Carry

Epilogue

"I looked like a dork!"

Shisui grinned happily while uttering the words, making it known that he actually appreciated how he looked. He wore a tail-coat that fit him perfectly. He'd bough it when he went to London with work half a year ago. His hair was it's usual curly mess, and he had his glasses on.

"You are a dork", Chris said matter-of-factly. "Aren't you weirded out your ex will be your husband-to-be's best maid?"

"Don't rub it in!" Shisui said, holding his hands over his ears. "I don't want to hear! Lalala! First, my best friend gets her pregnant, and now this!"

Chris grinned; he knew Shisui didn't mind at all. It was all part of the loving bantering between the two best friends.

"I'm happy for you, mate", Chris said.

"Aww, you're gonna make me cry", Shisui said.

"No, I'm serious." Shisui calmed down, realising Chris was. "Not just about you and Itachi. But also about having you back."

Shisui had made his diagnosis known to their group of friends eventually. At times, when there was a lot of stress at work, he could still be affected, and so had made the decision to tell their friend group.

"That's a wonderful idea", Itachi had said when Shisui had done to him to talk about wanting to tell their friends. Shisui told Itachi everything that was in his mind once more.

They all had taken it so incredibly well, he had cried again. 

"Are you nervous?" Chris asked.

Shisui nodded. "Yes. Very."

And he was. Today was the day. He had never told Itachi this, but that first time in the lecture theatre, he had actually imagined their wedding. He hadn't actively thought about it, but an image had flashed before his mind; the two of them, in suits, getting married in a venue surrounded by nature. He wouldn't say it was love at first sight, but his mind had seen potential. Please, be gay, Shisui had wished. Please, please, please, be a Goddamn homosexual. Bisexual is okay but rather not as that will increase the risk of me having competition by one hundred percent.

That aspect of himself was what he'd missed the most when he burned out to be honest, that part who always joked with himself, that part who was capable of being his own best friend.

Shisui was too carefree to do any detailed wedding planning, and Itachi didn't find that aspect important. They had booked an orangery in a beautiful botanical garden and a vicar to wed them. They had honestly not wanted a religious ceremony, but neither of them knew what someone who wed people non-religiously was called and had no idea what to google for (Itachi had googled "non-priest marriage" and they'd ended up on a webpage that sold screwdrivers). They would be very happy with their choice, it would turn out; the vicar was hilarious which suited their elopement perfectly. They had spent the day before baking a three-tire carrot cake together, just like the one Shisui made for Itachi's twenty-fifth birthday last year but bigger. Itachi had beautifully decorated it with cinnamon sticks, orange slices and holly on all three tires. Shisui had stood in front of it, holding Itachi's hand, looking at it in awe, his cheeks covered in flour, his glasses askew.

"We made that", Shisui had said in awe. "We made that together."

Itachi had kissed him then. He'd never been so happy.

They had ordered vegetarian buffet foods, demanded that Chris, who was an incredible portrait photographer, to take photos with his five thousand dollar Canon ("I'll pay you in the permission to bask in my glory", Shisui had said), and decided to let everyone sit wherever they wanted so they didn't have to make a placing list, and that was pretty much it.

But now, Shisui became so nervous of seeing Itachi that he felt he was going to throw up.

"I want to go now", Shisui said. " I want to go meet my person."

They had decided to meet before the ceremony.

"Come to my hotel room", Itachi had suggested. "I want it to be us, you know? Not on the aisle. Not in a romantic setting. Just you and me, meeting."

Shisui now stood outside Itachi's hotel room door and cleared his throat which was ridiculous as you didn't need a clear voice to knock. It was strange, really, how he wanted nothing more than to run into the room, yet he was so nervous he wanted to drag the moment out.

He knocked.

"It's open", he heard Itachi's voice from the inside and Shisui almost died. Iiiiiih, he's in there, Shisui fangirled.

He wasn't ready. Good God, he wasn't ready. He was so nervous, he felt like he was going to throw up. That would be very classy, Shisui, he told himself. Very stylish. He cleared his throat again, a way to gain another second to collect himself. He opened the door, and walked in.

Once in, he couldn't bring himself to look up.

"Shisui..." There was laughter in Itachi's voice. "Shisui, why are you looking down? You don't wanna see me?"

Shisui leaned his hand against the door, now closed behind him. He still had his eyes on the luxurious, soft brown carpet.

"I have autism", Shisui said. "I don't do eye contact. I will die." He rarely thought about his diagnosis anymore but was now so comfortable with it that he gladly mocked himself when it did cross his mind. 

"Not before we're married", Itachi said sternly. Shisui couldn't help but smile. "Let's do it like this, then..." Itachi said softly. "Close your eyes."

Shisui did. And he heard Itachi shuffle closer, until he felt his familiar body pressed to his. On pure instinct, Shisui's large, warm hands grabbed Itachi's waist. He could feel the soft fabrics of his clothes... Itachi nuzzled his head against Shisui's head softly, and Shisui planted a kiss on top of it. High ponytail... Itachi's arms wrapped around Shisui's waist, wrapping him up. It sometimes struck Shisui how amazing it was that a small man like Itachi could offer him such large volumes of comfort.

"Now you can look."

In the safety of his fiancé's closeness, he dared open his eyes.

And saw his person in his arms.

Shisui immediately sunk down to his knees, hiding his face in his hands.

"Shisui!" Itachi laughed, but he also snivelled, crying in happiness.

"You look so beautiful!" Shisui exclaimed, his voice thick like syrup.

He felt Itachi kneel next to him, take his hands. Shisui looked up at his exquisite face.

"So do you", Itachi whispered.

They hugged each other close then, the magnitude of what they were about to do dawning on them. Shisui realised how much it truly wasn't about getting married but about being married. He wanted Itachi to be his husband. He wanted to be Itachi's husband. "Bake more, husband", he wanted Itachi to say jokingly as he tasted one of Shisui's baked creations. "Welcome home, husband", Shisui would say as Itachi got home to Shisui cleaning the apartment in an apron. That would happen. All of that would happen.

Shisui stood up then, dried his tears, offered his arm to Itachi who gladly took it. 

"Let's go get married", he said.

They went and got married to the cheer of their friends.

Shisui with his newly gained energy, having won back his passion for life, Itachi with his carefully cheerful demeanour.

They walked down the aisle together.

They made their vows.

Promising to carry each other through all of their tomorrows.

And they kept that promise for as long as they both lived.

End.