry, am I interrupting you?”
Markus looked up from the pile of papers he was going through - why people still used physical paper to send him work related information when it would have been more efficient to send it digitally was beyond him. A warm smile replaced his tired look when he saw his fiancée.
“No, not at all. Please come in.” He rose from the desk chair and went over to a small sofa in one corner of the room. He sat down, and Simon sat beside him. “What’s on your mind?”
Simon absentmindedly twisted his engagement ring on his finger, a thin gold band with a gem the same hue as his eyes. It was a habit Markus had noticed more than once, and when he’d asked about it, Simon had said it helped him to collect his thoughts.
“I was thinking…” He began, seemingly unsure of how to continue. “The wedding rings. They’re nice and all, but…”
Markus didn’t say anything, just waited for Simon to find a way to say what he wanted. He reached out to place a hand over Simon’s, fingertips slowly stroking the inside of his wrist. The corner of Simon’s mouth twitched in a small smile, and he leaned closer into Markus’ side.
“It’s a human tradition,” He finally said. “I think it is important to include it, and I want to, but, well, we have nothing that’s just… for us .” Simon was quiet for a while, but Markus was sure there was something more he wanted to say. “Did you know that our hearts are compatible?”
A warmth spread inside Markus’ chest. This was another thing that made Simon so… human. Alive. Instead of using the more technical terms - ‘our Thirium pumps are the same model’ - he spoke of it in a symbolic, emotional way.
“During the revolution,” Simon continued, turning to meet Markus’ eyes, “I would have done anything to protect you. Even given you my heart, had you needed it.” He reached out with his free hand, placing it over where Markus’ own heart beat. “I still would want to.”
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They had chosen to walk down the aisle together, another deviation from tradition, but they’d been through so much together it seemed right to do this too. The room was packed to the brim with people, human and android alike, but while Simon normally would have shied away and gone off to somewhere more secluded he was too overjoyed to let those feelings dampen his day. After the officiator held his speech about love and union, Markus and Simon turned towards each other. Simon’s eyes were wet with artificial tears, and Markus felt his vocoder lock up. During those long months of preparation, he almost didn’t believe this day would ever come, when he’d stand here with the love of his life, about to promise themselves to each other forever.
They exchanged the rings, and then they lifted their hands to their shirts. Still keeping eye contact, they each loosened enough buttons to be able to access their Thirium pumps. Deactivating the skin underneath revealed the circular base of the pumps against the white chassi.
Are you ready? Markus asked over their wireless communication network. Simon answered with a slight nod, fighting to keep his tears from spilling over and turning him into a sobbing mess.
A collective gasp was heard from every android in attendance as they both simultaneously pulled out their pumps. A shutdown message popped up and fought with Simon’s tears for blurring out his vision, but he knew it would only be there for a few seconds. He reached out his pump to where Markus’ had been as Markus did the same, and inserted it with a firm push until it clicked into place. Markus’ pump got fitten into his chest, and the warning message disappeared.
“I give you my heart,” Simon said, voice shaking slightly, “And ask that you take care of it, as I will care for yours.”
Markus had to once again restart his vocoder before he was able to repeat the vow, and after that he pulled his new husband as close as physically possible, taking his hand and initiating an interface to close even the mental distance, leaned in and kissed him. He had never felt more alive.