Disclaimer: The characters of Oh My Goddess! are owned and copyrighted by Kosuke Fujishima, Kondansha Ltd, and Dark Horse Comics, Inc. No attempt is made to state otherwise.

Author's Note:

This is my very first attempt at writing fiction of any sort. While I do a good bit of writing as part of my job, technical documentation, reports, and proposals just aren't that terribly interesting to read. I've been reading fanfics since I discovered XFiles fan fiction back in the early 90s. I can still remember a couple of the authors from then that I really enjoyed. Eventually, I moved on to Harry Potter fan fiction, some of which I liked better than the last official book.

I also like some of the Anime fics, mostly based on the TV versions rather than the mangas. Oh My Goddess, Chobits, and Ai Yori Aoshi are probably my favorites. As is fairly easy to tell from my favorites, I'm a bit of a romantic and especially a sucker for "difficult" relationships. I'm also a big fan of happy endings, if I want misery and depression I can read the newspaper.

If you like this, hate it, or think I should hang up my keyboard and quit writing before I embarrass myself further, please review and let me know. Chapter 2 is mostly done already and will be posted soon. Feedback will determine if I take it beyond there.

And now, without further ado, on to the story.

Chapter 1: Angel of the Morning

Keiichi awoke wrapped tightly in his blanket and cautiously cracked one eye open. For the first time in what seemed like a month, he didn't have school or work and was able to lazily start the day.

It seems awfully quiet this morning, he thought. Skuld isn't banging around in her workshop on one of her inventions, Urd's not yelling at her to keep it down, the TV isn't blaring. Keiichi wondered where everyone could be. Maybe they all slept in this morning. After two years of living with the three Goddesses he had grown accustomed to a certain level of chaos around at the temple.

Oh well he thought to himself, I'd better take advantage of whatever is going on and enjoy the peace and quiet while I can, who knows when the next morning like this will occur. Contenting himself that everything was alright, or at least not wrong enough that he needed to get up and deal with anything, Keiichi rolled over and tugged the blankets back up to his chin. Besides, in anything was really wrong, Belldandy can take care of it with no problems.

Just thinking about Belldandy brought a smile to Keiichi's face. After two years of her near constant presence since he made his foolish wish, he could no longer imagine life without her. Even with all the adventures that occurred with the Goddesses living with him, he still suspected making that wish was the smartest thing he had ever done.

Belldandy was so perfect, so beautiful, that he knew it hadn't taken him long to fall for her. No matter how much he told himself that he shouldn't, he just wasn't strong enough to keep from loving her. He treasured the occasional hug, or the even less frequent chaste kiss.

Without intention, his mind drifted into yet another fantasy of what life would be like if it were possible for her to love him in return. What would it be like to wake up with Belldandy on a quiet morning like this Keiichi wondered with a blush? Would she lie there with her head pillowed on his arm and her back pressed to his chest? Or perhaps, she would lie with her head on his chest and her arm wrapped securely around his torso holding them tightly together? Keiichi smiled gently as he imagined strands of her long light brown hair tickling his nose as her head rose and fell with his breaths.

Keiichi knew he shouldn't think about her this way, but it was so difficult sometimes not to allow his mind to stray down such paths. He tried to control his thoughts enough so that he wasn't lusting after her. Even brushing around the edge of such thoughts was enough to make him blush such a bright red that he almost glowed. He was quite content just imagining the little everyday intimacies of a long time couple, a kiss hello or goodbye, walking together holding hands and talking, or sitting on the couch with his arm around her shoulders and her leaning into him.

He could so easily imagine her special smile, the one she saved just for him, greeting him as they awoke to start another day together. Imagine raising himself on one arm to look down upon her, gently brushing her hair back from her lovely face and gently pressing his lips to her forehead. He would be able to look into her expressive eyes and whisper "I love you Belldandy". It would only take the smallest of efforts to close the mere inches of distance between them and bring his lips to hers as he let his eyes drift closed again imagining her saying the words he longed to hear from her.

"Mr. Keiichi, breakfast is almost ready" Belldandy called cheerfully from just outside his door.

"Ahhh", he thought jerked from his oh so pleasant daydream. I can't even manage to kiss her properly in my daydreams without someone interrupting the moment. This time it was Belldandy herself. I expect it from Skuld, she's so paranoid that I'm going to do something perverted with her big sister. Maybe my subconscious is trying to tell me that I just don't have a chance with someone like her. Who am I kidding? There is no way someone as beautiful and perfect as her would be with someone like me if it wasn't for my wish.

"I'll be out in just a moment" he replied perhaps a little more grumpily than he intended. The disappointment of yet another wasted moment, even if an imaginary one, was still fresh in his mind. Keiichi shivered a bit as he finally managed to disentangle himself from the blankets and climbed out of his futon. It's only fall and it's already cool in here in the mornings he mused while sleepily searching his messy room for clean clothes. I've really got to clean up in here some he vowed as he pulled on a shirt and struggled into his pants.

A few minutes later he entered the kitchen to see Belldandy immersed in her breakfast preparations. She glanced at him when she heard the sounds of his movement behind her and could not help but smile at the sight before her. Keiichi's dark hair was sticking up in all directions, his eyes still hooded from sleep, and pillow lines on one side of his face.

Keiichi couldn't help but smile back as she smiled the special smile he had been dreaming of only minutes before. Someday, he hoped to know what she was thinking about when she smiled that way. He just couldn't quite work up the nerve to ask her.

"Good morning Mr. Keiichi, did you sleep well?" Belldandy asked with her customary happy demeanor.

"Yes, very well thank you" he responded with a blush and slight stammer as his mind flashed back to his imagining of what it would be like to sleep with Belldandy. As what he had just thought registered, his face quickly went white followed almost immediately by bright red. I didn't mean "sleep" sleep he told himself, just normal sleep sleeping.

"That's good, are you ready for breakfast?" Belldandy asked interrupting his runaway thoughts without any hint that she suspected what was going through his mind at the moment.

I sure am glad Belldandy and her sisters can't read minds Keiichi thought. I would humiliate myself, terribly embarrass Belldandy and Skuld would probably invent a MUCH bigger bomb to use against me or have Banpei follow me everywhere I went. Attempting to focus on safer topics and divert his mind from where it kept trying to stray, he quickly responded "It sure smells great, I'm sure it will be as terrific as everything you cook."

"Thank you" Belldandy replied demurely.

As he seated himself, Urd and Skuld came into the kitchen engaged in an argument about some television show they had been watching. Now things are getting back normal he thought saying a reluctant goodbye to the peaceful moment he and Belldandy were sharing.

"Of course dreams are significant" Urd insisted to Skuld. "Dreams help show people what they want or need when they sometimes don't realize it themselves."

"Dreams are just images caused by the random firings of neurons as you sleep" Skuld shot back. "They don't really mean anything."

"Don't you have any romance in your soul" Urd asked. "Dreams are the foundation of love."

"No! It makes people go all sappy and causes them to do stupid things" Skuld snapped. Adding under her breath in a mumble "Like stay on Earth to grant some stupid mortals wish."

Urd rolled her eyes. "There's just no hope for you squirt." As she turned her eyes fell on Keiichi who was attempting to be inconspicuous while finishing his breakfast. "So, what about you Keiichi? Have you had any meaningful dreams lately?" she purred in a teasing tone.

"You'd better not be dreaming about my big sister!" Skuld quickly interjected while glaring at Keiichi from her side of the table. "You keep your perverted thoughts away from her."

Keiichi immediately flushed and shifted his eyes to glance across the table at Belldandy before quickly looking away and blurting "No! No I haven't had any dreams at all lately." With another meaningful look from the corner of his eyes at Belldandy, he gave a deep sigh and wearily turned back to breakfast hoping that Urd would just drop the subject rather than embarrassing him further. Of all the mornings this could have happened, she would have to ask that question today.

Hmm, Urd thought. Apparently Keiichi has been dreaming about Bell based on the way he looked at her when I asked him about his dreams. Wonder what dear Keiichi has been dreaming about she thought smirking with glee. Oh well, I won't push it at the moment. Maybe I can get it out of him later when Bell and Skuld aren't around. Or else, I can bring it up next time I need a distraction if one of my potions doesn't go quite right.

Belldandy seemed oblivious to the currents swirling around the breakfast table. "I think dreams are very important. What would be the point of life if we didn't have dreams to strive toward? That's why it's so important to do your best every day. That way you have a chance to make your dreams come true." Belldandy, practically glowing with conviction by the end of her little speech, bestowed a beaming smile upon Keiichi.

Keiichi looked up in wonder and smiled back at her, his spirits lifted somewhat at least for the moment. "Thank you for the breakfast Belldandy. I told Senpai that I would come down to the auto club for a while today and help go over the vehicle. After the last race, we need to inspect it and make a list of repairs and upgrades to work on to prepare for the next race. I should be back after lunch so you don't have to worry about making anything for me."

"It's not a worry to me at all Mr. Keiichi. I like cooking for the people I care about" she replied.

As Keiichi left the kitchen, he couldn't help but look back at Belldandy with a longing expression. This is exactly one of those times I was thinking about earlier when I'd love to be able to give her a small kiss goodbye. She looks so amazing standing there in her regular clothes and apron. As Beautiful always, but seems so like a regular woman.

"I'll see you all later" he called as he headed out the door with a bit of a depressed air about him. Why can I never say anything to her about how I really feel? Will our relationship always be this way? Yet another opportunity passed up to tell Belldandy that she is the girl of my dreams.

Belldandy watched Keiichi leave with a pensive expression. Something is bothering him, he seems so sad sometimes lately. There must be some way to sooth his pain. It hurts to watch him suffer when and be unable to help. As a Goddess First Class, Unlimited License, I should be able to do something to help him. Belldandy walked over to the door and watched as he started his motorcycle and drove out of temple yard.

Urd sat watching Bell watch Keiichi as he was leaving. I'm going to have to finally sit down and have a little talk with Bell she thought. Surely by now one of them should have finally said something to let the other know how they feel. Watching them watch each other when they think the other one isn't looking and the almost touches turned into some innocent gesture at the last moment is killing me. I can't stand the thought of two more years of watching them pine for each other this way. I'm the Goddess of Love, not the Goddess of unrequited love so I guess that means it up to me to do something about it.