Fractures of Eternity

A growl left Oswald’s lips, “I said shut it! I want peace for once!”

The waitress, a middle-aged woman, came over, placing the drinks on the table where we sat. She was a human with blue eyes and black hair, who put in front of me a pink drink I had never seen before. It was cold to the touch and had whipped cream on top, with a few strawberries and bananas as décor.

Eh?! Something this pretty isn’t for eating, right?

“Your face will wrinkle like that, Ozzy.” The friendly lady teased the foul twin, who scowled at her.

She didn’t flinch a bit at his demeanor, leaving me to realize he was like this with everyone.

“I don’t need you to remind me every fucking day you see me, Ro,” He huffed, grabbing onto his coffee, which was pure black.

That didn’t stop him from suddenly chugging most of it down like it was nothing, leaving my eyes twitching.

The addiction is real with this one. Oi… Will you die of a heart attack on me?

Suddenly, I found myself more concerned for the other twin, who wasn’t sentenced to death.

Oi… You won’t die from an ailment because of your lack of sleep and caffeine addiction, will you?!

“If I don’t, who will? Everyone I know is terrified of that little attitude of yours. You’ll never find a wife like that!” Ro scuffed at Oz, unfazed by him.

Is this what their day looks like? It’s too bright.

Loki shook his head before chuckling.

"Fuck! I don’t need anyone other than Zephier. Argh… I wish I repelled those two bitches too!" Oswald rolled his eyes at the woman.

Poor Zoe and Emma...

"Oh? Did Asher find someone immune to you other than me and my wife? What a miracle!" she hummed, noticing my hesitance even to take a sip of the drink.

Shifting her gaze onto me, the waitress cocked her head, “Hm... from the way you spoke, I don't think you meant her. So, who’s this? This is the first time I’ve ever seen you both with a maid. Should Rem be worried?”

Rem?! Do they know her?!

My heart skipped a beat as Oz grunted, rolling his eyes.

“That’s Loki’s new toy that seems to break him instead of him breaking her,” The warlock informed, smirking at his brother.

The coffee helped Oswald receive some energy, which quickly changed his demeanor to a bit more friendly than usual.

Loki’s eyes twitched, cheeks rosy. “Oi, shut it! You don’t know how badass this girl is!”

“I don’t care.” Oz stuck his tongue out at his twin, who appeared to pop a vein or two.

Ro inspected me, unsure of me as I froze under her eyes.

Dad never spoke of you. You’re a complete unknown. Are you a danger to me or…

“Oh, hm,” she hummed, assessing me.

Oz found the opportunity to make Loki stumble on his cockiness.

“You should’ve seen him last night, Ro, he was—” Oz began, causing Loki to slam his head onto the table.

It was so sudden that it startled me, as I never expected Loki to be so rough with Oswald, but all that was on the warlock’s face was a smirk bigger than before. Ro didn’t bat an eye either at this interaction.

Eh?! Is this usual?

“I think I’ll put you to sleep myself, Ozzy.” Loki huffed at his snickering brother.

Ro appeared yet again, unfazed by what was happening, as her blue eyes were glued to me.

“Oh, my gosh, you’re adorable! The complexion on your skin is perfect!” She started, leaving me a bit off-grounded.

“Eh?” I mumbled as she continued to swoon over me.

“You look like a porcelain doll! I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone so beautiful before! Oh, I’m jealous!” She carried on as I shifted my gaze away from her.

“It’s just good genes, I guess.” I sighed.

“Whatever it is, it makes me want to make you a server here! How about it? Dump these two and work for me! With your looks, we would get so much business!” Ro giggled, picturing all the attention I would bring.

“Oi, she’s mine. Stop trying to steal her away, Ro.” Loki growled, making my heart skip a beat.

I’m yours?

The butterflies grew stronger because of what he said, prompting me to bite my lip. Though I was sure he didn’t mean it the same way, it crossed my mind.

Yes… It can’t… Argh, get a grip! You’re a goddess, Vivian. This boy is nothing but a mortal! He is probably just thankful you fought for him.

Ro shrugged, rolling her eyes in response to Loki’s declaration. “You know, I’m married, Loki. My wife’s the chef here, remember? Even if I steal your little girlfriend here, it would be for professional means alone.”

G-G-Girlfriend?! Me?!

I found myself gazing between the two.

“Hah, just reminding you,” Loki smirked, prompting my eyes to twitch.

Wait, wait, why aren’t you correcting her?!

She shook her head, rolling her eyes again at him. “Let me tell ya! These boys are a fucking pain in the arse. I feel sorry if you have to deal with them all day. So, remember. If you get tired, come work for me, okay?”

Ah… I give up. You people are ridiculous, but you aren’t lying. They are a pain in the ass.

Though I only had to worry about one, as the other was going to crash at any moment.

“Oi,” The vampire huffed, leaning on the chair.

She didn’t shift her eyes from me.

“A young, pretty girl like you deserves to smile like that more.” Ro simpered, patting my head and shaking my hair.

I found myself at a loss for words as I couldn’t connect with the words she threw at me.

But… A young girl like me…No… I’m not…

A squeezing sensation rose in my chest, triggering me to grab onto my dress. Loki grumbled something under his breath, causing Ro to turn to him.

“Shut it! You’ll still give me my big tip, anyway.” She smirked at him.

I tried to get a hold of myself by gazing up at the café’s name, which was Ro’s and Ray’s Spice Café.

Is Ray her wife? Or is it just part of the name?

“Only because I’ve known you for too long.” Loki shook his head as Oz continued to sip his coffee, enjoying it too much to be bothered to speak with us anymore.

Eli was around his summoner’s neck and had been there since the events that happened in the colosseum.

“Hah! You came to this store when you first got here and fell in love with my food. That’s why you come here almost every day!” Ro grinned, placing her hands on her hips.

Wait, they’re old friends?

“Did Rem leave yet? I haven’t seen her lately.” She suddenly asked, causing me to jolt up a bit upon hearing the half-breed's name again.

So, they know her…

Luckily, they didn’t notice my reaction to Rem’s name.

“Yeah, Remi left yesterday,” Loki informed, taking a weight off my shoulders.

That means I won’t run into her anytime soon—finally, some good news.

Her trips usually took a month or two before she stopped here again, and it was unusual for them to be shorter than that.

“I saw Leo today, though. He is such a cute pup. Did she leave him behind this time instead of Thea?” Ro continued her query.

That wasn’t the best scenario, but at least Leo didn’t recognize me.

If I stay away from him, it should be fine.

“Yeah, he stuck around this time. He said Thea was suffocating him and needed a breather from her.” Loki continued to chatter, taking a sip of his bubble tea before shifting his gaze toward me.

I still hadn’t touched my treat. Even though vampires enjoyed drinking blood, they could also eat food that other races ate, especially this one who was a hybrid. Blood was a special treat for them, as it also strengthened their power.

In most cases, a vampire who hadn’t consumed blood meant their power would be crippled.

“I doubt it’s that. I think he loves you two too much to leave you for long. How long has it been since he last stayed here? Three months?” Ro smiled.

Oz chuckled in response to her assessment as his eyes turned tender when thinking of Leo. The grumpy twin had a soft side for the little pup, who was his brother, even though they weren’t related by blood.

“Four. That’s usually the limit he hits before he stays with us.” He smiled as his familiar purred, rubbing on his cheek.

It was nice to see the family affection between them when Loki chuckled at Oswald’s soft side.

Do I have something like that with my father? Or is the thing driving him the devotion to his truest love?

It was known that he was in love with Edna when they conceived this body for me, which always made me wonder if he loved me for me.

Crap... don’t think…

“Such a cute kid. I can only hope he remains sweet, unlike you two.” Ro scoffed, prompting Loki and Oz to both scowl at her.

“Excuse you, old hag.” The twins growled, causing her to burst into laughter.

I hesitantly reached for the drink before finally taking a quick sip of it. Though what happened next was something I never expected. My tongue reveled in the unfamiliar taste that was overwhelming my taste buds.

It was one of the sweetest and most tangy sensations I had. It was like strawberries, bananas, and milk had a baby, along with the creamiest sensation that was left in my tongue.

It’s so sweet. Hey… Why would you pick something like this for me?

“Hm, is it yummy?” Loki smirked.

I hadn’t noticed I was in bliss after drinking it, as my eyes gleamed because of the sensation it left on me. My cheeks burned upon seeing his bright smile. Sadly, I couldn’t fight this feeling. It was too warm for it to be bad.

“Yes. I’ve had nothing like it.” I beamed, causing both of the boys to open their eyes wide.

A satisfying smile rose on Loki’s lips, triggering Oz to gaze away with rosy cheeks, which were barely visible thanks to the dark circles in his eyes. Loki’s cheeks were also pink.

“I’m glad. Just wait until the main plate comes.” Loki grinned, tapping the table in victory.

“Well, let me see if Ray has your food already done,” Ro announced, walking back into her store.

It appeared she was only a server to the boys themselves, as the other workers eyed the table, hoping for a chance to approach us. I guess that was why Loki drank his tea with delight and little worry.

He trusted these two women, leaving me feeling glad that they had found a haven within the madness that surrounded them.

Ro and Ray... thank you for caring for my links.