Mari woke up on the other side of Denji barely clinging to the edge of the bed. His arm hooked around her waist kept her from falling on the floor. Apparently at some point during the night he had rolled over her to wedge himself in between her and Nayuta.

That would account for her dream of being crushed under a steam roller. Denji was awfully heavy for his size and build, possibly do to the muscle packed onto his body. Perhaps the Devil inside of him added extra weight to his body as well without adding visually apparent physical mass.

Inhaling a slow deep breath, keeping her eyes closed, Mari luxuriated in the feeling of being held closely to his body, his strong arm keeping her safe from being dumped out of the bed onto the hard and unforgiving wood floor. Her fingers played over the firm yet pliable sinews of his forearm. The muscles flexed under her ticklishly light touch, his hand grasping her waist more securely as if she might try to run away.

Mari would never run away from him. Logically she knew she should be afraid of him, be terrified of the kind of monsters his existence attracted. But she wasn't. She loved him, deeply, somewhat desperately. She needed him. Besides, she had dealt with monsters of the human kind, and they were far scarier than anything she had experienced from him.

The warmth from his body stretched out to hers, heating her back and soaking clear through to her bones. He was so warm, literally and metaphorically. Shockingly kind and affectionate after all the shit he had been through in his life. Maybe craving the love he never received made him willing to give it to get it rather than turning cold and unfeeling like some people to avoid being hurt any further.

She did not understand why or how he was willing to risk his heart so easily. If he had not come into her life, she probably would have shut out everyone. He saved her in more ways than one.

Just being near Denji comforted her and made her happy. Relaxed and content, not wanting to move but knowing she needed to, she opened her eyes.

Dawn was beginning to break, shedding dreary gray light to illuminate everything. Clouds the color of steel filled the sky. Rain was coming. Perhaps they should skip a trip to the fish market today and just go to the store instead. A hot pot would be good on a rainy day after getting wet and chilled. Fish stew also sounded good though.

Mari wiggled in an attempt to get him to loosen his grip on her. His fingers slid across her belly, his hand resting on her hip. When she sat up his hand fell off onto the mattress then moved to tuck under the pillow. Not quite ready to leave the bed, she gazed down at him.

His wispy black lashes fluttered but his eyes did not open. She brushed her knuckles against his lightly blushed cheek watching his eyes roll around under his eyelids. The warmth inside her body concentrated in her chest, her heart thumping slow but hard, full to overflowing with love for him.

A smile formed on her lips before she leaned down to kiss his cheek. He snorted, inhaling deeply before blowing out a long breath and rolling onto his back. His arm lay over his eyes to block out the increasing light in the room.

Her smiled widened as she continued to stare down at him. Her fingertips stroked over his cheek again. The sharp white tips of his pointed teeth could be seen in the small space between his parted lips. His pink lips, plump and relaxed from sleep, were ever so slightly puckered as if inviting her to kiss them. Far be it from her not to oblige.

Mari fitted her lips squarely to his, imparting a tender kiss.

"I love you, Sleeping Beauty," she whispered.

However, her kiss of true love did not awaken him from his deep slumber. That was okay.

Standing up, she tiptoed away from the bed. At the door she turned back to see Nayuta had snuggled up to his side, her little hand grasping a fistful of his t-shirt to hold onto him. Her lips stretched until she felt like she was smiling ear to ear. The warm feeling inside of her burst like fireworks, spreading throughout her body until she feared she might start crying tears of joy. She loved her little family.

Going into the kitchen, Mari turned on the coffee machine. While waiting for the water to heat, she spooned the fine almost powdery espresso grounds into the metal brew basket, gently packing them down with the metal tamper. She felt like a real barista in her own home. Giggling at herself, she continued preparing her morning latte with the machine he bought for her in yet another effort to keep her safe by avoiding running into anymore nefarious creatures in coffee shops.

Her mind wandered to Reze while she filled the little metal pitcher with cream to steam it. Denji had told her Reze worked in a café where he met her. He would go to that café day after day, pretending to study despite not being able to even read. Even after that girl tried to kill him, he went back to the café, waiting for her for hours to run away with her in hopes of living the happily ever after with her they had dreamed about together while wide awake.

Mari hated Reze with a passion for betraying Denji and breaking his heart so terribly when he had obviously been so helplessly in love with her. The hybrid like him had held his heart in the palm of her hand figuratively while wanting to possess it in a more literal manner to steal away the Chainsaw Devil.

Envy crept into her heart, taking her by surprise. Mari felt jealous of Reze because she had his love before her. As her self-proclaimed rival had put it, she is better suited to be his girlfriend, his mate, the love of his life, because she is one of his kind while Mari is not. She's just a weak, stupid human after all.

Mari jumped when the steaming wand hissed loudly, splattering the hot milk on her hand.

"Ouch!" she hissed, jerking her hand away from the machine.

At least it had startled her out of her thoughts ridding her of the bitter sting of jealousy and the hot sick feeling of intense hatred.

She turned on the faucet, pushing her hand under the cold water to wash away the milk and soothe the burn. At least it was only a few little sprinkles of the super heated liquid. The invasive and intensely unwanted thoughts of Reze kept trying to come back as she continued to make her latte, spooning in the butterscotch syrup then pouring the frothy steamed milk into her cup.

Picking up the book from the counter one of her students brought to her to read, Mari settled onto the couch with her coffee in an effort to focus on something enjoyable rather someone who she would rather not think about at all. The book was a fantasy novel so it required all of her attention and imagination to bring that world to life, to conjure up the otherworldly landscapes with names she had no idea how to pronounce and creatures that were inevitably mixtures of real world animals.

Denji was not sure how long he stood at the bedroom door just looking at her. At first it was like staring at a sculpture in a museum. She was completely still, too immersed in the red covered book she held in her left hand to take a drink from the white mug she held in her other hand. Only her eyes moved back and forth across the pages. When she needed to turn the page, she lay the book in her lap, flipped the page, then picked the book back up rather than sitting down her coffee cup. Finally, she took a sip of the coffee, holding it under her nose while pausing before taking another slurp.

Her hair was a mess like it usually is in the morning, the curls frizzy and poking up in all directions. Her make up free face appeared a bit pale. She always looked younger than him without her make up. Her feet were tucked under her behind, making her muscular thighs even wider and more inviting, beckoning him forward to lay his head on them.

Denji walked toward her without trying to be quiet. Even when he stood right in front of her, she still did not notice him. Sinking down to his knees, he nudged his head under her hand, placing his head in her lap.

Mari lifted the book when his soft hair grazed her skin raising goosebumps to create chicken skin across her thighs. She smiled down at him, cupping his cheek.

"Good morning, my love," she greeted him with a smile on her lips.

"Good morning," he returned, putting his arms around her small waist without lifting his head from her lap.

"Should we get ready to go to the fish market?"

"Think we should? It looks like its going to rain. That means the market in the park will be cancelled doesn't it?"

"Yeah," she sighed in disappointment, combing her fingers through his hopelessly tangled bedhead. "Maybe we should just go to the grocery store. Does a hot pot or fish stew sound good? I like comfort food on rainy days."

"Whatever," he murmured, pressing the crown of his head into her belly when he squeezed her. "You know I'm not picky."

"You're no help at all," she laughed lightly.

"We could go back to bed. Cuddle some more. Watch the first raindrops fall."

"Mmmm," she hummed, placing the book open and face down on the couch to hold her place. "That sounds so very romantic...and tempting. But..."

"But?"

Denji sat up, rising up to knee in front of her and be eye to eye, Mari handed her mug to him to set it on the table. Uncurling her legs then scooting forward, she wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist for a full body hug.

"But we can't. We have things to do because we have a guest coming for dinner," she reminded him, tracing his lips with her forefinger. When he playfully nipped at her finger, she squealed, snatching it away from his mouth before dissolving into a fit of giggles.

"Ugh," he groaned, resting his forehead against hers. "So I guess we'll have to settle for a romantic stroll in the rain while sharing an umbrella."

"Yep, I suppose so. Still want to go to the fish market, and I'll make fish stew?" He stood up, holding out his hand to her.

"Sure," she agreed, taking the hand extended to her.

They got dressed in jeans and t-shirts as quickly and quietly as possible to avoid waking Nayuta. Though it was not raining yet, Mari put on a pair of tall wedge heels to avoid getting her feet wet in any puddles that might form when it did start. With the hooked handle of the umbrella held in his hand, using it like a cane with the tip pointed to the ground, she and Denji set off to the store.

There were not many people on the street and the ones who were looked grumpy or at least focused as if they were on a mission of some sort. They were on a mission of their own to procure the ingredients for their first family dinner. They casually ambled along, arm in arm, despite the darkening of the clouds looming over them. The rainbow of flowers displayed outside of the florist shop was a pretty contrast against the dreariness of the day.

"How can you be so cheerful?" Denji asked her, catching her off guard.

"Hmm? Am I?" she inquired in return becoming aware of the wide smile on her face. She hugged his arm between her breasts, pressing herself against his side. "I guess I'm happy because I'm with you. And you're the love of my life. I love you so much."

Denji froze in his tracks, his cheeks flooding with a crimson brush. He gaped her, blinking slowly.

"What?" Her eyes shifted nervously between his as he continued to stare at her with his mouth hanging open. "You act surprised. You know I love you."

"I know but..." He reached out to cup her jaw. "But it still takes me surprise sometimes I guess...after what I've been through. I like hearing it. I can even feel it whenever you say it."

"Good." In her high heels she did not have to stand on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his excessively warm blushed cheek. "I do love you with all of my heart. Don't you ever forget it either."

"I won't," he promised, putting his arm around her for a one armed hug.

They continued to walk along arm and arm, content to be in each other's presence without saying a word. Mari liked they could enjoy comfortable silences without having the need to fill the void with meaningless words. Her poor mother prattled on incessantly when in the room with her father to avoid the unbearable quiet or risk hearing critical words about everything from her cooking to what she was wearing.

The air became heavier, damper, thick with the smell of sea air, fish, and diesel fuel from trucks and boats. The droning hum of big machinery and many voices were punctuated by the occasional shout of a vendor or the beep of a horn from one of the motorized carts transporting fish from the boats to the sellers.

The first row of ramshackle stalls and open storefronts belonged to merchants selling everything from restaurant equipment to produce to tacky souvenirs. There were also restaurants sprinkled among the eclectic mishmash of shops.

The seafood vendors were located in the line of stalls closest to the water's edge. Although the fish auction was long over, there was still a lot of activity and dozens of people milling about. It was cold in this section due to all of the ice and big fans blowing to keep the seafood cool and flies from gathering.

Some vendors only had a single offering from the great bounty picked fresh from the ocean water only a few hours ago while others displayed a dozen or more. Shellfish of all kinds were stacked and displayed in separate Styrofoam bins filled with ice. Eels and fish swam around in giant plastic tubs with tubes pumping air into them to keep the creatures alive. Crabs climbed over each other and clicked their claws at a vendor reaching inside to pick one up for a customer.

Overwhelmed by the plethora of options, Mari stopped to speak to a vendor for suggestions of which fish to use for the stew. When asked what she was cooking, the woman vehemently shook her head after hearing what was on the menu, waving her hand covered in a yellow glove that reminded Mari of the ones her mother used to wear to wash dishes.

The woman suggested a lighter soup, the broth made by boiling the bones and head of the fish. Mari took notes after asking to borrow a pencil and a piece of the white butcher paper used to wrap the fish. While explaining how to make the soup and listing the other ingredients she would need, the fish monger fileted the fish, wrapping the bones and head separately. Prawns, scallops, and a few mussels for flavor were wrapped and added to the bag with the packaged fish.

Once they received suggestions of which merchants to purchase vegetables and homemade soba noodles from the helpful woman, they were on their way to buy them. After visiting half a dozen different shops spread among ugly t-shirts for sale and all sorts of fried food on sticks, they had gotten every vegetable on their list and then some.

"Hey, you want something to eat?" Denji asked, stopping in front of the stall with mounds of yakisoba in silver pans and skewers of grilled fish, scallops, and prawns on sticks displayed behind clear plastic barriers to tempt hungry passers by such as himself.

Mari glanced out from under the awning to check the sky. The clouds were heavier, darker, almost black. So far their luck was holding out and not a single drop had fallen but it wouldn't be much longer before the heavens opened up. At least there was no lightning and thunder.

"Sure," she replied, adjusting the strap of the weighty bag hanging on her shoulder.

"What do you want?"

She shrugged, regretting it immediately when the thin strap dug into her skin through her shirt feeling as if it was cutting right into the muscle.

"Anything is fine," she answered quickly.

"Is that too heavy? I can carry it," he said, stepping toward her to take it. He was already loaded down with bags so she stepped back holding on to the strap.

"It's fine," she assured him, looking around. She was actually searching for a place to sit to rest and put the bag down, but she saw a kakigori cart. "Oooh, want a shaved ice?"

"Strawberry," he replied, turning quickly to speak to the vendor at the food stall.

Mari trotted off to order a strawberry kakigori for him and a sweet plum for herself. With both hands full, she waited for him at the end of the row of shops, resuming her visual search for bench. There were a group of picnic tables under a tent nearby. When the first raindrop fell, without waiting for Denji, she made a run for them and shelter under the canvas cover.

Placing the cups piled high with man made snow on a table well under the tent, she dropped the heavy bag onto the bench followed by her behind. Denji appeared at the exit of the shops, his head whipping wildly from side to side in his search for her. Standing to her feet, she waved her arms as if landing a plane. When he saw her, he smiled, looking very relieved to find her, before sprinting toward her. The umbrella hung in the crook of his right elbow and unable to be used due to the numerous plastic bags hanging on each of his forearms which swung back and forth to hit him in the thighs and belly.

"Oh, my god! You're soaked! You'll have to take a shower to warm up when we get home," Mari suggested, taking the skewer with perfectly seared scallops he extended to her.

"Will you join me?" he inquired, raising a flirtatious eyebrow.

"Depends on where our girl is at the time. Do you think she was able to take the dogs for a walk before the rain started?"

"Probably. If not, they will still get their walk. Nayuta is very disciplined that way."

"Since she's the control Devil, I suppose it's important she master self-control first."

Unlike the last user, Mari thought feeling the rage building that only the thought of Makima could induce so easily and quickly. Ripping a scallop off the wooden stick with her teeth, she chewed as if taking a piece out of that woman.

Makima might have been a control freak when it came to others but when it came to herself that was another story. She got whatever she want, did whatever she wanted, selfishly imposing her own desires on others while stripping away their autonomy. They were nothing more than her mindless slaves but due to the subtlety of her control ability they were totally clueless of her power over them.

Mari did not learn the true joy or freedom that comes with independence, of having control over her own destiny, and the power of choice, even making the wrong ones, until she was able to escape from Sato. She shivered, a cold chill running down her spine not from the rain but from the thought of the man who was her captor and her owner. Although it was her choice that got her into that mess, it was also her decision to get out of it no matter how terrifying it had been.

"We should hurry," Denji mumbled, cramming a forkful of yakisoba noodles into his already full mouth puffing out his cheeks further. "I don't want you to catch a cold."

"I won't," she promised him, digging into her shaved ice. "It's a good thing Kishibe isn't coming over until dinner. It's going to take a few hours to make the broth for the soup."

"Maybe we can take a nap while it's boiling."

"Are you really that sleepy?"

"Yeah. And it's a good excuse to cuddle up with you on this rainy day."

Mari could feel her face warming with a blush. She stared into the cup of her rapidly melting kakigori, poking at it.

"Are you okay?" he inquired, reaching across the table to press his hand to her forehead. He pressed his other hand to his own forehead to check their temperatures to gauge if she had a fever.

"I'm not running a fever," she assured him, grasping his wrist to pull his hand away. "You make me so happy, Denji. I'm so glad I'm with you."

"Me too. Am I everything you dreamed about in a man?"

Mari shook her head. "You're not anything I dreamed about in a man."

"Oh," he mumbled in disappointment, his eyes lowering from hers to stare into his empty kakigori cup.

"You're so much more...so much better," she said, reaching across the table to take his hand. "You're not anything like the man I thought I wanted and that's a good thing. You're exactly what I need."

Denji slowly raised his eyes to meet hers. The dark magenta color filling his cheeks was gradually spreading over his entire face and down his neck. His fingertips brushed over the back of her hand several times while a smile stretched his lips into that bashful boyish grin she had grown to adore. Standing up in a crouch because the bench behind his knees would not allow him to stand up straight, he leaned across the table to press a kiss to her forehead.

"I love you so much, Mari. I never thought I was capable of truly loving someone until you came along."

"Hmmm," she hummed thoughtfully, bringing his hand to her lips to kiss the back of it. "I never thought I would find someone to truly love me. You know how much I love you right?"

"Yeah. But I'll never get tired of hearing it," he repeated his words from their earlier conversation.

"So I'll never get tired of saying it."

Once they arrived back at the apartment, they found Nayuta sitting in Mari's living room on the floor with Meowy in her lap watching an animated movie which even the cat appeared to be deeply interested in since there was a lot of motion on the screen.

"The dogs have been walked and fed," the girl informed them, standing up with the cat clasped to her small body with a forearm. The way she held the cat forced his arms to extend above his head while his feet dangled in open air. The expression on his furry face seemed to be bored resignation, telling the world, "This is my life now and I'm okay with that."

"Did you get rained on?" Mari asked her, handing Denji the bag with the seafood to put it in the refrigerator.

"A little." She stared at the two of them who looked like drowned rats despite having an umbrella. "You two should change out of those wet clothes."

"We will," Denji assured her, stowing away the vegetables. "We just need to put this food in the refrigerator."

"I can make you some hot tea while you take a shower," she offered, putting the cat down on the floor at her feet.

Meowy yawned and padded over to the couch, leaping onto it. He curled into a ball in preparation to go to sleep.

"That would be great, kiddo," Denji said, ruffling her still damp hair as he walked past her.

"Are you going to take a shower here?" Her eyes slid over to Mari. "With her?"

"Well...no," he replied after hesitating.

"Why not? You have before," she returned, walking past a flabbergasted Mari to go to the kitchen. "It will conserve water. You two really need to get warm and dry as quickly as possible. I'll go next door to grab you some clothes, Big Brother."

Mari glanced at Denji as if questioning him what they should do. He shrugged and walked into the bathroom. She could hear the water running but the shock had not yet wore off so she did not move. He poked his head back out of the bathroom, beckoning her with a crooked finger.

"Come on. Nayuta said we need to get warm and dry. We have her permission to shower together," he reminded her, disappearing back into the tiny bathroom.

"All rightie then," Mari murmured, going to join him.

Denji had already taken of his soaked shirt and squeezed the water out of it before hanging it over the towel bar on the wall. He reached for her, grabbing the hem of her shirt to peel it away from her body.

"You know," Mari began, pausing until her head popped free as he dragged the shirt up and off. "You're going to have to behave. We can't play around."

"You should have gotten some oysters," he said, totally ignoring what she had just said to reach around her body giving her an inadvertent hug while unhooking her bra.

"Oysters?"

She had a feeling she knew where this conversation was about to go. With a quick flick of his wrists, her breasts were set free and he pulled the bra straps down her arms removing the entire wet garment from her body. Tossing it into the clothes basket behind her, his hands went to the button on her jeans.

"I hear they're an aphro...afor...afro...what is it?"

"Aphrodisiac," she helpfully supplied the word he could not pronounce, resisting the urge to bat away his hands as he slipped the button free and pushed down the zipper.

"Yeah that." He lowered his body down to his knees to begin the somewhat arduous process of extricating her from the denim that had formed a second skin after getting drenched with rain.

"Oh, my God, no," she laughed, placing her hands on his shoulders and lifting her foot for him to remove the pants from her right leg. "The last thing you need is something to make you want sex more. You have no issues with sex drive."

"Well, can you blame me?" He pushed his head under her breasts as he worked on freeing on her other leg. "You're gorgeous and sexy." He stood up, giving her breasts a gentle honk with both hands. "And those glorious things. Ooooh, my God..."

"Stop that," she giggled, trying to be stern but failing. She pushed away his hands that were kneading her breasts. "We can't do this right now."

"You're right," he sighed, turning her toward the shower and slapping her on the behind. "Get into the shower and get warm. Your skin is ice cold."

Outside she might be cold but inside he had been doing a fantastic job of heating her up. Mari stepped under the hot water allowing it beat against her face briefly before turning her back to it. Denji joined her with a washcloth in hand, ready to soap her up.

She washed her hair while he scrubbed her back. While she rinsed away the shampoo, he worked on her front forcing himself to behave as she had said, not to allowing his hands to linger too long on her breasts or her thighs.

Mari returned the favor in kind, restraining herself from touching his chest too much or running her fingers over the smooth skin stretched tight over his abdomen like a drum. Those tempting little lines following the angles of his pelvis called to her, begging to be traced. But he had kept himself in check and so would she.

Once they were done, she wrapped a towel around her body, exiting the bathroom to rush across the small distance to her bedroom. She heard the front door chime when being opened as she slipped into her bedroom, closing the door behind herself.

There was a loud knock on the bathroom door before Nayuta called Denji's name then announced she had his clothes.

"I'll leave them here and go make the tea," Nayuta announced, placing the pile of dry clothing on the floor in front of the bathroom door.

"Okay! Thanks!" Denji called back.

Mari put on a pair of her black leggings, a white tank top, and a zebra striped oversized shirt that hung off of one of her shoulders. She put on a pair of socks as well before sliding into her slippers to go join Nayuta in the kitchen.

"Sit down," the girl insisted, standing on her tiptoes to reach into the cabinet for two cups. "What kind of tea would like?"

"Uhm...what do you think would be best for warming up?" she inquired, taking a seat on the bar stool Nayuta typically sat on.

"Hmmm," she hummed to herself while surveying the numerous boxes in the pantry. "This peach turmeric tea should be good." She flipped the box of imported tea to read the ingredients. "It has cayenne pepper in it as well."

"Your English has improved. You did not even need help reading that. Those tutoring sessions during study period are really helping. I'm so proud of you," she said, pride welling in her chest and warming her from the inside out.

"Yeah, but the teacher who assists with our tutoring will be leaving soon," Nayuta informed her, taking out one of the individual foil pouches with a prefilled tea bag in it.

"Oh?"

Hope leapt in Mari's heart. She had already planned to quit her job at Denji's high school, turning in her resignation first thing tomorrow morning. When God closes a door, he opens a window, her grandmother used to say when things seemed hopeless. This would definitely be one of those moments when her grandmother would offer the sage sounding advice. The job at Nayuta's school could be her window of opportunity.

"It's an unpaid position but do you think you could apply?" Nayuta asked, unintentionally slamming the window shut. She ripped open the foil packet, placing the tea bag inside the pink coffee mug.

"I think I should," Mari said, forcing a smile to her lips. With any luck, the volunteer job would look good on a resume or at least curry favor with the principal of Nayuta's school to lead to a paid teaching job.

She bit her lip to avoid warning Nayuta to be careful when she picked up the electric kettle. Sitting up straighter in the chair, she observed quietly as the girl poured the steaming water into one of the mugs. Mari reminded herself the child had been taking care of herself and Denji before she entered the picture so there was no reason for her to nag. However, she did not relax again until both cups were filled.

"Here's your tea," Nayuta announced, placing the steaming cup in front of Mari.

"Thank you," she croaked, clearing her throat.

"Would you like some honey? It's good for a scratchy throat and has antibacterial properties in case you're getting sick."

"Yes, please. I'd love some," she replied, glancing at Denji when he took a seat beside her. "Nurse Nayuta is taking good care of me, making sure I don't get sick."

The girl blushed, quickly turning around to hide her smile and flushed cheeks.

"Hey, did you hear what she said about the tutoring position at her school?" Mari asked Denji.

"I did." He took her hand in his, giving her a smile. "You should go talk to the principal."

"But it's - "

"Don't worry about the money," he cut her off, squeezing her hand again to reassure her. "Everything will be fine."

"Here's yours," Nayuta said, placing a cup in front of him. "You should drink some tea too." She took off the lid of the beehive shaped honey pot, pulling out the wooden spoon to drizzle some into his tea. "You need this too."

Denji stirred his tea with the spoon she handed him. Mari witnessed the entire interaction with a smile on her face. She grasped the white paper tag attached to the tea bag to lift it up and down in the water. Although she knew that really had no bearing on how well the tea was brewed, it was more of a comforting gesture to busy her trembling fingers. Her other hand grasped the cup to hold it securely as well as warm her palm.

"Is there anything else I can do to help?" Nayuta asked, standing in front of the stove as if to hint she wanted to assist with cooking.

Mari glanced at Denji who nodded to her to let her know it was okay to let her help.

"Well, get out the big silver pot. We're going to make fish stock for the soup."

The corners of Nayuta's lips turned upward to form a fast but small smile. A sincere smile.

"Fill it about half full of water. Do you want me to put the fish head and bones it?" Mari asked, preparing to stand up from her stool.

"No. I've got it. You just sit and enjoy your tea. I can follow directions," she assured her, setting the pot in the sink. She pushed up on her tiptoes to be able to reach the faucet.

Mari hid her smile behind her hand so the girl would not be embarrassed. Keeping her mouth shut, she watched Nayuta as she lifted the large pot to carry it to the stove.

"Where are the head and bones?" Nayuta asked, turning toward the refrigerator.

"Bottom shelf," Denji replied since he was the one who put everything away. "Need help with the vegetables? I've become an expert prep cook."

"Nah. I've got it. You've showed me how to do them before, remember?"

"Well, let us know if you need help," he added, sounding a bit dejected as he watched her unwrap the fish.

Without making a face or gingerly picking it up with her fingertips, Nayuta grabbed the fishbones the fishmonger had left intact with the tail. She had to stand on her tiptoes again to extend her hand over the pot to drop it in. To pick up the head, she inserted two of her fingers in the neck side, lifting it to drop it over the side. She went to the sink to wash her hands, bumping the faucet with the heel of her hand to turn it on.

"What now?" Nayuta asked, facing them while drying her hands on the dish towel.

"When it comes to a boil, turn it on low to let it simmer. While that's simmering, you can get the vegetables cut up and ready to be added," Mari said, picking up her cup to take a sip.

"What about the rest of the seafood?"

"It cooks fast so it needs to be added at the end."

"You're such a good teacher," Denji whispered to her.

"Thank you," she returned, turning her head fast to steal a kiss from his lips. She started giggling when his mouth dropped open with surprise. "Gotcha! I can be stealthy and steal kisses too, ya know."

"Uh huh," he murmured, placing his hand on her thigh.

"Drink your tea," she ordered him, giving him a sly sideways grin.

"You know, Nayuta. Kishibe isn't going to believe it when he finds out you prepared dinner all by yourself," Denji said, raising the mug to his lips.

Grimacing after taking a sip of the tea, he took another drink anyway despite obviously not liking the taste. Apparently since Nayuta made it for him, he was willing to force it down for her sake more than his.

"But I'm not making it by myself," she corrected him, placing the bag of vegetables on the counter next to the cutting board. "Both of you are helping me."

Mari cast a furtive glimpse at Denji. He did not see the tears gleaming in her eyes because he was too busy staring at Nayuta with a smile of parental pride on his face. She leaned over to him to whisper in his ear this time.

"Way to go, Big Bro. You're doing a great job."

"You think so?"

"Yeah. You definitely are."

When he drank the tea, Mari could hear him swallow he pushed it down with such force. My goodness, it wasn't great but it wasn't that bad. Him drinking it despite his dislike for it showed how much he loved that little girl who had been dropped into his life without warning. They both had adjusted well to each other.

Then Mari came along. Both had accepted her into their little family. Denji, Mari, Nayuta, seven dogs, a cat...and a partridge in a pear tree.

Mari smiled broadly, amused at the thoughts running through her head. Oh, and they have a Kishibe too: the stand in grandpa figure.

"What are you thinking about?" Denji asked, nudging her in the ribs with his elbow.

"Ow," she hissed, flinching away from him. "Nothing really."

"Hmph," he snorted in annoyed disbelief. "Don't tell me then. Well, it's good at least because you're smiling."

"It is. I'm very happy we found each other and became a family."

"You sure have been sappy today. Are you feeling okay?"

"Uh huh," she returned nodding enthusiastically. "For the first time in a long time, I feel really great."

And it kinda scares the shit out of me. I know it's never a good sign when things start going too well, Mari's paranoid inner voice reminded her.

"Uh oh," Denji murmured, reaching over to stroke her cheek. "Now you look worried. What happened?"

"Noth - " she began to cut herself off before speaking the entire word when his eyebrow started to rise upward. "Okay. Fine. The truth is when things are really going great, they have a tendency to turn to shit very quickly."

"Hey, what did I say earlier?"

"Everything will be fine."

"As long as we have each other, that's all we need, right?"

Denji took her hand in his. Mari look down at his hand that engulfed hers. She felt safe and protected, both physically and emotionally.

"Right," she agreed.

"Why don't we watch a movie while the broth is simmering?" Nayuta suggested.

"Sounds good," Mari replied, picking up her cup to take it with her. "Hey, Nayuta, do you want me to braid your hair?"

"Would you?" the girl asked, her voice rising a little with excitement.

"Of course! Go get a comb and an elastic from the bathroom." After placing her cup on the table beside the forgotten coffee cup from earlier, she sat down cross legged on one of the cushions in front of the kotatsu.

"You're not going to sit by me to watch the movie?" Denji asked, pausing scrolling through titles to stare at her with large pleading puppy dog eyes.

"I'll join you in a minute. Besides, I'm right here. It's not like I left or something," she said, placing another one of the cushions in front of her for Nayuta to sit on.

"Here, Mari," the girl said upon returning, handing her the requested comb and elastic hair tie.

"Have a seat." She patted the cushion in front of her to signal Nayuta to sit down. After a few swipes through her smooth midnight black hair, seeing it reached the girls shoulder blades, Mari commented, "Your hair has gotten so long. I didn't notice since you have been keeping it pulled back with a headband or up into a ponytail."

"Are we still going to have a tea party with Melanie and Himari?" the child asked, tugging on the elastic band like it was a slingshot.

"Yes. What do you think about next Saturday?"

Mari put the comb down on the table to pull her fingers through Nayuta's soft but thick hair to separate it into three sections to begin weaving it together.

"We better get busy on the invitations," she suggested, working on bringing in more and more of her hair as she braid from the crown of the girl's head.

Nayuta hooked the band over her thumb and pulled it back with her forefinger. Aiming at Denji who was too engrossed in his search for visual entertainment to notice he had become a target, she let the springy band fly in his direction.

"Ouch," he muttered when it smacked against his cheek with a sting equivalent to that of a mosquito bite. He picked it up from his thigh where it fell, studying it with a quizzical expression.

"Hey! I needed that," Mari snickered, trying not to laugh and failing miserably.

Nayuta handed her another hair tie over her shoulder. "I brought a spare."

"Good girl. Always come prepared." She twisted the elastic above the tail of the braid to keep it from unraveling. "Go get the supplies to make the invitations and we'll work on them while we watch the movie. Everything is in a basket on the bottom shelf of the bookshelves in my room."

"Okay. Be right back." Nayuta hopped up to hurry into her bedroom to retrieve the basket.

The doorbell rang. Mari glanced over at Denji.

"He's here already?" they asked each other at once.

"I'll let him in," Denji volunteered, dropping the remote on the seat of the couch to answer the door.

"Nayuta!" Mari called getting up from the floor. "I'm going to check the broth! You got the vegetables cut up right?"

"I did," she confirmed, setting the basket of paper, scissors, glue sticks, and other art supplies on the counter. "Is it time to start making the soup?"

"I think so."

They entered the hallway to see Kishibe standing in the foyer taking off his shoes. He and Denji had been talking but immediately ceased when they appeared.

"Hey, kiddo," he greeted Nayuta.

"Grandpa!" she squealed happily, running to him to fling her arms around his neck to hug him.

Kishibe glanced at Denji first then at Mari. Although his facial expression never changed, he obviously had questions.

"Well, I have to check on something," Mari announced, turning into the kitchen to make a quick retreat.

"I'm coming to help!" Nayuta declared, following her.

"Grandpa?" Kishibe questioned Denji.

"Well, we're a family you know," he replied, scratching the back of his neck while walking toward the living room.

"Why not Uncle? I know I'm old, but damn. Maybe we should have a little training session. It's been a while."

"Well, I, uhm, ah, how about a drink? Mari!"

Mari had already retrieved her special stash from under the sink and poured a glass of whiskey for Kishibe. She brought it to him, extending the glass toward him after he sat down on the couch. When he reached for it, she withdrew it, leaning down to be eye to eye with him.

"I'll give you this one," she advised him, holding the glass out to him. "Just one."

Kishibe reached into the inner pocket of his trench coat he had not taken off to withdraw his trusty flask.

"It's okay, sweetheart. I'm always prepared." He took the glass from her with one hand while tucking the flask back in his pocket with the other.

"Tch," she clicked her tongue in disapproval before pivoting on her heel to return to the kitchen.

"What are you doing here so early?" Denji asked him once the girls were in the kitchen and busy making dinner preparations.

"I needed to talk to you. I have some information you'll be very interested in," Kishibe said, pulling a picture from another pocket of his coat. "This was taken from surveillance footage outside of a convenience store during a murder investigation."

Denji stared at Kishibe in confusion and suspicion while taking the picture from his hand. When he looked at it, he saw a young man dressed in a torn t-shirt soiled with blood and dirt and filthy ripped jeans rolled up to his knees. Five inch long red horns poked through the short, shaggy straw blond hair on his head. He smiled broadly as if purposely showing off his vampire like fangs. A gigantic hammer made of blood rested against his shoulder. His bare foot turned red with blood rested on a mangled torso absent of a head and limbs. Whether the dead body belonged to a Devil, Fiend, or plain human was impossible to determine from the somewhat blurry photo.

"The Blood Devil," Denji whispered unable to take his eyes off of slightly out of focus picture.

"The Blood Devil is back," Kishibe confirmed. "You told me to tell you if I ever caught wind of anything so there he is."

Just as Power had warned him, the Blood Devil would be reincarnated but it would no longer be her. There were several similarities like the horns and fangs and even the blood hammer. He also recognized that smile. That shit eating, know-it-all grin. Maybe not all of her personality had been lost to oblivion. But this guy wouldn't know him and would be his enemy. However, he had promised Power he would find the Blood Devil when it came back and make them friends again.

"Ugh," Denji groaned, handing the picture back to Kishibe. "Why did it have to be a guy?"

"What? You were hoping for another pretty girl to try to kill you?" the older man muttered, tossing the photo onto the table. "Here. Keep that. I'm sure he will be looking for you too. You should warn those two about him as well. Especially Mari." He glanced toward the kitchen. "You got lucky with that one. She seems to actually love you."

"She does."

"And Nayuta seems to really like her. She hasn't tried to kill her which is a plus."

"Mari was different from the beginning. Maybe Nayuta liked her and found her easier to trust because she's not a Devil. She's only human," Denji murmured, watching his two favorite girls in the kitchen.

"Only human?" Kishibe repeated. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

"Of course it's not," he sighed, leaning his head on the back of the couch and staring at the ceiling. "It just makes me worry for her."

"Well, she's tough. She has potential. She just needs training."

"She asked Yoshida to train her because she's afraid you would kill her." Denji lifted his head to look at Kishibe. "Accidentally of course."

"Is she wrong?" He brought the glass to his lips to take a drink.

"No."

"Mmm," Kishibe hummed in approval of the whiskey. "Your girl knows her alcohol."

"She should. She was a hostess after all."

"That doesn't bother you, kid?"

"Should it? It's all in the past anyway. I've been in love with several women. I could have called a couple of them my girlfriends. What if she was jealous of them?"

"I wouldn't be so generous as to call those murderous psychos girlfriends." Kishibe pointed toward Mari in the kitchen with his middle finger on the hand clutching his glass. "Besides, there's nothing that girl should be jealous of from them."

"I know that and you know that but...women are weird that way."

"You've learned a lot more than what comes out of books from her."

Denji watched her and Nayuta dancing around in the kitchen together to the silly song they were singing. Mari took Nayuta by the hand lifting it above her head while Nayuta turned in a slow circle. He smiled. When she noticed him staring, Mari waved and he lifted his hand wiggling his fingers in a wave back.

"Ah, kid, you got it bad," Kishibe muttered, finishing off the whiskey. He pulled out the flask to pour the whiskey into the empty glass.

"Yeah, I do," Denji readily agreed. "But at least the girl I fell in love with this time loves me back."