Moments Like This (Flynn, Quinn, Wedding Folk, OPEN)

[myeyesarehollow.livejournal.com]

The night had not granted Flynn very much sleep. He practically bounced out of bed on the morning of his wedding, having spent the entire night beside his best friend trying not to think of every single thing that could go wrong. Morning had barely touched the sky, and Flynn couldn't stay there any longer. It was his wedding day now. Who really cared that it was five in the morning? He was supposed to be frazzled with nervous energy, right?

Deirdre, who had risen early as well, out of habit and necessity because of her twins, greeted Flynn in the kitchen with some pancakes. They were Flynn's favourite, and even though he could barely make his way through the huge pile she gave him, he appreciated the gesture more than he could say.

There was a lot to take care of, and Flynn arrived at the Kemp Manor house early, welcomed by Liz and Emma who were already rushing around, setting things up. The ceremony was taking place on the conservatory, despite the lack of sun. At least it was inside, and the room had been decorated beautifully by Aly Kemp.

Autumn and the catering team arrived and started setting up. Peter showed up and started cleaning things. Thomas hung beside his best friend nervously, and Flynn hung around in the middle of it all, making everyone anxious until Deirdre pulled him into one of the guest bedrooms where he was supposed to change.

"You're making everyone crazy," she informed him, not unkindly. "Why don't you start getting dressed?"

"It's only twelve!" Flynn protested. "And I don't like tuxes."

Deirdre shook her head at her best friend and she reached out to grab him by the hand. "Well then my mam can take some photos of you earlier so you can spend less time in the tux later."

"Where's Quinn?" Flynn demanded, ignoring Deirdre's words. His stomach was a jumbles and he just wanted his love. "Is he here? I want to see him."

"You're not supposed to see the bride before the wedding," Deirdre said automatically.

"Quinn isn't a girl, no matter how much he wishes he were. And I don't care, I want to see him."

Deirdre bit her lip, and then she nodded. Flynn spent the next several minutes chewing his fingernails to death until the door opened and Quinn appeared around the other side of it. "Did someone call for me?" he asked, grinning.

"Oh thank Christ," Flynn hissed as he crossed the room to pull Quinn into his arms. "Why are we doin' this again? I just want to be with you. Why does everyone else have to be involved?"

Quinn chuckled and he took hold of Flynn's hands. "Because they love you," he said calmly. "And because, once it's over, you will look back on it and be glad they were here. It's alright, Mal. You aren't doing this alone."

"But you're all...in the other room..."

They had had their buck's night together, because they hadn't seen any reason to split it up. And Quinn's reply was as natural as that had been. "There is no rule that says I have to be. We can get ready together. We can be together the entire time, Mal. I'd prefer that, actually." Flynn nodded quickly, relieved, clearly preferring that too.

The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur. When Deirdre went around pinning brooches on people. When Spectre took his hands to tell him how proud and happy he was to see this day. When Adrina flounced in in her amazing dress. Eamon telling him he was the best person for Quinn, and that he was so pleased this was happening. His parents. Quinn's parents; all four of them. Peter's whispered words of kindness. It was as if he were watching it all on a blurry television, and no amount of spinning the dials would clear the picture.

Not until he was standing in front of his friends with beautiful music in the background with Quinn opposite him. Deirdre and Spectre were beside him, with Eamon and Adrina beside Quinn. Everything was right, and the entire day snapped into perfect focus.

Flynn was marrying the man he had spent his life loving. The man who had taught him how to love and who he had become a better man for. His Quinn, whom he had suffered with and rejoiced with. The man he had lamented losing for six years, found again, nursed through sickness, and who made him happier than anyone ever had or would.

Peter stood in front of him, reading words he knew by heart, though he left all trace of religion out of it. In truth, Peter couldn't officially marry them at all, but their union license was acquired, Peter and Spectre would witness it, and after the ceremony they had an appointment to get it ratified. They would return to the reception legally joined. All that legal mumbo-jumbo meant very little to Flynn. The important part was here and now.

He listened through Quinn's vows to him, his stomach fluttering as his lover showcased his unique ability to say anything with lyrical beauty. Flynn felt emotion try to claim him, and for someone who never cried, that was significant. He held back. He still had to speak.

When Peter asked him for his vows, Flynn stared at Quinn and found the words he had refused to write beforehand. Everything he wanted to say, Quinn already knew anyway. "I'm not a poet," Flynn said quietly. "I'm not a philosopher or a great thinker. Quinn, you make me feel things I can't express properly without music. But I'll try." Flynn chewed on his lip for a moment, but he never took his eyes off Quinn's own. "I didn't think I deserved this. For a long time, I didn't think I deserved anything nice. I spent a long time alone, and I found myself thinking of you every day, hoping you were happy. Knowing our time was over. And then you found me again. I saw you in the living room, talking to Spectre and I thought it was too good to be true. I thought you would hear what I'd been through and you would leave, but you didn't. You were so patient with me when I was closed off. You showed me what it was to love. Twice. In all my life, no one has ever meant more to me than you, Quinn. And I want you to know..." Flynn went to retireve his acoustic guitar and, with a slightly cheeky grin to the assembled mass he said, "I need a song to express this after all..." And with that, he stood opposite Quinn and he played the song Everything while Quinn listened in rapt attention. No one made a sound, even as he finished his heartfelt performance and stowed his guitar. They knew he wasn't done yet.

Flynn took a deep breath. It was a lot of words, and his next were words he hadn't said since he was fifteen years old. "You make me feel like I deserve love."

At that, Quinn burst into tears, and at the sight of his lover crying, Flynn was off too though in a much less dramatic way. They embraced and continued to hold each other as Peter stepped them through the rest of the ceremony in his patient and loving way. When he pronounced them husbands, they kissed and Flynn turned out to look at their gathered friends and family and he saw a great many of them were crying too, and he felt warm. So warm and happy and cared for. He understood Quinn's words then. This feeling in his heart, the safe and happy feeling which was so rare for them...that was why they had arranged the wedding. That moment, looking out over a sea of happy, loving faces...it would stick in his mind for the rest of his life. It would carry him through trying times, and fill him with joy during the good times. He was where he belonged, and he was well and truly staying there.

Comments

[suave-thomas.livejournal.com]

Thomas had spent the entire ceremony literally clinging to Stephie on one side of him, and his beautiful wife, Mary (who was looking delicious) on the other. He had watched his husband stand at the side of two of their closest friends who were delcaring their love for each other, and he couldn't help but think of his own wedding which had taken place here almost two years before. Spectre looked so proud and so moved, and when Flynn spoke his vows, even Thomas cried.

When the ceremony ended and Quinn and Flynn were rushed off to make things legal while the rest of the crew readied the reception, Thomas went to find Spectre, pulling his wife along side of him. When he found the smaller man, Thomas' arms went around both his husband and his wife. "I love you so much," he whispered to both of them. "My life...or whatever it is, it's perfect." Their son James stood off to the side with his aunt Abby, grinning while his parents embraced.

"They're happy," James pointed out to Abby.

"They are," Abby whispered back, pleased to be able to do so.

[wellplacedcharm.livejournal.com]

"I feel exactly the same way," Spectre answered, resting his head more or less on Thomas' shoulder. The man really was a lot bigger than he was. Comparatively speaking, Spectre was closer to Mary's size, and she too seemed to fit into the crook of her husband's arm.

"I've always said no one has ever made me as happy as you do, Thomas, and it's true," she added with an adoring smile. "I love sharing times like this. I know Flynn and Quinn will make each other just as happy as we make each other."

Nearby, Fable and Hamish raised their glasses in toast to the wedding of their former comrade, now their friend. It had taken them a while to get here, but Fable knew they were a part of this now. It wasn't what they'd expected when they'd come to London, and in the shadows, behind the scenes, they still did their work. They were political revolutionaries, and they were perfectly placed in the heart of British Imperial rule. But they'd also found friendships worth having for more than political reasons, friends they would travel the world with simply to protect. Friends they'd fought side by side with, in Rome and in London, against the fiendish advances of the Templar. If anything, Flynn, Deirdre and their friends lived more complicated lives than she and Hamish. At least for the Irish revolutionaries, the bad guys were clear cut, most of the time. For Flynn and the others, it seemed like trouble was likely to come from any quarter, at any time. Even here, she and Hamish had been prepared - the whole lot of them had learnt from last time, when Thomas had been abducted.

But everything seemed okay now, and to every familiar face, and even to unfamiliar ones, Fable flashed a smile. It was a good day.

[deirdre-ionuin.livejournal.com]

Deirdre flounced over to Fable and Hamish while Kat stole her baby twins to coo over. "Hi, Guys!" She said, offering them both hugs, despite Hamish being twice her size. "The boys just messaged. They'll be back soon!"

Lavinia stepped over to Thomas and his spouses, followed by Mad Dog. "There's my boy," she said fondly to her son, and she leaned in to kiss him, even while he embraced his husband and wife. "I've been watching for charlatans. And I think the only one here is me!"

[wellplacedcharm.livejournal.com]

Hamish's response was fairly staid, though he did return the hug, which was more than pretty much anyone usually got out of him. He even smiled, too.

Fable was much more effusive, giving Deirdre a squeeze and kissing her cheek. "Brilliant! Wouldn't want them to miss the party. How are things going, Deirdre?"

"Oh, pish posh," Spectre responded, and gave Lavinia a hug, followed by Mad Dog. "If anything, you're a minx!"

Mary laughed softly, and hugged her mother and stepfather-in-law as well. "Rarely do they make them like Lavinia Littleton."

[odd-symmetry.livejournal.com]

"Damn good thing too," Lavinia said brightly. "More of me and poor King Diamond wouldn't know what to do with his harem of old ladies." Mad Dog, however, didn't look like he would mind that.

Flynn and Quinn returned, just as they had promised, and as they did so, Eamon jumped on them and hugged them both tightly. "My brothers!" he said loudly. Happily. He gave them both a squeeze and then he called out to everyone, because he was so excited, "these are my brothers!"

Flynn, who had never had a brother who wasn't an arsehole, looked thrilled.

[in-spectre-mors.livejournal.com]

Spectre, having worked with King Diamond on The Pilgrim's Prog, laughed heartily. "He should be so lucky!"

His attention was diverted by Eamon's rather booming voice, and he grinned at the man's announcement. "Hear, hear!" he cried, and raised his glass.

Alexei appeared affected too, and quietly clapped for the men as he remembered his own brother, slain by Jillian. A brother was irreplaceable; and what a joy to gain one, let alone two, rather than lose them.