Chapter 233: Journey to the Barony of James IV

{I want to let everyone know that I have a p-a-t-r-e-o-n with two new exclusive stories on it. One is The Aeternus Universe, and the other is a new story with a basketball system. I hope you guys will give it a chance. The link is https://www.p-a-t-r-e-o-n.com/easyread. Remove the dashes. Webnovel censors the word.}

{Forgot to schedule the upload. Damn it.}

The sun is finally setting over the horizon, and that means it's time to come down for the night. I dive towards the ground at a speed that many would consider very dangerous. Sally takes the surprise as I expected and squeals in shock and fear. Right before we hit the forest, I pull us up and level out. Coming to a slow and gentle stop. I land, and she gets off me and proceeds to punch me in the shoulder over and over again. It's hurting her more, and it's hurting me. "I hate it when you do that! The least you could do is warn me!" I chuckle as I see the cute angry expression.

She doesn't find my amusement with her reaction all that great. She turns her back to me and releases a huff. I decide to let her fester the way she is. It's not going to bother me. I pull the tent out of my inventory and set it up. I lay down the furs inside the tent to make it a little more comfortable. Once finished, I can that Sally is still pouting, which is unusual for her. This can mean several things. The first is that she is actually mad, the second being she just wants attention, and the third is the randomness women sometimes have. 

I think it's the first or second one. All the time I've spent with Sally, I haven't witnessed the randomness that women have. "I didn't think it would upset you so much. Is there something else I did that's made you mad at me?" She looks at me and sees that I'm genuinely confused. She must have been really bothered by the quick and unexpected dive. She sighs and looks away. I guess this is one of those moments when I have to find out on my own. I have tact, and I can tell what makes people upset, but that doesn't mean I can do it all the time.

I don't want to be the type of guy that just waits until his partner gets over it. I'd like to know what I did wrong, so I don't do it again. I sit next to her and wonder if I can get a hint from her expressions and body language. She isn't giving me anything, though. No matter what I do, there isn't any indication on her face. "You're going to have to figure it out on your own. This is a good lesson for you." What am I, a dog? This is turning into a situation that I don't want to be in. So she leaves me no choice but to play the role of waiting for her to get over it.

The crypticness of this problem isn't something people should put each other through. I know for a fact that when relationships are clear and communication is good, they last longer. If she doesn't communicate with me, then I see no reason to do so either. Instead of sitting next to her and trying to figure it out, I stand up and head towards the tent. The stars are out, and I'd love to see them, but standing next to her when she is so tense isn't what I want to spend time with her doing. "You didn't warn me when I have already asked you to..." Right before I climb into the tent, she speaks. 

I recall doing this before, and she got very emphatic about me telling her or warning her when I do that. I get it now. She feels like I didn't place any value in her request and is now hurt by my lack of care for her needs. While it is a complex way to get angry, it's how women work sometimes. What's small to me can be really big to her. I stand straight up and walk back over to her and sit at her side. "I'm sorry that I made it seem like I didn't care about what you wanted. Next time, I'll remember to warn you. Can you promise me something?" She slowly nods her head.

I take a breath and prepare to speak. "When there is an issue between us, I don't want to have to beat around the bush and try to figure it out. I want you to tell me if I'm not able to. It'll save both of us a lot of frustration. I was going to let you sit here and get mad because I wasn't going to be playing those games." She looks towards the ground and fiddles with her fingers. I'm not trying to hurt her feelings or make her feel bad. Many good relationships get ruined because one partner doesn't want to talk about the problems and make the other suffer from trying to figure it out.

Before she speaks again, I wrap one arm around her and give her a sideways hug. She hesitates for a second, and I kiss the side of her head. I'm new to relationships. However, this is the first time we've had an argument. Well... There wasn't any yelling or actual genuine anger. More of a disagreement on how things should be talked about. If anything, it's a mix of the two. "I'll promise to tell you when you do something that really bothers me... And I want you to do the same for me..." I nod my head in agreement with her wise words. 

She leans her head in my shoulder, and we look through the big opening in the trees above us, and we see the countless stars spreading across the sky. In retrospect, this is a very romantic moment. I'm not a romantic, and I have a hard time with things like that. Sally deserves effort put into those moments, though. She is a wonderful person, and if I don't give it a legitimate shot any chance I get, then I'm a pathetic excuse for a man. "The stars are something that I couldn't see from where we new people come from... I'm glad I get to see them with you, Sally..." I do my best at some romantic words.

They are amateurish but damn it. I gave it my best shot. If that isn't enough for your partner, then you need to reevaluate the relationship. Sally cuddles closer and wraps one arm around my waist as we sit side by side, holding one another. "I'm glad that I get to be here with you too, Zern. I never thought I'd love a man in my life, let alone let him as close as I have you... It goes to show just how special you are and how much you've changed me... I love you, Zern." Damn... She beat my attempt by a mile. I think there is something I should tell her. My real name, she deserves to know it.

This is going to be a big step, and it might change how she looks at me. I can't keep this from her forever, though. "Cera..." I say the name once, and for a second, she looks at me in confusion. Waiting for an explanation, I feel nervous. An unfamiliar state to me, one I'm rarely in. "My real name is Cera Adamo. It's my name from the place I come from. Slayer Zern is my name here on Gaia..." I look her in the eyes, and I scan her face. Looking for any hints that I have betrayed her trust. Instead, I watch her smile. 

Not the reaction I thought she'd have, but not unwelcomed. "I'm happy that you have come to trust and love me enough to tell me this... But I already knew, Cera..." I can't help the massive amount of confusion on my face. How in the world can she know any of this. She sees this and chuckles to herself. "You talk in your sleep. I've heard you talk about people called Violet, Hailey, Chris, and Marcus. Adamo is the only new thing I've learned here." I'll be damned. I talk in my sleep. I wonder what else I talk about. What else she has come to know.

She sees my questioning look and prepares to tell me more about what she has learned from my sleep talking. "You often talk about a place called earth, and home billions died... How it's your fault... You talk about that you should have thought things out better regarding some sort of wish... Kind of confusing, to be honest... You don't know it, but I think you have nightmares often. Waking up not realizing you have them..." She has already come to know so much, and she has been patient to wait for me to tell her. I feel like I don't deserve her anymore... How rare is it to find someone like this?

She obviously doesn't know everything, but she knows enough to have had a change of heart and feeling about me, but instead, she accepted me. "I love you, Sally." I run my hand along her nape and neck, placing it behind her head. I slowly bring her face in, and she closes her eyes. Knowing what's coming. I slowly kiss her, trying to express how much that means to me. How much she means to me.