When Haru and Tamamo returned to the Namikaze Family home, the redhead was the first to notice that something was amiss. Namely, the fact that his parents, his father at the table and his mother in the kitchen with dinner currently in the middle of being cooked, were nowhere to be found. He tried looking first in the master bedroom, but came up empty. A quick search in the backyard also yielded nothing.
Then he found a sticky note attached to his fridge. One with a rather… embarrassing and infuriating note from his parents.
"Damn it, you two!" he growled, cheeks flushed. "I know you want grandkids, but I'm still in high school!"
He crumpled the note in his hand. Seriously! Just what were his parents thinking?! He was only 17! How the hell could he support a family?! Sure he was perverted… but he knew common sense to use protection! Sure, the idea of him being alone with Tamamo was enticing, but they could have at least consulted with him first!
More importantly, when the hell did they even get the money to go on a vacation?! Had they been saving up?!
He looked back at the note, which had detailed how they had left to go on vacation as he mentioned earlier, thus leaving him in Tamamo's care, and then found his eyebrow twitching.
Don't make too much noise for the neighbors to complain! —Momma'
"... I know there are perks to being a pervert, but for the love Kami, mom...!"
"Eh?" Tamamo tilted her head as she emerged from the kitchen, back in her natural attire and form with an apron in hand. "What's the matter, darling?"
"Nothing!" Haru hid the crumpled note behind him. "Nothing at all!"
He didn't want Tamamo to get any ideas. If she did… he wasn't sure he'd be able to handle her at all during the time his parents would be gone. Especially if Aika's words were to come true. As much as he would have LOVED to be in an actual H-scene, he didn't think his heart was ready for that sort of thing yet.
One could hope for the future, though...
A few hours later, the redhead had left his home while Tamamo worked in the kitchen, promising to fix him a very special dinner. The only problem was that there wasn't enough foods in the fridge, hence his run to the convenience store. It was already nighttime, so the street lamps were lit up and lighting the path.
If anything, though, it made an already creepy atmosphere more terrifying. Somehow, the headache came back in full force, and with it, a sense of wrongness in the air. Damn, my head feels like it's being beaten like a drum. Haru groused, rubbing his temples. What's with me lately? Why won't this headache just go away?
"So, you are the human who summoned the Sun Goddess' Avatar."
Haru froze and turned around. Behind him, standing far away from him, was a man dressed in a fine suit and trench coat, his head covered mostly by the wide brim of his fedora. Beneath the shadows of the hat were a pair of piercing eyes. He could faintly make out a beard along the man's chin as well. There was nothing out of the ordinary about him, yet somehow, his presence brought Haru unease. His headache, in response to the presence of this man, seemed to only grow worse.
"It's strange. You don't seem to be anything special, yet you summoned an incarnation of the sun goddess." The man spoke.
"I don't feel a speck of magical power from you, nor even the faintest presence of a Sacred Gear. You seem to be an ordinary human..."
The man took a step forward. In fright, Haru took a step back, trying to calm down the writhing pain in his skull.
"... Yet there's obviously something different about you. I would have loved to discuss how you managed to accomplish what you did, but I'm afraid orders are orders."
Then his world went cold when two jet black wings unfurled from his back, wreathed in feathers. Suddenly, the man's image became replaced by that of Yuma's own, her beautiful face staring down at him with disgust and sadistic pleasure.
Haru felt his chest constrict. His pupils dilated. He broke out in cold sweat. Oh god, it was happening again! His feet were rooted to the ground. His heart was ramming against his chest. He couldn't breathe.
"Oh? Cold feet, have we? Don't worry, it will be over soon."
The man extended a hand, fingers stretched out and collecting light in the palm of his hand. The light then formed into a long spear, not too dissimilar to the one carried by Raynare. The same spear she was going to use to kill him.
Oh god oh god ohgodimgoingtodieimgoingtodieidontwannadieidontwannade!
He wanted to run. But his feelings remained rooted to the ground. He was going to die! The man's eyes narrowed as he reared his arm back. "Die!"
He then threw it. The wind whistled. In a second, it would pierce his heart and he'd be left dead on the floor, blood pooling beneath him. The fact registered within Haru as he stared, helpless and barely able to recognize the fact that he wasn't able to do anything. Fear had left him bound. Everything would be over in a second.
… If not for an ironic divine intervention in the form of the one thing he hated: that damn handsome.
"What?!"
The wind danced as a sword wreathed in shadows intercepted the spear, reducing it to mere fragments that soon became devoured by the shadows. The man scowled while Haru found his legs drained of their strength, falling flat on his rear. In front of him was none other than Kiba Yuto, the unusual sword in hand and standing firmly between him and the winged man—the Fallen Angel. "I didn't expect to find this in my midnight stroll." he remarked whimsically before he looked at Haru, a hint of a smile on his face. "Are you hurt anywhere, Namikaze-kun?"
"H-Huh? What? Wha-what?!" Haru found himself barely able to speak. His throat was struggling with a lump.
"You...!" the Fallen growled. "You're a Devil. Who are you?!"
Kiba turned back to the man, his smile never fading. "What would you like to know about me?" he asked, his tone oddly polite in spite of the fact that he was facing against a man who had tried to kill Haru earlier. "My name? My history? Or, perhaps… my prowess with a sword?"
"Are you a stray or not?" The man questioned as he made another spear.
"I am not. I am a proud Knight of Rias Gremory." Kiba answered, falling into a stance. "And while I understand you have your orders, I'm afraid I must ask you to leave at once. This is Gremory Territory. And therefore, all humans are under my Master's jurisdiction. If you continue to attempt to kill Namikaze-kun, I'm afraid my Master will consider this as an act of aggression and in clear violation of the ceasefire."
"... I see then." The man dispersed the spear in his hand. "Then please pardon my actions. I shall be taking my leave." Haru blinked. Once. Twice. Then his jaw dropped. Wait, that's it?! After nearly giving him a goddamn heart attack...nhe was just gonna leave?! "Unlike Raynare, I'm not foolish enough to try and start a fight. Especially given WHO Rias Gremory is." The man bowed his head. "I am Dohnaseek. A former Principality." His eyes then settled on Haru, and narrowed sharply like those of a hawk. "You'd best pray we never meet again, boy..."
With a beat of his wings, the man was in the air. In moments, he was out of sight. Kiba let out a small sigh as he flicked his wrist, leaving Haru to watch as the sword dissipated into motes of light. "That was close." he muttered with relief. "I hoped that I wouldn't have to fight him. Thankfully, he's a reasonable one." He then turned back to Haru and smiled, bending down and offering a hand. "Are you alright? Namikaze-kun?"
"P-Possibly..." Haru responded, grasping Kiba's hand with a shaking arm. "God...I thought I was gonna die."
"Well, thankfully, you aren't. You should be more careful, though, Namikaze-kun. If they're targeting you, you should stay as close to Tamamo-no-Mae-sama as possible."
"E-Eh?"
"It's the most rational thing to do. As you've experienced, the Fallen are targeting you. It would be best to have Tamamo-no-Mae-sama with you at all times to deter them from attacking." Kiba explained. "After all, who better to be your bodyguard than an emissary of a Shinto God?"
Haru couldn't really argue with that. But he didn't really want to burden Tamamo with his problems like this. Then again, he probably didn't have much choice in the matter. As much as he didn't like the idea, he didn't really have much choice in this situation. Especially after what just happened. "... Thanks for savin' my ass back there." Haru said. "Even if you are a bishounen bastard."
Kiba tilted his head. "I'm… not sure what me being a bishounen has anything to do with this, but you're welcome." With a bow, Kiba turned on his heel to leave. Haru watched him go, staring at his back. Strangely, he could see the faint outlines of pinions, stretching out from his shoulderblades.
Now that I think about it, I saw wings in his and Kaichou's shadows the other day. Haru thought. I wonder why? He wanted to think on it, but he shook his head, picking up the discarded back of groceries. He didn't have time to be thinking about that. He just really needed to go home. As fast as possible.
Back to his wife…
"... God does that sound so sexy and weird at the same time."