"Darling, you're awake!"
Aqua blinked sluggishly, his vision struggling to focus. A blur of pink filled his sight, soft and warm—too warm.
His headache dulled, his mind fogging over.
"…Bubb—"
Pain. A sharp, blinding ache ripped through his skull. He hissed, clutching his temples.
The tray clinked as Bubbles set it aside. In an instant, she was beside him, fingers brushing against his cheek, her touch featherlight.
"Shh… It's alright, darling. You're safe."
Her fingers curled into his hair, twisting a lock between them. A familiar motion. Reassuring.
His grip on his head loosened. His breathing evened out.
Bubbles smiled. "Are you okay?"
Aqua's eyes met hers. His body, tense just moments before, melted into the sheets.
His lips parted. A breath. A whisper.
"Wife?"
"Yes?"
Aqua tilted his head, brows knitting together as if trying to recall something just beyond his reach.
"Wife. Is this… your room?"
Bubbles leaned back, giggling, her laughter light as a bell.
"Of course! Don't you love it?"
Aqua hesitated. His gaze flickered around the room—at the pink sheets, the vanity, the delicate lace curtains.
Something about it felt… wrong.
But when he looked back at Bubbles, all doubt faded.
A slow, small smile spread across his face.
"…It's nice."
Bubbles smiled as she lifted the tray, carefully settling it on his lap.
Aqua blinked, still dazed, his fingers twitching slightly against the pink sheets.
She picked up a spoon, scooped up some food, and held it to his lips.
"Darling, say ah~"
Aqua's ears, hidden beneath his tousled blue hair, flushed red. But his face remained eerily still.
"No. Bubb—"
Pain struck like a blade to his skull. His vision blurred at the edges. A low, involuntary hiss escaped his lips.
Bubbles tilted her head, watching. Then, with the same gentle smile, she brought the spoon closer.
"Darling, say ah."
His breath hitched. His body tensed. But instinct overrode thought, and before he even realized it—
His mouth opened.
"Good boy."
She patted his head, her fingers sinking into soft blue strands before feeding him the first bite.
Aqua swallowed slowly. The warmth of the food spread through him, dulling the sharp ache in his skull.
Bubbles leaned in slightly, her breath warm against his cheek. "It wasn't so bad, was it?"
The pain continued to fade. His body relaxed.
His lips curled into a slow, small smile.
"Yes... wife."
Bubbles beamed.
Without hesitation, he parted his lips for the next spoonful.
The warm broth slid down his throat, easing the tightness in his chest. He blinked slowly, his thoughts sluggish, his head throbbing like he'd been dragged through a storm.
Aqua glanced around, his brows drawing together.
"Emm… wife? Why am I here again?"
Bubbles chuckled softly, leaning in until her shoulder brushed his.
Aqua shifted uncomfortably at the closeness, but he didn't push her away. Somehow, that felt… wrong. Like he shouldn't.
"Well…" she tilted her head, resting it lightly against his shoulder. "Remember we were attacked? Then…"
His brows furrowed as he tried to grasp at the hazy memory. Flashes of something sharp, something dark…
"…Then you protected me?" he guessed, his voice uncertain.
Her eyes lit up, and she beamed at him. "Exactly! So smart."
A flush crept up his neck. He ducked his head shyly. "Hmm."
She shifted again, leaning closer until her breath brushed his ear.
"…Then you confessed to me!" she exclaimed brightly, like it was the happiest thing in the world.
He blinked, thrown off balance. "I… confessed?"
She nodded, her smile never faltering.
The doubt lingered for half a second, but then something inside him clicked. His voice grew steadier. "I confessed."
Bubbles giggled, hugging him tightly.
"And guess what?" she whispered, her arms light but firm around him.
Aqua's heart skipped a beat. His face heated up again as he let out a stifled, "What?"
"I accepted! So now I'm your wife, and you're…"
"…Darling?" His voice was soft, unsure, but there was something familiar in the way the word rolled off his tongue. Like he'd said it before.
"Correct!" she chirped, her grin widening.
He blinked, shifting uncomfortably again. Something wasn't adding up.
"So… we're married? Together?"
Bubbles sighed, a delicate little sound, and shook her head.
"No marriage… yet. But you won't leave me, right?"
A sharp pang sliced through his skull, and Aqua winced, pressing a hand to his temple.
"What?"
"You won't leave me, right?" she repeated, her voice dropping to a whisper as she leaned closer, her lips brushing his ear.
The ache dulled, melting into warmth, and his breath hitched. His cheeks burned hotter.
"Never," he murmured. "I'll…"
He paused, panting softly, like he was struggling to get the words out.
"Yes?" Her voice was honey-sweet, dripping with expectation.
"I'll… never leave you."
Her fingers ruffled through his hair, and he shivered under her touch.
"Of course you won't," she murmured, her tone almost like a lullaby. "Because you're a good boy, darling."
Aqua nodded slowly, his mind fuzzy and warm. "I'm a… good boy."
"Exactly." She smiled. "My good boy."
She suddenly sprang up from the bed and stretched, arms reaching high as if she had all the time in the world.
Aqua flinched and instinctively scooted back, the pink bedsheets slipping slightly to reveal more of his bare chest than he was comfortable with. He blinked once—twice—before the reality of his situation crashed down on him like a tidal wave.
Blushing furiously, he clutched the sheets to his chest. "W-Where are my clothes?"
Bubbles glanced at him, her smile way too innocent to be trustworthy.
"Getting washed."
Aqua's brain short-circuited.
Why didn't I notice this sooner?
Wait—did we…?
How could I—?!
He swallowed hard, his skin turning a shade dangerously close to boiled lobster. No. Focus.
Bubbles suddenly burst out laughing, her voice warm and musical. "Relax, Aqua. We didn't do anything. I slept in a spare room."
He exhaled in relief, but the heat on his face didn't go anywhere.
Bubbles picked up a tray from the nearby table, balancing it on one hip as she turned toward the door. She paused, looking over her shoulder with a grin that spelled nothing but trouble.
"Oh, and darling?" She winked. "You'll find clothes that should be to your liking in the bathroom."
Then, without another word, she left, closing the door softly behind her.
Aqua blinked at the empty space where she'd been, then down at himself, then at the bathroom door.
"…Liking?" he muttered, confused and vaguely suspicious. Running a hand through his hair, he exhaled deeply, still trying to process the situation.
After a long pause, he shook his head, muttering under his breath:
"So… how exactly are we doing this?"
Awkwardly wrapped in the pink bedsheets, Aqua scurried to the bathroom and locked the door with a quiet click.
Minutes passed.
When he stepped out, he was dressed in dark blue, the deep shade contrasting with his lighter hair. He sighed, running a hand through the damp strands, feeling a small but satisfying sense of control return.
Then came the knock.
He froze, the sound jolting him back to reality. His mind flashed to the morning, to Bubbles, to…
His cheeks flared red. Aqua grimaced and blinked rapidly, willing the heat to subside as he crossed the room. He opened the door, already speaking.
"Wif—"
The word cut off halfway. Aqua paused, his lips pressed in a thin line as he registered the person standing before him.
A black-haired girl lounged against the doorframe, arms folded, a smirk playing on her lips.
"Well, well. So it's true," she drawled, eyeing him from head to toe. "Angel Trumpet's got a new submissive boy toy… and he's hot, too." She gave a lazy laugh. "I alm—"
The laugh turned to a sharp, startled gasp as Aqua's hand shot forward, closing around her throat.
His face remained eerily calm as he pushed her back against the wall, fingers tightening with quiet precision.
"Noisy."
The girl's eyes widened, her hands scrabbling weakly at his arm. Her breath hitched, and then her lashes fluttered as her pupils rolled up.
Her legs gave out.
"Darling?"
Aqua froze. The voice, soft and playful, slid through him like silk. He turned, instinctively loosening his grip. The girl slumped to the floor with a dull, unceremonious thud.
Bubbles stood in the doorway, head tilted, her lips curved in that familiar teasing smile.
Aqua's heart stuttered. His face burned a deep red, clashing with the cold stain on his fingers. He shifted awkwardly, curling his blood-smeared hand behind his back.
"Uh…" His throat felt dry. "Dealing with a… nuisance."
Bubbles raised an eyebrow, her eyes flicking to the unconscious girl on the floor. Without missing a beat, she stepped over the body and reached for the hand he was trying to hide.
"Darling," she murmured, voice honey-sweet, "what have I told you about making messes?"
Aqua swallowed hard. His face flushed hotter under her touch. He felt like a scolded child, though the warmth in her voice was at odds with the cool steel beneath it.
"Let's get you cleaned up," she said lightly, pushing him gently back into the room.
As Aqua stumbled inside, Bubbles glanced once more at the girl lying limp in the hallway. Her eyes flickered with faint disdain.
"This is supposed to be a war declaration?" she scoffed softly, her voice barely more than a whisper. "Amateur."
A quiet pause. Then her lips curved again, but this time, the smile didn't reach her eyes.
"I'll have to teach them how to send a real message."
And with that, she turned, leaving the girl to slowly bleed out on the cold floor without a second glance.
***
A groan echoed through the cramped storage room.
"Lugus… why did I drink so much?"
Belinda's voice was raw, thick with regret. Her body ached in ways she couldn't quite place—a dull soreness pressing against her limbs.
She shifted slightly—only to freeze.
Something warm. Something solid.
…Something breathing.
Slowly, she blinked. Then, hesitantly, she looked down.
Peach-colored hair, tousled and damp. A face far too peaceful.
Her breath hitched.
"What is he doing here?"
Before she could even process, the body beneath her stirred.
Lucius groaned, his brows furrowing, his hand twitching. Then—his entire face shifted. Eyes snapping open. Lips parting in slow, dawning horror—
And then, whack.
"Ouch!"
Belinda yelped as Lucius shot up so fast that he headbutted her.
But he barely seemed to notice. His gaze darted around wildly, hands patting the ground like a man searching for a lost weapon—
Then, suddenly, he lunged.
Belinda barely had time to react before the ever-composed, ever-dignified Crown Prince of Aethera collapsed over a bucket and violently emptied his stomach into it.
She stared.
Lucius, regal, poised—now hunched over like a dying man, hurling his dignity into a bucket.
Silence stretched between them.
Then, almost numbly, Belinda whispered,
"I… what did I do last night?"