"So how is it, Sir? Is it good?"
"Well... it tastes great. You're a good cook," Clarke replied with a smile.
Mystica's cheeks reddened upon hearing that praise. She was still a regular woman despite her status as Supervillain, so she would also feel shy when a man she liked actually gave her a compliment.
"T—Then, I'll cook some more soon," Mystica said. She turned around and walked away happily.
"Ah, you don't need to—"
SLAM.
"—cook more…"
Clarke sighed. He picked a bottle of water on the coffee table and drank the entire bottle without pause. He wanted to say that the macaron tasted like shit, but he didn't want to hurt Gaia's feelings.
"Ah, I guess I got too used to eating my wife's cooking. It seriously tastes like shit, bleh!" Clarke complained. He also realized how he had been suffering for a while by eating so much trashy food compared to what his wife usually cooked daily.
Even when he ordered it from the high-class Michelin restaurants, none of them were good enough compared to Gaius' cooking. It was just that homely, and… it made Clarke miss his previous life before these busy projects, honestly.
"Ah, maybe I can have dinner with him and the kids today…."
Clarke decided to just call his wife, and after a few beeps, Gaius finally picked up the call.
…
…
"W—Wife?"
"What?" Gaius replied curtly. He wasn't in the mood to talk with Clarke. He was actually surprised that Clarke would finally call him out of the blue, but he didn't want to sound like a desperate housewife.
"Uh…" Clarke gulped. He didn't know how to say that he wanted to eat whatever thing Gaius cooked for him.
It was always like this though, no matter how strong he was as a Superbman, he was still inept to handle his wife.
"W—What will you cook for dinner tonight?" Clarke asked nervously.
…
"It's none of your business. Since you'll be eating outside again tonight, right?"
Clarke could hear the sarcasm in Gaius' voice. His wife must've been pretty mad after their relationship turned cold for the whole week. Now the guilt in his heart stockpiled even more. He didn't know how to say sorry.
And he felt that Gaius should've tolerated him. Everything was for Gaius and the kids in the end. He, as Superbman, didn't need this money and stuff. Heck, Clarke could even go for years without eating anything. It was just a habit to eat to appear more human.
"It's my business because I'll be eating dinner in the house tonight," Clarke said.
"Hm? I'm only preparing the food for three people, me, Hermes, and Artemis. Nobody else is invited for dinner," Gaius denied pettily.
Now Clarke actually got annoyed by his wife's tantrum. He didn't have time to argue with Gaius all day while what he wanted was just a small dinner with his family, nothing more!
"Look, I know you're angry with me, but I'm in the mood to eat dinner with the kids! If you don't want to accompany me for dinner, then at least let me eat with my kids!"
"So now you suddenly care with your kids? What do you think they're? Your pets!?"
"Oh, come on! Why are you making things difficult right now? Goddamn it!"
"Me? Making things difficult?!" Gaius scoffed. He was angry that Clarke didn't seem to be able to get his point. He hadn't been with them for a while, and now he just wanted to eat with them because he was in the mood?!
"Why don't you see how you haven't even talked with the kids for almost two weeks! Two fucking weeks, Clarke Gaist! Even Artemis said that Daddy will never talk to her anymore!"
"Well, that's because I'm busy here! And don't curse at me! I'm working for my family, not for myself!" Clarke started to raise his voice. He was working for his family. He didn't deserve to get cursed by his beloved wife!
"You think Hermes and Artemis know about this job that makes you unable to come home? Oh, come on, Clarke, they are kids! They only know that their Dad isn't going to talk with them!"
"That's your job to make them understand! You stay with them the most! Goddamn it!" Clarke was frustrated. He didn't want to fight with Gaius, but why did everything always turn like this whenever they talked nowadays.
It was always one fight after another, and it was tiring for Clarke.
"Look, I don't care whatever you said. I just want to have a nice dinner today and then talk with my kids. There are no buts! Prepare the dinner, and I'll see you in the evening!"
Click.
Clarke hung up the phone and threw the phone on the sofa, "Argh, damn it! Why does it turn out like this!"
Clarke sat on the sofa, covering his face as he felt his fight with Gaius was so ridiculous. He didn't even know why Gaius was so upset!
"Argh, this is frustrating! Isn't it obvious that I'm working hard for them? I really want this project to succeed because I want to give them a good life! Maybe we can move to a better place, a nice big house of our own! Why can't Gaius understand!?"
**
Meanwhile, Yunyu was so angry when Clarke hung up abruptly, "That jerk doesn't even know what he has been doing wrong!"
Pupa materialized in front of Yunyu, and it detected a weird mood swing from him, "Calm down, you have unstable emotion right now."
"Well, duh! Of course, I have an unstable emotion when talking with someone so dense as Clarke!" Yunyu yelled. He felt the growing anger inside his heart that turned into blind hatred whenever he heard Clarke talking nowadays.
"No, this is different. This kind of unstable mood swing shouldn't be possible without any external influence…." Pupa said. "But I can't detect anything that might've influenced you, not even a mental attack from someone. Seriously, this is so strange."
"Argh, whatever! I just hate him now!" Yunyu yelled again. "If he wants to eat at home, then I'll not talk to him at all! Let the kids see what kind of ignorant Dad they have!"