The car ride was loud and fun.

                Everyone was cheering and laughing, drinks were available nearby, provided by the minibar.

                The newlyweds were surrounded by so many people already, but Taemin felt a little lonely with Jongin across the limo instead of by his side.

                He wished he could hold his hands and hug him, let him know that he’s not being left behind or forgotten. He wished he could lean his head on the younger boy’s shoulder and tell him he still loves him to death.

                Unfortunately, today was the day he was supposed to be with Minho and Minho only.

                It wasn’t bad or unbearable, he was going to spend his whole life with Minho, he just didn’t want to remember this as the best night of his life while Jongin remembered it as the worst.

                He noticed the person beside him standing up and walking over to sit with one of the other passengers. Placing his hand on the seat to reserve it, he shouted a quiet ‘Jongin’, catching the younger boy’s attention. Patting the seat, he watched as Jongin sighed, coming over to sit beside him.

                “How are you?”

                “I’m good I guess…”

                “Hey, so… after the first dance and the dance with my parents… can we dance? I- what I’m trying to say is that I want to have a slow dance with you.”

                “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather dance with Minho, or Ruki, or Heechul or something? Jiyong’s here too…”

                “I’m… a million percent sure that I want to dance with you. I want to eat cake beside you and play a bunch of the games with you… Today… is the most important day of my life, and I want you to be a part of it so… let’s have fun together, okay?”

                “I’ll try my best…”

                They got to their destination half an hour later.

                Everyone else was there too, filling up the parking lot and the nearby streets.

                Minho took Taemin’s hand, leading him inside. He was happy when their first few steps through the doors already brought the younger boy to gasp.

                “Wow! Oh my gosh it looks like a castle! W-well… it’s like… it just… I really feel like I’m in some luxurious ball room or something! I really feel like a prince today, a-and it’s all… it’s all thanks to you, Minho.” The blonde smiled, trying to hold back his tears once again as he kissed him.

                “Do you think… you would have wanted to see it beforehand or keep it a surprise?”

                “A surprise! Definitely a surprise! I can’t believe how much thought and effort you put into this! I feel like… I feel so horrible now that I just sat back while you did every…”

              “No, Kitten, I did it so it could be a huge surprise for you. I wanted to sweet you off your feet every single moment!”

                “W-well I have a surprise for you too…”

                Raising an eyebrow, Minho tilted his head. “Surprise?”

                “Yeah but… you can only see it…tonight.”

                If that wasn’t a complete tease then he didn’t know what was.

                “Can you give me a hint, Kitten?”

                Taemin wondered if he should. It would be really amazing so a complete surprise would be nice, but if he let a little slip, it would drive Minho nuts the whole time. Smirking, he nodded.

                “A crazily short wedding dress, pink ribbons, strawberry flavoured lube, whipped cream, and oral.”

                Minho felt his lungs stop as he tried to imagine that.

                “Why would you do this to me?”

                “Because even though we’re married and you’re being nice to me, I still like to be a little mean.”

                Eyes meeting, they both laughed.

                The whole place was packed.

                People were eating, drinking, dancing, playing all sorts of games.

                Taemin and Minho had their first dance and it was completely romantic.

                Everyone watch in awe, clapping for them once it finished.

                After that, Taemin’s mother came up onto the dancefloor, sharing another meaningful moment.

                He spun her and she laughed. She also cried, but she cried because she was happy, so it was okay.

                As he spun he for what was probably the fiftieth time, his eyes caught three figures in the background.

                Minho and his parents.

                They were talking and they seemed dead serious.

                His attention was stolen by the group now.

                It must have been obvious because his mother soon whispered an, “I saw them too.”

                “Should I go over and say something? Thank them?” Taemin asked nervously.

                “I don’t know. I could tell from looking at them during the vows that they were both very emotional, but I already knew that from their display on the last Christmas I saw them. They might be proud, but they also have a lot of pride. I think you should ask Minho when he’s done his conversation with them. He’ll know best.”

                “Right…” He sighed. “I… don’t mind if they hate me, but Minho is really the most genuine person in the world… He never did anything to deserve their rude comments or being called a ‘disgrace’. I’ve never loved someone so much and I just… mom, you and dad were so amazing, Minho really deserves the same.”

                “I know sweetheart, I know. That’s why I keep telling you that your father and I will always be here for you, and if we, for some reason can’t be, Jongin’s parents will always be willing to help you with absolutely anything.”

                “You guys are unbelievably great mom, but no parents are ever as good as your own. Since they took the time out of their day to come here and sit through everything, I just hope they don’t ruin it for Minho. He’s… well, I hope he’s really happy today, and if they start accusing and yelling at him like they usually do… we won’t have the same fond memories of this day…”

                “I’m sure this will be as special of a day for him as it is for you. It would be great if you could greet them, but for the sake of keeping the evening peaceful, double check with Minho when he’s done, okay?”

                “Okay, mom…”

                The song finished but Minho still seemed busy. Deciding he had another couple of minutes to burn, he looked for Jongin.

                When he spotted him, he ran up behind the boy, wrapping his arms around Jongin’s back before hopping onto his tippy toes and nipping the younger boy’s neck.

                Jongin turned around quickly, and without any hesitation at all, lifted Taemin up.

                Laughing, they twirled around for a few seconds.

                “I found you.” The blonde stuck his tongue out.

                “I wasn’t hiding, hyung.”

                “Ah, but I didn’t know where you were, so it’s still an accomplishment.”

                “So how can I help you?”

                “I would like a slow dance please.” Taemin smiled, fingers locking behind the boy, trapping him.

                “Well maybe you could go find someone more suitable for that. Like your husband.”

                “We already danced. I want to have a slow dance with my best friend right now. It can’t be anyone else, Jongin.”

                Sighing, the younger boy shrugged, placing his hands on Taemin’s perfectly tiny waist.

                “Then I guess I have no choice. You’re so selfish.”

                Pouting, Taemin glanced over Jongin’s shoulder. “Let me be selfish today.”

                They swayed slowly, moving along with the soft music that played loudly over each speaker in the room.

                “Taemin, can I tell you a secret?” The younger boy suddenly whispered.

                “You don’t have to, but of course you can.”

                Jongin swallowed, biting on his lip. “For the past month, I’ve been looking around for an apartment on the other side of the city.”

                There was a moment of silence.

                It’s not like it was something Taemin never thought about, he just wanted it to stay exactly that, just something he thought about. It being a reality was the scariest part.

                “A-and? Did you find anything?”

                “Yeah. I found four places. I spent the week checking each one out. They’re all good, but I definitely like one of them better than the rest.”

                Taemin was terrified of asking the next question, but he knew it’d have to come out sooner than later. “Did you… reserve it? Did your parents give the payment?”

                “No.”

                “O-oh, why not?”

                “Because although I like it a lot, I realized that all of them are missing one thing.”

                “And what’s that…?”

                “You.” Jongin honestly answered.

                “Me?”

                Jongin nodded.

                “At first, I kind of hated you for deciding you would marry Minho, and the closer we got to today, the angrier I got. I just wanted to get away from you. So I did. But the further I got away, the more I wanted to come back. It was like I ran a thousand miles away from you behind your back just to go in a complete circle and end up bumping into your chest.”

                “Do you… really hate me?” Taemin asked, his heart sinking.

                “No… It’s just… you know, there’s a really fine line between the two and sometimes you get the feelings mixed up and it because I love you but I my chest feels like it’s on fire when I see you because I’m so angry but in reality, it’s because I’m in love and jealous. It’s nowhere near hatred.”

                “I love you, Jongin, so I’d be really sad if you hated me.”

                Jongin looked down, noticing the frown on the blonde’s lips.

                “I’ll always love you. So… congratulations on getting married….”

                Squeezing his best friend tightly, he nodded. “Thank you.”

                Kissing Jongin on the cheek as the song ended, he decided it was time to go find his husband.

                Spotting him alone for once, he decided to hurry up, avoiding a situation where he’d busy himself again.

                “Minho!” Taemin waved, catching his attention.

                “Yes, Kitten?”

                Lowering his tone to a whisper, Taemin’s eyes darted towards his parents. “Um… is everything okay with your mom and dad? I didn’t expect them to come…”

                “Yeah, me neither.” Minho agreed.

                “They didn’t… say anything out of place, did they? You didn’t argue or anything like that?”

                “No, no, no,” The elder shook his head, “No. I’m actually surprised. They came over and, um, said congratulations. They said they still thought our relationship was a disgrace and they didn’t support us, but they were surprised to see that we were able to get to this point even though they withdrew every single dime and opportunity they had to offer… um…” Minho paused, trying to recall the rest of the nerve wracking conversation, scratching his scalp. “Yeah, they told me that they’re really disappointed in me but I’m at the age where I’ll have to deal with all the consequences of my actions alone so that doesn’t concern them… Basically, they’re disappointed and not accepting me, but I’m free to live my life the way I want… Yeah, um, they just wanted to see that we were able to accomplish this much by ourselves with their own eyes.”

                “Minho…”

                “Yes, Kitten?”

                “Do you think it would be okay if I went over and… you know, thank them for coming and everything?”

                Looking over at his parents, Minho took a deep breath, nodding.

                “Yeah, sure. Go ahead. Just don’t expect the best reaction in the world…”

                Lacing his fingers between the elder’s, his gaze following the length of the boy’s arm until they landed on his shoulder, neck, and finally eyes, he smiled.

                “Can you come with me? You… don’t have to say anything,” Taemin explained, “I just want you to be there because honestly, I’ll probably freak out and say something really stupid, so I’ll need someone to have my back if I do, and who’s better at that than you?”

                Chuckling, Minho ran his fingers through Taemin’s hair. “No one.”

                “Exactly.”

                After a few seconds of seeking for courage, they took their first steps towards the older couple.

                The time it took for them to capture their attention and stand only a meter away was too little, the confrontation too soon.

                “Good evening.” Taemin greeted, begging his voice not to shake, his confidence not to waver.

                When the two said nothing, he went on.

                “I just wanted to thank you so much for coming today. It means the world to me to have you at our wedding. Whether you consider yourself my in-laws or not, I’m happy you’ve decided to share this amazing day with us. I hope you enjoy the rest of your time if you choose to stay. Thank you again.”

                Bowing deeply, he gave one last smile in return for the silence that was their response.

                “Taemin!” Someone suddenly yelled.

                “Yes?” The blonde asked, turning around.

                “The cake is ready!”

                A smile erupted on his face as he imagined what the cake would look like.

                “Minho, the cake is ready! We have to go, let’s go! I want to see it!”

                “Alright, Kitten, let’s go.” The elder smiled. Linking arms, they headed over to the middle of the dining area where a large trolley wheeled out an even larger than life cake.

                It had five tiers with two grooms holding hand at the top. The whole design was done with fondant and icing alongside adorable, edible decorations.

                Divided in two halves, one half was a white tuxedo and the other half was a black one.

                “Do you like it?” Minho asked.

                “Of course I love it, Honey! Ah, I just want to eat it all!”

                “You have to share.” The elder laughed.

                Everyone was now gathered around them, sitting in the seats reserved for each guest.

                There was the cake, the crooks, the knives, the plates, the guests, everything.

                They were now ready to start.

                “So, I know you’re all anxious to get your hands on the cake,” Minho began, earning some cheers and whistles, “You’ll have to wait though.” His fingers reaching into his pocket, pinching a piece of paper, he pulled the sheet out, unfolding it neatly. “I’d like to give a speech before we do our first official task as a married couple and cut this cake.”

                He cleared his throat and prepared to spill out his feelings.

                “I woke up today thinking that I must be the luckiest man on earth to be with someone like you. To hold your hand every day, to kiss you every day, to embrace you every day, even the simplest things like being able to wake up a few minutes before you and watch your peaceful expression as you sleep, those are all moments I cherish, now more than ever. When we first met, I would never have predicted that we would be standing under an arch in a beautiful garden, dressed in suits while we exchange kisses and diamond rings. I never thought I’d spend months working crazy hour just so I can propose to you and make you mine for the rest of my life. When we first met, I never knew you’d change my life so much. I thought I was happy, that my life was great, but looking back on it now, four years later, I can’t believe how empty of a shell I really was. You were only sixteen and I felt like being with you was like being forced to babysit, even though I was still a kid myself, only eighteen. Then, the babysitting turned to hanging out, which turned to wanting to spend time with you while I was alone, which turned to you confessing to me and me running away like a coward when I realized how in love I really was. On that Christmas, I couldn’t verbalize how happy I was when I kissed you and when you said you’d be my boyfriend. I still get a headache every time I remember the car ride home the next day and how you wouldn’t let me hold your hand because you though the whole previous night was a dream and didn’t think we were actually dating.” There was laughter. “Who would have ever guessed that that soft peck under the mistletoe would have led to cozy dates at the local cafes, easygoing vacations on the beach, and sharing a dream home together? I don’t think anyone could. Now, as your husband, I wonder what the kiss we shared today, the one that ties us together, the one under a flowery arch, will bring. Now, as your husband, I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”

                Everyone clapped, and honestly, Taemin’s face needed a break. His cheeks were sore from the permanent smile stitched to his face, his eyes were tired from all the tears they had to fight back. Swallowing, he decided it was his turn to throw some words back.

                “Little did you know, I also prepared a speech. Even though everything today has been one surprise after another and I didn’t even know if I was going to get a chance to say it, I did.” He proudly claimed.

                “Oh really?” Minho asked, amused, receiving a nod in return.

                “So… I sometimes wonder if this was meant to happen. Before we even met, before you even knew me, you saved my life. If you weren’t there that day, would I be able to stand here by your side and call you my husband? If you didn’t choose to jump in front of a car for a stranger that day, would I be able to cuddle on the couch with you while we watch movies or sit at the counters and listen to you hum song after song while you make me breakfast? There had to be more to us than pure coincidence. There has to be something that told us we were meant for each other. Like any couple, we’ve had hard times, but I’m so thankful that we powered through them because I hate the idea of being with someone else, of kissing and hugging someone else, only to think about how much I liked your kisses and hugs more. Going back in time, I remember when I realized how much I liked you. I remember trying to figure out how to get my fingers between yours or your arms around my waist. Anything. I just wanted to be closer than friends. Ruki would do my hair for me, pick out my clothes for me, give me advice. I remember my awkward confession and the exact tone in which you told me ‘sorry’, how I was sure I lost the only person I’ve ever loved that much on that unfortunate evening. Then you suddenly popped back into my life again? And you kissed me under the mistletoe? You asked me to be your boyfriend? There was no way I hadn’t died and gone to heaven. But that was just the beginning. Because of you, I made so many friends, my confidence went up tenfold. I was finally able to be myself without worrying that someone was going to hurt me in return. Now I’m finally living a proper life. Because of you, I can be happy. You’ve done so much for me in these short four years and it already makes me anxious thinking about how much more you’ll do for the rest of our lives because how am I supposed to pay you back when everything you do for me is priceless? I promise I’ll try to find a new way to make you happy every day and I hope that can begin to pay off this huge debt. As husbands, I hope the kisses we share eighty years from now in our wheelchairs at the retirement home will put the ones we share now to shame. I hope I can still wake up to you and count each rib as you breathe. I hope I can still love you limitlessly. For the rest of my life, I hope you’ll love me back.”

                Everyone clapped and cheered.

                Pulling back from the situation, Taemin’s face turned beet red as he notice the tears trailing down Minho’s cheeks, causing his own the make an appearance.

                With quivering lips, they placed their unsteady hands over top of each other, tightly grasping onto the knife’s handle.

                Raising the blade to the top tier, they took deep breaths.

                As friends,

                As companions,

                As lovers,

                As husbands,

As soulmates

                And as Taemin and Minho,

                They cut the first slice, feeling like the world was theirs.

                Like it was theirs from the day their paths crossed four years ago and like it will be until death does them part.