6. Beauty in Broken Glass #3
We continued to kiss and cradle one another for much of the afternoon, making repetitive love under the blissful sun that consumed us.
Nothing was going to take me from him: not the world outside our window, the chaos back home, or the impending doom that lingered just around the corner.
I was with my Odysseus, and only my Odysseus, and I was going to enjoy him for as long as time allowed me to.
Sebastian was very wary of the whole situation, as if he knew something was up from the start.
As the nosiest person in the universe this didn’t surprise me, as he was usually good at sniffing things out, but this time, Soren was doing a good job of hiding his intentions.
Sebastian knew something was up regardless, but couldn’t pin it down, and luckily, none of us were budging.
To give him credit, of course we were, but I would never tell.
That evening, the three couples met on the pier in front of the hotel, where a yacht was waiting for our private dinner.
Even Soren was unaware of this part of the night and was shocked when he took in the sight of the boat.
Sebastian was dumbstruck when he saw me and Odysseus waving from the deck, dressed in our finest outfits to match the dress code of the evening.
Luckily, the others has also dressed up.
“What the heck is going on here?” Sebastian laughed as I took his hand and helped him up the steps.
“A little night on the water to celebrate our wonderful break from reality.” I slid a cashmere sweater over his shoulder. “Something to complete your look.”
“Nick, this is way too extravagant...?” he whispered, though he was cuddling the sweater lovingly. Sebastian usually thrifted or made his own clothes, so for him to have a nice article owned solely by him was a special gift in itself.
“Let me worry about that. Come on, let’s get some drinks.
” I tugged him across the deck to the sitting area on the opposite side, where glasses of champagne were waiting alongside menus.
Soren fist-bumped me as he passed, with a promise to make this up to me at a later date, though I had no intention of accepting anything in return.
How often did I get to spoil my friends, my best friends at that?
Sebastian deserved the best, as he always gave us his best.
We each took a seat; Odysseus pulled mine out for me with a wink before lacing our hands under the table, his legs shaking excitedly. I held his knee to keep him in place, chuckling to myself as everyone eyed their menus. “Scallops, scampi, bruschetta... Gods, I want it all!” Soren declared.
“Let’s share the bruschetta!” Sebastian offered.
“I’ll share me a glass of champagne...” I snickered as I poured some for myself.
Odysseus tipped the bottle when my glass was half full, his eyebrow raised to remind me to slow down with the drinking.
I rolled my eyes and set the bottle down, sipping the sweet alcohol, which he was pleased with.
He was right after all. I shouldn’t have been drinking to begin with, but one glass wouldn’t hurt... hopefully.
“What a beautiful night. The water is so magical. Xenobia would have loved this,” Sebastian said as he stood to hang over the edge of the boat.
He let his fingers trail the siding so he could comb through the droplets of water that the ocean had left when the waves died down.
Soren was enamored by this, his eyes glimmering under the swaying lanterns above us.
“She’s spending some much-needed time with her parents, and besides, we needed an adult only night,” Odysseus assured him.
I nodded to Soren, who stood nervously and crossed the deck to wrap a hand around Sebastian's waist. Sebastian looked up to him curiously as Soren cleared his throat. “You know, Seb, there was one more reason as to why Nick and I planned this trip.”
“I knew it! What are you hiding from me?” he accused playfully.
Soren rolled his red eyes. “Yes, super-sleuth, your intuition was correct, per usual.”
“Well, don’t keep me in suspense!” Sebastian giggled, laying a tepid kiss to the corner of Soren’s mouth.
Soren got down on one knee, making Sebastian's laughter cease immediately.
When he realized what Soren was about to do, his cheeks turned so red that I was convinced he was going to pass out.
“Sebastian, you are the light of my life. You are everything in the world that makes sense, the reason I wake up every day and face the dark reality that has slowly consumed our lives. Your smile lights up my darkness, your voice eases all my pain...”
“Soren...?” Sebastian croaked.
Soren’s eyes filled with tears that all of us mimicked.
“You gave me a voice when I couldn’t find one for myself.
You taught me how to glue pieces of myself back together when they shattered, how to be the best version of myself possible every single day.
We have been through some of the hardest imaginable times together, through things I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemies, but it’s done nothing but strengthen our bond to be impenetrable.
I’ve made you wait long enough...” he pulled a black box from his pocket and revealed a glistening diamond ring, “Sebastian Octavius Montgomery.... The Great Sebby... Will you do me the incredible honor of marrying me?”
Sebastian choked on a sob and shook his head rapidly, letting Soren slide the ring up his finger before the two embraced.
They shared a romantic kiss under the lights of the shoreline, while their closest friends and family popped champagne and cheered in their honor.
It was a magical moment, one that was a long time in the making, and one that I was honored to be a part of.
To see my best friend come full circle, to achieve what he yearned for, for so long...
it was pure magic, far beyond anything anyone on that boat could ever conjure.