A T R E U S
Mature content 18+
"I do." My father said smiling down at my mother. It felt almost like we were invading on something as they just stared at each other through the entire ceremony. Then it was inspiring that after twenty-eight years they are still so in love, even after all that they went through.
All in all, no marriage was perfect but they both found each other after all the fights, disagreements, arguments that set everyone on edge, through everything.
"In the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife, again." The minister said, stepping back. He didn't even get to finish before they were both on each other.
My sisters all groaned in unison, though we saw it too many times already it never got easier. I clapped along with my family who cheered for them both. Don't get me wrong we were happy for them no matter what, it was sweet I suppose.
I wanted to be just like that with my future wife. Inseparable most of the time, but still able to bicker and quarrel and somehow find our way back to each other like nothing happened.
"Let's get this party started!" Uncle Louis said loudly, pulling a champagne bottle from thin air and interrupting their moment by spraying them with it.
-
Sipping on my Gin, I watched as my family conversed so carelessly. It was a rare time to have everyone together in the same place at the same time, so they were really taking advantage of that. After the ceremony we moved from the location we were at to the family's mansion here in France.
The land expanded behind the house holding a garden of different flowers and behind was a circular maze of hedges. From the house the stone path lead over a small canal of water that was used to water the garden to where we gathered below the tents around the low in ground fountain. My parents weren't missing in action like usual rather in the middle of everything with all our parents.
"Thought your girlfriend was coming." Orion said in greeting, dropping into the empty space beside me on the outdoor settee.
I hummed and gulped down the remnants of my drink before answering, "She is, just isn't here yet."
"Is that why you're mopping around and souring the mood." Imani said with exasperation and dropped into the seat opposite the one we sat on.
"Where there's one there's two."
"You didn't deny it." I furrowed my brows at Orion's excited words, cocking one at him.
"That she's your girlfriend, every other time you denied it."
"Well she is now but she wasn't then."
I snapped from my happy thoughts that I got lost in for a second and looked back to Imani, "And I'm not moping around I'm just staying away from crowded places," I spared a glance to where my sisters, our cousins where "And staying away from too many questions." Then I spared a glace to where our parents and grandparents were.
"Crowded places or a certain person in the said crowded places?" Orion added teasingly, extremely joyous of my misery.
I would so like to spend time with my cousins, even her but not her persistent attitude that drives me to annoyance. It may sound irrational but I want to stay I that mind frame where my attention in solely on my woman that I haven't seen in weeks.
"Galina is just eating this up and spitting it out." Imani laughed out and turned her phone to show me the text in the family chat with her less than obvious intent to call me out even if she didn't use pronouns or say my name.
Messages flowed in some confused and the rest very much aware. I groaned and looked across to my sister who was already looking at me. I sent her a very aggressive middle finger which she mimicked with a smirk.
"Come on man, I came to get you because you really can't stay here all day." Sighing I stood with Orion, steering off to get a drink before I joined them.
While refilling my glass at the bar, my phone buzzed in my pocket.
'I was held back a few hours, but I'll be there in at least thirty minutes.'
I smiled at that because it was almost as if she heard my thoughts. I sent a quick text back as I moved to where the most noise came from.
"You just can't stop smiling." Galina called me out as I dropped into the vacant seat that made up the circle of us.
"Thanks for stating the obvious." She made a disgusted face at what I said, faking a gag.
"You're welcome.." I feigned a motionless and humourless laugh with her smug one. If this was how Vera and Odessa saw me, as the annoying younger sibling, then I was so very sorry.
"You're always on Atreus and you have no relationship status." I chuckled at Odessa's plain words as she sipped on her drink rocked back in a single seater.
"Who said I wanted a relationship status." Galina shot back with rapid fire, getting serious. I don't know what it was with my sisters but none of them knew anything of commitment and weren't ashamed of it. I mean they don't need to be committed since they don't have any romantic relationship of the sort.
"To me you are going on and on about it so you seem affected." Odessa was the wrong person to do this with. She had no filter and was as blunt the next person.
"That along with all the sneaking around you've been doing since we arrived in France." Vera added in not a second later.
"And don't say what I know you're going to say because you don't care about privacy, and you aren't modest." it was so amusing as they both kept digging it in deeper and deeper.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." She answered smoothly, holding their stare, not wavering.
"Carmen." Odessa sung her name turning to our cousin who acted like she wasn't listening and took the opportunity to drink from her glass, very slowly.
"I'm going to get another drink- does anyone want a drink?" She said instead, getting up from her chair. Galina groaned at her suspicious departure and followed her to the bar.
They fell into conversation again, all watching their words aware of Kai and Audenzia who hung around. Odin was most likely insode where the AC and the comfort was.
When the seat beside me became vacant when Kyra left it, it was filled without a second to spare.
"I was beginning to think we were strangers." Aria fell back in the seat beside mine. Besides her obvious motives she was genuinely an entertaining person to be around, I mean you can't expect anything less if you grew up with Galina and Carmen.
"I wouldn't want that." I said smoothly, no doubt did she miss the underlying message when she hummed.
After a short moment of silence, she laughed and shrugged her shoulders silently, "How have you been, it feels like I haven't seen you in years?"
Seeing as she spent most of her life in Spain it was hard to miss her accent that was still a bit diluted compared to her mothers.
Over the years you could hear a slight change in how my mother pronounced some of her words, but her accent was still very prominent just not as strong. With that she never stopped visiting Spain and never stopped talking Spanish, we grew up hearing her speak it to us so it's like a conscious thing to speak it with her.
"I've been good, really good, you?" I don't give much though I'm sure she wanted to hear more.
"Spain is so boring sometimes with only that side of the family, I think I'll be moving soon." Her mother was a famous modal in Europe and her too is a modal but claimed that part of her family was nothing compared to us.
"Really? Well good luck, no doubt you'll be entertained day and night here in America."
"I'm sure I will be...well as long as you agree to spend more time with me." Bold.
"I don't live with mom and dad anymore but when we have family dinner, I'd be more than happy too." I made sure and added the word family.
She laughed at that, nodding her head slowly, "I'm not sure if you're just too oblivious or just chose to ignore."
"More the latter." I retorted back in rapid speed, completely unfazed.
Before she could say anything, I cut her off, "This is my parents' day and I don't want to cause a scene with something that I've gone over time and time again with you. I care for you, and I do wish to spend time with you, just like with all my other cousins because that's what we are, cousins. I'm in a relationship now and I won't tolerate the small slip ups anymore, especially when Dariya is around, you shall not disrespect her like that. Family or not." I said lowly but strongly making sure she saw the seriousness in my eyes as I held her stare.
"¿Comprendes?"
She stayed silent for a long moment, holding my stare, "Comprendo."
"Good, now would you like a refill?" I collected her glass when she answered and went to the bar. I had this conversation before but I wasn't in a relationship then and I am now so she must thread light waters.
I passed by my parents after dropping it off, falling into light conversation with them and my mother's siblings. When the questions started, and they began teasing me about all the wrong things that I was too early in my relationship for I made a break for it.
I think it was just so entertaining for them since I was the only child in my generation of the family that was in a serious relationship. Most of us were still young so it would be a while again before every single one of us chose to settle down.
"Atrea." I'm broken from my thoughts as Kai comes running up to me, Vera's dog Enyo coming along behind and standing guard at his back.
I crouched to his height as he holds a pad out to me. When I take it, he giggles wildly and dashes off to where he came from inside the house with our grandfather. At least I hope he was with him because then how would he be able to get the security pad from the wall.
Tapping the screen to wake it up, I saw it already on a set camera the one by the gate. I didn't recognize the car, but I did recognize the person in the front seat who typed away on her phone. As I typed in the code for the gate to open automatically my phone buzzed with an incoming text message.
Setting into motion, I went the way Kai came running from to the tall French double doors that lead into the chateau style mansion. I passed by the two who were occupied with Odin on building a Lego spaceship in the living room.
By the time I exited the front door, her car was already pulled up on the stone driveway that was already packed with cars. I couldn't help my sigh of content upon seeing her as I walked down the steps. A song popped into my head at that, and it does feel like heaven when I'm with her.
Her eyes met mine, her giddy smile mimicking mine. I didn't wait for her to say anything or say anything as I grabbed her up in my arms and pulled her flush against my body. Revelling at the feeling, both hands slipped around her torso as I buried my head in the crook of her neck.
She smelt so good. The scent that faded over time on my sheets and in my bedroom.
Purring at the feel of her fingers in my hair and her hands on me, I pulled back slightly to look at her. I just stared and it helped that she stared right back just as shamelessly.
"I can't breathe."
Her brows furrowed at my words, silently questioning as her fingers tickled my stubble.
"I can't breathe because you take my breath away."
Feeling conflicted, I pulled her closer and slanted my lips over hers, stopping her short. I held the back of her neck, fingers threading through her hair as I tilted her head back. She kissed back in tune, both arms wrapping around my neck and pulling me lower to lean with her as she leaned back.
Groaning into the kiss, I moved my hand to slide down her back. I felt her lips turn into a smile on mine as she grabbed my wrist before my hand got to low. Everything had me all giddy as I chuckled and deepened the kiss. It was the sweetest and most noticeable memory muscle as I kissed her with that rhythm that instigated so much heated moments.
Nipping her bottom lip, I tugged on it as I pulled away and licked it to ease when I let go. I had to bite down on mine as her eyes fluttered open slowly, breaths quick.
Hands planting on my chest she pushed be back slightly, "Let's not start something we can't finish."
"Honestly it wouldn't take much, I'm sure the front seat of your car is big enough." She sent me a look at that made me grin.
"I missed you so much." She whispered and wrapped her arms around my neck and leaning her head into the crook of my neck.
"Feeling's mutual."
Hands on her waist, I pulled away from the hug, taking a step back to take her in. I traced my finger down the neckline of the low V shaped long sleeve blouse that was slightly skin tight. The royal blue colour matched her heels and my tuxs pants along with my long-discarded jacket. The bleach white silk pants fit tightly around her thighs before following out to just about her ankles, just enough to show off the heels.
"I think I need a new vocabulary or maybe I should make up some words because you look..." I sighed and shook my head, truly lost for words.
She shook her head with an amused smile and took my wrist to remove my hand from her chest when I got closer to her cleavage.
"I never knew you were so sly." She whispered and pecked my lips in silent thanks.
"I'm being serious." I retorted; eyes followed her every move as she leaned over into her car to get her clutch. I followed as she went to the front to the trunk.
She pulled out a long flat wrapped box along with a small gift bag.
"This is for you." A silk red bag was placed in my palm. With furrowed brows, I squeezed and felt a box inside.
"Am I missing something?"
"Well, you were missing me but really I just felt like getting you something nice." With that she gestured for me to open it, keeping the other two items on hand as she closed the trunk.
"You really didn't have to-," Her finger flattening against my lips stopped my words short. I held her persistent stare, wanting to put up a fight but sighed and gave in.
Pulling the silk string to untie it, I tipped it over in my palm and caught the square box that had some heft to it. It filled my hand, significantly bigger than I expected.
Meeting her stare again for a moment, I flipped the top of the blue velvet box open. I'm met by a pair of solid golf cufflinks that had my initials on either one. The top of a round faced watch sat above it. Lifting it closer with furrowed brows I read what I thought was and definitely is my name behind the glass un the middle of the analogy clock. All gold, littered generously with diamonds.
"This...this probably cost a fortune, baby I can't accept this-" I'm cut off again by her words.
"You can and will because I'm not going to find another Atreus Castro to give it to." She took a step closer to me, placing my next hand above the items I held.
"And I am worth a fortune...baby." Her lips planted on my cheek, wafting my senses with her scent. Her lips grazed my jaw as she pulled back and turned to the house.
"Shall we?"
Leaning forward I kissed her neck and thanked her softly. She was my fortune, all mine.
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