After that strange, almost surreal conversation with Ddraig, I expected to wake up disoriented or in pain—maybe even on the battlefield or inside some spiritual dreamscape again.
Instead, I opened my eyes to the familiar ceiling of my room in the Gremory mansion. The steady hum of mana in the air and the soft scent of incense confirmed it. I was alive. I was healed. No ache in my bones, no searing pain from the stray devil's claws that had shredded through my side.
Rias must've healed me. I thought automatically.
But the warmth wrapped around me said otherwise.
There was weight on my chest—not heavy, but soft and unmistakably feminine. My arms, half-resting at my sides, felt the faint outline of smooth skin brushing against them. The sheet covering me was warm and slightly disheveled, and I quickly realized why.
Curious, I slowly lifted it.
And froze.
Not red.
Black.
Long, silky black hair cascaded over the sheets. And there, curled up beside me like a cat soaking in sun, was Akeno.
Her head rested against my chest, her arms loosely draped over me, and her leg tangled with mine like we were long-time lovers sharing a morning after. She wasn't wearing her usual shrine maiden uniform or even sleepwear. Just a deep violet, silk nightgown that clung too well to her curves, the fabric thin enough to blur the lines between clothing and skin.
The second I processed all this, a more primal part of me reacted.
My 'little brother' stirred to life.
And pressed right up against her thigh.
Akeno's eyes fluttered open.
It took her all of half a second to understand what was happening.
"Mmm…" she hummed with a playful smirk. "It seems someone is… excited early this morning."
I didn't blush. I didn't jump or stammer or panic like the Issei everyone else knew would've done. I just looked at her, calm and direct.
"Kind of hard not to be," I said, tone dry. "You're not exactly giving me a reason to stay composed."
She laughed softly, the sound sultry and lazy, like velvet sliding across warm skin. She stretched a little, pressing more of herself against me intentionally. That smirk of hers widened when she felt the firmness brushing against her.
"I came to heal you," she said, her voice silky. "Your injuries were… worse than expected. Rias was worried, but she was emotionally drained from the fight. So I offered to take care of you instead."
"Offered, huh?" I raised an eyebrow.
Akeno's fingers traced slow, lazy circles on my chest. "Well, volunteer. I insisted, really. Healing magic works best with skin contact. And warmth. And…" her lips curled upward, "...I couldn't just leave you all alone in such a vulnerable state, could I?"
"You mean unconscious and half-dead?"
"Exactly."
"And spooning me was necessary?"
"Oh, I wouldn't say necessary, per se…" She leaned up, her chest lightly brushing mine, and met my gaze with those mischievous violet eyes. "But it certainly helped me monitor your body temperature. And reactions. All of them."
I exhaled a short breath, neither annoyed nor overwhelmed. "You're playing a dangerous game."
"I always do," she said sweetly.
There was a pause between us—one of those charged silences that stretched just enough to be noticed. Her eyes flicked down, then back up to mine.
"So," she continued, tilting her head, "were you hoping to see Rias when you woke up?"
"I expected her," I replied. "She's usually the one watching over me after fights like that."
"But you didn't get her," Akeno said, voice softer now, but still teasing. "Were you disappointed?"
I considered her for a moment. "Not really."
That seemed to throw her off for just a second. Her eyes searched mine for a hint of a lie, or a smirk, or a flinch. She found none.
"I like surprises," I added. "Especially the good kind."
Akeno's smile became something more thoughtful—less teasing, more intrigued.
"You've changed. You're nothing like the rumor. They say you are a pervert." she said quietly.
"I've known."
"You don't fumble. Don't fluster. The Issei I heard would've passed out from a nosebleed the moment he realized he was sharing a bed with me."
"Guess I'm not the same guy anymore."
She stared at me for a moment longer, then slowly leaned in and took a big sniff. Her breath was warm against my neck, her voice almost a whisper.
"Do I get to know who you really are, then?"
I met her eyes. No dodge. No retreat.
"Eventually."
Akeno blinked once. Then she chuckled, genuinely amused.
"I look forward to it."
Her fingers finally stopped tracing my chest, resting lightly over my heart. I could feel her mana—calm, steady, a mix of holy and demonic energy uniquely hers. It wasn't just for show. She really had been healing me.
"You were reckless yesterday," she said, tone shifting. "Going up against the Stray like that without knowing your limits. You nearly died."
"I needed to know where I stood."
"And now you do?"
"I do."
She was quiet again.
Then, softly, "You're not invincible, you know."
"I know."
"But you act like you are."
"I act like I have a purpose."
That answer hung in the air. Not quite what she expected, but not enough to make her pull away.
"You're becoming something dangerous," Akeno murmured, more to herself than to me.
"Maybe," I said. "But dangerous to the right people."
She smiled again. Not the usual flirtatious one. This was different. Fonder, maybe. Or curious. Like she was watching something grow in real time.
"Well," she finally said, slipping out of the bed with a stretch that left little to the imagination, "I suppose I should get dressed. Can't have anyone walking in and misinterpreting what happened."
I watched her, unashamed. "I think they'd interpret it exactly as it looks."
She glanced over her shoulder, that playful fire returning to her gaze.
"Then maybe I should've let them."
~~~
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