"I have always seen you pass by here... and well..." A raven-haired girl with pools of deep purple paused mid-sentence. She now had those purple eyes fixed on the object of her confession as she continued. "I knew you were my... P-Please... Please go out with me." When she finished for a split second she had closed her eyes and when they reopened the look on the face of the boy in front of her was one she couldn't read fully. That face he was giving was one of pain, confusion, and something else she couldn't quite understand. 'What's with that reaction.' She wondered to herself with a growl trying to keep her annoyance under the mask of a blushing teenage girl.

[Calm yourself, Partner.]

A voice in the boy's head called out to him. He let all emotion drain from his face just as the voice suggested calming himself down. He moved closer to the girl though he still felt an onslaught of emotions he knew of this scene right before him, he had lived through it once before. Without saying a single word or giving any warning he wrapped his arms around the girl in a tight embrace.

[What are you planning...DON'T TELL ME YOU...]

"W-W-What a-are you doing" the girl meekly stuttered out. "Umm... Hyoudou-kun?" the girl questioned while pretending to fail at getting out of his grasp. 'He is stronger than he looks... Maybe I can play with him a little before I have to end things. He is actually pretty cute.' She thought to herself, but for now, she wanted to know what was going on in his head, and asking was the best solution she had at the moment. She Gently brought her arms to his chest and gave a slight push making sure she didn't break his embrace. Looking up into his eyes was a challenge for her with how close the two were. Putting on her best innocent smile she asked "so does this mean it's a yes?" That was the first thing that came to mind, the question coming out giddier than she would have liked.

Said Hyoudou smiled, leaning down with a whisper. "Don't know Raynare, what do you think?" He questioned in an almost playful tone laced with a bit of venom.

Raynare felt her heart drop, and her legs were weak underneath her. 'How' was the first thought then as if copying with the nearly inaudible response of her own "how." Fear was clear on her face as her mind moved a mile per minute. The boy brought his right index finger to his lips and took her left hand in his in a vice-like grip and motioned for her to follow him.

(...)

Unnerving was a word to best describe the situation Raynare was in. Two days had passed since her fake confession to the boy she had the plan to kill in Hyoudou Issei, and here she was in his home helping his mother prepare breakfast under the guise of being the young man's girlfriend. For the most part, her original plan from the outside looking in was going off without a hitch, but therein lies the problem.

"Yuuma-chan I can finish up here. Can you set the table?" The middle-aged woman calls out to her sweetly while preparing pancakes on the stove a couple of feet behind her. Ms. Hyoudou stood at a jovial 165 cm dressed in a white button-up shirt and a black skirt about knee length underneath a light pink apron with shoulder-length blonde hair in a messy bun and dark emerald eyes. Despite her age, she looked more like an older sister to Issei with the appearance of someone in their early twenties.

"Umm... yes Hyoudou-san." Raynare said while she finished her previous task.

"Wait just one second. What did I say about being formal with me." Raynare froze in place as she was about to exit the kitchen. The woman behind her despite having faced countless dire situations against more menacing opponents had an aura about her that rang alarm bells in Raynare's head. 'Seriously...' she let out an internal frustrated sigh turning around to the once happily grinning mother with her arms folded over her chest with a stern and displeased look on her face. "I told you to call me either Reiko or Mom. I am not about to have my son's girlfriend treat me as a stranger in my own home." She said angrily, sighing in punctuation. Raynare hated this. "Listen." Reiko said, placing a hand on Raynare's shoulder as she continued. "I can't to claim to know, or is it my place to know what is going on at home beside the fact that Issei said in not so many words that it was tense over there, and honestly I don't know what drew you to my pervert of a son or how you two are so close despite you going to different schools..." She really hated this. "But in the past two days that I've known you, he has changed. I don't know if it's for the better since it seems he's hiding something from me." At that statement, Raynare lowered her head with the thought of 'only if you knew' circulating in her mind.

Reiko, now noticing the girl's behavior, removed her hand and took a comforting tone as she continued. "I am not saying it's a bad thing either or am I trying to intrude on whatever you told each other. Although he has always been a kind and caring boy that fact was mostly hidden by his "interests" causing trouble for the both of us, but with you around he's been more like he was as a little boy. He also seems more at peace than he has been for a long time. But what I am trying to say is as long as you two are together and as long as you don't hurt him..." She paused with a dangerous glint in her eye. "You are a part of this family. And as I said Issei barely told me anything about the situation with your parents, but if you need anything, a shoulder, or someplace for an escape our door is always open. "The seemingly older woman cupped the now teary-eyed teenage girl's face to bring it up so Amano Yuuma was looking at her as she said. "You don't have to think of me as your mother or as much as I would like you to confide in and rely on me. But knowing that you are hurting and not being able to help, especially when my son calls you an angel and when I have caught him with a dark expression on his face muttering to himself about having to protect you, it eats at me." Letting go of the girl's face and wrapping her arms around her in a tight hug. "Again I want you to think of this place like your home and Issei and me as your family."

The disguised fallen angel stood there limply as she could, dumbfounded in the woman's embrace. It happened again. Again a Hyoudou has pitied her. She was glad that the woman was almost the same height as her so she couldn't look at her expression. 'It's not fair.' Though slow she unconsciously returned Reiko's hug. 'Why can't it be easy like before.' She looks down to see a wet mark quickly form on her fake boyfriend's mother's shoulder. 'Why had it had to be him. Why did you have to agree to his stupid plan.' She let out a choked breath. 'Why am I being pitied and comforted by a human?'. She lowered her head burying it in Reiko's shoulder.

"Why?" Raynare spoke meekly.

"Why?" Reiko answered slightly confused about what she was asking.

"*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* FIRE KITCHEN." The fire alarms blared to life as the embrace between the two women was broken.

"Shoot. The Pancakes!" Reiko jumped and then quickly made her way back to the stove. She turns off the burner transferring the pan to another ending the action with a lid being placed over the pan. "I guess we are going to be one short. And Yuuma-chan." She turned to address her. "Do I really need a reason to care about you? I just do, but you need to go to the bathroom and clean up because you might not want... Speak of the devil"

"Is everything alright? Mom, are you ok?" A worried Issei burst into the room. He was in nothing but a pair of boxers and a t-shirt with a green and black rabbit with a metallic half mask.

Reiko moved in between the teens putting her best scowl on. "WE'RE fine. What about you?" She said pointing at Issei's attire. "Don't you have to leave for school in an hour? I put up with you getting that annoying alarm clock you could at least use it. Hurry up upstairs and get ready for school."

This earns a yelp of fear from her son as he runs back out of the room. Reiko turns to Raynare putting a hand on her shoulder. "As I was saying you should probably clean yourself up. You wouldn't want Issei to see you like this. Although he doesn't like to show it he tends to overdo it with the people he cares about." She finishes with a sad smile.

The girl in front of her quickly wipes her face with tears still on her face. "Then if you don't mind I'll be using your bathroom then Reiko-san." Earning a smile from her.

(...)

Issei, now dressed in Kuoh Academy's uniform, locks the front door to his and his mother's home. He then was surprised by a hand claiming his and a soft sensation on his arm. "You know you don't have to do that. We both know we are not actually dating after all." Issei said to the girl hanging onto his left arm.

"Oh... Is the big scary dragon emperor too embarrassed to be seen with such a beautiful woman at his side?" Raynare said teasingly. " Well, tough luck I am doing this until we get to the bridge and I have to go to my ''school". And this for your own good I won't tolerate anyone calling my lover a pervert or putting you down because of it... Besides, your little nekomata friend is still watching right now, so why not give her a show." The ear-to-ear grin wasn't missed as she snuggled up to Issei's side.

Issei's only response was a sigh as he really didn't want to break contact either. Though that was his response there was another somewhat unexpected one in a low voice coming from his left hand. "I for one don't mind this is a first for my partner... to shy away from but not chicken out from attention he gets from the opposite sex. Something I would like to see more often."

"Ddraig!" Issei exclaimed, his cheeks growing a rosy color.

Raynare was taken aback by the new voice but quickly recovers. "The Boosted Gear can talk huh." She giggled then turned attention to this new voice addressing it. "Nice to meet you Ddraig was it?"

"It's a pleasure fallen, Though the last time we have been the same company it wasn't in the friendliest of terms. Hopefully, you won't betray my partner's trust this time around." The venom behind those words stung as well as the disgust being addressed by what she was instead of her alias or her name. Raynare visibly cringed at this, it was weird for her that is being judged by a future version's mistakes and actions. She had to say something to them; this was after all her only option other than death.

'Here you go. You will be fine.' she said to herself running her words in her head. Raynare had to choose her words carefully. "I forget that you two are from the future or at least a different present." She then positioned herself in front of Issei, letting go of him before continuing. "I want to be sure you know I will never betray you or turn my back on our partnership. I...I don't know what your relationship was with me but be sure Ddraig. Issei. That future won't repeat itself."

[Make sure it doesn't.]

Sighing Issei simply smiled and a determined look crossed his face as he opened his mouth to reply.

"ISSEI!" a male voice came from behind Raynare causing the two of them to jump. "Dude what the fuck. Why the hell did you ditch us and then have the balls to go home early yester..." Walking up to them was a teen with a buzz cut and next to him was another boy with short black hair and glasses both wearing Kuoh uniforms. The one in the buzz cut stopped mid-sentence noticing the beautiful girl with admittedly a nice body next to the object of his anger. "Sorry, but are we interrupting something?"

Issei smiled and moved next to Raynare putting an arm around her waist pulling her close which prompted her to lean into his touch. "This is Amano Yuuma. My girlfriend." Taking in the shocked look on the other boys' faces he decided to introduce them. "And Yuu-chan, meet the loud mouth Sanada Hideki and bowl cut Takei Hiroyuki. My friends." To his amusement, their expressions stayed the same.

Raynare took this opportunity to leave Issei's side and bow to her "boyfriend's" friends. "Once again Takei-san and Sanada-san, I am Amano Yuuma. I hope to get along with both of you." Not getting anything, not even a reaction, she turned back to Issei. "So we will continue later... I'll pick you up." Raynare said not wanting to Disguise a conversation in front of the two new people.

Issei nodded at the statement and responded with an "okay" as the girl returned to his side and planted a kiss on his cheek with a wink. The three then watched as Raynare left, disappearing around the next corner. Issei, not caring to wait for his friends to recover, waved his hand in their face. "Can you two pretend to at least have talked to a girl before, it is going to be hard to explain this shit to her." Anger no unbridled rage was coming off of the other two. 'oh boy. Here we go.' Issei thought to himself.

"Explain." Hiroyuki said in a blank tone.

"What... How... When the fuck did you get a bombshell of a Kyusei High girl like that. First the fucking cold shoulder all day now this. You better not skimp on the deets dude." Hideki blurted out.

"Listen. Can you drop it, for now, I'm sorry I have been flaky the last two days but a lot has happened. I need to detox for a little bit." Issei said with an unreadable expression.

Hiroyuki was the first to respond. " Don't worry then as long as you're happy. But we will be expecting answers soon." He says with Hideki nodding behind him. The three then started making their way to Kuoh Academy talking about whatever was on their minds.

(...)

Issei was nervous, to say the least, he and Raynare have been "dating" for 6 days now and today was their first and possibly final date. In his hand, a flier with the for a Gremory peerage handed to him by the familiar of his so-called savior Rias Gremory. Waiting for Raynare to appear made his nerves worse, not feeling comfortable he decided to walk around the small park that was to be their meeting place before heading to the large fountain in the middle.

After wondering for a few minutes Issei checked the clock on his phone and with 30 minutes to spare he started making his way to the fountain, but to his surprise, Raynare was early, earlier than he expected he looked her up and down she was wearing an off the shoulder dark blue sundress and had her hair done up in a tight ponytail letting her bangs frame her face, a pair of sneakers as well as a pendant that resembles a gold shield with a green gemstone dead center. " Wow... Looking good. I feel like I'm underdressed." Issei said, staring at the disguised fallen angel. For his part, he was wearing a black t-shirt under a black windbreaker with dark orange rolled-up sleeves and a pair of blue jeans.

Raynare looked up from the bench she was sitting at with a smile. "You're fine. It's our first date after all and I wanted to go all out." She said getting up with a teasing grin. "Besides, having my dragon emperor drool over me is worth the effort." That was met with a blush from Issei. Raynare then took a solemn expression. " Are you sure you want to do this? What if this Gremory girl abandons you to your fate. What happens then huh?"

"Then I guess I'll die this time around." Issei says matter-of-factly.

Raynare was taken aback by this. He had no backup plan and was willing to die taking the risk, and that was something she couldn't abide by. She had grown fond of the boy and his mother, although she might be rewarded by Issei's death she wants to keep her word to him. "Will do your plan for now, but if no one's there in 2 minutes I am coming back for you. I'm not letting you die." She took his hand in hers, almost dragging him out of the park towards Kuoh city's shopping mall. "Let's go have some fun before I lose it."

About six hours later in the early evening as the sun starts to set they return to their meet-up spot. Raynare had a sad smile the entire walk back and when they were in front of the fountain Raynare continued until she was between him and it. "Hey, Issei. Can you do me a favor." She started not waiting for a response. "Can you kiss me?" moved closer to him wrapping her arms around his neck. "Pretty please?" Not giving a second for him to think about it she met her lips with his closing her eyes. After a few moments, he does the same as the kiss deepens. Raynare lets an arm fall to her side as she enjoys the bliss at that moment.

Pain. Unimaginable pain. Issei dropped to his knees as he looked at Raynare with a smile as she had her wings out black feathers littered the pavement around them. A spear of light began to fade in the blood-covered right hand. His vision starts to fade as he finds himself being lowered on his back by the Fallen angel. He searched his pockets grabbing his phone, handing it to her and the flier putting it next to him. He again looked at her this time getting up and leaving after making sure he wasn't in any unnecessary pain. For the first time in the last few days, he thought about his upperclassman Rias, her beautiful crimson hair, her long legs, slim figure with wide hips, and large bust. For the first time in a long time he prayed. He prayed for someone to save him, and there was the little sister to the strongest devil out of all the devil kings, Rias Gremory, her hair swaying in the breeze of the setting sun.

That's when the light went dark and then there was nothing.

A/N: Edit 2022-08-27 - Typos