[JP] [Backsim] Lieutenant Commanders Anjar Thoran & Carter Greyson: The Big Day, Part 2
Zeph
(( Risan Beach ))
Carter nodded as well. As if on cue, the priest opened his bible to the exact page where he had marked it previously for the last wedding he’d performed. The notes, although geared for a Catholic and Betazed wedding, were sufficient for his purposes.
Carlez: In nominee patris, et felis et tu spiritus sancti. (In the name of the father, son, and holy spirit) :: Makes the sign of the cross toward the couple. :: We have gathered here, under the eyes of Our Father in Heaven :: as he turned toward Carter, then to Anjar :: ...and the Four Deities of the Great Fire, to join the two of you in holy wedlock. Do you both come here to enter into marriage without coercion, freely and wholeheartedly? Are you prepared, as you follow the path of marriage, to love and honor each other for as long as you both shall live? Are you prepared to accept children lovingly from God and to bring them up according to the law of your combined faiths?
Was Carter ready for this? Knowing that the increased danger of his posting and of Anjar’s could result in his soon-to-be-stepdaughter being an orphan? Knowing that this was perhaps the largest decision of his life? He took a moment to study Anjar’s oceanic blue eyes, checking for any signs of hesitation. Upon finding none, he turned his gaze to the priest.
Greyson: Yes, I am.
For a long moment, Anjar stared at Carter, biting at his lower lip as he fought not to embarrass himself by getting overly emotional. Lia wouldn’t just be his. She would be theirs. Carter had stepped into the stepfather role in ways Anjar hadn’t expected. There was something safe in knowing that Lia wouldn’t be without a father if–Deities forbid–something happened to him. He knew he could count on Carter to care for her as Anjar would.
Thoran: ::rasps:: I am.
Carlez : :: presenting the chalice first to Anjar :: This glass of wine symbolizes the sum of your life experiences. It contains within it the sweet flavors of love, joy, wonder and contentment.
This same cup, at times, holds the bitter taste of sadness, pain, and despair.
As the engineer accepted the glass, the padre continued.
He barely had the presence of mind to remember that the ceremony required him to sip from the cup.
Carlez: When you drink deeply of this cup of life, you invite the full spectrum of experiences into your life. As you drink from this cup, you accept the commitment to draw from your marriage all that you need to wash away the bitter flavors of life and to savor the sweet flavors you may encounter on your journey together.
Once Anjar had taken a drink, he offered it to Carter.
Carter took his sip from the chalice and once again stared into Anjar’s blue eyes, emotions settling into calm. Peace. The sort of serenity he’d come to know and accept with the familiar presence of Anjar’s company, and that of the little girl Lia. Everything about having a family once again felt right in this moment. Once Carter handed the chalice back to Erwin, he handed over the rings: each was a simple gold band, designed to interlock with their engagement rings. The inscription on the inside read: Anjar & Carter, Risa 2400. Carter smiled slightly as Anjar slid the ring onto his finger.
Anjar’s hand shook slightly and he almost dropped the ring as he grasped Carter’s left hand and tried to slide it onto the man’s finger. A huff of laughter from his 15-year-old daughter made Anjar pause and toss a playful glare in her direction. Lia smiled and shrugged nonchalantly.
Rolling his eyes, Anjar returned his attention to Carter’s hand, the skin warm and calloused from manual labor. The thought of these same hands working to replace a fried warp coil or remove a damaged gel pack set his heart racing and reminded him of the passion they shared in private. Those same hands made him feel safe and allowed him to give up control, even if only for a little while.
Carlez: Let these rings symbolize the entirety of your love. Do you, Anjar Elian Thoran, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?
As Erwin continued to witness Anjar’s placing the ring on Carter’s finger, he risked a glance down to his notes. Despite the numerous weddings he’d performed before, none of them were same sex until now. Each wedding was different, but each culture’s pronouns confused him every time.
As he slid the ring fully on below the knuckle, his gaze met Carter’s and his tongue peeked out to moisten his lips.
Thoran: ::rasps in a gravelly tone:: I do.
Without missing a beat, the padre continued.
Carlez: And do you, Carter, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?
Carter smiled and took Anjar’s left hand into his. As he slid the ring onto the other man’s finger, the engineer exhaled slowly before he nodded in reply,. He didn’t dare break Anjar’s gaze, as these were probably the two most important words of Carter’s life.
Greyson: I do.
Words at the end were the ever-changing variable in any wedding. Despite how many of these he had done, it somehow didn’t feel correct to state “you may kiss your man” so instead he went with the most appropriate thing he could think of that was non-gender specific.
Carlez: Then by the power vested in me by your respective faiths, and the laws of the Federation, I pronounce thee wed. Love and protect each other, care for Lia together, and may you live long and prosper. You may now kiss thy beloved.
Carter pulled Anjar into a passionate kiss, everything else seeming to fade away in the background with the exception of his step-daughter’s laughter. Nothing else mattered in this moment, there was only Anjar and Lia. His own family. With this action, he was whole.
Though he’d known it was coming, he was still caught off guard by how passionate Carter could be and he always struggled with self-control when they were in public. He muffled a soft noise somewhere between a sigh and a grunt, a promise of later when it was just the two of them. Sliding his hand to the nape of Carter’s neck, he prevented the man from moving away as allowed himself to momentarily get lost in the feeling of Carter’s strong, dry lips beneath his.
As he approached the edge of his self-restraint, he forced himself to pull back and he leaned his forehead against his husband’s. A soft, goofy grin crossed his lips at the thought.
His husband.
After all this time pinning for and dancing around each other, Carter was finally irrevocably his. Nothing short of death could take that from him.
Thoran: ::murmurs:: I love you, imzadi.
It had never seemed right to call Alia that. She’d been a part of his life when he’d been silently rebelling against his Betazoid heritage. A time when he’d been closer to his mother than his father. A time when he’d worn his natural Antosian hair color proudly.
His hand slid to Carter’s and he laced his fingers with his husband’s.
Greyson: I love you too, Anjar.
END
===
Lieutenant Commander Carter Greyson
Assistant Chief Engineer
USS Astraeus NCC-70652
O239002CS0
&
Lieutenant Commander Anjar Thoran
Chief of Security/Tactical
USS Astraeus, NCC-70652
I238110RH0