Max woke up lying between Charlie and Vaggie, both of them wrapped tightly around him like two very protective (and very cuddly) constrictor snakes. They were practicing holding him down in his sleep—something they'd been doing ever since he lost his arm.
He blinked groggily.
"…How drunk was I…?"
He rubbed his face. He could remember the bar. He could remember Husk's drink. Everything after that? Blank.
The girls were still sound asleep, soft breaths rising and falling in unison. Their alarm clock showed it only had a few minutes left before blaring.
He didn't want to wake them.
So Max simply turned into a puff of gentle black smoke, slipped out from between their arms, and re-formed beside the bed.
"Hm… maybe breakfast in bed," he whispered to himself. "These two get up the earliest… then Loona and Octavia… then Bee sometime before noon."
He rummaged through his shadow like a shopping cart.
"But gotta be quick. Gotta head to Wrath today for the festival."
With a soft hum, he pulled out fresh butter rolls, crispy bacon, sunny-side fried eggs, and a special Amazon coffee blend still steaming like it came off the stove.
The aroma drifted through the room—
and instantly both Charlie and Vaggie jerked awake with hungry eyes.
"Mmm… that smells amazing!" Charlie said, sitting up.
"Fresh?" Vaggie asked, already grabbing a plate. "Very impressive. Human food quality hits different."
Max sat on the bed with his own plate.
"Depends where you get it. Had to travel the whole world to find good places. Worth it, honestly."
Charlie took a sip of coffee and hummed.
"You better behave in Wrath. I don't want you getting arrested."
"I won't," Max promised. "Pretty sure we're staying overnight at Millie's parents' place. Don't think they have room for me, so I'll probably sleep in the van. Or with Loona. Depends if she's comfortable."
He leaned in and gave both Charlie and Vaggie a quick kiss on the cheek.
Vaggie smirked.
"Someone's in a hurry."
"Gotta go see Octavia, then Bee, then Loona for breakfast. You two just wake up the earliest." He winked. "And you both were clinging to me in my sleep."
Before either could respond, Max slipped into the shadows and vanished.
---
Octavia's Room
Max rose from the shadows in Octavia's dark room. She was still asleep, curled under her blankets with her hair messy and one arm sticking out at an awkward angle.
He set down a plate of fresh bread for her—
and then a small cage filled with a dozen clean, healthy rats.
The little squeaks woke Octavia up.
She rubbed her eyes sleepily.
"I hear… rats? Max, is that you?"
"Sorry," Max chuckled. "Maybe immature. But I heard from Stolas that you like them. I cleaned them properly—just didn't know your preference, so I got one from each region of the human world."
Octavia blinked at the cage, then at Max, then back to the cage.
"…You went rat shopping… around the world?"
Max shrugged modestly.
"What can I say? I'm thoughtful."
She smiled softly—still half-asleep—and picked up one of the rats.
"Thank you. And… sorry if that wasted your limited human-world time."
Max sat beside her, breaking off a bit of bread.
"I've got about twenty-four hours left. Charlie or Vaggie told everyone, I'm assuming."
Octavia nodded.
Max sighed.
"Probably gonna have to quit I.M.P. But Blitz will get over it. Eventually."
Octavia finished chewing and patted the bed.
"Sit. For a second?"
Max obeyed, sitting down gently.
She leaned her head on his shoulder.
Max blinked in surprise.
"Oh. Uh. You're on my missing-arm side, so I can't—"
Octavia froze, eyes widening as she realized.
"Oh my— Max, I'm so sorry, I totally forgot—!"
Max laughed and pulled her over with his remaining arm.
"It's fine. Come here."
Octavia sat on his lap, curling into him as he wrapped his arm across her body.
"I just… need to cuddle a bit," she whispered.
"You're probably the clingiest one in the whole group," Max teased. "You and Loona both have abandonment issues, but she hides hers. You don't."
"I don't see the point in hiding it," Octavia muttered. "You're the most accepting person here. You listen. Even my dad doesn't do that anymore…"
Max gently took her hand.
"I promise you'll stay safe. And you'll have your father. But it won't be easy. Angels… Stolas… everything's messy. But I'm here for you. Always."
Octavia stared at the floor.
"…Don't make promises you can't keep."
Max lifted her hand, showing her the ring.
"Even if it was your idea, this is a promise I made too. To be with you. To protect you. Forever. This feels like a wedding ring to me. A contract. A vow."
Octavia swallowed, eyes softening as he kissed her forehead.
"You're… too sweet sometimes," she whispered. "You should go. You've got your Wrath trip."
"Of course," Max said, standing. "And tell me which rat is your favorite when I get back. I'll restock."
He turned into shadows, lowering her gently back onto the bed.
Octavia lay there on her back, staring at the ceiling.
And she smiled.
A small, real smile.