Twilight: Gods among us

While enjoying their breakfast, the sound of heavy, sluggish footsteps came from the hallway. Harry stumbled into the kitchen, yawning loudly with his eyes half-closed. "Morning," he mumbled, his voice groggy.

He opened his eyes fully and immediately smirked when his gaze landed on Leah. "Well, well, it's been a while since I've seen you awake this early," he teased, his laughter rumbling as he grabbed a mug from the counter.

Leah's left eye twitched at the remark. It was an ongoing joke in the family that she was "Sleeping Beauty." Choosing to keep her dignity intact, she stayed silent, focusing on finishing her food.

Jaxon, however, grinned and couldn't resist jumping in. "Looks like the prince has finally won!"

Harry's mouth twitched, his smirk faltering. "Hey, that's my daughter you're talking about." His tone was mock-serious, but the hint of a smile betrayed him.

Before the playful banter could escalate, Sue interjected, pointing her spatula at Harry. "Why are you troubling my baby first thing in the morning? She's not the only one who's lazy around here." Her eyes narrowed as she shot him a knowing side-eye.

Harry, recognizing the dangerous waters he was treading, wisely chose silence. "Anyways," Sue continued, placing a plate in front of him, "here's your ham, sausage, and toast. The orange juice is right beside—wait, where is it?"

She turned around, perplexed, only to spot Seth in the corner, shamelessly guzzling the orange juice straight from the carton.

Leah, who had also noticed, exclaimed, "Oh my God, Seth! That's so gross! Did you even brush your teeth?"

Seth lowered the carton, his eyes narrowing in righteous indignation. "Of course, I did! I don't—"

Before he could finish his defense, Sue marched over and grabbed his ear, dragging him toward the stairs without a word.

"Mom! I brushed them! I swear!" Seth's protests echoed as Sue hauled him away.

Harry sighed dramatically, shaking his head. "He never learns," he muttered before turning his attention back to his breakfast.

The conversation shifted to minor topics as Leah and Jaxon finished their meals. Harry eventually stood, taking his plate and settling on the couch near the TV, leaving the two of them alone in the kitchen.

Jaxon carried the dishes to the sink, rolling up his sleeves as he started washing them. Leah grabbed a towel and began drying, working in tandem without needing to speak for a moment.

Glancing at the clock, Jaxon broke the silence. "I've got an hour and a half to show you around before I have to get to class."

Leah smiled at that, leaning against the counter for a moment. "An hour and a half is plenty of time," she replied. "We can check out the view, figure out where my garden will go, and see if there's space for that art studio you mentioned."

Jaxon chuckled. "Ah, so you do remember the studio idea. I thought you weren't paying attention when I brought it up."

"I was half-listening," Leah teased, drying a plate and setting it on the counter. "But now that it's real, it's starting to sound exciting. A space that's ours—it feels different."

"Exactly," Jaxon said, rinsing off the last plate. "We won't have to worry about Seth stealing orange juice, Harry cracking jokes, or Sue trying to sneak extra food onto our plates."

Leah laughed. "True. But I think I might miss all that… a little."

Jaxon leaned against the sink, looking at her with a soft smile. "Yeah, me too. But we'll still be close enough to visit whenever we want. And they'll come over, trust me. Especially Seth. He'll find an excuse."

Leah shook her head, still laughing. "He'll probably try to move in if we're not careful."

"Not a chance," Jaxon replied, grinning. "This is our space. Just you and me."

---

The two finished drying their hands, heading toward the front door. Jaxon grabbed his 2004 Aston Martin V12 Vanquish key from the bowl on a small table near the door. As they stepped outside, Leah glanced at the sleek silver car parked in the driveway, tilting her head.

"Why not take the truck?" she asked, a hint of hesitation in her voice.

Jaxon chuckled softly, giving her a playful smile. "Hmm, felt like being fancy today. Can't lessen the experience with a truck, now can I? What I'm about to show you deserves the full treatment—trust me, driving toward it in this will feel right."

Leah gave him a skeptical look. "You know I don't like drawing attention to myself. That car will just bring me anxiety."

Jaxon paused, the playful light in his eyes dimming slightly as he glanced at her. He knew she'd been more reserved since hitting puberty, shying away from crowds and attention in a way she never used to. He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, his tone softer now. "Don't worry so much. We don't have neighbors—it's just us, as I said."

She sighed, still uncertain. "And if we did have neighbors?" she asked.

Jaxon opened the car door for her, giving a faint smirk. "Then we could always ignore them, no? You used to say that to me all the time when I had stage fright."

The memory made Leah smile reluctantly as she slid into the passenger seat. He gently closed the door, walked around to the driver's side, and got in.

Leah continued the conversation as he buckled in. "That's different," she murmured, her voice quiet.

Jaxon reached over, taking her hand firmly but gently, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "It's not," he said, his voice steady. "I'm here with you. Don't sweat it."

He gave her a small, encouraging smile as he started the engine. The low, powerful rumble of the car filled the air as he put down the handbrake and shifted into drive.

Leah leaned back in the seat, still hesitant but feeling some of her unease melt away under Jaxon's steady presence. As they pulled out of the driveway, the sunlight glinted off the car's sleek surface