Don't own High School DxD

Tiny yaoi scene is the italics~.

The most obvious thing to do was to wake him up.

"Issei-ku-" The knight reached for his companion-

And then stopped, instinctively

…

Yuuto blinked, his lips quirked.

When did it come to this?

Bentous placed to the side, he shifted, coming just the slightest bit closer as he brought his knees down to the floor. The knight reached for Issei once more. He was still hesitant, still unsure of where to place his hand, but he eventually settled on the shoulder, giving it a rough shake, "Issei-kun."

However as benign as that motion was, it served only to complicate matters for himself.

Because the pawn didn't wake.

Instead he mumbled quietly, something Yuuto didn't quite catch, the force of the shake causing his head to tilt, to plop suddenly to the side.

His face now rested against the top of the knight's hand.

... Yuuto couldn't help it, the temptation was too great. He carefully turned his hand over, fingertips whispering against strands of chocolate hair, the pale nape of the neck. Issei's cheek lay cupped his hand, warm against his skin.

It was the closest he had ever touched.

The knight kept still, examining the situation, the person before him. From here Issei's eyelashes seemed longer than usual. Yuuto swept his thumb over a small blemish on the devil's otherwise smooth face. His eyes trailed down, to a soft, in his eyes, perfect mouth.

Yuuto moved in.

He was close, a breath away-

But then a rueful smile fell onto his face.

And he stopped his advance.

"And the devil would lure me with naught but his presence." He murmured, slipping his hand away. The knight leisurely fell back onto his hands before straightening, sitting in an identical way to Issei. He exhaled, easing out his one-sided tension before staring back at the person before him.

Hyoudou Issei would never reciprocate his love.

It was a fact he constantly reminded himself of, one that would remain unchanged.

It was something he had known from the start, really, right when he realized he possessed a love that deviated from the familial, like his relationship with Buchou, or that of friendship, like what he had with Koneko. What had once been friendship couldn't be contained from growing, thriving into feelings he struggled to keep hidden.

He wanted to hold Issei, to touch him without having a reason, an excuse, to do so. To see Issei smile and laugh, because of him alone and just in general.

He wanted Issei's happiness.

…But there were darker desires too.

"Ah- No-! K-kiba I c-can't-!" A shaking voice. Tear-filled, pleading eyes. Legs that dripped with preparation and pleasure. Fingertips that twitched and pressed against him from a hand placed on his chest for support, as the pawn attempted to lower himself onto the other.

But Yuuto would kiss the pain away.

He would surge up, kiss and mark pliant, eager, and sensitive skin that reacted to his every touch. Issei would shiver, gasp, make small noises that he would be so desperate to hide but would eventually, inevitably, turn into moans.

Issei would cling to Yuuto then, clutch his shoulders as the knight helped him down. And once he was all the way in Yuuto would grasp that face caught in a mix of confusion, arousal and embarrassment, pull it down as he leaned up, and capture those wet lips to his ow-

"Rias."

Yuuto jerked, startled out of his thoughts.

He hadn't said her name.

"Rias, I-." The real Issei whispered once more. The rest of his talk was gibberish, beyond those two words. He turned over, as much as he could anyway, half-sitting, half-laying on his side, supporting the rest of his body on the tree.

Still sound asleep.

The knight closed his eyes.

For just a moment.

And then opened them, chuckling, blocking out any other emotions that threatened to come through.

"Trust the harem king to be the one to stop my dirty dreams."

Perhaps Issei had some sort of a sensor in him~? He certainly seemed attuned enough to whenever Yuuto attempted to get closer to him, backing away clumsily, hastily, and now, stopping him even unconsciously.

His friend would never approach him, touch him with any amorous intention.

Which, in a way, made sense.

It was why he could never picture Issei as the top.

Well, to be fair, he had… attempted to picture it, right when the rumors initially started there was no way he could avoid doing so, but it never fit. He simply couldn't see it. His straight -very straight- skirt-chasing, breast-worshipping friend suddenly pushing him down, eager to rip off his clothes.

He, on the other hand…

Yuuto roved his eyes briefly over Issei's sleeping form.

…

Couldn't deny the possibility was present.

…But what then?

'Hey Issei-kun. I really enjoyed suddenly screwing you senseless yesterday. Hopefully you did too. Today though, we should probably double up on our practice matches, since we didn't get much done before I started doing you. How does that sound?'

The knight abruptly scoffed, half-laughed at himself.

Impossible.

So impossible, that, in a way, he had long since given up on this futile pursuit.

Even he enjoyed their training after all. Their talks.

It wouldn't be far to say that Issei was the first real best friend he ever had.

His dachikou.

One joke, just the slightest touch too far and he could loose that title and everything it stood for.

So what could he do? What should he do?

Because even still he…

He-

Yuuto abruptly cut his gaze, turning away from Issei.

Stop.

He needed to stop.

There was no point in thinking about it.

Their relationship was never going to change. Issei would never love him; his pal would continue to expand his harem and live in happiness with all of them. He and Issei would become ultimate devils together –they promised after all, a promise between friends- and that was that. They would live for hundreds of years, and their relationship would continue as it was.

In good times and bad, in sickness and in health-

They would be friends.

That was all that was possible.

And that was all he could be satisfied with.

"Kiba?"

Yuuto's ears perked as he was startled out of his thoughts; he looked up, wondering if, involuntarily hoping that, Issei was still asleep.

Alas, no.

The pawn was in the beginning stages of waking up, shifting, patting a hand across his cheek to brush the dirt away, while using the other to swipe across his eyes. How long was he out for? What time was it? He winced, a dull headache forming in the back of his head.

He felt similarly refreshed and not all at once.

He found Kiba sitting across from him, not too far away too.

Issei started.

…How long had that guy been there for? What had Kiba been doing? Had he been watching him the whole time?! Well, not that he had been asleep long though... Still, that would be a little creep-!

"Had a good nap, Issei-kun?"

"Eh? Ah, yeah." Issei yawned, rubbing the back of his skull as he did so. He sat up properly, coming face to face with the knight. "It hasn't been too long ri-"

Oh. What the…?

The Sekiryuutei suddenly stopped speaking, and so Yuuto looked at him in curiosity, "Issei-kun?"

"Are you okay?"

Yuuto appraised him questioningly, momentarily, before slipping a neutral expression on.

Just as usual.

"Why would you ask that?"

"Uh, well, your eyes seem kinda red?"

"Do they?"

"Yeah," The pawn leaned forward and raised a hand, pointing out what he had observed, "Both of them are pretty red, but this one-"

Issei paused once more as this time Kiba backed away, jerkily; he himself finally realized how close he had come.

"…!" The pawn backed up as well, apologizing hastily, "S-sorry."

"…"

"Nothing to apologize for." Yuuto said smoothly.

"H-hah… Right." Issei intelligently replied. He noisily cleared his throat; how the hell did he make things so awkward between them?

But then the pawn rose up, briskly dusting off his pants.

Issei held out a hand to Kiba.

"Well, let's go." He said expectantly.