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Tom looked nervous as he adjusted his tie in the mirror, he could barely believe it. He was actually getting married, married to the love of his life. They were about to become the Reed-Brooks. It was both exciting and nerve wracking. He gulped for a moment and then took a deep breath. Then behind him, he heard his mom, Jackie's, voice. The woman who stayed by his and his baby brother's side their whole lives.
Jackie's reflection appeared beside Tom's in the mirror, her hands smoothing invisible wrinkles from his shoulders. "You look like you're about to bolt," she said, she had her usual big smile, comforting and soft. The corner of her mouth twitched, her tell when she was fighting back tears. She was actually seeing her baby, well one of them, get married.
Tom exhaled sharply, fingers tapping the edge of the dresser. He looked very nervous, which was obviously understandable. "What if I trip walking down the aisle? Or forget my vows? Or-"
"Or what, sweetheart? Spill cranberry sauce all over Aiden's suit?" Jackie interrupted, flicking his ear lightly. "You could show up in a pink glitter covered wedding dress and he'd still marry you."
The tension in Tom's shoulders eased just a fraction. Outside, the string quartet began tuning up, the sound drifting through the cracked window. Somewhere beyond the door, Aiden was probably having his own minor panic, surrounded by his sister and sister figure and their relentless teasing. The thought made Tom grin. He then laughed somewhat, a laugh that was just like his mother's.
Jackie pressed a small velvet box into his palm after she stepped forward.
Tom opened the box to find his grandmother's pearl cufflinks nestled against the velvet, their soft glow catching the morning light. "Dad wore these," Jackie murmured, her thumb brushing his wrist. "And his father before him. But you, dear... Wear it better." That single sentence made Tom relax. He knew his father wasn't the best to him or Jackie, but Jackie loved her sons all the same.
A knock at the door startled them both. Tom's younger brother, Tony, poked his head in, his bowtie already askew. "Five minutes," he announced, then frowned at Tom. "Dude, were you crying?" "Tony!" "What? I'm not judging him?"
Tom wiped his eyes with a quick swipe of his thumb, shooting Tony a half-hearted glare. "Just allergies," he muttered, snapping the cufflinks into place. Jackie smoothed his lapels one last time, her fingers lingering like she was memorizing the shape of him in this moment. Tony walked up while rubbing his arm, Tom then finally smiled at him and hugged his brother. After a few words, They had to go. Tony rolled his eyes but didn’t push it.
Tony cleared his throat dramatically, adjusting his crooked bowtie again, it stubbornly refused to stay straight. "Okay, listen up, emotional wreck," he said, elbowing Tom lightly. "Aiden's out there sweating harder than you, and if you don't get moving, he'd think you got cold feet."
That simple sentence made Tom's eyes widen ever so slightly. He straightened up as Jackie adjusted his tie, then he walked out to the aisle.
The moment Tom stepped into the hallway, the muffled hum of guests beyond the closed doors hit him like a wave. His fingers twitched at his sides, suddenly unsure what to do with his hands. Tony nudged him forward with a snort. "You're walking like someone stapled your socks to the carpet. Relax, it's just your entire future waiting at the end of that aisle." Tom laughed a bit but that did relax him somehow.
At the altar, Aiden glanced over and smiled when Tom came out. He had sparkling eyes, not to mention he looked dazzling himself. But it was clear he thought Tom looked just as dazzling.
The string quartet swelled as Tom took his first step down the aisle, the guests rising in unison like a wave of rustling fabric and held breaths. His gaze locked onto Aiden, who stood impossibly still at the altar, his knuckles white around the bouquet of lavender and rosemary, Tom’s favorite scents, the ones Aiden always tucked into his coat pockets before dates. Aiden’s lips parted slightly, his throat working as if he wanted to say something across the distance, but instead he just blinked rapidly, his smile wobbling at the edges.
Halfway down, Tom’s foot caught on an uneven floorboard, and the entire congregation gasped. But before he could stumble, Tony materialized at his elbow, steadying him with a grip that belied his usual nonchalance. "Smooth," Tony whispered, smirking, but his fingers dug into Tom’s sleeve like he was prepared to bodily haul him the rest of the way if needed. Aiden had taken half a step forward, one hand outstretched, until Tom righted himself and waved him off with a sheepish grin.
When Tom finally reached the altar, Aiden reached out and brushed a thumb over Tom’s cheekbone, his voice cracking on a whisper only Tom could hear, "you look so handsome..." Tom smiled at that and whispered back, "says you." Aiden chuckled softly and quietly. Connor cleared his throat and they looked up. Ellie had to give him a new microphone before he continued the speech he was supposed to give to them.
After said speech, was the vows. Which luckily both Aiden and Tom managed to remember as they recited them to each other while holding hands. Tom was smiling as Aiden looked calmer and happier after they finished. Then Connor said the line...
"You may now kiss the husband."
Aiden moved first, his hands sliding up to cradle Tom's face like he was holding something impossibly precious. The guests erupted into cheers, but Tom barely heard them, Aiden's thumbs brushed his cheekbones, warm and familiar, and then their lips met in a kiss that tasted like mint and chocolate. They smiled at each other.
The wedding actually went by smoother than Tom and Aiden expected as they got the cake and everything. They didn't do the cake face smash thing solely because Tom and Aiden's moms didn't want something bad to happen, as moms do. But they still had a wonderful wedding with a lot of dancing and laughter.
And Gabs the cat causing chaos because Gabby couldn't keep a hold of her.