Archive of Our Own

The last mission assigned to the adventurers of the Straw Hat Guild had been quite harsh, but two weeks had already passed and Viktorya was still dealing with that lingering fatigue and exhaustion. Furthermore, she thought that perhaps she had caught a stomach bug because she was feeling too much nausea and the urge to throw up. But it was something she brushed aside for now.

The dragoness was working her full-time shift. A year ago, she had married and officially started living with her beautiful husband, Loki. Now she teaches magic in her old cabin; she has a small group of students since not all children want to be sorcerers, but the few students she has are more than enough. She also has the help of the world's best archaeologist, Nico Robin, who comes twice a week to teach the children how to read ancient hieroglyphics and the ancient Dragonic language. Ancient Dragonic is Viktorya's mother tongue, a language that is unfortunately considered dead, but the oldest magic books are written in that language. Moreover, dark magic can only be studied if you are capable of reading and understanding ancient Dragonic. Viktorya had no intention of teaching dark magic to the children, but if any of those little sorcerers show an interest in this type of magic when they grow up, she wouldn't mind offering her help to teach it.

Viktorya attended to all the parents with kindness and a smile on her face, as was her custom. Robin was helping with the announcement to the parents until finally, all the children and parents said their goodbyes until Monday. The dragoness sighed with a bit of relief and closed the cabin door.

"Would you like something to drink?" the dragon asked, heading toward the water kettle to make herself a tea.

"A tea is fine" she replied while she finished tidying up the tables.

The water boiled quite quickly. Viktorya prepared two cups, adding a cloth bag with herbs to each cup, and then poured the water into each cup. She offered a cup of tea to Nico Robin, then sat down to be able to drink her tea and spend some time in the company of the archaeologist.

"Thank you again for coming another week" the dragoness expressed her gratitude. "The children really enjoy your classes."

"There's nothing to thank me for" the woman brushed it off. "I really enjoy my work" she smiled.

"Can I tell you a secret?" the dragoness asked, changing the subject.

"Of course" Robin nodded, turning serious.

"I think..." she hesitated a bit before saying those words. "I think I'm pregnant" she blurted out with certain doubts.

"Mm..." Robin remained thoughtful. "I've had certain suspicions since the last mission" she announced as she recalled the events. "You felt dizzy on several occasions and Loki had to step away with you, not to mention the rejection of certain foods" she concluded. "If that's the case, I give you my blessings" she smiled affectionately.

"I'd like to confirm it" she added. "That's why I asked you for those herbs" she pointed to the herbs Robin had brought this morning. "There is an ancient spell that can reveal if there is a pregnancy, and I need those herbs" she explained.

"That's wonderful" the woman gave her a warm smile. "If it turns out positive... when I was pregnant, Franky was working on a device he called an ultrasound machine, which is used to see the baby. Chopper knows how to use it, and we managed to see little Olvia when she was in my belly" she recounted with a certain nostalgia at the memory.

"I would love to try it!" her eyes lit up with excitement.

"Then let's do that test. If it's positive, we will expect Loki and you tomorrow at Chopper's clinic" she added, without erasing her smile.

Without further ado, they got to work to prepare the herbs correctly so Viktorya could perform the spell. It wasn't very complicated; from what Viktorya had read in her ancient magic book, she only had to boil the herbs, then add her urine, and finally draw the corresponding runes with her staff or fingers.

***

For the rest of the afternoon, Viktorya went shopping with Robin. She didn't want to break the news to Loki in a boring and traditional way; instead, she wanted it to be something more emotional and special, something she could use to play with her husband until he managed to form the riddle. To do this, she asked her in-laws for help without giving them the news just yet; she only asked them to keep Loki away from their house under the pretext that Viktorya wanted to make him a romantic dinner. Harald called his son to do some father-and-son activity, which Loki would likely complain about later upon arriving home.

When Viktorya returned home, she asked Ragnir for help to prepare the surprise for Loki, but before preparing the surprise for Loki, she had to explain the whole situation to Ragnir.

"I'm going to tell you something super important, Ragnir" Viktorya began the conversation, dropping the cloth bags onto the table. "Sit here" she pointed to the couch. "Loki sees you as a brother, doesn't he?" she started to speak, watching the squirrel who had sat on the couch, examining the dragoness with a cookie in his hand. "Well, I have huge news" she leaned on the table to stare intently at the squirrel, who seemed to be ignoring her. "ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME, YOU STUPID SQUIRREL?!" she yelled at him, throwing a slipper at the squirrel so he would stop eating and pay attention to her.

The squirrel let out a "kuriri" and began to rub his head on the area where the slipper had struck him.

"It's not animal abuse!"– she pointed at the squirrel, who had told her she was a stalker and an animal abuser. "That's affection between friends. Don't you hit your friends?" she joked sarcastically.

The squirrel threw the cookie at the dragoness and began to make sounds while looking like he was scolding her, until finally crossing his arms and huffing.

"Just kidding, silly" she caressed the squirrel affectionately. "What I wanted to tell you is that you're going to be an uncle" she announced with a smile on her face. "I'm pregnant, and I want to give Loki a surprise" a huge smile formed on her face. "Will you help me?"

The squirrel began to make sounds of happiness and jump for joy all over the house upon learning about that great news. The dragoness shook her head and smiled affectionately while trying to explain the idea she had in mind to the squirrel, to which Ragnir didn't complain and committed to collaborating from start to finish.

The first thing the dragoness and the squirrel did was prepare a map of the whole house, but it would be a special map that Loki would have to learn to read quickly. Viktorya blindly trusted that Loki would learn to read the map fast and would be able to find all the clues until reaching the hidden treasure. The next step was preparing the rooms; Viktorya would put the clues scattered throughout the house, and on the map, she would mark the key places he must go to find each clue. Lastly, they prepared the treasure chest. Ragnir would stay with Loki to help him and give him clues in case it was necessary, while Viktorya would wait for Loki to decipher all the clues and reach the treasure chest.

When Loki was approaching the home, Ragnir alerted Viktorya so she could go to the back garden, where the dragoness would be waiting with the treasure. Ragnir went inside the house, locking the back doors so Loki couldn't go out, and approached the entrance of the house, waiting for the giant to enter.

The house door opened, and the squirrel climbed onto the entryway furniture to welcome Loki. Ragnir was wearing a custom-made crossbody bag where he kept some notes and things he would have to give Loki little by little.

"I'm home!" the giant announced as he took off his shoes to replace them with his slippers and left his helmet on the entryway rack. "Hello Ragnir, you totally abandoned me for no reason" he stroked the squirrel's head. "Where is Viky?" he stared intently at the squirrel.

The squirrel made some sounds and pulled a letter inside an envelope out of the small backpack, giving it to Loki.

"What's this?" he was surprised.

Loki opened that envelope. Inside was a handmade map along with a letter, which was the first thing he began to read.

"Captain! I don't know if my letter will reach you, but I am writing this to inform you that I have found a great treasure that could change our lives forever! Isn't it great?! I found a treasure map that leads toward a great treasure. I made a copy of the treasure map so you can go yourself when this letter reaches you. I am sure you will manage to find the treasure. See you at the X!"

"So Viky wants to play" Loki smiled affectionately. "Then let's play. Let's look at that map, Ragnir." The giant approached the living room to sit on the couch so he could begin to examine the map properly.

The squirrel gave Loki another envelope when he sat on the couch, and along with that envelope, he gave him a small cloth bag that had some tokens inside symbolizing gold coins. The giant opened the new envelope and began to read the next letter, in which he could read the word "INSTRUCTIONS" in large letters.

"Objective: Find the treasure and the lost dragoness.

Along the way, you will find a series of clues that will lead you to a hidden key. That key will open the lost treasure that is located at the X and is held by the lost dragoness. For this, we offer you a bag with ten gold coins. Along the way, you can get more gold coins by doing mini-riddles, games, or hide-and-seek around the house. With these gold coins, you can buy things from the merchant Ragnir, who has a wide catalog of products.

Good luck!

PS: I recommend starting by buying the compass."

"Can I know what the products in your shop are?" Loki asked, looking at the squirrel, who offered him a list of some objects. Loki read it thoroughly to check the prices and then returned it to him. "I'll buy the compass from you" he offered seven gold coins to the squirrel.

The squirrel took those gold coins and gave the compass to Loki. Now he did start reading the map, placing the compass on the table next to the map. The X was to the north, so it wouldn't be very difficult to get there. Loki stood up and began to walk through the house following north, reaching the kitchen quite quickly, and realized that the compass was pointing to the door that led to the outdoor patio. The door was completely locked, and on the kitchen table was a note.

"Gather 100 gold coins to get the key that opens the door."

"ONE HUNDRED GOLD COINS!" the giant exclaimed and looked at the squirrel. "How do I get one hundred gold coins?" he asked with a frown.

The squirrel climbed onto the kitchen table and pointed to the first game, which was a deck of cards. The squirrel said something Loki didn't understand, but he knew perfectly well what he had said because the giant and the squirrel seemed to have telepathy.

–WHAT DO YOU MEAN I HAVE TO BEAT YOU AT POKER?!" he complained and huffed. The squirrel made a three with his fingers, implying he had to win three rounds. Loki rolled his eyes and ended up sitting across from the squirrel. "Let's begin."

Ragnir shuffled the cards and began dealing the cards for the first round. The giant only had three gold coins left, so Ragnir started by betting two gold coins. Loki laughed while shaking his head and ended up matching it. The squirrel placed two more cards on the table and ended up raising ten gold tokens.

"That's not fair!" he frowned. "I only have one left!" Ragnir burst out laughing, provoking the giant, who had no choice but to go all in.

The first round ended. Ragnir only had a pair and shook his head as he showed it, while Loki managed to get a full house, so he ended up winning this round with luck. They continued playing until Loki managed to win three rounds. In the second round, Loki lost all his gold coins except one, in the third he managed to recover and win again, and in the fourth, he finally made it the third round won. In the end, Loki was left with a total of twenty gold coins. Ragnir gave Loki an envelope with a new note.

"Captain! I have found the chest key. It should be in the dragons' nest. Good luck looking for it! And watch out for the guardian giant! You will only be able to defeat him with the legendary hammer."

"I am a giant, is he referring to me?" he wondered, confused. "And which one is the dragons' lair?" He looked at the squirrel looking for answers, but Ragnir just shrugged and pointed to his shop-bag. "I'm not going to buy anything from you!" He frowned while examining the map attentively. "Alright, we are in the kitchen, which is to the north" Loki pointed to the spot corresponding to the kitchen on the map. "The kitchen is..." he started to read "the giant's oven" he read, staying confused. "Why is it called the giant's oven?" Ragnir made some signs to him and let out some sounds. "Because I cook here, you say" he stayed thoughtful. "Then... the dragon's nest could be Viktorya's study or our room" he deduced.

Loki stood up and continued with the little adventure that Viktorya had prepared for him, which he didn't know why he was doing, but he assumed that in the end, she would announce something important. The giant found several gold coins hidden around the house: under some tables, on picture frames, in decorative plants, and even in the refrigerator. Furthermore, along the way in different rooms of the house, Loki encountered various riddles and games that he had to keep overcoming so Ragnir would give him more gold coins until gathering the one hundred gold coins.

When they reached the dragon's lair, which was the room Loki and Viktorya shared, the moment Loki opened the door, a giant cardboard cutout the size of Loki unfolded. On it was drawn an "ogre" (as Loki thought) with horns and pink hair.

"Why is there an ogre here?" Loki asked the squirrel. Ragnir pointed at Loki, saying something. "That's supposed to be me?!" He frowned. "I'm not that ugly!" he complained while observing that cardboard cutout. "I have abs!" He pointed to the cardboard and then pointed to his chest. Ragnir shook his head, sighing as if saying, "Oh bro, look what you're focusing on." "Where are my abs?" he posed dramatically. Ragnir climbed onto Loki's shoulder, making some sounds that explained in squirrel language what he had to do. "Okay, so I have to kill the fake Loki with the legendary hammer" he understood. "You are my hammer, let's go Ragnir!" He smiled with happiness, but the squirrel crossed his arms and shook his head while pointing to his bag. "What do you mean I have to buy the hammer from you?!" He opened his eyes wide, surprised. "That's not fair!" He hung his head. "I only have ten coins left to reach one hundred; if I buy something from you, I'll have to start again." Ragnir shrugged and told him the price. ‘’Only twenty five, alright."

Loki counted twenty gold coins and offered them to Ragnir. The squirrel smiled victoriously and offered a cardboard hammer to Loki. The giant grabbed that hammer, pretended he was using Ragnir, and hit the cardboard Loki with the cardboard hammer. On the bed, there was a wooden chest with a padlock that opened with a six-digit code. Ragnir gave him a letter that was the clue to the password. When Loki opened the letter, his face went completely blank because everything was written in ancient hieroglyphics that corresponded to Ancient Dragonic.

"How on earth am I going to read this?" Loki complained. Ragnir once again pointed to his shop-bag, showing him a dictionary with which he could translate the letter. –How much does this little joke cost?" he asked while Ragnir showed him a note with the price. "FIFTY!" He frowned and shook his head. "If I give you fifty coins, I'll be left with only fifteen, and I don't feel like playing poker with you in a loop until I get one hundred" he complained as he sat on the bed. "Come on Loki, you can do this alone, Viktorya taught you some Ancient Dragonic" he tried to convince himself.

Loki tried to decipher those hieroglyphics. No matter how many times he turned it over, he only managed to find the meaning of two words: one that meant day and another that meant love. For a moment, a lightbulb went off in Loki's head. He took the chest and began to put some numbers into that padlock—their wedding date. When he entered the last digit, a click was heard, and the chest opened.

"I've achieved it without your stupid dictionary!" he celebrated with a great smile.

Inside that chest was a key that had a tag hanging from it with a word in Ancient Dragonic, as well as a bag full of gold coins. Loki counted them, and there were exactly one hundred coins. Loki felt stupid; all those games were not necessary, the one hundred coins were at the end. Ragnir began to laugh out loud, mocking his friend who had been saving without buying help and clues out of fear of not gathering the one hundred coins.

"You could have said so earlier" he complained, killing the squirrel with his gaze, who simply shrugged while offering him the dictionary once more so he could translate that word. "Mm... I think I know what this means" he mentioned, rejecting the dictionary once again. "If I'm not mistaken, this symbol is read as  baba" he pointed to the last hieroglyphics. "And this is a particle read as a. When Viktorya talks about her parents, she always calls them ababa and atata. I think ababa is dad" he tried to deduce while remaining thoughtful. "An yet, why would she give me a note that says 'dad'?" he wondered, puzzled.

Loki left the room to continue the adventure. The giant and the squirrel returned to the kitchen, Loki gave the one hundred gold coins to the squirrel, and finally received the keys to the door. As soon as the giant went out into the garden, he could see that Viktorya was sitting on the terrace while drinking some apple juice. The dragoness was dressed in a soft pink silk dress. On the table in front of her was a chest with a padlock.

The giant slowly approached the dragoness, completely spellbound and lost in how beautiful his wife was. He was completely in love; every day he fell even deeper in love with his beautiful dragoness. Viktorya flashed him a smile, and that smile melted Loki's soul. He had forgotten why he was there; right now, inside his brain, there was only his beautiful wife.

"You managed to complete all the games, congratulations" the dragon broke the ice with a smile. "Now you can open the treasure." She took that chest and gave it to Loki.

"Were all those little games necessary?" he asked jokingly.

"You had fun like a little kid" she stated, letting out a small giggle.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't" he pulled the key from his pocket so he could open the padlock. "Whatever you put inside here better be worth it" he threatened.

"It will be worth every second of your time" she assured him.

The giant opened that chest without erasing the smile from his face. As soon as he opened the chest, he encountered tiny little shoes made for a newborn giant, along with a note that read:

"I really want to meet you, do you? Do you want to meet me, daddy?"

Loki swallowed hard and had to read that note once more, and even up to two more times, to be sure of what he was reading. Then he looked back at those small shoes and read that note one last time. Viktorya watched him in silence, waiting for his response, observing how her husband processed everything that was happening.

Loki burst into tears. They were tears of happiness. Without being able to contain himself, he threw himself into his wife's arms and hugged and kissed her desperately. Loki was a sea of tears. Viktorya wiped Loki's tears away with her thumbs and left a kiss on his forehead without erasing the smile from her face.

"We're going to be parents" Loki uttered, calming down a bit. "I’m the happiest man in the world once again, thanks to you for the third time" he announced, feeling his heart racing at a thousand miles an hour.

"What are the other two times?" she asked with innocence.

"The day I proposed to you and the day we got married." He took Viktorya's face in his hands, staring intently into her eyes. "I love you." He joined his lips with hers to kiss her passionately.

"I love you too" she pressed her forehead against his. "By the way, tomorrow we will see our baby" she announced affectionately while caressing her husband's pink hair. "Franky invented a device that allows us to see how the baby grows inside me" she announced.

"I'm going to see my daughter!" Loki took the dragoness by the hips and lifted her up, spinning her around affectionately, never losing his smile, and placing her back on the ground.

"Daughter?" she asked with curiosity.

"I'm sure she'll be a little warrior dragon just like you" he ruffled her hair to tease her affectionately.

"I think it will be a giant like you" she looked into her husband's eyes. "I can picture them with your long pink hair and your beautiful eyes." She approached the giant, leaving a kiss on his eyelids and then another on his lips.

"Don't wish that upon them" he frowned. "I don't want them to inherit my ugly eyes" he complained.

"Loki" the dragon placed a hand on his shoulder, looking at him intently with a great smile. "You are beautiful, your eyes are beautiful." She adjusted his hair, placing some strands behind his horns.

The couple continued chatting under the moonlight for the rest of the night while Ragnir went to prepare dinner. Loki and Viktorya spent the whole night laughing, dancing, and kissing. When dinner was ready, they had dinner together and planned the next day before going to sleep. Without a doubt, Loki would never forget that day; every second of the game Viktorya had prepared for him had been worth it. They were going to be parents, it was undoubtedly a super important change in their lives.

***

The night before, Loki had spent the entire night doing flips around the house. His happiness was more than evident; he was super happy about the great news. Becoming a father was something he had never been excited about, until he fell deeply in love with Viktorya. At that moment, he knew he wanted to start a family with the dragoness. He had the fear and insecurity of not being a good father, but he knew that with Viktorya by his side, all his insecurities vanished—or at least, that is what Loki believed.

Viktorya had arranged the first ultrasound with Robin. Robin had shown her photos of the ultrasound from when she was pregnant with her little girl. Furthermore, Chopper had become an expert at operating the ultrasound machine over the last two years, thanks to the giantesses who trusted him to visit his clinic.

In addition to all the plans they made for today, they also had it in mind to break the great news to Loki's parents. Loki was dying to tell his parents that he was going to be a father, but the one whose reaction he was most eager to see was his older brother's. Therefore, right now, Loki was writing a letter to his parents to find out if they could go to the castle tomorrow for lunch, under the pretext of a simple routine visit.

"Honey, it's very early" Viktorya reminded him while she prepared breakfast. "Your father must be sleeping."

"But Mom and Hajrudin aren't" he mentioned, very sure of his words.

"I think Gerd told me the other day that this Sunday she had arranged to meet Hajrudin for lunch" she recalled that conversation from the other day at the tavern.

‘’Gerd and Hajrudin?" He raised an eyebrow. "Since when do they meet up alone?" he asked, confused. "And why would Gerd have lunch with my parents?"

Viktorya let out a small giggle. "You men are so blind" she joked affectionately. "Seriously, you haven't realized?" she asked, surprised.

"What am I supposed to have realized?"

***

"I'm exhausted!" the redhead mentioned as she took off her heels. "I deserve a few beers" she smiled happily.

"You're such a drunk" Gerd joked. "You ask Viky to make you a giant just so you can drink giant beers." She nudged her friend's side affectionately.

"And you bring us to your mother-in-law's tavern so it turns out cheaper for us" Nami smiled happily as she sat at the bar.

"She's not my mother-in-law!" She frowned and blushed fiercely. "She's Viky's mother-in-law" she pointed to the dragoness.

"And yours too" the dragon called the waitress with a smile on her face. "Ida, please, a beer for Nami, a cocktail for Gerd, and an apple juice for me" she asked the woman, her smile never fading.

"Of course, sweetheart" the lady smiled back. "Only the best for my girls and their friend." She caressed Gerd and Viktorya's cheeks affectionately.

"My girls and their friend" Nami repeated in a playful tone once the waitress left. "I think she ships you with her son" she addressed Gerd.

"Nonsense" she quickly shook her head.

"When are you going to make your move?" Viktorya asked this time, implying it was about time she confessed.

"I can't make it" she replied, making a face. "It's true that I've had a huge crush on Hajrudin since childhood" she confessed while her cheeks turned as red as they could possibly get. –"But he's my best friend, and he only sees me as a friend" she shrugged.

"Men are blind and assholes" Nami added. "How has he not realized that you are crazy about him when it's so obvious?!" She frowned, annoyed. "Ugh! Men" she huffed. "That's why I prefer women; men are disgusting" she made a gesture, pretending to gag.

"It runs in the family" Viktorya tried to comfort her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It took Loki YEARS to realize that I was completely head over heels for him" she reminded her.

"But you were blind too" Nami pointed out. "He gave you some very direct hints" she recalled. "Hajrudin's case is completely different; he has a beautiful woman right in front of him and he doesn't even notice her" she frowned. ‘’He is a total idiot."

"Nami, don't talk about my baby like that" intervened Ida, who had arrived with the drinks, offering each girl her beverage. "And speaking of the devil" the lady alerted Gerd with a look while waving at her son, who had just entered the tavern.

"Are you kidding me?!" Gerd became super nervous, fidgeting in her chair as she adjusted her hair properly and pulled down the fabric of her dress, fixing it while trying to act normal. "Do I look okay?"

"You look perfect" Viktorya nudged her. "Just act normal."

Gerd's gaze crossed with Hajrudin's. Gerd's heart began to beat wildly against her chest when the other man smiled and flashed her a grin. He was walking over, and the closer he got, the more nervous she became, her blush growing more prominent, until she finally took a sip from her glass to hide her embarrassment.

"You never fail, you're here every Tuesday" the man greeted, placing a hand on Viktorya's shoulder. "Your husband is such a wimp; he spent the entire training session crying" he laughed affectionately.

"Don't pick on him!" She balled her fist and punched the giant's arm affectionately. "Do you know if he went home?" she asked out of curiosity.

Hajrudin nodded his head. "And he asked me to tell you, if I saw you here, not to go home just yet because he wants to prepare a surprise for you" he explained.

"What a gentleman Loki is" Gerd opened her eyes wide with a huge smile. "You really hit the jackpot with your husband."

"It's the least he can do" Nami added. "He married her for a reason; it's his duty to make her dinner every night and treat her like the princess she is" she said, half-joking, half-serious.

"He's her husband, not her slave!" Gerd hit Nami affectionately.

Viktorya blushed for a moment. "I'm curious to know what he's up to now" she murmured, thinking about what Hajrudin had told her.

"Sweetheart, you don't greet your mother anymore, only your friends" Ida joked, looking at her son.

"Sorry, Mom." He approached his mother while lifting the counter flap to step to the other side. The woman offered him an apron so he could put it on. "I came to help you, tell me what to get started on" he offered his help.

"By the way, Gerd" Ida added, approaching the young woman. "Would you like to come over for lunch this Sunday?" she asked with a smile on her face.

"Me?!" She was taken aback, opening her eyes wide with surprise. ‘’B-but... I'm nobody to..."

"You are a special friend to my baby" she gave her a smile. "That is more than enough to invite you." That sentence caused both Gerd and Hajrudin to blush as hard as possible.

"You say it as if she were my girlfriend!" Hajrudin frowned, raising his voice. "She's just my best friend!"

"Well, we can be sisters-in-law if you want" Viktorya nudged Gerd with her elbow to tease her.

"VIKTORYA!" Gerd screamed hysterically, blushing like a tomato, while the rest of the women present burst out laughing hysterically and Hajrudin had no idea what was going on.

***

"GERD LIKES MY BROTHER?!" was Loki's reaction upon hearing that story.

Viktorya put her hand to her face and shook her head. "Harald's heirs are blind from birth" she shook her head again as she finished placing the remaining pancakes on the plate. "Chocolate or caramel?" she asked once she had finally plated all the pancakes.

"Both, I feel like mixing flavors" he said without thinking twice once he finished writing the letter. "Who do you think will be the most excited out of the three?" he asked with curiosity.

"Probably Ida" she stayed thoughtful. "Though I heard your brother say he was really looking forward to having a niece and bragging all over Elbaph about his niece" she recalled the giant's words. "Ten years from now, when your father gives the throne to Hajrudin and our baby says at school 'I'm the king's niece' in a dominant and impulsive way like her father, just to brag that she is from the royal family, and her classmates bully her saying 'haha you're a ghost, that's a lie' I'll have to go to the school to smash those kids' heads" she perfectly imagined that scene where she could see an impulsive and energetic girl being a little copy of Loki.

Ragnir appeared, letting out a "kuriri" and several sounds that Viktorya translated as "but I will be the cool uncle, I will be the favorite uncle."

"Of course you will, Ragnir, between a king and a hammer-squirrel, I would also choose the hammer-squirrel" she stroked the squirrel's head with affection.

"Our daughter will have two uncles and neither of them are normal, thank goodness her father is normal" he said in a humorous tone, causing Ragnir to take offense and throw a cookie at Loki. "Hey!"

"Of course, your father had two children and you are precisely the normal one" she burst out laughing, approaching her husband to leave a kiss on the giant's cheek. "I fell in love with you precisely for what you are, just that crazy and impulsive, I love you, my life" she kissed the other's lips with affection.

"I love you, my heart" he answered that kiss with affection.

Ragnir put two fingers in his mouth, making signs of vomiting, and left complaining and murmuring in squirrel language "lovebirds."

The dragon burst out laughing while she continued preparing the pancakes just the way her husband liked them, she decorated them with pieces of fruit and offered the plate to Loki along with a freshly made chocolate milkshake. Viktorya sat down next to Loki and left a plate with two pancakes in the kitchen in case Ragnir wanted to have breakfast later.

***

The walk to Chopper’s clinic felt short to them. Chopper’s dream was to be a great doctor and to be able to cure all diseases; for that, he opened a clinic in Elbaph. Although he was the owner, he also had Gerd working at the clinic as a doctor, besides two male nurses who lent a hand. Viktorya highly trusted both Chopper and Gerd, she was really looking forward to seeing how that invention of Franky's worked, but she was sure it would be incredible because all of Franky's inventions were great.

As soon as they arrived at the clinic, the couple sat in the waiting room. Loki was very excited and also had great curiosity to know how he would see his baby. The idea of forming a family with Viktorya was a dream that was beginning to come true; he was afraid of not measuring up as a father, he wanted to be a great father, and all of this was a new world for him.

The little reindeer came out of the consultation room to call the couple who were waiting for him. Viktorya stood up with a smile on her face and Loki quickly helped her to stand up, he took her by the arm, accompanying her to the interior of the consultation room while Viktorya murmured, “I’m not an invalid, don’t be dramatic,” with a playful tone. Chopper began to give her instructions; the first thing was for the dragon to lie down on the stretcher, slightly opening her legs and with her shirt pulled upwards. Loki stayed by the side of the stretcher but still, waiting for Viktorya to ask him for help.

“Viky, I have to say I’m so very happy to know this great news” the reindeer mentioned with a big smile. “Franky invented this marvel when Robin was pregnant with my little sister; after that, all the pregnant female giants came to my clinic to be able to see their babies.” It was noticeable that the reindeer was very thrilled.

“When Robin told me about it, I was very curious” Viktorya announced.

“By the way, tanuki” Loki intervened “is this safe?” he asked with doubt.

“I AM NOT A TANUKI!” He clenched his hooves, furrowing his brow as he looked at Loki with rage.

“Forgive him, Chopper” Viktorya spoke quickly. “My husband is a bit foolish” she looked at Loki with affection. “Apologize, Chopper is a reindeer” she reminded him.

“I’m sorry, Chopper” he said with his head down, making a sad face.

“Answering your question, yes, it is safe” the doctor mentioned while picking up a bottle of liquid and approaching Viktorya. “This is a bit cold, but it’s necessary for the ultrasound” he warned before opening the bottle and pouring the liquid onto the dragon’s belly.

“But what are you doing to my wife and my baby?!” Loki became alarmed, wanting to grab Chopper and pull him away from his wife.

“I am the doctor!” he reminded him. “Let me work!” He furrowed his brow, making Viktorya begin to laugh out loud.

“By the way, Chopper” Viktorya observed the little doctor who was turning on the famous ultrasound machine, “don’t say anything to Gerd. We don’t want Loki’s family to find out because tomorrow we are going to have lunch with his parents to give them the surprise” she explained quickly.

“My lips are a tomb” he approached Viktorya once more with the ultrasound machine to pass the device over the dragon’s belly. “But she isn’t here today; the day before yesterday a last-minute mission came up for her guild, so she is out on a mission with the new warriors. She returns tonight” he explained.

“That’s why that idiot Hajrudin hasn’t answered my carrier pigeon” Loki theorized.

The little reindeer began to perform the ultrasound while looking at the screen searching for the baby. It didn’t cost him too much; he found it quite quickly. He pointed to the screen, explaining that right now it was very small and only the heart, which was beating, could be clearly seen. Upon seeing it, Viktorya was completely mesmerized; happiness ran through her entire body and at the same time she felt tears leave her eyes against her will, being tears of happiness. Loki, on the other hand, became a sea of tears; he was so moved that he burst out crying without being able to contain it.

The reindeer explained that by the size of the fetus, he calculated she must be at approximately week eight. He explained to her all the changes her body was going to undergo in the following months until the baby was born. He also told her that in the fifth month they could possibly know the baby's sex, in case they were interested in knowing it, in addition to giving them some instructions on forbidden foods, certain physical activities she must avoid, and of course, high-risk missions were over until the baby is born. Before leaving the consultation room, the doctor offered her a photo of the first ultrasound and scheduled them to come back to visit him within a month to check how the pregnancy was going.

As soon as they left the clinic, Loki hugged his wife, bursting into tears of happiness. Viktorya stroked her husband’s hair and hugged him affectionately, leaving several kisses on the giant's head while whispering to him that he was going to be a great father. When Loki looked Viktorya in the eyes, the tears could be seen falling from beneath his blindfold. Viktorya carefully removed the blindfold, seeing his tearful eyes; Viktorya wiped away her husband’s tears and left a kiss on his forehead.

“I am completely sure that our baby will have the best father in the world” she dedicated a big smile to him. “I love you, Loki. Thank you for this beautiful gift.”

“Thank you to you for wanting to start a family with me” he kissed his wife’s lips with happiness. “I would like to give the news in a special way; I’d like to buy some things” he explained, having some ideas in mind.

“Tell me on the way,” the dragon intertwined her fingers with the other's. “Today we could have lunch out, I feel like a pizza” she confessed.

“Your first craving?” He arched an eyebrow. “You aren’t much for pizzas, so I’ll have to give you the indulgence.”

The couple continued chatting on the way. Loki started telling her the ideas he had in mind about how to give the big news to his parents and brother, while Viktorya listened to him, contributing her humble opinion. Loki was too happy, and Viktorya loved seeing her husband overflowing with happiness.

***

The New Giant Warriors' adventurers' guild returned to Elbaph after a harsh mission of more than twenty-four hours. It was a harsh mission but not a difficult one; they had done more difficult things in the past, yet they were still exhausted. As the captain of the guild, Hajrudin accompanied all his nakamas to their homes, first stopping by Road's house, then Stansen's, and then Goldberg's. The next one should have been Gerd, but Gerd refused to let Hajrudin return to the castle alone; as a doctor, she worried about her patient, and Hajrudin was somewhat injured, so she would take charge of accompanying Hajrudin to the castle even if the girl had to return alone afterward. In the beginning, they were arguing, but finally, Gerd won the argument with the threat that if he didn't let her accompany him, she would tell his mother the next day how crazy and impulsive he was on the mission.

It was not the first time Gerd went to the palace; after all, Hajrudin was her best friend and he had invited her to his house many times, plus Ida seemed to adore Gerd and invited her to eat many times for no apparent reason.

Gerd's heart was racing at a thousand miles per hour now that she was left completely alone with Hajrudin. She was aware of the state of their relationship; they were just friends, but sometimes people rumored things about them, like they were girlfriends or something similar. Gerd couldn't blame those rumors; many times Loki would go out with Viktorya and Hajrudin, and so that Hajrudin wouldn't look like a third wheel, he would ask Gerd to accompany him, and that way they were four instead of three, looking like a double date. At Loki and Viktorya's wedding, everyone was dancing and Gerd was left without a dance partner; Hajrudin offered to dance with her so as not to leave her alone. There were many small details that fueled that rumor, but it was only a rumor.

The female giant stopped in front of the castle door; she knocked on the door knowing that Hajrudin didn't have any keys on him, and both waited in silence as if they were a divorced married couple. By the time the door opened, Ida appeared, and upon seeing Gerd, a warm smile formed on her face and she hugged the female giant.

“Welcome, beautiful!” The lady hugged the girl with happiness as if she hadn't seen her in a hundred years.

“Good evening, Ida” the female giant greeted, returning the hug. “I came to accompany Hajrudin” she explained.

“Sweetheart, you are going to catch a cold with so little clothing” the woman looked with sadness at the short dress Gerd had on. “Boy, don't be rude and offer the girl some clothes!” Ida looked at her son, threatening him with her gaze.

“But I have less clothing than her!” He furrowed his brow. “Besides, she lent me this cape” he averted his gaze.

“Come on, both of you step inside” the woman accompanied the two giants into the interior of the castle. “You are both freezing” she touched Gerd’s and her son’s foreheads, feeling how they had a very low temperature. “Come on, both of you go to the living room, I’m going to prepare something hot for you” she ordered in a loving tone.

Hajrudin passed his hand along his friend's back and accompanied Gerd toward the living room just as Ida had said. Gerd's heart accelerated again; feeling physical contact with her best friend made her blush and become extremely timid; they had been friends since childhood and she still got nervous. She knew that Hajrudin would never look at her with the same eyes; even so, she couldn't get him out of her head, he was her greatest impossible love.

When they arrived at the living room, both entered without making a sound until they came across an image that made Hajrudin scream with fury.

“PERVERTED OLD MAN!” The giant furrowed his brow. “WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING LIKE THAT?!”

The image that Hajrudin and Gerd had in front of them was Harald lying on the sofa in a super tight thong and without any other piece of clothing. Upon seeing him, Gerd quickly covered her eyes, not wanting to see that scene, seeking refuge in Hajrudin by hiding behind him, while Hajrudin clenched his fists and furrowed his brow.

“Well, look who it is, my son and my daughter-in-law” the king mentioned, standing up to approach Gerd and Hajrudin.

“Perverted and blind” he shook his head. “I'm Hajrudin, not Loki!” he shouted at him. “AND PUT SOME CLOTHES ON!” he shouted at him again.

“I know, I haven't mistaken my son” he put a hand on his shoulder while approaching Gerd. “My daughter, you are used to seeing your boyfriend in a thong but you get scared of me” he shook his head.

“SHE IS NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!” He furrowed his brow. “AND I DON'T GO AROUND IN A THONG, I WEAR A SKIRT!” He pushed his father away from his best friend.

“Honey, don't scare our baby and his friend” Ida announced, entering with a tray on which she brought two hot chocolates. “Go put some pants on, please” she asked him with kindness.

Harald withdrew to go to his room to put on more clothes. Hajrudin sighed, trying to calm down, and consoled Gerd, inviting her to sit on the sofa. Ida gave a cup to each of the giants and sat on the sofa next to her son and Gerd to listen to how the mission went while they drank the hot chocolate to recover their body temperature.

“By the way, Gerd, it’s very late” the woman looked at the girl with affection. “Do you want to stay over to sleep?” she offered with kindness.

“It will be a pleasure,” the girl nodded with a smile. “But I don’t want to cause any trouble.”

“You are not a trouble, sweetheart,” the woman shook her head. “You can sleep with Hajrudin” when Hajrudin heard that, he spat out the liquid he had in his mouth and began to cough, almost choking, “or in Loki's old room...” she murmured in an almost inaudible tone.

“Thank you very much, but I think I prefer to sleep in Loki's old room” Gerd replied with total kindness and her cheeks blushed.

***

Nerves were running all through Viktorya's body; she was just as nervous as the first time she went to have lunch with her in-laws. She really liked going to the castle to spend the day with Loki's parents, especially with Ida, with whom she would always stay for hours and hours chatting while the lady taught her some domestic tricks that were always very useless or they simply ended up playing together. Viktorya became an expert at Viking chess in the last year, and it was all thanks to Ida who taught her how to play.

Although she had already gotten used to eating at the same table as the kings, this time she was super nervous all over again. She really wanted to give them the big news, and although she knew they were going to be happy, she didn't know how they were going to react, and that partly scared her because there was always the slightest possibility that the reaction would be negative.

She had been standing in front of the closet for an hour thinking about what clothes to put on. Loki always told her that she didn't have to dress so formally with his family, that even if his father was the king, etiquette wasn't necessary. Loki was the first one who always went dressed in just any old way, and not only that, during Viktorya's second meeting with Harald, she ran into the man coming out of the shower stark naked without any clothes on, and as if that weren't enough, on several occasions she had run into him in a thong lying on the sofa without any worries at all. Every time a scenario like that occurred, Loki would shout “PERVERTED OLD MAN” at him while Viktorya burst into loud laughter.

“Still don't know what to wear?” Loki asked, entering the bedroom they both shared together.

“It's a special occasion” she reminded him.

“You'll probably find my idiot brother in a mini-skirt, and you're worrying about going formal?” He shook his head, caressing her back. “You'll look beautiful in anything you put on” he dedicated a smile to her.

“Now that I think about it, I've never seen your brother in pants” she began to recall if she had ever seen him with any other outfit.

“I have, the last time I saw him in one he was a teenager” he recalled, shrugging his shoulders. “Last night I was thinking that we have to make a room for our baby” he got excited just thinking about the idea of starting to decorate the baby's room.

“We have to buy many things for them” she nodded her head. “But we still have eight months to prepare for their arrival,” she caressed her husband’s cheek with affection.

“The pink dress looks beautiful on you,” he mentioned, getting up from the bed to leave her some privacy. “Although every time I see you in it, it makes me want to take it off you” he winked an eye at her before leaving the room, closing the door.

The dragon burst out laughing upon hearing that last phrase. Thanks to Loki, she had just decided on her outfit; without a doubt, she would put on the pink summer dress that Loki liked so much.

She stood up to head toward the closet, opened the door, and chose the pink dress; she began to undress, leaving her pajamas on the bed. She pulled down the zipper of the dress and began to put it on. Once it was on, she noticed that it was a bit tight on her; normally it fit her a little loose, however, now it was stuck to her body, and it even made her belly stick out a little. It wasn't a big deal, just a small bump that marked that a new life was forming inside her. Probably her baby would be a giant, but her body was quite big; she was only a meter or two shorter than Loki, so technically her body could carry that baby without any problem.

Once ready, she left the room to head toward the entrance, put on some comfortable white sneakers, and looked at her husband and Ragnir, who were playing tic-tac-toe, very entertained.

“Let me guess, Ragnir is winning” Viktorya approached with a smile on her face.

“Ragnir always wins!” He furrowed his brow, withdrawing from the game. “It’s not fair.”

“Didn't Hajrudin teach you a trick to always win?” she asked with curiosity.

“I've forgotten it…” he replied embarrassed, making the dragon begin to laugh.

“Well, today you can ask him again,” she stopped in front of her husband. “How do I look?” She moved the fabric of the dress a little.

Loki examined his girlfriend’s body silhouette from top to bottom in that beautiful dress, noticing the small bump that protruded from her belly. “You look beautiful” he said with complete sincerity. “The baby shows!” He pointed at Viktorya's little belly.

“Well,” she shrugged her shoulders “I suppose it shows because I don't usually wear tight clothes and this dress is tight” she played it down.

“That dress has never fit you so tightly to your body, I know that perfectly well” he stood up to head toward his wife and be able to leave a soft kiss on the other's lips. “I'm looking forward to seeing you with a more prominent belly” he smiled with affection.

“You just said you want to see me fat” she made a drama, making a pout with her eyes.

“Don't take it out of context!” He tapped her affectionately without using any force.

“Grab the little gifts and let's go” she announced.

“As you command, ma'am.”

***

On the way to the castle, Loki spent the entire time super excited, talking about things he wanted to buy for the baby. He told her how he was looking forward to going to buy baby clothes, how much he wanted to start organizing the room for the baby, he already wanted to go buy all the things they were going to need for when the baby arrives; he was so excited that Viktorya had to calm him down. The dragon found it very adorable to see how her husband got so excited about this new stage of their lives.

Upon arriving at the castle, as was custom, Ida opened the door, receiving the couple and Ragnir with a big smile on her face and inviting them to come in.

“Beautiful, I hadn't seen you in such a long time!” the lady hugged the dragon with a lot of affection.

“But we just saw each other on Tuesday at the tavern!” she reminded her with a big smile on her face.

“That is a long time for a mother” she shook her head, looking the dragon up and down. “You look gorgeous…” Ida's gaze noticed a small detail and she began to have a slight hunch, but she decided not to mention anything about it, “…as always.”

“The old lady loves you as if you were her daughter, if she goes more than a day without seeing you, she thinks you've died” Loki joked.

“Don't call your mother an old lady!” The dragon furrowed her brow and gave her husband a little slap with an open hand. “Respect the queen!”

“Ouch!” Loki rubbed his head, making his mother laugh.

Viktorya told Ida that they had prepared a dessert for after lunch that they really wanted to share with the family, but that it was a secret and they couldn't see what it was. Ida accompanied the dragon to the kitchen, where they stored the dessert in the refrigerator for later, and the two went together to the living room, where Loki was greeting his brother and Gerd.

“Viky!” Gerd jumped up from the sofa and went running when she saw her friend throw herself into her arms and be able to hug her. “I'm so glad to see you!”

“Gerd!” The dragon smiled, making a face, but she accepted her friend's hug just the same. “How was the mission?” she asked with curiosity.

“Overall good, although we had some internal arguments as a group” she murmured, shrugging her shoulders. “By the way, yesterday when I arrived at the castle, I ran into your father-in-law in a thong, and now I have nightmares about him” she mentioned, seeking comfort from the dragon.

“First time?” She arched an eyebrow.

“What do you mean with first time?!” She raised her voice, traumatized, making both Viktorya and Ida burst out laughing, while Loki and Hajrudin shook their heads instead.

“The old man is a pervert, I'm sorry you had to see that last night” Loki intervened. “But you of all people shouldn't complain; you're used to sleeping in a tent with my brother, who literally goes through life in a thong” he pointed at his brother.

“I'M WEARING A SKIRT, YOU PIECE OF IDIOT!” Hajrudin shouted, clenching his fist with rage.

“I don't sleep with Hajrudin!” She raised her voice at him. “I sleep with Goldberg…” She averted her gaze. “We have two tents; Hajrudin always sleeps with Stansen and that creep Road, while I always have to sleep with Goldberg” she explained to him.

“Yeah, but Road had to sleep out in the open on the last mission” Hajrudin recalled.

“And why is that?” Viktorya asked with curiosity. “You have to tell me the gossip” she looked at her friend.

“It's nothing important…” She blushed fiercely as she remembered how it all started.

“He stared at Gerd's boobs, and I punished him by making him sleep in the open air like the disgusting pig he is” Hajrudin added.

“I'm going to go to the kitchen to help Ida” Viktorya changed the subject. “Are you coming?” she offered to Gerd. When the girl saw the dragon's look, she knew it was just an excuse so both of them could be alone. “Let's let the brothers catch up in peace” she dedicated a smile to him.

Gerd nodded and said goodbye to Hajrudin to be able to follow Viktorya through the castle hallways. At first, the two girls were in complete silence; Gerd limited herself to following Viktorya, who knew the hallways of this place much better than she did. Finally, the dragon went out to the outer courtyard, a place where she knew they would have privacy to be able to talk.

“What happened on that mission?” The dragon broke the ice.

“The night from Thursday to Friday…” She swallowed hard. “I don't know how it happened, Hajrudin and I were left alone and… it happened…” She averted her gaze.

“You fucked?!” she asked, opening her eyes wide.

“Don't say it like that!” She blushed. “The point is, I think he regrets it…”

***

The New Giant Warriors' adventurers' guild received a mission in which they had to clean a village on a nearby island that was infested by A-rank and S-rank demons. Those were the “most dangerous” demons, although many times they classified them into high ranks solely because of the size of the demon, since all humans could not kill colossal demons, as they used to call them.

Gerd made sure to choose a good place to set up the camp since the mission would take them two days; as always, an area near the river where they could make a decent campfire and with easy access to food. Once they set up the camp, they left all their belongings in the interior of the tents and grabbed the weapons, dividing into two groups to go fight against the demons. The first group was Hajrudin, Stansen, and Road; the second group was Gerd and Goldberg, who despite being only two, both worked very well as a team.

The five adventurers met in the southern zone, where all together they were killing demons until a demon attacked Hajrudin, scratching his left arm. Gerd quickly approached her captain to withdraw him from the battlefield, asking him to return to the camp to heal that deep wound before it could get infected. Hajrudin denied several times, but finally ended up returning to the camp with Gerd.

The two giants were left alone once they arrived at the camp. Hajrudin sat on a log while Gerd crouched down to his height, beginning to heal her captain's arm, first disinfecting the wound and then beginning to sew that very deep wound. The other giant made faces of pain, to which Gerd apologized since she didn't want to hurt him.

“It's been a long time since we've been completely alone” the man mentioned while he sighed. “There is always someone else; if it's not our nakamas, it's Loki and Viktorya, or if not, it's my mother or your friends…” he murmured.

“I'm sorry” she shrugged her shoulders. “I didn't think you wanted time alone with me” she played down her words.

“You are my best friend” he reminded her.

“I have finished” she announced while she began to collect all the surgical material.

The woman collected all her things from the first aid kit and left the kit inside her backpack again. When she turned around, she realized that night had fallen; time passed too fast and they still hadn't eaten anything. Gerd approached Hajrudin, sitting down by his side; both stayed in silence looking at the stars and the full moon.

Hajrudin looked at Gerd for a second since he felt her arm trembling; she was cold. Hajrudin took off his cape and threw it over the woman's shoulders so she wouldn't be so cold.

“You should bundle up more, you use little clothing” he advised.

“And you tell me that, you who always wear little clothing” she joked with affection.

“I care about you” he furrowed his brow. “What happens to me doesn't matter.”

“Thank you” she snuggled in her captain's cape and rested her head on the other's shoulder. “But I care about you,” she confessed.

Hajrudin stayed looking at Gerd, opening his eyes surprised while he felt his heart accelerate, and he began to ask himself what was happening to him. Gerd was not very different; she felt her heart going at a thousand miles per hour. Having Hajrudin so close made her feel the warmth of the other's body and, at the same time, become extremely timid.

“Have I ever told you that you have beautiful eyes?” Hajrudin mentioned with sincerity, giving Gerd a mini heart attack.

“Thank you…” she replied with timidity. “I…”

The girl raised her look, crossing with that of her captain; it was a moment in which both looked fixedly at each other. Gerd approached a bit to Hajrudin, bringing a hand to the other's cheek to be able to caress him. The man placed one hand on Gerd's mid-back and the other on the other's hip while slowly drawing close to her. Gerd felt her heart racing wildly; she couldn't believe what was happening. For a moment, an impulse took over her and she ended up breaking the distance, kissing her captain's lips. Hajrudin opened his eyes surprised, without getting to expect it, but he didn't separate; he let Gerd kiss him, enjoying that moment.

“I'm very sorry!” Gerd said quickly when she separated. “That was…”

Hajrudin interrupted her, kissing Gerd's lips again. This time it was Gerd who stayed blocked; her brain shut down and restarted again. She felt that she was going to die of happiness, so she only responded, enjoying that kiss which each time was becoming more passionate and wild.

*The following morning*

Gerd woke up the following morning feeling her stomach growl. She was a bit confused; the last thing she remembered was that she fell asleep naked in Hajrudin's arms, however, now when she woke up, she was completely dressed and was sleeping in her tent alone.

Was that last night a dream or was it real?

Did she really have her first time with her childhood crush?

Did Hajrudin really agree to fuck with her?

Was that kiss real?

The woman shook her head and let herself be carried away by the smell of food; she was dead of hunger, she didn't even remember when was the last time she ate something. Upon leaving the tent, she encountered Goldberg serving breakfast to the rest of the group. Gerd approached to be able to receive her portion as well, while with her look she searched for Hajrudin, who apparently looked normal as if nothing had happened.

“Good morning, Cinderella” Goldberg joked.

“I don't remember when I fell asleep” she murmured.

“When I returned to camp you were already in the tent sleeping, so you will know when you entered the tent to sleep” he replied, shrugging his shoulders.

Gerd sat down to have breakfast quietly, staying in silence. It was a weird start of the day; Gerd and Hajrudin were quiet without mentioning anything, and Road was inside the tent analyzing the map to choose today's routes, so if it weren't for Goldberg and Stansen who were commenting how last night's battle ended, they would probably be in a deathly silence.

After breakfast, they initiated the second day of the mission. Gerd was very tense; she wanted to try to talk to Hajrudin, but every time she approached him, he walked away, not wanting to maintain contact with her.

They made a stop for lunch; after resuming energy, they would separate into two groups again. Gerd took the opportunity to talk to Hajrudin after eating, taking advantage that Hajrudin had moved a bit away from the group.

“Are you angry with me?” she asked, confused.

“No” those were his only words before leaving, but Gerd took him by the arm.

“Hajrudin!” She furrowed her brow. “Why are you giving me the cold shoulder?” She clenched her fists with rage. “Do you perhaps regret…” She averted her look.

“Everything is fine” he got rid of Gerd's grip and walked away from the rest of the group.

“HAJRUDIN!” She raised her voice without fear that the others would hear her. “What the hell is wrong with you with me?!” She furrowed her brow, annoyed.

“Gerd-gozaru” Road intervened, putting his hand on Gerd's shoulder. “I'll handle it,” he furrowed his brow. “Hey, Hajrudin!” He approached his captain. “Why do you treat my beautiful Gerd-gozaru so badly?!” He challenged his captain with his look.

“Don't get into matters that don't concern you, Road” was the only thing Hajrudin said.

“Of course I'll get into it!” He pushed the captain. “You are only a stalking jerk, stop treating Gerd badly, she hasn't done anything to you. If you are bitter because nobody loves you, take it out on another but not with the beauty of Gerd” he clenched his fists with strength.

“Road, don't get involved” he repeated again. “Gerd and I are fine,” he affirmed.

“I'm very sorry, Hajrudin” he raised his fist with a decision. “I don't know what happened to my captain, but this is not my captain.” Road's arm was getting close to Hajrudin's face.

“ROAD, STOP!” Gerd shouted, putting herself in front, willing to receive the blow herself, but to her surprise, Goldberg was grabbing Road's arm, avoiding that he could deliver the blow.

“Respect your captain” Goldberg mentioned. “Don't get into matters that don't go with you; what Gerd and Hajrudin have pending is between the two of them,” he tried to explain respectfully.

“I don't think to make a team with this asshole” Road was very angry.

“Fine, then go with Gerd and Goldberg” Hajrudin mentioned, without it mattering to him.

“Let's see if you are capable of returning without me!” Road mentioned very furious, walking away from the captain.

“I have a better sense of direction than you imagine!” Hajrudin replied, annoyed.

After that moment, an awkward silence was produced until each group went on its side. This time Road joined Gerd and Goldberg because he refused to go with Hajrudin; his pride wouldn't allow it.

Gerd didn't stop eating her head with everything that had occurred; it wasn't normal for Hajrudin to react in such a way, besides that it wasn't normal either that he gave her the cold shoulder. In her head was only the idea that he had regretted it, and that's why he didn't want to talk to her. Goldberg noticed that something was happening to Gerd; he didn't get into her personal matters, although he could imagine where the shots were going since Gerd's crush with Hajrudin was an open secret where the only one who didn't know it was Hajrudin, because he was so blind that not even with Gerd confessing directly would he be capable of realizing it. Goldberg tried to cheer Gerd up with positive comments that made Gerd's spirits lift for now.

Once they arrived at the northern zone, they began to exterminate demons. Gerd and Goldberg, as always, synchronized to work as a team, while Road fought alone. Gerd's combat style was incredible; she was a great, extremely strong warrior capable of lifting her axe all by herself with a single hand, besides she also knew how to run fast and use her legs if it was necessary.

When they were finishing for the last demon, Gerd gave a run, and when she was close to the demon, she gave a great jump, lifting the axe and bringing it down toward the demon's head while giving a spin in the air to cut off the enemy's head. The woman fell back on the ground on her two feet and smiled with satisfaction once all the demons were exterminated.

Road had seen in the front line those clean and perfect movements of Gerd's. Road's look had locked onto an exact spot, making blood begin to come out of his nose from the excitement upon seeing Gerd's cleavage from so close in combat.

“I just found the One Piece!” Road shouted with blood coming out of his nose. “Gerd-gozaru, what beautiful and round little breasts you have!” he mentioned with a great blush on his face. “I mean!” He shook his head. “You should have care when you use that dress because enemies could look at those beautiful breasts” he pointed at the woman's cleavage.

“YOU WERE LOOKING AT MY BREASTS!” The female giant clenched her fist with strength, giving a heavy blow to Road's head with a closed fist.

“No!” The guy knelt in front of the female giant, begging for forgiveness. “I was only worried because I wouldn't like any pervert to be able to appreciate your breasts” he tried to correct himself.

“YOU ARE A PERVERT!” The female giant lifted her leg vertically and brought it down, giving a great kick to Road's head.

*Back at the camp*

The whole adventurers' guild was in front of the campfire having dinner, less Road, who went to eat alone and to cry in a corner with the two enormous bumps on his head that Gerd had made him previously for looking at her breasts. They maintained in silence, except for the whimpering of Road in the background that began to exasperate Hajrudin.

“What the hell has happened to Road?” he asked, confused, looking at Gerd and Goldberg.

“Miss Gerd gave him his deserved attention because he was looking at Gerd's boobs while she fought” Goldberg confessed, having no mercy at all with the navigator.

“HE DID WHAT?!” Hajrudin shouted furiously, dropping his food bowl, and stood up with closed fists, heading toward Road to hit him with a heavy punch on top of the other two bumps. “YOU ARE A PERVERT!” he shouted at him.

“Goldberg, traitor!” Road complained. “You promised me that you wouldn't tell Hajrudin!” He whimpered even more.

“I told you that as long as he didn't ask I wouldn't say anything, but once he asked I would let out the truth” he reminded him.

“SHUT UP, DISGUSTING PIG” Hajrudin shouted. “TONIGHT YOU SLEEP WITH THE MOSQUITOES IN THE OPEN AIR.”

***

Viktorya remained in silence listening to all the story that Gerd had to tell her until she arrived at the final part where they arrived at Elbaph and Gerd accompanied Hajrudin to the castle and that's why this night she spent it in the castle sleeping.

“Okay, I think he doesn't regret it, that he simply doesn't know how to face the situation and since he doesn't know how to express his emotions he prefers not to talk about the subject” she tried to deduce, since she also knew Hajrudin and it resulted very strange to her that he would be the typical man of only one night and now no more is known of you. “I don't know his narrative but from how you have told it, it seems that he was the one who looked for that kiss, therefore it is possible that he feels something for you but has not realized it and that's why he acts like an idiot” she tried to explain. “Nonetheless, when I arrive home I will try to extract information out of Loki in case Hajrudin has told him his version” she dedicated a smile to her to try to cheer her up.

“I've been since it occurred thinking about the same thing” she sighed, bringing her hands to her face. “It seems that today he has woken up normal and has continued talking to me as always but the subject continues without coming up” she leaned on the wall, sighing once more.

“Gerd” Viktorya approached her friend, putting a hand on the other's shoulder. “Don't wait for him to bring up the subject, do it yourself” she advised her. “Do you want to know if he liked it or if he regrets it? Ask him directly” she went back to dedicating a smile to her with affection.

Gerd nodded with her head slowly. The two girls gave each other a hug; Viktorya hugged Gerd hard, caressing her back with affection, demonstrating to her that she was with her for whatever was needed and that she would not leave her alone.

It was time to return to the dining room. When they went to leave the garden, they encountered Ida leaning on the garden door with a face of worry. Gerd and Viktorya looked fixedly at each other, thinking that they had screwed it up and their conversation was not private; Gerd in especial became very nervous and fear ran through her body since she was in front of Hajrudin's mother.

“Gerd, honey,” the lady broke the ice, bringing her hands to Gerd's cheeks. “Forgive my boy, he doesn't realize the feelings that you have for him, but I can assure you that my baby is a boy of a pure heart and would never do you harm” she assured with her words.

“Did you know from before that I like your son?” she asked somewhat surprised.

“I've known it since you were a girl” she dedicated a smile to her. “You always blushed when you were with him alone and when you had the minimum of physical contact” she recalled with affection. “I dare to say that he also likes you but that he is very stubborn and refuses to admit it,” she hugged Gerd with affection. “Now enjoy the food and later I will take care of making sure you have a moment alone to be able to talk” she said with complete certainty.

The three women returned to the dining room chatting quite animatedly as if nothing had happened. Loki, upon seeing his wife appear, quickly stood up from the sofa to be able to go hug her with affection, putting himself in dramatic mode saying that he had missed her very much, while Viktorya burst into loud laughter.

The table was set; Harald had taken care of setting the table for seven diners. Ragnir was helping by carrying some plates and the drinks to the table; he took care of carrying alcohol, apple juice, and water, a little for all tastes. Lastly, Loki and Hajrudin finished carrying the rest of plates with the food; as was custom, Ida had made a whole lot of food.

Loki and Viktorya sat one next to the other, leaving Viktorya in a corner. On the other side of Loki sat Harald; in front of Harald sat his wife Ida, who by her side had Hajrudin and on the other side Gerd. Lastly, Ragnir sat in the corner of Viktorya and Gerd, crowning the table with his presence.

Each one began to serve onto their plate the amount they believed convenient; they enjoyed the food with a good chat in which Harald told embarrassing little stories about his children when they were children, making Gerd and Viktorya laugh, while Loki and Hajrudin were dead of shame, asking their father to please shut up.

“Old man, shut up already” Loki furrowed his brow.

“The last one, the last one” he insisted, having the attention of the two young women.

“Stop already, old man!” Hajrudin complained, furrowing his brow as well.

“Too much for today, honey” Ida added.

“Alright, but because your mother says so” he said, a bit more convinced.

“You should have seen yourself adorable disguised as a butterfly” Viktorya announced, caressing her husband’s arm.

“It was a children’s play!” he complained.

“What a pity that that was before knowing you” Gerd laughed with affection. “Hajrudin disguised as a ladybug would have been very pretty to see” she looked at her friend with affection.

“It was not…” he complained, furrowing his brow.

“We have photos” Ida added with a great smile. “After the dessert we show them to you.”

“DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT” both brothers shouted in unison, making the rest of the diners laugh.

“Speaking of dessert” Viktorya stood up. “Loki and I have made a special dessert” she looked at her husband, telling him with her look that it was the time.

“True, wait here.”

Loki and Viktorya disappeared from the dining room, carrying some plates to make room for the dessert, and they headed to the kitchen. The married couple was very nervous; they knew that none would react badly, but even so, the insecurity and the fear were on top. What if they called them crazy because it was too soon? In particular, Viktorya was the one who had the most fear since it didn't stop being her husband’s family, and although everyone in the family treated her like one more, the insecurity and the fear of rejection were still inside her.

The giant placed a hand on the dragon’s back in a reassuring way, looked at her with affection, and took the surprise cake they had prepared. Viktorya took the bag with the gifts, while Ragnir appeared to be able to carry the plates and spoons for the dessert. With each step that Viktorya took she was more nervous; she felt that her heart was going to leave her chest. Loki was not much calmer but he stayed as calm as possible to be able to transmit to his wife that tranquility to the extent possible.

As soon as they arrived at the dining room, Loki placed the cake on the table, still without revealing how it was. Ragnir distributed the plates and spoons while Viktorya approached Harald first, offering him a gift wrapped in gift paper; the next was Ida, who also received her gift; the next Hajrudin; and lastly Gerd, who was surprised to receive a gift herself too since technically she was not of the family.

“You can open your gifts” Loki announced.

“Is it Christmas?” Hajrudin arched an eyebrow.

“Just open it, idiot” Loki repeated.

Harald didn't think about it and opened the gift without thinking twice to find himself with a mug on which it said “you are going to be the best GRANDFATHER in the world” highlighting the word grandfather in blue and bold. Ida opened her gift with more tranquility and in her place she received a pink apron on which it said “there is only one thing better than having you as a mother, that my baby has you as a grandmother” highlighting the words better, mother, and grandmother in red. Hajrudin opened his gift carefree, finding himself with a t-shirt that said “this Big Bro is going to become a Big Uncle” highlighting the words big bro and big uncle. Lastly, Gerd received a frame with a copy of the baby's ultrasound and a phrase that said “would you like to be my aunt?”.

While everyone looked at their gifts, Viktorya finally revealed the cake; it was a three-story chocolate cake and on the cover there was a copy of the baby's ultrasound and it had the phrase “grandparents and uncle, I am looking forward to meeting you, see you in eight months.” Words were not needed; the message was clear. Viktorya was a bundle of nerves until they reacted.

“I'M GOING TO BE A GRANDMOTHER!” Ida stood up crying of joy and approached the dragon to hug her full of illusion, without being able to contain the tears. “When I saw you earlier something I suspected but I wasn't sure” she caressed the girl's cheeks with affection. “Congratulations, my life, you are going to be a great mother” she hugged the dragon once more without stopping crying.

“I WILL BE A GRANDFATHER!” Harald shouted, standing up with joy. “I'M GOING TO BE A GRANDFATHER!” he shouted with enthusiasm, throwing himself into Loki's arms to give him a big hug while he started to cry of joy. “My god Loki, I am super proud and happy,” he gave him a little pat on the back.

“Aunt, are you pregnant?!” Gerd shouted super excited. “Of course I want to be your baby's aunt!” She approached her friend with happiness to give her a big hug. “Congratulations!”

“Thank you” Viktorya thanked, hugging Ida and Gerd and then giving her hand to her father-in-law.

Harald, Ida, and Gerd were around Viktorya giving her congratulations and felicitating them, while Loki pulled apart to approach his brother, who continued seated at the table looking at the t-shirt and reading the message on the cake. For a moment Loki felt bad, thinking that it had bothered Hajrudin and he wasn't thrilled, but Hajrudin was with his head down without raising his head because he could not stop crying of happiness.

“Hajrudin…” Loki placed a hand on his shoulder. “Is everything fine?”

The mentioned one started to laugh while he wiped away his tears. “I'm going to be an uncle” he mentioned. “I'm going to be an uncle!” he repeated, raising his voice. “It's the best day of my life.” He stood up to be able to hug his brother and give him congratulations.

“Idiot, you scared me!” Loki furrowed his brow, ruffling his brother’s hair. “I thought it had bothered you.”

“I would never be bothered to see my idiot brother being happy” he dedicated a smile to him. “You better bring my niece every single day to see me because otherwise I will go to your house to bother you to be with her” he threatened him.

“We don't know the sex yet” he gave him a small nudge with his elbow.

“Something tells me it will be a girl” he dedicated a friendly smile to him and pulled apart to approach Viktorya. “Congratulations, Viktorya” he hugged his sister-in-law to felicitate her. “I don't know how you have done it but you have won the heart of this idiot” he pointed at his brother. “That has merit,” he joked.

“That idiot is my idiot” Viktorya smiled with affection.

“Stop the chattering!” Harald interrupted. “This has to be celebrated in style, so tonight it's my treat at the most expensive restaurant in Elbaph!” He started to laugh out loud.

“You are the king, so you can afford it” Loki reminded him.

“It was great news but after the dessert I withdraw” Gerd intervened, feeling some常 embarrassment. “I want to leave you in the family, so better…”

“None of that!” The king furrowed his brow, approaching the girl to pass an arm over her shoulder and draw her to him. “You are one more, my daughter” he said without thinking. “We have seen you grow practically, did you think we were going to exclude you?” The king burst out laughing. “Besides, you will be the future queen of Elbaph” he caressed her hair with affection.

“Future queen?” she blushed.

“Our son will marry you sooner or later, just give him time to clear his feelings” Ida whispered while she took Gerd's hands with affection.

The rest of the afternoon they spent it enjoying all together as a family while they enjoyed the afternoon, and by the time the night began to fall the seven went together to the most expensive restaurant in Elbaph, just as Harald had promised. Without a doubt it was a day full of emotions for everyone, but Loki and Viktorya were more than happy.