The Clock Chimes Thrice

Rating. PG-15
Warnings. Insinuations of the possibility of sex between a human and a demon, non-apologetic and desiring demon thoughts.
Pairings. onesided (?) Fujimoto Shiro x fem!Mephisto.
Disclaimer. AnE belongs to Kazue Kato.
Summary. Fujimoto Shiro left the Academy and became a full-fledged Exorcist. And now she is having thoughts and feelings that have no place in a demon's head. Fem!Mephisto on feelings, longing and unfairly attractive men. One-shot.
A/N. part three of five now! woot! also, in regards to my absence and the future of this series, please refer to my profile.
A/N2. a quick reminder that fem!Mephisto's name is Lilith.

Lilith hummed as she settled down to read her newest book. Shiro had given it to her as a Christmas gift some years ago (back when he would still hang on to her every word like a puppy, and despite her protests that she was demon for whom celebrating Christmas was breaking some kind of cosmic law. He had blushed, shoved a piece of cake in her mouth, and told her to enjoy it.), and she had just skimmed the back cover but found herself entertained. Although lately she tended to favour Japanese manga and she had become quite a collector, Shiro knew that she had a soft spot for Fantasy novels. Especially if they had to do with dragons.

They were mystical creatures that Lilith herself had never encountered. Most of the time she believed that they had merely been thought up by humans, like many otherworldly creatures such as elves or - she snorted - hobbits. However, there was something regal about dragon's that attracted her much more than any other invented creature. To her, dragon's possessed all the regality that demon's did not but pretended to and that she desperately sought.

It was no surprise then, that she had greatly enjoyed the Elizabethan era, as well as the Renaissance and Victorian England. Lilith was embarrassed to admit that she enjoyed being pampered, but quite willing to fondly recall running through green meadows in the long dresses that were at the height of fashion back then.

With a cosy sigh, she blinked her eyes open, realising that she had fallen into a slight slumber as she was snuggled in her blanket in front of the warm fireplace. Surprised and annoyed like most people whenever they wake up after having a pleasant sleep and wishing to continue it, she glanced at the clock as she held back a yawn. It was only ten.

Maybe I am growing old, she thought with a wince, recalling Shiro's taunts. It surprised her suddenly that she actually felt hurt by that. Alarmed at herself, for she had not really felt anything remotely like emotional pain for a good couple of centuries (or allowed herself to an recognize it as such), she stood up straight as a rod.

Once more taking in her surroundings, she noticed that her book had been placed on the table in front of her, and that the blanket had been placed on her. She spied her jacket and hat sitting comfortably on another chair, which made her bristle slightly with the realisation that someone had touched her.

Slight panic began to settle in her mind, before she was able to calm herself down by taking deep breaths. Closing her eyes, she took in her surroundings. Shiro. His smell and the some lingering bits of his aura engulfed her in a warm cocoon of feelings. Feelings she had been aware of but easily dismissed.

Well, not so easily in the past few years. Not now that Shiro was not fifteen anymore, but a stupidly attractive man well in his prime who had walked away from True Cross Academy upon the completion of his studies and training. Since his inevitable graduation and subsequent departure, Shiro did not come back to the Academy save for twice a year, and even then it was only for a couple of days. He was now a famous Exorcist in his own right, often called upon for top-secret missions, to aid fledging Exorcists and to save people. He had grown in rank faster than any other Exorcist in the Order's history. Lilith was waiting for the day when he would receive the Order's biggest honor: the rank of Paladin.

As for herself, she was quite comfortable in her niche as the Academy's headmistress. She was quite aware what some of the members of the Order thought of her, but so long as she didn't act out no one would bother her. Once in a while, however, when Shiro visited but didn't stay for more than a day (something that was happening way too often lately – she'd barely miss him and never see him during his brief stays at the Academy. He was actively avoiding her and it hurt.), her feelings would surprise her.

Feelings she should not have at all.

Feeling of longing and loneliness. Against her better judgement, she had grown attached to the young boy she'd saved once upon time. She had mentored him and seen him grow, easily taking the role of an annoying sister and mentor for she already had practice. The attachment which had sprung out of their time in each other's company was normal, perhaps even expected, from him as a growing boy (an attachment he appeared to have cut off completely and that made her extremely unhappy for reasons she did not like to delve into). He grew out of it, as young boys were wont to do. It was most definitely not expected from her end.

As humiliating as it was to admit, Lilith was fully aware of her feelings and what they meant. That did not mean she had to like them, especially when they were towards a human she had watched and helped grow, a human who, for all intents and appearances, had outgrown her, a human who was an Exorcist and perhaps the best of his kind.

(Well, wouldn't daddy be happy with her when she introduced him? Hi dad, this is my boyfriend, whom I saved and tutored to become the best Exorcist the world had ever seen, a torn on your side really, and then, because he became so smart, handsome and attractive, I stupidly fell in love with.)

It doesn't help that he's annoyingly good-looking either, she sulked. Lilith felt very much like a sour girlfriend left behind when her boyfriend went to college, and the parallel disturbed her greatly. She had been fully aware of what she was doing when she agreed and started to train and take care of him. Somewhere along the way, that had changed drastically.

When Shiro left the Academy for the wide world, the last image she had of him was his back. He paused briefly, though, turning to smile warmly, something she would come to cherish afterwards, and said,

"See you soon, Lilith,"

She snorted. 'See you soon', right? It's been seven years, he's twenty-five by now, and they've only really seen each other a handful of times in the company of other Exorcists. None of those numbers should mean anything to her as a centuries-old demon, but they do and it hurts to think about. And yet all she can do is circle back to the same thought:

She most definitely wants to do sinful things to the boy she watched grow up, and then maybe talk about their feelings over wine so she can tell him how much she misses him.

Lilith visibly shuddered. That was so not her. Although starting with sin was definitely more her way of doing things than talking about the possibility of a committed relationship – she cringed, if anything, she was a fan of the no strings attached way of doing things – with a human. An Exorcist.

With a sigh, she rearranged herself in her blanket. She could admit she was excessively fond of Shiro, as shameful as it was for one of Satan's daughters to fall for a human (although she was already the black sheep of the family, what with helping the Exorcists and becoming a member of the Order), and an Exorcist at that. She was even more prepared to admit she desired him, and had no qualms about the possible wrongness others might find in this for she was, at the end of the day, a demon. And there was a degree of truth to her lustful ways.

All she had to do, therefore, was find Shiro and see how things progressed. Actually having a lengthy face-to-face conversation for once in the seven years since the last one would probably help.

When Shiro came back in quietly to check up on her, he found her sleeping soundly. She snored lightly, causing him to chuckle and shake his head in amusement. As he moved about the room, cleaning up her mess as he always did during his quiet, nighttime visits, he failed to notice the positively carnivorous smile which stretched over her face, her pointy teeth bright in the moonlight.

A/N. i will re-read, either in the next few hours or tomorrow morning, and edit any glaringly obvious spelling mistakes. i might also go back and edit full paragraphs to maybe change things up a bit.

i hope my characterization of Mephisto, even though he is female, is still up to par. another thing that i will probably revise upon re-reading.

as usual, comments are lovely and encouraged!