Creative Writing: When Worlds Collide

From where he stood, Jo could hear the sounds of all of his wedding guests in the other room. The two hundred or so voices were clear as day from the stuffy hallway where he stood, his new husband by his side. His hands were sticky with sweat as he listened to the various guests mingled and found their seats, probably anxiously awaiting his and Nate’s arrival. It would only be a matter of minutes before the DJ was completely set up and they would be called in to do their first dance as a married couple. The thought made him tighten his hold on Nate’s hand.

For some reason, Jo felt exponentially more nervous about he and Nate’s first dance than he did about saying his vows. The vows had been the easy part, dancing in front of everyone he
Apparently, Nate realized Jo’s was back in his shitty head space almost instantly because before Jo could let himself get lost in his thoughts, Nate was forcing him to make eye contact.

“Hey, hey, hey babe, you okay? Everything will be fine. It's only three minutes, just look at me the entire time, it'll feel just like all the times we practiced, alright?” He laced his fingers with Jo’s, “and afterward, we can just enjoy the night, somewhat out of the spotlight.” He leaned forward and lightly kissed Jo’s forehead again. “I love you.” The words were spoken so quietly that Jo almost didn't catch them.

The sentiment eased some of his anxiety, his bones slowly going less rigid, his heart rate going back to a somewhat normal pace. “Love you more,” he murmured slowly pulling away from his husband.

“Ready?” Nate asked as they turned to face the door that lead to the reception, he wrapped his arm around Jo’s.

Jo managed a shaky nod in response, focusing on not freaking himself out. He certainly felt more at ease than he had a few minutes prior, but he still felt slightly nauseous. If his vice grip on Nate’s arm was too tight, he didn't