Author's note: I was listening to Paramore while I was out running errands today and one of the songs on their new CD is called Still Into You. And I was hit with this image of Sydney and Adrian at a party for their 20th anniversary, surrounded by their friends and family and they're still all over each other. So this is the result of that idea. Please let me know what you think.

Happy reading!

I Should Be Over All the Butterflies

A Sydrian One Shot

By Danielle Cheri

"Mom, do I really have to wear this?" Josh asked, tugging at the tie around his neck. "I'm choking."

"You're not choking, Joshua." Sydney loosened the tie a bit and smoothed down his dark hair.

He grumbled. "I don't like this."

"We're going to a party, Josh. A nice party. You'll wear the tie and you'll be fine."

"Is Dad wearing a tie?" He asked in exasperation.

"Yes. And Eddie and Dimitri." The last she said with a sigh.

He leaned against the wall, "You still don't like that I'm going to train."

"No, I don't. But it's your choice. It always has been, baby." She put her hand on the side of his face. "You're just as good as Eddie. He's already taught you so much." She kissed his cheek. "Go check on your sister, please."

He nodded and turned back up the stairs where he met Adrian.

His father smirked. "Like looking in a mirror." He ruffled the boy's hair.

"I just fixed that." Josh snapped, smoothing his hand down over his hair.

Adrian rolled his eyes and continued down the stairs. "Well, the best thing about him going to Court to train is that we don't have to be the ones to handle his teenage moodiness for much longer."

She smoothed her hands down his lapels. "Well, Marti is determined to stay. Girls are worse. I know from experience."

"Fantastic." He leaned in and kissed her. "I can't believe it's been twenty years."

"I can't either."

"Mom, Josh took my shoes and he won't give them back." Marti called from the top of the stairs.

"Joshua, give your sister her shoes back. We're running late." Sydney called up the stairs. She looked up at her husband. "How do I look?"

He smiled and slid his hands down her sides to rest on her hips. "You look as hot as you did when you wore that red dress to the Halloween party."

"At Amberwood? That was so long ago. Twenty-three years and two kids and about thirty pounds."

"No way you're thirty pounds heavier than when we met."

"I am."

He smirked. "Well, most of the weight's gone to your boobs."

"Gross!" Marti said from the stairs. "Please don't talk about Mom's boobs!"

"Yeah, seriously, Dad. Save it for the bedroom." Josh contributed.

Adrian chuckled. "Both of you, to the car."

"Can I sit up front?" Josh asked as they clambered out of the house.

"No, I'm sitting up front." Adrian said, handing Sydney the keys. "I know you prefer to drive."

"Not in these shoes, sweetheart. But thank you." She handed them back.

"Let's go. My phone keeps going off. I'm sure it's Jill wondering where we are."

"There you are." Jill said impatiently as they walked to the front of the restaurant.

"Sorry. Kids took forever to get ready." Adrian explained, kissing her cheek.

"The kids? Not you fussing with your hair?" She teased. She turned to the youngest Ivashkov. "Nikolai has been asking about you, Marti. And Ashley, too. Better get inside before they start the fight over who gets to sit by you this time."

"Thank you, Aunt Jill." She blushed a little and hurried inside.

"Breaking hearts, just like her father." Sydney said, pulling Adrian inside.

"Yeah, well they both look like me. People better get used to it."

"Look out for the Ivashkovs." Josh said. "We're hot! Wonder how many Moroi girls will want me at Court."

Adrian shoved his shoulder playfully. "One already has her eye on you."

"Ivanna is like my cousin. That's gross!"

"Don't say it too loud." Sydney admonished.

They walked in and Sydney was tackled around the knees by a blur of blonde curls. "Kennedy!" She picked the girl up and spun her around. "My favorite four-year-old."

"Aunt Sydney, it's your anniversary!" She announced.

She laughed. "It is."

"You and Uncle Adrian have been married a long time. That's what Daddy says."

"Yes. Twenty years. It's quite a long time." She kissed her cheek and put her down and she ran across the room to Eddie who scooped her up onto his hip and continued with his conversation.

Adrian kissed Sydney. "Mingle together or separately?"

"I don't care. But one of us needs to keep an eye on Joshua." She nodded toward their son. He was already surrounded by giggling girls.

"That's my boy." Adrian said proudly.

She slapped his arm. "I don't want to encourage promiscuity in our children."

He growled and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I love when you use big words." He pressed his lips to her neck.

She laughed and pushed him away. "Mingle separately. Otherwise your hands are going to be all over me all night. And I don't know if I could be held responsible for my actions."

He kissed her neck once more and squeezed her bottom. "I'll be keeping my eyes on you, though."

She giggled. "I sure hope so." She wondered away and was engulfed in a small group that contained quite a few of her mechanic co-workers.

Adrian watched her for a while before starting his survey of the room. Where to start first?

"I see Josh and Marti are both already laying on the Ivashkov charm." Rose said from behind him.

He turned. "Of course. Too bad Marti doesn't have the beautiful emerald eyes to offset that charm."

She laughed. "Someone fell in love with the brown ones."

He smiled proudly and looked toward his daughter sitting with Nikolai and Ashley, Jill and Eddie's sons. Ashley was two years younger and followed his older brother everywhere. Nikolai didn't mind most of the time. He did seem to mind when Marti was around, though. The look of annoyance was clear on his face whenever the younger boy spoke.

"So Josh is coming to Court next year." She said, taking a glass of Champaign from a passing tray. "What do you think of that?"

Adrian smiled into his own bubbling glass. "I'm pretty proud of him, actually. I know that Sydney doesn't want him to, but I kind of hoped…" He shrugged and looked back toward his son and the group of giggling girls. "I mostly hope he doesn't get into trouble."

"Dimitri and Eddie and I will keep him in line in the gym. Eddie and Jill at home."

"It's him living there that worries me. With Ivanna…"

"Jill and Eddie have raised her better than all that. She won't give anything up just because her crush lives under the same roof."

He nodded. "Your husband is glaring at me."

"Not glaring." Rose chuckled. "He's just on guardian mode."

"Are you going to monopolize him all night?" Jill asked, tugging on Adrian's arm. "There are other people here to see you."

He moved around the room with Jill for a while. He found Sydney and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Have I told you how hot you look tonight?"

"Oh, please, I could barely fit in this dress."

"Stop it, Sydney. You look fantastic." He pressed his mouth to her ear. "I can't wait to get home and get you out of that dress."

She smiled. "I can't believe you still find me attractive after all this time."

He put on a look of mock hurt. "Don't tell me you don't still find me devastatingly handsome."

She chuckled. "Yes, but you're Moroi. You age differently than humans."

He looked at her seriously. He placed his hands on the sides of her face, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs. "Sydney, you are beautiful. As beautiful as the day I first laid eyes on you. And you get more magnificently beautiful every day. I've lived such a great life with you so far. Twenty years married. Two beautiful children. And you worry about how you look? You look great. But you and I both know it's more important than that. And I love you. I have for twenty-three years. And I will for a hundred more. So stop worrying that your dress is a little tight. That you may have a couple wrinkles and some gray hair. I love it all. I love you."

She watched him a moment before she pulled him to her for a kiss. Her arms looped around his neck and, even in her heels, she had to push herself up on her toes slightly. Adrian wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.

They didn't notice that a hush had fallen through the crowd until Josh said very loudly, "Get a room." followed by several girls giggling.

They broke apart and stared at the gathered guests. Sydney felt her cheeks heating up. She looked up at her husband to see he had his signature smirk on his face.

"Okay, show's over. Back to whatever you were doing." He waved his hand.

There were titters of laughter through the crowd and they slowly went back to their previous conversations.

"After all these years, I still go weak in the knees when you kiss me like that." Sydney whispered so softly she wasn't sure he heard.

Adrian kissed her once more. "Would you like a drink? Something to eat?"

"I'm starting to get hungry."

"Come on then." He tugged her hand toward the buffet.

Post-story note: I have this image of Jill and Eddie with two more kids after they adopted Ivanna and Nikolai, a son and a daughter. I felt they would name their son a unisex name in honor of Sydney and Adrian. And I just really love the name Ashley for a boy. And the character of Ashley is one of my favorites in Gone With the Wind.

Also, Josh and Ivanna are about 13 and Marti and Nikolai are 9.