Ah My Goddess Fan Fiction ❯ Ah! A demon from God!? ❯ Ah! Feelings are Offered in the Moonlight ( Chapter 4 )

<AHHHHHHH!!!!! Surprise! That's right, it's no illusion, this is another chapter! Sorry for the delay. Please don't hate me, I'm just busy. To my reviewers, many many thanks! And to my readers as well. Hopefully this will be worth the wait.>

ALERT!: This chapter will contain limey material. Thou art warned.

Enjoi!

 

 

 

 

Chapter 4

Ah! Feelings are Offered in the Moonlight…

 

 

Keiichi hauled out of the campus at a speed worthy of a divine and in a frighteningly giddy mood. For the first time, he had turned the tables on the goddess who had caused him more trouble in their short history than any other person. It may all have been a misplaced attempt to help him out, but it was still satisfying to give her a taste of her own medicine, pun fully intended. Belldandy wouldn't admit it, but she also found the turn of events to be quite humorous and her happiness was fueled by Keiichi's. She knew Keiichi's actions had been in good humor and had no malice to them. She debated whether or not her sister could take what she dished out though and worried she may have to protect Keiichi from her sister later.

“Hey, Belldandy? You think that Urd will really be mad?” Keiichi yelled over the engine.

Belldandy gave a light smile and looked away slightly before calling back, “More than likely, though I am sure she will come to see that you meant no harm by it.”

Keiichi, still on a bit of a high, just laughed in response and gave a little more throttle out of a turn banking up a hill. The temple came into view and soon the pair parked and dismounted the bike.

Skuld was sitting outside the house poking at an open panel on Banpei and looked up to smile and greet her older sister.

“Hey, Onee-sama! Welcome back.” Her cheeriness dulled a little, “Hi, Keiichi.”

“What are you doing Skuld?” Belldandy asked as she kneeled behind her sister to see what she was doing to her robot.

“Oh, I'm setting up Banpei to monitor the Energy converter. It seems dormant right now, probably because it didn't make it as deep as it was supposed to, but there are still some base programs running and any one of them could be a trigger.” Completing her work as she finished her explanation Skuld rubbed her forehead and shut the hatch on Banpei's back before powering him back up. “All done!” Skuld shouted. “Hey, don't you owe me some ice cream Keiichi?”

Keiichi was knocked out of his ecstatic mood by the realization that he did, indeed, still owe the youngest goddess a carton of ice cream, “Oh man, I'm so sorry Skuld. Urd showed up and I completely forgot to stop by. Gomen…”

Skuld's expression turned completely furious and she began to grown slightly, sending Keiichi into nearly comedic terror. “Skuld, don't be angry. Perhaps we can get two cartons of ice cream next time we go out.” Belldandy came to Keiichi's rescue yet again, saving him from the wrath of her younger sister. Skuld pouted but conceded as she looked into her sister's face.

“Fine, but third strike and you are out Keiichi! Way out!” Skuld pointed a warning finger into the air. With that, Skuld retreated into the house toward her room.

“Well, I should go and prepare dinner for when Seiryu-sama and Nee-san return. Keiichi, would you like to help me?” Belldandy turned to Keiichi with a sweet smile on her face and a look of expectation.

“Uh, sure. I don't know what I can do but I'll try to help.” Keiichi chuckled as he tried to figure out what good he would be in the kitchen.

“Well,” Belldandy began to blush and look toward the ground in her normal innocent manner, “I guess more than anything I just would like you to be somewhere close.” The confession began to cause Keiichi to blush as well. It seemed like, after the previous night, Belldandy had really started to seek a greater degree of closeness between the two of them. Keiichi wanted that as well, he just lacked the confidence to make that sort of confession.

Or, he used to anyway.

“I want to be close to you too, Belldandy.”

As if possessed by something else, Keiichi actually found enough courage to gently embrace Belldandy and give her a kiss very similar to the one they had shared just a couple of days before. However, this one was longer and more relaxed, more enjoyable if it was possible. As the pair's lips parted, Keiichi noted the flattering blush spreading across Belldandy's cheeks and was sure he had something similar on his face, given how warm and lightheaded he felt. Once again though, Keiichi's luck returned to normal as, with something of a distinct crackle, Urd returned.

“KEIIIIIIIIIIICHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!! Your ass is TOAST little man!” Urd's hands crackled with electrical power and Keiichi hugged Belldandy a little tighter as he gulped, preparing for his fate.

“Please, calm down Nee-san. Keiichi meant no harm, he was just joking with you and his sempais.” Belldandy discretely began to prepare a barrier, in case her sister was really that mad.

“Do you know what I had to put up with?! They were trying to name a child that I AM CERTAINLY NOT CARRYING! I'm the one who pulls the pranks around here!” The arcs of lightning began to grow.

“Please Urd, don't!”

“Urd…” The voice of the first-class guardian was calm yet easily heard over the crackling of electricity. One of his hands slid over Urd's shoulder as he seemed to simply form behind her. “Do you not think that you are overreacting a little bit? I think it is quite a sign of your tutoring that Keiichi-san has started to be so bold and only seems to be right for him to eventually return some of your antics.” Seiryu stated in a low, calm voice into her ear, eliciting a minuscule shiver from the elder goddess. All were surprised when the crackling stopped and Urd burst into laughter.

“Yeah, yeah. I guess I had that coming. And I am one hell of a teacher, aren't I?” Urd's posture relaxed and she wrapped an arm around Seiryu's head where it was near her shoulder. “By the way, good to see you two getting on so well.” Urd winked at the tangle of Belldandy and Keiichi before her. The pair suddenly looked as though they had been caught with their pants down, so to speak, and untangled themselves from one another. Keiichi was subconsciously chewing on his bottom lip and Belldandy slightly puckering hers.

`Oh good grief. These kids really need to loosen up some. At least they are actually kissing now.'

Belldandy was the first to recover her composure and return to reality.

“Oh my, I should go start dinner. Keiichi, are you still coming?”

“Oh,” Keiichi was snatched from one fantasy into another. His eyes darted from the amused smirk on Urd's face to the slight look of concern on Belldandy's. In the middle though, he caught the deep-blue gaze of Seiryu looking at him with an inquisitive sort of confusion. For some reason, Keiichi almost felt like Seiryu was asking him why it was so hard for him to be confident in himself and his place with Belldandy. “Yeah, I'm with you.”

Belldandy took Keiichi's hand and walked into the temple lodge, leading him toward the kitchen.

“Those two are so hopeless. But they are completely made for one another.”

“Indeed they are.” Seiryu stood back up and placed his hands on Urd's shoulders, squeezing them. “Urd, why is Keiichi like that? He has the complete and unconditional love of a goddess and yet it makes him so nervous to display affection for her.”

“Who knows?” Urd threw her hands in a defeated gesture. “That's just the way the poor boy is. Horribly awkward with women, but he does come through for her when the heat is on.”

“Is Urd-san jealous?”

No one had ever guessed that Urd's little attacks on Keiichi were a sort of longing for something like what he and Belldandy had. She wasn't into Keiichi, he was too much of a mouse, but it was the love she was jealous of. For once though, someone had called her on it. Urd started to shake a little and Seiryu tightened his hold on her shoulders.

“How did you pick up on that? You've only known me for a day.”

“You bury your feelings very deep, all the painful memories, all the longing. But, I can see them. Even to the very depths of that ocean of unshed tears.” Seiryu's voice was calming and consoling. “I could see your longing to have what your sister has…”

Urd scoffed, “I'm not after Keiichi or anything…”
“I know,” Seiryu said smiling and massaging Urd's shoulders a little, “You test Keiichi's resolve for your sister's sake, but also because you want to see that devotion for yourself. It is that devotion that confuses me about Keiichi-san.”

“Hmm?” Urd was nearly entranced by the massage and the sound of Seiryu's voice.

“Such intense devotion and spirit and yet such cowardice. He is truly an oddity.”

“Hnn…”

“What about you, Urd. You want what Keiichi-san and Belldandy-sama possess. Have you never had such a thing in all your time as a goddess?”

Briefly, Troubador passed through her mind, but she knew that was not even close to the same. What she had with him had been selfish in both directions, though Troubador had been the one to really take advantage of her affections. The pain welled up close enough to the surface for Seiryu to detect. “I am sorry, Urd-san, I did not mean to bring these things up like this.”

As Seiryu's grip began to loosen, Urd turned around and took his hand, surprising him. “It needs to come up every now and then.” She had a determined look in her eye. “Seeing that spineless kid stand up for my sister the way he does, even when he doesn't have a chance of helping anything, just keeps me hoping that someone would really do something like that for me too. And thinking about my past and the people in it remind me where I've come from and how to do things right.”

“And knowing to embrace those things and make them your motivation shows wisdom.” Seiryu smiled at Urd in almost the same way Belldandy had done when she first called forth World of Elegance. Urd just kept staring into his eyes, losing herself in the encouragement and warmth she found there. A strange feeling washed over her as she did; she became highly aware of the feel of their meshed fingers and even the cadence of his breath. Urd was so enthralled that she almost missed Seiryu's next statement.

“I believe your `soaps' are starting in 38 seconds.”

“Huh?! Is it that time already?”

“Hai.”

“Well, let's get in there! This is going to be a good one!” With that, Urd pulled Seiryu into the lodge behind her and headed for the small television in the common room.

 

 

As Urd's soaps rolled the closing credits, Belldandy called everyone for dinner. In the kitchen, Urd and Seiryu found Belldandy and Keiichi sitting hand-in-hand laughing about something and disgusting Urd to no end.

`This is such a sweet sight, it's making my teeth hurt. And making me want to vomit a little.'

Urd received some relief from Seiryu entering the room behind her and seating himself on her usual side of the table. Urd took her place next to him and the group waited for Skuld to join them. As she rounded the corner, she almost seemed more disgusted with the arrangements than Urd had been. Keiichi hanging on Belldandy, and Urd making googlie eyes at Seiryu. Part of Skuld wanted to just turn around and go back to her room, but her stomach said to stay and deal with it. Her sister's cooking was worth it to her in the end and, with a roll of the eyes, she seated herself at the table.

Dinner went by fairly quickly with fewer explosions, lightning bolts, and death threats than normal, though there was some considerable growls from time to time as Urd teased Skuld.

“You know, Skuld, you could invite Sentaro over for dinner sometime? You don't have to sit there and sulk.”

“That is a wonderful idea, Urd!” Belldandy exclaimed as she lowered her tea cup. “It would be so nice to see Sentaro-san again! Don't you think so, Skuld?”

“Er…well, yeah…” Skuld flushed a little thinking about the situation. It really was striking her as a very good idea at this point. “Maybe, tomorrow…”

“Oh, good girl, Skuld!” Urd said shooting her youngest sister a rather sinister grin, “About another 10 years and we could all even go out together.” Urd stuck her tongue out after this statement.

“Oh shut up, Urd!”

“I happen to think that this is a fine idea as well.” The previously silent Seiryu said in his normal, calm voice. Suddenly, all eyes were on the guardian. “I have yet to meet this young man who Skuld holds in such high regard. I look forward to making his acquaintance.”

Skuld was somewhere between being impressed with how he had taken up for her and Sentaro, and terrified of introducing Sentaro to another divine. What kind of explanation would she need for why he was here after all?

“Oh, Skuld, how's Banpei's new program working out?” Keiichi said with a mild look of concern.

“Fine I guess. Why do you ask?”

“Because he just ran past the door…”

Skuld bolted upright and ran out of the kitchen at a near sprint with a small “pardon me” as she exited. Skuld was closely followed by Belldandy, with Keiichi in pursuit, leaving Urd and Seiryu staring blankly at the empty room.

“Urd-san, what just happened?”

“I haven't the foggiest, but we better tag along anyway.”

 

The group of divines assembled in the courtyard in front of the negative energy converter to discover that the stone ball had become a writhing ball of worms that were actively burrowing into the ground. A low droning noise seemed to be emanating from the sphere and the atmosphere had a very heavy feel to it. Belldandy quickly began to feel something dark pulling at her heart. A sudden inexplicable feeling of jealousy washed over her and her head began to pound with the evil thoughts.
“Belldandy, are you ok?” Keiichi took Belldandy's hand and the jealousy subsided, still present, but reduced.

“H-hai…that object, it is filled with such darkness.”

“It's drawing in all the positive energy, all that is good around it, and pumping out evil and malice in place. It is a powerful tool for manipulating the Law of the Conservation of Happiness.” Seiryu said with cold sort of tone. “It must be stopped now.”

Seiryu waved his hand at the object, slinging numerous tiny points of blue light in the generator's direction. On contact, the blue specks burst into large ice crystals, freezing several of the tentacle roots along with one hemisphere of the orb. Seiryu followed up with smashing the frozen roots that had made their way into the ground, opening a path up to the core of the generator. Seiryu placed one hand on the orb and, in a similar fashion to how he slowed it down the first time, he chanted a spell and, in a bright flash, the object was completely frozen. Seiryu turned back to Urd and Belldandy.

“Ladies, I need your assistance placing a full stasis program on this cursed object.”

Belldandy and Urd took up positions around the sphere, which was beginning to crack it's ice prison, and the three began chanting.

 

“In the name of the divines who dwell in the heavens,

We who bring light and goodness to the world

We command you now by our authority

Cease your movement and be still

Rage against the earth no more

And let joy return to this place!”

 

A bright, purple aura surrounded the generator just as it broke the ice around it. The wriggling tentacles locked in place and the generator went into a dormant state. Even the air around the temple began to return to normal.

“Well done, Belldandy. Urd.” Seiryu gave both goddesses a small bow as he spoke. “I suppose this means I really need to step up the time table of getting this disposed of. I shall contact heaven tomorrow morning and arrange to have it secured there.”

“Probably not a bad idea.” Urd eyed the object cautiously before turning her attention to her sister. Belldandy was wringing her hands a little, blankly staring at the dormant energy converter, clearly deeply troubled by something. Seiryu stepped closer to Urd and spoke quietly to her.

“Something has pushed your sister into some sort of sense of self-loathing. I fear that the converter may have been attacking her directly since she seems least resistant to her own internal evils.”

“You're right, Belldandy has never been good at understanding her jealousy when it came to Keiichi. As a goddess she knows she shouldn't feel like that, but she is a very jealous girl.”

“I see. Then she will need Keiichi tonight, more than ever. Perhaps…” Seiryu watched Keiichi run to Belldandy's side and try to bring her out of her trance, “we should help them with that.”

“I'll lock them in their room if I have to.”
“May I suggest a spell to slow time for tonight too?”

“That's nearly evil!” Urd squeaked out, giving Seiryu a sideways look, “I like it.”

“Banpei! Where did you go?” Skuld was walking around the temple calling out for the robot. Belldandy came back to herself and responded to her younger sister's distress.

“Skuld, what happened?”

“I think Banpei…might have actually been scared of that thing. That's why he ran away. It caused a fight-or-flight response in his self-preservation logic program.”

“Oh, poor Banpei-kun.”

“Fear can be powerful, even for a machine.” Seiryu approached the group with Urd behind him. “I think Skuld, Urd and I should look for Banpei-kun. I'm sure he is hiding somewhere on the temple grounds. Belldandy-sama, you and Keiichi-san should retire for the evening.”
“Oh, I do have dishes to clean.”

“I'll help you, Belldandy.” Keiichi added.

“Good boy, Keiichi. You kids get to your chores and go to bed. We'll help Skuld out.” Urd punctuated her statement with a small wink. As Belldandy started to the kitchen, Urd caught Keiichi's arm and pulled him back over in front of Seiryu.

“Morisato Keiichi-san, I fear that the negative energy converter may have targeted Belldandy and damaged her emotionally. Tell me, do you feel that Belldandy is a jealous girl?”

Keiichi was struck dumb for a moment, unsure if he should blurt out Belldandy's only obvious flaw to someone who he knew nothing about. At the same time though, Keiichi knew that Seiryu was sent to help and withholding information from him may make his mission harder.

“Hai…she can be. But that's not really bad is it?”

“It is when she doesn't know how to handle negative feelings.” Urd stated flatly with her arms crossed over her chest. “Belldandy is innocent, in the truest sense of the word. She loves you and would never be able to let you go, so the idea of someone else having you hurts her and drives her to a very dark place, one she can't comprehend.”

“The jealousy that was put in her mind is also seeding doubt in her heart, sapping her power and will. She needs you right now Keiichi-san, more than ever. She needs to know that you are with her and will be no matter what.” Seiryu's eyes seemed to be focusing on something that he could see behind Keiichi, through his body. He stood tall, looming well above Keiichi. “Morisato Keiichi-san, will you be able to do that for her?”

“Yes, of course, I'd do anything for her!” Keiichi had a look of determination that surprised even Urd, but it quickly faded as Keiichi asked his next question, “Uh, what exactly did you have in mind?”

Seiryu grinned at Keiichi and Urd groaned, rubbing her temples. “Kiddo, we need to have a talk if you don't get this yet.”

“Wait, you mean…that?!”

“It would certainly remove all doubt if you were to carry it out correctly.”

“N-nani?”

“He means you would have to be confident and assure her that she's the one for you.” Urd stated with a distinct look of concern. “This is the real deal, Keiichi. You can't stumble over words of fight with some sense of mortal morality. This is what she needs to get her built back up. And it'll be good for you too.”

“B-but, what…I…are you sure?”

“Quite.” Seiryu said calmly, “You don't have to do it now, but she will not quite be herself until her confidence is restored.”

“This just seems like, you know, Urd trying to rush us into things again.” Keiichi crossed his arms and gave Urd a half-hearted stare down.

“Not this time Keiichi…admittedly, I am looking forward to the morning after. I'm sure you two will be good for a laugh, but this is serious. She might recover on her own, but this is the turning point. This is your chance to make a man of yourself and a woman out of her.”

Keiichi continued to study the look on Urd's face. It changed from the amusement of her previous joke back to a genuine concern. He could tell, for once, she really wasn't lying.

“Um, I do have time to…you know, get ready, right?”

“Of course, Keiichi-san.”

“Well, duh, I'm still going to make you romance my sister before you get down to business. It takes time to plan that anyway.”

At this point Skuld rounded the corner again and spotted the group.

“Hey, what are you guys doing? Weren't you going to help me?” Skuld shrieked across the courtyard.

“We need to go help the kid out, Keiichi. If you need to know something about anything, come talk to me. And don't worry, whenever you decide you're ready, we'll make sure you have your privacy.” Urd squeezed Keiichi's shoulder as she started past him toward Skuld, switching back into annoying big sister mode and putting the swagger back into her step.

“Take your time Keiichi-san. This is a big event and one that must be done right, or not at all.” With that Seiryu left Keiichi to his thoughts and strong urge to pass out.

 

Keiichi returned inside still thinking about what Urd and Seiryu had said to him. In his head, he knew it was total insanity, in his heart, he knew the look in Urd's eyes was genuine and she was being honest. He knew that something was wrong with Belldandy, he just wished that it didn't seem like he was once again having the decision made for him. Lost in his own thoughts, Keiichi rounded into the kitchen and very nearly ran Belldandy over as she was carrying the last of the dishes from dinner to the sink.

“Oh, there you are Keiichi-san. Is something wrong?” Belldandy said in her normal cheery voice.

“I'm fine. Urd was just talking to me about some things.” Keiichi nervously rubbed the back of his head. “Can I take care of those for you?” He motioned to the dishware in her hands.

“Oh, well…sure, if you want.” Belldandy's face briefly took on a sad look, confirming Urd's story. Belldandy really wasn't herself. She seemed almost depressed, and she wasn't doing a very good job of covering it anymore.

Keiichi worked next to Belldandy in relative silence, something that just didn't seem right, especially after the previous two days. The closeness they had achieved seemed to have been driven away and now they were back to square one.

“Belldandy, is something bothering you? You seem like you're upset.” Keiichi asked his question as carefully and gently as he could. Belldandy almost looked like she wanted to run away for a moment before responding.

“Yes. I saw the ugliness in me come back again, but stronger than ever. It made me feel…evil. Like I do not deserve to be a goddess anymore.”

“Why would you feel like that, Belldandy?”

“I became…jealous,” Belldandy put down the dish she was washing and braced herself on the counter, “Of…everyone. I did not want anyone else to talk to you, or touch you at all. I did not want you to have friends, I wanted all of your attention.” Belldandy began to sob. “That is not right! I cannot do that! It's wrong! But, it was what I wanted. That is not how a goddess should behave. I should not think that way.”

Belldandy's sobs turned into a full torrent of tears, “Keiichi-san, how can you want a goddess like me? I'm so flawed…” Keiichi set down his dish as well and embraced Belldandy in an attempt to comfort her. Before he could come up with something to say, the front door slid open and Urd announced the arrival of the other three divines.

“Why don't you go, ahead and go rest. I'll take care of the cleaning.”

“Why would you want to do that, Keiichi-san?” Belldandy sobbed into Keiichi's shoulder.

“Because I love you, Belldandy.” Belldandy raised her head and stared wide-eyed into Keiichi's eyes before closing the gap between them and kissing him.

“Thank you. I think I will go rest now.” Belldandy's voice was low and, to Keiichi, bordered on the seductive. Slowly, Keiichi released Belldandy and allowed her to slip through the door and head for the room they now shared. Keiichi resumed cleaning and was interrupted by a curtain of silver hair falling across his eyes.
“Hey there, kiddo. How are you holding up?” Urd asked as she dropped out of her hiding place in the ceiling.

“I don't know. I'm not sure what I could really do for her.”

“Looked like you were doing a pretty good job.” Urd elbowed Keiichi lightly in the side while he continued cleaning.

“How long were you watching?” Keiichi sighed.

“Long enough. We found Banpei by the way. He seems to have shorted out; Skuld will be occupied with him for a while. Might even keep her busy for a couple of days.”

“Well, that's good I guess.” Keiichi finished drying the last cup and placed it in the cupboard. “Urd, if we do…do this, is…uh, is there anything I should know? You know, like, allergies…?”

“I'm afraid I don't follow, but maybe we should have this conversation in a bit more privacy later.” Urd cocked one eyebrow at Keiichi's question.

“R-right, that's a good idea…” Keiichi nervously scratched his head again, “I guess I should go check on Belldandy. Oyasumi, Urd.”

“Goodnight to you too, Keiichi. Try to get some rest, and I mean that.”

Keiichi left the room and returned to his own bedroom, leaving Urd and a previously hidden Seiryu.

“I see how much you care for your sister's wellbeing, but this is also difficult for someone like Keiichi-san.” Seiryu formed out of some standing water in the sink.

“Yeah, but he needs to suck it up and get to it anyway. I don't want to watch either of them be hurting like that.”

“The same way you hurt?”

Urd turned to face Seiryu and shot him a hard glare. “You know, it's not really fair for you to know all this about me and how I feel and yet all I know of you is a pretty face and a couple of displays of power.”

“That is true. It does not seem very fair. Ask whatever you wish.”

“Well, you know I had a `boyfriend' once upon a time, what about you? Have any past lovers?” Urd sat opposite the guardian and regarded him carefully.

“No.” Seiryu answered flatly.

“Liar.”

“I am a guardian, first class,” Seiryu said proudly, “I do not lie about anything.”

“Ok then, mister guardian, why not?” Urd leaned forward slightly.

“I have yet to meet the one who is meant for me.”

“My, what an answer.” Urd mused, “So, tell me then; Who is the one meant for you?”

Seiryu pondered for a moment before speaking, “I am unsure what fate has in store. I am different from most, so I would need someone who can accept how different I am.”

Urd caught sight of a small smile across Seiryu's face. “Would you happen to know what it is like to be different?”

Urd giggled a little and leaned back against the wall.

“You're cheating again. Better be careful, or I may have to punish you.” Urd smirked as she sauntered back across the room. “But,” Her tone became more serious as she moved to within inches of the guardian, “how do you know all this about me?”

“It is my job.” Seiryu said as he smiled at her.

 

 

Keiichi slid the door to his room open and found Belldandy sitting in the middle of the futon sobbing quietly, her shoulders heaving from time to time and breath hitching in her throat. She was still trapped deep in her own despair, still feeling like she had no right to be his goddess.

That hurt Keiichi just as much as it hurt Belldandy.

“Belldandy?” Keiichi said, kneeling next to her.

“Hn?” Belldandy looked over her shoulder at Keiichi, biting her lip and blinking away a few tears.

“Belldandy, what can I do to help you?”

“Keiichi-san, I am your goddess, I am supposed to grant your wishes, not the other way around.” Belldandy let out something of a small, fake laugh, desperately trying to put on a happy face for Keiichi.

“Well, maybe this time, my wish could be to grant your wish?” Keiichi asked with a distinctive sort of hopefulness. Belldandy just looked at him like he had grown a second head for a moment before she even fully turned to face him, eyes glowing with love and affection for Keiichi. Maybe even, somewhere deep down, a wish of her own for him to grant.

“Well, I do not really know where to start…all I want is you right now…”

“Well, Bell, you have me.” Keiichi smiled warmly at her, an action that quickly reflected in Belldandy's features as well.

“I have you here in this room with me, of course,” Belldandy said with a genuine smile, “but I almost feel like I still want more than that.”

Keiichi was paralyzed. He had been completely unprepared for where this conversation seemed to be leading and was now treading on very thin ice. To deny Belldandy if she asked for him to sleep with her might hurt her again, but to not be ready and do something wrong could be just as detrimental. He knew Urd had been honest with him about how Belldandy would want him to physically seal their relationship, setting it in stone. But now just didn't seem to be the time for it, never mind that he had almost no clue what to do.

“I want to go on more dates, spend more time with you. Get away from the affairs of goddesses, demons, heaven and hell and just be me with my Keiichi-san, and know that is just what you are; my Keiichi-san, as much as I am your Belldandy.”

Keiichi breathed a silent sigh of relief at Belldandy's turn to innocence.

“That actually sounds really great, Belldandy. Perfect really. I think it's a great wish.”

“I also…want to feel you more…” Belldandy admitted in her surprisingly low, sultry voice. A slight blush began to touch her cheeks. Keiichi suddenly found himself paralyzed again. “It is as if,” Belldandy continued, “no matter how close I move to you, it is never enough.” Belldandy scooted nose to nose with the petrified Keiichi. “Not even this is close enough for me right now.” Belldandy now began to snake her arms around Keiichi's torso and crawled into his lap, rubbing the top of her head against Keiichi's chin. “Not even this.”

Keiichi was trapped in the most difficult situation of his life. The woman he loved was wrapped tightly around him, telling him how much she wanted to take the next step (in no uncertain terms) and yet, he couldn't bring himself to it yet. Keiichi just knew that he wasn't ready. That still left him with the matter of what to do with the matter at hand. Belldandy was rubbing her cheek against Keiichi's chest and making little cooing noises and she pressed harder against him. With every ounce of will Keiichi had, he worked himself up to speaking.

“Belldandy, I understand,” Keiichi was doing a good job of sounding more confident than he actually felt, “I know how you feel. I want the same things, even though I have trouble with telling you sometimes.” Keiichi willed his arms to move around Belldandy's shoulders, “I'm not sure it's the right time, right now though.”

`How do I stall this? C'mon Keiichi…you've gotta do this right.'

“Take a little time, Belldandy. This weekend, if you still have the same wish for us, I'll grant it for you.”

Belldandy looked up at Keiichi with half-lidded eyes and smiled. She tightened her hold on Keiichi's torso and moved back to being face to face with him. “I do not think that my wish would ever change, Keiichi-san. But, you are right. We should wait till this weekend when you do not have to go to the university.”

“As long as you are ok with it.” Keiichi gave her a reassuring squeeze. Belldandy looked away briefly and quietly uttered something below Keiichi's ability to hear.

“Nani?”

“Can I… … …?”

“I can't quite hear you, Belldandy?” Keiichi leaned down closer to her mouth, something he almost regretted with the feel of Belldandy's lips moving against his ear.

“Can I sleep next to you without my clothes?”

At this point, Keiichi nearly blacked out, it was just more in one night than he could take.

“Uh, sure…”

`WHAT AM I SAYING?! HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS AND FELT GUILTY? Then again, she did ask this time.'

“Just so I can feel close and…intimate.”

Keiichi's ability to think had now diminished to an all time low and only on impulse did he stiffly nod in agreement. Belldandy gave Keiichi a quick kiss before standing and turning the lights in the room off. Operating on muscle memory, Keiichi worked himself under the covers and stared at the dark figure of Belldandy standing over the futon. He watched as the feminine shadow unhooked her skirt and let it fall to the ground, closely followed by the removal of her shirt. Just as his eyes started to adapt to the dark he felt the covers move and a felt a warm body slide in next to him. A pair of soft hands caressed his collar on their way around his shoulders and he felt the slender, feminine body of the goddess pull close to him. Keiichi's instinct again urged his hands to move. They gently explored their way up from the small of her back toward her shoulders. Belldandy was proving to be an all-out assault on his willpower and senses. Her skin was smoother than it had ever been in his fantasies, in the faint moonlight, she looked even more divine, and even the way she smelled to Keiichi was divine.

`When did I start thinking that scent is sexy?'

Belldandy shifted, pressing bare breasts against Keiichi's chest, in an effort to kiss him. The minor grind again put Keiichi on the edge of blackout even as he tried to kiss Belldandy back.

“Thank you, Keiichi-san. Oyasuminasai.”

“Y-you're welcome, I think…Oyasumi, Belldandy.”

Belldandy quickly cuddled back against Keiichi's chest and sighed before happily drifting off to sleep. Keiichi was less fortunate. He would spend the rest of the night holding Belldandy's naked body to himself, valiantly fighting off urges to either give up and wake her, or slip away and run.

 

 

Meanwhile…

 

“Damn, I was really hoping that it would start working after we heated it up like that.” Marller cursed.

“Well, it worked, we just didn't expect there to be another divine there. That damn temple is like a roach motel for goddesses…” Hild commented rather passively as she twirled a lock of hair.

“Daimakaicho, what should we do now? Should we just cut our losses with that thing?”

Hild took a thoughtful look as she took stock of how her plan had been altered thus far, a smile slowly spreading across her face.

“No, no, my dear Marller-chan. This isn't a lost cause yet. It was meant to be a distraction and we believe we can still use it to that end. Our plan will continue uninterrupted. We just need Marller-chan to get the goddesses distracted again.”

 

 

 

*Insert dramatic music here*

Marller and Hild strike again?!

Find out what happens next!

 

Thanks to Sango-chan for proof-reading for me! Hopefully this chapter will let you see a little more of where the plot device of the NEC is heading. It will have a roll and it will make things interesting. Be patient.

 

Read and REVIEW!! ^_^