Brian stood, amused, as he watched his future husband preening in front of the bathroom mirror. The younger man had finally gotten dressed in his suit and was now attempting to flatten his blond hair, which for some reason seemed to have a mind of its own tonight.
"Fuck!" No matter how many times Justin wetted his fingers and attempted to flatten a particular hair near the back of his head, as soon as he let go, the strand stood up straight as a rocket.
Chuckling now, Brian moved to stand directly behind his partner and placed his hands on the slim shoulders. "It's not worth getting your knickers in a knot," he teased.
"Yes it IS! I want everything to be perfect tonight!" the younger man insisted.
"Come here." Brian rolled his eyes while he gently turned the other man around. "Let Mommy see it," he cooed, receiving another stuck-out tongue from the blond as he reached up to try and help get the errant lock under control. "Maybe we should just stick your entire head under the faucet," he finally decided, when the hair refused to be managed. "Actually, I kind of like it. It gives you a "fuck me, I don't care" kind of look."
"Yeah, but I DO care. I don't want anything to go wrong tonight. We've waited so long for something to go right for a change after all the events of the past year."
"Justin, it's just a couple of stray hairs, for fuck's sake! It's not like you're going prematurely gray or something," he reasoned. "If I had some scissors handy, I could take of that in no time."
"Oh, no you don't! I'd probably wind up BALD after you got done!" Getting a sudden inspiration, the blond picked up a nearby tube of non-frizz gel and squirting a small dollop on his fingers, he tried once again to get the small patch of hair under control. He smiled triumphantly as he noticed the hair finally remained in place. "There," he said, pleased with his appearance as he turned sideways to make sure everything was finally in the right place. "That looks better."
Brian stood back a few feet to observe him. "I'd say it looks a hell of a lot more than just BETTER." He smiled appreciatively as Justin played up the other man's attention, turning 180 degrees for the other man to see the entire picture. "You look fantastic, Sunshine," Brian stated softly. "It's such a shame you won't get to wear it for very long," he joked.
Justin, though, didn't seem to mind that; the admiring look on his fiancé's face was more than enough to compensate. The younger man was adorned in a dark gray jacket and slate blue shirt that made his eyes pop, along with a charcoal gray pair of linen pants and black shoes. And unbeknownst to his partner, Justin had arranged for a member of the hotel staff to take a few photos of the two of them immediately after the ceremony. After all, a man had to have proof that the great Brian Kinney had actually agreed to get married, didn't he? He only hoped the man would stay STILL long enough and stay CLOTHED long enough to get the photos TAKEN.
Returning the favor, Justin peered over at his soon-to-be husband (even now, he had a hard time wrapping his head around that concept). "You clean up pretty well, too, Mr. Kinney," he told the brunet, openly eyeing the other man's casual, black Armani suit with a soft gray, open necked shirt. A discreet, light gray handkerchief poking out of the lone pocket and polished, black shoes completed the man's look. It was not overly dressy but was very elegant, and on Brian it fit him perfectly in all the right places.
"What time do we need to be downstairs for the ceremony?" Justin asked, as he walked over to the other man.
Looking at the Cartier watch on his wrist, Brian reported, "We've got about an hour. Ready for dinner?"
Justin rolled his eyes, acting like that was one the most ridiculous questions he had ever heard.
"Yeah, you're right – forget I asked," Brian smirked. Some things never change. But, then again, some DO, thankfully. "And here I was thinking that just the thought of being married to me would get you so excited you wouldn't be able to eat a THING," he teased.
"Oh, this will just be an appetizer," the blond revealed. "I'm saving the main course for later," he reminded the other man, his voice taking on a decidedly husky tone.
"Mmmm…..Sounds absolutely delicious," Brian agreed. He couldn't help punctuating his thought by leaning down to nuzzle behind the blond's earlobe as he felt a shiver run through his fiancé.
"Uh, uh, uh, no dessert for you right now," the blond chided him. "That comes MUCH later, after the main course, remember?."
"Uh, huh. Sounds like this meal's going to be SEVERAL courses long."
"The best ones ARE," his partner answered.
"Mmmm, hmmm. Well, are you ready for the first one, then?" he asked the blond, holding out a manicured hand.
"Definitely," Justin replied, placing his hand firmly in the other man's. They both smiled as, hands playfully swinging side by side, they walked out the door toward the elevator.
The Whispering Inn shrewdly had built its business during the past few years on attracting gay partners to their establishment for their wedding ceremonies; as a result, everyone employed there was extremely hospitable as well as open-minded toward the same-sex couples that frequented the hotel.
It also made Justin and Brian feel quite comfortable as they entered the softly lit, intimate dining room and observed several apparently gay couples enjoying their meal. It was heartening to find a place where it seemed normal for them to continue to hold hands as they were led to a small, two-person table, set back in an alcove away from the other tables. A lone, gold candlestick holding a burgundy candle was alit, washing the round, gold-clothed table in a romantic glow, and there was a chilled bucket holding an expensive brand of champagne standing at their disposal. Two red, long-stemmed roses were the only other decoration on the table, in addition to their elegant place settings and wine flutes.
As they were seated, Justin looked around the room. He smiled at his partner, who was seated directly across from him. "Brian, this is beautiful – perfect."
"Yes, you are," the other man answered, lips curled under. Until Justin had entered his life, and wormed his way somehow into the hard shell surrounding his heart, he would have never imagined uttering such a compliment to any man. Even now, as much as he truly meant it, he still found it awkward to say it out loud. However, the radiant smile he received in return made it all worthwhile.
"Brian," Justin responded, embarrassed. Nonetheless, he reached over to take the other man's hand, slender fingers linking with the longer ones.
A soft clearing of a throat nearby made them turn as one toward its source. A distinguished-looking, silver haired man dressed in a uniform stood near their table. "Gentlemen? Are you ready for the first part of your dinner?"
Nodding in affirmation, the man placed two chilled plates containing a raspberry, pecan and avocado salad in front of them. "May I pour the champagne for you?" he offered.
As the two men again nodded, the server picked up the chilled bottle of Dom Perignon and deftly poured an equal amount into each glass. "Enjoy," he stated. "I will be back shortly with your main course," he announced, before bowing slightly and leaving them alone once again.
Taking a small sip, Brian declared, "Excellent," before indulging in a larger drink. He watched as Justin did the same, raising the blush-colored, stemmed flute to his lips and taking a sip. He laughed softly as he watched Justin crinkle and wriggle his nose, bunny style, as some of the bubbles apparently tickled him. He couldn't help thinking how incredible adorable his fiancé looked at that precise moment.
The crunch of the pecans, along with the creaminess of the avocado, was a delightful combination when paired with the red raspberries sprinkled throughout the salad. The two men had just finished them when their server reappeared with the main course, seared scallops with caviar vinaigrette.
"Ooh," Justin was amazed at the elegance of the presentation, not to mention the sheer size of the sea scallops resting on a bed of caviar. Brian smiled at the almost childlike awe sparkling from the blond's eyes as his partner speared one of the scallops and, placing it in his mouth, savored the delicate flavor of it on his tongue.
"Delicious," Justin announced, as he playfully stabbed another, plump scallop and dangled it tantalizing in front of Brian's lips. Congenially obliging his partner, Brian opened his mouth and, using his teeth, seductively pulled the scallop from the fork's tines to sample it. He was satisfied to find that the scallops had been seared expertly to a light, golden brown, and the caviar provided just the right amount of saltiness. "Hmmm," Brian commented. "My favorite dish, AFTER the one sitting across from me. And it reminds me of you, salty with just a little touch of sweetness."
"Brian," Justin murmured, blushing slightly. "Keep that up, and we may not MAKE it to the ceremony," he warned the other man.
"No backing out now, Sunshine," the brunet vowed. "You'll just have to keep your hormones in check until dessert time." Justin smiled at the other man, and advised him solemnly, "Maybe it would be best if you feed yourself the rest."
"I couldn't agree more. Wouldn't want the young'n gettin' overheated prematurely," Brian drawled in his best cowboy imitation, eliciting a rolling of the eyes from the blond.
The rest of their scallops were dispatched rapidly as both men savored each delectable bite. As their server diplomatically appeared just at the right moment to clear their plates and pour some more of their champagne, he asked them, "I hope both you gentlemen saved a little room for our famous house dessert," he asked.
Brian watched as his fiancé's eyebrows rose at the mention of dessert. You little dessert slut, he thought affectionately. He told the server, "Well, we WERE going to wait until later for our dessert," receiving a mock glare from his partner, "but it would be rude to pass up the house specialty." He watched, amused, as Justin's eyes positively lit up as the server nodded, placing a round, miniature German chocolate cake in front of each man. "Trust me," the server confided, "these are positively decadent. You won't be sorry," he added, smiling and winking at them before leaving with their dinner plates.
Brian grumbled, "Yeah, I won't be sorry until I find out the carb count for these fuckers."
"You know," Justin said thoughtfully. "It would really be proof you're in love if you actually EAT that. Besides, I guarantee you, Mr. Kinney, I will help you work ALL of it off later tonight," he added huskily.
Brian smiled indulgently, tongue-in-cheek, as Justin picked up an insanely large bite of the cake on his fork and held it out in front of his partner, waiting to see if he was going to accept the challenge. Smirking, Brian hesitated a few seconds before leaning over and, opening his mouth wide, placed his hand over the blond's, scraped the entire bite of cake off the fork and chewed it around his mouth. He followed the exaggerated show by quickly swallowing it.
"You're such a good boy," Justin purred, as he now took a bite of the gooey concoction. "Oh, fuck, this is GOOD," he gushed. "Are you going to eat the rest of yours?"
Laughing, Brian pushed his plate toward his partner's, shaking his head. "I think I'll save room for the lower carb, high protein dessert later." He smiled as he watched the blond eagerly and effortlessly eat the remainder of both servings in record time.
Finishing off their bottle of champagne shortly thereafter, Brian rose and briefly stretched his arms to relieve the stiffness. Reaching out his hand to pull the other man up, he asked, "It's about time, Sunshine. Are we ready to do this?"
"MORE than ready, Mr. Kinney," the blond assured him, as he placed his hand in the other man's and stood next to his partner. Even now, Justin couldn't quite believe they were actually going to go through with this. But he knew he had never felt happier than he did right now.
Once again walking hand-in-hand, the two men passed their server, who bid them goodbye and congratulations, since he had been apprised of their need to finish dinner on time due to the impending ceremony nearby. As they exited the restaurant, the dramatic contrast of light and dark the two represented was not lost on most of the other restaurant patrons, who looked curiously and appreciatively at the two men who, by the looks they were giving each other, were so obviously in love.
As they once again moved out into the lobby, Justin noticed several rooms with closed doors. "Which one is it?" he asked Brian. Now that it was close to the time for their ceremony, he was suddenly getting butterflies in his stomach, not from any possible doubt, but just from the excitement of what they were about to do – FINALLY become husbands.
"Over there," Brian said, nodding his head toward a door located directly across from the restaurant; he had taken the liberty of asking the front desk clerk where the ceremony room was when they had checked in earlier today.
Walking slowly over to the door, still holding hands, Brian opened it to peer inside. It was a relatively small room – about 12 x 12 feet – but the fairly compact size of the room helped to create an intimate and romantic environment without being stuffy. There were three rows with a short aisle down the middle, four white metal chairs with fabric seats on either side. Both sides of the room had a long, wooden mantle-life shelf running down the center of each wall, with ivory- and gold-colored pillar candles placed on top and alit with a soft glow. Interspersed between each pillar candle was a squat, clear vase filled with woven blush-colored and deep, burgundy-hued roses; the scent of the roses permeated the room with a delicate perfume.
Justin looked over at Brian, who he expected was about to utter some variation of a type of smart-aleck comment about the room being "ridiculously romantic;" after explaining to his partner of its origin, it had become a sort of buzzword phrase for the brunet whenever he was forced to participate in a lesbionic moment with his partner. But surprisingly, the only look apparent on Brian's face at the moment was one of happiness as he looked back at him. Justin smiled in return, thinking the room was the most exquisite site he had ever seen, second only to the man who was standing next to him, ready to make the ultimate commitment of their love for each other.
A woman dressed in a dark blue, flowing dress with a white, silk sash draped loosely around her neck spoke to them as they entered and closed the door. "Mr. Kinney? Mr. Taylor?" Nodding their heads at her, she smiled. "I am Reverend McIntyre. I will be officiating at your ceremony this evening. Would you please step forward and stand in front of me? As soon as your witness arrives, we can begin," she advised them.
Right on cue, the door opened as a sharply-dressed, tall, brown-haired man, entered. "I apologize for being a few minutes late," he said, as he walked toward the two men to shake hands. "My name is Brad Henson, I'm the activities director for the Whispering Inn. I will be your witness this evening," he advised them, as he quickly took a seat a few feet away in the first row of chairs.
"Very well, then," the reverend replied. "Are you ready?" she asked the two men, who reluctantly let go of each other's hand and nodded.
"Good. Which one is Mr. Kinney?" she asked.
"That's me," Brian told her.
Nodding, she began the ceremony. "We are here today to witness the joining of Mr. Brian Kinney and Mr. Justin Taylor in matrimony. They are here this evening to profess their love and commitment to each other."
Turning toward Brian, she addressed him. "Brian, take's Justin's hand and repeat after me: I, Brian, take you, Justin, as my husband. I promise to care for you and look after your needs. I shall always cherish you, soothe your troubles away and provide comfort when you need it. This is my eternal promise. I shall be your rock, and you will be the same. You can rely on me, and I on you. As my husband, you shall not want for anything. I shall be there for you, always, in joy and in sorrow."
As the reverend stopped after each sentence for Brian to repeat it to the younger man, she noticed the blond's hand clapped over his mouth, almost as if he were afraid to breathe for fear the scene playing out in front of him was a dream, eyes awash in obvious tears of joy as the man he so clearly loved faithfully and succinctly repeated the commitment words to his fiancé.
When Brian was finished, the reverend smiled and turned toward Justin. "And now, Justin, please repeat after me: I, Justin, take you, Brian, as my husband. I promise to care for you and look after your needs. I shall always cherish you, soothe your troubles away and provide comfort when you need it. This is my eternal promise. I shall be your rock, and you will be the same. You can rely on me, and I on you. As my husband, you shall not want for anything. I shall be there for you, always, in joy and in sorrow."
Brian's eyes didn't leave Justin's face as the blond, choking voice filled with emotion, repeated the words provided by the reverend. He thought he had never seen such a beautiful sight as the expression on his partner's face as the younger man struggled to maintain his composure long enough to complete his vows.
Finally persevering to the end, he sniffled briefly, evoking a knowing smirk from the brunet. Without Brian saying it aloud, Justin could nonetheless hear the words echoing inside the other man, who had to bite his lip from saying it: sentimental twat. Right now, though, at that moment, he didn't care. He was too overcome with emotion and didn't mind one bit if his soon-to-be husband thought that, because right then he WAS a sentimental twat, and PROUD of it.
"Do you have the rings?" the reverend asked the two men. In response, Brian reached into his jacket pocket to produce the two, gleaming platinum and silver bands and place them in the reverend's outstretched hand.
Taking the smaller of the two rings, she handed it to Brian, who grasped it in his right hand. "Now, Brian, please place the ring on Justin's left hand and repeat after me: With this ring, I thee wed." Brian noticed Justin's hand shaking as he tenderly cradled it in his own hand and slipped the shiny band onto his ring finger. "With this ring, I thee wed," he solemnly announced to his partner.
"And, now, Justin, please take this ring and, placing it on Brian's left hand, repeat after me: With this ring, I thee wed." Brian noticed with amusement that Justin's hand was STILL shaking as, this time, the blond reached to gently grasp Brian's hand as he placed the larger band on the brunet's ring finger. "With this ring, I thee wed," he repeated softly, almost afraid to say it louder for fear he would find this was all just his imagination.
He knew it wasn't, however, as the two held hands and the reverend looked at them and smiled. "Congratulations, Brian and Justin. By the power vested in me by the State of Vermont, I hereby pronounce you married. You may now kiss," as if the two needed permission.
Justin shook his head slightly, smiling, as if he was still having difficulty believing they had actually gone through with; Brian reached down, and with his right hand, gently lifted the blond's chin and leaned down to begin a long, passionate kiss. Both man's arms automatically went around each other, Brian's around the blond's waist and Justin's around his new husband's neck, as the kiss deepened and showed no signs of ending.
They finally broke apart reluctantly but remained in each other's arms after hearing a slight chuckle from the reverend. "I think you can take it from here, gentlemen," she advised them, smiling. "You make quite a handsome couple," she observed. "If Mr. Henson will sign the official marriage certificate, we can get you on your way to more, no-doubt, pleasurable activities, I'm sure." By the blush that appeared on the blond's face after that statement, the reverend had no doubt she had pretty much read their minds at that moment.
Mr. Henson signed as the witness on the certificate as the reverend retrieved it from the back of her dais; signing it herself, she motioned for the two men to step up next to her to sign on the allotted lines to complete the documentation. Brian wasn't really surprised that the director then pulled out a digital camera from behind the dias and took a few quick shots of the newly-married couple, promising Justin to provide them with copies tomorrow before they left for Greece.
Satisfied everything was in order, the reverend smiled as she handed the official wedding certificate to Brian. "Here you are, signed, sealed, and delivered," she told them, shaking both their hands. "Congratulations again," she repeated, walking away with the hotel director, leaving the newly-married couple blissfully alone at last.
Justin needed a few seconds to find his voice again. Turning to once again embrace his now new husband's arms – god, he loved the sound of that – he smiled radiantly as he softly said, somewhat breathlessly, "We actually did it."
Brian smiled at him tenderly; he thought it might surprise his partner, and now husband, to know that he never had entertained any regrets about what he had just done. Amazingly to him, the only regret he had was that he hadn't followed through with it before NOW.
"Yeah, and you didn't even need a shotgun, Sunshine," he teased. He couldn't help leaning down once more to capture the full lips, the other man's tongue teasing him mercilessly for entrance. It was going to be a LONG night. I CAN'T wait.
Whispering seductively, he asked, "Why don't we take this upstairs for a more private celebration? I think the hot tub might be a good place to begin our warm-up exercises, don't you?" As Justin turned his head slightly, he took advantage of his position to lick a trail from the blond's earlobe down to the side of his neck, receiving a distinct shiver of pleasure in response and a soft moan.
"I think that's an excellent idea, Mr. Kinney," he replied, voice barely above a whisper. "NOW."
"I'm at your command, Sunshine," he drawled, as the two newlyweds hurriedly rushed from the room, making a beeline for the elevator. As the doors closed and they found themselves miraculously alone, the only question was how much clothing would be remaining on each of their bodies before the doors opened again.
A/N: The vows are courtesy of a website I found, . I thought they were very fitting for our favorite couple. No copyright infringement is intended. :)