Best Birthday Ever

"Where are we going? This is highly rude and uncalled for," Justin commented, looking at the traffic around them. Inside, he was overcome with joy, but there was a slight trace of irritation with Brian.

"You've made it. You broke off from Simon's lure. I'm sure the show is a success, though, it's your birthday."

Justin rolled his eyes. "And since when do you care about birthdays? You even hate yours."

"I guess I've reached a new maturity level," Brian explained, a smile playing at the corner of his mouth.

"Okay. Fine. While we head wherever the fuck, care to explain why your phone is shut? I've been calling you for hours!"

"Didn't you get my e-mail?" Brian frowned, realizing it was pretty stupid to cut Justin off that way, but he had to prepare his surprise.

"Do you think I had time to open my laptop? After we said goodbye this morning, I stayed at the gallery with Beatrice and the staff until three in the afternoon. Then I caught a very late lunch at a deli with Ethan, who I literally bumped into. I got home around five. That's when I first called you. Then I showered, and called you again. Then I started getting ready, in between calling you obsessively. You said you'd be home by five. Before I left in a cab, mind you, I even...I… called Evan."

Brian wanted to punch himself. He knew Justin's trust was still fragile, but to take such drastic steps showed him how worried he'd been.

"Fuck. I'm really sorry, Justin. I wrote you that e-mail around eleven when I had the go for my marvelous idea for a surprise."

"To stand me up on my big day? Yeah, I've noticed."

"I really don't want to fight now. I don't want to spoil what's coming next."

"What did the e-mail say?"

"That there was a slight change of plans. You had the car in the garage. I had Marty drive me to work today. I also told you to put on the best suit, which I'm grateful you did without knowing."

"We discussed this for weeks now. And BAM! On my day, you go MIA for hours, then show up with flowers and a freaking carriage."

"We're here," Brian said suddenly when they stopped moving.

"The park? Are you for real? A midnight stroll?" Justin snorted, jumping out of the carriage. He accepted Brian's hand, walking toward the park entrance. As Justin squeezed Brian's cashmere covered hand, he felt foolish for their almost fight. "I'm sorry for shouting. I like your surprise. I'm such a twat."

"Your surprise is waiting over there." Brian pointed out to a gleaming light in the distance.

"Dinner in the park in the middle of winter?"

"Not quite." Brian smirked, walking faster.

As they approached the illuminated spot, Justin's breath caught in his throat. Tears sprung into his eyes as he noticed the gazebo. There were white flowers all around the gazebo.

"Br… Brian…." He turned to stare at his fiance with trepidation.

"I thought of what present to get you, and nothing seemed enough for what...after what I've done. So I decided to give you myself. How about getting married?"

"Oh, Brian!" Justin threw himself at Brian, hugging him tightly. "I love you so much."

As they approached the beautiful gazebo, Michael and Ben stepped out from behind a line of trees.

Justin's eyes widened. "What are…? Ben! I thought…" He glared at Michael, then at Brian. "For how long have you planned this?"

"A while."

"Did you all decided to scare me about Ben not being okay? That's so low…"

"I've been better. My tests were messed up, but we realized it was because I didn't take one of my drugs which I had ran out of without noticing. I'm all better."

"That's the news I got at eleven when I e-mailed you. Ben confirmed his presence." Brian beamed.

"So who will do the ceremony?" Justin asked curiously.

"I will," Ben explained. "Brian couldn't find anyone willing to do it, so I offered. I guess I'm your best man and the minister too."

They took their places. Justin still felt as if it was happening to someone else. He couldn't believe he was moments away from marrying Brian.

Ben stood in front of them, clearing his voice. "We gathered here tonight-"

"Maybe you should skip that part, honey," Michael joked.

"You don't want that squirrel over there to feel excluded," Ben said seriously, nodding to a small, auburn colored squirrel sitting on the railing of the gazebo, checking the flowers for food.

"Maybe we should skip the whole thing and deem as ready to kiss and fuck," Brian added, rolling his eyes.

Justin squeezed his hands. "Don't ruin this beautiful moment. Go on, Ben."

"We gathered here tonight for the much anticipated and awaited moment to unite two lost souls."

Brian faked a laugh with a cough and an innocent look, that everyone saw right through it.

"Brian and Justin have decided to take this big step, courageously headed to a much better life as a couple."

Justin had to give it to Ben. His speech was true, yet somewhat funny. It also helped that he was a writer and had a way with words, unlike others.

"We are going to hear their declarations of love, before we proceed with the ceremony," Ben said with a smile.

Justin felt panic bubble in his chest. He wasn't prepared. He had no idea what to say. He'd make a fool of himself by babbling or stuttering out his wedding vows.

"Shall I go first?" Brian suggested, squeezing Justin's shaky fingers. He got an affirmative bob of head from his lover. "Ah, where to start? First of all, I've never imagined myself in this position. Not even when I proposed to you, I never thought further than you being my fiance, and Emmett preparing our wedding. Being here in front of you, this ridiculous place, which I know you love, it stirs all kind of crazy feelings within me. I like it. I've been a mass of nerves all day."

Justin had so many things to say, but they were stuck in his throat, as he allowed Brian to talk.

"Mikey, here as a witness, can attest the fact that I've been a fervent supporter of being a bachelor forever, never being tied down to anyone. We had many a fight when we were younger. He dreamed of meeting the man of his dreams and marrying. I dreamed of being the most sought after guy, fucking every piece of gorgeous ass coming my way. Of course, everything changed the night I laid my eyes on you," he said softly, rubbing his thumb to Justin's palm. "I didn't know right away what a big part of my life you'd become, but I knew something was going to change when you kept stalking me, determined to make me break my rules. And fuck if I know what or when it changed. But one day, you weren't that guy with a hot ass who got on my nerves, you've become that guy I had to fuck again, to make sure you were okay, to protect you from your asshole father." Brian shrugged. "I guess it all hit a little too close to home, and I wasn't ready to see you make my mistakes. And for some reason, I didn't like it when other guys...when you took other guys to the Backroom."

"Because you don't do jealous, we know," Michael commented, snorting.

"As time passed, I became afraid of the feelings I started developing for you. I tried pushing you away. It didn't work. Well, until it did, and all I wanted was to have you back. And when I did, you slipped through my fingers, trying to find your own way in the world." There was a long pause, and Justin thought Brian was done, though his speech didn't seem to have an end, when he went on. "If this opportunity to move here hadn't arisen, I know I would have eventually stopped talking to you. I'd have let you be your own man in the big bad city, even though you were going to hate me."

Justin opened his mouth, but clamped it shut. He knew Brian, and that was the reason he'd fought so hard to stay in contact while he was still back home. He swallowed thickly, knowing Brian's speech was headed to dangerous territory, but he allowed him to talk.

"And then, when we were supposed to be finally together and happy, I stepped wrong. To this day, I have no idea why you forgave me, but I am grateful for every second I get to spend with you. For that, I decided to show you exactly how much I love you and give you your dream wedding, or close enough."

"It is better than in my dreams," Justin said in a rough voice, sniffing. "How can I top that speech?"

Brian put his tongue in his cheek, watching him amused. "You can't, 'cause you're the bottom."

Justin gasped outraged, while Ben and Michael burst out laughing.

"Says my occasionally pussy boy?"

Ben cleared his throat loudly, when Brian narrowed his eyes at Justin, all in fun but still straying from the subject. "Guys, we should focus on the wedding vows."

"Right." Justin nodded, interlacing his fingers with Brian's. "You covered all our relationship, even though I doubt you named it that in your head for a long time. I can't regret any part of our past, good or bad, because it all led to this very moment. This is the best wedding I could have asked for."

"Don't tell Emmett that. You might break his widdle heart."

"He'll survive."

"Anything else you'd like to add?" Ben looked between them.

"Like what, I refuse to say the traditional bullshit as in I promise to love and cherish you," Brian muttered.

Justin paled. "No way. There's nothing else to add. What Brian said was already beautiful. Let's not ruin it with more meaningless words."

"You could promise to be my perfect Bottom Boy," Brian joked. "I promise to be the best Top Stud."

"Thinking so highly of yourself?"

"You know how to do annulments as well?" Michael whispered to Ben.

"Fuck off, Michael," Brian and Justin said at the same time, before catching their eyes and laughing.

"Stop doing such freaky things," Michael groaned. "Go on, honey." He patted Ben's shoulder.

"Well, if neither of you has anything else to add, may I have the rings?" Ben raised an eyebrow at Michael.

While Michael dug in his inner pocket for the rings, Justin watched Brian surprised. He hadn't thought of the rings, since he found out Brian had kept them.

"In this case, we're going to skip the part with if anyone has anything to say, because it's moot. Everyone present wants the two of you married," Ben said, smiling.

An owl hooted in the distance, making Justin chuckle. He mock-gasped. "What does that owl know, Brian?"

"What we do deep into the night."

Michael offered them the rings on his outstretched hand, impatiently shifting from one foot to the other. "Today, guys."

Brian picked one, lifting Justin's left hand. "I love you, Justin." He slipped the ring on Justin's finger, before bringing his hand to his mouth and kissing the top of it.

With glinting eyes, Justin put the other ring on Brian's finger. His heart beat out of his chest when the ring was snug in its place. "Mine," he whispered, pulling Brian down for a kiss.

Their lips barely touched when Ben protested loudly. "Wait for the moment I wrap the ceremony."

"We promise to live happily ever after, but not too happy because it might get dull. And yada yada." Brian rolled his eyes, still inches away from Justin's mouth.

"You may kiss," Ben declared, realizing his wrapping speech was overrated when it came to his friends.

"Hallelujah." Justin wrapped his fingers in Brian's hair, as Brian pulled him closer by the hips, lifting him off the ground as their lips met. He even spun Justin around, laughing when Justin threw his arms around his neck, smiling his sunniest smile. "I love you. I love you. I love you," he kept chanting as tears slid down his cheeks.

When they pulled away for much needed air, they noticed Ben and Michael leaning against the railing of the gazebo, smiling at them.

"Thank you so much, Ben!" Justin rushed to him, pulling his friend in a tight hug. "It means a lot to me...to us..." He caught Brian's eye. "...that you were with us on this big moment."

"It was our pleasure, Justin. I'm really happy for you two." Ben rubbed his back. "I never thought I'd see Brian married, not even when he asked you last year."

"Wonders never cease." He giggled, turning to his husband. The smile hurt Justin's cheeks as he thought of Brian as his husband. "What are you doing over there?" He saw Brian and Michael peering at the phone.

"Come here. Pictures time." Brian opened his arms.

They posed for several photos, that took Michael longer than appropriate to snap them, but he blamed Brian's fancy device.

"Do you want to go to the after-party for your show?" Brian accepted his phone back from Michael, pocketing it.

"It would be polite to show up. I bet everyone is worried that I simply disappeared."

"They might know where you are. When I couldn't convince the munchers to come to your show, I went there to drag their asses here. You called when I had the phone shut off because I was on the plane...and then I forgot to turn it back on until now."

"You were to Canada?"

"Uh, yes. How do you think Gus got here? Didn't you see his mommies and sister, too?"

"Uh, no. He grabbed me when I was talking with a potential client. As demanding and rude as his daddy, dragging me away from the man."

Brian laughed. "Well, I promised him a trip to FAO Schwarz so yeah, of course, he was eager to succeed in bringing you to me."

They walked to the exit of the park, holding hands, and chatting.

Justin felt something wet on his face, and scrubbed at his cheek, then at his nose. "What the…" He looked up, hoping it wasn't some bird peeing on him. "Oh, God!" He squealed like a little boy. "It's snowing!"

Brian snorted, huddling better under his Armani coat. "And it's going to ruin my coat."

"This is truly my dream wedding!" Justin stepped in front of Brian, taking his hands and started waltzing.

Brian groaned loudly, glancing to Michael. "Why didn't you stop me? I married a looney."

"But you love me," Justin said between giggles, twirling around.

"If someone asks, I don't know you." Brian walked faster toward the carriage, visible, mere feet away.

Justin grinned at their friends. "It's all just pretend. He actually loves snow and winter."

"He loves you more," Michael acknowledged.

"When you're right...you're right." Justin slid in the carriage, giggling and snuggling into Brian's side, kissing his neck. "Love you."

Brian wrapped an arm around his husband, smiling brightly. "Me too, Sunshine."