Chapter 12 - Bell Really Likes Elves

Bell thought he was in heaven, when he opened his eyes to the most beautiful thing in the world.

A naked half elf who had given him her virginity last night.

While she took his in return.

Emotions were high and at some point Bell almost blurted out that he loved her.

But his grandfather's lessons held him back.

"Bell, never tell a woman you love her for the first time in bed. Not when you're both very emotional. It'll have her doubting you afterwards, because it's so much easier to say things you don't mean when your emotions are high. Instead, tell her when you're both calm and look into her eyes when you say "I love you" for the first time. Then she'll know you mean it, because the best version of a man's love is not in a moment, but a future you can build together. A family and a home. That's what she's looking for when you say those three magic words. So only say it when you want to commit to her, long term."

The boy, now a man, wanted to tell her "I love you", because she was everything he was looking for.

Beautiful.

Kind.

Loving.

Sweet.

And supportive.

Eina attended to his every need, what more could a man ask for?

Well more of this. Bell happily told him himself as he fondled her naked chest, while kissing the back of her neck some more. She felt incredible, softer than a pillow and smoother than silk. Plus, she smelled incredible. A mixture of her flowery fragrance with a strong, slightly musky scent. Her smell was that of a woman, marked by him, and he felt very happy about that.

He wondered if all the girls he liked were like that.

The thought made him instantly hard.

"Mmmm… Bell…" Eina whispered as she started to wake up

A few moments later, they were at it again.

But slower and gentler this time.

Then they fell asleep again, together.

.

The sun had almost reached its peak when they woke up again.

Eina turned around to face him.

"Mmmmm… you were perfect last night, Bell." Eina whispered with half lidden eyes, before giving him a long soft kiss. Bell hummed happily as his hands wandered all over her.

Now he understood why some of his grandfather's lessons were so 'vague', but they all made sense to him now. That's why he was never worried about last night for long, because everything just seemed to click.

When they pulled back, Bell asked.

"So, any plans for today?"

"No." Eina replied with a smile and shake of her head, eyes closed. "I just want to relax with you." Then kissed him again.

That sounded good, but Bell was starting to feel restless again.

He wanted to train.

Meet Ryū.

Get his status updated.

And introduce his two girls to each other.

Obviously, he wouldn't be able to do all those things if he was going to spend the whole day with Eina.

Plus bringing Eina with him to see Ryū at the Hostess of Fertility was a no no, Syr was there and she wanted a piece of him too.

Maybe he should go see Welf to get his armour fixed? It had gone through a lot in the past week.

Yeah, he'd do that today. Plus, he was sure Eina wouldn't mind tagging along.

But first, they should really get up.

Eina was reluctant at first, until Bell told her that they'd go somewhere special.

She then bounced out of bed and raced towards the shower.

Cleaning up was a bit tricky at first, because they just couldn't keep their hands off each other. Especially Bell, when they went at it again.

.

Once dressed and downstairs, they ordered breakfast.

"Bell, where does all that food go?" Eina asked when she watched him wolf down another plate of the 'Adventurer's Breakfast'. It consisted of four thick brown crispy bacon slices, two sunny side up eggs with a runny yolk, a rack of caramelised vine tomatoes, a generous helping of baked beans, three glistening pork sausages, a crowd of buttery button mushrooms and four fluffy golden pancakes with a knob of butter on top.

Eina's dish wasn't small either, it was called 'Chilaquiles Divorciados'. After making love to Bell last night and this morning too, she was starving. Her plate started with two different salsas on each side, red and green with soggy tortilla chips. One sunny side up egg with runny yolks sat on top of each side. Between them was a thick medium rare steak cut into strips with a fan of sliced avocados sat below it. Lastly, soft, slightly tangy white cheese dotted her plate with pickled red onions and a sprinkle of cilantro.

Her dish was larger than expected, so they agreed to share it. While she didn't normally eat this much, Eina managed to finish half of the plate. Then she watched Bell order and gobble up two plates of the 'adventurer's breakfast'.

After finishing his glass of orange juice, Bell let out a satisfied sigh.

The half elf couldn't stop laughing as she stared at him in astonishment.

"Are you okay? You don't normally eat this much?" Which was true, but now she was a bit concerned.

"Yeah, but when we were down in the dungeons, I hardly ate anything."

"So what about last night then?"

"Oh, well, I didn't want to eat too much and you know…" He explained, a bit embarrassed. Eina blushed too; they had been very active last night. So eating too much would have made things difficult for him.

She reached over the table to ask for his hand and he gave it to her.

"Bell, even though I appreciate what you did last night. Please don't feel the need to hold back when we're out normally, okay?"

"Sure." He smiled, then called for the bill.

Bell's eyes widened when he saw the price, which got Eina curious, but he refused to let her see it and paid without looking at it again.

Once they were ready to go, Bell realised his mistake. He had eaten a bit too much. Eina laughed, before helping him towards a bench outside where they sat for a bit. Then walked when he felt better.

Their first stop, Bell's home to pick up his armour, then Hephaestus familia's North West shop. That's where Welf said he'd be.

When they arrived at Welf's workplace, they expected to hear the sounds of hammering and fires, but all was pretty quiet. Maybe it was because they were standing outside the reception when Welf appeared.

"Hey Bell, and-" The red-haired smith froze when he saw Eina, then shook his head with a smile. "So you want me to fix up your armour then?"

"Yes, please."

"Cool, that'll be fine. Also, I reached level 2 last night and acquired the 'Forge' advanced ability. Now, I'm a high smith too!" The man had a giant grin on his face.

"Congrats, Welf!" Bell was truly happy for the man; he had achieved his goal. Eina had congratulated him too, which he appreciated.

They continued to chat a little bit, before Welf offered to take them out to celebrate it. Bell immediately agreed, it was a special occasion after all. Welf could finally mark his weapons and armour with the Ἥφαιστος engraving. He also mentioned that Lili had been invited, then he gave them the time and place.

The blacksmith's invitation also extended towards Eina, who graciously accepted.

.

Next, they headed towards the special place Bell mentioned earlier.

But first he had to buy a traveller's cloak.

"… Bell, where are you taking me?" Eina gasped as she was out of breath long before they reached the top of the city walls.

"We're here." He declared as they exited one of the many towers along the walls and took in the view.

"Wow…" She exclaimed; Eina had never been up here before.

On one side was the city of Orario, where she could see the Pantheon, the Coliseum and the homes of a few familias. Loki familia's home being the closest. Then Eina looked beyond the walls, outside the city, and saw green fields stretch across the plains as far as the eye could see. The only thing beyond them were the mountains and trees. Plus her original home was somewhere out there. She hoped her family was okay.

Then as if to remind her that they were on top of the city's walls, a strong gust of wind threatened to blow her away, but not before Bell caught her in a hug.

"I-it's s-so c-cold up here." Eina stuttered, before she felt a cloak wrapped around her. Then a kiss. "Mmmm… thank you, Bell."

"You're welcome."

"So, why did you bring me up here? What's so special about this place?"

"This is where Ais and I trained for almost two weeks, before I fought the minotaur and won."

The fact surprised Eina, who turned around in his hug to look at him directly. Then around the wall for any signs of where they might have trained exactly.

Bell laughed.

"I don't know where exactly, but the walls didn't take any damage. Only me and my pride."

Then she eyed him with a suspicious smirk.

"Bell, do you always take your girls to places that mean a lot to another girl and you?"

Oh no, I hadn't of that.

For some reason, Bell couldn't shake the image of his grandfather shaking his head in disappointment at him. It was a terrible mistake to make, but for some reason Eina seemed to only lightly tease him about it. He had to rescue this somehow.

"No, I'm just showing you where I wanted to take you later. You know, beyond these city walls…" He pointed with his head, then swiftly moved behind Eina to look towards the mountains behind him. "where I'll take you to see your family and hopefully see them for the first time too." Then he kissed her cheek.

Eina smiled; he was good. Perhaps too good.

She turned around to face him once again with her hands laid flat against his chest, while his arms were still wrapped around her.

"Bell, you are so full of surprises, but who knows… maybe I will… take you there one day… to see my family." Then she kissed him too.

They stayed like that for a while, it was a long kiss, as they both imagined what kind of life that would be like.

Together, beyond the city walls.

What would her mother and father say about him? Bell thought.

Eina had the same questions too.

Including how her little sister might react to him as well.

Positively, she hoped.

Because she could definitely see how Bell…

No, it was far too early for that. Eina thought.

All she knew was that Bell was the only man for her.

.

The kiss had awoken something inside of her and gave Eina an idea.

"Bell…?" She said after breaking off their kiss, but still remained within kissing distance.

All she had to do was just press her lips a little further.

"Hmmm?" Bell hummed happily; eyes still closed.

"Why don't we go up one of those towers and sit down, there's still something I want to talk to you about."

He nodded and up they went.

With the traveller's cloak Bell had bought earlier, Eina spread it along the ground so they could sit against the wall without dirtying themselves. Bell's legs were spread out in front of him, while she snuggled up to his chest with her back against him and his arms wrapped her protectively.

Here, the wind was far less violent and it made them feel a little warmer.

As Eina rubbed a thumb along the back of one of his hands, she asked him.

"Bell, what happened down in the dungeon during those six days you were down there?" She hadn't gotten a proper chance to ask him yet, since he came back. So now she felt it was a good time to ask.

Bell would tell him from start to finish, while leaving out the spying on the girls incident with lord Hermes. She didn't need to know about that. Eina listened intently, only interrupting to ask a few questions here and there. Plus getting mad at Mikoto's familia when she learned about the pass parade, but Bell quickly calmed her down. It was only a last resort to save their own lives after all and no one died, that was important.

She also took a moment to tease him about Ais and Ryū, when he told them about their moments. He had promised not to keep secrets about other girls from her after all, which she appreciated.

When his story ended, Eina pondered on it for a while as Bell lightly feathered the back of neck and hair with little kisses. Then took a moment to inhale the flowery scent from her hair. He loved the way she smelled, which made Eina squeal and giggle.

"So, what are you going to do next?" She asked, while playing with his hands again.

He thought about it for a moment, before responding.

"First, I want you to meet Ryū, because as much as I like Ais… it's not the right time."

Eina hummed and nodded in agreement.

"And what about Syr? You sure you don't want her too? She's cute, from what I remember." Bell's cheeks light up. "Oh, so you do like her in that way. Bell… are you sure three women are enough for you?" She teased, because it was obvious.

His carrot was poking her in the back and she knew exactly what that felt like, when it was inside her.

Naughty rabbit. She thought.

.

Bell was panicking inside, but then his grandfather appeared to him again.

"Boy, when a girl asks if you like another. Don't lie. Admit it. Tell them that you find them attractive but keep it short, basic and to the point. Then quickly turn back onto your girl, because that's who she wants to hear about the most. What you like about her."

It was timely advice and Bell thanked him again.

"Yeah, she is and I like her, because she's kind and beautiful. But… there's just something missing about her… something special that only you, Ryū and Ais have. The kind of thing that makes me go crazy about all of you." Kiss. "Especially you." Another kiss.

That got the half elf blushing, before she crawled deeper into his arms and said.

"I hope so."

Then turned around to sit on his lap and kiss his chest.

"You don't need to hope, not when you have me. You'll always have me." Eina looked up at him in surprise.

"Really?" She was really worried. Time to put an end to this. He thought.

"Yes, always… don't forget, you were the first woman to help me, before all the others. Hestia aside, because I don't love her-" Bell stopped, his eyes flew open as Eina's head spun around to face him. It had been a slip of the tongue, but he had meant it. His only mistake was to utter the word "love" so carelessly.

Then he remembered his grandfather's words.

"Tell her when you're both calm and look into her eyes when you say "I love you" for the first time. Then she'll know you mean it, because the best version of a man's love is not in a moment, but a future you can build together. A family and a home. That's what she's looking for when you say those three magic words. So only say it when you want to commit to her, long term."

.

Did he just say he loved me?

Eina wasn't sure, but she felt like she did.

Or was very close to it.

She had given him her virginity after all and that was not to be taken lightly.

Did he know just how much she valued her virginity?

That she had promised only to give it to the man she loved, as proof of her loyalty to him above all else.

Just like her mother had done for her father.

She wanted a relationship like theirs.

Full of love, loyalty and trust.

So she asked herself again.

Does Bell really love me?

Because she wasn't a full elf like Ryū. Nor was she always being compared to a goddess, like Ais. She was just a half elf who worked at the guild. Just… Eina. A lucky girl who had gotten to Bell before all the others.

Would she be forgotten, when he brought in the other girls too?

Maybe.

And that terrified her.

But she had to know, before this got any further.

"Bell…"

.

He put a finger to her lips, where they stayed for a few seconds as he looked into her eyes.

Telling her to let him speak.

Then he took a deep breath, before he spoke.

"I love you Eina Tulle, with all of my heart and I want to build a home and family with you one day. And meet your parents too. I want to tell them that you're in good hands, that I'll take good care of you and them, because I love you. Plus, I want to meet your little sister too, and tell her that she has a big brother now. A hero she can look up to."

.

Eina froze.

She hadn't expected…

This.

It was-

She had no words for it, just squealing in excitement inside.

Bell wanted her. A family, children, everything.

And he wanted it all to be with her.

Harem aside, she couldn't be happier!

Then lunged in for the kiss.

.

At some point, Bell had moved away from the wall to let Eina wrap her legs and arms around him.

And he loved every moment of it.

Especially when she said, "I love you, love you, love you, love you, love you, love you-" while covering him in kisses.

Short, long, she gave him her all.

Including a new one too, a deep one where she explored his mouth with her tongue.

Which he returned eagerly.

When they came up for air, Bell thought back to her enthusiastic response.

She had said yes.

She had said, "I love you."

Those words really touched him.

They warmed his heart, and it felt like it had grown heavier, because he really wanted a family one day.

And Eina, his woman, had just agreed to give it to him.

One day.

He really thought himself lucky to have found someone as beautiful and perfect as her, for him.

When the days were gone, when he was an adventurer no more, he would count this day as one of his greatest moments.

"I guess this is our special place now." She teased and Bell laughed.

Her humour never failed to surprise him; she was good.

She was his.

.

Take that Ais Wallenstein! This is our special place now! Eina proudly declared in her mind.

Bell would take her later, but for now… she had one up on the princess!

It felt good to have gotten so many firsts with her Bell.

Like she was special.

His first for everything.

That's how she would remain with him and never be forgotten.

Or so she hoped.

But then there was the matter about Ryū, Eina knew almost nothing about her.

"Bell, have you fallen for Ryū too?"

He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

Eina took this opportunity to tease him about it.

"Bell, she is an elf you know…"

"Yeah, but- no. I haven't fallen for her yet. Well, not fallen in love with her… like I have with you." Eina was all smiles with her pearly white teeth showing. "But I really like her."

"Of course, it's only a matter of time before you fall in love with her too." A soft kiss to his lips. "And she, in love with you." A whisper and another kiss, to the side, where his lips almost ran out. "Just like I did with you." Into his ear and sent shivers down his spine.

Her fingertips trailed from behind his back, around his waist and down between his legs.

"Mmmmm… my little rabbit can't resist a beautiful elf." Now Eina decided to have a little fun. "Tell me, Bell… about this Ryū… is she more beautiful than me?" Bell breathed in deeply. "Is she more curvy than me?" Her fingers slipped past his defences. "Or do you just need to see her as naked as me, like last night..." Then she grabbed something hard.

"Stop-sop-sop-sop!" He protested as he dove into his pants and covered his pride. Eina giggled.

"What's wrong? Can't handle two elves?" She teased, biting her bottom lip.

"No-no-no-no, you're just as beautiful as each other. Even when na-" Oh no...

Eina eyed him suspiciously,

"Bell... Tell. Me. Everything." Bell gulped; her voice was dangerously slow. Then told her everything, blaming it all on that perverted god, Hermes.

But then he made another mistake.

"You saw Ais Wallenstein naked too! And before me?! Bell! So I'm the first woman you slept with, but I'm also the last woman you saw naked from your little harem?" She was genuinely surprised and a little mad too, while Bell only gulped and nodded.

Eina breathed noisily through her nose, while squinting at him even harder, making him squirm. Then she took in a deep breath and let out a heavy sigh.

"I don't know whether to be disappointed or relieved and happy to know that you slept with me first, when you could have had all the other girls before me."

.

"Eina! You know it's not like that! I was framed and they almost killed me when I tried to escape! But I chose you and you first! It wasn't an accident when I slept with you last night and it wasn't an accident when I just told you 'I love you' and want to build a family and a future with you later." Bell's response was faster than his fireballs. Hoping it was enough to save him from this slip-up.

Then she broke into a smile and a fit of giggles.

He was confused and a little scared, he hadn't expected this kind of response. Had she finally gone crazy?

"Bell, I was only joking, but I am a little disappointed that you saw all those other girls naked before me and you weren't even dating any of them, you playboy bunny! But now you've taken my virginity, so you better take good care of me! Okay?!"

A sigh of relief calmed him down, but it sure didn't sound like a joke, he thought.

"Of course, my love." And she accepted his kiss.

"And don't forget about me, please." She whispered.

"I could never forget about you." Another kiss. " First woman." Kiss. "First love." Kiss. "And... how about I give you my first child?"

His grandfather had taught him that his first woman would always be the hardest to keep in his harem. She would always be afraid of being forgotten and replaced by a younger and more beautiful woman. So it was his job to give her something that guaranteed he'd never forget, like his first child. A woman like her, would always want priority over him. Since she was his first.

Plus, she would be in charge of his harem when he wasn't there. So he had to choose wisely for his first. Luckily, Eina seemed like the perfect first woman for him and his harem.

Her cheeks seemed to glow with a faint blush, before she whispered "Yes!" and dove into him for a very deep and long kiss.

When she came up for air, she declared.

"I love you, Bell Cranel, and no matter how hard things get, I'll always be there for you." And a long kiss.

Unfortunately for them both, they were still a bit sensitive from making love last night and this morning. So they couldn't go at it again.

Or so Bell thought.

Then Eina kissed lower…

And lower…

Until she swallowed his pride.

.

"You like that, Bell?" She whispered.

But his only response was a gasp and a moan.

"Well... imagine if you had two elves!"

.

Eina skipped in front of him when they finally stepped back onto the streets of Orario.

She hadn't been able to stop bouncing around ever since he told her he loved her.

His mind also drifted off to the moment they just shared, before leaving the city walls. Bell shuddered at the memory. What else was she capable of?!

He had to find out.

First, to the Hostess of Fertility.

.

Bell breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed that Syr wasn't waiting at the entrance to where Ryū worked.

That didn't mean he wanted to invite trouble though, so he asked Eina to wait outside.

When he walked in, Ryū was the first to spot him.

"Bell?" She was confused, he never normally came at this hour.

Syr also noticed him.

"Bell!" Her silver hair swished back and forth as she speedily walked up to him. "You're safe!" A bright smile adorned her face, "And we need to speak about your peeking habits!"

Uh oh, this isn't good.

His head spun towards Ryū who let out an apologetic smile, she couldn't keep that a secret from her best friend.

"Syr, that was an accident. Please do not blame Cranel-san." Ryū jumped to his defence, before he could utter a word.

"Ryū, how can you be so sure it was an accident?"

"If I had sensed any impure emotion, I would have cut him down on the spot."

He gulped, well at least he had Eina? Plus, they might be doing impure things in the future. So Bell felt a bit conflicted, but happy that Ryū hadn't cut him down.

"I heard this from Ryū, but you fought an extremely powerful monster, didn't you, Bell?" She asked him, just before his thoughts could get anymore lewd.

"Y-Yes." Syr was talking about the goliath from the eighteenth floor.

"I also heard you took it down. Is that true?"

Bell was about to deny it, but Ryū suddenly caught his eye. No need for modesty. Her gaze almost overpowered him. However, he couldn't deny her contribution.

"I did, but I couldn't have done it without Ryū, she did most of the damage and fought just as hard as anyone else. I was lucky to have her support." He said all that without looking at Ryū, because that would raise Syr's suspicions as she turned to glance at her friend, who wore a straight poker face. Then nodded.

"Wow, that's amazing! Bell, you've become such a strong adventurer!"

"Thank you."

Syr excitedly brought her hands together with a clap.

"One of our regulars has become a famous adventurer! I'm so proud to work here!" She's beaming with joy, like it was her own accomplishment and he was just some other guy. Her eyes narrow and mouth widens in a smile that makes him feel ticklish, and she continues. "How would you like to throw another party to celebrate? It's not every day that you return from a near-death experience, right? How about this evening?"

"I'm really sorry, but I'll have to take a pass on that, today. I've already got plans tonight…"

"Oh, you do?"

"Cranel-san. Do these plans involve your battle party members?"

His lips spread out into a smile as he enthusiastically nods.

He had something to do first.

"I promise to come here and celebrate again soon, because Mama Mia's food is the best!" The girl smiled; she would be very happy to hear that. "But first, I need to speak with Ryū."

Syr blinked, before looking to her friend who only shrugged.

Ryū walked up to him.

"What is it that you wanted to talk about, Cranel-san?" Her tone and the way she addressed him was formal, to stop anyone noticing that they were dating.

"Can we go somewhere else? I only need to speak with you for a bit, privately."

All the other waitresses' ears perked up to that juicy piece of information.

"Meow, Bell's taking Ryū on an impromptu date, nya." One of them gossiped, before another bonked her head.

"Bell?" Syr turned to him now and Ryū's advice flashed before his mind when they were back in the dungeon.

"Syr, has the ability to instantly tell if you're lying and she can read your emotions like a book. You've faced this a few times yourself. So you know just how difficult it is to speak with her. Dodging questions rarely work either, because then she'll get suspicious and that's what terrifies me more than anything else. She always gets what she wants, one way or another."

It's a good thing Bell came prepared.

"I need to talk to Ryū about something important. It includes you too, but I'll tell you all about it later. Okay?" That was the best he could do. Not to dodge her question, but to delay his answer. As long as he promised to tell her later, she should be okay with that. He hoped.

After a brief squint from her eyes, Syr returned back to smile with an "Okay!"

Ryū asked her fellow waitresses to cover for her, while she took an early lunch break, then followed Bell outside of the Hostess of Fertility.

Bell and his two elves walked over to a nearby bar in silence. Both were nervous, but they understood that it was best to wait until they sat down. Plus, Bell had told Eina earlier not to say a word as the cat girls might overhear them from inside their workplace.

Luckily, he found a relatively empty and quiet bar with no one who would bother them. They sat down at a round table of three. No drinks ordered yet.

"Eina, this is Ryū. The elf waitress I told you about. She helped me a lot on the eighteen floor and without her, we couldn't have beaten the goliath. Plus, she's saved me a lot of other times. She has my respect." The half elf nodded.

"Ryū, this is Eina. She's been with me from the start, as my dungeon advisor, and she's always been helping me. Without her, I'd probably run into more trouble than I can handle."

Eina chuckled, "Bell, you run into more trouble than you can handle anyway. So I don't know how my lessons are helping you, because you seem to ignore them." This is not going as planned, Bell thought.

"I agree, Bell seems to find danger wherever he goes." Seriously? They've barely met for a moment and they're already ganging up on me? He couldn't believe it.

"You know Ryū, I was a bit nervous before meeting you, because Bell talked about you a lot. But now we've met, I think we'll be okay. As long as we can keep Bell out of trouble of course."

"I would prefer that." Ryū smiled.

Bell let out a heavy sigh, there was just no winning between these two women.

"Okay girls, that's enough fun for now. I want to move onto us." Both girls clammed up immediately.

"Look, I care about you both a lot and I want to make this work between us. But to do that, you girls need to get to know each other first, because you already know about me. So, I'm going to leave you two alone for a little while and then come back, okay?"

Eina nodded, but Ryū's eyes popped out. He told Eina about this earlier and she agreed, but Ryū had no such warning. She looked between him and her, afraid.

But Bell reached out to hold her hand under the table, which almost made her jump.

Then he looked into her eyes and spoke in a calm, but steady voice.

"It's okay, Eina wants to get to know you. Right, Eina?" His head turned towards her, before he asked.

"Yeah, we both like Bell and I want to make him happy too. So I don't want there to be anything between us." They had planned what she was going to say too. "Otherwise, Bell will never get to enjoy his elf fetish." Scratch that, he was going to make her pay for that later.

Ryū however, turned as red as a tomato.

"Hey, it's okay Ryū, I'll look after you. Make sure Bell doesn't get too…" Her gaze turned onto him. "adventurous around you."

Bell flipped a table, mentally, she wasn't going to let that peeking incident go was she? No. So he just sighed inside. By now, Ryū was squirming like a fish out of water, as Eina seemed to enjoy every moment of it.

Yeah, he'd definitely punish her later.

"Okay, I'm off." Then he looked up to see if anyone was watching. They were not. "I'll see you girls later." He turned to his left. "Eina?" She hummed in response and he gave her a kiss. On the cheek.

Next was Ryū, who was still bright red. "Ryū?" She was frozen in fear, but after a long pause, she barely nodded and kissed her cheek too.

A few seconds later Bell left the bar.

It was all up to them now.

He hoped it would be enough, because he really liked them both.

As his grandfather once told him.

"It's not your job to make the girls like each other. That's what they'll do. You just need to pick the right ones for your harem. That's all there is to it. Make sure you pick the right girl and most of your work is done."

That was good advice, because Bell had no idea what he'd do otherwise.

.

While the girls were talking, he headed towards Hestia who was working in Babel tower on the eighth floor. He needed to get his status updated.

Bell returned to the bar just as he saw both girls in a heavy discussion.

Ryū noticed him first and told Eina.

They both stopped talking as they watched him approach them.

"Hey, Eina, Ryū. Is everything okay?" He asked, while they made space for him to sit between them.

"Yes." Eina smiled brightly.

"It is, Bell." Ryū showed a small, but warm smile of her own.

That was good to know. He also noticed that both girls were holding hands, but it seemed Eina had suggested it. Clever girl, he thought.

Ryū had accepted Eina with that small, but significant gesture.

"But I must get back to work now, otherwise Mama Mia will get mad at me again."

They understood.

"Ryū, when do you have free time?" She looked up in thought, then a disappointed face fell over her.

"I-I don't have free time…" It was a really difficult thing to say for her. "For the last five years, all I've been doing is… working at the Hostess of Fertility." A deep breath consumed her. "I've never had a reason to a take a break, except to pay my respects to my familia and friends." She looked really down.

Bell couldn't stand seeing her like that, so he grabbed the other hand that wasn't holding Eina's.

"Couldn't you ask Mama Mia for half a day off each week?"

"I could, but then Syr would notice."

Ah, now this definitely would be a problem.

He could just go see her early in the morning, before everyone woke up, but then he'd never be able to take her out on a real date. Which is what he wanted.

Looks like he'd have to have this conversation with Syr earlier than expected.

It wasn't going to be easy.

.

Eina, on the other hand, just watched Bell's troubled expression.

Was that woman really that much trouble?

True, she didn't know much about her, but from what Ryū had told her.

Syr was a very crafty and capable woman.

Plus beautiful.

So why didn't Bell want her?

Then she remembered, Syr lacked something special that both she and Ryū had.

It made her squeal inside.

Bell really did love her after all.

.

"Okay, I'll speak to Syr then. I have to put an end to this, because we can't hide it from her."

But how was he going to do this?

"Eina, I'm going to speak with Syr tomorrow morning… about this, about us, with Ryū." Before Eina could say anything, Bell continued. "You don't need to be there. You've already taken enough days off work. Plus, I don't want to overwhelm Syr too much." He could have said more, but felt it was best to leave it at that.

Eina thought about it, then agreed.

Ryū too, although she felt like tomorrow morning was a bit quick.

Bell explained that Syr suspected them already and when Ryū returned to work, she'd most likely press her for answers.

Better to do it sooner rather than later.

So Ryū wouldn't have to feel so uncomfortable around Syr.

She was grateful for that.

With their plan settled, they all talked about a few more things, before everyone left the bar with Ryū returning to work as Eina and Bell continued their date.

Ryū would tell Syr that Bell wanted to speak to them tomorrow morning.

.

As they walked down the street, hand in hand, Bell asked Eina.

"So, what do you think of her?" Ryū was the one he was asking about.

"She really is beautiful, and cute in that waitresses outfit and it was obvious just how much she cares about you. Bell, you better take good care of her too. Ryū's been through a lot, but she's a good girl. She'll listen to you. And I... Kinda like her too... She'll be good for your little elf fetish with me too." Bell squirmed when she whispered that last part into his ears.

Her words in the morning on the castle walls still echoed in his mind, when she was sucking the pride out of him.

"So, remember to take good care of us and we'll take good care of you too." Bell gulped again. Eina seemed to enjoy making him squirm way too much.

Then they spent the rest of the day strolling around Orario. Sitting in the park just outside the coliseum, while dining on jyaga maru kun.

.

When evening arrived, Bell sat in a cramped bar called the Flaming Wasp with Eina, Lili and Welf to celebrate the blacksmith's level up.

Unfortunately, their evening was almost ruined by a few unruly members of Apollo familia. Which concerned Eina a lot, they were a decently sized familiar with a lot of members. They weren't terribly strong, but they weren't terribly weak either. Picking a fight with them was not the smartest move, but they had insulted Bell, his lover and goddess. The last two he could not tolerate, especially their comment about Eina.

Not long later, they all called it a night. Bell was exhausted after spending an entire day with Eina. Plus, all the stress he incurred earlier from thinking about what to tell Syr tomorrow.

Eina told Bell that she'd support him however she could. All he had to do was ask.

Bell was reminded just then how amazing Eina was.

She truly was the best woman for him.

.

A.N.

Apologies for forgetting that Fanfiction blocks all links, so no one could see the images to Eina's date outfits. So I put the links in my profile picture if you want to see. It's worth it. ;)

I debated about how much of their morning "love" scene I'd write without going lemony, then decided that I had written enough.

If you're wondering what the hell Bell ate for breakfast, it's a combination of English and American breakfast. Want pictures? Look at Joshua Weissman's 4 million subscriber special. :P

Eina's breakfast can be found on YouTube when you look up 'Chilaquiles Divorciados | La Capital'.

And if you haven't noticed it already, I love food. That's why they get so much special attention when I describe them! So make sure you eat, before you read my stories, otherwise you'll go hungry! XD

Also, Eina's teasing of Bell's elf fetish. Well, I thought that might be a bit too OCC, but Eina's the kind of girl who can easily tease someone she's got a good bond with. However, as in canon, the moment when romance or the like is aimed at her. She can't take it.

Chapter 12: 6604 words. (Including a few dots that act as transitions and dividers)