Chapter 124: Chapter 118
I don't know how long we stood there, time becoming insignificant in this brief moment. I just enjoyed the warmth of her touch, the feeling of her breath on my neck and the nice smell that filled my nose.
"Did you miss me?" I couldn't help but lightly tease her, this goddess in my arms just invoked these feelings.
"You were only gone a month." She grumbled.
"That wasn't a no~"
The muffled huff as she pushed herself into me a little bit harder was extremely cute. "Yes." She finally said.
I couldn't help but squeeze her just a little bit tighter. "I missed you too." I whispered.
It felt like an eternity before we finally separated, she was looking over me curiously. I don't know what she say, but she was clearly surprised by what she found. "I could not sense my sword after you left." She finally spoke.
"I told you I would be disappearing for a bit and I would be safe."
"I did not think you could escape my gaze, just some bravado I dismissed." She did not look all that happy, something borderline sadness in her eyes. "I had thought the worst until it reappeared."
That look she gave me, it made my heart hurt to know she thought something like that. I reached my hand up, cupping her cheek, my forehead pressed gently against hers. "I'm sorry."
"Hmph." she pouted ever so slightly
"Cute."
"You are ridiculous."
"And you are ridiculously cute." I chuckled, moving to meet her lips with mine. She accepted my advance, our lips meeting for a moment.
"To say that not once but twice to me. You are brave." She snorted, pulling away, though the tiniest flush on her face.
I reached out, taking her hands in mine. "Well, I'm nothing if not bold, otherwise, how would I have gotten such an amazing woman."
She dipped her head. "Do not speak of that nonsense. To trick me into such a thing..."
Embarrassed Meridia is something I need eternally in my life. "I tricked you, did I?" I lightly pulled on her, my hands moved to wrap around her waist, her body pressed up to mine. "Shall I rescind my 'boon' then? Maybe I should ask for something else?"
She made the cutest sound in response, seemingly distressed at the notion. "Don't tease me." She whispered, giving my hand a little pinch of annoyance. "I have already given my word." She looked up meeting my eyes. "You are not allowed to make me a liar."
"That's right, I believe you said you were my woman." I gave her a cheeky smile.
"So I have." She turned away with another small huff.
"To admit it, I might not be able to stop myself from taking liberties." My hands moved down, grasping at her waist. I wasn't going to push her on anything, but I couldn't help but tease her.
"Y-you have nothing but perversions on your mind." She didn't reject me though. "How you managed to earn my affections I will never understand."
"Perhaps a demonstration is in order?" She was about to speak but I claimed her lips. It was deeper than our previous kiss, laden with affection and longing. Her surprised quickly turned into desire as she returned the passion, enough so that it matched my own.
We our lips parted, she leaned back into my chest. "Say those words to me again."
"Words?"
"From earlier."
Ah.
I rest my chin atop her head, wrapping her up tightly. "I'm back."
I felt her hands grasp at my clothing. "Don't leave again."
My sweet goddess. I couldn't help myself. "I won't leave again." I cooed.
She made another small noise. "Good." Her tone holding a hint of sadness.
It wasn't the truth, and we both knew it. But if it made her feel even a little bit better I would say it again. Regardless, as much as I wanted to stay like this, there was clearly some stuff that needed to be aired. "I guess we should talk about the important bits now."
There was clearly no small part of her that wanted questions answered. I could feel her shift under my grasp, and the way she looked up at me with clear longing. "You are hiding a great many secrets."
"I am." I gave her a small smile, this conversation seemingly a repeat of last time. "Would you like to hear them?"
"Yes."
I chuckled kissing her forehead. "It's hard to pick a place to begin." I sighed, looking off into the colorful distance. "I guess it started when I awakened memories from my past life."
***
My legs gently kicked off the edge of a floating landmass, an empty void beneath my feet, yet I felt no fear in this place. A reassuring hand literally wrapped around my own, our fingers tightly linked together.
Meridia was....silent.
I guess what I shared had shattered her world view.
Her, a being that witnessed and had a hand in the creation of this world. She who was basically born at the dawn of existence, had for the first time, been left utterly confused.
It took some convincing, my swords were all stabbed into the ground around us where she inspected each and every one, the concepts of their existence completely foreign to her.
"I have questions."
I turned towards her, an unsure look on her face. "I have no secrets infront of you, Meridia." I tried my best to give her a reassuring smile.
"This.....Odin." Her tone was even, but as the words left her mouth, the realm Shook. "Where can I find him?"
Yeah, I had told her of my time in the Land of Shadows. I had told her everything, leaving nothing out. All the other girls in my life, and she listened intently, not interrupting me except for the occasional clarification until I finally ended up back here.
No doubt, she was somewhat aware of the little bit of divinity she put inside of me having been 'activated' so to speak. Perhaps she didn't have context of what happened until now, but the picture was probably apparent.
"He's already dead." I pull her hand up, giving it a kiss in an attempt to calm her. The area seemed to go back to some semblance of normal, Meridia clearly calming down slightly. "Though, I thought you would be upset about other things."
Her head snapped to me. "Oh, and what should I have been upset about?"
"Well –"
"Maybe the other women you have taken in?" She looked at me, I felt a certain intensity in her gaze before pulling back. "Do you wish to breed with them?"
I wanted to make a joke about the phrasing, but I decided against it in this circumstance. "Maybe in the future." I said honestly.
"Hmph."
"I think you would like them."
She raised an eyebrow at me. "You would have them meet with me? Do you not fear I would do something?"
"Nope." I replied almost immediately. "I trust you."
She let out a snort, turning away, though her hand never left mine. "I did say you could." She admitted. "You were gone, far longer than you said you would be." She frowned.
"I said I would be back in a month."
"That implied you would only be back in a months time." She sent a nasty glare my way. "Tell me that you were not gone longer than that."
"I'm sorry." I gave her hand a little squeeze, not much else I could do in this situation.
"You shall make this up to me." She said sternly.
"Whatever you want."
"Hmph." She huffed. "You are never allowed to hide things from me again. I demand that you reveal anything of important and share with me your thoughts...at every opportunity available. You are to come here and reveal your intentions."
"So my punishment is to come here and spend time with you?" I raised an eyebrow.
"C-cease your foolishness. That is far from what I have stated." She denied, quickly changing the subject. "Speak to me of these other women. If they are going to be a presence in your life, they will be known to me."
"Two of them are here, on Nirn right now." I stated, earning a flash of surprise from her.
"Are they in that....College, of yours?"
"Yup."
She held her free hand up, waving it gently in the air as the colors coalesced into a sort of screen that allowed viewing in the College.
"Didn't know you were a voyeur."
"As if I would use my power for something so...!" I just chuckled, pulling her in close for a kiss on the cheek.
"You can watch me any time you want."
That got another small flush out of her, one which she quickly squashed down. "Here, is it one of these two? I do not recognize them." The images flashed until Artoria and Rin appeared on the screen.
"The black haired girl is Rin Tohsaka, she's from the same country as me, but a different World-line." I explained. She would understand my terminology at this point. "She's what we call a 'Magus' back home."
"This Magecraft you mentioned." She pursed her lips. While I did tell her everything, it would take a while to fully explain the details.
"I don't mind explaining it all, but I think we should focus on the bigger things first." I gently focused her back at the matter on hand.
"I agree." She said simply. "What is her relationship with you?"
"I guess I would consider her like a sister. She is my Grandfather's student, whom he considers a granddaughter."
"Your grandfather, the term you use to describe the person you were in your past life." She reiterated.
"You know, it sounds really strange when said out loud."
"If you were anyone else, I would have assumed you were mocking me with your story." She deadpanned.
I couldn't help but chuckle at her words. "If you want, he would love if you called him Grandfather as well." I gave her a wink.
"I am older than your planet of birth!"
"Technically, Zelretch is infinitely old" I countered.
"That is nonsense and you know it."
"Prove it."
"You!"
"Hehe."
She just huffed again, unable to refute my words.
So cute.
"Back on topic." I drew her attention again. "That's Rin, if you see her, please take care of her."
"I will make sure nothing happens" She stated, almost flippantly, but from someone like her, something like her, that was worth a lot. "I assume the blonde one is yours?"
Mine.
That thought flashed inside my head before I pushed the possessive side of me back down.
"That's Artoria Pendragon, she's my girlfriend."
Meridia stared at her intently, enough that I was surprised Artoria didn't perk up from the other side of the dimension. "She is pretty." Meridia said simply.
"She is." I nodded.
"She is....a spirit." Meridia chose her words carefully.
"She's what is known as a Heroic Spirit." I wanted to clarify this right away. "She is not undead in the way you would find offensive."
"Yes, I can tell she is a higher existence. Not a god...." She paused. "It is strange to consider other beings outside of what I know to be of such that can claim that title."
"If you want, I can take you away from here, to go see other worlds." I offered.
She looked at me again. "That...." She looked deep in thought. "I will think of this matter later. I wish to focus back on your other woman."
"What do you want to know?"
"You said she is a....knight?"
"Yes, though I don't wish to speak much on her story, it's rather personal." Though being a knight is something she would never be ashamed of, so I felt fine divulging that little tidbit.
"I see." She seemed to accept those words.
"It just means you have to meet her and get to know her yourself." I beamed.
It was odd, but I think that made Meridia feel nervous, and I couldn't help but marvel at the fact that this super powerful goddess was nervous at the thought of meeting Artoria.
She quick swiped her hand moving the voyeurism. "Where is the other woman?"
"Check the library." No doubt that's where Jinn would have gone.
"What is her description, I –" She stopped almost immediately, seeing a Blue-skinned woman appearing on the screen. "I retract my words. I believe I have found her."
Funnily enough, jinn on the other end stopped what she doing, turned to face us. Looking inquisitively at our direction, clearly knowing something was wrong.
"So, how hard are you making it to detect your little voyeurism?"
"Don't call it that!" She let out an indignant huff again. "Your Archmage should be able to notice my eyes if he were in the vicinity."
"Ah, that's probably why Jinn knows. She's very adept at manipulating the 'world'." Her ability to mess with the time axis was impressive.
"Jinn." Meridia let the word roll off her tongue. "She is a strange creature. Created by gods of another universe. And this is another woman you wish to bear your children?"
"Well..... yes." The thought of Jinn having a swollen belly did many things to my libido. She was mine, if I wanted her to have my children, would she protest?
Though there was the issue of 'what' she was, which didn't exactly lend itself to procreation.
Admittedly, I would much prefer the woman next to me to have a big belly first.
"She's mine." I said simply, ignoring those thoughts about Jinn. Meridia deserved my undivided attention right now.
"Hmm." Meridia didn't comment further. Honestly, I think that statement was more conclusive to her than me saying Artoria was my girlfriend.
I had to remember that Meridia wasn't human, she wasn't mortal in any sense of the word. Her view of existence was vastly different than mine. To say Jinn was mine was probably a very simple thing in her eyes.
"I have more questions." Meridia stated.
"And I have answers." I gave her hand another squeeze. "I have nowhere to be right now except with you."
A small smile grew on her face as she leaned her head on my shoulder.
For her, I would have all the time in the world.
****
Meridia returns and fluff is had. Should be a meeting up with Artoria and Rin soon.
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