Author´s Note: I will spoil as much about the time skip, no modern technology.
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Freya and Bell sat side by side on her bed, holding hands, she looked at him a bit worried, yet relieved that he was there.
But judging from his expression, Freya could see that he was in shock.
"Over...a thousand...years?..."
He looked at her, blinking a few times. Freya felt his hands closing more around her own, he wanted to make sure that she was really there. For her it was the same. Freya didn´t mind how badly Bell smelled...and it was extreme, so bad that even more tears came out of her eyes...but she was afraid of letting go of his hands.
She was afraid he would turn out to be a dream then and be gone again. Freya didn´t know if she could bear with this pain.
But now that he asked this again, Freya got aware again how long it was since she had seen him for the last time. Even as a goddess, over a thousand years was too long for her.
She slowly nodded. "It was over a thousand years, Bell."
"But I...I...three years...it was...about three years...for me..."
Freya saw how much this apparently "short" time had hurt Bell. He wasn´t a god, getting isolated and imprisoned for three years without anyone to talk to was beyond torture. And it hurt her heart so much that her beloved had suffered like this.
For Bell in return, his mind was in turmoil, as well as his heart. Freya was alone and had waited for him for over one thousand years.
But not only that, over a thousand years meant...all his friends were gone.
Dead.
For a very long time already.
Bell was in shock, this was too much to take in so fast. But a tiny part of him had already wondered if it really were just three years. Orario could never turn into such a scenery in just three years. Even if some big monster would´ve destroyed the city or Gaia´s curse made it impossible for everyone to live in the city, the buildings wouldn´t look like that after such a short amount of time.
He had easily seen hundreds of years of time gnawing at the buildings.
Freya just looked at him, crying in silence, Bell leaned over to her and when their lips met, she closed her eyes for a moment again.
"Freya."
"Bell..."
"You...you waited...so long...for me?"
She nodded, her cheeks were wet.
Bell gently carressed her right cheek with his thumb, she couldn´t help but making a face.
"Freya?"
"Bell...my love...my Odr...I´m sorry...but...you stink...really, really bad..."
"I´m sorry..."
Freya got up to her feet and gently pulled at his hand. "Please come with me, don´t let go of my hand."
She looket at him and her hand clenched slightly, as if she was afraid he could go away or vanish any second. Bell felt that Freya trembled a lot, she was nearly in a state of panic. He felt very similar, but for her it was a lot harder.
After all...she waited four hundred times longer than him...
Freya led him out of the house and took a big, wooden tub with her. As usual, she was a lot stronger than her slender body. He couldn´t say a word, his mind felt numb. But when Freya turned her face to him and smiled slightly, he felt a sharp pain in his heart.
How he had missed her.
Bell couldn´t stop himself from touching her cheek for a moment.
"Bell?..."
"You´re as beautiful as the day I lost you."
Her lower lip trembled, new tears streamed down her cheeks and even when Bell was stinking, Freya kissed him again.
Bell noticed that a lot of the white bunnies hopped towards Freya and looked at her. Strangely...one of the bunnies looked far more massive and buffed, a true warrior rabbit. It looked a bit like it was the leader of the other bunnies.
"Guard the house and fields for me, will you?"
"Kyu."
The sound of this rabbit was far deeper than these of the smaller bunnies. Bell really wanted to ask Freya what these bunnies were, but that could wait.
Only now Bell saw that it were a few dozens, a strange sight. Freya led him to the small lake that he had already seen.
Freya put down the wooden tub with one hand, Bell only now noticed sponges, washcloth, soap, a bucket and other things in it. She only dared to let go of his hand after she turned towards him. Not holding Bell´s hand and looking away from him at the same time scared Freya to death. She was still afraid all of this was just a wonderful dream.
"My love, we need to wash you, badly."
Bell smiled wryly. "I´m sorry that I ruin this moment like this."
Freya shook her head. "Don´t be."
She pulled down the suspenders of her dungarees and let the pants slide down her body after taking off her shoes. Freya noticed the slight longing in Bell´s eyes when he saw her volpoutos thighs again, he always got weak when it came to this part of her body. Or any other part, but mostly this one.
Freya rememberred very well the first time she had given Bell a lap pillow and he did too. Nothing could ever be compared to the softness of her divine thighs.
"Bell, you need to strip too."
"Sorry...I was a bit enchanted."
Her cheeks got more than a bit pink, stripping naked after such a long time in front of her beloved, Freya felt like a pure virgin maiden again. Bell had a few problems to get his shirt off, it was sticking to his body, as well as his pants. He couldn´t take his eyes from Freya when she grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head, Bell gulped. As usual when Freya had been working in a field, she didn´t use a brassiere. But why would she? She had lived here all alone.
Even when they didn´t plan to do anything naughty, Bell couldn´t help but look at Freya´s naked glory after she also pulled down her panties. There she was, in front of him, his beloved.
Completely naked, baring everything to him. She saw his eyes wandering over her body, it had been so long. A bit abashed, Freya covered her crotch and breasts with her hands.
"Please don´t stare so much..."
"I´m sorry."
When he managed to pull down his underwear, Bell made a disgusted face, he was really dirty, all over. As were his clothes. He noticed how Freya blushed when she saw him naked again...after all these long years...years of being all alone...
"Bell, please sit down here." Freya pointed at a stone close to the edge of the lake.
Then she went and used the bucket to fill the tub with water.
"It will be a bit cold, I didn´t have time to warm some water up and I don´t have any magic items anymore to use them for that."
Bell just looked how Freya knelt there and filled the tub. She returned his gaze, both didn´t dare to look away from each other.
"I love you, Freya."
"And I love you, Bell."
He smiled lovingly...and desperate. "My Syr."
Her eyes glew a bit, but her expression was the same as his. "My Odr."
When the tub was filled, Freya put it close to Bell.
Curious he looked at the white object in her hands.
"From where did you get soap?"
She put her hands in the tub and moved them quickly, soon bubbles appeared and she made sure her hands were covered in soap.
"Melen, I sometimes trade with them."
"Do you go there?"
Freya shook her head. "I didn´t dare to leave. I...always feared it would be the moment you would return. And that we wouldn´t see each other, that you might go in a different direction. This was one of my greatest fears."
Bell saw how much she shivered, this was no joke at all. Freya started to rub the soap onto Bell´s skin, at first his shoulders and face, always looking into his eyes. In the past both had always bathed together, washed each other, sometimes in a erotic way. But this moment had nothing erotic to it, both were just glad to have each other again.
She was glad to see how dirt started to get off when she rubbed the soap more into Bell´s skin. Bell noticed how her eyes glew more and more, not just flickering, Freya was insanely happy that he was back again.
"So they come here to trade? This is really nice of them, coming only for you."
Freya smiled slightly while she continued to wash Bell, the scent of the soap helped to bear with the smell of her beloved. Soon he would be nice and clean again.
"Hestia is so kind to do it. Also to check on me now and then, sometimes she spends a weekend here to keep me company. Demeter also comes for a week each year."
Bell noticed how warm Freya´s voice got when she talked about the other goddess.
"Lady Hestia lives in Melen now?"
"Yes, she and Njord rule over the port city. Melen has grown a bit since back then, but not too much. They also have fields now around the city, since the fields here aren´t big enough to provide them. But she says my vegetables and fruits are the most delicious one can get his or her hands on."
Freya smiled. "They are originally from Demeter after all."
"Lady Hestia rules the city, together with Lord Njord?"
"Yes, he takes care of the sea and fishing, Hestia of the fields and the city in general. She is the Goddess of the Hearth after all."
"Oh...hm.."
"Bell?"
"Freya...I always wanted to ask you this."
"Hm?"
"Is...Lord Njord...really your father? Some myths say this."
She looked at him for a few moments, spreading soap all over his stomach. "Yes, Njord is my father."
"Hah...I should´ve known this earlier..."
"Why?"
"Then I could´ve asked him for his blessing...I mean...not like the Falna...but..."
"You mean to marry me?"
"Yes."
Freya chuckled. "Why are you thinking about this now?"
Bell showed her a sad smile. "Because I have to think about all the things that are now in the past...and long gone...and that you were alone for so long."
She returned his sad smile. "At least I had Hestia to visit me often, Njord also came every two weeks."
Freya and Njord had their problems in the past, many problems. For gods trouble between parents and children was as common as it was for mortals, just on a larger scale and over a longer time period. Njord didn´t want to come to her at first, since Freya lived in Orario and he in Melen. But when he heard from Hestia how desperate, broken and lonely Freya had become, something inside him had stirred. He was her father after all and she his daughter, no matter what problems they might have had in the past.
So Njord went to visit her too, even took her into his arms and gently hugged his daughter, for the first time in over fifty thousand years. She had looked so vulnerable and lost, just like when she was a scared, young child back then in heaven. That her father was there for her had helped Freya.
For Bell it made sense that the god of the sea would look after his lonely daughter. He looked for a topic to continue.
"Is...your mother also on the surface?"
"Skadi? No, not as far as I know. And...I don´t really want to see her, we...had problems."
"Oh."
"And if she would come to the surface, I know she would be in Melen too. She and my father love each other very much. But...please let us change the topic."
"Glad-lyyyy!"
Bell flinched for a moment when Freya wandered further down to wash him, taking care of his crotch now. She didn´t think much into it, even when it was a very long time ago that she touched this place.
"I´m sorry, was I too rough?"
"N-No..it has just been so long..."
"I know how you feel."
Bell leaned forward. "And I can´t even start to imagine how it feels for you, being alone for so long."
Freya leaned closer to him too. "I still don´t know if I just went mad and just dream...could you show me that I don´t dream?"
Bell would do that gladly and kissed her again. He swore an oath to himself, Bell would make up for all the missing kisses for over a thousand years.
So that the mood wouldn´t get awkward while Freya made sure to wash Bell thoroughly down there, he could´ve done it himself but he was still weak and both needed the skinship more than they could say with words, he asked her something else.
"You said Lady Demeter also visits you a week each year?"
Freya nodded. "She rules over the city Karuna now, a neutral city."
Bell rememberred the name of this city, it was more or less close to the Wishe forest and Alfs Royal forest. Sitting at a river between the Empire and Rakia. But he wondered what Freya meant with neutral city.
He vanished more and more in a bubbly cover.
"The soap smells very nice."
"It does, I´m glad to have it."
Freya showed him a bashful smile, while her love for Bell knew no end or limit, she loved him more when he smelled nicely. The skinship currently was very important to them, but washing Bell like this with her hands also confirmed for her again and again that he was really there. And with all the dirt getting washed off his body, with the smell leaving him more and more, her Bell, her Odr, returned more and more to her.
It looked a bit awkward and strange, when Freya started to wash Bell´s back, at first she hugged him from the front, so that she wouldn´t stop looking into his eyes. But both got a bit shy when their bodies touched like this for a moment. In the past when Bell was in the dungeon for an Expedition and returned home, sometimes after two or three weeks, Freya had also taken a bath with him, but then immediatelly jumped him, both giving in to their love and lust for each other. But currently both didn´t feel lust, just love and comfort. Freya eventually was able to leave Bell´s front and washed his back.
"So, that was the first time."
Freya emptied a bucket over Bell, two times, to wash away all the soap and to get his hair wet.
"Hm...your hair is all messy and felty...I doubt I can wash this completely clean."
"Would you cut it for me?"
"Mmmh..I always loved your hair..."
"It will grow back, my love."
"Alright then..."
Freya had already thought about this and brought a special scissor and a few razor blades with her. She was careful while she started to cut his hair and almost shaved his head, it took a while, but Bell ended with his almost completely shaved off. He raised a hand and touched his head.
"It feels strange."
"I hope it will grow back soon..."
"Thank you, Freya."
Bell tried to kiss her again, but Freya handed him a toothbrush and a bowl with a white substance, toothpaste.
"Please don´t be mad, Bell. But..."
"I understand."
So he started to brush his teeth and mouth thoroughly, he twitched slightly when Freya wandered down on his body with the scissor and razor blades. Shaving his armpits for him, thankfully Bell never grew a beard in the first place. Then she also went further down and started to shave his crotch area completely clean, even his scrotum.
"S-So..nice, s-smooth and clean. Hm...so onto the next round."
In the past Freya never felt this abashed. She would need more than one time washing Bell to get the smell out of him.
In total, Freya did it seven times for Bell. His skin looked a bit red and rosy, but afterwards he smelled way better than before.
He got up to his feet again. "Now it´s your turn, my love."
Freya smiled lovingly, sat down on the rock and waited. Bell wouldn´t need to shave any kind of hair from Freya, as a goddess her body didn´t change, so the hair didn´t grow. She mewled a bit and shivered comfortably when Bell started to wash her body. Freya only sweat a little from her field work and there wasn´t much dirt.
"*Hic* *Hic* *Hic*"
She sobbed again, Bell kissed her to calm her down while he kept washing her. When he touched her chest, Freya couldn´t help but gasp for a moment, she closed her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. Every few moments, her lips felt lonely when they didn´t kiss. When Bell went to wash Freya´s backside, she turned her head to not lose sight of him.
This currently was her greatest fear and filled her with horror. By no means was Bell allowed to leave her field of vision.
Otherwise...he could maybe disappear again...
To show her he was there, Bell hugged her from behind.
"Freya...I will never leave your side again."
"Never?"
"Never."
"Promise?"
"I promise."
She looked at him pleadingly, Bell kissed her while he started to wash her body, to return the favor. Freya squeaked when Bell touched sensitive places, it had been too long for her to not feel his hands on her body. So she enjoyed it to feel he was there again. It was hard to say who enjoyed it more, Freya to feel Bell´s hands on her body again or Bell to touch her.
It took some time to wash Freya´s body, even when she wasn´t really dirty, but both didn´t want to haste anything. After both were completely clean, Freya slowly got up, while Bell held both of her hands.
"Come, my love."
"I will follow you everywhere, starlight of my darkest nights."
Freya´s eyes glew more, oh how she missed it when Bell used his best flirts. Carefully both went into the lake, thankfully it was quite warm due to the sunlight. There was something like a few steps that led deeper into the lake, they could sit on any of these comfortably. There was only one way how they could sit, their favorite way. Bell sat down first, opened his legs and waited. Freya sat down between Bell´s legs and leaned back, his arms closed around her immediatelly, her hands came to rest on his hands.
And then.
Both let out a long sigh.
They just sat there for a while, not saying anything.
Tears flew in silence, both cried again, all their emotions broke free, they just couldn´t and didn´t want to stop their tears. Freya leaned her face halfway to the side, Bell followed this invitation and kissed Freya again.
It was a kiss born from loneliness, fear and a desperate intensity. Never before had they kissed this intense, both couldn´t hold back, soon their tongues danced in the other´s mouth. Both loved to kiss like that, it felt more intimate and loving for them, even when it didn´t come with any naughty intend.
"Bell...love you.."
"Love you too..."
Their lips met again and again and again. Bell´s arms closed a bit tighter around Freya, she accepted it all too willingly. Getting held tighter by Bell meant to feel him more, to be sure he was there.
An hour passed, no words fell, both just sat there and kissed.
.
.
Both followed the few clouds in the sky with their eyes.
"I missed you."
"And I missed you."
"I can´t say how glad I am to see you again."
"Me too, Bell."
"All that prevented me from going insane and drifting into nothingness, was the thought about you. I thought about all the people I knew, all my friends. But it was your image that drove me forward. I swore myself I would see you again..."
"And I´m glad you did...all these years...for all these years I could only think about you, Bell."
"I still can´t imagine...I mean...over a thousand years..."
"One thousand two hundred and sixty-six."
"Hah..."
Freya snuggled more against Bell, as if she was seeking him out with her back. Bell held her close and pushed his chest slightly more against her, to show her that he was there and wouldn´t go away.
"At some point...I don´t know how to say it...I was just...there... I lived every day in the same way, getting up from my bed, taking care of my fields, looking at Orario and hoping you would return...later washing myself, eating and going to bed."
"I´m sorry I let you wait for so long..."
"I was used to wait, to search for years over years for my Odr. But to be honest...after I found you...these mere one thousand two hundred years were torture."
Bell got aware once again that his beloved was a goddess, that she said "mere" one thousand two hundred years...
He saw in her eyes how much this time had hurt her. Bell leaned his forehead against Freya´s.
"To think you would wait for me for such a long time..."
"I would´ve waited another ten thousand years, my love."
"Then I´m glad that I made it out of that cave earlier."
"Bell...would you...tell me what happened down there?"
She felt how his arms clenched slightly around her. "You don´t have to if it pains you."
He slightly shook his head. "You deserve to know it, Freya."
Freya closed her hands more around Bell´s and snuggled as much towards him as possible, to give him all the comfort he needed. Bell started slowly, she noticed how much it pained him to talk about this. While he talked, Bell slightly carressed Freya´s stomach and thighs, this always calmed him down a little. New tears came out of Freya´s eyes when she heard how much Bell had suffered in that cave.
"Ottar and the others tried to break the rock that sealed the cave for over a year. They went down again and again, taking as many supplies with them as possible. But even when Ottar´s Supreme Black Sword shattered, not even a scratch was left at the rock. Hedin´s magic did nothing, even Loki´s elves tried their best. As well as the Sword Princess. They broke many weapons...but not even Ottar´s strength when Takemikazuchi´s Renard cast her magic on him did anything..."
"I heard nothing inside the cave."
"How cruel...you were all alone..."
"As were you, my love."
"I at least had some people to help me a bit."
Eventually, Freya slowly got up, turned around and knelt down, straddling Bell, leaning forward and hugged him, her head came to rest on his right shoulder, he leaned his head against hers and gently stroked her back.
"I will make sure you´re never alone like this again, H-Honey." Somehow this nickname of Bell always made Freya a bit flustered, she didn´t know why.
"And I will never again leave your side, Syr. No matter where you go, or what will happen, I will never leave you."
Both fell quiet again, after maybe another hour, Bell asked a question. They were now in the water for over two hours, but neither of them wanted to get out, just spend time with each other.
"Freya?"
"Mh?"
Bell chuckled slightly when she made this simple sound. "Ehe, you sound too cute when you make these noises."
"I do?"
"Yes, this and your slightly twitching nose when you´re angry make you really adorable."
Freya smiled. "Then I will do my best to become more adorable and lovely, all for you, my Odr."
She leaned her head against his shoulder again, normally she would now close her eyes and just enjoy Bell´s presence, but Freya didn´t dare to do that. She was afraid of closing her eyes, he might be gone then...
"Freya, from where does this lake come?"
"Ottar made it for me."
"Ottar, why that?"
Bell felt how Freya took a deep breath.
"He was the last one that remained with me."
"You mean...like..."
Freya sat slightly up.
"Would you come with me for a moment, Bell?"
"Of course."
Freya carefully went out of the lake, holding Bell´s hand. Both didn´t dry themself nor did they put on clothes. Bell´s clothes had to soak in the soap water for a long time anyway. Thankfully it was warm and there were no other people around. In the past both had sometimes strolled around naked where no one could see them, simply because it felt liberating and they enjoyed it.
"You´re really beautiful like that, Freya."
"What do you mean, naked or wet?"
"I mean when I´m able to see you."
She showed him a slightly sad smile. "Then I have to make sure I will always be the first and last thing you see each day. And what you see most of the time."
"That sounds great."
"Come, my love."
Bell followed her, they walk between the fields to a place behind the house. He saw a small hill, covered in gras and flowers. There was a black sword sticking out of it. Bell knew this sword, the upper third was missing, a bit on the backside too, so it looked like one side was thirty centimeters longer than the backside. Just like before it had two cutting edges, but now it looked like it was meant to be used with the longer edge.
"This is..."
"Ottar lived to be one hundred and forty-nine years old. His level and high status allowed him to live that long."
"And he never left your side."
"No, he didn´t."
Freya knelt down in front of the warrior´s grave and moved her hand along the flowers. "You were such a wonderful child, Ottar. I´m glad I got to know you, the strongest warrior who ever lived."
Bell put a hand over his heart and knelt down, lowering his head, paying his respect to his deceased captain...and friend.
"It was an honor to have you as my captain, Ottar."
Both remained there in silence, showing the grave their respect and love. After both got back to their feet, Freya leaned slightly against Bell, he put an arm around her.
"Ottar wrote a letter for you, in case you would ever return. But sadly around a hundred or two hundred years ago, it fell apart."
"What did he write?"
Freya smiled like a proud mother. "That it is your job now to take care of me, protect me and make me happy, when the day comes and you return. If you need it to do that, you shall take his sword."
"Captain... All he ever cared about was you."
She nodded with a gentle smile. "He did. Ottar didn´t like it when I said it like this, but for him I was in many ways his mother. When I patted his head and told him he did good, he always got flustered and told me he wasn´t a child but a grown man."
"Ottar could get flustered?"
"If you know where you had to look, you could see it."
"What...happened to the others?"
"To understand my answer, you at first have to know what happened to Orario. After you stabbed Gaia, the dungeon started to die, the monsters stopped, the water ran out, not one dungeon gift grew again. Many thought of this as a blessing at first, but it was the killing blow for Orario. There were no new magic stones, the adventurers couldn´t get any money, so they went to hunt the monsters in the lands around Orario. The magic stone industry died out, many people lost their jobs. All the income in Orario came to a hold."
"Oh..."
Freya nodded. "Slowly, a few people, smaller familias, left the city. They said they would return when the dungeon would start again. But after half a year it got obvious that the dungeon wouldn´t start again. Not that I cared much about that...I only wanted you back. A small baby boom soon happened in Orario, many adventurers didn´t have anything else to do and contraceptives were expensive. More and more smaller familias left the city. And then...hah..."
She sighed.
"My love?" Bell gently touched her hand.
"Loki got assassinated."
"What?!"
Freya nodded. "We still don´t know who did it, but Loki was in the city, there wasn´t much life left in Orario and then probably a lower leveled adventurer went to stab her when her children looked in a different direction for a moment. The person who did it died of course when she went back to heaven."
"Dear heavens..."
"I didn´t want my rival to go back like that...but I was in no state to do much, I was out of my mind."
"And...then?"
"Ottar and the others immediatelly helped the Loki familia, since they were weak, so that no one would use the moment. Loki´s children were in shock, rage and grief, but there was no one where they could vent their anger, since the culprit was dead. You can be sure, Bell, Loki will personally torture the soul of the person who did this forever."
Bell gently closed his arms around Freya from behind, they kept looking at the grave.
"It might´ve been this moment and a few others...but this was it for Orario. Loki´s children started to split up and leave the city too. I don´t know where the captain and the two amazons went, but I know what happened to a few of them. The dwarf Gareth went back to where his clan lived, a few of Loki´s children followed him. Vanargand left the city with his pregnant wife, this strange amazon, you knew her."
"What happened to Loki´s vice captain and the Sword Princess?"
"They remained in Orario for a while, Hedin told me that the elven princess had adopted the Sword Princess as her daughter, since she had nothing else left."
"Oh. But why did they remain in Orario?"
"Hedin." Freya smiled.
"Hedin?"
"Did you never notice how he and Nine Hell could understand each other very well?"
"I thought that was because both were strong elves?"
"I think there was more to that, she might´ve really liked him. There came a point, three years later, when Hedin came to me. We talked for a long time, in the end I unsealed his blessing and told him to go and find his own happiness, since I would never be able to do it while you weren´t at my side, my Odr."
"So he..."
"Hedin left Orario, together with Riveria, the Sword Princess followed her. The major part of elves then also left Orario and they traveled back to the various elven forests. Soon enough most of the dwarves, pallums and beast people followed and left Orario. The more left the city, the more thought about leaving, Orario became empty."
"What...about Hogni?"
"He remained here. Hogni wished Hedin all the evil darkness of the world, whatever that meant. But he remained in Orario...as long as Ryu was here."
"Ryu? So...she and...Hogni?"
Freya smiled wryly. "It took a while, their grief about losing you brought them often together, they talked for long nights about you, what a dear friend you were. They comforted each other and due to their lack of common sense...feelings started to bloom."
"Oh, hehe...I can somehow see them as a good item together."
"I thought so too for a short moment. I always wanted my friends to become happy. Allen was the next I set free. Mia said she would close the pub and go somewhere else, many of the staff members followed her. Lunor went with Demeter, saying she would go where her "mother" would go. When the pub closed, everyone was crying heavily and wishing each other goodbye. Believe it or not, even Mia cried and said she would always have an open door for her girls."
"And what about Allen?"
"The black dragon was dead and the dungeon defeated. Allen had achieved his one and only goal, to make sure that Anya was safe and would live a happy, peaceful life. He was often at the pub, watching over his sister and even helping out apparently. He got to know Chloe more and more. Allen was completely her type."
"So...they..."
Freya nodded with a warm smile. "Yes. Anya had joined Ganesha to be together with her husband, that one half elf. The familia left the city together with Ganesha, Anya went with them. She already had a child at this point and was pregnant again. So Allen went with her and Chloe too. Chloe didn´t want to get separated from at least one of her friends. And since she was in love with Allen now...and even had something growing under her heart, even when she wasn´t aware at that time..."
"Oh, So Chloe and Allen."
"Mhm."
"What...about Ryu and Hogni? Did they leave with the other elves?"
"No, when Ganesha, Demeter and Mia left the city, Ryu had only her familia and Hogni left. She often visited me, but I was too heartbroken and lost in my darkness to be a good friend for her. I said I would be fine if I knew she would find happiness. So she wished me goodbye, asked me to say hello to you from her. Astrea had returned to Orario for a while, when her familia left, Ryu and Hogni went with them. As well as Loki´s Thousand elf and her wife."
"Filvis?"
"Was that the name of the black haired elf?"
"Yes."
"Then it was her. Their goal was the home forest of the Thousand Elf."
"Wishe?"
"Yes. Also, when the majority of the elves left, Artemis went with them. She was the first deity to get invited in the royal forest."
"How sad, that they all split up."
"Such is life, Bell..."
"What...about the Xenos?"
"Loki´s children had smuggled them out of the dungeon after it died. They lived somewhere outside, but as far as I remember, they went with Hestia, Takemikazuchi and Miach when they left the city."
"What became of Lord Miach and Lord Takemikazuchi?"
"Hestia told me both went back to heaven out of their free will. Each of them when their wives died, both had married a child of them. They wanted to be together with them in heaven for all eternity."
"So.."
"Yes, just like I had planned with you."
"So many goodbyes..."
Freya snuggled more against him again, both still sat in front of Ottar´s grave, the sun had dried them already.
"I had to say goodbye to many children and other mortals in the past. But ever since you came into my life, something changed. I couldn´t bear with the thought that my friends would leave me one day too, now that you were missing. And now...I know they are all gone, as are their children, grandchildren and so on... I can only hope they still had a happy life, many, many children and lived for a long time. All of them deserved it. I know that Hedin and Riveria at least had two children."
"Hehe, that is good. It´s nice that they found each other."
"Ryu and Hogni apparently had at least seven..."
"Seven?!"
"Impressive, right? I always thought Ryu´s and Hogni´s shy behaviour can´t be their true nature. Maybe elves really are perverts deep down?"
"Wow...that is impressive, from both."
"When they visited me with their six children, Ryu having a big belly with number seven in it, Astrea was also there and very happy."
"I´m glad that they came to visit you."
"All of them did at some point, each at least two times."
"It´s good they all found a way to live."
"Oh and by the way, Ryu and Hogni didn´t have twins, so all of their children were single pregnancies."
"Wow. And...how did their children look like?"
"Their skin color was a bit brighter than Hogni´s. I don´t even know how I should call them, since Ryu was a forest elf and Hogni a dark elf. Maybe...half dark elves? Dark forest elves?"
Bell chuckled.
"Oh and their first child was born fifteen years after they left Orario."
"Fifteen?!"
"Elves take their times with that, but then there was no stopping them. Maybe deep down Ryu wanted to fill her familia up again." Freya chuckled in a silly way.
"Now that I think about it, since Hedin was together with Ms. Riveria...did he become king?"
"Let´s say she became the Queen of the high elves, he was her husband and due to that, king. But she was the ruler, he didn´t want to stand out too much. Later both settled down and one of their children inherited the throne."
"So in the end, Hedin became a king again."
"That´s life, at least he had a caring wife."
It felt strange for Bell to hear about all that. That all of his friends had a life...that was now over thousand years ago. Bell didn´t dare to ask Freya when they passed away, this would hurt her again.
"Bell, shall we go in the house and make dinner?"
"I can´t really cook."
She smiled lovingly. "But I trained a lot under Mia, it helped me not to get insane. Mia scolded me and said I should prepare for the day when you return, so I dare to say I became quite good."
"Then I´m looking forward to it...but..."
"Hm?"
Bell looked down at himself. "My clothes are dirty and stink, I don´t have anything to wear."
Freya smiled lovingly. "Don´t worry, I never gave up hope that you would come. I have already a set of clothes here for you, I exchanged them every ten years or so."
Bell stopped in front of Freya and put his hands on her shoulders. "How lucky do I have to be to have such a lovely wife."
Her eyes started to glow again. "Say that word again."
"My wife."
"My husband~~~"
Now her eyes shone in a way that told Bell how happy she was. Both kissed again for a long time. Bell never got enough of Freya´s glowing eyes, since he knew it meant she was happy at this moment. And he intended to make her eyes glow for the rest of his life.
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.
"Bell?..."
"Yes?..."
"Why are you...crying?"
"This...this is the best meal I ever had in my life...not even Mama Mia´s food comes close to this..."
After they got the wooden tub back and put it in one of the huts, both went inside the house. Freya had only put on a pretty long, long sleeved shirt, with buttons at the front. It was a copy of the one Bell had in the past. When he had vanished, Freya slept every night holding his shirt and other things that had belonged to him, so she could at least still smell him. But over the course of over a thousand years, this shirt started to fall apart, as did the other things he had. So when she was alone in her house, Freya always wore this shirt and only this, like this she could imagine feeling a bit of Bell on her skin.
But now, she had her Odr back and after he had hugged her while she wore this shirt, a bit of his scent was on it again, which made Freya happy. In addition when she had started to cook, Freya put on an apron, which let Bell´s eyes sparkle, telling her how beautiful she looked like that, especially since she bound her hair up to a pony tail, this way he could see her nape.
Bell wore a simple shirt, brown pants and of course fresh underwear.
And the meal that Freya made from just vegetables let him cry, it was too delicious. Also it would give his body all the nutrients it was starting to miss. Freya told him she only ate meat and fish rarely when Hestia or Njord visitted her. She never went to hunt, since this moment could mean not seeing Bell if he came back right that moment. And Freya couldn´t bring herself to kill one of the many bunnies, Bell still needed to ask what exactly was going on with the bunnies.
"Hah...to eat your food again...and it became even more delicious. Or is it because I didn´t eat something in such a long time?"
Freya smiled abashed. "Is it really that good?"
"No, even better. I should´ve studied more so that I would find the words to describe this meal."
"Hehe~~ I´m glad."
"And the sight of you in an apron...I´m blessed."
It wasn´t the first time that Freya wore an apron for Bell, in the past she had even greeted him when he came back from the dungeon, wearing only an apron.
"I honed my skills for the day you would come back."
"And I can taste all the love you poured into it."
"Of course I did, Bell."
Both smiled amorous and kissed again. Having a meal together really helped them more to calm down. It still would take some time to understand the situation was real, that they had each other back.
After they washed the dishes together, there were lots of hugs and kisses. Freya shivered comfortably when Bell hugged her from behind, putting his hands around her own while they cleaned the dishes together. Both had done it like this in the past every time and she loved it.
Freya chuckled slightly.
"My love?"
"Hehe~~ I just remember how Mia scolded us both when we did that in the pub while you cleaned the mugs and I came to help you."
Bell chuckled too. "Yeah, she said we would make the others depressed when we acted so cuddly all the time."
"But I sure enjoyed it, also to make clear to everyone that I belong to you."
Bell kissed her neck. "And I to you."
"Mmmh~~~ Do that again."
"Gladly."
Freya hummed happily while Bell kissed her neck again, soon their lips met again.
But not all was happy and good, both discovered problems when they went to bed. Just like in the past, both slept naked, to have as much skin contact as possible. Also, ever since they did that for the first time together, both noticed just how comfortable it was.
"Freya?"
"Yes?"
"Can we...the lamp...I mean...please don´t laugh but..."
She gently put a hand on Bell´s cheek. "Why should I ever laugh that you might be scared of darkness now, Bell? I know that the time in that cave was torture for you. And I will never laugh about anything when it comes to you, my love."
Bell gently hugged her. "Thank you."
Both just stood there, enjoyed the hug and inhaled the other´s scent. When Freya moved her face a little up, Bell´s lips met her own. They moved slowly back, until the hollow of Bell´s knees touched the bed, they let themself sink down on it. Freya knelt over Bell´s crotch, her upper body pressed onto his. They just couldn´t stop kissing...and they didn´t want to. Their lips only separated from their gentle and loving kisses when they needed air. Bell´s used these moments to whisper vows of his eternal love to Freya. Whenever they slowed down a little, it was Freya who initiated a new kiss.
They lost all sense of time, how long did they lay there, Freya on top of Bell, both kissing lovingly and gently caressing the other? Two hours? Three? Four?
Neither of them could tell, but even when their jaws started to get tired and their lips felt a bit numb, they continued kissing. It was probably their first time to be naked together like this, kissing endless and yet never intended to go further and make love. Both simply needed this skinship.
Bell could easily tell that something was wrong with her.
"Freya?"
"Bell...I..."
"What is it, my love?" He gently cupped her left cheek with his hand.
"I´m scared...afraid...of falling asleep..."
"I´m here, Freya."
"That´s why I´m afraid...what...what if this is all just a dream? What if this ends when I fall asleep? I don´t want it to end...I want to be with you, forever and ever."
"As do I...I´m here Freya, I will be here when you wake up again."
"How can...how can I be sure?"
Bell put his arms around her more and hugged her as tight as possible without hurting her. "I will make sure you even feel me in your sleep."
"Oh Bell...but...I´m still scared...I don´t want to lose you...you´re all I have left."
"Freya..."
He gently wiped Freya´s tears away and kissed her again, gently opening her mouth with his lips. She sighed into the adult kiss, Bell would kiss her as long as necessary so that she would calm down.
But it didn´t help, Freya was scared of falling asleep.
"Bell...I..."
"Freya."
"Huh?"
She looked at him with wide eyes when he rolled them around, so that he was on top.
"Bell?"
He kissed her again, this time with even more emotions, moving his tongue into her mouth again. Freya sighed more, then she moaned slightly when she felt Bell´s thigh move against her sacred place.
"Be-Eep!"
She squeaked when his right hand moved between her legs, stroking her hidden mouth.
"B-Beelll~~~"
Freya could feel it with her right hand, Bell´s body reacted to touching her.
"Freya!"
.
.
No words followed, they had no words left.
It was almost as if non of them had any experience, so long didn´t they touch each other in that way, Freya felt as if she had become a virgin again, after not making love for over one thousand two hundred years, but that didn´t matter in that moment. They were very gentle with each other, especially Bell stopped for a moment whenever Freya squeaked slightly, when he touched something sensitive.
Except for the others name, no clear thoughts build up in their minds. Both were overwhelmed with the almost unknown sensations...almost unknown again.
The other's slowly quickening breath...
The shudder that ran down their bodies under each others hands...
The pleasant feeling of naked skin on skin...
That sensation when their bodies finally became one...
Dear heavens...I´m so happy...
Freya and Bell hugged each other gently, they kissed each other and only the smallest squeak came from Freya when Bell slowly started to move, without noticing it, she slowly wrapped her legs around his waist.
Bell...
Freya...
This was not a filthy act, it was not a dirty act driven by lust, they made love to each other in a very gentle way.
After a few minutes, Freya felt something deep in her body, something that was rising. Her hands wandered aimless around his back, sometimes hugging Bell, sometimes caressing him.
"Bell..."
"Freya.."
A moment later their minds overloaded, Freya´s legs clutched around his hips, as their bodies started to twitch and..she felt something hot splashing inside her.
""Mmmmnnnnhh!~~~""
Everything became white for them for a few moments.
"Hah...hah...hah...hah...Bell..."
"Freya...hah...hah..."
She felt Bell´s heat inside her, Bell felt Freya´s heat around him.
"Bell!"
"Freya!"
The only words that followed were their names, moaned, screamed, whimpered, groaned and cried.
They made love with desperate passion, getting tired or sleep was forgotten.
.
.
For three days straight, only taking breaks to eat or drink something, both made love. In every way they knew and had done before, they really needed this, especially Freya after such a long time.
The fields and vegetables could wait for these three days, it rained strong anyway.
They let out all of their emotions, held nothing back. Both were lost in their own small world. All that mattered was their love for each other, they did everything with each other that they missed. They fulfilled each other´s fantasies, even "forbidden" pleasures.
Freya wanted to feel Bell inside her, as much as possible, to be really, really, really sure he was there and this wasn´t a dream. And Bell´s body screamed to release as much of his love as possible inside Freya, she helped him to bear with his fear of darkness.
And then, after three long days, even Freya´s divine stamina ran out, both were completely exhausted, the house was a mess. And finally, while Bell remained inside her, both eventually fell asleep, this way Freya could always feel Bell and he her.
Both never slept longer than an hour, when one of them moved in fear the other would be gone or just a dream, the other also woke up. After kissing and feeling the other, they fell asleep again.
More or less they slept twelf hours like this.
Non of them noticed that ever since Bell returned, he didn´t have the urge to use a toilet...
Just like...deities did.
But Bell wasn´t a god, Freya could see his soul...mostly.
Something covered Bell´s soul, a layer, it looked a bit like a mirror or a shield of light. But it was Bell, no doubt.
Freya was too tired and exhausted to be able to get what she saw.
But something in Bell had changed. Not even with his high level did he have such endless stamina in the past or was able to fill her with his love so many times.
.
.
When Freya woke up after the long sleep, Bell was already awake and looked at her while she slept on top of him.
"Good morning my love."
"Good morning...Good morning!"
Freya´s eyes shone, literally, and she beamed all over her face when she kissed Bell with all the love she felt for him.
It really wasn´t a dream, Bell was back!
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Author´s Note2: I tried to show the desperation of both, don´t know if that went well. In one of the next chapters it will be explained and obvious what exactly the plot of this story will be. All I can say, full Bell x Freya ahead!