Alright folks, i'm just putting this out there because I feel this would be amazing. DxD, with a side of Percy Jackson, topped with a dimensional chat group, what else do you want! This is nerdvana.
Some aspects might be similar with the OG, THE GOAT, DxD Annahilation Maker (I'm still missed that dude just vanished! ) The To Aru world angel concept is interesting and I might delve into that later, not sure as that needs research.
And the funniest thing, This is a DxD story with NO HAREM! Yorokobe Shounen!
I once read a fanfic that got me stuck on this idea, what if Kokabiel was a good guy? What if his motives were different? If you had same question as me, well, look no further! But I'll warn ya, this one might be a tearjerker. So grab extra tissues.
Now without further ado, Enjoy!
*****
"Hey champ, wake up! We have a big day today." My dad's overly enthusiastic voice interrupted my peaceful Saturday morning sleep.
"Let me sleep Dad, you guys can go ahead with the camping trip." I groaned and tried to shoo him away.
My Dad, David Morgan, chuckled and pulled away my blanket with a swoosh. "Alright sleepyhead, get up before your mom brings out the spatula. You know she's been waiting for this trip for months."
I sighed and opened my eyes. "Why do you guys have a vendetta against me sleeping peacefully! I had a late night shift at the dive bar."
Dad's smile softened. "Sorry buddy, I know you are tired. But I really want us to spend some quality time together. You, me, your mom, Dawn. All of us. Soon you'll be off to college and I don't know if we can do it again." He sighed.
I got up and shook my head. "It's too early for emotional blackmail Dad. But you got me."
He beamed proudly. "Atta boy! Now get ready! Your mom and sister both got ready before you."
I gasped and looked at the calendar. "Holy shit! It ain't December, but it's a Christmas miracle!"
There were footsteps, then a hand clamped on my ear. "I get up to see if you have gotten ready, but then I hear you being snarky and talking bad about me, you brat!"
My mother, Christine Morgan held my ear like a vice grip. But the smile on her face showed she wasn't angry.
I raised my hands in surrender. "Umm... What I meant to say was, that since my mom is so pretty, she shouldn't need much time, or need for makeups and such?" I blinked cutely like a disney movie.
Mom giggled and released my ear. "Save those smooth lines for Katie, Arthur. Now hurry up, we need to leave before rush hour." She ruffled my hair.
Dad coughed. "Suck up."
Mom glared at him. "What? Do you mean to say I don't look good like my smart and caring boy said?"
Dad folded immediately. "No honey! You are absolutely gorgeous! I would crawl through miles of broken glass just to get a look at your beautiful face!"
Mom blushed and looked away, and Dad gave me a grin like, Look how a pro does it.
I smirked and said as I left. "Mom, Dad said you look fat in that dress."
Dad shouted immediately. "No honey, it's a prank. Look there's a camera!"
I heard mom's famous sweet voice as she is about to reign down holy vengeance. "Darling, there's no camera here."
I gave a smirk of victory at Dad as I left. That's payback for ruining my sleep.
I took a quick shower and threw on some comfortable clothes. The smell of coffee hit me as I walked downstairs, and I could hear Dawn's voice coming from the living room, probably watching cartoons.
"Arthur! Did you pack your sketchbook?" Mom called from the kitchen.
"Yeah, got it." I grabbed a muffin from the counter. "How long is the drive again?"
"About three hours," Dad said, coming in with the last of the camping gear. "We're burning daylight, people!"
"It's barely 7 AM," I muttered.
"Exactly! Dawn, turn off the TV and get in the car!"
Dawn came running in, wearing her purple jacket and pigtails. "I'm ready! I've been ready forever!"
"Sure you have, squirt." I grabbed my backpack. "Let's get this show on the road."
After getting ready and entering the car, I slumped beside Dawn, my little sister who was playing something on her phone.
She immediately perked up. "What took you so long! I wanted to play this game with you." She showed me some girly game. Barbie Cart or something.
I booped her nose and said, "Not now little one. This day has already taken a hard toll on me since Dad ruined my sleep."
Dawn pouted. "Boo Artie! You're breaking a maiden's heart."
I looked at her curiously. "Maiden? You? I still remember you wearing diapers kiddo."
Dawn did what she always does. She showed her pearly whites and bit me.
"Ouch! Let go psycho! Are you a dog!" I shook my arm but she hung on like a turtle. I then used my secret attack.
Tickle Tickle.
"Ahaha, stawpp!" Dawn giggled and released her bite.
I glared at her. "If you keep this up, you'll never get a boyfriend."
She smiled smugly. "I don't need a stinky boyfriend. I'll marry you! I already told Katie and she agreed!"
I nearly choked at my 8 year old sister's declaration. I took out a small sprayer and spritzed on her, making her squeal. "Bad Girl! And you even told her! I'm telling mom!"
After what seemed like an eternity, Mom and Dad entered the car. They both were looking like teenagers sneaking out, flushed face, slightly messy hair.
I raised an eyebrow. "What took you guys so long?"
Dad stammered. "Umm.. I helped your mom to look for something."
Mom nodded quickly. "Uh..yes.. I lost my.. phone."
I smirked and pressed on, "did you find it?"
Mom nodded again. "Yeah! It was... In the... fridge!"
Dawn innocently spoke. "But mom, I have your phone with me."
They froze like deer in headlights.
I sighed. "How did you even thought of doing something in that short time...wait! Don't tell me you guys did it on my bed!"
Mom looked away , admiring the scenery. Dad just gave me a shit eating grin.
I alsmost wretched. "I sleep there you freakos! Arghhh, I'm gonna puke."
Dad gave me a smirk that said, revenge is sweet.
This guy!
I almost became Dawn and bit him. But my patience won the duel as I tried to erase the memory of my parents doing the nasty in my bed...yeah, now I got visuals. I need a new brain.
Mom tried to change the topic, "So who's excited for the trip!"
I groaned. "I was, before you two decided sleep on it."
Dawn asked curiously. "What do you mean Artie?"
Mom gave me a glare that promised pain. So I shut up. "Nothing sweetie. Play your game."
The ride started quiet. Dawn went back to her game, and I pulled out my headphones. But Dad kept glancing at me through the rearview mirror.
"You guys good back there?" he asked.
"Yeah, just tired."
Mom turned around. "You've been working too much at that bar. Maybe you should cut back on your shifts."
"I need the money for college, Mom." I sighed.
"We can help with that," Dad said.
"I know, but I want to contribute too."
Dawn looked up from her phone. "Are you really going away to college, Artie?"
"Not for a few more months, squirt."
"But you'll visit, right?"
"Of course I will. Every weekend if you want."
She smiled and went back to her game.
As we neared Minnesota, Dad asked me, "So, did you talk to Katie about college?"
I sighed. "She's set on Harvard. It's not my choice. I guess we'll have to break up."
Mom spoke comfortingly, "Maybe you can try to change her mind? She loves you, you know that."
I sighed. "Maybe, but love can't always sort out everything mom."
Dad offered some sarcasm as always. "Maybe you guys go on... Like a break or something. Just don't be like Ross and Rachel!"
I groaned. "Really dad? A 'Friend's' joke? Your sarcasm isn't like Chandler's, so beat it."
"Hey! I thought that was funny."
"It wasn't."
Mom laughed. "He's right, honey. It wasn't."
"You're both mean," Dad said, but he was smiling.
Dawn piped up. "Who's Ross and Rachel?"
"Ancient TV people," I said. "Before your time."
"Everything is before my time. I'm eight."
That got a laugh out of all of us.
We finally pulled off the highway onto a dirt road. Trees lined both sides, and the city noise faded away completely.
"Almost there!" Dad announced.
The campsite appeared around a bend. Lake Clearwater stretched out before us, the water calm and clear. Pine trees surrounded the area, and there was a fire pit with some logs arranged around it.
"Wow!" Dawn pressed her face against the window. "It's so pretty!"
"I told you I'd find a good spot," Dad said proudly.
We piled out of the car, and the fresh air hit me immediately. It did smell better out here. No car exhaust, no city smells. Just trees and water.
"Alright team," Dad clapped his hands together. "Let's set up camp!"
Setting up the tent was an adventure. Dad insisted he knew what he was doing, but the instructions said otherwise.
"This pole goes here," he said confidently.
"Dad, that's literally the wrong size."
"No it's not."
"It is. Look at the color coding."
"Color coding is a suggestion."
Mom walked over with her hands on her hips. "David, just read the instructions."
"I don't need instructions. I'm a man."
"You're a stubborn man."
"Same thing."
I held up the instruction manual. "It literally says pole B goes in slot B."
"But pole A fits better."
"That's not how engineering works!"
We eventually got it up, though it was slightly crooked.
"There! See? Perfect," Dad said.
"It's leaning," I pointed out.
"It has character."
"It has poor structural integrity."
"You have poor structural integrity."
Mom just shook her head and went to organize the supplies. Dawn had already abandoned us to collect rocks by the lake.
Once camp was set up, Mom pulled out sandwiches she'd made that morning. We sat around the picnic table Dad had brought.
"This is nice," Mom said, looking around. "No phones, no TV, just us."
"I have my phone," Dawn said, holding it up.
"Put it away, sweetie. Enjoy nature."
Dawn sighed dramatically but complied.
We ate and talked. Dad told a story about a client who'd tried to claim his dog as a dependent. Mom shared gossip from her book club. Dawn talked about her school play.
"I'm playing tree number three!" she announced proudly.
"That's... specific," I said.
"It's a very important tree. I have two lines."
"Two whole lines? That's basically a lead role."
She nodded seriously. "I know."
After lunch, Dad suggested fishing. "Come on, Arthur. Father-son bonding time."
"We're going to catch nothing, aren't we?"
"With that attitude, yes."
He was right. We caught nothing. But it was still nice, sitting on the dock with him, poles in the water, just talking.
"So, Harvard huh?" Dad said.
"Yeah."
"That's tough."
"Yeah."
"You know, your mom and I had to do long distance for a year. It sucked, but we made it work."
"How?"
"We talked every day. Visited when we could. Made it a priority." He reeled in his empty line. "But we also knew we wanted the same future. That's the key."
"What if Katie and I don't?"
"Then you'll figure it out. Or you won't. Either way, you'll be okay."
"That's not very comforting."
"I'm not here to comfort you. I'm here to tell you the truth." He cast his line again. "But for what it's worth, I think you two are good together. She's smart, driven, keeps you on your toes. Don't give up without trying."
"Yeah, maybe. Or maybe I stop following her wishes and follow my own."
We sat in silence for a while after that.
Later, Dawn demanded we all go swimming. The water was freezing, but she didn't care.
"It's not that cold!" she insisted, already waist-deep.
"It's arctic," I said, but waded in anyway.
Mom and Dad jumped in too, and we splashed around like idiots. Dawn tried to dunk me, but I'm twice her size. I tried to dunk Dad, and he pulled me under with him.
"Cheater!" I sputtered when I surfaced.
"All's fair in water warfare!"
We stayed in until our fingers were pruny and Dawn's lips were turning blue.
"Okay, everyone out," Mom ordered. "Before we all get hypothermia."
We dried off by the fire Dad started. He actually got it going on the first try this time.
"See? I'm a natural."
"You used half a bottle of lighter fluid," I said.
"Details."
As the sun started to set, we roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. Dawn insisted on making s'mores with way too much chocolate.
"That's going to fall apart," I warned.
"I know what I'm doing," she said confidently.
It immediately fell apart.
"I meant to do that," she said, eating the pieces off the ground.
"That's disgusting."
"Five second rule!"
"That was ten seconds."
"You counted wrong."
The sky turned orange, then pink, then purple. Stars started appearing one by one. Dad threw more wood on the fire, and we all sat around it.
"This was a good day," Mom said, leaning against Dad.
"The best," Dawn agreed, yawning.
I added a stick to the fire and watched the sparks float up. "Yeah, it was."
Dad looked at me across the flames. "Thanks for coming, Arthur. I know you were tired."
"Thanks for dragging me out of bed."
He laughed. "Anytime, son."
Dawn was already half asleep, curled up next to Mom. The fire crackled. The lake lapped gently at the shore. Somewhere in the distance, an owl hooted.
This was good. This was everything.
I didn't know it then, but I'd remember this moment for a very long time. The warmth of the fire, the sound of my family's voices, the smell of woodsmoke and pine.
If someone had told me this was the last normal days of my life, I wouldn't have believed them.
But that's how these things work, isn't it? You never know which moments are the last ones until they're already gone.
For now, we were just a family on a camping trip. Happy. Together. Safe.
The stars above us shone bright and clear, and I had no idea that soon, everything would change.