Title: Renewing Vows

Author: badly-knitted

Characters: Ryo, Dee.

Rating: PG

Setting: After Like Like Love.

Summary: Dee and Ryo prepare to renew their marriage vows in front of all their friends.

Word Count: 1337

Written For: Challenge 192: Renew at beattheblackdog.

Disclaimer: I don't own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.

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Time passed in the blink of an eye when you were happy. The past ten years hadn't all been perfect and wonderful; there'd been fights, times when they'd barely been speaking to each other, and there'd been injuries and the stresses of work dragging them down so heavily that at times it had been difficult to see any light at the end of the tunnel, but in the end none of that mattered. Looking back, the good times had more than outweighed the bad. As for looking forwards, Dee could no longer picture life without Ryo by his side. Even when they were fighting, the love they shared still burned as strong as it ever had, and probably stronger, because they'd never been merely lovers. Almost from the start they'd been each other's best and most trusted friend.

Now here they were, after ten years of married life, and in Dee's opinion there couldn't be a better time to renew the vows they'd made in that Las Vegas wedding chapel a decade ago, especially as this time it would mean celebrating their happiness with all their friends.

Ryo, however, was a little confused.

"You want us to get married again? There wasn't a time limit on the first one that I didn't know about, was there? An expiration date you neglected to mention?"

Dee laughed at the gentle teasing. "It's not a question of validity, babe, it's just… First time around we did it in secret with a couple of strangers as witnesses. It was fun and romantic, and yeah, a little crazy, but you remember how disappointed Carol was, not to mention Mother and your aunt and uncle. Bikky too, probably, although I don't imagine he'd ever admit it. Kid still hates me."

"No he doesn't, he just enjoys pushing your buttons, getting a rise out of you, the same way you love annoying him."

"Yeah, fine, whatever. We're gettin' off track here. I just figured, if we did it again, renewed our vows, it would kinda be more… official? Out in the open at least, with everyone who matters to us there to share our happiness."

"That would be good, wouldn't it?" Ryo admitted, smiling. "Not that our wedding wasn't wonderful, it was one of the best days of my life, but I was a little sad that no one could be there to share it with us."

"Is that a yes then? We can do it?"

"Yes, of course. We could even invite Chief Smith now he can admit to knowing we're together without any of us getting into trouble."

"Hold on there…" Dee started, not sure he wanted the bane of his working life there on their big day, but before he could voice his objections Ryo's eyes lit up even more and he sat up straight, his smile dazzling, and he was so goddamned beautiful whatever Dee had been about to say went clean out of his head.

"Dee, if we get married again that means we'll be able to wear our wedding rings all the time!"

As things stood, they always wore the signet rings Dee had bought for them on their right ring fingers, and put their wedding rings on only when they were out on dates or at home. They'd grown accustomed to taking them off before going to work, but that didn't mean they liked doing so.

"Hadn't thought of that, but you're right." Dee grinned goofily back at the man he loved; it would be good to proudly wear their wedding rings out in the open, for everyone to see.

"So when should we…?" Ryo let the question trail off, looking at Dee expectantly.

"Our anniversary's in just over three months; why not then so we don't have to remember two dates?" What he really meant was that Ryo wouldn't have to try to remember, since he'd always been terrible at keeping track of significant dates, but never let it be said that Dee Laytner didn't know how to be tactful.

Ryo got what he meant anyway, blushing slightly. "Sounds sensible. Now all we have to do is plan everything and send out invitations."

Planning was one thing Ryo excelled at, choosing and booking venues for both the ceremony and the reception, compiling guest lists, arranging caterers and music, finding a photographer, and someone to make their wedding cake; all the things they hadn't had the first time around.

That didn't mean Dee left everything to his husband; he did a lot of the research himself, tracking down possible venues within their budget, checking reviews for caterers and photographers and helping to make a shortlist. They went over all the lists together, made the final choices as a couple, and Dee found himself wondering why so many people found planning a wedding so stressful. It was fun, and it was exciting, counting down the days on the calendar, crossing them off one by one.

Of course they weren't planning anything hugely elaborate, it would be a simple ceremony followed by a relaxed party with a DJ and a buffet. No limousine to hire, no bridesmaids or groomsmen to deck out in elegant dresses and suits, no wedding bouquet… two guys getting hitched didn't need all that fancy stuff. Or maybe that kind of thing just wasn't to their particular tastes; they'd managed just fine in Vegas with their smart suits and their matching rings. They'd need new suits this time so they'd have to fit in a shopping trip or two, but they already had the rings so that was one less thing to think about.

Their wedding day dawned fine and clear; they knew because they were both up long before sunrise, having barely been able to sleep the night before. For their first wedding, they'd flown into Vegas, dropped their luggage off at the hotel, then they'd gotten changed and made for the wedding chapel. There'd been no waiting around, and there hadn't been such a big build-up either. Since they were already married they hadn't bothered with spending the night apart before their big day, so they were there to straighten each other's ties, pin red rosebud buttonholes to lapels, double-check that they had the rings and everything, and that they hadn't forgotten to remove labels from their new suits, all before Ted arrived to drive them to the wedding venue, the gardens of the hotel where the reception was to be held.

Rows of chairs, now packed with friends and family members, had been laid out to either side of the paved path they walked down to stand together beneath a rose arbour covered in fragrant blooms, where the woman presiding over the ceremony stood waiting for them.

Ted took his place as Dee's best man while Bikky stood with Ryo, towering over the rest of the wedding party. Ryo's aunt and uncle had smuggled him and Carol into the hotel with the caterers so that the wedding wouldn't be crashed by paparazzi trying to snap photographs of the famous basketball star. The hotel gardens couldn't be seen from the street, and all the guests knew Bikky, so they didn't have to worry about passers-by wanting autographs either.

It was a beautiful ceremony, and as Dee and Ryo slipped the rings onto each other's hands, knowing they no longer had to keep taking them off but could leave them in place as an unmistakable indication that they belonged to each other, they both grinned giddily. Standing here in full view of all their friends and loved ones, promising to love and cherish each other for the rest of their lives, was a dream come true and as they made their way hand-in-hand back along the path to lead their guests into the reception, everyone cheering and throwing flower petals as confetti, they both felt like they were walking on air.

Ten years behind them, and hopefully many more ahead, their life together was still only just beginning; the best was yet to come.

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The End