Long Overdue

[ngm_parents]

Luíz Adriano Alencar da Silva was visiting New York City once again. It had been a long time since his last visit, but this visit was a bit more personal than business. He hadn't seen his son in awhile, and there were things he needed to look into about his son. Particularly this woman he had been dating.

The flight in had been long, and though he was greeted warmly by his son, he was getting too old to spring right into action after a flight. Luíz begged off meeting Stephanie until he was more presentable.

Before a quick nap and exercises in the hotel's gym, Luíz used his pull and influence to get a nice, quiet table for three at Eleven Madison Park. He sent the time for Marcelo and his girlfriend to meet him and got ready.

He tried to be a little early, so he could watch how his son and his girlfriend interacted as they approached. Over two years with one woman was certainly a record for his son. That he had not proposed marriage was slightly worrying to the Brazilian father considering the last relationship before Marcelo left for the States. For now, Luíz needed to meet and learn.

Then he would start asking questions.

Comments

[pyroprincess]

Stephanie had become very good at masking discomfort, either physical or otherwise, especially in circumstances that could, in any way, be described as "ordinary". She still needed a little help from a walking stick, though the particular one she was using was at least as stylish as it was practical, made from a special, particuarly dense wood. She also had Marcelo handy, though she didn't lean on him particularly as they walked arm in arm. It was good knowing he was there if she had to, though.

"It's hard to believe that I haven't met him yet, you know. We've been together for quite a long time." It occurred to her that he hadn't really met her father either, though she had to admit that she was slightly dreading that meeting. They would cross that bridge when they got to it, though. "Is there anything I should know about him?"

[vesper_verde]

Marcelo was a bundle of nerves. He hadn't slept much the night before and what he had was not good sleep. He was dressed up as he should, but he kept adjusting and readjusting everything he was wearing. Except the lady on his arm.

"That's probably why he took matters into his own hands and made a visit I couldn't refuse." His grin was a little tight. Though at least her first meeting with his papai wasn't at his funeral. "Take all my good traits and bleach them lighter. Better hair. Never remarried after my mother ...died. Uhm, doesn't know my big secret. That kind of stuff, right?"

[pyroprincess]

"Marcelo. It's your father, not mine. Your clothes are fine. He loves you and won't mind if your tie is a few millimeters out of place." She teased slightly, offering a smile. She supposed it would be normal to be nervous, but after everything that happened, she found that she couldn't work up anything resembling fear for this. After being brutally beaten by a psychotic madman and having her father come back and dictate the terms of her life ...

"So no polite tableside banter about your newest upgrades. I'm expecting he will ask us about our lack of marriage." Even though by her reckoning, it really wasn't that unusual that they weren't married. They'd been together for a little over two years, not including the time they'd parted. She had an appointment to see the traders in the District, she remembered.

[vesper_verde]

Since Stephanie mentioned his tie, Marcelo's hand went to smooth it out. He stopped himself and winced slightly. "Sorry. It's just if I look good, you look better."

Even though he didn't have the problems Stephanie did with her father, Marcelo's father still had plenty of sway in his life. His approval of Stephanie was vastly important.

"Well, you could. He thinks I fund and supply for it, not that I am it." He scratched his eyebrow. "Very likely considering my history at home. Congratulations on lasting the longest."

[pyroprincess]

"It's more important that I be impressive than you. I'm the one who's likely to be judged here. He's known you all his life. Lots of time to be impressed with all your virtues." She smiled and kissed his cheek. "And besides, you look great. Almost too good. It's hard being good, you know."

"I think it's best not to be mentioning certain Brazilian flying mammals at all in a public place, don't you?" She seemed downright chipper. It was almost fun, pretending that her joints didn't hurt and that she was deeply concerned about her future. But she wanted to impress Marcelo's father so Marcelo would have one less thing to worry about.

"And nobody will be besting my record."

[vesper_verde]

"Half his life. He knows my virtues and every one of of my faults." Most of his faults having been women, but Marcelo was told not to discuss that by Stephanie. He was going to keep to it. "But you look gorgeous, querida. Though I'm entirely biased."

He swallowed a bit when the restaurant came into view. "That seems best, but it'll come up sometime. Possibly when he drops in at the penthouse for an unexpected visit." He glanced at Stephanie with a grin. "If you were anyone else, I'd take that as a threat."

[pyroprincess]

"Not a threat to you, mi amor." Steph replied with an honest-to-God grin. "We'll deal with that when it comes up. I can talk about the time that Vesper saved me from a robber at a convenience store." She looked up at the restaurant. "So does he have any preconceptions about me I should know about? My name is hardly unknown, and I did fairly recently come out as a mutant."

[vesper_verde]

He chuckled softly. It did scare him a little, but his heart was too in her hands for him to do anything but ignore the fear. With one exception, he had kept his other relationships brief for a reason.

"He knows you make me very happy. Also, whatever he could find on the internet about you. Actual news articles. I don't think he reads gossip columns. Though we'll find out if he does if he asks why you dumped Brooke to come back to me." He grinned.

[pyroprincess]

"Must have been the sex." She smirked at him, wondering how he'd react to that. She turned towards the door. "Point of no return. If we cross this threshold, I'll be meeting your father." She pondered what her father might have read about her. Business dealings. Her public speech about being a mutant. It was a lot to consider, but for now, she would be the best company she could be.

[vesper_verde]

"Com certeza! He'll understand women are always after me for my penis." Marcelo shook his head in amusement and reached for the door.

"You have until I touch the door handle to back out."

[pyroprincess]

"Understandably so. But there are many very good reasons for a woman to love you." Stephanie replied smoothly. "And I have no intention of backing out. I will not have your father thinking me a coward." She tilted up to kiss his cheek again. "Come on, it might even be fun. The food will certainly be good."

[vesper_verde]

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were getting soft, Stephanie Shaw." He gave her a wink. She was occasionally putty in his hands, but that was usually when he was a limp noodle as well. He opened the door for her.

"You're a braver person than me," he commented wryly. It was at least his father and not hers. Though he would probably be angrier if he were meeting her father for dinner.

[pyroprincess]

"Good thing you know better." Stephanie replied with a small grin. She caught the wink. Of course, there were times when she was putty in his hands, but just as often, if not more so, he was putty in hers. Not all the time though. That kept things interesting. She had no desire to be with a weak man.

"I don't think so." She looked up at him, a little more seriously this time. "I don't think so at all, mi amor."

[vesper_verde]

Once they were through the door, Marcelo offered his arm to her again. He scanned the restaurant until he spotted his father at a table.

"We have a table waiting," he told the host as he nodded toward his father's table. He them tried hard to not seem nervous at all.

[ngm_parents]

Luíz spotted his son making his way across with a beautiful dark-haired young lady on his arm. From his research, Marcelo's father knew that had to be Stephanie Shaw. He smiled pleasantly as he stood up.

"Olá, Marcelinho." He hugged his son and stepped back. He effortlessly switched to English with a much lighter accent than his son. "And this beauty must be Stephanie. It is so very nice to finally meet you."

Like any man from São Paulo welcoming his son's girlfriend, Luíz tried to give Stephanie a light hug and a kiss on the cheek.

[pyroprincess]

Stephanie was a Spaniard by blood and upbringing, so she was no stranger to warmer greetings than many Anglo women would have been used to. Even the cold and distant people who raised her would use such greetings.

"It is good to meet you as well. How are you enjoying New York thus far?" He certainly had done his research on restaurants well, though.

[vesper_verde]

"Olá, papai." Marcelo grinned to himself as Stephanie was greeted. He had stepped out of the way as his father swooped in. Now, he was pulling out the chair for Stephanie to sit in.

[ngm_parents]

"New York is a lot shinier than the last time I was here," he replied with a wave of his hand and then a shrug. "I haven't had a chance to explore yet. I'm getting too old for being full of life after a long flight."

He gestured to the chair his son pulled out. "Please, have a seat. I hope you don't mind, but I already ordered the full 16 course meal for us all. With the wines."

[pyroprincess]

Stephanie took the seat that was offered. It was all that she could do not to laugh when he mentioned the full 16 course meal. She just smiled broadly. "I don't think we'll have any trouble with that. Our schedules tend to make us both very hungry."

"You're right, though, New York has changed considerably in the last little while. If you need someone to help show you some of the sights, I would be more than happy to assist." She gave him her best smile, which was sincere enough. He'd made a good impression thus far.

[vesper_verde]

Once Stephanie was settled in, Marcelo took a seat in the chair to her left. He purposefully left the chair for his father across from Stephanie. Those two had more to catch up on than he did with either one.

"Stephanie is more the more culinary-picky of the two of us. If it sounds good to her, it sounds excellent to me." He smiled. It was true for the most part. He could easily subsist off street vendor food without complaints. "She's also a very good tour guide."

If it kept his father busy and out of Marcelo's office, it sounded good to him.

[ngm_parents]

"Of course she has very discerning tastes, Marcelinho, she's dating you," Luíz commented as he settled into the seat across from Stephanie. "Someone has to get you to stop eating all that crap. She looks like the woman for the job."

He was well aware of his son's dietary habits at home.

"É mesmo? I would be honored, Stephanie."

[pyroprincess]

"I do my best." She replied with a soft chuckle, slightly impulsively leaning in to kiss Marcelo's cheek. "Perhaps sometime in the future you fine gentlemen could do me the honor of showing me around Sao Paolo." It was a little strange in some ways that she hadn't ever gone to Brazil with Marcelo, but it never seemed to quite work, schedule-wise.

[vesper_verde]

Marcelo's eyes narrowed as he looked from one to the other. Just what he feared, they were ganging up on him. Ah well. At least Stephanie's kiss was worth it.

"Maybe around Christmas. So I don't try to die from freezing again." He hated winter in New York. Wrong time of the year and too cold besides.

[ngm_parents]

"That you've never been to São Paulo is a travesty that must be remedied," Luíz commented as the first course was brought out to them. Much like his son, Luíz saw boundless possibilities and beauty in his home country.

"You are free to stay at the family home in the city or one of the vacation homes out in the country."

[pyroprincess]

Stephanie thought it was good, that things were going well. And teasing Marcelo was always fun. He certainly teased her enough, in all manner of contexts.

"I wouldn't mind getting out of the bitter chill myself." And anyway, it wasn't as if she imagined Father having a big traditional Christmas dinner or anything. It might make a nice holiday getaway.

"Beautiful as I'm certain the country is, I have to admit, I've become very accustomed to cities."