"So, you mind telling me what this is for?" Kazuma asked from his seat nearby, fixing Aqua with a curious look as he fidgeted atop the stool she'd instructed him to sit on a few minutes prior. "I know you said you had a surprise for me once I was done resting, but I'm starting to get a little antsy here."
"Well, I was thinking it over while you were out training with Megumin and the others," Aqua explained as she prepared her "work station", with several sheets of paper and various drawing utensils. "I didn't really know what I wanted to use that favor for. I mean, I could use it to get some fresh, delicious wine, or have you lavish me with praise for a whole day, but...those didn't feel quite right. So I got to thinking, what could I ask for that benefits the both of us?"
Kazuma knew it was a rhetorical question, but he couldn't help but play along and try to guess. "Uh...swimming lessons? For various reasons?"
"No, dummy...but maybe we should keep that in mind for the future…" Aqua admitted, humming to herself in thought before shaking her head and regaining her enthusiasm. "I actually decided that I would use my favor to draw a portrait of you!"
The young man nodded at his blue-haired girlfriend's words before shaking his head once it hit him. He blinked before asking in a flat tone, "You're joking, right? I mean, have you seen my face?"
"First off, cut that out. You're very handsome, I promise." Aqua cooed pleasantly, relishing the blush that almost instantly arose on her boyfriend's face. "Second, I thought it'd be a nice gesture! A way of...memorializing your progress, I guess? That, and I just thought that it'd be nice, but if you disagree…"
Kazuma waved his hands out to dissuade her reconsideration. "No, no! I...I'm quite fine with this arrangement. You just threw me a little off guard is all. I know you've got impressive art skills but, ironically, I don't think I've ever actually seen you draw anything that wasn't scribbles."
"Hey! I'll have you know that I am an excellent artist, thank you!" Aqua retorted with no real hate, crossing her arms and pouting slightly. "I just...don't show off that much with it. I mean, I'm already a goddess, I'm great at so many other things. I just wanted to make sure that I really got good at drawing."
Kazuma was already vaguely aware that Aqua spent a lot of her time in heaven reading manga books, so her secret hobby for drawing didn't seem like that much of a stretch to him. He shrugged and relented, "Okay, fair enough. I guess it would be interesting to see how well I'd translate as a manga character or something."
"Or something indeed. Now hold still, would you?" Aqua playfully ordered, taking her own seat as she grabbed a sheet of paper and a thin pencil, propping up the former on the easel she'd set up and beaming at Kazuma. "Time to show you what I can really do!"
Thus, the drawing session had officially started. Kazuma sat still as Aqua made her rough outlines on the sheet. The only sounds that could be heard was the sound of pencil on paper. Every now and then, she would look up from her work to gaze at her reference (sometimes sticking her tongue out to boost her "concentration"), but for the most part she kept her attention to her work. Not even fifteen minutes passed and already Kazuma was getting both restless and irrationally anxious.
"Hey, Aqua? I'm getting kinda antsy here." He whispered, not wanting to break the goddess' concentration, but hoping to catch her attention. "Can I kick my legs or something? Or at least hum? The silence is killing me here."
The artistic archpriest looked up from her work-in-progress and answered, "Even though this is just a portrait, I'd prefer if you'd keep your whole body still. But you can talk with me if you'd like! I'm good at multitasking!"
"Heh, course you are." Kazuma chuckled quietly, before taking a moment to consider what he could ask her. "So...you still hate Wolbach's guts, or is she starting to grow on you?"
Aqua's face grimaced before she hid it behind her work stationed as she replied, "Besides the fact that she's a gross, smelly, dark husk of her former self, we've always shared a rough history together. So no, I don't think that hussy will ever grow on me. Honestly, I still don't really understand why you insist on keeping her around…"
"Ah. Well, it was worth asking anyway." Kazuma remarked, sporting his own grimace. "I get that you two have bad blood and all, and if you never feel like you can reconcile with her, I get it. Really. But I think you should consider it in the future, even for the smallest amount of time. 'Bach's joined our weird little family because I think it offers her the potential to grow as a person, and she deserves that opportunity, dark goddess or no."
The sounds of an eraser furiously rubbing on paper greeted Kazuma's ears. Then he heard Aqua sigh as she looked up from her art piece and aligned her pencil with his face to apparently gauge something. Finally, she uttered, "For your sake alone, I'll try. I can't make any promises, but I'll at least try for you. So consider yourself lucky I'm such a grateful goddess."
"Well, thank you. I know it's a lot to ask, so I appreciate you even considering it." Kazuma replied, a small impressed smile rising on his face before he continued. "Now, onto a more positive subject, Yunyun mentioned that the Guild Hall is almost fully reconstructed while we were walking out to our practice spot. You excited to get back into the swing of adventuring?"
Aqua's face lit up like fireworks and she nodded ecstatically. "Aw heck yeah! I've been looking forward to going on our first adventure as an official couple! Megumin and Darkness can both vouch for me!"
"Really? I can see the appeal, I guess." Kazuma admitted, chuckling again as he imagined a glorious scene of the four of them entering some dramatic battle, shaking his head slightly. "I'm not quite sure what we'll get up to for our first job back, so don't get your hopes too high, alright?"
Aqua continued to sketch as she replied, "Eh, I won't care if our next quest isn't as exciting or profitable...okay, so maybe that's a lie. But as long as we get to be out and about with our man, I'll be adequately satisfied. Besides, some fresh air will do you good anyway, Kazzy. You need to get out more, meet new people, all that fun stuff."
"Ah, yes. Socialization. My nemesis." The young man replied with a dramatic fair, before shaking his head again as his smile returned. "I guess it wouldn't be the worst thing to talk up a few more parties at the Guild once it reopens. Never really got too attached to most of them, so maybe some socialization really will do me some good. Speaking of which, did you or the girls ever hear from Luna? She and some of the other barmaids were supposed to head here on the night that Daddy's Little Devil attacked, and I never really heard if they made it or not."
"Oh, they were here, I can assure you," Aqua answered. "They were all in the living room when we carried you back home after beating down The Daughter. It was an...interesting exchange to say the least."
"Oh, yeah? What happened?" Kazuma asked, curious on exactly what Aqua was referring to. A beat of silence passed as Aqua seemingly mulled over the question, and Kazuma frowned slightly. "Aqua, you didn't yell at them, right?"
The goddess stomped her foot in defiance. "Look, we weren't expecting you to run off and usher survivors into our home like that! Plus, you were knocked out cold and hurting! I reserved my right to yell!"
"...alright, I can't really argue with that, so you win this time." Kazuma admitted, sighing heavily as he restrained the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. "I'm guessing you kicked them out?"
"What? No, of course not. I was surprised and pissed, sure, but once they explained themselves we let them stay for the night. They opted to leave the next morning to check on the guild and assess the damage. I'm pretty sure they're still helping to rebuild it right now."
"Ok, good. I'm glad to hear that." Kazuma admitted, feeling a bit better knowing that Aqua hadn't jumped the gun like he expected her to. "So, how's the drawing going? You making good progress, O' goddess mine?"
Peering up from her easel, Aqua gave Kazuma a sly smile as she answered, "Just putting on the finishing touches. I want to get your cute face just right~"
Kazuma didn't even have much of a response to that, chuckling slightly as his cheeks lit up. God, these girls were far too efficient at making him blush. He hadn't been half this easy to embarrass when he'd first arrived in this world.
Then again, we are dating now and they are my first girlfriend...s, Kazuma thought. Still, I don't know how much more of this flirting I can take. Why didn't anime properly prepare me for this!?
"Really? You're almost done?" Kazuma asked, partially to distract his internal panicking and partially because he was genuinely taken aback by her speed. "Damn, you work fast."
"Heh, what can I say, I'm just that good." Aqua hummed confidently, before standing up and walking over to her boyfriend, practically bouncing with each step. "Alright, you ready to see the best portrait ever?"
Taking a moment to relish the freedom to move and stretch again, Kazuma looked up at Aqua and crossed his arms in a smug manner. "Bring it on. I'd love to see what you could accomplish in just under half an hour."
"Alrighty then. Here goes!" Aqua replied, presenting the paper to him with a dramatic flourish, looking exceptionally prideful and equally anxious. "So, what do you think?"
Kazuma slowly uncrossed his arms as his expression turned to that of astonishment. He expected it to be a simple manga interpretation of him, but clearly Aqua had different ideas in mind. Instead, she decided on making a photo-realistic drawing of him. In fact, even calling it photo-realistic wasn't giving it enough credit. Kazuma found himself compelled to reach out and touch it before his fingers brushed up against the deceptive 2D portrait. He flinched back in surprise.
"Kazzy? What's wrong?" Aqua asked, her expression falling slightly as nervousness crept into her tone. "D-do you not like it? I thought I did really well, but if you disagree-"
"Not like it? Are you kidding me? This is crazy good, Aqua!" Kazuma praised, dispelling any worrying thoughts hanging over the blue girl. "I thought you were gonna go for an anime style, but this? This is fucking amazing! Seriously, I thought it was a black and white photo for a split second, that's how good it is!"
Aqua flushed slightly at the abundant praise, actually flustered as Kazuma continued to gush over her work. Sure, she wanted to be praised, and insisted upon it constantly, but when Kazuma actually took time to do just that, she found herself absolutely stunned by it.
"Th-thanks, Kazzy…" Aqua mumbled bashfully, something the young man rarely got to see from her. "I'm glad you like it. I'll admit, I kinda rushed it in some places, and it shows. But- -"
"What!? Bullshit!" Kazuma called out, startling Aqua. "I refuse to believe this was rushed or half-assed. This belongs in a goddamn museum, so don't even start with the insecure crap! That's my shtick, remember?"
Aqua laughed a bit at that, her cheeks still flush as she shook her head in amusement. "Geez, really buttering me up here, huh? I'm...I'm really glad you like it, Kazzy."
Blinking, Kazuma awkwardly coughed into his fist as he realized how batshit insane he probably sounded. "Right, um...Sorry for going overboard there. It's just...a really damn good piece of art. You do know you could probably make a fortune doing commissions, right?"
"Hmm, I could definitely give it a shot in the future if we ever get strapped for eris again." Aqua admitted, before taking a tentative step forward and grabbing Kazuma's free hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Again, I'm really happy that you liked my drawing. Maybe...I can make you another one some time? Of whatever you'd like."
Once again, Aqua's unintentional supernatural beauty was overwhelming the poor boy. He had trained himself to ignore it before when they were just partners, but now that they were dating? There was no escape from it. Kazuma's former hikikomori tendencies seized him and he looked away while blushing madly and sweating profusely.
"Oh? Did I get you all flustered, Kazzy?" Aqua cooed, her tone shifting to mischievous on the flip of a dime. "Aw, don't you worry. The girls and I will help you shed that shut-in lifestyle of yours in no time, as well as the accompanying habits."
Kazuma merely gulped and nodded, still far too flustered to force any words or sounds out of his mouth. Aqua decided to spare her boyfriend from drowning in his own embarrassment by taking a moment to level with him.
"Also...I'm sorry about giving you so much grief about it before. The shut-in stuff, I mean." She admitted, her tone becoming noticeably more sincere as she offered him a kind smile. "I know that it's gonna take some time, but I really do think that it'll do you some good to finally branch out some."
The former NEET looked up at Aqua slowly, eyes slightly widened as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. The number one person who used to be so quick to humiliate him for his previous lifestyle was now openly apologizing about it and even promising to help improve his social skills. He pursed his lips, engaging in a short mental battle with himself, before suddenly embracing Aqua.
"Thank you, Aqua. It really means a lot to me that you're willing to apologize for the things you said before." He whispered quietly, trying to keep his voice level as stray tears started to form. "And you're right, I should really consider breaking those habits, and I'm more than happy to do that with you three by my side."
The goddess easily returned the hug while rubbing Kazuma's back with one of her hands. "It's okay, Kazuma. Just remember, you're safe here. Safe with us. We're a family, and we'll always look out for each other. Count on it!"
The two remained like that for a while, a comforting embrace that seemed to seal a new agreement that going forward, they really were going to be a family. A proper one.
"Alright, I think that's enough hugging for now." Kazuma hummed at one point, releasing Aqua and preparing to stand up. However, Aqua didn't move to release him in turn, and he felt the slightest smile rise as he rolled his eyes. "Ok, sure. Take your time. I really have nowhere else to be."
Aqua giggled, "What can I say? I'm a hugger at heart. That's just something you're going to have to deal with, stud~"
"Y-you guys really need to cool it with these nicknames, you know!" Kazuma sputtered briefly, his cheeks already aflame with renewed embarrassment. "All these 'babes' and 'studs' are really, really new to me. Lord knows what you three have planned next for me."
Aqua pulled away slightly from the hug to wave her finger in his face. "Ah, bup bup! Slow down there, speedy. You and I both know you're not ready for that level of intimacy yet. Hell, we haven't worked our way up to kissing yet!" Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and she soon batted her eyelids at Kazuma as she playfully asked, "Unless you wanna get a headstart with me?"
Kazuma's cheeks immediately flushed a shade of crimson to rival most tomatoes, but he didn't answer at first, attempting to pull himself together. If this was gonna be his future, if they were, he was going to have to get used to their teasing sooner or later.
"You sound awfully confident, Aqua." He mused, suddenly lifting his free hand to cup one of her cheeks, making her jump slightly. "You sure you're up for it yourself? As far as I'm concerned, you and I are on the same level when it comes to these things, after all."
Aqua stuttered, inadvertently doing an impression of Kazuma whenever he got flustered from their teasing. Quickly, she dodged the question by plastering the drawing she made into his chest and glaring at him in mock frustration. "Just go and frame this lovely picture your goddess girlfriend made for you already! Sheesh!"
"Alright, alright! I'm going!" Kazuma relented with a chuckle, thoroughly amused with just how well using the girl's strategy against her worked out. He definitely needed to try that on Megumin the next time she tried to get a rise out of him. "Thanks again, Aqua. See you for dinner in a few hours?"
"You know it!" Aqua affirmed, her normal bubbly self erasing any trace of embarrassment she had (a trait Kazuma secretly envied). "I'm trying out a new recipe tonight so look forward to it!"
"Looking forward to it! See you then!" Kazuma replied, before starting down the hall with a pep in his step, gingerly clutching the drawing Aqua had made for him like it was the most precious thing he had ever owned.
As the day started to wind down, Kazuma made his way through the halls of the mansion, mentally debating what he wanted to do. With dinner finished, the group typically dispersed for the night, and yet there was this unexpected spark of energy that just...lingered in his chest. He still wanted to do something, but he couldn't put his finger on what.
Times like this made me wish this world would just hurry up and invent video games already, Kazuma complained mentally. My intelligence stat may be high but I'm nowhere near smart enough to invent that shit on my own. You want a proof of concept for a kotatsu? I'm your guy. But a working PC with downloadable games? Yeah, no, that's way above my paygrade.
He paused as he came to the end of the latest hallway, sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose. He had to start adapting, because neither video games nor manga were coming to this world anytime soon. What could he do to ease himself in this moment?
"Ah, Kazuma!"
The young man jumped slightly at the sudden appearance of Darkness, who had apparently been walking down the opposite hall. She beamed at him with such legitimate happiness that he almost started to blush again.
"Oh! Uh, h-hey Dark," Kazuma greeted. "What's good...in the neighborhood…? Ugh, that was stupid, disregard that, please."
"It's quite alright." Darkness assured him with an amused chuckle, gesturing toward him. "Please, feel free to try again. Practice makes perfect, after all."
Chuckling himself, Kazuma moved to Darkness as he took her advice to heart. "Thanks, that definitely deserves a do-over. Let me just keep it simple." He pretended to clear his throat before starting over, "Hey Dark! How's it hanging?"
"It's 'hanging' well enough, I suppose." Darkness replied, quirking an eyebrow slightly at Kazuma's selected slang. "I assume that's a phrase from Japan? I can't say I'm terribly familiar with it."
"Yeah, it's slang from my world. It's just a fun way of asking how someone is. Don't really know exactly where it came from, but that's just human language for ya I suppose." He shrugged lightly.
"Yes, I can understand that. Everything comes from somewhere, after all." Darkness remarked, before lacing her hands together and clearing her throat. "Well, Kazuma, if you weren't particularly busy, I actually had a proposition I'd like to extend to you."
"If it involves doing more push-ups or burpees, that's gonna be a hard pass from me," Kazuma stated instantly. "I still haven't completely gotten over the nightmares."
"Very funny, Kazuma. I still believe that we should try training again in the near future, but I actually had something far more peaceful in mind." Darkness replied, eyes lighting up with anticipation. "I was hoping to go on a leisurely stroll with you along the main pathway into town. It should be peaceful, quiet...perhaps even romantic?"
Hearing Darkness innocently suggesting doing anything romantic was jarring for Kazuma, as much as he hated himself for admitting it. Put simply, romance wasn't exactly the first thing to come to mind when he thought about the otherwise lewd and downright perverted crusader. However, things were different now; Darkness was officially one of his three girlfriends. Not only that, but he did always feel they shared a certain bond that went slightly deeper than simple comradery. Maybe this could be a chance to get to know her better?
However, that does mean it'd have to get...personal, right? Kazuma fretted internally, still struggling to adjust to the unfamiliar world of love and dating. Once again, he was left wondering how anime made this crap look easy!
"I mean, I wouldn't mind going for a walk. I'm still feeling a little pent up anyhow." Kazuma eventually replied, offering Darkness the brightest smile he could muster. "Yeah, I'd love to go out on a walk with you."
"Why, that's wonderful!" Darkness cheered. "However, if you don't mind, I'd first like to change into my civilian clothes first. Could you wait out by the front door for me while I go change?"
"Yeah, sure. See you in a few, Dark!" Kazuma replied, before moving to walk around the crusader...and finding his path blocked. "Oh no. Not again."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I'll just move here," Darkness spoke quietly, only to find that Kazuma had the same idea as her. After two to three more attempts, the couple finally managed to pass each other...but at what cost?
A few minutes later, after finding himself at the front door, Kazuma was finally joined by Darkness, who had indeed changed into her casual attire. The young man was struck by the sudden thought that, as she joined him outside on the front steps, the setting sun shining on her just so, that Darkness looked well and truly beautiful.
I am the luckiest man in the world, Kazuma randomly thought to himself before snapping out of his internal musings and trying his best to hold a conversation. "S-so, uh, the town's looking a lot better now, huh?"
"Oh, quite better indeed!" Darkness agreed pleasantly as the pair began their journey towards the town itself. "I've tried to keep in contact with Chris regarding construction, but from what I've seen on my own, the worst damages have been repaired and all that is left is some minor repairs here and there."
"That's good to hear," Kazuma agreed, slowly slipping into a more comfortable mood brought on by the simple pleasantries. "Hopefully the Guild re-opens soon so we can all go questing again. If for no other reason than to get away from it all and just explore the open fields. I forgot how crowded cities can be."
"I can understand the sentiment. After all, I grew up in my parent's mansion, and while we had transportation at our disposal at all times, I found myself preferring the peace and quiet of home at times." Darkness replied, before a thoughtful look crossed her face. "Kazuma...could I discuss something with you? Something personal, that is."
Uh-oh, called it. So much for small talk, echoed Kazuma's mind. He did what he could to bottle his irrational fears and looked at the woman curiously. "Uh, sure, go ahead."
"Alright, here goes nothing." Darkness muttered quietly, before taking a deep breath and turning her attention fully to Kazuma with a troubled expression. "My...tendencies. How much do they bother you, truly?"
The bomb hit Kazuma so hard, he actually stopped dead in his tracks, causing Darkness to halt abruptly in turn. His face was a myriad of emotions, almost as if his body itself was physically experiencing technical difficulties processing the information. It took a great deal of effort, but Kazuma eventually willed himself to look at the worried girl beside him and speak his mind.
"Now, just so we're 100% clear...by 'tendencies', you're referring to your masochistic traits, right? I need to be absolutely certain that we're on the same page here."
"Y-yes. I am referring to those traits." Darkness confirmed, her cheeks darkening a shade as she fought to control herself. "I...I haven't put much thought into it before, you see. It was just who I was, the way I reacted...but...given recent events, and our new r-relationship...I've been plagued with doubts."
"And you want my feedback on if it bothers me on a deep, emotional level, correct?" Kazuma asked. "Again, I just don't want to misinterpret this is all."
"Again, yes. Your honest opinion is what I'm looking for." Darkness replied, fidgeting and trying to keep herself calm, bouncing between her usual shame and the ecstasy that followed. "I understand why you find my reactions so r-repulsive, and if they are a bother to you, or a detriment to our relationship...I need to know."
Kazuma accidentally released a shuddering breath. Once again, he found himself completely unprepared for a heavy topic like this to come up. He involuntarily strung together a series of meaningless words, his speech on autopilot as his emotional and logical halves waged war within his mind. He stopped himself when he felt his emotions starting to get the better of him as he looked away and sucked in some air.
"I-I-I'm sorry, give a minute," he quivered while raising his finger at Darkness. The young man fully turned away from her, desperately trying (and gradually failing) to keep his cool and come up with a response for a question he didn't really know how to answer.
"Of course, please, take your time." Darkness replied, taking a small step back and giving Kazuma more space to breath. "I'm sorry for springing this on you so unexpectedly, but I thought that it'd be better to deal with this right away than later."
"Right…" Kazuma mumbled in agreement as he continued to collect himself and his thoughts. So, does Darkness' masochism truly bother him? Well...while masochism itself wasn't his ideal preference by any means, he could at least understand why some people might enjoy it. The problem was that Darkness took it to the absolute extreme, to the point where it actively endangers herself and the mission. It borders on the line of insanity!
That being said, when she wasn't fantasizing about stuff that could otherwise kill a normal human, Darkness more than proved herself to be a very kind, generous, and downright pleasant person. Hell, even if you removed the masochism, she would still put her life on the line for anyone, no questions asked. So, maybe the core issue wasn't the kink itself…
Maybe it's her lack of...moderation? Kazuma wondered to himself. Or maybe control? If she learned to keep it on the low when we're on missions or in public, it wouldn't be nearly as bad. She just has to get a proper grip on it, to make sure she can handle things properly.
"Dark, I think I've got a decent idea of how to deal with this." Kazuma eventually stated, immediately earning him her undivided attention. "I...don't hate your tendencies. I think that it's alright for you to have the kinks that you have, and yes, they are kinks. However, I think we can solve this problem if we ease you into a more controlled attitude, you know?"
Darkness tilted her head with a puzzled expression plastered on her face. "How do you figure?"
Kazuma scratched the back of his neck. "Well, I think the root of the problem is that you don't really have a filter. Once you get in the mood, it's nearly impossible to snap you out of it. You just have that gleam in your eye that...well, it honestly fucking scares me. I know you're a really nice person, hell, one of the nicest people I was ever blessed to meet! But you're also quick to throw logic and reasoning out the window whenever something tickles your fancy, and while you're likely to get away with only scrapes and bruises, you fail to consider how we could get badly hurt. Or worse."
"I...I understand." Darkness replied slowly, her expression becoming more determined and certain. "What you're saying is that I lack self control, and that going forward I must learn to properly deal with my...ahem, fancies, in the proper time and place?"
"Once again, you took the words right outta my mouth and spun them around in a much better way," Kazuma chuckled, allowing a small smile to grace his lips. "But yeah, self control I think is the key to all this. I'm fine with who you are as a person, I just want you to work on toning it down a bit. Save it for the right time and place but don't let it consume you like how my anxiety consumes me, y'know?"
"Yes, I believe that I do." Darkness confirmed, before sighing with relief as her own smile returned. "Thank you, Kazuma. I was truly troubled for some time by this prospect, but now that you've laid it out in a far more simple manner...I think I can try to work on my bad habits, and hopefully become better for it."
"I'd love nothing more," Kazuma admitted. But, of course, a dirty thought had to pass him by and he found himself looking down while kicking the dirt with his boot. "And...um...I-I guess it isn't fair to, uh, judge you all that much when I've never bothered to...i-indulge in it."
"O-oh. Y-yes, I suppose you're right." Darkness sputtered, her cheeks flushing almost instantly at the implications of such a statement. After a beat or two of silence, she spoke up again, her tone quiet and bordering on sensual. "Have you considered doing so recently?"
The hormonal and insecure teenager waved his arms frantically as he blurted out, "NOW HOLD THERE! I'm not - I never said - that's..." He awkwardly coughed into his fist as he slowed down. "I just don't think I'm...ready for that level of expressing l-l-love just yet. I mean, shit, I haven't even learned how to kiss yet! So...let's learn to walk before we try to run, okay?"
"Of course, my apologies!" Darkness replied hastily, returning to her previous fidgeting, though her smile never faded. "I didn't mean to be presumptuous. I understand that you need some time. Hopefully, I can help you with the process, when you are comfortable, of course."
"Right, thanks," Kazuma chuckled nervously. "Just as a heads up, I'm probably going to fuck up a lot along the way, so please try to bear with me here."
"Naturally. Hopefully, going forward, we can fuck up together." Darkness remarked, tentatively grabbing Kazuma's hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. "That doesn't seem quite as bad, does it?"
Kazuma was soon doubling over with laughter over the knight's sudden coarse language. He wiped a tear from his eye as he glanced at her in amusement. "Y'know, it's funny. Even though you have the dirtiest mind, you were the last person I ever expected to drop the F-bomb like that."
"W-well, it felt only proper to match your cadence! Especially after our new agreement!" Darkness defended, quickly devolving into a flustered mess as she crossed her arms and started to pout. "I didn't think that you'd make such a big deal about it, you know. I'm trying my best to be better."
"Hey, I never said I was against it, just that I wasn't expecting it," said Kazuma as he boldly reclaimed Darkness' hand. "You never fail to surprise me, Lala."
"Ah! K-KAZUMA!" Darkness immediately cried, stomping foot as her cheeks heated up further, embarrassment full blown at this point. "Oh, that is NOT fair! You can't tease me like that after you told me to have self-control, you callous brute!"
Kazuma snorted, "Oh, c'mon! It was only half of your full name, and arguably the best half. I'm your boyfriend now, don't I get special privilege?"
Darkness just huffed, crossing her arms and resuming their walk, making Kazuma chuckle once more as he moved to follow. Eventually, as they got closer to town, Darkness sighed and relented with a quiet, "Perhaps, but I make no promises. You know how much I hate that name."
Kazuma responded with a fist pump in the air followed by a quick side hug to the crusader. "Thanks. But you do know you could always legally change your first name if you hate it that much, right? Or am I completely talking out of my ass?"
"Well, you're not technically wrong, but I'm afraid it's not that simple." Darkness replied, her mood sharply turning more somber and serious as she continued. "It's not just a name. It's a part of my title, my identity. Whether I enjoy my position in the Dustiness line is irrelevant, it is still a part of me. To simply do away with my name on a whim...it feels irresponsible and selfish."
Kazuma mentally kicked himself for crashing the mood like that. He had to try and salvage it somehow. "You know, in Japan, things like noble bloodlines and monarchies have become more or less irrelevant. There's still a few places on Earth that continue to practice that stuff, but that's become the exception rather than the norm. People where I come from are whoever they want to be and it's their choice on what name they want to make for themselves. So, as far as I'm concerned, you are and will always be Darkness: a humble crusader who likes to protect people and who just so happens to like getting hurt in the process. You're my equal, that's that."
Darkness flushed at Kazuma's words, not out of embarrassment or arousal, but rather genuine surprise and appreciation. For all her faults, she really did want to protect people to the best of her ability, and to be seen as a proper adventurer, not a stuffy noble trying to play a part she's not suited for. There were moments where she doubted herself, but when Kazuma talked to her like that…
The young man suddenly/unexpectedly felt a pair of soft, pillow-like lips press up against his cheek before quickly retreating. Before Kazuma could say or do anything, a flustered (but happy) Darkness said, "Th-thank you, Love, for the reassurance. You know, for a man who claims to be terrible with his words, you sure do have quite a way with them. Truly a walking contradiction..."
"Heh, yeah. That's been mentioned before." Kazuma managed with a quiet chuckle, feeling equally flushed and pleased as his crusader girlfriend as he met her gaze. "I wouldn't say such things if I didn't believe them, you know. I really do think you're great."
"As do I, Kazuma. As do I…"
