Disclaimer: Still don't and won't ever own any of the Characters mentioned in this fanfiction. Song used "Only Hope" by Mandy Moore, and NO I do not own the rights to the song or lyrics.
AN: Well guys...this ends Stormy Weather. This part, especially the ending chapters were the hardest ones to write of this fanfic because...well, unfortunately, I had written some of the parts of this that were tied in together later and even now ahead of time because they came to me and begged to written ^^; So, yeah. This ends Stormy Weather. Hope you have enjoyed it and hopefully you'll look to my other works, both Complete and WIP, and enjoy them as well.
Epilogue
Roxas was happy to have Axel back at his side as he wrapped his arms around the man's neck, bringing him in tighter as he seemed to softly cry through his reunion with the man. Pulling away from him, he looked him in the face as he saw that the man was crying himself as they just embraced one another; it seemed that everything was as it should've been. Reno couldn't help but be proud for his brother making the right choice instead of the wrong choice as he saw his brother be forever happy with the choice he had made. In the months that followed after the near fatal mistake that had been made by Axel and Roxas' hit and miss run in with Axel's dad car, the two had made up and had taken the next step, vowing to love one another unconditionally in front of friends and family at the ceremony that Axel had been imagining. It had been thought that they would become united in matrimony but after all that had come down; it was questionable, but now…
"Come on Roxas, Axel's going to be waiting for you, what's the hold up?" Olette poked her head into Roxas' dressing room as she gave him a five minute warning.
Roxas softly sighed as he tried to work out his nervousness, "I'm almost ready, I'm just…man…I never knew this kind of thing could be so nerve wracking."
"I'm sure you'll do fine…"Leon leaned in against the doorway as Olette took the opportunity to slip away to be among the bridesmaids, "…You think you have something to worry about…I've got the same Wedding Day jitters as you."
"…Not helping, Dad…"Roxas nervously chuckled as he stepped out dressed in the outfit for his marriage to Axel, "Thanks."
Reno was checking in on his brother as he saw that he was trying to get himself together, going over his vows and what he was going to say to Roxas at the altar, "You should be an expert at what to say now after that "practice" run with Larxene," he was joking of course.
"Ha, ha, ha, ha, very funny Reno," Axel was not in the mood for such cracks; the nightmare of nearly marrying Larxene had still been on his mind, "Roxas is the only one I want now, and that's who I'm going to marry…as frightening as this may be…I'm ready for it."
"You better be, because I'm not bailing you should you decide to run from all of this," Zack laughed from the doorway as he watched his son's talking amongst themselves.
Aerith lightly shoved her husband, "Be nice about it, Zack, this is suppose to be a happy day, not a day of criticism."
"Thanks Mom," Axel softly smiled as he heard the music starting up, "Well…let's do this."
There's a song that's inside of my soul
It's the one that I've tried to write over and over again
I'm awake in
the infinite cold, but you sing to me over and over and over againCloud and Roxas were lead up to the Altar as their gushing grooms looked on in awed amazement at their significant others as they fought back shared feelings of ecstatic joy that this was happening; they had come so far and had faced so much, but now…
So I lay my head back down
and I lift my hands and pray to be only yours
I pray to be only yours
I know now you're my
only hope
"Ladies and gentlemen, friends and those that are invited guests of the Grooms and Brides, I welcome you all to this Church and to this Ceremony; what can we say about these two pairs," the Minister's hands waved out over the crowd and to the two odd pairs, "One pair has suffered through one living nightmare that would have utterly destroyed any other person, surviving through a near fatal life changing accident, but it has made their relationship just as strong.
They say that love is blind, but for these two men, I say, my the good Lord above forgive me for what I am about to say, I say, that love being blind is a load of crap. Even if one of them has taken to being, as the phrase, love being blind; he has managed to overcome all odds and here today he stands with the man at his side that has been with him through this whole time…"
"…Let us wed these two men…and then…" the Minister's eyes turned to Roxas and Axel, "…We shall marry off these two young men that…we all probably wish had settled this a month ago when our former Court Clerk nearly married this young man to the wrong person."
A soft wave of chuckles came from the congregation as Leon turned to Cloud, running his fingers over Cloud's fingers and turning Cloud's face to his with assistance so that the ceremony could proceed, "…Do you, Squall "Leon" Leonhart, take this man, Cloud Strife to be your lawfully wedded husband? Do have and to hold, through sickness and health; for better or worse, for richer or for poorer?"
Leon looked almost tearfully at Cloud as he shook his head, hands holding tightly onto Cloud's, "…I do…"
"Do you Cloud Strife---"
"I do!"
A soft chorus of chuckles erupted as Cloud answered all the questions in one fell swoop before the Minister could get out the words, "Okay then…Now, for our other couple…"
Roxas looked nervously up at Axel; he had put the man through a living Hell, one that could never match up to the one he had spent nearly 18 years living through, from conception, birth and through the several years of school to when his Mom had finally decided to clean herself up. Luck was on their side as Axel squeezed Roxas' hands as their eyes looked at one another as the Minister began the vows.
"Do you Roxas, take this man, Axel to be the one that you only spend your life with forever and ever from now on and stick by him no matter how much he screw up?" the Minister tried to not laugh as were the rest of the congregation.
Roxas bit his lower lip as he looked into Axel's emerald eyes, "…I would take him no matter what he does…"
"…Glad to hear it, Roxas," Axel choked back a happy sob in his throat as he kept in place as he waited for the Minister to just say the magic words, 'I now pronounce you Man and Wife, or whatever it is you two want to be, you may now kiss one another'.
Sing to me the song of the stars
Of your galaxy dancing and laughing and laughing again
When it feels like my dreams are
so far, sing to me of the plans that you have for me over again
So I lay my head back down
and I lift my hands and pray to be only yours
I pray to be only yours
I know now you're my
only hope
I give you my destiny
I'm giving you all of me
I want your symphony
Singing in all that I am
At the top of my lungs
I'm giving it back
Both sides of the family watched on with interest as they waited for the Minister to just pronounce them legally married, "…I won't hold anyone in suspense anymore, both parties may now kiss the other in their blissful marriage union, and I wish you all the best of luck for the future."
So I lay my head back down
and I lift my hands and pray to be only yours
I pray to be only yours
I pray to be only yours
I know now you're my
Only hope
The ceremony commenced without problems or any known problems that anyone could see, no one could complain that it wasn't exceptional and nothing could make it different; Axel and Roxas were happy, everyone was their one person they were meant to be with. As they softly floated across the dance floor at their reception, dancing to the soft wafting music that was filling around them; they were truly, madly, and completely happy. No one could dispute that.
"…So, where do we go from here…?" Roxas whispered softly as he rested his head against Axel's chest, their hands clasped tightly in one another's.
"Only time can tell…and the only thing I know is…you're my only hope…" Axel rested his head against the top of Roxas' as he started to softly hum along with the song.
Family and friends watched on in awe at the sight; it was magical, eclipsing; Cloud had softly worked his fingers into Leon's as he worked to stand up in front of the man, "Would you care to dance with me…Mr. Leonhart Strife?"
"I would be honored…Mr. Strife…" Leon softly chuckled as he followed his love slowly to the dance floor; it didn't take long for the others to take the lead as they headed to the dance floor to dance to the soft music.
Rinoa could only watch in pure and utter happy bliss as she watched her son dance with someone that made him happy; she couldn't be any more happier for him, he had done something she never would have given him credit for achieving. He had come a long ways from a start of utter and bliss Hell to achieving wings to fly above all utter disaster; they may have been clipped and his flight to happiness may have faltered for a time, but now, he had managed to rise above the flames and achieve what he wanted.
"The only other thing that could make all of this blissful, would be for my son and his new love to bear me a grandson, but that's just something one can only hope for…"Rinoa watched as Roxas seemed to floating on a faint cloud with wings of great joy and achievement seeming to radiate from his back, "It's merely a dream at this time…"
We wish for our children to have all we didn't
We wish them to have all the best
And when we see that they have accomplished this…
Only then…
Can we stand back, and look and say…
"Good job…very good job…"