Upgrades Chapter 84 (Patreon)

After a moment I smiled softly as my hand squeezed Materia's hand and I met her bright blue eyes.

"I... I am willing to see where this goes Materia. You are a good, kind young woman." I spoke quietly with Materia biting her lower lip as she squirmed slightly.

Her mouth moved with no sound for a moment before she exhaled and spoke with a shiver. "I had read so many books about this kind of moment back in the Hera Familia... I kinda expected you to swoop down and kiss me or something with that." She spoke with an embarrassed smile.

I took Materia's other hand into my own as I turned us both to the side so I could sit on the next barstool so we could face one another without me looming over Materia.

"Hmm, to be honest, I think you need to be pampered rather than smothered with love and affection," I replied before my voice took on a teasing hint as I continued.

"Unless you want me to kiss you right now?" 

Materia's pale skin took back on some blood as she blushed a bit, but she took a deep breath and with our hands conjoined she lifted our hands together with her coming between our arms and my eyes closed as she came and gave me a quick kiss on the lips with her letting go of my hands after the kiss.

"OhmyHera!" Materia whined as she buried her face into her arms while leaning on the table beside us making me chuckle at just how damned adorable she was.

Though... 'Would be really fucking awkward if Hera could hear Materia in prayer asking how to kiss me better.' I thought.

I got up and after a moment of thought, I decided that maybe Materia needed a more hands-on bit of affection from me. So I came up behind her, and as she leaned on her arms I wrapped an arm around her chest, with my other hand gently cupping her chin to bring her up out of her leaning forward position.

And with my height advantage, I was able to pull Materia up with her lower back going into my waist as I guided her head back so I leaned over her to give her a more firm kiss.

"Mhmm!" Materia hummed as she leaned into the kiss with one of her arms grabbing my side.

And after a couple of moments, I broke the kiss with Materia adorably keeping up the kissy face until she realized I was disengaging.

"Nyuuu." Materia pouted as she turned around on the stool towards me with her 'legendary' pout being aimed at me that had her bright blue eyes all but glowing with watery emotion in those orbs.

'No wonder Hera, and her Familia folds to the sight of these.' I mentally shuddered as I gave Materia a gentle smile and consoled her.

"Materia we do need to talk about something though. As you have probably noticed, I am also involved with other girls."

Materia gave me a long look before she tilted her head to the side and spoke with clear confusion. "So? What does it matter, you are strong, highly talented, and very rich. If there weren't other women involved I would be concerned about what kind of a person you are." 

I blinked at her utter honesty in her confusion and I spoke that confusion. "Uhhh, I mean yeah but don't you want like monogamy and to keep me to yourself?" 

And Materia just fucking snorted with her blush at our previous interactions going away as she gave me an amused look before she spoke clearly. "Jake, I know you are... New to Orario and its culture, but the Strong and Great take what they want. I want to be yours and so long as I have a part of your heart I am happy."

I blinked at the way she spoke and to that effect, she shrugged and gave a wry smile before saying. "I mean... Part of the culture is due to Maxim. He has quite literally tainted the gene pool of Amazons with more than a quarter of the current population bearing his seed in their bloodline in the last twenty-five years."

"Jake, so long as the women you are involved with, share their hearts and actually love you and you love them in turn. I won't be mad or anything!" Materia finished with a bright smile before her smile turned a bit brittle as she seemingly realized something.

"Well... On the other hand, Alfia is going to be mad at you. I think anyway, she wouldn't let any men that weren't healers near me." 

I smiled taking Materia's hand back into mine so I could pull it up to kiss the back of her hand making Materia beam at the romantic gesture before I spoke more seriously. "So how do I get your sister's approval then Materia?" 

There was a pause before Materia gave me a long judging look that made me almost feel defensive with the way she looked at me.

It was an odd look honestly, as we had already decided we were an item so the highly judging look was out of nowhere.

And then Materia spoke and I had to hold in a full-body twitch of horror.

"Well... Momma always told me that I needed a man to provide for me, to take care of me and in turn, I would love and help them as much as I could." Materia started off with. And then she continued and I had to keep my jaw from dropping.

"But Momma always told Alfia that she needed a man that could tell her to go to bed and be a good girl... I think its because Alfia is so headstrong, but either way! If you want to court my sister you need to be strong enough to beat her in a fight Jake!"

I stood stock still as the excited Materia began going off... Thinking about my potential, and how fast I was growing, and she was verbally vomiting her thoughts of how I would need magic resistance armor and stuff to be able to pin her sister down to make her love me apparently.

And all I could think of was this. 'Is this Greek romance to Alfia and Materia after being raised by Hera?'