Blake
BLAKE
Looking back, couldn’t remember the hours leading up to the wedding. From the moment they’d woken up, they had been in motion. He and Sean had taken over the bulk of the preparation, giving just enough to Blaine and Eric to make sure they didn’t obsess too much over the big event. That was easier said than done with Eric, a chronic overthinker, but they managed it.
Thankfully, despite how much Sean had teased him, he and came to a sort of peace. Of course, the question Sean had asked him still hung in ’s mind. It wasn’t like it had been the first time a guy had shown interest in him, but it had certainly been the first time a guy had inferred that he had an interest in them. What tickled the back of his mind the most was that he didn’t actually have a direct answer for Sean, and he still wasn’t sure how to deal with that.
But all that had fallen by the wayside as the flurry of the morning and afternoon took over. Decorations had gone up, checkup calls had been made, and while Sean kept Eric distracted, had made sure everyone in the wedding party knew what was expected of them. It was supposed to be a simple, small wedding, and even then, it required a great deal of prep work. didn’t even want to guess what a large-scale wedding would have required of them.
What he would remember, however, was standing at the end of the aisle they had created. The small collection of chairs for the guests on each side, and everyone dressed in their best as they waited patiently for the wedding to start. At the other end of the aisle stood the wooden altar, made by one of Blaine’s friends who apparently had become an adept carpenter in his spare time. It fit the theme of the surroundings, an arch of different pieces of wood pulled from a warped tree, angled perfectly, waiting for the couple to stand beneath.
Beside him stood Blaine, standing tall and looking at home in a tux as he kept his shoulders straight. Watching him, couldn’t help but remember his brother’s graduation into the Marines. How proud he had looked in his uniform. ’s eyes stung, gazing upon his brother. But it compared to watching Blaine prepare for the moment he would be joined with Eric, and the happiness was so much brighter as it radiated from his face.
And then the music started.
Blaine glanced at him, and grinned, hoping he conveyed everything he meant to say as they locked arms. Together, they walked down the aisle, surrounded by those who loved Blaine the most. He knew Sean and Eric wouldn’t be far behind them. The couple had chosen a traditional wedding with a twist. There was no bride to be given away, so instead, both men would be given away by those who meant the most to them.
And so, the best men were the ones to give the grooms away.
Blaine’s arm was strong around ’s, holding him close as they reached the end of the aisle. There was a moment of brief shivering from his brother, but then Blaine let him go, taking his place before the altar. gave his brother a wink, not surprised that his nerves would find him at the last moment and not a minute sooner.
The music shifted ever so slightly, and Eric appeared, Sean at his side. had to admit, the two of them side by side were quite a sight. Both had dark hair and eyes, bearing a striking resemblance that they might have been mistaken for twins. had a harder time deciding which of the two men shone the strongest, Eric with absolute love and Sean with pride.
“Oh,” Blaine whispered at the sight of his fiancé.
elbowed him gently but said nothing. His brother’s eyes burned with the same light radiating from Eric as he and his brother walked down the aisle, arms interlocked. They reached the altar, standing across from Blaine and . Eric’s eyes were locked on Blaine, but Sean caught ’s gaze, and though his eyes were watering already, he gave a wink.
The officiate was brief, would give him that much. A short, pudgy man who seemed delighted to be where he was. He stuck to the script, which was to keep it as short as possible without boring too many people. In fact, his warm manner and joy at the proceedings fit perfectly as he led up to the speaking of the vows.
Eric went first.
Stepping forward, Eric took a deep breath and drew a piece of paper from his tux. Sean grinned at as they watched Eric consider the folded note, look at Blaine, and then stuff it back.
“Fuck it,” Eric muttered, much to the amusement of the crowd.
smirked. Of course, Eric couldn’t get through his own wedding without swearing and looking annoyed.
Eric reached out, taking Blaine’s hand. “Blaine. Once, there was this stupid, angry kid. He was new to the school filled with assholes who wanted nothing more than to talk about him and not even bother to make him feel like part of them. Except for one. One tall, warm, kind, and ridiculously patient guy. He wasn’t like the rest. He reached out and decided we would be friends, and we were. And then we were the best of friends. And then we were...so much more than that.”
Eric tightened his grip on Blaine’s hand, smiling so brightly thought he might be blinded. “And then he left. For all the right reasons, but God, I hated him for it. I continued to hate him for years . And then that asshole, that stupidly kind and patient asshole, showed up again in my life. I wanted to hate him. I wanted to push him away even when I knew I wanted anything but. He didn’t give up on me. He didn’t give up on us . Despite everything, he pushed forward, tried, and fought for us, even fighting me. I can’t even begin to explain how happy I am that he did.”
Eric swallowed hard. “You...Blaine, you are my rock, my calm, the place I can turn when the world feels like nothing but noise and pain. You are...my safe place, the person who has seen the worst of me and, even then, loves me. You are a Marine and an officer of the law. You are strong and wise. You are patient, and you are miraculous. I love you for all those things, and I love you for so much more. Because you are so much more than your titles and so much more than other people see. I love you, Blaine Edwards, and I will never stop.”
listened, bowed his head and took the words in. His heart swelled for his brother, and privately, a traitorous part of his heart ached to hear those words for himself. But they were exactly what he would have expected from Eric.
When he looked up, Sean’s eyes were glazed over with unshed tears, and Eric’s were no better. Beside him, Blaine swallowed hard, and it wasn’t until nudged him gently that he came to life. He didn’t reach into his jacket. Instead, he reached out and took hold of Eric’s other hand, holding both before him as he spoke.
“Eric,” Blaine began, voice wavering. “When I met you, I knew there was something special about you, and maybe deep down, I knew what kind of special. It wasn’t until later that I realized just how wonderful you are. You are passionate, you are thought-provoking, you are loyal, and you are strong. You are everything I ever wanted, but more importantly, you are everything I ever needed. You are what I thought about when I was pushed to my physical and mental limits. You were the comfort I took when I was alone in the dark. You are everything I ever dreamed about when everything seemed bleak when I thought I wouldn’t have a future. And now you’re here, and that’s the same thought I had when I saw you again. It’s you, oh God, it’s you.”
Blaine’s voice cracked down the middle, and felt his chest tighten.
“Because that’s all it’s ever been. You. It’s you, Eric, and that’s all there ever will be for me. I love you, Eric, and I will always choose you until the last.”
Eric gave a choke, bowing his head. “Damn you, I knew you’d do this to me.”
smiled as he watched Eric lose his fight with his emotions, tears finally leaving his eyes. Beside him, Sean’s face was soaked with tears, and was amazed the man hadn’t started sobbing yet. Even then, he gave Sean a knowing smile, his own eyes prickling, and he wondered how much love must be in Sean’s heart for such an unabashed and unrestrained display of joy.
The officiate beamed, tilting his chin up as he spoke to the crowd. “I think little else needs to be said. The love between these two is obvious to all who bear witness. Let’s throw all the formality out the window, but don’t think you’ll get away without kissing your groom.”
“Gladly,” Eric whispered fiercely, taking hold of Blaine and pulling him down into a kiss.
It was strong enough and long enough to earn a whistle from the crowd. suspected Blaine’s former teammates, but even he was grinning wolfishly as he watched the display.
“Well,” the officiate said, looking pleased. “Then I proclaim you husband and husband, married and happy to be so.”
A cry rose from the crowd, loud enough to make flinch. Eric and Blaine, however, simply grinned, hands wrapped in one another’s. watched them momentarily before stepping forward and putting his arm through Sean’s, as planned.
“Doing alright?” muttered to Sean.
“I’m not apologizing for crying like a baby,” Sean told him.
“And you shouldn’t,” said. “That was fucking gorgeous.”
“Yes,” Sean said, giving him a strange look as they began walking down the aisle together. “It was.”
continued forward, not needing to plaster a fake smile on his face. “And maybe it gives me a little hope for myself.”
“Oh?” Sean asked as they reached the end of the aisle.
snorted. “Yeah, if those two idiots can find someone to love them, why can’t I?”
Sean managed to stifle his laughter as they slipped out of sight. “That is...one way of looking at it. But I think you sell yourself short.”
stopped as they reached the house, away from everyone else. “What?”
Sean looked him over, smiling gently. “You have a lot to offer someone, , even if you might want to dismiss that with a joke or a comment. There’s more to you than meets the eye. Don’t let yourself forget that, okay?”
“I…” began, suddenly unsure of himself or what he should let come out of his mouth.
Sean winked. “C’mon. We need to make sure the food is set up so our guests can stuff their faces. Then we can all sit around and drink, a proper celebration for a proper wedding.”
“I don’t think I’m allowed to drink,” told him with a laugh.
Sean stopped at the door, raising a brow. “And why is that?”
“Blaine says I don’t know how to behave when I drink,” informed him.
Sean cocked his head. “Really? Well, I might be willing to pay to see that.”
And then he was gone, leaving to stare after him and wonder what that meant. Just when he thought he understood Sean, the man threw something into the mix that completely messed with ’s understanding.
Was Sean trying to infer something, the kind of something that might tie into what had happened the other night? And more importantly, was worried about it or intrigued?
He was almost thankful when Blaine and Eric burst through the door, having done their walking down the aisle. They didn’t notice as they burst in, wrapping around one another as soon as they were clear from everyone’s sight.
Smiling, quietly slipped out of the room, sparing a glance toward the couple. He caught sight of the two of them when they came up for air. There was no mistaking the warmth and joy burning in their eyes as they stared at one another. There was almost an air of disbelief as if neither could believe they had finally got this far, had finally found one another. But they had, and no one could deny the love between them or their happiness.
spared a momentary thought for his parents and shook his head. To him, they were idiots, not seeing how wonderful Blaine’s life was or how wonderful any love could be. And felt blessed, bearing witness and knowing his brother would always have someone at his side.