Chapter 1: Before Closing Time

"Hey, Sir! You again. Move over... let them pass."

The guard called out for what had to be the umpteenth time that morning.

A few hours ago, the older man hadn’t sounded nearly as impatient.

Right before the doors to the Marriage Bureau opened, he’d actually been rather helpful, patiently explaining the process to someone who’d arrived early, looked slightly lost, and was obviously there for the first time.

Well, the guard hadn’t been wrong about that.

It was Alexander Vance’s first time at the Marriage Bureau.

He’d been extremely busy over the past few weeks, but everyone involved had assured him that the paperwork and other requirements were already being handled. The only reason he’d looked confused that morning was that the people who were supposed to assist them were nowhere to be found.

Worse, none of them could be contacted.

Alexander had found that odd, but hadn’t thought too much of it.

This wasn’t something he’d wanted to pawn off entirely to other people anyway. Even the city’s elites still had to show up and personally register their marriages, so why shouldn’t they?

Dominic, however, had insisted that everything else be taken care of for them.

And look where that had gotten them.

Had the man simply listened, Alexander might’ve known about the one rather important detail no one had bothered mentioning.

He couldn’t enter.

Four hours after arriving, Alexander Vance was still standing outside the Marriage Bureau because, apparently, no one was allowed into the registration area unless both parties were present.

Both.

He remembered the repeated reminders from Dominic’s allegedly well-meaning aunts about how, "In our family, it’s tradition not to see each other until the day you get your marriage license."

He’d even raised an eyebrow.

"Auntie, isn’t that supposed to be for the actual wedding ceremony?"

Apparently not.

According to them, that was precisely what made the Sebastian family tradition unique. They simply observed it much earlier.

Earlier, his ass.

How could anyone in that family talk about doing things early when they seemed to suffer from a chronic inability to arrive anywhere on time?

At this point, Alexander couldn’t even blame the guard for getting annoyed whenever he accidentally blocked the entrance.

To be fair, the man had seemed genuinely concerned at first.

Couple after couple arrived, and all of them managed to satisfy the Bureau’s most basic requirement by doing one remarkably difficult thing.

Showing up together.

They entered the main hall despite arriving much later than Alex, while he remained outside, calmly explaining that he was waiting for his fiancé.

That was probably common enough. The guard had accepted the explanation and left him alone.

But that had been four hours ago.

As more couples filed inside, the guard’s occasional "Move over, Sir" gradually became "Is your partner nearby?"

Then...

"Have you tried calling him?"

And eventually...

"Are you sure he’s coming?"

By his fifth unanswered call, Alexander had stopped looking at his phone.

He certainly wasn’t going to stand there appearing worried while another procession of excited couples passed him on their way into the registry hall.

Most had dressed for the weather.

The women favored simple white dresses, while many of the men wore crisp long-sleeved shirts with dark trousers. Comfortable, presentable, and breathable enough for a hot day spent dealing with government paperwork.

Then there was Alexander.

Tailored suit.

Inner vest.

Polished leather shoes.

He was painfully overdressed.

Granted, he wouldn’t have minded if Dominic had arrived as agreed. At the very least, they would’ve matched in the photographs.

Instead, Alexander stood alone amid a sea of smart-casual couples while the afternoon heat slowly turned his expensive suit into a personal punishment.

And still, he waited.

Around him were all the little things people did when they were nervous about getting married.

One woman repeatedly fixed her fiancé’s collar, even though there was absolutely nothing wrong with it. Another couple argued quietly over who had forgotten a document, only to discover it had been inside the woman’s handbag the entire time.

Nervous laughs, clasped hands, and watery smiles filled the air.

Someone cried after coming back outside.

Her new husband laughed before pulling her into his arms, and that only made her cry harder.

Alexander looked away.

Under different circumstances, he probably would’ve found the whole thing amusing.

Today, it merely reminded him that everyone around him seemed to have remembered one important part of getting married.

Their partner.

Time passed, measured less by the clock than by the steady stream of anxious couples entering and considerably happier ones leaving.

Eventually, even the guard stopped sounding irritated.

The older man approached him again, but this time his voice was noticeably gentler.

"Son."

Alexander looked over.

"The Bureau is closing soon."

The guard hesitated, perhaps searching for the least embarrassing way to say what both of them already knew.

"I’m not sure what happened, but I think you ought to go home. You’ve waited long enough."

For several seconds, Alexander said nothing.

Strangely enough, he found himself grateful that the man’s eyesight didn’t seem particularly good.

Or perhaps his job simply kept him too busy to follow business news and celebrity feeds.

Because unlike several people who had passed by, and even some of the security personnel now waiting discreetly nearby, the old guard hadn’t treated Alexander differently after recognizing him.

Maybe he hadn’t recognized him at all.

That was almost comforting.

Because Alexander had spent the entire day deliberately ignoring the murmurs around him.

He’d still heard them.

"Isn’t that Alexander Vance?"

"He’s even more handsome in person."

Then came the inevitable recognition.

"Wait... wasn’t he engaged to Dominic Sebastian?"

And finally, the one Alexander had been trying very hard not to acknowledge.

"Do you think he got stood up?"

The whispers followed him even when he pretended not to hear.

Alexander checked the time.

A few minutes remained before closing.

One last call.

That was all.

If Dominic answered, Alexander would listen.

If he didn’t...

Well.

He hadn’t decided what came after that yet.

Alexander pressed the call button.

The line rang.

And rang.

No answer.

He stared at Dominic’s name on the screen as the call continued.

For one ridiculous moment, he almost imagined standing there until the phone rang itself dead.

Then the call disconnected.

No answer.

Alexander lowered the phone.

"Sir?"

The guard was waiting.

Alexander opened his mouth, probably to finally tell the man that he was leaving.

His phone vibrated.

He glanced down.

Not a message.

Not a returned call.

A notification.

Dominic Sebastian added a new post.

Alexander’s thumb remained motionless for a second.

Then he opened it.

A photograph filled the screen.

Warm evening light poured through broad windows behind two men sitting close together. One rested comfortably against the other’s shoulder, his expression softened by a small, contented smile.

An arm curved naturally around his waist.

Their fingers were intertwined.

Nothing about the photograph seemed posed.

That was perhaps the worst part.

They looked comfortable.

Familiar.

Like two people who had done this often enough that neither needed to think about where the other belonged.

The comments beneath the photograph were already multiplying.

Beautiful.

Finally!

About time you made it official.

You two look so happy.

Alexander barely saw them.

His attention remained fixed on one of the men.

He would’ve recognized that profile anywhere.

The familiar shoulders.

The dark hair.

The watch Alexander himself had given him on his last birthday.

Dominic Sebastian.

The man Alexander had spent the entire day waiting for.

Standing outside the Marriage Bureau.

In a suit Dominic had personally helped him choose.

Alexander stared at the photograph for a long moment.

Then his eyes dropped to the caption.

Only two words.

Always you.