Leon's voice was a jagged rasp. Lucien couldn't tell if the man's eyes were red, mostly because his own vision was a blurred, watery mess.

"You jerk," Lucien choked out, wiping his face with his sleeve. "You could have just said the last part. All that build-up was just to make me cry, wasn't it?"

Leon's mouth quirked into a faint, dark smile. He reached out, his heavy hand catching Lucien's wrist. "Hand, baby. Give me your hand."

"I'll comfort you after the ring is on," Leon promised.

Lucien sniffled and extended his fingers. The silver band slid home. It looked like a simple loop until the light caught the dark, hidden engravings that shifted like moving water across the metal.

"It's beautiful," Lucien whispered.

Leon hauled him up into a crushing embrace. He leaned down, his mouth catching the stray tears on Lucien's lashes. "Don't cry, baby."

Lucien buried his face in Leon's chest, his voice muffled by muscle. "Jamie told you, didn't he?"

"I called him," Leon admitted, his chest vibrating against Lucien's cheek. "I needed him to stall you. He mentioned you were pouting, but I was just waiting on the custom work. I wasn't missing this."

"I didn't know," Lucien muttered.

"My fault," Leon said. He tilted Lucien's chin up, pressing two heavy, possessive kisses into his cheek. If Lucien were an actual lamb, Leon would have licked him down to the bone by now.

Lucien blinked, looking at Leon's bare hand. "Where's... where's your ring?"

"Right." Leon had completely forgotten his own finger. He reached into a drawer and dumped a velvet box onto the counter.

Dozens of rings clattered across the marble. Leon had ordered a matching band for every single cupcake possibility just in case Lucien picked a different one.

Leon sifted through the pile until he found the twin to Lucien's ring. He handed it over with a smirk. "Put it on me, baby."

Lucien slid the metal home. The second it settled, Leon laced their fingers together, trapping Lucien's hand in a grip of steel and silver.

"I love you, wife," Leon rasped into the crook of his neck.

Lucien's face went nuclear. He gave Leon a weak shove. "I'm going to shower."

"I'll come with you," Leon countered.

"I can do it myself!" Lucien squeaked, but Leon was already selectively deaf. He hoisted the "disgruntled bunny" into his arms and headed for the bathroom.

The water cascaded over them, turning Lucien's fresh curls into a sodden mess. The scent of jasmine soap filled the steam-choked room.

Lucien froze as he felt Leon slide the new ring off his finger. He gripped Leon's bicep for balance. "What are you doing? Why are you taking it off?"

Leon paused, his thumb tracing the sensitive skin of Lucien's palm. "Safety first, baby," Leon whispered. "I don't want the metal to scratch you."

Lucien's knees went weak as the implication hit him. He leaned against the cold tile, his eyes wide and shimmering.

Leon leaned in, his mouth hovering over the pulse point in Lucien's neck. "You like the feeling of beads, Lucien? I could get the surgery. Just for you."

Lucien's toes curled against the floor. New tears spilled into the shower spray. He was going to be broken.

----

The wedding took place on a private island.

Only then did Lucien realize

Leon had bought the entire thing

.

"How much money do you actually have?" Lucien asked, his eyes wide. "You're a literal island owner."

Leon ruffled Lucien's soft black hair. "I signed it over to you last week. Do you even look at the documents I give you?"

Lucien looked away, guilt flashing in his amber-gray eyes. Leon was always handing him papers—shares, car titles, deeds. Lucien usually just signed whatever was put in front of him.

"You aren't worried I'll sell you off?" Leon nipped his ear.

"Who would buy me?"

"Maybe a farm," Leon mused, his voice dropping to a gravelly depth. "I'd sell you as a little slave. Overalls, a straw hat, milking cows all day. Then the farmer handles you at night."

Lucien's face flushed a violent shade of pink. Leon was always finding a new bottom for his moral floor.

"And the farmer wouldn't let the milk go to waste," Leon added. "He'd feed it all to you."

Lucien stomped on Leon's foot with everything he had.

Leon hissed, though his eyes danced with dark amusement.

"Keep dreaming," Lucien snapped. "You're sleeping alone tonight."

The guest list was small. Aside from Leon's parents, there were the club members, Jamie, the roommate, and Leon's cousin, Bert.

Bert grabbed Lucien's hands, his eyes watery. "Shen, the second I saw you, I knew you were my destined sister-in-law—"

Leon's boot connected with Bert's shin, sending him stumbling.

"You called him sister-in-law," Leon noted, holding out a hand. "Where's the tribute money?"

"You're a billionaire, Leon! Stop extorting me!" Bert wailed.

Leon stared him down. Bert eventually sighed and handed over a black bank card. Leon slid it directly into Lucien's pocket.

"Thanks, Bert," Lucien beamed.

Jamie leaned against a palm tree, watching Bert. "He seems fun. A bit of a waste, though."

"Waste?" Lucien asked.

"Same role as you, Honey," Jamie noted, looking Lucien up and down. "It's obvious."

Lucien went quiet. Was it really that obvious?

Jamie shoved a small, heavy box into Lucien's hand. "From me to you. Guaranteed satisfaction."

Lucien didn't need to open it to know it wasn't a toaster. He tucked it away with a dry "thanks."

By evening, the guests had settled into the villas. Jamie and the roommate were already planning Lucien's "after-party."

"Once we leave, you'll be alone on this island," Jamie noted. "The beach. The trees. The sand."

"Total wilderness," the roommate added. "Sounds intense."

Lucien's skin felt like it was on fire. "I have no plans to become a caveman. Stop it."

He retreated to the suite he was sharing with the other two.

"It's a waste," the roommate sighed. "The moon is perfect for a marathon."

"It's tradition," Lucien insisted, sitting on the edge of the bed. "The night before the wedding, the couple sleeps separately."

He knew Leon's stamina. If he went over there tonight, he wouldn't be able to walk down the aisle tomorrow.

"You're in the Caribbean, not the Qing Dynasty," Jamie countered. "Go find him."

Lucien didn't move. "I'm staying here."

Jamie shrugged and turned toward the window, looking out at the dark, crashing waves.