Chapter 243 - The Present : The Future

After pacifying Fenrir, Vahn parted ways with the four girls and left the Hearth Manor with the intent of going to visit Hephaestus. As of now, the premonitions that had been plaguing him had largely vanished, but Vahn was still somewhat alert and used his domain at full power to map everything within the vicinity on his way to Hephaestus's Workshop. Since he was in his Báihǔ form, Vahn had also memorized the scent of the girl called Haruhime, which was similar to lavender with somewhat of a robust undertone.

Since he wasn't in a hurry, and had been paying attention to the surroundings, Vahn arrived outside Hephaestus's workshop after a half-hour before making his way inside. Though it wasn't nearly as bad as the previous night, the closer Vahn had gotten to her workshop, the more excited he became as a warm feeling spread through his body. This was magnified somewhat because, if Vahn focused on the bond they shared, he was also able to sense the anticipation of Hephaestus.

When he tried to open the door, Vahn noticed it was locked even though it was during business hours. His smile grew marginally since it was a good sign for what was to come; Vahn spread out his domain and inspected the surroundings in detail and noticed that Hephaestus was the only person inside and she was slowly making her way to the front door. There were several presences in the surroundings, likely security personnel and a mixture of pedestrians. Even so, Vahn inspected each of them with his intent to verify there was nothing strange before the door finally opened a little and revealed a very bashful looking Hephaestus peering through the crack.

Without trying to open the door himself, Vahn showed a gentle smile and said, "Good morning Hephaestus." Releasing a sigh, Hephaestus opened the door the rest of the way and crossed her arms loosely under her b.r.e.a.s.ts as she said, "Come inside, quickly, who knows what problems might arise later." Following her words, Vahn stepped into the workshop before he heard the door close behind him with a bit of force as Hephaestus secured the lock.

Curious, Vahn asked, "Did something ha-" Before he could finish, Hephaestus leaned her weight against him and began one of the many passionate kisses they would share. He was so surprised by her actions that Vahn nearly fell backward a few steps before stabilizing his body and embracing Hephaestus powerfully. Vahn noticed that her body was surprisingly hot, including her tongue which had invaded his mouth since earlier. Vahn intertwined his with Hephaestus's as she slowly pressed his body, almost as if she were pushing him toward her office hidden deep at the back.

Realizing this was actually the case, Vahn felt emboldened so he picked up Hephaestus's body and princess carried her the rest of the way while she clung to his neck and began kissing the exposed parts of his collarbone. Since his spatial awareness was quite high, Vahn could focus on Hephaestus even while walking through the corridors without any issues at all. When they got to the door of her office, Vahn noticed Hephaestus had left it open so he side-stepped through it to make sure no parts of her body collided with the reinforced frame.

By the time Vahn closed the door and locked it, Hephaestus had a deep blush on her face and was beginning to sweat profusely as she looked into his eyes with a fervent gaze. Vahn leaned forward to kiss her, but Hephaestus tucked her head to evade his attempt as she placed her hand over his heart. In a quiet tone, Hephaestus said, "Let's go to the couch...we need to talk..."

After getting a face full of red hair for his efforts, Vahn followed Hephaestus words and walked over the couch. Though she seemed to try and free herself from his carry, Vahn turned his body and sat down while still holding onto her firmly. She gave him an awkward smile and said, "It's...somewhat hard to talk like this. There are several things I want to tell you before we go any further."

Since Vahn didn't want to cause any discomfort for Hephaestus, nor did he want to appear impatient, he just for a moment before placing his forehead gently against hers for a few moments. He knew they shared a powerful bond now and she would be able to sense his feelings. When he was done, Vahn loosened his grip on Hephaestus's body so she sat at his side with a moderate amount of distance between them. Though she still had a fierce blush on her face, Hephaestus also had a serious look in her eyes and Vahn could feel her hesitation.

Hephaestus was quiet for several seconds as she considered her words carefully. After a while, she released a somewhat pained sigh and said, "Vahn...I wanted you to know that..that..." As she continued to struggle, Vahn reached out his right hand and stroked the side of Hephaestus's face before running his fingers through her beautiful red hair. In a gentle tone, Vahn said, "Please tell me what is troubling you. No matter what, I will always be with you when you need me...now and forever more."

Closing her eyes, Hephaestus rested against Vahn's gentle caress as she held onto his forearm with her left hand. Finding some comfort in the warmth coming from his palm, Hephaestus released another sigh and said, "Even though this body is that of a v.i.r.g.i.n...you aren't my first partner. I wanted you to know everything about my past...I want you to know about my weakness...the loneliness I have felt for so long..."

As she was still trying to find her words, Hephaestus sensed movement and felt her head get pulled forward slightly as Vahn silenced her pained words with a kiss. Opening her eyes, Hephaestus tried to use her right hand to press against his chest, but Vahn wouldn't part from the kiss no matter what she tried. Giving up, Hephaestus slipped her arm to his side and Vahn reached around and embraced her in a powerful, comforting, hug.

For several minutes, Vahn continued to kiss Hephaestus until the chaotic nature that had been appearing in her aura completely vanished. After sucking on her tongue a bit, Vahn pulled his face away and looked at the glossy-eyed Hephaestus who had a somewhat pitiful look on her face as she dazedly kissed at the air for an extra few seconds. Vahn reached up and caressed her face once again as he said with absolute seriousness, "Everything about you is important to me, but I've no interest in a past that causes you such pain. From now on, whenever you feel lonely, whenever you feel worried, you just have to call out to me...no matter how far away, I will come running. The inconsequential fools from your past aren't nearly as important as the present we share, the future we'll create...together."

Though she was somewhat absentminded, each of Vahn's words resonated powerfully with Hephaestus. She could feel his emotions, the stability of his words, the comfort of his embrace, and the love they shared...everything linked together and echoed through her body until she felt her soul tremble. As if they were some insignificant thing, the images that had been plaguing Hephaestus's mind while thinking about her union with Vahn slowly faded away. Just like Vahn said, the past wasn't important anymore...not here, not now, not when she was in his arms and enjoying the comfort he provided her. Vahn was like a safe refuge for her soul, something that kept away all the feelings of negativity that had plagued her for so many millions of years...

Placing her head against his chest, though it wasn't necessary to do so, Hephaestus listened to Vahn's hear beating powerfully. She could sense the presence of the 'eternal flame' within as Vahn stroked her back gently while hugging her body against his. Hephaestus could feel the heat radiating from Vahn intermingling with the heat from her own body and, even though they had yet to complete their union, she felt like they had already become one. As her emotions continued to rise, Hephaestus raised her head before using her hands to press into Vahn's chest.

Though he could have resisted, Vahn allowed Hephaestus to push him over and he pulled her along with him. He could see she was taking long, deep, breaths and had an incredibly flushed expression on her face. She lifted her body from his with a bit of effort and began to unbutton his tunic until Vahn just unequipped it to save her some effort. Once his upper body was bare, Hephaestus traced his chest with her fingers for a moment before leaning down and kissing his body with her flushed red lips.

For now, Vahn wanted to let Hephaestus ease her anxiety without experiencing too much pressure from him. Instead of doing anything too rough, he gently caressed her body even though he had a powerful urge to grip her butt. Even though he didn't quite agree with it completely, there were certain butts that Vahn was very fond of and Hephaestus's was at the top of the list. Since he knew she especially trained it to be to his liking, Vahn felt a great deal of excitement whenever he thought about it.

By the time Hephaestus worked up to his shoulders, she stopped for a while which confused Vahn. Tracing her fingers along his shoulder, Vahn knew what she had found and explained, "It was left there by Chloe. Though we haven't done anything, we still professed love for each other..." Without responding to his words, Hephaestus continued to trace the scar with her fingers for a few seconds. After a while, she whispered in his ear, "Even though I'm okay with you having other girls, I can't help but feel a little jealous when seeing something so intimate..."

Vahn's mind buzzed a bit as her words tickled his ears and he began to wonder if Hephaestus also wanted to leave her mark on him. Before the could think of anything to say, Hephaestus continued, "I want something more...something that will always be uniquely ours. And I don't want it to be on your body; I don't need to compete with the other girls...I want you to leave a mark on me instead. I want something that invalidates the scar that used to cover my face...something that I can take with me permanently...forever and ever."

After he words, Hephaestus continued so lay against Vahn's body in silence before she asked, "I know you were able to modify Lili's crest in the past...I want you to leave a mark on my back...it doesn't matter what it is, as long as it is something important to you." Pushing against his chest and the couch, Hephaestus lifted herself from Vahn's body and began to remove her white, sweat-soaked, blouse. Since she had been expecting Vahn, Hephaestus hadn't been wearing a bra since earlier in the day. Vahn was able to see her milky white b.r.e.a.s.ts and small, cherry-like, protrusions. Though he had seen them before, Vahn couldn't help but marvel at the flawlessness of Hephaestus's rather large b.r.e.a.s.ts.

Turning her back, Hephaestus move her long ponytail to the side and said, "Please..." Though Vahn was somewhat reluctant, he also felt an incredible anticipation building up in his own body as he gingerly traced his fingers along Hephaestus's back. Though she had powerful muscles, her skin still retained a youthful quality and there didn't really seem to be any obvious signs of the power contained within. Unless she forcibly flexed, Hephaestus looked very lean and had a very womanly, shapely, figure. When his finger followed the line of her back to the base of where her torso connected into her tight black trousers, Vahn suddenly stopped and the emotions that had been building in him reached a peak.

Since she had been paying attention to his actions, Hephaestus could feel Vahn's excitement as his fingers stopped slightly above where her butt was. She knew Vahn liked her butt and had even been exercising for up to two hours a day just to appeal to him a bit more. Hephaestus felt like it was one of the advantages she had over most of the girls around him, so she planned to exploit it whenever possible. After a few seconds, she whispered in a somewhat sultry voice, "Do it..."

Vahn gulped powerfully after hearing Hephaestus's words and he began to take several deep breaths to help calm his mind. Even though he knew more intimate things would happen between them in the future, leaving a permanent mark on the girl he loved felt incredibly deviant. Though he had a profound sense of excitement welling up inside him, Vahn was also somewhat scared and anxious to continue. However, he didn't want to let Hephaestus's expectations down and also wanted to give her what she wanted. Vahn consoled himself by remembering that he could always remove it later with [Hands of Nirvana] if she changed her mind in the future...

Though it felt profoundly awkward, Vahn used [Yggradsil's Favor] and emulated the crest creation process of the Familia induction ceremony. She wouldn't obtain anything like a blessing, but the mark Vahn left on her body could only be removed by him from now on. Since he didn't have anything better, Vahn decided to carve his 'makers mark' into the small of Hephaestus's back, right above where the line of her back merged into her the division between her butt cheeks. By the time he was done, Vahn knew his face was probably very red because of the excitement and embarrassment he had felt.

When Hephaestus learned what Vahn had carved into her back, her blush became a deep crimson and she gripped his shoulders with shaky hands as they passionately embraced each other. After what felt like an eternity, Hephaestus lited her face from Vahn's and took several, almost ragged, breaths before saying in a sensual tone, "If you're going to claim my body as your own...you're going to have to take responsibility...I want a baby."

(A/N: 'Vahn is not concerned with inferior gods','Permanant Tattoo','Forging a baby in the forge goddess's furnace')

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