Chapter 2
The old man sat in his chair with a copper can in his left hand. The tv was going with the football game, Japan was losing to England.
"Pass the ball motherfucker...PASS THE FUCKING BALL! MORONS!" He threw the can at the tv, the contents spilling all over the floor.
"Get me a brew runt!" The elder yelled over the noise of the game. "And clean up the fucking mess."
An eight year old walked out with another copper can and a towel.
"Get out of the fucking way weakling." The old man threw a book hitting the boy squarely in the spine, a shriek of pain came from the boy as a massive play had Japan score.
"YES!"
The eight year old child whimpered as he slowly got up, once again blocking the tv. "Get the fuck out of the way!"
The elder got up and pulled the child out of the way of the tv and threw him to the door. "Go and do something useful!"
The child hit the door and bounced off, hitting the wood burning stove on the left side of his face. The third degree burn formed as he slid off the cast iron stove and rolled to his right side.
'That MONSTER!' The dragon was furious.
The elder cheered as If he was in the stadium.
The child got up slowly, pain showing in his features, but no sounds came from him. He covered his left hand as he left the house, stumbling into the woods out back. The eight year old fell, his head landing in a stream. Painfully he pulled his head from the water so he could breath. A girl stepped from around a tree with black hair and purple eyes. As soon as she saw the wounded boy she ran to him. She then started putting the cool water on his burn, holding him gently.
'Mom should see him.'
Another figure masked in shadow appeared and looked at her.
"Is he injured?" The deep voice held concern.
"Yes dad...he's burned on his face." The nine year old looked to her father.
The man picked them both up and ebony wings came from his back. In seconds they ascended, flying fast to a home on the other edge of the forest. When they landed a woman came out wearing a deep purple kimono and a red obi. Her black hair was tied in a ponytail by a yellow ribbon. Her concerned blue eyes viewed the male child in the man's arms.
"Shuri, get the burn ointment. Akeno, stay with him." The man's wings folded and disappeared as he sat the boy down.
As he stripped the boy down his expression got more grim. 'Whoever gave him these will pay.'
The man and the girl saw the scars that crisscrossed the boy's body.
"Daddy...these are like yours…" The girl traced a scar that started from his shoulder and ended at the small of his back, when her finger stopped the boy hissed in pain.
Now there was murder in the man's eyes.
"He will stay here till he is better." The little girl missed the anger in her father's voice.
"What about after that?" Akeno looked to her father.
"...I can't promise anything." The man left the girl as he went into another room.
"Azazel, I need-" The door closed and the girl held the boy's hand.
"Mommy will take good care of you."
"As will you." Shuri came back in with a wash basin and some ointment.
Akeno laughed and helped her mom clean up their new guest.
'These are cane marks...and these came from handcuffs, this...he was lucky to survive this...and these marks…'
"Akeno, you need to show him some joy. I bet he will smile of you give him a reason to." Shuri smiled to her daughter. The boy was now asleep and the girl cleared away some of his hair.
They dressed him in a simple white kimono and Shuri carried him to another spare room.
"Akeno, when he wakes up, feed him. He looks like he could use it." The woman left the girl and the boy alone.
The nine year old Akeno kissed him on his forehead. "Sleep well."
xXx
7 years later…
Issei got up to a pounding on his front door. He slowly pulled on a shirt and left his room for the front door. 'Why does she do this?'
'Maybe she cares for you?'
'Right...I'll file that in the unlikely category…'
'Why else would she be over every morning to make sure your up and ready?'
'It could be for the bento I make for her.'
"Open up sleepy head!" Her voice came from the door.
'And that says otherwise.' The dragon had a playful tone in his deep voice.
"Yeah, yeah…" He opened the door and there stood a familiar blonde hair and blue eyed girl in the female Kuoh Academy school uniform. "Ravel-"
"I made you a bento today. Now hurry up and eat some breakfast, or you'll be late for kendo." She pushed him to the kitchen and sat him down and began making breakfast for him. "I swear...for the first six months you were up before me and now I have to get you up."
"I guess I just tune out the alarm clock…"
'Ha!' The dragon laughed in Issei's head.
"And be sure to get into the shower as quickly as possible."
"Yes mom."
"Don't get that tone with me. I just don't want you in trouble again." She pointed the spatula at him.
"You know they say we're going out." He looked away.
"Let them." She smiled as she flipped the egg over.
He looked in awe to her.
"B-But-" He was tongue tied.
The dragon on the inside was rolling around on the ground laughing of a half-dead forest of a mindscape.
With the breakfast done she put the bacon and eggs along with some miso soup in front of him.
"Eat."
He did as he was told and ate. 'Why?'
'Why what?'
'Why...me?'
'You two have a similar history, it's my guess.'
"Earth to Issei, are you ok?" Ravel pressed her forehead to his.
"Yeah…" He blushed.
"I was wondering...I asked my parents if I could stay here, they said yes." He choked and looked at her when he could breath again.
"What about the Hiraga's?"
"They don't mind. Besides, you need help anyway around here. Now finish your food and get in the shower."
'She'll make a fine wife for ya.'
'Shut up!' "Alright, alright…" He finished his food and left for the shower.
As the water cascaded down his body he felt relaxed.
'I've been getting an odd feeling from Ravel, and I'm not talking about the hormones.' The dragon had a serious tone.
'What kind of feeling?' He washed his hair.
'The aura of a devil...But I've been getting that feeling from a few of your schoolmates as well. The girl with the glasses for one, and another one is the short first year with the white hair.'
'If you exist, then they could as well. And if she is one, she is one of the nicest ones I've met. That burn was real...and she still covers up when she can, which means it still continues or she has more scars.' His thoughts turned dark.
'Sounds like you want to protect her, devil or not...now get out of the shower and get to school, your wife is waiting on you.'
Issei grunted in displeasure as he rinsed himself and turned off the water.
'I'm not going to live this down huh?'
'What do you think?'
He dressed and found Ravel by the front door.
"About time. Come on." As soon as they were out the door she had a hold of his arm, he held his shinai and his bag in his other hand.
'How can this day get any worse?'
xXx
Katase and Murayama were waiting outside the school gate with their shinai and bags and it looked like they were looking for someone. When they saw Issei and Ravel walk up they smiled.
"Issei! You made it!"
"Thanks to me." Ravel had a haughty air.
"Well thank you! Come on Issei!" Ravel let go of him as he was dragged away by the other two girls.
"Enjoy the bento I made for you!" Ravel called out noticing the envious looks on the other two girls faces.
Ravel went to class as Issei went to the dojo. When he was changed into gi and protective gear, they sat down and waited for the teacher to show up, which wasn't long.
"Hyoudou, Shinra, your up." The teacher sat in the front of the room and waited as the called students went to the center.
They bowed to him, then to each other, then they got into the ready position. Issei waited till she made the first move.
He blocked and counterattacked with a thrust, missing her as she ducked. She grunted and did an overhead swing which he dodged. He thrusted and hit where her heart was on her armor.
'She let you win.'
'I know. Why is the question though.'
She took off the gear and she was sweating profusely, Issei felt her forehead and looked to the teacher.
"She needs to go to the nurse." The teacher nodded and he hoisted her up.
"Why fight if you were sick!? Do you know how stupid that was?" She tried to fight him off but he held firm.
"I can still-"
"End of argument, we are on our way to the nurse." He carried her all the way to the office.
When he got there another familiar female with glasses was there.
He helped the sick girl to a bed then turned to leave.
"Thank you for helping her."
"This was the only time I won a sparring match, so I don't consider it a win. Could you tell her please?" Issei looked to the other girl with glasses.
"I will." She bowed her head.
When Issei was gone did the partition open to reveal a healthy girl.
"I'm sorry Sona, but you don't have enough pieces. He would take up either all of your pawns, or both of any of the others. Or just one queen." The serious look on the green framed glasses girls eyes said it all.
"No use in crying over spilt milk. Tsubaki, do you think he would do well in Gremory's peerage?" Sona looked to her.
"He knows magic. The only piece he could take would be the pawn, and even then he would have to take all eight. He has that much power." Tsubaki looked to her.
"For a human he is extremely gifted. And he is usually around the Phoenix girl anyway. Do you think she taught him or does he have a sacred gear?" Sona looked away in thought.
"I'll look into it." Tsubaki bowed her head.
"I'll see if I can make some trades…" Sona left the girl to get some rest.
xXx
Issei walked into homeroom and sat at his normal place, a brown haired girl with glasses gave him a look and smiled.
"So the knight returns."
He cocked an eyebrow at her.
"Where's the knuckleheads?" He looked around.
"Off perving somewhere, but I have to ask, is it true you and Ravel are living together?"
"Kiryuu, where did you hear that?" Issei turned an annoyed look to an empty seat next to him.
"Is it?" She gave him the kicked puppy look.
"I'm not saying." He ignored her as she looked shocked.
"I guess I'll have to ask her." She went back to her desk swaying her hips.
"Do what you want."
'I don't sense her presence here, she might've left the grounds.'
'I'll go and look for her.'
'Are you concerned for her?'
'What do you think?'
"Tell Mr. Mizu I'm in the bathroom." Issei left the classroom.
"A-All right…." Kiryuu just gave him a weird look.
'Where do you think she would've gone?'
'You're asking me?'
'You're the only other being I know that knows more about the supernatural than me.'
'Point. Try her house.'
'Alright.'
Issei made sure that he wasn't seen leaving the grounds and made his way to her house. He stood in front of the gate and put his hand on the handle.
'This is the first time I've been here.'
'The worst they can tell you is that she isn't home.'
'Point.'
He opened the gate only to hear rusted hinges. 'She dresses so nice...and they have rusted hinges?' He walked up to the front door and knocked, opening the door. 'Sure...this isn't creepy…' He slowly and silently prowled inside.
'I sense a strong aura in here...be careful.'
"-ou're a pure blooded devil! You're already engaged to the heir of the Astoroth. You will not see that human again. If you go near him, Riser will kill him." He heard a voice belonging to a man in his twenties.
"Please...please don't hurt him…" Issei recognized Ravel's voice and the crying she must've been doing.
[Balance Breaker Scale-mail]
The flimsy door turned to splinters as a boy walked in wearing a suit of mostly red and some gold suit of armor with green gems.
"Get away from her asshole." Ravel recognized Issei's voice immediately.
"Stand down wretch-" An armored gauntlet punched the blonde haired and blue eyed man in the gut hard.
[Boost!]
Issei followed up with a trip kick and a tail slap.
"Ravel, come with me." She more than happily ran out the door.
The man summoned a ball of fire and threw it at Issei. "No one does that to Riser, NO ONE!"
Issei summoned a ball of ice and frosted the room the man was in and a moment later summoned water that soaked the man and extinguishing the flame.
"Don't follow me."
[Boost!]
The man summoned another ball of flame, only to have Issei take it from him.
"You asked for it!"
[Boost!]
[Transfer!]
Issei now threw a mixed ball of fire at the man, the swirling energies detonating when it hit the target. And in a small room, the force of the explosion blowing the man and the boy out of the building as well as blowing up the house. Issei landed next to a disheveled looking Ravel, he looked at her and seen more scars on her as well as a fresh bruise.
"You're staying with me. I want to meet your parents." The tone in his voice was pure malice.
"Y-Yes…" He picked her up bridal style and two draconic wings sprouted from the armor and flew off toward his house.
xXx
A/n: Ok, to answer some questions, Instincts was originally supposed to be an Issei/Ravel, but I got so off base with it and some did point out how bi-polar he was. I will finish Instincts, but not now.
Ages in chapter 1
Issei: 14
Ravel: 12
Rias: 15