“The pleasure’s all mine … Frankly, I didn’t believe my son was capable of romantic affairs,” he commented bluntly, eyeing up Dexter in a rather scrutinizing fashion. It would have been enough to make even the most stoic of men uncomfortable, but Xavier wasn’t particularly nervous. From what he’d been told as well as what he’d observed thus far, Dexter was a true professional. He’d not be shaken by his father’s steely gaze, just as he wasn’t intimidated by the foreboding structure that they found themselves in.<br/><br/>“Well, Father, clearly you were incorrect in that assumption because here we are,” Xavier muttered in a slightly bitter tone of voice as he leaned into Dexter, winding an arm around his waist possessively as he glared up at the man towering over them.<br/><br/>“Why yes … Here you are,” the man muttered, gazing down at them with an almost accusatory stare. It was clear enough that he wasn’t completely buying the love story they were laying out before him, but then he didn’t truly care enough about his son to meddle further, at least not yet. “I agree, a wedding is a perfect place to introduce a new boyfriend, Dexter. I’m pleased you’re here with us. Who knows, perhaps your wedding bells will be ringing soon as well, hm?” The man was polite enough, despite his clear distrust of his son and the situation as a whole. Without any more commentary, he turned and moved from the pews to head up to the head of the aisle. He had a daughter to give away, after all, and as the last of the quaint group of guests filed into the room, it was clear the ceremony would begin soon.<br/><br/>Xavier settled down onto the long bench once again, remaining close to Dexter and reaching out to rest his hand upon the man’s thigh for good measure. He leaned over towards his temporary companion as a hush settled over the spectators and a bit of music began softly playing. He whispered into Dexter’s ear, “I apologize for my Father, and really anyone else that you’ll meet at the reception … They’re not the most pleasant bunch, save for Beatrice.” As he spoke his lips brushed tantalizingly over the curve of the man’s ear, his breath hot against the side of his face. He pulled back from the man, offering the faintest of smiles before he settled back against the pew once again, resting their shoulders together and maintaining contact with his thigh.<br/><br/>The ceremony began, and though Xavier’s attention was trained towards the front of the room h was allowing his mind to wander. He could think of precisely thirteen things he could have been doing at that moment that would have been more productive than sitting in the pews of a cold, unwelcoming chapel. He prized efficiency and work ethic, so much so that they often got in the way of the rest of his life. Perhaps if his sister had been marrying a man whom he approved of more wholly it wouldn’t have bothered him quite as much, but he could only see this holy union dissolving within the next couple of years. He sighed heavily at the thought of having to sit through his sisters mindless, heartbroken babbling following a divorce. Just more wasted time. Humans were just so much more productive without emotions to cloud their judgment, why would anybody waste their time on significant other’s was beyond him.<br/><br/>Before he knew it, the small gathering of people around him was standing to their feet as the organ played. Xavier immediately stood with them, though it was rather clear he was jolting from some sort of trance-like state with the abruptness of the movement. He turned, stepping back to press up against Dexter’s front as he watched the doors part one last time so that his sister could step through the doors.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff0000"><a class="link link--external" data-proxy-href="/proxy.php?link=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sanpatrick.com%2Fmedia%2Fcatalog%2Fproduct%2Fcache%2Fsmall_image%2F900x%2F17f82f742ffe127f42dca9de82fb58b1%2Fp%2Fa%2Fpalesa_b.jpg&amp;hash=a2f3d21bc7b31b57980ac833772a3834" href="https://www.sanpatrick.com/media/catalog/product/cache/small_image/900x/17f82f742ffe127f42dca9de82fb58b1/p/a/palesa_b.jpg" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" target="_blank">The woman</a> </span>that stepped through the massive double doors on the arm of her father was a stunning specimen. She looked very much like her brother, they shared the same blonde locks and sharp, almost exaggerated facial features. It was clear to see how a man or woman could fall for the siblings quite easily, they were gorgeous. Xavier watched as his sister strode down the aisle, looking like the picture of elegance and grace in the simple sleeveless gown she’d chosen. He glanced towards the front of the aisle to see her partner standing there, tears welling in his eyes as he rocked back and forth from heel to toe. The sight of such a woman moved him, but then who would it not. Xavier himself was touched by how beautiful his sister looked, despite his displeasure at having to attend the event they stood at.<br/><br/>After the pair had made their way to the head of the aisle, the attendees were allowed to settle back into their seats. Xavier nestled in close to Dexter, glancing up at the man briefly once again before turning his attention to the couple at the head as they began exchanging vows and the whole bit. It wasn’t a long ceremony, thankfully, and soon enough the bride and groom were kissing each other passionately as the families applauded. Xavier clapped in a reserved manner, though anyone who knew him was aware that they couldn’t expect much else from him. He was simply a quiet, reserved man overall.