In honor of Cye's birthday on Monday, here's a new update! =D Happy birthday, Cye!

Warnings: Nothing major! Brief mention of PTSD intrusions but not really anything to write home about. This chapter is a tad more Adult and sensual than previous iterations, though—but nothing graphic.


A long soak in the tub seemed to be just what the doctor ordered. Technically, that was almost literally true; the gynecologist had highly recommended them with Epsom salts to help ease the full-body aches that had plagued me for practically the entirety of the trial, now.

The fact Alexa allowed me to avail myself of her extensive personal bath bomb stash certainly didn't hurt things, either.

Rowen took the excuse of my being indisposed to retire to our bedroom, undoubtedly to recharge from a long day and even longer week...or six. He had seemed a bit preoccupied lately, more withdrawn and less likely to insert himself in situations of potential sensory-overload. I chalked it up to prolonged exposure to unfamiliar stimulation, but still couldn't help worrying about him.

'Maybe I can get some answers tonight,' I mused, watching my toes lazily poke in and out of the water's surface.

Alexa kept the temperature high enough I didn't immediately shiver when I stepped out of the bath. I hadn't bothered bringing my clothes with me; besides the long towel covering the important spots, my years of military experience had long since cured me of the awkwardness that could ensue in a house full of male peers.

That brought to mind a memory I hadn't thought of for years, as I opened the door to mine and Rowen's room. The tiniest smile came to my lips, recalling his expression the first time he'd caught me in nothing but a towel.

Safe to say he'd had a slightly different look on our wedding night.

My bookworm husband didn't even glance up while I walked around to my side of the bed. Of course, little mischievous me would then take complete advantage of that fact. Once I'd made absolutely sure I'd completely dried myself off (that was one of my Things), I crawled onto the bed.

He automatically lifted an arm for me to snuggle under, a motion he'd done almost a thousand times before. Unsurprisingly, it took him a few moments to realize his fingers rested on bare skin instead of the usual PJs. When he did, he finally broke eye contact with the page in front of him in order to raise an eyebrow at me.

"If you still think seduction is necessary at this stage, I'll be a little disappointed," he murmured, fingertips moving from my thickening waistline to my bellybutton.

An amused chuckle purred in my chest. "No, I just wanted to get your attention," I teased, lifting a finger to trace a line down his torso. Predictably, he'd put on long-sleeve pajamas—very much like my twin, what with them both tending toward lower blood pressure and thus being easily chilled.

Despite how I'd meant that, I still felt Strata pull back, a mix of hesitating and worrying, meaning Rowen clearly was Bothered by something. He usually was a thoughtful man as it was, but I'd learned that Strata was generally an excellent indicator of when I should try to poke at whatever was on his mind.

"You will always have my attention," he said quietly, voice strained though I could tell he was trying to hide it.

My hand went to his clavicle and rested there. "Something's on your mind."

A moment of silence stretched out into something longer. It was hard not to barrage him with questions to dig out the issue; my curious cat instincts were sometimes irrepressible. And sometimes it was just a Bad Idea to overwhelm him when he was deliberately being quiet.

"How do you feel about the verdict?"

I stilled, going into my own thoughtful mode. The trial—and the past four years—had been a long, arduous process. As was my way, sometimes, I hadn't really had to deal with my feelings. I had hardly known Mom, except from what Alexa told me about her and then the incident that lead to where we were now. I didn't have quite the same level of personal connection and investment, besides being there for my sister and holding Mom responsible for the events of four years ago.

But the trial had ended up bringing that into focus, really. Truthfully, I had viewed it somewhat like an operation—a very personal one, and one that was now a confirmed success. And getting to see the relief on my sister's face had been a wonderful belated birthday gift.

"I'm glad," I said in reply to Rowen. "It was everything we could have hoped for. We nailed her to the wall, like she deserves."

To my surprise, his arm tightened around me. "So you're not worried about our kid not having a grandmother?"

I blinked, drawing back a fraction to look up at him. His expression was more troubled than I'd seen for a while, midnight eyes greyed over with clouds. "Ro… Koibito…"

"I'm not even sure they'll have grandparents on my side," he interjected suddenly. The dam broken, he continued in a rush of words, "My mother was never really there for me after the divorce, always travelling for work. That was why I got left with Dad—and we know how that turned out. I...don't really want our kids to get too close. I barely keep in touch with him anymore, and honestly I'm expecting him to die sooner rather than later. But this…" He paused for a breath, exhaling it in a deep sigh. His next words were slower. "They're going to ask—why don't they get to meet your mom? Where is their grandmother?" His gaze dropped to his chest, avoiding mine. "What will we tell them? How will this affect them?"

I sat up, lifting my hand to cup his jaw. "The truth, Rowen," I said softly. My eyes stayed steady on his, hoping he'd look up at me while I spoke but not expecting it. "These things happen in life. We don't get to choose where we come from, or whose blood makes ours. But we do get to decide what we do with it. The best we can do is to tell them, answer their questions, then let them make up their own minds." A sly smile crossed my lips, thinking of another couple and a few friends. "Besides, they'll have plenty of uncles with grandparents. I'm sure Mama Rei Faun or Missus Mouri will be more than happy to spoil them rotten."

That got him to glance up at me, a tiny, brief spark of hope and amusement in his eyes. "Though I'm not so sure they'll appreciate your sister's soon-to-be husband's grandfather."

I waved that off. "Don't worry, Sage's mom and dad should be able to make up for it." Pursing my lips thoughtfully, I quipped, "Besides, how long can that old man stick around, anyway? He's already ancient. Matter of fact, he could almost give Kaos a run for his money, I bet." Of course, as my brain was wont to do, it completely jumped ship on that line of thought and grabbed another. I outright grinned at Rowen. "How much you want to bet Alexa has no clue Sage is proposing tomorrow?"

He chuckled briefly. "Knowing her? That's no bet. And I just saw her—she thought nothing of Sage's idea for a relaxing day he was already planning, nor did Dusk give away that she saw anything extra behind it."

"If oblivious were a hashtag—which it can be, hashtag obviously—she'd be the poster child for it," I replied with satisfaction, wiggling happily back into my cuddle-spot. A split second later, though, I decided it was high time I put my pajamas on. There was only so long I could stand being entirely naked, as much as I'd gotten used to it recently.

And while Alexa did keep the apartment [quite cozy, it wasn't [quite that warm.

Rowen simply responded with a vague "mhm" as I slipped off the bed and over to the closet, unfolding a clean set of PJs I'd just put in the open suitcase-dresser last night. An unexpected wave of exhaustion washed over my complaining body, meaning I pretty much crawled back into bed and Rowen's arms. By that time, he'd closed his book and set it on the nightstand, pulling the covers down for us to snuggle under.

I could sense his mood had gone back to the earlier topic by the fact Strata still kept its distance from Dawn. She nonetheless stretched out for the other armor, wrapping it in a warm bubble like the first rays of sun on a chilled Earth.

When he finally spoke, his voice was soft and almost scared. "I don't know how to be a father."

His tone got my attention more than anything. We'd had this conversation before, but something behind his words chilled me. I tightened my arms around him and nuzzled his neck. "You'll be just fine. We've talked about this before, remember? You are not your parents."

"But I've never had parents…"

The emphasis changed how I needed to look at this conversation. I continued to talk into his neck. "But you've had friends, and you've seen other parents. We'll be alright, Ro."

He wrapped me in a bear hug of the desperate variety. "I'll have to learn, and...what if I'm not fast enough…?"

I wasn't sure what had gotten him so rattled, but it was beginning to have me worried. Giving him a soft, reassuring kiss, I murmured, "We have a large support network. If ever you're overwhelmed or we need a break or whatever, the others will be more than happy to step in. There's nothing wrong with that." I drew back just enough to study his face, smiling in the hopes it would cheer him up. "Besides, you're Super Learner. You know so much. And the fact you don't want to repeat your parents' mistakes means you're paying attention."

Despite my efforts, Rowen still sounded broken up about the issue. "What if I can't help it? What if...what if I revert to him."

Whatever it was perpetuating his fears, Strata flatly refused to let Dawn probe deeper in order to find the root. I pulled him into my embrace, cradling his tense body in my arms and fervently hoping I could reach him. "It'll work out, I promise. I'm right here with you. You are not your father."

Apparently, I'd missed the point again. "What if I become him?"

This time we separated so I could put both hands on his cheeks, gazing as deeply into his eyes as we both liked to stare into space. "You won't. You won't let that happen and I sure as Hell won't, either." I paused to let that sink in, brushing a thumb against his skin. "I love you."

And Strata broke. The sense of power that had been thrumming protectively just below the skin drained away. Relief flooded his eyes; his kiss was the most needy and overpowering thing I'd felt in a long time. When we parted—just enough to speak and for air—my stomach flip-flopped at the mischievous, steamy light in his eyes. "And I love you." A smirk to match his eyes curved his lips.

"Now, what can we do about these PJs…"

—/—

'Do you still want dinner or have you filled up on cupcakes?'

I laughed and showed Sage Cye's message. Thankfully I could keep my tone down in public— the bookstore might not be a library, but it was still fairly quiet.

Sage pulled out his phone, me looking over his arm as he typed out, 'If I can drag her away from the tarot decks.'

It didn't take more than a minute for me to send Cye my own message. 'And I can drag *him* away from the tea.'

I had nearly put my phone away before it buzzed again. 'That was confusing to read out of order.'

Sage snorted and typed out his own reply while I said, 'Ask Tessa if she wants chocolate while we're here.'

'One, you two need to stop looking over each others' shoulders, two, I still need an answer, and three, yes she does.'

Another window popped up; Ryo's. 'Why don't we all just use group text by now?'

'Cause this is more fun lol' I replied— to Cye.

I could just imagine the glare all of them were giving to my text. Not five minutes later a group conversation popped up with Rowen as the first message. 'If we're honest, we weren't separate much on this trip and usually it's not two groups isolated'

Exasperation was apparently communicable in text. Cye was, once again, back to typing. 'If you still want dinner what do you want?'

I looked up at my boyfriend, a few facial expressions all it took to settle the debate we'd had way too much. 'Both of us are good with Indian? Or Chinese, if Kento's not sick of the Westernized stuff right now lol'

'Hey, it tastes good even if it's not Chinese!'

'Your usuals?' Cye asked, ever the caretaker.

Another set of quick glances between Sage and I and he was replying. 'Yes, thank you'

We put our phones away and grabbed Tessa's chocolate, heading to the cash with a few books and me insisting on paying for my own. Normally I would appreciate it, but I had barely bought anything for myself since he'd arrived in September and while my savings had grown tremendously, I had certain levels of pride.

The bus ride home involved me holding onto Sage and him holding onto the grip above his head and out of my reach. Driving downtown was basically impossible, meaning we were in our own little world among strangers in public transport. I couldn't tell if anybody recognized us from the trial with my face buried in Sage's shoulder, and I preferred it that way.

He held my hand a little tighter on the walk back to my apartment, just like he had been all day. I leaned into his side in case it was nerves I hadn't enjoyed the outing— walking along the Village even though we looked like a heterosexual couple, simply because I felt safer there being bi; cupcakes I could basically always eat no matter how hungry I was; comic books; the mall nearby, with its bookstore and most of my favourite places— as reassurance I very much had.

My train of thought must've filtered through Dusk. He pulled me closer, arm going around my waist. "I'm glad you enjoyed it."

"That is an understatement," I murmured. "Arigato."

"Iie, tondemo arimasen."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Would you be saying that had I let you pay for the books?"

The twinkle in his eye made me melt. "You know me. I likely would've anyway."

Despite blushing, I still rolled my eyes. "Yes, yes I do, and you're incorrigible."

He let me go to open the doors to the apartment— the FOB keyless entry had been one of the main selling features of this building, with another layer of security between me and potential trouble— and after getting the mail we went back up to my apartment.

The guys told us the food would take another twenty minutes from the size of the order, along with the predictable joke that we needed to get a relative truckload of it considering Kento and Rowen. Tessa decided to risk spicier food, and even then she still took the blandest dishes on the menu— not like that was any different than normal, for how she hated spice. Whenever I wondered how we were related in that regard, she pointed out how we were normally opposites. I just had a hard time understanding how anybody couldn't like spice. Meanwhile she wondered how anybody could like the burn that came along with it. Sage, Ryo, and I just shook our heads at her.

The teasing hid how relieved I was, though. Nether Spirits had stopped hovering with the end of the trial, and her nausea seemed to settle down in tandem. Anything that made her life easier right now was a blessing. I was almost surprised Balance hadn't formed under the surface, just so we could better protect each other.

As per usual, I was curled up against Sage's side— if only to give the rest of the boys more room on the couch. After dinner we all stayed where we were, plates scattered around on various side tables, not one of us wanting to move and the whole concept of relaxing a welcome relief.

I stretched my neck to kiss his jaw, an unusual coolness to his skin. "Merci, mon ange. Today was wonderful."

He turned his head to the side, a glint in his eyes I'd seen before, but seemed to take on a new shine. "It's not quite over yet."

I blinked at him. He shifted on the couch to face me, holding my hands. Nobody else spoke while he did— the tv was even muted. "It has been four years since we trusted each other enough to try our hands at love, to try and do what neither of us had ever thought possible. Four and a half years ago you trusted me enough to let me carry you out of your mother's clutches, even though you were scared of me, and now you have let me carry you again through another heartache— ending in you being free from her. I could not be more grateful to have you in my life, that you have let me in your life, and I hope to stay in it for the rest of our days.

"Kekkon shite kurenai kana?"

He waited while I tried to parse very unfamiliar Japanese; after a few moments he touched my knee to get my attention before sliding off the couch, one knee up, and pulling out a small box from his trouser pocket. "I wonder if you would give me a wedding?"

The phrase refused to register. I blinked at him, breath half caught. I hated not being able to figure things out, only my trust in him and his ability to read Dusk's silent prompt keeping my anxiety in check.

He laughed softly and shook his head, flicking the box open. "Would you give me the privilege of marrying you?"

I gasped and covered my mouth with my hands, absolutely transfixed by the ring he now held out to me. The gems were set in an infinity symbol, one side filled with an emerald— like Halo— and the other with an amethyst— like Dusk. Two armours joined by a golden figure eight that left them separate but always together. Always interconnected.

I was nodding before I found my voice. "Yes. Yes of course."

He smiled and put the ring on, both of our hands shaking but thankfully he had the dexterity to get the size three ring on the appropriate finger. I stood as he did, just to mirror, him holding my hands.

I pulled one out of his grip and lifted it up, as if I was going to show it to everyone else. 'You know I'm going to kiss you for that.'

He preemptively leaned in. 'I was completely expecting it.'

My hand snapped up to cup the back of his neck, yanking him down to meet my lips. His arms wrapped around me and pulled me so close I lost my footing, my previously free hand now gripping his shirt for balance.

I could barely hear the whistling and cheers behind me.

Sage tried to pull away after a single kiss, but I brought him back for another. 'You, mon ange, are too damn proper for your own good.'

His mental laugh rippled like the bamboo flute he so loved to play. 'I will concede the point.'

We finally parted, him letting me stand on my own but barely, foreheads rested together and his arms still in a vice grip around my back. I slid my hand down to his shoulder just to get another good look at the ring now that I wasn't about to cry. The gems twinkled in the light, teardrop stones held in place by prongs shaped like hearts. "It's beautiful."

He placed his hand on mine, glancing at the ring before turning his attention back to me. "It had to match its wearer."

I blushed bright red and buried my face in his shoulder, trying not to burst out laughing. 'You're still terrible.'

He rested his jaw against my hair, holding me as close as possible and voice too soft to even be teasing. 'You've only been saying that since we met.'

My sister pushed her way through the gathering crowd, worming her way in for a hug. "Sure took the Hero of Time long enough to get his princess," she said to the both of us, jab at Sage not gone unnoticed.

I rolled my eyes and hugged her back. "I thought you'd dropped that joke." Although I had to admit, Sage's resemblance to Link was more than a little uncanny and clearly pointed to the both of us having a type. There was a reason the joke had gone on for years.

She laughed. Loudly. "Never a bad time to revive that one." The devilish glint in her eyes softened when she nodded at my ring. "Gorgeous, isn't it?"

I pulled away, frowning in a good natured glare at her. She hadn't even gotten a good look at that ring, despite my left hand being towards the group. "Don't tell me you knew."

She turned sheepish. "Sage showed it to me when he got off the plane."

Kento took advantage of the silence as I processed what had gone on behind my back; he clasped my now-fiancé on the shoulder, yanking him in for a bear hug. "About damn time, bro!"

I looked up at Sage as he pulled away, one eyebrow up in accusation. "How many people knew you were going to propose on this trip?"

He blushed and gestured to the room around us. "Them, of course… and your father, the rest of Tessa's family… and my family…"

Tessa made life infinitely worse for the boys with her incredibly teasing, "Yeah, they've only been betting on when since he bought the ring."

Rowen gave his wife quite the look of betrayal in response.

I sighed, utterly deflating but far too amused to truly be upset. "I should have known you'd have bets, considering how we got together…"

Her expression turned apologetic, despite her amusement at this whole situation still shining through. She slung an arm around my shoulders. "C'mon, let's face it. If 'oblivious' were a hashtag, sis, you'd be the poster child."

Sage shook his head at me. "I'm sorry, Tōgei, but you truly are."

I rolled my eyes, resigned to my fate. "Yeah, yeah, I know… why do you think I'm not surprised at the bets?"

Before I could say anything else, Rowen interjected. "To your credit, she didn't notice when I was going to propose, either."

That got him quite the glare. He diffused it with a tap on her nose.

I looked over at the guys, lopsided smile growing. "Who won?"

Everyone else pointed straight to my brother in law, grinning in the middle of the room. Tessa confirmed, "Rowen. Naturally."

Ryo cuffed him on the shoulder. "He forced us all to give bets first so we couldn't copy him."

If Rowen was anything, it was smug about his intelligence. "Wanted to ride on my coattails."

"And this is why I don't play you in igo," my sister said, going up to him and standing on her toes to even have a chance at reaching his lips for a kiss; the affection softened the jab at his ego.

Sage sat back down on the couch, pulling me with him. He found my left hand, kissing the knuckles under both rings I now wore, before wrapping his arms around me with a grip still intact. I tipped my head up so he could more easily nuzzle and kiss under my eye, then my forehead, the bridge of my nose—

"Get a room, you two," Kento said, interrupting the moment. "You're gonna kill me from all the cute."

I was sure Sage and I had matching raised eyebrow expressions leveled towards him. Before either of us could retort something about how Kento should talk for all he cuddled with his girlfriend, Rowen came up with his phone. The video of our engagement conveniently lasted right up till the kisses and the reveal of the bet. Once it had stopped rolling, he asked, "Mind if I put it on Facebook?"

I sat up as straight as I could in Sage's arms. "Let me change my relationship status first!"

We had learned the hard way what happened when pictures and video went up before the relationship change— Tessa and Rowen had been absolutely flooded with well wishes before they'd logged on, resulting in quite the overwhelmed rush of replying. The worst part was it had been my fault, me being the videographer and a little too eager to reveal that moment to our friends.

Sage shook his head as I pulled up the app. "Make sure my parents can't see it— I'm sure Ojiisama would be unhappy about the spectacle of affection. Or the translation…"

I snuggled into him and squeezed his hand. His grandfather, like my mother and stepfather, erred on the side of never displaying affection in public. My mother had gone on very long rants about how she wasn't homophobic because she hated all public displays of affection equally. It meant we were normally a reserved couple, sticking to the sweeter side, but this was too joyous an occasion to be reserved.

During the expected flood of comments as people noticed our relationship change, I got a notification I had been tagged. Despite knowing exactly what it was, compulsion won out and I checked it.

The caption of the video, however, made me pause.

'Even smooth-talking Seiji got tongue-tied. Took him long enough! Of course I won the bet on when :P'

I slowly turned my head towards Rowen, staring at him a moment before launching into a tickle fight. He overpowered me after just a few passes, his over six foot build enough to pin down even squirmy little me. Everyone, including my sister, watched as I laughed helplessly, me registering some comment that she would've helped if she wasn't still in her first trimester and didn't want to upset anything.

Before I got completely breathless from laughter, Sage shoved Rowen off me with a smirk, very patiently holding him in place while Rowen got a taste of his own medicine.

We went to bed early that night, all of us, the rush of winning turning into a desperate need for sleep. Before I could do anything, however, Sage took my hands. "Would you believe I have one more surprise?"

I gaped at him, shoulders dropping in exasperation. "It's you. Of course you have one more surprise."

He grinned and went to his suitcase, pulling out a second ring box. He opened it before turning to face me, revealing a men's ring inside. "Would you do the honours?"

I swallowed, emotions already intense and only getting stronger. My vision blurred as I slipped the gold band on his finger, my thumb running over the engraved infinity symbol, two tiny gemstones to match my ring set inside it.

He laced our fingers together, pulling me against him with his free hand on my lower back. "I thought… the both of us would feel better, if I had a ring."

I looked up at him, one hand on his shoulder like we were in a ballroom frame. "You were right, for me, at least."

He kissed me so softly I could only melt, could only take the love he was giving me. The sheer thoughtfulness of my traditional fiancé breaking tradition, of his rebellious streak applying to this situation, just to make me feel safer— to ease the voices he knew lived in my mind, constantly whispering he'd find somebody in Japan with how much distance was between us. Now everyone would know he was taken, he was mine, and he was just as committed as I was.

We parted, his hand now on the back of my neck and both of mine on his shoulders. He gave me one more, even sweeter, before whispering, "Do you want a massage?"

I temporarily forgot to speak from the light in his eyes and relaxed smile on his lips, an expression I had so rarely seen but loved so much. Despite the number of thoughts swirling along the lines of how can there be more you've already given me the world, my tongue only wrapped around a single word. "Please."

He left the room to get my massage bar while I took my shirt off and lay under my throw blanket to not get cold. He returned and sat next to me on the bed, moving my hair before away before kissing my cheek. "It was nice to see you smile, again."

I turned my head and smiled at him. "I could say the same for you."

He pulled down the covers and kissed the back of my neck, hand going up and down my spine to see where he would need to focus. He put music on shortly after, the soft melodies an appropriate backdrop for intimacy that walked the line between sexual and sensual. The bar went up and down my back before he began the massage, making it easier for him to work on a layer of shea butter.

And I thought I had been relaxed before.

His hands practically made me melt into the mattress, exhales deep and eyes slipping closed from sheer pleasure. Halo flowed along my muscles with his movements, helping him undo knots in ways no one else could. I could only try not to moan from the long overdue relief, the long overdue feeling of safety that came when it was just Sage and I enjoying each other without ignoring something more pressing. I couldn't remember the last time we'd been able to do this.

One eye opened, catching a rare glimpse of my boyf— fiancé looking at me when he didn't think I was. My breath caught upon what I saw.

His hair fell over his face, strands barely obscuring the absolutely adoring sheen in his violet eyes. They'd changed colour in the dim light, turning deeper and bluer. His lips were softly parted in a subtle, utterly gentle smile, adoration in every line I could see.

He noticed the change in my breathing. His gaze flicked up to meet mine, smile growing once he realized I'd seen. I closed my eyes for him to kiss my cheek, turning my torso oh so slightly so he could catch my lips.

Halo went deeper into my soul, Sage's hands pressing into my muscles and easing me back down. "I am extraordinarily proud of you."

I laughed softly. "For what?"

"Everything." He kissed my temple, going to massage my deltoids. "The trial, your weight gain, accepting… me."

I turned beet red and sheepish, hiding my face and hoping my blush didn't creep down my back. "How could I not accept somebody who loves me so much?"

As if to prove my point, Halo simply flooded me with that very feeling. I felt weightless, at peace with everything around me. I only hoped Dusk did the same for him, reciprocated the intensity of love and adoration he gave. It had been rocky, between long distance and both of us having to learn how to exist together. I swore we'd reassured each other we still wanted to keep trying every few weeks, at first. Now we hardly ever did— thank god— but it was still a fear, still a point that flared up when we were stressed. I'd tried to grow used to it, telling myself it was a natural part of relationships, but it was hard not to feel guilty. It helped he felt the same.

He leaned down and kissed my cheek. "That's why I'm proud of you for letting me in your life."

I reached up— carefully so as not to show my front— to brush the hair out of his eyes. "And that's why I'm proud of you."

His smile gained a mischievous edge, voice a whisper. "Shame we have to wait for this to dry before I can properly kiss you."

I smirked. "We are engaged… if you want, I can turn over…" I swallowed down still-present nerves. "But only if you want."

He glanced down at my shoulder, stroking my back absently. "One of the reasons I slept beside you, this trip, was because I knew we'd get engaged. I felt comfortable… taking this farther, physically."

I blushed, tipping my head down. "What were the others?"

He brushed a few stray strands of hair away from my face with the back of his fingers. "I knew you'd want me. And, maybe… I wanted you, too."

"I did." I shifted, lifting myself up to turn oh so slightly. "Do… you…?"

He kept his hand on the side of my head and slowly nodded, breath catching as I pushed myself up, arm still hiding my chest.

Only for the mood to be completely broken by 'It's Not Unusual' playing from his iPod not a half second later, sending me collapsing back against the bed in laughter.

Sage groaned and paused the music, background noise replaced with howling from everyone else in the apartment.

I covered my head with my arms, chuckles subsiding. "I am going to kill Rowen!"

It had to have been him, the song choice not having gone unnoticed. The only thing that would've made it more obviously Rowen's handiwork was him inserting 'What's New Pussycat' somewhere in the playlist, but that wouldn't have been the exact parallel for one of our favourite sketch comedy bits— the Salt and Pepper Diner by John Mulaney. I pushed myself up slightly, to better turn and look at Sage. "It's the eighth song, isn't it?"

"Yes." He scrolled through his playlist, thumb flicking the screen in an obvious 'delete' motion. "Must be payback for that tickle fight. It was not there this morning."

I raised an eyebrow. "How long've you been planning this?"

He smirked. "Since before I arrived."

I went back on the bed, blushing profusely and hiding my face with my arms. "You spoil me."

He found my left hand again, pulling it away from my hair and kissing the back. "So do you."

I turned my head to smile at him. "Still want me to turn over?"

"No." The sadness at being interrupted, something that often upset Sage far more than me, was replaced with a twinkle in his eye. "I'd rather plan how to pay him back."

I laughed softly so the others wouldn't hear, grabbing my still-in-reach bra. "Sounds good to me."

The next morning had us waiting for Rowen to get up, everyone else watching tv. At Strata's wakefulness from the master bedroom, Sage spoke up.

"Anyone want tea?"

I was an incredibly good actress. Despite the absolutely wicked mirth bubbling up in my throat, I simply said, "Sure. Kinda leaning chai."

He kissed my forehead before getting up to boil the water, even Cye relenting kitchen duties for Sage's tea. Ojiisama had taught him traditional techniques as a child, skills Sage had honed over the years. He set the kettle— yet another present, one that would allow him the level of temperature control he needed for the best results— and came back in the room.

Rowen emerged a few moments later, rubbing sleep from his eyes. I grinned at him. "Caught up on sleep, or did you go night owl again?"

He rolled his eyes. "Just cause Sage's schedule has rubbed off on you doesn't mean you have any room to comment on how late I stay up."

I laughed to hide my warming cheeks. "You've got me, there."

Sage's arm tightened around my shoulders, his amusement clear. "She's still sound asleep when I wake up, if that's what you're wondering."

I shook my head. "It's a good thing Tessa got Dawn. If you hadn't noticed…"

She snorted. "I don't like waking up as much as you do."

I stuck my tongue out at her. "Says the military girl."

Rowen officially decided he wasn't awake enough for this. He waved us off in dismissal, but the conversation had done its job. Sage and I shared an internal smirk as the kettle clicked right when Rowen was getting milk from the fridge.

After a quickly murmured, "Which exact tea do you want?" and my equally quiet answer of my favourite spicy blend, Sage was up and walking into the kitchen right when Rowen had a glass to his lips.

Everyone else knew something was up when they noticed me follow Sage a few paces behind. Everyone, that was, except a still half asleep Rowen. He moved to the side to let my fiancé pass, only to find a hand around his wrist and the glass jerking down in a single swift motion.

Sage released Rowen and splashed him in the face without even breaking stride.

Everyone paused in pure shock, general pandemonium of asking what just happened— including Rowen sputtering and glaring. Tessa's jaw dropped before she went to help her husband clean up, me grabbing a towel I'd gotten Sage to put by the kitchen door for the sole purpose of tossing at Rowen.

"Need some help, there?" I said with a grin, towel hitting him in the chest.

Now the others burst out into unbridled laughter, the shock of quiet, reserved, unfailingly proper Sage pulling such a good prank wearing off; my fiancé himself leaned against the counter and smirked over his mug at the sight.

Even Tessa had to laugh at that, much to Rowen's displeasure.

I winked, grin still unfailing. "Payback."

Eventually Rowen softened, quiet chuckle coming out. "Guess I asked for that, didn't I?"

I nodded. Sage put his mug down. "It was her idea."

Rowen looked between the two of us and shook his head. "Is it too late to get you to break up?"

I lifted my hand and gave a meaningful glance to the ring on my finger. "I'd say yes."

The laughter eventually died down and I wiped the spilled milk while Rowen went to have a shower. There was a mug of steaming coffee on the counter waiting for him as he got out, a token of apology he noticed. Rowen was adding sugar to it when I slipped by to put my mug with the other dirty dishes.

"Thanks for this," he said softly, stirring the coffee. He gave me a wicked smile. "But I'm still going to get you back for that."

I raised an eyebrow. "Prank and counterprank. What's there to pay back?"

He snorted. "Sage pinning me?"

I crossed my arms. "For you making that jab on facebook!"

Long suffering Ryo piped up from the living room. "How about you two stop keeping score and just admit you've both gotten the other plenty?"

"They're Libras," my sister replied. "What do you expect?"

I sighed at all the empathetic poking, finally sticking my hand out. "Truce?"

He clasped it. "Truce."

'Sides,' I added mentally, just to him. 'I'm gonna want your help catching the look on Sage's face for my surprise.'

Rowen internally grinned. 'I thought you'd never ask.'


Translations

Iie, tondemo arimasen: No, I don't deserve it [your thanks]. Less formal than "iie, tondemonai desu" seen in FDD (as Sage is more relaxed around Alexa, now).