X

The morning's training had been brutal, but effective. After a few hours of sparring Issei felt that he was slowly but surely improving. It felt good to expend his energy for an important cause; even Rias had complimented his determination.

Soon morning training turned into afternoon and early evening training. Nobody complained, they all knew the upcoming battles might have world-altering effects. When it was time for dinner, everyone realized they had skipped lunch. Rias, feeling guilty for pushing them so hard called a conclusion to the harsh training. She sprung for something a little extra special to reward their hard work. The whole team rushed into the dining room famished. They enjoyed a sumptuous meal, and then the girls went off to enjoy a bath while Issei went to the bathroom to shower. He was glad for once there would be no chance of another accident.

***

Issei stepped out of the shower refreshed. He dried himself off and ran a comb through his hair so it wouldn't dry sticking up in a crazy fashion. After slipping on his robe and tying it, he strode toward his room to dress. Quietly humming to himself, he opened the door and headed to his bureau where his fresh pants, shirt, and boxers lay already picked out.

He jumped when the door slammed shut of its own accord. His eyes flicked to the door then around the room searching for the source.

His eyes finally passed over his bed, taking in a dark-haired beauty resting on her side facing him. Her arm was folded under her chin; her long shapely legs stretched out from under her maroon uniform skirt slightly bent at the knee, her calves, ankles, and feet hidden in knee-high socks. Her shoes lay discarded beside his bed. Her violet eyes twinkled.

"My, my, perhaps I used a little too much force?" Akeno laughed light-heartedly. "I didn't mean to scare you, Issei-kun."

"I'm not so sure about that." Issei muttered mostly to himself.

He couldn't help but enjoy the site of her comfortable on his bed, but his thoughts colored his cheeks drawing another giggle from Akeno.

"Darling, I have a…" She paused choosing her words, "…proposition for you."

She lifted her head, rolled onto her stomach, and rested her chin on her folded hands smiling hopefully.

Issei froze for a moment at being called "darling" but raised an eyebrow and asked her to continue. "If I can help, you know I will. As best as I can!" His voice strong, his tone sincere.

Akeno beamed at him. "I hope that's true. First though, I need a promise from you."

"Oh?"

"What I ask and share with you, you may not ever share it with anyone else without my permission." Her eyes blazed deadly serious. "Not for any reason, whether you choose to accept or not. Understand?"

Issei was taken aback by her sudden intensity, but he nodded seriously. "Not for any reason." He repeated. "You have my word."

Akeno smiled, rolled onto her side, and let her legs slip off the bed shifting to a sitting position on the edge. "Good." She continued smiling at him. I've had this conversation in my mind over and over. Don't chicken out now! She nervously tapped the tips of her fingers together for a moment, then took a deep breath and began. "Issei, what do you think of me?"

Issei frowned for a moment as he considered the question honestly especially in light of what he had learned from an off-handed remark from Rias.

"You are kind," he said at last. "Graceful, gentle to your friends." He paused a moment. "You care most deeply for Rias, but also for all of us who call ourselves your family here. You are powerful and a bit sadistic in battle. Someone I can count on. Someone we can all count on. You're beautiful, and you know it, which seemingly gives you confidence, but…" He trailed off afraid he might offend her.

"Go on," she urged. Her eyes softening at his sincerity.

"I wonder if that confidence is a show. You often tease me, and lead me on, and you're not afraid to show off your body, but I think it's almost like a dare. One that no one has taken you up on, and you know they won't because they feel lewd succumbing to your obvious charms." Issei blushed a little, getting a bit carried away, but too late to stop now. He finished his thought, "You can avoid directly facing rejection while still appearing confident and in control if you exploit that guilty feeling. And… you have a mischievous side, which you get away with because you're beautiful, but sometimes I wonder if your sadistic side strikes a little more often than Rias notices."

Issei stopped, licked his lips, and swallowed hoping he hadn't offended her. Once I started…I just couldn't stop. What was I thinking? She'll definitely be mad! He looked up to her for her maturity and intelligence. He had reached this theory long ago, but never dared share it. Now it was too late to un-tell it.

"My, my, how deep, Issei-kun." A dangerous honey in her tone.

Her eyes locked on his ensnaring him. She was quiet for several moments. "You're not wholly incorrect." She admitted. She ran her fingers through her hair tossing the long locks over her shoulder.

"I do like to express confidence. I like to feel in control. I… manipulate people to keep that feeling going. It gives me a sense of power; it helps me have faith in myself." She flashed him an evil smile. "And sometimes, I'm a bad girl… pushing my targets a bit further due to my… 'sadistic streak' I think you called it?"

Issei mentally noted that he was in dangerous territory. While Akeno seemed in agreement with him, she was clearly surprised that he had seen through her disguise without her noticing. Maybe I shouldn't have revealed that so easily.

He nodded agreement and waited for her to continue.

"I've hurt people," She confessed. "Mentally, some physically, some perhaps a little cruelly, but…" She paused and continued quietly, "I always told myself they deserved it, if they fell for it. That… I didn't directly force them to do or feel anything. They did it on their own; I only hinted." She broke off for a moment, then sighed and continued. "But it stays with me… Their hurt, their… fear. Sometimes I can't sleep."

Her words quickened, "I try to tell myself that I can make up for it, that it isn't that bad!" Her voice rose in both pitch and volume as she attempted to defend herself. "I'm addicted to that control! You don't know how I grew up. I needed to…" She trailed off again staring down at her feet.

Issei watched her silently. He had never seen this side of her. She always seemed so poised and calm. He had always feared her teasing might all be an act, but it hurt to think she might never have cared for or been attracted to him. He didn't understand why she was confessing this to him unless it was just to help her sleep. That's a bit selfish. I won't sleep after this.

"Watching you though," she finally began again, "has taught me that I can't live this way anymore." She summoned her courage and looked up into his eyes. "I see you honestly trying your best, persevering when you fail time and again. I see you making bonds despite repeated foolish mistakes and accidents. You continue on!" She explained passion rising in her voice. "You keep trying until everyone around you accepts you. You don't try to control them. Not like I have."

She shook her head.

"That's why, that's why my feelings for you are real!" She flushed but continued to lock eyes with him. "I do tease you, because I know you won't act on my invitations, but that doesn't mean I don't wish you would!"

Issei's eyes widened at her admission. He opened his mouth to reply, but she held up her hand to silence him.

"Please let me finish, Issei-sama." She interrupted softly.

"Sama?" the honorific caught him off guard, but he allowed her to continue.

"I want to change; I want to sleep at night again; I want… to be worthy of you." Akeno's heartrate rose. Now or never she encouraged herself. "That's why, I need you to do something for me. When I can't face the guilt of what I'm doing… of what I have done. I need you to fix it for me. Guide me; teach me; discipline me."

Issei was frozen in her gaze; his senior was asking him to take authority over her… to become her teacher.

She took a deep breath. "I'm proposing that you punish me… When I come to you, it will be because I'm overwhelmed with guilt and can barely stand myself. In that moment, I am yours."

"Mine?" Issei repeated carefully.

"You will be my master." She explained quietly. Her face burned with embarrassment, but she plunged onward her voice rising in desperation, "…And I… I will be your slave. I will submit to any punishment…anything you design for me…" Her voice trailed off in a whisper again, "I will hold nothing back from you."

Issei's face brightened even as his arousal kicked into hyper drive. He felt like scum being turned on by her proposal when she so clearly needed this for her sanity, but the way she laid out the proposition left him free to do with her as he wished. How could anyone not be turned on?

She seemed to read his mind. "Don't be afraid. I won't be upset or feel betrayed if your body reacts naturally to what you're doing to me. Just… please…" She gulped cutting herself off. A deep breath and quiet resignation, "No I can't ask for anything. It's only your decision… what happens to me."

"Akeno-senpai!" Issei cut in incredulous.

She shook her head.

"Surely, Rias could—"

"No. It's not the same. She and I have a bond and I respect her, but she isn't the type… the type I could submit to…in this way. And… I couldn't tell her what I've done, not even in the general way I've told you. I would constantly fear she thought less of me or lost faith in me. But you… I know you would forgive me; you have that strength!"

Issei started to speak again, but she blurted out cutting him off yet again.

"And I know you're experienced in this sort of thing!" Her heart pounded in her chest. She hadn't decided if she was going to tell him this, but there was no turning back.

"What do you mean?" Issei demanded, though he already had a good idea.

"I… know about Koneko." She quietly revealed.

"She told you?" Issei asked already sure that wasn't the case, but it was important that he nail down her guilt. Listen to me, he thought, I'm already thinking of my strategy to help her… Am I really going to do this?

Akeno shook her head half-smiling thinking ironically, even now, he's giving me the benefit of the doubt.

"You spied on us." It was a statement, not a question.

He already knew Akeno realized in surprise. She bit her lip for a moment, then nodded.

"Koneko needs space to cool down most of the time. When you went after her after the demonstration, I was going to try to get you to wait. But I was too late… You two were already talking, so I used a spell to listen in just in case things got out of hand." She explained. "I heard you demand an apology; I knew Koneko hadn't cooled off enough to give it to you. But then…"

She looked up at Issei again. "Then…you…"

"Yeah, I did. But that was a very private incident between Koneko and me! You had no right to watch or listen in! She would be mortified if she found out you knew!"

"You can't tell her!" Akeno nearly shouted in alarm. "She'd be so ashamed she'd never be able to look us in the eye again if she thought everyone knew!"

"Everyone?" Issei repeated. "Ah, well if you know… then I suppose you ran to Rias instead of keeping a private matter private?" He asked harshly.

Akeno winced, she hadn't meant to give that secret away, but there was no point in lying about it.

"She is aware…"

Issei's eyes burned with fury. Check, there we go, she admitted to it. "You had no right to tell her! Poor Koneko would die of embarrassment…"

"Rias-sama didn't disapprove…" Akeno tried to assuage his anger.

"That doesn't matter! Rias didn't need to know! Bad enough you eavesdropped on such a private thing!" She's trying to manipulate me even now. He realized. I can't let her distract me. "You knew I was going to have a private conversation with her, how could you listen in?"

"At first, I was concerned about you and Koneko." She explained desperately, "Things looked like they were going to get heated. But…" Her voice grew softer. "So I listened in. I was going to just take a quick peek, but when you told her about your fears, I…"

She glanced back up at Issei's face. His eyes were wide, his lips curled in disgust. Betrayal. That was the only expression she could see on his face. "I'm sorry!" She cried out. "I didn't know you were going to tell her something so personal!" she was trembling with guilt. It felt good to finally tell him what she'd done, but her guilt doubled as she felt the weight of his embarrassment and anger.

"Twice." He said.

"What?" She asked confused

"That was our second conversation… the day after." He stated pointedly.

Akeno tightly squeezed her eyes shut. She had mixed up the conversations.

"So… even after you knew how private the first…conversation was… you still went back and eavesdropped the next day too!"

"I-I-uh-w-well." She simply nodded again. "I'm s—"

"I don't care. You were hoping to see another spanking? Who's the pervert now?"

Akeno's mouth fell open, then shut slowly. Her lips trembled.

Issei knew she was fighting tears. They didn't sway him. She deserved to feel guilty. Her guilt didn't stop her from invading our privacy. Why isn't she letting those tears out though? She must know they would be effective in calming me. Maybe she's holding them back because she thinks they'll manipulate me into feeling bad for her and letting this go. That understanding did cool his temper a bit.

"Me." She whispered.

Now Issei did feel bad because he was suggesting she was a pervert. He knew how that felt. She watched because Koneko got the punishment and peace she so desperately wants. "Akeno." His voice was steady as his temper leveled.

"Yes?" She squeaked, cleared her throat and tried again. "What is it?" she asked in a more normal tone.

"I was wrong to say it was just because you're perverted, I shouldn't have. You watched twice because you're jealous."

Akeno's eyes widened. She noted also that he hadn't apologized for saying she was perverted… only for saying it was the only reason. Maybe he's seen through me more than I thought…

"She got what you want." He explained simply. "And you probably couldn't stop thinking about it. So when you thought it might happen again, you tried to see it again so you could figure out what to do. So you could see if it worked… But instead you overheard something even more private and weighed yourself down so heavily with guilt, it crushed you…" he finished sympathetically.

Akeno couldn't believe that he could read her so easily. That was what was special about him. That was how he managed to form bonds with people despite all his shortcomings. His soul saw what others didn't. The motivations behind people's actions. That's why he could forgive and trust people when they did things that seemed crazy. That's how he earned the trust of people when he stumbled into something ridiculous that nobody else could convince people wasn't on purpose.

Her soul lay bare before him. She nodded once more and sat silently staring at her hands folded in her lap.

"I accept."