Chapter Text
Henry hated this. He fucking hated this. He was sitting in a wingback chair, staring at the coffee table in front of him. Well, more specifically, the cane leaning against the coffee table. It was still a point of contention with him, still something he struggled with using in public, even if people weren’t usually paying as much attention to him as he thought. But here? At his wedding ? He would have all the attention.
A knock sounded at the door of the hotel suite.
“Come in,” he called, his eyes still focused on the simple black cane.
The only people who had the key to the suite were Pez, Bea, and his mother. He and Alex had painstakingly stuck to the tradition of not seeing each other before the ceremony, so to avoid breaking that promise, they were staying on separate floors of the hotel, and neither had a key to the other’s room. He finally looked up as a swish of green chiffon came into view.
“Oh my darling,” his mum said quietly, the look on her face sympathetic. He sighed.
“It’s fine,” he said quietly. “I’ll be fine.”
“I know it’s hard for you,” she said as she came to stand at the side of his chair, letting a hand rest on his shoulder, “but there’s no shame in needing it.”
“I know,” he said. “Logically, I know.”
The door opened again, and this time it was Pez who waltzed in like he owned the place, resplendent in a dashing black tuxedo, hair dyed a startling shade of pink. His bowtie and pocket square were rainbow stripped, and he had a massive grin on his face as he held something behind his back.
“My dear Hazza, a gift from your blushing groom,” he said as he stood in front of Henry and brought his hands out from behind his back.
The cane was midnight blue, a shade that nearly matched Henry’s suit, and decorated with shimmering golden constellations. The handle was gold, as was the tip, and made to be a comfortable grip that wouldn’t hurt his wrist. He just stared at it for a moment, at a complete loss for words.
“He knew,” he finally said, and Pez nodded.
“He always does, doesn’t he?”
And suddenly the guilt and shame, the nervousness and fear of judgment all left, replaced only with immense love for the man he was about to marry. He took the cane from Pez and used it to help him stand before looking at the two people in front of him.
“Let’s go.”
Alex and Henry had discussed how they wanted to enter the ceremony, whether they would both simply join each other at the altar, or if someone would walk up the aisle. Finally it was decided that Alex would wait, and Henry would walk. Henry had felt guilty about asking Bea to walk with him instead of his mum, but Catherine just shook her head and said it was what was right, and gladly took a seat in the front row instead. So Henry, Bea on his left arm, holding the cane in his right hand, slowly made his way toward his future.
Alex looked so suave in his burgundy velvet suit, the color complimenting his skin tone deliciously. Henry struggled to hold back his tears of joy as he saw the man he loved waiting for him. Alex didn’t seem to be faring any better, his lip trembling as he tried to sneakily wipe away his own tears. When they reached the front of the altar, Bea left a kiss on Henry’s cheek and took a seat next to his mum while he turned and handed the cane to Pez, before taking Alex’s hands in his.
He barely registered what the officiant said, only having eyes and ears for Alex. When it was time to exchange vows, he made sure to shake away as much of his brain fog as he could. He was glad this was being recorded, as his memory was garbage, but still, he wanted to try and remember as much of this as he possibly could.
“Henry,” Alex started, his voice already cracking slightly. “You light up my life. You brighten my day, and you calm my night. You keep me sane, and you keep me grounded. In the same breath, you lift me up, and help me fly. I love you beyond words, and I swear to you that I will dedicate my life to making sure you are healthy, safe, cared for, supported, and loved.” He gave Henry a watery smile, which he returned gladly while the officiant gave him the go ahead for his own vows.
“Alex,” he choked, then cleared his throat. “My world is in constant movement. It tilts and it sways and sometimes it carries me away with it. But you keep me steady. You make it stop. You say that I ground you but darling, my feet would never touch the ground if it weren’t for you.” He took a shuddering breath. “But you also make my head spin. And god, Alex, love , I’ve never felt safer watching the world go by.” A single tear trickled down his cheek, mirroring one on Alex’s own face, before he took a final deep breath. “Prometo amarte por siempre y un día. Para atesorarte siempre. Para mantenerte a salvo. Para mantenerte amado.”
He knew his accent was probably horrendous, but the look on Alex’s face was beyond worth it.
And then it was over. Rings were exchanged and the officiant was saying “You may now kiss the groom”, and then his lips were on Alex’s, and nothing else mattered. He thought distantly back to the night of their first kiss, to what Alex had said.
“I’ll be yours, and you’ll be mine.”
They belonged to each other now, and as Henry pulled back to gaze into his husband's tear stained face, he couldn’t think of a single thing he wanted more.