#i am manifesting their happiness okay

Wilde could hardly believe it.  It was years in the making, between the world falling apart, magic disappearing, and their various coping methods thereafter.  But now, there they were, he and Zolf, in front of their new house.  They weren’t staying in Wilde’s apartment anymore, no – this was theirs, together.

The crew of the Venga had helped build it.  There was no way Wilde and Zolf could build a whole house on their own, and, once Cel learned about a construction project, there was no way to keep them from lending a hand and taking over.  The kitchen counters had levers to adjust the height, depending on whether Wilde or Zolf wanted to use them, there was a lift to the attic, and Cel installed a strange cannon-like device that would fire a blanket at someone if they stayed stationary in the living room too long, since both Wilde and Zolf had a penchant for staying up late with their work and falling asleep there.

And now, it was done. Their furniture was in place, the walls had been painted, and the front door was open, waiting for them.

“Ready?”  Wilde asked.

It wasn’t as if they hadn’t already been inside while building it, but this was different.  This was their first proper entrance to the life they’d thought was out of reach for so long.

“Ready,” Zolf replied. “Come here.”

Wilde stepped closer, not entirely sure what Zolf had planned.  The curiosity didn’t last long, however, as Zolf immediately scooped him up into his lap, and then began to wheel his way down the front walk and through the door.

Once they were inside, however, Wilde didn’t abandon his position, and Zolf made no effort to remove him.  Instead, Wilde shifted so that he sat sideways in Zolf’s lap and was able to look him in the eye.

“I’m pretty sure that carrying someone over the threshold is something married couples do,” Wilde said, a smirk on his lips.

“Oh, I thought it was just when a couple moved into a new house together.”

“I mean, I’m sure it works like that too.”

Before Wilde could say anything more, Zolf casually added, “Well, when we get married, it’ll be your turn to carry me over the threshold.  Then we’re even.”

Wilde’s coy expression faded in an instant as his jaw dropped.  Some days he scarcely believed that Zolf had come back to him at all, and that he was still there, still with him after so much time had passed.  They still had their bad days, of course, and occasionally Zolf needed significant periods of time to himself, but he never disappeared so drastically anymore.  And he always came home.

It had been Wilde’s idea to get a house together in the first place, and part of him still feared that he pushed Zolf too hard with that, even though it had been a vague suggestion at best until Zolf started drawing out shaky designs.  He wanted Zolf to always feel welcome, and they needed a place that belonged to both of them, not just to Wilde, if that were to be the case.

But he never considered marriage.  Last time he thought about it was when he was a boy, before he started working constant overtime for the Meritocrats, before the world went to pieces, before they had to try and put those pieces back together one by one.  He was happy just to have Zolf in his life, someone that would hold him tight when the nightmares came back and who cooked him meals that were seasoned with devotion.

Marriage, though…

Wilde knew when Zolf was teasing, could recognize the glint in his eye and the faintest rise at the corner of his lips, but this was a sincere comment, said without hidden humor or prodding.

“You alright?”  Zolf questioned, shaking Wilde from his thoughts.

“Yes!”  He answered, a little too readily.  “Sorry, I just…”  He didn’t want to press this issue, but he couldn’t stop thinking about it.  “‘When we get married’?”

Zolf hesitated.  “Is that… bad?”

With a wide smile, Wilde breathed, “Not at all.  I didn’t expect it, though, I guess.”

“Yeah, it’s not really something we’ve ever talked about.  I don’t know.  It doesn’t have to mean anything.  I just… I’m finally thinking about my future, believing that I’ll have a future. And when I think about it, you’re always there.  It’s taken me a lot longer than it probably should have to realize it and allow myself to realize it, but… I want to stay with you.  And not for a couple of months, but as long as you’ll have me.  And if one day, you would want me as your husband, then…  Yeah, I want that too.”

Wilde couldn’t manage any words.  All he could do was bridge the little space between them and wrap his arms around Zolf’s shoulders.  He breathed him in and held him tight, so overwhelmed in the best kind of way.

“I would really like that,” he murmured as he drew back from the embrace, meeting Zolf’s nervous gaze and forcing him to look at him.

“It’s not like we have to do anything now,” Zolf added.  “We still have things to unpack.”

Wilde chuckled.  “Always the pragmatist.”  After a pause, he continued, “You’re right though.  We should get settled here first, and then maybe we can talk about marriage again later?”

“Yeah.”  Despite himself, Zolf smiled, a contagious sight to Wilde.

“Besides, you know I have to put on an extravagant proposal.  A simple chat simply won’t do,” he teased, and Zolf let out a laugh.

“Of course you do. Now, get off my lap before you crush what’s left of my legs, you insufferable…”

He couldn’t finish his joking retort.  Wilde removed himself from Zolf’s lap, but Zolf stopped him soon after by gently grabbing his hand.  Instead of more teasing, he spoke again with sincerity.

“Thank you, Wilde.  For being there for me.”

“Always.”

“I want to be there for you.  I haven’t always been, but I want to be better.”

Wilde bent down so that he could press a kiss to Zolf’s knuckles.

“We’re both still working on it,” he replied.  “We both still have our bad days.  You wheel off, I throw myself into my work.  But what matters is that we sort it out together, yeah?”

Zolf smiled and gave Wilde’s hand a squeeze.  “Yeah. Together.”