Hey everyone, sorry for the wait. But a new chapter is out and I hope you enjoy it. I'll be honest, before I started writing this chapter I felt a bit demotivated and as a result, I didn't get a lot of work done on this. I did however get work done on a pair of other things, namely a one-shot I should be posting next (Time is yet to be determined). Which is exciting, I also have had ideas for Judicial Heart that I needed to jot down and flesh out for me in order for me to focus on anything else. Sorry, I'm rambling at this point. I hope you all enjoy this chapter let me know your thoughts and thank you for checking the chapter out. -EG
Word Count: 13,987
Chapter 18
Bell breathed out deeply as his eyes shifted open, the morning light nearly blinding. But he didn't mind that, he looked over towards his companion. Ryu had her eyes closed, mouth slightly open as she lightly breathed.
'Asleep… good.' Bell thought and shifted slightly. He had his arms wrapped around her, and while he enjoyed that his mind focused and snapped to a list of tasks that needed to be done. 'First… we've got to let the guild know about our level-ups and transfer Ryu officially on paper. Then…'
He silently sighed, he knew what he needed to do, just not how to accomplish it. 'The Astraea and Zues Familia medallions… to transfer the remaining funds that might be available. Then I need to get all the members of that expedition…'
His eyes turned towards the ceiling, 'Aisha… Hermes Familia… Do I invite them after what happened with Hermes? I… can trust Aisha, I just can't trust Hermes.'
Bell flinched slightly, as Ryu shifted and cuddled even closer to Bell, leaving no space between them. Bell refocused on Ryu for a moment, the top of Ryu's head was the only thing visible.
He leaned forward and lightly kissed her forehead. Ryu seemed to shift slightly in response but didn't seem to wake up.
'I…' He took a deep breath and silently sighed. 'I'll invite Aisha… and only hope that Hermes doesn't learn about what happened.' The faint scent of pine needles flooded Bell's senses for a second. 'Why…' Feeling Ryu so close, and the warmth she seemed to radiate despite his racing mind going through every task that had to be completed. He found his mind relaxing, and soon the urge to fall back asleep overtook him. 'Ryu…'
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Bell opened his eyes again, his mind felt refreshed and the sun shined a little brighter through the uncovered window.
A pair of beautiful sky-blue eyes met his eyes less than three inches away. A faintest blush could be felt forming, but also love filled him, 'There's so much light in them unlike when…' He leaned forward and lightly tapped his forehead against Ryu's. "B…Bell?" Ryu half stuttered out.
Bell pulled away, "Sorry, I'm just happy. Happy that the first thing I see is your eyes filled with light."
Ryu pulled back an inch, her eyes half-lidded. "I… truthfully It's due to you not…"
Bell raised his right arm and gently patted the top of Ryu's head. "It's alright, you don't have to think about that… after all, it's probably going to be a long day running around."
Ryu blushed slightly at the head pat, "I… suppose you're correct. It seems like we slept through dinner… again. They might start to worry that you don't care for their food." Ryu half-joked but shifted to start rising out of the bed.
"Hey, that's not fair. You held on so tightly that I couldn't move properly after you fell asleep. Then… well… I kinda grew too comfortable and fell asleep…" Bell ended up lightly blushing and scratching his chin slightly.
Ryu shook her head, but Bell could see the slight tinge on the tips of her ears. She averted her gaze and ran a hand over her hair, moving it behind her long ear. "I… see."
After a second, Ryu nodded. "Bell…" then leaned forward slightly.
Bell hesitated for a moment, 'Ryu..' then leaned forward meeting Ryu in the middle.
They kissed for a second until they both pulled away. Ryu seemed to shiver after the simple display. "That… is going to… take some time… to get used to," Ryu muttered, even as her ears nearly started glowing.
Bell leaned forward again and met Ryu's lips again. The contact was gentle, but they both slowly leaned into the contact.
A knocking at the door drew their attention, forcing them to snap apart. "Are the two of you coming to breakfast? Mikoto and Haruhime are worried." Hestia's voice drifted through the lighter wooden door.
"Y…Yes. We'll be right down!" Bell half shouted, after which he could hear footsteps leaving the door.
Bell sighed, "You know… A part of me… really wants to just ignore what needs to be done." He sat up straight and stretched lightly.
Ryu did likewise until she leaned over and lightly kissed Bell on the cheek, she looked ready to almost faint from the constant display of affection between them. "I understand… but that'll just cause problems down the road."
Bell sighed and got out of bed. "I know…"
After a second, Ryu moved around the bed. "Go ahead, I'll be right behind you." She did her best to smile at Bell, but to Bell, it felt slightly forced.
Bell watched her for a second but nodded. "Alright. I… love you." He spoke softly as he started moving toward the door.
"And I.. you… Bell." Ryu's voice was quiet, but it still helped to warm his heart. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and stepped into the hall.
X
Ryu stood there silently, after a moment she heard Bell's steps going down the hall. Ryu collapsed onto the bed, her hands holding her face. She didn't need to look in the mirror to know how sharp her blush was, she had been fighting to keep it contained.
"I… didn't think he would… go in for another…" Ryu muttered, that actually nearly broke the limited control she had.
It took a few moments for her heart to stop racing. The moment of blissful thought faded, and a light pain entered her heart again. She for a second remembered Astraea's teasing, about how she wanted grandchildren, or how she halfway forced Ryu to sit on Bell's lap.
Despite the extreme embarrassment at the moment, knowing that Astraea would never tease her again hurt more than she would admit. "There's no use… in drowning myself with negative thoughts."
She stood and shifted, making sure her clothes looked presentable. That brought back into mind the package Astraea had packed for her, she remembered how it felt like clothing. 'Maybe… After breakfast… before we head into town.'
She ran through a list of objects she knew needed to get done. 'Maybe tonight actually…' She wanted to know what was in the package… but a part of her didn't want to open it. 'It's… almost like if I open that last gift… it'll… be finally accepting that Astraea is gone.'
Ryu let a single tear fall, she could feel many more forming. But she forced her mind to focus on something… anything else. The first thought that came to mind was Bell's warmth, which sent a wave of embarrassment through her. 'Why… is that the first thing I think of?!'
She took a few calming breaths, stretched heavily by leaning side to side feeling a spot in her back pop.
She breathed out as she relaxed her body. 'Right…'
Ryu moved and opened the door quickly before she felt like locking herself in there. 'It's funny… it's not even my room technically… that's something else that needs to get done.' She breathed out again and started making her way down the hall.
It was quiet, but she could hear the distant clatter of voices. They only grew louder as she grew close to the dining hall. She hesitated, for a second feeling like she didn't belong… 'I don't deserve to…' she slapped her cheeks, took another breath, and forced herself to open the doors.
She saw the entire Familia gathered around a large table. Plates of food sat in front of everyone, but no one was eating. Bell saw her, smiled, and waved her over to a seat next to him. Ryu hesitated but did so. She bowed slightly at the rest of the Familia and sat down, she looked at the plate, it looked like an omelet with a bed of rice next to it. A dark but thin sauce was drizzled over it, and a small bowl of fruit was cut into small pieces.
Ryu looked at the food in amazement, unable to believe this was the quality she could expect regularly. "Thank you for the food. It looks amazing."
Ryu noticed that it wasn't Mikoto who blushed, it was Haruhime. Mikoto smiled and patted her friend on the back, "See. I told you it looked good. Haruhime-dono was the one who made almost everything today. I only cut the fruit."
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Breakfast went by quickly, despite being a simple breakfast it did taste delicious. A round of praise for Haruhime came out one after another, by the end of it Haruhime was flushed crimson, head facing downward, her tail flickering back and forth rapidly.
"Right," Bell started as he stood looking at the Familia, "Today, we are going to head to the guild to officially transfer Ryu to Hestia Familia and announce our levels. What are you all planning?"
Welf shrugged, "Seeing as I'm nearing completion of your new armor, that's the first item on my list." Bell nodded and waited for the other members to speak.
Eina spoke next, "I was planning on either continuing what Ryu had told us, or going into the dungeon for a little while."
Bell thought for a moment, "Sounds good, if you do decide to go into the dungeon make sure to grab someone else as well. You never know what can happen there."
Lili sighed, "I can go with you, but we'll need to be back before it gets too late. I have a fair bit of running around to do to prepare for our night at the Hostess." Lili was slumped back in her chair.
"I would appreciate it if you do, and thank you for your hard work." Bell's gentle compliment seemed to cause Lili to sit a little straighter in Ryu's eyes.
Bell glanced at Mikoto and Haruhime, "I…" Haruhime started, stopped but continued after a moment. "I wanted to continue the training Ryu gave. At least with what she taught Yesterday. Then chores followed by visiting Takemikazuchi Familia."
Mikoto glanced between Haruhime and Bell for a second. "Right, I'll probably stay with Haruhime-dono, to make sure she doesn't hurt herself with the training."
"Mikoto-san!" Haruhime complained, flicking her eyes towards Mikoto.
"Alright, sounds like a plan. Just remember not to push yourself too hard." Bell waited until Haruhime nodded then continued. "Alright everyone, it's time to get moving." With that said, Bell picked up his dirty dishes and left for the kitchen.
Some idle chatter filled the dining hall, Ryu followed suit picking up her dirty dishes and following Bell.
The moment Ryu rounded the corner, she saw Bell staring off into space by the kitchen sink. "Bell?" He didn't respond immediately, so she quickly placed her dishes down and gently shook Bell.
After a moment Bell shifted his head to look at Ryu, "Oh sorry… I…" He shook his head and rubbed at his temples. "I was just thinking about… how am I going to be able to do anything… at the Hostess. I…"
Ryu placed a hand on his back and gently rubbed it. "It's alright Bell… if you need me to I can help fill in the gaps."
But again Bell shook his head, "This… is something I need to be able to talk about…"
Ryu shifted her head, "Maybe… but regardless, I'm here to help regardless."
Bell sighed and started letting some water fill the basin. "I'm sorry… I'm focused on this… and yet you just…"
Ryu raised a hand and flicked him on the forehead. "Don't think like that, Bell. Sure… it's hard to think about… Astraea leaving…" She paused for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts, "It's alright… to be concerned with your own problems, and if it's affecting you so much then it's affecting me as well." She gently pulled Bell into a hug and squeezed.
Bell stopped what he was doing, "I…" After a second he returned the hug. "Right, you're right. We'll deal with this together. Ryu…" Bell paused and Ryu looked him directly in the eyes. "Thank you, if I do… stop at the Hostess… please continue."
Ryu let a small smile show, nodded, and squeezed just a little tighter. "I can do that."
X
The guild was busy, which Bell was not excited about. Despite Ouranos' declaration of Ryu's innocence, he knew many would still hate her for what she had done.
He glanced around to look for the shortest line at the front desk. They were almost all evenly distributed, so with a sigh he joined the closest one. Ryu stood next to him, almost as rigid as a statue. "It's alright, just take a deep breath," Bell whispered, after a moment he heard Ryu do just that.
Bell glanced over to the notice board, seeing that the posting for Ryu's innocence was still there. 'I'm surprised It's still posted, with how much time has passed. Did Ouranos want to make sure the message got across?'
He took a step forward, 'I'm… going to need to get in contact with Fels or Ouranos to make sure we can transfer the Zues Familia belongings, even if I'm sure most of it's gone. Astraea Familia will likely be the same, now that I think about it.'
Bell took another step forward, the guild receptionist he was in line for was a red-haired werewolf. 'Rose, if I remember correctly.' The only interaction he'd have with her was exchanging his stones for valis.
Bell took another step forward, and he felt several eyes staring at him. He did his best to ignore it, but he couldn't help but let a slight shiver run down his spine. It almost felt like a dozen needles were pricking his back as he stood and waited.
'I'm glad honestly, I would rather them watch me than judge Ryu.' He took a breath and glanced at Ryu taking a step forward. She was repeatedly taking deep breaths, but on the surface, she looked fine. 'We need to wrap this up quickly.'
"Next," Rose spoke, her voice reaching Bell causing him to move up to the counter with Ryu. "Oh it's you, what do you want?" Rose asked in a rough tone.
"Hello… three things." Bell started, causing Rose to sigh, "First… I wanted to officially announce her transfer from Astraea Familia to Hestia Familia."
Without looking Rose retrieved a paper from beneath her counter space and slid it over to Ryu although she did raise an eyebrow at the mention of Astraea Familia. "Fill that out, and do you have proof?"
Ryu nodded and took a pen filling out the form. "What else?" Rose asked.
Bell pulled out two pieces of paper from Hestia, "This should count as proof for her transfer, and it shows we both leveled to level 5."
Bell noticed that Rose grew a shade paler, retrieved two documents from behind the counter, and slid them in front of Bell. "Fill those out… you said three things… right?"
Bell nodded, "Correct… I…" He reached into a pocket of his brown jacket, "Need to transfer whatever funds are remaining to the Hestia Familia as well." He placed the medallion with the symbol of Astraea Familia on the surface.
"Why today… tomorrow would've been my day off." Rose muttered, but took the medallion and glanced it over, before nodding. "Shouldn't be a problem, but it'll be a few minutes. Fill out those forms, I'll be back with a statement."
Rose left the counter with the medallion, Bell heard several groans from behind them. He glanced back and saw several people get out of line and join a different queue.
Bell glanced down at the documents, Ryu had finished her transfer paperwork and glanced at the level-up document. "What… should I put… there isn't enough room for everything."
Bell shook his head, "The last time I filled this out, Eina suggested just putting what triggered the level up… considering everything that has happened. You could just put the same as me."
Bell noticed Ryu glancing at the section that he started filling out. 'Trigger for leveling: Trapped on floor 37 due to Lambton attack. Survived the climb with no supplies while being injured.' He left it purposely vague, due to the gag Ouranos had put on what exactly happened.
Ryu seemed to hesitate but nodded after a second and she wrote the same thing.
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It took several minutes before Rose returned, both had finished the paperwork shortly after Rose left. "Here's your invoice." Rose held out a slip of paper taking the paperwork Bell and Ryu finished. She glanced it over and her eyes widened a bit, glanced up towards Ryu then to Bell. "I… think I'm going to need a stiff drink…" Rose muttered, before sighing. "Is there anything else you need help with right now?"
Her voice was brisk and Bell guessed she wanted to be done with them. Bell shook his head, "No… I think that'll be it for now. Have a good day, and thank you." Bell gave a quick bow, nudged Ryu and they started moving, letting the next person in line move forward to take their place.
'I feel bad for the guild staff…' Bell couldn't help but think as he looked up towards the clear sky.
He reached out his hand, and Ryu slowly grasped it. "Well? Do you feel like getting some lunch, or would you prefer to head back?"
Ryu looked at him for a moment, a light blush on her face. "Neither…"
Bell didn't respond, instead waited for Ryu to continue. "Truth be told… I would… rather find a place to sit and relax for a little bit…" It seemed like it was hard for Ryu to confess what she really wanted.
Bell tucked the invoice into a pocket and thought for a second. "Sounds great, you know… I might have just the spot… although last time I was there it was nighttime, but the view wasn't bad."
Slowly Bell led Ryu, it was a place he had discovered by accident when running around Orario with Hestia. They were quiet as they walked, Bell wished he could express his feelings of gratitude, love, and the warmth he felt as they held hands. 'I… can't, I don't have the right words to express these feelings.'
They walked for almost thirty minutes and walked up a small slope. There was a tower that stood there with a massive Bell inside it, but on the outside, there were a couple of benches that starred out over Orario.
Bell glanced over to Ryu, her eyes looked a little watery. "Ryu?" Bell asked, helping Ryu, who started to sway a bit, sit on the closest bench.
After a second, Ryu shook her head. "Sorry… I was… this view caused me to remember something."
Bell didn't push, instead, he looked out at the city. Large swaths of buildings were visible, the innumerous roofs seemed to shine an orange from the baked clay that made up the tiles.
As always, no matter where you go, the tower of Babel stood tall watching… always watching.
Bell shivered for a second at the feeling of being watched but did his best to ignore the sensation. It has grown to be so familiar… especially in recent times.
"I remember, I remembered when Alise showed me a spot to overlook the city. It was her way of showing what she fought for." Ryu tore her eyes from the city and glanced up towards the sky. "I wish… you would've had a chance to meet her. The two of you would've gotten along I think."
Bell didn't say anything in response, instead just squeezed her hand a little tighter.
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They sat there for over an hour, mostly in silence. A few small words were exchanged, but overall it was quiet. A soft breeze blew past them and the sun had noticeably moved.
Without any words, almost as if they both agreed that they had spent far too much time sitting. They both stood, looked at the other, and smiled slightly.
"I suppose you're right, there is still more that needs to get done," Bell commented, a half laugh caught in his throat.
Ryu looked at him, an eyebrow raised. "I'm right? You were the one who stood first."
Bell shook his head, "Maybe… maybe not. Either way…"
Ryu nodded, looked back over the city then took a deep breath. "Right."
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The sun was bright in the sky, but it wasn't hot. If anything it felt pleasant, Bell glanced up towards the sky, "Looks like summer is almost over. It actually feels pretty nice today."
Truth be told he didn't really have anything to talk about. But still, Ryu, who slowly walked next to him, nodded in agreement. "Probably only a month until the nights start to grow cooler."
Bell focused on the temperature and had to agree, 'Not that our bodies would notice really. The heat was much more manageable with my blessing compared to last year.' For a moment Bell remembered helping his grandfather till a field, as the sun burned. 'Don't think about him right now…' He told himself, the last person he wanted to think about was his grandfather.
"Bell?" Ryu softly asked as they started to approach the walls of the Hearth Manor.
It took a second, but Bell noticed that he was squeezing Ryu's hand slightly. "Ah… sorry Ryu, I… was just remembering times before I came to Orario."
Ryu tilted her head slightly, "Was it something that frustrated you?"
Bell sighed and shook his head. "No… not really, it's more that it reminded me of someone I don't want to think about right now." Bell took a deep breath, trying to calm his mind.
After a moment Ryu nodded. "Right…"
They walked around the large walled-off yard, to move towards the front gates. They could've jumped over the wall, but it would've been a pointless action.
What they saw by the front gate caused Bell to freeze for a second, two figures stood outside the gate looking through the bars. Both he recognized, "Aiz… Lady Riveria…" Bell whispered.
He could hear Haruhime's voice even from a distance, she sounded physically and mentally exhausted. "I'm sorry but Master Bell isn't here right now."
Bell grimaced at the use of the word Master. Ryu seemed to have frozen the moment she walked around the corner. 'Right… the last time Ryu saw Aiz she was fighting in an attempt to stall for time.' Bell remembered.
He squeezed Ryu's hand, "We can come back later." Bell whispered, but Ryu shook her head and took a step forward.
Riveria's Emerald Green eyes shot toward Bell and Ryu after a few steps. She seemed to study them for a second, then nodded tapping Aiz on the shoulder.
A look of excitement, anger, and sadness flicked through Aiz's eyes. As she started marching towards the pair.
Ryu acted, starting to take a step in front of Bell. He could see her hand resting on the dagger she had kept hidden.
"You lied…" Aiz spoke as she approached, completely ignoring Ryu.
Bell thought for a moment trying to remember what she was talking about.
"Please stop there," Ryu spoke, getting into a more defensive stance.
Bell shook his head as a memory appeared at the front of his mind. "It's alright Ryu." He said that, but seeing the surprisingly apparent emotions in Aiz's eyes caused him to worry. "I'm sorry, Aiz. It's been a busy several weeks." Bell took a step forward to stand next to his partner.
"Doesn't matter. You're here now, let's go spar." Aiz muttered, reaching out for Bell's arm to start dragging him away.
Bell shifted and moved out of the way. "Again, I'm sorry Aiz. But it's been busy and I've got a… rough day coming up. I would rather not… spar today."
"If not today then when? You promised that we would spar again once everything was over. Everything is over now." Aiz stood, her hand resting on the rapier at her hip.
Ryu opened her mouth to start speaking, but Bell started first. "I don't know when between what I mentioned prior and all the responsibility I have as Captain. Including training the other members, preparing for the possibility of another expedition, and several other things…"
While everything he said was true, he didn't want to for one important reason. 'What if… sparring with Aiz reignites…' He shook the thought out of his mind. 'Aiz had been a goal, and someone I had a crush on. Things are different now… I'm different now.'
He took a deep breath, but Aiz spoke. "According to that maid, you didn't seem to have anything planned today. So let's spar today."
Bell winced slightly and glanced at Riveria who was holding the bridge of her nose. Shifted to look at Aiz, who looked like she wouldn't drop it. "Fine… I can spar today, but if I do today I don't think I will be able to again. At least not for a while."
"Bell!" Ryu half shouted next to him. "Are you sure about that? With what's happening tomorrow… won't that just make it harder on you?"
"Good. Follow." Aiz turned, her long golden hair flaring almost shining in the sunlight.
Bell took a deep breath, "I know… Ryu. But we were at an impasse and I… need to confirm something." He reached out and gave her hand a squeeze, "Don't worry about me. I'm sure I'll be alright."
Riveria watched, and her eyebrow lifted slightly when Bell grabbed Ryu's hand. But remained silent, as she started following Aiz.
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Bell glanced out over the wall, the mass of plains that could be seen. Very distant thunderclouds could be seen, Bell doubted they would last long enough to reach Orario. Bell took a deep breath, readied both his dagger, and faced his opponent.
His body still felt off from the recent level, 'I need to be careful.' He told himself. His eyes flicked towards Ryu and Riveria who both stood off against the wall.
Bell turned his complete focus onto Aiz, he really didn't want to be knocked out again. Between Ryu and Aiz… lap pillows were a dangerous possibility.
Bell took a half step forward, and Aiz did the same. Bell blinked and Aiz rushed towards him.
He reacted on instinct, flicking his black knife into a defensive position causing her rapier to glance off the flat of his blade.
Aiz's rapier flew past his arm, as Bell swung his white blade in a quick arc.
Aiz rolled to avoid the strike and launched towards Bell. He tensed preparing to intercept the blow.
His daggers crossed, and he redirected the strike off to the right. Taking the momentary opening, he kicked aiming for Aiz's left thigh.
'Slow.' That was all that crossed Bell's mind. He missed Aiz as she twisted around his kick lashing out with one of her own.
Bell winced, as the kick landed on his lower back. He stumbled forward, forced off balance, and using that momentum he forced his body to turn and face his opponent.
He blinked as her sword tip stopped half an inch from his throat. He breathed out and moved his hands up into a surrendering position. "You win."
Bell watched as Aiz let a breath leave her lungs and some of the tension faded she withdrew her rapier placing it back into its sheath.
Aiz took three steps backward, "Ready up." Aiz spoke softly, getting ready for another round.
Bell took a deep breath, 'I need to focus on ending this soon. Or we'll be here all day. I… would rather not.'
X
Ryu watched as a small frustration built in her body. She stood on the sidelines for almost three hours, watching Bell slowly get battered. The thing that frustrated her the most was, Bell refused to let her heal him.
She glanced up towards the sky noticing the position of the sun. 'I'll have to intervene in an hour or two. I'm sure the others are worried about our disappearance.'
She glanced over to Riveria standing to her right, she had a small frown on her face. "Lady Riveria... What's wrong?"
Riveria shook her head, "Oh, nothing really. I'm just trying to understand why Aiz is so desperate."
Ryu watched Aiz for a moment, her expression was neutral as they stood for the next round. Ryu could see a couple of scratches against Aiz's armor showing that Bell wasn't the only one taking damage.
But even still, she knew that Bell had taken significantly more damage. She eyed her partner, and she wanted to jump out and stop it. There was a bruise forming under his left eye where he had been kicked. There was a small cut on his left forearm which fortunately wasn't bleeding.
'His strong body Developmental Ability is probably the main reason he hasn't fallen unconscious.' Ryu thought, thankful for the development. But it still didn't help her worry, 'Maybe it's my imagination… but it almost seems like Aiz is purposely trying to knock out Bell.'
She thought back to whether Bell had ever mentioned anything related. 'I remember him saying they had trained a couple of times, but he didn't really give details.'
The sound of metal clashing drew Ryu's attention back to the current situation. Bell was attacking faster, using both weapons in unison. 'He's adapting to her Agility and Dexterity.' Ryu thought as Aiz rotated her body around the first strike and blocked the second with her rapier.
Again Ryu glanced toward the sun to see how much time had progressed. "This is going to need to wrap up soon," Ryu whispered, as she returned her attention to the sparring.
Bell rolled backward to avoid a kick and launched himself backward with his offhand. Ryu took a deep breath, trying to relax her body. 'After this one, I'm going to heal him regardless of his wishes. Seeing him injured…'
A brief memory, one so quick she barely recognized it, flashed before her eyes. Bell lay in a growing pool of blood, having destroyed the Amphisbaena.
She felt lightheaded and had to put a hand over her mouth to steady herself.
"Are you alright Ryu?" Riveria asked, their full attention was drawn to her. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Bell's eyes flick towards her a hint of concern in the ruby orbs.
It took a second for the lightheaded feeling to fade, after it did she nodded. "Yes… sorry Lady Riveria… I just remembered something… unpleasant."
Riveria paused for a second, nodded, and continued to speak. "I understand, every once in a while I have flashes of distant memories. Do you want to talk about it?"
Ryu's eyes turned to focus on Bell. "No… I'll be alright, that specific memory while fresh has been resolved."
She noticed Riveria glance between Ryu and Bell, the current state of Bell and Riveria almost seemed to zone out for a second. "I think I understand."
Ryu with a clear head focused on the fighting, she could tell Bell was distracted by her sudden reaction.
She watched as Bell used his twin daggers, locking Aiz's sword in place. He pushed back forcing Aiz into a stalemate. A look of surprise flicked through her golden eyes but it was gone extremely quickly.
"I know it's not really any of my business, but has Eina asked you for training?" Riveria queried quietly.
Ryu hesitated to respond, but after a second of thinking about it didn't see the harm in it. "Yes. Her and two others." Ryu sighed, "I'm not one for teaching… especially with being… distracted by recent events."
Ryu had been trying her best to focus on tasks, to avoid thinking about the truth of Astraea. But she knew it would sneak up eventually, she only hoped she could mask the emotions when they eventually did if she was in a public setting.
Emotions crashed against her mental landscape like a bottled storm, they weren't as intense as when she nearly made an immense mistake, but they were there.
She looked down at the wall sitting beneath her feet, the bricks were surprisingly smooth underfoot. She took a deep breath, but it wasn't smooth, the breath caught in her throat twice before she managed to fully take the breath.
Ryu felt a hand approaching, so she moved away on instinct. She glanced over and looked as Riveria's hand lingered there. 'Was she going to rub my back?'
Riveria lowered her arm in understanding, "I don't know what's happened to you recently, but it's obvious a lot has. It's fine to take time to process that." Riveria whispered, just loud enough for Ryu to hear.
"Thank you for the advice, but with everything going on right now… that's not a great option." A groan caught Ryu's attention back to the fight.
Aiz had just smacked Bell in the ribs with the flat of her rapier. "You were distracted. Focus." Aiz's voice was flat, almost disappointed.
Bell rushed at her, and Aiz's look of disappointment only increased. She dodged the reckless swing, kicking Bell in the stomach and in a brutal strike, the pommel of her rapier cracked into the back of Bell's head.
The crack was loud, and Bell instantly went limp falling towards the ground.
Ryu acted without thinking. She dashed towards them and managed to catch Bell before he hit the ground.
She picked up Bell and moved closer to the wall, noticing a hint of excitement in Aiz's eyes.
"Let me," Aiz spoke, halfway pulling Bell out of Ryu's careful carrying.
Ryu was stunned for a moment, as she watched Aiz lower herself into a sitting position, then lowered Bell's head onto her thighs.
A blush flashed over Ryu in a second. "That… No."
She took a deep breath, "Why are you doing that?" She tried to remain calm.
Aiz tilted her head and looked up at her in confusion, "This always happens during training. Knock him out, I will do this."
Ryu hesitated, she was going to just let it happen until Aiz started patting his head. This grew to be too much for Ryu.
"Please stop," Ryu spoke, then took a deep breath. "Bell… is… my… p…p…partner. I can't have this happening."
Aiz tilted her head in confusion, her ears burned at the open statement. A look of understanding crossed Riveria's face.
Ryu reached down and pulled Bell away from Aiz, hesitating for a split second before doing the same thing Aiz was doing.
Aiz stood a look of irritation flashing through her eyes. Before anything could start, Riveria stepped forward. "Aiz, I think it's about time we start heading home. Look at what time it is."
Aiz paused and glanced up towards the sun that blazed brilliantly. "It's not that late."
Riveria nodded, "True, but you do have to remember that there are others worried about us. Here how about this, if we start heading home now I'll buy you a couple of potato snacks?" Her long staff tapping on the ground.
Aiz glanced between Bell and Ryu and then towards Riveria, she let out a tense breath and sighed. "Alright…"
Without a word, Aiz started moving away from Ryu and Bell. Riveria turned, bowed her head slightly then followed after the Sword Princess.
After a second Ryu let out a long breath. Staring blankly at the wall and letting the embarrassment of her actions fade away. She focused down towards Bell, closed her eyes, and started chanting Noah Heal.
X
Bell's mind was foggy, and his head hurt but it felt like he was resting on the most expensive pillow he could imagine.
He shifted slightly and heard a small gasp. His eyes cracked open, and he could see the blushing face of Ryu hovering over him.
"R…Ryu." He gasped trying to sit up, but a gentle hand held him down.
After a moment, he stopped took a deep breath, and flicked his eyes around searching for Aiz and Riveria.
"They already left. About ten minutes ago." Ryu spoke, answering his unasked question.
Bell sighed, "I see…"
They sat there in silence for a minute, "Bell… you said you needed to confirm something. Did you?" Ryu's voice shifted to a slightly less embarrassed tone.
Bell sat there and glanced at the clouds in the distance, his instincts told him to nod but he forced himself not to. "I… did and I'm glad I did."
After a moment he continued, "Do you want to know?"
Ryu hesitated but nodded, "I do, but I wasn't going to force the information out of you." Her hand rubbed softly on the top of her head.
Bell was silent for a long few seconds. 'How should I answer?' He thought, but after a second he decided to just be honest. "I… needed to confirm how I feel about Aiz. I've had a crush on her for the longest time… but after everything… I had to make sure that it was gone."
Ryu's blue eyes glanced down at him, they shimmered slightly. Before Ryu could say anything he continued, "They're gone… I… didn't know for sure until… We started sparring. That's how we always spent time together…" He took a breath, "I thought… if we were to I could confirm what I already knew… or at least hoped."
He felt ashamed, 'I entered into a relationship with Ryu… without being one hundred percent sure.'
He took a deep breath and tried to sit up. This time Ryu didn't stop him, "Ryu…" In a sitting position, he turned until he was facing Ryu. "I'm sorry… it was wrong… when I wasn't… completely sure about…"
His words were cut off as Ryu reached forward and embraced him. "I know. I… understand, I think. Thank you for being honest, Bell."
Ryu pulled away slightly, looking him straight in the face. "I love you."
Bell was surprised, for a moment. "And I love you." He thought about how this was pretty much the first time, Ryu didn't hesitate or stumble as she whispered those words.
Ryu leaned forward and Bell followed until they kissed.
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They stood outside the main gate to Hearth Manor once more. This time, nobody was waiting outside. He knew Ryu had healed him after he fell unconscious without needing to ask.
They entered the gate and decided to walk around the building to the back where the training spot was.
There lay two people unconscious. Bell immediately ran towards them, Haruhime and Eina lay there. After a moment he noticed Mikoto sitting off to the side panting.
After a moment of panic, Bell took a deep breath. 'Remember… They were practicing Concurrent Casting.' Bell thought, and it helped soothe his racing heart.
Ryu was right next to him and moved much closer and started chanting her Noah Heal spell.
Mikoto seemed to stiffen at the sound of chanting, "Bell-dono, Ryu-dono."
"Mikoto, please tell me they are like this from Concurrent Chanting practice," Bell spoke as he took a step closer. Keeping his eyes focused on the two Familia members.
"Yes!" Mikoto half shouted, "Sorry Bell-dono, I would've used a healing potion on them, but we are currently out and nobody else has healing magic."
Bell took a deep breath to calm his racing mind, as he had imagined the worst. "I understand… I'm sorry, I was just surprised… I wasn't expecting that to be the first thing I saw."
Bell looked at the pair again, noticing that they were close together and away from the main practice area. 'Mikoto moved them after they passed out.'
"Thank you Mikoto, I can tell now that even during your own practice you moved or helped to move them to a better location," Bell spoke with sincerity, and bowed slightly at her.
Mikoto looked like she was about to say something, but they were interrupted as Haruhime groaned and shifted her tail into a more comfortable position. A few seconds later Eina sat up and rubbed at the bridge of her nose.
They both looked defeated, "How are you both feeling?" Bell asked as he crouched next to the pair. A sorry smile on his face.
Haruhime immediately sat up and half bowed in a sitting position. "Master Bell."
Bell could only sigh at her response. "None of that Haruhime. How are you feeling? Some for you Eina."
Eina shifted and tried to stand, halfway tottered but managed it. "Terrible. I feel like I've been hit over the head over and over."
Haruhime stood after a second, wobbled then stood up straight. "I feel alright. Just a small headache."
Bell could tell she was lying and debated on saying something but stopped himself. "Very well. Why don't the three of you take a moment and go bathe? Afterwards, I would like to hear your thoughts on your progress."
Haruhime shook her head, "I'm sorry Master Bell. I still have much work to do around the Manor." There was a fierceness in her eyes.
Bell sighed, "Haruhime, I appreciate all the hard work you've been putting in… honestly it almost feels like we are taking advantage of you…" An idea popped into his head, 'Maybe… I could kill two birds with one stone.'
Bell took a breath, as Haruhime looked towards the ground, her tail shifting slightly. In a gentle voice, he spoke, "Haruhime… What do you have left to do today?"
Haruhime stiffened, but after a moment bowed. "I… I've got to dust the library, deep clean the kitchen well… after dinner, clean the halls in the left wing of the manor, clean off all the mirrors in the bathrooms, and beat the dust out of the rugs in Lady Hestia's office and the common room."
Bell felt even worse after hearing the list of things that needed to get done today. Bell took a deep breath, his decision made up. "No, no you don't. Not today at least, go relax. I'll take care of it now that I have a list."
A look of heartbreak flashed through Haruhime's eyes, "M….Master Bell! Please you don't have to, I fully accepted this when I gained Lady Hestia's blessing. Please…"
Bell noticed that the others were watching. Bell took a breath, trying how to best explain his thoughts. "Haruhime, truly thank you for everything you've done since you joined. But you've been working nonstop, when you're not in the dungeon you're working around the manor and now you've added Concurrent Casting practice to that list."
Bell paused seeing Haruhime's tail sagging, he could guess what she was thinking. "So please… just today, take a break."
Haruhime's resolve was shifting, "But… it's my purpose here… without that…"
Seeing Haruhime think of herself as her only purpose in the Familia is to clean, hurt far more than he would let everyone know.
"Don't think like that Haruhime… let me tell you something. My purpose in the Familia is to make sure everyone else is alright and taken care of… and I've been negligent of that responsibility." He hadn't expected to admit how he felt on that subject, but the words had already been spoken. "I'm… trying to do better, but I know I can't do that alone."
"And what about yourself? From the moment I've met you, you've been always running around trying to do everything. Sure you went on a journey with Ryu-san, but that's it. You've always put others first, not caring about yourself. I've seen the consequences it's had on you, the sleepless nights, the nightmares, the pain you've been in." Haruhime spoke so fast, the entire thing came out in a single breath.
Bell didn't have an answer, not immediately. After a second of silence. "You're right, I have been going at a crazy pace, protecting and caring about others is almost always the first priority."
Bell took a deep breath, hesitant to speak about what he knew might come out wrong. "And again you're correct with the consequences. I've had more sleepless nights, more nightmares, and have experienced more pain than I care to admit."
Haruhime raised her head, feeling justified in his response. "That being said, all those things don't outweigh the good that has happened since I came to Orario. I have a family now, people I can trust without any hesitation. People who I can rely on, people who I can lean on when times get hard… that ability to lean on others wasn't easy to learn and the first step will take place tomorrow. By me trying to help ease the burden of my memories."
Haruhime lowered her head again, "We've got a little off-topic." Bell continued, "My point is Haruhime, you don't have to do all that by yourself, you have many reasons to be here than to work as a maid. Your kindness helps when people are having a dark day, and your determination to help others is something I admire. So please Haruhime, at least for today… let me take this small burden, even as you and everyone else will help take mine tomorrow."
Haruhime quivered like she wanted to cry. But after a moment Haruhime bowed. "As… you wish…" With a little dejection in her steps, she started making her way towards the doors that led inside.
The four watched as Haruhime left. The moment she left their view, Bell collapsed into a sitting position. A sharp sense of panic erupted from his mind, causing his heart rate to jump.
He heard many footsteps approaching, "Bell!" Ryu's voice was the first to reach him. Followed by a similar shock from Mikoto and Eina.
Bell waved them away, "I'm… alright. I… should've handled that better… please go make sure Haruhime is doing alright." He had to take great gasps of air, a few small memories bubbled unwarranted to his mind.
Without conscious thought, he grabbed at his right arm with his left and took several deep breaths. He glanced around to see the three still watching him. "Please go check on Haruhime…"
Mikoto immediately bowed, "As you wish Bell-dono." Her soft footsteps were the only thing that could be heard.
Bell sat there for a moment completely silent, a soft hand rubbed at his back causing him to shiver. He took a deep breath as the memories faded. "This… isn't good." He whispered, Eina stood two feet away not sure what to do.
Ryu's hand continued to rub his back, as she spoke. "Is it…"
Bell nodded sharply, cutting off Ryu's words. "Yes… it was." Bell took a few more shuddering breaths, then tried to force his body to stand. It felt harder than it should have, but he managed. "Eina… Ryu… can you both go as well? Eina you need to rest as well. Ryu… it'll give you a chance to talk with others besides me."
Eina looked uncomfortable, "Bell, I…"
But Bell shook his head, "It's alright… but please at least try to."
Eina took a sharp inhalation of air, "Alright…" After a second or two, she started backing away towards the main building.
Ryu shifted uncomfortably as they stood there in silence. "Bell, come on. Let's get you to bed. I can wake you when it's time for dinner."
But Bell shook his head, "No…" He took a deep breath, "I need to prove my point. Besides, I doubt I could sleep right now anyway."
Ryu hesitated, "Bell, look at me."
Bell hesitated but looked into her sky-blue eyes. He felt exhausted from the unexpected surge of emotions.
Ryu leaned a little closer, "Bell, are you sure you'll be alright? I'll help you, I don't mind."
Bell sighed slightly, "I… I don't know for sure. But I think the worst has passed, it was just an unexpected wave of memories." Bell's right arm tingled, as he stood up straight. "But no, I think I'll be alright. Please Ryu, as much as I love you and want you by my side…" Bell noticed the sudden sharp crimson hue spreading up the lengths of her long ears, "I also want you to be happy, that means making friends that you can talk with besides me."
Bell took a small breath and continued. "If it doesn't work out then that's alright. But all I ask is that you try." Bell did his best to give a reassuring smile. But he knew it must've looked hollow.
"Bell… I…" Ryu hesitated, took a deep breath, and tried to continue. In a wave like a dam breaking Ryu spoke quickly. "Bell, I'm afraid to. I'm afraid that if I make more allies and friends, it'll force me to remember things I don't want to remember. Or worse, something like what happened before will happen again. I don't… think I… could handle that… again."
Bell could see tears forming as she spewed out her concerns, 'Those concerns are both reasonable and ridiculous.' Bell thought, but he didn't voice his thoughts. Instead, he simply hugged Ryu, as the sun started passing over the wall cloaking the city in darkness.
Ryu shivered but returned the hug. "Ryu… I'll leave the decision to you. I understand why you're scared of that possibility, that paralyzing fear. But at the same time, look deep down and tell me. Do you want your friends to be only those at the Hostess and myself, or would you want more even if only a couple?"
Bell didn't pull away but continued, "I won't push you anymore if you don't want to. But all I ask is that you try."
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.
Bell wasn't sure how much time passed, the sun had faded behind the wall entirely. "Alright…" Ryu whispered, more to herself than to Bell.
Bell gently rubbed her back and waited. Eventually, Ryu's voice broke the silence. "Bell… I'll try. But considering my personality… it might be hard."
Bell nodded into Ryu's shoulder, "That's alright. Just remember friendships don't form instantly. You helping them with Concurrent Casting is a start, but if you just be yourself I'm sure you can draw others to you."
Bell felt Ryu nod slightly and felt the pressure on his body as she started letting go. He held it for a second longer but eventually, they separated. "Right, well I've got some dust to clean." Bell half chuckled, Ryu looked at him and he could see the slight reluctance to let him be alone.
"It's be fine, I'll be fine… tonight. After tomorrow… well that'll be hard to say." Bell spoke, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze before slowly backing away.
Ryu seemed to hesitate but took a deep breath and marched her way into the building leaving Bell alone. He glanced up towards the sky, seeing the brilliant blue melting away to orange and the sun continued its fall.
After a few minutes, Bell shook his head to focus and started his way towards the Library. His right arm tingled from the memories the entire time.
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The library as expected was empty, 'It's a shame… I should come here more often.' Bell thought as he closed the door behind him.
The library felt surprisingly large in Bell's mind, but he knew that it wasn't very large. Rows of bookshelves lined each side of Bell as he took a few steps in. Against the back wall, he could see a table for people to sit and read.
Glancing to his left and right, he could see the individual aisles the shelves made. If he had to guess, there were probably eight shelves in total.
Before he got to cleaning, he looked around the shelves to remember how they were sorted. "Let's see…" He glanced at the shelf closest to him and found they were all story books. Many he recognized as Hero stories.
'Right… I imagine Haruhime has been the one caring for the library, she would probably want Hero stories to be the first thing as she moved towards the table.' That made him wonder how she managed to find time to read with everything else that consumed her time.
Bell sighed, remembering the argument they just had, "I need to talk to her and apologize… I really… don't have room to talk." Bell took a few steps towards the wall, where in the corner of the room sat cleaning supplies.
Without any hesitation, he picked up a feather duster and got to work.
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.
An hour passed, and most of the dust was taken care of, only a few spots remained, which Bell took care of quickly.
The silence that filled the library as he worked helped to calm his mind and he started humming a song. After a few notes, he paused, "Where have I heard this song? I don't remember it… but I know it." That momentary confusion caused him to pause as the entry door opened.
Bell turned his head to see Haruhime wearing a clean red kimono. Haruhime looked like she wasn't paying attention to where she was, 'Maybe out of muscle memory?'
Bell took a breath, "Hello Haruhime." He spoke in a soft tone, but Haruhime nearly jumped in surprise.
Haruhime flushed slightly but immediately started to take a step back. "I'm sorry… I…"
Bell noticed that it looked like Haruhime was going to run away. "Haruhime… wait. Do you have a moment to talk?"
Haruhime hesitated for a moment but bowed. "Of… course, Master Bell."
After a moment, Haruhime entered the library and closed the door behind her. She stood there in silence waiting for Bell to speak, her tail twitching behind her in nervous energy.
After another moment, Bell sighed. "Please come, sit down at least."
Bell moved towards the table sitting opposite to the door. It only took a second for him to take a seat. After two more Haruhime sat across from him, he noticed that Haruhime didn't look directly at him.
They sat there in silence for a minute, 'Come on… how hard it is to speak to her? When has it ever been hard?' Bell silently berated himself as the silence dragged.
When the silence started to grow unbearable, he forced himself to say a single word, hoping that it would give him enough momentum to continue. "Sorry…"
Haruhime's ears flicked as she processed the word. "What are you sorry for? If anything I should be the one apologizing." She lowered her head and formed a half bow.
"Haruhime… please don't… do that," Bell whispered he found it annoyingly hard to speak, despite already knowing what he wanted to say.
Haruhime after a moment straightened up straight, and for the first time looked at him in the face. Her emerald eyes seemed to notice something was off. "What's wrong?"
Bell couldn't help but chuckle lightly, "Why am I not surprised you noticed?" He muttered, trying to sound light-hearted but he knew it came out wrong.
Bell sighed, what was really bothering him felt so selfish. His arm still tingled despite everything, the memory of it being severed flashed back through his mind.
He immediately grasped at it, in an attempt to stop or at least calm the tingling. It felt like the blood circulation had been cut off, and was starting to return.
Haruhime stood, and with surprising speed touched the area he was holding. "Can I take a look?"
Bell hesitated, he hadn't shown anybody the scar that formed. The solid line of scar tissue would be an obvious sign of what happened.
But after a moment, he nodded and started rolling up the long sleeve of his shirt. There were a few small scars that showed up but as he reached that segment, he heard a gasp.
A perfectly clean line was wrapped around the middle of his bicep. After a moment, he felt Haruhime touch the scar, the cool touch helping just a little. "What happened?"
Bell after a moment pulled away, and started unrolling the sleeve, "T… Tomorrow…" he managed after a second.
Bell took a deep breath, "Sorry… I need to focus… focus on what I wanted to discuss." Bell took several breaths trying to calm his mind.
Haruhime sat next to him, and a part of him wished she hadn't but he smothered that small part. Haruhime remained silent as he gathered his thoughts.
'She's always so patient… I…' Bell took a breath again, "Haruhime I wanted to apologize for earlier. I thought… I knew what would be for the best and forced you to follow that idea…"
Haruhime remained silent, giving him as much time as he needed. "To be honest… I think… I was looking for things to distract myself with… to stop me from thinking about… tomorrow." It was the truth, and he knew it. He was worried and stressed about having to tell the story and he didn't know if he could.
"I… told you what I knew I needed to do… but couldn't, and who am I to tell somebody when to take a break… I… haven't really taken one in… so long." Bell confessed, and he felt his jaw clench.
Haruhime shifted next to him, "I know… it hurts a little to see you constantly running around, never taking a break." Haruhime paused, and after a moment she continued, "From… what you and Miss Ryu told us, you leaving Orario has been the only time you've taken one from what I know."
Bell nodded, he could think of a couple days here and there where he took a break, but the point stood. Haruhime continued before he could say anything, "That's… why I said what I did, I know you run around because you care for us and want nothing more than for us to be safe and comfortable… but that works both ways. That's… what I… we all want."
He could see faint tears forming in her eyes, Bell wanted to reach out and try to comfort her, but he couldn't. "Haruhime… I…" He paused, she was already growing emotional, and the other topic would only amplify it.
'I… have to… it would… only be cruel… otherwise.' He told himself, and yet it took a full minute for him to continue speaking. "I… understand. I agree, and I… want to do better, even if only a little."
Haruhime turned to face him and smiled, "I'm glad… truth be told, I've been concerned that… even after you would… continue to do the same."
Bell shook his head, "I… can't promise that… but I'll try to do better…"
Be spoke those words, but he knew himself too well. If the situation arose, he would take all the burdens again.
Bell hesitated for what felt like the hundredth time, after a few more seconds Bell continued despite his mind telling him not to.
"Haru…hime. I wanted to apologize for something else as well." Bell confessed, and a hint of pain entered his heart as he spoke those words.
"Oh? What would you have to apologize for?" Haruhime asked, her tone innocent and genuinely curious.
That made it even harder to speak, but he forced himself to speak… to continue.
"I'm sorry Haruhime… I… only recently… realized how I've been acting… it's been wrong, and I want to apologize again." Bell took a breath but continued he felt it was easier now that the words started. "I… know how you feel… how several others feel… I… I've been leading you all along unknowingly…. I…"
Bell couldn't continue speaking as his regret for his actions overwhelmed him for a moment. "So… I'm… sorry."
He expected Haruhime to slap him, to get up and run away, to say harsh things. But no, nothing happened as the silence stretched.
"B…Bell. I… while I'm devastated… I… never expected to have a chance… never deserved a chance due to what I was." Haruhime spoke, but her voice was halting.
Bell could tell she was holding back tears, hearing this reaction from Haruhime, probably the kindest and most gentle person he has ever spoken to, hurt. His chest burned, and he wanted to say something.
Anything.
But he couldn't, his mind seized in place as he heard the first tear fall onto the table.
"Be…ll… I'm devastated… but at the same time… I'm happy." Haruhime continued speaking, despite the several tears that had to be forming.
For the first time in… he wasn't sure how long, he glanced at Haruhime. He felt even worse in the aftermath, Haruhime was facing him and her ears were flat on her head. Her eyes shimmered brightly as tears were forming and a handful were running down her cheeks.
Bell wanted nothing more than to comfort her, to wrap her in an embrace but he realized that might just seem like he was misleading her.
But after a moment of thought, he would live with the consequences. His friend… the kindest person he has ever spoken to, the only one to realize something was wrong after the expedition. The one who spent several hours trying to help him sleep, sacrificing her own needs.
With only the slightest hesitation, he reached out and wrapped Haruhime in a gentle hug. She was stunned for a moment, but after a moment collapsed into his embrace.
Time passed, how much Bell wasn't sure. His shirt was soaked from Haruhime's tears. She let out occasional gasping breaths, 'She's probably been locking these emotions away for a while. Afraid to open up, and express the deep sadness in her heart.' Bell thought as the only other sound in the library that could be heard was the beating of his heart.
Slowly, Haruhime started to calm down. He felt terrible for putting her in such a state, but he justified it saying that it was better than letting it just build and build until she exploded. But he couldn't help but let a single word out. "Why…?"
It took a minute for Haruhime to answer, "Why…? Why am I… happy?" Haruhime spoke, and Bell nodded.
Haruhime didn't pull away from his embrace, "The… reason is simple… despite… every….thing that's happened… to you. Deep… down, your still… the same kind person… that risked everything…"
Haruhime seemed to hesitate, her tears slowed and she started pulling away, Bell let her pull away freely. She had a small sad smile on her face, her entire face was damp from the tear-stained shirt Bell wore. "Deep… down, I was worried… that you might have changed… but the obvious… regret in your voice… and expression."
Haruhime took a deep, stuttering breath, "Your kind… nature… the one… who would take… in a prostitute under your care… the one who would risk everything… to save Weine. He… still exists."
Haruhime gave a half bow, "The person… I loved… but knew I never had a chance with…" She straightened back up, "Thank you… for trying to… give some closure… it might… take a while for… me to process that, but… I thank you, Bell."
Without giving him any time to speak, she stood and returned to the library door. She turned to face him again, gave him a sad smile, and bowed before leaving. Closing the door behind her.
Bell sighed, his heart burned painfully from the encounter. He leaned against the wall keeping his eyes glued onto the door. 'If only… I could tell her the conversation I had with Ryu…'
Ryu had asked him about others, wanting to know how lucky she was.
He shook his head, "No Bell. You need to focus…" he told himself that, but knew it would be pointless.
He could only sigh, "I need to do better."
X
Ryu, despite her wanting to stay and support, saw the wisdom in Bell's words. It only took a minute to find where Haruhime, Mikoto, and Eina went.
And it filled her with dread, "Why did it have to be the baths…" She muttered, whispering to herself trying to calm her nerves. As an elf, the idea of sharing the large open bath with others brought shame to her mind.
She took a deep breath, she knew what the protocol was but she didn't know if she could manage.
There was a trickle of voices that reached her elven ears, but through the walls and doors, it sounded like muttered whispering, too low for her to hear.
She shivered but pushed herself to act appropriately. She stripped down, hesitating when it came to her undergarments, but ultimately those as well.
She grabbed the largest towel she could find and wrapped herself in it covering the majority of her body. With a few deep breaths, and a crimson hue on her cheeks and ears she slid the door open to the baths.
The steam hit her immediately, then the scent of clean water. The shallow talking that had been there before she entered stopped, but Ryu was already committed to the plan she had.
After a hesitant second, she stepped inside, closed the door behind her, and glanced around. Just as she thought the three of them were in one half of the bath, leaving the other side open.
She desperately wanted nothing more than to slip into the furthest wall possible, but if she did the entire purpose of her being there would be pointless. So, she got into the bath about five feet away. Eina happened to be the closest one to her.
She wanted to cheer when she saw the others all had towels on in the water, but she restrained the urge. Still, the water was fairly clear and she could see the curves of each individual.
She mentally shook her head, and whispered, "Excuse me."
The moment her thighs touched the hot water she wanted to submerge herself quickly, but she went at a normal pace sighing in half pleasure as she sat down on a small ledge leaving only her shoulders and head exposed.
It was quiet for a long time, a couple of minutes at least. Slowly the hot water seeped into her muscles and joints, causing her to relax more and more.
She was debating saying something, but couldn't find the words. Fortunately, she didn't have to. "Um… Ryu…" Haruhime whispered, just loud enough for her to hear.
She felt her ears twitch, and she faced Haruhime. Her tall fox ears sat flat on her head, she avoided eye contact as she stared into the bath blankly for a few seconds.
She turned her bright green eyes towards Ryu, and half bowed in the water. "I'm sorry Lady Ryu… what I said earlier was inappropriate, and from what I've been told… Master Bell had a very bad reaction." She didn't raise her head, even after she spoke.
A few seconds passed as Ryu did her best to gather her thoughts, "Please Haruhime… raise your head. You didn't do anything wrong. I've seen similar things that you have, I've seen and witnessed just how hard he pushes himself."
She paused for a moment, debating on telling a small portion of what happened during their death march. After a moment, she sighed. "What I'm about to tell you… isn't easy to admit. Especially when… he wants to tell everyone tomorrow, but I'll tell you a small part of what happened between us during your expedition."
Ryu sighed and looked up towards the ceiling, the magic stone lights refracting off the crystal-like covers to help spread out the light.
She took a deep breath, willing the relaxation she felt to seep into her mind as well as she remembered her shame.
Nobody rushed her, she knew that Bell hadn't spoken about anything that happened. "Let me tell you just how much he overworks himself… when easier paths were open."
She chose a single handful of hours they shared alone, "We were on floor 37, hope was nonexistent in my heart and mind. Half due to our injuries, half due to other factors." She paused for a moment, "Right before we were taken down to floor 37, I had broken my leg." She instinctively reached downward and rubbed at the brief spike of phantom pain.
"Either way, I had managed to heal it enough to stand and hobble without collapsing. Although that was mostly due to his insistence to do so, I had wanted to spend all my mind healing him…" She remembered the burn marks that covered his side.
She shook her head, "Sorry I'm getting off-topic, in short, while I was functional I couldn't do much. So the entire time, I gave him advice as he carried me through the floor. Only letting me down when we encountered monsters."
She could remember the embarrassment, yes she was exaggerating a little but not too much. "He insisted that no matter what we would both survive to see those we love again. He took the hard road, keeping me alive… leaving me would've been easier for him to traverse the floor…"
Haruhime cut in, "Of course, he wouldn't leave you. That's not the type of person Master Bell is."
Ryu nodded, "I know… but at that moment I wasn't thinking rationally. I… no that's better saved for tomorrow." She took a deep breath and continued speaking. "For now let's just say, I was willing to do anything to make sure Bell survived. Even if it meant sacrificing myself. Be he continued to support me, all the while giving me a reason to live."
Ryu's ears turned a darker shade, as she remembered their time spent in the spring. She remembered the warmth he radiating, if was so strong the warmth overpowered the hot water she sat in causing her to shiver slightly.
"Ryu…" Eina spoke, snapping her out of her memories.
"Sorry… I was just.. remembering something." She took a breath, "Sorry. The point is, that he chose the harder path. The same that he has taken dozens of times in the past."
She turned her body and faced the three of them. "Haruhime, I agree with what you said. He needs to slow down…" A memory of a person who blazed brightly flashed through her mind. Her bright red hair seemed to glow as she fought. "I… I want him to slow down, so he doesn't burn himself out… but I've learned that I can't stop him. His fate is to burn like a newborn star in an empty night sky."
She placed a hand over her heart, "And that scares me…" She whispered words she had never let bubble to the surface. "You have every right to be angry, sad, and every other emotion. But… please try to understand. It's his nature… or possibly even his soul's nature to take on burdens… large… and small."
Silence returned to the bath, the only sound was the moving water as Ryu shifted back to her position. She held her hand above water level and found it shaking slightly. It took a minute for her to understand why. 'I…ve been suppressing those thoughts… unknowingly. But it sounds right, his soul…'
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.
She sat the for another half hour until her worry for Bell grew. She was about to stand when Haruhime stood first. Ryu had to glance away, embarrassed as the towel clung to Haruhime's body leaving little to the imagination.
She spoke as she stood. "That you Miss Ryu. I… needed to hear some of that, and for what it's worth… thank you for keeping him alive down there. If you ever need anything please… feel free to ask."
Before Ryu could say anything, she passed by her giving her a small bow then left the bath. Ryu glanced at the other two, realizing Mikoto had been silent the entire time. 'Why is that?'
After a minute Mikoto stood, "I suppose I should get started making dinner, it's a little late but still."
After another couple minutes Eina left giving her own excuse. Leaving Ryu alone in the bath, she sighed and released the towel from her grip. She hugged her body and looked downward. The memories started flowing now that she was alone.
Memories of the Astraea Familia, memories of Astraea comforting her after the death of Ardee. She shook her head to clear the thoughts. She was about to stand when the scene of a couple of nights ago reignited her mind for a second.
She remembered how warm Bell felt when he told her the bad news, how far she had nearly gone in her grief. After a moment, she touched the tip of her long ear. "Bell… I hope you're alright."
.
.
.
Ryu sat in the bed that she had been sharing, she was alone. She wasn't hungry enough for dinner, and Bell hadn't been seen. But Mikoto assured that he was very close, using her skill. She stared out the open window, her right hand touched her chest.
The door cracked open, and Ryu forced herself to not make any sudden movement. The door closed, and quiet steps approached. "Are you still awake?" Bell whispered, trying to not wake her if she had been asleep.
Slowly she lowered her hand and turned to face him. "I am."
She could see a hint of sadness in his ruby eyes, but still, he smiled. "How'd everything go?"
Ryu paused debating on asking him first, but she decided to answer first. "I…m not sure. It sure was embarrassing, sitting in the bath with three others."
She paused, turning her face towards the ceiling. "Bell… I'm sorry…" She whispered as Bell walked closer sitting on the edge of the bed.
"What would you be sorry about? I don't think you've done anything that would require an apology." Bell's voice was low, and she could see the obvious exhaustion weighing on his body.
"Lay down, it looks like you're about to pass out," Ryu muttered, grabbing his arm and lightly tugging him closer.
Bell collapsed onto the bed, his face landing mere inches from hers. Bell paused, then after a second backed away and crawled into the bed properly.
Before Bell could say anything, Ryu spoke. "Bell… I told them a small portion of what happened. Mostly how I was feeling during the events."
She felt Bell stiffen a bit as she spoke. But after a second he relaxed. "I see… it's alright Ryu… while I do want to tell everyone what happened… to lift that… burden from my heart…" He took a breath and Ryu could tell Bell was trembling as he looked up at the ceiling.
Ryu reached out feeling around until she found his hand, she wrapped it in hers trying to let any warmth she had seep into Bell in an attempt to comfort him. "I… don't think… at this rate… I don't think…I'll be able to."
Ryu saw a tiny trickle, a single glimmering streak fall from the corner of his eye. She leaned forward, lightly kissed his cheek, and nuzzled closer to his side.
"Bell… I understand, with everything that happened to… the Astraea…Familia…" Just saying those words caused her heart and mind to swell with emotions, both happy and sad.
"It took a long time before I could tell anyone what happened… even then I was vague at best." She stopped a trickle of depression at recent events overwhelming her.
She felt Bell's warmth wrap around her as she blinked in surprise. Her head was in his chest, arms wrapped around her. "I understand Ryu… I do everything in my power to push forward. I… tomorrow… I have to embrace what happened and not run away."
Bell squeezed her closer, and she collapsed in his warmth. 'Why… I'm trying to… comfort him… and yet, he is letting his warmth seep into me.' A tiny bit of self-loathing washed through her mind, but it was quickly washed away by the comfort she felt.
"Ryu… can I tell you a small secret…?" Bell whispered, his chin resting on her head.
"You know you never need to ask." Her voice was nothing more than a whisper.
"I know… it's a little embarrassing to say… but whenever I hold you like this… feel you so close… It makes me feel like everything will work out. That everything will be ok… that I'll be ok." Ryu blushed at his simple confession. She didn't dwell on the fluttering in her heart.
"Bell… I… can't help but feel similar… the warmth you exude… calms my mind and soul." She spoke the truth, even now the dread she felt over remembering the events was fading away.
She took a deep breath and started to relax a little. "How did the chores go?" She tried to lighten the mood by changing to a mundane subject.
Bell stiffened, it was much more obvious now that she was in physical contact with him. "What happened?" She whispered.
It took half a minute for Bell to relax a little. "I… was dusting the library… when Haruhime showed up."
This time Ryu stiffened slightly, "What happened?"
Bell shook his head. "Nothing really. We talked…" Bell hesitated, but Ryu didn't push him, he would talk when he was ready.
Nearly a full minute passed before she noticed Bell tighten his grip a tiny bit more. "I… apologize for what happened earlier in the day… and explained… that I was mostly looking for a distraction."
Bell took a deep breath, "Then after some more talking… I apologized… for how I had been acting… now that I realize… how she felt."
Ryu didn't say anything immediately, instead letting the silence grow for a few seconds. When Bell didn't speak, she nudged him to continue. "How'd she react?"
"I…" He sighed, "She was devastated… but she also said she was happy… I… wanted her to be angry at me… to… I don't know. But it wasn't the reaction I expected." Bell went silent again for a few seconds, before she could say something he continued. "I… acted without thinking when she started crying… I… held her close trying to comfort her."
Ryu shifted slightly but didn't speak. 'It's… funny. Both of their nature is to care for others…' she thought, and closed her eyes imagining the scene.
"I… expected it to only worsen the situation… but it didn't. Even then she was happy… I… just…" He paused, and took a deep breath, Ryu assumed he was gathering his thoughts. "She was happy… that… despite everything… I haven't changed."
Ryu let those words hang heavily in the air, she took a few minutes to gather her thoughts. "Bell… she's right… despite all the hardship… all the pain you've been through… you're still the kind person, who asked me how to level while washing dishes."
She pulled away from Bell, who seemed to hesitate but released his hold. She leaned forward and tapped her forehead against his. "For what it's worth… I think it's a good thing. It shows how resilient you are and I couldn't be happier about that."
She felt like she should clear something up before he might misunderstand. "Let me clarify… you've changed, your body and mind are probably unrecognizable when compared to the rookie who nearly cried in excitement when I handed his dagger back."
She took a breath but continued. "What hasn't changed is your heart, your will to get stronger, and to never give up." She kissed him lightly, "That Bell… is a good thing I think. People change through hardship, but you've remained pure hearted… that…" She placed a hand over his heart, "That is something to be proud of."
Without any hesitation, she leaned in and kissed him again. The lack of hesitation surprised her, but she didn't dwell on it.
Bell pulled away after a second, "Ryu…" he whispered. He closed his eyes and nodded, "Thank you… that… made me feel better… although… I don't know how I'll face Haruhime… or Mikoto tomorrow." He sighed and looked away. "Hopefully Lili managed to get those other invitations out…"
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They spoke for another half hour, planning on how Bell might talk about what happened. In the end, they didn't really come up with a clear plan. Emotions are hard to plan around, after a bit Bell ended up falling asleep nestled close to Ryu.
Thoughts raced through her mind. Good, bad, and neutral. She rubbed Bell's back as she lay there, sleep failing to find her. A pair of thoughts were brought to the forefront of her mind. Both are important, but very different.
'I… happy for you Bell… hopefully everything will be alright in the morning…' She was worried about how Haruhime would act and wondered if she was as affected as Bell had been.
But as soon as she let that thought pass through her mind, another thought crossed her mind and she regretted it immediately. 'I… don't know how much longer…' she recoiled from the thought. 'With everything serious going on… how can I possibly think about… that… right now…'
She loathed that the thought had crossed her mind, especially with the situation being serious… and her partner being more vulnerable now than ever before.
Hours passed as she wrestled with her guilt and her desire, eventually her mind grew heavy from the war against her mind.
The void of dreams reached her, right as the clock struck midnight and her desires faded as she gave into the warmth and the void.
Review Responses:
codywhite162: Thanks.
Blazeburn006: Bell is too good a person to focus on anything else in that sort of situation. True, sometimes all you need is a push. Not much else to say about the the majority of your review. But Haruhime, it's a sad situation for her and she is doing everything she can to deal with/embrace the situation at hand.
pix25: Thanks.
SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan: I'm glad you seemed to enjoy it, and took the time to catch up. The hostess stuff will be interesting, but that's not until the next chapter. Syr... well we'll see.