Even Dorian was so hardly surprised to discover that Aiden and himself had, indeed, beaten Matteo, Alexander and Sebastian to that very cafe. The sheer speeds at which Aiden drove had all but eaten up that road and rendered the distance travelled near void in the wake of it! There was, Dorian was inclined to admit, something terribly exciting and thrilling and wonderful all at once about driving at such speed. It was an almost addictive thing. The Monarch near certain that from now on the speed of those town cars that so often drove himself and Sebastian about would be nothing short of disappointing. Aiden expertly slid that car into a parking spot beside the curb. Both men, it seemed, considering the very safety of that vehicle upon the open streets as they stepped from within it. Matteo, he was sure, would never allow anything to happen to such a glorious gift. His brother seemed inclined to agree with that very sentiment as they settled at the side of the car. Aiden's fingers brushed near lovingly over that sleek black side as Dorian so offered the very insistence that he was nothing short of pleased Aiden seemed so thrilled with that gift. In all his life he could so hardly remember a time in which any of his half siblings had ever truly....appreciated anything he had given them. Dorian assured they had given him very little in turn. The sheer delight Aiden took in his gift and too- his brothers assurance it was one of the nicest he had ever had so readily prompted that utterly beaming grin to the Fae's features. Aiden's joy so readily contributing to Dorian's own.

The Monarch's insistence that they not tell Sebastian of that high speed drive was met with Aiden's own grin and a nod of his head in a silent agreement between the pair. That silence, however, so hardly lasted terribly long. Dorian inclined to offer that simple ...thanks to his brother for affording their father that title even he knew Matteo had so desperately, desperately desired. It was nothing short of baffling to the Fae King that Aiden and Matteo both spoke so openly of Aiden having been adopted by the Frenchman and yet why Aiden had waited until now to bestow Matteo with the coveted title of 'Dad' he hardly knew. There was a great deal, Dorian had come to suspect, that he did not know of Aiden and his life, or indeed, of Aiden and his relationship with their father and yet, for now, he saw little need to inquire upon it. The Fae King merely content to bask in the veritable delight of the evening so far. How much he enjoyed spending such time as this with family!

Aiden's gaze shifted briefly away from him then. His sibling inclined to stare toward the ground before softly commenting upon that worry that so often seemed to beset Matteo. Dorian himself was so hardly oblivious to their Father's worry, even if the Frenchman went to no small effort to hide it. Matteo, rather like Aiden, decidedly good at attempting to conceal his concerns from the rest of the world and yet his worry for Aiden, of late, had been nothing short of obvious. Whatever it was that had occurred to plunge his younger sibling into such...despair had seemingly distressed Matteo no end in turn. How desperately even Dorian was inclined to hope that, perhaps, the very gift of that car and too, that evening spent with their family might coax Aiden away from whatever darkened place he seemed to have taken refuge in. The Monarch's soft admittance that Matteo was not as skilled as he believed in hiding that worry seemed to prompt a soft grunt from Aiden in turn. Dorian's own silver gaze shifted upward to eye his sibling in curiosity. Whether or not the Were agreed remained to be seen. Dorian was given precious little time to consider the meaning of that grunt before Aiden uttered his name. A look of ready confusion so found its way to the Monarch's features then as Aiden so suddenly reached for him, Dorian finding himself pulled into that firm but gentle brotherly hug. The very first he could ever remember receiving! The sheer surprise of that gesture so momentarily rendered the Fae near imobile. Aiden, after all, so hardly seemed the sort of being inclined to hugs, or outward affection. It hardly took long however, for Dorian to relax into that embrace, the Monarch's own arms lifted to wrap around his sibling to return that very gesture. How terribly much it meant! That word of thanks Aiden uttered in turn only furthering that decided warmth that all but blossomed in Dorian's own chest. How he could hardly wait to tell Sebastian of it!

It was foolish, perhaps, to allow himself to be so caught up within such a simple gesture and yet even Dorian knew enough of his brother to know that such gestures from Aiden were rare. That utter lack of either love or affection- even consideration- his previous siblings had shown him only furthered his own delight. That Aiden so felt him worth hugging so surely meant he had fulfilled that brotherly role sufficiently so far. Dorain having strove, of late, to be a decidedly good brother. Even if he was so hardly sure just what such a role entailed beyond attempting to ...be there ...for his sibling. In whatever way Aiden might need. Aiden moved to step back from him then, Dorian so gently releasing him in turn before inquiring after that dinner Matteo had made. Aiden, after all, was not one to dwell on such moments. Dorian inclined to provide that distraction of sorts and too, allow his own curiosity that moment to ponder those meal options. That cheesy pasta dish his brother had adored, he was inclined to admit, had been pleasing to him. Matteo so rarely ever making his own favourite if only because the Frenchman was so very opposed to nuts in foods. The Alpha's sudden enquiry on just what his own favoured food was so coaxed that Italian from the Monarch's lips. Dorian quick to translate the name of that dish all the same as Aiden eyed him dubiously before repeating those ingredients with clear skepticism.

"Please do not tell me that you also dislike foods with nuts in the same way as Father does?"

A soft sigh fell from his own lips then. Dorian's head shaking lightly in turn. The Monarch oblivious to Aiden's internal consideration that cheese was far better put with other foods before that sleek Bentley so arrived with the rest of their family. Dorian was quick to find Sebastian amongst that trio, the Monarch near eagerly searching his lover's face for any hint of distress. Sebastian, for the most part, appearing relatively ...unscathed and yet until he was given a chance to speak to his husband alone there was little telling what damage might have been done. Matteo was inclined to be rather ...impossible when it came to teasing Sebastian. The vampire inclined to take such things to heart in his sheer determination to be liked by his Father in law! Alexander, hopefully, had kept watch over that car ride and yet, frankly, Dorian found himself skeptical of his grandfather in turn. Matteo was quick to ask after his and Aiden's own ride, Aiden readilly insisting that ride had been nothing but smooth as Dorian moved to his husbands side then. He allowed the other to wander ahead of them, Dorian so waiting until they were out of earshot before inquiring after Sebastian's own journey. That look of near...indecision upon his lovers features was fleeting and yet hardly missed. The vampire quick to respond that it was 'fine'. That singular word prompting a raise of one eye. Fine, Dorian was assured, did not mean fine. How well he knew his husband after all this time! Fine the very sort of word the people of England, as a whole, seemed inclined to use when things were indeed not fine.

"Darling, are you quite certain? Perhaps I might ask you again later."

Sebastian was distinctly unlikely to admit the truth of that trip when in the presence of their current company. The Monarch, for now, inclined to ask after it later when they were alone. Sebastian, in the very least, so hardly appeared to be harmed in any fashion. That in the very least enough to prompt the Fae King to allow that matter to slide for now. Dorian, instead, so proudly reporting upon that hug he had received from his sibling. The Monarch unable, once more, to hide his utter delight as Sebastian fell into step beside him.

"He did. He thanked me for watching over Father too."

Matteo, he suspected, was inclined to watch over them all far more than they were given to watch him and yet such praise so readily widened that very grin all the same as he moved to follow the rest of the family into the cafe and up those stairs into the loft. Matteo was quick to depart that group with the promise to return as they entered the loft. That space far, far larger the Dorian remembered it as his silver gaze widened. When on earth had the Hunter renovated? Alexander's very insistence that a Were-Rhino had taken out the northern wall saw his gaze lift once more, that surprise clear upon his features before a ready confusion seemed to find him.

"What is a....Rhino?"

Such a word was distinctly unfamiliar to him. Dorian's gaze shifted, as it so often did in those moments of insecurity, to his husband. Sebastian so readily relied upon to provide those answers he lacked as they each moved to seat themselves around that table. Dorian seated himself smoothly beside his own husband then- only for Alexander and Aiden in turn to remove their shoes. Theri shoes! How utterly bizarre. Perhaps it was a...Greek custom? Was this not a...formal dinner? Sebastian, beside him, proceeded to shift in his own seat with the clear intention of removing his own footwear. A look of ready astonishment finding him then as he glanced between the rest of his family. That inquiry as to just what was expected of him prompting that insistence from Alexander that he could do as he pleased. Dorian, for several long moments, seemed to struggle with that social decision before so at last reaching down to slide his shoes from his feet leaving nothing but socks in place.

"I feel positively wild."

That this was so aking to 'wild' for the Monarch was perhaps nothing short of amusing to the rest of those beings gathered. Matteo's sudden reappearance with dinner drew the Monarch's attention then. His Father quickly and easily delivered those dinner plates, Dorian eyeing that Chicken Cordon Bleu, as Matteo had called it, with a clear intrigue nd yet it was surely that glorious cake that prompted his gaze to widen once more. Dorian never before having seen anything crafted from ...biscuits? His own hand reached forward in clear curiosity of those cookies- only for Matteo to insist if he touched it again he would not be permitted to have any. That very chastisement so coaxed a frown of sorts to his features and yet Dorian was quick to return his hands to himself. Sebastian so evidently 'under watch' as well. Dorian offered Matteo that pointed look. Sebastian, he was sure, had done nothing. That chicken, however, looked utterly delightful. The Fae King reached for his own cutlery then as Alexander distributed those glasses of whiskey and a shoeless Matteo took his own place at the table. Dorian reached for that glass then, the Fae so eyeing it curiously before lifting that glass upward.

"I suppose we ought to toast to Aiden's birthday, since it is why we are all here. Happy Birthday, Aiden. I do look forward to trying this drink."

Dorian Aragona