If you like my writing and what I do, please buy my book Commencement by Joseph Lankford(available on Amazon, iTunes, Barnes and Noble, wherever). Because I would rather sell a finished product of my own work than open a pat reon for donations on a fanfic. Just makes me feel better about myself.
New Cohabitation
(Sullivan's Manor: Midday)
"That should be everything I need." Iruma said, standing at his true towering height in black pants and a purple T-shirt, as he finished loading up a large purple suitcase with clothes and toiletries. His manga, games, and snacks were all confiscated and he had to watch as Opera and his own sister raided his secret stashes to follow through on Derkila's punishment for him. Irumi was still able to keep all of her things because she merely kept quiet and only partook in her brother's schemes if it meant progressing his relationship with Ameri. "This would've been a lot easier to do if you weren't clinging to me like this Opera." He said to the royal security devil, who was latched on to Iruma's side.
"Impossible my prince." They said, tightening their hug. "To operate at my full ability, I need to absorb an equal quantity of prince and princess energy. One of which I'll be denied for however long you'll be away."
'There are simpler ways to say you'll miss me.' The prince thought as he closed up his suitcase to leave his room and move to the foyer of the manor. As he arrived he found his sister there with her own suitcase and another older demon, the main servant of the Asmodeus Household, David. He had a brush mustache and slicked back gray hair tied in a long ponytail and dressed in a white dress shirt, a black vest, and pants. He had come earlier with the Asmodeus carriage, since everyone else wanted to make sure Sullivan wouldn't violate his punishment by trying to interact with the twins in any capacity. Speaking of Sullivan-
"PLEASE! JUST LET ME SEE THEM OFF! I WON'T EVEN TALK TO THEM!" The twins heard him cry behind a locked door that was rattling just from his pleading cries, a large puddle of tears flowing from underneath the small opening in the door.
"Sully! Lord Derkila was quite clear!" Levy's voice could barely be heard over her dear friend's cries. "Plus, we both know you'd never let go if you did!"
"IRUMI~! IRUMA~!" He continued to cry, which was ultimately ignored by everyone else. The prince took his disguise form with Opera still holding onto him possessively as he walked up to his sister.
"Well, this will be the first time we'll be separated. Gotta admit, I'm feeling kind of nervous." He said with a slight chuckled while Irumi gave a knowing smirk.
"Because we aren't usually apart for long or because you'll be left unsupervised with Ameri?" The sister suggested, causing Iruma to stiffen up. "Well, promise you'll keep your passions under control until you two are actually married. I don't want to be an aunt too soon." She told him before thinking it over. "Although..."
"You're not even at the home of the Crown of Lust and already your mind is in the gutter." Iruma deadpanned. "Ameri and I aim for a pure and loving relationship, taking our time to simply enjoy everything about the other. Though I am scared of having her cooking again."
"Right right. Just remember to have protection while you enjoy everythi-" She was saying, adding a sultry emphasis to that last word, before her brother flicked her in the head.
"Stop it. And you can let go any time now Opera." The prince ordered as the caretaker slowly detached from their charge. "See you at school sis. Have fun with Azz." He said as he walked out the door, being ordered to make his own way to Ameri's door without a carriage or flight. "And follow your own advice you perv!"
"Be safe Uma!" The princess returned before pulling on her eyelid and sticking her tongue out. "And I'll do what I want with my Azzy!" She shouted.
"Opera! Make sure she behaves!" Iruma shouted back one last time. Irumi was about to say something else, before she felt Opera's hand on her shoulder.
"Understood your highness." He said before looking down at the princess. "I'll make sure she isn't left alone with her fiance." This made Irumi pout.
"Meanie Opera."
(Asmodeus Household)
"Man, it's been too long since I've stayed here." Irumi said as she left the carriage, looking up at the pristine white manor of the Asmodeus home decorated with numerous serpent designs. Opera was carrying her bags while David opened the door for her.
"Welcome back, lady Irumi." He greeted as the princess entered the manor of her betrothed. It was just as lovely as she remembered it, gleaming white and gold, purple and red, the whole manor seemed to follow the theme of the Gorgon Snakes the Asmodeus tend to attract. "We hope you will enjoy your stay." David said as walked through the doors, finding Alice there and ready to greet her while wearing pristine white and royal purple clothes.
"Welcome back my beloved." He said with a regale bow, covering his horns then his mouth. "We of the Asmodeus house are pleased to host you for the duration of your stay." Irumi smiled at how dignified Alice was being, despite the barest hints of nervous trembling, so she decided to indulge him.
"You have my thanks, my dear Alice." She said in a sultry tone, letting her fingers dance along his chin before gently pulling it up to look him in the eye. "I look forward to enjoying my time hWAH!" She was leaning down and pulling her fiance toward her for a tender kiss, only for Opera to tug on her collar and stop her.
"Remember princess, your brother said to behave." They said, easily balancing her luggage on one hand while the other held her back. "And truthfully, your father agrees. This is your punishment for not telling him sooner about your brother's misconduct." This surprised her before thinking about it and the way her father's mind works. She was never told she was being punished just like she never told Derkila was Iruma was doing, and now her favorite temptation was in front of her face... and she can't fully enjoy it with Opera watching her like a storm hawk.
"DANG IT DADDY!" She cursed as her caretaker guided her further inside, an angry pout on full display. "This was just mean."
"There there princess." Opera said as they kept pushing her gently along. "It's only for a little while. Besides, there's still other things you can do here other than toying with your fiance."
"Like?" Irumi challenged, forgetting that she was in the Asmodeus house before a certain someone reminded her.
"UMI~!" Amaryllis called out, rushing through the halls in her pink dress and snatching her up in a tight cuddle. "You're finally here my adorable daughter!" Remembering where she was, Irumi finally responded in kind.
"Mommy Amu!" The princess sang as she returned the cuddle.
"Mmmm~! I was counting down the minutes until you finally arrived!" The Crown of Lust cried as she nuzzled her future daughters face with her own. "It was the longest two days of my life!" She held Irumi up and starting spinning around. "But now that wait is over and we have you all to ourselves!"
"YAY!" The princess cheered as she let her inner child come back in full force to enjoy her time with her mother to be.
"And, Alice and I aren't the only ones that are here to greet you." She hinted before looking toward one hallway corner, spying two more heads of pink hair. Irumi perked up immediately and disappeared in a burst of magical speed, shocking everyone but Opera.
"Viole! Lily!" The princess cried out, appearing behind them and snatching the two young girls up in her arms, regardless of their cries of protest. "I've missed you two so much!" They were Viole and Lily, Alice's cousins who wore matching white and pink with Viole having longer wavy hair while Lily had a shorter tomboyish cut.
"Let go!" Viole and her sister struggled in vain as Irumi cuddled them relentlessly.
"We're still enemies big sis Umi!" Lily blurted out, immediately covering her mouth after realizing what she said. Irumi stopped her cuddling to look at the two before her eyes welled up with joyous tears.
"My adorable little sisters!" The princess cried out as she held them ever tighter in her arms. They always claimed to be rivals with Irumi for Alice's attention but the honest truth is that they loved Irumi just as much, they just hate to show it. Irumi believes this was called 'Tsundere'.
(Bablys Dorms: Dusk)
The main schools of the Netherworld prided themselves on helping their students develop in a way best suited for them; Jackapo under Belial encouraged competition between the students, Levy's Levialon had discipline and manners, and Bablys analyzed the students and sorted them out into which teachers would be the best suited to guide them. This also meant giving their students the freedom for a bit of independence in the form of the school dorms, responsible for their day to day while still being under the protection of the teachers of Bablys. Of course, as with everything else in the Netherworld, rank matters as the better rank means better accommodations are available. As such, being one of the higher ranked students, Ameri had a very nice dorm that was all to herself.
A large living room with a large sofa and a large flat screen tv, a fully decked out kitchen, a bedroom with a king sized bed and a walk in closet, a bathroom that seemed impractical for a single person, and two more study rooms; one for school work and one for relaxation... if her collection of manga wasn't also confiscated. But that wasn't on her mind as the student council president exited her bath, hoping to calm her nerves one last time before her fiance entered her living quarters. A part of her was excited, another part was terrified, and a final part was just completely on edge. Yes they've seen each others rooms, yes they feel as close as any two demons could be, yes they've been alone together multiple times, but never once was it living together.
"It'll be fine." She whispered to herself, making her way to her closet to pick out an outfit. "It's just him and you." She pulled out pair of light purple pants and a light pink dress shirt. "Alone. Together. Without a curfew." She got dressed and tied her hair in a loose ponytail though two locks still curled back. "Or anyone and anything to interrupt when the mood is good." She froze as she flashed back to the Battler Party when she had Iruma's head on her lap, talking about their future child, as visions of their wedding night came to-.
"KYA~!" She cried out, blushing madly before curling into a ball and rolling around on the floor. "Too early! Tooearlytooearlytooearlytooearlytooearly!" She repeated before getting up and smacking her head against the wall a couple of times. "We're not even married yet! Get a hold of yourself Azazel!" She demanded before smacking her cheeks. "It'll be fine! It'll be fine." She took a few deep breaths to calm herself. "Just stay calm. You can hold off till your wedding." She said before hearing a knock at her door, practically jumping out of her outfit in shock before squeaking out a reply. "Coming!" She made her way to the door and opened it, greeted by a bouquet of blood roses and fire lilies with some of the rainbow blossoms from the Green Tower at Bablys.
"I decided to stop by professor Stolas's office and ask her for a few flowers." She saw the smiling face of her fiance as he presented the flowers. "Went through quite a few saplings to make this." He let out a small chuckle, soothing Ameri's concerns and drawing a small laugh from her as well.
"You didn't have to Iruma." She said while taking the bouquet and breathing in the scent of the flowers, the mix making her nose tingle in delight. "But I do love them." She said with a smile, not noticing Iruma grew to her height before he planted a kiss on her cheek.
"That's why I did it." He said before walking in and setting his suitcase next to the sofa. "Your place looks so nice." He said, taking in the view and atmosphere. "Kind of makes me wanna get a place of my own... but then-"
"The chair demon would never leave you alone and keep begging you to come back?" Ameri guessed, picking out a vase for the flowers. "He would do that."
"Yeah. Grandma Levy and Grandpa Beli had to hold him down in a separate room while Umi and I left." He said, quickly wondering how Sullivan was doing before his stomach grumbled rather loudly, now filling him with dread. He slowly turned his head, silently praying to all the powers of the Netherworld that she didn't hear that, only for that hope to die as Ameri looked at him in surprise. "I'm not hungry." He quickly lied, only for Ameri to angrily pout at him.
"None of that darling." She scolded, going over to him and pushing the prince toward her bathroom. "Now get in there and clean yourself up. I'll make dinner." She ordered, ignoring his pleas that he's fine and that she doesn't need to cook. Ameri ignored that and made her way to the kitchen, opening her fridge and started picking out ingredients. As she set them on the counter, her mind traveled back to the second time she tried cooking and the first time she made anything for Iruma... and the absolute terror that was Opera shortly after that.
Henri and Iruma might not have been willing to tell Ameri how bad her cooking was but Opera had no such mercy, especially since she was the future Demon Queen. If Ameri ever wanted to cook anything for Iruma again, she had to pass Opera's strict standards. Each lesson had harsh scolding at best and a tail whip from them at worst as they drilled the basic concept of following the recipe and which measurements were right into the young girl's mind. The ultimate reveal of her inability as a cook was when Opera made her taste her own cooking, she never knew stomach pains that severe. At her own request, Opera and Ameri kept this a secret as she honed her skills in the kitchen until she matched Opera's level. That still hasn't happened, but at least her food is recognizable.
"And there." She said as she poured sauce on a patty of ground meat that sat next to some grilled Netherworld vegetables, her attempt at hamburg steak she kept seeing in manga. "I think it came out okay." Ameri smiled, trying to ignore the small burns on the veggies and the misshapen patties. "Master, I've failed again." She moaned as she couldn't deny the mistakes. She still set them out as she heard Iruma exit the shower, wearing a similar outfit but with a purple dress shirt this time.
"Okay Ameri, I'm ready... for..." He started as he finally saw the dishes and Ameri's own disappointed face.
"I know, it looks awful." She admitted, sounding close to tears. "I found out how bad I was and I've spent years under Opera to try and get better... but this is still the end result. I know lord Derkila did this as a punishment, but I was still hoping to make you something tasty. And yet, even after all this time I-" Iruma silenced her by grabbing her head and giving her a kiss, directly on her lips and shocking her. After a few seconds they separated and Iruma looked at her lovingly.
"I'll admit, I was expecting something that would tear my insides apart, but I would've eaten it anyway." He told her, using a thumb to wipe away a stray tear that was falling down her cheek. "Because it was made by the person I love more than anything else." She began tearing up again before latching on and hugging him tightly, an embrace the prince happily returned. "Now, let's eat while it's still hot so that your hard work doesn't go to waste."
(Babel Tower: 13's Dining Room)
"I rather like how this turned out, don't you think so?" Derkila asked the assembled members, Sullivan being bound to his chair and still bawling his eyes out while Henri looked like he was going to have an aneurysm. There were two crystal balls showing them how the prince and princess were adjusting to their punishments. Though, calling it strictly 'punishment' was honestly just an experiment and a push on the king's part to further the twins' relationships with their betrothed and future in laws. It's one thing to be romantically involved, it's another to actually be living together.
"It's certainly a start my lord." Belzebuth stated looking over the other papers for the meeting. "It warms my heart to see the line of succession will be secured in the future." He said as the sound of glass breaking rang throughout the room.
"GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY BABY GIRL YOU-!" Henri started before Poro tapped his conducting rod and made his head slam into the table.
"You've had ten years to learn to let go and yet you're still like this." The musical demon sighed as he watched the screen. "Maybe some down time will do them all a bit of good. Give them a chance to really settle into this."
"Well, I won't deny their education, but if nothing goes wrong," He sent a glance to Baal who nodded in understanding, "then they can do whatever in the meantime. Maybe go to a Demdol concert or something."
"If I recall, my subordinates told me that Kuromu will be having a big concert at the Makubari Dome soon. Maybe they can go to that?" That suggestion made the others look at Poro with skepticism.
"Is this another attempt to get them to become Demdols?" Derkila dryly asked.
"Wha? No, no... a little." Poro admitted, causing everyone else to sigh at her continued insistence at trying to get the prince and princess to take to the stage.
"Well, they can at least enjoy themselves at the concert." The king said, not having a better idea. "Now on to less important matters of managing the Netherworld."
If you like my writing and what I do, please buy my book Commencement by Joseph Lankford(available on Amazon, iTunes, Barnes and Noble, wherever). Because I would rather sell a finished product of my own work than open a pat reon for donations on a fanfic. Just makes me feel better about myself.