Onegai, Megami-Sama!

Part 2-3: Four Rooms

"We don't get a room to ourselves, Matagu-kun?"

Matagu put a hand to the back of his head, grinning but a little nervous. He'd figured Peorth would eventually ask about that, it was just how she was. He would have liked to spend some time alone with her, as he didn't get enough of that, but having a room just to themselves was a little more than he was ready for.

"I guess not," Matagu said, looking down at the room keys in his hand. Four for the girls, three for the guys, he thought, then wondered if Kei would need his key now that his secret was out. Matagu shook his head. Belldandy had probably reserved a room for Mizuho, which was where Kei would be. "Yamada-sensei got the rooms, so he probably had to make sure our parents wouldn't get upset."

"Hmmph!" Peorth folded her arms over her chest and frowned. She was still pretty like that, Matagu thought, and by now he was used to her sudden moments of annoyance, though he was glad that they usually didn't last long. "Fine, then." Her expression brightened, and she smirked at him. He started to blush - he knew that look too. "We'll just lock the boys out. They both have their lovers here, do they not?"

"I . . . suppose so. . . ." Matagu said, frantically trying to see if there was a way out of this. Peorth could be very convincing when she wanted to be. . . .

"Then perhaps they'll thank us," Peorth whispered, leaning up against him.

Matagu was saved from a possible death by blush when the hotel's front doors slid open and the rest of the group walked in. He glanced over to see Hyosuke and Kaede keeping each other up, Skuld messing with Ichigo's camera, and Herikawa standing about as far from Mizuho as she could. Matagu wondered where Kei was, then watched as he staggered in, supporting a barely standing Urd.

Well, Matagu thought, maybe he wouldn't have to worry about Peorth trying to get him alone in their room, not if half the group was drunk. Then again, that probably wouldn't stop her at all.

"Oh, good, you're here!" Belldandy turned back from the front counter, and walked with Keiichi over to where Matagu and Peorth stood, then paused. She looked a little worried, Matagu thought. "Urd, dear, are you all right?"

Urd said something that might have been a complete sentence, but whether it was in any actual language was anybody's guess.

"I see," Belldandy said, walking with Keiichi over to Kei's side. "I'll take care of her; thank you, Kusanagi-san."

"It's okay," Kei said as Belldandy took Urd off of his shoulder. "Matagu, did you get the room keys?"

"Yeah," Matagu said, "but--"

"Oh, yours is here," Belldandy said, giving Kei two key cards with her free hand. "Those are for you and Mizuho."

There was a sudden and very awkward silence as every one looked at Belldandy. If she noticed, she didn't show it. Kei froze with his hand halfway to Belldandy's, and Mizuho looked a little panicked, but Matagu guessed that was probably a reflex.

Before anyone said anything, Herikawa stomped up to Matagu and held out her hand. He fumbled for a second, then handed her one of the key cards for the girls' room. She snatched it out of his hand, then stormed off toward the elevators.

Kei sighed, then looked over at Matagu. "This isn't going to be easy, is it?"

Matagu could only shake his head.

A short while later, Matagu helped Kaede drag Hyosuke into the guys' room. Keiichi went along with them after saying goodnight to Belldandy - apparently, Skuld wouldn't let him stay the night in the goddesses' room. Matagu and Kaede helped Hyosuke onto one of the beds. Somehow, he was still grinning.

"Kei and Mizuho-sensei," Hyosuke said as Kaede put a pillow under his head. "I can't believe it. . . ."

"It is kind of strange," Kaede said. Her face was a little red, Matagu noticed, but he wasn't sure if that was from drinking or because she was embarrassed for some reason. "But they've been together for a long time, so they're probably happy that we know."

"Yeah. . . ." Hyosuke looked over at Matagu, though his eyes weren't quite focusing. "Hey, Matagu, you knew about this before. Did Kei ever tell you what Mizuho's like in bed?"

Matagu stepped back, feeling his face go red. "I - I--" Matagu stammered, then glanced over at Keiichi, who just shrugged. Why, Matagu thought, did Hyosuke have to ask questions like that? Sure, he and Kei had talked more than usual ever since all the weirdness with Mizuho and Belldandy getting switched, but somehow that had never come up. Matagu had to admit that he'd never really wanted to ask, and he kind of guessed that Kei wasn't going to bring it up himself.

"Hyosuke, don't embarrass the boy," Peorth said as she walked into the room. She came up behind Matagu, wrapped one leg around both of his, then put her arm around his chest and rested her head on his shoulder. "Making Matagu-kun blush is my job."

"Ah-ha-ha!" Hyosuke laughed. "I see, I know how it is. Hey, what about you two--"

"We should get back to our room!" Kaede said, looking more embarrassed than Matagu felt. "Peorth?"

"If we must." She somehow worked her way around Matagu without letting go of him, and he put her arms around her, holding her close as soon as she was facing him. He sighed. No matter what happened, he always felt better with her next to him. "Sleep well, Matagu-kun," she said. "Dream of me, of course."

"I will," he said, then leaned down and kissed her lightly on the cheek. Something about having his friends right there made him a little uncomfortable, he thought, though he wasn't sure why. Maybe because it felt like they were all watching.

She pulled back a bit, and gave him a considering look. "Really, dear boy," she said, "I know you can do better than that, you usually do."

Matagu glanced at Hyosuke and Kaede, then at Keiichi again, still more than a little nervous - kissing Peorth was one thing, and he never had a problem with it, but it was different in front of his friends. Kaede looked like she was trying not to watch, or at least like she might turn her head, but Hyosuke wasn't even making the attempt - instead, he was giving Matagu a thumbs up.

"It's not nice to keep one such as I waiting," Peorth whispered in his ear.

Oh, what the hell, Matagu thought, then dipped Peorth and kissed her, just like he'd seen in an old movie. He guessed he'd actually startled her, as it took a second for her to react. Once she started kissing him back, they held it until he felt his head starting to spin.

After he pulled her up out of the dip and they separated, Peorth blinked a few times, looking genuinely surprised and quite pleased. She also seemed to be holding back a smirk. "Goodnight," she said, then headed out of the room with Kaede. Matagu watched them leave, then slumped. It was too much, he thought, too much for just one day.

"Oh, man," Hyosuke said from his bed, "girls just don't get better than ours, huh?"

Matagu sighed.

Peorth bid Kaede goodnight, and continued down the hall toward the room she was sharing with Belldandy, Urd, and Skuld. She was feeling a little put out, despite that last kiss - this was the first real chance she'd had to get Matagu-kun away from everything, and he'd been acting more nervous than she'd ever seen him. Even when she'd first shown up and he'd been stunned by her presence-

"Perhaps . . . yes, perhaps that was worse," she admitted to herself. "The poor boy did faint that time." She put a hand to her chin in thought as she walked. "But he seems so reluctant, so worried. . . . I'm sure it's nothing I've done, as he still deserves the very best, which is of course me. So what could possibly be troubling him so?"

"The fact that you have 'strip me down and take me now' written across your forehead?"

Peorth jumped, then whipped her head around to see Urd standing in a doorway. The dark-skinned goddess had changed into her sleepwear, a light blue loose top and shorts. She seemed a lot more sober than she'd been a few minutes ago, Peorth thought; either she'd used a spell or Belldandy had.

"What - whatever do you mean, dear Urd?" Peorth asked, trying not to show her surprise.

"C'mon, don't play innocent, you're not any good at it," Urd said with a knowing smile. She stepped back into the room and motioned for Peorth to follow.

Peorth walked in and closed the door behind herself, then shifted her clothes into a nightshirt. Skuld was there as well, crashed out on one of the beds, curled up with what looked like a stuffed mecha doll. Urd sat down on the other bed and folded her legs beneath her, then gave Peorth a look. Peorth frowned at her, then lay down on her stomach in the air. The two goddesses stared each other down for a moment, then Peorth 'hmmph'ed.

"Surely you don't think I'm doing anything wrong," Peorth said, rather insistent.

"Yeah, I think you are," Urd said. She leaned forward, and her silver hair fell down around her shoulders. "But he might think so too, did you think about that? Or were you just not thinking?"

"I know what he thinks," Peorth said, trying not to show how close she'd come to being lost by Urd's stream of thought. She pouted a little. "I am his girlfriend, it was his wish and one I was glad to grant. Do you think I don't know how he feels?"

Urd chuckled. "It's not that easy. You remember what happened with Keiichi, sometimes people have desires but they get all worried about acting on them. Seems like Matagu's the same way . . . or would you know that better, you being his girlfriend?"

Peorth glowered at her for a moment. It was a simple thing to keep an eye on Matagu-kun's emotions, and with everything she'd been seeing, there really was no reason for him to do anything else but fall into her arms. "I do know what he wants," she said, nodding to emphasize her point. "He simply has to relax enough to know that he wants it, oui?"

"Ah, right," Urd said, then quirked an eyebrow at Peorth. "And you think doing everything short of humping his leg is going to make him relax?"

That brought Peorth up short. She sat up in the air, then looked down. She had to admit it, she'd never considered how her affections must seem to him. She'd assumed that he wanted the same thing, why wouldn't he? But. . . .

"Think about it," Urd said. "Wasn't one of the reasons you liked him in the first place because he didn't try to jump you as soon as you lost touch with Yggdrasil?"

"That was different," Peorth said shortly, still frowning.

"What, are you saying you wouldn't want him to jump you?"

"I'd rather hoped to be the one doing the jumping," Peorth admitted, breaking into a silly smile as a few rose petals blew around her. "But you get the idea, oui?"

"The idea and the mental image," Urd said, then rubbed her eyes. "I really should learn not to give advice right before I go to bed. But seriously, lay off the kid. You can't try to push things sometimes. I mean, look at Bell and Keiichi."

Peorth gave Urd a skeptical look. That was not at all what she'd been thinking of. "Keiichi and Belldandy can hardly even hold hands without blushing. I surely hope you don't suggest Matagu-kun and I follow their example."

"All right, you got me there," Urd said with a grin. "But you know what I mean, right?"

"Yes, I do," Peorth said with a sigh. "Even if I don't like it very much." She looked away from Urd, and frowned again. "I suppose," she said, unable to resist the urge to pose, "I'm just not used to others being able to resist me."

Urd laughed at that, quietly but with enough energy to make Peorth turn a glare on her. What, she thought, could possibly be so funny about that? This was her relationship they were talking about, not just fulfilling a contract. . . .

She paused. Wasn't that just what Belldandy had said, all those months ago? It wasn't just about doing her job, it had become more than that almost from the beginning. Of course, she'd never had to worry about doing her job well, such things came naturally to her. But this was indeed different, very much so. This wasn't just her job, it was about her life . . . hers and Matagu-kun's. Their life together, even just as boyfriend and girlfriend. Surely things would go beyond that one day, but perhaps Urd was right . . . perhaps that didn't have to be this weekend.

Peorth sighed, then looked over to see Urd giving her a warm smile. She nodded.

"Figured it out for yourself, didn't you?" Urd asked.

"I feel as though I'm starting to think like Belldandy," Peorth said, then couldn't help laughing. "I'm not sure if the Almighty is trying to teach me something or just having a good laugh at my expense."

"He knows what He's doing, I think," Urd said with a grin, then glanced over at the phone. After a moment, she shook her head and smiled. "But He does that whole 'move in mysterious ways' thing, so you never know." She paused, then leaned closer to Peorth. "Hey, you've been hanging around with Matagu for a while," she said, "so what's up with that Ichigo girl?"

"She's an odd one," Peorth said after a moment, "but a nice enough girl. She and Kei seem to be somewhat close, though I'm not sure why."

"What, you didn't try to find out?" Urd asked. "That almost doesn't sound like you."

Peorth put a hand to her forehead, and did her best to look hurt. "Why, dear Urd, you wound me! Do you think I'd have so little respect for their privacy--"

"I'd think you were too busy with Matagu to even think about it," Urd cracked.

"Very true," Peorth said with a smirk. "But if you insist upon learning of Ichigo, the best I can do is wish you luck. She seems to know a great deal more than she shows. Best to be careful, just in case."

"Eh, it's just one girl," Urd said with a shrug. "We've got the whole weekend and I've got plenty of saké, we'll see what she's got to hide."

Peorth smiled, but she did have the feeling that Urd had no idea of what she was getting herself into. This, she thought, could turn out rather interesting. Perhaps she'd better keep an eye on Ichigo's camera. . . .

Mizuho and Kei walked into their room, smiled at each other, then closed and locked the door behind them.

Belldandy knocked on the door to the room that the girls were sharing, and smiled warmly at Ichigo when the small girl answered.

"Hello," Ichigo said, calm as she always seemed to be. "Keiichi's not here, if you're looking for him."

"Oh, I know where he is, but thank you," Belldandy said. "Actually, I came to talk to Herikawa. Is she here?"

"She's on the balcony." Ichigo stepped aside to let Belldandy in.

"Where's Kaede?" Belldandy asked as Ichigo closed the door behind her. "Is she still with Hyosuke and the others?"

"They're carrying him to the other room," Ichigo said. She watched Belldandy as she walked by, never taking her eyes off of her. "Hyosuke's still drunk."

"I'll have to tell Urd not to let him drink so much," Belldandy said, concerned. Hyosuke seemed like a nice boy, though he did remind her a little of some of Keiichi-san's friends in the Motor Club. Perhaps she'd drop by once she was done here and cast a spell on him, something for the hangover he'd surely have tomorrow morning.

Belldandy turned and smiled at Ichigo when she reached the sliding glass door that led to the balcony. "Sleep well, Ichigo," she said, then stepped outside.

Herikawa was there, leaning against the rail and staring out toward the ocean. She didn't turn around as Belldandy approached. Belldandy joined her at the railing and stood a few feet away, letting the night breeze blow through her hair. She focused on Herikawa for a moment, peering into the girl's troubled emotional state. Belldandy sighed. So much pain, so much confusion, and the worst of it was that Herikawa herself didn't seem to know why, not as much as she should have.

She would have to help in any way she could, Belldandy decided. "It's a lovely night," she said quietly.

It was a moment before Herikawa responded, and all she did at first was shrug. She then glanced over at Belldandy and asked, "Why are you here?"

There was hostility in her voice, anyone could have heard it, but Belldandy could tell that it was more of a gut reaction than anything else. Herikawa wanted to lash out at someone, to let her feelings out in some way, any way. The girl wasn't mean, not at all, but she was hurting, and that kept her from thinking clearly. "You looked like you could use someone to talk to," Belldandy said, still quiet. "A lot's happened, hasn't it?"

Herikawa gave her a bit of a scowl, looking at Belldandy out of the corner of her eye. "You knew," she said, sounding like she really wanted to be accusing. "How long have you known?"

"Nearly as long as I've known Mizuho, she and Kusanagi-san have been together," Belldandy said. "There were some troubles, there always are, but she's told me so much about her life with him. I'm very happy for them." She leaned against the balcony rail and looked up to the stars. "Sometimes, it seems like they were fated to be together."

Herikawa didn't say anything to that, but only looked away. Belldandy looked over at her, and saw that the girl was biting her lower lip, as though she was trying to keep herself from speaking. If only she could let it out, Belldandy thought, then she could feel so much better. She hated to pry, but in the end, Herikawa might thank her for it.

"You have feelings for Kusanagi-san, don't you?" she asked gently.

Herikawa jerked back as though she'd been cut, and glared at Belldandy. "How - how could you just ask me that!"

"Because that's what's troubling you, isn't it?" Belldandy turned to face Herikawa, and folded her hands in front of herself. "I could see how you were looking at him earlier, and how you were acting toward him and Mizuho after everyone found out about them. It's not easy, I know, but it'll only become worse--"

"You know," Herikawa interrupted, starting to sound harsh. "How do you know? I saw you and Keiichi, you'd be close all the time if Skuld didn't keep pushing you two apart. He looks like he loves you, how could you know what I feel?"

"I've seen it before," Belldandy said with a frown. "I've seen it many times, around Keiichi's friends and others at Nekomi. Everyone gets so involved with what they feel, and anything that could change what they want, it feels like their world is ending."

"It's not like that," Herikawa said, turning away from Belldandy again. "I just - I--" She put her hands over her face, and Belldandy could hear that she was starting to cry. She waited, just a moment, for her to say what she had to.

"I feel like he was the only chance I've had, ever," Herikawa said, choking back a sob. "I don't know if he ever even liked me, but I've never really liked anyone else, not like that. And - and to find out he's been married all this time, and to Mizuho, all the guys at school talk about her like she's some kind of goddess. It's . . . it's not fair. . . ."

Herikawa's tears began to fall, and Belldandy stepped forward, gently putting her arms around the girl from behind. She let a little of her power flow into Herikawa, to help her let everything out so she could eventually feel better. It would take time, Belldandy thought, but she could heal.

"And then there's you," Herikawa said, sniffling, "you and Keiichi, and Matagu and Peorth, and even Kaede and Hyosuke. It feels like everyone around me is pairing off with someone, even the people I've just met are already together. It's like I'm going to be the only one left. I can't be an old maid, I'm not even seventeen!

"I . . . I thought I'd be all right with it, I really did." She sniffled again. "It's always fun when it's everyone together, but now, it's going to be different. Kei's going to want to bring Mizuho along all the time, now that we know, either that or it's just going to be weird with him around and not her. I feel like I can't even look at him anymore. I don't . . . know if he was my only chance, that seems so stupid to say it but that's how it felt. And now, it's . . . it's like Mizuho stole that from me."

Belldandy frowned. That, she hadn't expected. "They love each other," she said quietly. "I know it can be painful, but you can't get in the way of someone else's love, no matter what you might feel. In the end, it wouldn't work, because they'd always be thinking of what they left behind." She paused for a moment, to let her words sink in. "I don't know if Kusanagi-san ever truly loved you, but I know he'd never want to hurt you. He's not a mean person, but you can't expect him to go against his love."

"I just . . . I just wanted to be loved," Herikawa said, her voice small and tearful. "I just wanted to know what that's like."

"Everyone wants that," Belldandy said, hugging Herikawa a bit more. "But love at someone else's loss, is that really love? Could you really want something like that? Do you think it would make you feel better, make you feel what you want to feel?"

"I wouldn't want that." Herikawa shuddered, then pulled away from Belldandy a little, turning to her. Her face was streaked with tears, but Belldandy could see that she was doing better. She would sleep fitfully, perhaps, but she would start to heal. "How do you do that?" she whispered, giving Belldandy a pleading look. "I - I didn't want to say any of this, especially to you, I don't even know you. How do you. . . ?"

"It's all right," Belldandy said with a smile, opening her arms again. "Sometimes, we need someone who'll ask the questions we don't want to answer."

She hugged Herikawa again, and the other girl returned it this time. Belldandy smiled to herself. It would be difficult, she was sure of that, but things would be all right.

"Matagu? Hey, Matagu!"

"Nngh . . . Hyosuke?"

"Hey, have you done it with Peorth yet?"

". . . what?"

"Ha-hah, that's a no, right? Right? I thought--"

"Hyosuke, go back to sleep!"