Tales of Symphonia: A Decade and Counting

When he awoke sometime later, he found himself staring up at a wooden ceiling. He jolted upright and looked frantically around the room, immediately realizing that he was inside a cabin based on the view of his surroundings. The window to his right provided a direct view into the forest outside. He looked down at his hands and arms and immediately noticed they were no longer old and wrinkly. In addition to how his hands and arms appeared, he also noticed that he was wearing his lavender colored fingerless gloves and his indigo and white colored arm sleeves that extended from his biceps to his wrists.

He then looked at his spiky bangs, which were now auburn colored instead of silver and white. Was this just a dream? Or was this the afterlife? As he got out of bed, he recalled seeing a bright flash of light shortly after closing his eyes followed by darkness before he woke up. So perhaps this was the afterlife… Kratos quickly walked over to a tall standing mirror near the bedroom door to get a closer look at his appearance. His suspicions about this being the afterlife were further confirmed after looking at his appearance in the mirror.

He hadn't worn his mercenary attire in decades, and judging from his appearance in the mirror, that's exactly what he was wearing. Kratos sighed as he left the room, confused and bewildered as to whether this was just a dream or not. After ultimately leaving the cabin, in search of more proof and answers, he wandered through the forest until he saw a town off in the distance. The town appeared to look exactly like Luin, another detail that puzzled him, because he hadn't visited the town in decades, either.

When he arrived in town a short time later, he approached the nearest person, a man who seemed friendly enough to hopefully give him some answers. He talked with the man for a while, and his suspicions about this being the afterlife were officially confirmed. Kratos was also told the reason he ended up in the cabin nearby, because that's where his beloved wife would be. It now all made sense to him. Anna's hometown was Luin, so naturally, because she passed away long before him, she would end up near her hometown in the afterlife. The man also told Kratos that it was now all up to him to find and reunite with her.

Taking the man's suggestion of going back to the cabin and starting the search for her there, Kratos bid the man farewell and thanked him before he hurriedly left the town and ran back towards the cabin. When he arrived and went back inside, he started his search in the small closet inside the bedroom where he first opened his eyes earlier. The man in town told him that he would most likely find her deep inside what would appear to be a neverending closet. He made his way through all of the articles of clothing that were inside the closet, and quickly found himself surrounded by darkness again. Kratos pressed forward until he saw a light, followed by a vast, grey hued space.

He kept his forward stride as he fully entered the vast, empty space, surrounded by nothing but the color grey. His footsteps echoed off the floor as he continued on for a short while. Then something strange and surreal happened, he suddenly began to levitate a few feet up in the air, and an external, invisible force started to push and pull him forward. Kratos floated along slowly, and allowed this invisible force to carry him wherever it was going to take him.

This invisible force carried him along for a while, until another floating figure appeared in his line of sight. He floated closer, and immediately recognized the floating figure as none other than his wife. His mouth fell agape in shock at the sight of her. Kratos hadn't seen her in her human form since the moment before she was turned into an Exbelua…

He winced slightly at the painful memory as he floated around her. Anna's body was curled up in an almost defensive position. Her knees were fully bent and slightly raised, and her arms were pressed against her chest with her hands clasped together. Her outfit was almost completely intact, from her beige colored long sleeved shirt and pants to the brown colored belt she wore with those pants. The only article of clothing that wasn't completely intact was her beige colored poncho, which had various rips and tears along the hood and hem, plus a slightly large hole in the back. She wasn't wearing any shoes or socks, either, as her feet were completely exposed and bare. Kratos could only guess that this must have been her appearance in the moments before she passed away.

When he floated around to face her, he noticed that her eyes were still closed. Had she been in this vast, empty space this whole time? And had she been waiting for him this whole time, too? There was only one way to find out, and that was to get her to open her eyes so she would see that he was finally here, and that they were together again. His right arm wrapped around her underneath the hood on her poncho and pulled her closer to him. He then gently placed his left hand on the back of her head, closed his eyes and leaned in to plant a kiss against her hair.

“I'm here, my dear…” Kratos murmured against her hair. “You can open your eyes now, Anna. Please…”

She slowly opened her eyes and tilted her head up as he pulled back and opened his eyes again.

“Kratos?” Anna blinked, giving him a quizzical look.

It took her a moment for the realization that he was actually there to dawn on her, but when it did she let out a loud gasp and threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

“Kratos! Oh, Kratos!” Anna exclaimed while hugging her husband. “Oh, honey, you're finally here!”

“Yes, my dear, I am…” Kratos stated as he returned his wife's embrace. “I apologize for making you wait for me for so long…”

The couple floated down to the floor a moment later and reluctantly released each other.

“Oh, Kratos…” Anna stated as she shook her head with tears in her eyes. “All that matters to me is that you lived a long and happy life. That is all that I wished for, regardless of how long I would have to wait. I am so happy that you're finally here with me, though!”

He cupped her face with both hands and wiped the tears from her eyes with his thumbs, then let out a sigh and gave her gentle, yet hesitant smile. “A part of me is still not sure if I deserve to be here with you, my dear.”

She reached up and cupped his face in return, all while giving him a soft, knowing smile. “Remember when I told you that we would always be together? I still believe that. And now that you're here, that means you've done enough to deserve to be here with me. That's all that matters now, Kratos.”

Kratos paused for a moment to ruminate on his wife's statement before he made one of his own in agreement with her. “I suppose you're right, my dear. We now have eternity to spend together.”

He leaned down and touched his forehead to hers, then gently cupped her cheek. “I'm eternally yours, my dear…”

Her eyes welled with tears again. “Oh, Kratos, I love you!”

“I love you too, Anna.” Kratos smiled sincerely, his thumbs lightly brushing her cheeks. “Now let's leave this place and go back to the cabin. We can talk more there, my dear.”

The couple kissed, and Anna couldn't help but sigh contentedly against Kratos' lips. Both had yearned for this moment ever since death had parted them far too soon. She wrapped her arms around his neck while he wrapped his arms around her waist and deepened their kiss. When the two parted, Kratos took Anna's hand and led her towards the portal of darkness that would take them back to the cabin. They entered the cabin through the bedroom closet a short time later and Anna began to search for a pair of socks and boots.

After finding a pair of socks inside the dresser across from the bed, and a pair of boots near the door, she sat down at the side of the bed to put them on her feet. She then looked up at her husband, who was now standing in front of her.

“I should have mentioned this earlier, but since my death I've always been in that big, grey, and empty room, waiting for you to reunite with me, honey.” Anna commented before looking around the room and taking in more of her surroundings. “So I don't know anything about this cabin or where it is… Is this where you ended up after your death?”

He smiled softly and answered, “Yes, my dear, it is. When I opened my eyes earlier, I found myself in the bed you are now sitting on, trying to figure out where I was. I looked at my appearance in the mirror over there, and that's when I started to suspect that this might be the afterlife. I then went to the nearest town, which turned out to be Luin, in search of more answers. That's where I found a man who told me that this was the afterlife, and also how I would reunite with you.”

She gave him her full attention again at his mention of her hometown. “Oh, I see… So we're near Luin then. I wonder if that's because I arrived here first…”

Her expression turned thoughtful as Kratos gave her a soft, knowing smile.

“That's the conclusion I came to when I talked with the man in Luin, my dear.”

Anna clasped her hands together excitedly. “Oh, I'm so happy the afterlife seems to be similar to the living world! Let's go visit Luin and explore the world again as soon as we can, honey!”

Kratos sat down next to his wife at the side of the bed while still wearing his soft, knowing smile. “Well, my dear, we'll have plenty of time to explore and visit any town that you want.”

She wrapped her arms around one of his and laid her head down on his shoulder. “We have eternity now…”

His lips found her temple, where after kissing her there, he murmured, “Indeed, my dear, we have eternity…”

___________

The couple talked for hours, and Kratos told her all about his life after her death. The good, the bad, and the mundane. He told her that he reunited with their son, Lloyd, a little over a decade after her death. Anna didn't have much to talk about with her husband other than her wish to reunite with both Lloyd and her parents in the afterlife someday.

When the couple’s conversation ended, Kratos stood up and left the room for a moment. Anna stood up from the side of the bed a moment later and walked over to the window. She looked out at the forest and up at the sky, noticing the purple and pink hues that signaled the start of sunset. Kratos entered the bedroom again as she stared in awe at the scenery outside, and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.

“Maybe the passage of time here is the same as the living world, honey.” Anna commented after her husband kissed her on the cheek.

“Perhaps you're right, my dear, though we have no need for food, water, or sleep anymore.” He murmured in her ear.

She sighed contentedly, “Let's go to sleep later anyway, even if we don't need to. I want to fall asleep in your arms again, at least for tonight.”

Kratos kissed her cheek again. “All right, my dear, if that's what you want, I'll gladly oblige you.”

“Oh, and Kratos?”

“Yes, my dear?”

“I'm eternally yours, honey…”

“And I am yours, my dear…”

“Good morning, my dear.” Kratos greeted before giving her a small smirk. “And what did I do to deserve that kiss just now? Is this in thanks for satisfying you last night?”

Anna snuggled up against his bare chest and giggled again. “Well, only partially, honey. I mean, you always satisfy me anytime we've been intimate… But that kiss was because today is a special day!”

He kissed the top of her head. “I see… And how is today special, my dear?”

“Well… Before you woke up I got up to read the newspaper that's delivered to our suite every morning.” She replied after giving his chest a quick peck. “And I read that today is Kiss Day! It's to commemorate the first kiss scene written in a novel a few thousand years ago.”

Kratos chuckled softly after giving her forehead a kiss. “I see, my dear, then should we just stay in bed all day and kiss?”

Anna shook her head and pressed her hands against his chest. “No, honey, I still want you to take me to the beach, and possibly to the amusement park, too. I just want you to kiss me all day, no matter where we go today.”

“Hmm… I think I can agree to that, my dear.” He gave her a gentle smile before giving her a soft kiss.

After the couple parted moments later, they both got out of bed and got dressed and ready for the day. The couple then left their suite and took the elevator down to the lobby, where they had breakfast at the inn’s gourmet restaurant. Once the two were finished with breakfast, they left the inn, stopping just outside the front door to share a chaste kiss.

“Where do you want to go first, my dear?” Kratos asked after they parted, taking her hand in his and giving her a soft smile.

“Let's go to the beach first, honey.” Anna replied, returning his smile with one of her own. “I'd also like to stop by the beach again on our way back to the inn to watch the sunset tonight.”

“Sounds good, my dear.” He said as the two began to walk toward the beach, still holding hands. “The beach shouldn't be too crowded this time of the year. Tourist season in Altamira typically doesn't start for another two or three weeks.”

She looked up at her husband and nodded with a gentle smile. The couple then continued on walking towards the beach. Once they reached the beach, the couple walked back and forth along the sand, holding hands and discussing where they wanted to travel to next. After about an hour of walking back and forth along the beach, the couple decided to find the nearest bench and sit for a bit.

“Ah, I'm really glad the beach isn't too crowded, honey.” Anna commented as she laid her head down on her husband's shoulder.

“Me too, my dear.” Kratos agreed as he laid his head on hers and took her hand in his.

She lifted her head up and turned her head toward him with an expectant look on her face. He turned to look at her briefly before leaning in and kissing her softly, his free hand reaching up to cup and caress her cheek. Her hand reached up and cupped his cheek as she deepened the kiss. Their tongues intertwined again as the couple lost themselves in their increasingly passionate kiss. When they had to part for air moments later, the couple returned to their previous positions of leaning their heads against each other.

“What's your opinion of Altamira so far, my dear?” Kratos inquired a few moments later, shifting his gaze from the ocean to his wife.

Anna squeezed his hand softly and snuggled up against his shoulder. “Well, I'm enjoying my stay here so far, honey. Though I've never been to a city with such tall buildings before. Palmacosta had the tallest buildings I've ever seen up until now. The buildings here have got to be at least five to maybe ten times taller than the ones in Palmacosta.”

He turned his head to plant a kiss on top of her head and softly chuckled. “Hmm… I think you might be right about that, my dear.”

The couple then spent the next hour quietly watching the gentle ocean waves and all of the people walking along the beach as they sat on the bench. They then walked over to the amusement park as the time neared towards noon. After riding the spinning tea cups a few times, sharing a chaste kiss at the end of each ride, the couple decided to ride the roller coaster a few times before heading over to the concession stand to grab some lunch.

“That was so much fun, honey!” Anna exclaimed excitedly a short while later after finishing the rest of the ham and cheese croquette she had been eating. “I've never been to an amusement park, let alone been on any rides, so I'd say this has been the highlight of my day so far.”

Kratos nodded in agreement with her as he continued to slowly eat his own ham and cheese croquette. “I'm glad, my dear. I think the last time I rode this roller coaster was with Lloyd. And I believe we rode the ferris wheel together, too. Would you like to ride the ferris wheel next?”

She looked up at her husband and grinned excitedly. “Of course I would, honey! I read something one time about that ride being a favorite for couples, since it stops at the top so they can share a romantic kiss as they look out over the city.”

“And you would be right about that, too, my dear.” He chuckled softly before finishing the rest of his croquette.

The couple then spent the rest of the afternoon riding the ferris wheel multiple times, and they shared a passionate kiss when their carriage reached the top each time. On their last ride on the ferris wheel, as their carriage stopped at the top, Anna turned toward Kratos and suddenly grabbed the collar of his navy colored T-shirt. She then gently pulled him down and kissed him hard, nearly crawling onto his lap as their kiss became more heated. He held her in place with his hands on her hips while her hands reached up to cup his face.

“No one can see us right now, honey.” Anna murmured against his lips before slipping her tongue into his mouth.

Kratos groaned softly in response as his tongue intertwined with hers. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her almost flush against him. She was now practically sitting in his lap and straddling his waist as her lips moved roughly against his. When their carriage began to move again moments later, Anna quickly crawled off of Kratos’ lap and sat down next to him again.

The couple took a few moments to catch their breath as the ferris wheel rotated one last time around. Anna laid her head down on her husband's shoulder while Kratos took her hand in his. When the ride came to a complete stop and they were able to exit their carriage, they stepped out onto the platform next to their carriage and walked down a few steps to exit the ride.

“Where would you like to go for dinner, my dear?” Kratos asked as he and Anna walked toward the exit of the amusement park while holding hands.

“Let's go back to the inn and have dinner at the restaurant there, honey.” Anna replied as she looked up at him and grinned.

He nodded before leaning down and giving her a quick, chaste kiss. “Then let's go, my dear.”

The couple then walked back to the inn, where they had a lovely and quiet dinner at the gourmet restaurant where they had breakfast earlier in the day. After dinner, the couple headed outside and towards the beach again to watch the sunset. Once they reached the beach, Anna smoothed out the back of the skirt on her pale blue colored sundress before she sat down in the soft sand. Kratos smoothed out the back of his navy colored slacks before he sat down next to her. Anna laid her head down against his shoulder again and let out a contented sigh while he wrapped an arm around her. He kissed the top of her head and let his lips linger for a moment before he laid his head against hers. They then spent the next hour or so watching the ocean waves and the sun as it began to set on the horizon.

“I don't know if I've ever seen a more beautiful sunset, honey.” Anna softly commented as she lifted her head up and looked at her husband. “I'm happy we're the only two people on the beach right now, too.”

Kratos leaned in and kissed her forehead before sighing contentedly. “Me too, my dear.”

She looked up into his eyes and gave him an expectant look. “Kiss me, Kratos…”

He gave her a gentle smile and leaned in closer to her. “Gladly, my dear.”

Then he softly kissed her and she reached up with a hand and gently grabbed the collar of his shirt. Her other hand sunk into the sand as she leaned in and deepened the kiss. He wrapped his other arm loosely around her waist as their lips continued to gently move against each other. When the couple had to part for air moments later, Kratos touched his forehead to hers and gave her a soft smile.

The sun had now completely disappeared below the horizon, and the red and purple hues in the sky had begun to fade to blue and navy hues. Anna turned to her husband after they both stood up and brushed the sand off of their clothes, taking his hand in hers.

“It looks like it's getting late, honey.” She said as she briefly looked up at the sky before looking back at her husband. “Let's head back to the inn.”

Kratos nodded and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. Then the couple walked back to the inn while holding hands and took the elevator up to the floor where their suite was located. Once they arrived back at their suite, they both quickly got ready for bed. Anna sat down at the edge of the bed and waited for her husband to finish getting ready for bed.

“I thought you'd be in bed already, my dear.” Kratos commented as he walked towards the bed after exiting the bathroom.

“Not until I get a good night kiss from you, honey!” Anna beamed as she patted part of the comforter next to her.

He shook his head and softly chuckled before giving her a gentle smirk. “Of course, my dear.”

Kratos sat down next to his wife at the edge of the bed and wrapped his arm around her waist.

“I had so much fun today, honey!” She commented excitedly as she turned to look up at him. “I hope you had fun, too! And I hope that either tomorrow or over the next few days we can explore more of Altamira.”

“I did have fun today, my dear.” He said after kissing her forehead. “And tomorrow I think I want to show you around the business district. I'm hoping I can introduce you to one of my former travel companions, provided that he's in town, that is.”

“I'd like that, honey!” Anna grinned as she leaned in closer to him. “I guess we should go to bed soon then…”

“Yes, my dear, we should…” Kratos said as he leaned in closer, his free hand reaching up to cup and caress her cheek.

“I love you, Kratos…” Anna said breathlessly as she looked up at him expectantly, her hands reaching up to gently press against his bare chest.

“I love you too, Anna…” He said as he gave her another gentle smile.

“Lloyd, do you want to come with me to your mother's café?” Kratos asked, the volume of his voice not much above a whisper.

Lloyd turned his head at the sound of his father's voice. “Oh, hi Daddy! Yeah! Let's go!”

Kratos waited for his son to change out of his pajamas before picking him up and carrying him out of the room.

“Now Lloyd you'll need to keep your voice down.” He whispered as he walked by the master bedroom. “Your mother's still asleep, and we don't want to wake her.”

“But why, Daddy?” Lloyd asked quietly as the two neared the top of the stairs.

“Because she needs her rest.” Kratos told his son quietly in response as he carried him down the stairs. “Today's also Mother's Day, and she deserves to sleep in for a little bit while we go get breakfast for her.”

“So when's Mommy going to wake up, then?” Lloyd asked once the two made it to the bottom of the stairs.

“She will likely be awake by the time we get back, Lloyd.” Kratos replied as he gently lowered his son to the floor. “Now go put your shoes on.”

“Okay Daddy!” Lloyd exclaimed quietly as he ran off towards the foyer to find his favorite pair of shoes.

Kratos followed after his son and put on a pair of socks and slipped into his usual pair of slip-on shoes once he made it to the foyer. When Lloyd was finished with putting on his favorite pair of red colored velcro laced sneakers, Kratos picked up his son and carried him out the front door and to his pickup truck. After locking the front door with an app on his phone, Kratos unlocked the doors on his truck and opened the back passenger side door. He then put Lloyd into his car seat and securely buckled him in.

Kratos then made his way around the truck and opened the driver's side door. He hopped up into the driver's seat and started the engine by pressing a button next to the steering wheel. After putting the gear in reverse, he slowly backed out of the driveway, then drove off down the main road of their neighborhood. The two arrived at Anna's café, which was named The Silent Swordsman Café, about fifteen minutes later, and Kratos quickly pulled into a parking space at the back of the building.

After putting the gear in park, Kratos got out and made his way around and opened the back passenger side door again. He then unbuckled and took Lloyd out of his car seat, then closed and locked up all four doors on his truck. With Lloyd in his arms, Kratos then made his way around to the front entrance of the café and opened the door before entering the café. The two were immediately greeted by one of the head bakers, a woman named Jennifer, as they entered the café.

“Ah! Good morning Mr. Aurion! And Lloyd!” Jennifer greeted cheerfully, grinning from ear to ear as she glanced between the father and son duo. “I bet you're here to pick up your Mother's Day order!”

“Good morning, Jennifer.” Kratos greeted in return, giving her a small smile. “And yes we are. …I hope you didn't tell Anna about this. I wanted to surprise her.”

“I can assure you, Mr. Aurion, I haven't told her anything.” Jennifer assured him.

“Daddy I'm hungry!” Lloyd interjected before Kratos could respond.

“Hey Lloyd, would you like a freshly baked ham and cheese croissant?” Jennifer asked the young boy as he looked at her after she said his name. “If that's okay with your father, that is.”

She then looked at Kratos, waiting for his response.

Kratos sighed and gave the head baker a soft smile. “Yeah, that's fine, Jennifer. He can have the croissant.”

“All right, then I'll have the croissant out in just a couple of minutes!” Jennifer said while smiling at the two. “And the Mother's Day order should be ready in about fifteen minutes, so just sit tight.”

Kratos simply nodded at Jennifer before she walked off into the kitchen at the back of the café. The head baker then walked back to the front counter with a freshly baked ham and cheese croissant in her hand. She handed it over to Lloyd, who eagerly took it from her.

“Thank you, Miss Jenny!” Lloyd happily thanked the head baker.

“Aw, you're welcome, Lloyd!” Jennifer exclaimed before turning to head back toward the kitchen. “And I'll have the Mother's Day order out shortly, Mr. Aurion!”

As Jennifer walked back to the kitchen, the entrance door to the café suddenly opened behind Kratos and Lloyd. Kratos immediately turned around, holding Lloyd securely in his arms, at the sound of a familiar voice that greeted the two of them.

“Well, this is a pleasant surprise!” A woman with long, flowing green hair greeted the two as she walked into the café. “Good morning, Kratos and Lloyd!”

“Ah, Good morning, Martel.” Kratos greeted his long time friend in return, wearing a small smile on his face. “It's good to see you again.”

“It's good to see you two again, too!” Martel smiled as she glanced between father and son. “How's Anna doing? I haven't had the chance to talk to her since this café’s anniversary celebration a few weeks ago.”

“She's doing well.” Kratos replied, still wearing the small smile on his face. “We’ve been fairly busy preparing for the twin's arrival this summer.”

“Oh that's right! When's she due again?” Martel asked with a curious look on her face. “That was something I forgot to ask her about at the anniversary celebration, too.”

“She's supposed to be due in mid August.” Kratos replied before letting out a sigh. “But we both think they're going to arrive a month early.”

“Yeah, our triplets arrived a couple months early, so I have a feeling you're both right.” Martel commented, looking up at her friend.

“Daddy I'm done with my crowsant!” Lloyd interjected as he crumpled up the parchment paper sleeve with his small hands.

“All right then, hand over the wrapper and I'll throw it away on our way out, Lloyd.” Kratos said as he turned his attention briefly to his son.

Once Lloyd handed him the crumpled up sleeve of parchment paper, Kratos turned his attention back to Martel.

“By the way, how are the triplets doing?” Kratos asked thoughtfully. “You and Yuan didn't bring them to the anniversary celebration so it's been a while since Anna and I have seen them.”

“Oh, they're doing well.” Martel replied as she turned her attention away from the menu board back to him. “They just turned two in March, so they're even more active now. Just running around all over the place. I'm sure you and Anna experienced that with Lloyd, too.”

Kratos gave her a knowing smile. “We most certainly did.”

“Are you excited to be a big brother, Lloyd?” Martel asked as she turned her attention to the four year old boy.

“Yeah, Auntie Martel!” Lloyd replied cheerfully.

Martel laughed and reached up to ruffle Lloyd's spiky hair. “Well I'm glad you're so excited, Lloyd. I'm sure you're going to be a wonderful big brother.”

Kratos shifted his gaze between his friend and his son while softly smiling and quietly nodding in agreement.

“Oh, before I forget, I have some big news to tell you two about!” Martel added excitedly as she gently clasped her hands together.

“What is it, Martel?” Kratos inquired, raising an eyebrow at her.

“I'm expecting again!” Martel replied gleefully. “I just found out a few weeks ago and I'm currently about three months along.”

“Wow, congratulations, Martel!” Kratos congratulated his friend as he gave her a soft smile. “Give Yuan my congratulations as well.”

“I'll be sure to tell him as soon as I get home, Kratos.” Martel grinned up at him.

“Mr. Aurion, your order is ready!” Jennifer called out as she set down a big brown paper bag filled with various breakfast foods, and a drink carrier with three hot drinks inside the divided holders onto the order pick-up counter.

“I'll let you two go now.” Martel stated as she smiled softly at Kratos and Lloyd. “Tell Anna I said Happy Mother's Day! It was good to see you two again!”

“It was good to see you, too, Martel. And Happy Mother's Day to you as well.” Kratos stated before setting Lloyd down onto the café floor and walking over to the order pick-up counter.

“Okay, Mr. Aurion, the Mother's Day order includes one tray of our famous bacon and gruyere quiche, one tray of our famous veggie and swiss frittata, a box of assorted pastries, and three hot or iced drinks of your choice.” Jennifer confirmed as she pointed between the large brown paper bag and the drink carrier. “And for your drinks you ordered one hot black coffee, one hot hibiscus tea, and one hot chocolate. Is this correct, Mr. Aurion?”

“Yes, it's correct, Jennifer.” Kratos confirmed as he took the paper bag in one hand and the drink carrier in the other. “Have a good rest of your day.”

“You too, Mr. Aurion.” Jennifer responded with a soft smile. “And tell Anna I said Happy Mother's Day, too!”

“I will. Thank you again, Jennifer.” Kratos thanked the head baker before walking towards the exit with the paper bag and drink carrier in his hands.

Lloyd followed closely behind his father as the two exited the café. When the two arrived at the truck again, Kratos buckled Lloyd into his car seat and put the paper bag of food next to him in the back seat. He then set down the drink carrier in the front passenger seat before hopping up into the driver's seat and starting the engine.

__________

The two arrived home about fifteen minutes later and Anna was already in the foyer when Kratos opened the front door.

“There's my two favorite boys!” Anna exclaimed as she slowly waddled up to her husband and son. “Welcome back!”

“Good morning, my dear, and Happy Mother's Day.” Kratos greeted before leaning in and giving her a chaste kiss.

“Mommy! Daddy and I brought you food!” Lloyd exclaimed as he took off his shoes on the bench in the foyer. “We also saw Auntie Martel!”

“I can see that, sweetie.” Anna said as she looked at her son and gave him a soft smile before looking at her husband. “And you saw Martel, too? So I guess you finally heard the big news from her, then?”

“Yeah, she revealed that she's expecting again, my dear.” Kratos replied as he slipped out of his shoes while steadily holding the bag of food and drink carrier in his hands. “Did she already inform you, my dear?”

“Yeah, she told me a few weeks ago when we met for lunch at my café a few days before the anniversary party.” Anna replied as she waddled over as quickly as she could to the kitchen island. “She just found out at the time.”

“I'm excited for her and Yuan.” She added while her husband walked over and set down the bag of food and the drink carrier onto the island. “Though I can't imagine how they're going to handle having four kids under the age of three with their already busy work schedules.”

Kratos softly chuckled as he began taking out the quiche, frittata, and box of assorted pastries from the bag. “I wondered about that on the way home as well, my dear, but I am happy for them.”

“Oh, it looks like you got the Mother's Day special at my café, honey.” Anna commented as she watched her husband sort out the food onto the island.

“I wanted to surprise you, my dear, so after work last Monday I drove over to your café and ordered the special.” Kratos said as he moved the vase with a bouquet of white, red, and peach colored roses toward the center of the island. “And yesterday I picked up this bouquet of roses and put them in this vase last night as you were getting ready for bed, my dear.”

“Yeah, I saw them this morning after I woke up.” Anna said as she waddled-walked over to middle bar stool at the center of the island. “These roses are absolutely gorgeous, honey! Thank you! And the colors of the roses are absolutely perfect!”

Kratos walked around the island and helped his wife up onto the bar stool. “Of course, my dear. I would buy you this exact bouquet of roses for every holiday if I could.”

After helping her up onto the bar stool, he continued to hold her hand and leaned down to kiss her forehead when she turned to look up at him.

“Daddy I want to sit here next to Mommy!” Lloyd demanded as he looked up at Kratos and pointed at the bar stool he wanted to sit on.

“All right, I'll be right there, Lloyd.” Kratos said reassuringly, giving his wife a knowing smile before turning his attention back to their son.

He took a few steps and picked Lloyd up and gently set him down onto the bar stool. The boy giggled happily as his parents both ruffled his spiky hair. Kratos then went to grab three plates from one of the upper kitchen cabinets along with a set of utensils for the three of them.

“Oh, by the way, honey, I called your mom earlier and wished her a Happy Mother's Day.” Anna mentioned after Kratos set down a plate and utensils in front of Lloyd. “And just before you two came home earlier, I called my mom and wished her a Happy Mother's Day, too.”

“Did you tell my mother that I'd call her this afternoon?” Kratos asked as he set down a plate and utensils in front of his wife.

“Yes, I did, honey.” Anna replied as she looked up at her husband and gave him a soft smile. “And I also told my mom that you'd call her then as well.”

“Sounds good, my dear.” Kratos said after setting down a plate and utensils in front of the last bar stool on the other side of Anna where he was going to sit.

Kratos then went around and opened up the tin of quiche and the tray of frittata. He then cut and served a generous slice of both the quiche and the frittata to his wife. After cutting and serving both Lloyd and himself with much smaller slices of the two breakfast dishes, he grabbed the box of assorted pastries and offered it to Lloyd and Anna for them to choose which pastries they wanted. Once Kratos was done serving his wife and son their drinks, along with setting down his own drink, the cup of black coffee, he chose the pastry he wanted and set it down on his plate.

Once Kratos sat down on the bar stool next to Anna, the three began to eat and chat until their plates were clean. Lloyd happily talked about the delicious croissant he had at the café earlier, and Kratos talked further about his conversation at the café with Martel. Meanwhile, Anna talked about her phone conversations with both her mom and mother-in-law earlier in the morning. When Anna was done eating, she set down her fork and let out a satisfied sigh.

“Ah! That was absolutely delicious, honey.” Anna sighed happily as she looked at her husband, then at her son. “Thank you for surprising me with this wonderful breakfast! I'll have to thank Jenny for making it when I go to the café on Wednesday.”

“You're welcome, my dear.” Kratos remarked, giving her a soft smile. “And I agree, the food was delicious.”

“No problem, Mommy!” Lloyd chimed in, giving her a wide, happy grin. “The food was really yummy!”

Kratos and Anna both briefly chuckled at their son's response to the delicious breakfast the three of them just had.

“Yes it was, sweetie.” Anna smiled at her son and reached out to ruffle his spiky hair again.

The three then finished the rest of their hot drinks. Kratos then took all of their drink cups and threw them into the recycling bin inside one of the lower kitchen cabinets. He then grabbed all their plates and utensils and put them into the dishwasher before sitting back down next to Anna at the island.

“Oh, and Jennifer wanted to wish you a Happy Mother's Day, too, my dear.” Kratos said after sitting down next to his wife again.

“Aw, that was nice of her!” Anna gushed as she looked at her husband. “I'll have to thank her for that as well when I go into the café on Wednesday.”

“Happy Mother's Day, again, my dear.” Kratos said before leaning in and kissing his wife on the cheek.

“Happy Mother's Day, Mommy!” Lloyd exclaimed before standing up on the bar stool, leaning in and kissing his mom on the cheek.

__________

Later that night, after Lloyd had already been put to bed, Kratos wrapped his arms around Anna and hugged her gently as the couple stood in the middle of their bedroom together.

“How are you feeling right now, my dear?” Kratos asked after kissing her on the top of her head.

“Just really tired, honey. That's all.” Anna replied as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “The only difference I've noticed between my first pregnancy and this one is how tired I am at the end of the day. I've determined that I need around twelve hours of sleep in order to get enough rest for the day.”

Kratos leaned down and kissed her forehead before giving her a gentle smile. “I see, then I guess we both should get ready for bed now, my dear.”

Anna looked up at him expectantly. “Not until you kiss me, honey.”

Kratos chuckled and touched his forehead to hers. “All right, all right. Happy Mother's Day, yet again, my dear.”

Anna let out a contented sigh. “Thank you, honey, and I love you. I love you so, so much, Kratos.”

Kratos leaned down until his nose touched hers. “I love you too, Anna, my dear.”

Once he exited the bar, he found himself trying to make his way through the casino, surrounded by poker and blackjack tables. The sight and smell of smoke hung in the air from all the cigarettes and cigars being smoked by all the men at the tables. He watched blearily as a man at one of the poker tables took a long, drawn out drag from his cigar before his eyes landed on the exit of the casino. His feet staggered towards the exit, and he let out a strained sigh of relief once he made it into the hallway outside the casino and bar. Through the haze of his drunken stupor, he still knew exactly where their room was, just all the way down the hallway and to the right.

He fumbled around in his pocket for the room keys as he stumbled as swiftly as he could down the hallway. The walls and doors that lined the hallway began to drift apart from the double vision caused by his drunken state. When he finally made it to the door to their suite, he could feel his manhood strain urgently against the zipper of his dress slacks just as he finally took out the room keys from his pocket.

_______

Meanwhile, Anna was deeply engrossed in a romance novel as she sat in a plush, velvet upholstered chair. Instead of retiring to bed early like she had planned, she decided to try and read a few chapters of the novel before getting ready for bed. She had never been in such a luxurious and expensive inn room before. Tomorrow morning they would have to check out, and she was slightly disappointed she wouldn’t get to experience a suite like this for an extra night. Anna sighed after finishing a rather spicy scene in her novel and closed the book with a loud snap. It was getting late, and she needed to get ready for bed.

She stood up from the chair and walked over to her large, canvas covered backpack at the foot of the king sized bed. After removing her red satin dress and her bra, she folded and placed both articles of clothing back into her backpack and took out her black nightgown. Once her nightgown was on, Anna began to head for the bathroom to get ready for bed when she heard the door handle start to turn. Kratos all but stumbled into the room moments later, loudly shutting the door behind him before turning around to clumsily lock the door with his room key.

“Oh Kratos, you’re back.” Anna greeted her husband while she turned toward him. “How was the-”

Her question would remain unfinished as her husband stumbled further toward her. Moments later she found herself with her back against the wall at the other end of their suite. His dark, inebriated eyes bored into hers, and she could smell the fancy, expensive whiskey on his already ragged breath. The scent of cigarettes and cigars emanated from every piece of his formal attire, and the mixture of smoke and whiskey proved to be quite intoxicating, and arousing to her. Kratos took off his tie and unceremoniously threw it onto the floor before roughly kissing her. He shoved his tongue into her mouth in the midst of the rough kiss, and briefly explored her mouth before pulling back and parting from her.

She knew where this was headed, and she couldn’t help but blush furiously at the thought. It had been months since they’d had any time to be intimate, so she was more than okay with where this moment was headed. The taste of whiskey lingered on her tongue from his rough, drunken kiss moments before, and the strong and slightly sweet taste only exacerbated the already fluttering and persistent ache building at her core. Anna’s hands wandered up to the top button of his crisp, white dress shirt, and made quick work of unbuttoning each one with her deft, and sober fingers, until they landed at the edge of his black dress slacks. Kratos’ lips latched onto and roughly kissed the crook of her neck while she untucked his dress shirt and felt up his chiseled bare chest. Her fingers trailed through every curve of his pecs and abs while his lips left a heated trail of rough kisses up the column of her neck.

His lips gently nibbled on her earlobe while his hands hiked up the hem of her nightgown and roughly pulled down her underwear. The damp undergarment slid down her legs and onto the floor, where she stepped out of them and kicked them off to the side. While Kratos continued to pepper kisses down the column of her neck from her earlobe, he unbuckled and took off his belt and tossed it onto the floor where his tie had been thrown earlier. The buckle clacked against the hardwood floor as the belt landed next to the tie.

He then carefully unbuttoned and unzipped his dress slacks. His hand then freed his throbbing and straining manhood from the confines of his black boxer briefs, and she could hear him drunkenly groan in relief against the crook of her neck. Kratos then gave his girthy shaft a long, gentle squeeze, which provided some relief from his pulsating need to be inside her. She let out a soft gasp moments later when he hiked up the hem of her nightgown again and pulled her flush against him.

“I couldn’t stop thinking about you tonight, my dear.” Kratos slurred in between clumsy kisses against the crook of her neck. “I’ve wanted you all night…”

Anna moaned when he began rubbing his long and thick length between her sopping wet folds, gently rocking his hips back and forth while his hands on her waist held her flush against him. There was nothing she could say, she was speechless, and the only thoughts inside her head involved him just taking her right then and there.

“I need to be inside you now, my dear!” He growled, almost possessively, against the crook of her neck as he lifted her up off of the floor by her thighs with his strong, calloused hands.

She buried her head into the crook of his neck and let out an involuntarily loud but somewhat muffled gasp when he roughly plunged the entirety of his manhood through her dripping wet entrance and into her inner depths. Kratos hissed approvingly against the crook of her neck, his grip on her thighs slightly tightening as he felt her inner walls clench around length. He staggered forward a couple steps until her back was firmly press against the wall. Despite his drunken state, he had no intention of hurting her as he began to rock his hips back and forth against hers. Anna wrapped her arms and legs tightly around him as his thrusts increased in pace and intensity. His tip was hitting her in all the right places at the center of her core, and it was enough for her to already cry out his name.

“Kratos! Kratos! Please!” Anna pleadingly cried out against the crook of his neck.

Her fingers dug roughly into the fabric of his black suit jacket while he continued to rapidly thrust his hips against hers. She felt the pressure at her core rise to its very limit, and inwardly she knew she wasn’t going to last much longer. His breathing was becoming more ragged against the crook of her neck as he bucked his hips more purposely and urgently against hers.

“Oh Kratos!” She cried out against the crook of his neck as she came hard moments later.

Anna buried her face further into her husband’s neck to stifle the volume of her euphoric cries of his name. Her inner walls contracted around his manhood until she fully came down from the high of her release. She could feel how close he was to his own release by the way his length twitched and pulsated against her inner walls. His thrusts became more erratic, and his ragged breathing turned into soft moans of her name as he neared his release. The pressure at the base of his shaft had reached its limit, and that meant that he, too, wasn’t going to last much longer.

“Anna, my dear!” Kratos moaned against the crook of his wife’s neck, his hips thrusting rapidly against hers.

She had already partially untangled her legs from around his waist once she came down from the high of her release earlier. Her hands were now holding onto his shoulders tightly as she relished in the feeling of his pulsating shaft against her inner walls. Soft moans escaped her lips in between the soft kisses she started to trail down the column of his neck.

“Anna!” He groaned against her neck when he came hard moments later.

His grip on her thighs tightened, and he stilled his hips while he slowly emptied his heavy load inside her inner depths. Anna’s breath hitched as his spent poured into her until he completely filled her inner depths. Once he was finished with emptying his load inside her, he gently lowered her to the floor and released his grip on her thighs. He then lifted his head up off her shoulder before gently pulling out his now flaccid manhood from inside her. After tucking his length back inside his boxer briefs, Kratos glanced up at his wife briefly before leaning down and somewhat clumsily kissed her forehead. She watched in silence as her husband then stumbled off towards the bathroom to get ready for bed.

Her face reddened moments later when she began to feel his spent slowly leak down her thighs. She quickly walked off toward the bathroom after him to grab a towel to clean herself off with, and also finally get ready for bed.

_______

The next morning Anna woke up against Kratos’ bare chest. She wasn’t wearing her nightgown, or anything at all, and neither was her husband. For the next half and hour she just laid there against his chest and thought about what happened the night before while she waited for him to wake up. She hoped that the intimacy they shared the night before would happen again sometime soon; and she hoped that when it did, he wouldn’t be inebriated.

When Kratos finally woke up, he groaned and immediately clutched his head with one of his hands. Anna quickly rolled over and grabbed two pills and a glass of water from off the nightstand next to her side of the bed, and hand them over to her husband.

“Thank you…” He sighed gratefully after swallowing both pills with about half of the glass of water. “And good morning, my dear.”

“Good morning, honey!” She greeted him in return, giving him a small smirk. “So, how many glasses of whiskey did you have last night at the meeting?”

Kratos sighed again after setting down the half full glass of water onto the nightstand on his side of the bed. “Five… And I wouldn’t exactly call it a meeting, my dear.”

“Oh? What do you mean by that, honey?” Anna asked curiously.

“Well, we didn’t exactly discuss anything, and after those five glasses of whiskey, all I wanted was you, my dear.” He replied, giving her a soft smile.

“Then I’m sure you remember what happened after you returned to the room, right?” She questioned, now giving him a full smirk.

His cheeks turned a faint shade of pink, and he momentarily averted his gaze from hers. “Yes, my dear, I do remember what happened last night quite well. I… I hope I wasn’t too rough last night.”

Anna leaned in and kissed his cheek before she shook her head. “You weren’t, honey. You were wonderful. You always are. Last night was one of the best nights I’ve had in a while.”

Kratos looked at her in mild disbelief.

“Plus, I like it when you’re a little rough with me.” She added while giving him another smirk. “I just hope that next time, whenever that ends up being, that you’re sober when it happens.”

He gave her a small knowing smile before leaning in and touching his forehead to hers. His eyes widened in surprise when she suddenly kissed him, her hands reaching up to cup his face. As their kiss deepened, she rolled over onto her back while he hovered over her. When they had to part for air a short time later, Kratos continued to hover over his wife while looking down and her with half-lidded eyes.

“About last night, my dear…” Kratos started, breathing heavily. “Let me make it up to you this morning. We don’t have to check out until noon so we have time.”

“Well, you don’t have to, honey, but I suppose since we’re both in the correct state of undress…” Anna teased as she gave him yet another smirk.

She then brought his head down with both hands and kissed him deeply again before he could give her any sort of response. It didn’t take long for either of them to become aroused again. Her hand reached down and gave his manhood a few strokes and he instantly hardened at her soft touch. He moaned his approval into her mouth while he let one hand drift down in between her legs. When he parted from her, he watched her reaction as he tangled his fingers in her wet folds and his thumb began to toy with her clit. Anna moaned loudly and arched her back while her husband continued his ministrations on her womanhood.

Her breath hitched when his lips and tongue latched onto one of her hardened nipples. He licked and sucked on her breast for a time before he moved and latched onto her other breast and gave it equal attention.

“Kratos, please…” She whined, mildly irritated.

Kratos lifted his head and leaned in towards her ear. “Oh, are you ready for me to take you now, my dear?”

He smirked at her as he replaced his hand that was in between her legs with his length, and began slowly dragging his shaft between her wet folds.

“Yes I am!” Anna pleaded, looking up at him with half-lidded eyes. “Now stop being a tease and just take me already!”

Kratos softly chuckled at her reaction as she folded her legs up against her chest. Taking the hint, he spread her legs a little bit further apart and positioned his tip at her entrance. He then plunged the entirety of his manhood through her entrance and into her inner depths. Anna moaned as she felt his girthy shaft stretch and fill her perfectly. She wrapped her legs around his back as her husband started to thrust his hips.

His length slid back and forth against her inner walls that clenched around him with every thrust of his hips. He couldn’t help but moan at the heavenly feeling, and he gradually began to increase the pace and intensity of his thrusts. She arched her back forward and wrapped her arms around him as he started pounding his manhood into her core with each rapid, purposeful thrust of his hips. Whimpers of his name escaped her lips as his tip repeatedly hit her sweet spot at the center of her core.

Kratos wrapped his arms around her and buried his face into the crook of her neck while he braced himself for his inevitable release. He could tell how close she was by how intensely her inner walls clenched around his length, and he wasn’t far behind. Anna buried her face into the crook of his neck in an attempt to stifle her loud moans and whimpers while her husband continued to pound his tip against her sweet spot. She knew she was very, very close to her release, and she wrapped her arms tighter around him to prepare herself.

“Kratos! Yes! Yes!” Anna cried out moments later as she came hard, her whole body shaking from the sheer intensity of her release.

“Anna! Anna! My dear!” Kratos cried out mere seconds later as he came hard.

His length stiffened as a very heavy load of his spent spilled from his tip and completely filled her inner depths. He continued to rock his hips back and forth in slow, deliberate thrusts while he made sure he emptied every last drop of his spent inside her. The couple then held each other, both now panting heavily with exertion, and basked in the afterglow of their copulation.

Once their breathing returned to normal and steady a short time later, the couple sat up on the bed with their bodies still intimately connected. Anna cupped Kratos’ face after he lifted his head up from off of her shoulder and touched his forehead to hers.

“That was absolutely incredible, honey!” She softly exclaimed after giving him a kiss on the cheek.

“Heh… How does it compare to last night?” He asked somewhat sheepishly, a faint blush permeating his features. “Was it better, my dear?”

“Oh I don’t know if I could compare it, or any other time we’ve made love, to what happened last night, honey.” Anna replied while giving him a soft, knowing smile.

Kratos returned her smile with one of his own. “Indeed, my dear, I suppose you’re right.”

He then closed the remaining distance between them and kissed her deeply, which she gladly reciprocated.

_______