The phone buzzed again some indeterminate time after Astra first woke. Light sneaked past the double blinds, brighter now, almost taunting. Almost certainly noon. Eydis's incurable habit of ignoring mornings had evidently contaminated her too.

Astra blinked a few times until Eydis's serene face sharpened into focus, and her pulse immediately betrayed her. So much for years spent pretending she could numb her feelings. Apparently her heart had simply been waiting for this exact view.

Ridiculous, surely. Yet after everything they had survived, Astra could not shake the idea of some cosmic engineer plotting their collision. The pantheons? Unlikely. Would they bother with a single ordinary life such as hers?

Maybe not so ordinary.

Then again, their interest in Callista had centred solely on whether she carried the Triune's Mark, not on the girl who came before the Saintess.

Instinct insisted even if the universe rebooted tomorrow and her memories were wiped clean—again—some unseen gravity would still draw her back to this very instant. She brushed a thumb over a stray dark curl fallen across those impossibly long lashes.

Eydis sighed and drifted closer, their bodies fitting perfectly. She sprawled like a regal cat, frowning in sleep, as if the first buzz had offended her. Astra wondered, not for the first time, whether Her Majesty would mind the comparison.

She eased one leg over the silk sheet, careful not to wake the monarch in question. Instantly, one hand gripped her thigh. The other pressed her down against the mattress and wandered beneath her shorts in languid circles, announcing that the so-called sleeper was, in fact, wide awake and outrageously smug.

Now is that not unfair, Your Majesty?

Astra's heart obligingly raced. They should vacate the bed at some stage. Winter break had stolen whole days from the calendar. Then Eydis's sleepy murmur coiled round her better judgement.

"Where precisely are you going?" She propped herself on one elbow, dark waves brushing Astra's collarbone. A camisole strap slipped, silk outlining curves Astra kept pretending not to worship.

Effortless temptation, and you probably do not even realise.

Her eyes reluctantly returned to Eydis's face, where mischief had already lit up those amber eyes. "How long have you been awake?" she asked. Her voice sounded unused. Or misused. Or... overused.

Heat climbed her cheeks. Damn it.

Eydis arched a brow, clearly enjoying this. "You see, it is a rare… noon indeed when I open my eyes first. I intend to savour the victory." She lowered her head and settled on her arm, posture saying lounge, dark amber eyes saying… hunger.

Astra cleared her throat and asked, "We should eat something? Breakfast?"

Eydis's smirk was half-hidden behind her hand. "I was under the impression you were something." She edged closer. "My breakfast."

Sensible thoughts scattered.

They were both new to this, yet Eydis wielded flirtation as if born with it. Leave days had dissolved into skin-to-skin research, confirming that walls could blush, most furniture did, and Astra's ergonomic study chair had experienced a structural failure she still refused to discuss.

The notorious dining-room incident remained classified.

Eydis's lips brushed hers, a tease rather than a kiss. "Better question," she purred, hand sliding beneath the peach camisole and skating over ribs until Astra shivered from scalp to toes, "what were you thinking just then? You went very pink."

A sly fingertip drifted lower. Astra caught the wandering wrist, half-hearted at best, and pressed her face into Eydis's neck simply to breathe.

"We do need daylight occasionally," Astra whispered, voice embarrassingly unsteady.

"Do we? I see no flaw in staying right here."

"It is winter break. We could travel."

"Tempting." Eydis sketched idle sigils on Astra's inner thigh. "Where would you take me, Astra?"

"Q—ah, stop it—Queenstown. Fresh snow. You've never seen any."

"Nor an aurora." The smile that followed was so open it stole Astra's breath. "Are you promising both, Your Holiness?"

Astra laughed into her shoulder. "First Your Highness, then Your Grumpiness, now Your Holiness. You collect titles the way some people collect Starburst cups."

"An endearment, that is all. 'Honey' feels sticky, and you're older, so "darling" sounds… historically inaccurate."

"Ageist," Astra accused, fighting a grin. Eydis needed no extra incentive to be insufferable.

"Entirely factual. But if it pleases Your Ancient Holi-hotness..." Eydis grazed her earlobe with a devilish flick of tongue, voice husky. "Darling."

Electricity snapped through Astra's nerves. Celestial politics and breakfast alike vanished from her mind. Weeks without smoke-monsters had left the world thankfully quiet.

She attempted a glare.

Eydis shrugged. "It's the way you freeze when I say it. Tell me I'm wrong."

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"You're terrible." Astra muttered.

"That's not a no."

She rolled her eyes. "So. Queenstown?"

"Nice pivot. But why there?" Eydis grinned. "Surely this continent manages a snowflake or two in winter?"

Astra twirled a dark curl around her finger. "Yes, but the local ridges are overrun with tourists and screaming toddlers. You want snow and peace? I have standards."

"Such high standards. I am flattered."

"And the aurora rarely strays this far north. Queenstown is busy as well, but I know a hidden alpine valley."

"Knowledgeable." Eydis's grin sharpened. "Unfairly hot."

"I can also fly a helicopter to...'"

Eydis's eyes dropped, then returned slowly to meet Astra's. "Goddess-tier hot."

"You are not listening."

"I listened and agreed. You could take me to the snow…" Her breath scorched Astra's ear. "Or take me on the snow. Cold is perfect for temperature play, you know."

"Temperature play, what now?" Astra drew back. "Please tell me you haven't been scrolling degenerate forums. Or worse, consulting that stupid panther."

Eydis grinned, fang peeking. "You didn't complain when I—"

Astra slapped a hand over her mouth, mortified. Muffled laughter vibrated against her palm. A teasing tongue traced her skin, deepening the blush.

"Insatiable."

"Pot, kettle, darling." Eydis's eyes danced. "Besides, Lust isn't a panther this time."

"Oh? What shape, then?"

"If I reveal it, the suspense dies and so might the mood. I plan to enjoy both thoroughly."

"Suspense? Since when is the shape of Lust supposed to be a cliff-hanger?"

"Shape of Lust?" Eydis's amber eyes gleamed, voice sinking to a purr. "Mmm. Since exactly now."

Astra nearly melted as lips traced her neck—

Until the phone buzzed again.

Eydis pulled back. "Rude. That was definitely a cliff-hanger."

Astra laughed, twisting to the night-stand, chest brushing her in passing.

"Who is it?" Eydis asked, her voice just a touch too affected as she leaned in to read the screen.

"Cleo von Apfelhof. Otherwise known as your mother." Astra smirked. "Remember the Greed incident? You hid here for a week. I had to tell the school, and her, that you were off sick."

Eydis winced and powered on her own mobile. Voicemails stacked like bricks. She played one, and the warm earnestness in the voice raised goose-bumps on her arms.

Cute.

Astra's lips twitched. Hard to pair that sweetness with the demi-goddess who commanded seven deadly sins. The contradiction almost made Astra pin her to the mattress, but Eydis's voice cut in.

"She wants me home for the holidays. This body hasn't visited in years. Why now?"

"Maybe you are simply that charming," Astra teased. "And cute."

"Cute?" Eydis looked genuinely affronted, then nipped Astra's shoulder in revenge.

"Ow, feral creature," Astra laughed, catching the faint blush. "Not used to compliments, Your Majesty?"

"Only because I know you mean them," Eydis admitted, soothing the mark with soft strokes. "Only when they come from you."

The softness in her voice erased Astra's remaining plans. She rolled Eydis onto the mattress and captured her lips, stealing the air from both of them.

When they finally surfaced, Eydis managed a whisper. "I thought someone intended to take me places."

Astra smoothed dark strands from her girlfriend's brow. The word still felt new enough to warm her.

"Oh, I will," she murmured, sliding lower. "First heaven, then perhaps Queenstown."

"You ruin the mood with theology." Eydis's voice turned breathless. "Heaven only admits me after a trial by fire."

"Then we'd better build your tolerance." Astra replied, easing off Eydis's shorts and settling between her legs. "A few warm-ups?"

"You're a menace, Your Unholiness." Eydis gasped, laughter cracking into a moan as Astra's lips met her skin. Beyond the double blinds afternoon light blossomed, but time paused outside while they created their own weather.

Some indeterminate time after they technically woke up (Astra knew the exact minute but refused to do the maths) she finally clicked Confirm on a five-star suite, then moved on to two business-class seats for Queenstown.

The airline's "Traveller details" form demanded a passport number.

"Eydis, do you have your passport with you?"

"Passport? What sacred artefact is that?"

"An official booklet that proves you exist and lets you leave the country." Astra's shoulders slumped as she added, "It's not exactly standard-issue unless you travel."

Eydis braced a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Even if I lack this mythical booklet, surely one may be forged… acquired… obtained quickly?"

Bureaucracy usually fell to Indigo, but Astra opened a new tab and typed at speed. Two pages in, she brightened.

"Priority processing, two business days, an extortionate fee, and you have to lodge in person."

"Money remains the most convincing language on Earth," Eydis said, smirking.

She swung a leg over Astra's lap. The long-suffering study chair, veteran of multiple structural stress tests, answered with its familiar gods-you-are-killing-me groan.

"You still haven't replaced this poor contraption," Eydis observed.

"We've done nothing except eat, sleep, and…" Astra bit the inside of her cheek.

"And what, precisely?" Eydis laced her arms behind Astra's neck. "Enlighten me, Your Holiness."

"Don't start…" Astra's warning wobbled like the chair.

"Ah, did Her Holiness not request daily worship?" Eydis teased. "Unless she's having regrets."

"We've already… four times?" Astra lost count when a cool hand explored beneath her tee.

"Five," came the purr, followed by a kiss. "Possibly five-plus."

Eydis was inexhaustible. Half the reason they still hadn't crossed the front door. The other half, embarrassingly, was Astra: now behaving like the starry-eyed teenagers she once mocked from the dorm corridor.

But winter break was only three weeks. She wanted to watch those amber eyes light up at actual snow and real aurorae. Distractions would have to wait.

She pulled back, breathless. "You do need a few legal documents to apply for a passport." Her words fogged the little space left between them. "And I doubt any of it lives in our dorm."

The smoulder faded to reluctant clarity. Dread wrinkled Eydis's nose. Unreasonably cute. "Are you saying what I think you are saying?"

"Yes." Astra could not stop the grin. "You need to go home. To your Mother."

Eydis groaned and collapsed full-length against her just as the traitorous chair wobbled, groaned louder, and surrendered. They collapsed on plush carpet, laughing.

"Very well." Eydis accepted defeat with theatrical dignity. "As you command, Your Holiness. I shall request an audience with Mother."

Astra looped her arms around her waist. "I'll come with you."

"You will?" Eydis pushed up on an elbow.

"Too soon?" The words rushed out. "I only want to make sure you say the right terminology and grab the right papers."

Eydis cut off the ramble with a kiss. "No justification required. I'd love that." A wicked glint returned. "Bring sunglasses when you enter my room."

Astra chuckled into her lips. "Because?"

"The décor is… what do internet degenerates call it? An acid trip."

"You don't know what a passport is, but you know 'acid trip'?" Astra dead-panned.

"Long story." There was a dark glint in Eydis's eyes that made it clear she didn't want to discuss it. "Now, as we have crash-landed on a convenient surface, we could—"

"Call your mother." Astra hauled them upright and pointed at the phone. "I'll find sunglasses and perhaps order a chair rated for… us."

Eydis inhaled like a gladiator entering the arena.

Is that nerves?

Meeting the woman who could rattle the Queen of Sins had just rocketed to the top of Astra's holiday itinerary.

"That devilish smile needs correcting," Eydis said, flicking her eyes to the watch she'd used to time every long-suffering sigh during a full hour on the phone with Cleo.

After one 'correction,' possibly two, Astra gave up counting and turned to the delivery app for emergency noodles. It was just convenient. Definitely not because watching Her Majesty wrestle with chopsticks was secretly entertaining.

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