I Think... I'm in Love (Please Read!)

Creak, creak~

Early morning, the dilapidated bed frame swayed, emitting a dry, rhythmic sound.

Sunlight stubbornly squeezed through the cracks in the high stained-glass windows, piercing the basement of the abandoned church.

It landed on the eyelids of Hestia, shaking her slowly awake.

She let out a soft moan, pulling the thin blanket over her head and curling her body into the faint, musty darkness beneath.

A moment later, the heat radiating from under the blanket began to rise, irritating her.

Her fair, long legs slid out from the edge; the lines from her thighs to her ankles rose and fell in the thin morning light, her skin glowing with a sheen of light sweat.

Her toes were petite and slightly curled, like a startled little beast.

The stifling heat refused to dissipate.

Hestia turned over, curling her entire body into a small C-shape, knees gripping a corner of the blanket, her cheek buried in the pillow as she rubbed against it.

Not enough sleep.

Her head felt heavy, her eyelids sore, and the lingering images of last night collided in her mind—

The torrent of Stardust flowing from the fingertips of Thor, a sight that made her very soul skip a beat... a mountain of Magic Stone worth three hundred million Valis turning into Stardust at his mere thought, and then... it was as if the universe had exploded before her eyes.

Hestia's fingers subconsciously reached toward the edge of the bed, fumbling a few times until she grabbed the Magic Stone alarm clock and held it before her eyes.

6:12

What the... it's only six o'clock...

She sighed silently.

Her body was so exhausted she just wanted to sink into oblivion, yet her consciousness remained unnervingly clear, propped up by the sheer vastness of last night's spectacle.

Hestia hummed in frustration, wanting nothing more than to roll herself up in the thin blanket and sleep for a few more hours.

She groggily tugged at the edge of the blanket, pulling it toward her chest, only to find the other end stuck fast, as if caught on something at the foot of the bed.

What is going on?

She furrowed her brows.

The stifling heat gathered in her chest, and this minor obstruction only added fuel to the fire.

She lifted a bare foot, blindly probing under the blanket, trying to hook the fabric with her toes to pull it free.

Kick.

Kick again.

It didn't budge.

It was hooked tight.

The lingering annoyance instantly flared up.

She bolted upright in bed, arm tensed, ready to rip the troublesome blanket away in one go—

But as her gaze crossed the rumpled sheets and fell toward the foot of the bed, it suddenly froze.

In the dim morning light, a blurred figure sat quietly at the edge of the bed, back turned toward her.

Hestia's breathing stopped instantly.

Blood rushed to her head, only to freeze the next second.

"Waaah—!"

A shrill, off-key cry tore through the silence of the basement.

Like a startled cat, she recoiled violently, but her elbow caught nothing but air.

As the world spun, she hit the floor with a dull thud, blanket and all, her backside landing hard against the cold ground.

"Who... who's there?!" Her voice trembled, laced with the hoarseness of sleep and the sharpness of terror, as she scrambled to untangle herself from the blanket.

Her gaze locked onto the figure in panic.

Her chaotic vision finally focused.

Red, slightly messy short hair, like a smoldering flame in the thin light.

Hestia's movements stiffened, her mouth slightly agape, the lingering terror on her face replaced by profound confusion.

"...Hephaestus?"

Recognizing a familiar face, Hestia's taut nerves relaxed just a fraction.

But the next second, Hestia shivered.

Even if it was a dear friend, sneaking in silently in the dead of night and sitting motionless at the foot of the bed like a stone statue... that in itself was terrifying, wasn't it?!

She swallowed hard, her throat tight, and huddled against the wall wrapped in her blanket, tentatively calling out again: "...Hephaestus?"

The figure at the foot of the bed finally moved.

The red-haired goddess of the forge slowly turned her head, her eyes heavy with an exhaustion so thick it seemed impossible to dissolve, dark shadows bruising the skin beneath them.

She looked toward Hestia, as if it took a great effort to focus, her voice low and raspy: "...Morning."

That gaze lingered on her face for only a fleeting second before it scattered once more, drifting back to some point in the void, devoid of any focus.

Only then did Hestia truly see the state her friend was in.

Had she not slept all night? From the moment Thor finished forging last night until now?!

Hestia clutched her quilt and straightened up a bit.

She asked cautiously: "You... what happened to you?"

Hephaestus did not answer immediately.

She took a deep breath, as if to inhale all the heaviness that had accumulated throughout the night, then let it out in a long, sighing exhale.

She braced her hands behind her on the edge of the bed, looking up at the ceiling mottled with water stains and cobwebs, her voice drifting, carrying a confusion that bordered on sleep-talking:

"I think... I've fallen in love."

"--Huh?!!!!"

Hestia was so shocked her jaw nearly hit the quilt.

Her brain overloaded instantly, buzzing with noise.

Fallen in love? Hephaestus?! That Hephaestus?!

She forced herself to stay calm, rapidly searching her memories.

The male gods Hephaestus had been in contact with recently...

W-well, it seemed to be only Thor!

Could it be... that she had fallen for Thor?!

How could she... no, how could she possibly fall for Thor!?

Hestia suddenly felt a bit panicked.

She took a deep breath, her nails digging almost into the quilt.

No, she had to confirm this; what if it was a misunderstanding?

Clinging to a final shred of hope, she asked: "You... you don't mean... Thor?"

"Mm." Hephaestus confirmed without hesitation, her gaze still unfocused, yet the corners of her mouth unconsciously curled into a curve that was almost devout, "It is Lord Thor..."

Hestia's heart plummeted to the bottom of a well.

Ah?! Lord Thor?!

Even her form of address had changed?!

The situation was even more serious than she had imagined!

She almost blurted out, "Thor is absolutely out of the question!"

However, Hephaestus didn't notice her best friend's emotions teetering on the brink of an outburst; her thoughts drifted off on their own into deeper waters, accompanied by a drunken, delirious murmur:

"Ah... I have been... completely and deeply captivated by that [Celestial Body] he forged last night."

For the first time, her eyes found focus, yet it was as if she were piercing through the dilapidated ceiling to gaze at the phantom of that perfect creation in the depths of the universe, her voice carrying a fervor and longing she hadn't even realized herself:

"This... this must be what love feels like, right?"

"...Eh?"

All of Hestia's intense emotions and her prepared declarations of opposition were frozen on her face, as if hit by a pause button.

She kept her mouth open, unable to utter a single word, with only one thought spinning wildly in her mind.

Ce... Celestial Body?!

Not Thor himself?!

It was... that weapon?!

Hestia let out a long sigh of relief and collapsed back onto the bed, clutching her quilt.

What the... you scared me to death.

She really was still the same Hephaestus I know, with nothing but forging in her brain.

With the heavy stone in her heart finally dropped, the tension released, and a thick wave of sleepiness wrapped around her once more.

She hugged the quilt, like a cat that had found its nest, lazily curling back into the depths of the bedding that still held her warmth, her eyelids closing heavily.

Just a little more sleep...

"Hestia." Hephaestus's voice carried a hint of refusal, and she climbed onto the edge of the bed—which was far too narrow for her—with somewhat clumsy movements, "Help me arrange an introduction... I want to formally pay a visit to Lord Thor."

"Eh?"

Hestia barely cracked one eye open to look at her best friend's face, which was etched with exhaustion yet looked unusually serious, and muttered, "So much trouble... can't it wait until another day?"

Right now, she just wanted to melt into the warm bedding.

Hephaestus narrowed her single eye, a sharp glint flashing within.

"Who helped you find the place you're living in now?"

Her voice was low, yet it struck Hestia's weak spot like a small hammer.

Hestia's body stiffened.

Oh no!

She tried to struggle: "Bu-but, visiting without giving notice is very impolite..."

"So you do know that bringing people over without notice is very impolite?"

Hephaestus retorted almost instantly, a mocking curve touching the corner of her mouth.

"Who was it that dragged someone to my office door last night without a word?"

"Uh..." Hestia was instantly rendered speechless, her face burning as she could only let out a few dry, awkward laughs.

She sighed in resignation and compromised: "Fine, fine... we can only go at night, I still have to work during the day..."

"Work?" Hephaestus interrupted her, her tone filled with disbelief, "How do you have time to work today? There is quite a lot of preparation required to visit that person."

Hestia blinked in confusion: "Preparation?"

Before she could finish, her arm was seized with irresistible force, and she was dragged out of her blankets by Hephaestus.

"Get up! Now!"

The scene shifted.

The golden glow of the sunset draped the Labyrinth City in a soft veil.

Hestia tugged awkwardly at the hem of her sky-blue dress, her fingertips brushing against the delicate, expensive fabric.

She looked at Hephaestus beside her, who was equally dressed up, meticulously groomed, and possessed an impeccable posture, and couldn't help but mutter under her breath.

"Is such grandeur really necessary? Thor wouldn't care about any of this..."

Hephaestus straightened her back and carefully adjusted her cuffs: "This is the most basic etiquette, Hestia. When facing such an existence, one cannot be the slightest bit negligent."

Her gaze swept over Hestia, and after confirming that her friend's appearance was also flawless, Hephaestus nodded with satisfaction.

Hestia pursed her lips and said nothing more, though she inwardly complained about her friend's excessive seriousness.

Soon, the two stopped in front of an ordinary two-story building.

The twilight light outlined its simple silhouette.

"Here?" A flash of undisguised surprise crossed Hephaestus's eyes, her voice dropping to a whisper, "Lord Thor... lives in a place like this?"

This was completely different from the divine, otherworldly residence she had imagined.

This overly mundane dwelling only deepened the sense of unfathomable detachment.

She took a deep breath, as if she were about to face a sacred temple.

Her finger rose, but hovered in mid-air, inches from the door, trembling slightly.

In the end, she stepped back and looked at Hestia with a hint of imperceptible unease: "You should be the one to knock."

Seeing her best friend's rare display of nervousness, Hestia couldn't help but let out a mocking hum: "Heh, you were lecturing me just a moment ago, and now you're the one who doesn't dare?"

She felt no such burden, stepped forward, and knocked three times on the door.

The crisp sound of knocking echoed through the quiet street.

Almost as soon as the knocking ceased, light footsteps sounded from within, accompanied by a soft, pleasant female voice: "Coming~"

Hestia's heart skipped a beat.

A female voice? Why would there be a woman in Thor's home? Could it be a new member of his Familia? He hadn't mentioned anything about this before...

With a creak, the door was pulled inward.

Standing inside was a young girl with soft, gray hair and a gentle temperament.

Outside the door stood the two goddesses, dressed in their finery, their expressions varying.

Time seemed to freeze the moment the girl opened the door and caught sight of the visitors.

Three people, six gazes, collided abruptly in the shadows of the twilight.

"Ah."