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Nobody warned Subaru that wedding planning would be this complicated and involve such rigorous, stringent scheduling.
Naturally, he knew weddings didn't just happen on their own and that a lot went on behind the scenes to pull off the magic day of celebration for the happy couple - hell, there's an entire career based around planning other people's weddings because of how much work goes into it. He just had no idea it would be this labyrinthine and laborious to ensure every element was prepared and perfect for the occasion.
He thinks most people have an idealised vision of what a dream wedding should look like, himself included: A pretty girl in a gorgeous, perfectly tailored, flowing white dress, a three tier sponge cake with icing flowers and hearts, a string quartet, an extravagant venue brimming with opulence; with stained glass windows and crystal chandeliers glittering above. That's what Subaru imagined when he thought of the perfect wedding.
It turns out finding, acquiring and implementing all those different components was a lot more taxing than he could ever possibly have fathomed until he was thrust into the position of a soon-to-be-wed.
What he didn't realise - and what he berates his past self for not considering before he gave his exulted agreement to marry - is that after Julius proposed to him he would have about a week to bask in the giddy excitement and elation of being engaged to the love of his life (not to mention the fucking phenomenal sex that came with it) before the wedding planning started in earnest - his fiancé was never one to be idle or procrastinate and quickly set about filling their schedule with a seemingly endless list of appointments and consultations.
Venue viewings, suit fittings, cake tastings, band hire, photographers, finalizing catering and flower arrangements, writing and posting the invites, the logistics of transport and accommodation for his family and friends in Japan. There was so much that needed to be carefully considered and painstakingly put together to make sure the day ran smoothly.
Subaru would honestly have been more than happy to simply go to the government office, sign a marriage certificate and then go to a fancy hotel to fuck for a few days in lieu of a honeymoon. He really didn't need such an ostentatious and elaborate ceremony to show Julius how much he loved him.
It was Julius who had come to him brimming with barely contained excitement and eyes full of glee - looking very much like a kid in a toy store who's just been told he can get any toy he wants, even the most expensive one - as he enthusiastically showed him catalogues for flower bouquets, wedding bands and silverware that he'd been saving somewhere so secret even Subaru hadn't noticed them, even though they live together.
Of course, his fiancé had asked his opinion on what kind of wedding he wanted, after shyly realising that his excitement could have easily come off as overbearing. He wanted it to be an accumulation of both of their preferences and ideals, a joint decision that would suit both their tastes and expectations.
Subaru really, truly didn't mind what they did as long as they were together. However, it had clearly been something Julius put a lot of thought into and seeing how happy it had made Julius to even do the tedious tasks of picking out napkin colours for the guest tables and the fonts for their wedding invites had been all the persuasion Subaru needed, all too easily falling headfirst into the exhausting operation that is wedding planning. Or rather, planning a wedding that's as extravagant as the one his fiancé has in mind for them.
And that's how he finds himself in the changing room for their pre-wedding photo shoot untying and retying his tie for the nth time.
Somehow it still looks crooked, Julius no doubt looks pristine, as usual he's gonna look a damn mess next to him and then have it immortalised in their photo album for all to see.
He huffs an irritated sigh and slaps his hands down on the counter in front of the mirror to expel his anxiety into the scratched marble - probably worn down after enduring the frustrations of countless nervous brides trying to manifest physical perfection in the mirror before them, or grooms, in this case.
Taking a moment to inspect himself in the mirror that’s been taunting him for the past 15 minutes he takes note of all the hard work the stylists have put in to making him as photo-ready as they possibly could. Try as they might the hairstylists had been unable to tame the two signature tufts of dark hair that rest above his brows and no amount of gel or spray could hold them back with the rest of his hair where they stubbornly bounced back into their usual position as if in protest. They hardly detract from the rest of his dolled-up appearance: his suit is a work of art, really the tailors did an exceptional job. Subaru has enough knowledge of fashion and fabrics built up from years of sewing to know it’s a product of expert craftsmanship; a white jacket over a purple and white tartan waistcoat contrasting beautifully with a black dress shirt an orange tie, a deep purple and light blue ombre lining mimicking the deep hues of the night sky – complete with tiny, embroidered silver stars. The finishing touch was a purple shawl attached to his left suit breast with a gold star broach. He had been sceptical about it at first, really it seemed a little excessive considering everything else he was wearing but then Julius brought out that stupid star broach and the idea was sold on him pretty quickly.
Suit fitting had been an arduous and uncomfortable ordeal full of poking and prodding and having every part of his body meticulously measured and evaluated. But then he saw the look of pure, enamored awe softening Julius' features; golden eyes wide with wonder and lips parting with a breath he forgot to take when he saw Subaru in his custom-tailored suit for the first time and yeah, that made it all worth it.
The intensity with which Julius had made love to him that night made it more than worth it.
Deciding it's pointless to keep messing around in here; that he's only making it worse and the stylists will have his skin if he ruins their hard work before even the first photo has been taken, he makes a hasty retreat from his sanctuary in the changing room and leaves his fate in the hands of the photographer. After looking at the example photos in the portfolio they were sent, he has faith they'll at least be able to make him look half decent in the final edits.
The moment he enters the photo studio he's accosted by the photographer; "Where is the other groom? We're due to start now, could you call him please?" Her smile is strained and tight lipped, eyes narrowing just slightly with the tension in her face. Her polite mask hiding a stern warning: 'we have a schedule to keep'
Subaru quails just a little under her austere demeanour. She's an incredibly skilled photographer and clearly takes her job incredibly seriously - a true professional through and through. It's understandable she takes her timekeeping just as seriously.
Subaru, instead of being helpful, raises a freshly plucked eyebrow, sharp and defined much like the rest of him after the hard work of the stylists and answers dumbly; "Huh? He's not here?" he glances around the studio, finding it absent of familiar lilac hair and amber eyes. Strange, dawdling isn't like Julius.
The photographer’s eye twitches. Seemingly watching her carefully planned out photoshoot crumbling apart before the very first click of a shutter has sounded.
"He said he was going to the bathroom; can you collect him for me. Thank you" and her tone is noticeably sterner, cutting through the politeness as a demand instead of a question now as she marches back to her camera to fiddle with the settings.
Scary.... Subaru doesn't waste any more time and wisely hurries off to find his fiancé - if only to use him as a shield against the woman's wrath for their tardiness.
A resounding 'knockknockknock' echoes through the hallway: "Julie? I don't wanna scare you but the photographer might just kill both of us if we're not out there in 3 seconds flat"
There's some shuffling from the inside of the bathroom and then the familiar baritone of his fiancé: "Just a moment, my star"
"I'm coming in, and if you're changing, thank you!" He announces loudly before swinging the door open with added fanfare.
Julius startles at his fiancé's brazen entrance, jumping back slightly in surprise; “Subaru! Wha-“
Subaru lets out a low whistle as his eyes trail down his fiancé’s meticulously groomed body: where Subaru has been made to look at least presentable, Julius is downright ethereal. A white suit like his own except with a yellow cravat instead of tie that brings out the colour of his eyes brilliantly, a black belt that accentuates his waist and hair slicked back, his signature cowlick absent from between his eyes and making his face look more mature because of it. Julius was already unfairly handsome and now he looks like royalty pulled straight from a trashy fantasy novel like the ones Emilia loves to read.
“Have I told you that you look so damn sexy in that outfit?” Subaru praises, biting his lip as he fights to subdue the less than savoury thoughts springing up in his head.
“Once or twice, yes” Julius breathes an amused laugh, pausing in fiddling with his cufflinks to admire Subaru in turn.
“Good because it’s true, if the photographer wasn’t two seconds from throttling me I’d totally blow you right now.”
Julius makes a choking sound as he tries to process Subaru’s crude admission; “Now isn’t the time for jokes, dear. I fear I look a terrible mess, I’m in no position to be photographed with you. Not least because you look positively divine.” He turns back to the mirror to fret over imaginary out of place hairs and straighten an already perfectly adjusted cravat.
It dawns on Subaru then that he must have looked just the same when he was agonising over his appearance in the changing room earlier.
“You’re kidding right?” He can’t help the little bark of laughter he lets out; “You’re the most annoyingly hot guy I know! A total Ikeman - the kind that makes me love and hate you a little bit. Remember when that sketchy guy tried to recruit you for that modelling agency outside Selfridges when we were Christmas shopping last year? He totally blanked me by the way!” Subaru can’t help but feel affronted the recruiter hadn’t even acknowledged him before accosting his then boyfriend and bombarding him with leaflets and recruitment forms. What’s even more annoying is that after politely declining the offer he hadn’t even seemed phased, like this wasn’t even the first time that had happened.
Julius frowns, seemingly unconvinced about his own genetic good-fortune; “I care not what a stranger thinks about my appearance, you however, I must look my absolute best for. These photos are going to be looked back on for years to come, after all.”
Subaru closes his eyes as a fond smile ticks up the corner of his mouth, looks like he wasn’t the only one getting pre-wedding photoshoot jitters. He steps forward and wraps his arms around Julius’ waist, looking up at him with ardour; “You think I agreed to marry you for your looks? You think I’m that shallow” and now he knows he’s being deliberately coy.
Julius returns the embrace with gentle hands on Subaru’s hips; “Of course not!” he jumps to refute; “I did not mean to imply you were some kind of superficial man. I know your feelings run deeper than the mere physical” and he punctuates his words by rubbing his thumb slowly and softly over the skin of Subaru’s cheek bone, his eyes soften, worry seeping from his brow and smoothing out the crease that had formed there until he looks at the shorter man with only affection and a hint of apology.
“Then why are you so worried about the photos? If anything it’s me who’s always getting upstaged by you in the looks department, so I should be more worried about how I’m gonna look standing next to you when you're there looking like some damn nobility, and it’s not even our actual wedding yet!”
Julius cuts in, always quick to shut down Subaru’s self-depreciating habits with sickeningly sweet words of reassurance; “Darling you are radiant, always and especially now. You-“
Subaru takes a hand from Julius’ waist, raising his palm in front of him to silence his fiancé, Julius’ mouth clicks shut obediently; “Yeah, yeah, I’m pretty and gorgeous and have a great ass – I know, you tell me all the time.” He presses his open palm to Julius’ chest, over his heart; “I know you love me no matter what I look like so why would I care what you look like?”
Julius looks away and in a quiet voice utters; “It’s not that, it’s just…”
Subaru uses the hand not still pressed to the other man’s chest to cup his cheek and guide his face until their eyes meet. The gentle understanding on his face enough silent encouragement for Julius to continue his confession; “I want to be a man worthy of standing by your side, I suppose I was nervous the photos would show me everything I was lacking”
Subaru takes his palm of Julius’ chest, raises it to Julius forehead and flicks him right between his eyes. Julius blinks at him, bewildered.
“The only thing you’re ‘lacking’ is some damn sense. I love you, idiot. I love everything about you, even the things you don’t like about yourself. And even if we both look stupid in our photos, I’ll still love you”
Julius goes a little starry eyed at Subaru’s declaration; “Have I told you how fortunate I am to be marrying you?”
“Once or twice, yeah”
Julius raises a hand in a move to affectionately ruffle Subaru’s hair only for the shorter man to snatch his wrist the second it enters the airspace of his scalp. He fixes him with a stony expression, his naturally spiteful eyes making him look that much more serious and Julius shrinks back a little under his glare; “Julie, if you mess up my hair the hairstylists will skin you alive.”
Julius immediately pulls his hand back to his chest; “A terrifying thought…” he says solemnly. He tilts his head, considering Subaru carefully; “I have to say they are exceptionally skilled, they’ve done a magnificent job”
“They plucked my eyebrows, nobody told me plucking would be involved.”
Julius hums, a low note vibrating in his throat, inspecting Subaru’s freshly groomed eyebrows; “They did? They didn’t do anything to mine”
Those same brows draw together with an unamused frown; “Don’t need to remind me that you won the genetic eyebrow lottery.” Then he grabs Julius’ hand and starts pulling him from the dressing room and down the hall to the studio; “C’mon, let’s go act all lovey-dovey for the cameras”
Julius smiles, falling into step beside him, holding his hand tightly; “I don’t suppose much acting will be required”
Subaru sticks his tongue out; “Euch, that’s so cheesy”
Weddings are stressful, tiring and it seems like the list of people to meet and bookings to make is never ending. However, all he has to do is look at who's by his side the whole time, who he's doing this all for and it makes it all worth it.
“Ok can we get some eye contact for this next one, that’s it, perfect!”
The snicksnicksnick of the camera shutter going off is the backing track to their romantic performance.
Subaru rests his arms over Julius’s shoulders, brushing the tips of their noses together as they gaze into each other’s eyes.
It’s a familiar position but recreating it for the cameras feels awkward and he has to bite his tongue to suppress his laughter.
“Ok let’s try some over the shoulder shots next”
Julius moves so his back is to the camera, turning just slightly so Subaru’s face visible to the camera over his shoulder as he holds him around the waist.
Snicksnicksnick
They are directed through several shots all intended to highlight and celebrate the bond of the happy couple and even though he feels silly play acting romance with his fiancé he can’t deny it’s very satisfying to be the centre of attention like this.
“Can you hold him a little closer to your chest, that’s right and Mr. Natsuki can you put your right hand on Mr. Juukulius’ shoulder and take his other hand in your left, just like you’re doing a waltz, that’s perfect!”
Snicksnicksnick
“This must be what AV actors feel like” Subaru murmurs where he’s moving up on his toes to lean his forehead into Julius’.
#
“Ghk” Julius bites down his laugh just in time for the next click of the shutter, catching it in his throat.
“Subaru that is….indecent” he whispers, smiling despite himself.
“What? ‘bigger smiles’, ‘look into each other’s eyes’, ‘hold him closer’ next thing you know they’ll be bringing out a guy to spray us with water and telling us to make our moans more realistic”
Julius can’t hold his laughter down this time, it’s infectious and sets Subaru off as well
The camera shutter starts up rapid fire and the moment it captures becomes their favourite out of the whole album.