While Alice and Lucina were eagerly discussing the paintings of Alex, Alex himself sank down onto the couch. His gaze wandered around the room and lingered for a moment on the bed. Why does she even need that? he thought. After all, Alice didn't sleep. Probably for human guests, if any ever dropped by.

Listening to the girls chatter in the background, Alex pulled out his phone. He knew all too well: if Alice and Lucina got a topic to talk about, they could go on for hours. Deciding not to interrupt, he opened the police archives.

The paintings were impressive, no doubt. Alice had clearly poured her heart and talent into them, and he couldn't deny her skill. But the ones where he was painted shirtless only made Alex sigh heavily. Besides, he knew full well — the girls back at the manor were probably already watching the feed through Navi, the fairy-drone. He didn't even want to imagine the emotions running wild in Orario right now. One thing was clear: the moment Alice shared her paintings, she'd instantly become the family's darling.

Flipping through a few reports, Alex quickly grew bored. Then he switched to the Guild app — it had already been a week since its official launch. As he carefully browsed the mission reports, he nodded in approval… until a few entries started making his eye twitch.

As expected, Ghost was still working solo and had somehow managed to complete four missions on his own within a week. A little later, Alex stumbled on the girls' reports. That's when he couldn't hold back and burst out laughing.

Hearing him laugh, Lucina and Alice tore themselves away from the paintings and curiously came closer. Peeking at the screen, Lucina only shook her head — as if not surprised at all. Alice, however, giggled and plopped down beside Alex, reading over the report.

"Seriously? Chun-Li and Juri together?" Alex laughed harder. "And of course, they decided to storm a castle…"

He couldn't figure out why Chun-Li and Juri had gone on a mission together, but he wasn't surprised at all that they stormed the royal castle and beat down everyone in their path. Alex could only pity the guards — not anyone else who had the misfortune of trying to stop them. But the unluckiest one in this whole story turned out to be the so-called hero who'd been summoned to save the world. As usual, the summoned hero was worthless trash who didn't even know his own limits.

"Juri is always so brutal," Lucina sighed as she read the lines.

"Trust me, that's putting it mildly," Alex smirked. "First she beat him half to death, then broke his neck. But what really interests me is why the god of that world didn't interfere. Normally they come running to protect their heroes."

"Maybe he was scared?" Alice suggested, pressing her finger lightly against his lips.

"No," Lucina calmly replied, pulling out her own phone. "He was killed too."

Alex and Alice turned their heads toward her at the same time. Lucina showed her screen, and Alex, scanning the report, only sighed heavily. Just as he thought: instead of simply killing the arrogant god, Becca had managed to blow up part of the divine realm.

Still, the result was actually better: the hero's death, the king's downfall, and the god's demise all led to a truce between the races. And Becca's explosion freed an ancient goddess, leaving the entire world essentially better off.

"Did anyone else from our family cause trouble while we're here?" Alex asked, glancing at Lucina.

"Luckily, not yet," she shook her head. "I already wrote in the family chat. Some of the girls are still on missions, some are back."

Alex nodded, feeling a quiet sense of relief. At least his family wasn't sitting idle.

He slipped his phone back into his pocket and stretched.

"All right. I think it's time to head to Port Angeles. We need to stock up on a lot of things. Alice, coming with us?"

"Of course!" she perked up immediately. "I don't want to spend another whole day watching everyone in this house just hug each other!"

"Perfect," Lucina smiled. "Then we'll also stop by a couple of shops before buying supplies for the gazebo."

Alice vanished from the spot and reappeared a couple of seconds later — already changed into comfortable clothes, her face lit with a bright smile. She had even managed to tidy up the room. Alex and Lucina exchanged glances and couldn't hold back their laughter.

Alice grabbed their hands and dragged them toward the exit.

"We're off!" she shouted while pulling them along.

"Have fun, kids," came Esme's warm voice from the living room.

Alice hauled Alex and Lucina all the way to the Impala and practically shoved them inside. Alex smirked, started the engine, and drove out onto the road. The ride to Port Angeles took about an hour, but it wasn't boring: Lucina and Alice chatted endlessly while Alex drove and quietly hummed to himself.

Entering the city, he parked closer to the center, deciding it would be better to walk around and drop into different shops at their own pace. That's how they ended up near the cinema.

"How about we go see a movie? I haven't been in ages," Lucina suggested.

"I'm in!" Alice chimed in. "I've missed the cinema too."

Both of them looked at Alex. He stood nearby, lazily taking a drag from his cigarette, his thoughts clearly elsewhere. Noticing their stares, he tilted his head.

"What?"

When he heard about the movies, Alex only shrugged. He had already decided to spend the day with the girls without arguing. They smiled, immediately turning their attention to the posters to pick a film.

Lucina pointed at a romantic comedy, and Alice agreed with the choice. Alex cast a skeptical glance at the horror movie poster about students in the woods.

"I think we can watch this one," Lucina said, pointing to the film that had caught her interest.

"Then I'll watch that one. Meet here after the movie," Alex said, indicating the horror film about the group of students in the forest.

Alice and Lucina gave him blank stares. Alex's response was equally deadpan. In the end, Lucina did what any true wife would — left him no choice and simply bought three tickets for What Women Want.

Before Alex realized what was happening, he was already being dragged into the theater and firmly seated between them. He leaned back in his chair with a weary sigh, glancing at the girls with mock offense — they, of course, pretended not to notice.

When the lights dimmed, Alice and Lucina simultaneously took his hands and pressed against his shoulders, leaving him no chance to escape. He had to accept his fate. The movie wasn't boring, but it certainly wasn't something Alex would've chosen for himself. Somewhere in the middle, he dozed off.

When the lights came back on, the girls stretched and looked at Alex — he was fast asleep. Exchanging smiles, they kissed him on the cheeks from both sides.

"I'm not sleeping, just resting my eyes," he muttered at once, opening them.

"I might've believed you if I didn't know you so well," Lucina rolled her eyes.

"Mm, your excuses don't work," Alice snickered.

"Fine, I give up," Alex raised his hands. "Since the movie's over, let's keep walking."

They held hands as they left the cinema. Alice was the first to take the initiative, pulling everyone into a clothing store. Lucina didn't resist and, within minutes, was already spinning in front of the mirror, trying on new outfits. Alex, loaded with bags, felt like a human coat rack.

To his surprise, the girls finished fairly quickly. But their next stop was far worse — a lingerie shop. That was when Alex realized it was time to intervene, changing course by steering them into a hardware store to buy materials for the future gazebo. After arranging the purchase and delivery, the trio continued strolling through the city, staying out until evening.

When the sun began to set, they got back into the car and headed for Forks. This time the trip passed faster — Alice and Lucina had gotten hungry, and Lucina, unwilling to wait for dinner, ordered pizza on the way.

As they pulled up to the house, Alex glanced at the neighbors. In the window, he spotted Bella, focused on her homework. Feeling his gaze, she lifted her head. Alex waved, and Bella waved back.

But the moment he opened the door to his own home, he realized he had been too optimistic about finding order. GIR, MIMI, and Stitch had created complete chaos: a mountain of dirty dishes, empty boxes all over the floor, and the culprits themselves didn't even notice the owners had returned.

"Deal with it yourself, I'm washing my hands of this," Lucina said, clutching the shopping bag to her chest as she headed upstairs.

"He-he-he. Good luck, Alex," Alice added, kissed him on the cheek, and skipped away after her.

Alex looked at the mess with a weary expression and sighed. "Of course…"

Staring blankly at the two culprits, Alex sighed again. He wasn't about to argue with GIR, MIMI, and Stitch over the disaster they had made. The house looked as if a hurricane had swept through it. With a snap of his fingers, Alex used magic to restore order, and at the same time changed into his home clothes.

Just then, the pizza delivery arrived. Alex paid, carried the boxes to the kitchen, and set them on the table. The whole time, GIR, MIMI, and Stitch pretended not to notice him — their guilty faces said enough.

A few minutes later, Lucina and Alice came downstairs in their home clothes. Alex raised an eyebrow in surprise at Alice's new outfit.

"I come here often enough," she smiled, skipping toward him. "So I decided to leave a little clothing here at your place."

Alex nodded, not the least bit opposed.

Meanwhile, Lucina pulled a cold beer from the fridge, sat at the table, stretched her legs out, and, popping the cap off, bit into a slice of pizza with pleasure. In that moment, she looked like a satisfied lazy cat.

Alex decided the day would be devoted entirely to rest. He set his tablet on the table and put on a horror movie. The girls didn't object — on the contrary, they were curious to watch something Alex enjoyed. For Alice, he set out a plate of blood candies so she could treat herself during the film.

Both girls settled on the couch beside him, throwing their legs across his lap.

"You know," Alice said, swinging her legs, "why is it that in every horror movie the killers always hunt their victims in the woods? Do other places not exist?"

"You mean it doesn't bother you that the victims are always a group of students?" Lucina smirked, pausing the film.

"They bring it on themselves," Alice waved her hand, popping a candy into her mouth. "They were literally told at the gas station that the forest was cursed. Wouldn't it be easier just to turn around and leave?"

"I'd actually find that interesting," Alex remarked, stroking his chin. "I'd go out of my way to look for the cursed place."

"No one asked you," Lucina snorted, lightly pushing his head aside. "You're the one who dragged our daughters to cursed sites and teased the ghosts. I'm still surprised you didn't decide to investigate human disappearances."

"We'll get there," Alex replied casually, wrapping his arms around both of their shoulders. "Until I figure out which timelines are overlapping in this world, I'm not taking a step outside the city. Besides, school is fun."

"And when you do figure it out? What then?" Alice asked with bright eyes.

"Then the hunt begins," Alex said calmly. "I don't even know which avatar of Nyan-Nyan is hiding in this world. Once I find out — all that's left is to prepare."

Lucina and Alice exchanged glances but didn't argue. They knew well enough — rushing in matters like this only caused trouble.

They kept watching the film, a typical slasher about college students lost in the woods. Alex noted to himself how odd it was that this universe didn't have the cult horror classics he remembered from his past life. Still, he didn't dwell on it — it was far nicer just to watch a movie in the company of Alice and Lucina.

By midnight, the film ended. Alex suggested Alice stay the night, but once again she refused. He gave her a suspicious look, but she only smiled innocently.

All Alex could do was nod.

"Alright, let me drive you home. Just because you can run fast doesn't mean you always have to run away from here," he said with a soft smile.

This time Alice happily agreed. Alex shook his head, gently stroked her hair, and stepped outside with her.

He didn't feel like taking the Impala, so he pulled his motorcycle — Fenrir — out of his inventory.

Alice gasped in delight and immediately started circling it, practically bouncing with excitement. The first thing she did was open the weapons compartment and pull out a katana.

Lighting a cigarette, Alex smiled as he watched her swing the blade around like a child with a new toy. He knew that sword had once belonged to Yoriichi Tsugikuni himself, which made it all the more amusing to see Alice play with it so carelessly.

After she'd had her fun, she slid the blade back into its sheath, shut the compartment, and hopped onto the seat."Come on, give me a real ride!" Alice laughed, patting the seat in front of her.

"No problem. Just hold on tight," Alex replied, climbing onto the bike.

Alice grinned wide and wrapped her arms snugly around his waist.

The engine roared to life, and the motorcycle shot forward. A sharp turn later, they were flying down the road toward the Cullens' house at high speed. Alice laughed with pure joy as Alex leaned into the curves so low the wheels nearly scraped the asphalt.

As they neared the house, Alex spun the bike into a sharp drift, leaving a long black skid mark that ended right at the front steps.

The noise drew the Cullens to the windows. They spotted Alex and Alice on the motorcycle, and Emmett's eyes nearly popped out of his head. If not for Rosalie grabbing her husband by the ear in time, he would've already bolted outside.

Alice hopped off the bike with ease and stepped up to Alex. Without a word, she grabbed him by the collar and kissed him. Alex couldn't resist — he smiled into it and kissed her back.

Of course, the romantic moment didn't last."Don't mind me, keep going," came a familiar voice nearby.

Alex and Alice turned their heads to see Emmett circling Fenrir like an appraiser, nodding with an expert look."Just pretend I'm not here," he said breezily, waving a hand. "I'm only checking out the bike."

Alex and Alice exchanged glances and burst into laughter. Alice gave Alex another quick kiss on the lips, then spun on her heel and punched Emmett in the stomach.

With a heavy thud, he collapsed to the ground, clutching his abs and groaning in pain. Unbothered, Alice grabbed him by the leg and, humming a cheerful tune, dragged him straight toward the house.

Rosalie was already waiting at the door, arms crossed. She shot her husband a cold look, but when Alice handed over the "trophy," she allowed herself a faint smile. Taking Emmett by the leg, Rosalie wordlessly hauled him inside. Alex just shook his head — better not to know what awaited the poor guy in there.

Alice ran back to Alex, hugged him tightly, and kissed him again."That's it, go home," she said with a smile, pressing her cheek to his chest. "Tomorrow's Sunday — I'll come over again."

"You could've just stayed," Alex murmured, resting his chin on the top of her head.

"I'll think about it," Alice giggled. "Maybe I'll move in altogether. Who knows? Living together would be fun!"

"I wouldn't mind," Alex smirked. "Just give me a heads-up so I can prepare a wardrobe for your clothes. Preferably a big one."

Alice laughed, kissed him once more, and waved goodbye. Alex started the engine and sped off toward home.

Once home, he parked the bike and went upstairs. On the couch, Lucina was waiting — reading before bed. Alex settled beside her, resting his head on her chest.

Setting her book aside, Lucina began gently stroking his hair, humming a soft tune. Under her voice, Alex closed his eyes and soon fell asleep.

The next morning, the house was filled with noise. Fully awake, Alex and Lucina went downstairs and saw a chaotic scene: Alice was desperately trying to protect a pie from the grasping paws of G.I.R., MIMI, and Stitch.

Alex rubbed his eyes, trying to comprehend what was happening, and only then realized — the trio had decided to snatch Alice's baked goods.

Seeing Alex and Lucina, Alice paused and waved at them. That was all it took: Stitch skillfully grabbed the pie and, howling triumphantly, ran off, holding it high above his head. G.I.R. and MIMI, realizing he intended to eat it all alone, immediately gave chase.

Alice was left standing in the kitchen, looking like a hurt child. If she weren't a vampire, she probably would have cried.

"Don't worry," Alex said, gently stroking her hair. "You're not the first person they've taken food from."

"But I made this pie myself!" Alice exclaimed indignantly, tugging on his hand. "I wanted you to be the first to try it…"

"Then make another one," Lucina said calmly, pouring herself some coffee. "We've got plenty of food in the fridge. And if something's missing, just ask Alex."

"Exactly!" Alice perked up, clapping her hands.

Lucina smiled and sat down at the table with her coffee. Alex followed suit, pouring himself a cup, settling in next to her, and pulling out his phone to pass the morning. In the background, the sounds of the "pie battle" continued — G.I.R., MIMI, and Stitch had staged a full-on royal fight over the prize.

Alex, Lucina, and Alice watched the chaos with interest, lazily sipping their coffee as if they were watching a live morning show.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Alex set down his cup and went to open it. On the doorstep stood a man in a delivery uniform. Realizing it was the materials for the gazebo, Alex quickly signed for them. Once the movers unloaded the wood, he began carrying it to the backyard.

After a few trips, he returned to the vehicle one last time and noticed Bella, who was curiously examining his Fenrir and the neatly stacked boards.

"What are you planning to build?" she asked, noticing Alex.

"Hey, Bella," he replied, lifting another bundle. "I'm putting up a gazebo for picnics. Want to come in? Alice's here too."

Bella hesitated for a moment, then agreed.

After bringing in the last of the materials, Alex warned Alice and Lucina about their guest. Alice happily let Bella in, while G.I.R., MIMI, and Stitch were immediately sent upstairs so they wouldn't accidentally scare her with their antics.

A little later, the girls went outside and settled nearby, watching Alex work. He answered their questions and kept up a conversation while assembling the gazebo frame. Luckily, the materials were already prepared, so the whole process resembled putting together a giant construction set.

By evening, Bella said her goodbyes and headed home. Soon after, Emmett and Rosalie came over. Alex didn't even let Emmett step inside, immediately handing him some of the parts. In the end, the gazebo was assembled by the two of them, while the girls sat nearby, chatting and watching their efforts.

"Damn, I thought putting together IKEA cabinets was the worst punishment," Emmett muttered, fiddling with a bracket. "But nobody warned me that a gazebo is a whole different kind of hell!"

"At least it's productive," Alex shrugged.

"Yeah, and a perfect way to drive yourself crazy. Just a little more, and I'm going to smash this gazebo to pieces!" Emmett grumbled, dropping some parts on the ground.

"You could do that, of course," Alex replied calmly. "But then you'll have to pay for a new one."

"Seriously," Emmett couldn't help himself, "you're a wizard. Can't you just snap your fingers and finish it in seconds?!"

"Emmett!" Rosalie snapped sharply. "Stop acting like a child."

Alex just smirked and shook his head.

A few hours later, the gazebo was complete. The group moved under the roof of the new structure, and Alex surveyed their work with satisfaction, holding a can of beer. Alice and Lucina were equally pleased with the result.

Later, back in the house, Emmett defiantly sat at the console and challenged G.I.R., MIMI, and Stitch to a game of Mario Kart.

Alex just shook his head — provoking them had been a mistake.

As expected, the trio immediately teamed up and did everything possible to ensure Emmett always came in last. His suffering brought Rosalie genuine delight — she watched with a barely hidden smile, clearly enjoying the scene.

"Why aren't Jasper and Jane here today?" Alex asked, turning to Rosalie.

"They went hunting," she replied calmly. "The 'blood candies' you gave us are truly nutritious. But sometimes hunting is just a habit… or entertainment."

Rosalie struggled to suppress a laugh at her sulking husband. Alex, meanwhile, savored every moment, refusing to hold back:

"So, Emmett, last place again? You getting used to it there?" he teased.

Alice quickly grabbed the controller and, together with Alex, teased Emmett in unison. Even Lucina, though not participating in the verbal jabs, laughed until tears ran down her face, thoroughly enjoying the spectacle.

The hour passed quickly, and Rosalie and Emmett began getting ready to leave. Alice, on the other hand, was trying to persuade them to stay the night at Alex's, but Rosalie was firm and literally dragged her sister to the car.

"Rosalie! Just a little longer!" Alice pleaded, digging her heels into the ground.

But Rosalie was unwavering and simply shoved her into the car.

Before the door closed, Alice looked at Alex with the eyes of a forlorn puppy. He grinned slyly and blew her a kiss. That was enough: Alice immediately lit up with a bright smile and waved at him.

Alex waved goodbye to all three of them, closed the door, and returned to the house.

The next morning, he woke up on his own, without an alarm. His mood was unusually good: Edward was returning today, and Alex simply couldn't miss the chance to have a little fun at his expense.

He literally jumped off the couch with a wide grin, like a child on Christmas morning. At that moment, Miu was coming to wake him, but froze in the doorway at the sight of a radiant Alex.

"Goooood morning!" he cheered, bouncing over to her, kissing her on the lips, and dashing downstairs like a happy little boy.

Miu blinked in astonishment and raised an eyebrow. Usually, in the morning, Alex looked like he wanted to kill someone, not kiss them.

In the kitchen, Alex quickly poured himself some coffee and sat down at the table with a satisfied smirk. Lucina, barely opening one eye, glanced at him — she knew perfectly well the reason for his mood.

"You're shining because you're planning to ruin the romance between Bella and Edward," she remarked lazily.

"Exactly, my love," Alex nodded with a satisfied smile. "How could I pass up such an opportunity? It's like turning down strawberry ice cream from Erina."

At that moment, Miu came downstairs, already understanding what was going on. Hearing Alex's words, she just shook her head and smiled, then set about preparing lunch for Alex and Lucina.

Alex finished his breakfast and immediately started texting Alice, while Lucina sipped the last of her coffee, fully waking up.

He couldn't wait to get to school and put on a little show featuring poor Edward.

To be continued…

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