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Eternal Blossom

Feliz Navidad

Christmas came about, and they spent breakfast of Christmas Eve with Yona. They showed up early, and he had a large breakfast prepared for Brian and Aiyana by the time that they arrived. Everything had gone wonderfully, and Yona was thrilled with the present of silver and turquoise jewelry that she and Brian had picked out for him while on reservation for the wedding.
In return, he had gotten them a set of tickets for Fleetwood Mac’s 35th anniversary tour of the Rumours CD, and a voucher for a free hotel night, courtesy of him and James. Aiyana squealed in delight and hugged her father tightly before Brian clasped him in a man-hug as he told him thank you as well.


As they drove over to his father’s house, he noticed that she was looking out the window and chewing the inside of her cheek adorably in a fit of nerves. Placing his hand on top of her thigh, he gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile as she placed her hand on top of his.

In all the time that they had been together, she’d met his family once, but it was just in passing at the Halloween party at Zacky’s house. They had left before she’d gotten trashed, thankfully, and she was nervous to spend the rest of the day with them at their home.

Brian pulled into the driveway and shut the car off before turning in his seat to face her, a small smile on his thin lips.

“Babe, take a breath. They already like you. The only one you haven’t met is McKenna, and she’ll love you. Just remember, my dad is a man that often thinks he’s a lot funnier than he really is, and you’ll be fine.”

Aiyana nodded, and was about to respond when his lips touched hers and she relaxed into the kiss. He brought his hand up to rest on the back of her neck, holding her to him a little longer. With his forehead against hers, he looked into her eyes with those molten chocolate depths, and she knew it was going to be okay.

Walking into the house, Aiyana was hugged and greeted by Suzy and Brian Senior. McKenna was last, and opted for a hand shake instead of the hugs that her parents had given. Brian had explained that McKenna was very much an introvert that was not prone to public displays of affection unless you were family or someone she knew well, so Aiyana took absolutely no offense to the gesture.

“Alright, so can I help you in the kitchen, Suzy,” Aiyana asked, clasping her hands in front of herself. She figured that if she was going to be there, she might as well be helpful.

With a surprised look, Suzy just nodded, and led her into the kitchen. Both of the Brian’s watched them go before giving each other a knowing look. None of Brian’s prior girlfriends had ever offered to help cook with Suzy, preferring to cling to Brian in an unfamiliar environment. The men took off for the living room, and McKenna trailed into the kitchen following the women.

“If you would be so kind, I’ve got the seasonings right over there on the counter. The ham needs to be seasoned while I check on the things on the stove,” Suzy said as she turned to the stove full of pots and pans.

“Yes ma’am,” Aiyana said before washing her hands and getting started.

McKenna boosted herself up onto the counter and watched the women work, popping a raw carrot stick into her mouth as she did so. She was curious about the new woman, but not brazen enough to actually ask her anything.

Aiyana noticed McKenna take up Brian’s usual position in her own home, and smirked to herself. Must be one of those Haner family traits.

“So, Brian tells us that you’re an artist,” Suzy said, cutting through the peaceful silence of the room.

“Yes ma’am. I paint and do digital art mostly. I just dabble in a wide array of things, to be honest. Those are just what I’ve made a name for myself in,” she responded with a smile.

“What else do you do,” McKenna asked from her perch.

“Well, my cousin owns a tattoo shop, so I do tattoo a bit, but I’m also a licensed massage therapist,” Aiyana said, looking up into the brown eyes of McKenna’s that matched her brothers.

“But are you any good,” McKenna countered with a sideways smirk.

“Not as good as Rayne, but I’d say I’m decent. Just a second and I’ll show you some of my work. I have a few pictures on my phone,” Aiyana replied before covering up the ham and placing it in the oven.

The raven haired woman washed her hands again, and then pulled her phone out of her purse. Opening it to the gallery of her art work, she handed it to McKenna, and walked over to the sink to start wiping down the counters since she hadn’t been given anything else to do just yet.

McKenna started flipping through the pictures, tilting her head every so often, and murmuring little things here and there about the finished tattoos and paintings. Soon, Suzy went to her side and looked at the phone with her, curious as to just what type of art Aiyana did.

Aiyana finished the counters, and saw a pot starting to boil over. Slipping the wooden spoon out of Suzy’s hand, she placed it over the pot, and sighed softly when it stopped the pot from boiling over and creating a mess.

Suzy watched her movements and smiled, realizing that Aiyana knew what she was doing in the kitchen.

“I hear you have some kind of amazing biscuit recipe. Can you whip up a batch or two,” she asked with a smile to the younger woman.

“Of course. Point me to your pantry, and do you have an iron skillet,” Aiyana asked, already thinking of everything she would need.

McKenna turned the phone off, and set it on the counter before hopping down and walking to the pantry. As she pulled the door open, she waved inside as if she was Vana White, displaying the contents for perusal. Aiyana laughed, and curtsied before stepping in to find what she needed.

McKenna leaned on the door and spoke in her usual soft tone, “You’re actually really good at what you do. You shouldn’t be so modest about it. Do you do hair and makeup too?”

Gathering supplies in her arms, Aiyana turned around with a sheepish grin, and nodded.

“Thank you, that’s very kind. Yes, I’ve dabbled here and there. I had to learn quickly and teach myself because my dad is absolute shit with his own makeup routine,” she laughed.

McKenna burst out laughing while Suzy stood there looking shocked. Brian had told them that Aiyana’s mother was dead, but hadn’t said how long she’d been gone or the circumstances of her death.

“She didn’t mean,” Suzy began apologetically.

“It’s fine. Really. My mom died with my aunt and uncle when I was little, so my dad raised me and my cousin. He never got remarried, so we didn’t really have a female role model for those things. Therapy works wonders, and I deal with a lot of things through laughter,” Aiyana said with a small smile, cutting Suzy off mid apology.

“In that case, you’re going to get along with the Senior citizen of the house quite well,” Suzy told her with a smile.


The rest of the preparations went off without a hitch, and there was even light bantering and playful chit chat among the three women as they worked well together getting dinner ready.

“I smell heaven,” Brian announced as he walked into the kitchen, having smelt the freshly baked biscuits all the way into the living room.

“Yes, but you can’t have any just yet. They’re for the meal,” Aiyana informed him as she slapped his hand away from the cooling biscuits.

Papa Gates laughed from the doorway, and then gave Aiyana the biggest puppy eyes she’d ever seen in her life. He walked up to her, and held his hands out in front of him, palms up as if requesting alms for the poor.

Aiyana laughed loudly and placed a warm biscuit in his hands, shaking her head as Brian began to protest his not getting any.

“But you let the old man have one,” Brian complained, reaching again for the pile of biscuits.

“And I said no to you, Brian,” Aiyana laughed, “You’ve had them before. He hasn’t. Plus, did you see that face? It was adorable!”

“Don’t tell him that, Aiyana, he’ll use it to get away with murder,” Suzy groaned as she plattered up the last thing from the stove.

Brian Senior smiled at his son and wiggled his eyebrows as he bit into the biscuit, making a show of how he’d gotten one when his son hadn’t. He started chewing the biscuit in an exaggerated fashion, moaning his approval loudly as he looked at his son.

Brian reached out and snagged the remainder of the biscuit from his father in an act of retaliation, popping it into his mouth with a grin. Aiyana laughed and shrugged when Papa Gates looked at her for support.

“Stop messing around and go take a seat at the table,” Suzy told the guys affectionately before placing the platter with the ham on it in Brian Senior’s hands.

Aiyana handed Brian the platter of biscuits, and shooed him out of the kitchen as well before grabbing a few platters herself to carry to the table that McKenna had finished setting.


Dinner went well, with everyone talking and laughing as they ate. As they stood up from the table, Aiyana and McKenna cleared the table of dirty dishes while the two Brians helped Suzy carry the left overs into the kitchen and put them away.

Walking into the living room, they all sat together talking about Brian, telling stories from as he was growing up, and Aiyana felt like she hadn't laughed so much in her entire life. She was having a blast with the Haners', and she hadn't realized just how much time had passed.

The time for gifts eventually rolled around, and Brian gave them his gift of a weekend getaway in Vegas for two, saying he would be happy to have McKenna stay with him during that time. Then, he handed McKenna a purple with light blue pin striping version of his signature Schecter.

He laughed heartily when his father gave him a record of his studio work that said, ‘I fucked your mom, Love Dad, 1980.’ When Brian Senior demanded a photo, though, Brian scowled in the picture playfully.

After that, Suzy handed Brian and Aiyana each a set of matching large canvas prints she’d had made that were great pictures of the two of them together. Brian had sent her a few of the pictures at her request, not knowing what she wanted them for other than to be nosey and see the face of the girl he was dating.

“Thank ya’ll so much,” Aiyana said as a big smile took over her face at the thoughtful gift. “I know just the place to hang mine.”

“Thanks, Suz. As usual, your gift is way classier than dad’s,” Brian told Suzy and Brian with a matching smile.


Finally noticing the time, hugs were passed out, McKenna joining in on the action this time, and they all said goodbye as Brian and Aiyana head out the door to go back to Brian’s house.

“I think that went rather well,” he smiled over at her as he pulled out of the drive way.

“It did. I really like them, Bri,” she said, her cheeks still glowing from the peals of laughter they’d kept her in.

“They like you too, Aiya. Even McKenna loosened up around you. You must have had some effect on her for her to loosen up that quickly,” he told her as he grabbed her hand, lacing their fingers as he rested them on his own thigh.

“She was distant until she asked if I did make up too, and I told her I had to learn myself because my dad was shit with his own,” she laughed, remembering the shocked look on Suzy’s face.

Brian laughed loudly, imagining Yona trying to put makeup on. Raising her hand to his lips, he kissed the back of it before glancing at her, love filling him at how well she’d meshed with his family.

“I love you,” he told her with a wink.

“I love you too, handsome,” she responded with a big smile. She would never get tired of hearing or saying those words with him, she thought to herself.

Notes

Thank you all for sticking with me this far. :)

Comments

@RamonaFoREVer
No, they haven't been shipped yet. I'll totally accept Briyana. :D

Buggaloo Buggaloo
6/16/19

Brian and Aiyana are official!! I knew I was backing them for a reason! Woohoo!
Have we ship named them yet? Because the obvious one here is Briyana ;)

RamonaFoREVer RamonaFoREVer
6/12/19

@overneaththepathofmisery
You were so close when you were predicting before it was so hard for me not to say something then. Lol

Buggaloo Buggaloo
5/26/19

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! BABY!

@Buggaloo
I'm at chapter 20 so far and I'm 100% team Brian!!

RamonaFoREVer RamonaFoREVer
5/24/19