Aqua's POV
That guy… He'd better raise my allowance after this.
"Kazuma, wake up!" - Aqua
"What are you- Wait! Megumin! Where is she?"
Hm? He's yelling at me, but not about something that he thinks I did?
"Relax, you idiot. She's fine. I've already finished the resurrection process for her. Now, what do you say, Kazuma? Shouldn't you thank your amazing and benevolent goddess-"
*blubbering* "T-thank you, Aqua-sama!"
"Wha- get off me, you hikiNEET! Wait, are you crying?! W-well, that's no excuse for… getting my… dress… wet."
…This is actually kind of hard to get mad at.
"Y-you're right. Are you sure she'll be fine?"
Hmph. this idiot. Is he doubting my abilities? He looks just like he did back in the crimson demon village when he was getting his butt saved by Yunyun.
"Yes, she will be. Are you saying that you don't trust my abilities? I'm still a goddess, you pedo-NEET? She's in her room-"
And he's already gone.
Megumin's POV
"H-huh? Where am I?" - Megumin
No roof… blank floor… No sky… This isn't good.
"Hello, Megumin. I am Eris. I doubt that we will have very long together, but-"
Answers. I need answers.
"Is Kazuma ok? And Yunyun? And Chris?"
Why is she scratching her cheek? And how does a goddess have a scar?
"They are all physically ok, although Kazuma and Yunyun are slightly shaken."
"What happened? You know, after I died."
She's confused? I guess that goddesses can't read minds, huh? I guess that I should get started on that plan to steal some of Aqua's booze…
"You're awfully nonchalant about the whole dying thing. Guess I shouldn't be surprised."
"Yeah. I am in Kazuma's party, so this happens pretty often."
…
"Nevertheless, they're fine. Chris changed Kazuma into his adventuring garb-"
She did what?!
"Woah, woah, woah! She didn't do anything to him, right?"
Why is aa god blushing?
"N-no, of course not! If Chris hadn't done it, then Kazuma's identity would've been leaked…
Phew.
"So what happened? Did Kazuma heroically save me after a big speech?"
"Er…"
Why is she scratching her cheek again?
*suspicious* "Eris? What happened-"
"He got hit by the poisoned dagger after it was used on you. Yunyun got them with a sleep spell and teleported us back here."
"Wait… Did Yunyun see Kazuma… You know…"
Don't you sigh at me! And I can't even look her in the eye…
"No, she didn't. She merely looked away while stammering about something."
*teleport sfx* "Megumin! Are you there? How are you?"
…
I think my jaw just hit the floor.
"Kazuma?! How'd you-"
Actually, how he got here isn't as important right now.
"Are you ok?"
What's with that nervous laugh?
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just got knocked out. Aqua helped me out."
Not for free, I'd imagine. Or at least not without an earful.
"You gonna give her a raise?"
"No. If she wouldn't help me because of money, then she doesn't deserve the money."
*Staaaarrre* x2
"That sounds like you're just trying to get out of paying-" - Megumin
"Anyways, I have a teleport point here. Eris? May I-"
"You what?!" - Megumin
"Of course. I'm sure I'll be seeing you soon."
"Eh? What's that supposed to- oh never mind."
Huh. Back in my room. Wait-
"U-uh, Kazuma? Why are you holding me?"
"I think I know… why you always get so scared…"
…
…
"Yeah, well you know that I won't try to abandon you guys.."
"Oh, come on. You know that I'd never actually do that. You have my word."
"Pfft… Yeah. Your word. Sure."
This is unusually quiet.
"Well. Y-you're still on kitchen duty tonight. Why don't I help out with that?" - Kazuma
"Huh?"
"Eh. Someone's gotta stop you from making another broccoli and anchovies pizza."
"Shut up! Shouldn't you be more considerate to the recently dead?"
"I- how about this? Want to make dinner together? Everyone's already gone, and we all ate a bit before, but… you know. Just in case we get cut off."
…
…
"Kazuma, I didn't know you could be so cool!"
"Shut up."
I let out an enthusiastic grin which Kazuma returned with a tired one.
"I love you!"
*sigh* "I love you too, Megumin."
Hang on a second. I almost forgot.
"Kazuma, before we go, how'd you do that?"
"Hm? Do what?"
"You got into heaven!"
"Ah. I'll tell you about that later."
…
"Seriously?"
"Look, I just want it to be a surprise when I show you. Ok?"
…
I guess I'll let him keep his secrets for now.
"Ok."
Kazuma's POV
"Megumin, this is amazing!" - Darkness
"Fufufu… As expected of the greatest archmage of the crimson demons."
Hey- I made that one!
"What the hell do you think you're doing?! Don't you try to take credit for my dish! *complete tone swap* Darkness, thank you for your compliment."
"Eh?! I just died! Can't you be more considerate?"
"Hey, remember the first thing you did to me was draw that stupid message?!"
"You got your payback! And that was only because you said you weren't coming back!"
That's true… I was actually worried about whether Megumin would do what I did. Still, I'd prefer if she stopped casting "fireball" in her eyes…
"Look, neither of us are leaving each other. We've got a stupid goddess to help pay the bills for." - Kazuma
*mouth full* "Hey! I'm the one bringing you guys back, you know?"
"Chew, then swallow!" - Kazuma
"Plus, shouldn't you increase my allowance for bringing Megumin back?"
Idea.
*smug smirk* "What, are you saying, that you wouldn't have brought her back if I didn't increase your allowance?"
Judging by the knowing look on her face, Megumin's about to play along. I guess that that high intelligence isn't just for show after all.
"Yeah, Aqua, that's pretty harsh. I feel really hurt."
"W-wha- hey, don't cry, Megumin!"
Those are fake tears.
"Kazuma! I can't do it if Megumin's on your side! Tell her to switch sides! This is unfair!"
"You idiot! How could you say that it's unfair? You're the unfair one here! We're your party members and you're saying that you would sell us out for money? Plus, I'm going to marry this woman and you want me to turn her against me to help you? How low is your intelligence stat?"
"How can you say that? I'm one of the smartest people I know!" - Aqua
"Are you the only person you know? Because if not, then that's the biggest lie I've ever heard!"
"I don't need to take this from you, you hiki-NEET!"
"You can't call me that anymore! Every single time I died, it was outside!"
"Maybe you guys are being a bit harsh-"
"SHUT UP, DARKNESS!" x2
Come to think of it, I wanted to talk to Megumin about something, but… I guess I got a little sidetracked.
###
"You asked me to come up here? Normally, I'd want to do it, but I just died, so I'm a little tired at the moment." - Megumin
"Wha- that isn't the point. I'm just saying… is this how you are whenever I die?"
Lie detector activate.
"Why- oh nevermind. I kind of got used to it overtime so it doesn't really affect- hey! You don't believe me at all, do you?"
"C'mon. You can tell the truth."
"Ugh… I… I worry every time. About how it must hurt. About how many times you've already been through that. About… if one day, you'll get tired of this place and you won't come back."
"For me, I's be less worried about that last part. You should be too. It's not like I had anything back where I was, anyways."
"I guess."
"Still though… When you died in front of me? And when I couldn't do anything about it? It was probably worse than getting laughed at by Aqua after I died for my first time back in my original world-"
Crap. I think I've said too much.
###
Long story short, I told Megumin everything about me coming from another world.
Don't patronize me with that look of pity…
"To think that your own family would do such a thing… And here I thought that I was being cruel by writing the holy sword-"
"That wasn't encouragement!"
"Still though… They're your family, aren't they? And it looks like they put up with a lot… I wouldn't blame you if you… you…"
So much for not liking to be patronized. I guess that we can patronize each other.
*pat* "Megumin, don't cry. It… it's not your best look."
'Just don't go, Kazuma."
…
*hug*
Here we are again. Crying fiancée on my front.
"I won't. I'd like to say a few words with them and apologize one day, but I'm never leaving."
There's the signature "Kazuma just died" teary smile.
"Well then, do you want to… sleep together?"
"Hey, wait til' your 16th."
"Seriously?! I just… I just want to be with you a bit longer…"
…
"You realize that we're about to get married, right?"
'Yes, I know! I'm just still a little shy about this…"
Not complaining about her blush though.
"I suppose that as your lover, it's my duty to make you happy. As such, I'd be happy to oblige your request."
"Aww, are you always this tsundere?"
"Shut up. You want to take a bath together?"
Don't stare at me like that. That wasn't such an outlandish request. I thought that you knew me, Megumin.
"S-sure."
"Let's go then."
Perfect. Now we're going to get changed and-
"Seriously?! Are you not going to say anything else?"
"What do you mean? We're getting married, aren't we? This kind of thing shouldn't be out of the ordinary."
"How is this any different from having- Ah, whatever… Still, could we turn the lights off? They way that you engineered lights from your world is incredible, but I'm… just…"
"Oh yeah?"
Back to bashful, eh? I could get used to this~
"Don't look too clearly."
"Ah, but I have night vision."
"W-well, as long as it's not too detailed… Just turn off the lights. I'll go get changed and you'll get us some bath towels."
"See ya in the bath."
I mean, it's not like we haven't bathed together before, although I do recall almost being taken advantage of and being called a pedo-NEET by Aqua. Still, it's not like anything's gonna happen this time. Besides, I've got drain touch for self defense. If she wants me to do anything, then I'll just ask. Unlike Aqua, I can actually learn from my previous mistakes and what happened at the crimson demon village that one time won't be repeating. Now just… think… clearly…
Megumin's POV
"K-Kazuma? Could you stop staring at me? I knew what I was getting into when I proposed, but this is a bit…"
"Come on. I'm just sitting here."
"I haven't even taken my underwear off! Jeez, could you be more of a perv?"
"I just think that your body is very attractive."
"You- Why would you- er- uh…"
How do I respond to this? My cheeks won't behave~
"T-thanks."
"Don't mention it. Even if my preferred body type is bouncy and-"
"Shut up! Am I pretty or not?!"
"Oh? Do you want me to be interested in your body, or not?"
Dammit, Kazuma! You're always saying something!
"Seriously, how did I fall in love with you?"
*eye roll* "You know, that hurts."
"Shut up. Shouldn't you be complimenting my body more? I'm the greatest archmage of the crimson demons, and my body is one to match!"
"Alright, sure. I love how whenever I carry you, your tiny, little-"
"Shut up!"
"Your perfectly normal breasts pressed up against my back and how soft your butt was whenever I readjusted-"
"Wait!"
Seriously, I have no idea-
"What do you want from me?"
"I-I don't know, just keep it less dirty and more generic!"
"Alright. You're beautiful."
Why do I feel like he's trying to shoo me away?
"Say it with more emotion!"
Stop sighing, you jerk!
*sigh* "I love your body, Megumin."
"I… uh… Same."
…
"Wait, really?"
"Well, duh! You're pretty average-looking. No muscles, dark hair-"
"Seriously?"
"I'm getting to it! I don't know, I just think that your hands are really nice. They're really soft and I like them. Your face is also really cute, as long as you're not being a pervert."
Oh? He's blushing? Easyma~
"You know, for all that talk about wanting compliments from us, you sure do get embarrassed by them" - Megumin
"I-it's just that guys don't get compliments a lot. Both especially from girls, and especially about our appearance. Plus, I think that was the first time that anyone's complimented-"
Oh? What did he say?~ Ah, he knows what he said, and he knows I know what he said. You know what this means, Kazuma~