Angst

Hearing Eva's words, Vahn felt as if all the tensions of his body melted away in an instant. His tears didn't stop flowing, but, rather than appear pained and hopeful, a silly smile had spread on his face as an awkward laugh resonated from his throat. It was impossible to describe how he was currently feeling, only that he was happier at this moment than almost any other. Only the births of his children and a few of the more climactic moments between himself and some of his lovers could even hope to compare...

Seeing Vahn's 'stupid' expression, Eva's face became red up to her ears as she gripped the edge of her dress even tighter. She was also feeling complex emotions, but, more than any other, embarrassment reigned supreme. Thus, after watching Vahn sobbingly-laugh for more than a minute, her brow began to twitch as she rushed at him, grabbing the front of his collar and extricating him from the ice shelf with an, "Are you not finished, you, you giggling idiot!?"

Though his smile didn't diminish, Vahn's laughter ceased as he righted himself in mid-air and stared back at Eva. She seemed shorter than he remembered, but, considering his height had increased to 185cm, this wasn't too surprising. This didn't stop him from causing her to tense up quite a bit, however, asking, "Can I...hug you...?"

Hearing Vahn's request, Eva felt like her heart was trying to climb up through her throat in an effort to make itself known. Her first 'instinct' was to pounce on Vahn the moment she heard his words, but, fearing he would notice her rapid heartbeat, her body became statuesque as she mechanically averted her eyes and asked, "What does that have to do with saving me...?"

Surprising Eva, Vahn unhesitantly nodded his head, saying, "Treating your condition is very simple. I have spent more than a hundred years coming up with various solutions. In the end, it isn't treating your condition that will save you. Your happiness is the most important part of the equation. Even if you don't choose me, I'll do everything in my power to help you mend-"

Without waiting for Vahn to finish his words, Eva's figure disappeared like a phantom as she appeared next to him, her tiny fist driving into his cheek. She had worn the white dress to try and convey feelings she couldn't properly put into words, but he still had the audacity to talk about whether or not she had chosen him. Yes, she might not have vocalized it properly, but he shouldn't be that much of an idiot...

Though Eva's punch had been strong enough to dislocate his jaw, it wasn't even a fraction of her full power. As a result, Vahn was able to see the angry look on her flushed face, realization dawning on him as his bones moved back into place with an audible pop. Then, with a gentle smile on his face, he slowly hovered closer to her tense body, wrapping his arms around her small frame and embracing her delicate body.

Feeling Vahn's warm and 'familiar' embrace, Eva felt a sour feeling in her nose, but, refusing to cry, she, instead, buried her face into his chest as she complained, "You're a colossal idiot at times...you know that?"

Rather than vocalize his response, Vahn just slowly nodded his head while hugging her a little closer than before. She had dropped all of her barriers, so it was up to him to keep the cold at bay. His body heat transmitted into her unobstructed, slowly melting the ice in her heart as a comfortable warmth spread around them. Even the frozen tundra began to warm up slightly, ice turning into gentle streams of water that converged into tiny rivers as they flowed toward the setting sun on the horizon...

---

Even after several hours had passed, Vahn continued to hold Eva as if he was afraid she would disappear the moment he let go. Despite this, she made no attempt to escape, the tensions in her body gradually giving way until she had completely relaxed in his embrace. In many ways, this was the first time in hundreds of years that she was experiencing the genuine warmth and affection of another person, so, even if it lasted for several days, breaking away wasn't the first thought that came to mind...

With most of her inhibitions melting away like the surrounding snow and ice, Eva sneaked a peek at Vahn, finding him staring down at her with what could only be described as a loving expression on his face. This caused her already warm body to heat up even further, her face turning beet red as she clenched her teeth in mild frustration. She might have the memories of her 'other' self, but, in more ways that one, that actually made it harder to vocalize her own thoughts and desires.

Recognizing the 'look' in Eva's eyes, Vahn's smile turned even more affectionate as he lifted her body, earning a surprised yelp from the bashful maiden as he cupped her butt in order to raise her up. At the same time, his tunic seemed to melt away, leaving his lean and muscular body exposed, exponentially increasing the amount of warmth he was radiating. This caused Eva's face to turn even ruddier, but, after 'glaring' at him for a few moments, her eyes turned to his exposed nape, an audible gulp sounding out before she tentatively sunk her teeth into his neck...

The moment Vahn's blood began flowing into her body, Eva felt as if a fire had been lit at the very core of her existence. Things just didn't quite feel 'real' before, but, after tasting his sickly sweet, energy-rich, blood, it was like everything simply clicked into place. She found herself sucking his blood with enough fervor to drain any other dry in an instant, but, no matter how much she drew, it seemed like Vahn's body contained more than she could ever drink...

While Eva seemed to be losing herself in the moment, Vahn was enjoyed the heat spreading through his body. Instead, he enjoyed the numbing sensation as he began absentmindedly combing his fingers through Eva's ankle-length golden hair. It took quite a bit of self-control to prevent himself from just pushing her down then and there, but, considering the state of her body, this wouldn't exactly be proper. He had long-since discarded his inhibitions about her physical appearance, but, unless Eva was the one to ask for it, Vahn would help treat her condition before trying to advance their relationship further.

After engorging herself far more than was necessary, filling her body with a truly phenomenal amount of magic power, Eva removed her mouth from Vahn's neck was a 'pa'. At this point, all of her inhibitions had completely faded away, and, before she even realized it, Eva was lightly kissing Vahn's neck and shoulder as if it were perfectly natural. She had so many memories of such intimate acts that, for a brief moment, she completely forgot herself, stopping only when Vahn's hand began lightly stroking the small of her back.

Now redder than she had ever been, Eva instinctually broke away from Vahn's body, turning her back on him as illusory steam rose from the top of her head. Her expression was fixed in a look of incredulity as she cupped her cheeks with both hands, internally cursing her Memory Fragment for implanting such memories in her body...

Without waiting for Eva to turn back to him, Vahn approached her from behind, embracing her a second time. This caused her to startle, but, after writhing about for a few moments, she eventually calmed down, a hot sigh escaping her lips as she asked, "So, how are you going to treat my condition? You said you thought up a number of solutions. Tell me."

After nodding his head, Vahn kissed the top of Eva's before answering, "There are a number of solutions, but the three 'simplest' rely on your intentions. Depending on which you want to focus on, I have different treatments to represent the past, present, and future. Keep in mind that, no matter which one you choose, I can always give you other treatments whenever you want...you aren't shoehorned into choosing just one path. So long as you believe it will make you happy, I will do my best to meet your expectations..."

Hearing Vahn's words, Eva wanted to complain to him about being roundabout, but, knowing he had probably put a lot of time and effort into finding these solutions, she, instead, gave a small nod, muttering, "Tell me..."

Holding Eva's frail body a little closer, Vahn explained, "I know the true identity of your enemy, the person who made you like this. No matter what you choose, I will defeat them and liberate you from the fate they had decided for you. To that end, the option representing the past is to separate the malignant energy from your body in its entirety. From that moment onward, you will become a normal girl once again, albeit one with a phenomenal amount of power..."

The moment she heard Vahn reference the person who had turned her, Eva's body tensed up a considerable amount. She could feel her already hastened pulse rapidly accelerate, hatred swelling up from the deepest recesses of her heart and mind. She wanted nothing more than to tear that person apart with her bare hands, so, despite a strong desire to become a normal girl once again, Evan knew such a thing was impossible. Even if Vahn could make her human, she would remain irreversibly broken, a monster until death...

With a somewhat crazed look in her eyes, Eva slowly shook her head, her voice trembling as she said, "Tell me the other options..."

Vahn could sense an overwhelming amount of negativity permeating through Eva's aura, but, as he was well-aware of the reasons why, he just held her close as he explained, "The second option is related to the present, and, in many ways, it is the simplest solution of all. I have the power to create life and transfer the souls of living creatures into new vessels. I can create you a new body, one with infinite potential that matches your preferences completely..."

Turning her head up to face Vahn, Eva had an incredulous look on her face as she asked, "Are you serious?"

Nodding his head, Vahn explained, "I have even been able to create vessels for Gods, so I am absolutely confident. I could make you look like your adult self, or, if you want to experience a real change, I can even alter your race completely..."

Hearing Vahn's words, Eva turned her eyes away from him, snorting as she asked, "And what, become a bunny girl so you can stalk me whenever you're feeling horny...?"

Though he had already come to understand that Eva had been watching him for a few days, becoming the source for his frustration, Vahn still felt a little embarrassed when he heard her words. Still, it wasn't entirely his fault, causing him to mutter, "I was only acting like that due to your presence...because you were nearby, my body was in an agitated state. No matter what I tried, I just couldn't deal with the frustration welling up inside of me. If you hadn't decided to reveal yourself, I might have even gone crazy by now..."

Even before Vahn had finished speaking, Eva began to remember how increasingly frustrated he became during the period she was observing him. It hadn't even clicked in her mind that she was the root cause behind his behavior, causing her face and body to burn up when she realized the deeper meaning behind his words. His hands, which had been wrapped around her waist, his palms resting on her stomach, now felt exceptionally hot to the touch, almost as if they were scalding her skin through the fabric of her dress...

Despite noticing Eva's fidgety state, Vahn didn't show any signs of releasing her. Instead, he placed another kiss atop her head before adding, "You would be very cute as a bunny girl..."

Though her first instinct was to plant Vahn hundreds of meters into the ground, a very steamy image invaded Eva's mind when her brain processed his words. Since she hadn't reconciled the fact he could give her an adult body, she saw a vision of her current self with rabbit ears as Vahn pushed her down from behind. As a result, her mental faculties came to a complete halt as an 'illusory' explosion of steam erupted from the top of her head...

Vahn knew he was going to pay for teasing her so much, but, as that wasn't necessarily a bad thing, he restrained a chuckle before explaining the final option, stating, "The last option will guarantee your happiness in the shortest period of time. I will completely seal the malignant energy within your body, allowing you to keep your body and develop naturally. You can stay at my side and slowly increase your strength as we both endeavor to make the world a better place, together. We will defeat the Mage of the Beginning, and, though it won't be easy, I'm certain you will learn to open up to people once again. I know your true self is someone who cares for her friends greatly...you were able to open up to Fenrir and Terra, so I know you can open up to the others as well..."

Hearing Vahn's words, Eva slowly came back to her senses, a slight melancholy visible on her face as she muttered, "You seem so sure of yourself...what makes you think I want to join that harem of yours? Do you really think I'll be happy knowing you are-"

Without waiting for Eva to finish her words, Vahn lifted her chin, raising her face toward his own so that he could plant a kiss on her lips. It was an awkward angle, but, remembering the kind of person Eva was, he knew it would be more effective to show her through his actions that trying to convince her with words.

Once again, Eva's first instinct was to break free from Vahn's grasp and lambast him for daring to kiss her, but, the moment their lips made contact, her resistance melted away. Instead, she felt a painful longing in her body as the wants and desires of her Memory Fragment gradually melded with her own. She had been lonely for so long that there were times when she would cry herself to sleep, desperately craving just a single person to share her burdens with...

After a long and progressively more passionate kiss, Vahn separated from Eva's lips, his mind losing its focus as he saw her dangerously tantalizing expression. He could tell she 'needed' more convincing, but, until she had made her decision, the last vestiges of his restraint made it impossible for him to go further. Fortunately, it didn't stop him from 'helping' her make the decision, so, while gently caressing her slender neck, Vahn stared directly into Eva's hazy blue eyes, saying, "Eva, I want to stay at your side forever...you might think I'm a bastard, but I need you more than you know..."

Hearing Vahn's words, clarity began to return to Eva's gaze, a small frown developing on her face as she was preparing to point out how greedy and perverted he was. Before she could, however, her mind completely blanked when Vahn asked, "Evangeline...will you marry me?"

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'O_O...')

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