Bell's Moment

Bell's hands felt clammy, his head felt light, and his pulse was pounding in his ears. Right now he felt as if he was suddenly coming down with a terrible illness that was threatening to overcome him and leave him insensate on the floor. He was vaguely aware that Ryuu was talking, but he simply couldn't comprehend what she was saying when Aiz Wallenstein, the woman who had saved his life and become his idol in the same breath, now sat across the tavern.

Slowly, his hands came up to his ears, each one taking hold of one of the earrings, and slowly he removed the two items. The two sat in his palms, and he looked down at them, his thoughts swimming with what they represented. These earrings were the symbol that Aiz had saved him, and that he still owed her for that. He was mustering his courage, plucking up all his bravery and strength of will to stand up, go over to her, and present her with her well earned reward, when suddenly.

"Mmmph."

Ryuu's mouth planted down over his. His heart skipped a beat in surprise, and then he instinctively lifted his hands, almost going to hug the woman but his hands hovered instead, not finishing their enclosing maneuvere.

A number of eyes turned towards the pair of them. Bell was no longer wearing the earrings, and no longer did Normality cloak his actions. Immediately the ire of several of the bar's patrons was being raised at the sight of some nobody kid kissing Ryuu, one of the most beautiful members of the bar's staff, and an elf at that, a race renowned for their dislike of physical contact. Before the night was out, the local bars and establishments would be rife with news that the cold beauty of Hostess of Fertility had a boytoy. Hestia would hear of it the following day.

And Bell was snogging her. His lips pressed back against hers in the most thrilling of ways, their tongues danced together, and his breath was stolen away by the sheer **** of Ryuu's affection for him.

Until eventually she pulled away, and a flash of her hand brought a small handkerchief out of one pocket which she used to dab down her lips. After a moment she looked up at him, her eyes somewhat concerned. "Are you not feeling well Mr Cranel? You seem... off. It was my belief that a man such as you would be thrilled at receiving a kiss from a fair maiden."

"I-I'm sorry Ryuu." Bell was just realising the multitude of glares he was receiving from around the building, and he was definitely not appreciating them. "It's just." He swallowed deeply. "Aiz Wallenstein is over there." He whispered to her, ducking his head as he did so, his voice full of shame.

Ryuu blinked at him questioningly for a moment, then turned to look over her shoulder at the party of Loki familia currently drinking and feasting and laughing away as if nothing was going on at all. She turned back to him. "I take it she was the adventurer who saved you in the dungeon then?"

Bell could only nod his head, his voice failing to work. Aiz was so beautiful. She was like the legends of angels from the time before the Gods had descended to the world of Mortals down below. Perfect and beautiful beings that were as close as mortal beings got to the divine.

Ryuu looked him up and down for a moment, her eyes pursed and serious as they gazed him over. After a few moment she sighed and closed her eyes, and once they reopened she had a firm look on her face. "Go to her. Thank her. There is nothing to be ashamed of. It is an achievement just to survive in the dungeon. Thanks to her, have you not already put the life she saved to good use?"

"I-I think."

"No. You are an adventurer. You must be as sure in word and act outside the dungeon as you are within it. When you are in battle you do not hesitate. You must be the same here and now, else you will regret it for the rest of your life."

Bell could only state back into the incredibly intense eyes of the elf maid as she looked at him dead on. Her arms were on his shoulders right now, holding him steadfast and keeping his back straight. And she seemed to certain of herself, like she was speaking from personal experience.

And most of all she was right. She was so very right. He'd run away from Aiz Wallenstein before. Here he was, debating between running right up to her, and running right out the door. And if he ran way right now, then what had changed? Despite everything Ryuu had done for him, he still wanted to run away now. And that would be the ultimate defeat. It would be admitting that despite all she had helped him with, and all the new experience he had gained diving even deeper into the dungeon thanks to the help she had given him, that ultimately he was still the same old scared boy as before.

He took in one huge shuddering breath, and looked Ryuu dead in the eyes. His hands came up to Ryuu's own on his shoulders. He nodded to her, offering his best smile. Her face softened in response, and she smiled back at him. "I see Mr Cranel. Good luck." And so she released him, and finally stepped aside.

With the path before him opened, all the sounds of the bar faded away. All of the world around him turned dark, Bell's whole reality contracting down into one thin corridor. At one end Ryuu, watching his back as he walked away from her. At the other end was Aiz, the angel he was headed straight for.

One step after another fell forwards onto the ground, the sound echoing like thunder to his own ears, even though to the rest of the tavern they probably didn't even hear them thanks to the buzz of noise around them.

That was all it was in the end. Just one foot in front of the other. Over and over again until finally he arrived at the destination he had always been headed for since that time in the dungeon days ago. The moment when he would stand right in front of Aiz Wallenstein once again, and give to her what should have been hers from the very beginning.

He stopped. He was stood right there beside her. He saw as the Aiz's goddess turned her head to look up at him through one slightly slanted eye, her face a mixture of a fox and a drunken cow thanks to the immense intake of **** she had already partaken in. The other member's of Loki familia one by one turned to look at him, awkwardly standing there next to their table, eyes locked right onto Aiz herself.

He vaguely heard the werewolf of the group burst into laughter and loudly boast about something, but he paid it no mind. His world was still focussed in on Aiz. And slowly, her head turned towards him. He watched studying her face as she blinked her brilliant golden eyes, looking at him with the lightest hint of curiosity her hair framing her face beautifully, a whole mask of the divine. His right palm felt sweaty clamped down around the earrings he was to be presenting her with as her rightful property.

He saw her eyes widen just the tiniest bit. She recognised who he was. Now was the time. He just had to open his mouth and speak. He took one last deep breath, aware of Ryuu stood behind him, willing him on. He couldn't let her down.

"I-