Blessed by Night

It was a few hours after the battle.

After ensuring that Sei was alright and resting, Malachi started to leave the bedroom to retrieve a very important family member.

But before he could fully step out of the doorway, two different pairs of hands grabbed onto his wrists to stop him.

He smiled wryly, already knowing who they were and what they wanted.

"Girls… I promise I'm fine, I'm just going to go and get Cami."

"We're going to come with you." Luna said.

At her side, Joanne nodded in agreement.

Malachi didn't seem to even consider telling them no, and smiled at the fact that they didn't seem interested in taking no for an answer anyway.

He wrapped his arms around the waists of both women and together the three of them sank into the shadows on the floor.

As the three of them fell through Mal's dark domain, he was the first to speak.

"…I'm sorry."

Luna seemed to be surprised by the fact that Mal had offered up an apology unprovoked like this.

It wasn't until she looked into his eyes that she realized just how sorrowful he really was.

She didn't need to ask exactly what he was apologizing for.

"It's alright, I know you were just dealing with a lot in the moment… I'm just glad that I could get you to listen to me in the moment."

Finally, the three of them reached the bottom of the shadowy tunnel and reappeared in a familiar dark domain, right outside of a very large mansion.

In an instant, Malachi frowned when he realized that his mother wasn't here.

He floated right up to the doorstep with the girls in his arms and opened the door without bothering to pull out a key.

Surprisingly, Keres was home in place of Nyx; pacing about the living room with a somewhat serious look on her face.

"Sister?"

Once the goddess saw Malachi enter, she tried to put on as normal of a face as possible.

"Dear brother. It is very good to see you. And you as well, Chosen of Cassiel, and Chosen of Chang'e."

"…You don't remember our names, do you?" Joanne questioned.

Keres shrugged helplessly.

Malachi thought maybe it wasn't appropriate to laugh at this moment, so he elected to hold it in for now.

"Where's Ma? It's not like her to leave when she's babysitting."

"Y-Yes, well she had something that she absolutely couldn't avoid and so she stepped out. But you needn't worry, I have been a perfect caretaker."

The three loving parents looked at the almost seven feet tall demonic looking woman with sharp claws, dried blood on her clothes and a frightening appearance.

"""…Where's our baby???"""

-

Malachi and the girls found Cami in one of the many bedrooms, sleeping peacefully while surrounded by a carcophony of stuffed animals, and her axolotl lowbreed.

Malachi, Luna, and Joanne were looming over her quietly, just watching her sleep.

Through no fault of her own, Cami sleeps like a drunk old man.

Occasionally scratching her little stomach, drool running down her face, arms sprawled out, the whole nine yards.

But to her parents, she was the cutest thing ever, bar none.

Malachi sat on the edge of the bed and stuck out one of his fingers.

Instinctively, Camille grabbed it and held him firmly so that he couldn't escape.

Luna sat in his lap and Joanne took her place directly beside him and stole his free hand.

They sat in silence for a while like that, just watching their daughter sleep without saying a word to each other.

At least until Malachi broke the silence with a confession.

"I never… thought my life would be like this." He said quietly.

"I don't just mean the powers, I mean the responsibility.

When I was a kid, I couldn't even be trusted to make up my own bed in the morning.

Now I'm responsible for the lives of over 100 strangers.

But the thing is… I love it.

I love the little community we've built, and I love how everyone comes together to look after each other, and I feel honored that they entrust their safety to me.

But by far, this is the most surprising thing of all…"

With one arm, Malachi scooped up Camille into his arms and brought her close to his chest.

"I never for one second thought that I could love something so much.

She is the best thing that has ever happened to me and all that I want for her is to grow up and live a life filled with atleast half as much happiness as she brings me.

Today… when I thought for a moment that her safety and wellbeing might have been compromised, I just…"

Malachi couldn't say anything else because Luna suddenly kissed him fervently.

He didn't know what it was for exactly, but he didn't exactly care either.

After the day he'd had, he was practically starved for tender physical contact.

Mal didn't know how long he kissed her for, but he only got a second to breathe when they separated and Joanne stole his lips next.

As he kissed her, Luna stared at him lovingly and ran her fingers through his dreadlocks carefully.

"Honestly… I couldn't have chosen a better husband, partner, or a better father for our child.

The fact that you care so much about everyone under our little umbrella is a huge blessing that I couldn't possibly put into words.

I don't ever want you to feel like caring too much for us is a detriment or like you have anything to be sorry about.

…Just, trust us, please. You aren't the only one who feels this way about all we have. We all have to work together to protect it."

Malachi finally pulled away from Joanne with a notably hazy look in his eyes, and a body temperature that was beginning to climb.

"I promise that I was listening, but… can we continue this discussion in the next room?"

Unsurprisingly, the girls didn't hesitate to agree.

In the span of thirty whole seconds, they lay Camille back down gently and stepped into the bedroom next door.

It took them even less time to get undressed.

Malachi tossed both girls on the bed and practically tore off his own clothes to join the already nude women.

NovelFire-unofficial-text

"I swear… somebody is going to have to pry me off of… you…?"

Suddenly, Mal began to experience a very familiar dizzy spell.

His hand went to his temple and he realized that he could no longer hear the sound of the fan spinning in the room.

"Ah…shit."

Malachi's knees finally buckled underneath him and he hit the floor like a sack of potatoes.

As expected, he saw both of the girls running towards him and screaming as he closed his eyes.

His last thought was something completely unrelated, but nonetheless important.

'My gods… they are so beautiful.'

-

As he expected, the place where Malachi woke up was the one where he explicitly asked not to be called again.

And he did not react to it well.

His bracelets activated on their own and became a beautifully nightmarish black spear.

The first thing he did was hurl it at the god Zeus without a single moment's hesitation.

Unsurprisingly, the god fired a bolt of lightning from his fingertips and knocked aside the powerful weapon like it was nothing.

In a twist that he wasn't expecting, Zeus smiled at him like a long lost friend and said words that he never thought he'd hear.

"Do you all see? Our friend here is quite eager to die. It is a good thing that we voted to restart the game afterall!"