Apocalyptic Rebirth: With a repairman system space, she rises again. Chapter 176: Finally..a kiss

Sunshine blinked, once. Twice. "You are serious! You are proposing that we turn our fake marriage into a real one?"

"Yes." He leaned forward, gripping her hands tighter. "That is what I said, and I am not changing my words. I am not suggesting that we dive in blindly. I am not asking for blind declarations. All I want is a chance."

She looked away from him and lowered her eyes for a mont. Sunshine thought about what a true marriage ant for them. It ant that she would be investing more and risking more.

The more she thought, the more Hades worried. Had he pushed her too soon? He wanted to say more, like a criminal pleading his case in a courtroom. But he figured that silence was the best redy for a mont.

Sotis, when things were pushed too hard, they broke. So, the silence remained.

He counted the seconds in his head. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven.....he paused and frowned, hoping he did not reach one hundred.

How was this worse than when he was waiting for her to co back to the base after she left to search for Alfred?

Sunshine raised her head and finally started talking. "I think that I want that too. But we have to set so rules because this will affect the kids as well."

Hades exhaled, releasing a breath that he did not realize he had been holding all that while. "Of course, of course. I am sure that there are so things we must iron out."

Sunshine raised a finger on her right hand. "There are so facts that we cannot change, like not being the biological mother of the boys. But I care about them deeply. I have co to love them in my own way. So, as long as we are together, I want you to back up on all decisions I make concerning them. I an in public, especially.

In private, we can disagree, and you can question but in public, we stand together. Even if Amber returns, as long as we are together, she cannot overrule concerning the children."

Hades nodded. "As far as I am concerned, Amber is not their mother. You are their mother in all the ways that matter. They adore you. Sotis I think they love you more than they love ."

"Point one for Miss Sunny." She laughed. "I love how they have accepted ."

"If they ever overwhelm you, talk to and I will find a way to make sure that you get your space." He said carefully.

She nodded.

"I want more date nights." He said quickly as if it was urgent. "During the day, we tend to have work to do and when we go ho, everything is about the kids. Most days we just go to bed...I go to bed or train while you vanish into your space or start repairing things.

We have not taken the ti to learn about each other. I have no idea what your life was like, what you like and what you dislike outside of the small things I noticed.

I want more dates, more conversations, more cuddling, more washing of each other’s hair."

She chuckled. "You sound like Earl."

"Like father like son." He said in a proud voice.

They talked for another hour and a half, each stating their needs and expectations in the relationship. They promised to always be honest about their feelings. Hades proposed it because he did not want her to ever doubts like the ones she had been having about Amber.

When she yawned and showed signs of exhaustion, he pulled her forward and hugged her.

"May I kiss you now?" he asked.

She nodded.

They leaned apart slowly, and she inclined her face upwards slowly. Her eyes closed of their own will and her lips puckered up.

Hades nearly chuckled when he saw like that. She was as cute as when she got drunk.

He leaned in and brushed his lips across hers.

She trembled.

He beca bolder, adding more energy to the kiss. One of his hands went around her back. The kiss was gentle, tentative and yet full of promise. It did not mark the start of sothing new; it reaffird the recognition of sothing that was already blooming.

Hades ended the kiss and backed away. After breathing in deeply he leaned away from her and said, "We should go ho now or else Major Elio might throw us in jail."

"I would like to see him try." She replied with a challenge in her tone.

They both stood up and slowly walked out of the garden. A part of her was leaning against him and one of his hands was wrapped around her waist. If soone looked closely, they could see easily that sothing between the couple had shifted.

Their walk was now devoid of stiffness and respectful space. Every few steps they took, they laughed a little, despite having nothing much to laugh about.

As soon as they stepped outside the doors of the garden, they found Major Elio waiting outside. His daughter was sleeping in his arms, wrapped almost fully from head to toe.

"Are you in the place Major?" Hades asked him.

Sunshine tried to peek at the little girl anwhile. "Why are you taking her out for a walk in this weather? It is chilly outside. She should be at ho, warm in bed."

"She had a fever. We were returning from the dic bay when I heard that you two went in here and did not co out. I was worried that perhaps a mutated ant or sothing else had found you and munched on you." Elio explained.

"We are fine." Sunshine replied, "Take your daughter ho now and co to the reception desk in my building and pick up so upgraded fever relievers that might work better than what the dic bay offers."

"Thank you." He nodded. "If you don’t mind, I would like Siegfried and O’Toole to escort you both ho."

Siegfried threw away his cigarette.

Elio glared at him.

He picked it up and placed it inside a can that he would dispose of later.

The n walked the couple ho, sharing the news on the rising number of children that were coming down with fevers. The winter was just beginning. Sunshine was afraid that it would only get worse.

Before going to bed, she checked on the boys to make sure that they were fine and not showing signs of sickness. Only when she was sure that all was well did she step out and close the door.

Hades was standing outside, waiting for her with a question on his mind. "Do you think they will notice that sothing between us has changed?"

"I doubt that." She answered, "They already see us as mom and dad. No matter the state of our relationship, we will always be mom and dad to them."