So, to start off, I'd like to apologize for not updating in a while. It might seem like I just disappeared, with how I went from 2 chapters a week (ish) to suddenly not posting for two weeks. But, I assure you, I've been working on stuff and things. I've just been super busy lately, and haven't had a whole bunch of time for writing. Sorry again. I'll try not to go so long without posting again. Okay, so here's some ANs, in Q and A form.

1. Q: Did you abandon His Angel? A: Nope. Not even almost. It might be a minute before the next update, but it will happen.

2. Q: Who's getting a story next? A: Kuroka! It's already at 2.5k words.

3. Q: Did someone proofread this chapter? A: Absolutely not! Prepare for continuity errors and grammar mistakes galore. Lots of fluff, though, so it all kind of evens out.

4. Q: Is Belial still taking suggestions for stories? A: Not for pairings, but if you have an excellent plot/story idea, pm me and I'll tell you what I think.

5. Q: Is Belial running out of things to say? A: Yes! Go read the story, people. And don't forget to review.

"Are you really okay with this? Now that he can contact Gondul, you know it's only a matter of time."

"No. But it's not my choice, not anymore." Anna sat at the kitchen table in the Hyoudou house, head in hands. Gorou stood beside her, rubbing her back soothingly.

"I guess not. Still, though...I can't help but feel like something's been set into motion."

"Don't say things like that. Too ominous. Makes me feel like we're in a story."

"Maybe we are."

"Shitty story."

"Whoa! Anna, are you okay?" Gorou said, bending down to look his wife in the eyes. She almost never cursed, and that already marked the second time today.

"What? No, I'm not okay! Have you even been paying attention?!" Anna said, yelling. Her eyes were red and puffy. She'd obviously been crying. "Our only son is going to be supernatural, and I can't do anything about it! Do you know how hard it's going to be for him, Gorou?" Anna said, sniffling and trying not to cry again.

"Yeah, I do. Believe me, I do." Gorou said, wincing. A supernatural life was never an easy one.

"I just wish...I don't know. I almost wish we hadn't taken him, all those years ago."

"You don't mean that. You know him and Rossweisse are going to be together forever. Plus, even if we hadn't taken him, he still wouldn't have been mundane. I am the White Dragon, after all." Gorou said.

It's true; Gorou Hyoudou was the latest in the long line of White Dragons, and while he certainly wasn't the strongest, he was more than powerful enough to pass on some traits to his son. For most of his life, Issei hadn't shown any outwards signs of it, but he was absolutely the offspring of a dragon. Issei's parents had known from the day he wrestled a wolf at eight years old, he'd definitely inherited his Father's strength.

"Yeah, I know...still."

"Trust me, I get it. They'll be just like we were."

He and Anna had been quite the supernatural power couple back in their day. They'd had more than their fair share of trouble.

Anna laughed briefly, then wiped her face. "Those poor kids."

"Yeah. Especially if Albion is right, it's gonna suck. But, they'll figure it out."

(I'm rarely wrong.)

"I beg to differ." Gorou said, answering the Dragon.

"Well, for you and Issei, I hope Albion is wrong. The Boosted Gear is the last thing he needs."

"Oh yeah, for sure. Between being my kid and having Ddraig, he'll definitely have a rough go of it. But, there's a silver haired maiden just waiting to guide him down the right path."

"Blehck." Anna said, making a disgusted face. "You make it sound so poetic."

"Poetic is the last thing it sounds like. Ddraig won't be happy about Rossweisse having silver hair. Ha, almost makes me laugh thinking about the old coots' reaction."

(Silver is certainly not his favorite color. Your hatchlings' mate might face some scrutiny before Ddraig allows her to come close.)

"Pah, if Ddraig thinks he can come between those two, he's got another thing coming." Anna said with a burst of laughter. "If I couldn't keep them apart, there's no way that overgrown lizard could."

Gorou chuckled. He pulled a chair out at the table, and sat down beside his wife.

"So, do we know for sure whether or not Rossweisse is mundane? Gondul wasn't teaching her anything, last we spoke."

"I talked to her earlier. She called me after she got off the phone with Issei."

"Oh. Was she surprised?"

"Somewhat. She was also glad that I finally let them speak, and mad that I took him away. It was a long conversation. But, anyway, I asked whether or not Rossweisse was supernatural, and get this; she's a Valkyrie."

Gorou's eyes widened. He leaned back in his chair, processing the information. "No way. At such a young age? That's incredible! But, then, why is she here instead of Asgard?"

Anna shook her head. "She wanted to see Issei that much, I guess. Gondul said Odin himself told Rose to go wherever she pleased."

"That's amazing. Issei's a lucky guy, to have a demigod mage as a partner."

"He has no idea...literally. No one's told him yet. Rossweisse doesn't know he knows about magic, either, so she won't be telling him anything anytime soon." Anna explained, smirking.

Gorou looked at his wife like she'd grown a second head. "...Let me get this straight." He said, rubbing his chin.

"Go ahead."

"Issei knows about magic, and thinks Rose is mundane." Gorou said, pointing in the air with his right hand.

"Yep."

"Rose is a Valkyrie, and thinks Issei is mundane." Gorou went on, pointing in the air with his other hand.

"Mhmm."

"Oh, man. That'll be fun." Gorou said, mock-groaning and putting his hand in his hands. He was smiling in anticipation of the big surprise.

"And there's a high chance Issei is the Red Dragon, can't forget that." Anna said, wagging her finger.

(Chance my scaly ass. Ddraig resides within that boy, no doubt about it. I've known from the day he hatched.)

"Okay, first off, he was born, he didn't hatch, and second, he would've awakened by now if he was the Red One." Anna said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, Alby. You remember my awakening. It wasn't near as violent as anything Issei's been through. If he was going to awaken, it would've been when he fought the wolves or when he got shot."

(It doesn't always work like that. Dreams are the conduit, more often than not. Nightmares, even.)

Gorou sighed, shaking his head. "Maybe. Maybe not. All I'm saying is, it's unlikely that he'll ever awaken, since he hasn't already. Especially being part dragon, like he is. Ddraig couldn't ask for a better host."

"Hey, Gorou."

"Hm?"

"Do you think he told Rossweisse he got shot?" Anna asked, Gorou's previous statement causing her to think about the incident.

"Hmm...I'm sure he didn't tell her the whole truth, if he did. She probably knows he was in a robbery, probably doesn't know he could've died..."

"You Hyoudou men are pathological liars."

"That we are. No doubt about it. It's not entirely our fault, though." Gorou said, smirking.

"And how is that?" Anna said, tilting her head.

"We've all got pretty women we don't want to disappoint."

"Ever the romantic, I see. It's easy to see where Issei got his skills."

"I'm a regular Romeo, what can I say?"

Anna laughed, and stood up. She cocked her hips, and had a sultry look on her face. "Okay then, Romeo. Come show Juliet a good time."

Gorou looked shocked at first, but recovered quickly. He grinned, and shot up from his chair. He grabbed his wife in a bridal carry, making her yelp, and carried her to their room.

It's a really good thing Issei wasn't home.

Issei followed Rossweisse into her house, Mischief running up to greet him. Their date had ended spectacularly, and the sun had set a while ago. It was about 9 o'clock at night when they got to her house.

"Hey, hey! Who's a good boy?" Issei said, sitting down to hug the wolf. The scene looked a little funny, because of Mischief's massive size.

"You're going to get wolf hair all over that jacket."

"Extra insulation."

Rossweisse snorted a laugh at the joke. "I'm going to go change. No peeking." She said, wagging her finger, and walked to another area of her house. Issei watched her leave, then turned back to his wolf.

"So, how's the pack, hm? Are they all good?" Issei asked, rubbing Mischief's ears.

The wolf licked his face in reply.

"I guess that's a yes? That's good. Hey, are you housebroken?"

A blank stare was his reply.

"Well, that's rough. No peeing in Rose's house, ok?"

Another face lick.

"Atta boy."

Issei pulled himself off the ground, dusting his now hair-covered jacket off as best he could. He decided to look around Rossweisse's house a little, just to get a feel for the place. Mischief walked beside him as he meandered around.

Rossweisse had a nice house, if a little small. It was two stories, which gave the impression of being bigger than it actually was, but the rooms were tight and the ceiling was low. The small size didn't bother Issei or Rossweisse, because neither of them were particularly large, but it's worth noting.

The first floor had an entrance directly into a nice living room, and to the left upon entering there was a door frame to a kitchen. There was a wall to the right, where continuing forward would bring you to the master bed and bath, as well as an extra third bathroom. The second bed and bath were upstairs, with an unused room. The whole house had a bright color scheme, primarily white and otherwise blue and grey. Rossweisse didn't have much furniture, due to how recently she moved in.

Issei poked around in the living room, taking a look at the things she had. There was a large TV, a couch in front of a coffee table with a loveseat and a recliner on either side. She also had several pictures situated around the room, in various amounts of framing. Curious, Issei picked one up off the coffee table. It was a picture from his trip to Norway.

He and Rossweisse stood at the edge of a cliff on a hillside, the young Issei flashing a thumbs-up while Rossweisse cowered beside him. Issei laughed, and set the picture back down.

"That was fun, wasn't it?" Issei turned towards the unexpected voice, Rossweisse appearing back in the room. She'd changed into a black tank top and gray yoga pants, and her flawless silver hair was tied up in a loose ponytail. She looked gorgeous, and the boy was extremely attracted.

"What, that time in the picture?" Issei asked, pointing at the photo. Rossweisse approached, picking it up.

"Mhmm." She hummed, nodding and looking at it with nostalgia.

"You were terrified. You wouldn't even look over the side." Issei said with a small laugh. They'd gone up into the highest parts of the nearby hills, and Rossweisse was not a fan.

"Still, it was fun." She set the framed picture back down on the coffee table.

"Well, we can go back and do it again whenever you're ready." Issei said, sitting down on the couch with his arms spread over the back of it. Rossweisse sat beside him, and Mischief jumped up on his other side.

"As much as I'd like to, I don't think it'll be possible till you get a break from school." Rossweisse said, shaking her head.

"School is for chumps. I'm a hands-on learner."

"School is for chumps? Keep in mind, you're talking to a teacher."

"Oh, am I? And where is this teacher, exactly? Because all I see is my super gorgeous nineteen year old girlfriend."

Rossweisse immediately blushed, then leaned into him. Issei rubbed her shoulder and she sighed, happy.

"Oh, hey. I almost forgot. You need to do something." Rossweisse said, sitting up and facing Issei.

"Do I?" Issei asked, a questioning expression on his face.

"You said you would."

"I say a lot of things."

"You said you'd show me something."

"I hardly think that's appropriate. You haven't even bought me dinner yet." Issei said with mock horror. His suggestive joke wasn't well received.

"Issei, show me your scars." Rossweisse said, all traces of humor gone from her face.

Issei sighed. He'd expected that, but he still didn't understand. "Rossweisse, how many times do I have to say it? They aren't your fault."

"That's not what matters. I want to see them."

"You're just going to get sad."

"It's possible." Rossweisse said, but didn't offer anything else. She waited for Issei to do something, staring a hole in him.

The boy sighed again, then stood up. He took his jacket off, laying it down on the coffee table.

"There, you can see. All over my arms, just like they were." Issei said, moving and flexing his arms around so she could see all of the scars dotting his limbs. Rossweisse sighed sadly.

"All of them, Issei." Rossweisse said, shaking her head. She'd known he had the scars on his arms, but those weren't the bad ones. The worst of his old wounds were on his torso, and she knew it.

Issei sighed again. "Do I really have to? I mean, if you think about it, they're all his fault." He said, pointing at Mischief, who was idly snoring on the couch.

"That may be. I still want to see." Rossweisse said, resolute.

Issei was dumbfounded. He really, truly, honestly did not understand why she wanted to see his scars. She'd seen them all in detail when he was a child, and not much had changed, with one exception. Nonetheless, he grabbed the top of his shirt and started to slide it off.

Rossweisse's eyes widened as Issei revealed his torso to her. He was covered from neck to pelvis is scars, ranging in size from the length of a ruler to the width of a dime. She stood up, moving to Issei, who had his hand placed over a spot on his chest. It looked like he could've been hiding something, but it also looked like he just didn't know what to do with his hands, so Rossweisse ignored it. She walked all around him, inspecting his wounds with a heartbroken expression. Issei grit his teeth.

"No, you know what? That's enough. I'm not gonna sit here and let you make yourself sad." Issei said, worried for her. Rossweisse stopped in her tracks.

The boy bent down to retrieve his shirt, and in the instant he'd moved his arms, she was able to see the spot he'd been covering.

"Issei Hyoudou." Rossweisse said, an edge to her voice. Issei stopped moving, almost to his shirt.

Issei didn't say anything. He knew she'd caught him. He recovered the spot on his chest, trying in vain to keep it hidden.

"When you said you hadn't been hurt at the robbery, you...you were lying, weren't you?" Rossweisse asked, her voice quiet to the point of being almost inaudible. She sounded hurt, her voice wavered.

"Rossweisse, I-" Issei started to try and defend himself.

"Issei, move your hand." Rossweisse demanded. She almost choked on the words.

"Rose-"

"Issei!" Rossweisse yelled, uncharacteristically angry.

Issei sighed, and moved his hand, standing up straight with his arms at his sides.

On his right pectoral muscle, across from his heart, there was a circular wound. It was obviously not one left by Mischief, and for one main reason; it was fresh. The wound was red and swollen, and stitches lined it.

"Issei...what is that?" Rossweisse asked, barely holding together.

"A bullet wound." Issei said solemnly.

Rossweisse gasped, and covered her mouth with her hands. Tears fell from her eyes. "You...you got shot…?"

"Entirely unpleasant. I rate it a 2/10, only slightly better than getting mauled by wolves." Issei said, not cracking a smile despite the joke.

Rossweisse trembled. Her face went through a myriad of expressions, both angry and sad. "Why...why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want you to worry. See, now you're worrying."

"Of course I'm worried!"

"That's why I didn't want to show you my scars, either. It's all stupid." Issei said, looking at the ground.

"It's not stupid!"

"It is."

"No it's not!" Issei looked at Rossweisse in mild shock, not expecting her reaction. "It's not stupid! You're my best friend and my boyfriend! Knowing you've been so hurt, it's...it's not easy, Issei! And now, on top of all those other scars, I found out you got shot two weeks ago! How are you even out of the hospital?!" She yelled, tears streaming down her face.

Issei walked forward and pulled the sobbing Rossweisse into a tight embrace, wrapping his arms around her and letting the girl cry into his shoulder. He rubbed her back soothingly, trying to calm her down. "It was a small caliber bullet in an unimportant place. It didn't even reach my lung. I'm fine, Rose." Issei's words did nothing to calm the girl. He put his hand on her chin and tilted her face up, so she'd look him in the eye.

"Hey, Rose. I'm fine." Issei repeated soothingly. He wiped her eyes, and hugged her again. Slowly, she began to stop crying. "I heal fast. They said all that would be left in a month is a little scar, so stop crying. I'm fine." He repeated, stroking the back of her head. Rossweisse sniffled, wiping her face.

"That doesn't make it better…" She said, sniffling.

"What do I have to do to make it up to you?" Issei whispered into her ear, slowly rubbing her back.

"To make up getting shot…?"

"To make up not telling you."

"...Stop getting hurt, for one."

"Oh yeah, that'll happen."

"Issei...close your eyes." Rossweisse said, pulling away from him a tad but not leaving his arms.

"Why?" Issei asked, but closed his eyes anyway.

"I'm going to help you. Don't peek." Rossweisse said. She looked up to make sure his eyes were closed tight, then placed her hand over his wound. A magic circle appeared, and the wound began to close, the stitches disappearing. Issei opened his eyes in shock, feeling the healing magic, and Rossweisse kissed him on the lips before he could even peek. Issei shut his eyes and leaned into the kiss, too surprised to react to her blatant use of magic.

Finished with the healing, Rossweisse started to pull back from the kiss, only to have Issei put his arms around her and pull her back in. Though surprised, she didn't mind. A few moments later, Issei pulled his head back. He looked down at his chest, where all that was left of the previously gnarly wound was a fingernail sized scar. The stitches had disappeared, and the swelling had gone down.

"You healed me. You healed my bullet wound." Issei said, touching his chest.

"Uh, yeah...crazy, right?" Rossweisse said, fidgeting nervously. She hoped he'd react well. Learning about magic for the first time was an interesting experience.

Issei laughed suddenly, startling her.

"So, you know magic. You've known magic this whole time." Issei said, resting his forehead against hers with a smile on his face. The serious vibe from before had vanished, replaced by one of happiness.

"Wait, you know about magic?" Rossweisse asked, mildly shocked. She had a light smile on her face too, and a blush graced her cheeks. Her arms were wrapped around Issei's neck, and his were around her waist. They looked like they were like ballroom dancing, except a lot closer and not moving.

"Are you kidding? I've known about magic since we were kids. I'm bummed you didn't say anything sooner."

Rossweisse laughed, dumbfounded. "I didn't think you knew magic."

"I don't. I know about magic."

Rossweisse smirked. "Oh, of course. Someone like you doesn't have the capacity to be a mage like us intellectuals." She joked, winking.

"Issei no understand. Durhur." Issei said, crossing his eyes and sticking his tongue out the side of his mouth. Rossweisse laughed at the joke.

"I'm a pretty good mage. I can teach you, if you want."

"I'd love that. Knowing you, though, I'm sure you're not just a normal mage. Let me guess...Norwegian...genius...related to Gondul...you're a Valkyrie."

Rossweisse giggled, and leaned a bit more into him. "Spot on. One of Odin's finest."

Issei laughed. "That old bastard. Would you believe he's the one who pointed you out to me in the airport, all those years ago?"

"Really?"

"Mhmm. Old coot knew I'd fall for you."

"Well, I'm glad you did."

"Are you? Me too." Issei said. He fell onto the loveseat, pulling Rossweisse on top of him. She yelped, but didn't resist.

"This is quite the naughty position, for a student and teacher to be in." Issei said, smirking. She was laying across the top of the still-shirtless Issei, and her sizable breasts were pushing into his bare chest. Issei was fine with it, of course, and frankly speaking, Rossweisse was too.

Rossweisse heavily blushed, but didn't move. "I'm not a teacher. You got me fired." She said, tracing a circle where his bullet wound used to be.

"So you're a teacher when it's convenient, is what I'm hearing."

"That about sums it up."

"So this is fine?" Issei asked with a smirk.

"If it wasn't, I wouldn't be here." Rossweisse said with a smirk of her own.

Issei gave a devilish smile. "You know, if anyone saw us, you'd never get a teaching job in Japan again."

"I think somehow I'd manage. This is more fun than teaching, anyway." Rossweisse said, laying her head in the crook of Issei's neck.

Issei smiled, stroking her silky silver hair. "I'm glad we agree." Rossweisse didn't reply, she just sighed happily and closed her eyes. A few moments later, she yawned.

Issei chuckled. "What am I, a mattress?"

"Mhmm. Soft, warm." Rossweisse murmured into his chest, not looking up.

"I'm anything but soft." Issei said. He wasn't lying, his chiseled physique was almost rock hard.

"Soft-hearted." Rossweisse said tiredly.

"You might be right." Issei said, smiling. "So, are we just gonna sleep like this? Cus that would be a-okay with me."

"Mhmm."

"Sounds like a plan." Issei blew two short whistles, one after another, and Mischief instantly woke up. He looked around quickly, till his eyes landed on Issei. The boy gestured with his hands, and Mischief jumped off the couch, and ran over to the loveseat, jumping up on top of Rossweisse. Both her and Issei groaned at the immense weight, but Mischief was quick to reposition. He laid down alongside them, on the edge of the loveseat.

"There, we've got a fluffy space heater. Now we can sleep." The wolf's fur had almost covered the two of them, and it was very warm, making for extreme comfort.

"Mmmm." Rossweisse hummed in agreement, already half asleep. Issei smiled softly, then laid his head back against the cushion of the loveseat. Moments later, both of his companions were fast asleep, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

Rossweisse knew about magic. Issei figured she'd learn at some point, since Gondul was a mage herself, but for some reason she hadn't wanted to teach her when they were kids. He didn't know the reason, but whatever it was, she'd apparently passed it. Valkyries were said to be immensely powerful demigod warriors of Asgard, and if Rossweisse really was one, she'd overcome whatever her crutch had been in a big way. Issei was happy for her.

Between the comforting presence of his girlfriend, and the warmth and softness of his wolf, it was probably the coziest he'd ever been. So, within minutes, he'd drifted off to sleep.

Issei had opened his eyes no longer than a second before a wave of more intense heat than anything he'd ever felt forced him to close them. He put his hand in front of his face, and tried to open them again, this time withstanding the temperature. What he saw made him doubt his own sanity.

He stood on a grassy plain, with a massive inferno some 20 feet away. Issei frantically looked around, searching for any sign of where he was or how he got there, but nothing stood out. In the distance, far beyond him, tornadoes of flame blazed. Not seeing an imminent threat, Issei calmed down.

'I was asleep. I fell asleep with Rossweisse, and that's where I still am. There's no logical way to go from a couch in Japan to a fiery hellscape. I must be dreaming.'

"A smart one, I see." Issei almost fell over in shock as a booming voice resonated from within the inferno. A bout of fierce laughter came afterwards, shaking the very earth he stood on. The boy was so shocked, he didn't even question the voice's apparent ability to read his thoughts.

"Who are you? Where are we?"

"Your mind. Or rather, your soul."

"My soul is better than this. I paid a hundred thousand down on a nice soul, this better not be it!" Issei yelled, trying to keep his cool.

"Ha! You've got a sense of humor, I see! Despite your situation, you're keeping calm and cracking jokes. What's your secret?" The voice asked, feigning curiosity.

Issei hesitated to answer. "...You're in my soul, you tell me!" The mildly frightened boy had to shout to even almost hear himself. Between the raging inferno and the blazing fire tornadoes, the grassland was extremely loud.

"You want me to tell you your secret?"

"I'm all ears!"

"If you insist. Don't get mad at me."

"Try me!"

"Very well. You make jokes because it's all you can do. You're not smart like your mate or strong like your father. All you are is funny!"

The disembodied voice from the fire was completely right, and Issei knew it. He suddenly found himself feeling very angry and insecure.

"Is that so?!" Issei yelled, trying to play it off like he didn't care.

"And that's another thing. You act like you don't care, because you care too much. You're afraid if you get attached to anyone or anything, it'll be ripped away from you like the girl was." The voice said, ripping Issei's nonchalant attitude to shreds.

The voice's words enraged Issei. It was absolutely, 100 percent right. In no more than a minute, whoever was speaking had torn into his deepest insecurities without a second thought.

"Fuck you! How do you even know that!?"

"I know everything about you, Issei. And I know that you're worried beyond measure that you can't protect your mate. She's a Valkyrie, and you're a random nobody. She's far past your level, now."

"Shut up! So what if I'm not smart or strong?! I'm plenty enough to protect her, I always have been!" Issei yelled, feeling threatened.

"Oh, like you did with the wolf? The only reason you even survived that encounter is because you carry your father's blood."

"I won by myself! No one helped! I can protect her from anything!"

"Is that what you think?!" The voice boomed, and the ground shook, rattling Issei like a ragdoll. "Then, what would you do if I attacked her? Would you wrestle me, like some wolf?!" It bellowed, a hint of humor to the impossibly deep voice.

"If that's what it takes, then yes!"

"Let me change your mind!" All of a sudden, the noise from the fire seemed to grow quiet, and a massive stomping sound could be hard. Issei watched in awe and horror as a ridiculously large western dragon stepped out of the inferno, flames curling out of its mouth.

"The is always a bigger fish, Issei! You need to be stronger!" The dragon advanced at an alarming pace, shouting all the while. Issei stumbled backwards a few steps out of fear, and fell down on the ground. The dragon stalked forward until he stood over the boy, turning his scale-covered head to look Issei in the eyes.

"Someday, it won't be enough. You won't be strong enough to save her, not by yourself. You need help."

"Maybe. Maybe not." Issei said, scooting away from the dragon.

The dragon sighed. "Don't you wish you could be more than some weakling?" The dragon asked, it's massive head mere inches from Issei. In a flash, it'd switched from a threatening and dark tone to a soothing one.

"Of course I do. But, I can't. I don't know magic." Issei said, looking up into the dragon's blazing orange eyes. He knew he should be terrified, but he didn't sense any kind of threat from the reptile.

"Magic isn't the only thing in the supernatural world, Issei. I can give you power, if you want."

"Power?"

"Power to dominate. Power to protect."

"I don't understand."

"They never do, at first. Oh, it would seem your time is up. Think about it, partner! Power!" The dragon let loose a terrifying roar, and Issei looked just in time to see a fire tornado consume him. Issei screamed, and everything went black.

Issei awoke to the feeling of being poked in the cheek. He slowly opened his eyes, then turned to the offending party, a worried looking Rossweisse. She'd apparently taken a shower, evident by her damp hair and slightly moist clothes. She'd changed into a simple gray t-shirt and some black athletic shorts. She knelt beside his place on the couch, a concerned expression on her face.

"Issei? Are you okay?" She asked, looking at him. Issei looked down at himself, and realized he was the only one still on the loveseat. Mischief and Rossweisse were beside him, both of them looking at him anxiously.

"What do you mean?" Issei asked. He sat up, rubbing his head. He felt like he was hungover, and his head hurt. His eyes burned, like there was smoke or dirt in them.

"You kept thrashing, and you're sweating. I thought you were having a nightmare." Rossweisse said, pointing at his chest. He followed her finger, and sure enough, he was covered in cold sweat.

"I...I think I was. I can't remember anything." Issei said, clutching his temples. His head hurt.

"Are you alright?"

"I think...I think so. Yeah, I'm fine." Issei said, running his hands all over his body and checking for problems. Nothing sprang to mind, and he didn't feel anything wrong outside of his odd symptoms.

Rossweisse breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. I was worried, I thought you might've caught a fever or something."

"No, I'm all good. Oh, wait...ack!" Issei suddenly fell back and clutched his chest, writhing around and groaning.

"Issei?! Issei!" Rossweisse yelled, not understanding. "What's wrong?!"

Issei continued to thrash for a few moments, then fell limp as if it never happened. He took Rossweisse's hands, and looked her in the eyes.

"Rose…"

"What is it Issei? What's wrong?" Rossweisse asked, looking worried out of her mind.

"Come closer…" He groaned quietly. She leaned closer. "Closer…" Rossweisse was to the point where she was hovering right over his face, waiting for him to say something. He didn't say anything else for several moments.

"Issei…?" Rossweisse asked hesitantly.

Issei's head shot forward, closing the gap between her lips and his. He kissed the shocked girl for a couple seconds, then pulled back with a massive smile. Rossweisse's mouth hung open, and a blush graced her cheeks. Slowly recollecting herself, she frowned for a moment.

"You are the worst. I was really worried, you know?" She said, a faint smile replacing her frown.

"Sorry. I can't help it." Issei laughed, sitting back up and rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"So are you actually okay?" Rossweisse asked, wanting to make sure.

"Yeah, I'm all good." Issei stood up off the couch, stretching. He reached down to where his shirt was on the coffee table, then pulled it over himself.

Oddly enough, when he picked up the silver shirt, he felt a flash of displeasure, though he couldn't be sure why.

"So, what should we do?" Rossweisse asked, tilting her head. She'd stood up next to him, moving from her place kneeling by the couch. Mischief stood between her legs, eagerly looking up at Issei.

"Hmm...I don't know. I didn't have anything in mind. What do you want to do?" Issei asked.

"I think we should go to your house and let your parents know you're okay, since you were out all night. Also, tell them you're healed." Rossweisse said, pointing at his chest.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that." Issei said, rubbing his chest. The only sign he'd ever been hurt at all was that the skin was little tender. "Thanks, Rose." Issei said sincerely, looking his girlfriend in the eyes.

"Of course. What kind of g-girlfriend would I be if I let you stay hurt?" Rossweisse said. She tried to speak properly, but the word 'girlfriend' was still very fresh to her, and she couldn't quite say it without stuttering. Issei found it incredibly cute.

"So, we're going to my place?" Issei asked.

"In a bit. You need a shower."

"Are you saying I stink?"

"I'm saying you smell like you slept with a wolf all night." Mischief accentuated her statement with a halfhearted yowl.

"You might have a point." Issei said, sniffing his arms. He grimaced. For the most part, wolves smell like dogs, but there's a distinct tinge of 'wild' in their scent, and it had definitely rubbed off on Issei.

"Mhmm. I already showered, so you're good to go."

Issei sighed. "I guess I'll go, since I wouldn't want to stink up your house." He said, exaggerating his smell.

"You don't stink that bad. Mostly." Rossweisse said with a smirk. She pointed towards a room in the back of the house, and Issei went that way. As he passed her, she made a show about waving her hand in front of her nose, making Issei laugh.

Rossweisse watched Issei leave, and as soon as he was gone, she ran to her kitchen with an excited look on her face. Mischief followed close behind her.

The first minute or so of Issei's shower was spent trying to figure out which knob was hot water. As far as Issei was concerned, trying to work someone else's shower is tantamount to figuring out alien technology, and Rossweisse's was no exception.

Once he'd finally gotten it to scalding hot, just like he liked it, he was under the water for no more than 5 minutes before he'd smelled something burning. At first he'd assumed it was just Rossweisses' water heater, and he ignored it. But, the smell persisted. Curious, Issei raised his head and sniffed.

He was trying to process the smell when he heard a scream.

"Rossweisse!" Issei yelled in pure desperation as he nearly tripped, trying to get out of the shower as fast as he could.

His eyes wide, Issei moved to flee the bathroom as quickly as possible, not grabbing anything but his dirty pants in his rush to make sure Rossweisse was okay. He jumped into the pants, then practically flew out of the bathroom and down the hallway to where the scream came from.

There was a thin layer of smoke in the air as Issei burst into Rossweisse's kitchen. Issei was greeted by the sight of Rossweisse with an apron on, struggling to contain a skillet that was very much on fire. He stopped, and sighed in relief. He'd heard the scream and assumed she was in danger, so to see her just freaking out at some cooking was a major weight off his shoulders.

Rossweisse hadn't noticed he was there, being too engrossing with her failed attempt at cooking. Issei smirked, and decided to try and 'help.' He snuck behind her, and without the frantic girl realizing he was there, he snuck his arms under hers.

Now, Rossweisse thought Issei was still in the shower. She had no idea he was right behind her. So, imagine her surprise when the shirtless and dripping wet boy put his arms under hers and took the skillet in his own hands. The poor girl nearly jumped out of her skin. When she turned her head and saw the grinning face of Issei looking back at her, she nearly collapsed on herself out of relief.

"You've got it just a little hot." Issei said, laughing, as he turned the burner down. The small fire quickly died out. It appeared she'd been trying to cook breakfast; there was charred bacon and some burned eggs still in the skillet.

"I...I was trying to make you breakfast, but it didn't go so well…" Rossweisse said, tilting her head and looking sad.

"No biggie. Looks fine to me." Issei said, poking the food in the skillet.

Suddenly, the position they were in registered with Rossweisse. The girl immediately started blushing violently. Issei was still soaking wet, and his muscles gleamed. He looked hot, and there wasn't even an inch between the two of them. If this was a cartoon, she'd have steam coming out of her ears for sure.

Rossweisse's mouth and eyes opening and closed rapidly. A hundred questions swirled around her mind, but only one reached the surface. "Did you leave the shower running?"

Issei laughed. "That's not important. Look, I'm gonna help. Watch." The grinning boy said, trying to refocus Rossweisse on what was left of the food in the pan. Looking over her shoulder, he took the skillet off the heated burner, making sure the already-burned food wouldn't get any worse. Unwrapping himself from Rossweisse, he picked up another skillet she'd had out on the counter, and collected the eggs and bacon she hadn't used. He put just a bit of water in the skillet, added several strips of bacon, turned the heat back on, and slid it over the burner. The raw meat started sizzling, and a delicious smell filled the smoky room.

Rossweisse had stepped aside, watching Issei work with a defeated look on her face. She picked up her skillet, and moved to throw the contents into a nearby trash can, but Issei grabbed her wrist before she could.

"What are you doing? Don't throw my breakfast away." Issei said, a curious look on his face. Rossweisse looked between him and the burnt food, not understanding.

"It's burnt."

"So?"

"So, it's hardly even edible!"

"And?"

"And you're already making something else…"

"Not for me. This is all yours, schnookums." Issei said with a smirk. The boy used a nickname he'd heard his dad use, and it always seemed to make his mother laugh, so why not use it for Rossweisse?

The girl's mouth opened and closed blankly as she tried to come up with a coherent reply. Laughing, Issei let go of his gentle grip on the girl's arm, and took the pan from her, setting it back down on the counter.

"I'm gonna eat it. You didn't honestly think I'd get rid of it, did you?" Issei asked, a questioning look on his face.

"You're really going to eat that...?" Rossweisse asked quietly.

"Duh. Why would I ever throw away your handmade breakfast?" Issei asked, looking genuinely confused. He shook his head, dismissing the odd question she'd asked, and went back to standing over the bacon. Rossweisse hugged him from behind, and put her chin in the crook of his neck. Her cheek was nestled against his, and her arms were around his bare chest.

"You're the best." Rossweisse said into his ear.

"Don't forget it. Now look, this is how you do bacon." Issei said, pointing at the skillet. Rossweisse followed his gesture, waiting for his explanation. "You've gotta spread it out, and a little water in the pan makes it better pretty much all around. You don't want the heat up too high, or it'll be crunchy instead of just crisp."

Rossweisse watched Issei work with fascination. He apparently knew what he was doing. "I didn't know you could cook."

"I can't, not very well. But mom's shown me a few things. I can make a mean breakfast...I think." Issei said, thoughtfully looking up in the air. Suddenly, Rossweisse removed herself from him, and grabbed the other skillet. Issei watched her with a confused look on his face. Before he could react, she threw the burnt food in the trash.

"Make enough for two." Rossweisse said, moving back over to him.

"Wha…?" Issei said, not understanding. "I was going to eat-"

"Oh, I know. I know you would've eaten it, and you probably would've acted like it was the best thing you've ever tasted." Rossweisse said, tilting her head and wearing a sly grin. Issei blushed slightly, not anticipating having his plan so thoroughly seen through.

"I don't know what you mean…" Issei said, scratching his cheek and focusing on the bacon. It was nearly finished.

"I appreciate the thought, but I'm not going to make you eat that mess. No matter how cute it is that you would've." Rossweisse said, smirking.

Issei cocked his head, smiling. "I guess you know how I work." He said, shaking his head. "Oh, hey. The bacon is looking pretty good." He added, looking at the food on the stove.

Issei grabbed some nearby tongs from a jar of utensils, then looked around for something to move the bacon to. He couldn't find anything, and looked to Rossweisse with a nonverbal question. She was quick on the assist, taking a paper plate out of a cabinet and handing it to him. He muttered thanks, and switched the bacon from the skillet to the plate, setting it on the counter. Without replacing the skillet, he cracked four eggs in it.

"You're putting the eggs in the grease?" Rossweisse asked, not following his logic. She stood beside him, watching him work.

"Mhmm. That way, they take some of the taste and you don't have to coat the pan with anything to keep them from sticking." Issei said matter-of-factly.

"Wow...you'd be a good teacher, Issei." Rossweisse offered, impressed.

"Ha! I doubt it." Issei said, laughing at the suggestion.

Without any further conversation, Issei finished the eggs, which took a significantly shorter time to cook than the meat. He made two plates of eggs and bacon, and he and Rossweisse both sat down at her table. They both picked at the food and made conversation.

"Hey, how'd you know I like scrambled eggs?" Rossweisse asked, suddenly realizing he'd made her favorite type of the food.

"The same way you knew I liked mine scrambled." Issei offered. From what he could tell of the burned mess that was Rossweisse's attempt at breakfast, she'd been making scrambled eggs.

Rossweisse smiled. Of course he'd know. "You can really remember all the way back then?" She asked, referring to their time in Norway. They'd learned almost everything about each other, favorite kind of eggs included.

"Not everything. Just some stuff." Issei said.

"Really? What all do you remember about me?" Rossweisse asked, curious.

"Hmmm... your favorite music is orchestra, your favorite color is red, you're a total Star Wars nerd, you don't like to sleep alone, your favorite comic book character is Thor-"

"Okay, okay! That's enough! Geez, you're embarrassing me…" Rossweisse said, her face red.

"Embarrassing? What about that was embarrassing?" Issei asked. He found her reaction adorable, sure, but he didn't really get it.

"...Well, I…" Rossweisse couldn't come up with anything. "I don't know, it just is!" She finally said, exasperated.

"That's what I thought." Issei replied, smirking.

They ate and talked for a few more minutes, before a sudden realization came crashing down on Rossweisse.

"Hey, Issei…" She said, quiet.

"Hm?"

"Is the shower still running?"

"...Oops."

"Issei!"