Dxd: Dragon's Bloodline.
Chapter 31.
The first thing Ryu did in the morning... go to the bathroom then the kitchen to make breakfast.
The second thing he did was wake up Akeno who was still sleeping since it was time to eat.
"So, are you sure about this?" Ryu questioned Akeno who was sitting in front of him.
Akeno hesitated for a moment, then she nodded, "Yes... I'm sure."
"Alright," Ryu said, grabbing his phone and dialing a number,
"What do you want this early in the fucking morning?" Vali's grumpy voice came from the other side.
"It's 11 A.M. I need you to give my coordinates to Baraqiel and get him here, there's someone who wants to talk with him."
"...Oh, this seems pretty serious."
"Yeah, so move your ass pretty boy."
"'Pretty boy?!' I'm gonna beat you senseless you damn orc."
"I'd like to see you try, pretty boy."
"Just you wait, when I get my hands on-"
Ryu hung up the phone, and looked at Akeno.
She was looking at him strangely.
"It's how me and Vali communicate..." Ryu muttered, "We show our respect to each other that way."
"...That's an interesting... way to show 'respect'." She muttered.
Ryu then got up and put the dishes in the sink.
"I'm gonna wash these until he gets here," Ryu spoke putting on rubber gloves.
"I'll help dry them," Akeno spoke and got up as well.
"Thanks Akeno."
"I practically live here, so it's a given I'd help." Akeno said.
Ryu glanced at her, and softly smiled.
As he was washing the dishes and Akeno drying them, he stole a couple... maybe a lot more than a couple glances at her.
Akeno, standing next to him in casual clothes, helping dry the dishes while she hummed a tune.
He wondered what their relationship was, he wanted to ask her.
But now wasn't the time, Akeno had a lot on her mind at the moment.
For a second... Ogami Ryu's imagined a future with Akeno.
And unknowingly... a smile crawled up his face once more.
He started daydreaming about the girl standing next to her arm in front of his face.
"...yu! Hey Ryu!" Akeno pinched his cheek and stretched it, "Are you still here?"
"Huh... Oh, sorry. Got lost in my thoughts." Ryu let out a sigh.
"What were you thinking so hard about?" Akeno asked him.
Ryu was still pretty out of it, so he didn't realize what he said.
"You."
Akeno froze completely.
Then she started blushing, and slowly... her face started to resemble Rias's hair.
Ryu was oblivious to what he blurted out.
Akeno continued wiping the dishes, but she was glancing at Ryu here and there.
The atmosphere became sort of awkward...
And just then, to save these two from such awkwardness... a hero had arrived.
An old one.
A Magic circle manifested in Ryu's living room and out came...
A tall, well built black-haired man with a bushy beard.
Akeno's blush disappeared completely, and her eyebrows narrowed slightly.
Baraqiel quickly took in his surroundings, and then his eyes froze at the sight of Akeno.
Ryu turned off the sink and wiped his hands.
"Hey Baraqiel," He greeted, "Glad you made it."
Baraqiel nodded, "Pardon the intrusion."
"...Hello father," Akeno greeted him, as well.
To hear herself say the word 'father' was something she hadn't expected. Ever.
"...Akeno," Baraqiel spoke her name, his voice showing traces of softness.
"...If you guys want some privacy-" Ryu began speaking but he was shushed by Akeno.
"Stay," Akeno's tone sounded like she wouldn't take no for an answer.
A bead of sweat dropped down Ryu's forehead, he coughed into his arm, "Let's sit." he said.
They all took a seat in the living room, with Baraqiel sitting opposite Akeno and Ryu.
Baraqiel observed the two of them and noticed how closely they sat, their shoulders brushing against each other, their legs touching.
...The two of them seemed to be quite close.
But... how close exactly?
Baraqiel's protective fatherly instinct began blazing alarms.
But... right now, those instincts had no business here. His relationship with her daughter was strained, it was a miracle that a chance to speak with each other came up.
So he kept his mouth shut about it.
Akeno breathed in... and breathed out.
This was it.
Akeno knew what she had to do, because... the person who was at fault wasn't Baraqiel.
It was Akeno herself.
"...I'm sorry," Akeno suddenly apologized.
"W-What?" Baraqiel's eyes widened, he was shocked at her sudden apology.
He came here expecting to be slapped around, cussed out, or something.
An apology was something he could never have expected, never in a thousand years.
"Back then, when mom was killed... I blamed you for her death. Maybe, because I was emotional... I don't know... I don't know why, but... I had to blame someone for her death, and I..." Akeno was on the verge of tears.
"I blamed you... I blamed you for not protecting her, for coming so late... and for that, I'm sorry. I know it's a little too late for that... but..." Akeno started sobbing at the end.
Ryu sat next to hear, not saying a word, not doing anything.
This was something Akeno had to do, alone.
"*Sniff* I-It might be too late for a father-daughter relationship... but I wanted you to k-know that... I love you, dad." Akeno finished speaking, looking down at the ground, hot tears still streaming down her face.
Baraqiel sat in front of Akeno, completely frozen, eyes wide open his mouth was opening and closing, he couldn't find any words to say.
So instead of words... he slowly got up from his seat, and walked over to them.
Ryu smiled slightly and got up from his seat so that Baraqiel could take it.
Ryu walked into the bathroom, leaving the two of them alone.
Baraqiel wrapped his arms around Akeno and brought her into a tight hug.
Akeno did the same immediately, and cried in her father's arms.
The two of them sat there for some time, and Akeno gradually calmed down.
"...I missed you," Baraqiel said to her with a smile, tears streaming down his face as well.
"Me too... dad, me too," Akeno responded.
They then began talking about their lives, their likes and dislikes.
The last time Baraqiel saw Akeno with his own eyes was 8 years ago, and after that the only thing he knew where her whereabouts and that she was doing well.
They talked until very late, since they had a lot to catch up on.
Ryu eventually got out of the bathroom, he went into the kitchen and decided to prepare lunch. It was pretty obvious that the father-daughter duo would need a lot of time to catch up.
And since Ryu was basically the perfect host, he couldn't just let Baraqiel walk out with and empty stomach, could he?
The main ingredient was meat.
He cooked steaks, fish and a salad.
A pretty good combo, it took him some time and his guests would be hungry, no doubt about it.
"Lunch's ready," Ryu popped his head out of the kitchen and announced.
Akeno looked at him with a sweet smile and nodded, she grabbed his father's arm and dragged him along despite him saying that he wasn't hungry.
His stomach rumbled just then and gave him away.
The three of them sat down and had a peaceful lunch, Baraqiel complimented Ryu's cooking he said it was definitely restaurant grade food.
Ryu was thrilled with the compliment.
After they finished their meal, it was now time for Baraqiel to go.
Baraqiel disappeared using his teleportation circle.
And now it was just Akeno and Ryu left, standing in his living room.
"...Ryu, this isn't a dream right?" Akeno asked him.
Ryu chuckled, and ruffled her hair, "No Akeno, it's not a dream."
Akeno looked down for a second and then she looked up at him, "Then..."
She wrapped her arms around his neck dragged his head down and kissed him.
Ryu froze up immediately, his eyes widened.
Then Akeno pulled back, also blushing heavily.
Ryu slowly looked down at Akeno, his mouth hanging open.
Akeno turned her face away, but her eyes were still on him.
Ryu slowly wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her back in for another kiss.
Akeno was the one taken aback just then, but she wrapped her hands around his neck.
The two basically had a whole make out session for... quite some time, I don't want to write more into detail about this.
"...So, what does this make us?" Ryu asked, nervously holding Akeno in his arms.
Akeno smiled and licked his cheek.
"You're... mine now," Akeno responded to his question, "Just so you know... I don't like sharing."
Ryu chuckled, "Don't worry about that, you're the only person I've ever had a crush on."
Akeno's face brightened even more, and she kissed him again.
Her previous shyness practically evaporated, somehow.
Ryu raised an eyebrow at her sudden boldness.
"I do like the sound of that... Hubby~" And the term 'Hubby' makes an appearance once more!
They proceeded to cuddle kiss, cuddle and kiss and cuddle and kiss and kiss.
Though... they were interrupted by a phone call.
They both paused for a brief second, Ryu picked up his phone.
'Future Harem king', was the caller ID.
"Issei?" Ryu questioned out loud, then he picked up the call.
"Issei, what's up?" Ryu questioned.
"...Hehehe..." A sound of laughter, came from his phone.
Ryu was immediately alarmed, that laughter... it didn't belong to Issei at all.
And Issei wasn't the type to make prank calls...
The change in Ryu's expression was noticed by Akeno as well.
"What is it, Ryu?" Akeno asked, grabbing onto his arm.
"...Who the hell are you?" Ryu demanded an answer.
"...Oh, you don't recognize my voice? That's... a shame really, I thought we were closer than this..."
"I'll ask you one last time... who the hell are you?" Ryu repeated the question again, his grip tightening on the phone.
"Gee... you're still the same huh... Wolf."
Ryu's eyes widened at the mention of that name, memories of his childhood flashed before his eyes.
And then he began pondering over who he was.
Then, like a lightning bolt, it hit him.
This voice... could only belong to one person.
"...Wyrm," Ryu spoke slowly, "I see that you're... alive."
"Hehe! I'm happy that you remember me! My little Wolfie." Wyrm spoke, joy evident in his tone.
"Cut the crap, what do you want? And why do you have Issei's phone?"
"Oh right! The brown-haired boy, he's alive don't worry. I just kidnapped him, we're at XXXXXX right now, so you better move you pretty little ass and meet me here... otherwise I'll kill him. If you bring anyone else... he's dead, come alone."
"...I'm on my way, don't touch a hair on him. Otherwise... I don't know what I'll do to you, but it sure as shit won't be pretty." Ryu practically growled at him.
"...Ah~ It turns me on when you talk to me like-" Wyrm moaned and spoke, but...
Ryu hung up the phone, his face scrunching up in disgust.
"Akeno, Issei's in trouble. I'm going to help him," Ryu said going to the door and putting on his shoes.
"I'll contact Rias and others, we will come with." Akeno spoke.
"No, the fucker... he's someone I know and he wants me to go alone, otherwise he'll kill Issei."
"What if this is a trap? Don't be stupid Ryu, you're still injured!" Akeno raised her voice, trying to convince him.
"Doesn't matter, I can't take any risks. I'll call you when I rescue him, so be ready to teleport and help. He's currently at XXXXXXX, I'll call you when it's safe, don't move without my say so."
Akeno grit her teeth, clearly she didn't want to agree to this, "...Fine, be careful."
"Don't worry, I've beaten him once... I'll beat him again." Ryu said, opening the door and walking outside.
He walked out of his apartment and ran as fast as his body allowed him to.