Business as Usual

Chapter 1

"Now and For Ever"

*****

Veranon stood before the mirror in a high collared silk shirt of deep lavender and an asymmetrical smile that perfectly matched his asymmetrical hair. Today, that hair was colored black with rich, burgundy ends that peeked through and around the midnight locks. His pants were snug, dark grey with a fine, black pinstripe and pointy-toed black leather shoes. He tried to even out his smile- and failed as Elwin slid up behind him, Veranon's black waistcoat draped between both hands. His cheek pressed against Veranon's, he smiled into the mirror and helped the smaller elf into the elegant coat.

"Don't... I prefer the boyish grin. You are a decadent confection of playfulness and desire dressed divinely as you are. It will be like unwrapping a gift when I finally take you later this eve." Elwin's delicate fingers touched Veranon's chin, lifted it so that the taller elf's lips could reach Veranon's pointed ear. His right hand, meanwhile, slowly ran down Veranon's tightly muscled body until it found his crotch.

Desire flooded Veranon's body, warming it with a need that Elwin's touch awoke within him. He gasped as those fingers unbuttoned the side closures at the elf's right hip, setting loose his cock, which sprang outward from its concealment. "Elwin... You're being naughty! And before the party begins, you feel the desire to start one of our own. What will I do with you...?" Veranon chided with a sly smile as his lover gripped his cock, hard, the hand pumping it gently.

"Do you love me?" Elwin asked.

"Of course I love you," Veranon retorted. "What kind of idiotic question is that, considering what we are about to do?"

The black-haired man stepped around Veranon, dressed as richly as his lover, his short hair combed straight with a dusting of bangs along his forehead. He leaned in for a long, passionate kiss that drew Veranon's whole mouth into an oral embrace and a dance of tongues. His hand, meanwhile, continued to work magic between the other man's legs.

Veranon started to put his arms around Elwin but the other elf was lowering his body down to his knees. "What are you...?" he started to ask but within moments, his long, thick-headed cock was deep inside Elwin's hot, wet orifice. The hard, searching tongue moved skillfully around the glans, teasing it while he sucked hard. The recipient of Elwin's oral ministrations gasped again as his eyes half-closed and his fingers tangled in the other elf's formally combed coif. "Shiiiit..." Veranon sighed with pleasure as his cock flirted with the back of Elwin's mouth, almost going into his throat. Nobody gave head the way Elwin gave head.

While he worked his tongue, Elwin pushed down on Veranon's pants until they reached his ankles. Without breaking the slow, languid rhythm of his mouth, Elwin dipped his right fingers into a jar of lubricant and then he plunged those long fingers deep into Veranon's tight hole. The elf moaned, head tilted back, his fingers tightening in Elwin's short hair.

In between sucking, Elwin paused to lick Veranon's long staff, sometimes teasing the head with his stiff tongue. There was a playful quality to Elwin's love-making, which Veranon adored. Other partners were usually so formal but Elwin, thankfully, knew how to have fun.

With one hand rolling and tugging on Veranon's balls and the other teasing his ass, Elwin continued to suck hard on Veranon until the other elf's body stiffened, his hands pushing on Elwin's head.

It took a great deal of restraint on his part but Veranon held back the flow of his pleasure for several minutes so that he could savor his beloved's gift. Then, with a final explosive moan, Veranon let himself go. Elwin drank most of it before releasing Veranon's slowly softening cock and covered his mouth once again in a soft kiss that seemed to last forever.

When the shorter man reached for Elwin's pants, eager to reciprocate, the other pulled away, a teasing smile on his face. "No, no! Don't you dare! This was a gift, my love. Just a gift to show you how much I love you on this special day." Wearing a teasing smile, Elwin pulled up Veranon's pants, pushed his cock back against his body, buttoned them and bestowed a kiss to his forehead. It didn't stop Veranon from stroking the obvious bulge that snaked into Elwin's left pants leg.

Chuckling, Veranon tsked and said, "You just wanted me to have mine so you could mount me later! I know you, Elwin Lanier."

"Ye of little faith, my love! I am dismayed by your ill thoughts of me."

Veranon laughed as he looked at himself in the mirror again. Elwin stood beside him, taller by an inch or more. They were a striking pair, dapper in their finest suits of dreamy silk, finely tailored waistcoats and tight-fitting pants. Veranon wore black and gray with his purple shirt while Elwin wore black with a shirt of crimson beneath his jacket. They held hands and their reflections smiled back at them. "How do we look?" Veranon asked.

"Lovely save that my hair is a mess, thank you very much, Veranon Krae. Our guests will surely be aware that we were getting the festivities on without them."

Veranon licked his fingers and very carefully rearranged Elwin's locks back into place. After a discriminating once-over, Veranon tweaked his work with a few finishing touches and mock-bowed to Elwin's reflection. "Wha-lah! Perfect as perfect is," he said. Elwin snorted but said nothing, which Veranon accepted as approval.

"Shall we present ourselves to our guests before they get bored and begin to debauch themselves over the finger-foods?" He asked with a sly grin.

"Oh, with haste, my love! With haste! Woe be the bored businessman with an eye for the fellow across the room who has yet to suck a stiff drink, let alone a stiff cock. By all means, let us go and entertain them!" Elwin laughed with a gleam in his dark green eyes.

The pair exited their bedroom and walked down the hall into the main gathering room where most of their parties were held.

It was one of those vast, well-appointed spaces that made the best locations for throwing parties. Chaise lounges, couches, chairs large enough for two and large, plush pillows lined the walls and were spread throughout the room. Interspersed among them were tables that were either low or high depending on what it was closest to. Put a glass of cognac or a plate of spiced shrimp on the floor? Never!

High above them, several glittering crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, their faceted gems sending out brilliant beams of bright light. Veranon knew the house servants had their ways of lighting the many candles but he couldn't fathom how they did it or how they burned for so many hours on end. It was just one of the many reasons they were paid so well.

As the grinning pair stepped into the large room, their guests rose from their seats or turned from where they stood. There were seventy people, humans and elves, of varying appearance and numerous professions but they all had three things in common: they were all men, they were all wealthy and they were all known to either Veranon or Elwin or both. Some could even be considered "friends."

Elwin coughed loudly as Veranon tapped a silver spoon against a fine goblet of spiral-cut crystal. The sound was high pitched and pure, drawing all eyes in the room to the two elves. "Thank you, thank you all for coming. Veranon and I have hosted many parties over the last four years with great success, I might add. Tonight's party will be one for the histories, however! We have a couple of announcements, games and, of course, the usual decadence and gratuitous sex. And business, of course!" The low mumble of laughter echoed around the room at the last words. Two men looked up with red faces, their clothes already in disarray.

Veranon stepped forward, a serene smile on his youthful face. "My friends, today we have brought you here to witness the finest union of two souls that ever was. Elwin and I have decided to get married... Now!"

The sound of the room changed from amusement to amazement in the space between heartbeats and then they began to applaud. The clapping of hands soon reached a thunderous crescendo accented with whistles and words of encouragement. Laughing, the two elves tried to regain silence so they could be heard again but the cheers overwhelmed their futile attempts.

Eventually, calm was restored and Veranon smiled broadly, his cheeks flush with pleasure. "They love us..." he remarked to Elwin, who squeezed his hand tightly in return.

"Magistrate Rillonzo D'Fuentes? Are you in here?" Veranon asked the room. Some of the partiers stepped aside, looking about at one another and casting their gazes to the floor. Finally, a group of young men parted and the magistrate, clothed but disheveled appeared from their midst, an embarrassed smile on his mature face. He stood, attempted to close his shirt and tucked away his penis with nervous hands as the slender boys laughed softly around him. They helped him brush the wrinkles away and he walked over to Elwin and Veranon with red cheeks.

"At your service, my lords. My apologies. I was unaware that I would be needed in a professional capacity." He cleared his throat and asked, "Do you have the proper papers filed and signed for me?"

Elwin nodded. "You can add your signature later but they're in the office for you. We have symbols of our union for you." He passed over two long leather boxes to the Magistrate, who blinked down at them in surprise.

"For an impromptu wedding, you both have this pretty well planned out! I'm impressed. So, what kind of wedding will I be performing?"

Veranon looked askance at Elwin who shrugged. "Um, the usual kind? You know, where you say some nice things, we say some nice things, you say some more nice things, pronounce us husbands and then we all fuck." Veranon was usually more poetic with his vocabulary but clearly he wanted to get things underway. The Magistrate grinned and nodded his head.

"Of course. You two stand facing each other and I will begin with a dedication of sorts. Hold hands if you like," they did, "and I shall begin." D'Fuentes stood facing the rest of the guests, Veranon and Elwin in their impeccable attire with hands held between them and eyes only for each other standing before him. He had married many, many people over the years but these men were his favorite. Their parties were divine as a matter of course but the love they felt was palpable, a stirring reminder that love knows no sexual orientation and no distance in time or space. Love was never impossible and it was always in reach, especially for these two.

He cleared his throat again and began to speak.

"Welcome, friends, welcome to the union of these two souls who have come before us to share the next step of their enduring romance with us, their friends and associates. Years ago, they met at a party not unlike this one. Veranon was a neophyte-"

The elf in question protested loudly, "HEY!" while Elwin laughed and retorted, "Well, he's right; you were!"

Ignoring Veranon's grumbling, the Magistrate continued with a smile. "As I was saying, he was a neophyte, young and inexperienced, practically a lackey in the service of a powerful mercenary. Meeting Elwin, among other wise connections, raised his status and his fortune until he could no longer be looked down upon by his contemporaries. Elwin was there for him, his heart pulled reluctantly by Veranon's smile and his easy nature. But the fates tore them apart for a time. Yet, despite this, they never stayed away for long, their love deepening until-"

"Are you going to tell their whole fucking story or marry them?" someone yelled from across the room. Laughter chased his words merrily along with a few voices urging him to finish "so we can start!"

DeFuentes frowned and cleared his throat a third time. "A love like theirs is everlasting, a forever kind of love as well as a kind of merger, a business association like none other. They complete each other as friends, soul-mates, partners and lovers in ways most of us could only dream of. It is my fondest pleasure to set them on this next journey of their lives."

The magistrate opened the leather box on top and noted the inscription embossed into the leather, "For Now and For Ever, Veranon." The bottom one had the same inscription but with Elwin's name. Clearly, they had known about this for some time. Inside each box was an identical, sharp crystal pendent that dangled from a long, gold chain for Veranon and silver for Elwin. They looked like tools of stimulation yet were beautiful enough to mask their sensual purpose.

He withdrew one from the box and, after handing the boxes to another partier, he draped it over Veranon's neck and said, "Will you, Veranon Krae, take Elwin Lanier to be you legal husband, partner and beloved?"

Veranon nodded, "I will."

Then DeFuentes reached for the second box and withdrew the crystal pendent intended for Elwin and said, "Will you, Elwin Lanier, take Veranon Krae as your legal husband, partner and beloved?"

Elwin smiled at Veranon and said, "Always."

"Have you prepared your own words? Something to say in these moments to affirm your bond to one another?" The two men nodded and the Magistrate smiled and stepped away.

Veranon, his cheeks flushed, said, "I was such a naive thing when we first met... I never dreamed that I would eventually give up what I praised as my freedom to marry you. I have run from every potential romance I have ever faced and I have had... many... regrets. But somehow, despite it all, you have remained there for me. You changed for me, made yourself a better man because you knew I could not abide jealousy and pettiness. I am in awe of you, of who you are and of my feelings for you. I swear that I will give back as well as you have given me and that you will never want for anything. I love you, Elwin, now and... Forever."

Tears flowed down Elwin's cheeks as his eyes focused on Veranon's moss-hued gaze, also wet with unshed tears. His voice cracked as he spoke in a low voice steeped in the elixir of strong emotion. "Veranon, my love, my life, you are all I have ever wanted. In the beginning, you were... difficult... but you learned fast, found your own way as quickly as I taught you how to survive in this world of intrigue and cutthroat business transactions. Even when I had taught you all I knew, I wanted to remain by your side. I watched loves come into your life and chafed at the thought of any of them being where I wanted to be. My jealousy, my infantile desire to possess you almost ruined me. So I changed, I adapted as I knew I must. I know that I will have to share your body and even your heart sometimes but I am the one you have given your life to and that, for me, is more than I have ever dreamed I would have. I swear to be the best man, the last man, you will ever need as your life partner. I swear to remain by your side now and... Forever."

Magistrate De'Fuentes smiled and stepped forward to take the embracing hands before him in his and said, "Then it is with great joy that, with the powers granted to me by the laws of the great city of Rennes, I now pronounce you husbands! Veranon, Elwin, you may now show us all how a real kiss is done."

The two men playfully shoved the magistrate out of the way and embraced, Veranon laughing as he jumped and wrapped his slender legs around Elwin's hips. He was by far the stronger of the two but Elwin had learned to carry Veranon's weight with ease by changing his stance. It was a popular sexual position for them. They kissed, their mouth hungrily feasting on one another with juicy kisses and probing tongues. Elwin gripped Veranon's ass tightly with his hands and sucked on his neck, feeling his body beginning to respond to a deep, powerful need within him. "I want you so badly, Veranon..." he whispered into his new husband's pointed ear. Veranon sighed in response and playfully rubbed his cock against Elwin's through their clothes.

"You will have me, my love, but this lot needs to play first and we have prizes and fun to dole out before we can consummate our marriage," Veranon murmured into Elwin's long neck.

"I cannot rip away your pants and take you now?" the taller man asked impishly.

"No... Not yet. But soon... Soon. We need to start the party and make the other announcement. The big one? The other reason we gathered this lot?"

Elwin sighed and lowered Veranon to his feet to the loud roar of cheers. He was certain there would be complaints before long and the sound of the street patrol banging on their door. The servants would handle it as they always did but with their new home near the edge of the city proper in an area with a low, and very wealthy, population, complaints were few and most came with a request for an invitation. Still, seventy men could be very loud so he did his best to gain their attention- and their silence. Veranon tapped the glass again and the voices lowered to a murmur.

"We have more for you, our friends, so if you will bear with us, we would like to make another announcement and then begin the party but it will be unlike anything you have ever experienced! Oh, yes... You thought our parties were wicked before?

"You haven't seen anything yet!"

To Be Continued...