“That was me complaining about catering.” But Viktor stood again, moved to the centre of the room. The music faded. People turned, attention shifting to the man in white who'd spent most of his life being the thing people feared instead of celebrated.
“I am not good at speeches,” Viktor began. His voice carried, Russian accent thick but clear. “I am better at other things. Breaking things. Building things. Making people nervous. But tonight, I try.”
Scattered laughter rippled through the crowd. Viktor's mouth curved. “When I came to London, I was angry man.Dangerous man. Man who thought violence was only language that mattered. I was wrong. But I did not know I was wrong until I met Sebastian.”
He looked at his husband then. “Sebastian is not like me. He is kind where I am cruel. He is patient where I am angry. He is soft where I am hard. He should have run when he met me. Should have seen danger and chosen safety. But he did not run. He stayed. He chose me. Even knowing what I was. What I am.”
The room was silent. Viktor's hands weren't quite steady. “I do not deserve him. We all know this. But he chose me anyway. And that choice, that gift, it changed everything. It made me want to be better. Not perfect. Just better. Just worthy of standing beside a man who sees good in world when I only see threats.”
He pulled in a breath. “So tonight, I make promise. To Sebastian. To everyone here. I promise to keep choosing. To keep trying. To keep being a man who deserves the gift of Sebastian's love. And I promise to protect this. To fight for this. To never take for granted that I get to stand here, married to best person I have ever known.”
He turned back to Sebastian. “You are my home. My safety. My reason for being better. Thank you for choosing me. I will spend the rest of my life trying to be worth it.”
The room erupted in applause. Sebastian stood, kissed Viktor, and the whole ballroom seemed to hold its breath for a moment before exploding into celebration again.
Viktor returned to the table, dropped into his chair, picked up his whiskey and drained it in one pull. “That was terrible, yes?”
“That was perfect,” Sebastian said softly.
“You are biased.”
“I'm your husband. I'm allowed to be biased.” Sebastian kissed him again, gentle. “That was beautiful.”
Viktor looked at me. “Dom? Honest opinion?”
“It was good,” I said.
“Just good?”
“It was yours. That made it right.”
Viktor smiled at me softly. “Thank you. For everything today. For standing with me. For being here. For being you.”
“It is nothing. I’m just here. That’s all.”
He grinned, poured more whiskey. “Now we drink. Now we dance. Now we celebrate because tomorrow we go back to the real world and tonight, tonight we pretend there are no threats. Just joy. Just us.”
Adrian appeared behind us, Luka beside him. “Speech was good,” Adrian said. “Surprisingly heartfelt.”
“You sound surprised,” Viktor said.
“I am surprised. Didn't know you had it in you.”
“I am man of many talents.”
“Hidden talents,” Luka added. “Very hidden.”
“You are both terrible friends.” But Viktor was smiling, relaxed in a way I'd never seen him. “Dom. Come. We dance.”
“I don't dance.”
“Today you dance. Is my wedding. You do what I say.”
“That's not how this works.”
“Is exactly how this works. Come.” He stood, held out his hand. “One dance. Then you can go back to being grumpy in corner.”
I looked at his hand. At his face. At the ridiculous hope in his expression.
