I'm gonna take a break here for a little while and focus on getting my creativity back and my life together. Right now, i'm a mess and this story is pretty much all that's keeping me going. I'll be gone for the rest of the month, see you guys in September.

Under Your Scars

Rias Gremory Hyoudou was trying to make sense of all of this. She had a huge family now. Most of her peerage had married her husband and were beginning to have children with him as well. She had just gotten a text from Issei saying that Asia was having twins, a boy and a girl. This was all so surreal, and she didn't know how to feel about it.

In the recent months, Kunou, Ruruko Nimura, and a reformed Yuuma Amano had come to live with them. Well to be fair, Ruruko was a guest currently. She still wanted to go home. Koneko had informed Rias that Ruruko's parents made no attempt to contact her during the period she was taken.

Sona had sent a familiar to check the place out and it appeared that her parents were ok and still had their memory. They just didn't seem to care about Ruruko at all.

Rias then thought back to her life. She met the man of her dreams about five years ago. In those five years, Issei Hyoudou had saved her from her family name, helped keep the three way war from restarting, defeated Loki, saved her from Loki's curse, established a relationship between demons and the fox yokai of Kyoto, he then defeated Sairaorg Bael in a fist fight. All of these things in just the first year they had known each other. In the end, they had fallen in love and finally found a way to say it.

Once their feelings were clear, everything expanded. Kuroka became a full time resident, he defeated the leader of the HDAA with Vali's assistance, he had married her and given her a beautiful daughter, he gave Kuroka a son as well as Akeno a daughter. Now, Asia was said to be having twins, a boy and a girl.

Not two months had passed since he unlocked his Crimson God form. Afterwards, it was revealed that Ophis had given him this power to test. They had worked on it a bit in secret, and no one truly knew it was even possible.

Hundreds of other little things had come and past in their lives, but one thing remained. Whenever Issei would remove his shirt for bed, Rias would still hold back tears at the number of scars he had across his body. The count had to be near thirty if not more.

There were scars from the fights with Riser in the mock rating game and the wedding crash. Scars from his battle with Loki where Fenrir had bitten into him. The teeth marks never left. There were scars from the training he had done alone or with her knights. A few scars came from the battle with Sairaorg. He had a scar on his left cheek from protecting Asia in their car crash. He had a sword scar that went from back to front from protecting Xenovia in Heaven.

Rias walked through the large mansion alone as she reminisced all of the scars she's seen. Her hand ran along the tables in the hall that proudly held pictures of all of them as a big family. She picked up her favorite which was her, Issei and Ellie at Asia's wedding. Before long, her mind went back to the scars on her husband.

Issei's bare chest came to mind. He had a long scar that went from his chest to his waist. He always accredited to Koneko having claws for fingernails, but Rias knew the truth. Issei had gone alone on a stray demon call and came back with a large fatal wound on his chest. It was Rias that had healed him that night and helped him keep the lie. They wanted to keep all the girls calm so they didn't go into the fact he almost died that night. Near that wound, was another impaling wound, only this one belonged to a spear. The night he had taken the holy spear for Asia and saved her life.

"All this time and he's still saving us." Rias thought aloud as she walked.

"Well duh. It's a husband's job to take care of the girls in his life." A voice startled her. Issei was standing in front of her. "Hi Rias."

"I-I thought you were with Asia."

"I was, she's asleep now." He wrapped his arms around his first wife. "So, wanna tell me what you were thinking about?"

"..ar.." Rias' voice was muffled in his shoulder.

Issei pulled her out a bit so he could hear her. "Huh?"

"Scars." She ran her hand across his shirt. "You have so many scars and almost all of them were from protecting us in one way or another." Her arms hung loosely over his shoulders as they rocked side to side.

"Oh, well. The way I see it, every scar is a new memory that I won't forget." He pulled up his shirt and pointed the scars out one by one. First, the one that he got from Raynare's lightspears. "This one reminds me that I was once human and what I gained from being a devil. Unfortunately, it is also the origin of Raynare's curse." Next, a scar on his left pec that looked like a burn. "I got this from Riser. To remind me of what and who I fight for."

Rias grabbed his hand and led him to their room. There, he took his shirt off completely so Rias could see all of them. "And here?"

It was one of Fenrir's teeth marks. "Oh, I'm never gonna forget that I fought a God slayer."

Her finger trailed again. Issei remembered the time he did this with Akeno.

"Here?"

It was a blade wound. "Oh, that one? That was from a blade in Heaven. The one I took for Xenovia. It reminds me that I must protect you all no matter the cost. Much like this one." He pointed out his newest scar.

Rias ignored his spear wound and stared at the one on his face. Her hand reached up and traced the skin. "I remember this."

"That was from the car crash the me and Asia were in. I don't remember a lot about that night, but I remember my resolve to save her." Issei placed his own hand on her cheeks. "There's one more."

He took her left hand and placed it directly in the center of his forehead right under his hairline. He had a scar there that looked like a bump. "This is my favorite scar."

Rias stared confused. "Issei, I've known you a long time. I've never seen that one."

"Draig helped me get it like this." He chuckled. "It's a lot worse."

"He's right. That is a scar that you gave him Rias." Ddraig's voice boomed.

"A scar I gave him?"

"Touch it. Like a thumbprint."

Rias reached up and placed her thumb on it. A green light flashed, and his body was instantly covered in scar tissue. His chest had multiple rips and claw marks. There were now two long gashes along his back. All of this and he was still smiling.

"Wha-What happened?"

"You did these, Rias." He smiled which was even more confusing.

She walked around him as he stood still and waited. After she returned to his front, he held her to him. "How? How did I cause these?"

"Our fight in the gap. All of these scars are from you and I fighting to the death." How could he be smiling?

Rias gasped. "I-I did this?"

"Yea. But it reminds me of a very important thing. I love you Rias. I would go through hell and back to save you. I would die for you. That time in the gap, I fought my hardest and you still kicked my ass." He chuckled. "All of these scars told me I needed to get stronger. I needed to learn to fight harder. Just in case I was ever in that situation again." His hand ran through her hair. "All of these scars lead to the two things that make up my being."

"What's that?"

"First, I will always love you Rias Hyoudou Gremory. And second, I may be my own King now, but I will always be your mightiest Pawn." After that he captured her lips with his and laid with her on the bed.

Rias was on top and melted as his arms wrapped around her and began to roam her back. It wasn't long until both hands found there way to her bottom. A moan escaped her lips as they gripped her flesh tightly. "Ohhh…"

Issei leaned up and kissed her forehead. "I love you Rias."

"Say it again." Her voice was weak, but her smile was strong.

"I love you Rias Hyoudou Gremory. I'll say it till the day I die." He held her and rocked side to side for a while with her in his arms. Well, rolled is more accurate considering they were laying down. They stayed that way till sleep overtook them.

Ravel had told him earlier that he was to meet Koneko again tonight for another… healing session. "Well, Kitten. Hope you're ready."

This one is short and sweet. And yes, I know I basically copied chapter 51 but Rias doesn't get much appearance as of late. Also, go check out my other stuff. I've got Star Wars, Demon Slayer, Re:Zero and Darling in the Franxx. Go give those a read.