Everything Changes.

[chellemrys]

Cassidy let Adrian lead him around, a proud ornament to be fawned over by his new family. He let them hug him, and shove food into his mouth, and ask about future plans. He didn't expect to be dragged off to the floor, that shone with colorful lights, surrounded by amps pounding out 21st century music.


The agent was tugged in close, his head tilting forward from surprise, dark strands of hair sweeping down to cover his eyes. Upon bringing his head up, their noses connected, Adrian leaning down to reach. A grin slowly spread across the Lieutenant's face, as the music flooded the floor:

"The strands in your eyes that color them wonderful


Stop me and steal my breath.


And emeralds from mountains thrust towards the sky


Never revealing their depth.


Tell me that we belong together,


Dress it up with the trappings of love.


I'll be captivated,


I'll hang from your lips-"



​

Cas' arms rose to wrap around Adrian's neck, pushing their contrasting noses together, the smell of alcohol breezed up between them. He let a single arm slid down Ade's shoulder, down his chest and arm, to his wrist. He twirled away from Adrian, grabbing his hand and extending both theirs, before twirling back in close- landing against his husband's chest with a cheeky grin. Applause erupted from the crowd that stood around watching, beginning to drunkenly sing along to the chorus:

"I'll be your crying shoulder,


I'll be love's suicide


I'll be better when I'm older,


I'll be the greatest fan of your life."
​

 

[Laine]

The song slowly faded away, the doctor barely noticing as he continued to sway with the other, matching the other’s cheeky grin and staring lovingly into his eyes. There was a round of applause as the slowdance finally ended, with several more couples joining the dancefloor as another song started, giving the new husbands a wide berth as Cas started twirling out and away again. Now more than ever, Ade’s aunt was snapping photos, inbetween sipping champagne and dabbing at her teary eyelids.


Several boisterous hoots emerged from the back of the room, and the music suddenly died down into a faint whisper as several male family members shuffled to the front of the dancefloor. Confused, the doctor raised his head, only to see his cousins sniggering, chanting his name and making exaggerated biting motions with their jaws. Ade merely rolled his eyes, glaring at them over Cas’ shoulder and flushing as they started to get louder. He shook his head, chuckling in amusement. ‘Nah’ he mouthed to them silently, smirking as they got rowdier.


The couples dancing around them suddenly seemed to realise it too, and backed away, with one grabbing a chair and sliding it into the middle of the dancefloor, before scuttling away, hooting ‘Go on Ade!’ Others started clapping, and the doctor bit his lip, smiling sheepishly as Cassidy looked at him in confusion. They stopped dancing, and Ade rubbed the back of his neck, “Ach – they promised they wouldn’t do this. It’s just a…caveman tradition.” He winked, giggling drunkenly as he gave into their demands. He waddled until the other was behind the chair, tapping him on the shoulder expectantly amidst the whoops of excitement, “Sit down.”

 

[chellemrys]

Cassidy peered around as the chanting of Adrian's name grew in volume. He looked to blushing Adrian, who seemed embarrassed by whatever they were alluding to. Their hoots got even louder, and Cas began to giggle, "Oh- they seem so desperate-" He wobbled on his spiky heels, latching a grip onto Adrian as they reached the chair. "Me?" His confusion ran out, and the group of men began clapping, laughing eagerly. No one had explained to him all of these... Caveman traditions.





The Lieutenant let his arms drop, letting himself drop into the chair. The applause was renewed, even louder than before. One of the crowd members jumped in victory, fist pumping and patting another cousin on the back. Eyebrows lifted, he patiently waited with an awkward smile, glancing this and that way at the people surrounding them. "Um... Why?" He inquired in Kershnaille, as his new husband came round front and lowered himself, pink-faced, to his knees, hands on Cas' knees.

 

[Laine]

Adrian chuckled nervously, biting his lip at the question, “It’s traditional for the er, husband, to - ” He murmured, lowering a hand to Cas’ right foot. He fiddled with the strap of the high-heel, before taking it off and dropping it on the floor behind him with a thud. He watched as the other got more and more confused, extending the dark leg out and ducking his head down further, trying to suppress a childish giggle as the crowd hooted in anticipation. “- just hold still.” He said, a hand travelling to the hem of Cassidy’s dress.


Quick as a flash, he lifted it up, swiftly letting it fall back down to conserve his partner’s decency. He felt the other tense, but persevered, remerging seconds later red-faced and tugging down a white piece of lace down Cas’ leg, with his teeth. He regained eye-contact with his lover, face pulled into a grimace as he struggled with the band as it got to Cassidy’s knee.

 

[chellemrys]

A grin of amused curiosity spread across Cas' face as Adrian scooted forward on his knees, getting closer. For once Cas was taller than the other, and he wondered why the irony - it appeared as though he was supposed to have an advantage over Adrian, with him kneeling below him. Contradictory because from what he had seen so far, the 'man' in the relationship (as in the one not donning a white dress) was supposed to be his hero, the big boss of the relationship.


Cas crossed his arms, the curiosity turning to smugness as he observed his lover, reveling in this tradition's implications. That is, until Adrian grabbed at the hem of his dress. "W-What are you-" He swallowed, the surprised words spilling out messily. Adrian ducked his head under immediately; the crowd laughed as Cas' smug grin fell wide-eyed tenseness, jumping in his chair as the other bit the white lace. His crossed arms tightened, and he looked straight at the place Adrian had disappeared.


When his husband's eyes met his again, the lacy garter caught on his bent knee. Frozen, he just stared at Adrian. The rituals that had flown through his mind that he knew of (his index of mating rituals from the many planets he'd been too), were cleared. He had never seen anything like this. Adrian tugged again, and his blank stare refocused, and with a blush and look around the room at the families who were dying with laughter, he gingerly lifted his foot, putting it on Adrian's shoulder. That awarded him with even more hoots from Adrian's bright haired cousins.

 

[Laine]

He saw the Lieutenant’s dark face flush, ever so slightly, and he grinned in silent satisfaction. However Ade was surprised as the other’s rebuttal, lifting his leg and sitting it on Ade’s shoulder, making it even more difficult for him to drag the material off. ‘Cheeky little…’ he grunted through the material, gently reaching up as the laughter around them continued. One of the audience yelled “No hands!” just as Ade was about to grab Cas’ foot and wrestle him off, and the doctor groaned, rolling his eyes as he returned his hands behind his back.


Adrian shrugged with one shoulder, leaning backwards so the leg hung limply from the garter. With some difficulty he manipulated it around the knee and down to Cas’ ankle, stifling another chuckle as the Lieutenant kicked back, looking smug and wiggling his toes. One swift motion later, Cassidy’s leg hit the floor, and Adrian beamed in victory, spitting the screwed-up material out and throwing it towards the crowd of rowdy men behind Cas. They all scrambled for it, screeching animalistically to grab it, as if it were their own version of catching the bouquet. Ade reached for the shoe behind him, face burning with embarrassment as he handed it back to Cassidy, “Just ah – a bit of fun, for the boys – and maybe me, too,” he sniggered.

 

[chellemrys]

Cassidy fought the instinct to squirm away as Adrian peeled off the garter, the lace tracing down his leg, tickling his leg the whole way. Adrian was damn right about Cas being cheeky, because his blush shone through only that - a cheeky grin as he watched his lover wrestle the accessory off with only his teeth.


When his leg finally dropped to the floor again, the cousins jumping on the lace and beginning to wrestle it out of one another's hands, he sputtered giggles, gathering up his dress and straightening it back out. He reached for the shoe, just as the music resumed. A new, upbeat older tune rang out. The bass line hopped, trumpets sang, and both looked in surprise at Adrian's grandmother, who was warding off the DJ, after inserting her own idea of a wedding soundtrack to the CD player.


"Hello, Dolly! This is Louis, Dolly~!" Adrian turned back to look at Cas, who met him with mischief, and kicked off the other heel to the grandmother's orders to dance 'for real this time'. Ade nervously backed away, hands up, as Cas snatched up one of them, tugging Adrian closer as the music sped along. Bobbing to the beat, bouncing to the bass line.


Cas extended his arm, tugging Adrian back in and ducking down to sway his shoulders to a swung clarinet solo. As he bobbed along, on a sharp trumpet impact he took Adrian's other hand, swinging backwards and tossing their arms up together, spinning and turning backwards, before letting them fall back down, swinging around face-to-face with his husband again, swinging himself forwards and backwards. Adrian awkwardly trying to keep up, concentrating on Cas' left foot first, then right, left - then right. "Psst-" Cas hissed, making Ade look up in nervous bewilderment, "Your turn to lead."

 

[Laine]

Ade giggled amused nervousness as Cassidy suddenly sprung into action, dragging the Scot across the dancefloor in impressive, exaggerated movements, “Wow - I didn’t know you were an expert in – this –“ He chuckled, struggling to find a word to describe what his partner was doing. Other drunken family members started to join in, randomly bobbing around whilst looking at Ade’s new husband for direction.


The doctor blinked at Cassidy, “Er…lead?” he mumbled, looking down at his feet, which seemed to be uncoordinated with the rest of his body. “Yeah, sure,” He swallowed thickly, furrowing his brow in a determined effort. He swung backwards, throwing their arms up as he had seen Cassidy do – to his surprise, it worked somewhat, and he continued awkwardly copying Cas’ previous moves, only slightly offbeat. The couple were rewarded with a slight turning of the mouth of Ade’s grandma – not quite a smile, but close enough.

 

[chellemrys]

Cas nodded, looking forward to Adrian taking his turn to lead. He followed the awkward movements, trying to keep up with the erratic choices and stiff moves. Adrian attempted to imitate his moves, just tenser than the other. A lack of confidence shone through in combination with Adrian's little natural skill. Cas just giggled as he was twirled, and hopped around. The other tap dancing anything but to the tune playing.


Cas and Adrian danced on until the end of the wedding, listening to an entire mix tape of cheesy classics that his Grandmother adored. Soon, however, patrons and guests were filing out. Stumbling this and that way, mumbling incoherent thoughts through warm, bubbly cheeks. The agent and Adrian were called anxiously over by a party of people from Adrian's side. According to them... They needed to go now. In order to catch their plane.


"Bags already loaded!" A cousin of Adrian said proudly, standing as though he would be receiving a metal of honor. Cas and Adrian ran out of the church, rice being thrown into the air with the flower petals and cheers of joy. At the car door, of the black car that awaited them, Adrian's aunt was standing. She took her nephew into her arms, eyes brimming with tears as she let him escort his bride to the car. Placing Cas safely in the back, playing with his gown as the crowd outside hooted and jumped in circles. Wasted and content.

 

[Laine]

----


Their hotel room was extravagant, slim and modern, and wooden panel ling covered the floors and soft mood lighting bounced off the cream walls. All of the furniture in the room was sleek and neutral coloured, humbly fading into the background to allow it’s guests to take centre stage wherever they stood. Out of any window they looked, there was a giddying view, either of a bustling city to the west or a dreamlike coastline bathed in an orange sunset glow to the south. Adrian dipped his head into the bathroom to find a generously-sized hot tub as well as a bath, surrounded by dark stone tiles and a warm, underheated floor. And of course, opposite the sliding glass doors to reach the balcony, the most important feature of the bridal suite – the bed.


The couple entered, still-giggly from the days events (aided by yet more alcohol on the airplane), and shooed the bellhop out as fast as possible, with Cassidy snorting and tapping his nose, indicating they didn’t want to be disturbed. No sooner had the door shut did Ade reach for the champagne glasses on a table, bubbly golden liquid already poured, and handed one to Cassidy, sliding an arm around his waist and pressing his chest against the other’s back. He stroked the sheer white material beneath his fingers with a rosy-cheeked smile, clinking their glasses together and murmuring in the other’s ear, “To our next adventure,” before eagerly gulping the congratulatory fluid down.

 

[chellemrys]

Cas followed Adrian in with his eyes shut, his as Adrian wanted, and let out a shocked gasp at the sight of the room. He walked around as the luggage was set down, to watch the sparkles glitter in the light bouncing around and off the white dress. He pressed himself to the city view window, against the tall pane to watch the stretch of lighted city below. Stepped back, an arm slid around his waist, and he received a bubbly golden glass.


The agent turned around with a grin, removing his tiara and placing it on Adrian's head. "To our next adventure!" He held up his glass with a giggle, before downing the entire glass despite his already rosy cheeks. Afterwards he dropped the glass on a nearby table, using both hands to play with Adrian's collar. A smirk arose, "And... To our next adventure." By the shirt front, he began dragging Adrian backwards, towards the bed.

 

[Laine]

Ade merely giggled in response at the hand on his chest, eyes lowering as he allowed himself to be pushed, flopping onto the bed once the back of his knees touched the edge. There was an airy poof sound as the soft sheets flattened beneath them. The doctor grinned up at this new lover as they briefly broke from a passionate kiss, challenging his husband’s look of mischief with a tug at the fastening at the back of his dress.


----


Ade gave a deep sigh, the exhale stretching out for what seemed like minutes. His chest slowly rose and fell, ribs catching the sunlight filtering in through the bare widows. The green eyes opened, filling his vision with the welcome view – the grey walls, the wooden floors, the soft mattress cradling his back. However, in agonising baby steps, the smaller details started to come into focus; a crack in the floor here, a stain on the wall there. He sat up with a start as he realised he was not where he expected to be. Not on their honeymoon, in their luxurious hotel room, still embracing each other after a passionate night together. In fact, the other was nowhere to be seen. Adrian confusedly dragged a hand through his hair, only to stop halfway through and drag the hand out again. He blinked at the finger next to the pinkie, taking a worried inhale. No...no ring? But….?


“Cah-Cassidy,” His hoarse voice croaked, and he raised his head, towards the door, “Cassidy?!”