Chapter 36: What a perfect morning

Chapter 36: Chapter 36: What a perfect morning

"Moon, it’s way too early for this." Mars said, trying to move but unable to, Moon having pinned his hands down with her whole weight. "You know there’s a word for what you’re doing right now? A pretty bad one."

"Say it," Moon laughed, amused. "Let me hear it."

"I’d rather not."

"You’re talking like you’re reluctant to do this," Moon said, rocking her hips slowly, making Mars grit his teeth. "But I can feel something very hard underneath me."

"Normal reaction, actually."

"Well, I like this normal reaction. Mind if I take a loo—!"

BAAAAMMMM!!!

Both Mars and Moon jolted upright as the door burst open with overwhelming force, slamming into the wall hard enough to shudder.

Moon barely had time to process what was happening before Solaris appeared behind her and shoved her aside like garbage.

"What the?" Moon exclaimed, landing hard on the bed, eyes wide.

Mars turned to face Solaris and found her eyes blazing like suns, already dressed in her training suit. He smiled wryly, awkward. "I take it you’re the active type in the mornings?"

She grabbed his hand and started dragging him out of the room. "Spare me your nonsense. You said you wanted to train, and you’re still sleeping at this hour?"

"What do you mean, ’this hour’? It’s only 7am! We agreed to start at 9!"

"Changed my mind. We start at 7, every day now," Solaris hissed. "Got a fucking problem with that?"

"..."

"Thought so." Solaris huffed, dragging him further. They reached the living room and found Alice cleaning, a big smile on her face.

Spotting them, her smile widened. "Morning, Solaris."

"Don’t talk to me."

"Morning, dearest Mars."

"Morning, Alice," Mars replied awkwardly. "Good night, I hope?"

"My best one yet. Where’s this angry-looking child dragging you off to?"

"Training, apparently?"

"Need help surviving it?"

"Maybe breakfast, once I’m back from the dead."

"Of course, dearest—!"

"Would the two of you shut the fuck up already?" Solaris snapped. By then, they’d reached the elevator.

That was when Moon’s voice thundered through the whole house,

"SOLARIS YOU FUCKING BITCH! I’LL KILL YOU TODAY!"

Solaris smiled, mocking. Mars pretended he hadn’t heard a thing. The elevator opened, and the two of them stepped in.

Once they’d left the ground floor, Moon came sprinting into the living room, eyes gleaming with murder.

But in her haste, she failed to look where she was going and collided head-on with Willow, who’d just stepped out of her room.

Both women hit the ground with a loud thud, faces smarting from the impact.

"Are you blind? Can you not watch where you’re walking?" Moon said, glaring.

Willow stared at her for exactly one second before lunging, delivering a sharp punch straight to Moon’s face.

Moon’s temper shot through the roof. She retaliated with a knee strike, cracking Willow’s rib, forcing a groan of pain out of her.

Within seconds, the two women were tangled together on the ground, fighting like a pair of cats that couldn’t stand the sight or smell of each other.

Alice arrived soon after to find the scene unfolding. She didn’t stop them. Where was the fun in that?

She stood there, coffee in hand, watching with delighted eyes.

"What a perfect morning."

...

Mars stood facing Solaris, surrounded by gym equipment, training suit on. Watching her, he could tell immediately something was bothering her.

She kept opening and closing her mouth, eyes darting around the gym, rarely landing on him.

He found her achingly cute in that moment. Despite the foul mouth, volatile temper, and imposing physical strength and presence — yes, Solaris stood a few inches taller than him — she had a genuinely cute side, easy to overlook.

But with his Gift, Mars could see straight through it.

Thinking about it now, this Gift he’d once dismissed as useless had actually been carrying him through all of this.

It might lack any combat application, but socially, it was phenomenal.

It was through his wives, and Alice, that Mars truly grasped the real power and advantage of being able to sense other people’s emotions.

Still, the side effect remained dreadful.

"Uhum," Solaris finally spoke, fidgeting slightly, pulling his attention back. "I... I’m... so... argh, fuck! Why should I even apologize for leaving you there? You went and slept with that bitch Moon, and yesterday you took her side too!"

"Wait, what?" Mars was thoroughly confused for a second. But he wasn’t stupid, and his Gift wasn’t just for show.

Right then, he sensed something suspiciously close to... jealousy?

’What the fuck? Jealousy? Solaris? Oh my lord!’

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Solaris hissed, catching his wide-eyed surprise. "Do I have something on my face or what?"

"Besides your beauty? No, nothing," Mars blurted out.

"W-my what?" Solaris stammered, clapping a hand over her own mouth in embarrassment.

The two of them stood staring at each other, the moment awkward but weirdly funny.

Without meaning to, both of them started laughing, Mars genuinely surprised by the sound of Solaris’s laugh.

First time he’d ever heard it in front of him. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that.

"I have a figurine of The Fool," Solaris said slowly, once she’d composed herself. "I could, uh, give it to you, if you’re into Lord of the Mysteries. Don’t assume anything, I’m warning you! It’s just to..."

Solaris’s voice trailed off entirely when she noticed Mars had dropped to his knees.

"Allow me to kiss your feet, my goddess! Allow me!!"

"Arghh! Fuck no! What are you doing, you pervert?"

"I must worship your feet! Do you understand what you’re offering me right now? Fuck! Let me kiss it!"

"I’ll kick you in the face!"

"Fine! Kick me! Kick my face!"

Solaris was genuinely getting nervous now. "I swear I won’t give it to you if you keep this up!"

Instantly, Mars snapped back to his feet, expression suddenly dignified. "Keep what?" he said, all innocence, as though none of that had just happened.

Solaris was stunned for a beat, before her laugh burst out anyway. "You’re so fucking crazy, Mars."

"Coming from you, I genuinely don’t know how to take that."

"I’ll give you the figurine. You can even ask for something else too," she said, nodding to herself, hands on her hips. "But you have to call me auntie!"

’What the hell are these women’s obsession with roleplay? I’m already Willow’s brother, Moon’s son, and now Solaris’s nephew?’

[What a remarkable dynamic you share with your wives, Consort Fox!]

’Can I mute you?’

[...]

"What, you have a problem with that?" Solaris’s smile vanished immediately, watching him hesitate.

"So calling you auntie earns me one more favor?"

"Yes."

Mars didn’t hesitate a second longer. Calling one of the Primes auntie? Count him the fuck in.

"Deal," he said. "How do I get into the A-rank Warren Pit of Wrathful Fire under your family, auntie?"

’Time to get that Core of Emotion.’