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Someone You Loved

Chapter 19

Notes:

I've been dragging my feet on this because I didn't want it to be over. But here we are. It's a happy accident that I'm publishing this exactly 8 months after the first chapter, but what an 8 months it's been. I hope you like reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Two weeks after David proposed, he woke up with possibly the worst hangover of his life. But he also woke up a married man, so he figured it was worth it.

It had been a whirlwind few weeks, but he wouldn’t have traded a single moment of it. He and Patrick had celebrated getting re-engaged privately that night then they’d called everyone in the morning. Alexis was a little heartbroken over not getting to help plan a wedding, but she was more excited that David was back- and more importantly, that he was back together with Patrick.

Stevie had taken a little bit more plying, but even she was placated after a joint and a promise she could tell all of David’s embarrassing stories when they eventually threw a reception. If David had his way, he would have been married to Patrick on the same day. Turned out a marriage license took time, who knew? The earliest they could get an appointment at the courthouse was a couple of weeks out and they’d jumped on it.

David kept waiting for the regret to set in, but it never did. It seemed so against everything he was as a person to refuse a big party where he was the center of attention, but a lot of things had changed in the last six months. He knew an elopement would stir up some gossip, but it would be nothing compared to being the resident amnesiac. David decided he was ready to be out of the spotlight and to settle into a quiet little life with his soul mate.

Patrick seemed to be waiting for David to change his mind as well, but the two weeks approached and then they were on their way to the courthouse in Elmdale. David had allowed himself some extravagance in a kilt for the ceremony, and Alexis had bought him a gorgeous bouquet, but it was quiet and intimate, just the way he wanted (other than Alexis wearing a fucking wedding dress, but you couldn’t win them all).

They’d only invited Alexis, Stevie, Ted and each of their parents. The few hours between waking up and being married were a whirlwind, but David hadn’t been nervous. He gave Patrick a simple band and had kept his own gold engagement rings, with the addition of an extra one on his ring finger.

After, they’d gone back to the café, because where else would they go?

“Wow, are we celebrating something?” Twyla asked as she’d seated them.

“Actually,” David said smugly as he raised Patrick’s hand that was he was holding, now newly adorned with a silver band. Twyla screamed loud enough to get the rest of the café’s attention, and it wasn’t long before most of the town was swarming. The whole thing had turned into a bigger party than either of them had wanted, but he figured it was better to answer all the questions now so they could have some peace later.

Then Alexis had brought out the zhampagne and the night became a blur.

But he woke up with his rings and the right man next to him, so how much of a mess could it have been?

“Am I dead?” Patrick asked as he stirred next to David, “Is this what being dead feels like?”

“I hope not,” David laughed, “I’m too young to be widowed.”

At that, Patrick opened his eyes and David got a chance to gaze at his husband. His eyes were rimmed red from the lack of sleep and he had dark circles that no amount of eucalyptus eye serum would cure. He was still wearing his white button down, stained with something David couldn’t remember, and his bow tie was half undone. He looked ridiculous. David didn’t think he’d ever looked more beautiful.

“What?” Patrick asked when David wouldn’t stop staring.

“Can I not gaze at my husband?” David replied with mock defense.

“Say it again,” Patrick said with a lopsided grin.

“My,” David said before he gave Patrick a quick kiss, “Husband.”

“My husband,” Patrick said a hairsbreadth away from David’s lips. David wanted to ask him to say it again. And again. And again, but Patrick seemed focused on other things.

“Ugh, I love you,” David said when they were finished, “But you taste like flat zhampagne and the café’s entire menu.”

“I think Twyla had actually made the entire menu by the end of last night,” Patrick said.

“Ugh,” David repeated, “Promise me we’ll never having the café cater anything ever again.”

“You know I can’t promise that,” Patrick said.

“It’s the worst restaurant in town,” David complained.

“It’s the only restaurant in town,” Patrick countered.

“Which makes it the worst by default.”

“And the best,” Patrick said.

“I wouldn’t describe anything in that place as the best.”

“How about the best first date,” Patrick said. He had on the smile he got when he knew he was being cheesy, and David was such a sucker for it. David couldn’t help the smile tugging at his own lips.

“Okay,” he said with a roll of his eyes to offset the warmth flooding his stomach.

“Or the best wedding reception,” Patrick said. He tried to connect their lips again, but David leaned back aghast.

“You think that was our wedding reception?”

“I mean… yeah?” Patrick said, then at the look on David’s face he continued, “No?”

“NO,” David said definitively.

“Everyone we know was there,” Patrick said with a laugh, “We need a separate reception?”

“Yes,” David said simply, “A reception with a color scheme and flowers. And actual champagne.”

“You liked the well enough zhampagne last night,” Patrick quipped.

“I’d like anything after two bottles,” David said dismissively, “But I refuse to have zhampagne be the official drink of this marriage.”

They both needed a shower desperately, but now they were winding each other up. They had no choice but to stay and bed and bicker with their morning breath and sweat soaked sheets and happiness.

The bickering was so normal that David’s mind drifted.

He couldn’t believe that he was here. Even before his accident, David had doubted this day would ever come. He wasn’t the type of person to get married. He wasn’t the type of person that someone else would ever want to marry. That had been one of the basic facts of David’s life. He’d known Patrick was different from the moment they met, but there was still a part of him that worried Patrick would come to his senses someday.

But this man- this wonderful, selfless, loving man- had stayed by him even when he had no reason to. Even when David was giving him nothing but reasons to leave. And now they were married, and Patrick was going to stand with him for the rest of their lives.

There’d been so much pain in the last few months. So many times that they’d hurt each other, but David couldn’t find it in him to regret a single part of their story. David knew he would have ended up married to Patrick with any twist or turn, but he was starting to see his accident as a blessing in disguise. Sure, there were still parts of his memory that were blurry, and there were things David relied on Patrick to explain. But he trusted Patrick. For the first time, David trusted another person unequivocally. And he couldn’t imagine anything changing that. Could anything else other than what he’d experienced have done that?

“David?” Patrick said, pulling David out of his thoughts, “Where’d you go just then?”

“I was just thinking about how happy I am.”

“So you like my idea of booking my dad’s barbershop quartet for our band?” Patrick said with a grin. What a smartass.

“You know what, honey, if it will really make you happy,” David said with a fond roll of his eyes, “I think I can be negotiated with.”

The End.

Notes:

THANK YOU to everyone who read and commented on this story. I know it was a bumpy ride, and I'm grateful to everyone who went on it with me.

HUGE thank you to the RA discord. This fic wouldn't exist like this without you all. Thanks for the sprints, see you all on the next one.

As always, let me know what you think!