Chapter 478: The Joy of Nurturing
Stark was about to leave for vacation, making Solomon's timing perfect.
His jokes didn't stop him from getting the data he wanted.
After transferring the files to a portable hard drive, he borrowed a room at Stark's place to change his clothes.
Even though the Holy Shroud robes didn't hinder his movements, Solomon didn't think they were appropriate for running around London's streets.
---
Although the semester had ended in early December, Merton College still hosted numerous Christmas events—including a grand Christmas feast that looked indistinguishable from Hogwarts.
Merton's Christmas dinner was the best in Oxford—that was undeniable.
Other colleges had to purchase tickets just to attend.
Solomon's professors planned to introduce him—their most outstanding undergraduate—to prominent figures in academia and Whitehall.
(After all, the A40 and A34 highways had been built specifically to facilitate travel between Whitehall and Oxford, maintaining close ties and ensuring the university received policy privileges and funding.)
Not even Margaret Thatcher could abolish that tradition.
If Solomon skipped the dinner, he might as well kiss his place at Merton goodbye.
---
He also needed to call Darcy and Jane Foster, reminding them to bring in the plants from the research lab's balcony before they froze to death.
The two weren't going home for the holidays—they planned to stay at the lab with Dr. Selvig instead.
London hadn't seen a single snowflake this Christmas—just southwest winds and rain.
Solomon worried that his potted plants wouldn't survive the damp cold.
---
His schedule today was packed.
- Before the sun set, he needed to visit all the people on his list.
- After checking in with his mentors and professors, he planned to take Bayonetta to Covent Garden and Winter Wonderland, letting the witch experience London's Christmas magic.
- They could feed reindeer, go ice skating, ride the giant Ferris wheel, and taste cuisines from around the world.
It was a meticulously planned date.
He hoped Bayonetta would enjoy it.
But to avoid Jeanne's icy glare and Bayonetta's teasing smirk, he invited both of them—along with the round, barrel-shaped fat cat—so Jeanne and the witch's pet wouldn't be bored at home.
If Phoenix and Pegasus weren't so conspicuous, he would have invited them too.
Instead, he promised Phoenix a bowl of smoked blue mussels and Pegasus a basket of off-season grapes.
---
Inevitably, Solomon would end up trailing behind them, carrying the cat backpack, while Bayonetta and Jeanne happily shopped.
It made the usually composed Solomon sulk a little.
But Bayonetta loved it when he acted like this—
Because it meant that around her, Solomon was fully human, capable of showing real emotions.
And that was her greatest victory over Athena—
That only she could give Solomon a true sense of family warmth.
---
Kamar-Taj wasn't a home—
It was too cold, and there were too many people.
"Oh, darling!"
Bayonetta wrapped her slender arms around Solomon's shoulders, blinking playfully.
Her rosy tongue teasingly traced her lips.
Now that Solomon had grown taller, he stood eye to eye with her.
Without her high heels, she could comfortably lean against him.
Her bare toes pressed onto his shoes, her arms looping around his neck.
When she pulled him closer, it felt as if she might pounce on him altogether.
Being slightly taller, Bayonetta looked down at him, grinning.
Solomon had to shift his potted plant to one arm and support her with the other, his hand gripping the sheer fabric covering her curvaceous hips.
As always, Bayonetta was barely dressed—
A lacy black bodysuit covered only the essentials.
To most, she was too tall and slender.
But to Solomon, she was perfection.
She relished his touch—his warm fingers sinking into her soft skin, exploring greedily.
His desire for her never waned—it was rough, unyielding, and endlessly hungry.
She tilted his chin, kissing him deeply.
Her long, silky black hair cascaded over his shoulders like a midnight waterfall.
---
To others, Solomon was a king, a god, a ruthless sorcerer, a symbol of merciless power.
But to Bayonetta, he was just her little pup.
She had watched him grow from childhood, witnessing every step of his journey.
This was the joy of nurturing—
The satisfaction of shaping someone into a man.
Especially after he had defeated her father, the memories of time itself had twisted their bond, adding a deeper layer to their connection.
---
Solomon held his breath, savoring the moment.
There was nowhere else he would rather be.
The scent of roses filled his senses, seeping into his veins.
Whenever he spoke her name, the fragrance would linger on his lips until the end of time.
"Mmm… Bayonetta!"
"Oh, don't be shy. You're adorable when you pout!"
She purred, her voice a soft caress.
"Don't hold back—I like it rough, Boya."
"Jeanne is still here!"
"Oh? Then we can move to the bedroom—"
---
In the end, Bayonetta dragged him back to bed, and Solomon missed dinner entirely, ending up combining it with breakfast the next day.
"Don't look at me like that—I have no idea what happened either!"
Solomon rolled his eyes at Jeanne.
Both of them exchanged unimpressed expressions, silently battling with eye-rolls over the breakfast table.
By the time Bayonetta finally woke up in the afternoon, the reindeer at Covent Garden would have just arrived.
Reindeer.
Solomon buried his face in his hands.
Last night, he had mentioned the reindeer to Bayonetta—
And she had immediately put a Santa hat on his head.
Then she had worn a pair of reindeer antlers herself.
Where the hell did she even get those?!
---
Meanwhile, elsewhere…
"Motherfcker! How did you send Christmas gifts to my agents?!"
"Their locations are classified!"
"Did you steal S.H.I.E.L.D.'s records?!"
The man on the phone was furious—utterly ignoring the holiday spirit.
Solomon silently hung up.
He had zero interest in entertaining Nick Fury's tantrum.
The guy was obviously pissed because all the agents he knew had received presents—
Except for him.
---
Every S.H.I.E.L.D. agent—
Including Coulson's team and Agent Victoria Hand—
Had received Christmas cards from Solomon.
He had even used an army of pigeons to deliver them.
It had taken an entire loaf of bread to bribe those greedy little bastards in Trafalgar Square.
But even that wasn't enough—
The fat pigeons still wanted more.
---
"Solomon~"
---
"Coming, darling."
Solomon shrugged, turning off his phone.
He quickened his pace, weaving through a circus float, past hula hoop performers, until he reached Bayonetta's side.
He greeted the fat cat nestled in her arms, then leaned in to kiss the witch's lips.
"Mmm! Basil!"
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