The second time, they’d brought Ronan, and he’d growled at anyone who came near them, and it had allowed Cameron and Jo to have a fantastic evening, filled with more fishnet, sequins, and lace than Cameron had ever dreamed possible. They’d tried to bring Christopher with them, too, but he’d begged off going to a club with his future boss, even though he’d never had any issues going with Emory.
That was another reason Jo and Christopher had ended up as Emory’s bridal party members. Both Emory and Cameron were hoping that, by the end of the wedding, they’d be best friends in the way Jo and Cameron had become.
“Look down for me,” Jo said, wiping off the remnants of Cameron’s failed attempts at eyeliner.
He’d begun wearing a bit of blush around the house and had even worn a subtle lipstick to a company event the previous month. This would be his first time doing anything to his eyes, though, and he really wanted Emory to like it.
“He’s going to like anything you wear, Cameron. Whether it be this gorgeous white suit or some mascara,” Jo murmured.
Cameron’s cheeks heated, and he did his best not to scrunch up his face. He hadn’t meant to say that out loud, but at this point, he was feeling so frazzled, he wasn’t sure which way was up anymore.
“Breathe for me,” Jo said as they picked up the discarded eyeliner pen. “That’s it. Nice long breath in…and now out.”
As Cameron’s shoulders sagged down and away from their near-permanent position near his ears, Jo quickly drew a line across Cameron’s left eyelid. When he breathed a second time, Jo did the same to his right.
“I don’t think we need to go crazy with mascara. Here, just blink against this once. Okay, now one more time… Perfect,” Jo said, lowering the mascara wand back down to the table.
“To be perfectly honest, I don’t think you need lip stain. You’ve bitten your lip plenty pink, and I think it’s just going to distract you. How do your eyes feel?”
Cameron blinked a few times and found he barely even noticed the light makeup on them.
“Good,” Cameron said, and he managed to muster a real grin for Jo.
Or at least, he thought he did. Jo pursed their lips and placed both of their hands on Cameron’s shoulders.
“It’s going to be great,” Jo said, and Cameron nodded absently.
“No, look at me,” Jo said, and they waited until Cameron stopped fidgeting with the sleeve of his jacket. He looked into brown eyes that were similar to but not quite the same as Emory’s. Jo’s eyes were almost honey brown, and they didn’t suck Cameron in. Instead, they were a steadying presence that Cameron could lean on, like resting against the sturdy trunk of a tree.
“Good,” Jo said. “Now, listen to me. You and Emory are already mated. You’re engaged, and literally all you have to do is kiss him, and you’ll be married. Even if some act of the gods or Mother Nature herself happens, and a sinkhole opens up, and you have to scramble across the fissure to get to each other, it literally just takes one kiss, and then you can go home together as spouses.”
Cameron snorted, but Jo’s face remained serious. “There is nothing left to worry about. The food has arrived, the flowers are arranged, the guests are being seated, and you look dazzling. You just have to walk down that aisle and let Emory take you in his big, alpha arms, and you’re good.”
His octopus stopped bouncing, his tentacles fanning out in a happy circle at the idea of being back in Emory’s arms. They hadn’t done the ‘don’t see each other the morning of’ tradition,but they had gone their separate ways almost four hours ago to get ready, and Cameron’s octopus was counting the minutes. Cameron was counting them too, but out of anxiety with how few there were left.
“I just…want everything to be perfect,” Cameron said, and Jo slid their hands down to grasp Cameron’s biceps. “I never thought I was going to have this. Any of this. Not a mate, or a husband, or friends, or such a big family.”
Jo made a yikes face, but Cameron shook his head with a soft laugh. “I’m serious! This is more than I ever could have dreamed of. You, Ronan, Shay, Christopher, Emory, Ariel, Corin?—”
Cameron gasped, and Jo had the good graces to at least lift one pierced eyebrow.
“Did the seating cards get put on the chairs? I really want Ariel and Corin to get to sit with Ba and Pa–”
“Yes, Cameron,” Jo said, their eyes somehow remaining kind even as they rolled up to the ceiling. “They are all seated in the front row, right next to Emory’s mother.”
“Okay…they’ve just done so much for us this year. I want to make sure they know how important they are to us. Just like you!”
Cameron would have thrown his arms around Jo, but Jo was still holding him in place. “Oh, you sweet boy,” Jo said softly. “You have done more for us than you could ever know. Just keep loving him the way you do and being there for him, even when it’s four a.m., and he won’t shut his laptop, or when he forgets his parents' wedding anniversary, and you have to drag him across town on the tram so he’s not late for dinner. You are a shining light in our family, and we’re so happy to have you.”
Cameron’s eyes began to tear up, and he frantically looked around for a tissue.
“The makeup is waterproof, but it’s probably best to be safe,” Jo said, grabbing a tissue and handing it to Cameron beforefolding up a stack of them and tucking it into Cameron’s breast pocket.
“Are you just about done?” Shay called, poking her head back into the room. She was wearing a navy-blue dress that matched Ronan, Jo, and Christopher’s suits.
“We should be ready to go. Is it time?” Jo asked, standing up and offering Cameron a hand up.
He took it and patted down his pockets to make sure he had his vows. He’d written and rewritten them so many times, he wasn’t sure if they were even in English anymore. His octopus may as well just come out and do a little dance, and that would probably convey his love better than anything he could write.
