~Twenty Years Ago~

“Hey Jonghyun?”

“What’s up Bummie?” Looking up from his building blocks, the child nods his head, signaling for the younger boy to continue. Kibum looked nervous as he shifted from one foot to the other. He had his hands behind his back and didn’t make eye contact. “Kibum, you okay?” Jonghyun asked, picking up on the weird vibes that his best friend was giving off.

“Umm… will you marry me?” Kibum mumbled, his words unclear.

“What was that?”

“Will you marry me?”

“Yeah.”

“Wait, you will?”

“Of course, I like you Bummie.”

The younger boy just stood there with his mouth open for a moment before recollecting himself and bumping the smiling goof’s shoulder with his fist. “You butthead. Why didn’t you tell me before?”

“Cause I knew you were going to propose.” Jonghyun put an arm around his sulking friend and pulled him into a tight hug.

“Butthead.”

“Well I’m your butthead now.”

“Now and forever, alright?”

“Now and forever.”

“Pinky promise me?”

Jonghyun didn’t respond with words, he just linked pinkies with Kibum and placed a quick peck on his cheeks, leaving Kibum a blushing mess as he hugged the younger boy close to his chest.

~Seven Years Ago~

“Hey Jonghyun?” Kibum said out loud as he lay there on his back, staring up at the ceiling.

“Yeah?” Jonghyun sat at his desk, scribbling down lyrics into his notebook when he should’ve been studying.

“Remember when we got married as kids?”

“What about it?” Jonghyun didn’t even look up from his page.

“Does that still count?”

“Like you said, we were kids.”

“Yeah, but does it?” Kibum pressed, feeling his heart quicken as he waited for an answer.

“Maybe to a certain degree.”

“So we’re still married?”

“Sure.” He still hadn’t looked up.

“Okay.” Kibum rolled over and pressed his face into the sheets, feeling a single tear roll down his cheek, a tear that Jonghyun never saw.

~Present Day~

The sun was shining, white puffy clouds dotted the sky that was a beautiful pale blue, and a gentle breeze blew and mingled with the warm air. This day couldn’t be more perfect, in terms of weather at least. Beyond the weather, everything was a disaster for Kibum. He took a couple deep breaths as he hunched over the sink, head hanging low with his eyes screwed shut as he willed the tears away. His makeup looked absolutely flawless, but he felt the complete opposite.

‘He just doesn’t love me like he used to.’

‘Why can’t I stop loving him?’

‘Why can’t you be happy for him?’

‘It’s time to say goodbye to these feelings.’

‘You’re just going to keep on hurting if you don’t let him go.’

‘There’s nothing you can do.'

A knock at the door and a muffled voice stirred Kibum from his thoughts. He turned his head towards the door and said, “I’ll be out in a minute.” He looked back at the mirror and smiled sadly, his hand reaching up to touch the mirror. 

He gave himself a little pep talk before taking a deep breath and turning the knob, gracefully walking out of the bathroom.

“Jeez, what took you so long? I swear, you take longer than my sister to get ready.” Jonghyun’s light and airy voice floated through the air, making Kibum tense for a fraction of a second before regaining his composure.

“Unlike you, I didn’t have a whole hair and makeup crew to do everything for me while I lounged around in a chair.”

“Hey, lounging around in a chair is hard work. It makes your fall asleep okay.” Jonghyun replied, finally looking up from his phone to see the expression on Kibum’s face.

Kibum rolled his eyes and waved his hand dismissively as he walked over to the armchair by the couch Jonghyun was sitting on. “Yeah, yeah, whatever helps you sleep at night.”

Jonghyun smiled and tossed a throw pillow in Kibum’s direction, purposely missing him. “Oh come on, lighten up. It’s finally my big day.” Kibum simply hummed in response, examining his nails, not wanting to look up at the man that stole his heart so many years ago and held it captive ever since.

Jonghyun stood up swiftly and plopped down on the arm of Kibum’s chair. He took Kibum’s hand and placed it on his knee. “Kibum, seriously, thank you so much for all you’ve done. I would’ve never been able to get through any of this if it wasn’t for you and I am so glad that you’re going to be the best man. I don’t think I’d have been able to give that spot to anyone besides you man.”

Kibum refused to look up at Jonghyun, afraid that the tears that he’s been trying to hold back would spill over. But Jonghyun wasn’t having that. He gently lifted Kibum’s chin and looked into his misty eyes for a moment before leaning in and pressing his lips to Kibum’s forehead. Kibum closed his eyes and bit his lip, a lump growing in his throat.

“You butthead,” Kibum whispered as he pushed Jonghyun away, standing up and quickly leaving the groom’s quarters, leaving Jonghyun with a bittersweet smile on his lips. 

Kibum came to a halt in front of the bride’s quarters. Why he came here of all places, was beyond him. His legs carried him there without a conscious thought. Taking a deep breath, he willed himself to knock on the door calmly. The door opened a moment later without a word, the beautiful bride peeking her head out.

“Oh, hi. Come on in Kibum.” She ushered him inside, opening the door wide open for him. Kibum hesitantly stepped in, turning around as she closed the door behind him. She walked over to the vanity table and adjusted the strap of her heel, using the table for support. “What brings you here? I thought you would be hanging out with Jonghyun until the ceremony started. How is he by the way? Is he nervous? Cause I sure am. I can’t believe this day has finally come. It seems like only yesterday we were planning all this but it’s really been four years.” She giggled softly, her hand coming up to cover her smile. Kibum had to admit she had a beautiful laugh. And she looked stunning in that floor length dress. 

Kibum smiled at her, but then a thought came to him and it was out of his mouth before he could stop himself. “Four years? That’s when you guys met.”

A scarlet blush adorned her cheek as she chuckled awkwardly. “Umm yeah… it kinda sounds like we were getting ahead of ourselves, doesn’t it.”

“A little.”

“Yeah… so, how is he? He’s not gonna get cold feet and ditch this wedding now that you’re not there to talk him out of it and stop him, right?” She said jokingly.

“Oh um yeah. He’s fine. He seems pretty excited. I don’t think he’d miss this for the world. I mean, if you two have been planning this for so long, he’s gotta be certain about his feelings.”

She looked at him for a moment, letting his words sink in before speaking. “What about you?”

“What do you mean?” Kibum asked, furrowing his brows in confusion.

“How do you feel about the wedding?”

“Well… I’m happy for you two. You make Jonghyun happy and that makes me happy. So I hope you guys last.”

“Kibum, you were looking kind of pale when you knocked on my door… are you feeling well?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just a little nervous about standing with you guys at the alter.”

She could tell he was lying. She’s been around Kibum long enough to be able to tell when he was lying. Kibum doesn’t get nervous about being on stage, he loves it. He loves the attention. But she chose not to say anything about it and smiled. “Good, cause we can’t have you passing out up there.” Her voice was soft and you could just hear the childish playfulness in her words. She glanced at the clock, her eyes widening in response. “Wow, look at the time. You’ve gotta be out there in ten minutes. If you have some last minute sprucing up to do, better hop to it.” She gently shooed him out of the room just as the bridesmaids were making their way in.

Taking a deep breath for the umpteenth time that day, Kibum slowly walked down the hall, stopping at one of the mirrors that hung on the wall on the way. He fixed his hair and made sure everything was in place before practicing his smile, certain that no one would be able to see the ongoing heartbreak through it.

As he stood by the grand doors leading into the ballroom where the wedding was supposed to be held the clatter of heels caught his attention. He turned around to see the bride’s two bridesmaids scurrying towards him. They adjusted their clothes quickly before slipping their arm through his, one on each side. They waited a few more seconds until someone gave them their cue and the doors opened. The three of them walked down the aisle at a moderate pace. Once at the alter the two females moved to the left while Kibum moved to the right and stood beside Jonghyun, who was looking as radiant as ever. Jonghyun in a tuxedo was a killer sight, and Kibum had to make sure he didn’t stare too long. Jonghyun’s dark brown hair was lightly tousled, giving him a relaxed but stunning appearance. His strong jawline and handsome smile commanded attention.

Another song started and the doors were open once again, this time revealing the gorgeous bride with her father by her side. Her father lead her to the alter and handed her off to Jonghyun before taking a seat by his wife. They both smiled at each other, a smile that held a secret, before turning their attention to the man in front.

Kibum stood there quietly as tears began to well up once more. He hadn’t been paying attention until the very end where the man asked if there was anyone that believed the two shouldn’t get married. Oh how badly he wanted to step forward and drag Jonghyun away. But he could never do that to him, not when he looked so happy with her.

Just as the man was going to pronounce them husband and wife, both Jonghyun and the bride cleared their throats. “Actually, we object to this marriage,” they said in unison, letting go of each other’s hand.

“I may love Jonghyun, but certainly not as a man. I’ve always seen him as a close friend, a brother even.”

“And although I care for this beautiful woman, I’ve had my heart stolen years ago.”

Kibum stood there in shock, much like the rest of the audience. Jonghyun turned to him and took Kibum’s cold hands into his own warm ones. “Kibum,” he started, looking into his eyes with such admiration and love. Kibum couldn’t believe this was happening, never had he thought that Jonghyun would be the one to crash his own wedding. “Kibum, remember that day in the playground after school all those years ago. You stood there with a flower behind your back, which you never actually gave to me, and proposed. I accept and you called me a butthead?” Kibum meekly nodded, not trusting his voice. “Well, I never forgot about that day, though I may have acted like I did… Remember when you came over to study for some upcoming test and all I did was sit there writing lyrics by my desk while you sat on my bed, years later?” Kibum nodded again, blinking away tears. “You asked me if that marriage still counted and I said sure… that was when I was in my first year of college and you were in your last year of high school. Eight years later I’m standing under this alter with a woman I’ve had only a platonic relationship with. Yes, we’ve been planning this wedding since four years ago. But we’ve planned for how I’d be standing here with the person I first fell in love with. And finally, that day has come. So Kibum, will you make me the happiest man in the universe and be mine?”

Tears streamed down Kibum’s cheek and Jonghyun swiped them away with the pads of his thumbs as he cupped Kibum’s cheeks. “You butthead,” Kibum said shakily, snaking his arms around Jonghyun’s neck. “Did you really have to make me suffer all those years for this?”

“God I’m so sorry, but I had no other choice. I swear I’ll make it up to you even if it takes forever.”

“Good, because you’re mine forever.”

“So, is that a yes?”

“God you really are a butthead. Yes, yes, yes, I will marry you, you big butthead.”

“Aren’t you cute.”

“Just shut up and kiss me.” Kibum pulled him in and pressed his lips against Jonghyun, slightly off center but Jonghyun tilted his head and fixed that. A faint “Now I pronounce you husbands” was heard but neither of the two lovebirds could really care.