Serious Talks

After they had cuddled together for a while, Damien and Carleen washed off and got re-dressed. They were both hungry after their love-making, and decided to go to a nearby café.

“I was looking for spots we could go, and I saw a lot of other couples there,” she said, holding his arm.

Damien nodded and let himself get dragged down a few streets, until they were in front of a quaint tea shop. As Carleen had said, it looked like there were several other couples, most of them around their age.

They ordered some tea and crescents, and sat down outside under one of the umbrellas.

Carleen took a bite of a crescent, then blushed when she saw Damien looking at her. “What!? Have one too!” she said, shoving one towards him.

Damien nodded, grabbing and taking a bite. It was freshly baked, and he could taste a hint of sugar on it. He looked over and Carleen seemed to be enjoying herself, chomping down on another crescent before quickly wiping her mouth of crumbs. Glad that just spending some simple time with her was making her happy, he finished off his crescent before grabbing another as well.

After they finished the crescents and were sipping their tea, Carleen seemed to get a serious look on her face, as if wanting to ask something but still waffling on if she should.

“Do you want to talk about something?” Damien asked, having seen this face before.

Carleen blushed, “How did you know?”

“I guess...just experience.”

Carleen nodded, “True, I'm sure you've already had serious talks with Betty and the others...”

Damien finished off his tea and set it down, then waited patiently.

Carleen took a few more moments, then asked. “Are you happy with how things are between us right now?”

Damien thought for a moment, the Goddesses' past words ringing in his ears. “Yes. You're happy, right? If you're happy, I'm happy.”

Carleen blushed slightly but nodded. “I am, but...” she looked away, then sighed, “...I'm not happy with the current arrangement.”

Damien felt a bit worried, and nodded. “Okay, um...in what way?”

Carleen blushed even more. “I...want to be with you more often. I'm... I miss you all the time,” she finished, averting her gaze but glancing over at him to see his reaction.

Damien smiled. She seemed like she was going to say more, so he just kept waiting.

“I think I'm going to leave my team and join you. Plus, I want to move in with you.”

Damien waited a bit to see if she was going to say anything else, but she was just looking at him expectantly. Okay, one thing at a time. “I want to be with you...well, as often as we can be. Why would you leave your team, though? You're way above our level. Actually, what level are you now?”

“I'm level 29. I don't....” she bit her lip. “I've been unhappy with my team for a while. Sevana is fine, but she isn't very sociable. Rufio doesn't take things seriously enough. And Baurus is just an asshole. I think he's been trying to get me to leave ever since that time he saw us in my room, since then he's been an ass to me during missions.”

Damien grimaced a bit. “Sorry...”

Carleen smiled and grabbed his hand. “It's not your fault. Like I said before, I think he is just jealous of you and wanted me for himself.”

“Why would he want you out of the party, then?”

Carleen sighed, “He probably figures it's not worth keeping me around if I'm not 'eligble' to take for himself anymore. And then once I'm gone he'll replace me with a girl he can bed.”

Damien blinked. Suddenly he sounds a lot like Kevander. “Okay. I think we should talk about it with the others, though, I can't just decide on my own..”

Carleen smiled and nodded. “Okay. But you're fine with it, right?”

Damien smiled, “Of course.”

Carleen grabbed his hands, “Well, what about the other part? I want to live with you like everyone else.”

Damien winced a bit.

Carleen pouted, “You don't want me too?”

Damien shook his head, “No, it's not that. Just...our apartment is already filling up with five people, and I'll be getting more summons eventually, too.”

Carleen smiled, “Oh, I know. I'm going to buy us a house.”

Damien's head fell forward a bit, until he caught himself. “Wh-...a...a house!?”

Carleen nodded again.

“We can't...aren't houses expensive?”

Carleen shrugged, “Maybe? I've been an Adventurer for several years now, and I haven't spent much of it, so I have a bunch saved up at the Guild just sitting around.”

Damien's mind was racing. I mean, that would be amazing, but... “If we got a house, it would need to be a big one, to fit all of us. I...I'd want all my summons and...girlfriends to all be at the same place, ideally,” he explained, stumbling a bit at the thought of saying he had multiple girlfriends.

Carleen didn't seem to have an issue and giggled, “I know. Plus, we'd need room for children, the maids and servants, a few guest rooms for when we have visits-”

Damien was confused and interrupted her. “I know you have some money saved up, but is it really enough to afford a house that large?”

Carleen blushed, looking down. “No, but, I might have a solution.” She reached into the pocket of her dress, and pulled out a ring. It was a narrow band that widened to a circle on one side, on which was emblazoned a crest that he didn't recognize.

Damien looked between her and the ring.

Carleen seemed confused. “Do...you not know what this is?”

Damien shook his head.

Carleen sighed. “Sorry, I guess even though I've been away for a while, I still can make incorrect assumptions.”

Damien was even more confused. “What are you saying?”

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Carleen pocketed the ring again. “That's my signet ring, denoting my noble status. I'm the third daughter of Lord Montue de Chello.”

Damien didn't respond, just tilting his head a bit. “Um...I don't really know politics or anything, but I'm assuming that means you're the daughter of someone important?”

Carleen had a serious look on her face, and nodded. “Yes, we're....they're a very affluent house in a country east of here. I ran away from home when I became an adult, since I didn't want to get married off to some old noble. I hid my status and joined the Guild, wanting to earn my own way in life.”

Damien was confused. “But they never tried to find you?”

Carleen shook her head, “No, they most likely did. But it would be a scandal if it got out I had run away from the marriage my father had set up, and since I was hiding my noble status, it was easier to tell everyone I had an illness and had to stay inside all the time. Then they could just hope that I died on a mission, and tell everyone else that I had succumbed to my mysterious illness in the future.”

Damien shook his head, “Okay, but I don't understand how this helps us at all.”

Carleen got an uncharacteristically devious grin on her face. “I'll blackmail my father into giving us money to help with the down payment, otherwise I'll announce myself and their image will be ruined!”

Damien was taken aback, “Really? Just from having a daughter that ran away and became an Adventurer?”

Carleen tapped her lips, “Well, maybe slightly impaired.”

Damien sighed. “Is this really going to work?”

Carleen blushed and squirmed a bit, “We could also tell him we're...getting married, and see if he'll send us a dowry.”

Damien blushed. Marriage!?

Carleen quickly responded, “I...thought that you intended to marry Betty, though, so that was why I came up with the blackmail first.”

Betty and I have talked long term things, but I don't think 'marriage' ever got brought up. I guess that's basically what we're leading to though, isn't it? Damien sighed, “This is a lot to take in.”

Carleen nodded. “Sorry, I know I dropped a lot on you, but I wanted to make my intentions clear,” she said with a confident voice.

Damien grabbed her hands, realizing he should make his clear as well. “I want you in my life, regardless of what happens.”

Carleen blushed but smiled as if this was what she was expecting, before leaning over the table to kiss him.

After that, Carleen talked a bit about her younger days, and her beginnings as an Adventurer.

“I started teaming up after a nasty run-in with a bear,” she said, pointing to the faded scar on her face.

Damien shivered a bit, “Yeah, bears are dangerous.”

Carleen poured herself some more tea. “What about you? I feel like I'm doing all the talking.”

“I don't mind listening to you,” Damien replied.

Carleen blushed, “I know, but I want to hear more about you.”

“Well...” I guess I probably need to tell her now.

Damien, looking around a bit and talking in a quieter voice, explained the events that had led to him being spirited away to this world. Like with Betty and his summons, he left out the part about meeting the Goddess.

Carleen seemed to take this in stride. “Hmm...is that why I'm so attracted to you? You have an otherworldly allure?”

“I think I just got lucky,” Damien replied. And had some help from the Goddess.

Carleen giggled, “I think you just have a way with women.” She then stood up, pulling Damien in for another kiss. “I want to bring you back to my place, but I need to prepare for a mission tomorrow.” She pouted a bit, “I should just quit now...”

Damien grabbed her hands, “Just...tough it out for now, and save up a bit extra. Once we get all our pieces together, you should quit then.”

Carleen smiled, “You're right. Just having talked to you about it makes me feel better.”

They embraced for a few moments, then after one more kiss, Carleen left.

Damien, mulling over everything they had discussed, started walking over to Diana's place again.

When he knocked on the door, he heard small footsteps running over, before the door opened.

“Mister!” Dora shouted, hugging him. She was wearing her ribbon he had gotten her.

Damien picked her up for a hug. “How are you Dora?”

“I'm good! Mommy is cooking right now, and I was helping her.”

Damien carried her over to the dining room. “Let's see if she needs any help.”

Diana giggled when they both came in. “Don't worry, I'm almost done, just set the table.”

Damien nodded and set Dora down so she could give everyone a plate. It looked like they were having some baked fish and a vegetable medley for dinner. Delilah was sitting on the bench across from them. “Mister!”

“I taught her your name!” Dora beamed.

“His name isn't 'Mister', it's Damien,” Diana said as she started portioning out food for everyone.”

“Can...I call you Damien?” Dora asked.

Damien chuckled, “You can call me whatever you want.”

Dora smiled and nodded, hugging his arm.

After that the four of them ate, with Damien talking a bit about their request on Estora, while Diana listened and Dora asked questions about all the monsters there.

“And then, at night, a giant snake attacked!”

Dora's eyes gleamed. “Did you beat it?”

“Barely, it was a tough fight. Sadly our tent didn't make it though...”

Dora pouted, “Poor tent...”

Diana giggled. “Okay, it's time to get ready for bed. If you wash quickly maybe Damien can read you a story.”

Dora raced off to the bathroom, while Diana grabbed Delilah and went after her.

Damien cleaned up the kitchen while he waited. After just a few short minutes, Dora in pajamas (her hair still a bit damp) came running over and grabbed him. “Come read!”

Damien let himself be dragged to her room. After a few moments of decision-making, Dora grabbed a book and gave it to Damien, before hopping into bed. As he usually did, Damien read until it looked like Dora was asleep. When he went to put the book down, Dora's little hand grabbed his hand.

Half-asleep, Dora looked over at him. “Since...you said I could call you...whatever I want....can I call you Daddy?”

Damien felt his heartstrings tugged a bit. Leaning over, he gave her a hug and said back, “If you want too.”

Dora got a smile on her face, then seemed to go back to sleep.

Damien pulled up her blanket a bit more, then turned around to see a beet-red Diana in the doorway. “Um...I'm sorry, I didn't-”

Diana came over and grabbed his wrist, then pulled him to her room. After they got in, Diana looked at him, still very red, and not saying anything, then looking away again.

Damien wasn't sure if he was about to get scolded or jumped on for sex. Instead, Diana started murmuring.

“I'm so stupid! Of course you wouldn't...” she said.

Damien grabbed her shoulders. “What's wrong?”

“I'm sorry...” Diana started crying softly.

Damien wasn't sure what was going on, so he led her to the bed where they sat down. Diana was still tearing up, so he pulled her in close for an embrace.

“I'm sorry...” she repeated.

Damien shook his head. “I don't even know what you're apologizing for.”

Diana wiped her tears. “I....I was going to test you tonight, to see if you were serious about me. But now I just feel like an idiot after seeing you with Dora.”

Damien was confused. “Testing me?”

Diana laughed, “That old lady...she wanted me to...well, I was going to ask you to more formally be a Father for Dora and Delilah, and...see if you would have another kid with me as well, as a test to see how committed you were.”

Damien gulped, “Another kid?”

Diana nodded, “After I had Dora, I only wanted to be a stay-at-home mom so I could look after her and my future kids. But, you know how things went with my ex-husband...”

Damien hugged her tightly. I guess I need to make more serious decisions today. “I...sorry I was so slow to commit. There's just been so much going on, and I have all the other girls.”

Diana shook her head, “I know, I'm not upset. I like the other girls, too. Well, the one's I've met...” she giggled, wiping her tears.

Damien smiled seeing her happy. “I'll adopt Dora and Delilah then. I was being stupid, thinking I wasn't good enough since I'm not always around, but I guess that doesn't matter.”

Diana shook her head. “Just having you around sometimes is good enough. Dora is happy for days after you come visit.”

Damien gulped. “And...I'm not against having another kid, but...now isn't the time.”

Diana nodded. “I understand. It's just, I'm getting old, and-”

“You're not that old!” Damien responded.

Diana blushed, “Still, if I want as many kids as I envision, I need to get started again soon...”

Damien, scrambling, responded, “Okay, just...wait until we have our house.”

Diana was surprised, “You're getting a house? You only moved into your apartment a few months ago...”

Damien sighed, “Yes, and we're outgrowing it rapidly...”

After holding each other for a bit, Diana slid her hand down to his crotch. “Well, shall we get to it then?” she said with a seductive smile.

Damien gulped, “I thought you agreed to wait until we have a house!?”

Diana giggled, “I know, I'm still taking contraceptive, too.” She gave him a kiss.

Damien (lightly) tackled her to the bed. “You're a tease sometimes.”

They quickly undressed each other, and Diana laid back onto the bed, pulling him in. “Come on...”

Damien started lightly thrusting into her, Diana moaning with each hit inside her.

“You're going to wake them up!” Damien chuckled.

“Kiss me then,” Diana said, leaning her head up.

Damien did just that, sticking his tongue in and making out with her as he kept thrusting. After a while, Damien felt her spasming under him, so he picked up the pace. After a few more quick thrusts, he emptied into her, holding her tightly as he did.

After they caught their breath, they held each other, slowly kissing while they were still connected.

“That'll definitely put a baby in me once we're ready,” she giggled.

Damien kissed her. “I'd do it with you even if you didn't want to have another.”

Diana blushed, then cuddled him tighter. “I've decided, instead of testing your commitment, I'm just not letting you go.”

Damien chuckled nervously. Don't worry, even if I wanted too, the Goddess would harangue me. Betty too.