(Riven POV – Church Basement Room)
'Today's already full of surprises.' I muse as I open my eyes.
Usually, I wake up with Hestia clinging to me like a koala, as her hair tickles my face, and soft snores ring in my ear.
But not today.
Today, she's turned away from me, blanket pulled up to her shoulders, pillow half over her head as she tries to disappear from existence.
I smile faintly, already knowing the cause of her behaviour.
"Good morning, Goddess." I say calmly, sitting up and stretching, only to be greeted with silence.
The blanket tightens around her, as her head sinks deeper into the pillow.
'So that's how it is, huh?' I think with amusement. 'I'm almost hurt my Goddess would ignore me… almost.'
I consider being merciful… but mercy is overrated.
"You were really cute last night." I tease lightly.
A muffled, mortified squeak leaks from beneath the pillow.
"Should I remind you of everything you did?" I add innocently, tilting my head.
She groans in despair, pressing the pillow tighter over her face, but still refusing to face me.
That's permission enough for me.
"Well," I begin, sitting cross-legged beside her, "you were surprisingly affectionate after getting drunk. Real pushy too. You kept calling my name and saying 'Riveeen, say ahh~' while you tried to feed m—"
A very slow pillow slams into my face. Hard.
I catch it mid-fall and lower it calmly, only to find Hestia glaring at me with red cheeks and watery eyes, looking seconds away from spontaneous combustion.
"Stop talking!" She yells, covering her ears as if that could erase the sound of my voice.
I blink at her, utterly entertained. "You did also cry a lo—"
Before I can finish, she lunges towards me.
Her small hands clamp desperately over my mouth as she pushes me backward, her weight pressing onto my chest as we tumble back onto the bed.
Her breath catches, and so does mine, for very different reasons.
I raise an eyebrow, looking up at her. Her long twin tails fall over her shoulders, framing her flushed face. She's trembling, caught between anger and embarrassment.
"Stop talking, Riven!" She pleads, voice cracking adorably.
I gently take her wrists and move her hands away, smiling softly. "Okay, okay. I'll stop teasing you."
She exhales in visible relief. Then I add, perfectly calm, "But I didn't know you'd be this forward."
Her brain stalls. It takes her a full three seconds to process what I said, and when she does, her entire face turns scarlet.
She freezes, glancing lower as she basically lays on top of me.
"W-wha—!" She stammers incoherently, clearly wanting to vanish.
I tilt my head, feigning innocence. "Something wrong, Goddess?"
Her lips twitch. "S-so what?!" She blurts, trying to act brave, but failing miserably. "Are you saying I can't sit on you if I want to?!"
Her words come out sounding more like a threat, than an actual question, as though daring me to defy her.
'Oh? She's feeling bold today.' I think, hiding my smirk.
"You're my Goddess." I reply smoothly, sounding almost defeated and resigned. "My body's yours to do with as you please."
She makes a strangled noise, something between a gasp and a squeak, as her hands grip my shirt subconsciously and her blush spreads all the way to her ears.
Slowly, I sit up. The movement naturally brings her closer, sliding her neatly down into my lap. Her wide blue eyes stare up at me, utterly frozen.
For a moment, neither of us moves. The air feels heavier somehow, like this fragile peace will shatter if we do so.
Then, unable to resist, I wrap my arms around her as my hands settle on her lower back. "Relax, Goddess. I'm only teasing."
Her whole body tenses at the touch, and I expect her to run away, yet…
"O-okay." She says softly, resting her head against my chest while blushing furiously as she nuzzles into me.
Surprised, but not unhappy with the welcome surprise, I hug her a little bit more tightly, feeling her body pressing against mine, closing my eyes to savour the moment when suddenly—
"Eeeeek!" Hestia jerks away like she's been electrocuted, stumbles out of my grasp and off the bed, and immediately bolts for the stairs, squealing, without another word.
I watch her disappear as the echo of her footsteps fade into the distance, blinking in confusion.
"Tch." I click my tongue. "I wasn't even going to do anything since the shop opens soon…" I grumble, before sighing. "…Okay, maybe I'd have done a little."
'Still… she seemed Alright with hugging. Why'd she suddenly…' I think, before glancing down and freezing.
'Oh.'
Understanding dawns on me, and I groan quietly. 'Yeah, that explains why she ran that fast.'
I let out a hollow laugh as I flop back on the bed, covering my eyes with my arm, smiling faintly despite myself.
'Didn't realise I got hard.' I sigh. 'But it was inevitable.' I groan, before finally getting up and staring in the direction she fled.
'Next time, she won't get away that easily. Not if she keeps teasing me like this.' I smile.
(Riven POV – Streets of Orario, on the way to the Clothing Shop)
I sigh quietly as I walk beside Hestia, the morning sun warm against my skin. But the problem isn't the weather… it's the fact that Hestia won't even speak to me.
'I can tell she's not mad…' I think, watching from the corner of my eye as she sneaks another shy glance my way before pretending to study the ground. Her face is still pink, and her twin tails bounce nervously with every step. '…but I have no idea how to break this awkward atmosphere.'
Every time I've tried to talk to her since this morning's "incident," she's either sped up or flat-out run off. And honestly, I can't even blame her.
'Still, this can't go on forever.' I decide, inching closer as we walk. When she finally looks my way, startled, I take her hand.
She stops dead in the middle of the street, eyes wide, lips parting slightly. "W-what are you doing?" She asks, trying to sound stern, but the way her fingers tighten around mine gives her away completely.
'Your hands betray your real thoughts.' I think wryly, resisting the urge to laugh.
"Well…" I begin with a small cough. "I wanted to apologize. For… earlier. I didn't exactly realize what was happening."
Her gaze drops to the ground, and she mumbles so quietly I almost miss it. "I-it's fine… I didn't really mind…"
'Didn't mind, huh?' I fight the smirk threatening to form on my lips. This isn't the moment to tease her.
"I'm glad." I say sincerely. "I was worried I'd made you uncomfortable."
"I was just surprised." She insists quickly, shaking her head so hard her twin tails whip around. Then, puffing out her cheeks, she adds, "Just… next time, give me a heads up, okay?"
I blink, processing. 'Did she just say next time?'
"Well then," I say with a grin, "I'll be sure to do that. I'm looking forward to it."
Her brain takes a second to catch up, and then—
"R-Riven! That's not what I meant!" She yelps, her face going bright red. "Y-you tricked me!"
"Sure. I believe you." I reply with a laugh, tugging gently on her hand as we start walking again.
She huffs, cheeks puffed, cursing under her breath, but doesn't let go of my hand.
'Next time, huh?' I think with quiet amusement. 'I'll hold you to that.'
(Later – Hearth of Threads)
After a short walk, we stop in front of the store and Hestia's eyes widen the moment she sees it.
The once-empty building now stands proudly beneath a freshly painted sign that gleams in the sunlight.
Hearth of Threads.
The letters shimmer in gold, with our Familia's crest above it: a stylized flame burning atop a stand, radiant in warm orange.
"Wow…" She breathes, clasping her hands together. "It looks amazing now! I can't believe it's the same place!"
Her excitement brings an unbidden smile to my face.
Inside, the scent of new fabric and faint polish lingers in the air. Sunlight filters through clean glass panes, lighting up neat rows of clothing arranged by section. Practical wear for civilians near the front, sturdy gear for adventurers toward the back, and finer, luxurious pieces displayed near the walls, each framed to catch the light, almost making the fabrics glow.
'I can't take all the credit.' I muse internally as we step inside. 'It came together easily with a bit of planning and some help from GS.'
Hestia's still looking around, eyes sparkling. "It's perfect! It really feels like… home."
That word makes me pause for a moment. "Yeah…" I murmur. "That's exactly what I wanted."
'Soon, I'll make our actual home feel even more like home.' I resolve myself.
We do a quick walkthrough as I explain the setup. Prices, materials, custom orders, what to do if customers get difficult.
She listens intently, nodding hard enough to make her hair sway.
"I wrote everything down." I add, handing her a folded list. "Just in case you forget."
"You can count on me!" She says, grinning so brightly it's impossible not to feel her enthusiasm.
I eye her fondly. 'Can I really?' I wonder silently.
"Don't stress too much." I say, pocketing my hands. "I've got other ways to make Valis, so just enjoy yourself here. If anyone gives you trouble, kick them out, or tell me later, and I'll… have a talk with them."
"Riven…" She says, frowning slightly. "You can't just go around beating people up." She pouts.
"I can't promise I won't." I answer with a mock-serious tone, earning a huff of laughter.
Then I pull a small box from Stomach. "One last thing. Your uniform for today. It'll change often. Consider it a way showing of what we make here."
Her entire demeanor lights up. "My uniform?!" She exclaims, snatching the box from my hands before I can even finish. "I'm trying it on right now!"
"Of course you are." I chuckle as she dashes toward the changing room, nearly tripping on her own excitement.
I watch her disappear behind the curtain, still smiling to myself.
'I'm glad she's enjoying this.' I think, feeling warmth blossoming in my chest again. The feeling sneaks up on me whenever she's happy.
The quiet rustle of fabric comes from behind the curtain, and I catch myself listening, almost unconsciously.
'Calm down.' I remind myself with a sigh. 'I've got so much time to tease her in the future.'
Still… maybe this little shop really is the start of something special.
And I can't help but think…
'So long as she's happy… that's enough.'
*************
A/N: Hello Everyone! How are you? If you've enjoyed the chapter and book thus far, please consider leaving me some comments, reviews, or power stones. It really helps the book out.
So yeah, not much, and a lot happened this chapter, lol.
Firstly, I suppose there's been a step up in Riven and Hestia's relationship. She's more open to the idea of intimacy, and while still shy, is more accepting of it. And eventually, won't be too shy, I suppose? Kinda weird writing stuff like this, but that's probably just cause it feels novel. I'm sure I'll get used to it.
Then, we've done the shop, and it's been set up. And Hestia can start working there. I had planned to do so much more, like the outfit, and him going to the dungeon, etc.... but I got caught up in the romance and stuff. My bad. Next chapter I'll introduce her outfit (with some pictures, if I can get them to work), but they'll be on discord too. As well as the next dungeon dive, which'll be plot relavant.
Sigh. So much to do, so little time to do it. Feels like I'm cramming it all🤣. But yeah, that's this chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it😁.
You can also read 10 chapters ahead and support me at [email protected]/AMV_WEAKLY
Have a good day/night, and goodnight😴