Chapter 103: Chapter 103: FINAL: The Vow 2

~Alexander’s POV~

A pure joy radiating between us. We stood there, locked in that gaze, until the music shifted—from 🎶 A Thousand Years by Christina Perri 🎶 to 🎶 The Night We Met by Lord Huron 🎶—soft and aching, wrapping around the room.

The change in the music hit us like a wave, pulling us back to every struggle, every secret meeting, and every tear we had shed to reach this moment.

Suddenly, our smiles weren’t enough to hold back the weight of it all.

A single tear slipped from Alis’s eye, and my own vision blurred.

We weren’t just two men getting married; we were survivors.

I looked out at the crowd, and for the first time, the high-end guests and the top-tier society weren’t just watching, they were moved.

I saw my mother dabbing her eyes with a lace handkerchief. I saw our friends, including Andrew, standing with their heads slightly bowed, overwhelmed by the emotion in the room.

Even those who had come with composure couldn’t hide it anymore.

And even though we had done this privately once before... This felt different.

Because this time, our families and friends were here.

It made it final.

It made it real.

The tears came faster now, thick and unstoppable. Seeing Alis break down was my undoing. I reached out, my thumbs gently brushing the dampness from his cheeks, though my own face was just as wet. I pulled him a fraction closer, anchoring him, letting him feel that I was right here.

I took a shaky breath, forcing my voice to find its strength through the sob rising in my throat. I held his hands tightly, grounding us both, and spoke the words that would officially lead us into our forever:

"I, Alexander Montclair, take you, Alistair, to be my wedded husband. To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish... until death do us part. This is my solemn vow."

I watched him, my heart aching in a way that felt like both a wound and a kind of healing.

The tears on Alis’s cheeks made him look almost unreal, like something too precious for this world.

And yet, he was here, standing in front of me, holding my hands, choosing me.

As the music drifted through the hall, Alis took a trembling breath.

He squeezed my hands so tightly I could feel his pulse racing beneath my fingers.

When he finally spoke, his voice was soft, touched with tears, yet it carried through the silence of the room, grounding me in a way nothing else could.

At that moment, the music changed, transitioning into 🎶 Perfect by Ed Sheeran 🎶.

"Alexander," he began, and the sound of my name in his broken voice nearly brought me to my knees. "I used to think that love was something you found in books, something quiet and easy. But you taught me that love is a battle. It’s a choice you make every single morning, even when the world is trying to tear you down."

I looked at him, tears falling as I tried to smile

"You are my home," he continued, the tears streaming freely. "I promise to be the one who listens when you are silent, the one who stands by you when the shadows get too long, and the one who loves you more than any name or title ever could. You chose me when you had everything to lose, and I choose you, today and every day, for the rest of my life."

He took another shaky breath, his eyes locked onto mine with a fierce, beautiful devotion. I felt the weight of his words settle into my soul, marking me forever.

"I, Alistair," he said, his voice finding a sudden, beautiful strength, "take you, Alexander Montclair, to be my wedded husband. To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish... until death do us part. This is my solemn vow."

The moment the last word left his lips, the world around us seemed to vanish. I didn’t wait for the officiant to give us permission. I didn’t wait for the applause. I pulled him toward me, my forehead resting against his as our tears mingled. We had done it. Against the odds, against the world, Alis was finally, officially, my husband.

The officiant looked at both of us, a soft smile on his face.

"Alexander and Alistair," he began, his voice echoing with a newfound warmth. "You have pledged your lives and your hearts to one another before this assembly. By the power vested in me, and by the strength of the love you have proven to the world..."

The words hit me like a physical force. Husband and husband. "Alexander," the officiant prompted, his eyes twinkling. "You may now kiss your husband."

"It is my distinct honor to now pronounce you husband and husband."

I didn’t need to be told twice. I reached out, my hand cupping Alis’s jaw, my thumb wiping away one last stray tear before I pulled him in. The kiss was everything it was the years of hiding, the months of fighting, and the promise of a future that was finally, legally ours. It was soft but desperate, a seal on a contract that no one could ever break.

As our lips met, for a second... everything was quiet.

Then suddenly—

the whole room erupted.

Clapping.

Cheers.

People stood up.

Some were crying, some were smiling, some were shouting.

My mother was clapping through her tears.

His mother couldn’t even hide it anymore, she was openly crying while smiling.

Our friends were cheering loudly.

Even the guests who came with their pride and status... they were clapping, moved by what they just witnessed.

But I didn’t look at them.

I didn’t care about any of that.

All I cared about... was him.

Standing right in front of me.

My husband. MY EVERYTHING.

MY EVERYTHING. My Forever.

The sound was a tidal wave of validation. As I pulled back from the kiss, I kept my forehead pressed against Alis’s, both of us laughing through the tears that were still falling.

"We did it, baby," I whispered against his lips, the roar of the crowd fading into the background of my mind.

I turned us toward the audience, my arm wrapped tightly around his waist, presenting my husband to the world for the very first time. The journey was over; our life was just beginning.

At that moment, the music shifted to 🎶 Ordinary by Alex Warren 🎶 as we began to walk forward.

Alis held his bouquet in his hand, and I tightened my hold around him slightly.

"We did it..." I murmured again.

"In the end... we won."

People started moving toward us almost immediately.

Smiles. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Tears.

Hands reaching out.

Voices overlapping.

My mother was the first to reach us, pulling both of us into a tight embrace, crying as she congratulated us. My father stood beside her, his hand resting briefly on my shoulder, pride clear in his eyes.

Alis’s parents followed, emotional, holding onto him, then to me, their voices filled with warmth.

Our friends surrounded us next, laughing, talking, congratulating us all at once.

But through it all, I didn’t let go of him.

Not for a second.

My arm stayed around him.

His hand stayed in mine.

Because after everything, there was no way I was letting him go again.

Final Chapter coming soon...

Thank you’ll ❤️ Happy Married Life, Alexander and Alistair 💍💎