Chapter One: On the Mend.

Ryuu awoke slowly, her eyes blinking open and straining against the bright white of the light above her. She could hear slight movement, craning her head sideways with slight pain in order to see the source. There Syr stood, greeting her with a soft smile and tear pricked eyes. Ryuu smiled back, ignoring the ache in her body as the relief of seeing her friend again washed over her. The other girls from the tavern were there as well, standing around the bed and watching her with bated breath and relieved expressions.

She greeted them happily, feeling her body unwind more and more as it accepted that she finally felt somewhat safe. Though it was nothing compared to being next to Bell. When he held her she felt as though she could truly breathe. That night in the safe room when she layed in his arms was the most content she had felt in years. The voices had quieted in his arms. The ones telling her that she got her familia killed; the ones that wished for her death.

Bell. Bell. Bell…

She shot up in her spot, coming to reality. Where was he? Had he survived the battle with the juggernaut? What if Bell had died? Her breathing became ragged, heartbeat hammering as she sprung out of her bed. The girls attempted to stop her, mumbling something about the clothes she was wearing. Ryuu did not care, turning to face them with panicked eyes.

"Where is he? Where is Bell?"

The girls looked at eachother confusion, Anya and Syr exchanging a glance. Syr spoke first, "Don't worry Ryuu, Bell is okay. He's actually in the room down the hall."

Anya piped up next, "Mr. Whitehair is purrfectly fi-," Ryuu pushed past her, cutting off her sentence. Down the hall, that is all she had heard. The young elf slammed open her door, making a beeline for where Bell was. Heart hammering, his name slipped from her lips as she ran. Over and over until she reached his door.

And there he was. So perfectly Bell, smiling and talking to a nurse tending to his arm. She saw his head whip to the side, his amber eyes resting on hers, a soft expression. Bell looked slightly surprised but was clearly relieved to see her. Her bottom lip started to quiver, relief coursing through her veins as she stared at him, worried he might disappear if she looked away.

Bell's cheeks started to turn a faint pink before blossoming into dark red, his mouth falling open as he stared back. The elf was confused but it snapped her out of her trance, taking in the people around the room. Hestia and Lili were there, both seeming shocked as they looked at Ryuu.

Bell was the first to speak. "M-Miss Ryuu." He then stopped, seeming too embarrassed to continue talking.

"M-Miss Elf.. Your clothes," Hestia breathed.

Ryuu glanced down, taking in her appearance. She was in a simple hospital gown, the ties in the front slowly coming undone from the running. Her breasts were beginning to show, the last knot slipping looser and looser until it fell to the floor.

Ryuu let out a small yelp, curling in on her own body and dropping to her knees in order to cover herself. Fear started to fill her. Bell was seeing her naked. And not like in the cave, this time he had a full view of her body. It didn't matter though, he probably wasn't attracted to her anyway as far as her mind convinced her. If she just looked at him it would confirm this, confirm he saw nothing worth being flustered by.

She glanced up at Bell through hooded eyes, ashamed. Though, what she saw wasn't what she expected. For once Bell wasn't looking away. He was staring. Eyes raking her up and down, his lips slightly parted and eyes hooded. He looked… pleased.

Hestia and Lili both seemed to have noticed this, their hands quickly coming into contact with his face in a loud slap. He fell back, Hestia looking satisfied his eyes were off Ryuu but mortified he saw another woman naked. The nurse began to chastise both the goddess and Lili, Ryuu taking the opportunity to slip away.

She slipped back into her room, the other girls gone except for Syr. Ryuu was flustered, taking deep breaths to calm herself. Her robe was now closed, as she had been tying it while running back.

"Ryuu, is everything alright," Syr questioned, eyes filled with worry. The elf nodded her head in acknowledgment, sliding back into her bed. It was best not to mention what had just happened to her, since she knew the silver-haired girl also had feelings for Bell.

Ryuu spoke then, " Syr," she paused for a moment, "Would you mind giving me a little privacy?" The girl nodded in understanding, imagining the elf was simply overwhelmed after finally awakening. She had been asleep for three days after all. Ryuu had been covered with injuries along with Bell, the deep levels on the dungeon clearly not going easy on them.

With the click of the hospital door, Ryuu felt as though she could finally breathe. She was alone.

She eased into the covers, letting her aching muscles try to relax. It was strange, being back. Those days in the dungeon had left her and Bell in a constant state of fight or flight. It was like her body would not stop, could not wind down. Not without him at least.

Ryuu sighed, her thoughts of Bell starting to settle into the back of her head. She was still embarrassed from earlier, the memory making her cringe slightly. But his reaction… the look in his eye. They had seemed darker in that moment, centered on her and only her. It felt good to have him look at her like that. She had felt.. hunted in a way. The look he gave her was almost like that of a predator. Though she wasn't scared, in fact, she wanted to see it again.

-Bell

Bell shook his head, sitting back up after the stinging on his face subsided. Ryuu was gone, an empty doorway now in her place. He sighed, slightly annoyed. Hestia was arguing with the nurse at this time while Lili was glimmering at the wall in frustration. He had honestly forgotten they were there at one point, so focused on Ryuu.

She was beautiful.

Bell was still a little confused about his feelings, though he knew that there was a strong pull to her inside of him. He had woken up two days before the elf after the battle with the juggernaut. During that time he could not seem to get her off of his mind. It started off normally. Thoughts praising her as an amazing teacher, a great warrior, a brilliant strategist. Though as time went on, then they started to morph into something.. different.

Memories of that day in the cave. Of Ryuu's delicate curves, her soft skin against his. How fragile and small she felt in his arms when she slept. The soft rising and falling of her naked chest. He had tried his best to be respectful, but it was hard not to recognize her beauty. Her lips. Her eyes. Her touch. Her.

Four days they were in the deep levels. Struggling for their lives, risking everything and anything to protect one another. He had seen Ryuu's true beauty then. Bell had realized that she was a beautiful girl before, no doubt, but he had been so focused on Ais that he hadn't paid much thought to it.

That changed quickly.

Ryuu had put down her own life to save him more than once. She was brilliant, strong, yet delicate. Whenever she fought Bell found himself entranced in her movements, watching her lithe body twist and move in order to cut down her opponent.

She truly was a sight to behold.

Bell took a breath, steadying himself. Now was not the time to get caught up into daydreams. It was the time to figure out how to get stronger. He was filled with so much regret. Thought's of his inadequacy haunting him.

'If only I had been stronger I could've saved her all this pain. If only I had been faster. If only I had been smarter. If only I had been… '

They swirled in his brain, tormenting him. Thankfully, he was snapped out of it by none other than his goddess. Hestia had just gotten done talking to his doctor about his treatment option and had finally turned back to her beloved Bell.

"Bell-kun," she faced him, smiling happily. He glanced over to her, returning it with fake sincerity. She bought it, continuing, "Luckily the goliath scarf protected your arm from being unsalvageable. The bones are shattered but they said they can rebuild it from scratch with enough money."

Hestia looked overjoyed, happy Bell would be able to make a full recovery. Thankfully, the others had made enough money by defeating the floor boss during the time they were separated. Paying for the procedure wouldn't be a problem for now, but it would set them back on funds for a little while. Guilt hung over him. Hestia frowned, seeming to know exactly what he was thinking.

"It's okay Bell-kun, you can make it up to all of us by getting better quickly. Then you can head back to the middle levels whenever you like. Just no scaring me like that ever again." The goddess stared him down, letting the words sink in.

"Thank-you, goddess." Bell felt relief fill his chest, happy to have such a supportive deity and familia. It was only a matter of time until he recovered fully and could pay them back. Both his familia and for all the Ryuu did for him, if he ever could.

Just a few more days.