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Perhaps, Hassel should have expected his bandmates to appear in less than formal attire, he doubted they owned any to begin with, but a t-shirt and jeans combination felt a tad sacrilegious for the occasion. Especially with the snowfall outside. He should not be surprised though, not with his bandmates' consistent reminders that this was not a 'real wedding' after all, simply a signing of papers at a courthouse, with little to no ceremony involved. But it felt real. It was real.
Yet here he stood, not in the venue Hassel scouted out for them but in a courthouse outside of town. Hassel thought he had finished fighting for the approval of his parents the night he escaped, yet their influence still clung on to him, harder to remove than a sticky barb. Hassel fidgeted with the ribbon on the bouquet he brought for Brassius as he recalled the ringing of the telephone that shattered his dreams that morning. The consistent ring, ring, ring and blip. How his parents found out about his engagement he did not know, likely assisted by the junior dragon tamers they placed around Paldea to keep an eye on him. They knew, of course, of his relationship with Brassius and that their futile attempts at separating them, at dragging Hassel back to a life that nearly stripped him of his identity, were just that, futile. He never paid attention to the threats they made to his career, they always amounted to empty words. So why did he open that letter? He should have had applin incinerate it like all the others, but something drew him to it, and that gave them the opportunity they required to strike the final blow.
Fire coiled in his stomach at the memory, flickering the flames licked at his heart as his hands curled up into fists. Because of Hassel-no-because of them, Brassius would not get the wedding he deserved. The one they had planned together until the preliminary newspaper clippings fell out of the envelope, seven scathing and clearly falsified reviews of Brassius' latest exhibition on the evolutionary process of a smoliv, that were promised to snuff out his dreams like a candle in the wind. They would go to print, unless the wedding was cancelled.
They may have stolen the wedding, but they never mentioned elopement.
"Hass-"
Whipping his head up, Hassel felt a smile fight through the fog of his mind as he spied the bouquet of flowers behind Brassius.
"Brassie," Hassel exclaimed. They always did share one mind.
Brassius began to laugh, a low, gravelly tone that Hassel adored and never failed to send butterfrees soaring in his stomach.
"I can hardly contain my excitement, I feel like a voltorb ready to explode!"
Hassel thought he was relatively proficient at hiding his emotions, Brassius, however, was a determined study.
"My love, this is perfect," Brassius cooed, his tone going from exuberant to soft in an instant as he gently brushed strands of hair behind Hassel's ear.
"It is hardly what you imagined," leaning into the touch with a sigh, Hassel tried to bite back his tears, his bandmates would only tease him about it again if they saw him cry. "It is not fair Brassie." Hassel began. "You wanted something bigger, something grander than this!" Hassel gestured to the chipped walls outside of courtroom number two as he spoke.
"It's true that is what I wished for once upon a time," Brassius spoke slowly, deliberately, as he brought his hand to Hassel's cheek. "But what I really want is to be with you, in any form I can. You know you are, and always will be my light in the darkness, the one to pull me back from the brink. I feel honoured to so much as touch you, let alone to be allowed to marry you! "
"Oh, Brassie," Hassel sniffed, feeling the tears well up in his eyes. "I so wanted to give you the wedding we designed together, our pokémon were so excited to help decorate too."
"Hass if you taught me anything it's that you need to have hope, we will have that wedding someday. You can count on it." Brassius leaned up to catch Hassel's lips, squashing the bouquets between them in the process. "Let's go in, they're waiting for us."
"Can I look in the mirror yet?" Hassel asked as he felt Rika step back from him.
"Not until Poppy adds the finishing touch,” He felt Rika tilt her head as she inspected her work if the hair brushing his arm was any indication. “How is it going Pops?"
"Nearly there!"
Hassel listened to the squawkabilly chirping their merry song as Rika packed her makeup back into the bag. A moment of peace amongst the chaos of the day.
"I can't reach, you're too tall grandpa Hassel!" Came Poppy's cry as her little hands clutched at the back of the chair,
"My apologies, dear, perhaps if I opened my eyes I could-"
"No! Keep them closed!"
A soft laugh left his lips at that.
"Here you go kiddo." Said Rika as she presumably lifted Poppy up to assist with the final preparations to Hassel's appearance.
A soft, circular object was placed upon his head and it only served to heighten his curiosity.
"Okay, and open!!"
"Oh," Hassel gasped. Tears rushed forward like a stream as he admired the flower crown Poppy had so diligently worked on. "It's so beaubtiful I lobe it."
Rika sighed. "Well, at least I used waterproof mascara on you."
"I'm so-"
"Don't apologise, why do you think I brought it?" Rika said as she opened the second box of tissues of that day.
"Thank youb!"
As he finished the box of tissues, there was a knock on the door, answered by Rika who greeted Geeta warmly.
The time had finally arrived.
Hassel dabbed at his eyes once more and pocketed some tissues and then, he was ready. He never expected to have such a crowd of publically supportive faces at his wedding, of people he liked and considered friends rather than simply familial connections. He noticed Professor Gible sitting very patiently with his bow tie on with Larry in the front row, accompanied by Dendra and Tulip each with a pokémon by their side. Now, with Brassius established fame in the world of art and the financial security of their careers, their dream wedding could become a reality. It was enough for tears to begin to well up again!
Then, he saw him.
Hassel felt his breath catch as Brassius came into view, oh that Kalosian designer did wonderful work on his suit, the very epitome of avant-garde! The dash of violet on the tip of the asymmetrical cut of the coat did wonders for his figure! It complimented the flowers of all shapes and sizes that adorned Brassius' hair, some red and yellow from a gossifleur, petals donated by a petilil and a rose from roselia to tie it all together.
"Brassie you look...." Hassel fumbled, at a loss of words to describe the magnificence of Brassius' beauty. The sunlight shining through the snow outside accentuated his high cheekbones and sharp jawline, while adding a contrasting softness that brought it all together.
"As do you, my shining sunflora." Brassius grinned, a rarely seen dimple appearing on his cheek and Hassel could no longer contain his overwhelming joy and a new flood of tears ran down his face.
To his surprise, Brassius pulled out a matching handkerchief and pressed it into Hassel's hands. "I know you love to be prepared."
Hassel could not help but laugh through his joyful tears.
He pressed a kiss to Brassius' pale knuckles as their fingers intertwined for all to see. Hand in hand they walked down the aisle, together.