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It was the big day. Over a half a year coming and finally, even with limited days off, they had managed to set everything up. The church rented, the priest informed of their delay and now rushed urgency, decorations pulled in, catering done on island and brought over. Everything was blissfully going as planned if behind schedule. SO why was it that as he looked in the mirror, did he think the world was likely to end?

Being hyper alert tended to happen with horsemen, with missions where death was one step behind you and you could feel it's breath on the back of your neck. Marcus didn't get this way with anything but life or death. And even then it didn't scare him. What scared him was what was just a few steps away out the door and down the hall. The altar where he would take wedding vows. Two years ago he'd have never expected to be getting married. He would have called himself a liar, an idiot, a moron, a fool. Yet there he was, dressed to the nines, looking around to find something to vent his stress out on. Something to take his mind off of the fact that Cass was going to be his wife in just a a few short hours. That he'd be married. That he was perhaps, making the biggest decision of his life.

Becoming a hunter hadn't even made him stress this much.

He was pulling at his hair, looking back at the streak of white and wondering if he should have died it. Looking at the rose pinned to the suit and wondering if it should have been blue. Did they make blue roses? Maybe. Probably. They had blue flowers out for the reception, maybe he should go look, make sure that there wasn't a blue rose he could have instead of white. That might be good right? Right?

If there was any blessing it was the guys he'd asked to be his groomsmen. Gale telling him he was over reacting and to calm down. Dakota going 'bro, bro you got this'. Bix in his 10th doctor suit arms crossed looking at him like he knew better and that he'd hit Marcus if he messed up . It was surreal to see them in suits, all formal. In a church.

For a wedding.

His wedding.

Panic that had quelled rose up again. Pacing, Desidero was silently fuming inside of his head. The wedding and been put off for months, and it had suited him just fine. Now HIS Marcus was going to marry Cass. Marcus was emotional about things enough. Putting a ring on it would just, to the vampire, seal Marcus's fate to die for his emotions. Did Marcus care however?

Nope.

Marcus was ignoring the vampire in what was best described as panic attack Marcus was pretty sure he'd rather be facing down the heir of death again.

Deep breaths. Shaking hands he reached over a tried to pick up the glass of water. 'Tried' as his hands shook so much he dropped it and jumped. It was at that point Bix got up and delivered a firm slap to the moon hunter, chastising him for being that wound up.

More deep breathing, Marcus slowly began to lose the shakes. Then when he went to get another cup of water and dropped that too/ Enough was enough. The wedding was going to be delayed at the rate they were going. At that point Gale, Bix, and Dakota had reached the end point. Marcus was too far gone to help himself so they would help him by shoving him down the isle.

As the made there way to the altar, Marcus felt his heart pounding, the echo of blood in his eardrums drowning out the rest. He was walking on his own, (the offer from Dakota to carry him having given the hunter the resolve to walk on his own), and his shake had gone down. As they made their way up and got into position the priest smiled at him and asked if he was ready. Marcus just gave a small shake of his head. The second question, if he wanted to go through with the wedding there was a nod of Marcus's head. "Then you're ready." The priest said. Somehow, Marcus wasn't sure if that was comforting or not.

As he stood, eyes fixed at the door, his heart kept racing. He was getting married to Cass. It was finally happening. He'd had dreams about it. Nightmares. He'd been terrified each time. He loved Cass, he loved her to the point he'd die for her, a thing he wouldn't have dreamed of before he became a hunter. The thought of death was never far, and the idea of him dying and leaving her behind, of her being taken away from him ate at Marcus each time he thought of their life together.
But he wanted it.

He wanted to spend his life, however short, with her. And in a short while, he'd have just that.

In that moment? Nothing mattered. He saw her foot first, the oddest thing to see and focus on before it was followed by the hem of her dress. Up, the bouquet. Further? His heart that had been racing seemed to freeze in place. Even behind the veil he could see her, and she was beautiful. The worry in him seemed like it had been pushed away into another world, the fact it was happening and crashing down on him gone.

Cass was walking down the aisle, to him. To marry him, to say the vows and become his wife and he'd become her husband and then- Then they would be married. In his mind he could only see her, the man walking down with her hardly even noticed until Leon handed her off, the look somewhat threatening. It did scare him. It was actually good to know that there would be a guy to kill him if he tried to run.

Because running seemed good. He wanted to do this, to get married but he felt like he wasn't ready, that they weren't ready. A million little questions filtered in and out of his head. Was he good enough? What would happen if he got the vows wrong? Did Dakota still have the rings? What if he dropped the ring? It might roll away into someplace unreachable. What was going to happen then? What is horsemen attacked? The places was full of hunters they might come in and try to kill them maybe they shouldn't have invited people and kept it private.

Hold her hand, he tried not to let his anxiety show, but it was Cass. Cass would know. Did know. She was like him, they worried too much. The cared too much. But as he held her hand while the pastor began to recite Marcus just felt like smiling. She was beautiful. She was with him. She was holding his hand in a church where they would say their vows. Six some off months and finally, finally, they could have that finality of just what they meant to each other.

Marcus was pretty sure that the pastor was saying something, and that there might have been some song and prayer and really it was white noise. Dis was hissing at him even and Marcus blocked it out. All he wanted to focus on was Cass. Just her. Her hand was warm in his and looking down it was hard to think that soon he'd be putting a ring on it. There was a rather loud hiss from Dis, earning a small twitch of his smile before he noticed the pastor was saying something about vows and love and Marcus stiffened.

He almost felt that horrible panic rising up before the voice of Dis rose up again, less angry and spiteful than before.

This will be my last gift to you my Marcus.

At first he didn't understand, silence filling his mind. Then the pastor asked if Marcus understood just what was being asked of him.

A second of silence, Marcus's mind went into a flat line. He knew he was supposed to say 'I do', that he very well understood just what it meant to marry Cass. Hunters they might be or not. It was a very sudden thing, the flashes of a year ago. When they had been facing the end of the world, the idea of losing her. The reminder of just how short their lives were. The memory of when they had almost been crushed to death. Yet these memories didn't come making him feel worried, afraid.

They were reminders of just why this mattered. What it would indeed mean to say yes. A breath Marcus looked at Cass, smiling, a small squeeze to her hand. "I do."

It was like a hammer to his heart, slamming down and stealing away everything. As foolish as he knew it was, hearing her say those words made he feel like he might actually have done something right, that he'd not ******** up. He loved Cass, would do anything for her, and to just hear that she was ready to be with him, to finally have this sort of finality to his struggle for validation? It was strangely liberating.

The pastor began reading again, and Marcus could have skipped it really. He was ready to kiss her now. Could they get to that part? Oh he knew there were vows to be read, but he wanted to kiss her, thank her for putting up with him and all his foolish self loathing. Even he knew it was foolish but that didn't stop it from happening.

Thumb rubbing over her hands he wondered if he might choke on his vows. It stopped mattering. If he did... she'd forgive him. Likely she'd laugh and help him. She made things easier. She made him feel like he had more than just a purpose aside from following orders. From filling a role that was simply necessary. She made him happy. She made him happy by loving him and never giving up on him.

A hum from Dis, it was time.

"Cass." He was off to an excellent start.

It was also just about as far as he got before his mind ran blank.

I grew up never knowing....

"....what it was like to feel that I mattered to someone." Part of him realized what Dis was doing, what he'd meant when he said it would be his last gift. The vampire, for all his cruelty still had told Marcus what he meant, and had ultimately been unable to provide.

"I never believed anyone cared for me, that if something happened, they would cry for me. When I met you... I didn't think that way. I thought that I just had to do what I was told, try to find some kind of value through myself. That day we met, I acted rashly. I thought if I died, I wanted to die at least feeling like I mattered, if just for a single second. But then... we didn't die. It was just training. I was lost with what to feel. I didn't love you, I didn't know how." He took a breath, letting it out slowly before continuing on.

"Then we went on a date. Started hanging out. I started to feel for you. At first I just thought it was attraction. That really, it would mean nothing in a few weeks. But then? A few weeks became a month. I kissed you again. One month became two. I started to care and worry about you more than I had for anyone else. As time went on, I realized I was falling in love with you. It terrified me. I knew if I fell in love I might hurt you. After all, who wants some guy like me? I didn't think much of myself. But nonetheless, I realized I loved you. That you mattered to me. That I didn't want to be what I was. I wanted to be happy and... you made me happy. You made me happier than I ever had been."

"You make me smile, you were the one who made it okay to smile, to laugh. You helped me when I was at my lowest. You're perhaps the most caring and loving person I've ever known and the fact you love me is... I'm lucky. I know I don't always know it, and so when you remind me, even if it's just by smiling at me like you do when I jump at the horror games, or how you'll look at me when you break something and need me to fix it, or even if its the fact you'll just hold me and tell me... You remind me you love me. Not because of what I do, or what I am or how I look... you love me. And I... I fell in love with you."

He squeezed her hands feeling himself ready to break down, to just hold her in his arms. "The thought of losing you terrifies me. Of leaving you behind... I never want that to happen. I want to spend my life with you. I want to be with you. I want to make you happy. I want to wake up to your smile. I want to be there for when you need me. For when you don't. I want to be with you forever, no matter what happens. I want to spend every moment of my life with you. I promise, I'll do everything I can to be with you, forever."

Somewhere, Dis's voice had faded away, the vampire silent, yet there were no feeling of anger, no resentment. Dis had simply removed himself. Marcus in his own words, deserved his happiness.

He let out a shaky light gasp as he broke out into a wide smile. He squeezed her hands back. He loved her, he loved her more than he ever knew was humanly possible. He brought her hands up and kissed them, fighting the urge to just kiss her and claim they were married. There would be time for that soon enough. There was a sudden feeling that had him turning, the familiar face of Dakota coming into view as he handed off the rings, beaming at them both.

Taken, the ring felt like it carried everything.

He wouldn't lose it. He never would. He'd have it forever, just like they promised.

The pastor kept speaking, Marcus catching what he needed to know to stay on task. Rather, to remain alert and focus enough not to fumble. The rings would be a symbol of their love. Their promise. Rubbing the metal, he lifted Cass's hand, reciting the word's he'd worried so much about memorizing he'd reached a point he was sure that he was going to forget for just trying so hard to memorize them.

"Cass, with this ring as a symbol of our love and out promise to be together, no matter what happens. Now and forever. Forever and beyond." He hadn't planned the last part. Beyond meant what they never wanted.

He was ready to die now. Just pass out. End it all. He was pretty sure that it was happening. It was real. This wasn't some far off dream. A thing of his own mind's fantasies. She was placing the ring on his finger, the metal band feeling light. It simply fit. It belonged there. He belonged there, next to her, holding her hands in his as the pastor began the age old closing.

God, the almighty, the state of blah blah, he was focused on Cass. On the moment seconds away.
"You may kiss the bride." Reaching up, to lift her veil, he bend down, lips to her own.

Fireworks didn't describe it. Butterflies didn't exist. Every part of him was lost in that moment.

Arms snaked around her, pulling her close. A part of him knew that they should keep it proper but that thought? Thrown to the wind and he held her. This was everything he wanted. Everything and more.

When the kiss ended he smiled. Nothing could ruin that moment. That moment of pure and absolute happiness.

He was lucky, able to fight back the feelings welling up and nearly turning on the water works. Later, when they were alone he would let himself cry from happiness. "Too long." Another kiss, fast yet soft, Marcus ran his thumb over her cheek, wiping away a stray tear. He wanted to keep kissing her, but there were still other parts of this whole wedding business to attend to. Like saying hello to people and thank you for coming and cake and dancing and- oh.

The garter belt. That would be fun too. Kissing, Marcus reasoned, they could do after. Kissing was an everyday thing, weddings were not.

Offering an arm, Marcus smiled, silently asking if she was ready, and able to walk. Because he was willing to admit, even his lags were a bit shaky.

"And I'm yours forever and beyond." Hand resting on her own there was a light squeeze as he began to take the steps down and onto the aisle. It was strange that so much stress that had built up just went away with each step they took. Slow but surely, they wasn't a rush anymore. There wasn't a sense of urgency, but a calm serenity that one foot in front of the other gave him.

As they made their way to the door, he felt a blush creep up on him. He was married. To Cass. He had a wife and she was holding his arm and they were walking out the door and- Marcus let out a small chuckle. "Think we're ready for the married life?"