"Denji!" Yoshida shouted while simultaneously flinging an arm around his neck.

Denji peeled away the arm almost choking him. The idiot nearly knocked him out of his desk. He was having such a good daydream about Mari too.

"Dammit, dude," he growled. "Would you stop that shit?"

Yoshida straddled the seat of the desk in front of Denji to face him. He propped his elbow on Denji's desk, placing his chin in his cupped hand. With a lopsided grin on his face, he waggled his eyebrows.

"Is there something you want, Yoshi?"

"Have you fucked her yet?"

"Holy fuck, man," Denji groaned, rolling his eyes and leaning back in desk to distance himself from Yoshida who seemed far too interested in his sex life. His excuse for his nosiness was always the same: "I'm just looking out for you. It's my job."

"I guess that's a no," he said, picking up the English text from the desk. "When can I meet her? If you're too much of a wuss, can I have a go at her?"

Denji grabbed Yoshida by the collar snatching him over the back of the desk.

"Look asshole - "

"What's going on back there?!" the teacher bellowed.

"Nothing, sir!" Yoshida answered, unhooking Denji's fingers one at a time from his shirt. "We were just doing some last minute studying before the test." He gave his reluctant friend a wink. "Good luck, Denji. Make your tutor proud."

Denji smiled without saying anything return. He had every intention of making his girlfriend proud.

~\'/~

Mari had just started spreading the fluffy white icing on the cake when she heard Denji's knock on her door.

"Shit," she hissed, placing the spatula in the bowl. She hurried down the short hall to the door. He started knocking again. "Coming!"

"Hey," he greeted her before she could say anything. He grabbed her wrist and stepped toward her.

"How did it - " Her words ceased immediately when his warm, moist tongue pressed to her cheek and licked not just once but twice.

"Mmmm, sweet," he murmured, stepping back to smile at her with a mouthful of wickedly sharp teeth.

Mari could not help but smile back. He was do damn cute even with those shark like chompers. His eyes glittered happily in the dim light of the hallway. She felt like her face might burst into flames she was so hot. Seeing him made her happy too.

"You had powdered sugar on your cheek," he explained, brushing his fingers across her cheek.

"Oh, I was just icing your cake," she told him, pulling him inside since he still held her by the wrist. "Want to come help me?"

"Sure."

He looked her over as she led him to the kitchen. Today's ensemble included an A-line navy blue skirt that hid her curves but accentuated her small waist. She wore a sunny yellow shirt with short puffy sleeves. There was a red ribbon in her hair tied in a big bow at the top. She looked like a princess from a children's fairy tale.

Once in the kitchen, Mari slid the strap of his book bag down his arm to take it off and set it on the counter. Next she pushed open the front of his school jacket, sliding her hands along his arms to remove it. She hung it on the hook where the apron she presently wore usually hung.

"First I need to know...how did you do on your test?" she asked, placing her palms flat on his pecs. Her thumbs rubbed along the edge of the pull string under the fabric.

Denji forced down his lips to frown and hung his head in disappointment.

"Oh, Denji," she sighed.

"I made a B!" he exclaimed, enclosing her narrow waist with his arms. She squealed when he picked her up off her feet and swung her around while whooping.

"I am so so proud of you," she said, taking his face between her hands. She pressed her lips to his, gently at first, then increased the pressure while sliding her arms around his neck.

Denji did not put her down on her feet. He continued to hold her in the air, her head above his, while she kissed him. He opened his mouth a little to fit his lips against hers that were slightly separated. The tip of his tongue tentatively touched her bottom lip then waited to receive her tongue. When she did not respond, he pushed his tongue into her mouth and quickly withdrew it.

Mari groaned, chasing after his tongue with hers. She could feel the tips of his teeth scraping across her tongue as he pushed hers back a bit. Her belly clenched and insides heated with excitement from his tongue squirming in her mouth. The provocative wrestling match between their tongues began in earnest when she pushed back.

After Denji had told her about his experience of receiving a mouth full of vomit while French kissing an extremely friendly co-worker, she had been hesitant to kiss him that way. But maybe he would like her flavor because she had been taste testing the icing. When he groaned his approval and sucked her tongue lightly, every nerve ending in her body tingled.

Denji blindly stepped forward, placing her on the counter. Mari opened her legs for him to stand between them. Their tongues continued to tangle as his hand pressed against her thigh above her knee bared by his body pushing between her legs and hiking up her skirt. His other hand went to her shirt to unbutton the tiny pearl buttons.

Mari inhaled sharply when his hand pushed open her shirt to grope her breast. He pulled back, breaking their kiss to look down at her chest. She watched his face while his fingers clenched and unclenched on her breast. He was so serious, wearing a frown of concentration. His inquisitive fingers pinched her nipple through the thin material.

"It's white. I didn't expect that," he said, staring at her lacy white bra. It was the same one she had been wearing when he saw her in the hall after kicking the shit out of that guy.

"Denji." She lifted his face with her hands cupped along his jaw. When their eyes met, she asked, "Do you want to make love to me?"

"Make love?" he questioned her.

Mari's lips tilted into a distinctly mischievous grin. Cradling the back of his head in her palm, she pulled him forward to give him a featherlight peck on the lips. Her teeth caught his bottom lip, biting it.

"Ow," he hissed.

She bit hard enough the metallic taste of his blood spread throughout her mouth. Her tongue lapped out to push between his lips to taste his blood again. Her other hand covered his on her breast, inviting him to fondle her some more.

"Fuck me, Denji. Do you like that better?" she asked, enclosing his waist with her legs to pull him forward.

"Is there a difference?" he queried, genuinely curious.

"There is," she answered, cupping his jaw with one hand. Her thumb traced his bottom lip.

"Mmmm," he moaned when she inserted her thumb into his mouth.

Denji pushed his hand under her skirt, relishing the sensation of her silky skin under his palm. His teeth sank into her thumb between her nail bed and knuckle. Their sharp tips pierced the skin. She whimpered but did not pull away - and he did not let go. The taste of her blood, as sweet as the vailla icing, coated his tongue.

Mari leaned forward, pushing her lace covered breast into his hand while leveling her lips beside his ear. Her breath rushed into his ear ahead of her moan making a stimulating jolt run down his spine as if he had been zapped by lightning.

"No matter what our future holds, remember me, Denji, always." She kissed the lobe of his ear. "Because I will never forget you."

Her words, whispered softly and heartfelt, made his entire body prickle with foreboding.

"What - "

She covered his mouth with hers to cut off his words. Denji pushed her back despite not wanting to end the kiss. His eyes searched her face. She did not look angry or sad. Just horny with half closed eyes. Her chest rose and fell dramatically, bringing his attention to her breasts straining against their lace prison.

"Before we go any further, there's something I need to tell you," he said, pulling her shirt closed to begin buttoning it back up. "There's a someone I need to tell you about. A girl."

Her face virtually collapsed. The expression was somewhere between fury and devastating emotional hurt. Her eyebrows drew together, her eyes narrowed, and the corners of her mouth shifted downward in an instant.

"Oh, my God," she muttered under her breath, pushing his hands away to finish buttoning herself up. "I knew it."

Mari shoved him backwards and slid from the counter. She turned her back on him to continue frosting the cake.

"It's not what you think," Denji said, placing his hand on her shoulder. When he felt her stiffen, her back straightening and her head jerking up, he removed his hand.

"Get out," she ordered him without turning around. She plopped a large dollop of the frosting on the cake to spread it around.

"She lives with me," he went on.

"Hah! Are you kidding me? She lives with you, but it's not what I think?!" She whirled around to face him which made him take a step back. His back was against the refrigerator. "Didn't I tell you to get out?"

"Please let me explain," he begged, noticing she held the spreader in her hand that looked like a thin knife. It didn't look sharp, but he was not worried about her hurting him if she attacked him. He didn't want to hurt her.

"Please, do because I'm really confused," she snapped, swinging the flat metal spatula. Icing flew off and splattered on his face and shirt. "Where have you been telling her you're at all these nights you've been coming over here? Weren't you worried about getting caught?"

"She's not at the apartment yet. She went to stay with a friend of ours for a little while while I get settled in. We just moved here. We had to leave our last apartment because it wasn't big enough for all of our pets," he said, raising his hands in a surrender gesture when she stepped forward with the icing covered implement pointed at him.

"Because of your pets?"

"Seven dogs."

"Seven dogs?" She raised a questioning eyebrow.

"And a cat," he added.

"And a cat!" she exclaimed, throwing up her hands.

Denji licked off the new splotches of icing that landed on his lips.

Mari pivoted back around to turn her attention to the cake. She furiously slapped on the cloudlike icing before shoving it around with the spreader to cover the two layers of cake.

"Are you sure you're not a jealousy devil hybrid?" Denji joked in an attempt to add levity to the excruciatingly heavy and suffocating atmosphere.

"I assure you, I am all human. I am female and that is why I am acting this way, but we're not talking about me, we're talking about you and your roommate," she said, stabbing the knife back into the remaining frosting in the bowl.

"Can I have that?" he asked, stepping forward to pick up the bowl.

"Sure. Whatever. Who is this girl exactly?" she questioned him, refusing to be distracted.

"Her name is Nayuta. She was brought to me a little while back to take care of so she wouldn't be like Makima," he said, sticking his finger into the bowl to cover it with icing then putting it into his mouth.

Mari glanced over at him. She looked more confused than angry now.

"What do you mean so she wouldn't be like Makima?"

"She's the reincarnation of the Control Devil, the same one that was part of Makima. Kishibe brought her to me to take care of so she would be different, learn a better way," he detailed in hopes it clarified what he was trying to say.

"Do I dare ask who Kishibe is?" She spun around to open the refrigerator.

"He was the Captain of our special division. He's still a friend even though I'm no longer with Public Safety."

She retrieved a bowl full of strawberries then turned to kick the door shut.

"Okay, so this girl - "

"Nayuta," Denji interrupted, stealing one of the strawberries from the bowl. He was pleasantly surprised when she did not slap his hand.

"Nayuta," she repeated, setting the bowl on the counter. She did slap his hand when he pilfered a second fat juicy berry. "She's the reincarnation of the Control Devil but Kishibe wants you to raise her to be a better person and not a selfish, manipulative bitch."

"Yep, that's pretty much it," he said, popping the rest of the strawberry into his mouth.

"Seven dogs and a cat," she chuckled, shaking her head as she arranged the strawberries on the top of the cake. "You've got quite a big family Denji. And I thought you were all alone."

"I was. For a very long time." He placed his hand on the back of her neck, pinching to massage the iron rods for muscles on either side. "I want you to be a part of my family."

"Family. I like the sound of that. Ahhh," she groaned, rolling her neck and shrugging her shoulders while he worked the tense muscles with his thick, powerful fingers.

"I want you to meet her tomorrow when Kishibe brings her," Denji murmured, sidling up behind her.

"I would like that. We can have dinner together here. What's her favorite food?" Mari asked, leaning back into him when he pressed the entire length of his body along the back of hers.

"I'm sure she'll like anything you cook because it will taste great," he said, placing a kiss on the back of her neck.

Mari flushed with happiness from head to toe.

"We can spend the day at the park on Sunday," she suggested, closing her eyes when he kissed below her earlobe. "Nayuta. You. Me. Seven dogs. And a cat. And a patridge in a pear tree," she added with a snort of laughter.

"What?" He lifted his lips from her neck to gaze down at her, flummoxed by the appearance of a partridge.

"Never mind." She reached up to grab his head and pull his lips back down to her neck.

Denji nipped her neck at the curve down to her shoulder bringing a sigh from her mouth. His hands reached around her body to cup her breasts, trapping her arms at her sides.

"Mari, I want to make love to you," he whispered in her ear.

"Make love to me?" she repeated in a question.

He moved his hands up to her shoulders, turning her to face him. Cupping her face between his hands, he kissed her forehead, each cheek, her chin. Lastly he pressed a soft kiss to her lips.

"You've taught me so many things already," he said, brushing his thumbs across her cheeks. "Teach me to make love to you. I want to learn the difference."

"I think you can figure it out."

Mari took hold of his hands, pulling them away from her face. Without another word, she slipped from between his body and the counter. Keeping a tight grip on his hand, she pulled him along behind her.

Denji's chest felt tight as she led him toward the door that he was certain opened to her bedroom. His heart slammed into his sternum when she twisted the knob and pushed it open.

Her bedroom was not what he expected. He had pictured a white wood canopy bed with white lace curtains and a pink satin comforter. There were no frills or lace. No cutesy little knick knacks of animals on shelves or vases of fresh flowers on doilies.

Mari faced him, her hands going to the buttons on his shirt while he looked around in shocked awe.

Instead, there was a plain wooden platform bed, king sized, covered with a quilted black comforter. The only other furniture in the room was a small square bedside table painted a drab matte black. A small lamp with fat round white base sat on the table but the darkness in the room seemed to swallow up the light it imparted. Heavy black curtains covered the glass doors leading out onto the balcony. The louvered doors on the closet had been painted black. He knew they had been painted because the ones in his apartment were white.

"This is different than the bedroom in my apartment," Denji remarked.

"I like it dark. It helps me sleep better," Mari explained, pushing his shirt over his shoulders and dragging it down his arms to remove it.

Her fingers touched his collarbones at his neck, following them out to his shoulders. His shoulders were bulky and rounded with muscle. His biceps were thick and solid. Her hands moved to his pectorals. She covered them and squeezed in the same manner he did her breasts. Her thumbs swiped across the nipples making them shrink into wrinkled little bumps.

When she pinched his sensitive nipples, he grunted, biting his lower lip to withhold a moan. His fingers tangled into her hair while her hands continued to explore with an inquisitiveness he found quite stimulating.

Mari was fascinated by the fact his skin was flawless, no scars, no remnants of past injuries at all. Nothing but baby soft peach colored skin stretched across compact and powerful muscles. Her fingers brushed the pull string that was exactly what she would find on any big power tool. She gasped when his fingers curled into fists pulling her hair hard enough to make her scalp sting.

"Don't," he whispered in a gentle warning.

"It's okay. I won't pull it. I'll be careful," she promised, touching it lightly with her fingers. There was not even any damage where the cord protruded out of his chest. It was as if the thing just grew there naturally, like hair grows out of a follicle.

Mari bent her head, kissing his light brown nipple. His fingers flexed in her hair, pulling but not causing pain this time. Her tongue snaked out, licking across the aroused flesh.

"Mmmm," he moaned, removing his fingers from her hair so he would not pull it again.

Her fingers moved lower, tracing the lines of his defined abdominals while placing kisses around his nipple.

Denji inhaled sharply, his fingers clutching her shoulders when he felt her fingers slide under the waist band of his pants to unbutton them. He held his breath as she lowered the zipper, her hand brushing against his erection and giving him a momentary reprieve from the agonizing throbbing. His pants fell straight to the floor because he choose to buy them in a size bigger than he needed.

"Your turn," he said, his fingers going to the buttons on her shirt.

Mari continued to stroke her fingers down his belly. She only stopped when he pulled her hands away to remove her shirt.

"Makima once told me sex is so much better when it's with someone you love," he said, tossing her shirt over his shoulder onto the floor. "I think sex with you is going to be great."

"What are you saying?"

"You're a very smart woman, Mari. I think you know what I'm saying," he said.

The smile on her lips wavered. She scoffed and rolled her eyes after he took a step back from her.

"Surely you can't - "

"Love you? Why not? Because I'm a stupid kid? Because it's only been a few days? I know how I feel, and I didn't think there was a specific time limit to these things."

"You're not a stupid kid. You've already proved you're not stupid several times. I guess there's not a time limit on love, but I can't let myself believe in love at first sight." Her eyes lowered from his. "And maybe I think I don't deserve to be loved."

"You think I don't feel that way?" He hooked his forefinger under her chin and tipped her face upward so he could see it. "Maybe we don't deserve to be loved. Maybe that's why we found each other. It means we're perfect for each other."

"Wow...maybe so," she breathed, her belly quivering. Her entire body was shaking so severely he put his arm around her waist to pull her against him.

"What's wrong with wanting something, no matter what it is or what anyone else thinks, and going after it?" Denji asked, lowering his lips toward hers.

He was right. They had both been used and abused then discarded by those who said they loved them. It might have very well been they're fault and they allowed it to happen but they just wanted to be loved. The person and opportunity had presented themselves now so why not go for it?

Damn what might happen tomorrow. Grasp at the here and now.

Grasp she did. Mari reached to up grab his head, pulling his mouth down to hers for a fierce, ravenous kiss.

Denji's shaking hands slid up her back to her bra. His fingers struggled clumsily with the small hooks to remove them from the eyes holding the material securely around her. Letting go of his head, she reached behind her, her fingers tangling with his to assist with releasing the hooks. His hands went to the straps of her bra to pull it down her arms. She laughed when he carelessly flung it over his shoulder.

His eyes went to her breasts first to gaze at the magnificent soft globes before his hands followed to caress them. He bent down to place a kiss on the rounded top of one breast then the other. The skin was even more delicate here; as white and creamy as that frosting. He kissed his way down to the nipple where his tongue darted to take an experimental lick.

Mari grabbed his head again, almost grasping onto his ears when her fingers curled into his hair. She gasped when his warm, wet mouth covered the nipple and sucked lightly. A shiver ran through her body. His hands clamped onto her waist in an attempt to hold her still but her trembling only intensified when his teeth nibbled at the tender taut flesh.

Denji felt around at the small of her back for a button on the skirt. There was another tiny little hook and eye closure like on her bra. Damn! He nipped her in frustration eliciting a cry from her in response to the painful pleasure.

Once again, she came to his aid, reaching behind her which pushed her breast further into his mouth. He issued a muffled groan, grabbing her breast and sucking more intently while she unzipped her skirt and let it fall to the floor.

All that separated them presently was a few millimeters of material. Denji lifted his mouth from her breast to stand up straight in front of her. The corners of her mouth pushed upward into a smile as she raised her hand to comb it through his messy hair.

"You're so tall. I like that. You're strong too. I feel like you can protect me from any devil," she said, allowing her fingers to trail down his neck.

"I will protect you. Always. No matter what," he swore to her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "I want you to be with me."

Tears shimmered across her eyes making the blue irises look as if they were glowing.

"You're beautiful," he whispered as if the sight of her had taken his breath away.

She exhaled in a gush, her cheeks burning bright cherry red.

"Oh, Denji, you're a very special man."

She didn't call me a kid!, his inner voice screamed triumphantly at him as if he did not comprehend her words. She bit her lower lip with her teeth like she was withholding the next words she wanted to say. Say it! Please, please, say it, he pleaded silently.

"I love you," she said, a single tear breaking free to slide down her cheek.

"I love you too, Mari."

Sitting down on the bed, Mari took his hand. She scooched backwards, pulling him forward onto the bed with her. He moved forward on all fours to hover over her. She traced his collarbones with her fingertips. There was a prominent vein running down the front of his left arm that her finger traced down to the crook of his elbow.

Denji enjoyed watching her hungry eyes follow the path of her roaming fingers. He moaned with pleasure and approval when her hands went to his chest to explore there. Her curious fingers played over his six pack again. He sat up, straddling her waist so she could see as well as feel.

"You've got a great body," she complimented him, running her finger around his belly button.

When he gasped, her abdominals clenched all at once with arousal. Sitting up, she placed a kiss to his abdomen over his diaphragm. Her tongue darted out to lick his skin. He sucked his belly in so violently it became concave.

Mari slowly lowered her upper body back onto the bed. Her curious fingers found another bulging vein running parallel to the sexy little pelvic line on his left side. Her forefinger traced it down to the elastic waist of his underwear.

I can't believe this is happening. It's really happening!, his inner voice screamed while he tried grasp the reality of his present situation. This was not just another erotic dream.

Denji gazed down at her, a warm amorous sensation flooding his chest while his sexual excitement increased to an agonizing ache. When her hand pressed against his pulsating erection and squeezed, his whole body convulsed on top of her. He thought that might reach his end but somehow he held himself back.

Not sure what to do to her next, Denji did know he needed to remove her underwear to do whatever he decided.

Getting back onto all fours on top of her, he crawled down her body. Kneeling over her shins, he took hold of her bikini panties at the hips, noticing the little bow centered below her navel for the first time. He pressed a kiss to the warm soft skin of her abdomen above that little bow. He reveled in her body heat, wanting to soak in all of her warmth.

Mari's hand rested on the crown of his head. Her fingers grasped his hair. After tossing them over his shoulder, he worked his way out of his own underwear so they were both totally naked.

Denji watched as she opened her legs for him to kneel in between them. A low whimper escaped her lips when he pressed a kiss to her thigh above her knee. She spread her legs a little wider when he placed the next kiss to the inside of her thigh. She writhed a bit with each kiss as he worked his way up her inner thigh.

Although he wanted to ram his cock into her, he wanted to have a taste first. Using his fingers, he pushed through the patch of black hair, separating the outer lips to watch that fabled flower bloom. He had seen vaginas in porno mags before but never this up close and personal. It looked even more like the center of a deep red rose than on those glossy pages. Thrusting out his tongue, he touched her swollen clit hidden between the folds at the top.

Mari pushed her hips at his mouth, crying out. Her fingers clutched his head, pulling his face tightly against her muffling his yelp of surprise into a grunt.

Denji grasped her hips, pushing her down in order to get in a few good long licks for a better taste. He liked it. Salty with a hint of sweetness.

"Denji, don't stop. Please, don't stop," she pleaded with him, opening her legs wide to spread herself for him.

Hooking his arms around her thighs, he gladly obliged, lapping at her greedily. He even indulged in a few sucks which caused her hips to buck at his face.

"Oh, God, Denji," she panted, taking her hands away from his head to claw and grasp at the comforter. "I'm coming!"

Ah, there it was. What he had been wanting to hear. Her back arched, her belly pressing against his forehead as he licked her clit to make wave after wave pleasure to roll through her body.

Pushing up on his hands to raise his head away from her, he moved up her shaking body to position himself between her legs.

"Denji," she called out his name, placing her hands on his hips. "I want you. Make love to me."

Once again, he was happy to comply with her gentle command. He watched her face as he pressed the head of his twitching erection to her entrance.

Mari bit her lower lip, her eyes connecting with his while he pushed into her slowly. Her hands rested on his hips, her fingers pressing into his skin as he sank into her deeper.

She was warm and wet and tight. It was nothing like when he used his hand. Her body gripped the entirety of his cock, holding him, squeezing him as he pushed in further.

"It feels so damn good," he said, sinking into her until his pubis rested against hers.

He thought he was in all the way until she spread her legs a little further. He actually pushed in a little deeper, their pelvic bones grinding together as he lowered his body onto hers. Holding himself up on his elbows, he covered her mouth with his before he pulled his hips back.

Mari moaned into his mouth, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. She wanted him to take this at his own pace, figuring out what felt good to him and how fast he wanted to go. This was his first time, and she wanted it to be a good memory for him unlike the other firsts.

Denji took unhurried, lengthy strokes to last as long as possible, savoring every ripple of pleasure. Each one began deep in the core of his body, pressure gathering behind his testicles before a thrust into her pushed the wave outward to grow and expand, coursing through him all the way to his fingertips and toes. He gradually began to increase his speed and shorten the length of the thrusts to push into her more forcefully.

Mari ran her hands down his back feeling the muscles in his shoulders tighten into knots then relax as he leaned forward. He pushed himself back with his hands as if performing push ups to gain leverage for another thrust. She moaned and called his name which encouraged him to bury himself deep inside of her.

"Mari, I'm about to come," he warned her. "I can't..."

She smiled up at him.

"It's okay. It's your turn."

Her fingernails scraped his back down the sides of his spine while he angled his hips downward and proceeded to rock his pelvis against hers as he experienced his first orgasm inside of a woman.

Mari closed her eyes enclosing his shoulders as he lay on top of her breathless and trembling. Unfortunately, she found it almost impossible to breathe with all of his weight pushing the air out of her lungs. Although he was slender, he was packed with a lot of muscle that made him heavy.

"Denji, I need you to..." She patted his shoulder in an attempt to give him a hint to move. He wasn't good at taking hints. "Can you...m-move." She panted and wheezed for air. "I can't breathe."

Denji pushed up with his right arm, rolling his body off of hers, and flopping onto his left side on the bed beside her. He lay his hand on her breast, toying with the nipple which was begging to be played with simply because it was there and still shrunk into a wrinkled little peak. His lips skimmed the edge of her shoulder. His tongue lick over her smooth skin then he opened his mouth wide to bite down.

"Ow, dammit, Denji," she moaned, wincing away from him. "That hurt."

His eyes blinked open, and he saw the spots of blood on her skin.

"Oh, Mari, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you." His tongue stuck out to lick off the blood. It tasted extremely sweet like cherries at the peak of their ripeness. "Did I frighten you?"

"You startled me that's for sure. I know you didn't mean to draw blood." She touched his cheek to reassure him.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, propping up on his elbow to see her face. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm okay. Everything is just fine," she sighed contentedly, giving him a gentle smile.

More droplets of blood had risen to her skin, red and shiny like four tiny rubies against the backdrop of her light bronze skin. He wanted to taste her again so he did.

"Mmmm," he groaned. "I knew you'd taste good."

"You're so wonderfully weird," she commented, placing her hand over his that rested on her hip and threading her fingers through his. "Would you like to stay with me tonight?"

Denji lifted his head, staring down at her wide eyed with disbelief.

"Really?"

"Yeah," Mari confirmed. "I'll cook breakfast for you in the morning. Please stay with me. I need you tonight."

"Need me? For what?"

"I don't want to be alone. I need you close to me...to hold me. Remind me you love me," she requested, squeezing his hand.

"I love you," he said, stroking the backs of his fingers across her cheek.

Mari closed her eyes to hide they were filling with tears. Bowing her head, she pressed her forehead against his chest. She could feel the pull cord against her skin. It was warm just like the rest of him. It truly is a part of his body. A half man/half devil hybrid with a frightening and terrible power inside of him. But none of that mattered because the part she knew was all human.

"I love you too, Denji."