Dimensional Descent

Leonel's heart skipped a beat.

It wasn't a question that should have moved him very far from his original baseline at all. He should have been able to read from Eamon's expressions that it was something like this.

However, the problem was that this situation was too familiar.

In love with someone he shouldn't be? Wasn't that the woman he jokingly called Aina's mother-in-law all the time?

Leonel might not interact much with Eamon, but he had seen plenty from afar. He knew how much he cared about Cindra. But he also knew how much Cindra cared about Miel.

Much like he had ignored the oddities surrounding Goggles, he had ignored this one as well... because it was simply too uncanny.

Goggles had truly been in love with Rollan's wife back then. Something that probably came off as mostly a joke to everyone else was quite serious to him, or else he wouldn't have risked so much and even practically changed himself for her. Even if it meant that he wouldn't actually get to be with her.

And now Eamon was in love with someone that Leonel effectively thought of as Miel's woman. In some ways, he even thought of her as a quasi mother-in-law already.

Leonel forced himself to calm down.

He truly didn't care much about Goggles at all. The reason he had such a visceral reaction the first time, and now this time, was because Goggles was a representation of his father in his eyes. Not in type, and certainly not in ability, but he was a mirror that forced Leonel to look into it.

He could only logic his way out of the uncomfortable feelings.

one another because of Dream Force was a completely different beast compared to them actually acting on it. He couldn't expect that Eamon would be as sharp as he was, which was why he had taken so long to realize

reactions to this information was entirely different. Goggles always used to joke about it to the point that even Leonel didn't realize he was being serious until it was far too late. This caused Leonel to misjudge a character he

for Eamon, he showed his heart on his sleeve and

and hiding his real thoughts while Eamon wasn't this sort of

to Eamon, one he didn't deserve at all because none of this was his

plopped down beside Eamon. He

the best person to

He thought that Leonel was just saying that. He had such a beautiful wife, and there were clearly women throwing themselves at him all the time, how

the subtle hints quite easily and his

it? That his future self was so powerful that he fell in love without even understanding why he was

even thought about if Aina really did love him at all, or if

way this world worked and it was hard to tease apart the truth from

you know how

the odd question. Wasn't that

"No..." he said tentatively.

"521 times."

Eamon was speechless.

never gave me an answer. Then when I finally saw her again after the

this whole time that she was some shy girl who couldn't even say "NO" clearly.