Brandon Blake (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
signofthetimes) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
dreamlikenewyork2019-06-19 04:58 am
signofthetimes) wrote in dreamlikenewyork2019-06-19 04:58 am
"I just want to stay with you in this moment forever, forever and ever."
Who: Merlin Larson and Brandon Blake with everyone who is at their wedding
What: Wedding Reception!
Where: Cape Cod, MA
When: After this
Merlin and Brandon decided on a more fun and casual reception to match their non-conventional wedding. Merlin knew Brandon wouldn't eat, no matter how incredible the food turned out to be so they settled on a lavish buffet to suit everyone, including those who didn’t want to eat. They matched it with a sprawling dessert table and candy bar, which was a huge hit, and included a photobooth and disposable cameras so everyone could make memories with them, the least formal and more fun, the better. They didn’t have set seating either. They left their guests to sit wherever they wanted and encouraged mingling. Brandon loved every minute of it because it differed to all the stuffy, boring , structured weddings he had been dragged to in his time. Merlin loved they could do it all their way.
Merlin had asked Autumn to be their MC for the night because he knew she would be incredible at it and fuck anyone who thought it should be a dude. She knew them both and had been there to see what they were going through. But most of all, she was the reason they found each other again after their first meeting in London. She was the reason all this was happening, so she wa sa perfect choice to be the backbone of their casual, fun, but emotional wedding reception.
Merlin and Brandon were sitting at the top table together, arms around each other as they listened to the music - songs everyone in the room picked to celebrate their own love, a stroke of genius idea by Justin - and Merlin nibbled on a plate of mixed candy from the dessert bar. Autumn announced the Best Man speeches and called Jackson up to the mic. Brandon was nervous about this part because he knew how much of a cheeky shit Jaxson could be but they had sat down together and had a good talk over way too much Cristal champagne and Brandon told him that he didn’t want anything about his life pre when they met in middle school to be mentioned. Jaxson knew the whole story and Merlin would too, eventually… whether that was Brandon being gifted more time to tell him in person or by the letter he had written to him to give to him when the end came, telling him every minute detail he remembered of his life.
Merlin laughed, taking Brandon’s hand and giving it a squeeze. “How many dirty little embarrassing secrets does he have on you? You look like he’s about to out you up there. Why so serious, baby?” he asked, brushing his thumb over the frown lines that had taken residence on Brandon’s forehead when Autumn announced the speeches.
“It’s not that,” Brandon said with a laugh, shaking his head. “I mean, I’m sure he has remembered every single dirty little embarrassing secret I have but I guess I’m just feeling the significance of time and life tonight. I’m really conscious of what my life’s been like up to now and that not all of it was very good. Jax’s speech won’t include anything like that, I just got lost in my head for a bit.”
“That’s okay.” Merlin smiled and kissed him softly. He wrapped his arm back around Brandon’s waist and cuddled him close. “But for real, you just puked in the middle of your own wedding so there’s not a whole lot of embarrassing that can top that.”
Brandon snorted, amused with a long-suffering moan, rubbing his face. “That one’s going to go down in history, damnit. I kind of love everyone here for just discreetly turning a blind eye to it, though. I was hoping to escape some of the reminders that I’m sick today but I know that was delusional wishful thinking.” He sipped some of the flavoured sparkling water Merlin brought him in a Martini glass a little while ago. They had champagne for toasts but neither wanted to get drunk and risk forgetting any part of their wedding or having to battle horrific hangovers in the morning, which would be the start of their honeymoon. Everyone else was going back to New York tomorrow and Brandon and Merlin were staying to have time alone together for the rest of the week. It wasn’t a formal honeymoon but it would be perfect for them right now. They promised if Brandon ever reached remission, they would go on a formal honeymoon somewhere, away from everything.
Merlin kissed Brandon forehead, massaging the nape of his neck. “Escaping the reminders doesn’t stop you being sick, darlin’. You’re sick and we wouldn’t be doing this is you weren’t, so silver linings. Now, tell me… do you have any nudie runs in your embarrassing BFF history that I get the thrill of hearing about right now?”
Brandon burst out laughing. “Well, no. But now I’m starting to think you might.”
“If I do, trust me, Wes will make sure everyone knows it tonight,” Merlin laughed, shaking his head.
When Jaxson took the microphone, he was hit with a wave of emotion and he had to pause before he started speaking. He didn’t need to write anything down. It was all in his head and hadn’t really wavered in the lengthy time he and Brandon had been estranged. He just never, for a moment, thought they would reunite and a few days later, he would stand up for Brandon as his Best Man on his wedding day. It was crazy but it made more sense than anything in his life had in a long time. He sipped his beer and set the bottle down on a nearby table.
“So, before a few days ago, Brandon and I hadn’t said a word to each other in around three and a half years. Then one day, I logged onto Instagram and saw a post from him telling the world he had leukemia and his time was running out. I hated him in that minute, for all of ninety seconds, give or take. Because I thought that, no matter how hard life got, we were always still best mates deep down where it counted and we would get our shit together some day to work it out and fix whatever we screwed up. Then suddenly my best friend, who had been with me through some of the hardest days of my life, could die of cancer.” Jaxson paused again, taking the mic away from his mouth to swallow through the tight constriction in his throat.
He wet his lips and gave Brandon and Merlin a small smile. “And everything else stopped mattering. The reason we fell out. Whatever we said to each other the day it happened. The lost three and a half years of our friendship. None of it mattered anymore. It all seemed like the stupidest thing in the world and I couldn’t make sense of it anymore. I couldn’t figure out why it happened. Something in me went into autopilot. I didn’t want to believe it and I told myself that if I got on a plane and flew to New York from Australia that very day, I could see with my own eyes that his social media had been hacked or it was some sick, painful PR stunt for his TV show. And I convinced myself of that for the whole flight. It was easier than thinking about the reality…”
His eyes swept the wedding guests, how closely everyone was listening and he could see some reaching for tissues from the copious boxes on the table, all of which had been used and would probably be depleted by the end of the night. “Then I got to his place and he answered the door. I wanted the first thing out of his mouth to be telling me it was all a joke and there was no way in the world the guy who seemed invincible could be dying. There was no way in the world I had let myself lose three and a half years of friendship if he was going to die before reaching his twenty-fourth birthday. Christmas baby, this one, for anyone - probably most of you - he hasn’t told. He was never a fan of sharing his birthday with the Big Man so he doesn’t like his birthday in general. Always made him feel like he was crashing everyone’s family Christmases.”
“But he was there, standing at the door, and I… it felt like the world ground to a halt. That sounds cliche but it’s exactly how it felt. It felt like someone plugged my ears and the world muffled to white noise. I could see he was sick and but even then, I really struggled to believe it. It was only when I saw how sick he was, and I won’t go into detail because he battles enough, he doesn’t need the reminders, that it hit me. I didn’t deal well with it and I got him on a really day. Which is what led me to me meeting Merlin. In the middle of this information overload, I met this guy. I had at least a foot of height on him, much like Brandon does, and he had these kind eyes and a dimpled-smile. And I just knew before I even knew anything about him why Brandon fell in love with him…” He shook his head, smiling.
Jaxson gestured to Merlin with the microphone. “This guy. I know there’s people here today who know how incredible he is. How kind and sweet and caring. He’s fucking everything Brandon believes he doesn’t deserve, and has never believed he deserved. So, I know… I know those are battles Merlin has fought and won. They haven’t told me but I know there would’ve been moments Brandon tried to push him away and warn him off what he was taking on. But he conquered that somehow. No one else has ever managed to do that. And I’m not sure I will ever again meet someone who not only shoulders taking care of the person he loves and nursing him through cancer and chemo, but willing to take on keeping their relationship quiet to protect Brandon’s professional wellbeing and everything he has achieved with being, frankly, one of the best actors TV has ever seen.”
Everyone cheered at that and Jaxson grinned, shrugging. Maybe he was biased but Brandon’s multimillion followers and fanbase backed up his claims. “And they’re here today, getting married, making memories, regardless of what’s to come. Merlin has stood up here today and declared his love for my best mate and promised to be by his side no matter what. That is… there’s no words. There are just no words to cover that. Now, I probably should be up here telling you all about the time Brandon got stuck in the bathroom with the trots the day he was supposed to lead our school debate team to victory, or the time he ripped the arse out of his pants on some rogue fencing wire trying to jump over to the lake where a group of hot girls were swimming topless. Though, now I’m starting to think he was trying to escape rather than admire the view because breasts aren’t exactly his thing and he seems quite content that Merlin has none,” he laughed, looking over to Brandon who was covering his face and laughing too.
“Or maybe I should be here talking about the time I saw this new kid in the school cafeteria in middle school sitting on his own and being ignored by every other damn kid in that place. How when I invited him to sit with me, he gave me his KitKat as thanks and we talked about how we were both foster kids and that really bloody sucked. But I lucked out and was given to one of the most incredible families with the biggest hearts who soon adopted me as their own. That other kid? He drew the short straw but that was okay because he soon became a big part of our family, as if he belonged there. But he was special. He was so fucking talented but he never believed anyone who told him he was going to make it big. All he wanted to do was survive… and escape. Survive and escape a life only he truly shoulders the burden of, and that made him a fighter. He kept his eye on the target and no matter what shit was thrown his way, he kept damn well fighting.” He bit his lip, pausing to maintain his composure but tears were coming and he didn’t really want to stop them this time.
He pointed to Brandon with the microphone. “You need to keep fighting, B. You’ve got it in you, I’ve seen it. That amazing person beside you just promised officially to be by your side fighting with you and I’m telling you, every one of us in this room today are behind you both, every step of the way. I love you, man. And I love the guy who stole your heart because I know how big it is and it was only ever worthy to go to someone who could hold it up and remind you every day that you deserve it. You deserve to be happy. You deserve to survive. You just have to keep fucking fighting,” he finished, choking up when a few tears escaped down his cheeks and blowing Brandon and Merlin a kiss, then held up his glass of champagne for a toast. “To Brandon and Merlin. Congratulations.”
The last thing Jaxson expected was a standing ovation, but he got one and it was sweet as hell. Everyone here seemed so damn nice. It didn’t surprise him they were Merlin’s nearest and dearest. He put the mic down and went over to where Brandon and Merlin were both crying, wiping away the tears. He put his arms around both of them, giving them a tight, lingering hug. He patted their backs and kissed both their cheeks, before taking his seat again between Vesper and Wesley’s boyfriend, Noah. Wesley gave Noah a kiss and stood now that it was his turn. He didn’t look like he was shitting himself with nerves as much as Jaxson had been.
Wesley picked up the mic, shaking his head. “I can’t believe I drew the short straw to go second after that dude. So freaking glad I ain’t lip-syncing for my life. I mean, I did plan to just get up here and belt out Queen’s You’re My Best Friend, but then I realised I’m in breathing distance of Justin Freaking Campbell and there’s no way I’m gonna win Karaoke against him. But I’m here to talk about this guy.” He held his arms around, gesturing to Merlin with a grin. “Jaxson was right, he’s the walking epitome of incredible, and I’ve been the lucky bastard who got to share literally my whole life with him. We’ve been best friends for over nineteen years now. We were friends before we even knew how to talk, apparently. And there’s Superman thinking he has superpowers.”
“I’m going to be 100% honest with y’all here today. A few days ago, my life was literally on the line, so I’m not really firing on all cylinders. Merlin saved my life. He helped get me out of a situation that I wasn’t going to survive if I didn’t have help. And just before that, he helped me find the courage to come out to him after denying my sexuality for a few years, being terrified of it. Seeing Merlin overcome all the obstacles he did, and fighting to figure out who he is, he is the reason I can be standing here today with the mic.” Wesley dug around in his pocket and pulled out some folded sheets of paper, holding them up. “I started writing out embarrassing stories because I was totally gonna nail that brief but then I realised I was implicating myself because about 90% of these, I was either involved in or caused and one day, he’s gonna be my Best Man and the tables will turn.”
He put the list back in his pocket, knowing Merlin would probably want to read it later. “When I Skyped Merlin to tell him I wanted to move to New York with him, he told me during that conversation that he was dating Brandon Blake. I thought he was joking because it’s not like we didn’t have a long history of pranking each other. There just wasn’t any time to get the whole joking banter momentum because in the next breath, he told me Brandon was in hospital. Then he told me why and there wasn’t a single thing I could do or say to help him or make him feel better. When I told him that, he said to me, ‘My boyfriend has cancer, I don’t wanna feel better’. I think that was the exact moment I realised what love really was. Not because of the cancer. Because I knew that Merlin wouldn’t fall in love lightly. I knew that whatever Brandon was that had Merlin falling in love with him was more powerful than cancer. That it didn’t matter that he was sick, he was worth the pain.”
“After that, I drove back from South Carolina with them and I actually saw what that meant. I wondered how two people could be so perfect for each other in amongst pills, and blood, and nausea, and pain, and so much sickness. Brandon had all the reason in the world to be so angry and hating on the world for the hand he had been delivered. Hell, even that it was cruel he found someone to fall in love with right when he was on the slippery slope of chemo with no positive prognosis on the horizon. But no. They could still smile at each other. They still laughed together. Laughed at me together, so I realised Brandon even nailed the sense of humour that would be an absolute must in dating Merlin.” He looked out at everyone with their drinks and champagne ready to make toasts because that’s what people did at weddings but he got really emotional looking between Brandon and Merlin. There was so much more he could say but he really wasn’t in top form and he didn’t want to mess Merlin’s wedding up by something stupid.
He cleared his throat and laughed. “Oh, who am I fucking kidding? We all know I’m totally gonna sing Queen, so hit it!” he said, pointing the mic at the DJ off the side of the dancefloor and the opening bars of You’re My Best Friend started playing and he went over to Merlin, sitting on his lap to serenade him.
Brandon burst out laughing as soon as Wesley was on Merlin’s lap singing to him. He knew today would be an emotional rollercoaster but he hadn’t expected half of what had happened or how tough the ups and downs were. It was nice to have some fun in amongst all the stuff that kept making them both cry. At least he knew they were both in good company with the tears and he was glad he had gotten through everything so far with only one puking episode. It helped that he had doctors on hand as guests because just about everyone here tonight who had an MD had given him the once-over and made sure he was holding up okay. Plus there was Merlin keeping a discreet eye on him constantly, making sure he was keeping up his fluids and took his pain medication right on the dot when he was due. Brandon knew that if he started to feel bad or wiped out and couldn’t hold up, it would be okay to go back to their house and go to bed but he wasn’t there yet. He wasn’t ready for the night to end yet and if he could both cry this much and laugh this much in one night celebrating the love he and Merlin had, he didn’t feel like he would die without regrets… but now he wanted to survive more than ever.
Once Wesley finished his song, the baton was quickly passed to who Merlin thought was Shannon on the piano and Fin sitting beside him on the bongo drums but he noticed that all his friends were gathering around and they came and stood in front of him and Brandon and started to sing the lead-in to Lean On Me, with Justin soon coming in to lead the vocals. As soon as they were all there together singing, Merlin realised how much he missed them all and hanging out with them. Of course, life was chaotic for him and he had his hands full but he always knew his friends were there and this was just their sweet way of reminding him that they very much hadn’t forgotten him.
Brandon thought it was incredibly cool but when he saw Merlin was tearing up through his grin, he reached over and took his hand, giving it a squeeze. He heard so much about Merlin’s friends and he knew a lot of them had musical talent. He also knew Justin had promised he would have the entertainment for the night in-hand but Brandon really just assumed it was the stream of songs dedicated to all their guests and the songs he at the ceremony. He had no idea what they were about to pull out of their hats and he would realise that Merlin hadn’t known either.
Neither of them noticed Justin disappeared around the middle of the song and only reappeared once it was over. Suddenly he was running up to Merlin ripped skinny jeans and a rainbow tanktop with McCormack embroidered across the front and the outfit was completed with his signature rainbow crystal Converse high-tops. He grabbed both of Merlin’s hands and pulled him out of the seat when another song was starting. “I hear you were worried you might never get to see your man perform,” Justin told Brandon with a wink.
Brandon didn’t know what was going on but he saw the exact moment the penny dropped for Merlin. He was shocked and trying to pull back with a laugh but Justin wasn’t letting him off the hook. Brandon watched in awe, trying to keep up with what was happening. He only realised what it was when Cassidy the microphone and started to sing Let's Hear It for the Boy from Footloose, the number Justin and Merlin’s characters had their iconic dance duet to in the musical where Ren was teaching Willard how to dance. He put his hand up to his mouth in surprise, waiting for Merlin to freak out because he was rusty or forgot the moves because he hadn’t worked in so long. He really hoped that didn’t happen. He stood up, putting his fingers in his mouth with a loud whistle and started to cheer him on with a grin.
Merlin did nearly try to escape in a few very real moments of frozen panic. He hadn’t seen this coming at all. Not even close, not even a hint of suspicion. He would have thought if something like this was planned, he would have gotten wind of it or been given a heads-up. The thing was, the very essence of the dance routine itself, it didn’t matter how rusty he was because the whole thing was Ren leading Willard, so Justin lead the entire choreography. He was breaking out in a sweat and caught Cassidy’s eye as she was singing. She beamed at him, giving him a thumbs up. He looked back to see all the guests out of their seats getting into this whole thing. So, he just sucked in the deepest breath he could manage and fell into it, thanking all the powers that be who could hear him for letting him still remember the routine because it was probably more familiar to him than brushing his teeth in the morning and he would never not love performing and dancing with Justin. After the initial panic, he hear Brandon’s whistle and saw him cheering, grinning at him and laughing. That made all the panic worth it.
The further the song got, Brandon watched Merlin’s friends all join into a group dance like a flashmob, noticing that at some point when he and Merlin completely failed to spot, they had all changed into Converse high-tops too, all wearing different colours. The guests were singing along and dancing with it. Brandon knew he was going to cry again but that was inevitable just seeing Merlin dancing. He was amazing. He and Justin had such chemistry together, it was easy to see how he got the role. He didn’t seem to have forgotten the routine or was missing any steps. The grin on Merlin’s face alone was worth a million dollars. Jaxson was soon at his side, wrapping his arm around Brandon’s shoulders while he was snapping pictures of the whole thing with his professional camera. “Dude! How fucking incredible is this?! That’s your husband up there!”
Brandon put his hand over his mouth and let the happy tears come. Husband. That was so deep to hear but he was nodding because it was true. That really was his husband and he was getting the chance to see him perform like he truly thought he would miss out on if the cancer claimed his life. That’s really what the tears were about and that was okay. The emotional rollercoaster was still rolling.
And it was going to keep rolling once the whole dancefloor was filled with the wedding guests who knew how to dance and that song seamlessly shifted into the next. Justin was hooking a microphone headset to his ear as it started and jumped up onto the nearest table crying, “LET’S DANCE!”
Brandon couldn’t stop grinning, shaking his head when Justin started singing the song and dancing the song he had probably done a billion times by now but was doing it again especially for their wedding. Cassidy grabbed Merlin to dance with him and Autumn took over her old role just for the one song to dance with Justin. Brandon was pretty much bawling his eyes out by the point but he was laughing. Vesper and Jaxson’s parents, along with Norm and Joan, had come to stand with him to watch the entire performance. They were in their element, clearly not realising that Brandon was the only one with talent in their relationship. Brandon knew Merlin had talent because he heard everyone speak highly of it and if he had an official bucket list, this would have been at the top of it. But best of all, he saw Merlin completely let loose after the initial fear and get into the dancing and singing with his friends. That was one of Brandon’s favourite parts of all.
Vesper whacked Brandon in the arm. “You didn’t tell us he could do this!” Then she whacked her brother. “You didn’t tell us about this part! Do you know who that is?! Oh my god! Tell me you can get us tickets to his show while we’re in the country or I’ll DIE!”
Jaxson snorted groaning. “Oh, Ves. Bad analogy!
“Ow, fuck!” Brandon grabbed his arm with a laugh, stepping out of her whack distance and shoving Jaxson between them like a human shield. “I share a bed with him, I know he has the moves! I think the shows sold-out months in advance, though. Sorry!”
Vesper pointed at him with her Martini. “I demand you pull strings, A-Lister bitch!”
Brandon held up his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay! Leave it with me,” he laughed. “But you’re getting the private show right here!”
“Not the warehouse scene. I won’t die happy until I see that live,” Vesper decided and they all went back to watching the performance.
When the song ended with the big finale, everyone cheered and were sharing hugs on the dancefloor. Merlin ran up to Brandon, flinging his arms around him and giving him a breathless kiss. He was sweaty as hell and his heart was thumping so fast, it felt like it was going to shatter his ribcage but he was so freaking happy what his friends just pulled on him. “Ohmygod--” he leaned over, panting to try to catch his breath, “Didn’tevenknow!”
Brandon laughed, pouring Merlin a glass of water from the pitcher on their table and handing it to him. “Just catch your breath, baby. Then we can talk. You were so freaking amazing! Holy shit! I knew you would be, I heard what everyone said, even if you were modest about your own talents but I never expected any of this!” He grabbed some napkins and wiped the sweat from Merlin’s brow for him.
“How come you didn’t tell us he was a Broadway performer?!” Vesper demanded from Jaxson now the music had dialled back to the playlist run by the DJ. “I can’t believe you work with Justin Campbell, Merlin. Oh my god, I thought he was just here because he knew Brandon! Are all these disgustingly talented people your friends?”
“When have I had the freaking chance?” Jaxson snorted, giving her a brotherly nudge before his attention was back on snapping candids of the wedding guests while they were brimming with happiness after that unexpected adrenaline rush. He rolled his eyes at his sister. “No, he hired them all to be his wedding guests. You’re just looking at a rent-a-crowd.”
Merlin was sucking down the water as he listened to the exchanged with Jaxson and his sister. He glanced at Brandon in amusement and then laughed. “They are, actually, yeah. All the crew my age, give or take, are our squad and there’s some of the cast and crew from work here too. My boss is here somewhere as well. Cas, who was singing, she’s my ex girlfriend but actually like a sister to me now. You wanna meet him? He won’t mind. Jus! Come over here a minute,” he called, waving Justin over.
Brandon heard Vesper squeal in excitement and he wondered if she was going to pee her pants in excitement but Justin was pretty cool in person. He was worthy of the admiration. He wrapped his arm around Merlin’s waist and gave him a kiss. “You were amazing. I love you so fucking much,” he murmured to his ear before Justin came over.
Justin came over nursing a bottle of Dr Pepper with a straw in one hand and holding Sasha’s hand with the other. “Hey, mate. You were freaking awesome! I thought you were going to flake on me there for a bit,” he laughed, glancing at the people standing with Merlin and Brandon, giving them a smile.
“Oh, I was going to for a bit there, trust me. I was so damn out-of-shape and rusty, it’s not even funny.” Merlin shook his head, covering his face for a moment. “I just wanted to introduce you to Brandon’s family. This is his best friend, Jaxson, Jaxson’s sister, Vesper, their folks, Niamh and Jarod. They all live in Australia. And this is Norm and Joan, his honorary grandparents from Idaho. And this is Justin and his fiancé, Sasha, two of my closest friends in the whole world.”
“It’s good to see you, buddy. We’ve all been thinking of you. Congratulations!” Sasha told him, giving Merlin a hug and then stepped back to take his hand, having a closer look at his wedding ring.
Justin smiled and shook their hands. “It’s lovely to meet y’all. I’m so glad you could make it for the wedding. Trust me, I know how long that flight from Australia is.” He got to Vesper and laughed how tight she was squeezing his hand. “Oh, I know that look. I’ll sign anything but breasts or butts, and yes, I’m cool with selfies so long as you don’t tag it with anyone else or use a location checkpoint.”
“She wants to hit you up for tickets to your show too,” Jaxson cut in with a smirk.
Vesper already had a pen out and was getting Justin to sign the program of Merlin and Justin’s wedding. “Can you flip it for me, honey? I’m left-handed,” Justin asked, not wanting to sign across the picture on the cover. “Oh, sure. No problem. Um… if you can spot the chick in the bridesmaid dress with bright red hair, that’s Autumn. She’s my Assistant Manager. Just let her know how many you need and what days you can make it and she’ll tee it up. You should all come! It’s super-fun. We can get you VIP passes and you can come backstage to say hello. I only work the Friday through Sunday shows at the moment, though.” He smiled for a couple of selfies and then had to leave them to it when Damien was calling him over for something to do with the music.
* * *
“And now it’s that special time of the evening where the happy couple share their first dance and cut the cake. So, let’s make sure all your glasses are full so we can share this moment with them,” Autumn coaxed, shooting the boys a proud smile.
Merlin stood up and offered Brandon his hand. “May I have this dance, darlin’?” he asked, smiling. Brandon had been understandably needing to sit out the dancing in general for the reception. They were conscious of not wanting him to overdo things or get himself feeling sick for pushing himself too hard. Everyone understood that he mostly just had to sit and be a spectator and they had all come over to have chats throughout the evening. They did spend some time mingling after the meal but they took that easy. This was a moment Merlin had been waiting for, for so many reasons that he probably wouldn’t even verbalise until he and Brandon were alone and processing everything that happened for their wedding. The night wasn’t even over and it was already more than he could ever have anticipated.
Brandon smiled up at Merlin, taking his hand and kissing the backs of his fingers. “I would love to, sweetheart.” He stood up, feeling the tired ache in his muscles but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t ignore. It wasn’t until the lights were dimming and they headed out onto the dancefloor that he realised he didn’t know what song they went with for their first dance. Merlin had covered a lot of the details while Brandon wasn’t feeling up to much while the planning was happening. “What’s our first dance song?” he asked.
“Yeah, about that…” Merlin smiled when Justin joined them on the dancefloor to fit his microphone headset to Merlin, making sure it was secure and wouldn’t fall off. “We’re doing something a little different for our first dance tonight. And I’m going to apologise to everyone in advance the chances of me crying through this are probably about 99.99% but that wasn’t enough for me to change my mind. It’s no secret Brandon and I have had to go about our relationship in a very different way to most and a lot of that has been taking our good moments when we have them. Sometimes, all we have is just being together when everything else is going crap and Brandon’s not feeling good. It’s given me a lot of time to think and a hell of a lot more to feel. And tonight, I wanna sing this song for him because I have to make up for the last time I tried to and it all got too much. Someone really special to me in this room tonight taught me the value of using music as therapy and it’s been something I’ve held onto through all of this. So, baby, tonight, this is for you and this moment, it’s for us… a drop in our memory bucket that I’ll hold onto forever.” He pulled him close and started to sing to him the only song that even came close to saying what he was feeling the more Brandon’s time ran out: I Don't Want to Miss a Thing.
Brandon chewed his lip, already feeling tears stinging his eyes as soon as the song started and he recognised what it was. As soon as they were slow-dancing and holding each other close, Brandon started to cry. Like he had a chance of avoiding that with any of this. It was the first time he was hearing that Merlin had a powerful singing voice in his own right, even if he had said a few times he was a performer, not a singer. His voice was beautiful and the floodgate on Brandon’s emotions really opened. How the fuck was he ever going to know how to say goodbye to Merlin when the time came?”
Merlin was able to shut the rest of the room out and his sole focus was on Brandon. He wouldn’t have gotten through it any other way, he knew that. He hadn’t even gotten far when he saw Brandon start to cry. His voice was broke when he started too and he squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, shaking his head in apology because he couldn’t stop it. He didn’t let him stop singing, though. He knew he didn’t have to be pitch-perfect here, nor did he have to be vocally-conditioned to pull it off. He just had to focus on the feeling of Brandon pressed up against him, nursed in his arms as they slow danced together for the first time.
Brandon cupped Merlin’s cheek, caressing his fingers over his jaw while he held him and listened to his singing. Before he met Merlin, he didn’t believe in all the romantic love cliches like the world disappearing and feeling like no one else existed. There was no other way to describe this. They might be sharing the moment with their closest family and friends but it was still incredibly intimate for them because their feelings throughout the song and the dance were only for each other. The lyrics hit really hard home for him. He knew Merlin feared his death because he had told him. He was having nightmares about it, where he would wake up panicked, checking Brandon was still breathing and his heart was still beating. There was more to it than even that. Brandon broke down with a renewed flood of tears when he heard the crack in Merlin’s voice again and his breathing hitched with his own emotion. He never fucking wanted the song to end but that wasn’t how life worked.
Merlin put everything into making sure this was a memory Brandon had for however long he had left in this world. So much, that his throat was hurting by the time he was done and when the music ended, he threw his arms around him and held him as tight as he knew Brandon could tolerate. Gradually, he was conscious everyone was clapping and probably crying with them but he clung onto that moment with Brandon for as long as he could, stroking Brandon’s hair and eyes closed tightly against everything else. Then they kissed and it was heated and hungry, full of dizzying emotions, almost literally because Merlin stumbled in the embrace and grabbed Brandon’s arm to stay upright. He opened his eyes, laughing, and reached up to wipe Brandon’s tears away with his thumbs. They kissed again and finally looked out at everyone, grinning and waving at them.
It wasn’t Autumn and her excellent MC skills that got everyone’s attention again. Merlin assumed she would call everyone to join them on the dancefloor then, but it wasn’t Autumn’s voice that came over the sound system. Unless she she had dropped a good few tones lower and developed a Scottish accent throughout the course of the first dance song.
“Hi all. I just wanted to interrupt for a few wee minutes because we have a special gift for the newlyweds tonight,” Lachlan said, coming up to them holding Autumn’s microphone and a little silver box with orange ribbon. He handed the box to Merlin with a smile.
Merlin looked at the box in his hands and shot Lachlan a WTF look, which quickly shifted to Brandon, assuming he was in on something here but he seemed just as puzzled as Merlin was. “Gift?” he asked, his voice still hooked up to the headset so it went out to the whole room. So, maybe not Brandon but probably his family or friends. He tried to seek them out in the audience but the spotlights were still on them, shining brightly into his eyes so he couldn’t see where everyone was standing.
“Aye. Why dinnae you open it up?” Lachlan coaxed and patted Brandon’s back.
Shrugging, Merlin took the lid off the box, hoping springing snakes weren’t going to pop out and smack him in the face or anything. He wouldn’t exactly put a prank past Wes or Damien. Nothing popped out of the box. The interior was lined with orange tissue paper, so he raked around inside with his fingers to try to find what the gift was. All he found was a silver card, so he took it out and opened it up. A clue to a riddle maybe? “Congratulations, you’re a match!” he read, not clocking the words straight away. “A match for wh--”
Brandon’s hand flew up to his mouth when the penny dropped quicker for him than Merlin. His eyes widened, filling with tears again because he was too scared to believe this was what he thought he was, he stared at Lachlan, waiting for him to shout, ‘Gotcha!’ or ‘Ha! Just kidding!’ All Lachlan did was put a hand on his shoulder and smile at him. There was an audible chorus of gasps from some of the guests.
Merlin was still a few beats slower on the uptake, probably because his brain and heart wouldn’t believe this could be a reality. “Y-Y… I-I…” he stammered but words just weren’t coming out. Or he couldn’t hear words coming out through a ringing starting in his ears.
“You’re a match, Merlin. You’re a partial bone marrow tissue match for Brandon,” Lachlan confirmed, speaking slowly so Merlin could understand.
Merlin didn’t answer. The shock had stars lasering through his peripheral vision and he passed out cold, luckily close enough for Brandon to catch him before he smashed his face in on the polished boards of the dancefloor.
LOG, COMPLETE
What: Wedding Reception!
Where: Cape Cod, MA
When: After this
Merlin and Brandon decided on a more fun and casual reception to match their non-conventional wedding. Merlin knew Brandon wouldn't eat, no matter how incredible the food turned out to be so they settled on a lavish buffet to suit everyone, including those who didn’t want to eat. They matched it with a sprawling dessert table and candy bar, which was a huge hit, and included a photobooth and disposable cameras so everyone could make memories with them, the least formal and more fun, the better. They didn’t have set seating either. They left their guests to sit wherever they wanted and encouraged mingling. Brandon loved every minute of it because it differed to all the stuffy, boring , structured weddings he had been dragged to in his time. Merlin loved they could do it all their way.
Merlin had asked Autumn to be their MC for the night because he knew she would be incredible at it and fuck anyone who thought it should be a dude. She knew them both and had been there to see what they were going through. But most of all, she was the reason they found each other again after their first meeting in London. She was the reason all this was happening, so she wa sa perfect choice to be the backbone of their casual, fun, but emotional wedding reception.
Merlin and Brandon were sitting at the top table together, arms around each other as they listened to the music - songs everyone in the room picked to celebrate their own love, a stroke of genius idea by Justin - and Merlin nibbled on a plate of mixed candy from the dessert bar. Autumn announced the Best Man speeches and called Jackson up to the mic. Brandon was nervous about this part because he knew how much of a cheeky shit Jaxson could be but they had sat down together and had a good talk over way too much Cristal champagne and Brandon told him that he didn’t want anything about his life pre when they met in middle school to be mentioned. Jaxson knew the whole story and Merlin would too, eventually… whether that was Brandon being gifted more time to tell him in person or by the letter he had written to him to give to him when the end came, telling him every minute detail he remembered of his life.
Merlin laughed, taking Brandon’s hand and giving it a squeeze. “How many dirty little embarrassing secrets does he have on you? You look like he’s about to out you up there. Why so serious, baby?” he asked, brushing his thumb over the frown lines that had taken residence on Brandon’s forehead when Autumn announced the speeches.
“It’s not that,” Brandon said with a laugh, shaking his head. “I mean, I’m sure he has remembered every single dirty little embarrassing secret I have but I guess I’m just feeling the significance of time and life tonight. I’m really conscious of what my life’s been like up to now and that not all of it was very good. Jax’s speech won’t include anything like that, I just got lost in my head for a bit.”
“That’s okay.” Merlin smiled and kissed him softly. He wrapped his arm back around Brandon’s waist and cuddled him close. “But for real, you just puked in the middle of your own wedding so there’s not a whole lot of embarrassing that can top that.”
Brandon snorted, amused with a long-suffering moan, rubbing his face. “That one’s going to go down in history, damnit. I kind of love everyone here for just discreetly turning a blind eye to it, though. I was hoping to escape some of the reminders that I’m sick today but I know that was delusional wishful thinking.” He sipped some of the flavoured sparkling water Merlin brought him in a Martini glass a little while ago. They had champagne for toasts but neither wanted to get drunk and risk forgetting any part of their wedding or having to battle horrific hangovers in the morning, which would be the start of their honeymoon. Everyone else was going back to New York tomorrow and Brandon and Merlin were staying to have time alone together for the rest of the week. It wasn’t a formal honeymoon but it would be perfect for them right now. They promised if Brandon ever reached remission, they would go on a formal honeymoon somewhere, away from everything.
Merlin kissed Brandon forehead, massaging the nape of his neck. “Escaping the reminders doesn’t stop you being sick, darlin’. You’re sick and we wouldn’t be doing this is you weren’t, so silver linings. Now, tell me… do you have any nudie runs in your embarrassing BFF history that I get the thrill of hearing about right now?”
Brandon burst out laughing. “Well, no. But now I’m starting to think you might.”
“If I do, trust me, Wes will make sure everyone knows it tonight,” Merlin laughed, shaking his head.
When Jaxson took the microphone, he was hit with a wave of emotion and he had to pause before he started speaking. He didn’t need to write anything down. It was all in his head and hadn’t really wavered in the lengthy time he and Brandon had been estranged. He just never, for a moment, thought they would reunite and a few days later, he would stand up for Brandon as his Best Man on his wedding day. It was crazy but it made more sense than anything in his life had in a long time. He sipped his beer and set the bottle down on a nearby table.
“So, before a few days ago, Brandon and I hadn’t said a word to each other in around three and a half years. Then one day, I logged onto Instagram and saw a post from him telling the world he had leukemia and his time was running out. I hated him in that minute, for all of ninety seconds, give or take. Because I thought that, no matter how hard life got, we were always still best mates deep down where it counted and we would get our shit together some day to work it out and fix whatever we screwed up. Then suddenly my best friend, who had been with me through some of the hardest days of my life, could die of cancer.” Jaxson paused again, taking the mic away from his mouth to swallow through the tight constriction in his throat.
He wet his lips and gave Brandon and Merlin a small smile. “And everything else stopped mattering. The reason we fell out. Whatever we said to each other the day it happened. The lost three and a half years of our friendship. None of it mattered anymore. It all seemed like the stupidest thing in the world and I couldn’t make sense of it anymore. I couldn’t figure out why it happened. Something in me went into autopilot. I didn’t want to believe it and I told myself that if I got on a plane and flew to New York from Australia that very day, I could see with my own eyes that his social media had been hacked or it was some sick, painful PR stunt for his TV show. And I convinced myself of that for the whole flight. It was easier than thinking about the reality…”
His eyes swept the wedding guests, how closely everyone was listening and he could see some reaching for tissues from the copious boxes on the table, all of which had been used and would probably be depleted by the end of the night. “Then I got to his place and he answered the door. I wanted the first thing out of his mouth to be telling me it was all a joke and there was no way in the world the guy who seemed invincible could be dying. There was no way in the world I had let myself lose three and a half years of friendship if he was going to die before reaching his twenty-fourth birthday. Christmas baby, this one, for anyone - probably most of you - he hasn’t told. He was never a fan of sharing his birthday with the Big Man so he doesn’t like his birthday in general. Always made him feel like he was crashing everyone’s family Christmases.”
“But he was there, standing at the door, and I… it felt like the world ground to a halt. That sounds cliche but it’s exactly how it felt. It felt like someone plugged my ears and the world muffled to white noise. I could see he was sick and but even then, I really struggled to believe it. It was only when I saw how sick he was, and I won’t go into detail because he battles enough, he doesn’t need the reminders, that it hit me. I didn’t deal well with it and I got him on a really day. Which is what led me to me meeting Merlin. In the middle of this information overload, I met this guy. I had at least a foot of height on him, much like Brandon does, and he had these kind eyes and a dimpled-smile. And I just knew before I even knew anything about him why Brandon fell in love with him…” He shook his head, smiling.
Jaxson gestured to Merlin with the microphone. “This guy. I know there’s people here today who know how incredible he is. How kind and sweet and caring. He’s fucking everything Brandon believes he doesn’t deserve, and has never believed he deserved. So, I know… I know those are battles Merlin has fought and won. They haven’t told me but I know there would’ve been moments Brandon tried to push him away and warn him off what he was taking on. But he conquered that somehow. No one else has ever managed to do that. And I’m not sure I will ever again meet someone who not only shoulders taking care of the person he loves and nursing him through cancer and chemo, but willing to take on keeping their relationship quiet to protect Brandon’s professional wellbeing and everything he has achieved with being, frankly, one of the best actors TV has ever seen.”
Everyone cheered at that and Jaxson grinned, shrugging. Maybe he was biased but Brandon’s multimillion followers and fanbase backed up his claims. “And they’re here today, getting married, making memories, regardless of what’s to come. Merlin has stood up here today and declared his love for my best mate and promised to be by his side no matter what. That is… there’s no words. There are just no words to cover that. Now, I probably should be up here telling you all about the time Brandon got stuck in the bathroom with the trots the day he was supposed to lead our school debate team to victory, or the time he ripped the arse out of his pants on some rogue fencing wire trying to jump over to the lake where a group of hot girls were swimming topless. Though, now I’m starting to think he was trying to escape rather than admire the view because breasts aren’t exactly his thing and he seems quite content that Merlin has none,” he laughed, looking over to Brandon who was covering his face and laughing too.
“Or maybe I should be here talking about the time I saw this new kid in the school cafeteria in middle school sitting on his own and being ignored by every other damn kid in that place. How when I invited him to sit with me, he gave me his KitKat as thanks and we talked about how we were both foster kids and that really bloody sucked. But I lucked out and was given to one of the most incredible families with the biggest hearts who soon adopted me as their own. That other kid? He drew the short straw but that was okay because he soon became a big part of our family, as if he belonged there. But he was special. He was so fucking talented but he never believed anyone who told him he was going to make it big. All he wanted to do was survive… and escape. Survive and escape a life only he truly shoulders the burden of, and that made him a fighter. He kept his eye on the target and no matter what shit was thrown his way, he kept damn well fighting.” He bit his lip, pausing to maintain his composure but tears were coming and he didn’t really want to stop them this time.
He pointed to Brandon with the microphone. “You need to keep fighting, B. You’ve got it in you, I’ve seen it. That amazing person beside you just promised officially to be by your side fighting with you and I’m telling you, every one of us in this room today are behind you both, every step of the way. I love you, man. And I love the guy who stole your heart because I know how big it is and it was only ever worthy to go to someone who could hold it up and remind you every day that you deserve it. You deserve to be happy. You deserve to survive. You just have to keep fucking fighting,” he finished, choking up when a few tears escaped down his cheeks and blowing Brandon and Merlin a kiss, then held up his glass of champagne for a toast. “To Brandon and Merlin. Congratulations.”
The last thing Jaxson expected was a standing ovation, but he got one and it was sweet as hell. Everyone here seemed so damn nice. It didn’t surprise him they were Merlin’s nearest and dearest. He put the mic down and went over to where Brandon and Merlin were both crying, wiping away the tears. He put his arms around both of them, giving them a tight, lingering hug. He patted their backs and kissed both their cheeks, before taking his seat again between Vesper and Wesley’s boyfriend, Noah. Wesley gave Noah a kiss and stood now that it was his turn. He didn’t look like he was shitting himself with nerves as much as Jaxson had been.
Wesley picked up the mic, shaking his head. “I can’t believe I drew the short straw to go second after that dude. So freaking glad I ain’t lip-syncing for my life. I mean, I did plan to just get up here and belt out Queen’s You’re My Best Friend, but then I realised I’m in breathing distance of Justin Freaking Campbell and there’s no way I’m gonna win Karaoke against him. But I’m here to talk about this guy.” He held his arms around, gesturing to Merlin with a grin. “Jaxson was right, he’s the walking epitome of incredible, and I’ve been the lucky bastard who got to share literally my whole life with him. We’ve been best friends for over nineteen years now. We were friends before we even knew how to talk, apparently. And there’s Superman thinking he has superpowers.”
“I’m going to be 100% honest with y’all here today. A few days ago, my life was literally on the line, so I’m not really firing on all cylinders. Merlin saved my life. He helped get me out of a situation that I wasn’t going to survive if I didn’t have help. And just before that, he helped me find the courage to come out to him after denying my sexuality for a few years, being terrified of it. Seeing Merlin overcome all the obstacles he did, and fighting to figure out who he is, he is the reason I can be standing here today with the mic.” Wesley dug around in his pocket and pulled out some folded sheets of paper, holding them up. “I started writing out embarrassing stories because I was totally gonna nail that brief but then I realised I was implicating myself because about 90% of these, I was either involved in or caused and one day, he’s gonna be my Best Man and the tables will turn.”
He put the list back in his pocket, knowing Merlin would probably want to read it later. “When I Skyped Merlin to tell him I wanted to move to New York with him, he told me during that conversation that he was dating Brandon Blake. I thought he was joking because it’s not like we didn’t have a long history of pranking each other. There just wasn’t any time to get the whole joking banter momentum because in the next breath, he told me Brandon was in hospital. Then he told me why and there wasn’t a single thing I could do or say to help him or make him feel better. When I told him that, he said to me, ‘My boyfriend has cancer, I don’t wanna feel better’. I think that was the exact moment I realised what love really was. Not because of the cancer. Because I knew that Merlin wouldn’t fall in love lightly. I knew that whatever Brandon was that had Merlin falling in love with him was more powerful than cancer. That it didn’t matter that he was sick, he was worth the pain.”
“After that, I drove back from South Carolina with them and I actually saw what that meant. I wondered how two people could be so perfect for each other in amongst pills, and blood, and nausea, and pain, and so much sickness. Brandon had all the reason in the world to be so angry and hating on the world for the hand he had been delivered. Hell, even that it was cruel he found someone to fall in love with right when he was on the slippery slope of chemo with no positive prognosis on the horizon. But no. They could still smile at each other. They still laughed together. Laughed at me together, so I realised Brandon even nailed the sense of humour that would be an absolute must in dating Merlin.” He looked out at everyone with their drinks and champagne ready to make toasts because that’s what people did at weddings but he got really emotional looking between Brandon and Merlin. There was so much more he could say but he really wasn’t in top form and he didn’t want to mess Merlin’s wedding up by something stupid.
He cleared his throat and laughed. “Oh, who am I fucking kidding? We all know I’m totally gonna sing Queen, so hit it!” he said, pointing the mic at the DJ off the side of the dancefloor and the opening bars of You’re My Best Friend started playing and he went over to Merlin, sitting on his lap to serenade him.
Brandon burst out laughing as soon as Wesley was on Merlin’s lap singing to him. He knew today would be an emotional rollercoaster but he hadn’t expected half of what had happened or how tough the ups and downs were. It was nice to have some fun in amongst all the stuff that kept making them both cry. At least he knew they were both in good company with the tears and he was glad he had gotten through everything so far with only one puking episode. It helped that he had doctors on hand as guests because just about everyone here tonight who had an MD had given him the once-over and made sure he was holding up okay. Plus there was Merlin keeping a discreet eye on him constantly, making sure he was keeping up his fluids and took his pain medication right on the dot when he was due. Brandon knew that if he started to feel bad or wiped out and couldn’t hold up, it would be okay to go back to their house and go to bed but he wasn’t there yet. He wasn’t ready for the night to end yet and if he could both cry this much and laugh this much in one night celebrating the love he and Merlin had, he didn’t feel like he would die without regrets… but now he wanted to survive more than ever.
Once Wesley finished his song, the baton was quickly passed to who Merlin thought was Shannon on the piano and Fin sitting beside him on the bongo drums but he noticed that all his friends were gathering around and they came and stood in front of him and Brandon and started to sing the lead-in to Lean On Me, with Justin soon coming in to lead the vocals. As soon as they were all there together singing, Merlin realised how much he missed them all and hanging out with them. Of course, life was chaotic for him and he had his hands full but he always knew his friends were there and this was just their sweet way of reminding him that they very much hadn’t forgotten him.
Brandon thought it was incredibly cool but when he saw Merlin was tearing up through his grin, he reached over and took his hand, giving it a squeeze. He heard so much about Merlin’s friends and he knew a lot of them had musical talent. He also knew Justin had promised he would have the entertainment for the night in-hand but Brandon really just assumed it was the stream of songs dedicated to all their guests and the songs he at the ceremony. He had no idea what they were about to pull out of their hats and he would realise that Merlin hadn’t known either.
Neither of them noticed Justin disappeared around the middle of the song and only reappeared once it was over. Suddenly he was running up to Merlin ripped skinny jeans and a rainbow tanktop with McCormack embroidered across the front and the outfit was completed with his signature rainbow crystal Converse high-tops. He grabbed both of Merlin’s hands and pulled him out of the seat when another song was starting. “I hear you were worried you might never get to see your man perform,” Justin told Brandon with a wink.
Brandon didn’t know what was going on but he saw the exact moment the penny dropped for Merlin. He was shocked and trying to pull back with a laugh but Justin wasn’t letting him off the hook. Brandon watched in awe, trying to keep up with what was happening. He only realised what it was when Cassidy the microphone and started to sing Let's Hear It for the Boy from Footloose, the number Justin and Merlin’s characters had their iconic dance duet to in the musical where Ren was teaching Willard how to dance. He put his hand up to his mouth in surprise, waiting for Merlin to freak out because he was rusty or forgot the moves because he hadn’t worked in so long. He really hoped that didn’t happen. He stood up, putting his fingers in his mouth with a loud whistle and started to cheer him on with a grin.
Merlin did nearly try to escape in a few very real moments of frozen panic. He hadn’t seen this coming at all. Not even close, not even a hint of suspicion. He would have thought if something like this was planned, he would have gotten wind of it or been given a heads-up. The thing was, the very essence of the dance routine itself, it didn’t matter how rusty he was because the whole thing was Ren leading Willard, so Justin lead the entire choreography. He was breaking out in a sweat and caught Cassidy’s eye as she was singing. She beamed at him, giving him a thumbs up. He looked back to see all the guests out of their seats getting into this whole thing. So, he just sucked in the deepest breath he could manage and fell into it, thanking all the powers that be who could hear him for letting him still remember the routine because it was probably more familiar to him than brushing his teeth in the morning and he would never not love performing and dancing with Justin. After the initial panic, he hear Brandon’s whistle and saw him cheering, grinning at him and laughing. That made all the panic worth it.
The further the song got, Brandon watched Merlin’s friends all join into a group dance like a flashmob, noticing that at some point when he and Merlin completely failed to spot, they had all changed into Converse high-tops too, all wearing different colours. The guests were singing along and dancing with it. Brandon knew he was going to cry again but that was inevitable just seeing Merlin dancing. He was amazing. He and Justin had such chemistry together, it was easy to see how he got the role. He didn’t seem to have forgotten the routine or was missing any steps. The grin on Merlin’s face alone was worth a million dollars. Jaxson was soon at his side, wrapping his arm around Brandon’s shoulders while he was snapping pictures of the whole thing with his professional camera. “Dude! How fucking incredible is this?! That’s your husband up there!”
Brandon put his hand over his mouth and let the happy tears come. Husband. That was so deep to hear but he was nodding because it was true. That really was his husband and he was getting the chance to see him perform like he truly thought he would miss out on if the cancer claimed his life. That’s really what the tears were about and that was okay. The emotional rollercoaster was still rolling.
And it was going to keep rolling once the whole dancefloor was filled with the wedding guests who knew how to dance and that song seamlessly shifted into the next. Justin was hooking a microphone headset to his ear as it started and jumped up onto the nearest table crying, “LET’S DANCE!”
Brandon couldn’t stop grinning, shaking his head when Justin started singing the song and dancing the song he had probably done a billion times by now but was doing it again especially for their wedding. Cassidy grabbed Merlin to dance with him and Autumn took over her old role just for the one song to dance with Justin. Brandon was pretty much bawling his eyes out by the point but he was laughing. Vesper and Jaxson’s parents, along with Norm and Joan, had come to stand with him to watch the entire performance. They were in their element, clearly not realising that Brandon was the only one with talent in their relationship. Brandon knew Merlin had talent because he heard everyone speak highly of it and if he had an official bucket list, this would have been at the top of it. But best of all, he saw Merlin completely let loose after the initial fear and get into the dancing and singing with his friends. That was one of Brandon’s favourite parts of all.
Vesper whacked Brandon in the arm. “You didn’t tell us he could do this!” Then she whacked her brother. “You didn’t tell us about this part! Do you know who that is?! Oh my god! Tell me you can get us tickets to his show while we’re in the country or I’ll DIE!”
Jaxson snorted groaning. “Oh, Ves. Bad analogy!
“Ow, fuck!” Brandon grabbed his arm with a laugh, stepping out of her whack distance and shoving Jaxson between them like a human shield. “I share a bed with him, I know he has the moves! I think the shows sold-out months in advance, though. Sorry!”
Vesper pointed at him with her Martini. “I demand you pull strings, A-Lister bitch!”
Brandon held up his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay! Leave it with me,” he laughed. “But you’re getting the private show right here!”
“Not the warehouse scene. I won’t die happy until I see that live,” Vesper decided and they all went back to watching the performance.
When the song ended with the big finale, everyone cheered and were sharing hugs on the dancefloor. Merlin ran up to Brandon, flinging his arms around him and giving him a breathless kiss. He was sweaty as hell and his heart was thumping so fast, it felt like it was going to shatter his ribcage but he was so freaking happy what his friends just pulled on him. “Ohmygod--” he leaned over, panting to try to catch his breath, “Didn’tevenknow!”
Brandon laughed, pouring Merlin a glass of water from the pitcher on their table and handing it to him. “Just catch your breath, baby. Then we can talk. You were so freaking amazing! Holy shit! I knew you would be, I heard what everyone said, even if you were modest about your own talents but I never expected any of this!” He grabbed some napkins and wiped the sweat from Merlin’s brow for him.
“How come you didn’t tell us he was a Broadway performer?!” Vesper demanded from Jaxson now the music had dialled back to the playlist run by the DJ. “I can’t believe you work with Justin Campbell, Merlin. Oh my god, I thought he was just here because he knew Brandon! Are all these disgustingly talented people your friends?”
“When have I had the freaking chance?” Jaxson snorted, giving her a brotherly nudge before his attention was back on snapping candids of the wedding guests while they were brimming with happiness after that unexpected adrenaline rush. He rolled his eyes at his sister. “No, he hired them all to be his wedding guests. You’re just looking at a rent-a-crowd.”
Merlin was sucking down the water as he listened to the exchanged with Jaxson and his sister. He glanced at Brandon in amusement and then laughed. “They are, actually, yeah. All the crew my age, give or take, are our squad and there’s some of the cast and crew from work here too. My boss is here somewhere as well. Cas, who was singing, she’s my ex girlfriend but actually like a sister to me now. You wanna meet him? He won’t mind. Jus! Come over here a minute,” he called, waving Justin over.
Brandon heard Vesper squeal in excitement and he wondered if she was going to pee her pants in excitement but Justin was pretty cool in person. He was worthy of the admiration. He wrapped his arm around Merlin’s waist and gave him a kiss. “You were amazing. I love you so fucking much,” he murmured to his ear before Justin came over.
Justin came over nursing a bottle of Dr Pepper with a straw in one hand and holding Sasha’s hand with the other. “Hey, mate. You were freaking awesome! I thought you were going to flake on me there for a bit,” he laughed, glancing at the people standing with Merlin and Brandon, giving them a smile.
“Oh, I was going to for a bit there, trust me. I was so damn out-of-shape and rusty, it’s not even funny.” Merlin shook his head, covering his face for a moment. “I just wanted to introduce you to Brandon’s family. This is his best friend, Jaxson, Jaxson’s sister, Vesper, their folks, Niamh and Jarod. They all live in Australia. And this is Norm and Joan, his honorary grandparents from Idaho. And this is Justin and his fiancé, Sasha, two of my closest friends in the whole world.”
“It’s good to see you, buddy. We’ve all been thinking of you. Congratulations!” Sasha told him, giving Merlin a hug and then stepped back to take his hand, having a closer look at his wedding ring.
Justin smiled and shook their hands. “It’s lovely to meet y’all. I’m so glad you could make it for the wedding. Trust me, I know how long that flight from Australia is.” He got to Vesper and laughed how tight she was squeezing his hand. “Oh, I know that look. I’ll sign anything but breasts or butts, and yes, I’m cool with selfies so long as you don’t tag it with anyone else or use a location checkpoint.”
“She wants to hit you up for tickets to your show too,” Jaxson cut in with a smirk.
Vesper already had a pen out and was getting Justin to sign the program of Merlin and Justin’s wedding. “Can you flip it for me, honey? I’m left-handed,” Justin asked, not wanting to sign across the picture on the cover. “Oh, sure. No problem. Um… if you can spot the chick in the bridesmaid dress with bright red hair, that’s Autumn. She’s my Assistant Manager. Just let her know how many you need and what days you can make it and she’ll tee it up. You should all come! It’s super-fun. We can get you VIP passes and you can come backstage to say hello. I only work the Friday through Sunday shows at the moment, though.” He smiled for a couple of selfies and then had to leave them to it when Damien was calling him over for something to do with the music.
“And now it’s that special time of the evening where the happy couple share their first dance and cut the cake. So, let’s make sure all your glasses are full so we can share this moment with them,” Autumn coaxed, shooting the boys a proud smile.
Merlin stood up and offered Brandon his hand. “May I have this dance, darlin’?” he asked, smiling. Brandon had been understandably needing to sit out the dancing in general for the reception. They were conscious of not wanting him to overdo things or get himself feeling sick for pushing himself too hard. Everyone understood that he mostly just had to sit and be a spectator and they had all come over to have chats throughout the evening. They did spend some time mingling after the meal but they took that easy. This was a moment Merlin had been waiting for, for so many reasons that he probably wouldn’t even verbalise until he and Brandon were alone and processing everything that happened for their wedding. The night wasn’t even over and it was already more than he could ever have anticipated.
Brandon smiled up at Merlin, taking his hand and kissing the backs of his fingers. “I would love to, sweetheart.” He stood up, feeling the tired ache in his muscles but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t ignore. It wasn’t until the lights were dimming and they headed out onto the dancefloor that he realised he didn’t know what song they went with for their first dance. Merlin had covered a lot of the details while Brandon wasn’t feeling up to much while the planning was happening. “What’s our first dance song?” he asked.
“Yeah, about that…” Merlin smiled when Justin joined them on the dancefloor to fit his microphone headset to Merlin, making sure it was secure and wouldn’t fall off. “We’re doing something a little different for our first dance tonight. And I’m going to apologise to everyone in advance the chances of me crying through this are probably about 99.99% but that wasn’t enough for me to change my mind. It’s no secret Brandon and I have had to go about our relationship in a very different way to most and a lot of that has been taking our good moments when we have them. Sometimes, all we have is just being together when everything else is going crap and Brandon’s not feeling good. It’s given me a lot of time to think and a hell of a lot more to feel. And tonight, I wanna sing this song for him because I have to make up for the last time I tried to and it all got too much. Someone really special to me in this room tonight taught me the value of using music as therapy and it’s been something I’ve held onto through all of this. So, baby, tonight, this is for you and this moment, it’s for us… a drop in our memory bucket that I’ll hold onto forever.” He pulled him close and started to sing to him the only song that even came close to saying what he was feeling the more Brandon’s time ran out: I Don't Want to Miss a Thing.
Brandon chewed his lip, already feeling tears stinging his eyes as soon as the song started and he recognised what it was. As soon as they were slow-dancing and holding each other close, Brandon started to cry. Like he had a chance of avoiding that with any of this. It was the first time he was hearing that Merlin had a powerful singing voice in his own right, even if he had said a few times he was a performer, not a singer. His voice was beautiful and the floodgate on Brandon’s emotions really opened. How the fuck was he ever going to know how to say goodbye to Merlin when the time came?”
Merlin was able to shut the rest of the room out and his sole focus was on Brandon. He wouldn’t have gotten through it any other way, he knew that. He hadn’t even gotten far when he saw Brandon start to cry. His voice was broke when he started too and he squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, shaking his head in apology because he couldn’t stop it. He didn’t let him stop singing, though. He knew he didn’t have to be pitch-perfect here, nor did he have to be vocally-conditioned to pull it off. He just had to focus on the feeling of Brandon pressed up against him, nursed in his arms as they slow danced together for the first time.
Brandon cupped Merlin’s cheek, caressing his fingers over his jaw while he held him and listened to his singing. Before he met Merlin, he didn’t believe in all the romantic love cliches like the world disappearing and feeling like no one else existed. There was no other way to describe this. They might be sharing the moment with their closest family and friends but it was still incredibly intimate for them because their feelings throughout the song and the dance were only for each other. The lyrics hit really hard home for him. He knew Merlin feared his death because he had told him. He was having nightmares about it, where he would wake up panicked, checking Brandon was still breathing and his heart was still beating. There was more to it than even that. Brandon broke down with a renewed flood of tears when he heard the crack in Merlin’s voice again and his breathing hitched with his own emotion. He never fucking wanted the song to end but that wasn’t how life worked.
Merlin put everything into making sure this was a memory Brandon had for however long he had left in this world. So much, that his throat was hurting by the time he was done and when the music ended, he threw his arms around him and held him as tight as he knew Brandon could tolerate. Gradually, he was conscious everyone was clapping and probably crying with them but he clung onto that moment with Brandon for as long as he could, stroking Brandon’s hair and eyes closed tightly against everything else. Then they kissed and it was heated and hungry, full of dizzying emotions, almost literally because Merlin stumbled in the embrace and grabbed Brandon’s arm to stay upright. He opened his eyes, laughing, and reached up to wipe Brandon’s tears away with his thumbs. They kissed again and finally looked out at everyone, grinning and waving at them.
It wasn’t Autumn and her excellent MC skills that got everyone’s attention again. Merlin assumed she would call everyone to join them on the dancefloor then, but it wasn’t Autumn’s voice that came over the sound system. Unless she she had dropped a good few tones lower and developed a Scottish accent throughout the course of the first dance song.
“Hi all. I just wanted to interrupt for a few wee minutes because we have a special gift for the newlyweds tonight,” Lachlan said, coming up to them holding Autumn’s microphone and a little silver box with orange ribbon. He handed the box to Merlin with a smile.
Merlin looked at the box in his hands and shot Lachlan a WTF look, which quickly shifted to Brandon, assuming he was in on something here but he seemed just as puzzled as Merlin was. “Gift?” he asked, his voice still hooked up to the headset so it went out to the whole room. So, maybe not Brandon but probably his family or friends. He tried to seek them out in the audience but the spotlights were still on them, shining brightly into his eyes so he couldn’t see where everyone was standing.
“Aye. Why dinnae you open it up?” Lachlan coaxed and patted Brandon’s back.
Shrugging, Merlin took the lid off the box, hoping springing snakes weren’t going to pop out and smack him in the face or anything. He wouldn’t exactly put a prank past Wes or Damien. Nothing popped out of the box. The interior was lined with orange tissue paper, so he raked around inside with his fingers to try to find what the gift was. All he found was a silver card, so he took it out and opened it up. A clue to a riddle maybe? “Congratulations, you’re a match!” he read, not clocking the words straight away. “A match for wh--”
Brandon’s hand flew up to his mouth when the penny dropped quicker for him than Merlin. His eyes widened, filling with tears again because he was too scared to believe this was what he thought he was, he stared at Lachlan, waiting for him to shout, ‘Gotcha!’ or ‘Ha! Just kidding!’ All Lachlan did was put a hand on his shoulder and smile at him. There was an audible chorus of gasps from some of the guests.
Merlin was still a few beats slower on the uptake, probably because his brain and heart wouldn’t believe this could be a reality. “Y-Y… I-I…” he stammered but words just weren’t coming out. Or he couldn’t hear words coming out through a ringing starting in his ears.
“You’re a match, Merlin. You’re a partial bone marrow tissue match for Brandon,” Lachlan confirmed, speaking slowly so Merlin could understand.
Merlin didn’t answer. The shock had stars lasering through his peripheral vision and he passed out cold, luckily close enough for Brandon to catch him before he smashed his face in on the polished boards of the dancefloor.
LOG, COMPLETE