Chapter 176 – You’re Clingy
The room was warm now—too warm, really. All the heat from earlier had soaked into the sheets, the air, her skin. Naomi’s body still humd with that post-chaos buzz, her limbs too lazy to move, her mouth too soft to form anything aningful. But her brain was trying to catch up. And so was her heart.
Lux lay behind her, arm draped around her waist, breath slow and steady against the back of her neck.
It should’ve been enough.
But sothing... shifted.
Subtle at first. Barely noticeable.
Then... tighter.
His arm pulled her closer. Not possessive. Not teasing. Just... clinging.
It was odd. He wasn’t usually like this after sex. Sure, he was smug, sotis affectionate, always inappropriate—but this? This was quiet. Almost... sad?
She blinked, then tilted her head back just slightly.
"You’re being weird," she murmured, voice rough from earlier.
"Hm?"
"You’re clingy."
Lux didn’t answer.
She nudged him with her hips. "That’s new."
He let out a breath—longer this ti. Almost a sigh.
"Yeah," he said softly. "Sothing’s different."
That got her attention.
Naomi shifted to face him, propping herself up on one elbow. Her gaze swept over his face. Still too beautiful. Still too smug. But underneath it—sothing flickered in his expression. Sothing off-center.
"I have sothing on my mind," he admitted.
Her brows knit. "A problem? Is it bad?"
"I wouldn’t call it a problem," Lux said, eyes focused on the space between them. "Just... a glitch. Sothing that’s been sitting in my chest all day and I haven’t figured out how to get rid of it."
Naomi blinked. "You? With emotional discomfort? Should I call the press?"
"Ha," he deadpanned. "But really."
Her hand found his. She laced their fingers together, slow and careful. "You want to talk about it?"
He was quiet for a mont. Then finally, he said, "I feel stupid."
"Lux."
"I do," he muttered. "Because it’s not sothing... I’ve said out loud before."
She squeezed his hand gently. "Then let this be the first ti."
He looked up at her. There was no mischief in his eyes now. Just... tiredness. Raw and unguarded.
"I’ve been wondering," he said slowly, "what I’m supposed to do when I’m not working. When I’m not solving things. Not fighting or managing or threatening. Like... what am I supposed to be, then?"
Naomi stayed silent, heart aching a little.
"I an, I know what I’m good at," he went on. "Making deals. Reading people. Building kingdoms out of interest rates and loopholes. But when the emails stop and the boardroom’s empty—what then?"
She tried to speak, but he beat her to it.
"I know what you’re gonna say. ’Take a vacation, Lux.’ I am now. But that’s not it. It’s deeper than that. It’s like... I don’t know what a ho feels like."
Her breath caught.
"You miss Hell?" she asked softly. "Your realm?"
Lux snorted. "Absolutely not."
He sat up a little, dragging the sheets up lazily over his hips. "The hellscape is efficient. It’s not warm. We have eternal fla though. I was raised by summoned demon nannies who rotated on an infernal clock. Then I was sent to the Demon Academy at age seven. Military curriculum, financial domination electives, quarterly power duels, hell tier managent..."
She blinked. "That sounds..."
"Traumatizing? Expensive? A terrible childhood?" He gave a dry laugh. "All of the above."
Naomi frowned. "What about your parents?"
Lux looked at her. "The Lord of Greed and the Lust Queen. Together for centuries. Sohow went on honeymoons like it was their job. anwhile, I got tossed the family empire like a flaming credit card and told not to set the universe on fire."
He leaned back on one arm, staring up at the ceiling.
"I worked hard. Got everything under control. Built it all up from policy drafts and executive brutality. And now I sit at the top. Alone. And..."
His voice lowered.
"...I don’t think I’ve ever been ho."
Naomi’s chest hurt.
She scooted closer, resting her head on his shoulder. "You don’t an a place, do you?"
He shook his head slowly. "No. My office isn’t a ho. My penthouse isn’t. My coworkers—demons, succubi, demonic interns—they’re not family. There are lines. Power lines. Danger lines. I have to draw them. Because if you don’t, they’ll use it."
Silence again. This one heavier than the ones before.
She let it linger a little before whispering, "Maybe that’s why you’re here."
Lux glanced at her.
She tilted her chin up, staring into his eyes. "Maybe your chest feels weird because it’s doing sothing new."
"Like?"
"Feeling safe."
His throat moved. Just once.
"I’m not used to this either," she admitted. "I’m used to luxury. Control. Expectations. Not softness. Not... this."
Lux looked at her for a long ti.
Then—voice soft, almost hoarse—he said, "It’s addictive."
She smiled. "It’s dangerous."
"Which is why I like it."
He leaned forward then and kissed her. It wasn’t lustful. Not dominating. Just... honest. Open. Maybe even a little scared.
He pulled back and looked her in the eye again. "Also... one more thing."
She raised an eyebrow.
"I just found out the Upper Realm placed a bounty on my soul."
Naomi blinked. "What?"
"Yeah." He scratched his neck. "Eighty-eight point eight billion Soul Credits."
Her jaw dropped. "That’s real currency?!"
Lux nodded. "It’s the shared tender between infernal and celestial systems. Used for high-level transactions—divine relics, sovereign soul contracts, throne auctions. That kind of thing."
Her eyes widened. "Wait. That’s not like... casual lunch money, is it?"
He barked a laugh. "No. It’s made of literal souls, Naomi. We’re talking about a currency that only exists for major political and divine power shifts."
She stared. "They want your soul for eighty-eight billion?"
"Point eight," he added, smug. "Symtry."
"Why?!"
Lux’s smirk faded into sothing colder. "Because I’ve been making too many waves. Securing too many contracts. Balancing too many systems. So angels in the celestial realm like when things are clean. Orderly. Predictable. I’m not."
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