Wow guys, holy shit. I'm dancing on the reviews you guys sent me over the last chapter...

let me do the shout outs:

...

Thanks , magnificent comment, just like the previous seven.

...

damn, I guess we will try again later guys.

Earth - Issei's chambers

It had taken some effort, but he'd found someone crazy enough to fashion him the peculiarly shaped mattress with a single set of linen. More couldn't be made in one day, but the man had promised to send a few more in the days to come. A lot could be achieved with the right amounts of money. Given he lived several lifetimes earning money and nothing to spend it on, Issei had amassed plenty of it. With a sigh, he collapsed on the bed, it had been a long day. He glanced around his room, noting the many empty shelves. He would have to do some shopping.

And then there was Raynare to deal with. The issue on its own gave him a headache. All in its own time, though. He would deal with her tomorrow. "Issei, the rest of us will be leaving now. We will be back tomorrow afternoon!" Rias yelled from the clubroom. "Alright, good night everyone!" He yelled back. He ran his hands through the sheets, basking in their softness.

He couldn't remember the last time he slept. Three months ago perhaps? Yes, he would sleep tonight. He struggled out of the sheets, brushed his teeth, stripped off his robes and carefully selected a throwing knife, placing it under his pillow and turned off the lights.

Issei was almost asleep when he heard the light tap of footsteps in the main clubroom. Carefully he reached for the knife, holding it at the ready as he watched the door. Ever so slowly it opened, the figure who walked in was of small stature, undoubtedly female. "Koneko?" Issei asked, his suspicion confirmed when the moonlight that shone through the window lit up her face.

"Shouldn't you be home?" Koneko said nothing, but stripped down to her panties and bra and climbed into Issei's bed. "Koneko?" He asked uncertainly when she cuddled up to him. "… You said yourself you wouldn't object to someone sharing your bed." He would kill Rias tomorrow. "Koneko, I am over three hundred years old. Isn't this somehow… wrong?" Koneko pressed a finger to his lips. "We are both immortal, for reasons I cannot explain I feel attracted to you, therefore this isn't wrong." She replied.

"Koneko, you mustn't be attracted to someone like me." Issei said. "For God's sake, I sleep with a knife under my pillow. I doubt you would find a more broken soul anywhere on this earth." He whispered to her. "That," Koneko replied, "is exactly why I feel attracted to you." Issei sighed. Normally he would have protested, but he was so tired… so tired…

Issei was uncertain and Koneko must have felt the tension in his body. "You can touch." She said, pulling his arm over her waist. Issei gave in, possessively tugging the Nekomata into his chest. "If you insist on doing this, Koneko, I have but one request." "…?" "Don't hide your true nature from me." Koneko was silent for a minute. "Then you must do the same." She whispered in a soft voice.

Issei spread out his wings and wrapped them around Koneko, cocooning her. He felt her soft tail brush against his side. "Thank you for this, Koneko." Issei whispered, gently tugging a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Good night, Issei." He was about to drift off again when the door opened once more.

"Asia?" He whispered when he saw the glint of golden blond. "Issei, if she gets to join you, I want to as well!" She whispered, stripping and crawling into bed with Issei as well. "Asia…" His soft complaints fell on deaf ears as she snuggled into Issei's back. He sighed and wrapped a set of wings around her as well.

"I hope you are up for a rough night." He heard Koneko whisper. "What do you-" The door opened a third time, revealing Akeno. She dropped her kimono and silently joined the three on the bed. She placed herself around Issei's head, pushing away his pillow and resting his head on her bare stomach. It was a bit of a stretch, but Issei managed to free his third right wing for her to use as a pillow.

He wasn't even surprised anymore when the dour opened again and Rias walked in, dressed in a see through night gown. She too, crawled into the bed, but, noting as there was really no Issei left to cuddle with, settled for a small expanse on the bed to Issei's left, near his feet. He heard everyone's breathing even out and deepen. He couldn't help but feel a little bad for Rias, who had probably voluntarily given way for everyone else first.

He stretched out with his four remaining wings on his left side and gathered her up in them, wrapping her in softness and warmth. She murmured something, but soon returned to a deep sleep. As issei lay there, surrounded by the four beautiful women, he felt a myriad of emotions well up inside him. Sadness and grief over his past, affection, but most of all happiness and a sense of being truly cared for. Something he hadn't felt for centuries.

A tear of happiness escaped his eye. Gently he ran his fingers down Koneko's side, reassuring himself all of this was real. With a warm feeling in his stomach Issei drifted off to a deep, dreamless sleep. Perhaps with these devils, everything would become better.

Issei woke at dawn, feeling refreshed and better rested than ever before. When he tried to move, however, something weighed him down, pinning him to the bed. Memories of the previous night returned to him. Opening his eyes he looked around him, noticing all the girls were still where they were the previous night. He rested his head on Akeno's stomach again and firmed his grip on the Nekomata in his arms, basking in the warmth that surrounded him.

It was not until two hours later that the first devil woke. Koneko stirred in his arms and turned around, facing him. "Sleep well?" Issei asked. Koneko nodded, blushing. Issei hadn't noticed how close they were, almost resting their foreheads against each other. Unconsciously they both inched closer until finally, tentatively and almost shyly their lips met. "Koneko…" Issei whispered. "I don't know if I have the capability to love agai-" She pressed her lips to his once more. "If you don't, I will love for the both of us." She reassured him, before slipping out of his embrace with a cat's grace.

He watched her slim figure, still only in panties and bra, recede into the bathroom. Issei knew he shouldn't, but he lusted after her. She was just too cute. "Ara, now I want one too." Before he could turn to Akeno she had already pressed her plump lips to his. Dumb folded he watched her slide of the bed too and leave.

"Issei…" He turned over and looked into Asia's eyes. She looked at him with a pouty expression. "What is it Asi-" And so he received his third kiss of the morning. Issei knew he was indulging in sin, that he shouldn't be doing this, but it just felt so inherently right to him. He watched as Asia too struggled out of the covers and headed out of Issei's room.

He knew that if he continued down this path, there was a chance he would fall. That was, unless he loved true and they loved true as well. Only then could an angel and another be together without the angel falling. Could he even still love? He wasn't too sure after Gabriel. The old wounds still ran too deep.

"Good morning Issei…" Rias groaned as she stretched. Suddenly her eyes opened wide. "Oh god, I'm crushing your wings. I'm sorry-" He tightened the grip of his wings around her. "They are strong." He replied, deciding that was all the explanation he was going to give. "I put you there last night." Rias went still. "You cared…" she whispered. Issei laughed and shook his head. "Rias dear, I am not certain whether to thank you or be angry with you."

"Why not both." She said in a sultry voice. "You can punish me for being a bad girl. Since you won from Riser I am practically yours to do with as you please regardless." Issei gained a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Is that so, Rias Gremory?" He said, ghosting a hand over her slim figure. "Yes…" She gasped, answering more than one question. "Good. Then out you go. Come on, go get changed. I am sure you have a day of productive devilish things to do."

She looked at him with pouty eyes. "Tease." She said. "Hush, you will live." "Issei?" She said. "What is i- Hmmpf!" She smashed her lips to his. "We will do this every night Issei. As long as is needed till you realize people care about you. Just you. And then some more if you will still have us." She said, before unwrapping herself from his wings and walking out the room. "Girls…" Issei sighed, dropping back down to the bed. He needed to meditate. It had been a while since he last visited Love.

He sat on the bed and folded his legs under him. Resting his hands on his stomach, Issei centered himself and dove into his mind. He stood in the void nothingness that was his subconscious. "Love! I need a moment!" He shouted into the darkness. "Love is not coherent, too confused, at the moment." Issei spun and saw a magenta copy of himself composed of Ego and Faith – faith in the knowledge of oneself – everyone's logic worked differently after all.

"Logic." Issei said, greeting his emoticlone. "You have come to contemplate the case of your devils." His emotion stated. It wasn't a question. Of course not, Logic was Issei and Issei was Logic, they both knew the same things. One might wonder what the use is of having such a structured mind, or delving into it, if no new knowledge could be gained. That wasn't necesairly true. This type of meditation was useful if one wanted to, say; only know the logical aspect of a situation. Or the angry side, or the loving side and so forth. "What is your opinion?" Issei said.

"Well, you are the living manifestation of what remains of God. I don't think you will have to worry about falling. The remaining question, however, poses more of a topic. Angelic relationships are rare, if not unheard of." Logic stated. "I am the manifestation of God's anger." Issei corrected his emotion. "Am I even capable of loving one, let alone multiple people?"

"A manifestation of God's anger is still a manifestation of God. God was known for his all-encompassing love for all that existed under his reign. If someone loves you true," Logic said, "the chance is high you can love them the same way in return." Issei nodded, but this didn't help him much further. "We are not blind, it's clear that they all gravitate towards us. If, for the sake of argument, we entertain the notion a relationship would be viable. Who should we pick?"

The question was cold, calculated, logical, just like the emotion who asked it. "We cannot chose one without hurting the others…" Issei replied. "Then take them all." Was Logic's reply. "Are you mad?" Issei sad. "Like you said, angelic relationships are rare, let alone polygamous ones. Besides, how can Rias's peerage ever show their faces in the underworld when it becomes known they are with an angel?"

"I think that's something for them to worry about. Perhaps you should point out the possible consequences of their choice." Issei nodded. "And as for polygamy: you get to take over heaven sooner or later anyways, what you do doesn't matter. You get to rewrite the rules afterwards anyways." Logic said. "Now you should return. Rias is running towards your chambers and I sense her distress from here."

Issei opened his eyes. The sun shone high in the sky now, how long had he been in meditation? Three, maybe four hours was his guess. Sure enough he heard hurried footsteps growing closer. He winced as he got up from the bed, allowing blood to flow through his legs again. Rias burst into his room, breathing heavily. "Rias, what's wrong?"

"They took Koneko!"

"Rias, calm down. Who is 'they'?" Rias was stumbling over her words, trying for form a coherent sentence. Issei walked towards her and slapped her straight across the face. Damn that was becoming a bad habit of his. Putting his arms around her he pulled Rias into an embrace. "I said: calm down. Tell me what happened."

"We were out, on orders to clear out a stray devil… and… and…" Rias was heaving throughout her explanation. "Come." Issei said, pulling her out his room. He made way for the sink, filled a glass of water and gave it to Rias. Gratefully she took a few sips. "Alright, let's try this again. Tell me what happened."

She swallowed hard, before giving her explanation. "We were dealing with a stray devil. Managed to take her out easily. Then there was this flash of light and Koneko was gone!" Issei maintained his calm, more panic would not help the situation. "Do you think you might have been lured out?" He asked. "I don't know! I just… and then… I… Issei! I have never failed to protect my servants!"

"Rias. Take a rest, calm down, shower, whatever makes you feel comfortable. Are the rest of the ORC still on the scene?" He asked. Rias nodded. "Where can I find them?" She gave him directions to an abandoned warehouse downtown. "Alright, Rias. I'll get your Rook back. Don't worry. I will be back soon… I hope." He pressed a cell phone in to her hands. "For if I need to reach you quickly." He added.

He then grabbed Aurora, quickly bounded out of the ORC clubroom, spread his wings and took flight. He quickly covered himself with an invisibility spell to avoid being seen by the mortals a bare hundred meters below. He angled his primaries into the wind to increase his agility, making a few tight turns around some high risers before gently setting down outside the warehouse.

Kiba was trying to calm down Asia, who was in tears. Akeno sat to the side with a distraught expression. Issei walked up to her and undid the spell. To say he startled Akeno would be an understatement. "Dear Maou, Issei, don't scare me like that!" She said, breathing heavy.

"Tell me what happened." Issei commanded, but barely paid any attention to her words. He started pacing around the yard, nodding and 'uhu'ing every once in a while, to at least pretend to listen to Akeno. The area was heavy-laden with a highly poisonous form of Senjutsu, borderline Youjutsu. "How many Youjutsu users do you know?" He cut straight through Akeno's story.

"I don't know. I'm not an expert on the subject. I know of an SS class stray devil who was rumored to wield the power, but I don't know for certain. Not many Youkai have made their existence known." Akeno replied. "Would you happen to remember her name?" "Hmmm… yes… I think her name was… Kuroka."

Issei's blood ran cold. "I should have known…" He muttered. "Thank you, Akeno. Return to the ORC, I'm afraid this is beyond your capabilities now." "Where are you going?" Akeno asked as Issei walked away. "A place I never hoped to revisit in the near future.