Author's Notes: Taking some advice from a reviewer. The idea's a bit
cliché (okay well quite a bit) but I already threw around the death/mortal
wound trump card, this was the best idea I had. And from this point on
consider the fic as canon as an AU can get, but an AU. I've purposely
tried to engineer it so that all of the events in my fic could correspond
with the manga, but that changes in this chapter... Read and see. Uh
don't ask me why there's an old fashioned train and not a subway or
monorail...
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Ah! My Goddess- Insecurity and Innocence (Chapter Ten: Absence makes the heart grow fonder)
By Gredival
-------
Sentaro sighed heavily as he stared outside his window. The wind swept past, rustling the leaves of the tree, as the breeze came in through his window. He blew off a dry leaf that had drifted down onto his arm while he remained slumped on the sill. The leaves trees and plants had begun to fall and die as the ever-changing seasons had swept by. The young boy could not help but equate the scenery with his own life, despite the vibrant life that autumn still held compared to the boy's internal distress.
"Only one week..." he whispered quietly to himself. "And I haven't even told Skuld."
His fist slammed into the windowsill, the boy's knuckles knocking hard against the wood shaking his room's walls a bit. He sighed at the uselessness of it all and returned to his silent brooding.
***
Skuld growled as another error script window popped up. She closed it and ignored the others. She went back to the text examining the coding that she had just put in for the script. She'd never had any trouble with her programming before, why now was it acting up?
She slipped another small spoonful of Baskin Robbins 31 Flavors into her mouth as her eyes moved side to side steadily looking over her coding. She almost spat out her ice cream when she saw the glaring error she had made.
"Whaaaat?!" Skuld exclaimed as she stared blankly at the lit screen. But there it was in plain sight- tremendous misallocation of the script's values and properties, written right into the script by her own hand. It was plain for even her to see now that her skills with machines seemed to be deteriorating as she spent less and less time on her computer and using her machines. As strange as it seemed to Skuld though, she felt no regret. She had begun to rely on her inner powers and her mind to solve problems, not her machines.
And she had to admit, she loved it.
She shook herself out of her trance and fixed the problem and reran the script. The computer's fan kicked up, and Skuld tensed as the screen stopped moving. Then suddenly it went back to normal and her new program came up. She sighed in relief leaning back in her chair.
"Hey what are you doing?" Sentaro asked as he opened the door.
"Eh?" Skuld's eyes bugged out in surprised as she lost the balance of her chair. She waved her arms frantically hoping to somehow regain the lost equilibrium before she could crash. She failed as the chair fell backwards, with her along with it, coming down to the floor. Skuld sat on the floor against the wall rubbing her head, turning her one open eye to look at Sentaro; her cheeks flushed red from embarrassment.
[She's so cute...] Sentaro thought to himself as he bent down to help the black haired Goddess up.
"You know you could knock next time," Skuld reminded him rubbing her head a bit, strands of black hair flowing down from in between her fingers.
"Sorry," Sentaro apologized as he took Skuld's left hand, and placed his own left hand on her back supporting her as she got up.
"What's wrong?" Skuld inquired immediately. Sentaro looked at her weirdly. Skuld sighed, "Look Sentaro I know when something's bothering you... You can tell me. What's wrong?"
Her hands gripped onto one of Sentaro's. The young boy looked at Skuld's eyes, and sighed looking down at the floor. He took the Goddess into the circle of his arms, pulling her close to him. She rested her head on the nape of his neck. Skuld knew something was bothering him. But she also trusted him completely. He muttered something inaudible.
"Mmm?"
Sentaro forced the words out louder, "I... I'm moving. My dad was offered a position in Kyoto. He's taking it, and us with him."
Skuld's arms dropped from their position wrapped around the boy as she pushed him away so she could look in his face. Sentaro couldn't bear to look in Skuld's watery eyes as he looked away.
***
They sat under the tree in the same small patch of ground they were on as they first observed spring coming to bloom. Now those same trees with their vibrantly green leaves and bright flowers looked bare. Not a word exchanged between the pair. Skuld scooted closer to Sentaro resting her head on his shoulder as she gazed lazily about. The brown and dried leaves littered the ground.
"I guess it's true. Everything has to die," Sentaro remarked softly as he looked at the scene below.
"Sentaro," Skuld started taking one of the boy's hands in between her own hands, "though the beauty and life of summer has faded away it comes back if we wait. This isn't the end."
"Should it be?" The brunt nature and the finality that was attached to that question shocked Skuld. She looked at him questioning why he would ask such a thing. "Skuld, I've loved every minute I spend with you. It feels I've only now begun to live, by your side. But... Skuld you are a Goddess, you don't deserve to have to spend your time with someone like me. I'm sure there's a God out there more deserving of you." Sentaro looked away and stared off into the distance.
Skuld took Sentaro's face turning it to face her. "Sentaro why do you assume you're not as good as anyone in the heavens? You shouldn't. We're no different from each other, we feel happiness, anger, frustration, joy... and love." She smiled as she moved in, her forehead resting on his as her arms wrapped around his neck. "And trust me- I may not deserve the best, but you are it." Skuld kissed the boy softly before letting go. "And when spring comes back and the life of that forest springs back, we'll be waiting."
Sentaro managed a weak smile as he nodded. He wrapped his arms around Skuld in an embrace. "You're right. We'll be here waiting."
***
Skuld stood there face slightly tilted as she looked on with sad eyes. Sentaro glanced back over his shoulder catching a glimpse of the Goddess before he had to shuffle to his seat. Skuld made his way to his seat and quickly dropped the windows and crouched on his seat, half of his body sticking out the window. Skuld made her way over.
Skuld choked on her own soft sobs as she tried to say her goodbye. "I'll write to you everyday. And call me as soon as you settle in alright?" She looked down, the moisture that had formed in her eyes dropping onto the cold pavement.
"Of course," Sentaro said gently, his hand reaching down to wipe away Skuld's tears. "Please don't cry... It makes me too sad. I can't stand to see you cry."
Skuld sniffled and nodded as she looked back up forcing a smile.
"All aboard!"
Sentaro bent down and kissed her lightly on the lips as the engine of the train roared to life. The first puffs of smoke came from the engine as the wheels started moving. Sentaro was brought with the train as it started to pull away. As the kiss broke Skuld started to run along side it.
"Promise me you won't forget!" she called out to the boy.
"It's a promise!" he responded reaching his hand to the girl. They grasped hands for a few seconds before the train sped up. Skuld was running now to keep up.
"I love you Sentaro!" She had to stop herself from tumbling over the edge as she came to the end of the boarding deck. The train moved on along the tracks and Skuld could see Sentaro getting smaller and smaller as he stayed half out of the window, wind whipping past him. He yelled back but couldn't be heard over the train's noise and the distance between them.
The strength in Skuld's knees disappeared as she crumbled to the floor crying. Keiichi knelt down beside her putting a supportive arm around the young Goddess. Her teardrops wet the pavement as the dark clouds above followed suit. Belldandy covered them under her parasol as she and Keiichi helped Skuld up and towards the car.
***
A week had gone by and no word had come to Skuld about Sentaro. She sat out on the porch overlooking the back garden sighing heavily. A breeze blew by making the wind-chime above her echo.
Megumi took a seat by Skuld having finished her meal. She wrapped a blanket around the younger girl who didn't seem to notice the biting chill of the cold rain and air in her black tank top and blue overalls. Megumi took a quick glance and discerned the problem. "So still no contact?" The Goddess nodded slumping into her own knees black hair strewn about. "You know Skuld there are two sayings when you are dealing with a long distance relationship. 'Absence makes the heart grow fonder' and 'Out of Sight, Out of Mind.'"
"So he's forgotten about me already?" Skuld replied dryly.
"I'm not going to say that, but I'm not going to rule it out either," Megumi explained. "Whatever happens from now on Skuld, never lose sight of what already has happened. You put your whole heart into this right?" The girl nodded. "Then don't have any regrets. Hey while the others are out we can do some stuff, just you and me, what do you say?"
The came a knock on the door and the brunette excused herself to answer it. As she opened the door a drenched Sentaro was there breathing heavily.
"Sentaro?" Megumi asked surprised.
Skuld scrambled to the door upon hearing the name Sentaro. She looked at the boy who was standing in front of the door soaked head to toe. She threw off the blanket and ran to him embracing him tightly.
Megumi peered out past the walkway. "Sentaro... Where are your folks?"
***
"You snuck out here?! What were you thinking man?" Megumi asked as she set down the cup of hot chocolate in front of the shivering boy.
"I guess I wasn't thinking," Sentaro admitted sneezing. Skuld wiped his nose with a Kleenex, a worried expression on her face. "I just knew I had to leave."
"Man. Well we'll have to wait till Kei gets back before we can do anything," Megumi said leaning back.
"Miss Morisato..." Sentaro started before Megumi stopped him.
"Just call me Megumi okay?"
"Well Megumi, if you wouldn't mind I'd like to spend as much time her before you guys call my parents. I know they'll want to pick me up, and then I'll probably lose my life as a freeman," Sentaro explained.
"We have to call them to tell them you're safe though," Megumi said with a frown.
"I understand. Well I'll make the most of this visit right?" Sentaro asked with a grin. Megumi nodded and got up leaving the couple alone.
Skuld latched onto Sentaro tackling him to the floor. "You dummy! You didn't bother to call me once! And now you do all this to come here?" Skuld's words began to break up as she sniffled.
"I'm sorry Skuld," Sentaro offered wiping away her tears. "I just went crazy not seeing you."
Skuld took the boy's face into her hands and kissed him. She could feel her heart beat faster as she pressed her lips against his. She was afraid to let go or to break the kiss, afraid she might wake up from some dream. Afraid she'd be alone again. But as she opened her eyes when she broke the kiss he was still there. He was still there.
-------
Ah! My Goddess- Insecurity and Innocence (Chapter Ten: Absence makes the heart grow fonder)
By Gredival
-------
Sentaro sighed heavily as he stared outside his window. The wind swept past, rustling the leaves of the tree, as the breeze came in through his window. He blew off a dry leaf that had drifted down onto his arm while he remained slumped on the sill. The leaves trees and plants had begun to fall and die as the ever-changing seasons had swept by. The young boy could not help but equate the scenery with his own life, despite the vibrant life that autumn still held compared to the boy's internal distress.
"Only one week..." he whispered quietly to himself. "And I haven't even told Skuld."
His fist slammed into the windowsill, the boy's knuckles knocking hard against the wood shaking his room's walls a bit. He sighed at the uselessness of it all and returned to his silent brooding.
***
Skuld growled as another error script window popped up. She closed it and ignored the others. She went back to the text examining the coding that she had just put in for the script. She'd never had any trouble with her programming before, why now was it acting up?
She slipped another small spoonful of Baskin Robbins 31 Flavors into her mouth as her eyes moved side to side steadily looking over her coding. She almost spat out her ice cream when she saw the glaring error she had made.
"Whaaaat?!" Skuld exclaimed as she stared blankly at the lit screen. But there it was in plain sight- tremendous misallocation of the script's values and properties, written right into the script by her own hand. It was plain for even her to see now that her skills with machines seemed to be deteriorating as she spent less and less time on her computer and using her machines. As strange as it seemed to Skuld though, she felt no regret. She had begun to rely on her inner powers and her mind to solve problems, not her machines.
And she had to admit, she loved it.
She shook herself out of her trance and fixed the problem and reran the script. The computer's fan kicked up, and Skuld tensed as the screen stopped moving. Then suddenly it went back to normal and her new program came up. She sighed in relief leaning back in her chair.
"Hey what are you doing?" Sentaro asked as he opened the door.
"Eh?" Skuld's eyes bugged out in surprised as she lost the balance of her chair. She waved her arms frantically hoping to somehow regain the lost equilibrium before she could crash. She failed as the chair fell backwards, with her along with it, coming down to the floor. Skuld sat on the floor against the wall rubbing her head, turning her one open eye to look at Sentaro; her cheeks flushed red from embarrassment.
[She's so cute...] Sentaro thought to himself as he bent down to help the black haired Goddess up.
"You know you could knock next time," Skuld reminded him rubbing her head a bit, strands of black hair flowing down from in between her fingers.
"Sorry," Sentaro apologized as he took Skuld's left hand, and placed his own left hand on her back supporting her as she got up.
"What's wrong?" Skuld inquired immediately. Sentaro looked at her weirdly. Skuld sighed, "Look Sentaro I know when something's bothering you... You can tell me. What's wrong?"
Her hands gripped onto one of Sentaro's. The young boy looked at Skuld's eyes, and sighed looking down at the floor. He took the Goddess into the circle of his arms, pulling her close to him. She rested her head on the nape of his neck. Skuld knew something was bothering him. But she also trusted him completely. He muttered something inaudible.
"Mmm?"
Sentaro forced the words out louder, "I... I'm moving. My dad was offered a position in Kyoto. He's taking it, and us with him."
Skuld's arms dropped from their position wrapped around the boy as she pushed him away so she could look in his face. Sentaro couldn't bear to look in Skuld's watery eyes as he looked away.
***
They sat under the tree in the same small patch of ground they were on as they first observed spring coming to bloom. Now those same trees with their vibrantly green leaves and bright flowers looked bare. Not a word exchanged between the pair. Skuld scooted closer to Sentaro resting her head on his shoulder as she gazed lazily about. The brown and dried leaves littered the ground.
"I guess it's true. Everything has to die," Sentaro remarked softly as he looked at the scene below.
"Sentaro," Skuld started taking one of the boy's hands in between her own hands, "though the beauty and life of summer has faded away it comes back if we wait. This isn't the end."
"Should it be?" The brunt nature and the finality that was attached to that question shocked Skuld. She looked at him questioning why he would ask such a thing. "Skuld, I've loved every minute I spend with you. It feels I've only now begun to live, by your side. But... Skuld you are a Goddess, you don't deserve to have to spend your time with someone like me. I'm sure there's a God out there more deserving of you." Sentaro looked away and stared off into the distance.
Skuld took Sentaro's face turning it to face her. "Sentaro why do you assume you're not as good as anyone in the heavens? You shouldn't. We're no different from each other, we feel happiness, anger, frustration, joy... and love." She smiled as she moved in, her forehead resting on his as her arms wrapped around his neck. "And trust me- I may not deserve the best, but you are it." Skuld kissed the boy softly before letting go. "And when spring comes back and the life of that forest springs back, we'll be waiting."
Sentaro managed a weak smile as he nodded. He wrapped his arms around Skuld in an embrace. "You're right. We'll be here waiting."
***
Skuld stood there face slightly tilted as she looked on with sad eyes. Sentaro glanced back over his shoulder catching a glimpse of the Goddess before he had to shuffle to his seat. Skuld made his way to his seat and quickly dropped the windows and crouched on his seat, half of his body sticking out the window. Skuld made her way over.
Skuld choked on her own soft sobs as she tried to say her goodbye. "I'll write to you everyday. And call me as soon as you settle in alright?" She looked down, the moisture that had formed in her eyes dropping onto the cold pavement.
"Of course," Sentaro said gently, his hand reaching down to wipe away Skuld's tears. "Please don't cry... It makes me too sad. I can't stand to see you cry."
Skuld sniffled and nodded as she looked back up forcing a smile.
"All aboard!"
Sentaro bent down and kissed her lightly on the lips as the engine of the train roared to life. The first puffs of smoke came from the engine as the wheels started moving. Sentaro was brought with the train as it started to pull away. As the kiss broke Skuld started to run along side it.
"Promise me you won't forget!" she called out to the boy.
"It's a promise!" he responded reaching his hand to the girl. They grasped hands for a few seconds before the train sped up. Skuld was running now to keep up.
"I love you Sentaro!" She had to stop herself from tumbling over the edge as she came to the end of the boarding deck. The train moved on along the tracks and Skuld could see Sentaro getting smaller and smaller as he stayed half out of the window, wind whipping past him. He yelled back but couldn't be heard over the train's noise and the distance between them.
The strength in Skuld's knees disappeared as she crumbled to the floor crying. Keiichi knelt down beside her putting a supportive arm around the young Goddess. Her teardrops wet the pavement as the dark clouds above followed suit. Belldandy covered them under her parasol as she and Keiichi helped Skuld up and towards the car.
***
A week had gone by and no word had come to Skuld about Sentaro. She sat out on the porch overlooking the back garden sighing heavily. A breeze blew by making the wind-chime above her echo.
Megumi took a seat by Skuld having finished her meal. She wrapped a blanket around the younger girl who didn't seem to notice the biting chill of the cold rain and air in her black tank top and blue overalls. Megumi took a quick glance and discerned the problem. "So still no contact?" The Goddess nodded slumping into her own knees black hair strewn about. "You know Skuld there are two sayings when you are dealing with a long distance relationship. 'Absence makes the heart grow fonder' and 'Out of Sight, Out of Mind.'"
"So he's forgotten about me already?" Skuld replied dryly.
"I'm not going to say that, but I'm not going to rule it out either," Megumi explained. "Whatever happens from now on Skuld, never lose sight of what already has happened. You put your whole heart into this right?" The girl nodded. "Then don't have any regrets. Hey while the others are out we can do some stuff, just you and me, what do you say?"
The came a knock on the door and the brunette excused herself to answer it. As she opened the door a drenched Sentaro was there breathing heavily.
"Sentaro?" Megumi asked surprised.
Skuld scrambled to the door upon hearing the name Sentaro. She looked at the boy who was standing in front of the door soaked head to toe. She threw off the blanket and ran to him embracing him tightly.
Megumi peered out past the walkway. "Sentaro... Where are your folks?"
***
"You snuck out here?! What were you thinking man?" Megumi asked as she set down the cup of hot chocolate in front of the shivering boy.
"I guess I wasn't thinking," Sentaro admitted sneezing. Skuld wiped his nose with a Kleenex, a worried expression on her face. "I just knew I had to leave."
"Man. Well we'll have to wait till Kei gets back before we can do anything," Megumi said leaning back.
"Miss Morisato..." Sentaro started before Megumi stopped him.
"Just call me Megumi okay?"
"Well Megumi, if you wouldn't mind I'd like to spend as much time her before you guys call my parents. I know they'll want to pick me up, and then I'll probably lose my life as a freeman," Sentaro explained.
"We have to call them to tell them you're safe though," Megumi said with a frown.
"I understand. Well I'll make the most of this visit right?" Sentaro asked with a grin. Megumi nodded and got up leaving the couple alone.
Skuld latched onto Sentaro tackling him to the floor. "You dummy! You didn't bother to call me once! And now you do all this to come here?" Skuld's words began to break up as she sniffled.
"I'm sorry Skuld," Sentaro offered wiping away her tears. "I just went crazy not seeing you."
Skuld took the boy's face into her hands and kissed him. She could feel her heart beat faster as she pressed her lips against his. She was afraid to let go or to break the kiss, afraid she might wake up from some dream. Afraid she'd be alone again. But as she opened her eyes when she broke the kiss he was still there. He was still there.
