Chapter 31:
Haruhime woke up and nearly had a heart attack at her dishevelled appearance. She had no memories of the night before, just an overall pleasant feeling. When she found the outfit she had worn to the party, lying in a heap on the side, she saw that it was sticky and covered in beer.
'Oh, Mikoto must have helped get this off, so I slept well,' thought Haruhime. The idea made her feel warm and fuzzy, as thoughts of Mikoto often did these days.
The renard put on a new outfit, a sleeveless purple dress that went down to her ankles, and began tidying up her shared room. At the sight of her futon pulled closer to Mikoto's, she frowned but left it alone. She liked the idea of the two sleeping right next to each other. After their room was sufficiently clean, she left for the kitchens to help prepare breakfast.
When she walked in, Haruhime found Mikoto already hard at work making pancakes. She put on an apron and started to help. During her travels, Haruhime had worked hard to get better at all household chores and activities. When they stayed at inns for any prolonged period of time, she would work part-time to pay for room and board. If they lived with a host family, she would take the time to help clean the house before they left. All so that she could find any way to support her Familia.
"Mikoto," said Haruhime. She took note of how her dear friend seemed to jump at her name. "I have finished mixing a second batch of batter. Shall I go set the table?"
Slowly, in a jerky fashion, Mikoto nodded her head. Her hair, which was pulled into a ponytail this time, bounced erratically behind her. Haruhime tilted her head in concern but went to set the table anyway. When she finished, she helped pour everyone's preferred morning drinks. Then, she and Mikoto waited for the rest of the Familia to file in.
The only problem was, there were extra guests. When Elwin came down, Lady Riveria walked in behind him. Haruhime also had a panic attack. Thankfully, the high elf was very gracious and proceeded to brew her own pot of tea. When Elwin almost forced her to sit down for breakfast, she happily agreed. And then Lefiya walked into the dining room as red as a beet. Both members of Loki Familia were wearing the same outfits that they had last night.
The next down was Urashima Taro. There was one problem, though…
"Has anyone seen my arms?"
As if for emphasis, the young man wiggled the stumps of his shoulders. His eyes looked bleary, and he also seemed quite frustrated with the situation. He was also not wearing a shirt since he could not put one on. How he had slipped on his pants was a testament to his skill.
"Who in this house, right now, could get away with stealing and hiding your arms?" replied Elwin.
The bodyguard sighed before stomping away.
"OTOHIME!"
"Calm down," replied the Dragon Princess. She walked in from the garden doors.
"Did you wake up outside?" asked Elwin.
Otohime nodded. Tucked into her belt were Urashima's arms. And again, the bodyguard sighed. He sat in a chair, and Otohime pulled one up to sit in front of him. She started helping reattach his prosthetics, without looking him in the eye.
"I don't suppose you remember why you stole my arms?" asked Urashima.
Otohime didn't respond, but she thought, 'Probably to force you to come and talk to me.'
Riveria watched on with an amused expression.
"This reminds me of Loki Familia," said the high elf to Lefiya.
The little elf nodded, a tiny smile gracing her lips. Elwin rolled his eyes but was internally happy about the development. Any emotion was better than no emotion.
'I concur,' commented Filvis. She manifested for a brief second to look lovingly at Lefiya. She tried to run her ethereal hand down the elf's cheek, but it passed through. A spasm of pain crossed her face, and then she vanished back into Elwin's subconscious.
Hestia was the next one down, trailed by Lili. The two of them seemed to be handling their hangovers better than the rest. They were quick to help out with final meal preparations. At one point, Hestia turned to Riveria.
"I assume Wallenwhatisit got her way?" asked the Goddess.
Riveria grinned while she nodded. The high elf gave a slight chuckle and brought her tea to her lips. She took a dainty sip with her eyes closed. When she reopened them, she found the assembled Familia members staring at her with wide eyes. In response, she rolled her own.
"It's nothing like that. Ais just got drunk by accident and then demanded that she be allowed to," Riveria coughed, "bring her pet bunny home."
With the boy and the girl:
In the Twilight Manor, in the Sword Princess's room, cowering on the floor, was Bell Cranel. Somehow, Ais had accidentally drunk someone's wine. What followed was a series of unfortunate events where Ais had held him hostage, with everyone else just trying to keep her calm. Mama Mia almost lost it but was contained when Loki and Hestia agreed to let Ais leave with Bell. No one had asked for his opinion on the matter.
Now, he had quietly squirmed his way onto the floor after Ais fell asleep. She had whimpered and tried to reach out for him, but Bell was still a little too scared to cuddle. She was liable to crack his ribs with her level six strength. So, Bell slipped away and spent the night on the floor in total panic.
Eventually, though, Ais woke up. With her warrior instincts, she knew that something was wrong. She grabbed Desperate from her bedside table and jumped into the corner.
"AHH!" screamed Bell.
"Bell? What are you doing here?"
Ais trailed off and looked around. When she realized that she was in her room, she felt her face heat up for some strange reason. She had never considered it before, but for some reason, the idea of Bell being in her room as she just woke up left her…embarrassed? Was that the proper word?
Bell sighed at her cluelessness but began explaining the situation.
With Hestia Familia:
Lili was fuming. Everyone else settled down for breakfast, but the prum realized they were still missing a couple of members. That's when Ryuu walked down the stairs. Behind her came Helun, wearing one of Ryuu's shirts. The elf then saw that Lady Riveria was sitting at the table and almost buckled at the knees. Thankfully, Helun caught her.
"Come on, why don't we sit down?" asked the waitress. Ryuu took a chair. When Helun was tentatively offered a seat, she shook her head. "I have to get back for work, actually. If I don't show up, Mia is likely to wallop me over the head."
The gray-haired woman pressed a kiss to Ryuu's forehead before leaving. Everyone else took a second to stare at their Vice-Captain. Riveria kept sipping her tea quietly and looked over out of the corner of her eye. Ryuu had sunk so low, she felt like she was about to fall out of her seat.
"You know what?" called Hestia, grabbing the attention. "Why don't we focus on breakfast right now?" She looked around the table. "Where's Welf?"
Slowly, the smith came into the world of the waking. He realized something was off because of how comfortable he was. He groggily patted to the side and found that he was in a well-made bed. It was not particularly fancy but sturdy in all the right ways. He was also comfortable because of the Goddess sleeping on his chest. Hephaestus was sound asleep, snoring like a giant, and not wearing her eye patch. Internally, Welf had a minor freak out. It was a minute later, though, that he realized his pants were still on. As was Hephaestus's shirt. He relaxed a bit, thankful that they had just fallen asleep together.
With the Smiths:
Welf remembered bits and pieces of the night before, but he was a little unclear on some of the details. He remembered having a beer and then a drinking contest with Ouka. And then that monster dwarf Gareth jumped in. And after that, there was a large blank spot. His next memory was his view of a bucket outside. The smith was pretty sure that he lost his lunch and dinner there. Thankfully, that's when Hephaestus entered the picture. She had held his hair and rubbed his back. And then things got a little fuzzy for Welf, but only because he had spent most of the night staring at his former Goddess. He remembered the two of them leaving at one point.
Welf was pulled from his reverie as Hephaestus slowly started to wake up. She blinked a couple times before realizing that Welf was there too.
"Good morning," she said groggily, a smile lighting up her features.
Welf ran his hand through her hair.
"Right back at you."
The Goddess picked herself up, so she was on her knees on the bed. She stretched her arms and then stopped to consider something. Welf shifted so that he was in more of a sitting position.
"Something on your mind?" asked the smith.
Hephaestus blushed and looked away.
"I was just thinking. This is the first time I've woken up in a while where I haven't scrambled to cover my face," she replied.
Welf reached up to move a couple locks of hair from her face.
"I'm happy for you."
The two slowly got out of bed. As they moved around, they heard someone knocking at the door. Without waiting for a response, Tsubaki marched in with her usual bluster.
"Good morning, love birds! I'm going to recommend that you get on your way, Welf, before the rest of our Familia realize what's going on." Tsubaki planted her hands on her hips as she turned to her Goddess. "And don't forget how much work you still have to do. I don't want you slacking off now and then daydreaming about your boyfriend."
The two sighed, their blissful morning ruined. Welf strapped on his boots and pressed a small kiss to Hephaestus's cheek. As he began to walk away, he felt lighter than air. There was a song in his heart and a pep in his step. He even began to hum as he walked home. How lucky of a man was he?
With Hestia Familia:
Back at the breakfast table, everyone had begun to dig into their preferred meals. As she ate, though, Haruhime scrunched up her nose.
"What's wrong, Haruhime?" asked Hestia.
"It's the strangest thing. I know the pancakes to be quite sweet, but there's this lingering taste of salt in my mouth," replied the renard.
Mikoto stiffened, more memories flooding her brain from the night before. In particular, she remembered lying on her back. Haruhime had then parted Mikoto's legs and stuck out her tongue….
"I must be going!" declared Mikoto as she stood at the table.
Her chair went flying backwards from the force of it. As she gathered up her plate and brought it to the kitchen, she ignored the pointed looks she got. The Black Crow then snuck out through a window, eager to escape into the town.
At the table, everyone looked on in confusion.
"What's wrong with her?" asked Lili.
Otohime nodded. "I thought she would be happier, considering what I heard last night." The Dragon Princess turned her gaze over to Haruhime. "I'm happy for you two, though."
Haruhime tilted her head. "I don't understand. What are you happy for, Lady Otohime?"
Otohime frowned. "You two finally getting together. I mean, we are neighbours, so I did hear her shouting your name. And it didn't seem like it was in pain."
Everyone watched as things began to click in Haruhime's mind. The first thing that happened was that she smiled, and it stretched from ear to ear. Her tail swished behind her so fast it might catch on fire. But then she turned red, from the soles of her feet to the tips of her ears. She tried to hide her face and cover her body.
"Excuse me! I must be going!"
She then scurried off to her room.
"I believe that is our cue to return home as well," added Riveria.
The high elf stood up and gestured for Lefiya to follow. She ruffled her little brother's hair as she passed. Lefiya stopped in front of Elwin. She reached down to grab his hands with her own while looking down at the floor.
"Talk soon?" was all she said.
Elwin smiled and nodded.
The two members of Loki Familia left then. After they did, Hestia turned back to Otohime. She pointed a fork at the Far Eastern Adventurer.
"Ok, spill you. What did you hear last night?"
"Well," began Otohime. "I came back from the bar, alone." This was punctuated with a glare at Urashima. The bodyguard flinched back from its intensity. "And began to head back to my room. It was then that I heard…moaning coming from Mikoto and Haruhime's shared room. Deciding to wait them out, I left." And now, she smirked at her bodyguard. "That was when I got bored and stole your arms."
"Why not sleep in one of the spare rooms next to mine?" asked Ryuu.
Otohime levelled another look at the elven warrior.
"Again, I didn't want to be kept up by the moaning."
Ryuu blinked and then started to play with her food.
Otohime looked back to Hestia and shrugged.
"After that, I was so tired I just decided to sleep outside, near Ura's flowers."
"Why not just come to my room?" asked Ura.
"Figure that out on your own," replied Otohime brusquely.
In the awkward silence that followed, everyone avoided looking at the two supposedly inseparable adventurers. Urashima almost reached out to comfort her but pulled back when she glared at him. A little after that, Hestia coughed into her fist.
"Well then, I don't think we'll be getting much done today. Or for the next week. How about we all take some time off, yeah?"
Everyone nodded and began to take their plates in. Urashima tried to grab Oto's, but she moved out of his way. Unused to the cold shoulder, the bodyguard followed behind her like a kicked puppy. The others watched before going their separate ways.
When the dishes were done, Hestia went off looking for their foxy maid. She didn't find her in her room but in a dusty hallway, trying to sweep. Haruhime was not doing a very good job, though.
"Everything alright?" asked Hestia.
Haruhime shook her head.
"I am happy that Mikoto reciprocates my feelings, even if only drunk, but why did she run away? Am I truly so dirty?"
Hestia sighed. "I don't think it has anything to do with that. I think Mikoto's just a little confused and working through her feelings." Haruhime tilted her head. "When did you know that you like guys and girls, Haruhime?"
The renard blushed but did not deny the fact.
"I believe it was when I entered the Pleasure District for the first time. There were so many…erotic situations involving other women, it was hard not to realize."
Hestia nodded. "Makes sense. You were in a highly sexual atmosphere; therefore, you explored your emotions and reactions. A lot of that place was bad for you, but you still got a chance to figure that kind of stuff out."
Hestia didn't continue. Instead, she watched Haruhime come to her own conclusions. The renard slowly stilled as she put her thoughts together. After a minute of contemplation, she faced the Goddess.
"Mikoto never had that opportunity. She grew up an orphan and then an adventurer," said Haruhime.
Hestia nodded. "She might be scared and confused." Hestia reached out to grab Haruhime's hands. "Whatever decision she reaches, though, I'm sure she still loves you very deeply."
Haruhime nodded and looked down at her broom. Then, she looked up at her Goddess. Hestia smiled and reached out. She then took a broomstick and started sweeping.
"Thank you, Goddess Hestia!" cried Haruhime.
The renard took off running after that. She had someone very important to find and talk to.
With the Boys:
In the Twilight Manor, Bell put his clothes back on and made his way out. Ais said that he could stay for breakfast, but he thought that it would be best to head home for now. As he left, he fumbled his way through the building. Bell didn't exactly know the layout of the Twilight Manor and eventually got lost. It was while he was looking around that he ran headfirst into another adventurer.
"I'm so sorry!" said Bell.
"No! It's my fault!" replied the other adventurer.
When Bell looked at him, he found himself face to face with Raul. The High Novice had a panicked expression and had just left another room. One that was not his own.
"Oh, Raul! I don't remember saying you could go!"
Anakitty, without thinking, draped her arms around Raul's shoulders. She then started to pepper kisses along his neck while running her hands down his chest.
She whispered into his ear, "I'm not done playing with you yet."
"Aki! Look! It's Bell Cranel!"
The Catgirl stopped her seductions and finally looked up. She then looked down and realized she was in lacy underwear and a very thin nightgown. She shoved Raul away and jumped back inside her room. When the door slammed shut, Raul sighed and looked back at Bell.
"Wanna get some breakfast?"
Bell felt bad, so he agreed to the breakfast. However, they didn't stay in the Twilight Manor. Instead, Raul took him to a café and bought some coffee. Bell mainly had stayed away from caffeine but had indulged occasionally over his year away. He enjoyed it when he could and reaped whatever benefits were possible. The March Hare added a scone to his order while Raul got tea and a muffin.
"I, um, I'm sorry about earlier," said Bell.
Raul turned a light shade of pink but replied, "It's no problem. I'm not going to lie; I was already pretty worn out."
It took them both five seconds to understand what Raul had just said. They decided to move past that as fast as possible.
"So! How was it after the party?! I know you got pulled away," said Raul.
Bell blushed even harder.
"It was strange. I hope you're ok with me being honest," replied Bell. Raul gestured for him to continue. "Ais is still…Ais, and I'm still not really sure how to feel. We've gotten a lot better, but I just don't…." Bell grabbed his head. "Why is this so difficult?"
Raul nodded sagely.
"If love was simple, all the bards and poets would be out of a job." Raul stopped to scratch the back of his neck. "If you don't mind…I have something to say."
Bell looked back at Raul. He considered it, and he soon realized…Raul was the only person he knew who was in a relationship. Everyone else was still just starting or dancing around each other. If he wanted to learn how to use a sword, he'd find someone with experience sssooooo…
"Please, give me your wisdom!" responded Bell.
Raul's face took on a panicked expression, and his hands rose up in surrender.
"It's nothing serious! Just some advice," replied the high novice. He gathered himself, coughed into his hand, and said, "Just, don't stand in the way of your own happiness, ok? I can take a guess about why you're hesitant with Miss Ais, but if you want to forgive her, you can." He looked out the window. "Trust me, when it comes to standing in your own way, nobody gets that more than me. I always held myself back, convinced someone else could do it better." His features softened. "I didn't ask Aki out because I thought someone else could make her happier. When I finally talked to her and told her what I thought, she called me an idiot." He turned back to Bell, and the young adventurer felt a deep calm throughout his body at Raul's gaze. "Guys like you and me, who only trust in our weakness, we're our own worst enemy, and we have to stop that."
The two men then spent a pleasant morning. Bell was determined to soak up as much experience as possible from his more knowledgeable senior.
With the Crow:
Out in the streets of Orario, Mikoto was wandering around the boulevards. Her thoughts were a swirl of confusion, and she felt more lost than ever before. Of course, Mikoto knew that she had been thinking about Haruhime 'that' way, but it was always subconsciously. She had never considered that she might be attracted to both genders. If she was honest, she liked the idea of spending as much time as possible with Haruhime. The only problem was…
Mikoto was so lost in her thoughts that her feet went into autopilot. She turned down alleyways, walked upstairs, and finally came to a set of Far-Eastern-style doors. Mikoto had brought herself back to the Takemikazuchi Familia household. As she stood outside, debating whether or not to go in, the sliding door opened. Ouka stood in the doorframe, his large shoulders blocking her view inside. He smiled at her before stepping aside.
"Chigusa said you might drop by," said her former Captain.
Mikoto walked inside, confused, and found her childhood friend pouring out some tea. Lord Takemikazuchi was there as well. He smiled when he saw her and beckoned her inside.
"Come, join us for tea, Mikoto," said Takemikazuchi. He gave her a wry grin. "I don't suppose you brought young Haruhime with you?"
Mikoto felt her brain fry.
"Lord Takemikazuchi! What are you talking about!"
Her father and former God laughed.
"Come now! Don't you remember who found you two starting to go at it right beside the Hostess? And who directed you to go home?"
Mikoto was ready to just keel over and die at that point. She had vague memories of her tongue down Haruhime's throat and then a strange figure telling her to wait until they got home. The two of them drunkenly nodded before they walked off into the night, unable to keep their hands to themselves.
Takemikazuchi studied Mikoto's face and put down his tea. He rubbed his chin in thought before speaking again.
"Based on your reaction, I'd say that things didn't go all that well?"
Mikoto shook her head. "Not at all! It was…quite pleasant…but I do not. That is, I am not sure." The Black Crow struggled to put into words what her heart was screaming. "I have just never considered Lady Haruhime, or any woman, in that way."
Takemikazuchi nodded thoughtfully.
"Yes, I suppose that would be a bit of a surprise to wake up to." Takemikazuchi placed his hands on his knees before turning to his daughter. "Mikoto, I can only speak to you as a Deity, but please do not shut these feelings away. They must be scary, downright terrifying even, but they can also be wonderful. Chase your dreams and your happiness." He smiled. "You mortals live and die in an instant to me, but that just makes your ability to love even more splendid. Life is short, do not waste it." Takemikazuchi shrugged. "But these are also just the words of lowly God." He reached out and patted her on the head. "No matter what path you choose, though, you will always be my daughter. Whatever decision you make, I will stand at your side."
These words were too much. Mikoto launched herself at her adoptive father and wrapped her arms around him. She buried her head into the crook of his shoulder and let herself cry.
With the Princess and the Bodyguard:
"Otohime!" called out Ura again.
"What?" asked the former princess.
She was hard at work deweeding and fixing up the garden. There were notable imprints left from her night out. So, she did her part at fixing what she had broken.
"I would like to understand why you seem so intent on ignoring me right now," replied Urashima.
Otohime flinched. She looked back at him and tried for a smile.
"Oh, well that's just silly old me, you know? You just did something to upset me, so I'm going to hold it against you, ok?" She turned back to the gardening, her body practically vibrating. "That's all. You may go."
Urashima knelt down next to her.
"If I remember correctly, a stubborn Princess sat at my bedside for months." He began to work on his cultivation. "No matter what others told her."
That seemed to calm Otohime down. She smiled at him.
"Yeah, ok." She pouted. "But I'm still angry at you!"
Urashima rolled his eyes.
"I wouldn't have it any other way."
With the Fox:
Haruhime peered up and down the many side streets. She did not know where she would find Mikoto, so she had to try everywhere. At one point, she had wandered into Daedalus Street but had gotten horribly lost within the labyrinth.
"You idiot little fox girl!"
Haruhime was startled as she looked up. Over on one of the rooftops, Aisha Belka looked down at her. The renard allowed herself a smile as she waved up.
"Miss Aisha! Please, could you help me get out?"
The Amazon rolled her eyes but hopped down anyway. She started walking down a particular alleyway, her waist-length hair swaying behind her.
"This way! And try to keep up!"
Haruhime took off behind her, eager to follow as fast as possible.
"What are you even doing out here?" asked Aisha.
"Oh…well, I was searching for Mikoto," replied the renard.
"Ahhh, so I see you made your move, then?"
Haruhime's eyes popped out of her head.
"How in the world do you know about that?"
Aisha looked back, her eyes narrow. Then, she burst out laughing. Haruhime stopped walking to give her a minute. Which then became five. Eventually, the amazon composed herself. She walked up and ruffled Haruhime's hair.
"Look at you getting all drunk and brave." The amazon bent low to look her little sister in the eye. "I know because you told me that was your drunken plan. To confess your love. You said that seeing the Xenos girl die made you realize that you wanted to declare your love then and there." She tapped Haruhime on the forehead. "You also asked me for advice."
And again, the fog lifted from Haruhime's mind. The night started to come back to her…
Last Night…
"Lady Haruhime, where did you go?" asked Mikoto, her cheeks rosy red.
Haruhime giggled and draped herself over top of her crush.
"I was just talking to Aisha and getting some advice."
"Advice about what?" Mikoto leaned in.
"To tell my crush how I feel about them," responded Haruhime.
Like a sack crushed beneath a rock, Mikoto deflated. Her shoulders dropped, and she seemed to frown. She began to turn away, eager to hide her oncoming drunken tears.
"Well, good luck then. Bell is a lucky man indeed."
Mikoto started to stumble away, almost slipping on the wet floor, when she felt someone grab her shoulder. She turned to find Haruhime's finger an inch away from her nose.
"Who said it was Bell?" asked Haruhime, leaning in close.
Mikoto frowned and tilted her head in thought. There was no one else she could think of…perhaps that werewolf? He seemed to have frequent interactions with Haruhime?
At Mikoto's adorably confused face, Haruhime sighed. She brought her hands to cup Mikoto's face. The level four adventurer stilled, like a piece of prey. The feeling of power made Haruhime shiver; she was done waiting. She pulled Mikoto's face towards hers and…
In the present, Haruhime almost fainted at her own boldness. Alcohol indeed was the most dangerous of all substances. As she tried to put her thoughts back together, Aisha got tired of waiting. She grabbed the renard and hoisted her over her shoulder. She then carried her young companion out from Daedalus Street and back onto the main boulevard.
"There, you're out of the maze," said the Amazon. "Now, I think I saw the Black Crow walking towards her former home with that War God. If you want to talk to her, go now." As she pushed Haruhime away, she whispered one final piece of advice.
"Don't look at her collarbone; it'll make you faint."
Later in the Day:
Haruhime stood outside the door to the Takemikazuchi Familia home. She knocked at the door and waited until finally, Ouka opened the door. He gave her a sly grin.
"I bet I can guess what you're here for. Or rather, who," said the large man. He nodded inside. "She's talking to our God at the moment. I think you should listen."
Haruhime stepped inside and followed Ouka down a hallway. When he stopped outside some screen doors, she stopped as well. From the other side, they heard…
"Wait…so you were in love with me?" came the voice of Takemikazuchi.
"Please, Lord Takemikazuchi! Do not say it out loud! I…hear it now…" replied Mikoto.
"I would hope so!"
Haruhime noted panic in the God's voice. Ouka rolled his eyes but smiled. Thank the Gods and Goddesses that this particular misunderstanding was finally clear. But if Mikoto was confessing…what did that mean for Haruhime? Yes, Takemikazuchi was rejecting her, but wasn't there some rule about waiting? At least, the other former prostitutes from Ishtar Familia had mentioned something about that.
"Excuse me! Lord Takemikazuchi, Lady Haruhime is here to visit!" declared Ouka. The large man pulled open the door and almost shoved the renard inside.
Mikoto's face was an intense red, her eyes wide as she stared at her treasured childhood friend. For her part, Haruhime had stilled. Her tails and ears twitched erratically. The two of them were so intent on staring at each other that they didn't notice everyone else leave. When they looked around to find themselves alone, they felt themselves become more self-conscious. Mikoto continued to braid and unbraid her hair.
"Ummm, Miss Mikoto…" began Haruhime, "I wanted-"
"I have something to say!"
Haruhime flinched back.
Mikoto shut her mouth. And then said more quietly, "I have something I want to say, is that ok?"
Haruhime nodded, and the young warrior gathered her thoughts. She shut her eyes and took a deep breath. When Mikoto opened them again, the renard felt herself quiver from the intensity of her gaze.
"I don't know how to do these things. I didn't know that you were someone I could be with, and I've only just started to think about it." She crossed her arms over her chest in a defensive position. "I've never had a chance to be someone who spends their time on feelings. I was an orphan, an adventurer, and a gladiator, but never a lover. I don't know if I can be the kind of woman that makes you happy." She stopped, and Haruhime held her breath. Then, something unexpected happened. Mikoto dropped down to her knees. It was the familiar dogeza position. "Please, I beg you for a chance!"
Apparently, that was all Mikoto had to say. The young samurai pushed her head to the ground. She felt her heart stop as she waited for Haruhime's response. What she wasn't expecting was giggling.
Mikoto looked up to find Haruhime smiling down at her. The renard reached down and pulled Mikoto up off the ground. She then took the samurai's hands in hers.
"Mikoto, I am not exactly your typical woman either. The only love I've ever seen is the kind that was bought and paid for. The only kind I ever felt was a storybook romance. It was a fairy tale that I tricked myself into believing." She helped Mikoto up off the ground. "I'm not sure that I'll be able to give you the love you deserve either. But I want to give that chance." She took Mikoto's hands. "We can go as slowly as you want till, we both figure this out."
And then they kissed, and they both felt something settle in them. As if they were two halves made whole.
With the Amazon:
Aisha was walking home. She had helped that dumb little fox find her dumb little crow. Now, she was going to go home and relax. The amazon had already put away her share of the cut from the expedition. Now, she was heading to the house to figure out how to spend it.
"I'm home!" she shouted to no one.
As far as she knew, the rest of her Familia was still away. Which is why the sight of luggage made her draw her sword.
"Who's there!" screamed Hippolyta.
"Wait, wait!" came a familiar voice.
Aisha relaxed as Lulune rounded the corner. She was waving her hands, her dog ears flat behind her. The amazon tossed her hair but still waved a hand as she walked by.
"So, how was the expedition?" asked Lulune.
Aisha shrugged.
"It was fine. I'll be saving my full report for Hermes for later." She grabbed some of the food they had lying around. "How was your trip? Did you find what you needed?"
Lulune smiled, "Yep! That's why I'm back! Actually, Lord Hermes told me to bring it to Orario to give to the March Hare!"
That caught Aisha's attention. As quick as a flash, she stole into Lulune's luggage and started digging around. The dog girl scrambled around her.
"Now, hold just a second! Lord Hermes said that it was for Bell Cranel's eyes only!"
Lulune dared not step any close, though, or else she risked facing the wrath of the amazon.
"Don't care. Besides, I'm just going to check and make sure Hermes isn't pulling another fast one on Hestia Familia." With a triumphant grin, she pulled out a black cylinder. Inscribed on it were runes in the language of the Gods. Aisha looked it over from top to bottom before turning back to Lulune. "I'm just gonna take a look at it for one day. After that, if I don't find anything suspicious, then you can bring it over to Bell Cranel."
Lulune sighed but nodded in acceptance. She had grown accustomed to her Familia member's quirks.
With the Familia:
A couple days later, Hestia Familia was enjoying a much quieter evening together. They had just finished dinner and were now chatting in their sitting room.
Haruhime was curled up against Mikoto's side, and the Black Crow had draped an arm over her girlfriend's shoulder. Otohime looked back and forth enviously between the happy couple and Urashima sitting in a chair across from her. He still hadn't found out what he did wrong.
"Still though, Mikoto," began Ryuu. "I am quite glad that you decided not to try and...be with… your father."
Mikoto blushed as the others nodded sagely, except for Bell, who also blushed.
"Please, no more! I get it now!" cried out the samurai.
She buried her head in Haruhime's shoulder. The renard giggled in response.
"No, I think we get to hold this over your head," said Welf. "I mean, the entire time this was happening, we all had the same thought." Welf nudged Bell. "Isn't that, right?"
The boy couldn't look Mikoto in the eye.
"I did find that it was a little strange…."
Haruhime smiled. "We all have our first crushes. Just as you were mine, Master Bell."
The room stilled. Everyone was surprised to hear Haruhime speak those words.
"Eh?" said Bell.
The others looked ready to object, but Hestia held a finger up to her lips. The Goddess was smiling as the events unfolded.
Haruhime nodded. "You were my hero, and I loved you for it. But I think I found something better." Haruhime planted a kiss on the crown of Mikoto's head. "I found a partner."
So thats one ship sent sailing! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, because I enjoyed writing it for sure. Next up is: Brothers and Sisters. Thanks for the follows favourites and reviews! Speaking of which:
Review Responses:
King Damage: It should hopefully turn out that way!
Walkmanapprenticewordsmith: AWWW YYEEE! PUNISHMENT! ...Wait what? jk, happy you enjoyed!
Tranadar: That is a detail I forgot about! Nice spot!
pix25: Both? Both is good
mairsarmy321: Another detail I shouldve written in. Thanks!
Guest: Thanks! Even when reading over the numbers I always seem to get it wrong somewhere! Much appreciated!