yeah maybe i listen to the shrek soundtracks too much but i think it's valid bc shrek is peak romance

https://youtu.be/Q5Q_OUThjHE

/ / / 

You and Barley ran out of the Lightfoot residence together, your hand tight in his. You could barely run in your flats that were too tight around your feet. He was snickering a little too loudly. You raised your finger to your lips to silence him as you slipped through the back door and around the house. 

"They're gonna think we ditched our own wedding," Barley said, opening the passenger side door for you. 

You struggled to climb inside. "It's okay, we left a note."

After dancing together, you and Barley decided that you didn't want to spend the rest of your day separated and waiting for the moment to arrive. It was Barley's idea to take Guinevere to the beach ahead of time. That way, you could spend time with him beside the water and wait for everyone else to arrive --- and completely avoid the awkward drive with your crying parents and Barley's awkward drive with his stepfather, who was undoubtedly use the remaining time with his single stepson to coach him on being the perfect husband. 

There was no doubt in your mind that Barley didn't need coaching.

He put his hands on your waist and lifted you up into the van. As you sat back in the seat, he bent down and scooped the skirt of your poofy dress into his arms. You giggled and pulled it and your legs to the side, your lips capturing his with a kiss right before he shut the door. He ran around the front of the car and yanked the door open. He jumped inside and slammed the door shut. 

"Go, go, go," you said, grabbing his arm and grinning. 

With a squeal of the tires, he zoomed out of the driveway and onto the street. He shifted out of reverse and slammed on the gas. With a sputter of the van, you jerked forward to where the beach was. 

When the coast was clear and you had officially made your escape, he slowed the van down. You leaned your head back against the seat and he looked at you and took your hand in his. You cracked the windows down so that as you neared the sea, you could feel the sweet-scented breeze against your face. 

The plan was to get married during the sunset but right now the sky was a gentle blue with hints of pink in the puffy clouds. Perfect weather, perfect breeze, perfect sunshine. Barley parked right on the sand and he opened the door for you, giving your hand a kiss as he helped you step out onto the ground. 

He shut the door and looped his arm through yours. You bent down to take off your shoes and you held them by the heels. As you neared the waters that rushed towards you and bubbled white, you felt the cool sprinkle of saltwater on your skin. 

You and Barley spent the rest of the time taking pictures of each other and together. You danced on the shoreline, the skirt of your dress stained with the water as the tide came in. And finally you sat in the sand, your feet buried in the warmth of it, his arms around you, your head on his shoulder. 

And then everyone arrived at once, pouring out of their cars and quickly getting in place. Laurel scolded you and Barley for running off, but you knew that she wasn't really mad. So a few feet from the water, Barley stood beside his brother and the officiant. Your father walked you down the aisle. Colt and Laurel hugged one another as she cried into her tissue.

The officiant kept it short, per yours and Barley's request, giving you plenty of time to spill out all of your thoughts in your vows. You weren't even nervous to say them to Barley after he said his. 

"Babe," he said, "I've been in love with you since I first saw you. And ever since that moment, I've really wanted to be everything that you could ever need and want. You've seen me at all of my highs and lows --- and even when I thought I was a total screw-up, you never thought that I was. I never had a dad to show me how to be a good husband. I know my dad was one, but... I didn't really get to see it. And that made me really nervous, but... but now I'm standing here, and I see you looking so much like a princess, and all I know is that I would give anything to protect you and take care of you and that I love you so much and that's what it takes. To be a good husband. So I promise you, ___, that I will always take care of you, love you, protect you... and be your best friend. All that gushy stuff." 

"All that gushy stuff," you repeated, your face lighting up with a smile. The officiant nodded in your direction and you cleared your throat and squeezed Barley's hands, trying to bring back the words you'd memorized. "Bar, I find it hard to believe that there was ever a time when I wasn't completely in love with you. You're my perfect balance. You push me to be loud when I've gotten too quiet. You make me brave. You make me feel like I'm in a fairytale. I stand in front of you feeling like a princess because you make me one. It sounds super stupid and cheesy and I'm just going to keep on spewing out all of that gushy stuff---" You laughed softly. Barley's eyes, teary and happy, blinked hard. "But I'll keep on going anyway to tell you that I... that I love you with everything inside of me. And I promise you Barley that I will always be the best wife you could ever want. I promise you too that I will love you always, take care of your forever, and protect you with everything that I have and am and I will always be your best friend. Always."

"More gushy stuff," he said, laughing. 

"Yeah," you said. You smiled proudly. 

The officiant finished up the vows. You and Barley promised yourselves to one another for forever and sealed it with silver bands that you slipped over your fingers (both purchased at the same antique store your engagement ring came from). And then when it came time to kiss him, he didn't waste a single moment. 

You'd barely been officially married for even a fraction of a second when his arms were flung around you and yours were hanging around his neck and your chest was pressed against his and you were dipped backwards only slightly as his lips landed on yours.

You'd never felt more like a princess.

/ / 

You didn't want to change out of your princess dress, so you stayed in it for the entirety of the reception, even though the bottom of it was grey and wet with ocean water and sand and you had a perfectly good party dress to wear too. But this was your night, and you wanted to look as good as you felt as you spun around on the dance floor with Barley, your skirt flowing, your gown glittering, and your frizzing, loose curls growing messier by the second, tangling in the flowers of your crown. 

You laughed as Barley lifted you off your feet and spun you halfway, kissing your cheek as the song came to an end. It must've been your tenth song in a row. You were exhausted, but you were so happy. 

Finally it came to the point of the night when family danced with one another. As Barley pulled his mom into a dance, you walked over to Ian, who leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, squinting as the light from the disco ball blinded him. 

"Hey, have you danced any?" you asked. 

"Uh, no," he said, scoffing, "it's not really my thing."

"Not really your thing, or no one is dancing with you?" you asked, tilting your head to the side. You elbowed him gently. "I used to think that I hated dancing too, but then I just realized you have to find the right people. Come on, dance with me."

"Oh, I don't know," he said. 

"Only if you want, but here's my offer," you said, raising your hands. "Full disclosure, I can't dance. But that makes it fun."

Ian groaned, but he surrendered and let you take his hand. You yanked him onto the dance floor and took one of his hands. He put the other awkwardly on your side and your hand took its place on his shoulder. You kept enough distance between the two of you so that he could make his daring escape if he was completely embarrassed by you. 

As the music played, you swayed and swayed together in a shape that slightly resembled a circle. He looked everywhere but you, and that was good and fair. 

"Hey," you said, "Thank you for everything."

"Oh, you're welcome," he said, his eyes darting to yours and back to the floor. "I'm just --- I'm glad that your wedding turned out."

"Me too," you said. You squeezed his shoulder. "And I'm glad that you're my little brother now."

Ian smiled, bringing his eyes back up to look at you. Suddenly, you and Ian were lifted off of the floor as Barley's arms wrapped around both of you, squishing you against both of them. You laughed and struggled to breathe until he set you down. He hugged you and Ian against him at the same time. 

"Barley, knock it off!" Ian complained, his voice muffled. 

And you just kept laughing. 

/ /

Several toasts of champagne, long dances against flickers of green and purple spotlights, tastes of a sweet buttercream wedding cake, you were the feeling of flower petals fluttering against your skin as you raced out of the reception, your arm in Barley's. Just like earlier, he opened the passenger door for you and helped you inside. You felt like Cinderella in her carriage, pulling the sleeve of your gown up your shoulder as you stuck your arm out of the window and waved. 

Barley got in and started the van up. You were still waving as he shoved the wedding mix he had made for you into the dashboard. You kept the window rolled down as he pulled away, pushing his palm flat against the horn as he pulled onto the street, headlights the only light in front of you. 

"I love you," you said to him, seeing only his shape against the faded light of the end of the night.

He tilted his head towards you. "I love you too, babe---"

You kissed him and decided that you would remember this feeling forever, wrapped up in warmth and happiness and the music that he had picked just for you.