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Marriage.
The word itself felt like a foreign language, a concept so ridiculous that Andrew had once scoffed at its mere suggestion. What did he, Andrew Minyard, know of such a thing? In the world that they lived in, what purpose did marriage serve beyond a legal declaration of ownership? A claim over another human being.
That was a cage Andrew had never desired. A notation that he had actively recoiled from.
Not until the chaotic, undeniable force that was Neil Josten entered his life. Not until Andrew, against his heart's will and every instinct screaming in protest, found himself falling completely head over heels for this disaster of a man.
A man who was able to wield their tongue like a weapon. That same tongue that would then spend hours working him until they were both satiated and full from one another, tracing and exploring one another as if they were the air the other needed to breathe.
Andrew had believed he didn't need such things. Not until he did.
The morning had begun like any other day. The familiar rhythm of Exy drills and going over plays with his team had filled the hours. Even after more than a year of playing together again, after five long years of separation, it still felt like a dream to Andrew. Sharing their lives, being this close, felt too good to be true.
With Neil, he had everything he could possibly need or desire.
Or so he had believed. Perhaps he should have remembered that when life finally started to feel right, fate always had a cruel habit of intervening. He hadn't considered that the law rarely looked kindly upon people like them. Especially without the flimsy, undeniable proof of the legal documents of their partnership.
He found himself standing in the sterile hospital hallway, locked in a frustrating argument with the staff. Neil had been brought here after a brutal check during their game. Now, they were denying Andrew entry because it was late, and he wasn't listed as Neil’s emergency contact, because, of course, Neil had never thought to update his information when he had transferred to his team. And in the eyes of the law, Andrew wasn't family. He wasn't even officially recognized as Neil's partner.
Fuck this shit.
Andrew paced the lobby, frustration coiling in his stomach as he pulled out his phone. Thank fuck (because no way in hell was he thanking someone as shitty as a ‘God’ when they were never there for him during both his and Neil’s worst times) that same-sex marriage was not legalized and that his degree actually wasn’t going to waste as he found what he needed to.
He found what he needed. All he had to do was wait. And then, talk to Neil.
Convincing Neil that marriage was a good idea turned out to be surprisingly simple. The next morning, Neil was discharged, nursing a concussion and bruised ribs. It became clear that Neil had shared this sentiment for a while, patiently waiting for Andrew to signal his readiness.
“Stupid, fucking martyr,” Andrew grumbled, the words laced with affection. Neil’s weak smile was answer enough. Andrew would have playfully flicked his head, but the concussion made it impossible. Instead, he held up his phone.
“Courthouse, next week. Yes or no?” He sent the text to both Renee and Betsy after a brief nod of confirmation from Neil. Then, he slipped his hand into Neil's as they walked to the car, and he confirmed their plan. "Heading home. Sleeping. Tomorrow, we’ll start the process of being a married couple. Disgusting – but I’ll never be kept from seeing you again. Plus, tax benefits."
Neil squeezed his hand, a brilliant smile lighting his face, a smile that made Andrew’s heart skip a beat. "Mmm, just what I always wanted," he murmured, the words a soft promise as they drove home.
∘°∘♡∘°∘
The week leading up to the day they chose to get married felt like a blink of an eye for Andrew and Neil. The process, at first glance, seemed surprisingly straightforward. They just needed to visit the county clerk's office. There, they would present identification, fill out an application, and then wait to receive their marriage license in front of a judge.
Simple, or so it appeared.
Thursday morning, five days after Neil’s hospital visit, they found themselves at the courthouse. The air buzzed with anticipation as they approached the clerk's office. They settled into chairs, ready to start on the paperwork. When Neil reached the section requiring his personal details, he paused, his pen hovering over the line. A smirk played on his lips. “Do you think they'd let me write 'My Father Murdered Her So She's Dead on the Beach Somewhere in California' for her location?”
Andrew couldn't suppress a chuckle at Neil's dark humor. It was a quality he deeply admired and liked. He kept his face impassive, though, as he finished his own section. He shrugged. “Whatever you want. The FBI might look into it, but what can they really do? Annul our marriage?
“Good point,” Neil agreed, returning his focus to the forms. He filled in the remaining details about himself, as Andrew did the same, leaving the portions blank about his father blank. Soon, they were back at the clerk's counter. Their wait wasn't long, perhaps an hour, before they were called to see the judge. Neither of them wanted to delay the ceremony, so they had arrived dressed in suits. Their wedding rings, small and simple, were ready to be exchanged right there at the courthouse. It was a quick, last-minute plan, but it would suffice.
Betsy and Renee had been able to make it, considering the short notice, to be their witnesses, but they were all that they had wanted to be there for their day, and it was enough for them.
When the paperwork was finalized, the judge began the ceremony in one of the private chambers.
The judge, a man with kind eyes and a sonorous voice, spoke with them before beginning the ceremony. “Andrew Joseph Minyard and Neil Abram Josten,” the judge began. “Andrew, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded partner?”
“I do,” Andrew responded, his voice clear and firm, hoping to convey his commitment to Neil.
“And do you promise, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, support, and cherish him for as long as you both shall live?”
“I do,” Andrew repeated, his gaze now fixed solely on Neil. In that look, Andrew knew that Neil could see what he couldn’t say aloud, the love that he had for this man that burned him to the depths of his soul.
“Neil, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded partner?”
“I do,” Neil answered with absolute certainty.
“And do you promise, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, support, and cherish him for as long as you both shall live?”
Neil nodded, his grip tightening on Andrew’s hand. “I do.”
The judge paused, then addressed Andrew again. “Andrew, I want you to repeat after me: I, Andrew, take you to be my partner in life, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer, from this day forward, till death do us part.”
Andrew echoed the words, his voice steady as he gazed into Neil’s eyes.
He then turned to Neil. “ And Neil, I want you to repeat after me: I, Neil, take you to be my partner in life, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer, from this day forward, till death do us part.”
Neil, in turn, repeated the words, and Andrew could see how his eyes shone just a bit brighter with each spoken word.
“If you would like to exchange rings, we can do so now,” the judge offered, gesturing towards them. They each slipped the rings onto the other’s fingers. Neil's was a simple, solid silver band, gleaming under the courtroom lights. Andrew’s was a stark, matte black. They were small enough to be worn on a chain, but to Andrew, they represented tangible proof, visible to all, of his absolute devotion to this man.
“And now, by the authority vested in me by the state of Colorado, I now pronounce you equal partners joined in marriage,” the judge declared. He stepped back, leaving them in their private moment. Neil turned to Andrew, a radiant smile lighting up his face. He held up his hand, displaying his new wedding band.
“I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you as my partner and soulmate,” Neil whispered, his eyes shining with nothing but the love and trust that he had had in Andrew from the moment he’d fallen for him. He closed the small distance between them, his lips finding Andrew’s in a kiss. And Andrew, in that moment and in Neil’s embrace, felt a surge of pure joy.
And he couldn’t wait to discover what the next chapters of their life would be like as they built their future together.