Megumi Morisato smiled through the window as she watched Kazume and Arimon shake hands. She sighed with relief at the thought of this feud finally coming to an end. Looking again at her best friends face, she was surprised to see her giving the man next to her a friendly, genuine smile. She shook her head, that girl was something else. Leave it to Kazume to be able to befriend a man that only a few weeks ago was her greatest rival. Megumi smiled softly one last time at the pair outside before turning away and leaving them alone.
Meanwhile, outside, the two new friends had finally released their handshake. Kazume gave him another shy smile before turning back to the bike. Arimon watched her as she worked.
"You're pretty good at that."
The girl shrugged. "Not really…I only know the basics. I prefer to race."
He cocked an eyebrow. "What you're doing here is only basic?"
Kazume nodded. "Yup, this is nothing compared to other stuff I've seen."
"I see."
They fell into an uncomfortable silence. Arimon awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, picking his brain for something to say to her. This was a lot harder than he thought; he had spent the last two weeks aching to be friends with her and now that he was, he struggled to find topics to talk about. Damn it all.
Luckily for him though, the redhead in front of him didn't seem to have that problem.
"Hey, when I'm done here why don't you come inside for dinner?"
He grinned. "I'd be happy to."
She grinned back at him. "Great! Now let's see if this has done the trick."
She put her tools down and picked up a key that was lying near her feet. She inserted it into the ignition and turned it clockwise. A smooth rumble was heard before the engine gently purred to life. Kazume smirked with satisfaction.
"Well that does it!"
Arimon nodded in appreciation. "Mighty fine work, she's sounds good as new."
She laughed modestly, rubbing the back of her neck. "Haha, well thanks. Anyway let's get inside, I'm sure Megumi already has dinner made; knowing her."
They rose to their feet and Kazume made sure to turn off the engine and pull the key out. She shoved it into her pocket, bent down to pick up the toolbox before heading inside the apartment, Arimon following close behind her.
Once they were inside, they were greeted with the pleasantry fumes of a freshly made dinner and the chef grinning widely from her place at the kitchen table. They joined her and the three enjoyed the remainder of the evening in each other's company while they consumed their meal. At one point Megumi gave an attempt at a joke, which had Arimon smirking in amusement and poor Kazume bent over in stitches. Their chatter and laughter continued for several more hours until it was obvious how late it was, the girls were becoming sleepy and Arimon needed to head back to the temple. While Megumi cleaned up, Kazume walked him to the door to say goodnight.
Arimon turned back around to bow politely to her. "Thank you for tonight. I had a really fun time."
She smiled at him. "Not a problem, we should most definitely do it again. I enjoyed your company."
He returned her smile. "Absolutely, until then, you have a good night Kazume."
"Yes, you too… Arimon."
She smiled once more before walking back inside and closing the door. Arimon waited a moment to make sure she was gone, before lifting off the ground and soaring into the sky. As he flew back to the temple, his thoughts went back a few minutes earlier to when he was bidding goodbye to Kazume. That was the first time she had addressed him by his name, and the way it had sounded coming from her had sent a warm feeling through his body. Finally spotting the temple in the distance, he pushed himself forward, all the while with a giddy, satisfied smirk on his face.
Belldandy was sitting quietly in Keiichi's room, her boyfriend sleeping peacefully with his head on her lap. She held a short novel in one hand while using the other to gently stroke her fingers through his hair. The goddess paused in her reading when she heard the front door slide open. She put the book down then gently, lifted Keiichi's head to replace her lap with one of his pillows. Being careful not to wake him, she stood up and quietly left the room. As she slid the door closed, she turned her head in time to see her cousin making his way down the corridor.
When he was close enough, she was surprised to find a content smile on his face. She tilted her head questioningly. "Arimon?"
When he looked at her, she asked. "What happened today? You seem to be in higher spirits."
Arimon smiled. "I had a talk with Kazume and we were able to sort out our differences. So I guess you can say we're more or less friends now. I've just spent the night with her and Megumi and…" He chuckled. "…I must say they're a very enlightening pair of girls."
Belldandy beamed. "This is wonderful news! I'm so happy to hear you two are getting along."
Arimon grinned. "Yeah, it feels kinda great."
Because of they're immortal status, sleep was never a necessity that the two cousins needed. So with the whole night ahead, they spent several hours in Belldandy's room just casually talking and catching up on each other's lives. Arimon hadn't seen Belldandy since he was a young boy, so he was glad to spend some quality time with her especially after all these years. They talked and talked until eventually the gentle glow of the sun shone through the window as it slowly rose to bring about the new day. Arimon smiled at the sight, this day was the start of many to a bright future and for the first time in his life was eager to see where this path would take him.
(One Week Later)
Kazume breathed in deeply, her mind focused on the task at hand. The much anticipated race she had been waiting weeks for was now only minutes away. She closed her eyes and concentrated on what she needed to do out there. She had friends who were counting on her and there was no way on earth she was going to let them down.
"Feeling nervous?"
Her eyes snapped open to see Arimon grinning at her, his amethyst eyes twinkling.
She smirked confidently. "Of course not, why would I be?"
"Well you seemed pretty far away for a minute there, thought maybe you were getting cold feet."
She snorted. "As if, I'm gonna go out there and kick arse, just you wait."
He grinned. "I look forward to the arse-kicking."
Kazume smiled at him. Ever since their talk a week ago, Arimon had been nothing but an amazing friend to her. At first it had been incredibly awkward, neither knew what to say and that mind-jabbing fact that they were now friends was barely registering in their minds. But over the last week they grew more comfortable with each other and their conversations became more relaxed. But it didn't stop there; Arimon was there for her through everything. When she laughed, he would laugh right along with her, and when she was sad, he wouldn't hesitate to comfort her until she felt one hundred percent better. And on one freakishly cold night, he was a complete gentleman, offering his coat and rubbing her arms in an attempt to keep her warm. To begin with she thought his acts of kindness was purely for the sake of making up for the rough start. But after voicing this concern to him, he had assured her that that wasn't the case and that he genuinely cared for her as a friend and enjoyed her company. Well the feeling was definitely mutual; she rather liked spending time with him as well.
"Hey…Kazume? Hello! You alive in there?"
Kazume was forced back to reality only to see Arimon's face inches away from hers, causing her to jolt back in surprise. "W...What?"
Her redhead friend laughed. "Wow, the lights were on but there was nobody home!"
She glared at him. "Oh shut the hell up."
"All contestants, please make your way to the starting line!"The two friends turned their head in the direction of the announcement. Kazume breathed in deeply. "Well…here goes nothing."
Arimon held his hand up for her to take. "Go get 'em Tiger."
She grinned and took his hand in a tight grip. "You betcha."
They exchanged one final smile before releasing their hands. Kazume placed her helmet on, revved her bike and rode out to join the other racers. The sounds were somewhat muffled inside her helmet, but she swore she could vaguely here Megumi loudly screaming her name, making her grin with confidence, yup she was totally going to win this thing.
As Kazume took her place, Arimon made himself comfortable on a seat next to a hyperactive Megumi who was on her feet and cheering very loudly for her best friend, causing Arimon to quietly chuckle.
"Are you ready racers? On your mark…get set…"A loud bang echoed all around the tracks, signalling the start of the race. The crowds' volume increased as the bikers all took off down the track. Kazume managed to scrape third place in the first few seconds, with only a small distance behind the two who were leading. She pulled the handle further downwards, forcing her bike to speed up, rapidly approaching the others. Just as she passed the guy in front of her, she looked ahead to see she was closing in on a huge ramp.
"And the Auto Club racer 'Miyazaki' has caught up and put herself in second place, but with this big jump coming up, will she be able to maintain her position?"Arimon watched intently as Kazume urged her bike to move faster. She was tied in first with her opponent as they sped up the ramp and launched into the air. He held his breath as the guy next to her attempted to throw her off by lifting his legs to the side to kick her off her bike. But Kazume was prepared; she dodged his attack by jumping up and crouching on the seat before pushing the bike down and her self up. The crowd watched amazed as she once again performed her handstand on the handles, only this time with the bike facing directly upwards, the two of them creating a perfect vertical line. Her opposer gawked in awe as the bike levelled itself down back onto the road at the end of the jump, it's rider landing smoothly back on it, now putting them in the lead.
"What an amazing performance! 'Miyazaki is now in front after a remarkable stunt! But it's not over yet folks! She still has a long way to go!"
Arimon smiled proudly. After that he doubted there was any chance of her screwing up the rest of the race. And he was right. The next few jumps Kazume flew through with ease. She showed her stuff by performing flips, stances and other stunts that awed the crowd. As she came onto the final corner, another racer who had managed to barely keep up with her tactics, appeared at her side. The bend before the finish was the same sharp turn she had practised many times before. The other rider steered into her to force her offcourse, but failed to see her devious smirk. She released her handle slightly to abruptly slow down. Her opponent didn't see this coming and leaned too far over in his surprise of her sudden move. He lost control of his bike and went spiralling the opposite direction, while Kazume took this chance to race around him and take the sharp bend without any interference. The Auto Club roared as she passed the finishing line.
"AND THAT'S IT! YOUR WINNER! KAZUME MIYAZAKI FROM THE AUTO CLUB! LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! WHAT AN INCREDIBLE RACE! SEEMS WE HAVE A NEW CHAMPION!"
Kazume groaned in irritation from the announcer, did he have to yell like that? He was using a friggin microphone. But she paid no more mind to it when Megumi and the other members of the Auto Club swamped her. She laughed as they lifted her up onto their shoulder, chanting her name over and over. The judges came over and handed her the trophy, to which she held triumphantly over her head. Kazume looked behind everyone and saw Arimon standing by himself, grinning widely at her. She grinned back, and told the others to let her down. Once they had lowered her back to the ground, she ran towards him and flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. Arimon caught her midair and spun her around, the two laughing happily. He put her back down, turned around and gestured for her to jump onto his back. She willingly did so and leapt onto him, one arm around his neck and the other waving her trophy victoriously into the sky. Inside her mind, Kazume was happier than ever. This was everything she had asked for her entire life, and now she could live this new life with her friends, especially with Megumi and Arimon, the two greatest friends she could have ever asked for.
The days following Kazume's victory consisted of many all night parties, with the majority of her friends becoming smashed beyond help. Kazume, Megumi, Arimon, Belldandy and Keiichi were the only ones who remained sober while the rest were usually knocked out by the time midnight rolled around. But the festivities soon wavered and things become normal again.
Like many of the nights before, Kazume and Arimon took the chance to walk home together, the latter insisting he make sure she arrived home safely. After being convinced, Kazume had lent her bike to Megumi to take home, who eagerly took the offer, being anxious to get home and sleep. Keiichi rode home on his own vehicle, with Belldandy in the sidecar next to him. One by one everyone went their separate ways, until Kazume and Arimon were left alone. The streets were quiet and peaceful as they walked side by side, chatting endlessly about anything and everything. Soon Kazume's apartment appeared in sight, signalling the end of their time together. Arimon stayed with her until she was safely at the front door. But before going inside, Kazume surprised him by stepping forward and giving him a tight goodnight hug. He stiffened in shock but quickly relaxed and returned her hug. After a few seconds, she backed away, gave him one last cheeky grin, which he returned with a smile of his own, before stepping inside and softly closing the door behind her. Arimon stood there grinning for a minute before turning around and heading home as well.
(A few weeks later)
Kazume was startled awake to the sound of Megumi's glass-shattering shriek. She sat up in her bed, feeling confused and disorientated from having been awoken so suddenly. She got out of bed and walked sleepily out of her room and down the hall into their small living room. There she found her best friend, agitated beyond words as she yelled into her phone.
"Megumi?" Kazume asked, rubbing sleep from her eyes.
The angry brunette whipped around to look at her half dead roommate. Her face turned to horror when she saw how tired Kazume looked.
"Oh Kazume I'm so sorry! Did I wake you?"
The redhead shook her head. "It's ok I needed to get up anyway…who are you talking to?"
Megumi growled. "It's just my useless brother! He's just…urgh…IMPOSSIBLE!" She shouted the last word into her phones receiver before hanging up on the now deafened Keiichi.
Kazume giggled. "Aw come on Megumi, what's he done to put you in such a bad mood?"
The brunette rolled her eyes. "Being pathetic that's what! Apparently the anniversary for the day him and Bell met is coming up and he wants to do something special."
Kazume smiled. "But that's so sweet! There's nothing wrong with that."
Megumi snorted. "Except for the fact that he has no clue what he's doing!"
Now Kazume was confused. "What do you mean?"
She definitely wasn't expecting Megumi's next words. "HE'S PLANNING ON PROPOSING!"
Kazume felt her jaw drop. "He…he's going to ask her to marry him?"
Her friend nodded. "YES! He has no idea what a huge mistake he's making!"
Kazume raised an eyebrow. "How is this a mistake? It's not like they're underage, and they've been together for a long time. It's obvious how much they love each other."
Megumi shook her head. "That's not the problem. A while ago I spoke about this to Belldandy, and the way she responded was definitely not what I expected."
Flashback**"Hey Belldandy can I talk to you for a minute?"
The kind woman turned and smiled at her guest. "Of course Megumi, what can I do for you?"
Megumi sighed, struggling to find the right words. "Well…it's just…it's about Keiichi."
Belldandy's eyes glimmered with worry at her boyfriend's name. "What about him…is he hurt?"
Megumi chuckled at her concerned behaviour. "No he's fine, but I wanted to ask a serious question."
Belldandy smiled. "Alright, what is it you wanted to ask me?"
Megumi leaned against the wall and crossed her arms. "What are your true feelings towards my brother?" At Belldandy's surprised look she continued. "With him it's so easy to see just how in love with you he is."
Belldandy's eyes softened. "There is no questioning my feelings for Keiichi, I am very much in love with him."
"Then would you say yes if he proposed to you?"
Megumi's sudden question caught Belldandy off guard. Hey eyes widened as she stared at the brunette. "You mean…marriage?"
The other girl nodded. "It's been a few years Bell, and I don't think Keiichi sees himself settling down with anyone else. So just don't be too shocked if he does ask."
Belldandy's shocked expression melted into a sad one and she shook her head. "I'm afraid that wouldn't be possible."
Now it was Megumi's turn to be surprised. This was the last thing she expected to hear. She pushed off the wall to fully face Belldandy. "What? But I thought you said you loved him!"
Belldandy sighed. "I do love him…very much. But there is something large at stake that I am unable to reveal. It's too complicated to explain, but unfortunately the situation will not allow a bond such as marriage to come into our lives." Tears welled up in her eyes. "I'm sorry Megumi, but it's just not meant to be."
Megumi watched stunned as the now sobbing Belldandy fled from the room, with tears streaming down her face, leaving the brunette more confused than ever.
End Flashback **
Kazume frowned as Megumi finished the story. "Poor Belldandy, it's seems she wants nothing more than marry Keii, but something big is holding her back."
Her best friend let out a long frustrated sigh. "Only problem is that I have no clue what it could be. I've even asked Urd and Skuld and they were just as vague about it as Bell was."
Kazume bit her lip in thought. "Hmm, maybe if I asked Arimon, he's Belldandy's cousin so surely he must know something."
Megumi nodded in agreement. "Good idea, I'll ring Keiichi again and keep trying to talk him out of it. If he proposes he's only setting himself up for heartbreak."
Kazume placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry too much, I'm sure everything will be alright." She gave her friend one more comforting smile before standing up and walking back to her room to freshen up.
(A Couple Of Hours Later)
After she had showered and dressed, Kazume had called the temple asking to speak with Arimon. When he came to the phone she told him she needed to speak with him and asked if they could meet up somewhere. He had agreed and now she found herself wandering towards there designated meeting place. A few more minutes and she reached her destination, which just happened to be the very same park that held bitter memories for the both of them. She smiled when she saw he was already there waiting for her, sitting patiently on an empty bench. Arimon's head turned in her direction and grinned when seeing the redhead approaching him.
He stood up to greet her. "Good morning."
She grinned. "And a good morning to you!"
He smiled. "So what did you want to talk to me about?"
Kazume's smile vanished and she sighed, deciding to cut straight to the chase. "Keiichi is planning to propose to Belldandy."
Arimon's jaw dropped. "WHAT?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Why do you sound just as horrified as Megumi did earlier?"
He rubbed the back of his head in frustration. "Because this is really, really bad. It wouldn't be good if he goes through with it."
She threw her hands up impatiently. "Oh gosh not you too!"
Arimon stared at her. "What?"
Kazume sighed. "Megumi told me she asked Belldandy about it a little while ago. She asked her what she would say if Keiichi ever asked her to marry him. She said she couldn't for a really important reason but she never said why!"
Arimon stayed silent. He knew exactly why. It was because Belldandy was a First Class Goddess, a solemn duty that prevented her from staying permanently on Earth. Which also meant that she would eventually have to return to heaven someday, so marrying a mortal was simply out of the question. Arimon frowned as he thought of Keiichi; the poor guy would have his heart torn to shreds, which is why he needed to stop him from making a big mistake. But the problem right now was Kazume, she had no clue of their deity status, wasn't even sure if she even believed in Gods and Demons. He knew he couldn't keep her in the dark forever, but for now he needed to keep this a secret.
Stepping forward, he placed his hands on her shoulders. "Kazume, I know how much you want to help. But I need you to trust me. I know why Belldandy can't marry him, so I need you to let me talk to Keiichi. Please."
Kazume looked at him as he gazed intently at her, silently begging for her to understand. She gave into his pleading look and nodded. "Alright. I'll leave it to you. I do trust you Arimon, I just don't want to see Keiichi get hurt."
He smiled at how kind she was. "Don't you worry, I'll have it sorted out. In the meantime though, why don't you go home and be with Megumi? I'm sure she's flipping out more than anybody over this."
Kazume grinned as the memory of her hysteric friend from this morning came to mind. "Yeah, she is, but she means well." She giggled. "Even if it means yelling at her brother over the phone."
Arimon chuckled. "Now that's a entertaining image. Well I'll head back and talk to Keiichi. You alright heading back home?"
She smiled at him. "I'm fine, it's only a few minutes away. I'll catch you later." She waved goodbye as she walked away. Arimon waited until she disappeared from view before heading back himself. He felt bad keeping the truth from Kazume, but to be honest he was scared by how she would take it. Half of himself was demonic, and the last thing he wanted was to scare her away, especially now when he'd come to care about her so much. Thoughts of his demon self reminded him of his Aunt. The thought of her warning hadn't crossed his mind in several weeks, but the time he's spent on earth, he's found himself caring less and less about losing his immortality. Belldandy was right when she had defended the human race; the people here were incredible and wanted nothing more than to live their lives peacefully. Again, a certain fiery redhead crossed his mind. If he were to lose everything and be forced to live on earth, then at least he would have a girl like Kazume there with him. By now, he couldn't imagine his life without her in it.
A few minutes passed by before he flew down and landed on the soft grass of the temple grounds. He took long strides to the door, his long red coat flowing behind him. He pushed it open, slid it shut behind him and walked down the hall, heading straight for Keiichi's room. Once there, he lifted his hand and knocked loudly with his knuckles. There was no answer, but Arimon could swear he heard movement inside. Reaching inside the gap, he pushed the door open only to gawk at what was inside. Keiichi was indeed inside his room, but he wasn't alone. He had his back against the wall, with Belldandy sitting in between his legs, the two sharing a deep, intimate kiss.
Arimon stared in shock; well this was a scenario he definitely wasn't expecting to walk in on. This also meant Urd and Skuld must've not been home, Skuld would've never let Keiichi advance this far with her.
Deciding to let his presence be known, but regretting breaking their rare moment, Arimon cleared his throat. As if he had been sprayed with freezing cold water, Keiichi's eyes snapped open and he rapidly pulled out of the kiss, throwing his hands up in surrender.
"SKULD IT'S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!"
Belldandy stared at him in alarm but the sound of someone's laughter made her and Keiichi turn their heads to see Arimon, leaning on the wall for support as he lost it laughing.
Belldandy stared at her cousin. "Arimon? Are you ok?"
Arimon put up a hand for them to give him a minute to calm down. After he managed to stop laughing and catch his breath, he turned to them with a wide grin. "Wow Keii, never knew how scared you were of a little girl."
Keiichi had the decency to look annoyed and embarrassed. "It's not her I'm scared of, it's the scary weapons she's apparently invented to use on me every time I try and get close to Belldandy."
Arimon smirked. "Well from what I saw earlier, you two must not be able to spend much time together." He winked as he said this.
Belldandy's face flushed bright red while Keiichi looked awkwardly at the ground. Their embarrassed expressions only added to Arimon's amusement. But he remembered why he was there and his face turned serious.
"Belldandy, if you wouldn't mind, I need to speak to Keiichi privately."
Belldandy nodded and stood up to leave, but not before giving her boyfriend one last gentle peck on the lips. After she had left the room, Arimon walked and sat down directly opposite the other man.
He leant forward and stared at Keiichi, who fidgeted under his leer. Seeing how nervous he was, Arimon decided it'd be best he didn't waste time.
"So Keiichi…I hear you're planning on asking Bell to marry you."
The younger male looked at him in surprise. "How did you find out?"
The corner of his mouth twitched into a slight smirk. "Word, gets around. You told your sister, she told Kazume who told me not even an hour ago."
Keiichi shook his head. "Wow, talk about spreading like wildfire."
Arimon kept his face neutral. "Keii…you mustn't ask her."
Keiichi stared at him. "What? Why not?"
Arimon continued, his facing remaining blank. "You are well aware she's a goddess, correct?" He nodded. "Then you know that she has duties she cannot ignore forever. Sooner or later, Keiichi…Belldandy will have to return back to heaven for good. It is because of this duty, her role as a First Class Goddess, that she cannot marry you."
Arimon knew he was being harsh by his bluntness, but this was something Keiichi needed to hear. His stomach twisted at the crestfallen expression on the human man's face.
Keiichi averted his gaze to the floor. "So you're saying…that when she does go back…I won't ever see her again?"
For the first time since he sat down, Arimon showed emotion as he sighed. "Of that I'm not sure, I'm certain she will visit on occasion. But living amongst humans permanently is impossible, let alone marrying one."
Arimon could now clearly see the devastation in Keiichi's brown eyes. He really did want to spend the rest of his life with Belldandy, but it seemed fate was too cruel to grant him that one wish. Seeing there was nothing else to be said, Arimon rose to his feet and headed to the door. Before leaving, he paused and turned his head back to look at Keiichi.
"Listen…I know this was hard for you to hear, so I'll say this much. Belldandy still loves you more than anything, so take whatever time you have left to be with her. Tell her every day how much she means to you. Take her out on dates, be affectionate, do everything with her. She knows her time here is limited Keii, and it's breaking her heart at the thought of leaving you…Go to her Keiichi, be with her. You're a good man, no one deserves to be with her more than you do." And then he left, leaving Keiichi alone, his words lingering inside the man's mind.
'He's right.' Keiichi thought. Instead of secretly moping, he should be with the girl he loved and showing her how much she meant to him. With a new resolve, Keiichi stood up and walked out of his room and down the hall to Belldandy's. He knocked on her door, heard a soft, 'come in!' before letting himself in. Belldandy smiled brightly at him as he entered. "Keiichi…"
Said boyfriend walked over and sat down next to her. The moment he was on the floor, she scooted closer to lean her head on his shoulder. He rested his head against hers and wrapped his arm around her waist, sighing contently.
Keiichi smiled into her hair. "Hey Belldandy?"
"Hmm?"
He turned and kissed her head. "I love you."
His girlfriend lifted her head to gaze in surprise at him. It was rare for Keiichi to so blatantly voice his feelings. But when he did, her heart filled with warmth and she would fall even more in love with him.
She leaned in to touch their foreheads together and gazed softly at him. "I love you too Keiichi."
Keiichi closed the gap between them and kissed her tenderly. Belldandy's eyes fluttered close and she angled her head to deepen the kiss. Through a small crack by the door, Arimon watched the two lovebirds with a satisfied smile.
'Good on ya, Keii…you really are perfect for each other.'
As he said this, an image popped into his head. He saw himself, standing on the beach, his hand wrapped around a smaller feminine one. He was with a girl, but was unable to see exactly who she was. He watched as his dream self gazed down lovingly at her, the girl mirroring his expression. He lifted his hand to the side of her face, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear and then caressing her cheek tenderly with his fingers. Arimon suddenly saw everything through his other self's eyes, looking straight into a pair of familiar, sparkling brown orbs, and her fire coloured hair blowing gently in the wind.
The End