Kaz stood beside the altar, white flowers peppered around the room, a priest beside him, facing the red carpeted aisle. Jesper was always so extravagantly dramatic, and his excuse this time was that you only get married for the first time once.
The sharpshooter himself was waltzing down the aisle in a white wedding dress, smiling widely at his husband-to-be. Wylan had gone with a matching dress, but simplified as he did not share his groom's flair for the dramatic.
Kaz originally hadn't wanted to accept Jesper's request to be his best man, but he knew it might have broken the sharpshooter's heart. As he stood, watching two of his friends say their wedding vows, he was secretly glad he didn't decline.
Besides, from where he was standing, he had an excellent view of Inej looking stunning in her deep purple gown, flowers in her long, dark hair.
She was smiling, which made Kaz want to smile too.
The priest declared that the newly weds may kiss, and they did so, passionately.
The Dregs who had gathered in the church cheered, Colm Fahey tearing up in the front row.
Soon, they were at the reception and Kaz and Inej stood side by side and the newly wed couple had their first dance and cut the cake.
They didn't speak to each other, neither knowing what to say.
The song ended and another started, faster this time as everyone else started for the dance floor.
Kaz glanced at Inej, debating with himself. What if she didn't want to? Would she? Did he?
Kaz didn't move.
This song ended and a slower one started. Something about this song made his thoughts hone in on the girl beside him, on her radiant smile and the flowers in her hair. Her deep brown eyes alight with warmth.
Before he knew what he was doing, he reached out a questioning hand to her.
Inej's smile widened and she took it. She didn't seem to mind that he was still wearing his gloves. He didn't think he could take them off with all the people around them, too close by.
They stepped onto the dance floor together and took their places—haltingly—not wanting to touch the other too much. Neither of them liked touch, but they were willing to try, for each other.
Kaz's black leather gloved hand rested on Inej's back, light enough that she could shove it off if she wanted. But she didn't. She took his other hand in hers and put her other hand on his shoulder, gently so that he could move it if he wanted. But he didn't, either.
They started moving, slowly, spinning around in time to the music.
It took Kaz a good minute to realize he was smiling, gazing down at the girl in his arms. He spun her around in a twirl and she laughed, a lovely, warm sound Kaz never tired of.
That's the laugh, he thought in wonderment.
Kaz's memories of Jordie's corpse and rising water pressed in on him, dark and demanding.
But Inej was light and welcoming, and she was here with him. She was dancing with him, and he with her.
Kaz's chest felt oddly full and warm, and he found he quite liked the feeling.
In his peripheral vision, he registered Wylan and Jesper watching them—Jesper squealing in delight and Wylan in equal parts surprised and happy for them. Kaz ignored them, his focus entirely on Inej.
He was so glad he came to this wedding, for so many reasons. The main one being dancing with Inej, holding her and twirling her around, listening to her voice as she laughed and teased him about his panic about whether or not his tie was straight.
The song ended, but their dance didn't. They danced into the next and the next, completely wrapped up in each other. Eventually, Inej had to stop and sit down for a bit, her feet hurting from her high heeled shoes.
Kaz pressed her hand to his lips gently, briefly.
They sat next to each other, talking and laughing about the Dregs who had actually tried to dress up for once, and were trying to no avail to dance with each other.
Kaz couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this good. Maybe he never had.
This night was sparkling and he would never let it go.
He was wonderstruck, smiling all the way back to the Slat.
He might spend forever wondering if she knew how enchanted he was to meet her, to know her.
The night was flawless, and he would never let it go.
(A/N: yeah the chapter names are all Taylor Swift songs because i am gay and also her songs are so perfect for SoC ships like-)
