` Something Old, Something New !

[AURELIA RAMONA OCTAVIAN]

Weddings weren't exactly Aurelia's forte, but when Scarlet had asked her to be the maid of honor, she really couldn't refuse. Her dress had been chosen by Scarlet, but Aurelia was able to choose the colours, so she settled for a nice maroon dress with a crimson sash around her waist. Her hair was up and twirled into a bun with small tendrils of curls hanging down every so often between bobby pins. She opted for dark lipstick and a light, neutral makeup scheme. She cleaned up pretty well, because she looked like some sort of business woman, attending a gala. But right now, she was standing in Paul's room, smoothing her fingers over the lapels of his suit.
"You look very handsome, Paul." She kissed his cheek and tapped his fingers as they raised to loosen his tie. As much as she loved his scruffy look when his hair was messed up and his tie was too loose, this was a big day for his brother, so Paul had to look good, too. "Stop touching the tie, Paul." She tightened it once again and ran her fingers down his chest, smiling.

"Are you excited for this?" She grinned, slipping her hands over his shoulders, letting her arms follow slowly, draping over and around his neck. "I'm actually kind of excited... Despite, y'know... The whole getting married thing. It's over-rated. I don't need a little piece of paper to tell me I'm going to be with someone." Aurelia waved her hand, rolling her eyes. "It's just a way to keep your boyfriend in check, and most marriages end because of affairs or lost affections anyway. Why get married if you're just going to leave each other?" she paused, then blinked. "I'm so cynical. I'm sorry. I do like weddings and stuff, but I think that it's something that could use a little work on who can get married." She bit her lip, then laughed a bit. "Not that I would mind a huge diamond ring." She winked at him and laughed again. "Just kidding. I'll stick with my bracelet." Aurelia wiggled her wrist, grinning. There were more charms that Paul had gotten her for holidays and special milestones in their relationship, and it was starting to piece together very nicely.
"You think you're ready to head to the venue now?"

.

[PAUL MICHAEL BRASS]

The big day was here- Paul shifted and fidgeted, trying to escape Aurelia's attention to detail. He made a move to loosen the tie that she'd fastened to him, but got caught and scolded. Pouting back at her, he settled for slouching slightly, waiting for it all to be over.
"But I know how to tie a tie..." He whined pathetically, toying with the tail of it. His attitude didn't last long, and soon he was grinning back at her despite the noose as she found other things to occupy her time.

Paul automatically slung his arms around her waist as she stepped in close, listening with raised brows as she gave her opinion.
"Oh, good, don't hold back now," He mocked with a laugh, snorting at the bit about a diamond ring. "I wouldn't hold my breath or anything. You're spoiled already." He dipped his head, touching his nose to hers before giving her a quick peck and straightening, looking toward the door. "Ready when you are."

~~~

The wedding was a small affair, even for La Porte. Despite the fact that Jon had been the one to first bring up marriage over a year ago in the wake of the discovery of the pregnancy, he was firmly set against a huge production. The result of this was a small ceremony in his hometown, attended by family and friends.

Tucked away in a willow grove adjacent to an old but well-kept bed and breakfast, white chairs had been set in rows, with tiny circular tables off to the side for the miniature reception. The atmosphere was almost casual- tiny caterer, very few staff from the inn- but classy enough.

At the moment the staff flitted around, checking things off lists, fixing table center-pieces here and there. The pale green and white theme suited the venue well. Paul walked arm and arm with Aurelia through the tables, a carrier slipped over his free right arm. Mandy hurried past with a vase full of white lilies and green gladioli, sparing a smile for Paul and Aurelia, and a coo for the carrier. Mike stood a short way away, sipping the glass of water that he had been permitted by his wife. At the moment the Brass clan made up the bulk of the guests, with an hour and a half to spare before any actual vows were spoken.

Squirming about in the carrier was the newest arrival Ian, dribbling over his lip, tiny tongue sticking out. He gazed up with thickly lashed gold eyes, pawing at his face with sock-swaddled hands. Paul glanced down, lifting the carrier to place it atop a table. The young man cast a eye over at Aurelia, there around at the willows.
"I dunno about you, but this is suddenly blowing my mind." He remarked, pursing his lips. "Kinda weird to think that this all went down in a year." He absently wiggled his fingers in front of Ian, who ignored him in favor of a clunky pair of plastic jingly keys. "Almost a year for us." He smiled, almost to himself really, blue eyes narrowing happily. "Still a lot more milestones for us to get through though."

[AURELIA RAMONA OCTAVIAN]

Breathing in deeply and letting it out slow, Aurelia grinned at Paul as he wiggled his fingers in front of Ian's little face. Ian was, of course, smashing the plastic keys on his lap, and making soft giggle-hiccup noises. Aurelia reached across Paul as her started talking about being mind-blown and how they themselves had many milestones to go. It made her blush a bit at the insinuation that he wanted her to be around that long, despite how when he first found out she was a demigod... She didn't really want to think about that right now.
"Yes, well... I'm happy you want me around that long." Aurelia smiled brightly and kissed his cheek while unbuckling Ian from the carrier. She slipped her hands under his armpits and scooped him up, pulling him close to her.
"Hey there, cutie." She cooed softly, nuzzling her nose into his cheek. Ian squealed and hugged her face, patting her ears and making gurgling baby noises. Aurelia grinned and pulled him away from her face, raising an eyebrow.
"You excited to see mummy and daddy tie the knot, Ian?" Aurelia swooped him down and sat him on her knee, bouncing him gently while she looked up at Paul, grinning. "He's just so cute!" She laughed and looked down to Ian, who was laughing so hard he kept hiccuping in between laughs and bounces.

From around the base of one of the trees, Scarlet popped out with a few curlers in her hair, dressed in a little white robe.
"Mmmm, just came to see Ian." She walked up and smiled as Aurelia handed Ian over to her. "Hi sweetie, how's my little man?" She blew a raspberry into his cheek and grinned when Ian squealed and flailed his arms around.
"You all getting ready for the wedding?" She stroked Ian's face, smiling slightly as she looked down at Aurelia and Paul, who were both smiling. "I'm pretty sure that Ian inherited one of my powers, so beware that you may get increasingly happy today..." Scarlet took a quick glance around, and frowned slightly. Aurelia tilted her head, expression becoming worried.
"Who are you looking for?" She asked, raising her eyebrows. Scarlet shook her head a bit and smiled weakly.
"My mum... I sent her and my half-siblings invitations because my dad asked me to, but they never RSVPed, so I don't think they'll be here..." Scarlet shrugged and sighed. "So! I guess I'll see you both in an hour or so..." She looked down at her watch as she handed Ian back over to Aurelia.
"Here!" Aurelia said quickly, holding up a small, blue sapphire bracelet. "You put me in charge of getting you something blue, so. Here you go!" She smiled brightly. Scarlet grinned and nodded before rushing back off to the inn to finish getting ready.

. .

[PAUL MICHAEL BRASS]

Paul raised an eyebrow, hardly taking her seriously. "'Course I do," He mumbled anyway, pulling his hand back from Ian when Aurelia scooped him up, watching the pair of them with a disarmed smile.

When Scarlet suddenly appeared he gave a little jump but grinned widely. "Hey Mystery girl," He gave a short wave, holding up the bag latched on to the carrier. "All ready here- got the little man's tux, but I thought we'd wait to put it on just in case- ya know," He laughed, miming vomiting. Knowing that being on his best behaviour involved not making his usual jokes, he refrained from pointing out that Ian's inheritance of her powers was probably a better gamble than having Jon's genes, forgetting for a moment that the fact that his brother was an unnatural cancelled out the chances of it.
When the young woman glanced around, he first thought she was looking for Jon, but frowned sympathetically at the mention of her family. When Scarlet handed Ian back over, now armed with her new bracelet and ready to dash off, Paul held his arms out wide to motion at the few people around them. "Hey, don't worry about it, you've got us!" He called after her, trying to sound supportive.

"So you really like babies, huh?" He laughed, tickling Ian's tummy where he rested in Aurelia's arms. Paul seemed to be comfortable being an uncle- he was the kind of guy who could be left to babysit, whereas Jon...well, being a father hadn't exactly improved his view of children in the past few months. He was affectionate to his son, but his son alone, sparing little thought for other people's demon spawn. He also wasn't that competent with kids to begin with, but he tried his best.

"So, have you thought about my offer at all?" He asked, leaning elbows down on the table, looking over at Aurelia. He'd been after her for some time now to accept his invitation regarding where she was living for the new school year. He was sharing a rented house with a couple other students, but it just wouldn't be the same without the girl who'd practically been his roomie since the previous fall.

[AURELIA RAMONA OCTAVIAN]

Aurelia bit her lip as Paul mentioned the house again. She had been trying to avoid the situation for a while now, considering her answer was leaning more towards a definite no. It just wasn't in her budget. She didn't have enough to pay for rent, utilities, and food, as well as her cell-phone bill. But her school housing was covered by Thaddeus, and the only thing she had to pay for was her cell phone, and any random things she thought were cute.
"I still haven't really thought about it..." Aurelia said quietly, cradling Ian in her arms while he chugged on a bottle she had popped between his lips. "Like, I want to... I really, really do. But if I leave the school housing. Thaddeus won't pay my bills with my scholarship anymore." She frowned and rubbed her face, sighing loudly. Ian held the bottle with his own two hands and rolled a bit, grinning as he tried to escape, realizing he didn't have enough hands to do so. Aurelia laughed and set him in his carrier, raising an eyebrow.

"It's your turn to burp him after his bottle." She poked his nose and smiled, leaning forward to kiss him. "I'll give you a definite answer at the end of the week, okay? I promise." She nodded firmly and smacked her fist on top of her palm. "My solid word!" Aurelia spoke with a declaration-like tone, before standing up. "I'm going to go see if there's a place we can change him." She motioned to Ian before darting off to the little inn. Hopefully there was an empty room she could use to put Ian's little tux on him. Although Ian was being carried down the aisle, Aurelia thought she'd surprise Scarlet and Jon by showing them that Ian was almost able to walk a whole 6 steps now-a good feat to his original 2 steps, followed by a face plant.

Once she found a suitable room, she texted Paul to bring Ian inside, and then sat down, waiting for him to get there. Now she ahd to think about the house situation... She could always ask for financial aid from a human bank... Aurelia frowned at the thought. Having to pay back money to a human bank versus getting a free ride through school-something she worked her ass off for... Would Paul be mad if she chose school over living with him? It's not like she wouldn't come spend the night all the time... She'd just have a dorm room, too... She slumped in her chair and rubbed at her face. Why did living situations have to be difficult when you fell in love?

. .

[PAUL MICHAEL BRASS]

Paul leaned forward eagerly at first, but slumped back while she waffled, face falling into a pout as she made her case.
"Well...okay..." He mumbled in response to the end-of-the-week deadline, watching her rise and place Ian back in his carrier. He didn't want to pressure her, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't a little disappointed.

Paul left the table not too long after Aurelia, taking his time in tracing her footsteps to the inn, speaking quietly to Ian as he walked, getting nothing but burbled responses in return. As he walked he mused over Aurelia's very valid reasoning, conceding that it was a bit unfair of him to expect her to drop everything and come move in with him. His parents covered a large enough portion of his education for his loans to be rather small throughout the year. It also didn't hurt to have family in the city, giving him a place to stay in those uncertain days before he moved in, or during lonely holidays. And food. Lots of opportunity to mooch off of Scarlet on quiet nights when he visited the tiny apartment- during which Jon made a point of reminding his younger brother than it wouldn't be long before they moved into a bigger place, just as soon as they had the money. There was common ground then among the four young people then, though Paul rarely stopped to think of his good fortune. It was with a slightly sheepish look that he found Aurelia, ashamed to have burdened her with the idea. When he stopped to think about it, they'd most likely spent most of their time together anyway, and at least now they'd have separate places to crash if they ever needed some time apart.

Setting the carrier on the floor, Paul plucked Ian out and propped him in his lap, he grinned for his girlfriend's sake.
"I looked through the other rooms on the way in here. Funny how Jon's nowhere to be found..." He remarked, knowing full-well that no one took the threat of a runaway groom seriously- besides, he was about 85% sure that Jon wasn't even here yet. It would be just like his brother to hold out until the last second- for all he knew, Mr Jonathan Brass was roaring down a highway somewhere on his norton, musing about life or something. But maybe he'd have the slightest regard for his soon-to-be wife, and instead be shaving and washing his hair or some such thing.
"Ya know, I probably should have stayed with him to make sure he actually left the house, I think it might have been my job to force him to show up..." Paul frowned thoughtfully, letting Ian grab one of his hands and begin to gnaw on his thumb. Being the only groomsman, he could have taken better care to ease Jon into the big day, being the more laid-back of the two brothers.

Passing the time with topics like school and course loads, Paul teamed up with Aurelia to snap Ian into the little tux, cracking jokes all the while at the little guy's expense.

[AURELIA RAMONA OCTAVIAN]

Aurelia grinned at Paul's comments about Jon. Of course, as expected, Jon had taken off sometime early this morning. Aurelia thought it was for a surprise, but everyone else-Scarlet almost included-thought he had run away from his fiancee and child. But while Aurelia was wrenching that squirming arm of Ian into one of the sleeves of his tiny little tux, she was thinking about the possibility of him actually abandoning the wedding... It just wasn't plausible. There was no where for him to go, really. The gas it would take in his bike would cost to much to get to the airport, and even if he got there, he wouldn't want to leave his bike in the parking lot. So someone would have to come get it. And everyone he knew who rode motorcycles was at the wedding, which means they'd alert everyone else, and they would know by now. So, he couldn't have ran away. Aurelia laughed and scooped Ian up under the armpits when he was fully clothed and grinned.

"What do you think, Ian? Did you daddy up and leave, or did he just go for some thoughts and he'll be back last minute?" Her head tilted, as she waited with a faux-anxious face, to which she received a spit bubble anthem in reply. Laughing, she wiped off Ian's mouth with a napkin and kissed his forehead.
"My thoughts exactly. He'll be here!" She looked up to Paul and set Ian in his carrier, buckling him up.
"So, we've got..." Aurelia's eyes wandered to the clock sitting above the rooms fireplace. "30 minutes before we have to be in position." She moved closer and slipped her arms around to his sides, raising up ever-so-slightly to graze her lips against his, before settling back down on her heels. It was so fun to tease him when they were pressed for time. His face was always adorable when he wanted something.
"We could go outside, or go look for Scarlet and Jon... Or..." Her eyes wandered to the open room door, watching people pass as they went, not really paying any mind to the couple standing in the room.

Since the summer had started, they had been too busy to really get intimate. Stealing kisses between Aurelia's summer-class and down-time, and then Paul had left, and when Aurelia arrived here, she wasn't allowed to sleep in Paul's room because a) his mother looked uncomfortable with the idea, and b) she wanted to respect his household, and not let his mother think she was some loose floozy. So, the physical aspect or their relationship was a bit dwindled at this point. Every touch was chock full of electricity, because she had gone so long without the contact, that it was like they had just started their relationship all over again. So, without really thinking about it, she had her hands on his face and in his hair, lips pressed hard against his, tugging him closer with pretty much all she had. When she finally let him go, she still kept him close, breathing heavily as she watched little blue tendrils of sparks slip around his mouth. She could only imagine what her mouth was doing.

"Sorry." She breathed, smiling a little.
"Not really, but it's just been so long since I did that... I figured I should." Aurelia nodded and smoothed out his hair again, laughing a bit at the shocked look she had given in.
"I hope you still have that comb in your pocket..." She blushed and let him go finally, smoothing out her dress.

. .