Her shoulders stiffened. Her hands, still resting on Kaiden’s shoulders, trembled just the tiniest bit.
"... Okaaay," she said carefully, sweating like a pink-haired fox caught in a bear trap. "Didn’t mean to provoke the royal wrath... holy hell..."
She tried to retreat, but then she realized that the best defense was a good offense, so she stepped forward instead of backward. Her hands slid off Kaiden’s shoulders and down to Aria’s, giving them a slow, careful squeeze.
"Just... calming down the volcano..." she muttered nervously.
Aria didn’t blink.
Her gaze was still ice and daggers.
Nyx gulped, glancing sideways at Kaiden in silent ’help me!’ panic.
Kaiden responded with a quiet, low chuckle. Then, without wasting another word, he shifted in his seat slightly and leaned in toward Aria, brushing aside a silvery strand of her gorgeous hair. It was time he helped his Space Valkyrie out, so...
A loving kiss landed on the Moon Valkyrie’s cheek, soft and deliberate.
Then another. Lower. Warm lips pressed into the sensitive curve of her neck, plush and lingering.
Aria visibly tensed... then shivered.
Her glare, sharp enough to pierce steel moments before, began to flicker. That frigid, territorial glint in her eyes dulled ever so slightly.
Kaiden leaned in again, this time nuzzling beneath her ear before pressing a third kiss there, as slow and intimate as he could muster. He knew perfectly well how much Aria loved these tender gestures of his.
And just as he expected, his actions quickly brought results when her fingers clenched around his sleeve.
A tiny, almost imperceptible twitch curved at the corner of her lips. Not quite a smile. But it was no longer the earlier scowl either.
Then came the huff. Low. Frustrated. And grudgingly charmed.
She finally, finally looked away from Nyx.
"...You’re lucky Kai’s here, Pink Bimbo..." she muttered under her breath, voice honeyed with menace. Her tone dripped with all the murderous restraint of a queen holding back divine judgment... for now.
Nyx didn’t miss a beat. "Duly noted..." she squeaked, massaging faster and more delicately, her hands moving with the terrified precision of a mouse tiptoeing through a lion’s den. "You’re a vision. A gift. My radiant favorite bestie. Please don’t vaporize me with an ’accidentally’ misfired [Lunar Overload] during our next dungeon undertaking, alright...?"
From the couch, Luna gave an amused sigh and propped her elbow on the armrest, resting her chin in her palm. "The Princess is getting more possessive by the day, isn’t she...?"
"... Yep," Nyx nodded along firmly, not daring to lift her head. "Did you see the way her eyes flicked red? That was a death glare critical mass. I almost let out a little pee..."
Luna couldn’t help but stare dryly at the all too honest girl for a few seconds before she elected to ignore Nyx and began humming under her breath, thoughtful now. "Not surprising though... Honestly, it makes perfect sense if you think about it. Back when we first met her, Aria was the typical cliche sweet young girl... With her own little quirks here and there, but that didn’t change the fact that she was a naïve young woman who got totally smitten with the idea of Kaiden. She had that whole proper, fairytale princess aura going on."
Nyx slowly nodded along sagely, keeping her hands moving. "Right? Like a storybook crush."
"But feelings evolve," Luna continued. "And when you go through real-life death battles, dungeon raids, near-death nights... When he saves your mother from dying as a horribly mistreated prostitute in a disgusting brothel with an even more disgusting man keeping her hostage, it stops being fantasy. It turns into something else. Something deeper. Aria doesn’t just love Kaiden anymore... Her feelings are not just those of a young, innocent woman who fell for the first time... She needs him. Like air. Like gravity."
"...And gravity doesn’t share," Nyx whispered fearfully.
Luna tilted her head, observing Aria with keen eyes. "Nope. Gravity pulls everything inward and doesn’t let go."
There was a beat of silence. Then Nyx’s eyes widened with growing horror.
"But it’s only been a few days since we all got together! If she’s this far gone now..." Nyx paled, visibly starting to sweat. "...What’s she gonna be like ten years from now?!"
Luna slowly leaned back against Kaiden’s chest, arms crossed over her delicate breasts as she let out a long, tired sigh.
"...Your guess is as good as mine."
"Hmph!" came a sudden scoff.
Aria turned in Kaiden’s arms with a pout, elegant and regal and just a touch theatrical. She folded her arms, but didn’t pull away, her back now snugly nestled against his muscular chest, her face still slightly flushed from the onslaught of kisses she’d just been assaulted with.
Annoyance still clung to her aura, but it was no longer scorching. It simmered now, like a low-burning flame wrapped in silk.
Clearly, she was still annoyed.
But under Kaiden’s steady warmth enveloping her?
She was also melting. Just a little. Okay, quite a bit
And she hated how much she loved it.
Off to the side, Rae had propped her feet up and was watching the entire scene like it was the best sitcom she’d ever seen.
She let out a low whistle while grinning like the devil in female form.
She sent Kaiden an amazed glance, as if she had just now understood how troublesome his job of keeping his home harmonious was. "Well damn! You’re not the only interesting one in this house, huh?"
Her eyes danced across Aria’s cold glare, Luna’s brooding silence, and Nyx’s shivering attempt at damage control. "I didn’t expect this kind of chaos. You’re living with a lethal combo."
Kaiden smiled as he pulled Aria tighter into his lap, nuzzling her cheek.
"You have no idea. But I wouldn’t have it any other way."
And Rae?
She just chuckled under her breath and clinked an imaginary glass in Kaiden’s direction. "It’s certainly not for me, but you’re living the life, my guy. Respect."