A few days had passed since the trip to the beach.

Second year was close now. Trafalgar’s classes would begin again soon, but there were still a few things left to do before the academy swallowed his time properly. He had to stop by Arden and Marella’s place at some point, and he had also promised Bartholomew and Cynthia that he would go with them to the orphanage.

It was nothing serious. Just time with people close to him, and that had value of its own. The visit to the orphanage would be later, around midday. Until then, the morning was his.

He was already in Velkaris.

More precisely, he was stretched out on the sofa in the apartment he shared with Mayla, with Mayla in his arms and her body pressed warmly against his chest. He had arrived the day before and stayed the night with her. It had been a warm night in more ways than one, and now both of them were enjoying the lazy quiet that followed.

Mayla had her head resting against him, one hand laid over his stomach, the fingers relaxed like she had no intention of moving any time soon. Trafalgar ran his hand through her hair once before speaking.

"Are you sure you do not want any kind of celebration for our marriage? Even a small one."

Mayla lifted her head from his chest and looked up at him. "No. Honestly, I am not comfortable with something like that. I would rather leave things as they are now." A faint smile touched her lips. "Besides, you are busy enough already."

Trafalgar brushed a few strands of hair away from her face.

"Mayla, I will always have time for you. You know that."

Her smile deepened at that. "I know. That is why I love you." She lowered her eyes toward her hand and turned it slightly, admiring the ring there once again. "But I really do not care about a ceremony. And I already have a very beautiful ring."

Trafalgar followed the movement.

The ring was simple by noble standards, far below what he could have bought if he wanted to make the gesture louder, but the small diamond set into it had been enough. Mayla loved it in the sincere way only someone like her could. That alone made him feel better about the choice.

’Good. I’m glad she likes it.’

Mayla smiled softly at the ring before glancing back at him.

"Formally, I am already your second wife. That is enough for me. I have my place by your side, and that is all I need."

Trafalgar understood that, even if part of him still found the whole thing strange. Wife. Wives. The words remained slightly unreal whenever they brushed against his own life. Even now, after everything that had happened, the idea had not lost that odd weight.

Still, if Mayla wanted a ceremony, he would have given it to her. If she did not want one, he would leave it alone. That mattered more than anything else.

Mayla shifted a little in his arms, letting the quiet hold for a while before asking, "By the way, are you eating here today?"

Trafalgar shook his head. "No. I can’t today. I’m meeting Barth and Cynthia to go to the orphanage."

Mayla blinked. "Oh, the one that received the money?"

"Not directly from me," Trafalgar said. "I gave Barth money because he helped me, and he ended up giving it to the orphanage. They all think it was me anyway." A small breath left him, almost amused. "They already thanked me for it, so now I’m just going to see how things are going there. I heard the place is under renovation. And that place matters a lot to Barth and Cynthia."

Mayla gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

"Don’t overdo anything," she said, and then, as if remembering it only now, added, "Aubrelle is coming over later today."

That pulled a small shift out of him. "Aubrelle? Did something happen?"

Mayla pushed herself up from the sofa and walked toward the kitchen. She wore nothing but one of his shirts, the fabric large on her frame and swaying lightly around her thighs when she moved. Trafalgar watched her go, and the thought came uninvited but honest.

She looked very good like that.

Mayla glanced back once, saw exactly where his attention was, and smiled with quiet satisfaction before answering.

"No. Nothing happened. We are just very good friends now. And since we are family, we have grown closer. We spend a lot of time together."

Trafalgar pushed himself up enough to rest against the back of the sofa.

"Oh? And what do the two of you talk about so much when you’re alone?"

Mayla reached the kitchen counter and turned toward him, the shirt slipping slightly over one shoulder before she fixed it with an absent tug.

"At this rate, you’re going to eat me alive with your eyes."

That earned the faintest twitch from him.

She laughed softly and continued before he could answer. "We talk about many things. Everyday life. What the future might look like. Sometimes about how handsome you are. Or how sexy you look right now without a shirt." Her smile gained a playful edge. "And sometimes we make bets about who will be next."

Trafalgar actually choked on his own saliva.

That caught him completely off guard.

Mayla’s smile only grew more mischievous after seeing his reaction.

"What do you want for breakfast?" she asked sweetly, as if she had not just dropped that into the room and left it there.

Trafalgar stood up and followed her into the kitchen.

"I’d say you," he said, "but I’m hungry, so let’s keep it light. Something simple. And coffee. I’ll make the coffee."

Mayla nodded. "Fine. I’ll make eggs and something light to go with them."

The morning passed easily after that.

He made the coffee while Mayla cooked. They ate together at the small table near the window, spoke about little things, and let the hours move without urgency. It was the sort of peace Trafalgar did not get often enough, which made it feel more valuable than he admitted aloud.

When the time came for him to leave, Mayla walked him to the door.

She kissed him once, brief but warm, and said, "Be careful."

"I will." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

He stepped out after that and made his way through Velkaris on foot. The walk to the orphanage was long enough to leave him alone with his thoughts, though they did not stay heavy for once. The city breathed around him in its usual rhythm. Traffic. Voices. Mana lamps still dim under the daylight. He moved through it all with his hands in his pockets and a quieter mind than usual.

By the time he reached the orphanage, someone was already waiting by the entrance.

Bartholomew.

The moment he saw Trafalgar approaching, his whole face brightened.

"Good morning, Trafalgar!" he called, lifting one hand. "I was waiting for you!"