Chapter 72 - Reality

(There is an NSFW scene in this chapter, I advised you)

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With Riveria bringing everyone in a room to try the dress, Lili and Lefiya were talking about it with different intentions.

'I would have liked a dress like that too..Hestia is so lucky'

Pouting, she looked away while Lefiya had conflicted emotions.

'T-That dress..was for Ais..who knows how it would look on her..'

While these two were in their own world, Riveria asked permission to touch it. Being so proficient at magic, she instantly understood that the dress had some kind of special skill. Now intrigued, she gave the dress back to Hestia.

"Thanks Hestia-sama, I think you can try it..if you need help we'll be waiting outside.."

Saying this, she used her staff to hit both Lefiya and Lili's heads while her expression turned slightly cold.

"You two, we need to wait outside"

"Why did you hit me!? I haven't done anything wrong!"

Shaking her head with a sigh, Riveria replied

"You are making Hestia-sama wait for you, your disrespect makes me angry. If you follow what I say I won't hit you."

Exiting the room, she didn't reply to Riveria's words while Lefiya simply rubbed the spot where she was hit before exiting as well.

With a nod, she closed the door behind herself while Hestia stared at the dress for a moment. Hugging it, she could feel the lightness and care with which it had been sewn...

'He found a dress that would be popular even in Heaven..just for Ais Wallenstein...'

Sighing, her thoughts were wandering on other things while a small tear was threatening to leak out but, before it could happen, Hestia wiped it with a determined expression on her face.

'I can't waste this dress, who cares for who it was initially, for now I know he has decided to give it to me..'

With a nod, she undressed before she took the dress Ethan gave her in her hands...

Not knowing where to take her except where they always settled, Ethan decided to take Ais to his room.

Seeing that she didn't utter a word during the whole way, he sighed

"Did I do something wrong?"

Being asked this, Ais stared at him without saying anything while he tried to do the same. Losing in her golden eyes, he knew that approaching now wouldn't have any effect..this presentiment, however, was certainly not enough to resolve the situation.

Gulping, he sat on the bed

"I feel as if... you did something wrong.."

Finally, receiving an answer, he turned to look at her while her words made him think about it

"Do you worry so much...? that I gave that dress to Hestia.."

With her eyes flinching slightly, she looked down for a moment

"I think..it's not the only reason.."

Confused, Ethan tried his best to think about what he did to make her jealous. Remembering more or less what happened in these few days, he understood that all he had done these days was buzzing around other girls as she watched...without saying anything.

'Now I understand... I assumed that Ais would be okay..that the Ais I knew just cared for her time with me and nothing else..but the real question is..'

Now staring at her, he saw the hint of her emotions all showed on her face

'Was I..looking at the same person I'm looking at now?'

Lowering his head, he felt tears that were filling his eyes but, without caring for them, he clenched his fists while hitting his knee with one of them...

Feeling that he was making mistakes with her from the start, he felt even worse than before.

'I am really the worst kind of person, I assumed everything was just fine, that my life was already settled.. I thought that the path towards a good life was just keeping Ais and everyone else happy, but this world doesn't work like that.. I can't think that everyone is in their static position and that it will never change.. Ais has feelings, she can feel jealousy, anger, sadness, and the cause for all of her negative emotions is me..the person who said he would do everything to keep her happy..'

Clenching his jaw, he knew that for now, he failed to understand her like everyone else that tried to court her.

'I was just playing at being her lover..'

Closing his eyes, he continued to think about this. Now completely lost in his thoughts, he felt a hand gently touching his head. Snapping out of his thoughts, he saw that Ais was stroking his head. With an 'eh?' he felt tears flowing on his cheeks while she just continued without saying anything before he asked

"What..are you doing?"

Being asked this question, Ais didn't immediately reply but, after some seconds, she said

"In the past, when I tried..hard..to train..Riveria often punished me.. I remember that...when I started crying, she always did something similar... and I always felt better..."

Shaking his head, he added

"I... I spoke big in front of others, like Lefiya, saying that I would do my best to make you happy, but so far all I have done has been putting you in the background, as if our whole relationship was a foregone conclusion and that the only interesting thing were feelings.. I don't think I deserve to be your lover at all.."

Understanding it wasn't enough to calm him, she remembered Riveria's care that, now, it seemed to be a little clearer for her. Placing another hand on his head, she brought him closer to her. Feeling her so close, he felt even worse than before. Embracing her as well, he said

"I'm sorry.. I wasn't considering your feelings at all.. I was going on leaving you behind..thinking I was coming to understand you while it was the exact opposite.."

Shaking her head, Ais replied more firmly this time

"It doesn't matter..as long as you keep looking at me...it's fine.."

Even though he didn't understand what she meant at all, he nodded his head as it was the only thing he could do at the moment.

"Do you..still want to be with me..?"

With a small smile, she answered

"I want..to be with you.."

Even though she said this, in his mind, Ethan was determined to do things in the right way. Releasing her, he wiped his tears with a nod

'Now it isn't really the time to cry...what I can do is..'

Staring in her golden eyes, he said

"I will keep looking at you, no matter what happens...but ..before we can return as before, l.. I have to tell you something.."

Hearing his words, she replied with a stare. Without breaking the stare this time, he added

"I will probably end up in other relationsh.i.p.s..with other girls..are you okay.. with this..?"

Being asked this question, she didn't even flinch while answering

"It..doesn't matter. But I want.."

This time, he understood what she meant, with a smile, he continued his speech

"I'm not saying this will happen soon or far in the future, because I'm not planning anything with others...but in case this happens, I want you to know that you will always be the first love that made me feel like this... I know I don't deserve a person like you to be with me..but I can't find the force to push you away..because I love you, and I can't go against what I feel, even if it's wrong."

Taking her hand with his, he promised himself to be a better lover for her in the future..

'it's incredibly incorrect towards her, I know, but I simply can't help it..'

Approaching her lips, he kissed her lightly while she flinched slightly from the unexpected contact. Making her lie down on the bed with him, he smirked while adding

"Sorry for being so selfish.."

Confused, she wanted to reply but, before she could, Ethan claimed her lips again. Feeling the temperature of the room increasing, the situation quickly shifted from the tense atmosphere to a very warm one. Deciding it wasn't time to stop anymore, he was ready to cross over the 'line' that he had wrongfully placed between them.

Stopping to kiss her lips for a moment, he approached her neck. L.i.c.k.i.n.g it, she felt the warmth of his tongue while he continued with his action. Deciding to do what he didn't the first times that he had her neck within reach, he stopped for a moment. Seeing her panting with a light blush on her face, his smile widened before he added

"There is a method to show others we belong to each other..tell me if it hurts and I'll stop, but I want you to do it to me.."

Hearing his words, she was surprised

"I want it.."

Nodding, he made a smile while he was thinking about the right place on her neck for his hickey. Deciding to just do it, he immediately found a good spot as he started to kiss it while s.u.c.k.i.n.g..

Feeling the heat of her body rising slightly, Ais took Ethan's head in an embrace as if to push him to continue.

After nearly half a minute, he brought his action to a stop. Seeing the bruise on her skin, he knew Ais wouldn't mind but, he still asked

"I left you a bruise in a visible area, if you don't want others to see it I can heal it with my magic .."

Immediately shaking her head, she replied

"No..it's fine. Now it's my turn.."

Reversing the position they were in before, Ais was now on him while he added

"As you understood, what you have to do is.."

Before he could continue, he saw her immediately start to kiss his neck. The unexpected action made him flinch as well but, before he could add something, he felt she was s.u.c.k.i.n.g too hard.

Asking for time-out, he immediately said

"Wait! You're doing it too hard..to leave a bruise it's okay to do it lightly for 20 or 30 seconds, and it will still result in a hickey that will remain here for days, don't suck so hard..do it slowly.."

Understanding, she wanted to apologize but Ethan placed a hand on her mouth, adding

"Apologize with a good hickey..."

Even though he was joking, she nodded before removing his hand from her mouth. Approaching his neck, she started to lick the same spot as before while he smiled. Looking at the ceiling, he waited for her to finish while all his thoughts regarding him not being worthy slowly faded from his mind. Closing his eyes, he decided it was better,for now, to enjoy this moment at its fullest...

"I love you.."

Hearing his words, the few seconds passed before she replied

"I love you...too.."

Kissing him on the lips after saying this, the two intertwined their hands. Stopping to kiss him after a whole minute, Ethan decided it was time..

"Do you want to..make love?"

Hearing this, she felt the hard member she had the possibility to stroke in the bath standing proudly between her tights..

With a nod from her, Ethan smiled wryly

'I can't put it off again, I'm sorry Riveria, but we'll do without your lessons... for today'

Apologizing to Riveria, he knew she will surely understand the reasons why he decided to do so..

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(I have a discord server. discord.gg/cpVr5X8 If you enter it, you can choose one of Ethan's future powers from the pool I created, but that's not all! On the server, you can see the reference on some things that will be present in the story! Right now you can freely see some things like the [Twin's Digimon] and [The Devoted Heart].)

(If you want to support me w ww.pat reon.com/watashiwavdesu)

(A/N: If you have questions, please ask in the discord (#ask-the-author). It's better then asking here as I will reply faster in the discord)

(I'm working on the next chapter already, don't worry, I promise you won't wait long...if I can't for today, tomorrow afternoon you will have the rest of this chapter)

(Alternate Titles: "Ais' real emotions", "Yeah, nobody will notice the hickey on Ethan and Ais' neck...", "Sometimes, being sad kindles the passion in people's hearts...")