I spent a fair majority of that night just staring at the ceiling.
No, not about my dream concerning Serafall or the strange sadness that's been lingering over Gremory-senpai as of late.
"Waaaaaaah! NO FAIR! I WANNA BE WITH HARU-TAAAAAAAAAAAN!"
It was the fact that Serafall has been complaining all night about the new living arrangements.
I don't see what she was complaining about. I was the one who had to move all of their belongings around so they could all have their own rooms! And that Gremory woman was just SO MUCH help!
It was just about midnight and Serafall STILL wasn't going to sleep… She truly IS a child.
I sighed, closing my eyes and mentally hoping I would be able to get some goddamned sleep…
Fate had other plans however.
As I slowly began to descend into dream land, I was interrupted by a powerful light that caused me to open my eyes.
I sat up and glared at the glowing seal on the ground. "Alright, who's—" Then my eyes widened.
It was a familiar mark! The insignia of the Gremory group!
I was even more shocked by the person who appeared out of the circle.
"Senpai…?" I asked in a tired tone of voice. "I think you teleported into the wrong room. If you're looking for Asia or Naru-nee, they're about two doors down."
But Gremory-senpai had a strange expression on her face that I didn't understand. She shook her head.
"I'm not here for them. I'm here for you."
I yawned, my eyes slowly sliding closed. "Well, whatever it is, can't it wait til morning?"
"I need you to take my virginity!" Senpai beseeched me, her tone desperate.
"..."
I blinked once… then twice… Then I took a deep breath.
I stood up and placed gentle hands on Senpai's shoulders. "OK, Senpai. I'm gonna need you to do something for me." My crimson-haired Senpai stared attentively. "I need you to take your index and middle fingers."
Gremory-senpai raised said fingers. "Uh huh."
"Now I need you to stick them in your mouth real deep."
Raising an eyebrow, Gremory-senpai did as instructed. I was honestly surprised to see how much of her hand fit in her mouth. If this had been a different situation, that would've been such a turn on for me. "Wuh huh." She mumbled out through her "occupied" mouth.
"And you know that there uvula in the back of your throat?"
"Wuh huh."
"Yeah. Imma need you to tap that around a lil bit and vomit whatever kind of fucking drugs or mushrooms you must've ingested to even think I would accept such a random and drastic request."
Realizing I had just been screwing around with her, Gremory-senpai withdrew her hand from her mouth, her fingers dripping with saliva as she stared at me with unamused, half-lidded eyes. To be honest, it was kind of a funny look. I resisted a smile solely because the situation's so serious right now.
"I'm serious!" Gremory-senpai stated.
"So am I." I replied with equal firmness and seriousness. "I'm not sleeping you."
"What?" Gremory-senpai asked, honestly surprised by my blunt rejection. Then she appeared to be thinking. She put on a seductive smile and placed her hands gently on my shoulders before slowly snaking her arms around me. "How about, if you do, I'll let you have any part of my body."
Wow. She really knows how to do a sexy temptress voice, but my answer remains the same!
"No." I replied again.
"Why not?!" Wow. It was amazing how she asked that question like a child. Senpai herself must've noticed this because her cheeks pinked slightly. "I've seen many boys drool over me and desire my body, so why are you acting differently? I'm offering my body to you no questions asked and you're turning it down just like that? At least tell me why!"
"Because you're my precious friend and you're clearly in trouble." I blurted out before I could stop myself. It clearly caught Gremory-senpai off-guard because it sure did shut her up. I sighed, sitting Gremory-senpai down on the bed next to me.
I rubbed my eyes, yawning to myself. I was too tired for this shit.
I sighed.
"Look… Just calm down, take it slow, and explain this to me… What problem is so severe that you'd need me, a boy you barely know, to take your virginity?"
Gremory-senpai looked away, not answering.
"You can either talk to me or leave now coz I'm not taking your virginity, Rias." I gestured to the door. "If you don't trust me enough to tell me what your problem is, the door's right there."
For a moment, there was a tense silence between the two of us. My Senpai struck me as a stubborn woman, but when it came to such matters, I could be FAR MORE stubborn. We waited and waited and waited and waited, seeing whose resolve would crumble first.
"Fine…" Senpai sighed out finally. She hung her head, her hands in her lap. "It… It's a complicated situation."
"How complicated?"
Senpai stared at me. "Complicated enough that this was my only way out." She explained. "I'm powerless and this is the only way I'll be able to make them listen to me."
My eye twitched. "You know. For something that's supposed to be an explanation, you're being horribly vague."
"Sorry…" Gremory-senpai seemed genuinely apologetic.
"You know Serafall would probably kill you now if she saw what you tried to do, right?" I asked. "Why not try someone else like Issei? I'm sure that idiot would be more than willing to take part in your 'oh-so-brilliant plan'."
Senpai smiled tiredly. "To be honest, I did consider Issei, but I was worried he didn't have the confidence to go through with it. He seems rather… how to put this… inexperienced. And, with Leviathan-sama here, I figured it was a 50% chance I would succeed and a 50% chance I would be reduced to something less than ashes. Either way, I would be out of this situation of mine…"
My eyes widened in shock. "Whoa… Whoa whoa whoa…You were really willing to die to get out of this situation?"
"Well, maybe that would be going to far, but…" Senpai seemed sad. "I just… I don't know what else to do."
"Senpai, you're not alone." I said. "I can't say I understand what you're going through, but you don't have to shoulder whatever it is by yourself. You have your friends who are willing to stand by your side and help you in any way. You have Asia, Koneko, Akeno-san, Yuuki, me, Sona, and Issei. I know for a fact that Issei would literally go to Hell and back for you if you so much as asked it of him."
Senpai's eyes widened in mild surprised. "Haruto…"
"You don't have to do this alone. We would definitely find a way to help you."
Gremory-senpai stared into my eyes, no doubt surprised. "Haruto, I…"
I then tensed. A strange chill ran down my spine. "Someone's coming." I don't know how I knew.
I just did. And I was right.
There was another large flash of light a moment later, this time an older woman appearing from the magic-circle. She had silver hair and wore what appeared to be a maid's outfit. She looked at Senpai and me for a moment and I immediately knew that I didn't want to piss this woman off.
It was a strange feeling I had sometimes around people who were strong. I knew that I was nowhere near as strong as this woman and she could possibly crush me like an insect.
"Are you trying to break the agreement by doing something like this?"
Senpai sighed, glancing at me and leaving me with the feeling I was missing something.
"It didn't work anyway, so what does it matter?" I felt both relieved yet guilty, as if I had already failed Senpai somehow even though I just promised her that we, her friends, would do anything to help her. I could tell that perhaps her situation was worse than I had thought.
"Both Sirzechs-sama and the master will become sad after they find out that you tried to give your purity to some lowly person like this."
"Well who gave them the right to decide what Senpai does and doesn't do?" I asked, somewhat irritated at this woman who was speaking to Senpai in such a way.
The woman gave me a sharp look and all of my bravado immediately vanished and I shrank away.
"It would be best if you refrained from interfering in business that does not concern you." Her voice was neither threatening nor commanding. It was more like she was stating a simple fact with no real intent behind it.
"Well, for your information, Grayfia, this 'lowly person', as you've eloquently referred to him as, is actually the Queen of Leviathan-sama." Senpai said, defending me. "He is also a dear friend of mine so please refrain from addressing him in such a way."
Rather than apologize or scold Senpai for her lack of restraint, the maid, Grayfia, just seemed to examine me for some reason.
"The Queen of Leviathan-sama who possesses the power of the Vanishing Dragon…" It was hard to tell if she was talking to us or herself. She then looked at me and bowed her head. "How do you do? I'm a maid that serves the House of Gremory. My name is Grayfia. Pleased to make your acquaintance."
I stood up from the bed and bowed in return. Respect must be repaid with respect.
"Namikaze Haruto, Queen of my adorable master, Serafall Leviathan. It is a pleasure to meet you." I know she kinda called me "lowly", but I should still keep a polite tongue. When someone gives you their name, you should give them yours in return.
"Grayfia, let's go back to my room." Senpai said. "I will listen to what you have to say over there. Akeno can also attend, right?"
"The 'Priestess of Thunder'? I don't mind. It's a must for High-class Devils to have their Queen by their side all the time."
I was hopelessly lost at that moment. I still didn't know what was troubling Gremory-senpai and now…I was just so lost right now.
"Very well." Senpai bowed her head to me. "Haruto… thank you for respecting me as myself."
I found myself confused by her wording, but I nodded.
"Well, I doubt Issei would appreciate it if I deflowered his master whom he was crushing on." Senpai blinked in surprise and confusion to this while I just grinned. It kind of seemed like Issei was starting to get a crush. Whenever we spoke to one another, he mainly talked about Senpai or making her proud when he wasn't talking about his own perverted activities in general.
Senpai went to join Grayfia in the magic circle. "Farewell then, Haruto."
"Um…later, Senpai." I said, uncertain what else to say.
As light began to envelop Senpai and Grayfia, she looked at me and smiled.
"Please, call me 'Rias'." Then Grayfia and my Senpai, Rias, were gone.
I was just left staring at the place where they had been only moments ago, more lost than I had ever been before.
KNOCK KNOCK
There was knocking at the door shortly before it opened to reveal a sleepy-looking Serafall holding a pillow to cover the slightest bit of the modesty her naked body possessed.
"Haru-taaaan…what's going on?" She asked before yawning. "I heard voices… Is something wrong?"
I opened my mouth before closing it, pondering my answer. After thinking it over, I sighed.
"No idea. If there is, there will always be tomorrow will deal with it…" I let out a yawn of my own. "I'm just gonna go to bed…"
I turned around to slip back into my bed and try to push out the thoughts of what the hell was going on with Rias-senpai.
When I sat down, I noticed Serafall still standing at the door, her beautiful, raven hair spilling down her back behind her. She hugged her pillow closer to her body, lowering her head to hide most of her expression.
"Haruto…" I felt somewhat concerned how she called me by my first name without "-chan" or "-tan". "... can… can I sleep in your bed again tonight?"
Eh?
I stared at Sera-tan, worried she was mad or upset with me or something, but I saw I was way off.
Rather than anger or sadness, there was an oddly embarrassed expression on her face. A light blush on her cheeks and her eyes avoiding me like she was a shy schoolgirl.
I smiled to myself, unable to decline such an adorable face. "Alright, but you'd best be awake before Naru-nee is. God knows what kind of Hell she'd unleash if she caught you in my bed after she said no one was allowed."
Serafall smiled back at me, seeming relieved. "..." Her lips moved, but no noise came out. But from the way her lips moved, I could make them out: "Thank you."
I just laid down on my bed, closing my eyes. My warmth was shortly joined by that of Serafall's, hugging me close. It was weird that this was considered normal for me.
"Haruto…You're really precious to me…"
I paused, taking in Serafall's words. I looked at her face, worried about her for a second. She had such a troubled expression.
"Serafall, are you alright?" I was worried that my question had offended her because she pulled such a troubled expression before returning to a small smile.
"Just a bad dream." She said vaguely. "But, when I'm with you, the pain and fear goes away…"
I smiled back at Serafall, gently brushing my fingers through her hair. "You're really precious to me too, Serafall."
Was it really a bad dream…? Or is it just an adorable attempt to snuggle with one of her favorite people…? I understand that Serafall already had a hidden side to herself… but is there more to it? Is Serafall even more complex than I thought? Is this another piece of the person I call my beloved master?
Serafall hugged my tighter, and I hugged her.
Whatever tomorrow may hold, as long as I can be of use to my friends as well as my master, I will be satisfied if I can ease their pain in any way. I'll definitely see if there's a way I can help Rias-senpai. Issei would never forgive me if I didn't even try…
To think, if I had never become a Devil, I never would have had this new chance…
Serafall… thanks for bringing me back.