Rewrite The Stars || Rossian

Monday, August 8, 1921
Registrar's Office, St Albans, Hertfordshire
9:00 AM

Holy shit.

Holy shit.

It was happening. They were making it official. The day they'd spent their summer thus far waiting for was staring the boy in the face, and it was all he could do to keep his heart from bursting out of his chest.

They'd always said they'd do it, always smiled, always joked. There had always been stars in their eyes and warmth bubbling in their chest when they spoke of the moment she would truly become his. Cassian had meant it each and every time he told her he would make her his wife, and today was the day he got to prove it. In many ways, it was the day he finally became a man. The thing he'd told himself he would have to be when they ran: stepping up, becoming the head of someone's household, a provider, a husband.

Was he ready for it?

Admittedly, it was a little late for such thoughts, and that day of all days was a poor time for such consideration. He was anxious, yes, but not...afraid.

Standing before the Registrar, the boy – not a boy; he was of age now – the young man felt his pulse racing through his veins. Each time his eyes darted across to Freddie's, the pace picked up. His best friend, dressed nicely but without a proper suit, reminded him of just how real it all was despite the dreamlike quality life had taken on since they'd first run in June.

In many ways, Cassian was still waiting for the other shoe to drop.

The money and jewels they'd taken had seen them staying in a decent, albeit small and grimy, flat. Three friends, against the world, sharing meals, laughter and even a few thrills when they dared take those rare trips by train into London. It was all rather exciting. Even the drearier parts, the scrounging for day work and the long hours in the sun, weren't enough to dampen the fantasy. That it culminated in the happiest day of his young life made it all the more difficult to ground himself in the fact it was all real and that, when they walked out of the Registrar's Office, Rosalie would shed her old name and become his in a brand new way.

He'd never felt such nervousness flooding his frame before, not even during his biggest performances.

But he was ready. Merlin knew the boy couldn't be more ready if he'd rehearsed this moment a thousand times.

Cassian tried to ground himself in the mundanity of the office, realising that he could very well explode before Rosie even arrived if he couldn't get himself to calm down. Dark eyes took in the worn typewriter that sat atop a scratched desk and the fading azure of the window curtains. Across from him, a clock ticked, low and monotonous, as if trying to coax his heart back into a more regular cadence.

It defied each time it thought of Rosie's entrance.

She'd insisted on the pair going ahead of her and had locked herself inside their bedroom after the last of their birthday celebrations the night before. Bad luck, she'd called it. The groom wasn't meant to see his bride until the wedding.

Some wedding this was.

Buried inside his excitement was the sobering reminder that this was the best he could do for the girl who deserved the moon. An old man with a dry, persistent cough overseeing their special day, a small line of others waiting their turn just outside the door – a perfect stranger, standing by Freddie, ready to bear witness to their union.

He resolved in the moment that someday she'd have a grand ceremony with everyone they cared about. For now, he would give her his heart and a promise.

Monday, August 8, 1921
A Small Flat, St Albans, Hertfordshire
8:45 AM

She'd waited for this day longer than she'd likely admit to herself.

In the back of Rosalie's mind, there was a part of her that never thought they'd get here. It had been such a hard road, happy, gentle and tender moments, littered amongst those that made her feel like her heart was slowly being crushed little by little.

And yet, through it all, her love for the boy who could slow her heart to a dangerous, unsteady pace had never faltered. It remained constant, patient, waiting for her in all the quiet places she retreated to when the world grew too sharp.

As she dabbed the last of her blush on her waiting cheeks, Rosalie felt a soft peace. She had chosen him, over and over, every single day that had led her here.

She had never felt more sure about anything in her life, than she did about Cassian.

He was the reason she believed in love. He was the reason she believed in freedom and autonomy. He was the reason she hung on when the world grew cold and lonely. Cassian was the reason Rosalie had a life of her own at all and felt free in expressing herself in the ways she wanted to.

In many ways, Cassian had saved her. She knew what her life held for her had he never come into it, or if she had been too afraid to take those leaps of faith with him. He was beautiful chaos, in the soft, gentle way that she needed, never running away when the shadows crept in.

He had promised her forever. She had promised him always.

Today, they finally got to make good on those promises. Cassian McCormick was going to be her husband, and there was nothing in the world that could have made Rosalie happier or more proud.

A quick spritz of her perfume and a last check in the mirror to make sure she was perfect for him. She'd locked him out of their bedroom the night before, insisting he wasn't allowed to see her before the ceremony. He'd protested, lightly, before resigning to his night with Freddie. It was all for the best.

She wanted to be perfect for him when he first set eyes on her.

Her white sundress - patterned with tiny yellow flowers - fell just above her knees. The bodice was form-fitting with its short sleeves flowing lightly just past her shoulders. It wasn't a wedding dress, but it was close enough and made her feel beautiful. Her hair hung in long golden waves down her back, smaller pieces framing her face that she’d left mostly natural aside from the blush and a little mascara.

She took a deep breath, finding herself smiling lightly to herself, before she headed out the door, locking it quietly behind her.

---

Registrar's Office, St Albans, Hertfordshire
9:00 AM

It wasn’t a long walk to the office where she’d meet the boys. St. Albans was relatively small and their flat a little more than a half mile away.

As she arrived to the building, she felt the first fluttering of nerves, anticipation at seeing him sending butterflies rushing through her stomach. She wasn't scared. There was nothing she wanted more than to marry him, and even though this was happening inside an office with little fanfare, to Rosalie Laurence, it was perfect.

She didn't need anything but the sweet theatre boy that waited beyond those double doors for her.

They opened gently, the police officer stationed at the door giving her an easy smile and muttering his congrats, but all she saw was him.

Dark curls, earthy eyes and a soul that she never wanted to be parted from.

She smiled as their eyes met, a soft rush of heat flushing her neck as she felt a sudden shyness take her. She rushed to him - not so fast that she was running, but enough to make Freddie let out a little puff of a laugh at her excitement. Rosie took his hands in hers, her blue eyes taking in every inch of his handsome face, only half-believing that this was actually happening.

After everything they'd been through, they were finally here. Together.

"Hey Casanova," she said softly as the Registrar shuffled his papers and cleared his throat.

"McCormick and Laurence?"

She squeezed his hands a little tighter.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

The minutes marched by in restless silence, interrupted only on occasion by Mr. Barkley's hacking intrusions. With the growing line out in the corridor – summer was a busy time for weddings – even among those who couldn't afford to rent the old chapel in the square – the man stirred with impatience for the youth and what he believed to be their flighty and unreliable nature. Cassian couldn't say whether it was always like this, or if they'd chosen a particularly romantic day, but he knew that with each second Rosie delayed in her preparations, they moved a little closer to being seen out without their certificate.

His apprehension over that particular worry vanished into imperceptible wisps when the double doors opened and his girlfriend – fiancée – soon-to-be-wife walked in. Rosie brought the sun with her, the yellow flowers of her dress playing off the golden beams that poured in through the open window.

Nothing else mattered after that: not the way Mr. Barkley cleared his throat sharply, not the low hums from the excited pairs once again shut out with the closing of the door – not even the bleak office full of records and a distinct lack of wonder. She stole his breath when she entered, and any thoughts he might have had about anything that wasn't those silky blonde waves and those deep oceans that smiled the moment they fell on him.

His hand eagerly reached for hers the moment she drew close, ready to kiss her now and have the man tell him it was over.

Cass had done enough reading to know there was more to the matter, but with a bride so beautiful, he found his patience shrinking to the length of the stiff registrar's.

Rosalie McCormick.

He wanted it. Now.

"Hey Casanova."

He grinned, overcome by a sudden giddiness at where they stood and what they were now only seconds from doing. Cassian leaned in to drop a quick kiss on her cheek. "You've outdone yourself, gorgeous." Not because she was dressed better than he'd ever seen her, not because she wouldn't have been radiant in a flowing white gown with a train that covered half the county, but because...no matter how she'd turned up—and she really did look stunning—the shine that came off her was from within. Rosie glowed from the inside out, needing nothing else to accentuate the beauty she'd walked into the Marriage Bureau possessing.

There was another clearing of the man's throat as he shuffled the papers. Cassian resisted the urge to offer him a mild potion, understanding it might both be rude and unusual for the muggle only trying to do his job.

"McCormick and Laurence?"

He nodded as he returned Rosie's squeeze, realising only after the man lifted his head and raised an eyebrow, that he was awaiting verbal confirmation.

"Yes, sir," he supplied. He shared a glance with his friend again, both wondering how far up his ass the man had chosen to shove his stick before showing up to marry hopeful lovers. The pair exchanged sheepish, boy-like grins, unable to take the man as seriously as he silently demanded. Mr. Barkley shot them both stern looks, and for a moment, Cassian was transported back to Hogwarts and his own boyhood. Was it a good thing? He didn't know, but in the moment, he was floating too high on the ecstasy of the moment to care.

The registrar lifted the first paper and began in a slow, monotonous tone that spoke to the numerous readings he'd already done during his time in office.

“We are gathered here today in the presence of the Registrar and the required witnesses to join this man and this woman in lawful marriage."

Breathe, McCormick. Breathe.

"Marriage is a solemn and binding contract, recognised by the laws of this country.
If you are both freely consenting, we shall now proceed.”

"You've outdone yourself, gorgeous."

His smile caused her own to widen, crinkling her nose and the corners of her eyes. She couldn't tear her gaze from him, elation filling her chest and spreading through her limbs with soft tremors. They'd dreamed of this day for so long. Nights spent under the stars, tangled up in one another, soft promises of love and 'someday' being exchanged between kisses.

Someday was here, and they were about to become each other's in a way they'd never be anyone else's.

He was as perfect as he always had been; truly out of her league. Looking down at her with those warm dark eyes underlined with a dotting of freckles, Rosalie knew she had found the place her heart belonged. So many had doubted them, especially in their earliest days, thinking it was just a fling. They didn't believe Cassian could be happy with just her, or that Rosalie would pursue a relationship with someone so far out of her social circles.

They'd proven all of them wrong. But moreso than that, they'd proven to themselves that the only opinions that mattered were their own.

The cranky Registrar gave Cassian and Freddie a stern fatherly-look when the two boys shared cheeky grins, and she couldn't help the giggle that bubbled up from her chest. The man turned his sharp gaze to her and she swallowed it immediately, pursing her lips tightly to keep from bursting into a fit of them. Whether the boys' antics were really that funny, or she was just overwhelmed with giddiness, the girl couldn't say.

“We are gathered here today in the presence of the Registrar and the required witnesses to join this man and this woman in lawful marriage."

Rosie released her lips in favor of biting her lower one and she bounced slightly on her heels with excitement. Though technically, she was an adult as of yesterday, she felt as carefree and full of joy as she had at fourteen when they'd had their first kiss.

"Marriage is a solemn and binding contract, recognised by the laws of this country.
If you are both freely consenting, we shall now proceed.”

Solemn was the truth with how dry and monotone the Registrar was reading off the words, but he could have been singing them in operetta for the way they washed over her. Marriage. Marriage. He wasn't just going to be her boyfriend anymore. This was so much bigger. This was forever. This was their names in the stars, witnessed by all who -

Wait, who was that?

Rosalie's eyebrows crinkled in confusion at the elderly man standing next to Freddie, listening intently to every word with a seriousness the three teenagers certainly didn't possess. Her eyes drifted from Freddie who shrugged with an amused grin and then back to Cassian where she broke into another laugh, her head falling back this time, much to the dismay of Mr. Barkley who sighed audibly and cleared his throat for a fourth time.

"Miss Laurence..."

Unimpressed. The Registrar who seemed mildly disapproving of joy was unimpressed. Rosalie nodded, reeling it back in, her cheeks hurting now from the permanent smile plastered on her lips. "I am. Consenting," she said, her thumbs brushing along Cassian's as her heart began to thud a little faster with anticipation.

This was it. The moment she gave him all of her love and the rest of her life.

"Mister McCormick?"

When Cassian gave his consent, Mr. Barkley moved on, shuffling his papers again as though he'd lost his place.

“Very well.”

He adjusted the papers in his hands once more, peering down at the text through the rim of his spectacles.

“As both parties have declared their free and lawful consent, I shall now ask you to make the solemn declarations required by law.”

His gaze lifted briefly, sharp and expectant.

“Mister McCormick, please take Miss Laurence’s left hand. Only her left hand.”

Cassian had always been fond of Rosie's giggle, finding it had a way of sending warmth melting through his muscles and seeping into his soul. Their 'wedding day' was no exception. If anything, it poured into the giddiness that already had the boy's head spinning. It was a struggle for him to bite back his grin as Mr. Barkley's stern gaze fell on his nearly-wife. It was no wonder the man had displayed mild exasperation when the trio had entered his office the week before to make their appointment. He must have had no end of lovesick children showing up at his door with forever in their eyes and snickers on their lips.

It wasn't that he wasn't taking the ceremony seriously – they all were. The gravity of the morning wasn't lost on him by any means. It was the result of years spent looking up at the stars and being determined to carve out a place among them.

Understanding wasn't enough to displace joy, and Cassian was currently overflowing.

"Mister McCormick?"

"Consent, all my consent, take it." Take his yeses, his signature, the six shillings they would spend by the time it was all over. Everything the boy needed was already there in his hand, enveloping his own with the sort of warmth that could see him through the coldest winter.

“As both parties have declared their free and lawful consent, I shall now ask you to make the solemn declarations required by law.”

It was enough to make him settle – as much as he could be settled with the way his stomach was doing flips. Every second that the ceremony carried on drew him closer to the dream that had kept him awake many nights.

“Mister McCormick, please take Miss Laurence’s left hand. Only her left hand.”

His left hand released her right as he moved to stand before her. As instructed, he reached for her left hand instead. His earlier grin threatened to break free again. There, in those deep oceans, he saw his future, and every inch of it was bright. That didn't mean he'd suddenly forgotten that they were being hunted or that he would be any happier while he toiled in the summer sun. It meant that despite all the troubles he anticipated, he knew it was all worth it. The girl standing before him was a better prize than any normal life he could've had, finishing Hogwarts, moving into a job his father approved of and marrying a girl who failed to light the sky each morning he woke.

“Do you, Cassian Thomas McCormick, take Rosalie Gretchen Laurence to be your lawful wedded wife, to the exclusion of all others, for as long as you both shall live?”

There wasn't an ounce of regret to be found in him, not a speck of hesitation. He wasn't a boy lost in puppy love and fairytales. The last few years had hardened him in his beliefs, cementing for him that there was no one else.

'To the exclusion of others', Mr. Barkley had said. It went without saying. Rosie was the only star in his sky. For him, there were no others, nor did he ever want there to be. On their 15th birthday, when they'd shared a tender moment in full view of the heavens, Rosie had told him that he was the only boy she'd ever loved. He'd held onto that promise, especially in the moments where everything grew hard and Cass provided nothing more than disappointment after heartbreaking disappointment. Now it was his turn to make the same promise.

"I do," he said boldly, his expression changing to match the seriousness of the promise.

The registrar nodded once, solemnly, before continuing. This time, he turned his gaze to Rosie, the same expectation laced into his dull eyes.

“And will you, Rosalie Gretchen Laurence, take Cassian Thomas McCormick to be your lawful wedded husband, to the exclusion of all others, for as long as you both shall live?”

Like many little girls, as a child, Rosalie had dreamed of her wedding day.

She had imagined what her dress might look like, what flowers she would carry. How beautifully the church would be decked out in candles and enchanted lights. The soft music that would guide her down the aisle to the man she'd give her heart to. What he'd look like, what he'd be like. The romantic in Rosalie had been nourished since she was old enough to read, getting lost in the fairytales that jumped out from old worn parchment, drawing her in from the ancient library of her family's estate into the colorful worlds where possibilities were endless and love conquered all.

As Cassian took her left hand and moved to stand in front of her, she realized this day was everything she had dreamed of. Because at the end of it all, the dress, the ambiance, the music and the lighting meant absolutely nothing when she had a groom who looked at her with such devotion and love in his eyes. In all of her wildest dreams, Rosalie had never thought she'd be so lucky to find someone with a heart as kind as it was brave, as steady as it was soft. Someone who saw her - not the name she carried, not the expectations laid upon her, not her blood type or her family's influence and money - but her. Exactly as she was.

"I do."

Rosalie's smile softened, her eyes welling with emotion that for once, she didn't want to hold back. Standing there with Cassian, hand in hand, she understood at last that the fairytales had never been about castles or candlelight at all. It was this - choosing each other openly and without fear. Loving one another despite all the ways they'd broken each other's hearts. Choosing to hold each other tighter through the storms and weather them together than go at it alone.

Whatever came next for them, Rosalie knew they'd face it together, knowing that while love wasn't enough to feed them or keep a roof over their heads, it was enough to see them through the good times and bad and help them find laughter and light where there might be little.

“And will you, Rosalie Gretchen Laurence, take Cassian Thomas McCormick to be your lawful wedded husband, to the exclusion of all others, for as long as you both shall live?”

Hadn't she always? The moment she'd known - truly known - that Cassian Thomas McCormick had her heart, there had never been a thought of anyone else. He was all she'd seen, all she'd known. Her first kiss, her first love. How blessed she was to be able to say he was her last.

She'd told him that he was the only one she would ever love. She had meant it, with every fiber of her being. If it all ended tomorrow - if somehow he was taken from her and she never saw him again, she would never love anyone else. Her heart would always be his, her name his, her life his.

Someday her children would be his.

"I do," she said, her voice sure and steady as her heart leaped forward into an excited sprint.

The Registrar finally offered the slightest grimace of a smile, though Rosalie thought maybe he was just experiencing some throat discomfort again. He shuffled his papers again.

"Miss Laurence, if you have a ring?"

Rosalie's smile returned, almost impish as she reached her free hand into the small pocket of her dress and retrieved a gold ring, adorned with a blue sapphire band along one edge. She'd had two of her bracelets melted down a couple of weeks ago and designed it with him in mind. For a few pounds and a jeweler that seemed to take pity on the lovesick girl, the ring now shone in the palm of her hand as she glanced from it to her almost-husband's eyes. Did he like it? She knew he hadn't expected one - money was tight. But she'd had enough for this and wanted to surprise him.

“This ring serve as a visible token of the vows you are about to make, and as a sign of the binding contract entered into this day. Miss Laurence, you will place the ring upon Mister McCormick's finger and repeat after me.”

Rosalie squeezed his hand as she slid the ring onto his wedding finger and looked into his eyes again as she repeated the vows.

"With this ring, I, Rosalie Gretchen Laurence take you, Cassian Thomas McCormick as my lawful wedded husband, until death parts us."

A tear streamed down her cheek as her voice came soft and steady, but her smile never left her lips. Her husband. It was all official now. Mr. Barkley just had to say the words.

The Registrar turned his sharp gaze to Cassian.

“Mister McCormick, if you have a ring, you will now place it upon Miss Laurence's finger and repeat the same.”

They both did.

Of course, they did. Neither would be standing there if they didn't already bury forever in their hearts a long time ago. The look in Mr. Barkley's eyes told him that they were like any other young and impulsive couple standing in his office. To him, they were running high on emotion, probably a bit of defiance towards their folks and a lot of the adrenaline that came with youth.

He couldn't have been any more wrong than he was.

True, they did run to get away from Rosie's parents and the dismal path Julia tried to lay out for them – and it had been a rather spur-of-the-moment decision to disappear into the country with no intentions of being found. But their love wasn't spur-of-the-moment. He and Rosie hadn't woken up that morning deciding they were suddenly in love and taking a gamble on how things could turn out. What they had was years in the making, built on moments so happy they seemed unreal and others that hurt so much he didn't think he could see his way through.

That they were standing before the man, his best friend and a complete stranger bearing witness to their legal promises was a culmination of everything they'd worked toward.

They didn't have it all figured out, even after so long on the run, but he wouldn't let anyone tell them they didn't know what they were doing or that they didn't understand the gravity of what they were taking on. His "I do" was final, and he wouldn't let anyone or anything question it or challenge it.

"Miss Laurence, if you have a ring?"

They...she...didn't. It was another consequence of their rash plan, an unavoidable one. There was no time to find work that would be sufficient to get them both rings in any reasonable amount of time. Neither of them had completed their NEWTs and even if they had, they would still have to be careful about where they gained employment. Someday, they'd have rings, and it would all become more legit, but for now...

"We haven't—."

Hm?

Confusion folded his brows inward as he watched Rosie reach into the small pocket of her dress. That confusion doubled when the girl—seconds from being his full-fledged wife at this point—pulled out a ring with sapphire lining one end. Cassian blinked, taking in the golden band while his brain scrambled to figure out where she could've gotten it. To say he was surprised would've been an understatement, and for the first few seconds, he didn't know what to say.

Thankfully, it wasn't the time for that. The registrar was already moving things along while the boy stood dumbfounded and in awe.

“This ring serves as a visible token of the vows you are about to make and as a sign of the binding contract entered into this day. Miss Laurence, you will place the ring upon Mister McCormick's finger and repeat after me.”

A ring. His ring. His incredible girl had found a way—without ever telling him. When had she found the time? She'd always been so resourceful.

"With this ring, I, Rosalie Gretchen Laurence take you, Cassian Thomas McCormick as my lawful wedded husband, until death parts us."

Her words pulled him back to the 'ceremony' as the ring settled on his finger. His heart stopped. Time ground to a halt as the moment hit him in a way it hadn't throughout the rest of this whole thing. Without checking whether it was allowed, he reached a hand up to wipe the tear that streamed down her cheek. His perfect girl who was actively surrendering everything for him. The gesture of the ring was almost too much. As if she hadn't already done enough.

He wanted to do everything for her, too.

Cassian heard his name, and it forced him back to the present. It was his turn.

He extended his hand, and Freddie dropped the ring Julia had given him into his palm. A borrowed ring. The moment he was able, he would give her one entirely her own.

"With this ring," Cassian tenderly held her hand in his, slipping the ring into place. Brown eyes bore their way into her deep blues, drinking them in with new reverence for the girl he loved with his soul and the solemn vows he continued to make to her. "I, Cassian Thomas McCormick take you, Rosalie Gretchen Laurence, as my lawful wedded wife, until death parts us."

And even then, Cass wasn't entirely sure death would be enough to sever the bonds they'd forged together. Rosie had him, all of him, and if death felt itself bold enough to cut in, it would find itself inadequate for the task.

Satisfied, Mr. Barkley continued.

“By the authority vested in me by the laws of England and Wales, I now pronounce you husband and wife.” The man paused briefly, his pale gaze shifting between the pair of them. His lips parted as if he meant to say something, but they closed again briefly. When he did speak, it was for the continuation of the matter. The man stepped aside, gesturing toward the ledger laid out on his desk.

“You may sign the register.”

Mr. Barkley shuffled further to the side, beckoning them closer.

“Please sign your names clearly on the line provided. Witnesses, if you would sign beneath.”

His thumb brushed softly against her cheek, causing the girl's smile to grow more tender as her eyes remained on his. She knew he wouldn't have been upset if she hadn't had a ring. They hadn't talked about one - for either of them - but Rosalie was of the mind that her husband was going to have the nicest ring she could manage, even if it meant she melted every last piece of jewelry she had. Seeing the awe in his eyes caused her heart to swell with pride - in him, in them, in how far they had come.

She watched, her eyes widening slightly at the realization Cassian had a ring too, as Freddie dropped it into his hand. Already, her expression was crumbling, but when she saw what ring it was, the girl couldn't help the soft cry that escaped her lips.

Julia's ring. It was one that she cherished and wore constantly. It had been her mother's. Delicate. Gold, with the smallest opal in the middle, surrounded by tiny diamonds. It was something Rosalie knew Julia would never want to part with - and the fact that Cassian had it meant that Julia had given it to him as her blessing.

Her heart ached in the best way as her eyes returned to her sweet theatre boy's.

"With this ring. I, Cassian Thomas McCormick take you, Rosalie Gretchen Laurence, as my lawful wedded wife, until death parts us."

And even death wouldn't take her from his side. If he went first, she'd follow him into the grave and lay down beside him. So was the depth of the dramatics the girl thought she'd go for him, and yet they felt perfectly reasonable.

“By the authority vested in me by the laws of England and Wales, I now pronounce you husband and wife.”

Husband and wife. HUSBAND AND WIFE.

Elation rushed through the girl, even as Mr. Barkley’s assistant thrust a pen into her hand. She signed quickly, her maiden name destroying itself as she did. Rosalie Laurence was no longer. She was his wife now. The days of being a girlfriend, of being negligible from the important parts of his life were gone. No one could take her from him now or say she wasn’t his or belonged with him.

She was Rosalie McCormick. Nothing had ever sounded sweeter to the girl’s ears.

She dropped the pen, unable to wait a second longer. Rosalie smiled up at him, wrapping her arms around Cassian’s neck and brought her lips to his. She kissed him, with all of the feelings coursing through her, never wanting to let him go.

The love of her life. Finally and forever her sweet husband.

Sign. Right. The document. The final thing standing between them and forever.

Cassian moved quickly toward the desk, gripping tightly to the pen that had been placed in his hand. They'd already been pronounced. She was already his wife. The only thing left was to cement their union in ink so that they could have it acknowledged in the permanence of public records. Long after they were gone, if anyone ever searched, they would know that there was a boy named Cassian McCormick who loved a girl named Rosalie (formerly) Laurence so much that he made her his wife.

They might never get to carve their names into the heavens in any meaningful way, but this felt like the next best thing. Legal and binding, demonstrative of a bond that had meaning beyond what they'd had as boyfriend and girlfriend.

Cass signed his name with trembling hands, still unable to believe that it was really happening—no, not happening; it was already done.

As he affixed his signature, his eyes caught the place where Rosie had laid hers. The name struck him at once.

Rosalie Gretchen McCormick.

He felt his heart melt inside his chest and the strength attempt to leave his limbs. It was all the boy could do to hold himself together. Rosie McCormick. His wife. His name was hers now. Everywhere they went, everyone would know. She wasn't in some casual fling or a serious but untethered relationship. She belonged to someone—him. off the market, non-negotiable.

His.

Cassian's pen barely hit the desk before he found himself pulled into her sweet kisses. Even on the best of days, he was powerless to resist. On that day, with phantom bells ringing in his ears, he was all hers. He drank in her kisses like a man parched, his own feelings mounting higher and higher with each move of her lips against his.

Ahem.

It was a sharp rebuke. With one final kiss, Cassian eased away from his wife with a sheepish grin that grew when he caught Freddie's own. Mr. Barkley wasn't nearly as impressed. The man's earlier irritation crept back in as he handed Cass the certificate and slammed the ledger shut.

"If you'll take that somewhere else, there are others still awaiting my services." The man had evidently had his fill of the giddy teenagers. "Pay your final fees out by the bursar on your way out."

He didn't need to be told twice. Cass took hold of Rosie's hand and tugged her toward the door with a nod to Freddie. Off he went, with his WIFE—would he ever get tired of saying that? He didn't think he would. The boy had half a mind to scream it to the high heavens as they departed the building but these were government premises and a certain level of decorum was expected. No need to have the moment ruined by security roughly escorting them out.

There would be enough celebrating later.