Chapter 176: Finally..a kiss.
Sunshine blinked, once. Twice. "You are serious! You are proposing that we turn our fake marriage into a real one?"
"Yes." He leaned forward, gripping her hands tighter. "That is what I said, and I am not changing my words. I am not suggesting that we dive in blindly. I am not asking for blind declarations. All I want is a chance."
She looked away from him and lowered her eyes for a moment. Sunshine thought about what a true marriage meant for them. It meant that she would be investing more and risking more.
The more she thought, the more Hades worried. Had he pushed her too soon? He wanted to say more, like a criminal pleading his case in a courtroom. But he figured that silence was the best remedy for a moment.
Sometimes, when things were pushed too hard, they broke. So, the silence remained.
He counted the seconds in his head. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven.....he paused and frowned, hoping he did not reach one hundred.
How was this worse than when he was waiting for her to come back to the base after she left to search for Alfred?
Sunshine raised her head and finally started talking. "I think that I want that too. But we have to set some rules because this will affect the kids as well."
Hades exhaled, releasing a breath that he did not realize he had been holding all that while. "Of course, of course. I am sure that there are some things we must iron out."
Sunshine raised a finger on her right hand. "There are some facts that we cannot change, like me not being the biological mother of the boys. But I care about them deeply. I have come to love them in my own way. So, as long as we are together, I want you to back me up on all decisions I make concerning them. I mean in public, especially.
In private, we can disagree, and you can question me but in public, we stand together. Even if Amber returns, as long as we are together, she cannot overrule me concerning the children."
Hades nodded. "As far as I am concerned, Amber is not their mother. You are their mother in all the ways that matter. They adore you. Sometimes I think they love you more than they love me."
"Point one for Miss Sunny." She laughed. "I love how they have accepted me."
"If they ever overwhelm you, talk to me and I will find a way to make sure that you get your space." He said carefully.
She nodded.
"I want more date nights." He said quickly as if it was urgent. "During the day, we tend to have work to do and when we go home, everything is about the kids. Most days we just go to bed...I go to bed or train while you vanish into your space or start repairing things.
We have not taken the time to learn about each other. I have no idea what your life was like, what you like and what you dislike outside of the small things I noticed.
I want more dates, more conversations, more cuddling, more washing of each other’s hair."
She chuckled. "You sound like Earl."
"Like father like son." He said in a proud voice.
They talked for another hour and a half, each stating their needs and expectations in the relationship. They promised to always be honest about their feelings. Hades proposed it because he did not want her to ever doubts like the ones she had been having about Amber.
When she yawned and showed signs of exhaustion, he pulled her forward and hugged her.
"May I kiss you now?" he asked.
She nodded.
They leaned apart slowly, and she inclined her face upwards slowly. Her eyes closed of their own will and her lips puckered up.
Hades nearly chuckled when he saw like that. She was as cute as when she got drunk.
He leaned in and brushed his lips across hers.
She trembled.
He became bolder, adding more energy to the kiss. One of his hands went around her back. The kiss was gentle, tentative and yet full of promise. It did not mark the start of something new; it reaffirmed the recognition of something that was already blooming.
Hades ended the kiss and backed away. After breathing in deeply he leaned away from her and said, "We should go home now or else Major Elio might throw us in jail."
"I would like to see him try." She replied with a challenge in her tone.
They both stood up and slowly walked out of the garden. A part of her was leaning against him and one of his hands was wrapped around her waist. If someone looked closely, they could see easily that something between the couple had shifted.
Their walk was now devoid of stiffness and respectful space. Every few steps they took, they laughed a little, despite having nothing much to laugh about.
As soon as they stepped outside the doors of the garden, they found Major Elio waiting outside. His daughter was sleeping in his arms, wrapped almost fully from head to toe.
"Are you in the place Major?" Hades asked him.
Sunshine tried to peek at the little girl meanwhile. "Why are you taking her out for a walk in this weather? It is chilly outside. She should be at home, warm in bed."
"She had a fever. We were returning from the medic bay when I heard that you two went in here and did not come out. I was worried that perhaps a mutated ant or something else had found you and munched on you." Elio explained.
"We are fine." Sunshine replied, "Take your daughter home now and come to the reception desk in my building and pick up some upgraded fever relievers that might work better than what the medic bay offers."
"Thank you." He nodded. "If you don’t mind, I would like Siegfried and O’Toole to escort you both home."
Siegfried threw away his cigarette.
Elio glared at him.
He picked it up and placed it inside a can that he would dispose of later.
The men walked the couple home, sharing the news on the rising number of children that were coming down with fevers. The winter was just beginning. Sunshine was afraid that it would only get worse.
Before going to bed, she checked on the boys to make sure that they were fine and not showing signs of sickness. Only when she was sure that all was well did she step out and close the door.
Hades was standing outside, waiting for her with a question on his mind. "Do you think they will notice that something between us has changed?"
"I doubt that." She answered, "They already see us as mom and dad. No matter the state of our relationship, we will always be mom and dad to them."