No warnings for this one.

Disclaimer: I do not own To Love-Ru.

. . . .

What Lala had said was true. Nana really was more innocent than anyone had suspected. Her heart still ached, and she knew the feeling would not go away for a long time. She couldn't hold them back anymore. Her hands clenched into tight fists as the tears fell, spilling down her shirt. Only then did she begin to sob, a pitiful, choking sound that Nana rarely made. But it was fine. Nobody was here to watch.

What the Devilukean really needed was comfort. Although she was the second oldest of the three sisters, she was also the most gullible, and had the frailest heart of them all, although nobody would've guessed. One hand, trembling, reached up to wipe some of the salty, wet tears away.

Mea would have consoled her. She would have smiled, bubbly as always, and would have told her to keep her head raised. That everything was going to be okay. That nothing was wrong. But that would never happen. It was all a lie. More choked sobs. More tears.

And, as if on cue, it started to rain.

. . . .

Momo instantly knew something was wrong when her older sister trudged into the house, her head hung and pale pink hair sopping wet from the heavy rain.

"Nana?" she said, genuinely shocked. It wasn't everyday that she saw Nana like this. Most of the time, her twin was perky and bright, if not a bit hotheaded at times. But seeing her this down was definitely not Nana. Before she could add anything else, the other sister dejectedly walked up the stairs.

She didn't even greet Momo when she came in.

Mea would have comforted her.

But Mea wasn't her friend.

So who could she talk to?

Mikan?

Momo?

Nana's violet eyes widened as she realized who she was thinking of. But... How? Why? Rito would never really understand what she was trying to cope with. She barely even spoke to him. Sometimes, she didn't speak to him at all.

But really, what other choice did she have?

. . . .

Slowly, grudgingly, she approached him. Was this what she really wanted to do? She wanted to pour out her feelings to somebody. She wanted to rid herself of this burden. But... Why him? He was a beast! He would probably take advantage of her, just like he did with Momo. Nana still wasn't sure how he got her in his bed every night... But somehow, she trusted him. A small part of her completely and wholly trusted Rito.

And so she lightly tapped him on the shoulder.

"N-Nana? Is there something you want?" he asked, careful not to accidentally glance at her flat chest. Only then did he register her tear-streaked cheeks and red, puffy eyelids. Nana had been crying. And that alone shocked Rito more than anything else. Nana had always been the tough, proud one. She would never have let herself cry, unless something extremely horrible had happened to her. A tidal wave of worry consumed the boy, a strange mix of confusion and anger at whoever had abused the princess.

"Nana? What happened to you?" he exclaimed.

More sniffling. "...C-Can we talk...?"

"Uh, sure." This was weird. Nana was actually talking to him?

"S-Someplace private..."

. . . .

The two students sat at an empty table, which had been recently cleared and polished by Mikan. Nana stared sadly down at her pathetic expression, mirrored on the shiny table. She looked terrible. Just how did one simple heartbreak lead to such disastrous results? Nobody wanted to befriend Nana. Her coincidental friendship with Mea was simply too good to be true.

"So... Would you like to tell me what happened?" Rito began awkwardly. He was trying his best to be gentle.

"I'm kind of thirsty," Nana admitted. Really, her statement was merely an excuse to prolong the silence.

"O-Oh, okay... I'll go get you something, then," Rito stammered, feeling conscious as he walked over to the kitchen. He wasn't very good at making tea. But maybe Nana would like his cooking. With a heavy sigh, Rito got to work.

. . . .

"... Is this tea?" Nana asked suspiciously.

Rito fidgeted. Did he do something wrong? A part of him knew the fickle princess would never appreciate anything he did for her. But she was thirsty, and it would have been very rude to just leave her there without at least trying to make something for her.

"Y-Yes..."

Nana gripped the delicate cup, raising it to her lips, and took one sip. A slow, tentative sip. Maybe she thought Rito had poisoned it somehow... That was a stupid idea. Rito shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts.

"So, how is it?" he asked instead.

"... It's a-alright," Nana replied. In truth, the tea tasted really good. Too good to be Rito's cooking. Maybe Mikan had made it. She glanced around. The younger girl was nowhere to be seen. Had she left already?

"Who made this tea?" she prompted.

"... Oh, um... I m-made it," Rito answered with much difficulty. Was his tea really that bad? He always knew he was terrible at cooking. That was why Momo, Yami, and Mikan were usually the ones to serve the family during dinner. He braced himself for a rude and painful insult from Nana.

Crash.

Shocked, Rito glanced up. Nana had dropped her tea cup, creating a sticky brown mess on the ground accompanied by the broken shards of the once whole cup. The floor was a mess. Rito knew Mikan would be angry.

"... I expected better from you, Rito," Nana hissed, her face flushed. Had she really just complimented Rito's cooking? That beast wasn't good at anything except pulling down innocent girls' panties and getting caught in a number of perverted situations. But here she was, drinking the tea that he had made. And... And his tea. It tasted good.

"Oh... Um, I'm sorry. I'm not that good at cooking and-"

"Save it," Nana interrupted curtly.

There was a moment of silence.

"So... Why were you, um, crying Nana...?" Rito started again.

"... Mea's not my friend..."

What? Did Nana and Mea get into a nasty fight?

"What happened? Did you two fight?" Rito continued.

Nana paused for a moment. There it was again. She could feel the tears pooling up in her eyes. And she couldn't stand it. She would not cry in front of Rito.

"S-She's not my friend... She a-abandoned m-me..." Nana choked out the words. The tears were coming fast. There was no way she would be able to contain them now. "... She's a-a weapon... A l-living weapon, j-just... Just like Y-Yami-san-"

And just like that, Rito hugged her.

Surprised, Nana couldn't move. She was frozen on the spot, paralyzed by the warmth Rito had shared with her. The boy was breathing harshly. Nana could feel his chest rising steadily, up and down, up and down...

Wait. His chest?

It was touching her chest.

"W-What do you think you're doing you beast?!" Nana cried out in anger and hurt as she forcefully shoved Rito away from her. The startled teenager stumbled backwards. "A-Are you trying to insult me?!"

"No! Nothing like that!" Rito protested, hands raised.

Nana paused. He seemed harmless enough in this state.

Her tail drooping, she sighed, settling back down in her chair. "Baka. You're supposed to let me get mad at you."

For a brief moment, Rito smiled. "S-Sorry... I-I know I'm not Lala or anything, but... You can always talk to me."

Nana returned his smile. "... Okay."

Hesitantly, she reached out and awkwardly wrapped her arms around Rito's shoulders, trying to pull herself closer to him. His warmth was comforting.

"Nana...?"

The Devilukean princess could feel her cheeks flushing a deep red. Was she actually going to do it? She had never really understood why Momo and Lala took such a liking to Rito, seeing as he was just a perverted beast. But... Feeling his arms wrapped around her, the warmth that he gave off, she could finally understand... But her complex feelings for the human boy confused her. She didn't really like him... But...

And with that final thought, she pressed her body against Rito's in a small hug.

"Don't take this the wrong way," she snapped. "You're still a beast." But even Nana couldn't hold back the happiness she felt when she hugged that boy.