Hello, back from holiday and thought I'd share this one first. I went to a wedding while away and spent most of the reception watching two adorable little boys who seemed obsessed with cuddling each other and holding hands. I wrote this story while eating wedding cake. It's short and a bit too sweet.


They'd met on a day made for love...


Howard had been the hugger, the cuddler, of the two back then. Vince had been the chubby, blonde cherub and Howard had been tall and awkward even at the age of five. They'd met at a wedding, which Vince now figured was a sign and Howard secretly thought made for a neat fairy-tale narrative, and they'd bonded as only little boys can. They'd gotten underfoot and sneaked food from the buffet table and had spent a memorable two minutes in control of the piano before it was firmly shut and locked. And they had discovered that there was no one better in the world to cuddle than each other. Little Vince had seemed, to Howard, like the perfect playmate. Much better than his little sister who was always in the hospital and did nothing but sleep anyway. Vince hadn't teased Howard or pushed him or done anything mean at all, except insisting that Howard try sucking on his pacifier, which had been more strange than mean.

To Vince, little Howard had been like a knight in grey suit armour. No one had ever played with him the way Howard played with him. No one had ever played with him at all really. That was one of the problems with being an only child to a single mum who worked three jobs to afford rent on a one room flat. There wasn't much time for imaginative play.

The make-believe was fully fledged and exhilaration with Howard and Vince found himself swept away by the intensity of it all. They'd explored the old castle where the wedding was being held with wide eyes and wider grins and had eaten so much fondant from the cake that Vince had actually been sick. Howard had rubbed his back for him and given him the best cuddle of his young life. It had been for Vince, a lonely three-year-old, the perfect day.

And it was funny, he thought, the way things turned out.


"I can't believe my little boy's getting married."

Vince grinned in the mirror, catching his mother's eye and seeing the mixture of love, excitement and sorrow there.

"Not a little boy anymore, ma."

He said it softly but she heard all the same, she always did.

"I know. I do, but I can't help thinking back to the day you two met. You were so sweet together back then. Him in 'is poor grey suit and you in your little blue and white sweater. So cute."

"You saying we ain't cute now?"

His mum gave a small chuckle and stood up from her seat on the bed to approach the wedding suite vanity.

"You're still cute. And you know it. You're just cute in a different way now."

"Thanks, ma. You always say the most genius things."

"It's my job, I'm your ma. Now get your make-up on. We can't keep that man of yours waiting."

"Too right," Vince whispered, turning his attention back to his eye liner. "He's waited long enough, I reckon."


The music was gentle and the room had a warm glow to it, despite the pouring rain outside. Howard was impressed. He'd left the planning up to Vince, knowing that it would mean much more to him to be able to design the day. He hadn't been expecting soft music or a tasteful set-up or to be allowed to wear a simple grey suit. He definitely hadn't been expecting the castle.

The background music finished and a soft, and not unpleasant, rendition of Gary Numan's 'Are Friends Electric' began and with it a sudden burst of nerves through Howard's spine.

He stood.

It was time.

He looked across the small gathering of their collected friends and family and saw his mother smiling back at him. She was dabbing her eyes already, overwhelmed at the thought that she was actually attending the wedding of her child. Howard gave her quick smile. It was good to see her, and after so much time he could barely remember the old animosity between them. He was older now, old enough to understand how hard life had been for a widowed mother to a disabled daughter and a son like Howard.

But as the main doors opened all thoughts faded from Howard's mind.

This was really it. Vince appeared, framed by the candles in the ante chamber and looking like some sort of angel in white, royal blue and silver.

This was it. The moment he'd imagined, secretly, since he was five years old.

Howard Moon was marrying Vince Noir.


Vince held Howard's hand tightly as he looked around at the wedding reception in full swing. Fiddling with the new ring on his new husband's finger, he grinned up impishly.

"Hey, Mr Moon-Noir," he purred.

"Yes, Mr Noir-Moon?"

Vince reached up to kiss a stubbled cheek and chuckled when he saw Howard blush.

"There's a piano over there. And I reckon we could get a good five minutes of music in before my nan decides to track down the key. What d'ya say?"

"I say... you're on, little man. Oh, and Vince?"

"Yeah babe?"

"I love you."

Vince bit his lip, feeling the tears building behind his eyes but not letting them fall. He'd cried enough today already.

"Love you too, Howard... Race you to the ivories?"


They'd lasted ten whole minutes at the piano before they were lured away with the promise of cake. Howard actually managed to stop Vince from eating to the point of vomiting and Vince actually managed to get Howard onto the dance floor. Howard didn't really mind dancing, especially as it gave him such a perfect view of Vince in action, but it was the slow dance he was hanging out for. Slow dances meant cuddles and something Howard had learnt over the past thirty years was that cuddles with Vince were still the best in the world.

And as he took his new husband in his arms and held him tight Howard noticed, in the corner, two little girls cuddling and dancing, their grins wide and their eyes filled with love and joy. That was the thing about weddings, he decided. Love seemed to grow at weddings.

"Hey Howard?" Vince whispered saucily in his ear. "You remember the last time we were here I made you suck on my pacifier? I reckon we should continue that tradition. What d'ya think? Later of course."

"But, Vince, you don't have a... Oh."

And it turned out that love wasn't the only thing to grow at weddings, Howard thought as he swept his husband and lover into a passionate kiss to let him know what he thought of that particular suggestion. Vince smiled. It was the perfect end to a perfect day.