Chapter 725: Quiet Moments

Moon glanced at Honeybun, then back at her. "I’ve been meaning to tell you for a while. I just kept getting pulled away before I could. So, now you know."

Selene looked at him in the quiet courtyard, the little Supreme turtle between them, the night still around them, and suddenly the long distance she’d been feeling simply wasn’t there anymore.

She smiled, and it reached all the way to her eyes.

"Thank you," she said softly. "...For trusting me with it."

"Of course."

For a moment neither of them said anything, and the silence didn’t need either of them to break it.

Then Honeybun, apparently deciding it had been ignored long enough, ambled over and pressed its golden head against Selene’s hand, and she laughed.

"This adorable little thing is part of the elusive Supreme-Rank?" Selene scooped the turtle up and cradled it in her hands, holding it close to her face.

Moon smiled. "Crazy, right? And Honeybun’s already at Five-Star Evolver rank."

"Honeybun? You called it Honeybun!" Selene’s face lit up, "That’s so cute! And he really does look like a honey bun, hehe." She giggled, turning the little turtle gently in her hands as it regarded her with its calm eyes. "But to think he’s already at Five-Star... that’s beyond impressive. That’s absurd."

Moon nodded, shaking his head with a wry smile. "He hatched at the peak of Three-Star. Rose to Four-Star within minutes of devouring a Surpasser-rank corpse. And just now, as you can see, he crossed into Five-Star after eating two more. He grows faster than anything I’ve ever heard of."

Selene’s eyes went wider, her awe deepening with every detail. "Honeybun is making me jealous. I’ve been grinding for months and he’s outpaced me in a single day."

Moon laughed. "I can’t say I don’t relate. He’s going to leave both of us in the dust if he keeps this up."

"It’s good that you came out with some good cash from that gate, you will be spending a few millions on him every day...simply by feeding him." Selene chuckled. ℯℯ𝘭.

"Yeah, thankfully, I have two passive incomes coming in from my base in the second sanctuary, and first sanctuary. Otherwise, I would need to work everyday to keep up with feeding the little one."

Selene rolled her eyes, "You work everyday anyway."

"True."

The two laughed for a while before Selene turned towards him, "Can I ask you for a favor?"

"Yes?"

Selene took a deep breath then said, "The next pet you find... can you give it to me, please? You’ve got Mirage, Honeybun, the Arctic Fire-Prowler, the Grizzlers, all of them. I want one too!"

"What happened to your elemental wolf?" Moon tilted his head. "Did something happen to it? Is it hurt?"

"The wolf is perfectly fine!" Selene huffed. "But it’s a Beast Soul, so it doesn’t count! A Beast Soul is a summon, it’s not the same as an actual companion I can hold and name and spoil. I want a real one, like Honeybun."

Moon looked at the pout forming on her face, and he couldn’t help but smile.

"Alright, alright. The next one I find is yours. Deal? Happy now?"

Selene’s head bobbed up and down rapidly, like a chicken pecking at seeds.

"Yay!"

She set Honeybun carefully back down on the courtyard stone, then turned and threw her arms around Moon, hugging him tightly.

"Thank you!"

Moon froze for a fraction of a second, caught off guard by the sudden hug, then relaxed and returned the hug, one hand resting lightly against her back whilst the other held the back of her head.

"You’re welcome," he said quietly.

Selene stayed there several seconds longer than the thank-you strictly required, her face tucked against his shoulder, and neither of them moved to break it.

Selene smelled like the most beautiful flower Moon had ever encountered, a sweet and delicate smell, yet somehow very rich, as though every fragrant blossom in the world had been gathered into a single scent. With every breath, he felt his body slowly relax, and even the warmth of Selene seemed to seep beneath his skin, soothing him.

Without thinking, Moon leaned into that warmth. The faint sound of Selene’s breathing in his ears only added to the comforting feeling, until Moon felt as though he could simply close his eyes and remain there forever.

And Selene was no different.

Moon’s scent wrapped around her just as gently, intoxicating in its own way. It made Selene’s muscles loosen almost instantly, her body sinking into the softness of the moment. His presence, breathing, and scent filled Selene’s senses until her eyelids grew heavy.

Here, she felt the safest she ever felt.

For one fleeting moment, Selene nearly fell asleep right there, lulled into a peaceful haze by nothing more than Moon’s presence.

The night was quiet around them, Honeybun ambling contentedly across the courtyard stones, and Mirage chilling.

The earlier distance between them felt like something that had happened to two other people.

Realizing she almost slept on his shoulders, Selene pulled back hurriedly. There was a faint pink color in her cheeks, and she looked away quickly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"So," she said, a little too brightly shaking off her drowsiness. "A real pet. You promised. I’m holding you to that."

"I know you are." Moon smiled. "I don’t break promises to you."

Selene’s blush deepened, and she busied herself with picking Honeybun back up to avoid meeting his eyes, muttering something about how the turtle was clearly the superior housemate, and Moon let her have it.

The two hung out in the courtyard under the pale moon light, simply enjoying each other’s company, Mirage and Honeybun joining them.

"I will get busy again, I will be entering more gates soon..."

"I know." Selene smiled softly, staring at the moon in the sky. "I think I will do the same thing, gates will give me more cash and rewards."