Chapter 12: XI
Akeno laced and unlaced her delicate fingers thinking about all the errors she made. I planned this out so carefully too…Secrets and manipulationsshe reminded herself. They always brought more pain then good. Issei was angry at her and rightfully so. She had invaded his privacy. Not once, but twice that he knew of. Koneko's too. Even when she tried to be honest with him and confess her sins, she had held back the whole truth. It was second nature to her to subvert the parts of the truth that were unhelpful to her goals.
That had only made things worse though. In her desperation to mollify him, she accidentally revealed the second incident. Worse still, she was privy to Issei's private thoughts and emotions that Koneko had earned access to through intimate punishment and emotional bonding. She felt as though she had stolen something precious from him that could never be returned. He doesn't even know about today…
I couldn't bear the guilt anymore. She reminded herself. This is my punishment. Issei will never trust me again. That thought began to destroy her. She hid her tears well, they never slipped passed her eyes, but inside she felt as though her last chance at self-worth had dissolved and was slipping through her fingers even as she re-laced and squeezed them together tightly trying physically to capture it.
"I accept."
Issei's commitment rang through the air strong, and sure. It wasn't a whisper, or a yell. It was firm; it was a promise.
Akeno looked up not trusting her ears. Issei was staring at her, reading her. She knew at this moment she must meet his gaze and accept his scrutiny without looking away.
"I have conditions." Issei announced.
Akeno nodded and waited.
"You will remain true to your word that you will accept whatever punishment I decide for you when you come to me. No matter what it is; even if you don't understand, your fate is in my hands during these sessions. If you fail to obey, you will be punished separately from the current session. He crossed his arms over his chest and continued. "And… You will be absolutely truthful in every conversation that takes place."
Akeno gulped reading the solemnity in his voice. If she agreed, it would be signing a contract. There would be no going back once she assented without permanently destroying any trust between them.
"I promise." She stated in an equally solemn tone.
Still maintaining eye contact he nodded. "In return, I will not punish you beyond your limits; though you will have to trust me to know them, as our opinions on what they are may differ.
He paused considering the anxiety in her eyes.
"I may allow you to refrain from answering a question at my discretion, but you may not lie, manipulate, or purposely misdirect for any reason. This room in these sessions will be a place for speaking our minds without fear… so long as we do so respectfully. Honesty is the basis of any relationship; I promise that I will not lie to you either." He added.
I feel like I'm signing my life away… It scared her. But…if there were a man that I would risk my body and soul for… She nodded. "I understand."
"Also, during your punishment, you will have the option to end the session immediately. You may call for me to stop at any time, but this conversation and our intimate work together will be concluded and off the table permanently should you choose to do so."
She closed her eyes nodding once more. I appreciate the gesture, but I won't be using that option.
"But…upon completion of your first session…" He soothed gently, "you will have earned back a measure of my trust."
Tears shimmered in Akeno's eyes, silently overflowing. Her heart revitalized.
"It will be a difficult road, but in time… it will be fully restored."
The dark storm clouds in her desert soul gently rained healing drops of hope. A chance. That's all I need! I'll prove myself to you, Issei! Akeno sniffled, composed herself, and brushed the tears from her eyes.
"I'll do whatever it takes." She boldly declared.
Issei nodded approvingly. "Good girl."
***
"We start now," He announced. "I know you have issues we'll need to work through together, but today, we need to settle this betrayal between us. After that, we will have a mutual foundation of trust to build on as we explore your needs."
Akeno winced at the word 'betrayal', but nodded. It made sense. I need to make this right for both of us before we can work together. "Master?" She asked. "May I cast a sound barrier on this room?"
"It will prevent anyone from hearing?" He asked remembering Rias wanted him to learn how to cast one.
She nodded.
"You may. Also, seal the door. I don't want to be interrupted."
"Yes sir." She replied and immediately began weaving the spells.
None of the rooms had normal locks as far as Issei could tell. He supposed that was because everyone who lived here was a devil and had access to magic to seal the doors if they wanted to. Because Issei was relatively new to magic, he had not yet learned how to cast the spell.
When she was finished, she returned to sitting on Issei's bed.
"Does this type of magic significantly drain your stamina?" He asked.
Akeno chuckled earning a frown from Issei. She bit her lip and halted her laughter. "I apologize, Master. Thank you for your concern. This level of magic produces no strain on me whatsoever." She replied sincerely.
Mollified, Issei nodded. "Good. I appreciate your honesty."
"Please, stand and move to the center of the room facing the bed." He ordered.
Akeno immediately obeyed gracefully striding to the point on the floor that he had indicated.
She shifted her weight every few seconds trying to cover her uneasiness, but anxiety was quickly getting the better of her. She had no idea what he might require of her. She had agreed to let him do literally anything. He promised to keep my punishments within what I can handle. She comforted herself. I just have to trust him.
Issei calmly approached her. Standing only inches away face-to-face. His eyes unreadable. He closed them focusing for a moment. His left arm glowed softly. "Are you scared?" he asked.
"N—" She began even though she knew he had just nullified her Evil Piece. She caught herself. Absolute honesty at all times.
"Yes… I am anxious because you have no restrictions on what you can do to me." She admitted. "Without my queen abilities, you can overpower me physically, and I don't have enough magical stamina to defend myself for long. And…" Absolute honesty. "And I'm afraid that your lack of restriction may become tangled up in your sexual desire and cloud your judgment." She stood rooted to the ground. Unsure how he would react. She mentally prepared to be slapped.
To her surprise, Issei smiled, not quite his usual smile, but some of the warmth was back. "Good girl." He gently patted her head. "This is the kind of honesty I require, Akeno."
Relieved, she smiled softly at his praise. "A place for speaking our minds without fear." True to his word. She wondered if that had been a test.
"Let me warn you now, if I think you are lying or hiding something, I'll be forced to punish you. We can't make any progress without this basic foundation, okay?"
"I understand, Master." She felt a certain warmth even in his threat. He was genuinely concerned with being fair to her even in the midst of their session.
"Your anxiety is understandable. About the first, that is the nature of the terms you agreed to, I can't do much about that. You just have to trust me and endure. That is part of the reason I made it part of my conditions. If you can't trust me to control myself, you won't be able to trust me to guide you either." He explained not unkindly.
Akeno bit her lip, but nodded once.
"As to the second, I have given this some thought as well. I have decided that punishment for someone of your maturity is different than for someone more childish like Koneko for example. That said, punishment can cross many realms including emotional, sexual, and physical. I will not rule out any of them."
Issei strode a few feet away in an effort to decrease his intimidation then turned to face her.
"Do you want to quit before we begin?" He asked. His tone was neither mocking, nor sarcastic. He's just reminding me I have the option to end this.She realized.
"No." She replied forcefully. What am I getting myself into? She wondered.
Issei nodded acknowledging her decision. "Are you against me enjoying your body even if it is during your punishment? I'm not talking about sex. I see that as one of our limits currently."
Currently! She gulped her cheeks flaming. Just what is he…? Trust him. He gave me an escape. I want this. Need this. Breathe. The more she thought about it, the more she realized she didn't really mind if her body turned him on. She had said as much when she first asked for his help. This was a bit different though. That was his natural reaction; this might be something more purposeful.
"N-no…" She said slowly.
"I think maybe you want to say more." He encouraged.
"Um… Master, it…it is a difficult question. But in general I am happy, even honored…" She fluttered her lashes seductively, "that my body pleases you. It's just that I'm…" Her breathing quickened. Her face which had finally faded was glowing pink again.
"A virgin." Issei finished.
It felt like steam was billowing from her ears, her face burned so hot with embarrassment. She nodded.
Issei smiled more warmly. He held his hand out to her. She reached for it and he gently clasped her hand between both of his.
"Akeno."
She tore her gaze from their hands to his face at his call.
"Your virginity is a gift for you to give to someone you love when you feel comfortable and are willing to give it. How could I dare steal that from you and still demand your trust?" His eyes narrowed as if her fears were ridiculous. "There is a difference between wanting to discipline and wanting to hurt someone.
"Discipline's goal is to teach." He explained. "The goal of hurting someone is only to destroy or to scar them."
Akeno squeezed his hand as she sighed in relief. "I apologize for doubting you, master."
Trust him. I overreacted. He saw right through it too. Was he always this observant… this deep? Maybe I haven't given him credit because he always seems so perverted… I kinda like that he doesn't hide it though. Honesty. Hmm.
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