Onegai, Megami-Sama!

Part 2-5: Long Talks on the Beach

Mizuho blinked in surprise. After everything that had happened this weekend, the last thing she had expected was for Herikawa to ask to talk to her. She'd seen how angry the girl was last night, and though Herikawa had been quiet today, Mizuho had guessed that was just her way of showing that she was still upset.

"Herikawa. . . ." she said quietly, then nodded. "Of course."

They slowed their pace, falling back from the rest of the group. It wasn't difficult, as Hyosuke was talking very loudly, and most everyone was somewhere near him or walking ahead. Mizuho did catch Kei's eye for a second, and he looked concerned, but she gave him a small smile so that he'd know it was all right. She was glad that he made no move to join the two of them; that was definitely for the better.

Once they were far enough away that their conversation would be private, Mizuho looked down at Herikawa, and saw how sad she looked. Her heart went out to the younger girl; she couldn't help it. Mizuho had always known that Herikawa had some interest in Kei, she'd been able to see it shortly after she'd met them all. But she hadn't thought it would come to this, and she'd never guessed that revealing their secret would hurt someone so much.

"I'm sorry," Mizuho said, unable to help herself. "I--"

"No," Herikawa interrupted, her voice shaking a little, "I'm sorry. I - I didn't know, and I could have made problems for you two, something bad could have happened." She paused, and swallowed hard. "I can't help remembering, back when we were all here that one time, when Kei was here with his parents. . . ." She trailed off, and her mouth hung open. "He was here with you, wasn't he?"

Mizuho nodded, feeling a little sheepish. "That was our honeymoon," she said softly, then looked up to the stars as she remembered. "Our wedding was small, and we'd always had to keep things secret, so Kei-kun's uncle and aunt wanted to send us someplace where we wouldn't have to worry about anything."

"And we ruined all that," Herikawa said, sounding almost bitter. "I remember that. Hyosuke yelled, because he saw you. Why didn't you two just drive away?"

"I think it's because we were scared," Mizuho said. It wasn't the best of memories, but she started to smile; it all seemed kind of silly as she looked back. "We'd thought it would just be the two of us, so when we saw the rest of you, we both panicked. I don't think we could have done anything else."

"And I - I pulled him away from the group, later, because I wanted to know how I felt about him." Herikawa was talking more quietly now, almost to herself. "I would have kissed him, but we got interrupted. I would have."

Mizuho had to frown at that. Something in her wondered how this girl could be so forward, talking about how she would have kissed someone else's husband. Herikawa hadn't known, but that didn't make Mizuho feel any better. Still, it wasn't like she was gloating, Mizuho thought. It seemed more like she was confessing.

"Even after that," Herikawa continued, "there were other times. I called him and told him to come meet me at the train station, and all the things that happened after that. . . ." She trailed off, and sniffled. "Some of it's kind of a blur, it's like I'm trying to forget it. But I remember that he said there was someone else. He wouldn't tell me, though." She looked at Mizuho again, and she could see tears in the girl's eyes. "No matter what, he was true to you. He kept your secret."

Mizuho took a deep breath, then sighed. "Thank you for telling me," she said. She hadn't doubted - not really, though she did have times when she got upset just from thinking it was possible - but she was glad to hear that she'd been right. "Kei-kun and I have had our problems, it hasn't always been easy."

Herikawa paused. "Really? Other than having to hide everything?" She looked pensive as Mizuho nodded. "I thought marriage was supposed to be perfect," she said. "I thought that, when you know you love someone, and you know you want to be with them, it all just falls into place."

For a moment, Mizuho wanted to laugh. She'd thought that way at one time. The Galaxy Federation's manual about Earth life had said something similar, though perhaps less romantic. But as she'd found, that wasn't the case.

"Love is a part of it," she said, folding her hands behind herself as she walked. "But it's not all of it. There's so much to learn, about the other person and how you can live together, all the little things that you don't think about when you're just dating."

"I see." Herikawa seemed to be thinking for a moment, then gave Mizuho a questioning look. "I didn't think that you and Kei dated, though, from what he told us last night."

"No, not exactly," Mizuho said with a nervous laugh. She'd never really thought about it like that, everything had gone so quickly. . . . "But we spent a lot of time together, and we came to know each other very well. I was . . . surprised when he asked me to marry him, but I knew that I wanted to." She paused. "I didn't think that something like this would happen, though. I'm sorry about what happened."

"You didn't think someone would start to like Kei?" Herikawa asked, looking a little confused.

"That's . . . that's not what I meant!" Mizuho said, waving her hands back and forth. Herikawa smiled at that, though, making her feel a little better. It would take some time to get used to people knowing, she thought. Maybe a lot of time.

Herikawa was quiet for a moment as they walked, and Mizuho relaxed a bit. That, she thought, had been very awkward. She'd never thought that she'd be having that kind of conversation with a student. She was about to say something else, but saw that there were tears running down Herikawa's face. "Herikawa?"

"I'm sorry," she said, then sniffed again. "I was . . . remembering something I said to him. I said . . . that it was all right if he didn't feel the same way about me, because at least I had the chance to feel that way about him, even if it didn't come out like I wanted it to."

Mizuho considered for a moment, then thought of something that sounded sort of odd. "Marriage is like that too, a little," she said, nodding as Herikawa looked surprised. "With everything that happens, it hurts sometimes. Kei-kun and I fight, sometimes over the silliest things, like how the meal should be placed on the table or whose turn it is to do the dishes. But somehow, we always make up, and . . . it's strange, but it feels like we're stronger afterward, like we have more reason to be together." She smiled sadly at Herikawa. "I don't know if it makes sense, but that's what it feels like to me."

"It does make sense, I guess," Herikawa said. "I really don't know. I've never been like that with anyone, I've never even had a boyfriend." She laughed a little, though it almost sounded like she was deriding herself. "I guess I really don't even have anyone to shoot for now."

Mizuho nodded. "I know how you feel," she said quietly. "Kei-kun was my first, for everything."

Herikawa blinked up at her, looking like she didn't believe a word of it. "You?" she asked. "Kei was . . . you didn't . . . you never had a boyfriend before him?"

"I was very focused on my studies," Mizuho said, feeling kind of bashful. Seeing Herikawa so shocked made her feel like what she was telling her was somehow bizarre. "I didn't have time for that, growing up, and what happened with Kei . . . I wasn't expecting it."

"It's . . . it's just a little hard to believe," Herikawa said. "You're so- I wouldn't have thought it if you hadn't told me."

Mizuho smiled at that. "Thank you," she said. "I guess this trip's had surprises for all of us."

Up at the front of the group, Kei and Keiichi supported the more-than-a-little-drunk Hyosuke, each taking one of his arms over their shoulders. Next to Kei, Matagu was helping Peorth walk, while Belldandy was by Keiichi's side as always. Ichigo, Skuld, and Kaede were up ahead of them, talking and laughing. Urd was walking a bit away from the three of them, and seemed upset about something. Kei kept glancing back to where Mizuho and Herikawa were talking; he couldn't help feeling anxious about that. After everything that had happened this weekend, seeing the two of them walking together just made him worry.

"Hey," Hyosuke slurred, "stop looking so upset." He gave Kei a nudge, then winked. "Maybe they're talking about a threesome."

"Hyosuke!" Kei said, well-aware of how panicked he looked. As if things weren't uncomfortable enough. . . .

"Oh, Kei," Keiichi said, looking over at him, "did Matagu ask about you and Mizuho coming to our place next weekend? He and Peorth are going to head over, and he said he'd ask you."

Kei glanced over at Matagu, who seemed to be trying to hold Peorth up and keep her from giving him a hickey at the same time. He looked back to Keiichi. "He didn't say anything," Kei said, "but we did get there late. Why, what were you planning?"

"It came up when we were working on the plane," Belldandy said. "Shido-san said it'd be good to visit, as he'd like to see Nekomi, so we started to plan for next weekend. I know you have exams soon, but it won't hurt, will it?"

"Ehh. . . ." Kei smiled nervously. He'd hardly given a thought to his exams, even less to college. "I guess not," he said. "Mizuho can get everyone to your place, that won't be a problem, so as long as she's okay with it, we'll come."

"Awww. . . ." Hyosuke grinned at Keiichi and Kei in turn. "That's cool. And hey, Keiichi! More women at your house!" He laughed out loud while Keiichi looked embarrassed. "Man, I don't know how you even sleep at night, living with three women. I'd be getting nosebleeds all the time--"

"Hyosuke!" Kei said, giving his friend a shake.

"It's okay," Keiichi said with a chuckle. "He was asking me about it earlier, when we were working on the wing. I told him it's not as great as everyone thinks it is, but I don't think he believed me."

"C'mon, it couldn't be that bad," Hyosuke said, hanging his head. He still sounded like he was grinning, Kei thought. Kei started to say something, but was suddenly interrupted.

"Of course not!" Peorth said, hanging off Matagu. "As I was just saying to Matagu-kun earlier, too much of a good thing, there's no such thing. Isn't that right, cheri?"

"Umm. . . ." Matagu put a hand to the back of his head, and smiled nervously. "I - I really don't know about that one. . . ."

"There can be too much," Belldandy said, though she was smiling. "It just depends on what everyone wants." Kei wondered how she could deal with all of this and never even look embarrassed. Then again, he thought, she was a goddess.

Some part of that he still found very strange to think about. Everything with Mizuho had happened so quickly, he hadn't really stopped to think about what it meant - he'd married someone who was, literally, from somewhere out in space. And now, two of his friends were dating goddesses. He wasn't sure which was stranger. It was probably for the best that he didn't think about it too much, he knew, as it would only make his head start to spin.

Hyosuke raised his head, and gave Kei a leer. "Hey, Kei, I gotta ask you something . . . you've done it with Mizuho, right?"

Kei winced, and started to blush. Why, he thought, couldn't Hyosuke just pass out?

The next morning came soon enough, too soon, Matagu thought - with everything that had happened, it almost didn't seem like a vacation. He stood with Peorth and the rest of his friends, gathered outside in front of the hotel to wait for Yamada-sensei's van and to say their goodbyes to Keiichi and the goddesses.

"It's been wonderful to meet you all," Belldandy said, "and I hope we can do this again sometime. Maybe after your exams are over?"

"That'd be great!" Hyosuke said enthusiastically. If he was feeling anything from what he'd drunk last night, Matagu thought, he wasn't showing it. "It'll be a while, but we should do that!"

"We'll have to figure out where and how," Matagu said, nodding, "but it would be fun."

"You worry too much, Matagu-kun," Peorth said with a dismissive gesture. "Such things would work out, you know this."

"Strange things do happen around you," Ichigo said calmly.

Matagu and Peorth glanced at each other, and he wondered if he looked as weirded out as he felt. Sure, it was just Ichigo, but still. . . .

"We'll just have to make it work, sometime," Herikawa said, sounding rather cheerful. "You have my number, right, Bell?"

"Of course!" Belldandy said brightly. "I'll give you a call sometime, we'll have to talk."

Matagu couldn't help smiling at that. Of all the things to happen this weekend, he'd never have guessed things would turn out the way they did. At least Herikawa was doing better; he'd seen how she'd been two nights ago and most of yesterday. He guessed that Belldandy had talked to her at some point, and he wondered what she'd said. Whatever it was, it had worked.

"Kusanagi-kun," Belldandy said, turning to Kei, who was standing next to Mizuho along with the sister goddesses, "will you be going back with your friends? Or did you want to come back with us?"

"Wouldn't it be faster to come with us?" Kaede asked. "It's kind of a long way back."

"Umm," Kei struggled, "it's sort of--"

"My - my car's parked at Belldandy's place!" Mizuho said all at once. "I had to drive there, and we took another way here."

The group was quiet for a second as they considered that, and Matagu glanced at Peorth again, who simply shrugged. Maybe it wasn't going to be all that much easier, Matagu thought, for Kei and Mizuho, if they still had to keep coming up with ways to explain themselves. He already knew a little of what that was like - Ichigo was right about odd things happening around Peorth, usually involving her getting somewhere much faster than anyone else or roses appearing out of nowhere. But Mizuho and Kei would find a way to work it out, he supposed.

"Oh," Hyosuke said after a moment. "Lucky you, Keiichi, for living close enough to the beach!"

"Something like that," Keiichi said, though he did look a little nervous.

There was the rumbling of a large motor, and Yamada-sensei's van rolled up to the hotel's entrance. He leaned out the window and smiled quietly at the gathered students.

"Time to go," Yamada-sensei said.

Matagu chuckled as everyone hurried to pile into the van, then looked back at Keiichi and the others. It was really odd to think about it sometimes, but he was glad for everything that had happened. No matter how strange things got, he didn't want to lose touch with them.

"We'll see you in a week," Matagu said, waving to the gathered group.

"See you then," Belldandy said with a wave.

"And try to get Ichigo to loosen up!" Urd said, and it looked like she was glowering behind her sunglasses.

From the front seat of the van, next to Yamada-sensei, Matagu heard Ichigo say "I heard that."

"You worry too much, dear Urd," Peorth said, smirking at the other goddess. "But we must be off! Kei, are you joining us?"

Kei paused, then managed a smile. "I'll head back with Mizuho," he said, looking like he still felt awkward about it. "I'll see you tomorrow at school."

"That you shall!" Peorth said, waving dramatically. "Farewell!"

Matagu and Peorth climbed into the van with the others, finding room in the back seat. As they closed the door behind them, Yamada-sensei looked back over his shoulder. "Kei's going back with Mizuho?" he asked.

"Yeah, they're married!" Hyosuke said.

"Hyosuke!" Kaede said. "They asked us to keep that a secret!"

Yamada-sensei blinked twice, looking surprised, then said, "Oh."

A week later, Matagu settled into his morning bath, again with hopes of relaxing. The pressures and worries of the upcoming exams hadn't gotten any better after a week, and he still hardly knew where he wanted to go or what he wanted to do. He had to admit, his only real interest outside of his studies was astronomy, and he wasn't sure what college he should be trying to get into for that.

But, he thought, that was what this weekend was for. He needed the time to get away from everything and not have something bizarre, uncomfortable, and almost tragic happen, and perhaps he'd see something about Nekomi that he'd like. If he had to go somewhere far away for college, it'd be good to have a friend who already went there. Still so much to think about. . . .

It was too early for that kind of thing, Matagu thought. He shook his head, then leaned forward and reached for his washcloth.

"Matagu-kun. . . ."

Matagu froze. It was pretty much a reflex by now, but he still froze. He turned to look, slowly, and saw Peorth kneeling next to the bath in a towel. Naturally, she was smirking.

"Really, dear boy," she said, "you must have known I'd not neglect you today. I can't have Belldandy thinking I'm not providing you with the absolute best, can I?"

Matagu slowly started to smile. He didn't think it had anything to do with Belldandy, but he wasn't going to complain. He scooted forward, and leaned back once she'd slid into the hot water behind him.

"So, let me guess," Matagu said as she wrapped her arms around his chest. "You've been over at Kei's, and Belldandy's already there?"

Peorth laughed, though quietly, and a few rose petals drifted into the water. "Not at all, cheri! Mizuho and I spoke yesterday, and she'll be using that small thing of hers to take us to Keiichi's home. Belldandy couldn't bring us all to her home at once, you know."

"Could you?" Matagu asked, glancing back a bit at her.

Peorth made a pouty face. "It's rude to point out your lover's limitations, Matagu-kun, especially when you're both au naturel."

Matagu grinned. He'd never think of her as limited, but seeing her react like that was kind of funny.

Later that morning, they headed over to Kei and Mizuho's house. Kei answered the door, and smiled when he saw them.

"Morning," he said. "We're almost ready to go, Mizuho just has to finish packing."

"No hurry, of course," Peorth said. "A woman needs her time, especially when she's your wife." She leaned over and nudged Matagu. "Isn't that right, Matagu-kun?"

Matagu and Kei both jumped in surprise at the same time. When Mizuho walked down the hall with her bag, Peorth was still laughing, rose petals floating all around her. Mizuho gave them a strange look, but Kei just shook his head when she started to ask.

"Are you ready to go?" Mizuho asked. Marie was floating in the air next to Mizuho in its bizarre inner tube.

"Of course!" Peorth said, gesturing dramatically. "One simply cannot have too many vacations, so let's be off!"

Mizuho nodded. "Marie? Take the four of us to Belldandy and Keiichi's temple, please. It's a priority one!"

Marie scrunched up its face, then said "Noh!"

The last thing Matagu felt as the strange white shimmering faded into the air around all of them was Peorth winding her arm around his.