Chapter 10: 2-2: Lust Archdemons Need Love Too part 4

I knocked lightly on the door, waiting patiently in the hallway. I had made my presence known, barging in would just be a dick move. Minutes later, the door finally creaked open, admitting the beautiful Archdemon.

My gaze roamed her blushing form, shyness evident in her posture. She wasn't dressed to the nines by any means, but she still managed to pull off a form-fitting strapless red number with a slit down one side. It was an elegant dress with a lot of ornamentation, highly oriental in design. Her tail waved free, slowly curling around her ankles as she looked me over.

I raised an eyebrow, chuckling. "Now I feel underdressed. You said casual, so I didn't bother doing my hair."

She nodded absently, gaze lingering on my bare chest. "No shirt?"

I glanced down, shrugging. The tribal tattoos of the [Totem of Life] wove sharp black lines over the left side of my torso, almost seeming three-dimensional with how defined they were. "Well, honestly, wearing a tank top is sort of pointless if you're going to be staring anyway. Plus I have it on good authority that you like the view…"

She grumbled to herself, something that sounded suspiciously like 'Goddammit, Noa'. Her gaze shifted to look me over one last time, and she smiled faintly. "You look like you belong in early 2000s Earth. Where did you get the blue jeans?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Darling, I've been through damn near every fashion trend in existence at least once. Biker jackets and blue jeans existed in more than just your world. I just had to brush the dust off an old wardrobe."

"Mmm." She reached out and tweaked the fur collar. "Is that… armor?"

My lips twitched. "Did you expect anything else?"

She rolled her eyes, smiling faintly. "No, I suppose I didn't. Thanks for making the effort to look like someone from my time."

I shrugged it off, shaking my head. "This is nothing. Some old brawler clothes from my rough and tumble days. You look like a total knockout."

She blushed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "…Thanks." She mumbled, shifting her stance.

'Oh my poor, adorable Archer. Absolutely no defense against honest compliments.' I chuckled to myself, resisting the urge to keep going until she was a blushing mess. Teasing could wait, our date was now. "So, what did you decide on for tonight?" I asked, extending an arm. She wound hers through the crook, allowing me to escort her down the stairs.

"Oh, nothing too fancy." She was smiling, visibly enjoying my old-fashioned escort. "I just planned a picnic for us on the hill. You know, the one with the only tree for miles?"

I nodded, allowing her to take the lead. The hill she was referring to was a place in the plains area, a short walk away from the mansion. "Planning to catch the sunset together?" I teased gently. "How romantic."

She flushed slightly, smile widening. "Yes. It is." She slipped her arm out of mine for a moment, darting away out of sight. She returned a moment later with a picnic basket, holding it on her other arm as she took my hand. She twined her fingers with mine, still smiling beautifully. Her tail was waving happily through the air, doing twirls and winding gracefully in invisible patterns.

I chuckled quietly, allowing her to tug me along. I opened the door for her, letting it swing shut behind us as we stepped outside. It was warm and quiet, only the faint sound of frogs and the whispering of the wind to fill the silence.

Everything in my home is designed to mimic the world outside as much as possible, from the invisible Golem Cores high above that occasionally cast Wind Spells to the timed recordings of various natural sounds that played in different areas. Even though the area was deep underground, it still felt like it was just a normal home by the lake.

I could hear Archer humming faintly to herself, a slight spring in her step. She didn't even seem to realize how happy she was, focusing more on leading us up and down the hilly terrain of the plains area. Soon the giant oak tree came into view, the tan-skinned girl speeding up slightly as she spotted it.

She released my hand as we got close, reaching into the basket and pulling out a blanket. She set down the basket, taking her time to spread the cloth out over the grass. I picked up the basket and joined her under the shade of the tree, leaning back against the enormous trunk and gesturing for her to join me. She beamed, settling down a few feet away and beginning to unload the basket.

I would've helped, but honestly I doubted she'd let me.

She continued to set out various foods and desserts, seeming to know exactly where to place every last dish. Her thin tail coiled through the air, moving in harmony with the soft tune she was humming to. The dappled light danced over her form, giving her a natural spotlight.

"You look beautiful." I told her, voice soft.

She froze, not expecting the honest words. "T-thank you." She mumbled, returning to work. Her blush stayed, though, darkening her cheeks and making her look like a shy teenager.

Cute.

She finally sat back a short time later, nodding to herself and pulling out a pair of plates. I took one, smiling, and reached out to pull her closer. She made a quiet 'eep' noise as she was moved, but didn't resist. I settled with less than half a meter's gap between us, unwinding my arm from her waist. She settled into a sideways sitting position, not seeming to notice as her tail curled loosely around my spot.

"The food looks amazing." I complimented, pretending not to see her brilliant blush at my actions. "You certainly didn't hold back."

"Of course not." She said shyly, reaching out to open the first of the containers. "I figured you might be hungry."

I shrugged, following suit. Ignoring the odd colors that no doubt came from using YGGDRASIL-based ingredients, it smelled delicious.

Oh yes. You should always have at least one waifu capable of cooking god-tier food. That's right, boys. My girl can cook, clean, and kick ass better than someone from a shounen anime. What can yours do, a cute dance?

…Trick question, Archer can dance too. She'd actually look quite cute dancing, actually. Note to self, dance with Archer at some point in the future.

"Are you doing all right so far?" I asked softly, glancing at her. "Everything under control?"

"Mmhmm." She took a bite, nodding to herself. "My instincts are being quiet because, by Succubus standards, dates are a way to lure in evasive prey. If I make sudden moves now, I might scare you away, so I'm free to act how I please."

I grinned. "Somehow I think it'll take a lot more than you moving suddenly to scare me away."

She shifted, setting down her plate and turning to smirk at me. A moment later, and she was sitting on my lap with a smug expression on her face. "Oh? Is that so?"

"It is." I leaned forward, making her lose her balance with a yelp. I caught her, gently cradling her and pulling her into a kiss. Her tail wove around my waist, curling happily in small loops. I broke the kiss a few moments later with a huge grin on my face. "Boo."

She burst into giggles, wrapping her arms around my neck and leaning back. I chuckled as well, giving her a quick peck before sliding her off my lap. She returned to her spot on the blanket, her musical laughter still filling the air. A warm wind blew, sending her carefully arranged hair into disarray, but she didn't seem to care.

I've seen many beautiful sights in my time. But the light of the setting sun outlining a laughing Archer and setting her white hair aglow had to be a new personal favorite.

I reached out, brushing my fingers against her cheek and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "You've been working hard the past few days." I murmured. "I'm glad to see you relax."

She leaned against my hand. "I wouldn't really call it hard work…"

I raised an eyebrow at her. "You kept Noa from burning the house down while I wasn't around."

She smiled, reaching up to place her hand over mine. "True. She does get antsy when you aren't there to calm her down. I love her to death, though, so I don't mind keeping an eye on her. She's only really dangerous around complicated devices, so it was mainly just keeping her out of the kitchen and laundry room."

"Mm." I took a bite of a mystery meat, which turned out to be some variant of chicken. "I should be around a lot more from now on, and most of what's left for me to do I can take you with me for. Now that I have most of the security measures active, it should be safe for our little Sapling to leave the mansion."

"Speaking of… where is she? I know you said you'd make sure she was taken care of for the night, but…" Her fingers twirled a strand of hair, fidgeting anxiously. "…are you sure she's happy?"

I smiled. Utterly adorable. "I'm sure. I left her with Shalltear for the night. The temperature there is just right, and Shalltear promised to keep from her other activities for the night. It's basically just a sleepover with a bunch of Vampire Bridesmaids, which is totally safe for a girl with no blood." I paused. "And there are no complicated machines there, so we shouldn't have to worry about her accidentally blowing anything up."

The Archdemon relaxed, finally picking up a sandwich and taking a bite. "Good."

Silence fell, with only the whistling of the wind to fill it.

"…How exactly did you get her to agree to it?"

I hid a smirk. "Shameless bribery, of course."

"Ah. Of course. Do I want to know what you bribed her with?"

"Probably not, no. Not if you want to continue seeing her as innocent."

"Definitely not, then." She fell silent once more. "…What exactly are people on dates supposed to talk about?"

I shrugged. "Whatever they want. Their lives, mostly. Their opinions on current events. Their jobs. Their childhood." I gave her an amused look. "Not sure why you thought I would know, though. I'm new to this, too."

Her cheeks flushed. "W-well… I mean, you always seem to know everything about everything, so…"

"Knowledge comes with experience." I stated. "And you happen to be my first date ever." I tilted my head to look at her. "First love, first date, first kiss…"

Her blush deepened. "…Dammit. This was a lot easier when I thought I wasn't special."

"But you are." I said, smiling. "You're the first woman I ever fell for. And if I have a say in it, you'll be the one I'm buried beside."

She busied herself demolishing a sandwich to avoid further conversation. I could practically see steam flowing from her ears as she overheated. I laughed to myself, following suit with the mystery meat. Once she had polished of two sandwiches and drained a bottle of water, I spoke up once more. "You could tell me a story."

She paused, looking up. "…A story?"

"Yeah." I took a bite of an apple, staring out into the distance. The sun was approaching the horizon, beautiful pinks and purples joining the reds. "Of when you were human. A happy time, maybe. Something you learned. Something you wished you'd done. That sort of thing."

She toyed with the lid to her bottle. "…Don't you know most of it already?"

I shook my head. "I know a few things, but I didn't actually see anything beyond the last few years of your life. I'm old, not omniscient."

She laughed softly, lowering her food. "Sometimes I wonder." She hummed softly for a few seconds, then spoke once more. "Well, there is this one story that comes to mind… my friend Rin—you know Rin, right?"

"You've told me about her. She's a tsundere."

She smirked. "Don't let her hear you say that. Well, anyway, Rin decided that we should both start this new exercise program, see…"

"…And so I was just standing there, looking confused, holding Rin's towel while she was bare-ass naked. Then she turns around, having no idea that the whole thing had happened, and proceeds to walk into the men's bathroom to tell the guy off."

I winced appreciatively, still snickering. "Let me guess—"

"All my fault." She finished. "Yep. Every last second of it was somehow my fault."

I shook my head, laughter dying down. "Ah, that sounds about right." I reached out and poked her on the arm. "You seem to attract those sorts of situations. I don't even want to guess how many times you walked in while I was dressing. Or showering. Or—"

"Stop!" She yelped, clapping her hands over her ears. "Stop-stop-stop! Those were absolutely mortifying!"

I shrugged innocently. "I don't know, the shower one was nice. You actually opened the shower door before realizing I was inside."

She quietly groaned, face a brilliant red. "Oh, God… why am I so disaster-prone?"

I patted her on the back. "It's all right, love. Even if you used to be incredibly dense, you eventually got over it."

"Yes." She grumbled. "After two years of wondering why the hell my heart rate sped up while I was next to you. It took me literally falling onto you naked to finally realize I liked you."

I waved it off, chuckling. "Well, when you look at it from my point of view, it only took you two years. With our lifespans, it could've taken twenty."

"Don't remind me." She mumbled.

I wrapped my arms around her, pressing a kiss to her temple. "You know I love you, denseness and all. Being adorably clueless about something is practically a qualifying factor for being a Maiden by now."

"Stop teasing me." She said into my shoulder, hiding her face.

"Never." I tightened my hold on her, making her squeak. "I will never let my Archer think she is unloved."

We sat there, bodies pressed together, until the last light of the sun died away. Both of our Races had perfect nightvision, of course, but it was more than enough to jolt Archer out of her embarrassed stupor.

"It's getting late." She said, pulling away and glancing over what was left of the picnic. "We should probably head in."

"All right."

She slowly packed up, a blush slowly deepening in color. I hid a smile, helping her along. The basket was filled, the blanket folded, and we began heading back to the house. Archer slid the basket across the counter absently, already heading up the stairs.

Shy demeanor, waving tail. Nervous, yet incredibly excited. Adorable.

I chuckled, following her up. I really didn't know what to expect, all things considered. All I put for her bedroom habits was that she was a virgin nymphomaniac, leaving her 'habits' to reflect whatever her personality dictated. For all I knew, she might very well be every bit the seductress her Race described. The way she shied away from lewd material might be an indicator of interests she didn't want to admit, meaning she already had plenty of ideas on what to try tonight.

…Or perhaps her prudishness was an indicator for a reluctance to do this, in which case I'll have to tread lightly in order to prevent her from feeling pressured into sex. The last thing I needed was for her to resent me. Not cowardice, that would be calling this whole thing off. Just… giving her plenty of opportunities to back down.

I flopped back on the bed, folding my hands behind my head. Archer sat on the side of the bed, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Go straight to sleep, then?" I asked innocently. "A nice cuddlefest?"

She shot me a look. "I've been psyching myself up for this all day, I'm not backing out now."

"Of course not, not my fearless knight in shining armor. She would never flee from a challenge."

"I'm no knight." She slid across the bed, leaning over me. "The knight ends up hurting the Dragon, and I could never hurt you."

"How romantic."

She shrugged, smiling playfully. "Well, you've been the perfect gentleman this whole night just to make me comfortable."

"I'll have you know I'm always the perfect gentleman." I said pompously, giving her a sly grin. "I was a gentleman before the English accent made it popular."

She giggled. "Fair enough. You've been waiting all week without a word, that deserves something." She shifted, straddling my midsection. "I have heard about the sex drive of Dragons, you know." She purred. "Your kind are practically Wagyu steak to mine… capable of protecting and nourishing us for our entire lives, delivering the most delicious meals…"

I raised an eyebrow. "I'm glad to be offering my meat to suit your needs."

Her cheeks flushed, and she stuttered to a stop. "…Dammit, walked right into that one." She huffed, losing all her steam.

All attack, no defense. There's my adorable Archer for you.

"…Thank you for waiting, though." She said, cheeks still a bright red. "I… I had to figure some things out before we…"

"I understand." I soothed, cracking a grin. "If there's one thing I know how to do, it's being patient. You're a virgin in a body craving sex, you needed to be positive it was your mind and not your body telling you you were ready." I raised an eyebrow. "Out of curiosity, did you find your answers?"

She took a deep breath, nodding. "I love you, Ko." She shifted, brushing her ivory hair out of her face. "I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. We've both been waiting for so very long… I think it's time we finally stopped waiting."

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