Matt and Sera’s home was a two-story house just north of Chendal. Their décor was a perfect blend of their opposite tastes. Though most of the fabrics were a light cream for Sera, the wooden furniture was a dark walnut and things like throw pillows were crimson for Matt. For two very different people, they worked amazingly well together. They were both completely willing to meet in the middle, both always wanting the other to be happy, and so they were.

“It’s your own wedding party, and you’re sitting alone in the yard.” Tess shook her head and chuckled as she sat down beside him. “Shouldn’t you be with Sera?”

Matt was leaning back against the house, smoking a cigarette as usual. He was wearing his typical black leather pants and boots. The only part of his attire that he changed for the occasion was a long-sleeve, button-up shirt instead of a t-shirt with his black sleeveless jacket. The blue shirt made his light blue eyes even more striking. He smiled at her, revealing his dimples. “Needed a break,” he said, running a hand through his short blond hair.

She nodded. “You look good in that color,” she complimented. He gave a nod of acknowledgment. To tell Matt anything about his good looks was as mundane to him as pointing out the color of the sky. His beauty was just a simple fact, an obvious one. “Even if it makes you look less tough,” she added with a smirk.

“I’ll still kick your ass,” he told her.

“I’d like to see you try,” she said. “But I’m sure Sera wouldn’t like me beating on you today.”

He huffed a smoky laugh. “Probably not,” he agreed, then glanced over at her brown leather pants and simple blue t-shirt, her outfit was almost the same as the one Ayden was wearing. It was basically what they always wore. “No dress for the occasion, huh?”

“You won’t catch me dead in a dress,” she promised. She reached over and grabbed his hand, then ran her thumb across the silver ban on his finger. “Matt, a married man,” she murmured. “So weird.”

“You’re telling me.”

“Happy?”

“Yes.”

She smiled and let his hand go. “I can’t imagine you two without each other, so I guess marriage is the natural course.”

“Yeah?” he asked, blowing out some smoke. “What about you and Ayden?”

“That’s a good question,” Ayden said, stepping outside with his usual good timing.

Tess rolled her eyes. “Who gets married at nineteen?”

“Your cousin,” he pointed out.

“Yeah, well, Sera’s like thirty-five mentally,” Tess argued.

“So, do I have to wait until you’re mentally or physically old enough?” he asked, smiling sweetly.

Matt laughed when Tess tried to kick her boyfriend.

Ayden moved out of the way quickly, snickering.

“No one is ever domesticating me,” she said firmly. “I mean, just look at poor Matt. He’s all settled in a home of his own, he’s got an actual job, and now he’s married.” She shook her head and sighed dramatically. “Next thing you know there’s gonna be a houseful of kids. He’s gone from a fierce fighter to a tame little kitten.”

“Okay, that’s it,” Matt said, putting out his cigarette and standing up. “Come on.” He grabbed her wrist and pulled her to her feet, which was easily done with his strength.

Tess laughed. “You’re gonna get us both in trouble.”

“You asked for it.” He smirked and swung at her. She ducked then hit back, and Ayden rolled his eyes as the fight began.

Tess got in a good punch a few minutes later, busting Matt’s lip. “See how soft you’ve gotten?” she taunted.

He ran his tongue across his bottom lip and grinned. A minute later, he gave her one of her own.

Sera appeared in the doorway, drawing Ayden’s attention. She was always considered extraordinarily beautiful, but today she was even more dazzling. It was the first time he had seen her with her hair up. Her white-gold curls were piled on top of her head with red baby roses here and there a few loose ringlets falling artistically around her face and neck. Her long gauzy white dress left her shoulders bare, and flowed lightly to the ground.

“You’re absolutely stunning,” Ayden told her.

“Thank you.” She smiled warmly, then looked over at Matt and Tess. “Figures. It’s barely been ten minutes and they’re already bleeding.” She shook her head.

Ayden chuckled. “Yeah. They missed each other.”

Tess' little brother, Gavin, came running out of the house, pushing past Sera. “Hey, Matt!” he called happily.

“Hey, Creepy,” Matt greeted between hits.

“I found a new beetle,” the eight-year-old boy said excitedly, pushing some of his messy brown hair out of his face. “Mom said I couldn’t bring it but I drew a picture, wanna see?”

Matt smiled at the boy’s insect enthusiasm, which was the reason for his nickname. “After I kick your sister’s ass, okay?”

“Okay,” Gavin said easily. “But hurry up.”

Sera descended the three steps and took Ayden’s hand in hers. “How’s things?”

“Same old, you know.” He shrugged. “Just got back from clearing out a cave of minotaurs. They were causing problems for travelers between Hilltop and Glendale. We were gonna help take care of the goblin camp just north of here, but Matt got to it before we did.”

“It’s his job,” she reminded him. He was a mercenary for the Fighters Guild and hired to take care of things like nearby monsters.

“That’s what I told her,” Ayden replied. “But you know Tess, she hears the word goblin and she gets excited.”

Sera laughed. “I know.”

“Oh, I do have some news!” he said with sudden excitement. “We got invited to see the fairies. Their city is real.”

“Wow. Where is it?”

He smiled. “Can’t tell you. They’ve got some sort of magic on it, stops us from being able to say. It’s brilliant.”

“That explains why no one who has supposedly been there has been able to give any information on it.”

He nodded. “Yeah. We have no idea what they want. We’re gonna head there tomorrow morning, so we won’t be staying long. Sorry.”

She leaned her head against his shoulder. “A chance to see the secret fairy city, I’m surprised you came at all,” she teased.

He put his arm around her and gave her a half hug. “You’re more important than all that.”

She looked up to smile at him sweetly. “Thanks,” she said and reached up to give him a friendly kiss.

When the fight was over, calling it a draw as they always did—though everyone knew Matt would win if he weren’t holding back—they went to their partners. Sera offered up her lips to her husband and when he kissed her, the cut on his lip healed, a healing cleric’s trick. Ayden, however, was a mage and had to use his hands to heal Tess.

“Sorry, Angel,” Matt told her, though he didn’t look the least bit apologetic. “She asked for it.”

Sera smiled. “Doesn’t she always?”

“Matt, look!” Gavin said, holding up a folded piece of paper. Matt chuckled and let go of his wife to give his new cousin his attention.

“Come inside.” Sera said. “Korin and Vivyka just got here.”

Korin was dressed in his usual deerskin clothes and his long black hair hanging loose down his back. They were surprised at Vivyka. Instead of wearing one of her typically slutty outfits, she was wearing a knee-length deerskin skirt and a burgundy top.

“You’re clothed, Viv,” Tess teased. “Are you feeling well?”

“Just fine,” she replied with her usual cocky smile.

Tess was about to reply but something caught her attention. “What are they doing?”

The rest of the group followed her gaze and watched the twins for a moment. Danis and Vinius, clothed in their usual black, with matching nail polish and eyeliner, stood next to the dining room table where the pile of presents were. They picked them up, one at a time, inspecting them and shaking them, as if trying to guess what was inside.

After a moment, Danis held his hand out to Vinius who pulled out a bunch of black ribbons from a small bag. He handed half of them to his brother and they started putting black bows around each of the light colored packages.

“Perhaps redecorating your gifts is their present to you,” Tess suggested with a chuckle.

“Just keep them away from your furniture,” Ayden joked.

Sera laughed softly and shook her head. “They’re so weird.”

The others nodded their agreement as they turned back to each other.

“So, now that you have the house and are married,” Ayden said, “are there going to be kids soon?”

Sera smiled. “No, it’ll take Matt awhile to be ready for that.”

“For what?” Matt asked, joining the group with Gavin on his back.

“To have your own kids,” Tess told him.

“One thing at a time,” Matt said, looking uncharacteristically uncomfortable.

“Yes,” Sera agreed. “We’ll wait a few years.”

Tess laughed at the relief on Matt's face.

“So, you two gonna have puppies?” Matt asked with a snicker and a glance at Ayden.

Tess punched his arm. “Never. We’re adventurers. No kids allowed. Ever,” she added for extra clarity.

“I’m gonna have kids,” Gavin put in cheerfully. “And I’ll have a boy and name him Matt.”

Tess rolled her eyes. “You idolize him a bit too much, Creepy.”

Matt nodded his agreement.

“No, I don’t,” Gavin argued. “I just like him is all. He’s my friend.”

Matt shook his head. “Thanks. Now get off me,” he told him with mock annoyance and bent so his number one fan could get down.

“So, how are you two doing?” Tess asked Korin and Vivyka. “You’ve been away for a while. I can’t imagine you”—she nodded to Vivyka—“without a tavern for that long.”

Korin smiled. “She is happy to get back to Brunya City.”

"Not that I'll be frequenting taverns again," Vivyka said as if reassuring Korin.

“Have you changed that much?” Matt asked, disapproving.

Vivyka shrugged. "Everyone changes."

He gave a small nod, unable to argue that, he had changed plenty.

“Have you decided where you’re going to stay yet?” Ayden asked.

“She does not belong in the mountains,” Korin answered. “But I can adjust to down here.”

“You know it’s serious when you’re sacrificing like that,” Matt commented, pulling Sera closer.

She smiled up at him, always with that adoring look. “You gave up what you were used to for me too. Moved away from your nice warm desert. Do you regret it?”

“Never,” he said, then took her chin between his thumb and finger. “Anything for my wife."

She grinned and happily accepted his kiss.

Tess laughed suddenly. “What are they doing now?” Everyone looked, once again, at the twins. Danis and Vinius were draping two small pieces of black material over the nearby sofa before sitting down, as if the light fabric of the couch might somehow taint their darkness. “They really are weird.”