Prompt: "Huntbastian - left at the alter (doesn't matter which one runs away)"
Summary - As a child, Hunter was often referred to as a heartbreaker. Figuratively, that is. He was too sweet of a child, what with his good nature and gentle mannerism. Not once did anyone expect him to leave his fiancé at the altar on their wedding day.
Notes - I'm really hoping that I wrote this out right. I had to tweak the prompt a little, but I think for the most part, I pulled it off. I'll go ahead and warn you: I have no knowledge of how the military works, so if there are some errors of some sort in here, please tell me. I hope you liked it; I worked pretty hard on it.
Hunter finds out he's being reassigned to an air force base overseas on a Thursday, exactly one month before his wedding day. They need someone to straighten things out, they say. That he's the only one for the job. His commanding officers leave no room for argument and arrangements are made.
His flight is scheduled to leave on June 15, twenty-four hours after the marriage ceremony ends. He doesn't tell Sebastian. It doesn't take him very long to pack what little belongings he has. It's not much. Just clothes and a couple of other essentials items. Hunter's rarely home anyway; he spends most of his time at his fiancé's.
A week passes, then two. It's not long until the week of his wedding day arrives, and Hunter still hasn't told Sebastian. The older man blissfully remains in the dark, completely unaware of Hunter's situation. He talks of the future quite frequently, and it leaves a bitter taste in Hunter's mouth every time. It's cruel, but every time he tries to bring it up, he chokes. Hunter wants to savor what little time together they have left.
"What do you mean you haven't told him yet?" Nick looks absolutely furious. "Hunter, you need to tell him. You own him that much."
Hunter takes a swig of his drink, "I know, I know. I just haven't found the right time to tell him."
Nick looks at him with an unreadable expression in his eyes, scrutinizing him. Hunter ignores him, instead focusing on the harsh burn of alcohol down his throat.
"It's going to destroy him, you know."
"Sebastian's strong."
"That may be true, but he's also human. Sebastian's not invincible; you should know that better than anyone."
"He'll heal with time."
"Will he?" Nick asks, his tone soft. "Sebastian trusts you, more than he does anyone else. Not to mention that he loves you more than life itself. Time can't heal all wounds, Hunter. How can you be so sure that it'll heal this one?"
Hunter gives a small, sad smile. "I'm not."
It's ironic, really. Most people say that their wedding day is the best day of their lives; for Hunter, it's the worst. The next couple of days go by so fast that they're practically a blur. It's not long until Hunter finds himself standing at the altar, drumming his fingers against his leg nervously.
Hunter's getting married today, and his soon-to-be husband has no idea that the next morning, he'll wake up alone. There won't be a honeymoon; there won't be a together anymore. He watches as Sebastian walks up the aisle, joined by his older sister - Chasity. Hunter's never seen him happier, and it only makes him feel guiltier.
This is the man I'm supposed to be marrying. Instead, I'll be breaking his heart.
"Do you, Hunter Clarington, take this man to be your lawfully-wedded spouse?" asks the officiant.
Hunter takes a deep breath. This is it: the moment of truth. He adjusts the tie around his collar and swallows.
"….Sebastian," he begins. "I hope you know that you're the most important person in my life, and I'm absolutely crazy about you. You're the reason I wake up every day, and every day, I fall more in love with you than the day before.
"Hopefully, you'll be able to forgive me for this - maybe not today or tomorrow, but some day - but I can't marry you. I've been reassigned to a military base overseas; I'm sorry."
Sebastian makes a choked sound, his eyes wide and filled with betrayal. Hunter watches as he turns on his heel and runs out of the room, arm thrown across his face to hide the tears trickling down his cheeks. Chasity goes to follow him, but not before she turns to Hunter and says,
"How could you, Hunter? If you really loved him as much as you said you did, you would've told him."
"I'm sorry."
"Yeah? Me too. I hope you're happy, Hunter Clarington. You've successfully broken my little brother's heart."
When Hunter was little, people used to always say that he was going to break some hearts when he grew older. They were right; he just didn't do it in the way they expected.