Hello, everybody that might read this, this is my first attempt at writing any sort of Fanfiction. I would appreciate any tips that you might have on the subject. This story takes place after Volume 14 (I haven't read any of 15 yet and 16 is not released in English yet). It will be about Ryu and Bell. Also, there are many ways that people spell her name (Lyu, Ryu, and Ryuu) That I know of. I will be trying to stick to Ryu only for this story. - EG

P.S. The early chapters are a bit rougher as I didn't know what I was doing in and also I didn't have a good grasp on what I wanted to do with this story.

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Chapter One: Departure

It has been five days since the events on the thirty-seventh floor. Ryu had just finished getting an earful from Mia at the Hostess of Fertility. Mia pulls Ryu into the alleyway behind the pub.

"If you are going to go and keep disappearing like that then why don't you quit?!" Mia says with an exasperated tone of voice

"I have a Debt to you and Syr that I must pay off first," Ryu says with a hint of unease at the direction of this conversation

In actual disbelief, the former captain of Freya Familia asks "You really are an idiot."

"What do you mean?"

"Did you really never figure it out? That whole thing about debt was to keep you from ending your life. Consider it paid if you need it. Let me ask you something." Mia says with a sigh

"What is it?" Ryu asks with a large look of uncertainty

"What do you want to do? What do you want to do with your life as of right now?" Mia says with a gentle smile on her face.

'What is it I want to do?' there are many things that I want to do. Deep in thought, an image of Bell pops into her head as a slight blush begins to form on her ears.

Mia seeing her reaction as she thinks gives a hardy chuckle before breaking into her thoughts.

"I believe you have found your answer, at least in part. Go if you need to, but I wouldn't recommend telling the truth to Syr." After a short pause, she continues "Just remember even if it doesn't work out the way you hope you will always have a place here. Even if you were always a terrible waitress." Like a mother watching her child take their first steps into adulthood, she gives Ryu a gentle shove. With a single tear running down her face Ryu says in a quiet voice that only someone with elevated status would hear. "Thank you."

Ryu darts towards her room on the second floor of the Hostess. She reaches it with unnatural speed drawn from a good portion of excitement for the future and nervousness that that future won't be an easy one. Changing out of her waitress uniform, she strips down to only her undergarments and looks at herself in the mirror of her room. Her eyes wander to where her Status would be if it wasn't locked and hidden, wondering if her idea would work.

"Where is that outfit?" despite her room being immaculately clean it took a minute to find the outfit she was wanting. It was a strapless high low dress top, that was the same sky blue of her eyes, with a pair of white shorts that go down to the center of her thighs to top it off with knee-high white boots. (For example look at the Glistening Elf Ryu Lion in the Mobile Game) After saying her final goodbyes to the room she has spent the last several years. When she opened the door for the last time to her surprise Syr was standing outside the door waiting. Ryu was shocked that she didn't sense her standing there. 'Is the excitement of what might happen clouding my senses?'

"S-Syr I didn't realize you were there, my apologies." swearing to herself for the slight stutter.

"I was curious about what happened when I saw you fly by me in the Pub, but I guess I now know." Syr was standing with a hint of sadness in her eyes but a gentle smile on her face.

Ryu felt slightly ashamed that she hadn't thought to tell at least the person that brought her back from the brink in the alley so long ago. "I have… I was nervous about how you and the others might react knowing the truth. I have made a decision now that I am assumed dead I can proceed to try to find a new Familia that way I can continue to help people." Syr knew which one Ryu meant.

"Well, I wish you good fortune on your future quests!" With tear-filled eyes, she gave Ryu a strong hug. "Be sure to tell Bell hello for me." As Ryu stared at Syr with a blush forming on her normally neutral face. Syr chuckled and continued once she released Ryu "Don't be surprised, we all know how you feel. Especially after you rushed to check on him as soon as you woke in the medical wing of Babel Tower and basically flashed him. I am just glad you finally realized the truth." With a mischievous smile on her face she continued by joking with the flustered elf "I guess that means we are rivals to some degree. Though to be honest I doubt I stand much of a chance against you, but I won't give up!"

After taking a steadying breath Ryu could only blush and say "Rivals? I think you might be right, but you shouldn't count yourself short. I promise that visit as much as I can." After giving her another hug she continued down the stairs to say her goodbyes to the rest of the staff. A few tears were shed as she left the Hostess of Fertility for the last time as an employee.

After taking a few minutes doing nothing more than walk around thinking to herself she found herself in an empty park. Taking a short pause she finally said "Now where is their home? I don't think I've actually been there."

As if the gods were toying with her, she heard a polite cough behind her and it said "Umm, Miss Ryu do you have a minute to talk."

"Eeek!" she gave a quiet shriek as she was startled to hear Bell's voice from behind her. Without thinking and more out of reflex, she formed her hand into a knife and chopped and connected with the side of Bell's head knocking him out cold.

With the permission of his goddess, Bell left the Hearth Mansion looking for an elf that had saved his life many times over. Cutting through many side streets in an attempt to get to the Hostess of Fertility as quickly as possible. Turning left and right several times, passing civilians who all seem to be giving him cheers most likely from the massive battle with Asterius that ran through a decent portion of the city. His popularity seems to have risen even more than after the War Games with the Apollo Familia. "I don't think I will ever get used to having people know who I am." Bell couldn't help but amuse himself with that thought as he turned down the main road leading to Babel. He saw the Hostess of Fertility. For some reason, he couldn't explain it felt nostalgic to him even though he sees it on an almost daily basis.

"Is Miss Ryu available? I need to talk to her real quick." Saying in a slightly loud voice to the slim, black-haired cat person named Chloe.

"I am sorry you just missed her, meow, she decided to up and quit on us." Giving an exasperated sigh. "If you hurry you might just catch her, all I can say is be gentle with the elf. If nothing else I am still available." Giving a small wink she went into the pub.

'I need to find her quick, hopefully, nothing else has happened.' Bell thought to himself with trepidation. He ran by jumping on the different houses, asking around to see if anybody has seen her try to get some leads. Spending precious minutes asking around he learns that an elf matching her description was heading east. "Not much, but it's all I have to go on." With the agility being easily his strongest point he dashed here and there looking for her. After running for easily fifteen minutes he saw her standing on the edge of a small park in the middle of nowhere. So never look so at peace to bell before, seeing that she was in no danger it took a couple of seconds to calm himself as he heard her say "Now where is their home?" in a tone that sounded nervous. Not forgetting the reason he was looking for her, he slowly walked up and gave a slight cough to announce he was there and said in a voice to hide his thoughts "Umm, Miss Ryu do you have a minute to talk?" without any warning she gave an adorable shriek then a hand flew into his field of view, then blackness.

"Oh, god why did I do that? It had to be Bell of all people!" Panicking slightly she tried to wake him by shaking his body over and over again, but to no avail. Thinking to herself 'what do I do now? I cannot just leave him like this.'. After a moment of hesitation, she picked up the limp form of a human known as Bell and walked towards one of the many benches in the park. "Thank god this park is empty. I don't think I could do this with people watching." She then proceeded to sit on a bench with Bell laying down beside her with his head in her lap.

As she quietly waited for Bell to wake, the blush never left her face. In fact, it only intensified as she began to think of what happened between them on the thirty-seventh floor. Flashes of the time she was hugged from behind to share body heat after their clothes were soaked from the underground stream, the moment right before they defeated the Juggernaut when she allowed Bell to lie to her, to comfort her by holding her as close as a lover. Bell had said, "We are going to be alright, we will see our friends again!" She was always partial to Bell even before the fight on the eighteenth floor with the Black Goliath, but she finally started to understand her feelings during the long trek through the thirty-seventh floor. Looking down at Bell she unconsciously started to play with his snow-white hair just letting time pass. 10 minutes had passed and her body began to feel like it was on fire, she had started staring at Bell ashamed of the thoughts circling in her head that the strong elven pride warned against. She couldn't help it, her head started moving closer to his, she only had one feeling and that was that she wanted to feel his lips against her own. She was only an inch away when she heard it "no please stop" it was a whisper so quiet that she almost missed it. Realizing what she was doing she jerked her head back, ashamed and embarrassed by what she was about to do. 'Why did that feeling come over me? Thank god he still seems to be knocked out. That could have been very awkward, but I cannot help but wonder what he is dreaming about.' in her mind's eye she could see Bell never wanting to talk to her again after stealing away his first kiss.

After another five minutes Bell's eyes slowly start to open, then quietly asks "Miss Ryu?".

"Yes?" That's all she could say trying to still hide her embarrassment.

Bell jolted to alertness as he realized he was laying on Ryu's lap as she was playing with his hair. "I AM SO SORRY!" but before he could get up Ryu put a small hand on his chest as to say don't "Why are you apologizing? If anything I should be the one to sorry. I was the one that knocked you out without warning." Feeling so ashamed she is not even able to look at Bell.

"I am glad everything seems to be alright with you now. I stopped by the Pub and Miss Chloe said you up and quit. I was worried something had happened." Bell couldn't help but be honest with the elf. He trusted her more than almost anybody else in the world. "To be honest I was looking for you, there is something myself and my goddess wanted to ask you, Miss Ryu."

"First, please stop with the Miss part. After everything we have been through I doubt that's needed. Second, would you mind if I ask you a question first?" Ryu said very quickly with nervous energy. After lifting her hand from his chest, she looked at him directly in the eyes no more than a foot apart.

"Of course Miss- Ryu, it might take me a while to get used to not having the Miss part. What is the question?" Sitting up and seeing her blush he couldn't help but follow her example.

Hesitation made her want to change her mind. To distract herself from looking at Bell she whipped a couple of wrinkles that showed on her dress. "I was wanting to ask if you would... Have me as a member of your Familia or at least as an outside hire? Even if I cannot get my status updated I believe this might be the best option for me for the future." She swears she has never been this nervous before, she would've kicked herself for not being able to justify her wishes.

Bell had probably the most shocked expression on his face that Ryu might have ever seen. 'Was this a bad idea? I probably should've waited and asked Hestia before I jumped to asking Bell.' as she was beating herself up about the jump in reasoning she saw a huge grin spread across Bell's face.

"I got my goddess permission to ask if you wanted to join, to be honest, you are one of the people I trust most to always have my back. I would love to have you as a member Ryu." Despite blushing slightly and having a goofy smile on his face Bell managed to keep a cool voice.

Having finished with their conversation Bell stood and reached out his hand to pull Ryu. "Here is to a better future for both of us." Only then does Bell get a good look at Ryu and realizes that her outfit is very beautiful and overall very fitting. "Do you remember when I said I would think you would be Beautiful in a dress and would like to see you in one? This is not quite the same, but I think the point stands even more now." Bell started blushing immediately after finishing, surprised he could even say something like that.

"I am surprised you could say something like that Bell. You are making me blush." Ryu could only think to herself 'I doubt my body type would be attractive to someone like Bell. I wonder what he meant.'

"I do mean it, you should know that I am a terrible liar. After everything we have been through it doesn't feel strange to say things like that. Before we head home I should tell you that you truly are a beautiful person Ryu. No matter what you or other people may think." Bell has a very serious face that leaves no room for doubt.

'Perhaps someday that will be true.' Ryu thought. "I believe it would be a good idea, let us head to the new home!" Ryu felt so happy that she couldn't believe it. 'I think I might be happier than ever even when I had Astraea here, what would she and Alize think if they saw me now?' Where her only thoughts as they walked side by side towards the Hearth Mansion.