Disclaimer - I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any of its characters. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation. Momoko and Shizuka are original characters created by me.

I AM LATE AGAIN UGH. This time I have a good excuse, I was at a con over the weekend and post-con crashes are tough. My throat's still super sore from shouting/screaming/singing/talking/laughing way too much... But I'm more awake tonight so time for writing. Tbh, I might as well shift my update schedule - instead of Saturday or Sunday, I'll make it Sunday or Monday. Ok? Ok. And btw, if any of my readers are also into musical theatre, I'm thinking of doing a one-shot/ficlet collection for 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee soon-ish. Now, let's get to the Urushihara/Suzuno bonding (and the aro/ace Suzuno I've been talking about)

(And I just want to add... God, this is such a personal chapter for me)

Chapter 17

Give it time, man, it's gonna work out...

He had to keep reminding himself. Shizuka had told Urushihara that he was meeting up with Momoko today to talk, and he was waiting not-so-patiently at home to hear from him. It was hard not to fret over it and he struggled to distract himself. Ashiya was getting more and more agitated by the second. He'd already endured listening to the shut-in's strained mumbling while he was on his laptop and eventually he snapped at him.

"What is it with you today? This excessive whining is starting to get on my nerves, even more so than before."

Urushihara groaned again.

"I can't take this anymore...! I keep seeing things online that remind me of Momo or wanting to tell her something but she won't talk to me! I really hope Shizuka's making some progress..."

"Then get off of the computer," Ashiya immediately the glare Urushihara threw at him for that, "Don't you have other things to occupy yourself with? Try something that won't make you think of your problem."

He scoffed and rolled his eyes but Urushihara did as he was told and closed down the laptop. Turning away, he picked up his PASTA and leaned his elbows on the table in the middle of the room. It seemed like it was working at first but his bottled-up frustration began to rise to the surface after a short time and Ashiya was soon treated to some far less discreet angry ranting. In the end, he dropped the paper he had been reading and stood up, causing Urushihara to look up suddenly.

"Huh? Where ya going?"

"Anywhere but here," Ashiya said as he put on his shoes, "I'll leave you to work through your inner turmoil alone."

With that last sarcastic quip, he left. Urushihara returned to his game, only to growl in annoyance and switch it off, even going so far as to throw it against the wall. It was durable enough to just bounce and land on the floor without any real damage, but he wasn't paying any attention. Instead, he took a book from the shelf and tried to focus on the words and lose himself in the story, but to no avail. After a while, he dropped the book and it clattered to the floor. Urushihara groaned once more and pressed the palms of his hands to his face.

Of course, the apartment's paper-thin walls did nothing to keep the sound of his distress from travelling and soon there was a soft and polite knock at the door, following swiftly by the door creaking open. It was fairly normal for Suzuno to appear like this on occasion, which was the reason why she felt no need to wait to be let in. She knew Urushihara was the only one home, having heard Ashiya leave before and knowing that Maou was at MgRonald's. Because of this, Urushihara hardly reacted to her. He only glanced at her as he ran his hands down his face and sighed.

"I could hear you from next door," she said plainly, "What is going on? Did something happen?"

"Nah, not exactly," he rested his head in one hand, "Shizuka's out with Momoko right now and I still haven't heard a thing from him."

Suzuno's eyes narrowed.

"You're trying to contact her? Before she is comfortable with it?"

Urushihara flinched.

"I haven't tried to message her again or anything, and it was Shizuka's idea anyway! He thought it could help if he talked to her..."

"But even so, you shouldn't have agreed to it, Good Hanzo."

She continued to glare at him and he avoided looking at her, lowering his arm and leaning further forward on the table. It was becoming clear to her that she wasn't going to get through to him. She let her eyes wander around the apartment until they fell on the closed laptop on the desk by the window.

"Why aren't you on your computer? Or at least playing one of your games?" her gaze moved to the PASTA lying on the floor.

"I'm too distracted right now with worrying..."

They both went quiet for a few seconds, neither one looking at the other. Not particularly out of any discomfort or anything, they were just used to each other by now. Then...

"... Do you happen to have romantic feelings for Good Momoko?"

She said it so casually and Urushihara instantly snorted with laughter. Suzuno blushed and gritted her teeth, embarrassed.

"And what exactly is so funny?"

"Sorry, I'm sorry, jeez..." he was still laughing, just a bit, "No. No, I am not interested in her like that."

Suzuno folded her arms and huffed.

"Well, it is a difficult concept to grasp, in some ways, the idea of 'crushes' as it is called in this world. You can't expect me to be able to just know."

"Yeah, no, I get that, but..." he suddenly stopped as he realised what she had said, "Wait... the idea o- Are you serious?"

Suzuno looked slightly surprised.

"Uh... Yes. Yes, I am serious," her tone turned curious, "Why do you ask? I mean, a person truly falling in love is surely a rare thing... I-is it not?"

Urushihara raised in eyebrows, unsure of what to say. Did this mean what he thought it meant?

Is she...?

Suzuno carried on speaking when he didn't answer.

"I understand caring deeply for one's closest friends, of course. But when a person actually falls in love with another, why, that is beautiful. Although, I can't be sure I would be interested in that kind of relationship myself. From what I have seen, both in Ente Isla and on Earth, I don't think a romantic relationship appeals to me. And I certainly haven't experienced those feelings before."

His eyes went wide at those words. It looked like he was right.

"You're, uh... You're not interested in any part of it? Of like, dating and all that stuff...?"

She looked away nervously, blushing a little. He expected that, it was an awkward subject, after all.

"N-no. None of it, to be quite honest with you. I understand others may want to... engage in certain activities, but it has simply never occurred to me."

Another moment of silence passed as Urushihara worked up the nerve to voice his thoughts.

"Suzuno... Have you ever heard of asexuality or aromanticism?"

She frowned. Clearly not.

"They're orientations, like straight, gay, bi, that sort of thing, y'know?"

"I have heard of them," she looked confused, "But I never understood any of it. As I said, I haven't experienced those sorts of feelings..."

He was right. He closed his eyes briefly and nodded, then looked at her with what he hoped was a reassuring smile.

"Asexual and aromantic. They mean people who don't feel those kinds of attraction to anyone."

The exact moment he said it, Suzuno's face lit up. She leaned forwardly eagerly.

"There are words for such a thing?" she gasped, "Good Hanzo, how did you learn about this?"

"You can find out pretty much anything on the internet," he said with a shrug, "And it's a good thing I did. 'Cause like... I'm asexual. I never understood it either but it feels a lot better knowing there's a name for me and I'm not the only one."

It felt weird to be telling her this. But she knew what he meant and what it felt like.

"Oh, but," she started, her voice soft and uncertain, and he nodded, urging her to continue, "A-are you also aromantic? Are you... like me?"

"Uh... Well, sorta... It gets a little more complicated here, but basically I'm not, like, completely aro, I'm demiromantic. I can get romantically attracted to people, just... only after I get close enough to them," he trailed off when he saw the confused, and a little bit overwhelmed, look on Suzuno's face, "Y'know what, maybe you should just research all that on your own."

He considered, just for a second, telling her that Shizuka was aromantic, but that was up to Shizuka, not Urushihara. Which, in fact, reminded him of something important. He quickly interrupted Suzuno from her thoughts.

"I'm not out, though. Not to everyone. So, don't mention any of this to Maou and the others. Shizuka and Momoko are the only ones who know. Besides the people I just know online, at least."

"I won't say a word. I swear it. Uh... should I tell people about... myself?"

"It's your decision. And I won't say anything if you don't want me to."

She was oddly touched by that. It was strange for him to show such consideration towards her. He had helped her to figure out something she didn't know about herself.

And she had learned something personal about him.