The Lost Soldier

Surprise

Beckett held my hand fingers intertwined, he looked over his shoulder and smiled at me. I hadn't stopped smiling since he put that ring on my finger. He swung open the door of his parents house and we walked in, it was dark but as soon as Beckett flipped on the light switch I was bombarded with confetti and happy cheers. I smiled as I looked at our friends; Lanie and Archer tackled me in a hug "let me see the ring!" Lanie joked and I showed her the ring on my hand. She then looked at Archer "I told you it would fit!" She said giving herself a pat on the back. 

"What is this?" I asked,

"It's your engagement party! Congrats little sis" Archer mussed my hair. I smiled and Beckett squeezed my hand, Mai and Adam found us in the crowd they both hugged me. 

"Welcome to the family Areum, we already knew you two were going to end up together, it was just a matter of time." Mai said and Adam smacked Beckett on the back and gave him a proud smile. From the corner of my eye I saw my brother Mika and Beckett's friend Roy smiling brilliantly at each other as they talked about something animatedly, they looked so happy. I smiled and then Sarah Jones pulled me into a hug,

"I'm so happy for you Areum" she said happily and then she rubbed Fenry's fluffy head and waved at Beckett. Beckett stared at me obviously astonished he raised his brows and I shrugged,

"We became really close when we both thought you were dead" I said "she apologized for being an asshole and I accepted, I'm allowed to be the bigger person you know." Beckett ruffled my hair,

"I'm proud of you baby" he said and then he kissed my forehead and left to go catch up with Roy. I glared at his back and tried to fix my hair, he even took my dog! My mother wrapped me in one of her calming hugs, I curled into her warmth and inhaled her fragrance, she always reminded me of home just with her hugs. She pulled away and looked at me with watery eyes,

"My baby is getting married!" She exclaimed voice thick with emotion "I thought I was going to have to play the meddling mother and pay Beckett to marry you! It was taking so long!" She admitted, I laughed and swallowed the lump in my throat. 

"I'm so happy eomma" I admitted smiling at her, she cradled my face in her hands.

"I'm so happy to see that spark back in your eyes honey" she pressed a kiss to my cheek and said "I'm going to go harass your brother, saranghaeyo Areum" 

"Nado saranhae eomma" and she was gone. In a flash of sandy blonde hair there was another man in front of me, Roy Charleston I instantly recognized him. 

"Roy this is my fiancé Areum Xavier" he said gesturing to me I shook his hand "Areumie this is my friend Roy Charleston" Beckett introduced us.

"I remember" I said smiling "thank you for helping Beckett" 

"No problem, he has helped me time and time again so I didn't mind" he replied. He then snuck a sly look in Beckett's direction and began singing "Areum and Beckett sitting in a tree-" Archer materialized from the crowd, let out an enthusiastic "YES!" and joined in. I covered my face and Beckett wrapped me in his arms, I looked up at him and he was grinning crookedly,

"Could be worse Darling, it could be worse" he assured letting out a husky laugh. He gently nudged my nose with his and claimed my mouth in a searing kiss. I heard Archer make a gagging sound and then a slap, probably from Lanie.

"Okay-okay we get it! you love each other! But I swear to god if you start having sex I will pepper spray you!" I pulled away from Beckett and looked at Lysandra Stark Beckett's older sister. She had the same dark hair as Beckett but she had her mother's deep brown eyes, Beckett released me and swept his sister up in a hug spinning her around. "Hi little bro" she laughed "can you put me down before I get whiplash?" Beckett placed her on the ground apologizing and rubbing the back of his neck, she peeked over Beckett's shoulder and charged at me. "OMG little Areumie! look how big you've gotten!" She squealed, she gripped me in a tight hug and released me "oh! Have you met my wife Freya?" She asked as she introduced us. Freya was beautiful, she was about five-four with long golden curls and striking blue eyes, she shyly waved at me.

"When did you get married?" I asked, I don't remember ever seeing a wedding invitation.

"Two years ago, we eloped so it was a small ceremony" Lysandra shrugged and intertwined her fingers with Freya's. Lysandra was the executive for Vogue magazine and she was stationed in New York, "Freya and I have to catch a flight back to NY, but congrats on the engagement!" She said as she started leading her wife out.

"It was nice meeting you!" Freya called waving at Beckett and I "Congrats!" We waved back.

"They look so happy" I remarked to Beckett, Lysandra had come out to her parents a long time ago. Mai and Adam were so supportive of her, it was a very hard time for her lots of tears were spilt, she came out to me after and she Lanie and I celebrated with her. She seemed she was finally comfortable in her own skin, she had dated a couple boys but she had learned that she wasn't a fan and everyone supported her in their own way.

"They are, you should see their Christmas cards" Beckett said grinning "Freya makes Lysandra go all out, ugly sweaters and everything" I laughed just imagining the fashion forward person that Lysandra is wearing ugly sweaters and reindeer headbands cracks me up.

***

Later that night Archer, my mom and, I were huddled on the couch watching her wedding video when Mika called me from downstairs. I left my twin with my mom and met Mika in the basement, "what's up Mika?" He was sitting on his bed with his head in his hands.

"Areum can I tell you something that will never leave this basement?" He asked looking up at me, I nodded and sat next to him. "Areum you know Beckett's friend Roy?" I nodded and urged him to continue "I-I think, I think I'm attracted to him" he admitted sneaking a terrified look at me.

"Mika if he makes you happy, then I'm happy" I said, the fact that he was coming out to me first made my heart heavy with emotion "if you're gay that will not make me love you any less Mika, mom and Archer will love you too" I soothed "we would still love you if you were bi, straight, gay, purple, yellow, or, red big brother." He really looked at me now tears staining his cheeks,

"I-I don't want to be a disappointment, I don't want to be someone that mom isn't proud of I don't want to disappoint dad either" He admitted voice breaking. With his admission my heart cracked

"Dad will always love you Mika, he would want you to be happy- life is so short there is no point in pretending to be someone you're not" I said "mom will always be proud of you, Mika you have taken on so much in your twenty-two years of life, you helped raise Archer and me and you babysat while mom was working and dad was deployed" I wiped a tear off my cheek "you got a job to help mom pay the bills when dad died, you are my and Archer's father figure, you were the one who taught me how to ride a bike, and you taught Archer how to swim." I sighed "we would never stop loving you big brother, and if anyone says anything different I'll sick Lanie on them." He laughed and wiped his face,

"Would you mind coming with me to tell mom and Archer?" He asked holding a hand out to me,

"I would be honored" I said taking his hand.        

Minutes later we were all crying messes mom wasn't surprised when Mika told her that he was gay, when he asked her how she knew, she just looked at him and said "I raised you Mika, you're my baby I could tell, never doubt a mother's intuition." Archer was excited that he would one day have a brother-in-law,

"Sister-in-laws are lame anyway" Archer said shrugging. We were all proud of him for coming out my mother held Mika as he cried and told her that he wanted her to be proud of him, she stroked his hair and told him,

"No matter what you do, or who you love I'll always be proud of you my son." Mika looked like he had a weight lifted off his shoulders, he told my mom that he was going to move out and get a college degree. 

Hopefully it would happen.