Blessed by Night

326  Welcome Back, Family

Despite being the youngest, Camille was the first to react. She vanished from her place in Bianca's arms and reappeared at the door with her arms outstretched and her little booter-belly clearly visible. "My, my. Someone's been eating well I see."

Nyx lifted the young girl into her arms and smiled contentedly as if a missing piece of her life had finally been returned.

"You have gotten so, so, big... I have missed you so much that I could screa-"

Nyx's words were cut off when Malachi suddenly threw his arms around his mother and his daughter. She was already barely keeping it together just by arriving alone. And now this too? How was she honestly supposed to keep it all together without breaking down?

She trembled slightly in his embrace. His actions mirrored hers. I'm sorry. She said hoarsely. 'I missed you' Was his only response. That only seemed to make her sob even harder. Though no sound came out. Bit by bit, more arms covered the group as they embraced. And it became harder and harder for the goddess to pretend she wasn't crying too. There were no questions like 'Where've you been?' or 'Why did you shut us out?' And they likely would never ask such a thing. The reasoning why wasn't complicated. Interrogating her just wasn't a priority for anyone here right now. All that mattered was the fact that they were back together again. As a family. -

*Sniff* "That was so beautiful that I am starting to miss my own mom!" Serana sobbed pathetically as she chowed down on her second slice of red velvet cake. "Serana, honey, I'm right here.." Sei reminded. "I know! I just love you so much!"

Sei wasn't made of stone, so she quickly became misty eyed. "I love you too!"

"Can I borrow a couple of credits to get through the weekend?"

Sei mushed her daughter in the face and took away her cake. Nyx giggled softly as she sat between Malachi and Aubrey just like old times. "I'm glad to see that this place hasn't become any less lively since I've been gone. I was worried that I'd missed too much."

"Of course not... You haven't missed anything, Ma." Mal smiled. "That doesn't seem entirely true..." Nyx glanced over at the sofa where Morgan was sleeping between his wives Emilia and Crystal while Arias had somehow rolled over onto the floor. "This is... a working arrangement." Mal admitted. "We've been doing a lot of strange things since we made the decision to start reintegrating members of nightfall into society again... but we're trying to get used to them all." Aubrey added. It wasn't exactly an easy decision for most. They went from living in a secure facility in the wilderness surrounded by nothing but each other to going back to filling out job applications. It was harder for some to say goodbye to this life than others, but at the end of the day, the nightfall base was only created to be a temporary solution. Not a permanent residence. It was a good thing that people could go back out into the world again. A lot of people had passed away who would never get that chance again. At that moment, Camille came running over with her axolotl in hand. She held it up to her grandmother's eyes so that she could see personally how big it had gotten. Since his mother was preoccupied, Mal used that moment to slip away and check on the well-being of another guest who he wasn't expecting to see today. Celeste sat by herself in the kitchen, seeming a bit out of place and timid. Malachi quietly crept up behind her with a smile on his face that she would have secretly found to be slightly charming. "You're not hungry?"

"H-Huh? Uhm, n-no, I'm fine. Thank you though..."

"Why so nervous? You're moving like you think I'm going to eat you or something."

"B-Be careful with the phrases you use..!" Celeste's entire face turned red as she hurried to cover Mal's mouth.

She looked around the room in a panic, but luckily no one seemed to be looking at her.

"Honestly… Why do you do things like this..?" She whispered back. "You know how guilty all of this makes me feel."

"Well it shouldn't. We haven't done anything wrong."

"We're sneaking around, Malachi..!" She hissed. "When you have all of this here waiting for you."

Malachi slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her in until they were face to face.

He held her softly, but firmly so that she couldn't get away from him.

"I never hid how I feel about you. Or what we've done. And everything that is here is also waiting for you. I'll keep trying to give it to you until you tell me honestly that you don't want it."

Celeste wondered if she should headbutt him or lean against him.

There were a myriad of reasons why she should say no to this. What must people think of her for getting caught up in such antics?

How could a man who was clearly no good for her be so good to her?

She was too old to be having these kinds of relationship problems…

Nadine did keep her word and pry Celeste away, but that was just so that she could hold the mature beauty in her arms herself.

14:18

"Things seem to be going well."

Celeste hadn't seen Nadine appear in the kitchen with them, and as a result she nearly jumped out of her skin when she grabbed her butt.

"N-Nadine! T-This is just-"

"Why so jumpy? I was only coming to say hello."

"I… Y-Your fiancé is being just a little bit too friendly as you can see… Maybe you can get him off of me?"

"Oh? Don't mind if I do."

Nadine did keep her word and pry Celeste away, but that was just so that she could hold the mature beauty in her arms herself.

"W-What are you doing??"

"Bonding a bit. You've been doing so much of it with Malachi that I figure the rest of us might be overdue for a bit of skinship too, no?"

Celeste was broken. "I-I-I-I-I-I…"

Nadine licked her lips predatorially.

"Careful now, darling. You'll learn I have quite the appreciation for cute things."

Now, Celeste looked like she was waiting for Malachi to save her.

But before she could voice her request for help, Nadine stole her lips first in an intimate gesture.

And maybe it was just his imagination, but… Malachhi had noticed form the moment she arrived that she wasn't denying him as hard as normal.

He wondered just how long it would be before she was willing to give life with him, with them a real chance.

"Hey, Mama Nyx?" Serena suddenly said loudly.

"Erm, yes, sweetie?"

"I don't know when you are going to get in contact with that scaly bastard again, but when you do you tell him that just because he's only two years old that doesn't mean he can ghost me like a child!"

For a moment, Nyx made a confused face. "Just so I'm sure… are you talking about-"

"I guess we really did spend too long away. I guess we owe you all an explanation, huh..?"

Familiar figures suddenly descended from a hole in the ceiling.

And let's just say that seeing their faces again was… jarring.

I try not to be too devisive in these notes but I can no longer stay silent anymore…  tater tots are an inferior way to eat potatoes AnathaShesha