Hard To Believe

Quentin and Julia went through the side gate. He could see there were raised beds with a vegetable garden, with the plants still small. He also noticed that there was a structure to transform the space into a greenhouse for harsh winter days. The same gray stones that were in front of the house made the way to the back area. Ted came to meet them.

"May I have the honor of accompanying you and giving your hand to Eliot?" Ted's formal tone showed how thrilled he was about the wedding.

"You don't even need to ask Dad." He had a shaky smile, trying not to cry. Not yet.

"As your best man, I will also take you." She smiled at her friend, trying to convey the calm that she knew he would need.

Q didn't respond, he just gave both arms to two of the most important people in his life. They started walking as soon as the music changed. Q didn't even pay attention to the changes at the backyard, because his eyes were looking for his groom. He identified the altar and there he found him. When their eyes met, nothing else mattered. It was impossible, even from a distance, not to notice the emotion in his partner's eyes. Eliot's smile trembles, as does Q's. Quentin is sure he wouldn't have made it down the aisle without stumbling, if not for his supportive family. Julia and Ted helped him twice.

He was focused on that smile that could have been cruel sometimes, but at that moment was one of pure love. The feeling of having his feelings reciprocated brought a fulfillment he didn't imagine was possible. He wasn't stupid enough to think they would never have problems again, or that he wouldn't get mad at Eliot at some point. However, he knew that their love would be strong enough to give them the strength to overcome anything. He was sure he wouldn't have to go through anything alone. Eliot would be there for him, just as he would be there for his husband. Love is so simple, and at the same time so complicated, that it is not easy to describe.

It's scary to love. Knowing that the same amount of love you feel for someone, will also be the same amount of suffering if that person abandons you. Eliot, that beautiful, complicated, wonderful man had also been his greatest source of pain. He had already lost him to death, lost him when he was rejected in the throne room, and when he fled to Filory. All of that was now a distant past, even though only a few weeks had passed since he came back into his life.

Q never trusted himself. It was hard to believe he could be so deeply happy. Now, in that very special moment, he no longer had doubts, just certainties. Eliot loved him. He was enough for that man, who could have chosen anyone else. He had to focus on the steps he still needed to take, because he felt like he was going to explode, with so much love bubbling in his chest.

Eliot saw Q emerge from the side entrance, arm in arm with Ted and Julia. He looked handsome in a suit. Elegant, with a smile that he couldn't contain, but that seemed to weaken under the heat of emotion. His eyes almost closed. That was how he was sure how happy and excited he was, even from afar. That man had invaded his world and now completely dominated it.

He brought him close as soon as he met him, guiding his first steps at Brakebills, introducing him to Margo almost immediately, but at the same time he didn't do anything objectively to get him to his bed. He watched the ill-fated relationship with the icy blonde, and felt jealous without even knowing he was jealous. He had the pleasure of having pleasure with him together with his Bambi, but suffered from the rejection the next day. He felt love all the time and doubted, that same love, a much greater number of times. What a fool he was.

He still had some difficulty forgiving himself for everything he said and did, even when he had concrete reasons to do so, but most of the time it was just his fear of rejection. He tried to stay away, but Q, with all his problems, his melancholy and his bad days, was still the sunshine of his life. He could survive with Margo for a while, but not forever. No one else made him feel accepted in such a true and complete way, only Quentin.

Today is the beginning of a new path in their lives. If the weeks they lived together at their father-in-law's house had already been wonderful, having their own space, their home would be indescribable. Home is a word he rarely used because nowhere really feels like home, not Brakebills and not Filory, except for the fifty idyllic years in the mosaic, and it was all because of Q by his side, loving him. He took a deep breath upon the arrival of his partner. Eliot came down from the altar hand in hand with Margo.

"Quentin receive Eliot. Take care of him with all the love you have." Margo then let go of Eliot's hand, and kissed the two grooms on the cheek and returned to her position at the altar.

"Eliot receive Quentin. Love and be loved. You both deserve happiness." Ted then quickly hugged them.

"Eliot welcome Quentin. Love him as if he were your life."

"He is." Murmured Eliot. Julia kissed her friends and went to her spot, as did Margo.

There was a semi-circle of chairs in front of the altar, so the family could watch the ceremony comfortably. Eliot then placed a kiss on Q's forehead and said softly.

"I love you baby. You're everything I've ever wanted."

"Love you too. You're the only one for me El."

They held hands throughout the ceremony. The pair barely heard the celebrant's words. They were out of their heads before ingesting a single drop of the good available drinks. Quentin focused on Eliot's hands, warm, holding his, supporting that emotional moment. His eyes, with that hazel color, were almost green, with the sunlight and the tears that were flowing freely. The votes were made with great fervor, on both sides.

"Quentin, you are the love I didn't expect to find. For years, I wanted to be someone admired, to be the center of attention and now everything has changed. The most important thing is you. If you are happy, if you need something. The only attention I cannot live without is yours. You changed me for the better. You made me believe in love, in happiness, in forgiveness. I love you with all my being. From this moment, I want to be able to tell everyone that you are my husband, and that I am yours. I promise to take care of you, to share my life and to love you every day. You and me...We will be together for another lifetime."

"Eliot the day my life changed, you were the first person I saw. You took my breath away, and left me lost until I realized I fell for you. It wasn't simple because, you know, I thought that you couldn't love me back but now, now I know that you and I were meant to be. It is so fucking awesome! We've been through a lot, but we got here, at this fantastic special moment. We don't need labels, but I'm proud to call you my love, my husband. I will stay with you for the rest of my life, giving all the love you deserve."

The celebrant then asked the final question. "Eliot Waugh, do you accept Quentin Coldwater as your husband, promising to love, care and respect, and build a family with nothing but love, with your soulmate?"

"I do." His voice barely came out but Q heard him and smiled.

"Quentin Coldwater, do you accept Eliot Waugh as your husband, promising to love, care and respect, and build a family with nothing but love, with your soulmate?"

"I do." There was so much emotion that Q just babbled. Eliot's smile was perfect.

Margo approached Eliot carrying the ring and handed it to her best friend. He kissed it. "Quentin receive this ring which is just one of the symbols of our love. I love you so much baby." After placing it in its rightful place, he lifted Q's hand and kissed the back of his strong hand, taking his time in the process. The tears streaming down Quentin's face just express the joy he was feeling.

Now Julia needs to do her part. She approached Q and handed over the other ring that matched the one already on his finger. "Eliot receive this ring which is just one of the symbols of our love. I love you so much it's almost ridiculous." He took his man's left hand, and slowly slid the ring onto his love's long finger. He also kissed that hand that caressed him countless times.

"In the name of the laws of the United States and the entire magical community I now pronounce you as husband and husband. You may kiss your soulmate. "

The kiss between them was soft and full of love. The celebrant had one last announcement to make. "I am honored to announce, for the first time, Quentin and Eliot Coldwater."

Eliot's new name surprised no one. They had shared the decision with their friends. Of course, 23 and Margo picked on Eliot by saying that Quentin subdued him. They said Q only looks innocent but is absolutely smart. Ted had been thrilled. He said that Eliot could call him whatever he wanted, but that it would be an honor if he called him father someday.

They friends applauded the couple and they shared another kiss. The golden light illuminated the pair again and became stronger and stronger. They heard different reactions from everyone present. A soft explosion of pearly luminosity caused everyone, including the newlyweds, to close their eyes. When everyone could see again, a beautiful woman was standing next to the couple. She had a light of her own with a smile that would melt the coldest of hearts.

Julia gasped when she recognized: "Aphrodite."

"Always intelligent and smart, my child. It's no wonder Persephone chose you. You still have her power within you, demigoddess. If you wish, you can activate it again. It would be your choice."

She then looked softly at everyone else, ending with the two grooms who were still holding hands. She moved gracefully toward them, and the celebrant walked away. Julia and Margo gave her some space too. She wore a dress that appeared to be made of sea foam. With thin straps, with a defined waist, but loose, which swayed with the slight movement of the goddess. Some filigrees in pure gold shone, increasing the luminosity around her even more. Her loose hair cascaded down her back, with strands of gold interspersed throughout it with a delicate tiara that illuminated her perfect face.

"It's about time. I've waited for so many timelines for you to finally be together. Before you tell me about the years in the mosaic, despite being together and happy, you both doubted your love." She kept looking at them, but it wasn't intrusive, there was love in her eyes.

"Hum, guilty?" Quentin didn't even know what else to say. When he could have imagined that the Goddess of Love would be at their wedding?

Both tried to compose themselves, both trying to dry their tears with just one hand, as they wouldn't let go of each other. Eliot did his best at the moment, as a good host. "It is an unexpected honor to have your presence."

"Yeah, I don't even know what to say. I never thought we were important, you know, not like that." Q was surprised but only felt good vibes. He seemed to be surrounded by a wave of love.

"I think we finally did something right sweetheart." Eliot could feel it too. Love, love, love.

"My children, I'm happy for you. When you were born you were already destined to find each other. I know you don't believe in destiny, but the choice was always yours. I was happy to see that you were able to recognize this love. It is pure and unrestricted. That should be the priority, but you humans like to make things difficult." It was possible to hear the silence of everyone present, who seemed entranced by Aphrodite's words. "Do you know why Eliot was able to kill the monster that was imprisoned inside Blackspire?"

"Because I used a special bullet, created to kill Gods?" Eliot asked gently, making the Goddess laugh softly.

"No Eliot. The bullet alone wouldn't have been able to kill the monster or I would have done it myself." After a strategic pause to create expectations, after all Aphrodite loves attention, she continues. "The most powerful thing that existed there in that castle was your love. Even after you denied that love Eliot, your whole body and soul wanted one thing, to save the man of your life, your soulmate."

The answer took everyone by surprise. Eliot could only look at Quentin and remember his despair when Q said he would stay in the castle forever. There was an extreme force squeezing his heart, occupying his entire chest at that moment. It was difficult to describe at the time, even more so now.

"El..." Quentin was stunned by this revelation.

"I thank you, Quentin and Eliot. Your love saved us from the monster. I was following you closely even before that. After Blackspire I could not take my off you boys. In gratitude I would like to offer you a gift."

The couple's look of surprise was the same as that of the others present. They didn't even know what to think of the unexpected offer. "A gift?" Q practically thought out loud.

"Yes, a gift." She laughed amusedly. The sound of her laughter felt like the sound of gentle waves kissing the sand. "I'm actually going to grant a request. Not just for ridding us of the monster, but for one more reason. You know what I mean?"

"No. No idea at all." Eliot responded slowly.

"We Gods live eternally because there are people who believe in us. For me it is even more energizing when people believe in love." She looked in everyone's direction. "Each and every form of love we have here reverberates through me. Friends, family, lovers, even self-love, it doesn't matter, they all restore my power." She turned back to the couple. "The love of soulmates gave me a vitality that I hadn't felt in a long time. Thank you for believing in love and in yourself."

For a moment, everyone was silent. It was something so unexpected, so beyond any prediction of what this day would be like, that it was difficult to put into words. Eliot took a deep breath before he could speak again.

"I had a hard time understanding..." He let go of Q's hand so he could wrap his arm around his waist and bring him closer. "I apologize for taking so long to accept love as something possible for me. I apologize to you Aphrodite, to everyone who was with us on this journey, and especially to you Q." Looking into the eyes of the love of his life, he smiled softly. "Your love is what inspires me, every day, to be a better person."

"El...I...what can I say? I love you. With you, I am also a better person. It is almost impossible to describe the way we understand each other. We're better together." They were momentarily lost in each other's eyes.

"You are cute." Said the Goddess bringing their attention back to her. "It will just be a request, a wish. So think about it."

Quentin stood there thinking for a second until his face lit up. He then stood in front of Eliot, got closer and whispered in his ear. It was possible to see that Q's hands were clinging to El's suit, who heard him and smiled. "I think it's a perfect idea, my love." Eliot was nodding and Quentin smiled extremely excitedly.

"You made up your mind quickly. Strangely enough, I'm not surprised by your decision." She approached the couple so that only they could hear what she was going to say. Her aura was so strong that they both held on tighter, such was the intensity of her gaze. "Your request is divided into stages. Only one will give me some kind of trouble. You'll hear from me soon. Keep it as a secret for now." She then raised her hands and gently caressed both of their faces. They felt a warmth that touched their hearts. Walking away from the pair, Aphrodite looked at everyone. With a smile on her red, full lips, before she disappeared.

It took a while for everyone to recover from the unusual visit. "What the fuck?" Margo seemed to give voice to everyone's thoughts.

Little Vivian was shocked. She had barely found out about magic and now found out that Greek Gods exist. Fen certainly still had many new experiences to live on Earth, but she didn't expect this to be one of them. Once Josh told about Bacchus and mentioned other Gods, Aphrodite included in the explanation. Ted was increasingly fascinated by this new world that was opening up to him. Deep down, he also felt proud to see that his son's love was so immense that even a Goddess came to witness it, and it was not just any Goddess. She was simply the Goddess of Love.

"What the fuck?" Julia repeated.

"Not to sound like an idiot but...What the fuck?" Kady added.

"I'm going to vary it a little...Fuck, fuck, fuck." Said 23.

This made everyone burst into laughter, relaxing all of them. The newlyweds hugged each other, still not quite believing everything that had just happened. The celebrant went to sit down, amazed at the end of the ceremony.

"Does all this mean that your love was blessed by her?" Fen broke the silence when everyone stopped laughing.

"Absolutely. These idiots seem to have divine blessing. So let's celebrate." Margo went to hug the pair who hadn't yet said a word. Soon after, the couple received hugs and kisses, wet with tears. As soon as they sat down at that beautiful table, Julia proposed something. "Let's leave the divine matter for later. Let's take advantage of the moment so we don't talk too much shit about it."

"I'm dying of curiosity about what these two asked, but I'm going to cut them some slack." Margo agreed.

"I believe we will know soon." Maryl said.

"How?" Ted wanted to know.

"I think they'll end up telling us. Coldwater won't hold back." Opined 23.

"He can also be an obstinate son of a bitch and tell us nothing." Kady laughed.

"Um, I, we, you know, we can't say a thing." Quentin said shyly.

"What?" Josh looked surprised.

"Yeah. She asked us to keep it a secret, so we can't tell. I vote in favor of Julia's proposal. Let's leave this matter for later." Eliot was happy that he would have support from the Demigoddess.

"Okay you morons. Just for a little while. Let's celebrate. With my power as High King I declare we must start the celebrations. Let's drink."

"You should know you are not in charge here, on Earth." 23 picked on her.

"Baby..." Julia intervened but, laughing, rested her head on his shoulder.

Josh signaled to the waiter and soon he brought drinks. Canapés and other appetizers were already on the table. After some drinks, the celebrant said goodbye wishing everyone the best. They talked and laughed at the almost innocent curiosity of Vivian and Fen's questions. The girl was ecstatic with everything she was discovering, which led Maryl to say that she would have trouble getting her to keep quiet. Sometime later, the waiter brought the food, which was delicious.

When the time for the first dance arrived, Eliot stood up and held out his hand to his husband.

"May I have the pleasure of this dance?"

Q took his hand and followed him onto the dance floor with a huge smile on his face. They positioned themselves in the center, and when the music started to play, Eliot tried to hug him to dance together as agreed, but Quentin walked away, smiling even more, making Eliot speechless, with a question in his eyes.

Quentin then bows and gets into position to dance the waltz. Eliot slowly approached and psyched himself up for the dance, as did his husband. He was amazed when Q managed to follow him in the waltz steps, even if he was still a little unsure when he did a twirl. It was perfect. They danced together without taking their eyes off each other. El's wide smile mirrored Q's. Eliot was so happy that he almost couldn't wait for ‘Can't Help Falling in Love’ to end before he kissed his man.

Among the clapping noises, Eliot whispered in Q's ear. "Darling, I can't believe you knew how to dance."

"I didn't. When you brought it up, I saw that it was important to you. I asked for help and got some tutoring." His smile showed how proud he was of having managed to surprise his husband.

"Who helped you? When? I need to thank them." Surprise and joy were both evident in Eliot's eyes.

"Kady. I remembered a show she put on during the key quest. I, hum, took advantage of you spending a lot of time taking care of renovation stuff. She showed up at the shop for small daily lessons."

"My love! I don't even know what to say. Thank you! It was perfect! You are perfect!" They were holding each other, not dancing to the new song that started playing.

"I love you. All I wanted was for you to have the wedding of your dreams baby."

"I love you more. Remind me to thank her, and maybe, we can dance again latter."

Finally, they started to move to the new song. They danced together until Julia and Margo came to ask for their dances. After a while, the dance floor has all their family. Fen was twirling around happily with their friends; Kady was showing how good she was at it. Penny and Julia, Ted and Maryl were dancing together but interacting with everyone. Josh danced with them all, having a lot of fun.

At the end of the set of songs, in a flowery gesture, Josh makes two cakes appears on a table near to them. The first was chocolate, covered with white chocolate ganache, with marshmallow, strawberry and champagne filling. The other was the groom’s choice. Josh puts on a very smooth white chocolate and lemon coating that brings out the peach and plum flavor. Peach and plum flowers ornate that special cake. Everyone loved hearing about the groom's cake and Julia hugged Josh, thanking him for being such a caring guy.

Margo has a new admirer. Vivian also loves the books and finding out that Filory really existed made her very excited. The girl was thrilled to learn that Margo was the High King of the land. She asked a lot about the castle, the talking animals and Margo asked Fen to help her with the answers, introducing her as a filorian Queen. Maryl promised to take her to Filory soon.

The reception was great but there was still one more tradition for them to fulfill. They need to start the toasts. Julia was the first.

"I met Q when we didn't even know how to properly read yet. He learned before me and always read more than anyone in the world." They all laugh. "We made maps of Filory without imagining it was real and magic was just a card or a coin trick. He always wanted to be Rupert in our games, and I was Jane, of course. I didn’t know she's was a selfish bitch in every other life we've had." Everyone laughed again. "Following tradition, I'm going to say something to make Q die of shame and Eliot think what the fuck he did by getting married to him."

"Oh no!" Quentin complained putting his hand over his own eyes.

"Nothing will change my mind." Eliot almost shouted, pulling Q closer to him.

"We were starting college and like Brakebills, Q wasn't very well accepted by his roommate. He complained to me. I told him to try to be friends with the guy, gave him a drink. He could have taken a beer, a wine, anything. Do you know what he took? Tea. He was thrown out of the room with that damn tea on his hair and clothes." Everyone laughed a lot.

"In my defense, it was a tea that help you to stay awake and study." Tried to say Q.

"My love, understand that you will never make friends with tea. But with wine..." Eliot kissed his lips softly.

"I love Quentin. We've had our ups and downs, but today we're the best friends we can be. Happy married life Q!" Julia finished.

"My turn!" Margo got up to do her part. She gave a mischievous smile. "If someone told me when I met Quentin that I would let him fuck me, I would kick your ass." The groom blushed and Eliot kissed his hair. "What can I do if he can win us all over with his nerdy ways? The truth is that Q stole El's heart before I could blink. I said Q wasn’t that cute, but he was, he is. Eliot tried to hide it from me, maintaining his diva pose, but…once, I heard him with another guy, calling Q's name as he came."

"Bambi!" It was Eliot's turn to complain. Everyone else laughed while Quentin, looking surprised, opened a huge smile and caressed his lover's hand.

"Eliot always tried to hide his love for our favorite nerd. He may have fooled everyone, even himself, but never me. I knew that behind the insensitive appearance there was a heart. A beautiful and huge heart." She ran her hand through his hair in a loving gesture. "I'm lucky to have him as my best friend. I'll never forget when he threw me into the dungeons of Whitespire, but I also won't forget when he was the first to recognize me as High King. I'm sure that only these two could love each other this much. Be happy. I love you guys. Both of you!"

Ted also decides to speak. "Quentin was always an introvert person and used books as a way to create a world of his own, as you all know. Funny how he got to be king of that world."

"He still is!" shouted Margo. They heard laughter and even hooting.

Ted spoke again. "He was known as my son and now I am known as his father." Looking very lovingly at his son, he continued. "I worried about him finding his place in this world, finding love. When I heard he was a magician, I understood that he finally found his place. I was worried when he was alone for months, after returning home. He told me about Eliot. He said he would get over it, but deep down I knew that it was true love." He smiled after giving his son a friendly pat on the shoulder. He then looked at his son-in-law. "Eliot, you are like a son to me. I am proud that you bear our family name. I am proud of you, both you, and the family you are building. I only ask that you do not take too long to give me a grandchild." Everyone laughed and a loud whistle could be heard before he continued. "Eliot, as you are the newest member of the Coldwater family, I'd like to give you a gift that belonged to my grandfather." He then hands over a golden box and inside, Eliot finds an antique pocket watch, silver with Roman numerals. On the back is an engraving with his new name. Eliot Coldwater. The groom rises to embrace his new father. A long hug that brings Q to tears once more. Q hugs them both. Everyone is crying, 23 included.

"I also want to talk, we want to talk, don't you my love?" The smile in Eliot's eyes reflecting all the joy of the moment.

"Yes, even though I'm speechless." They smiled to each other before Q continued. "We want to thank all of you. You helped us get to this moment in one way or another."

"Starting with this day. We wouldn't have done anything without you. Josh, the food is amazing. Coming from me, it's really a fucking huge compliment." Eliot took the opportunity to toast his friend.

"23, you helped us a lot with our comings and goings. Yes, you're not a cab, but it's good to be able to count on you. For those who don't know, he visited the places where we'll spend our honeymoon."

"Baby, you didn't even tell me."

"I'll take you there later Julia." 23 said with a mischievous smile.

"Jules, you not only helped me prepare for the ceremony, but you were by my side in difficult moments and gave me good advice and even a push, well a big one. I hope to continue counting on you." Q was looking lovely at his friend.

"Bambi, only you to kick my balls and make me come after my happiness with the man I love."

"I'm still keeping an eye on you." She responds immediately.

"I know. Fen my dear. Thank you for your support too. I wish you can be as happy as I am." The ex-wife only put her hand over her heart as a sign of affection.

"Kady, I want to thank you for the conversations and for your help with the renovation..."

"Wait darling, I'm the one who must thank her." Quentin smiled and motioned for him to continue. "In addition to recommending wonderful professionals to make the house looks like we dreamed, I have to thank you for the most important thing. I always dreamed of the first dance at our wedding and you made it possible. God knows that Q has many qualities, but being a good dancer is not one of them. I left with my feet intact and my heart beating to the rhythm of our love. I owe you one!"

"I'm going to charge bitch." She said grinning.

"Maryl, my father knew well when he found you. I am glad that he didn't let you go. We are happy to have you and Vivian. You made this place beautiful. I hope the next ceremony will be yours."

"You can leave it to me, son. It will be!" For the first time, Maryl felt embarrassed. Ted gave her a warm kiss on the cheek.

"I have to say Margo was right. I fell in love with Q at first sight." A sigh can be heard, possibly Fen. Eliot continued looking deep into his husband's eyes. "I never thought you could love me, much less as much as I love you." He gently ran his fingers down his partner's arm until he took his hand. "I am happy today. I had the marriage of my dreams, with the man of my dreams. I left a shitty family that didn't love me to find one that does. Quentin, my love, you are made for me. I promised to love you and show you how much I love you every day of my life. I will keep that promise." He placed a soft kiss on his husband's lips.

"El, I don't even know what to say. You already know that I love you, well, after all I married you." The family applauded as Q showed off the ring.

"You managed to grab him Q." Josh joked.

"It took a while; At one point it was hard to believe that…I thought…I would never have you El... but here we are. I, you know, I hope we never get tired of each other, after all we are soulmates." He took his husband's hand to his lips and kissed it. "The truth is I will never be tired of you. You are the love of my fucking life. Of them all." They kissed tenderly and slowly once again.

At the end of the day, friends began to say goodbye. When they were alone, Eliot took Q's hand and led him to the front door of the house, passing the same way that Q had entered. He then kissed his husband and picked him up in a marital style. "I couldn't let you into the house other way. It had to be in my arms."

"Take me inside our home El."