"Rosario + Vampire: A Goddess of a Different Sort" (What If?)
Chapter 4 "First Date"
Based upon characters created by Akihisa Ikeda.
Ah My Goddess created by Kosuke Fujishima.
Original idea and story written by Gamera68.
Rated T.
Genres: Fantasy / Romance / Slice-of-Life / Comedy
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Author's Note:
I'd like to thank everyone who has fave'd and followed this story as well as left me some great feedback. I really appreciate all the support even though this fan-fiction is fairly new.
Also a quick shout-out to "zeroIQ" from FFN for assistance with which direction to go for this and the next chapter. This takes place about 2 weeks after Tsukune and Moka move into their new home at the Tariki Hongan Temple.
I introduce another character from Rosario + Vampire into the story who will be around for awhile and I hope that I did a good job with her characteristics. :)
I also welcome feedback so I can be encouraged to continue this story. I usually NEVER ask for feedback, but if I don't hear from you, the reader, what you like or don't like about this unique story, then I won't know what to write about for future chapters. So any and all feedback / reviews / ideas are more than welcome as I make NO MONEY writing. Thank you for your continued support and Faves!
Also, I will do my best to stay as close to the original content with ny own twists, but the T rating might go up, towards the end.
Okay, enough rambling! Onto chapter 4! :)
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...
Late May. The outskirts of Nekomi, Japan.
A lone figure approached the temple grounds after being dropped off by a friendly truck driver. He even helped out with unloading their belongings. The individual in question then walked up to the house with a puzzled look across their face.
"Look at the size of this place. Is this even the right address? Well, they said it was a temple, but I thought they were only joking."
When the person reached the doorway, they then pressed the doorbell.
* ding dong *
* ding dong *
* ding dong *
Moka quickly left the kitchen and floated down the hallway as she headed to answer the door.
"Coming!" the goddess announced with a song in her voice.
"Oh right. No powers in front of other mortals. Silly me," she murmured to herself as she landed by the front doorway, her cheeks slightly tinted pink due to her sudden forgetfulness. The embarrassed goddess then unlocked and slid the door open.
"Yes, may I help you?" Moka asked the visitor on the other side of the now-opened door.
"Um... I'm sorry. I must have the wrong place."
"The wrong place?" the deity inquired.
"This is Tariki Hongan Temple, right?" the woman asked the goddess in front of her who had the brightest, pinkest hair, and the greenest eyes she had ever seen.
"Yes, that's correct," Moka replied with a smile.
"I see. That's good. I'm, uh, looking for Tsukune Aono," she replied as she nervously scratched the back of her neck.
The young, Japanese, woman had shoulder-length, black hair, aqua blue eyes, and was average in height. She was dressed in a red, lightweight jacket, a white tee-shirt, a blue, denim, mini-skirt, and white sneakers.
"Yes, he lives here. Who might you be?" the goddess wondered.
"Oh, sorry about that. I'm Tsuki's cousin, Kyoko Aono. You must be his girlfriend Moka, who I've heard so much about. Nice to make your acquaintance!" Kyoko answered as she reached out and shook the deity's right hand rather energetically.
"Tsuki?" Moka replied as the two ended their awkward greeting.
"Yeah, is he home?" Kyoko asked.
"Oh yes. He's still in bed but I was just about to wake him. Would you like to join us for breakfast?" the goddess said with a bright smile.
"Uh, sure. Thanks for the offer. Don't mind if I do, so please pardon the intrusion," Kyoko answered as Moka stepped back. The slightly-elder woman then entered the couple's home. She quickly removed her shoes at the same moment that Tsukune slid his bedroom door open at the end of the long hallway.
...
...
"Hey Moka? What's with all the noise? Oh great. It's Kyo," Tsukune grumbled as he stepped into the corridor to figure out why she had just shown up like that.
"Good morning, Tsukune. We have company," Moka replied happily with a bright smile as she led Kyoko towards her tea room where they ate all their meals at.
"Um, good morning. I can see that," he mumbled in frustration.
Tsukune then trudged towards the tea room likewise. He still felt sleepy to an extent since it was still rather early as he wanted to sleep in a bit longer. It was his day off from his part-time job, after-all.
"Hey Tsuki. It's about time you got lucky, you sly dog, you," Kyoko teased as she walked up to him and placed him in a headlock.
"Kyo, what the hell?" Tsukune replied as he wiggled his way out of her grip and then glared at her.
"Aw... c'mon Tsuki... I was only kidding," she pouted.
"Fine. But what are you doing here?" he said as he sat down on Moka's right-hand side with Kyoko across from him at the kotatsu table. Moka watched the scene play out in front of her. It reminded her so much of her own family, somewhat, since her two sisters bickered almost constantly even though they all loved each other as much as siblings could.
"I heard from your folks that you were kicked out of your dorm a couple of weeks ago and were shacking up with some girl. They were just worried about you, that's all," Kyoko explained as Moka served her a plate of hot food. Moka then served Tsukune next.
"As you can see, I'm doing just fine. I already called them and told them not to worry so much. I am an adult, Kyo. We're doing great, right Moka?" Tsukune said as he looked towards his girlfriend for moral support.
"Oh yes. What Tsukune said is the truth. That's the reason why I'm here," Moka said as she took a sip of her warm Darjeeling tea.
"The reason why you're here? By the way, how did you guys meet?" Kyoko asked after she swallowed a bite of her breakfast.
"Well... we met on campus," Tsukune said as he attempted to eat his morning meal in relative peace. It was the truth though, more or less since he technically lived at the on-campus dormitory when he met Moka.
Since his nosy cousin just showed up unannounced, he would have to stay on his toes and make sure that Moka did not divulge any private information since she could not tell a lie due to her First Class Goddess certification.
"Hm, sounds kinda suspicious if you ask me," Kyoko said in a mocking tone.
"Look, Kyo... I know you're worried about me but I'm doing fine, so can we please drop this?" Tsukune said with a sigh.
"But Tsuki... you never really had a girlfriend before... well, not unless you count that stupid girl... who took advantage of you back in junior high... but how am I supposed to believe that you're not only living with a real beauty, but she's also an amazing cook, too? Who you just happened to recently meet out of the blue like that? Not only that, but you live in such a big house... right next to a Buddhist temple? It just seems too suspicious if you ask me," Kyoko said as she stood up.
"Kyoko, please. I can tell that you care a great deal about your cousin but I assure you that I am his girlfriend and I care about him very much, so you have nothing to worry about," Moka replied in a calm, soothing voice. Kyoko then sat down and decided to remain quiet while she ate the rest of her breakfast, before it got cold.
Tsukune sighed again. Moka then leaned over to him and placed her hand upon his own and gave it a gentle, loving, squeeze.
"Moka?"
"Tsukune, would you excuse us for a moment? I'd like to have a short chat with Kyoko, if it's all right with you."
"Um, sure. I don't mind," he said with a weak smile.
"Would that be okay with you, Kyoko? Woman to woman," Moka asked the dark-haired, young woman to her side as she stood up.
"You girls play nice now," he teased as they headed towards the door.
"Yeah, I guess so. As long as Tsuki's okay with it," Kyoko said as she stood up and followed Moka out of the tea room. Moka then slid the door closed as she led Kyoko towards the kitchen.
...
...
After the two women stepped inside, Moka slid the kitchen door closed, so they would have a sense of privacy.
"So, what's up? You said you wanted to have a chat with me?" Kyoko said as she crossed her arms across her chest.
"Kyoko, what I told you earlier – the real reason why I'm here is because of a phone-call Tsukune made."
"A phone-call? What do you mean by that?" Kyoko asked as she softened her features a bit.
"I came here from the Goddess Relief Agency to grant Tsukune a wish," Moka truthfully said.
"Goddess Relief Agency? Is that some kind of charity center or help line?" Kyoko asked with a raised brow.
"No, you misunderstand. I am a Goddess. I came down here from what you would call the heavens to grant Tsukune a wish. A wish, that in the simplest of terms could change his life for the better. And his wish was for me to be his girlfriend and to stay by his side forever," Moka said somewhat firmly.
"You gotta be kidding me, right? Do you have any idea how ridiculous that sounds? Goddesses don't exist! Ha! That's pretty funny. Or you're just crazy. This is some kind of joke, right? Did Tsuki put you up to this? Oh man... I knew he was desperate for a girlfriend but this takes the cake! Hahahahahahahahaaa!" Kyoko said as she doubled over and sat on her knees, as she tried to hold her laughter in but was futile in her effort.
"Kyoko Aono. Do not mock me. I am a First Class Goddess who cannot under any circumstances tell a lie. If you want proof, then so be it. But I must warn you – you might become a bit frightened from what you are about to see. Mocaccino, please come forth!" Moka said with authority in her voice.
'Yes, Mistress. As you wish,' the Angel replied silently.
A blue glow from the goddess illuminated the kitchen as a gust of wind came out of nowhere. A pair of white, feathered wings materialized from the goddess's back as the angelic apparition appeared. The silver-haired half of Moka opened her red eyes and then waved to the young woman who was sprawled out on the floor with the look of terror in her eyes.
"Holy crap! What is that?" Kyoko asked as she attempted to stand but was suddenly weak in her knees.
"This is my angel, Mocaccino. She is a reflection of myself and only a full-fledged goddess can support an angel. She also helps me when I cast high-level spells through songs," Moka explained as the angel hovered above her shoulders.
Kyoko was in awe at the celestial phenomena before her very eyes. She wanted evidence so Moka made her into a believer. The goddess did not want to go to such great lengths to prove that she was genuine in being Tsukune's girlfriend, but Kyoko left her no other, valid, choice since she was skeptical of Moka's true intentions.
"So, now do you believe in what I say is the truth, Kyoko?" Moka asked as Mocaccino waved farewell and returned to her mistress, wherein she resided.
"Holy crap! You're the real deal, aren't you?" Kyoko asked as she covered her face with her hands in shame. She had not only made a fool out of Moka but had made a fool of herself as well.
"Yes, I am, Kyoko. I can forgive you for your foolish behavior as long as we keep my secret safe, understood? I only revealed myself to you so I could prove a point. Nobody else must know of my true nature, so as you're a member of Tsukune's family, I trust you with this, okay?"
"Oh Moka... I'm so sorry. I thought you were here to use him and – now I made myself to look like an idiot. Your secret is safe with me. Just – take care of him, okay? He really needs you and... he's been through a lot growing up ya' know... and I can see that you do care about him, don't you?" Kyoko said as Moka enveloped her in a warm hug.
"It's okay, Kyoko. Tsukune wasn't a believer at first, either. Well, not until his wish was approved, of course. And yes. I do care about him more than you know. Even though we have a contract between us... we do have a history as well..." Moka said as she told Kyoko of how she knew Tsukune from many years ago.
...
After the somewhat lengthy tale of how Tsukune and Moka met when they were children was finished, Kyoko was on the verge of tears from what the pink-haired goddess had just told her in complete confidence.
"So, Tsukune's memories of meeting you were sealed away, right? That's really sad," Kyoko asked once she had calmed herself down a bit.
"Yes. It was his choice. Even though I was forced to do so, it was by his choice alone. It was so hard to say farewell and I never forgot about him after all these years. So, me being here is something of a wish for myself, as well. He's the first, true friend I ever made and he treated me like a normal girl back then and still does today, despite him not remembering me. This is another secret that must be kept, Kyoko. If he ever regained his memories of us meeting as children, it could cause a great deal of problems for the both of us, and I simply cannot allow that to happen," Moka explained.
"I see. Of course Moka. The last thing I wanna do is cause you guys any troubles, so I'll keep that to myself."
"Thank you Kyoko," Moka said with a bow of gratitude.
"Oh, it's okay Moka. Besides, I'm really happy that he met you. So please, let's get along from now on. If you ever need any dating advice, I'd be more than happy to help out when needed," Kyoko offered with a bow in return.
"Yes, let's get along, Kyoko. Now that you mention it, I was wondering if you knew when his birthday was?" Moka asked with a wink.
...
…
"I wonder what they're talking about? I hope they're getting along though, even if Kyo can be nosy most of the time..." Tsukune said to himself as he sipped on his cup of morning tea. He had his attention turned towards the small color TV that was set up in the far corner of the tea room which showed the local news and weekly weather forecast.
A moment later, Moka and Kyoko returned to the tea room, each of them smiling. Moka sat down next to Tsukune while Kyoko sat across from him.
"So, are you two getting along now?" Tsukune asked his girlfriend who sipped on her still-warm cup of tea.
"Yes, we're getting along just fine, isn't that right Kyoko?"
"Yep. Moka even invited me to stay with you guys until this autumn."
"What?!" Tsukune said as she spat his tea out and across the table.
"What the heck was that for, Tsuki?" Kyoko asked as she wiped his tea from off of her face with her napkin.
"Well, Kyoko decided to move here to Nekomi, as she will be attending a local college – starting in the autumn term," Moka explained.
"Hey, don't worry about it. I'll help foot the bills while I'm here. Besides, I have something for you guys," Kyoko said with a wink.
A few minutes later, several, large boxes were carried into the house and set up in the living room. It was over 15 kilograms of various fresh vegetables, fish, beef, and pork which were still frozen along with 2 dozen eggs. (33.2 pounds)
"Wow, this will really help us out and now we don't have to go shopping for a while," Tsukune said once the initial surprise wore off.
"Here, this is from your folks," Kyoko said as she handed Tsukune a small, manilla envelope.
"What's this?" he said as he opened up the small envelope and peered inside. He then pulled out its contents and nearly passed out. It was 100,000 Yen. ($832.18 US $)
"Holy crap! Yes!" he excitedly exclaimed as he showed the money to Moka.
"Just a little something to get you guys through for a bit. I already have a lot of cash saved up from my last job – besides, I'm gonna start looking for a new job before the fall term begins," Kyoko said with a wide grin.
"Isn't this wonderful, Tsukune? It would seem that everything will be alright and you won't have to work so hard this month," Moka said with another blinding smile.
"Yeah. You're right, Moka. I really don't know what to say. Thanks, Kyo. You can stay for as long as you like, as we have two spare bedrooms. Wait a minute... what college are you signed up for?" Tsukune said as he looked at his female cousin who still grinned like the Cheshire cat.
"Nekomi Tech," she said.
"Oh kami. You gotta be kidding me, right?" he said as he slumped his shoulders.
"Hey, don't sweat it Tsuki. I promise I won't be in the way of you two love birds, if you catch my drift. Besides, I get to call you sempai, come the fall term," she said with a wink and then nudged him in the ribs with her elbow.
"Oof! Please don't call me that!" he protested with a sweat-drop.
"Whatever you say, sempai!" Kyoko teased. Tsukune then glared at her again in mild annoyance.
"I don't quite understand, but you won't 'be in the way' as you put it, Kyoko. Like Tsukune said; you're more than welcome to stay for as long as you need. The more, the merrier they say," the pink-haired goddess said with a small smile.
"Moka, we really gotta have another girl talk someday. Anyway, I gotta unpack my stuff and this food won't put itself away. See you love birds later, okay?" Kyoko said with a laugh as she left the couple to themselves.
"* sigh * Alright, let's get this food packed away," Tsukune said in defeat.
"Yes, let's!" Moka said with an extra bit of enthusiasm.
...
...
Once all the of the food was properly stored away in the large refrigerator, the couple walked back into the tea room for another cup of Moka's favorite beverage.
"Thanks Moka," Tsukune said with a sigh as he stared off into space as if he were deep in thought.
"You're welcome, but are you okay?" she asked with concern.
"Yeah, I guess so. It's just that – well – Kyoko said something earlier that kinda made me... a little upset," he said as he looked down at the tatami-matted floor.
"Would it make you feel better if we talked about it, Tsukune? I'm a good listener, after-all."
"I guess so," he sadly replied with another sigh.
"If I had to take a guess, it has to do with your so-called girlfriend back in junior high, right?" the goddess surmised.
"..."
"Tsukune, I'm sure Kyoko didn't mean to upset you but it does no good to hold onto a painful memory such as that," Moka gently replied as she scooted closer to him.
"I know... but – she wasn't really my girlfriend. She was cutest girl in my class and I had a huge crush on her. It took me three months, just to find the guts to tell her how I felt about her. When I finally did, she said I wasn't her type but I could hang around her if I helped her out with her schoolwork, because I had one of the highest grades in the class. So we hung out for a few months and her friends had eventually found out that she only hung around me to make her look better and – and she – told the whole class that I was paying... her to date her. * sniff * Everyone laughed and made fun of me for the rest of the school year. It was complete and utter hell. So... when I graduated into high school the next term, I begged my parents to send me * sniff * to a school the next town over. I couldn't even be around anyone who knew me from junior high... it was just too much for me to be anywhere near her," Tsukune said as the agonized memory caused him to break down and cry.
"Oh Tsukune... I'm so sorry. I'm always going to be here for you, no matter what," Moka said as she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him firmly, yet lovingly.
"Oh Moka..." he said, as the sad memories flooded his mind.
As Kyoko was about to leave the house and run an errand, she peeked into the tea room and saw that Moka had her arms wrapped around her cousin in a consoling fashion.
'Hang in there Tsuki. I have a good feeling that things are gonna get a lot better soon, especially with a goddess as a girlfriend,' she thought to herself as she dashed down the hallway, slid her sneakers on, and left the house as quickly as she could. At least Moka was there to comfort him and Kyoko was rather grateful for that.
…
Ten minutes later, Tsukune eventually calmed himself down thanks to Moka's comforting and genuine affection.
"Are you feeling better now?" she asked as she held onto him for a few moments longer.
"Um, yeah. Sorry about that," he sheepishly replied as they ended their closeness.
"There is nothing for you to apologize for Tsukune. As your girlfriend and goddess, it's my duty to make sure that you're happy. Contract or not, I don't like seeing you in any sort of pain. I'm always going to be here for you, so please try to cheer up, okay?" she said.
Moka then leaned in closer, pursed her lips, and then softly kissed him on his left cheek which made him not only blush, but left him speechless as well. He then placed his left hand over his cheek with a goofy grin on his face.
"Moka..."
"So, I take it that you're feeling much better now?" she asked him as she returned to her spot on his left.
"Um, yeah. I am..." he said, his mind reeling in a slight fog from her little display of affection.
"That's good to hear," she said as she picked up her tea. She then turned her attention towards the TV for a moment.
"Hey Moka... I was wondering – if – um – you'd like to m-maybe g-go out with me for a bit? It's a nice day so I thought maybe we could um – well – uh – go for a drive, or something. That is if you wanna of course... but I guess we could just stay here..." he sputtered out as his face grew hot from what he just asked her.
"Are you asking me out on a date, Tsukune?" she asked as she faced him with a smile.
"Um, yeah... I guess I am."
"That sounds like a lovely idea. I'll go ahead and pack us a nice lunch, okay?"
"I see. Well we don't ha-v – wait a minute. Did you, did you... just say yes?"
"Of course I did. We are dating, are we not? Besides, it will give me a chance to see the city," she replied as she stood to her feet.
"Yes! We're dating. A picnic sounds great. Maybe we could even stop by the beach," he said with a renewed sense of purpose. He found it difficult to believe but Moka answered yes without hesitation. Not only that, but she had kissed him – on his cheek.
But it was a small step in the right direction, right? If he played his cards right, he might even be able to hold her hand. Or better yet, actually get a chance to kiss her.
"A picnic by the beach?" she repeated.
"Yeah. We'll just eat outdoors by the ocean, on a blanket. It'll be perfect. I mean, it's still kinda early to go swimming, but it would be nice to have the beach – to ourselves," Tsukune stated as the notion alone caused him to blush even more.
"I've never seen the ocean before. Oh it sounds so nice. Let me get our lunch ready and then we can head out. Oh my, I don't even know what I should wear..." Moka said as she walked out of the tea room in a slight daze herself, as she thought about their upcoming date.
"Sure thing... I'll see you when you're ready," Tsukune said as he stood up and ran out of the tea room as he was moderately nervous as well since it would be their first official outing as a couple. He just prayed to Kami-sama that it would go without incident!
...
...
Half an hour later, Moka had miraculously finished making their lunch and had packed it up in a medium-sized cooler, so it would remain cool for the duration of their trip to the beach itself.
The goddess then went to her room to change her attire by using a bit of her magic, even though she was restricted to a certain amount each day. She only used it when absolutely necessary and did her best to blend in among the human population. Besides, she wanted to look her best for her first date with Tsukune.
While Moka made herself more presentable, Tsukune waited for her in the living room, since he had gotten himself ready quickly. He decided to dress casually and wore a simple, button down cotton shirt, which was mint green along with a pair of acid-washed jeans, dark navy blue in color. He even managed to brush his always-messy hair into a neater style with the assistance from his hair dryer and nearly half a tube of hair gel.
"So, how do I look?" Moka asked as she walked into the living-room dressed in a simple, short-sleeved, yellow sundress with light orange trim which rested several centimeters above her knees.
"Wow," is all a certain, Tsukune Aono replied as she twirled around a bit, which caused her dress to billow outward and showed off her well-toned legs.
"Oh thank you. You look very nice yourself, Tsukune. So are you ready to head out now?" she said as she stood in front of him and attempted to gain his attention and focused on the upcoming task at hand.
"Oh – um – no problem Moka. And thanks... um... yeah, I'm ready as I can be," he said as she stood to his feet and followed her towards the front door. After he put his shoes on he carried the blue cooler outside.
He then locked the front door and led Moka to his Beemer which was parked under the open shed behind the house. Moka carried the red and white blanket herself, which was rolled up.
"Um... it looks like I'm gonna have to put this in the side car," he said as he realized the cooler was too big to carry by hand. Besides, he did not want Moka to have to place it on her lap as it would make him look bad.
"It's okay Tsukune. I don't mind sitting behind you," she said with a smile as he quickly brushed any more thoughts aside and then placed the cooler into the side car along with the rolled-up blanket.
...
He then averted her gaze for a moment, almost as if he were thinking about something. Moka had an inkling to what it was since his aura had shifted from yellow (happy) to gray (uneasy), but decided to ask him anyway since he seemed to have some sort of internal conflict or debate.
"Tsukune. Please try to relax. I can sense by your aura that you're a bit... nervous. Truth be told, I'm a bit nervous as well," the goddess said as she walked around to his side, reached out to him, and held his hands in her own.
"I'm trying to Moka, but – I don't wanna screw this up."
"Oh Tsukune... This is new for me as well and I'm doing the best I can as your girlfriend. I realize that you have little to no experience as neither do I in this sort of thing. This is new territory for the both of us. I also know that you've been through so much pain while growing up. Kyoko told me a bit about your past earlier... but I promise you that you have nothing to be afraid or ashamed of. I also told her that – I told her who I am and she believed me. Please understand that I had to – I had to validate to her that my intentions are pure and that it was your wish for me to be your girlfriend and to stay by your side forever. That is where my place is and that fact will never change, okay?" she said with a warm smile.
"Thank you Moka. I guess I needed to hear that. Well... as long as Kyoko keeps your secret to herself, then it's okay."
After a brief hug, he put his helmet on then and fastened it shut, as did Moka. He then climbed on the leather seat of his BMW, with the goddess behind him who sat side-saddled, since she decided to wear a dress for their outing.
…
As Tsukune navigated his trusty motorcycle through the busy streets of Nekomi, Moka admired the late springtime weather with a contented smile on her plump lips. She held him tightly from behind as they made their way down the winding road and off towards the nearest beach.
Nearly forty minutes later, Tsukune pulled up to a nearly-deserted parking lot that overlooked the vast Pacific Ocean at Shirako Beach, near Nakazato, Japan in the far, eastern-most section of Chiba prefecture.
It was a well-known tourist destination during the busy summer months. Shirako Beach has numerous hotels and hot spring inns conveniently located along the main road. Each hotel or inn is within walking distance to the beach and numerous restaurants, stores, bars, and nightclubs that catered to locals and travelers, alike.
Moka grew even more excited by the passing second, once she saw the white, sandy beach which was just a short walk from the edge of the paved lot.
As soon as they were parked in an empty space, Tsukune placed the engine in park, turned it off, and then removed the keys. He quickly stuffed them into the right, front, pocket of his jeans.
Moka hopped off the bike first, removed her helmet, and then placed it on seat of the motorbike, followed by Tsukune.
"Oh my goodness! It's so big!" Moka exclaimed rather loudly which luckily nobody heard since there was not another soul within earshot. Tsukune blushed yet again, but that time from her exceptional, vocal outburst. He then pulled out the blanket and cooler from the side car.
After he placed his helmet along with Moka's into the side car, he walked around to her side with blanket and cooler in tow, and admired the tranquil scenery of the majestic sea.
A light sea-breeze drifted inland which caused Moka's long, pink, hair to dance behind her. She slowly brushed a few, stray, strands of hair behind her left ear as she looked at Tsukune.
"It's really beautiful, don't you agree Tsukune?" she asked as she attempted to bring him out of his daze.
"Um, yeah. Very beautiful," he said as he admired the goddess next to him. His girlfriend, Moka.
"Shall we then?" she asked as she grabbed his free hand and led him down to the wide beach which was dotted with several dozen palm trees. At the southern edge of the beach was a rocky inlet which jutted out into the Pacific.
…
As the pair found a nice spot to set up their picnic under under a short, yet wide palm tree, they unrolled the blanket and set it atop the sand. Tsukune removed his shoes followed by Moka and sat cross-legged on the blanket as he felt more at ease. He then realized that it would do him no good if he tried too hard to make it a perfect date.
Moka sat up on her knees, opened up the ice chest, and then removed a thermos, a large bento, and a pair of plates and cups. She then set them down on the plush blanket and then closed the cooler's lid.
"I hope you're hungry Tsukune," she said as she opened up the large bento.
"You made of all of this?" he replied in shock. There were a few type of sandwiches, hard-boiled eggs, fried chicken, onigari (rice balls) stuffed with salmon, shrimp rolls, a 12 pack of soft drinks, along with the large thermos of chilled Darjeeling tea.
"Yes. Is something wrong?" the goddess asked with concern.
"No, it's just – that's a lot of food. It looks amazing though," he added as he sat down next to Moka.
"Oh thank you Tsukune. I guess I got a little carried away as I wanted to try different types of food," she said with a sigh of relief.
"Anytime Moka. And don't worry about it," he said with a smile as she prepared him a plate of food and then set it down in front of him. She then made herself a smaller plate and set that down next to his.
"Would you like some iced Darjeeling tea?" she asked.
"Yes please," he said as she poured them both a cup and set them down in front of their plates.
"Thanks," he said as their fingers brushed up against each others for a moment.
"You're welcome, Tsukune," she replied as she leaned her head on his right shoulder and let out a happy sigh. He then got the silent cue to wrap his right arm around her shoulder and did his best to calm his racing heart.
"Thank you for bringing me here, Tsukune. This is my first time," the goddess said as she closed her emerald green eyes and inhaled the salty, sea air.
"Oh, um, you're welcome. This is my first time too," he admitted as his cheeks flushed pink, as she scooted closer to him. He then closed his eyes and just enjoyed the peaceful ambiance and the sound of the waves as they gently lapped at the shoreline.
As the couple ate their lunches, they just had small talk with no particular topic in mind. Even though the beach was mostly deserted, they were both thankful that they had each other. That's what mattered the most.
"Oh no. It looks as though we're out of tea," Moka lamented. She then pulled out the 12 pack of Dr Pepper. She inspected one of the the burgundy and silver, aluminum cans with keen interest.
"It's okay Moka. We still have some drinks left."
"I guess you're right. I never tried 'soda' before. Would you like one?" she said after she popped the top of hers and set it down in front of her.
"Sure Moka, thanks," he said as she handed him one of the a chilled cans. He then popped his open, took a sip of the fizzy beverage, and then set it down on the blanket.
"You're welcome," she said as she returned to her spot next to Tsukune and had a few sips of the carbonated beverage.
"Thanks again for lunch, Moka. It was great," he said as he took a few sips of his Dr Pepper.
"Oh you're welcome, Tsukune. I'm very happy that you liked it so much," she replied with a smile as she began to enjoy her bubbly beverage with great fervor as she drank the rest of its contents in one gulp.
"Moka? Are you okay? You drank that pretty fast," he commented.
"Oh yes. I'm fine. I feel a little dizzy though," as she wobbled a bit. Tsukune noticed something was a bit – off – with his girlfriend and became immediately concerned.
He then looked at her and noticed that her cheeks were flush and she had a dazed look in her eyes.
"Moka, you said that you never had a soda before, right?"
"Yes... that's correct," she said as she lunged forward, wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and glomped him. The force of the sudden impact caused him to lose his balance as he fell backwards onto the blanket, which brought Moka down on top of him.
"Ow... are you alright Moka?" he said after the initial shock wore off. Moka then snuggled up to him and then looked into his kind, brown eyes.
"Yes, I'm okay Tsukune. Do you find me attractive?"
"What? What are you talking about? You know I do, Moka."
"Then – why don't we – do stuff that other boyfriends and girlfriends do?" she asked with tears in the corners of her eyes.
"Moka, I think you might be drunk. I don't know how you can get drunk from soda, but you're not acting like your usual self," he calmly said.
"How would you know? Maybe I'm always this way, but you don't notice me when I look at you," she said with a bit of sadness.
"Moka, we've only known each other for a few weeks and I'm just getting to really know you. I don't think I'm ready to take that step yet and besides, you're not acting like your usual, cheery, self. But I'm getting to know more about you the more time we spend together. You're the most important person to me in the world right now."
Tsukune took a deep breath and then sat up:
"Forget the contract for a minute, okay? The truth is - I do like you - a lot, Moka. I know my wish was selfish and impulsive, but when you showed up in my room that night – I thought that I was dreaming. The most beautiful woman I had ever seen anywhere just came into my life. I have to pinch myself every day, just to make sure that all of this is real. You've made such a big difference in my life Moka."
Moka hugged him closer as he went on:
"Before I met you, I was miserable. Sure, I try to help anyone I can. I also know that I'm too nice for my own good sometimes and that's gotten me into more trouble than I want to remember. But I was never bitter about the life I was dealt. Like you told me before, I was born under an unlucky star but I did the best I could, no matter how much my life sucked."
He took another deep breath and continued his speech:
"And here you are, the only person in the entire universe that gave me hope when my life could have been a lot worse. You're the one bright spot in my life and I thank you for being in it," he said.
"Oh Tsukune, you – you really mean that, don't you?" Moka said as she tried her best to sit up but found it rather difficult to do so on her own since she still felt lightheaded and disoriented. Tsukune helped her to sit up properly and hugged her from the side.
"Of course, Moka. I meant every word of it. And if I ever had another wish, do you know what it would be?" he said as he gave her a loving squeeze. The pink-haired goddess in his embrace just shook her head from side to side. She was unable to reply vocally as she was overwhelmed with a feeling of peace and love.
"I'd wish for you to be my girlfriend and to stay my my side forever," he whispered into her ear.
"Oh Tsukune..." she said as she broke down in tears and held him tightly, not wanting to let go of him anytime soon. The Goddess Moka had finally found her place in the world. And that is where she would remain for all of time.
...
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A/N: Please Read!
Wow, this came out better than I had originally planned and the ending kind of came to me. I know, Moka got a bit tipsy in this chapter. I didn't want to use that for comedy like the Ah! My Goddess manga and anime did, so I went a different route, which I think came out much better than I expected.
By the way, I wrote this entire chapter in one day. Not too bad for just over 7,000 words.
If you liked this and / or any previous chapter or have any good ideas for future chapters, please feel free to leave a comment below and I'll get back to you by PM as as soon as I can.
As a writer, I do like to hear what my readers think about certain plots and whatnot. When I read a fanfic chapter, I always leave feedback, even if it's just a few words of encouragement.
Anyway, the next chapter will be out in a week or so. Please feel free to "Follow" this story for future updates. Thanks for reading and the continued support. :)