The vis-Oddmund family’s after-dinner drinks continued, and so did the after-dinner talks. Unfortunately, after Edwin dropped the bomb that a week from now they were all going to be immortals, whatever else they had to say passed by without anyone really paying any attention.

Things were wrapped up two hours later when Olivia noted that they’d spent a solid forty minutes talking circularly about nothing in particular and were likely all in need of some rest.

The family went their separate ways, Wallace escorted a very befuddled looking Patricia to bed. Jarek and Olivia said good and bye and headed to the bed. Egon headed out to go adjust a few of his plans for next week, and make a list of names that they could trust with such an important portion of the family’s secrets. Eventually, Edwin and Vanessa were all that were left.

Walking in silent heading to the room Olivia arranged for them. It wasn’t till they got inside that it finally clicked that the room exactly that, just a single bedroom suite to be shared by the both of them.

Thinking logically it made sense. Married people generally slept together unless one party was either a very bad sleeper, or was upset with the other. Since neither Van nor Ed feel in either of those categories, as far as their parents knew, it made sense for them to be quartered together.

The only thing that made it awkward was certain looming realization that this was the first time that the two had been alone with each other in a little over a year and a half.

Van felt that she was most at fault. Somehow, a few weeks of faffing about in the capital had become months of wrestling with Palmas aristocracy. Edwin shared her guilt because the few times she did come back to the sect’s grounds he’d be doing something abroad or he’d be working on some project that required his full attention.

Sure, they’d kept in touch with holographic conference calls, and use of their ships’ communication systems, talking daily, or at least every other day. Sharing concerns, and jokes. However it wasn’t quite the same thing as being in the room with the other person.

And now that they finally “were” in the same room it was obvious that it hadn’t been the same. There was less pressure before and the intimacy was of a different nature. Talking through a screen when the other party was hundreds of miles away had a different feel compared to talking to someone was who sitting right next to you on the bed. The stakes were real then too, but it had felt different in a way that neither of them could put their finger on.

In Edwin’s case, he was getting flashbacks from his time on Earth, recalling the difference between instant messaging a girl he liked, and the difference between actually talking to the girl in person. Even if agonizing over a typed reply and agonizing over the stupid things that could come out of one’s own mouth still entailed agony, at least there was more leeway when it came typing.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Thus it was, that the two lovers sat on opposite corners of the bed, looking at their own feet and not once glancing at the other person, for a solid twenty minutes.

Eventually someone had to speak up, and when that person spoke, it ended up startling both the speaker and listener.

“Hon...are we bad at this whole being married thing?” said Edwin.

Vanessa blushed, and frowning, feeling slightly guilty, but telling herself that if she was guilty, she wasn’t guilty alone.

“Maybe…I didn’t date much before we got married, and I don’t think I ever saw you with a girl, so I’m thinking we’re both a bit in over our heads. But it’s not like mom and dad didn’t set an okay example, so I’m not exactly sure excuse we can use here.”

“Mhn...Maybe no excuses? I mean it’s not like we suck too badly. We’re not getting a divorce right...Right? You’re not divorcing me are you? Because aside from the whole not seeing each other in months thing I sort of thought we were working out.” said Edwin. Getting slightly anxious near the end.

Vanessa shook her head chuckling.

“No. I’m not divorcing you. At least I won’t divorce you unless you try to divorce me first….that seems fair right?” said Vanessa. Aware that her words were just air and noise at this point. Meaningless, existing only to cut the awkward silence.

“I probably should have tried a little harder to visit you in the capital I mean we have all these ships and they can cross the continents in minutes. And recently I even set a up an improved satellite system with a linked teleport-gate system so that mom and dad could move their troops and supplies around more easily so honestly there’s no excuse for me…”

“No excuse for us dear, I actually read the bulletin you sent when the teleport -gate network went up.”

“Oh? You did?! Thanks...I swear you and mom might be the only ones in the family who read those things.” said Edwin. Sighing.

Vanessa looked down and saw that somehow the two of them were holding hands. It didn’t feel too weird so she didn’t take her hand away. Instead she scooted a little closer to his side the bed.

“Mnh...it’s nice seeing you again. You know in person...by hologram or video or whatever, we just talked a few days ago.” said Vanessa.

Edwin kissed the back of Vanessa’s hand and simply sat there with his eyes closed.

“I think it’s nice to see you again, too. Between you and me I haven’t slept in about three months, and while not sleeping probably won’t kill me, even if I have do it a for a few years, I have to say...I very much like getting a solid eight hours in if I can manage it.” said Edwin.

Vanessa nodded, pulling away a bit, a slight flush turning her blue-skin a pale purple.

“Oh, okay then...Does that mean we’re not going to be doing that tonight?”

They both froze at Vanessa’s words. Vanessa was slightly mortified, but she met Edwin’s eyes anyway.

“What? Do you think it’s too early? I mean maybe it is a little, but we’ve been married for more than a year, and I’m pretty sure I love you like...non-platonically...I just sort of figured…” said Van.

Edwin blinked and then he leaned in and kissed her. Telekinetically snuffing the lights in the room. He’d get his eight hours another night.