Ashy slowly descended from the sky as Rucrow tilted back and forth in the air, his wings outstretched. It had taken him a while, but he was finally able to glide with the help of his harness and, of course, his beautiful pink friend. 

His bird was having the time of its life... right before the time of their lives. The wedding was scheduled for three hours from now, so it was finally time for this flight to come to an end. 

Even as Ashy came to a running landing on the beautiful deck of their new house, Rucrow was still cawing and holding his wings out, wanting to go back up into the sky. 

"Sorry love, but we have to get ready now," Ash said as he untied the little harness from around his chest, then turned it as it loosened so that he could catch his sweet crow. 

"We'll go again tomorrow, I promise," he said soothingly as he lifted the ruffled bird up for a kiss on the head. 

Sorry, he's still so excited to finally be able to glide, Ru thought to his love as the man gently set his bird down on the deck and tugged on the pair of shorts he'd left there for when they'd return. 

"No problem, babe. I know how he feels," he said as steam drifted from his nose, a sign that his dragon wanted to go fly again with its bird instead of let him do responsible adult stuff. 

It didn't see a reason to have a wedding. According to Ashy, they were married from the moment he'd laid eyes on Ru. It didn't seem to care for any explanation it was given about how that wasn't quite the way it worked, either. 

"Dad!" 

Looking into the house, Ash smiled calmly as one of their two foster kids ran outside. She was a blond twin named Ella, and sure enough, her brother was hot on her heels!

"Dad, I picked up yours and father's tuxedos from the dry cleaner. They had called while you guys were flying," she said as her brother, Ari, stopped beside her. 

Glad we managed to scrape enough together to get them a decent care to share. 

The kids both had already had jobs for after school and had demanded to help pay for it, so they were giving them about a hundred a month, each, to whittle away at the cost. 

They were seventeen, and soon to be eighteen in a few months. At first, they'd thought that their foster request was just a joke, since they'd been thrown around the system for most of their lives and while Ru was old enough, Ash was only in his early twenties, but after meeting with them, they'd decided to see how things went. 

Well, needless to say, things were going amazingly well. 

"Your phone rang again once Ella left with the catering order. I confirmed everything that you had said you wanted," Ari said quietly, both of them wearing matching grins. 

"Thank you guys for do—" a loud caw stole their attention abruptly, bringing their eyes down to a pacing, flapping Rucrow. 

Ella shook her head and leaned down to scoop him up, hugging the bird close as it settled down. 

He wasn't sure why his crow loved her so much, but it definitely helped calm him down whenever he was getting fussy. All she had to do was pick him up and hold him and all was right in the world. 

On the other hand, Ashy rather liked Ari, and they could often be found snuggled up on the couch together, a book in Ari's hands and Ashy's head resting on the boy's chest as he napped, getting an occasional pat to his pink mohawk or scratch behind his ears whenever the boy finished a chapter. 

It had been three months since they'd moved, and a month since they'd decided to foster. 

I don't think things could be going better if we tried, Ru thought to Ash as they all went back inside. 

There were fresh mangos from one of their early-blooming trees on the counter in a bowl, and a few textbooks, as well as a sports jersey, situated on the island there. 

The kids had been pretty neurotic about keeping things spotless when they'd first arrived, likely due to their other foster homes, but once they got more used to things, they weren't as cautious. A few things here and there were fine. A few things left out meant that it wasn't just a house, but a home. 

Rucrow was settled quite contently in Ella's arms as they walked around, finishing up getting things ready before they all needed to change into their dress clothes. His bird honestly become much more relaxed after they'd brought the twins home, and even stayed out more. He also didn't need to have his feathers trimmed back anymore to keep from plucking them out. 

Of course, he still needed his little sweaters every now and then, because life wasn't perfect, but as far as improvements went, Ru couldn't have been prouder. 

Ash's phone rang again as the two kids went to finally get changed, leaving Rucrow on the granite kitchen island near Ash. 

"Hi mum!" Ash answered as he picked up the phone, the ring tone having already told him that it was his mother. 

She'd actually mentioned that she was considering moving to the area, too, though that would be a little ways off if it did happen. She needed to find someone to run the resort business for her, or sell it outright.  

As of right now, she was in town for their wedding, and for a bit of fun. Evidently, his mom had met someone at the nice hotel she was staying at. It was a young man from a few towns over, traveling for business, and just far enough away from home that his company agreed to pay for a hotel room so that he didn't have to try and drive back and forth each day. 

"Alright mum, we'll see you there with the kids. They can't wait to meet you," Ash said, finishing their short conversation before hanging up his phone and slipping it into his shorts. 

He then scooped up Rucrow and carried him into their room, nudging the door shut with his foot before lifting his bird up a little. 

"May I have my sweet husband back for now, my beautiful crow?" 

Rucrow gave a quiet caw, then allowed Ru to finally take control again. 

That left him completely naked, of course, and pressed right up against his husband's hot body. 

Their modest sex life, surprisingly, hadn't taken much of a hit once they'd brought Ella and Ari home. They simply worked around the kid's schedules, and since they both had afterschool jobs, and Ash and Ru had managed to hire more people at their restaurant, they were able to manage their time perfectly fine. 

Of course, they also got a doorbell camera, just in case someone came home early so that they wouldn't be surprised. 

"Ready for our big day, love?" Ash asked as he leaned forward for a gentle, hot kiss. 

Was he ready for the event? Absolutely. 

Was he ready for the amount of people that would be staring at them? Absolutely not, and yet...

Ru leaned forward, too, meeting his love halfway with a smile on his face. 

"I think I am. Just a little nervous," he rasped out as he leaned back, a blush on his cheeks. 

Not being one to be intimidated, Ash gathered him up in his arms and squeezed the ever loving daylights out of him!

"Don't worry! Mum only hired two photographers, a videographer, a—" Ru pressed his fingers to Ash's lips, earning a lick but also some much-needed silence. 

He didn't need to know how many cameras were going to be pointed at them. 

"Alright babe, I'll let you go get ready. I still have a few small things to take care of before I shower," Ash said, making Ru tilt his head, curious, but not enough-so to bother him about it. 

Instead, he channeled his inner crow, finally allowing him full control over their most important day. Rucrow puffed up his chest and clicked his beak behind Ru's eyes, accepting the challenge to make him so damn handsome that Ash would never be able to look away!

His shower lasted nearly forty minutes as he scrubbed himself to the bone, then applied this, that, and the other. His hair was scrubbed with shampoo twice before he added an ample amount of conditioner and combed through it with his fingers. 

His body was covered in a cleaning wash, then a specific scented soap that he knew Ash loved. 

When he eventually stepped out and dried off, he applied a lather of lotion to his skin, then did a quick observation to make sure that everything was spotless. 

His crow rustled its feathers slightly at his length, and the lack of piercings there. He'd considered getting the same piercing that Ash had on his, but the guy had made it clear that he really didn't want him to. Not because it wouldn't look good or he wouldn't like it, but because he didn't want someone else touching him there. 

Of course, he didn't outright say he couldn't, but it was one of the very few things Ash had voiced his displeasure about, so Ru had tossed the idea, even if his crow wasn't entirely done considering it. 

Moving on, his crow ordered him to stand in front of one of their large mirrors for a second observation, and to start with his makeup and styling. 

The one thing they didn't bother hiring was a makeup artist. Rucrow would have been absolutely demolished if they hadn't used his expertise for such an important event, and within fifteen minutes Ru's hair was perfectly styled and his skin looked gorgeous. 

To be honest, he didn't need much makeup since he took very good care of his skin to begin with, but a little here and there made him that much more beautiful. 

Next, he slid into his undergarments, then black dress pants. After making sure that they sat on his hips just right, he tugged his white silk dress shirt on and buttoned it up. 

Another glance in the mirror told him that he looked great so far. 

The suit-jacket soon joined his shirt on his shoulders and was buttoned appropriately. 

Alright, all dressed. 

Now came the important part!

With a grin he looked down at his engagement ring, the gorgeous black color reflecting the light in the large bathroom beautifully.

Rucrow knew exactly what to do and had Ru's hands moving with precision as they extracted two black teardrop diamond earrings from a case and slid them into his ears.  

Next was a gold bracelet dotted perfectly with black tourmaline jewels that Ash had gifted him not a week after they'd opened their restaurant. Rucrow had absolutely fallen in love with it. 

He then added the feather gem necklace he'd gotten from Ash before they'd parted ways after his initial trip to his mother's resort. 

After one final check he turned and walked out, a comfortable smile on his face. His feet paused only a few steps out of the room as his eyes met his husband's wide stare. 

The man's gaze couldn't have been wider, and Rucrow couldn't have been preening more if he tried! 

Ash's hands shook as he lifted them up to his own face and scrubbed at it, though he refused to block his vision for even a second. 

Ru watched his Adam's apple bob as Ash swallowed for the third time, his stunned reaction eventually drawing him closer until he was standing in front of his sweet man. He'd been a little nervous, wondering if he should do more, but the look on his love's face told him that he'd done plenty. 

Oh...

Reaching up, Ru gently tugged at one of Ash's warm ears and tilted his head, smiling a little wider. 

"You're steaming, love," he mused, unable to not tease his man... just a tiny bit. 

Ash gave out a few quiet whines that sounded more like they were from Ashy than himself, then reached up, just barely managing to stop himself before he smudged Ru's makeup. 

Instead, his hand lowered and was soon joined together with his other one behind Ru's back, tugging him firmly up against him. 

"F-fuck," he eventually stammered out as steam even slipped from between his teeth. 

Soon there were hot hands yanking the back of his shirt free from where he'd meticulously tucked it into his dress pants. He heard Ash continue to mumble the F word as he buried his face into the crook of Ru's neck at the same time his hands finally slid beneath his shirt and began to claw at his soft skin. 

He already had quite a few marks on his back, and while he didn't mind them, in the least, now, unfortunately, wasn't the time. 

"You have to get ready, love," he whispered even as he pressed a kiss to his man's soft, messy hair. 

Ash muffled his groan against Ru's neck, then quickly withdrew his hands and stiffly walked away. Ru watched him go, grinning the entire time. 

Tonight, love, he thought to him.  

The kids had already planned to stay over at friend's houses for the evening, and Ash's mom had volunteered to take them to the local amusement park tomorrow. It would be their first time there. To say that they were excited was an understatement.  

With his smile still firmly in place, Ru got his husband's clothing situated, then settled on the edge of the bed until he saw his man reappear in the bathroom doorway in all of his damp, naked glory. 

Rucrow cawed within his mind, voicing his contentment with the mate he'd chosen. 

I agree, bud. 

Standing, Ru walked over and helped dry him off, then calmly brought over his clothing and helped him into it, being quite meticulous in his attention. 

Ash, on the other hand, was quite meticulous with the attention he was giving him in return! By the time Ru had finished dressing his love and adding bright pink rose quartz earrings and a silver and pink ruby necklace he had a nice hickey just below the neckline of his shirt! 

Brat... but my gorgeous brat, Ru thought as he made sure that his collar was settled over the mark.

Rucrow held his head high within his mind, proud of their work and Ash exhaled through his nose just enough to show some steam from Ashy. He seemed to agree. 

"Ready to go, hun?" he asked, not really feeling a need to give Ash any makeup. 

He was young and already absolutely breathtaking. There was nothing to hide, even in his crow's eyes. 

Ash nodded, his beautiful hair framing his handsome face and making Ru's already quickened heart pace faster in his chest. 

They silently tugged their shoes on, then walked out of their room hand-in-hand. 

The kids were already waiting for them by the door. Both of them were actually wearing suits, because they'd told them to get what they were comfortable in. 

"You guys look fantastic," Ru said as they walked out the door together. 

Ella was the most excited to be able to wear a suit for the first time and, of course, it was a designer one, at that. They had spared nothing to make sure that the kids were just as happy today as they, themselves, were, especially since they rarely asked for anything.  

After a short drive downtown, they arrived at the venue they had looked at back when they were still at Ash's mom's resort. It had caught their attention back then, and it had held it all this time. 

It was a pretty small ceremony in a beautiful little garden, with only some people they'd met recently and Ash's mom, but it was absolutely perfect for them. The vows got a little messy when Ash started crying as he said I do, but Ashy helped him pull through... and might have added a few faint pink highlights to his beautiful hair in the process, which, honestly, only made his husband look all the more beautiful. 

Their kiss was also not the picture-perfect one most photographers expected, because Rucrow decided to nudge himself into control just long enough to nip Ash's lower lip, making it bleed. Evidently, his bird had wanted to make sure that everyone knew who Ash belonged to now... 

Thankfully, everyone laughed it off, and now he was having trouble keeping his eyes off of the little mark on his official new husband's lip.  

Their restaurant had done the catering and set up inside the venue, and to say that they had outdone themselves would have been a massive understatement! 

The buffet spread included several different pasta dishes from spaghetti and meatballs with fresh basil and mushrooms to chicken and shrimp in alfredo sauce. There were also several different kinds of sandwiches made with fresh bread, from turkey and bacon, brie and veggies, and even a spot where you can make your own. And of course, everything was gluten free. 

The pasta was also available without sauce, and several extra sauces were set around the container, giving guests the choice to pick their own in case of an allergy or preference. 

They'd gotten the idea from Ari, since he preferred things extremely simple. His sister, being the polar opposite, loved to try the most ingredient-heavy items. Seeing her eyes light up when she noticed the make-your-own stations made Ru feel like the best dad ever. His heart hummed happily in his chest as she stacked her plate high, but it also sang as Ari happily scooped himself some plain pasta and added a healthy scoop of butter to it. Uninterested in anything else.

He, himself, couldn't help but wander over to the breakfast portion they'd requested. His plate soon consisted of pancakes, bacon, eggs, fried potatoes, and a blueberry muffin. 

I'm in heaven. 

They were soon seated next to Ash's mum and the kids as they talked about everything that had happened in such a short amount of time. 

While Ash's mom was overjoyed to be part of their day, her attention quickly switched to the kids as she produced a gift card for each of them. One was to a bookstore, for Ari, and Ella got one to a general store since she'd mentioned liking sports and fashion. 

Ari quietly thanked her, though because he wasn't used to crowds, he didn't speak much as he ate his noodles, then went back for a single blueberry muffin. 

Ella, on the other hand, got into quite a deep conversation with Anne, going over different celebrities and what they were wearing... and how most of it looked ridiculous. 

Ru tried to pay attention, but guests kept coming over to congratulate them and, much to Ash's delight, compliment them on the amazing food. 

The cake was large and incredibly delicious. It was dark chocolate with a thin layer of soft fudge and cream cheese frosting on top and, much to Ru's surprise, Ash had actually snuck away at some point in time to go create it himself!

He had no idea how he'd managed to do it since they'd been so busy, but he was so glad that he had! 

By the end of the night he was just about spent, especially after having two plates of breakfast for dinner and two huge pieces of cake. He was doing his best to hide yawns behind his hands as they bid their guests farewell one by one outside the venue's doors. 

The kids had left a little earlier, having been picked up by a friend, so by the time everything was finished and the leftover food was packed up, distributed amongst their eager guests except for the plain noodles and butter for Ari, Ru was ready to crash. 

"I don't think I've ever seen you eat so much, love," Ash said as he stepped behind him and wrapped his arms around his waist before he settled his chin atop his left shoulder. 

Ru grinned and leaned back, then turned his head just enough to nuzzle his cheek against his husband's soft hair. 

"The vitamins you found have been doing wonders for me. Thank you for looking into my sleepiness for me," he said honestly, earning a big grin from Ash. 

He'd never thought that such simple things could help him, but evidently his disease made it a bit harder to process things, and Ash had caught on that he might need a bit extra to help with that. 

"Of course, sweetheart. I'm glad you're feeling well. I asked our new friend, the crazy doctor, about it and he said he actually was pretty familiar with such things and recommended those vitamins. He has other patients with similar situations, too. We should make an appointment soon to see him... but first," Ash said, then grinned wider, making Ru raise an eyebrow right before he was unceremoniously scooped up into Ash's arms like a bride! 

"Wh-what are you doing?!" he squawked, his crow slipping into the sound just enough to make its presence known. 

A little steam drifted from Ash's ears as he began carrying him towards their car... one of the few left in the parking lot. 

"Taking my beautiful husband home," he said, making Ru tuck his face against the man's chest to try and hide his burning cheeks. 

He remained that way for several moments as the cool evening wind rustled his hair, and after being settled into the front seat, Ru patiently watched and waited as his love went around, then slid into the driver's side before reaching over and taking his hand. 

Ash squeezed it right away in response as he looked over at him and smiled, his boyish grin adorable on his handsome face. 

"Ready to go home and make love all night?" Ash asked after a few moments of content silence. 

Uh...

Ru felt his tired left eye twitch as Ash gave his hand another squeeze, then laughed and got the car started. He'd been joking, because they both knew that he really wouldn't last very long if they tried. 

As much as he wanted to give his gorgeous husband the night of his life, that night would have to be rescheduled to another date. Instead of screwing till the sun came up, they took their time making love once, then rinsed off in the shower before simply cuddling together and watching movies until the crows came out. Or, really, the singular crow. 

Ashy soon joined him, and while the dragon was likely to stay up for quite a bit longer, it didn't hesitate to wrap itself around its feathered friend until Rucrow was nice and comfortable, snuggled up against his warm scales. 

Ru watched the beautiful dragon through his crow's drooping eyes, his heart warming as Ashy checked on Rucrow off and on with gentle nuzzles and quiet grumbles until, finally, his sweet bird, as well as himself, drifted off into a peaceful, sound sleep.

-End

(I'll be putting my Ko-fi link at the bottom of the final chapters of my books from here on. It's totally optional, of course :) See you guys on the next story... which will probably be Sailfish in the next few days, though Raccoon is trying to nudge its way into the mix already, too, lol.)

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