Chapter Forty-Two

The softness of the moment lingered as Muichiro closed the window behind him.

"That song was beautiful Mu-Kun, Where did you learn how to play like that."

Demeter complimented his music, she was curious as she had never heard that type of melody before.

"It was Moon, she taught me everything I know," Muichiro said.

Demeter nodded in thought, her delicate features scrunching a little" I see, so it was your previous goddess, she must be someone really talented."

Demeter said while trying to figure out what God it could be. The obvious choice was of course Artemis, but then again she knew Artemis well and she had never seen her play like that.

"In any case, it's late we should head off to bed now," Demeter said as she playfully tapped the place beside her.

At first, Muichiro had thought that Demeter would ask more about Moon, but seeing as she didn't he didn't either, if she did ask he would tell her but if not then he saw no reason to.

With a nod, Muichiro started getting ready to go to sleep.

As if they were an old married couple, the night's routine began to unfold. Muichiro shed his haori and pants, exchanging them for a comfortable pair of shorts.

Demeter approached him, her fingers deftly weaving his hair into a high ponytail. There was a gentle intimacy in this gesture.

With the lights extinguished, they settled into the soft embrace of the bed. This night was different, though.

"Mu-Kun...would it be okay if I were to rest in your arms, just for tonight, that is." Demeter's voice carried a rare request – instead of her usual position, she asked if she could rest her head on Muichiro's chest.

There was a slight vulnerability in her voice, something Muichiro quickly caught on to. He liked observing people, and once he knew that person's usual traits, he could immediately tell when something was different.

He readily agreed, and Demeter smiled softly while Muichiro scooched higher on the bed, so Demeter could get comfortable.

The rhythm of Muichiro's heart reverberated in her ear. Strong and steady, it seemed to create a reassuring backdrop to their shared moment.

As Demeter nestled her head against his chest, she could feel the soothing cadence of his heartbeat against her cheek. It was a symphony of comfort, *Ba-dump, Ba-dump, Ba-dump*...

In the tranquil darkness, Demeter's voice broke the stillness. Her words were gentle, a blend of curiosity and vulnerability.

"The first time I saw you, it was quite the sight, I was walking around the streets and doing some tasks so that I could lighten the burden on my children if only just a little...

And that's when I saw you, like the personification of strength and lightning, you were brilliant...shining even, it's a bit embarrassing to say but at that moment my heart skipped a beat.

I didn't know how, or why but at that very moment I knew I wanted to be your goddess and you my child..."

"..."

"Fufu~ Even now every time I play that moment in my mind, it's like my heart wants to burst out of my chest...even now I can feel it...here see for yourself."

Demeter took Muichiro's hand and placed it on her breast, Muichiro could feel its weight and softness, his hand couldn't even envelop half of it.

But he didn't care for that, his mind was concentrated solely on the rapidly beating heart of the goddess.

He could feel it, how fast it beat and comparing it to his own. It was like comparing night and day, the difference could easily be felt.

"I feel it Deme...Ceres." Muichiro responded as he removed his hand from her chest. Demeter smiled before resting her head once again on his chest.

"Fufu, I know it's silly of me to think these things, but I can't help but wonder if perhaps you would have wanted to join a stronger familia...for example the Loki familia, your only level one now but with your talent I'm sure you could become a first-class adventurer in no time."

"Now that you've been in this familia for over half a month...do you feel like you've made the right choice."

She asked if Muichiro ever regretted joining her familia, whether he yearned for a path of exploration and combat like Loki's familia pursued.

"..."

Muichiro's response hung in the air for a heartbeat before he softly answered that he had no regrets about his decision.

"Moon said that...when making decisions most of the time, one needs to only use their minds and logic...logic and deduction told me that you were not the right goddess for me."

"..."

Demeter did not react to his words, there wasn't any shock on her face. Just calmness...

"However...Moon also told me that sometimes, sometimes you can throw logic out the window and trust what you believe is the right decision by following your heart..."

"When you told me the story about your child, I was curious, and at that moment for the first time, I had felt my chest tighten.

I did not know if that was what Moon was referring to when she told me to sometimes follow my heart...but that is what I chose...so no, I do not regret, for I followed what I thought was my heart."

"..."

A radiant smile bloomed across Demeter's features. It was a smile filled with a pure, unadulterated joy, a reflection of the happiness she felt at his words.

In that moment Demeter felt a sensation she hadn't felt since meeting her very first Child...Persephone.

"I see...then I am glad, and relieved."

As Muichiro's fingers threaded through Demeter's hair, a contented purr escaped her lips.

The sensation was soothing, akin to the touch of a gentle breeze or the caress of moonlight.

He had learned this from Moon, and now he offered the same tenderness to Demeter. It was a quiet exchange of care, a way of saying that he valued her presence.

In that fleeting instant, as they lay together in the darkness, Muichiro's thoughts turned to Moon.

He remembered how her touch and her presence had once held a similar comfort for him. It was a memory that lay buried in his mind, a connection that had been woven into his very being.

As Muichiro's fingers continued their gentle ministrations, he couldn't help but hope.

He hoped that one day, he would be able to embrace all emotions fully, understand the depth of feeling and express them with confidence.

For now, however, all he could offer was the simple gesture of his touch.

...