Attending business

While Amelia was a blessing in their life, were there still things that needed their attention as well. One of them was the business that they were working on. Eden had gone ahead to meet with a possible partnership and it had gone quite well. At least the vampyre was optimistic. He had called his husband, asking him to come over, given that he had the time to do so. The meeting with Amelia's nanny was also rather soon, so their schedules sort of drifted them apart; Not that it was bad. Distance made the heart fonder, that was what they would say right? Eden still took the time to hold the sleeping lycan at night, even if he would have to go next morning. "I wont make any decisions without knowing what my husband thinks of it first." Eden admitted flat out. Even if he liked the energy and what the guy had to offer, was it really up to Romeo. He went out to have a smoke, standing outside as he waited, drifting a little off in his thoughts as he stood there and lightly sucked on the cigarette to fill his lungs. He blew it out his nose with a small sigh, his eyes mindlessly following the passing traffic.

Things took time. And the business him and Eden were building were soon enough ready to be introduced to the stock exchange as well as the market itself. It felt almost surreal. Eden had called him there, and he of course took the time to stop by. Checking the offer, the numbers as well as the prospects he found it all very agreeable, humming to himself as he let Eden know that this was indeed something they could use.
However time wasn't truly in their favor these days. Things took time, but they were lucky that the meeting with the nanny had went so well. Her and Amelia surely got along, and for at time Romeo could have a bit of time to work and simply catch up to where he had been slacking. He felt awful about having Eden to do so much work, but he was determined to lift his weight as well.
They had also managed to find a building suiting of their needs with a big office that they could share. If they were going to work a lot, then Romeo wanted to be able to still spend his time with the man he loved above all else. They had even gotten room for a small couch situation in case Amelia came by with her nanny. Or for other reasons that the two lovers kept to themselves.

It wasn't long before the masquerade was upon them. He still wasn't sure if Eden was in on this plan, so one evening after having put Amelia to sleep he wrapped his arms around the vampyre when he was out smoking. He buried his face in his back, breathing him in and holding him close. "Have you thought about it?" He didn't want to bring it up if he had already decided not to. Romeo however wanted them to face off with the Parish children and their estate. He didn't care much for the mansion or the assets, but the name had had a meaning to them at some point, and if they couldn't have it, then Romeo was of the opinion that nobody should.

When Romeo arrived, Eden introduced him to the possible partner and as Romeo seemed to like what was presented, Eden wasnt fully convinced on just letting their intentions be known. He let the man know that they would think about it, smiling rather calmly. Eden was good at this kind of thing after all. They could secure a proper cut if they waited a bit.
Meeting the nanny also went well. Eden would say that it almost went too well for their previous track record. But he couldnt bring himself to complain either. There was a good feeling in the air. He didnt want to ruin it. This was good for them. It was long needed. And Amelia would do well with someone that wasnt just her parents. The couple agreed on a trial to make sure that Amelia was happy with her new nanny before anything was settled. But as the days passed, it seemed to be the right decision.

Eden felt the warm arms around him, lifting a hand to instinctively grab onto the lycan too. It was just a comfort thing, really. Not something he thought about at the given moment. "Thought about it?" he repeated, not quite sure what Romeo was referring to. "I like the nanny. I think that Amelia and her are getting along well." he said, thinking that was what Romeo was digging for. Though if the lycan corrected him and spoke of the masquerade, Eden bit his lip a little in contemplation. "I think a part of me will always be reluctant. Stay in the bliss of our newfound family and forget all about them. But I know it wont be this peaceful forever." he admitted. He sucked on the bud of his cigarette, letting it burn the filter a bit before he dumped it in the ashtray. He used the break to think further. Exhaling the smoke, he turned his head, not quite able to look at Romeo, but he looked in his direction. "Do you want the name back?" he asked, looking down as his own hand holding on to the lycan's arm. "Be Romeo Parish, like I promised you?"

Of course it wasn't about the nanny. They had already agreed on a trial run, so he wasn't too worried in that aspect of it all. No, it was the Parish estate that took up most of his worry right now. While the bliss they had was amazing, it was also sure to be ruined if they were found out. And Romeo felt like they had done enough hiding as it was. They were supposed to be free now. They were married; they had started to grow a family together; they were at the point where most couples would start to relax, but how could he? How could he put Amelia to sleep every night when he could spend his own sleep having nightmares of her and Eden being ripped from him?
The name was another business entirely. He felt torn. Because would the Parish name already have been tarnished by those brats? "I want to destroy the Parish estate .. I've realized I no longer want the name, not when I know how much hurt it has caused both of us." He had spent a long time considering. Going back and forth. But in the end the family they had were Altieri. They were their own family, with their own family rings and slowly building traditions together. "We are not Parishes .. we are Altieri .. we stand proud and make our own way in the world." It wasn't that strange to think that a change of name had changed them too. Eden and him had been foolish and a bit naïve to think that they could live with the Parish name. He didn't want to be reminded of the bad things. He wanted to think of the family they built; of the new ways of life they were living. "And I want to make sure they never come near our family ever again."

Was Romeo too extreme? He didn't think so. Frankly he saw this as a purge. Remove every last reminder of Loralei, and finally regain peace and autonomy over their own lives. Everything started with her trying to split them apart, and now that tradition had passed to her kids. Sure, they were Eden's blood too, but he had no part in their upbringing. He hadn't even known that they existed! No
they had created a family - maybe not one of blood, but one of love and trust. The Parish name repelled those words, and so they had to remove it. "Altieri means something to me now .. something it didn't mean when we picked it," he said, looking at his lover's back, tightening his arms around him. "It's our family," wasn't that reason enough to only have that name? They had created their family from the ground up, and with each mew addition it seemed to only grow stronger.
Eden turned around and Romeo looked to his tall husband, leaning his face against his hand, enjoying the intimacy of a single touch. He always wanted more, but in the cool evening air it felt alright to just stand here and be two people in love. The remark made his eyes turn softer, mostly because he was sometimes afraid he was too much. "Don't you agree to my suggestion? You seem hesitating," he couldn't do it without Eden, and if he would come to regret it - and even worse resent Romeo for it - then it wouldn't be worth the trouble. They could just move far away. Seek refuge in the Italian countryside and live a fulfilling life there. The notion of shopping made him chuckle, "I can't recall ever having been to a masquerade, " he admitted, humming softly as he turned his head to kiss the inside of his palm.