Page 126 of Monstrous Travels as Wicked as Sin

He squeezed Joe’s hands, and he commenced: “I take you, Joe Bruno, to be my unlawfully wedded husband. To have and to hold, from this day forward. In good times and bad. In sickness and in health. In the filth of a graveyard or the private castle of a playboy billionaire.” Joe let out a chuckle. “Until forever. Eternity. Joe…” Percy’s voice wavered, and Joe melted at the tears that came into his eyes. “Joe, I will honour and adore you, for all my days. I promise you that. With this ring…” Percy reached into his pocket and pulled forth the stunning, ancient, irreplaceable, eternal sapphire and gold ring.

Joe’s gasp echoed throughout the church. “You didn’t…”

“Joe, with this ring…” He slipped it onto Joe’s trembling finger, where it slid into place, a perfect fit. “I thee wed.”

Joe turned his hand over, staring open-mouthed at the beautiful blue ring on his finger, staring at Percy, then helaunched himself at Percy, kissing him with such force Percy stumbled against the altar to support them both. “Handsome, that’s supposed to come after.”

“Oh, right. But…” He stared again at the ring on his own hand. “How?”

“That’s where I went yesterday. I was going to give it to you last night, too. Or as soon as I could. I wanted you to have it. I thought it would look so beautiful on you. It’s two thousand years old. It’s also Roman, but now I wonder if that was in slightly poor taste?—”

“Percy, I love it. I’m never taking this off. Never.”

Percy used the outstretched, be-ringed hand as leverage to pull himself upright. “Do me.”

“Okay, okay.” Joe moved back to his position in front of the altar, taking Percy with him. “I take you, Percy Ashdown, to be my husband, from this day forward. To have and to hold, in good times and bad, in sickness and in health, no matter what ridiculous bullshit you pull next.” Percy, having the best time of his life, laughed with a hearty slyness that Joe devoured. “I promise to honour and adore you, for… Are you sure about this?”

“Now!” he snapped. “Do it now!”

“For eternity! You and me. Forever. With this ring, I thee wed.” He slipped it onto Percy’s eager finger, and he didn’t think he’d ever seen Percy as happy as he was just then. Percy gave a nod, hands shaking with excitement, and Joe said, “By the power vested in me, I now pronounce us husband and husband.”

Percy let out a cry of pure and unadulterated joy, took Joe’s face in his hands, and kissed him. And kissed him. And kissed him again. Until finally he stepped back and looked at the ring. He snuck Joe a delighted glance. “Sixteenth Century?”

Joe grinned widely. “Yep. Venetian. Not that I probably need to tell you that.”

“It’s marvellous. Look how well it fits. It’s like it was made for me.”

“It is. Look.” Joe reached for Percy’s hand, slipped his finger along the edge of the ring setting, and the top popped open on a delicate, hidden hinge.

“Oh my god,” Percy whispered, caught in his admiration for the exquisite jewel. “It’s a poison ring!”

“Do you love it?” Joe asked desperately, as though he needed the answer.

“I love it so much! I love you so much!” He kissed Joe again, then said, “I can’t believe you’re my husband. I can't believe I’m this lucky.”

“No,” said Joe, a curiously decisive note in his voice. “Not yet. There’s one more thing we have to do. To make it official. In the eyes of God.”

“Oh…” Percy’s face dropped, and he looked around warily. “Is it going to be very religious?”

“Very,” said Joe.

CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT

PERCY AND JOE MAKE IT OFFICIAL

Percy straightened himself, put on a smile, and said, “If it will make you happy, I’ll do it.”

“It will.” Something in the way Joe looked at Percy just then cut the intimacy with tension. His hand moved slowly but deliberately up his chest, his fingers slipped beneath his clerical collar, dark red with dried blood, and he pulled it free.

This wasn’t simply undressing. Percy could see it in his eyes, clear and serious. This was more. This was symbolic.

He watched Joe stare down at the stained collar, watched his fingers open, watched the thing drop to the stone floor.

The action was so decisive, so pivotal, Percy felt the need to stop him—to prevent whatever sort of pain he imagined might be tied up in that decision. “It doesn’t have to change.”

Joe’s fingers wrapped back around Percy’s. “Can’t you see? There’s only one thing I have faith in now.” He kissed him. “And it’s not God.” He kissed him again. “And it’s not the Devil.” Once and again, then he stepped away.

Joe walked to the baptismal font. He pulled the black cloth of his shirt over his head, and Percy surveyed him as he bent over the water, washing his face, his chest, the scars on his back, his skin red and purple with new wounds just made, just healing.But when Joe stood, when he turned back to Percy, cleansed, beautiful, dripping, his eyes were warm, and he had a confidence about him Percy had seldom seen. A purpose. A happiness.

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