Roommates With Benefits [BL]

As soon as I showed up at the wedding venue, Joey had already bombarded me with about fourteen increasingly desperate texts telling me I was late.

But here’s the thing: I wasn’t even late! I was actually twenty-three minutes early.

Still, being early was just a whole different ballgame when it came to Joey, who had spent the last three hours convinced the wedding would fall apart if I wasn’t within ten feet of him at all times.

Damn, I couldn’t even tell if he was marrying Natasha or me at this point.

Just as I walked through the door, my phone buzzed again.

Joey🥳: WHERE ARE YOU?

I blinked at the message for a second, then took in the huge ballroom. It was decked out with white flowers, twinkling lights, gold chairs, and just enough greenery to make it look like an expensive forest.

Sunlight streamed through the tall arched windows, casting soft golden beams that caught on crystal chandeliers and made the whole place feel almost unfairly romantic.

Staff members zipped around, adjusting place cards and fluffing arrangements of white roses and pale eucalyptus like caffeinated little hummingbirds.

I shot him a quick text back.

Me: Inside.

His reply came back almost instantly.

Joey🥳: OH THANK GOD.

I couldn’t help but shake my head as I tucked my phone away.

”Good morning to you too.”

The venue was stunning, though I wouldn’t want to give Joey too much of a compliment because I knew he’d turn it into an emotional monologue about how much this day meant to him.

Flowers were everywhere, mostly white and pale green...lining the aisle and framing the entrance to the reception hall.

Sunlight flooded in through the tall windows, making everything appear softer than it probably was. Somewhere in the distance, staff members rushed around with trays and fiddled with decorations.

And right smack in the middle of it all was Joey.

He looked like a guy who had been dressed for a wedding against his will.

His suit was perfectly tailored, his hair had been styled, and somehow, someone convinced him to wear shoes that didn’t scream ”college student.”

But even with all that, he still looked unmistakably like Joey, nervous...but very excited.

One awkward comment away from total freaking meltdown.

He spotted me and made a beeline towards me, weaving around a couple of startled ushers with the purpose of someone who had been rehearsing this moment in his head for hours.

”You made it, man.”

I frowned, ”I told you I was coming.”

”Yeah, you said you were coming. That doesn’t quite mean you actually would.”

”I am literally standing right in front of you.”

”That’s what makes this moment so beautiful.”

I blinked at him and he blinked back, then he pulled me into a hug that smelled of expensive cologne mixed with pure panic.

I laughed and patted his back. ”You’re getting married in less than an hour. Maybe ease up on random hugs for now.”

”You’re not just some random guy.”

”True. I’m the poor sap who said yes to being your best man.”

Joey pulled back, grinning, and I just looked at him for a moment.

It was a little surreal seeing him like this.

Joey had always been the loud, impulsive one...the guy who could turn a quiet night into utter chaos in no time flat.

Back in college, I genuinely thought he’d be the last person to willingly marry and settle down.

And yet here we were, he was about to tie the knot.

Out of the three of us, the wild one had somehow managed to figure his life out first.

I couldn’t help but smile...life really does have a quirky sense of humor.

”You good?” I asked him.

Joey glanced at the doors where the ceremony would kick off, one hand absentmindedly smoothing the front of his jacket.

”I think so.”

I grinned and squeezed his shoulder. ”You really love her.”

His gaze softened, ”Yeah, I do.”

Before he coul, the music started...soft strings first, then something warmer and more profound.

People began settling into their seats amidst the rustle of programs and the clearing of throats, and Joey’s whole demeanor shifted.

The jokes faded away and he stood a bit taller, eyes locked on the entrance as if it held the answers to every question he’d ever had.

Then the doors opened and atasha stepped inside.

In that moment, the whole room seemed to hush.

She looked stunning. Her dress flowed elegantly as she walked down the aisle, ivory silk shimmering against her brown skin in the light with every step, and her smile widened every time she caught a glimpse of Joey.

She radiated certainty and happiness, which only made Joey look even more emotional.

I glanced at him and Joey’s eyes were already shimmering.

”Oh, God,” I whispered shaking my head with a chuckle. What a crybaby...

He sniffed as I pulled a handkerchief from my pocket, the one I’d brought just for this occasion...knowing it was bound to happen.

He took it without even looking at me. ”Don’t even.”

”I haven’t even said anything!”

”You were about to.”

”I was going to say you’re ruining your makeup.”

”I don’t wear makeup.”

”Then you’re ruining your dignity.”

He shot me a watery glare before turning back to Natasha.

A few seconds later, a tear rolled down his cheek, I sighed and gently wiped it with my thumb.

”Get it together.”

”I love her. She’s so beautiful!”

He smiled through his tears, the kind of vulnerable smile that made it impossible not to feel something.

I smiled back.

And as I watched him gaze at the woman walking toward him, I felt something warm settle in my chest.

I was genuinely thrilled for him.

Joey had finally found his person.

And standing there next to him, I realized how lucky I was to witness it.

When Natasha finally reached him, Joey took her hands in his, and the look they shared made everyone around them smile.

Even me, especially me.

After the ceremony, the reception turned into exactly what you’d expect from a Joey wedding.

Loud, chaotic and somehow, just beautiful.

Music filled the ballroom while guests moved between tables, greeting family and friends, snapping pictures, laughing over drinks, and bickering about who’d had the most appetizers.

The scent of champagne mixed with something sweet wafted through the air, and I could see a group of cousins near the cake table already arguing over the best way to sneak a second slice without getting caught.

I spotted Natasha near the entrance and gave her a hug.

”Nat, you look so beautiful.”

She smiled and kissed my cheek, warm and genuine. ”Awwn, thank you, Oliver!”

”Congratulations.”

”You too.”

I frowned. ”Why me?”

”For surviving Joey long enough to stand beside him today.”

”Fair point.” I laughed, ”Thankfully he’s your problem now.”

She laughed just as one of her bridesmaids pulled her away, leaving me with the lingering scent of her perfume.

I watched her go, smiling, then I nearly bumped into Maya.

”Finally!” She threw her arms around me, bursting with excitement like she’d been waiting all day for this moment.

I chuckled as I returned the hug, careful to not disturb the obvious reason she currently resembled a glowing planet.

”Maya!”

”Look at you!”

”No, look at you!”

She stepped back with a flourish, gesturing to her stomach.

At seven months pregnant, it was pretty evident she was waiting for her baby girl.

One hand rested beneath her belly while the other cradled a glass of sparkling water, radiating a mix of glow and mild fatigue that only a pregnant woman could pull off.

”I know,” she said proudly. ”I’m pretty fucking adorable.”

”You look like you’re carrying a watermelon.”

She gasped, hand flying to her chest in mock shock. ”Um...excuse me?”

”A very lovely watermelon.” I said quickly to save myself from death.

”Better.”

Joey walked up behind her and leaned down toward her belly, as if greeting an old friend.

”Hey there, little girl!”

Maya rolled her eyes, though her lips twitched with a smile. ”You’re talking to her again?”

”She knows me.”

”She hasn’t even been born yet.”

”She knows her godfather.”

I chuckled as Joey looked suddenly serious. ”Speaking of which, who the hell out of both of us is her godfather?”

Maya didn’t even miss a beat. ”Oliver, duh.”