Give It to Me.

I was staring at my brother's face, his cheeks were red from inebriation. I smiled and looked to my parent's who were heavily engaged in conversation with Mrs. Brock. I felt a beer bottle slipped into my hand, and I looked at Garrett who was smiling sheepishly, "You looked a little dry."
"Thanks Gary," I smiled and looked at his happy face.
"You're welcome, I've never seen you smile so much before," He chuckled and relaxed into his lawn-chair.
"I've never been so happy," I admitted to him, seeing his eyebrows raise and he chugged a few gulps of his beer.
"He loves you, more than I think anything or anyone in this vast world," He half smiled.
"I feel the same exact way about him," I let the ice cold beer dwindle down my throat, watching John do a keg-stand, his brother high fiving him.

I stood up and hugged Garrett, saying nothing else but winding through the crowds, in search of Kennedy who was once again nowhere to be found. I searched through the house, finding him sitting on John's parents bedroom balcony, a beer in his hand his forearms against his knees as he leaned low. I ran my hand up his back, I felt him jump slightly.
"Hi Ken," I sat next to him, feeling the wood stick me a little, his chair a simple half-full paint bucket.
"Hi Mace," He smiled down at me.
"Why've you been so anti-social all night?" I swallowed some more of my beer watching him light a cigarette.
"I don't know," He shrugged watching Max push Vito into the pool, clothes and all.
"Everything okay?"
"Perfect, come here," He pat his leg and I stood sitting lightly where his hand was previously.
"Are you sure you want to marry me?" I asked looking at him.
"Baby, I've known I've wanted to marry you since the first time Jared introduced me to you," He whispered, placing his chin on my shoulder.
"Pedophile, I was like five years old," I acted appalled.
"Love at first sight?"
"Cliche."
"We're actually a pretty cliche story," He wrapped his arms around my middle.
"Oh how is that?"
"Girl runs from boy. Comes back. Dates best friend. Remembers real reason she came back, falls back in love with original boy. They get married and have lots of kids."
"Lots of kids?"
"Yeah, don't you want kids?"
"Kennedy, I would love nothing more than to have little Kenny's and Kennina's running around," I laughed and kissed his cheek.
"Kennina's," He said disgusted.
"Yeah not a good choice, good to know," I joked and stood up holding my hand out to him, "they're all waiting for us Ken."
"I'd rather stay up here with you," He whined.
"Kennedy Brock," I said sternly, "let's go."

He smiled at me and stood up, he picked me up, instinctively I wrapped my legs around his frail waist and he stared at me.

"I can't say enough how happy I am that we're going to be married," He emphasized 'married'.
"I love you," I placed my hands on either side of his face and softly kissed his lips.

He released me and we walked downstairs, everyone was asking questions and congratulating us left and right. Yet my head was stuck on one thing we had talked about, kids. We hadn't ever talked about kids, not once in our entire relationship.

I watched as all the guys gathered around the barbeque, a beer in every hand, and a smile on every face. I smiled and in that moment I swore nothing could break that bond, nothing could ruin that moment, and no one could take away the happiness I felt. I watched as Jared attempted to get everyone's attention before finally letting a shrill whistle escape his lips. Everyone quieted down and looked at Jared and his fiery hair, a natural blush on his face and Tessa hanging by his side.

"Hey everyone, for those of you who don't know me, I'm Jared, Macy's older brother," He began, and everyone cheered for him.
"I just wanted to take a few minutes to give some sort of speech if you will," He chuckled, "I just wanted to say Mace, I love you baby sis and I wish you and Kenny the entire world. I hope your marriage is successful and full of love, and I hope you two find eternal happiness together. Kenny, you're my roommate, my bandmate, one of my best friends and also one of the single greatest guys I've ever met. Now in order to keep up that ridiculous reputation, you better treat my sister right, or else I'll be forced to take drastic steps," He winked and everyone began cheering and clapping.

I hugged Jared, "Thank you for this. Thank you for everything, it's perfect."
"You deserve all of it, you really do."
"Love you."
"Love you too."

I was gleaming, my face I'm sure frozen in a permanent smile. I felt my mother's warm brown eyes on me, they were pouring tears as she tried to snap a photo of my older brother and I embracing. I was glossy eyed and my brother's eyes were showing the same sign of tears.

Kennedy was watching me from a distance, a light smile on his face. I watched as he approached me, a glass of wine in his hand, he held it out to me. I took it, grinning, and I hugged him tightly.

"I love you," I whispered and kissed his cheek sloppily.
"I love you too baby," He was chuckling lightly, tipsily.

I clung to him as everyone clapped for us, both our families and the friends we shared. Our siblings were there, Kennedy made it a point to fly Byron out for the party.

There was always something special about Kennedy and Byron's relationship. No matter how long they went without seeing each other, being close to each other, they always fell into their own natural rhythm. Minnesota was where Byron called home, no matter how fervent Kenny was in trying to get him to move to Arizona. Byron was always the first person Kennedy called when he needed advice, when he needed someone to vent to. I respected Byron immensely.

"I'm blind," Kennedy laughed as photo after photo was being snapped of us hanging on each other.
"Get used to it super star," I kissed his cheek softly.

Finally we were in my car on our way to the apartment, we were quiet, something I had grown to love about our relationship. Ken never forced conversation between us anymore, we let our silent moments consist of our hands interlocked and smiles adorning our faces.
"I've been waiting all night to tell you something," Kenny looked over at me, the alcohol glazed over his eyes.
"Yeah?"
"We just heard we're doing a Europe run in a few weeks," He said sadly.
"What?
"In two weeks our European tour starts," He smiled at me.
"Kennedy," I looked at him in utter shock.
"What?"
"Our wedding is in exactly two weeks, please tell me we're not rescheduling our wedding," I was going to throw up.
"It's the day after," He looked at me strangely.

I has taken a deep breath, he at least wouldn't miss our wedding. After all, it takes a husband to be married.
"But, what about South Carolina?" I asked looking at him sadly.
"Baby, it's Europe," He said incredulously.
"Kenny it's our honeymoon," I said dumbfounded.
"Mace, we're going to Europe. You'd rather go to South Carolina?"

I froze. We're.

I parked in our assigned space and looked at him.
"Ken-"
"What'd you think I'd leave my wife here?"

I was crying and hugging him tightly.
"You're amazing," I laughed through my tears.
"You got that crazed girlfriend look in your eye for a second. I thought my plan had backfired on me," He was laughing.
"Let's go," I sighed and he led me up the our apartment.

I watched Kenny strip his clothes and climb into the bed in his underwear, smiling at me. I followed suit, pulling on his recently shed shirt over my undergarments. I grabbed a book and he did the same, we lay side by side flipping the pages of our books.
"I talked to my Dad earlier Ken," I said quietly, setting my book on my stomach.
"What did he say?"
"He wants to pay for the wedding."
"Tell me you told him no," He said.
"I tried but he kept telling me it's all he wanted and he'd cut off all contact if I didn't agree to it," I mumbled.
"Mace-," He closed his eyes.
"I tried Ken."
"How much was the total?"
"A lot."
"Babe," He sat up.
"I didn't want to argue with him, Kenny, he was really persistent."
"Well we need to find a way to pay him back or a really nice way to thank him."
"I got it!!" I said excitedly.
"What?" He said flinching at my hits.
"Send him and Mama to South Carolina!!" I was nearly jumping on the bed.
"Okay, okay, settle down!" He laughed as I straddled his waist.
"God everything seems almost sickeningly perfect," I laid against his body.
"We deserve these things," He ran his hands through my hair gently.

That was the last thing I remembered before Kennedy's soft scalp massage sent me into a deep sleep.