When Elros woke up the next day, it took him a moment to remember where he was. The Gremory Household had gifted him a marvelous place to call his home, far from the rest of the town. As he looked out through one of the windows, he saw the morning mist just about to lift for the day as the sun broke over the horizon. He smiled as he saw that Akeno and Rias were resting comfortably on either side of him, wearing only their underwear. He quietly got out of bed, not wanting to wake them and went to over to one of the windows and rested his head on it, feeling the coolness of the gla.s.s pressing against his forehead. He let out a short exhale, fogging it and began to run his finger through it as he admired the lush landscape in front of him.

'So this is what paradise feels like, huh? Or at least as close to paradise I can hope for,' he thought with a smile.

Turning around, he went down the stairs to the level just below where the bathroom was located. The bathroom in question was as big as many a bedroom, with a ma.s.sive hot tub located against the gla.s.s wall offering a spectacular view of the forest that was his backyard. Taking off his clothes, Elros got settled in it and let the hot water flow. It had been years since he had taken a hot bath and it did his weary body a great deal of good. Being a Green Lantern, he was used to getting knocked around quite a bit. Despite being in peak physical condition - only a few other costumed crusaders were on par with him in that particular department - there was always significant damage and aching. The aftereffects final move he had pulled on Riser and his peerage during the duel still lingered on him - and likely would for a couple more days.

'I need to be able to use it without these side effects and activate it quicker. Otherwise, it's a nonstarter. Can probably do a short or long burst of it if I put my mind to it. That can probably cancel out the pain, but it's going to be diluted in power,' Elros thought. However, he decided to push the thought out of mind for the moment.

After all, respites such as this were few and far between. Now that he finally had one, he decided to take advantage of it. He gently closed his eyes and let his head rest back after he turned off the faucet, simply soaking in the water.

He kept that position for several minutes before he heard a pair of feet heading towards him. Opening his eyes, he smiled at Rias who had come to join him. She had taken off her underwear, exposing her entire body to him; he did his duty and admired it fully.

"Mind if I join you?" she asked.

"Please, by all means," Elros said. Rias smiled and gently stepped in. As her feet broke the water, she paused for a moment to stretch. Reaching her arms high above her head, she gently twisted and turned, making sure that Elros got a good look. Elros began walking two fingers up her leg, edging ever closer to her womanhood. Rias smirked at that but stopped him, bringing her hand to his and holding it. Elros sighed but nodded and stopped. She sat down beside him, trying her d.a.m.nedest not to look at him below the waist; she was thankful that she had suggested installing such a large hot tub, otherwise her scope of vision would be more limited. Elros noticed it and couldn't help but laugh as he put his arm around her and held her close. Rias suddenly blushed as she realized this was the first time both were completely naked and in a room together - and so close, at that.

"For someone whose naked around me so often and extremely confident in her appearance you seem averse to undressing me with your eyes. I don't think I'm wrong in saying that you're comfortable with your s.e.xuality, so it's kind of adorable actually. Almost like Asia,' Elros said.

"Oh shut up," Rias whined, turning red at being called adorable and compared to her friend.

"Look, you're even turning red. So adorable," Elros said with a chuckle, knowing the word probably made her feel like a kid.

"Well, this is the first time I've actually seen you completely naked," Rias said.

"Well, you haven't completely seen me naked yet - these bubbles are d.a.m.n thick. Feel free to look and touch as much as you want, though," Elros said as he walked his fingers down to her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. She smiled as he stopped and lightly put his hand on her left breast, letting it sit there comfortably.

"We already have one perv in the peerage. Don't need another," Rias said.

"I wouldn't say my s.e.xual behavior is abnormal. I'm a young guy and act as such. Mostly. I'd say I'm doing quite well, actually. I mean, I don't spy on girls like Issei," Elros said.

"Yeah, but it's easier to call you a pervert," Rias said with a giggle.

"I'm sure I'm doing Issei proud. You know, he'd probably want to kill me if he saw us like this. He's almost done it on several occasions already, after all," Elros said with a laugh.

"I don't think you've got to worry about him," Rias said.

"I'm curious - when you turned him into a Devil, did he get the same treatment?" Elros asked.

"For the most part. I used some of my powers to heal him - we didn't have Asia back then. Issei's case ended up being weird in that somehow, he can take his perversions and turn them into powerful attacks. If he fondles a girl or something, it ends up kicking him into overdrive," Rias said embarra.s.sedly.

"So what you're saying is you and him have taken it to second base?" Elros asked with a laugh.

"Mhm. Jealous?" Rias asked with a smile.

"Who wouldn't be?" Elros chuckled.

"I'm surprised you haven't tried anything like that yet, to be honest. We've slept together how many times?" Rias asked.

"I can usually exert some self-control. Besides, despite Issei's att.i.tude - he's still quite innocent. I set him up completely for a foursome and he declined," Elros sighed. It was odd, he thought; any guy would've jumped at the chance, especially when it was right in front of them.

"Yeah, you are DEFINITELY worse than Issei. You're right, at least he's still innocent. Whereas you… I don't even want to think about the places you've probably stuck it," Rias grumbled.

"What you intend as an insult, I consider a badge of honor," Elros said with a laugh as he pulled her in a bit more.

"This is pretty comfortable," Rias said as she leaned into his pull and snuggling closer, putting a hand on his chest and tracing it.

"Well, you're sitting in the second best seat in the house. I imagine it is," Elros said.

"Second? What's first?" Rias asked, a puzzled look on her face. Elros grinned as he showed her. The next thing Rias knew, she was sitting on his lap, his arms wrapped around her waist and resting just off center on her thigh.

"What're you doing?" Rias asked, turning blood red, though she made no movement to get off.

"Just introducing you to the best seat in the house. Well, almost the best seat. I figured you might be a bit uncomfortable with the best seat, so this is close enough," Elros said a bit quieter. Rias figured what he was talking about and was thankful that she was sitting off center; she didn't know what she would do if he put her directly on it.

"Are you uncomfortable? You know, it's ok to slap me if I do something to offend you," Elros said. Rias leaned back a bit more and thought about that.

"No, it's fine. Just… don't do anything to… ummm…," she trailed off.

"I understand," Elros said. Rias smiled as she leaned back rested her head against him. She had to admit that she was extremely comfortable with him, even in such a vulnerable position. Although it was true that she had not known him for as long as the others in the peerage, she felt as though she could trust him with her life - as could the rest of the peerage. Slowly, she turned her head to look at him. As she met his eyes, she felt a tingling sensation in her most sensitive area. She tried to restrain herself from doing anything perverse - after all, they finally had their first date the upcoming weekend - and instead leaned forward, resting her head on his shoulder. Elros smiled and wrapped his arms comfortably around her, holding her close.

"This is really nice," Rias said after a long while.

"It really is," Elros said as he kissed her atop her head. As she felt it, her eyes went wide. She was thankful he wasn't looking directly at her - else, she would've had to explain why she looked so fl.u.s.tered. Although he had done it several times already, the position they were in added to it.

"So, about this weekend," Elros began.

"Hmm?" Rias asked, surprised he wanted to talk about it this very moment.

"Are you free both days?" Elros asked.

"Yeah. Why?" Rias asked, trying to get some insight into what he was thinking.

"Just making sure. If I'm taking you out on a date, I want it to be one that you're going to remember for the rest of your life," Elros said as she stroked her hair.

"I-I'm sure I'll enjoy whatever you plan for us," Rias said, slightly nervous.

"I'm afraid that won't do at all. It has to be as amazing as you are, Rias. If I don't leave you speechless by the end of it, I don't deserve to take you out in the first place," Elros said pa.s.sionately. At that, Rias picked her head up from his shoulder and looked at him with deep desire in her eyes.

This was the reason she didn't want an arranged marriage with someone she couldn't get along with; it had to be someone of her choosing, someone that could make her feel like Rias, the woman; not Rias of the Gremory Household. Elros did that for her whenever he touched her or held her or spoke to her - as a woman, not a high ranking devil. It was amazing, she thought. Many Devils considered themselves the essence of charm and desire, but they were mistaken; they thought their powers or their wealth or status were enough to woo whomever they wanted. Perhaps it worked on some, but Rias didn't need any of that - she was ridiculously wealthy, inherently powerful, and already of significant status. She refused to be with someone who couldn't make her heart race, her cheeks blush, and captivate every second of her thought. There was only one person that had ever done that for her - and she was sitting on him right now.

She adjusted her position so that she was facing him, resting on her knees off to his side. She put her arms around his neck and began playing with his hair, gently stroking it here and there. With her lips slightly parted, she felt her body move on its own. Slowly, she leaned in closer and closer to him, her eyes looking between his lips and his eyes. Elros, for his part, let her; not making a move either which way, curious as to how far she would go.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Rias finally felt her lips touch his. It was an exhilarating sensation for her - her first kiss. She noted how rough his lips felt, much like she thought in the dream she had had a few nights ago. She felt him take her in his arms and the next thing she knew, he was leaning deep into the kiss as his hand supported the back of her head. What started off as a gentle liplock suddenly became something more pa.s.sionate as she felt his tongue enter her mouth and begin to explore as he cradled her. She moaned in pleasure as he did so; she moaned again as he traced the back of her leg with a finger, making her hair stand on end. After what felt like an eternity, they separated. Rias looked at him with eyes wide open, shocked by what just happened.

"Wow… that was…," she began but trailed off.

"Your first kiss?" Elros asked.

"It… was," Rias said uncertainly.

"How do you feel about it?" Elros asked.

"I loved it," she said with an authority in her voice as she looked at him directly. He smiled in response and suddenly swooped in and kissed her again. She was surprised but didn't object to it; quite the opposite as this time she put her own tongue into effect. It was a moment before they parted, quicker than the previous one.

"What was that for?" she asked.

"Another taste," Elros said. Rias smiled and nodded at that.

"You should go get ready. Open house is today," she said quietly.

"Shouldn't you as well?" Elros asked.

"Later. I need to think about some things," Rias said as she moved to let go of him. To her surprise, however, he held on. With a sudden movement she was standing up alongside him, her hands on his chest and his around her waist. She could feel his warmth as he held her body close to his, warming her up. She loved the sensation that went through her as their skin met and meshed, her b.r.e.a.s.t.s pressing gently against his chest. He leaned in again and locked lips with her, although this time with considerably more pa.s.sion than the sweet kiss they shared just moments before. Rias noted that this time, it was a bit more primal in nature as he quickly entered her mouth again. She felt his tongue search for hers and couldn't help but moan in pleasure as soon as it touched it, flicking against it at all angles. Rias felt his hands go down to her a.s.s and give her a squeeze, a feeling she enjoyed very much. Finally, after what seemed like another eternity, he broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers. Both were breathing deeply at the moment of shared pa.s.sion and Rias found herself unable to open her eyes. She felt her hands slide up and down his front and it took all the willpower she had to not let them go down even further at this point.

"That… was amazing," she finally whispered with a shuddered breath.

"Glad you thought so. I'll head out now," he said as he brought his head back up to look at her. He brought a hand up to her cheek and rested it there for a moment, his thumb caressing her lips.

"Wow, this harder than I thought it'd be," Elros said with a smile. He had to restrain himself from doing anything else for the moment. With that, he let her go and quickly exited with a towel around his waist. Rias stood standing for a while longer, in a daze. Finally, she sat back down in the tub and licked her lips, tasting whatever remnant he had left behind. She closed her eyes yet again and let her right hand travel down. With Elros heavy on her mind, she began to pleasure herself fervently, thinking about what was going to happen that weekend.

-o-

As Elros went upstairs to his room to get dressed, he saw Akeno standing against the window wearing a robe.

"Good morning," he said with a smile. As she turned to face him, however, she was decidedly frowning. Elros looked on in worry as he approached her, bringing a hand to her cheek.

"What's wrong?" he asked. Suddenly, Akeno threw her arms around him. Like Rias had earlier, she pressed her lips against his - although with much more pa.s.sion than Rias's initial kiss. Elros was surprised for a moment but took it in stride. He couldn't deny that he thought about the two beauties quite a bit - and to be in this position, he decided to wing it. He leaned down slightly and wrapped his arms around the back of Akeno's thighs and picked her up with ease, making sure all the way to keep his lips on her as their tongues had commenced battle. Instead of taking her to the bed, however, he pushed her up against the wall, eliciting a moan of pleasure from her as he drew his body in close. She quickly wrapped her legs around his waist, thrusting him against her. She could feel how hard he was as his crotch was placed squarely on hers, separated only by a thin robe and a towel.

Akeno felt as though her brain was a firework, unable to think straightly of much else besides Elros at this point in time. Ever since his arrival, he had been constantly on her thoughts, leaving little room for anything else. She had spent the most time with him out of anyone in the peerage; weeks of a shared bed. She had gotten closer to him in a short time than she had with anyone else, except Rias - who was her sister. This exact moment - the kiss and the date she would go on with him next weekend - had been on her mind since that first night. His cheerful att.i.tude, his caring personality, his raw power, his gentility in handling a situation - it all coalesced into creating a person that she thought she could happily be with and rely on. She was confident in her position; otherwise, she wouldn't have made such a move, especially after knowing what had transpired just moments ago in the hot tub.

She felt his tongue ma.s.sage hers as she endeavored to taste as much of him as she could. He had considerable pa.s.sion - most likely more than any of the men that she could think of. She felt his hands on the back of her thighs and wondered if he would move them to any other sensitive area? As that entered her stream of thought, however, she quickly grew afraid of what might happen if this continued any longer. Rias could walk in on them, and she wasn't sure that she wanted to lose her virginity right after he had finished kissing her best friend. As she was about to break the kiss, however, Elros did so. She began to open her mouth to speak when he suddenly pressed his lips against her neck, electing a squeak of pleasure from her. Akeno forgot what she was about to say as his lips ran down the length of her neck, to her shoulder and back to the base of her neck. She brought a hand to the back of his head, holding it there as she bit her lips in pleasure. She let out an audible gasp as she felt him bite her gently. It was enough that she could feel herself getting wet and it took all the strength she had to not ask him to f.u.c.k her then and there. As she found her bearings, though, she began speaking.

"Elros, wait. I… I… I don't think this is the best time to do this. I'm sorry for springing this on you," she whispered, her arms and legs still around him as he held her against the wall. Elros was silent, but breathing heavily - almost like an animal as he broke away from her neck.

"Elros?" she asked fearfully. He was silent for a moment before speaking again.

"No, you're right. I'm the one who should apologize, Akeno. Forgive me," Elros said, still holding on to her as he calmed down. He leaned back and looked at her. She saw a change in his eyes; while they were still warm and inviting, there was something else there - something primal that she hadn't seen before.

"It's… I…," she trailed off.

"You're… quite the kisser," he said, unable to think of what else to say. As obtuse as it was for the situation, Akeno couldn't help but giggle at that. Finally, he set her down but kept his arms around her. She looked at him with a pa.s.sion in her eyes and smile on her lips. Suddenly, he swooped down once more and give her a quick kiss.

"Sorry, I had to," he whispered.

"It's fine," she said as she bit her lip gently.

"I'm gonna go get ready. I'll see you and Rias at school," Elros said. With that, he quickly dressed, exited, and began flying towards the school - his mind racing just as fast as Akenos' and Rias'.

Akeno turned back to the gla.s.s wall, her heart audibly pounding within her chest over what just happened. She brought her fingers to her lips and felt them. Elros was quite pa.s.sionate in his kissing, she could tell. She remembered that she had a date with him the week after Rias and wondered how that would turn out - how far would the two of them go?

Rias.

Her best friend suddenly crossed into her mind and Akeno felt a pang of jealousy go through her - this one different from all the others she had felt when Elros interacted with other women. She wasn't sure that she wanted to share him; the two had spent the most time together - after all, he did live with her for a while. But now, with herself and Rias living with him, she wondered how the dynamic would s.h.i.+ft. She wondered what kind of relations.h.i.+p Elros would want - monogamist or playing the field? Was he capable of loving just one person - or more than one? She was focused on those thoughts until she heard the sound of feet behind her. Turning, she saw Rias looking at her with an unknown emotion in her eyes. they both regarded each other - both knew exactly what just happened between the other and Elros.

"Hey, Rias," Akeno finally said with a smile.

"Akeno," Rias replied, smiling as well after a brief pause.

There was something unsaid between the two before Akeno spoke up again.

"Shall we go get ready?" she asked.

"Let's," Rias replied.

-o-

As Elros arrived at school, he noted the marked change. There was a considerably larger number of people there - by the looks of it, parents of the children in attendance. Off to the side, he saw what looked like Issei's parents talking to their son and Asia, whom they considered and treated like a daughter. Noting that he had never met them, he went over to introduce himself.

"Hi, there! You must be Mr. And Mrs. Hyoudou," Elros said with a smile as he shook their hands.

"Mom, dad - this is Elros. He's the newest member of the Occult Research Club as well as a transfer to the school," Issei said as he made the introduction.

"Another man in the ORC! That brings it to three, then! Good to meet you, son!" Mr. Hyoudou said cheerfully as he clapped Elros on the shoulder.

"My, what a handsome young man! And what a wonderful name! I certainly hope you'll be a better influence on our son than Motohama and Matsuda," Mrs. Hyoudou said happily.

"I shall certainly try, Mrs. Hyoudou. Although if anyone is going to turn Issei right, I think it'll be Asia," Elros said as he put a hand on her head. Asia and Issei both turned red at that while his parents laughed in agreement.

"See, even Elros agrees with us, Issei! Don't wait too long, son," Mr. Hyoudou said as he slung an arm around his son. After making a bit more small talk, Elros joined the rest of the peerage who were a short distance off.

"How's it going, guys?" Elros greeted them.

"Pretty good. Yourself?" Kiba asked.

"Not too bad," Elros said with a grin. Suddenly, Koneko was in front of him, sniffing him.

"Hey there, Koneko," Elros replied with a chuckle, patting her on the head.

"You smell like Rias. And Akeno. On your lips… hmmm," Koneko said, narrowing her eyes. Elros raised his in surprise; Koneko had d.a.m.n good senses, it seemed - far better than the others if she could single that out so easily.

"WHAT?!" yelled a surprised Issei from the side. The next thing Elros knew, Issei had grabbed him by the collar and was shaking him while tears comically flew out of his eyes.

"You mean… you mean…," Issei said.

"I'm afraid I don't kiss and tell, Issei," Elros said with a grin.

"No fair," Issei said with a loud sigh.

"Think you might have just turned the male population against you," Kiba said as he hiked his thumb over his should. Elros leaned and looked to see what he was looking at. If looks could kill, Elros would've been turned into a puddle of blood with the number of glares he was getting from the guys around him. He began to chuckle but it quickly turned into a grumble - at this point, he'd be the target of much an una.s.suming, poorly thought out, and uncomfortable prank.

"I'm sure I'll survive," he said lamely.

"The guys in this school love Rias and Akeno," Kiba said.

"It appears that plenty of the girls do as well," Elros said, rubbing his head as he noted that he was getting some jealous stares from women as well - although most of them were l.u.s.ty. It appeared that more than a couple were willing to test new waters.

"Well, they are quite beautiful," Xenovia admitted.

"Don't worry. Elros can take anything they throw at him, I'm sure," came Akeno's voice from the side. They had finally gotten dressed and met up with their friends at school.

"Rias, Akeno - good to see you so soon. You as well, Elros," came another woman's voice from the side. Venelana Gremory was in attendance along with her husband, Zeoticus; her son, Sirzechs; and her daughter in law, Grayfia. However, there was another man there who caught Elros's eye. His eyes grew wide and he grinned a wide grin, catching some of the Devils there by surprise.

The man stood at least 6'6, towering above almost everyone else there. He wore a pure black turtleneck covered with a green blazer, with a green pocket square tucked in the left breast pocket. He wore khaki slacks, one hand at his side and the other tucked neatly in. Most striking, however, was his stern face - with coal black eyes, he looked at each of the Devils in attendance, scanning them closely and piercing their soul with his gaze; several had to turn away. His hair was blood red except for a white streak that went neatly through the middle. Finally, after a tense few seconds, he gave a small smile - if you could call it that.

"Jason Blood, as I live and breathe," Elros said with a happy laugh as he extended his hand.

"Elros Eärandil. It's been a while," Jason said, grabbing it. They greeted each other like old friends would, eliciting surprise from the peerage.

"You two know each other?" Rias asked.

"Elros and I have worked several times together in the past, alongside many other mutual acquaintances," Jason said in his usual grave tone. Elros, however, slung his arm around Jason's neck like a close friend would and grinned wide. Rias and Akeno exchanged glances; although Elros was usually very happy and cheerful, he seemed to be even more so now. It made for a funny picture, they thought; on one side, you had a man who looked like his looks could kill - yet around his neck was the arm of a man who seemed like he wouldn't dare to hurt a fly, smiling wide.

"What he means to say is that we're friends. Unfortunately, Jason's quite broody so it's difficult for him to admit that he even has friends. If he ever looks at you like he's about to kill you, don't worry. That's just how he always looks," Elros said with a long sigh as he shook his head.

"Perhaps you're just overly friendly," Jason said, although his short smile betrayed the fact that he liked this about his dear friend.

"You're worse than Bruce, you know," Elros said with a chuckle.

"I see you're in good spirits, as always. For a man with memory loss, perhaps you should be a bit more concerned. Especially when it involves you," Jason sighed.

"Not you too… Wait, what're you even doing here?" Elros asked, finally getting to what everyone wanted to ask.

"I was simply here to meet the Gremory Clan at Michael's behest; he asked yesterday that I be here today, if only for a short moment before heading back to London. I'll be taking my leave now, but we'll likely meet each other again soon. There are important things to discuss, Elros," Jason said seriously.

"What?! Stick around, Jason! I don't think it'd be a problem…," Elros said uncertainly.

"Certainly not. We'd love to have you around, Mr. Blood," Venelana said with a smile.

"I'm afraid I can't, Mrs. Gremory. I still have some things I need to take care of. If it's all the same with you, I would like to speak with Elros in private for a moment," Jason said.

"Of course," Zeoticus said.

"Come," Jason said, leading Elros with him. Elros looked at Rias and Akeno, giving them a shrug, but followed nonetheless. As they went out of earshot, Rias turned to her parents.

"Mom, dad - who is that?" she asked uncertainly.

"That's Jason Blood. The world's leading expert on the occult and demonology," Venelana explained.

"There was something off about him," Koneko suddenly said. All eyes turned to her, inquisitive.

"What is it, Koneko?" Akeno asked.

"I'm not sure. But his smell was… different," Koneko said.

"Is he a Devil?" Rias asked.

"Not exactly. Jason, you see, has the soul of a demon attached to his mortal soul," Zeoticus said with a smile.

"A demon?" Rias asked in surprise.

"He used to be a knight in King Arthur's court in the 6th century. A demon, Etrigan, terrorized the countryside; so the wizard, Merlin, bound their souls together," Zeoticus explained. He'd have told them more if he knew more; Jason was extremely reluctant to share more than he had to.

"You're kidding," Rias said in shock.

"I'm afraid not. He's quite powerful in his own right, from what Michael tells me," Zeoticus said.

"What does he want with Elros?" Akeno asked.

"I believe they're friends. He and Michael explained that they've worked together in the past as part of a larger group against significant threats. I'm not sure what they're speaking of right now, though," Sirzechs said.

"What exactly is that supposed to mean? 'A larger group against significant threats'?" Rias asked.

"Michael didn't explain that either; although I believe it's because he doesn't know as well. However, Jason Blood is trustworthy, if that's what you're thinking. He's written multiple books on the subject and has long been a force for good," Zeoticus said. Rias and Akeno nodded, their eyes fixated on the spot that Elros and Jason had left through.

"So Rias… Akeno," Venelana suddenly said with a smirk.

"Mmm?" Rias replied.

"I overheard what Koneko said before you two got here. You two kissed him? How does he taste?" Venelana asked. Akeno turned a bright red while Rias looked on in horror at her mother.

"Mom! You can't ask stuff like that!" Rias cried out quietly.

"A mother worries, sweetheart," Venelana said with a sigh.

"Then why are you asking how he tasted?!" Rias asked.

"Mmm, curiosity?" Venelana countered, intrigued.

"Oh my G.o.d… Zechs, Grayfia, Dad! Some help, please!" Rias pleaded.

"Hmm? Oh, we have somewhere to be, don't we son?" Zeoticus replied with an evil smile of his own. In the short time he had known Elros, he had grown extremely fond of him; Sirzechs and Venelana were the same - in quick and short order coming to think of Elros as a son.

"Yes we do, father. Let's go," Sirzechs replied cheerfully. With Grayfia and Zeoticus, he turned and left leaving Venelana with an embarra.s.sed Rias and Akeno.

"How about you Akeno? What was it like?" Venelana asked, turning to the girl she thought of as another daughter.

"It was… amazing," Akeno replied quietly.

"I'm glad to hear it," Venalana said with a satisfied smile.

-o-

After several minutes, Elros had rejoined the group, smiling as always.

"How was your talk with the guy?" Rias asked as she wrapped an arm around his.

"Went well. Was good to see him again. Good to see you again so soon as well, Mrs. Gremory," Elros said with a smile to the beautiful mother of two.

"Likewise, Elros. I see that you and my daughters have gotten even closer since you left the Underworld, although I suppose I shouldn't be surprised - it was bound to happen soon. Remember to take care of them for me, dear," Venelana said.

"Absolutely, ma'am. And thank you so much for the house. It's… more than I deserve, I think," Elros said uncertainly.

"Nonsense. You deserve that, and much, much more," Venelana said, brus.h.i.+ng off his worries. Truth be told, they wanted to go even larger to show their appreciation for his help against Riser, as well as taking on such a brunt of the pain. However, Rias stopped them from going overboard.

"However, I can think of a way or two to show your appreciation, if you'd like," Venelana said with a giggle.

"Elros, we need to hurry," Rias said as she quickly pulled him away and towards cla.s.s.

"No chance I'm letting my mom hit on you today, in front of all our cla.s.smates," Rias said.

"Easy, Rias. You're gonna tear my arm off," Elros said.

"Sorry," Rias said quietly. Akeno had soon caught up with them and took his other arm in hers.

"So, can you tell us what you were talking to Mr. Blood about?" she asked.

"He mentioned that he's going to be at that meeting thing in the Underworld in the summer as an envoy. He told me about how some of my other friends have been, to talk about my memory loss, and to warn me to be on my guard," Elros said, ridiculously cheerful despite their serious talk.

"You don't seem to be too worried," Rias said quietly.

"Jason worries too much. I admit, I am uncertain of what some of the factions might try. But I'm confident that we can handle it," he said as he undid his arm from Rias' and rested a hand on her head, giving her a rea.s.suring smile. Rias sighed but nodded in response as she took his hand in hers and slung it around her neck, interlocking their fingers. The motion drew gasps from some of the students a.s.sembled in the hallway - they never thought they'd see Rias holding hands with someone.

"Rias' dad mentioned that he's a demon," Akeno said.

"That's right. Jason Blood is attached to the demon, Etrigan. What's that thing he says to transform… uh… right! Gone! Gone! The form of man! Rise the demon, Etrigan!" Elros said dramatically, remembering how Jason transforms.

"He has to say that to transform?" Rias asked in surprise.

"Yup. And for some reason, he speaks in rhyme whenever he does transform. Pretty funny, actually," Elros responded with a chuckle.

"Is he strong?" Rias asked.

"Very," Elros said.

"Think you could beat him?" Akeno asked.

"Dunno. We never fought," Elros replied as he thought about that. Soon, they came to their cla.s.sroom.

-o-

"Cla.s.s was actually fun today," Elros said with a grin.

"I certainly thought so. Wonderful project, by the way," Akeno said with a giggle.

"Why thank you. What did you think, Rias?" Elros asked.

"I love it," Rias said with a giggle as well.

She and Akeno both held clay figurines in their hands - of themselves. As a cla.s.s project, everyone was required to create something with the clay that they had in front of them - something meaningful to them. Elros, who was unsurprisingly adept with his hands, smiled wide as the a.s.signment was given to him - he knew exactly what to do with the clay. Looking sideways at Rias and Akeno, he set up several books around him as a fort so no one could see what he was doing and quickly got to work.

"What are you working on?" Rias asked, frowning slightly.

"It's a surprise. No peeking," Elros responded.

"Come on, show me," Rias whined.

"Mrs. Gremory," Elros suddenly called out.

"I think it's fine for you to call me mom, dear," Venelena said as she gently stroked Elros's hair, eliciting a horrified whine of displeasure from Rias and gasps from the students gathered there.

"Moooom, not here at least!" Rias hissed quietly to her mother, who only giggled in response.

"You're getting jealous so quickly, sweetheart. Hmmm," she said as she leaned in close to her daughter who turned extremely red.

"Would you like me to distract her, Elros?" Venelana asked with a mischievous smile.

"Yes, ma'am. This is meant to be a surprise," Elros said, shooting Rias a devilish smile as well. Rias gave him a look that said to watch his back but turned to her own project with a sigh.

Finally, it was time to present the project.

"Mr. Eärendil, you seem to have been secretly working on yours. Perhaps we can see what it is now?" the teacher asked.

"Voila!" Elros yelled as he dramatically knocked the books down. Standing on his table were two foot high perfect reproductions of Akeno and Rias striking s.e.xy poses. Akeno and Rias were surprised at the workmans.h.i.+p of the product and examined their own figures with wide smiles. The other students looked aghast at the craftsmans.h.i.+p and soon tried to begin a bidding war for the pieces - but they went to their respective models. Venelana giggled as she saw it.

"You've certainly been spending quite a bit of intimate time with my daughters," she laughed as the cla.s.s exited the room. She soon excused herself as well; as only Sirzechs was required for the meeting, she, her husband, and Grayfia decided to head back home - deciding they had sufficiently embarra.s.sed their daughter enough for the day.

"You got this done in that little time?" Akeno asked as she kissed him on the cheek as thanks.

"Well… I needed to use my ring to help me. Hence, the reason for the books. Good thing no one was paying much attention to notice a faint green glow. You like?" Elros asked.

"I love," Rias said quietly before leaning in to give him a kiss on the cheek as well.

"Glad to hear it," Elros said, slinging his arms over the two girls as the three walked out - into a surprising commotion.

"Grab your cameras, fellas! There's a Magical Girl in the gym! Come on!" shouted Motohama, one of Issei's friends.

"Magical Girl?" Elros asked, surprised.

"Don't tell me…," Akeno began, a look of understanding on her face.

"I bet it is," Rias said, smiling. She and Akeno began to lead Elros to the gym, where there was quite the ruckus.

"Why do I get the feeling that you two know who it is?" Elros asked.

"We have a good idea. If it is who we think it is, then Sona isn't going to be too happy," Akeno said.

"We'll see soon enough," Rias replied.

As they entered the gym they met up with Issei and Asia. They saw a gaggle of men taking pictures of a woman dressed in a Magical Girl outfit. She was quite beautiful, Elros admitted, with long, black hair tied into twin tails with pink ribbons that went far down her back. She had violet eyes as well as sizable b.r.e.a.s.t.s from what he could tell, although her frame was shorter than Rias or Akeno. She wore a pink tank top with white embroidering on the arms as well as a pink skirt with a black belt. Her midriff was bare as she struck poses for the gentlemen surrounding her. She held a large staff in her hand; with a pink shaft and a gold star in a pink circle on the top. She wore thigh high black and pink striped socks as well as pink shoes. She had black sleeves on both arms that ended in fingerless gloves.

"What the f.u.c.k? Am I awake? No way! Is that a Magical Girl Milky Spiral Seven Alternative Cosplay?" Issei said excitedly.

"Issei, how do you know about that costume?" Asia asked.

"Because I watched the whole show in one sitting. A friend of mine was obsessed with it and insisted we do a marathon," Issei replied proudly as he folded his arms over his chest.

"Curiously, was the friend a dude?" Elros asked as he watched the girl strike poses for her admirers.

"Yup," Issei said.

"Good on him. I can definitely see why he'd be interested," Elros said with a laugh.

"Knock it off! We are still on school property! You've seen enough of this!" came Saji's voice over the din of the crowd. He began to break up the men joined around her to their extreme displeasure. Finally, as the last had left, he turned to talk to the girl.

"Alright. Are you related to someone at this school?" Saji asked in an exasperated tone.

"Mhm," the girl replied.

"Well, they should've told you this sort of an outfit is unacceptable here," Saji informed her, to a notable boo from Issei and Elros.

"Uh… sparkle, s.h.i.+ne, your command is mine!" the girl exclaimed as she twirled a bit, shooting off hints of sparkles and striking a cute pose.

"You have to stop that," Saji replied, unimpressed. As the group approached the stage where Saji and the girl were, Issei spoke up.

"Well, well. Hard at work as usual, huh?" he asked with a smile.

"I don't have time for you," Saji replied. At that, the door to the gym opened.

"Saji. What's going on here?" came the voice of Sona Sitri.

"Oh hey, Sona. This girl says -," Saji began before he was cut off by the girl.

"I've finally found you Sona!" the girl said. As Sona heard the voice, the color drained from her voice. The girl jumped off the stage and began running towards Sona, who closed the distance as well.

"I'm so happy to see you! What's the matter? You look sad! Your face is all red! Aren't you excited to finally be seeing your big sister again? I'm gonna require a lot more happiness from you, come on! You should run into my arms and tell me how much you missed me. And then I'll say 'Oh Sona, I missed you too' and I'll give you a big fat kiss and you'll kiss me back and that'll lead to girl on girl action and wouldn't that be hot?!" the girl exclaimed excitedly as she leaned in close to Sona's face.

"Most definitely," Elros said, almost unconsciously. It earned him a pinch from Rias and Akeno as well as hanging his head in shame.

"That is the Lady Serafall Leviathan," Rias said, smiling as she saw Sona's reaction to seeing her sister.

"Lady Who?" Issei asked.

"She's currently one of the Four Great Satans. I'd always heard things about Sona's sister, but I didn't recognize her because this is the first time we've met," Saji explained.

"Your lines next! This is the part where you say how long it's been AND how excited you are to see me!" Serafall said as Rias approached the sisters.

"It's been quite a while, Lady Leviathan," Rias greeted Serafall.

"Oh yes, it has, Rias. How excited are you to see me?" Serafall said, smiling and winking as she turned to her.

"Very, thank you for asking. Did you come here to visit Sona for open house?" Rias replied pleasantly.

"Yeah! But I had to find out about it on my own! Sona's a big meanie and didn't tell me! I was so mad when I found out the truth, I almost attacked Heaven out of frustration!" Serafall said, pointing her staff to the sky. It was then she noticed Issei and Elros.

"Oh, hey! Look! Is he the guy that's supposed to be the dragon? And the cutie next to him? He's the newest guy you added, right? I saw him beat Riser! He kicked his a.s.s!" Serafall said giddily, pointing at the two.

"Why yes. Issei, Elros, I want you two to meet someone," Rias called back. Elros and Issei moved forward to greet Lady Leviathan.

"I'm Issei. It's nice to meet you. I'm a p.a.w.n in the service of Rias Gremory," Issei said, bowing to Lady Serafall.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, m'lady. My name is Elros Eärendil. Also a p.a.w.n in the service of Rias Gremory," Elros said. As he finished, he suddenly found himself being hugged by Sona.

"Hey there, Sona. I'm quite happy to see you as well," Elros said as he hugged her back.

"I'm so sorry, Elros!" she said.

"Huh? For what?" Elros asked.

"I wasn't there to see you after you were discharged from the hospital. Please, forgive me. I had other things to take care of and…," Sona started before Elros put a finger to her lips and shook his head.

"Relax, Sona. It's all good. No need to apologize at all. Besides, you saw me kick a.s.s instead of getting my a.s.s kicked. I'd prefer it stay that way," Elros said with a grin. Sona sighed in relief at that as she brought him in for another hug that he happily returned, gently patting her on the back. Rias and Akeno felt more surprised than jealous as she did that; this was completely out of left field for Sona. She was never one to express such emotions, especially not to guys - even Saji. Yet, it appeared - much like it was for the rest of them - Elros had broken through her exterior. They knew that he was easily able to make her blush, but they certainly didn't expect her to react like that especially in front of her sister.

Soon, however, it seemed like Sona finally came to her senses about what she was doing. She quickly let Elros go and blushed a maddening red as she turned to her sister, whose eyes flitted between Sona and Elros in surprise. She squealed in delight after a brief pause.

"I've never seen Sona turn so red! I think I like you already, Elros! I'm the Devil King, Serafall Leviathan. But you can call me Little Levia!" Serafall said as she struck a cute pose again.

"That's cool with me," Elros said with a grin.

"So Elros, you're really strong, right?" Serafall said as she leaned forward on her staff a bit.

"I'm alright, I guess," Elros replied.

"That's not what I've seen. I was at the match where you beat that p.r.i.c.k, Riser. Pretty awesome, if I do say so myself. Besides, your wings are amazing! I've never seen anything like that!" Serafall exclaimed.

"Nor have I. Nor anyone, for that matter," Sona added.

"Yeah, it seems like they're pretty unique - that surprised no one more than I. No idea how it happened - but I know it looks bada.s.s, which is about all a man can hope for in such a situation," Elros grinned.

"Can I see them again?" Serafall asked excitedly. Elros was about to comply, but Sona quickly shut it down.

"While I'm sure everyone would love to see that again, at school is definitely not the right time," Sona sighed.

"You need to learn to live a little, Sona! What's the fun in being so serious all the time!" Serafall asked as she shot off a few more sparks.

"Listen to me. I am responsible for the entire student council here - I can't just let Elros sprout his wings! What if someone sees? Also, even if you are family, that is inappropriate school attire. You're going to have to change!" Sona scolded her sister.

"Why do you have to be like that! Can you hear the tone of your voice right now? It's borderline violent! You know that I've never asked for anything. All I want is to be a magical girl," Serafall said.

"I swear I've heard this line before," Issei mumbled to Elros.

"With my sparkling staff, I will do my duty and eliminate all the Angels and Fallen Angels!" Serafall said, shooting off even more sparks from her stuff. That was crossing the line for Sona who got in her sister's face.

"Do you have any respect at all? If you start sparkling, you can annihilate even a small country in minutes!" Sona said.

"If her sisters so powerful, why didn't Sona ask her to fight Kokabiel with us a couple of weeks ago? Do they not get along or something?" Issei asked with a frown.

"Quite the opposite, actually. The problem is that Lady Serafall loves her sister a little too much. Some might even say obsessed. Sona could've asked for help, but it could've gotten out control," Akeno giggled.

"Also if she found out her baby sister had been violated by a Fallen Angel, she would've started a war right then," Saji said as they watched Serafall poke and tease Sona with much enjoyment.

"Ugh! I can't take it anymore!" Sona cried out comically, running away from her sister who chased after.

"Well, looks like Sona's gonna need my help. I'll see you guys later," Saji said with a sigh as he ran after them as well.

"All the Devil Kings are like that. High maintenance, high strung," Akeno said with a fond smile as they soon exited the gym as well and headed to the main building.

"Sirzechs doesn't seem too bad. Seems like a fun guy to shot the s.h.i.+t with," Elros said.

"Try being related to him," Rias groaned. She loved her brother dearly; but like most things, she preferred him in moderation.

"So when is this conference thing gonna be? Later today?" Elros asked.

"Tonight, actually. My brother and Serafall are already here; we're just waiting on Azazel, who said he had to take care of something and Michael," Rias said.

"What should we expect?" Elros wondered.

"Honestly? Nothing, for the most part. We'll be there, as will Sona and her peerage - but mostly observing more than anything. They might have a couple of questions for you, but nothing that you need to concern yourself with I think. I'm honestly not sure of what the agenda even is; I think we'll all be finding out at the same time," Rias said.

"Works for me. Also, quick question - when exactly is summer break? I've kind of been losing track of time, lately," Elros said.

"We've still got a month or so left until we head to the Underworld for the break. That reminds me - after all this is over, we need to begin training as soon as possible. My brother mentioned that a lot of people are apparently eager to take us on in a Rating Game after they saw your duel with Riser," Rias said with a smile.

"Seriously?" Elros deadpanned.

"Mhm," Rias affirmed.

"I was kind of hoping that people would be LESS eager to fight after I trounced him," Elros mumbled. It turned out his plan had backfired; he didn't factor in Devil's precious egos when he beat Riser.

"Some might be, but there just as many who are battle maniacs. They'll want to try their hand against you. I can think of a few off the top of my head," Rias said.

"Looks like I'm going to have to hit training hard, then," Elros said.

"Is that necessary? I mean, you already seem to fight a great deal more than most people or Devils anyway. I don't think you have to worry about losing your edge," Akeno said.

"Unfortunately, that's the one thing I always have to worry about," Elros sighed.

"I dunno. You went through Riser's peerage like a hot knife through b.u.t.ter. I think it'll be difficult for you to find your match," Akeno said.

"I've met my matches plenty of times already," Elros said with a dark chuckle.

"Now that is surprising," she said.

"The truth nonetheless. Anyways, what now? Cla.s.s is over, right?" Elros wondered.

"Yup. You two just wanna head back to the ORC until it's time for the meeting?" Rias suggested.

"That works for me," Elros said as they headed there.

-o-

"Waiting is the most boring thing in existence," Elros said as he s.h.i.+fted his position for the 49th time. The meeting was supposed to begin soon, but he had been s.h.i.+fting positions constantly for the last several hours while Rias and Akeno were diligently using their time.

"You should be doing your homework right now, you know?" Rias suggested. As if on cue, the door opened and Sona walked in with Tsubaki.

"Sona! Tsubaki! I'm glad you two are here right now! I need your help - ASAP!" Elros cried out as he rushed them, panicked as Rias reminded him of his ever growing mountain of work.

"What is it?" Sona asked, surprised.

"This might not come as a surprise to you, but Rias is really f.u.c.king evil. Do you know how much homework I have to make up because of her?!" Elros asked.

"How much?" she asked.

"ALL OF IT!" Elros said as he showed her the stack of papers. Sona and Tsubaki looked at it in surprise before turning to Rias and Akeno who had broken out in a fit of laughter.

"Why didn't you just do it when you were supposed to?" Tsubaki wondered.

"Not you too, Tsubaki! Is no one on the right side of this except me?" Elros questioned them dramatically. The girls giggled at that, yet stood firm.

"I'm afraid I can't. We're going to be busy for the foreseeable future," Sona said with a smile. Elros began banging his head on the table at that.

"It's not that bad! Besides, can't your ring help you?" Sona asked.

"It's not that! It's just… boring to do it by myself!" And my ring doesn't me the best of company!" Elros exasperated.

"Don't worry, you'll survive," Akeno said as she went over and rubbed his shoulders comfortingly.

"Wait! You promised me that you'd help me, didn't you?! I promised not to tease you!" Elros reminded her.

"I almost forgot about that," Akeno giggled.

"Now you're reminded! Let's get busy," Elros said.

"While it's good to see that you're willing to put in the effort, that's not why we came here. It's starting," Sona told Rias. Rias nodded and a.s.sembled the peerage and they began to head out. She hoped in her heart of hearts that everything would go according to plan