"Theoretically, if I told you the makeup artist was late how mad would you be?" Aiden hesitantly asked as he carefully treaded into the room Austin and his groomsmen were getting ready in. Austin moved his attention away from Markos who was going over the schedule for the day for the fifth time with Austin. He forced a sweet smile and looked Aiden up and down trying to decide whether or not he was frustrated at the makeup artist for being late or Aiden for being the messenger.
"Depends. How late is late?" Austin asked.
"Only like... Ten minutes?" Aiden guessed. Austin thought about it for a moment, trying to avoid his mind spiraling into a panic. It'd be fine. All he had to do was have the hairstylist do his hair first instead of having his makeup done first. That is, as long as Aiden gave him the correct time.
Things with Jullian were good... Well, as good as things could be with somebody like Austin engaged to somebody like Jullian. They argued often enough but they always came back to one another in the end and neither of them could imagine a life without the other. Even when they did fight, it never got past the point of no return. The worst it ever got was when Jullian had left the house and stayed at his friend's dorm for a couple of days until Austin cooled down. Even after most of their fights, they still managed to share a bed.
For the first time, Austin could genuinely say he loved his life. He loved dancing and teaching it to others. He loved when some of the women he taught would send him home with pies to share with Jullian and he loved listening to all of the drama that came with middle-aged suburban women. He loved coming home to find Jullian studying or making dinner. He loved spending his mornings wrapped in Jullian's arms... He just loved Jullian.
He still remembered the day Jullian proposed like it was yesterday. Jullian and Austin had referred to each other as their fiance for a long time before that because they always knew they were going to end up together. But on that particular day, Jullian and Austin were still a little grumpy with one another after getting into a fight a few days before. Well, more Austin was still being too stubborn to completely forgive.
But Jullian had been persistent and taken him to one of his soccer games. He remembered watching Jullian score the winning goal and cheering as loudly as he could for him. He remembered the feeling of Jullian's jersey clinging to his hoodie as the rain poured down on the stands and being pulled out into the field after the game. He had wanted to yell at Jullian the moment he got down onto his knee for a few seconds before he realized Jullian was in fact serious. Obviously, he had said yes about a million times and gave Jullian one of the sweetest and most genuine kisses he had given him in days... If Austin was ranking his and Jullian's kisses, that one was definitely in the top three.
The months of planning had flown by and before Austin knew it, he was standing in a small room getting his hair and makeup done. He didn't want anything crazy, just enough makeup to give him clear skin and good eyebrows. Jullian had wanted to follow a few Jewish traditions in their wedding and Austin wasn't complaining as long as he could still have it as extravagant as he wanted. The only thing he could complain about was that one of those traditions involved fasting for the first half of the day until the reception and he had been craving coffee all day.
"You look hot" Markos decided as he took a seat across from Austin to observe his completed hair and makeup. "Wanna just ditch Jullian and go get a smoothie or something? Go pick up some hot guys?" Austin snorted at that and reached for one of the hand mirrors to inspect the woman's work.
"You know Jayce is here, right?" Austin asked.
"Yeah, but so is his girlfriend" Markos muttered. "If I knew he'd invite her I would have brought a date. The whole reason I didn't bring one was that I was hoping I could knock some sense into that idiot and hook up with him"
"I thought you were dating Opal?" Aiden asked as he brought a hand to cover his pretzel-filled mouth.
"I broke up with her... Or rather she broke up with me because, although she already knew, the fact that I'm trans finally sank in and she decided I wasn't masculine enough for her" Markos huffed as he slouched in his seat.
"Damn. I'm sorry" Aiden sighed just in time for Beau to knock on the door and step inside. He held up Austin's suit which was concealed behind a layer of plastic with a wide grin. In his other hand, were three more identical bags with identical black and white suits.
"Hey, sorry to interrupt but the suits came in" Beau announced as he brought them over to the hanger. "You look nice, Austin"
Austin pressed his lips into a thin line and resisted the urge to give Beau a dirty look. He didn't mind Beau. He just didn't want to talk to him one on one. He didn't understand Beau's values or his way of thinking and it drove him crazy.
"Thanks" Austin mumbled before Beau headed over to say hello and goodbye to Aiden who was sitting in one of the chairs. He wrapped his arms over Aiden's shoulders from behind and pressed a sweet kiss to his cheek.
"You look nice, Darlin' " Beau hummed. He went to pull away but a bright smile reached Aiden's lips.
"Darlin', aye? I think you've been spending too much time with Jacob" Aiden chuckled. Austin didn't know much about Jacob. He had met him once, but supposedly he was a good friend of Beau's from Tennessee and had a similar accent to Beau only much stronger. Beau only groaned and pulled away with a pink blush on his cheeks. "Aw, come on. Don't be like that. It was cute"
"Shut up" Beau groaned, his face turning a dark crimson red as he lightly slapped Aiden's shoulder.
"Respectfully, will you two go do couple shit elsewhere because the way you guys are acting now makes me want to throw myself off a bridge out of loneliness..." Markos announced. "In what world does Aiden get to be happy and not me?" He demanded as he looked at Austin for answers.
"This one" Austin scoffed before heading over to look at his suit.
"I'm gonna head back to help Jullian finish getting ready... I'll see y'all in a bit" Beau called before heading off. Austin and Jullian had decided on a relatively small wedding considering they both hated most of the world. Austin had chosen Markos as his best man and Aiden and his little brother Alex as his groomsmen.
Austin had resented Alex for a long time. But after a while, Jullian got tired of Austin always complaining about Alex and instead pretty much forced Austin into a car and drove him all the way to Alabama. Of course, Jullian regretted it the moment the fact that they were in the most closed-minded, whitest, trashiest, homophobic, racist, and antisemitic town Jullian had ever seen. Austin was having the time of his life as he watched Karma punch Jullian in the face.
Things only got better when they headed down to the trailer park Austin was raised in and got to meet the family. Austin had gotten in a long argument with his step-dad which had told Jullian all he needed to know about where Austin's temper came from. He had thought he should interfere when the man threw a coffee pot at his boyfriend, but he stopped himself as soon as Austin started throwing shit right back. In the end, Jullian had gotten him out of there before Austin could seriously consider murdering that man and had arranged a small lunch with Jenny and Alex. Things went fine and Austin and his little brother had grown surprisingly close.
Austin ran his fingers down the smooth fabric of the suit before bringing his attention to Markos with a wide smirk.
"Help me change"
Down the hall, Jullian was face to face with the most annoying little shit to ever walk the planet. He was seriously considering tossing Sarah out of the venue at this point.
"Put another finger on me and I will not hesitate to drop your ass" Jullian warned as Sarah's pointer finger poked at his arm.
"You wouldn't"
"I would"
"Your mom would kill you if you laid a hand on a girl" Sarah warned.
"Sisters don't count" Jullian scoffed as he flicked Sarah's finger away. "If you don't leave me alone, I'm going to take this as permission to tell my future kids my ex-girlfriend crashed my wedding"
"You wish I cared about your sorry ass enough to do that" Sarah muttered just as Jayce returned with the suits and Sarah's dress.
"I do not"
"Hey, you kissed me first meaning you had to be into me at some point" Sarah protested as she put her hands up in surrender.
"Yeah, and you punched me for doing so. We're even"
"Okay, okay... Enough" Jayce sighed. "Beau is dropping off Austin and the boy's suits and I've got all of ours. Sarah, here's your dress" Jayce sighed as he handed her the bag with the simple navy blue dress. Sarah grinned and headed into the bathroom to change and Jayce headed over to Jullian. "And here's your suit"
Jullian's heart fell to his stomach as soon as he pulled it out of the bag. The simple white and navy blue suit. Everything was white except the tie, the outlining of the pockets, the buttons, and the inside of the suit. Austin would have one similar but he insisted on one with silver beading decorating the white jacket and the rest of the boys were wearing simple black and white suits with navy blue ties. Holding it in his hands made everything suddenly feel so real...
He swallowed the lump in his throat as he removed the plastic and quickly got changed. His heart slammed in his chest each time he heard the clock tick, signaling another second had gone by. Any minute now the ceremony would begin and his life would change forever. Maybe he was a little sad on this day as well as nervous and excited. As happy as he was to finally be with Austin through marriage, it was also a reminder of all the people who couldn't make it or simply chose not to.
He regretted not having Tristan at his side on such an important day and he regretted not having his father. His mother had flown to Chicago from California to be there but his father had refused and had even screamed at Jullian and Austin the moment they announced they were engaged. He had hoped Jullian would grow out of his feelings for Austin and eventually move on to meet a sweet and pretty Jewish girl like Sarah but he was wrong.
"Jullian?" There was a knock on the door that caught his attention and a small smile reached his lips as his mother stepped in. Her jaw dropped as she got a look at her son and she quickly brought her hands to cover her mouth as tears swelled in her eyes. "Oh... Look at you" She gushed as she took it all in.
"Hey Mom" Jullian whispered just before she threw her arms around his neck. He quickly hugged her back, just as tight as she hugged him, and placed a kiss on her forehead before she pulled away.
"Oh wow... Just wow..." She gushed as she ran her fingers down the soft fabrics. "You look so perfect... I have something for you" she reached into her back pocket and handed Jullian a small box. Jullian hesitated before pulling open the lid and he was met with a simple necklace with the Star of David on the charm. It was recently cleaned and was all too familiar. It was almost too much like the one Jullian already owned.
"Thank you, Mom" Jullian mumbled, deciding not to tell her he was already wearing his, tucked underneath his suit.
"It was Tristan's gift to you" She whispered after a long moment of silence. "I found it in his room a few days ago, wrapped in that ridiculous pig-themed wrapping paper he always used... I think he was planning on giving it to you for your eighteenth birthday. Although it's a little late, I thought it would make a fine wedding gift from your brother" Jullian's throat tightened as he brought his gaze down to the necklace, this time with an entirely new perspective.
"Thank you" He whispered again. His mother nodded and helped him take off the one he was wearing and replace it with Tristan's. He tucked it underneath his suit and watched his mother step out of the room. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves and just like that, the ceremony was about to begin.
The Rabbi began the wedding as the music began and he headed down the aisle. Usually, the grandparents of both grooms would have followed and taken their seats after but Jullian's had refused to attend and Austin simply didn't have any. So instead, Jayce and Alex headed down the aisle followed by Beau and Aiden, then Markos and Sarah. They had decided against a flower girl or ring bearer since they decided no children were allowed at the wedding.
Jullian felt his mother's arms loop around his and he glanced down at her, his heart racing as the music grew a little louder.
"It's okay to be nervous" She promised. "One step at a time, my love" She soothed. He swallowed the lump in his throat before taking the first step down the aisle. He recognized plenty of faces on both ends, some people from his school, others people Austin had met through dance and work. He recognized some family and family friends as well but they all went by in a blur.
Before he knew it, his mother was placing a kiss on his cheek and leaving him to take the next step of his life alone. Only, he wasn't alone because down at the end of the aisle was the man he was going to spend it with. All air left his lungs the moment he laid eyes on Austin, arm in arm with his older sister Jenny. His hair was neatly styled upward the way he liked it and his skin was as flawless as ever. His blue eyes instantly met Jullian's and a smile erupted on his lips.
Jullian wasn't sure he could take this much love and excitement filling his body. The only thing he was sure about was that he was going to marry him. The thought still gave him chills. Jullian wasted no time running his fingers down his fiance's cheek before joining their hands together.
'I love you' he mouthed receiving a bright smile from Austin.
'I know' Austin mouthed back sending Jullian's heart racing.
"Shalom! Welcome!" The Rabbi began. "It is with a joyous and light heart that I welcome you to this moment, the wedding of Jullian Daan Sanders and Austin Benson Blake. Marriage signifies an important change - not just in the lives of the couple, also the lives of their friends, families, co-workers and everyone whose life this couple touches"
"When was that first moment you noticed your one true love? When was that first moment you realized this was the person you did not want to live without? When was that moment you looked at your true love and thought "This is my forever"? For Jullian and Austin, this moment, here right now, is one I hope they remember fondly for the rest of their lives"
Jullian smiled as Austin lightly squeezed his hands, calming his nerves just slightly. Austin never did give things away based on his facial expressions and Jullian sometimes found it difficult to tell how he was feeling, but he was always sure to leave Jullian little hints that no passerby could pick up on. He'd squeeze his hand or lightly nudge his foot with his. Sometimes he'd even call Jullian some silly pet name he'd never used before just to hint that he was uncomfortable with whoever they were around.
The Rabbi handed each man a cup filled with wine before reading out a blessing Jullian could only understand parts of. He could read Hebrew, but he couldn't speak it or understand it to save his life. So instead of trying to figure it out, he patiently waited for him to finish.
"We wish Austin and Jullian to always treat one another as sweetly as the wine they drink today" The Rabbi announced.
"I like this part" Austin awkwardly announced, receiving a laugh from the people close enough to hear him including the Rabbi. They both brought their cups to their lips, taking a sip of the sweet and bitter wine. They listened through the seven blessings before it finally came time for the vows.
"Jullian and Austin, this is the very moment where in the eyes of your family and friends gathered here, the eyes of the law and the eyes of God, you become partners for life. These words are a paradox in that they should not be taken lightly as you are making a commitment to one another, but at the same time, should be taken very lightly as a life lived with lightness and joy is a very excellent life indeed" The Rabbi explained.
"That being said, the couple has decided to write their own vows. Although, Austin has asked that we turn off any sound enhancement because, and I quote, it's my sappy love story. Not theirs. Followed by a sequence of ungodly words I do not care to repeat" The Rabbi added the last part in with a chuckle. Jullian couldn't help a small nose laugh as the room erupted into light laughter. They waited a moment for the sound to be shut off before it was Jullian's turn to begin.
"Austin Blake, before I begin may I just say that I love you and you look absolutely stunning" Jullian whispered, his emotions already threatening to get the better of him. "Things didn't start out well for us... We went through a lot together and most days you made me want to rip my hair out... Yet at the end of the night, I always fell asleep thinking of you and I still do to this day. I promise to be there on your good and bad days, to give you space when you need it, and to listen to you. I promise to talk to you about everything and to show you off to the world. I promise to dance with you when you ask and to support your dreams. To love you in the best and worst of times and to never let you question how I feel for you. You are my entire world, and I cannot wait to grow old at your side"
He finished as he brought their hands to his lips and placed a kiss on Austin's knuckles. Austin was smiling like crazy and Jullian was already beginning to tear up. He wasn't sure he'd make it through Austin's vows.
"Austin, care to continue?" Austin nodded and took a deep breath.
"Jullian Sanders, words cannot even begin to express how much I love and cherish you. You pulled me out of a really dark place and showed me what it felt like to be loved and accepted. You were right about us having our rough spots but I know we can get through any that come our way because you've already done the impossible by getting me to pass pre-calculus" Jullian couldn't help laughing a little at that. "And even though you're a fucking idiot sometimes, I promise to never stop trying for you. I promise to always put you first and to consider you with every decision I make. I promise to cheer you on in life and to give you a safe place. I promise to hold you at night and love you in the morning. I promise to stay by your side no matter what and to never lose faith in you. You're my rock, my life, my best friend, my love, my family, and soon to be my husband. I wouldn't trade you for the world"
A single tear slipped down Jullian's cheek and Austin quickly wiped it away. The noise enhancement was turned back on and the Rabbi continued on with the ceremony.
"Now for the exchange of the rings" He announced as Sarah slipped Austin's ring into Jullian's hand. "Jullian, please continue"
"With this ring, you are consecrated to me, according to the tradition of Moses and Israel" Jullian recited as he slipped the silver, diamond-studded band onto Austin's ring finger. Austin repeated the process, using the silver band Markos had handed him and recited the same verse.
"With this ring, you are consecrated to me, according to the tradition of Moses and Israel" Austin recited.
"I am proud to announce that by the power vested in me by the Universal Life Church, you are now wed. You may now kiss as I and everyone here wishes you Mazel Tov!" The Rabbi announced. Austin wasted no time going onto his toes and pulling his beloved husband down into a sweet and loving kiss. Their lips molded together like they had a million times before and both boys were too lost in the moment to realize they had cupped the other's cheeks in their hands. Everything was all too perfect. They pulled away before Jullian placed one last peck on his lips and they headed off to go sign the Ketuba. But not before Austin yanked Jullian into one of the dressing rooms.
"I love you" Austin blurted out as soon as they were alone. He couldn't stop staring at his ring.
"I love you too, bubs" Jullian chuckled as he pulled Austin into a warm hug. Austin buried his face into Jullian's neck, feeling a hot tear trickle down his cheek followed by another. A smile was still planted on his lips, tears of pure joy. He was finally cracking after remaining so composed in front of the audience. Jullian smiled as he pulled away and wiped clear Austin's tears before planting a kiss on his husband's cheek. "Come on, let's go make you a Sanders officially"