I stared at Aurora’s text while Mera traced circles on my thigh and Cheon leaned against the window watching the city pass.

I saw your fight. You were incredible.

Can we talk?

My thumb hovered over the keyboard. This felt like a trap. Not a malicious one. Just the kind where good intentions met terrible timing and created explosions nobody saw coming.

I typed back.

what’s up? if you want to talk here’s my address

Sent the building information. Waited three seconds.

me cheon and mera will be celebrating tonight so tomorrow would be better

Hit send again.

Watched the dots appear. Disappear. Appear again.

Aurora was thinking hard about something.

Finally her response came through.

oh... why your home?

I blinked at the screen. Read it twice. Still didn’t understand the question.

Why my home? Because that’s where I lived. Where else would we talk. A classroom? The library? Some romantic spot by the water where the sunset made everything more complicated than it needed to be?

No thanks.

My place meant control. Meant I could set boundaries if things went sideways. Meant Mera and Cheon were there as backup if Aurora decided she wanted to report me for whatever the drain had done to her.

I typed back.

i’m not planning on leaving my apartment this weekend i want to relax

True enough. My body hurt everywhere. My ribs felt like someone had used them for batting practice. My eyes burned from Gravity Jail overuse. And I had two girlfriends who deserved attention after watching me nearly die in a glorified cage match.

Leaving the apartment sounded terrible.

The dots appeared again. Stayed there longer this time.

Mera noticed me staring at my phone. "Who’s texting?"

"Aurora."

"The pretty one with the finger lasers?"

"Nail beams. But yeah."

"What does she want?"

"To talk."

Cheon’s eyes opened. She’d been pretending to rest but obviously listening. "About what?"

"Probably the thing where my drain opened when I held her hand yesterday."

"You should tell her."

"I know."

"Do you though? Because your track record with honesty is questionable at best."

"Says the girl who spent two days analyzing my Essentia signature before cornering me."

Her cheek flushed pink. "That was research."

"Sure it was Panda."

Mera laughed. Kissed my neck right over one of the bite marks she’d left. "I like when you two fight. It’s sexy."

"Everything is sexy to you."

"Not true. Paperwork isn’t sexy. Neither is Nolan’s lecture about proper warmup stretches."

"Fair points."

My phone buzzed again.

okay. tomorrow afternoon?

i can bring coffee

I showed Cheon the screen. "She’s offering coffee."

"That means she’s nervous."

"How do you figure?"

"Because bringing something gives you purpose. Makes the visit transactional instead of personal. It’s what people do when they’re scared."

Mera peered over my shoulder. "Or she’s just being polite."

"Nobody is just polite. Everyone has an agenda."

"Your worldview is depressing Panda."

"It’s realistic."

I typed back to Aurora.

sure. 2pm works. bring whatever

address is attached

Sent it. Locked my phone. Tried not to think about tomorrow’s mess.

Marco pulled up to my building. The security guard nodded as we walked through the lobby. Same guy as always. Same professional discretion about me showing up with two girls instead of one.

The elevator ride up was quiet. Mera’s tail wrapped around my leg. Cheon held my hand. Both of them tired from their own matches earlier.

Team One had won their fight too. Cheon mentioned it briefly during the car ride. Something about Nolan absorbing three consecutive attacks and releasing all the kinetic energy at once to blow through a wall.

Sounded impressive.

Also sounded exactly like something Nolan would do.

We got to my apartment. I unlocked the door. Stepped inside.

Everything looked the same as this morning. Except now it felt different. More lived in. More like three people existed here instead of one.

Mera’s red jacket hung by the door. Cheon’s perfectly organized shoes lined up underneath it. Their stuff scattered across the bathroom counter and dresser drawers.

My space wasn’t just mine anymore.

Weird how fast that happened.

"Food first," Mera announced. She walked straight to the kitchen and started pulling out takeout menus. "What are we feeling? Thai? Italian? That burger place that makes everything too greasy?"

"Pizza," I said.

"Boring."

"You asked what I wanted."

"I expected better taste."

Cheon sat on the couch. Removed her shoes with careful movements. "Pizza is fine. Get the one with vegetables."

Mera made a face like Cheon had suggested eating cardboard. "Vegetables on pizza is a crime."

"So is eating nothing but cheese and grease."

"You’re both wrong," I said. "Half and half. Problem solved."

They looked at each other. Then at me. Then back at each other.

"I can work with that," Mera said.

"Acceptable compromise," Cheon agreed.

I ordered on my phone. Large half veggie half meat. Breadsticks because Mera would complain if I didn’t. Soda because my fridge only had water and beer.

Delivery said forty minutes.

Forty minutes was enough time for trouble.

Mera sprawled across the couch. Patted her lap. "Come here."

"I’m injured."

"Then I’ll be gentle."

"You don’t do gentle."

"First time for everything."

Cheon stood up. Walked to the bedroom. "I’m showering first. Rome can shower after me. Then Mera."

"Why do I go last?"

"Because you take forever and use all the hot water."

"That’s fair actually."

Cheon disappeared into the bathroom. Water started running a minute later.

I sat down next to Mera. She immediately climbed into my lap despite my ribs screaming in protest.

"Careful."

"I am being careful." She kissed my jaw. Then my neck. Then my mouth. Slow and sweet. Nothing demanding about it.

Her Essentia tasted like cinnamon. Always did. Warm and sharp and addictive.

The drain opened between us. Just a trickle. Not the flood from last night.

She pulled back. Yellow eyes bright. "You’re holding back."

"Because my ribs are broken."

"The medic said fractured."

"Same thing."

"Not really."

She kissed me again. Deeper this time. Her tongue traced my lower lip before slipping inside.

I grabbed her hips. Held her still before she could start grinding. "We’re waiting for food."

"So?"

"So I don’t want the delivery guy seeing you naked."

"Who says I’d be naked?"

"You. Always you."

She grinned. Bit my lower lip hard enough to sting. "You know me too well."

"Somebody has to."