Evening Song – Merlin (furry, M-vixen-F, rom)

“That’s the last of the guests.” Velvet sounded tired. “I’m glad it’s over with. What possessed him to do it, anyway?”

The sounds coming from the kitchen stopped. Kay’s voice was tinged with gentle amusement when she answered Vels’ plaintive question. “He did it because he loves us both–and it was his way of telling the world how special he thinks we are.”

Vel appeared in the patio doorway and stood there while she watched me prepare our pit BBQ the old fashioned way. “Merlin.” I nodded without looking up. “You have alternatives. Remember?”

“Lady Chrystal, my love, I get feelings of deep satisfaction…” I tossed a match at the pile of wood and tinder that was soaked with charcoal- lighter. It responded with a loud ‘whoomph!’ “In doing this as a normal person would.” Once I felt the fire would eventually burn down to coals I walked over and hugged her. “I started life as an ordinary person, Hubert of Merlinsford. The three of us are starting our new lives as openly acknowledged mates. ‘Something old, something new.’ ”

Kay called from the kitchen: “Merlin, where are they?”

“Cupboard above the stove, in the paper bag.”

Kay walked out and joined us in the enclosed patio. She had the bag open and was looking inside. “Graham crackers. Giant marsh-mellows. Semi- sweet chocolate chips. Aluminum foil. Condoms??” She sounded outraged.

Vel treated Kay to an amused look while they held a battle of wills. It was Vel who broke the brittle silence. “He mentioned something about starting life as an ordinary person.”

Kay relaxed. “He did, did he?” Her eyes unfocused as she gazed at something only she could see. She returned to herself and looked at Vel. “You know what he’s asking me?”

Vel nodded. “The thought had occurred to me, yes. I’m not the one who has to worry about getting pregnant if I don’t plan ahead.”

“May I say something?” They turned to face me. “It’s our wedding day, the beginning of our honeymoon. For the next year I plan to be nothing more, or less, than ‘Hubert of Merlinsford’, the person Kay first met so many centuries ago. Kay, we have a chance to be what we always wanted to be, not what destiny made us.” I held out my hands and waited.

Vel put her hands in mine and studied my face. “Ordinary. I was never that. For the next year I’ll do my best to be ordinary as my people know it.”

Kay put the bag on the couch. She had tears in her eyes as she joined her hands with ours. “To be your lover, your co-wife. ‘Something old, something new’. One year, Hubert.” She grinned. “Plan on using a lot of condoms. I’m fertile–as you already know!”

Before we settled on the couch I turned on the outside lights. Their normally harsh glow was muted by the randomly swirling snow. Rather than look at the thermometer, I walked over and put my hand on one of the windows. “Not as cold as it could be, but cold enough.”

Kay laughed. “Get over here, between us. It’s time we showed Vel how to make smores.”

We settled ourselves. Kay handed Vel the graham crackers. While Vel was opening the box, Kay opened the bags of marsh-mellows and chocolate chips. I used the time to make foil squares and stack them on my lap tray.

I looked at Kay and then grinned at Vel. “Ready?”

“About as ready as I was for your ‘wedding ceremony’. I have the impression that I’m going to suffer some more culture shock.” She took a deep breath. “Ready.”

I chuckled. “Think of this as new ritual.”

She giggled.

I sighed. “I have a feeling I’m going to pay for this but… Let’s begin. Vel, put a graham cracker in the center of the foil.”

She did.

“Kay? Your turn.”

Kay picked up a marsh-mellow and poked some chips into it. Then she flattened it between her hands and centered the result on the cracker.

“Vel? Another cracker, on top of the marsh-mellow and gently hold it there while I fold the foil around it all.”

I carefully wrapped the ‘sandwich’ and handed the result to Kay, who set it on the couch next to her. “See how easy it is? We’ll put these close to the coals for a few minutes. Then we’ll unwrap them and enjoy ourselves.”

Vel studied the situation, then nibbled on a cracker. After she finished it she reached across me and picked up a marsh-mellow and a few chips. She ate those and obviously thought about the taste of them when they were together. “No wonder you and Kay made making them a ritual. They deserve it.”

I grinned and Kay laughed again.

Making the rest of them went quickly. Once we finished they put the leftovers on the tray and I took it all back into the kitchen while Kay showed Vel how to arrange the smores so they’d heat properly. When I got back they motioned for me to resettle between them. Kay pointed at the window. “Strange. I can’t remember when we last had the time to be ourselves. I’d forgotten how luxurious idleness without purpose can be.”

I felt Vel stiffen and then relax. “What is it, love?”

She snuggled closer. “Until Kay mentioned it, I never realized how driven we Rabelaisians are. We know how to relax but we don’t have the concept of ‘idleness without purpose’. You not only have it, you’ve managed to make it such a normal part of your lives you take it for granted.” She took a deep breath and I felt her body relax even further. “I’m already addicted to it. People I love to give me inner warmth. A fire to gently warm my body while I lose myself in the patterns of the falling snow…”

I looked down, then turned to Kay and smiled. Vel had fallen asleep. Kay nodded, hugged me and we turned our attention to the storm while we waited for our smores to cook.