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It was late, the only light cast on their small porch being from the glow of Christmas lights strung along the houses lining their block. It had been a quiet day, something they were both struggling to digest. Their first Christmas since Bradley had left with a parting goodbye of ‘never speak to me again’. Celebrating alone had felt wrong after so many years spent being a family with Carole and Bradley. But with Carole dead and gone, and Bradley in the wind, their house had remained quiet, empty, and sorrowful for their holiday.
It had felt strange that morning, but as the day carried on, they’d grown more and more adjusted. By nightfall, they’d been able to carry on quiet conversation over dinner and settle themselves together on the porch, cuddling under the cover of night, and looking at the colors of their neighborhood through a new lens.
Something within Mav’s chest longed for a family. A family he’d had and then lost, who he’d mourned and hoped and prayed for every day. All he had left was Ice and in that moment, Ice could be enough. He turned his cheek into Ice’s shoulder, inhaling the soft scent of his cologne, musky but distinctly floral, like a magnolia tree in the fall. Ice’s hand on his shoulder tightened as he leaned his own head on top of Mav’s.
“Marry me?” Mav whispered into his neck and he felt more than heard Ice take a long, slow, deep breath.
“Always,” Ice replied softly, his voice cracking and watery around the edges.
• • •
Ten years later
It was late, the sun long since set. They sat together, heads rested against one another and arms looped over each other, sat on the balcony of their hotel room, overlooking Central Park where it spread out below them, coated in white.
Mav stroked his thumb over the ring adorning Ice’s finger where their hands were clasped together. Ice hummed in contentment, squeezing Mav’s hand in return.
It took a decade and some change for the world to catch up, but finally, they’d made it. In the eyes of the law, they were married. Not that it changed much, Mav had seen Ice as his husband since the day he first asked the other pilot to marry him. Being able to show it, for once, was a pleasant change of pace, and he couldn’t wait to settle in back at home and be able to kiss his husband goodbye before work every morning without a care or concern for who saw.
“I love you,” Mav spoke gently, unwilling to break the soft air of intimacy that surrounded them in the cold, New York air. They’d taken vacation to the city over the holiday season, planning their small wedding ceremony to land on Christmas Day, since California still hadn’t legalized same-sex marriage quite yet. It had been everything they ever dreamed of and more.
Ice pressed his lips to Mav’s forehead, taking a deep inhale of his hair where it smelled like cheap green apple shampoo and hair gel. To Ice, it just smelled like Mav.
“I love you too,” he spoke with his mouth still pressed to Mav’s skin, and Mav’s eyes watered for a moment before he blinked them away.
“We did it,” Mav whispered, his voice hoarse.
Ice smiled, “We did.” They shared a long look, one that carried all the pain and suffering of years worth of strife, all the hardships they’d shared and endured together, and a joyful relief for having survived it. Then Mav leaned up, capturing Ice’s lips in a firm kiss. Who was Ice to resist?