Rias leaned in, her face dead serious.
Her focus?
Well, that belonged fully to the screen right in front of her.
On the screen, a boy with black hair and glasses looked into a crowd.
"...Did it reach her?"
His eyes were shining… full of hope.
"I hope that it did."
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.
.
The screen quickly switched to a black cat on a piano.
For a second, there was silence.
Then an acoustic guitar began to play—
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.
.
The TV stopped.
"???" Rias turned to her left side, a questioning look on her face as she stared at Gasper sitting right next to her. "Why di—"
Gasper immediately brought up a finger to his mouth. "Shhhhh~"
Rias stopped and looked at him, her face completely unimpressed, '...How rude.'
Gasper slowly pointed to his side while leaning back.
Rias looked past him and saw Koneko... Trying to stay awake.
Koneko's head slowly fell and jolted up only to slowly start to fall once more, her eyes half-lidded.
Rias looked back at Gasper, his shoulders were slumped...
Gasper sighed.
"Hey, can you pass me that blanket?" Gasper whispered, pointing to her side, as he slowly got up.
Rias turned her head to the right, spotting a blue blanket with pink stars neatly folded on a nearby beanbag.
"Sure."
She got up, grabbed the blanket, and turned back to Gasper.
Gasper was crouched in front of the sofa, slowly guiding Koneko down, as he cradled the back of her head in his hand… Koneko muttering something about him being some 'smooth criminal'?
Gasper chuckled at it.
'She's had a lot of MJ on the mind for the last couple of days now, hasn't she?... Well, I guess it's kinda my fault now that I think of it...but still.' Gasper's smile faltered a bit, but he shook it off.
'Is she ok?...' Rias couldn't help but think, hearing something that random come from Koneko, of all people.
With a swift motion, Gasper grabbed a cushion and removed his hand from under her head, replacing it with the cushion.
Sighing, Gasper got up fully, stretching his back.
Then he turned to Rias, his hand extended.
Rias broke from her small trance and passed him the blanket.
As Gasper unfolded the blanket, Rias sat back down on the end of the sofa, crossing her legs as she stared at him. "You do this often, don't you?"
She could see it in his movements; it was like he was just going through the motions.
Gasper flicked the blanket open into the air, slowly lowering it on Koneko.
He smiled softly. "I guess I do.… Koneko is, well, stubborn... In a good way though, kinda like an annoying little sister..."
"...Wait, is that weird to say?"
Rias shook her head, "Not at all."
Gasper reached his hand out, grabbing the remote he had set down on the table, and turned the TV off.
"She just doesn't know when to call it quits. Sometimes..." He turned to Rias, an amused smile on his face. "She'll try to stay up later than me just to see if she can, but you can't really beat a vampire in staying up late, you know."
Gasper's face went deadpan. "...I just didn't think she'd try today, with you being here and all."
"Well, she has always been rather competitive, so it makes sense." Rias said.
Gasper's nostrils flared with an amused huff, a smile forming on his face. "I guess so, but it's actually kinda impressive, you know? How she can turn anything into a contest... actually, she even tried to make a contest out of how many times one of us could lose in a video game."
"She did?"
"Yep."
"....Who won?"
"Hehe...she did."
Rias fought back a giggle, "I see, well victory is to be expected...even when it comes to losing."
"Yeah, that's...totally the reason why she won." Gasper made his way around the sofa, ending up in front of a bookshelf filled with music albums, a record player next to him; he put a hand on his chin.
Rias turned her gaze to the sleeping Koneko.
Rias closed her eyes. "So, this little bet of ours… We'll settle it another time."
"Mhm." Gasper nodded. "Best believe you're not off the hook just yet, young lady..." He moved his finger past multiple albums on the shelf as he searched. "I promised to make you eat your words, and I intend to keep that promise…"
'There it is.' He grabbed an album off the shelf; a dark-skinned man with a tuxedo and an afro was on it….standing in front of a wall.
Rias smiled. "Young lady? How bold, coming from a boy."
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.
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Krrrt-pop... hiss…!
Rias opened her eyes and raised a brow.
"Oho!" Gasper closed his eyes, a grin spreading wide on his face. "You'd better keep that attitude when I make you eat those words."
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.
.
.
"When the world is on your shoulder~♫."
"Gotta straighten up your act and boogie down~♫."
Rias turned to look at Gasper, an album in his hand.
'Michael Jackson, Off the Wall.'
"What's with the music?"
He put the album cover down right next to the record player.
"Can't do chores in total silence now, can I?" Gasper brought his left hand up and pointed to the table. "Plus, it helps that Koneko likes this album, less chance she'll wake up cranky."
Her eyes followed where he was pointing… her gaze falling on empty, dirty plates sitting right on the table.
"I see."
"Well, you'd better get going," Gasper said, beginning to make his way back around the sofa.
Rias blinked. "Excuse me?"
Gasper nodded, "You're excused."
"...That's not what I meant."
Arriving at the table, Gasper started stacking plates on top of each other. "Oh, I know, but either way, don't you have school tomorrow?…" Gasper turned his head, his gaze falling on a clock on the wall. "...wait, no, I mean today."
"Oh, well, yes, I do, but at this point…" She turned to look at the clock.
5:05
"It might be better just to get ready for school."
Gasper raised a brow. "Seriously, you're not even going to try to take a nap? You know, even an hour or two would be better than none."
"...Well, I usually get up about this time."
Gasper's eyebrow shot up. "Who the hell wakes up at five in the morning?"
"A responsible person."
Gasper just turned to look at her.
And stared.
Rias looked back. "Honestly…" she stopped… and put a hand in front of her mouth, fighting off a yawn. "... I'll be perfectly fine." She brought the same hand to the side and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.
"It wouldn't be my first all-nighter, and I doubt it will be my last."
Gasper began to turn back around, looking at her with a judging side eye, slowly looking her up and down. "Mmmmmmhm~ sure….miss red eyes."
Rias's eyebrow twitched, "What was that last part? I didn't quite catch that?"
Gasper swiftly gathered up the last bit of the plates and balanced all of them, making a tower of plates in front of him, covering his face.
"It was nothing, don't worry about it." He took a step forward, the tower slowly wobbling.
A bead of sweat rolled down his face.
Slowly, he tried to turn, the plates leaning. 'Come onnnnnn…'
Rias, seeing this, just gave a short sigh and got up.
Without a word, she grabbed the upper half of the tower, allowing him to see in front of him again.
"...Thanks."
Rias kept quiet and just smiled at him.
Gasper walked in front of her and looked back. "Well, kitchen's this way."
Gasper walked up to a door.
He tried to open it with his elbow.
Only to fail.
So he tried again…
Only to fail again.
"You need help there?" Rias looked at him, holding back a smile.
"Nah, nah...I got this." Gasper said as he let go of the plates.
Rias's eyebrows furrowed…
The plates... They were floating!
Gasper, with now-free hands, turned the doorknob, opening the door, and turned back to the floating plates…
[LAGTRAIN] was floating in front of him, blue energy and all; he just handed back the plates and dissipated back into Gasper.
Gasper, without looking back, walked into the kitchen, leaving a stunned Rias standing there.
'That wasn't his Sacred Gear…was it?'
There was no rise in demonic power for a spell or even eye color changes…
It was like the plates just decided to, for lack of better words, levitate.
"You going to come in or what?"
Rias blinked, her eyes snapping onto Gasper's figure leaning on the doorway, plates gone.
Rias shook her head, "Ah, sorry. I got distracted for a moment."
She walked into the kitchen…and didn't recognize a thing.
'Looks like he renovated this too.'
Gasper stopped in front of the fridge. "Oh, just leave them in there," he said, pointing at the sink right in the middle of the room.
Rias nodded and put the plates in the sink, and turned to Gasper, rummaging through his fridge.
She walked up close behind him, taking a sneak peek inside.
Her eyes widened.
'Oh my…why is there so much chicken?'
Well, there was a good variety of vegetables and fruits too, BUT it was mostly chicken.
"But...where's the blood?" Rias asked herself.
Gasper blinked and whipped his head toward her direction. "The what?!"
"The Blood???... Oh, I see you ran out, didn't you?" She put a hand on her chin. "Well, it has been a while since you asked for some, so I suppose that's to be expected. I'll come by later with som—"
Gasper turned his entire body, putting a hand in front of him. "Hold on!"
Rias blinked several times, looking at the hand in front of her face. "What's wrong?"
"There's no need to do that." Gasper slowly retracted his hand. "I mean, I kind of threw that stuff away."
Rias furrowed her brow, "...What? Why?"
"It tasted weird."
Rias blinked, "It...tasted weird?"
Gasper nodded.
Rias lowered her gaze. 'Could there have been something wrong with the last batch? No, the supplier is trustworthy, but if not that, then what could the problem be?'
"How long ago was this?"
Gasper put a hand on his chin. "Ummm."
'How long has it been since I reincarnated?..... Crap, I was never good with dates…'
"Give or take five to six… no, maybe even seven months or so…?" he said, slowly waving his hand. "I know it was about then."
Rias blinked, a pit-like feeling slowly building up in her gut. "Months? Not days?"
'Has it really been that long... no, I could have sworn he asked for some not too long ago....right?'
"Yep, give or take, but it doesn't matter; I don't need it anyway, and it was just taking up space in my fridge, space that could have fit like at least twenty days' worth of food, mind you."
Rias just stared at him, baffled.
Seeing her not do anything, Gasper turned his attention back to his fridge, 'Damn, I'm running low on potatoes, same goes for onions...'
As Gasper was making a mental grocery list, he felt a tap on his shoulder.
As he turned, something warm was placed on his cheeks...
Rias.... was caressing his cheeks.
Rias brought her face closer to his, her eyes staring at him intensely.
Rias stared at his face for a long second.
Gasper froze up...
He averted his gaze, a blush on his face.
"Oh my!~ Rias-sama..." Gasper said in a high-pitched voice. "We can't; it's forbid—!" She pulled on his cheeks like a rubber band.
"You're an idiot," she said, sighing. "Why on earth would you deny your body something it needs to survive? Why didn't you ask for more, instead of choosing to starve yourself?"
"I'—m newt (I'm not)," Gasper responded…barely.
'WHAT'S UP WITH THESE GIRLS!!.....why is it always the cheeks they aim for...'
She held his cheeks for a long second, then let go, his cheeks red.
He rubbed them. "...You're lucky I somewhat like you," he said, eyes glowing red as... he pouted slightly? 'But if I didn't…ohhhhh, Hestia wouldn't even be able to help you…'
"I don't need to drink blood," Gasper said.
"Yes, you do," Rias fired back.
Gasper took a deep breath in and out.
"I'm serious. I really don't need to." He closed his eyes, his right hand scratching his head, and sighed.
"Do you really expect me to believe that, You Gasper Vladi, a Dhampir doesn't need blood... do you think I was born yesterday?"
"Well, when you put it like that, it sounds stupid...but it's true."
Rias slowly raised her hand and put the back of it on his forehead.
"What are you doing?" Gasper asked.
"Checking to see if you're sick."
"Why?"
"Well, Gasper, would you not think someone is sick if they tell you that fire doesn't burn things?"
Gasper narrowed his eye, "Haha, you're very funny..."
"Thank you, but this is no laughing matter."
"That was sarcasm, Rias."
"I know, you're not very good at it."
"..."
Rias looked him deep in the eyes...but Gasper stared right back at her.
After a full thirty seconds, Rias averted her gaze.
"Let's say you really don't need it... How?"
"Honestly, I don't know, I just know that it is what it is."
Hearing him be so relaxed only made her worry more… Gasper could practically see it in her eyes, even if she tried to hide it.
"I mean, it's been more than half a year, and nothing has happened …"
Rias gave him a look.
"...Nothing has happened YET, so—" Gasper reached up and grabbed ahold of her hand, taking it off his forehead. "Just trust me, ok? I wouldn't do anything that would put me in mortal danger…well, without a good reason that is."
He let go of her hand.
Rias closed her eyes and turned her back to him, putting a palm on her forehead.
It was throbbing.
'I don't like that answer. Not even a little.'
Gasper just looked at her. 'Why does it feel like I'm waiting to see a test result?'
She sighed and turned back around.
"Fine. But the moment, and I mean the very moment, something feels off, you come to me immediately. Are we understood?"
"You got it, boss." Gasper saluted.
"And…stop doing things without at least telling someone, especially when doing something this stupid…excuse my language."
"Got it, no stupid stuff from now on… I promise, cross my heart and hope to die," he said with a smile, one of his arms behind him.
His fingers were crossed.
Rias narrowed her eyes at his totally "real smile". 'He's lying…isn't he?'
She sighed…
You know, it feels like she has been doing that a lot lately. Wonder why?
"Well then," she said, pointing at the sink, "the dishes won't do themselves, will they?"
"Oh wow, throwing me to the literal gutters alone—how classy of you."
"And who said you're going in alone?"
Gasper stood there in silence.
The only sound in the room was coming from the record player switching songs from the living room.
.
.
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"Ooh, my honey, you got me working day and night~♫"
Rias booped him on the nose. "Stop standing there. Let's get to work."
He blinked and rolled up his sleeves. "You sure about this?"
"What are you afraid that I would move too fast for you to keep up?" Rias said.
"HA! You should be the one worried about keeping up." Gasper said, picking up a sponge, "I'm going to leave you in my soapy dust."
Rias looked at him, amused. "Too much talking, get to work."
"Wow, I can't even talk now... I truly have such a merciful master."
As they worked on getting through the plates, Gasper tried, but...
He just couldn't stand still; his legs started moving as he followed the rhythm of the beat...
And Rias, well, she was totally, not tapping her foot to the beat.... totally.
There were a lot of questions without answers...but Rias was beginning to understand one thing.
Maybe that wasn't such a bad thing, well, at least for now that is—
"Heee-Hee!"
Rias turned to look at Gasper, standing on only his toes.
'…'
He dropped the pose and began drying off a dish as his body swayed.
Rias shook her head, a smile on her face.
But...
'Why does it feel like I'm forgetting something?'
.
.
.
'Oh, brother… I forgot about…'
Her eyes went sharp.
'Grayfia.'
←–TO BE CONTINUED—