It took one look at the remaining food and one valiant attempt by Callum to single-handedly finish the samosas for them to conclude that—yeah, there was no way they were eating all this on their own.
Luckily, just like Micah had said, he had two friends who were more than willing to help devour a feast for six.
And, apparently, they didn't come alone.
Micah had barely gotten the words, "Elle, Rosa, over here!" out of his mouth before Rosa marched toward them with a self-satisfied smirk, Elle on her heels, and a third person walking between them.
A very familiar third person.
"Micah, Callum," Elle said smoothly. "I want you to meet our girlfriend, Genesis."
Genesis stopped in her tracks.
Wide-eyed. Stiff-backed. Clearly caught off guard.
"Oh, fuck me," she muttered.
Rosa, without missing a beat, grinned and said, "Hey! That's my job."
Elle groaned. "Babe…"
Genesis laughed, rubbing the back of her neck. "It's just… we kinda already know each other."
Callum, who had been in the middle of processing what the actual hell was going on, stilled.
Genesis turned to him, still looking stunned. "Callum and I went to the same uni, and now he's my boss. And Micah—"
Elle perked up. "Used to work under you! Oh my god, I should've connected the dots!"
Rosa plopped down onto the picnic blanket. "Well. This isn't awkward at all."
Genesis leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips, murmuring, "It's only awkward if we make it awkward, sugar."
Rosa melted. Callum stared. Genesis, his no-nonsense head of design had not one but two girlfriends and they were both Micah's roommates. Was this a rare non-memory dream?
Micah, obviously delighted by the turn of events, grinned. "Oh my god! I thought y'all said you were having a hard time finding someone you both liked!"
Elle beamed at Genesis. "Well, times change."
Micah groaned dramatically, falling onto his back. "I feel like both my moms just married my coworker."
The group erupted into laughter—except for Callum, who was still struggling to come to terms with reality.
Genesis took a seat beside him on the blanket and nudged his shoulder.
"You alright there, Mr. Pierce?"
Callum didn't even bother correcting her that 'Mr. Pierce' was his father.
He just exhaled. "How did it—? How did you—? I'm just realizing I know nothing about you, Genesis."
Genesis grinned. "That's what happens when you spend most of your time deep in your own ass instead of connecting with the people around you."
Callum shot her a dry look. "Still— two girlfriends? How does that even work?"
Genesis raised a brow. "Didn't peg you as the judgy type."
It was the perfect set up for a 'You didn't peg me at all' joke but Callum couldn't even find the mental bandwidth to deliver it.
He sighed, rubbing a hand down his face. "I'm not. Or at least, I'm not trying to be. Sorry. I'm just… surprised."
Curious.
Genesis's expression softened. "Don't get me wrong—I didn't set out looking for two girlfriends. I'd thought about polyamory before but decided it wasn't for me."
She glanced toward Elle and Rosa, who were now harassing Micah with birthday affection.
"Then I met them," she said, something warm in her voice. "And they're amazing. It's still new, but we make it work."
Callum swallowed.
Distantly, he wondered what it would be like if he were in a relationship with Damian and Micah.
Distantly.
He pushed the thought aside. "I'm happy for you, Genesis."
Genesis grinned. "Thanks."
Then, with zero warning:
"So what about you?"
Callum blinked. "What about me?"
Genesis smirked. "What's the latest on 'I Got Reincarnated As a CEO in Another World And Now My Lover Has A Boyfriend'?"
Callum deadpanned. "That would make a terrible anime title."
Genesis waved a hand. "We'll workshop it. Seriously, Callum. What's going on with you two? Because you organized this lovely breakfast picnic despite the fact that it rained last night."
"Thanks for pointing that out," Callum muttered.
"Seriously. The grass is wet."
"We found a dry spot."
Genesis raised a brow. "So?"
Callum's gaze drifted to Micah, who was laughing as he swatted Rosa's hands away.
"Micah is happy and safe right now," he said simply. "That's all that matters."
That was what was important. That Micah was smiling. That fate had decided to spare him, at least for today.
He was alive and well, that was enough.
"Whatcha gossiping about?" Micah asked, plopping down beside them.
Callum forced himself to push the thoughts away, managing a smile.
"Just planning how to make your day amazing."
A faint blush crept up Micah's cheeks. "It's already amazing."
And it was about to get a whole lot more eventful.
The group stopped their chatter enough to focus a bit on the food and once it had been shaved down significantly, they packed the leftovers packed up for later.
That was it, the end of Callum's hastily planned wet grass picnic. Unsurprisingly, Rosa had more in store for them.
"Behold!" She declared, slapping a flyer onto the picnic blanket.
A brightly colored banner announced the first day of a pop-up arts and crafts market.
"Art market!" Micah gasped.
"You're welcome," Rosa said smugly.
Micah turned to Callum. "Are you coming with us?"
It wasn't like Callum could leave him alone on account of the whole 'I'm afraid he will die and I have to be there to be his human shield' thing. Still, he didn't want to feel like an intruder.
"Only if you want me to," he replied.
Micah's eyes were soft, and it was so unfair that he looked at Callum like that.
"I want you to."
***
Callum drove in comfortable silence, if you ignored the fact that Micah was in the passenger seat, singing loudly and off-key to a string of pop songs.
It wasn't unbearable.
It was familiar.
And, usually, Callum would've teased him about it. Now, he was trying not to think too hard— about the company, about Micah, about fate and whether it had really changed its mind.
Micah had made it to twenty-four. That should have been relief enough
So why did Callum still feel like he was waiting for the other shoe to drop?
Micah suddenly turned up the volume, shaking his shoulders dramatically to the music. "C'mon, Callum! Sing with me!"
Callum gave him a flat look. "We're almost there. If you're trying to get me to crash the car, you're going about it the right way."
Micah pouted. "You are no fun."
Callum smirked. "We both know that's not true."
By the time they arrived at the pop-up market, Elle, Rosa, and Genesis were already waiting at the entrance, standing in a three-way handhold that Callum still wasn't sure how to mentally process.
Micah practically buzzed with excitement as they started making their way through the stalls.
Callum found himself watching—not just Micah's excitement, but the way Elle, Rosa, and Genesis moved together. The way Genesis leaned into Rosa's shoulder, the way Elle pulled both of them toward a stall selling hand-carved jewelry.
Micah sighed happily, watching them ahead.
"I'm so happy for them," he said.
Callum tilted his head. "Even though it feels like your moms married your coworker?"
Micah laughed, the sound bright and genuine. "Yeah."
Callum said nothing at first.
Then, casually, "Could you ever do what they're doing? Be in a relationship with two people?"
Micah started to shake his head. Stopped.
Then, slowly, a blush spread across his cheeks.
And he nodded.
Callum didn't let his surprise show. He simply filed the reaction away, storing it somewhere dangerous and private.
Micah tilted his head toward him. "You?"
Callum's mind flashed to Edric, to past nights watching him sleep with women in silk sheets, to orgies behind closed doors, to the threesome that almost happened with Willow and Nathan.
To the sound of Micah's breathing over his headphones when their avatars were in bed with Aphrodite.
He exhaled. "Ask me another time."
"No fair!" Micah protested.
Callum smirked. "We're not here for me to be fair. We're here so you can have fun."
Quickly looking for a distraction, he steered Micah toward a stall displaying Pantheon fan art.
At the front was a gorgeous poster of Aphrodite in both male and female forms, striking a mirrored pose. The caption beneath read:
'Gender? Optional. Heartbreak? Guaranteed.'
Aphrodite was wearing even less clothing than in official Pantheon art.
Callum exhaled sharply, muttering, "Oh, fuck me."
Micah heard it and chuckled.
"Not a fan of fan art, Mr. Pierce?" he teased.
Callum dragged a hand over his face. "I didn't say that, it's just—"
Micah picked out a few keychains, holding them up proudly. "Fandom is the best! We get so many talented artists creating so many things!"
"And community," Genesis chimed in, suddenly appearing behind them.
"Is Callum against fandom culture?" Elle asked, amused.
Callum sighed. "I'm not against it. I just… haven't fully sunken into it."
Callum was used to enjoying things alone. He'd never felt the need to engage with other fans, to be part of something.
Micah gasped dramatically, feigning shock. "You monster!" He turned to Genesis. "Come on, call him a monster."
Genesis snorted. "You quit. I'd still like to keep my job, thank you very much."
Callum smirked. "Smart girl."
Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw two people. Staring. Whispering.
"Isn't that Callum Pierce?"
"Holy shit, did you hear about that explosion at Catalyst?"
"That guy beside him—you don't think…?"
Fuck.
Callum's entire body went rigid.
He immediately grabbed the poster and keychains and slammed a wad of cash onto the stall's table.
"We'll take these."
The seller's eyes lit up, looking like they'd just hit the jackpot. "Oh! Of course—!"
"Keep the change," Callum muttered.
Then he grabbed Micah by the wrist and steered them away from the area.
Micah resisted, frowning. "You didn't have to pay!"
Callum stopped, turned to him, and met his gaze deeply. Gently, he touched Micah's hand.
"It's your birthday, Micah," Callum said, softly, sincerely. "Let me spoil you."
Micah's famous blush made its grand entrance.
For a moment, Callum almost forgot about the whispers. About the fact that people were recognizing him. It was like his whole world revolved around Micah's expressions; his sheepish smiles, his laughter, his blushes.
"Still…" Micah murmured.
"Besides," Callum interrupted smoothly, "maybe I'll get into fandom culture better if I interact with it in an environment like this."
He reached for the nearest booth, plucked a hat from the stand, and put it on. "I'm having so much fun already."
Micah took one look at him and immediately burst into laughter.
Callum frowned. "What?"
Micah, barely able to breathe through his cackling, managed, "You didn't tell me you were a fan of 'I Became The Primordial Goddess But All Everyone Wants To Do Is Stare At My Boobs.'"
Callum froze.
There was no way in hell that was a real show.
Frowning, he turned—
And stared at the stall he'd taken the hat from.
It was covered in merchandise featuring a scantily clad anime woman with the biggest boobs he had ever seen.
The sign above the booth confirmed his worst fears:
'I BECAME THE PRIMORDIAL GODDESS BUT ALL EVERYONE WANTS TO DO IS STARE AT MY BOOBS' MERCH.
The booth attendant looked annoyed.
Callum exhaled through his nose, dead inside.
"I'm going to pay for this now," he muttered.
Micah just laughed and laughed and laughed.