---

The morning light filtered softly through the curtains, casting a golden glow over the room. Luca stirred first, groaning softly as warmth pressed against his cheek. His mind was still hazy with sleep, but the sensation of soft, tiny lips repeatedly pressing against his face pulled him from the depths of unconsciousness.

“Mmm…” he mumbled, turning away from the persistent kisses.

But Ava wasn’t having it.

“Wake up, Luca!” she giggled, climbing on top of him, her tiny hands cupping his face as she planted another wet kiss on his nose. “Papa, he won’t wake up!”

Luca groaned dramatically, burying his face into the pillow.

From beside them, Damien chuckled, his deep, teasing voice laced with amusement. “Looks like our little princess is more persistent than you, love.” He reached over, grabbing Ava by the waist and pulling her back onto his lap before leaning over Luca’s still-buried face. “What’s wrong, baby? Not used to getting woken up by kisses?”

Luca peeked one eye open to glare at him, cheeks already tinged with pink. “Not when I’m trying to sleep.”

Damien smirked, leaning closer until his lips brushed against Luca’s ear. “You weren’t complaining about kisses last night,” he murmured darkly.

Luca whipped his head toward him, scandalized. “Damien!”

Ava blinked between them in confusion. “What kisses?”

Luca shoved Damien’s face away before sitting up, his ears burning red. “Nothing, sweetheart! Let’s go have breakfast.”

Damien only smirked wider, satisfied with Luca’s reaction.

After freshening up, they headed downstairs, where breakfast was already prepared. Ava sat between them, swinging her legs excitedly as she dug into her pancakes.

Luca, still slightly embarrassed, focused on his own food, but his mind was elsewhere. Last night had been too much for Ava. The fear, the cries, the sight of Natalya’s rage—it wasn’t something a child should witness.

He looked up at Damien, who was watching him intently as if reading his thoughts.

“I want to take Ava out today,” Luca said, setting his fork down.

Damien raised an eyebrow. “Where?”

“Anywhere fun,” Luca said, turning to Ava, who perked up instantly. “How about the zoo? Or the aquarium?”

Ava gasped. “Can we see dolphins?!”

Luca smiled. “Of course.”

Damien exhaled through his nose, glancing at Ava’s bright expression. He knew what Luca was doing—trying to make her forget last night, distract her with something happy. And, as much as he hated taking his little girl out where other people could be around them, he couldn’t say no when Luca looked at him like that.

“…Fine,” he muttered.

Ava squealed, throwing her arms around Luca. “You’re the best!”

Damien narrowed his eyes. “Excuse me?”

Ava giggled. “You too, Papa!”

Luca smirked, shaking his head. Damien only rolled his eyes, already thinking of how much security he’d need to arrange for this little trip.

Because one thing was certain—he wasn’t letting Luca or Ava out of his sight.

******* ---

Damien rarely ever canceled meetings. His time was power, and people feared wasting it. But the moment Luca had suggested taking Ava out, he had given a single order—cancel everything.

Nothing else mattered.

Now, as he leaned against the doorway of their bedroom, arms crossed, he watched his little family get ready. Ava was running around the room excitedly, clutching two matching outfits in her tiny hands.

“Luca, wear this one!” she demanded, holding up a soft cream-colored sweater. “And Papa, you wear this one!” She shoved a black sweater into Damien’s hands. “They match!”

Luca smiled as he took the sweater from her. “You want us to match, huh?”

Ava nodded furiously. “Yes! We have to look cute together!”

Damien chuckled darkly, staring at the clothes. Matching outfits? If anyone dared to suggest such a thing in the past, he would’ve shot them on the spot. But now? With them?

He slipped the sweater on without another word.

Ava beamed, clapping her hands as she twirled in her little cream-colored dress, the same shade as Luca’s sweater. “Now we all look like a family!”

Damien’s eyes darkened at that. His possessiveness coiled around his heart like a vice.

A family.

Luca, oblivious to Damien’s obsessive thoughts, finished dressing and turned to Ava. “Alright, sweetheart, are you ready?”

“YES!” Ava cheered, running up to grab both of their hands. “Let’s go, let’s go!”

Damien let out a breath, glancing at the two of them.

Luca and Ava, standing together, their clothes complementing each other, their smiles bright, their eyes filled with excitement.

They looked so… perfect.

His heart ached in a way he couldn’t describe.

Mine.

They were his. They belonged to him, and no one—no one—was ever going to take them away.

He followed them out, his hand never letting go of Luca’s wrist as they stepped into the car. The moment they were inside, Ava started bouncing in her seat, excitedly talking about everything she wanted to see.

Luca, just as eager, chimed in with his own ideas, laughing softly when Ava dramatically gasped at the mention of penguins.

Damien said nothing, only watching them with an unreadable gaze.

They were both too cute. Too perfect.

His Luca—usually so stubborn, usually so fiery—was acting just as excited as Ava. Their matching expressions of joy made Damien's chest tighten unbearably.

No one else deserved to see them like this. No one else deserved to hear Luca’s bright laughter or witness Ava’s sweet smiles.

They’re mine.

But for now, he let them have their little moment of excitement, even if his mind was already calculating the best way to keep them safe during this trip.

Because no matter how much he loved seeing them like this…

He wasn’t stupid enough to let his guard down.

*****

“PAPA, LUCA, LOOK!” she squealed, pointing at everything at once. The Ferris wheel, the carousel, the food stalls—it was all too much for her little heart to handle.

Luca chuckled at her enthusiasm, crouching down to fix her scarf. “Okay, sweetheart, where do you want to go first?”

Ava’s eyes went impossibly wide. “EVERYWHERE!”

Damien, standing behind them with his hands in his pockets, exhaled through his nose. “One at a time,” he said, but it was clear from his tone that he wasn’t about to deny them anything.

Luca grinned. “Let’s start with the carousel, then.”

Ava let out a high-pitched squeal and grabbed Luca’s hand, dragging him toward it. Damien followed at a slower pace, watching the way Luca let Ava take charge, laughing when she demanded that he ride a horse next to hers.

Once they were on, Ava waved dramatically at Damien. “Papa, take pictures!”

Damien huffed but pulled out his phone, snapping more than just a few. His gaze lingered on Luca, who was smiling as he held onto the carousel pole, his cheeks slightly flushed from the cold.

Beautiful. Perfect.

When the ride was over, Ava tugged on Luca’s sleeve. “Cotton candy! Can we, can we, please?”

Luca glanced at Damien with a small smirk. “Are we allowed, Daddy?”

Damien’s eye twitched at the teasing lilt in his voice. “Tch. Do whatever you want.”

Ava cheered, and within minutes, she and Luca were sitting on a bench, sharing a giant swirl of pink cotton candy.

Damien watched with a dark, unreadable expression as Luca ripped off a fluffy piece and handed it to Ava. She gasped dramatically before popping it into her mouth.

“Luca, it melts like magic!” she cried.

Luca laughed, taking a piece for himself. “That’s the best part.”

Ava suddenly turned toward Damien, holding up a piece. “Papa, say ‘ahhh’!”

Damien narrowed his eyes. “No.”

Ava pouted. “But you have to!”

Luca smirked. “Yeah, Daddy, you have to.”

His jaw clenched. The things he did for these two.

With a heavy sigh, he leaned down, allowing Ava to shove the sticky sweetness into his mouth. He chewed slowly, his face blank.

“…It’s fine.”

Ava gasped. “HE LIKES IT!”

Luca burst into laughter, and Damien resisted the urge to wipe his mouth on Luca’s sweater just to make him suffer.

The rest of the day continued like that—Ava and Luca running from one attraction to another, dragging Damien along for the ride. They played carnival games (Ava made Damien win her a stuffed bear, which he did effortlessly and then she gave it to Luca), ate ridiculous amounts of junk food, and even went ice skating.

Or, more accurately, Luca and Ava went ice skating while Damien stood at the edge of the rink, arms crossed, watching them like a hawk.

Ava was surprisingly good at it, gliding effortlessly across the ice. Luca, on the other hand—

“Oh, sh—” Luca wobbled violently before falling straight on his ass.

Damien barked out a sharp laugh before masking it with a cough. Ava skated back over, giggling. “Luca, you’re worse than me!”

Luca groaned. “I know.”

Ava held out her hands. “Come on, I’ll help you!”

Luca, face burning, let her pull him up while Damien continued to smirk at his suffering.

By the time evening rolled around, they were all exhausted. Ava had fallen asleep in the car, her little arms wrapped tightly around the stuffed bear Damien had won for her.

Luca, resting his head against the window, glanced at Damien. “She had a really good day.”

Damien’s gaze flickered to the rearview mirror, where Ava’s peaceful expression softened something deep inside him.

“…So did you.”

Luca blinked, then smiled. “Yeah. I did.”

Damien didn’t respond, but his grip on the steering wheel tightened.

Today had been too perfect.

And he would kill anyone who tried to take it away from him.

***** As they pulled into the driveway, Damien turned off the engine and glanced at Luca, who was still half-asleep, his cheek pressed against the cold window. A smirk tugged at Damien’s lips.

“Look at you,” he murmured, voice laced with amusement. “Spent the whole day running around like an excited little kid, and now you can’t even keep your eyes open.”

Luca groaned, stretching slightly. “Shut up…”

Damien leaned in closer, his breath warm against Luca’s ear. “Adorable,” he mused, reaching out to pinch Luca’s flushed cheek.

Luca smacked his hand away with a tired glare. “I swear to God, Damien—”

“Swearing now? Tsk, tsk.” Damien chuckled darkly, then suddenly grabbed Luca’s chin, tilting his face up. His piercing eyes gleamed with something possessive, something hungry.

Luca barely had time to react before Damien’s lips crashed against his. The kiss was deep, overwhelming, and completely dominating. Damien took his time, his tongue teasing, exploring, owning.

Luca whimpered against his mouth, pushing at Damien’s chest in weak protest, but Damien only smirked, pulling him even closer.

“You’re so damn cute when you pout,” Damien murmured against his lips before kissing him again—slower this time, savoring every second.

Luca pulled back, breathless, face burning. “You’re insufferable.”

Damien only grinned. “And you love it.”

Before Luca could argue, Ava stirred in the backseat, mumbling in her sleep. Both men froze, glancing at her.

Luca shot Damien a glare. “You were about to make out with me in the car while our daughter was sleeping in the back?”

Damien only shrugged. “I got distracted.” and " Our daughter, Mhm yes baby I like the sound of it."

Luca huffed, opening the car door embarrassingly. “You’re impossible.”

Damien watched him with a satisfied smirk, following him inside.

Impossible?

Maybe.

But Luca was his. And he wasn’t letting him forget it.