Disclaimer: Own nothing

Summary: Jun wasn't delusional, she didn't believe in happy endings, at least not anymore. So the appearance of this young Devil beast woman in front of her, looking at her in the eye and worshipping her as a goddess was to be perfectly honest, baffling for her.

Rule of cynicism:

It was a rule of cynicism, possibly, that motivated Jun Fudo to stare at the dark haired woman in front of her. It wasn't like cynicism was the wrong thing to feel at the moment. Jun had been happily left to her own devices after the war between Beasts and humans had ended, and after she had personally and publically decimated Lan Asuka. The only interactions she had had with other sentient beings were the ones that she encountered when she got food or when she had to avoid interviewers who tried to find out more about the feared, revered and legendary "Devilman Lady," that had saved them all two years ago.

So it seemed unprecedented that this Beast woman by the name of Takae wanted to speak to her for no other reason than simply to get to know her out of sincere and genuine reasons.

Jun glimpsed at Takae's golden eyes, waiting for the other shoe to drop painfully down and end this so called social visit. But it never came. Takae gave a fang filled grin and asked politely if she could come inside. Jun watched the younger woman cautiously. Now that she studied the dark haired Devil Beast woman, she actually realized that she recognized her.

"I know you." She whispered, startled at this revelation. This was one of the Devil Beast refugees that she had saved from the military right after her beloved Kazumi's death.

She remembered…..this was the one that had asked, voice broken as the question had been ripped from her throat if Kazumi was dead. This was the Devil Beast woman that had led the rebellion of the other Beasts at Tsukuda Island. This was the Devil Beast woman that had sported rifles and had been willing to carry the pain and burden of the other Devil Beasts and Devilmen on her shoulders as Jun herself had come face to face against Asuka-and had descended into hell because of the golden haired megalomaniac's thirst for power and worship.

For a moment, Jun's well-constructed and steel crafted resolve almost melted. If there was anyone who would understand what she had been through, it would be this woman-this Takae.

The tan Beast woman nodded, showing some fangs in appreciation. "I remember you too," Takae said, regarding Jun with her flaxen colored eyes, "You saved everyone…..I…..I know this isn't something you want to talk about, but….I knew Kazumi."

A stab of guilt and multiple stings of torment shot through Jun when she heard that. Her sudden mood must have been apparent, as Takae's face became sorrowful and sympathetic. "I'm sorry." She said, lowering her head, curled, gray ram horns aimed at the ground, "Kazumi…she was my friend too. She was there when my other friend, Chika was murdered by the soldiers at Tsukuda Island."

Still reeling, Jun stared, trying not to let the waterworks start. It was too much, hearing the words of someone else that personally knew Kazumi before her death. It felt like a cold front had welcomed itself inside of Jun's stomach, completely overtaking it.

Takae lifted herself more till she was looking Jun straight in the eye. "I'm sorry….I cared about her too. All of us….you know, we all suffered all those months at that woman…at Asuka's hands. You're not alone. I just thought you should know that."

Whatever Jun might have wanted to say, it was immediately cut off at that moment. She felt like she couldn't speak at all at that very second. Her throat suddenly became dry and suffocated.

Jun tried to speak, before pushing her front door further open, stepping inside and moving out of the way so that Takae could come through. The other Devil woman came in, her golden eyes watching the older woman cautiously. Jun wasn't sure why. Could it be that the ram horned Beast woman was as untrusting of her as she was of the younger?

Maybe. She wondered why that would be, and why she felt a frisson of excitement at their being a possibility that this younger woman was afraid of her. Although, when she thought about it, Takae's uncertainty was predictable to a certain extent. She was the Devilman Lady. She was respected and feared by many…..or possibly all. She was held on a pedestal as if she were a god amongst devils. The ram horned devil woman perhaps was as intimidated as the rest of them.

She decided not to ponder further on it and kept her eyes locked with the younger woman's. Jun closed the door once they were both inside the house and both women faced one another.

Takae looked like she wanted to say something, but no words left her lips. Jun wondered if she should be the one to start the conversation instead, but found that her own voice was dead in her throat. At last, the silence was broken by Takae's words that somehow were bore from the younger Beast woman's gullet, "What….what….what were her last moments like?" When the sentence was finished, Takae appeared as if she was horrified that she had asked in the first place, eyes wide and arms lifted slightly in alarm. It seemed that she had asked without really thinking about what she was saying.

Jun couldn't blame the younger woman's shock. The question felt like a kick in the gut. She was actually surprised that she didn't growl, enraged at the offense of the inquiry. But as the former model mulled over the question, word for word, she found that she couldn't muster any hate, any white hot fire of incomprehensible maddened fury. For some reason it made sense to her. For some reason, she could imagine herself in Takae's place, wanting to know how a dear friend's life had been like at the end. It was terrible, but so mutual. It was something anyone could identify with.

When Jun's parents had died in that car crash seven years ago, the at the time impressionable and still fairly naïve woman had wondered if being there with them would have made any difference, or even wishing that she had been there with them so at least she could know what their last moments on Earth was like.

It was a matter of empathy. It was a desire that many would experience. It was a mutual desire for anyone who might have lost someone. It was so…human.

Again, Jun's thoughts and her decision must have been clear on her face because Takae smiled, approached the older woman, and laid a hand gently on the left side of Jun's face. "Please," She whispered, leaning upwards, "Tell me."

The golden eyed woman placed her lips onto Jun's, tongue slipping into the older woman's mouth swiftly but tenderly.

The older devil woman hissed, instincts spiking, heat traveling to her core and she knew her eyes were glowing that terrible golden color that was mirrored by Takae's own eyes.

She moved her head away from the smaller woman's mouth and leaned so that her head was near the ram horned woman's ear as she growled dangerously, "Alright. I will. Don't blame me if you start crying," She slid her arms around the younger woman's waist as she held her close, "Remember, you asked for this."

Cynicism wasn't the worst crime, but it was just effective enough to make someone want to lash their feelings out at another person who didn't deserve it, but it somehow made the most sense as a means of salvation.

Okay, may have been a bit OOC as I suspect it is, but hope you liked it. Kind of something that's been on my mind since I saw the episodes with Takae and Jun in them.