It had been three days after Theo and his companions headed to Greywater port from Mount Etna. He expected it to take about four to five days but with all the thing that happened recently, everyone wanted to take things more slowly. Though not too slowly as Ed has a ship to catch. Miss it and he has to wait for another week before he could get another one.

The sun was setting when they decided to take some rest beside the main road. Theo hunted the animals, Lyana collected herbs and berries, and Val took some water from the nearby river, leaving Ed, Vivi, and Cally to cook and prepare their camp.

"A-aaaaa." Val offered him her food. He gazed her for a second then took a bite. "How is it?" She sat on his right. She was focused on eating by herself but then got an idea to feed him. "I-it's not too hot right?"

"It's fine and it's good." He smiled. It was actually charred on some part but was still delicious.

"Of course it is. Vivi put lots of love when cooking it for you, Theo-sama!" Vivi thrust her chest out with pride. "There's no way it wouldn't feel good."

"Do you want some too?" It was Theo's turn to feed Val. He extended his hand and gave her his food. She hesitated at first, then blushed and fidgeted, but opened her mouth and accepted it in the end. "Is it good?"

She nodded. Her mouth opened, but she quickly closed it again. Her face was burning red like the campfire in front of them. She opened her mouth again. "I-if it's from you, anything is good." She spoke those word so quickly he almost didn't catch it.

She put her food away. He thought there was no way her face could be redder than it already is, but he was proven wrong. Her completely red face was visible even through the cover of her hands.

He chuckled. Val was so cute when she tried to act more feminine or tried to flirt with him and ended up getting all worked up herself. Flirting after not doing so for more than a century must be really hard and embarrassing for her. But she had to get used to it sooner or later, and he was more than happy to help her.

"If that's the case, why don't we feed each other for tonight. Because everything coming from you also feel better in my mouth."

Val squirmed in place. Her embarrassment level had gone through the roof. She tried to take a peek from time to time but immediately hid back behind her hand once their gaze met. "H-how can you said something like that with a straight face?"

"Because it's the truth." He extended his hand again and put his food near her mouth. "Now, aaaa!"

Val squirmed again and let out a strange shriek, trying to release all her embarrassment. She balled her hands and with great effort, moved it away from her face. She was sweating like crazy. She opened her trembling jaw again and accepted his food.

"Ghh!" Theo cried out. Sharp pain struck his left abdomen. Without looking, he knew what happened and who did it.

He extended his hand to his left, towards the pouting Vivi whose eyes were burning with anger. "Hmph!! Theo-sama doesn't care about Vivi anymore. Everything's about Val now. It's Val this, Val that. You didn't even thank Vivi for making your food. Vivi's angry now!"

She swatted his hand away, stood up, and sat again next to Lyana, opposite of him separated by fire.

He sighed. How would he resolve this now. He had some experience with jealous and envious women before. Separating and splitting time for them usually did the trick, but it wasn't possible in this case. There was no way he could separate Val and Vivi while the two are following him on his journey.

"A-aaaa." He returned his attention towards Val when her food poked his cheek. She seemed to be oblivious to what happened with Vivi, too focused on her own embarrassment. Or chose to remain indifferent. Or maybe she didn't care at all.

Well, I guess I'll focus on Val now. Run after two rabbits and you will catch none.

He enjoyed himself in Val's company while Vivi watched them with burning jealousy. Though that was not the end of it. After their dinner, Theo invited Val into a late-night stroll through the woods.

They walked into the dark forest outskirt, holding hand while bathing in moonlight. They didn't talk much. They don't have much to talk to and they didn't feel they need to. Just the company of each other and the warm feeling on their hand.

He watched the dark forest, the shining eyes of nocturnal predators, the rustle of leaves and bushes, the sound of owl and night birds, of crickets and insects. It was soothing somehow. The forest there was unexplored and unmapped, but he had no fear. Not because of the confidence in his skill or swordsmanship, but his belief in Val's overwhelming power.

They picked up some berries, some mushrooms, some flowers, they sat on the riverside, telling stories and singing. Theo wasn't good at it, but Val enjoyed it a lot. She smiled more than when everyone was around. But there was still a thin tense string behind her smile and relaxed attitude. She didn't sleep well, didn't rest that well, and she was over-protective of him.

He understood the reasoning, he knew why she acted that way, her paranoia. It was his fault for being too careless, for being so reckless, for being so weak compared to her. He wanted her to relax, to stop being afraid, to enjoy herself without worrying too much about him. He wanted to make her happy.

"Should we return?"

When they returned to their camp, the fire was still burning but no one was there. Val tensed a little, her minds went wild with worst-case possibility, but Theo hugged her from behind before she could do anything rash. "I told everyone to walk around for some time. Tonight is for the two of us."

He hugged her tightly. Her skin started to turn red and warm. "I-is it really alright? I-I mean you've been ignoring Lyana the whole day, and Vivi looks pissed. I don't, I don't want to ruin-" Theo kissed her nape, her beautiful dark nape, forcing her to cut her word and let out a soft moan.

"It's fine." He kept assaulting her with kisses. "Don't think about anyone else. Don't think about anything else. Just me, just you, just the two of us."

"W-why? I'm-" His left hand grabbed her breast while his right moved between her legs. She squirmed and shuddered. It had been so long since she felt this kind of stimulation, she had completely forgotten how it felt.

"Don't speak. Don't think. Just feel it." He lightly bit her elongated ear with his lips, careful not to hurt her but making sure she felt it.

"T-theo I-" She grabbed his neck and pulled him closer. "K-kiss me." She looked over her shoulder, her face completely flushed. He released her ear and took her wet lips. With one hand he undressed her while his other kept stimulating her body without stop.

Once their clothes fell limp on the ground, Theo stopped for a moment. Their breathing ragged. Their bodies covered in sweat. Yet their gaze never broke off, locked on to each other. "T-theo ..." She was smiling, but there was still nervousness in her eyes. She still couldn't relax. This much wasn't nearly enough.

He swept her up in his arms, carrying her like a princess. Val let out a gasp of surprise but it quickly turned into a warm smile. She wrapped her arms around his neck and raised her body to kiss him.

He laid her body on the ground next to the fire, putting himself on top of her. Theo stroked her stomach and breast, feeling her soft skin and her hard perked nipples. His eyes feasted on her beautiful visage. He wanted to take it as slowly as possible, but those shimmering dark skin burned his lust to its absolute limit. And he didn't know himself to be someone capable of holding it back. She had a very beautiful body.

But, but ... but there was something more striking about her. Her body showed so little of her suffering. She barely had any scar or mark, no calluses, her muscle was strong and her skin in pristine condition, exactly what you expected from someone as strong as her. But he could feel it, see it, in her eyes, in her body, in the way she carried herself and the way she smiled. She was afraid to love again, worried because she loved again. She was stressed.

He could not even begin to imagine how hellish her husband death was for her. To still be affected by that terrible tragedy after such a long time. How heavy was the burden she had to carry for between then and now. Not even her closest friends know, not even her loved one knows. Was it a gift or a curse that she never fell in love after that tragedy and before she met him. He didn't know. He could not answer that.

She put strength on her arms and pulled him again for a kiss. Ever since she professed her love on the summit of Mount Etna, she had this strange emotion she hasn't felt in a long time. She wanted him. In the camp when they had their first date, when they kissed before they parted, she wanted him. She wanted him. She wanted him so badly. She wanted him so badly right now.

The kiss that was filled with hesitation and nervousness quickly turned hungry. She pulled him hard, making his hips ground against hers, her lips trying to claim his. She stopped holding back. Every emotion and feeling pent up all these years, she let it all out at once.

Theo had intended to take thing slowly at first, considering Val might not even remember the experience, but he was completely mistaken. And he was more than glad to follow her wish. He sucked her tongue when she opened her mouth, as if trying to drain all the sadness from her. Val's eyes fluttered open in surprise, but she quickly gave her tongue to do whatever he pleased. And when he slid his tongue between her lips, she sucked it like he did.

They paused for a moment, trying to catch their breath, their eyes staring at each other. Her eyes that were always clouded with fear and worries were clear now, replaced by longing and burning passion. "Love ... I think I'm ready."

Being called love, Theo's lust burned like never before. "I love you, Val." His hands grabbed her firm legs and spread it apart.

After waiting for so long, Theo thrust inside her. She was already drenched, it was easy to enter her, but still, he took it slowly. He wanted to feel every inch of her, and he wanted her to feel every inch of him. Val let out a gasp when their hips touched each other's. Shivers ran through her body.

They stopped moving, relishing the moment they connected for the first time. But it was only a moment later that her hips started grinding him, wanting him to continue.

He followed her motion at first, enjoying the warm embrace of her tight pussy. Val was already moaning in pleasure, moving her head side to side, so he enjoyed watching her as he picked up his pace. Soon enough, he found the perfect thrusting rhythm, causing her to moan even louder.

She raised her legs and locked it behind his hips, forcing him to move even faster and rougher. She craved him, desired him, lust after him. All those decades not feeling this pleasure, now she indulged it to her fullest.

Val let out a scream, her walls tightened around him as she came. Her body went limp and still, drenched in sweat and catching her breath. He stayed inside her, feeling her squirming walls around him.

"Love ..." She wrapped his hands around his neck and pulled him to kiss her. "I want ... I want more." The worries and tension within her were completely gone now. She was relaxed, fully immersed in the moment of passion and lust with her loved one.

He thrust his hips once more, this time while kissing her. The pleasure built up more slowly and steadily this time around, but she appeared to like it better. Soft moan escaped her lips, suppressed by their kiss. Wet sound came out with each of his long and hard thrust.

Her body began to tremble. She released his neck from her arms. Her hand reached out towards his. His hands let go of her body and interlaced his fingers with hers and held tight.

With his help, Val started to move her hips. With her position under him, there was only so much space she could move, but still, she tried her best. She ground her hips up and down, going against his movement. He enjoyed the sensation, the sound of her gasp and moan as she quickly rediscovers what her body wanted and went after it.

Though they both wanted to continue for the rest of the night, he could tell that she was getting exhausted. Has an experienced adventurer she had a high physical stamina and endurance, but going through all that feeling and emotion and rediscovering everything must be an exhausting experience for her.

He started going faster and harder, causing her soft moan to turn into a scream of ecstasy. The slow and steady build-up of pleasure became a rough steep spike. Her mind quickly dissolved in the sea of pleasure, though her finger still held his hand tightly.

With one last thrust, the insurmountable pleasure came crashing down upon them. Her trembling walls gripped him tightly as he released his seed inside of her.

For a time, they both gasped for air. Their face red and covered in sweat. Theo lay down next to her, his left hand still holding hers. "I want to do it again but ... " She smiled with shyness behind it. "I don't think I can."

He pulled her hand and kissed it. "There's still tomorrow, and all the nights to come. There's a lot of time for the two of us."

"Or tomorrow morning, or afternoon." She added with a chuckle. She turned her head to the sky, watching the glittering stars. "Thank you ... I never imagined, never dreamed I could feel something like this again. To love again ... to be loved again." She turned her head towards him." I love you, Theo."

He stroked her shining white hair, and when his hand touched her cheek, she leaned in into his hand. He moved his face closer and kissed her. "I love you too, Val."

Val smiled hearing his word. Her eyes slowly closed shut. The exhaustion finally overcame her.