Day 1/7 - DanMachi (Bell x Hestia)

Bell had been trying to go to sleep all night long on his couch. He had tossed and turned, trying to find a comfortable position, but every time he laid his back down a different way, he accidentally fell out of place and continued his cycle of fidgeting around. Finally he managed to find a posture that felt alright, and he had accomplished at getting a few minutes of sleep. It had been a long day at the dungeon for him, as he was still trying to impress Ais Wallenstein. After all, he had been trying to prepare for Valentine's Day! It was tomorrow morning! He couldn't possibly ask Ais to be his Valentine at his current state. Bell felt as if he still had to prove himself worthy of her.

But, alas, he probably wouldn't accomplish that goal in time for Valentine's Day this year. It had already been a little bit over a year since she first saved him from that minotaur that had ascended to the uppermost floors by accident. Even after all that time, though, he felt as if he still had to do more. He tried not thinking much into this and rolled over on the couch again, pulling his blanket up to his chest and cuddling his cheek into a pillow. His eyes started to come to a close and they began to feel heavier...and heavier...and-

"Beeeeell!" squealed Hestia excitedly. "Bell, wake up, wake up, wake up!"

The goddess violently shook Bell with her little hands and Bell woke up with a startled jump.

"E-Eh, y-yes, goddess?!" he shouted drowsily.

"Bell!" she screamed again. "You didn't tell me that you came home already! I didn't even hear you come in!"

"O-Oh, I'm so sorry, goddess...I just feel really sleepy, so I forgot! P-Please forgive me!" he apologized in his normal, over-the-top tone.

"Ugggh, honestly...it's fine," Hestia said. "It's just that I wanna check your stats real quick. You've been out a lot in the dungeon lately, so I really want to see them!"

"O-Of course," Bell replied. "I'll get ready."

Bell shot himself up from the couch, set his blanket aside, and walked over to the bedroom. Hestia lingered behind for a minute or so, getting everything set up for their little ritual, and soon followed Bell's lead into the bedroom. Bell had already taken his top off and sat on the bed, waiting for his goddess to walk into the room so that she could start checking his stats. Although she didn't admit it out loud, this was her favorite part of the day because she got to see her love shirtless.

"Alright, lay down now, Bell!" Hestia ordered.

"Yes, goddess," Bell replied and laid down on the bed in his usual manner.

Hestia went to the bed, climbed on top of Bell, and casted her spell, reading through the foreign characters and perusing through the article of statistics. Everything seemed to be what she expected. Bell's magic and agility went up again, and he collected more magic stones than he did yesterday. Everything was normal. She finished up her inspection and engraved the text onto the piece of paper she had in her hands.

"Alright, done!" she exclaimed.

Bell got up from the bed and took the sheet of paper that Hestia had handed to him. He looked through the paper disappointedly and huffed a deep, discouraged sigh. Hestia, who had just heard this, perked her head over to him and frowned in concern. She laid her hand across his shoulder and asked,

"Hey, you alright, Bell?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah...I-I'm alright, goddess. I just...these really aren't the results I was looking for," he replied quietly.

"Huh? What do you mean?! I think you did great again today!"

"W-Well...um, it's just wasn't what I was hoping to accomplish today, goddess."

"What were you hoping to accomplish then, huh?"

"Um, well...goddess, i-it's Valentine's Day tomorrow, and...I wanted to try impressing Ais Wallenstein, you know, th-the girl from the Loki familia. A-Anyways...I don't think I did enough today either. I-I don't think that I'm worthy enough for her."

"Bell…" Hestia puffed. "Ugh, you can be a real pain sometimes! You don't hafta impress her! I'm very proud of you. I always have been, and I always will be! Besides…" she paused, "you wouldn't try to cheat on me, would you!?"

"E-Eh, um, w-well…" Bell stuttered.

Poor Bell. He didn't even have to look in the mirror to know that his head had turned red as a tomato, for he could already feel the heat resonating from his flushed face. He didn't know how to respond to such an abrupt, upset comment from, of all people, his goddess.

"T-That's not what I meant, though, goddess, honestly!"

"Hmph," Hestia pouted and puffed her cheeks out angrily. "Just go to sleep!"

"Y-Yes, goddess, I-I'm sorry, please forgive me!"

"Bell, you know I care about you, right?" she said.

The snow-haired male looked away from his goddess in shame and didn't answer her. Instead, he walked back to the living room, to the couch where he was trying to rest on previously. He laid down on the couch sadly, wondering what he was to do for tomorrow. He was always taken care of by other people, so he wanted to take care of someone himself, even if it was just for the day of love. He didn't want to seem helpless.

Hestia walked into the room and glared solemnly at Bell, who was curled up on the couch and seemed to be crying.

"Hey," Hestia said as she lowered herself down on the couch, "I don't wanna see you like this. What can I do to help ya?"

"I...I-I don't know, goddess," Bell whimpered. "I honestly don't know.."

"Here," Hestia said suddenly and handed Bell a red, heart-shaped box.

"E-Eh?" Bell murmured and took the box carefully from her hands.

He opened up the box to find many little chocolates scattered inside it. As soon as Bell opened up the miniature box, the delectable smell of the chocolate wafted through the air and filled the area with the aroma of sweet cocoa and sugar. Bell's eyes widened and he turned to his goddess.

"A-Are these for me?" he asked.

Hestia nodded and replied, "Of course, silly!"

Bell looked back and forth between Hestia and the box. He didn't know whether to accept it or to return it to her. He was torn between his romantic feelings for Ais Wallenstein and his family-like love for his goddess Hestia.

"G-Goddess, I can't possibly accept this! I-I-I, I mean-w-what I mean is...w-well, I-I-"

"Bell, just take it!" Hestia exclaimed. "I don't mind, honest I don't. I love you, Bell, I don't wanna see you sad on Valentine's Day," she smiled.

Bell gulped hesitantly, but accepted it as she had asked him to. "Th-thank you very much, goddess. I-I'll treasure this gesture forever."

Hestia grinned pridefully and snickered with glee, "Hee hee, I'm glad you like it! Well, I'm going to go to sleep, Bell! Good night!"

The goddess leaned in closer to Bell, who had laid down on the couch with the chocolates by his side, and gave him a small peck on his forehead. Bell felt his face flush with embarrassment once again, harder than before, even.

"G-G-Goddess-!"

"Shush!" Hestia hushed and pressed her index finger across his lips. "Think of it as a Valentine's Day gift!"

And with that, she skipped away to her bedroom and waved goodnight to her shy, trembling pupil. Bell waved back, but with extreme shame. His hand shook like a piece of jello in an earthquake and his face lit up like a bright red christmas bulb.

The poor boy didn't know whether to feel excited or embarrassed and laid back down on his cosy, little couch underneath his blanket.

"W-Well, maybe I really don't need to impress Ais before I ask her to be my Valentine…" he thought to himself as he drifted off to sleep.