Okay, so a couple things I need to talk about first.
1: The last chapter was rushed, apparently. (Or so I was told by about three people) You guys might not realize this, but the past three or four chapters have taken place over less than a couple hours. I've been trying to rush it, so we can get into more interesting (fluffy) parts of the story. If you think it's a problem, deal with it. If you think it's fine, I love you.
2: I skipped the 'Twice Critical' stage of the Boosted Gear. Why? I think it's stupid how Issei has to level up his sacred gear from trash when literally no one else in DxD has to. I get he's weak, but really? Come on. So, in my story, when Issei is emotionally ready, Ddraig just lets him have the Boosted Gear, no strings attached. It's all good.
3: I've looked over all of the reviews from the last chapter (big thank-you to everyone who left one!) and I have decided to not write a lemon for now. I might, like 10 chapters from now, but for the foreseeable future, I will not be writing one. I'd like to give a shout out to Zistonian Battle Sign for clearing the issue up for me. His review was a huge help in determining my perspective on the matter. Thanks!
4: Is Lisa Lisa a member of the supernatural world? Nope. Or is she? ;)
Alright, here's the next chapter! Read and Review!
Issei groaned. "Why am I carrying all these bags, exactly?" He asked. Issei had, in his arms, no less than 10 bags of varying items from Kuoh's mall.
Raynare smiled. "Because, sweetie. How can a sweet and vulnerable girl like me carry all those heavy bags? I might hurt myself." Raynare said, feigning weakness. She fanned herself with one hand while she talked, giving the impression that she couldn't be bothered.
Issei scoffed. "Vulnerable, right. Why am I carrying your stuff, anyway? Weren't we supposed to be shopping for me...?" Issei complained. He wasn't normally the whiny type, but the weight of all Raynare's packages was starting to hurt his back. He considered Boosting himself for the very first time just to get some help in carrying it all.
"Don't worry, Issei...I'll make it worth your while~!" Raynare said, whispering. A blush spread out over his face, and he looked away.
"P-pass." He muttered, shifting under the weight of all the packages. Raynare smirked. He was too cute.
They walked closely together in Kuoh's only shopping mall. So far, Issei had one bag, with some shirts in it, and Raynare had several, all with various clothes and shoes. Issei had offered to pay several times over, but Raynare had never let him.
"So where to now?" Issei said. Despite his situation, he was enjoying spending time with Raynare.
Even with how close they were now, the fact remained: they had only known each other for a handful of days. So, he relished every chance he got to spend time with Raynare, in the hopes he'd learn more about her.
"I'm not sure. Want to help me pick out some underwear?" Raynare cooed, leaning into Issei. He stumbled when she spoke, and it took everything he had not to drop the packages. He blushed like mad, and looked away from her.
She took the opportunity, and whispered directly into his ear while his back was turned.
"I'll wear anything you p~ick." She said, playing on his timidity. That was the last straw. Issei tripped and fell over, dropping the bags all over the floor in the middle of the mall.
Raynare giggled, but helped him up. His face was beet red, and he wouldn't look her in the eyes, but he had a meek smile. They picked up the bags, and this time, Raynare took her fair share. Issei was glad for the help, but couldn't help feel a little emasculated. He was also the slightest bit embarrassed at having fallen on his face in the middle of a mall.
They walked on, in relative silence. It was only about half a minute later when Issei's stomach growled, loud.
"I guess we never did get to eat anything, huh?" Raynare said, thinking. It had been one hectic morning, with Issei getting kicked out of his house, receiving an apartment, meeting Azazel, and everything in between. They'd never eaten breakfast, and it was about noon. They were both hungry.
"S-sorry. I guess not." Issei said. He was mildly embarrassed that she heard his stomach growling, but glad she didn't make a big deal out of it.
"Well, where should we go? It is our first date, so choose wisely…" Raynare said, winking at him. Issei blanched.
First date? She was right, of course, but he hadn't even thought about that since earlier when he asked her out. This revelation brought on a whole new level of anxiety to Issei's mind. What if he chose wrong? What did she even like? Were angels vegetarians? What if he picked wrong? He didn't know!
"I'm messing with you, Issei. Let's get something cheap at the food court." Raynare said, smiling. He sighed in relief. Of course Raynare wouldn't do something as trivial as make him freak out over where to eat. He'd only known her for a few days, but he had a feeling she wasn't very high maintenance. Though, with all the bags he was carrying, he couldn't exactly justify that feeling.
"O-okay. You should pick." Issei said, wanting her to make the choice. She'd said 'something cheap' but how cheap was too cheap? What did cheap mean to her, anyway? Issei didn't want to be the one to mess up. He'd eat anything she picked, so he just let her decide.
"Sure." She said, then pointed out a Subway. Issei loved Subway, actually. No matter what kind of sandwich he got, he always enjoyed it. He gave her a thumbs up, and they walked towards it.
(AN: Before anyone says 'they don't have Subway in Japan' I'm going to tell you straight up: yes they do.)
Before they got there, Issei felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned, and Issei came face to face with a police officer. He immediately became nervous. He'd never gotten in trouble with the police or done anything illegal, but whenever he talked to police officers he still felt like he'd done something wrong, no matter what.
Raynare was slightly ahead of Issei, so it took her a second to notice that he'd stopped. Once she realized what happened, she became very worried. She knew what the officer was there for.
"Are you Issei Hyoudou?" The officer asked. He stood almost a whole head above Issei, and was solidly built. He had blonde hair, and blue eyes. He didn't look unkind, but Issei was thoroughly intimidated, despite both he and Raynare having supernatural powers.
"Y-yes, sir. I-Is something wrong?" Issei said, stuttering. He was very nervous. A cop had singled him out? Something had to be bad.
If Issei was nervous, Raynare was a wreck. He didn't notice, because he was looking at the cop, but Raynare was almost breaking down. She hadn't expected the police to try and contact Issei so early. She was worried about what his reaction would be, and rightfully so. He might have hated his parents, but he was a kind person and wouldn't be happy with her for murdering his father, even if she hadn't done it directly.
She began to regret the action.
'What the hell? I've killed people many times, why is this time different? Why am I guilty?' She was very confused by the swirl of emotions. She'd almost never felt guilty, other than one other time with Issei, and that was about it. She wasn't even guilty as she ordered the mother to kill her husband, so why was she now? Raynare was beyond conflicted.
Issei wasn't faring much better.
"My name is Officer Yoshikage. I've got some bad news, son. You might want to sit down. Or, we can go to the station and I'll explain everything there. Up to you." The officer said. Gesturing to Issei.
Issei was frightened. What had happened that was so bad? He pulled one of the food court chairs under himself, and sat down. He gave the officer a solemn nod, and the officer continued.
"Well, here's what happened. I'll go as quickly as possible, so try and stay with me. Earlier this morning, we received a call from your stepmom, and she was hysterical. She...she had just murdered your stepfather, and she was turning herself in. When we got to the scene, she was ranting about an angel telling her to do it. We don't really know what she was talking about, and we can't ask her, because she killed herself with a sword as we attempted to apprehend her. I'm, uh...I'm sorry." The officer hung his head.
Issei was numb.
His stepmother had...killed his stepfather?
An...angel? An angel told her to?
No, it couldn't be.
'Raynare?'
Issei turned to Raynare, slowly. His mouth opened and closed, but no words came out.
"I'll, uh, I'll be right over there if you need me." Officer Yoshikage dismissed himself to a table nearby, leaving the two alone to talk for a moment.
Issei's mind was whirling. He was feeling so many different emotions that he couldn't even begin to express himself. Happiness, guilt, anger, grief, remorse, relief. He was happy, that they got what they deserved. He felt guilt that he was happy someone died. He was angry that they died before he could have some kind of revenge. He felt grief over the fact that his last bit of family, regardless of how distant they were, was now gone. He was remorseful that he had been so rude to his stepfather when last they spoke, no matter how much he deserved it. He was relieved…that they were gone. But, most of all, he was hurt that Raynare had done something like that without telling him.
She'd lied. She told him she went back inside to get something, and she killed his parents.
He wasn't mad at her. He hated them, more than anyone could ever know. He wasn't sad that they were gone, not really. He was simply...disappointed. How could she take two human lives so callously, without a care in the world? He didn't hate her; he wouldn't hate her, he couldn't. But...he was hurting. He was hurting plenty.
Raynare was terrified. She was absolutely beside herself with fear at how Issei would react. At that moment, she'd never regret anything more in her entire life. Issei would hate her for sure. She was shaking, and tears threatened to spill from her eyes.
"Issei…" Raynare said, but trailed off. She didn't even know what to say. She was sorry. She was so, so sorry, but she didn't get the chance to tell him so.
Issei turned and ran.
"Issei!" She yelled, and ran after him. The officer went to chase them, but he noticed all the things they'd left behind. He sighed. Yoshikage figured they could work it out, so he took the bags and started carrying them to his car. He'd load up all their stuff, then go after them. That way, they wouldn't lose anything.
Raynare ran through the mall, not caring who she bumped in to. She had Issei at the edge of her vision, though he was steadily outrunning her. She was yelling for him, but he wouldn't turn around, no matter what. Raynare want to just unfurl her wings and fly after him, but that would cause several problems that neither of them could handle. So, she ran after him.
Issei ran, he ran and ran and ran, all the way until he was out of the mall and away from all the people, all the voices, all the noise. He'd felt like he was drowning. He'd heard Raynare calling after him, but he didn't stop. Issei kept running, even after he'd left the mall behind. He ended up in front of a fountain, all alone. He fell to his knees, gasping for breath. He'd never run that much in his life, not once.
Issei sat back, and just looked around. He was in a park, no one was around, and there was a nice fountain spewing water into the air. It was a little past noon, and the sun was bright in the sky. The grass underneath him was soft, and he laid back on it. His emotions were running rampant, but he just felt indifferent. Sure, his step parents were dead, but did he honestly feel sad for them? No. Was he mad at Raynare? Yes, but not for killing them, just for doing something so important without even telling him. Raynare had lied to him.
But, that didn't matter. She'd already saved his life twice. Once when Matsuda was beating him, and then again when he wanted to kill himself. So, he owed her more than he could ever repay. He still loved her, and she was still his Angel. But, nevertheless, he was hurt.
Issei laid on the grass for several minutes, just watching the fountain. He was overtaken by melancholy, and couldn't bring himself to get up.
What would happen to his step parents' fortune? They were rich, and had many priceless things inside their home, some of them rightfully his. Normally, he'd inherit everything, but since they'd disowned him, what would become of their wealth? He had no. He really didn't care about the money, he honestly wanted no part of their riches, but he would like his own things back, the things his original parents had given him.
It didn't matter. He couldn't find it in himself to care about that or anything else at the moment. All he could think about, was how sad Raynare looked when he'd looked at her. She'd been guilty, that was for sure, but he still didn't know how to feel about this whole thing.
Regardless of that, he was sure of one thing.
He still loved her, no matter what.
Issei sighed. The sun had sunk lower in the sky without him realizing. He must've laid there for far longer than he thought, just thinking about things.
Issei stood up, shaking himself off. He'd let Raynare worry long enough. Issei looked around, and he slowly realized that he had no idea where to go. He didn't have time to think about that for long, though. A voice made itself known from somewhere in the trees behind him. It was one Issei knew all too well, and it made his hairs stand on end.
"Well, well. Look who it is, huh?" Matsuda approached Issei, from deep in the brush. Issei was immediately on the defensive, but he was also preparing to run away at a moments notice. He was terrified of the one who'd tormented him for so long, and he'd momentarily forgotten his own power amidst his instinctual fear.
"Where's your little girlfriend, eh? Not here to protect you this time, shrimp." Matsuda said, drawing ever closer to Issei. For every step the bigger boy took towards him, Issei took one back. He wanted nothing to do with Matsuda. He remained quiet.
"What, cat got your tongue? Hey, do you know what happened after you got taken away in the ambulance?" The bully said, stopping. Issei shook his head.
"The cops came. Your bitch had tipped them off, and they came and arrested me. I almost got sent to juvy because of you! And now, you're gonna pay!" Matsuda yelled. He reached into the pocket of his pants, and pulled out a switchblade knife. Issei's eyes went wide.
Matsuda started walking towards Issei again, but said one more thing. That was his fatal mistake.
"After I kill you, I think I'll have some fun with that bimbo of yours. Nice tits she's got, huh?" Matsuda said, licking his lips.
[Boost!]
Matsuda was rewarded for his idiocy with a swift gauntleted punch to the face.
Issei stood over a groaning Matsuda, Boosted Gear on his arm, and a snarl on his face. He was pissed.
Let it be known, Issei Hyoudou had almost nothing, but he was a very territorial person. He only had a few sparse possessions, but the ones he did have, he'd treasure forever. Not only that, he'd protect them with his life. And what was his greatest treasure?
His Angel, naturally.
So, when some blockhead had not only insulted her, but threatened to rape her, what could he do but fight?
Matsuda swiped the knife at Issei's ankle from the ground, but Issei jumped back fast enough to avoid it. Matsuda used the opportunity to stand up. He spat blood out, and wiped his mouth. A nasty red welt was already appearing on the side of his face where Issei had landed a hit.
"What the hell was that, shrimp? Bah, I don't care! You're mine!" Matsuda yelled, and charged Issei.
[Boost!]
Issei was ready for him. The Boosted Gear's power had already made him four times stronger and faster than he normally was, and so it looked like Matsuda was rushing at him in slow motion. Before Matsuda could even raise the knife to stab him, Issei threw a wild an untrained haymaker right in his face. It connected, hard, and Matsuda went flying backwards several feet.
"Stop this, Matsuda! You'll only lose worse the longer this fight goes on!" Issei yelled. He was high on both adrenaline and the power of the Boosted Gear, and restraining himself from decimating Matsuda was proving to be a difficult task. If the boy kept coming, Issei wasn't sure he'd be able to resist beating him mercilessly. He wanted to, that's for sure.
Matsuda got off the ground, groaning. He stood on unsteady feet, but still he dropped into a fighting stance and held the knife tight. Issei sighed. This wasn't going to be pretty.
[Boost!]
Issei felt elated. He felt like he could punch a mountain to bits. He flexed his hands back and forth, admiring the ease with which he moved.
Matsuda, seeing Issei not even breaking a sweat, became enraged. He roared, and charged Issei again.
Issei looked up at the boy, who was moving even slower than before, and decided to end the fight quickly, before it went too far. As soon as Matsuda was within range, Issei grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, and threw him full-force into a tree. He made a cracking noise when he hit the wood, and fell to the ground, unmoving. Issei felt a sudden impulse to boost again, and finish the job for good, but quickly fought it off. No matter what, he'd be the good guy. Otherwise, he was no better than the bullies.
Issei walked over to Matsuda, and checked his pulse. He was unconscious, but alive and breathing. So, Issei started to leave.
As soon as he did, however, a flutter of wings caught his attention. He looked up at the sky, and saw a flash of black before Raynare's hair filled his vision. She'd thrown herself at him, and he caught her in a tight hug. She was sobbing, hard, and he ran his hand through her hair.
"Issei! You idiot! Don't you ever run off like that again! I was so worried!" Raynare said in between sobs. She choked on some of the words, and found it hard to talk with her heart hammering in her throat. He held her tight, and put his hand on her head soothingly. Her wings were a cocoon for them, and all they saw was each other.
Instead of replying, Issei held her tighter, and let her cry into his shoulder. She gasped, and remembered what the situation had been earlier. She pulled herself off of Issei and started to apologize.
"Issei, I'm so sorry! I was just mad at them for the way they treated you, and for how they'd made your life so hard, and…" Raynare's vehement apology was silenced by Issei placing his index finger over her mouth in a 'shh' gesture.
He started talking. "Killing someone for being a bad parent is definitely too extreme. Not telling me about it, that's pretty awful too. But, you know what? I really don't care. I forgive you, Raynare." He said, and hugged her again.
Raynare's whole world stood still. He...he'd forgiven her? An immense weight suddenly lifted off of her shoulders, and it was like she could breathe again. She cried out in joy, and leapt up into Issei's arms. He caught her, bridal style, and she captured his lips with hers. They stayed like that for several seconds, not even stopping to breathe.
[Reset!]
All the strength left Issei's body, and he fell to his knees with her in his arms. She was startled, but he refused to drop her, and with the last ounce of willpower he had, he set her back on her own feet before he completely collapsed. His face never hit the ground, however, as Raynare had already grabbed him. His Boosted Gear vanished, back inside his soul.
She lifted him to his feet, and he put his arm around her shoulders so he could walk better. She'd read up on the side effects of the Boosted Gear, so she knew exactly what the 'reset' meant. She withdrew her wings, and suddenly she saw the bully passed out under a tree, and she connected the dots. He'd attacked Issei, who'd been forced to defend himself and use the Boosted Gear for the first time. She was happy he'd held his own. This fight would make him more confident, or so she hoped.
They didn't say anything else, just enjoyed each other's company. Well, in Issei's case, he was probably too exhausted to use his mouth, but Raynare was just enjoyed his presence.
As they left the area, neither of them noticed Matsuda's eyes glowing.
They walked back to a main road together, and it wasn't long before Officer Yoshikage had them in his car, headed back to their apartment. They'd thanked him for gathering their things, and for driving them home. He gave them both his cell phone number in case they ever needed anything, and then he'd left.
Raynare carried all their (her) packages to the apartment, and Issei walked right beside her the whole way. When they finally got back inside, he'd collapsed in the bed. He'd already had plenty of sleep, so he wasn't really tired, but he was physically burned out. So, he and Raynare just laid in the bed together and watched whatever garbage they could find on TV, and ordered pizza directly to the room to eat. They spent the rest of the day in complete peace.
Leave a review if you liked it! If you found something wrong, or something you didn't like, shoot me a PM and we'll get it figured out! That's all, till next time!