I groaned, not really wanting to get up. I was extremely comfy. I turned on the couch and yawned loudly, smiling softly to myself as I rested a hand on the head that was resting on my stomach. Hmm...soft... really soft. Without even fully realizing what I was doing, I started to pet the head that was resting on me, running my thumb across the scalp gently. They have really soft hair...

Wait, what? Groggily opening my eyes, I blinked at the red-and-yellow mop of hair that was underneath my hand, Pierce snoring softly with an adorable look on his face, a smile spread across his face gently. He was...really cute when he was sleeping. But why the hell was he resting his arms and head on my stomach!?

It was true. Pierce had his head resting on his arms, which were located on my stomach. And am I...on Nightmare's couch?

The memories of what happened hit me like whiplash and I groaned. Damn it, Nightmare! Knocking me out like that... JERK! I'm gonna kick your-Wait, hold on...

Nightmare was asleep at his desk, drool trailing down his chin. I snorted and clamped my hand over my mouth, removing it from Pierce's head. Th-That was priceless! If only I had a camera...and my phone was back in my room. Damn. I might have been able to use that for blackmail after carrying him like I did. I looked down at Pierce and poked his head a couple times, causing him to mumble in his sleep.

"Alexis..." My face flared red and I scowled, reaching over and grabbing his ear. He winced and tiredly opened his eyes, looking at me.

"H-Hey, wake-wake up!" Pierce sat up, removing his head from his arms, and allowed me to sit up, "What are you doing in here?"

He tilted his head at me, blinking a couple of times before smiling lazily. "I'm keeping an eye on you-Chuu! Something bad may happen."

"What makes you say that?" Nightmare didn't tell him anything, did he? Before I could continue to try and think of ways he found out about the attack, I felt him snake his arms around my waist as he sat up on his knees and laid his head down on my lap. I tensed, arms hanging awkwardly in the air. W-What-What was he doing!? "P-Pierce!?"

He was silent for a moment before mumbling with a sad frown, "...People might try and hurt you. They're on their way to hurt you because you're special."

I had the intense urge to flick him in the head and push him off of my lap, annoyed and embarrassed at how fast as my heart was racing. "Just who told you about the attack?"

Pierce froze, his ear twitching. I tensed when he raised his head and looked up at me, his soulless eyes boring into mine. "What attack?" His voice deepened-not so much to where it was "dark", but... "Who hurt you?" He lifted himself, placing his hands on the cushions and trapping me in place, leaning forward to where our noses were barely touching. My breath hitched as he locked his eyes with mine. They really were such a lovely shade of green... He narrowed his eyes, asking, "Who made you hurt your ankle?"

"Wh-What?" I asked, leaning my head back at his question. "My ankle isn't hurt."

"It was when the bad kitty brought you here."

"W-Well it's not anymore, so-"

"You hurt you?" He looked like he was on the verge of snapping and going instinctual-as Nightmare has so kindly put it. "Tell me."

"I-I don't know!" I squeaked, turning my head and refusing to look at him. "J-Just some faceless! N-Now-Now get off of me!" I tried to yell at him without waking Nightmare up. He'd wake up when Gray comes in to check up on him.

"Where all did they hurt you? Just your foot?"

I opened my mouth to tell him, but closed it, remembering what happened last time he asked me a similar question. I scowled and scrunched my nose up, turning my head defiantly. I crossed my arms, ignoring the redness of my face and the close proximity.

"Tell me. I'll protect you-Chuu, but you need to tell me who they were and where they hurt you."

"...If I tell you everything, will you stop harassing me like this?" He looked surprised for a moment and then confused.

"But I'm not harassing you. See?" He tilted his head at me. His gaze then trailed to the bruises on my neck. "I didn't choke you, did I?" I furrowed my eyebrows at his question and said,

"Uh, no...Ace did, remember? You just-You-" I couldn't say it, my face turning a beat red as my voice died in my throat, going up a pitch or two. "Y-You just...well," I turned my head and licked my lips, finding them dry for some reason. "You...bit me." I swallowed, feeling ridiculous and stupid for acting so shy. Wait, why am I feeling bad for being shy? HE FREAKING KISSED AND BIT ME!

Jerk! Your cuteness will only get you so far, and when that's done it's done! You're passing the line, Pierce!

Since when did you ever have a line? My mind asked me, causing me to mentally scowl at it. The only time you hated people getting close to you is when Erin tried to hug you, and when you just get too close to a guy in general. Yeah, well, newsflash brain-PIERCE GOES WAY TOO CLOSE!

"Did I? I don't remember that-Chuu."

I scowled at him, an image of pushing him off of me popping up into my head. However, I didn't even bother trying because I knew he was so much stronger than me. "Yeah, well, you did it, so deal with it."

"Hmm...Chuu!" I tensed when he closed the distance and pressed his lips against mine. He smiled at me and his eyes seemed to gain a bit more life in them, "I don't remember that...but how about I make myself remember?" It was difficult to come up with a response when he leaned down and started to bite my neck again, leaving even more red marks.

"H-Hey, quit it! P-Pierce-!" I closed my eyes and clamped my mouth shut, making sure no noise escaped me. Pierce, not liking that, moved and forced my mouth open with his own, smiling all the while. His lips moved against mine and, though it both scared and confused me, I tried to kiss him back-utterly lost on how I was supposed to go about it. This seemed to both amuse and please him, and after a few more moments of humiliating embarrassment I pulled away and turned my head, closing my left eye when he kissed near it. "H-Hey! I-I said to stop-"

"You kissed me back, though." He replied with a huge smile. My face turned a dark red. He chuckled and hugged me tightly, exclaiming, "You're so cute-Chuu!" He kissed my cheek and I scowled, protesting.

"I-I-I did not! You-You're hallucinating!" I clamped a hand over my mouth and tried to push him away with my other hand, pressing it against his shoulder. "J-Just go away!" I turned my head to look at Nightmare, seeing him still asleep.

Phew...he didn't wake up. I felt really really bad for what was happening in his room while he was sleeping.

"I'm not letting you go!" Pierce argued, hugging me close to him. "I'm going to protect you!"

"Protecting and molesting are two different things!"

"You kissed back, though!"

"No-No I didn't! I never kissed you!" Well except-NO! If I admit it, then that means it counts! I-I'm not counting any of his kisses a "kiss"! You kissed him. Brain, stop arguing with me! I REFUSE! You gave in and kissed him. Proud of yourself? Like hell I am! Stop guilt-tripping me! I-I didn't kiss him! He kissed me! I was just trying to yell at him and-and-and...yeah. That happened.

Pierce pouted at me, clearly unhappy with my rejection, before he started smiling again. His eyes brightened and he quickly leaned forward, giving me a chase kiss, as he wrapped his arms around me in a hug. "Hm...Oh well! You're mine, so there's still time. Chuu!" My eyes squeezed shut when he kissed my nose. He chuckled.

I can't believe I did that. I tried to kiss him back. Damn it. This is not a good thing. Wait, still time for what?

"Lord Nightmare-" Gray's voice cut off as he walked into the room, finding Nightmare dead-asleep at his desk while Pierce was hugging me on Nightmare's couch. Gray stared at Pierce and me for a second before focusing a glare on Nightmare, a medicine bottle in his hand as he walked over to the sleeping Incubus. "Lord Nightmare, wake up! You must finish your paperwork and take your medicine-"

Nightmare, who we all had thought to be asleep, flew out of his chair like the speed of light. He gravitated towards the ceiling and grabbed onto the chandelier, screaming at Gray and saying that he wouldn't take the "poison". "I refuse!"

"Lord Nightmare, please!" Gray said, looking exasperated. He then appeared to remember something and turned around, looking at me with a kind smile. "Welcome back, Alexis. I hope you do not mind if I cook dinner for tonight?"

I blinked, surprised at the question before shrugging, "Uh, go ahead." Nightmare's face was turning blue and he looked like he just ate something sour.

"NO! Alexis, what have you done?" He was in such a terror that he forgot to keep floating, sending him falling through the air as Gray jumped up to grab him. Wait...Gray's an ex-assassin isn't he? Then Nightmare's and Gray himself are perfectly safe!

Before even realizing what I had done, I had rested my head on Pierce's shoulder while groaning. His grip on me tightened as he smiled, kissing the top of my head.

"N-No-Gah!" Nightmare cried out as Gray tried to force the medicine down Nightmare's throat. Nightmare struggled in his grip, squirming. "I-I refuse to-" He ground his teeth together, leaning his head back as the vial clacked against the bones. Gray knelt down onto the floor and kept Nightmare in his lap, holding the man to his chest with one arm around Nightmare's waist, using his other to force his jaw open so he could get the Incubus to swallow the medicine. Nightmare was pushing on Gray's chest, trying to get the older man away from him. "I'm not taking-gyack!" The vial popped into his mouth and the nasty red liquid slid into his throat, Nightmare choking as he swallowed the liquid. Nightmare went limp as his soul left his body, collapsing against Gray's bigger form.

Gray sighed, obviously used to this kind of thing. I feel like I was forgetting something important about Gray...the reason why Nightmare freaked out on me when I said he could cook... Wait. GAH! I haven't checked my phone for messages in ages-oh god, Sarah is gonna KILL me! Gray stood up, carrying Nightmare bridal style, and looked down at Pierce and me. "Please excuse us, but Lord Nightmare has an appointment he needs to go to."

I removed my head from Pierc's shoulder as I tilted my head, trying to get a better look at a limp Nightmare. "Dude...He's out cold..." What was in that medicine?

"Of course. It not only was regular medicine, but it was also a sedative. He would not come otherwise. I'll be back within two time periods. Please, don't go outside in the meantime, Alexis." He smiled at me and nodded his head, before leaving the room with a pale Nightmare.

...I pity the poor pirate.

When Gray left, Pierce wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted me up, causing me to squeak as he pulled me off the couch. "Yay! This means I get you to myself!"

"H-Hey!" Quick, how to save myself?

Option A) Knee him in the stomach and run away (Dead End)

Option B) Kiss him, distract him, and run away (Good End)

Option C) Scream and hope a faceless will save you (Best End)

"P-Put me down!" I screamed as he lifted me up into his arms, before he sat down on a different couch and set me on his lap, his arms hugging me to his chest tightly as he kissed the side of my head.

"Hehe...You're so cute!" My face burned from the touch. J-Jerk... I scowled and turned my head to glare at Pierce, who merely smiled.

"I will beat you to a pulp." I threatened, causing him to giggle at me. My heart jumped at the sound. I-I don't like him. I don't like him. I don't like him. I don't. I only see him as a friend. Just...Just gotta keep telling myself that so I can believe it, and when I do believe it, I won't like him anymore. I hoped. He leaned his head against mine, causing me to still as we locked eyes. He was still smiling, but his eyes appeared just a bit more soulless. "Wh-What?"

"You say that, but you don't hate me." He noted happily, leaning forward and kissing my forehead. I blinked, feeling a blush spread across my face. "Is it because you have a darker side?"

"Wh-What?"

"A side you can't forgive yourself for?" I swallowed, diverting my gaze. Why was he suddenly asking all these questions? "Is that why you can't hate me?"

I was a jerk. A selfish jerk who didn't like people leaving her. Who wanted to cage everyone together with her and make sure they wouldn't disappear. I was too scared though. I could never do that. I wanted to, but I would never. They would hate me and leave me for sure then.

Pierce watched me in silence, seeing how I didn't answer. After a few moments, I felt him kiss my head again and rest his head on my shoulder. "I'm going to protect you...I won't let those bad people get you. You're my "lost treasure" after all. I can't let those bad men take you away."

"Y-yeah..."