Despite all of the times Claire had said that she would have been happy running off to a judge, not doing that was completely worth it in the end. Just seeing the expression on Matt’s face through it all was worth it. Through the vows she recited in Spanish as a surprise, through Edmund’s proclamation that they were husband and wife, through greeting their friends afterwards - it was all better than she’d imagined. It wasn’t as grand as Em and Micah’s, but it felt more Claire and Matt. He deserved every second of it, no matter what he had to say about it.
She hadn’t been too interested in a traditional reception, and neither was Matt, but one concession she’d made was asking Cava to set up the tables with enough space for a small dance floor - enough to give Matt a proper first dance. He deserved that, too.
“Give me a reason to see the rest of this night out,” she murmured, gently leaning her cheek against his. Claire knew everyone had their eyes on them at the moment, but the rest of the room had fallen away once she grabbed his hand and pulled him out there. “Kind of having trouble remembering why we didn’t just jump to our wedding night.”
There was a sweet, soft blur to the previous hours. Matt meant to take small mental snapshots; moments he could remember his whole life, moments he could attempt to carry with him into any universe. But the truth was as soon as the ceremony began he found himself in the thrust of the moment and he only knew the second he existed in with Claire at that very time.
Then, on the dance floor, his palm pressed firmly against her back as they swayed lightly, he pressed a grin to her temple and inhaled the sweet scent of her. “I was going to make a joke about Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman and if we bail on all our guests, you’ll miss how funny I can be.”
“Who told you that you’re funny?” Claire teased. “Some other girl? She probably just didn’t want to hurt your feelings.”
It wasn’t true, of course. Or -- well, maybe it was, but Claire appreciated his sense of humor, as long as he wasn’t using it to deflect from injuries. But that was practically a lifetime ago now. That was a different Claire, a different Matt. They’d come a long way, she thought. The Claire that had pulled him out of the dumpster never could have predicted where they’d end up.
She didn’t make any attempt to slip out of his grasp, so she hoped he knew she wasn’t serious about bailing. It was a nice thought, but this was nice, too.
“Some other girl,” he repeated, his eyes crinkled in a smile behind his glasses. “She also told me I’m a good dancer. You might want to watch your toes.” Matt’s feet were fluid, however, and his hand on Claire’s back was confident.
“I wonder if that’s bad luck. To break your new wife’s toes.” All her life, she’d rolled her eyes or cringed at newlywed couples who couldn’t get enough of reminding everyone of their newfound status; for the first time, she understood why.
Claire pulled her head back just enough so she could kiss his cheek. “I know we couldn’t do this exactly how you wanted, but … it’s been good, right?”
After accepting her kiss, he turned with his lips quirked in thought. “Claire. This is everything I wanted. The ritual and the kneeling and praying … it isn’t what makes this right and true. It’s us.” Having her there with him, with his friends, pushing to make this life not just about fighting? He couldn’t believe his luck. Atlantis had granted him such anxiety and such peace; she gave (it seemed) with both hands. He held her closer, leaning in to whisper -- “I appreciate you looking out for my more Catholic proclivities, though. It means a lot.”
He was right, of course, and she could feel that now. She’d spent hours worrying that it would suddenly not feel right to him without all of the Catholic pomp and circumstance. She didn’t worry about him loving her; she worried he wouldn’t want to follow through with a full on wedding.
But he did, and there they were. “Someone’s gotta look out for your soul,” Claire teased, “and I’m already looking after your health. What’s one more thing?”
He pressed his lips against her temple and laughed softly, the sound rumbling in his throat. The ease at which they went from earnestness to levity spoke to the depth of their affection. “And what am I looking out for?”
“My heart,” Claire answered. She didn’t know what sort of answer Matt was looking for -- humor or truth, or somewhere in between, but leaning into the truth felt right for the moment. “But I know you’ve got me.” He always had, right from the start, even when he felt far away and impossible to reach.
She slid a hand up from his shoulder to ruffle his hair. “Who could’ve predicted we’d end up here, hmm? If I’d known pulling men out of dumpsters could get me this lucky…”
“Yes,” he breathed. “I can look after that.” As the notes of the song swelled, he held her tighter and wished it could continue another five or so minutes. The pure and unbridled bliss of just being in this moment was impractibly indulgent. And he loved it well.
“ … I trusted you from the moment you did. And I will my whole life long.”
“You didn’t have much of a choice,” Claire pointed out. “Your life was kind of in my hands. Literally. And I know. That’s what today was all about.” This was the sort of unconditional support she’d been looking for her whole life, and it’d been right under her nose the entire time. “How about we give everyone a little show? Spin me, like Micah did at their wedding. Pretty sure you remember those dance lessons she made him take.”
“I had a choice,” he countered. “I kept coming back!” Before she could come back to him, the music swelled and he rolled his arm out to spin her before coming in to let her dip low. He rose slowly, letting the music guide him and as they came back to an upright position he indulged in a languid kiss.
The day had been all about giving Matt everything she thought he’d imagined, which ended up meaning she took her time kissing him back, too, despite the fact that they were surrounded by a room of people. After a moment, she pulled away, a laugh bubbling up through her chest.
“You kept coming back because you couldn’t find another nurse crazy enough to take care of your stupid ass. Dunno how much of a choice that was, Murdock.”
His lopsided grin only widened as the music faded and another song broke the quiet, followed by the shuffling of a few pairs of feet. They were joined on the dance floor by their friends. Matt knew that citing extreme meditative practices would only make Claire roll her eyes. It was a pale flicker to the true help and healing she provided. He took a breath and held her tightly.
“Okay. Okay, okay.”
Claire grinned back. “Lesson one. Your wife’s always right.”
As much as she teased, she knew it was true that he’d chosen her, over and over. Not just in their world, but in Atlantis, too. He chose the life he wanted to build with her. He chose to let her in. They’d come so far since the day she told him she couldn’t fall in love with him, and as she looked at him now, she couldn’t love him more.