Hephaestus.

I was waiting for Hephaestus next to the actual place where she lived. It was not as humble as the workshop she had going on. Yet, it was still simple enough.

I had semi-casual clothes. I was outstood by the variety of clothing, considering that this was a medieval town for all intents and purposes.

I was wearing black pants and a light grey shirt. Over it was a navy blue overcoat. It was an outfit that contracted well with my shoulder-length silver hair and ocean-blue eyes.

I was a handsome young man. Just like your mother would say to you, except she wouldn't be lying this time.

My breath hitched when Hephaestus came out. She had a red dress that was a bit conservative, showing only her shoulders. Yet, that somehow made it all the more erotic. The way it hugged her curves, mainly those heavenly thighs was something that dealt critical damage to me. Her heels gave her more height, thus adding to her allure even further.

''You look gorgeous. I can't believe I'm going out with you.'' I said to her as I took her hand into mine.

She blushed a bit at my focused gaze ''You look handsome too.'' said Hephaestus weakly.

Man, how can she be this cute?

I made a bit of a show while taking a certain item from my inventory. I even added smoke for extra effect. That got her attention.

''Ta-daa!''

[Aladdin's magic carpet(Super rare)]

A copy of Aladdin's carpet. It uses the user's magic to fly.

It was an item I got from the Gacha.

''What is this?'' said Hephaestus, already used to my use of the inventory.

''Well. It's the ride for our date.'' I said off-handedly.

''What do you mean by that?'' She said in confusion.

I suppose it wouldn't make sense if she recognised it.

''We are having a date in the sky! I said it was going to be memorable.'' I answered happily.

She seemed to not share my enthusiasm for a few seconds. Some snickers escaped her mouth, and those snickers slowly turned into full-blown laughter.

I felt a bit confused ''It's certainly going to be memorable. I can't believe how seriously I was taking this.'' she said wiping the tears on her eyes.

''I know, right. Just be yourself. A date has to be fun first of all.''

''So how does this work?'' She said after a while, sounding a lot more comfortable. And that's the first step to a great date.

''Nuh-uh. A magician doesn't reveal his secrets.''

''Silly.'' She said with a huff. I just smiled at that.

I activated the carpet with a pang of my magic. It started levitating.

Reluctant to take my hand and sit on the carpet. I just huffed and said ''Come on, Hephie. You think I'd put you in something that endangers you.'' I said.

She seemed to resist less after that '' It is incredibly level. Much more than it would suggest.''

''Told ya, didn't I?'' I said grinning.

She huffed and smiled at that ''So how did you get this magic item.?''

''I can tell you its story,'' I said as I sat next to her, and she had to hug my right arm due to the sudden acceleration.

' *Cough* I didn't do it on purpose. Definetly...'

I am sure a strange unidentifiable flying object would draw attention, but I just didn't care.

I set it to the lowest speed, which was still relatively fast. I also applied a wind barrier to cover the air resistance and a small torch to keep my date comfortable.

''You really thought this through.'' Said Hephie with a small.

''Of course.'' I smiled back a bit.

I had already experienced flying with the carpet, but that doesn't seem to be the case for the goddess of the forge. She kept looking down on the land that was more like dots from up here in wonder.

''I thought gods could fly?'' I asked her in curiosity.

''No god can fly in Genkai. We all agreed to seal our powers. Tenkai was an extremely boring place, simply said. I also don't have many good memories of that place.'' She said the last part in a small voice, probably to herself. But I heard it.

''Well, this is even more special isn't it?''

''It is!'' She said with a sincere smile.

''How about a story?'' I said to her. She nodded.

I started telling her the story of Aladdin. I admittedly removed and added some parts to make it a bit more romantic.

I hope Disney doesn't hop the multiverse and slap me with a lawsuit.

It seemed like she liked it.

''Here we are Princess. What do you think about the view?'' I said gesturing to the sunset on the horizon.

''It's beautiful.'' She said.

It was. Seeing the sunset from above the clouds was indeed a marvel experience.

I linked my hand to hers. We spent the time until the sun fully set beyond the horizons.

Seeing the stars at night was not bad as well.

''So how was the date, Hephie?'' I asked her. I didn't need to ask her going by the smile on her face.

She was about to happily respond but caught herself in the middle. I squeezed her hand a bit.

''It was good. Amazing even. I just... don't know what to do. I feel like it's a d-dream.'' She said in a sad voice.

I was just as equally sad to see her like that.

''Come on Hephie, what are you afraid of? You think I give a fuck about something like a bad eye.''

'I maybe should have addressed this earlier.'

She slumped a bit and said in a small voice ''So you knew... How were you just resisting it?''

'Now is probably the best time to say this. We are as alone as can be.'

''How about I tell a secret?'' I lay down and gestured to her to sit next to me ''I have a very good guess why I'm not affected by it.''

I waited for a few seconds.

'' I'm simply not from this world, altogether. I have dropped here two weeks ago.''

She was slack-jawed, probably by the casual way I dropped this bomb on her.

Hephie kept asking some questions, and I answered some of them. I skipped some parts, mostly about how I got the power and some things that shouldn't be said.

We kept going back and forth under the night stars.

''So you're telling me you knew me —before even coming here?'' She said in an unidentifiable voice.

''I guess you could say I had visions of this world? I didn't know you per se. I just saw you, and liked you ever since.''

I was not about to tell her this world was a fictional one before. Not only do I not believe it anymore. It was a can of worms I would rather not open for the time being, if at all.

''I suppose my wishes were strong enough that they allowed me to meet you,'' I said hugging her shoulder and bringing her closer to me.

I made her face me in the same laying position we were in. I gave a stare at her eyepatch, silently asking for her permission to take it off.

She looked to be in struggle with herself for a few seconds. I kept insisting on a few more. She nodded with a hopeful expression decorating her face

I carefully removed the eyepatch. No matter how confident I made myself appear to her. I was still a bit nervous about the outcome.

She took a few moments to open her eyes. I made sure to keep eye contact and have a smile when she opened her right one.

It was not the best-looking eye I have ever seen in my life, if I were being frank. It was an eerie black colour, mixed with some red stripes. But that was the extent of its effect on me. I'm not suddenly feeling off-put by her, or anything of the sort.

"See, no stupid curse is enough to separate me from you."

She searched my face for any trace of lies. She then hugged me with tears in her eyes. There were some relieved sobs mixed in as well. I kept rubbing her back throughout it.

'I cannot imagine what would have happened had I had a bad reaction to her eye. I'd hate to make her trauma even worse than it already is.'

I stopped when she quieted down. ''How are you holding up?''

''I..don't know what I would have done if you ran away,'' said Hephaestus on the verge of crying again.

'Neither do I Hephie... neither do I.'

''Why would I run away, Hephie?'' I said eying her.

'This is a bit creepy to say.' I grimaced internanlly.

''I came here just because of you. Going to a different world just to meet you. Isn't that romantic?'' I joked a bit.

''It sure is.'' She smiled.

''Other than that, you are going to be stuck with me for a long time.'' I said with a grin.

She seemed a bit confused ''Wait, you don't know?'' I said, confused.

''Well. I am not immortal, but I am unaging. I will live for practically eternity as long as I don't get killed.''

''Why didn't you say that before??'' She said with an underlying happy tone.

''I just assumed you knew it? It's literally in one of my skills.'' I said with a wry smile.

'I haven't explained the definition of a game to her, I guess.'

I was about to continue when I felt Hephie's lips on my own. It was only a chaste peck at the lips, but it was packed with all sorts of emotions. Mainly hope.

''I guess I can expect a second date, right?'' I teased her.

She hit my shoulder. She nodded with a serious demeanour. It would have worked if not for the heavy dark shade of red on her cheeks and her still puffy eyes.

She was cute like that.

We lay down on our backs and kept gazing at the moon surrounded by the stars with our hands around each other.

----------

After what must have been an hour or more ''You know, Hephie. I will find a way to fix that curse. It may not bother me, but I'm sure it bothers you.'' I said aloud not to her in particular.

She was about to say something, but I interrupted her ''I may be weak now, Hephie. But there will come a day where I'm stronger than you." I paused. "One where I'm stronger than anyone.'' I said trying to grab the stars promising myself.

She didn't respond to that. She just nuzzled her neck deeper into my nape.