Eric and Rubra had definitely two very different kinds of life experiences: the first was brought up in a single family, studied, and started working as a usual earthling; the second, on the other hand, grew up with her two loving parents before living her traumatic experience and becoming a NEET training freak, relatively speaking to long-lived races that would hardly level up because of the instinctive self-confidence their lifespan gave them.
Between the other similarities, something united them: they were almost totally ignorant of the feeling called love.
Sure, Rubra could tell that she loved her parents with all her heart, but when she saw Eric for the first time, she felt another different feeling she never felt before: lust.
Almost in the opposite way, Eric was accustomed to the feeling of lust when he saw girls dancing in the club where he usually went.
The difference was he never felt for them, or his previous girlfriends for that matter, the instinctual protecting and caring impulse he experienced with Rubra after she told him her story.
In this way, the mix of these two seemingly contrasting feelings left them embarrassed and unsure of how to act around each other after what had just happened.
Maybe because of her personality or her lack of the restraints living in society usually put on someone, Rubra was slightly more decisive than Eric in the beginning.
After all, her involuntary confession hadn't received an answer yet.
Inhaling shortly before fixing her red hair behind her ear she started.
''So what's your answer?''
If Eric had been present when Poseidon turned all the water into ice in his personal domain, he would have felt less cold.
His mind was constantly going from one point to the other and didn't manage to reach an answer, so he decided it made sense directly tell her his raw feelings to hopefully reach an answer with her help.
''I definitely care about you.
I'd like to give you happiness and safety with all my being.
I'm sure of that.''
Rubra's lips inadvertently raised slightly.
In her mind, the wedding march was already starting.
''The only problem is that even though I had experience with women during my previous life, I never felt something like that, so I'm confused.''
The wedding march slowed slightly because she was sad not being the first woman for Eric but way happier being defined as the only person he ever loved.
That wasn't exactly what he said, but her ears recently had a bias that made everything rosier in a way when regarding her relationship with him.
''Moreover, since the first time I hugged you, in a way, I thought of you as my little sister I had to protect, so I don't understand why you feel that way about me.
All of that makes everything more strange.''
The wedding march stopped for an instant.
Rubra didn't completely understand the concept of self-esteem or other forms of self-imposed platonic love Eric was talking about...
But she didn't care, her straight thinking simplified the complex situation he created out of the air, the wedding march resumed with more power, and she asked him.
''Do you feel sexual desire when you see me?''
He was dumbfounded, but seeing Rubra blushing like she was lit up in flames, he decided not to waste her courage.
After all, his answer was already hidden in his heart for a long time.
''Yes.''
Almost instantaneously, ''I do the same for you.''
He felt strange as if something wrong happened.
But his full focus, was now shifted from his internal thoughts and doubts to the woman in front of him, that continued with another question.
''Do you care about me and want to protect me?''
She already heard the answer, but her logic needed this answer, and hearing it again definitely didn't feel bad.
At this moment, the happy music in her head was ever so strong.
''Yes, I do.''
Now, Eric expected some other arguments: some kind of philosophic definition of what is love, what is happiness, or how meaningless the worries of us, the dust of the universe, are to the happiness loves brings with itself.
His expectations were instantly crushed.
''Me too.
I love you too!''
All he saw was a flying, cute crimson angel, closing the distance that, during their conversation, decreased naturally as if their emotions brought them closer.
Her answer was unexpected and logically incorrect.
But it didn't disappoint him in the slightest.
Then he understood, as if time was stopping, that sometimes his brain was in the way of his happiness and that his eyes would engrave this moment in his soul for the rest of his life.
While deep in thought, he reopened his eyes and found her in his arms.
If in the past he felt like something was wrong or that he had to wear a mask for this kind of situation, now he felt complete, as if her place was always meant to be in his arms.
He felt like he could now abandon any mask when he was with her.
Then he said what was natural.
''I love you Rubra. ''
She felt like crying out of joy.
Her face had a smile that could compete with the stars of the night.
She could now say that she had a family again, her family.
Reading her bitter-sweet thoughts and trying to give her certainty, he did something that definitely stopped Rubra from overthinking the past.
His lips touched hers.
For a moment, she was paralyzed as prey in front of the predator, but then her mind relaxed, and she started enjoying their less-than-optimal but ravishing first kiss nonetheless.
Shortly after, the roles were reversed: maybe out of curiosity, maybe out of instinct or imitation of her parents, her tongue knocked on his teeth as if asking for permission.
He didn't proceed to that point before himself because he didn't know how ready she was for that kind of physical interaction, but seeing her go on with that much initiative made him make a slight grin mentally and change his approach.
That would have been if a white pillar of flames didn't try to incinerate them on the spot.
*The weather forecasts didn't talk about pillars of flames... *