Disclaimer: I do not own DanMachi or any of Omori's original characters, nor do I make any profit off of my writing.
Bell smiled softly as he laid his back against the grassy knoll.
Beside him, laid Aiz, a similarly peaceful smile on her lips as she laid there.
And between them was—
"Mew."
Bell sighed.
—was Bean. Because he couldn't get a moment of peace in his life ever. That was fine. This was fine.
He and Aiz had decided to do a little stargazing in the city, nothing major, just a night under the open skies together. They felt like they deserved it after a rather hectic week in the dungeon followed almost immediately by a trip to Melen. Well, for Aiz at least. The only bit of excitement in Bell's life was when he'd gotten in a bar fight, if not for the combined might of Bete and Bean, wolf and cat, it could have turned out far worse than it was.
But they set all of that aside for now, so they could just enjoy the company of the other.
"Mew."
Enjoy the company of the other, plus cat.
"Bell?"
"Hm?"
"We shouldst plan our wedding soon. I thinketh spring shalt be pleasant."
Bell choked on nothing and rolled onto his side as he coughed.
Aiz, ever the worrier, was quick to sit up and maneuver to his side, patting him reassuringly on the back. "Worry not, Bell Cranel, in sickness and in health."
He coughed harder.
"Mew mew mew."
"What doth thee mean 'I am making it worse?'"
"Mew."
Aiz scoffed indignantly and whirled around to face her daughter. "I didst not cause this!"
Bean gave what was probably the cat equivalent of rolling her eyes, Bell didn't know, he doesn't speak cat. "Mew."
The golden-haired swordswoman gaped, sputtering out denials that made absolutely no sense as her arms flailed around. Eventually, she spun back around, crossing her arms with a 'harumph!'
Bell is pretty sure this is the first fight he's ever seen the two have. He was watching history in the making.
".. "
".. "
".. "
Oh, okay. Fights between cats and fiancé's just end in them giving each other the silent treatment.
That's nice. At least now he might get a few seconds of blessed silence before Bean—
"Mew."
—before Bean speaks again. Too late.
Bell sighed as he looked at the cat staring up at him. Of course. Of course.
"Yes, Bean?"
Beside him, Aiz gasped in betrayal.
"Bell Cranel! Thou better not beest cahoodling with mine enemy!"
.. cahoodling?
"Mew mew meeew!"
Bell didn't know what Bean just said, but something told him it wasn't very nice. Probably something or other about Aiz and/or the girl's appearance if her scandalized gasp and her hurried checking of her clothes were anything to go by.
Good gods.
What had his life become?
He was a therapist for cats and they're strange, but beautiful, mothers.
"How about we take a step back you two and talk things out. Okay?"
He looked quickly between the two, finding them glaring at one another with frowns, but they nodded all the same.
Wonderful.
"Now, Aiz, why don't you tell us what upset you about what Bean.. said.. before."
Seriously. What has his life become?
"The fiend doth blameth me for thine ailment! I didst not cause it, wherefore wouldst I wish to cause thee pain?"
"Okay." He was pretty sure he knew what that meant. "So, Bean, why do you blame Aiz for causing me to choke?"
Which.. well, it was honestly true, not that he could say that.
"Mew."
Aiz gasped. "Hoh!"
Does he even want to ask?
No.
"Bean, please be nice to your mother." The cat gave him a scandalized look to which, and he is not proud to admit this, he pouted. The pout always works, Aiz says it is his secret weapon.
".. mew."
"Thanks, you're the best, Garbanzo!"
"Mew mew!"
Bell smiled down at the kitten, quickly using a finger to softly scratch just beneath her jaw before turning back toward his fiancé and oh. Yeah. Slight mistake on his part. He'd forgotten the whole 'argument' thing that was going on. And he just called Garbanzo Bean, and forgive him if he's remembering wrong here, it's been a while: 'the best.'
Big, big mistake.
Across from him, Aiz was stewing in her anger, working herself up into a frenzy, literally. The winds that swirled around her were about one step away from being called a hurricane. Her back was turned to him which was just.. never a good sign, and he could see her hands dancing around where her sword was usually tied, also not a great sign. She wasn't going to kill him, at least he hoped not, but she would probably try to knock him out in a 'spar' so she could give him a lap pillow and calm down.
He'd rather not be knocked out right now, if he was being honest.
".. Aiz?"
He leaned closer, chancing a peek over her shoulder. Her mouth was moving rapidly, an unheard, accented rant flowing from his lips far too fast for him to understand.
He poked her in the cheek. Why? Because he was an idiot. But hey, it got her attention!
She opened her mouth to say something, no doubt to call him some kind of 'rapscallion' or 'scalpie-limmer' or to just bite her thumb at him, but he spoke up before she had the chance.
"I love you."
She pouted. "That's not fair."
"I know. Now, do you want to talk about what's actually bothering you or do you want to keep taking it out on the kitten?" He glanced back at Bean who was nodding her head with several emphatic 'mews!' of agreement.
Aiz sighed and slumped backward, falling into Bell's chest who didn't hesitate to secure her in his arms. It was nice, laying like this, in his arms. Her head tucked beneath his chin, listening to his breathing. She wished they could stay like this forever.
Bean slowly plodded over, hesitating just a second to see if Aiz was still angry with her. She wasn't. Extending her arms out toward Bean, the little one happily jumped into her lap, curling up in the folds of Aiz's dress and staring up at her mother patiently.
Again, she sighed, this time more resigned than relaxed.
"Doest thee promise not to stop loving me?"
"Of course. That won't ever change."
It was nice that he didn't hesitate, but it did little to reassure her when he didn't know the truth.
"I.. " She paused, her voice unable to force the words out through her mouth. Bell didn't hurry her, instead staying silent and patiently waiting for her to continue. "I am not human." Again, no response from her lover, but this time it only filled her with anxiety. Was he surprised? Scared? Disgusted? "Mine mother.. she was.. she was a spirit. Mine father was a man."
There was a rumbling sensation behind her that she was faintly aware of Bell chuckling, that jerk! Was he really laughing at her!
"Is that all?"
What the hell does he mean 'is that all!?' What! She just bared her heart out to him, exposed her deepest, darkest secret! How can he act as if it were nothing?
"Are thee not surprised? Shocked?"
She could feel his body shift behind her as he shrugged. "Aiz, I've always known you were amazing, now I just know the reason why." A pause. "Wait, is that where your accent comes from? Do all people of spirit blood talk like that? Welf doesn't and—oh my gods—is Welf hiding an accent too?"
What is going on? Welf? What does any of this have to do with him?
"Mine accent is mine own."
".. you're going to need to elaborate on that some."
Aiz huffed. "This wast just the way everybody spoke when I wast a babe! It is thine time that speaks weird, not mine!"
There was a pause after that, one where just about all Aiz could do to stave off madness and worry was focus on the soft warmth puffs of air on her neck.
".. time?"
A nod. "Time."
Bell hummed. "A different time. Swordsman. Wind magic."
Aiz blinked. He figured that out fast.
"Thou art such a nerd!"
"H- hey! I am not!"
Aiz spun around so she could face him. Bean looked more than a little disgruntled at the movement but ultimately settled into the warmth between the two adventurers. "I told thee a vague sentence regarding mine past and thy took it and derived the nature of mine ancestry, who, need I remind thee, thou have only heard about through books." She poked his chest to punctuate each word. "Hero." Poke. "Nerd." Poke.
"Wha— ! So it's true!?"
Aiz's cheeks puffed out as she stared at him. "Of course! Doest thou not believeth me?"
"What! No, of course, I believe you! I just didn't think I was right!"
Aiz closed her eyes and nodded, satisfied. It was because of this that she missed Bell's rapidly saddening expression as the reality of her situation dawned on him. "Aiz.. your.. your parents?" She winced at the reminder and buried her face in his shoulder so he wouldn't see the tears in her eyes.
"I knoweth not the fate of my mother, but aye, my father ist gone."
".. the—"
"Aye, Bell. Twas the dragon."
He hugged her fiercely, dragging her body flush against his as they sat beneath the stars in the park in some long-abandoned corner of the city.
"I want to help."
"I'm getting stronger, pretty soon I'll be able to fight at your side, as an equal. If I work hard enough, I know I can, so please let me help."
Aiz said nothing, merely listening to him as her breath hitched.
"I—all I've ever wanted was to be a hero, to risk my life to save others, to be there for people when they need me. I thought they were the coolest thing. You think your mother lives on."
"I didn't— "
"You didn't have to. You think she's still alive and I want to help. Aiz, I want to be your hero. Let me be your—mmph!"
Aiz tackled him in a kiss, one that probably would have gotten a lot more heated if not for the furious tornado of claws between them trying to dig her way to salvation.
Poor Bean.
Aiz sat up, perched atop Bell's stomach, and smiled down at him. Her arms were propping her up, placed on either side of his head as he stared up at her teary eyes in wonder.
"If thou truly mean it, then I wouldst wish for nothing more."
"I do. I want to be your hero, more than anything."
Aiz's smile, if possible, widened.
"I love thee verily, Bell Cranel."
Fin.
