Beta read by Shigiya
.
.
.
-Kuoh-
I had to admit, the return to the human world was less of a triumphant homecoming and more of a weary stumble through a portal.
The familiar, slightly less suffocating air of Kuoh did wonders for me, a small comfort, but it did little to soothe the bone-deep exhaustion that had settled in every if my cells. I felt like I'd been run over by a truck, then backed over again for good measure. 'Then again, given what happened with Raynare, that comparison isn't so far off.'
Apparently, news of my little confrontation with Diodora managed to spread faster than a bad rumor in a high school hallway. Azazel, ever the attention-seeker, had apparently taken on the role of temporary storyteller, embellishing the details to a captive audience of devils and angels.
The first ones to greet us were, unsurprisingly, the student council and the Occult Research Club, converging on us like vultures on a carcass. Sona and Tsubaki stood with their usual composed expressions, though I could see the worry in their eyes. Rias and the usual gang, however, were a different story. They looked like they were ready to stage an intervention.
"Did I… miss something? What's with the face?"
Before I could even formulate a suitable dead-fish response to the impending interrogation, a flash of blonde hair and green fabric shot past me. Asia, bless her eternally pure and naive heart, rushed not to me, unfortunately. But directly to Raynare. Throwing her arms around the fallen angel's waist, burying her face in her chest and bursting into tears.
"I'm so sorry, Raynare-san!" Asia wailed, her voice muffled by Raynare's clothes. "I'm so sorry you got involved because of me! That you got kidnapped by him because you were trying to protect me! I was so scared... I prayed and prayed that nothing bad would happen to you... I'm sorry... thank you, thank you..."
The entire scene was surreal for the saved fallen angel. I watched, a strange sense of amusement bubbling up through the exhaustion. Raynare, this domineering bitch who had had me at her mercy mere hours ago, was now standing stiff as a board, her arms hovering awkwardly over Asia's back, her face a mask of utter panic as the little nun still switched between thanking for saving her or apologizing for getting her kidnapped. Her usual smug confidence had evaporated, replaced by a flustered helplessness that was almost endearing.
No way I was going to intervene to 'help' her.
"Ah, uhm... Asia, listen... It's not... you don't have to... I mean, I wasn't really... it's complicated..." she stammered, her usual venomous tone replaced by a flustered sputter. She looked like a computer that had just been presented with an unsolvable paradox, smoke about to start pouring from her ears. Having absolutely no idea on how to handle genuine gratitude.
"What, no hugs for me?" I asked with a small grin.
"Me too, nya~!" Kuroka added while poking her face on top of my shoulders.
"I wouldn't mind one."
"Same for me."
Then Xenovia and Kalawarna joined in.
"U-Um… I'm fine without one… we should probably get his wounds checked out first and get some rest."
Thankfully, it looked like Rossweiss turned out to be the only one with a brain inside her head. As for Sairaorg… "Group hug!" The giant man just came in and swooped everyone in one go off their feets.
"Ugh!" Truth be told, I was definitely in far more danger here than at any other point during our confrontation against Diodora.
…
Unfortunately, things did not stay as jovial as earlier on. It should have been a wonderful reunion; a celebration.
The hero party defeated the demon king, saved the damsel in distress, and returned home to live happily ever after. That was how the story was supposed to go… the logical conclusion. But my life, as I came to learn, operated on a logic all its own — a logic that seems to be written by a cynical god with a penchant for irony.
Because the next thing I knew happened to be me on my knees. Not in a gesture of supplication or worship, but because Rias and Akeno stood in front of me with their arms crossed. Rias stood directly in front of me, her arms crossed beneath her chest, her scarlet hair seeming to glow with an inner fire as she looked down upon me with a glare that could curdle milk. The kind that promised a very, very long and detailed explanation was required.
"Hikigaya Hachiman," she began, her voice deceptively sweet and saying my full name on top of that, which was always a bad sign. "Let me get this straight. After going down there and working with the others to save Raynare, not only did you agree to face Diodora — especially when your powers are temporarily gone — but you also ended up making out with, and subsequently fucking Raynare... in front of Diodora as a form of revenge?
I winced.
"Saying it like that sure does sound pretty messed up. No it was pretty messed up overall, but the good news is that I did not face him alone and was mostly the one giving out orders. Don't trust what Azazel said."
"Don't care."
Wow, she really had a way with words, making it sound both clinical and utterly sordid. I reached up and scratched my cheek, looking away from her piercing gaze. "Well," I mumbled, "aside from the fighting part, yeah, that's... that's the gist of it, yes."
"Hah," Rias let out a long, weary sigh, bringing her hand up to massage her temples. "I can't believe it," she muttered. "Of all people, it had to be Raynare." Her gaze shifted, landing on Akeno, who was standing beside her with a somewhat disturbed expression. "Akeno," Rias said, her tone demanding an answer. "Don't you have anything to add? He is your lover, after all. You can't possibly be okay with this?"
I braced myself for the storm. Akeno's jealousy could be a terrifying thing, usually expressed through lightning and sadistic teasing. But to my surprise, my dark-haired queen simply shook her head, a small, knowing smile playing on her lips.
"I'm not surprised this ended up happening," she said calmly. "Honestly, I expected it to happen sooner. Given how those two tend to 'flirt' with each other regularly, this was inevitable."
My head snapped up. "Flirt?" I interjected, my voice rising in disbelief. "What part of our usual confrontations ever looked like flirting!? It was more accurate to say we were holding ourselves back from killing each other! A constant battle of wills to see who would punch the other's face first!"
Akeno just shook her head slowly, her smile widening. "See?" she said to Rias, as if I had just proven her point. "Flirting."
I rolled my eyes so hard I almost thought that they were going to fall out. I was about to open my mouth to retort, but she beat me to it.
"That just discounts as rough, angry sex," she added nonchalantly. "It's very common between frenemies." The girl then fixed me with an ominous stare. "And don't you dare give me the excuse that you were unable to push her away. I know that even without your sacred gear, you had the means to escape that situation. You have your teleportation spell and other methods. I know you are not as fragile and weak as you sometimes let on. And not to mention," she leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, "you recently learned how to use your Touki too, so punching her away was always an option."
My mouth, which had been open to protest, snapped shut. I had been about to say that I wasn't proficient with it, that I'd only started practicing again recently, but she was right about the teleportation spell. I could have left. I had chosen not to, a fact that was now coming back to bite me in a spectacular fashion. In the end, I decided to keep my silence.
Akeno's expression softened slightly, a hint of genuine disappointment entering her eyes. "I'm just disappointed it was Raynare of all people," she admitted. "I wouldn't even be angry or sad if you were to sleep with a person like Rossweiss... or even Gabriel. …Why couldn't you have slept with Gabriel…"
I couldn't help but comment dryly, "Why did you have to bring up Gabriel? She's an angel. Sleeping together is not something they can just do."
Akeno just looked at me with a suspicious, knowing stare. "With you," she said, her voice full of conviction, "you would definitely find a way to sleep with Gabriel without turning her into a fallen angel. I just know it."
"What kind of person do you take me for?" I sputtered, genuinely curious where she got that idea from. I was no miracle worker, sleeping with an angel would be catastrophic if they were to fall. Especially when said angel had an overprotective brother too.
"A mastermind, perverted playboy," she replied without missing a beat.
"That's rich, coming from you, considering you're a pervert yourself!" I shot back.
Akeno's smile turned positively radiant. "I know," she said, her voice a soft, happy purr. "And those reasons I mentioned are exactly why I love you."
"..."
Seriously, this woman always kept confusing me. I slumped my shoulders in utter defeat. It was impossible to win against this raven haired beauty. Taking my insults and twisted them into declarations of love. It was like fighting a cloud.
"Stop getting distracted!" Rias's voice cut through our strange back-and-forth. Pinching the bridge of her nose, looking like she was developing a migraine. "So, does this mean Raynare is now also part of our... lover group?"
"No," I said immediately, shaking my head. "Raynare doesn't exactly love me. I'm sure of that."
"Really?"
I paused, trying to articulate the chaos of what had happened. "What her actions showed me... it wasn't love; I don't think so at least. It was… well, maybe she just wanted to show me that she's better and stronger than her past self. Maybe she has an enormous amount of frustration targeted towards me that just bubbled up to the surface and came out in the form of... dominating me like that in bed? But I doubt it's the same kind of love there is between me, you and Rias. She doesn't hate me like she used to before, that much I am aware, but she does not love me in that sense."
"What if she does?"
That made me chuckle, "Then that would be the day when pigs start flying… uh, I mean regular pigs. Not some obscure supernatural species that looks like a pig with wings."
Akeno interjected, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Don't forget to add Gabriel to the list of people who love you."
"Ugh."
Before I could process that non-sequitur, we heard a booming laugh from behind us. All three of us turned to see Sairaorg, his bandaged arm held proudly, laughing his ass off as he spoke to the stunning blonde woman standing beside him. "Hahahaha! Look, Kuisha," he bellowed, his voice full of genuine mirth. "Didn't I tell you how amazing this guy is?"
The woman, Kuisha, watched the entire scene with wide, amazed eyes. "I thought you were joking when you said that Gabriel was also his lover," she said, her voice filled with disbelief. "That such a thing would never come to pass." She then looked genuinely confused, turning her gaze to the sky as if expecting an answer from the heavens. "Why hasn't the Heavens brought down Armageddon with Michael leading the charge yet?"
Sairaorg just shrugged, a grin plastered on his face. "Either the man doesn't care, or he's already preparing for it. Or maybe, just maybe, he trusts Hachi to take care of her."
A chill crawled up my spine at their casual conversation. "Don't jinx me like that!" I shouted at them, my voice cracking slightly. "And what are you even doing here? Aren't you supposed to be resting?"
He held up his heavily bandaged arm. "I just came to hang out and showcase my queen around the school. And it is only polite for me to say hello to my dear cousin," he said, nodding towards Rias and then finally looking at me. "and to pay a visit to my student!"
Kuisha stepped forward and bowed her head slightly. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you all," she said, her voice elegant and composed. "I am Kuisha Abaddon, Sairaorg's Queen."
Rias returned the greeting, her earlier sternness replaced by a polite smile. "It's lovely to see you again, Kuisha." She then turned her full attention to her cousin, her expression shifting to one of concern. "Sairaorg, what even happened during the fight for you to be hurt like that?"
"Don't worry about it, it's nothing big… just a small amount of holy burn," he said, as casually as if he were discussing a papercut. "I got it from wielding Durandal for a brief moment."
This elicited a collective gasp and a series of shocked reactions from everyone in the group, except for me and Sairaorg himself.
"What!? That's not what you told me!*
"Are you serious!?"
"Why didn't you tell us!?"
Sairaorg waved his good hand, trying to calm them down. "Calm down, everyone. It was only for a brief few seconds, just enough to bypass the shield around Diodora. I won't lose my arm or anything like that. I just need to rest a bit and let it heal naturally. All of the holy elements were already removed from my body."
"This entire thing has Hachi-kun's name written all over it." Akeno commented.
A grave accusation, too bad that I couldn't deny it and so, I didn't waste a second to deny it. "Yes, it was something I suggested since he has the strength to do so. My other option was Rossweiss, but I'm not familiar with a Valkyrie's abilities nor their strength. Not to mention, it would have been best to not overwhelm the poor girl. I knew the risks and I told him beforehand."
To which Sairaorg, in a display of utter madness, laughed openly. "It was an amazing experience! I hadn't felt this much of a rush in a long, long time!" He then looked at me, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Hachiman, do you have another spot left in your team for a queen?"
"No!" All three women — Rias, Akeno, and even Kuisha — screamed in unison.
"Ouch! Ouch!" Sairaorg yelped as his ears were unceremoniously pulled by his queen. "It's not time for you to not get distracted," Kuisha hissed, her sweet demeanor replaced by a fearsome one. "And need I remind you that you're already our King with me being your queen? Don't go around trying to become someone else's Queen! And if you try to do something like that again, then I will tell your mother."
Sairaorg immediately sobered up at that fearsome threat that even made me shudder, his face paling. "I'm sorry! I won't do it again! Please let go of my ears, it's hurting me!"
Watching this display of domestic tyranny, I couldn't help but mutter, "These two should just get married already."
.
.
.
(The next day)
After seeing Sairaorg and his terrifyingly effective queen off yesterday, the chaotic energy on the school grounds seemed to settle. The day pressed on, and by the time the lunch break arrived, I found myself trudging up the stairs to the rooftop, my body still protesting every movement. All of this because of that battle-crazed maniac forcing me to train under his watch long past midnight. Akeno followed, humming a song and having promised to heal my body when we were alone together.
We pushed open the heavy door and stepped out into the midday sun. The sky was a clear, unblemished blue, and a gentle breeze rustled my hair. "It's a beautiful day, isn't it?" She said, her voice soft as she leaned against the chain-link fence.
"It's mostly the same as any other day," I replied, leaning my back against the wall next to her. I closed my eyes for a moment, letting the sun warm my face. A small, genuine smile touched my lips. "But I like it. Sometimes, a boring life and a boring day end up being a luxury you can only enjoy a few times."
Her hand found mine, her fingers lacing through my own. "So, when will you be taking a break from going to train with Sairaorg to develop your Touki further?"
My body shuddered involuntarily. "Please, don't bring up training when I'm trying to relax." The thought of more of Sairaorg's 'training' was enough to make my muscles ache in agony.
The woman giggled, a light, melodic sound. I opened my eyes and looked at her, my expression turning serious. "But I can't exactly ignore it or avoid it just because it's difficult. I have to keep practicing, of course. Eventually, I'll need to get better, good enough to pull my own weight even with Vitra."
She let go of my hand and instead gently patted my head. "I believe in you," she said, her voice full of faith. "Everything will be all right."
Hopefully… I let out a long sigh. For the first time in my life, I felt a tiredness run so deep that even the thought of chugging a can of MAX coffee couldn't rouse me. I leaned my head against her shoulder, closing my eyes and just enjoying the sensation of her warmth, the faint, sweet scent of her perfume.
"Fufufu~ when was the last time you fell asleep like this?" A moment later, I felt her hand on my cheek, gently guiding my head away from her shoulder. I opened my eyes to see her pull me closer, until my cheek rested against the soft, yielding surface of her chest. The soft sensation that still felt somewhat firm made all the difference, a pleasant bounciness and softness that made any pillow I ever used, pale in comparison.
"This will feel more comfortable," she murmured into my hair.
"Yes, thank you," I mumbled, my voice slightly muffled. "I missed this." I couldn't help the thought that crossed my mind; never would my past self have imagined myself saying such a thing while using someone's breasts as a pillow. I chuckled internally. Akeno had definitely corrupted me… not that I cared anymore.
After a moment of comfortable silence, she reached into her bag and pulled out a beautifully arranged bento box. "Open up," she said, holding a piece of tamagoyaki with her chopsticks. I happily accepted the offering, the sweet taste of the egg filling my mouth.
"Such a good boy," she teased, her eyes dancing with mirth. "I hope no other girls you slept with or kissed did something like this for you."
I swallowed before answering. "Trust me, I haven't and most aren't the type to try something like this. Except for Rias, but she wants to be the pampered one… oh right, Shuri did so when we were young to both of us. You know, despite you being the biggest pervert I know — even more so than Issei — you do have your moments of gentleness. It still surprises me."
"Of course," she said, feeding me another piece. "Despite what I might show or say, I still like these peaceful moments. I wouldn't trade them for anything else. I'm not a complete deviant, it's nice to keep things interesting."
As we settled back into our quiet atmosphere, I started to question just how long a certain someone who had been quietly standing there would keep spying on us, so I lowered my voice while glancing towards the rooftop entrance. "How long do you think they'll keep staring at us?"
Akeno didn't seem surprised. "I'm not certain," she said calmly. "She has been observing us for the past ten minutes."
I raised my voice slightly. "How long will you keep on watching like a stalker?"
"Ah!"
This elicited a startled yelp from behind the entrance wall. The person who had been trying to hide peeked out, and with the sun behind her, it illuminated her blonde hair, creating an almost golden halo effect that made it kind of hard for her to stay hidden. I looked over to see Gabriel standing there, peeking from the side with a cute face and a giant smile on her face.
"The scene of you and Akeno enjoying each other's presence was so beautiful and pure," she said, her voice filled with awe. "I did not want to disturb it, and I could not take my eyes off such a wonderful scene."
The way she said it, you'd think she'd just witnessed something out of a Renaissance painting. She pressed her hands together in front of her chest, eyes practically sparkling. "Such love, such warmth between you two. It truly moves my heart." She sighed, content. "You are both so lovely together."
"Please don't say embarrassing things or start crying," I said, feeling a headache coming on.
"I'm only crying because of how beautiful it is!" Gabriel said, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Don't move! Stay in that position!" Before we could react, she retrieved her phone and started taking a few pictures, a large, beaming smile on her face. She then noticed Akeno feeding me and got even more excited. "Is this the famous feeding technique couples do on dates?"
What the hell was this Seraph watching lately? "Yes," I said, deadpan. "What are you even doing here in the first place?"
"Ah, right. I just came over here to have lunch," she said, holding up a bagged lunch, with cutesy little angels with trumpets on the cloth. She brought it over and opened it, revealing its contents.
"—!"
Something that immediately brought on a strong reaction from both Akeno and I, as we were jolted back with horror upon seeing one of the most horrific things in existence. The food inside looked completely charred, burnt, and something inedible for any human being. While the sauce… was it a sauce? The strange liquid at the bottom being completely black with a heavy smell of fermented fish assaulting our noses.
"What even is that?" I could not hide the mix of revulsion and morbid curiosity.
"It's a new recipe I tried to recreate," Gabriel said, her smile still bright as ever. "But clearly, it was a failure… I ended up falling asleep and letting it cook in the oven for longer than necessary."
"I think this is more than just you accidentally burning something. I see ingredients that should never be mixed together here. Why not just throw it out and get something from the store?" I asked out of genuine curiosity and worry for her own health. Seraphs were tough cookies, but poison like this still remained lethal against any supernatural entity.
She smiled. "I didn't want to waste the vegetables grown by hard-working farmers, or the meat of the chicken, because of my own error and ignorance. Some of these ingredients were even given to me as a gift from the kind people in this town and I could not bring myself to throw it away."
That stunned me. Just how pure could this woman be to be willing to eat poison? I had to remind myself once again that she was on a level that even went past Asia. "Wait!" But that moment of wonder only lasted for a second, as both Akeno and I watched with what could only be described as horror as the Seraph took a bite of what could only be described as hardened charcoal.
A loud crack resounded across the rooftop. Each bite sounded like she was taking a bite of a rock, the sound so loud that I feared she would chip a tooth. Strangely enough, the woman didn't make a face of disgust, though her eyes were getting watery.
"Enough, we came here to relax. Not witness a torture scene!"
In the end, Akeno had reached the limit of her patience. Snatching the bento from Gabriel's hands and, with a crack of lightning, reduced the abomination to a pile of ash. "My food!" Gabriel cried out, tears welling up in her eyes. "I-I didn't bring any money with me to buy anothe—mmph!"
She was immediately shut up as a piece of karaage got shoved into her mouth by the fallen angel. "Try this," Akeno said. "It will taste better."
Gabriel chewed slowly, a look of pure wonder showing on her face. "It tastes… wonderful!"
"Of course it does," the fallen angel said with a proud smile. "It's a special recipe from my mother." She then grabbed the blonde's hand and brought her to sit with us, pulling another bento box from her bag.
"Just how many do you have in there?" I asked.
"Enough to feed the whole club in case of an emergency," Akeno replied cheerfully. I wanted to make some comment on how strange that was, but best to keep my mouth shut and not risk depriving myself of a delicious meal. Akeno then turned to me. "Open your mouth." I did, and she popped in a piece of sausage shaped like a tiny octopus. She then turned her attention to Gabriel and did the same.
"Oh, I don't want to disturb you," Gabriel said, trying to decline. "I'll go..."
Akeno simply shut her up by feeding her more food. "You should just relax and enjoy the food."
Just like earlier, more food got shoved in her mouth. The Seraph nearly got overwhelmed and began to look more and more like a chipmunk with how full her cheeks were.
Gabriel looked at me after spending several minutes chewing the food. "You are a lucky person, Hachiman-kun. I understand why you fell in love with Akeno-san. She truly is an angelic woman."
I chuckled at that comment. "It's strange to hear that compliment given to Akeno, especially since she's a fallen angel."
Gabriel shook her head. "It's not just the wings that make an angel a true angel. Anyone who has a pure heart and is a kind being is an angel in my eyes. And even if Akeno is a fallen angel, I would still welcome her to Heaven anytime as a fellow sister."
"A fellow sister huh," I hummed with amusement. "Maybe one day we can visit Heaven itself, though I doubt Michael would be happy to see a non-angel go up there."
Her face lit up. "Let me handle him! He's secretly hoping to bring guests over but is being too strict on himself. Our Father always emphasized loving and trusting thy neighbor, so why not invite them over rather than keeping them away?"
Just then, the school bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. Akeno got up. "I'll have to leave first, I agreed to help Sona with a particular task." She leaned down and kissed me on the lips, holding the kiss for several seconds before we separated, a thin strand of saliva connecting us for a moment.
With a wave, she was gone.
Silence fell upon the rooftop, broken only by the distant sounds of the school coming back to life. Gabriel continued to look at me, her gaze focused on me for long enough that it began to make me feel a bit self-conscious. "Why are you looking at me like that?" I finally asked.
She tilted her head, a picture of innocence. "Do you two kiss often?"
I blinked, a strange question. "Yes," I answered, deciding honesty was the best policy. "It's become a common gesture of affection, though I try not to do it too much around others."
Gabriel chuckled, a sound like wind chimes. "Are you shy?"
"It's more that I don't want to stoke the flames of jealousy and have a target appear on my back," I explained flatly. "Despite Akeno being very clear about our relationship to others, many still have a giant crush on her, both boys and girls. It wouldn't be a surprise if showcasing our relationship regularly in public might end up pushing someone to see me as a mortal enemy and try to take me out of the picture."
Gabriel nodded seriously. "I'll keep that in mind. I won't kiss you in public like last time." She then leaned forward, closing the distance between us, and kissed me just like Akeno had. Unlike our first time, I wasn't caught off guard by her gesture. Instead, a sense of calmness enveloped me, as if somehow the woman had gotten better at it after just a single kiss. She ended the affectionate gesture and pulled back slightly. "How was it?"
"Honestly, you might be a natural."
Scary how on her second kiss she got good enough to make my heart beat like a car engine. What a terrifying woman… or was I just that easy? Hopefully not the latter.
This seemed to make her incredibly happy. "I have another surprise I'm preparing for you," she said with a bright smile, "but you will see it another time."
I shook my head and chuckled, only to feel my face being grabbed again. Gabriel leaned in to kiss me once more. This one lasted a lot longer, her lips pressed against mine much firmer. I was surprised by the intensity until she finally let go, her hazy eyes watching over me. She then whispered next to my ears, "Thank you for saving Asia's friend. I was too slow and incapable of helping them, but you managed to do it. I'll be forever grateful for what you have done, despite being in your current state and unable to use your Sacred Gear."
"..."
With that, the woman left the scene, leaving me alone as I found the idea of possibly rejecting became more and more of an impossible scenario.
And I hated how Azazel's conversation kept resurfacing in my mind, as if a part of me kept trying to convince itself that all of this was normal.
{Break}
(Evening)
The sun began its descent, painting the sky in shades of orange and purple as the school day came to a close. Students flooded out of the gates, their chatter filling the air before gradually dispersing, leaving the streets quiet and bathed in the long shadows of the evening. Akeno and I walked side by side as I finally decided to break the silence with something I wished not to keep a secret.
"Gabriel kissed me." That came out easier than I imagined.
"I know," Akeno replied, her tone unreadable.
Eh? The look of disappointment or shock did not come as I expected. "I don't mean last time. I mean today. On the rooftop."
"Yes, I know," she said again.
This confused me. "How?"
"Gabriel told me," Akeno stated simply.
I stopped walking for a second. "She told you? Why would she do that?"
Akeno stopped as well, turning to face me and shrugged her shoulders. "She does not strike me as a person who would do something maliciously or with bad intentions. She would not keep such a secret and would approach it with honesty."
I started walking again. "Aren't you angry?"
"Why would I be angry?" she asked, falling into step beside me. Looking at my eyes with a mischievous look in hers. "Or maybe you're hoping that I'll get angry so that you can use it as an excuse or an anchor to back away from liking her?"
"Tch, when did you become a psychic? It's not just that, given what happened with Raynare, I figured you'd have a similar reaction."
"It's completely different," Akeno said, shaking her head. "Gabriel is a kind person who genuinely loves you, and I can see why. Also, I find her to be adorable. Rather than anger, it would be more accurate to say I feel... a bit afraid around the angel."
Afraid? That kind of impression never crossed my mind. While yes, as a Seraph that woman could be terrifying going by the power within her alone, but everything aside from that showcased a kind soul who wouldn't even hurt a fly. So why even fear her? I doubted it happened to be the same kind of fear I had with Gabriel.
"Afraid? Why?"
"Because of how beautiful she is," she admitted, her voice quieter. "I know it's irrational, but a part of me is afraid that you might end up loving that woman more than yourself."
The reason ended up being smaller than I imagined. "That's it? Why don't you have this reaction with Rias?"
"Because Rias is part of my own harem, so it works," Akeno said with a bright smile, as if that explained everything. "But Gabriel will never be a part of it, since she does not like me or Rias — but you. I cannot force her to join and I do not think she will ever fall in love with more than a single person. Her eyes are fully focused on you and you alone, So I'm afraid that one day yours might end up like that as well."
"This is all very complicated," I said, running a hand through my hair. "If it helps, I can tell you right now that this won't ever happen. I'm stuck with you and you are stuck with me. That is the consequence for being so clingy from the beginning."
"Heh~ I can live with that." Akeno agreed with a nod.
We finally arrived back at my house, only to find two women standing outside the gate. I recognized them immediately. "Viser, Kalawarna?" I called out.
The former turned and greeted me with a smile. "It's been a while, Hachiman."
"It has," I said to the former stray devil who now roamed the world in her normal form after I managed to remove the energy that transformed her mind and body into that of a monster. "How have you been? Weren't you going to look after my parents?"
"We are here to meet an important guest," Viser explained.
Kalawarna took over soon after. "And both of us are not sure if it's a good idea for us to be inside."
"What?"
This confused me. I walked to the door, opened it, and stepped inside. My parents were in the living room, talking jovially with the same woman who had just kissed me twice not that long ago. I called out, "Gabriel? What's going on here?"
My father shot up from his seat. "You rascal! Why didn't you tell us you were hiding another girlfriend!?"
"..."
Hah?
That completely threw me out of the loop, I looked at Gabriel for an explanation, only to see her looking panicked. "I didn't introduce myself as his lover!" she said quickly. "I just made my intentions clear on pursuing him! I thought it was the right thing to do! W-We aren't officially in a relationship yet!"
"What's this matter about pursuing him?" my mother chimed in, turning around. "Whether our son will accept you or not? Humph, what nonsense! He has no say in this matter! And as his mother, I give you my blessings and make this official, there, done!"
Oi, what the hell were these two thinking!?
"Hey, this is my life," I interjected quickly , hoping to get things under control. "And don't you find it weird for your son to have several girlfriends?"
"Shut up!" both my parents said in unison. "At least we'll have plenty of beautiful grandchildren! And you should be grateful that so many beautiful women walk into this house for you!"
The old man had the audacity to then puff out his chest. "See? My genes are working quite well!"
Both my mother and I groaned. The former slapped his shoulder. "What genes? It's all in my genes! I remember being very popular at school with the girls and boys!"
"I also had plenty of pursuers!" My father protested weakly.
"You were the one who came to me with a love letter and kept begging me to go on a date with you because everyone kept rejecting you!" My mother reminded him, pinching his cheeks as he tried to protest feebly. Wow, I did not need to hear that backstory for now.
While the two of them continued their back-and-forth, I looked at Gabriel. She was awkwardly tapping her fingers together before quietly whispering to me, "Um, I know it's a bit sudden. But there is another matter. Is it okay if you could allow me to stay here?"
It was one surprise after another, wasn't it? "Don't you have your own place? Also, aren't you living with Asia?" I whispered back.
"I wouldn't permanently sleep here, just from time to time," she whispered even more quietly, though the woman herself sounded uncertain. "I just want to experience the same thing both Akeno and Rias experience every day. But if you feel uncomfortable, then I will drop this matter."
Before I could even formulate a response, my parents intervened, standing on both sides of Gabriel's shoulders and looking at her with kind smiles. "Nonsense!" my father shouted. "There are plenty of rooms in this house!" They immediately dragged her towards one of the many empty rooms. "You can live here as long as you want!"
I remained behind, my eyes twitching as I muttered, "I wouldn't have necessarily declined." If Gabriel lived here, that meant Asia coming back… it would be a lie to say we all weren't missing her. She had become a part of this family basically, with my parents practically treating her as their second child.
Akeno next to me just laughed. "Things are getting quite interesting around the house."
"Yeah… I guess so."
Just as I was about to say something more, my phone rang. I pulled it out and saw Azazel's name on the screen. I immediately had a bad feeling. I took the call. "This better not be some bad news," I said immediately. "I just want to have a break."
"It's not really bad news, kinda," the man on the other side said. "Just a few guests that want to see you a bit and extend their thanks for what you have done in the past."
This confused me. "Who is it?"
Azazel asked, "Do you remember the last rescue mission I gave you? The one where you went along with Sairaorg to rescue a certain god?"
I immediately remembered it. Tiamat and Sairaorg were accompanying me to rescue... "Hephaestus?" I repeated the name, only to hear a hum of confirmation from the Governor-General of the Fallen Angels. He then coughed awkwardly.
"And Zeus as well... and Aphrodite."
As he finished saying that, thunder rumbled in the background, despite the clear sky. I ended the call and commented to the empty room, "What's with this cliché, ominous atmosphere... Can't anyone just give a damn break for one day?"
----------
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, and my other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters, Steel Eyed Faker soon to be 3 chapters, Taimanin with 3, Hound having 3 and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.