He had finished his daily commissions and made his way to the café. Then he noticed a familiar face. Dehya sat at a table, arms folded, staring off into the Sumeru rainforest.

"Hey," he said. "What're you doing here?"

"Oh, it's you," she said with a smile. "Just thinking."

"Is something up?"

"Well, yes actually. In a few weeks the Eremites hold the Tournament. It's a competition to decide the strongest warrior in the desert. I wanted to practice some moves, but my usual training partners won't help me. Maybe I ought to post a request to the Adventurer's Guild or whatever."

Aether said, "Well, if it's just training, I can help you. Let's head to my teapot."

"You sure? It might get kind of rough."

"I fight dragons and gods. Whatever it is, I can handle it."

Aether came crashing headfirst, getting a mouthful of grass. Before he could catch his breath, powerful hands seized his ankles and put him in a double leg lock. He tapped her arm frantically. She released him. Freed, he plopped to the ground. Everything hurt. He hadn't felt like this since fighting the Raiden Shogun.

"Doing okay?" she asked between stretches.

"Never better," he said, even though his spine was basically a soggy noodle.

"Great. Thanks for the help. Got a few more moves to test out. Ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

Dehya helped him up and they took their stances, legs splayed, arms at the ready. She grabbed his arms, put a foot behind his outstep, and with a hip pivot, Aether fell to the ground. She got on top of him, straddling his waist, staring down with those beautiful sapphire eyes. A dangerous warmth spread through his chest seeping down into his—Oh no.

He rolled, hoping to hide his excitement. She snaked her arms beneath his pits, jerked him to a sitting position, and put him into a headlock. Her legs, her powerful tan legs, wrapped around his torso.

The perfume of her hair filled his nostrils, sweet and enticing. The small of his back pressed into her abs. Her lips only inches from his ear, tickling his skin with every breath. And her chest. Dear Archons her chest. Soft, firm, and through the fabric he could feel her—oh no. He was too far gone now.

He tapped again and she let go. Aether bent over, doing his best to hide the scene going on downstairs. Dehya studied him.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," he said, voice cracking. "Can we take a break?"

"After one last move. Okay?"

She bent over, grabbed his arm. In a deft movement, she picked him up and slung him across her shoulders. Her right hand slipped, dangerously and inevitably, around his upper calf and there was no stopping her forearm from going up and up.

She froze. Neither of them moved. He hung there, on Dehya's shoulders, with her forearm pressed into the secret he hoped to hide.

She hastily put him down and quickly turned around. "Um, let's take a break and…calm down."

He knelt over, ashamed. How could he do that to Dehya? He had an alarmingly strong impulse to reach for his dull blade and disembowel himself right there and then.

"I'm sorry," he said with a croak. "I didn't mean to…"

"It's fine. I get it—we were really um close. Really, I should be the one apologizing. I should've stopped when you asked."

Aether's face felt hotter than a volcano. If the heavenly principles came along now and killed him, he'd welcome it. Well, at least Dehya didn't seem angry.

"If you want a new sparring partner, I understand."

"I'm really not mad. I mean…you're a guy and I was pretty much touching you all over. I know it's not cause you think of me like that. I'm probably the last girl you'd find attractive."

"Not true," his mouth spoke before his brain could catch up with it. Now he really wanted to crawl into the Chasm, find a purple puddle, and die.

Dehya laughed. "Come on, I got scars and bruises all over and I'm definitely not a lady like Nilou or Dunyezard. You don't have to flatter me with stuff that's not true."

The hint of loathing in her voice set him off.

"But it is true!" he exclaimed. "Your hair smells so nice, and your eyes are so blue and gorgeous, and you're such a kind, strong person who's always got my back…and…" oh geeze, he needed a muzzle. Well, in for a mora in for a pound. "And basically, I think you're beautiful."

Dehya brushed a strand of hair from her ear. "You really mean it, huh?" Her back was turned to him, but he could've sworn he saw her smiling—actually smiling. Something else too. She was blushing.

"It's funny," she said, "I never thought of myself as beautiful. Hearing you say it means a lot."

She wrung her hands, fidgeting nervously. It was adorable. Seeing her cute side like this made his heart flutter. He committed the sight to memory; brave flame mane Dehya, gushing over a compliment. She gave him a quizzical look and he quickly averted his gaze.

"What? What is it?"

"N-nothing."

"Come on, tell me. Or," she said with a devious smirk. "I'll put you in another fireman's carry."

Well, he already put a foot in his mouth. Might as well swallow the rest of his leg.

"I was thinking," he said. "I wish you could see yourself through my eyes. Then you'd know you're amazing."

Silence. Had he overstepped? He faked a cough, shifting away from her.

"Say, Aether," she said with a slight quaver, "we never did agree on a payment for this commission."

"It's fine, you don't have to."

"But I want to."

He heard her come closer. Before he could turn around, she hugged him. He felt those familiar, those wonderful mounds rubbing up and down against his back. That was all it took to start the fire all over again.

"D-Dehya, I'm…"

"Shh," she whispered into his ear.

Lithe fingers traced circles around his chest, gliding slowly down his stomach. Her thumb lingered on his abbs while her index finger played about his belly button. Aether yelped as her wet tongue trailed up his earlobe all the way up his ear. She giggled. And still her fingers grazed his exposed flesh. They went further and further down, and Aether found it hard to breathe as her touch drifted to the rim of his waistband.

"Aether," she said in a tender voice. "If you want me to stop, just say so. We can pretend this never happened."

Stop? No, no, no. The last thing he wanted was for this to stop. He wanted this like a starving animal wanted food.

He angled his head, so he could meet those beautiful blue eyes of hers. He cupped her chin and they kissed.

Dehya hesitated. It seemed she still had doubts about herself. He kissed her again, deeper, moaning her name. That did it for her. She kissed him back. It was shy at first. Then it got nice, and then it got really nice, and then their tongues were dancing round each other. They stopped only when they needed breath. Cheeks flushed, she smiled the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen.

And with that, her hand slid into his pants.

Dehya woke up in bed with Aether, her brand new lover, spooning her. His face pressed into her hair, his bare chest against her back and one arm lying across her belly. They were coated with sweat. For such a sweet guy, the traveler had superhuman endurance bordering on the absurd. That was good—great for her, but man, was she sore. It felt like she'd done a few thousand laps around the desert while deadlifting a ruin guard.

"Dehya," he murmured half asleep. "Dehya."

He burrowed his face deeper into her neck. She failed to stifle a little squeak.

"Cute," he sighed happily. "Love you."

She had to smile. She'd never felt so beautiful. So wanted, so needed…it was kind of scary, like being in the desert without a sword. And yet, when Aether's hand brushed down her belly and settled lovingly on her hip, she found she wasn't afraid.

"I love you too, Aether."

"Hmm," he hummed. "More."

Just like that, he was raring for another round. Dehya got very scared. But also, very excited.

The Eremite tournament took place weeks later. Of particular interest, the flame mane Dehya who took home the first-place prize. Every person watching would agree that her wrestling technique was one of the finest they'd ever seen. Each move had been well honed through countless hours of practice.

But what really impressed everyone and what ultimately led to her triumph over the other well-trained warriors, was something unexpected. She had really, really, really good stamina.