Their conversation on serious topics had come to a close. A quietude settled between Val and Arius which mirrored her emotional state. She felt a sense of ease as she enjoyed his simple presence.

“Uh, Val,” he said, “do you want a hug?” Arius turned his face away so that she saw his tight jaw. His arms spread wide in his offer.

Both of them had learned a lot about their own selves tonight and also one another. Val did indeed want a hug, so she sat up and crawled the last few feet to close the space between herself and Arius. Too shy to put herself in his arms, she shut her eyes and sat there.

Her fingers clenched the grass at her knees while her heart raced away. Who knew that a heart could beat so rapidly by the excitement of a mere hug?

Arius wrapped his arms around her, drawing her into his embrace.

A breathy sigh left her lips which probably tickled his neck unintentionally. Val moved her arms behind his back and squeezed him in return. She could feel his chest and back, all broad and muscular. Her chin rested against the top of his shoulder.

It felt impeccable to hug Arius. He was big and warm. He held her gently. Those big hands of his touched between her shoulder blades as well as the tender small of her back.

Though Val tensed under him at first, she relaxed under his touch with time. In comparison to his big body, she felt precious in his arms. Their hug lasted for a small eternity with no need for it to end.

Val opened her eyes to see the white moon blossoming across the night sky. By its low placement in the west, they had talked into the wee hours of the morning. Time had flown such that Val did not notice its passage. Though the beginning of tonight had been terrible, this had actually turned into a wonderous night.

Where one door closed, a new door opened. In this case, the door to Tavras’s heart had never been accessible to her at all. Finally, she recognized this enough to see the opportunity that she could have with Arius.

Val closed her eyes again and inhaled deeply. Her nose filled with his scent, fiery and fresh like a candle. Now, this was a moment that could last forever. Indeed, Val could relive her hug with Arius through Past Insight simply because she adored this. Their bodies pressed together felt perfect.

In the end, he was the one who pulled away first. “Look!” Arius cheered. “Foofy has come over to join us in a group hug.”

Val pulled away enough to see that Foofy had wandered over and seated himself at their side. They had earned a little audience for their display of affection. “Dogs don’t really like hugs,” she explained, “but let’s try! Foofy, come.” In between herself and Arius, she waggled her finger to entice him to approach.

Hesitantly, Foofy stepped closer. His nose twitched as he sniffed at her finger.

“Good boy. Sit!” Again, Val praised him for obeying that second command. “Good boy!”

With Foofy at their immediate side, this only left Val and Arius to do their thing. She gazed into his eyes, different than before.

From their hug, his irises had changed to a dazzling gold. Of what little light that was available in the night, his eyes shone with the same fluidity of divine blood when drawn. He looked happy for the first time that night.

As they looked at each other, Val and Arius knew what to do. Together, they both tried to wrap their arms around Foofy and hug him tightly.

“What a good boy!” Arius said.

“You are such a good boy!” Val cheered.

Foofy gave a doggy groan and tried to squirm out of their grips. The divine dog put up quite the struggle against their arm strength, forcing them to let him go. Foofy darted off a safe distance away and glared at them with a look of betrayal.

Together, Val and Arius burst into laughter. She covered her mouth with both hands while he placed one hand over top of his head.

“We are both so silly,” she said through her giggles.

“I know. We are going to be perfect for each other.” Arius let himself collapse back to the grass. His eyes fell closed, but his content smile stayed upon his face.

Val followed his lead in laying down, closing her eyes too.

“I feel exhausted—not particularly in the mood to fly back to New Gate. Are you comfortable sleeping out here? I can keep my ability over you to keep you warm during the night.”

“Yes, I’m comfortable here.” Val was more than comfortable. Without any way of knowing if Evalaite remained at the apartment through the night, there would be no point in going back there. Even if the coast was clear, she did not want to exist under the same roof as Tavras.

“If you liked hugging me, you are welcome to cuddle with me too.”

The heat of her body intensified, unrelated to Arius’s ability. As favorably as her body reacted to the idea, she did not want to overextend her budding relationship with him. The hug had felt intimate enough, as would sleeping beside each other out here, under the stars.

“I am happy just like this.”

“Me too.”

Foofy third, approached them anew. He laid down at Val’s side in his usual spot to sleep. It seemed that he had picked up on the fact that they were winding down for the night.

Tomorrow, she would begin a new chapter of her life. Arius would assess her skills, help her obtain proper documentation, and become an additional mentor figure to her. If their conversation tonight had been any sort of indication, he would surpass Tavras in the quality of his guidance.

All of that would involve another adventure for another day.

For now, Val just wanted to sleep with him under the blanket of this magnificent night.