CHAPTER XV

"Have you bought the tickets?" Hugh asked Emile. Emile always forgot something when they were traveling. And Hugh was always the person who reminded him.

"Yes. I also checked the seats". Emile answered, annoyed.

They were both sitting together as a romantic comedy played. Neither was really paying attention.

"I'm just checking. Where would you be if I didn't help you remember these things".

"Okay, okay. I understand. I do have the brain of a golden fish". Emile laughed and hugged Hugh's arm.

"Ah... Johann is getting married next month".

"Johann from work?".

"Yeah. I said that I'll take a plus one, but if you think it's uncomfortable, I could go alone".

"No, no. I will come. If he is okay with it".

Illaney was, in many aspects, a really retrograde country. Only some kinds of relationships were accepted, in resume, only those that could generate a child. So them, being both male alphas, suffered prejudice in various spheres of life, and couldn't be seen together in many places to avoid the judgemental gazes and the disgust looks. Things like marriage were far from their reality, and couldn't even inhabit the world of dreams.

They went silent. And the movie kept going. The main character, an omega male, had a terrible relationship with his ex-partner, a female alpha, and with the help of a barista, became stronger and was capable of overcoming the traumas from this previous relationship. With time, he grows to love this barista, who is also a male omega, and they begin a relationship. The movie is almost ending at this point, and they are getting married. And the barista reveals that he is pregnant, just a few days before marriage, and they go into ecstasy. The movie ends with a happy family, and a happy marriage.

The movie was revolutionary, showing an omega male/omega male pair on screen. Still, it maintained the idea that happiness was a marriage to generate kids. Emile's company produced it, and it was a fun story. But, when he watched it, Emile felt a pang of sadness.

"Have you ever thought about getting married?", Emile asked.

"I guess. A long time ago. But there is only one person I would like to be married to".

"Me too. I imagine how it would be for us to try and get married".

"Your parents would kill me".

"They wouldn't".

Emile's parents weren't really happy with Emile and Hugh's relationship, but with time they learned to tolerate and to like Hugh as a son-in-law. It helped that they cared for him for a long time, even before Hugh and Emile began to date. They were just fifteen when they fell in love and started their relationship. Before that, they were great friends, and Hugh would frequent their house. As his family was always traveling, and his siblings weren't close. Hence he spent most of the time at the Belanger's house. Angèle and Mariel became close to the boy, treating him as a third son. The boy would spend many nights a week in their house, and even went traveling with them. When they found out about their relationship, they prohibited him from coming to their house. Emile would flee his house and go meet Hugh, and they would spend precious moments together. But, then, his family found out. When they found out that he was in a relationship with a male alpha, they told him to stop seeing him. Hugh told them he would rather die than stop seeing Emile. When he said that, his parents expelled him from home with only the clothes on his body. Angèle and Mariel opened up their arms and their homes to the boy, and let him live there until he could have his own place.

"We fought so much," Emile said, remembering all the things they went through, from their teenage years to adulthood. "And it took us so much to be here". He hugged his legs, drawing them close to his chest. "How much would this fight still take from us?"

"Do you wanna give up?" Hugh said, hugging Emile.

"Never", he laughed. "I was just thinking, it is time for us to take it. I was always dreaming. Dreaming about us, our future, our family. In my dreams, I get married with a long lace dress and a beautiful veil. And you're there, in a beautiful tuxedo, waiting for me with the biggest smile. And we're so happy, because it's the day that everyone will celebrate us and our relationship. But, for a while, I gave up dreaming. It was better to survive, than dream about things that would never happen".

"What do you wanna do?" Hugh got closer to Emile, and held him caressing his waist.

"I want to fight. Fight to take all of it back, our rights that were never given to us; our dreams that were erased; our lives that were forgotten. I want to have you, as my husband. To build a family with you - I don't care if we adopt or use a surrogate, I just want to raise a child with you".

"Do you think you are ready for a child?" Hugh said, kissing his head and caressing his waist.

"If Thi can raise the twins, then I can have a child or two, right? I'm his elder brother, I should be more responsible than him, shouldn't I?"

"Like that was even close to being true. You, responsible?".

"I can learn".

"I hope you do". Hugh kneeled in front of him, holding his hands. "Because I also want to get married to you, and build a family together. To grow old and have a house with a big yard where we play with our elderly dog and our grandchildren. I want to fight for our future and for ourselves. I want to be yours now and forever".

Emile got up and got two metal straps that were laying around and made two circles with it. He then kneeled down in front of Hugh, the circles in hand.

"So, there's only these words left". He said holding one of the circles. "Will you marry me?"

"Yes". Hugh kissed him passionately and held him so close that the limit between their bodies blurred. And they kissed for a long time before going to bed, where they kept kissing, and hugging, and caressing, and more.

***

During the dinner at Thierry's house, Emile tried his best to behave and be polite to that guy, but he couldn't. But he still had to try his best. Hugh and him talked. Many countries already legalized marriage between two male alphas, Bjuldr, the country where Thierry lived, was one of them. They could get married there. Or even move there, or to another one of the 26 countries that legalized their marriage. But the kids part... Hugh constantly asked him if he was ready to be a father, and that he should prove that through actions. No more going out until late at night, controlling his temper, being more tolerant toward people he disliked. Wasn't that too much? He asked himself. But then he remembered the many situations he caused and thought. He is probably right.

He kept thinking about this as he entered a bistro. He called Nate out for a meeting to spend some time with his best friend he hasn't seen in a while. There was so much he had to tell him, that the words were escaping his mouth. And as soon as Nate arrived, before he could even sit down, he blurted:

"Me and Hugh are getting married and having a kid". Emile smiled and was almost jumping off his seat, like a happy monkey. Nate looked at him, incredulous.

"Just let me sit down first, before you drop the bombs".

"It's because I'm thrilled and can't hold it in".

"Okay. First things first. Congratulations! You and Hugh are such a beautiful couple".

"Thanks! And I want you to be my maid of honor. You can help me choose the dress, and go with me to do my hair and make up. It'll be my dream day".

"Calm down. Getting married is not something easy and it isn't only about clothes and make up. Have you thought well about it? How are you going to do it? Where are you going to live? If you want to have a child, will you adopt it or have it through a surrogate? Have you talked about it?". With Emil being all emotion, Nate was normally the rational side. He would ask the right questions and put Emil in the right direction.

"Hugh can work from anywhere, and my company is present in many countries. We don't have to stay in a bigoted country like Illaney. We can choose another country to work. Maybe even Bjuldr".

"And are you ready to leave your life and friends and go to another country? Is that your path to happiness?"

"Yes". He answered promptly. "Hugh is my path to happiness. I'll be happy where I can be with him, and where we can have our own family and our own life, free from prejudice and from stupid laws that segregate us from the others. I know that is a lot, and I don't know if I'm 100% ready. But I'll try to improve myself and to be the husband Hugh deserves, and the father I know I can be".

"Wow. It's like a totally different Emile being born in front of my eyes".

"I'm a phoenix. Didn't you know?"

"A fabulous phoenix". He laughed. "But have you and Hugh talked about it?"

"Yes. We talked a lot about it in those last three weeks. It's still not enough, but we've decided to give it a chance. We've sacrificed so much to be together, I don't want to kill any more of my dreams because of the stupidity of some people. We want to live our lives without the interference of others. We don't know how we will do it, but we'll figure out the way ourselves. I just wish for you to be by my side on this journey, and to support me on the path I chose". He said.

"I'd always support you. You're my best friend. You don't need to ask, you could always count on me". Nate held Emile's hand.

"Thanks". Emile smiled. "Now, let's order, because I'm hungry".