Eating Your Weight: Calling in a Favor

[Calling in a Favor]

The Underworld’s technology department was a marvel of modern magical engineering, a sprawling complex of glass and steel that hummed with supernatural power.

Deep within its depths, in an office that looked more like a laboratory than a workspace, Ajuka Beelzebub stared at the paperwork in front of him with unblinking eyes.

As usual, he wished he could be anywhere but here, stuck behind a desk working through inane documents that did nothing but impede his research. But alas, the life of a Satan was one spent fulfilling the wants of other people, and he was the one who accepted the position.

With a soul-weary sigh, he signed off on a budget allocation document and placed it back into the proper stack.

He was about to reach for another ons when the door to his office swung open without so much as a knock.

“Ajuka!”

Serafall Leviathan skipped into the room, a bright smile on her face. She plopped into the chair across from his desk, folding her hands beneath her chin and beaming at him happily.

Ajuka set down his pen, sighing, though a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Serafall. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Can’t I just visit to visit?” She pouted, fluttering her lashes.

“You’re more than welcome to visit any time you’d like,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “But you usually don’t. Not without a reason.”

Serafall pouted, her lower lip jutting out. “You make it sound like I only come to you when I want something.”

“Don’t you?”

She laughed, the sound bright and musical. “Okay, okay, you got me. I do need something.”

Ajuka watched her with fond amusement. Despite her childish demeanor, Serafall was one of the most powerful beings in the Underworld and held possible the most political influence of all four Great Satans. If she was coming to him, it wasn’t for something trivial.

“Go ahead,” he said kindly. “I’m listening.”

Serafall’s expression sobered slightly, a shift so subtle that most wouldn’t have caught it. “My sister has a friend who’s in a bit of a predicament.”

“Oh?” Ajuka tilted his head. “Sona has made a friend other than Rias? That’s good to hear. I was beginning to worry she’d spend all her years with nothing but her peerage for company.”

“She has,” Serafall confirmed. “A human girl—well, part human. She’s got a pretty powerful Sacred Gear, and it’s causing her some issues.”

“Which one?”

“She calls it Abyss Eater,” Serafall replied.

Ajuka raised an eyebrow. The name was unfamiliar to him.

“Abyss Eater?” Ajuka repeated, searching his memory. “I don’t believe I’m familiar with that one.”

“It’s one of a kind,” Serafall kicked her feet. “And it houses a dragon to boot—Nidhogg. Guess he wasn’t just taking an extra long nap like we thought.”

Now, Ajuka’s eyebrows climbed to his hairline. “Truly? If a being like Nidhogg was captured in one piece, then the resulting Gear would easily be Longinus class.”

Serafall nodded, her expression uncharacteristically serious. “It allowed her to go toe-to-toe with and even drive off Kuroka pretty much by herself. I’d put her somewhere in the upper middle of High-Class without it.”

Now, Serafall had Ajuka’s complete interest. “Is that so? And what did you say the capabilities of this Gear are? For it to allow her to clear such a power gap, it must be even more powerful than I imagined.”

“Ah-ah,” Serafall’s serious expression disappeared, replaced by a mischievous smile, “I’m not gonna tell you that so easily. First, I need to discuss that favor.”

Ajuka’s expression shifted to one of amusement. He settled back in his chair, regarding Serafall with a knowing look. “You’re oddly conniving today.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Serafall said sweetly, batting her eyelashes. “I’m simply asking my dear friend for a favor. It’s not my fault you find it interesting.”

“Mhmm...” Ajuka drummed his fingers against his desk. “And what, precisely, do you want in exchange for this information about a potentially Longinus-class Sacred Gear?”

“The favor,” Serafall said simply. “I want to use it.”

Ajuka went silent, regarding her with a calculating stare. Serafall met his gaze evenly, and after a long moment, he let out a breath.

“Very well,” he said. “You have my attention. What do you need?”

Serafall’s cheerful demeanor faded, replaced by something more serious. “The girl I mentioned, Naomi? Her Sacred Gear forced a transformation, and now she’s struggling to control the changes to her body and power.”

“And you want me to help her,” Ajuka surmised. “I’m flattered, but I’m afraid I’ll need a little more to go off of than what you’ve given me and my schedule is already quite full. I’m not sure how much time I’ll be able to spare.”

“Oh! Well, it isn’t really your help I’m looking for,” Serafall grinned sheepishly. Ajuka tilted his head, confused.

“Then why did you come to me?”

“Becaaaausse… the transformation is draconic in nature.” Serafall sighed. “She accessed more power than she was ready for and it had an effect on her body. She needs to learn how to control her power or she won’t be safe to go home.”

“Not exactly,” Serafall said. “See, t.”

Silence stretched between them following her proclamation. Ajuka’s eyes narrowed slightly as he realized what this really was.

“I see,” he said quietly. “You want me to contact her.”

Serafall nodded. “If it’s not too much trouble. You’re the only one she’ll listen to.”

Ajuka leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers beneath his chin. His gaze drifted toward the window, where the crimson sky of the Underworld stretched endlessly beyond.

“She’s particular about who she deals with,” he said finally. “She doesn’t like being disturbed in her territory.”

“I’m not asking her to adopt the girl,” Serafall said. “Just help her out a little bit so she doesn’t cause an incident the moment she steps foot in her town.”

“And you believe she’ll agree to that?”

Serafall smiled. “I think she’ll find the situation interesting enough to warrant a conversation. Besides, she likes you, even if she pretends otherwise.”

Ajuka huffed softly. “She tolerates me. There’s a difference.”

“Potato, potahto.” Serafall waved a dismissive hand. “So? Will you do it?”

Ajuka was quiet for a long moment, his gaze distant. Then he sighed, reaching for a pen.

“Very well,” he said, pulling a form toward him. “I’ll talk to her. But I make no promises.”

“That’s all I ask.” Serafall bounced to her feet, her serious demeanor vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. “You’re the best, Ajuka! I knew you’d come through!”

“I haven’t done anything yet,” he pointed out dryly.

“And yet you’ve already made my day!” Serafall was already heading for the door, her skip returning to her step. “Oh, and I’ll make sure to learn more about Abyss Eater and send you some notes. Consider it a thank you!”

She disappeared through the door before he could respond, leaving Ajuka staring at the empty doorway with a bemused expression.

{— The Sitri Estate —}

Since I was stranded in the Underworld for the foreseeable future, Sona’s family was nice enough to put me up for a little while.

And I had to say, if I had known that Sona lived in this kind of luxury, I would have cozied up to her a while ago. Like really; my house was nice, but this place was nice.

I let out a sleepy groan as I woke up, consciousness returning slowly. Soft sheets pressed against my bare skin, and everywhere I turned, there was more warmth. I cracked one eye open, smiling slightly as I took in the scene around me.

Naked flesh surrounded me in every direction, a tangle of limbs and hair and bodies pressed tightly. Miyo was curled against my side, her chest pressing into my ribs, one leg thrown over mine. Her breath puffed against my shoulder, and I could almost feel the rhythm of her heartbeat against my skin.

Behind me, Aika’s back was pressed against mine, her shapely ass squishing against my thigh. She murmured something in her sleep, shifting slightly, but didn’t wake up.

I sighed, relaxing into the warmth and the smell of the moment. It wasn’t every day I got to wake up like this. It was nice.

I was just starting to drift back to sleep when a soft scraping sound came from the balcony, disturbing the peaceful scene.

My eyes snapped open again, new instincts flaring up at the perceived danger. The sound came again, a quiet rattle that stuck out in the silent night. I turned my head, scanning the dark room until my gaze landed on the massive glass doors that led outside.

A short figure was just beyond them, illuminated by the pale light of the moon that hung in the Underworld’s sky. They were hunched over, hands shadowed by their body as they fiddled with the door.

Carefully, so as not to wake the girls pressed against me, I extracted myself from the tangle of limbs. Miyo murmured something in her sleep but didn’t wake, and Aika just shifted slightly, pulling the covers closer.

I padded across the thick carpet. As I got closer to the glass doors, the figure became clearer and more familiar.

Mittelt was crouched by the door handle, her fingers working at the lock with increasing frustration. She was wearing a silky blue nightgown that clung to her curves, and her hair was down, the blonde strands shading her face as she focused on her task.

“Stupid lock...” I heard her mutter, her breath fogging the glass. “Why the hell do they even lock these doors when they own this entire half of the Underworld?”

I stopped just behind the glass, watching her struggle for a moment longer. She was so focused on the lock that she hadn’t even noticed me standing right in front of her.

“You know my door’s unlocked, right?” I asked, keeping my voice low so I didn’t wake the others.

Mittelt yelped, stumbling backward toward the balcony railing. Her head snapped up, blue eyes wide as she took in my naked form standing casually behind the glass.

“Shit!” she hissed, pressing a hand to her chest. “Don’t sneak up on me like that!”

“Sneaking?” I repeated, crossing my arms and tilting my head. “You were the one skulking around outside my window like some kind of peeping tom.”

Mittelt’s face flushed, the moonlight catching the pink spreading across her cheeks. “I wasn’t—I was just…”

“Trying to sneak into my room in the middle of the night,” I finished for her, a smirk tugging at my lips. “I have to admit, Mittelt, that’s a pretty bold move considering you claimed I was ‘not up to your standards.’”

The Fallen Angel scowled, though the effect was somewhat ruined by the way her eyes kept darting down before snapping back up to my face.

“I was cold, okay?” she snapped, hugging her arms around herself. “Fucking Devils don’t know the meaning of central heating or something. I just wanted to–”

“Come crawl into bed with us?”

Mittelt scowled. She let out a frustrated huff, blowing a strand of hair out of her face. “Fine. Yes. I wanted to come sleep with you guys. The bed’s huge and you’re all warm and I hate being cold.”

I stared at her for a moment, taking in the admission. Then I reached forward and flipped the lock, pulling the door open.

“Well, come on then,” I said, stepping aside. “But you’re sleeping on the outside or on top of me. I’m already sandwiched between two people and I’m not moving.”

Mittelt’s expression flickered between surprise and relief before settling on her usual look of mild annoyance. She swept past me into the room, the silky fabric of her nightgown brushing against my arm as she went.

“Fine,” she muttered, though there was no real heat in her voice. I locked the door back and turned just in time to watch as her nightgown hit the ground, exposing her entire body, draped in moonlight.

I blinked, my brain taking a moment to catch up with what I was seeing. Though I had seen Mittelt in a lot of different ways, it was just occurring to me that I had never seen the woman completely naked. She was smaller than Miyo or even Aika, and her breasts were practically non-existent compared to theirs, but her body was soft and there was a surprising amount of plumpness to her rear and thighs.

She stood there completely unashamed, one hand on her hip, waiting for me to move.

“Well?” she prompted, a hint of impatience in her voice. “I get the view is nice, but I didn’t strip just so you could stare at me all night.”

I snapped out of my reverie quickly, though I didn’t bother to apologize. “You sure? I’d be more than happy to drink this in for at least a few hours.”

Mittelt’s cheeks dusted pink at my words and she immediately looked away.

“Idiot,” she muttered, though I caught the small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. “Get in bed so I can go back to sleep.”

“Yes, mistress.” I got back into the tangle of limbs, finding the gap between Miyo and Aika and sliding in. Miyo shifted in her sleep, a soft noise of contentment escaping her, but she didn’t wake up. Aika didn’t even stir this time.

As I settled in, I expected Mittelt to take up position on the edge of the bed. The mattress was absolutely massive and there was more than enough room on either side.

Instead, the woman surprised me by climbing directly on top of me.

Instead, I was left starting in surprise as the woman climbed over both of them and straddled me instead. Her arms came down beside my head, her naked body sliding against my own as she sank down beneath the covers until she was settled snugly between them and me.

She exhaled, a long breath of relief, and her forehead came to rest gently on a patch of scales on my chest.

“Much warmer,” she mumbled. Her eyes slipped shut. “Try not to get hard while I sleep or I will rip your dick off.”

I stared at her, bemused. “I’ll do my best.”

A few minutes later, I stared at the ceiling, listening to the soft sounds of breathing around me, unable to sleep. Mittelt’s weight was warm and surprisingly comfortable against my chest, her breath ghosting against my skin. I should have been tired. I should have been asleep.

But something was nagging at me, and no matter how I tried to push it down, it kept bubbling back up.

“Mittelt,” I said quietly.

The woman immediately let out an irritated groan, her fingers curling slightly against my chest. “What?” she hissed, not opening her eyes. “I was almost asleep.”

“I know. Sorry.” I paused, trying to figure out how to phrase what I wanted to say. “Why did you decide to help me?”

Mittelt’s eyes opened, blue irises catching the faint moonlight filtering through the glass doors. She looked up at me, her expression annoyed.

“Are you serious right now?” she asked. “You’re asking me this in the middle of the night when I’m trying to sleep?”

“Yeah,” I said. “I guess I am.”

Mittelt stared at me for a long moment, as if trying to determine whether I was being serious. Then she let out a long sigh, shifting slightly so that she was propped up on one elbow, looking down at me.

“You really couldn’t wait until tomorrow to ask me?” she asked.

“It was keeping me up.”

Mittelt huffed, looking away. Her blonde hair fell across her face, shielding her expression from view.

“It’s not hard. You’re pretty much the only thing standing between me and whoever the Grigori sends after me,” she said quietly. “You’re a useful meat shield—strong, pretty good connections, and you’re not exactly hard to look at either.”

I raised an eyebrow at the last part, but didn’t interrupt.

“Besides,” Mittelt added, her voice softening slightly. “You saved my life after I tried to kill you. I’m a bitch, but I’m not completely evil.”

I studied her face, watching the way her eyes kept darting away from mine. There was something she wasn’t saying, but I wasn’t going to push it.

“Fair enough,” I said finally.

Mittelt let out a breath, settling back down against my chest. “Good. Now shut up and let me sleep.”

I smiled slightly, one hand coming up to rest against the small of her back. She tensed for a moment, but didn’t pull away.

“Goodnight, Mittelt.”

“...Goodnight,” she mumbled back after a moment.

I closed my eyes, letting the warmth of the bodies around me sink and lull me into the land of dreams.