# The Rest of Our Lives, pt 2

Author: DarkSoulsSauron
Tags: Gay Relationships, M/M, arcanine, ninetales

Soren
was in a daze. He hadn't really ever been in an altered state of mind
before. He had never done drugs, and the only time he had ever gotten
really drunk was that first night with Eli, and even then they
had both still been coherent. But now Soren was thoroughly
lost in his own head. Everything was just rushing around in a blur.
He saw but hardly comprehended anything. He was just following
wherever Eli's hand led him. A light rap on his forehead knocked him
out of his haze.One
of Eli's verdant eyes was peering into his own blue ones. "Are you
in there? You've been all glassy eyed since you left the dressing
room," 
"Just
nerves again," sighed Soren, slumping against the wall.Eli
responded with a swift kiss on both cheeks. "I'm still nervous too,
dear." "You
never look nervous," said Soren, unable to resist smiling as Eli's
sweet lips brushed against him. "It's
a skill I acquired from living off just my painting," smiled Eli.
"No one would take my art seriously if it looked like I was ready
to shit my pants at a showcase." Soren
gave a half-hearted chuckle. "Yeah... I suppose you're right." He
scratched at his forearm, looking out one of the small windows. "it's
a nice day out. A good day to hold it outside, eh?""God,
you must be nervous," laughed Eli. "You're talking about the
weather? C'mon, sweetie, we're on in about half past now." "Will
you hold my hand then?"Eli
took Soren's left hand and placed it in his right. "Whenever you
want, dear."Soren
laced their fingers together, smiling with all of his teeth. "Thank
you, sweetie. I think I'm ready.""I
think we're both ready." Soren
nodded, smiled, and together, they stepped forward. A chorus of
strings greeted them as they stepped out of the double doors to the
garden. The old hotel had a magnificent garden, not to big, not too
small. It was dressed in white dyed green by the well-loved plants
that reflected the California sun. The sextet that Soren found was
playing magnificently, although he had forgotten what tunes they had
requested. He didn't much care, to be honest.And
then there were the people... all of the people. All of Eli's aunts
and uncles, all of his cousins. And their friends too. Di and Danny
were sitting near the aisle, neither
able to resist turning around
to smile and watch as Soren and Eli took measured steps forward. Eli
had a crowd of friends that he didn't really know. Allison, Floyd and
James couldn't make it, unfortunately. Soren's family was
conspicuously absent save for Aly and Sammy and Rachel. Eli's
friend Kelsey had requested to make the six performers seven, and her
talent with the french horn was astounding, supplementing the flute
and five strings. Minerva and Sasha were standing next to the altar,
framed by a white wicker gate that was adorned with sunflowers. Their
black dresses contrasted well with the mostly white motif. Sasha's
black stripes melded seamlessly with the fabric of her dress as it
fit her graceful figure. Minerva, an Arcanine taller even than Soren
and much more powerfully built, was on the right side, actually
casting a small shadow on Eli's uncle John, dressed in his best
ministers vestments. A
very small, slightly bitter part of Soren still didn't want a
religious figure running his wedding, but Soren knew how much it
meant for Eli to have a family member run the show. The smile on
John's face was just as sincere as everyone else. No... he shouldn't
be thinking about stuff like this, not today of all days. He knew his
parents weren't a fair representation of all religious people. Nope,
nope, don't think about them either! Think
about Eli... yes, think about him. Think about his hands in his.
Think about the softness of his fur, the warmth of his body that was
slowly evaporating the sweat that was surely only on his own palms.
Think about one of his fluffy beige tails was curling around his
ankle, that gorgeous orange tip subtly fishing into his black socks
to tickle his ankles. And that wonderful smile, with shining white
teeth and those four goddamn adorable pointed canines. John
was talking... What was he saying? To be honest, Soren didn't really
care that much. This wedding was for Eli. For all Soren was
concerned, he and Eli were married the moment he put that engagement
ring on his finger. This pomp and circumstance was something Eli
wanted. Eli wanted to celebrate this moment publicly, to be
surrounded by loved ones, and to show off the soon-to-husband he was
proud of. Soren
squeezed Eli's hands, feeling his the pulse on his wrist and how fast
it was, matching his own frantic heartbeat. Butterflies were
careening through his stomach. Soren's smile was just as wide as
Eli's but was that... dammit, he was tearing up! Why? What was making
his body cry today of all days? Stop it, seriously! He shouldn't be
crying today! But at the same time... he didn't feel like he was
crying. Yes, tears were blurring his vision and running down his fur,
but he didn't feel anything else he associated with crying. His
shoulders weren't shaking and he was still smiling, still filled with
elation. Eli's
mouth was moving. He was talking? Right... vows. That's a thing that
happens in weddings. Don't fuck this up, don't fuck this up... why
would he fuck this up? He had them memorized ever since the night Eli
and himself wrote them together. John was prompting him, though Soren
didn't actually hear what was said. Soren took one breath, not too
long, and looked straight into Eli's eyes and spoke. 
"I,
Soren Saul, take you, Eli Vatra, to be my partner, loving what I know
of you and trusting what I do not yet know. I eagerly anticipate our
opportunities to grow together, to get to know the person you will
become, and to fall a little deeper in love more every day. I promise
to love and cherish you through whatever life brings us." 
Eli
squeezed Soren's hands smiling as he finished. Soren couldn't smile
any wider, so he rubbed the engagement ring on Eli's finger. John was
talking again. His voice was slightly imperious, but not in a hostile
way. It
was the voice of an orator, but of sincerity, not a diehard
evangelist. It was a
voice well used to ceremony and public speech, and he knew how to
make his message engaging to everyone. "Do
you, Soren Saul, and you, Eli Vatra, take each other as lawfully
wedded spouses?"Soren
and Eli nodded. They wanted to say it together. "I do." Rings
came next. Sasha and Minerva held the boxes for them. Soren took from
Sasha a sterling silver ring adorned with a pair of gleaming
sapphires. Minerva
passed a white gold ring decorated with two brilliant emeralds to
Eli. Soren could
barely see Eli's finger as he slipped the sapphire ring next to Eli's
engagement ring. There was a short pause before Eli took Soren's left
hand in both of his, and Soren felt the cold metal slide up his
finger. Through his stream of tears Soren saw the pair of emeralds.
They caught the light in the same way Eli's eyes did when he smiled. The
ring designs were Eli's idea. It was cheesy and sweet and kinda
gimmicky, but it was something that only he would think of. And the
rings were perfect. It did feel like he was wearing a little piece of
his love on his finger. It fit his finger perfectly too. Eli
gently tapped Soren's wrist gently with a finger. Wait, what was
next? Oh right, the kiss, the kiss! Soren lowered his muzzle by a
fraction so Eli wouldn't need to stand on tip toe. He let Eli finish.
He couldn't see anything right now anyway. Soren felt Eli's hand
touch his cheek, feeling slender fingers, soft fur, and the two
rings, one warm from the fires of his body and the other still cool
and fresh from the box. And then their lips touched. Soren closed his
eyes and savored the sweetest kiss of his life. Soren wanted to take
Eli in his arm and press him close, to sweep him off his paws and
lean into the kiss, but that felt inappropriate. Plenty of time for
that tonight. Eli
broke apart at the perfect time. The kiss wasn't too long or too
brief. As they stepped apart Eli wiped Soren's eyes for him, a
gentle, natural motion. They held each other at arms length as John
pronounced them newlyweds. As the crowd behind them began to applaud
as Eli embraced Soren, forgoing all formality and pressing himself
into Soren's chest, messing up their ties. Together they walked back
down the aisle, leaving everyone else behind them, but not for long.
They had a hell of a party to look forward to. 
There
was a short pause before the reception, allowing people to change or
freshen up or whatever before things got started. Soren wanted to
oversee last minute preparations, but Eli refused, resolutely sitting
in Soren's lap to keep him in his chair. They sat in their dressing
room, Soren straightening Eli's cuffs. Eli leaned back into Soren,
sighing and smiling. "So... you got married. In front of all
those people. And you're not dead." "Oh,
quiet, you," chuckled Soren, kissing Eli's cheek from around his
shoulder. "I felt like such a fool up there. Do you think they saw
me crying like an idiot up there?" "No,
I don't think so," said Eli. "Your shiny fur hid it pretty well.
But I wouldn't worry about it. I know I've seen sillier stuff than a
crying groom.""Oh?
Like what?"Eli
giggled. "Uncle Peter threw up. It's one of the earliest things I
can remember, actually. I was three when they got married." Soren
gave a tiny laugh. "Oh I bet that was a mess. You know... I don't
think I ever met Peter. I'll have to have a chat with him later."Eli's
blush was clearly visible through his beige fur. "Oh god, don't
tell him I told you that. Aunt Lizzie gives him so much crap for that
every time it gets brought up. But you're right. He was gone on
business when we visited last." "You
know... I never really got to meet a lot of your family." Soren was
frowning. "Feels a bit weird, you know? Getting married to you but
not knowing half your family." "I
know," nodded Eli. "The thing is, we see most of them once or
twice a year at most. Back when we were in the Midwest and they were
out on the coast. Now that we're closer we'll have more of a chance
to see them, if you want." "That
would be nice," said Soren absently. Soren
checked his watch. "Time flies. It's time for some fun." Eli
jumped off Soren's lap, smiling as he walked to the door. "You're
hungry, aren't you?""Yeah...
I could eat a horse."The
party was simple. The hotel had a gathering hall, expansive enough to
hold all their guests. They decided on an open buffet. They wanted to
keep it casual. There was no need for a grandiose banquet with
assigned seats and such. The buffet was really allowed Soren and Eli
to move around and chat or dance. Especially dance. The
music was simple in set-up. Eli had gotten him new speakers for his
birthday in May, and they packed some punch to them for being so
compact. Eli just attached his iPod to the speakers with a new,
massive playlist of dance music. The music was a mix of anything
they knew how to dance to. Waltz, ballroom, tango, swing... it was
mostly swing, for nostalgia more than anything. The
hall was filled with their guests, and Eli broke off to set up the
music. A light lit up in his head. Right! He had the first the dance
with Eli. Eli stepped down from the stage where the speakers were set
up. Soren was impressed by his speakers as music filled the entire
room. The crowd was silent as they joined hands, letting the prelude
of Moon's Tear start up. Soren held Eli's slender hand in his right
and placed his left on Eli's delicate, subtly curved waist. He let
Eli take them into a slow, deliberate ballroom step.Soren
let the music wash over him. The rhythm moved their steps, inflating
the happy bubble inside his chest as Eli smiled back at him. The song
was slow, filled with joy, hope, and wonder. It fit Soren's mood
perfectly, and he lost himself in their dance, forgetting that all
those people were watching them. He
was broken out of his trance as Eli laid his cheek on Soren's chest.
He was still smiling. He whispered so that only Soren could hear.
"You are such a nerd, you know that?""Hrmm?""Our
first dance at our wedding is a symphonic remix of a game soundtrack.
Who else would use that for their wedding dance?"Soren
let out a silent chuckle. "Don't act like you don't like it. You
agreed to it when I brought it up." "I'm
not complaining," said Eli, squeezing Soren's hand. "I'm just
teasing you.""I'm
sorry," grinned Soren. "I didn't know I was getting married to
your sister today."Eli
gave Soren his best fake-pout. "I think the song is perfect. Feel
better?" Soren
rolled his eyes but lightly pressed Eli into his chest, giving his
forehead a light kiss. "I love you too, sweetie."The
song wound down and the two slowed to a stop. There was a slight
pause as the two let the music wind up to a new song, a fast swing,
letting others join them on the dance floor. Soren broke away after
one more song, only just realizing how hungry he was. They had spent
a fair amount on the caterers. Soren and Eli had vivid memories of
rather terrible wedding meals, and they wanted theirs to be an
exception to the norm.Soren
loaded his plate with some favorites: roast beef, rolls (lots of
those), green beans, honeyed sweet potatoes. The cake would come
later. He sat down next to Sasha, Danny, and Di, who were talking to
Kelsey. Sasha
greeted Soren with a tight hug. "Hey, lover boy." She glanced
down at Soren's stacked plate. "Let me guess: you were so nervous
you skipped lunch?""And
breakfast," chimed Di. Soren
couldn't resist smiling. "Maybe." Soren started with his rolls,
cutting them and filling them with sweet potatoes. Each bite was warm
and delicious and satisfying.Danny
reached across the table to lightly punch Soren's arm. "Hey, You
owe us money. Who'd have thought shy, demure Soren would be the first
of us to get hitched."Soren
swallowed a mouthful of food. "And who'd have thought that Danny
the womanizer has been single for three years running.""Ooh,
low blow man," laughed Danny, stealing a roll of Soren's plate. "Get
your own," leered Soren. "Well, I have a feeling I'll still be
the last one to have kids.""Danny,
you know better than to steal from the carbivore," laughed Di. "Did
you two dance to Moon's Tear, or am I going nuts?" Soren nodded
mutely, his mouth full of green beans. " Di cackled. "I knew it!
That's deliciously geeky!" Soren's
response was thick through his muzzle full of beef. "I thought it
fit the occasion. Eli did too." "I
didn't say that it didn't fit the mood," grinned Di, crossing her
arms as she spoke. "In fact I think it worked perfectly, though I
bet half the people in here didn't know where the song came from." Soren
swallowed as Eli sat down next to them, greeting Soren with a swift
kiss on the cheek. "Heya sweetie. How's the food?""It's
fine," said Soren, offering his last roll to Eli. Soren looked to
his right, noticing that Kelsey was withdrawing a bit, looking a bit
excluded from the gathering of Soren's old friends. "Kelsey, I need
to thank you. I loved your horn at the ceremony."The
Gardevoir's pale cheeks flushed with pride, some of her green bangs
slipping out of her bun. She blew them out of her face with a puff of
air before talking. "Thank you. I just thought it was something
small I could do for you two. I'm glad you liked it." "I've
always liked the french horn," said Soren, leaning forward a bit so
he could maintain eye contact. "It's always embarrassed me that I
never learned to play it." "Eli's
told me about your musical skills," said Kelsey. "Why'd you never
pick it up? It's got such a lovely sound." It
was Soren's turn to flush. "Well... I did try, but I never could
get the hang of it. I could never master the mouthpiece work. It's
tough with my muzzle when the mouthpiece is so small."Kelsey
let out a small giggle. "You know, they've got something to fix
that. They have developed new mouthpieces for different types of
people." Soren
lit up at once. "Really? When did this happen?" "Well,
it's a recent thing. If they mess with size of the mouthpiece too
much it messes with the sound of the horn." Kelsey produced
something silver from her pocket. She held up a mouthpiece that Soren
had never seen before. It was silver, with a wide funnel at the top
and a shaft the gently undulated before straightening out. "I read
about this a few weeks ago. The mouthpiece is much more comfortable
for guys like you. Give it a try." Soren
took the pristine piece in his hands, bringing it to his dark lips
and buzzing. It fit his muzzle comfortably, and he was able to hit
almost four octaves. He stared at it. "Oh wow... this is wonderful.
Now I gotta get me a horn." Kelsey's
smile glowed with a hint of mischief. "I think I've got you covered
there. She produced a black instrument case from under her seat. "I
want you to have this."Soren's
eyes widened. "You didn't need to do that. The invitation said
gifts were unnecessary."Eli
chuckled. "I told you he'd try this." Kelsey
rolled her pink eyes. "If it makes you feel better, I'm getting a
new horn and there's no reason for me to have this sitting in my
place gathering dust. It works fine, but I wanted one of the new
horns with the fourth valve. The new one gets a much better range
overall." Soren
left his seat to retrieve the case, placing it on the ground to open
it. "Wow... I can't wait to try it. I'll always treasure this. I
love instruments with a legacy. Where has this horn been?" Kelsey
tapped her chin, thinking back. "Well, I played it in high school
and college. Then I played it in both the Iowa City and Cedar Rapids
symphonic orchestras. She had her fourteenth birthday a few weeks
ago." Returning
the instrument to its case, Soren stood up and hugged Kelsey. It felt
weird, hugging a woman who was barely more than a stranger, but a
gift like this deserved more than words. "Thank
you. Thank you so much. I'll make sure it lasts as long as I live.
Does she have a name?" "Marisa,"
said Kelsey. "After my Aunt who taught me." "How
long have you been playing?" "Eighteen
years," said Kelsey, absently tapping her fingers as she counted.
"I was on a rental for a few years before taking it more
seriously." "Wow...
that's a good deal longer than me, actually. I started when I was
going on thirteen, so I've put in fifteen and change years of music."
"It's
an engrossing lifestyle," laughed Kelsey. "You feel like
something amazing, something so much bigger than yourself when
playing in a symphonic group." "I
know what you mean," said a light, slightly girlish voice. "I've
loved playing the flute much more than the piano." Soren
raised his eyebrows. "Rachel? You play music? I never knew. When
did you start?" The
growlith girl's blonde mane bristled. "Well... I started playing in
sixth grade." Soren
tapped his fingers. "Ah... so you started right about...""After
you left our house," said Rachel. "It was because of you that I
started." It
was Soren's turn to bristle. "What?! Me?!" "Of
course," smiled Rachel. "I heard you practicing every day. I
would come home from school every day and you would be filling the
house with the violin or the trombone or the clarinet. You were
amazing, and you got A LOT better over the six months you were with
us. Even I could tell that." Soren
smiled, scratching the back of his head. She was right. His
instruments were his best coping mechanism when he was stuck.
Stressed out on Aly's couch. He had poured countless hours, his soul
into those instruments, only able to forget his troubles when he
played. "So... you started playing the flute? And Piano? He paused
to let Sammy nod. "And you started because of me? Really?""Mmhmm,"
nodded Rachel. "I talked to Mom. I wanted to learn, to play like
you did. I want to go to college and be a music teacher. Or maybe a
director. I haven't decided yet." "You
could've talked to me," said Soren. "I would have taught you some
basic stuff if you asked." "You're
right," said Rachel, laughing a bit. "But look at it from my
perspective a bit. You were this big, weird cousin that I hardly
knew. You were living with us and cooking for us but talking to you
was scary when I hadn't even left grade school. You were kind of a
recluse too. I didn't really understand why at the time. It didn't
help that you were six-eight and I was under four feet at the time.
Still, talking to my big grown up cousin was a bit daunting for me."Soren
didn't know what to say. Did he just shape someone's life? Had he
inspired someone to follow a new life path? He wasn't sure what
sensation was filling his up his insides... perhaps it was pride. It
felt good. "I'm glad you've got life goals at your age. When I was
in high school I had no idea what I was doing. If you want musical
advice, you can always call me." Kelsey
was still smiling. She pointed at Marisa's case. "So I'll take it
you'll keep the horn?" "She'll
have a good home," said Soren, flicking the case's clips shut. Eli
put a hand on the case. "You want me to put this in the car?" Soren
nodded. "I don't want to leave it in the car. Put it in our room.
That'll be safer. We'll take it home when we're done." Eli nodded
before hurrying away, eager to return to the reception as soon as
possible. Soren returned to demolishing his food, just as eager to
dance as Eli.Eli
returned, bouncing on his heels as Soren left his place. Geraldine's
Routine started playing. A rush of nostalgia hit Soren as he
remembered their first dance competition. They rushed to the dance
floor. It was surprisingly crowded. Lots of Eli's family apparently
knew how to dance. Lyra and Logan were up and moving, and Sasha
brought a protesting Danny up. Eli and Soren danced through three
songs, the playlist starting with upbeat swings. At the beginning of
a fourth song, Eli stepped away. "You wanna dance with other
people? Mix it up a bit?" Soren
scratched the back of his head but nodded. Maybe the party was
running away with him, but he was feeling adventurous today. He
noticed Minerva was sitting down, away from the dance floor. Soren
sat down next to the Arcanine, offering a hand to her. "Would you
like to dance?" Minerva
reached down to take off her high heels. "Sure, but not in these
shoes. Do you care if I go barefoot?" "Why
not?" They walked to the dance floor. Soren led Minerva on, keeping
to basic steps. Minerva was able to keep up well enough, although
Soren could tell that she had minimal experience on a dance floor.
That suited him fine. It would give them time to talk. "I've heard
a lot about you." "Good
things, I hope." "Very
good things," said Soren, coaxing Minerva into a quick spin.
"You're quite the jack of all trades. A painter, a scholar, a
thespian, a musician, and an athlete?" "Mmhmm,"
nodded Minerva. "Not so much anymore. Engineering is difficult
work. HVAC can be time consuming." "Heating,
air conditioning, and ventilation?" said Soren, looking up into
Minerva's red eyes. It was weird, looking up to a person. Soren was
abnormally tall, but Minerva's black nose was at his eye level, and
that was without her heels. Minerva
nodded again. "Mmhmm. Never thought I'd be spending my life doing
that, but hey, it pays the bills." "I
hope it does more than pay the bills," said Soren. "One of the
best parts of my job is feeling like I'm making a difference." "Well,
I'm not curing cancer, but one of my biggest jobs is helping
buildings go green. They send me all over the place too." "Oh
really?" "Yeah,
I do on-site evaluations," said Minerva, smiling a little. "I've
been sent to Chicago, Nashville, Austin, Vegas even. They always give
me a day to explore the city if I want. It's fun." "Where
are you based?""Phoenix,"
said Minerva. "It's a nice enough city. I live in a dumpy apartment
on the outskirts of downtown. But I'm doing well enough for a few
years out of college. What about you? Still at Luscus?" "Did
Eli tell you where I work?" "Yeah.
He was giving me weekly updates for a while. Right after you two got
together it was every other day." Soren
blushed. "Jesus does he tell all his friends when we have sex?"

"It
was an after thought he added to the email. But over time his emails
turned into him gushing over you. You've got quite a reputation to
live up to." Soren
chuckled, slightly ruefully. Soren couldn't help but feel a little
intimidated by Minerva. She emanated an aura of general friendliness,
but her height, her coiled body under her fur, her grace and power,
her elegance in the simple black dress that matched her dramatic
stripes, all those things combined made Soren feel just a little
intimidated. Or maybe it was his general awkwardness around females
who weren't Di or Sasha. "We make each other happy. It's that
simple, really. I've heard stories about you, too.""Did
he tell you about how I got expelled from school?"Soren
raised an eyebrow. "Really? You? What happened to get you
expelled?"Minerva
smiled fully for the first time since the ceremony. She had large,
brilliant white teeth that had sharp points. "It was the middle of
senior year. Eli was getting a bunch of shit for dating a guy. The
football goons were ganging up him and Artur and I walked in on them.
Their head goon threw a punch. So I hit back. I knocked one of them
unconscious and four more scurrying with boot marks up their ass."Soren
let out a bark of laughter at this. "Oh, I'd have loved to see
that. I can't imagine the looks on their faces!" "I
don't imagine any of them thought a girl would hit back, and harder
than them at that," laughed Minerva. "But the school wasn't keen
on me fighting, and I was lucky I didn't really hurt the guy I
clocked. The dude who got creamed took legal action, but if I left
the school they'd drop charges. So I finished my senior year at a
private school." Soren
was still guffawing as the song ended. He gave Minerva a quick bow as
they ended their dance. "You're free to drop our place any time. It
was nice to talk." Minerva
returned to her seat, starting to talk with Danny as he made his way
back from the food tables.Soren
watched Eli teach some of his younger cousins how to do the
Charleston. He was too full of restless energy right now. He wanted
to get up and dance more, but he was parched. He poured a glass of
water from the table and drank deeply. He jumped a fraction as
someone tapped his shoulder. It was Aly. There
was a look of deep concern on her face as she spoke. "Soren, I
might have just been seeing things, but before the ceremony... did I
see your parents here?"Soren
sighted, fiddling with his green tie. "Aly... Can you get the
girls? I want to talk in private."Aly
nodded. "I understand." She turned away, scanning the crowd for
her daughters. Soren turned to Eli, who was mirroring Aly's look of
concern. Soren
walked slowly to the dance floor, putting a hand on Eli's shoulder.
"Could you find your parents? And Elly if she'll come." Eli
nodded, moving off in a different direction. Soren sighed, meandering
towards the back exit, letting them come to him. Shit... how was he
going to talk about this? He really didn't want to talk about them
now... but better now then later, he supposed.The
group gathered by the exit: Lyra, Logan, Elly, Eli, Aly, Rachel, and
Sammy . Soren let them out the back way, so they could talk in a
secluded corner of the garden. The group formed a semicircle around
Soren, save for Eli, who stepped close and took his silver hand in
his. Soren
fiddled with a cuff, not too sure where to start. He took a deep
breath. "Aly... you weren't seeing things. My parents were here
today."Aly
frowned, biting her lip. "How did they find out about this? Did you
send them an invitation?""We
sent them an invitation," said Eli, gripping Soren's hand tighter. "It
was my idea," said Soren, grateful for Eli's hand in his. "I
didn't want them to learn second hand. I knew they wouldn't accept
it, but I wanted them to know. I'm proud of being with Eli. I'm happy
with him, and I wanted them to know that nothing they could do would
change that. I had a small hope they'd accept it in the face of
things but... I never expected them to fly across the country."
Soren looked down, retelling the ultimatum his parents gave him,
speaking of the demands with little emotion or embellishments. He
didn't mention the fight. That would be his ordeal alone. To his
shame he felt his shoulders shaking, a single tear running down the
length of his muzzle. "... so... just like that... I, uh, don't
have a family anymore." In
what seemed like an instant Soren felt the warmth of seven pairs of
arms enclose around his body in a tight embrace. Lyra spoke first,
slightly muffled by the number of people participating in the hug.
"You'll always have us, Soren." "Soren,
you've been one of us for years," said Elly, squeezing tightly. "We
all love you, Soren," said Aly. "And we're all happy for you.
Don't let them rain on your parade." Soren
couldn't speak. There was lump in his throat, he was getting choked
up, tears were blurring his eyes again. "Tha... Thank you. Thank
you, all of you... Logan, I'm going to need your help." They
all broke apart, Logan shaking his head. "Let's not talk about that
right now. Have fun today, celebrate with us. I promise I'll help you
later."Soren
sighed, slumping into Eli's arms. "Thank you. I... I think I need a
minute. Go back to the party, please." The group nodded, hearing
the door creak as Lyra, Logan, and Elly returned to the reception.
Soren looked up, noticing that Aly, Rachel, and Sammy had hung back,
Aly tapping her mouth with a long claw. "Do you need something,"
asked Soren. "I
was just thinking," said Aly, frown lines furrowing her face. There
was a pause, none of them speaking as they stood in the garden, lit
ablaze by the setting sun. "You know what? Fuck them. It's
horrible, how they've treated you. I'm done with them. I'm just done.
I want nothing to do with them anymore."Soren
frowned. Aly never swore. "What do you mean?" "When
I was sick, their company was nice... but what they've said, what
they did to you. I want nothing to do with people who can be so
cruel." Aly turned to her daughters, her arms crossed. "This is
your decision too, girls. I know you're good friends with some of
your cousins, but I want to break off from them completely. Your dad
too, if I can get away with it."Sammy
and Rachel shared their mother's frown. Sammy spoke first. "Well,
it's not like Dad has been particularly invested in us lately. But I
don't want to be associated with them either. They showed their true
colors today." Rachel nodded mutely. Soren
shook his head. "Aly, you don't need to do that. There's no reason
to burn all those bridges." "I
don't have to. I want to," said Aly. "I honestly should have done
it years ago." Soren
looked down a bit, holding Eli close to him now. "Can we talk
details later? I don't really want to linger on this tonight."Aly
nodded, walking to the door. "I understand. I never gave you a
formal congratulations, by the way. I, at the very least, am very
happy for both of you."Soren
smiled, sitting down on one of the leftover chairs. "Thank you.
We'll be back in a minute." Aly smiled, letting the door click
behind her as she and the girls left. Eli
sat down next to Soren, cupping his face in his gentle hands.
"Soren... I'm so sorry. I know you never got along with them, but
to cut you off like that. It means so much to me that you'd give up
your family for me. No matter what happens I'll be there with you.
Always. I promise."Soren
held Eli, feeling his body in his arms as he rested his muzzle on
Eli's slender shoulder. "Thank you, Eli. It was my stupid idea, but
I knew it would happen eventually. Your family loved me so much more
than they ever did. You make me happier than anyone else in the
world. I love you."Eli
laid his head on Soren's shoulder, closing his eyes for a moment.
"Tell me when you are ready to go back." Soren
waited for a minute. Just a minute as he held Eli's hand again. "I'm
ready. Let's have some fun tonight."Eli
sat up, turning around to offer his hand to Soren. He was smiling as
Soren took his hand. God he had such a wonderful smile. "That's the
spirit." They shared a quick kiss before walking together to the
door, letting the music wash over them as they returned to the
celebration. 
Soren
held Eli close as he let them into their new condo. It was pristine,
and it no longer had any moving boxes strewn across it. It was almost
2:30, and even the city, which they had a spectacular view of, seemed
darker and quieter than normal. Soren kissed Eli as he shut the door.
"Well, it's official. You're my husband now." "I
know," said Eli, taking off Soren's tux jacket for him. "And
you're my husband, too. And it's wonderful. I couldn't have asked for
a better day." Soren
held Eli close to him. "Today... it just felt surreal." Eli
looked concern as he held Soren. "What do you mean, sweetheart? Are
you talking about your parents? I... I feel so bad about that. It's
all my fault.""No,"
Soren firmly. "I don't give a damn about them anymore.: Eli looked
shocked at the harshness of Soren's tone. "No, I don't, Eli. They
spent the last sixteen years giving me nothing but grief. I love you,
Eli, and you've done nothing but make me happy. If they won't accept
you, then I want nothing to do with them anymore. This is our night,
and ours alone. I won't let them ruin that." Eli
looked down as he undid his shirt, hanging it up on a hanger.
"Soren... you gave up a lot to be with me. I love you so much." "I
didn't give up anything," said Soren coldly. "They stopped being
my family years ago. They just made it official today." Eli
began to undo Soren's buttons. "That doesn't mean it doesn't hurt
right now." Soren
sighed. "I... it does hurt a bit. But the pain stops when I'm with
you. And I said I don't want to think about it right now. I want to
spend my night with you, and just you." "I...
okay," said Eli, hanging up Soren's shirt. "I love you, sweetie."Soren
kissed Eli, placing a gentle hand on Eli's cheek. "I love you too,
sweetheart. I love you so much, You mean so much to me." Soren held
Eli close to him, savoring the feeling of their bare chests pressed
against each other. Soren kissed Eli's sweet, black lips, gingerly
placing his hands on Eli's belt, undoing it slowly enough for Eli to
either assist or stop the motion. Eli
held Soren's arms, preventing him from undressing him further. He
looked up at Soren, a grin on his face. "Wedding night sex? Since
when did you become so cliché?" Soren
gave a tiny frown. "Are you not feeling up for it, darling?" "Of
course I'm up for it," said Eli. "I just need to get these pesky
clothes off you." The
sex fast, intense, and left them panting on top of each other,
basking in their afterglow. Eli kissed Soren along the collarbones as
Soren ran his hands across his bare back. But they soon stopped. It
had been a long day, and they were spent in all ways. Cuddling up in
Soren's arms, Eli whispers broke the quiet. "That was wonderful.
This whole day was wonderful." "I'm
glad. You deserved a special wedding." Soren squeezed Eli as he
spoke.Eli
gave a tiny growl. "You deserved it too. I couldn't ask for a
better husband. I love you Soren."Soren
kissed Eli, letting their lips linger together. "I love you too,
Eli. I love you so much." There was a pause as they kissed again,
and again. After they broke apart for the fifth time, Soren spoke
again, stroking Eli's hair. "Eli, can you do me a favor?" "What
do you need, sweetie?" "Can
you say my name?" Eli
looked a little perplexed, but kissed his cheek and spoke. "Your
name is Soren." Soren
shook his head as he held Eli against him. "My full name, Eli. Say
my full name." Eli's
look of confusion deepened, but he spoke again as he wrapped his arms
around Soren's shoulders. "Your full name is Soren Saul." "No,"
said Soren, resting his head on Eli's arms. "My name is Soren
Vatra."  Eli
gave a tiny gasp. "I... oh sweetheart... I love you so much Soren."
He buried his face deep in Soren's chest and arms. There was a long
pause as they held each other. After an age Eli spoke again. "Don't
you wish tonight wouldn't end? A night with just us, for as long as
we wanted? Wouldn't that be nice?" Soren
shook his head. "Not really. Why do we need to stop time? We have
the rest of our lives together, Eli." They shared a kiss, sweet,
long, and tender. Eli adjusted himself so that his cheek lay across
Soren's, and they locked both their hands in the others. Soren rubbed
the rings on Eli's fingers, smiling as he felt warm metal across his
fingers. He whispered into the darkness. "I love you, Eli." "I
love you too, Soren. I love my husband so much." Soren
felt an electric thrill run through his body. He loved hearing that
word, "husband." He held Eli as tight as he could without hurting
him, pressing Eli's slender body into his own. "Can Aly come with
us to breakfast with your parents? I forgot to ask earlier." "It's
fine," said Eli. "She's family too." "Goodnight
Eli. I love you. I love you so much." "I
love you too, Soren." Soren
wasn't sure who fell asleep first. Their breathing slowed together,
and he couldn't keep his eyes open, and it didn't take long for them
to drift off, together.

Source: https://sofurry.com/view/638018

Previous: https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/623808-the-rest-of-our-lives-pt-1.md