Ex-V: I hope you like it!
"But…" Emi managed, lamely, whispering, weakly, dread building in her heart. "Maou…Maou is going to be there-"
Rika was silent, on the other end of the phone line, for a moment, contemplating. "Emi, are you sitting down? This might shock you-"
The hero groaned, feeling very much like she already knew what she was about to hear, trepidation filling her.
"Maou is the best man, Emi. Obviously."
Emi hung her head, squeezing her eyes shut, miserable. "I haven't seen him in weeks, we have a really good thing going-!"
"Is that right?" Rika laughed, mirthlessly. "I don't know if sulking, depressed, in your apartment for a month really qualifies as 'good'-"
Emi trembled, recalling the positively disastrous evening she and the demon king had shared last time they'd been in the same room, tears welling up in her eyes. "I don't want to talk about it! Maou should…He should just marry Chiho, and be happy-"
"Stop, Emi." The older woman sighed. "You're imagining things, and I can't stand hearing you cry."
The hero wiped her tears, furiously, sniffling. "I'm not crying-!"
"Don't pretend you aren't weeping, in the dark, with a half-eaten pint of ice cream for company-"
Emi wailed, hissing, sobbing faintly, hastily shoving an empty pint of Ben and Jerry's off the table in front of her, miserable, saying nothing.
Rika, slightly annoyed, drummed her fingers, impatiently, on the kitchen counter. "Listen, you're going to come to the wedding, you're going to dance with Maou, because that's what a maid of honor traditionally does, and you're going to like it, so help me god-"
"I know I'm going to like it! That's the problem-!" The hero squeaked, holding her head, heartbeat racing, faintly red. "I don't want to like it-!"
Rika grinned, icily, tilting her head. "Well, tough luck. You'll do it, or I swear I'll tell Maou that you want to sit on his face-"
Emi shrieked, furiously red, head plopping down onto the table in front of her.
(Three days later)
Emilia looked in the mirror, one last time, turning slightly, appraising herself.
Maou was supposed to pick her up at three, and it was two fifty-five, so she figured she had about a half-hour…
Her heartbeat accelerated, slightly, thinking of seeing him, after all this time…She shook her head, furiously, aggravated, struggling not to let her pining heart get the best of her, suppressing her swirling thoughts of Maou, doing her best to bury her feelings…
Emi, desperate to distract herself, glanced back up at her reflection, tilting her head, and let holy power surge through her body; her hair shimmered, fading to a brilliant white, in place of its normal violet hues.
She smiled, satisfied, somewhat pleased, tugging her dress, faintly, curtsying, before whirling around, and appraising her rear end…
The doorbell rang, and she yelped.
A moment of silence, as she stared, bewildered, at her door, disbelieving. Maou…?
She didn't move, and the doorbell rang again. She growled, flushed, making for the door, heartbeat thudding inside her, pulse racing. Today, of all days, he's on time...
She froze, in place, a foot from the door, suddenly, before blushing, slightly, and running back to her room, grabbing some pads, and stuffing her bra with them. She took a moment, appraising herself in the mirror, slightly smug, before stepping back over to the door, and opening it, haughty.
Silence.
She stared, blown away, at Maou, who was standing outside, in the sunshine, arms crossed, waiting for her, in a glorious black suit.
Her heart throbbed, as her eyes widened, awestruck, tilting her head, amazed, heat filling her face, glowing red.
He just watched her, in silence, bewildered, for a moment, coolly, taken aback, and she saw him, very distinctly, look her up and down.
She flushed, shaking her head, trying to clear her mind, trying not to think of how crushingly, oppressively handsome he was, heartbeat racing, and took a step back, eyes narrowing, veins throbbing in her temples, threateningly. "Let me know when you're done oogling my chest, and I'll turn around-"
Maou seemed to snap back to his senses, and grinned, eyebrow rising, meeting her eyes. "I must have the wrong address, I'm looking for a girl about your size, with a flat chest and purple hair-"
Emi shrieked, furiously red, and stormed away, into her apartment, as he laughed, and followed her inside.
"Time sure flies! It feels like only yesterday that I got you out of my life-" She hissed, glaring at him, flushed, murderous.
"Do you want me to wait here, while you pad your bra some more-?" Maou met her glare head on, before turning slightly away, eyes closing, smirking.
"Let me borrow some of that useless stuffing you keep in your head, and maybe I will-!" She squealed, glowing red, crossing her arms over her chest, fuming.
Maou set himself, calmly, down on her couch, adjusting his suit, without answering, and Emi saw flashes of their last night together play back in her mind, when she'd…When they'd almost…
Radiantly red, thrown off, she tried to get that memory out of her mind, desperately. "Oh, J-just make yourself at home, then-!"
He snickered at her. "That's kind of you, I will."
She huffed, turning away, making for the kitchen, to prepare some tea. "We have like a half hour to kill, so... Our train isn't till three thirty, because I didn't count on you learning to read a clock and showing up on time-"
Maou laughed, casually, for a moment, before calling out to her, from across the room. "You look good, Emi."
"Oh, shut up-!" She squeaked, in the kitchen, outrageously red, fervently glad that he couldn't see her face, or hear her racing heartbeat, still straining to suppress her memories of their last night together…
Of them almost kissing…
On that very couch...
Ex-V: Did you have fun?
I hope so! I'll put the next chapter up tomorrow, if you're into it!
See you in chapter two! :D