DISCLAIMER: DxD belongs to Ichie Ishibumi and its respective magazines. I own nothing.

Waking up naked next to an equally nude sleeping beauty is the pinnacle of one's adolescence...

That peak was what Alice Gremory experienced once he opens his eyes to the morning Sun, the gentle breeze rubbing on his naked body as he slowly awakens from what felt like a deep slumber. First, he yawns to get rid of the typical sleepiness, then puts himself sit on the bed to finally get off the bed and start a brand new day. However, a tug on his arm forces him to stop mid-standing, and still a bit groggy, he turns his head to the direction he feels this force pulling him back, only to fully awake when he sees the nude form of Lacchan's trustworthy knight Mordred Pendragon, still deep asleep next to him and hugging his arm like a toddler.

A coarse, quite rude gasp escapes his mouth, the shock freezing him into place as a million thoughts and nothing runs through his brain. His traumatized mind took a second or two to scramble the events of the night prior, and little by little, mind starts to piece together the sudden blank period between the hot springs episode and that early morning. One, two seconds of recollection, and his hair wasn't the reddest thing on his head anymore, a small twitch of his brow indicating deep thoughts when it all started to came back to him. His little heart-to-heart with Sir Mordred, a little head-to-head, her invitation for a night, his first relutance to then acceptance and then, after going to her room...

'C'mon, smallfry. Are you nervous? Don't chicken out now. Here, I'll let you kiss me first, and when you have your guns out, I'm gonna mess you up.'

'You're trembling, hahahah! Is this the first time you see a partner naked? You loser~.'

'Haaaaw~... Haaaw~... C'mon, smallfry~. Make me feel~... If you're not wild enough~, I'll be the one in charge later... Hooooh~... Haw~...!'

'You want to put it in my mouth~? Heh, it tastes awful~. If you don't get better after tonight, I'm gonna rip it off next time.'

'N-Not bad... C'mon, the night is still young~... Enjoy yourself...'

Honestly, if he were redder, Alice Gremory might as well be melting for the sheer embarrassement and shock from last night's events. To lose one virginity's like that... It wasn't a bad experience as well, but to call it 'unromantic' is an understatement. Oh well, it was already gone, so wailing about it was useless. Still... Such was adolescence.

"Yawn~..."

"Hm? Ah!" And what snaps the young Gremory from his reverie is Mordred's own awakening, her yawn and twitch pulling him a bit more to herself as instinct to keep herself warm. Escaping her grasp and giving her space, Alice kept his eyes wide open as she lets the blankets covering them to fall off from her nude figure, stretch herself and yet out a tired groan while scratching her eyes. Indeed, her temperament wasn't of the best, but she was still a beautiful... Knight. "G-Good morning, sir Mordred..."

"Hah~? Oh right, we banged." She commented as soon as she noticed his presence, paying no mind, continuing to stretch. Alice tilts his head curiously, she doesn't seem ashamed at all. "Morning, smallfry. What time is it, anyway?"

"It's... A quarter to nine in the morning. I guess...?"

"Shit, barely a blink of sleep tonight. Well, going back to bed. 'Night." Her complains were as fast as her actions, and the knight let herself collapse on the soft bed again, pillows and covers jumping everywhere while pulling some to herself. Alice purses his lips seeing her naked back paying him no attention, undecided of what to do.

"Hmmm... Sir Mordred... It's already morning... You don't want to miss breakfast, right?"

"Hmmm... I guess you're right." She moans, standing as fast as she laid and yawning once more to crawl herself off the bed. Such sudden movements, the blanket slid off her derriere and exposed her lower parts to the cold wind, and for the smallest glimpse, Alice soon turned away, embarrassed. Picking her clothes from the floor, she didn't seem to mind or even notice him at all, despite everything that transpired the night before. "Man, I wonder what the maids did for morning grub, I'm starving."

"R-Right." Alice mumbles back, reaching for his own clothes and dress himself a bit. No reaction, no comments; they were lovers for a whole night, yet now it seems that everything was back to normal, somehow. Indeed, 'unromantic'...

"Hey, Alice..." Midway his dressing however, the Gremory hears the call and instinctively turns to that direction, seeing Mordred put her panties up and pulling her hair out off her shirt, turning to him as well for a staredown. One, two seconds of silence, and she grins. "... Feeling spunkier, now? I bet you do, sleeping with a girl that you barely know. That's something I bet you want to boost with your friends about, eh? Kyahahahah..."

"Hm..." But instead of an answer, Alice simply pouts, looking down to avoid eye contact with her as Mordred laughs. 'Spunkier', as she says? Perhaps, he feels a bit different and a lot better than the day before, but he wonders if sleeping with her has something to do with it. A small look on the blankets, and he notices those same blood stains were still there. Were girls suppose to bleed every time they sleep with someone? Sounds painful. "Uh... Sir Mordred... Was I... A good lover... Last night?"

"..."

"..."

There was a beat. Then...

"Pfuh... Fufufufuh~... Fufufufu~!" And a fit of laughter afflicts the heir of Pendragon, still her dressing and making her bop her head back and forward in pure shock, much to Alice's confusion. What was that all about? Once she stops, Mordred turns to him. "Seriously, smallfry? Asking something like that? T'was a one-night stand, don't sweat about it."

"..."

If I felt good, if you felt good; I don't actually give a shit, and neither should you." Her chuckles and words were free of malice or weight, she actually feels light from them, and when she came closer to half-hug the heir of Gremory, she seems to beam. "That's the thing with virgins: you care so much about your first, you think about those pointless stuff and ends up suffering without need. Don't sweat about it, dude. If you felt good, then that's that. Geez~, only virgins to care so much about sex, seriously. Fwahahahah~."

"But still." Alice, in a spark of courage, interrupts her little monologue and fit and grabs her hand hugging him. The suddeness made the blonde stop and stare, and approaching too close to her, Alice nods with a determined look. "Last night... It felt amazing. Even if it is as pointless as you say it is... I enjoyed last night very much, and I'm glad sir Mordred was my first!"

"...?!"

"I... I mean..." And now he falters a lot, shame and realization hitting him hard and making the redhead turn away, pursing his lips in a '~' shape. "Uh... I know it might be pointless to Sir Mordred, who already slept with so many people... But for me, it was... Special, in a way. It's not like we're getting married, or I've fallen in love with you, but... Uh... If I at least made you feel like I did, even if a little... Then I'll be even happier..."

There was another beat between them. Mordred was glad for Alice looking away from her face, otherwise he'd see that she was blushing to his words. No reaction further from that, however.

"W-... Watchoo saying, smallfry. C'mon now, that shit's cringe as hell." Mordred forces herself to laugh at his words, shoving his hands elsewhere and turning away to mask her blushing. Fortunately, Alice didn't ask things further, he apparently gave up his chase for an answer, and giving a small peek at him, she sees him resign himself with a sigh and resume in getting dressed. Even for a hardass, temperamental knight such as herself, that will be a dick move. Maybe just this time. "B-But... Uh, if you wanna know pointless shit like that, then I can... I can say you weren't half-bad. Like, you are definitely amoung the first 100 best shags I had, and I, like, did it with a lot of people, y'know. Like a knight!"

"I see... I'm glad!" And the spirits return to Alice, a small smile creeping on his lips as she puts himself dressed and hoping for a bright new day. That was indeed a boost in his confidence, if just a little. "Thank you, sir Mordred. I'll... I'll do my best even more from now on."

"What... Whatever." She mumbles, still looking away to the fleeing redhead.

As she was putting her pants on, she felt a sting of pain in her nether areas, making her lose balance and kneel on the floor, as if her entire system suffered a massive electric shock, shutting down both body and mind and then taking a feel seconds to tilt back to reality. She was glad Alice just left her quarters, otherwise he'll definitely ask for that reaction. She twitches, she painfully moans, and then pouts, tears brimming on her eyes as curses escapes her lips.

Fuck, popping a cherry... Hurts like hell.

Not his, of course.

Back to Alice, his walk towards the courtyard of the Astaroth mansion was actually quite serene and quiet. Ignoring the soreness all over his body plus the bite marks and hickies on his chest and neck, the heir of Gremory had a calm and glowing smile on his face, the words of approval from dear Mordred still echoing inside his head.

To get 'spunkier', to develop even more as a person., maybe it wouldn't be as hard as he thought, and honestly, losing one's virginity... Words cannot describe how he feels about it except that they were mostly positive, even with a certain lack of romance. No words or love, nor wishes to a relationship, only straight-up copulation with a total stranger. There was no romance in it... Yet, the adolescence from it had some charm to it as well. Wonder why.

A few turns and corridors and the heir finally reaches the place where he meets with his dear 'childhood friend' Latia Astaroth, the latter already waiting for him and stopping her sip from her morning tea seeing her acquaintance passing through the door...

"Good morning, Lacchan."

"Akkun, you're late."

"Ah." But then his smile falters and an awkward one instead takes its place. Direct and dry, again, that was Lacchan for you, and after such accusatory words, there was a pause. One, two seconds, and recovering from the shock, Alice bows apologetically while approaching the tea table. He wonders if she was mad. "S-Sorry. I... Might've overslept a bit. I promise it won't happen again."

"It's not a bad habit, we all need a period of rest, but I do feel quite lonely. I hope you don't mind a lukewarm tea." Her stoic tone was followed by a quick sip from her teacup. Alice bows one more time while taking the seat facing her, picking his own set of tableware to now delight himself with some biscuits and a piece of bread or two. Peeking an eye on him, Latia notices he seems... A bit healthier. She wonders if laying with her knight has something to do with it. As he eats his breakfast, she lowers her teacup and asks the usual question. "Akkun... Won't you return to your Household?"

And his response was also the usual:

"No, I won't. Not now."

And like always, the conversation dies there. No further convincing, no more words, only the rather wholesome mood of two 'childhood friends' sharing breakfast. Latia notices that he seems... Quite loose in her presence, therefore he probably doesn't suspect she saw him laying with her knight last night. No awkward climate, no doubtful moves nor coward actions, Alice was his usual self, even a bit brighter, so the best course of action was, of course, go with the flow.

After all, if she were to either comment on it, Lilith forbid, or reprimand him for his actions, he will probably cut all possible conversations with her and hide in shame, much more like a cockroach. Therefore, she chose not to say anything and just enjoy his presence. He was a healthy young lad after all, it'd be best for him to live the spring of his youth as he can...

"Hey Lacchan, may I ask you a question?" For the first time in his stay at the Astaroth household, Alice Gremory was the one to initiate a conversation, drawing even more of a reaction from Latia, who shifts her surprised gaze to him, yet says nothing. Her silence signed for him to continue, and biting his tongue a bit, he did so. "Do you think, maybe one day, reach the same level as my brother or Lord Ajuka, your dear uncle? If we were to push our limits, train hard everyday, pursue the impossible,we will be able to be as strong as them?"

"No, not at all." Another cut and dry answer, Alice just didn't fall from his chair because somehow anyhow, he was expecting a direct response like that. As for the Astaroth heiress, she takes a macaroon to her mouth to take a bite. "Uncle Ajuka and Lord Sirzechs... They're anomalies, beyond the boundaries of prodigies, beyond the boundaries that holds devilish evolution. To call them... Mutants would be an underestatement, no offense to either of them. Therefore, no matter how much we train, struggle, fight to even reach a portion of their power, to like, let alone surpass, them, is nothing but a distant dream."

"I see, I see." He now laughs, confusing her even more. He seems... Content, despite everything. "I see, so big brother Zechs really is the strongest... Hahah. Somehow, I feel... Relieved. Knowing that I won't ever be able to match him, this makes everything seem... A little more manageable."

"Akkun...?"

"I guess I was so fixated, so obsessed with being the brother of the Lucifer, I forgot to pursue my own 'arrogance'." He continues, two fingers picking a small biscuit, but instead of eating it, Alice began to comtemplate it, his stare seeing beyond the simple snack, staring at Latia's eyes, yet not at all. "I shall be always under the shadow of my brother, sister, family, and nothing about it will change. This saddens me a bit, but it also gives me a rather nice thought: that there won't ever be another Alice Gremory. There will never be another 'me'."

"..." She blinks a few times, digesting his own thoughts and words a little. That's a way to put it, to 'pursue one's arrogance'. Like stated, trying to compare to their talented relatives was an illusion, a distant dream, a reverie, something she accepted a long time ago, and instead, like he said, 'tried to pursue her arrogance'. His last words, how he'll be the first and last Alice Gremory, threw her a bit off out of the loop, and she couldn't figure the meaning behind such. A sign of a developed self-steem, or withdraw from pursuing his own limits, and instead settle for his 'him' of now? She didn't know, but he seems satisfied, and somehow, a bit calmer. Peace of mind, maybe? She decided to humour him a bit. "That's a relief. I have space in my heart for only one 'Alice Gremory'. After all, we are 'childhood friends', no?"

"Yeah." He smiles, and she does the same.

There will be only one Alice Gremory, and this was both a blessing and a curse. The mediocre middle child of Gremory, overshadowed by both Rias and Sirzechs... But not because of that unworthy of life, not because of that unable to try to find his own 'arrogance'.

Of course, that could only be the newly renovated confidence talking, and soon or later he might relapse into depression and despair, feeling his own impotence regarding his own life, his title and power... But for now, he shall enjoy the small resolution he got, living the peak of his adolescence and then some more...

He shall just... Move forward, as little as it is.

"Akkun, if you're done monologuing, please drink your tea. It might be already ice-cold."

"Oh, right." And Alice snaps with Latia's little warning, and reaching for the teacup, he takes a small sip from it, the lukewarm, smooth liquid going down his system. One second, and by surprise he removes his lips from the cup and blinks, surprised. "Ah...! Oh wow."

"Is something wrong, Akkun?" Latias asks, her eagle stare noticing his sudden and unusual reaction to tea. Alice blinks a few times, draws an easy smile, and puts the teacup down.

"O-Oh... Nothing." He lies once again. The truth is...

... That tea was sweet. Very sweet.

And what's your thoughts? After a wild night with the knight, the Gremory heir acquired some knowledge with his post nut clarity, and honestly... I wanted to just show the romance of such. Worth noting, it's not just the sage time talking, his little heart-to-heart with Mordred had a lot of impact in him as well, and so... Yeah, for now, he'll develop just a little, if just a little. You can face this chapter as the end of the prologue for this little personal arc of his. Now, up to new adventures.

The chapter a bit on the shorter side, but I had fun writing it. Hope you all like it, and forget to R&R and do share your thoughts in his development at all, his relationship with the Astaroth girls and dreams for the future. They're heavily appreciated! Hellhound out!