Hello there guys! I'm sorry for disappearing. I know in times like these that just up and disappearing isn't a kind thing to do, and for that I apologise. But, as I'm sure writers can attest, sometimes you fall out of rhythm with your work, and when that happens it's best to take a step back.

Not only that, but, this chapter touches on a certain thing that, as embarrassing as it is to admit, I myself am not well versed in, so to say. This left me feeling uncomfortable and unsure of myself, which led to putting writing it off. So eventually, I decided to opt out of writing the smuttier bits and keep those to myself. If I'm not confident in my ability, especially in something so unimportant to the overall story, I won't write it publicly. Sorry to disappoint.

Enjoy!

The city of Magnolia had been destroyed who knew how many times over it's run in Fiore. It was relatively common no matter what time period you were in to see the city in some form of disrepair, whether from it's own inhabitants or attackers. But, for now at least, the resilient townsfolk were allowed to enjoy their life before they were attacked again.

And it was in this city, in a certain apartment, that Bella Realight stirred awake. The sun was shining in her eyes from the window nearby, making her groan and cover her eyes. Why did the sun feel the need to rise every morning? So annoying.

She lay still for a while, her eyes closed tightly, before she slowly came to realise where she was. Her body tensed a little at this, her face heating up. This wasn't her apartment, nor was it her Mom's house or a hotel. No, it was somewhere she hadn't expected to end up last night.

She nearly had a heart attacked when the bed shifted underneath her, the other person in it groaning in his sleep and rolling over. Bella lay as still as possible so to not disturb him, horrified to turn her head to see. If she did, would she see who she expected too? Would she find the night before had not been a dream? She had to find out eventually, so best to do it while he was still asleep.

Turning her head, She saw Damien laying there, his eyes closed and his breathing calm.

Bella stared at him for a few seconds before she slowly turned back around and lay her head down again, contemplating what to do next.

Why did this happen again?!

Bella's face flushed as she came to realise what had happened. All she had come here for was to compare information, as Meridia had told her what came next. Since the seductress had come to her freely, Bella presumed that Xisplate's name had been cleared and the true culprit of Nashi's resurrection found. Damien told her it had been and that Xisplate was working on finding the real problem, Zoka and Ruli. From there, they could find said demons and put Nashi and Luna back into the same body. All of that was fine.

The problem was, that had been two days ago. She'd already stayed here two days.

Bella's heart nearly stopped as Damien stirred again, this time taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly. She heard him moving around in a more controlled manner, probably looking at her. She said nothing.

"Mornin'," Damien grunted from beside her.

"Morning," Bella answered. Damien seemed to return to sleep after this, his breathing becoming calmer again. Bella almost allowed herself to relax before Damien rolled over, wrapping his arm around her bare midsection and pulling her into him. She relished in the contact despite her anxiety, waiting for him to say something.

"Hungry?" He asked her. Bella shrugged.

"I suppose so," she replied. Damien hummed a deep tune, planting a kiss on her neck. She shivered at the touch.

"Are we getting up yet, or what?" He asked her.

"I assume you're already 'up'," Bella replied, making him snort.

"Maybe," he replied, "why're you so interested?" Bella couldn't help but snort.

"Trust me, I need a little break from that," she said. Damien remained quiet at this, just holding her close to him. She didn't object to it, she enjoyed it. After a while, she felt the need to shower, and despite not wanting to get up she did so and sat on the edge of the bed, stretching her arms over her head.

She shivered as Damien traced a finger down her back.

"What are you doing?" She demanded, looking over her shoulder at him.

"Just looking at your scars," he replied, making her wince. Since the fight with Quinn over a year ago, her entire body had been covered in slashes and scars that refused to fade. Her body looked like a patchwork zombie held together by stitches and the body's vain attempt to heal.

"Don't," she replied, "they're ugly."

"Not to me," he answered. Bella tried to ignore the fuzzy feeling in her head, instead opting to get up and go into the bathroom. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, frowning as she saw her own horrific looks.

She had always been proud of her looks, but now she was disgusted by herself. The scars Quinn had given her were disgusting and gross. Granted, underneath them she was still an attractive, curvy woman. But that was underneath the gross and horrific scars. She turned the shower on, making sure it was cold so that she could calm down. The water did it's job, forcing any alternative ideas out of her mind. Once she was done, she dried herself off and walked out in a towel, seeing Damien still laying on his bed staring at the roof.

"Where are my clothes?" She asked him.

"Wherever they ended up," he told her as he perked his head up. "Your panties are over there, bra is against the wall across the room." Bella felt heat rush to her face as she had to walk across the room to pick up her underwear, Damien watching her the whole time. She turned to him as he watched, a sly smirk on his face.

"Can I dress in private?" She demanded, making him laugh.

"Didn't realise you were so chaste," he joked. "You don't give off the impression."

"Go and take a shower so I can change," she ordered irritably. Smirking at her again, Damien got up from bed, which reminded her that he too was naked. She averted her eyes from him as he sauntered past her into the bathroom, laughing at her as he did so. God, he was the worst. Putting on her underwear, she then picked up her clothes from the floor as well. She gave her shirt a disgusted look, knowing she'd worn in three days in a row now. A fourth would be gross.

I"m sure he won't mind...

Getting over her embarrassment, she walked to Damien's dresser and opened drawers until she found his shirts. She pilfered through them until she found one she liked, a plain black one. She threw it on, and immediately became aware of how much bigger than her Damien was. His shirt sagged around her like a dress, nearly reaching her knees.

It smelt like him too.

Ignoring the heat that coursed through her body at this thought, Bella threw on her jeans and escaped to the kitchen before Damien saw her. Her stomach growled as she opened the fridge to look for food, making her consider just stuffing her face full. Damien didn't have much going on in his fridge, mostly just bread, milk, and eggs.

Oh, and liquor. There was a lot of that.

Sighing, Bella grabbed the carton of eggs and a pan, going to work making some for them. She watched the whites of the eggs sizzle in the pan, getting lost in thought. How could have let this happen not once, not twice, but a third time? Last night marked the third time she and Damien had ended up like this, and it wasn't any easier trying to sort her feelings out then the first time. What did this mean, exactly? Was was their relationship? Were they still friends, or were they something in the middle? She felt liable to believe the latter, as the last two days Damien had been much more affectionate to her. Even though he'd been kinder to her since Nashi's 'death', the last few days had been different. More...romantic. Sexual, even. And it confused her. What did she want out of this?

Her thoughts were interrupted when arms wrapped around her midsection, pulling her in again. She got a nose full of his scent again, which was a mixture of soap and a mountain breeze.

"Whatcha doing?" He asked in her ear, making her shiver.

"I could ask you the same thing," she replied in a low tone, trying to ignore him and focus on the eggs. "I said I was tired."

"I am too," he admitted, "you're a handful in bed." Bella scoffed to hide her embarrassment, pushing him off her. He laughed as he moved away from her, going to the fridge. He too seemed irritated by the lack of options, instead opting for a glass of water. Bella ignored him, thinking the least sexy thoughts she could. Old people hands, puppies being hurt, Master Ichiya naked, just the worst possible options. Her body reacted well, her arousal fading away. Thank God. She probably would've jumped off a bridge in that last one had the opposite effect.

"Heading home today?" He asked suddenly, setting his glass down.

"I should," she replied. "I need to get some fresh clothes on."

"I see you've taken mine," he said. "It's hot."

"Sure," she said, focusing again on her Master. It was scarily effective. How had he ended up with a daughter again?

Bella focused intently on the eggs, listening to them crackle in the pan as Damien moved around behind her. Her thoughts eventually drifted to their meeting a few days ago.

"Damien," she finally said.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"...Are we gonna talk about what Xisplate told you?" She asked, "you mentioned it when we met up, but we haven't really discussed what we're going to do about it." Damien was silent at this, making Bella look over her shoulder at him. He was sitting at the table, eyebrows furrowed, staring off into space. He looked irritated.

"Hello?" She asked, making him flinch, "did you hear me?"

"I did," he answered.

"And?" She pressed. He didn't answer her, so she sighed and turned back to the eggs as they continued to fry.

"You didn't tell them, did you?" She asked in a scolding tone.

"...No," he answered, "I didn't."

"Why?" She demanded.

"How am I supposed to tell them?" He demanded looking straight into her soul. "How do I tell them that we're going to go through all this trouble to put Nashi back together, only for the Demon Lords to take her away? How can I say that?"

"You need too," Bella answered, "they need to know."

"I know," Damien hissed irritably. "I know I do, it's just...I can't. Not yet."

"Why not?"

"Because I want us to have these few days of respite," he said solemnly. Bella cast an eye over her shoulder to see him staring into space again. "I want us to be able to enjoy these few days like we used to before we find Zoka and Ruli. Before we have to fight again." Bella remained quiet as she stared at the pan, mulling his words over in her head. Even though she'd been involved in a lot of fights before, the fighting that Fairy Tail had been going through over the past two years was a lot. It was no surprise to her that Damien wanted to let the others relax, even if a little bit.

"You don't want to cause trouble," she said, "do you?" Damien didn't reply, so she continued, "you don't want to give everyone a reason to stress out, because you don't want to do that. You told me that once. That you hate being the reason your family stresses out."

"...You remembered that, huh?" he asked quietly. "I told you that a long time ago, only once." Bella ignored the feeling of her face flushing.

"I remembered because it struck a chord in me," she answered. "Because it explained why you went from practically ignoring me and wanting nothing to do with me to being by my side all the time as I recovered."

"...I suppose," he answered. "Sorry if I bothered you."

"I wouldn't say that," Bella mumbled under her breathe. "Besides, you were hurting. It's fine. But, you need to tell them regardless. They need to know."

"I know," he mumbled. "I know. I just...I don't know."

"What don't you know?" She prompted.

"What to say!" He answered in exasperation as he leaned back in his chair. "How am I supposed to tell them that we have to fight the Demon Lords?! You know, the literal overlords of the afterlife?! That's not something you just throw out there without any care in the world!"

"Not it's not," Bella answered as she plated the eggs for the both of them, walking over to him. "But, it is something that bears knowing, don't you think?" Damien slumped over in his chair and ran his hands through his hair, groaning loudly. Bella put his eggs down in front of him, putting a hand on her hip.

"I get it," she said softly as Damien grumbled. "Damien, I do. I don't want to disturb whatever peace we've managed to get either. But it will be disturbed no matter what. Who's going to do it? Us, or the Demon Lords when they kick down the front door and demanded Nashi's soul back?"

"But what if there's no way to stop it?" Damien whispered. "They're practically Gods, Bella...What if we can't stop them front taking her?"

"Then we can't stop them," she answered quietly. Damien looked up at her, and she smiled. "But if that's the case, we don't stop them after trying our hardest to find a way. There's always a way. We didn't let The Olympians have her, or Hades. So the Demon Lords can't either. But no matter what, we face it head on, together. Everyone in the know."

Bella didn't know what spurred her on but, after she finished speaking, she leaned down and pressed her lips to his. Damien responded to her by pushing back, but she got control of herself and pulled away to sit opposite him, focusing intently on her eggs as she chastised herself for doing that. He'd just looked so tempting, staring up at her like that...Great, now her mind was getting dirty again.

She looked up at Damien to see what he thought, to see him staring down at his eggs, pushing them around with a fork, apparently thinking. She watched him quietly before he sighed and actually ate a bite.

"I'll tell them tomorrow," he said. "I...I want one more day. One more day to act like this doesn't exist. One more day to distract myself from the depressing reality of it all." Bella didn't know why, but this irritated her somewhat.

"So you've just been distracting yourself, then?" She asked curiously. Damien let out a groan.

"I just don't want to think about the future," he replied as he ate. "Any way to not think about it works for me." Bella frowned at this, looking away from him. Is that how he saw the last few days? Is that how he saw her? Nothing more than a distraction in order to not think about the reality of the situation? That made her angry to think about. He'd just been using her, then, her body. And she'd fallen for it.

No, Damien wouldn't have done that. He wasn't that type of person. Right? He wouldn't treat her like that, right? She didn't know. She really didn't know.

"Well," she started quietly, "What's going to distract you today?" Damien let out an unsure grumble.

"Dunno," he answered. "Anything to get me to not think about it." Bella's mind was racing already from her thoughts before, but she did her best to come up with an idea to help him out.

"I have an idea," she said finally.

"Meditation?" Damien asked as they walked through the forest, his breathe visible from the cold.

"Mami taught me how to do it a while back," Bella answered as she led him through the forest, looking for a clearing. "She said it helps to clear the mind. Just need a spot away frm the hustle and bustle of town. Look, there's a good spot." Up ahead lay a clearing with a small pond in it, frozen over from the winter weather. The bleak, grey sky bore down from the opening of the trees, making an already depressing day more depressing. No matter, though. The weather wasn't relevant. They just needed a good spot. "Here's good, sit down," she said.

The pair sat down and crossed their legs, Bella closing her eyes tightly. "Close your eyes and take a deep breath, okay? Empty your mind completely. Focus on nothing but the simplicity in the void. On your breathing, in and out, but do not control it. Just allow your body's senses to take control." Bella followed her own instruction, allowing her mind to clear of all things save her own senses. She listened as her breath exhaled from her mouth and dispersed into the air, before she inhaled and wallowed in the sensation of the cold, winter air going down her throat into her lungs.

She listened to the world around her, hearing trees as they casually creaked and groaned from the cold. Occasionally, snow would fall from the branches and a soft thud would echo nearby, but it wasn't a disturbing sound. More calming. The ice over the pond creaked as well, the water just underneath the surface not frozen and as still as a sheet of glass.

"This isn't working," Damien said from beside her. "I can't empty my mind."

"It's more of a metaphor," she answered, "think about your senses and the surroundings, not about whatever is bothering you."

"I can't," he answered gruffly.

"Damien-"

"I can't," he said with finality. "I can't stop thinking. My mind is racing. Fuck the trees and the snow, its not helping." Bella opened her eyes and turned to look at him, seeing him glaring at the pond.

"Well, do you have an idea?" She demanded. She got no answer. "See? You don't. Try again." She turned away from him and focused on her own senses again, listening as the bushes nearby rustled from the small creatures that ran around in their undergrowth. She spared a thought for what they might before she heard more grumbling from beside her. She opened an eye and looked to her right to see Damien not even trying. She sighed and slouched forwards, glaring at him.

"So do you have an idea or not?" She demanded.

"I have some better ideas," he muttered under his breath. His tone made her feel she knew what he was referring too. Despite feeling heat spread from her lower stomach, she ignored it and turned to him.

"Damien," she said, "there's nothing to be gained by stressing yourself out. If telling everyone will help you relax, you need to do it."

"Relax?" Damien demanded, "I can't relax. Even if I do tell them, I can't relax. Not knowing what we have to do. Oh, and not to mention, whatever the hell the King rises has to do with anything. Do we even know anything about that?"

"No..." Bella answered slowly.

"Great," Damien said as he threw his hands up in the air dramatically, "so there's another thing we need to worry about."

"So what do you think will help?" She asked. Damien watched her with a smirk.

"I've got an idea," he replied.

"What the hell is this?" Bella asked as she inspected the glass given to her. They were back in Damien's apartment now, with an assortment of alcoholic drinks and fruits in front of her. The shopping trip alone confused her, but she could see the outcome now.

"It's a drink," Damien answered smoothly from beside her as he leaned on the counter. My Mom being the bartender has it's perks, I've picked up how to mix a drink well."

"I figured all you Fairy Tail guys just drank whiskey right from the bottle," she teased as she inspected the orange drink before her.

"That's a little hard on the stomach," Damien answered. "Want to know why mixing fruity drinks is fun? You don't realise how fucked up your getting until it's too late." Bella smirked at him.

"I didn't take you for a cocktail man," she said to him. "So what's in it?"

"And I figured you would be all over them," he shot back. "Vodka, orange juice, pineapple juice, and lemon-lime juice. Try it." Bella did as she was instructed. She could only taste a hint of the vodka in it, the rest was fruit. It was delicious.

"Damn," she said. "That's good."

"I know," he agreed as he down his whole glass in a few seconds. "It's real easy to make too." Bella watched him scan the other ingredients for a while, mixing himself another drink as she stuck with hers.

"Is this healthy?" She asked after a while. "Drinking your worries away?"

"Who cares?" Damien answered back as he tossed what looked like apple juice into his glass. "It helps."

"Not in a good way," she answered back. "I remember how Drake was when Nashi first died. I'm surprised he didn't get alcohol poisoning."

"So am I," Damien answered truthfully. "But he had the right idea. Liquor helps dull the stress."

"Doesn't really make you feel better though," she offered.

"Who cares," Damien said again, sounding more irritated this time as he downed another whole glass. Bella watched him with concern, nut sure how to address the clear problem. He clearly wasn't interested in a practical solution, so what was she to do? Maybe she should just leave well enough alone.

She then remembered how Damien had helped her to walk again. How he had stayed by her side as she regained the use of her body. How could she abandon him now?

She chugged the rest of her drink before speaking.

"Damien," she said, "your avoiding the problem."

"My problem," Damien answered as he mixed another drink, this time going fifty-fifty on apple juice and vodka and downing it. "Is I'm not fucked up enough yet."

"The problem is you're not telling your family the Demon Lords will come for Nashi," she said. "If you don't, I will."

"And what then?" He demanded as he turned on her faster than she though he would. "You think that'll solve my problem? That my stress will unwind like a knotted rope? Fuck off, kindly. Telling them is just the tip of the iceberg."

"Well-"

"Bella," he said as he downed another drink. "I don't wanna hear about it. Either get drunk with me to distract me, or go away. I'm trying to distract myself from the imminent danger." Bella felt a vein bulge in her forehead, making her slam her glass down harder than she meant to.

"Is that what you've been doing the past few days?" She demanded, "distracting yourself?"

"Huh?" Damien asked.

"Are you just looking for an escape from your responsibility?" She demanded. "No matter what it is, huh? Just to dull the pain somewhat?"

"What do you want me to do?" Damien demanded, "I have to tell my family, after we just got Nashi back, that the literal guardians of the afterlife are going to take her back. How do I say that? That we are fighting literal Gods? Do you have an answer, Bella?!"

"No," Bella retorted, "but at least I can see not telling them solves nothing! What are you hoping will happen?! Do I have to tell them?!"

"Right!" He shouted, "that solves my fucking problem, doesn't it?! Then, I'd just have to contend with that knowledge anyway, rack my tiny fucking brain for an answer that isn't there! Even Xisplate told me to not intervene, so how do I stop my family?! How the fuck do I stop them?! Do I even bother?! Do I send them to my deaths?! Because they will fight, Bella, we both know that! Not to mention my connection with Xisplate might be causing this to begin with! What exactly am I supposed to do?!"

"Damien-"

"Here's an idea, Bella," Damien shouted. "How about you shut up unless you have an answer for me?! That means just shut it, by the way." Bella watched him icily as he went back to making his drinks, before she stood up abruptly.

"I hope the liquor can provide a decent distraction like I did," she hissed as she felt tears threatening her eyes. "Granted, I don't think you can fuck away your problems with a bottle like you did with me!" She whirled away from him before he said anything, going for the door. She grabbed her coat and began to throw it on, not intent on turning back to face him at all.

"Bella," his voice came. It was soft, regretful. "Wait."

She didn't want to.

She wanted to slam the door in his face, tell him to eat shit, and leave her alone.

But she stopped all the same, hand on the doorknob. He didn't say anything for a moment, maybe seeing if she was intent on leaving.

"I-" He started, stopping. "I'm sorry, Bella. I didn't mean any of that. I didn't...I didn't mean to shout at you."

"Does that mean you meant it?" She asked coldly, still refusing to look at him.

"Yes," he said, "I mean, no, I...Damn it Bella, please look at me."

She didn't want to. She wanted to look anywhere else.

She looked.

Damien's entire posture was remorseful. His usual wide, broad shoulders were slouched and defeated. His head was hanging, when it was usually held high. His eyes met hers, and she tried her hardest to look pissed.

"I..." He started, "I'm sorry I said those things. I took my stress out on you. That was horrible of me. You're trying to help, I know that. It's just..."

"Just what?" She prodded. Damien sighed and slumped into his seat, the afternoon sun bearing down on him from the window.

"How the fuck," he said, "do you stop someone from doing something when you know they'll do it anyway?"

"How so?" She asked, moving back into the apartment. Damien sighed again, rubbing his eyes with his hand.

"I know Fairy Tail will fight," he said. "It doesn't matter what I say. They will fight for Nashi."

"Do you not believe in them?" Bella asked softly.

"Who cares if I do or not?!" Damien asked as he looked at her. "They'll fight no matter what I believe! What if someone dies?! The Demon Lords, despite their names, are technically Gods Bella! We're fighting Gods from here on out! Someone might die! The last time I knew too, and I still-!" He froze at this, putting his head in his hands and shouting into them angrily. Bella watched him as her heart ached.

"...You think you're the one causing this," she said. "That you're some messenger of your families pain."

"I am," Damien choked out. "Xisplate told me Nashi would die, she did. He told me we might fight, and we will! At least he didn't tell me someone would die this time! I nearly killed Steph, destroyed town in the process, all I do is cause pain!"

"Do you somehow think that pain will be avoided if you don't tell them?" Bella asked, "do you think not speaking of it will make it disappear?" Damien gave her no answer. She pulled up the other chair next to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Damien, if there's no avoiding it, then why try? Tell the guild, come up with some sort of plan. There's no other way to do it. Don't avoid it."

"..."

"I know it's hard," she said, "But it'll be even worse if you just sit here and do nothing." Damien didn't say anything for a long while, but eventually he sighed.

"When Nashi died," he whispered, "I've never felt worse in my entire life. I don't know how many days went by where I felt nothing. The entire guild was falling apart. People drinking themselves to death, running away, it was horrible. It's going to happen again. It WILL happen again. Someone will die, I just know it." Bella watched him weakly, trying to find the words to tell him.

"If anyone dies," she said, "They will have died knowing they did their best to save someone they love. I can't think of a better way to go. Damien, if you don't speak up, the losses may be worse. More people might die. Telling everyone what might happen could save lives."

"And what about the ones it doesn't save?" He asked weakly.

"Do Doctors stop saving lives because someone died?" She asked, "Do soldiers stop fighting for their country because the guys next to them died? You do the best you can. You save who you can. If you don't say something, and someone dies, you'll feel just as bad as if you did say something. So say it. Tell them, and make a plan."

There was silence between them for a long time. Damien just relished in her contact as she held him in her arms, doing her best to soothe him. She couldn't begin to imagine the stress on him. Bella wanted to help them so much. She really cared about Fairy Tail, and it seemed like so many of them were so damaged both mentally and physically. All of them were hurting, but they weren't done fighting. It was no wonder why Damien didn't want to say anything.

"Tomorrow," Damien finally said. "First thing in the morning, I'll tell my Dad what's to come."

"Why not now?" She asked. Damien was quiet for a moment before he turned to look at her, wiping at his eyes.

"I want one more night," he said, "one more night to act like there isn't a problem. Just one. Tomorrow, I can go back to knowing the horrors ahead. But for the rest of today, I want to act innocent."

"And to do what?" Bella asked. She regretted that somewhat when he let out a weak chuckle.

"I can think of a few things," he said. Bella realised now how close his face was to hers, and she felt a blush creeping up.

"I told you not to use me for a distraction," she whispered. Damien scoffed.

"Who said I was doing that?" He asked her. Bella hated that a chill went down her spine and that familiar heat spread in her stomach.

Bella wondered who said that too. Although she was pretty sure it was her.

Another morning came, and Bella could already sense the bed was empty aside from her. She looked over her shoulder all the same, and confirmed what she already knew. Damien was up already. Getting up and throwing a shirt on for some decency. Walking into the kitchen, she saw a note tapped to the fridge.

I'll be back later. I put your clothes in the wash. Guess you'll just have to wear mine for a bit!

Oh, and thanks. For the help. Oh, and the sore back. Hope it was good for you too.

-Damien

This fucking guy.

Damien didn't have a fucking clue what he was going to say, but, who cared. Bella was right. He needed to say something. Action was better than inaction.

Walking in the front door, Damien gave a small wave to his friends before making his way to his Dad's office. He stepped inside and shut the door behind him, matching his Dad's eyes.

"Dad," he said.

"Damien," he greeted. "What is it?" Damien took a deep breathe and steeled himself.

"I need to tell you something," he said. "Something I omitted when I told you guys what Xisplate said."

"Would it be about us having to fight the Demon Lords?" He asked.

Wait.

What?

His father could clearly see the shock on his face, and he let out a weak laugh. "I figured. I knew something was wrong when Xisplate showed up last night."

What?!

"To answer your obvious question," his father continued, "Yes, Xisplate came to me last night. He told me you had omitted certain details the guild needed to be privy too. So he told me that they'd come for Nashi, and that it would probably come to a fight. I told him I agreed with that assessment."

"He..."

"I understand why you didn't say anything, but don't just keep that to yourself next time. It helps no one. Okay?"

"I..."

"I understand Damien, I do. You didn't want anyone to die, so you-"

Damien stormed from his fathers office in a fury.

Laxus watched his son go with a stunned expression. He watched the door slam shut in silence before he blinked a few times in surprise. Finally, he sighed to himself.

"Be a better father figure, Mira said," he muttered to himself. "Open up to your son, he's clearly struggling, she said. Last time I listen to that woman."

Damien stormed into the nearby woods in order to not look like a crazy person.

"Xisplate!" He shouted into thin air. "Xisplate! XISPLATE, you fucker! Show yourself!"

"Good morning, Damien," the demon in question said as he appeared, as dapper as ever. "I see you're angry. I can't fathom why, you seemed very pleased last night. I distinctly remember that the last few days you've been-"

"You circumvented me and told my Father?!" Damien shouted, "What the fuck!"

"Why is this a problem?" Xisplate asked. "You were too busy thinking with your dick to do it, so I did it."

"I was not thinking with my- hey! You've been watching me?!"

"Oh yes, all the time," Xisplate replied. "I see everything you see, Damien. I must say, your technique with the ladies is quite something. Is it normal for a human woman to shout so much during sex?"

"Stop changing the subject to my sex life!" Damien shouted as he pushed Xisplate in the chest, slightly ruffling his suit. "Don't just go behind my back and talk to people! Especially since we may as well be enemies again!" Xisplate scanned him silently, not saying a word.

"I simply wished to warn them of the danger," he said. "The danger you would not warn them of."

"Because-!"

"Because it was causing you mental duress, I know." Xisplate said. "I heard what you said." Damien stared at him as he managed to see what the demon was saying.

"Were...Were you being thoughtful?" He demanded, "did you tell my Dad so I wouldn't have too?"

"I've watched for days as you lost your in liquor and the desires of Bella Realight," Xisplate said. "Having to deliver more bad news was destroying you. I did it for you. You are welcome."

Damien stared at the demon for a good long while, not saying a word. Time and time again, the otherworldly guardian surprised him.

"...Well, don't do it again," he finally said. "Or at least talk to me first."

"Will do," Xisplate said. "Now, is there anything else, or are you returning to divulge yourself more in Bella?" Without waiting for an answer, Xisplate turned and began to fade. Damien thought of the other day, his warning, the hug he was given.

"Xisplate," he said. "You...You care about me, don't you?" The demon stopped fading momentarily, but didn't say. He then looked over his shoulder, a melancholy look on his face.

"We are not the monsters you want so desperately to pain us as," he said. "The Demon Lords were charged by Anhkseram to guard the afterlife and judge humanity. We care. I care. About all human life."

"So why?" Damien demanded, "Why choose humans as takeovers, why allow those wizards to side with evil organisations and spread chaos?! You claim to care, yet barely show it! Why?!" Xisplate smiled sadly.

"I would be breaking the Third Law if I said a word," he said. "Reveal no forbidden knowledge, I believe I said."

He faded without saying more.

Leaving Damien alone, in the cold, confused.

And hurting all over again.

This chapter has gone through like three different variations, and this is the least smutty one. As I said above, I'm just not comfortable writing that. It's not story relevant, so I decided to omit it. Don't hate me! I hope you enjoyed, leave a review! Let's try and get five!

Chapter 371: Damaged Goods