As they ate, Luke sat at the head of the table, relaxed for once, one arm resting lazily against the chair as the noise of the room settled into something warm and familiar.
Jean looked around at them—the laughter, the casual arguments over food, the way everyone seemed comfortable in the same space. It felt… real. Grounded.
"I've been meaning to ask," she said at last, glancing toward Luke. "How did all of you meet?"
The table quieted a little, interest replacing chatter.
Luke smiled, lifting his cup. "Since it's Christmas, I guess story time is appropriate." He took a sip, clearly enjoying the moment. "Family stories are kind of mandatory today."
He leaned back slightly.
"You already know I can travel between worlds," he continued. "The first world I ever landed in… that's where I met Selene."
Selene didn't interrupt, just watched him calmly.
"She was being used by a man who'd controlled her life for centuries," Luke said evenly. "Loyalty, lies, fear—wrapped up as duty. I told her the truth he never would, helped her end it, helped her take back what was stolen from her."
He glanced at Selene briefly. "Somewhere in the middle of that mess, she decided she liked the idiot playing hero."
Everyone at the table turned to look at her at once, expressions openly questioning.
Selene met their stares without hesitation.
"Well," she said evenly, "most of that is true." Her eyes flicked toward Luke for a moment. "But I didn't fall for a hero."
Luke felt a bad feeling coming.
"I fell for a scammer," she continued, calm and unapologetic. "A very persistent one."
A short silence followed—then a few quiet laughs broke out around the table.
Luke sighed. "That's… not inaccurate, but it still hurts to hear."
Jill leaned back slightly, resting an elbow on the table. "As for me," she said, tone casual, "he sort of just showed up when we were in trouble and saved us."
She glanced at Luke sideways.
"At first, I honestly thought he had something wrong with his head," Jill continued. "The way he talked—half nonsense, half confidence. I figured he was either crazy or lying."
Luke opened his mouth to protest, then closed it again.
"But over time," Jill went on, "I realized he was exactly what Selene said." A faint smirk tugged at her lips. "A scammer. Just… one who somehow keeps delivering."
Alice nodded in agreement, folding her hands together. "Yeah. Same for me."
She looked at Luke with a small, knowing smile. "He saved us, helped us survive, and before we noticed it, we were already following his lead."
Luke stared at them for a second, then sighed again, rubbing his temple. "I like how none of these stories make me sound trustworthy."
"But you are," Alice replied simply.
"Just not honest about how you do it," Jill added.
Then all eyes drifted to Esdeath.
She didn't hesitate.
"Well," she said calmly, as if stating a simple fact, "I pursued him."
The laughter died instantly.
"He was strong," Esdeath continued, completely unbothered by the attention. "Unyielding. Perfect."
She glanced at Luke, a faint smile touching her lips. "Naturally, I decided he was mine."
There was a short, dangerous silence.
"Okay," Luke said quickly, clearing his throat. "Let's move on."
Wanda hesitated, fingers tightening around her fork. Then, before she could stop herself, she spoke.
"Um… I like him because he's kind," she said softly. "And caring. And he saved me."
The words hung there.
Pietro froze mid-bite.
His spoon slipped from his hand and clattered against the plate.
"No," he said faintly.
Then louder—louder still—"NO—"
The worst thing he'd been worried about had happened. His innocent sister had fallen for the scumbag in the house.
Wanda immediately realized what she'd said. Her face turned red, and she ducked her head, retreating into her food like it might swallow her whole.
"I didn't mean— I mean—" She stopped, mortified, and went silent.
Clarice looked between them, genuinely confused. "I don't get it," she said. "How are all of you just… okay with this? Don't you think it's strange?"
Selene didn't even look up from her plate.
"Well," she said calmly, "when you love someone deeply enough, you only get two choices. You either forget them… or you accept them."
She flicked Luke a brief, unreadable glance.
"Forgetting isn't an option with this idiot," she continued. "And hating him takes too much effort. So you learn to live with him."
Luke sighed. "That might be the most accurate description of my love life I've ever heard."
Alice leaned forward slightly, eyes flicking between the three women across the table. "So," she said casually, "what about you three? Why do you like this guy?"
Jean was in the middle of drinking.
She sputtered, nearly choking as she hurriedly set the glass down, coughing once before regaining control. "What—?" she blurted out, clearly flustered. "Why would you even ask that?"
Her reaction alone answered more than her words ever could.
Clarice glanced at her, then at Luke, then quietly looked away, pretending to focus on her plate.
Natasha, on the other hand, barely reacted. She remained composed, expression unreadable, lifting her glass for another calm sip.
She was past the stage of youthful infatuation. Even though she liked Luke, she kept it off her face, giving nothing away.
*****
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