She who found bonds of friendship

V

Romani backed away and stepped to the side to allow Wodime entry into the house. "I shall only wait for as long as the drink though, I would hate to be here for a considerable length of time."

That brought about an odd reaction from Romani as he closed the door behind the younger man "Wait…really? Kuoh isn't that bad."

"Oh, it's not that." Wodime chuckled "I'm quite certain it is a very charming town, once you get to understand all there is to know of it. It is merely that my coming here might well be considered a…spur of the moment decision." he explained as he stepped further into the house, removing his shoes and striding into the living room "Suffice to say, they might notice my absence if I were gone too long."

Romani stared at him in puzzlement as he walked past them "Did you take a short trip to Kuoh then?"

"Well, it was expedient." Wodime explained easily enough "If you're offering, I will have a cup of coffee."

"Huh…I thought you would be a tea person…" Romani remarked with an odd tone of voice, Wodime thinned his lips and looked at the man.

"Do I truly give that impression?"

"A little bit, yeah."

"I see…" Wodime looked as though he was making note of this particular fact "I suppose it has something to do with my appearance?"

"A little." Romani replied with a shrug of his shoulders as he walked into the kitchen "Although I'd probably say it's more…gut feeling?"

"Hmmmm."

"Coffee then, yeah? Alright." Romani called back through, prompting a hum of affirmation from the visitor. Moving through the kitchen to retrieve a second mug for his impromptu guest "Do you take it with milk or black?"

"Milk, please." Wodime responded as he sat himself down on one of the chairs near the table in the centre. Casting his eyes over the decor of the house with a curious eye, it was something he would personally consider rather avante-garde without being quite overstimulating. It described Leona remarkably well.

"This house…it was decorated by Da Vi-" He cut himself off, remembering the rather surprising news from earlier and correcting himself. "It was decorated by Leona, yes?"

"Yeah." Romani called back through the house as he opened up the fridge and withdrew the carton of milk. "She was pretty much the guiding hand for most of what went on. I picked out some of the furniture though."

"Oh?" Wodime sounded vaguely intrigued by the notion "Leona was rather…" he paused for a moment as he considered his words carefully. He needn't have bothered as Romani chuckled and cut him off.

"You don't need to dance around it, Leo can be really stubborn when she wants to be." The man reminisced "Actually she initially wanted to decorate the whole house herself but realised that two people were going to be living here so decided to let me have a few choice picks." he paused as he went to add the milk "I would have been fine with what she wanted but I guess she insisted."

Wodime was silent for a moment, still examining the decorations of the house. Everything held a slight theme of western europe during the time of the renaissance. No surprise, given both her name and her area of specialisation. He looked closely for certain areas that didn't quite match up with the-

His eyes fell upon the coffee table in front of him.

It was a simple oak table, square in design and with a shelf underneath the surface.

"...Did you - perchance - make the suggestion of the coffee table?"

"Yes." A pause "...It's really noticeable, isn't it?"

Wodime remained silent for a moment "I would not go so far." he admitted "Though when compared to the rest of the environment, I suppose those with a keener eye would notice it doesn't quite line up with the houses aesthetic." he lifted his eyes from it and turned to see the man emerging from the door to the kitchen with two mugs in hand. "That does not make it a bad choice, though." he offered with a smile as he picked up two of the coasters from the centre of the table and placed one of them in front of him and the other in front of the sofa to his right.

"It merely showcases your own individual flair, I believe is the expression." He paused for a moment, then with a completely straight face he added on "I suppose you could say it represents your personali-tree."

Romani stared.

Wodime stared back.

Romani gave him a slow blink before he thinned his lips.

"...Was that joke no good?" Wodime ventured, a troubled frown crossing his face as he directed his attention back at the table "I had thought it was merely those I work with who didn't quite get them but maybe it is me?" he gave a thoughtful hum "Perhaps I simply need better material."

"With how wooden that joke was, I'm afraid the table might get jealous." Romani commented as he placed himself down on the sofa and handed the coffee in his left hand to the blonde man.

Wodime gave Romani a surprised expression as he took the mug before his lip curled upwards in very clear amusement "Ah, see? That is the type of humour I was aiming for. Something to make the air of a meeting less tense." he remarked as he placed the mug down on the coaster "I fear as though everyone walks around frequently with grim expressions. I would prefer we acted as a more…casual team."

Romani paused midway through putting his mug down "Have you not been able to make friends with your colleagues?"

Wodime rested his hands on his knees, his lips curling down into a troubled expression "I fear the answer might remain no." he closed his eyes "While I respect each and every one of them I would like to imagine our relationship being more than professional."

"I don't see what's wrong with that." Romani replied with a shrug as he placed his mug down, tilting his head "I make friends with the students and some of the teachers." his expression turned more abashed. "Though some of those friendships just got sort of…dropped on me I guess."

The blonde man paused, lips thinning and head nodding up and down in understanding "So friendship can be sudden and it can be developed…Interesting." he muttered to himself before he gave Romani a thankful smile "I appreciate this advice. Hopefully it will work…I will try with Kadoc first, he seems to be the most…" he teetered his head from left to right "...Up to date on current trends."

"A younger one then, right?"

"Not especially."

"...Oh."

"I was very work focused so I didn't have much time to really understand trends and the like." He paused. "Not that I am ignorant by any stretch of the imagination but I feel as though my knowledge could be more improved."

"As long as you're trying, they should appreciate it right?"

"I suppose that much could be true." Wodime considered before he chuckled "Dear me, to think this conversation came from speaking of a coffee table?"

"I've had stranger."

"Somehow, I do not doubt your words." Wodime chuckled as he reached out and took the mug into his hands, bringing it up to his lips and taking a small sip of the hot drink. He gave a pleased hum as he placed the mug back down "But…I hope you do not take offence to this, I never imagined Leona as the type to marry." he confessed with a curious look "Everything she did seemed to be as focused as the rest of us so…"

Romani thinned his lips, widening his eyes and leaning back into the sofa "...Yeah. She probably still is but her focus drifts from whatever she's thinking of making at the time." he waved his hand "...You said you went to school with her?"

Wodime nodded "It would be more accurate to say I went to school at the same time as her. She was a few years older but there were a few lectures we attended together." he gave a mirthful huff "She was a rather dominant personality in all of those. Offering her own insights to counter the actual teachers."

"...Sounds like Leo."

"Hmmm. As you can imagine, they both welcomed and hated having her in their classes." Wodime remarked with a nostalgic expression "As for us? Well…we had our own little spots of brilliance. I ended up breaking one of her records and naturally she found me not nearly an hour later."

Romani blinked, then leaned forwards "What was that like?"

Wodime remained silent for a moment "...Rather unforgettable. She finds me in the middle of the hall with the widest smile on her face and then walks right up to me and says 'Finally, now I can really start trying' before walking off."

Despite the nature of her words, Romani couldn't help but snort at the story. "I imagine everyone around wasn't pleased to hear that?"

"Quite so." Wodime replied with a wry smile "The idea she had been holding back made more than a few think she was mocking them…as for me?" his smile turned more genuine "She became something of a beacon. A star I would need to surpass or at least rise to be an equal of. I don't quite know if I managed it in some areas but in others we were more or less on equal footing."

"Huh…" Romani made a noise as he took a sip of his coffee "Sounds like she probably had fun." he murmured "She was always a little competitive."

"I think she might have been starved for competition." Wodime remarked "Within her own year it had been dominated by her. Then between myself and Daybit…" he made a small face "...She spent a great deal of time chatting with us and comparing notes on the more general studies. Not so much to aid one another as it was to see how we stacked against her."

"You sound like you didn't mind that."

"I didn't. Quite the contrary, it was inspiring." Wodime beamed "I suppose you could say it helped me realise something about myself. Especially when she said that her aspirations were to change the world." he took another sip of his coffee.

Romani pointedly looked around his house "...Well…"

"But as for most of our time at school…Well. Suffice to say she was definitely one of the larger names, even after she left most of the other students who were up and comers would be compared with her success." He shrugged, "It was just a fact of life to be compared with your peer."

Wodime then paused and leaned forward "I am curious though…How did you and Leona meet?"

Romani pursed his lips "I…was in my first year of college." he explained "Was studying for medicine in Germany and then went to a cafe soon after." the nurse's expression turned slightly embarrassed. "I went in there to finish up some work, it was relatively full and then this woman just walks up and sits opposite me."

"A complete coincidental meeting?"

"...Turns out she'd actually seen me from across the room staring at a computer for a couple hours and was a little curious what I was actually doing." Romani revealed with a shrug "It was a pretty simple reason but she just…sat there and got to speaking with me, asking me a couple of questions and just nodding along with all of them."

"I suppose a flight of fancy is quite within her realm of possibility. How did you respond?"

"With nervous stuttering." Romani snorted "Barely managed half a sentence without tripping over my own tongue. I was half expecting her to laugh at any moment but she just stared at me and waited." he thinned his lips "I think that was the thing that got me initially. Then she just hands me this phone number and walks off asking to speak to me again later."

"...Just like that?"

"Just like that."

Wodime blinked several times, then looked back to the table "...Now I find myself even more confused. No offence."

Romani almost laughed "Not nearly as confused as I was at the time. Barely so much as talked to a girl before then someone like her just walks up to me and gives me her phone number?" he sighed "I was just…I sort of just sat there until closing time. Barely managed to actually get any work in."

"Just out of curiosity, what do you do?"

"School nurse."

"Ah, a respectable career." Wodime nodded his head "Keeping the minds of the future healthy and safe."

"...That's not really the first reaction most people have. Especially not the students."

"Really?" The man blinked in puzzlement "What was the initial reaction?"

Romani made a face "Well…disappointment that I wasn't a woman by the boys." he remarked with a flat expression "I think they had something very different in mind when they heard the words 'school nurse' and seeing me sort of ended up…disappointing them, I guess."

"...I see." The man gave no indication of how he actually felt about that part of the sentence, merely giving another sip of the coffee and then falling into a silence for several seconds. "I suppose they were schooled in the art of managing their expectations." a beat "And that is one thing you cannot nurse them for."

Romani snorted "T-that's terrible."

Wodime slowly nodded his head "Perhaps, but it elicited a laugh from you so it achieved its intended purpose." he remarked, his lip curling upwards before he looked back to the man "Still though, from my understanding there is a Devil family currently living here."

The nurse froze "Y-you know about that?" he squeaked, Wodime gave him a strange look.

"Yes." He replied slowly "With how important Rias Gremory and Sona Sitri are to the Devils, I would be surprised if there was someone who wasn't aware they were here. At least those with access to the right contacts at the very least. It might not be the most widely advertised placement but it is hardly a well kept secret."

"...T-they're important?"

"...Oh." Wodime winced "You are not quite as aware as I thought you were. I had presumed you were simply ignorant to the traditions of magi." his expression schooled itself as he returned his mug to the table "That would not have been too great a surprise."

"W-well it-wait…it wouldn't?"

"Not especially." Wodime admitted "Though most marriages occur within already established Magus families. A union to combine craft or simply to bring about more powerful children." he noticed Romani's expression turn more conflicted. "I suppose it might sound strange for the uninitiated."

"I'm not trying to sound offensive or anything but you…well…" Romani fidgeted for a moment "But you sort of make it sound like dog breeding." he blurted out, then scrunched his expression up when he realised what his words actually sounded like. "Um…no offence-"

"An apt analogy, I suppose." Wodime casually admitted with a thoughtful look flashing across his face "I'm surprised I haven't considered it. Bringing about the 'prized hound' as it were by breeding the most promising genes from each partner." he nodded in Romani's direction "Though some might take offence to it." he reminded him "So it would be best to keep the analogy quiet. Simply refer to it as keeping the bloodline strong."

"Oh…" Romani exhaled, leaning forwards "Right, right…sorry again."

"I'm not terribly offended by the remark." Wodime assured him "But…hmmmmm." his brows furrowed, shifting himself on the seat and resting his arm on the rest of the chair and using it to prop up his chin with index finger "You are aware that Leona is a magus, aware of the Devils existence but precious little else."

"Well…I did only find out last week."

"...Excuse me?"

"Maybe a little longer? A week and a half?" Romani frowned, then nodded "Probably that long." he looked to Wodime, seeing the man giving him a strange look. "Hm?"

"Nothing." Wodime responded after a moment, removing his chin from his hand "At the very least, nothing I would feel comfortable commenting upon without more information. That being said, you were a civilian until recently so that would explain a great many things so far."

Romani blinked once "Is that really what you call people who don't know?"

"It is an easier term and less insulting than 'ignorant peon'." Wodime stated with an utterly bland expression on his face.

"Oh…okay." Quietly whispering in reply, Romani nodded his head before he furrowed his brow "So did Leo go to a normal school or was it like a magic school." a pause "Like Hogwarts?"

"...Hogwarts." Both of Wodime's eyebrows climbed up his forehead "I…would say no. It was not like Hogwarts. It is similar enough to a university, there are lectures and different departments which cover different topics but everyone pursues their own project."

"Ooooh. Yeah, that makes more sense." Romani murmured, reaching up and scratching his left cheek "So when you asked me about being an apprentice?"

"Magus families will normally take an apprentice they will eventually pass their secrets down onto, or will take someone into the family and teach them the craft without intending to grant them the crest but…It occurs to me that most of what I will say will not make sense to you, will it?"

Romani wordlessly shook his head from side to side.

Wodime hummed quietly "Magi will find someone and teach them. Normally their own child but sometimes they will adopt a person into the family. When I asked if you were Leona's apprentice, I assumed that would be the only reason she allowed you into her home. The chances of you being an invader were slim."

That brought a curious look from Romani "How did you figure?"

"...Leona is remarkably skilled at defending her home from threats, I would assume. Her skill in understanding boundary fields aside." Wodime added on "So if you had been an invader, I would have at least heard of you. Even if you were from one of the other mage schools."

"Other?"

"That is less important."

"Ah, right, right."

"Suffice to say I was a little surprised at you being her husband but Leona was one for surprises, so this is actually quite in keeping with her track record." Wodime politely chuckled "But still…I suppose you were in for quite the shock when you found out that you went to school with Devils, of all things." he leaned forwards, giving Romani a curious look "How did you find out? Did Leona tell you?"

"I…um…" Romani fidgeted on the sofa, his eyes turning down onto the table and a phantom pain coursing through his back. "...Sort of…n-nevermind." he coughed into his hand, figuring that it likely wasn't the best topic to dwell upon. Both for himself and to maintain the pleasant attitude they had managed to obtain. "Sort of stumbled into it by accident."

"Ah, quite unfortunate then." Wodime nodded his head in understanding "Though such things are not uncommon. At the same time, it can be quite a shock to become suddenly aware that the world is a much larger place than you were initially aware of."

"No kidding." Romani muttered quietly, shaking his head from side to side "Finding out that every myth is actually real is…well…a bit daunting." he thinned his lips "So…this might sound a little weird but are all Devils…you know…" the man sighed, reaching up and rubbing his brows "It's…If I didn't know they were Devils…or that they weren't human…"

Wodime made a noise of understanding "It's a very strange thing to comprehend, isn't it? Truth be told it is something that most find very offsetting at times. Their appearances are so incredibly close to humans that it can be considered uncanny. Sometimes they blend in with their behaviour to such an extent that you cannot tell them apart from normal humans. The same goes with the Fallen Angels, to a lesser extent however. Angels?"

The man pursed his lips "Well, Angels aren't like the other two factions. They reside within Heaven and to my knowledge very rarely leave to intervene in the human realm without good reason." he shook his head "I digress, an important fact to remember is that no matter how much they look like humans you must remember that they aren't." he leaned forwards "Their way of life, their culture and their values…they are completely different from humanity."

Romani frowned "...But they don't seem that different."

"Well, in some ways they aren't." Wodime admitted "Devils and Fallen wish for the betterment of their own race. Though their methods for going about achieving this aim are radically different to what a human would consider. It's nothing inherently wrong with them as a species on either account. It's just that while we think in terms of human morality, they work along an entirely different line of reasoning." he gestured between the two of them "It is just that simple."

The nurse remained silent for a few moments before he exhaled "I get what you're saying but…sorry. I just can't see it all that well. I mean…the peerage thing seems weird with the adoption thing but-"

"Ah." Wodime's face turned awkward for the first time, a difficult expression crossing his features "The Evil Piece system."

"The what piece system?"

"You didn't know that's what they called it?" Wodime raised an eyebrow before he nodded along "I suppose you would not. Yes, that is what their system for creating peerages is called. As for the peerage itself…" he thinned his lips "...In principle, it operates exactly as you would imagine it to do so. Find powerful people, then establish a leader and subordinate or unwillingly in some…less moral cases."

"Unwilling?"

"Speaking ill of the Devils would be remarkably easy but I am applying human culture to an inhuman race. It would be somewhat arrogant of me to do so." Wodime admitted, taking another sip of his coffee "But that is besides the point for the moment. If you have personally had no trouble with the Devils at your place of work, then that is something to be relieved in. At the same time, you should keep in mind that they do not think like humans. Acts that a human might be repulsed by would come very easily to Devils."

Romani frowned "I'm not so sure about that…" he murmured in a low tone of voice, holding his much with both hands and furrowing his brows "Just doesn't seem…in them." he shrugged "Or in…I mean…Issei-kun was human-"

"Ah, you knew him before he became a Devil?" Wodime closed his eyes "In that case, an application of human morals on him would be much easier. Though his is biologically a Devil now, his mind was still human and that is easier to understand. Pure devils though? They are physically and mentally different from you or I."

"Sorry…you keep saying all this stuff and I…" Romani closed his eyes, reaching up and scratching the top of his head "I just don't see any of it. I see them everyday and I don't get what you mean."

Wodime raised his hand "I am not telling you this to warn you away from them or to suddenly treat them differently. It is just to prepare you in the event something occurs that would cause you to be surprised, that is all." he lowered the hand "Though the Gods are very much the same but they operate on an entirely different system of thought. No one would ever think of the Gods as being the same as humans."

"Well, no." Romani denied almost instantly before he realised something "Wait, so are all the Gods-?"

"Real? Yes." Wodime nodded his head without pausing, another gulp of the coffee disappearing into his mouth.

"So…all that stuff with Zeus and the…you know…"

"...Quite so." Wodime mumbled with a nod "Presumably. I've never spoken with Zeus, so I couldn't tell you." he added on with a half chuckle. "...I should say, this is quite a good cup of coffee."

"Oh, thanks." Romani smiled and nodded in gratitude "One of the few things Leo lets me buy for the both of us. She mostly says I have plain tastes and likes to be excited by the exotic every now and again. Not that I complain about it either way, it's just how she is."

"You would likely know her much better than I." Wodime remarked with a half smile aimed at the man "A shame she isn't here but I cannot complain too greatly. I'm sure there will be other opportunities for us to speak again in the future and I cannot say this trip has been a complete waste." he added.

"Oh." Was all Romani had to say on the matter, falling silent as he stared down at the table, then turned back to the blonde man "So what's being a mage like anyway?"

"The experience differs from person to person, I imagine." Wodime responded easily "Like how your experience as a nurse would likely be different to another's. It's dependent on the environment and interactions you have, the circumstances of your work and so on. For the most part? It's very research based with some occasional chances for practical tests." taking another gulp of his coffee, Wodime hummed "It would not be a stretch to say it is a commitment. So much so that it is expected that your descendants will continue your line of work and then their's will do the same."

"Ohhh." Romani hummed and nodded his head "So it's like a family heirloom type thing?"

"Not…incorrect." Wodime made another blink "Yes. That is exactly it. An incredibly important family heirloom." he was silent for several seconds, watching as Romani took a sip of his coffee "Which means that Leona will probably be wanting children in the not too distant future-"

Romani spat coffee out all over himself, coughing loudly as he choked.

Wodime leaned back, furrowing his brows and regarding the nurse with a mystified expression. He was certain the topic would have at least been brought up between the pair of them by now. Maybe it was the timing? He probably should have waited until the man wasn't in the middle of drinking.

He watched for nearly half a minute as Romani continued to choke and cough loudly, leaning forwards and putting the coffee mug down and smacking himself on the chest.

"Are you alright?" Wodime asked after a few moments, his expression turning more concerned "Do you need me to strike your back to clear your airways?" as he asked that, he was already midway through putting his coffee mug on the table.

"K-kids?" Romani croaked out, shaking his head rapidly "W-what do you mean kids?"

"Ah, you can speak?" Leaning back, Wodime let out a sigh of relief "That was a concern for a moment. But yes, children." he nodded several times before he frowned "Does that concern you somehow? I haven't…" he made a more troubled face "I haven't stumbled into a conversational landmine, have I?"

"N-no!" Romani hurriedly replied, shaking his head once again as he took in deep breaths. Lifting up his arm and wiping down his chin to get rid of the liquid "I-it's not that, it was just sudden." he let out a shaky breath "Just sort of a weird question to pop on someone is all!"

Wodime raised a lone eyebrow "Is it such a strange thing to ask a married couple though?"

"...Sometimes? Yes." Romani nodded his head "Especially for people you've only been speaking to for ten minutes or less."

That prompted Wodime to wince ever so slightly "So that was my bad was it? I see. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable."

"Children?" Romani whispered to himself once again "Goodness…I wouldn't even know where to start with trying to raise a child…" he leaned forwards, his head dropping into his hands "That's just a disaster…"

"I'm…sure you'd make an adequate father."

"...That's at least not too complimentary." Romani chuckled into his hands as he lowered them back down onto his knees, resting his forearms on his thighs. "There's at least that." He was silent for several seconds "...Leo with kids." he made a more panicked face "She'd try to make them like her and I love Leo…I really do but I'm not sure I could survive having more than one…"

Wodime didn't say much in response, slowly turning his head away from the nurse and staring down at the table. Similarly trying to imagine the idea of there being more than one Leona.

He personally didn't see a problem, it would likely inspire another generation of future magi in terms of competitiveness like it had him. Then again, perhaps there was a difference in climate that he was used to. The Clock Tower had a great many strong personalities, so much so that everyone had something they would specialise in. Personality quirks, he believed the turn of phrase was.

Wodime wasn't raised like a normal person, so perhaps those types of dominant personalities were considered much rarer in civilian life, leading to people not being quite accustomed. His eyes turned back to Romani, the man in question seemed relatively tepid. He was a polite man but not exactly a bold person, he was what he would imagine when someone would mention an ordinary person.

Yet he had managed to win the heart of Leona, so perhaps there was more to him.

They had also only been speaking for a very short time so making rush judgements about him over a single conversation would be premature.

"I would not think to comment upon that." He instead replied with, and he wouldn't comment upon it openly. "It was just that marriage and children was something that was usually a topic that would go hand in hand."

"...You're probably right too." Romani admitted with a weary sigh.

"Ah, on the topic of children-" Romani made a face "-it doesn't relate to your marital status. How do you normally approach the children at the school you work at?" Wodime asked as he gave a curious expression "They are around the mid-teenage years, yes?"

"Oh yeah." Romani nodded "Around that mark. Nearly eighteen, why?"

"I have this…" Wodime made a troubled face "Do any of the children idolise you?"

Romani gave him a slow blink "I actively tell them not to." he said in an utterly toneless voice before he chuckled at Wodime face "No, seriously. I tell them not to. I'm lazy half the time, I take naps when I'm not supposed to and am a really good procrastinator for the most part." he waved his hand "I know what I'm like so I tell the kids not to look up to me as a role model."

"That is…oddly self-reflective of you. Perhaps a little devaluing as well, are there not children who come to respect your or value your insight?"

"Well no-" He paused midway through, then made a small noise "...Huh. I guess there might be one or two…"

Wodime hummed "As I was saying, I have this…junior, in my line of work. She's younger than myself but she looks to me as this…almost infallible person who can do no wrong."

"Ah, right." Romani nodded along "That sounds like something troubling, all that pressure…" he shivered "I'd probably break with all those expectations."

"Hmmm. I'm personally not certain why she sees me like that." Wodime admitted, reaching up and scratching his chin "I hoped that you would have some measure of advice for me. Something that I could at least use for future interactions with her, I'd rather not…I want to live up to those expectations of her but I'm not sure how."

"...I don't think there's much I can say." Romani admitted after a moment thought "I just…with me, I just treat all the children the same. Regardless of who they are or what position they are in they're all just students in my eyes. I don't lie to them about what I'm feeling and that's just it…the best thing I can say is…" he closed his eyes and leaned back. "...I'm not a good role model, I know that much. At the same time, I'm being me. For this girl who looks up to you, just be yourself."

His response was a quiet hum "Being myself, you say. I'm…I think there might be a disconnect between how they see me and how I am. In truth, I feel I might envy that transparency of yours." he sighed "Being myself, if that is your advice then I'll look into it."

"I wouldn't put too much faith in it-"

"On the contrary, you work with children regularly, so I would consider you a greater expert on them than myself."

Wodime took a final gulp of his coffee as he looked down to it, nodding his head once and then placing the empty mug down on the coaster. "Well, it would appear my time here is up."

Romani blinked twice "Already?" he muttered in surprise before he rose up from his seat "I'll see you out then."

"My thanks for your hospitality." Wodime nodded his head to the man as he moved away from the chair and towards the front door, smiling all the while "This has been quite the worthwhile trip."

"You don't need to big it up…" Romani waved his hand as they walked "I'm probably not who you expected Leo to marry."

"Not at all." Wodime admitted without a hint of hesitation, Romani almost found himself tripping at the way the brutal words were delivered. "However, Leona always did things her own way and found the answer in the end." he paused for a moment, thinning his lips "I suppose you could say she would sometimes use the wrong equation and get the right answer?"

Romani stared at him blankly for several seconds.

"...That was incredibly rude of me." Wodime sighed "Apologies. Here you are, inviting me into your home, and I respond by making jokes at your expense and bringing up uncomfortable topics for discussion. I dare say I've made quite the fool of myself, if anyone else saw me they'd be rather shocked at this."

The nurse shrugged his shoulders "I've never had a conversation without putting my foot in my mouth, so I'd say getting upset about that would be a little hypocritical of me." he chuckled lowly at that before shaking his head "Besides…it's a little refreshing."

"Is it?"

"Most people I talk with are always so composed and stuff." Romani admitted "Being able to talk like that was a bit of fresh air…especially with someone who's actually my own age, or near enough at least."

Wodime paused at that, finishing his act of putting his shoes back on as he approached the door "...Is that right?" he hummed thoughtfully, then turned around to face the nurse "I confess, it was rather liberating as well to speak so candidly." tilting his head, he gave Romani an appraising look "I wonder…perhaps it wasn't a wrong equation at all."

"...Huh?"

"...Nevermind." Wodime shook his head all of a sudden "Something I realised is all, and perhaps a bit of clarity I've missed all these years." turning back around, he opened the door up and stepped outside "It was a pleasure to meet you, Romani Archaman. I sincerely hope we might speak once again."

"...You know what? Same." Romani admitted before he realised something "Do you want me to pass a message onto Leo for you?"

Wodime paused for a moment "Just give her my greetings and that I might visit again at some point in the future. She'll know how to reach me easily enough. Have a good evening, Romani."

"You as well, Wodime." Romani waved the man farewell, the blonde reciprocating the gesture.

Then he watched as a bright circle formed above the blonde's head and moved down, all but consuming him and vanishing without a trace. Leaving no indication that he had been there at all to begin with.

Romani stood there for several seconds before he slowly lowered his hand.

"...Well." He continued to stare at the empty spot for a few more seconds before stepping back into the house and closing the door. Clicking it shut and resting the flat of his palm just above the handle. "Magic, huh." He quietly muttered to himself before turning around and walking back into the home.

Now he had to think about what to say to Leo all over again.

He privately wondered if it would be too late to go back outside and call Wodime back just so he could avoid thinking about it.

Issei fought back a yawn as he walked down the street, looking up and then immediately turning his head downwards as hissing as he got a face full of moonlight. His hands reached up and covered his eyes.

Ever since he had become a Devil, light had been a serious issue for him although he was at least helping to save electricity by keeping his bedroom lights turned off so that was a good thing. However, that didn't change the fact that even staring at the moon when it was out was like looking at the sun during a cloudy day, it was seriously troublesome at times.

At the very least, it was going to be a more or less simple evening for him.

Go in, complete a task, and then get back out. Maybe this time he would actually end up with a contract but he personally wasn't as confident about it as he would have liked to have been but he was at least more confident about this than he had been at anything else in his life. It was just one of those things where he felt like he was finally doing a good job.

That was something he'd never have thought about himself before, that he was doing a good job. Issei wasn't stupid, he knew what he was like at the best of times and that for the most part he wasn't exactly the best in lessons. Despite all of that, with this being a Devil business…he finally felt like he was doing something valuable.

So when he did this next task, he'd finally get a contract and then be able to present it to Rias-senpai, to Buchou, and then he'd really feel like he had done something right.

"Hah…" He made a noise, stopping his walk through the street and staring off down the road. Removing his hands from his face and slipping them into his pockets. Was this what it was like to be relied upon? For someone to actually have some faith in him and that he was going to do a good job?

Because if so, he really didn't want to lose this feeling.

To lose the feeling that he was doing something right and that someone trusted him enough to do a certain job.

Reaching up, he clapped his cheeks twice and then smiled as wide as he could before taking back off down the street at a gentle jog.

He needed to do this, not least of all because Buchou had specifically told him to do so. Also because he hadn't actually been able to create a contract yet, so going back to her after failing to do so again would be a little embarrassing for him.

As he went further and further down the street, he eventually noticed the house he had been directed towards. Closing his eyes, he inhaled and then exhaled once again.

"Alright, show time." He muttered to himself as he walked towards the house in question, raising an eyebrow as he quickly noticed that none of the lights were actually on. Or if they were, all the curtains had been closed. That was a little weird but he understood that some people valued their privacy.

He was one of those types of people, his face scrunched up slightly. Issei really hoped that he wasn't about to walk into something embarrassing because of that, he'd hate it if someone interrupted him during one of his 'alone' sessions and worse still if it was a complete stranger.

Approaching the door, he reached out and pressed his finger upon the buzzer, a chime clearly being heard not a second later. Issei's brows furrowed ever so slightly, he could have sworn he heard an echo as well. Tilting his head to the side, he soon noticed that the door was slightly ajar.

"Seriously?" He sighed to himself quietly as he leaned to look through the crack of the door, the lights inside the house were off as well. Had they gone to bed and left the door open or something? "Some people can be really careless." Issei mumbled quietly as he reached out, taking the door handle and pulling the front door open enough that he could actually get in.

Looking into the house, Issei stared at the empty hallway that had every single light turned on. In essence, someone had decided it would be a good idea to raise every single horror movie red flag imaginable and he was playing the role of the hapless chump. His lips drew themselves into thin lines as he remembered Roman-sensei's warning from earlier.

Avoid rooms that might be creepy and be especially wary of rooms full of blood.

He hadn't thought about it because it sounded completely unbelievable before, then he had seen that hunt for the Stray Devil and then everything that came after it and suddenly walking into a room full of blood was no longer as unreasonable as he had actually imagined.

That was something he hadn't considered before and personally didn't want to consider either.

"...What the heck am I thinking?" Issei quickly scowled to himself, shaking his head and looking back into the house. He was probably getting worked up over nothing, Roman-sensei's words had sparked some small case of paranoia or whatever. It was like being in a high place and getting told not to look down, you're obviously going to look down.

Warning him about creepy rooms full of blood had gotten him thinking about creepy rooms full of blood.

He was just here to fulfil a request and then get a contract, nothing else. There was no real danger in the task at all. Walk in, spend a casual evening with someone, and then walk out with a contract to visit them again at a later date.

Easy.

Pulling the door as open as it would go, he kept his smiling face even as the door creaked as though someone had pulled it straight from a horror film. His head robotically turned towards the hinges and stared at them in dead silence for a few moments. "They probably forgot to oil those." He said to himself, the words providing some small measure of comfort.

Turning his head back to the house, he took in a deep breath before he took a single step inside "Hello?" he called out, moving to close the door behind him as he did so. "Good evening? I'm here because you put in a request with Gremory-sama? I'm one of their servan-"

The moment his foot touched the inside of the house, he froze stock still. The feeling of someone ramming an icicle down his spine had him wanting to scream and run out of the house as quickly as possible on reflex. He remained where he was though, squinting his eyes and noticing that at the very end of the hall, there was a subtle light leaking out from a doorway that led to a room.

That feeling of something being so completely wrong was still clawing at his body, every single one of his hairs was undoubtedly standing on end.

"I-is anyone home?" He called out again, still with one foot in the doorway just in case something jumped out at him and he needed to make a quick escape.

He gave a single shaky breath as he got no answer in return, the ominous lighting from the far end of the room most certainly wasn't coming from someone flicking a lightbulb on. If he had to guess, he would say that someone had lit a candle at the far end.

"...It's fine, Issei." He whispered to himself, taking another step into the house "It's fine." his hand around the door handle tightened as he pulled it closer and closer to being shut. "I'm coming in." He informed the owner in case they were up and just choosing not to respond to him, maybe they were just used to Koneko-chan's silence.

That sort of reasoning was so convenient for him that it was almost scary.

Slipping his shoes off, he advanced further into the house. A moderately creepy atmosphere was no reason for him to forgo basic manners, after all.

His advance through the house was slow and cautious, the silence and the lack of response to his calls were only serving to further his worry at this present time. His mind running in overdrive and concocting a series of horrible scenario's no doubt propelled further by Roman-sensei's haunting words about his visions and the fact that in spite of what the nurse had said, every single one of them so far had related to Issei in some capacity.

With a track record like that, Issei felt as though he was justified in now feeling very on edge.

Peering around the corner of the doorframe, he stared into the room with his eyes darting left and right before he encroached further into the barely lit room. "Great atmosphere." He commented aloud as he took another step into the room.

His foot recoiled as it touched something damp, soaking through his socks and making him shiver at the almost sticky texture to it, as though he'd stepped in oil. "What the heck?" Issei voiced aloud as he turned his attention downwards, raising his foot up and grabbing it "Who spilled someth-"

He paused, running his hand along the damp section of the sock and then pulling it away. Staring at his index finger and thumb and rubbing them together before pulling them apart slowly, a trail of liquid stretched between them. The substance was dark and slightly cold to the touch. His senses brought about the sickening smell of metal.

Issei felt bile build up in the back of his throat as he slowly lowered the foot down to the ground, his head shifted and his eyes were drawn to the floorboards. Staring down at the puddle of blood that was splattered across the room and leading towards a darkened corner at the far end, despite the low lighting the boy could still make out the vague shape of the body.

Limbs bent at an odd angle and mutilation that made them appear barely human.

"W-w-what the…" Issei choked out, his hands flying to his mouth and covering it up as he staggered in the doorway.

"Oh, late night visitors?" He froze, the voice came from the other end of the room, near the source of light. Issei's eyes dragged themselves away from the corpse and towards the voice, finding themselves staring at the back of a man's head as he casually laid himself upon the sofa of the homeowner as if he owned it.

The man was barely illuminated by the three pointed candle that was sat upon a low coffee table.

"I suppose you're the one I was waiting for." The man spoke again, his voice one of barely concealed amusement. His white hair was the most striking feature about him, soon shifting his head to look over his shoulder towards Issei and revealing his face. Red eyes glowed from the flames in front of him, his lip curled upwards in a cruel smile. "Well, we were both dying to meet you!" He called out before pausing as if to consider something "...I should correct myself. One of us was." He wheezed as if he'd told an incredibly amusing joke.

Issei just stared at him in complete shock, unable to make a move or even utter a single sound.

The complete lack of reaction prompted the man to stop laughing and give the boy a raised eyebrow. "Seriously? That was a good joke an all…Tch. This is another reason I hate you devils, you've all got no sense of humour." With a low growl, the man picked himself up off the sofa and turned around to face the young boy.

Wearing a dark cassock with golden highlights around the buckles on the front with a white shirt and trousers underneath, the man looked to Issei with a half smirk "Hear to do some shitty devil business, I'm guessing?" the man asked as he stepped around the sofa.

Issei finally reacted, stumbling away from the doorframe and in the opposite direction of the man.

"Now that's the kind of reaction that I like!" The white haired man exclaimed in a jolly tone, jerking his head towards the body "I bet you're all freaked out about your pal over there, aren't you?"

"M-my pal?" Issei whispered out "Y-you did-"

"I mean…" The man shrugged "Yeah. I pity the poor fucks who are gonna live in this house next. Not only do they have to put up with the stink of a devil fucker, they also got to put up with the stink of an actual devil as well." with an exaggerated shake of the head, the man threw up his arms in a 'what can you do?' motion. "Maybe they'll luck out and call an exorcist to get rid of the nasty…"

The white haired man froze for a moment before he cackled "Ah, wait! They won't have to!" the smile sharpened "I'm already here!"

Issei looked away from the man, to the bloodied floor and then felt an epiphany run through his mind.

'Ah, so Roman-sensei's vision was about me again.'

It was an utterly absurd thought to have at the moment, but it was one that he just couldn't stop himself from having.

"Still though." The man cracked his neck left and right, positioning himself and reaching into his inner pocket "My name is Freed Sellzen, I'm obviously an exorcist…Which means it's my job to deal with shitty devils - like yourself - and their human sympathies." he jerked his head to the side "Like that guy."

He grinned "I've been terribly bored today." He slowly withdrew a golden hilt from his pocket and twirled it in his hand before gripping it tightly as one would a sword. The comparison made much more sense to Issei when a beam of light extended from the handle and formed the shape of a glowing sword. "So I'm going to take this light sword…" he pointed the blade at Issei "And run it through your heart."

He reached into his other pocket with his free hand, withdrawing a silver pistol. "And with this gun…I'll shoot you in that dumbass face of yours." he explained with a casual tone of voice, aiming the gun at him and smiling far too wide to be natural "Okay? Shitty devil. I'll show you the love of the Lord…which actually involves a shit load of killing." he added on with a half chuckle "Geez, no wonder people are sadists. We're all made in the image of the big man, ain't we?"

There was a pause "Well, not you. Or at least, in about ten seconds time I'm gonna make sure you look like you were made in the image of dog food."

Issei rolled his jaw, shifting on his feet as the man looked ready to pounce.

The moment he leapt forwards, Issei hurled himself to the side, narrowly avoiding the sword cleaving through wood with ease and burning a thin line through the plaster wall. The boy scrambled back across the floor, his hands slipping through the bloody puddles as he did so.

"Ah ha! We got a roach type, have we?" Freed cackled "Watching you guys scuttle along the floor like the filthy vermin you are is always something that brings a smile to my face!"

Issei didn't particularly care for that right now.

'Couldn't your vision have been more specific, Roman-sensei!?'

Romani sneezed, frowning to himself and looking around for a few moments.

"Huh…Weird." He commented after a moment, then looked over his shoulder towards the front window and stared out of it. The sun had gone down and it was getting dark at this point, perhaps Leo was being later than he first thought?

His lips curled down as he shifted his attention towards the table.

He still hadn't completely worked out what he was going to say to her.

The front door clicked open "I'm home!" Leona called out as she entered the house sighing loudly as she did and sitting something down by the front door. Romani's head snapped up as she walked in "Sorry I'm late." she apologised with a tired smile "I had to briefly go out of town to pick something up for…um…work stuff."

Romani stared at her blankly for a few moments, pursing his lips "Magic stuff?"

Leona blinked once before giving an accommodating smile "Yeah, magic stuff." removing her scarf, she tossed it away onto the chair "You know how hard it is to get some ingredients around here? It's actually pretty hard, I also had to let Gremory know where I was going and when I'd be back and all sorts of other-"

This was the moment where he'd tell her, they were due this conversation anyway so he might as well get it out in the open.

"Leo…listen." He spoke up quietly, cutting her off. His tone of voice was urgent enough that she stopped mid-sentence and gave him her full attention. Her lips drew themselves into a tight line and her brows furrowed ever so slightly in concern. "There's…something that we need to talk about and…I've been putting it off until now."

"...Yeah." Leona closed her eyes and nodded her head, moving towards the chair and sitting herself down. "Yes. You're right." Her eyes opened, leaning forwards and giving the man an attentive look. "Whatever you want to say, Roman…I'll hear it. Alright?"

"Right…right…" Romani gave a nervous chuckle as he nodded his head up and down, fidgeting on the sofa and rubbing his hands together as he tried to think of how best to start this. It was something that he would need to approach delicately, just so he could make sure that it wasn't too urgent and didn't alarm her.

"I can see the future!"

Alternatively he could blurt it out like a complete idiot and forgo any sort of subtlety or ease of conversation.

That made much more sense to him.

'Another outstanding example of foot in mouth, Roman.' He dumbly thought to himself as his face scrunched up and his head dropped into his hands.

Leona blinked once, giving him a completely blank face in the seconds after he had spoken without saying a word.

Then she slowly shifted her attention away from Romani and onto the coffee table, staring at it for several seconds before she looked back at him. "...Can you just repeat that for me?"

AN: Foot in mouth is much more Romani's speed anyway.

But as for the story itself…

We're in it for the long hall.

I'm taking my time to make sure characters develop relationships at a natural pace and stuff so yes. That means that it's going to be a little slow in places but I'm also cutting some stuff out as well.

Anyway…

We continue on!