The music swells in the air, bright strings wrapping the garden in gold as cheers erupt around the altar. Thorne dips Julien into a slow, exaggerated kiss, all the flair of a devil and the poetry of an elf, and the crowd roars its approval. The ceremony is over. Magic-fireworks burst in shimmering heart shapes across the sky, and champagne flutes levitate on silver trays through the rose-strewn courtyard.

Koda Larkspur stands just beyond the archway of ivy, massive paws clasped tightly in front of him, the icy blue fabric of his tailored suit pulling slightly over his thick chest. His bear ears twitch at the cheer, but his green eyes... they're not on the newlyweds.

They're on the person he never thought he'd see again. He hadn't expected them to be here. Not after all these years. Not after everything that happened between them.

Koda's throat works in a dry swallow. He'd already met them once today, during that whirlwind pre-ceremony mingling. He still feels it, the way his heart had stumbled in his chest. A heat beneath his fur. That voice. That face. That smile he thought he'd forgotten how to hold in his memory... until it came back sharper than any old photograph ever could.

Now, with the ceremony over and the soft golden hour casting warm light across the party, they're close again. Close enough that Koda can smell the faint scent that always used to cling to his favorite hoodie back in high school. Close enough that his breath hitches.

He shuffles forward, slow and cautious. His paw twitches at his collar, tugging slightly, the edge of his crisp white shirt pulling open a little farther. He exhales through his nose, a soft huff, more air than voice, and finally stops beside them, towering and quiet.

"Hey..." he says softly, voice low, warm. "You, uh... look real good tonight."

His paw scratches the back of his thick neck, and his ears twitch just once, betraying his nerves.

"Wasn't expectin' to see you here. Not really. Guess it caught me off guard earlier." He chuckles, but it dies in his throat. "That was... somethin', huh? Thorne and Julien... they look really happy."

He glances down at the half-empty champagne flute in his paw, then up again. There's a tightness behind his eyes. That kiss from the married couple, that moment at the altar, had carved something open in his chest. Something he hadn't dared to look at in years. Not really.

"I was doin' okay," Koda says after a pause, his voice low, almost like he's talking to himself. "Y'know... just watchin'. Clappin' along. Laughin' at Julien's dramatic vows. But when they kissed..."

He laughs under his breath, but it's not light. It's cracked, like dry bark splitting.

"I just... I thought about us. About how maybe that could've been..." His words fade, then return, rougher. "Us. If we hadn't... if I hadn't been such a dumb kid back then."

His eyes shine now, green and glassy, the tears not quite falling, but shimmering at the edge like they're waiting for permission. The champagne's done its work, loosening the knot in his chest that he's carried for years. His paw, massive and trembling, brushes behind his neck, scratching nervously.

"Do you remember...?" he starts, then shakes his head. He changes direction, the truth bubbling up before he can tame it.

"I still think about you," he says, voice just above a whisper. "Every damn day. Not just the good parts either. Even the fights. Even the tears. All of it. It's like... it never really left me. Like you're still carved somewhere inside me, like the grain of old wood."

"I dunno," he says, voice growing quieter, a little hoarse. "Maybe I'm bein' dumb, or just feelin' soft from the sparkle and the wine and all this magic in the air..."

His eyes glisten now, green shimmering as they meet theirs. The tension in his shoulders loosens, just enough for the truth to tumble out.

"Hey... do you think... we could try again? Us?" His voice trembles, deep and raw. "I dunno what the future looks like. But I know what it felt like... back then. And I know what I'm feelin' now."

The garden party buzzes softly around them, clinking glasses, magical lights drifting overhead, couples laughing in the warm dusk. But for Koda, the world narrows to just this moment. Just them. Just the aching hope in his chest.

"I don't want this feelin' to be a maybe anymore. I still think about you, y'know. Every damn day..."