I guess these rather abrupt updates are just so I can meet the deadline I set to myself. As much as possible, I'd want to finish Reconnecting to a Human before my (2 week) summer vacation starts. Hahaha, I hope the quality doesn't deteriorate though.


Spring

The once frost-capped roofs of Velder Headquarters had ceased to exist. Snow had started to melt away, a telling sign of the changing season. The frigid wisps were still brightly visible, in contrast to the pitch black sky. The chilly air danced through the open window of Lu's room. She usually had Ciel close those blinds for her, but he could no longer fulfill such. Ever since Ciel had moved out of their once shared room – an understood circumstance since the contract had been completed – Lu had also gotten rid of the cot the butler used to sleep on.

Aisha had insisted on moving in with the demon.

Furthermore, she asked that they share the Noblesse's king-sized bed.

"A-and when did you learn to ask from your master?" was the question that stumbled from the demon queen's lips. Although she had preferred to ask Aisha which side of the bed she'd like, Luciela had to keep both her decency and superiority in check. The royal demon found it awkward to receive such request from the girl whom she had fallen for – and got rejected unceremoniously. Sure, the emotions still burned in a rather bittersweet fashion, but would it ever be reciprocated? She held onto a sliver of hope, her faith slowly fading.

"It would save space, you know," the half-demon crossed her arms in reply. Fair enough a reason.

It had been months since she had forged yet another blood-bond with a human. The fatal wound that Aisha sustained in the battle had healed within a week; ironically, it left a scar spanning from the top of her shoulder, down to her upper torso. Lu had tried to dissuade Aisha in sharing a bed with her by reminding said injury. She obviously only did it half-heartedly.

Like Ciel, Aisha lacked any evident demonic physical features such as horns or fangs. However, the signature cross-shaped insignia had been etched on her forehead. But that's where the similarities ended. Since Lu had already reestablished herself as the strongest demon in existence, her pact allowed the noble to share a higher caliber of power with the mortal. All of her flame-related spells had taken on a cyan-blue shade. Their Combination setup also varied. While Royal Guard had acted as her sword and guardian, Aisha felt as if she was the one being rescued by the Noblesse.

"Just returning the favor," Lu shrugged as she once deflected an attack meant for the mage. But Aisha didn't miss the sad tone in the white-haired one's voice. True enough, Luciela wouldn't have been able to repay the past times she was saved by the mage, had Aisha been killed in the clash at Lanox.

After much coaxing, Lu gave in to Aisha's request. With that, it was only normal for her to wake up at the most random times due to her master's mannerisms. One such instance was due to Lu trespassing their supposed equal partition of the bed. Then again, she should've braced herself for situations like this. "This perv…" thought the mage as she sweat-dropped at her current predicament. Tonight, Lu had her face pressed firmly onto Aisha's developing bosom. As much as she didn't want to call Luciela such, the incoherent groans of the sleeping demon didn't make the cuddling very innocent. Aisha sighed, ruffling the already messed up pale tresses of hair.

Earlier that day, she asked if she could fix Lu's hair into its regal twin-tail fashion. Aisha had no idea what prompted her to volunteer herself. Maybe it was just curiosity to touch those neatly done braids, or just a whim since she was essentially Lu's new servant. Of course, the demon saw no objection in Aisha's act of kindness. Half-way through the hair tying, Lu knew she had made a mistake. Her throbbing scalp and the sweaty palms against it were already more than enough hints. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Lu craned her neck backwards, tone remaining placid. Unsteady purple orbs suddenly locked with hers, causing the demon to blush. "Of course I do," the half-demon rapidly shook her head, prompting her violet twintails to sway to and fro. "Well, we surely aren't getting anywhere," Lu readjusted her posture, as to not stare at those captivating eyes. Aisha frowned, seeing that the Noblesse started to stand and was ready to leave. "I guess I'm not cut out to replace Ciel huh," she tried to chuckle, but a finger was hastily pressed on her lips. "Hey, don't belittle yourself."

There it was again, the familiar feeling of gratitude for the demon. Aisha's heart tugged at the memory of Lu comforting her after the breakup with Elsword.

"Is this still gratitude alone?" thought Aisha as she rested her nose on plush, snow hair. Lu had decided to keep her hair untied, reasoning that a change in appearance wouldn't be bad. Indeed, the mage had to agree. It felt enticing to watch her white locks cascade down those creamy shoulders. Heck, Lu would rock any hairstyle.

"Ugh, why these thoughts…"

A pained moan then shook Aisha from her trance. She felt strong hands grip tighter on her nightgown. The tiny body beside her shivered, instantly alerting the purple mage. "D-Don't go… please," were words she could barely decipher from Lu's quickened breaths. She felt powerless, watching her master writhe due to an unreal fantasy plaguing her mind. The only solution she could think of was to cradle the demon until the nightmare ended. "I'm just here," Aisha spoke softly, warming the pale cheeks of the distressed demon. Perhaps those were the reassurances that she wished to hear, as Lu had stopped shaking.


For the next weeks, Aisha noted how Lu easily dozes off at night. After all, she had been testing her unsealed demonic powers throughout the whole month. To top it off, she had been coming up with ways to efficiently combine hers and the magician's attacks. Although she would mess up at times, Aisha was a quick learner. It was also a plus that Lu was a patient teacher; not really a surprise on why. By devoting the morning to strategizing and the afternoon to training, it was only typical for the noble to be drained at the end of the day. Night seemed to be her only undisturbed respite – with Aisha.

"Maybe I should hunt for Ciel's old cot," mused the mage. Lu tilted her head, prompting Aisha to explain that statement. "You keep having weird dreams late-" she teased, but was cut off by the blushing Noblesse. The embarrassed demon clung onto the girl's arm in response to such comment. "Bring that up again, and I'll make your worst nightmare a reality." The Elemental Master merely giggled, recalling how a night ago, Lu squealed when Aisha accidentally nudged her on the cheek. Apparently, Lu had dreamt of a giant marshmallow hitting her on the same place. Another time, she found the tiny queen nibbling on her thumb like a Phoru eating a snack. True enough, she was gnawing on hard candy in her sleep.

In short, Luciela R. Sourcream had the most amusing sleep antics.

"Shoot, why do I notice these things," Aisha cursed inwardly. It wasn't unusual to note your roommate's, heck, and soulmate's quirks. Despite being a thousand year old demon, Aisha liked this adorable, down-to-earth side of Lu. It's a fact that she is fond of Luciela, but were her feelings just as intense as the demon's? The memory of the Noblesse's confession burned in her head. She was caught off-guard, plus having come from a heartbreak with Elsword didn't help. It made the High Mage wonder how long the demon harbored these romantic intentions. For one, it felt sincere and seeing the crest-fallen girl's state wrenched her heart.

All because of her lousy reply of "I'm sorry."

"Is something wrong?" Aisha was jolted from her thoughts, and found herself gazing at her master's turquoise eyes. "I thought you were asleep, was I making a ruckus?" the young mage hastily asked. Lu yawned. "You have a habit of changing topics," she pointed out. Aisha felt her chest go cold at the realization. "Just tell me what's bugging you," Lu mumbled, sliding herself closer to the purple-haired girl. When a few minutes of silence had elapsed, Aisha tried to open her mouth to speak, but Lu's sigh beat her to it. "If you're worried about our combination technique, I'm satisfied with all but one thing," she parted away the purple bangs that curtained over the girl's right eye. "So don't worry about it, 'kay-"

Lu had never known of the warmth Aisha's lips possessed. But now, it was evident as she was pulled into a bruising kiss by the latter. Luciela was far too stunned to actually realize what was happening. The mouth moving against her own, how the demon tried to keep up with the Elemental Master's rather abrupt advances. Her mind numbed to its wits, unable to comprehend this rapid pacing of events. For Lu, the room had darkened considerably, until a black void invaded her already clouded sight.


"I'm sorry," were the words she woke up to. Lu met the ceiling with strained eyes. Her head felt heavy, clothes damp with perspiration. If she had a nightmare, she couldn't recall a speck of it. Her only focus was on the girl clutching tightly on her petite hand. "That's what I said back then, right?" Lu scrunched her eyebrows at the inquiry, then noticed the girl lying next to her was fidgeting. She had known Aisha to be a serious child, despite her age: and yet here was her shaking, unsure form.

"I-I," Stuttering? Lu was betting that this was the dream itself. "I may be a master of magic... able to understand abstract concepts and all, but…" Aisha trailed off, already at a loss for words. Lu noted the intensifying grip on her hand. It didn't hurt, but the meaning behind such grasp felt deeper. "I just don't get why I'm acting like this," Aisha steadied her quivering lips. "It's like my heart throbs so much being with you," the Elemental Master slowly dragged her eyes to their linked hands. Lu pinked at the words stumbling from Aisha's throat. The gap between their faces was slowly diminishing. She then draped her arms protectively around the girl's tiny body. "And now, I have to apologize for many things, Lu."

Aisha sucked in a breath, steadying her voice. "I'm sorry for that time in Sander; wherein I didn't treat you with my healing magic. I guess I just wanted to feel that you were really there, safely returned from your journey in Feita." Lu felt her stomach twist, due to the flurry of emotions assailing her being. "I'm sorry for wallowing over my lost relationship back then. It must've hurt you more to see me crying over someone who wasn't worth it," Aisha swallowed hard, already a lump forming at her throat, "And I'm sorry for taking this long to realize…" she brought a palm to Lu's smooth cheek, "That someone truly loved me for being my dorky, nerdy self."

The demon had to squint, blinking back her bleary vision. "I guess you were right about the heart skitters and fuzzy warmth," the sides of Aisha's lips tugged into a bashful smile. "I feel hints of those when I'm with you, Luciela."

A sniffle came – before the Demon Realm's most feared queen finally broke into a light sob of happiness.


I... don't know what to say. :D

Please await the final chapter! ~BreadCrumble