Chapter Text
"Are you nervous," Dee asked.
"No,"
She smiled.
"It's okay if you are,"
"I'm not," Mac replied in a shaky voice.
His fingers struggled to tie his tie and his irritation grew.
"I can't tie it," he said petulantly and tossed his hands in the air.
"Let me do it,"
Dee expertly tied Mac's tie.
"Thanks,"
She nodded and smiled.
"I'm happy for you two," she said as she pulled him into an embrace.
"Thanks," he smiled and returned the embrace.
She kissed his cheek as she pulled away.
"I have to go check in on Dennis,"
"Okay," Mac said nervously.
"I'll see you at the altar," she said with a smile.
Mac nodded with a nervous smile on his face.
Dee walked into the room where Dennis was waiting. In there sat Frank their father asleep on a chair as Dennis paced the room.
"You're not getting cold feet are you?"
"What? No,"
"So what's with the pacing?"
"I don't know. I'm excited,"
She nodded.
"Why's dad in here?"
"I wanted company," Dennis stated.
"Not your best choice,"
"There wasn't really anyone else,"
"What about Charlie?" she asked.
"He's out there prepping his music or something,"
Dee nodded.
The door opened to reveal Nadine the wedding coordinator.
"Five minutes till," she said holding up five fingers.
The twins nodded as she rushed away to inform Mac.
"I'm gonna go sit," she informed Dennis.
He nodded.
She wrapped him up in an unexpected hug that he immediately returned.
They smiled as they let go of each other and Dee walked out the door.
"Dad," Dennis called.
Frank was in deep sleep.
"Dad!"
"Wha?"
"You gotta go, go find your seat,"
"I thought I was walkin' you down the aisle,"
"I don't need you to,"
"Then why was I here?"
"Dad we don't have time for this,"
"I'm goin' I'm goin' geez," the old man gripped as he left the room.
The first to walk the aisle was the ring bearer, Malcolm. Next, was Rosie the flower girl, the daughter of Mac's friend Nick. Lastly, was Mac and Dennis who would walk down the aisle together.
They waited right inside the home before and this was the first time they saw each other all day.
"Hi," Mac said softly with a dazed smile.
"Hey," Dennis replied with an equally charming smile.
Mac wore and navy blue suit with a gray, almost tan tie and a white rose pinned to his lapel. Dennis donned a gray, almost tan suit with a tie the color of Mac's suit. The outfits had been picked out by Dennis who insisted that darker colors suited Mac and lighter colors suited himself.
"Oh shit, I forgot my boutonnière,"
"Your what?"
"The flower," Dennis sighed.
"It's go time," Nadine said from behind them.
Mac took off his flower and shoved it into his pocket.
"Now we both don't have one,"
Dennis smiled as they began to descend down the aisle until they reached the arch. Charlie played the grand piano that was set up in the backyard.
The backyard was full of friends, and some family members. Some friends from before Mac had reconnected with Dennis and vice versa but also friends they had made together during their two-year dating period.
...
"I think I'm ready to move in with you," Mac said as he stared at Dennis' ceiling.
Dennis set the book he was reading down.
"Really?" he asked trying to tone down the excitement in his voice.
"Yeah,"
It had been about ten months since they had reconnected. They saw each other every other weekend. Sometimes at Mac's apartment but mostly at Dennis' home. Doing normal couple things like sightseeing in New York, going out to dinner and a movie, they would even take Malcolm out to places like the New York Zoo, or Central Park on weekends and the boy would hold Mac's hand as they crossed the busy streets.
"He really likes you. Think's your so cool cause you live in New York and have big muscles,"
"Really?"
"Yeah,"
Mac smiled. He really liked Dennis' son. The little boy was very funny, sweet, and smart. He always had a book for the long car rides back and forth from Philly to Brooklynn. he would always win at whatever board game they played.
"Do you guys let me win?" he asked.
"No," Mac replied honestly.
The boy nodded.
As Mac packed up the final boxes he looked around at his home of almost fifteen years. The first day he walked into that apparently he had nothing except for some clothes. After he had come out, his mother had been decently kind about it but his father wasn't too keen of him.
One day Mac received a letter from his father from jail stating that he had to be out of his mother's home before he got out or he would smite Mac.
So he packed all his shit and crashed at Charlie's for a bit.
The plans to open a gym were already set in motion and Nick his co-owner would be his roommate out in Brooklynn. He just had to wait a few weeks for everything to get finalized and he would receive keys to a new home and a new job.
It had seen him go from a man without anything to a man with everything he wanted from life.
Dennis had turned a spare room on the first floor into a home gym where Mac could coach local clients. Mac was selling his shares to one of their best trainers and was going to live out the American dream of being a house husband with a side hustle.
When Dennis first showed the home gym to him he covered his eyes and led him into the room.
"It's just like the scene in Beauty and the Beast," Mac joked.
"Yeah, except I'm also beauty and I actually put work into this. I never understood how that was supposed a romantic gesture. The beast already had the library and it wasn't like he even used it! The guy couldn't read!" Dennis droned on as he held his hands over Mac's eyes.
"Den. Can I see it?"
"Oh, yeah baby sorry,"
Mac looked around at the room that now had a wall lined with mirrors, mats on the floor, racks of dumbbells, two treadmills, an elliptical, a squat rack, and some benches.
"This is incredible!"
"You like it?"
"I love it!"
Mac wrapped his arms around Dennis and placed a kiss on his lips.
"Thanks,"
...
"I understand you have written your own vows,"
The pair nodded. Mac had wanted to use the traditional, vows but Dennis found them too impersonal, he wanted to write his own. Mac was hesitant and he felt like he didn't have the facility for language necessary to express his feeling for Dennis. So he sat and crumpled paper after paper until he wrote something he was proud of.
Dennis began to recite his first.
"Mac. I will take good care of you. Everything that you feel will be good. As long as you stay with me, and hold my hand you will not need to be brave. You won't need to worry. I will offer you everything you yearn for. I'll hold you as you sleep and kiss you as you wake. So take all the quiet nights of your past and seal them up with care, no one need's to know they're there for I will hold them for you. And if you dare to second guess you can rest assured that I will always love you. With every breath, I am worth I will give all my love to you,"
Mac's eyes brimmed with tears as Dennis finished.
"Now you,"
"Dennis. You are the moonlight of my nights and the sunshine of my life. My beating heart belongs to you. I would walk miles, and miles just to find you. I will wash your hair at night and dry it off with care. You are all I've ever wanted and all I will ever want. I will love you until the ground pulls us back down and our years on earth are out. Even after that, I will sneak you a wristband at heavens gate. All I am I give to you," Mac finished with a shaky voice and both had tears in their eyes.
They were handed their wedding bands.
"Mac, do you take Dennis as your lawful wedded husband?"
"I do,"
Mac placed the band on Dennis' ring finger.
"Dennis, do you take Mac as your lawful wedded husband?"
"I do,"
He placed the ring on Mac's finger.
"You may kiss,"
They crashed into each other as gracefully as possible despite their high nerves. Sharing a love-filled kiss as their guests cheered. They walked down the aisle and into the house while the guests headed to the back of the yard for cocktail hour.
Mac stared at the band on his finger in admiration.
"I'm a husband! You're my husband," he gleamed.
Dennis cupped his cheeks and kissed Mac's forehead, the tip of his nose, and finally his lips.
"Mr. Reynolds," Dennis said softly with a smile.
"Mr. Macdonald," Mac replied.
"I'm not taking your last name. You're taking mine baby boy," Dennis said assertively.
"I know," he sighed as he pressed his lips to Dennis.'
They sat inside for a while as the cocktail hour passed and the reception would begin. Nadine rushed in and spoke as fast and as efficiently as possible.
"Reception was perfect, five minutes till,"
The couple nodded. When it was time they held hands as they walked out into the reception. The backyard was lit up with string lights, tables with white tablecloths and navy blue accents filled the yard, a dancefloor was set next to the pool and music softly blared.
"Help me in welcoming the newlyweds!" Charlie said from the DJ booth and cheers, and claps could be heard in the crowd.
Dennis and Mac took their seats at the main table and guests took turns coming up to them and giving their congratulations and well wishes for the pair.
"Daddy!" Malcolm called as he neared the table.
"Hey, buddy!"
The boy embraced his father and then embraced Mac.
"You did such a good job as ring bearer. Your the best ring bearer ever," Mac said as he held him
"Thanks,"
"Where's your mommy?" Dennis asked.
"Over there," he pointed to a woman who was looking around like she had lost something.
"Did you tell her you were coming over here?" Dennis asked as he waved to Mandy.
"No. I was excited to see you, and Mac,"
Mandy saw Dennis and noticed the little boy was in Dennis' lap. She rushed over to retrieve her child.
"Malcolm you scared mommy! Sorry about that,"
Dennis shook his head.
"It's fine he can stay up here,"
She embraced Dennis, and then Mac.
"The reception was beautiful," she smiled.
"Thanks," they replied in unison.
"I'm gonna head back to my table. It's okay if he stays here?"
"Yeah, you go ahead,"
"Okay. Just wave to me when you want me to come get him,"
Dennis nodded.
Mac smiled at her and she returned the gesture. Mac liked her, she was a very sweet woman. It would have been easy for her to be hateful, for her to refuse to let Mac spend time with her son but instead she was happy for Malcolm to have another strong male figure in her life. She liked the happiness that Mac brought into Dennis' life.
When it came for the couple to have their first dance Mandy rushed over and took Malcolm to her table.
Charlie announced that the couple would be having their first dance as husband and husband. Mac and Dennis took their place in the middle of the dance floor. Dennis placed his hands on Mac's waist and pulled him in close while Mac wrapped his arms around his husband's neck.
They smiled and looked into each other's eyes as they swayed around the dance floor.
Mac buried his head into Dennis' neck.
"I love you," he whispered.
"I love you," Dennis replied softly.
This reminded them of the way they had swayed at the reunion two years ago. Back then they were stiff and awkward and neither knew how to dance very well but now they melted into each other and moved around expertly.
The dancing continued and eventually, it was time for the newlyweds to leave.
Dee was in charge of kicking people out and house sitting. So Mac and Dennis got into their getaway car and headed to a local hotel for the night. Their proper honeymoon would start tomorrow.
Dennis held Mac's hand as he drove like he always did. As he drove he felt a tinge of sadness in the midst of all the joy. He wished he could go back in time and undo all those years he spent away from Mac That he could slap his eighteenth-year-old self and tell him how much of an idiot he is for letting Mac go but he couldn't. There was no way to change the past but in the end, that was okay.
They were together now and that's all that really mattered.
He looked over at Mac who's smiled that same dazed smile with soft eyes that shined that Dennis fell in love with decades ago.
Dennis realized that people change, they grow but their smiles never change.
As long as Mac was smiling for him everything would be okay.