A Clock Chimes Softly Twelve for Midnight
Written for @tarlosweeklyprompts Countdown to The Wedding #16: The Big Day (Wedding Day). It's the night before the wedding, and despite the traditions of their respective religions, TK and Carlos cannot bring themselves to spend the night apart. With Carlos's grief so fresh, so overwhelming, the boys spend the final hours before the wedding day taking comfort in each other, trying to help each other heal.
(Rated E)
The night before the wedding is a quiet one, soft as baited breath in the loft. TK cooks them a tasty, simple dinner, and Carlos returns from the market just as he’s plating it up, a jigsaw puzzle tucked under his arm, supposedly his only intriguing find of the day. TK’s eyes go to it, and from across the room he can make out the colours of the puzzle from its picture on the box. Blues and yellows. It’s birds, maybe, and TK opens his mouth to ask, but then doesn’t. The words turn to ashes when he meets Carlos’s gaze, finds his fiancé looking guilty, drawn into himself, shoulders bunched. He’s making himself look smaller than he is, right here in their home, so TK doesn’t mention the puzzle. He kisses Carlos’s temple and serves him dinner, reaches out to touch Carlos’s fingers across the table, and finds himself unable to pull away. They each eat their meal with one hand.
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