While the man was enjoying his wife, the King of Hueco Mundo was, in fact, in the human world right now.
He took a bite of a mango, savoring the sweet, juicy flavors as he walked next to his wife.
He was on his break, which meant—no work, no stress, unless it was an emergency. Just peace, relaxation, and the occasional indulgence in human-world snacks.
Harribel, walking in all her effortless beauty, wore light, relaxed clothing—a rare sight that made Gabriel appreciate this break even more. At the moment, they were at the poolside, where the sun bathed everything in warm, golden hues.
Nestled in her arms was a shark plushie, one he had won for her during one of their human-world trips. She hadn't outright said she wanted it, but like, come on, her eyes lingered on it for more than three seconds. For someone like her, that was basically her way of saying she liked it.
Plus, it was a cute shark plushie.
ut the way her gaze lingered on it? Yeah, he knew.
And thus, they were having fun, somewhere in Europe, away from Shinigami jurisdiction. Though, it seemed like there were dragons here. Well, no bother—they tended to avoid Gabriel, and Gabriel avoided them.
"You are showing quite the favorable treatment to the Fullbringers," she said softly, looking at him.
She had noticed that but only decided to act on it now.
Gabriel chuckled, tossing the mango pit into a nearby bin with perfect accuracy. "They're human."
She raised an eyebrow. "And?"
He smirked, stepping a little closer. "Unlike us Hollows, they don't live that long. A kid being born is a big deal for them. Ryouma deserved that break."
Harribel hummed in response, but before she could say anything else, Gabriel leaned in, pressing a light kiss to her lips.
"Besides, I can't wait till you get pregnant."
Her face didn't change much—Harribel was always composed. But Gabriel saw it. That faint pink dusting her cheeks, the subtle shift in her golden eyes.
She didn't say no.
So she wasn't against having a kid. Cute. He leaned in close and gave her another kiss. That was good to know. By the time he mastered the art he was focusing on right now, he would really be trying for a kid.
Their lips wrestled. He didn't give an inch, and neither did she.
Once he was done, he looked at her face. Hm. Yeah, he liked this.
SPLASH.
Water smacked him right in the face.
Slowly, he wiped the droplets from his skin, blinking as he turned toward the culprit.
Apacci.
She was already hiding behind Mila Rose, gripping a water gun, her eyes darting around like she had no idea what had just happened. Huh, weird.
"Oops?" Apacci said, though it sounded completely insincere.
Gabriel narrowed his eyes, slowly grabbing a water gun from the poolside. "Oh, you're dead."
"W-Wait, it was an accident—HEY!"
SQUIRT.
Apacci screamed as a jet of water hit her directly in the face. She immediately retaliated, ducking behind Mila Rose.
"Hah! Got her!"
"Oh, you little—!"
And just like that, war broke out.
Thus, the Great Water War began.
Mila Rose, Apacci, and Sun-Sun had apparently been engaged in an all-out poolside war with their water guns before Gabriel arrived. Now, he had officially joined the battlefield.
Sun-Sun gracefully moved to his side, twirling her water gun in her hand. She didn't mind being on his team one bit. Sure, she was close, but not that close.
"How is that fair?" Mila Rose asked. Like, come on, Gabriel was a cheat code. Why did Sun-Sun get to have him?
"I called dibs, didn't I?" Sun-Sun teased.
"You always call dibs on him," Mila Rose huffed, placing a hand on her hip.
"Why can't I have him for a change? You almost seem to be acting like his woman."
If only she knew.
Sun-Sun didn't say much. She didn't deny it or confirm it.
With a smile, she simply said, "Oh my, so you want to have him? I didn't know you were this forward."
Mila Rose clicked her tongue. "Yes, he will be my partner for this. There's no way I'm letting this cheat code—"
"Am I really a cheat code?" Gabriel interjected.
Mila Rose looked at him, then at his hand, which had been transfigured to look like a water gun.
And then she pulled him to her side. Yep, that was her teammate for the Great Water Gun War.
She seemed to be so pure in her mind. That was good to know.
Meanwhile, Harribel just laid back on her chair, adjusting her sunglasses as if she had absolutely no interest in joining their nonsense. A waiter approached, offering her a chilled drink, which she accepted with a slow nod.
She took a sip. Damn. That was good.
She sipped her drink again, ignoring the thought.
Yeah, this break?
It wasn't bad at all.