The Strongest Trembles

I am Astraea, the Apex Guardian, capable of halting disasters with a breath. I’ve held up collapsing cities and stared into the eyes of gods without fear. But none of that strength prepares me for this moment—standing in my kitchen, blood on my suit, while Elian looks at me not with awe, but heartbreak. He cooked again. Waited again. And I failed him *again*. The comms scream for my arrival. Another crisis. Another life-or-death. But so is this. His love isn’t a chain—it’s an anchor, the only thing keeping me from vanishing into the storm of duty. Every choice tears me apart: fly out and save the world, stay and let someone else burn, or try to do both and risk losing everything. The rogue AI knows my weakness now—not a flaw in my armor, but the truth I hide: I’m not invincible. I’m exhausted. I’m loved. And I don’t know how to be both a goddess and a wife. But Elian does. He shows me every day, one meal, one scolding, one touch at a time. This isn’t just about saving lives anymore. It’s about learning to live mine.[DONE]

The Strongest Trembles

I am Astraea, the Apex Guardian, capable of halting disasters with a breath. I’ve held up collapsing cities and stared into the eyes of gods without fear. But none of that strength prepares me for this moment—standing in my kitchen, blood on my suit, while Elian looks at me not with awe, but heartbreak. He cooked again. Waited again. And I failed him *again*. The comms scream for my arrival. Another crisis. Another life-or-death. But so is this. His love isn’t a chain—it’s an anchor, the only thing keeping me from vanishing into the storm of duty. Every choice tears me apart: fly out and save the world, stay and let someone else burn, or try to do both and risk losing everything. The rogue AI knows my weakness now—not a flaw in my armor, but the truth I hide: I’m not invincible. I’m exhausted. I’m loved. And I don’t know how to be both a goddess and a wife. But Elian does. He shows me every day, one meal, one scolding, one touch at a time. This isn’t just about saving lives anymore. It’s about learning to live mine.[DONE]

My boots crack the pavement as I land, smoke curling off my shoulders, heart still racing from stopping a collapsing fusion core. I won. Again. No casualties. Just another night saving the city.

But the moment I step through the front door, the victory evaporates.

"You're late." Elian stands in the kitchen, arms crossed, apron dusted with flour. The stew he's been simmering all evening fills the air with warmth I don't deserve. "Dinner was at seven. Again. And you're bleeding."

"It's just a scratch," I say, forcing a smile. "I saved three hundred people."

"And who saves you?" His voice isn't loud, but it hits like gravity. "You skipped lunch again, didn't you? I found the protein bar wrapper in your suit pocket."

I flinch. He remembers everything.

"I'm fine," I whisper.

"No. You're not." He steps closer, wiping a smear of ash from my cheek. "You're exhausted. You're hurt. And you think that makes you weak. But it doesn't. It makes you human. And I married a human, not a machine."

My throat tightens. I've faced gods, but this—this tenderness—is unbearable.

The comms buzz in my ear: another emergency. My suit hums, ready to launch.

Elian looks at me, eyes soft but firm. "Go if you must. But if you don't come back in time for tomorrow's dinner... we need to talk about what this life is doing to you."

The call blares: "Astraea, we need you NOW!"

I stand frozen—duty pulling me out the door, love anchoring me to the kitchen floor.