BigBoys: Highly recommend you do. Or have done so by now.

AzureWarrior21: You never know. Soon this might turn into a porn encyclopedia. Kink experimentation may be on the horizon, too.

CrimsonDemon666: 1) I might make these it's own thing over at AO3 then repost here. Seems easier to me so I can continue to post smut without plotting issues. 2) I expect a lot of Makoto. I plan to write a good deal of her, too. Glad you're liking this story so far.

KindredWriter: Thank you.

Guest 1: Shit, it's your lucky day then.

Guest 2: Uh, hm. I don't know what to tell you. Get an idea for a sex story and start writing. If you've read my previous stories, you know it's taken me a while to reach a state of adequate sex telling. For where I get inspiration, either I'm sitting down and something hits me or I'm scrolling through NSFW pages : ).

I'm back! This chapter here isn't brought to you by me, though, but someone else. I will not give their name per their request. As always, I give this story to my beta Wild Blue Sonder for final hearings and she does what she does best! I've been meaning to put a Ragna and Noel out since Christmas, so this is a long time coming. Someone's done something like this before WAY back when, but fuck it. As a toast, I think the chapter title is the same as the story. Enjoy!

Chapter 10: Amends

Alone together, her savior, Ragna, nattered away with her as promised. He had sacrificed an arm for her and thought nothing of it, sought no compensation.

Noel couldn't tear her gaze from his left limb, condemning her own weakness for causing the loss of his remaining human arm. If she hadn't been captured by Terumi, if she were strong enough to stand on her own two feet against that demon, Ragna need not have paid such a price. To give an arm for another seemed valiant, a phrase friends and comrades threw around, but declaration and deed were very different.

Despite the oppressive weight of her guilt, Noel couldn't deny that a seed of romantic attraction had sprouted in her heart. She had been trapped in a dark realm, finding the man responsible for rescuing her beaten to a bloody pulp and missing an appendage. She supposed it was only natural to fall for one who had suffered so much on her behalf. It became apparent her feelings differed from gratitude once face to face with Ragna. She visited his prison cell, stifling the impulse to disable the super multi-layered restraint field imprisoning him, her heart racing. Initially she attributed it to excitement at seeing him after so long, but once he was freed and she had more opportunities to speak to him, spending more time with him than her friends, Noel realized gratitude was too weak a description of her emotions.

She'd been unconsciously caressing his left hand for a while now, the hallways silent. It felt real enough. Ragna said so himself, and also said he didn't care whether or not his limbs were organic. Noel couldn't accept he was just… just okay with this! A maelstrom raged within her, anger, sadness, and disappointment thrashing about inside her petite frame.

Just as warm as the hand she held in Kagutsuchi. She grabbed it to persuade him to talk to her, experiencing the same brief comforting warmth. Disgusted and annoyed, Ragna swatted her away. Now he remained deathly still wearing a look of… grief? Contrition? Noel didn't know much about the man aside from his record-setting criminal charges and couldn't deny she feared him a little. She chided herself, appalled by the smidgen of trepidation she felt for Ragna. The stories weren't true, she knew that. Hidden behind antisocial tendencies, a brazen disposition, and a quick temper lay compassion and emotional depth contrary to a "Reaper".

A shinigami was a death god, a collector of souls. Getting to know the man behind the title, Ragna was no monster and not so much a creature of darkness as a fallen angel. Some tragedy must have befallen him; she could think of no other reason why he would walk such a bloody path despite detesting it. Asking him was pointless. He wouldn't tell.

"Think it's time I take a shower for bed." Noel snapped out her trance, dejection clear on her face. She opened her mouth to shout "wait!" but said nothing. Ragna seemingly stood in slow motion, his hand slipping away finger by finger. Her heart plummeted as the sensation of loss overcame her. She didn't want him to leave.

Noel didn't spring to her feet and throw herself at him. She rose slowly, Ragna unaware of her intentions until her small, soft lips pressed against his. Her heart pounded in her chest.

During enrollment in the Military Academy, a prestigious school for highly exceptional humans who would one day fill the NOL's ranks, Noel landed not one boyfriend much less a kiss. Poetry, shows, books, and other romantic media were not the same as real life, the nuances unknown to her. Kissing was a skill honed from countless repetition, not hereditary or natural talent like some believed. Some people picked up the skills on the first go and others had to experience a few failures before achieving success, as was the current case.

Noel pressed a bit harder, a dopamine rush spurring her to bolder action. Her tongue speared past his lips. Ragna's fists clenched; try as he might he was unable to move, his hands glued to the bench. Then, as Noel was about to give up hope he'd reciprocate, the splendid sensation of him kissing back sent a shiver through her. He kissed her fiercely, vehemently, the taste of her mouth unparalleled.

Ragna knew he should end this before it got out of control, but he couldn't commit. Noel's gentle voice breathing his name between their sliding mouths heated his loins, and when a palm unintentionally landed on his thigh, everything came to a halt. Both their eyes shot open, red-faced and equally embarrassed. Noel didn't need to have kissing experience to know what hardness lay beneath her hand, large, warm and pulsing. Ragna retreated and averted his eyes, unsure what to feel. Noel did the same, pressing a finger to her lips in thought. Mustering courage, she clasped his right hand.

A prolonged silence unfurled as their gazes met for an indeterminate length of time, conveying respective thoughts and desires. Noel wasn't sure if they went to his room as her back landed on a bed; most likely it was an empty one somewhere on the lobby floor since soldiers didn't live in the main branch. The echo of the door shutting and the lock clicking soon faded. Goosebumps arose on every inch of her skin as the weight of Ragna's body compressed the mattress. Beneath the moonlight, she was ethereal. Her skin shimmered like ivory, her eyes shone like jade, and her hair formed a golden halo.

Ragna caressed her exposed arms, relishing their silkiness. Ignoring the sensitive, hardened nipples, his hands journeyed down the trembling skin of her stomach. Noel flexed in response; the heat of his descending palm made her quiver and squirm, anticipating the trajectory of his touch. But it slid to one side, evading the wetness between her most sensitive lips, lingering fingers inches away from her damp mound. His other hand moved up and across her shoulder, around to the back of her top. He hesitated to grasp the zipper, expecting her to tell him to stop, but she only lifted her head. That silent approval sent a jolt to his elongated shaft. He inhaled deeply to steady himself lest he rip her clothes right off. He pulled the zipper down, the rasp of metal loud in the hushed room.

Her passion-clouded eyes remained fixed on the Reaper, self-conscious of her own body. Noel envied her more voluptuous friends, especially Mai and Makoto, with their fully-developed breasts that made hers look like tiny flower buds by comparison. She deluded herself into believing they were still growing but knew in her heart that a centimeter was all she might get.

Ragna bent to kiss her, slanting his mouth over hers. She shuddered and her lips parted, sweet and warm as her tongue urgently met his. He knew this wasn't a good idea, knew he should leave before things progressed, but he was powerless to stop himself. He loosened her tie and removed her top, drinking in her physique. Her skirt disappeared next. God bestowed this woman with an pear-shaped figure; flat stomach, wide hips, well-defined waist. Lacy white panties shielded the juncture between her thighs ripe from military training, the only piece of fabric remaining on her pristine form. Ragna pulled the thin garment befitting Noel's innocence off, savoring the feel of her fully-exposed body.

She blushed under his ardent gaze and instinctively averted her eyes. "Oh no, you don't." Ragna caged her, locking eyes again. "Too damn late for that."

"I'm sorry…" Her emotional turmoil threatened to bubble over, hot tears stinging her eyes. "I'm sorry I'm so stupid."

"Stop that, would ya?" Ragna spoke firmly. "It's in the past. Don't go blaming yourself for shit you couldn't control. You're not to blame for what happened."

"How?" She almost destroyed the world, her friends, family… him. Everything had meant nothing while she was consumed by rage and despair. She wanted everyone to experience her pain, to rot and break, be nothing. "Maybe… maybe Terumi—"

"Don't fucking say it!" Ragna pinned her wrists to either side of her head, asserting authority. "Don't you fucking dare, ya got that? You ain't a doll or a tool, you're a human being. Noel Vermillion, not some fucking death machine."

"How can you say that after what I did to you?"

"Because I know I'm right. Don't go making shit complicated when it's cut and dry. You're your own person no matter what that sick sonofabitch says." Ragna clicked his teeth when she didn't respond. He hauled Noel onto his lap, legs crossed beneath her. She yelped at the abrupt action, blushing crimson atop his arousal.

"R-Ragna?"

"Tell me what you wanna do." He was met with a confused look. "Tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it, Noel. You're in command right now." Ragna sat perfectly still like a soldier awaiting orders. After a moment's contemplation Noel leaned in for a kiss, gentle and heartfelt, beside herself as he embraced her. His hands fell to her bum, groping, his kisses now red-hot on her neck. She leaned away, prompting his mouth to descend, gasping as his lips and tongue sampled her petite breasts. Her hands roved his sculpted pectorals and abs, memorizing their shape, then her slender fingers twined in his platinum locks, clutching in time with the grind of his erection between her thighs.

Noel fell back, her lips as wet and parted as her legs. "Ragna, I want you to…"

"Take care of ya?" Never in a million years would the word "pussy" come from Noel Vermillion's mouth; she was far too demure for vulgar language like that. Thick fingers slipped inside her, eliciting low, soft moans as she rolled her hips against his digits. Tongue slow in its circling and teeth torturous in their nibbles did much to heighten her sensations. Vibrations from his groans sent delightful jolts along her nerves, pooling between her thighs. Ragna withdrew his hand and lowered his head.

Noel watched as he situated himself between her legs and licked her folds. It felt divine, the press of his thumb against her hood sensual. She cried out his name as his tongue plunged into her core, her back arching. A surge of pleasure swept through her; he lapped up her sweet elixir as it flowed freely. Amidst tranquil and soft respirations, orgasm calmed after a five-minute rush, the shifting of clothing drew her hazy eyes to Ragna while he removed his hakama, shirtless by the time her vision focused. Still savoring the afterglow, Noel reached out and his breath hitched as she grasped his bulge. She pushed his boxers aside and fondled him, his prick jumping at her shy, hesitant touch. She was far more innocent than he gave her credit for, and couldn't deter a smile. "You sure?"

Noel nodded, the spitting image of an innocent maiden as a blush crept into her cheeks. "I am, but I've… never done this before."

"Don't sweat it. I'm right here." Ragna removed his pants and guided her hand, showing Noel how to please him while she regarded him curiously. He then withdrew and watched her explore at her leisure, combating the urge to spill. Her grasp was caring and firm, dissimilar to how he stroked himself once in a blue moon when no one watched, not even Her. Noel pressed down on his taut, throbbing head, moving to kneel before him. The scent of his musk fanned the flame between her legs; at any moment it would consume her. A lack of experience, his impressive size, and common sense cautioned her from taking him in her mouth right away, but maybe if he were a little wetter… "Don't take what you can't handle," Ragna warned, a note of pride in his voice.

Determined, Noel ran her tongue along his cock. She still gripped his shaft with one hand, slow pumps becoming vigorous jerks as she kissed her way to the tip glistening with pre-ejaculate and hypersensitive to the pressure of her lips sucking him off. Positive she could handle more, she took him halfway into her mouth, coordinating her hand motions with oral ministrations. Her gaze no longer held uncertainty, transfixed on Ragna as her breathing grew strained. He thrummed in her mouth, and though immediate discharge would end this tryst, one that should never have taken place, Sister have mercy. Ragna wanted to finish inside her, feel her wet channel clench as he brought her over the edge. But he didn't act, movements shackled by what remained of his willpower.

Restrained moans escaped his mouth intermittently; Ragna thanked god when she sat up. Her eyes opened just as slowly as she released him, dark and delirious yet shimmering like stars. Noel spread her saliva along his length before positioning her sex above his, descending slowly. Both shuddered while she sheathed him, contact blissful. Properly situated, her tight passageway earning low grunts and sounds from the Reaper, Noel wound her legs around his waist and rocked. She adored the girth filling her and the comforting heat of his body, her hips rolling in time with his upward thrusts. The ripple around his phallus was unlike anything he had ever felt, molten, a new addiction he wasn't sure he could kick.

Their tempo turned frantic, desperate, desire mutual for a second release. Noel closed her mouth, breathy moans fading to muffled whimpers, the creaking bed filling the room instead. Ragna's difficulty maintaining his current speed was noted by Noel, frustration obvious in his grunts. That wasn't fair for him. She said, "It's fine… Do what you want with me, Ragna." No hesitation, moment long-sought, Ragna pushed her onto her back, thrusting hard enough to drive the air from her lungs. The bed shook louder and quicker than before, the new angle of entry prompting sounds previously unheard from Noel, intimacy and bliss enhanced tenfold.

Pinned beneath the weight of the Reaper, barely able to shift as her orgasm surged through her, she accepted the staggering pleasure and held on as tight as she could. After deep, tireless penetration nearly drove Noel to unconsciousness, Ragna also approached his limit. It built up at his base, his pelvis pounding against hers until he abruptly stopped. Submerged in her, throbbing, a cold wave of relief soon washed over the delightful heat of her climax. A current far stronger than the previous jolts assaulted each of Noel's nerve endings. That final rush of euphoric heat sent the inner workings of her body into flux, ending her. Sprawling and covered in a sheen of sweat, she sighed through both her own release and his. During the four last thrusts that followed, each perhaps thirty seconds after the other, she sucked in a breath and her body twinged.

Exhaustion struck them simultaneously. Ragna rolled off her, his respiratory rate getting back on track quicker than Noel's. Drained, she could barely spoon him. A hand splayed across his chest, the pulse beneath it returning to normal. She traced his muscles and looked up at him. Ragna's mismatched red and green eyes met her jade irises, closing when she stretched to kiss him. Light, confident, Noel pulled herself atop him. Like the lip-lock, she weighed nothing. Warm and nice to hold, responsive to his touches.

"You tell me not to feel bad, but I…" Noel leaned her forehead against his. "Everyday I think about it, and it hurts."

Ragna patted her head. "Don't worry about it. I ain't mad at you, am I?"

"Sometimes I don't know." Noel laughed.

A strike and rough grasp of her bum made Noel gasp and spring up. "Well drop it, 'cause I'm not mad. I gave my arm up to save you because I wanted to save you. Stop being so damn dramatic already, okay?"

"Mm-hm."

"About time you get it." Ragna sat up with an exhausted grunt. "Think it's about time I catch that shower. Comin'? Not like this is some one-time fling, right?"

Noel shook her head. "N-no, of course not. But is it free?"

He guided her off him to stand and retrieve his clothes. "Doubt it. It's way past midnight, and the only one who might be up is Kokonoe." Ragna threw his clothes on without a mind to make himself look appropriate. His hair was a mess, hakama untied and shirt crumpled and half open. Noel didn't look too presentable either. Her attempts to fix herself raised a confused brow. "Why're you worrying about how you look? You're gonna mess it up again in about five minutes, anyway, so c'mon." Noel hurried after Ragna; the implication not lost on dead ears and put a little pep on her step.