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After Alise's apparent recovery of her memories/identity, she completely forgot about how she was powered by magic stones, something that became obvious as she remained wheelchair bound and being cared for by Ryu. It also made it quite clear that she wasn't feigning having forgotten everything that had happened since she'd been revived. Finn had told us not to tell her how to recover. "It will ensure she remains under control," was his explanation. "It's unclear how long she'll stay in this condition, mentally, and it's best that if she reverts, it's without legs."

As it turned out, I Leveled up, from the encounter with Revis and the Demi-Spirit, as did Ais, Bete, Tione, and Tiona, bringing pretty much all of the high-rankers up to Level Six.

One benefit of having seven bodies - as I now did - was that I was getting excelia faster than pretty much everyone else. I'd mostly lagged behind Cass and Julia and Erza in terms of raw stat gain, simply because unlike them, I wasn't dedicated to grinding my face into the Dungeon, but the multiplier of having two or three or four bodies in the Dungeon, leveling on deep delves, instead of just one at a time, more than made up for that at this point. I was gaining stats faster than anybody else.

Well, faster than anybody except for Bella. It was almost certainly the case that Liaris Freeze was giving her absolutely outrageous stat growth, even better than mine, and she was also a face-grinder like Cass. She even hit Level Two - while I wasn't there. Not in the sense that Hestia kept me out of the room when she was updating Bella's falna (though obviously, she did), but in the sense that she wandered into the Dungeon deep enough to get in a fight with a minotaur, kill it, and return to the surface to woozily turn in her magic stones.

I'd been hesitating to talk to her about love confessions, on account of her insane face-grinding (as well as the very cute way she got embarrassed about her obvious crush on me), but I ultimately decided that I had to sit down with her to talk about it, finding a quiet room in the Iwakari manor to do so, sitting down across from her. This wouldn't be something out of nowhere, or anything like that, since we'd gone on a few dates.

"Bella," I said. "I have a special ability that I haven't mentioned to you, though you might have heard rumors about it."

"Ah, there's lots of rumors about you. N-not that I listen to them!" She added quickly, flushing with color. "Even if they're well-intentioned, people shouldn't spread gossip behind somebody's back!" I did suddenly have the vague feeling that Syr was contributing to many of these rumors.

"Well, you've noticed that my wives are now some of the strongest women in all Orario, and a number are Record Breakers," I said, and she nodded. Rei had actually beaten Bella to Level Two, so she wasn't technically a Record Breaker, at least not just yet. "That's not a coincidence. If a woman confesses her sincere love for me, she gets stronger, and particularly, this affects how quickly she grows."

Bella stared at me, red eyes wide - then her brain processed what I was saying, and she turned beet red. "A-a-ah-ahm, ahh," she stammered, twitching in place, glancing at the door as if thinking about bolting. I just reached for her hand, gently squeezing it.

"I like you, Bella. You're cute, you're sweet, you're a hard worker, you're earnest and good-hearted." She looked like she was about to pass out from how forward I was being, but I pressed on anyway. "If you say those three little words, you'll get stronger. I promise to do my best to protect and care for you, as long as you'll have me. You don't have to take any extra steps beyond what we've done so far, but- I think you deserve to make a decision with that knowledge in mind."

"Ahm, ahh, ohhh," Bella said, squirming as I held her hand, clearly thinking about running away - which is part of the reason that I was holding her hand. "D-Drake, I- w-well, you, I mean," she sputtered, clearly not getting any closer. I leaned in and kissed her, just a gentle peck on the lips... and she promptly just passed out in her chair, flopping backwards, her expression dazed, eyes closed.

I sighed at that, leaning back into my own chair and waiting for her to wake up. After probably ten or twenty seconds, I finally leaned forward, gently patting her cheek. "Bella?" I said, as she woke back up.

"Ah!" She squeaked in shock. "D-Drake! Da, hahaha, I had a... a funny dream, haha." Her laughs were super affected, her free hand scratching the back of her head awkwardly.

"Yes, I did kiss you," I told her, which made her turn the brightest shade of red she'd thus far turned, which was certainly saying something. "Bella? I don't want to browbeat you into saying it, but I know you feel that way about me, and it would greatly help you if you said it." My words only served to make her squirm more, bouncing in place. "Look, Bella, this doesn't have to be any heavy thing, just-"

"I love you Drake I liked you for a while I think since that Pass Parade when you saved us all and it was so cool but you're also really nice to everybody, especially Setsuko and Naomi who I see you with all the time and you're super sweet with them and make them happy and you're so cool and gentle and thoughtful and our dates are all really nice and amazing and you know so much and are so mature, and, and-" I kissed her again, wanting to spare her any more embarrassment.

At that point, her eyes widened and she ran off. I decided to let her escape this time, since she obviously had a hard time expressing her feelings like that - and any concerns I had that she wasn't really into me were dashed by the twelve points I'd received. It was more than I'd expected, to be honest. I'd figured six, like Lena, but I guess Liaris Freeze was that powerful. I just sat there quietly, hoping I'd done the right thing. Hopefully her tendency to face-grind in the Dungeon wouldn't get worse because of this, and I hadn't somehow ruined things between us by pushing too hard. A few minutes passed in silence.

"YOOOOU!" It was Hestia, bursting into the room and grabbing my shirt. "Brute! Jerk!" She declared, landing absolutely worthless punches on my chest and cheeks. I just took them; they were probably more painful for Hestia than me, as demonstrated by the fact that she switched to pounding her fists on my chest instead. "You have Setsuko and Naomi and other girls too but you think it's not enough, you lout! You bullied Bella and kissed her, and now she's hiding! She's in hiding from you, you- you monster! And you told her that she had to say she loved you to level up faster?!? How manipulative can you get?!?"

"That's true," I told her. She had a look like she'd just won the greatest victory in the history of the world. "That her love confession means she'll level up faster."

"Guh!" Hestia said, clearly not having expected that, but she rallied quickly. "So what?! So! You can't use that as an excuse to make a girl confess her feelings to you! You're a danger to all womankind!"

"Hestia, I only did this because she decided to go fight a minotaur on her lonesome. She'll be safer the faster she levels up."

"You're just saying that!"

"I can't lie to a god. I'll remind you that she's been obviously in love with me for quite some time, but only now did I ask her."

"Yeah, because you knew you could get away with it!" She plunged one finger against my chest as she spoke, looming over me. "Thought you could get away with it!" She corrected, a moment later. "I'm onto you! I'm- that's it! I'll ruin your chances with Hephaistos! You want to make some absurd harem?! Well, you won't have my friend in it!"

"One of my bodies is working on a sword," I told her. "Hephaistos is pretty appealing, and she does find me attractive herself - it's hard to hide when your eye dips below my collar bone when I'm Level Five." Hestia's eyes were widening as I spoke, her cheeks turning red. "Maybe I should steal a kiss from her before you-"

"Aiieeee!" Hestia yelled, hurriedly rushing out of the room.

I wasn't actually in the forge with Hephaistos, as I'd implied - I just had another body use a whetstone on a sword, purely so I could honestly say that I was working on a sword.

I got up and headed to Hestia's room, to see if Bella was still there. She squeaked as she saw me, rolling off the bed. "Hey, Bella, there's something I should tell you about myself," I said, plopping down on Hestia's bed. "It's a secret that I don't tell many people." I patted the space next to me - after about ten seconds, Bella uncertainly crawled into that position, looking even more embarrassed now that she'd been caught. "It's about where I come from."

* * *

"Gener~al," Tione said, smiling brightly as she entered Finn's office. She sat down on the edge of his desk, while he looked up at her with a weary expression on his face. "I'm a Level Six now, just like you, General."

"You have mentioned this a number of times before."

"I'm just so excited," Tione said, smiling at him, leaning back - his eyes briefly dipped towards her cleavage as she hit just the right angle to entice a look from him, and she gave him a playful wink as their eyes met. She wanted him to just be overcome with lust and make her his woman! "It's natural for people to work together with people of the same Level, isn't it, General?"

"I suppose," Finn said.

"Ah... General, if you got a wife, what Level would you want her to be?" Tione asked, smiling warmly as she tilted her head towards him.

"I wouldn't be too concerned about her Level, so much as her character."

"Right! Feminine, heroic, with a heart of iron!" She stood up and flipped her hair behind her shoulder. "Describe anyone you can think of?"

"Any number, but there's another important trait I am looking for in a wife." He didn't say it, because he was trying to be diplomatic, but she knew what it was: a pallum.

"Fine... I'll say it," she said, straightening up. "Finn... I..." Her voice failed her for a moment.

"There's no need to say it, Tione. I know how you feel, but-"

"No! Let me finish!" Tione shouted angrily at him, then immediately felt bad. "Sorry, General." He just quirked an eyebrow at her. "Finn... if it's what you need from me... then I..." She bit her lip, feeling embarrassed - humiliated, even - by what she was about to say. But she wouldn't just give up on her love! "I'll just suck your cock."

He blinked at her. "I'm... sorry?"

"I said I'll suck your cock," she repeated, more forcefully this time.

"No, I heard that, I'm confused as to... the reason for the offer, besides the obvious."

"If what you need is to avoid having a child with an Amazon, then if I just suck your cock, then it's fine, isn't it? Then we can be together, but without children! I'm fine with-"

"No, Tione," Finn said, his expression pitying rather than loving. "I appreciate the offer, but I do not reciprocate your feelings."

"But, please, General!" She couldn't keep the whine out of her voice. "Just think about it!"

"Tione," he said, rising from his seat at last, looking up at her. "I have thought about it. Since you've laid bare your feelings, let me lay bare mine. You are beautiful, capable, strong. Everything I could want out of a wife," he said, and her heart beat that little bit faster in her chest. "Except for one thing. You aren't a pallum. A long time ago, when I was just ten, I made a promise to myself. That I would become the light of the pallum race." She felt tears start to sting at her eyes. "I've never swayed from that path, not once. I am sorry, to whatever extent my behavior has led you on in the past, but it's simply impossible."

"General, please," she said, collapsing to her knees, just wrapping him in a sudden - and unreciprocated - hug. "Please! I love you, General! I-I've kept myself pure for you, I've been waiting, I- I-"

"I know. It doesn't change anything. I'm sorry; you are a good woman, and deserve better than this." He pried himself out of her grasp - even if they were both Level Six, she was too weak to stop him. "I'll... give you a moment," he said, leaving the office, shutting the door behind him. She just remained on her knees, the floor itself blurred as her vision swam.

She had told him how she felt.

She had offered him everything she could think of.

She had spent five years of her life, struggling to be the sort of woman he wanted...

And here she was anyway.

Was it because she was young? If she had been seventeen, instead of twelve, when she'd fallen for him, would he have set her straight earlier? Had he never even seen her as a woman, not up until today, but as a child to be shielded from the world's realities?

All that work. All that effort. He'd seen it all, from the start, and it had never been enough. It could never have been enough. He'd been kind about it, but that kindness had become a kind of cruelty.

The pain turned to frustration, and that did feel so much better, her Berserk Skill kicking in to soothe her shattered heart, so she let the anger overtake her. She wiped at her face, a snarl appearing on her lips. This was all his fault. She rose to her feet, stomping out of the office, eyes running along the halls, her feet taking her swiftly as she first fast walk, then ran, then moved with the alacrity of a Level Six, sweeping through the halls, looking for her quarry.

She found Drake Holt soon enough, in the kitchen preparing some small meal, and she simply roared, kukri knives at her hands as she lunged for him. He turned towards her, eyes widening, and then swept to one side, leaving her to slam into the wall. "Damn you," she roared, kicking off it and lunging at him again, his own hands drawing out knives to deflect her kukri - knives that shattered beneath her ferocious strikes. "Damn you, damn you, damn you! How dare you trick me into ruining things with Finn!!!"

"I didn't trick you! I told you it wouldn't work!" He yelled at her, trying to defend himself as he spoke. She just brought down more ferocious blows, watching as his knives were chipped and broken down by her kukri. He suddenly slid to one side, a hand outreached for some wall, and she raced after him.

"Part of your trick, you basta~ard!" She yelled out, chasing him out the window into the training field as he landed out there, no knives in his hands. He reached out for her at that point, and something yanked on her kukri, trying to drag it away - it failed, of course, with her sliding alongside the weapon, snarling. "Using your Skills, huh? Then so, will, I!" She drew on Backdraft, her strength rising to prodigious levels, and she yanked, pulling at the invisible string he was using to drag on her kukri.

He let go, she was pretty sure, but too slow - he was drawn towards her, and a grin appeared on her lips as he sailed through the air, too fast to do anything but just get impaled on her kukri.

He sailed through her - past her? Around her? - without any impact whatsoever, even when she frantically tried to slice at the air, landing behind her and quickly recovering to his feet, his body now glowing faintly. "Tione, I don't want to fight you."

"Too bad!" She was too pissed off to do anything but this, and she rushed him down again, stabbing, slicing, cutting, a mania coming through as he narrowly dodged and weaved around her strikes, his own breathing rapidly becoming ragged, his magic glow growing more intense as the pair fought.

Then something came at her head from the side, one of Drake's fists just slamming into her temple as he abandoned his knife altogether. It almost knocked her off balance, but she kept her footing, ready to keep going - then the strike was followed up by four more in rapid succession, each seeming a perfect repetition of the first, sending her tumbling to the ground, her head starting to feel woozy. She felt one of her kukris get yanked away, watched as Drake simply hurled it far away, as Tione got to her feet, ready to keep fighting.

"I don't want to hurt you, Tione," he said.

"That makes one of us!!!" Tione roared, once more trying to smash into him, once more seeing him slip to one side, his glow getting ever brighter. "You have seven bodies, it's fine if I kill one, isn't it?!" She demanded, lunging forward once more.

This time, her knife found his gut, but he grabbed her wrist with one hand, holding her in place. With his other hand, he landed an incredibly powerful punch right on her nose - followed by four more, repeatedly smashing his fist into her face like a woodpecker until he successfully knocked her out.

* * *

I remained very still as I held the kukri that Tione had plunged in my gut in place, gingerly sitting myself down. My Essence was almost guttered out at that point, very little left as the woman herself laid in a heap in front of me. The fight had been extremely intense, given I was up against a similarly-Leveled adventurer who I didn't want to hurt. And one whose power was boosted by rage, and had just been rejected by the man she loved.

There were a few people sticking their heads out the window which we'd sailed through. The whole fight hadn't even taken a minute, start to finish, so I couldn't blame others for not backing me up. Still... "I need a healer." I projected the words, I didn't shout, but there was still a flash of pain.

Finn was the first to arrive, looking over the fight and letting out a long sigh. "I'm sorry, Drake. I shouldn't have left her alone."

"I need a healer," I said, more quietly this time, and he nodded.

"She was crying when I left her. I imagine you're the one who made the... suggestion?"

"I told her it wouldn't work." Finn just nodded in response, his lips pursed, his gaze going back to the supine, unconscious form of Tione, her body just splayed out.

"Hopefully she has... worked out her feelings. She'll be punished appropriately, of course. And have to pay for the damages to the building," he added, glancing at the Manor. I just nodded in reply, not wanting to talk.

At that point, at last, Line emerged from the building, rushing over to help remove the kukri without damaging anything, quietly muttering a bit of healing magic as she slid it out, inch by inch. I just sat there and let her work; once that was done, I tested the wounded region, finding it painless, and then rose to my feet to head back inside.

I promptly got pretty much smothered by all my wives who were present - Erza, Julia, Lena, Haruhime, Aisha, Noriko, Cass, and even Rei - simultaneously doting on me. Noriko playing the bossy top wife to try to control the rest's ideas, Erza hugging me surprisingly gingerly, Julia offering to let me use her body however I pleased, Lena saying she'll watch Amy until I recovered (even though I had six other bodies), Haruhime offering a massage, Aisha seeming to barely keep herself from going and cutting off Tione's unconscious head, and Rei haphazardly offering to let me use her tits as a pillow... it was all very nice, and I hardly felt able to tell them to stop.

* * *

Tione woke up with a start, her arms tied behind her back and her ankles bound together as she came back to consciousness, finding herself in Loki's office, Finn sitting in a chair as she rested against the wall. "Tione," Finn said, and she just gave him a cold look. It seemed like he'd successfully broken her heart. All she felt about him now was anger. "I'm glad to see you appear to have recovered well. Your attack on Drake was completely unjustified and inappropriate. I expect you to apologize to him, sincerely."

Tione's mouth opened for a moment, ready to argue with Finn. Then she closed it, as she remembered what she'd done. Most of the anger had faded, and it certainly wasn't directed at Drake any longer - just at Finn. "Fine. I'm sorry."

"Not to me, Tione."

"I'm tied up," she said, wiggling her limbs demonstratively. The bindings were pretty strong metal.

"You cut up Drake!" Loki said, pointing accusatively at her. "You stabbed him in the gut!"

"I..." Now that she was more in her right mind, she could hardly even remember why she'd been so angry. "I'm sorry."

"Oh? So then it's okay if I grope you to make it up to me?" Tione stared blankly at her; that didn't follow at all. "Drake's mine, you could have left some ugly scar that would have ruined groping him!" At that, Tione felt something rise in her chest, real fury returning to her, her eyelid twitching.

"Tione, please calm down. Loki is simply joking, as is her wont." Tione fixed him with a glare, her lips a thin line. "Ahem. Tione, it would mean a lot to me if-"

"I don't care what means a lot to you," Tione snapped, raising her chin into the air in response to his words. "You're an ass who's been leading me on since I was twelve."

"For that, I'm truly sorry," Finn said.

"Not sorry enough," she spat. "I'll apologize to Drake. I want to apologize to Drake, even."

"Really? 'Cause you said, uhh, You have seven bodies, it's fine if I kill one, isn't it?!" Loki asked.

Tione felt her cheeks steam at that. Had she really gotten that upset over Finn? It felt so stupid now. "Yes. I'm... I'm really, really sorry." Why had she done something like that to Drake? He'd only been trying to help her, and he'd told her that it wouldn't end well, and she should have known. "I want to go apologize to him," she added. "I won't cause any problems. I won't attack anybody!"

Loki nodded along, crossing her arms thoughtfully, then spoke again. "Are you still in love with Finn?" She asked, poking one eye open enough that Tione could see her red iris.

"No," Tione said. It was the honest truth, and Loki seemed to recognize it as such.

"Mm. That's too bad for you, Finn."

"No, I'm happy," Finn replied. "She deserves to have a real relationship. I could never give her one."

"Tch," was Tione's succinct response.

"Right, well, seems like that's it," Loki said, with a shrug. "I'll go get Drake."

"Wha- not letting me go?"

"I got a bad feeling about you just hunting down Drake on your own cognizance." What-?! Had she hurt Drake that badly? She had to apologize to him even harder!

Finn waited patiently near her, idly making some repetitive movement with his thumb across his fingers, like he was counting out phalanges. It was hard to believe she'd ever thought he was cool.

"Tione?" It was Drake's voice, and she jerked in response to the surprise noise.

"Sorry!" She said, hurriedly, as she turned her head his way. "Sorry for attacking you. I was angry and I was wrong. I'm genuinely sorry."

"I can't say that it was nothing, because it wasn't, but I appreciate the apology." There was a pause. "Are there, ah... damages, for violent acts done to somebody?"

"Damages?" Finn asked.

"You know. Financial reparations."

"Those aren't normally assessed within a familia," Finn replied, and Drake frowned at that.

"I'll pay!" Tione said. "I'll pay," Tione repeated. "I messed up, and I should pay."

"Combined with your damage to the Manor, that will be... quite a lot, Tione," Finn said.

"I know," Tione said. "I'm not stupid."

"For a potentially lethal injury that healed with minimal scarring, done to a Level Six, I believe would be about two million valis," Finn said.

"I'll pay," Tione repeated.

"Great," Loki said. "So then, you're willing to forgive her, right, Drake?"

"She does seem genuinely sorry," Drake said. "So I suppose I will, yeah." Tione felt her heart beat a bit faster at that, a smile on her lips.

"Thank you, Drake," she said - and then Loki just started pawing at Drake, one hand sliding up under his shirt to grope at his chest, and she felt herself pulse with fury, gritting her teeth as she twisted in place, her arms straining against the cuffs on her wrists. She was glaring at Loki on pure instinct, her breathing heavy.

"See?" Loki asked Drake, still idly groping him.

"I see," Drake said. "Can you give me a moment?" Loki let out a long-suffering sigh, then pulled her hand back from Drake's chest.

"C'mon, Finn. Give the pair a moment alone."

"If you need assistance, don't hesitate to call for help, Drake," Finn said, as he exited the office, leaving her alone in the room with Drake.

He took a moment, letting out a long sigh, before squatting down in front of her, close enough that she could probably have leaned forward to kiss him. "Hello, Tione."

"Hi," she responded, not knowing what else to say.

"I... have a very strong tendency to like women who like me, I'll admit that." She nodded along, not really understanding the significance. "I will try not to hold the fact that you stabbed me against you."

"Thanks. I'm sorry, again, I shouldn't have done that." It felt so mind bogglingly stupid now, in retrospect. Why had she even done that? Finn wasn't worth getting that upset over, and Drake didn't deserve to get stabbed like that.

"I do need to say, though, I have twelve wives, and a few more lovers beyond that." She felt herself twist up in anger at that thought; for some reason, imagining other women with Drake was making her incredibly mad in a way it previously hadn't, her arms once more straining against the cuffs. He clearly saw her emotional response, and she tried to tamp down on it, not wanting to look all crazy and violent... any more than she already did. For stabbing him. "I can see that bothers you, Tione."

"No it doesn't," she responded on instinct, not even knowing quite why it bothered her so much.

"It clearly does. It's okay. I'm not upset." She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "How about this as a compromise: I designate one body as just for you?"

"What?" She asked, confused more than anything else. Just for her? To what, kill? She didn't want to kill him! (Anymore.)

"I would make a fresh body, and I'd even be willing to get your name tattooed on it-" she felt her cheeks flush at that thought, "-and the body would be just for spending time with you."

She fidgeted in place. "Time with me...?"

He blinked at that. "Tione. You're clearly in love with me."

"A-ah?" She sputtered out. "What?"

"You got angry when Loki groped me. You're getting angry that I mentioned Loki groping me." She tried to stamp it down. "You got angry when I mentioned my other wives. You wore this dumb smile when I mentioned a body just for spending time with you."

"But I..." like Finn, she thought, but she didn't any more, did she? She looked at Drake, and she felt her heart pound a little faster in her chest as she thought about him... doing things with her. She swallowed as realization hit her. He was right. She was in love with him. "Oh. You're right."

He let out a small laugh at that.

"What's so funny?!" She demanded, feeling a spark of rage at his laugh.

"That counted as a love confession, is all," he told her. "As far as my power is concerned. First time You're right counted." He reached out for her cheek, gently patting it. "Okay. If you're willing to accept that, then I will make a fresh body, and it will only ever do sexy things, and romantic things, with you. But if you're going to attack my other wives, then I... can't reciprocate your feelings. Does that work for you?"

She definitely didn't like the idea of Drake with other women. But... she did like Drake. If she got a body all to herself, that was just like with a regular guy, right? If she'd married Finn, she would have only gotten one body worth of husband too. "Does it make it hard for you to pay attention, having more than one body?"

"Only in the sense that if I'm in the Dungeon with Cass and she gets attacked, my other bodies are going to fret and try to fix it."

Tione thought about it. And thought about it. It was such a big decision to make, right off the bat... "Okay," she decided. "Okay. But it has to be a body just for me, and nobody else, ever, okay?! It can't even look at other women! Not even your other wives!"

"I can't guarantee that I'll never so much as look at another woman, but I can do my best not to stare or otherwise do anything that might make you feel jealous."

She bit her lip. "Okay," she said, and then there were two Drakes in front of her. She stared at them blankly in confusion, not sure when they'd split, or which one was the copy - one stepped towards her, reaching behind her to the cuffs, while the other left the office. After a bit of fiddling, she was out of confinement and hefted up bridal style by the other, feeling her heart race as he carried her out of the room.

"Would you rather wait for marriage, or...?" He asked her, as the pair of them left Finn and Loki behind, her arms wrapped loosely around Drake's neck as she felt her heart race.

"Marriage?!" She felt her heart race at the thought of getting married to Drake. Her in a white wedding dress, him in a dashing tuxedo... she panted, licking her lips, her eyes appraising Drake with delight and interest. Then she processed what he'd said, about waiting for marriage - he meant sex, right? "I'd like to have sex now," she said. "I-if you want!"

"I would like to, yes," he told her. He really seemed to not be too angry about the whole 'stabbing him' thing, which was good, but she also should work extra hard to make it up to him, even though she didn't know anything about sex and he'd had like, a ton! Her eyelid twitched a bit as she thought about that, but she calmed herself down by reminding herself that this body was just for her.

He took her to her bedroom, lying her out on the bed. She felt momentarily embarrassed, that she was getting to this point so fast, but she'd known him for a year, hadn't she? So it was totally reasonable to do this. He leaned down over her, kissing her on the lips, softly at first, just lip against lip, stealing her first kiss - and then he started to push his tongue against her lips, flicking away.

She liked the way it felt. The way he tasted against her lips. She opened her own mouth, and his tongue started to tease at her gums, while she started trying to lick him back, tasting at his tongue, at his lips, at his teeth. He was atop her, practically pinning her to the bed, and she loved that particular feeling, the way that he loomed over her, so strong and powerful. He'd beaten her in a fight. He was strong. Her pussy throbbed at that recollection, the way that he'd gone toe to toe with her and won. She reached up for her nose, suddenly worried it was broken from the fight, but it felt perfectly fine.

He broke off the kiss at that point. "Line fixed up your nose," he told her. "Don't worry. Honestly, I was more worried about your head," he said, leaning to kiss her forehead. She felt her cheeks glow at that. "I didn't want to hurt you too bad, but you were really coming at me."

"Sorry," she said.

"I forgive you. Now, let's not focus on that," he said, leaning in to kiss her again, pressing his lips against hers.

His hands went to her breasts, softly caressing them in either hand, which felt so pleasant and nice, as he teased them. He gingerly removed her top, peeling it away, the cool feeling of air against suddenly-exposed bare flesh feeling particularly exciting, given the circumstance. His tongue continued to play around the inside of her mouth, as his hands started to fondle her nipples, thumbs gently brushing against her areolae, finding just the right place to make her shiver in response to his touch.

She realized, at that point, that she wasn't doing much at all to reciprocate! She reached up for his shirt, fumbling for a moment to try to take it off, then just tore it off altogether, ripping it away and revealing his bare chest to the air, starting to fondle and feel up his chest. He was really muscular! Her type wasn't muscular guys, but he was definitely making it work, the feeling of raw power contained in each muscle there, the gentle movements and shifting of his body serving to intensify the sensation of feeling him up. Here was a man who was strong. Who could defeat her. Who could give her a strong child.

Her pussy throbbed at that, and her hand reached down from his chest towards his groin, feeling his erection. She knew what a penis was, but this was her first time actually touching one, and she was surprised by how soft it felt. She'd expected it to be like iron, but there was a softness to it, a gentle give that made her briefly worry that she wasn't doing a good job touching it, or being sexy, or something, but then he let out a groan in her mouth and such concerns evaporated. He broke off the kiss at that point. "Do you want to get to the sex proper?"

"Yes," she breathed out, feeling full of lust in a way she'd never been before, staring up at Drake as he pulled down his pants, his hard length soon exposed to open air. She hurriedly wiggled her way out of her own skirt and panties, revealing her slick sex, the brush of air against it delightful - and the brush of his own hard, erect cock against it even more delightful, making her shiver in response. "Please, put it in, I want it in," she said, her voice becoming more manic with each syllable she spoke, his cock twitching in response.

He let go of her breasts to grasp his cock, guiding it into her, and she let out a hot pant as she felt it push inside her. It felt so different, so nice, so pleasant, and she let out a moan as she wiggled on his dick, her pussy quietly gripping and squeezing at his length as she felt him go inside her. She was being united with him, physically, and it sent waves of gentle pleasure and delight through her - body and mind and soul - as he pushed into her. He was slow and steady, each inch something she could fully appreciate as he made his way into her, until at last his entire length was absorbed inside her, the soft 'pat' against her butt something she dimly identified as his balls.

He leaned down to kiss her again at that point, pressing his lips more forcefully against hers, his tongue invading her mouth with renewed vigor. She just let out a quiet little mewl as his hands went back to her breasts, playing with them, squeezing them, teasing them in a way that just intensified her pleasure - then one hand slid down her body to find her clit, teasing that as well, making her gasp. He started to saw back and forth inside her, his cock slowly rubbing at her innermost points - and then she came, moaning, her hands coming up to claw at his back, grasping him, holding him tight against her, her legs snapping around his hips and just dragging him inside her.

When her orgasm finished, he broke off the kiss, looking down at her with a gentle smile on his lips, something so sweet and intimate that it made her pussy quietly throb around his cock. "I can make the sex even better for you," he told her, gently pumping back and forth. "It'll make every touch electric." She swallowed at the thought. It was already so good, and it could get even better? "It's a Skill," he added.

"Use it," she said, and he smiled at that, maybe at her enthusiasm, or maybe just at her; the hand on her breast slid along to in between the valley between her breasts, as he resumed his pumping. It felt good, of course, but not particularly good, compared to what he'd been doing. "Did you do it?"

"It takes a little bit to kick in," he told her, and she nodded, ready for another kiss as he leaned over her - but instead of her mouth, his lips went to her breast, kissing and sucking at her nipple, making her gasp at the sensation, as his tongue flicked at her nipple.

Why had he changed his position like that? He was already making her feel really good, and this wasn't that much better than kissing - so he must have wanted her to talk! "It feels so nice, Drake," she said, reaching for the back of his head, holding him against her breast, just pressing him down. He let out a hum of agreement. "Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you for forgiving me, I'm so happy, thank you, I love you~!" She got out that last word alongside an orgasm, moaning as her back arched, her legs once more snapping around his hips, grinding him deep inside her, relishing the sensation as his cock rubbed all around down there.

Once she was done orgasming, she relaxed, and Drake started to pump inside her again, faster than before, his hips pumping at her slick sex as he loomed over her. "Is there anything I can do?" She asked, looking up at him with worry in her eyes. She had to be a good lover! He had so many previous lovers, and she was just lying here! His cock throbbed at her words. His eyes were on her mouth, and then he just leaned down to kiss along her neck, making her shiver at the soft touch.

"Don't worry. It's your first time," he told her. "We'll learn all sorts of things about how you can make me feel better later. Today is just about you."

His words were so sweet, but she did want to actually have an answer to her question - before she could ask, though, his Skill kicked in, and she exploded in ecstasy, squealing as her legs locked around his hips, grinding him around inside her. Every point of contact was raw ecstasy, the man she loved kissing at her neck, at her breasts, at her nipples, serving to electrify her body with pleasure. His cock inside her felt like it was coated in nothing so much as raw bliss, rubbing all over her insides and making her melt. She wanted to speak, to tell him how much she loved the feelings he was inflicting on her, but she couldn't make anything coherent come out of her mouth, only random bubbling noises.

When he finally started to pump his hips against her sex, overpowering her locked-in legs, she felt truly amazing, like she was melting beneath his assault, and he leaned up to look her over, eyeing up her naked body with a predatory gaze, her pussy dripping and squeezing around his cock as he did so. "You're beautiful, Tione. I promise to treat you kindly as my woman, and as my wife."

She orgasmed extra hard at that last word, her brain frying from the thought. Being Drake's wife - even if she hadn't thought about it once before today, now, it was the most wonderful thing she could imagine. "I luff you," she managed to slur out, and he chuckled as he leaned down to kiss her lips, pressing his tongue into her mouth once again, making her just squirm, gasp, and come her brains out all over his cock.

By the time he finally came inside her, she was a totally exhausted mess on the bed, skin slick with sweat, her arms splayed out on either side of her, fingers loosely half-curled as she trembled and jerked faintly beneath him. She felt his seed splattering her insides as pure, raw bliss, wondering if she was now pregnant, feeling excited at the thought of bearing Drake's child. When he was done coming, he pulled out of her, and the pleasure descended down to a more ordinary afterglow, her whole body faintly trembling, as he moved around on the bed, shifting to wrap her in his arms, holding her against him. Not sexually, just intimately. Just wrapping her in his arms like that, their naked, sweat-soaked bodies pressing into one another.

"Like I said," he whispered in her ear. "This body will be with you, and you alone."

He was so, so nice. She loved him so much.

* * *

Hestia huffed and puffed. "Hephaistos! Hephaistossss!" She cried out, her voice as loud as she could make it, bouncing in place. She was in the forge district, but she couldn't find Hephaistos anywhere! Where was her friend?!? She was being seduced by Drake right now! He was probably doing all sorts of terrible things to her!


"Ah, Lady Hestia?" She wheeled around on the voice in question. It belonged to a young, redheaded man, who - like any man, really! - would have made a better partner for Hephaistos than Drake! "You're looking for Lady Hephaistos?"

"Yes! Where is she?"

"I think she's in her office in Babel," he said.

She took off like a lightning bolt at that. Was Drake 'doing it' with Hephaistos in her office?! Probably something nasty like making her suck him off under her desk, taking advantage of the fact that every guy in Heaven had made fun of her eye! She burst into Babel, running up the staircase as fast as her feet could take her, not trusting the elevator to work fast enough.

...after five stories of climbing stairs, she got in the elevator, panting heavily as she just leaned against the wall. She took it all the way up to the floor Hephaistos's office was, stumbling towards it like a zombie, eventually opening it and stepping inside.

Hephaistos was sitting at her desk, quietly working on paperwork. Her gaze went up to Hestia. "Oh, hello, Hestia, what is it?"

Hestia stared at Hephaistos. Time ticked forward lethargically. No! Drake was-! He was totally doing that thing where you ate out the woman while she tried to hide it! She rushed forward. "Drake you bastard! How dare you..." There was nothing under her desk.

"I haven't seen Drake all day, Hestia," Hephaistos said.

Hestia took several seconds to realize what Drake had done, and then she started screaming about what a scoundrel he was to Hephaistos, just venting all her feelings.

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