Natsuki's Date (2)

After a few more minutes of playing, they left the Orphanage. The sun was setting and the sky took an orange and pinkish tone to it. Ad, without giving Natsuki any sort of warning, picked her up in a princess carry and brought her up the wall.

She was blushing madly and was about to lash at him, but she fell silent when she saw the sunset. She smiled warmly, remembering the Far East, where one would be able to see the sunrise. This place was so different to her home, and it still had some of its beauty. Besides, she had people to share it with.

She then remembered her time before arriving at Orario and, without realizing, began telling Ad a bit more of her past.

Natsuki had been adopted into an orphanage by Tsukuyomi. She had made many friends there, and had been living a relatively happy life. She knew her parents had died when she was very little, because she had heard a conversation between Tsukuyomi and Takemikazuchi. According to the Moon Goddess, they had been a part of her Familia, together with Natsuki herself.

The Goddess, feeling responsible for their death, cut all bonds with Natsuki and raised her in the orphanage as just another kid.

Natsuki: Like that... sixteen years went by. Some friends I had made left two years before me to Orario, with Takemikazuchi-sama by their side. I left this year, with a few of my closest friends... but... *sob*... we...

Ad hugged her by the shoulder and pressed her head on his own. He couldn't erase the pain she felt. But he could help her change it with new and happy memories. After a while, she separated from him and, in between sobs and tears, told him the rest of the story.

Natsuki and her friends had been attacked by a group of thieves from the Laverna Familia. All of her friends had been killed, buying time for her to escape. She felt so weak, useless and alone, that she had thought of committing suicide.

Still, she decided to live for them, and fulfill the dream they had of becoming Adventurers. She couldn't go to Takemikazuchi though. She felt guilty about what had happened. She didn't know how to face them without feeling ashamed of herself.

She looked up in her tears, only to find the man she had spent her day with crying with her. The feeling in her heart suddenly got overtaken by a sense of love and care that she knew she would never forget.

Then, she was hugged tightly. Ad seemed to want to merge their bodies, with how much strength he was using in the hug. And his wish wasn't that far away from what she thought.

He wanted to melt the guilt, the pain and the shame she felt. He wanted her to know that she was not to be blamed. He wanted her to understand that he and everyone else was there for her. She would never have to feel pain again, that, he vowed.

After they both had calmed down, Ad caressed her cheek. Instead of the bashful Natsuki who would've stuttered and called him dummy, she took his hand in hers and held it in place, not wanting to ever miss the warmth it gave her.

Without thinking, acting just on what felt right at the moment, Ad lowered his head towards hers. Natsuki closed her eyes and raised her face, showing her lips to him. He wanted to chuckle at how expectant she seemed to be, but instead of doing that, he simply closed the little distance that was left between them.

It wasn't a passionate, strong and deep kiss. It was soft, loving and warm. It lasted for a while, until Natsuki needed air.

She had a healthy blush on her face, but instead of hiding herself, she chuckled lively and merrily. Ad could perfectly feel her current emotions to a degree that paled in comparison to that of Ryuu or Ais.

It would seem like his bond with Natsuki was, in fact, stronger. But if he thought about it, it made sense. After all, the bond with her was one he formed because of his effort and how well they knew each other, not one formed because of his previous knowledge of the girls.

He vowed to form a bond as strong as this one with all of them, but first, he had to finish the date. Ad once again got closer to her, and this time she was more proactive. She was still new to kissing and he could tell. But she made up for her lack of experience with her passion.

They spent the rest of the evening hugged to each other on the wall, kissing time and again. Ad had to show some restraint to not pin her down and jump to the next step. With Natsuki, he had to take things slow. That way she could get used to everything along the way.

He hoped that with their new relationship, she would stop being so shy and bashful around others. It would greatly help her in becoming a better version of herself.

*

When the sun had finally set and the moon began to rise, Ad and Natsuki left the wall. In a short time, since Ad was carrying her on his back, they arrived at the Hearth Manor.

When he opened the door, Natsuki asleep on his back, Hestia came running and jumped on him.

Hestia: Ad-kun!

Without caring about Natsuki on his back, she hugged him by the neck and kissed him deeply. Ryuu, who seemed to have visited earlier, approached and gave a him a very short and bashful peck on the cheek. She also sported a soft and small smile, made even more beautiful by the healthy blush on her face.

Ryuu: Welcome home.

Iman then came running from the backyard and hugged him from the side.

Iman: Darling! I want my date too! Natsuki hogged you for herself the whole day! I've missed you!

Ad could only laugh wryly at the Amazonness' outburst. He then looked at each of the four girls. Only Ais and Misha weren't present, but he was sure they both held him dearly in their hearts. He then felt a warmth spread through his heart and from there to his whole body.

If that is how their care and love for him felt, he could get used to it.