townes zamoras. 24.

april, 94 add.

evening.


"Penny for your thoughts?"

Townes pulled himself from the car window to glance over at his fiancé. "I'd like to think my thoughts are worth more than a penny…"

"It's a phrase," Esper replied.

"You could've changed it. 'Million dollars for your thoughts?'"

"Doesn't sound as nice," Esper said. He nudged Townes with his knee. "And you didn't answer the question."

Townes tried not to fidget. "Thoughts… uh, work? Meetings."

(This wasn't completely a lie. He had been thinking about a meeting that weekend, with his father and a few Capitolite representatives. Most of it was wedding stuff. As soon as their engagement had become public information, a year and a half ago, most of the planning had been taken right out of their hands. He and Esper were more like consultants than groom and groom.

Which was fine, because there was a lot to plan. But also frustrating, because it was their wedding. The Capitol had always loved following their relationship, though, and whoever was in charge had decided it would be one of the biggest events of the year.

If he could have it his way, it would be much smaller. More private. Esper was much more himself in private. And that way, the moment could be theirs. But it was only a few weeks away, now, and it was too late to change things like guest lists and venues.)

"Meetings," Esper echoed.

Townes gave a small laugh. "Never end, do they?"

"Of course not." Esper gave him a quick look, then reached over and squeezed his hand. "I know things have been busy lately."

"They always are."

"Still. I'm glad we could go out."

"Me too," Townes replied. "Turns out you're pretty good at dating me."

Esper nodded. "I take it very seriously."

"Good. So do I."

"For the record, I also take marrying you very seriously."

"Can't believe it's only another month," Townes said, glancing out the window. He frowned.

"Where are we going?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, this is definitely not the way home- why is the driver taking such a weird route-?" He turned to exchange a glance with Esper, but found him struggling to hold back what was clearly a smile. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I'm not," Esper replied.

"Yes, you are. Are we going somewhere?"

Esper squeezed his hand again in response.

"Where are we going?"

"Just hold on a minute," Esper told him. "We should almost be there."

Townes squinted at him. "You tricked me…"

Esper laughed. "You don't even know what the trick is yet."

"So you admit it's a trick!"

"It's not a trick."

"Then what is it?"

"You'll see," Esper reassured him.

"Is it a surprise?" Townes asked.

"You could say that, yeah."

Townes looked back out the window again, trying to get a glimpse at where they were going. "Have we been there before?"

"No. We're almost there, just hold on-"

"I am!" Townes interrupted, lifting the hand entwined with Esper's. "I just- you caught me off guard-"

Esper grinned. "Why?"

"Because I thought you didn't like surprises."

"But you do."

"I mean, yeah…"

"And I'm not the one being surprised."

Townes squinted at him. "You did trick me…"

"I didn't! I just… added another stop before we go to dinner!"

"Without telling me!"

"Look," Esper relented, "if you hate it, or if you don't want to, we can leave. But I think you'll like it. Like I said… I take dating you very seriously."

Townes eased up a bit. "Okay…"

A beat later, the car pulled over and stopped. Esper opened the door and helped Townes out of the car.

He didn't recognize the building. "Where are we?"

Esper took his hand again. "Come on."

"We have to pay the driver-"

"They'll wait."

"You really planned this all out…" Townes looked up at the building again. "Is it even open?"

"Look at the top floor."

The lights were on. "What did you do?"

Esper laughed and pulled Townes forward. "Come on."

Esper led him through the front doors and over to the elevators, where he hit the button to take them to the top floor. Townes couldn't help but look around while they waited, taking everything in. "This place is nice…"

"It is," Esper agreed.

"What's on the top floor?"

"You'll see."

"A present for me?"

The elevator door slid open, and they stepped inside. Esper hit the button for the top floor.

"You'll see," Esper repeated, starting to smile again.

"A present for me," Townes decided.

"Wasn't it just your birthday?"

"So?"

"What do you mean, 'so?'"

"I mean, if you're trying to surprise me for my birthday, doing it two weeks after my birthday would be a very good surprise," Townes pointed out.

Esper rolled his eyes, but he was still smiling. "Yeah, right."

"Exactly! So we agree."

Before Esper could respond, the elevator doors slid open. Townes followed Esper down a carpeted hallway and around a corner.

"Where are we going?" Townes asked again.

"We're almost there-"

They turned another corner, arriving in front of a pair of wooden double doors, and Townes stopped in his tracks. "Sienna?"

Esper let go of his hand to hug Sienna- because it was, in fact, Sienna. Townes, who only saw her briefly twice a year, and occasionally exchanged emails with her, was dumbfounded. She wore a long, pale blue dress, and her hair was down. After she hugged Esper, she turned and embraced Townes. "Hi, Townes."

"What the fuck?" he asked. "How are you here? How did you get here?"

She gave him a squeeze, then pulled back. "I took a train," she said, grinning.

"But-"

"Don't worry about it," she interrupted.

Townes frowned. "Where did Esper go?"

"He's fine," she replied. "Just let me- stand still for a second-" She started straightening his tie.

"Sienna!"

"There you go," she said, releasing him.

"What's going on? What are you doing here?"

She grinned again. "You haven't figured it out?"

"No? I thought we were just getting dinner!"

"You'll get dinner," she reassured him.

"Everyone's being weird," he said.

Sienna laughed and looped her arm through his. "So you're ready to do this?"

"Okay, you're definitely in on this," Townes said.

"I was told you liked surprises!"

"I do… where are we going?"

"Inside there," Sienna said, gesturing to the wooden doors.

"Right now?"

"As long as you're ready," she replied.

"I'm ready."

"Okay." She squeezed his arm. Then, she led him towards the doors, where she knocked twice. A few seconds later, they swung open.

If Townes was surprised before, this time he was floored.

The room was long and narrow, with ceilings high enough that small balconies lined the walls, which were unfinished brick. Music was playing. Between the balconies someone had hung lights that cast a gentle glow over the room. There were two sections of chairs, one on the left and one on the right, both of them filled with people. Groups of candles lined the floor. Between the two chairs was a clear path to the end of the room, where someone had set up a small wooden arch woven with leaves and red flowers.

And standing under the arch was Esper.

On either side of him were Ryden and Rhylee.

As the doors swung open, the people sitting in the chairs turned around to look at him. They were smiling, too. He recognized them from school, work…

The pathway between the chairs wasn't a pathway. It was an aisle.

She squeezed his arm again. "Ready?" she whispered.

Townes exhaled. "...Yes. I am."

The guests stood, and Sienna started walking him down the aisle.

Townes locked eyes with Esper, who noticeably relaxed once they started making their way towards him. Esper had chosen one of his favorite black suits for the occasion and had forgone the concealer on his cheek that he still sometimes wore, which should have been a clue… or maybe not, Townes didn't know. How was he supposed to have seen this coming? Was this even real?

Esper smiled at him, and his heartbeat sped up in his chest.

This was real.

There weren't many guests, and the walk down the aisle didn't take long. Sienna brought him under the arch, between Esper and Ryden, and then assumed the empty place behind the pair.

Esper reached for Townes' hands, and Townes took them.

"Are you okay with doing this?" Esper whispered.

"Of course," Townes whispered back. "But also, what the fuck?"

"This way, it's… it's like we talked about," Esper said. "Ours."

"Oh."

(Theirs.)

"No one will know except for us," he said. "And I made everyone here sign an NDA. Just in case."

To this, Townes had no response but to pull him close and kiss him.

"Not to interrupt," Sienna said, "but usually you do that last…"

Townes and Esper broke apart as the guests chuckled. Esper grinned at him, his eyes crinkling at the corners, and Townes didn't regret the interruption one bit.

"I'll assume we're ready, then," Sienna said. "Welcome, everyone, to the private, non-televised wedding of Townes Zamoras and Esper Myrellis-Verilla."

She smiled. "I first met Esper about six years ago, when I was in sore need of a friend. Despite being in different districts, we managed to connect, and we started sending emails back and forth every day. And it wasn't long before those emails started complaining about someone named Townes."

Townes saw Rhylee crack a grin from where she was standing behind Esper. Esper rolled his eyes, but he was smiling, too.

"No matter what, though- no matter how annoyed he was or what was going on between them- the conversation would circle back to Townes. Without fail. Esper always kept me updated. There were the countless partner projects… the disaster of a first kiss…"

Townes winced. Esper squeezed his hand.

"...and then they started to figure things out. That summer, I finally met Townes in person, and I was able to see what all the fuss was about!"

The guests laughed.

"Even then, I had a good feeling about them. Sometimes you just know. And eventually, when I got a call from Esper telling me he bought a ring, I was very happily proven right. That brings us here, today, where we bear witness to the marriage of two of my closest friends." She smiled. "They may have begun as far from friends, but it has been an honor to see them build their relationship into something much stronger. May you have a wonderful life together. Now, let's hear from each of them, starting with Esper."

Esper squeezed his hand again. "Townes," he said. "We met during a very difficult time in my life. I had lost myself and didn't know how to find myself again. And there you were. I'll be honest and admit that at the time, your presence frequently… irritated me."

Townes grinned.

"But what I couldn't admit to anyone, including myself, was that you were helping me," Esper said. "You have always been there, even when I wished you weren't. You always told me the truth, even when I didn't want to listen. You always supported me even when I thought I didn't need it. You never turned away from me." Esper smiled, his eyes watery. "And then I fell in love with you.

"I don't know who I'd be today if not for you. I… I convinced myself, back then, that I was only good for loving. I had lost too much of myself, of my humanity, to be loved back. But then there was you, and you showed me that I was wrong, and I could not be more grateful.

"You are the best thing that's ever happened to me. You are kind and thoughtful and funny and strong and the love of my life. All I can do is try to love you as well as you've loved me. I will do my very best, but you've set the bar high as always. I love you. There is nothing I look forward to more than the rest of our lives together."

Esper looked up, blinking rapidly, and Townes squeezed his hands. Behind him, Rhylee brushed a tear off her cheek.

Sienna gestured to him. "And Townes."

Townes glanced at the guests, and then Sienna, and then Esper, and the guests again. "I, uh… was under the impression that I had a little time left to finish my vows… so this might not be as articulate as what we just heard.

"Anyway, um… this is the most insane thing that's ever happened to me. I still sort of can't believe this is happening. Like, no one told me? No one?" He looked over his shoulder. "Ryden, we're supposed to be best friends!"

Ryden smiled and shrugged.

"Go figure," Townes said. He turned back to look at Esper. "I guess, as I've been reminded several times today, that I do like surprises, and that's what you've been since the beginning. You have been nothing I expected you to be. You've always been much better.

"You've always challenged me and demanded better of me. Talking to you was always interesting, and I love talking. I didn't think you'd be as protective as you are, or devoted to so much beside yourself.

"But I think my favorite part about you is that you always make me feel safe." Townes' throat started to get tight, and Esper squeezed his hand. "I didn't think you could do that, but you can. There's no safer place for me than standing next to you. And I don't ever want to stop doing that."

Esper's eyes started to get watery again. Townes smiled.

"It's a very special thing to be loved by you," Townes told him. "And getting to be a part of a real family is everything to me. It means more to me than I know how to say. You've accepted me and cared for me, too.

"I- I just… I love you. You're the best person I've ever met. You're generous and loving and patient and handsome and a million other things I would list if I had time to write this out for real. I'm glad we don't have to wait two more weeks. Let's do this."

Esper blushed, and Townes grinned.

"Let's do this," Sienna repeated. Rhylee leaned forward and handed Esper a ring. "Esper," Sienna said, "do you promise, from this day forward, to have and to hold, for better or worse, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish Townes Zamoras until death do you part?"

"I do," Esper said, and he slid the ring onto Townes' hand.

Ryden tapped his shoulder and passed Townes a ring.

"Townes," Sienna said, "do you promise, from this day forward, to have and to hold, for better or worse, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish Esper Myrellis-Verilla until death do you part?"

"I do," Townes said, then took Esper's hand and slipped the ring onto his finger.

"Now, as I understand it's tradition in District Six, here is your penny-" Sienna pulled a coin from her pocket and tossed it- "and you may stomp on the penny and kiss the groom!"

The guests started clapping, and Townes laughed and smashed the penny with his shoe, reminiscent of flattening a penny on a train track. Esper followed suit before pulling him close and kissing him, hard. Townes closed his eyes and embraced Esper back, the ring still cool on his finger.

There was a part of him that doubted his earlier certainty that this was real, that still couldn't believe this was happening. This had to be a dream, right? This was too perfect.

Esper pulled back a little and rested his forehead on Townes'. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," Townes said. "I can't believe you."

Esper smiled. "Surprise?"

"You're insane for this."

"I know. But that's okay. I'd do it again."

"So would I," Townes said.

Esper laughed, and Townes couldn't help but kiss his cheek.

"Come on," Esper said. "I did promise you dinner."

"You did!" Townes remembered. He took Esper's hand, and together they walked back down the aisle, their friends and family standing and clapping as they passed.

Townes stole another glance at Esper as they walked. Esper was still beaming, his cheeks rosy and his eyes bright, his hand firm in Townes'.

His husband, now. This was real.

Townes smiled and walked with him, hand in hand, towards their future together.