Author's Notes: Sorry for the lack of updates, I've been running low on ideas. And I'm continuing with the trend of increasingly deep feelings stirring within the two young lovers over very little things ^^;

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Ah! My Goddess- Insecurity and Innocence (Chapter Nine: Happy Anniversary)

By Gredival

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Sentaro wiped the sweat off his brow with his hand smudging his face with grease. He bent over again examining the chain of the bike. He turned the wrench once more tightening the chain. Testing its hold he was satisfied and moved on to inspect the frame. The welds he had made yesterday seemed sturdy enough as he pushed on the frame to test the strength. He took his rag wiping some grease off the surface of the cerulean blue metal. He decided he'd need to get some polish later for the bike. He reached for a wheel to fit on the frame before a voice stopped his movements.

"Sentaro? Sentaro are you home?" Skuld's voice echoed. Sentaro quickly reached for the plastic black tarp and threw it over the bike. He moved over hurriedly to his own bike sitting down next to it before responding.

"In the garage Skuld! Come on in."

Sun light came into the garage as Skuld moved the garage door up slipping inside. She looked at Sentaro smiled a bit moving next to him. Although he was always glad her company Sentaro desperately wished to finish his project and he couldn't with Skuld around. The days were going by and it was fast approaching the anniversary of the day they first met. He feigned work by tightening his own bike's chain after smiling at his girlfriend.

Skuld reached into the pocket of her denim overalls pulling out a handkerchief. Licking the cloth a bit she dabbed it on Sentaro's face wiping some grease off his nose as he worked.

"I brought you some cookies," Skuld said taking out a small tin from her bag. She opened to reveal the homemade fresh chocolate chip cookies.

"Wow they look delicious," Sentaro said extending a hand to take one. The pair both looked at the dirty hand before Sentaro retracted it. "Uh, I'll go wash up."

Skuld pulled him back down and took a cookie from the tin herself. She held it up to Sentaro's face. "You're going to go back to work, don't bother washing now," she explained blushing a little.

Sentaro nodded in agreement with the Goddess' logic and sat back down, his cheeks tinting a slight shade of pink as well. He opened his mouth so Skuld could feed him the cookie. He took a bite chewing a bit as the delicious flavor spread through his mouth.

"You made them didn't you?" Sentaro asked smiling at the Goddess.

Skuld looked down a little at Sentaro's comment. "Yeah... Are they that much worse from Bell's?"

"Nah... They're that much better, that's how I can tell you made them Skuld..."

Skuld looked up surprised at Sentaro. He smiled a bit and leaned in. Skuld could hear her heart beating 'Badump' in her chest. She swallowed the lump in her throat and closed her eyes as Sentaro tilted his head and kissed her, slowly pressing his lips against hers.

As they broke the kiss Skuld opened her eyes to look into Sentaro's brown orbs. They stared into each other's eyes for a moment before turning away, both of their faces a bit red; their breathing deep as air refilled their lungs.

"I-I'll call you later okay?" Skuld offered as she set the tin back in the bag and placed it where she was setting on the bench.

"Sounds good," Sentaro said as Skuld left the garage and set the door back down. Once outside she slumped back against the garage door, her hands covering her left breast under which her heart was beating furiously. She slowly touched her lips with two fingers before shaking her head. [Why am I getting so worked up over a kiss?]

She slipped and fell to the ground as the door moved however.

"Err Skuld? Sorry about that!" Sentaro knelt down beside the sitting girl. "Are you alright?" he asked concerned.

"Uhh I'm fine," she said meekly, her face bright from embarrassment as she rubbed her head innocently. She forced an innocent smile at Sentaro.

"Here I'll help you home," he offered as he helped her get back up.

As they walked along the street Skuld casually wrapped her arm around Sentaro's leaning in closer to him. She could feel the warmth of his body on her skin as her forearm rested on Sentaro's red shirt. Her hair streamed down from her head, the tips brushing against her and Sentaro's arm.

Sentaro smiled happily inwardly at the closeness between them slipping his hands into the pockets of his jeans sheepishly as they continued on towards the temple.

***

Skuld glanced around the riverbank. There were a few cyclers out, and a group of men fishing, but she did not see Sentaro anywhere. She sighed a bit and sat down on the ledge. The wind swept past her sending her two long pigtails swaying. She could feel the air blow past across her legs and she pulled her legs in closer a bit instinctively.

Suddenly she looked up to see Sentaro smiling down on her streaking across on a blue bike, and he was gone the next moment landing his jump. He braked and balanced himself, nearly tipping once. The tires slowed down as it tore up some green grass. Skuld raced over to Sentaro as he dismounted the bike.

"What were you doing?! You could have been hurt!" Skuld protested annoyed. "And it's not even your bike, how could you know how to control it!"

"You're right... I don't know how to control it right with the jumps. It's not mine," Sentaro admitted, "It's yours."

Skuld gave him a puzzled look and glanced at the shinning cerulean bike. "Skuld Labs" was painted on the blue metal with gold and silver. She looked at Sentaro who was only smiling innocently at her.

"Sentaro?" she asked her voice shaky as she looked at the bike. She could feel something between the angel egg around her neck and the bike, a resonation. She could see now that the bike couldn't be factory produced, it radiated with love.

"Go on try it," Sentaro urged smiling. Skuld could feel her eyes misting up as she fell into Sentaro's arms pressing her face against his chest. Sentaro wrapped his arms around her lightly brushing some hair out of her face. "Hey come on now..."

Skuld sniffed a little and nodded, blinking away the fuzzyness. She straightened a bit and leaned in close.

"And here's your present." Skuld pulled Sentaro's head to hers, closing her eyes she kissed his softly, slowly wrapping her arms around his neck. Sentaro's arms encircled her waist. "Happy Anniversary Sentaro," Skuld said smiling.

"Happy Anniversary Skuld."