Sinner's companion fic. No, I'm not dead. *cri because writer's block*

...

"So as long as I live I'll love you
Will have and hold you
You look so beautiful in white.
And from now to my very last breath
This day I'll cherish
You look so beautiful in white."
- Beautiful in White, Shane Filan.

...

Jack still remembers the priest's face the moment Roger and him walked into the church.

He looked terrified, with his mouth hanging open and eyes wide in that same sort of fear, as if the Devil himself has just entered God's holy land. He and the entirety of the church's staff exited that instant, leaving Jack an Roger with an empty building, and a day for whoever the couple is to "commit their sin". They have vowed to clean this place with holy water the instant they come back. "A bunch of sinners," they said, and Jack couldn't help but laugh at their statement. Really, they acted as if he was a demon, but if their judgements are all it takes to be with the person he loves for the rest of his life, Jack will gladly withstand everything despite his ego.

Love makes people foolish like that.

Jack thinks he will need to thank Roger a lot, as, if it hasn't been for Roger, they wouldn't have managed to threaten the priest into letting them borrow the church. His dark-haired friend is also the author of the cake standing tall in front of him, mesmerizing the twins and fat Terry, who seems a lot more tolerable today. And maybe Jack wants to thank Terry as well. He is the mind behind these decors in the church's hall, and, without him, this place would have looked like a hell of a mess. Simon, right, Jack also wants to thank their dark friend, who has volunteered to be the priest in place of the one that has left the church, words of disgust still rolling off his tongue.

And it is when Roger snaps him awake that Jack realizes he has been having a lot of these oddly sentimental thoughts lately.

"Marriage is dangerous." He mumbles his conclusion, earning a chuckle from his dark-haired friend. 

"Bet your ass it is. Now," Roger glances at the watch, then at the rest of their friends busy fixing up the decorations, "final question. Are you ready?" He asks, his hands reaching up to tug at the collar of Jack's white button-up, straightening them. 

"Yeah." Jack answers, looking down to his suit. Tailored and black, like those of most grooms in Great Britain. Unconsciously, he feels the sleeve, fondling the extra fine fabric between his fingers. He remembers having worn suits like this one countless times during his childhood and teenage years, some of them costed even more than the ring he has hidden in his pocket. Jack thinks about them, finding himself unable to recall even the ones he wore on his birthdays. 

But this simple black suit gives him a particular hazy feeling that he will remember it for his whole lifetime. 

Jack lets go of his sleeve, glancing pass the grandfather clock Terry has placed next to the piano. "For the aesthetics," he has said. Four fifty-five, the clock reads. Five more minutes. Terry rushes around, putting final touches here and there. The twins and Jack's group of friends have settled down, where their parents are supposed to sit. Roger is sitting in front of the piano, warming up his hands with a short Etude, and Simon, the self-acclaimed priest, is finally out of his changing room (Jack's suspicion of the robe being too large for his friend has been confirmed). The preparation crew is also the entirety of the guest list, and Jack can't care less. 

When Terry finally sits down next to the twins, Jack takes another look at the clock. All of the sudden, time seems to be running out of breath, like its been working its ass off only to stop and breathe right at the most important moment. He adjusts his stance. The only destination of his gaze is the large wooden door leading to the aisle, where the sunlight at the end of the day has focused like a spotlight, awaiting the main character. 

Jack inhales slowly. There are sounds of people shifting around in their seats, evident because the short Etude has ended. All he hears, however, is the sound of something thumping loudly in his own chest. In anticipation or whatever, he has no idea. All he knows is that there is a drum inside him, beating faster and faster every passing minute. He exhales, still fixated on the spotlight, and tries to stop himself from looking, once more, at the clock. 

The room is dead silence now, and Jack knows he doesn't have to look at the clock anymore. 

The main character stands at the door, right below the spotlight at the other end of the road. His white suit is drenched in the yellowish orange sunlight, and his blonde hair only glows brighter in that same light. There is a bouquet of flowers in his hands, golden ones that lose completely to the vibrancy of his expression. Almost covered by the fringe of hair are his eyes, big and deep blue like the ocean, tainted with only a tiny bit of dismay. He knows his parents will never show up, even on his happiest day. 

Ralph's sister takes his hand, and the rhythm in Jack's chest gets faster at each step. The recognizable melody of Pachelbel's Canon in D overtakes the church's hall, but is only fuzzy in Jack's ear. He takes in yet another deep breath. The weight of the ring box is becoming more evident, but he takes it as a sign.

This is it. 

Ralph is right in front of him now. Even without the sunlight, his face is still perfect. His tanned skin and the way his face is rounded just to the right amount. His beaming smile that shames the sun and the way his blue eyes now light up like a night sky filled with lanterns. His silky hair and the way they cover just a bit of his eyes. His form that fits perfectly into the suit, and the way that white, just like any other color, fits him so well. The way his blush cannot be concealed, and the way his nose scrunches up just a bit when he giggles. Jack loves everything about Ralph, and he is willing to keep doing that for the rest of his life. 

That is why he doesn't, and never will hesitate when Ralph's hand is given to him. A "You're beautiful" slips out of his mouth, but it is soundless and Ralph smiles when he hears it. He pulls the blonde up to stand in front of him, and all he does next is stare. Awed. Dumbfounded. Undeniably in love. 

The music stops, and not until now does Jack realize that the melody has been a variation of the song that only him and Roger can recognize. 

Thoughts drown out all sounds once more as he keeps his eyes on Ralph. He can still feel the sting on his cheek, courtesy of his father's fist, when he told everyone that he loved a male, the most beautiful person on Earth. He can still see the disappointment in his mother's eyes, although it isn't like she hasn't been let down her whole life anyway. 

But Jack can still remember that moment when Ralph covers his face with his hands. He can still hear the voice like honey, filled with joy and excitement saying, "Yes! Yes! Of course I will marry you!" And that's how he knows everything is worth it. 

He hears that voice again, this time saying "I do," and everything is just fucking worth it. 

Simon then turns to him, but he doesn't notice it because Ralph is blushing even more now under his fringe, and it is just too much to take in at once. Still, Jack grins when he hears the ending sentence, saying the only thing he can think of to say.

"Fuck yes."

There is a pause In Simon's speech, which somehow manages to interrupt Jack's thinking. The whole room has their eyes on their fake priest, and the dark man stands awkwardly, fidgeting with his fingers and shooting glances at Roger for help. The pianist shrugs, mouthing a word. 

"You may now insert the ring in– wait.." 

The silent room is filled with laughter. All the guests and both grooms crack up in the most hysterical way possible as their priest is burning up between the almost-married couple. Jack pulls the ring out and slides it in Ralph's finger, and the other does the same.

Despite their laughter, Jack can still find time to marvel at the way the ring fits perfectly around its designated finger. 

"You two may now kiss. You are now officially husband and– uh– husband.." Simon declares after clearing his throat. 

When Wedding March starts playing, the whole room erupts in cheers. The twins have already been eating frosting off of the cake, and Terry and Maurice ask for it to be cut before all there's left is a naked cake. But Jack can't think about that right now. God's statue is right behind them, and he can't help but sweep Ralph into his arm and kiss him like it's the end of the world.

Because they are two assholes who give no shit about what they can and cannot do, and that makes everything worth it.