Sid and Cassie both hit the bed exhausted that night. He kissed her but neither of them felt like doing anything else. Cassie had wondered aloud if anyone actually had sex on their wedding nights. "Better than the first wedding, don't you think?" ventured Sid. She laughed, closing her eyes. "A million times so. Do you want to have sex, Sid? Because I could-" she started to sit up, shrug off her dress.

He gently coaxed her back down. "No, I'm too tired, and you are as well." She sighed happpily. He held her hand and leaned over her, watching her drift off to sleep. He wasn't tired enough to fall asleep, so he waited until she was in a deep sleep and had dropped his hand before getting up off the bed.

He pulled the comforter up to Cassie's neck and kissed her forehead. A million guys before him him had thought of their girlfriends and wives as angels – it was hopelessly cliche. But the moonlight shone on the bed, making her silver glitter eyeshadow sparkle. And there she was, gathered up in the linen sheets and the down comforter, flowers in her intricately braided hair. She really did look perfect. So he got their journal out of his backpack, along with his pencil and pen.

He sat in the cushioned fireside chair, and he drew her, her peaceful yet sad face, the curls falling out of her braid, the flowers peeking out of her blond hair. She kept saying she wanted to die it brown. It wasn't like she wouldn't look good in brown hair, but she was breathtaking in blonde. He put the journal down, walked over and picked up one of the flowers that had fallen, and put it in the journal under the drawing. There was a stack of heavy looking encyclopedias on the desk in the corner of the room, so he stacked all of the encyclopedias ontop of the journal to press the flower into the page.

He decided to go exploring around the house. James had lent him and Cassie the house for the honeymoon weekend. They had enthusiastically accepted his offer, then felt awkward yet charmed when they arrived in the bedroom to a basket of lubrication and condoms. The house was beautiful, and he'd give anything to live here. He found himself hoping that James would ask his mom to marry him so that he could be here more often. The house was cold at night. He found a card on the kitchen table.

We love you two – happy weekend!

Love,

EVERYONE.

Everyone had signed a little note in the card. He found himself wanting to curl up to Cassie even if he couldn't sleep, so he grabbed the last bottle of champagne, walked upstairs, and did just that.

Alternate Ending – fairies and fallen gods

Sid sat in one of the chairs in the reception area in James' backyard and uncorked the last bottles of champagne. Sufjan Stevens still played on the speakers softly. He hadn't noticed before, but Michelle was cleaning up the remainder of the party, putting away chairs and tables in the shed, barefoot in her blue halter top dress with blistered feet.

"Aren't you tired?" She asked him as he generously sipped the champagne. She picked up the chairs around his table.

"Still winding down," he answered. He watched her perfect, sparkly eyes and her soft form.

"The wedding was beautiful, Sid," she said. She twirled a bit in the moonlight. Everything had an ethereal glow, even Michelle. The moonlight here made all the women look like fairies, and the men like fallen gods.

Effie and JJ sat in a canoe on the lake. Tony was going to pick them up in a while when he picked up Michelle. Effie didn't want to leave. JJ almost tipped the tiny canoe over by laying back on it, resting his head on her purse and his jacket. She smiled down at him, then lay gently on him, resting her head on his chest. "You look amazing tonight, Eff," JJ said quietly as he rested his hand between her shoulder blades.

"You're not so bad yourself."

"Do you want to, you know, do anything tonight, Effie? I mean, it's the perfect opportunity. Alone in a canoe, in the middle of the night…"

"Now, we're perfect right now."

He ran his hand through her hair, counting the constellations he could pick out. "Yeah, I guess we are, huh?"

"Can I stay a while, Sid?" Michelle asked. He nodded. She lay down in the hammock under the gently swishing trees. She would get up soon, she thought. When Tony got here. She would let Sid alone tonight.

But he was walking over to her, until he stood, leaning one arm against the tree, looking down a her. They were playing with fire, she thought. She was breathtaking, and he couldn't help but stare. She didn't seem to mind. Everything about her lit him on fire tonight. Her beautiful curly hair, coming undone and tickling her shoulders.

Her breath was short with the same tension he felt, making him notice her breasts straining against he halter top. The way that, curled up, her dress came up above her knees, and as she shifted, hiked up her thighs. He loosened his tie, bent over her. He didn't have to think about what to do next. She pulled him down by his tie and, finally, her soft lips met his. He moaned, pressed his forehead against hers, rested his hands on her shoulders.

Then he kissed her again. She devoted her energy to undressing him, but he just concentrated on the kiss. It was everything. She coaxed him ontop of her, but all he wanted was to experience that kiss again. Right now, that was enough. That's all he wanted now, or forever.

Fuck the rest of the world and all the people in it. For now, his world was complete. This was enough.

Effie and JJ and a considerable amount of fun getting the canoe on the beach when it began to rain. First, trying to get up, they knocked it over, both of them squealing. They ended up dragging it, one on each end, finally getting it onto solid ground. "Well," said JJ, as they started walking back to meet Tony. "That was practical."

Effie couldn't stop giggling. "Well at least we don't have to worry about the rain."

"Good point."

Tony waited for Effie and Michelle in his car, but then decided to see if she needed any help cleaning up. Upon discovering Sid and Michelle in the hammock, he decided to go inside. They were at least being quiet, he thought. He had to give them credit for that. He followed a trail of flower petals that had fallen from Cassie's hair up to the bedroom. He had to just stand and watch her for a while, taken aback and captivated by her.

He sat down on the bed. She opened her eyes.

"Tony, what-" he put his finger on her lips.

"Where's Sid?" He got up and signaled for her to fllow him. She fixed her dress and followed him downstairs to the window in the sunroom. She stood in front of him and he put his hands on her shoulders as she observed Sid and Michelle. "Well," she whispered. "It's safe to say it's over now, isn't it?" Tony kissed the back of her neck. He gently slipped his thumb into the strap of her dress, letting it fall down her arm.

They both sat back on the loveseat. He gently undid her hair and it fell gracefully, flower petals dropping all over his lap. The other strap of her dress fell with her shivering and sniffling. She breathed in and let her dress fall to her waist. Tony wrapped his arms around her and she closed her eyes, leaned into him. "Just stay like this, Tony," she requested. "Right here is perfect."

'He kissed her cheek and lay back on the loveseat with her, closing his eyes as well. He gently ran his hands through her hair, undoing the braids. She only lasted so long before she turned toward him, that green sweater he was wearing perfect for nestling her face into and crying. She let her feet fall to the ground beside his, and his arms envelop her, his lips kiss her forehead. "Right here is perfect."

Effie could see Sid and Michelle in the hammock, sleeping, limbs wrapped around limbs. She stepped on the deck to look for Tony, and caught sight of him and Cassie in the sunroom. JJ, ever the nervous and awkward one, waited for her on the grass. "I think we're walking home, JJ," she said, walking ahead of him, past Tony's car. He caught up with her and took her hand.

"Is everything okay, Effie?"

"Yes, JJ. Everything is fine."

They walked hand in hand to her and Tony's apartment changed their clothes in seperate rooms. Effie gave a hesitant JJ some clothes of Tony's while she threw theirs in the dryer. He brewed some tea and Effie turned on the television and soon they found themselves cuddling on the couch. "It felt like Freds and Cook where there tonight, Effie, you know? Sitting with us. It's like I could feel them there."

Effie nodded while he combed her wet hair with his hands. "Do you think either of them would be jealous?" She closed her eyes, asking him.

"No. I mean, of course they would, if they were alive. Although…you'd be with Fred if they were alive, so it wouldn't be an issue. But right now, Effie? I think they're glad we're happy. We're happy, right? Because I'm happy."

She sat up to look at him. "Yes, I'm happy." JJ looked nervous. He put down his tea. "What is it?"

"Effie can I…can I umm…" and then Cook's voice came into his mind. 'stop being such a wimp and kiss her already.' So he did – he listened to imaginary Cook's voice and leaned into her. A bit clumsily, he kissed her. She smiled.

"Yes. You can do it again, if you'd like." He was still nervous, so she pulled him toward her by his shirt collar and kissed him. Yes, she thought. We're happy.