Title: A Day To Treasure
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Carl Hickman/Louis Daniel
Fandom: Crossing Lines
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1,105
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my own imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own the lovely Carl Hickman or Louis Daniel, unfortunately, just borrowing them for a while. Please do not sue.

***

The sunlight was filtered through the trees around the wedding chapel; it fell across the stained-glass windows, making brilliant prisms on the floor and walls.

Carl couldn't keep himself from smiling as he looked around.

He was going to marry the man he loved today. He and Louis would be joined as one, and he would be the happiest man in the universe.

He already was happier than he'd ever dreamed that he could be. Today was only going to take that happiness further, and make sure that it would last forever.

They were forever. He would be with Louis for the rest of his life, and beyond. He truly believed that, more than he had ever believed in anything before in his entire life. Louis was his future; Louis was the person he belonged with, the man he wanted to spend eternity with.

Eternity, with Louis in his arms. Just the thought made Carl smile, and wish that time would speed along faster so that he could meet Louis at the altar and marry him.

He could already hear Louis saying his vows in that sexy, deep voice, that French accent that always sent a shiver of pleasure down his spine whenever his lover spoke.

He was so utterly, completely in love.

At an earlier point in his life, he might have been ashamed to admit that. He had always been a man who turned away from softer feelings, claiming that he didn't need them.

But he'd been wrong about that, and it had taken reconnecting with Louis to prove that fact to him. He needed this man, needed the love that they shared.

What would his life have been like if he and Louis hadn't found each other again, if Louis hadn't been willing to take him into the ICC team and give him a second chance? Carl shuddered to think of the man he more than likely would have become; he didn't want to think about it.

He wouldn't think about it, he told himself firmly, pushing those thoughts away and slamming a mental door on them. Not on his wedding day.

This was the happiest day of his life, and nothing was going to mar it. He was marrying the man he loved with all of his heart and soul, and nothing could dim his joy.

All of his closest friends were here, the people who shared his life, the people he cared about the most. They had all watched his relationship with Louis bloom, and they had all wanted to see both of them happy. That meant more to him than he could ever put into words.

He could see Dorn sitting in the front pew when he peeked out of the doorway at the back of the church. Carl had to smile at the other man's obvious pride in being there.

Michael hadn't always approved of his relationship with Louis, but he had finally accepted it, and wished them a long life together filled with happiness.

Coming from him, those were treasured words.

Everything about this day would be a treasure that he could hold close to his heart. It was a day to remember, a day to rejoice in and count his blessings.

Not the least of those blessings was the fact that the man he loved wanted to marry him and entwine their lives together -- not just as working colleagues, but as partners in every way.

This was a kind of happiness that he'd never though he could possibly feel. He had always thought that these feelings were for other people to enjoy, not for him. He'd been resigned to going through life alone, to feeling that he would always be on the outside of emotion, forever looking in.

But again, Louis had changed all that. Louis had shown him what real love could be -- and now that he had found it, Carl had no intention of ever letting it go.

Was there anyone else in the world who had ever loved like this, so deeply, so strongly? Carl didn't think so. He was sure that his love for Louis could outshine the stars.

Well, it would damn sure give those stars a good run for their money.

They had chosen Tommy as their best man; the Irishman was standing up and moving to his place near the altar, reaching into his pocket for the rings.

It was nearly time for the two of them to walk up the aisle to the altar, which they were going to do hand in hand. He and Louis, together, the way that they had always been meant to be. The way that they would be for the rest of their lives. A couple, inseparable, growing ever more deeply in love every day.

Carl took a deep breath as the door to the small room opened and Louis smiled at him, holding out his hand. "Are you ready?" he asked, his voice very soft.

Carl nodded, taking his lover's hand. "As ready as I'll ever be."

Those words made Louis smile as the two of them moved through the door and up the aisle, both of them smiling at the beaming faces that had all been turned to them.

Carl felt as though he was walking into the beginning of a long, happy life. A life that he wanted more than he'd ever thought possible, a life lived with the man he loved. A life full of love and laughter and happiness. A life that he finally had, against all of the odds.

He'd never thought that he would be here, but now that he was, he knew that it was exactly where he belonged. And the happiness that he felt was overwhelming.

Was he going to cry at his own wedding?

That was a very distinct possibility, he told himself as he and Louis reached the altar and faced each other, the smiles on their faces almost identical.

The first day of the rest of his life. A life that was going to be .... incredible.

He gazed into Louis' dark eyes as the minister began the words of their wedding ceremony.

His wedding. Their wedding.

Yes, he was indeed crying. Tears of pure, unadulterated joy.

***