The afternoon light had faded to a deep, dusky gold when Eis stirred. His aunt was still asleep, her body a warm, soft weight on top of his. Carefully, so as not to wake her, he slid out from under her, easing her onto the bed.
She murmured something unintelligible and nestled deeper into the pillow, her lips curved in a faint, contented smile.
He dressed quietly, the simple, worn fabric of his clothes feeling foreign after the bare intimacy of the afternoon.
Once clothed, he knelt beside the bed, his gaze tracing the peaceful lines of her face in the dimming light. He leaned close, his voice a whisper that barely stirred the air.
"Auntie, I'm going back home. They must be worried. I will come by and check on you."
Then he leaned in and planted a gentle kiss on her red, slightly swollen, and undeniably juicy lips. They curved into a smile under his touch, even in sleep. A warmth, deep and possessive, bloomed in his chest at the sight.
He slipped out of the hut, the evening air cool against his skin. The walk back to his own home was short but felt longer under the weight of whispers that seemed to cling to the path. He caught fragments of conversation, hushed and judgmental.
"...spent the whole afternoon there..."
"...with that fat and big-breasted aunt of his? Scandalous..."
"...poor boy, I heard the surrounding huts say they heard mating noises from their hut, truly disgusting. He is young, he can find a beautiful slander woman, right?..."
''... I heard his mother tried to find one, but no one wanted to join their family, poor boy, it's a curse...."
Eis ignored them, his focus turned inward. System, he thought with a quiet intensity, admit it. You are a female. Acknowledge this l might fight the gods for you.
The system remained silent, offering no notification, no achievement, no correction. He let out a soft breath, a mix of frustration and determination settling in his bones.
He arrived at his house, pushing the door open. A familiar smell—the scent of herbs, warm bread, and home, welcomed him, wrapping him in a sense of peace. The warmth of the hearth and the glow of the fireplace greeted him.
"Eis! My baby, you're home!"
Before he could even fully step inside, his mother, Lysara, had already jumped up from her seat by the fire.
She rushed across the room and launched herself into his arms with a force that made him laugh softly, catching her. She peppered his face with kisses, her hands patting his arms and shoulders, checking him over.
"Hello, Mom. How have you been?"
"Good, good, just worried about you, my baby! Are you okay?" She started running her hands over his arms and back, as if checking for broken bones.
"Don't worry, Mom, I'm okay. And you?" He said, looking over his mother's shoulder at his sister, who was standing by the fireplace, watching him with an unreadable expression. "Come on, then."
She walked slowly toward him, her eyes searching his face for a moment before she stepped into his arms.
He looked down at her, his eyes softening. He leaned in and pressed a gentle, lingering kiss to her lips before breaking it. "How have you been?"
"Good," she murmured, her voice quiet. "You just had us worried about you."
"Hey!" Lysara, his mother, pouted, still hugging her son's side. "What about me?"
Eis chuckled, a soft, warm sound in the quiet room. He dropped his head a little, a faint smile playing on his lips, and leaned in, planting a kiss on Lysara's lips as well.
Lysara beamed, her worry melting away into maternal warmth. "Come on, sit! Tell me everything. Are you hungry? Want some food?" she said, gently guiding him to sit on the edge of the bed.
His sister, having received her quiet greeting, went back to her place by the hearth, silently resuming her work of chopping vegetables for the evening stew.
As soon as Eis settled, he patted his lap. "Sit, Mother."
With a soft smile, Lysara obliged, settling herself comfortably on his thighs, her back against his chest.
She turned her head to look up at his face, her eyes full of patient affection, waiting for him to speak. His arm came around her waist, holding her securely, while his other hand rested warmly on her thigh.
"Mother," he began, his voice thoughtful. "I want to rebuild the house. I mean… are you happy with it as it is? I feel it's too small."
Lysara hummed, leaning into his embrace. "Well, almost all the villagers have houses like these, so I've never complained. Plus, it costs a lot, my dear.
You have to pay the builders, then the tribute to the village for the materials, then ask for permission from the Chief… Are you sure you want to do this, baby?" She reached up to stroke his cheek, her touch tender.
"I have the resources to do all that," he said, turning his head to kiss her palm. "I just want to make you both happy."
"Having you here is what makes us happy," she said, her voice soft but firm. "But if you want to build the house, you can do that. It's your home too."
"Yes," he said, a plan solidifying in his mind. "We will. We'll even have enough room for Auntie to join us, if she wishes. I'll look into it tomorrow. But for now…" He smiled, nuzzling into her hair. "I want to wait for the food."
And so, as the savoury smell of the stew began to fill the small hut, Eis started to share stories from his day in the forest, mundane observations, funny encounters, and the small dramas of the forest life. They laughed together, the sound warm and bright in the cosy space.
Sometimes, when he mentioned his hardship or a bit of sad news, a shared sigh would pass between them, a moment of quiet empathy.
When the food was ready, his sister brought over three bowls. They sat together on the bed, a small, intimate circle. They fed each other bites of the hearty stew, a familiar ritual of care. Laughter bubbled up again between mouthfuls, stories continuing, the simple meal feeling like a feast.
As the fire died down to embers and the night grew deep, they prepared for sleep. Following the unspoken agreement from the night before, his sister quietly slipped under the fur covers beside him, then shifted to rest her head on his chest, her body a light, trusting weight atop him.
Lysara settled on his other side, her arm draped over his waist, her breathing soon evening out into the rhythm of sleep.
Eis lay in the dark, feeling the warmth and weight of the two most important women in his life, his sister and his mother, sleeping soundly against him.
The house might be small, but in this moment, with their shared warmth and the lingering taste of stew and laughter, it felt immeasurably full. His last thought before sleep took him was of blueprints and a bigger hearth, a home that could hold all of this love, and perhaps a little more.