Orion woke to warmth. An unreasonable amount of it.
And a submerging feeling to just merge with whatever was pressing against him.
He was wedged between two goddesses—Hestia on one side, Marika on the other—both asleep, both breathing softly, smelling heavenly, and a little too comfortable around him to make him sometimes question his masculinity.
'I'm a bit shy, yes, but that doesn't mean they think I don't have the guts to take advantage of them, right…' he grumbled to himself. Actually, it was a good thing they believed him. However, this kind of made him a bit subconscious about his presence as a man.
The situation was familiar enough now to inspire resignation rather than panic. At least this time, he could breathe. Progress, he supposed, came in many forms.
After being shocked by her own abject poverty, Hestia's unshed tears were quite visible. The poor goddess was so shocked that she even forgot to take money from Orion after he purchased her Jagamarukun.
And to Orion's surprise, even then Hestia had insisted they stay another night in her ramshackle church, waving away protests with an earnest smile and a blanket that smelled faintly of smoke and bread.
Orion felt a kind of warmth around her which he had never felt before. She was really a good goddess.
Orion had accepted, knowing full well how these things tended to end.
No! Actually, he agreed exactly because he knew he would end up in this situation. It was calculated.
Though if asked, he wasn't agreeing to any of it.
Was it worth it?
OH YEAH! It was…
Orion gulped as he felt his back pressed against Marika's larger-than-life chest, while his own chest felt the same but on a smaller scale, with Hestia's own abnormally proportioned breasts according to her size.
"Heaven is indeed a place on earth… it just took me reincarnating into the right one…" A big smile was present on his face, like all of his life regrets were gone.
He stared at the ceiling and debated his options.
Option one: remain perfectly still and enjoy the absurdly soft imprisonment.
Much preferred option.
Option two: escape, do something productive, and preserve what remained of his dignity.
Smarter option.
It took him a full five minutes of internal warfare to choose option two.
Very carefully—heroically even—he attempted to slide out of bed. Hestia shifted, murmuring something about debts and potatoes.
'I did pay her, didn't I?' Orion for a second even questioned himself.
Marika's arm tightened briefly, as though the concept of letting go offended her on a philosophical level.
Her hand, when it found her personal pillow getting away, instinctively roamed to catch it, going directly where his pants were tighter than Hestia's daily budget.
Orion froze, breath held, as Marika's hand grabbed his member, making him almost jolt.
'Wh… why does she always aim there?' Orion almost cursed.
After an eternity of struggle and calming himself so certain swollen things went back to normal—less big of a target—he finally was able to let Marika's hands slip through, and he himself slipped out, both goddesses settled again.
He escaped.
Once free, Orion prayed his way out.
'OH god up above… thank you for today's fluff…'
His next target was the church kitchen, rubbing his face and resolving to do something decent. Hestia had given them shelter without asking for anything in return. That alone warranted gratitude.
He wished to at least do something for her. So, he'll cook something decent for all of them before leaving for dungeon diving today.
Gods know he too needed something good outside Hestia's Jomungandr-kun…
'Wait, was it Jamungandr? Am I forgetting its name again…'
'Meh, whatever…'
Eggs, bread, stew, and even meat he bought yesterday just for this occasion—he made it with all of his accumulated knowledge of being a single bachelor. He put care into it. By the time the smell reached the nave, footsteps followed.
Hestia emerged first, hair a disaster, eyes lighting up. Marika followed, composed as ever, though her gaze flicked briefly toward the bed and then to Hestia.
[Why were you clinging to me in your sleep? I do not recall granting such intimacy.]
Marika asked coolly. When she woke up, she found herself being hugged tightly by Hestia. She was rather confused at what happened. Wasn't it supposed to be her Tarnished there?
"Sh… shut up. Who wants to hug you anyway? I thought it was Orion-kun!" Hestia shot back, ears red with embarrassment. Then she shot Orion a glare.
Orion just chuckled.
"If I knew that moving away from between you two would make you this close, I would have done that a long time ago…" he chuckled. It seemed like him slipping out from between them let gravity do its part and let their softness collide.
He thought about their breasts tightly pressed against each other and internally kicked himself. If only he had stayed there for a second more, he would have seen it.
[Why do I sense your thoughts straying somewhere unbecoming, hm? Pray tell, Tarnished.]
Marika asked as she supported her boobs, lifting them up and making them look even more jiggly while leaning slightly closer to him.
Hestia's face turned red again, ready to butt heads after the golden cow seducing Orion-kun. But her eyes slightly went down to where Orion's boner was yesterday upon hearing indecent things.
Only for a second, but that was enough to make her face completely flush again. Only she knew how hard it was to be composed around him after seeing his thing.
'Was it even supposed to be that big? That's not normal…' she muttered like complaining.
Orion cleared his throat loudly. "Breakfast."
"I made it as thanks to you, Hestia, for letting us stay here. Please tell me how you like it…"
"Really… you made it for me?" Hestia's eyes lit up.
"Yup, try it." Orion grinned.
And so they ate, even Marika, who didn't need any food to survive, decided to have a taste.
Then Hestia smiled. "This is really good."
Marika nodded once. [Acceptable.]
Orion leaned back, exhausted but content. Somehow, against all odds, the morning ended without divine catastrophe, which was already a bit of an improvement.
They ate in relative peace for exactly three minutes.
Then, inevitably, reality intruded.
"So," Orion began, poking at his plate with the air of a man about to walk into a trap of his own making, "we still need to talk about… living arrangements."
Marika did not look up.
[We have already spoken of this. Apartments in so-called decent districts are grotesquely overpriced, poorly constructed, and steeped in the stench of mortal desperation.]
Hestia tilted her head. "Hey! Some of them are nice. Just… very expensive. And small. And drafty."
"And filled with noisy neighbours…" Orion added like he was speaking from practical experience.
Orion sighed. He had expected this. The parchment Hestia had brought out—scribbled with prices, districts, and warnings written in increasingly frantic handwriting—was proof enough.
Money wasn't an issue per se. Adventurers earn quite a bit. However, for adventurers especially, the housing rules are a bit strict, like larger down payments, since who knows when someone decides they aren't coming back from the Dungeon.
But… for the amount he was willing to pay, he didn't feel like he was getting a good place.
Hestia leaned forward, resting her chin in her hands. "You know… there is another option."
Both of them looked at her.
She smiled, a little shy, a little hopeful. "You could just stay here. The church is big enough. I don't really use most of it anyway."
Marika arched a brow, already coming up with a thousand reasons why she would not—could not—stay in this dilapidated church.
Hestia hurried on, waving her hands. "I mean! Only if you want to. I wouldn't mind at all. It's not like I'm charging rent or anything."
Orion opened his mouth to refuse on instinct. He really did. He had pride. Principles. A strong sense of not taking advantage of kind goddesses living in ruin—
'Physical contact initiated by her didn't count…'
More than anything, he didn't wish to take advantage of Hestia.
But then he saw Hestia's expectant look on her face, then looked around him. A completely dilapidated church with only one person living in it. Even if it was a goddess, it was lonelier than his love life.
'hmmm…' he pursed his lips. He didn't want it to be imposed on him just like that. However, it felt like denying right now would be the wrong choice…
Not to mention the soft mornings. Warm beds. No landlords. No neighbors. And, unfortunately, the vivid memory of being sandwiched between two divine presences flashed through his thoughts uninvited.
He cleared his throat.
"Ahem… if you really mean it, then I wouldn't mind staying here…"
Both goddesses blinked. Marika almost blinked too hard, trying to register what her Tarnished just said.
"Wait, really…?" Hestia's eyes lit up.
"But I'll pay rent. It will be unfair to you if we don't…" he said, and when Hestia seemed ready to argue, he cut her off completely.
"I'll handle the living expenses," he continued quickly. "Fix the church up. Repairs, maintenance, food. That way it's fair. Cheaper than an apartment, and you're not stuck with freeloaders. And as your familia grows, I'll move out when necessary. Until then, I'm sure Lady Hestia too will have her own child to look after… So what I'm saying is that this is a temporary arrangement. What do you say…?"
[Must we truly remain with this goddess of poverty…?]
Marika asked, unwillingness visible in her eyes, though she didn't immediately deny it.
"OI, who are you calling a poverty goddess, you golden cow? Remember, you're poorer than me…" Hestia instantly rebuked.
Then Hestia stared back at Orion as if he'd just proposed marriage.
"R-really?" she asked. "You'd stay?"
'Did she only hear the start?' Orion almost deadpanned…
Turns out staying alone kind of left this goddess a little touched deprived.
He nodded. "If you're okay with it."
Her joy detonated instantly. "Yes! Of course! I mean—ah—yes. That would be fine. Totally fine. Very normal."
Marika rolled her eyes, not liking the option but knowing it was the better one for now.
[Do not look so pleased, Goddess of Poverty. Your desperation is beginning to show.]
Hestia puffed up. "I'm just happy! Unlike some people who pretend not to care!"
Orion watched them bicker over breakfast, exhaustion melting into reluctant contentment.
'Well, that takes care of daily fluff…' Orion grinned.
What can he say? A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do.
xXx
A/N : Yup... if you thought I'll let Hestia's fluff go away that soon then you all have mistaken. Not that I want her as a Female Lead or anything. However, I just like her cheerful Character.
Not to mention it won't be a permanent settlement either. Gonna chance as story progresses.
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