A lot can happen in a week.

Anavrin and I had holed up in the finest hotel in Glasgow for a week with Michael, trying to avoid the press and just enjoying being together. We were spread out over four rooms - Michael, Gabrielle and I were in one room, Fay, Dave and Aidan were in another, Matt, Angel and Celeste were together and Lottie had seemed to vanish into Jeffy-Joe’s room. We’d get up late, lay around in our pyjamas and get room service.

My whole body was singing to be in Michael’s presence again. Lying in our bed, feeling his chest rising and falling against mine provoked such a simple but real pleasure in every inch of my being. He’d all I’d ever wanted and there he was. There we were, together and happy.

“You know,” Michael murmured one morning as I walked over to the curtains by our window and tugged them open. “Here in Scotland, they have this piece of legislation called the Civil Partnerships Act or something.”

“What’s it about?” I asked curiously, propping myself up on my elbows to look at him.

“It’s um…well basically, it allows gay people to legally register their relationship and declare their commitment. It has to be legally dissolved and couples who are legally bound have the same rights as…” he explained and I cut him off, excited.

“Married couples,” I concluded and he smiled softly.

“Yeah, pretty much,” he reached out a pale hand and the sunshine danced over his fading track marks. I kissed the hollow at his elbow on his inner arm, sucking the skin gently and looking provocatively up at him. He grinned and tangled his pale hand in my hair.

“I love you, Adam Eden. I want to marry you.”

Silence descended and I couldn’t tear my eyes from his. He meant it, every word. He wasn’t just caught up in the emotions of our reunion, he wasn’t being stupid and reckless. He meant it. He wanted to marry me.

“But it’s not just…you wouldn’t just get me. You marry me, you’re stuck with Gabby too,” I reminded him and he smiled.

“You marry me, you’re stuck with Fay.”

“Michael, I understand that you’re not ready to be a father.”

“Correction beautiful, I wasn’t ready. I am now. I love Gabby. She’s my girl now too. I want to get emotional on her first day at school. I want to pack her lunchbox. I want to get all flustered when we teach her about puberty and I want to interrogate the first boy she brings home. I want to sit in her room when she goes to college, holding one of her stuffed boys and remembering when she was little,” his voice was sincere and full of compassion and I found tears blurring my vision. He took my hands in his and kissed them. “And I want to do all that with you, Adam.”

Our lips collided in the gentle rays of the golden sun, an act so intimate that it surpassed everything Michael and I have ever done to, or with each other. His lips were soft and tasted like last night’s champagne as they parted softly, inviting my tongue into his mouth. I could feel tears of joy streaking down his cheeks, mingling with my own. Michael and I are in each other’s blood. We’re engrained so deeply into each other’s souls that I don’t know where he ends and I start.

“I want to marry you, I want to marry you as soon as possible,” I breathed to his smiling mouth when the kiss finally ended.

“Well then get out of bed, Sleeping Beauty, we’ve got work to do.”

---

We told Fay, Dave, Matt, Angel, Jeff and Lottie within the hour. And of course, they wanted to jump on the bandwagon. You think arranging one wedding (of sorts) is difficult? Try arranging three.

Yup, Fay and Dave decided they wanted their relationship to be legally binding in the UK too. Matt and Angel just decided to get married. There was no pressure on them to get married this time round, and they were ready. And hey, they might as well get married the same time as us.

So we booked out the registry office for three ceremonies. The label decided to intervene and got us a wedding planner, Jenna. Jenna did everything. She had our clothes tailor made. She found an open minded priest that would bless Michael and I after our ceremony at the registry office. Jenna also rented out the huge function suite in our hotel for the reception.

Michael and I decided to take a break from all the wedding shenanigans, and went for a walk around the small student garden, built for the students of Strathclyde University where an old maternity hospital used to be. It was nice, sitting in the sun with him. I sat with my head in his lap and my long legs dangling over the edge of the bench while he stroked my hair.

The year apart had melted away thanks to long, intimate conversations and long, intimate other things. I had once believed that happiness was an illusion, something to strive for but something that would never be accomplished. It was against the rules, to be happy, to be truly happy.

But dahling, if there’s one thing I do well, it’s rule breaking.

I called my mom and left a message on the answering machine. I basically told her what the press had already documented in mind numbing detail - that Michael and I were back together. However, I did let her in on a little secret that was being kept from the press - Michael and I were getting married. I told her the time, and the date (it was only four days away) and where the reception would be.

I don’t know why I told her. Maybe I hoped that she’d finally step up and be my mother. That she’d hug me and tell me she was happy for me. It was only a hope and it was a small one, but what is faith if it is not simply hope?

---

Four days passed in a blur of fittings, flower picking and hiring a wedding band. We settled on a DJ by the way, but drew up a careful list of what we’d like played. Although, we did make sure we had some performance equipment set up if the desire took us.

The day of the weddings (haha, plural) dawned as a warm and soft summery day. Michael and I got up and showered (yes together, get over it) and got dressed. We were both wearing quite casual attire - black pants, white shirt, tailored black jackets. We dressed Gabrielle together, the time of day full of laughter and baby gurgles.

The label had insisted on a limo. We all piled in, not one of us nervous. Everyone looked fantastic, and it wasn’t just the awesome clothes. Everyone looked content, happy. Like a family.

No one cried at the ceremony, not even Fay. It was relatively quick actually, and I was in a happy daze all the way through. I can remember standing with Gabby on my hip and my fingers laced through Michael’s. To be honest, that’s all I really needed to remember. From the registry office, we went for our blessings (very touching) and headed straight to the best part - the party.

And bloody hell, it was a party! The music was loud, the alcohol was flowing and the dance floor was packed. Everyone was smiling. There I was in the thick of it all, with the most important people in my life, just happy. Not needing to do anything other than exist and be near them.

But of course, the best parties always get gate crashed.

My mother showed up dressed in a modest skirt and jacket along with my little brothers, Robert and Connor. God, how they’d changed. When I left them, they were still excitable young boys. They were all grown up, bigger than me but with hollow eyes. The infectious smiles, the raucous laughs, they’d all gone.

I decided suddenly that I didn’t want to see them, or talk to them. I grabbed Michael by the hand and led him to the dance floor just as Placebo’s “Post Blue” began to play. I grinned wickedly at Michael and pulled his hips to mine.

For three minutes and 12 seconds, I was able to forget that my past had just rudely walked in on my future. Funny, that I thought I wanted them there. Maybe I had felt it was right, they were my blood. But that’s all they were - blood.

My mother caught up with me eventually, when I headed to the bar. She looked tired, she’d been tired for years. Part of me felt bad for her - she’d loved us, before Mary died. But she put too much love into her faith, she gave up her life for her God and in doing so, she gave up on me. I could never forgive her.

“God would frown upon this, Adam,” she said quietly, her tone what it had always been - a mixture of disappointment and ill disguised nausea.

“Well let Him cast me into Hell then,” I shrugged. “At least I’ll know I lived properly.”

“It’s just not natural!” She protested. I rolled my eyes, I’d heard it a dozen times from a dozen dozy Catholics. It sounded no more convincing coming from her.

“Look…when Michael kisses me, when Michael holds my hand, it feels more natural to me than breathing. I never expected you to understand, but I will not listen to your shit on my wedding day. You either sit down and shut up or you get the Hell out,” I retorted sharply, venom pouring from my tongue. She looked shocked and I went to find Michael.

Robert and Connor were trying to talk “sense” into him, and from the looks of things, Michael was trying their patience. I couldn’t hide a little half smile, they were double his size and there he was, telling them that if they ever wanted a good fuck, they should look him up.

I slid in between them just in time to hear the gruesome crack of Robert’s knuckles. I slipped my arm around Michael’s waist and laid a loving kiss on his mouth before turning to face my brothers.

“You lay one hand on him, and I’ll rip your skin off and make you eat it. You boys may be all grown up, but I’m still your big brother and I will not hesitate to kick your twin asses, understand?” I grinned and they nodded reluctantly. I actually really wanted to beat them up, just to see if I could. Sure, they’re both bigger than me, but I have something they will never have - passion.

“Hey boys, wanna play with me?” I shouted to Fay, Dave, Matt and Jeff. They all grinned and nodded as if waiting for me. I made my way to the stage with Michael in tow, who sat down at one of the little tables.

I waited for Fay, Matt and Dave to plug in their gear. Jeff was already behind the kit, grinning in anticipation. I turned away from the microphone and whispered a song name to them. They all nodded, the song I had chosen was beyond appropriate.

A hush fell on the party, all eyes were on us. I closed my eyes and let Adam the rock star come out to play. I could feel the eyes of my mother and my brothers on me, a quiet but potent hatred. Like I always did in such situations, I opened my mouth.

“If I give up on you, I give up on me
If we fight what's true, will we ever be
Even if God himself and the faith I knew
Shouldn't hold me back, shouldn't keep me from you,” I glanced at Michael, offering him my brightest smile. Then my gaze fell on my “family” - the next lines were for them.

“Tease me, by holding out your hand
Then leave me, or take me as I am
And live our lives, stigmatised, yeah.

I can feel the blood rushing through my veins
When I hear your voice, driving me insane
Hour after hour day after day
Every lonely night that I sit and pray

Tease me, by holding out your hand
Then leave me, or take me as I am
And live our lives, stigmatised, whoah yeah

We live our lives on different sides,
But we keep together you and I
Just live our lives, stigmatised.”

The music began to build up, a wall behind me, giving me strength. I felt the support of almost everyone in the room, but most especially Michael. I jumped from the stage and landed gracefully on his table. I held the microphone to my mouth with one hand, and cupped his face in the other.

“We'll live our lives, we'll take the punches every day
We'll live our lives I know we're gonna find our way
I believe in you
Even if no one understands
I believe in you, and I don't really give a damn.”

I held the note as required, before kissing Michael gently on the mouth. The vocals were about to get really difficult, so I closed my eyes and prepared myself to sing the words that had always rang true for me. This was my statement, my declaration of love for my life and for Michael, for my daughter and for my friends. For the only family I had ever loved.

“If we're stigmatised
We live our lives on different sides
But we keep together you and I
We live our loves on different sides,
We're gonna live our lives
Gotta live our lives
We're gonna live our lives
We're gonna live our lives, Gonna live our lives, Stigmatised.”

I drew in a deep breath and looked into Michael’s eyes. They were glistening with tears. He practically pulled me from the table top into his arms and I held him back. Happy. At home. At last.

(A/N: You're probably wondering what I'm playing at with the countless random updates, right? Well ok, I've been meaning to do an epilogue for this story for a long time so here it is. For those of you who read "Sonny", I updated it because to be honest, I had an update ready and didn't want to keep those who do read it waiting. But I promise, The Early Years is my number 1 priority and I will be updating it soon. Oh, and the song Adam performs with the Anavrin crew is "Stigmatized" by The Calling D)