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Yeah, admittedly? Eurydike had been 5000% slacking on this whole senshi thing, and he didn't even feel bad about it. Maybe down the line that'd change, but... nah. The people he loved were safe, and he saw them a lot, so that was the most important thing, right? What could've really happened without him bungling s**t up everywhere? Besides, he'd been working out and s**t, so hopefully next time a general decided to kick his a** he could do more than kind of flail in their general direction.

He had Emrys to consider now and all; had to take it more seriously. Couldn't let him be taken back to the negaverse, or worse.

Hopefully though, with the four of them, this would be cake. Although he'd been thinking, "Don't you think it's kinda ********' weird, " he said suddenly, like he'd been thinking it for awhile, "So okay, you an' Celsus are twins. You're both knights. You're both into senshi, right?" He was counting all these points off with his hands for added measure. "An' so there's C-elsus an' C-orvus, an' E-urydike an' E-mrys, like - am I the only one that thinks that's ******** bizarre? Are we sure she's real?"

Then it was like his husband's question finally dawned on him. "Should be, 'less Corvus 'conveniently' has somethin' else to do." He was half kidding, trying to lighten the mood - maybe not all the way kidding, but like, seriously? Was he the ONLY ONE that thought that was ******** weird?

Finally, though, with one of his warmer smiles, he reached out and gently coaxed one of Emrys' hands away from his staff to hold it in his own. "I'm fine; are you okay though, babe? We can call it an early night if you start feelin' weird?"

"He hasn't been getting out much," Celsus said, as the two of them made their way down the darkening streets. "He and Eurydike have been working on getting their new home in order. I got them that bed and helped them move a box or two into place, but they wanted to do a lot of it on their own."

And besides that, Celsus was a relatively private man who did not actually like to brag about things, even if those things were very precious and very wonderful to him. His shy gentleness was part uncertainty, part anxiety, and part a lingering uncertainty sometimes that things were even real; that he was even allowed this in the first place.

It was a slowly moving progression, but at the very least, a steady one. He still felt comfortable and familiar around Corvus, and even though it had been a few months now since his rather intense profession of love for her, it still felt new and sweet and gentle. Celsus wanted to treasure it wanted to hold it carefully to make sure that it wasn't in danger of breaking.

Which was why he hadn't said much to Emrys and Eurydike about it, although Emrys had already met Corvus. He'd told both of them that he was dating - ignoring much of the shocked gasps and the guffawing on the other end of the line - but there hadn't been much more to it than that, because Celsus needed the simple pacing. Sometimes he wondered whether he was moving too slow for Corvus, but if he was, she hadn't said anything yet, for which he was simultaneously grateful and also a little worried.

But for now, they were still moving forward. Celsus said, "I'm sure they'd love coffee. Emrys drinks it, but I prefer tea. I've no idea what Eurydike drinks, though I think it might be coffee, too..."

There was no accounting for tastes. Celsus rounded the corner with Corvus and there they were, standing at the end of a lane. One as redheaded as Celsus was, though a little shorter and with black streaks in the bright red locks, and the other a shorter, black haired man, fingers interlaced with the redhead's.

As always, Eurydike was looking suspicious, whereas Emrys was looking anxious. Celsus slowed his steps, casting Corvus a slightly exasperated look before he said, "Good evening. Glad to see we're all alive and well this fine summer night. Corvus - "

He gestured at his brother. "You've met Emrys, but this is his husband, Eurydike - " That still felt just slightly weird to say, but he pushed past the feeling in his chest and continued, ignoring the faint redness he could feel on his own cheeks, "Eurydike, this is Corvus, my...girlfriend."

That also felt truly bizarre. Celsus' face grew redder.


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Emrys was gripping Eurydike's hand so tightly his knuckles were probably white underneath the gloves, but he leaned in and said, "See? I told you she was real," with a faint amount of exasperation mixed with amusement mixed with unfailing fondness, because only Eurydike would have come up with a theory like Corvus wasn't real.

Although it was kind of bizarre that both sets of twins were together with someone who shared the same letter of their powered name.

Emrys cleared his throat and said quickly, "H-hello, C-Corvus."

It still seemed strange to Corvus to be introduced as anyone's girlfriend, let alone as the girlfriend of Celsus. She'd been out of the dating scene for far too long and truth be told she hadn't actually thought she would find herself in it ever again. Neither she nor Celsus had actively pursued a relationship beyond friendship, and yet... She couldn't imagine the world being any different, didn't want to think of things being any way other than how they were right now.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Emrys-- and a pleasure to finally meet you, Eurydike." Corvus smiled brightly as she extended a hand to the Senshi of Salt. "Celsus has said nothing but kind things about you. I heard the wedding was beautiful-- oh." Corvus wasn't sure why but the question about how long she'd been doing the senshi thing caught her off guard. It wasn't a bad question, though. If anything it was a way of redirecting the conversation towards something that she could talk about without hidden glances and shy, adoring smiles.

"Yes! I think it's been... Stars. Eight years. Nine soon?" Too long. "We can talk about it while we turn a loop around the park, if you'd like... Celsus and I know a place that makes an incredible late night breakfast if either of you are interested in a bite to eat after patrol." Corvus rambled when she was anxious and it likely came off just a bit in her tone no matter how she tried to keep it contained. She hid it by playing 'hostess' when at home, and that seemed to be coming out here just a bit as well.

There was a brief moment where Eurydike looked genuinely shocked, his jaw even going a little slack. Nothing but good things to say. Stupid reaction to have, but even if things between him and Fritz had been a million times better, it was still - He talks about me? To other people? Like, in a he's-not-a-shithead way? Again, really shouldn't have blown his mind, but it kind of did.

For a second, he smiled brilliantly, like he was delighted. Then he swiftly covered it up with a smirk. "It's too ********' late now, bro - I knew you loved me all along, an' now she's blown your cool a** cover an' we definitely gotta hug it out immediately, " and he outstretched his arms expectantly, all the while still holding his husband's hand, dragging it right up into the air. "Bring it in now, family hug, let's go."

His face was still red, because he probably looked all kinds of stupid, but he couldn't really regret it either. Although he did promptly drop a hand like just realizing that Corvus had offered it, chuckling sheepishly with a flare of red in his cheeks. "Uh, also, thanks." His handshake at least was firm, not too much. That was something he could do right.

Then, "wait, jesus ********' christ, eight years? What were you like, twelve when the cat hit you up?!" He was probably too loud. Definitely too loud. He turned red and laughed a little in his awkward way. "Sorry, just like, damn. I mean I know Celsus has basically been doin' this s**t forever but... damn."

His cheeks were hot again, and he fidgeted. "Little longer, not much. Been what... " Eurydike thought long and hard, and then blanched a little. "Uh, like three years, yeah, since the drive-by cat. ********. Little after me an' Emrys met the first time after the New Year's shitshow, not long after we - "

He stopped himself wisely before he said <********>. Although the red in his cheeks burned brighter. " - uh, I mean, jus' before the first drum lesson." So sue him for being detail oriented; big details came to mind first, obviously. "********, time flies."

Quickly, he added, "I'm down for waffles."

Emrys was just as anxious and nervous about this meeting as Eurydike was, in spite of having met Corvus before - but he couldn't help feel a small twinge of private amusement at the expression on his husband's face, Emrys biting his lower lip.

Celsus, on the other hand, looked as though he was resisting a very strong urge to roll his eyes.

"No," he said, as Eurydike held out his arms for a hug. "No, I absolutely refuse, don't you dare even try, Eurydike."

This last part was said sternly, because Emrys knew and Celsus knew that when Eurydike wanted a hug, chances were he was going to get a hug, because his hugs were legendary, and besides, now he was all emotional about learning that Fritz had talked nicely about him once or twice.

More than that, Emrys suspected, but still.

"Three years?" he repeated, slightly distracted by this fact. "I thought it m-might have been l-longer, but I s-suppose it just s-seems l-longer, especially after a-all that's h-happened."

His own corruption into the Negaverse, his subsequent breakup with Eurydike, falling in love, getting married, moving, learning that they had all the rest of the world to have a family together finally, after all this time, and all this pain and suffering.

"Oh, yes," he said, remembering himself. "D-drum lesson..."

Emrys' cheeks reddened significantly at this, because what had followed the drum lesson had been a lot more interesting than the drum lesson itself. He hastily looked away, trying not to catch anyone's eyes, and clutched onto Eurydike's hand in desperation.

"W-waffles s-sound g-good," he said hastily.



Celsus was not going to ask. Instead, he said, "Yes, the Surrounding...that was quite some time ago. I've lost track of the years since then, I'd forgotten a lot of things about that. And about awakening in general, though come to think of it, it was in the midst of rather a lot of chaos."

He laughed a little, shaking his head. "But no matter. We're here now, aren't we? And we've got as far as this, which is good."

The touch of Corvus' fingers against his, however light, sent a small shiver of happiness through Celsus. He glanced over at her, then back at the others, a small smile tugging at his lips, something private for the three of them, three of his favorite people, save for one or two. The warmth he felt in his chest grew and expanded, heart growing several sizes.

He wasn't going to mention that to Eurydike.

"Shall we take a stroll, then?" said Celsus brightly. "And have waffles afterwards? And - oh yes, well, strictly speaking he's a cat that's bonded to another senshi, but he lives with me, he'd be delighted to meet anyone, I think that's all he talks about..."