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Ah! My Goddess- Insecurity and Innocence (Chapter Eleven: New Beginnings in Old Roots)

By Gredival

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Skuld's eyes misted up at the mere sight of him again. "Please stay here," Skuld pleaded as she slowly picked herself off the boy, her eyes watering while she looked away.

Sentaro smiled, his hand coming up to brush away a tear in Skuld's eye. "Don't worry Skuld. I'm still here for you. And I'll stay here as long as you want me to," the boy assured her. Skuld nodded her head weakly and fell into Sentaro's embrace. He brushed her hair and kissed her lightly.

"Thank you... Sentaro," Skuld whispered as she laid her head on him.

Megumi's shadow appeared behind the door, sending Skuld scrambling to get off of Sentaro before the older girl saw them. The door slid open and Megumi entered, plopping down next to the table. "I just called K1 and Bell, and told them the basics... He and Bell will be back shortly and will sort this thing out."

She opened her right eye and looked over the two teenagers who were blushing and had scooted away. "Oh you want to be left alone right?" she asked in a suggestive voice tossing them a wink.

The young couple shook their heads in haste and their faces got more flushed while they frantically tried to quell Megumi's imagination. "It's not like that!" Skuld protested as Sentaro scooted farther away from her, nodding his head in agreement.

But Megumi was already lost in her fantasies. She giggled like she had inhaled laughing gas, barely managing to get out a quick "Have fun you two!" before she disappeared.

Skuld hung her head in defeat sighing. "I'm never going to live this down," she complained. Sentaro gave her a comforting pat on the back as he returned next to her side. "Sentaro, what's going to happen?" she asked quietly.

"I- I don't know Skuld..." Sentaro admitted, gazing into the Goddess' gentle brown orbs as she turned her head to look at him. "But I told you I'll always be here for you, as long as you want me to," he said taking Skuld into the circle of his arms, resting his chin on her shoulder, "and I'll always love you."

"Sentaro," Skuld whispered laying her head into the nape of his shoulder, "I'll always love you too, now and forever."

Sentaro wrapped his arms around the girl hugging her tightly. He had missed her gentle warmth and smile, but unfortunately it wasn't enough to cure his cold as he sneezed again. "Sorry," he apologized, voice funny from the unnatural state of his nose. Skuld giggled a bit and smiled sweetly giving him a Kleenex.

She put her left hand on his right shoulder, "Hold still, it'll only take a second," she instructed. She extended her right hand towards the sick boy's face and an orb of luminescent blue light appeared. Her index and middle finger touched the boy's forehead and, Sentaro could feel his stuffed nose and the chill in his body wash away. She took her hand away, and Sentaro opened his eyes. She smiled a bit seeing he was better before she collapsed into his arms.

"Skuld?" he questioned shaking her, "Skuld please wake up, Skuld!"

"Relax, she's just tired," Belldandy explained as she knelt down besides Sentaro. "She's been worried sick about you recently, she must have exerted herself too much when she healed you. She'll be fine." Belldandy gave Sentaro a comforting reassuring smile as she took Skuld into the air with an orb of energy and walked off.

"Sentaro?" Keiichi called from the hallway. Sentaro got up and wandered outside the room to Keiichi, who was holding the phone. "Your parents need to talk to you about something." Keiichi gave the phone to the younger boy and patted him on the shoulder and left to give him some privacy.

Keiichi knocked at the doorpost to Skuld's room and shuffled in the room quietly. Belldandy gave him a warm smile and pulled the covers to Skuld's neck.

"Poor thing," Keiichi said examining the sleeping girl, "she must be exhausted." Belldandy nodded, and turned her head slightly to smile and look at Keiichi.

"How did things go with Mister and Misses Kawanishi?" Belldandy asked softly.

"That's why I need to talk with you," Keiichi said. He motioned to the door and the Goddess nodded, getting up. She brushed some of her golden hair out of her face and bent over kissing her little sister on the head.

"Sleep well Skuld," she whispered softly as she slipped out of the room.

***

Skuld buried her face in Sentaro's chest, her warm tears wetting his black shirt. The boy closed his eyes holding his girlfriend silently.

"Y-you keep your promise this time, you h-hear?" Skuld tried to order through her tears as she looked up at the boy's face. He gave her a nod and a comforting smile.

"I have to go now," Sentaro said softly. Skuld sniffed and nodded. She pulled herself away from the boy and wiped her face on her green jacket sleeve. He leaned in tilting his head slightly, and Skuld closed her eyes as their lips made contact. "I love you," he whispered before he turned and rushed off towards the train.

She gave a weak wave as Sentaro disappeared in a crowd of people. She soon lost sight of him, her eyes back watered up again as she turned around clinging to her older sister. Belldandy wrapped an arm around her sister, patting her on the back softly. The sound of the train roaring to life could be heard and Skuld clenched her eyes and tried to block out the moment. She couldn't stand it; they were about to be separated again. The sound of the train's wheels starting to turn could be heard. It was so unfair. The whistle blew as the train chugged away. It wasn't right.

"The train's almost gone..." Keiichi noted.

It shouldn't happen like this. Skuld let go and whirled around and almost fell down when she saw Sentaro standing there among a box of things with a sheepish grin on his face. He extended his arms, and Skuld put away questions for the moment as she ran to the boy, wrapping her arms around his neck kissing him deeply.

"How?" she asked as the reality of the situation began to sink in.

"My parents said if it was alright with Keiichi and Belldandy, I could stay here and finish high school," he explained. He knew he should have expected Skuld's reaction as she shoved him knocking him to the pavement.

"And you didn't tell me?! Sentaro you can be such a jerk!" she wailed. She turned around to see Keiichi and Belldandy laughing a little at the scene, and her face reddened more.

"I'm sorry Skuld," Belldandy explained, "but this is how Sentaro wanted it." Keiichi nodded and scratched his head as inched towards the exit avoiding eye contact with the angry young Goddess. Skuld growled making her obvious annoyance vocal.

"We really came here to get my stuff off the train you see," Sentaro explained giving her a peck on the cheek. "It was just lucky you didn't notice that the direction the train was going was in the opposite direction from Kyoto because you were looking away!"

"You're so mean!" Skuld said as turned around so her back faced him.

"Awww come on Skuld!" Sentaro said as he walked around her in circles as she stormed away. He made a note to grab his luggage before following her and giving Keiichi and Belldandy a pleading look. Belldandy and Keiichi shared a chuckle as they shrugged hopelessly. Sentaro sighed proceeding to chase after the angry Goddess, apologizing for everything under the sun, dodging some kicks and punches all the while.