Here I present myself with a new chapter!
This will be the last extra chapter for the moment. Once again I thank Surfysun and Adrián, remember that without them this would not have been possible.
Since there are no reviews, let's go directly to the chapter.
Enjoy!
Aether opened his eyes slowly, and the first thing he noticed was someone hugging his arm. The curious thing was that the body was much larger than his partner Paimon.
His eyes blinked a few times trying to process what was happening, as memories of what happened last night shook his mind as he turned his face to land on the sleeping form of Ei.
She looked so relaxed and carefree when she was resting.
It was incredible, considering how hard it was for her to talk about her past with him.
A slight smile crossed Aether's lips, and that smile only increased as he felt Ei's forehead resting on his shoulder, in a clear attempt to have him closer to her.
After a few seconds, that smile left his face as he still watched her sleep. The small slivers of light hit right on her face, making her look like a sleeping beauty.
And Aether knew it.
Somehow, the current situation began to bother him.
He raised his face a little to look at her better, while the memories of her smile and her crying returned to his mind.
Although, without a doubt, what he appreciated most about that moment was that smile covered with life and that kiss.
Aether unconsciously put his hand on his cheek.
I can still feel the phantom sensation of her lips.
But that was not enough.
"For every day that passes, I feel my discomfort rising…" Aether laid his head back on the pillow as a soft sigh escaped from his lips. "It also doesn't help that she gets so attached to me. It's not that I dislike you, but…" Aether looked at her face carefully.
She always looked beautiful, no matter what time it was.
That always made Aether's heart tighten every time he saw her.
The reason was obvious.
"I want us to be much more than friends." Aether whispered as he placed a hand on the Goddess's cheek. "I want to be able to comfort you with hugs, with words, with my closeness. But that's not enough, I also want to caress you, I want to kiss you, I want to do everything possible so that you no longer feel sad, and also so that I no longer feel that way. I want to treat you like a queen, but I can't…" The blonde played with her hair before releasing her cheek, causing a larger sigh than the previous one.
His gaze focused on the ceiling, and a short silence occurred at that moment for him.
"I never thought this love thing could be so complicated… Maybe it was just because I was unlucky enough to fall in love with her?" The man reconsidered, since he didn't know how to feel about it. "How do I forget this feeling? If I continue this way, I could end up hurting her and that's the last thing I want. Venti said I could solve it, but more and more time passes and I can't think of anything…" After a few seconds of thought, Aether took his third breath of the day.
"For now I will go and deliver the photos and notes to Yae Publishing House. I think he said she could publish the magazine in a few weeks." The blonde commented as he sat down, but Ei acted practically immediately when she pounced on him.
Aether just raised his face in embarrassment and watched as a sleeping Ei dragged half of her body to sleep on his chest.
"Don't go…" She murmured in her sleep as she hugged him even tighter, as she nestled into his neck.
Aether's face fell back into the pillow and the fourth sigh escaped his lips.
"What am I going to do with you?"
_ CHAPTER 11: ACCEPTING FEELINGS! _
"Here is the magazine. I recommend that you read it in your bedroom." Shigeru commented as he handed the new merchandise to Aether. "And again, thank you very much for your help. Without you, this would have been impossible."
"No problem. I'm already looking forward to seeing it." The traveler declared with a smile, raising the magazine to emphasize his words.
"Have a good morning!" Shigeru exclaimed with a smile as he watched Aether and his traveling companion walk/float away.
Once they left the place, Paimon revolved around him in her curiosity.
"Won't you open the magazine?" Paimon asked with great interest, and Aether shook his head in response.
"Shigeru said to open it in my bedroom. Maybe he has some trick and I want to find out." Her friend's comment made Paimon rub her chin in slight doubt.
"If you say so…" She trailed off.
On the tour Aether greeted many acquaintances, such as Itto and Kuki, who were at the new sanctuary. Further away, Sara was patrolling one of the last constructions that needed to be completed, and near the large mansion he greeted Kokomi, Ayaka and Yoimiya, who were in the hospital that had been built a few weeks ago.
Before entering the mansion, Aether and Paimon observed the views from the top of the stairs. It was impressive to see how the noise of construction and metal had been replaced by happy murmurs and people full of life.
"How long do you think they will stay here?" Paimon asked with great curiosity.
"Don't know. Maybe they will stay until the end of the war." Aether declared while bowing his shoulders. "Although, to tell the truth, I've gotten used to having them here." Aether concluded with a slight smile as he saw all the civilization that had grown in front of the doors of his home.
In the end, they both went inside and Paimon stayed talking to Yae while Aether ventured off to do his morning work. But just before knocking on Ei's door, he stopped and looked at the magazine with great curiosity.
"I think it wouldn't hurt to take a look at it first." Aether thought with a smile as he left for his bedroom, which was luckily just across the street.
Once he closed the door, Aether leaned against it and a quiet smile crossed his lips as he scanned the first page.
At that precise moment, that smile transformed into a horrified expression.
That was one of the many photos of Ei, but the curious thing was that her clothing had been completely changed, and she had unprovoked lingerie instead of the one she had worn. But it was lingerie, after all.
"But what the hell is this?!" Aether exclaimed in terror as he turned the pages as quickly as possible, and all of them contained some dialogues along with a really hot outfit of the Goddess. "This guy edited all the damn photos!" Aether screamed again, and his face turned completely purple as he realized something very important:
"If she finds out….. I'm dead." He concluded, and then threw the magazine into the trash can.
But as he was about to leave, his eyes caught something that undoubtedly caught his attention. The blonde picked up the book once more, and his eyes widened slightly at what he was seeing on the last page.
"Thank you very much for your help!"
There were Ei and Aether hugging while they had a beautiful smile towards the camera. And, most importantly, they were wearing normal clothes.
That image made a smile appear on his face though.
Aether left the bedroom, a stony expression donning his face.
"I'll pretend I didn't see anything." He thought to himself, only to have his usual smile return to his face.
Aether knocked on the door a few times, and the seconds passed.
He never heard a call, so it confused him.
"Hey?" Aether slowly opened the door, and what he saw shocked him to the core.
The Goddess watched him. She was still in her underwear, leaning upright against the back of the bed.
That's right, she was standing.
"Eiiii!" Aether lunged at her before she could say anything, her surprise turning into a tender smile as she reciprocated the gesture.
Aether pulled away to get a better look at her, and it didn't take long for the big toothy smile to appear on his face.
"This is incredible!" He exclaimed as he took her hand, causing a faint blush to appear on the Goddess's face.
"I know, I was just as surprised as you when I woke up and felt my legs. But…" Ei couldn't finish her idea, although what she wanted to say became more than clear when her legs gave out and she ended up falling onto Aether, who caught her in his arms.
"I see. Don't worry, you'll be as good as new in no time." Aether commented as he held her carefully so as to ensure she wouldn't fall.
"I don't know, I think it may take several days." Ei dropped her body on purpose, so the blonde was forced to pick her up like he always did. "Until then, can you continue carrying me?" She asked him with a sweet smile as she hugged him around the neck.
"I think the hugging is extending to eternity wouldn't you say?" Aether commented with a mocking smile, and Ei saw no need to deny it.
"He he." She confirmed that with her small laugh as she clung to him tighter.
_ LINE Break _
Relax teapot
A few hours later…
Sara watched with a satisfied smile as Ei walked while being helped by Yae. At his side were Aether, Paimon, Itto and Kokomi, who watched silently.
"I'm so proud…" The commander thought out loud, as if she were talking about some relative.
"I never thought I could see you smile." Aether commented in a way that bothered Sara, although she decided to ignore the comment.
"The anatomy of such a powerful being is impressive. It still seems incredible to me that she could have healed so quickly." Kokomi's blinking did not stop as she watched how Ei no longer needed to lean on Yae to walk.
"I guess that's what it's like to train for countless centuries." Aether commented, drawing everyone's attention. "I remember that feeling. It's a shame that much of the fruit of my effort has gone away from being immobile for so long." The nostalgic statement made everyone fall silent.
After all, everyone wanted to know more about Aether's past.
"I think by tomorrow you will be able to use your spear again." Yae told Ei as she followed her closely, watching as her bandaged legs trembled non-stop. "Do you want to rest? You've been walking for a long time."
"I can not stop." Ei commented with a hardened look. "Even though my legs are screaming in pain, I'm not going to stop until I can run." That comment made a sigh come from Yae's lips.
"By the Gods, dear. You were always so stubborn…" The Yokai said, then smiled at her. "Although I admit that on these occasions your stubbornness does help." She concluded at the same time that she approached her to hold her waist when she noticed that she was going to fall.
"Thank you." Ei gave her a small smile, although her closed eye indicated that she was in a lot of pain.
"Don't you want a break of even 5 minutes?" Ei looked ahead and resumed her walk.
"No."
"Don't you want to know what you could give a certain man on his special day?"
Those words made Ei stagger in a rather funny way, who did not take another step after hearing it.
"Tell me." She looked at her out of the corner of her eye, eliciting a half smile from the Yokai, who always got her way.
_ LINE Break _
Relax teapot
The next day…
Night fell on the new Inazuma with a great party.
The reason was simple:
Their great and acclaimed hero had turned another year older.
All the civilians were celebrating in the streets, where they had set up a kind of carnival. But the really important party was taking place in the mansion of the protagonist, who had received many visitors for this special day.
On the top floor was the bulk of the beginning bustle. There were only Aether and Ningguang, who were arguing about something.
"Come on, take it. It is your gift." The woman commented with her typical smile, making Aether more nervous.
"I don't know…. It's just that a check for a million blackberries is too much…" Aether couldn't finish his speech as the paper was pressed tightly against his chest.
"You know this is nothing to me." Ningguang clarified, her smile widening even more.
"If you insist…" The blonde caught the check in his hands.
"Of course. Also…" A somewhat mischievous smile crossed the woman's lips. "Remember that I can do you any kind of favor. Any." She winked after the last word before leaving for the rooftop, leaving a confused blonde.
"What the hell does that mean?" Aether left the check clutched between several boxes of gifts that were placed against the wall.
But just before he joined the other guests, someone held back his arm.
"Hey?" Aether turned his head, but remained completely silent, patiently waiting for her to continue.
In front of him was Ei, wearing a beautiful purple dress that highlighted her cleavage and was divided at the waist to expose her beautiful legs that were no longer bandaged. The lower part of the dress had a beautiful star decoration that made it look very pretty, and the high heels were also responsible for highlighting her figure even more. Now her bangs were completely loose as was all her hair, making her look truly beautiful. And above her waist there was a bow with white and purple stripes that was responsible for keeping the dress closed.
In simpler words, she looked really attractive.
"Happy Birthday." Ei held out a small box to him, and that gesture brought him out of his reverie.
"Thank you so much. You look beautiful." As expected, Aether couldn't contain his praises, which came out with such sincerity that it made the woman blush.
"Yae prepared the dress. You know, I'm not very good with these customary forms of clothing." The Goddess commented as she tucked her hair behind her ear.
"Well, tell her she did a great job." Aether commented with a toothy smile, and Ei blushed again at his honesty.
Aether opened the small box and was initially surprised. From it he took out a crystalline gem with a rather peculiar color and shine. Something that, curiously, he had never seen during his travels.
"That's a Protogem." Aether looked at Ei after listening to her. "It is said that this gem is the representation of the condensed hopes and dreams of universes that once existed. But, they are also the representation of union. It is said that if you give this gem to someone, your destinies will be intertwined forever." Once Ei finished her explanation, Aether observed the gem with different eyes, and, no doubt, with great surprise.
"Wow… just, wow…" It was the only thing he could think of to say at that moment. "It is a very nice gesture on your part. I will treasure it like you can't imagine." The blonde concluded with a cute smile, and Ei responded in the same way.
"I know you'll do it."
"Now, do you want to have fun?" Aether took her hand without thinking while placing the gem in his pocket.
"Of course!" She exclaimed as a faint blush adorned her face and they both advanced towards the roof. "By the way, how old are you?" That question made Aether give him a rather peculiar smile.
"Believe me, you will be surprised."
"Huh?"
Everyone started applauding before Aether could continue the conversation. Even Diluc himself was doing it, although he still managed to maintain his stoic expression.
"Finally the birthday boy decides to go up!" Exclaimed a certain drunken bard, who was being accompanied by Zhongli, Yae, and Sara.
"Sorry, it was hard to see everyone." Aether excused himself while rubbing his head in apology.
"That's not important." Keqing appeared right in front of the couple. "I found out that you were recently in Liyue and didn't even visit me." She incriminated him with a finger on his chest.
"It's not my fault you're so busy." Aether responded with even more nervousness.
"Now that I think about it, you haven't come to visit us in a long time, dear." Lisa and Jean bonded, making the couple look more and more overwhelmed.
"Let's go girls. Don't be like that." Ninguang appeared and her intervention caused Ei and Aether's hand to separate, something that apparently hurt the Goddess. "Don't you see that you are being overwhelmed with so many questions?"
"Miss Ningguang is right." Ayaka also joined in with her typical smile. "Why don't we sit down and talk at the nearest table?"
"Hey? Girls, I…" Aether gave a short glance to Ei, who just watched as he was dragged by all the girls.
Even if she tried to hide it, her face said it all.
Ei was completely perplexed as she looked at the hand that was previously being held by Aether. Her eyes processed and perfectly transmitted the pain she felt when she saw him walk away with so many women.
But in the end she seemed to retract, and all she did was sit at the bar with the others, while she watched in silence as all those women completely monopolized Aether.
Yae noticed her gaze, as did Venti and Sara, but no one said anything.
Meanwhile, Zhongli was more focused on chatting with Diluc, Gorou, and Paimon, who were the group that remained completely unaware of everything that was happening.
Meanwhile, Kaeya, Shenhe, Kokomi, and Yoimiya stood at the end of the bar as they whispered things to each other and watched Aether with amusement. Or well, at least Kaeya and Yoimiya did.
"What shall I serve you, nya?" Diona asked, making Ei snap out of her trance.
"I-I don't…" Ei couldn't finish her sentence, as she watched as Lisa sat on Aether's lap. "Give me the strongest thing you have."
On this occasion, everyone in the bar looked at her with slight confusion, as they noticed the radical change in temperament she had had.
"Whatever you want." Diona didn't give much importance to that and began to prepare the drink.
"Yae-sama…" Sara whispered to the Yokai with slight trepidation.
"Let her vent." Yae whispered back with one of her peculiar smiles.
Sara just nodded, and both women watched as Venti raised the glass to toast Ei, who at first looked a little doubtful, but in the end agreed.
"I thought you didn't like alcohol." Venti commented with great grace as he saw how a somewhat rigid expression adorned Ei's face after trying the drink for the first time.
"I think this is a good time to try it." She commented while looking askance at Aether, and seeing how Ninguang was now also sitting on his lap made her drink the entire contents in one gulp, to the surprise of those closest to her.
"Ha ha ha! You are so funny!" The Archon exclaimed as he imitated Ei's action. "Another round!"
"Hey?" Diona just looked between Venti and Ei, not knowing what to do.
But Ei's deep look made her understand what she should do. But if those shivers that raised his tail were not enough, the following words of the Goddess confirmed it:
"One more."
"Are you sure about this…?" Sara consulted Yae again with serious doubts.
"Drunkenness makes you an extremely stupid person, or honest, or both." Yae took his glass delicately. "I think Ei is the third type." She concluded with a foxy smile, and Sara looked at her with some concern.
"If you say so…" In the end, the commander decided to trust the Yokai's judgment.
After all, there was no one else who knew Ei as well as Yae did.
Meanwhile, Aether was feeling extremely uncomfortable.
It was true that this was not the first time that so many women had pounced on him. But it was the first time it had happened in this world, and they were all women who shared several very important moments with him, so the idea of being disrespectful and pushing them away was extremely uncomfortable.
"Now I can understand his words…" Aether thought with a cold sweat as he noticed how Ningguang was clinging to him more and more. "I just hope that once I answer all the questions they will leave me a little free time…" The blonde thought as he rolled his eyes as he was treated by those women as if he were their personal stuffed animal.
Obviously this didn't seem funny at all to Ei, who had had her sixth drink of the day in less than 1 hour. Her eyes were somewhat hazy and her cheeks were tinged with a red hue, the little "hiccup!" What came out of her mouth finished stating the obvious.
She was completely drunk.
And, although her vision was somewhat blurred and confused, she could still see perfectly how all those women were trying to steal her most precious friend.
"Another round!" Venti exclaimed as he raised his glass, and unlike a certain Archon, he looked completely exuberant.
"Yes, another one!" Ei imitated his actions, her brows and pursed lips indicating that she wasn't going to stop for a while.
"Hey? But I…" Diona looked at Ei with great concern, as her intoxicated face became more and more apparent.
"Hey, let's take a break." Yae grabbed her shoulder, something Ei didn't receive very well.
"Hey? But I do not want to!" She complained like a child, but thanks to her weakened state Yae didn't have much trouble dragging her away.
At that moment, Aether and Ei shared a short glance. The blonde was surprised to notice her drunkenness, while the Archon could see that she was boiling with jealousy.
Once they went down the stairs, they were finally alone.
"Are you going to tell me what's wrong with you?" Ei just turned her face with a small "hmph!" to Yae's question. "Well, it's not like I need to hear it from your mouth anyway…"
"Hey? What do you mean?" Ei looked at her with some uncertainty after listening to her.
"You are too obvious, dear. Only the slow ones haven't noticed." Yae commented with a bored look on her face.
"I…I don't understand what you're talking about." Ei looked at her with a throbbing head as she held her head because of the alcohol.
"You do not get it?" Yae raised an eyebrow, amused at what she heard. "Girl, you enjoy every second you are with Aether as if it is your last. When he takes care of you, you make sure to show him all the love and trust possible. When he only left your side for three days, you cried and felt so miserable just for being a little ignored. Add that to your sudden weird obsession with romantic light novels…" Yae paused, then raised an eyebrow.
"There is something I don't understand, and that is why you refuse to accept that you love him?"
Ei just stayed silent, letting her gaze fall down.
All the facts, and that final question was like a splash of cold water that gave her a big blow of reality.
And in her current drunkenness...
In her weakest and most vulnerable state...
To be honest, she had no choice but to admit it.
Yae realized this when she saw how Ei clenched her fists tightly as her gaze hardened. Even her body began to tremble from helplessness, something that worried the Yokai a little.
"I… I don't love him…"
Yae looked at her friend with a frown in confusion after hearing that whisper.
"Why must you be so stubborn?"
"I'm not stubborn, that's the truth."
"You know it's a lie."
"It is not."
"Are you sure about that?"
"Of course."
"So you don't mind if I keep it?"
"YOU WILL DO NOTHING!"
Yae took a step back as she noticed how lightning emerged on Ei's body after her outburst.
The Archon breathed with some agitation, and then raised her gaze again, and again Yae was surprised.
Ei was crying.
"I love him! Is that what you wanted to hear?! I love him so much that it hurts!" Ei screamed again, although now her voice was muffled by her tears. "How could I not love him after everything he did for me?! Aether helped me, saved my people, saved my desires, saved me from myself! Saved me from my loneliness! He was the only one who listened to me, and the only one who understood me! And after all that, tell me…!" Ei's outburst faltered as she fell to her knees and began to drown in her own tears.
"Tell me… How come I couldn't fall in love with someone like that?"
To say that Yae was surprised was an understatement.
In short, she knew the exact keys to press to make Ei upset and accept her feelings, but the truth was that she never expected this.
She had never seen a person fall so deeply in love with another.
But, then that question came back to his mind…
"Why did you deny it?" Yae crouched in front of her to place a hand on her shoulder.
"Because it is something immoral and impossible…" Ei looked up, her crying did not stop. "He is a mortal, and I am an immortal. We simply wouldn't work." Yae's eyes widened when she heard her.
Without a doubt, it was something else she didn't expect to hear either.
"Oh, dear…" Yae shook her head to show the pity she felt for her best friend. "You're a lot dumber than I thought." Ei's constant sobbing stopped as she looked at her with extreme confusion and some anger.
"What do you mean by that?" The Archon's grumpy question brought a rather peculiar smile to Yae's face.
"Aether is not a mortal."
_ LINE BREAK _
The traveler silently observed the entrance to the roof. Several minutes had passed and neither of them had returned, something that had him quite intrigued, especially after seeing how Ei was doing.
The women around him were now more focused on talking to each other, so he somehow felt like he could free himself easily.
All he needed was outside intervention.
His silent request was answered almost instantly when Yae appeared and made a couple of hand gestures for him to come with her.
"Sorry, girls. I'll be right back." Aether pushed Lisa and Ninguang off of him as kindly as he could, receiving curious looks from everyone.
"Don't worry, I won't take them off for a long time." Yae commented with a smile as she left along with Aether.
Paimon looked at Zhongli, and Zhongli simply bowed his shoulders. On this occasion, everyone was equally curious about what was happening, although without a doubt the ones who wanted to know the most were Sara and Venti, but the latter made sure that Paimon was not going to spy when he took her by the waist.
"What's wrong?...Yae?" Aether stopped when he couldn't meet her gaze, so his surprise was great when he saw how the Yokai threw an almost unconscious Ei at him without warning.
"She is very drunk, can you take her to her bedroom?" Although Yae was asking, she certainly didn't stop to wait for an answer since she was already leaving.
"Wait! Because I? You could have taken her!" Aether complained.
"Hehe…" Ei laughed as he touched Aether's cheek in a playful manner, making him release a big sigh.
"It's not that it's very difficult either." The blonde carried the Goddess in his arms, who gave a slight moan of surprise since the movement was very sudden.
Still, she was quick to respond as she hugged his neck lovingly, earning a slight smile from Aether.
The walk to the room was really quiet. It wasn't hard to be either, since Ei was more asleep than awake.
"If you know you can't handle alcohol, why did you drink so much?" Aether thought out loud as he rummaged through the woman's dress, making her give breathy laughs.
"Wait! You're tickling me!" She complained in an adorable tone, but Aether didn't pay much attention to her.
"Where do you keep the key?" Aether asked with utmost confusion, earning a static look from the Archon.
Meanwhile, Yae was very entertained drinking a few drinks while throwing and catching a key.
In the end, Aether had no choice but to enter his own bedroom and place her on the bed.
"Great, where am I going to sleep now?" Aether thought out loud as he rubbed his chin. All the dormitories would be occupied tonight.
Being so focused on finding a solution to his problem, he never saw Ei look at the book that was in the trash, so she got up as best she could manage and took it.
"I guess I'll figure it out later…" He concluded with a slight bow of his shoulders, then turned around with a smile. "I hope you rest well…"
"¡POOF!"
The door slammed shut before he could finish speaking. His smile faded from his face as he noticed that Ei's hand had been the one to close the door with such force.
"What is this?" The Archon asked, and Aether almost died of fright when he noticed how the woman held the open book where she could be seen in her underwear.
"I-I can explain it…" Aether thought with a blue face.
Ei threw the magazine and grabbed him by the cheeks surprisingly, making Aether even more nervous. His eyes squeezed shut as he thought she was going to hit him, but all he received was extremely heavy breathing hitting his face.
His face turned without his consent when he noticed the strong smell of alcohol, but thanks to that he was able to realize something strange.
"Hey?" Aether consulted her with severe confusion as he noticed how the Goddess was centimeters from his face.
"I…" Ei was barely able to speak when her lips moved even closer, and Aether could feel his cheeks being squeezed tighter.
"I'm going to devour you."
"Huh?"
Before Ei could do anything else, she fell onto Aether's chest, completely passed out from the alcohol.
The blonde just watched with blank eyes as the woman's face dragged across his chest until finally falling to the ground.
Faced with such an image, he could only think one thing.
"Hum… OK?"
_ END OF THE CHAPTER! _
The next one will be the last of this arc, and as such, you already know what is coming. But first, I would like to ask a really important question:
At the beginning of this story I had asked them if they wanted there to be lemon, but no one answered. Now, considering that there are many more, I would like to ask again, since that moment is quite close. This will be democracy, the side that has the most votes will be the one heard, the only thing you have to do is comment on Wattpad or in the FanFiction reviews. In case no one comments again, then I will lemon, since all my stories have had this type of content so far. Obviously I would have to take action, but that is something obvious that will be talked about in the next chapter depending on the decision that has been made. And since this was the last consecutive chapter, they will have plenty of time to comment on it.
Remember to follow me on to stay up to date with all the news. You can also become a member for the price of one dollar, and thus order a double chapter of any story that is in development. You just have to look for me as "Jyanzein".
Without anything more to add, I say goodbye.
Thanks so much for reading!