Coming Home
They came back home and took a few days to recover from the jet leg. They arrived home around 9PM and the fact that they spent the night practically without sleeping, except for a quick nap, helped them to go to sleep at an almost normal time. They went straight to the suite, leaving the suitcases with dirty clothes and gifts on the ground floor. They threw themselves on the bed after undressing and Eliot barely had time to adjust himself in bed before Q fell asleep with his head on his shoulder.
The first time they woke up at home Q recognized the smell of it. Ever since he and Eliot had officially started sleeping together, El had taken care of the bed and bath linens, using a product that had a perfect scent. Without needing to open his eyes, he knew he was home. He noticed that he missed the warmth of Eliot's body. When he heard the sound of running water coming from the bathroom, he knew where his husband was. He didn't even have time to think about what to do when Eliot came out of the bathroom, the open robe left nothing to be imagined. Quentin always wondered why El put on his robe if he couldn't be bothered to close it, not that he was complaining.
"Liking what you see?" The question was unnecessary, but Eliot wasn't going to miss the chance to see his partner blush.
"I refuse to answer, because you already know it." The answer was given lazily, while rubbing his eyes.
Eliot bent down next to the bed and gave him a kiss. "Are you hungry?" The question would have been unnecessary if Eliot had waited a few seconds. Quentin's stomach made a loud noise that made them both laugh.
"What time is it?" The light indicated that they had slept a lot, but he still felt tired.
"Half past 7AM. Early, but hunger kept me from sleeping." Eliot was still smiling. "I'm exhausted. My proposal is, you take a shower, we eat something together and maybe go back to bed to take a nap latter.
"Didn't you wake me up to take a shower with you?" He made an abandoned dog face at his husband.
"I was sorry to wake you up, darling. You have no idea how beautiful you look relaxed." Eliot was an eternal seducer.
Quentin made a noise that seemed to agree but Eliot offered more. "When you come down, there will be breakfast waiting for you." He patted his husband's ass and went to the kitchen.
Q goes downstairs after a quickie shower as promised, and smells bacon and eggs. His stomach rumbled again. "My mouth is watering El." He said as he approached.
"Can you make coffee? I think I'm going to need it to stay awake. Liters and liters." He had the expression of someone who wasn't joking, even if he was exaggerating a little bit.
Quentin started the coffee maker, and only then, he realized they had food. He saw a yellow piece of paper on the island counter and recognized his father's handwriting. It was a sweet note. Apparently, he had passed by the day before, but they didn't see it as they went straight to their room. Ted had left eggs, fruit, cheese, crackers, bacon, some vegetables and bread. After placing the necessary cups and utensils, he took a melon and split it for both of them, and prepared orange juice.
El served both of their dishes and Q brought the coffee, pouring the steaming drink for them. They ate in silence quickly at first, until they felt their hunger going away. It was funny how they understood each other with one look. Q knew what his partner was thinking. They finished eating, put the dishes in the dishwasher, and went together, after getting another cup of coffee, to sit in the backyard. It was a sunny day.
They stood in the sun for a while, not as hot as they were used to, talking about their days in New Zealand. They were happy and Q took out his cell phone to start choosing a photo for the photo wall. Those at the wedding would have to wait for their friends, but they had fun seeing the honeymoon ones.
"Baby, I can't pick one." Doubt was written all over his face. He showed a photo of the two of them, watching the sunset on the beach, another with both of them wrapped in the same blanket in front of the fire, and a third with the couple at the waterfall they found on one of the walks.
"Q, we can have them all. Our home has space for photo frames in every room. Don't worry your beautiful head. I particularly love the sunset one. I think it would create more impact by enlarging it a little." Eliot always had a better aesthetic sense and Q admitted he had almost none.
"You're right…you know-it-all." Q rolled his eyes. Eliot just smiled. His man is adorable.
Fatigue ended up getting the better of them and, after lunch, when they ordered food, the pair ended up going for a nap. They lay down in the room with the intention of watching a movie in bed, but the jet leg still ruled their bodies.
Q woke up when he heard a noise. He immediately heard his husband swearing, because he knew that Q must have woken up. The apology follows. "Sorry babe."
Quentin smiled, still lazy in bed. He paid attention until he heard footsteps approaching the bed. He felt the mattress change with the weight of El’s body as he lay down again.
"Hey. Is everything okay?" Q turns to look at him.
"Yeah...I just dropped the razor." Eliot rests his head on his hand to look at Q.
"Are you going to shave your beard?" Q had widened his eyes.
"I just thought I'd outline it better. I haven't taken care of it the last few weeks. We had better activities to do." The malicious smile left no doubt about the sexual connotation.
"El, you are incorrigible." The playfulness in his voice demonstrated the duo's good humor.
"I wanted to sleep more, but we agreed to try to get back to the time zone as soon as possible. I think we have to try to stay awake within the agreed time."
"You're right. I could use more sleep too, but..." He smiled before continuing. "I think it's better to take sex out of the equation for a few hours. There's always a little sleep afterwards."
"You're being mean to me and we haven't even been married a month." Eliot teased.
"I must warn you. I don't accept the divorce. Now you have to put up with me for the rest of your life." He approached and gave his husband a gentle kiss.
Pretending to be shocked Eliot responds. "I never knew I would have to stay tied to you until death do us part."
They continued playing in bed, until they decided to get up and buy food over the phone. They swore they wouldn't cook for a few days and they were keeping their promise. They ended up having dinner around 8PM and to avoid going to bed too early, they made a video call with Ted and then another with their friends. Unfortunately, they didn't have a rabbit to send a message to Filory, but that ended up not being a problem when a message arrived from Margo. "Getting in the way?" They laughed and went to respond her.
When they finally said their goodbyes, Eliot got up he extended his hand to Quentin. "How about a bath with some scented salts?"
Looking uninterested, Q remained silent for a few seconds, trying to fool his partner, but he couldn't help himself and burst into laughter. Eliot pretended to be angry and, without saying a word, pulled Quentin into the bathroom. They stayed in the bathtub for a long time, taking care of each other, with a soft sponge, just feeling each touch, until they both came with wonderful handjobs. At 11PM they were already fast asleep.
The most they did in the following days was prepare breakfast and order food all the time. Quentin got used to going upstairs to read a little while Eliot picked up his brushes for the first time in the last months. He settled himself on the bench by one of the windows. He smiled when he saw Eliot organizing himself to paint, as if he were preparing to make drinks for a party, leaving the colors he was going to use, brushes, cloths ready for the canvas and choosing the best position for the light at that time. Concentrating on his beloved's face as he put on a stylish apron made him change his position a little to be able to admire him better. Eliot seemed relaxed and began drawing thin lines in blue and after a few minutes, Quentin saw that he was drawing the view they had from their bedroom in the cabin at the mountains.
"You have a lot of talent baby." Q spoke in a soft voice that didn't startle the focused artist.
"I thought you would read." Eliot implicated, happy with the attention he received.
Q got up, leaving the book on the table. He approached, placing his hands on Eliot's shoulders. "I've never seen you paint and I find it fascinating."
"I'm fascinating, darling." He said turning around offering his lips for a kiss.
Quentin didn't hesitate and placed a kiss on his full lips. "Do I get in the way?"
"Not at all. The only thing is that if you get too close, I'll get distracted by you. After all, we haven't made love up here yet, just some make out." The expression of innocence was the opposite of the words, causing Quentin to invade his space.
"I think we'll have to take action then. After all, we can't leave any space without proof of the love and lust I have for you."
"Coldwater!" His expression was not one of surprise at his husband's advance, but rather one of pure delight. He wasted no time and soon placed the brush on the counter, freeing his hands to touch Q's body.
The next night Eliot was sending emails about the new store and Q had gone up to his room. The e-mails had taken up almost forty minutes of his time, and when he went upstairs, he realized that there was silence in the room. As he approached, he noticed that the door was closed, and hanging from the doorknob there was a large bag with a note, which instructed him to get dressed in the other bathroom and only then enter the room.
Curious, he entered the bathroom and saw that it was a Lord of the Rings costume. He didn't remember seeing Q buy the outfit, but he was amused to see that it was an outfit like Aragorn's. He looked in the mirror and saw that the clothes fit him very well. He went to the room and knocked on the door.
"This is Aragorn. I wish to enter the royal chambers. Is everything ready for me?" He was trying to play his husband's game even without knowing the story deeply.
"Everything is ready for the king of Gondor. You may enter." Q's voice was steady. He had certainly planned every step.
He opened the door, letting his vision adjust to the candlelight. He found his husband standing at the foot of their bed, dressed as an elf, with pointy ears and a bow. The tight outfit showed him how excited Q was already with the anticipation of what was going to happen to them. The hair was much longer and lighter. Surely, the younger magician had placed a charm on it to make it look that way, like Legolas's.
"Elf Prince, how surprising to find you here." El put on his most seductive voice. He saw Q shivering which made him shiver too. Hisr husband looked extremely sexy.
"Aragorn, I think we can set aside the formalities. I welcome you to my kingdom. What is mine is yours." Q got closer as he spoke. He raised his right hand and gently slid it down the other's chest, until he found the string that held the cloak. Deliberately he pulled the cord slowly until the loop was undone and the cloak fell to the floor.
"Legolas, you know that I am committed to your princess." Eliot couldn't hold back any longer and placed his fingers through the silky strands of his long blonde hair.
"I'm a prince too. I thought it would be a fair exchange." Q got even closer and now both hands were exploring the taller man's chest. It was easy to see the eyes dark with desire.
"Fair enough, this exchange is completely fair. I really like it. I can't wait." Eliot pulls him closer, with his fingers tangled in Q's long hair. The prince elf begins to kiss the curve of the human king's neck. His hands busy in different ways. One clung to the front of the clothes his lover wore, and the other went around his body at the waist, and lowered itself until it grabbed his firm ass. This made Q stick his body to his husband's and his erection was easily noticeable.
"I want you Aragorn. Badly." He rubbed himself against the taller of the two. "Can you feel how much I want you? Can you?" He whispered while his mouth wandered over his love's chin.
Eliot was groaning. Q had done all of this to fulfill a fantasy, and it was giving him so much pleasure that he could only moan.
When Quentin took possession of his mouth, Eliot lost control and started trying to tear off his own clothes. There were many layers of clothes making it difficult for him to feel his loved one's skin on his own.
Feeling his husband's erection on his leg and the way he was holding him made Eliot want him even more. He didn't waste no more time before starting to undress Q. The next thing he knew, they were both in bed. Quentin on top of him dominating, directing his desire making him want to be dominated by the man he loves. They made love passionately, and the only concern was to satisfy each other. Quentin and Eliot were finally sated when they talked while hugging each other.
"Q, I have to say I loved the surprise. You made me feel powerful. I didn't see you buy the costumes and you were perfect in choosing the outfits." He gave his husband a languid kiss. "As I've told you more than once, feel free to fulfill any fantasy with me. I'm yours."
"I bought it when I got the girls' one, I just put a spell on it so you wouldn't notice." He laughed, satisfied. He managed to hide it from his lover until the last moment.
"Have I told you that I love you today?" He asked hugging him tighter.
"Yeah, but I always want to hear it." Q snuggled into his beloved's chest.
-------------
They returned from the honeymoon on a Tuesday and arranged to meet with the family on Saturday for lunch. It was an arduous negotiation with the gang but with the intention of holding an open house, Julia finally agreed to have it at their place as long as they ordered the food. Quentin and Eliot readily agreed.
They got up around 9 AM on Saturday. Eliot cast a cleaning spell on the house and as the day was rainy, lunch would be in the dining room. They chose an Australian restaurant to maintain an Oceanian atmosphere. They also ordered Pavlova for dessert. Eliot bought some New Zealand wines that one of his new contacts got them.
Ted and Maryl were the first to arrive. Vivian was with her father and could not come, but sent kisses to everyone. The others arrived through the portal they had created for the wedding. Margo was the first to cross it.
"Bitches! How happy I am to see you again!" She grabbed Quentin and then Eliot. "I want to complain about this portal. It can't stay in the garage."
"I wanted to transport you right here in the room, but you said no. Now you complain." 23 gave the guys a quick hug, still mumbling.
"23 doesn't think about your privacy." Kady replied, amused by the situation, hugging her friends.
"They were waiting for us. They weren't going to be fucking in the living room." Josh defended 23 while waiting to greet the hosts.
"Even so. We don't live here." Julia had a point.
"We could let you know that Penny would bring us, couldn't we?" Fen inquired.
"Okay, okay, okay." Quentin raised his hands in surrender. He looked at Eliot in a silent plea for rescue.
"Let's arrange it like this. We'll move the portal for when 23 isn't around. If he brings you, just let us know and you can show up here in the living room. Is that okay?" Offered the new Coldwater.
Ted, who was laughing with all the discussion, gave his opinion. "I usually come by car, but I would love to have a portal in my house too."
"Dad you can't use it without Maryl." Said a defeated nerd.
"Curly Q, she's moving in there, as soon as the renovations are finished." Ted had a big smile on his face.
"You guys are screwed, you know that, right?" Kady was enjoying herself.
"Don't worry boys; I won't let your dad show up unannounced." Maryl promised.
"Um, thanks Maryl." Q gave a week but grateful smile
"Let's start with drinks and a tour around the house for those who haven't seen it finished." Eliot served everyone and led the tour. All of them went, even though Julia and Margo, who helped with the decorations, and had already seen everything.
Josh was excited about the game room, and 23 wanted to schedule a push game. He believes Q got lucky the other time. Kady loved the attic. Ted and Fen agreed. It was the most personal corner of the house, apart from the bedroom. It was possible to see the two of them in that space.
Margo picked out her room for future visits. Eliot already knew the room she'd insisted on decorating in gold and chocolate would be hers.
Julia said she has to know Eliot a lot more from the time they spent together, while decorating the house. Maryl took pictures to send to her brother. He quickly answered that he was about to call off the sale. Eliot's looks said that would never happen. Q patted his back laughing.
They went into the dining room and the hosts brought more wine. The table was already set. The food was delicious and well-seasoned, but some with a little more pepper than usual. The couple talked about the places they visited, the houses they stayed in, and some of their activities, such as walks on the beach or under cold temperatures, and ended up talking about the boat trip. Eliot told of his promise, and already warned the Filory royalty that they would need to take the Muntjac for a trip, in the near future.
The boys had brought some souvenirs and Q excitedly talked about their visit to the Hobbiton Movie Set. As expected, Margo and Julia were excited; even Josh and Fen were interested. Kady just laughed at her friend’s expressions and Ted and Maryl followed the interactions with smiles on their lips. The special beers and glasses were appreciated. 23 immediately opened his beer to try it out. He really liked it and said he would probably go there and buy some more. Julia and Margo offered to go with him. The boys had a special gift for their best women. Each one received an elven dress in different models and colors. For Ted and Josh they brought cookbooks, and for the girls a necklace. Maryl's had a beautifully cut amethyst, Fen's had an emerald, Kady's had a moonstone. Vivian and Fray would receive bracelets with small crystal beads.
The following conversation was to make the newlyweds aware of everything that happened in their absence. Margo had a lot of news about her dealing with her ex-husband. He tried to kill his own mother. After a few days, the Queen sent him to dungeons. Margo was relieved that she no longer have to deal with that human trash.
Fray was getting closer and closer to them. Fen is proud because she started helping them with a better interaction with the people of Filory, and she is doing very well. The girl already has a wedding scheduled and insists on everyone's presence. She sent her regards to Eliot and said she wanted him to walk the aisle with her.
The hedges had a problem in the west coast. A megalomaniacal hedgehog decided he was going to be more important than anyone else was. The coven consulted Kady on how to deal with him, and she ended up going there with Julia and 23. They come up with a plan that put him in his rightful place. They would not want a hedge version of a librarian. Quentin wanted to know every detail of their plan, and even Ted praised the way Kady handled things. Margo said that she would be an excellent negotiator in Filory, to which the brunette laughed and said that if one day she got tired of her current life, she would let her know.
Ted and Meryl said that renovations to the house had already begun. He said Julia was helping them a lot, choosing the materials, while the builder was updating all the electrical and plumbing, as well as installing a new roof. The current one had leaked in the last storm. This way, they wouldn't worry about it for years.
Soon Maryl would have another mega event, this time in Huston. Ted would go with her one more time, and will take the opportunity to see a part of the country he had never been to. He just said that he missed going by plane, given his passion for the aircrafts. Maryl promised that they would return by plane.
Julia had interesting information as well. She was invited to work at Brakebills in a research sector. She wouldn't have to stay there all the time, and she could work from home most of the time. This would give her the freedom to continue helping Kady, and even spend some time at Filory. Even without having graduated, her experience as a goddess helped her to see the most elemental magic more easily. Everyone congratulated her. Q was especially happy for his friend.
23 had no news. He was happy with his current situation working with his friends and developing his special relationship with Julia. Eliot had proposed him a permanent job with the media to promote his store, but he said he would only accept it, if it were as a freelance.
They were chatting animatedly, lulled by delicious wine and good food. Everyone was surprised to hear that melodious voice once again. A new visit from Aphrodite was completely unexpected. The Goddess greeted them before approaching.
"It is a pleasure to be with you once again, my children."
"Holly shit!" Margo almost choked on wine.
"Aphrodite!" That's what the majority dared to say.
Quentin had his mouth open when he spoke. "My Goddess!"
Eliot, who hadn't said anything yet, was the most polite. "To what do we owe the honor of this new visit?" He composed himself quickly.
Aphrodite seemed to be amused by their reactions. "I promised to fulfill the Coldwater couple's request. I always keep my promises, even if some take longer because I had to negotiate with another hard-headed God." Her laughter filled the room.
"Our request..." Q murmured, still showing all the surprise in his wide eyes.
"Have you changed your mind?" She still had fun with them.
"Nope!" Q responded immediately closing his mouth.
"Not at all. Our request was made from the bottom of our hearts." Eliot was more eloquent. He couldn't give the Goddess a chance to change her mind.
"Good to know I didn't have to work so hard for nothing." She laughed again before continuing. It brought fresh air and an aroma that they couldn't say what it was, just that it was delicious.
The visitor walked slowly past them all, lightly touching each one at that table. Fen was delighted. Sometimes she felt like an intruder, but now she knew she was part of this happy family, even if it was a bit dysfunctional. It was Fen that Aphrodite spoke to first.
"Beautiful Filorian Queen." Upon seeing the girl's look of surprise, she continued. "You weren't born to marry Eliot, although you did. You're a simple person and are a great counterpoint to all the High King's energy. Don't get me wrong High King Margo. Filory needs you and Josh too. Together you can do great things and be happy." Margo smiled and said nothing, something unusual for her. "Quentin and Eliot wish you all to be as happy as they are, especially in love." She looked at each face as she heard some reactions sounds. "You are a family for them, as you already know." For a few seconds she remained silent, waiting for the comments to stop. She smiled as if she was already waiting for each word."
"Actually, what they want is right on track for most of you." She looked at Julia and 23. "An unlikely pairing in this timeline, but things are what they are. It took someone from another timeline to complete this line for you, Julia. I know you have a very promising path. Your relationship will produce a beautiful child with a special power." She hid part of the information with a provocative smile.
"Child? My Goddess, I haven't even thought about that yet…and with a special power?" She looked to 23 for support. He took her hand and both waited for more information.
"Oh? I just gave a spoiler?" She was having fun. "What can I say? Wait and see." She winked at the couple.
She turned to Ted and Maryl with a look of affection. "Ted and Maryl, you found yourself in a moment of pain and overcoming. Quentin suffered a lot with your illness Ted. He tried many things to cure you, although he continued, with the help of his friends, on the mission to bring magic back." She looked lovingly at the nerd. "Quentin deserved a cheer, the way everything was falling apart around him. Your meeting was planned by me, and I'm happy to say that because of that I don't need to do anything about it, I already did." She gave them a charming smile.
The Goddess walked around the table again, as if appreciating a work in progress. Aphrodite showed an even more beautiful smile when she approached the newlyweds. She had a mysterious air and Quentin looked to Eliot for support in his momentary anxiety. What would the Goddess say? Not knowing something always affected the magician. Eliot put his arm around his waist and that brought the necessary comfort for Q to look again at the deity in front of him.
Eliot was also nervous about the attention. Their request was for the family, and they didn't expect anything, as they already had everything. He already had everything. Quentin was all he'd dreamed of in a man since he realized he was gay. The honeymoon, these few days at home, even the days they spent together before the wedding, everything was irrefutable proof that they would always be fine if they were together. No, not fine, more than fine. Happy. Absolutely happy. When he put his arm around Quentin's waist, the simple contact made him more confident. He is ready to face the world, to face a powerful Goddess.
"My beautiful couple. Did you know that I am extremely proud to see you together? Some of my relatives don't believe in love between humans. Many wars and evils make them doubt this possibility." She surrounded them and, with a simple gesture, the chairs they were sitting on moved away and she placed herself between them and the table, facing away from the others.
"You were very generous in using the request for the benefit of your friends, or rather, your family. There is a peculiar beauty in your relationship. The way you help each other, without even blink. They've even committed crimes." She gave a delicious laugh and turned around to look at each of their faces. Everyone was silent. They knew it was her moment. They would have all the time in the world to comment later, even if some were holding back to prevent to say anything.
"I decided to give you a gift too. You need a new love." The mischief was back in her smile.
"What?" Quentin's mouth was open. He squeezed his husband's thigh. In no way did he want another love. Eliot was the only one he wanted, the only one he could love.
"I beg your forgiveness. I know you're generous, but Quentin and I, we are happy together, just the two of us. Before him I would accept a third person, we already had a threesome in a drunken past." Eliot paused to rest his free hand on top of Q's and squeeze it, showing that they were together. "We are soulmates as you already pointed out. Every day that we are together is a balm for everything we have been through. We are enough for each other. We will politely decline your generous offer." Eliot never spoke so cautiously in his life.
"Please, we beg you, we really don't need a third person." Q confirmed what his husband said.
There is a murmur at the table, quickly interrupted by Aphrodite's loud laugh. "You guys are so cute! I don't use that word often, but you guys are really cute." She took one more look at everyone present and headed towards the two once more. "The conception of love is often confusing. All of you are proof that we have many ways of loving, and not just as a couple. Nothing will ever separate you." Quentin sighed, relaxing and resting his head on his husband's shoulder, who made the same movement.
"What I offer is the possibility of having a child, without needing a mother. What do you think?"
Quentin is speechless after almost jumping up in his chair. Eliot, eyes wide, lost his entire blasé pose. They blinked before looking at each other and responding in unison. "Yes!"
"Wow! How would that be possible?" Julia needed to ask.
"Yeah, how, you know…how?" Quentin could hardly believe it.
"What should we do?" Eliot need to make it work. He needed to be a father again with Q.
"I was sure you guys would love the gift." She became a little serious before continuing. "For you to succeed it will require the effort of one of you. I can perform a miracle, as some say." She opened her right hand and two pearls glittered there. The boys approached to admire the pearls but still without touching them.
"What we need to do?" Quentin moved even closer to Aphrodite, holding Eliot's hand.
"The pearls I bring are special, obviously. Each one signifies the possibility of a baby."
"Two babies!" Eliot was over the moon. Q was beaming, with a smile that seemed to light up the room.
"Whoever of you ingests the pearl will have their body altered to receive a baby. Of course, you will have to have sex immediately after ingesting it. The gestation period will take the same amount of time, you just won't be able to breastfeed."
"Okay. We'll have the best baby formula." Q responded promptly.
"When they grow up, we'll make the best homemade meals." Eliot added.
"I can't believe it! We're having a baby!" Q took a quick breath. "Hopefully at least one of them is chill like Teddy, because we'll definitely be wearing both pearls!" He barely took a breath to continue. "And they will have all our love... and maybe we can have two at the same time, because I don't know if it would be better to have each other's company..."
Smiling passionately, Eliot interrupted his husband. "Sweetheart, calm down, we have time to talk and decide." Turning to Aphrodite, he had a question. "Do you have time for us to use it? I'd hate to know we missed the chance."
"No. You can decide calmly, after all you just got married and have your whole life ahead of you." She stared at the pair and resumed. "I think I can do one more thing for you." She made suspense by looking at everyone and ending facing the pair once again. "What would you think if Teddy came back? No mother."
"What?" Q and El said together.
"It would be the same soul, of course the appearance would be different."
Everyone was talking to each other and it was possible to hear different things. Quentin and Eliot accepting the gift, the possibility to have their son back. Ted was saying that he would be able to meet the grandson he had heard so much about; Julia saying that she would be his godmother, and Margo answering that only over her dead body.
Everyone was excited, except for Fen and the Goddess noticed and approached her. "Don't worry. You will have your baby, your daughter. More than one if you wish. You are a fertile young woman." The statement made the smile return to Fen's face.
"You all deserve happiness for what you have done, and for the lives that have been taken from you for months."
"It was really shit what Fogg did to us." Complained 23.
"Yes it was." The Goddess agreed. "That's why I created some situations for you to meet."
"What you mean?" Josh was curious.
"Kady, do you really believe you found the magazine by chance?" The malice in her eyes indicated the right answer to the question.
"Fuck! You put it in my way?" Kady had never thought about how or why she found that magazine.
"I knew you would investigate, check. The warrior in you, your natural curiosity, your strength...you were the perfect choice to initiate the awakening of all of you."
Kady seemed pleased with the compliment.
"The second to awaken had to be the High King. The two with greater strength and enough energy to face all the attempts at intimidation that the spell itself brought."
"Eliot and Quentin, wanted you to have more time together. You were happy, living without fear and so much love." She smiled at the newlyweds. "I have to say I was sad about what had happened. Eliot denying their love and Quentin accepting his partner's reaction. They did it twice. If there hadn't been so much more at stake, at the first time, I would have locked them both away somewhere until they got it together."
"It would have saved us a lot of headaches." Fen sighed.
"It would have, but at the same time their break, in some way, made Quentin offer to stay with the monster, which made Eliot panic giving more strength to their love, and that, that alone, made it possible for the bullet to really kill the monster. If it weren't for the energy of that strong feeling, the monster would have survived and probably killed one of you. Now you can all rest assured. You are no longer in imminent danger. You will have a long life ahead of you. I see that Filory will be fine. Margo and Fen will be fine. This relationship will grow and Josh will always be the third piece in this trio. I also have everything sorted out here."
Aphrodite once again walked around them and stood with her hand outstretched to Kady. The girl was scared and stood still, staring at the Goddess.
"My daughter, I would like to speak to you alone. Can you accompany me?"
For a few seconds, she continued to stand still, until Julia gently touched her shoulder, encouraging her to accept the invitation.
"OK." Was all she said before getting up. She did not intend to give her hand to the Goddess, but it was as if a magnet was pulling her.
They went to the backyard and everyone was silent, a little shocked at the turn of things.
"What will happen to her?" Fen was worried.
"How about we put on a spell so we can listen to what's outside?" 23 was more curious than worried.
Suddenly Quentin stood up and grabbed the TV remote control. They had installed a security system and he quickly put in the backyard cameras.
"My hero!" Eliot said.
"Baby Q you saved my life." Margo jumped in front of the TV as quickly as Julia and 23.
At first they could only see the two of them but they were silent. They thought the system had crashed until they saw Kady change position and Aphrodite smile.
"You're scared of what I have to say, aren't you Kady? Don't be." Aphrodite spoke softly to her.
"You...I don't know what you can do. As far as I know, no one can do anything."
"Do you think so low of me, beautiful queen?" She then made a gesture with her hands and in front of them, the same mist from the wedding day appeared. As it dissipated, everyone could see Penny.
For a moment, there was love in the brunette's eyes, but then she was angry. "Why do you want to make me suffer? Seeing Penny and not being able to do anything is..."
She couldn't continue because Penny hugged and kissed her without her being able to react. At first she stood still. Penny pulled away to talk looking into her eyes. "My girl. I'm back if you want me."
"Don't you dare lie to me!" There was a fire in her eyes and voice. She had already suffered so much. She could not allow herself to suffer any more, not for the same reason, the loss of her love.
Penny understood that she was suffering and knew that it was largely his fault. He obviously didn't want to die, but signing the contract with the Library was his decision. Everyone said he had no way out and, after a while, he got used to it. He knew that some battles already had their outcome before he even started fighting. He was recently transferred. Now he was in the Secrets Taken to the Grave sector. The Library sent him to work for Hades. Once again, he was sure he could never escape. The advantage of the new position was that when it was Kady's turn to go to the afterlife, many years in the future, he would be there, waiting for her.
When he was called to Hades' office, he didn't know what to think. The boss didn't usually receive employees, except those who had high positions. He was apprehensive and as he walked down a long gray and inhospitable corridor, a thousand possibilities crossed his mind, but none of them seemed plausible.
He had never been to this part of the building. He realized the proximity when the previously bare walls started to feature pieces of art. Apparently Hades likes beautiful things, after all he had married the beautiful Persephone. At the end of the longest corridor, there was a reception. A woman dressed in a gray suit like the wall. She had her hair tied up in a bun, no makeup; no smile could be seen. She seemed like an austere, cold and extremely professional person.
He approached the iron table and saw a notebook that looked like something out of a science fiction movie. There was still a huge screen with a map of the underworld and lights of different colors seemed to bring information that he couldn't understand.
"Mr. Adiyodi. You can come in. He is waiting for you." He noticed that Hades' assistant, for lack of a better term, didn't even look at him. She just pressed a button and a dry click made him look at the door that opened a little. Apprehensively he entered.
Inside were Hades, with a look that looked more like a CEO of a millionaire company than a God. The stern expression and a look that could kill him, almost made him take a step back. He only looked away from the God when he heard the melodious voice of a woman. Not a woman, a Goddess. Due to her beauty and enchanting form, it could only be Aphrodite.
"Hello Penny. I'm sure you have no idea why you were called here." She was smiling and seemed amused, while Hades frowned a little more.
"You're right ma'am. I don't know why I was called." He left aside any more acidic comments, as he didn't want to get in trouble. The new position was much more interesting.
"First of all, I want to hear a little about your story." She said as she sat down in a comfortable chair near Hades' desk, who complained.
"I don't have time for this shit. Cut the nonsense." Hades complained.
"Oh, don't take away the meaning of my request. You know what I need to hear." She insisted and turned to Penny. "Tell me a summarized version of your last years of life."
He quickly looked at the two divine beings and decided to fulfill the request. "I spent the last few years being a magician, going to a school and fighting battles that weren't even mine, until I died in a ridiculous way." A little different from usual, he showed insecurity about what could come.
"What exactly happened?" She asked in a crystal clear voice, opposite to the grumbling coming from behind the table.
"My body was dying. I left my body, and I couldn't get back in."
"They could have saved you, right?"
"Yeah, but Kady...she didn't know I was still alive and burned my body."
"Um, who is Kady? A mistress?"
"No. She was my girlfriend, my love." He spoke quietly. It still hurts to think about what they could have had.
"Do you still love her?" He was startled when the Goddess's voice was in his ear. He turned and saw her standing inches away. So close, he could feel her energy.
"As if I could change this feeling." He looked defeated.
After that answer, everything happened in a single beat of his heart. He turned around and was no longer in the underworld. He was in the backyard of a house in the suburbs, probably at USA. He could feel the wind and humidity, there were clouds and the smell of wet earth and plants. He took a deep breath and paid attention to his body. Alive, he was alive and he wasn't wearing his gray suit anymore, but old clothes from the Brakebills era, dark pants, a white blouse, and a dark green scarf.
He looked around once again, and thought about going into the house, when he heard Aphrodite's voice in his head telling him to wait outside the house. He obeyed but tried to see who could be inside the house, but some force was stopping him. After a few minutes, he was enveloped in a cloud, and seemed to be transported to another place, only to be back in the backyard, and face to face with none other than Kady.
"Don't you dare lie to me!" Her scream echoed through his body and mind. He needed to prove to her that he was real and was here to stay.
"Kady, please listen to me." He held her face in his hands lovingly. "I came back to you, for you. I had already resigned myself to waiting for you in the underworld, but Aphrodite interceded with Hades...girl, she brought me back to you, after I said I still love you." There was a lot of love in his words.
"Hades?" She looked confused, but the anger seemed slowly pass.
"My boss, former boss now." He let go of her face and took her hands placing them on his chest. "Feel my heart beating for you. You made it beat again. Your love brought me back." The expression on his face had also softened.
Kady stood still. She didn't want to believe that she was going to have this new chance in life. She allowed himself to feel Penny's heart, beating hard and fast. She stared at his big, strong hands over hers. The warmth of his hands warming her cold ones. She closed her eyes, giving herself time to absorb the moment. She then heard Aphrodite's voice.
"My daughter, don't be afraid. Enjoy the long life you will have together. Accept this gift and be happy. Your life had always been hard, just like Penny's. You deserve happiness. I say goodbye leaving my blessings."
Kady felt as if a weight had been lifted from her chest and opened her eyes, looking for Penny's face. She saw tears in his eyes, but more than that, she saw the same love that they, at first denied, but had always been there. She smiled at him.
"If you threaten to get away from me, if you mention the Library, I..." He silenced her with a more than passionate kiss.
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"The fun is over. Time to give them some much-deserved privacy." Aphrodite appeared back inside the house, turning off the TV with a simple gesture. Everyone sighed, but no one dared to complain.
"I say goodbye to you too. Take advantage of the new chance you have in life to do things differently and achieve happiness. Stay safe, my children." She disappeared in a soft light, leaving everyone exhausted after so many emotions.