Where Did We Go

Epilogue

Warnings: None

Word Count: 1191

Author's Note: This is it, the very last chapter of Rose Colored Boy. Thank you so much to everyone who stuck with this series, it means the absolute world to me. I hope you enjoy the end :')

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"I now present to you, for the first time as a married couple, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph!"

Tyler took hold of your hand and together you walked back down the aisle, unable to keep your eyes off of one another. It was surreal to be surrounded by all of your friends and family, finally marrying the guy you had been in love with since you were a kid. You were pretty sure this was the happiest you had ever been.

Tyler led you out into the hall. The cheers and applause instantly came to a stop as the door slammed closed, providing you and Tyler with your first moment alone all day. You two found an empty room down a small hallway, out of the way of all the people that would eventually start to filter out towards the reception. The two of you had come to the agreement the night before that you would want a moment to yourselves before joining everyone at the reception.

"We're married," was the first thing out of your mouth. It had been bouncing around in your head since the moment you had been deemed husband and wife, and you needed to get it out in the open, just to confirm that this wasn't some crazy dream that was playing out in your head.

"We're married," Tyler smiled, reaching out to rest his hands on your hips.

You wrapped your hand around his neck and quickly pulled him towards you, crashing your lips together. Tyler smiled and kissed you again and again, wrapping his arms around your waist until your body was pulled close to his.

"I love you so much," Tyler finally said. He was staring deeply into your eyes, a smile still plastered across his face.

"I love you too, Ty."

"I mean," he shook his head. "I'll never be able to thank you enough."

Your eyebrows furrowed, "For what?"

"For teaching me that the one thing I was scared of for so long was exactly what I needed."

"You deserve all the ways that you're loved, Tyler, by me and everyone else."

"But mostly you," he laughed before pulling you into another kiss.

"Your ring turned out really nice," you said, grabbing Tyler's hand so that you could look at it up close. "The black was a good choice."

"Let me see yours again?"

You held up your other hand so that Tyler could get a closer look at your ring. After some debate, you had decided on something simple to go along with your engagement ring, which you were still in love with even a year later. It rarely came off your hand.

"I did a good job," he laughed.

"Are you talking about me or the ring?"

"Both."

You smiled and pressed a quick kiss to Tyler's cheek, but quickly realized your mistake when you saw the lipstick stain.

"Oh no," you frowned.

"What did you do?"

"Just got a little bit of lipstick on you, no big deal."

"Does it look nice?" he asked.

"Gorgeous," you laughed.

You used your thumb to gently wipe the makeup off of Tyler's cheek. It took you a bit of effort to completely get rid of the mark, but you managed.

"Did you get it?"

"Good as new."

"Thank you."

"I can't believe you're my wife now," Tyler grinned, wrapping his arms around you once again. "How did I get so lucky?"

"I don't think it was luck, Ty," you said, brushing a couple strands of hair out of his face. "I think some people are just meant to be together."

"Well then I'm happy that you're the person that I'm meant to be with."

"Me too."

"Do you think Carter is going to give you crap about finally being a Joseph?"

"Are you kidding?" you laughed. "This is the moment he's been waiting for since we started dating. We're never going to hear the end of it."

"I can't wait."

"Speaking of Carter and the rest of our family, we should probably join everyone else at the reception before they start to have a fit."

"Already? Can't we have just a few more minutes?"

"Ty, we're leaving for our honeymoon in a couple days. We'll have all the time in the world to spend together, just the two of us."

"Alright, point taken." Tyler gave you one more kiss before releasing his arms and taking a step back from you. "Do I still look ok?"

You reached out and adjusted Tyler's tie, making sure it was straightened out. Once you did that, he took a look in the mirror and made a minor adjustment to his jacket.

"How do I look?" you said, stepping up next to him.

"Stunning, as always."

You rested a hand on his shoulder and took a moment to admire the two of you in the mirror before you had to go. There was no way you were still going to look this nice by the end of the night.

"Before we leave," he added, digging around in his pocket. "I want to get a picture of us."

"Aren't we getting professional pictures done?"

"Yes, but there's something special about a picture we took when nobody else was around."

"I've taught you well," you smiled.

The two of you posed for a couple pictures before you decided you had hidden away from everyone else long enough and it was time to go. After a few more adjustments of your outfits, Tyler turned to you.

"Ok, are you ready to go, Mrs. Joseph?" he grinned.

"Lead the way, Mr. Joseph," you laughed.

Tyler held a hand out to you. You laced your fingers between his and followed after him as he began to lead you out of the room.

You looked up at Tyler as you walked towards the reception, admiring him up close before he was pulled away from you by family members and friends. There were a million things in your head that you wanted to tell him, but you kept them inside for now. You had the rest of your lives to let him know all the reasons you loved him.

"What are you staring at?" he laughed when he eventually noticed you staring.

"My handsome husband," you smiled. He shook his head, but you could tell by the pink tinge to his ears that he had appreciated the compliment.

You couldn't help but think back to the night when your feelings for Tyler had first been revealed, when the two of you sat on the garden wall too many feet apart and he insisted that he didn't feel any differently about you. Sometimes you wished you could go back and tell yourself how things had turned out, how happy you would end up being, that you just needed to have a little - a lot - of patience.

That what had felt like the end turned out to be just the beginning.

"I love you, Ty," you said, giving his hand a light squeeze.

He turned to you and smiled, returning the gesture. "I love you too."

You had never been so happy to prove someone wrong.

​​​​​​​THE END OF ROSE COLORED BOY.