"Alright now for the important part." Ben says with a grin, leading them to a weapons shop both he and Dagonet visit regularly.
"If it isn't Mr. Mimic, still think you're a better smith than me?" A tan, blonde girl who is a bit shorter than the average sized Ben greets him, her eyes closed while she's hammering away at a piece of iron.
Lina sees this worried and is about to say something.
"Alia, meet our new companion Lina." Ben says, pushing the green haired girl forwards a bit.
"Nice to meet you." Lina says nervously, looking at the busty girl who keeps her eyes closed the whole time.
"The two of you have something in common you know." Ben says, moving behind Alia's counter and shows Lina that Alia is also a elf, but cut off the tips of her ears to hide it.
"You are looking great as always Alia. Mind if I use your smithy?" Ben asks, standing close to the girl.
"I always mind but you never seem to care." Alia tells him, patting his cheek teasingly before going over to a seat in front of her counter, guiding herself with her hands.
"Alia has the skill of vibration. And her tribe blinded her because of it to increase its potency. She can still perceive shapes with her skill though." Ben explains to Lina.
"I'm sorry." Lina says saddened.
"It's fine. Ben is actually the one who got me away from my tribe when we were 15." Alia tells the green haired girl with a smile.
"Yeah that was not fun. My shin still hurts when it gets cold." Ben says, rubbing his right shin.
"What happened to his shin?" Lina asks Dagonet curiously.
"He jumped down a 10 meter drop with me in his arms." Alia informs them.
"Don't remind me. Although seeing you in good health is worth the year of working off medical bills." Ben says.
"Geeze thanks." Alia says chuckling.
"Here's the money for the iron I'll need." Ben says, placing down some money in her hand.
"You do know I have a good income here and don't need your charity every time you visit." She says, noticing that as usual he gives her too much.
"Take me out on a dinner instead." She says, sliding back a silver coin.
Lina looking between the two mirthfully.
"Ben always leaves town the day before the date because he gets cold feet although in his case frost bite would come to mind." Dagonet jokes, Ben hitting him with a block of iron over his head lightly.
"thanks a bunch." Ben groans embarrassedly.
"So that's why. I always thought you just don't find me attractive." Alia says relieved.
"He has enough pictures of you to make a robe of them. Although had is the right term I guess." Dagonet says, getting kicked in his face by a blushing Ben and send off his chair.
"You should've said something. I'm sure you'd like the pictures I'm willing to pose for you for." Alia says teasingly.
"S- stop it. Let me just use your smithy and it's fine." Ben says.
"No. Not this time. This time you take me on that date." Alia insists, grabbing his hand strongly.
"Fine." He sighs giving in.
"Great. I'll get changed try not too dirty waiting for me." She says.
"You want to go on that date now?" Ben asks stupefied.
"Of course. Payment upfront." Alia says, taking off her leather apron and hangs it on a hook while heading upstairs.
"She is nice." Lina says grinning.
"I'm so gonna kill you D." Ben tells his best friend.
"Please wait until after our date. I can't see blood, but I'll still smell it." Alia says coming down barely two minutes later, her blonde hair now freely flowing down her back instead of being held in a ponytail behind her and wearing a purple dress pronouncing ample bosom.
"I can hear your heart skip a beat Ben." Alia says sexily, walking up to the man ogling her.
"Fine let's go on that date." He says, mentally beating himself up for passing up the chance in the past.
"You sound honestly excited." Alia says teasingly, leaving the smithy with Ben, Dagonet telling her "We'll watch over the store."
"So, you seem to know where you want to go." Alia says, Ben leading her through the town without hesitation in his step.
"I had a date planned out three years ago. I just am scared." Ben says.
"Of what?" Alia asks.
"Hurting you." Ben says heavy heartedly.
"Why would you..." she says, but Ben cuts her off, putting a finger on her lips after arriving in an unused building which once was a restaurant.
"I am not Ben Porter. My real name is Ben Alfred of Toran 12th prince in line for the throne of Gustare." Ben tells her.
"I know." She says gently.
"Wha... how?" He asks shocked.
"Dagonet can be quite chatty when he is drunk." Alia replies with a smirk.
"You knew and you didn't kill me for keeping it secret from you?" Ben asks.
"Oh I wanted to at first, but I figured you had a good reason for it." Alia replies.
"I want you to be safe from getting associated with me. If Gustare found out about me being alive, they'd do anything to get their hands on my skill." Ben says.
"So, your skill is not mimic?" She asks.
"No, I have the skill of true leadership but never learned to properly use it." Ben tells her.
"True leadership? That doesn't sound like you." She laughs.
"Yeah, I know." Ben chuckles, hugging the girl strongly.
"It's fine. Your secret is safe with me. I wouldn't do anything to hurt you. I've been in love with you for a while now." She says, stroking his back and the back of his head calmingly.
"I'm sorry. I can't say those words without putting you in danger." He says.
"Ben. I'm no longer that young girl you rescued. I can make decisions for my own and I really want you to say what you feel right now." Alia tells him.
Ben doesn't respond however and instead kisses her passionately, one hand entangling itself in her blonde hair and the other holding her close to himself.
"Better." She says smiling happily.
"Let me see them. You promised that once we go on our date, I could see them." Ben says, cupping her face.
Alia slowly opens her eyes, revealing light blue eyes which are glazed over to him.
"You're beautiful." He says, wiping away the tears falling out of her eyes.
"Thank you." She says, showing more weakness than he has ever seen on her with Alia clutching at his shirt, hugging herself closely against him.
"I will do all I can to make you happy and keep you safe." Ben promises, brushing over her hair.
"I'm counting on you." She replies with a smile, closing her eyes again.
"So what did you plan for this date?" Alia asks.
"Come on." He says, grabbing her hand and pulls her with him until they are on the outskirts of town in front of a small lake with a waterfall.
"It's so loud." Alia says.
"Do you trust me?" Ben asks.
"Yeah." She shouts back, hearing everything amplified due to her skill.
Ben takes off his cape, shirt, shoes and pants before pushing the straps of her dress off her shoulders and puts his shirt on her, buttoning it up carefully with Alia blushing slightly, feeling vulnerable.
Ben then takes off her shoes, her bare feet feeling the grass below them.
"Alright. Now I need you to trust me Alia." He says, taking her hands gently.
"Stop using your skill." He says, startling her.
"Wh-why." She asks frightened.
"I want you to see differently." Ben says, brushing a strand of hair out of her face.
"O...OK but hold my hand please." She says frightened.
"Don't worry. I got you." He promises, taking her hand and pulls a frightened Alia with him under the waterfall, standing on a small ledge while holding her hands and looking at the beautiful girl who is instinctively looking around scared, everything pitch black instead of the usual wavy sights she perceives.
"Here. Only use a bit of your skill and try to feel the water around us." He says, taking one hand and places it on his face.
Alia closes her eyes again and concentrates on using a low powered version of her skill, seeing the shape Ben's body for the first time in a while.
"I can see you better." She says happily, her hands roaming over his body and her own excitedly, the bouncing off water giving her a clear outline in her mind.
"This is nice." She says, brushing through Ben's hair while smiling.
"I can't give you back your sight probably, but I hope this helps you." Ben says and kisses her lovingly.
"It's amazing. Thank you." She says, hugging herself to his body.
"You are really amazing you know." He tells her, wrapping his arms around her.
"Yeah, I know." She says laughing lightly while pressing herself against his body, enjoying his heat under the cold water raining down on them.
"You smell great." Ben whispers in her ear.
"Thanks, too bad the same can't be said for you." She says teasingly.
"I almost died a day ago so that's fine for me." Ben laughs.
"What happened?" She asks concerned, leaning her head up at him, her dull eyes revealed to him.
"We fought a manticore and a dragon." Ben says, fixing her wet hair behind her head and steals a kiss from the blonde.
"Don't do stuff like that." She says worried about him.
"We didn't choose to. We just kinda got trapped with them after a freak rockslide." Ben explains and kisses her forehead.
"Just make sure you come visit me again and more frequently if possible." She says hopefully before pulling his head down and kisses him longingly, their tongues wrestling against each other.