Rosario Vampire: Goddess of a Different Sort

by Gamera68

One night, college student Tsukune Aono's bad luck changes after he meets a strange, pink-haired woman with a troubled past. She slowly turns around his outlook on life and the world around him. Can two strangers from different worlds find their happy ending? A retelling of a classic story but unlike anything that you'd ever expect. (AU) Moka X Tsukune. Rated M for future chapters.

7. Hot Springs Holiday

"Rosario + Vampire: A Goddess of a Different Sort" (What If?)

Chapter 7 "Hot Springs Holiday"

Based upon characters created by Akihisa Ikeda.

Ah My Goddess created by Kosuke Fujishima.

Original idea and story written by Gamera68.

Rated M for implied partial nudity towards the end!

Genres: Fantasy / Romance / Slice-of-Life / Comedy

...

---

...

Author's Note: Please read regarding the overall plot!

Well, here's chapter 7.

I thought I'd bump the rating for the story up to M now, since I decided to go on a somewhat different direction regarding the ending, which I've already decided on but is still a long way off from now. :)

There will not be any Lemons until much later on in the story but there might be some Limes in this chapter and in the near future. Also, I will do my best to stay as close to the original content of 'Ah My Goddess', with my own twists and unique story-lines as well as introduce other characters from 'Rosario + Vampire' and maybe a few from 'Ah! My Goddess' as well.

I'm introducing another Rosario character into the story who should make it more or less, quite interesting. Any and all feedback is always welcomed and appreciated! :)

Also, some characters from 'Ah My Goddess' make a cameo this time! Can you spot them?

17,800 + words! This took me 4 days to get it just right. :)

Okay, enough rambling.

Onto chapter 7 which is the longest chapter of any of my stories, so far!

...

---

...

Saturday, June 22. Tariki Hongan Temple, Nekomi Japan.

As Moka stood over the stove in the kitchen, she hummed a tune to herself with a smile upon her pink lips. The Norn of the present wanted nothing more than to make sure that her boyfriend's birthday went off without a hitch. Kyoko then walked into the kitchen with a grin on her lips as well.

"Good morning," she called out to the goddess whose mind was elsewhere. Moka then turned to her left and offered a smile to the young raven-haired woman.

"Good morning, Kyoko. I hope you slept well," Moka said as she turned back to her task at hand.

"Yeah, I did. Thanks," she offered with a contented sigh.

"I really want to thank you once again for finding that modeling job for me and for all of your dating advice," Moka replied.

"Hey, it's no problem. The art class just needed somebody pretty to pose for a week and I thought of you. It's my pleasure, really," Kyoko answered as she stood off to the side.

"Well, thank you once again. The money I earned came in very handy for Tsukune's birthday dinner, cake, and present," the pink-haired deity said as she turned the stove off and prepared 3 plates of food which included miso soup, fresh grilled fish, rolled omelets, and fresh, steamed, rice. She then placed the trio of plates on a wooden serving tray along with 3 sets of bamboo chopsticks.

"Hey, as long as Tsuki's happy, then that's what matters the most," Kyoko replied.

"Of course. Could you please wake him up while I bring this into the tea room?" Moka asked with a smile.

"Sure thing," she replied as they left the kitchen, as Moka led the way. Kyoko then made a right down the hallway and then knocked on her cousin's bedroom door.

"Thank you," Moka replied as she made a left and headed towards the tea room.

...

"Hey Tsuki! Wake up! Breakfast's ready," Kyoko said from her side of the closed, bedroom, door.

With a yawn, Tsukune sat up from his bed and then wiped the sleep from his chocolate-brown, eyes. He looked to his right and saw that Moka was no longer in bed with him. With a sigh, he threw the blanket off and then stood to his feet. After he placed his slippers on his feet, he then ambled over to the bedroom door and slid it open.

As he walked into the tea room, he was stunned to see that it was decorated in a festive manner. Blue and white streamers were draped from the center of the room to the four corners. Approximately a dozen or so color-coordinated balloons hung from the ceiling in a similar manner.

"Good morning, Tsukune. Happy Birthday," Moka said as she walked over to him with with open arms and then gave him a warm hug along with a light kiss on his lips. He was caught off-guard by her rather forward greeting in front of his cousin of all people. Nonetheless, it took his brain a few moments to process what Moka had just said to him. It was his 22nd birthday, apparently.

"Oh, um, good morning, Moka. And thank you," he said with a blush as they ended their embrace a few moments later.

"You're very welcome Tsukune. You didn't think I knew, did you?" she said as he sat down on her left-hand side with Kyoko seated directly across from him.

"Ah, well. Not really. I guess somebody close by told you, am I right?" he said as he gave his cousin a stare. He was not mad per se, but he just wondered what sort of ideas his cousin had given Moka since he knew that she often told people more than they bargained for most of the time.

"Yes. You're quite surprised, aren't you?" the goddess said as she placed her hand on his own and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Um... well yeah. I mean, now that you mention it, I'm really looking forward to our trip to the hot springs later on. You know, just the two of us," he emphasized as he glared at Kyoko with an all-knowing look.

"Hey, no worries Tsuki. I gotta work a double shift today so you two love birds will be all by yourselves this weekend," Kyoko said as she waved her hands in front of her in an attempt to leave that moment behind.

"Alright. Anyway, um, I guess we should eat," Tsukune said with another sigh as he glanced at the old clock which hung on the wall which indicated 9:35 AM. The plan was for him and Moka to leave the house by 11 AM since it was nearly a 45 to 60 minute drive to the onsen resort and hotel by Shirako Beach, near Nakazato, Japan in the far, eastern-most section of Chiba prefecture.

The very same beach he and Moka had their first date at not too long ago.

"Itadakimasu!" they called out in unison.

"Hey Moka, this is great!" Tsukune said with a smile as he dug into his breakfast like a man who had not a decent meal in ages which was not the case. Besides, Moka was an excellent cook, after-all who had learned to prepare many different types of traditional, Japanese, dishes.

"Yeah, Moka. This is awesome," Kyoko happily agreed.

"Oh, thank you both so very much. I'm happy to hear that," Moka replied with a blush as she had a bite of hers as well.

…

"Thanks again for breakfast, Moka," Tsukune said as she gathered up the dishes from the table.

"You're welcome. I'm so glad that you liked it. If it's alright, I have to do some last-minute shopping before we leave for our trip," Moka said as Tsukune gave her a hand and helped her to clear the kotatsu table. He then followed her into the kitchen. The pink-haired Norn then placed the dishes into the sink to soak until later on.

"Oh yeah. Any time. I see," he said just as Kyoko walked into the room.

"Hey Moka, I'll walk with ya', if ya' don't mind. I still have some time before I have to get ta' work," Kyoko offered with a smile.

"Oh thank you Kyoko. I don't mind. Tsukune, why don't you get packed while I go shopping? I won't be long and Kyoko can keep me company," Moka suggested with a warm smile which Tsukune could not argue with. Besides Moka was right about one thing: he still had to get packed for their weekend trip to the beach-side, hot springs resort since the thought had somehow slipped his mind.

"Uh, sure. No problem. Take your time and I'll see ya' when you get back," he said as she followed the two ladies out of the kitchen.

"Thank you Tsukune. Kyoko, I'll meet you by the front door. I just have to get my purse," Moka said as she slid her bedroom door open and then walked into her room.

"You're welcome. I'll see ya' in a bit," he said as he walked back into his room to do what needed to be done. Two minutes later Moka and Kyoko left the house and headed towards the shopping district which was less than a ten minute walk by foot.

…

"Okay, let's see. Swim trunks, towel, sandals, beach blanket, underwear, socks, two dress shirts and two pair of slacks, my dress shoes, toothbrush... three tee-shirts and two pair of jeans... I guess that's everything," he said as he zipped the small blue and white suitcase closed, carried it over to the door, and left it there for the time being.

He then turned around and something on the floor caught his eye by his desk. The raven-haired man walked over to the other side of his room and then bent down.

He then picked the plainly-wrapped package up and looked at the front of it.

"Huh? Oh I remember now. This came a few weeks ago. I guess I kinda forgot about it," he said to nobody in particular as he closely examined it with keen curiosity. He then peeled the brown paper back and was surprised at its contents: it was a video tape.

"Hey, VHS. Cool. I wonder who sent it though?" Tsukune said as he walked over to his TV set and then turned it on. He then removed the VHS tape from its box, placed it into the VCR, and then pressed the "play" button on the front. As the static cleared and the tape ran, he heard a saxophone solo play over the TV's speaker.

'My Sexy Sister Part 2. Valhalla Video. Copyright, 20XX' appeared on the TV screen in bright, pink, letters.

"Well hello there, big boy. I was wondering when I'd have a chance to finally talk to you alone," a seductive, female voice said as the camera panned up her long, bare legs. The woman was dressed, or under-dressed depending on your point of view, in a low-cut, purple gown with black trim. Along the black trim was a gold sawtooth design.

"Wow, I wonder who sent this to me? And how long are those legs?" Tsukune thought in fascination with a gulp as the camera panned right then upward to her more-than generous bosom which was barely contained by her low-cut, off-the-shoulder, dress.

"Huh, could this be one of those 'adult videos' I heard so much about about from Gin-sempai?" he said as a healthy blush raced across his cheeks.

"I can see that you're not as wimpy as I first thought. I'm here to show you how to get the girl of your dreams to do this, that, and the other. Have you even got past the kissing stage yet? Keep in mind that sometimes a girl would rather not be pursued so aggressively. Don't be so depressed about your lack of height. It's the boldness that makes the man," the unknown female on the TV screen said.

"That's weird. It's almost like she's talking to me," he said as his blush deepened.

"Now for starters, lemme show you how to give her a kiss that she'll never forget. On second thought, I guess I could just show you myself and answer your questions in person then, right?" the sensuous female said as Tsukune finally saw her face. Her long hair was sky blue in color and her eyes were a light, amethyst-purple shade. In the center of her forehead was a small, dark blue, upside down, triangle.

On each of her cheeks below her eyes were upside-down isosceles triangles as well.

Before Tsukune could react or reply, a long, slender arm reached out of the TV screen and rested on his chest.

"Ah! What the hell?" he yelped as he fell back onto his futon bed.

The other arm came out of the screen as well and then her blue-haired head.

"Um. A little help here? I'm kinda stuck inside your little TV," the woman asked as she looked to him with an imploring look in her eyes.

"Would you happen to be – a goddess too?" Tsukune asked as he sat up from his bed and looked over to the woman who appeared to be somehow lodged inside the television set since she was rather on the full-figured side.

"Yes, I'm a goddess. So are ya' just gonna sit there like a bump on a log or are ya' gonna help me out of here?" she asked with a slightly-annoyed sigh.

"Uh, yeah. Sorry about that. Here. One... two... three," Tsukune said as he grabbed both of her hands and placed his left foot against the bottom edge of the TV set for leverage. He then gave her a hard tug as she swiftly came flying out, to only land on top of him.

"Oh thanks. I dunno how long I was gonna be stuck in there," she said to a partially-unconscious Tsukune who seemed to be somewhat overwhelmed by her outward appearance. Not only that but her large, soft, breasts were in his face. Even though she was fully-clothed, her low-cut dress left very little if any, to the imagination.

Not getting an answer from Tsukune, Kurumu sat up and noticed that he was moderately out of it. Not only that, but he had suffered a nosebleed as well.

"Damn it... I'm really, really, sorry about that. Moka's gonna kill me. Hey, are ya' gonna be okay? Hello?" she asked as she grabbed Tsukune by his shoulders and gave him a gentle shake.

Tsukune then slowly opened his eyes and looked up at the blue-haired bombshell who had just popped out of his TV set a few, minutes, ago.

"Ow. Uh – yeah. By the way, who are you lady?" he said as he sat up and tried to focus his eyes, still a bit puzzled as to what had just happened.

"Good to see that you came back to the land of the living, Tsukune Aono. Please allow me to introduce myself. I am the incredible Mistress Kurumu. Goddess Second Class, Administrative Category, Limited License," she said with a bow.

"It's nice to meet you but how do you know my name? And you didn't happen to come down here to grant me a wish, did you?" he asked as she sat up and gave the deity a look-over. She was a bit taller than Moka with a more-mature body type and dressed fairly provocatively for a goddess.

"Likewise. Oh... that's easy to answer. I'm Moka's big sister and I've been watching over you two since your wish. And no, I'm just here to help ya' out," she said with a wide grin.

"Wait – you're Moka's big sister? I don't see the family resemblance. And you said that you've been watching over us?" he asked with a sweat-drop.

"Yep. Well – we have the same father but different mothers. Like I said I was just watching you two. And I gotta say, I'm kinda impressed. You sure have some pretty big brass ones to sleep with my baby sister so soon. So bold of you if you ask me. You are kinda cute now that I see you in person. But the question is, are you two gonna do it soon?" Kurumu said with another grin.

Before Tsukune could answer the Norn of the past, Moka knocked on their bedroom door.

"Tsukune, I'm back from shopping. Is everything okay in there?" she asked with concern.

"Damn it. She's back already and just when things were getting good," Kurumu cursed under her breath as she hovered over Tsukune.

"Um... yeah..." he nervously replied. Sensing something was amiss, Moka slid the bedroom door open and was appalled to see who had come to visit them unannounced.

"Sister? What are you doing here?" Moka asked as she balled her fists with a look of slight anger.

"Oh Moka! It's so good to see you too," Kurumu said as she sat on Tsukune's bed and came closer to the young mechanic. She knew how her younger sister would react to the situation and wanted to test her closeness with Tsukune.

"Kurumu, do not avoid my question: why are you here?" Moka demanded as she stepped into her and Tsukune's room.

"Fine. If ya' wanna know so badly, I came down here to recharge your System Force. I'm sure you've realized by now that it hasn't been working properly as of late, am I right?" Kurumu said as she stood up and faced her younger sibling.

"Yes... but what about your job? Who's watching your post?" Moka asked with a small frown.

"Oh don't worry so much, will ya'? I asked the squirt to take over for a bit," Kurumu said with a wave of her right hand in a dismissive manner.

("Ah! Damn it! Kurumu! You stupid, big-boobed jerk! I wanna see big sis too!" Yukari yelled to no one in particular, up in Asgard as she went about debugging Yggdrasil.)

"You allowed Yukari to take care of it by herself? Not only that, but you came down here to Midgard without telling anyone, am I right?" the Norn of the present said with worry.

"Hey, she wants to be an adult, okay? And don't worry so damn much. Nobody even knows I'm down here. Anyway, let's get you reconnected to the System Force and then I'll be on my way," Kurumu said as she approached her sister.

"But sister..." Moka said before she was cut off.

"You! This is all your fault. Thanks to your goddess-monopolizing wish, there's all sorts of bugs and aberrations in the system," Kurumu said as she pointed an accusing finger at Tsukune.

"Hey! It wasn't like I planned on it. It just kinda happened," the wish recipient said as he could tell that Moka was quite upset and mildly annoyed by her sister's abrupt appearance.

"Besides, sister. His wish was already approved by the Almighty one," Moka interjected.

"That's not the point. Approved or not, I came down here to fix the problem before it really gets out of hand and the best way would be sending a sample of his DNA up there," Kurumu stated with irritation.

"You don't want your wish to be invalidated, do ya' Tsukune?" Kurumu said in a sweet tone.

"Of course not. I'll do anything I can to avoid that. Hey Moka, why don't we let her do that reconnection thing so we can be on our way to the resort?"

"That's music to my ears kiddo. Just do what I say and you'll be fine. If you two did "the deed", then your little problem would be solved right away," the blue-haired goddess replied as she wrapped her left arm around Tsukune.

That very notion overstimulated Tsukune's brain to the point which he had an even more challenging time staying focused.

"Tsukune, do not be fooled by her words. Even though Kurumu's magic is more powerful than mine, she has a bad habit of not always telling the truth," Moka said in a serious tone as she stepped in front of her boyfriend in a protective manner.

"What? I thought you goddesses couldn't tell a lie?" he asked with skepticism.

"Only First Class Goddesses are prevented from telling lies. Kurumu is a Second Class Goddess with a limited license. She has had her license suspended more than once for not only lying but for not following the rules as well. Also, she has already passed the First Class license certification, but does not pursue it, due to that fact and has been known to cause a great deal of trouble, even if her intentions are good," Moka told him as Kurumu crossed her arms under her abundant bosom.

"But Moka, I came down here to try and help you out and this is how you thank me?" Kurumu said as she raised her right hand over her head in a threatening fashion.

"Bring it on sister," Moka said as she raised her hands in front of her just as Kurumu charged a lightning bolt in her right, raised, hand.

"Very well then. I summon lightning!" Kurumu yelled as she was about to toss the charge at Moka and Tsukune.

"Wind shield!" Moka said as she placed a force-field of blue light in front of them.

Kurumu then hurled the bolt of light at the couple, several times in succession. The impact from the massive blast knocked the pair back and through the wooden, shōji, door which shattered upon their impact. They landed in the hallway, with Moka on top of Tsukune in a rather awkward position.

"Oh no! Tsukune! Are you okay? Can you stand up?" Moka asked her boyfriend in a panic as Kurumu glared at the couple. She then raised her right hand again, ready to send another lightning charge at them.

"Ow, yeah. Somehow... but are you okay?" he groaned as Moka helped him to his feet. Without answering his question, she then grabbed his hand as she led him to the front door and then outside into the courtyard.

"Hahaha! As if you had a chance to stop my patented thunderbolt with your full powers sealed like that! I'm trying to help you! So stop being so damn stubborn, little sister! To think that I'd do whatever I could to help further your relationship! I never dreamed that you'd raise a hand to your own big sister! I summon electricity from the god of thunder, Thor! Lend me your powers so as to smite my enemies now!" Kurumu said as she raised her right hand and gathered power from the atmosphere into a massive, purple and blue ball of energy.

Without thinking, Tsukune threw himself on top of Moka as she looked on with fright in her green eyes.

"Tsukune! No!" Moka pleaded as Kurumu's power intensified and the air which surrounded her crackled with every, passing, second.

"Heavenly thunder and lightning blast!" the elder Norn chanted as a massive lightning bolt tore through the early morning sky and struck her with its full power.

* KA-THOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM! *

"Wah-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Kurumu screamed out in pain as the monolithic charge of lightning struck her where she stood.

"Holy crap!

"Oh no! Kurumu! Sister!"

The couple looked on in horror as Kurumu stood there in what remained of her dress, which was blackened and scorched. The defeated Norn then fell to the ground in a heap.

"Did she self-destruct?" Tsukune asked as he saw the goddess on the grass, her body smoking from her divine punishment. Moka then ran over to her sister's side, worry clearly evident on her features.

"I'm not sure. It seemed to be something else," Moka replied as she closely inspected her sister, who was dazed and just as curious as to what had happened to her.

"Look here Tsukune. A message from the Almighty One," Moka said as she saw an inscription of sorts written on the inside of her cape in the ancient language.

"A message?" was all he could reply.

"The unauthorized System Force intervention by Kurumu, administrative goddess, second class, limited license, has caused the server to crash," Moka read aloud.

"So what does that mean?" Tsukune asked as Moka looked up to him.

"It would appear that Kurumu has been using her powers here on Earth without permission. And as a result, has generated even more glitches in the system. Therefore she's been forbidden to return to Asgard until further notice," Moka explained.

"Ahhhhhhh! You gotta be kidding me!" he yelled in frustration.

"It would seem that we have another house guest, Tsukune," Moka said with a weak smile.

"I – guess she could stay for a while. I mean she's your sister and we just can't leave her to live on the street," he said as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck out of habit. Moka then stood up and gave her generous boyfriend a warm hug. Kurumu then sat up, placed her left hand on her head, and then walked over to the couple.

"Gee that's awfully nice of ya' Tsukune. I'm sorry for giving ya' such a hard time before. Hey, do you have any booze? I gotta recharge since I used up a lot of my power," Kurumu said as she walked over to the couple, placed an arm around each of their shoulders, and pulled them into an awkward, group hug.

"Yeah, there's some beer in the fridge," he said with a sigh as he mentally waved goodbye to his liquor even though he kept the 12 pack on hand, just in case his sempai ever came over for a visit.

"Kurumu, since it's Tsukune's decision for you to stay here, you must promise to not use any powers in front of mortals nor cause any more problems for us. His cousin Kyoko knows about me who you'll meet later on since we have to leave soon. I also expect you to repair the damage to the bedroom door," Moka said as the trio walked back to the house.

"Whatever you say little sister. I'll do my best, okay? Besides, it'll give me a chance to see how mortals live and to see what kinda TV dramas they have here in Japan," Kurumu said as they walked into the house and each removed their shoes in the front hallway.

"There's a TV in the tea room and a spare bedroom at the end of the hallway," Tsukune said as he gave the Norn of the past a brief tour of their home.

"How cozy. Thanks kiddo. Sorry about earlier. I gotta call Asgard later on and have somebody send my stuff down here. I simply can't live without my lab supplies," Kurumu said as she looked about the tea room and spotted the color TV which sat in the corner, near the door.

"Um, sure. No problem. If you'll excuse us, we gotta be leaving soon," as Tsukune saw what remained of the wooden bedroom door which was scattered over most of the corridor itself. He then grabbed his suitcase after he made sure it was not scorched from Kurumu's earlier assault.

"Hey Moka, I'm gonna go get our luggage packed and pull the bike around to the front," Tsukune said as he walked back over to Moka's room. She then handed him her pink suitcase which seemed to weigh nothing at all. He speculated if she had actually packed for their trip or not even though it was only for 2 nights.

"Thank you Tsukune. I'll be out in a few minutes," she said with a sincere smile.

"Anytime Moka," he replied as he walked down the hallway.

Once he put his sneakers on, he slid the front door open and then grabbed their suitcases. After he slid the door closed, he walked back towards the shed located behind the house to get the luggage stowed away and pull his motorcycle around to the main avenue which was located in front of the temple grounds.

"Kurumu, I meant what I said. Tsukune's a very nice man so please do your best to not antagonize him too much. I'm very happy the way things are now, so please allow us to move our relationship along at our own pace," Moka said to her elder sister.

"Fine. I'll do my best but I can't make any promises. You're really happy here, aren't ya'; living this domesticated lifestyle? I mean, he's the grown-up boy you met when you were both kids. I still find it hard to believe he actually called the Goddess Relief number by accident," Kurumu said with a shrug as she had a moment alone with her younger sibling.

"Please do, Kurumu. And to answer both of your questions; yes. I'm very happy and it is him. He's grown up to be such a sweet, caring man. Well, accident or not, I believe that us meeting again has given us a second chance if it were," the younger goddess said with a content sigh.

"Ah. I can see it in your eyes. You're totally smitten with him, aren't you?" the elder deity said with a wink.

"Yes sister. I'm so much in love with him. Anyway, I must be going. There's plenty of food in the refrigerator. Just be sure to properly introduce yourself to his cousin Kyoko later on."

"Wait. Where are off to?" Kurumu asked in a concerned tone.

"Oh. We're going to a hot spring resort until Monday morning. It was a birthday present from his parents," Moka said as she was about to turn around and head back to the kitchen for a moment.

"Can I come along too?" Kurumu inquired with puppy-dog eyes.

"Sorry sister. Perhaps next time. If you'll excuse me, I must meet up with Tsukune as we'll be on our way now," Moka said as she walked back to the kitchen to check on something. A moment later, she then waved farewell to her sister as she placed her shoes on her feet. The pink-haired Norn quickly left the house after she closed the door behind herself.

…

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting so long, Tsukune," Moka said as she walked down the front, temple steps and over to Tsukune who had his classic BMW RS-54 motorcycle warmed up. Moka noticed that their luggage was safely stowed away in the side-car.

"It's okay Moka. Don't worry about it. I'm sure you wanted to see Kurumu off anyway. I just hope she'll be okay by herself," he said as she slipped her helmet on and then fastened the buckle securely closed.

"Thank you Tsukune. Kurumu's a big girl who is more than capable to fend for herself. Let's head out, shall we?" the goddess answered as she climbed onto the black, leather, seat of his motorcycle and then wrapped her arms around Tsukune's waist.

"Alright Moka. If you say so. We're off," he said as he placed the gears in drive and then headed east, down the street.

…

Nearly an hour later, Tsukune finally pulled up to their destination: Seaside Hot Springs Inn and Resort, which was located in Isumi, Nakazato, Japan, in the eastern-most section of Chiba prefecture. Since it was the first, official day of summer, the roads were a bit more congested than they usually were. Luckily the pair had arrived just in time to check in even though the reservations had been made in advance by Kasumi and Koji, Tsukune's parents.

Once he found a good parking space in the hotel's lot, Tsukune placed the gears in park and then removed the key from the ignition. He then placed his keyring into the front, right, pocket of his jeans. After he removed his helmet, he offered Moka a hand off of the seat. She accepted his help with a bashful smile.

He then carried their luggage up to the two-storey building which was painted an off-white and had a dark, green trim. As the automatic doors slid open, Tsukune allowed Moka to enter first. They then walked up to the counter. Tsukune quickly set the luggage on the floor, then reached into his front, left, pocket, and pulled out the two complimentary coupons.

A short, elderly woman walked up to the desk dressed in a beige yukata with a dark red obi. She had salt and pepper hair which as tied up into a bun.

"Good afternoon. Welcome to Seaside Inn and Resort. How may I help you?" she asked with a bow.

"Good afternoon. My name's Tsukune Aono. We have reservations for this weekend," Tsukune replied likewise. The older woman then looked through the registration log and searched for his name. He then handed the tickets to her as she accepted them with a toothless grin.

"Ah yes... Mister Aono. Welcome. Here's your room key. You have access to your own private onsen. Room eleven twenty-seven. Last room at the end of this hallway on the right-hand side. If you need anything at all, please feel free to use the in-room phone and press zero," she said as she handed Tsukune the brass, room key, which he promptly stuffed into his left, front, pocket.

"Thank you very much," he said with a bow. He then picked up their luggage and walked alongside Moka down the long corridor. The goddess smiled brightly as she thought about all the plans she had made so that her Tsukune had a memorable birthday. Besides, she wanted to make it up to him for her older sister's sudden arrival.

'Man, I'm so nervous right now...' Tsukune thought to himself as they continued their walk towards their suite.

"Well here we are," Tsukune said as they finally arrived at their room: 1127. He then set their luggage on the floor as he pulled out the brass key from his pocket, slid it into the lock, and turned it to the left with a loud "clunk". Once the door was ajar, he removed the key and placed it back in his pants pocket for the time being.

"Ladies first," he said to Moka who walked in and was astonished just how nice their hotel room was. The walls were painted a light, mint green. The large, double-glass, sliding shōji door offered a view of their own, private, hot spring. Next to the wooden and glass doors was a square table complete with two, matching, chairs made of a dark wood.

To the left of the front door was located a full-sized bathroom. In the center of the room up against the right-hand wall, was a queen-sized bed which had a light, green comforter, along with color-coordinated sheets and two, huge, pillows. Across from the bed was a long, wooden, dresser with a large-screen TV set on top of it.

"Oh Tsukune. This is really nice," the goddess commented after he walked into their room and closed the door behind himself. He placed their luggage near the foot of the bed until needed. He then walked over to her side and held her left hand in a loving manner.

"Yeah, you're right," he simply replied.

"Tsukune, I know you're still a little rattled about my sister showing up this morning and I'm very sorry if she had caused you any unnecessary grief," Moka said as she turned to her left and bowed for forgiveness.

"Hey, please stop bowing. I'm fine now, really," he said. He then placed both of his hands on her shoulders and then pulled her into a warm hug.

"You're not upset?" she asked with hesitation and uneasiness as she gently leaned against him.

"No, I was at first but I'm okay now. Besides, it wasn't your fault. As long as I have you by my side, then that's all that matters to me."

"Oh Tsukune. Thank you. There's no other place I'd rather be than by your side as well," she said as she held him a bit firmer. The young Norn had an irresistible urge to throw him on the bed and kiss him for the rest of the afternoon. That would have to wait as they had two days to themselves with no disruptions.

"Hey, no worries. Why don't we get changed into our swimsuits and go down to the beach? It's right behind the hotel," he suggested once they ended their embrace.

"Thank you. That does sound very nice. Why don't you get changed first and meet me down there? I have something that I want to show you but I don't want you to see it until I arrive there," Moka asked with a blush.

"You're welcome. Um – sure thing. I'll meet you down there when you're done and I'll find us a nice spot," he said as he walked over to his suitcase to find his beach gear. He secretly wondered what type of surprise she had in store for him. He would wait of course since he could tell that she wanted the day to be perfect in every way.

…

"Hey Moka, just remember that the door locks behind you, okay? I have the key with me and I'll see you downstairs when you're done," Tsukune said as he grabbed the beach blanket and his towel. He then stuffed the key into the small pocket inside his blue swim trunks.

"Of course. Thank you and I'll see you in a little while. I need to run home and check on Kurumu."

"You're going home?" he asked with a hint of anxiety in his voice.

"Yes, but only for a few minutes. I can use the bathroom mirror," she said with a warm smile which calmed his tenseness.

"Oh right. You said it was a shortcut of sorts, like an Einstein-Rosen bridge or what's commonly referred to as a wormhole," he said with a chuckle.

"Yes. That's correct. It's part of the Bifrost which connects Asgard to the remaining, eight, realms. Now off you go. I'll be back before you know it, okay?" she said as she turned him around, gently nudged him towards the door, and then gave him a kiss on his cheek.

As soon as he left their hotel room, Moka made a beeline for the bathroom. She then placed her right hand on the mirror and closed her eyes for a moment as she focused on her destination. Once she had their home pictured in her mind, she then vanished into the mirror.

...

A few moments later, Moka phased out of the restroom mirror back at their house. She stepped out of the wash room and then walked down the hallway towards the tea room. She noticed that the broken bedroom door was repaired and looked as if it were new once again.

"Kurumu? Sister?" Moka said as she looked around the tea room and saw that her elder sister was fast asleep. Not only had she left the TV on, but numerous, empty beer cans were strewn about haphazardly.

"Honestly, Kurumu... when are you going to grow up and take responsibility for your actions? At least you kept your word and fixed the bedroom door," Moka commented to herself with a sigh as she picked up the empty, aluminum, cans with her magic and then tossed them into the small waste basket which was located in the far, opposite, corner of the tea room. Moka then walked over to the TV set and then turned it off.

The green-eyed deity then turned around and walked a short way down the hallway and into the kitchen. After she found what she had searched for a moment later, she quickly returned to the restroom, placed her right hand on the mirror, and then reappeared a few, moments later back at her and Tsukune's hotel room.

Moka then walked out of the restroom and over to the mini-fridge. She knelt down and opened the small door, placed the round, covered item inside, until it was needed for later on in the evening.

...

After she opened her suitcase she pulled out her swimsuit as a blush swiftly filled her pale cheeks.

"I hope Tsukune likes this," she said to herself. With a renewed sense of determination, she walked back to the restroom and rapidly changed out of her denim jeans and pink, short-sleeved blouse. After she figured out how to wear her swimsuit, she then inspected herself in the mirror and was stunned how well it fit her curvy body rather snugly.

"I must say... Kyoko was right about this swimsuit. I just hope and pray that he doesn't pass out when he sees me dressed like this," she said as she found her towel, one more item, then slipped on her sandals, opened the door, and made a right turn down the corridor as the heavy, metal, door locked behind her.

When she found her bearings, she made her way to the beach to locate the whereabouts of her boyfriend.

...

Meanwhile, Tsukune sat patiently on the multicolored, beach blanket under one of the resort's complimentary white and green umbrellas.

"Tsukune!" she called out as she ran down the beach once she spotted her beloved.

He then turned to his left and saw a vision of loveliness. It was his girlfriend, naturally. She wore a metallic, sky blue one-piece monokini, which caught the young man entirely off-guard. He then waved her over as he became rather aroused from what she had decided to wear to the semi-public beach.

"Hi Tsukune. Um, does this suit me?" she asked as she placed her towel on the large, rectangular, blanket and sat down next to him after she removed her sandals. A little bit of blood had trickled out of his nose which Moka did not take notice of.

He quickly wiped the blood away as his brain seemed to be overloaded even more-so than earlier when he first met Kurumu.

"Hi Moka... um, yeah. It fits you well – ah, what I mean is that it looks very nice on you," he muttered as his face felt hot. He was still astonished to some extent and never dreamed that his girlfriend would wear something so revealing since she always dressed modestly.

The goddess's beach attire was rather mild in comparison to what the other females on the beach had worn themselves.

Moka's one-piece bathing suit had a diamond-shaped cutout, in the center that started at the top, just below her impressive bosom and ended just below her belly button. It was half as wide as it was tall. The backside was similar except the opening was shorter than it was wide.

"Oh thank you. I wasn't sure if you'd like it or not. It was Kyoko's idea. She told me that you'd be very happy if I wore it seeing that it's your birthday, today," Moka admitted with a healthy blush of her own.

"Um, you're welcome. I see. Well whatever you wear, you always look pretty, Moka."

"Oh... um... thank you. Oh, before I forget, could you do me a small favor?" she asked as she picked up and then fiddled with the item she had brought along with her.

"What kinda favor?" he inquired as he found it rather difficult to not stare at her. He was a healthy male after-all and she wanted to wear her new swimsuit for him as one of many surprises.

"Could you please put some sunscreen on my back? I can't reach it myself..." she replied as she poked her index fingers together out of nervous habit.

"Um, you want m-m-me to r-rub it on your – b-back?" he stammered out.

"And my legs, too. Please? It's okay Tsukune... I don't mind as long as it's you..." she said with another blush.

"But – are you s-sure it's o-okay? Kurumu didn't put you up to this, did she?"

"Yes, it's totally fine. And no, I promise you that she has nothing to do with this and that she won't bother us for the remainder of the weekend. You have my word, Tsukune. She won't just pop up and interfere like that. Please trust me. I know that you're still a bit shy and Kyoko told me about dating customs here in Japan. I won't ask you to do anything that may make you nervous, uncomfortable, or embarrassed," Moka said with a soft smile as she placed her hand atop his own.

"Okay. I trust you Moka. Thanks for understanding. And yeah, I'm a little nervous. I mean we're not exactly alone this time," he pointed out as the beach had numerous couples who had the same idea in mind as they did.

"Thank you. And there's nothing for you to worry about. I'm your girlfriend and I do respect and care for you a great deal just as I know that you respect and care for me as well. Just do your best, okay? I'm always going to be here for you Tsukune. Never doubt that," Moka said with another smile as she laid face down on the blanket, with her arms folded in front of her.

Tsukune then picked up the bottle of sunblock and gave it a good shake. Moka then moved her long, pink, hair out of the way so he had an unobstructed view of her backside.

"Well, here I go..." he said as he flipped the lid open and then squirted a generous amount onto her bare back.

"Ah! So cold!" she yelped which caused him to nearly drop the bottle in the sand. He then closed the lid and set it down onto the blanket.

"Sorry about that," he said as he slowly reached for her back as his hands twitched.

"It's okay Tsukune. Please hurry though. I don't want to get sunburned. Please be gentle, since this is my first time." she said with a smile as he finally rubbed the sunscreen lotion onto her soft skin. Her boyfriend still hard a hard time believing as much since she had politely asked of him. It was not perverted in any way and he thought he was dreaming instead.

'Oh Tsukune... ahhh. That feels so good,' she said to herself as he gently massaged the lotion onto her back.

"Ahhhh... Tsukune... more..." she moaned aloud which caused him to become even further aroused than he already was. Moka then realized in mortification what she had said out loud. Luckily nobody else was in in earshot and heard her ecchi utterance or the desire in her voice.

"Could you... please put some on my legs... as well?" she asked as her blush deepened.

"Um, sure thing..." he said as he then did as asked by the beautiful goddess who seemed to have enjoyed herself so far.

"Oh... Tsukune..." she purred out then quickly covered her mouth with both hands.

'It feels so good. Oh Tsukune... you are so sweet and gentle. And your hands are so warm..." Moka silently cried out.

'Oh man... her skin is so soft and her legs are gorgeous... I dunno if I can keep this up for much longer...' Tsukune rationally cursed to himself as he fought back his own desires.

Sensing her boyfriend's internal conflict, she decided to say something before either one of them did something that they could regret later on.

"Thank you Tsukune. I really appreciate it," Moka said as she sat up from her position and offered him a bashful smile.

"Oh it's not a problem, Moka," he said with smile of his own.

"And I'm sorry for saying so much. How embarrassing!" she lamented as she placed both of her hands on her cheeks which caused her to look even cuter than usual.

"Hey... it's fine. Don't worry about it so much. Would you like to go for a swim with me now?" he suggested as an alternate idea to leave that moment behind.

"Oh um... sure Tsukune. I'd really like that," she happily agreed. He then stood to his feet and offered her a hand up which she gladly accepted with a warm smile. They then walked hand-in-hand down to the edge of the water.

Naturally, all eyes were on the gorgeous, pink-haired goddess and her mortal boyfriend. Most of them wondered to themselves how such a plain, boring, guy such as him had found such a beauty. If they only knew the truth!

...

After the couple had gone for a leisurely swim and played in the ocean for a few hours, they mutually decided to take a well-deserved break. They walked hand-in-hand back to their blanket and dried themselves off with their fluffy, white, towels.

"You're a very good swimmer, Tsukune," Moka said as she laid down on her left side as she admired her beau with a smile.

"Thanks. You're really good, too," he said as he laid down on his back.

"Thank you. And you're welcome. I used to go swimming all the time with my sisters... back home in a lake," Moka said as she took the not-so subtle hint and laid down likewise. He then reached over to her side and held her left hand.

"I see. So, you're one of three sisters then, right?" he inquired.

"Yes. Kurumu's the oldest, I'm the middle, and Yukari's the youngest."

"Do you two always fight like that?" he asked as he looked at her with concern.

"Oh no. She was just trying to see how close we were. That much I'm certain of."

"I see. Well as long as she behaves herself then she can stay with us until her probation is up, I guess."

"Thank you Tsukune. I really do appreciate your kindness for allowing her to stay with us. However, I'm not sure how long her punishment will be. The last time she was exiled it was for this long," she said as she held her right hand up, with her fingers outstretched.

"Five days?"

She shook her head no.

"Five weeks?" he asked with a sweat drop.

Moka shook her head no once again.

"Five – months?"

"Well..."

"Five – years?" he then asked with worry.

"Yes. I'm afraid so," Moka answered with a small frown.

"Ugh. Well I guess it's better than having her living on the street or under a bridge," he said with a heavy sigh.

"Please don't worry so much, Tsukune. I'll make sure that she does not interfere in our relationship. If she causes us any trouble – then she'll have to deal with me," Moka said as she gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

"Okay. You're the goddess so I guess you'd know her better than anyone."

"Thank you. Um, I was wondering if it would be alright if we went back to our room for a while? Maybe we could... even... take a nap if you'd like," Moka asked with a small smile.

"Um – sure. I don't mind. I could use a shower first, though. Let's head back then," he consented as he grabbed his towel and then stood up. He offered his free hand to Moka who warmly accepted it. Once they had gathered up all of their belongings, they walked back to the hotel as they were both a bit tired from swimming for so long.

…

Once he had showered, brushed his teeth, shaved, and changed into a clean pair of blue and gray checkered boxer shorts along with a heather gray tee-shirt, Tsukune crawled onto the bed next to Moka who had taken her bath first. The goddess wore a simple, long, night shirt, which was light pink in color.

"Tsukune, please try to relax. If you'd like, I could give you – a massage," Moka suggested as she looked over to her boyfriend with slight apprehensiveness.

"I'm trying to but... * sigh * I guess so. Maybe it would help me calm down a bit," he said as he removed his tee-shirt, folded it in half, and set it next to his pillow. He then turned over onto his stomach. Moka gently maneuvered onto his lower back and then lightly rubbed his wide shoulders. She noticed that he had several scars and blemishes on his back which she did not take notice of earlier while they were at the beach.

"Oh Moka... that feels really good," he happily sighed as he closed his eyes.

"Just relax and take a deep breath..." she lovingly instructed as she worked her way down his back and continued her ministrations.

"Hmm-hm," he replied.

'Oh Tsukune... you poor dear. I forgot you were bullied when you were younger,' she sadly thought as she focused a bit of her power into her hands. A soft, green, light then surrounded her as she healed up the majority of his deeper scars and blemishes.

"Oh Moka..." he whispered out as he considerably felt much better as she fondly and delicately rubbed her hands against his skin. Before he realized it, he had fallen fast asleep due to Moka's tender, loving, care.

"Oh Tsukune... oh. What's this?" she asked herself as she sensed something which appeared to be amiss with his back. Moka then quickly scanned his spine with her powers to check for any abnormalities.

She gasped as she soon discovered what seemed to be the problem and why he complained about lower back pain from time to time; especially after a long day of being on his feet while he worked at either one of his two, part-time, jobs.

Tsukune had a dreadful case of scoliosis. (curvature of the spine)

Moka then gathered up her reserve of divine power as she concentrated on the length of his spinal column. She started at the top, where the base of his skull met his shoulder blades and slowly worked her way down to the bottom, to the area which connected just above his hip bone.

It took her nearly 30 minutes to complete her task as each of his vertebrae returned to its original orientation. His back was completely straightened and free of any residual discomfort or pain.

The exhausted goddess then bent down and softly kissed the side of his neck. She then sat up, laid down on his right-hand side, cuddled up to him, and then closed her eyes as a smile graced her lips. Moka herself then fell into the peaceful pull of slumber.

…

A few hours later, Tsukune was awoken by his stomach grumbling for food since he had not eaten lunch and it was well into the early hours of the evening.

He opened his eyes and looked to his right only to see his beautiful girlfriend resting peacefully. He then stretched his hands above his head and felt – different. The young mechanic then remembered with a blush that Moka had given him a very relaxing back massage earlier and felt like a new man.

Moments later, Moka stirred awake from her nap.

"Good evening, sleepyhead," she teased as she leaned up to him and gave him a kiss on his lips.

"Oh, um, good evening," he replied with another blush as he returned the loving gesture.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"I feel – great. Thanks for the massage earlier. It really helped me to relax, I guess."

"You're quite welcome and it was my pleasure, birthday boy," she replied cutely with a wink.

'Oh man... she's way too cute. And she looked amazing in her swimsuit. I'm so lucky to have her in my life.'

Tsukune then sat up and put his tee-shirt back on, as he had fallen asleep with it off. As he stepped onto the floor, he wobbled a bit. Moka teleported over to his side in a microsecond and helped him to stand upright.

"Tsukune? What's wrong?" she asked with worry.

"Um, I'm not sure. My back feels – weird," he said as he slowly stood straight up with Moka's assistance. He then noticed he was eye to eye with Moka. That in and of itself was unusual as she was normally a few centimeters taller than him.

"Huh?" he asked as he gave her a curious glance.

"Is something wrong Tsukune? Are you okay?" she inquired as she stood next to him.

"I'm not sure. I feel fine now, but did you shrink?" he asked with a furrowed brow.

"I see. Well... no, I haven't shrunk but it would seem to me that you've gotten – a bit taller..." Moka said as she looked away for a second.

"What? How is that even possible?" he asked as he gently turned her to face him.

"Well... when I was giving you your massage earlier, I noticed something odd about your spinal column. It would seem that you had a severe case of scoliosis and now it's gone. So it would appear that you're several centimeters taller..." Moka explained.

"I see... well that makes sense. What? I had scowl-o... what-sis?" he asked as he placed his hands gently on her shoulders.

"Scoliosis. It's the curvature of the human spine. It tends to skip a generation or so. You most likely inherited it genetically from either one of your grandparents. In other words, I healed your back for you... and now you're a little taller," Moka said with a small smile.

Tsukune swiftly pulled Moka into a warm hug as he shed a few tears of joy. He was completely overwhelmed with what she had not only done for him but had informed him as much. He found it difficult to believe but he was somehow taller. The young man had no idea what to say at the moment. Moka held him and hugged him in return. She was very happy herself of course.

…

Several minutes later, Tsukune finally came to his senses and ceased his emotional breakdown. Moka helped him to sit on the bed and did her best to calm him down even more-so. She held his hand in a comforting manner and refused to let go of it.

"Hey Moka... I don't know what to say... except... thank you. You've done... so much for me... and I honestly don't know where I'd be right now if I... if I had never met you. You really are... everything to me," he said as another tear slid down his cheek.

"Oh Tsukune..." she said as she gave him a warm kiss on his lips. Startled by her bold gesture, he reciprocated the show of affection as she deepened their kiss.

"Oh Moka..."

"Oh Tsukune..."

"Oh Moka..."

The couple broke for air a few moments later before either one of them passed out due to lack of oxygen. Although it was rather brief, the kiss was still full of their true emotions. Moka herself was quite relieved that he seemed to be in better spirits, naturally.

"My dear Tsukune. You are most welcome. You've also done so much for me. You have accepted me into your life, even though you know of my – troubled past. You've taught me so much about living here on Midgard – I mean Earth since I arrived here just over two months ago – and in that short amount of time, we've gotten to know one another very well. Your parents even warmly acknowledged me as your girlfriend. Even Kyoko has helped me a great deal with her dating advice. And you even invited my troublemaker of an older sister to stay with us. So I want to thank you as well."

Once again Tsukune found himself at an absolute loss for words, unable to reply to hearing his wonderful girlfriend say that much. All of it was true of course. I mean, what could he say to that?

"Um, you're welcome," he said with a blush as she gave him another, loving hug.

"I meant every word of it. I don't know about you but I'm getting a little hungry – and since I can't cook for us here, I thought that I'd take you out for your birthday dinner. How does that sound?" she asked once they ended their embrace.

"Um, yeah. Sure Moka. That sounds like a great idea. Thanks," he said with a small smile.

"Wonderful! Of course. Anything for you, Tsukune. Now... make sure that you wear something nice, okay? I still have a few more surprises for you, okay birthday boy?" she replied with a wink.

"Sure thing. I can hardly wait," he said with a wide grin.

He was actually somewhat nervous, but had complete faith in his amazing girlfriend, of course.

"Excellent. If it's okay, I'll get ready in the restroom while you get changed here," Moka said as she hopped off of the bed, walked over to her suitcase, and picked it up. She then waked over to the restroom itself.

"Sure Moka. I'll see you when you're done," he said as he did likewise.

"Thank you Tsukune. We can head out once I'm finished," Moka said as she closed and locked the restroom door behind herself. He then offered her a simple nod as he rummaged through his luggage and found an outfit for the evening's festivities: a turquoise, short-sleeved dress shirt, and black, pinstriped slacks along with a pair of black dress socks, and lastly, his matching shoes.

…

Twenty minutes later, Moka exited the restroom ready for her evening out with Tsukune, who nearly passed out when he saw how radiant she looked.

Without a doubt, the young woman had a perfect physique.

The goddess wore a crimson, sleeveless, dress with a scoop neckline, which rested several centimeters above her knees. The satiny material hugged her hourglass figure in all the proper places without showing too much skin. She also wore matching pumps on her petite feet. A small, red, purse slung over her right shoulder completed her look.

Much to Tsukune's astonishment, Moka also wore a little make-up which only enhanced her natural, otherworldly, beauty. A light dusting of pink blush on her cheeks, dark silver eyeshadow on and above her eyes, and dark crimson lip-gloss on her full, plump, lips.

She then walked over to the bed and gave a twirl of her dress which caused it to billow outward. Tsukune's nose then blasted blood out like a fountain when she showed off her well-toned, sexy, legs.

Apparently, Tsukune had a thing for Moka's legs. Go figure.

"Oh my! Tsukune are you okay?" she asked as she rushed over to his side. He then pulled out a handkerchief from his front left, slacks pocket and wiped up the unintentional mess himself.

"Um... yeah. I'm okay now. I gotta say Moka... you look... very beautiful," he said as his complexion returned somewhat normal.

'Beautiful doesn't even cut it. She looks downright gorgeous! And she smells so nice...' he told himself.

"Thank you very much. And I must say, you look very handsome yourself," she replied back with a smile.

"You're welcome and thanks," he said as he stood to his feet.

"Of course Tsukune. This color looks very nice on you," she said as she held his left hand and led him over to the door. Tsukune grabbed the room key from off of the dresser and shoved it into the front, right, pocket of his dress slacks. As soon as he slid his black dress shoes on, the pair left their room and walked down the hallway.

...

Once they were outside in the crisp, evening air, they debated on where to eat since neither one of them actually knew their way around the beach-side area. Moka had an idea or two from Kyoko but she decided to let Tsukune choose since it was his birthday, after-all.

"So, what are you in the mood for Tsukune?" Moka asked as they walked down the busy street with no specific destination in mind.

"I'm not sure. Anything is fine I guess," he answered with a shrug.

"Well there are quite a lot of restaurants nearby. Whatever you want is okay with me. My treat," she said as she leaned against him, shoulder-to-shoulder.

"Um, since you put it that way, then how about – steak?" he replied with a small smile.

"See? That wasn't so hard now, was it? There's a nice restaurant not too far from here, if my memory serves me."

"Well, yeah. I guess not... hey... um... Moka, may I ask you a question? I appreciate everything so far but how are you able to pay for dinner and know your way around? I'm sorry to sound like a worry-wart but I was just curious," he asked as they continued on their stroll.

"The truth is that Kyoko had found me a modeling job and she also gave me some pointers on where to take you tonight for your birthday," was the goddess's direct reply.

"A modeling job?" he repeated.

"Oh don't get the wrong idea. It was for an art class at the Nekomi Institute of Arts. A friend of Kyoko's at the college had told her that there was an opening for a part-time model. I just had to sit on a stool in my everyday clothes three hours a day just for one week. The pay was rather good, she said. That's why I had to skip out of going to class with you last week. You're not upset are you?" Moka explained as they had stopped in the middle of the sidewalk for a few moments.

"Moka... of course I'm not upset, a little worried maybe, but you didn't have to do all of that just for me..."

"But it was something that I felt was important that I wanted to do for you Tsukune without... relying on my abilities. I just wanted you to have a memorable birthday since we haven't really done anything special together," the goddess countered as she averted his gaze for a moment.

"Hey, I'm not upset... okay? That was very thoughtful of you Moka. And to be honest, this has been the best birthday for as long as I can remember," he said as he gently pulled her closer and looked into her emerald green eyes.

"You really mean that?" she asked with reluctance.

"Of course I do, because I've spent it with you. And I'm really looking forward to the rest of the night," he said with a smile.

"Thank you Tsukune. Let's go and have some fun, okay?" she said with a bright blush from his honest compliment.

"Anytime, Moka. I'm with you!" he happily agreed.

…

Several minutes later, the pair entered Restaurant Hasegawa which was located about a five to seven minute walk from their hotel. It was an older eating establishment which had been around for several generations it would seem. Tsukune opened the wooden door and allowed Moka to enter first.

"This is pretty nice, Moka," he said as they patiently waited for somebody to show them to a table since a simple sign on a tall, metal, stand had indicated.

"Yes, I agree," she happily replied with a smile as she continued to hold his hand.

A minute later, the hostess approached the couple, dressed in a black and white ensemble that resembled a woman's version of a tuxedo, but with a knee-length, black skirt. She was average in height with long, almond-colored hair tied into a complex braid which was held back by a black ribbon. Her most unique features was her brilliant, blue eyes. On her name tag written in English was her name: Belldandy.

"Welcome to Restaurant Hasegawa. How many this evening?" she asked in perfect Japanese followed with a customary bow. Moka and Tsukune returned the greeting likewise.

"Good evening. We'd like a booth for two please, preferably somewhere... quiet," Moka answered.

"Very well, ma'am. Right this way please," Belldandy replied as she grabbed two menus from the hostess stand and led the pair towards the rear of the busy restaurant.

As usual, all eyes were on Moka. The women were most likely jealous of her flawless beauty. And every man wanted her to be on his arm instead. Tsukune then gently placed his right hand on the small of her back in a reassuring gesture which helped to calm her uneasiness.

Belldandy showed the couple to a small, round table in the far corner. The semi-circular seat which was covered with in soft, black, leather. The tablecloth also matched the same ebony hue. In the center of the table was a round, red candle which added to the romantic ambiance. Moka slid in first with Tsukune on her left-hand side. Belldandy then placed the menus on the table with another smile.

"Your server will be along shortly to take your order. Please enjoy your stay," the hostess said with another bow as she left the duo to themselves. Moka and Tsukune then each picked up a menu and gave it a thorough read-through.

"Tsukune, please order whatever you like," Moka gently reminded him with a smile.

"Um, sure. Thanks again Moka," he said with a light sigh.

"My pleasure," Moka replied and then rested her left hand on his thigh which caused him to jump at the unexpected motion.

"Moka... what the heck?" he muttered.

"I'm trying to get you to relax Tsukune. You're far too tense and I can see that very clearly even without my powers," she whispered back. He then sighed again.

...

Before he could say another word, the server walked up to the couple's table dressed in a similar way to the hostess.

"Good evening. My name's Megumi and I'll be your waitress this evening," she said with a wide smile and bow. She had shoulder-length, dark, brown hair with matching eyes, and was about the same height as Tsukune and Moka.

"So what can I get you folks to drink?" she asked as she pulled out a small notebook and pen from out of her apron.

Not getting an answer from her boyfriend, Moka decided to take charge if it were.

"My boyfriend will have a Kirin light beer and I'll have a glass of your house wine, please," Moka said. Megumi then scribbled their drink order in her notebook.

"Very good ma'am. Have you decided on what you'd like to order?" the server asked.

"Not yet. Could you give us a few minutes please?" Moka politely asked as she set her menu on the table.

"Of course. I'll place your drink order and be back in a minute or two," Megumi said with a bow, then turned around, and headed towards the bar to fetch their drinks.

"Thanks Moka. I could really use a beer right about now," Tsukune said with a chuckle.

"Anything for you, Tsukune," she adorably replied.

Just as promised, their waitress carried their drinks back post-haste to their table on a round, wooden, serving tray. Megumi then set each of their drinks in front of them on a wooden coaster.

Tsukune was astonished how big his brew was. It was a full pint of draft beer. Moka's beverage was a light chardonnay served in a normal-sized wine glass.

"Have you folks decided yet?" Megumi asked as she set the tray on the edge of their table.

"Um, I'll have the steak dinner, medium rare with a baked potato; extra sour cream. Ranch dressing for the house salad, please," Tsukune replied as he set the menu down on the table.

"Very well sir. And how about you, ma'am?" the server asked after she wrote his order in her notebook.

"I'll have the chicken Caesar salad please," Moka said with a smile. Megumi then wrote her order down similarly. The young server then gathered up their menus along with her tray from the table.

"Very good. I'll place your orders right away," Megumi said with a bow, turned around, and then made her way towards the kitchen.

...

"Hey, Keii – order up!" Megumi said as she placed the order slip on the metal counter. Keiichi walked over and gave his younger sister a slight glare of irritation.

"Stop callin' me that, would ya'?" Keiichi half-shouted with another sigh.

"Whatever ya' say, big brother," she shot back as she turned around to check on her other tables.

...

"Hey, thanks again for tonight Moka."

"You're welcome. How about a toast?" she said as she raised her wine glass.

"To my dear, sweet Tsukune. May all of your birthday wishes come true. Kampai," Moka said as they clinked their glasses together.

"Kampai," Tsukune repeated as they each took a generous sip of their cool drinks.

"Thanks Moka, I really appreciate all of this," he said with a blush after her heartfelt toast.

"Aww, you're welcome Tsukune. I can see that you're doing much better now, am I right?" she asked as she scooted closer towards him and sat shoulder-to-shoulder.

"Yeah, I guess I am. Sorry to be such a downer earlier," he said as he took another gulp of his light beer.

"It's okay. I know that this is all new to you. But since we are a couple who happen to be living together, it just means that it's normal for us to go on dates and outings like this. There's nothing wrong with showing how we feel about each other. But I also know that – kissing in public is frowned upon here in Japan. But that doesn't mean that we can't show each other some form of affection. Am I right so far?" Moka said as she placed her hand on his own and held it lovingly.

"Well yeah. Since you put it that way, I guess I sounded pretty silly, huh?"

"I wouldn't have said it if it were not true, Tsukune," Moka answered with a blush as she leaned against him. She then shivered. Tsukune took the silent clue and wrapped his left arm around her shoulder and shared his warmth with her. She blushed yet again from his simple act of affection for her well-being.

…

Once dinner was finished shortly after, the couple just sat there with a contented sigh. Tsukune honestly felt much better and more at ease. He was quite relieved that nothing out of the ordinary had occurred all day so far and felt as though a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"Thanks again Moka. It wasn't as good as your cooking though," Tsukune said as he gave her a smile. The Norn blushed yet again from his always-honest compliment.

"You're quite welcome. It was my pleasure. Oh Tsukune – oh my... if you'll excuse me, I need to use the ladies room," she said as she scooted towards the right and then stood up.

"Oh sure Moka. Take your time," he said as she trotted off towards the rear of the building once she spotted the signs that pointed towards the restrooms.

As soon as Moka entered the ladies restroom, she made sure nobody was nearby. The deity looked into the very last stall and saw that it had its own sink and mirror. She quickly entered the larger cubicle, closed the door, and then slid the lock closed.

Moka then walked over to the mirror and placed her right hand upon it. After she closed her eyes, she vanished into the mirror itself in a flash of blue light.

A minute later, she reappeared in the same manner as she materialized out, and back to her original point of entry. In her hands she held a small, round, container. She then walked over to and unlocked the restroom stall's door.

Luckily nobody saw the goddess leave the ladies room with her small parcel. She then spotted her server and waved her over for a moment.

"Yes ma'am?" Megumi asked as Moka pulled her over to the side.

"Um, tonight's my boyfriend's birthday. I was wondering if you could bring this over to our table and have the staff sing 'happy birthday' to him? I would be more than happy to leave you a very generous tip if you could help me out."

"Oh, sure thing. I'd be more than happy to help out. You already have candles on it, right?" Megumi asked as she inspected the small cake for herself.

"Thank you. Yes. His name is Tsukune. You can come over in a few minutes, okay?"

"Hey, it's not a problem. Tsukune. Got it. We'll light the candles and come right over with two plates as well," the server said with a warm smile.

"Thank you once again," Moka said with a bow as she swiftly turned around and headed back towards her table since Tsukune had waited for her eventual return.

"Wait a minute... How'd she even get this cake in here? Did she carry it in with her? I didn't see it earlier... that's weird," the young waitress thought to herself. She then shrugged and thought nothing more of it.

...

"Hey Moka... is everything okay?" he asked as soon as she slid back into the booth rather quickly.

"Oh yes. All is well," she answered with a big smile as she gave him a firm, yet loving, hug.

"Um, that's good," he said with a sweat-drop.

"Happy birthday to you..." the wait staff sang as they brought over the homemade birthday cake to Tsukune. Moka smiled the entire time as she herself broke out in song. Megumi then set the cake down in front of him, much to his shock, still unsure of what had just happened.

On top of the chocolate cake with vanilla frosting was written in blue icing "Happy Birthday Tsukune" along with two blue "2" shaped candles, which were already lit.

"Go on Tsukune, make a wish and blow out the candles," Moka said to her beau who was at a loss of words yet again, but this time for his impromptu surprise party. As he gave the idea some thought for a brief second, he took a deep breath, and blew out the candles in one go.

The birthday boy was then awarded with a healthy round of applause from the wait staff who left the couple to themselves. Moka then removed the candles and set them off to the side.

She then picked up the small knife, sliced a piece for Tsukune, and set it on a plate in front of him. She then served herself the other half since the cake was made for two people.

"Thanks Moka," he said with a tear in the corner of his eye. She saw that and immediately pulled him to a hug.

"You're very welcome, Tsukune. I guess you were surprised, huh?" she asked as she held him very close.

"Well, yeah. I really had no idea that you planned all of this for me," he sheepishly replied.

"It's my pleasure, Tsukune. So – did you make a birthday wish?" the pink-haired goddess asked with a smile as they ended their short embrace.

"I didn't have to make a wish," he said. Moka then raised an eyebrow unsure of why. Kyoko had told her that "wishes" were just a part of the birthday tradition and nothing more.

"And why might that be?" she asked.

"Because I already... have what I want the most..." he said as he choked back a sob then quickly brought this thoughts back to the present before he broke down again.

"And what might that be?" Moka inquired, anxious to hear his answer.

"To have you as my girlfriend forever," was his bold reply which overwhelmed the goddess to the point of tears.

"Oh Tsukune... you – you really mean that?" she asked as she placed both of her hands over her mouth, still stunned at his somewhat, assertive, answer.

"Of course. Hey this cake's great," he said as he ate a piece and savored it with great exuberance.

"Tsukune... I don't know what to say..." the goddess said as she picked up her wine glass and downed its contents in one gulp. He then reached over and held her hand affectionately.

"I meant it Moka. I know that I'm still somewhat shy and hesitant... but after today and especially tonight, I feel a lot closer to you for some reason. You really are everything to me," he said with a smile. Moka's heart hammered heavily in her ribcage and felt somewhat lightheaded from hearing him say as much.

It was almost as if he had confessed his undying love for her, but it was at least a start, right?

"Um, before we head back to the hotel, I have a present for you."

"Oh really?" he inquired, still smiling happily.

"Yes, Tsukune. Close your eyes, please."

After he shut his eyes tightly, Tsukune could only wonder what it could be.

"Okay. They're closed now."

Moka quickly rummaged through her purse. She soon found the present she had lovingly wrapped the previous night in a simple, metallic blue wrapping paper. She then placed the gift-wrapped item in his open hands.

"Okay, you can open your eyes now, Tsukune."

Once he opened his eyes, he saw the present, and gave it a gentle shake.

"Go on, Tsukune, open it," she lovingly nudged.

With a wide grin, he quickly released the gift from its shiny, paper prison.

It was a simple black, flocked box. He then opened it along the front, since the back was on a hinge of some sort. When he finally saw what it was, he was quite stunned: a silver Casio men's mechanical Watch with luminescent hands and hour markers. The wristband was made from the finest of black leather.

Tsukune was rendered speechless yet again. He then placed it gently on the table in front of them before he quickly gave his generous girlfriend a warm, affectionate, hug.

He then placed his new wristwatch around his left wrist and fastened it closed with the attached, silver, clasp.

"Thanks Moka. It's a great Watch," he said as he admired the fancy timepiece which Moka had given him.

"You're more than welcome Tsukune. Hearing that has made me very happy."

"How are you folks doing? Can I get you anything else?" Megumi asked as she walked up to their table a few, moments, later.

"Um, we're doing fine, thank you. Just the check when you have time, please," Moka replied as she grudgingly pried herself away from Tsukune for a second since the waitress had given her a suspicious look.

"Of course, ma'am. I'll be back in a few minutes," Megumi replied with a bow.

…

As soon as Moka and Tsukune arrived back at their hotel room, she asked him if he wanted to go into the onsen (hot springs) with her.

"You want me... to take a b-bath... with you?" he stammered.

"Well yes. That's the main reason why we came here for, is it not?" she reasoned with a timid smile.

"I think I need to mentally prepare myself for this," he replied with a sweat-drop.

"You need to mentally get prepared to take a bath?" she asked with a puzzled look.

"Um... well the thing is... we have to be – naked," he said as his face burned red from admitting as much.

"That goes without saying, right?" Moka answered with a blush of her own.

"But – we'll be together, out there, alone... and you know... without clothes..."

"If it will make you feel any better, then I can put up a barrier. That way nobody will see nor bother us. Would that help?" the Norn stated as she fluttered her long eyelashes at the man of her affections.

"I guess so..." he said as he looked away for a moment as he tried to gather up the courage he had at the restaurant just a short while ago.

"You don't have to if you don't want to, Tsukune. But I could really use your company, though."

"Alright. Would it be okay if I went out there first?"

"If that is what you want, then I don't mind. Why don't you get undressed and I'll place the barrier up while you get ready, okay?" she said with a small smile.

"Um sure. Thanks. I'll be out in a few minutes then," he replied as he ambled over to the restroom to psyche himself up, just to bathe with Moka. After he closed the restroom door, Moka walked over to the sliding, wood and glass, shōji door and stepped into the actual hot spring area itself.

The natural rocky formation was about 4 meters wide and about 10 meters long. The warm water was in varying depths from a few centimeters to over a meter deep.

A tall, bamboo fence surrounded the area on 3 sides, roughly 4 meters tall. Small red, green, and blue, LED lamps encircled the area which only added to the peaceful environment. Moka then set the magical barrier up with a simple wave of her hand. The invisible wall shimmered blue and gold for a moment as it set itself in place.

She then walked back into their room and left the shōji door open for the time being. Tsukune then stepped out of the restroom with only a white towel wrapped around his waist. Moka then saw him and offered him a smile which eased his pounding heart somewhat. He walked over to her side and peeked out the door behind her with a look of mild anxiety.

"The barrier's already set up, Tsukune. Why don't you make yourself comfortable while I get undressed, okay?" Moka said as she walked towards the restroom.

"Oh um, thanks. Sure thing..." he said as he wobbled over to the shōji door which opened up to the natural onsen.

"Go on Tsukune. I'll be out in a few minutes," she said with a wink.

"Um, here I go..." he said as he walked over to the left-hand side and admired the area. He looked up to the open, starry, sky and noticed that the overhead opening flickered blue and gold every few seconds.

With a sigh of relief, he dropped his towel on a wooden bench and then walked into the calming, bubbly, waters. Once he felt more at ease, he sat down with the water up to his shoulders. He leaned back and closed his eyes for a moment as he reflected on his very busy day with Moka.

It was a bit overwhelming but he soon realized that ever since the goddess came into his life, that it would never be boring, that much was certain.

"Hello Tsukune," came a familiar, female voice which brought his thoughts back to the present. He slowly opened his eyes and looked up at a vision of breathtaking beauty.

Moka stood over him with only a towel wrapped around her voluptuous figure. Her long, pink, hair was pinned up in a high bun as to not get wet while she bathed in the hot spring. Tsukune's mouth dropped open as his brain was overstimulated yet again.

Before he could protest, Moka promptly dropped her towel and stood there nude as the day she was born. Tsukune quickly shut his eyes and turned around with his back towards her before he suffered another nosebleed. She then stepped into the warm water and sat across from Tsukune.

"I'm sorry Tsukune. I went too far. Perhaps it's best if I just leave you be for now," the Norn of the present said as she hung her head in shame. She came on too strong and could see that her boyfriend seemed to be rattled by her showing off like that.

Tsukune quickly turned around and interjected.

"Moka! Wait. Don't go. I was just – not expecting you to do that. Please stay. I mean that's why we came here for in the first place, right?" he said as he slowly walked over to her side, still shoulder-deep in the soothing waters of the hot springs. Moka then faced him with a sad, faraway look in her emerald green eyes.

"I'm truly sorry Tsukune. I honestly don't know what came over me so suddenly," she said as she raised her head to meet his gaze. She was happy to see that he smiled at her and was not too upset. It's not like she actually thought about it before she just dropped her towel like that! It just sort of happened, more or less.

Tsukune took a deep breath as he stepped closer to her with the look of purpose in his chocolate brown eyes. He then reached under the water and found her hands. He then held them gently as he pulled her closer to him.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm good, really," he softly spoke.

"Really, Tsukune?" she asked as her lower lip quivered a bit.

"Yeah. Um, I was wondering... if you... um... wanted to m-maybe k-kiss... I mean, we already sleep together in the same bed – and... I really like having you so close to me at night, ya' know. And um, I guess this is... something that might bring us closer, I guess. Um..." Tsukune sputtered out, unsure of where his train of thought had led him. The young man decided to be quite for a moment before he said anything even more embarrassing.

"Yes. I was wondering when I'd get a chance to kiss you again, silly," Moka said with a smile as she leaned closer to him, her heart beating so fast that she actually thought it would burst out of her chest. She stepped a bit closer as their bare skin made contact.

As their lips touched, Tsukune felt as though he were floating again. He became quite aroused in a second as their kiss escalated. Moans of euphoria escaped the goddess's pink, plump, lips which only added fuel to Tsukune's fire.

The couple broke for air several minutes later as they were rather lightheaded from their passionate kiss. Tsukune sat down against the edge of the rocky formation with Moka on his side. Her face was flush from such an amazing kiss; she was temporarily rendered speechless even more-so than Tsukune was.

He still found it hard to believe that they were both nude in the hot springs. At least it was another step to help him get over his shyness and hesitancy, right?

...

'Mistress... Mistress...' came a silent voice in Moka's mind.

'Yes Mocaccino?' The goddess replied similarly.

'I was wondering if it would be alright if I could come out for a bit?' the angel inquired.

'And why pray-tell would be the reason why? You never asked to come out before,' Moka retorted, somewhat annoyed.

'I wanted to bathe, too.. and stretch my wings...' was the angel's desperate reply.

'Is that so? Why now all of a sudden? Can't you see that I'm busy?' Moka said.

'Please Mistress? I promise that I'll be good. Just for a little while...' Mocaccino implored.

'Alright. Just for a little while. I'm trying to get closer to my Tsukune so you need to behave yourself, understood?' Moka replied as she finally gave into the Angel's childish request.

'Oh thank you Mistress! I'll behave! I promise!' Mocaccino happily agreed.

"Hey Moka? Is everything okay?" he asked as he could see she was having an internal conflict or debate of sorts if he had to take a guess.

"Yes. Mocaccino just wants to come out for a while and bathe in the onsen," was the goddess's direct reply.

"Oh I see. I guess it'd be okay. I mean with the barrier in place..." he said with a sweat-drop.

"Mocaccino, please come forth!" Moka stated with authority.

'As you wish, Mistress...' the silver-haired angel answered as she slowly materialized out from Moka's bare back. The entire area was bathed in a celestial, blue glow as she stretched her white, feathered wings out. Much to Tsukune's shock, the angelic apparition was just as nude as was her mistress.

Mocaccino then floated above her Mistress's shoulders as she looked around the immediate area. She then looked down and saw that Moka was seated rather closely to Tsukune. The Angel then frowned. Why did her Mistress have all the fun when she was always inside her, looking out from the inside? Was not she a reflection of her Mistress?

The Angel then had an idea.

She floated down and gave her Mistress's boyfriend a look-over.

'I must say, Mistress, he is rather cute for a mortal,' Mocaccino silently said with a sly smile which both Tsukune and Moka picked up on.

'Do not get any funny ideas in that head of yours. Tsukune is my boyfriend!' Moka stated rather firmly.

'But Mistress... since you do love him, then it goes without saying that I do as well,' the Angel replied as she floated closer to Tsukune. Her red eyes peered deep into his soul as it were. She then placed both of her hands on his cheeks and quickly gave him a deep kiss on his lips, much to the young man's confusion.

'Happy birthday, Tsukune,' the Angel said as her lips touched his own. Moka was deeply disturbed to say the least and pulled her angel back, much to her chagrin.

"Um, thanks," he replied, his mind still reeling from what the angel had just done to him.

"Mocaccino, why did you kiss my boyfriend?!" Moka shrieked out, clearly affected over the recent turn of events. Her Angel just kissed Tsukune! The Goddess was more than upset. She was royally pissed.

'I'm sorry Mistress! Please forgive me! I just wanted to see what it was like to kiss him... please don't send me back right away!' Mocaccino stammered out as Moka looked at her own Angel with homicidal intent in her eyes.

"Moka, calm down. She just wished me happy birthday!" Tsukune quickly interjected.

The Norn of the present then looked back to her boyfriend and then to her Angel who had just stolen a kiss from said boyfriend.

"Is that true, Mocaccino?" the goddess asked, still quite perturbed.

'Yes, Mistress. What he says is the truth. He heard my voice when I kissed him and then he said thank you,' the Angel replied as she sat on the rocky edge of the hot springs.

"Tsukune, did she say anything to you? Did you hear her voice?" Moka asked as her features softened dramatically.

"Yeah, she said happy birthday to me," Tsukune said as he nervously scratched the back of his neck out of habit.

The raven-haired young man could understand why Moka was so distressed and did not blame her for being mad. He simply wanted to get the matter settled before Moka made too much noise since it was rather late at night.

"So... you heard her voice?" Moka asked as she took a few, steps, closer towards the man of her affections.

"Yeah. Is that strange or something?" he wondered.

"It's very strange. Nobody should be able to hear an Angel's voice, not unless they have an angel of their own or..." Moka explained, then suddenly stopped before she said too much.

"Or what, Moka?" Tsukune asked as he was curious to what the reason was why he had heard her Angel's voice.

"Or they have a very deep connection to a Goddess..." Moka answered with a sigh.

"Um... wow," is all that Tsukune could reply as his lips still tingled from the Angel's kiss.

"Mocaccino, it's time for you to say goodnight. Tsukune and I need some time alone if it's alright," the pink-haired goddess said as she stared at her Angel.

'As you wish, Mistress. Once again, I am truly sorry for what I've done. Please try to find it in your heart to forgive me someday,' the Angel said with a somber expression as she floated back over to Moka's side.

Moka then pulled her Angel into a warm hug which caught her by surprise.

"I've already forgiven you, Mocaccino. Just be sure to not do anything like that unless Tsukune and I give the go-ahead, understood? I could never stay mad at you... I'm sorry for getting so upset and I ask for your forgiveness as well," Moka said with a tear in her eye.

'Thank you Mistress. You have my word. And I forgive you as well,' the Angel replied as she returned to her home inside her Mistress.

Moka then turned around and faced her one-and-only with a sad look on her features. He walked over to her side and lovingly held her hands. He could see in her eyes that she was still a bit distraught but knew she'd be better soon. Or at least he hoped she would be.

"Hey Moka, are you gonna be okay?" Tsukune asked out of genuine compassion.

"Yes. Thank you for asking," she replied with a sniffle.

"Would you like to go inside now? Maybe go to bed and talk for a bit?"

"Yes. I'd like that very much," Moka said as she reached over to him and pulled him close.

"It's okay – she didn't mean anything by it, I'm sure."

"You're far too sweet Tsukune. Maybe that's why she likes you as much as I do," she said as they ended their short embrace once they both remembered that they were still very much, nude.

"Ah, well... I'm just being myself," he said with a chuckle.

…

Fifteen minutes later, Moka and Tsukune were already lying in bed. The pink-haired Norn decided to wear her red nightgown to sleep in since it was Tsukune's favorite. She still felt somewhat humiliated for dropping her towel earlier which was not on purpose but still a bold move nonetheless by the often-shy deity.

She wanted to move her and Tsukune's relationship along a bit, but she realized she had gone overboard, as she often did. Moka had to remind herself on a daily basis that these things needed to proceed at a natural pace.

Otherwise all of their hard work was for naught.

Her just-as-shy boyfriend wore his usual to bed: a cotton tee-shirt and matching boxer shorts, this pair navy blue with dark, green, trim. Tsukune had his arm wrapped protectively around Moka's slim waist as she cuddled up to him with a blissful smile.

She was pleased that her birthday plans had been more-or-less, perfect. Well, except when her own Angel had stolen a kiss from Tsukune, of course. But who could blame the silver-haired, heavenly being?

Mocaccino loved Tsukune just as much as her outer half did. It was bound to happen sooner or later, anyway. And Moka quickly forgave her without hesitation.

Tsukune decided to end the awkward silence and say something since what Moka had said to him earlier, still weighed heavily on his mind.

"Hey Moka? May I ask you a question? You don't have to answer me but I was just curious, I guess... what did you mean when you said something about a deep connection with a Goddess..." he asked as he pulled her closer. She squirmed a bit since she had gotten rather comfortable and had her eyes halfway closed as the day's activities had caught up with her.

With a sigh, she sat up and moved a few stray hairs behind her left ear. She then looked to her boyfriend with a mixture of anxiety and uneasiness.

"Well, the thing is it's rather uncommon for mortals and goddesses to mingle in such a way as we have. I know that our relationship is unconventional, but don't get the wrong idea. You know that I care for you very much Tsukune, just as I know that you care about me. Since our first kiss, it would seem that my powers... have... increased somewhat and we have also formed a bond of sorts between us. Even though I wear several power limiters, I may have to be fitted for an extra one so my abilities don't go … out of control... when we become more... um... intimate... with one another," Moka explained as her cheeks burned red-hot from saying as much.

The goddess then promptly buried her warm face against Tsukune's chest out of utmost embarrassment. He gently placed his right arm across her back as he was rendered incoherent. Tsukune had no idea what to say in regards about what he had just heard with his own ears.

Sensing his own uneasiness, Moka decided to say a bit more in order to calm him down somewhat. She then sat up and looked at him with more sympathy than before.

"Tsukune, please do not think too much about what I said. It was the truth. I know that we are not in any rush to get to that point in time. Even though Kurumu said it herself, I'm not quite ready for that as I can see that neither are you. And what I said about our bond... I do want to be closer to you over time... but just being near you, like this makes me very, very happy. And when we kiss, my heart overflows with such joy... although it beats so fast, I desire to be even closer to you. Oh my... what am I saying?" Moka stuttered.

"Um, I understand Moka. And honestly, I do want to be closer to you too, but I'm still not quite ready for all of that... I mean – I really like kissing you – wait. That's not right... why is this so hard? I know what I want to say but I can't seem to find the right words... well, you're a great kisser and I do want more, eventually... sorry. This isn't going right," Tsukune said as he sighed yet again for the one-hundredth time in one day.

"It's alright Tsukune. It isn't always easy to find the right words sometimes, but like they say – action speaks much louder than words, right?" Moka said as she nestled closer to her boyfriend and then gave him a light kiss on his ear which caused him to shudder.

"Oh Moka... wow."

"See? Was that part so difficult?" she teased as she intertwined her left leg with his right and then softly kissed him once again in the same spot and then lightly breathed into his ear which caused a prickle of pleasure to travel down his arms and back.

"Oh my goddess..." he breathed out as he was beyond stimulated from her adoring kisses.

"Shh... it's okay Tsukune. Why don't we try to get some rest now? We had quite a busy day, after-all and we still have tomorrow to ourselves. And if you'd like, we can even stay in bed all day. Would you like that?" Moka asked in a hushed tone as she placed her left hand on his chest and left it there for the time being.

"Yeah. That sounds like a good idea and I'm kinda beat now," he agreed with a yawn.

After their final goodnight kiss, the couple eventually calmed down enough, and then fell fast asleep in each others arms. Yes it would appear that these two, lost, souls had grown closer together In just under 3 months' time. As long as they were there for each other in good times and bad, they would always pull through with support from one another.

...

---

...

A/N:

This chapter like I mentioned is my longest one to date for any of my stories. I was going to split it into two parts but decided against that as I didn't want to break the flow of the plot. I covered a lot in this chapter.

I don't have much else to say since I spent 4 days to just get this long chapter, just right. 17,800 + words!

By the way, "Restaurant Hasegawa" is a real place in Japan near the actual beach located in this chapter. I thought it fit since it was a reference of sorts to 'Ah! My Goddess' along with three other cameos. :)

Any and all feedback, comments, and reviews are always welcomed.

I honestly appreciate all of the Faves, Follows, support, and reviews so far.

I wouldn't still be writing after 3 years if it were not for everyone who has supported me so far. Anyway, thanks for reading and a new chapter will be out as usual. Thanks again! :)