Co-written by: Mel and LJ
Todd glanced around the room and experienced an intense feeling of contentment. It had been a hectic few weeks and the culmination of tonight’s very special event will have made every moment leading up to it, priceless.
Beautiful invitations had been sent out and to Todd’s knowledge most had been responded to. All Christmas decorating had been done with the upcoming wedding in mind. When the tree had been taken down, it left the entire downstairs of their home glistening with silver and royal blue. Extra chairs and a long buffet table had been rented and set up; the services of a bartender had been obtained; tray upon tray of finger foods had been lovingly prepared and were awaiting final warm-up when the time came; a two-tier wedding cake sat in the center of the dining room table and a dozen bottles of champagne were chilling.
Todd clapped his hands in uncontainable glee. It was only two in the afternoon and he had everything ready. Suddenly, he felt rather weak and his legs began to tremble as sweat appeared on his forehead. He grabbed onto the door frame for support and briefly wondered if he’d be able to make it over to a chair to sit down.
Hayden had been working in his den polishing up what he was going to say during the wedding service this evening. Todd had banished him from the kitchen earlier, declaring that his offer to help with the food preparations was neither needed nor wanted. His beloved husband had informed him on more than one occasion that though Hayden might be a serviceable cook of basic comfort food, he was completely incompetent in the preparation of such delicacies as those Todd was planning for their son’s wedding celebration.
As Hayden pulled the final draft of his speech off the printer, his stomach began to rumble. He looked at the clock and was surprised to see that it was two o’clock. Realizing he hadn’t eaten since breakfast some hours earlier, he headed to the kitchen to see if he could rustle up a sandwich amongst the trays of food for this evening.
When he turned into the hall, he was greeted with the frightening sight of Todd grabbing at the kitchen door frame as his legs seemed to give out from under him. Hayden flew down the hall and had Todd held up in his arms within seconds.
“Easy, love, I’ve got you,” he soothed as he moved the shaking man into the living room and gently lowered him onto the sofa. He could feel the cold sweat on his husband’s face and the tremors going through his body. Hayden easily recognized the classic symptoms of hypoglycemia and exhaustion in the man he loved. “Don’t move. I’ll be right back,” he commanded firmly as he ran to the kitchen for the needed supplies.
He brought back a glass of orange juice into which he had stirred two teaspoons of sugar. He also brought along Todd’s glucometer. He pressed the glass into Todd’s hand and held it steady to ensure the shaking did not allow it to spill. “Drink it down please.” Hayden waited until all the juice was gone and Todd seemed to steady a bit, though he was still a bit sweaty and pale.
“I need to check your blood sugar, sweetheart,” he explained as he quickly took a small sample of blood from his husband’s finger tip and placed it onto the test strip. Within seconds he got the reading which confirmed that Todd’s blood sugar had dropped to well below his normal range. Hayden knew that the sugar which Todd had just ingested would take a bit of time to reach his system.
“You’re going to be fine, love. You just need to relax for a while,” he said reassuringly.
Todd leaned heavily against his husband’s chest, relying on Hayden to care for him. He had robotically obeyed the instructions to drink up and had sat in a daze while watching Hayden prick his finger in order to test his sugar levels. But now he was slowly beginning to feel more like his usual self.
“I lost track of time, Hayden. I forget to eat lunch,’ he softly confessed. “I wanted to make sure there was enough for everyone, but made a point of not nibbling as I worked.” Looking up at his Hayden, he gave him a bit of a smirk. “Nibbling is bad for me, right?”
Hayden shook his head sadly at his husband’s confession. “You’re right, my love; nibbling is not a healthy way for you to eat, but neither is it healthy for you to skip meals. However, given how much work you’ve put into today and how distracting this whole thing is, I do understand how it happened.” He frowned, thinking of his own responsibility. “I am as much to blame as you are. I should have realized the time and ensured we both took a break for a meal.” He stroked the side of Todd’s face, glad to see the colour returning.
“It is something we are going to do right now. I want you to stay here. Do not move from this couch until I get back. I’m going to go and get us some lunch. Then we are going to go upstairs and have a rest for an hour.” He shook his head when he saw Todd was about to protest. “I’m serious, Todd. We’re ahead of the game here and we could both use a proper break.”
Hayden soon returned from the kitchen with a tray laden with fruit, cheese, celery, carrot sticks, crisp breads, and tall glasses of ice water.
Todd kept up a merry chatter while enjoying the light meal Hayden had prepared for them. “This is just what we needed, my love; a bit of time for just the two of us before the next hectic wave hits. Although I do believe we have just about everything done.” He smiled contentedly at his husband before reaching up to pull Hayden’s head down and gently kissing his cheek.
“I would like to show you all that’s been done before we go upstairs, but I can’t decide if I want to hear your speech now or wait and be surprised at the ceremony. Guess I’ll leave the choice up to you.” Todd energetically nodded his head, his sparkling eyes clearly showing his excitement in this evening’s very much looked forward to celebration.
Hayden pulled Todd to him and kissed him deeply, quickly taking possession of his husband’s mouth. As soon as he felt Todd melt against him, he pulled away enough to whisper in his ear. “You’ll have time enough to show me what you’ve accomplished a little later. Right now, I intend to take you upstairs and have my way with you and if you’re good, I’ll read my speech to you after.” He pulled them both up off the couch and led the way towards the staircase.
When he noticed Todd glancing back at the dishes being left on the coffee table, Hayden grasped his arm and gave a light swat to the small tight butt. “They’ll keep, where as I won’t. So get a move on, lover, unless of course you’d rather I took you right here in the hallway.” He growled menacingly.
Todd squealed with delight and instantly forgot about the mess they were leaving behind. He loved it when his lover got all ‘Neanderthal’ on him. He momentarily considered encouraging his husband to make love right where they were before quickly deciding to be patient long enough to seek the comfort of their big bed.
He clasped Hayden’s hand and all but skipped up the stairs behind the bigger man. Gone were all thoughts of the wedding preparations and gone were worries about having everything done to Todd’s exacting specifications. Only one thought remained and that was to spend time in his lover’s arms.
Once in their bedroom, he couldn’t get undressed fast enough; luckily, neither could Hayden. Todd yanked down the bedcovers; then both men fell onto it stark naked and reached for each other.
Hayden pulled Todd tightly against him; his kisses were deep and possessive, his love-making strong and all consuming. He took his husband with the physical force and strength that they both needed to feel. Though never in anyway harmful, neither was he particularly gentle or tender. He felt a driving need to reaffirm the life force of the man he held in his arms, to ensure the unity of their lives.
Todd had frightened him earlier and he was blaming himself for having neglected his responsibility to his beloved husband. Nothing was more important that Todd’s health, not even today’s much anticipated festivities. He could never forgive himself and doubted that Zack could either, if something had happened to this wonderful man because he’d been too consumed with his speech writing to think about Todd’s health needs.
Though Hayden had never come out and said this directly to his husband, one of the driving forces behind his insistence that they take early retirement, was that he would be able to spend more time each day with Todd. He had an all consuming need to ensure for himself that his beloved’s health was being maintained to its’ highest degree. Todd was his world and he’d known for years that life without him wouldn’t be worth living. He’d confessed this once to his business partner and best friend, and had been summarily told that his obsession with Todd was unhealthy, that he should seek therapy.
But Hayden knew better, he knew that the Gods had granted him a gift in the form of Todd William Rogers-Pierce; beloved husband, loving papa, compassionate dental practitioner, flamboyant gay rights proponent and exasperating Brat. Caring for Todd was his responsibility, his privilege, his reason for being. Even on the days that the Brat in his husband drove him around the twist, he still knew he was the luckiest man on earth, just because he could call Todd his own.
In the aftermath of their love-making as Hayden lay with Todd securely held in his arms, he thought of the wedding ceremony he was to perform this evening and knew that if Zack found one tenth the joy and happiness in his life with Rene as he had found in his life with Todd; then his son would be truly blessed.
Todd lay in the surreal afterglow of their mutually satisfying climaxes and wondered, not for the first time, how his lover found the wherewithal to gently clean him up when he himself was barely able to move. He dreamily smiled as Hayden returned to their bed and reached over to gently gather him into his arms.
Lovingly running his fingertips over the smooth surface of his husband’s face, Todd gazed mesmerized into the warm hazel eyes of the man he had loved and admired for over thirty-five years. A man he trusted with his very life, a man he hero-worshipped, a man his entire world revolved around, a man he could never live without.
His eyes fluttered sleepily and he just managed to murmur, “Thank you, my beloved, for everything,” before nodding off.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Rene said his good-byes to the children at the day care centre. Miss. Stephanie, the day care owner, and the other teachers had given him an envelope with his and Zack’s names written across it. They had been very specific in their instructions that they should open it together.
He couldn’t get over the number of gifts he and Zack had received in the last few days. It certainly was a nice feeling to know so many people were wishing them well in their marriage.
Marriage; Rene kept saying it over and over in his head, today he was getting married. Up to this point he hadn’t been feeling overly nervous as he’d been too busy with planning and preparation. But now it was beginning to sink in, that today was really it. He and Zack would be married in just a few more hours.
He looked at his watch and realized it would be another four hours before Zack finished up at the pharmacy. He had finished all his pre-wedding errands and needed to do something to pass the time and keep the nervousness at bay. Well Kadyn had said that it was his job as best man to help out in any way needed and right now Rene needed a distraction.
So minutes later Rene was walking in the front door of the convenience store. “Have you got the coffee pot on?” he called out to the young man behind the counter. “I need an extra large caffeine fix!”
“Ya betcha!” Kadyn looked up with a wide grin on his face. “Figured you’d be dropping by. Getting kinda antsy, aren’t ya? Not that I blame you any; I’d be nervous too if I was in your shoes.” He began to laugh. “Let me guess; Miss. Stephanie and members of her staff were congratulating you and smothering you with kisses. I can tell, ‘cause there’s still some tell-tale lipstick on the side of your cheek.”
Rene scrubbed his palm over his cheek trying to remove the marks. “Geezh, another good thing about being gay, Zack never leaves lipstick stains on me.” He happily accepted the large mug of coffee Kadyn placed in his hand; took a long sip and sighed. “Mmm thanks, I needed this.”
Rene walked around the counter and took a seat at the small table Kadyn had there. He smiled nervously at his Best Man. “You’re right about me getting antsy. I didn’t think I would, but suddenly it hit me today that we’re really going to be married. You know; all legal and forever. I mean, it is what I want and I’m really happy but I’m also a bit scared.”
He chewed his lip thoughtfully and then swallowed down most of the coffee left in his cup. “I don’t know if I’m going to be as good at this as I should be. Zack is so great, so sure and steady, but me? Well, you know I’ve got my issues. I just want to be as good for Zack as he is for me.” Rene gulped down the remaining coffee and held out his mug. “More please?”
Kadyn poured more of the hot liquid into his friend’s cup. Putting the pot back in its’ place, he took a set beside Rene, leaned closer and looked him right in the eye. “You gotta stop putting yourself down, man. Zack loves you; you are the man he wants to marry, no one else. Not someone who looks different or behaves different or has different talents, characteristics or anything else different. You don’t have to be anyone but who you are to make Zack happy.”
Sitting up straighter, Kadyn feigned a stern expression and scolded. “That’s quite a gorgeous hunk you’re getting there, my friend; not to mention a great family you’re marrying into. And you better believe me when I tell you how much they are looking forward to having you as a member of the Pierce clan.”
Seeing the other man starting to relax a little, Kadyn took a sip of his own drink and began regaling his friend with what he had seen that morning. “I was by Hayden and Todd’s house earlier. I had to drop off the special handmade candy I ordered from the ‘Moonstruck Chocolate Co.’ in Portland, Oregon. I suggested it be put out on display with little silver bags that the guests can fill with their favs and take home. Todd kinda liked the idea. But wait ‘til you see the place, Rene.”
Kadyn was warming up to his narrative. “It’s like a winter wonderland; all snowy looking with royal blue and silver running through it. The furniture has all been rearranged in the parlour to make it look like a small chapel. They rented white folding chairs and put down two dark blue carpets for aisles leading to a beautifully decorated archway of sorts. There are sparkling little white fairy lights everywhere. And the food! Man, you should see the variety of things to eat.” Kadyn’s eyes lit up at the memory. “Todd’s done almost all of it. He kicked me out when I offered to help. And I didn’t see Hayden anywhere, so I can only figure that he wasn’t allowed to step foot in the kitchen either.” He smiled and slowly sipped his coffee while letting his companion absorb all he had been told.
Rene had to grin at the picture Kadyn’s words painted of the house. He already knew that Todd was working hard and unwilling to accept more assistance than had already been given. He and Zack had both been summarily dismissed last evening after having dinner with Zack’s dads. They had helped with moving a couple of pieces of heavy furniture andthen were shown out the door after being told the rest of the decorating was in Todd’s capable hands.
“Thanks, Kadyn, you’re right. Zack is one handsome hunk of a man and I am so damn lucky to have him, I still can’t believe it. And his dads; well Hayden and Todd are the best,” he laughed. “Of course, I’ve been told they are to be called Dad and Papa, which I’m trying to get used to. Zack says I’ll feel more comfortable about that once we’re reallymarried. God, they are so special. But how could they be anything else? They raised Zack, didn’t they? He got what every kid should get growing up; unconditional love and understanding. Not that they didn’t discipline him. God knows he had to learn about that somewhere.”
Both of the young men broke into laughter at that. When he stopped laughing, Rene smiled. “Wow, in a few hours time I’m going to be an official part of that family. Did I tell you I’m taking his name? I’m going to be Rene Pierce. It feels right to me. I want to share the same name as the man I’m married to. Kinda old fashioned, huh?”
“Maybe, but I think it’s neat. If Vincent ever asks me to marry him, I’d want his name. But I don’t imagine that happening for some time though, if ever. Vincent probably heard somewhere that the first five years are the hardest and he is waiting to see if he survives that long with just us living together.” Kadyn smirked, finding the whole idea amusing. He was quite happy with his and Vincent’s living arrangement.
“I bet this is gonna be the perfect fairy-tale wedding.” Kadyn bounced in his seat and rubbed his hands together in merry anticipation.
A few moments later, he turned a little serious. “I know, Rene, you told me about inviting your family, but you haven’t said whether or not you’ve heard from them. Are they able to attend?”
Rene gulped down more coffee as he shook his head and frowned. “Well, I always knew my dad would sooner throw himself off a cliff than attend a gay wedding and well... my mom, she just wouldn’t go against him. I was sorta hoping that my sister Dorothy and her husband might come but they got two little kids and it is New Year’s Eve and all, sothey probably have other plans. It’s okay though, cuz I got everyone I need coming.” He looked into his nearly empty mug and pondered. ‘One for breakfast; one on break at the day care; two here; yeah, I’m good for another.’ “Got more?” he asked.
“Yeah, but are you sure you want more? You’re getting a real buzz on,” Kadyn chuckled and getting a nod from his friend, got up and refilled his cup for the third time. “Sorry about your family, Rene, but you’re probably right and they are busy.” Kadyn didn’t believe for one minute that his comments made the other man feel any better but he couldn’t think of anything else to say and was wishing he hadn’t even brought up the subject.
Remembering something he had overheard earlier, he posed what he hoped would be a happier inquiry. “By the way, who are the piglets? When I arrived at the house this morning, Todd was singing about everything having to be perfect for his piglets.”
Rene savoured the coffee while knowing in his head that the caffeine wasn’t exactly the best idea when he was already experiencing some nervousness, but it did give him the energized feeling he needed. He rolled his eyes when Kadyn asked about the piglets. “Oh geezh, he was singing it?” Rene grimaced when Kadyn nodded.
“Well, it seems that all his life poor Zack has been stuck with the nickname, Piglet. It’s really just Todd that uses it. It comes from the Winnie the Pooh story. You know; the little pig character. I think Zack must have loved that story when he was a kid. Well, now it seems that since I’m Zack’s partner, I’m like piglet number two in Todd’s eyes. I can’t even get mad about it or anything cuz Todd is such a nice sweet guy. Really, I defy you to get mad at him no matter what he called you. So I’m stuck being one of the piglets.”
When Kadyn burst out in laughter, Rene jabbed him playfully in the ribs. “Watch it or I'll tell him you liked the story too. Maybe you can be his little Pooh.”
The two friends laughed and talked away most of the afternoon until Rene noticed it was almost time for Zack to be closing up the pharmacy for the day. Telling Kadyn he’d see him later at the house, a caffeine-dosed Rene headed home to the apartment.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Zack had just stepped out of the shower and was drying himself off when he heard the front door opening and closing. He calmly strolled out into the living room wearing nothing more than he had been born with and grinned broadly at his partner. “I closed the shop a bit early,” he explained, knowing Rene would not have been expecting him to be home so soon. “Too excited I guess about our big day.”
Rene saw Zack naked every day but he wasn’t normally greeted with the sight of his Top standing nude in the living room in the middle of the afternoon. Kadyn was right though; he was about to marry one beautiful hunk of a man. Zack was better than four inches taller than Rene and out-weighed him by at least forty pounds, and even standing there without a stitch on, his presence was commanding and forceful. Rene almost melted where he stood.
“Hi,” Rene replied. “I’m glad to see you; all of you,” he grinned. “I’m pretty excited about tonight too, and seeing you like that is making me more excited.”
Zack deftly removed the hat from his Brat’s head, unwound the scarf from around his neck and helped him out of his jacket. Leaning in close, he softly murmured into Rene’s ear. “Think you can get out of the rest of those clothes and in our bed by the time I count to ten?” He landed a gentle smack on his partner’s butt by way of encouragement.
“One…..two…..three…..” he chuckled as he leisurely began to count while hanging up the outdoor clothing and watching his lover scramble.
Rene’s sweater landed in the hallway, his pants and boxers in the entry to the bedroom. He sent his socks flying as he scooted onto the bed, one landing on the dresser and the other hitting Zack in the face as the older man entered the bedroom.
Rene turned a peculiar shade of red when he saw the sock strike his lover. “Oops,” he laughed at the look of surprise on Zack’s face. “Well, you did want me to hurry.” He got into a fit of laughter fueled by his nervousness and the caffeine he’d consumed. His laughter was quickly doused though when Zack practically leaped on top of him and covered his mouth with a possessive kiss.
“Brat,” Zack growled when he broke the kiss. He licked his lips. “Hmm, coffee, lots and lots of coffee,” he mused, rolling off the younger man in order to retrieve the lube from the drawer in the night table. “Now, where were we?” he chuckled. “Oh yeah, I remember.”
Zack began kissing Rene’s neck and then slowly, sensually moved down his partner’s supple body; a body he had learned to bring to the heights of sexual pleasure over the past few months; a body he would once again bring to the same soaring heights of ecstasy.
It was sometime later, after they had recovered and were relaxing in the afterglow of their love-making, that Zack turned somewhat serious. “Rene, love, we are going to get up now and shower together. Then I want you to completely clean yourself; you know exactly what I mean, sweetheart. I have something special planned for later, but it is a surprise so I’m not saying anything more. I fully expect you to do as I’ve asked.”
Rene enjoyed the shower and the feel of Zack’s hands on his skin as they washed each other. Zack’s touches both soothed and stimulated him. He was more than used to his lover’s commanding way of giving instructions. It made him feel secure and loved. But Zack had never given him orders to take an enema before. That had always been something Rene did on his own prior to sex if he felt it was needed.
Once they were finished in the shower, Zack dried off and left him in the bathroom to follow the instructions. Rene was meticulous and ensured he was well cleaned out before emerging from the bathroom. Knowing they would dress in their suits before leaving, Rene just pulled on his bathrobe. As he left the bedroom, the scent of Zack’s homemade soup being heated reached him from the kitchen.
Zack said they would have an early, light meal before heading over to his dads’ home, where they knew there would be mountains of hot and cold hors d'oeuvres and treats. Rene wasn’t really hungry as he was feeling too nervous about the evening ahead. He hoped Zack wasn’t going to insist on his eating much.
Rene entered the kitchen with a smile and gave Zack a kiss. “All done,” was all he said in response to Zack’s orders. He then headed to the coffee maker to start a pot of his favourite brew.
Zack intercepted his partner. “Sorry, love, but I think you’ve had enough caffeine this afternoon. You are edgy and need to calm down a bit; more coffee will not enable you do that.” He pulled Rene close and embraced him. He felt the tension in the rigidly-held body and understood the inner turmoil his Brat was dealing with. Rene badly wanted the coffee, but at the same time he wanted equally as much to please his Top.
“Relax, babe; it’s going to be all right,” Zack murmured and was rewarded by the younger man slackening against him. 'How I love the feel of this very special man in my arms,” Zack thought, deeply breathing in the scent of his lover. He allowed several minutes to pass before lightheartedly proposing. “Maybe we better sit down, sweetheart, before one or both of us falls asleep right where we stand.”
Once seated, Zack filled and passed a bowl of soup across the table to Rene. “You don’t have to eat it all, love. Just do the best you can so you don’t start off the evening on an empty stomach.” He smiled when he heard his Brat let out a sign that sounded suspiciously like one of relief.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kadyn stood glaring at his reflection in the full-length, bedroom mirror. Gone was the excited bounce and his usually animated face was distorted by a dark frown. “I hate wearing one of these,” he grumbled. “I can’t even get the damn thing done up properly.” Rolling the tie up in a ball, he turned and threw it across the room. That is he tried to, but it unfolded and fluttered down to the floor a few feet in front of him. He looked up to see a displeased Top standing in the doorway of their en suite.
“Pick that up now!” Vincent said in a clipped voice that left no room for argument. Seeing Kadyn comply, he added in a more normal voice. “Give it to me please, and I’ll help you. I’m pretty good at doing ties; all you had to do was ask.”
“I don’t need your help, so there,” Kadyn rudely intoned, tossing the tie on the dresser as he passed it by. “I don’t know why I have to wear one anyway when I hate wearing stuff around my neck.”
Vincent raised his eyebrows, walked over to Kadyn, turned him around and smacked him hard on the butt twice. “I won’t have you talking to me like that. I know you’re nervous about being Best Man for Rene, but I will not put up with that kind of behaviour. You need to calm down. We have plenty of time before we have to leave, so just relax a bit and everything will be okay.”
Kadyn looked at his Top through unshed tears and rubbed at the handprints throbbing on his rear end. “Sorry,” he muttered, and he meant it. Taking Vincent’s hand, he led the older man over to the big comfy armchair in the corner of their bedroom.
After his partner had taken his silent hint to sit down, Kadyn situated himself on Vincent’s lap and wrapped his arms around the bigger man’s neck. “You’re right, Vince; I am nervous…actually more than nervous. I’m kinda scared. Rene is a good friend and he is such a nice guy. He deserves the best wedding possible. But what if I blow the little speech I’m supposed to give? What if I mess up something?” He dropped his head unto Vincent’s shoulder and cuddled closer, seeking reassurances.
Vincent hugged Kadyn tight while stroking his hair. “You’ll be fine and you won’t mess up. You’ve gone over that speech at least three times a day since you wrote it and I am sure you know it by heart. As for the rest of the ceremony, you’ll do fine there too. You’re the friend Rene wants to stand up with him and you’ll do a great job of it.”
Seeing Kadyn had calmed down, Vincent softly inquired, “Now, are you ready for me to help you with that tie?”
“Uh-huh,” Kadyn capitulated and pushed himself up. He stood as still as possible while his partner skillfully tied the dreaded item around his neck. “I just have to remember not to crawl around under the tables and not return the hors d’oeuvres I don’t like to the plate I took them from.” He smirked up at Vincent, his eyes sparkling with humour, and giggled at the expression of disbelief on the older man’s handsome face. “Yep, I’ve already done both those things and my mom told me they were definitely frowned upon. Of course, I was only a kid back then,” he laughed and easily side-stepped his Top’s big paw.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Hayden was hiding-out in the den on the pretext of polishing off his speech. He didn’t want it known that he was just hiding from his beloved husband’s perfectionism. He was sending mental waves of sympathy to the string quartet Todd was currently supervising. Only Todd could make an issue of the fact that three of the members were wearing regular black leather shoes while the fourth was in patent leather.
He was forced to emerge from his hiding place by the ringing of the front door bell. He glanced at his watch thinking it was a bit early for the guests to arrive, so he was quite surprised to see the group of obviously dressed-up people smiling at him when he opened the door.
Standing at the front of the group were two little girls dressed in wool coats with the hems of party dresses hanging below them. A tall young woman with dark hair stood behind one little girl and a slightly taller, handsome young man behind the other. It was, however, the petite older woman standing beside the little girls who caught Hayden’s attention.
She had slightly graying dark hair, and blue eyes shining out from a face that was vaguely familiar. It was when the woman smiled at him that Hayden realized who he was looking at. There could be no doubt that this lady was the mother of his soon-to-be son-in-law. It was truly the feminine version of Rene’s face; her smile mirrored the young man’s exactly. Hayden returned the smiles he was receiving.
“Good evening,” the older woman spoke first. “This is the Pierce residence, I hope?”
“Yes,” Hayden replied. “You’re here for the wedding, I presume?”
Hearing unfamiliar voices coming from the hallway, Todd let his curiosity over-ride his desire to direct the setting up of the quartet. Much to the relief of the musicians, he quickly left the room to join his husband in welcoming their guests.
Not recognizing any of the people standing just outside their front porch, Todd glanced up at Hayden and inquired, “Who do we have here?”
The lady in question answered before Hayden could ask. “I’m Marjorie Wilson, Rene’s mother. We’ve come for the wedding,” she said a bit awkwardly.
“You are Rene’s family. How wonderful that you could make it,” Todd greeted excitedly. “Please, come in; come in.”
Mrs. Wilson entered the house first followed by her family. Once the door was closed behind them she began the introductions. “Yes, this is my daughter Dorothy, and her husband Rob. Their two daughters, Jennifer,” she indicated the older girl, “and Leah.” She then looked at the two men. “I presume one of you is Mr. Pierce?”
Hayden glanced at Todd and then smiled. “Yes, we both are. I’m Hayden Pierce and this is my husband Todd. We’re Zachary’s parents.”
There was no mistaking the slight intake of breath from Rene’s mother. The lady obviously had no idea that Zack had two fathers and the concept seemed to leave her speechless.
It was Dorothy who spoke up. “We’re very pleased to meet you both. I am sorry about arriving like this without calling ahead.” She glanced to her mother. “I’m afraid coming today was something of a last minute decision.”
“That’s quite all right,” Todd hastily assured her. “We are just so very pleased to have you attend the wedding. Please, let me take your coats.”
“Yes,” Hayden also insisted. “We’ve very pleased to have Rene’s family here.” He helped Todd gather the coats up and hang them in the hall closet which they had emptied for the occasion. “Why don’t we take a seat in the family room? The living room has been set up for the ceremony so we can be more comfortable in the other room.” They ushered their guests down the hall to the family room which had also been decked out for the evening in blue and silver.
“You have a beautiful home,” Marjorie spoke, finally managing to get over her shock.
“Thank you, Marjorie. We moved here to Jade Heights last fall to be near our son and our future son-in-law,” Todd merrily informed Rene’s mother.
The group sat down on the sofa and chairs that formed a comfortable seating area in the cozy room. “I’ve never been up this way before,” Marjorie replied. “However, from what we could see as we drove through town, Jade Heights looks like a lovely place to live.”
“We’re very happy here. It’s a small town but they’ve been very welcoming to both of us. After living in the bustling city of Vancouver all of our lives, the small town life is something of a pleasant relief for our retirement years,” Hayden answered.
Looking at the clock, Todd realized other guests would soon be starting to arrive. “Will you excuse me for a few minutes, please?” he politely requested. Getting affirmative nods, he headed for the kitchen where he made a quick phone call to Kadyn and took several item from the refrigerator before returning to the family room in time to hear Hayden offering refreshments and being graciously declined.
In his hands, Todd had a number of flowers; two large corsages and two smaller ones. He handed one to each of the ladies and knelt down to pin one on each of the little girls’ dresses. He also had a boutonnière for Rob that closely matched the ones he and Hayden were wearing.
Marjorie looked at the orchid Todd had given her. “This is beautiful. But you weren’t expecting us. Are these not meant for someone else?”
Todd smiled. “No, they were purchased for you. Somehow, I had a feeling you would be coming.” Todd had a tendency to let his hopes rise to the point of convincing himself that what he wanted to happen would happen, and he knew just how much it would mean to Rene to have his family here.
A tear glistened in Marjorie’s eye. She felt a bit choked up and she looked to her daughter. Dorothy reached over and squeezed her mother’s hand. “We...I didn’t think I would come. When the invitation arrived, Rene’s father... he didn’t take it very well.” She looked into Todd’s face, hoping to find understanding there. “My husband isn’t a bad person, Mr. Pierce, believe me. But this...this is difficult for him to understand. It goes against everything he’s been taught to believe. He doesn’t wish anyone ill but neither can he accept this. I’m so sorry.” A tear ran down her cheek as Dorothy wrapped her arm around her mother’s shoulder.
Dorothy spoke up. “My father is an old-fashioned man raised with a very staunch Catholic point of view. He does love Rene and wants him to be happy, but I’m afraid he’ll never really understand his being gay. It was very hard for mother to leave him today to come with us. But we want to be here for Rene. He’s my brother and I love him with all my heart. If Zack makes him happy, then that’s all that matters to me and Rob and the girls.”
“And to me,” Marjorie added. “I do want Rene’s happiness above all else. This is a happy occasion and I’m not here to spoil it with tears.” She put a smile on her face and wiped the tell-tale moisture away
Todd gently patted her arm while Hayden passed her a box of Kleenex. "We understand, my dear, we really do. The most important thing at the moment is that you’re all here and Rene is going to be thrilled.”
“Yes,” Hayden added. “We really do understand. We’ve dealt with this sort of thing all our lives. We’re just pleased that you’ll be able to witness this wonderful occasion and see for yourselves that your Rene is happy. He’s an exceptional young man, and Todd and I are very proud to have him as our son-in-law.”
“Thank you.” Marjorie smiled. It was then that she happened to glance up at the wall behind the chair where Hayden was seated. A painting of a very familiar style held a place of honour there. The signature of the artist brought a smile to her face. “Oh my.” She touched Dorothy’s hand. “Look at the painting.”
Rene’s family all looked at the large canvas. It was of this house all alight with Christmas splendor and the two men standing on the porch arm in arm were the picture of happiness.
“Uncle Rene painted that!” Jennifer exclaimed. “That’s his signature on the bottom. Just like the one he sent me for Christmas, only mine had me playing with my puppy.”
While the others continued to discuss the painting, Todd moved over to stand beside the two little girls. He leaned down and whispered conspiratorially. “I have a very special surprise planned for your Uncle Rene. Would you like to help me with it?”
“Can I help too?” Leah asked shyly.
“Of course, sweetie; I need the help of two beautiful little girls. You see, the surprise happens during the wedding at a time when I have other responsibilities. But it is a secret. Can you keep a secret?”
Both girls nodded seriously. “We’re good at secrets. We didn’t even tell about presents at Christmas,” Jennifer replied.
“Good. Come into the other room with me and I will show you what needs to be done. It is very easy.” Todd led them into the parlour where the ceremony would take place and showed them the long white ribbons hanging from a spot near the ceiling. He patiently explain what he wanted them to do and told them to watch for the signal he would give them at the exact moment they were to pull on the ribbons. Even though he didn’t tell them what would happen, they both excitedly promised to follow his directions.
“We better get back to the others before they begin to wonder what we’re up too,” Todd suggested with a wink before escorting the girls back to their parents. He gave Hayden a sweet smile in return for the raised eyebrow. He inwardly squirmed with glee at the thought of surprising everyone including his husband.
Hayden and Todd were delighted to see their guests begin to relax and enjoy themselves during an impromptu tour of the house.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Vincent and Kadyn were shouldering into their suit jackets when the phone rang. “I’ll get it!” Kadyn hollered as he leaped over the bed in order to reach the night table first. “Hello, Vincent and Kadyn’s pad; Kadyn speaking.” He muffled a laugh when he saw his partner rolling his eyes. Vincent had repeatedly instructed his Brat to answer the phone with ‘Hello; LaMaur/ Hart residence’.
“Sure thing, Todd; we can do that. We will be leaving in a few minutes. See you soon.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile, Zack and Rene were getting dressed. They put on crisply ironed shirts, brand-new suits and well polished dress-shoes, and then tied each others ties.
Zack was in the midst of pulling their over-coats out of the closet in the hall when there was a knock on the front door. He and Rene exchanged quizzically glances before Zack opened the door to find Kadyn bouncing on the landing.
“Todd asked us to pick you up. Vincent is keeping the car warm,” Kadyn informed the two men, chuckling at the surprised look on their faces. He tripped down the stairs in front of them and out into the nippy evening air. With a flourished bow, he held open the back door of the vehicle. “Your chariot awaits, gentlemen.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Zack and Rene arrived with Best man and chauffeur in tow. They had deliberately planned their arrival before that of their guests in order to go over any last minutes instructions Todd was sure to have. Knowing all the work Papa had gone to, they were more than willing to comply with his wishes.
“Oh, the Piglets are here!” Todd gaily announced when he heard the front door open and snow being stamped off several pair of boots.
He and Hayden headed for the hall to greet the latest arrivals. Both found it difficult to contain their excitement in anticipation of Rene’s reaction when he saw his family. Todd was beaming and almost bouncing with joy for the wonderful surprise in store for this very special young man.
After hanging up their coats, Zack and Rene allowed themselves to be herded into the family room, the other four men trailing along behind them.
Rene was complimenting Hayden and Todd on how beautiful the house looked as they walked into the family room. He stopped dead in his tracks and in mid-sentence when he saw his mother standing up from where she’d been seated on the sofa. “Mom!” he exclaimed rather loudly. He then noticed his sister, bother-in-law and two nieces were also in the room.
For a half a moment he was gripped with fear that they had come here to try and stop the wedding, but the loving smiles on both his mother’s and Dorothy’s faces made him realize they had come here in goodwill. He ran forward and wrapped his mother in his arms. “I can’t believe you’re here!” he cried.
Marjorie pulled back slightly so she could touch Rene’s face. “Oh, Rene, you have no idea how happy I am that I came.”
Dorothy tapped Rene’s shoulder. “We’re all glad to be here, little brother.” The siblings exchanged hugs and Rene then turned to quickly greet his brother-in-law and nieces as well.
He stood up from where he’d squatted down to hug the two little girls, turned to Zack and took his fiancé by the hand, pulling him close. “I’d like you all to meet my very soon-to-be husband, Zackary Pierce. Zack, this is my mom, Marjorie Wilson; my sister Dorothy Thompson and her husband Rob.” He stopped to indicate each person as he spoke, “and my two beautiful nieces, Jennifer and Leah.”
Zack had been standing to the side, thoroughly taken up at the sight of Rene’s beautiful face lighting up the way it did, but he had easily moved forward at his partner’s unspoken invitation to participate in the unexpected reunion.
“I am pleased to meet you, Marjorie, and very happy that you and your lovely family made the trip to attend our wedding.’ Zack gently kissed his future mother-in-law’s cheek. Turning, he greeted Dorothy in a similar manner and then shook hands with Rob.
Getting down on one knee, Zack smiled at the two little girls. “Guess I’m going to be your new uncle, right?” He chuckled when Jennifer and Leah looked at each other; then covered their mouths with their hands and giggled.
Zack straightened up and wrapped an arm about Rene’s shoulders. “Quite a nice surprise and a perfect gift, isn’t it, sweetheart?”
Much to his embarrassment, Rene found himself brushing tears from his face. “This is the best gift I could have hoped for. Thank you all so much for coming.” He glanced at his two future fathers-in-law. “Well, since you’ve obviously met Zack’s dads, I don’t need to do that introduction. When did you get here and where are you staying?”
Marjorie quickly explained about their trip up and that they were staying at a motel on the highway between Kelowna and Jade Heights. She also knew her son well enough to recognise the line of worry that had formed in the beautiful young face. So while the others were talking and getting acquainted, she guided Rene to the side; though she couldn’t help but notice that Zack was watching them closely. “I’m sorry, honey, you have to know why he wouldn’t come.”
Rene nodded. “Yeah, I know; it’s probably better this way. I just wish he could understand.”
Zack had been introducing Dorothy and Rob to Kadyn and Vincent while keeping an eye on Rene. He saw the brief expression of sadness pass over his fiancé face and accurately guessing the subject of Rene’s father had been brought up, quietly closed the gap between them and gently rubbed a hand over Rene’s back to let him know he understood.
Marjorie watched as her son relaxed under the touch of his soon-to-be husband and she was grateful to see that Zack could make her son feel better.
The next couple of hours passed in a whirl of activity as family members and friends from near and far arrived. Introductions were made, conversations got underway, drinks were served and light refreshments placed in convenient locations around the room.
Hayden and Todd’s home was warmly lit up and humming with a sense of happiness and excitement, with everyone looking forward to the highlight of the evening: the wedding ceremony. Todd was in his element as a congenial and laid-back host. It was hard to comprehend the contrast between how worked-up he would get while preparing for an event and how serene he’d become once the event was underway.
Throughout the evening, Todd merrily circled the big room and pinned boutonnières of white roses on members of the wedding party. All this while keeping an eye on the professional photographer to make sure the man got the shots of moments that held particular importance for Todd; and at the right angles of course.
It was almost ten-thirty when Hayden called for everyone’s attention. “Friends and family, I’ve been reminded that it’s time we proceeded with the reason for this gathering,” Hayden announced while giving a smile to his son who prompted him by tapping his watch face. “Would you kindly take your seats in the living room?”
Hayden stood in the dining room with Zack and Rene, and watched with a smile as Todd and Kadyn fulfilled their roles as best men/groomsmen by ensuring that Rene’s family were seated at the front along side of Hayden’s own brother and sister-in-law who had made the trip from their home in Nanaimo. The string quartet was playing ‘Green Sleeves’ and the room was lighted only by candlelight, save for a single illumination on the beautifully decorated arch centred in front of the large bow window.
The plan was for the two grooms to enter the living room and walk up opposite sides of the seated guests accompanied by their best men; then walk across the front and meet together under the archway.
Once the guests were seated, Hayden gave the two grooms a hug and kiss. “Are you two ready? No last minute cold feet?” he teased.
“I am more than ready, Dad. I feel like I have been preparing for this moment for as long as I can remember and there is no way I am backing down now.” Zack knew his own heart, he knew he loved Rene with every fiber of his being and he wasn’t about to let the love of his life get away from him. “How about you, love?” he asked Rene.
Rene’s smile filled his entire face, showing the happiness and excitement he was feeling. “I have to admit to being a bit nervous about getting through the ceremony without fobbing my lines. But there isn’t even the slightest doubt in my heart about what I’m doing.”
Hearing exactly what he expected, Hayden gave each of the young men another kiss on the cheek. “I love you both.” Todd and Kadyn rejoined them at that moment, having seated the last of the guests. “Well, I’d better take my place. Todd, will you give the signal to the musicians to start the processional once we’re ready?”
“It will be my pleasure,” Todd laughed. “I am not usually given permission to direct things,” he joked as Hayden left the room.
Hayden stood under the archway and watched with pride as Zack, accompanied by Todd approached from his left and Rene, accompanied by Kadyn approached from his right. The gentle strains of music from the string quartet set the mood for the occasion. When Zack and Rene came together in front of him, Hayden reached forward and placed a gentle hand on each of their shoulders, giving them both a smile. Then he looked out over the small assembly of family and friends seated before them.
“What a beautiful evening, and what a wonderful occasion we have come together to celebrate. The joining in marriage of two persons very much in love is a tradition that predates recorded history. Tonight we write the first page in the history book of Zachary and Rene as a married couple. Being able to preside over this joining is both an honour and an incredible privilege for me. This in fact, is the first wedding ceremony I am officiating over since receiving my license as a Marriage Commissioner and what better way to start than the marriage of my son Zachary to his beloved Rene.”
Hayden looked to the two young men standing so seriously in front of him. “Zachary and Rene, it takes love to make any marriage work. Love should be the core of your marriage, love is the reason you are here. But it will also take trust; to know in your hearts you want the best for each other. It will take dedication; to stay open to one another, to learn and to grow together even when this is not always so easy to do. It will take faith; to always be willing to go forward to tomorrow, never really knowing what tomorrow will bring. And it will take commitment; to hold true to the journey you both now pledge to share together.
Zachary and Rene, I ask that you both remember to treat each other with respect and remind yourself often of what brought you together today. Give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness and kindness that your marriage deserves. If each of you will take responsibility for the quality of your life together, it will be marked by abundance and delight.
Now if you two will please join hands and face each other, you may share the vows you have prepared for this day.”
Rene was to speak first. He drew a deep breath and prayed that the vows he’d worked so hard to write and memorize, would not leave him now that the critical moment had arrived. However, one look into Zack’s loving eyes gave Rene the courage to begin.
“Some months ago, a vagabond arrived in a small town.
He was a lonely young man in search of something, but he knew not what.
He believed his art was all he needed in life, as if art alone could sustain his soul.
Though his heart had long cried out for love, the young man had ceased to listen.
He believed that if he allowed his heart to reach out and love, it would only be broken.
Then the face of a god appeared to him. At first the young man was scared.
He tried to push the man who belonged to that face away, but the man wouldn’t listen.
The man kept coming back and slowly, carefully pulled the young vagabond into his home and his heart.
The man showed him love and melted away the shield the younger man had placed around himself.
The man cared for him even when the vagabond said he didn’t want to be cared for.
The man guided the young vagabond with a firm but fair hand; he showed him the real meaning of love.
And now on this day, the vagabond will vow his love and eternal devotion to the man.
He/I will be a vagabond no more. I will become a husband, a partner, a lover and a friend.
I, Rene Albert Wilson Jr., declare on this day my lifelong commitment to you, Zackary William Pearce. I promise to be an eternally faithful, devoted and respectful husband. I pledge to share with you all my worldly goods, to stand by your side through all that life can give to us through both the good times and the bad. I will follow you wherever you may lead, and I will honour you and cherish you all the days of our lives.
Zack willed his moistening eyes not to overflow as his beloved’s words caused his heart to swell. He reached out and gently caressed Rene’s face. He gazed into the blue eyes belonging to this man he loved so much and did his best to clear his throat before softly speaking his vows.
“This time last year I was a lonely man waiting for someone. Someone I had loved for a very long time, but whom I had yet to meet. Rene, I have loved you for many years, I just didn’t know who you were until the very first time I looked into your beautiful blue eyes and my soul sang out; ‘This is the one.’
I know without a doubt there will only ever be just one man for me. You are the man whose arms I want wrapped around me at the end of a long, hard day; the man who makes my troubles seem less challenging just by listening; you are the man who stands beside me and who steals my heart over and over again; you are the man I will love forever.
I cannot imagine days without your smile or nights without the comfort of your touch. It is your love that enables all that is strong and good in me. You make our life together the best that it can be and I cannot begin to thank you for the treasured gifts you bring to our relationship, except to say I vow to spend a lifetime loving you.
I, Zachary William Pierce, do hereby pledge to love, honour, cherish and care for you for the rest of my days, and to always put you first whenever humanly possible. To you, Rene Albert Wilson Jr., I humbly give all that I was, all that I am, and all that I will ever be.
Hayden gave a nod to Todd and Kadyn as he began the next part of the ceremony. Each of them reached into their pockets and pulled out the rings to hand over to the respective grooms.
“The exchanging of rings is a symbolic gesture of the never ending love and commitment that Zachary and Rene pledge here today. You have both chosen to wear these symbols as an outward sign of your status as married men. Just as the circle of the ring is without end, so too should your love and faithfulness be never ending.
Zachary, please place the ring on Rene’s finger and repeat after me. This ring I give you as a token and pledge of our constant faith and abiding love.”
“This ring I give you as a token and pledge of our constant faith and abiding love.” Zack gazed into the beautiful blue eyes of his beloved and solemnly repeated the words in a voice rough with emotion.
So focused on the handsome man in front of him, Zack was oblivious to anything going on about them. He missed his Dad discretely passing Papa a clean handkerchief when the beauty of the moment became too much for him and he was no longer able to hold back the tears.
“Rene, please place the ring on Zachary’s finger and repeat after me. This ring I give you as a token and pledge of our constant faith and abiding love.”
“This ring I give you as a token and pledge of our constant faith and abiding love.” Rene repeated the words slowly and carefully. His legs were shaking from the overwhelming emotions of the moment. He knew he had never been nor could ever be happier than he was at this moment.
“Zachary and Rene, in so much as the two of you have agreed to live together in marriage, and have promised your love for each other by these vows and the joining of your hands and the giving of these rings; I now declare you to be married. Congratulations; you may share a kiss.”
It was at this moment in time that Todd signaled to Rene’s nieces. Jennifer and Leah didn’t let him down as they quietly moved forward until one stood on each side of the arch, then each of them carefully picked up the end of a long satin ribbon. They gave the ribbons a gentle tug and stared wide-eyed as two lovely, white turtle-doves flew from the small cage hanging near the ceiling and circled the archway a couple of times before coming to rest on top of it. The birds were meant as a sign of good fortune for the newly married men.
Zack shook his head in amazement, momentarily wondering what else Papa had up his sleeve. He smiled as he advanced a step and placed his hands on Rene’s waist. He bent his head and gently kissed his new husband’s slightly parted lips. He lifted his head, but feeling the need for more than a chaste kiss, he leaned in closer and once again kissed the lips of his beloved. He allowed the kiss to deepen as his arms wrapped around the love of his life and he raised Rene off the floor.
It was his father’s barely heard clearing of his throat that caused Zack to end the kiss. He grinned wickedly at the rather dazed younger man he was holding and winked, not at all embarrassed by the snickering from the family members and friends avidly watching them.
“Ladies and gentlemen, it is my great pleasure to introduce for the first time, Misters Zachary and Rene Pierce.”
Todd wiped at his eyes as he hurriedly embraced the newly married couple. He wanted to be the first one to pass on good wishes before stepping aside to enable others to come forward and offer congratulations.
Next, he sidled over to his own husband and wrapped his arm around Hayden’s waist. “It was all so exquisite, my love. There is not another person drawing breath who could have officiated as superbly as you did,” he softly whispered and stretched up to steal a kiss from his long-time mate.
Hayden pulled Todd tightly against him and held the kiss for a moment. “Thank you, love. This is a day we’ll never forget. Our little boy is now a married man. We did pretty good, huh?” he added with a laugh.
Kadyn took advantage of being nearest his friend. He smiled broadly as he patted Rene on the back and shook hands with him. “You did it, man. I wish you both a long life of happiness,” he said with a nod in Zack’s direction, then moved out of the way.
He bounced on his feet while waiting for his partner to come up. It took some time as Vincent was half-way down the line that had formed.
Marjorie moved in quickly, pulled her son into her arms and kissed him. “Congratulations, my darling. I wish you all the happiness in the world.”
Rene beamed. He had never envisioned his mother’s open approval of his lifestyle. “Thank you, Mom. I know I’ll be happy. Zack is the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Marjorie smiled. “You know, Rene, I believe you are right.” She then stepped back and allowed in the others waiting in line to congratulate the grooms.
Marjorie Wilson had always considered herself a simple woman. Her life experiences were that of a dutiful daughter who became a dutiful wife and loving mother. Her education finished with high school and her work experience consisted of part-time job at a dry cleaner which she gave up when she married.
She had married young and being a good Catholic wife, she gave birth to her first child barely ten months after the wedding. Sadly though, there were complications with Dorothy’s birth and she had been told it was doubtful she would be able to have another child. However, fourteen years later much to her and Albert’s delight, Rene, their little miracle had been born. They had doted on this child all his life, calling him their gift from God. So they were both shocked and heartbroken when Rene informed them that he was gay. They felt somehow that their gift had been damaged and worried that they were at fault.
Now this self-proclaimed simple woman found herself at the home of a homosexual couple, watching her son marry another man. Everything that she had been taught told her that this was wrong, that this was against God’s law. And yet her heart could find no fault here. This place seemed only to be filled with love and joy. How could this be wrong? From the moment she’d walked through the door, she’d been welcomed with open arms. She had spent the last few hours very carefully studying this family of men her son was joining. She had been surprised to learn that Hayden Pierce was the now retired senior partner of Pierce, Beckman, Stein, and Latham; a law firm of certain prestige in the Vancouver area, and that Todd was a retired dentist and Zachary a pharmacist with his own business. These were professional men of standing; that alone was impressive.
But what impressed Marjorie the most, was what she observed in the tiny movements and looks that passed between these men. Even when engaged in conversation with someone else, Zack’s eyes were constantly searching out Rene, wherever he might be in the room. When they were close together, Zack’s touches, though subtle, seemed to settle her normally hyper son, whose face glowed with happiness. She saw very similar looks and touches being shared between Hayden and Todd and several of the other gay couples in the room.
After the guests had moved through the line and congratulated the happy couple, Marjorie found the moment she had been looking for. Rene was busily talking with some of his co-workers and Zack was momentarily alone. She approached her new son-in-law in hopes of a minute of his time. “Zack, could I speak with you for a moment?”
Zack smiled at the woman who was now his mother-in-law. “Of course,” he gently replied.
“I just wanted to thank you for making my son so happy and for getting him to settle down. I never had a single decent night’s sleep when he was traveling around and living out of that wreck of a car of his. I was so terrified someone would hurt him. He’s always been a bit too trusting and traveling alone like that...well, I just thank God he found you. I also want to thank you for helping him to cope with the issues he has with his father. I realize now that it was you who got Rene to come home for our anniversary. After the awful row Rene and his father had at the time of his Aunt’s funeral, I didn’t think he’d come. You’re obviously a very calming influence on him and I want you to know how much I appreciate it. I don’t know if I’ll ever convince Albert to accept Rene’s lifestyle, but at least I know my son is happy and with someone who loves him and will care for him.”
Zack gazed at the woman in front of him with genuine fondness. “Thank you, Marjorie, for your kind words. I will do everything in my power to live up to them. Mostly though, I thank you for the gift of your son. I also want you to know how grateful I am to you and your family for making the time and effort to be here this evening. We do not know what the future will bring, but I hold out hope that some day Mr. Wilson will be able to accept Rene and I as a couple and become involved in our lives. Rene needs and deserves to have both his parents in his life.” He grinned and added, “in the meantime, I am more than content with having you as my new mother-in-law.”
While the grooms were milling around and conversing with their well-wishers, Hayden directed the rearranging of the rented folding chairs to make a small dance area in the middle of the living room floor. The string quartet had packed up and music was playing from speakers hidden around the room. When the melodic voice of Johnny Mathis filled the air, Rene found himself swept up into Zack’s strong arms and led onto the small dance floor.
Maybe it’s much too early in the game,
Ah, but I thought I’d ask you just the same,
What are you doing New Year’s -
New Year’s Eve?
Wonder whose arms will hold you good and tight
When it’s exactly twelve o’clock that night,
Welcoming in the New Year -
New Year’s Eve
Maybe I’m crazy to suppose
I’d ever be the one you chose
Out of a thousand invitations
You’d receive,
Ah, but in case I stand one little chance,
Here comes the jackpot question in advance,
What are you doing New Year’s -
New Year’s Eve?
When the song finished, Rene looked up into Zack’s eyes. “I want to spend every New Year’s Eve from now on in your arms just like this.”
For a while the two grooms were separated to dance with a number of the guests. Rene and Zack both had dances with Marjorie, Dorothy and Rene’s two little nieces as well as several others.
During this time and much to the dismay of two little girls, Todd fetched a large cage from the kitchen and coaxed the trained doves to seek refuge in it. He set the cage off to the side so Jennifer and Leah could still see the birds inside.
Next, he commandeered the help of Hayden, Kadyn and Vincent to set out the numerous platters and serving bowls of food that had been prepared. A small fountain had been placed on a table in the corner of the family room, and it was into this that Todd poured several pitchers of punch. Once he turned it on, the guests only needed to hold their glasses under the falling liquid to fill them. When all was ready, Todd clapped his hands to attract everyone’s attention. “Ladies and gentlemen, please help yourselves to refreshments.”
Once again people lined up, this time to enjoy the fruits of Todd’s efforts. Over the next half hour or so, speeches were made and glasses of the best Champaign money could buy, were raised in toasts to the happy couple. Zack and Rene had just finished cutting their wedding cake when the clock struck twelve and another celebration was underway as everyone welcomed in the New Year.
Two thousand and nine rung in, and Rene and Zack were finally married. Rene laid his head against Zack’s broad shoulder; the New Year’s kiss his new husband had given him left him breathless and wanting more. He whispered into his lover’s ear. “It’s been a great evening, Zack, but do you think we can leave soon?”
“Yes, I think we can make our escape now,” Zack chuckled. Although he was enjoying himself, he was also very much looking forward to the surprise he had in mind for his new husband, and they had to be in the privacy of their room at the Inn for him to carry it out. “Let’s go over and let my dads know.”
“Dad, Papa.” Zack, with Rene at his side, stepped up to his fathers and spoke softly so as not to be overheard. “We want to thank you both for making this important day so extra special for us.” Zack hugged and kissed both his parents, then continued. “It’s after twelve thirty and time we were thinking of leaving. Our room at the Trillium Inn awaits us. That, plus there are others who may want to head for home but want Rene and I to leave first.” He nodded towards Dorothy who was covering two little girls sleeping in the large armchair, with a throw from the sofa.
Hayden grinned knowingly. “Papa and I were more than happy to have your wedding here at our home. Though you have your Papa to thank for all the food preparations and decorating.” He gave Zack a wink. “I was just his personal gofer. We do have one other small gift for you two.” He handed Zack an envelope. “It’s an all inclusive weekend for two at the Delta Grand Okanagan Resort; you’re booked to arrive tomorrow afternoon”
When Zack opened his mouth to protest, Hayden raised his hand and shook his head. “No arguing; all the arrangements are made, including having Mr. Baluster step out of retirement for a couple of days and take care of the dispensary end of the pharmacy for you. The rest of your staff is more than happy to deal with the rest of the business. We want you two to have a bit of time to yourselves; so no setting foot back in the store until Tuesday, okay? Now you’re right, it’s time for you two to say your good-nights and head off to the inn.”
Zack grinned and gracefully accepted the gift from his parents. Glancing over at Todd, he brought up the subject of transportation. “You know, Papa, not having my car here is going to make getting to the inn a tad tricky, don’t you think? I trust you had a good reason for Vincent playing chauffeur earlier,” he teased; pretty sure his father had something planned.
“It’s all taken care of,” Todd assured his son with a beaming smile. “You Piglets just go say your goodbyes and get ready to leave. Go on now!” He insistently shooed them on their way before stepping into the hall and making a brief phone call.
Twenty minutes later, Todd handed Rene the small overnight bag Zack had brought to the party with him and excitedly shoved the two men out the front door. “Your ride is waiting!” he announced and pointed towards the road.
There at the end of the walkway was an elegant sleigh drawn by two beautifully decked-out horses, with a driver patiently waiting for his passengers.
Todd was absolutely ecstatic over having pulled off this coup de Graz. Everyone crowded onto the wide veranda that ran the entire width of the house and pictures were taken as Zack and Rene climbed into the sleigh.
Hayden pulled Todd into his arms as they watched the newlyweds climb into the sleigh. “You’re a true romantic, my love. This was a perfect send off for the boys.”
With a final wave, they were off. Zack lovingly tucked the heavy fur blanket snuggly around his husband and drew him closer. The moon was shining and a light frost was beginning to settle. The bells on the horses were lightly ringing as their hooves stomped along the road and the runners of the sleigh crunched over the packed down snow.
“Isn’t this marvelous, love? Only Papa could have executed something this romantic,” he whispered then leaned in and kissed Rene’s lips.
Rene snuggled up against his husband. “It’s really nice, Zack. Your parents are wonderful people and today has been the nicest day of my entire life. I really belong to you now, legal and everything, don’t I?”
“You better believe it, my love; and now that you do belong to me, I am never going to let you go!” Zack ardently assured his beloved.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The upper floors of the inn had been in darkness when they’d arrived, indicating most of the guests were already in bed. However, the lower floor radiated a warm glow of welcome from soft beams of light coming from the windows and the large entry way.
The newly-married couple had been shown to the honeymoon suite, The Fairy Slipper, where they immediately began winding down from their busy day of anticipation and the celebration that had followed.
After a nice long shower together, Zack had quickly toweled down and then had unhurriedly dried off his husband before scooping him up in his arms and depositing him of the king-size bed.
“I want you to hold on to that, Rene,” he instructed as he lifted the younger man’s arms and placed his hands by the headboard. “I want to pleasure you without any participation on your part.” Getting a wide-eyed nod of compliance, Zack set about slowly bringing his lover to the heights of sexual fulfillment.
Lying next to Rene, Zack started his assault by kissing him. He kissed him again, longer and deeper. He then trailed slow, tantalizing kisses mingled with tiny nibbles down the exquisite body stretched out for his enjoyment. He licked and sucked at Rene’s nipples until they hardened.
When he reached his lover’s erection, he licked and blew on it in a teasing fashion before running his tongue down to the scrotum. He cupped and gently massaged Rene’s testicles for a moment, lingering long enough to look up and watch the expressions on Rene’s face. Then he took them into his mouth one at a time and sucked while softly humming. He stopped and once again blew on the dampened skin, preventing his lover from cumming.
Rene was gripping the rails of the headboard for all he was worth. He wanted to comply with his Top’s command, but it was hard not to reach down and add his own hands to the mix. Zack’s mouth was doing things that had him about ready to explode. The vibrations from the humming while his lover sucked on his balls was incredible. He was moaning and squirming. If Zack didn’t have such a firm grip on his hips, Rene thought he might have lurched off of the bed.
“Oh, Zack...oh God...” he panted out.
Zack turned Rene onto his stomach and placed a pillow, covered with a towel, under Rene’s hips. He gently ran his fingers down Rene’s back before kneading and lightly nipping the firm butt cheeks. He parted the beautiful white globes and drew a line with his tongue along the cleft all the way to Rene’s still damp testicles, licking the entire furrow from top to bottom with the flat of his tongue.
He had rimmed a couple of times before but knew this was Rene’s first time. It was a gift Zack wanted to give his new husband.
With softened lips, he kissed the pucker opening directly, then pressed a flattened tongue against it for several seconds before starting to move with an in and out motion, using just the tip of his tongue to lightly lick around the rim of the opening. He smiled as his Brat’s moans and groans grew louder and the quivering butt was pushed towards Zack’s face. Gradually, he worked his tongue into a rhythm with short, firm licks and continued until Rene was beyond himself and whimpering for release.
Zack darted his tongue inside and moaned his appreciation, knowing his moaning was causing his tongue to vibrate and that there was no other sensation like it in the world.
He knew his husband could not hold out much longer, so he smeared some lube on his own erection and steadily plunged into his lover’s welcoming body. It only took a few thrusts before both men were howling out in joint climaxes. Zack fell forward to land across his lover’s back, and as his heart rate and breathing slowly returned to normal, he momentarily wondered if the rooms were sound-proof and instantly realized he didn’t give a damn.
The big man chuckled when he saw that he had succeeded in turning his lover into a mass of proverbial jelly. He shifted himself before rolling Rene unto his back and using the towel to adeptly clean both of them. Then spooning in behind the love of his life; Zack softly vowed past his heart which was tightly lodged in his throat. “I will love you forever, Rene. You are my lover, my best friend, my spouse.”
The End
Todd glanced around the room and experienced an intense feeling of contentment. It had been a hectic few weeks and the culmination of tonight’s very special event will have made every moment leading up to it, priceless.
Beautiful invitations had been sent out and to Todd’s knowledge most had been responded to. All Christmas decorating had been done with the upcoming wedding in mind. When the tree had been taken down, it left the entire downstairs of their home glistening with silver and royal blue. Extra chairs and a long buffet table had been rented and set up; the services of a bartender had been obtained; tray upon tray of finger foods had been lovingly prepared and were awaiting final warm-up when the time came; a two-tier wedding cake sat in the center of the dining room table and a dozen bottles of champagne were chilling.
Todd clapped his hands in uncontainable glee. It was only two in the afternoon and he had everything ready. Suddenly, he felt rather weak and his legs began to tremble as sweat appeared on his forehead. He grabbed onto the door frame for support and briefly wondered if he’d be able to make it over to a chair to sit down.
Hayden had been working in his den polishing up what he was going to say during the wedding service this evening. Todd had banished him from the kitchen earlier, declaring that his offer to help with the food preparations was neither needed nor wanted. His beloved husband had informed him on more than one occasion that though Hayden might be a serviceable cook of basic comfort food, he was completely incompetent in the preparation of such delicacies as those Todd was planning for their son’s wedding celebration.
As Hayden pulled the final draft of his speech off the printer, his stomach began to rumble. He looked at the clock and was surprised to see that it was two o’clock. Realizing he hadn’t eaten since breakfast some hours earlier, he headed to the kitchen to see if he could rustle up a sandwich amongst the trays of food for this evening.
When he turned into the hall, he was greeted with the frightening sight of Todd grabbing at the kitchen door frame as his legs seemed to give out from under him. Hayden flew down the hall and had Todd held up in his arms within seconds.
“Easy, love, I’ve got you,” he soothed as he moved the shaking man into the living room and gently lowered him onto the sofa. He could feel the cold sweat on his husband’s face and the tremors going through his body. Hayden easily recognized the classic symptoms of hypoglycemia and exhaustion in the man he loved. “Don’t move. I’ll be right back,” he commanded firmly as he ran to the kitchen for the needed supplies.
He brought back a glass of orange juice into which he had stirred two teaspoons of sugar. He also brought along Todd’s glucometer. He pressed the glass into Todd’s hand and held it steady to ensure the shaking did not allow it to spill. “Drink it down please.” Hayden waited until all the juice was gone and Todd seemed to steady a bit, though he was still a bit sweaty and pale.
“I need to check your blood sugar, sweetheart,” he explained as he quickly took a small sample of blood from his husband’s finger tip and placed it onto the test strip. Within seconds he got the reading which confirmed that Todd’s blood sugar had dropped to well below his normal range. Hayden knew that the sugar which Todd had just ingested would take a bit of time to reach his system.
“You’re going to be fine, love. You just need to relax for a while,” he said reassuringly.
Todd leaned heavily against his husband’s chest, relying on Hayden to care for him. He had robotically obeyed the instructions to drink up and had sat in a daze while watching Hayden prick his finger in order to test his sugar levels. But now he was slowly beginning to feel more like his usual self.
“I lost track of time, Hayden. I forget to eat lunch,’ he softly confessed. “I wanted to make sure there was enough for everyone, but made a point of not nibbling as I worked.” Looking up at his Hayden, he gave him a bit of a smirk. “Nibbling is bad for me, right?”
Hayden shook his head sadly at his husband’s confession. “You’re right, my love; nibbling is not a healthy way for you to eat, but neither is it healthy for you to skip meals. However, given how much work you’ve put into today and how distracting this whole thing is, I do understand how it happened.” He frowned, thinking of his own responsibility. “I am as much to blame as you are. I should have realized the time and ensured we both took a break for a meal.” He stroked the side of Todd’s face, glad to see the colour returning.
“It is something we are going to do right now. I want you to stay here. Do not move from this couch until I get back. I’m going to go and get us some lunch. Then we are going to go upstairs and have a rest for an hour.” He shook his head when he saw Todd was about to protest. “I’m serious, Todd. We’re ahead of the game here and we could both use a proper break.”
Hayden soon returned from the kitchen with a tray laden with fruit, cheese, celery, carrot sticks, crisp breads, and tall glasses of ice water.
Todd kept up a merry chatter while enjoying the light meal Hayden had prepared for them. “This is just what we needed, my love; a bit of time for just the two of us before the next hectic wave hits. Although I do believe we have just about everything done.” He smiled contentedly at his husband before reaching up to pull Hayden’s head down and gently kissing his cheek.
“I would like to show you all that’s been done before we go upstairs, but I can’t decide if I want to hear your speech now or wait and be surprised at the ceremony. Guess I’ll leave the choice up to you.” Todd energetically nodded his head, his sparkling eyes clearly showing his excitement in this evening’s very much looked forward to celebration.
Hayden pulled Todd to him and kissed him deeply, quickly taking possession of his husband’s mouth. As soon as he felt Todd melt against him, he pulled away enough to whisper in his ear. “You’ll have time enough to show me what you’ve accomplished a little later. Right now, I intend to take you upstairs and have my way with you and if you’re good, I’ll read my speech to you after.” He pulled them both up off the couch and led the way towards the staircase.
When he noticed Todd glancing back at the dishes being left on the coffee table, Hayden grasped his arm and gave a light swat to the small tight butt. “They’ll keep, where as I won’t. So get a move on, lover, unless of course you’d rather I took you right here in the hallway.” He growled menacingly.
Todd squealed with delight and instantly forgot about the mess they were leaving behind. He loved it when his lover got all ‘Neanderthal’ on him. He momentarily considered encouraging his husband to make love right where they were before quickly deciding to be patient long enough to seek the comfort of their big bed.
He clasped Hayden’s hand and all but skipped up the stairs behind the bigger man. Gone were all thoughts of the wedding preparations and gone were worries about having everything done to Todd’s exacting specifications. Only one thought remained and that was to spend time in his lover’s arms.
Once in their bedroom, he couldn’t get undressed fast enough; luckily, neither could Hayden. Todd yanked down the bedcovers; then both men fell onto it stark naked and reached for each other.
Hayden pulled Todd tightly against him; his kisses were deep and possessive, his love-making strong and all consuming. He took his husband with the physical force and strength that they both needed to feel. Though never in anyway harmful, neither was he particularly gentle or tender. He felt a driving need to reaffirm the life force of the man he held in his arms, to ensure the unity of their lives.
Todd had frightened him earlier and he was blaming himself for having neglected his responsibility to his beloved husband. Nothing was more important that Todd’s health, not even today’s much anticipated festivities. He could never forgive himself and doubted that Zack could either, if something had happened to this wonderful man because he’d been too consumed with his speech writing to think about Todd’s health needs.
Though Hayden had never come out and said this directly to his husband, one of the driving forces behind his insistence that they take early retirement, was that he would be able to spend more time each day with Todd. He had an all consuming need to ensure for himself that his beloved’s health was being maintained to its’ highest degree. Todd was his world and he’d known for years that life without him wouldn’t be worth living. He’d confessed this once to his business partner and best friend, and had been summarily told that his obsession with Todd was unhealthy, that he should seek therapy.
But Hayden knew better, he knew that the Gods had granted him a gift in the form of Todd William Rogers-Pierce; beloved husband, loving papa, compassionate dental practitioner, flamboyant gay rights proponent and exasperating Brat. Caring for Todd was his responsibility, his privilege, his reason for being. Even on the days that the Brat in his husband drove him around the twist, he still knew he was the luckiest man on earth, just because he could call Todd his own.
In the aftermath of their love-making as Hayden lay with Todd securely held in his arms, he thought of the wedding ceremony he was to perform this evening and knew that if Zack found one tenth the joy and happiness in his life with Rene as he had found in his life with Todd; then his son would be truly blessed.
Todd lay in the surreal afterglow of their mutually satisfying climaxes and wondered, not for the first time, how his lover found the wherewithal to gently clean him up when he himself was barely able to move. He dreamily smiled as Hayden returned to their bed and reached over to gently gather him into his arms.
Lovingly running his fingertips over the smooth surface of his husband’s face, Todd gazed mesmerized into the warm hazel eyes of the man he had loved and admired for over thirty-five years. A man he trusted with his very life, a man he hero-worshipped, a man his entire world revolved around, a man he could never live without.
His eyes fluttered sleepily and he just managed to murmur, “Thank you, my beloved, for everything,” before nodding off.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Rene said his good-byes to the children at the day care centre. Miss. Stephanie, the day care owner, and the other teachers had given him an envelope with his and Zack’s names written across it. They had been very specific in their instructions that they should open it together.
He couldn’t get over the number of gifts he and Zack had received in the last few days. It certainly was a nice feeling to know so many people were wishing them well in their marriage.
Marriage; Rene kept saying it over and over in his head, today he was getting married. Up to this point he hadn’t been feeling overly nervous as he’d been too busy with planning and preparation. But now it was beginning to sink in, that today was really it. He and Zack would be married in just a few more hours.
He looked at his watch and realized it would be another four hours before Zack finished up at the pharmacy. He had finished all his pre-wedding errands and needed to do something to pass the time and keep the nervousness at bay. Well Kadyn had said that it was his job as best man to help out in any way needed and right now Rene needed a distraction.
So minutes later Rene was walking in the front door of the convenience store. “Have you got the coffee pot on?” he called out to the young man behind the counter. “I need an extra large caffeine fix!”
“Ya betcha!” Kadyn looked up with a wide grin on his face. “Figured you’d be dropping by. Getting kinda antsy, aren’t ya? Not that I blame you any; I’d be nervous too if I was in your shoes.” He began to laugh. “Let me guess; Miss. Stephanie and members of her staff were congratulating you and smothering you with kisses. I can tell, ‘cause there’s still some tell-tale lipstick on the side of your cheek.”
Rene scrubbed his palm over his cheek trying to remove the marks. “Geezh, another good thing about being gay, Zack never leaves lipstick stains on me.” He happily accepted the large mug of coffee Kadyn placed in his hand; took a long sip and sighed. “Mmm thanks, I needed this.”
Rene walked around the counter and took a seat at the small table Kadyn had there. He smiled nervously at his Best Man. “You’re right about me getting antsy. I didn’t think I would, but suddenly it hit me today that we’re really going to be married. You know; all legal and forever. I mean, it is what I want and I’m really happy but I’m also a bit scared.”
He chewed his lip thoughtfully and then swallowed down most of the coffee left in his cup. “I don’t know if I’m going to be as good at this as I should be. Zack is so great, so sure and steady, but me? Well, you know I’ve got my issues. I just want to be as good for Zack as he is for me.” Rene gulped down the remaining coffee and held out his mug. “More please?”
Kadyn poured more of the hot liquid into his friend’s cup. Putting the pot back in its’ place, he took a set beside Rene, leaned closer and looked him right in the eye. “You gotta stop putting yourself down, man. Zack loves you; you are the man he wants to marry, no one else. Not someone who looks different or behaves different or has different talents, characteristics or anything else different. You don’t have to be anyone but who you are to make Zack happy.”
Sitting up straighter, Kadyn feigned a stern expression and scolded. “That’s quite a gorgeous hunk you’re getting there, my friend; not to mention a great family you’re marrying into. And you better believe me when I tell you how much they are looking forward to having you as a member of the Pierce clan.”
Seeing the other man starting to relax a little, Kadyn took a sip of his own drink and began regaling his friend with what he had seen that morning. “I was by Hayden and Todd’s house earlier. I had to drop off the special handmade candy I ordered from the ‘Moonstruck Chocolate Co.’ in Portland, Oregon. I suggested it be put out on display with little silver bags that the guests can fill with their favs and take home. Todd kinda liked the idea. But wait ‘til you see the place, Rene.”
Kadyn was warming up to his narrative. “It’s like a winter wonderland; all snowy looking with royal blue and silver running through it. The furniture has all been rearranged in the parlour to make it look like a small chapel. They rented white folding chairs and put down two dark blue carpets for aisles leading to a beautifully decorated archway of sorts. There are sparkling little white fairy lights everywhere. And the food! Man, you should see the variety of things to eat.” Kadyn’s eyes lit up at the memory. “Todd’s done almost all of it. He kicked me out when I offered to help. And I didn’t see Hayden anywhere, so I can only figure that he wasn’t allowed to step foot in the kitchen either.” He smiled and slowly sipped his coffee while letting his companion absorb all he had been told.
Rene had to grin at the picture Kadyn’s words painted of the house. He already knew that Todd was working hard and unwilling to accept more assistance than had already been given. He and Zack had both been summarily dismissed last evening after having dinner with Zack’s dads. They had helped with moving a couple of pieces of heavy furniture andthen were shown out the door after being told the rest of the decorating was in Todd’s capable hands.
“Thanks, Kadyn, you’re right. Zack is one handsome hunk of a man and I am so damn lucky to have him, I still can’t believe it. And his dads; well Hayden and Todd are the best,” he laughed. “Of course, I’ve been told they are to be called Dad and Papa, which I’m trying to get used to. Zack says I’ll feel more comfortable about that once we’re reallymarried. God, they are so special. But how could they be anything else? They raised Zack, didn’t they? He got what every kid should get growing up; unconditional love and understanding. Not that they didn’t discipline him. God knows he had to learn about that somewhere.”
Both of the young men broke into laughter at that. When he stopped laughing, Rene smiled. “Wow, in a few hours time I’m going to be an official part of that family. Did I tell you I’m taking his name? I’m going to be Rene Pierce. It feels right to me. I want to share the same name as the man I’m married to. Kinda old fashioned, huh?”
“Maybe, but I think it’s neat. If Vincent ever asks me to marry him, I’d want his name. But I don’t imagine that happening for some time though, if ever. Vincent probably heard somewhere that the first five years are the hardest and he is waiting to see if he survives that long with just us living together.” Kadyn smirked, finding the whole idea amusing. He was quite happy with his and Vincent’s living arrangement.
“I bet this is gonna be the perfect fairy-tale wedding.” Kadyn bounced in his seat and rubbed his hands together in merry anticipation.
A few moments later, he turned a little serious. “I know, Rene, you told me about inviting your family, but you haven’t said whether or not you’ve heard from them. Are they able to attend?”
Rene gulped down more coffee as he shook his head and frowned. “Well, I always knew my dad would sooner throw himself off a cliff than attend a gay wedding and well... my mom, she just wouldn’t go against him. I was sorta hoping that my sister Dorothy and her husband might come but they got two little kids and it is New Year’s Eve and all, sothey probably have other plans. It’s okay though, cuz I got everyone I need coming.” He looked into his nearly empty mug and pondered. ‘One for breakfast; one on break at the day care; two here; yeah, I’m good for another.’ “Got more?” he asked.
“Yeah, but are you sure you want more? You’re getting a real buzz on,” Kadyn chuckled and getting a nod from his friend, got up and refilled his cup for the third time. “Sorry about your family, Rene, but you’re probably right and they are busy.” Kadyn didn’t believe for one minute that his comments made the other man feel any better but he couldn’t think of anything else to say and was wishing he hadn’t even brought up the subject.
Remembering something he had overheard earlier, he posed what he hoped would be a happier inquiry. “By the way, who are the piglets? When I arrived at the house this morning, Todd was singing about everything having to be perfect for his piglets.”
Rene savoured the coffee while knowing in his head that the caffeine wasn’t exactly the best idea when he was already experiencing some nervousness, but it did give him the energized feeling he needed. He rolled his eyes when Kadyn asked about the piglets. “Oh geezh, he was singing it?” Rene grimaced when Kadyn nodded.
“Well, it seems that all his life poor Zack has been stuck with the nickname, Piglet. It’s really just Todd that uses it. It comes from the Winnie the Pooh story. You know; the little pig character. I think Zack must have loved that story when he was a kid. Well, now it seems that since I’m Zack’s partner, I’m like piglet number two in Todd’s eyes. I can’t even get mad about it or anything cuz Todd is such a nice sweet guy. Really, I defy you to get mad at him no matter what he called you. So I’m stuck being one of the piglets.”
When Kadyn burst out in laughter, Rene jabbed him playfully in the ribs. “Watch it or I'll tell him you liked the story too. Maybe you can be his little Pooh.”
The two friends laughed and talked away most of the afternoon until Rene noticed it was almost time for Zack to be closing up the pharmacy for the day. Telling Kadyn he’d see him later at the house, a caffeine-dosed Rene headed home to the apartment.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Zack had just stepped out of the shower and was drying himself off when he heard the front door opening and closing. He calmly strolled out into the living room wearing nothing more than he had been born with and grinned broadly at his partner. “I closed the shop a bit early,” he explained, knowing Rene would not have been expecting him to be home so soon. “Too excited I guess about our big day.”
Rene saw Zack naked every day but he wasn’t normally greeted with the sight of his Top standing nude in the living room in the middle of the afternoon. Kadyn was right though; he was about to marry one beautiful hunk of a man. Zack was better than four inches taller than Rene and out-weighed him by at least forty pounds, and even standing there without a stitch on, his presence was commanding and forceful. Rene almost melted where he stood.
“Hi,” Rene replied. “I’m glad to see you; all of you,” he grinned. “I’m pretty excited about tonight too, and seeing you like that is making me more excited.”
Zack deftly removed the hat from his Brat’s head, unwound the scarf from around his neck and helped him out of his jacket. Leaning in close, he softly murmured into Rene’s ear. “Think you can get out of the rest of those clothes and in our bed by the time I count to ten?” He landed a gentle smack on his partner’s butt by way of encouragement.
“One…..two…..three…..” he chuckled as he leisurely began to count while hanging up the outdoor clothing and watching his lover scramble.
Rene’s sweater landed in the hallway, his pants and boxers in the entry to the bedroom. He sent his socks flying as he scooted onto the bed, one landing on the dresser and the other hitting Zack in the face as the older man entered the bedroom.
Rene turned a peculiar shade of red when he saw the sock strike his lover. “Oops,” he laughed at the look of surprise on Zack’s face. “Well, you did want me to hurry.” He got into a fit of laughter fueled by his nervousness and the caffeine he’d consumed. His laughter was quickly doused though when Zack practically leaped on top of him and covered his mouth with a possessive kiss.
“Brat,” Zack growled when he broke the kiss. He licked his lips. “Hmm, coffee, lots and lots of coffee,” he mused, rolling off the younger man in order to retrieve the lube from the drawer in the night table. “Now, where were we?” he chuckled. “Oh yeah, I remember.”
Zack began kissing Rene’s neck and then slowly, sensually moved down his partner’s supple body; a body he had learned to bring to the heights of sexual pleasure over the past few months; a body he would once again bring to the same soaring heights of ecstasy.
It was sometime later, after they had recovered and were relaxing in the afterglow of their love-making, that Zack turned somewhat serious. “Rene, love, we are going to get up now and shower together. Then I want you to completely clean yourself; you know exactly what I mean, sweetheart. I have something special planned for later, but it is a surprise so I’m not saying anything more. I fully expect you to do as I’ve asked.”
Rene enjoyed the shower and the feel of Zack’s hands on his skin as they washed each other. Zack’s touches both soothed and stimulated him. He was more than used to his lover’s commanding way of giving instructions. It made him feel secure and loved. But Zack had never given him orders to take an enema before. That had always been something Rene did on his own prior to sex if he felt it was needed.
Once they were finished in the shower, Zack dried off and left him in the bathroom to follow the instructions. Rene was meticulous and ensured he was well cleaned out before emerging from the bathroom. Knowing they would dress in their suits before leaving, Rene just pulled on his bathrobe. As he left the bedroom, the scent of Zack’s homemade soup being heated reached him from the kitchen.
Zack said they would have an early, light meal before heading over to his dads’ home, where they knew there would be mountains of hot and cold hors d'oeuvres and treats. Rene wasn’t really hungry as he was feeling too nervous about the evening ahead. He hoped Zack wasn’t going to insist on his eating much.
Rene entered the kitchen with a smile and gave Zack a kiss. “All done,” was all he said in response to Zack’s orders. He then headed to the coffee maker to start a pot of his favourite brew.
Zack intercepted his partner. “Sorry, love, but I think you’ve had enough caffeine this afternoon. You are edgy and need to calm down a bit; more coffee will not enable you do that.” He pulled Rene close and embraced him. He felt the tension in the rigidly-held body and understood the inner turmoil his Brat was dealing with. Rene badly wanted the coffee, but at the same time he wanted equally as much to please his Top.
“Relax, babe; it’s going to be all right,” Zack murmured and was rewarded by the younger man slackening against him. 'How I love the feel of this very special man in my arms,” Zack thought, deeply breathing in the scent of his lover. He allowed several minutes to pass before lightheartedly proposing. “Maybe we better sit down, sweetheart, before one or both of us falls asleep right where we stand.”
Once seated, Zack filled and passed a bowl of soup across the table to Rene. “You don’t have to eat it all, love. Just do the best you can so you don’t start off the evening on an empty stomach.” He smiled when he heard his Brat let out a sign that sounded suspiciously like one of relief.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kadyn stood glaring at his reflection in the full-length, bedroom mirror. Gone was the excited bounce and his usually animated face was distorted by a dark frown. “I hate wearing one of these,” he grumbled. “I can’t even get the damn thing done up properly.” Rolling the tie up in a ball, he turned and threw it across the room. That is he tried to, but it unfolded and fluttered down to the floor a few feet in front of him. He looked up to see a displeased Top standing in the doorway of their en suite.
“Pick that up now!” Vincent said in a clipped voice that left no room for argument. Seeing Kadyn comply, he added in a more normal voice. “Give it to me please, and I’ll help you. I’m pretty good at doing ties; all you had to do was ask.”
“I don’t need your help, so there,” Kadyn rudely intoned, tossing the tie on the dresser as he passed it by. “I don’t know why I have to wear one anyway when I hate wearing stuff around my neck.”
Vincent raised his eyebrows, walked over to Kadyn, turned him around and smacked him hard on the butt twice. “I won’t have you talking to me like that. I know you’re nervous about being Best Man for Rene, but I will not put up with that kind of behaviour. You need to calm down. We have plenty of time before we have to leave, so just relax a bit and everything will be okay.”
Kadyn looked at his Top through unshed tears and rubbed at the handprints throbbing on his rear end. “Sorry,” he muttered, and he meant it. Taking Vincent’s hand, he led the older man over to the big comfy armchair in the corner of their bedroom.
After his partner had taken his silent hint to sit down, Kadyn situated himself on Vincent’s lap and wrapped his arms around the bigger man’s neck. “You’re right, Vince; I am nervous…actually more than nervous. I’m kinda scared. Rene is a good friend and he is such a nice guy. He deserves the best wedding possible. But what if I blow the little speech I’m supposed to give? What if I mess up something?” He dropped his head unto Vincent’s shoulder and cuddled closer, seeking reassurances.
Vincent hugged Kadyn tight while stroking his hair. “You’ll be fine and you won’t mess up. You’ve gone over that speech at least three times a day since you wrote it and I am sure you know it by heart. As for the rest of the ceremony, you’ll do fine there too. You’re the friend Rene wants to stand up with him and you’ll do a great job of it.”
Seeing Kadyn had calmed down, Vincent softly inquired, “Now, are you ready for me to help you with that tie?”
“Uh-huh,” Kadyn capitulated and pushed himself up. He stood as still as possible while his partner skillfully tied the dreaded item around his neck. “I just have to remember not to crawl around under the tables and not return the hors d’oeuvres I don’t like to the plate I took them from.” He smirked up at Vincent, his eyes sparkling with humour, and giggled at the expression of disbelief on the older man’s handsome face. “Yep, I’ve already done both those things and my mom told me they were definitely frowned upon. Of course, I was only a kid back then,” he laughed and easily side-stepped his Top’s big paw.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Hayden was hiding-out in the den on the pretext of polishing off his speech. He didn’t want it known that he was just hiding from his beloved husband’s perfectionism. He was sending mental waves of sympathy to the string quartet Todd was currently supervising. Only Todd could make an issue of the fact that three of the members were wearing regular black leather shoes while the fourth was in patent leather.
He was forced to emerge from his hiding place by the ringing of the front door bell. He glanced at his watch thinking it was a bit early for the guests to arrive, so he was quite surprised to see the group of obviously dressed-up people smiling at him when he opened the door.
Standing at the front of the group were two little girls dressed in wool coats with the hems of party dresses hanging below them. A tall young woman with dark hair stood behind one little girl and a slightly taller, handsome young man behind the other. It was, however, the petite older woman standing beside the little girls who caught Hayden’s attention.
She had slightly graying dark hair, and blue eyes shining out from a face that was vaguely familiar. It was when the woman smiled at him that Hayden realized who he was looking at. There could be no doubt that this lady was the mother of his soon-to-be son-in-law. It was truly the feminine version of Rene’s face; her smile mirrored the young man’s exactly. Hayden returned the smiles he was receiving.
“Good evening,” the older woman spoke first. “This is the Pierce residence, I hope?”
“Yes,” Hayden replied. “You’re here for the wedding, I presume?”
Hearing unfamiliar voices coming from the hallway, Todd let his curiosity over-ride his desire to direct the setting up of the quartet. Much to the relief of the musicians, he quickly left the room to join his husband in welcoming their guests.
Not recognizing any of the people standing just outside their front porch, Todd glanced up at Hayden and inquired, “Who do we have here?”
The lady in question answered before Hayden could ask. “I’m Marjorie Wilson, Rene’s mother. We’ve come for the wedding,” she said a bit awkwardly.
“You are Rene’s family. How wonderful that you could make it,” Todd greeted excitedly. “Please, come in; come in.”
Mrs. Wilson entered the house first followed by her family. Once the door was closed behind them she began the introductions. “Yes, this is my daughter Dorothy, and her husband Rob. Their two daughters, Jennifer,” she indicated the older girl, “and Leah.” She then looked at the two men. “I presume one of you is Mr. Pierce?”
Hayden glanced at Todd and then smiled. “Yes, we both are. I’m Hayden Pierce and this is my husband Todd. We’re Zachary’s parents.”
There was no mistaking the slight intake of breath from Rene’s mother. The lady obviously had no idea that Zack had two fathers and the concept seemed to leave her speechless.
It was Dorothy who spoke up. “We’re very pleased to meet you both. I am sorry about arriving like this without calling ahead.” She glanced to her mother. “I’m afraid coming today was something of a last minute decision.”
“That’s quite all right,” Todd hastily assured her. “We are just so very pleased to have you attend the wedding. Please, let me take your coats.”
“Yes,” Hayden also insisted. “We’ve very pleased to have Rene’s family here.” He helped Todd gather the coats up and hang them in the hall closet which they had emptied for the occasion. “Why don’t we take a seat in the family room? The living room has been set up for the ceremony so we can be more comfortable in the other room.” They ushered their guests down the hall to the family room which had also been decked out for the evening in blue and silver.
“You have a beautiful home,” Marjorie spoke, finally managing to get over her shock.
“Thank you, Marjorie. We moved here to Jade Heights last fall to be near our son and our future son-in-law,” Todd merrily informed Rene’s mother.
The group sat down on the sofa and chairs that formed a comfortable seating area in the cozy room. “I’ve never been up this way before,” Marjorie replied. “However, from what we could see as we drove through town, Jade Heights looks like a lovely place to live.”
“We’re very happy here. It’s a small town but they’ve been very welcoming to both of us. After living in the bustling city of Vancouver all of our lives, the small town life is something of a pleasant relief for our retirement years,” Hayden answered.
Looking at the clock, Todd realized other guests would soon be starting to arrive. “Will you excuse me for a few minutes, please?” he politely requested. Getting affirmative nods, he headed for the kitchen where he made a quick phone call to Kadyn and took several item from the refrigerator before returning to the family room in time to hear Hayden offering refreshments and being graciously declined.
In his hands, Todd had a number of flowers; two large corsages and two smaller ones. He handed one to each of the ladies and knelt down to pin one on each of the little girls’ dresses. He also had a boutonnière for Rob that closely matched the ones he and Hayden were wearing.
Marjorie looked at the orchid Todd had given her. “This is beautiful. But you weren’t expecting us. Are these not meant for someone else?”
Todd smiled. “No, they were purchased for you. Somehow, I had a feeling you would be coming.” Todd had a tendency to let his hopes rise to the point of convincing himself that what he wanted to happen would happen, and he knew just how much it would mean to Rene to have his family here.
A tear glistened in Marjorie’s eye. She felt a bit choked up and she looked to her daughter. Dorothy reached over and squeezed her mother’s hand. “We...I didn’t think I would come. When the invitation arrived, Rene’s father... he didn’t take it very well.” She looked into Todd’s face, hoping to find understanding there. “My husband isn’t a bad person, Mr. Pierce, believe me. But this...this is difficult for him to understand. It goes against everything he’s been taught to believe. He doesn’t wish anyone ill but neither can he accept this. I’m so sorry.” A tear ran down her cheek as Dorothy wrapped her arm around her mother’s shoulder.
Dorothy spoke up. “My father is an old-fashioned man raised with a very staunch Catholic point of view. He does love Rene and wants him to be happy, but I’m afraid he’ll never really understand his being gay. It was very hard for mother to leave him today to come with us. But we want to be here for Rene. He’s my brother and I love him with all my heart. If Zack makes him happy, then that’s all that matters to me and Rob and the girls.”
“And to me,” Marjorie added. “I do want Rene’s happiness above all else. This is a happy occasion and I’m not here to spoil it with tears.” She put a smile on her face and wiped the tell-tale moisture away
Todd gently patted her arm while Hayden passed her a box of Kleenex. "We understand, my dear, we really do. The most important thing at the moment is that you’re all here and Rene is going to be thrilled.”
“Yes,” Hayden added. “We really do understand. We’ve dealt with this sort of thing all our lives. We’re just pleased that you’ll be able to witness this wonderful occasion and see for yourselves that your Rene is happy. He’s an exceptional young man, and Todd and I are very proud to have him as our son-in-law.”
“Thank you.” Marjorie smiled. It was then that she happened to glance up at the wall behind the chair where Hayden was seated. A painting of a very familiar style held a place of honour there. The signature of the artist brought a smile to her face. “Oh my.” She touched Dorothy’s hand. “Look at the painting.”
Rene’s family all looked at the large canvas. It was of this house all alight with Christmas splendor and the two men standing on the porch arm in arm were the picture of happiness.
“Uncle Rene painted that!” Jennifer exclaimed. “That’s his signature on the bottom. Just like the one he sent me for Christmas, only mine had me playing with my puppy.”
While the others continued to discuss the painting, Todd moved over to stand beside the two little girls. He leaned down and whispered conspiratorially. “I have a very special surprise planned for your Uncle Rene. Would you like to help me with it?”
“Can I help too?” Leah asked shyly.
“Of course, sweetie; I need the help of two beautiful little girls. You see, the surprise happens during the wedding at a time when I have other responsibilities. But it is a secret. Can you keep a secret?”
Both girls nodded seriously. “We’re good at secrets. We didn’t even tell about presents at Christmas,” Jennifer replied.
“Good. Come into the other room with me and I will show you what needs to be done. It is very easy.” Todd led them into the parlour where the ceremony would take place and showed them the long white ribbons hanging from a spot near the ceiling. He patiently explain what he wanted them to do and told them to watch for the signal he would give them at the exact moment they were to pull on the ribbons. Even though he didn’t tell them what would happen, they both excitedly promised to follow his directions.
“We better get back to the others before they begin to wonder what we’re up too,” Todd suggested with a wink before escorting the girls back to their parents. He gave Hayden a sweet smile in return for the raised eyebrow. He inwardly squirmed with glee at the thought of surprising everyone including his husband.
Hayden and Todd were delighted to see their guests begin to relax and enjoy themselves during an impromptu tour of the house.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Vincent and Kadyn were shouldering into their suit jackets when the phone rang. “I’ll get it!” Kadyn hollered as he leaped over the bed in order to reach the night table first. “Hello, Vincent and Kadyn’s pad; Kadyn speaking.” He muffled a laugh when he saw his partner rolling his eyes. Vincent had repeatedly instructed his Brat to answer the phone with ‘Hello; LaMaur/ Hart residence’.
“Sure thing, Todd; we can do that. We will be leaving in a few minutes. See you soon.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile, Zack and Rene were getting dressed. They put on crisply ironed shirts, brand-new suits and well polished dress-shoes, and then tied each others ties.
Zack was in the midst of pulling their over-coats out of the closet in the hall when there was a knock on the front door. He and Rene exchanged quizzically glances before Zack opened the door to find Kadyn bouncing on the landing.
“Todd asked us to pick you up. Vincent is keeping the car warm,” Kadyn informed the two men, chuckling at the surprised look on their faces. He tripped down the stairs in front of them and out into the nippy evening air. With a flourished bow, he held open the back door of the vehicle. “Your chariot awaits, gentlemen.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Zack and Rene arrived with Best man and chauffeur in tow. They had deliberately planned their arrival before that of their guests in order to go over any last minutes instructions Todd was sure to have. Knowing all the work Papa had gone to, they were more than willing to comply with his wishes.
“Oh, the Piglets are here!” Todd gaily announced when he heard the front door open and snow being stamped off several pair of boots.
He and Hayden headed for the hall to greet the latest arrivals. Both found it difficult to contain their excitement in anticipation of Rene’s reaction when he saw his family. Todd was beaming and almost bouncing with joy for the wonderful surprise in store for this very special young man.
After hanging up their coats, Zack and Rene allowed themselves to be herded into the family room, the other four men trailing along behind them.
Rene was complimenting Hayden and Todd on how beautiful the house looked as they walked into the family room. He stopped dead in his tracks and in mid-sentence when he saw his mother standing up from where she’d been seated on the sofa. “Mom!” he exclaimed rather loudly. He then noticed his sister, bother-in-law and two nieces were also in the room.
For a half a moment he was gripped with fear that they had come here to try and stop the wedding, but the loving smiles on both his mother’s and Dorothy’s faces made him realize they had come here in goodwill. He ran forward and wrapped his mother in his arms. “I can’t believe you’re here!” he cried.
Marjorie pulled back slightly so she could touch Rene’s face. “Oh, Rene, you have no idea how happy I am that I came.”
Dorothy tapped Rene’s shoulder. “We’re all glad to be here, little brother.” The siblings exchanged hugs and Rene then turned to quickly greet his brother-in-law and nieces as well.
He stood up from where he’d squatted down to hug the two little girls, turned to Zack and took his fiancé by the hand, pulling him close. “I’d like you all to meet my very soon-to-be husband, Zackary Pierce. Zack, this is my mom, Marjorie Wilson; my sister Dorothy Thompson and her husband Rob.” He stopped to indicate each person as he spoke, “and my two beautiful nieces, Jennifer and Leah.”
Zack had been standing to the side, thoroughly taken up at the sight of Rene’s beautiful face lighting up the way it did, but he had easily moved forward at his partner’s unspoken invitation to participate in the unexpected reunion.
“I am pleased to meet you, Marjorie, and very happy that you and your lovely family made the trip to attend our wedding.’ Zack gently kissed his future mother-in-law’s cheek. Turning, he greeted Dorothy in a similar manner and then shook hands with Rob.
Getting down on one knee, Zack smiled at the two little girls. “Guess I’m going to be your new uncle, right?” He chuckled when Jennifer and Leah looked at each other; then covered their mouths with their hands and giggled.
Zack straightened up and wrapped an arm about Rene’s shoulders. “Quite a nice surprise and a perfect gift, isn’t it, sweetheart?”
Much to his embarrassment, Rene found himself brushing tears from his face. “This is the best gift I could have hoped for. Thank you all so much for coming.” He glanced at his two future fathers-in-law. “Well, since you’ve obviously met Zack’s dads, I don’t need to do that introduction. When did you get here and where are you staying?”
Marjorie quickly explained about their trip up and that they were staying at a motel on the highway between Kelowna and Jade Heights. She also knew her son well enough to recognise the line of worry that had formed in the beautiful young face. So while the others were talking and getting acquainted, she guided Rene to the side; though she couldn’t help but notice that Zack was watching them closely. “I’m sorry, honey, you have to know why he wouldn’t come.”
Rene nodded. “Yeah, I know; it’s probably better this way. I just wish he could understand.”
Zack had been introducing Dorothy and Rob to Kadyn and Vincent while keeping an eye on Rene. He saw the brief expression of sadness pass over his fiancé face and accurately guessing the subject of Rene’s father had been brought up, quietly closed the gap between them and gently rubbed a hand over Rene’s back to let him know he understood.
Marjorie watched as her son relaxed under the touch of his soon-to-be husband and she was grateful to see that Zack could make her son feel better.
The next couple of hours passed in a whirl of activity as family members and friends from near and far arrived. Introductions were made, conversations got underway, drinks were served and light refreshments placed in convenient locations around the room.
Hayden and Todd’s home was warmly lit up and humming with a sense of happiness and excitement, with everyone looking forward to the highlight of the evening: the wedding ceremony. Todd was in his element as a congenial and laid-back host. It was hard to comprehend the contrast between how worked-up he would get while preparing for an event and how serene he’d become once the event was underway.
Throughout the evening, Todd merrily circled the big room and pinned boutonnières of white roses on members of the wedding party. All this while keeping an eye on the professional photographer to make sure the man got the shots of moments that held particular importance for Todd; and at the right angles of course.
It was almost ten-thirty when Hayden called for everyone’s attention. “Friends and family, I’ve been reminded that it’s time we proceeded with the reason for this gathering,” Hayden announced while giving a smile to his son who prompted him by tapping his watch face. “Would you kindly take your seats in the living room?”
Hayden stood in the dining room with Zack and Rene, and watched with a smile as Todd and Kadyn fulfilled their roles as best men/groomsmen by ensuring that Rene’s family were seated at the front along side of Hayden’s own brother and sister-in-law who had made the trip from their home in Nanaimo. The string quartet was playing ‘Green Sleeves’ and the room was lighted only by candlelight, save for a single illumination on the beautifully decorated arch centred in front of the large bow window.
The plan was for the two grooms to enter the living room and walk up opposite sides of the seated guests accompanied by their best men; then walk across the front and meet together under the archway.
Once the guests were seated, Hayden gave the two grooms a hug and kiss. “Are you two ready? No last minute cold feet?” he teased.
“I am more than ready, Dad. I feel like I have been preparing for this moment for as long as I can remember and there is no way I am backing down now.” Zack knew his own heart, he knew he loved Rene with every fiber of his being and he wasn’t about to let the love of his life get away from him. “How about you, love?” he asked Rene.
Rene’s smile filled his entire face, showing the happiness and excitement he was feeling. “I have to admit to being a bit nervous about getting through the ceremony without fobbing my lines. But there isn’t even the slightest doubt in my heart about what I’m doing.”
Hearing exactly what he expected, Hayden gave each of the young men another kiss on the cheek. “I love you both.” Todd and Kadyn rejoined them at that moment, having seated the last of the guests. “Well, I’d better take my place. Todd, will you give the signal to the musicians to start the processional once we’re ready?”
“It will be my pleasure,” Todd laughed. “I am not usually given permission to direct things,” he joked as Hayden left the room.
Hayden stood under the archway and watched with pride as Zack, accompanied by Todd approached from his left and Rene, accompanied by Kadyn approached from his right. The gentle strains of music from the string quartet set the mood for the occasion. When Zack and Rene came together in front of him, Hayden reached forward and placed a gentle hand on each of their shoulders, giving them both a smile. Then he looked out over the small assembly of family and friends seated before them.
“What a beautiful evening, and what a wonderful occasion we have come together to celebrate. The joining in marriage of two persons very much in love is a tradition that predates recorded history. Tonight we write the first page in the history book of Zachary and Rene as a married couple. Being able to preside over this joining is both an honour and an incredible privilege for me. This in fact, is the first wedding ceremony I am officiating over since receiving my license as a Marriage Commissioner and what better way to start than the marriage of my son Zachary to his beloved Rene.”
Hayden looked to the two young men standing so seriously in front of him. “Zachary and Rene, it takes love to make any marriage work. Love should be the core of your marriage, love is the reason you are here. But it will also take trust; to know in your hearts you want the best for each other. It will take dedication; to stay open to one another, to learn and to grow together even when this is not always so easy to do. It will take faith; to always be willing to go forward to tomorrow, never really knowing what tomorrow will bring. And it will take commitment; to hold true to the journey you both now pledge to share together.
Zachary and Rene, I ask that you both remember to treat each other with respect and remind yourself often of what brought you together today. Give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness and kindness that your marriage deserves. If each of you will take responsibility for the quality of your life together, it will be marked by abundance and delight.
Now if you two will please join hands and face each other, you may share the vows you have prepared for this day.”
Rene was to speak first. He drew a deep breath and prayed that the vows he’d worked so hard to write and memorize, would not leave him now that the critical moment had arrived. However, one look into Zack’s loving eyes gave Rene the courage to begin.
“Some months ago, a vagabond arrived in a small town.
He was a lonely young man in search of something, but he knew not what.
He believed his art was all he needed in life, as if art alone could sustain his soul.
Though his heart had long cried out for love, the young man had ceased to listen.
He believed that if he allowed his heart to reach out and love, it would only be broken.
Then the face of a god appeared to him. At first the young man was scared.
He tried to push the man who belonged to that face away, but the man wouldn’t listen.
The man kept coming back and slowly, carefully pulled the young vagabond into his home and his heart.
The man showed him love and melted away the shield the younger man had placed around himself.
The man cared for him even when the vagabond said he didn’t want to be cared for.
The man guided the young vagabond with a firm but fair hand; he showed him the real meaning of love.
And now on this day, the vagabond will vow his love and eternal devotion to the man.
He/I will be a vagabond no more. I will become a husband, a partner, a lover and a friend.
I, Rene Albert Wilson Jr., declare on this day my lifelong commitment to you, Zackary William Pearce. I promise to be an eternally faithful, devoted and respectful husband. I pledge to share with you all my worldly goods, to stand by your side through all that life can give to us through both the good times and the bad. I will follow you wherever you may lead, and I will honour you and cherish you all the days of our lives.
Zack willed his moistening eyes not to overflow as his beloved’s words caused his heart to swell. He reached out and gently caressed Rene’s face. He gazed into the blue eyes belonging to this man he loved so much and did his best to clear his throat before softly speaking his vows.
“This time last year I was a lonely man waiting for someone. Someone I had loved for a very long time, but whom I had yet to meet. Rene, I have loved you for many years, I just didn’t know who you were until the very first time I looked into your beautiful blue eyes and my soul sang out; ‘This is the one.’
I know without a doubt there will only ever be just one man for me. You are the man whose arms I want wrapped around me at the end of a long, hard day; the man who makes my troubles seem less challenging just by listening; you are the man who stands beside me and who steals my heart over and over again; you are the man I will love forever.
I cannot imagine days without your smile or nights without the comfort of your touch. It is your love that enables all that is strong and good in me. You make our life together the best that it can be and I cannot begin to thank you for the treasured gifts you bring to our relationship, except to say I vow to spend a lifetime loving you.
I, Zachary William Pierce, do hereby pledge to love, honour, cherish and care for you for the rest of my days, and to always put you first whenever humanly possible. To you, Rene Albert Wilson Jr., I humbly give all that I was, all that I am, and all that I will ever be.
Hayden gave a nod to Todd and Kadyn as he began the next part of the ceremony. Each of them reached into their pockets and pulled out the rings to hand over to the respective grooms.
“The exchanging of rings is a symbolic gesture of the never ending love and commitment that Zachary and Rene pledge here today. You have both chosen to wear these symbols as an outward sign of your status as married men. Just as the circle of the ring is without end, so too should your love and faithfulness be never ending.
Zachary, please place the ring on Rene’s finger and repeat after me. This ring I give you as a token and pledge of our constant faith and abiding love.”
“This ring I give you as a token and pledge of our constant faith and abiding love.” Zack gazed into the beautiful blue eyes of his beloved and solemnly repeated the words in a voice rough with emotion.
So focused on the handsome man in front of him, Zack was oblivious to anything going on about them. He missed his Dad discretely passing Papa a clean handkerchief when the beauty of the moment became too much for him and he was no longer able to hold back the tears.
“Rene, please place the ring on Zachary’s finger and repeat after me. This ring I give you as a token and pledge of our constant faith and abiding love.”
“This ring I give you as a token and pledge of our constant faith and abiding love.” Rene repeated the words slowly and carefully. His legs were shaking from the overwhelming emotions of the moment. He knew he had never been nor could ever be happier than he was at this moment.
“Zachary and Rene, in so much as the two of you have agreed to live together in marriage, and have promised your love for each other by these vows and the joining of your hands and the giving of these rings; I now declare you to be married. Congratulations; you may share a kiss.”
It was at this moment in time that Todd signaled to Rene’s nieces. Jennifer and Leah didn’t let him down as they quietly moved forward until one stood on each side of the arch, then each of them carefully picked up the end of a long satin ribbon. They gave the ribbons a gentle tug and stared wide-eyed as two lovely, white turtle-doves flew from the small cage hanging near the ceiling and circled the archway a couple of times before coming to rest on top of it. The birds were meant as a sign of good fortune for the newly married men.
Zack shook his head in amazement, momentarily wondering what else Papa had up his sleeve. He smiled as he advanced a step and placed his hands on Rene’s waist. He bent his head and gently kissed his new husband’s slightly parted lips. He lifted his head, but feeling the need for more than a chaste kiss, he leaned in closer and once again kissed the lips of his beloved. He allowed the kiss to deepen as his arms wrapped around the love of his life and he raised Rene off the floor.
It was his father’s barely heard clearing of his throat that caused Zack to end the kiss. He grinned wickedly at the rather dazed younger man he was holding and winked, not at all embarrassed by the snickering from the family members and friends avidly watching them.
“Ladies and gentlemen, it is my great pleasure to introduce for the first time, Misters Zachary and Rene Pierce.”
Todd wiped at his eyes as he hurriedly embraced the newly married couple. He wanted to be the first one to pass on good wishes before stepping aside to enable others to come forward and offer congratulations.
Next, he sidled over to his own husband and wrapped his arm around Hayden’s waist. “It was all so exquisite, my love. There is not another person drawing breath who could have officiated as superbly as you did,” he softly whispered and stretched up to steal a kiss from his long-time mate.
Hayden pulled Todd tightly against him and held the kiss for a moment. “Thank you, love. This is a day we’ll never forget. Our little boy is now a married man. We did pretty good, huh?” he added with a laugh.
Kadyn took advantage of being nearest his friend. He smiled broadly as he patted Rene on the back and shook hands with him. “You did it, man. I wish you both a long life of happiness,” he said with a nod in Zack’s direction, then moved out of the way.
He bounced on his feet while waiting for his partner to come up. It took some time as Vincent was half-way down the line that had formed.
Marjorie moved in quickly, pulled her son into her arms and kissed him. “Congratulations, my darling. I wish you all the happiness in the world.”
Rene beamed. He had never envisioned his mother’s open approval of his lifestyle. “Thank you, Mom. I know I’ll be happy. Zack is the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Marjorie smiled. “You know, Rene, I believe you are right.” She then stepped back and allowed in the others waiting in line to congratulate the grooms.
Marjorie Wilson had always considered herself a simple woman. Her life experiences were that of a dutiful daughter who became a dutiful wife and loving mother. Her education finished with high school and her work experience consisted of part-time job at a dry cleaner which she gave up when she married.
She had married young and being a good Catholic wife, she gave birth to her first child barely ten months after the wedding. Sadly though, there were complications with Dorothy’s birth and she had been told it was doubtful she would be able to have another child. However, fourteen years later much to her and Albert’s delight, Rene, their little miracle had been born. They had doted on this child all his life, calling him their gift from God. So they were both shocked and heartbroken when Rene informed them that he was gay. They felt somehow that their gift had been damaged and worried that they were at fault.
Now this self-proclaimed simple woman found herself at the home of a homosexual couple, watching her son marry another man. Everything that she had been taught told her that this was wrong, that this was against God’s law. And yet her heart could find no fault here. This place seemed only to be filled with love and joy. How could this be wrong? From the moment she’d walked through the door, she’d been welcomed with open arms. She had spent the last few hours very carefully studying this family of men her son was joining. She had been surprised to learn that Hayden Pierce was the now retired senior partner of Pierce, Beckman, Stein, and Latham; a law firm of certain prestige in the Vancouver area, and that Todd was a retired dentist and Zachary a pharmacist with his own business. These were professional men of standing; that alone was impressive.
But what impressed Marjorie the most, was what she observed in the tiny movements and looks that passed between these men. Even when engaged in conversation with someone else, Zack’s eyes were constantly searching out Rene, wherever he might be in the room. When they were close together, Zack’s touches, though subtle, seemed to settle her normally hyper son, whose face glowed with happiness. She saw very similar looks and touches being shared between Hayden and Todd and several of the other gay couples in the room.
After the guests had moved through the line and congratulated the happy couple, Marjorie found the moment she had been looking for. Rene was busily talking with some of his co-workers and Zack was momentarily alone. She approached her new son-in-law in hopes of a minute of his time. “Zack, could I speak with you for a moment?”
Zack smiled at the woman who was now his mother-in-law. “Of course,” he gently replied.
“I just wanted to thank you for making my son so happy and for getting him to settle down. I never had a single decent night’s sleep when he was traveling around and living out of that wreck of a car of his. I was so terrified someone would hurt him. He’s always been a bit too trusting and traveling alone like that...well, I just thank God he found you. I also want to thank you for helping him to cope with the issues he has with his father. I realize now that it was you who got Rene to come home for our anniversary. After the awful row Rene and his father had at the time of his Aunt’s funeral, I didn’t think he’d come. You’re obviously a very calming influence on him and I want you to know how much I appreciate it. I don’t know if I’ll ever convince Albert to accept Rene’s lifestyle, but at least I know my son is happy and with someone who loves him and will care for him.”
Zack gazed at the woman in front of him with genuine fondness. “Thank you, Marjorie, for your kind words. I will do everything in my power to live up to them. Mostly though, I thank you for the gift of your son. I also want you to know how grateful I am to you and your family for making the time and effort to be here this evening. We do not know what the future will bring, but I hold out hope that some day Mr. Wilson will be able to accept Rene and I as a couple and become involved in our lives. Rene needs and deserves to have both his parents in his life.” He grinned and added, “in the meantime, I am more than content with having you as my new mother-in-law.”
While the grooms were milling around and conversing with their well-wishers, Hayden directed the rearranging of the rented folding chairs to make a small dance area in the middle of the living room floor. The string quartet had packed up and music was playing from speakers hidden around the room. When the melodic voice of Johnny Mathis filled the air, Rene found himself swept up into Zack’s strong arms and led onto the small dance floor.
Maybe it’s much too early in the game,
Ah, but I thought I’d ask you just the same,
What are you doing New Year’s -
New Year’s Eve?
Wonder whose arms will hold you good and tight
When it’s exactly twelve o’clock that night,
Welcoming in the New Year -
New Year’s Eve
Maybe I’m crazy to suppose
I’d ever be the one you chose
Out of a thousand invitations
You’d receive,
Ah, but in case I stand one little chance,
Here comes the jackpot question in advance,
What are you doing New Year’s -
New Year’s Eve?
When the song finished, Rene looked up into Zack’s eyes. “I want to spend every New Year’s Eve from now on in your arms just like this.”
For a while the two grooms were separated to dance with a number of the guests. Rene and Zack both had dances with Marjorie, Dorothy and Rene’s two little nieces as well as several others.
During this time and much to the dismay of two little girls, Todd fetched a large cage from the kitchen and coaxed the trained doves to seek refuge in it. He set the cage off to the side so Jennifer and Leah could still see the birds inside.
Next, he commandeered the help of Hayden, Kadyn and Vincent to set out the numerous platters and serving bowls of food that had been prepared. A small fountain had been placed on a table in the corner of the family room, and it was into this that Todd poured several pitchers of punch. Once he turned it on, the guests only needed to hold their glasses under the falling liquid to fill them. When all was ready, Todd clapped his hands to attract everyone’s attention. “Ladies and gentlemen, please help yourselves to refreshments.”
Once again people lined up, this time to enjoy the fruits of Todd’s efforts. Over the next half hour or so, speeches were made and glasses of the best Champaign money could buy, were raised in toasts to the happy couple. Zack and Rene had just finished cutting their wedding cake when the clock struck twelve and another celebration was underway as everyone welcomed in the New Year.
Two thousand and nine rung in, and Rene and Zack were finally married. Rene laid his head against Zack’s broad shoulder; the New Year’s kiss his new husband had given him left him breathless and wanting more. He whispered into his lover’s ear. “It’s been a great evening, Zack, but do you think we can leave soon?”
“Yes, I think we can make our escape now,” Zack chuckled. Although he was enjoying himself, he was also very much looking forward to the surprise he had in mind for his new husband, and they had to be in the privacy of their room at the Inn for him to carry it out. “Let’s go over and let my dads know.”
“Dad, Papa.” Zack, with Rene at his side, stepped up to his fathers and spoke softly so as not to be overheard. “We want to thank you both for making this important day so extra special for us.” Zack hugged and kissed both his parents, then continued. “It’s after twelve thirty and time we were thinking of leaving. Our room at the Trillium Inn awaits us. That, plus there are others who may want to head for home but want Rene and I to leave first.” He nodded towards Dorothy who was covering two little girls sleeping in the large armchair, with a throw from the sofa.
Hayden grinned knowingly. “Papa and I were more than happy to have your wedding here at our home. Though you have your Papa to thank for all the food preparations and decorating.” He gave Zack a wink. “I was just his personal gofer. We do have one other small gift for you two.” He handed Zack an envelope. “It’s an all inclusive weekend for two at the Delta Grand Okanagan Resort; you’re booked to arrive tomorrow afternoon”
When Zack opened his mouth to protest, Hayden raised his hand and shook his head. “No arguing; all the arrangements are made, including having Mr. Baluster step out of retirement for a couple of days and take care of the dispensary end of the pharmacy for you. The rest of your staff is more than happy to deal with the rest of the business. We want you two to have a bit of time to yourselves; so no setting foot back in the store until Tuesday, okay? Now you’re right, it’s time for you two to say your good-nights and head off to the inn.”
Zack grinned and gracefully accepted the gift from his parents. Glancing over at Todd, he brought up the subject of transportation. “You know, Papa, not having my car here is going to make getting to the inn a tad tricky, don’t you think? I trust you had a good reason for Vincent playing chauffeur earlier,” he teased; pretty sure his father had something planned.
“It’s all taken care of,” Todd assured his son with a beaming smile. “You Piglets just go say your goodbyes and get ready to leave. Go on now!” He insistently shooed them on their way before stepping into the hall and making a brief phone call.
Twenty minutes later, Todd handed Rene the small overnight bag Zack had brought to the party with him and excitedly shoved the two men out the front door. “Your ride is waiting!” he announced and pointed towards the road.
There at the end of the walkway was an elegant sleigh drawn by two beautifully decked-out horses, with a driver patiently waiting for his passengers.
Todd was absolutely ecstatic over having pulled off this coup de Graz. Everyone crowded onto the wide veranda that ran the entire width of the house and pictures were taken as Zack and Rene climbed into the sleigh.
Hayden pulled Todd into his arms as they watched the newlyweds climb into the sleigh. “You’re a true romantic, my love. This was a perfect send off for the boys.”
With a final wave, they were off. Zack lovingly tucked the heavy fur blanket snuggly around his husband and drew him closer. The moon was shining and a light frost was beginning to settle. The bells on the horses were lightly ringing as their hooves stomped along the road and the runners of the sleigh crunched over the packed down snow.
“Isn’t this marvelous, love? Only Papa could have executed something this romantic,” he whispered then leaned in and kissed Rene’s lips.
Rene snuggled up against his husband. “It’s really nice, Zack. Your parents are wonderful people and today has been the nicest day of my entire life. I really belong to you now, legal and everything, don’t I?”
“You better believe it, my love; and now that you do belong to me, I am never going to let you go!” Zack ardently assured his beloved.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The upper floors of the inn had been in darkness when they’d arrived, indicating most of the guests were already in bed. However, the lower floor radiated a warm glow of welcome from soft beams of light coming from the windows and the large entry way.
The newly-married couple had been shown to the honeymoon suite, The Fairy Slipper, where they immediately began winding down from their busy day of anticipation and the celebration that had followed.
After a nice long shower together, Zack had quickly toweled down and then had unhurriedly dried off his husband before scooping him up in his arms and depositing him of the king-size bed.
“I want you to hold on to that, Rene,” he instructed as he lifted the younger man’s arms and placed his hands by the headboard. “I want to pleasure you without any participation on your part.” Getting a wide-eyed nod of compliance, Zack set about slowly bringing his lover to the heights of sexual fulfillment.
Lying next to Rene, Zack started his assault by kissing him. He kissed him again, longer and deeper. He then trailed slow, tantalizing kisses mingled with tiny nibbles down the exquisite body stretched out for his enjoyment. He licked and sucked at Rene’s nipples until they hardened.
When he reached his lover’s erection, he licked and blew on it in a teasing fashion before running his tongue down to the scrotum. He cupped and gently massaged Rene’s testicles for a moment, lingering long enough to look up and watch the expressions on Rene’s face. Then he took them into his mouth one at a time and sucked while softly humming. He stopped and once again blew on the dampened skin, preventing his lover from cumming.
Rene was gripping the rails of the headboard for all he was worth. He wanted to comply with his Top’s command, but it was hard not to reach down and add his own hands to the mix. Zack’s mouth was doing things that had him about ready to explode. The vibrations from the humming while his lover sucked on his balls was incredible. He was moaning and squirming. If Zack didn’t have such a firm grip on his hips, Rene thought he might have lurched off of the bed.
“Oh, Zack...oh God...” he panted out.
Zack turned Rene onto his stomach and placed a pillow, covered with a towel, under Rene’s hips. He gently ran his fingers down Rene’s back before kneading and lightly nipping the firm butt cheeks. He parted the beautiful white globes and drew a line with his tongue along the cleft all the way to Rene’s still damp testicles, licking the entire furrow from top to bottom with the flat of his tongue.
He had rimmed a couple of times before but knew this was Rene’s first time. It was a gift Zack wanted to give his new husband.
With softened lips, he kissed the pucker opening directly, then pressed a flattened tongue against it for several seconds before starting to move with an in and out motion, using just the tip of his tongue to lightly lick around the rim of the opening. He smiled as his Brat’s moans and groans grew louder and the quivering butt was pushed towards Zack’s face. Gradually, he worked his tongue into a rhythm with short, firm licks and continued until Rene was beyond himself and whimpering for release.
Zack darted his tongue inside and moaned his appreciation, knowing his moaning was causing his tongue to vibrate and that there was no other sensation like it in the world.
He knew his husband could not hold out much longer, so he smeared some lube on his own erection and steadily plunged into his lover’s welcoming body. It only took a few thrusts before both men were howling out in joint climaxes. Zack fell forward to land across his lover’s back, and as his heart rate and breathing slowly returned to normal, he momentarily wondered if the rooms were sound-proof and instantly realized he didn’t give a damn.
The big man chuckled when he saw that he had succeeded in turning his lover into a mass of proverbial jelly. He shifted himself before rolling Rene unto his back and using the towel to adeptly clean both of them. Then spooning in behind the love of his life; Zack softly vowed past his heart which was tightly lodged in his throat. “I will love you forever, Rene. You are my lover, my best friend, my spouse.”
The End
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