Disclaimer: I don't own them and I don't make any money off of this.
Warnings: Men having relationships with men. Graphic. Angst. Language. Violence.
This is a wedding fic, but everyone knows that Kracken never makes things easy for poor Ryo and Dee.... so, be warned. It's going to be a rough ride.
Support a starving artist: buy Kracken's book, The Storm, at amazon.com under Della Boynton.
"Congratulations."
"Nani?" Ryo looked up from the folder he had been reading, confused as the officer passed him by cheerily. Ryo frowned. Congratulations for what?
"Weirdoes!" Another officer grumbled as he too passed Ryo.
Ryo had been walking down the hall, heading towards the break room and a much needed cup of tea. The reports in his hands had just been handed to him by a harried Chief, and the man had made it plain that Ryo was to start right away on the case and forget about his half day off. Dee wasn't going to like that. Without explaining why, he had made it clear that Ryo was to have the afternoon free to accompany him somewhere. A mystery, but the mystery in Ryo's hands was more important. A young man was missing.
Ryo stared after the retreating officers. They had come from the break room. What did they know that he didn't know? A congratulations and an insult. It didn't make any sense. Cautiously, Ryo continued on to the break room, and then stopped again when he heard feminine giggling. Several women came out of the room, heads together, faces full of blushing smiles.
When the women saw Ryo, they froze, looked at each other, and then began laughing outright as they all managed to force out, "Congratulations, Detective McLain."
"For what?" Ryo wondered, beginning to blush in trepidation.
Their eyes went wide and they giggled again. One said, "Maybe you should go see."
They gathered at Ryo's back and followed him as Ryo slowly went through the break room door. He saw it right away, plastered across one wall, in large letters, on a banner. 'Marry me, Ryo, for real. -Dee.'
Ryo was shocked. The girls started giggling again. One said. "I didn't know gay guys could get married."
Anger. It flooded through Ryo like fire. He rushed forward and ripped the banner down, one handed, from the wall with an explosive, "Kuso!" Then, gripping his reports hard against his chest, he rushed from the room burning with embarrassment. How could Dee do such a thing to him?!
Dee leaned back in his chair with his hands laced behind his head and a smile on his handsome face. "Yep, he's probably seeing it right now."
Dreig, at his nearby desk, looked up from his paperwork. "Seeing what?"
"The banner," Dee replied absently, watching the doorway where Ryo would soon be appearing. He imagined Ryo throwing himself into his arms and giving him a definite, heartfelt, 'yes!'. He also imagined hot kisses and a hot body... maybe even a promise of some erotic... He reined himself in with an effort.
"That doesn't tell me much," Dreig was saying. "What banner?"
Dee brought his thoughts back down to Earth. "I taped up a banner in the break room," Dee explained impatiently. "Didn't you see it?"
Dreig grunted. "I just got here! You're awfully NOT observant for a detective, Latener."
Dee glared at Dreig from under his tangle of black bangs. "You are not going to ruin my mood, Dreig!"
The big detective scratched his crew cut and then made a dismissing motion to Dee that involved his middle finger as he tried to return to his work.
"Well?" Dee prompted sarcastically.
"Well, what?" Dreig grumbled as he turned pages in a file folder.
"The banner!" Dee retorted. "You're awfully NOT curious for a detective, Dreig!"
Dreig slammed shut his file folder and swiveled to face Dee, snarling, "Okay, Dee! Stop playing this freakin' girl game and tell me what the Hell the banner said!"
Dee smiled and replied smugly, "I asked Ryo to marry me, for real, with a priest and all."
Dreig stared and then he said shocked, "You didn't..."
Dee nodded, still smiling. "Yes, I did!"
Dreig shook his head and groaned. "Ryo is going to kick your ass!"
Dee's smile dropped and he frowned as he sat up, lowering his hands. "What do you mean by that?"
Dreig snorted in disbelief. "You don't get it, do you? You might as well have strung up a banner that said, 'fags getting married, embarrass the shit out of Ryo here!' "
"That's not-," Dee stopped as his mind caught up with his enthusiasm. "I... He always wants me to be romantic... I thought..."
"That's your trouble," Dreig said, shaking his head sympathetically and turning back to his work. "You shouldn't try thinking." He hunched his shoulders. "Now, stop talking about this. It's not stuff I want to know about you two."
Dee regained his confidence all in an instant. "That's right, you homophobe! You don't know anything about how Ryo's going to react. You just don't like it all around! Why the Hell should I even listen to you?"
"You shouldn't!" Dreig replied, not looking at him. "'Cuz I don't know nothin' about romancing another guy, so, leave me outta this conversation!"
"I will!" Dee growled back. He crossed his arms over his chest and turned to stare at the door again. Dreig was wrong, he thought confidently. Ryo loved romantic gestures. He was going to love the banner. He was going to love it so much that he was going to agree to anything Dee wanted. Dee licked his lips in anticipation as he thought of certain steamy requests.
Ryo came through the door at last, clutching file folders to his chest. Dee sat up straight in anticipation as Ryo came storming up to their desks. He looked very angry. Shit! Dee thought. Dreig was right!
Ryo slammed his folders down onto his desk. Dee began to form an apology as his lover's dark eyes rose to meet his own. There was a long tense moment and then Ryo said, "We have to work late, " and sat down in his chair.
It took a moment for Dee to digest the comment and then he asked carefully, puzzled, "Didn't you just go to the break room?"
Ryo nodded tightly. "I met the Chief on the way. He gave me a missing person's case and said that our afternoon off was canceled."
"Oh," Dee felt angry now too, but still unsure of exactly why Ryo was so angry about a missing person's case. "You did go to the break room?" He tried again.
Ryo nodded distractedly as he opened up the file folder and began turning pages. He was very quiet and very intense.
"Uh, you didn't notice anything in the break room while you were there?" Dee wondered anxiously. He felt Dreig looking at them both and knew he was waiting for Ryo's reaction as well.
Ryo looked up and blinked in a blank way that told Dee that something was up. Ryo was giving him his attention, but in a way that let Dee know that he was very upset about something. "What?"
"Uhm," Dee tried again. "You didn't notice anything in the break room? On the wall?"
Ryo shook his head, his honey colored hair swaying about his handsome face, as he looked down at his paper work again, "No, nothing."
Dee frowned. "Nothing?" He echoed.
"Nothing," Ryo repeated absently.
"Oh," Dee said and sat back in his chair again. He glanced at Dreig. Dreig shrugged and went back to his work. Dee tapped a pencil against his desk in agitation. Had someone taken the banner down before Ryo had seen it? That seemed likely. He would have to try again, Dee thought, steamed. People like Dreig weren't going to ruin his attempt to propose in, what he considered, the ultimate, romantic way.
They reached home after a grueling day of question and answer from the family and friends of the missing man. Dee had tried to keep the mood light, joking and ribbing Ryo throughout the day, but Ryo had stayed distant, preoccupied in his own thoughts, and replying in very few words.
"Is the case bothering you?" Dee had asked on the drive home. Ryo had replied, no, but hadn't explained further. Even now he was passing up Bicky without a word and going into the bedroom.
Bicky, stretched out on the couch with his music blaring full blast into his ears through headphones, was bobbing his head to the beat as he attempted to do homework. He acknowledged Ryo with a wave and flipped Dee a finger without looking up.
Dee locked the bedroom door behind him as he followed Ryo. It was time to have it out, he felt, and to demand to know what was wrong with his partner. Dee turned to take a deep breath, compose himself, and loosen his tie, before turning back towards Ryo.
"Ryo-" A pillow hit Dee straight in the face and then continued to hit him as he ducked and raised his hands over his head. Blows rained down on him, vicious ones. It wasn't a nice soft pillow that was pummeling him, but one of the stiff, embroidered, designer pillows Ryo used to prop himself up when he read in bed.
"Baka! Stupid!" Ryo shouted at him, furious, "Yokumo! Insensitive bastard! Doukeshi! How could you do that to me! How could you put something like that where everyone could see it!!"
Dee ducked and danced away from the pillow, holding up both hands defensively and shouting back, "So, you did see the banner?! Why didn't you say something?!"
"And embarrass myself some more by shouting at you at the station?" Ryo demanded. "That would have looked so nice, two gay men having a spat about getting married! Kisama!" Ryo swore and threw the pillow at Dee's head.
Dee caught the pillow, face showing his confusion and astonishment at Ryo's outburst. "I don't get it! What the Hell is wrong?"
"Wrong?" Ryo mocked. "Wrong? Why don't you ask anyone on the street what you did wrong, Dee Latener, and I'm sure they could tell you! As usual, you are the only person on Earth who doesn't have a clue!" Ryo stormed into the bathroom and slammed the door shut. Pictures on the wall shuddered.
Dee rubbed at his forehead as he tossed the pillow back onto the bed. How had things gone so wrong? He felt confused, set adrift, not sure just how mad Ryo was.... mad enough not to marry him? Mad enough to maybe... leave him? His half Japanese lover had a gentle face and a reserved manner. It was hard to tell just how upset he really was. The pillow fight was an indication, but Ryo could punch when he was mad enough.
Dee went into the living room and sat on the couch next to Bicky. Bicky glared at him over his textbook, but Dee's face must have startled him. He turned off his player and shoved the headphones off of his ears.
"What the Hell's wrong with you?" Bicky wondered.
"Adult stuff," Dee growled and sat back in the couch as he pulled a pack of cigarettes from his breast pocket. He knocked one out of the package, set it to his lips, and lit it with his lighter. Taking several long puffs, he glared at nothing.
"Ryo's going to kill you for smoking!" Bicky said with glee. " You're supposed to be quitting... besides, he don't want ya smoking in the house."
"He's already mad at me," Dee said. He looked around for a place to flick his ash and then recalled that Ryo had taken away all his ash trays to discourage him. Seeing Bicky's can of soda, he snagged it, and flicked his ashes inside.
"Hey!" Bicky protested as he sat up in anger. "I wasn't done with that!"
"Don't care," Dee retorted around his cigarette.
Bicky glared and then he wondered sourly. "So, what did you do now, dumb shit?"
"Asked Ryo to marry me," Dee replied without evasion.
Bicky blinked. "I thought... well, you said you were already 'married'. You made promises and all."
"Yeah, well, I was raised Catholic," Dee explained. "They put a lot of guilt on a man for not doing things in front of a priest."
Bicky was puzzled. "But..."
"Yeah, I know!" Dee cut him off angrily. "Two guys together is a sin, duh! Well, until God himself tells me that, I'm not going to believe it!"
"Then you aren't really Catholic," Bicky pointed out. "Can't be Catholic if you don't do what they say."
Dee looked at him with narrowed eyes. The blue eyed, blonde haired, African American boy was looking too wise. "The Catholic part isn't the reason I want to do this. It's the... well, standing before God and all, letting Ryo know that... well, it's hard to put into words. I want it official."
"But, it's not legal, right?" Bicky reminded him.
"No," Dee replied glumly. "But that's not the point either!"
"Then, what's it all about?" Bicky wondered.
"It's hard to explain..," Dee said with a frown. He just wasn't good at expressing his feelings in words. That's why the banner had seemed like such a perfect idea. He still didn't know why Ryo had gone ballistic about it.
Bicky glanced towards the bedroom door. "Okay, I don't get it and, I guess, Ryo didn't get it either.... why is he mad at you?"
Maybe Bicky would understand, Dee thought. "I put up a banner at work that asked Ryo to marry me," he told Bicky.
Bicky went wide eyed and then he snickered and laughed outright. "Jeezus! What a moron! You really thought that would get Ryo all happy, telling everyone a pervert wants to marry him?"
Dee snarled. "Shut up! I'm not a pervert!"
"Ryo probably died when he saw it!" Bicky continued derisively. "I wonder how many people were standing there and laughing at him? You are such a jerk, Dee!"
Dee went pale. He stood up and threw his cigarette into the can of soda. As it hissed and went out, he strode back into the bedroom, hating how a street punk kid had just made him realize what a terrible thing he had done to Ryo. Bicky was right. He was a jerk.
"Ryo!" Dee called yet again. He was sitting on the floor with his back against the bathroom door, arms crossed over his chest. An hour had passed and Ryo still hadn't shown any signs of coming out. Dee had heard the shower run, the facet, the sound of a razor as Ryo had maybe shaved, and the brushing of teeth. Then had come the sounds of Ryo cleaning up, towels being hung, and the clothes hamper opening and closing. When that happened , Dee said loudly, "Well, now you're naked. You didn't take any clothes in there with you. I know you won't put on dirty clothes after having showered so, your options are to come out to get dressed and FACE ME LIKE A MAN, or stay in there, naked, and be cold. What's it going to be?"
The door shot open and Dee fell backwards onto the hard tile. Ryo stepped over him and Dee had a tantalizing view between Ryo's legs before his lover was striding towards the closet to get clothes.
"Don't talk to me!" Ryo exclaimed as Dee rubbed the bump on the back of his head and stood up.
"Did they laugh at you?" Dee asked quietly.
Ryo froze with a shirt fisted in his hands. He replied with a slight tremble in his voice, "Yes."
Dee slowly lowered himself to the bed and put his head in his hands. "I wanted to surprise you, make it special. I didn't mean to hurt you, Ryo. I planned it all week. I really thought I'd come up with a romantic-"
"Yes," Ryo said.
Dee looked up. "Yes, I'm an idiot? Yes, I embarrassed you? Yes, I don't have a romantic bone in my body? Yes.....," Dee suddenly realized what Ryo might be trying to say. He sat very still, not daring, and then he repeated, "Yes? Do you mean... yes, yes? As in Yes...."
Ryo turned and his eyes were full of tears. "Yes, Dee."
Dee stood up, rushed towards Ryo, stumbled, fell to one knee, regained his feet again, and then closed the distance to pull Ryo into his arms. He was grinning and not grinning, unsure how to react, not wanting to screw up again.
Ryo said carefully, "You ARE an idiot. You DID embarrass me, Dee." Ryo swallowed and wrapped arms around Dee's waist and put his cheek against Dee's heart. "I don't know what you're planning, what you have in mind, or why you think we need to do this, but I love you and I'm your partner. If you want a small ceremony of some sort, I won't object." He smiled then, sweet and soft, "Your method might not have been romantic, but wanting to do this tells me a great deal about how you feel about me."
Dee sighed in relief and did grin then. "Good! You understand!" He held Ryo away from him, hands on Ryo's arms as he looked into Ryo's eyes. "It's not going to be a small ceremony though. I'm inviting everyone... your family, Penguin and the orphans, our friends at the station, hell, even the Chief, if he'll come!"
Ryo went white. "Nani?! My-My family? Dee! You can't do that!"
Dee was perplexed. "Why not? Oh, I know a lot of them won't come, especially your aunt Elena, but I think you have to send them invitations anyway, just to rub their noses in it, er, be polite."
Ryo pulled away from Dee, very serious. "This isn't a joke, Dee! I'll do something small, but inviting any of my family and anyone except people who will understand, is out of the question!"
"But...," Dee was confused. "I was so sure you'd say yes. It's just the sort of thing you love and well.... you love me, so I never thought... well, I thought you would want everyone there...."
Ryo stared. "What are you saying, Dee?"
Dee licked suddenly dry lips. "Well, I already sent them invitations."
The bathroom door slammed shut and Dee was suddenly very alone again.
Ryo paced the bedroom floor, red silk robe billowing behind him and white silk pajamas clinging to his frame as he clasped his hands together and muttered in disbelief, "Everyone. Everyone! I can't believe you did this!"
Dee sat on the bed, smoking in agitation, black bangs hanging in his face as he bowed his head and tried not to get angry in return. He was angry, he realized, angry that Ryo was reacting badly to something he had thought would be accepted and easy.
"What's so wrong?" Dee finally asked sharply. "At least explain to me why you're angry!"
Ryo paused in his pacing and glared at him. It was an unpleasant look on his handsome face.
"Don't run into the bathroom again!" Dee protested. "I don't want to spend another hour knocking my head against the door and begging you to come out. That's just damn childish."
"Childish?" Ryo replied acidly. "You set up an entire wedding without even asking me if I wanted one! That's childish. That's irresponsible! Also, inviting my relatives without asking me, knowing how some of them feel about us... That wasn't just childish, Dee, that was infantile!"
Dee's jaw worked. He took a deep breath. He wasn't going to shout back. "The plan," he explained, "was to have you see the banner, think it was the most romantic thing that you ever saw in your life, run and throw yourself into my arms, kiss me and say yes, go to lunch, tell you about the church and the wedding, and then spend a romantic evening at home discussing, tuxedos, a honeymoon, and how hot our wedding night was going to be. That sounds pretty adult to me."
Ryo shook his head sharply and half turned away in disgust. He rubbed at his aching forehead. "You were so sure I would say yes to all of that? So sure that you sent out invitations..."
"You love me," Dee said sadly, "Don't you? Why would I think that you would say no? I want to stand in front of a priest and tell you its for life, proper, and that there will never be anyone but you, Ryo. It's not freakin' legal and the church doesn't like it, but, well, I said the words before and they meant a lot to me, but, a vow doesn't count unless there are witnesses; unless you tell everyone. I want to tell everyone, even God, Ryo." He sighed blackly. "I thought that you'd want that too, but... I guess you don't want everyone knowing. I guess you're too ashamed still, of being with me. I know they laughed at you. I know that hurt. I know you want to avoid being hurt again like that, especially by your family. I guess I can understand that. Maybe the wedding was a stupid idea. Maybe it's better, for you, that nobody knows how much we care about each other."
Ryo sounded on the edge of tears. "Why now, Dee? Why did you suddenly decide to become such a romantic? A wedding in a church. A honeymoon. This isn't like you at all. You don't think like that."
Dee shifted uncomfortable on the bed. He didn't say anything for a long moment and then he replied tightly. "Well, I guess you're right, partly. I would be happy just to stand on a desk in the middle of the station and tell you its forever in front of everyone, but it's not about just me. It's about you and me, and I know how you like things, Ryo. Besides, I told you. I want a special witness and I'm just religious enough to want that witness to be in the church."
Ryo wasn't satisfied. "That's not everything," he said. "You're holding back."
Dee fidgeted, "Okay, you got me. It IS more about me than you. I want... " He stood up, put out his cigarette, faced Ryo, and took Ryo's hands in his, saying earnestly, "Baby, I've always been a good for nothing street punk. Maybe I took a step up when I became a detective, but I managed to drink, smoke, and generally stay a punk with a badge. People have always been disappointed in me, Ryo. I want that to stop. I want to show the people I give a damn about, and who give a damn about me, that I made good, finally. I don't want to hide you. I don't want to whisper a vow to you in the dark. I-I want to show you to everyone and tell everyone that you're mine, forever. If that's stupid and selfish, sorry, but it's how I feel."
Ryo looked down at their clasped hands. "I think I understand, Dee," he said softly, "but how can you make any of that work? You what me to stand up with you and tell everyone that we're together. You want to act as if two men wanting to get married is normal and accepted. You think everyone is going to go along with it and be glad, be proud of you, smile and be happy for us. It's not true. It's a dream. It's not going to happen, Dee. They were laughing at me at the station. One man called us a name. They said, 'congratulations,' but they were making fun of me, laughing at us, making it a joke. No one is going to take it seriously, Dee. No one is going to care about what we say to one another or how we feel."
Dee replied, squeezing Ryo's hands tightly. "I care. You care, don't you?"
"Yes," Ryo said without hesitation.
"Our friends will care too," Dee insisted. "The people who will come, WILL care, Ryo."
"Come where?" Ryo wondered. "Where can two men get married?"
"The orphanage," Dee replied, "with Penguin officiating. It's a church and she's a nun."
Ryo frowned. "She'll get into trouble, Dee."
"She won't," Dee insisted, "and I insist on having her. She may be a nun, but she's the holiest person I know in New York City. There isn't anyone else I'd rather have."
"I'm not objecting to your choice," Ryo retorted. "I just... I don't know. It doesn't seem right..."
Dee scowled. "What, two fags at the alter?"
Ryo went pale and searched Dee's eyes. "You know I didn't mean that."
Dee took a deep breath. "Okay, what did you mean?"
"Marriage," Ryo replied carefully. "We're two guys, Dee. We could just have a large party and celebrate being together. Marriage is for-"
"People who love one another and want to make a commitment," Dee finished for him. He arched an eyebrow. "Unless you're thinking of being with someone else..."
Ryo frowned. "Well, the banner stunt and sending invitations to my relatives, is going to be hard to forgive."
"But you'll do it," Dee said with a smile, "because you love me, right?"
"Right now, barely," Ryo replied sourly. He looked down and said quietly, "They won't come you know." meaning his relatives.
Dee said gently. "I know, but I went through the motions anyway. We won't be the jerks here, Ryo. They have that option."
"What if no one comes?" Ryo wondered.
"Now you're being ridiculous!" Dee scoffed. "J.J. will be there, even if it is to try one more time to take me away from you. Better gag him when we get to the part, 'if anyone objects'." Dee bent a little and looked into Ryo's dark eyes. "Well? Are you at least considering it now?"
Ryo chewed on his lip as if he were cornered and not liking it, but he sighed and gave a small nod.
Dee snatched Ryo's hands to his lips and kissed them passionately. "Great! You won't regret it. Start ordering flowers, and doilies, and all that stuff! You will look so good in a white-"
"Black tuxedo," Ryo corrected before Dee could finish, a warning glint in his eyes.
"What?" Dee said innocently. "You didn't think I wanted you in a dress? I just thought, being the bride, you'd want to wear white."
Ryo fumed. "Bride?! Listen, Dee Latener! If you think I'm going to let you treat me-"
"Hey!" Bicky shouted from the living room. "You have a kid here you're supposed to be taking care of! Where's dinner? I should call social services myself before I starve to death!"
"Shut the Hell up!" Dee shouted back. "Order a damn pizza!"
"Yeah, and you're paying!' Bicky retorted.
"He is NOT coming to the wedding!" Dee growled.
"He IS," Ryo replied. "You're doing this because you want to show everyone you're a good detective, a good member of society, and that you have a family and a good home, remember?"
Dee smiled and kissed Ryo deeply. Breaking the kiss, he said, "I'm doing it because I love you. The rest is just a bonus."
Ryo sipped at his drink nervously and pulled at the tight collar of his black tuxedo. "Well, it turned out small anyway, but that's probably for the best. There isn't much room here."
Dee grunted as he surveyed the asphalt area separated from the slum by a chain link fence. The worn brick of the orphanage/church blocked off one side and the trash filled street, lined with the cars of the guests, blocked off the other. Tables had been set up with food and drinks and the guests were huddled in knots, talking in low voices. "You'd think cops wouldn't be afraid to come to a bad area of town."
They had decided to have the reception first, Dee worried that the food and the decorations would be stolen if they tried to have the ceremony first and they were both afraid that the guests, nervous about the area, would be eager to leave it before sundown, skipping out on the reception all together.
Even Penguin looked worried, but the strong nun, who had molded Dee's childhood and kept a young street punk from wasting his life on the street, looked ready and willing to confront anyone who tried to disrupt the party. There were a few groups nearby, watching, commenting, street gangs or just local toughs wondering where the bride was and beginning to figure things out.
The Chief was chewing on his cigar and nodding briskly to whatever Commissioner Rose was saying. Over the shorter man's head, Rose, more than once shot a hard look at Dee, a look that said clearer than words, 'Make Ryo happy, or else.' Dee smiled back each time, not able to help a bit of masculine pride in knowing that he had beaten his rival once and for all.
Five of Ryo's relatives had decided to attend. Two were young girls and clearly Japanese. They giggled to the point of being irritating to Dee and didn't seem to think that speaking Japanese to Ryo, instead of English so that Dee could understand too, was rude. A third, was a tall man that Ryo had identified as a cousin. He was blonde, but his eyes were dark like Ryo's and he had an air of someone suffering through for a good friend. The other two were older women, gray haired and indulgent. One had pinched Dee's cheek and asked four times what his name was, and the other had complained nonstop since her arrival about everything from the lack of a wet bar to the fact that it was a Catholic church she was going to be forced to enter. She had latched on to the unfortunate J.J., flirting outrageously with him while she complained, unaware that the young man was on the verge of tears and had all of his attention on Dee.
"J.J. looks like he needs some help," Ryo whispered to Dee.
"Good," Dee grumbled as he straightened his white sash. "He tried to convince me not to go through with this. He deserves a little punishment."
Ryo frowned. "I'll have to sit them together in the church then."
Dee slipped an arm around Ryo's waist and smiled warmly at him. "Are you okay, Ryo? You look nervous."
Ryo smiled back. "So do you. Getting cold feet?"
"Never," Dee replied, "You?"
"No," Ryo replied, but he was thoughtful. "It seems strange."
"How strange?" Dee wondered.
Ryo shrugged. "I never thought that I would end up at the alter with another man, even a month ago when you asked me. It seems... like an odd dream. A good dream." He looked at Dee seriously. "I don't need any of this, Dee. I hope you know that? The promise you made me before was enough. I don't need a ceremony or a priest to know that you meant it."
Dee held Ryo tight against him and leaned down to say in his delicate ear, "I need it," he admitted. "It is too much like a dream, sometimes, Ryo. I need this so I know it's not, that it's real, and that it's forever. Thanks for going through with it. You probably think it's dumb, wanting to pretend that we're a guy and a girl getting married, but it really means a lot to me."
"We're not a guy and a girl," Ryo replied, "and we don't need to pretend that we are. This ceremony isn't dumb, Dee, it's special for me too. Don't think that it doesn't mean a lot to me as well." He looked at the small gathering of police officers, friends, and his relatives. He swallowed in a suddenly dry throat. "It is hard to stand up in front of everyone and do this, I won't lie, but..." He looked at Dee again. "I love you, Dee. I'll do this, for you."
"The nun says it's time guys," Bicky said. He was dressed in a pair of khaki pants, good shoes, and a stiff, white shirt. His tie looked as if it were choking him. He said to Ryo in disgust, "Hurry up and marry the jerk so I can get out of this monkey suit!"
Ryo's eyes surveyed the street. Dee took his hand and squeezed it. "She's not coming, Ryo."
"I know," Ryo sighed. "Even if Aunt Elena approved, she still wouldn't come to a part of town like this."
"Forget about her," Dee told him. "Let's get hitched."
Ryo nodded and they called the guests. Going up the steps of the church, Penguin led the way with Dee and Ryo behind her and the guests following behind them. Penguin's gasp, as the doors opened and she stepped inside, made Ryo and Dee reach for guns they didn't have. They quickly followed her in and then stopped dead in their tracks in shock.
The opposite doors of the church were wide open. Someone had thrown flower arrangements and decorations all over the floor. The word 'fags' along with other filthy epitaphs had been spray painted every where.
Dee ran towards the open doors while Ryo held Penguin as she sobbed and put hands to her mouth in horror. The guests came inside, police officers automatically switching to on duty mode and civilian guests stunned and curious. When Dee returned empty handed, face dark and furious, he hugged Penguin tight and then pulled Ryo into that embrace as well.
"Sorry! Sorry guys! This is all my fault!" Dee whispered, and sounded on the verge of tears. "I should have known better."
"It's not your fault!" Penguin retorted. "Don't blame yourself, Dee."
"No, it's not your fault," Ryo affirmed with a choked sob. He hugged Dee tightly in return and leaned in against Dee's heart. "It will be all right, Dee."
"How can it?" Dee wondered in anguish. "It's all ruined!"
"No, it's not!" Ryo retorted and looked up into Dee's face. "A bunch of street punks can ruin a ceremony, but they can't ruin what we have together."
"Listen to him!" Penguin urged. "It's the spiritual aspect and the promise that counts, not flowers and canapés!"
Dee shook his head sharply and turned away from them, arms crossed tightly over his chest and head bowed so that his black bangs hid his face. "It was supposed to be special," he said. "It can't be, now. Just forget it!"
Ryo was shaking in reaction, aching for Dee, but he turned and took charge, doing as Dee requested. "I think we should post pone the wedding, obviously," he said to the gathered people in a trembling voice. "This is a crime scene now and we shouldn't disturb it before an investigation is performed. Thank you for coming."
The people didn't know what to say. There were a few murmured condolences and then everyone collectively began to file out of the church. Ryo watched them, tears choking him as he struggled not to cry. He saw the crowd tangle at the door and stop.
A clear voice said, "Where do you think you are going? There is supposed to be a wedding!"
A small, petite figure was let through the crowd. Aunt Elena appeared and Ryo started, going very pale as she surveyed the damaged church with a frown. Well manicured, and haired dyed blonde and styled immaculately, she looked younger than her years in a designer, pink dress and high heels. When her dark eyes came to rest on Ryo, she said simply, "Is this worth it? Is enduring insults, hate, and alienation worth being with that man?"
Ryo shivered, but he met her gaze squarely and answered without hesitation, "Yes."
Aunt Elena walked over to Dee, her high heels clicking on the hard floor. Dee had turned in surprise, but his eyes were red and he looked lost, shocked beyond bearing.
"Was it your idea to put on the church sign outside, 'wedding of Randy McLain and Dee Latener'?" Dee nodded numbly. Elena said contemptuously, "No wonder you had trouble. You're an idiot!"
"Duh!" Bicky snorted from the crowd.
Dee was scowling. "Yeah, well, I got punished good, didn't I?"
Aunt Elena nodded, but her face cracked just a little and Dee saw sadness and some sympathy as she said, "Yes, you did."
Dee turned away. "Well, I'm sure you're glad. Now you can fly back home and be glad you didn't get to see two fags get married."
"Why would that make me glad?" Elena wondered sharply. "and why isn't there going to be a wedding?"
Dee gestured broadly at the church. "Maybe you didn't notice..."
Aunt Elena looked about again and then she glared at Dee. "You're an idiot and you're shallow."
"Look who's talking!" Dee retorted.
"You can't really love my nephew," Elena said with certainty. Dee whirled on her, fists clenched. Elena continued, unperturbed. "If you did love him, then this wouldn't matter."
Dee looked at the church and then wiped at his eyes. He let out a long breath and then looked at Ryo. Ryo was staring back sadly, the guests standing behind him, uncertain what to do.
"I did a lot of soul searching," Elena said, "and I talked to people, trying to understand how Ryo could want this 'relationship' with you. I learned a great deal. I still feel... uncomfortable..., but I know that Ryo can't change this, can't be what I wish him to be. That's why I came to see his wedding, to make amends. I still wish he was marrying a girl, but his happiness and having him in my life is more important. I'm sorry that it took me so long to realize that." She glared at Dee. "But having said that, I now worry that Ryo may have made a wrong choice in choosing to marry you. Obviously, you aren't comfortable with being gay and things like this," she motioned to the spray painted graffiti, "frighten you. I think it would be best if Ryo found someone as adjusted and as confident in his choice as he is. I don't think he could be happy-"
"Shut up!" Dee finally exploded and then at the crowd of guests. "Sit down, all of you! We are having a damn wedding right now! Nobody gets Ryo, but me!"
"Dee!" Penguin protested, but she was smiling too.
Dee strode to Ryo and took his hand. He looked deep into Ryo's dark eyes. "Are you ready?" he asked with love and determination. Ryo nodded and began smiling too as Dee pulled him quickly to the alter. Taking up a position opposite Ryo, he straightened his collar and coat and then clasped both of Ryo's hands as he nodded at Penguin. "Let's do it!"
Owari..... maybe ^_^