Chapter 1096: Evening Relaxation

Later that evening, Kaiden discovered that Yunohana could lose a fight considerably less gracefully than she could win one.

"I pressed the button."

"You did," Luna agreed from the rug. "After I kicked your head in."

"Before."

"The corpse on the screen disagrees, boomer."

Yunohana looked down at the controller in her lap. Freshly bathed, with her hair loose over pale lavender pajamas, she had accepted the invitation to play with a confidence Kaiden had found adorable.

He was enjoying her offended dignity even more.

Dinner and hot baths had restored enough of the family’s energy to get them into the Abyssal Palace’s lounge. They had spent most of that energy choosing comfortable places to collapse, leaving Luna and Bastet to arrange the console beneath the television.

"Perhaps you would prefer a different character," Bastet offered from beside Yunohana.

The felinid wore cream pajamas with little embroidered suns around the cuffs. Her tail rested across her own lap, its tip curling whenever Luna made an especially obnoxious remark.

"Does this one have a disadvantage?"

"Only the person holding the controller," Luna said.

"Luna," Bastet chided.

"What?"

"Behave."

Kaiden laughed, earning a wounded glance from the shrine maiden and a squeeze around his waist from Nyx.

"Kai. You’re on the clock."

"My apologies."

He resumed rubbing her foot. Curled into the sofa’s corner beside him, Nyx had tucked herself against his shoulder with her knees drawn up and both feet resting across his lap. One arm hugged his waist, keeping him close.

He cupped her heel and worked his thumb along the arch, easing the pressure when her toes curled. Her pink pajama shorts had slipped up her legs, leaving a warm length of thigh against his forearm.

Her freshly washed hair smelled faintly of flowers, and he leaned closer to breathe it in before kissing her head. Whatever shampoo she had found, he was very much in favor of it.

"A little higher?"

He moved his thumb toward her heel.

"Mmm. I think you would’ve had a good profession to pursue even if you didn’t awaken."

"Yeah, pornstar," Kaiden agreed.

"...No, I meant-"

"Rubbing a chick’s feet well enough that she moans like a slut is an important skill for male pornstars," Luna chimed in from the gaming corner.

"I didn’t moan, though?"

"He’s still in training, I guess." Luna shrugged while demolishing Yunohana again. "Or you’re so fat you can’t feel the massage properly."

"Love you too, bestie."

She giggled, leaning in to kiss his cheek, then settled back against him to watch Yunohana select another fighter.

Across the low table, Aria held a mug of hot chocolate beneath her chin. A sketchbook lay open on her knees, and Kaiden caught a glimpse of a little figure with dark hair and an enormous smile before she tilted the page away.

"Was that me?"

"... No comment."

"He looks very handsome."

"He’s also much better at sitting still."

Aria sipped her chocolate over a smile. In her blue nightshirt and thick socks, with one foot tucked beneath her on the armchair, his beautiful moon looked far too pleased with herself for him to believe that drawing was entirely flattering.

He wanted to see the drawing, though every time she adjusted that tucked leg, her nightshirt slipped higher over her soft thigh and distracted him.

"May I have a look when you’re done?"

"Perhaps... If I’m happy with the end result."

"It’ll be perfect, I’m sure."

"Hmm... Flattery will get you a lot of things from me, but this isn’t one of them, Kai~"

On the other sofa, Calypso made a soft, deeply interested sound.

"Oh, Darling. Look at this."

She turned her cookbook toward him, displaying a photograph of a roast beneath a glossy brown sauce. The neck of her loose black pajama shirt dipped as she leaned forward, and Kaiden took a moment to admire the red cleavage above it before examining dinner.

"Madame Spice says the skin should crack when you cut it."

"That looks dangerous."

"Doesn’t it?"

Calypso drew the book back to study it, running her tongue over her lower lip. Beside her, Alexandra paused with a needle halfway through a soft blue scarf.

"Cali, you’re drooling."

"Am I?"

The demoness wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, then returned to the photograph with undiminished interest.

"Lexi, could we make this sometime?"

"We can try. Please keep it away from my sewing."

"I’ll protect it with my life."

"I’d prefer you used a napkin."

Alexandra’s smile remained as she drew the thread through another tiny yellow star. She had changed into white pajamas with blue piping, her blonde hair loosely tied back, and Kaiden was glad to see her sitting down with something she wanted to do.

"There!" Yunohana exclaimed.

Kaiden looked toward the television in time to see her fighter knock Luna’s backward.

"That was rather effective."

"Yeah? Watch this."

Luna’s character caught the next attack and threw Yunohana’s across the arena. By the time the shrine maiden had worked out how to stand again, the remaining health had vanished from her side of the screen.

"...I see."

"Do you?"

"I would like to play against Bastet."

"Of course." The felinid accepted Luna’s controller with a warm smile. "We can take our time."

Yunohana lasted less than a minute.

For several seconds, she stared at the result while Bastet lowered her controller, looking faintly apologetic.

"I have been training against this foul-mouthed gremlin for some time now," the tanned felinid said softly. "I did try to show you when I was about to attack, too..."

"How thoughtful of you."

"Would you like me to avenge you?" Kaiden offered.

Yunohana turned toward him at once.

"Hmm... I’m not sure-"

Before she could explain that she didn’t want to get bailed out by her lover in a fight between women, Nyx tightened her arm around his waist.

"He has an appointment."

"Ah. Of course. I wouldn’t wish to interrupt such important work."

Yunohana faced the television again, gathering her loose hair over one shoulder before adjusting her grip on the controller.

"One more, if you please."

Kaiden settled deeper into the sofa. His legs still ached, and he suspected getting upstairs would eventually involve considerable complaining, but he was in no hurry to solve that problem.

His family was here, clean and fed, arguing over a game while Calypso tried to negotiate tomorrow’s dinner. He could keep touching Nyx, admire Aria whenever she looked up from her sketchbook, and watch Yunohana discover fresh reasons to be indignant.

He was absurdly happy.

Beside Alexandra, Alice had been curled around a cushion in light blue pajamas, with a pair of rabbit slippers poking over the sofa’s edge.

When Aria glanced toward her, she gave the Moon Valkyrie a little nod and put the cushion aside.

"Big Brother?"

Kaiden looked up as she approached.

Alice stopped beside his knees, clasping her hands behind her back.

"Could we go for a walk?"

His hands stilled around Nyx’s foot.

"Is something wrong?"

"No."

Her gaze slipped toward the rug. For a moment, she rubbed one slipper against the other, then stole a sideways look at him beneath her lashes.

"I just... wanted a few minutes with you. Would that be too much?"