As they pierced through the clouds, Rias was in awe. She had been flying since she was a child - in fact, she could fly before she could even walk - but she had never been this high in the sky before. Above the cloud line, it was a serene and peaceful blue-turning-into-black , with various additional shades she could make out with her enhanced eyesight. Were she not protected by his ring, it would be considerably harder to breathe considering how high up they still were. As her head panned around, she saw the sun over the horizon - staggeringly beautiful when it was pitched against the sky in such a way. She looked back at Elros who had a peaceful smile on his lips. Reaching up, she kissed him gently and getting his attention.
"What do you think?" Elros asked as he slowed down a bit.
"This is amazing," Rias said as she tightened her hold on him a bit, burying her face in his neck and trailing kisses along it.
"I"m glad you think so," he whispered in her ear before he quickened the pace and headed towards j.a.pan and the ORC.
-o-
It was a few minutes later when they finally landed there. Rias took in a deep breath, reminding herself of the taste of the air here.
"So, what now?" Elros asked as he tucked some loose strands of hair behind her ear before slinging an arm around her shoulders.
"Something tells me you"ll know the answer to that soon enough," Rias said, her tone apologetic. As if on cue, the doors to the ORC opened. Akeno and Grayfia walked out, the former wearing a knowing smile.
"Grayfia. Good to see you," Rias said, her arm still around Elros"s wai
"Hi, Grayfia, Akeno," Elros said in usual cheerful manner.
"Hey there. You two have fun?" Akeno asked, a smirk on her face as she locked eyes with Rias who winked in response.
"Your mother, your father, and your brother have requested your immediate presence, m"lady," Grayfia said in her usual solemn manner, her eyes drifting between Elros and Rias.
"Elros as well?" Rias asked.
"Just you for now. Mr. Eärendil -," Grayfia began but was cut off by Elros.
"I"d appreciate not being called that, Grayfia. Sorry. It… reminds me of my father," Elros said, his voice suddenly sounding a bit strangled. Grayfia nodded in response as Rias placed a hand on his cheek in worry.
"Forgive me. Elros, then. Azazel has requested to see you discuss a training regime for the peerage upon your return to the Underworld soon. Incidentally, Lord Gremory would like the peerage to be informed that Azazel and Elros both have his full blessing to, and I quote, "Whip them into shape,"" Grayfia said with a sigh. Lord Gremory and Azazel got along swimmingly, she thought.
"Perfect," Elros said with a devilish smirk. He looked to Rias who groaned and then to Akeno who deadpanned at him before giving the two a wink and leaving through a magical circle.
"Ugh. This is going to suck," Rias grumbled.
"I think you should starting thinking about ways to punish him preemptively," Akeno suggested. Rias nodded before leaving through another circle with Grayfia.
-o-
As Rias stepped in her house, Grayfia noticed she was smiling ear to ear.
"You seem to be in a good mood Lady Rias," she noted.
"I"m in an amazing mood," Rias said happily.
"I see. Could it have to do with Elros, perhaps?" Grayfia asked.
"Yes," Rias responded cheerfully. Grayfia smiled and nodded in understanding. She had come to like the newest addition to the household; the same went for the rest of the family.
"It"s good to see you, sweetheart. Thank you, Grayfia," Venelana said as she entered, a wide smile on her face as well.
"You"re welcome, Lady Venelana. I shall attend to my other duties, now," Grayfia said as she took her leave.
Venelana approached her daughter and hugged her tightly. Rias returned the hug in full force.
"How was your date, sweetheart?" Venalana asked knowingly, her eyes going to the mark on her neck before going back to her daughters beaming eyes.
"It was… amazing, mom," Rias said, almost giddy.
"I"m glad to hear it. Something seems different about you, as well. How was it?" Venealana asked, an eyebrow raised.
"Mom!" Rias hissed, turning red as she asked that. She didn"t feel like discussing that with anyone, least of all her mother.
"A mother worries, sweetheart. Was he sweet and gentle? Or a bit rough? How long did it go for?" Venelana asked teasingly, knowing how it would make her daughter feel. Rias turned redder with each question until finally, the line between her face and her hair was nonexistent.
"That"s enough with the teasing, my dear," Zeoticus said as he entered the room, a smile on his face as well. Sirzechs was next to him, also happy.
"So, what did you three want to talk about?" Rias asked.
"I think you know, sweetheart. We just wanted to confirm what happened between you and Elros," Venelana said.
"You aren"t angry? At all?" Rias asked, a bit trepidatious. If she was being completely honest, she had no idea that that was how it would turn out. She excited there to be a lot of making out by the end of the date; maybe a little of something else at most - but Elros taking her to the moon was something she had never expected in her wildest dreams - to go to a place that, to the best of her knowledge, no Devil had ever walked before. The dinner he had planned, watching the Earth, listening to the gentle hum of s.p.a.ce - the moment was simply too perfect.
"Angry? I"m overjoyed, sweetheart. Elros is a wonderful man; I"m sure he"s a terrific lover as well," Venelana said with a wink. Rias looked horrified as her mom said that and pressed her hands over her mouth.
"Mom! You can"t say stuff like that in front of dad and Zechs! And especially not in front of Elros!" Rias said.
"A mother worries," Venelana said with a smile as she took her hands off her mouth and held them in her hands. Rias sighed in defeat.
"We… made love," Rias said, looking her dead in the eyes and smiling.
"We couldn"t sense you on Earth, though," Sirzechs added in interest.
"Elros… he took me to the moon," Rias said.
"What?" Venelana asked in shock, surprised to learn that tidbit of information.
"Mom… it was amazing. I"ve never seen anything like that in my life. I could see Earth… and so many stars… it was… beautiful. Amazing," Rias said excitedly. Venelana smiled wide and brought her daughter in for a hug, although she was as flabbergasted as she was happy.
"That sounds amazing, sweetheart. It seems like it was quite special, then," Venelana said.
"I can"t put it into words," Rias said.
"The moon… that"s certainly more than anyone else could"ve offered. I"m quite happy to see that you"ve chosen Elros, dear. We all expect great things from him," Zeoticus said with a wide smile, happy for his daughter.
"What about the other Devils? Do they know?" Rias asked, her tone suddenly serious.
"No doubt they will soon enough. Are you prepared for what might happen?" Sirzechs asked.
"I am. So is Elros," Rias said.
"I certainly pity the fool that picks a fight with him," Zeoticus said.
"Speaking of which, he"s agreed to take on those Duels," Rias told her father.
"Excellent! I"ll discuss that with him directly, then," Zeoticus said.
"We were going to discuss marriage, but we think it"s better to hold off on that for a while. No doubt you two don"t want to rush into anything… well, no more than you have already," Sirzechs said with a chuckle. Rias nodded
"Now, you two leave. There"s something I need to discuss with Rias in private," Venelana said. Zeoticus and Sirzechs obeyed and left, leaving mother and daughter alone. Venelana brought Rias to sit with her.
"What is it, mother?" Rias asked.
"Akeno has a date with Elros next week, does she not?" Venelana asked.
"She does," Rias admitted.
"How do you feel about that?" Venelana asked.
"I don"t know… I"m happy for Akeno - she deserves to be happy. But… I"m jealous at the same time," Rias said.
"Women are attracted to and by men who are charming and strong. Elros no doubt fills both of those qualities, and as such, I"d be surprised if his love life is lackl.u.s.ter. I think you should take some time to consider that - and that there will be other women. Besides him, are there any men that you want?" Venelana asked.
"Not a single one," Rias answer honestly; she couldn"t think of anyone else who held a candle to Elros and doubted their existence. Even if there were men similar to him, there was no one else that was him exactly.
"Especially as a Devil, there"s no doubt Elros will have more women chasing after him. I do believe, however, that he cares a great deal specifically about you. I think it"s something that you two will need to discuss for your relationship to move ahead - especially with his date with Akeno coming up. I feel that there"s a connection between them as well - and I know you felt it as well. The same could be said for others, such as Sona or Yubelluna or Kuroka. I manage your father"s harem for him; you should consider doing the same for Elros. After all, we"ve already been approached by several women who are vying for a piece of his time," Venelana said.
"Several women?" Rias asked in surprise.
"It"s certainly not traditional, but Elros is far outside of any… tradition as it stands. We"ve been getting multiple interview requests as well. "The newest, striking young Devil who took down an entire peerage for the hand of the fairest maiden in the land" or so they"re saying," Venelana said, giggling at what they said about her daughter.
Rias thought on her mother"s words. She was certainly right - Elros was more experienced in this particular field than she was and his aura tended to just draw people of both s.e.xes in, albeit mostly women. Akeno certainly had deep feelings for him; as did Kuroka, from what Rias heard; Xenovia wanted his child; and she could tell that Koneko stole glances as well when she thought he wasn"t looking, although she wasn"t too worried about that - Elros viewed her and Gasper as a sister and brother more than anything else.
"How do you do it, mom? Don"t you get jealous?" Rias asked tentatively.
"I thought I would, but I don"t. Regardless of who Zeo might spend a night with, he always ends back with me - I know he loves me and I love him. After all, I"m the one who he has two beautiful children with. With others, it"s simply carnal desire," Venelana said as she caressed her daughter"s cheek.
"But… aren"t their guys that you… you know… how would dad feel about that?" Rias asked.
"When it comes to a comparison, no other man fulfills what I look for in them - except Zeo. Of course, if you"re offering to let me try Elros, I wouldn"t object…," Venelana began with a smirk. Rias shot that idea down quickly.
"I"ll… have to think about it, regardless of if I want to or not. But I"m certain that… I love him," Rias said, finally saying the words out loud.
"I"m glad to hear that, sweetheart. So, what are you two now? Boyfriend/girlfriend?" Venelana asked.
"We haven"t labeled it yet. But I"ll talk to him about it later today. Better now than later, I think," Rias said.
"Alright," Venelana said.
"Mom," Rias suddenly said.
"Yes, dear?" Venelana asked.
"When he and I… did it… he… umm… at the end, you know… he… well… we didn"t use protection," Rias said, turning red.
"I see. You"re worried about becoming pregnant?" Venelana asked, understanding.
"Yes," Rias said.
"I don"t think you"ll have much to worry about, sweetheart. When it comes to pregnancy in devils, it"s a lot rarer than in humans. Let"s wait and see what happens. For now, don"t worry about it," Venelana said.
"Alright," Rias said, smiling.
"Are you going to go back or spend the night here?" Venelana asked, getting up.
"I"m heading back. I"ll see you guys in a few weeks," Rias said as she opened up a magic circle and went back to the ORC.
-o-
As she stepped through the doors, she was quickly accosted by a smiling Akeno. As soon as they found themselves in a private room, the questions began.
"How was the date?" Akeno asked, leaning on an elbow.
"Amazing," Rias said, smiling.
"What did you two do?" Akeno asked.
"He met me at the hotel and then took me to the Louvre. It was just us there - he had the place empty for the day," Rias said.
"Wow. He doesn"t mess around, then," Akeno said, excitement welling up inside her for what Elros planned for her.
"Nope. Then, we went back to the hotel for… like a few minutes. Then he made me put a blindfold on," Rias said.
"What? Why?" Akeno asked in surprise.
"Well, he took it off a few hours later. When he took it off… I thought I was dreaming, Akeno. We were on the MOON," Rias said excitedly. Akeno"s jaw dropped at that.
"Seriously?" she asked weakly.
"Seriously. My goodness… it"s the most beautiful thing I"ve ever seen. He had dinner set up for us up there. I was looking at the Earth as I ate," Rias said giddily as she remembered.
"Then what happened?" Akeno asked.
"Then… we… well… we… did it," Rias answered, blushing.
"You two had s.e.x? So quickly?" Akeno asked, shocked. She didn"t expect Rias to do that on the first date. She felt a burning jealousy burn through her, but suppressed it quickly - now wasn"t the time.
"Yeah. It was… amazing. I"m still sore; I can barely even stand," Rias said.
"Mmm. That good?" Akeno asked.
"Better," Rias answered.
"I wonder what he has planned for our date?" Akeno wondered as she leaned back.
"Probably something just as amazing, to be honest," Rias answered, her conversation with her mother playing through her mind.
"Do you love him?" Akeno suddenly asked.
"What?" Rias countered, surprised.
"Do you love him?" Akeno asked again, looking at her with searching eyes.
"I… yes. I love him. A lot," Rias said. Akeno nodded.
"I didn"t think you two would do it so quick," Akeno said.
"I certainly didn"t plan it. I never expected to do it until I got married. But… Akeno, it was the moon. There"s no chance anyone could"ve taken me there - no shot in h.e.l.l. It… just felt right," Rias said earnestly.
-o-
The two sat in silence for a while longer until the door finally opened and Elros announced his presence. They walked back into the main room where they found Issei grabbing Elros by the collar and shaking him madly.
"You. And. Rias. A. Date?" Issei asked, tears flying comically.
"I"m afraid I don"t kiss and tell, Issei. Besides, what about you and Asia?" Elros asked with a grin.
"W-w-what do you mean me and Asia?" Issei asked, shocked.
"Don"t you have a thing for her? Have you tried asking her out?" Elros asked as he slung his arm over Issei and winked in Akeno and Rias"s direction.
"I… I don"t… that"s not the same thing," Issei said.
"Come on, man. If you wait too long, someone else is gonna sweep her off her feet. Don"t lose your chance. Don"t f.u.c.k this up. Tell me what you need, and I shall deliver. Hotel? Dinner? I"ll plan it all out if that"s what you want," Elros encouraged him.
"I… I gotta go! These contracts won"t fulfill themselves!" Issei yelled as he ran out the door. Kiba couldn"t help but laugh.
"What about you, Kiba? No one catches your eye?" Elros asked, grinning at his other friend. Kiba quickly excused himself as well.
"So how was your discussion with Azazel?" Akeno asked, a slightly searching look in her eye.
"You guys are gonna have a good time, I guarantee you that," Elros said with a grin as he went over to the couch and sprawled himself over it.
"You seem tired," Akeno observed.
"I had quite the workout," Elros said with a laugh.
"Shhh," Rias whispered, a finger to her lips although she was smiling.
"Yeah, my bad. So, anything for me to do? Another contract, perhaps?" Elros asked.
As Rias was about to answer, the doors to the ORC flew open. Sona and Tsubaki walked in, serious expressions etched into their faces.
"Hey Sona, Tsubaki! How"s it going?" Elros asked as he leaned his head back to look at them.
"Well, Elros. Rias, do you have a moment?" Sona asked. Rias nodded and walked her into her private room to obviously discuss something important, leaving Akeno and Elros with Tsubaki.
"Is something wrong, Tsubaki?" Akeno asked.
"I"m not sure myself. Sona just asked me to come along and that she had to talk to Rias about something important," Tsubaki answered as she looked around.
"Where are the others?" she wondered.
"Elros scared Issei and Kiba off," Akeno giggled.
"What? How?" Tsubaki asked.
"Akeno"s exaggerating. I told Issei to ask out Asia and he ran off to actually do some work, apparently," Elros chuckled.
"I thought Issei was gay?" Tsubaki wondered, surprised - to laughs all around.
"Only with it comes to his bromance with Saji and Kiba," Elros said, eliciting a smile from Tsubaki.
"And Kiba?" Tsubaki asked.
"Same as Issei," Akeno replied.
"You"re a bigger tease than Akeno it seems," Tsubaki said to Elros who laughed in response.
"You would know, wouldn"t you?" Elros winked at her. Tsubaki turned red as she looked away quickly, although Elros caught the faintest smile on her lips.
"Now, now, Elros - don"t move on Tsubaki just yet. You have to get through Sona first, and to go through her, you"ll need to get through Serafall," Akeno giggled. Tsubaki turned even redder at that, to laughs all around. The teasing would"ve continued, but Sona and Rias soon came back, serious expressions on their faces. Elros sat up at that; s.h.i.t was going or had gone down.
"What"s up?" Akeno asked, frowning.
"The reason Sona and Tsubaki came here was because there was an attack a few miles away, near the forest," Rias explained.
"I overheard it yesterday when I was near the area. When I went to observe it… it was quite gruesome. I"m not sure what could"ve done it - a Stray Devil, or something else. I thought it would be best to wait until we could get a larger group to check it out. I"ve cordoned off the area," Sona explained.
"Akeno, Elros - we"re going to be investigating with Sona and Tsubaki," Rias said.
"Alright. Let"s go," Akeno nodded. With a nod from the others, Sona opened a magic circle and they all stepped in. As soon as they stepped in, they found themselves near the location.
"We"re around half a mile away. It"s towards the trees," Sona said as she led the group there.
"So what can you tell us about the attack?" Elros said as he donned his Green Lantern suit.
"Two bodies, both heavily mutilated and unrecognizable. Copious amounts of blood, so I doubt it was a vampire. No signs of s.e.xual a.s.sault; no signs that they fought back, either. From what I could tell from what was left of their faces, they seemed terrified - so whatever it was must have frightened them quite a bit. I a.s.sume whatever it was escaped into the forest; so I don"t know if we"ll find it now. But just in case…," Sona trailed off, nodding at the group.
"I see. Are we coming up on them?" Elros asked.
"Yes, not much longer. By the way, Rias," Sona said, turning to her friend with a light smile.
"Hmm?" Rias asked.
"What"s that red mark on your neck?" Sona asked, pointing to it. Rias blushed gently but simply winked in return. Sona turned to Elros who simply grinned back at her.
"I see," Sona said, slightly sour. Elros sighed deeply before he slowed down and put his arms around all four of the girls, Sona and Tsubaki closest to him and Rias and Akeno on the outside.
"Don"t worry, ladies. You"ll find that there is plenty of me to go around, should you require it," he said, flashing them a grin. They all went a bright red, but none motioned to leave. Rias and Akeno smiled at each other and intertwined their hands with his while Sona and Tsubaki let out a comfortable exhale and put their arms around his waist.
"This feels… nice," Sona mumbled to Rias who giggled.
"I know," she responded with a smile; the conversation with her mother was going through her mind. Almost surrept.i.tiously, she felt Elros"s thumb caressing her hand. She locked eyes with him and he winked at her; she gave him a knowing smile.
"Are you ready for the summer?" Tsubaki asked.
"I think so. I"m looking forward to squaring off against you guys especially. When are you heading down?" Elros asked.
"Sona"s Peerage will actually be traveling with us at the same time," Rias said.
"Sweet. The more the merrier," Elros said cheerfully.
"Every time I hear you say that I get the feeling you"re thinking of something else," Akeno sighed.
"Well, with you four how can I not?" he chuckled, grinning as he saw how red they were.
"Careful, girls. You get any redder and I"ll think you"ve morphed into tomatoes or something," he said.
"Oh, stop," Tsubaki and Sona grumbled at the same time, punching him lightly in the ribs.
Soon after, they came upon the scene. As they approached the bodies, Tsubaki couldn"t help but wretch at the stench.
"That"s… disgusting," she whispered, covering her nose with her arm. Suddenly, each of them found a green mask over their faces, to their surprise. They looked at Elros, who had an uncharacteristically serious look.
"What"s with the mask?" Sona asked in surprise as the smell suddenly went away.
"Protective measure, just in case. Plus, don"t have to deal with the smell," Elros answered as he squatted near the bodies and began to observe the crime scene.
"You weren"t kidding, Sona," Rias said, observing the gruesome scene.
"Alright, Ring. What do we have here?" Elros asked. The Ring began speaking, giving everyone a small jump - they weren"t used to it talking.
"Both bodies have sustained severe damage. No residual poison detected, however, both bodies appeared to have been paralyzed before death, indicated by the lack of defensive wounds. Heavy mutilation to the facial area. Scan indicates several missing organs: the heart, both lungs, the kidneys, and the liver - likely through the severe trauma in the chest of both victims. No signs of s.e.xual a.s.sault; estimated facial reconstruction shows looks of fright on both victims - male and female," the ring said stoically.
"What do you think caused the damage?" Elros asked.
"Unknown," the ring replied.
"I see. Hmm… what have we here?" Elros wondered as he moved slightly closer to the forest. He got down on his stomach to examine something: tracks.
"Tracks. Ring?" Elros asked.
"a.n.a.lysis shows bipedal creature. Footprints measure six inches wide, 12 inches long with three front talons and a back talon; a creature not of human origin. The depth of the footprint, coupled with the time of death of the victims - estimate the create to be twelve feet tall, weighing in the order of one and a half tons," the ring said.
"Interesting. We have a monster on our hands, then. Ring, do a wide scan. Look for anything that might resemble a trail or the monster itself," Elros said as he held his ring out. Suddenly, a thin green wall appeared before them. Slowly, it began going towards the forest, pa.s.sing over trees as it scanned them.
"That"s pretty useful," Rias said, smiling at Elros"s efficiency.
"Yeah, I love this little guy," Elros said with a laugh.
"As a ring, I am not capable of love," the ring replied to giggles from the girls and a sigh from Elros.
"He plays hard to get sometimes, as you can tell," Elros said.
"False. I am not capable of playing," the ring replied.
"Are you capable of understanding sarcasm?" Elros asked.
"Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit," the ring replied. The girls broke out into full laughter at that.
"You"re a f.u.c.king a.s.shole sometimes, ring. You can"t cut my b.a.l.l.s off in front of a bunch of girls like that," Elros grumbled, to no reply.
"How long do you think the scan will take?" Akeno asked.
"Shouldn"t be too long. The ring should be able to detect any off lifeforms in the forest," Elros replied.
"Do you think whatever it was is still there?" Sona asked.
"I"m not sure. I"m doubtful, though - no reason to stick around here. It"s not like this forest is especially large or useful to hide in. No, I think whatever it is is already gone," Elros said. Finally, the ring stopped its scan.
"Unable to find lifeforms matching estimates. Tracks lead half a mile into the forest, before suddenly stopping. No signs of interest with a one hundred meter radius," the ring said.
"Yeah, figures. Anything else of interest in there at all?" Elros asked.
"Nothing registered," the ring replied.
"Alright. Ring, keep a constant scan on for the next 48 hours - make it city wide. Devote whatever resources you have to it," Elros ordered. The ring blinked in understanding and began to process his request.
"Think that"s necessary?" Akeno asked.
"Just want to make sure. I don"t want any other poor souls to suffer like these two," Elros said sadly, nodding to the corpses.
"We"ll take care of clean up and let the others know not to worry, at least for now," Sona said. Rias, Akeno, and Elros nodded; opening a magic circle, they went back to the ORC.
-o-
"Wait; there"s something I need to speak with you about," Rias suddenly said to Elros as they stepped out of the magic circle. She nodded to Akeno who nodded and took her leave, leaving Rias alone with Elros who had a quizzical look on his face.
"What"s up?" he asked.
"Walk with me?" Rias asked. Elros nodded, holding an arm for her to hold on to. Rias smiled and took it and the two began to walk in the tree line around the school.
"So what is it that you wanted to talk about?" Elros asked.
"Well… I wanted to talk about… us," Rias said, hesitating slightly.
"I see. About what happened?" Elros asked.
"Yeah. Are you ok with talking about it now or…?" Rias trailed off, blushing slightly. She could feel her heart throbbing in antic.i.p.ation of all the branches the conversation could lead through.
"Of course," Elros said. At that, Rias stopped to look at him.
"I want to know… what we did… was it… am I just… I mean…," she said, trying to get the words out. Elros gently brought a hand to her cheek and smiled as he caressed it. Leaning forward, he kissed her atop her forehead before kissing her cheek, resting his lips there for a moment as he inhaled her succulent scent.
"No, you"re not a one night stand, Rias," he told her. Rias smiled at hearing that, happy that it wasn"t a one-time thing. However, the weight of the weekend and what she had discussed with her mother was hanging over her.
"You have a date with Akeno this weekend," Rias said.
"I know. Are you upset?" Elros asked.
"N… well… I. yes… and no… I feel jealous, which isn"t something I"m used to. I just don"t want to… you… and her… and I… and we…," Rias trailed off.
"You"re extremely important to me Rias. I"m not going to forget you; I don"t think I ever could. No, I have a feeling that you and I will be intertwined for a long time to come - not that I"m complaining," Elros said gently.
"I was talking to my mom about it… you know, Issei wants to become Harem King. Is that what you want as well? A harem?" Rias asked as she looked at him directly. She was genuinely curious; there was no hint of anger or judgment in her voice.
"I dunno. I never actually gave it much thought. I"ve never been in a committed relationship either, though," Elros admitted.
"Really?" Rias asked in surprise.
"Being a Lantern doesn"t really lend itself well to that. It"s always just been flings for me, honestly. Our case is… different and unusual for me, to say the least," Elros said.
"And how often do you have… flings?" Rias asked.
"Often. I said it before; I"m a lover," Elros said with a dry laugh.
"And what are your feelings about me and… say, Akeno," Rias asked.
"I"d be lying if I said I didn"t like Akeno. We"ve spent so much time together," Elros said.
"I see," Rias said, feeling her heart drop slightly as she looked down.
"But, I"d also be lying if I said I didn"t have strong feelings for you. Quite the opposite; I feel extremely strongly where it concerns you," Elros said, picking her chin up to look at him.
"R…really?" Rias asked, her lips parted slightly in surprise. She could feel the intensity from his gaze wash over her like warm water.
"Really. What we did… definitely one of the most amazing experiences of my life. And like I said, the moon is special to me - even more so now that I"ve shared it with you. Wherever and whatever Akeno and I go or do, it won"t be there. That stays between you and me - it"s ours," Elros said.
As he said that, Rias felt her heart swell with happiness; they had something that was special only to the two of them and she was confident that Elros would keep it that way.
"I… lo… well I…," Rias began, trying to keep eye contact.
"Do you mean to say you love me?" Elros finished for her. She grew red but nodded.
"Yes," she whispered, her voice small. Elros paused for a moment, wondering if he should say the words back. It wouldn"t be a first; he loved plenty of people. But the weight of the meaning was on his shoulders like an elephant.
"I love you, too," Elros said quietly. Her eyes went wide at that as she stared at him, unable to believe her ears.
"What?" she asked.
"I love you, too," Elros said as he leaned forward and kissed her. As the weight of the words finally reached her, Rias leaned pa.s.sionately and enthusiastically into the kiss, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck and giving him the taste he craved. She felt lightheaded as they exchanged their words but happy beyond measure.
"You"re not going to tell me you"re kidding, are you?" Rias asked as she broke the kiss, closing her eyes and resting her head against his, breathing heavily.
"Ha. No, I"m not. I sincerely love you. The last month has been one of the best times of my life," Elros said.
"I"m so happy," Rias said, smiling. She took his face in her hands and examined him, solidifying her stance on what she wanted to do and say next.
"I can"t think of any other man I"d rather be with other than you. You"re sweet… charming… strong… just amazing, really. I think there"s a lot of women that are going to want to be with you. My mom told me that she and my dad have already gotten offers for you to… add… to your nonexistent harem," Rias grumbled.
"You"re kidding, right?" Elros asked with a chuckle.
"I wish… but, no, I"m not. I might be jumping ahead, but I want to say that… although I might get jealous… I"m ok with it. I understand that you have your needs… and desires… if you and Akeno… you know… it"s fine with me," Rias said.
"Really?" Elros asked, surprised.
"Yeah… just…," Rias began but was cut off as Elros pressed his lips to her again, with considerably more pa.s.sion than before. She was slightly taken aback but leaned into it quickly. As he broke the kiss, she heard him breathing heavily as well.
"I don"t want to hurt you, Rias," Elros whispered.
"I know. I love that about you. But it"s fine… just… let me approve of them first. Just don"t go behind my back. That… just don"t," Rias stated.
"That"s fine. But like I said, I don"t know how things will go," Elros said.
"I think I do - at least with Akeno. I know she likes you - a lot. Probably as much as I do. And Akeno deserves to be happy as well," Rias said honestly. Although she wasn"t happy about sharing Elros, if it had to be with someone, Akeno would be it. She knew that the following weekend would be a slough, though.
"As do you," Elros said.
"I"m happiest when I"m with you," Rias said. Elros was silent for a moment - before he crashed his lips against Rias" again. Rias moaned in pleasure as he did so, tightening her grip around him as she arched her back, letting Elros take control. Moments later, she felt him pick her up. As he did so, Rias wrapped her legs around his waist. As he moved down to her neck, Rias let out a deep moan of pleasure - even more so than her lips, she was particularly sensitive around her neck. As she weaved her hands through his hair, she brought his head up to look at her and put her head against his once again, still wrapped around him.
"I love you," she whispered, repeating the sentiment from before as she gazed down at him, moving her hands to his face.
"I love you, too," Elros replied, gently locking lips with her once more before letting her get on her feet again.
"Let"s head inside," she said with a smile, intertwining hands with him. As they left, she felt her heart soaring high in the sky, on Cloud Nine. While it would take time for her to get accustomed to the fact that Elros would sleep with other women, it brought her happiness and joy to know that at the end of the day, he would always end up back with her. In such a short time, she had a fallen in love with a man she never imagined she would meet; made love to him in a place she never thought she would go; and finally, after so many broken arrangements, Rias felt as though she had found someone that she could live happily with for the rest of her (and his) days.
"I"d say don"t get ahead of yourself, but… I want to stay with him. Always," she thought to herself as thoughts of her in a white dress standing across from Elros, preparing to exchange vows, rushed through her head; it made her giddy with excitement.
"Hey, Rias," she suddenly heard Elros say.
"What"s up?" she asked.
"Just wanted to ask if you wanted to go out on another date when we"re back at your place for summer?" Elros asked, grinning. Rias giggled and smiled at that, bringing their hands up and kissing his.
"I"d love that. This time, I"ll show you around the Underworld. How"s that sound?" Rias asked.
"Fine with me. Always wanted to see what h.e.l.l looks like in detail. I just hope you don"t disappoint me again," Elros grumbled.
"When did I disappoint you?" Rias asked in surprise.
"When I became a Devil. You made me sign a contract! And that"s it!" Elros told her.
"You"re still on that?" she grumbled.
"I am. There better be raging pools of fire and lava, a disgusting sulfur smell, and ma.s.sive orgies," Elros said.
"I"m sure I can find the first, but the later two are just myths - at least in our Circle," Rias sighed, giggling a second later as she heard him groan.
"Well, at least the women are beautiful," Elros said cheerfully as he swooped down and kissed her again, resting his lips on hers for a few seconds. She giggled again and leaned in closer, resting her head on his shoulder and letting him guide her back to the ORC.
-o-
"Hey, buddy," Elros said as Gasper ran over to him in excitement.
"Elros! You"re back!" Gasper said happily as he hugged Elros.
"I am, kiddo. Also, got you a little something," Elros said as he reached into his pocket. Everyone look on in interest; interest turned to shock as they saw what it was. In his hand, Elros held what appeared to be a small, conical object with a crossguard.
"What is it?" Gasper asked.
"A little something I picked up on the way back. You have to be super careful with it, though. Here, come with me. Koneko, you as well," Elros said as he led Gasper out. Koneko looked at the others in surprise before following; and most of everyone else, not wanting to miss anything, went as well. Akeno and Rias stood in the doorway as they observed the others, smiles on their faces.
"What"d you two talk about, if you don"t mind my asking?" Akeno asked.
"Just talked about some stuff. By the way, about your date with him this weekend… you have my blessing," Rias said, smiling at her best friend.
"Seriously?" Akeno asked, surprised.
"Yeah. I want you to be happy as well," Rias said.
"Aren"t you jealous?" Akeno asked.
"I am… but now I know how he feels about me; and I know how I feel about him. It"ll be fine," Rias said.
"Well thanks for that. I… dunno how it"s going to go. I"m thinking of asking him to come with me… back there," Akeno said.
"Really?" Rias asked, surprised at that.
"Yeah. I feel like I need to… but it"s your call. I know that you promised them I wouldn"t, but…," Akeno trailed off.
"We"ll figure it out. You just do what you have to," Rias said, getting up and embracing Akeno who nodded and returned the embrace.
"Is this what your parents wanted to talk about?" Akeno asked.
"Sort of. They wanted to confirm that I lost my… you know. And then my mom wanted to talk to me. She suggested that I should manage Elros"s harem, like she does for my dad," Rias said.
"What do you think about that?" Akeno asked.
"I"d rather it be like that then him feeling he has to go behind my back. Devil culture is already so different from humans - harems aren"t anything uncommon. But Elros is so… outside both scopes, that it"s kind of uncharted territory you could say," Rias sighed.
"I know what you mean. But we"re lucky to have him," Akeno smiled. Rias nodded in agreement. Both walked toward the group as well, where Elros was explaining something to Gasper.
"This baby isn"t just some weird thing from s.p.a.ce. I think in battles, it"s best if you have something you can use to defend yourself just in case. Hold it here - there you go. Now, you this little circle? It"s a b.u.t.ton. Point it at the tree and press it," Elros instructed.
Gasper did as he was told. As he pressed, a shot of green light came out and hit the tree.
"WOAH!" Gasper shouted as he ran over to observe what happened, along with most of the others. Elros smiled as he observed them before turning to Koneko.
"I don"t have a weapon for you, but I do have something. Here," Elros said as he opened the pocket dimension where his lantern was stored. Out of it, he pulled out what seemed like a gla.s.s casing. It wasn"t empty, however - inside the casing was a long, black stem with what appeared to be a bright purple flower coming out of it. The flower had only three petals, but each appeared to be extremely sharp. The stigma was a stunning red and ran down a couple of inches; all in all, the flower was at least a foot long.
"Picked it up off world," Elros said as he ruffled her hair. Koneko looked at it with an awe that was unusual to see on her. She soon broke into a smile as she threw her arms around Elros and hugged him tightly.
"Thanks," she said.
"Not a problem," Elros said as he hugged her back. Akeno and Rias aww"d and coo"d at the sight, making Koneko blush as she rushed into the ORC.
"So cute!" Rias said as she hugged Elros, along with Akeno.
"Totally. Same with Gasper," Akeno said as they others came back.
"Elros! That"s so cool! What is it?!" Gasper asked as he ran up to him.
"Just a little thing to help you out, buddy. If you hold the b.u.t.ton down, you can increase the duration and power of the light; but otherwise, it"ll stun most people pretty d.a.m.n quickly. You like?" Elros asked.
"I love it! It"s the greatest thing ever! Thank you!" Gasper cried out.
"Don"t mention it, little buddy. I"m sure Issei wouldn"t mind training with you so you can try it out a bit more, right?" Elros suggested. Gasper turned to Issei with a wide smile on his face.
"You did that on purpose," Issei grumbled to Elros who chuckled.
"Asia? I think you better go with them, just in case," Elros said. Asia nodded and rushed on over.
"Smooth," Akeno said as she played with Elros"s hair.
"I"m a regular matchmaker. You two are losing your touch; that"s a girl responsibility, no?" Elros teased.
"Yeah, but you understand us so well that I"m starting to think you"re just a girl in a guys body," Rias said.
"I"d be a pretty hot girl," Elros said cheerfully as they all headed inside, minds a wash with what just happened.
"Alien technology. Amazing," Xenovia said.
"You"re something else," Kiba said. Elros winked at the; he had an idea of what they were thinking.
"Don"t worry, I didn"t forget you guys as well. You"ll just have to wait a little longer," he said with a laugh. Perking up at that, they both left to work on some contracts.
"What about us?" Rias wondered.
"I daresay I already gave you something not too long ago," Elros said as he leaned in and nibbled her ear gently, making her squirm in pleasure.
"But don"t worry, you two will get gifts as well," he said.
"Can"t wait," they said in unison.
-o-
"I"m gonna go kill myself," Elros grumbled as they left cla.s.s a few days later. He had not done any of his homework and it continued to pile up.
"How have you not done ANY yet? We live in the same house - yet we"re on top of everything. How can you be so… careless?!" Rias asked him, smiling a little as she heard him whine.
"Being a Lantern, I just didn"t have to worry about this bulls.h.i.t. My ring took care of all the minutiae. Come on Rias, help me out," Elros asked her, pulling her in closer.
"Nope. You know I love you, but this is one problem you"ll have to solve on your own," Rias said with a giggle. Elros noted that he drew the scornful gazes of the men around them.
"Akeno? You promised!" Elros said.
"I know I did, but I"m going to take it back. Rias is right; you need to solve this on your own," Akeno said.
"Sona! My savior!" Elros suddenly shouted as he rushed Sona who was walking in their direction. Quickly, he took her hands in his and got on a knee. The people around them look on in shock and horror, but no one was as surprised as Sona.
"Please, Sona… won"t you please help me with my homework!" Elros asked dramatically. Everyone sweat dropped and continued on their way, the men murmuring about their plans to make Elros pay for sweeping the female population off their feet; and the girls talking daggers at Rias, Akeno, and Sona.
"What?" she asked, flabbergasted as he got to his feet, grinning goofily at her.
"Rias and Akeno refuse to help. I"ve no one else to turn to you. Besides, you"re a f.u.c.king genius. I"ve seen your grades… how is it even possible to score more than a hundred?" Elros grumbled. Sona giggled before looking at Rias and Akeno who shrugged.
"Sure. How about later today? I"m free then," Sona said, smiling. Elros threw his arms around her, drawing her into a tight hug. Sona turned red, her hands flailing slightly before she put them around him.
"Rias, Akeno - sorry, but Sona"s my favorite now," Elros declared.
"It"s worth it to see Sona turn different shades," Rias giggled. Sona stared daggers at her oldest friend before getting to business.
"Rias, I needed to talk to you about something. Got a minute?" Sona asked. Rias nodded. As she was about to pa.s.s Elros, he pulled her in closer and swooped in, giving her a kiss. She returned it with a fervor before walking off with Sona, leaving Akeno with Elros.
"Trying to make me jealous for our date?" Akeno teased him.
"Na. I wouldn"t ever try to make someone jealous on purpose. I want it to be special for you," Elros said, making Akeno blush with the pa.s.sion he induced into his tone.
"Careful. Rias won"t like you saying that," Akeno said, although she was smiling.
"I"m surprised Rias is alright with it, to be honest," Elros said worriedly.
"You"re worried about hurting her?" Akeno asked.
"Her. You. Everyone," Elros admitted as he brushed some loose strands of hair behind her ear.
"That"s why all the girls like you. You know how to make them feel special," Akeno giggled. Elros smiled and kissed her on the cheek, lingering for a second. She looked at him with a smile, before it soon fell.
"What"s wrong?" Elros asked.
"I wanted to ask a favor. Do you already have something planned for us?" she asked.
"Do I ever," Elros grinned.
"Before we do that… can I ask you to come somewhere with me?" Akeno asked, her voice small.
"Where to?" Elros asked.
"In the town where I was born. I… my… it"s…," Akeno began but stopped - her lips trembling. Elros gently put his arms around her, pressing her head against him.
"Shh, it"s alright. You can tell me why later. Of course, I"ll go," Elros said. Akeno held back her tears as she hugged him back tightly.
"Thank you," she said as she leaned back.
"Not at all. Anything you need, Akeno," Elros said as he kissed her forehead.
-o-
"Sona wants you to meet her at her place," Rias said.
"What?" Elros asked.
"To help you with her homework. She thinks its best if you two get comfortable," Rias sighed as she fell onto his lap; everyone else was working their contracts.
"Good thing I asked someone as intelligent as her," Elros joked, earning a playful punch from Rias before she snuggled closer to him, resting her head against his.
"Do you like her?" Rias asked as he twirled his hair around her finger.
"Sona? I dunno, actually. She"s beautiful, to be sure. But I get the feeling her minds always on something more important. She"s definitely a lot more serious than, say, you," Elros said with a chuckle.
"I"m sure you"ll find more about that later. Sona"s very determined," Rias said.
"As are you. Can"t be easy to know that you have such a large responsibility ahead of you," Elros mused.
"It"s difficult sometimes. But like being a Green Lantern is your duty, heading the Household is mine," Rias sighed. She felt Elros"s hand go up the side of her body as he adjusted her a bit so that she was sitting with her legs on either side of his waist. She moved slightly to wrap them around him, thrusting both of them a bit closer to each other as her head still rested on his.
"I"m here to help you carry the load," Elros whispered to her. Rias smiled; that was music to her ears. She leaned forward and kissed him gently, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. Elros leaned into the kiss enthusiastically as he squeezed her a.s.s tightly, making her moan. They would"ve continued, but Elros"s phone soon rang. Breaking the kiss with a sigh, he answered.
"Hey. Oh hey, Sona. Sure, I can come over right now. Alright. Send me the address. I"ll see you in a bit. Bye," he said, looking at Rias who was still smiling. Throwing the phone to the side, he quickly picked her up before laying her on the sofa, kissing her with a fierce pa.s.sion. Rias moaned in pleasure as his tongue entered her mouth again as she held him tightly against her, not wanting to let go. They went on for a long while before they separated, breathing deeply.
"That was nice," she giggled.
"We"ll have some more fun later. See, if you agreed to help me, we could"ve made a game out of it," Elros said.
"Then I"ll definitely help you next time," Rias promised as she got up and gave him a quick peck. As she turned, she felt Elros spank her, eliciting a giggle. With that, Elros left and headed to Sona"s.
Making sure that Gasper wasn"t in the ORC, Rias took a seat in her chair and sighed in pleasure. With a smile on her lips, she got to her work as well.
-o-
"f.u.c.king bulls.h.i.t," Elros grumbled as Sona explained his work to him.
"You don"t get it?" Sona asked.
"No, I understand it perfectly. The understanding isn"t the issue. The issue is the f.u.c.king PAPERWORK. LOOK AT THIS, SONA! LOOK AT IT! How many trees had to die so my teacher could get kicks from my pain?" Elros complained, showing her the stack of papers in front of them, eliciting a giggle from Sona.
"I know how you feel, but homework is important for retention. And as Student Council President, I can"t just let you blow it off," Sona said as she took off her gla.s.ses and cleaned them.
"Fine," Elros sighed as he got to work.
"I"ll make us some tea while you finish. How"s that sound?" Sona asked, getting up.
"Sounds good to me. I was never a tea guy until Akeno made some for me. Now I can"t stop," Elros said as he worked through a few easy problems. When Sona had come back a few minutes later, she saw he had already breezed through a couple of pages. As she reviewed the work, she saw why - he had doodled instead of answering the questions.
"I"m not sure your teacher is going to accept in place of actual work," Sona sighed. Elros grumbled and took the paper back, starting over and legitimately answering the questions. They sat and sipped their tea in peace, Sona mostly stealing glances at him and reviewing what he did here and there. Finally, after torturous hours, Elros sank back into her sofa with a heavy exhale.
"DONE!" he yelled victoriously, making Sona giggle. She leaned back as well and put a hand on his chest, running it up and down almost mindlessly. As Elros turned to her, he saw that she had a contemplative look on her face.
"What"s up?" he asked, scooting a bit closer.
"Hmm? Oh, I"m sorry. Nothing. I was just thinking about a few things," Sona, smiling at him.
"Anything in particular?" he asked.
"Girl stuff," she said.
"I"m pretty good at that," Elros said.
"I"m sure you are, but I don"t think it"s something that can be settled by giving me a hickey," Sona said.
"Won"t know if we don"t try," Elros said with a chuckle.
"How would Rias feel about that?" Sona asked, looking over her gla.s.ses.
"You wound me, Sona. As if I didn"t know what you wanted to talk to her about," Elros said with a chuckle. Sona turned a deep red as she quickly looked away; that wasn"t the only thing she talked to Rias about, but it was something.
"How do you know?" Sona asked quietly.
"As much as I may act it sometimes, it"s not I"m completely oblivious. Nor will I often pretend to be. It"s not fair or fun for anyone - unlike teasing, which is completely fair and especially fun for me," he said cheerfully. Sona sighed deeply and moved a bit closer to him, gauging his reaction. She gently rested her head on his chest, listening to his calming heartbeat as her hands ran up and down his stomach. Elros brought a hand up and ran it through her short hair, eliciting a deep sigh from the beauty.
"I can see why Rias and Akeno feel so much for you. This is… nice," Sona said.
"Are you telling me you"ve never done this before?" Elros asked, slightly surprised. How is it that none of the girls he had come across so far, save Mrs. Gremory, had even been on a date or interacted intimately with the opposite s.e.x.
"I haven"t. A lot of us haven"t. It"s… different for Devils, especially after the war ended. A lot of our numbers were cut down; the men in society were encouraged to… spread their seed, as it were. That"s why so many Devil guys have harems. Women, on the other hand, were more… aristocratic, you could say. It only started changing recently, but there"s plenty of headway to be made. For Rias and I, it"s even more different. While our parents are more progressive, we still have to abide by some Devil rules - the whole marriage thing for one. Arranged marriages are prominent amongst surviving 72 Family clans, so our lives end up being structured from a young age - it was just a.s.sumed that I would have an arranged marriage and not do anything impure until then. That"s why plenty of Devil girls you"ll meet will be so… innocent," Sona explained.
"Wow. Rias explained some of it to me, but that? I don"t know what to say, Sona," Elros said, flabbergasted. For all his problems in life, freedom was the one thing he had in spades.
"There really isn"t much to say, honestly. Rias and I were two special cases in that we rebelled profusely against arranged marriages. That opened up a whole new floodgate - men left, right, and center trying to sweep us off our feet with promises of wealth, splendor, and might heirs. That one is a favorite of mine," Sona scoffed.
"Yeah, someone tried that on her as well. f.u.c.king creepy, if you ask me. Who does that?" Elros said.
"I know, right?" Sona agreed.
"Seriously. Look, if you want a girls attention the only way to do it… is by crashing out of the sky and destroying her home. I"m sorry, but any other way is just too ba.n.a.l," Elros said. Sona laughed as she adjusted herself on him, getting comfortable. She was happy that Rias had given her the go-ahead to at least get somewhat intimate with her, although she didn"t think much of asking her.
"Perhaps something a bit tamer than that would suffice for the most part. But yes. Most Devil men have very precious egos or ridiculously high opinions of themselves. Unfortunately, even the ones that try to propose to us - professing to give us all they have - really just want one thing in return, and that"s status. My family… Rias"s family… and a few others are well esteemed, which is why it"s so desirable to marry into our clans. Riser wanted that as much as anything else. Quite a bit of esteem is placed on children as well - which is why Duels and Rating Games are so important. If the children do well, it reflects well on everyone," Sona said bitterly. She loved her parents dearly, and they her - but it was all slightly tainted by that mutual beneficence.
"What would your parents say if you were to marry someone they hadn"t chosen?" Elros asked.
"I honestly don"t know. I know that the community at large wouldn"t be approving. They"d think of it as spoiling blood to mingle with, say, a servant or a Reincarnated Devil," Sona said, looking up at Elros apprehensively.
"Looks like Rias wasn"t kidding, then. I guess some people ARE going to dislike me quite a bit," Elros said.
"Are you worried?" Sona asked.
"For Rias, Akeno, and the others - yes. I can take care of myself, and I know they"re all ridiculously strong as well. But I"ll continue to worry," Elros sighed.
"It"s unfortunate, really. We"ve always had to be on guard. Rias is extremely beautiful, extremely powerful, extremely wealthy, and extremely loving - but one thing she is most definitely not is naive. Why so many men think they can simply have her is beyond me. As though offering her more of the same will somehow get her to settle with them. That"s what Riser a.s.sumed, and it didn"t work out as he thought. Perhaps that"s why she"s so smitten with you. You really don"t care about those things, do you?" Sona asked, looking up at him from her position.
"Well, it doesn"t hurt - especially considering how beautiful she is. But no, I"m ambivalent to that. I"ve never much cared for power and wealth on Earth doesn"t do much for me in s.p.a.ce. Not like any other alien species accepts US Dollars," Elros chuckled.
"I suppose that"s why she"s so taken with you, as are Akeno and Tsubaki," Sona sighed.
"And you?" Elros asked.
"What?! Me what?!" Sona asked, turning red.
"I noted that you mentioned Tsubaki, yet clearly left yourself out. Yet here you are, lazing around on me," Elros said as he suddenly laid down, bringing her with him. Sona was resting on top of him, turning a bright red. Seeing no escape, she ducked down, his chin resting on her head as her hands curled up into b.a.l.l.s on either side of him.
"You really are a ma.s.sive tease," Sona grumbled.
"Just preempting you," Elros said as he rubbed her back. Sona exhaled deeply as she felt it, enjoying the feeling.
"You didn"t answer my question," Elros said.
"I…I don"t know. Maybe. This is new to me, as I said," Sona said.
"Alas, I don"t think I"m as smart as you," Elros joked.
"We"ll see. If you beat us in a Rating Game, I"ll admit that you"re at least almost on par with me," Sona giggled.
"Deal. Now, how about you let me seduce you and then you can spill all your secrets to me?" Elros suggested.
"I don"t think so. In fact, now I"ll need to generate a few more tactics," Sona said with a smile.
"Fine. Be that way," Elros grumbled. Sona laughed lightly as she picked her head off of him, looking into his eyes. She saw the warmth they help; understanding why Akeno and Rias were so smitten with him. While not a fool or innocent by any means, he had a good heart. She brought a hand up and traced the large scar on his face, wondering how he received it. As if reading her mind, he smiled sadly.
"That"s what happens when you don"t pay attention," he said with a sigh. Sona brought her fingers all around his face before gently touching his cheek. She bit her lip, wondering what to do.
"Close your eyes," she said suddenly. Elros raised an eyebrow but complied and did so. Sona felt her heart rate escalate as she brought her lips closer to her. She could feel her heart about to burst, inching closer and closer until the distance was so small, she could feel his light exhales on her. She was about to make the final touch when she suddenly buried her head in his neck. Elros"s eyes shot open in surprise; he wasn"t expecting that. Soon, he heard a light sob.
"What"s wrong?" Elros asked.
"I"m sorry. I… I just can"t. Not like this," Sona said.
"Sona, Sona, relax. It"s nothing to cry about. Not at all. You take these things at your own pace, not the pace that you think someone else wants," Elros said as he hugged her.
"Are you sure?" Sona asked.
"Positive. Relax," he said soothingly, rubbing her back. Sona exhaled at the feeling as she put a hand on the back of his hand, gently playing with his hair.
"Thank you," she whispered.
"Not at all. Just as much as I"m here for the others, I"m here for you. Don"t worry," Elros said kindly. Sona smiled as he said that; he certainly wasn"t like other men, she thought.
"It"s getting late. You should probably get going," she said as she got up, rubbing away remaining tears. Elros followed, putting a hand on her face and making her look at him. Slowly he leaned down and kissed her on the cheek, eliciting a gasp from her. Sona touched the spot where his lips touched, feeling it almost burning.
"What was that for?" she asked.
"Wanted to. Is that ok?" Elros asked.
"Yes," Sona said as she hugged him.
"Thanks again for the help. Let me know how I can make it up to you," Elros said with a grin. Sona nodded as she saw him blast off, sighing deeply before heading to bed. She threw herself onto it, burying her head in her pillow as a sudden rush went through her body.
"How can I have him repay me? Hmmm… I think I have an idea," she thought with a smile. She"d run it by Rias later.
-o-
As Elros got back home, he saw Rias and Akeno were both already asleep. He appreciated Rias"s body with an eye hadn"t done so before; she truly was a work of art, as was Akeno. Smiling, he went to the window and rested his head against it.
His ring began to glow. He frowned as he brought it to his lips.
"Go. And quietly," he whispered to it.
"Scan was extended to 120 hours, as your thought process indicated. Monsters located. The previous location," the ring said to him. Elros nodded and looked at Akeno and Rias. Should he wake them? They would want him to, he was sure. However, the grisly sight of the two corpses came back to him. If they were hurt in any way, he"d be breaking his promise. No, this was best left taken care of by him alone. Quietly, he wrote a note just in case before he took his leave, glowing green and a serious look in his eye.