The Morning After
The next morning…
Darquebane Manor looked like a battlefield.
At least…
One particular section of it did.
The master suite—an entire floor to itself—was in complete disarray.
Curtains half drawn.
Furniture slightly… displaced.
Decorations and "accessories" from Pandora's Box scattered like the aftermath of a storm no one had tried to stop.
And judging by the state of things—
They hadn't.
Whatever had started as a celebration the night before had clearly escalated into something far more… competitive.
The Aftermath
Jax woke first.
Not suddenly.
Not groggy.
Just… awake.
He didn't move.
Couldn't, really.
He was pinned.
Naked bodies draped over him in every direction.
Warm.
Peaceful.
Breathing softly.
Bunny curled at his side.
Nyxian partially across his chest.
Zee resting along his arm.
Llandra somehow still composed even in sleep.
Pixelle—still in her human-sized form—tangled somewhere between all of them.
And Lexi…
Well.
Lexi had found a particularly comfortable place to sleep and clearly had no intention of moving anytime soon inside of Nyxian's cleavage.
Jax exhaled slowly.
Not annoyed.
Not uncomfortable.
Just… present.
For nearly an hour and a half, he stayed exactly where he was.
Listening.
Breathing.
Letting the quiet settle in.
After everything—
The war.
The loss.
The pressure—
This…
Was peace.
The First to Stir
Zee was the first to move.
A soft shift.
A small stretch.
Her eyes opened slowly—
And immediately met Jax's.
He gave her a look.
Help.
Not dramatic.
Just honest.
Zee smiled softly…
Then followed his gaze.
Paused.
Then blinked.
"…well," she murmured.
There were… signs that not everything had quite settled down yet. At least not on Jax's lower half.
Lexi stirred next.
Stretching.
Yawning.
Then—
Realizing where she had been sleeping—
She zipped upward, quickly in her usual tiny form before flying off and resizing once she reached the edge of the bed.
"…morning," she said, far too casually.
Zee and Lexi saw the constrained predicament that Jax was in. And decided to earn some more iPoints.
15 minutes later, they got their reward. Much to Jax's delight and a little to his embarrassment.
A chime dinged in Lexi's frame afterwards.
"Leveling up never tasted so good," Lexi stated.
Escape Attempt
Eventually—
After some effort—
And a few complaints from those still half-asleep—
Jax managed to carefully extract himself from the tangle.
There were groans.
Protests.
Bunny grabbed at him once.
"…don't go…"
"I'll be back," he said quietly.
That seemed to satisfy her.
Barely.
The Kitchen
Jax made his way into the kitchen—
Unbothered.
Relaxed.
The house was empty of staff for the day.
Intentionally.
Privacy mattered.
And he intended to enjoy it.
Jax enjoyed the freedom of being naked. So when no staff was around, he walked around in the buff.
Exhibitionist, maybe. Confident, totally.
He did put on an apron that Bunny had bought him.
"Kiss the chef" was written on the front of it.
Soon enough—
Zee and Lexi joined him.
Zee moved carefully.
Gracefully.
But slower than usual.
Lexi?
Less graceful.
But far more amused.
"Worth it," she said, taking a seat.
Zee shot her a look.
"…you say that now."
Jax chuckled softly as he worked.
Breakfast
Juice first.
Dragon fruit blend for Lexi.
Orange juice for Zee.
Then came the food.
French toast.
Sausage.
Fresh fruit.
And a syrup that somehow made everything taste just a little better than it should.
They sat together.
Quiet at first.
Comfortable.
Zee watched Jax for a moment.
He moved easily.
Naturally.
Like nothing in the world weighed on him.
And for a brief moment—
She felt something tighten in her chest.
The Thought
Lexi turned her ring slightly.
Still smiling.
Still glowing from the night before—
In more ways than one.
Zee noticed.
And something shifted.
Not sadness.
Not exactly.
But…
Something close.
She had everything.
The bond.
The trust.
The love.
But not…
The moment.
The ceremony.
The recognition.
She looked at him.
Then spoke.
"I want to get married."
The Pause
Jax had just taken a bite.
He froze.
Not in hesitation.
Just… timing.
Zee watched him.
Too closely.
A flicker of doubt crept in.
Was she asking too much?
Too soon?
Was she—
Not enough?
The Answer
Jax swallowed.
Set his fork down.
Then stood.
Walked around the table—
And dropped to one knee beside her.
No hesitation.
No delay.
Just certainty.
"I've been waiting," he said softly.
"For the right moment."
His eyes met hers fully.
"You are my life, Zee."
A breath.
"In every way that matters—we already are married."
Another.
"But I want the world to know it too."
He took her hand.
"You choose the place."
"You choose the time."
"I'll make it happen."
A pause.
"Will you marry me?"
The Answer
Zee's eyes filled.
Not dramatically.
Just enough.
She looked at him.
Then down at her plate.
Cut a small piece of French toast.
Took a bite.
Let the moment breathe.
Then—
"I accept."
A soft smile.
"Two weeks to prepare."
"Four weeks to marry."
Jax grinned.
"Done."
He leaned in—
Kissing her gently.
The Aftermath
As he stood—
Zee glanced up—
Then immediately looked away with a faint blush.
"…you might want to keep that apron on," she said.
Jax looked down. The excitement of the moment had spread through his body.
"…fair."
The Exit
Moments later—
The two slipped away toward another room.
Not rushed.
Not hidden.
Just… understood.
Lexi's Commentary
Lexi remained at the table.
Taking another bite of her syrup-covered French toast.
Adjusting slightly in her seat. Still sore from the night before.
Still smiling.
"…wedding planning breakfasts…"
She took another bite.
"…might be my favorite kind."
She leaned back.
Content.
While the sounds of "engagement celebration" emanated from the living room.
Outside—
Solmere still buzzed.
Inside—
Something even bigger had just begun.