Chapter 13 - Not What He Expected

The next day, Bell woke up early to head towards the Hostess of Fertility.

It was time to finally reveal his relationship with Ryū and Eina to Syr.

When he arrived at the bar, Ryū quickly opened the door and ushered him inside.

Since Syr didn't live above the bar like all the other waitresses, Bell could spend a little with his Ryū first.

He pulled out a chair from the corner of the room, then sat on it before silently gesturing for Ryū to sit on his lap. It was an incredibly embarrassing request for the elf, but she complied.

One of the things they talked about yesterday with Eina was just how much physical contact Bell needed to feel loved, whenever he was around them. That meant lots of hand holding, cuddling and kisses. Ryū blushed heavily when she heard that, just like now when she was in Bell's lap, because she was an elf where physical touches were almost sacred. An elf would never let someone they didn't trust, touch them. A deep trust.

Right now, Ryū was squirming in Bell's lap with her legs dangling off to one side and his arms wrapped around her waist. They had agreed to only go as far as she was comfortable with. He cared about her after all, it wasn't all about him. Bell had also chosen this corner of the bar to cuddle Ryū in, because it hid them away from anyone who entered the bar. Like Chloe and the other waitresses from upstairs. Giving them time to react and look presentable, before revealing themselves.

"Hey, it's okay Ryū, if you don't-"

"N-No, Cranel-san, I mean… Bell... I-I'm just not used to this." She admitted, bashfully.

"Ah, so this is your first ever cuddle, right?"

"…Yes."

Bell pulled her in even closer, until she looked into his eyes. Then softly glided a hand up her back, sending shivers down her spine, before gently pushing her towards him. Ryū's ears bounced up and down, while a pink haze rose her cheeks. She made every attempt to look away until they were almost nose to nose. Then one look into his ruby red eyes and she surrendered herself to him.

.

When they finally pulled themselves a part, Bell spoke first.

"So, how are you feeling?" He was referring to the coming talk with Syr.

"N-Nervous, Syr means a great deal to me and I just know she's not going to take this well." Bell didn't like the sad look suddenly appearing on Ryū's face. So he brought her in for another kiss, one she resisted a bit at first, but then accepted.

Once he felt she had calmed down enough, Bell pulled back.

"It's going to be okay Ryū, it's not your fault... Well, maybe a little, because of how beautiful you are." He smirked.

"Hey, this is not a laughing matter, Bell!" Ryū protested with a slap to his chest, but she couldn't stop herself from laughing as he joined in.

Another kiss.

Followed by a few more.

And Bell almost derailed her train of thought.

"I can't help it... I, no... You are just too beautiful." He managed to touch her lips, but a feather's touch was all he got as she pushed him away.

"Bell... stop it!" It sounded like the most uninspiring demand she had ever made. A person who was only half serious, because they couldn't bear to admit that they found this amusing too.

Plus, she tried to grab a handful of his shirt and shook him gently to make her point, but that only made it look more comical in his eyes.

He chuckled, before telling her, "make me, my little fairy goddess."

That shut her up completely. She was not used to this kind of teasing and flirting. Especially when it came from her partner, Bell. The first man she had ever dared to fall in love with or as close as possible to her understanding of it.

So she just turned her face away from him. Eyes almost looking over her shoulder as she glanced down towards the floor with an obvious pout on her face.

It was the most adorable thing he had ever seen from Ryū. Definitely worth waking up earlier than usual to see this side of her.

Bell then began to massage one side of her waist with his thumb. It was meant to calm her down, but it just felt more like a way to calm himself down instead.

He had been planning exactly how his conversation with Syr would go, since last night. She might surprise him and make it all for nought, but at least he had a plan. That much calmed him down.

He hoped.

So until then, he would just try his best to enjoy his morning "date" with Ryū as much as possible.

Before Mama Mia and her girls started working again.

"Ryū?"

She didn't respond, still pouting and trying to hide her embarrassment at his fairy comment.

Only turning her head further away.

He chuckled, before continuing, "Come on..." A kiss to her upper arm brought Ryū right back to him, eyes wide.

"Bell!" She almost jumped out of his hands.

"There you are..." He smiled like a child who had just eaten his favourite candy.

Then he heard a noise he never expected from her, but instantly fell in love with.

A little whine.

It sounded like it came from a child instead of a beautiful blushing elven maiden before him, in his lap.

By the gods, he would remember that.

But first.

"Ryū, tell me a little more about yourself. I want to hear you speak." Soft, sensual, and elegant. He would listen to her all day if he could.

"You... like my voice?" No one had ever complimented her like that, it seemed.

"Yes, it's one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard before." She blushed for a while after that.

Ryū didn't know what to talk about at first, because most of her past seemed shrouded in sadness. Then Bell asked her to share some happy moments instead. What was her old familia like?

Were they all as nice as her?

What did she like about Orario?

What did she like about herself the most?

Well, the last one didn't work, but at least he tried.

Bell listened to her speak, until the first set of footsteps could be heard descending from the stairs.

Only the elf noticed with her level four hearing.

"Bell, let me get up." His arms had tightened around her instinctively, the moment she had twitched.

Reluctantly, he did so.

"Ryū? Who-" A pair of brown eyes landed on him.

It was Mama Mia, the owner of the Hostess of Fertility.

A towering presence with her long brown hair tied up into a neat ponytail. Her uniform was a blue knee length dress, while the girls under her employment were green, with a white apron.

She was a dwarf, but also taller than anyone else he knew.

And right now she was grinning at them.

Well, Bell more than Ryū.

"Take care of her. Or I'll take care of you." It only lasted for a fraction of a second, but Bell hoped he never saw that glare again.

He gulped, before almost stuttering a, "Yes, Mama Mia."

The dwarf nodded, before walking into the kitchen to start the day.

Next, were all the girls who got suspicious, but then squealed when they realised why Bell was here.

"Meow! Have you come here to give up your butt? Nya!" A smack stopped the cat girl from saying anything more ridiculous.

Since Syr hadn't arrived yet, Bell offered to help the girls out. To which they all happily agreed.

A short while later, Syr had arrived.

"Bell, morning!" Every hair stood up on his back.

The moment had arrived.

"Oh, hi S-Syr, morning." Every hair on his head stood up.

"So, what did you and Ryū want to talk to me about?" Her smile was sweet and innocent, but Bell felt like he was in mortal danger right now. Specifically, his male instincts were screaming at him to run away. He wouldn't though.

Not after promising Ryū to see this through.

Bell turned to Mama Mia first, "Erm, is it okay if I borrow Syr and Ryū for a moment?"

One look at them all and she said, "Make it quick and make sure to spend a lot of money at my bar next time. Got it?"

That sounded fair, considering he was about to break Syr's heart.

"Yes, Mama Mia." Then he turned towards Syr and Ryū. "Let's take a seat first, at that table over there."

After they all sat down, Bell began with his hands out on the table in front of him.

"Syr, I like Ryū."

Then he turned towards the elf and gave her a hand, palm facing up, which she took nervously. Bell gave Ryū a reassuring squeeze and smile, before he turned back to Syr.

"I'm sorry if this hurts you, but please don't blame Ryū. I went after her, even though she said I should be with you instead, because you like me and I do too. As a friend, but with Ryū it's different. I care about her a lot and I hope that the two of you can remain friends."

He got a little emotional when saying those words. As he imagined what it might feel like if Ryū, Ais or Eina told him those words instead. It would have hurt him a lot, so he kind of sympathised with the grey-haired girl before him.

Syr smiles, but it looks scary.

"Ryū, is this true?" The elf froze, before responding.

"Y-Yes Syr, I'm sorry." Her head was bowing down.

"Hey, don't look down Ryū. The heart wants what the heart wants and we can't change that."

She seemed to be taking this well...

"But I have a question for you, Bell."

What could she ask?

"Did you pick Ryū, because you thought you could only have one girl at a time... Or... Would you like, more?"

Both he and Ryū's eyes shot up.

They had not expected her to say that.

Neither had their eavesdroppers too, one of whom squealed, before they were slapped for being too noisy.

"Syr?!" Ryū exclaimed, but the human girl's glare froze her. Let Bell speak. It seemed to say,

"I... already have another girl, and Ryū knows about her too."

"Another? Bell, I didn't take you for a playboy. Mmmm... interesting." He didn't like the sound of that. "Tell me more about this other girl, is she an elf too?"

Bell gulped; how did she know?

"Ah, so it is an elf then, am I right?" A triumphant smirk appeared across her face.

"... Yes, but she's not an adventurer." Bell neglected to mention that she was only a half elf, but that didn't seem to matter here.

"Bell, do you have a thing for elves?" He opened his mouth to speak again, but his cheeks answered for him.

"So if I were an elf, you'd take me?" She teased. Making his eyes widen in shock, Ryū's too.

"... That's not how it works..." Syr tilted her head with a look that says how then?

"... they're special to me... both of them... because I chose them. They didn't try to claim me or chase after me, they let me pursue them... and that's what I did."

"Are you trying to build a harem, Bell?" Syr's smirk was even bigger now while Bell's insides were screaming at him. His mouth opened and closed a few times, before he spoke.

"Yes, but only a small one."

"Fu-fu-fu... Bell, I didn't take you for a harem builder."

He was going to say that it was his grandfather's fault, but then decided against it. Those were good lessons.

"So, what does a girl have to do to be a part of your harem?" He was not expecting that.

Ryū's ears perked up, she wanted to know too!

Syr was an extremely beautiful girl and she had much of what he was looking for. Kind. Beautiful and supportive. Plus cute. Very cute.

So why didn't he consider her a part of his harem? That was a good point and honestly, Bell didn't know. He just knew when he wanted a girl to be a part of his harem.

That's when it hit him. Each girl had a unique natural beauty about her and one thing that made her stand out.

With Ryū it was her will to help others before themselves. With Eina, it was her professionalism towards her work how passionate she got and with Ais it was her strength. He admired them all and they all looked so cute! Plus, they each had a very distinctive look that he liked. A lot.

Then his grandfather popped into his head.

"Bell. Never tell a woman why you like other girls. It's a trap. They only want to hear about themselves. Of course there are exceptions, but it's better to be safe than sorry. Girls can get very jealous, very quickly and you could end up losing every girl in your harem if you do this. Women will stay with you if they respect you, but only if you make them feel loved. And you can't do that by telling them why you like other girls. Trust me, it's not worth it walking down that path."

Bell had a feeling that his grandfather was talking from experience.

"But if a girl asks you what you like about other girls. Then describe what you like and if you like the girl in front of you. Describe her. Because that's what she wants to hear. If she likes you. But do add in a few things you like that she might not be. Be true to what you like and don't always say things to impress or get a woman. Remember, you will become a man who does what he does and women are just along for the ride. If she's not fully with you, then it's not a love harem. The best harem of all!"

"Oh and don't be afraid to throw in a little mystery. Women love to chase after a man who they haven't quite figured out. Here's how you do it."

Bell remembered every word, but also his grandfather's advice to not use everything word for word. Make it unique to him. Take the idea and make it his own.

"Syr..." She smiled even more at him, but his instincts told him there was no other way.

"For harem, my boy!" His grandfather's cheers in the background didn't help either.

"For a girl to be a part of my harem." Bell had never made this declaration or information public before so it was a bit hard to say the word 'harem'. But he pressed on. "She has to be beautiful, kind and supportive." Syr's eyes brightened up, she knew she was all these things to Bell.

"But she also has to stand out. Something unique about her that I cannot ignore. It's not something I can just... tell you. It has to surprise me too." That was his honest truth.

.

Syr's eyes widened. She hadn't expected that, then her eyes narrowed/shone with a mischievous grin.

"Bell, I accept your challenge!" This was all just a game to her and it excited her very much. Never in all her years had whenever met a soul and a boy like him! This was going to be so much fun!

Of course, she would have preferred to have Bell all by herself, but she also liked her friend Ryū.

Syr didn't want to break Ryū's heart and she was thinking that it would be okay to share Bell with her. It was fine, as long as Bell loved her above all. Everything would be okay.

.

"Syr..."

"Bell, let me try... let me surprise you." The way she said surprise sent shivers down his spine. He might end up breaking his promise to Eina and Ryū if she succeeded.

"Bell, if a woman likes you and tries her very best to earn your affection. That's a rare woman indeed. Especially if she knows you have a harem. Let her try. You never know, she might just surprise you. And as long as she knows what she's getting into, she might even be worth it. Because the best women are the ones who put in the most effort for you."

The boy let out a heavy sigh, took a hard look at Syr. Okay, he'd give her a try, but on one condition.

"S-Syr..." This was harder to say than he thought, then a surprise squeeze caught him off guard.

He gasped and turned towards Ryū.

.

An uneasy expression stretched across her face. Syr always got what she wanted. No one ever escaped her charm. Ryū had expected her to find a way around the situation, but not like this.

The idea of sharing Bell with Syr, made her blush. She was still new to romance and had agreed to join Bell's harem only a few days ago, met Eina, then this happened.

Not all of her guilt about taking Bell away from Syr had vanished. So, she would support him, no matter what. As long as Bell loved her, she'd be okay with it. Mostly.

Ryū's past self screamed that this was more than she deserved and she was hesitant to agree. Bell's comforting hand being the only thing that kept her from begging him to leave her behind and take Syr instead.

Her inner turmoil was threatening to tear her apart, right now.

.

Bell sensed Ryū was in a lot of pain right now from the way her eyes shifted ever so slightly to the tense grip in his hand. She was as stiff as a sword right now. Ryū warned him that Syr was a very crafty woman. Yet neither of them had expected this.

Since Ryū didn't object, he relented. This seemed like the best option for now to keep their friendship alive. Even though he didn't really want to accept it. Four girls was way too many for him, he kept telling himself. Plus, Syr seemed to lack what he was looking for. That something special, the other girls had.

"I accept, but please know that this might not work out and I don't want there to be any bad blood between you and Ryū. You girls were friends long before you met me and I'd like for you to remain that way." He knew they were close, or at least Ryū was to Syr.

Satisfied, Syr smiled with a nod.

"That's all I ask for, Bell-kun. A chance to surprise you." This woman was like the angel and the devil rolled into one. In other words, she felt like an impossible woman. Like a deity.

She smiled with a full set of teeth this time and looked even more beautiful than before. His heart raced a little. Then she said her goodbyes and skipped off to work.

That was intense and Bell felt like needed to get out of here as soon as possible. There were still eavesdroppers here after all.

"Ryū." He whispered with a gentle shake of her hand.

"Hm?" She tried to keep a poker face in front of him, but he knew better.

"Let's speak somewhere else."

Every other bar was still closed considering how early it was and Bell didn't want to speak in a random dark alleyway.

So he took her to the nearest Inn and paid for a room, which surprised Ryū. But he promised her that it was only to speak privately.

The room they were now in was a plain looking one with white walls, a wooden table, chair and bed. Bell sat down on the bed with his feet touching the floor and invited her to do the same beside him.

Then he scooped up one of her shivering hands and brought it to his lips, before placing it back down on his thigh.

His eyes never left her during that.

"It's okay, Ryū, I'm not going to leave you and I'm not going to do anything you're not ready for."

He didn't know exactly what was bothering her, but he had an idea.

"Bell, I… don't know what I've done to deserve you. Even without Syr, I still feel like you deserve someone better… someone better than me." Normally, Bell would have interrupted her right there, but as his grandfather once told him,

"Women need to vent. They just can't bottle up all their emotions like us men, it's physically impossible for them. So when they're opening up to you, don't say a word, let her speak. Within reason. The more she speaks, the more you'll learn about her, and the more you'll be able to help her later on."

That made sense.

"But I stress, within reason. You need to know the difference between her opening up and her causing drama. The first, helps you to develop a deeper and stronger bond. While the second, is just a way for her to get more of your attention when you need to do something else. But if you ever get lost deciding which is which, ask yourself this… can it wait? If not, it's genuine. If yes, then it's most likely drama. However, you're not going to get it right all the time. So make your decision and take responsibility for it. That's what men do."

His grandfather had also taught him that it's crucial to ask questions, because it shows that you care. That you're not here to judge, but to listen and it goes both ways when you're sharing something personal. Everyone wants to feel safe, not ridiculed.

So, what kind of question should he ask?

A simple one was the answer.

"Why?"

Ryū seemed alarmed, then ashamed as she looked away, but the hand he held never let go. In fact, it only increased in strength as if it were the only lifeline she had left.

Bell watched his woman struggle like this for a while, before she spoke again.

"I didn't just kill those who harmed my familia… I abandoned my familia…"

Those words sent shockwaves through Bell's body, but what scared him more was when Ryū tried to pull away. He refused to let that happen.

And he pulled her into a hug.

She was becoming hysterical now.

So Bell decided to stop it.

"Shhh, hey… Ryū, I'm here. I'm not going to leave you. I'm not going to abandon you. I'm going to be here for you." He would repeat those words over and over again as Ryū fisted his shirt. Then cried into him, not loudly, but quiet heavy sobs.

They stayed like that for what must have felt like forever, as Bell pulled her into his lap and gently rocked her. His hands doing their best to massage her at the same time.

It seemed like she had never told anyone, until now.

And he would stay with her for as long as she needed him to.

.

Ryū couldn't understand why.

Why did Bell still want her?

He had told her that he wanted to build a big family one day.

So what use was an elf who abandoned her familia?

Wouldn't she just do the same to him one day?

She couldn't stand the idea of that happening, but Bell refused to abandon her anyway.

To cast her aside on the streets, like fate had done so five years ago.

"Bell…" One of her feet was twitching and tapping against his own. "Why do you still want me, when I abandoned my familia?" She couldn't look into his face right now and surely see disappointment. So her face stayed beside his chest.

"Ryū, you're not yourself right now and while I don't know the whole story, I choose to believe in you. I highly doubt that you abandoned your familia."

"But…"

"No, if you abandoned your familia, why do you still visit their graves?"

She tried to say, "because I'm guilty." But nothing came out.

"I believe it's because you had no choice. You loved your familia and they loved you in return. You'd never abandoned them, given the choice, but somehow you were forced to. So they sacrificed themselves to save you."

How did he-

"Because that's what I'd do for my familia too."

It was just too much for the elf girl in his arms and she loudly cried this time.

Not holding anything back.

He was just as brave and stubborn as her familia.

.

Bell didn't know what overcame him, but he knew that there was no way Ryū abandoned her familia.

If only he had a chance to speak with her goddess, maybe then he'd learn the truth.

But for now, he'd settle for comforting and protecting Ryū from herself.

A while later, she stopped crying.

His shirt was soaked in her tears, but he didn't mind.

"Bell, I'm sorry…" A nasally breath interrupted her as hiccups shook her chest. "For making a mess... of your shirt."

He laughed.

"What's so funny?" Ryū said, looking up to him with a surprised face.

Words kept tumbling around in his mouth until he found something appropriate.

"It's just you, Ryū. You're always thinking about others, before yourself. It's one of the things I like most about you. You're kind and beautiful. Like justice."

The girl blushed tomato red, suddenly finding his chest the best place to bury herself in now.

Okay, Bell had to admit.

That last part was a bit much, but he couldn't resist.

She was just adorable like this.

It's why he loved her so much, even though he wasn't ready to tell her that yet.

Not when she wasn't calm like his grandfather had taught him.

When Ryū recovered, she asked about Syr.

"So, did you mean it?"

Bell was hesitant at first, but then explained.

"It's complicated, but I didn't expect that. In fact, it felt like the only way to save your friendship with her."

Ryū could only smile at her man. For her, this was a daily thing. Syr had that ability to just wriggle her way through anything with a few well-placed words.

"I trust you, Bell." She saw him relax, which was a relief. It must have been tiring to hold her as she cried until now. "But I should get back to work now. Otherwise Mama Mia will get mad at me. I still haven't paid her back for when I left to save you." Plus, she needed time to think about this all.

"Okay, but I want to see you with Eina tonight. She needs to hear this and I want you to be there too. Plus, I want to spend some time with the both of you." That raised her eyebrows.

"Bell..."

She could see that he really didn't want to break his rule of three but trusted him. If he wanted more girls, she'd accept it. Plus, Syr wasn't so bad.

What was she thinking?

More girls?

If her familia saw her right now, then she'd die of embarrassment.

Perhaps they would even try to kill him for taking advantage of her like this.

Ryū chuckled.

.

Bell was glad to see Ryū in a good mood again.

He didn't want her to get the wrong idea at all, Syr had been given a 'chance', but a very slim one.

However she didn't seem to mind, which scared him the most.

.

Syr laughed while working in the kitchen of the Hostess of Fertility.

It caught her fellow waitresses off guard, even though she smiled most of the time, but never like this.

She was super excited.

A soul like his had never been seen before.

As far as she could tell.

Plus, it seemed like he had room for one more.

Ryū, another elf and her.

Oh, the things she could do.

Then her thoughts drifted back to their conversation,

None of the women tried to claim Bell, which she kind of believed. Bell knew what he wanted and went after it. It was more accurate to say that he claimed them.

This got her even more excited, because she was the one usually doing the chasing.

However, Bell had also given her the chance to claim his heart for herself without resorting to more "drastic" measures.

Sharing Bell was fine too, as long as she was the most important lady of this harem.

But how to "surprise" him?

That was going to be an interesting challenge indeed.

.

A.N.

So there you have it.

Syr doesn't wreck my story, before I can even complete it!

Everyone lives!

For now…

I wrote most of this scene between Bell, Syr and Ryū almost a week ago when I was trying to figure this all out. It almost drove me nuts!

As for how Syr will "pursue" Bell?

Well, she's going to play the long game and not push so hard. Just like in the anime.

My plan so far is that Syr is going to try and cook him even more food.

Something along the lines of Ryū mentioning that Bell really loves his food and since neither Ryū

or Eina cook. Syr will pounce on that, especially when Bell has an even stronger reason to go to the pub every day to see Ryū.

And yes, Bell will be pulled in a few "innocent" dates with Syr.

Plus, if you've noticed I added in Syr's thoughts at the end of the chapter even though she's nowhere near the main characters.

That's a one off, but only because I wanted to give you the readers an idea of why my plan works. Or how it works at least to keep Syr canon and on a leash. Somewhat…

And if you're wandering why Syr forgot about Ais. Well, so did I when writing that last part, but as Syr put it. Bell went after who he went. So if he hasn't gone after Ais yet, then he won't.

Luckily, Syr didn't push and ask who else Bell likes.

I think she was just too caught up in the moment to ask.

The thrill of the adventure people often say cause one to overlook the details.

Chapter 13: 4804 words. (Including a few dots that act as transitions and dividers)