A/N: I was reading another fic not long ago and suddenly got this idea. It's been done before, but I wanted to try and somewhat hone my writing-beautiful-moments skills, so I thought I'd give it a bash. Enjoy. (For the purposes of this story, same-sex marriage has been legalised in Ohio during the five years passed in this story, something I wish for every state in the future.) xxx
The Only Thing
He was now standing in front of a Justice of the Peace absolutely bubbling with nerves. He had been on stage many times before and had enjoyed lots of exposure over the last couple of years, a hell of a lot more than he used to have as part of a highly talented collective. That was the joy bestowed by a breakout west coast tour; you spent a lot longer doing what you loved, for who you loved and you gained ground on the hard-core music industry whilst you did it. That was nothing compared to what he felt now. He had partially dedicated his budding career to the promise that he would never return to Lima, besides for one thing by request of his beloved. Here it was.
The only person who knew Puck also liked to write music during their time at McKinley High was Finn, but Finn knew everything Puck related, so he didn't really count. It wasn't until Finn couldn't hold his admiration for his work any longer and revealed Puck's past time to the rest of the Glee club during their final year that things had started to inexplicably move forward for him. He had been subtle, something difficult for Finn. He had simply hummed one of Puck's tunes until Tina had enquired as to what it was. Before Puck knew it, his creation was being used to open the New Directions national's campaign in Chicago, Illinois.
The rest seemed hazy. It was five years ago, he was twenty-three year old Noah now, but he could remember the exhilaration of sitting on a lonesome stool with only his guitar to fend off the thousands of people watching him. He could also remember clear as day the standing ovation he had received and the new found confidence he felt in his musical future; a hope he had long since abandoned. However, the thing he remembered the most fondly was Finn standing in the wings, clapping along with everyone else, his face adorned with the 'I knew you were gunna be huge and you didn't believe me' smirk that he wore so well. It was almost torturous the way that he wore it still when Mr Schue handed him the national's trophy, just those few years ago. Noah glanced at his old teacher, Will as he was now known on his insistence, standing at the other side of the small clearing, looking exactly the same as he always did, ornamented with microphone and all, and smiled. Smiling was all he could think to do, all he could manage. After all, he owed his current success to the man. Noah was happy that he had remained a close friend, and relieved that he would still offer any guidance that was required of him because damn it, he still needed it sometimes.
A talent scout or two had been at the national's competition that year as they always were. Abruptly out of high school Noah was conditionally signed, having to move away to the west (as though that could ever be considered a burden), then he was creating a demo, and then he was touring wherever he could lay his hands on. And there, every time he gigged no matter how sparse or frequent they may be, was Finn in the front row, always holding the same banner that he had created for the Glee club leaving party, in raucous celebration of Noah's national's success: 'I told you so!'
God help him that banner pissed him off, and he cherished every second of it.
After a life time of owning each other, but being frustratingly separate by the routine of child life, living together away from Lima in a fantastic studio apartment (with only one bedroom) felt like a second life. Of course, there were moments of fear when they couldn't fully know what was to happen, as it was with that type of career, and those brief moments did cause some strain, but that's all they were, brief. After five years of a rather hectic heavenly life, Noah's debut was about to be revealed and some form of permanent stability had been reached, at least enough to grant a breather from his bearing schedule. The calm before the storm, as it were.
So Lima was where Noah now found himself again, about to pass out with a different kind of exhilaration that he wished he could bottle, but he knew the physicality of it would shatter any glass. He had promised though, even before they left for their undetermined future, that they would return to Lima for the wedding as soon as they were ready, able and it was legal, to the place where their gifted lives together had started. Noah hated to admit it, but he knew that Finn was right and that he had had a stroke of genius seeing this far ahead; the familiarity just felt right. There was no other way to describe it. Being back gloriously reminded him of the first time they had tentatively voiced their love for each other, all the while blowing each other's virtual brains out on Finn's Xbox. Noah scoffed at the ill-fitting scenery of the memory, but they hadn't needed a romantic setting. They knew of what the other was speaking, they had been merely clarifying.
It had been a slight struggle to convince his mother that they didn't want a traditional Jewish ceremony, but eventually she had to succumb to the notion that it wasn't really practical. Finn had never really been that religious and Noah believed in worshipping in his own way, so they decided together on a small scale gathering. As he turned to face the double doors at the entrance of the quaint room, Noah guessed that she was probably over it considering the amount of crying and hand holding that was happening between her and Finn's mother Carole in the front row; she seemed happy enough as she blew him a kiss.
As a fan of heart-melting nostalgia, Finn's song choice for walking down the thin aisle seemed almost fateful. That or positively inspired. The two had always enjoyed singing together as kids, and seven years ago they had jumped at the chance of being showcased in Will's singing group 'Acafellas'. It was the first opportunity they had to sing to an audience, the first show choir competition of their sophomore year being a long way away, and it was thrilling. So Noah had to laugh out loud as Finn appeared tentatively through the doors, Burt Hummel-Hudson on his elbow charged with giving his son away, as Will, Sam Evans, Artie Abrams, Mike Chang, Blaine Anderson and Kurt Hummel-Hudson, Finn's already blubbering brother, stood as a powerful fold of six and started to sing the opening lines of Color Me Badd's 'I Wanna Sex You Up'. The first song Finn and Noah had ever performed together for other people to see and, rather hysterically, the very first song they had truly sung for each other.
Amidst the crying of the mothers, all of their female Glee friends who they had also thankfully maintained their bond with and of course Kurt, the small band of witnesses began to laugh and clap along to the traditionally inappropriate song choice as Finn grinned his way down the makeshift aisle, Burt by his side looking as proud as it was possible to be.
Finn was gorgeous. You would have had to of been blind from the time he was eight years old to not see that he was going to be so handsome, but today he had hit a new level. Noah had of course always thought that Finn was the most scrumptious thing he had ever seen, but in the interim period between school and the wedding Finn had just got better and better; his last tiny layer of baby fat disappeared, his stubble really coming through his west coast tanned skin, his body simply rocking Noah's world from top to bottom. Noah forced time to slow down as Finn approached so he could burn the look of Finn in his flatteringly fitted suit deep into his mind. He knew he had made the right choice in hiring the best photographer he could find in California; just one photo capturing Finn like this would be worth any monetary value in the world and he could not help a smitten sigh from escaping his body at the sight, earning a giggle from Santana in the front row.
One of Finn's best attributes had always been how he had no idea how attractive he was back in school, but Noah got to have the time of his life teaching him. The first time they had lain together in Finn's bedroom whilst the rest of the makeshift Hummel-Hudson's were out that night, Noah struggled to recall a memory he valued more; it signalled the official beginning of their life together, and it had been awesome. It took a few times, but Finn now knew how his looks could truly affect Noah. As Finn gave his dad a hug and settled himself into his spot, Noah played in his head all of the times Finn had surprisingly initiated using his new found confidence, whether it be via a wink, a sensual hug or something entirely more seductive, and he felt a swell of eternal pride towards his boy. It used to kill Noah how Finn underrated himself, and it felt like a victory for their blossoming partnership how he had helped him overcome it. The young man that now stood next to him didn't censor his radiance, and that alone was Noah's proudest achievement.
"You look awesome," Noah breathed as the chorus of the song came to an end and the light crowd showed their appreciation for the groomsmen.
"You're not so bad yourself man," Finn murmured, glancing down his shoulder into Noah's eyes with a devastatingly beautiful smirk on his lips. It took all of Noah's self-restraint not to just skip straight to the kissing part. Finn must have seen the look of longing on Noah's face out of the corner of his eye, because his grin became devilishly wider as he turned back towards the Justice of the Peace, teasing Noah only slightly.
"Thank you everyone," the Justice began in a kindly tone, "we are all here today to see Noah Puckerman and Finn Hummel-Hudson join together in marriage. I have been begged by Noah here to keep it, and I quote, 'short and sweet', as he professed to me earlier how he couldn't wait any longer than necessary to kiss his 'kick-ass' husband to be," the Justice finished, grinning as he gestured to Noah, their friends and families laughing lightly in the background. Noah couldn't care how his face turned beetroot red; he was too busy listening to Finn's chuckle at his side.
"That in mind let us proceed. I believe Finn is being given away today, so who gives this man to this man?" the Justice asked, looking past the couple to the crowd.
"That would be me then," Burt said lovingly from behind Finn. He walked forward gently, and placed Finn's right hand into Noah's left as they happily gazed at each other. Burt finished to a few stifled aaahs as he rubbed the back of Finn's neck and patted Noah's back before making his way to his seat next to Carole.
"And who then has the rings?" the Justice continued, grinning along with the entire party, seemingly lost in the adoration that emanated from every person in the room for the couple that stood before him; the obvious love of the small group shone through.
"Oh, that's my part," said Will as he stepped from the edge of the tiny clearing to take his place as the best man, rummaging in his blazer pocket for the two simple bands of gleaming silver, each encrusted with a simple emerald dot. He leaned to give the Justice the rings and then reached up to squeeze Finn's shoulder. Finn and Noah both turned to nod their love and gratitude for the man. He was both of their best men, having given them every opportunity they could wish for.
"So, instead of the classic religious vows, Noah and Finn have written their own and invite you now to listen to why they are here today," the Justice addressed the crowd before taking a simple step back as Noah finally got to turn and face his Finn. Finn took a breath or two simply staring at Noah before he realised that he was meant to be going first.
"Noah, I love you. Like, really, really love you," Finn stressed as he squeezed Noah's hands tightly, "I know this is the part where I say all the stuff about how I found you and how I fell in love with you, but I can't. Because, for some insanely lucky and incredible reason, I've always had you and I've always loved you. My whole world is and just always has been you, and I know it will be forever," Finn broke off as he glanced towards his family, even Burt was crying as he held hands with Carole and Kurt, who was near to all-out sobbing, adorably fanning his face with his free hand.
"You have made me feel things I never thought I would be able to feel, rather selfishly mostly about myself," Finn laughed, "and the support you give me never stops, even when I can be a bit slow sometimes," Finn tagged on the end, causing another ripple of hearty chuckling in their crowd. Noah looked up into Finn's eyes and relished the pending opportunity to tell him everything.
"Finn," he paused, it had to be just right, "you are the best person I have ever met. You're so nice and helpful all the time, and just so damn gorgeous!" Noah exclaimed, making the people laugh and cry in equal measure.
"The thing is, by always being with me you had already guaranteed me my ideal life because it had you in it. That would have been enough for me because unbelievably you chose me, even after knowing my faults for our whole lives. Then you always quietly believed in me and went one better and forced me into pursuing my other passion, no matter how small it may be compared to you," Noah's voice wavered as he slapped Finn's arm. He sniffed and wiped his leaking eye with his thumb before he continued.
"You make me worth something that I never thought I could honestly be worth. I'm gunna spend my life, our life, making sure you know how thankful I am to you for all you have given me and everything I do will be to repay you for it," he finished, slipping Finn's ring onto his left hand. Finn returned the gesture, stroking Noah's fingers with his own as he touched the rings gently, silent tears starting to run down his own face.
"Well then," the justice happily exclaimed as he stepped forward for the last time, "I am happy to pronounce that you are now husband and husband. You may now kiss your-"
The crowd whooped as Noah pressed up against Finn, his lips reaching up for Finn's as his hands headily scooped his husbands head down to him. He heard the eruption of applause, but all he was concerned with was how Finn felt against him, and how he would be forever secure in his weight, his presence and his gracious love throughout whatever was to come. Not to mention his arms.