People were drifting slowly back out into the gardens in the evening sunshine, enabling the hotel staff to clear the room and make it ready for the evening reception. Neither Colby nor Evan had thought about having an evening do but Evan's parents had pointed out that, as some of the guests were travelling a considerable distance, it was only right that they were given a full day of hospitality. By the time it had dawned on a horrified Colby that holding an evening reception meant he and Evan would be expected to dance in front of everyone, the invitations had already gone out and it was too late. He strongly suspected Nicola's dastardly hand at work.
Colby stood with his arms around Evan, watching their friends and family mingling, while laughter filled the warm air. He wanted the moment to last for ever, and not only because then he wouldn't have to dance in public.
As he looked round the gardens he thought idly that one of them probably should go rescue Colonel Sheppard before too much longer because he was being besieged by two very excited little boys, hopped up on hero-worship and sugar. But not quite yet. He was in no hurry to let go of his husband.
"Oh no," Evan said.
"What?" Colby followed Evan's gaze to where Tom was stomping around Colonel Sheppard. He was waving his arms and bellowing, "I am the brilliant Dr Mayhem and I am surrounded by imbeciles, eh!"
"Oh, God." Evan was rigid in his hold.
The other nephew, James, was evidently delighting in having Colonel Sheppard's undivided attention as he struck a heroic pose. "And I am Colonel Sheppard and I am the Scourge of the Shadows and the best pilot in the whole universe!"
"Evan?"
"They – I – oh, God."
And then Colonel Sheppard – the real one, not the three foot high one – was sending the boys on their excited way, and looking at Evan and raising an eyebrow. Evan unwrapped Colby's arms from round him and walked across the manicured lawn, looking as if he was going to his execution. Colby, of course, went with him.
"Lorne, you want to tell me why your nephews have been asking about the time I flew an F-22 to Mars to single-handedly save the Earth from an alien invasion?"
"Uh –"
"Or the time Major Logan had to rescue me from the pretty princess who kidnapped me to marry me?"
"Oh, God." Evan's face was buried in his hands and the little Colby could see of it was beetroot-coloured. "I never thought they'd actually meet you," he muttered.
"And then there's Dr Mayhem, the brilliant but bad-tempered Canadian scientist, and his sidekick with the weird accent – which, by the way, they had a whole lot of fun with - Dr Zany. Any of this sounding at all familiar?"
"Um, no?" Evan said hopefully.
"That's good to hear," Colonel Sheppard said. "I'd hate to think Dr Mayhem was modelled on anyone who might be pissed you called him brilliant rather than a genius."
"Uh," Evan said.
"If there are going to be any further bedtime stories featuring Sharp-shooting Sheppard, Scourge of the Shadows, I insist Major Logan has a proper role. Seems to me he's been kinda overlooked when it comes to the pretty princesses."
"Hey," Colby said. "I object to that."
Colonel Sheppard shrugged. "I'm sure he'd never cheat on his CIA Agent husband, Cubbly Grubbly."
"And I object to that too," Colby said. "The CIA's a bunch of clowns in action."
"I hate clowns."
"Can we just stop talking now, please?" Evan begged.
"Probably a good idea," Colonel Sheppard agreed.
As he wandered away across the lawn, Evan turned to Colby. "You want to just hide for the rest of the day?"
"Oh God yes."
"If you tell anyone I said this I'm gonna have to shoot you," Nikki said to Liz, as they wandered into the gardens just in time to see Granger and Evan melt out of sight in what they undoubtedly thought was a discreet way but which to the trained eye bore the distinct hallmarks of rabbiting, "but they're kinda cute together."
"You're only saying that to get on Evan's good side so he'll put in a word to his CO for you."
"You're such a cynic."
"I've just worked with you for too long," Liz said. "Where is the hot CO anyway?"
"No idea," Nikki said, in far too casual a tone which didn't in the least give the impression she'd just been quartering the hotel looking for him.
"I see Edgerton and Don are sticking close together."
"Men. The mere mention of a wedding and they panic."
"Your friend Roger Bloom's here too. You spoken to him yet?"
"Hey, me and Bloom get on great," Nikki protested. "We just got off on the wrong foot."
"Is that why he's hiding from you behind the big guy with the hair?"
"Hilarious."
"I thought so," Liz agreed.
"So who are the big guy and his wife, apart from Evan's friends?"
"No idea. Let's go find out."
They managed to find a private corner of the gardens, and then Evan stepped close against Colby and kissed him, the first chance he'd had to kiss him properly since Nicola had whisked him away early that morning. The first chance he'd had to kiss him properly as his husband. And Colby was more than happy to be kissed, if the way he was pressed back against Evan was any sign, making breathless little noises into Evan's mouth.
Until three small demons ran yelling into their idyll, pursued by a mortified-looking Nicola. She was slightly pink-faced, and probably not just from chasing Tom and James and Torren. "Back to the hotel," she said sternly. "Now."
"Sorry," Colby said, looking flustered and as if he was fighting the reflexive urge to salute.
"She's talking to them," Evan whispered.
"Oh."
"God, I love you," Evan said, and kissed him.