Her shoulders stiffened. Her hands, still resting on Kaidenâs shoulders, trembled just the tiniest bit.
"... Okaaay," she said carefully, sweating like a pink-haired fox caught in a bear trap. "Didnât 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 Kaidenâs shoulders and down to Ariaâs, giving them a slow, careful squeeze.
"Just... calming down the volcano..." she muttered nervously.
Aria didnât blink.
Her gaze was still ice and daggers.
Nyx gulped, glancing sideways at Kaiden in silent âhelp me!â 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 Valkyrieâs 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.
"...Youâre lucky Kaiâs 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 didnât 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 lionâs den. "Youâre a vision. A gift. My radiant favorite bestie. Please donât vaporize me with an âaccidentallyâ 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, isnât 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 couldnât 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 didnât change the fact that she was a naĂŻve 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 doesnât 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 doesnât share," Nyx whispered fearfully.
Luna tilted her head, observing Aria with keen eyes. "Nope. Gravity pulls everything inward and doesnât let go."
There was a beat of silence. Then Nyxâs eyes widened with growing horror.
"But itâs only been a few days since we all got together! If sheâs this far gone now..." Nyx paled, visibly starting to sweat. "...Whatâs she gonna be like ten years from now?!"
Luna slowly leaned back against Kaidenâs 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 Kaidenâs arms with a pout, elegant and regal and just a touch theatrical. She folded her arms, but didnât pull away, her back now snugly nestled against his muscular chest, her face still slightly flushed from the onslaught of kisses sheâd 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 Kaidenâs 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 sheâd 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! Youâre not the only interesting one in this house, huh?"
Her eyes danced across Ariaâs cold glare, Lunaâs brooding silence, and Nyxâs shivering attempt at damage control. "I didnât expect this kind of chaos. Youâre living with a lethal combo."
Kaiden smiled as he pulled Aria tighter into his lap, nuzzling her cheek.
"You have no idea. But I wouldnât have it any other way."
And Rae?
She just chuckled under her breath and clinked an imaginary glass in Kaidenâs direction. "Itâs certainly not for me, but youâre living the life, my guy. Respect."