Aether stood patiently outside the trial room, his heart pounding with a mix of anticipation and excitement as he waited. It felt like hours had passed, though in reality, it had only been a few minutes.
Finally, he saw Helena peek her head out from behind the door, her expression a mix of shyness and uncertainty.
“A-Aether, t-this is way too revealing!” she stammered, her cheeks flushing a deep shade of red.
Aether raised an eyebrow, chuckling softly, his lips curving into a teasing smile, “Are you sure? I can’t even see you properly yet,”
Helena’s cheeks burned even brighter at his words, and she fidgeted nervously, “W-Well, maybe it’s not that revealing, but still… showing my hands like this in front of you… it just feels so wrong!” Her voice was a mix of embarrassment and playful protest, her fingers anxiously twirling a strand of hair.
Aether couldn’t hold back anymore. His soft chuckle turned into full, hearty laughter, “Hahahaha… you’re seriously shy about showing your hands, Helena? Of all things?”
Helena pouted, “D-Don’t laugh!” she huffed, flustered by his reaction. But her stern expression quickly faded into one of resignation, and she sighed deeply. “Fine, I’m coming out…” she muttered under her breath.
Slowly, Helena stepped out of the dressing room, her movements tentative, her eyes darting toward Aether as if gauging his reaction. She paused for a moment, as if unsure of herself.
Aether’s playful expression vanished the instant he laid eyes on her. His eyes widened, and for a moment, he was completely speechless.
She was stunning!!
Helena wore a sleek, form-fitting black dress that clung to her figure in all the right places, the fabric shimmering softly as it moved with her. The top of the dress was adorned with intricate lacework, a touch of elegance and sensuality, teasing her neckline with delicate, tantalizing detail.
Golden accents at her waist highlighted her curves perfectly, and a daring slit along the side of her dress revealed a teasing glimpse of her smooth leg as she shifted her weight.
Helena bit her lip, looking away, her voice barely above a whisper. “I… I know it’s not that bad, but still…” She trailed off, unable to meet his gaze.
Aether, regaining his composure, smiled warmly at her, “You look… absolutely perfect, Helena.”
His words hung in the air, making Helena’s already red cheeks deepen even further. She glanced up at him shyly, her pout slowly fading as a small, hesitant smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
“You look beautiful… but more than that, you look like yourself, and that’s what matters most.” Aether took a step closer.
Helena’s heart fluttered at his words, her blush only intensifying. She could feel the sincerity in his voice, and it made her chest tighten in the best way possible.
“So… shall we start our night date?” Aether whispered, his voice dropping into a playful, almost seductive tone.
Helena nodded with a blushing face, her hands slowly and gently wrapping around his. “Y-Yes…” she mumbled, her voice barely audible.
Aether’s lips trembled, the mischievous part of him wanting desperately to tease her further, but he held back. ‘Calm down… man, you can’t scare her off!’ he warned himself internally, struggling to maintain his composure. After paying for the clothes, he gently took Helena’s hand and led her out into the busy streets.
The city was alive despite the late hour, the streets filled with people moving to and fro, the air buzzing with life. Helena walked beside Aether, her hand wrapped around his, but her gaze was focused on the ground beneath her feet rather than the lively surroundings.
Aether noticed and smiled softly to himself. “Hey,” he said, lifting her chin gently with his hand. “Look around… You’re missing all the beauty out here.”
Helena lifted her beet-red face to meet his gaze, her heart pounding in her chest as she tried to steady herself.
‘FUCK!’ Aether screamed internally, his mind spinning as he took in the sight of her adorably flushed expression. ‘She’s too cute! I’ve definitely messed up this time!’
Trying to regain control of his racing thoughts, Aether asked, his voice a little shaky, “W-What is it? Why do you seem so… distant?”
Helena shook her head softly, her voice trembling as she spoke, “I-I don’t know… I can’t hear anything but my heartbeat… it’s so loud, it feels like it’s going to burst out of my chest.” Her hands trembled slightly as she held his.
Aether’s expression softened, and he placed her hand gently on his chest, right over his heart. “It’s okay, Helena… It’s natural to feel this way,” he said soothingly. “See… my heart is racing too.”
Helena blinked in surprise, feeling the rapid thudding of his heart beneath her fingers. “A-Are you nervous too?” she asked curiously, her voice filled with innocent wonder.
Aether nodded, a soft smile tugging at his lips. “Of course. Anyone would be nervous on their first date with someone they care about.”
Helena’s eyes widened slightly. “R-Really?”
“Yes,” Aether replied, pulling her a little closer as they walked. “When you’re nervous, it shows that you care about what the other person thinks… that you want them to accept you for who you are.”
Helena blinked up at him, her eyes filled with curiosity. “So… you think it’s okay for me to be this nervous?”
Aether chuckled softly, leaning closer to whisper in her ear. “Of course, but there’s one thing that’s even more important than being nervous on a date.”
“W-What’s that?”
Aether leaned in even closer, his breath warm against her ear as he whispered, “Being yourself, Helena.” He punctuated his words with a playful pinch to her nose.
Grrrrrr!
Helena’s face turned an even deeper shade of red, her lips trembling in embarrassment. She opened her mouth to say something, but Aether beat her to it.
“Hmm… I think we should eat first and explore with full energy, don’t you think?” he said with a playful wink, flashing her a gentle smile.
Helena’s heart skipped a beat at his words seeing gentle and knowing face….She wasn’t sure why, but the more time she spent with him, the deeper she felt herself falling for him.
As he gently pulled her along, she found herself lost in thought, her eyes locked on him as if nothing else existed in the world.
At that moment, everything else faded away, and all that mattered was him.
….
….
“Still haven’t decided yet?” Aether asked, leaning back in his chair with a playful smile as he watched Helena carefully scan the menu.
She seemed more focused on finding the cheapest option rather than deciding what she actually wanted to eat.
Aether’s amused expression grew as he watched her. He had a pretty good idea of what was going through her mind. ‘Looks like life at the temple must really be tough… they’re probably not used to luxuries like this,’ he thought to himself, entertained by her internal struggle.
Finally, Helena hesitantly pointed at the menu, “I… I think I’ll just have this…” she said, her finger landing on the least expensive item. But Aether blinked in surprise when he realized what she had chosen.
It wasn’t even food.
It was just water.
Aether raised an eyebrow, his lips twitching with amusement, ‘I know she’s careful with money, but this is taking it a bit too far,’ he thought.
“Are you sure?” he asked gently, trying not to laugh.
“Y-Yes…” Helena stammered, her voice lacking confidence.
Aether leaned in, his tone incredulous, “Helena, that’s just… water, you know?”
Helena flinched, her eyes widening in shock.,”Wait… they charge for water too?” she exclaimed, genuinely surprised.
She was used to her friend Lia taking her to restaurants that offered free water and reasonably priced food, but this place was clearly on a different level.
Aether sighed, shaking his head with a fond smile. He called the waiter over and whispered something into his ear. The waiter, momentarily surprised, nodded respectfully before walking away to fulfill the order.
Helena’s curiosity got the better of her, and she leaned forward. “What did you order?” she asked, her voice tinged with suspicion.
“Everything,” Aether said casually, shrugging as if it were no big deal.
“Hm–Wait… What?!” Helena’s eyes went wide with shock, “Aether! What are you doing?! Who’s going to eat all that food? And more importantly, I don’t have that kind of money to cover this! Even if I begged the Archpriestess for a loan… We’ll have to run, Aether!” She started to stand, ready to flee the restaurant in panic.
But Aether gently grabbed her wrist, pulling her back into her seat, “Calm down, Helena. Don’t worry about it. I’m the one who asked you out on this date, so it’s my responsibility to take care of everything. I’ll cover the bill. I have more than enough money.”
Helena blinked, staring at him in disbelief for a moment before slowly sitting back down. Her expression was a mixture of surprise and confusion. She looked at him with a blank face, processing his words.
“What?” Aether asked, tilting his head at her.
“I can’t believe you’re wasting so much money on food!” she said, crossing her arms with a stern expression, though there was an underlying tone of concern in her voice.
Aether chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck, ‘Believe me, I almost cried the last time I had to pay a huge bill for a shitty meal… it still haunts me!’ he thought to himself, his lips trembling as he tried to suppress the painful memory.
But before he could say anything else, Helena suddenly added, “Once we get married, I’m going to handle all the finances! Otherwise, we’ll end up broke!” She said it so matter-of-factly that Aether was caught off guard.
Aether’s eyes widened slightly before a grin spread across his face. He couldn’t help but laugh, ‘Damn, she’s so sweet,’ he thought, “Oh? When’s the wedding then?” he asked, flashing her a playful wink.
Helena’s face turned scarlet at his teasing, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. She quickly grabbed the menu and used it to cover her face, “W-When w-we receive the blessing from the gods!” she mumbled, her voice muffled by the menu.
Aether chuckled softly, leaning forward as he whispered, “Well… I guess we’ll have to wait for that, huh?” as he thoughts, ‘Gods… ah? I haven’t thought about that…. Log… Are you god or what?’ but there was no response.
Helena’s heart skipped a beat at his words, her face turning even redder as she felt the heat rising in her body. Flustered, she began fanning herself with the menu, desperately trying to cool down. When she noticed Aether’s amused gaze on her, she cleared her throat and quickly changed the subject, “L-Let me just tell you… I can’t eat that much!”
Aether raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into a mischievous smile.
