Chapter 2 - A Bark in the Park

"Thea. Thea, are you coming?" an impatient voice rang in the corridor of the Tokyo Medical University. "Earth to Thea!" the voice urged. "On my way!" a petite blonde with chocolate eyes responded, trying to balance on one foot while putting a shoe on the other. "Come on, we are going to miss the exam!" "All right, all right. Sorry Ayami." she said apologetically, looking at her blue-eyed, raven-haired fellow student. "Geez, what are you spacing out for? I know that the exam period is taking its toll on all of us, but you have been acting kind of weird since last week. If this is because of the incident with the strange delinquent you helped on your way home, then I am sorry, but you gotta pull yourself together. It will be part of our job to help everyone, even weirdos or drunkards, so you'd better get used to it. Now hurry up, or you won't get the chance to help anyone at all!" Ayami lectured.

She was right of course. Her best friend was always right in things like this. Thea found it amazing how straightforward and practical Ayami was. Everything seemed to be so simple to her. Unfortunately, Thea's life was far from simple. She only made it look so. She had to tell somebody of her strange encounter with the demon, simply to get it out of her system. And also, because Ayami had not missed the fact that she had arrived quite shaken back to the dormitory. She could not have told her that she had met a demon, of course, but as she was never particularly good at lying, she settled for changing the "demon" to "delinquent". Come to think of it, those two were not that different. Both started with 'd' and both meant certain trouble… She hated lying to her friend, but if she had told the truth, there would be no friend at all to talk to now.

The blonde was spacing out, though. Never before had she met such a powerful being. The demon's true form had been appearing in her mind, constantly haunting her, successfully disturbing the concentration she so desperately needed for studying. That dark aura, the strange purplish crown, his devilish smirk showing just enough for her to notice the sharp fangs. It all felt so dangerous. And yet, so strangely alluring… His challenging questions, his nonchalant demeanor, his strong gaze…certainly sparked something in her. Omitting the fact that she could have been killed by him, she could have drowned in those forest-green eyes! Not to mention how easily he caught her when she had been about to collapse. And that gentlemanly good-bye kiss. Come to think of it, he had been quite attractive. Wait! She did not just think that! That was a demon she was thinking about! She instantly clasped her hands to her burning cheeks. "No way! This is so embarrassing… There is no way I would have such ridiculous, stupid thoughts! This must be the exhaustion from studying too much catching up with me! Yes! That's it!" she tried to regain some composure, totally unaware of her friend ́s concern.

"Thea, are you OK? Sorry if I was too harsh with you. If you are not feeling well, you should just stay here and rest." "NO!" Thea said a bit too loud, her cheeks growing even darker shade of red. "I mean...you are right. The exams are stressing me out. Let's just go and do our best!" she ordered enthusiastically and set for the lecture hall. She had to do her best! The cardio-vascular system was not her forte, so she needed all the concentration she could muster now. And no stupid, annoying, dangerously alluring demon would spoil it for her!

OoO

It was late afternoon and the stack of papers on the desk of the director of the True Cross Academy seemed even more piled up than it had been in the morning. Going through the daily reports must have been one of the most boring tasks ever. Oh, he would never underestimate the power of information. It was, after all, one of his greatest assets. Still, would it kill the assistant to think of a more brief and efficient way to present him with matters of importance? There was no way he could possibly concentrate. He stood up and approached the big set of windows framing the southern part of his office, hands clasped behind his back.

The demon truly enjoyed the magnificent view the windows offered. Thanks to his demon sight, he could see all the people running to and fro, going about their daily tasks. And somewhere down there, amidst the constant turmoil of citizens, the little blonde girl with chocolate-brown eyes must have been running some errands too, desperately trying to avoid demons while at it. Mephisto froze. "Is this the reason why I am being so distracted?" he marveled incredulously as he realized that his thoughts have, once again, wandered to that strange human girl. Well, no wonder, the young woman was simply...fascinating. With that kind of healing abilities, she could make a splendid Doctor Exorcist. Oh yes, she would be a wonderful asset indeed! So why had she not been training to become one yet? Had she not known of his academy? If that was the case, he had to do better in informing potential exorcist candidates. She had obviously been struggling to use her powers correctly.

"Verflucht, this is getting really annoying!" Once something captured his interest, he would dedicate the time and means to learn more about it. His very nature demanded it. Unfortunately, he had to postpone the search for the human girl. Even being the demonic Lord of Time did not guarantee that he himself would have plenty of it - the Okamura brothers surely took good care of it. He had to focus almost all his efforts to hasten Rin's training or a certain disaster would follow soon. And yet, instead of devising some clever plan to train his younger brother, he stood there at the windows, absent-mindlessly searching for those hauntingly beautiful chocolate-brown eyes…

"Enough! Time for a break." Mephisto decided. He was obviously too distracted to finish the paperwork today, anyway. Come to think of it, he could use some fresh air. And something sweet too. Not that he actually needed to boost his energy, being a demon and all. It was his vessel that needed nourishment. Also, he considered sweets one of the greatest inventions of humankind. Yes, a stroll in a park, maybe even visiting a confectionery seemed to be a very good idea. Perhaps the one near the Wadakura Fountain Park, he had not tried that one yet. "Very well, then." Mephisto smirked. "Ein, zwei, drei…"

OoO

A few seconds later, he was walking through the crowded park, taking in the beautiful scenery of sakura trees currently in spring bloom. The demon lord decided to assume his animal form of white Maltese dog breed, for it provided him with privacy he would normally not be able to enjoy. He was the director of the True Cross Academy after all. There was always somebody who would recognize him. Men would want to talk about another business with him, women would try to get into his good graces… Many believed him to be an extravagant extrovert. Well, he would lie if he claimed not to like being in the spotlight, but he too needed some quiet once in a while. Right. A quiet stroll through the streets, with the sun setting, and people taking a walk, buying odds and ends at several small shops at the market, ...

"Thea, watch out!" he heard a voice call before a young woman suddenly landed face-down on the ground before him. He would have burst into laughter if not for his dog-form. Yes, humans were indeed clumsy enough to slip on an even ground, no doubt about that. Not to mention those sloppy reflexes! Instead of putting the hands in front of her to caution the impact, the girl held her arms strangely outstretched above herself. "It's OK! I've got the cake!" the girl called out triumphantly. "Forget the cake, idiot! Are you all right?" a raven-haired girl in a bright green dress came running in, checking on the other one. "Yes, yes, no worries, Ayami! We can still celebrate." the one called Thea said, carefully standing up, trying not to damage the cake she was trying to save a second ago. Well, anybody who sacrificed a few bruises in order to save sweets deserved at least a portion of the demon lord's respect, no matter how clumsy that individual was. The girl brushed the dust of her jeans and no-more-so-white T-shirt and continued to check on her elbows and face. Her nose and forehead were bruised a little, but her chocolate-brown eyes were twinkling happily while she was trying to arrange her unruly golden hair.

"Oh my!" Mephisto watched the girl and had he not been a dog already, he would have been speechless, nonetheless. "What are the odds?" he grinned internally. Not that he would admit trying to boost the chances by strolling around the confectionery, of course… The location he had chosen was purely coincidental. "Oh, God!" the black-haired one exclaimed, suddenly picking him up from the ground. He was so stunned by the discovery of the girl that he did not even have the chance to protest. "I hope that my clumsy friend didn't crush you, little doggy!" she started whining in a pitch-high voice too deafening for his dog ears, crushing him against her chest. Normally, he would have enjoyed such a splendid view, but she was literally squeezing all the breath out of him! He should have known that people would pet even stray dogs… "Ayami, stop that, you are crushing the poor thing!" the blonde, no, Thea - that was her name - said. "Oh, look who's talking. You basically landed on him!" Thea's cheeks flushed "I did not…" she pouted. "Aaaaw, but he is such a cutieee! Aren't you little guy? And look at that beautiful bow he is wearing!" she continued fawning all over him. "Gee Ayami, put that poor thing down before you squeeze the air out of him." "Finally! At least someone has a little compassion." Mephisto thought. The girl put him down and continued. "We should get a dog too, you know? Can you imagine how fun it would be if we could cuddle with a dog while studying? I would give him so many treats. He is so cute, I would even let him sleep next to me!" she ruffled the hair on his head. Now that idea took an interesting direction in certain demon's fantasies!

"Yeah right, and you would also walk him every day and take care of him, while balancing your studies and parties, right?" Thea rolled her eyes. "Besides, if I were to get myself a dog, it would be a more...practical one." she said firmly, nodding to herself. "Practical?" Ayami asked surprised, voicing Mephisto's exact question. "Yeah, a normal dog. Like a Border Collie or Czechoslovakian Wolfdog. One that can protect you and your home when you need it. Useful. Not some handbag version of a plush toy to pamper and spoil. I mean...he is cute, but...oh, just look at the pink bow...I am telling you - if wolves had known the results of breeding, they would have never approached that warm spot at man's fireplace."

"Woof!" an angry bark suddenly escaped the demon king's maul. He couldn't believe it! That insolent, ignorant, little vixen! She dared to call him, the Lord of Time, useless? Weak?! It irked him to hear such words directed towards him. He took his current form exactly because he needed to seem as cute and friendly as possible. And yet, here she stood, boasting about those little hyperactive Collies as if they were the best thing in the world. A wolf dog was it? He would show her a bloody hell-hound! His ego threatened to overwhelm his reason, and Mephisto had to do his best to not transform into his human form, grab that little charming brat by her slender neck and show her just how powerful he was!

"Well, somebody is a little touchy" the blonde chuckled beautifully which managed to annoy and delight him at the same time. "Oh, I have insulted you, haven't I?" the girl suddenly looked ashamed and knelt in front of him. Just as the last time. "I am sure you are a great, loyal dog and your owner must love you dearly. I know that everyone can be useful in his own way. Just look at me." she grinned. "Yes, you'd better look at her. She is the clumsiest, most embarrassing person in the world." Ayami said, throwing meaningful glances at her friend. "You hear that? In case you haven't noticed, this is my best friend speaking…" the blonde remarked while Ayami chatted on "She barely made it through the exams today. Quite a wonder after all that spacing out if you ask me!" "Oh, come ooon Ayami, give me a break! You know I had a difficult week and the cardio-vascular system is not my strength, either. Just wait when we get to bones and fractures!" Thea argued.

"Anyways, I am sorry. Friends?" she looked at his dog-form and smiled. Then she cupped his head with both hands, burying her fingers into his fur and gently nuzzled his nose with hers. "What in the…" Mephisto thought as a strange feeling crossed his chest. She touched him just like the last time. Except now there was no healing purpose. Still, her touch was so soft and warm. Her golden locks tickled his nose which was graced by the scent of honey and cinnamon. Mephisto found himself nuzzling her back. He couldn't even process the events as the girl suddenly pulled away, eyes wide, looking around, alerted. "S-say Ayami, how about we head home? This was such an exhausting day and I just can't wait to dig into the cake." the blonde laughed nervously. "Sure, let's go!" Ayami nodded and called "Goodbye doggyyyy!" "Yeah, goodbye little one. And go back to your owner quickly. You never know what kind of...individuals…you might meet." They bid him farewell and the demon only heard Thea whispering silently to herself "...that demon again...somewhere close…" while they were heading to the south.

In a few moments, Mephisto found himself leaning on one of the great windows of his office, already in his human form. Following them would have been easy, but it was not his style to stalk young ladies. Besides, he had some answers to find. What had just happened? Did she somehow feel his demon energy despite his animal form? The girl was acting totally normal all the time. Was it because she touched him? Did that give him off? If that was the case, then she knew that he - the demon - was somewhere around and decided to leave quickly. "So, she is avoiding me, isn't she?" Mephisto smirked. Well, he would not let her slip through his fingers and get away with it. Not when she had managed to light such a bright spark of interest...

Disclaimer: Blue Exorcists belongs to Kazue Katō. Please, do not re-post or publish my story without my consent.

Author's note: The announced chapter update is here. Hope you all enjoyed the reading :) This is my first FF-writing attempt, so I will appreciate your thoughts and insights :)