My wife has insisted she bathe me and wash my hair, although I have told her I'm perfectly capable. She floats in irritation at my denial, so I oblige as I always do.

Fallon, Dion and Solice all eat anxiously not wanting to ask where Nathaniel is I suppose.

Monika smiles. "Nathaniel is taking a break, right, Slade?"

I raise a brow before nodding gruffly.

She grins. "Like a mini-vacation is all." She shrugs, standing.

"A mini-vacation..." Solice echoes.

Fallon frowned. "Where?"

Monika cocks her head. "I made some brownies."

"Oh shit really?"

Fallon speeds to get one making me roll my eyes. I sincerely hope I never have to count on these children for assistance. They're easily swayed by baked goods.

"Anyway, I went out," Fallon says with her mouth full. "And, I just have a question."

She swallows. "Who made it racist in there? Did you do that Slade?"

I shake my head. "No. No I didn't."

She shrugs. "Well it is. So I'm staying home. Solice you too. Monika you definitely should stay home. And, Dion, you're good to go. Look at you. You're as pale as milk."

Dion looks at his skin with concern. "Am I really? Solice?"

Solice looks down at his tan skin. "It's not my fault the sun rejected you. Like your parents."

And here we go again.

They begin bickering about who's the worst, and who's parents loved them less, and now, who's the darkest.

They hold their arms up to Monika, a beautiful shade of dark brown. She rolls her eyes.

"It doesn't matter what you look like. Just eat the brownies."

Dion frowns looking at the brownies. "Even this baked good is darker than I am. This is unfair.

I want to be brown too," he looks around. "Nathaniel is pale too,"

Is he? I suppose so. The rest of them are varying shades of tan, but not exactly brown. Save for Fallon, who's color resembles Monika.

I never really noticed. Human is human after all, and they are all my children.

"That's enough of that. Inside this temple I doesn't matter what humans say," I inform them. "You are sons and daughters of Slade, god of war, and you are all equal."

I sip my wine. "And you will be equally sore if you don't shut up. Speaking of which."

Groans erupt from the table.

"Look what you did, Fallon. Now we'll have sword practice for the next seven hundred years." Solice complains.

"I'll definitely find a way to kill myself by then," Dion shrugs.

I frown. He says that quiet a lot. At first I was concerned, but then he started to say it so much, I considered perhaps that it was a joke.

I don't think it is anymore. He looks up at me before looking away.

"As you know the summit can go any number of ways. I'll have you all prepare every moment you can." I explain. "Including you Monika."

She raised her brows, but nods. Her brackets jingle as she claps. "Well it'll be good team building."

• • •

"It was horrible team building," she confides in me during the bath she insisted on giving me. Her grands run through my hair, massaging shampoo into it. "Those kids have no clue how to be around each other with insults."

My eyes are closed. I know I denied this at first, but it feels so nice, her fingers raking my scalp.

She kisses my forehead, lathering my hair. "You doing okay?"

I nod, frowning. "Do I look not okay?"

She shakes her head. "You're just under so much stress," she murmurs, rubbing my shoulders. "I don't want you to get overwhelmed."

I smile. "The weight of the universe is always on my shoulders. I'll be fine."

"The universe and a family isn't that same," she says softly, a curl falling into her face. I tuck it behind her ear. "I know what's it like, at least a little. Having so many people counting on you, and you love them."

She smiles. "It's okay, if it can't all be perfect you know? You can only try your best."

I sigh, rolling my shoulders back. I grab her, pulling her into the tub with me despite her protest. She sighs, frowning at me, her hair soaking wet, her white dress see through.

"Slade!" She hits my shoulder.

I grin. She sighs, wringing out her hair. "The things I do for you."

I hold her gently. "Do you believe in me?"

She looks to at me, nodding gently. "With all my heart."

I grin. "That's all I need. Get back to lathering though, I was enjoying that."

"Now you know-"

I pull her up, slapping her behind her gently. "Go on!"

She giggled putting her hands in my hair. "Only because you asked so very nicely."

"I didn't ask very nicely at all," I muse.

"I'm trying to give you the benefit of the doubt," she sighs, flicking my forehead gently. "But you won't let me."

I chuckle, and so does she, and then it goes quiet just us two, in soft content silence.