The bedroom door closed behind Damon with a soft click.
Silence hit him first.
Then, the sight.
He stopped in the middle of the room, his hand still resting on the doorknob, his gaze fixed ahead. The bed—his bed—was occupied in a way that definitely wasn't listed in any mission report.
Aria sat further ahead, leaning back against the pillows, completely naked, her hair carelessly draped over her shoulders. A lazy smile played on her lips, the kind that doesn't ask permission to exist.
Next to her, Ester.
Also naked.
But, unlike Aria, she sat rigidly, her face turned to the side, her ears slightly reddened. Her fingers gripped the sheet as if that were the only thing keeping her dignity intact.
Damon blinked once.
Twice.
"…Did I miss some important holiday?" he finally asked.
Aria smiled even wider.
"You took your time," she said. "We thought maybe you had… been rewarded too much."
Ester snorted, not looking at him.
