Jayden had survived awkward dates before—one with a girl who only talked about her ferret's gluten allergy, and another where he accidentally spilled soy sauce on a guy's Gucci shoes.
But this? This wasn't a date. This was absolutely not a date.
It was just waffles again—this time at a café downtown instead of his kitchen. Vera had insisted. Loudly. And with significant celestial guilt-tripping.
"I just want to experience mortal brunch culture," she'd said with that faux-innocent grin. "And observe how you navigate food menus without divine insight."
Now they were seated in a booth, Vera stirring her lavender latte with a mini spoon like it held the secrets of the universe, and Jayden awkwardly chewing on the idea that he was very much on a not-date with a moon goddess.
She looked… alarmingly normal today. Jeans. Soft sweater. Hair down in loose waves, cosmic shimmer toned to just enough sparkle to pass as fancy conditioner. And yet the booth they sat in still glowed faintly beneath her.
"So," Jayden said, trying to sound casual, "do you always radiate moonlight when you're relaxed?"
"Only when the food is good," she said brightly. "You have no idea how bland the astral plane is. Everything tastes like star static and polite disappointment."
He chuckled. "So what's the moon's Yelp rating?"
"Zero stars."
"Of course."
They both laughed—light, natural. The kind of laugh that left Jayden feeling off-balance in a nice way. He sipped his coffee, stealing glances when he thought she wasn't looking. Vera, as usual, noticed every single one.
"I'm flattered," she teased.
"You're delusional."
She wiggled her eyebrows.
The server dropped off their pancakes, and for a moment, the conversation lulled. But just as Jayden was about to ask her what moon cities were like (a question that had been bothering him all night), Vera froze mid-bite.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
She blinked. Then smiled a little too tightly. "Nothing. Just… incoming."
Before he could ask what that meant, a tiny shimmer in the air near their table popped into existence. And then another. And another.
Jayden watched, stunned, as three women materialized out of nowhere—glamorous, celestial, and immediately eyeing Vera like cats catching another cat in a cardboard box labeled "Do Not Enter."
"Veraaaa," sang the first one, a tall goddess with swirling, storm-colored hair and silver piercings. "You didn't tell us you'd descended."
"Love the new outfit," said the second, draped in a gown that shimmered like ocean foam. "Trying the mortal aesthetic again, are we?"
The third one, clearly the most composed, simply arched an elegant brow. "Who's the boy?"
Jayden, to his credit, did not spit out his pancake. But it was close.
Vera groaned. "Jayden, meet Cirra, Thalyn, and Lys—the wind, sea, and silence goddesses. My… acquaintances."
"Sisters," corrected Cirra.
"Ex-roommates," corrected Thalyn.
"Witnesses to her most dramatic era," added Lys with a smirk.
Jayden waved weakly. "Uh… hi?"
Cirra sat without being invited. "So this is the mortal. You're radiating affection hard enough to warm Olympus."
"I'm not—" Vera started.
"Oh, you are," Thalyn said, plopping next to Jayden. "It's honestly adorable."
Lys just stood behind them, watching him like a researcher cataloging an exotic animal.
Vera sighed. "They've been watching."
"You're trending on the divine relay," Cirra said, flipping her hair. "The Moon Goddess Descends. Has a Favorite. Eats Brunch."
Jayden blinked. "There's a… celestial social network?"
Thalyn nodded. "It's mostly drama and haiku contests. But Vera's little adventure here? Juicy."
"We just had to see for ourselves," Lys said softly. "It's been centuries since Vera took an interest in anything besides sad poetry and sulking."
"I did not sulk."
Cirra snorted. "You built an entire moon garden just to mope in."
"That's self-care."
Jayden, meanwhile, felt like he'd accidentally walked into a celestial sleepover. "So… am I in danger?"
"Gods, no," Thalyn said. "You're adorable."
"And mortal," Lys added. "Which makes you fascinating. She hasn't chosen a mortal since—"
"Don't you dare finish that sentence," Vera said through clenched teeth.
The three goddesses shared a look. Jayden caught it and filed it away for later.
Cirra leaned in. "You know, we could grant you things too. Just saying."
"I'm good," Jayden said quickly.
Thalyn winked. "He's loyal. That's a plus."
Vera stood abruptly. "Okay. Brunch over."
Jayden grabbed his coat, still mentally processing everything. "Wait, are they staying here?"
"No," Vera said firmly.
"Yes," said Cirra sweetly.
The three goddesses vanished in coordinated sparkles, like a diva exit written by Shakespeare.
Vera groaned again. "I hate them."
Jayden smirked. "They seem fun."
"They're chaotic, manipulative, and way too pretty."
He elbowed her gently. "Sounds like your type."
She blinked. "Excuse me?"
"I mean, look at you. You've been smiling since they got here."
She rolled her eyes. "That was smiling through rage."
"You giggled when Thalyn complimented your hair."
"I did not giggle."
Jayden shrugged. "Okay, not a giggle. A dignified snort."
She poked him. "You're enjoying this far too much."
"Maybe I'm just enjoying you." He said it without thinking. Just a reflex.
Vera froze.
Jayden's eyes widened. "I mean—not like that, I mean, you're great company and I just—"
Vera stepped closer, close enough that he could smell that now-familiar scent of night skies and warmth. "You really mean it?"
He hesitated. Then nodded. "Yeah."
She smiled.
Not her usual teasing grin or mischievous smirk—but something softer. Real. A glimpse behind the starlight.
"Good," she whispered. "Because this... this is starting to feel like something I don't want to lose."
Jayden's heart stuttered.
And somewhere, probably across some divine plane, Cirra was already updating the gossip scrolls.