A/n- Part 3, moving right along. Some bumpiness in the road for our happy couple, how will they face it?

The Commission Files- File #a964 Luck and Thunder Part 3

Characters: Joshua, Selena, Gerik

Based on: a commission by morris_1611 on Twitter

"Oh yes! Right there is perfect! Keep going! Just like that!"

Joshua and Selena were once again going at it with each other, a normal occasion ever since they got together about a year ago. Joshua was currently kneeling on the ground next to his bed so his head could fit right between Selena's legs as he ate her out. Selena for her part was grasping onto the bed sheets as tightly as she could, even after all this time Joshua knew how to get her completely worked up, which she loved. But this time of intimacy was soon to be cut short because a few moments later their was a knock on the door.

"Joshua! Joshua! Are you in there! Big news coming from the top!" It was Gerik, and he was sounding more enthusiastic than usual.

"You think I can just ignore him and keep going?" Joshua asked meekly as he moved his head back slightly and looked at Selena.

"Go, see what it is, I'll be here when you get back." Selena assured him. Besides she needed a bit to catch her breath since she had almost already had her first orgasm of the night.

"I love you, so reasonable." Joshua smirked back as he got up, but not before placing a juicy kiss on Selena's pussy. He grabbed a towel to put around his waist and walked to the door, opening it just enough so he and Gerik could talk, but not enough that Gerik could see inside the room.

"Okay, what's up? This better be worth it, I was in the middle of something." Joshua asked a bit curtly. Gerik couldn't help but chuckle, knowing what had been going on with Joshua's state of undress.

"Depends on how you take the news buddy." Gerik replied. "I'm just gonna be straight with you since we have that mutual respect thing going on between us, the war in Askr is ending. Probably within the week by the sounds of it. We're going to be able to go home, all of us. Not all at once of course, that would take too much magic and such, but you should be planning on not being here in a couple weeks." It took a moment for Joshua to take in all that information. On the one had, he had been a bit homesick for a while now, only getting to go back when history pages needed to be replaced, but on the other he now had to have a serious conversation with Selena about their future together.

"Is that so?" Joshua asked back coyly and rhetorically. "Well, that means I have a lot of packing and thinking to do in the next couple days huh?"

"Yeah, seems so." Gerik replied a bit solemnly. "Hey, when you get back, make sure the me from your Magvel learns how good of a friend you are, alright?"

"Same goes for you, unless we end up being from the same one of course." Joshua noted.

"I'm not getting up my hope for that." Gerik told him truthfully. "But maybe you can, I'll leave you to it."

"Thank you Gerik, you are truly a wonderful friend and leader of men." Joshua replied back just as truthfully. Gerik gave him a salute and then walked off to go tell the other Magvellian residents of Askr the news. Joshua stepped back and closed the door to his room before slowly walking back over to the bed Selena was laying in and sitting on the edge of it. Selena could tell just by his body language that something was up so she sat up with him and rested her head on his shoulder and put her arms around his waist.

"So, what was that all about?" She asked after a few moments of silence.

"It was Gerik. He's apparently going around telling all the heroes from Magvel about the news that the war is going to end soon." Joshua replied slowly.

"How soon?" Selena wondered.

"Within the week." Joshua noted. "And that we'll probably get to go home within the month."

"You don't sound very happy about that." Selena replied, sensing his tone.

"I mean, I guess I'm kind of not." Joshua admitted. "Like I'm glad the war is over, don't get me wrong the people of Askr deserve this peace they are getting, but I kind of don't want to go home. Pretty selfish of me huh?"

"Maybe, but it's understandable." Selena assured him. "There are many wonderful and exciting things here in Askr, it's going to be an adjustment getting back to our own lives in Magvel I think. All the resources for magical research, the time and resources to learn new life skills, the wonderful friends we've made during our time here, it's something to miss to be sure."

"You." Joshua mumbled under his breath, but it was just loud enough for Selena to hear him make a noise.

"What was that Joshua?" She wondered.

"You." Joshua said more firmly. "I'm going to miss you Selena. You are why I don't want to go home. All those other things are nice, but I can live without them. I don't know if I can live without you. As much as I want to come off as a cool and carefree guy, I don't know if I can do this." Selena wasn't as surprised as you would think at this confession of his. She had really gotten to know Joshua over the last year and she knew how he truly was underneath his cool façade, so she was a bit more prepared than he was for this.

"Joshua, I'm going to miss you too, more than I've missed anyone in my entire life." Selena told him, raising her head up and looking him in the eyes. "You've made me so happy and cheerful this last year or so, more so than almost anyone else has before. I can truly say that I love you and mean it. But we've had this conversation before. We knew sooner or later we were going to have to part ways, it just happened to be sooner than we thought."

"I know, I know." Joshua said hanging his head low. "But now it just feels so real, knowing that there is a time limit on our relationship, there are still so many things I want to do with you, experience with you, but now all of that is falling apart." Selena loved Joshua's honestly, even in a trying moment like this, getting to hear how he really felt was as important to her as ever. And that's why she felt she had to be honest with him as well.

"That may be true." She told him softly as she put her hand on his chin and raised his head up so they were eye to eye again. "But instead of looking at the negative, let's look at it a different way. We don't have to fight anymore meaning we have more free time together, why don't we resolve to make the best of our time now, making it something that even if we never meet again we'll remember for the rest of our lives? Sounds like something a romantic like you would enjoy, don't you think?"

"You promise you won't be heartbroken afterwards?" Joshua asked.

"No, I probably will be." Selena admitted. "But this is what I want, and deep down I know you want it as well. If we're going to go out, why not go out on a bang and the most positive note we can? Who knows, maybe our love will be so strong we'll actually end up being from the same Magvel?" Joshua couldn't help but smile and chuckle at Selena's positive outlook on the situation. She may be smart and a bit high strung at points, but she was also optimistic and fun at the right times.

"You've been reading to many of Lady L'Arachel's romance novels." Joshua replied, finally cracking his seriousness with a joke.

"You don't read enough." Selena teased him back. The mood was starting to come back to them and Joshua instinctively reached out and started fondling Selena's chest gently. "Are you still in the mood?"

"Hey, I said to make the best of things, that goes for here in bed too." Selena assured him. So they had a wonderful night together as always with both of them pulling out all the stops to make the other feel the most pleasure that they could.

Over the next couple weeks they stayed true to their plans and made the best of every day and night with each other. Each day was almost jam packed with activities and fun romantic moments between the two of them and they grew closer and closer with each one. Everyone else in Askr could tell that what they had was special and they too were starting to feel a bit sad when the day came that they had to leave each other and go home. One by one heroes from the different realms were sent back, the list started with Archanea and ended with Fodlan with Magvel being somewhat in the middle after Elibe.

"Alright everyone, we've been through this a few times already, but just as a reminder only the things you brought to Askr or that are currently on your person will be sent back with you, so if there is anything you need to get from your rooms before you are sent back, go get them now." The summoner called out when all the heroes from Magvel were gathered at the gates to be sent back. A few heroes went back to get things, but Joshua and Selena had everything. They were even dressed in their swimwear so that when they got sent back it wouldn't cause confusion.

"You have everything?" Joshua asked Selena, just to make sure.

"I do, and you?" Selena asked back.

"Honestly, this is probably the only memory I need of my time here." Joshua replied, showing Selena the shell bracelet that he had made for the both of them what seemed like forever ago. "You still have yours?"

"Of course I do." Selena said gently as she raised her arm up to show him. "This bracelet is never going to leave my sight, I'm going to treasure it as long as I can and I hope you do the same."

"I will, you have my word." Joshua assured her. "I'll even flip my rigged coin if I have to so that I can prove it."

"No need, you are a man of your word Joshua, you've proved that time and again." Selena told him before leaning in and letting him wrap his arms around her. "I'm going to miss you Joshua, even if I do meet another one in my world, I don't think it'll be quite the same."

"No, I doubt it would be Selena, I doubt it would be." Joshua replied with a sigh before they just stood their silently for a few moments holding each other. Eventually though one phrase broke the silence and they both said it at the same time.

"I love you." It wasn't planned, it wasn't expected, it just happened. And what happened next, well it probably was expected. The two of them started to kiss each other, gently at first but the passion grew and grew as the moments passed by. The summoner was getting ready to send everyone back, but they gave the couple just an extra few moments because they knew how hard it might be. But eventually they had to let them go. The ritual was cast and all the heroes from Magvel started to fade away back to their homes.

"I'll never forget you." Joshua whispered before they disappeared.

"Neither will I." Selena whispered back with a tear in her eye. And then in a flash Joshua was back on the beach where he had been hanging out with his mercenary band.

"Hey, there you are Joshua, thought you could slip away from paying up huh?" One of his mercenary buddies said coming up to him. "You okay man, you look, older."

"What? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Just dazed out there for a bit." Joshua said as he shook his head and tried to remember what had been going on. "About the bet, I can pay you back after our next job, deal?"

"Yeah, you're usually good for it. And the next job should be easy, Caellach actually set it up for us since he's working for Grado now. We've got a mission in Serafew."

"Nice, that place has an arena right? I can pay you back and still have some pocket change left over." He was playing along, but he was still very sad about having to leave Selena. Speaking of her she was having her own issues readjusting.

"General Selena, urgent news!" One of her squires immediately had a report for her when she got back. "I know this is your vacation, but this comes from the Emperor himself."

"What is it?" Selena wondered.

"Emperor Vigarde has requested all generals of the army back to the capital, rumor is some military action is about to take place in the coming weeks and he wants everyone to be prepared." The squire replied.

"The fighting never ends does it." Selena said under her breath. "Understood! I will pack up and head out tomorrow morning. Also, if you could do me a favor."

"Of course General Selena, I am at your command."

"I want you and whoever you can get to do some research about a mercenary from Jehanna. Here is his picture." Selena said handing the squire a sketch with Joshua's face on it. "His name is Joshua and if you can contact him I would like to hire his services if possible, especially if military action is to be taking place soon."

"Understood General, I'll get our best men on the case."

"Thank you, you are dismissed." So the squire left and that allowed Selena to slump down on the beach for a bit as she watched the sunset. "It's much less bright and colorful without you around, but I'll make due, I always have."