Never Judge

Ray had his ear pressed against the door when he heard Ian celebrating. He grinned against the solid wood, clearly everything was well inside.

"He isn't mad, he's happy." Ray announced to the girls. 

The girls all smiled and burst into the room to give the couple their congratulations.

Ray stopped Ayanna from going in and pulled her away.

"What's wrong with you?" Ayanna asked Ray.

"I want to get married." Ray said with a bossy tone.

"We're already engaged Ray." Ayanna said, rolling her eyes.

"I don't want to wait for everything to be alright." Ray said as he held Ayanna's hand. "I don't want to wait for the time that the world settles down for us. I want to marry you on my own terms, with only the people who matter."

"Ray, are you saying…" Ayanna hesitated to say what she was thinking. Ray wasn't the impulsive type he always planned things through. 

"I want to get our wedding license, either today, or tomorrow. I don't want our future together to be dictated by the mood of the public." Ray told Ayanna. "Is this alright?" Ray asked, his voice full of hesitation. He didn't know if Ayanna would agree to what he wanted or not.

"Of course it is Ray." Ayanna said as she hugged Ray tightly. "I'm just surprised, you aren't exactly the spontaneous type." Ayanna said with a laugh. It was true, Ray was the type that had to plan every single detail, he double checked and triple checked everything. He never made decisions with emotions, he did it all through logic. This is what led him to survive as the King of the Underworld, it was his ability to make decisions logically. 

"I can be spontaneous if I want." Ray said with a laugh as he kissed Ayanna on the lips.

"Let's give today to Nicole and Ian, we can get married tomorrow." Ayanna said as she laughed against his kisses.

"Anything you want." Ray said with a smile. "Shall we congratulate the soon to be parents?" Ray asked as he offered his hand.

Ayanna giggled and took it.

Inside Katerina and Veronica were already excitedly talking to Ian and Nicole. 

"Congratulations!" Ray said as he gave Nicole a hug and shook Ian's hand. "I guess you'll be living together now?" 

"We still haven't ironed out the details just yet." Ian said with a shrug. Suddenly Ian's phone began to ring, it was Cedric.

"The boss is calling. He's just worried." Ian said with a shrug as he stepped away.

"Nicole, you don't seem as happy as you should be." Ayanna said as she hugged Nicole.

"I'm worried." Nicole said with a slight frown. "I'm not sure if my family will accept this."

"They can't not." Ray said. "Your parents are far more progressive than the generation before them. Ian is a decent guy, he is from a family like ours, even if they have fallen from their pedestal."

"They still set arranged marriages for my two brothers." Nicole argued back.

Ray suddenly laughed making the girls look at him suspiciously. 

"No one forced Miguel." Ray said with a smirk. When he saw Veronica's reaction his face suddenly changed into a frown. He just remembered that Veronica wasn't supposed to find out.

"Raymund Laurence, what are you saying!?" Veronica said angrily.

"I've said too much." Ray said as he shook his head. 

"Eric was supposed to marry Calathea." Ayanna said returning the conversation on the right track. Ray smiled thankfully at his fiance, but he knew he would have to explain what he said to her after they left.

"They were only talking about it." Katerina said. "It was just a plan but the Chans backed out, it wasn't the Carpios that changed their mind, well at least that's what Eric says."

"See Nicole, your parents aren't as traditional as you think." Ray said with a shrug.

"Well, Cedric said congratulations." Ian told Nicole as he pulled her to him and kissed her on the side of her head. "I'm the luckiest man alive." He proudly spoke as he looked lovingly at Nicole.

"Don't be so quick Ian." Ray said with a laugh. "I might hold that title."

"I'm gonna be a dad. How can you beat that?" Ian said with a raised eyebrow.

"Ayanna and I are getting our marriage license tomorrow." Ray boasted.

"WHAT?!" Katerina, Nicole, and Veronica all asked at the same time.

"Cedric said you can't get married yet." Ian warned Ray.

"He said, we can't publicly get married or hold a big ceremony." Ray shrugged. "It was Cedric that told me to just go get a marriage license." 

"I swear my older brother doesn't have a romantic bone in his body." Ayanna laughed. 

Ray drove Ayanna home that night after they celebrated Nicole's good news. Nicole chose not to tell her family just yet since by her estimates she was around two months along. When they got home only Cedric and Adrianna were there, the couple was playing with little Emilio in the living room.

"Sister-in-law, sister-in-law! Did Cedric tell you the good news?" Ayanna excitedly asked. Ray laughed as he watched her return to her childlike ways the moment she stepped back home. If you had met her on the street just a few minutes before you would think that she was a completely different person.

Adrianna laughed as she rocked her son in her arms. "Your brother told me." Adrianna said with a smile.

"I'm so happy for Nicole and Ian! Now no one can separate them." Ayanna said proudly.

"Cedric, could I speak with you?" Ray asked in a more serious tone. He felt that even if it had been Cedric's idea for them to get married in secret he still needed to ask for Cedric's permission, he was still Ayanna's older brother and the future head of the Reyes Clan.

Cedric nodded and led Ray to his office.

"You sounded serious Ray, is this about work?" Cedric asked as he handed Ray a glass of whisky.

"No, nothing like that." Ray said with a laugh. 

"Did you get Ayanna pregnant too?" Cedric asked as he sat down behind his desk.

"What? No." Ray sounded a bit too defensive making Cedric lean forward.

"Out with it." Cedric said with a straight face.

"I'm going to do what you suggested, we're getting our license tomorrow." Ray said proudly. He looked at Cedric who continued to have an emotionless look.