I stood at the altar, my hands trembling slightly as I stared at the man waiting for me at the other end.

Michael.*

The man who had somehow become my best friend, my safe place, and the love of my life all at once.

*The soft melody of the piano echoed through the church while sunlight streamed through the stained glass windows, painting the white floor with shades of gold and blue. Family and friends filled the rows of seats, their faces blurred by the tears gathering in my eyes.

This was it.*

The moment we had spent years dreaming about.

Unlike many stories, ours wasn't rushed. There were no grand schemes, no arranged marriages, and no impossible circumstances forcing us together.

We chose this.

Every single part of it.

Five years ago, Michael had walked into my life carrying nothing but an awkward smile and a terrible pickup line. Somehow, despite my better judgment, I stayed.

Five years later, here we were.

Half a decade of memories flashed through my mind.

The late night phone calls that lasted until sunrise.

The countless dates that ended with us getting lost because neither of us knew how to follow directions.

The arguments that seemed like the end of the world at the time but only taught us how to understand each other better.

The mistakes we made.

The lessons we learned.

The days when loving each other felt effortless and the days when it took work.

Through every challenge, every disagreement, and every obstacle life threw our way, we stayed.*

Not because our relationship was perfect.

But because we chose each other over and over again.

And now, standing here, I knew with absolute certainty that I wanted to keep choosing him for the rest of my life.

The priest smiled warmly as he opened the marriage book.

His voice carried clearly throughout the church.

"Do you, Michael, take Y/N to be your lawfully wedded wife? To love, honor, and cherish her for as long as you both shall live?"

I looked at Michael.

His eyes were already fixed on me.

The way they always were.

The corners of his lips lifted into a smile that instantly made my heart race.

"I do."

The answer came without hesitation.

Without doubt.

Without fear.

Just certainty.

A fresh wave of tears threatened to spill from my eyes.

The priest turned toward me.

"And do you, Y/N, take Michael to be your lawfully wedded husband? To love, honor, and cherish him for as long as you both shall live?"

My chest tightened.

Not from nerves.

From happiness.

The kind that felt too big to fit inside my body.

I smiled through my tears.

"I do."

A few sniffles sounded throughout the church. Someone in the back was openly crying.

Probably my mother.

The priest nodded with satisfaction.

"Then by the authority vested in me, you may now..."

He didn't get to finish.

Michael suddenly stepped forward, his grin growing wider.

"Fuck the bride."

The entire church fell silent.

For exactly one second.

Then chaos erupted.

My maid of honor nearly choked.

Several guests burst into laughter.

Someone dropped their phone.

The priest looked horrified.

My father looked ready to throw Michael out of the nearest window.

Meanwhile, Michael stood there looking far too proud of himself.

I stared at him in disbelief.

"Michael!"

"What?" he asked innocently.

"You know that's not how it goes!"

"I know," he said, completely unrepentant. "But I've been waiting five years. I think I've earned the right to be excited."

The laughter only grew louder.

Heat rushed to my face while Michael laughed at his own joke.

And despite my embarrassment, despite the scandalized expression on the priest's face and the horrified look from my parents, I couldn't stop myself from laughing too.

Because that was Michael.

The love of my life.

The idiot I had chosen.

The idiot I would keep choosing.

For the rest of my life.

"Mr. and Mrs. Nightshade.."