33 Making It Official

~He told me he built a time machine~

~Like the one in a film I've seen~

~Yeah, yeah~

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"Exactly which part of the city is this section of the wall in?" Steve asked as he squinted his eyes as far as his eyesight would let him to see if he could find the grotto.

"It's roughly north-west." Tiona said as she pointed in another direction. "Look, there's our Familia home over there in the north. If we are to the left of it, then we are west of it but we're still quit further up in the city, right on the outskirts."

"...Then that would mean my Familia home is across the city from us, almost exactly the full length of it." Steve concluded before he turned to the girls. "Want to come to my place for a bit?"

"Oh?" Tiona smiled mischievously. "Already inviting us back home Steve? My you are a bold one."

Steve gave her a fond deadpan, looking to refute this at first before reconsidering his choice of words. Instead of going through with what he'd originally wanted to say, he decided to give her the opposite of what she wanted to hear.

"Well, I'm game if you are." He shrugged.

"Huh?" Tiona did a double-take, not expecting that at all.

"Well, if you're ready Tiona, then I guess I am. I'm just saying, you looked quite eager there for a moment. I'd be more than happy to accommodate."

"...You really are a perv." Tiona tried to shove him but pouted a little when she found that she was pushing herself back because he stood rock solid.

"Only when it comes to you." Steve smiled. "After all, you're mine now. And I'm not letting go of you."

"Mhm, I guess I could get used to that." Tiona wrapped herself around his arm and rested her head slightly on his shoulder. "After all, I'm not letting you go either."

Steve chuckled and held her closer. A noise from Ais caused them both to look at her, an they found her with a tilted head, looking puzzled.

"What's wrong Ais?" Steve asked.

"What did you say that made Tiona happy?" Ais asked. "I don't understand."

Tiona and Steve shared a look.

"I can see why you said you needed to teach her while you're both with me." Steve said

"Yeah, she's completely clueless when it comes to adult talk." Tiona said. "But I'm sure you find that part of her adorable Steve."

"...Yeah, I guess you're right." He said as he and Tiona began laughing.

Ais pouted and her cheeks became a little red as she believed that they were both laughing at her expense. She pushed Tiona seeing as she couldn't move Steve while the Amazon continued laughing, even as Ais pounded her fists on the Amazon's side.

"Don't worry Ais." Tiona laughed as she batted Ais's fists way with her hand. "We're not making fun of you. You'll understand soon enough."

"Yeah." Steve agreed as he held out a hand to her. "Come on. Don't be mad. I just found it cute, that's all."

Ais ceased her little tantrum and flushed a little as she stared at his hand.

"Come on. I thought you liked holding my hand." Steve encouraged. "We've got somewhere to be. Would you like to come and see where I live? Or do you want to go home? I can drop you off there if you want."

"...I'd like to come with you as well." Ais said as she took his hand.

"Good." Steve said as he held his new girlfriends to his sides. "Because I actually have gifts waiting for both of you there. That's why I want to bring you along."

""Really?"" They both asked.

"Why didn't you say that in the first place?" Tiona followed.

"Because I didn't want you to feel compelled to come with me and I would've given them to you at a later date." Steve then looked towards the direction of the grotto. "It's quite a long distance though. I don't suppose you both are keen on walking there, are you?"

"Well it is quite long." Ais said. "We can't run there."

"Yeah, our endurance is not like yours Steve." Tiona said. "Unless of course, you want to carry us while you run there."

"And have the wind in your face stretch your cheeks until they can't go back into your face?" Steve asked. "I have a better idea."

The gamer reached into his pocket and dug around for a small something. Finding it, he pulled it out and the girls saw clasped in his hand what looked to be something like a miniature little flute, with just one hole.

"What is that?" Tiona asked as she brought her face close to the object to study it.

"It's called a dog whistle." Steve said. "I made it myself. It's a special little flute that produces a singular note, one that only dogs and certain other animals can hear but humans can't. I'm unsure about elves, but if you want, I can give it to you so you can drive Bete insane with it when I'm done with it."

"Oh please do!" Tiona said with stars in her eyes. "Is it a painful noise?"

"Well I've only ever used it on Bathsheba and she's never had a problem with it. But I guess if you do it enough, then it would probably drive her mad."

"Are you going to call her now?" Ais asked, remembering the friendly big wolf she'd once tried to kill. Bathsheba was just like her papa in the fact she protected those that found themselves in a spot of trouble down in the dungeon. The Warg had even been willing to pull carts or carry people when adventurers were tired. Ais had never been able to ride on the wolf herself at any point.

"Yes, Ais. That is exactly what I am going to do." Steve said as he lifted the whistle to his lips. "I'm hoping she can hear it from here."

Steve blew into the whistle, and a silent note carried itself over the city. As it did so, several dog type beastmen and cat type beastmen lifted their hands to their ears and cringed at what was to them a shrill noise that came out of nowhere. But as unfortunate as they were, the actual target of the whistle perked her ears up at the sound of her papa's call.

Instantly she got up to her feet and used her large ears, swivelling them around in different directions to pinpoint where it was coming from. As soon as she got the general point of resonance, she jumped over the grotto and sailed over the wall to land outside the city.

Using the new power in her legs that Steve had given her with his commands, she ran completely around the city, running beside the wall as she zoomed past city patrols who only registered a gust of wind pass them before a dust cloud smacked them in the faces and soil entered their nasal passages and mouths.

Soon the Warg caught the scent of her papa on the wind and switching her focus to her nose, she sniffed out his exact location. Once she reached the place she believed he was at, she vaulted onto the wall and landed right in front of the three waiting for her.

Bathsheba cantered over to them only to pause as she registered finally who was there with Steve

"Hi sweetheart. Sorry I had to disturb you, but I need you to give us a lift back home." Steve rubbed her snout. "Can you do it for us?"

Bathsheba looked at Tiona and Ais before looking back at Steve and snorting a little inquisitively.

"...Yes." Steve admitted. "They are...I am together with both of them now."

A few moments passed before the Warg started yelping for joy and she began circling the girls, rubbing her face and her side into them as she nearly knocked them over in her excitement. Ais was a little taken aback at how hyper the Warg had suddenly become but Tiona took it in stride, wrapping her arms around the Warg's neck as Bathsheba looked up at her and began licking her chin fervently.

"Hahaha." Tiona laughed. "She's awfully happy at that news, isn't she?"

"She was also one of the ones telling me to take you both as my girlfriends." Steve admitted, and his cheeks flushed a little as did theirs at that last word. "She was quite insistent and militant about it. I guess you two were the only girls she liked approaching me. She's literally calling you mummy as she's licking you Tiona."

"Really? Mummy?" Tiona's cheeks flushed a little darker before she smiled down at the happy Warg's face. "Well...if that's what she's calling me, then I suppose it's okay."

"Steve." Ais caught his attention. "How do you understand what she's saying?"

"What do you mean?"

"Yeah, I noticed that too." Tiona said. "All we ever hear from her is sniffs, whines and grunts but you talk to her like she's saying specific words. How do you understand her?"

Steve made to answer before he stopped to think about it. And now that he did think about it, the girls were right. How come he never realized? Bathsheba did not speak any given words and all she did was make sounds. But somehow he understood her language perfectly, even though he'd never been able to understand animal language before.

Was it one of those things that was part of his game character? Because he found that he was a masterful combatant as Minecraft Steve who could outclass the Loki Familia combined, and yet before he came to this world, he'd never even held a weapon before. Weapons were his cousin Alexander's thing. Was understanding Bathsheba one of such given abilities?

"I don't know." Steve conceded. "I guess I just learnt somewhere along the way. I've had her since she was a pup, so maybe it's a given."

Bathsheba turned around and looked at him smugly as if to say 'I knew you liked them both.'

Steve rolled his eyes and waved her off. "Come on, let's go." He mounted the Warg and nestled on her back. He then held his hands down to the girls. "Okay, who is sitting in front of me and who is sitting behind?"

Tiona and Ais shared a look before the Amazon smiled, like she was planning something.

"I'll sit behind." Tiona announced as she mounted Warg and wrapped her arms around Steve's torso from behind. "Ais, you get in front of him."

Ais hesitantly held out her hand, pulling it back for a moment as her cheeks became red. She shook her head and held it out firmly and Steve pulled her up in front of him. Steve then realised that in the specific place that Ais was sitting on, Bathsheba's back was too wide for Ais to properly grip with her knees. So he was going to have to hold Ais from behind just as Tiona was doing to him.

He the Amazon a side-eye as he realized why Tiona was so happy to sit behind him. Tiona just acted all innocent and whistled as she looked anywhere but him. He shook his head with a sigh as he turned around again and addressed Ais.

"Ais, I'm going to have to hold you, okay? I-I don't want you to fall while Bathsheba is running."

"...Okay." Ais replied as she lifted her arm, which allowed him to put his own arms around her stomach and hold her there. Both girls noticed his face redden a little further and Tiona giggled to herself at that fact that the most powerful man in the world was so shy when it came to physical interaction like this.

Steve coughed to get rid of the tension as he gripped Bathsheba's sides with his knees, exerting enough force to keep all them pinned to her back. He then dug his heel into the Warg's side and they took off, riding along the wall to the grotto.

As they galloped, Tiona dug her face into Steve's back, happy and content with this new arrangement. She could bask in the victory of her plan, as she had managed to land the one boy she'd ever taken an interest in, and she was able to also include Ais in her happiness, whom she now supposed was her sister.

Ais twiddled her thumbs shyly as she felt Steve's arm tighten around her as they galloped. As uncharacteristically bashful as she was being, she rather enjoyed this closeness to him, she loved his touch. And as they rode on and on, she leaned backwards slowly, slowly until she found herself leaning back into him fully.

Steve, all too aware of these girls and how close they were being with him at the moment...but his heart was warm. Although his face was red, there was a happy smile plastered on it as his stomach did backflips in joy. This whole thing had gone through very smoothly, with none of the problems he'd feared would happen.

And he couldn't be happier.

---

When they were about halfway to their destination, Bathsheba was forced to come to a stop as there came a very large commotion in a certain part of the story. Following that, a bright pillar of light shot out from between the buildings and pierced the sky. Steve recognised this phenomenon, as he had seen it before in the anime.

"A god has died." Tiona commented as she watched the pillar of light continue to rise up to heaven. "I wonder what happened."

"Which part of the city is that in?" Steve asked.

Both girls refused to answer him for some reason. He looked at them both with a raised brow.

"Girls? What part of the city is that?"

"...That's the entertainment district." Ais said, her tone a little hard.

Steve then understood why they were being so silent.

"Ah, right. Still though, why would a god die all of a sudden?"

"Maybe we should investigate." Tiona suggested. "A god dying is no small thing. It does happen at times but there is a chance it could be something big."

"Maybe. I guess we could-" Steve was cut off as his acute hearing caught the sound of multiple voices coming from that area that Tiona and Ais couldn't hear. It was several women screaming their heads off as he heard them shout 'Lord Priapus!' over and over again. He was suddenly taken back to the conversation he'd had with Ptah earlier that day, and how his patron had left the grotto in a dark mood, saying he had 'somewhere to be'. A cold suspicion brewed in his stomach and he decided against going there at any cost. "On second thoughts, let's just keep going our way. The Ishtar Familia controls that district anyway so they'll be on the case. Let's not get ourselves concerned with it."

The girls suddenly remembered the Ishtar Familia and the several members in it that they had engaged with before. They also remembered the kind of women that were in it, especially the abundant amount of Amazon and they took a look at their new boyfriend. If not for his strength, then his looks alone would tempt those harlots to try and come near him. They found themselves in very much agreement in not wanting Steve anywhere near that place or that Familia.

"You're right. It's none of our business." Tiona said. "Let's keep going. I want to see what your home is like."

"Yes, let's go." Ais further emphasised.

"Okay, not too far now."

---

Bathsheba dropped down from the wall in front of the door of the grotto and Steve dropped down first before gesturing to the place.

"Welcome to Ptah's grotto, the Familia home for now." He said.

"I didn't even know this place existed." Tiona said as she looked at the door and windows. "How did you manage to build a home inside the city wall itself?"

"I've asked him. He's never given me a straight answer."

"It looks...cosy." Ais commented. "Nice and warm."

"Well it is quite warm to sleep in at night." Steve admitted. "But if we're going to expand our Familia, then we need to get something bigger than this. Once I've managed to buy the land and the permits, I'm going to build on this place and make it bigger. Especially if I'm planning on bringing my friends into the Familia."

"It'll take a long time though." Tiona said. "Even if you hired all the builders in the city, it would take over months to build a home big enough."

"We won't be using any builders."

"No? Then what-"

"Don't worry about it." Steve unlocked the grotto door and pushed it open. "Come on in. Wipe your feet...oh wait, you're barefoot Tiona. I guess you can just go in."

"Thanks for the invitation." The Amazon cheered as she entered. For once, Steve was thankful to Ptah as this time there were no creepy statues in the lobby. Steve watched her go by with a smile before he looked down at the underside of her feet as she walked. He frowned upon noticing something.

Being from a desert country, Steve had known people to have cracked heels and the skin of the underside of their feet was callous, men and women alike. This was because they all wore sandals which were exposed to the elements of nature. Tiona was barefoot and yet her feet were soft and smooth. He knew this simply from how they looked and also because Tiona had used him as landing or a launching pad during their adventures.

Considering the kind of places Tiona walked in when it came to the surface alone, let alone the Dungeon which had many different extreme environments, he would have expected her feet to be weathered. And yet they were soft and dainty and as beautiful as any woman's feet.

"I didn't realise you had a liking for feet." Tiona leaned into his vision. "You really are naughty."

"Well I'm more of a hip lover Tiona, you know that. But for you, I'd be more than happy to open myself to a new experience." Steve quipped. "But that's not why I was staring at your feet."

"Then why?"

"Well, I've seen humans walk barefoot in all kinds of places and their feet always reflect those conditions. And yet your feet are soft. Is that an Amazon thing?"

"Yep." Tiona popped the 'p' at the end. "It's a racial trait. Amazons are supposed to be beautiful as well as fierce. Doesn't matter where we go, our feet will remain soft and unharmed for our mates' pleasure." Tiona brushed her fingers down Steve's shirt. "Of course, our evolution also purposed that trait for more sensual purposes, just in case our partners have that kind of preference..."

"I'll have to give you a rain check on that one." Steve nodded.

One may ask why they were talking like this despite only officially establishing their relationship not an hour before. Well this was how they'd always been with each other ever since Steve had been the first one to declare his attraction to her. It was this kind of flirting and implicity that made Tione quite jealous of her younger sister at how easily Tiona was able to exchange this sort of conversation with Steve.

To everybody that had seen the two together, the sexual tension between them was extremely palpable. It was obvious to a blind man how much these two desired each other, in the most sincerest and most explicit of ways. It made Ais both confused and also a little upset that she didn't know how to engage with Steve in this way.

"You two hungry?" He asked them as they followed him down a corridor. "Anybody want a snack?"

"I'd love one." Tiona said and Ais nodded to that statement.

Steve paused momentarily at a different door to the ones they saw in the hallway. Opening it revealed it to be a pantry of some sort and from a shelf he pulled down a large jar. He popped open the lid and held it out.

"Take as many as you like." He encouraged.

Both girls put their hands in and to their delight, found that they'd pulled out a large cookie each. Biting into it, their eyes widened at the taste that hit their tongues.

"Wow! These cookies are way better than any I've ever had." Tiona said.

"It's really rich." Ais said, crumbs falling from around her mouth.

"Because your bakers put too much flour in and not enough egg. Therefore you get more of taste of flour and dough than you have of chocolate, which is poorly made in Orario to begin with."

"Do you make these yourself?" Ais asked him.

"Yes, among other things. During my days of exploring, cooking was one of the skills I picked up along the way." Steve capped the jar and put it on a shelf. "Never a bad idea to learn how to feed yourself."

"Why do you put the jar up so high?" Tiona asked since Steve put it on a shelf even she could not reach unless she jumped.

"To discourage that ferret Ptah from raiding it. I caught him the other day with his 'hand literally in the cookie jar' after I specifically told him to be careful with his intake. After that, I put it up where I knew he could not reach."

"Loki is just as bad." Ais said as she finished her cookie. "Except she likes wine and Riveria is always trying to hide it from her."

"Loki sounds like a real piece of work, no mater who I hear about her from."

"Well she is." Tiona folded her arms behind her head. "But don't be mistaken, she's a lot smarter than she appears...and scarier."

"She's a god." Steve said dryly as he closed the pantry door. "They're all scary. It's just that we tend to forget it because they look so normal without their powers."

"You do have a point." Tiona nodded as she shared a look with Ais. "So, where's your room?"

"Right here." Steve said as he opened the door opposite the pantry. "I put my room here so I could hear if Ptah ever tried raiding the pantry anyway. Come on in."

---

Upon entering, the girls were met with quite a sight. The room was boarded with dark wood and the walls were painted white, seemingly. There was a red double-bed in the corner (actually two single beds that became one when Steve placed them down) and a desk with chair opposite it. Along the wall was a row of bookshelves with different books on it and there was another door in the room that led to a walk-in closet.

The room was a narrow rectangle in shape, smaller than their own rooms but very warm and snug it seemed. Tiona bounded over to his closet.

"This is where you keep your clothes right?"

"Yes. What wou-"

Tiona flung the door open and ran in, and Steve could hear her sifting through the several outfits he had hanging in there. He rolled his eyes before watching Ais walk over to something on his table. On it was a cage, in which was nestled a small fuzzy little creature that had until then been sleeping peacefully but had now opened it's eyes and was looking up at her and sniffling and shaking its whiskers.

"A bunny?" Ais as she looked at the white little baby rabbit with red eyes. "You have a pet bunny?"

"You want to hold him?" Steve asked as he walked up beside her.

Ais nodded, quite enthusiastically it seemed. Steve was taken aback all of a sudden at how eager she was to hold this little creature. He unlocked the cage and placed the thing in his hand. It was so small that it fit perfectly in his palm. He gently stroked the ears of the creature as he handed it over to her.

"Just hold him like this, and stroke his ears and his back to calm him down." Steve handed the bunny to her and Ais gently emulated Steve's previous actions.

"What's his name?" She asked him.

"Anything you want it to be."

"Huh?"

"Whatever you name it. Because it's not my bunny." Steve pushed the hand of hers holding the bunny to her chest. "It's yours."

Ais stared at him with her eyes wide. "Mine?"

"This is one of the gifts I had for you."

"Really?"

"Yes, Ais. It's yours for you to name. Go ahead, choose one."

Ais held it up to eye level contemplating a name. She finally settled on one.

"Albie." She said. "I'll call it Albie."

"Oh, a play on words. Albie because it's an albino rabbit, right?" Steve asked.

"...No, short for Albert." Ais said, not looking at him but he could see how her face hardened a little.

"Ah." Steve said as he realised he'd been presumptuous and that it would probably be best if he didn't say anything else.

...

"Aaaaaah." Tiona sighed as she burst out of Steve's closet wearing one of his black hooded sweaters. "You've got some really weird clothes in here Steve. I've never seen a fashion like this before."

"That is a sweater, or what some of my people call a hoodie." Steve said as he walked over to her.

"Cool. How do you close it though?" Tiona fiddled around with the zipline. "Why are there these bits of metal here?"

"Because it's called a zip. And you close it like this." Steve pulled up the zip for her and then pulled up the hood. "See, that's how you wear it."

"It's stretchy. But I think it's too big."

"Obviously, it's made for my size. How could you expec-" Steve suddenly cut off as he stepped back to take a look at her. And his words caught in his mouth as he took in her full appearance.

The hoodie (or the sweater as you Americans keep screaming at me) was several size too big for the girl. And so the bottom rim fell about to halfway down her thighs while the sleeves were so long that only her fingers stuck out, and even then this was because she was holding one hand up to her face. But what struck him most was that he realized that her pareo was missing. He hadn't even noticed that he'd closed it over her underwear because her brown loincloth was still in the way.

But that was not the problem. The problem was that she was wearing his clothes...and she looked so bloody cute in it as well! He'd heard of guys getting a kick out of seeing their lovers wear their coats or shirts, but he didn't realize just how impactful it was.

"Where's your pareo Tiona?" He asked.

"It's over there." Tiona pointed inside his closet where the orange garment lay. "It slipped off when I was trying some stuff on.

"Please don't tell me you messed everything up in there."

"I didn't, don't worry. I put them back exactly as they were." Tiona then saw the bunny in Ais's hands. "Oooh, a bunny." Tiona then saw his bookshelf and instantly walked over to it and started perusing. "You like books Steve?"

"I do actually. I wanted to give you a set of these books as your gift."

"Really?"

"Yes. Remember when I asked if you liked fiction?"

"Yes, I do remember."

"Well, here they are. One of the best trilogies I have ever read in my life. And don't worry, they have plenty of heroes in it." He placed the books in her hands.

"...The Hobbit?" Tiona asked. "That's an old word for Pallum."

"Oh yeah it was, wasn't it?" Steve looked aside as he mumbled.

Originally that had been the case, but Danmachi had changed it to Pallum to avoid copyright strikes. At least, that was what he read online. It looked like the universe justified that word existing in this franchise by having it as a dead word for the Pallum race.

"It certainly looks interesting." Tiona said as she examined the colours and the pictures. "I've never seen book covers like these before. But they do say not to judge a book by its cover." She then looked between the three books confused. "But why three books with the same title?"

"Actually, they're not the same titles. Look under the big ones, right here. See it? And the books are numbered on the seams here. It's one big story divided into three parts. Read it in order and tell me if you like them."

"Okay." Tiona held the three books to her chest as she smiled widely. "Thank you Steve, I will treasure them."

"You're very welcome. And if you like it, I will give you the sequel trilogy."

"There's sequels?"

"Yes, as well as a singular book that acts as the backstory for both trilogies. But this trilogy in your hands is in my opinion the best place to start. Read them accordingly."

"And these are all fiction?"

"Only if you want them to be." Steve pointed to his head. "It all depends on perspective doesn't it."

"I get what you mean."

"You do?"

"Yes. It's all real in our heads while we're reading. That's why fiction is fun." Tiona laughed.

'Not what I meant. But whatever. After all, even I don't know if that world is not a place I can reach with my multiverse-core portal mod.'

"You can keep the hoodie if you want as well." He gestured to it and then gave her a strained smile. "And please go put your pareo back on. If Ptah finds it, he'll never let me live it down."

"Sure. Sorry about that." Tiona giggled at seeing him being shy. It really amazed her how the most powerful male in the word could be so bashful. It delighted her even more how many people and how many other Amazons had mocked her for not being able to attract men due to her flat chest, and yet she had got him of all people.

While she disappeared back into his closet, Steve walked back to Ais and pulled her aside.

"Is something wrong Steve?" Ais asked seeing the expression on his face as she broke her eyes away from the bunny in her hands.

"I have something else I want to give to you. But I don't want to give it if you feel uncomfortable with it."

"Why would I be uncomfortable?"

"Because we need to address something before I give it to you." Steve said a she brugh his mouth closer to her ears. "I saw the way you looked at the water in the Water Palace...and how jittery you were around the baths. Ais...there is nothing wrong with it, but I want to know if it's the case...are you afraid of deep water?"

Ais's mouth opened and closed as her cheeks flushed again before she looked away from him feeling embarrassed. Not many even amongst her Familia knew about this hidden fear. In fact Riveria was perhaps the only one that knew of it...because the elf was the reason she was afraid of water in the first place.

She looked back at Steve unsure of what to say but then she saw his eyes. Both she and Tiona had agreed that Steve's eyes always showed his real emotions despite his demeanour. His eyes spoke volumes on his inner feelings...and right now they were full of concern and worry as well as the same compassion she saw when he'd first helped her to her feet.

She then reminded herself that this was the boy she'd declared as her Hero and the one she was sure of it being. This was the boy she'd put trust in and he had not betrayed her yet. If anybody knew how weak she was, it was him because he was the one that effortlessly defeated her twice in a row without even looking like it laboured him a single bit. And yet he had never trampled on that weakness. He had been supportive and defensive of her even when Tiona made a light joke of it.

This boy before her was not a person that would ridicule her. So she tentatively nodded, even as she flushed deeper.

"Yes." She whispered.

"You can't swim then, I suppose?"

"No, not really."

Steve sighed. "Well then, you know Ais, I don't just enchant weapons. I can also enchant people in special ways too."

"Really? How do you do that?"

"I work a special magic that grants stats buffs and status effects." Steve explained. "Amongst them is one that will let you breathe underwater Ais. More than that, I can make it a permanent effect which will last forever. But I will say, this thing will not help you overcome your fear. And I can't imagine you'd take the chance anyway. But what's important here is you. Do you trust me?"

"I trust you fully." Ais said. "I said that in the Hostess. You are my hero."

"...So do you accept?"

"...Yes, I accept. I won't try it, but if you say that it is what it is, then I trust you."

Steve placed a hand on her head and mentally typed in the command. Momentarily there was the wisps of the status effect before they disappeared. Steve pulled his hand back and found she was still red in the face.

"Come on, chin up." Steve said as he lifted her chin. "There are things I'm scared of too."

"You are?"

"Yes. Like the dark for example."

"The dark? Why?" Ais widened her eyes in surprise.

"Because in my experience, the darkness is where the monsters spawn." Steve explained before his eyes looked like they weren't focusing on her, like he was spacing out for a moment. "And it's also the place where the eyes of those who bear you the most insidious intent shine out of. Their eyes literally glow, and hide the rest of their forms in the darkness."

"...What do you mean?"

"Never mind." He said.

"Well well, what's this?" Tiona said as she looked at the two. "I didn't take you to be so forward Ais. Already trying to have his first kiss."

Both Ais and Steve suddenly realized the position they were in. Steve was still holding her chin up as they stood very close to each other. Ais still had the bunny in her hands but she was tilting her head up to his face. From Tiona's perspective, it would certainly look like they were trying to kiss.

"Th-That is not what's going on here." Steve explained.

"Oh don't worry, I don't mind." Tiona waved it off. "I've already told Ais she can have your first kiss."

"...I thought that was important to girls. You really don't mind?" Steve raised his brow.

"Oh yeah, go on ahead. I don't mind..." Tiona winked. "...because I have staked my claim on another one of your 'firsts'. That is the one that Ais will not take from me."

"Have you been acting as a wingman for me the whole time in our own relationship Tiona?"

"I prefer wingwoman...but someone had to step up to it. Otherwise, would any of us be as happy as we are now?" Tiona held out her hands. "Come on, we all have that warm fuzzy feeling in us don't we? And Ais, he's given us these gifts hasn't he? Don't you think we should reward him?" Tiona encouraged.

Steve looked back at Ais, his face just as red as her had become. They looked at each other hesitantly.

"I am not doing anything either of you aren't ready for." Steve said. "If you don't want this Ais, I'm stepping away immediately."

Ais's eyes flickered between him and Tiona. Tiona mimed pushing with her hands, telling her to just do it with as much encouragement as she could physically convey. Ais looked back at Steve, once again seeing that sincerity she and Tiona cherished so much in him. She shook off the nervousness, then closed her eyes and tilted her head up expectantly.

It was Steve's turn to look at Tiona. This time, Tiona's attitude was different. She tilted her head and raised her eyebrow at him challengingly.

'Yep, she's the one with the real power in this arrangement. She's definitely head-wife material.' Steve thought fondly before focusing on the blonde girl in front of him. He closed his own eyes and leaned into her face, locking lips with her own.

Ais let out a little gasp at the unfamiliar sensation but moved her lips around to try and get accustomed to it as he did. As it was both their first kiss, they were quite inexperienced and thus it was hard to find a way in which they connected properly. But Ais felt sensations like little sparks rushing from her lips down her body as her breathing became heavier.

They finally parted and stepped apart as Ais's flush became even deeper and she struggled to look him straight in the eye. But there was a ghost of a smile on her bashful face which reflected his own smile on his not-so-red face.

"My turn." Tiona skipped over after setting the books down on Steve's, showing none of the reservation that the other two had. "Come on, I want to thank you too."

"F-fine." Steve said as he turned to her. "Did you think I was going to deny you?"

"No, you seem to be one that finds it difficult to say no to us." Tiona smiled. "That means free things for us in the future right?"

"No, you're still paying for them." The smile vanished from his face and he assumed a stoic voice.

"I'm joking." Tiona said as she wrapped her arms around his neck and hung against him. "You're more to me than those things anyway."

"You two really are committed to me if you keep talking like that." Steve commented as a more gentle smile crossed his lips. He wrapped his arms around Tiona's waist and her bent back to support her.

"Of course." Tiona said as she drew her face closer to his as he leaned down. "Please treat us well."

"Of course." He replied as he locked lips with her this time.

Instantly he noticed the difference in both taste and intensity. Tiona offered a deeper, more encompassing kiss as she pulled on his lips. More than that, she sucked in his bottom lip between hers and pulled on it, which encouraged him to do the same with her top lip. It was much more passionate than Ais and lasted much longer. Tiona's fingers dug into his back and her fingertips pulled on the skin.

Overall, it was much better than with Ais. But Tiona was an Amazon and he imagined that such things came as natural instinct to them, even if they were not taught and advised on these things as they were raised. He would just have to practise more with Ais until the passion was equivalent. He and Tiona separated and she licked the inside of her lips as she tasted the saliva she'd wrestled from him.

"You taste like apples and honey." She said in pleasant surprise.

"I snack a lot on them."

Whether it was now or in-game, Steve always replenished himself with apples and honey bottles as he had an abundant supply. Even now in his inventory he had several which he snacked on when he felt peckish. Perhaps he'd been doing it so long as an avatar and now possessing that avatar, his mouth just naturally tasted like apples and honey.

"Hm, well I like it." Tiona hugged herself against his chest as she breathed in his scent. Her Amazon instincts were starting to take ahold of her, aroused by his taste and his smell which was partly the herbs from his baths mixed with his sweat. The special pheromones that men secreted excited her Amazon body and she felt her lower regions start contracting against her will. Amazons were not like humans. They were more primal and a meaningful relationship came as more of a secondary importance.

But from having gotten to known him so well, she knew how much feelings meant to him and humans in general. So she held herself back from acting on those instincts for now. But she was not going to let him escape his duty for long, that could be assured. And he was well aware of that fact, for which he was both grateful and hopeful. Grateful that she gave him such consideration, and hopeful that her energetic nature was not reflective of anything that might happen in intimacy. Given her emphasis on children, it was likely the case.

Ais came closer and stared at the two longingly. Steve gave her a smile and moved Tiona to his right side. He then open his left side for her and gestured for her to come. Ais shyly moved in and awkwardly wrapped an arm around his side and tried to copy Tiona in embracing him while also being careful to to hurt Albie. Steve hugged them both close, his face very warm but his chest light and air with joy as he exhaled in satisfaction.

'Best isekai ever.'

---

Unknown to them, Ptah was peering around the side of the door and watching the whole thing going on. As he watched them embrace each other and close their eyes to bask in the moment, he removed his eyes from the door, and rubbed his hands while thinking gleefully.

'Grandkids, here we come. I need to start carving those baby toys right away!'

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