Title: Much Ado
Author: Annievh
Fandom: Alex Delaware's Novels (by Jonathan Kellerman)
Pairing/Characters: Milo Sturgis/Rick Silverman
Rating/Category: K+/slash/fluff/drabbles
Prompt: domesticity
Spoilers: just in general for the characters, none for the books themselves.
Summary: all that fuzz for a piece of paper...
Disclaimer: don't own them, just borrow.
Notes/Warnings: I'm not sure how marriage works in US, so if it all seems a little vague on details, I'm sorry. And forgive the grammar, english is my second lenguage. Oh, and I gave Rick a best friend.

"You got mint?"

"Pardon?"

"I want to smoke, but I promised Rick I wouldn't."

"Sorry, no."

"Crap."

"Don't be nervous."

"I'm not nervous." He said, defensive. Rubbed his face, glanced at his watch. "We're late."

"We're not late."

"He said be there by five, it's five and we're not there."

"We'll be there in five minutes."

"Well, you know how he gets-"

"Neurotic?"

"I was gonna say fastidious, but sure. Neurotic."

Alex chuckled.

Milo sank back on his seat, staring through the windscreen, more peaceful than Alex had seen him in ages. "Yet, here I am." Not a trace of regret in his words.

---

"He's late."

"Ten minutes."

"I told him to be here by five."

"Yeah, maybe he changed his mind."

Rick glared at Joel Morrison. His wife said, "He's kidding, Rick. Relax."

"Richard, he's comming." Robin turned to the other doctor. "Is he like that at the hospital?"

"Oh, you don't know half of it." He chuckled.

Rick mumbled, "Worst best man." And got up to pace the room.

---

Rick drummed his fingers on his knee. Milo said, "Stop doing that, you're making me nervous."

"Sorry."

"It's just signing a piece of paper." Even though that was intented for Rick, sounded more like self-reassurance.

Rick sighed. "Yeah, you're right."

Joel stared at his phone. Read the text. "Bill's not gonna make it to the restaurant. Just got into surgery."

"Figured."

"Your parents comming?"

"Nope." He said, and that was all that was said on the subject.

Mr. and Mrs. Silverman had called the night before. Her knees were aching again, no possibility to move from Stanford to Los Angeles. Sorry. Best wishes for you and your goy. The wedding present is in the mail.

Not such a fine line between acceptance and support. Rick thought of starting another fight over the phone, but decided not to. He wanted only good memories from that day.

---

It was a quarter to six when Rick said, "They're late."

"Yeah."

"You were late."

"Sorry. Went home and changed."

"You did?" Rick stared at his clothes for a moment, noticing it for the first time. Surprised to see how well they matched. Alex had helped, he was sure. "You're very handsome."

Milo looked away, hoping he wouldn't blush. "Well, Alex forced me."

Alex said, "I didn't." Not even glancing up from the magazine he was reading.

Milo glared at him, but said nothing.

Rick supressed a smile.

---

"Sturgis and Silverman."

Everybody shot to their feet. The woman stared. "Which one of you?"

"Here." Rick raised his hand and Milo did the same.

"Are those your witnesses?"

"These two guys."

"Is it just the six of you?"

"Yep."

"Very well, follow me."

---

The judge was a tall, skinny brunette in her late thirdies. A pleasent face and voice, the unbiased expression required for her job. Milo and Rick stood by each other, trying not to show how surreal it all felt.

They didn't really think they'd end up like that, actually making things official. Sure, they talked about it; for a while, it was their favorite topic for pillow talk. But being able to do it, to actually go through with it, well, that was something else. In fact, the couple of days following the supreme court's ruling were spent quietly, niether of them even mentioning the event.

Once, Alex asked "Will you be making an honest man out of Rick?", to what Milo had mumbled "Will you be making an honest woman out of Robin?", therefore killing the subject.

And one night, Rick looked up from his plate and dropped the question, more matter-of-factly than a real proposal, almost like asking "So, what do you think?".

Milo thought they were married already, even without the paperwork, and they were already granted most of the same rights anyway. And that it wouldn't make him more popular at work. And that nothing would change - for them or for others - if they just signed their names on a sheet of paper.

He opened his mouth to state facts. Instead, what came out was, "Sure. What the hell?"

---

All done like an operation - precise, unpersonal, business like. Somehow, Richard found it soothing. When he said "I do", it came out as relief, as if he had been practicing that word all day, maybe longer. Milo bit his cheek and smiled wide when it was his turn, and that was all he could do not to burst into laughter. Not once he thought he'd ever be able to say those words.

The woman handed them a pen. "Please, sign here. And here." Rick bent over the sheet of paper. His hands wanted to tremble, but he controled himself. Then Milo signed his name. Alex and Joel signed as witnesses. The judge said, "Very well. I now pronounce you married."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

Milo chuckled. "And christians made all that fuzz."

The judge worked hard on keeping a smile off her face. "You may kiss your husband."

"Don't mind if I do."

They leaned, kissed lightly on the lips and embraced tight for a moment. The audience of four cheered quietly.

Inside Milo's ear, Rick whispered, "Hear that? I'm your husband now."

Against Rick's shoulder, Milo started to grin.

---

Milo had no guests but Alex and Robin. Rick had gathered a few coworkers - doctors he'd team up with whenever Joel wasn't avvailable. All in all, their table didn't have twelve chairs around it, but it was fine. They had planned it small and personal, with close friends only.

They drank expensive wine and Milo kept his drinking to a minimal level, something Rick noticed, but was smart enough not to point out.

After Joel and Alex each made their toast, Milo was coerced into telling the story of how he met Rick, with more details than he'd normally be willing to share.

Rick laughed, "Have I told anyone I flirted with him for about an hour before he even noticed?"

"Please, I'm a cop! I noticed fifteen minutes into the conversation. It took me an hour to believe it, though."

Everybody laughed, ate, drank. No need to rush, no honey-moon planed until the next summer. It was past midnight when people started scattering. Before leaving, Joel said they still had to write just married on the hood of the porsche. Rick clenched his jaw, "Over my dead body!"

---

Milo stirred under the covers. "Your feet are freezing."

Rick grinned. "Before we were married, that never bothered you."

"Yes, but much changed since, you know, yesterday."

They shared a laugh. Rick thumbed the ring on Milo's finger. Their clothes were still tossed on the floor - at four am, Rick said he was gonna pick them up, but Milo wouldn't let him get off the bed. They hand't taken off the rings, still staring at it with amazement, almost as if expecting it to fade away. Milo knew they eventually could, he didn't have as much faith in people and politics as Rick, but he wasn't thinking about that. Not tonight.

Instead, he said, "It's funny."

"What?"

"Doesn't really change much."

"I know."

Milo stirred again and pulled him closer. "Though you gotta admit it, feels pretty damn good."

*FIM*

FINAL NOTES: Needless to say, it's set before PROP8 passed. Just what I think could happen - I'm hoping Kellerman will at least mention the issue.

Thank you for reading. It's not quite the way I had planned, but I liked writting it. Cheesy as it is.