They weren't in Kyoto, but Issei was outside the house, making up for lost time with Rossweisse. His girlfriend.

Saying those words, even thinking them felt so surreal. It was still sinking in that he asked Rossweisse out and she actually said yes. Sure, they hadn't even been dating for 24 hours, but if it meant being overjoyed that he got to date such an accomplished, caring, sexy woman, he hoped this feeling lasted for a long time.

The date itself was pretty simple: they'd go to a local juice shop, buy some drinks, then walk back home. Since there wasn't any need to overdress, he kept things simple: a white short-sleeved shirt, his KYOTO sweater underneath it, dark blue slacks and a pair of solid sneakers.

It earned him a compliment, and he made sure to return it twofold. Rossweisse was wearing a violet sweater and white jeans, since it was kind of chilly, but along with some flat black pumps, she pulled off such a casual look like she was in one of her suits. Not only that, her silver hair almost sparkled whenever they passed a streetlight.

They didn't have to be sneaky because nobody they knew was following them. He checked street corners and sidewalks, open restaurants and the like, and no, he wasn't being paranoid.

Before this date even began, he did some prep work, starting with informing Azazel that he was heading out to meet a client. If he told anyone else, he'd be inviting invitations and who knew what else.

To sell the 'lie', he showed off a couple of his new figurines to Morisawa, one of his clients. Naturally, he'd been impressed with his rare find, and even showed some of his latest acquisitions. After a brief chat, Issei used a summoning circle to put away his bike and return his figurines to his room, even changing into fresh clothes he'd set aside for his date.

What could he say? He was inspired.

Most importantly, he made sure he gave himself enough time to sort everything out without forcing Rossweisse to wait for him. He didn't want Rossweisse to feel uncomfortable for a single second.

Being followed would make her – and him – uncomfortable. He'd been followed during a date with Akeno a while back, and he was interrupted almost every time he was with a girl in private. Had that been his karma for spying on girls? Hell if he knew, but he didn't like it.

Now, he just had to make sure this date didn't end in bloody murder. Not literally, obviously. He could protect himself, and so could his girlfriend. They could protect each other, too. Already getting moody over nothing? What a joke.

Rossweisse gave his hand a squeeze, shot him a warm smile. "Is your head in the clouds?"

Issei returned her smile. "Not anymore."

It wasn't the first time she pulled him out of his head. He could get used to that.

"Is this place cheap?" he asked.

"Their prices are reasonable, but when you're with me, Issei, the word expensive ceases to exist!"

He couldn't help himself, he started to laugh. It was so true.

"Hey! I'm serious!"

She was pouting. He stifled himself as much as he possibly could, but it was too hard to contain.

"I – I'm not laughing at you." He snorted. "Really. It's just, you're right. I don't think it's in your vocabulary."

Issei broke down, holding his stomach as he laughed. Rossweisse giggled, covering her mouth, and when he looked up, her eyes were glittering.

Damn, she was pretty. He wanted to tell her, but he needed to catch his breath first. It didn't take long, and he pulled himself up.

"At least you're having fun," Rossweisse said. "I wish it wasn't at my expense, but I suppose some things don't come cheap."

Issei flinched. "Sorry, Rossweisse."

She stared at him for a bit, all stern and admonishing... then she gave him a wink. Did he just get played? He couldn't believe it.

"You got me," he said.

Rossweisse pulled her hand away, revealing a bright smile. "And don't you forget it."

They continued walking to their destination, enjoying each other's company. He really enjoyed teasing her, but he'd stop if he ever hurt her feelings. Thankfully, he hadn't, but it seemed like he wasn't the only one who knew how to play this game.

"You ever think about teaching people how to find bargains and stuff?" Issei asked.

"That's exactly what I wanted to talk to you about! It's not just about bargains, it's about preparing a budget, saving for marriage, not splurging on gimmicks and fashion trends! I know all about the Lost Decade, but being risk averse is no reason not to be smart with your money!"

Her eyes were alight, her face was flushed and she was on the verge of shouting. Issei was a bit worried that he'd opened the floodgates, but Rossweisse inhaled and closed her mouth.

"I've actually been lobbying to add a finance course to my class as soon as possible," she said, much calmer.

He smiled, squeezing her hand. "Count me in."

And he wasn't kidding. If his underworld sentai show kept on going, he'd being making bank real fast, very soon. He heard horror stories of celebrities and athletes going broke once the well went dry, and he didn't want to be a cautionary tale because he invested in a museum full of historical breast paintings.

Wait, that wasn't a bad idea.

Their conversation turned to lighter topics, like Rossweisse's love of American teen movies and his passion for shonen anime like Dragon Ball or One Piece. It was good to know that the Japanese weren't the only ones that loved making romantic fantasies for boys like him.

Once they reached the juice shop, Issei was immediately stunned by the options available inside Turberry Kuoh Branch: juices in flavours he'd never heard of, smoothies and blends of all kinds, fresh fruit on display. Picking something basic like apple or orange juice would definitely be a waste.

So he picked the daily special, a blend of pomegranate, mixed berries and ginger. Rossweisse chose a tropical dragon fruit smoothie. They paid for their own drinks, even though Issei would've been fine paying for them both. It wasn't expensive at all, and once he got used to the unique mix of flavours in his drink, he wanted to go back for seconds.

"That was great!" Issei said, on the way home. "How'd you find out about Truberry?"

Rossweisse smiled. "One of my students swears by it. Fresh juice, fresh ingredients, good service, and they keep the prices low? What's not to like?"

"Nothing," he said, until he remembered what he just bought. "Well, you don't know what's in the daily special until you try it. What if tastes weird?"

"Ask if there's any allergens in the special."

Now that was some solid thinking, though kinda pointless in his case. He wouldn't go down to regular old human allergies, it was the devil allergies and dragon allergies he had to look out for.

A cold wind passed through them both, and Rossweisse snuggled up against his arm.

"Is this okay?" Rossweisse asked.

Issei smiled. "Course it is."

Although, he'd have to get used to having a woman that was taller than him hanging on his arm. She felt warm through her sweater, but unlike Asia, she didn't take the chance to feel him up. Not that he wouldn't have minded.

Thinking about Asia like that when he was out on a date with his actual girlfriend didn't sit right with him, but it wasn't like he could ignore the reality waiting for him in the future once she found out. Once Rias found out.

He wanted to slap himself. There was no way he was subjecting Rossweisse to the other girls' strange competition, all of that pressure. And why him, anyway? Did they forget that Kiba and Gasper were both perfectly nice, good-looking, single guys?

"There's something I want to talk about," Rossweisse said. "It's about our relationship."

She sounded so serious his stomach started spinning.

"I'm all ears."

Rossweisse pulled him into a nearby park, away from probing ears, sitting him down on a lone bench. This time at night, they were isolated from the public, but with his sight, it was as if it was just past one in the afternoon.

"What do you think about going public with our relationship?" Rossweisse asked.

"You mean, like at school?"

"Yes, but also everywhere else."

Everywhere else, eh?

"What do you think?"

"As far as Kuoh Academy is concerned, I don't think it'll be a problem if we're careful. There isn't an abuse of power between us, and our relationship isn't... sexual."

Her face went red, and honestly, he was feeling the heat, too. He'd been so busy worrying about other stuff that the implications of their relationship hadn't even crossed his mind. It was true that she was his teacher, but he didn't feel that gap that separated him from any of his other teachers.

Maybe it was because she was close to his age, technically speaking. Maybe it was because they were equals everywhere else. At the same time, she was absolutely right to worry.

"I can be careful. I don't want you to lose your job."

She bit her lip. "I appreciate that, but that's not what I'm worried about. Consider how much influence Rias or Azazel has within Kuoh Academy."

Didn't need to remind him. One of the perks of Rias' family protecting this territory was the pull she held with this prefecture's movers and shakers, including a certain student council president. Not to mention Azazel's connections.

"Then who cares what other people think?"

"I do. I've never enjoyed being slandered for who I choose to associate with. If this comes to light, I'm afraid my students will assume I took advantage of you, and that you'll be unfairly maligned because of your reputation at our school."

He frowned. "We can keep this a secret."

"Perhaps, but what if this gets out? Sure, we can erase their memories, but how many times will we have to do that? I'm not as blasé as Rias is about modifying memories, you know!"

He took both of her hands in his, staring into her panic-seized gaze. "We'll be careful. It's like you said, it's only really a problem at school, and if it goes public, nobody will ever think you took advantage of me. Hell, they'll probably think it was the other way around!"

"But –"

"But nothing. I can take it. Besides, everyone loves you at Kuoh, Rossweisse."

Rossweisse exhaled, slowly. Her rising panic began to fade, but it didn't disappear; she was still stricken by fear, anxiety, and he couldn't blame her. He didn't care too much about his rep at Kuoh anymore, but Rossweisse was a different story. She loved teaching, and he'd never forgive himself if he made that experience miserable for her.

"I hope you're right. If my students stop trusting me..."

He gave her hands a slight squeeze, intertwining their fingers. "They won't, but even if that happens, I've got your back. Okay?"

"Okay." Finally, she began to smile. "Okay. I trust you, Issei."

Their hands were still entwined, but he didn't mind. After all, he was her boyfriend, and her hands were nice and soft, warm to the touch.

"Have you thought about telling the girls in our peerage about us?" Rossweisse asked. "Oh, and Irina, too. Along with your parents, of course."

Issei frowned. "I don't mind telling my parents, I guess. But I want to keep this a secret. At least for now."

Rossweisse pursed her lips. "Are you concerned about how they'll react?"

"I am, but it's not just that. You've seen how competitive they can get. I don't want you to get caught up in all that craziness."

"I'm sure I can hold my own. Why don't you tell them that it's bothering you?"

Because he loved it. Even though he still didn't get why he was so special, he enjoyed watching them fight over him. More than that, he loved the perks: the naked spooning with Rias, his growing intimacy with Asia, Akeno opening up to him in various ways when they were alone, Koneko using his lap as her personal seat along with her affection for him, even Xenovia's efforts to learn more about sexy time with him as her personal guinea pig.

It was a lot of fun, but that's all it could ever be.

"It isn't. Wasn't, since I'm dating you now. I just don't want to hurt their feelings."

"Or yourself."

Issei tried to laugh off nerves eating away at him, but it came out as a strangled chuckle.

"Yeah."

"You should trust your friends, like you've trusted me. Rias and the others will find out soon, and it'll hurt even more if they realize you've been hiding something this important."

He sighed. It probably would. Damn it, why was this so difficult?

"I'll tell the president when the time is right. I don't know."

Rossweisse only smiled. "Whatever you choose to do, I'll support you. However, you know what I prefer."

He cracked a smile. "I'd be a pretty bad boyfriend if I didn't."

The question was, would he be able to deliver when the time came, or would he flake out like a coward? At least now, he had time to pluck up some courage.

Rossweisse let go of him, standing up, breathing in the fresh night air. "I think it's time to go home." She reached out with a single hand. "Shall we?"

He took her hand and stood up, allowing his girlfriend to whisk him inside an unused room inside his mansion – still wasn't used to his house being so big. Rossweisse used some runic magic to scan the area, nodding once she was done.

"I had a wonderful time," she said, gazing adoringly at him. "Thank you for being so kind to me, Issei."

He grinned, blushing a bit. "That's what I'm here for. I just wish we could've done this in Kyoto."

"So do I, but I have no regrets." She pressed her lips against his cheek. "Good night. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Sweet dreams."

She walked out of the room, leaving him with a slight tingling on his face, a wet smooch that kept him buzzing. Score one, Issei. One day, he'd get to taste those pretty lips.

After a couple of minutes passed, he made his way to the kitchen, hoping to drink some water before he went to bed. He grabbed a bottle from the fridge, popped the cap, leaned against one of the counters, took a sip.

"Hey, you."

Issei gulped. His thirst was quenched, but Rias's arrival left his throat dry.

"Hey."

Rias joined him at the counter, an easy smile gracing her radiant face. "I like your sweater."

She was dressed in a dark red Kyoto tee and a pair of green short shorts, like she was about to hit the hay, but he knew she liked to sleep in her birthday suit, so to speak. It looked good on her. Really good.

"I like your shirt."

"Thank you. It was a little souvenir Asia gave me." She smiled. "Did you have fun with your client?"

"You know it."

Just as planned. His alibi was airtight... unless someone went and asked Morisawa when he left. Issei sipped from his water bottle, hoping the cool liquid would soothe his spike of fear. Rias stared at it, at him, and he tipped it her way.

"Want some?"

"You're too kind."

Issei was about to find a napkin to wipe off his spit, but she waved him off, taking a graceful sip, then two more. He watched the way her throat undulated as water poured down it, appreciated hearing her satisfied sigh. She handed him back his bottle.

"Thank you, darling."

Issei smiled. "No prob, Prez."

Rias breathed out her nose. "You never told me how you gained that new power in Kyoto."

"I had this crystal that basically had all of my desires in it. I thought about using it summon you so you could... you know."

She coughed, clearing her throat. "Well, why didn't you?"

"You just seemed so uncomfortable."

The slightest flush touched her cheekbones. "You're asking to poke my breasts in public, in the middle of a heated battle, just so you and Ddraig can grow stronger. It's rather forward of you, Issei."

Way too forward.

"I'm really sorry. Like, I know you don't mind me seeing you naked, but that doesn't mean I can do whatever I want to you."

Rias put her arms on the counter, settling in. Her shirt was pretty loose, and those tight shorts...

"You can... in private." She inched closer, a hungry look possessing her green eyes. "All you have to do is ask."

He shuffled his feet to the right, as subtly as he possibly could. "I'll keep that in mind."

As he took another sip from his bottle, he felt bare ankle press against his foot, rubbing his sock. Rias hadn't moved a bit. Would she notice if he moved again? Would be playing into her hands if he did?

"How did you activate that crystal you were talking about?"

Issei swallowed his spit, checking his water bottle. It was less than halfway full after he was done.

"I used all of my strongest emotions as a catalyst. It wasn't easy. It felt like I could see my feelings coming to life. That's when I focused on what drives me to protect everyone I care about. The good things I wanted to have."

"Virtues."

"Exactly. Ddraig helped me out a lot. He even said I returned dignity to his legacy."

She giggled. "Poor Ddraig. You put him through so much."

Hearing her laugh made him smile. "That's why I needed to do this. For you, for Ddraig. For me, too."

"And the results speak for themselves," Rias said, warm and sincere. "I'm proud of you, Issei."

"Thanks. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you."

Rias smiled, then, filled to burst with an outpouring of emotion. It was the kind of smile that moved his heart, brought comfort to his soul. He couldn't help how he felt about her, and it was a bitter reminder that for all his growth, he still had a long way to go.

But the moment was right. He could do this.

"There's something you should know," he said, but then Asia entered the kitchen in her nightgown, saw them standing pretty close to each other, and gasped.

Damn it.

"Evening, Asia," Rias said. "I thought you went to bed."

Asia smiled, the picture of calm. "I couldn't sleep without saying good night to Issei. Can you excuse us, please?"

Rias stood up straight. Her breasts bounced and she wasn't wearing a – no, no, he couldn't do that to Rossweisse.

"Issei was about to tell me something. Go ahead, love."

Well, now he lost his mojo, so he couldn't.

"I was thinking about practicing some combo moves with you for our upcoming Rating Game. I mean, if you're up for it."

Her eyes bulged, pupils dilating. Asia was watching them, curiosity written plain as day on her sweet face.

"Oh." A quick smile masked her surprise. "No problem. That's a good idea, actually, I've been meaning to hone my skills."

Asia frowned. "I'm coming with you! I need to practice, too!"

"You had your private training time with Issei. I need mine. Ask Akeno to help you, or Rossweisse."

Not on his watch.

"Rossweisse's so busy lately, I don't want to bother her," Asia said. "And if I ask Akeno for help, she'll want to train with Issei!"

"What does that have to do with me?"

Issei shook his head. They were half a step away from using him in their tug-of-war, and that wouldn't be cool. "We can go together, all three of us. Can't you guys just hug it out?"

Rias glanced at Asia, sighing. "If that's what you want. Come here, Asia."

Asia looked at both of them before her frown turned upside down. They hugged it out, just like he asked. Rias held Asia tight in her arms, while Asia embraced Rias' waist, pulling her close. He finished the rest of his water, trying to cool off because the sight in front of him was way too hot.

Before he knew it, Rias and Asia had wrapped up their hug. Both of them were still smiling. He can't believe it actually worked.

"Your hugs are so warm, Rias," Asia said. "It feels really nice."

Rias smiled. "I enjoyed hugging you, too, honey." She faced him, green eyes practically shining like emeralds. "That was quite the suggestion, Issei."

"I've got more where that came from," Issei said.

If it meant he could make love and peace, and not war among the girls in Rias' peerage, he'd make all the plans in the world. The only problem was that his big mouth landed him a private training session with Rias and Asia, but he'd find a way to make it up to Rossweisse.

One way or another, he was going to give her the peaceful dating experience she deserved.