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Soft, tranquil music played as the guest shifted in their seats, whispering to one another excitedly for the Wedding to start. Morgan nervously adjusted their long lace sleeves as they looked down the aisle, waiting for Alex’s entrance.
This was Morgan’s second marriage, but they knew deeply that this one would be their last. Everything about the whole affair felt right to them in a way that it just hadn’t when they were getting married to Mark. It was all different.
They had chosen a large gothic castle decorated to look like it was straight from a watercolor illustration of a fairytale as the venue instead of the vineyard decorated with the light ‘Easter-esque’ one of their first wedding, and, most importantly, the people that Morgan was surrounded by.
Officiating the ceremony was Gus, a man who had joined Morgan’s coding team a few years ago and taken on a father figure role for them. Beside them was Barnaby acting as their Man-of-Honor, whom Morgan was a hundred percent sure was not sleeping with Alex. On the other side stood Ohio James, who, despite all their bickering, was Alex’s best friend. The seats on Morgan’s side contained their team and a mixed-matched group of all the others Morgan had become close within the 2 years since that day at Jurrasic World.
Morgan glanced around the room at the other guest on Alex’s side of the room. Their side was just as eclectic a mix of stuffy business people that Alex had invited out of obligation to keep up appearances and the more zany people they had met over the years. Morgan was just looking at the empty seats reserved for Alex’s parents when the soft music changed. The large doors at the end of the hall opened, and Sophie started her walk.
The crowd fell silent, and Morgan melted inside as they watched their daughter delicately toss the flowers from her basket. Morgan hoped the multiple photographers Alex had hired were doing their job and getting as many pictures as possible of this moment. Sophie waved at Morgan whisper shouting, “Hi, Momo!” to them before going to her seat.
Morgan’s attention was pulled away from how perfect their little girl was when the wedding march started. Alex emerged gracefully, making the walk, which should have been harder for someone of their height and build. Alex’s mother had taken their left arm and their father on the right. It was no wonder Alex was so tall, their Father being 6’2 and their Mother being 6’8.
As Morgan watched the love of their life, their rock, walk down the aisle to stand beside them, they couldn’t help the tears that fell. They were grinning from ear to ear but had to cover their mouths as they choked back a sob. Morgan was suddenly glad they had splurged on waterproof mascara for this.
Mr. and Mrs. Stuart handed Alex off as they joined Morgan on the platform, standing across from them. Alex gazed at Morgan with what Morgan was now able to recognize as ‘lovesickness.’ Morgan took Alex’s hand in there, and the two of them turned to Gus.
“Welcome family, friends, and loved ones. We are gathered today to celebrate the union of Morgan and Alex. We are all here to support this commitment of love and to share the joy of Morgan and Alex as they choose to spend their lives together.” Gus opened up, speaking to not only the couple in front of him but the guests as well.
As Gus went on with his speech about Morgan and Alex’s love for each other and what marriage meant for them, the two couldn’t keep their eyes off each other. Morgan gazed into Alex’s light brown eyes, mesmerized by the many flecks of gold scattered through their iris. Morgan couldn’t see it, but Alex’s dopey smile was not only of the deep love they held for Morgan but also of a sense of satisfaction.
After over two decades, Alex had finally found their way into Morgan’s heart, and all they had had to do was spend at least half of that standing to the side of their last marriage and murdering their ex-husband. That funeral had been fun. Now here they were, by Morgan’s side, about to marry them. This was literally Alex’s dream come true.
Gus’s voice came back into their focus just as he said the most important part of the ceremony, “Morgan, do you take Alex to be your partner in this life and the next?”
“I do.”
Now, it was Alex’s turn to cry.
“Alex, do you take Morgan to be your partner in this life and the next?”
“I do.”
Morgan’s face was splitting with their large grin. The two were handed the rings by their respective Men of Honor and turned face to face. Neither of them broke eye contact as they slipped the ring on the other's finger. The new weight was foreign but welcome.
“I now declare you married in front of all you have asked to share this moment with. The two of you now take your first steps into a new chapter of your lives that you are free to kick off any way you choose.” Gus finished.
Morgan didn’t have to be told twice, grabbing Alex by the lapel of their suit and pulling them down into a kiss. Alex immediately fell into rhythm with Morgan, placing their hands on their waist and leaning into them. The two could hear their guests in the background cheering with whistles and applause. Music started to play, a sweet romantic melody that was their cue to walk back down the aisle. Instead of pulling away, Alex gripped Morgan tighter, causing the latter to giggle.
Despite how loved Morgan felt the moment they did break the kiss, there was a schedule to stick too. Morgan grinned up at Alex, their eyebrows raised, their expression enough to communicate that they had to move on to the next thing. Alex let go of Morgan’s waist and smoothly took hold of their hand instead.
The newlyweds made their way down the steps of the platform, the wedding party trailing after them. Alex and Morgan felt careless about the world around them, too focused on the joy that their union had brought them. They made their way past the pews out into the large foyer of the castle, where they slipped into one of the hidden servant tunnels.
Morgan and Alex were giggling like grade schoolers as they slipped into the hidden passage, feeling euphoric about the whole experience. The plan was to follow this passage up the stairs to the second floor, where the two of them would change into their reception outfits – of course, Alex had demanded a costume change – and then go back downstairs to the gardens of the castle that had been set up for the reception.
Morgan looked back at Alex with a grin as they made their way down the passage, “I love you.”
Morgan whispered their words, something about being in a tunnel, making them want to be quiet.
“I love you too, darling,” Alex whispered back, matching Morgan’s affectionate tone. Morgan grinned and squeezed Alex’s hand.
Alex relished in the contact. They’d held Morgan’s hand hundreds of times before, but this was different; they were married now, and the more possessive side of Alex’s personality was bubbling to the surface.
‘Who cares if we’re a little late? It’s our wedding.’ Alex thought their grin was still in place now with a more scheming glint.
Just before they ascended the stairs in one fluid motion, Alex let go of Morgan’s hand, spun them around, and wrapped their arm around the other's waist. Morgan gasped at the sudden shift and blinked up at Alex in surprise. Alex grinned. It wasn’t often that they were able to startle Morgan.
Alex pulled Morgan flush against them and leaned down to whisper in their ear, “I love you.”
The way Alex said it sent shivers down Morgan’s spine as they met Alex’s eyes. Their mind was so blank they could only think of one thing to say, “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” Alex confirmed, smirking at the effect they’d had on Morgan. They kept one arm wrapped around Morgan's waist and moved the other higher until it was past the low dip in the fabric of their dress, touching Morgan’s bare back and pulling them flush against them.
Morgan didn’t resist the hold, still staring into the other's eyes, waiting for the kiss that they knew was coming. Alex leaned down, and instead of going for Morgan’s lips, they went for the forehead.
‘Oh. They’re drawing this out.’ Morgan thought as they looked up to the spouse, who seemed to be building up to more than a kiss.
“Alex…” Morgan said, a slight warning in their voice.
“Yes, Morgan?” Alex hummed into the other's forehead.
“We’re not “consummating” our marriage in a service tunnel,” Morgan said, completely serious. Alex pulled away and blinked down at their spouse before huffing out a laugh.
“Is that what you think I’m doing?” Alex asked, their smirk becoming a full grin.
“Yes. And my answer is no. We have our entire honeymoon for this.” Morgan smiled, reaching up to play with the lapel of the other’s suit.
Alex hummed again, “Not even a little kiss?”
Morgan glared up at Alex with no malice behind the gaze, “Just a kiss?”
“Just a kiss.” Alex promised, but the look in their eye said otherwise.
Morgan decided to scrutinize the other for a moment more before leaning in so their foreheads were touching and whispered, “Just a kiss.”
Alex didn’t bother responding and just met Morgan’s lips with theirs. This kiss went straight into the deep end, leaving Morgan breathless. They acknowledged that Alex was most likely holding back during the kiss during the ceremony with all the guests around, and they were making up for it now. Morgan sighed into the kiss, which lasted in its needy and a little rough state before softening into a more gentle one. Alex pulled Morgan closer than before, holding them tighter as they slowly let the kiss become lighter and lighter until their lips were just barely touching. The two gazed into each other’s eyes, and the pure joy in Alex’s eyes melted Morgan’s heart all over again.
“We’re married.” Alex giggled and lightweight to their words as if they were moments away from floating into the air and taking Morgan with them.
“We are.” Morgan giggled back. The two of them just couldn’t seem to stop giggling. Alex loosened their hold on Morgan, and Morgan took their hand, leading them up the stairs and into the room where their reception outfits were waiting for them. It was a bedroom, the same one that Alex had previously been using to get dressed for the ceremony.
Their matching jumpsuit and tuxedo were hung up on a portable rack. Morgan didn’t drop Alex’s hand just yet and went to grab the jumpsuit, intending to ditch their dress for something a little more comfortable and easier to dance in. Morgan turned around to Alex, who was just watching them and pecked them on the cheek.
“Get dressed,” Morgan said with a small smile before dropping Alex’s hand and going behind the privacy visor that had been set up for them. Alex hummed and grabbed their own outfit.
“Yes, Chef.” They said with a salute, making Morgan laugh. Morgan had been happy on their first wedding day, but it hadn’t been anywhere near how they felt right now. This felt deeply right in a way that it hadn’t on the first try, as if stars had aligned for this moment to take place.
The thought warmed Morgan’s heart, and they were sure that if any more melting, gooiness, or warming occurred, the rest of Morgan’s heart would evaporate like candle wax. But the thought that some cosmic ‘something’ had placed all the dominos in a row to set off this love story. It had started when Morgan had met Alex at seven in the third grade, and now it was twenty-one years later, and this seemed like the place the epilogue of one of the cheesy romance books Alex read would end. But Morgan had the feeling it would get a sequel because love stories don’t end then and there. In the universe where those characters are, real life keeps on going.
Because life didn’t end when Morgan was fifteen, and their parents disowned them.
It didn’t end when Morgan was twenty-four, and they pushed Alex away in hopes that their fiancee would be their ever-after.
Life didn’t end when Morgan was twenty-six and found out that their husband had cheated and left them alone with their daughter.
Life didn’t end when that husband died.
Morgan’s life hadn’t ended at any of those times, and they had a feeling that it wouldn’t end now. This felt like an epilogue, but they had a feeling that the next book would start with this as the first chapter with the same cast of characters that were with them right now.