There are some things that will need to be explained and clarified at the bottom, for those of you that haven't looked up the specific traits of the devil families.
Walking through the crowded streets, one arm being held on to rather securely, and the other in his pocket, Issei was confused.
Yesterday, his king had asked if he'd assist Rias. Having no plans for the day, he'd agreed, thinking it was something devil related in some way.
As far as he could tell, nothing about where they'd gone or anything they'd done, was related to the supernatural. Other than the amount of money that had been thrown around.
That certainly wasn't normal.
Taking the train into the same general area that Issei had met up with his old friends, he discovered that there was a similar set up only a few blocks away.
Most were stores that catered to media and pop culture, with stands selling merchandise for musicians, movies and other groups just outside. Seeing the price tags made him realize the reason why this area seemed so different from the one he usually visited.
Exclusive T-shirts and other clothing from the tour, Figurines with certificates of authenticity, Meet and greet tickets for artists that usually never did them. All of it was at least three times what he'd usually see.
This set of shops and stands were for the upper class, a way to separate themselves from the common rabble of otakus and fanatics.
Issei found it rather insulting.
Part of what was so amazing about these fanbases was how they could all come together over a single topic. It didn't matter whether you were rich or poor, or what you did for work. Conventions were much the same to him, underneath whatever costume you chose was a person with a passion.
That was what mattered. Not the clothes, or the status you held.
He was starting to regret his choice of apparel, as the heat of the day kicked in.
Low-top black and white chuck taylor shoes, khaki pants, plain red t-shirt with a black button cardigan that was left open. The only accessory he had on at the moment, was the bracelet of the gold dragon king, on his right wrist.
The pants were fine, but he probably should have checked how hot it would be today, when he decided to wear the cardigan.
"How about we stop for lunch?" Rias said from directly to his left, still attached to his arm.
Having only seen her a few times, and talked to her once, Issei was surprised by how close she was to him today.
Although if he were being honest, the wide eyed stares they got when walking passed the shop owners that he knew, was pretty damn satisfying.
"Sounds good to me. Did you have anything in mind?" He asked, his eyes not able to keep from wandering up and down her frame.
Unlike Issei, Rias had chosen something to wear that let her stay nice and comfortable.
A white sundress that reached a little more than halfway to her knees. The strap looped around her neck, instead of the usual shoulder straps. Her crimson hair, normally flowing freely, was tied into a ponytail.
It was as if everything had been meticulously chosen to show off just the right amount of skin or cleavage. Women were truly devious and calculating creatures.
She wore no makeup, not that she needed any, aside from some lipgloss. Her skin was perfect, light complexion with no blemish, scars or other marks to be seen. She had no reason to resort to the sorcery known worldwide, as cosmetics.
Rias had her own peerage to assist her in anything she wanted. So what was this prime example of young feminine beauty doing asking for his company, on what was little more than a shopping spree?
If she were human, her figure alone would have made picking any guy to escort her a breeze.
Those blue-green eyes glimmered with a clarity and shine that would captivate those who didn't care to look. And her silky voice would have turned the heads of those trying to ignore anyone around them.
Her smile and personality only further added to her already staggeringly perfect image.
They had met up at his house, for reasons she hadn't explained. His father had been about to set off to work on some project that was taking up a lot of his time, and had nearly become a drooling mess on the floor when he answered the door.
Rias had been polite to everyone home, but for some reason, Yui and his mother weren't as receptive to her as the males in the household.
The heiress tapped her chin, scanning the street for somewhere to grab a bite to eat.
She must have seen somewhere that caught her attention, because she immediately set her course.
"Let's try this place up ahead." She had smoothly brought her arm from its place wrapped around his, and down to lace their fingers together as she guided them forward.
Issei quickly adjusted to the change of pace, only being dragged for half a second. He did slightly raise an eyebrow at the change to her holding of his hand.
He didn't mind, in fact he quite enjoyed the soft touch of her hand, but it did paint an impossible picture from an outside perspective.
A young man and woman, spending time together in the city. The woman holding herself close to the young man beside her, smiling as they talked about various things.
Taking in the surroundings, and the appearance of the duo, it would look like a date. One in which an average looking guy who probably had too much money on his hands, had bribed his way into getting the girls attention.
In this part of the city, it had been seen too many times to count.
Guy sees a beautiful girl, that is so far out of his league, they might as well reside in different galaxies. Guy whispers sweet words of never ending gifts and extravagant vacations.
Guy puts on a front of the caring and loving boyfriend, until the girl inevitably lowers her guard enough to lay on the bed of lies and deceit, being stripped of the innocence that had endeared her to him.
Getting what he wants, the guy moves on to the next unsuspecting gem that catches his eye. Rinse and repeat.
The bystanders and shop owners would never know, just how wrong that assumption is. It was more likely to be the other way around.
-LineBreak-
Classes, paperwork, clients, peerage duties. It seemed as though it was a never ending cycle.
Throw in the occasional meeting with her family, and Sona was ready for a break.
Before this school year, it was relatively easy, given her talents. She was a natural at running the school from the shadows, and had been doing so since the beginning of her first year. Her time management was impeccable, her attention to detail, precise.
She shuddered at what would happen when the figurehead that was the current student council president, returned from her time away. That girl had no respect for the job, all it was to her is a popularity contest.
She made a note, to tell Issei that he had to start wearing the bracelet at school soon. But Sona wasn't certain that would be enough. Issei wouldn't know what hit him, and the girls would be upset if Ayla got to him first. Damn succubus, she's lucky to have descended from one of the queens. Sona would have booted her out of the territory otherwise.
It felt nice to know, that she could handle the workload that would be expected of her, once she opened her own school. But there was still so much to do.
Property to obtain, a building to construct, teachers to interview and hire, students to enroll. Tuition to calculate, and salaries to negotiate.
Taking her glasses off, Sona rubbed the bridge of her nose. She'd been staring at this particular form for a while now.
There were several pages documenting a timeline of events to come, and the last few pages detailing a contract.
The papers were only part of what was causing her head to throb.
It was surprising to see that it was her far too affectionate sister, that gave the least resistance to her plan. It just went to show, that Serafall truly only wanted what made Sona happy. Not that Serafall had any say in family matters anymore.
Her parents only even listened, because she emphasized how her plans would further the reputation of the Sitri name, and the influence they'd gain.
The fact that she was looking to marry a "mere servant" still grated on their pride and nerves.
"Sona, take a break and have something to eat. Please." Her queen said as she walked into the office, a tray with a variety of sandwiches spread about.
Setting the tray on the desk, covering the papers, it was clear to Sona that Tsubaki wouldn't take no for an answer.
"You win. Just a small break." She said with a sigh.
Tsubaki sat across from her, both picking up a sandwich.
As the queen finished her first, and prepared to eat one more before getting back to work, Tsubaki broke the silence.
"How is the planning coming along? Their reactions were less than pleasant."
Sona placed her cup down back onto its saucer, giving her friend an exasperated look.
"My parents refuse to help with something they see as a pipe dream. They made it abundantly clear, how they view my plans for the future."
Somehow, Lord and Lady Sitri had gotten wind that Sona was looking at property near the edge of their controlled lands. The meeting that resulted from that was…less then cordial.
It was heated, filled with curse words and rather negative depictions of her character.
In an uncharacteristically emotional display, Tsubaki placed a hand over her own, a sad smile on her lips.
"They're wrong. They're wrong about you, and they're wrong about him."
It was something that only Sona had seen before. Tsubaki never liked showing how she felt about anything to anyone else. The rest of her peerage was fairly new, and there hadn't been anything to bring out the real Tsubaki, since any of them had joined.
Hopefully that would change sometime this school year, because they were all tiptoeing around her still. Especially her pawn.
Sona couldn't blame him either. Sona kept her mask up just about all the time, and hadn't really had a chance to connect with him yet. It was just that, there was so much to do, so much to prepare him for.
To be what she needed, Issei had to have power, enough power to overwhelm someone touted as a prodigy amongst his already powerful family. He would need to develop a mind capable of strategy cunning enough to outplay the nobles that would seek to see him drown in the depths of inferiority.
He needed to be at the level of a pure-blooded devil that had trained most of their life.
And he only had a year to do it.
Those circumstances, didn't leave a lot of time for niceties, pleasant conversations, flirting and dates. Things that she could feel he wanted, through her ever growing connection to him.
Sona had never lied to Issei. But she had certainly left a large portion of the details out. She felt that was for the best, at least for now.
She had told him that people would be watching him, once he became known to the masses. Those of lower standings would be watching to see what another low-class devil could accomplish when given the opportunity.
Those of the upper class, would watch to see what a longinus user would bring to their race. Would the fact that he held one of the 13 treasured tools of god bring chaos? Or would it be the thing they needed to make the other factions be more wary of taking them lightly? Lucifer and Beelzebub were decent enough at that, being stronger than almost every other being alive.
But having another certainly wouldn't hurt.
"Thank you Tsubaki. Words alone won't be enough to show my parents how wrong they are. He may have won over my sister already, which is surprising enough as it is, but he's not ready to face the challenges ahead of us yet."
Tsubaki nodded to her king, bringing her hand back to resume her lunch.
As Sona made to do the same, she wondered if a year was enough time to get it done.
'Even if I can persuade Tiamat to train him, i'm not sure that'll be enough. His strength is coming along nicely, but that means nothing against an opponent that can regenerate almost endlessly.'
There was still much to do, to prove her parents and the devils as a whole, that heritage isn't everything.
But the thing she wanted to prove the most, was that her mother was wrong.
Iseria Sitri would regret calling her daughter a low-balling whore, relegating herself to a five dollar prostitute, whose only goal was to find a man with a hint of ambition so she could spread her legs and fuck said man into keeping her around because she amounted to nothing herself.
Needless to say, the mother of Sona Sitri had a rather colorful vocabulary when she was angered or caught off guard.
If Sona were the type to retort to her elders, she would have asked her mother "Isn't that exactly what you did?".
That statement wasn't worth the repercussions, for obvious reasons. She wanted their support, not to be disowned.
It wouldn't have mattered, how good saying that, would have felt.
-LineBreak-
The waitress had come and taken their orders, gave them some water until the drinks were prepared, and made herself scarce.
The place Rias chose was nice. An open air cafe, the windows and doors removed to give let the warm breeze and fans keep the customers cool and comfortable.
It felt like a place you'd expect to see in an area that never dropped below early summer temperatures. This area of Japan didn't get nearly as cold as others up north, but it still did get to freezing for a small portion of winter.
The feel of the place was relaxed, but had a distinct upper class look, just as the shops they'd gone in.
The servers were in well maintained uniforms, the floor was freshly waxed. The decorations were light in number, but well placed and helped to only boost the atmosphere.
Noticing that there were no prices on the menu, Issei decided to just go with something simple and cheap, so he didn't drain too much of the cash in his wallet.
"They can be a little heavy handed sometimes, but they mean well. The worst time was when we were looking for the tailor that did our uniforms."
Issei admitted as he rubbed the back of his head.
Rias had brought up the topic of his two kendo friends, after she confirmed that the two were currently living with him. She'd inquired about how they met, and the progression of their friendship.
To her, it was both a way to make conversation during the time their food was being prepared, and a way to learn more about him. Gathering information on the romantic situation was merely a bonus.
He'd pretty much been an open book, not shying away from anything she asked. It was refreshing to meet someone like that. The more she heard, the more interested she became in the small details, either about him, or the situation he described.
"I take it, you got into a little girl trouble?" She said, humor clear in her voice, her teasing smile made that even more apparent.
"Heh, you can say that. The training afterwards was pretty brutal." Issei winced a bit, remembering the vicious beat down he got after hitting on what had to be the hottest older women he'd ever seen.
'I can't believe they dragged me away like that! She was actually flirting back! Gah! So not fair!' he thought bitterly.
Issei would forever remember that face and body. Long legs, wide hips possibly after effects of being a mother, small waist with huge tits that bounced like none he'd ever seen. And that face…it was…enchanting. Sharp features, soft skin, with those piercing violet eyes. Her brown, medium length layered hair just made her eyes pop more.
Chances are, that he'll never see her again. Which was a shame, because he would never know just where that talk could have lead them.
"But enough about me, what about you Ms Japanophile? If you had to pick one thing you liked the best about Japan, what would it be?"
Issei asked that, just to draw attention away from himself. He wanted to know more about the girl he'd agreed to try and save, but mainly he just didn't want to embarrass himself today.
If he did, Sona would hear about it in no time. Issei was looking for ways to get into his own kings good graces.
They got along well enough, and their connection through his 8 pieces certainly helped. But aside from being able to get a vague idea of what she was feeling, he really knew next to nothing about Sona Sitri.
He knew that she loved her peerage, but it was always work work work with her.
Issei wanted to know how to get her to loosen up for an afternoon and have some fun.
Rias' eyes lit up, and her fanaticism came out in full force as she animatedly talked about anything she found interesting about the country.
-LineBreak-
Rias stared, wide-eyed, at her date.
Every part of her body tingled in joyous rapture at what had just happened. Her breathing came in haggard rasps, uneven and difficult.
Her cheeks felt like they were burning with that same deep red fire Issei had displayed in the few training sessions she had been witness to.
She would deny to the end of time, that her paternal trait was flaring up in full force; causing her nipples to be harder than diamonds and as sensitive as a shame-plant, and her rose, sopping and ready to be plucked until she couldn't sit, stand or lay comfortably. Preferably for the next week, if she had any say in it.
The bracelet that Issei was wearing, had been an increasing curiosity for her throughout their day together. Black and gold links with obvious supernatural runes expertly carved into them.
Other than the markings and craftsmanship, it didn't appear all that special to her. But by the satans was she wrong.
After their meal, a rather mediocre one for the price in her opinion, she had decided to walk while holding onto his right arm.
She had been thoroughly enjoying his company today. Rias knew that Issei was hiding all sorts of dirty, perverted, and possibly kinky thoughts about her and a number of the girls they'd seen.
But even so, they had found similar interests that made being with each other casual and effortless. Being that they were in the heart of otaku country, anime was a common topic.
Rias had been pleasantly surprised, to here about the depth in which Issei Hyoudou loved his family, a facet of him that was mirrored by her own ideals.
Finding out that protecting the ones he cared for was a main reason in his joining of the Sitri peerage, warmed her heart.
She would just have to earn the acceptance and approval, of the women living at his house. Something that she was already starting to make plans for. Mr. Hyoudou was not an obstacle in this regard, that was apparent when they met this morning.
The light glinting off the bracelet brought her attention to it, making her take a closer look as they walked off to the next shop she had wanted to visit. Her curiosity had reached its peak, when she caught sight of the dragon carved into the gold links, and she couldn't help herself.
Ever since learning that he was the Red Dragon Emperor, and hearing the voice of Elsha Laevateinn, she had been infinitely more curious about both Ise himself and dragons as a whole.
Unfortunately, she and her peerage had been kept busy by clients and the annual increase in strays. Summer had always brought about more servants rebelling against their masters, as the longer days decreased the weaker masters living in the human world.
Aside from catching a glance of him during school, they'd only spoken the day she bumped into him at the beginning of the term. Rias had been looking forward to getting to know him better, and learn more about him herself. Hearing about him from Sona and Tsubaki was nice and all, but they always gave a somewhat lackluster review.
They never mentioned anything about interests, only about his training and how he handled his own temptations with women.
As long as things stayed the course they were going today, Rias could honestly see her and Issei coming to love each other over time, if they didn't already by the wedding day.
Walking in to a shop that sold somewhat obscure manga, Rias wanted to find a gift to bring her adorable nephew Millicas, for when she went home during the break.
Sure, his mother would be unhappy about the gift not having anything of value to add to his education, but it would make him happy. And that was what Rias wanted the most.
His parents and grandparents could handle the rest. She wanted to be the fun aunt.
"Your nephew likes manga?" Issei asked her, scanning over the long isle of books that had been collecting dust for a while.
Picking one up about a team of militarized squirrels, Rias nodded.
"I think I might have influenced him a bit too much to his parents liking." She chuckled, remembering the looks that Grayfia had given her.
The boy needed to have more fun, he wasn't being prepared to be the next head of the family, so he deserved it. You're only a kid once.
Issei smiled as he agreed with her. He wasn't the suave, pretty boy type that you'd see charming girls by the dozen. Issei had his own charm. It was much slower to catch you in its grasp, but so much more effective.
His desire to make the women in his life happy, added to the dragons aura that slowly leaked from him, it was like a black hole slowly dragging you into its center. Once you were there, you'd never escape, part of her wondered if she'd ever want to.
Rias had disregarded something she heard in passing, from Momo and Reya, when she'd conversed with Sona. Something about a tidal wave of that dragon energy. She thought they must just be inexperienced with more powerful beings. What she had felt all day, was nowhere near as powerful as they'd described.
Now that she had something for her nephew, Rias set her sights on teasing her date. To see just how he'd react to all of the pictures while being with her.
The shop she had lured him into was known for its obscure collection. But also for its large section of…sexually explicit material.
Issei hadn't given any indication that he'd seen the curtain off to their left, marking the adult only section.
Sliding her fingers down his arm, to once again lace their fingers together, Rias tugged him towards it.
"Let's head over here, there's something my queen wanted me to find."
Akeno had said that she wouldn't mind a few materials to refine her…tendencies, but she'd never said that Rias should go looking for them, or asked her to for that matter.
Poor oblivious Issei just nodded and walked along with her, towards the curtain. Just before Rias had walked through it, she could feel Issei stiffen behind her, having realized where they were going.
The small hiccup passed, and he reluctantly walked along into the area.
Coming through the curtain, the light was rather dim. The covers of each book placed as though they were enshrined here, were unreadable in the current light. That was most definitely on purpose. What shop owner would want people masturbating in their back room?
Rias watched as Issei passed underneath and joined her, looking straight at her and nowhere else.
She hid her smile and pretended to look through the various fetish sections, while keeping an eye on him discretely.
Rias noticed a group of covers with rather large busted women, and saw Issei had trouble not looking at them. That was good to know, there would be no problem in his desire for her body, even though she hadn't really been worried about that from the start.
Try as he might, Issei had been occasionally checking her out throughout the day. Mostly her chest, put on display as it was with her low cut sundress.
She had gotten used to being stared at a long time ago, so it didn't bother her, as long as that was where it ended. Touching required permission, which she had never given to any man.
"Lady Gremory, would you mind if I waited outside?" She stopped immediately. The usage of her title and last name was slightly alarming. He'd taken her advice, and just called her Rias almost all day. Right now, it felt like they were back to square one.
'Am I making him uncomfortable?' She hadn't thought, with the history he had in middle school, that he'd be at all put out by this scenario.
Rias figured that being in a porn section with a beautiful girl would be huge turn on for him, possibly a bit distracting, but that's it.
His eyes were closed tightly now, as if he didn't trust himself to be in here with her. Not wanting to sound worried that she had gone too far with her prank, Rias tilted her head and asked him as innocently as she could.
"Do you not like being in here with me?"
Without opening his eyes, Issei shook his head.
"I'm a guy, a pretty perverted one at that, being in here with a girl as drop dead gorgeous as you, is like accomplishing a weird dream I didn't even know I had."
He slowly opened one eye to look only at her.
"But that part of me has only ever caused trouble. I've worked really hard to control myself, and ever since joining Kaichou, it's only gotten harder."
Thinking over the group of girls that he had to spend extended amounts of time with, specifically the bishops and the kendo girls, she could see his dilemma. The Sitri bishops were encouraging him to make a move on them, while the two human girls were adamant that he hold himself back.
Stepping closer, Rias' hand stopped on his right wrist where the bracelet was. No longer wanting to play with him, she was starting to feel a little bad about it, putting all the work he'd put into himself in jeopardy.
"Okay, i'm sorry for doing this to you, I just wanted to mess with you a little."
Sliding her fingers over the cool metal, Rias saw Issei open his eyes directly towards her, still not wanting to chance looking around.
"But while we're alone, could I ask you one question?" He nodded, her index finger and thumb coming to latch onto the bracelet, wanting to drag it into view as she asked her question.
But it was never able to be brought forth.
The spot her fingers had grabbed, was right on the clasp, pressing the sides in and releasing it from his wrist. Her hand lifted just enough to remove the jewelry completely from him, leaving it dangling in between her fingers.
There was no wind, no physical force that acted upon her.
But Rias would testify on her entire family's life and fortune, that something had encompassed her entire being.
At that moment, the room turned black except for one thing, one person.
Issei Hyoudou.
When she had removed the bracelet, he became everything, the only thing, that she could see, hear, touch or taste. Between the absolute black, and the man before her, was a deep red aura.
It was deeper than the color of her hair. Darker than the power her mother gave her, that Sirzechs wielded with masterful precision.
It swirled around him like a fire that had no flame, no target. But the hunger was there. It wanted everything. It wanted her, this shop, this city, this country. It wanted the world to bow to it, and wouldn't stop until it had achieved that very goal. To ravage the world in its fiery dominance.
All that Rias Gremory was and ever would be, was insignificant compared to that, to him.
A part of her realized that she should be afraid, terrified even, of who stood in front of her.
Tales of the Red Dragon Emperors of old, often depicted dozens of enemies being frozen in fright and awe, as they realized the folly of standing against that single being.
Against the one encased in the red armor of the dragon of domination, they were nothing but ants.
Even as that fiery aura shifted, swirling around the two of them, Rias felt nothing but desire.
As her pupils dilated, and her body felt like it was burning from the inside out unless it was ravaged by Issei, she stepped towards him. Rias' mind was nearly empty, except for the desire to strip down and present herself to him, hoping that he'd enjoy the show she would put on, just for him.
For weeks after the events that occurred in that curtained off area, Rias couldn't even stand to be in the same hallway as Issei, too embarrassed by what she'd done.
Rias' face had been as red as her hair, when Sona forced her to reveal the details. She truly should have known better, when she told Sona that her pawns evil pieces were acting up.
-LineBreak-
Sitting up in her bed, Momo looked to her phone, which was lighting up her ceiling at the moment as it rang.
She moved the blanket, revealing how sheer the ice blue nightgown she had donned was. If she were wearing a bra at all, you'd be able to see it, clear as day.
She hated wearing underwear to bed, it got uncomfortable with her being a hot sleeper. The thin garment was as far as she could go, so she didn't wake up covered in sweat.
Picking the device up off her night stand, she blinked to get used to the change in light.
"Hmmmm…" Her curiosity was peaked as she saw the name of the caller.
Kaori Murayama. She had only called her once since they'd started to become friends.
It was definitely strange for her to be calling after midnight though. Something must have happened with Ise that she wanted to talk about.
Pressing the green button, Momo brought it up to her ear, trying to sound more awake then she truly was at the moment.
"Hello Kaori, what's up?"
Momo adjusted the strap that was threatening to leave her shoulder.
-No sex.-
A white eyebrow quirked upwards.
"Have I missed something?" The girls voice sounded strained. Kaori had told her and Reya that she'd be meeting with her parents today, and would probably have a parental meeting with the Hyoudou family soon.
-I think we all have.-
Kaori must be fairly agitated to be so short with her right now. Momo had been thankful that the two human girls had warmed up to at least her and Reya as quickly as they had.
They talked without Issei around with some frequency, so she had been able to pick up on a few habits and ticks the brunette had.
"Kaori, I can tell that you are upset about something. Take a breath and tell me what it is, I know you called me for a reason."
Her enhanced hearing caught the signs of Reya moving about, probably from the ringing of the cell phone waking her up. Her room mate probably thought they were being summoned for an emergency stray hunt.
Momo heard Kaori take her advice, taking a deep and slow breath, letting it out the same way.
-Issei had his date with Rias today.-
The door to her bedroom opened, revealing Reya in just her bra and panties. It was quite something to see how long her friends hair was, when out of the braids. It reached down to her knees when unrestrained. It was wavy thanks to her preferred hair style.
Reya leaned against the door frame to wait and hear what their orders might be, if there were any.
"Yes, he did. What happened that has you so upset?"
Momo smiled towards Reya, watching as the brunette devil wiped at her eyes. She flashed her phone towards her briefly, so Reya could see the name on the screen.
Reya nodded, letting her posture relax a bit, before walking over.
-He wouldn't say. He was all smiles when I got home though, so obviously something happened.-
Reya sat beside Momo, leaning her head on Momos shoulder.
Momo draped her arm around her friend, rubbing her shoulder as she talked on the phone.
"You didn't press for him to tell you?" She was honestly surprised. Those two girls were very protective and nosey when it came to Issei and each other.
-I wouldn't want someone getting all the details, if I were in that position. He's also been very…affectionate, tonight.-
Momo pouted as she heard that.
"How affectionate?"
Kaori paused, seemingly unsure if she wanted to share what had happened earlier. A resigned sigh came over the line.
-Pinned me to the wall and kissed me until we were both almost blue in the face. That affectionate.-
Now that was certainly out of character for Issei. She wished she had been there to get in on the action. For some reason, he still didn't see her and Reyas actions as true romantic affection.
"I hope Yui wasn't in eyesight…" Momo said cautiously.
Reya had caught the last full sentence from Kaori, and was now paying very close attention. The two of them had a conversation pertaining to upping their game just the other day.
The only thing holding them back, had been the agreement between them and the kendo duo.
-She was.- Kaori admitted.
-When he was done with me, he gave her a hug that was so close that I was almost jealous he didn't do that instead, then kissed her on the cheek before bouncing up to his room.-
Momo thought for a moment, moving her hand from Reyas shoulder, to stroke her long silky hair. The other bishop gave a content sigh, melding back into her friends side.
"Then something must have happened between the two. But you're first words make it seem like you're certain things didn't go too far. Otherwise I think you'd be with him, a few pieces of clothing removed, rather than talking to me."
Momo smirked at the embarrassed groan that came to her ear, as Reya giggled in amusement.
-Do devils have no shame? Seriously, It makes me think you're all just ready to get naked at a moments notice.-
Momo stopped stroking Reya, and sat up towards the edge of the bed.
"I don't hear you denying it. We're more susceptible to our urges, but we are able to control ourselves."
Reya sat up, snatching the phone from Momos hand, and placing it to her own ear. She gave Momo a wink before speaking.
"Hello Kaori. So tell me, how long will it be, before I can blasphemously scream his name to the heavens. I'm counting the days until I can have him thrusting into me so hard that I can't see straight."
Hearing the human choke on air on the other end of the line was music to her ears. Momo covered her mouth so she wouldn't burst out laughing, making the situation worse.
-Why are we friends again?- Kaoris voice lacked any emotion, Reya gave the girl credit for how fast she recovered. She hoped that it was a sign that all limitations to the truce would be called off soon.
-Whatever, no sex, and anything else is fair play.-
Reya smirked, and decided to play with the girl just a bit more.
"Oh? So if I wanted and he was willing, I could take that throbbing hard-"
Momo quickly snatched the phone back from her friend, and gave a her a tap on the head, for antagonizing the human girl.
"Bad Reya, down girl."
Reya stuck her tongue out towards Momo, wholly unrepentant for her actions.
"Sorry about that Kaori, she's getting…antsy."
Momo laid herself down, legs hanging off the side of the bed, her free hand resting on her stomach.
-I know, I know. How are you holding up?-
There were a few ways she could answer that question. Momo could go into the nitty gritty of how she was keeping herself composed when around a certain pawn, but she knew that Kaori would just pull back.
It was best to let her infer the details, rather than lay it all out. Reya had obtained a certain, battery operated device, that she used to ease the tension.
Momo had decided against doing the same, preferring to take a more personal approach. Warm fingers were much better than room temp silicone in her opinion.
Kaori did not want to her about that.
Momo and Reya didn't disagree on much, sex was one of only three topics. Reya tried to persuade Momo to use her new toy, saying that it would make her real first time more enjoyable, not having to go through the pain of her hymen tearing.
Momo however, believed that it was a part of the experience and connection between lovers. She wanted that experience in its entirety.
"I want more. How much more, I don't know."
-I get it. It's the same for me.-
There was silence over the phone as the two girls thought about their perceived boundaries.
"How's Yui coming along?" Reya asked from the side, back to her composed self.
Momo brought the phone away from her ear, and put it on speaker so they could all converse easier.
The question was repeated, just in case Kaori had missed it.
-That's actually a part of the reason I called.-
The two devils gave each other a confused look briefly.
-Yui is…close, I think. She had a talk with his mom today, that seemed to help give her a little more courage. She snuck into his room again tonight.-
Reya smiled along with Momo. That was mostly good to hear.
-But now his mom wants to talk to the 4 of us. She knows that we're all looking to be in a relationship with him…together.-
The smile dropped off their faces. They hadn't really considered how to explain things to his parents. The shared thought had been, to just hide it from them.
-Look, this whole thing is still confusing to me. I don't know even how a monogamous relationship truly works, let alone…whatever this is. But I know Issei, and honesty is something he values very highly. I think we should be as honest with her as possible, without going into the whole…devil part.-
-LineBreak-
Issei watched from his state of astral projection, as Yui once again snuck into his bed. The first time he saw her do it, he felt both nervous and embarrassed. It was something that seemed so intimate. But his pink haired friend was always the quicker one to lash out. So he was sure that Yui would let him know if she didn't like anything that transpired, that she didn't like.
The third time he was aware of it happening, he noticed the way she relaxed after she settled in. That was how he got over the negative thoughts, and just enjoyed the moment.
Issei greatly enjoyed the thought of him being the thing she sought for comfort.
Seeing her come into his room tonight was a little different. She didn't look like she came in for whatever comfort he afforded her. This time, she looked like she was trying to work herself up for something. What it was, he didn't know.
'You and I both know that's not true Ise.' Elsha thought to him.
They had been practicing his projection yet again, to see how long he could hold himself and the Norsefire Dragon at a distance. Tonight they had floating 500 hundred feet in the air for about 40 minutes.
'What if i'm wrong though? It could ruin our friendship if I just assume that she's interested in me that way.'
That was why he hadn't really done anything after Kaori confessed to him, not even give her a reply.
Kaori said that she didn't want things to change. Issei took it to mean that, even though she said she was in love with him, she didn't want a relationship.
Honestly, it was all very confusing. Why bother telling him then? Being able to kiss her without fear was pretty awesome though.
'Trust me when I say, you're not wrong. She just needs some time to get it out.'
Since the events at the end of his day with Rias, Issei had been in a mindset close to his old middle school days. The two of them had silently agreed, not to talk about what transpired in that dimly lit room.
As such, he made no attempts to stop himself from taking in the image of Elsha, who'd decided that she would only appear in clothes inside the boosted gear, or when he finally manifested her for others to see. So far, this trick had been his little secret. His selfish desire, to keep her to himself
Back to the topic at hand, If Yui noticed his rerouted blood flow, it wasn't apparent.
'I should talk to her.' He thought, more to himself than to Elsha.
'That you should. We'll end things here for tonight.' She dispersed into scattering golden particles.
Pulling himself from the projected state had gotten much easier over time, and no longer threatened to make him nauseous.
His eyes remained closed, as he felt Yui drape his arm over her like she usually did. He pulled her closer gently, almost an automatic reaction now, as he thought about what to say to her. He'd momentarily forgotten that he was pitching a tent.
Stiffening for only a moment, Yui mumbled to herself.
"What the hell are you dreaming about, damn thing is rock hard."
And poking right into the gap between her upper thighs. It wasn't the first time she'd experienced it, but this one was definitely more pronounced. She had become aware that, 'morning wood' was most definitely not a myth. The jury was still out on 'blue balls'.
Issei could feel his entire body heat up, embarrassed by her description. Elsha often had that effect on him, even without him touching her. The worst time, was when she started dancing…naked.
"Sorry." He whispered, forgetting that he had still been pretending to sleep, until he thought of the right words to say.
If it weren't for the fact that she was being held in place, Yui would have jumped out of the bed when his voice startled her.
"You're awake?!" She asked in a quiet and high pitch whisper.
Not wanting to make the situation awkward with his current state, Issei went to move his arm away.
Yui wasn't letting that happen, and firmly held onto the limb. Her thumb stroked the hardened and warmer than normal skin, a habit she'd developed after she snuck in just after his reincarnation.
"Yea. Something seemed off, when I noticed you coming in. I thought you might want to talk."
A soft smile crossed her lips, and she held the arm a little firmer for a moment. A gesture that said she appreciated him wanting to comfort her, not that Issei had done anything different whenever he thought she was upset.
"Is there? Something you want to talk about, I mean."
Yui bit her lower lip lightly, the anxiety she felt over the subject coming back full force.
Now she was almost regretting coming in his room. She wasn't ready to say it, not yet.
"Do I have to-?"
Say I love you? Do I have to be okay as one of many? Do I have to be willing to sleep with you to prove it, to have my feelings reciprocated? Do I have sleep with them? Do I have to be held at a lower standing because i'm human?
Do I have to?
She wanted to barrage him with these questions, but she was just too scared to. The answers could be scarier than she was able to handle.
"You don't have to do anything that makes you uncomfortable." He answered.
Even though he hadn't heard her thoughts, his response covered all of them.
Issei wasn't good with reading between the lines with most of the girls he was around all the time. But it seemed as though he had a greater understanding, when it came to Kaori and herself.
Momo and Reya would have to set him straight soon, or their chances might just be ruined. If Sona was serious about that whole marriage thing, she had even more work ahead of her.
Yui would have included Rias in that scenario too, but she had obviously made her interest known today, if his affectionate giddiness was anything to go by. She wanted to hear the details of what happened, to have such an effect on him.
"Did I overstep, with the kiss on the cheek?"
More like, didn't step far enough. Was what she wanted to say.
Issei was watching, and feeling for how she would respond. He was trying to get any nonverbal admissions, that he was right.
The girl in his arms, along with the one down the hall, were immensely important to him. They were people he could trust, people he could rely on, and they had given him his family back.
Their beauty was just a bonus, both inside and out.
Yes, they beat on him every so often, but it was acknowledged and agreed upon from the beginning. If he slipped, they'd give a physical corrective measure.
Behind that though, were two young women who wanted to help someone that acknowledged there was a problem. Someone who wanted to better himself, just as they did everyday with their kendo training.
"I don't want you to treat Kaori and I differently." She mumbled.
It wasn't an answer to either of his questions, verbal or nonverbal. But in a way, it was an answer to both.
With anyone else, he probably wouldn't have understood, and asked her to clarify what she meant. But spending nearly everyday with them, let Issei understand.
He hadn't overstepped, but she would've liked a kiss like the one he had shared with Kaori. She wasn't ready to say it, but she did love him.
If he ended up being wrong about any of this, Yui was sure to reprimand him.
'What was it Matsuda said, after watching that one American movie?'
Ah, thats right. Gotta risk it, to get the biscuit.
In other words, go for it.
With his arm that wasn't around her, Issei propped himself up, the movement making her look over her shoulder.
Her grip hadn't let his arm go, and Issei used that to turn Yui onto her back, leaving her halfway underneath him.
She looked curious about his movements, and also a bit nervous because of the position they were in. Her grip relaxed enough for him to remove his hand, bringing it up to her cheek.
Her eyes widened, her mouth opening slightly, asking a silent question. The hand she that had been holding his with, came to rest on the back of the palm against her cheek as he smiled down at her.
In that one instant, she saw that he understood. Issei understood that she just couldn't open herself up like that yet, that it would take time.
That smile said to her, that while he'd wait until she was ready to vocalize it, he'd still give her what she wanted in the mean time. To feel like she mattered to him just as much as any of the others, if not more so.
"I know you think its wrong, but I care about the two of you very much, and I want you to be a part of my life for as long as you're willing. Once you are ready, i'll tell you just how much."
Without giving her any chance to respond, Issei lowered himself towards her.
For a brief second, Yui tried to back her head away from his, before she caught herself. This is what she wanted, there was no reason to shy away now.
She closed her eyes just before his lips made contact with hers.
Once they had, Yui wondered what she was so afraid of. The only time she'd ever felt even slightly hurt by Issei, was when he lied about the devils. He'd never aim to hurt her.
The kiss started off chaste, just a light touching of one pair of lips on another.
The warmth and relief Yui felt gave her the courage to go for more.
Her hands came up, and grabbed the sides of his face, holding him in place, letting him know that she wanted more.
The pressure between them increased a bit, and Yui opened her lips, taking things a step further then Kaori had so far.
Their tongues danced against each others, for what seemed like hours. Moving, twirling, tasting, it was a blur to them as they each got lost in this new aspect of their friendship/relationship.
Yui knew that she'd regress into her fears once the morning came, so she wanted to be at least one more step ahead of Kaori before then.
She grasped the hand held to her cheek, dragging it against her yellow buttoned pajama shirt. Yui brought it down to the hem, and slid underneath.
She wanted to squirm at the feeling of his hand lightly skimming her bare skin. Hip to stomach, stomach to torso, torso to chest, his touch felt like a small electric current before it came to rest where she was aiming.
His fingers brushed against the underside of her breast, sweeping from her sternum towards her side. She gasped into the kiss, the feeling was different then she'd expected. It was like Issei was caressing her very heart, as the nerves fired off.
She felt his excitement renew, as it brushed against the top of her left thigh.
He cupped her breast, letting her feel the warmth of his larger hand, before giving a light squeeze.
Breathless and in need of air, the two pulled apart.
Her pink eyes looked into his light brown, almost copper.
Yui was surprised by how well she was taking their position. She didn't feel like she was subjugated, controlled by him, like she thought her first experience of this kind would be.
She welcomed it. Like this, she could say anything, do anything.
"Tell me, Issei. I need to hear you say it." Even to her own ears, her voice had never sounded…seductive, like it did right now.
His glazed eyes refocused onto her, as he caught his breath.
Another squeeze to her breast, and he smiled, inching closer but no contact being made.
"I love you, Yui Katase. Even if you can't say it yet, I know you love me too. I want to make you happy, I want you to be happy. I want to-"
He couldn't say anymore, as she had leaned up to kiss him again. The only ones that mattered right now, were the two of them. The devils be damned, the world be damned, right now he was hers.
They kissed passionately, they explored each others bodies as much as she was comfortable with, through their hands. For tonight, they were just…together.
-LineBreak-
When she woke up in the morning, Yui didn't care about her topless state, or the warm object she felt prodding her from the gap between her thighs yet again. In a state of fading bravery, she rolled her hips backwards.
The warmth from the protrusion could be felt even through both articles of thin cloth that were their underwear. As her hips rolled forward to their original place, her breath hitched as a particular spot was caressed. She wanted to do it again, but her strength had drained away, and it was time to get up.
She hadn't returned the words, but in time she would. Until then, she was more than happy to just enjoy the affection given to her.
Buttoning her pajama shirt, Issei started to wake, and a realization came to her.
Her groan brought him to open his eyes and look at her.
"Something wrong?" Issei asked innocently.
Buttons secured, Yui put her face in her hands.
"I'm in a harem…" The words made it sound like her very life was ending.
Sitting up, Issei tilted his head.
"Is 2 girls considered a harem?"
She watched as Issei tried to hide his morning wood, moving the blankets to his lap.
With a shake of her head, and a sigh, Yui turned to get ready for school.
"Sometimes, you're an idiot."
She saw his lopsided grin as he stood up, apparently deeming his condition dealt with.
"I love you too Yui."
It was clear that Issei wanted to make her more comfortable with the words being tossed around, but just as she thought last night, the words felt like hardening cement in her mouth, and she couldn't say them.
Instead she turned around, flicking him in the center of the forehead, before a quick and light kiss on the lips.
-LineBreak-
In the student council office, Sona stared at her friend with wide, unbelieving eyes. Her glasses nearly falling from her face.
"How?" Her voice was quiet, the disbelief clear in her tone.
Surely there was another explanation here. Alcohol or drugs, being the main ones coming to mind. But neither Rias nor Issei were that type of person, Sona knew that for a fact. Pure blooded devils were also resistant to such human things, so it was impossible that she'd been drugged by someone else.
"It's the only explanation I can come up with Sona. It was too specific, to be anything else." Rias said, her bright red face turned to the side, unable to look at her friend.
Issei had somehow channeled her oldest family trait, one that neither she or her sister were too attuned with. Her mother being from the now extinct Gaap house, being the cause of that.
It was there, just in a very diluted way, an occasional thought that was easily pushed aside. It was how Sona reasoned that her sister felt the need to wear such revealing costumes all the time.
Clearing her throat, Sona pushed for more information.
"And…then?" She had felt the change in Issei yesterday afternoon, it wasn't that rare of an occurrence really, but it happened mostly at night when she figured he was asleep. The one she felt yesterday was easily more potent than any of the others, Sona thought that maybe Rias had accidentally shown more then she meant to.
Rias pulled her crossed arms tighter against herself.
"The traits…mixed."
Having regained her composure, Sona placed her chin against steepled hands.
'Mixed? What does she-' The lightbulb went off, and suddenly she knew why Rias was so embarrassed.
With a controlled tone, hiding the amusement she felt from Rias being on the other end for once, Sona asked Rias the most important question.
"Did you have sex with my pawn?"
Rias shook her head violently. "NO!"
The embarrassment doubled, and the Gremory heiress mumbled something not even a devils ears could pick up.
"Come again?"
Those had apparently been the wrong words to use, as Rias looked like she was about to cry from how mortified she was.
"I didn't hear you Rias, please repeat what you said." Sona said, using words that in no way could be misunderstood.
"I…did it…solo."
Sona understood how admitting that to someone else could be embarrassing…if they were human, or had been. But devils had no such barriers in regards to masturbating. Hell, her sister had given her a live step-by-step tutorial when she was 10. That was a memory she wanted to erase from her mind, to the point that she'd asked around for someone to alter her memories. No one would…they all just laughed at her.
Something in the wording seemed off though.
"When you got home?"
Rias shook her head.
"The clubroom in the old school building?"
She shook her head again. Sona was running out of places she thought Rias would be comfortable doing such a thing.
"Akenos shrine?"
Rias snapped her head towards her, embarrassed tears flinging from her eyes as she shouted.
"IN THE STORE! I FINGERED MYSELF ON THE FLOOR OF A MANGA SHOPS PORN SECTION! KNEES BENT, PUSSY SPREAD OPEN, THREE KNUCKLES DEEP! FOR FUCKS SAKE SONA, I CAME SO HARD IT SOAKED THE CHEST PORTION OF MY DRESS WHEN I SQUIRTED! I KEPT TWITCHING FROM IT RUBBING MY NIPPLES WITH EACH STEP! I WAS IN SUCH A HAZE AFTERWARDS, I DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE WHAT I'D DONE UNTIL THIS MORNING!"
Sona was of two minds at the moment. One side acknowledged that this was indeed, a horribly embarrassing incident, caused by something no devil knew could happen.
But on the other side…it was quite possibly the funniest thing she'd ever heard.
Finally, Rias had something even close to her most embarrassing moment. She would readily admit, that Rias had gotten the award on this one. Mostly because she'd done it on the floor of a dirty store. There was one more thing she wanted to know.
"First off, 'pussy' is such a harsh term. Secondly, where was Ise?"
Putting her face in her hands, Rias sat back down in her chair, having stood up as she ranted.
Surely Rias had done that once Issei had left the room…right?
"Right in front of me." It was the weakest she'd ever heard Rias speak.
"He…saw you?" Sona asked hesitantly.
"Issei. Saw. Everything."
Crossing her arms, Sona gave Rias her hindsight advice.
"I think having sex with him would've been the better choice."
END!
Answer Time!
comment #1: Issei is too nice.
Answer: He's 16, dealing with trying to fit in to a new group of friends, just like every other high school teenager. A large portion of teens will change based on those around them. His love for women, and desire to make his friends happy is really the only defining feature he has at this point.
He hasn't had those moments that set certain personality traits in stone yet. But they are coming.
comment #2: Put Rias in da harem!
Answer: You'll just have to wait and see. I believe i've said this before, but their relationship will be up and down until its end point. This will be determined and finalized in the Riser arc.
comment #3: Sona is the VP, yet her peerage calls her kaichou.
Answer: Yes.
Just kidding, I wouldn't leave this one answered. She is the VP currently. They call her Kaichou, as a recognition of authority. She is the acting president at the moment though.
Now onto the family trait thing, that came up in this chapter.
Its directly from what wikipedia says demonology lists as each ones trait, their ability.
Gremory comes in the form of a beautiful woman. He makes man love woman, and vice versa.
The way I interpreted that to fit into the DxDverse, is that the gremorys are lustful devils with more feminine features, and they have rather high sex drives.
Sitri can make one bare themselves naked. Again another lustful devil. I don't know if Lady Sitri was ever elaborated in canon, but I don't think so. Since the sitri family is known for water magic, I said she was from the Gaap family, because that is their trait.
This is why Rias felt the need to strip herself.
As for the Issei and Katase bit. He's still on an emotional high of sorts, and he hasn't had that heartbreak from Raynare. So he isn't nearly as reluctant to admit his feelings.
If something isn't as clear as it should be, let me know. It may be something that i'm being purposely vague about, to add in next chapter, or I just forgot.