Isaac gently made his way up to his room, holding Furina in his arms, as the two of them continued their conversation.
"You got more pale..." Furina muttered as she caressed his cheek. "I think I'll have Sigewinne come up with a proper diet for you to replenish your appearance."
"...I'm flattered, but you don't have to bother Miss Sigewinne." Isaac replied wryly. "I just got out of shape. It's nothing like a good ol' exercise won't fix."
"Moreover..." He then smirked ever so slightly. "Don't I look a tad bit more enigmatic now? Surely there's a certain degree of intrigue in this, yes?"
"You aren't wrong." She replied with a pout, followed by both of her hands cupping his face. "But I want all of it just for me. You can be a bit flashy to others, but this is ultimately mine and mine alone, got it?"
He nodded lightly. "Yes, my lady."
"Hehe..."
Their conversation carried on until they finally reached his room. They entered, and once Isaac finally saw his bed once more, he didn't waste any more time and jumped to it, together with Furina.
The two of them landed on the soft and cushy bed, with him at the bottom still embracing her figure.
"This is bliss..." Isaac muttered. "Soft bed below, and my soft beloved on top. I might just die on the spot here."
"Don't say such things, idiot." Still embraced by him, Furina turned her body and laid down on her stomach, directly facing him. "And what do you mean 'soft'? I'm decently proportioned!"
"Suuure..." Isaac rolled his eyes, an amused smile plastered on his face. "Whatever you say, my lady."
With that said, Isaac soon closed his eyes and took this moment to wind down a bit. Indeed, this was what he needed.
Although it had only been a few weeks since he last saw Furina, it felt way longer for him, who had been away in Nod-Krai. After being away from her, he had to admit that he missed her touch, her voice, and her company above anything else.
More than anything he wanted in the world.
Not to mention the peace he brings him, he felt like drifting off to sleep at any moment with how comfortable he had gotten so fast.
But it seemed like Furina wasn't intending to let him sleep at all.
"Your hair has grown a bit, don't you want to cut it?" Still lying on top of him, she played with his air with a curious look on her face, playing and twisting with his brown hair. "I could recommend the one who does my hair, if you want?"
"No thanks." His eyes closed, Isaac mumbled. "I can cut my own hair... It's usually just a trim."
He then chuckled. "But imagine if I get something ridiculous like a low tapered fade."
"Ew, what is that? I don't like its name." Furina said with obvious disgust laced on her tongue. "Don't ever get something like that. Or else."
"Harsh... But I can see why. Haha..." He laughed a bit. "I'm quite comfortable with my current hairstyle right now, so don't worry."
"And what about your scars?" She continued on as her lithe fingers danced on the scar on his neck. "Although I don't dislike them... I've been curious about them."
"How could a lowly barista have so many scars? Not to mention ones that look like they lacerated you thoroughly, some even look like bullet shots." She mumbled.
As she continued to speak, Isaac remained silent. He didn't interrupt her and merely stared up the ceiling, ruminating over his thoughts and how to properly answer.
To be honest, he knew that Furina might have already known about his... other side... but isn't just aware of the full scope.
And to tell the truth, he didn't want her to know. Not now, at least, nor too much if he ever told her to.
"They are..." He inhaled in a deep breath. "Just some stupid decisions, that's all."
"I'm not that easily fooled, you moron." Raising her hand, Furina smacked his forehead lightly. "I may be acting sweet right now, but I'm still your God, you know? I've lived five times your life."
"...you have a point." He didn't argue with her.
He lingered for a while longer, before closing his eyes. Then, with his mind full of lashing thoughts, he decided to give her a decent answer, albeit still vague. "Alright, I'll tell the truth."
"Those scars were a result of... me blindly following a path I didn't know where it was leading." He scoffed, self-deprecatingly. "I thought that if I selfishly did something for the sake of others, I'll somehow be forgiven for something that was never even my fault to begin with."
Furina listened intently, never once interrupting him. She rarely knew anything about her lover, and this was one of the few instances wherein she could get to learn something about his past.
She knew that he had something from his past that he never wanted to look back to, and although the overall picture was still vague in her mind, his recent revelation made her connect some dots in her mind.
That perhaps Isaac, her enigmatic barista of a lover that somehow has connections in all seven nations... hid a darker past than she initially thought.
Her heterochromatic eyes narrowed, looking at him with worry. "It wasn't that bad, was it?"
He laughed coarsely. "Well, I don't know either, so that makes the two of us confused."
Then, with a languid expression, he continued, "But that's that, and this is this."
"I'm done with chasing that path... All I want now is just to spend time with you, this café, and..."
He then lifted his hand and caressed her face, cupping them. Feeling the softness of her face outlining his hand, Isaac's eyes softened.
He then leaned his head closer to her. Furina didn't resist and closed her eyes, accepting the invitation, and the two shared a sweet kiss that lingered for a while.
Then, parting away, he smiled at her, with that same soft and gentle smile on his face that she had always known him for.
"...focus on our future."
"I'm done lamenting about the past, and don't care about the present beyond our lives. All I care for now is being happy... being in serenity, with you."
That was what his system was all about, wasn't it?
He had been so busy trying to fix the timeline that had long eluded him that he forgot why he was even in this world in the first place.
It wasn't to save this world or otherwise, but rather, to stay stress-free and enjoy every moment with those he loves. His friends, acquaintances, customers, and lover above all.
'Why was I thinking like a teenager, even? Goodness...' Isaac lampooned. 'Changing mood every other week, how immature!'
It was as if he was back to being a seventeen year old who can't hold a grasp of his life, or make firm decisions. How utterly immature of him.
But now that cloud in his judgement is gone. Everything felt clear now that he knew what he wanted, and nothing else.
As Isaac was busy with his thoughts, he suddenly noticed something strange. He felt a moist, heavy breath panting down on him.
'?'
Turning his attention back to Furina, Isaac thought he was hallucinating things, but when he saw her look at him with her eyes trembling and her mouth slightly agape, as if she were in disbelief, he felt something eerily wrong.
"H-hey, Furina? Hon, are you—"
Isaac wanted to check if she was feeling alright, but was interrupted when his lover suddenly pounced forward, embracing him in a deep, french kiss.
Taken aback, Isaac was initially puzzled. Feeling her tongue intertwine and entangle with his in an enticing, albeit inexperienced battle, he felt conflicted for a brief second before deciding to return the gesture.
He decided to guide her and engage in the sultry exchange. Furina attempted to back away a few times but held herself back and continued, almost running out of breath.
They continued on for a bit longer before she decided to part, leaving a trail of saliva that fell down between them.
Isaac, panting lightly, looked at her, with his face slightly flushed. "Furina... Why...?"
"...future." Furina mumbled as she touched her lips. Looking at him with narrowed eyes and a soft smile, she continued. "You said you wanted to focus on the future. Does that include a... family?"
"..."
Now he gets it. It didn't take long for him to understand either.
For someone who had lived hundreds of years under a curse of divinity, with no way of having a lover, Furina had, quietly, longed for something all mortals strived for at least once in their lives.
Copulation.
Legacy.
Family.
She, who was cursed to outlive those around her and never have a lover, let alone leave an heir, had long longed for this moment.
And the fact that Isaac seemingly is not affected by the curse cast upon her just added as a bonus.
And so...
While staring at his lover's eyes, Isaac quietly sat up. Then, with her still sitting down on his lap, with little space between them, he began to unbutton his dress shirt.
"...are you sure about this?" He asked.
In response, she caressed his face. "I've waited a long, long time..."
"...okay."
He began to undress her.
Little by little, as each button unbuckled, and Isaac's firm hands touched her skin underneath, she couldn't help but let out a small whimper from time to time.
"Sorry, did I pull too hard?" He stopped as he looked back at her.
She shook her head and chuckled softly. "No, I'm just... happy, that's all."
He smiled at her answer, softer than before.
He then turned, and laid her back on the bed. Then, atop her, he picked up her hand and kissed it.
"It's strange." He said quietly. "It feels like I've known you forever. Like I once dreamed we were strangers… and then I woke up."
Her fingers tightened around his loosened shirt. "And?"
"And I realized we were already dear to each other."
And with that, the silent night of the café became not-so-quite anymore, enamored by the two lovers.
* * *
A/N:
If you're still reading this, you probably hate yourself.
Still waiting for me to update is crazy.