It was Lance who made all the arrangements although the ceremony was for Joey and Chris. After multiple phone calls to Johnny, Lance had figured out a time and place where the five of them could be together despite the differences in their schedules due to the hiatus. The most important job Lance had before the ceremony began was to make sure no one outside their small circle knew they�d all be together or what would occur in the large suite Lance had reserved for a week. Lance, JC and Justin would actually only be staying for two days, but Chris and Joey would need the additional time to seal their new bond.
While Joey and Chris spent time in separate bathrooms getting prepared, the others were already dressed in the loose black pants and shirt Joey had preferred. All of them would be dressed exactly the same except for Chris who would forgo the shirt in preparation for what was to come. Lance, JC and Justin spent several minutes setting candles throughout the main room of the suite after pushing all the furniture except for a small table to the sides of the room. Lance looked around the room once they were done, satisfied there would be plenty of room for all of them. He made JC hang out the do not disturb sign on the door and let the front desk know that absolutely no calls were to come through to the room until they were informed otherwise. It wouldn�t do for them to be disturbed once they started.
Lance looked at the clock and saw it was almost midnight and nodded to JC and Justin to go make sure Joey and Chris were both ready to begin. While he waited, Lance pulled the supplies he would need from the bag he�d stored them in and set them on the remaining table. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to let go of the last bit of tension and focus on the importance of what was about to happen. Lance pressed the thin material of his pants and shirts down his body, shivering again at how soft it felt against the bare skin underneath.
Hearing a door opening, Lance looked up to see Chris standing calmly with a roll of paper and a small jewelry box in his hands and Justin standing behind him. Lance nodded to assure Chris they were ready to begin and the older man slowly walked further into the room stopping short of the center where Lance stood quietly. Chris�s head was held high and happiness seemed to shine through him, but not a word was uttered by any of them as they waited for Joey to appear with JC to bolster him.
The wait wasn�t long and soon Joey was opening the door of the room he�d been using. Joey also waited for Lance to nod before walking about halfway to where Lance was standing before stopping and looking at the blond man in the center of the room. Like Chris, he held a roll of paper held reverently. Lance glanced one last time to make sure everyone was where they needed to be before picking up a small silver bell that stood on the table by his side. He rang the instrument once and looked at Chris as the older man walked forward slowly until he was standing just to the side of Lance. Justin took up his post behind his best friend.
Once all movement had stopped, Lance picked up the bell and rang it once more. This time Joey stepped forward proudly with JC directly behind him. Their movements were graceful, but there was also an underlying reverence to what Joey and Chris were about to undertake. Joey stopped equidistance from Lance and Chris. JC stopped behind Joey and waited for the ceremony to continue.
With a brief nod from Lance, Chris began speaking. �I offer this box and the rings inside to you for you to guide me and lead me along my journey though life. It is my desire to belong to you and to follow you wherever you choose to take me.�
Once Chris�s words died in the room, Joey continued with his part of the ceremony. �I accept this box and the rings inside as a symbol of the offering of yourself and give my promise to carefully guide you and lead you safely in my footsteps. You will belong to me from this day on and I will do all within my power to protect you as you join me on my journey."
It was now Lance�s turn to speak, explaining the changes to the normal collaring ceremony. Although they all knew why the changes had been made, Joey had said he wanted to fulfill the formalness of the ceremony although it would only be the five of them who attended. �In a normal ceremony of this type, Chris would be offering a collar and leash for Joey to place around his neck and lead him with. Due to the necessity of keeping their relationship private, both Chris and Joey have decided to exchange the collar and leash for a set of nipple rings. The significance is the same and the bond just as strong.�
Joey�s eyes had never left Chris throughout Lance�s speech. Once Lance's words had trailed off, he spoke to the older man again. �Will you kneel at my feet and take these symbols of my ownership to wear as a sign to us and those we meet on our journey?"
Chris slowly sank to his knees, keeping his head held high but his eyes trained on the floor as they�d been since Joey had entered the room. �I kneel as a sign of my submission to you and acceptance of the symbols of your ownership. I will wear them proudly for all of my days, Sir."
There had been much discussion of how the rings would be inserted. At first they�d thought of having Chris pierce his nipples and allow them to heal with the ceremony being the time he got his permanent jewelry. Joey had quickly vetoed the idea however, feeling as if the pain of the piercing was just as important of a sign of Chris�s submission as the kneeling. Therefore as Joey stood above the kneeling Chris, Lance knelt as well and applied a clamp to each of Chris�s nipples after donning surgical gloves. The only sign the clamps were painful was a slight tightening of Chris�s mouth. Joey had insisted he would be the one who pushed the rings through, but allowed that Lance would be the one who pushed the needles through since the procedure needed to be done at nipple level to make sure they would be straight. The formalness of the ceremony wouldn�t allow Joey to kneel along with Chris at this point.
By the time Lance stood upright again, Chris had a piercing needle through each bud of skin and the clamps had been removed. The tightening had increased around his mouth, but so had the glow of happiness that seemed to radiate from him. Joey had also donned a pair of gloves, not from fear of Chris�s blood but to lesson the chances of infection. Taking one of the rings, which had been pre-stretched out of the box, he slid it into the hole of the needle and pushed it through as he withdrew the needle from the skin. He placed the used needle into a tray Lance had set up for exactly this purpose and moved to get the other ring.
Again he placed one edge of the ring into the needle and pushed it through before dropping the needle in the tray. Nodding to Lance, Joey waited until Lance had tightened the rings into perfect circles before speaking again. �You now belong to me.�
�I now belong to you Master.� Chris said with conviction.
As the others watched, Joey and Chris exchanged the papers they�d each brought and silently read what had been written. A few minutes later, Joey spoke again. "I accept your desire to serve me and the secrets of your heart written on this paper. I will honor your feelings and needs. I will always put your best interests foremost in my dominance over you. You belong to me; thus you are now a part of my body and soul. Your happiness, health and well being are in my care and I will thoughtfully tend to them because you are a part of me and my destiny."
"I accept the conditions of my service and respect the secrets of your heart written on this paper. I will honor and love you as I serve you to the best of my ability. I will open my heart, body and mind to your will, trusting that you have my best interests in your heart. My submission to you will be a gift freely given and shall never become a burden that I must bear. I am now a part of you and will respect you and your dominance over me as our lives and destinies have become one." Chris said firmly, a small smile appearing on his face as he said them.
Having completed what he needed to say, Chris leaned down and pressed his lips to Joey�s bare foot and stayed there until Joey�s hands tangled in his hair and pulled it upright with gentle pressure. Their lips met in a light kiss to seal their agreement and then Joey assisted Chris in standing up after having been left kneeling for so long. As Chris met Joey�s eyes for the first time since the ceremony began, Lance rang the bell one last time to conclude the ceremony.
Joey pulled Chris tightly into his arms and held him for a minute as they both realized their commitment to each other had been sealed in a way more sacred to both of them than marriage ever could be. They had done it their way and with the people who mattered most not only watching, but a part of their commitment. At the same moment, the two of them pulled apart enough to glance down at the silver rings piercing Chris�s chest that were a sign of their commitment before turning to accept the congratulations of their brothers.