Sorry it took so long to post this chapter. I was trying to get all of my work done so I CAN update this. That, and I had difficulty with the actual wedding and exchanging vows part. This chapter is sickeningly sweet. I almost hate it, almost. But it's still good.
Ah, for a moment in here, TJ is out of character. Like really out of character. But it's only for a moment and he's snapped back in place. Also another weird thing, I made guru kid a priest. :P He's always giving advice that not one understands so I thought, why not? I needed someone to fit the role….any who….
Second to last chapter everybody! Woo hoo!
Read on!
Months passed, seasons changed, and the date for the wedding had finally been decided after much debate. Because the Robert and TJ preferred different seasons (Robert loved the summer while TJ couldn't explain why he loved winter) the date that they each wanted were very far apart. Robert wanted July 7th, and TJ favored December 12th. The two of them were in a constant debate since they were engaged, and because of that they couldn't make any plans.
So they argued for months, making no progress while annoying anyone who might be within earshot. Soon they realized that the other was not going to budge, and decided to settle on something in between; autumn, October 1st. It was cool enough for TJ, but still warm enough for Robert. Unbeknownst to the two of them that was the easiest problem they were going to face.
One of the issues that TJ brought up was the fact that still lived in an apartment. He was now 24, and Robert was 26. In his mind, TJ thought that they should buy a house and move, but Robert didn't want to. TJ argued that the two of them together had more than enough money to buy a house, especially with Robert's job as mayor's assistant and his own job as a paralegal. Robert had actually agreed they should move, but not into the house TJ wanted.
TJ wanted a big house, one that Robert not only thought it was too big, but also thought that it didn't suit the two of them to live 'high and mighty' above everyone else. To explain why he wanted a five bedroom house, TJ said it was because the rooms were for the kids, which brought up another issue. He wanted a lot of kids; eight to be exact. Robert wanted a lot of kids too, but only three or four; eight was way too much in his eyes even if he liked kids. But still, they agreed that they wanted a lot of kids and because of that the two of them bought a house and began to pack their boxes.
The next issue that Robert faced alone was, as he put it, TJ switching genders. Once it was time for them to find caterers, cake, decorations, music, and all other things for the wedding, Robert saw TJ's inner bitch. First it was the food. Robert didn't care what was being served, but TJ cared, a little too much. He cared about what was served, whether there was wine or champagne right down to the brand, what the food was being served on, how the food looked on the plates, what silverware was being used, and even how long before the wedding the food was going to be cooked. He didn't take suggestions from the wedding planner either; he came with his own list of things he wanted and was not going to take compromises. Soon he was screaming at the wedding planner for making small suggestions to make the day go by smoother, and Robert only got him to calm down after saying that he can't be sure any of what he wanted to happen could happen until they decided on a location.
They needed somewhere big, big enough for all their old classmates when Robert was king. At least the reception area has to be really big; the actually wedding and reception could take place in different spots. When choosing a place for the actual wedding one place came to mind: Third Street Elementary. What better place than where they first met? The reception was planned to take place at the community center a few blocks away.
Now that they knew the places, TJ's inner bitch showed came into light while showing its fangs and claws when it came to deciding the decorations. The theme was to be a 'Royal' wedding (What else would it be?), and they had to pick out the particular colors and where everything went. Everything was going fine until the wrong colored chairs were put out. TJ went on a manhunt to find who made the mistake and one he found them, screamed them into a corner for the misunderstanding. After Robert pulled him aside and allowed his victim to escape he asked the younger male, "Who busted your balls?"
While TJ showed the world that he was top bitch with a smile Robert wondered how and why he was acting like a bridezilla. He only saw this on TV and he even thought that it was fake then. Those overly dramatic brides, brides as in females, had to be faking it for the show. They just had to! But now he had his doubts. Detweiler couldn't be one of them, no, that couldn't be. But then something happened that assured Robert that he had lost his mind.
Because it was a wedding, coordinating dresses had to be worn by the women, though like everything else Robert didn't care, and the only two women were Spinelli and Gretchen. Still, TJ insisted that they match. After Spinelli whispered to Gretchen about him "Getting in touch with his inner homosexual," they agreed. The four of them spent an entire day in a boutique going through the stores entire inventory before settling on a mid-thigh length light yellow dress with one strap around the left shoulder, and was tight at the top and loose from the waist down. TJ, Spinelli, and Gretchen agreed that out of all the dresses this looked the best. Robert still didn't care either way.
Looking over the girls one last time before they changed, TJ spotted something with Spinelli's dress that he didn't like, and since he was in bitch mode, he told her exactly what he thought.
"Your boobs are too big," He said. "Do you think you can get a reduction in time for the wedding?"
"WHAT?" Spinelli snapped, sending a death glare his way, placing her hands on her hips and taking a defensive stance. Looking up from his book, Robert watched with interest.
"You have like, double D's and their popping out of your dress," Said TJ. "Do you think you can get it done for the wedding?"
"First of all," She paused and stepped forward, sending a firm slap across his face. "Second of all," She paused again to send a swift kick to his groin. She stepped back and watched TJ fall to his knees and cringe in pain. "If you don't like it then you shouldn't have picked it! I'm wearing it whether you like it or not!"
"Okay, okay!" He said, slowing getting back to his feet. "Sorry! But in all seriousness those have to be killing your back. It's always the tough girls that get the biggest chest…" Before anymore bodily harm could be inflicted upon him, TJ hid behind his fiancé. After few quick words with Spinelli, Robert had gotten her to agree to not hurt TJ and once the girls had gone to go get changed gave the younger male a harsh glare.
"What the hell are you doing?" Robert whispers harshly. "We're trying to ask her a very important question and you spout out something like that! She's never going to agree to it if you keep doing this!"
"Look, Bobby," TJ whispered back. "It just came out and I apologized. Like a gentleman. Besides she was probably going to say no anyway." Robert didn't get a chance to say anything back because the girls came back out.
As the wedding date grew near, TJ's inner bitch receded, and normality found its place in the couples lives. Once all the boxes had been moved to their new house, they began unpacking to avoid having to do it after the wedding. Robert had managed to by a king-sized (it would be king-sized) bed for the two of them. But that was just about the only piece of furniture in the house. Their old table had fallen apart into an unfixable pile of wood and the couch was just nasty. So they still had to by couches, tables, and proper silverware. They even had to pick out desks and shelves for their office; with the off them having demanding jobs they needed a place to focus.
But that could all wait because the wedding was only a few weeks away.
~*TIME LAPSE~*~
It's Saturday afternoon and the sun was shining, but there was still coolness in the air. A few clouds spotted the sky, but it wasn't nearly enough to threaten those below with rain. Even if it did, TJ would've threatened right back with global warming. Outside on the playground of Third Street Elementary was every single class mate the two soon to be newlyweds had when Robert was king. They sat in chairs on the playground, which was decorated here and there, but not too much; it was a playground after all. There were however those guys who lifted their swords and let the newly married couple run through them at the bottom of the jungle gym slide (I forgot what they are called). Instead of looking forward, they looked up towards the top of the jungle gym where the king's throne would normally rest.
Instead of throne on the top, Robert and TJ stood facing one another, the both of them neatly dressed in black tuxedos and their usually messy hair combed underneath the hats the two of them wore; Robert was donning his crown and TJ refused to take off his hat. On either sides of them were the friends of the other; behind TJ a few of Roberts old friends from when he ruled stood, and TJ's friends stood behind Robert. The person standing in between them and the one who was going to marry them was, Carlos, the former Guru kid, now priest at the local church.
"We are all gathered back here today," he started. "By something I never thought I would see. And I'm sure all of you down there feel the same way because when I got my invitation in the mail I couldn't believe it. I even had to get my wife to read it because I didn't trust my own eyes. These two, Robert Crownsman, the former King Bob, ruler of the playground, and TJ Detweiler, the former prankster prince, are getting married today. And I'm the one to do it. Because I didn't know what to expect I didn't prepare much of a sermon so we should skip straight to the vows. Detweiler you go first."
"…..vows? Were we supposed to write our own?" TJ asked Robert. "I didn't really write anything down but I can try I guess. Let's see…..Ever since I was in the fourth grade you've either made my life a living hell or something very enjoyable. And there were plenty of times for me to justify a break up and never see you again. In fact, I don't even know how we made it this far."
"Vows are supposed to be positive," Robert whispered harshly to him.
"I'm getting to that just give me a minute," Said TJ. "And I think I stuck with you because whenever you should your love it was genuine, not the type of affection that's forced when you feel like your obligated. You're one determined son of a bitch and because we're both like that it's made this whole relationship even harder. But I can't think of anyone else I would rather argue with every day. That's all I got."
"And now King Bob will say his vows." Said the former guru kid.
"…Ditto?" Robert said with a smile.
"Good enough! So with the power vested in me, I pronounce the two of you…well, King and King! You may now kiss, uh, each other!" The two men stepped forward and shared a kiss, sealing their marriage. The crowd below clapped and cheered. Pulling apart the two of them took the slide down to the bottom and walked through the raised swords.
~*~AT THE RECEPTION~*~
A half hour later everyone was enjoying themselves at the reception. Some were eating, and others were dancing. Meanwhile TJ and Bob sat a table separated from the others and made distinguished by the throne like seats. Across the room sat the very large wedding cake on top of a table. Robert had managed to find a baker who was willing to not only make a gay figurine to go on top of the cake but put crowns on top of their heads as well. They watched the others dance and relished in that fact that they were now married.
"I have a question," TJ said in between bites.
"And what would that be?" Robert asked him.
"It feels the same as it did before we got married," TJ told him. "Is that a good thing?"
"I think it is. It might mean we've been acting like we were married before so we know what to expect," Explained Robert. "That's how I see it."
"We're married now! Can you believe it?"
"My wallet does….." Robert mumbled. "Anyways, we're a family now; a small one, but a family none the less."
"I want a big family though," said TJ. "And you want a big family too. But a small one is nice too I guess….."
"Did we ever have that conversation with…?"
"No we didn't," He said. "But she's going to say no."
"You don't know that," Robert said standing up and walking onto the floor. TJ watched as he walked over to his friends and managed to get Spinelli to go with him. Robert waved for him to come with them. The three of them walked into the back away from all the others.
"What's this all about?" Spinelli asked the newlyweds.
"We need to ask you something," Robert started.
"Even though I think you're going to say no," Said TJ, standing next to his now husband.
"And what would that be?" She asked.
"We're a family now," Robert began. "But it's a small one. And we both want a bigger family. The problem with this is that we're both guys and it's kind of impossible for us to do on our own. So we were wondering if you would mind being a surrogate for us….."
"Why me?" Spinelli asked the two.
"You're strong," Said TJ. "And we both know and trust you. Will you do it?" A long moment of silence fell in the room before the answer was given.
"Sure." The two of them hugged the surprised woman in thanks and appreciation. After getting the two of them off of her the three of them headed back out to the others and enjoyed the rest of the day.
~*~EVEN LATER~*~
Wanting to keep up with tradition, Robert insisted on carrying TJ into their house. Before TJ could protest he found himself being swept off his feet and carried up the stairs to the master bedroom. After being thrown onto the bed, he watched Robert lock the door and turn to face him.
"I know we can't afford a honeymoon," Robert said. "But I'm going to make the best of what we have. We both have two weeks without work or any responsibilities, and we have plenty of time to….bond."
"Bond? Whatever do you mean by that?" TJ laughed as Robert came over to him and pressed their lips together. The couple lay down on the bed, unbuttoning each other's jackets and shirts. Running their fingers through one another's hair their respective hats fell off their heads and they pulled themselves into a closer embrace. Robert reached over to the lamp sitting on the nightstand and turned the lights out. Tonight wasn't like all the other nights they did this. This night was different; something new was behind this night.
Tonight they made love.
RandallXSpinelli: Um, Angels Watching Over Us will be updated in a few days, but not until the last chapter of this story is posted, and that shouldn't take too long. I would have had it done a while ago, but I'm trying to figure out how I want the new chapter to go. Your chapter should come two chapters after that.
There is still one more chapter folks! Don't leave just yet!
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