𝚛𝚘𝚘𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚢𝚘𝚞

𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐞𝐫 adored by 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐢

[milcnahq]

rhettfm​:

he grunted in both agreement and dread  .  the first one  ,  because regardless of most people there already being familiar with the way rhett was  ,  that didn’t stop them from gathering around all at once the moment the ceremony was over like someone would get a prize for congratulating them first  .  the second one  ,  but he knew that that didn’t hold a candle to whatever was coming next with a reception that was still ahead of them before they were able to call it a day  .  without even knowing at first why milena was moving away  ,  his brows furrowed and he let out a breathless complaint  ,  his lap suddnely feeling too cold and too light without the comforting weight of milena’s body pressed against his  .  he let his eyes follow her moves  ,  too captivated by the girl to even realizing what she was fetching  .  a soft smile took over his lips once she was sat on him again  ,  one of his arms immediately wrapping around her waist to keep her close  .  “  you look gorgeous  …  ”  he repeated the phrase he had first uttered once milena had reached the end of the aisle and had stopped in front of him  ,  his smile never faltering even as he rolled his eyes lovingly at the girl as she replied to his comment  .  “  it’s a little too late to fight me on it  ,  babe  .  that’s why they say to speak now or forever hold your peace  …  now you gotta suck it up and deal with me until we die  .  ”  he chuckled lowly  ,  only growing at her following words  .  “  you’ve been calling me my full name a lot today  ,  milena theodora barlowe  .  “  he hummed teasingly before pursing his lips to kiss her back  ,  reaching for another kiss for good measure before actually pulling back  ,  leaning against the back of the couch they were on  .  he thanked her under his breath before opening the water bottle  ,  emptying one of them in just a couple of gulps before setting it aside to turn his attention to the snacks  .  he frowned  ,  reached for the trail mix and tossed it away like an entitled kid  -  which he was more often than people would think  -  “  that has raisins  ,  what spawn of satan would add raisins in anything  ?  ”  rhett sighed and shook his head like it was the biggest disappointment before he reached for the chocolate covered almonds  ,  eating one before offering one to milena as he moved it closer to her lips  .

each time rhett complimented her, her cheeks turned a light pink and her heart skipped a beat like it was the first time she’d ever heard the words in her life, and this time was no different. a shy smile on her lips, milena brushed off the skirt of her wedding dress as she jokingly played off, “in this old thing? i just put on the first thing i saw this morning.” turning more serious, she leaned in for a soft kiss, murmuring, “you’re pretty handsome yourself, you know.” the brunette laughed as she lightly shook out stray wisps of hair to the sides of her face, “i don’t want to fight you on it! you’re stuck with me till the end of time. i hope you know what you signed up for.” she gave him a warning look with wide eyes, as if he hadn’t already dealt with her highest highs and lowest lows --- been there to hold her when she fell into uncontrollable sobs, and somehow dealt with her craziness, especially when she had a couple too many glasses of wine with friends. she knew there were few stones unturned between them at this stage, but it didn’t stop her from being scared that there would be a breaking point one day, when he woke up and regretted waking up next to her. but, today of all days was not the day milena was letting her irrational fear of rhett leaving her win. she was ecstatic to be seated on his lap as his wife, the reflection of the light off his new wedding band catching her eye every so often. “it carries more weight,” she reasoned with a quiet giggle, “it really drives the point home when i use your full name.” her smile widened at the name he used for her -- milena theodora barlowe. “now that’s a good name,” she teased, only slightly joking. she went ahead and opened the packet of cookies as he drank his water, absentmindedly reaching up to wipe a corner of his lips when he finished. “hey!” she laughed mid-bite as the bag of trail mix went flying. “what if i wanted that?!” she had no particular yearning for it, but it was more amusing to make a fuss out of nothing. “if only your opponents knew they could take you down with raisins,” she said in jest, lips parting instinctively when rhett’s hand drew closer with food. the brunette accepted the almond carefully to avoid getting any remaining lipstick on his fingers, offering him a tender smile before she returned the favor with the second half of the cookie between her fingers.

[milcnahq]

rhettfm​:

rhett furrowed his brows in thought  ,  not because it wasn’t  ,  he could’ve predicted the outcome of that visit almost as the offer of going was leaving his lips  .  anyone with two brain cells would know there was really no other way to end the day for the pair after the emotional roller coaster they had been on  . still  ,  even as the dog was solely focused on rhett while he absentmindedly scratched the top of his head  ,  rhett’s attention was on the brunette next to him  .  “  do you want one  ?  ”  he asked a little more serious  ,  because they both knew that it had never been a matter of convincing him  .  “  you know how i feel about drool and saliva  .  ”  he said with a small face  ,  shaking his head a little but before finally turning back to the puppy  ,  who had seemed to calm down a little once rhett had started giving him affection  ,  his head resting on the male’s thigh  .  

“a kiss? always,” milena joked, knowing he wasn’t responding to what she had said and, instead, was asking about the little one, given how her expression probably gave away instantly how infatuated she was with the puppy that already seemed attached to rhett’s side. regardless, she exaggeratedly pursed her lips and leaned forward to wait until he returned the action. sitting back once she received her kiss, the brunette looked down at the golden, her heart melting at the way he leaned on rhett. maybe they wouldn’t ever have a human baby, but right now, it felt like this puppy could come as a close second. “i know, and a puppy means training...” she added quietly, torn as she reached out to stroke his fur. “but i think i do want him,” milena admitted with a momentarily scrunched nose as she looked back up at rhett. “is that bad? will you hate me? we have the space, and teddy and batman would love him, and...” she shrugged, unwilling to voice the thought that he could be the only baby they took care of together.

[milcnahq]

rhettfm​:

“  oh i am  .  you’re always gonna be walker  ,  i just figured that if there ever was a day to make an exception  …  ”  he trailed off  ,  even when it was obvious what he meant  .  he figured there would never be a shortage of people who’d call her by his last name now  ,  especially when she had decided to take it without keeping her own  ,  but he also couldn’t avoid the warmth that spread through his chest whenever he thought the actual fact that  ,  completely umprompted  ,  milena had decided to fully take his last name  .  rhett let her take a hold of his hand  ,  looking down at where their hands met and her soft fingers traced his finger  .  he couldn’t help his own lips breaking into a grin as he heard her giggling  ,  it feeling like watching a kid who sees a rainbow for the first time  .  he could watch milena just existing for the rest of his life and live happy  ,  and the realization that he would get to do just that hadn’t been lost on him  ,  even if he wasn’t giggling just as his now wife was  .  he hummed as he thought about milena’s question  ,  even when the response to it might have felt obvious  ,  there were countless layers of feelings he’d only share with the girl sitting on his lap  .  “  a little dizzy  …  ”  he started  ,  just now feeling like he wasn’t hearing the echoes of all the people cheering and clapping around them just a few minutes before  .  “  thirsty and hungry  .  ”  rhett listed  ,  and it wasn’t a surprise that out of everything that was awaiting them on the other side of the door he was pretty much only looking forward to the food  .  he brushed milena’s hair away from her shoulder  ,  nuzzling her neck slowly  .  “  just the right amount of turned on  .  ”  he murmured against her skin with a grin before gently sucking below her ear  .  the action lasting just enough before he pulled away to look at the girl  ,  cupping her check with his hand  .  “  pretty damn satisfied with myself  .  do you know how long i’ve been waiting for you to be my wife  ?  ”  he teased lowly  ,  pressing a soft kiss against her lips  .  

unable to stop herself, milena beamed as rhett spoke because any reminder of what had just happened, that she was now a barlowe, was all it took to get her to radiate joy. her dark chocolate orbs fixated on the band around his finger. that small space had been empty for so long. even when they’d gone to get their rings fitted, she hadn’t thought about the day when suddenly, he would be wearing a ring from then on. and while it was just a piece of jewelry at the end of the day, it signified his commitment to her -- a physical representation of their relationship, the vows they’d made privately -- and it lived on his finger now. it was overwhelming to think about, despite the fact that her left ring finger had been occupied for quite some time now. her heart skipped a beat as she continued to trace the band absentmindedly, only tearing her eyes from the view when he spoke. “yeah, there was a lot happening back there,” she agreed quietly in agreement as she subconsciously ran her fingers through his hair. it had been a lot of stimulation for her senses, and she was much more social than rhett was to begin with. her eyes scanned the room at his next answer, quickly landing on the congratulatory gift basket the venue had left for them. she landed back on her feet, standing off of her husband’s lap to grab the first snacks she saw from the basket -- chocolate covered almonds, a small packet of cookies, and a bag of trail mix -- and bottles of water. she hummed softly as she returned to his lap, head instinctively tilting to the side to let him access her neck as a small smirk grew on her lips. the brunette’s cheeks flushed as she let him guide her gaze to him, still blushing like a girl with an undying crush on her high school sweetheart when he said things like that. “i still don’t get it, but i won’t fight you on it,” she murmured honestly, nuzzling her cheek against his palm ever so slightly before accepting his kiss. she wasn’t just being modest. she truly couldn’t understand to this day why he wanted her, but she had learned to stop questioning it. after all, she was the real winner here with rhett becoming her husband. “i love you, rhett griffin barlowe,” she promised as she pressed another kiss to his lips, lingering for a moment before pulling back enough to open a bottle and hand it to him as she laid out the snacks in her lap. “what do you want first? it’s no dinner, but maybe it’ll help until we get out there,” she reasoned.

[milcnahq]

rhettfm​:

“  i call bullshit  .  ”  he hummed  ,  because he was perfectly capable of dragging it on all day if necessary  ,  but at the same time not adding anything else because he also knew better than to keep poking until he reached the sore spot  .  so instead he rolled his eyes  ,  obvious enough for milena to see as he sat down next to her  ,  and then used his hand to take a hold on the girl’s face and squeeze her cheeks together  ,  pressing a soft kiss on her now pursed lips  .  “  you know perfectly what you’re doing  .  ”  he murmured softly  ,  because more than a game at the moment  ,  it was a widely known fact there was very little rhett would say no to if milena was the one asking  .  considering his attention was on the girl  ,  rhett noticing the dog and him jumping to lick his face happened all at the same time  ,  causing rhett to jerk his head back with a small face  .  “  i’d prefer no kisses though  .  ”  he exhaled  ,  but reached anyway to scratch the dog’s head warmly  .  “  i told you i was adorable  .  ”  he added with a grin of his own  .

milena’s eyes narrowed slightly, not enough to imply that she thought he was serious. after all this time, she knew what rhett thought of her, and that he likely  wouldn’t be with her if she was a hollywood diva, but her expression was still enough to border on being offended at his insistence. the danger of nearing a bad mood was only broken when he squeezed her cheeks, causing milena to giggle and pucker up for what she knew was coming next. “well, is it working?” she asked lowly back with slightly arched brows before their attention was pulled back to the energetic dogs around them. “oh come on! i think the little guy deserves a kiss or two,” she smiled endearingly as she watched the puppy clearly focus on rhett, something she couldn’t blame it for. “yeah, yeah, whatever you say,” she teased with a wave of her hand, though the smirk on her lips gave away that she most definitely agreed. “i don’t think he’s going to let you leave without him,” the brunette warned with a bright laugh, only half joking.

[milcnahq]

rhettfm​:

🕒 🕒 🕒 🕒 🕒 🕒 🕒 🕒 🕒 🕒

to be honest  ,  he wasn’t sure if he would be able to recall the ceremony in a year  ,  or five  ,  or ten  ,  or even the next day for that matter  ,  but what he did know for a fact was that he would always remember meeting milena’s gaze from the other end of the aisle  ,  the way her eyes crinkled slightly as she said i do  ,  and how her smile widened just seconds before he was able to press a kiss against her lips  ,  the applause around them deafening to the point it was mostly just white noise  .  all the people that had come up to them before they were even able to walk away from their spot  ,  greetings and congratulations rhett nodded to  ,  while paying little to no attention  .  the second the pair was able to walk into an empty room it was like gasping for air after having his head underwater  ,  like his brain could finally stop working on autopilot of going through to motions of social convention and finally pay attention to the only person he wanted to pay attention to  .  he took off his jacket and sat down  ,  a smile curling his lips without him being able to do anything about it once his eyes turned to see the brunette with him  .  he had never been much to pay attention to fashion  ,  and he would always believe milena to be gorgeous no matter what she wore  ,  but there was something about her in her wedding dress   -  perhaps her own perception of herself in her wedding dress  -  that had taken his breath away without fail every single time his gaze locked on her since the beginning of the ceremony  .  “  mrs  .  barlowe  .  ”  he called lowly  ,  voice deep and warm as he extended his arm to offer her his hand  ,  already adorned with the golden ring on his finger  ,  and he tugged on her gently the moment she took a hold of his hand  ,  wrapping his other arm around her waist and leading her onto his lap  .  rhett pressed a kiss on her temple  ,  closing his eyes and humming lowly as his breathing slowed down  ,  even if this was only the temporary calm before the storm that was yet to come in the form of the reception he couldn’t avoid  .

no matter how much milena tried to savor every moment, things were a blur from the adrenaline, excitement, and pure euphoria of the ceremony. they had made it. not just through the engagement, but all the years of their relationship --- they had made it through the hardest parts when they had to watch their every move, through her damning insecurities that had gotten the best of her too many times, through an actual separation that she hated thinking about, and through a second chance that she still wasn’t convinced she deserved. but against all odds, they were here, married, promised to each other, and she wouldn’t want it any other way. caught up in her own thoughts of gratefulness and surrealism, the brunette stopped in her tracks the second they were inside the suite she’d requested they could have for themselves as a space to catch their breath when they needed a quiet moment to soak in what this day was. a wide grin emerged on her face at hearing her new name from rhett’s lips. “thought you said you were gonna stick to calling me walker,” she teased, completely in jest when she couldn’t hide how happy it made her to know she was now officially and forevermore mrs. barlowe. without second thought, she slipped her hand into his, immediately noticing the feeling of the new band on his finger as they made contact, and let him lead her towards him as she left her heels behind. milena settled onto her husband’s lap, an arm wrapping around his broad shoulders as she hummed at the feeling of his lips against the side of her head. quietly, she looked down, reaching for his left hand and pulling it into his lap. slender fingers traced the ring on his finger slowly, like if she went any faster, it would vanish into thin air. “we’re married,” she whispered at first in disbelief, almost immediately bubbling into quiet giggles as she looked up to find rhett’s gaze again. “we’re married!” she repeated, a little louder with more emphasis. “how do you feel?” she asked, a genuine question given she knew a ceremony where he was the center of attention wasn’t exactly his cup of tea, but also simultaneously joking as if there were any other acceptable emotion than overjoyed at the moment.

[milcnahq]

rhettfm​:

“  well at least we know where teddy got her attitude from  …  ”  he trailed off  ,  only a slight hunt of amusement in his tone to indicate that it was all in jest  .  mostly because the same way it could be argued that milena spoiled teddy into being a little diva  ,  it was very easy to point out how rhett also went out of his way to spoil milena whenever it was possible  ,  and if he could go back in time he’d do it again every single time without a second thought  .  he sighed  ,  rather dramatically at that  ,  as he took milena’s hand to sit down on the floor next to her  .  “  you know exactly what we agreed about  .  ”  he pointed out  ,  it wasn’t like they didn’t have space  ,  but at the same time something about three dogs sounded like a lot to the male  .  “  and you know exactly what you’re doing with your face  .  ”  he added  ,  because if milena was easily disarmed by the puppy’s little face  ,  rhett didn’t stand a chance against milena’s  .

milena glared at him, feigning offense with furrowed brows. “i don’t have an attitude!” she argued back, despite knowing he was just poking fun at her at this point. still, after a lifetime of knowing people expected her to behave one way before even meeting her simply because of her family, it was second nature to defend herself. the brunette smiled triumphantly when he took her hand, pulling gently to get him to join her on the floor. “mm, i don’t think i do,” she played dumb with a growing grin for the purpose of teasing rhett. she followed up the second statement with an innocent shrug in his direction just as a second dog came leaping up to the now seated pair, a young golden retriever no longer a tiny puppy not quite grown either. “oh my gosh, you have a new fan!” milena laughed, an endearing expression on her face as she watched the dog reach up to try and lick rhett’s face.

[milcnahq]

rhettfm​:

he couldn’t help a soft chuckle  ,  shaking his head slightly as he looked down for a second  .  “  i hope holly found the good  ,  waterproof stuff  .  ”  he teased back  ,  resting back against the door as he heard milena read her own vows  ,  causing him to close his eyes with a small smile on his lips  .  it didn’t matter whatever milena said about his vows  ,  and in a way  ,  it didn’t matter what milena thought of her own  .  because at the end of the day milena was the only person in the world who could tell when rhett wanted to leave a place with nothing more than a glance at him from across the room  ,  milena was the only person who could get him at ease with a smile  ,  the only person who’d ever heard him sing to his heart’s content and ever see him cry in his entire adult life  .  and to him no amount of words would ever be able to make justice to the way he felt for her  ,  to explain accurately why it was her and not anyone else  ,  why he was  hopelessly, irretrievably in love with her  ,  despite and because of everything in their life  .  “  okay  ,  come on you little rascal  ,  open up and give me that hand already  .  ”  rhett chuckled  ,  moving forward again so his own weight wouldn’t push the door open if milena opened it  .  he had never been the type of guy who expected to get married  ,  he didn’t go around life waiting to meet the one  ,  but he had also never been the type to was running away from committment  ,  or who on his wedding day would be shaking with cold feet  ,  but that didn’t kept him from feeling a wave of warmth the moment he saw milena’s delicate hand sneaking past the cracked open door  ,  wasting no time to engulf her petite hand with his larger  ,  rougher one  ,  letting his thumb brush her knuckles beofre intertwining his fingers with hers  .  “  you are the love of my life  .  ”  he murmured  ,  because even if to him it went without saying  ,  even if milena knew he was the type of guy who didn’t need to say it  ,  rhett knew she was the type of girl who need it to hear it   …  she was the type of girl who deserved to hear it  .  “  everything i am  ,  everything i have is yours  .  forever  .  ”  he promised  ,  turning her hand slowly to press a kiss on her open palm  ,  letting silence hang for a couple of seconds before humming  .  “  see you out there  ?  ”  he asked with a grin  ,  like he was asking if he’d met her at a party or an event instead of their wedding  .  “  i’m gonna be the ridiculously dashing guy at the end of the aisle waiting to make you his wife  .  ” 

with a soft chuckle and one last wipe (for now) under her eyes, milena remarked truthfully, “she did and i still don’t think it’ll be enough.” unlike her fiancé, she had always been the emotional one, wearing her heart on her sleeve and letting her feelings generally come out transparently. even when she was guarded, it was hard for her to fight back tears once they formed, a known fact now in the relationship. smiling, she straightened her back off the door and turned slightly towards it, waiting a moment as she heard him shuffle on the other side before pushing the door open just enough to slip her arm through the crack. the familiar warmth of his palm against her own sent an immediate wave of relief and comfort through her body. the touch’s effect was instant, especially when it felt like they’d been apart for longer than she could remember them having to deal with since she’d returned from tour over a year prior. whether or not it was physically possible, it felt like her heart grew in her chest at rhett’s words. even as they sat here on their wedding day, she couldn’t believe he’d fallen in love with her, that she was, as he claimed, the love of his life. her dark eyes instantly welled with tears again -- happy, of course -- as she gave his hand a subtle squeeze subconsciously. “i love you with my whole heart, rhett griffin barlowe,” she murmured quietly, head propped against the pane around the door so her soft voice could still carry to him even when she was still hidden behind the wood. out of habit, milena hummed softly as she felt his lips against her palm, eyes shutting for a moment in pure ease. “and i’m yours, forever. no matter what, we will always figure it out,” she responded thoughtfully, each word chosen intentionally and as a promise. her gaze fell to her vows now sitting in her lap as she sat in comfortable silence with rhett, still processing that this day was here, that by the end of it all, they would finally be officially married. it felt like a new, highly anticipated chapter was on the verge of beginning, while simultaneously thinking it was about time they got through the formalities because they were already married in every other sense of the partnership. rhett’s voice drew her back out of her thoughts, sparking an instant smile on her lips. “see you out there,” she agreed with a small nod, turning her hand in his to give it a light squeeze when she remembered he couldn’t see her, “i’ll be the one in all white, counting down the seconds until you’re my husband.”

[milcnahq]

rhettfm​:

“blasphemy  ??  where is the lie  ?”  he asked raising a brow at the brunette  ,  an exaggeration  ?  for sure  ,  but even when rhett tended to lean towards the dramatic in the never ending war he had unofficially declared against the spoiled little dog  ,  he was confident that he could still say he wasn’t lying about the way teddy had easily established herself as the alpha dog where his dog on the other hand had completely let her  .  without even realizing rhett looked away  ,  not because he didn’t find absolutely endearing the way her eyes widened and her lips pursed almost without realizing  ,  but because he did  ,  and he knew what it’d meant for the two of them if he looked at her  .  “  the problem is not looking at the  …  smoosh  .  ”  he clarified  ,   shaking his head to himself  .  “  we agreed  .  ”  he tried to sound as stern as possible  ,  which was very little already  .

“everywhere, the lie is everywhere!” milena replied instantly and emphatically, a flourishing wave of her hand for added dramatic effect even though she had witnessed teddy’s behavior since they moved into rhett’s home full-time for herself. “look at us!” she pouted harder as he looked away, pushing her cheek closer to the puppy’s face like she was personally offended that he would look away in this moment. “i don’t see what the problem is,” she teased as she finally turned her head to look directly at the dog, an endearing smile spread across her lips as she cupped its face and ruffled its fur behind its ears. “agreed about what?” she asked, feigning ignorance despite having brought up the promise that they would not be leaving with a dog herself back in the car. looking back up at rhett, she reached out a hand that she silently encouraged him to take so she could pull him down towards her, “just come play with him for a little! that’s all!”

[milcnahq]

rhettfm​:

“  well  ….  sometimes you gotta do things you’re not exactly thrilled to do because it’ll make someone else happy  .  that’s marriage  ,  isn’t it  ?  ”  he hummed  ,  though of course  ,  the actual feeling was way more complex than that  .  he had felt forced to do it  ,  for the sole reason that he knew  ,  despite how much milena tried and failed at conceiling it  ,  that if he didn’t she would be disappointed  .  and rhett cared enough about the girl to care whether she was disappointed or not  ,  enough to actively try to avoid that feeling for her  ,  and if caring about someone enough that you put them before your own comfort is not loving them then he didn’t know what love was at all  .  “  they are  !  that’s where your heart is  ,  right  ?  ”  he objected with a grin in his face  ,  clearing his throat seconds later  .  “  now  ,  are you gonna let me read this things or what  ?  ”  rhett tried again  ,  resting his head against the door  ,  the only sound being the ruffle of a sheet of paper as rhett got it from inside his blazer  .  “  i know that no matter how hard i try i’m never gonna be able to write some poetic and romantic vows  ,  and i realize that vows are much like a contract in a wedding  ,  so no metaphors  or rhymes here are mine  :  i vow to keep reminding you that wine is not an acceptable substitute for water and that you need at least 3 meals a day  ,  but i still will always have wine at home  .  i vow to never get out of bed without giving you a kiss  ,  even if you’re sick  , and tell you i love you every night before bed  .  i vow to pretend i’m not annoyed when i find giant mounds of hair in the most unlikely place after one of your giant detangling sessions, or just simply finding smaller ones that have broken free on their own literally everywhere  .  but i vow to never raise my voice at you  ,  no matter what  ,  but i will never lie to you either  .  i vow to always make time for you  ,  and be there whenever you need me to be there  , whatever the timezone and for whatever reason  .  i vow to never watch the great british bake off without you  .  i vow that i will choose you every single day  .  but i see these vows not as promises but as priviledges  :  because i get to care for you and share with you  .  i get to be there for you and support you  .  because you could’ve chosen anyone but you chose me  ,  and helped this poor man find a purpose  ,  something i never thought possible. because when i see you  ,  i see my family  ,  when i hear you  ,  i hear my heart, and when i’m with you i’m home  .  i vow that i will be yours for as long as you’ll have me  ,  and even after that  .  ”

“i suppose it is,” milena replied softly, feeling a wave of love for rhett still mixed with an apologetic weight that he had ultimately done something he flat out didn’t want to for her. she loved him dearly for it, for always putting her and her desires first, but this was one thing that she’d tried to let go, and he’d seen right through her. “yes, okay, i’ll shut up,” she obliged, adjusting in her seat to lean against the closed door. if she couldn’t hold his hand or stand in front of him when they exchanged vows, she was at least going to try and get as close to him as she physically could even with a literal barrier between them. she waited with bated breath at the sounds of rustling paper and rhett clearing his throat. some parts made her chuckle, but it all made her smile, only broken when she bit her bottom lip to try and stop the tears that wet her eyes as he continued. her heart swelled as she listened, unable to believe how he could love her so much but grateful that she got to experience it and be his wife. “wow, okay...” she breathed out, sniffling as she dabbed at the bottom of her eyes carefully. “i thought you said they weren’t going to be poetic and romantic,” she half teased, really poking fun at herself for getting so teary so quickly. waving her eyes dry as best as she could, she reached into her dressing gown pocket for her own handwritten sheet. after another pause to collect herself with a quick deep breath, she started to read: “rhett, to say you’re the love of my life feels like an understatement. it’s an inadequate phrase when you are the love of my world, my universe, and my life a million times over.” milena’s voice cracked as more tears flooded, forcing her to take another quick breath to work up the ability to continue without crying. “you are my soul, my heart, my home, my everything. our love is greater than i can fathom in one lifetime, and i promise to never let a day go by that i don’t show you that love, tell you i love you, and remind you of how loved and special you are. i know i can be difficult to deal with, but i promise to do my best to bring you the joy and peace you deserve. you have done nothing but support me from the day we met, even when it means we are apart for too long, and i vow to support you in whatever you want to do for the rest of our lives. i vow to make sacrifices, to compromise, and to work with you each and every single day because you are all i want. you are all i need. and i promise to give you what you need, to listen and learn from my mistakes, and to be by your side through the best days and the worst. i promise to respect your boundaries and try not to push too hard, and i also promise to be there, whatever you need, holding your hand from near and far. i can’t promise i’ll get it right every single time, but i vow to never stop trying. because being with you and being your wife is now my ultimate dream come true, and i can’t believe i get to live my dream with you. thank you for loving me. thank you for choosing me. i will always choose you and i can’t wait to be your wife for the rest of my life.”

[milcnahq]

rhettfm​:

“  and i mean every single word i just said  ,  fight me about it  !  ”  he challenged  .  on one hand  ,  it was clear as day for anyone who spent an hour at their place that rhett didn’t dislike the dog nearly as much as he made people believe  ,  her underbite would always be ridiculous and he would never take that back  ,  but he didn’t hate the dog  .  on the other hand  ,  he had gone on national talk shows and fearlessly had made it know how much he didn’t like her  ,  so it also wasn’t like he didn’t mean it  .  “  i call bullshit  !  ”  shook his head  ,  because to him the small dog could be a lot of things  ,  but a sharer had never been one to him  .  “  i don’t know what you mean  ,  i’m bloody adorable  !  ”  he scoffed  ,  but adorable was easily the last adjective anyone would use to describe the boxer  .  “  hey  ,  we talked about this  ,  no pouting  !  ”  rhett shook his head the moment he saw milena with the puppy  .  

milena narrowed her eyes at him playfully, as if her petite self was actually considering taking him up on the challenge. of course, there was no way she could or would ever seriously fight rhett. “this is rude! blasphemy!” she declared instead with a flourishing wave of her hand before she turned back to the puppy getting comfortable in her lap. “not as adorable as this little guy!” the brunette cooed, cupping the animal’s face as she leaned closer to the dog. despite rhett’s warning, she turned her head up to look at him with an even more dramatic pout. “but look at this smoosh!” she whined, her cheek pressed to the top of the dog’s head as her own eyes unknowingly widened into a pleading expression along with the jutted bottom lip.

[milcnahq]

rhettfm​:

“  why easy there  ,  walker  …  your modesty is showing  .  ”  he teased sarcastically  ,  considering it’d be easier to read into the fact that she was tecnically the girl he had chosen to spend his life with  ,  though he’d be the first to admit that was easily the best decision he had ever taken in his life  .  “  well that’s not that bad  ,  that’s the sole reason i’m marrying up  .  ”  he hummed  , the teasing joke not lost in his voice  .  it was no secret that milena was the one who held the celebrity status out of the two of them  ,  media had never even batted an eyelash about his private life until they found out about him and milena  ,  his fans belonged to a very specific niche and it was rare to find someone genuinely into boxing who didn’t belong in it  ,  but even with all of that rhett had already started to enter the phase were he got to be picky with his matches  ,  where he won substancial amounts of money and people would gather to watch a 20 minutes match  .  “  of course it has everything to do with it  ,  you know words aren’t exactly my thing  .  ”  he hummed  ,  he wasn’t scared milena would critize his vows or anything like that  ,  but it didn’t change the fact that while milena was a pro at putting her feelings and thoughts into words he had always been more of an actions kind of guy  ,  that the sole idea of trying to put his feelings for the brunette on paper at all felt at times physically painful  –  not because he’d do it reluctantly  –  but because he didn’t know how to do it  ,  it always felt like no sentence he was able to put together would be able to accurately describe his own thoughts  .  rhett hummed as if he was thinking over her request  ,  it would take some manouvering for them to be able to sit holding hands without getting a glimpse of each other  ,  but he rarely was one to say no to the brunette  ,  and their wedding day was most definitely not the day he was planning to  .  “  that depends  …  ”  he started  ,  though his lips curled into a smirk even before he finished the sentence  .  “  do i get to grope a boob  ?  ”  he asked teasingly  ,  the juvenile question pulling a chuckle from him seconds later  .  

milena’s cheeks flushed instantly, shaking her head even though the action was futile. “that’s not what i meant!” she replied defensively, despite knowing rhett was just kidding too. he knew her better than to think she suddenly had let her ego get the best of her. “i just mean you have made good choices. you’re successful and i hope happy, and... have a good life, i think, with or without me,” she explained quickly. naturally, she much preferred his life with her in it, and while they were sitting here on their actual wedding day, she still believed that he could live the life he wanted without her. it would be selfish of her to stand in his way if that was the life he chose. “mm, my dad did always warn me to steer clear of gold diggers,” she hummed back as if she was seriously considering the consequences, the teasing smirk on her lips practically audible in her tone of voice. “i know,” the brunette acknowledged softly. their difference in communication styles had caused them to butt heads numerous times throughout their relationship, especially at the beginning, when she had to learn to interpret his actions first and foremost and he had to learn to verbally share with her. “i guess that’s why i thought you meant you didn’t want to write anything at all,” she admitted, wishing even harder that she could physically wrap her arms around him. she paused briefly, brows furrowing as she suddenly tried to recall previous conversations about their vows. milena knew she hadn’t done the best job of hiding her disappointment about not exchanging vows during the ceremony, but she thought she’d at least somewhat convincingly accepted that they wouldn’t be. “you didn’t feel forced to write something, did you? i’m sorry if i made you feel like you had to do this for me when you didn’t want to. i didn’t mean to...” her voice dwindled, the heightened emotions of the wedding day only accelerating her unnecessary worries about pushing rhett too far. her eyebrows raised slightly at the start of his answer, only to end with an eye roll and laugh. “rhett!” she whined, though she shouldn’t have expected anything else from her fiancé, “vows are supposed to be romantic.”

[milcnahq]

rhettfm​:

“  that dog is 110% diabolical  !  ”  he called  ,  an exaggeration by a lot but then again  ,  denying the dog was a menace in the first place was also an exaggeration in his book  .  “  tell that to my dog whenever he lays on the floor because she decided to take his dog  ,  which mind you  ,  is ridiculously big for her  .  ”  it was his turn to shake his head feigning disappointment in the girl  .  regardless of his size batman had never been an aggressive or even a territorial dog  ,  so it was easier that you’d expect for teddy to push batman off his bed if she wanted to lay on it  ,  something rhett could easily relate to regarding his tiny fiancée  ,  who was also a lot bossier than she gave herself credit  .  rhett couldn’t help but smile as he saw milena immediately taken by the puppies  ,  that was the point of course  ,  but he couldn’t help be both amused and endeared all the same  .  “  that i am  ,  thank you for noticing  .  ”  he teased her  ,  lightly tapping his foot to the puppy that had entertained himself with the laces on his shoes  .  

“watch yourself, barlowe!” milena clicked her tongue as she pointed a finger directly towards rhett, leveled up to meet his eye level. “that’s my baby you’re talking about!” she shook her head, like she was instantly deciding his arguments were wrong even though she could picture the exact scenario that he described. “she would share if batman wanted to! it’s not like she’s kicking him out!” she protested on her puppy’s behalf before turning her attention to the dogs surrounding her as she stooped closer to their level on the ground. even while distracted by their excitement and adorableness, milena shot a glance back at rhett at his comment, rolling her eyes playfully. “i guess you can be pretty cute, too,” she quipped back before checking the ground behind her to make sure it was clean, then landing cross-legged on the floor. one puppy in particular leaped straight into her lap, causing milena to coo loudly and pout as she held the pup close.

[shelly-johnson]

Camila Mendes in Riverdale 5x13 “Reservoir Dogs”

[milcnahq]

rhettfm​:

“  i don’t meant to brag but i’ve been known to make good choices every now and then  .  ”  he teased  ,  even when he would be the first one to say that he only seemed smart by comparison  …  because his friends were dumbasses  -  and he would say it with love he’d try and fail to conceal for the people he’d chosen to surround himself with  .  “  that’s what i thought  .  ”  he chuckled to himself  ,  humming as if considering the idea at all when she threw his own question back at him  .  “  i feel it’s just a little bit late to elope now  .  ”  he decided  ,  making it clear even if leaving was a tempting offer  ,  he wouldn’t even entertain the idea of going anywhere without milena  ,  and more than a matter of timing regarding the event that had been in the works for months now  ,  he knew milena deserved better than him wanting to keep things as small and private as possible  .  and he was willing to push through his comfort zone as much as he needed to as long as milena got the wedding she had envisioned  .  he furrowed his brows ever so slightly  ,  even when he knew perfectly why milena would’ve thought that based on the conversaiton they had when it came up  ,  but he was also very aware that he had been very clear about his words when he said them  .  “  i said i didn’t want say them in front of the guests  .  ”  he pointed out  ,  leaving the implications of his clarification hang in the air just enough for milena to catch it  .  “  i never said i wouldn’t write you any vows  …  though i’m no songwriter so i get if you don’t want me to read them  .  ”  he hummed  ,  knowing for a fact  ,  because he knew the girl  ,  that his vows could be a complete disaster  (  as they probably were anyways  )  and milena would taken them for something better than they really were  .  

“you’ve done alright for yourself, barlowe,” milena quipped back with a half grin on her lips, though he couldn’t see her on the other side of the door. she couldn’t help but let out a small laugh at his observation, dark eyes glancing around the bridal suite that she’d spent the majority of the day in. nothing about this pointed towards an elopement. everything was carefully planned, meticulously curated, and, she hoped, resulted in a culmination of the best representation of both of them. despite knowing a big party wasn’t exactly rhett’s preference, after everything they’d been through, she liked to think today would be the celebration they deserved. “just a little,” she agreed softly, adding jokingly, “that catering deposit was no joke.” milena listened carefully, trying to recall the exact conversation they had had at this very venue months, maybe even over a year, earlier. knowing fully well that he was a man who picked his words carefully, she knew to believe him --- but she had also been convinced that it meant there would be no vows. of course, she had written hers for him. that had always been the plan, as she’d made clear in that very conversation, but to think he had sat down at some point without her knowledge to write out something for her made her heart swell. “i thought that meant you didn’t want to write any...” she admitted quietly, still unable to hide the disappointment in her voice at that thought even when she literally knew better now. “no!” milena jumped in quickly, “of course i want you to read them. being a songwriter has nothing to do with it. i just want to know what’s on your mind... are you going to read them now?” she paused, feeling her heart quicken and race in her chest despite not having anything to be nervous about. she’d been ready for this moment since falling in love with him four years ago. she just hadn’t contemplated it would happen like this, when she wasn’t even expecting it at all anymore. “can i open the door? just to hold your hand. i don’t want you to feel so far away when we say our vows.”

[milcnahq]

rhettfm​:

he narrowed his eyes in a clear expression of not believing her words  ,  even when he pursed his lips naturally to kiss her back and he wasn’t actually contemplating going against her  .  “  if you say so  .  ”  he hummed  ,  more of a joke than anything else  .  if he had to humor any insecurities he preferred to keep buried deep as soon as possible  ,  he sure as hell wasn’t gonna dig them up for a shelter of puppies  ,  even if they were more of a competition for milena’s attention than any man she had ever bee involved with could ever be for him  .  he had never been someone to compare himself to others  ,  not in his line of work and most definitely not in his relationships  .  “  are you kidding  ?  we don’t need another dog being bossed around by your little menace  .  ”  he shook his head  .  a dramatic comment sure  ,  but it was still ridiculous to him to see the tiny dog whenever she decided to take over batman’s bed to see his big dog laying on the floor instead  .  still  ,  he couldn’t help laughing at milena’s childlike excitement  ,  glad that if he couldn’t ease milena’s worries regarding their future family  ,  or lack of  ,  at least he was able to take her mind away from it for at least a while  .

her jaw dropped, an exaggerated response to his comment that did have an underlying truth to it. “excuse you! teddy is not a menace!” milena argued, hitting his forearm lightly as she shook her head, feigning disappointment in rhett that he could speak about her dog that way. “she doesn’t boss batman around, she just wants to play with him!” she explained, like it made any difference or could change rhett’s mind at all. the brunette kept her eyes narrowed in his direction for a moment longer before turning to the space where the shelter kept their dogs. a smile spread on her features as she let go of her fiancé’s arm to crouch down towards the animals, arms outstretched for whichever puppy leaped towards her first. “hi, babies, aren’t you all the cutest,” she cooed in an automatic baby voice that seemed to emerge without thought around animals. she swept her hand over each dog’s coat, giggling quietly as she did her best to dodge puppies getting too close to her face.

[milcnahq]

rhettfm​:

“  i mean  …  it was either that or killing them afterwards and i figured today of all days was not the day to kill your best friend  .  ”  he teased  ,  resting his head against the door  ,  feeling somehow thicker just for the sole fact that currently it kept him apart from the brunette on the order end  .  “  i’m fine  …  at least so long as elena doesn’t find out i’m currently sitting on the floor  .  ”  he added with another deep chuckle  ,  knowing he wouldn’t hear the end of it from his stylist if she realized he was already dressed and currently sitting on the floor of one of the hallways  .  “  can’t a man just come sit outside the room of his future wife  ?  particularly when she’s been methodically kept away from him for over 24 hours  ??  ”  he argued with a small grin  ,  mostly because while it wouldn’t have been his personal preference to follow along with those particular traditions  ,  he also wasn’t gonna fight the women in his life who insisted it was something that just needed to be done  .  “  haven’t felt like jumping out the window yet  ?  ”  he joked lowly  ,  “  if you need to let me know and i’ll get you a car out the back in a couple of minutes  …  ”  he only half teased  ,  though a bit of a dark thought to entertain in their wedding day  ,  it was a fact of life that if milena said at any moment she wanted to leave the venue he would make sure she would be able to  ,  whether it was with or without him  .  “  but i’m sure faye has already said something along those lines at last 5 times by now  .  ”  he said  ,  even when he wasn’t close with the girl  ,  he couldn’t deny he’d come to know her well enough  ,  the disclaimer milena has made when they first met that the blonde was like a sister to her proving to be true up to this day  .  “  but then i guess that would make me sitting here with my vows on my hand really bloody awkward  .  ”  rhett teased  .  

“oh yeah, you made the right call there,” milena played along, nodding as if he could see her and she thought he was serious about the decision. she laughed lightly, her hand dropping from the knob as she slowly sank to her knees to mirror rhett from the other side of the door, sitting on the floor pressed against the door. the combination of his voice and words --- hearing him call her his future wife, knowing that they could drop ‘future’ modifier in just a matter of hours --- calmed the brunette instantly.  “a man can come sit outside the room of his future wife,” she hummed back in response, turning so she faced the crack of the door, like that would solve the literal obstacle currently between them. “i know, it sucks. i’m sorry,” milena sighed quietly. while she had been just as insistent about him not seeing her today before the ceremony, especially not in her dress, spending the night apart hadn’t exactly been her wish either, but so came the territory with traditional parents and older relatives in town on both sides. “no, have you?” she asked, laughing slightly because she was still aware that this whole pomp and circumstance wasn’t exactly rhett’s cup of tea. considering he hated the attention, she wouldn’t be surprised if he did think about leaving out the window -- as long as it wasn’t to avoid getting married to her. “i’m not going anywhere,” she promised, putting more earnestness behind her words like she was still subconsciously making up to him for the one time she did actually leave years prior. “she did, but she also knows better and knows i don’t plan on going anywhere except up that aisle to marry you,” she replied, then froze, blinking once, then twice, as she repeated what he said in her head. “your vows?” she clarified as she lifted her head from resting against the door to stare at the surface like she suddenly had x-ray vision. “i thought you weren’t writing any... that you didn’t want to say them,” milena spoke methodically, trying to understand what rhett meant when she had just spent the better part of their time engaged silently working on coming to terms with only saying ‘i do’ at the altar without personalized vows.

[milcnahq]

rhettfm​:

“  yeah  ?  haven’t gotten absolutely tired of me yet  ?  ”  he asked with a grin  .  not like he thought milena would ever be the type who’d walk away from a relationship because she was tired of all things  ,  however  ,  that didn’t really change th ugly truth that people fell in and out of lov every single day  ,  and thinking that was something that would never happen to them in a lot of ways felt like tempting the universe to prove them wrong  .  “  no  ,  don’t even try it anymore  ,  there’s nothing you can say now that’s gonna convince me otherwise  .  ”  he argued  ,  even as he ate his ice cream like he hadn’t been the one to put the option on the table for her to choose  .  “  hey don’t look at me  ,  i’m not the one who pulls out the literal puppy dog eyes whenever is around them  .  ”  he said with a pointed raised of his eyebrows as he parked the car so they could get out  .  that didn’t keep him from hooking his pinky with hers  ,  something that at this point came to him like second nature  .  “  so you better keep in mind we’re here only to see the dogs  .  ”  he warned back at her as they made their way to the entrance of the building  .

“not even close,” milena assured him with a smile, lips pursing as she leaned across the center console between them in the car to peck his lips. holding back a giggle, she conjured up a pout in response, knowing it was the one thing in her arsenal that she could rely on when she did need to convince rhett of something. “you are more than enough to cheer me up, honey, you know that,” she pleaded still with a teasing tone despite the truth in her words. the brunette gave an innocent shrug, a look on her face that read that she simply couldn’t help herself of what he said. “because they’re so cute!” milena reasoned as she stepped out of the car, walking around to the front and reaching her hand out for rhett’s as they met in the middle. “i’ll just think of batman and teddy. they wouldn’t know what to do with another dog at home,” she nodded, as if it were a perfectly logical explanation when the two dogs had more than enough room to share. her eyes lit up as they walked inside, the faint sound of barking from the back already reaching her ears. “we’re so close to puppy time!” she smiled excitedly, subconsciously giving rhett’s hand a squeeze.