Hit the Road, Jack! : Hit the Lair!

Jack threw himself at a gold powder hill.

Being in his Red Dragon form, his body barely felt comfortable at such "bed".

[- Say babe, what about the kids?]

- What do you mean?

She answered, as he reclined and enjoyed the soothing feeling of having his scales covered and lightly sanded by the fine powder.

[- Didn't Sandro give me a weird look back then? I think he might be facing some issues.]

Jack might be lazy, but he was a maxed-level player nonetheless.

- It should be because his memories are too close.

[- Doesn't he intend to slow down the process a little bit?]

-… it doesn't seem like it.

Elicia stared at her nails while polishing and sharpening them at a big adamantite slab.

[ - Babe.] - Jack said, while getting up from his pile and coming closer to Elicia.

- What is it?

[- This whole thing…] - He gently touched her right wing with his own, to which Elicia answered with a perplexed look.

- Seriously?!

[ - What?]

- It's been over a hundred years, and you're still not used to the idea of the kids growing their own wings and leaving the house? They were players like us in the past, Jack! We can't have them ignorant of their own past forever, just to enjoy them a bit more!

Jack's eyes became complacent.

- And don't give me that look. I'm fine with that. We had a good time raising them, but that's it. Everyone has to go someday. Also, it would be awful to let them ignorant of their own past. Everyone who reincarnates should have this kind of opportunity… it's a shame that they don't.

[ - …]

Jack remained expressionless for a bit. However, his eyes betrayed his thoughts. Seeing that, Elicia couldn't but sigh.

- Come on, say it.

[ - They don't have to go, you know? We have everything we need right here! Plus, the world outside isn't even so good.]

Elicia sighed again.

- You need more experiences.

It isn't easy to read a dragon's expression, but both had had enough time to learn how to. In the end, even big red lizards had facial muscles and body language that could be learned.

- You've been inside this place for too long. You're not changing, not going forward. You're sticking to the past too hard, you know?

[- Yeah…]

- Comme on, don't make that face. You know what I'm saying is true. When was the last time you expended time outside? Talked to someone who wasn't us?

[ - I don't know… maybe a decade or something.]

- See? You need to change airs a bit. How about roaming outside for a bit? A couple months at the South Beach Dukedom could make you feel good. Maybe even start new friendships.

[ -… I don't feel like it.]

- Hon, what are you running from?

Jack stopped on his tracks a bit, and then sat on his gold bed.

[ - That thing with Amanda. I don't like it.]

Elicia looked at him with compassion in his eyes.

- You know those kinds of things are inevitable. Plus, we have been together for a hundred years. Don't you want to meet new people?

[- If I go out with someone, then I'll have to let you do it as well. I don't want to.]

- Still. - Elicia closed on him and sat at his side - You've fallen in love more than once in this century, and I have also as well.

[ - Yeah, I know] - Jack's expression was sour, jealousy written all over his face.

- And you did nothing about it. - Elicia turned to her human form, and then hold one of his front claws.

[ - As I hope you haven't.] - Jack looked downwards, towards his lover, friend, companion, partner and wife.

- I didn't. Because I decided not to. - Elicia sat on his side, soon to be followed by Jack, now on his human form as well.

[ - I asked because I can't have it. I can't stand the idea of you seeing other guys, what more to say sleeping with them].

- That, and other things as well. - Elicia reminisced. Her first time falling in love with two people at the same time actually happened when she met Jack, many years ago. At the time, she was dating another guy, and just happened to fall in love with him.

A lot happened, but in the end, she ditched her previous boyfriend and choose to stay with her, now, husband.

Then, a few years after coming to Another World, she fell in love with another guy. At the time, he was higher-leveled than them, and she and this guy talked through messaging every time the grinding process became unbearable and the abnormal status' piled up to a degree in which it was better to stop, take a break, and then resume grinding.

They never went further than that, and Jack was aware of what was happening. He was sad, and angry, and a lot of other things.

But he couldn't blame her. She was faithful, she was still a great friend, lover, partner… she just happened to have feelings for someone else, someone who didn't care about she being with Jack and also didn't care about she never meeting him personally.

It was almost as if both were in love with each other's minds and personalities, not their whole beings.

The worst part, however, was that many good grinding techniques and ideas came from him. Jack also used them, and, at a certain level, they owned him one.

Jack couldn't take it. He couldn't endure it. He almost decided to drop everything and spend the rest of his days alone.

And then… he himself fell in love with someone else as well.

The girl felt something for him, and he felt something for her. They talked a few times, but as soon as he noticed what was going on, he fled the scene and never again went beyond saying "hi" to her.

All the time, Elicia shared her feelings with him, and he shared his with her.

Little by little, he started to accept that, in a relationship, there's not such a thing as "true love can only happen between two people".

However, he still didn't want to go further than accepting that those feelings could exist, and that she may still love him, even after starting to have feelings for other people. They didn't have to, right?

No much later, Elicia and the guy stopped chatting so much. It had died for both of them, but she and Jack were still going at it.

There was a thing between both, and that was renewal. They would renew their relationship from time to time, and it was thanks to that that Jack created the guts to become a father.

His three kids had been born in common accord. They shared the Premium Marriage Pack. Elicia wouldn't become pregnant or be able to have relationships out of the pack unless both agreed to.

Their children were born, the world saw chaos with the Goblin Wars, a hundred years passed in a flash.

They were still together, but they were also still vulnerable to feeling more than apathy in front of other beings.

Vulnerable to love.

[- What do you mean?]

- I like you a lot, and you would feel pain if I were to do this kind of thing. So, I don't.

[- Thanks]

- You're welcome. - Elicia then rose from the gold pile - however…

Jack waited for the answer.

- If you keep running from things, they will only become worst with time, you know?

Jack looked to the ceiling.

He knew it too well. The first girl was still alive and lived on the third floor of the dungeon. She was a small temptation, a small voice in his head constantly asking "what if…". The same with a couple others, and with this last one as well.

As time went by, the temptation rose, and his mind had less and less space to shove this whole matter down the drain.

[- Yeah…]

- I'm going to grab something to eat. Want to come with me? - She asked, while walking towards the room's massive door.

[- Sure. Let's go.]

Husband and Wife. More than lovers, friends or partners. Those are the ones who build love by learning how to feel good and well by being besides each other, living together and doing things together as well.

Passion may pass. Lust will fade with time. Excitement turns into routine. Still, to learn to desire without lusting, to fell attracted without being passionate, to enjoy everything as if it was the first time.

This is what marriage is about.