Chapter 9: Cracks in the Surface

Issei Hyoudou had always believed himself to be a lucky person. After all, he had the most beautiful women at Kuoh Academy- Rias Gremory and Akeno Himejima- both powerful devils as his girlfriend. Lately, however, he has felt as if something was off about them. The air between them felt heavier, and the closeness that he once shared with Rias and Akeno felt as if was slipping away, inch by inch.

And that uncertainty became more pronounced everytime he saw them with Ayush. It was as if a knot in his chest that just became tighter with each passing moment.

--

The afternoon sun cast a warm glow through the windows of the Occult Research Club room. Rias was sitting at her desk, a stack of papers before her, though her focus had long drifted away from those papers. She was supposed to be reviewing the upcoming mission details, but her mind was elsewhere- her thoughts circling back to Ayush.

He stood by the window, gazing out at the courtyard. His profile was bathed in sun, creating a picturesque scene, at least to the eyes of Rias it was picturesque. She had always found him to be attractive, in ways that she still could not quite put her fingers to. But recently, the feeling had become harder to ignore.

Rias let out a soft breath, her fingers tightening around the pen in her hand. Ayush's presence was overwhelming. When he looked at her, it was intense, his gaze almost felt consuming. His eyes seemed to pierce through her status as devil princess, stripping away her defenses and leaving her bare, exposed. Comparing it to Issei was almost laughable, who always looked at her with an eager and fawing gaze which while initially cute does get a little irritating with time.

With Issei, she always felt that she was the one controlling the situation, the one who led, but with Ayush, it was different, as if he was the one in control and she was just some girl getting led on by him.

"Why does he look at me like that" Rias wondered, as Ayush turned to look at her, her pulse quickening. His gaze was steady, intense- not the look of someone who admired her but someone who saw straight into her soul, someone who understood the women beneath the role of devil heiress that she played.

Her body responded to his attention before her mind could catch up. The heat in her cheeks, the flutter in her chest…Rias didn't feel this way around anyone else, even Issei. And that made the guilt creeping into her heart all the more unbearable.

But not unbearable enough to make her want it to stop.

Akeno, always observant, perched on the arm of the couch with her legs crossed elegantly and watched the scene unfold with a knowing smile. She sipped her tea, her dark eyes glinting with amusement as she watched Ayush with the same playful curiosity that she often reserved for those she found intriguing.

Akeno had been affected by the artifact almost as much as Rias. But where Rias was hesitant, Akeno thrived in the tension that existed between her and Ayush. She loved the way Ayush challenged her, The way he never flinched under her teasing. It was rare for someone to hold their ground against her, and Ayush had done just that. And not just that he had made her want to push her boundaries, boundaries that she hadn't pushed for anyone.

Issei sat nearby, oblivious to the shift in the room, though he could still feel the atmosphere in the room as somewhat thick, with the tension present in the room rising each second. He could feel the tension, even if he couldn't fully understand it. Rias and Akeno were behaving differently around Ayush—more attentive, more..drawn to him.

"Hey, Ayush" Issei called out, his voice forcing a casual tone. "What's so interesting out there?"

Ayush turned slightly, his gaze calm as he met Issei's eyes. "The view" he replied smoothly. His gaze shifted towards Rias, lingering just long enough to make her breath catch, "It's quite beautiful". There was an unmistakable intensity behind his words, one which made anyone in the room that was not Issei that he wasn't talking about the courtyard.

Rias's heart skipped a beat, her pulse quickening as she felt his eyes on her. She tried to steady her breath and tried to keep her composure. She could feel the heat building inside her, her body responding in ways that left her feeling vulnerable—exposed. And as much as she tried to fight it, she didn't want it to stop.

"The view's better in here," Issei joked, though his laugh sounded hollow. He glanced toward Rias and Akeno, hoping for some light teasing from them or even some retaliation, anything. But neither of them met his gaze and it almost felt like they were ignoring him, making his heart feel a bit heavy.

Ayush, sensing the shift in the air, moved across the room with deliberate slowness. He stopped beside Rias's desk, leaning just close enough for her to feel the warmth of his presence. "Rias can you help me with a questing that I had this morning?"His hand rested lightly on the back of her chair, his fingers brushing against the fabric, and for a moment, Rias forgot how to breathe.

The space between them seemed to disappear, and as his body leaned closer, Rias could feel her pulse thudding in her ears, her skin tingling under the invisible weight of his presence. She could sense every inch of him—his height, his breath, even the heat emanating from him. For one moment she almost forgot that there was Issei in the room as she started to lean towards him. But alas, now was not the time as Ayush turned around and started walking towards the door.

As Ayush stood to leave, Akeno reached out, her fingers lightly brushing against his arm as she whispered, "Rias isn't the only one in the room you know" Her voice was low and filled with promise, her body language making it clear that she was far from done with him.

She pressed herself just a bit closer to Ayush, letting him feel the warmth of her body as her lips hovered near his ear just enough so that Issei may not outrightly suspect anything. "We wouldn't mind her monopolizing you now do we," she murmured, her breath hot against his skin, sending a shiver down his spine. Akeno's eyes sparkled with mischief as her fingers trailed down his arm, lingering longer than necessary before she finally stepped back.

Ayush smiled, his gaze never leaving hers. "I wouldn't dream of it," he replied, his voice smooth as silk, matching her seductive tone perfectly.

Rias, still seated at her desk, watched the exchange in silence, her heart racing as her mind tried to process the conflicting emotions swirling inside her. She could feel the weight of guilt pressing down on her—guilt for Issei, who was sitting just a few feet away, completely unaware of the tension in the room. But that guilt wasn't enough to stop the way her body reacted to Ayush's presence. The heat in her chest, the flutter in her stomach—none of it faded, no matter how much she told herself it was wrong.

Akeno, ever the bold one, gave Ayush a final lingering glance as she walked away, her hips swaying slightly as she moved. "I'll be waiting," she added playfully, her voice dripping with suggestion.

Issei, watching from the sidelines, felt a growing sense of unease gnawing at him. He didn't like the way Akeno was acting—so close to Ayush, her usual teasing taking on a sharper, more serious edge. It wasn't just playful anymore. There was something real behind it, something that made his stomach twist.

But Issei didn't know how to voice his discomfort. He didn't know how to confront what was happening right in front of him.

After Akeno left, Rias remained seated, her fingers still gripping the edge of her desk as she struggled to regain her composure. Her mind was a whirl of confusion, guilt, and undeniable attraction. She knew she shouldn't be feeling this way—not toward Ayush, not while Issei was right there. But no matter how hard she tried to push these feelings away, they only grew stronger.

Ayush, sensing her internal struggle, turned his attention back to her, while also powering up the artifact. His gaze was steady, intense, and when his eyes met hers, Rias felt her breath hitch. There was something about the way Ayush looked at her—like he wasn't just seeing her, but understanding her in ways that no one else ever had. It made her feel vulnerable, exposed... but also wanted.

And that was what scared her the most.

"You should get some rest, Rias," Ayush said softly, his voice gentle but firm. "You've been working too hard."

Rias nodded, swallowing hard as she tried to steady her racing heart. "I... I'll try," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

As the door closed behind him, Rias let out a shaky breath, her body trembling with the weight of what had just happened. The guilt was still there, gnawing at the edges of her mind, but it wasn't enough to stop the flood of emotions that coursed through her veins.

She wanted Ayush. More than she had ever wanted anyone.

And no matter how much she tried to deny it, she couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning.

Meanwhile, while all this was happening Issei at some point found it appropriate to just open his mobile phone and play games in it instead of confronting Rias and Akeno about what was happening in the room.