[FFML] [AMG][Songfic][WAFF] Always Forever

[Robert Atendido]

Ah My Goddess is the property of Kosuke Fujishima, published by 
Kodansha in Japan and Dark Horse in the US.  Characters are used here 
without permission.

*******

Always Forever

a songfic by Robert Atendido

*******

*All in all, this party wasn't too bad,* Keiichi thought to himself.

Most of the guests had finally left, taking with them lots of good
memories...and leaving behind a truly staggering number of empty bottles
and cans.

Keiichi heaved a bag of empty sake bottles into Ootaki's mini pickup
truck.  "Well, that's the last of them."

"Looks like we're finished here," said Chihiro.  She smiled, and added,
"Now don't you boys feel better after an honest hour's work?"

Tamiya and Ootaki grumbled a response.

"What was that?"

"YES MA'AM!" they shouted in unison, and hustled to tie down a canvas
cover over the truck bed.

Belldandy emerged from the kitchen with a bottle, and a tray with
glasses.  "Thank you for your hard work!" she said.  "Would you like one
last drink before you go?"

Tamiya and Ootaki jumped at the chance, but Chihiro held up one hand.
"No more alcohol for you boys.  You'll need at least some of your wits
about you while you're riding in back of the truck."

"In..."

"...back?"

Chihiro laughed.  "Well, of course!  Unless you have money for a taxi,
since you're both too sloshed to drive!"

Keiichi was a bit alarmed at this.  "Uh, Chihiro, you've had a few
yourself --"

"Nonshense!  I'm still perfectly good to drive!  No amount of alcohol
can take away MY elite driving skills!"  This statement was belied by
the odd angle that Chihiro was standing at.

"We could put you all in the spare room tonight --"

"Nah, we've invaded your privacy enough for one night!"

Belldandy put down her tray and made a small gesture.  Chihiro suddenly
stood up straight.

"Whoa, head rush..."

Belldandy smiled.  "All right then, something non-alcoholic for the
road."  She picked up the tray and turned towards the kitchen.

Urd entered the room at that point.  "Gotcha covered," she said, and
grabbed the bottle from Belldandy.  She proceeded to fill the glasses on
the tray from another bottle she carried in with her.  Everyone took a
glass, even Skuld, who had chosen that moment to emerge from hiding in
her room.

After a final toast, everyone drained their cups.  (Urd drained the
first bottle.  *Can't let good sake go to waste...*)

Chihiro jumped into the cab of the truck, while Tamiya and Ootaki wedged
themselves in under the cover, bags of cans and bottles between them.
With a last wave, they drove off.

"Well, that went okay, I guess," said Keiichi.  "Now if only we could
convince them that we don't want to party EVERY weekend..."

"Hey, what's wrong with having a good time every now and then?" asked
Urd in a reasonable tone of voice.

Keiichi just rolled his eyes.  "Hey, Belldandy, is there any more
cleaning we should do before we call it a night?"

Belldandy turned to him and smiled.  She then collapsed into his arms.

Alarmed, Keiichi instinctively picked her up, to prevent her from
falling to the ground in a heap.  "Belldandy!  Are you all right?
What's wrong?"

Belldandy looked up at him, blearily.  "Nothing's wrong, silly," she
said, wrapping her arms around him.  "Evrythng's mmmm...just
great....how'r you?"

Skuld turned and shouted, "Urd!  What did you do?!"

Urd was surprised at this.  "What, you blame me for this?  How dare
you!"

Shaking the alcohol fumes from his brain -- it wasn't hard, he hadn't
drunk that much -- Keiichi thought back a few minutes.  "You gave us
Coca-Cola for that last drink, didn't you?"

Urd looked at the bottle in her hand.  Then she looked at the other
bottle in her other hand.  "Um.  Yeah, I guess I did.  So?"

Skuld smacked her forehead.  "Don't you remember what happened the LAST
time Belldandy had a Coke?"

"Oh...oh, yeah." They all paused for a moment, recalling how Belldandy
went on a drunken happiness-granting spree the first time she drank a
can of cola.

Shaking off her own alcoholic stupor -- again not hard, Urd had built up
a very, VERY high tolerance over the centuries -- Urd went over to where
Keiichi was cradling her sister in his arms.  "Hm.  Well, she didn't
have a whole can this time --"

"Oh, can I have a whole can?  It tastes so gooooood...."

"-- just one of these small glasses.  I think she can just sleep this
one off."

Urd and Skuld moved the table from the room and set up Belldandy's futon
for her.  Keiichi gently laid her down.  When he tried to get up,
Belldandy wouldn't let go of him.

"Uh...Bell?  Time to go to sleep, Belldandy...okay, let go now..."

"Nooo...don't go...please..."

A touch of worry crossed Keiichi's face.  "Are you all right?  How do
you feel?"

Belldandy was silent for a long moment, just staring up at Keiichi.

"Belldandy?"

Belldandy smiled, gently.  She opened her mouth, as if to speak...

...but instead, in a soft voice, she began to sing.

"Feels like I'm standing in a timeless dream
Of light mists, of pale amber rose"

Urd and Skuld looked at each other, puzzled.  They could feel
Belldandy's power building in the air.

Almost reverently, Belldandy touched Keiichi's face.

"Feels like I'm lost in a deep cloud of heavenly scent
Touching, discovering you"

Urd chose this moment to shove Skuld out of the room.  Smiling, she
followed, closing the door softly behind her.

Keiichi never even noticed them go.  As Belldandy continued to sing, as
her magic slowly intensified, the world faded away from his perceptions,
to be replaced by the images in her song.  He could feel his heart
pounding, to the rhythms of Belldandy's emotions.

"Those days of warm rains come rushing back to me
Miles of windless summer night air
Secret moments shared in the heat of the afternoon
Out of the stillness, soft spoken words"

Belldandy drew herself up, holding Keiichi close, almost whispering in
his ear...

"I love you always forever
Near and far, closer together
Everywhere I will be with you
Everything I will do for you"

Even though they were spoken softly, the words affected Keiichi to his
core.  The way that Belldandy was saying these words was as if they were
immutable laws of the universe.

As she repeated her words, Keiichi felt that he could no longer stay
silent...and when he tried to respond, he found himself singing as well.

"You've got the most unbelievable blue eyes I've ever seen
You've got me almost melting away"

Belldandy sighed happily, nestling even closer to him.

"As we lay there
Under a blue sky with pure white stars
Exotic sweetness, a magical time"

Keiichi raised a hand to her face, caressing her cheek, telling her
gently...

"I love you always forever
Near and far, closer together
Everywhere I will be with you
Everything I will do for you"

Suddenly, Belldandy drew back a little, and looked him in the eyes.

"Say you'll love, love me forever
Never stop, never whatever
Near and far and always
and everywhere and everything"

Keiichi caught her hand in his, and smiled.

She repeated herself, even more insistently.

"Say you'll love, love me forever"

He held her tightly, and repeated back to her,

"Never stop, never whatever"

And together they sang

"Near and far and always
and everywhere and everything"

Belldandy and Keiichi became quiet for a moment, feeling the rhythm of
their hearts continue the song.

They lay back on the futon, and watched the stars dancing overhead.

And all the while, repeating to each other

I love you always forever
Near and far, closer together
Everywhere I will be with you
Everything I will do for you

*********

As the song drifted into silence, Urd risked another peek into
Belldandy's room.  After a moment, she quietly slid the door shut again
and turned to face her sister.

"Let me see!" Skuld said.

Urd shook her head.  "They're asleep."

"Don't sound so disappointed!"

Placing a finger to her lips, Urd said, "Just let them be."

"What?  I wasn't going to do anything!"

Urd looked at the bomb Skuld was holding.  Skuld looked at it too, as if
just realizing she had it.  "Okay, okay...old habits die hard."

"Just let them be," Urd insisted.

Skuld sighed and turned towards her room.  "All right.  But if he ever
hurts her..."

"Fat chance of that happening," Urd replied, but Skuld had already shut
her door.

Urd smiled to herself.  *All in all, it's been a pretty good night.*

********

"I Love You Always Forever" by Donna Lewis, from the album "Now In A Minute"

I wrote this in a couple hours one night two weeks ago.  At the time 
it was the worst thing I'd ever written.  It's been revised since 
then, but I've never tried to write a songfic before...how did I do?
-- 
...and the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more 
painful than the risk it took to blossom.
      --Anais Nin