In Which Adonis Decides to Be Serious

November 18, 1199

"So. My brother got married."

Alina's lips twitched as Adonis joined her on the bench in his father's foyer. She hadn't smiled much in the past few months--not since she'd found out about... well, everything. It had taken her a while to tell him, even. And he was her boyfriend! Granted, some times, boyfriends were at the top of the list of people whose reactions could destroy everything. What Alina needed was understanding, and Adonis would have been one hell of a lousy boyfriend if he hadn't been able to give her that.

But, in spite of the circumstances... he hoped he could make her forget about all that every now and then too, if just for a few minutes.

"I know. It was ten minutes ago. I was there."

"Oh, so that was you; I couldn't quite tell from that angle." Adonis winked. "Could have been any beautiful woman from where I was seating. But, then again, I thought she was the most beautiful woman in the room, so I should have known."

"You should have--though, maybe don't mention that in the bride's hearing. Or the groom's."

"Lucky thing they've still got a line of well-wishers waiting to greet them, then. But next time, it'll be our turn."

Alina's pursed her lips slightly as her head shook toward the wall. "Mmmm... I'm fairly sure that Prior and Neva are getting married in two weeks."

"All right: Prior and Neva's turn next, then ours."

"Actually, I think that would be Wolf and Gennie on Christmas."

"Bah!" Too many weddings! But... at least she had mentioned Prior without any distinct hesitation? Prior, her secret twin brother who she hadn't known was her twin brother until very recently? "Well, it'll be us eventually."

"Providing you don't find a prettier woman in some other room," she teased as he slipped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her within snuggling distance. "Perhaps I ought to lock you down before that happens. When do you graduate, again?"

"The end of March, unless Aunt Raia plans to overhaul the entire university calendar in a very short space of time."

"Then I suppose I should marry you in April. I can't imagine have any other plans for your birthday?" She nudged his jawline with her nose and giggled--then pulled away somewhat, a puzzled grimace on her face as she met his eye. "All right, I just need to clarify: are we teasing here, or are we being serious?"

Adonis shrugged. "Do you want us to be being serious?"

"Do you want me to want us to be being serious?"

"Do you want me to want you to want me to--ah, I've lost track already. You do have the brains between the two of us, remember; I just got the gorgeous hair." And, if he hadn't caved to his little sisters' insistence on playing with it, he would have flipped that gorgeous hair for emphasis. But, for once in his life, his hair wasn't really what he wanted to think about. "I think I seriously just want to marry you on my birthday."

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