~Hinata~

“Eden... I... I trust you enough to show you something now...,” Hinata sighed, motioning toward a new door.

She was intent on showing this young man exactly what he would be signing up for if he were to continue their relationship. It was likely to disgust him enough to drive him away, but disappointment now would be easier to cope with than disappointment later in their relationship.

A rumbling was audible from her bathroom. After this, the door swung open to reveal the alterations to her shower, now expanded to roughly seven times its original 5x5-foot size.

‘...I should just walk away right now....’

With a sigh, she looked to Eden, who had an expression of pure befuddled shock upon his face. She placed a finger in the air, motioning for him to wait.

“Eden...,” Hinata whimpered, as she entered the room, “I... when the shower comes on, I want you to follow me inside.”

This caused Eden to enter a coughing fit. He clearly didn’t expect her to allow him to see her so-aptly named ‘sickly cat’ so early in their relationship.

With a sigh, she closed the door save for a minuscule amount. She then muttered, “Eden... this is where you prove you don’t care what happened to me in the past...”

He nodded to her in response as she closed the door.

Upon reaching the bathroom, she removed her sweat-covered gymnastic shirt, hanging it upon the rack. She looked in the mirror, taking notice of her own anxious form. She sighed, looking to her simple-design, wrap-pattered bra. It would be so much easier to merely wear wraps as top covering, but then again, that would be a too-intense reminder of her past.

She slowly disrobed, de-materializing her horns and manipulating her hands to become more draconic as was her own preference. She then proceeded to remove all the other articles of clothing. This was followed by her braids, allowing her hair to flow freely down to her lower back as she looked upon her disgusting lower body once more.

He would be sickened by it, she was certain of it. Just like all the others.

Making her way to the shower, she prepared herself for the inevitable abandonment. She stepped inside, as she had many times before, pressing the button. The warm sensation of heated water instantly hit her, rinsing the sweet floral-scented oil and grime from her now-downed hair.

At this moment, Eden entered.

“Is it okay if I come in?” Eden spoke as he stepped through the doorway.

To Hinata’s shock, Eden was fully nude, yet had not yet asked for his unmentionables to be restored. She had no idea why he would continue without them after he had adapted to the scent of the guild members. Humans had needs, after all.

She turned her back as she sensed Eden grow closer. She shuddered at the thought of being abandoned again. She had grown accustomed to it, but she had also never felt this strongly about a male before.

“Promise me you won’t be disgusted when you see it, Eden....” These were the only words she could make out.

There was a brief moment of silence, broken only by Eden’s words, “I won’t promise that...”

Her heart seemed to sink into the earth itself.

At least he was honest, unlike the others who made false promises and later broke them. Still, it furthered her anxiety towards the situation.

‘Just tell him to go away... tell him you want to break it off, you stupid girl! Don’t ask any questions, just...’

She couldn’t help herself. She slowly turned her head as she whimpered, “Wh-why?”

“Because I’ll promise I’ll see it as another one of your badges of strength.”

Her heart seemed to leap into space itself.

Eden seemed to be tricky, but honest as well. Had he meant that he might be disgusted, but he would also work past it? She wasn’t certain, but... at least it was a start.

“Eden...” She managed to rasp his name as he entered the shower with her. She slowly turned, her legs still crossed as she sighed, “I’m... going to show you my sickly cat now...”

Uncrossing her legs, she slowly backed up, getting into position as she had so many times before, her arms and legs open in the style of an anime character ready to feel their final blow. It was ironic that she tended to use this courageous action trope at the moment of her greatest fear and vulnerability.

In response to the revelation of her all-too-prominent physical damage, Eden wrapped his arms around her, placing his hand on her back and another around her waist. He then whispered in her earlobe, “I don’t care, Hinata. All I see is a treasure that a lot of people were unworthy of and one person treated as garbage. It has been damaged, but is still as valuable as the day it was created. ”

She couldn’t help but take notice of the odd... sincerity in his words. Over the course of several seconds, her expression changed from shock, to joy, ending with her collapsing to her knees, sobbing as Eden cradled her against his body.

‘Of all the people who could have been the first in years to see me cry..... I’m glad it’s you...’

“It’s okay... You and I... are gonna’ be okay...”