To Glean What Is Underneath

It had been some time since Rias left and Issei was relaxing considering the café wasn't bustling, he was resting on a chair and leaning on a table. As he clutched the piece of paper Rias had scribbled her phone number onto as if his life depended on it. He couldn't believe it! The most attractive girl in the school had given him, Issei Hyoudou Kuoh's resident pervert and one of the perverted trio her phone number.

Then began the panic, when should he message her? What should he say? Or should he call her? He really did not want to mess up! His hand slapping to his forehead as his thoughts raced at a million miles an hour.

"Is it that hard to message a girl Issei?" his aunt interrupted his train of thoughts shaking the poor boy up and off the table he was leaning on.

"Uh…" he stammered uselessly while his aunt just smirked

"Men… she wouldn't have given you her phone number for you not to use it" his aunt was right, grow some balls Issei he mentally hyped himself. He then began typing,

"Hey Rias, it was really nice to meet you today?" he pondered before deleting it while shaking his head

"Hey, Rias it's Issei. It was nice to talk to you today. Just wanted to see if you made it home safely." he typed out, reading it several times not wanting to come off as clingy but wanted to come off as gentlemanly and caring. His thumb hovered over the send button, his heart beat rapidly increasing and so loud it was ringing in his ears. His thumb began shaking a lot as he began having doubts and many scenarios involving him being embarrassed ran through his mind.

"Oh for the love of SEND THE DAMN TEXT!" his aunt shouted and his thumb slammed down on the send button. Issei stared down as the message ticked as sent and he held his breath.

Rias was currently sitting in her bed continuing to read the book she had read in the café when her phone vibrated on her bedside cabinet. She glanced over to see it was a text from an unknown number but she had full well known who it was.

The conversation she had with Issei was surprising to say the least, really surprising actually. She knew there was something different about him, more than meets the eye and she smiled to herself because she was right.

She opened her phone to see what he had texted her.

"Hey, Rias it's Issei. It was nice to talk to you today. Just wanted to see if you made it home safely." The text made her smile, it was sweet that he asked if she had made it home safely although a part of her knew the poor boy was probably struggling to send the "right" text message. She quickly typed a response,

"Yes I did arrive home safely, thank you for asking. It was a pleasure to talk to you as well. Are you still working?"

She then set her phone aside as she continued reading while waiting for his response a small smile on her lips as she enjoyed reading the book. Her phone vibrated with another text

"Yes, but its slow right now. What are you up to?" He messaged back

"I am just relaxing while reading the book we talked about." She messaged back as she smiled the conversation fresh on her mind.

"Ah! Which myth are you reading now?" He inquired in return, Rias glanced back to her page. She was currently reading about Theseus.

"Theseus he isn't as interesting as others…." She replied finding the adventures of Theseus less entertaining to read then Perseus or Odysseus. A small part of her wondered what would Issei's reaction be if he found that these were based on true events. Unfortunately, the heroes themselves have been dead for a long time but their descendants are around.

"Yes he isn't and his father's death was unfortunate. But I probably will skip reading the rest of the chapter on him." She replied honestly, finding Theseus rather boring and dry.

"Myths are great but anime is better!" He declared chaning topics, Rias once again found herself smiling he was honest and she could feel his energy through his texts. It was infectious. Rias set her book aside and picked up her remote for her smart TV to browse the latest and best anime.

Her attention was brought to the grim picture of a man in silver Armour with a small shield and short sword. Blood painted on his armour. The anime was titled Goblin Slayer and had a mature disclaimer on it. Rias found herself intrigued, setting down the controller and picking up her phone she decided to ask her new friend about it.

"Hey Issei, have you heard about Goblin Slayer?' she asked him, a few seconds passed before the message was delivered. Issei replied a few seconds later.

"I have, It's so good! But it is dark fantasy but like really dark! It's entertaining though and. A must watch!" Rias paused for a few moments after reading his message then typed a response.

"Hmm, I think I'll watch the first episode. I will tell you what I think after it."

"Alright, then we will discuss it after. Work is picking up, let's talk later?" Rias nodded at that, she would rather they didn't keep texting, it would mean there would be less to talk about in person.

"Sure :)" she decided to text back before she settled in to watch the anime they would later discuss, a part of her happy at the future she conversations would be having with Issei.

"I wonder what more is there to you Issei?" she wondered aloud before moving it to the back of her mind as the anime started.

Issei breathed a sigh of relief that he did not know he was holding in since he began the conversation with Rias. He just didn't have any damn experience in these kinds of things and he hoped that he didn't come across in a bad way.

But she sent a smile that must be good right? God, did he use too many exclamation marks? Was he too familiar? Did he reply too fast? Dammit did I do something right? I must have she sent a smile back and they were going to talk later?

"Issei, table four needs this!" His Aunt called out as she held two plates out to him. He quickly moved over and grabbed them to take them to the table. He was thankful for the work it got most of his mind off the redhead beauty, most of his mind.