章 5: Friends, Lovers or Nothing
note: a Romance Chapter
".... May he forever bless these United States of America! "
After Peter's inauguration address ended and after he gave the wink to the camera silence once again returned to the ORC-room in Kuoh Academy. Rias joined by her servants, her Queen Akeno Himejima, Sole Knight Kiba Yuuto, Her Rook the Nekomata Koneko Tojou, and Pawn Issei Hyoudou
"oh my Rias, he is certainly as charming as you describe, no wonder you are so obsessed with him, he must have a lot of girls chasing after him. What do you guys think?" said Rias' Best friend and queenpiece servant Akeno Himejima, Who can't help teasing her best friend who had never fallen in love.
"he looks nice and friendly" replied Kiba
"mmm, he is okay" replied Koneko uninterested, and continued eating her snacks.
"President, why are we even watching the US President's speech? Sure it's all over the news but why is it important to us?" Jabbed Issei Hyoudou, another one of Rias' servants, was somehow oblivious to the obvious demeanor of Rias.
"Also he is not as handsome, as everyone said" In addition, he was jealous of Rias' attention to the man and the fact ever since he arrived at school in the morning, all the women of the school were fangirling over the New US president, like they were seasoned US political analyst.
"Issei don't talk about him like that" Rias reprimanded Issei lightly.
"But why President? do you know him?" asked Issei to Rias, even though he is oblivious to the fact he has a bad feeling about this.
"That's not important issei, speaking of which don't you have a contract to do" Rias deflected Issei's inquiry not wanting to deal with the drama right now.
"oh damn it, you are right!" Issei hurriedly left the room to fulfill his devil's contract.
"Rias….. I know you are tired and confused right now but prolonging this would only hurt him even more, just reject him Rias" Akeno clearly worried about her king and her junior Issei.
Long story made incredibly short, Rias was stuck in a sham arranged marriage created by her father, Duke Zeoticus of Gremory with the Patriarch of the Marquess of Phenex, one of Devildom's 72 Pillars, arguably one of the richest, so to their monopoly rights over the Phoenix tears, a healing item whose properties are borderline broken.
Rias hated Her ex-fiance. Rizer Phenex a hedonistic philanderer who only saw her as a trophy more than anything else, besides her heart has already been taken by a certain human Congressman from New York, one way to break out of this arrangement was with a gladiator-style battle between the two and their servant the Devildom like to call, the rating game.
Almost 2 months ago said rating game, took place between them, despite having the insanely powerful Inherited Power of Destruction from her mother's Dynasty and an increase in Mana Storage from her father's Dynasty, Rias Rarely trained her power, of course, Rias lost, the Phenex self-regenerating power proven to be, too potent for her and her servants. But through sheer hubris and a tad of luck, one of Rias' servants was able to request a one-on-one with Rizer, and through cunning and other less unsavory methods Issei won.
Rias is forever grateful to her servant for giving her, her rights to liberty once again, but another problem arose not long after, she realizes issei holds romantic feelings towards her and tries to pursue her in his own unorthodox way, but Rias just doesn't see him that way, as she already holds a deep feeling teetering towards obsession, with someone so far yet so close, someone who should be beneath her consideration, yet in her eyes are much stronger and better than she could ever be, a normal human, yet for her is beyond even the most powerful beings in this world.
"haaaaaah, I know Akeno, it's just that I can't bear to reject Issei since I know how painful a rejection can be" Yet this person who Rias loved, didn't return her love.
2 years ago
Before Rias moved to Kuoh, Rias went on a trip to Niagara Falls with non-other than her, friend and crush, Peter van Nassau, ever since the summer of 01 they have grown closer and closer, while Rias fell deeper and deeper, at first she thought it was suspension bridge effect, but no, after years she realized the men has become her first love, she genuinely love his attention and company, he never once judge her for being a devil or the Heiress to the Duchy of Gremory, the fact that he waited for her to tell him, her identity herself when she was ready even though, she was definitely sure he already knew all about her, that fact endeared him even more in her heart. Even after coming clean he never treated her differently' he always treated her as just Rias, not Lady Rias of House Gremory, she knew he was the right man to be in love with, still a devil falling in love with just a normal human, must be laughable to her fellow devils.
"wow this place is beautiful," Rias said as she looked out to the giant waterfall.
"Indeed it is Rias truly the jewel of The North East, don't let the Canadian tell you otherwise" Rias Chuckles at his joke, they sat on a bench overlooking the waterfall, and then she leaned her head on his shoulder.
"altough i think you are even more beautiful than all the wonders of the wolrd combine" Rias immidiately Blush with this flirt.
"i dissagree ! I think this is more Beautiful " She snuggles her body closer to him, and Peter maintains a calm, slightly awkward silence, confused about how to respond to her.
Of course, he realized long ago how she was in love with him, the constant gift, her attempt to steal his attention, her clinginess, her flirting, and how she was constantly surveilling him with multiple amateur means, that he found out directly, his Congressional staff or bodyguard and the report from the Supernatural Intelligence Agency, he doesn't mind her acts as it were harmless for him.
But that confirmation of her love towards him is what bothered him, as much as he didn't judge nor care about her background, he needed to be realistic, he is a human, sure he is a US Congressman, but even so she is a Noble Devil, an Heiress to the Duchy of Gremory and Sister of one of the current Satans. Their world is too far apart from each other. She would never be truly happy if she were to be with him.
"Rias.., it's getting dark now, should we grab dinner?" Peter said breaking up the one-sided comfortable silence, he also took off his coat and wrapped it around her shoulder, the cold weather northeast weather starting to cut his skin like needles.
"Pete… you know why I asked you to go on a trip today?" Rias asked him, she felt warm inside even though the cold wasn't as rough for her devil physiology, the fact that Peter without even asking immediately shielded her from the cold, even though he was struggling with the piercing cold, she wrapped his coat tighter around her body, feeling as if he was giving her a nice big embrace.
"Not really, I thought you were just missing my handsome angelic face," Peter said and he gave her a cheeky gloating smile.
"hmph such a narcissist who said you are handsome anyway Aunt Christi?" said Rias
"heeey I know my worth and my narcissism I learn from the best" Peter replied and gave her another cheeky smile and he stared at her face.
"hmmmmm? What is that supposed to mean Pete? Are you accusing me of being a narcissist? Me? The Rias of House Gremory?" Rias said to Peter, giving him a jest boasting look.
"your honor I plead the fifth, hahaha"
"haha haha", they both laugh as the sun slowly sets and Niagara Falls descends into darkness, they once again enter into a one-sided comfortable silence.
"Pete, I am moving out to Japan soon" Rias broke off the silence, her head still comfortably leaning on his shoulder.
"huh? Why? And why Japan?" asked Peter Clearly Confused.
"I am going to high school soon remember? My family thought that I should also start practicing my governance skills, the Devildom owned a town as an extra territory within the Japanese border, that acted as our effective embassy in the Shinto Faction called Kuoh town, so for the next three years, I, my servants, Sona and her own Servants will permanently move to Kuoh for the duration of highschool" Rias said almost dejectedly.
It was silence for a little bit then all of a sudden a song was heard from the background, a group of street performers armed with a piano and violin nearby started playing the song titled "Love Song" by Taylor Swift, beautifully adding to the scenic view of Niagara after dark.
"I will miss you a lot Rias, but it's not like you can't teleport to DC right? but let's make the most of it okay, Say Rias do you want to dance with me?" Peter stands up and offers his hand to her.
"Sure Peter, I would love to" Rias took his hand, her heart was racing faster and faster with every step, and she couldn't help to fall even more with him, they went to the nearby performers.
They start to dance in unison, and although simple both of them move seamlessly with the rhythm, they sync so perfectly as if they are made for each other, everyone around them can't help but watch the couple, just like the song's title everyone felt like they were watching a beautiful love story, but it wasn't meant to be….
"Pete I want to tell you something again, something I have been thinking for years now" Rias still nestled comfortably in his arm after the dance.
"what is it Rias?, you can tell me anything" Pete had a slightly uncomfortable feeling about Rias.
"for years now we have been so close, I feel like my heart is going to burst, I am going to confess now, I love You, I really really do. every time I was with you, I felt happy, carefree, and safe, as if you treasure me just because I am me, you never once saw me as nothing more nor less, just Rias, so let me say t one more time I love you please go out with me" Rias stare at peter's eyes, her words almost pleading her eyes moist, begging him to accept her confession.
Peter was speechless, what he feared had happened, and now he had no word to reply to her, anything he wanted to say got stuck in his throat. He took a deep breath and reasoned to himself, that sooner or later this would happen, sooner or later he would have to face the music and give her the rejection she truly deserved.
"Rias, I thank you for your honest Confession it means a lot to me, being sincerely loved by you, but I can't I am not the man that would make you happy" Even though he tried to be brave he couldn't; he is scared to see her sad face, so he move his gaze towards the moon.
"Hiks* hiks* hiks* it's f…ine I Hiks* understand, i-i-I am sorry ffffor the sssudden conffesion hiks*, hiks*, hiks*" tears started to fall from her eyes like the waterfall on the background.
"Hiks* Hiks* Hiks* Hiks* i—i-i-i-I am Hiks* sorry i-i-i-i- need to go to the bathroom I'll se—Hiks* haaah Goodbye Peter" Rias immediately ran from there, Peter didn't chase after her, cause that would only give her false hope and he knew somewhere in his heart this will be the last time he will ever meet Rias in a long while.
"haaaah, I am such an asshole" Pete now sat there alone in the cold, his coat still wrapped around the fleeing rias.
"well I deserved this" he stayed there for a long time alone, as if punishing himself with the cold.
Just remembering about it now made, rias depressed again, she just couldn't forget about Peter she loved him too much, and her devil nature of Pride and Envy wouldn't allow her to move on, in fact, if anything her love became more desperate, more resilience and more obsessive.
"aww Rias, how about you try talking with him again, if he is as wonderful as you describe him to be, he would love to reconnect with you" Akeno sensing her best friend's Mental instability immediately hugged her.
"I wish I could Akeno" Before Rias could come out with long-drawn excuses, akeno cuts her off.
"you know you are just coping Rias, Rias there is only one option for you, Friends, Lovers Or nothing, there could only be one nothing in between, if you become friends with him again, great there will still be hope for you to get your love, but if you do nothing, someone else will fill that spot, are you ready for him to be taken by some harlot? He is the President now you will see him every day, being lovey-dovey, with a stranger do you want that Rias?" Akeno didn't hold back any weapon of reason, to help her best friend, even though she felt bad for manipulating Rias' Insecurities, she wanted her to be truly happy no matter how she got to achieve that.
Rias was silent trying to digest Akeno's words, a torrent of emotions washed over her Sadness, Hopelessness, Envy, and Anger. Making her inherent powers of Destruction emotionally manifest her aura slightly suffocated her servant and her hand spewed out the power of destruction.
"RIAS! Snap out of it!" Akeno desperately tries to calm her down, as Rias' power threatens to destroy everything around her.
Meanwhile, Koneko and Kiba struggled hard to keep their consciousness but against a high-class noble devil it proved to be a lot harder than they expected.
"haaaaaah, hahahaha! You are right Akeno, I still have a chance. I will always have a chance, if not I will make my own chance until I get what I want, haaah why didn't I think of this before, why am I so weak' why did i ran before, i coulf do everything else but run, but no more heheheeh" Rias started to laugh eerily.
"r-right, I am glad you are now okay Rias, and good luck?" Akeno realized she had just unleashed a beast upon the poor man, she silently prayed to God even though it hurt her head to protect the poor president.
Rias then thinks of a way how is she going to reconnect with her beloved, dozens of plans she drew in her mind, for once in a while she is finally and truly Happy?, she can't wait for her future with the man halfway across the world, who was blissfully unaware a devil is hunting for him until it is probably too late, and he already becomes a willing prey.
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