---
Henry was on his way home.
It had been so many years since he'd seen his family. He had missed them deeply during all the time he spent in the Flaxan dimension.
He was no longer wearing his uniform — after he and Eve returned to Earth, they had agreed to meet up after visiting their parents.
Henry landed in front of his house, feeling like a distant son who had been away from his family for far too long.
Before knocking on the door, he hesitated a little...
He just didn't have the courage right away.
After a moment, he finally knocked.
Someone opened the door...
It was his father, Elliot. It had been so long since Henry had seen him.
"Who's there?" his father asked as he opened the door.
Elliot opened it fully and saw a bearded young man standing at the doorstep.
"Henry? Is that you?" Elliot said, shocked by how much his son had changed. It felt like Henry had only left the house a few hours ago — and now he was back with a full beard.
"My boy, what happened to you? Are you okay?" Elliot asked, pulling Henry into a hug.
His father was taller than him, and he had always treated Henry with love, even though Henry wasn't his biological son. Henry had always been deeply grateful for that.
Henry threw his arms around his dad and hugged him tightly.
"Dad... I missed you so much," Henry said, tears streaming down his face.
Elliot was caught off guard by the hug but held onto his son.
"I don't know what happened... but you're here now. That's what matters," Elliot said warmly.
"Who is it? Who's there?" came a woman's voice.
It was Henry's mother, Lia.
She appeared behind her husband and saw her son.
His face looked different now, but it didn't stop her from recognizing him. She had cared for him since he was just a baby.
"My son... I was so worried about you," Lia said, wrapping him in a warm embrace.
"Mom...?"
Henry needed this.
Both his parents embraced him, and after a few tears, Henry finally stepped inside.
As he walked through the house, a wave of nostalgia hit him hard.
"You're looking around like you haven't been here in years," Lia said with a smile.
"I... I just missed it so much," Henry answered.
"Why all the nostalgia?" Elliot asked.
"I don't know..." Henry said quietly.
Truthfully, Henry didn't want to tell his parents that he had ruled an alien empire in another dimension for several years... so many years, in fact, that he was now older than they were.
It was better for them to believe he was still just their normal boy.
Even if... he was anything but normal.
As Henry wandered through the house, he spotted someone.
His brother.
"Wally, it's you!" Henry said, rushing over and lifting him off the ground.
"Put me down, you werewolf! I don't even know you!" Wally shouted.
"It's me, Wally! Don't you recognize me?"
"I don't know any werewolves!" Wally snapped.
"I'm your brother..." Henry said, a little deflated.
Was his beard really that bad?
"Take it easy on your brother, Wally. He's just... different," his mother said, trying to help.
"Don't say that, honey. You're making it worse," Elliot muttered.
Henry wore a blank expression.
Was his beard really that bad? Why didn't anyone tell him?
He put Wally down.
"It's good to see you too, little brother..." Henry said, a little disappointed.
He started to climb the stairs, disheartened.
"Don't listen to him, son. Your beard's not that bad," Elliot said, trying to cheer him up.
"Thanks, Dad..." Henry mumbled.
Just as he was about to reach the top of the stairs, someone knocked at the door.
"Who is it?" Elliot asked.
"I don't know. You go check," Lia said.
Elliot opened the door.
It was Eve.
"Eve?" Elliot asked.
"What happened to you two? And... what are you wearing?" he said, noticing Eve's hair was much longer and even more beautiful.
"Hi, Mr. Elliot. It's so good to see you. Is Henry home?" Eve asked warmly.
"Eve?" Henry called out, instantly brightening when he heard her voice.
"Don't be shy, dear. Come on in," Lia said, inviting her inside.
"Thank you," Eve said, stepping in.
Without any hesitation, she climbed a few steps and kissed Henry in front of his parents.
Their kiss was much more intense and passionate than anything Henry's parents ever showed.
Henry blushed.
To be fair, he wasn't exactly the innocent boy he had been years ago, but doing that in front of his parents still made him nervous.
His parents already knew they were dating — but they didn't realize the relationship had... evolved.
"Ahem... excuse us," Henry said, grabbing Eve's hand and leading her toward the backyard.
"Okay..." Lia said, amused.
Meanwhile, Wally stared at them wide-eyed.
His big brother wasn't just strong — he had a gorgeous girlfriend too.
Could life get any better?
Henry led Eve outside. They sat together at a small table.
There was only one chair, so Eve sat on Henry's lap, holding his hands.
"How was it with your parents?" Henry asked.
"It had been so long... I didn't even know how to react.
I don't think I love them anymore... I barely recognized them.
I just had to come see you," Eve said sadly, tears welling up in her eyes.
"I know exactly how you feel... I thought the same thing.
We had a life back there.
Do you think we should've left sooner?" Henry asked.
"I don't know..." Eve said, lost in thought.
"How did they treat you when they saw you?" he asked.
"Good... but that's not the problem.
The problem is that... I didn't feel the way I thought I would," Eve said, lowering her eyes.
"Eve, look at me. None of this is your fault," Henry said softly, lifting her chin to meet his gaze.
"Thank you..." Eve whispered, resting her head against his chest.
Henry rested his chin gently on her head.
Eve felt his beard and lifted her head, giving him a playful look.
"You need to shave that beard. It's time. Why haven't you yet?" Eve teased.
"No... not the beard... I'm not shaving," Henry muttered, looking away.
Eve ran her fingers through his beard, giving him that look.
Henry knew that look.
It was the look she gave him when she really wanted something.
He was defenseless against it.
"It's not gonna work... I'm not shaving it.
No matter how much you look at me like that," Henry said stubbornly.
Eve kept staring at him sweetly.
"You can forget it. I'm not doing it..." Henry insisted.
"Fine... I'll shave it — but because I want to, not because you're bossing me around," Henry finally relented.
Eve smiled playfully.
"Uh-huh, sure."
---
Henry and Eve were in the bathroom.
Henry had pulled up a stool and was sitting in front of the mirror, holding a razor.
But not just any razor — it was forged from an extremely rare metal he had found in the Flaxan dimension.
The Flaxans had stolen it from Viltrumites.
After Henry became emperor, he had access to all these rare metals... and had forged himself a special razor.
He picked it up and started shaving.
The blade was incredibly sharp — sharp enough to cut through almost anything — but even then, Henry struggled to shave his facial hair.
It had always been hard for him to shave or cut his hair.
Luckily, he didn't have much facial hair while living on Earth, and in the Flaxan dimension, he was often too lazy to bother.
He kept at it until he finally finished.
"You're looking so handsome... not like that caveman you were before," Eve teased.
"It wasn't that bad..." Henry muttered.
Eve raised an eyebrow at him.
"Maybe you're right. Just a little."
He looked very different now.
Henry admired himself in the mirror.
He looked young again — his face smooth and clean.
"What a difference. Now about your hair..." Eve said, helping him with a mirror.
Eve did whatever she could to help.
Henry used his own fingernails — sharp as blades — to trim the leftover hair.
Finally, he was done.
He cut his hair short.
Eve cleaned up the mess in the bathroom.
"How do I look?" Henry asked.
"You look great. You don't look like a homeless guy anymore," Eve laughed.
"You'll pay for that," Henry said, grabbing her and kissing her all over.
"Not there! It tickles!" Eve giggled.
He knew exactly where her weak spot was — her neck — and he kissed it relentlessly.
After a while, Henry pulled back, looking serious.
"Stay here with me tonight... I feel so weird when you're not around," he said softly.
"I feel the same way," Eve replied.
They had spent almost all their time together in the Flaxan dimension, relying on each other for comfort and company.
Other aliens were around, but they were so different from humans that Eve never really bonded with them.
She and Henry knew each other better than anyone else ever could.
"Where are we gonna sleep?" Eve asked.
---
Eve was now in Henry's bedroom, looking around curiously. It felt strange — this was her husband's bedroom.
They had gotten married while living in the Flaxan dimension, in a simple ceremony.
Henry had given her a wedding ring, and they had been married for years.
She wandered through the room, noticing the posters, the toys — so many things she wasn't familiar with.
She stopped at a shelf filled with action figures and laughed softly.
Henry noticed.
"What? I liked them, okay?" Henry said defensively.
"I'm not judging you. I think it's adorable," Eve said.
Henry had collected toys, posters, and all kinds of things.
He showed her around proudly.
"There's only one bed, Eve..." Henry pointed out.
"And? You're sleeping on the floor, obviously," Eve teased.
"Very funny, dear..." Henry said, throwing himself onto the single bed.
"I really need to get a bigger bed..." Henry muttered.
Eve followed and lay down next to him.
They were cramped, but honestly, neither of them minded.
They loved being that close.
"We need to get our own place. We can't keep living with our parents," Eve said.
"You're right... I can't stay here forever.
Will you come with me?" Henry asked.
"Of course. But where are we going to live?" Eve asked.
Henry thought about it.
"I'll figure it out tomorrow," he sighed.
Eve was lying next to him under the blanket.
She climbed onto his waist, removing her shirt and leaving only her bra.
"How about a quickie?" Eve whispered sensually in his ear.
"My parents will hear..." Henry said nervously.
Eve kept undressing, standing there in just her panties.
"Are you sure?" she asked playfully.
Henry swallowed hard.
"A quickie... I guess it won't hurt," he said, pulling off his pants.
Eve helped him take off his shirt, and soon they were under the covers together.
---