The concept of morning had always been strange to Zeirion Valeon.
To a being who once existed beyond linear time—who had watched the birth and death of uncountable multiverses in a single blink—"morning" should have been trivial, meaningless. A mortal thing, tied to a rotation of a planet long beneath his concern.
And yet, as golden rays of sunlight spilled through the rice paper windows of the small countryside home he now shared with Rimuru Tempest, Zeirion found himself smiling.
A simple smile.
Soft.
Warm.
Human.
The smell of sakura leaves drifted in through the open windows, carried by a gentle breeze that tugged at the loose strands of his midnight-black hair. Birds chirped with innocent rhythm, and a pair of squirrels danced across the fence that surrounded their hilltop house.
Zeirion sat upright in his futon, the silken sheets sliding off his chest to reveal a lean but powerfully toned torso. His body was no longer forged from anti-concepts and divine force, but something real. Tangible. A vessel sculpted by choice, not necessity.
Beside him, a delicate form shifted beneath the covers.
Blue-silver hair spilled across the pillows, shimmering like moonlight made flesh. Her breath came in quiet, steady motions. A warmth radiated from her body that had nothing to do with temperature. It was presence. Life. Joy.
Rimuru Tempest.
His wife.
Not the Supreme Ruler of the Jura Tempest Federation. Not the Chaos Slime. Not the Demon Lord with universal-level authority.
Just Rimuru.
Just his.
He leaned down and gently pressed a kiss against her forehead.
"Morning, sleepyhead," he whispered.
She stirred, her eyes fluttering open to reveal a soft golden hue, pupils still adjusting to the light. She yawned, then grinned up at him. "Zei-kun... Morning already?"
He chuckled. "Technically, it started a few thousand heartbeats ago. But I waited. I wanted to see the sunrise with you."
She stretched like a cat, arms above her head, her oversized T-shirt lifting slightly to reveal the curve of her waist.
"Cheesy as always," she teased.
He raised a brow. "And yet, you married me."
"Don't remind me," she said, covering her face playfully with the blanket. "I still get butterflies thinking about the ceremony."
Zeirion nodded, the memory flashing in his mind: the celestial venue they'd created in the void between dimensions, the vows spoken in every language known and unknown, and the kiss that shattered three mythologies.
He rose from the futon and walked to the open porch, overlooking the sprawling countryside of Jura. Below, the town shimmered with the awakening of its citizens. Smoke rose from chimneys. Children's laughter echoed faintly in the wind. And above it all, the sun greeted the world like an old friend.
"Still not tired of this world?" Rimuru asked, appearing beside him in a fluffy robe, mug of tea in her hand.
Zeirion took a deep breath. "No. Because I'm not looking at the world. I'm looking at our world."
She blushed slightly and sipped her tea to hide it.
---
The Town of Tempest
Later that day, the couple made their way into the village. Zeirion had insisted on walking instead of teleporting, something that amused Rimuru to no end.
"The God of All Reality, content to stroll through the forest like a commoner," she said, poking his side.
"Godhood is overrated," Zeirion replied. "Especially when I can hold your hand like this."
Their fingers interlocked.
At the town gates, Gobta waved at them enthusiastically. "Lord Rimuru! Lord Zeirion! Good morning!"
Zeirion smiled. "How's patrol duty, Gobta?"
"Uh, it's going great! I haven't fallen asleep once today!"
Rimuru smirked. "That's a new record, huh?"
As they walked through the town, citizens waved and bowed with respectful smiles. Zeirion had long since adapted to the culture of Tempest—where power was respected, but kindness revered more.
Children surrounded Rimuru, asking her to make slime shapes or little candy constructs. She laughed and entertained them with glee. Zeirion watched from a distance, heart swelling.
He remembered battles that once required the very essence of his being.
Now, he found more joy in watching his wife form a rabbit out of jelly.
---
A Visit from the Demonic Trio
Back at the house, they were greeted by three familiar auras.
Shion.
Shuna.
And Diablo.
"Welcome back, Lord Rimuru!" Shuna said with a gentle smile, bowing.
Shion grinned. "We brought lunch!"
Diablo, as always, knelt before Rimuru with unwavering reverence. "It brings me great pleasure to see you in perfect health, my Queen."
Zeirion raised an eyebrow. "You know she's married now, right?"
"Indeed," Diablo said with no change in expression. "That does not lessen my loyalty in the slightest."
Rimuru coughed. "Ahem, let's eat."
Lunch turned into a mini-feast. Shuna had prepared a heavenly assortment of dishes. Even Zeirion, who could subsist on cosmic force, had to admit that nothing compared to Shuna's cooking.
As they ate, stories were exchanged.
Diablo reported on recent diplomatic missions.
Shion bragged about her new training regimen.
And Rimuru recounted her latest failed attempt to make interdimensional cookies (which exploded and nearly formed a sentient muffin).
---
Twilight and Promises
That evening, after their guests had left, Zeirion and Rimuru sat beneath the sakura tree near their home.
The petals drifted down like lazy snowflakes, catching in Rimuru's hair.
She leaned against his shoulder.
"You're really happy here, aren't you?" she asked.
"Happier than I've ever been."
"Even more than when you recreated the cosmological constants of the void realm?"
He chuckled. "That didn't come with cuddles."
She giggled, resting her hand on his chest.
"Zei-kun... promise me something."
"Anything."
"No matter how many universes call for you, no matter how many powers want to pull you back... Promise you'll come home."
He turned to her fully, golden eyes glowing.
"Rimuru Tempest Valeon," he said, placing a hand over her heart, "You are my home. Wherever you are, I'll return. Always."
She smiled, tears brimming in her eyes.
And as the stars lit up above them, as the night wrapped them in silence, the god and the goddess remained still—not as rulers, not as legends, but simply as two souls who had found in each other what no universe could provide:
Peace.
Love.
And forever.
---
[End of Chapter 1]