That Thing Called Marriage- [BxB] [ON HOLD]

That Thing Called Marriage- [BxB]

 “Wedding day, wedding day, wedding day, wedding day…”

 I felt a weight on the bed and stirred, being roused from my slumber. The summer had been warm so far and already I could feel that today would be no exception. I found that I had fallen asleep on top of the covers rather than underneath as I blearily opened my eyes to look at my daughter. She was knelt by my feet, small and slight with a shock of blonde curls. Her hair was highlighted by the sunlight, making it even more of a white-gold.

 “Daddy! Hey! Hey, morning, daddy! It’s wedding day!” she laughed.

 I never knew how she did it. She had energy all day long; from the moment she woke up till the minute she fell asleep. She bounced up and down excitedly and I looked over to see if Ray was yet awake- only to find the space on the bed beside me empty. I frowned. He was never awake before me…

 “Morning, Amelie. Did you sleep well?” I asked her, the same as every morning.

 “Never mind that, dad. Didn’t you hear me? It’s wedding day!” she giggled.

 “I know, sweetie. I think you need to calm down a bit. It’s too early to be hyper…” I murmured, slumping back down onto the pillows and covering my face with my hands.

 Big mistake.

 The weight disappeared from the end of the bed and I looked up just in time to see her midflight, leaping at me.

 “Daddy, it’s time to wake up!”

 She pinched at my sides, trying to tickle me, and I sighed at her amount of energy. I wouldn’t even be half as energised as her if I’d been awake for three hours and had ten cups of coffee; it was still the morning. I caught her hands and tried to give her a stern look but she poked her tongue out at me and I couldn’t help but laugh. She was always doing that, making me forget that I was supposed to discipline her. She moved over and let me cuddle her calmly.

 “Sweetie, d’you know where papa’s gone?” I asked her.

 “I think he went for a walk,” she answered simply.

 “Why don’t we go down and have breakfast, hmm? After all, it’s-”

 “-WEDDING DAY!” she yelled, leaping up and running from the room.

 I sighed and swung my legs over the side of the bed so I was sat up, rubbing my eyes wearily. My hand brushed against the stubble on my cheek. That was the thing about being a parent; I barely had enough time to even shave. Every moment, ever second, was dedicated to my daughter. And she was calling me from downstairs, wanting food.

 I stood up and roughly pulled at my black shirt and shorts as they were slightly askew. I padded down the lightly painted hallway, the laminate wooden floor cool against my feet, and down the stairs. As I went I looked at the family photographs hanging on the wall and smiled to myself.

 I made Amelie up some cereal and made myself a cup of coffee and watched her eat. Today she was pretending that she was deathly ill and the food was her vital medicine. I am the father of a mad child… I heard keys in the front door and looked up just as Ray appeared in the doorway.

 As I looked at my twenty-five year old lover I couldn’t help but be reminded of the seventeen year old boy I had fallen in love with. They were the same in so many ways. If you picked Ray up and put him back in time, back in that science classroom where we first met, he would fit right in. That seventeen year old me would never have guessed that he was eight years older. His hair was still as messy and untidy and as rich a dark brown as it was now, he still kept himself clean and in good shape. But he was more mature in his personality, now, he was just as much a father as I was. And he was still just as beautiful and just as perfect for me. I don’t think that could ever change.

 “Morning guys…” he said, entering the room and putting a shopping bag down on the counter.

 “PAPA!” Amelie cried, dropping everything to give Ray a hug. I dove forward and caught the spoon just before it hit the floor, putting it safely back on the table. Amelie then skipped back over to the table and resumed eating as normal.

 “Where have you been?” I asked him.

 “Just went out to get some breakfast stuff- were you worried?” he asked, smiling. I frowned.

 “No… I just-”

 He shut me up by kissing me quickly on the lips. We didn’t really act overly affectionately towards each other around Amelie. It just seemed… weird. I let go of my tension, reminding myself that today was supposed to be a happy day.

 Two of my old friends were getting married. It was unbelievable, really, when you thought back to our schooldays. The days when Bradley would hit on Quinn and we would all laugh at him because she was Dylan’s girlfriend. Then, of course, Dylan turned out to be a homophobic little shit and Quinn realised what a bastard he was.

 I thought about the arguments me and Ray had had in the past and how they had almost driven a wedge between us. Now, though, we hardly ever argued, as we knew that we didn’t want anything to break us apart. The little things just didn’t matter.

 “Daddy, when’s mummy coming round?” Amelie asked me as Ray started unpacking the food bag. She picked up her bowl and spoon and handed it to me.

 “Mummy’s going to be here in an hour. Why don’t you go and watch some cartoons?” I suggested. She nodded and ran away.

 “Remind me, why is mummy coming round?” Ray asked. I knew that he wasn’t bitter or anything about Tanya, she and Ray only had love for each other, he was just asking.

 “To help Amelie get ready. It’s a mother-daughter thing, I don’t know…”

 “And has there been any… y’know… news?” He stopped what he was doing to look at me as he asked the question.

 “You know that the decision won’t be made until later, after the wedding.” I told him with a sigh.

 It seemed strange that Quinn and Bradley’s wedding day was coinciding with a government ruling; the ruling of whether or not same sex couples could get married.

 The ruling that would decide mine and Ray’s future.