✗ Company: Victoria & Aubrey ┋✗ Location: Saisons ┋ ✗ Wearing: TBA ┋ ✗ Status: Relaxed
His aunt had reached out to him recently; his mother's side of the family, who very much belonged on a side of town like this, wanted to meet him. As he drove down the perfectly manicured and aristocratic streets of uptown, Tyrese's mind was occupied with thoughts of how his mother had grown up, and how she'd feel knowing her son had made it to a 'similar' class. His imagination aligned her with Patrick, Lillian, and Finn, whom all had said the lifestyle didn't fit him, or that it was a far cry from his 'humble' nature. The wolf, however, hadn't been raised in Kent despite being so country orientated. Until he reached the age of fourteen, he'd been a city lad of Manchester…Unsurprisingly, they lived there because that was where her upper class family lived; she'd never gone far from them even after having him, he'd just never known as much. He hadn’t hated growing up in Manchester and he didn't hate it here. The castle-like structures of Lumiere reminded him a bit of the buildings there. It made him next wonder if her family visited here at some point, or if coming into a measure of wealth was proof of his lineage. That was scoffable.
Still, the wolf thought about how they'd said it was unlike him to embrace the opportunities that came with being well known, and found some amusement in their assumptions that he'd sold himself out by not staying a trigger-happy introvert who'd want to live in isolation and simplicity. The real truth of the matter was, they'd known a person he'd never willingly been. He'd never thought he'd actually make it out of the abuse or outgrow being a social pariah, it was never that he hadn't wanted to. In truth, after a childhood of moving from apartment to apartment as his disinherited mother struggled to make ends meet…he'd long promised himself that he'd have, if nothing else, a really nice house should he ever come to afford it in his lifetime. He'd never dared to dream as big as international book sales or a mansion, or anything he had. Everything else, things that seemed so unlikely to come to him…sat beside him, stroking the back of his hand as his mind sailed languidly through memories and observations, occasionally drawing him back to reality to return her smile.
Who knew love could be unconditional? Tyrese hummed, sliding his pointer finger up Aubrey's inner thigh until he only just brushed the healed mark placed there. Thoughts that started at kissing the candied gloss off her lips trailed off as he recalled the other company in the car. He'd gotten close to neither his aunt nor his uncle, but had hoped news of a baby would change that. You'd want family involved, right? Yet, either through a verbal warning or a general sense of the ambiance, he knew it wasn't a subject to be lightly chatted on. The ginger in the backseat gave off a coarse feeling in small waves, but all the same, she seemed to be making an effort; Tyrese was simply happy that Bree had the extra social padding around herself. The wolf hadn't gone looking for new connections since Finn and Lillian practically eloped. Such isolation wasn't an inconsequential occurrence for a social animal, either. If not for the fact he'd cleaved onto Aubrey in that time, he couldn't say he'd be doing very well in the aftermath of all that had happened in the past year.
Then, it must be just as lucky that Victoria had Aubrey, too. He'd have let them come together while he stayed to persuade the other bluenette along, only, just as Aubrey shuttered over the memory, he'd settled not to take the chance with this city, not when it came to his mate or the expecting ginger she kept company with. Squeezing her hand back, he was the last to release his seatbelt and open his car door. He'd only paused to check his hair when both women were out already, he withheld a disapproving huff Aubrey's way. It was swept aside with ease as he took her hand, making sure she avoided the buildup of paved snow as they left the carpark and joined the speckles of groups and couples gradually making their way inside. The noise from the ballroom was palatable before he'd fully crossed the threshold, but still paled in comparison to the click of Victoria's heels. Tyrese strayed on his own to walk over to the reception desk and pay for two rooms, his ears all the while keen to the candid conversation of the pair.
One thing in particular was aimed at him and his mate. "Only when she's expecting?" But maybe he should be thankful his mate hadn't made gossip out of his 'male wife' personality, not to say he could be entirely discredited after harassing her bar patrons. As to whether she was carrying yet, Tyrese was all too aware of the inclination to get started, and had been coming around to it, albeit slowly. He wanted to enjoy her as his wife for a while first, which required proposing; and while he was willing to exchange that for a quick ceremony with a wedding coming later, it wasn't his only concern. There was Sela, she'd seemed okay despite the swift transition from Lillian to Aubrey, but he should talk to her to be sure she was okay with another series of changes. Aubrey moving in, becoming her mom, and a new baby, all so close together. He'd already exposed her to so many hardships. Shaking his head to himself, he pocketed one room key and gently nudged the second to Aubrey, nodding to Victoria. Her choice, he wouldn't care about the waste of money if not.
The second set of doors opened to usher them into the ballroom, already amply full and buzzing with noise. This time he wouldn't head to the bar to wait for anyone to show up, he wouldn't have the first dance with someone who was merely a fantasy. For now, though, he was willing to hand her off to Victoria, his eyes silently wandering the room. "I'll fetch refreshments and find you after."
Out Of Chamomile:
oOBookwormYumiOo"
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