⇹chapel

@Kim Donghyunᵒᵐᵉᵍᵃ ˗ˏˋ now playing: brkn love - like a drug ´ˎ˗

It’s impossible not to notice Donghyun stumbling to let the words out, but at least he managed to complete the sentence. The guests might assume he was holding back his tears of joy, unaware of the irony of that whole ceremony.

Hyeonjoong watched as he received the ring, his attention returning to his now husband after the officiant’s following words. He pressed his lips together, nervous not because of the kiss itself but because of the chance of Donghyun having a breakdown and running away. When the omega stepped towards him, he nodded briefly in relief, doing the same to close the gap between them.

His ringed hand moved up and gently rested against the side of Donghyun’s face. It was a fond touch to whoever was seeing from the outside, but also a reminder for the pregnant wolf not to turn away. A brief kiss followed, a peck that didn’t last more than a few seconds, and that was enough. It was the first kiss they shared and would likely be the last one.

Cheers filled the chapel; the ceremony was finally over. It had gone smoothly against all odds, which was a victory in itself. From now on, he had to make sure every day would be another unexpected victory.

Hyeonjoong linked his arm with Donghyun and led him out of the chapel, for them to be showered with grains of rice. A crying omega father hugged the newly-wed alpha and friends lined up to congratulate the couple. A session of pictures followed as the guests started to leave, back to their homes as they wouldn’t host a party. They were done keeping up appearances, it was then time to start figuring out their future together.

@Kim Hyeonjoongᵃˡᵖʰᵃ 　　⤿ ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: evergreen - pvris

　　The lies they had to tell were part of the act. There was no love lost between them, and most of the people in that room had to have known it. Maybe not the people who sat on Hyeonjoong's side of the church, but those in attendance on the omega's behalf certainly knew. No that it matters; Donghyun only lets his eyes linger on the ring nestled at the base of his finger for a moment before he moves to complete the ring exchange.

Even so, it feels as though it takes him far too long to force down the twist in his stomach and push out, "Kim Hyeonjoong, I give you this ring as a symbol of..." he falters, even if briefly. "...my love and faithfulness to you." Taking the ring from the officiant, Donghyun slips it over Hyeonjoong's ring finger.

And just like that, perhaps the worst part of the ceremony has arrived.

"Before these witnesses, you have pledged to be joined in marriage, sealed by these wedding rings. By the authority vested in me, I now pronounce you married. You may kiss."

Donghyun barely bites back his grimace. On a good day, he wants to be as far away from Hyeonjoong as possible — regardless of what his instincts dictate — and he certainly doesn't entertain the idea of touching the alpha. He feels nauseous, but he steps closer all the same. He doesn't want to let Hyeonjoong move first, afraid he would accidentally flinch away or something equally damning.

No one here needs to see how bad the damage still is.

@Kim Donghyunᵒᵐᵉᵍᵃ ˗ˏˋ now playing: breaking benjamin - breath ´ˎ˗

It must have been the first time the two fiances’ gazes met for so long. Hyeonjoong wondered when, if ever, looking at that pair of dark eyes would stop threatening to bring out the worst side of him. At the same time, being that close, Donghyun’s pregnant scent was so strong it was intoxicating. It was the same sensation as on the ultrasound day. A soothing feeling that was unsettling considering how much they despised each other. And even with dozens of people around in a relatively small space, Donghyun’s scent overtook any other. He was the omega who carried Hyeonjoong’s pup after all, so close to giving birth.

The next line didn’t come out as easily as the ‘I do.’ After staring at the ring that was handed to him for a few seconds - which felt like minutes from the perspective of the alpha - he finally spoke. “Kim Donghyun, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness to you.” At least he wasn’t lying about the faithfulness part. It was what they had agreed on.

Hyeonjoong held Donghyun’s hand and carefully slipped the ring on his finger. One more step of the ceremony had been crossed out. Now they had the most awkward moment waiting for them: the kiss.

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@Kim Hyeonjoongᵃˡᵖʰᵃ 　　⤿ ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: evergreen - pvris

　　Donghyun can care less about the opinions of anyone watching them. He holds Hyeonjoong's hands without a tremble or a quiver, without a flicker of hesitation that would give his brothers an opening to intervene. It's not their place, anyway. Donghyun wouldn't be here if he didn't have to be for the sake of keeping his child safe from her grandfather, and that decision — though debatable in how much of a choice it really was — is one he won't be going back on. Even if now, standing in front of Hyeonjoong, he feels like he's being crushed by the weight of said decision.

And it seems the alpha won't go back either.

"Do you, Kim Donghyun, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to live together in matrimony, to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, to have and to hold, from this day forward, as long as you both shall live?"

Donghyun doesn't hesitate, just like the alpha before him. He's resigned himself to this for a long time. "I do," he says, with finality.

There was a dead silence in the chapel before the officiant spoke again, like Donghyun’s side of the family — or perhaps both — had expected a rejection. Perhaps it was the black suit. Whatever the reason, the officiant didn't linger, instead progressing to the rings.

"Father, bless these rings which Donghyun and Hyeonjoong have set apart to be visible signs of the inward and spiritual bond which unites their hearts. As they give and receive these rings, may they testify to the world of the covenant made between them here."

@Kim Donghyunᵒᵐᵉᵍᵃ ˗ˏˋ now playing: sleep token - take me back to eden ´ˎ˗

The groomsmen and bridesmaids pairs finished their entrance and positioned themselves at their respective sides of the altar. The ring bearer and the flower girl - both invited by Hyeonjoong, the son of one of his cousins and the daughter of a friend of his - also made their appearance, and the cute way they scattered the flowers around almost made the groom forget the looming uneasiness in his chest. That was until Donghyun walked into the venue, in an all-black outfit that was clearly a statement. It was hard to hold back a sigh of disapproval, as the alpha would rather keep his matters to himself. His family, friends, their pack, and the community as a whole didn’t have to know they were as dysfunctional as a couple could be. In his mind, the omega was making a fuss, and that was yet another side of him he couldn’t stand.

At least the outfit was enough of a distraction for Hyeonjoong not to focus on who was accompanying Donghyun. If they had stared at each other long enough, their alpha’s instincts would make their blood boil, and any wolf at the chapel would sense the tension in the air. Luckily, their gazes only met briefly as Dongwook let go of his son’s arm, and the professor had a more important matter to focus his attention on. The song halted and the officiant was ready to speak.

“We are gathered here today in the presence of God to join Kim Hyeonjoong and Kim Donghyun in holy marriage,” said the man. “Do you Kim Hyeonjoong, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to live together in matrimony, to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, to have and to hold, from this day forward, as long as you both shall live?”

“I do,” answered the alpha, without hesitation. He had already made up his mind since the day they had agreed on the wedding. Now it was Donghyun’s turn.

@Kim Hyeonjoongᵃˡᵖʰᵃ 　　⤿ ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: take my nirvana - pvris
　　⤿ https://i.pinimg.com/564x/3f/df/db/3fdfdba572dab763df0ddd905efdabee.jpg

　　. . . after all of the choices taken away from him, Donghyun has one that he will not budge on: he refuses to entertain the thought of wearing a white suit to his wedding. When the cursed day arrives, he's in all black, like he's walking into a funeral instead of his own wedding — and there's no tie to be found. Even the threat of his father's wrath isn't enough to get him to put one on. In the privacy of his apartment, roommate nowhere to be found, belongings slowly packing away in his attempt to prepare for a new stage of life, his hands shake far too much to even put the damn thing on. An innocuous length of satin, but his stomach drops out from underneath him each time he sees it.

So he arrives without one, and he's stone in the face of Dongwook's seething, but his father doesn't do anything to him. Maybe he's aware of how thin the thread keeping his youngest son from snapping is. Maybe he's just planning the next way to torment him.

Donghyun doesn't have time to mull it over or care, because he has to take his father's arm and walk to his life sentence. He goes with chin raised and shoulders back, pulling what's left of his pride to the forefront despite how ridiculous it seems to be there, with family and Hyeonjoong's friends there to witness their union. Donghyun invited no one save for his family. There is no seat for even Hongjoong.

Dongwook gives him away like he's washing mud off his hands, and Donghyun doesn't bother to let it sting as he faces his fiance, face as impassive as he can muster despite his own humiliation.

@Kim Donghyunᵒᵐᵉᵍᵃ A few months had turned Hyeonjoong from single and not looking to engaged and a future father. The idea of getting married still felt surreal, yet he was there, waiting at the church while wearing a black suit. His parents were a few steps away, while his relatives filled the first rows of seats and his close friends waited for their turn to walk into the church as groomsmen. The face of his omega father was already puffy from crying, and others smiled brightly at him in expectation, but the groom himself was void of emotions. The decorations, the clothes he and everyone else were wearing, the red carpet: everything combined seemed like a set of a stage play, too distant to feel like reality. And the screenplay was written by no one other than his father-in-law, though a consequence of his own actions. ‘Do what must be done’ had been the motto that kept him moving forward since the marriage had been decided.

Finally, music started to play and the bustling church suddenly got silent, filled only by the rustling sound of people standing up and taking their phones out of their pockets. Hyeonjoong was the first one to walk down the aisle escorted by his parents. Innumerous cameras were aimed at his face along with eyes, from cheery gazes from his relatives to the piercing glares of Donghyun’s brothers. Finally, he guided his fathers to their spots and moved to the altar, from where he watched the groomsmen and bridesmaids walk down the aisle. His soon-to-be-husband and father-in-law would be arriving in a moment, which was enough to fill his empty heart with anxiety.