Oh shit, we did it. Sorry for the delay, but here's the epilogue.

Thank you to everyone who's read this far, and thank you to everyone who's been with us for the journey. It was a super fun, depressing ride for us as writers, and we hope it was too for you readers.

Thanks again, Finn and Ciaran out.

Eliisabet was 67 when she saw her son get married.

She didn't know what it was about this milestone that made her wonder just what she'd missed. If she could - maybe - put her pride aside to try and reconnect with him. Maybe it was just that after so many bad decisions, his life seemed to be on track. Despite marrying that awful Cooper man, maybe she could be proud of him one day.

All he needed was some guidance. And discipline.

She knew what she knew about the last fourteen-odd years through Layla, bumping into her at the supermarket. Neither was exactly fond of the other. She supposed Layla had more right to hate her than she would have liked to admit to herself, but it wasn't as if Eliisabet was totally in the wrong. Logan was the boy who ran feral the way he did; that Cooper woman had no right to criticise her. She'd only been raising Eduard to behave.

It wasn't like her to crash a wedding. Maybe when she was young and stupid she would've turned up somewhere unannounced, but 50 years did a lot to a person. She'd been worn down. Sometimes she felt nostalgic, but mostly she was embarrassed. She'd been so childish once. Anton, for all his flaws, had at least sanded off the edges in that respect.

She stepped inside. It was a small, tacky reception, but everyone was laughing and joking. Eduard was dancing with that Cooper man, and Eliisabet had never seen him smile like that. She couldn't particularly remember him smiling, let alone in a truly happy way. He'd always been such a serious child. She couldn't picture him, even then, running wild with Logan. Layla said he was just more comfortable in his presence. That was probably a jab at her parenting. Layla had a lot of those.

She watched him for a moment. He parted from Logan and grabbed Layla by the hand, spinning her under his arm and laughing.

Maybe she was the one Eduard felt comfortable around. Should Eliisabet be jealous of how her son looked at another woman? Layla hadn't given birth to him, hadn't raised him, not really. He hadn't lived with her until he was practically an adult. But Layla was getting all the credit, all the wedding invites, all the family Christmas cards.

Of course, Layla was the one Eduard ran to when he was acting up. The one who coddled him through every bad decision. She had ruined him, let him think things were fair, fostered all the naivete he had until it got the better of him. Of course she was the one he invited. Eduard was easily led.

No wonder he ended up in hospital. Eliisabet didn't even know what that was about, but she suspected it was that stupid Densen man. She'd warned Eduard about him. Or maybe it was Cooper. Or Eduard's own terrible decisions. Either way, she'd said it was no good, that he could never be happy with a man. There was something unnatural about it, and the gays would never be happy going along with their nonsense. She normally wouldn't think about it, but Eduard seemed determined to fetishise being with men. And where did that get him?

Except he looked overwhelmingly happy with Logan. Happier than Anton had ever looked in all the time they'd been married. She told herself it wouldn't last, and stopped thinking about it.

He glanced back at him, still dancing with Layla, the brightest smile on his face. Tino was there too, drinking at his table. She hadn't seen her nephew in even longer, and he didn't look happy to see her. He was the first in the room to spot her. He fixed her with an icy look, then got up, tapping Eduard on the shoulder and whispering something in his ear. Eliisabet wondered if she should leave.

But then they met eyes. His smile dropped, like she would hit him if he kept it. He swung Layla into her husband and excused himself for a moment.

He was letting his emotions show. The boy was horrified, disgusted, a little scared. Then his face twisted into a scowl. Logan touched his shoulder, asked him a question, but he brushed him off, storming across the floor like a tornado in a tuxedo.

He'd grown, or maybe he was just shorter in her memories. He towered over a lot of the room, but the way he carried himself almost made him look smaller. There were ugly little raised scars on his face, none longer than her fingernail, but enough of them to make his whole face look ghastly. He really ought to have done something about them, especially if he was getting married. Nobody wanted to look at that.

"Eliisabet," he said in a stiff voice. It stung, hearing him call her that. Deep down, she missed being his "Ema", but there was no way she would say that. Especially when he was choosing to be so disrespectful.

"Eduard," she said, just as frosty.

"What are you doing here?"

"It is your wedding. Your parents are supposed to be at your wedding."

He raised an eyebrow. "I didn't invite you."

"Well, why didn't you?"

"Why would I? You never turned up to anything else Mrs Cooper and I told you about. And more importantly: I don't want you to be at my wedding ."

"Why does that matter? I should've been invited, as should your father." Not that Anton would have shown his face. He missed his son, but would never admit it, not even at gunpoint. She'd still seen his glances at the one photo they kept out of him, a school photo. And she knew he was keeping the graduation photos Layla sent, hidden away somewhere after claiming he'd torn them up. Aside from the occasional rant about washing his hands of the boy, Anton never spoke of him.

"This is my wedding. I'm inviting people I love. You don't- you don't fit into that category."

"Am I not good enough for you? I did everything to keep you happy. And you aren't an easy person to keep happy.

Eduard wrinkled his nose; he wasn't going to be persuaded this time. "You did nothing to keep me happy; you didn't care if I was happy. Or eating. Or safe. To be honest, I think you preferred it when I was miserable."

"You always were ungrateful. You know how hard it was to be your mother? I did everything I could."

"You didn't do shit."

"I raised you. And you're throwing it all back in my face."

"You've been leaving me to fend for myself for as long as I can remember. You threatened me not to tell anyone because you knew it was wrong. You took every opportunity to make me feel like shit, you punished me for doing anything I enjoyed, you only cared about how smart I was, how quiet I was, how I made you two look, and you threw me out of the house when I wasn't good enough for you and your impossible standards."

"And it made you-"

"Shut up. Shut the fuck up. You were my parents. You were the only people I had in the world until I met the Coopers. I could've died so many times, and all you and Anton would've cared about was how right you were."

"And we-"

"Eliisabet," Eduard said firmly, "I don't want to hear it. You're too late. I don't even believe you're at all sorry. I don't know what you want from me - money, an organ, a verbal punching bag, I don't care. You're not getting it. I mean, where were you when I graduated? When I went to hospital? Twice, actually."

"I didn't-"

"Don't give me that. I know you know. I almost died and you couldn't even be bothered showing your face." He shook his head then waved her away. "And you know what? I'm glad. The last thing I needed was you acting like I was just doing it for attention, or whatever."

"Eduard-"

"Just go. Alright? I don't want you here. If you wanted to be a real mum, you should've started when I was a baby."

Eliisabet glared at him. "That is no way to-"

"Go. Before I call security."

Eliisabet reeled at that. She hated not being the one in control. "I am your mother, Eduard."

"I have a mother, and she was never you."

Eliisabet made a face like she was sniffing curdled piss, but backed down. She could bully Eduard all she wanted, but she would never plead with him. She turned around and walked out the room. Behind her, she heard Layla comfort him. She heard all the sharpness drain from his voice as she told him she was proud. What had he ever done to deserve her pride?

Layla was 52 when Eduard became her son.

No, that's a lie. He always had been.

Layla was 52 when Eduard became her son -in-law. And she couldn't have been more proud of her boys.

After standing up to Eliisabet, Eduard went back to Layla for another dance, brushing off her concern and pride alike. He seemed to have shrunk into himself a little - she always got under his skin - but once he started dancing with her, he became himself again.

He was doing that a lot now, becoming himself. His real self, not back to that scared kid Logan had dragged in all those years ago. Eduard talked to her about his life, what he was hoping to do in the future. Marry Logan, adopt the children, get a promotion, or even start his own business. He could do what he wanted, he told her. Logan insisted that his life wasn't over once he reached his thirties. Layla laughed at that.

"I could build you a website for your art," he told her, "or set you up on some of the existing sites, but they'll want a share of the profit."

"You think I could? I'm a little old for all that computer stuff."

"Never too old to learn. I'll set it up for you, and I'll show you how to do it all by yourself," he awkwardly patted her arm, and she hugged him in return.

"I'm proud of you, you know?" she told him, "I always have been."

"I mean, I haven't done anything pride-worthy," he mumbled. "I never got into Cambridge, I would have lost my job by now with all my days off if I wasn't skirting by on talent alone, I'm a messy, mentally ill disaster, I-"

"So? I'm proud of you. You're a wonderful young man."

Eduard looked like he was going to cry. "Really?"

"Really. I couldn't imagine a better person for Logan."

"Even…?"

"Well. Huna was good for him too. But you've always been like a son to me." She patted her chest. "You've always had a special little place here."

Eduard grinned. "I'm gonna tell them you said that."

"Oh, please don't." She looked up at the ceiling. "I'm sorry, Huna!"

They laughed, Eduard leaning on her shoulder. "I miss them. I mean, not as much as Logan does - he still gets sad about them a lot - but they were a good friend."

She nodded, a grim smile on her face. "They were always so easygoing with the family, you too. Now that I think about it, you've both always tried so hard to be part of the family, and you were all along."

"When did you start thinking of me as…" Was it too forward to say-?

"My son?" Layla supplied. Eduard nodded. "I mean, you were always welcome, and after a few visits, I was already thinking of you as "one of the family" but then I found out about your parents and, well, I knew life was gonna be rough for you. I knew you needed someone behind you. And if that wasn't going to be me and Logan - both of them, that is - who would it be?"

"I don't know where I'd be if you hadn't. Probably still with Gunner or something." Or dead. He laughed but they both knew he meant it.

Layla took his hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "How is it all? How's therapy?"

"Good. It's actually been really helpful. Still a lot of days where… yeah. But mostly not as bad as… like, even a few months ago."

"I'm so proud of you, you know that? So proud."

Eduard nodded, and finally burst into tears.

"Oh no, oh, my baby, are you okay?" Layla was immediately up to hold him. Eduard clung to her. Layla smelt like home almost as much as Logan did. She smelt of the Coopers' house - paint and freshly-made bread and the flowers Layla kept in a vase she'd let Logan and Eduard paint when they were little.

"I'm fine, mum," he sobbed, "I just- I love you. So much."

"I love you too, Eddie. You're a wonderful young man."

Jānis was 26 when he met a strange man.

He was outside smoking his way through an anxiety attack when the tallest human being he had ever seen awkwardly scooted up next to him. Jānis wasn't sure whether or not to acknowledge him. He coughed. Jānis offered him a cigarette.

The man took it and thanked him. "Is this Eduard Mets's wedding?"

Jānis nodded.

"Right, right," the man handed him a parcel. "Wedding present. Can you make sure he gets it?"

"Don't you want to go in and give it to him yourself?"

The man squirmed. "We're… not on the best terms. And his husband told me to never bother them again."

He narrowed his eyes. "You're not his ex, are you? I've heard people talk about what happened. He was in hospital."

"Not his ex, no. I just… I did some bad things. I want to make it right. Properly, this time."

Jānis looked at him, frozen. He'd done bad things to Eduard, then? Should he refuse the man's request, then? But what if he got upset? What if he got angry? What if Eduard got upset that he'd refused to take the present? Maybe he should not mention it to him. But then the guilt would eat at him for the rest of his life.

The man made a face. Guilt? Remorse? "Please," he insisted, "I really am sorry. I- I know he won't want to see me, but - please - give him this."

For some reason, Jānis wondered if it was a bomb. Was he that sort of man?

"Who are you?"

"Lars," he gave a cough, "Lars Mooren."

He wasn't Gunner, at least.

Jānis squinted. "Alright, I'll give him your present."

Lars broke into a smile - slight but relieved. "Thank you."

"You're sure I'm not going to get told off? I'm not being your messenger if it's going to get me told off."

"You're a grown man, you're probably not going to get told off." He squinted at him and looked him up and down. "You- you are a grown man, right?"

"I'm just short," he assured him.

"Sorry."

"I get it all the time." Jānis stubbed out his cigarette. "See you around?"

"See you around."

He came back inside, clutching the present. Eduard and Logan were deep in conversation with someone's distant relative. Eduard was clinging to Logan, looking down at him with more love than could be contained in one man. Scared to interrupt, Jānis stood there, attempting to be in Eduard's line of sight, with the box in his hands. Eventually, he was noticed.

"Jānis!" Eduard smiled and wandered over, "you doing okay?"

He nodded, awkwardly thrusting the package into his hands. "From a… Lars?"

Logan and Eduard exchanged a glance.

"Where the fuck is he?" Logan grabbed Eduard's arm protectively.

"Uh… he was outside. You know him? Tall guy?"

"Was? Where is he?" He flexed, looking around and making sure to keep as close to Eduard as possible.

Eduard stepped in front of him. "Hey. Baby, we're not getting into a fight at our wedding, alright?

"But-"

"No. This is our night. Not his. We got a present out of it. Let's just leave him alone."

Logan opened his mouth, but his face softened. "Fine. Sorry."

"No, no, it's- it's okay. But I've been sober a good while, I don't want him to fuck that up. Let's just take the present and carry on. Okay?"

Logan nodded. "Okay. Sorry baby. You're right." He reached up, kissing his forehead with a great deal of difficulty. "It's our day."

The whole time, Jānis was stood there with the present, feeling like shit. "So… do you want this, or…"

Eduard smiled at him. He wasn't quite reassured. "Sure, give it here. Might as well get something out of him."

He wondered if he should open it there. Seemed better to get it out of the way, rather than put it with the beautiful, unopened presents everyone else had gotten them. He looked at the pile. Reilly was feeling the presents again, trying to see what was inside.

"Oy," Logan growled, "no peeking."

Reilly scowled and went to dip chicken wings in the punch. Logan didn't have the energy to stop it, turning back to Eduard and his present.

"It was nice of him to bring something. I guess."

Logan leaned his head on his shoulder. "You don't have to make excuses for him."

"I'm not. But it was nice of him." Eduard opened the present. It was a copy of Pulp Fiction .

"You know what? Tarantino sucks, but another DVD for the collection's another DVD for the collection."

"We'll put it behind something," Logan nudged him.

Eduard nodded and put the DVD on the table. "Doesn't matter. It's our day, not his." He took Logan's hand. "And I want to dance with my husband."

Harry was 16 when she fell in love for the first time.

The wedding was a lot of fun. She hadn't been to one since her dad and Hunapo's. She'd been allowed to invite some school friends, but honestly, they were outgrowing each other. Cassandra always hung out with Melissa's lot these days. Plus there was the boy talk. Cass had always been the type to fawn over celebrities and dumbasses in the year above, but lately it was bothering her more and more that she couldn't relate.

She'd rather be with Josefina anyway. She'd come along with João, but other than him and Harry she was alone, sitting quietly at her table and eating breadsticks. Harry waited for an out from her great-uncle's monologue about his own wedding, then went over to her table.

"Josefina!"

She looked up from eavesdropping on her dad's conversation. Her eyes lit up and she hugged her. "Harry! You alright?"

"Yeah. You look lovely. I mean- the dress does. And also you. Your hair."

"Thanks. You look lovely too. You make a nice… bridesmaid? Is that a thing when there isn't a bride?"

Harry shrugged. "Dad doesn't do tradition. Ed does. It was a weird compromise."

"It looks nice on you."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I mean… you always look nice."

"I do?"

"You do."

They were quiet for a long moment. Nobody was quite sure where to go with the conversation.

"I'm sorry," Josefina mumbled, "I suck at people."

"It's alright, mate. I still like you."

Josefina laughed. It registered to Harry that she had just said something unbelievably dorky.

"Parties just get me all overwhelmed. Not that this isn't lovely."

Harry thought for a moment. "There's a whole building. Doesn't stop at this hall."

"You wanna, what, sneak off? Isn't this your dad's wedding?"

Harry shrugged. "Second wedding. Nothing I haven't seen before."

She laughed. "Aren't you a romantic?"

"Do you wanna go explore this place or not?"

Josefina thought about it, stuffed a canape into her mouth, and gave Harry her hand. "Let's do it."

Harry led her out. A flight of stairs was roped off, but she lifted it for Josefina to duck under.

"You sure we're allowed?"

"It's a rope, not a cop."

That didn't stop them tiptoeing their way up the stairs nervously, as if they'd be caught at any moment.

"What are we even looking for?"

"Somewhere to hang out, I guess."

The stairs took them up to a little dark corridor.

"This is kinda creepy. I like it though."

She puffed out her chest and tried to look tough. "I can beat up any ghosts that try to bother you."

Josefina took her hand. Harry immediately dropped the act. How was she meant to be tough now?

She smiled up at her. "Thank you."

"Uh huh." Smooth, Harry.

"Where do we go from here?"

"Pick a door, any door."

Josefina grinned at her and went for the closest one, still holding onto her hand. "Locked."

"Shit. Try this one?"

Josefina managed to open it this time, revealing the perfect little room. There were chairs dotted around and little boxes of miscellaneous stuff shoved into a corner. Harry flicked on the light switch. "Jackpot."

They plopped themselves down on the floor, ignoring the chairs.

"Nice little spot," Josefina decided, making herself comfortable. Suddenly, Harry imagined people asking them how they met at parties like this one, well into the future. Her dad ran my dad's NA meetings. Maybe a bit of a downer, but a story was a story.

"You know what it needs?" Harry asked, lying on her back to rest her legs on a chair, "Snacks."

"Which ones?"

"Dunno. Shoulda grabbed a plate of those wings from the buffet. And some sweet stuff too."

Josefina hopped up to her feet. "I'll be back in a second." She winked Harry's way and disappeared.

Harry lay on the floor, eyes on the ceiling. Her heart was going pretty fast - was there red bull in that lemonade she'd had? She hadn't been running but her heart was trying to find its way out of her ribcage. Maybe she was having an allergic reaction.

To Josefina? Who was she kidding?

Josefina came back with two glasses in one hand, a plate piled with buffet food in the other, and a bottle of wine tucked under her arm.

Harry grinned at her. "Josie! Here, let me help you with that."

She gave Harry the plate, then put the wine carefully down on the floor and sat down facing her. "It's more like "Juicy"."

"What?"

"Not Josie. Portuguese names, man. Joo -sefina."

Harry laughed. "Alright, Juicy, then."

"You're gonna be calling me that forever now, aren't you?"

"Forever," she nodded, mouth full of sandwich.

Josefina chuckled and poured them each a glass of wine, just as Harry started singing to her.

"Blame it on my juice, blame it, blame it on my juice, baby."

"Blame what on your juice, exactly?"

"Huh? I don't know."

"Well, as the juice, I wanna know what it is I'm getting accused of."

"Underage drinking, apparently."

"You don't have to have any if you don't want it."

"No, I want some." She took the glass off her and took a long slurp. She made a face.

Josefina laughed. "You like it?"

"Sour."

"I'll have it if you don't want it."

"I'll adjust," she assured her, taking another sip, "Since we're celebrating."

"You don't have to."

"I want to."

"In that case," Josefina raised her glass. "Cheers!"

Harry clinked their glasses together. "Cheers!"

"You sure you're okay, missing out?"

"It's fine. Got to get away from all the distant relatives somehow. Like, yeah, I know I've gotten bigger, Gran, that's how human bodies work. I shouldn't be mean to my gran though. She's cool. She's a painter and stuff. And my Granddad's a musician, he has all these guitars and..." And she was rambling. Fuck.

"They sound nice!"

Josefina was grinning at her. Harry was just focusing on not spilling her wine. "They are nice. They really like Ed too. He and my dad go way back. Like, Ed helped look after me when I was little and he and dad were in uni. I barely even remember it, but I remember Ed used to sing to me sometimes if I couldn't sleep. And dad would stand in the doorway and pretend like he wasn't watching him. And then Dad married Huna, who was great, and I still miss them, but after that Ed was just… I dunno. Gone. Next time I saw him, I only, like, kind of recognised him. Not just because it had been a long time ago either. He looked different. And that was right after Huna died too, and everything was a mess and he was just kind of there, sitting at the side. He was… dunno. Must have had some mental health stuff going on, now I look back at it, 'cause he barely ever left his room, but he told me and Rei how he was actually a super cool ninja and-" She trailed off. Josefina was looking down at her knees. "Sorry, I don't know why I'm telling you this shit."

"You've got quite the family life, huh?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah. I think the ninja thing was a lie. He's kind of a weenie."

Josefina nodded in agreement. "What do you think happened?"

"No idea. They never let me listen, and Ed's too quiet to eavesdrop on."

Josefina raised her glass. "To fucked up families."

"To fucked up families. And to my dads." Harry clinked their glasses together.

"Gotta love fucked up families."

"You too, huh?"

Josefina took a sip. "He's been clean a while now, but my dad… he overdosed when I was little. Like, 8, maybe? By accident, of course. And I found him and I thought maybe he was dead. And my mum broke up with him, and I didn't see him again for like three years because she wouldn't let me. I'd hear him call sometimes, and she'd usually be shouting at him, and then eventually she let me go over to his, just for a day. It was a good day. He treated me out bowling, to the museum. I was just happy to see my dad again, you know, we've always been close. And after that it was a weekend, And then every weekend, and now we have a good routine going, I'm at his every other week, and they're on speaking terms again. But it was rough when I was little."

Harry wasn't quite sure what to say to that. She opened her mouth, but didn't know what sounds to make with it. She settled for wrapping an arm around Josefina. She leaned her head against Harry's shoulder.

"My first step-parent died when I was 12." She wondered if this sounded like she was making this about herself. She wished she could stop running her mouth sometimes. "And I've never met my mum. Or, I probably have, because I've been in her pussy, but you know what I mean."

"I'm sorry."

"It's… I have Dad. And I had Huna. And I have Ed now. I don't think I need a mum."

"Still. Hard to lose someone."

She nodded. "Hard. I think Ed tried to kill himself. About two years ago. He and dad never tell me anything, but I'm not stupid."

Josefina nodded. "More wine?"

Harry held out her glass. "Please."

They sat in silence together. Not awkwardly, not desperately searching for words to fill the air. Just drinking in one another's warmth. The music downstairs was muffled, but it was loud. She heard a song Eduard liked to play in the car, or while he was baking, shimmying his shoulders as he pummeled dough into the counter. She didn't know its name, but it made her smile. She found herself tapping her fingers in time against Josefina's shoulder. She picked up on it and stood up, her hand outstretched to her.

"Dance with me?"

"With- yeah!" She took her hand and pulled herself up. "I don't know how to-"

"You don't have to. Just move in whatever way you want."

"Alright. I can do that."

She tried not to look too much like her dad's dancing and failed spectacularly, but it was worth it - Josefina was grinning and the room was lighting up. On impulse, Harry took her hands and swayed them. Josefina went a little pink, but she held onto Harry's hands.

"See? You're a good dancer."

"Well, you're teaching me. I'm learning from the best."

"You're a good learner though."

Tino and Lyubov were 32 when they each gave a speech at their best friends' wedding.

Tino's was funny to no one except him, Logan and Eduard. He tried to not make the jokes too dark - it was a wedding, after all - but Eduard had given him the task of keeping it lighthearted and giving that job to Tino only ever went one way.

"He was always a bit nerdy," Tino was saying, "film nerd, computer nerd, regular nerd. I always thought he needed to go outside and "Marvel" at a pair of titties for once."

Everyone laughed, even Eduard. Logan started making his pecs dance under his shirt. He laughed harder, blushing.

"He was lovely to have as a cousin, though," Tino continued, "when the family got together for Christmas and my parents were throwing plates at each other and Ed's parents were bitching about everything and Vanaema was silently writing them all outta her will, Ed and I would go upstairs. We'd play games and stuff, but one year, we were about thirteen, Ed went on his new laptop, typed in "naked women" on Google Images, then got so scared at his dad finding out he cried until he threw up."

Eduard buried his face in his hands. He'd tried to forget that.

"He then chucked water over the laptop and buried it in the garden. When his dad asked about it, a few weeks later, he told him he was mugged on the way to school."

Eduard made a face. He'd been grounded for that. They said he should've been more careful. No wonder he always went to Mr and Mrs Cooper for, well, everything. Advice, food, affection, even love. It was a small comfort that the Coopers loved him, when compared to the people who were supposed to be his parents. Eliisabet had carried him for 8 months, given birth to him, and neither she nor Anton appeared to muster even the smallest affection for him.

It was a depressing train of thought to be inspired by his Best Man's speech. His mother's appearance had shaken him a little. Logan squeezed his hand.

"I do love him, though," Tino continued, "and I'm so, so glad we ended up being friends. He's smart and he's kind and he's the strongest person I know, even though he's got the arms of a blow-up sex doll and a torso Ethiopian children would donate food to."

No one was laughing, except Logan, loud and thunderous in the stone-cold silence. He slammed his hand on the table, whilst, next to Tino, Berwald looked like he wanted to sink into the ground. Eduard just had no idea how to react. He should've proof-read Tino's speech first. The worst thing was, he kind of wanted to laugh too.

"I've never known a better friend. I've never known anyone so resilient. And I've never known a better match for him than Logan, even if the bar there is low. No offence, Lyubov."

Both Eduard and Lyubov stared awkwardly at their plates, but neither minded. Eduard would always love Lyubov, but as a dear friend, and that was okay. He needed good friends to keep him out of trouble. She was good for a little bit of quiet. They met up for coffee when they could.

"I realised Logan was perfect for Eduard when someone who will remain nameless - let's just call him Captain Smegma - got himself injured. Captain Smegma really fucked things up for Ed. And my first thought when he got injured was that Logan did it. My second thought was that Logan would do it. My third was that anyone who would beat the shit out of Captain Smegma for Ed was the right guy for him. He needs people behind him. And if the time they accidentally butt-dialed me is any indication, Logan's happy to be behind him."

Eduard buried his face in his hands. Tino leaned over to him. "Suffer."

"Knee-dialed, actually."

"Doesn't change things."

"When is this speech planning on ending?"

"I've got pages of this."

"I hate you."

"This is the build-up, man. You haven't even heard the climax. Much unlike me, the time you knee-dialed me."

"I will go back in time and murder our Vanaema so neither of us have to exist."

"After hearing that? Not complaining. You moan like a hentai girl."

"Tino!"

Lyubov nodded in agreement. So did Logan.

"Traitors!"

"Anyway," Tino stood up straight, addressing the other guests again, who had just had to learn more than they would have liked about Eduard's moaning habits. "the truth is, I always knew Logan was the guy for Eddie. He was the one making plan after plan to save him when he was going through hell with Captain Smegma and he's the one who's taken care of Ed since we were kids. He's kind. And he makes Ed smile like I don't think anyone else can."

Eduard looked at Logan and smiled.

"See? Like that. Sickening."

Logan smiled back and kissed him. 16-year-old Eduard was quaking. He felt warm and safe, like everything was going to be okay. People started clapping. They were clapping for him and Logan, and their happiness. The room was full of people who wanted the best for him, who wanted him and Logan to feel safe and be in love. He wasn't a fan of being clapped for, but it still made him grin through his blushing.

He'd never been alone. It was just Gunner had been very talented in convincing him otherwise. And now the trick had worn away, Gunner was out of his life, and things were looking up.

He'd won.

"Logan and Eduard, everybody. Lubey, take the floor." The polite shower of clapping didn't drown out Logan laughing at "Lubey".

Lyubov got up, adjusting her dress and trying not to look nervous. "Not quite sure how I'm going to live up to that speech, but I'll do my best. I- I met Ed and Logan at uni, and-" She was already tearing up. "And now they're here. When Ed asked me to be his - and I quote - second best woman, I… well, initially I wondered if your ex doing a speech at your wedding is a little frowned upon. Logan told me to suck it up and do it. He also requested that I tell the next person who tells me I'm brave for being up here to shush. Or, something a little less nice."

She glanced around, fiddling with the strap on her dress.

"Despite everything," Lyubov continued, "I'm glad to have grown up with them. We were a right little squad, Eduard, Logan, me," she faltered, "Hunapo. Honestly, I'd always thought nothing would change if Ed and Logan got together. Weird thing to think about your boyfriend, but it is what it is. They loved each other. I didn't like thinking about it back then, but now it feels right, seeing them together." She tipped her glass at Logan. "No hard feelings. You and Ed are made for each other."

Logan smiled sheepishly.

"I could talk about all their embarrassing moments," she continued, "especially Ed's, but it just feels too mean."

"Coward," Tino called out.

She ignored him and raised her glass. "To Logan and Eduard, the most amazing couple I know."

Logan Sr was 56, far too old to have his tie around his forehead and sing classic rock with the wedding band, but he was going to do it anyway. His boys were happy, he'd consumed his weight in lager, and he was going to have fun. And when he was eventually kicked off the stage, he went to tearfully congratulate the happy couple.

"My boys! "

Logan begrudgingly accepted his rib-crushing hug. "Have you had a few too many, dad?"

"Nonsense." He kissed his cheek. He had a very wet mouth. "I've had just enough."

"So, no more?"

"Well, I didn't say that. " He laughed and tried to look Eduard straight in the eyes. His height made it very difficult but he figured it out eventually. "Eduard."

"Yeah?"

"Give me your face."

"My- what?"

"I can't reach it. Could you be a dear and crouch down a little for me?"

Feeling a little bit stupid, Eduard arranged his legs into a squat. "Is this okay?"

"Perfect." Logan Sr put his hands on either side of his face. "I just- I wanted to tell you. I remember when you were a tiny little boy. You were so small."

"Thank you."

"I mean, you looked about four until you were fifteen! You shot right up! All of a sudden my son's best friend was a skyscraper!"

"I remember."

"You got so lovely and tall. And lovely. You turned into such a lovely man."

Eduard glanced at his husband for rescue but Logan was too busy trying not to fall off his chair laughing. Traitor.

"You'll be good to my Loggie, won't you? Even though he smells a bit funny sometimes."

"I will. Promise."

He hugged him. "You were always such a sweet kid. It was a shame about your parents. And ears."

"What's wrong with my ears?"

"Nothing, son. You grew into them."

"You did," Logan Jr agreed.

Eduard sighed. "I did." He saw the school photos every day on his way to bed. He'd looked like a satellite with a bowl cut.

"But look at you now! You're so grown up! You're getting married! You're tall!"

"Well. It comes with being 32."

"Such a tall man. And a good one! You look after my little boy, won't you?"

"I promise."

"Logan, you look after my other little boy."

"We'll take care of each other," Logan promised, "Why don't you sit down for a bit?"

Logan Sr nodded. "Might be best, son." He let the couple carry him back to his seat, and wife.

"Having fun?" asked Layla, the skin around her eyes crinkling.

"Yes dear," he kissed her cheek. "Just saying how proud I am of the boys. Look at them! Married!" He patted Eduard's jacket. "After everything, you're still standing, both of you."

Eduard pulled him into a hug, burying his face in the man's wild, curly hair. "I love you too, dad," he mumbled.

Logan and Eduard were 32 when they finally got married.

As everyone was winding down, Reilly having finally wheeled themself to exhaustion and fallen asleep on Layla's lap; Harry still nowhere to be seen, huddled up in a strange corner of the venue with Josefina; and Lyubov currently trying to outdrink Tino and sing all the parts of Bohemian Rhapsody; Logan and Eduard escaped outside into the garden.

"Good day?"

Eduard nodded.

"Shame about your mum. And Lars."

Eduard shrugged. "I can handle Lars. I think he was genuinely trying to say sorry. I don't want to see him, but the sentiment's there."

"And your mum?"

"My mum doesn't even know I did drugs. Or tried to kill myself. Or anything ."

"Back when we were kids, "my mum doesn't know about the drugs" was a good thing."

Eduard laughed. "I mean, yeah, but I'm a grown-up now. And I almost died."

"Don't think you'd have had to worry about that back then."

"How so?"

"Because, Eddie, you were too much of a dweeb to get your hands on any."

"Fair."

There was no one around, so Eduard took a chance and kissed Logan's cheek. Logan smiled and kissed his back.

"I love you," he whispered. Eduard nodded.

"I love you too. Thanks for… well, thanks for everything. Thanks for marrying me." Did he sound stupid? He felt like he sounded stupid. Logan still looked at him like he wasn't, though.

"Well. It's been years since I've seen you in a suit. You really pull them off."

"You say that like you're wanting to do the honours for me," he teased.

"Well… maybe after everyone's gone home."

"Maybe?"

"Maybe, maybe."

They drifted into comfortable silence. Logan watched him as they rambled through the garden, amongst hedgerows and neat flowerbeds. He looked at Eduard not only like he was worth something, but that he was the most important person in the world. Once or twice, he got so distracted watching him that he walked straight into a hedge. Eduard pretended not to notice, but he was blushing in the gloom.

Logan smiled to himself, looking down at his shoes. The flowerbed was rich with plant life, neat little stones almost hidden in the gloom. He bent down and picked up an especially smooth one.

"What's that?" asked Eduard, watching him wipe compost off it.

"Wedding gift," he replied. "Good things happen when I get you a rock." He passed it to Eduard, who looked down at it in silence. It was grey and cool, and fit happily in his palm. "I know it doesn't have any fossils," he added, "but it's still a cool rock."

"I like a cool rock," Eduard leaned against Logan's arm, admiring the stone before slipping it into his pocket. It would go nicely with the first rock Logan gave him, on his shelf, in his and Logan's bedroom.

"I think things are looking up," Logan stroked his hair. "I know it doesn't feel like it, but we got a lotta life ahead of us."

Eduard nodded. "I think we're gonna be okay."