Chapter 61:
– Blake –
The walk back from the Guild felt lighter than it should have, considering we'd just signed paperwork for a War Game that could cost Hestia everything she owned. Including herself.
But honestly? I felt good with the situation.
Apollo had walked into that meeting like a peacock who'd already won, strutting around and making disgusting comments about Hestia while Hyakinthos stood there nodding along like a loyal lapdog.
Loki had barely been able to contain her grin the entire time, watching Apollo dig himself deeper with every smug declaration. Finn had maintained his professional demeanor, but I'd caught the slight quirk at the corner of his mouth when the magical contract sealed and Apollo's fate was locked in.
The bastard still thought he was going to win.
Tomorrow was going to be fun… and messy.
"Blake! Lady Hestia!" Bell practically jumped up from the couch the moment we walked through the door, his red eyes wide and anxious. The kid had been pacing, I could tell. There were scuff marks on the floor from his boots, and his white hair was even messier than usual. "How did it go?" he asked, wringing his hands together. "Did they... did Apollo agree to the terms?"
Hestia groaned, flopping dramatically against my side. "Apollo is an asshole. As always."
Bell's face fell.
Then Hestia's eyes lit up like stars, and she grabbed my arm with both hands, squeezing it against her chest as she grinned up at me. "But we tricked him good! Blake's going to crush them all tomorrow!"
I felt my face heat up slightly at the enthusiastic way she pressed herself against me, her ribbon dress doing absolutely nothing to hide the softness of her body.
Bell turned approximately the same shade as a tomato and looked away quickly, suddenly very interested in the ceiling.
"I... I can help!" Bell blurted out, his voice cracking slightly. He clenched his fists and looked at me with determination that I had to respect. "I'm an adventurer now too! And I even have my secret skill! I can fight alongside you, Big Bro Blake!"
I shook my head, keeping my expression gentle. "Bell, you don't know how to fight yet. You haven't even killed a monster. You're not actually any stronger yet, even with your Falna."
His face fell for the second time, and guilt flickered across his features.
I stepped forward and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "I appreciate the enthusiasm, and your courage means a lot. But it's not necessary. You're part of this Familia, and that's enough."
Bell looked down, then nodded slowly. "As expected of Big Bro..." he muttered under his breath.
Hestia released my arm and stretched, her dress riding up slightly as she raised her arms above her head. "Sooooo," she purred, turning to look at me with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "What should we do for the rest of the day? The War Game isn't until tomorrow, after all." She stepped closer, trailing a finger down my chest. "We could spend the day together as a Familia, and then... maybe you and I could do some private strategizing together tonight?" Her voice dropped into a tone that was definitely not about War Game tactics.
Bell made a strangled noise and turned even redder, if that was possible.
I felt my own face flush. My horny goddess was not subtle. At all.
"I was thinking maybe we could go to the Hostess of Fertility and..." I trailed off.
Something settled inside me. It wasn't painful. It was just... there. Like a puzzle piece clicking into place, or a door that had been locked suddenly swinging open. My portal power, the one that had been on cooldown since I'd accidentally stumbled into this world, hummed to life inside my chest.
I could feel the threads now. Clear and distinct. One leading back to Earth. One leading to the Elemental Nations. And now, one anchored firmly here in Orario.
I could go home whenever I wanted.
"Blake?" Hestia's voice cut through my thoughts, her playful tone replaced with concern. "What's wrong?"
I blinked and refocused on her. "Nothing's wrong."
"Then why did you stop talking and go all weird and still?" She poked me in the ribs.
I caught her hand and held it gently. "It's just... my power finally synced with this world. Faster than I was expecting, honestly."
Hestia's eyes widened. "Your... power?"
"Yeah." I glanced at Bell, who looked completely lost, then back at Hestia. "I can open portals between this world and my own now. Whenever I want."
Bell's mouth opened and closed like a fish. "Portals? Between... worlds? What?"
Hestia sputtered, her face going through about five different emotions in the span of two seconds. "You... you can just... leave? Right now? Just like that?" I immediately noticed the shift in Hestia's expression. The playful gleam in her eyes vanished, replaced by something vulnerable and worried. Her twin tails seemed to droop slightly, and her grip on my hand tightened.
I am an idiot.
To me, opening a portal meant I could finally move freely again. It meant I could visit Earth, Konoha, Orario, and maybe anywhere else my stupid blue bullshit decided to throw me.
To Hestia, who had known me for only a few days, given me her Falna, taken me into her heart, and built an entire dream around our new Familia, it probably sounded like I had just found the exit and was never coming back.
Shit. I pulled her into a hug before she could spiral, wrapping my arms around her small frame and holding her against my chest. "Hey, hey. I'm not going to abandon you," I said firmly, stroking her hair. "I was just telling you what happened because... didn't we promise? No secrets?"
She was quiet for a moment, her face buried against my shirt. Then she giggled, the sound muffled and warm. "That's right," she said softly, her arms wrapping around my waist. "No secrets."
I held her for another few seconds, feeling her relax against me, before I let her go.
Bell was still standing there looking like someone had just told him the sky was actually purple. His mouth was slightly open, his red eyes darting between me and Hestia like he was waiting for one of us to explain what the hell was going on.
I turned to him and scratched the back of my head. "Oh yeah, we were gonna tell you sometime in the future. I just... wasn't expecting this to happen so soon." I shrugged. "Long story short, I'm from another world."
"EHHHHHHH!?" Bell's shout was loud enough that I was pretty sure our neighbors three houses down heard it. He immediately started firing off questions so fast I could barely keep up.
"Another world!? Like, actually another world!? How does that even work!? Were you born there or here!? Can anyone travel between worlds or just you!? Is that why you're so strong!? Does Lady Hestia know!? Wait, of course she knows, she just said... but how did you get here!? Can you go back!? Are there other people from your world here!? Is your world like this one or different!? Do they have a Dungeon too!?"
"Bell!" Hestia cut him off, holding up a hand. "Breathe! We can explain all of that another time." She stepped forward and patted his shoulder. "For now, I want to do something important."
I blinked at her. "Important?"
She turned back to me, her expression surprisingly serious despite the faint blush on her cheeks. "I want to meet your family!"
I stared at her.
She stared back.
"You... want to meet my family?" I repeated slowly.
"Yes!" She nodded firmly, her twin tails bouncing with the motion. "I want to meet your mother. And your sister. And your stepdad." She paused, then mumbled under her breath, "Maybe not your other girlfriends quite yet, though..."
I caught the last part and felt a flicker of amusement, but mostly I was just... surprised. "You want to meet my mom?"
"Of course I do!" Hestia said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "She's going to be my future mother-in-law! And your sister is going to be my future sister-in-law! This is important, Blake!"
I blinked again. Most girlfriends I'd heard about tried to avoid meeting their boyfriend's mothers for as long as possible.
Hestia was... actually excited about this?
She must have noticed my hesitation because she puffed out her cheeks in an adorable pout. "This is important to me," she said stubbornly.
I felt something warm settle in my chest. She wasn't scared. She wasn't avoiding it. She genuinely wanted to meet the people who mattered to me.
I smiled. "Alright."
I lifted my hand and focused on the thread connecting me to Earth. Specifically, to the place where my mom and Tony had moved after leaving Malibu. The penthouse floor of Stark Industries' new headquarters building in Manhattan, right in the heart of New York City. Mom had insisted on being closer to me and Akeno once we started college, and Tony had been more than happy to relocate.
Blue light flickered around my fingers, and a portal tore open in the middle of our living room.
Bell yelped and jumped backward, his eyes going wide as dinner plates.
Through the shimmering blue gateway, the sleek, modern interior of the Stark Industries penthouse was clearly visible. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the Manhattan skyline, the afternoon sun streaming through and illuminating the polished floors and expensive furniture. I could see the open-plan kitchen off to one side, the massive sectional couch, and the bar area where Tony kept his stupidly expensive whiskey collection.
Hestia's eyes went huge. "Whoa..."
Bell looked like he was about to pass out.
I grinned and held out my hand to Hestia. "Ready to meet my mom?"
Hestia blushed, her confidence from a moment ago evaporating as she suddenly looked nervous. Her hands fidgeted with the blue ribbon on her dress, but she nodded.
I turned to Bell, who immediately thumped his chest with his fist. "I'll guard the house until you come back, Big Bro Blake!"
I couldn't help but chuckle at his enthusiasm. The kid was trying so hard.
Hestia cooed, leaning forward to pat Bell on the head. "Such a good boy."
Bell sputtered, his face turning red all over again. "L-Lady Hestia!"
I took Hestia's hand and led her toward the portal. She squeezed my fingers tightly, and I gave her a reassuring smile before we stepped through together.
The transition was smooth. One moment we were in our cozy Orario living room, and the next we were standing in the most expensive kitchen I'd ever seen outside of a magazine spread.
Hestia's mouth fell open as she stared around at the gleaming countertops, the state-of-the-art appliances, the massive refrigerator that probably cost more than most people's cars. Her eyes were huge as she took in the induction stovetop, the built-in espresso machine, the touchscreen interface on the oven.
Oh, right. Her world didn't even have electricity. They used magic stones from the Dungeon to power things like stoves and lights. This must have looked like something out of a fever dream to her.
I could already hear voices coming from the living room, and I felt a grin tug at my lips.
"...and I'm telling you, JARVIS, wings with missiles attached would be badass! My kids have wings, why can't I?" Tony's voice carried clearly through the penthouse. "Extra firepower, extra mobility, extra style points!"
"Sir, adding wing-mounted missiles would create multiple structural vulnerabilities," JARVIS replied in his ever-patient British accent. "If your wings were damaged or shot off, you would lose both your weaponry and your flight capability simultaneously. Furthermore, the additional weight would negatively impact your maneuverability and power efficiency."
Tony grumbled something I couldn't quite make out, then said louder, "Yeah, but we could add some sick-ass effects! Make the wings shoot red and gold flames when I fly! That's gotta be worth something!"
I heard my mother's voice next, warm and amused. "Boys and their toys," she said, and Pepper's laugh followed.
"Technically, I have no gender," JARVIS interjected.
"Pfft, that's not true," Tony shot back. "Weren't you the one who asked me to build you an AI girlfriend sometime soon?"
There was a beat of silence.
"...Sir, that was supposed to remain confidential," JARVIS said, and for the first time since I'd known the AI, he actually sounded panicked.
Shuri and Pepper burst out laughing.
I glanced down at Hestia, who was watching the doorway to the living room with wide, curious eyes. Her nervousness seemed to have faded slightly, replaced by intrigue.
I took a breath and walked into the living room, Hestia's hand still in mine. "Hey, everyone. I'm back."
I barely had time to blink before my mother was on me.
One second she was sitting on the couch. The next, she'd crossed the room in a blur of motion that would've made most shinobi jealous and tackled me straight to the floor. I hit the carpet with an "oof" as she wrapped her arms around me and started peppering my face with kisses.
"My baby!" she said, her voice thick with relief and joy. "You're home! You're okay! I was so worried!"
"Mom," I groaned, my face heating up. "Mom, I'm fine. I was only gone a couple days."
"A couple days too long!" She kissed my forehead, then my cheek, then my other cheek. "You disappeared through a magic trap portal in the middle of New Mexico! What was I supposed to think!?"
I was acutely aware of Hestia standing a few feet away, watching this entire spectacle. I tried to push myself up, but my mother was surprisingly strong when she wanted to be.
Hestia just giggled. "Everyone here feels like family," she said softly, more to herself than anyone else.
Tony's voice came from somewhere above me. "JARVIS, why the hell didn't you say Blake was back? The security cameras should've picked him up immediately."
"I felt like pulling a small prank, sir," JARVIS said, and I could've sworn there was a hint of smugness in his tone. "Welcome back, Blake. It's good to see you in one piece."
My mother finally let me sit up, though she stayed on top of me, her arms still wrapped around my shoulders like she thought I might vanish again if she let go.
Pepper walked over, her heels clicking against the hardwood floor. She smiled down at me, her expression warm but tinged with concern. "I'm glad you're okay," she said. Then her gaze shifted to Hestia. She straightened and held out her hand. "Hello. It's nice to meet you. I'm Pepper Potts, Blake's girlfriend."
Hestia smiled nervously and took Pepper's hand, shaking it with both of hers. "Hi. I'm Hestia, and I'm also Blake's girlfriend."
Pepper's smile tightened just a fraction. "Oh…? Is that so?"
Shuri pouted on top of me, looking between Pepper and Hestia. "He picks up another one while I wasn't looking," she muttered.
Tony whistled, leaning against the back of the couch with his arms crossed and a shit-eating grin on his face. "Hehehe, here we were all worried for Blake, and he was picking up a busty short-stack babe in another world. And she even has twin tails too! Way to go, son!"
Shuri finally climbed off me, letting me stand up and brush myself off. I was about to introduce Hestia properly when Pepper stepped forward with a look in her eyes that I recognized but had never seen quite this intense before.
She wrapped her arms around my neck, turned to smirk directly at Hestia, and then leaned in and kissed me. Hard. It wasn't a peck. Pepper's lips moved against mine with purpose, and when her tongue slipped into my mouth, I made an involuntary sound in the back of my throat. Her hands rubbed the back of my neck, her nails dragging lightly against my skin, making me shiver as she thoroughly plundered my mouth.
Behind her, Hestia was stomping her foot, making angry little "mmph" and "nnngh" noises that were honestly kind of adorable despite the situation.
Tony chuckled, clearly entertained. "Wow. I've never seen Pepper so bold before. Marking her territory like that."
Pepper finally pulled back, leaving me slightly dazed and more than a little flushed. She smiled at my caught-off-guard expression, her lipstick barely smudged. "I'm glad you're okay," she said sweetly.
"I... yeah. I'm glad I'm okay too," I mumbled, my brain still catching up.
Hestia stomped on my foot.
"Ow!"
"That was mean!" she muttered, crossing her arms and glaring at Pepper. "That's why I didn't want to meet any of your other girlfriends yet! I wasn't emotionally ready for that…"
Shuri turned to Hestia, her expression curious and assessing in that way she got when she was gathering intel. "Where are you from, Hestia?"
Hestia straightened up. She lifted her chin. "I'm from the city of Orario," she said. "Although I only moved there myself a few months ago." Her expression softened as she glanced at me. "It's where I met Blake. He became the first child in my Familia and my first ever boyfriend I've had in thousands of years."
Pepper and Shuri both sputtered.
"Thousands?" Pepper repeated, her eyes wide.
"...Of years?" Shuri added, looking between Hestia and me.
Tony looked at me with literal stars in his eyes, his grin widening. "Holy shit, this is like one of those fun slop cultivation novels where the protagonist seduces the ice cold three-thousand-year-old jade beauty!"
I couldn't help but chuckle because that was sort of right. Hestia wasn't an ice cold jade beauty, though. Despite being gorgeous, she was more like a firecracker. Loud, explosive, warm, and impossible to ignore.
…I was sitting on the couch, having just finished explaining to everyone where I'd been for the past couple of days. The whole story. The Bifrost mark in New Mexico, accidentally syncing with its energy, getting pulled through a dimensional gateway, and ending up in Orario. Meeting Hestia at the exact moment I stumbled out of the portal. Joining her Familia. The Dungeon. The house. All of it.
Hestia was sitting next to me, close enough that our legs were touching, but I could tell she was nervous. Her hands were folded in her lap, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of her dress. She kept glancing at my mom and Pepper, and I could practically feel her hoping they wouldn't look at her weird for being an immortal goddess.
Tony just grinned at me, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. "An entire fantasy world with an actual fantasy dungeon? Elves and catgirls!? That sounds so freaking cool!" His eyes lit up even more. "I wonder how many floors down my Iron Man suit could make it in the dungeon?"
I snorted. "Probably pretty far, honestly. Though the ceilings get low in some places. Flying is a bitch without smacking your head…"
Tony waved that off and turned to Hestia. "So this Falna thing. How exactly does it work? And what other perks does it give adventurers? Is it a permanent buff, or does it need to be maintained? Can you stack multiple blessings?"
Hestia blinked, clearly not expecting the rapid-fire questions, but she recovered quickly. "It's divinity," she explained, her voice gaining confidence as she talked about something she understood. "We gods use it to awaken the potential that already exists inside mortals. It lets them grow stronger, faster, and tougher as they gain experience and level up." She paused, then added, "And mortals who reach higher levels live longer too. Each level can add decades to a human's natural lifespan."
I turned to look at her. "Wait, seriously?"
She nodded. "Of course. A Level Five adventurer could live well over a hundred years, sometimes closer to two hundred if they're lucky and don't get killed in the Dungeon first."
Huh. I hadn't known that part. That was actually pretty damn valuable.
Pepper, ever the businesswoman, leaned forward with interest. "What about those magic stones you mentioned? The ones that drop from monsters?" Her mind was already working, I could tell. "What kind of technology do they power in Orario? And what's the market like? Could we sell anything there?"
I grinned. "Orario doesn't have electricity, so yeah, there's probably a huge market for modern tech. They're even worse off than Konoha when it comes to advancements."
Pepper's eyes gleamed. I could practically see the spreadsheets forming in her head.
"Blake," JARVIS's voice cut in smoothly from the ceiling speakers. "I took the liberty of sending a message to everyone close to you, informing them that you've returned and that you're safe."
"Thanks, JARVIS."
"Additionally," the AI continued, "I received a message from Agent Natasha Romanoff. She wanted me to convey that she's very sorry."
I shook my head. "Tell Natasha I'm not upset with her at all. How could I be? I ended up in another amazing world and got to meet Hestia."
Hestia giggled, her cheeks turning pink, and some of her nervousness seemed to ease.
That's when my mom spoke up. "Blake," Shuri said, her tone careful but firm. "Do you think maybe you're moving a bit too fast with this new relationship? With a goddess you don't know that well?"
Hestia wilted beside me. Her shoulders hunched slightly, and she looked down at her hands.
Shuri must have noticed because she quickly added, "Not that I don't think Hestia is lovely or anything." She looked at Hestia with a small, apologetic smile. "You seem wonderful. But Blake, you're juggling a lot with your life all at the same time. School, your other relationships, dimension-hopping..." She turned back to Hestia. "And now he's going to be fighting some kind of War Game for you?"
Hestia flinched.
I felt something protective flare up in my chest. "It's not Hestia's fault," I said firmly. "The god Apollo in her world is a genuine asshole who I would've punched out regardless." I grimaced. "Which is apparently a crime, sadly. But with the War Game, I can ruin Apollo's life legally—and take all his shit!"
Tony nodded sagely, stroking his goatee like some kind of wise mentor. "Whenever you take down an evil NPC, you gotta make sure to loot them good and proper."
Pepper grabbed a throw pillow from the couch and hurled it at him.
He ducked, still grinning.
She grabbed a second pillow and threw it harder.
It bopped him right in the face.
– Pepper –
It was decided that everyone was going to follow Blake back to Orario because tomorrow he was going to fight in the War Game.
Pepper had mixed feelings about that.
On one hand, she wanted to be there to support her boyfriend. On the other hand, watching Blake get into fights always made her nervous, regardless of the fact that he was a literal half-fallen angel with eight wings and holy lightning at his disposal. He might be powerful, but he wasn't invincible, and she'd seen him a few times bloodied and bruised to know that.
She was also more than ten years older than Blake. Which sometimes makes me feel a bit like a cradle robber. He was legal, she reminded herself for the thousandth time. He was eighteen. An adult. And she knew he loved her, just as she honestly loved him. But with those extra years came experience, and Pepper knew a lot more about the world and relationships than Blake did.
Which was why she took her role as the protective girlfriend very seriously.
Blake and Tony had disappeared off to Tony's lab on another floor to collect some equipment to take with them to the fantasy world, leaving Pepper and Shuri alone in the living room with Hestia.
Shuri wasted no time. She sat down across from Hestia, her violet eyes sharp and assessing in a way that reminded Pepper the woman had spent over a decade as an elite ANBU operative. "So, Hestia," Shuri began, her tone polite but probing. "You said you've never been in a relationship before. In thousands of years?"
Hestia nodded shyly, her hands folded in her lap. "That's right. I've never... I mean, I've never even kissed anyone before Blake."
Pepper watched Hestia's body language carefully. The goddess seemed honest. Her cheeks were pink, her eyes downcast, and there was a genuine vulnerability in the way she fidgeted with the ribbon on her dress.
But Pepper didn't know if she 100% believed it.
Beautiful women claiming they'd never been in a relationship before always set off alarm bells in her head, especially when they were suddenly interested in someone like Blake.
As Blake's most responsible girlfriend, at least in her mind, though Shizune was a close second, Pepper's self-imposed job was to keep women away from Blake who just wanted to use him.
That was why she was still a bit hesitant about Rias Gremory, Jean Grey, and Emma Frost being in his life. Although, to be fair, Pepper had been talking on the phone with Natasha Romanoff for the past few days, and Natasha had apparently set those girls straight when it came to how they were trying to pursue Blake.
And as for Akeno...
Pepper felt her face heat up slightly. She chose not to think about Akeno's feelings for Blake at the moment. That was a complication she wasn't ready to unpack yet. She was pretty sure Shuri and Tony were starting to suspect as well.
Tony would probably just say "that's hot, followed by incest is wincest."
Pepper didn't know Shuri's thoughts on that matter just yet.
She shook her head a few times. She refocused on Hestia, who was currently responding to more of Shuri's questions.
"So you descended from Heaven a few months ago?" Shuri asked.
"Yes," Hestia said. "I wanted to live among mortals and experience the world for myself. I wanted to build a Familia, to have a real home and real connections with people."
Shuri's expression softened slightly. "And Blake was the first person to join you?"
Hestia's face lit up. "Yes! He was amazing. He walked into my life out of nowhere, and he's been so kind and strong and supportive ever since!"
Pepper could see with every answer that Shuri was liking Hestia more and more. She knew the reason for that. Family was everything to Shuri. She'd lost years with her children, and now that she had them back, nothing mattered more to her than protecting them and supporting the people they cared about. And Hestia, despite being from another world, was literally a goddess embodying home and family.
Of course Shuri would be drawn to that.
But Pepper wasn't quite ready to lower her guard yet.
"So," Pepper spoke up. "From what Blake told us, he's been working hard in the Dungeon. Killing monsters, collecting their magic stones, selling them, and making enough money to support you. He even bought you a house." Which Pepper would consider a big deal in any world…
Hestia's smile widened, her blue eyes were sparkling. "He did! Blake is so amazing, isn't he?"
Pepper smiled in agreement. "He is." Then her eyes narrowed slightly. "But I want to know what you're bringing to a relationship with him," Pepper said, her tone still polite but with an edge to it. "Because so far, it sounds like you're just mooching off of his success."
Hestia gulped.
Shuri spoke up, her tone gentler than Pepper's had been. "Maybe you're putting too much pressure on Hestia."
Pepper turned to look at Blake's mother, her expression firm. "Hestia is older than everyone in Blake's life combined. And that includes his thousand-year-old father. So no, I'm not."
Hestia fidgeted, her twin tails swaying as she shifted in her seat. "I... as the goddess, I'm in charge of keeping everyone's status and Falna updated so they can stay safe and grow stronger." She paused, looking down at her hands. "But maybe Pepper is right. Maybe I have been taking advantage of Blake." Her voice dropped to a mumble. "But in my defense, he's just so handsome, and the sex is just so good..."
Pepper felt her thighs clench together involuntarily. A shiver ran through her as memories flooded her mind. Blake's hands on her body, his mouth on her neck, the way he'd made her scream his name into a pillow.
"You're right about that part," Pepper said, her voice slightly breathless.
Shuri tilted her head, her eyes narrowing in thought. "Wait. Aren't you supposed to be a virgin goddess, though? How are you and Blake having sex?" Then her eyes went wide, and a mischievous grin spread across her face. "Oh."
Hestia fidgeted again, her cheeks turning bright red.
Pepper felt her own face heat up. She almost wanted to speak up and ask how that worked, because even she hadn't done that with Blake yet. But she decided to save that conversation for another time. There were more important things to address right now.
She cleared her throat, forcing herself to refocus. "I will provisionally allow you to keep your relationship with Blake," Pepper said, her tone measured. "And despite the fact that I really don't want him delving into some dungeon and fighting monsters for a living, I also know he's a boy, and that's like the ultimate male fantasy right there."
Shuri sighed, leaning back against the couch. "There's no chance Tony won't be in that dungeon in his Iron Man armor killing monsters at least once a week."
Pepper had known Tony long enough to agree with that assessment. "You're probably right."
Hestia's expression brightened, and she smiled at Pepper with genuine warmth. "I don't know Blake very long," she admitted, "but I really do love him more than I've ever loved anyone before." Her smile widened. "And I think you're very pretty. And nice. And responsible." She leaned forward slightly, her voice taking on a conspiratorial tone. "I like you a lot more than that tsundere elf Blake keeps trying to flirt with. Or that sword princess, Ais. I see the way she's been looking at him!"
Pepper's expression went flat.
Two more girls!? And one of them was a literal fantasy elf. Of course that would be the case…
– Blake –
I was with my stepdad Tony a floor down in his workshop. The smell of metal, oil, and electricity filled the air, and the sound of machines humming in the background was oddly soothing.
Tony grinned at me and picked up a silver briefcase, plopping it down on a nearby workbench with a metallic thunk.
He finished it already?
I knew there wasn't paperwork in that briefcase.
"Did you finish the Mark Three suit?" I asked.
Tony's grin widened. "Yep. An entire Iron Man suit that I can take wherever I want and look completely inconspicuous. It's freaking awesome. I can walk through an airport with this and no one would know better."
I raised an eyebrow. "It would probably give the TSA a heart attack if they did know."
"Ha, probably," Tony said with a laugh. "But I never fly public, so it's fine..." His grin faded slightly, and he grimaced. "I still couldn't figure out a new element to power the arc reactor besides palladium, though." He tapped his chest, where the glowing circle used to be. Now it was just healed-over skin under his shirt. "Thankfully, Asia healed me, so there's not a hole in my chest anymore with a radioactive reactor sitting in it. The reactor's built into the suit itself now. But palladium still gives off a small amount of radiation, so I can only wear the suit for about an hour a day if I don't want to make myself sick."
I frowned. "You'll figure it out," I said. "Or you could just visit Asia again if you accidentally give yourself cancer."
Tony scoffed. "I'd have to get through the Black Widow to get to her daughter, and that woman scares me." He paused, then smirked. "Have you fucked her yet?"
I sputtered, nearly choking on air. "What? No! I... we're just... she's helping me train hand to hand combat against regular humans so I don't hurt them!"
"I'll take that as a no," Tony said, patting his briefcase with a satisfied grin. "But I have the security footage of you and Natasha training together, so I know it's only a matter of time. I see the way you two wrestle each other on the mat…"
I groaned and dragged a hand down my face. "Can we not talk about this?"
"Fine," Tony just laughed and hefted the briefcase. "That's everything." He raised his voice slightly. "JARVIS, watch the house while I'm gone the next day or two. I'm heading to a fantasy world to watch my stepson make a god cry. Hah, my life is crazy and I love it!"
"Of course, sir," JARVIS replied smoothly. "Do try not to get yourself killed in that dungeon…"
I would have liked to see more of my girls in person. Jean, Emma, Akeno, Rias, Tsunade, Shizune. But this was only a quick stop back to Earth, and I'd see them when I left Orario after the War Game.
I headed back upstairs with Tony, and the three women were already waiting for us.
Pepper was muttering to herself as she adjusted the strap on a sleek carry-on bag. "Blake, you're lucky I'm used to Tony's crazy, whimsical lifestyle, because I always have multiple suitcases packed and ready to go for last-minute trips like this. In the future though, its polite to give a girl a heads up before you invite them to stay a few days somewhere."
Shuri nodded in agreement. "Pepper is right. But I keep plenty of spare outfits and equipment in storage scrolls on me at all times." She patted the pouch at her hip. "Despite being back on Earth for months now, I still never got out of my kunoichi packrat mindset."
I know that mindset well because Tsunade sometimes keeps storage scrolls between her breasts…
Hestia looked between all of them, then glanced down at herself. "I... I just have the clothes I'm wearing."
I felt bad hearing that. I know the outfit she was wearing was literally divine and could not get dirty, but that still makes me feel like a bad boyfriend for not noticing.
To be fair though, we had been spending every night with her wearing nothing at all…
"Don't worry," I said, squeezing her hand. "We'll get you more when we're back."
I focused my mind back onto thoughts of Orario and raised my other hand. Blue light shimmered in the air, and the gateway tore open in the middle of the living room again, showing the interior of our cozy house on the other side.
We stepped through.
Bell was still sitting on the couch where we'd left him, though he'd clearly been pacing again based on the new scuff marks on the floor.
He jumped to his feet the moment we appeared. "Big Bro Blake! Lady Hestia! You're back!" His eyes went wide as Tony, Pepper, and Shuri stepped through behind us. "And... you brought more people?"
"Oh my gosh, what a cute and polite young man! And he called my son Big Bro!?"
Before I could warn Bell, my mother zipped across the room in a blur of motion and wrapped him in a crushing hug, smothering his face directly into her large breasts. Bell made a muffled sound that could have been surprise, panic, or possibly just suffocation.
"If you're my son's little brother, then you can call me Mama too! I don't mind!" Shuri declared happily, squeezing him tighter.
I just sighed at my mom's antics. This was pretty on par for her, honestly. Actually, it was more tame than usual…
Bell still looked about to pass out, though, his face completely buried in a pair of mature tits and his arms flailing weakly at his sides. He made a strangled little squeaking noise that might have been "Mama" but might have also been a cry for help.
Tony leaned in close to my ear and whispered, "That kid has pure white hair and red eyes. Is he like the main character of this world or something?"
I snorted because I'd been having those exact same thoughts when I first laid eyes on Bell. The kid had protagonist energy written all over him.
Pepper looked around the house, taking in the wooden furniture, the cozy layout, and the warm lighting from the magic stone lamps. "This is nicer than I expected for a world without electricity," she admitted.
Hestia beamed, practically glowing with pride. "Thank you! It was the best house we found, and I decorated it myself." She gestured around excitedly. "There are a bunch of rooms for everyone to stay in, and they all have beds!"
Before she could continue, I interrupted and turned to my stepdad. "Hey, Tony. How would you like to visit a maid café with actual, authentic catgirls as the waitresses?"
Tony stopped mid-step. His eyes went wide. Actual tears welled up at the corners. "I know we're not related, Blake," he said, his voice thick with emotion, "but every day, you feel more and more like my son."
I was actually caught off guard by how sincere that was. Tony joked around a lot, but there was real affection in his voice.
It hit me harder than I expected.
Shuri was still hugging Bell, but she was watching us, and she made a soft "ahh" sound, her expression melting into something fond.
XXX
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