Disclaimer: Yep, the usual. Obviously, I don't own Gravitation and these
stories are for fun, not for profit. I'm borrowing characters from Maki
Murakami. I appreciate all criticism, so please read, enjoy, and review. To
those who do review: THANK YOU!! I love feedback.
"+English being spoken+" "Japanese being spoken"
Commitment
Part 10: Wed
After lunch, they dressed for the wedding; both in black pants and jackets with white shirts and black ties. They took a cab to City Hall. The large white building looked a lot like the famed Capitol Building in Washington D.C.. It had a pillared, long rectangular façade topped with a central dome. It was very Romanesque. There were lots of people around City Hall: protesters, police, news media and cameras, couples, and various others milling around for the show. Eiri waltzed past them all, smoking.
He gave up the cigarette at the first ashtray he came across in front of the building. Someone took advantage of their pause to grab Shuichi's arm, yelling into his face, "+Homosexuality is a SIN against God!+" Shu looked at the woman in confusion and shook her hand off. Eiri glared at her, thankful that Buddhism didn't agree with her particular religious viewpoint. They escaped into the building.
The letter had directed them to check in to Room 168 at the scheduled time. Since they performed the weddings in strict fifteen minute intervals, they advised that, 'Couples arriving more than 10 minutes after their scheduled time will not be served and will be required to schedule a new appointment.' Eiri made certain they were a little early.
Shuichi was so excited he barely knew what to do with himself. Despite the mess outside and the cattle-drive system of the set-up inside, the atmosphere was joyous. The other couples and even the clerks directing traffic all had happy smiles on their faces. The very air was giddy with anticipation. Fortunately, the clerks kept everything very orderly, checking identification and sending couples to one of four different places hosting ceremonial officiates. Eiri and Shuichi showed their passports for ID and Eiri produced the marriage licensce for inspection. Then they were passed on to a young guide named Thomas, who led them to the top of a large set of steps in a small domed hall. The hall had inlaid marble floors and walls. There were decorative pillars, here, too. Lighting came from electric lights that were made to look like candles, set in brass sconces between the pillars on the walls.
"+I'll stay to witness,+" Thomas informed them, "+since no one else came with you.+" Eiri nodded acceptance. He knew there needed to be two witnesses, besides the officiate.
A gently smiling middle-aged man in a black judge's robe and silver-rimmed glasses stood near the back of the short hall. He had a kind, well-tanned and wrinkled face with grey hair covering his head. They walked up to him. "+Welcome, gentleman,+" he called.
Shuichi bowed and Eiri, more familiar with American customs, nodded. "+Hello,+" he said.
"+I'm Marcus Renier. I'll be performing the ceremony for you.+" He held out his hand to them and they each shook it. His hands were large and wrinkly, like the skin on his face. Eiri was surprised to realize that his own hand was a bit sweaty. Mr. Renier probably got a lot of that, he thought.
Next to the man stood a small, elderly, rolly Japanese woman. It seemed as if she was only half the height of her companion. Eiri thought the woman couldn't be much taller than four feet ten inches. Renier was easily over six feet tall. When they stood in front of the odd pair, the old woman spoke in a strong voice. "Hello. I am Ezakiya Umeka." She gave a little bow. "I will be your interpreter. Do you both speak Japanese?" They both answered 'hai' and she bobbed her head. "Good, good. Who doesn't speak English?"
Shuichi gave her a lopsided grin and scratched his head. "My English isn't very good, grandmother. I wanted to be able to understand everything clearly." Eiri had requested an interpreter for their wedding when he made the appointment weeks ago. It would be . . . an empty gesture to make a life-long promise without truly understanding what was said.
"Of course," the woman said, reaching out and patting his hand. "That's as it should be. Hm. What nice-looking young men you are!" Shuichi blushed. She turned and looked up to the officiate. "+Go on, now, we're all acquainted.+"
He smiled at them all and asked for their names. Eiri had to repeat his twice before the man could say it correctly. Americans, as a general rule, had trouble with vowels outside of English.
Renier cleared his throat. "+As an expression that your hearts are joined together in love, please join your hands.+" The old woman dutifully echoed his words. Her translation wasn't too shabby, Eiri thought. He turned toward Shuichi, taking both of his hands in his own. Shu's eyes were so big and shiny that Eiri wasn't sure if he'd make it through the brief ceremony without crying.
"+Before these witnesses, you are here to give your vows of love and promises to care for each other as long as you both shall live. You are agreeing to accept all of your partner's faults and strengths. You must help each other in times of need and turn to each other when you need help. Do you affirm that the person before you is the one you choose to spend the rest of your life with?+" He paused after each sentence to wait for the translation.
They both nodded and Shuichi said, "+YES!+" It made him smile, which caused Shuichi's face to come close to splitting from his gigantic smile.
"+Repeat after me, please: I, Eiri Uesugi,+" the officiate paused like this was a choral reading. Eiri repeated the words in Japanese. "+take Shuichi Shindou to be my lawfully wedded husband and to live together in marriage.+"
"+Do you promise to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health and forsaking all others, be faithful only to him So long as you both shall live?+"
Those were suitable vows they could both live with, Eiri thought. He answered clearly, with the expected Japanese equivolent of, "I do."
Renier turned to Shuichi, going through the same words again. "+Repeat after me: I, Shuichi Shindou, take Eiri Uesugi,+" Practice notwithstanding, Renier stumbled over his name. "+. . . to be my lawfully wedded husband and to live together in marriage.+"
"+Do you promise to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health and forsaking all others, be faithful only to him So long as you both shall live?+"
"Yes!" Shuichi replied, unfamiliar with traditional English 'I do'.
"+Do you have rings to exchange?+" Renier asked. Eiri started to shake his head, but when the translation hit Shu, he surprised Eiri by letting go of his hands and pulling a ring from his jacket pocket. Renier nodded. He said, "+May this ring be a symbol of the unbroken circle of your love and remind you of the vows you have given to each other.+" He signaled Shuichi with another nod.
Shu took Eiri's left hand, and slid the ring into place on the correct finger, even though it stuck a little going over his knuckle. It was a platinum band like the one Eiri had given to him, but this one had three little diamond chips set into the center of the band. He felt his chest tighten with emotion.
"+In as much as you have each pledged to one another your lifelong commitment, love and devotion, I now pronounce you married.+"
After translation, Shuichi asked in surprise, "+all done?+"
Renier laughed in a hearty, pleasant bass. "+All done,+" he confirmed. "+You may kiss.+"
Shuichi threw himself onto his new husband eagerly and kissed him deeply. "I love you," he said.
Caught up in the moment, Eiri held him and whispered back, "I love you, too, Shuichi Uesugi."
***
Author Notes: Ah, so happy-sappy. ;-D Well, that's it for this one. I don't think it needs an epilouge. Now I have to think up another good story idea . . . Suggestions welcome . . .
"+English being spoken+" "Japanese being spoken"
Commitment
Part 10: Wed
After lunch, they dressed for the wedding; both in black pants and jackets with white shirts and black ties. They took a cab to City Hall. The large white building looked a lot like the famed Capitol Building in Washington D.C.. It had a pillared, long rectangular façade topped with a central dome. It was very Romanesque. There were lots of people around City Hall: protesters, police, news media and cameras, couples, and various others milling around for the show. Eiri waltzed past them all, smoking.
He gave up the cigarette at the first ashtray he came across in front of the building. Someone took advantage of their pause to grab Shuichi's arm, yelling into his face, "+Homosexuality is a SIN against God!+" Shu looked at the woman in confusion and shook her hand off. Eiri glared at her, thankful that Buddhism didn't agree with her particular religious viewpoint. They escaped into the building.
The letter had directed them to check in to Room 168 at the scheduled time. Since they performed the weddings in strict fifteen minute intervals, they advised that, 'Couples arriving more than 10 minutes after their scheduled time will not be served and will be required to schedule a new appointment.' Eiri made certain they were a little early.
Shuichi was so excited he barely knew what to do with himself. Despite the mess outside and the cattle-drive system of the set-up inside, the atmosphere was joyous. The other couples and even the clerks directing traffic all had happy smiles on their faces. The very air was giddy with anticipation. Fortunately, the clerks kept everything very orderly, checking identification and sending couples to one of four different places hosting ceremonial officiates. Eiri and Shuichi showed their passports for ID and Eiri produced the marriage licensce for inspection. Then they were passed on to a young guide named Thomas, who led them to the top of a large set of steps in a small domed hall. The hall had inlaid marble floors and walls. There were decorative pillars, here, too. Lighting came from electric lights that were made to look like candles, set in brass sconces between the pillars on the walls.
"+I'll stay to witness,+" Thomas informed them, "+since no one else came with you.+" Eiri nodded acceptance. He knew there needed to be two witnesses, besides the officiate.
A gently smiling middle-aged man in a black judge's robe and silver-rimmed glasses stood near the back of the short hall. He had a kind, well-tanned and wrinkled face with grey hair covering his head. They walked up to him. "+Welcome, gentleman,+" he called.
Shuichi bowed and Eiri, more familiar with American customs, nodded. "+Hello,+" he said.
"+I'm Marcus Renier. I'll be performing the ceremony for you.+" He held out his hand to them and they each shook it. His hands were large and wrinkly, like the skin on his face. Eiri was surprised to realize that his own hand was a bit sweaty. Mr. Renier probably got a lot of that, he thought.
Next to the man stood a small, elderly, rolly Japanese woman. It seemed as if she was only half the height of her companion. Eiri thought the woman couldn't be much taller than four feet ten inches. Renier was easily over six feet tall. When they stood in front of the odd pair, the old woman spoke in a strong voice. "Hello. I am Ezakiya Umeka." She gave a little bow. "I will be your interpreter. Do you both speak Japanese?" They both answered 'hai' and she bobbed her head. "Good, good. Who doesn't speak English?"
Shuichi gave her a lopsided grin and scratched his head. "My English isn't very good, grandmother. I wanted to be able to understand everything clearly." Eiri had requested an interpreter for their wedding when he made the appointment weeks ago. It would be . . . an empty gesture to make a life-long promise without truly understanding what was said.
"Of course," the woman said, reaching out and patting his hand. "That's as it should be. Hm. What nice-looking young men you are!" Shuichi blushed. She turned and looked up to the officiate. "+Go on, now, we're all acquainted.+"
He smiled at them all and asked for their names. Eiri had to repeat his twice before the man could say it correctly. Americans, as a general rule, had trouble with vowels outside of English.
Renier cleared his throat. "+As an expression that your hearts are joined together in love, please join your hands.+" The old woman dutifully echoed his words. Her translation wasn't too shabby, Eiri thought. He turned toward Shuichi, taking both of his hands in his own. Shu's eyes were so big and shiny that Eiri wasn't sure if he'd make it through the brief ceremony without crying.
"+Before these witnesses, you are here to give your vows of love and promises to care for each other as long as you both shall live. You are agreeing to accept all of your partner's faults and strengths. You must help each other in times of need and turn to each other when you need help. Do you affirm that the person before you is the one you choose to spend the rest of your life with?+" He paused after each sentence to wait for the translation.
They both nodded and Shuichi said, "+YES!+" It made him smile, which caused Shuichi's face to come close to splitting from his gigantic smile.
"+Repeat after me, please: I, Eiri Uesugi,+" the officiate paused like this was a choral reading. Eiri repeated the words in Japanese. "+take Shuichi Shindou to be my lawfully wedded husband and to live together in marriage.+"
"+Do you promise to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health and forsaking all others, be faithful only to him So long as you both shall live?+"
Those were suitable vows they could both live with, Eiri thought. He answered clearly, with the expected Japanese equivolent of, "I do."
Renier turned to Shuichi, going through the same words again. "+Repeat after me: I, Shuichi Shindou, take Eiri Uesugi,+" Practice notwithstanding, Renier stumbled over his name. "+. . . to be my lawfully wedded husband and to live together in marriage.+"
"+Do you promise to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health and forsaking all others, be faithful only to him So long as you both shall live?+"
"Yes!" Shuichi replied, unfamiliar with traditional English 'I do'.
"+Do you have rings to exchange?+" Renier asked. Eiri started to shake his head, but when the translation hit Shu, he surprised Eiri by letting go of his hands and pulling a ring from his jacket pocket. Renier nodded. He said, "+May this ring be a symbol of the unbroken circle of your love and remind you of the vows you have given to each other.+" He signaled Shuichi with another nod.
Shu took Eiri's left hand, and slid the ring into place on the correct finger, even though it stuck a little going over his knuckle. It was a platinum band like the one Eiri had given to him, but this one had three little diamond chips set into the center of the band. He felt his chest tighten with emotion.
"+In as much as you have each pledged to one another your lifelong commitment, love and devotion, I now pronounce you married.+"
After translation, Shuichi asked in surprise, "+all done?+"
Renier laughed in a hearty, pleasant bass. "+All done,+" he confirmed. "+You may kiss.+"
Shuichi threw himself onto his new husband eagerly and kissed him deeply. "I love you," he said.
Caught up in the moment, Eiri held him and whispered back, "I love you, too, Shuichi Uesugi."
***
Author Notes: Ah, so happy-sappy. ;-D Well, that's it for this one. I don't think it needs an epilouge. Now I have to think up another good story idea . . . Suggestions welcome . . .