Chapter 619: The chaotic household [4]

The soft sound of footsteps approached through the grass.

Elize stepped out from the mansion with two glasses held loosely in one hand and paused when she saw the bench.

Brandon was already asleep in Rheanne’s lap.

Rheanne’s fingers were still moving absently through his hair with a gentle smile as she looked down at him.

Elize’s steps slowed.

She came to a stop a short distance from the bench and spoke in a quiet voice "...I came to ask if either of you wanted something to drink."

Her eyes lowered to Brandon’s sleeping face. "But it seems he’s already out."

Rheanne glanced up and gave a small nod.

Elize stood there for a moment longer, simply watching him.

Without saying anything else, she moved closer and sat down on the open end of the bench.

She set the glasses aside on the grass, then reached out and gently gathered Brandon’s legs, lifting them with care before settling them across her lap.

The bench was not particularly wide, but the three of them fit.

Brandon remained deeply asleep between them with his head in Rheanne’s lap and his legs now resting across Elize’s.

Elize’s gaze remained on Brandon’s sleeping face. The moonlight caught the longer strands of his hair and the quieter maturity that still felt new to her.

She adjusted her hold just enough to make sure his legs were comfortable, then leaned back slightly against the bench.

"I told the others I was only coming out to offer drinks," she said after a moment. "I think I’ll stay here a while instead."

Rheanne gave a soft giggle and lightly patted Brandon’s cheek.

Elize watched the small gesture, then let her gaze rest on Rheanne’s face "...Thank you,"

Rheanne looked up.

"For taking care of him all these years." Elize’s eyes lowered briefly to Brandon’s sleeping face before returning to Rheanne.

"We only lost him for a week, and it nearly broke some of us. You had him for decades and stayed with him when none of us could."

"I don’t know what those years demanded from you. But he came back to us whole, and I am sure... that would not have been possible without you."

Rheanne’s hand stilled in Brandon’s hair for a moment.

"I did not do it alone," she answered quietly. "He carried most of it himself. I only made sure he did not have to carry it in complete isolation."

Elize gave a small nod, "Even so... Thank you."

The two women sat with the words between them.

"He trusts you a great deal," she said. "That has always been clear... even when he spoke of you."

Elize’s expression softened, and she simply adjusted her hand against his leg once more and looked out across the dark grassland.

---

Brandon walked back into the mansion with Rheanne and Elize.

The women were gathered across the couches and open floor in loose groups, chatting among themselves as the night stretched on.

The moment he stepped fully inside, Freya stood up from where she had been sitting with the others from the past.

She crossed the room without hesitation and came to a stop in front of him.

Then she leaned in and pressed a kiss to his lips.

"We’re leaving for now. It’s enough for one night. We’ll come back later."

Brandon met her eyes and gave a small nod "Alright."

Freya’s hand stayed against his chest for a brief moment before she stepped aside.

Meanwhile, Selene wrapped her arms around him tightly, pressing her face against his shoulder the way she had since she was small.

Brandon returned the hug at once with a chuckle.

"I’ll stay," Selene muttered as she turned to Freya. "You can go, Mama. I’ll be fine."

Freya looked at her daughter for a moment, then gave a short nod.

Amelia, Scylla, Camille, and Lisette also stood up, exchanging brief glances with the present household before they left.

---

Later that night

In the kitchen, Elize was standing at the counter with Florence and Yverine, preparing dinner for the night.

Florence worked quietly with a thoughtful face as she handled the vegetables.

A short distance away, just beyond the open arch that connected the kitchen to the side hall, Brandon stood with Ravene.

Their bodies pressed close as he kissed her deeply, and Ravene returned the kiss with equal intensity, her fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt as she leaned fully into him.

Brandon tilted his head slightly, deepening it further, and Ravene made a quiet sound against his mouth as she matched him.

When they finally parted for breath, their faces remained close.

Ravene’s eyes were half-lidded and she kissed the corner of his lips "It is quite strange to see your face like this..."

Brandon chuckled under his breath. He caught her lower lip between his and sucked on it slowly, drawing another quiet sound from her lips before releasing it.

"I missed you so much these past years," he murmured against her mouth.

Ravene kissed him again, and her hand slid up to rest against the side of his neck.

"Then spend the night with me."

Brandon met her eyes and there was no hesitation in his answer.

"I will."

---

Meanwhile, on one of the couches, Eira, Selene, and Kiera sat together in a loose triangle.

Selene, seated between the two sisters, looked from one to the other.

After a moment she pointed at Eira.

"So you and her..." she said, glancing briefly toward Kiera as well, "are Papa’s daughters. That makes you my sisters, then."

Eira’s eyes widened, and she immediately started shaking her head with both hands raised "No- wait. I’m not just his daughter. I’m his lover."

Selene was startled to hear this and stared at Eira in disbelief "...You are his daughter and his lover? What in the-?!"

"No! No, no, no-" Eira waved both hands frantically. "That’s not what I meant! I mean-ugh!"

Kiera let out a soft sigh "Not like that. She’s... well. She’s his daughter. Kind of. Because... he loves our mother, so...."

Selene turned to Kiera, still looking deeply unsettled "But she just said she loves him."

"I do love him," Eira muttered, slumping back against the couch with her arms crossed.

"Brandon and I are lovers... but like, we met and fell in love before he even met my mom."

Selene tilted her head slightly "So you are not his biological daughters but stepdaughters."

"Well... you can say that."

"Wow, that’s some incest stuff."

"Woah, woah! NO! NO! As i said, I met him first!"