Dante chuckled. Only after his hands slipped beneath the back of her dress and gently squeezed the soft curves of her backside did Vexion finally seem to calm down. The trembling in her shoulders slowly disappeared. The tears gradually stopped.
Looking into her crimson eyes, Dante asked with genuine curiosity,
"Why exactly does this calm you down more than just a hug?"
Vexion pouted. Both of her hands gently held his face, absentmindedly caressing the warmth of his cheeks.
"Because—" She smiled softly. "—only Master can touch me like this."
Her voice became quieter.
"When the only person who ever will is actually here, holding me, it reminds me you're real."
She lowered her gaze.
"It makes me feel like I'm not dreaming."
Dante stared at her for a few seconds. He genuinely couldn't understand what she meant. At the end of the day, he simply liked seeing his little psychopathic Number One satisfied. That was enough.
Vexion couldn't stop smiling. It's really Master. Two whole days. Two days without seeing him. Two days without feeling his touch. I never imagined it would feel this torturous.
Master is so mean. She lightly punched his chest.
Dante looked down.
"Why am I getting beaten now?"
Instead of answering, she simply buried herself deeper into him, her fingers lazily stroking the back of his neck. After remaining silent for several moments, she quietly muttered,
"More."
Dante sighed. But he didn't complain. Truthfully, he had no intention whatsoever of stopping. Unless he suddenly decided to become a proper gentleman and follow social etiquette, there was absolutely nothing wrong, in his opinion, with appreciating the wonderfully soft cheeks currently resting comfortably in his hands.
Turning around slightly, Dante noticed Lexa watching with a helpless smile.
"V. I know you missed Master, but—"
"No, you don't." Vexion immediately interrupted, burying her face even deeper into Dante's neck.
Lexa sighed. Massaging her temples, she muttered,
"I forgot how insane she actually is."
Silence followed. Gorgon. "..." Aishwani. "..." Jurian. "..." Eliosphere. "..." Amber. "..." Even Elric, who had just experienced two straight days of hell, could only stare blankly.
Jurian eventually looked toward Lexa.
"Is—" He hesitated. "—is Dante using some sort of skill to make her act like that?"
Lexa slowly shook her head.
"I honestly wish that were the explanation."
She let out the exhausted sigh of an older sister who had long since accepted reality.
"Vexion was already insane. Master didn't create that. He simply became the thing her insanity chose to protect. He became home."
She glanced at the two embracing each other.
"And she just spent two whole days away from home."
Aishwani silently watched them. The way Dante held Vexion, the way his hands wandered over her body — ordinarily she would have considered it incredibly intimate. Yet there wasn't a trace of lust between them. Only comfort. Only familiarity. Only trust.
She understands him. Even if Dante is rude, shameless, and hopelessly unromantic, she understands what he means, and he understands what she needs.
Eliosphere suddenly chuckled.
"So — for her, this is simply the first time in two days she's felt complete again."
Lexa shrugged.
"Something like that. Dante isn't just her Master. He isn't simply home either. He gave her everything. Her strength. Her confidence. Her purpose. In a way, he became part of who she is. So when he's gone, she feels like something inside her disappears."
Aishwani slowly nodded. Without Dante, she genuinely feels incomplete.
Dante softly kissed Vexion. His hands finally left her backside. Immediately a tiny whimper escaped her lips — the warmth she had been clinging to suddenly disappeared.
Looking into her eyes, Dante smiled.
"We came here for a reason, V."
She pouted.
"...But—"
Although every instinct screamed for her to keep holding him, she reluctantly stepped back. Even then, one hand refused to let go of his sleeve.
"Master."
"Hm?"
She hesitated. Looking around briefly before lowering her voice,
"My reward. I can ask for anything?"
Dante's hands naturally found her cheeks again. The moment they did, the warmth immediately returned to her eyes.
"As long as it's reasonable."
She nodded. Taking a small breath, she quietly said,
"Don't make me stay away from you for this long again. I really hate it."
Dante couldnt help but chuckle, 'Thought as much'.