Chapter Text
With the wedding over and done with, it was now time to set the wheels in motion for finally achieving their dreams of owning a bar/restaurant. Nothing happened for the first few weeks. Jay and Lola had been on honeymoon and Ben and Callum agreed they would wait until he returned before looking for properties. Ben and Callum had to juggle their shifts to make sure there was someone at home to take care of Lexi. Callum and Lexi had bonded so much over the year, that neither of them minded spending time alone together. Ben came home several times to the kitchen being completely wrecked from their baking exploits. He couldn’t bring himself to be mad as he loved the fact they found a common interest they both loved. One evening he came home a little early and happened to stumble upon Callum putting Lexi to bed. Neither saw him as he hid behind the wall listening to their conversation. Callum had just finished reading her a chapter of Harry Potter and they were discussing their favourite part. Ben couldn’t help but laugh to himself at the lively discussion; both taking it way too seriously for his liking. When the conversation ended Callum wished Lexi goodnight and gave her a soft kiss on the head. “Callum!” Lexi called out as he turned away.
“Yes darlin!” he replied and turned to look towards her.
“Do you think that you and Daddy will get married one day?” she asked innocently. Ben wished he could have seen Callum’s reaction to her question. He loved his daughter but sometimes he wished she wasn’t so direct.
“Erm…” he heard Callum start. “I’m not sure sweetheart. We’ve not really talked about it. Why d’you ask?”
“I’d just quite like to be bridesmaid again,” Lexi replied nonchalantly.
Callum chuckled, “Well you were a beautiful bridesmaid,” he conceded, “But I’m afraid that’s not a reason for us to get married.”
“Why not. We’re a family ain’t we and you love each other don’t you?” Lexi quizzed, unwilling to let go.
“Course we are and I love your Dad more than anythin.” Callum insisted. “And that won’t change. Even if we don’t get married we’ll still be a family. I love you both too much to ever leave you.” Ben’s heart swelled at Callum’s declaration to Lexi. Callum saw them as forever and Ben did too. He was even more certain he wanted to marry him. He just didn’t think now was the right time, they’d agreed that the next big thing to focus on was opening the business. Perhaps once that was settled he’d think about it more seriously. Hoping he would just know, when the right time would be.
His train of thought was broken as he heard Lexi speak again, “Love you too Callum.” Ben couldn’t see but he pictured her giving him a huge hug. He stepped away and towards the front door, hoping neither would realise he’d heard them. It worked and as Callum exited the bedroom he saw Ben, waking towards him and greeting him with a kiss. Ben knew that he’d be happy to come home to him every day for the rest of his life; certain one day he’d make the formal commitment for it to happen.
Over the next few months, the plans for setting up their own bar/restaurant stepped up a gear. As soon as Jay came back, they began looking for properties. It was a slow process. Many of the existing bars and restaurants were established and their owners had no plans to sell. Ben became increasingly frustrated that they were so close to realising their dreams, only for hurdles to be put in their way. Callum tried to reassure him that things would work out but Ben became less convinced. He didn’t mean to but he sometimes snapped at Callum for being too optimistic and it lead to a few arguments. Of course they were able to talk it through and Ben enjoyed the make up sex that followed every time. It wasn’t an easy time but they worked their way through it. Ben didn’t believe in destiny but all that was about to change on one of their date nights. It was their first anniversary. They’d decided that their anniversary would officially be on the date they’d started their life together on the island. Although they’d obviously known each other before then – and there were some anniversaries they would celebrate in private - there had been some difficult moments and both thought they didn’t want those to cloud their memories. Ben had surprised Callum with a meal at the restaurant they’d been to on their first date. It was still as beautiful as he remembered and they enjoyed reliving that night. Ben went to pay at the end of the evening and got chatting to the owner. He was fairly elderly and told Ben about he was planning on selling up and enjoying his retirement. Ben couldn’t believe it, this place was so perfect; it had so many special memories. The thought that they could make new ones there, thrilled him greatly. Once he told the owner how his family were looking to buy a business like this, the owner also became excited; especially when Ben told him how special this place was to him and Callum. He discussed it with Callum and they made arrangements to come back the following day and bring Jay with them. Callum was shocked by the developments but again felt like it was fate. This place had been the exact kind of place that he’d dreamed of and he fell in love with the idea of owning it. The following day they returned with Jay and he loved the place as much as they did. The restaurant had an upstairs space that was largely unused. Jay came up with the idea of turning that into a bar and keeping the bottom as a restaurant. It seemed like a fabulous idea, Jay could run the bar side, Callum the restaurant and Ben could be front of house, keeping an eye on both. They made the owner an offer on the spot and he gladly took it as it meant he didn’t have to have the hassle and expense of dealing with estate agents. He also loved the idea that the place was special to Ben and Callum; knowing they would treasure being owners of it heartened him. Ben finally felt like, everything in his life was coming together, that the puzzle was well on its way to being complete.
Again it didn’t come as easily as they’d hoped. The sale went through within two months. It was fairly straightforward to draw up contracts and set up the business arrangements. Although Callum and Ben were putting in more capital, they’d agreed that Jay was to be an equal partner. Jay had insisted he didn’t mind having a smaller share but neither Ben or Callum would hear of it. They both saw him as an equal and wanted him to be rewarded as such. The major problem came with the plans for the renovations. They had drawn out a plan for what they wanted to do with the upstairs and it involved a lot of changes to the structure. It turned out there was a lot of red tape and they had to apply for planning permission. Eventually it came through but it took several months. Once they finally had it, they pushed ahead quite quickly. It meant that they all had to put long hours in and it meant spending less time as a family. Ben hated it, he missed it but Callum tried to reassure him that it would be worth it in the end. Although they’d all had slightly ideas for what they wanted it to look like, they agreed to a compromise which suited them all. They’d gone for a simple but stylish theme for the restaurant and bar. They’d agreed to light laminate flooring and wooden tables to set it off. The bar area was mahogany and the walls plainly decorated with an mixture of different pale shades. The lighting was ambient and created a feeling of warmth inside. It looked classy without being overly extravagant. Once they were happy with the décor it came to deciding on a name. This was something that caused a few more discussions and issues as it was hard to find one they all liked. The added pressure of making sure it was fitting for a bar and restaurant didn’t help. Jay suggested maybe they came up with separate names for the bar and restaurant. Ben hated this idea it was something him and Callum wanted to share and he hated the idea of them being disconnected. “We could try and use our names like mix em together or use our initials or surnamed” Jay suggested.
“Well if we put our initials together we’ve got B J…,” he paused and that devilish smirk crept on his face. “Now actually…”
“You’re not takin this seriously!” Jay snapped. “I was thinkin more like Mitchell, Highway and Brown’s.”
Ben screwed his face up, “That sounds like a poncy solicitors rather than a bar.”
“Look it either needs to represent what it is or it needs to mean something special to us.” Callum suggested.
“What about Ocean’s edge? It says where it is, makes it sound appealing for punters.” Jay put forward another suggestion.
Ben shrugged. “It’s alright but it ain’t exactly original is it?” Ben scratched his head and thought about what Callum said about something special to them all. All of a sudden he caught sight of a family photo they had taken on Jay and Lola’s wedding day. It was a candid shot someone had taken. All of them had the biggest smiles and their eyes were focused on one thing. Lexi. Ben knew in that moment that he’d realised the one thing that was really special to all of them and always would be. “I’ve got it. What about Lexi’s?”
Jay and Callum both looked at him, both clearly thinking about the idea. After a few moments huge smiles appeared on both their faces. “Perfect!” they both said simultaneously. Ben couldn’t believe they hadn’t thought of it before. It seemed so obvious. Now it was decided they could push forward with the final stages and get that one step closer to his dreams finally coming true.
Two months later the time came for them to open up Lexi’s. The week leading up to it was extremely busy. Callum particularly felt the stress. He’d designed his own menu and making sure he had all the right ingredients and storing them was making him anxious. They’d decided to open with a taster menu session, hopefully it would encourage people to see the quality of the food and give Callum a chance to practise. It was one of the rare times Ben had seen Callum so completely wrung out. He tried to help anyway he could but it was tricky as he also needed to help Jay with the bar side. Callum had hired a team of staff to support him in the kitchen and they had done a good job. Being a manager was all new to him though and he find the language barrier tricky at times. He’d been learning Spanish the whole time he was there but he still wasn’t confident in his fluency. Ben hated how insecure was about his ability to manage people as well. He kept trying to reassure him he was brilliant with people and everyone was going to love working for him but Callum wasn’t so sure. Every night that week, he’d come home feeling incredibly anxious and all Ben could do was comfort him; holding him in his arms as he stroked him arms and hair to soothe him. It didn’t help that the Carters were unable to come over for the opening. Whitney, Lee’s wife, was heavily pregnant and the whole family wanted to stay at home just in case. Stuart also was unable to make it. Callum was really disappointed that his family wouldn’t be there to share in his achievement. So Ben decided to organise a surprise for him, on the opening night, that he thought would cheer him up and help distract from his stress. Ben hoped the surprise he’d arranged would ease some of the disappointment he felt. He’d set up a zoom call so Lee and his parents could all speak to Callum just before they officially opened. It was difficult to prize Callum away from the kitchen that day and took several minutes of pleading. Eventually he came up to the bar where Ben had set up the big screen. “I really don’t have time for this Ben.” he moaned as Ben lead him into the room with his hands over his eyes.
“I know you’re busy Baby but I think you’re really gonna want to see this.” Ben put him in front of the TV and let his hands drop.
The Carter’s all screamed “Surprise!” Callum’s face lit up immediately and Ben’s heart jumped at how happy he was. He turned to Ben who just smiled before attempting to step aside to let Callum talk to them.
Callum grabbed his arm and pulled him close, “Thank you,” he whispered. “I think it’s about time we introduced you properly.” Ben didn’t really mind that he’d never properly met them. The only time he’d really seen them was at Lee’s wedding and it was hardly the time then. Since then Callum hadn’t been back home; only keeping in contact through video calls and messages, none of which had seemed the right time. Now though Ben couldn’t help but feel privileged that Callum wanted to show him off to his family. They chatted for about half an hour; Callum and Ben filling them in about the plans for the business; the Carters telling Callum how proud they were of him and filling him in on their news. They agreed they would come over for a visit soon and Callum was so excited by the idea. As they ended the call, Callum pulled Ben in for a lingering hit chats kiss. “Thank you for organising that. It was just what I needed today.” he stated looking at Ben like he’d hung all the stars for him.
“Yeh well. I know how much they mean to you and how gutted you were they couldn’t be here,” he explained, “Thought it might make you feel a bit better. I would’a tried to contact Stuart as well but I don’t have his contact details.”
Callum nodded, “That’s okay. I love you.” He pulled a Ben for another kiss, this time slightly more passionate.
Ben had to pull away before he lost control. “Love you too…but we have a bar and restaurant to open,” he sighed. “And as much as I’d like to christen it with you…I think we might have to save that for later.” he winked and Callum smiled before gesturing he would very much be up for that. They headed back to the kitchen and Callum got straight back to work. Ben went to set up the finishing touches for the bar, hoping everything would go smoothly tonight.
For the most part, Ben got his wish; things running as fairly smoothly. There were a few tiny hiccups; all behind the scenes; one of the sous chefs reading the order wrong; one of the bar staff serving the wrong brand of gin; all of which were dealt with and the customers didn’t notice. Both Ben and Callum had been run off their feet and barely saw each other throughout the evening. Callum hadn’t seen much of what was going on out in the restaurant but from the comments that had been passed on from the waiters, it seemed to be going well. Ben made sure he went in to check on him a few times and reassure him how well things were going, but it wasn’t often as he was making sure he was fulfilling his role of entertaining the guests. By the end of the evening Ben, Callum and Jay were all exhausted. They, with the help of the staff, cleared up and when they had finally finished they opened some champagne to celebrate. Jay only stayed for one glass as he wanted to get back to Lola; leaving Ben and Callum to finish it and lock up. They stood on the terrace over looking the ocean; the moonlight was bouncing off it and it was a stunning sight to behold. Callum put his arm around Ben’s back and pulled him close. Ben slid his arm around him too, “Can you believe we did it?” he asked while he looked up at Callum.
Callum turned to him and shook his head, “I still pinch myself to check I’m not dreaming it all.” he smiled warmly.
“Who’d have thought when we came here on our first date we’d have ended up here now?” Ben asked softly.
Callum laughed lightly, “Well considering you ditched me the next day, it seemed unlikely!” he teased. Before Ben gave him a swift elbow in the ribs, looking at him scornfully. “Turned out alright in the end…I mean it gave you time to realise you couldn’t live without me.”
“Oh I dunno…reckon I’d get by,” he quipped back. Before pulling Callum into another lingering kiss. “Kinda stuck with you now though, need your culinary skills.”
Callum laughed back, “Good job I ain’t plannin on goin anywhere then.” he grinned at Ben and Ben was so pleased. “You know before I met you, I never really had any dreams. Was just happy to go with the flow, play it safe, settle for half measures,” he sighed, “Then you came along, showed me it was okay to have desires, to take risks, helped me figure out what I wanted in life.” Ben’s heart felt fit to burst at Callum’s words. “I thought I was happy before, I never realised there was somethin missin. But you…well you’re the piece of the puzzle I didn’t know I was lookin for. You helped me dream and now you’ve made them all come true.” Callum had tears in his eyes and Ben knew he meant every word. “What more could I ever need out of life eh?”
Ben could feel the emotion build him right through him, his own eyes brimming with tears. He could no longer hold back the thoughts that had been swirling in his mind for a long time now. He’d always told himself he’d know when the right time was and he knew that now was that time, “Marry me?”
A look of bewilderment appeared in Callum’s face and a nervous smile appeared. “What?” he exclaimed.
“I know this ain’t the most romantic way of doin this. I mean I ain’t planned it and I don’t even have a ring or anythin,” Ben gulped trying to control his emotions, “But I thought I had everythin I ever needed too. I didn’t ever bother lookin for more…but you came into my life and I knew that the puzzle weren’t complete. I needed you to make it complete. You make the picture a million times better. I love you so much and I want this…us…forever.” Tears were rolling over both their cheeks now as Callum beamed at him, pure devotion in his eyes. “So what d’you say?” Ben lowered himself to one knee. “Fancy makin it official? Marry me?”
“Of course I will!” he cried out and Ben jumped back up into his arms and kissed him with everything he had. When they broke apart, they both had tears in their eyes. Callum gazed deeply into eyes as he cupped his face. “I love you so much!” he said while choking back tears. “And by the way, that was the most romantic moment of my life. It was us. It was perfect.” Ben knew then that for the dreams Ben helped Callum realise, he had also given Ben a new dream; one he never thought he’d ever have; he wanted to be Callum’s husband. A dream that he hoped would soon be realised.
The next few months were a bit of a whirlwind. Ben and Callum immediately announced their engagement to their families. Lola, Jay and Lexi were delighted; Lexi relishing the idea of being a bridesmaid again; giving Ben and Callum a clear description of what she wanted to wear this time. The Carters were also overjoyed and told Callum they would fly over whenever it happened. Ben also shared the news with his Mum and Brother. Him and his Mum had begun to build a relationship: it wasn’t easy and Ben still hadn’t fully forgiven her but they had made progress and become closer. Callum also shared their news with his brother, who was genuinely pleased for him. Callum told him he would like him to be there if he could and he promised he’d try. They’d agreed not to get engagement rings and just find matching wedding bands for the actual ceremony; wanting them to be something the both chose that represented them and their love. The problem was that after their decision to get married, they were so busy with the new business, they didn’t have much time to plan it. The bar and restaurant had taken off really well and had been very busy. Everyone was so pleased it was such a success. In the early days all three men wanted to be all hands on deck; making sure that everything was running well and that they became well established. They also wanted to make sure that it made enough profits in peak season so when it was a little quieter they had enough to fall back on. Ben was so proud of how successful they’d been and he finally felt like he’d made something of himself. There was just one more thing that would make everything perfect and that was actually getting married. Eventually him and Callum managed to get a whole day off together and Ben hoped they could start to talk about what they wanted to do. Ben remembered what Callum had said to him about getting married on the cliffs over looking the ocean. That sounded perfect to Ben so he made some enquires about the venue not far from the restaurant. It turned out they had a cancellation and could hold the wedding in two months time. Ben asked them to hold it until he had chance to show Callum; not wanting to make such an important decision without him. He knew that Callum had just stepped back and let Johnny take the reins with their almost wedding. He also knew that Callum would have hated what was planned. Ben wanted this day to be for both of them and everything they decided to be an equal decision. That’s why on their day off Ben arranged for them to visit the venue as a surprise. Callum was a little reluctant to go out, hoping they could have a lazy day at home. “But Babe…” he moaned. “I just wanted to spend the day in bed. We’ve got some catchin up to do.” he said pulling back the duvet so Ben could see him in all his glory. Ben had to fight every urge in his body and ignore the growing bulge in his groin. He could have been very easily tempted to pounce on Callum and spend hours making up for all the time they’d missed. But he knew that they’d have a lifetime to do that; today was about making a choice which would start the new chapter of their life.
“You have no idea how tempting that is Babe, but,” he whined. “I’ve planned somethin special. Please!” he implored. “I’ll make it worth your while this afternoon I promise.” he said licking his lips to let Callum know exactly how he would do that. Callum reluctantly agreed and got out of bed to get dressed. They made the short walk along the seafront, then up to the cliff top. When they arrived Callum was still confused as to why they were there. Ben felt a little nervous; not because he had any doubt about the wedding but because he wanted Callum to love the place as much as he did. “What do you think?” he asked tentatively.
Callum looked around and Ben could see from the look on his face he was impressed. “It’s beautiful, stunning,” he looked to Ben slightly confused, “I still don’t get why we’ve come for a scenic walk, when I could be gettin a view of my gorgeous fiancé in all his glory though?” he teased.
Ben raised his eyebrows and smiled at him, “Well thing is…” he said taking Callum’s hand. “They do weddings here. In fact they have a cancellation for two months time.” Callum beamed at him, knowing what he was suggesting. “So I was thinkin maybe…if you like it…we could book it. I mean I know it’s short notice and it might be tricky to organise everyone bein here,” Ben began to ramble, “But I thought we could have like a reception at the restaurant later on. But if you’re not happy with it then we can wait or look for somewhere else…”
Callum cut him off with a forceful kiss. “I love it!” he declared as he pulled away. “And the only thing that really matters is I get to be your husband. I don’t care if it’s just me, you and Lex here. Let’s go for it!” Ben kissed him again before leading him to the venue office and booking the date; finally they were on the path to reaching their final goal.
When the day finally came, everything seemed to fall into place beautifully. They’d decided to keep it simple; they would have the ceremony then a reception at the restaurant. As if by miracle everyone they wanted there could be there. Whitney and Lee’s baby had been born a couple of weeks after the restaurant had opened. Little Jamie was now five months old and Lee and Whitney were happy to bring him. Callum was honoured when they asked him to be his Godfather and couldn’t wait to meet him. The other Carters were also able to come, all except Johnny. Ben was happy for him to be there and they had invited him. Johnny however didn’t want to risk making Callum’s day awkward so he decided to stay away. If Ben was honest he was relieved. He knew that Callum and Johnny didn’t have any feelings for each other any more, but he knew Callum would worry about upsetting him. All Ben wanted was for Callum to have a perfect day. Callum’s brother also made the effort to come, which had made Callum extremely happy. He brought his girlfriend with him and Callum was overjoyed that his brother also seemed to have found love. As for Ben, he had invited him Mum and brother. His Mum was delighted that he wanted her to be part of his day and gladly accepted the invitation. Ben wasn’t surprised to learn that his brother was too busy to attend; if he was honest he didn’t really care; it made absolutely no difference to him; they had never been close. They’d chosen matching blue suits, with white shirts and no ties. It was their hope the day would be relaxed and informal; both just wanting everyone to enjoy themselves. Lexi had a chosen matching pale blue dresses for her and Lola, which complimented their suits beautifully. Jay and Lee were delighted to be Best Men and wore the same style suit to Ben and Callum but in light grey. Instead of a traditional Stag Do, they’d decided to just hold a family meal at the restaurant with drinks in the bar afterwards. It was the first time Callum got to show it to his family and he just wanted to spend time with them, while he could. Ben was equally happy with the idea, it gave him a chance to spend time with his Mum and Lexi. They had only just been introduced and were building a relationship so it was nice for them to have this time. Everything had gone as they’d hoped. As Ben sat back and looked at their two families bonding, being proud of their achievements and expressing their love for them; his heart felt fit to burst. He couldn’t quite believe that the boy who’d had only had scraps of family, was now a man who was surrounded by so much love. It was more than he could have ever hoped and he would treasure it eternally.
As the sun began to set on their special day, Ben and Callum stood at the end of an aisle, about to make a walk Ben never thought he would. Ben looked at Callum and slid his hand into his. “You ready?” he asked with a huge smile.
“Never been more ready for anythin in my life!” Callum affirmed, smiling at Ben broadly as he squeezed his hand. Just then an acoustic guitar began to play an instrumental of a familiar Ed Sheeran song. That was there cue to begin their next journey together. Lexi led the way as they made their way to an arch at the end of the alter. The celebrant made the introductions and instructed them to make their legal declarations. Then it was time for them to make their own vows. Ben just hoped he could hold it together long enough to let Callum and everyone know how he was feeling.
Callum went first, clearing his throat before he spoke. “Ben…Before I met you I never knew what it was like to dream. You taught me that it was okay to take a chance, that sometimes things that are difficult give you the biggest rewards. And let’s face it you’re definitely difficult.” Everyone laughed as Jay made a small cheer in agreement before Callum continued. “I came here hoping to figure out what I wanted out of life, to have fun and let loose. But when I walked into the bar that night and saw you, my whole world changed. What I ended up finding was something I never knew I was looking for. I found out what my dreams were; I found a place I felt at home; I found real and proper love.” Ben couldn’t stop the tears trickling down his cheeks at this point. “And even though I tried to deny it, from the second we touched I just knew. I knew that you were special, that you were the person that was meant for me. You’re my soulmate. You have no idea how beautiful you are and what a wonderful person you are and I vow to make you see it everyday. I love you and the proudest achievement of my life is being your husband. Thank you for sharing your life with me and bringing me home.” Callum choked back his emotions as he squeezed Ben’s hand tightly, letting him know he was finished.
The celebrant then turned towards Ben. He took a deep breath, composing himself before he spoke. “Callum. As soon as I laid eyes on you…I wanted to get in your pants.” Everyone laughed as Callum blushed, shaking his head but smiling. “From that very first time you got under my skin. I couldn’t keep away from you. I had no idea why at the time but now…well now I know it’s because we were meant to be. Thing is you see me, always have, from the second we met. Like no one ever has before. You know me and inside and out and you still choose to love me. I don’t know why sometimes but that fact that you do…well it makes me feel like I’m the luckiest man in the world.” Callum finally let his tears fall as he gazed at Ben lovingly. “You are the most beautiful person inside and out. You don’t realise how amazing you are. You’re modest and humble and one of the most selfless people I know. Before I met you I thought I was happy. But you elevate that to a whole new level. There was a piece of my heart that I kept locked away. Turns out you had the key all along. You brought me to life. You’re the missin piece. You make me whole. And I promise to spend the rest of my life showing you how grateful I am that you chose me.” Ben reached up and wiped Callum’s tears away as the all of their guest made let out a collective aww. Everyone had tears in their eyes. Even Callum’s brothers and Jay struggled to contain their emotions. With that they exchanged their rings. They’d chosen simple white gold bands with each other’s names inscribed in them. Callum had suggested that if they had each other’s names in each other’s rings; no matter where there were the other would always be with them. Ben loved the idea but told him he was always in his heart no matter what. After than the celebrant pronounced them husbands, whilst there was a collective roar of applause, Ben and Callum kissed each other tenderly, both whispering I love you. Once they’d signed the paper work they made their first journey as husbands; walking down the aisle hand in hand as flakes of confetti were thrown over them; their first steps towards forever.
After the ceremony, everyone went back to the restaurant and bar for a champagne reception. The terrace had been decorated with fairy lights and simple decorations. A banner stretched over the entrance which read Congratulations to Mr and Mr Mitchell-Highway. They’d settled on having a double-barrelled surname. Both their surnames had always been a negative thing for them; something that had prevented them being their true selves; both trying to live up to their name by their father’s standards. However Ben suggested if they joined them together, they could create a new name; one that stood for something different; that stood for all the good parts of both of them; that showed their strength and love for each other. The staff had prepared an elegant finger food buffet and a band played music whilst everyone ate and chatted. The atmosphere was perfect; relaxed and informal; just liked they’d hoped. By the time the moon had settled over the ocean, creating the silvery glow and shimmering gently, the formalities of the day were over. Both Jay and Lee gave equally moving speeches; managing to embarrass their brothers; telling them how proud they were of them; letting them know how they believed they were perfect for each other. Ben and Callum made a joint speech thanking everyone for being there and expressing now grateful they were for having such wonderful people who supported them. The reiterated their love for each other but agreed there’d been enough “Soppiness for one day.” as Ben put it; finishing off by telling everyone to have a good time and enjoy themselves. When it came time for their first dance, Callum held his hand out to Ben, “Will you do me the honour?” he said.
“What in front of everyone?” It’s not the time for exhibitionism Babe.” Ben quipped, before taking Callum’s hand as he rolled his eyes at him. When they reached the centre of the terrace, they shared another chaste kiss as the band played the introduction to Tiny Dancer. Ben placed one arm around Callum’s neck and the other in Callum’s hand, their joined hands placed in between them. Callum’s other hand wrapped around Ben’s waist. The moment was perfect; gazing into each other’s eyes; swaying along to the music in the moonlight; the ocean providing the perfect backdrop to the moment. This time when the word highway was sung they quickly added Mitchell in front of it and pointed at each other, laughing. “You happy?” Ben asked as he regarded Callum’s beaming face.
Callum nodded, “Yeh…I am. Today’s been perfect. Everythin I imagined and more. I love you.” Callum said before kissing him again. “What about you?”
“What do I love you? You’re alright I guess,” he teased with his usual smirk. “You know how much I love you.”
Callum rolled his eyes with a grin, “Not that you muppet. Are you happy?”
Ben looked at him intently, “No,” he began shaking his head slowly. “It goes way beyond that, happy don’t do it justice.” He leant up and pressed another kiss to Callum’s lips. Before pulling back and looking at his husband with total adoration. It was true. If anyone would have told Ben that one day he’d be stood here; on the terrace of his own bar and restaurant; overlooking the ocean; dancing with his husband in the moonlight; he’d have laughed at them. It was something he’d never thought he would want or need. Callum had given him the one thing he never knew he needed; true love. A gift that had brought him to life; one that had made him whole. Now he knew, he genuinely had everything he would ever need. He intended to treasure it every day; to make sure he gave just as much love back; to keep it safe. Knowing that what ever happened in the future, he would always be surrounded by love. Destiny wasn’t something he’d believed in until recently. But now he had no doubt, he was exactly where he was meant to be; in Callum’s arms; now and forever.