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Mei isn’t used to being the center of attention. She usually sleeps on the outside of the bed, has an office in the corner, they even stopped running tests on her about a year and a half after the honkai was contained to the moon.
It happens sometimes, though.
It happened with Elysia, back so, so many years ago, before the collapse of the Elysian Realm. It happened with Kiana and Hua, back before their lives had been spurred onto the course that led them to the current moment. Even Bronya, and Theresa spared her some attention, after Kiana left, and in the interlude, before he came back.
It isn’t often, though. And she’s fine with that.
She’s not the protagonist. She’s not the love interest in some yuri manga. Sure, being the Herrscher of Thunder, and then subsequently the Herrscher of Origin might have made her special for a time, but, even those, she’s not anymore.
She is, however, the head of Schicksal’s World Serpent branch. She’s a wife, and a mother figure to her old squad, and an actual, genuine mother, and she’s happy with the parts she plays now. She’s had enough adventure for one lifetime; she doesn’t need a leading role anymore. She doesn’t need to be the center of attention.
Right now, though, she feels slightly different than usual.
Right now, with Hua’s arm draped over her waist, and Kiana’s head resting against her chest, she wishes it could always be like this. Right now, as the peaceful breaths of Hua’s sleep tickle her neck, and the drool from Kiana’s mouth wet her shirt, she thinks maybe being the center of attention again wouldn’t be so bad.
She notices Hua waking up first, the subtle shift of a body, of breaths being drawn more consciously, and she can’t help but smile.
“Good morning,” and Mei turns her head to the side slightly, just enough to watch Hua rub the sleep out of her eyes.
Hua leans forward, and presses a kiss to the back of her neck, before letting her eyes drift shut once again. “Morning.”
“You sleep okay?”
Mei thinks it much too cute when all Hua does in response is groan, and tighten her grip around Mei’s waist, somehow sidling even closer.
“You don’t work today, right?” Hua is still so groggy as she speaks; it makes Mei’s heart flutter.
“Mhm.”
“Mm, good.” Hua shuffled, her breath tickling the hair on the back of Mei’s neck, but then she stopped, and Mei could tell she was starting to drift off. “Happy birthday.”
Mei could hear Hua’s breathing start to even back out, but, really, who could blame her if she was feeling needy?
She rolled her hips backwards ever so slightly, just enough for her ass to press against Hua’s crotch, and the woman behind her let out a sigh that was the most delightful mixture of sinful and sleepy. When Hua didn’t respond in any other way, though, Mei did it again, pressing backwards, grinding, making Hua’s hand tighten into a fist against her hips.
“Still haven’t grown out of a little stiffness in the morning, huh?” Mei teased, shimmying slightly.
Hua just chuckled, and Mei could tell she was significantly more awake now than she had been moments ago. “Somehow I think that’s not my fault.”
“Hm.” Mei pretended to think it over. “I think it could probably be a number of things.”
Hua let out a chuckle at that, and it was then that Mei felt Kiana stir. The felt the pads of his hands open, and close, she felt him wriggle closer to her, and watched lovingly, as his eyes slowly blinked open. He smiled wide when he noticed, somehow managing to look smug despite the sleep still in his eyes.
“Good morning, baby,” Mei told him, and she scratched at the shorter part of his hair, near his neck.
He hummed, and tilted his chin up, waiting for Mei to give him a kiss. “Good morning.”
She did, after a moment, leaning forward away from Hua slightly, before settling back in comfortably between the two.
Kiana grinned. “Happy birthday.”
“Thank you.”
Kiana sat up, then, pushing himself up with an arm, so he could lean over Mei, and give Hua a kiss, as well. “And good morning, Hua.”
Hua laughed again, smiling into the kiss, before flipping back down, and cuddling up against Mei’s back. “Morning, Kiana.”
Kiana’s hands trailed downwards, then, down and down, until his thumbs drew slow, steady circles against Mei’s hips, just above the line of her panties. “How’d you sleep?”
Mei closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. “It was fine.”
“Oh yeah?” Kiana’s thumbs drifted inwards, over Mei’s stomach, dipping just below her underwear. “Have any interesting dreams?”
“Kiana,” and Mei groaned in response.
“What? I thought maybe you might have, considering how you were grinding against Hua.”
Mei could feel Hua smile against her neck. “You were supposed to be asleep for that.”
Kiana only grinned in response. “So were you just gonna do it while I was sleeping next to you, then?” Kiana’s hand drifted upwards, holding Mei’s chin between his thumb and forefinger, and spreading open her lips. “That’s pretty messed up, Mei. That’s okay, though; I don’t mind watching.”
Mei’s breath caught in her throat, at that, and she couldn’t help the whine she let out, especially not with the way Hua throbbed against, how she slowly rocked into her. Quickly, however, she forced herself back together, and swatted at Kiana.
“The kids will be up soon; relax.”
“It’s early,” and Kiana’s hands slipped under Mei’s overly large sleep shirt, all the way until his thumbs rolled against her nipples, puffy, and still withdrawn into themselves. “We’ve got plenty of time.”
Hua’s hips had set to a steady grind against Mei’s ass, and she could hear, could feel the woman sighing against her, a silent agreement with what Kiana was saying, even if Hua still wasn’t quite bold enough to say it outright.
It didn’t take much for Mei to give in. She had wanted to for the whole time, after all. She rolled her head back, giving Kiana room to press kisses against her neck, and she arched her back, pressing into Hua, feeling the outline of her through the woman’s boxers. She whimpered, as Hua’s grip tightened against her hips, and as Kiana sucked a mark into her skin towards the bottom of her neck.
She was never really one for birthdays, quite frankly—at least, not her own—but this? Well, this seemed like as good a gift as any she could’ve asked for.
Shortly, however, they heard a knock against the door. They heard one, and then two, and three—the sounds of tiny fists banging against the hollow wood of the entrance to their bedroom.
Hua didn’t make a single noise at the sound, but Kiana groaned, likely lamenting not getting to finish what they started until later that night. Mei only smiled, and laughed, however; she did say this would happen, after all.
“Yes?” Mei called, none of the three of them moving a single inch just yet.
“Can we come in?” One of the little voices cried—the one belonging to Sora.
Mei, Hua, and Kina quickly shuffled to right themselves, pulling up underwear, and pulling down shirts, making things look as if they had just woken up themselves, before any of them replied.
“Of course you can, baby,” and, as soon as the words left Mei’s mouth, the door flew open, and the kids came barreling in, diving onto the bed, and burrowing their way between the three adults.
“Happy birthday, mommy!” They cried out, nestling into both of Mei’s sides, and smiling giddily.
“Well, thank you,” and Mei pressed a kiss to the sides of both of their heads, squeezing them into a tight hug.
“We made you breakfast, mommy,” Sora, the youngest, explained. “It might be getting cold now, though.”
Mei couldn’t help but laugh. “Is that so?”
“Mhm, mhm.” Himeko, the oldest, nodded proudly. “We worked really hard on it.”
“Oh my, my big strong grownups, look at you.” Mei ruffled their hair, making both of the kids laugh. “Why don’t you two go set the table, and mommy will be right out, okay?”
“Okay!”
“Yes, mommy!”
The kids exclaimed together, and, after giving kisses to both Hua and Kiana, they sprinted off down the hallway, and to the kitchen.
Mei laid back down, and shut her eyes for a moment, but she could hear Kiana’s grin when he spoke.
“Don’t you just love being a parent.”
Mei swatted at his arm. “I do, actually, yes.”
“It was a joke,” Kiana exclaimed, stretching out the word, and rolling into Mei. “Of course I do too.”
“Good,” and Mei placed a kiss on his cheek, before sitting back up, and stretching. “I guess it’s time for breakfast, though.”
Kiana sat up with her, and, out of the corner of her eye, Mei could see Hua watching the two of them lovingly. “So I guess we’re not finishing that then, huh?”
“Well, I,” Mei hopped out of bed, and slipped into a pair of sweatpants, “am going to go eat with my two lovely children.”
The look Kiana and Hua shared at that moment was one that made Mei roll her eyes, one that questioned whether or not one parent would be enough for about another half an hour.
Mei sighed, and walked to the door. “No, you’re both coming too. This is nonnegotiable.”
“Of course we are,” and Hua stood up first, sliding on a pair of shorts, and wrapping her arms around Mei’s waist.
“We are?”
“Kiana!”
“I’m kidding.” Kiana climbed out of bed, throwing on whatever he could find, and sidling up to Mei’s other side, the one not occupied by Hua. “We can always finish later.”
Mei huffed. “You better.”
“Aww, looks like we have three babies in the house, huh, Hua?”
Hua laughed loudly in response, the way only Mei or Kiana could get her to. “Maybe.”
“You are both so mean to me.”
“That’s because we love you,” and Hua stood on the balls of her feet to press a kiss to Mei’s cheek.
“Alright, breakfast. Time to be a parent.”
As Mei walked through the door frame, though, Kiana lightly patted her ass, making her jump.
“Kiana!” Mei exclaimed, throwing a halfhearted, playful glare towards him.
Kiana only grinned in response, and Hua dragged him by his hand to the kitchen, following close behind Mei, as the three of them properly started their day.