As Leon awoke, his senses slowly returned to him. The first thing he felt was soreness. Pain lingered, a liquid around him and soft warmth encompassing his head.
He heard two people talking, but he couldn't yet make out who they were or what they were saying.
"....I...t....so..."
".....it....ot...that..."
It was Rika and Valeria talking amongst themselves. It even sounded like Rika was laughing slightly.
"...welco...ck...rm..oy"
Leon slowly opened his eyes.
"...Ouch"
Rika began chuckling again.
"Of course that's the first thing you'd say. Why'd it take you almost 2 minutes to wake up even though your body healed instantly?
"Don't bombard him with questions. I don't know how he was able to survive that but all that matters is that he's alright now."
He began to look around and take stock of his surroundings. He was still in the garden of the mansion. His body covered in blood, having made a puddle on the floor around him. Rika was standing off to his right, looking down at him.
She's not even worried in the slightest. I don't know if I should take that as a compliment or not.
A bit behind her was Celestine. She was keeping her distance. Not yet fully comfortable with herself and the others. She had been secretly watching his training from the mansion and had rushed out when he fell.
He couldn't see Valeria. He heard her voice so he knew she must be around. It was as he tried to look behind him that he realized where she was.
Wait... Is this...?
The warmth that encompassed his head were her thighs. She had kneeled down in his puddle of blood to offer herself as a pillow. A thigh on each side of his head.
He looked up at Valeria and their eyes met. Her face was full of happiness as her red hair fell around his face. The sunlight caught in her strands, almost making a veil between the two.
"Hey... How are you feeling?"
"...Hi..."
He didn't know what to say in such an intimate moment. That was when Celestine let out a cough to interrupt it. She had already walked up to them.
"Valeria, right? Please allow me to take over from here. I'm his fiance, so he should be resting on me."
Oh yeah... That!
"What's a fiance?"
"It means we're due to be married. He was my first kiss."
"Marriage? Kiss? I'm not sure what you mean..."
Rika chimed in. She spoke as if disinterested but he could hear she was slightly annoyed.
"A kiss is when humans press their lips together, not sure the vampire equivalent. As for marriage, think about the relationship between your parents."
Panic and realization spread across Valeria's face.
"You're due to be eternally vowed!? But I thought you just met her last night?! What's so special about this "kiss'!?"
"He took my first kiss. I am now promised to him."
"Then I'll kiss him too!"
Valeria blushed as she said it. Aware of the open declaration that shocked everyone, even herself.
"No, you can't just do that!"
"Why not?!"
"Because! You can't. A first kiss is sacred among humans. It's the same as your eternal vows."
What's going on here?! How is this happening? They must be getting jealous or competitive or something?! No way both of them are just ready to marry me that quickly.
Rika chimed once again. Any faint disinterest was gone. Now she was aggravated.
"Hey, you two are getting way ahead of yourself!" You barely know him! First kiss this and that, do you even know his first kiss? Do you even know if he wants to marry you?"
The two girls look at each other. Rika was right. Their feelings had gotten the better of them. Caught up in fighting each other and fear of losing him, they had forgotten how little they actually knew.
"You right... Unless my first kiss was also his, I have no claim... Even if it was, he did it to save me. It is wrong of me to try and demand something like that."
"And ummm.... Maybe I don't understand the whole 'kiss' value thingy yet..."
Well now I kinda feel bad. I don't want to just reject their feelings but I can't just agree to marriage over a kiss. I get it's a lot more valuable here then my old world but still!
He began to sit up. His body was still sore but he felt it would make things less awkward for everyone right now.
"Wow. I don't know what to say. I'd be lucky to have either of you. But uh…I'm not really ready for marriage just yet… and uh… my first kiss was actually stolen. Yeah! My first kiss was stolen from me a while back so I can't really get married until I get it back. But that doesn't matter right now. There are other things we should focus..."
Celestine cut him off with a new found vigor.
"Someone stole your first kiss?!"
"Yeah. But it's not important right now..."
"Didn't you all just tell me it was important to humans? Is that why she stole it?"
"Well yes, maybe, but..."
Oh no. What have I done?
"So our kiss? What was it?"
"My second, but why..."
Celestine and Valeria were too busy questing him to see it but Leon did. The moment he said it was his second kiss, Rika turned bright red and looked away.
Why are you blushing all of a sudden? There's no way you thought I didn't notice it was you who kissed me.
"But aren't human kisses shared? Wouldn't you get hers too?"
"Hmmm... maybe, I don't know if it was her first kiss though."
He felt Rika's glare. Her checks still blushing but she did not like his previous answer.
Oi! first you're blushing now you're upset?
It finally dawned on him. She didn't know it was his first kiss. She wasn't trying to steal his, but rather, she was giving him hers.
"So there's one woman ahead of me? Who is she? I'll buy her claim to your marriage!"
Buy it? Is this a noble thing or this world thing? Also wait! How are we back at marriage!?
"No you don't. I will take back his kiss and then give him both kisses! Then I will be his first marriage!"
"You're confusing things. That's not how that works.
Oh no these two are fighting again. Why did I talk?!
The girls' fight came to a slight pause when Valeria's stomach made a rumble. A gape that leon took full advantage of to try and change the subject.
"Look at the time! Everyone must be hungry. Let's take a break here so we can eat!"
Oh perfect timing! Surely lunch will be less awkward…