Thwarted by our children, I found it difficult to sleep once propositioned. Much as I'd tried to coax Darius back into his bed, the disturbance had brought Xavier into our room, which ended any hope of returning to our reunion. 

It was odd to have our family back together, for I felt almost uncomfortable trying to explain our children away, to assure him that I would make time for us later. Meanwhile, Verando seemed utterly content to remain in bed with us, though I wondered if he found it boring, considering he couldn't sleep. 

With Xavier and Darius wedged firmly between us, I watched him for as long as I could before the exhaustion completely overcame me. I'd been running on full throttle since he'd left, it was a relief to finally have a moment to breathe. 

I slept for what felt like an eternity, to the point where when my eyes finally fluttered open, my body felt heavy and stiff. I'd not moved, still exactly where I'd laid when we'd surrendered to our fate of a night with children. My hand slid across the bed, gathering his pillow contentedly as I clutched it firmly to my chest with a deep inhale. 

I was alone. Looking at the clock, it was nearly 10 AM, exceptionally late considering the boys usually rousted me at around five. In the distance, I could hear the children's chatter, coupled with the news playing on the TV. 

Sitting up, I attempted to piece back together my sense of self, reminding myself repeatedly that I had a partner once more. I'd gone to war, marched across countries, and saved the world, but nothing had prepared me for being completely on my own for a month. Yet, I'd done what his family had thought wasn't possible and had held it together on my own.

Striding over to pull on one of his shirts and a pair of jeans, I rolled up the sleeves of the button-up as I tread down the stairs. The scent of breakfast filling my nose, I can't help but hum in appreciation at the sweet smell of pancakes. 

The house had been brought out of its chaos and into a state of tidiness I'd forgotten we'd used to maintain. Much as I imagined it disappointed him, I was not the organized creature my husband had become. The space looked more open with all the toys collected and organized, the movie shelf brought back under command, and the various pillow forts disrupted. 

Flushing as I rubbed my arms, I wondered if he was upset. It was something I hadn't really considered: Would he be disappointed in how I'd run things in his absence? Rosu paced in my mental cage; the anxious creature seemed to mirror my concern. Would he be pleased with how I'd done, or would he demand I allow his family back into the forefront?

Since Darius had almost drowned, I'd receeded; I hadn't even dared reach out since I'd sent the first right-to-refusal letters. So soon after that, he'd left, and I'd gotten comfortable with the predictability of my routine. Even allowing Eliza to watch the children had been a stretch for me, but it was nighttime, and I'd been able to convince myself they'd sleep through my absence. 

It's the first thought in my mind as I spot Darius shoveling a mouthful of pancakes into his mouth. Verando's back turned to him, my hand quickly shot up, and I had to force myself not to rush to him and prevent the large bites. 

I note that the floor is damp and freshly mopped. Darius kicks his feet happily in his chair, syrup coating his chin and fingers. "Tata! We made these!" he says excitedly, wriggling at the thought of any potential praise. 

Verando stands at the stove, finishing off the last of the batter; I wonder if I was in some other reality in which my husband comes home nearly dead and then makes me breakfast. A twinge of self-doubt hits me. Was I doing a bad job?

"Finally awake?" Verando asks. I note that he's holding Xavier, who has his head on the man's shoulder, thumb happily in his mouth, and his other hand firmly fisted in his father's shirt. It never ceased to take my breath away just how much the two looked alike, and I wonder briefly how Marisol would have handled this life. 

The thought dies as quickly as it arose; the pair got along for the most part but also had horrendous fights. I don't think she would have found this life suitable for her. Nobody else fit in so perfectly with this madness, I stroke my fingers affectionately through Darius's messy hair. 

It was interesting to see where our priorities lay. Verando was more concerned about the state of the house. Meanwhile, I usually opted to have the children dressed, cleaned, and prepped as early as possible should we need to go out. "They look good," I said to Darius with a smile before crossing the kitchen to lean my cheek against Verando's broad back. 

My nose twitches, trying to decide if he'd already had a smoke break this morning. He'd either done a good job at hiding it, or if he'd truly obstained; regardless, his cool back felt good against the heat of my body. 

Xavier peers at me over the man's shoulder, his eyes still sleepy. He clings a little tighter to his father as if concerned I'd take him. "Thanks for letting me sleep in," I tell him, almost timid, shy of the fact that maybe he figured I did this every day. "You didn't have to clean the house, you know."

Verando shrugs, earning another grunt of protest that he dared move and disrupt the tiny tyrant. "It's fine, darling. I was feeling restless. My character flaws aren't a slight against you. Here, eat." Passing me a plate of pancakes, I take the plate, flicking my gaze up at him as my lips part to argue.

He shouldn't have to come home to bring the organization back to our lives; I should have been able to handle it on my own. 

"I..." I ran a country; surely, I could manage to keep our home in check. Xavier was needy, the kids were in our bed, I was too tired to be any good to anyone, and he looked dead on his feet. "I'm... sorry." I finally concluded, watching the corner of his mouth drop, feeling him question me as I shrank back. 

"For what?" Verando appeared genuinely uncertain, glancing me over to check for any signs of distress. Nic, you've been on duty for weeks. Take a break." Pouring me a cup of coffee, he held it out for me to take, making me frown. "I'll drop it, or you can grab it."

Darius kicks his feet quietly, his heels knocking the chair like a metronome as I reluctantly take the cup and sit at the table beside the happy-go-lucky boy. "Are you sad, Tata?" Darius asks between bites, making me sigh at his bad manners. I give the boy a stern look and he apologetically swallows, folding his hands in his lap. 

"I'm just tired, honey. Did you have fun with Eliza?"

Verando sits across from me, letting Xavier sit in his lap to pick off his plate. The warlord mini-me rubbed at his eyes with a yawn, which amused me slightly as Verando carefully moved various things out of the toddler's grabby hands. Knives, jam, a glass of milk, and anything of interest are carefully placed out of reach as they are acquired, making the child progressively more annoyed. 

"Stop," Xavier tells him in frustration. "I do it."

"We played hide-and-seek!" Darius tells me excitedly, though his dark eyes continue to glance at his father, and I know where the youthful mind trails. "So, is Daddy staying?" he asks, placing another piece of pancake in his mouth. 

I take a shakey inhale, I really wasn't sure, Anubis hadn't seemed to thrilled. 

"I'm not sure, honey. He just got home last night; we haven't gotten a chance to talk about it." I tell the child honestly, crossing my legs quietly under the table, noting how similar Darius and I were in that way. We both had the same question; we fidgeted and felt uncomfortable with the unknown. 

Verando holds his coffee out of Xavier's reach, realizing we were discussing him and trying to comprehend what we'd asked. I can't help the slight twitch of a smile at his uncertainty; he still wasn't quite himself, and I remember the drained feeling quite well. 

"What was that?" he sighs, deflecting the grabbing toddler as half-heartedly as he could without infuriating the tiny creature. 

"Are you going back to work?" Darius asks, slouching as he settles back into the chair. It saddens me that the boy seemed to know the answer already and prepared himself for it, and while I can't help but feel the same way, I nudge him with my foot under the table. 

"Dare," I remind him, insisting that the unicorn child not resort to pouting. "Your Daddy has a vital job. He doesn't want to be away, but we can't control it, honey."

Xavier sticks his tongue out at his brother, making Verando sigh and set him on the ground despite the toddler's protest cry. "I'm not returning to work for a while; I've taken some time off to be here and ensure your school is ready by the fall. I can't promise I'll be home every night, but I will try to be home more often. Deal?"

I'd be lying if I said it didn't make my heart flutter; Darius seems pleased with this as he pops another piece of pancake in his mouth. Xavier storms over to my side, demanding to be lifted as I nibble at my breakfast, though I note Verando isn't eating much either. His skin seemed more pale every time I saw him, a startling change from the sunkissed tan he usually boasted. 

"Can you help Tata find an investor?" The child's articulate nature makes me choke on my coffee, and Xavier giggles as I nearly spit out the drink. 

"Again!" The toddler demands, squishing my cheeks in his hands. 

"Darius!" I snap, making the unicorn shrink in his chair while Verando cocks an eyebrow, crossing his arms over his chest as he tongues his cheek in the only real display of frustration he'd shown this morning. "Don't look at me in that tone of voice," I demand of the gray-haired man, stripping Xavier's sticky hands from my face as I get up to get a wet rag and wipe us both down. 

"Is that why you were at that party? Here, I thought you were being social." He muses, his tone light but airing on the prodding side. I'd kept something from him, which had never been my way; while I wanted to remind him how badly such things stung, I knew better than to tempt the beast. 

Wetting my lips, I try to figure out how I will get out of this one unscathed. Setting Xavier in his chair, I narrow my eyes at Darius as I slide my plate to the younger boy. "You're trusting the account of a child?"

"That child? Absolutely." Verando retorts shortly, arguing in favor of my pride in Darius's intelligence while reminding me that he wouldn't let this go. 

I curse under my breath, running a hand through my hair before I sit before the man like any other client might. "My shop is in a transitionary period," I tell him simply, squaring my shoulders and folding my hands on the table to mirror his stern posture. A hint of my favorite look curls onto his face, I was amusing him which meant he'd not taken this to personally. 

"Oh? First I'm hearing about it. I thought you were hoping to take it over yourself."

"I am, and in doing that, it means making some transitions to a different sector of high-class performance. The diesel side will remain, but we're reducing it and continuing on with the project of reintroducing the muscle car."

Staring at me, he seems to be waiting for me to continue, but when I don't, he clears his throat and sips his coffee. "Speak to me as if I were an invalid; I have no idea what any of that means, love. While I think it's incredibly attractive to hear you 'talk shop', I'm utterly lost."

"What's attractive?" Darius asks, making my warlord chuckle as I glower at him. 

"Your Tata is beautiful when he's in his element, Dare. It's quite a sight." Those light eyes never leave mine, and I flush as I resist the urge to stand up and distract myself from this man who had waltzed so easily back into my life. Darius seems unimpressed with the thought, wrinkling his nose as he hops up from the table, moving toward the living space while Xavier scrambles after him. 

"The car you owned was a sports car, and while it was gorgeous and we are hoping to get back to that, nobody is currently making them. I want to go to the in-between, a high-powered car that's less sleek and easier to build. Not so much luxury but a lot of power, the cars we have now are quite plain... or are wartime rejects; your car has been featured on plenty of television shows, and people seem quite interested in it." I tell him, leaning back in my chair as I fidget with a napkin. 

This seems to make sense to him. Verando nods once, and my eyes drift down to his exposed collarbone. I drink him in quietly as he mulls over his next move. I knew he wanted to offer his help; I just wasn't sure if I was prepared to take it. 

"Well, ask me. If it's based on my car, I'm obviously interested in getting another one, and it seems like you've at least got some handle on your direction. You've spoken with Haebom, and I'm surprised you've not already arranged your funding." He questions dismissively as he finishes his coffee and sighs as he grabs a piece of toast, biting it in frustration. "This whole no cigarettes thing might need to be put into the contract negotiations."

Why was I so surprised that he quickly redoubled his efforts to quit for me after seeming so adamant last night? 

"You just lost your job?" I remind him, "Speaking of which, we haven't even spoken about what you intend to do about that." Keeping my voice low, I stand, rounding the table to get closer to him so as not to alert the children. "How are you not losing your mind? You hate being out of control."

"Well, you are just a peach when it comes to financials," Verando grumbles, smacking me on the ass as I pass him, making me growl as I sit against the edge of the table. "Haebom has informed me that considering that you've sold all of the extra properties and kept most of the investments, we will be quite comfortable while I figure out the next step. I've got some independent work I can do if I want to. Otherwise, I think I've figured out some paths regarding how I want to proceed.  We're not talking about me. We're talking about you and your business." Taking my hand in his, he brings my knuckles to his lips as he kisses the back of my hand; I roll my eyes at the sentiment. 

Of course, he had it figured out; why wouldn't he? It was in his nature to be two steps ahead. 

"Besides, I'm always looking at new investments. I'm horrid at picking them, but I have a dragon managing my finances. So. Pitch to me if you'd like; otherwise, we are married, and it's your money to do with what you wish. What's the problem?"

The problem was it didn't feel like my money, just as he'd never asked me for anything; it felt wrong to ask him for help. I'd made some money in my work with the heroes, but other than that, my job history since coming to the future had been minimal. My fortune from when I'd been a king and all my amassed familial wealth was gone. 

"I'm not just taking your money-"

"Our money." Verando corrects, kissing my palm with a slow inhale of my wrist. "Seduce me for it. I might like to be conned." He smirks, despite my disgust at the suggestion. A chuckle leaves his lips, and he kisses my wrist, "I've missed you so much."

"I'm glad you show it so well." I spit, threatening to pull my hand out of his. Before I can retreat, he grips my wrist, flashing me a warning with his gaze and lightly grazing his teeth over my skin. "Our kids are right there," I whisper. 

"I'm just enjoying what's mine, don't be so filthy, Nic." Verando pulls me closer, kissing up to the crook of my arm, though I resist climbing into his lap. "Did you know they akin smoking to an oral fixation? Are you going to take responsibility for that? This actually is helping."

Swallowing back my response, I avoid leaning any closer, refusing to acknowledge for fear of what my wolf might betray me to do. I knew better than to think he was fine, that he was so prepared to step back into this world and ignore what had happened yesterday. He was deflecting; it was a coping mechanism, and it was easier to fix my problems than to worry about his own.

"You are well aware that I know you too well to believe this charade that you're okay, right? You're way too flirty for me to feel like you've got it all under control." I retorted shortly, catching him slightly off guard, though he quickly composed his expression. Dragging his tongue over his teeth in a look of protest, he pulled me closer in a sharp yank, making me nearly make a sound of surprise. 

"I'm out of my mind, and Fenrir is on a loose leash until I can find a way to put the chain on without breaking my promise to him. There is a lot of head trash, but this is also what I'm good at. I can handle the pressure; it's predictable, unfortunately, and orchestrating chaos has always been my strong suit. But what I don't handle well is thinking you or the children are going without or that you are afraid to come to me for something. Taking me away from you is not an option, and Seth will pay dearly for that mistake. That is where my mind is, if you're inclined to wonder. 

I have every intention of making a God bleed, and it puts me in a dark place to imagine how that's going to look. So.. give me something else to focus on. Let me help you with your business; I'd really like my car back. I'd pay handsomely... or if you'd like my body, you can have that to." Verando returns to my hand, kissing my palm once more as that arctic gaze meets mine, dragging his tongue over my palm as I shiver and quickly collect his face, yet I know if I kiss him, it will be the end of me, and that can't happen with our children sitting in the next room. 

"I don't want your money for free. I know it's our money.. but I want to earn this."

"I can think of a way you can earn it." He suggests, his voice heavy with suggestion as I sigh and press my hand into his face to straighten. "Or, sell me something."

"You're already married to me," I retort, grimacing as he licks one of my fingers. Quickly, I retract my hand and shake my head in disbelief at the sinful creature. "All we have are trucks; a couple are sitting at the shop, and the lead suggested we could sell them for some capital."

Verando shrugs, "Sell me a truck."

"You? Verando Mercer? A diesel truck?"

"Well, you don't have to get so official about it, but why not?"

"They're loud and gigantic and are used for pulling heavy things," I explain, sighing as he stands to wrap his arms around me, kissing my neck before I can wriggle out of his grasp. His hands grab my hips, pulling me back into him as he hugs me from behind with a growl of frustration. The strong arms fold around me, his nose buried into my neck as he squeezes me, my back pressed firmly against his chest. 

"What's the back seat like?"

"I have one with an extended cab?" The silence is deafening, and I can't help but scoff, "The back seat is large."

"That one. I don't have a car right now anyway, and you need yours if I'm going to be around more often. I'd like the windows dark. Is that a thing?"

The suggestion makes me genuinely laugh, and I feel him smile against my skin as he kisses my cheek. "You know so little about cars; it's comical. Do you know how many people think you're the car guy?" I lean back against him, tilting my chin up to meet his eyes as he wraps his hand around my throat possessively, claiming my lips over my shoulder. My body shudders in excitement, "I missed you." I tell him softly before sighing. "We also have to take Darius camping."