I looked down at Reika’s peaceful sleeping face, her violet hair spread across the small couch in my office like spilled athyst. We had cleaned up after our intimate mont, and she had changed into the spare nightgown she kept in my office for occasions when work ran late. The exhaustion of the past week must have finally caught up with her.
She looked so young when she slept, the careful composure she maintained during waking hours replaced by soft vulnerability. It was a reminder that despite her lethal skills and unwavering loyalty, Reika was still only twenty-onr, barely older than , carrying burdens that would have broken most people her age.
’She needs proper rest,’ I thought, carefully gathering her into my arms. ’And Luna is probably wondering where I am.’
The guild headquarters was quiet at this late hour, most of the staff having gone ho hours ago. Only the night security team remained, and they nodded respectfully as I carried Reika through the lobby toward the exit. If they found anything unusual about their guild master leaving with his unconscious vice-captain in his arms, they were too professional to comnt.
The ride back to the penthouse was peaceful, Reika’s steady breathing the only sound in the car’s interior. She stirred slightly when we hit a bump, unconsciously pressing closer to my chest, but didn’t wake. Whatever dreams she was having seed content, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips.
The penthouse was dark when I arrived, the automatic lights dimming to their nightti setting as I entered. My parents and Aria had clearly gone to bed hours ago—responsible adults who understood the concept of reasonable sleeping schedules, unlike their workaholic son.
I made my way quietly down the hallway, intending to settle Reika in the guest room before checking on Luna. But when I reached my childhood bedroom, I discovered it was already occupied.
Luna was curled up in the center of my bed, her dark hair spread across the pillow and her butterfly toy clutched tightly in her small arms. She wore the new pajamas my mother had bought her—soft pink fabric decorated with tiny stars that seed to shimr in the ambient light from the window.
Despite having her own beautifully decorated room just down the hall, she had chosen to wait for here.
’She still doesn’t feel secure sleeping alone,’ I realized with a pang of protective tenderness. ’After eight years of laboratory cells and constant supervision, of course she’d want to stay close.’
The sight of her small form in my too-large bed made my chest tighten with emotion. This was what family looked like—not just sharing DNA or legal docunts, but this instinctive need to be near the people who made you feel safe.
I looked down at Reika’s sleeping face, then back at Luna. Making a decision that felt completely natural, I carefully settled Reika on the far side of the bed, tucking her under the covers with gentle precision. She murmured sothing unintelligible but didn’t wake, automatically curling toward the warmth of the mattress.
After changing into my own sleepwear, I slipped into the space between them. Luna imdiately sensed my presence, even in sleep, shifting closer until her small body was pressed against my side. Reika, guided by the sa unconscious instincts, moved until her head found my shoulder.
’This is probably the most unconventional family arrangent in the Empire,’ I thought with amusent, looking up at the ceiling of my childhood room. ’A reincarnated soul, an artificially created child, and a devoted sword, all sharing a bed like so sort of heartwarming storybook. And three princesses and daughter of a marquis as well.’
But it felt right. More right than anything had felt in longer than I could rember.
_____________________________
I woke to the sensation of being thoroughly entangled.
Luna had apparently decided during the night that I was in danger of escaping, because she had wrapped herself around my arm like a determined octopus. Her small form was pressed against my side, one leg thrown over my waist and both arms hugging my bicep with impressive determination. Her dark hair had escaped its braid during sleep, creating a silky curtain that tickled my shoulder.
"Daddy," she mumbled into my sleeve, still deep in dreams. "Don’t go away again."
The words hit like a physical blow, carrying all the abandonnt and fear she’d experienced in her short life. Even in sleep, so part of her was terrified that the safety and love she’d found might disappear without warning.
’Never again,’ I promised silently, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of her head. ’You’re stuck with now, sweetheart. Whether you like it or not.’
Reika had maintained her position against my shoulder throughout the night, her violet hair creating a protective curtain around her face. But I could tell from her breathing that she was starting to wake up, the subtle shift from deep sleep to drowsy awareness that ca with years of combat training.
"Good morning," I whispered, careful not to wake Luna.
"Mmm," Reika responded intelligently, nuzzling closer to my neck. "Is this real, or am I dreaming about dostic bliss again?"
"Real," I confird, amused by her sleepy honesty. "Though I suspect dostic bliss with us will always be slightly more complicated than average."
"Because you collect dangerous people like so n collect vintage cars?"
"Because we’re all beautifully broken in our own ways," I corrected gently. "And sohow, those broken pieces fit together perfectly."
Reika lifted her head to look at , her violet eyes still soft with sleep but growing more alert by the mont. Her gaze shifted to Luna’s determined grip on my arm, and her expression lted into sothing approaching maternal tenderness.
"She’s holding on pretty tightly," she observed quietly.
"She has abandonnt issues," I explained. "It’s going to take ti for her to believe that this is permanent."
"Then we’ll give her ti," Reika said with the sa matter-of-fact certainty she brought to mission planning. "However long it takes."
The simple declaration, spoken with absolute conviction, made my heart clench with gratitude. This was why I loved her—not just her loyalty or her skills, but her instinctive understanding of what family ant. The way she automatically included herself in Luna’s healing process, accepting responsibility for this child who wasn’t biologically related to either of us.
"We should probably get up," I said reluctantly, noting the brightening light through the bedroom windows. "My mother will want to make Luna breakfast, and if we sleep too late, she’ll start worrying."
"Five more minutes," Reika requested, settling back against my shoulder. "This is too perfect to interrupt just yet."
I couldn’t argue with that logic. Outside our peaceful bubble, there would be guild responsibilities and political maneuvering, magical complications and potential threats. But here, in this mont, we were just a family enjoying a quiet morning together.
Luna stirred slightly, her grip on my arm tightening as consciousness began to return. "Daddy?" she mumbled, not opening her eyes. "Are you really here?"
"I’m really here, sweetheart," I assured her, my free hand gently smoothing her disheveled hair. "And I’m not going anywhere."
"Good," she said with sleepy satisfaction, apparently deciding that confirmation was sufficient. "Reika’s here too. I can sll her shampoo."
"Very observant," Reika said with amusent, finally lifting her head to look at Luna properly. "How did you sleep?"
"Better," Luna admitted, finally opening her dark eyes to look between us. "It’s nice having family close by. In the laboratory, I always slept alone. It was scary."
"You’ll never have to sleep alone again if you don’t want to," I promised. "This is your ho now, Luna. Our ho. And family takes care of each other."
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