The wedding was small—just the network members and a few carefully chosen friends who'd been slowly introduced to the supernatural community. It took place in Sarah's backyard, under string lights and a canopy of stars that seemed unusually bright for a Chicago evening.
"Do you, Marcus Chen, take Dario Santos to be your husband, in this life and whatever comes after?" Sarah asked, her voice carrying just a hint of the vast authority she now wielded as the Father's primary avatar.
"I do," Marcus said, his voice steady despite the tears in his eyes.
"And do you, Dario Santos, take Marcus Chen to be your husband, to love and support through all the chaos your lives are likely to bring?"
"I do," Dario replied, grinning at the addition Sarah had insisted on including.
"Then by the power vested in me by the state of Illinois and several cosmic entities, I pronounce you married. You may kiss your husband."
The kiss was enthusiastic and prolonged, earning cheers from the assembled guests. When they finally broke apart, both grinning like idiots, Cassius and Aurelius had briefly surfaced, their joy so profound it was visible as threads of gold and silver light dancing around the couple.
"Beautiful ceremony," Elena commented as the reception got underway. "Though I notice you didn't mention the rings."
Dario and Marcus exchanged glances. They'd chosen not to wear traditional wedding rings—partly because their work often required them to travel light, but mostly because they'd found a better way to symbolize their bond.
Marcus held out his hand, and golden light gathered in his palm, forming a complex sigil that pulsed with warm energy. Dario mirrored the gesture, his own sigil appearing in silver light.
When they brought their hands together, the sigils merged into something new—a symbol that represented not just their human love, but the eternal connection between their divine passengers.
"Soul bonds," Luna observed approvingly. "Much more practical than jewelry."
"And harder to lose," David added.
As the evening progressed, Dario found himself standing at the edge of the party, watching his friends—his chosen family—celebrate. Sarah was deep in conversation with Maria about establishing a new safe house in Mexico City. Luna was teaching some of the newer hosts how to better integrate with their passengers. Elena and James were planning a joint operation to investigate reports of supernatural activity in Eastern Europe.
"Happy?" Marcus asked, appearing at his side with two glasses of champagne.
"Very," Dario said, accepting the glass. "Though I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop."
"What do you mean?"
"We defeated the bad guys, we're building a better world, we got married... It feels too good to be true."
Marcus considered this. "Maybe that's the point. Maybe after everything we've been through, we deserve some happiness."
"Do we?"
"I think so. And more importantly, I think we've learned how to handle whatever comes next."
Dario raised his glass. "To whatever comes next."
"To facing it together," Marcus corrected.
They clinked glasses and drank, sealing the promise that would carry them through whatever adventures lay ahead.
Because there would be adventures—that much was certain. The supernatural world was vast and full of wonders and dangers they hadn't even imagined yet. But for the first time since this all began, Dario wasn't afraid of what the future might bring.
He had Marcus. He had Cassius. He had a family of choice that would support him through anything.
And most importantly, he had purpose—not just the cosmic responsibility of hosting an ancient god, but the very human purpose of building something beautiful and lasting with the person he loved.
It was more than enough.
It was everything.