A Few Months Later
"Are you nervous?" Rias and I are sitting in our apartment going over her valedictorian speech. Her class is graduating tomorrow: herself, Akeno, Sona, and Tsubaki. Sona and Rias are co-valedictorians so they're both giving speeches and Rias wants me to go over hers. So much has happened in the last months that it's really insane. Rias and I had to stay a secret to the student body, but the ORC and Student Council obviously knew about it. We've gone out a few times since returning from the underworld, but most of the time it's the two of us staying at home. She was a little upset when I went to Kyoto to chaperone the second year trip and she didn't get to come with me. Fortunately if we want to go we have the ability to pretty easily with transport circles.
"I just don't want to give a bad speech is all." I start rubbing her shoulders to calm her down and it seems to be working. She leans her head against me and I kiss the top of it.
"Trust me, it's not bad. It's kind of funny, you can motivate anybody like I've never seen before, but you're worried about a graduation speech. You'll be fine Rias. If you get nervous just know that I'll be there, and if you need to calm down real quick just look at me." She turns to me and hugs me.
"Thanks Y/N. Either way I'm just ready for this to be over. Sona would be so much better at this than me anyway. Once it's done I don't have to think about it anymore. We don't have to be so secretive either." I get a smile on my face knowing what I plan to do tomorrow. Seeing the clock is past 10 PM I figure it's about time for the two of us to get to bed for tonight. Rias' speech is done and she is clearly tired. We've been working on it for a couple of hours so it makes sense. I pick her up and bring her to our bedroom and we lay down, her completely sinking into me. "So what's next after this?" I know the answer but I can't be obvious.
"Only time will tell I guess. Whatever happens I'll be here with you." She smiles at me and kisses me. This had to have been the thousandth time the two of us have kissed, but it still gives me butterflies just like the first time. Though the difference between that time and now is that then it shouldn't have happened, whereas now it happens all of the time. Rias Gremory truly is the love of my life, and I'm very fortunate to have her.
The Next Day
Everyone has gathered at Kuoh Academy. I'm with Rias' peerage and Sona's peerage watching the ceremony, though of course the kings and queens are actually involved so they're not with us. Issei is next to me and there's an empty seat to my left, for now.
"Hey Y/N," Issei whispers, "are you nervous?" Him and I have gotten along a lot more since our fight in the underworld. The two of us work together pretty well, and I'm really looking forward to him getting his own pieces, which Rias has told me is going to happen soon. Issei is a lot more powerful than me now, and I'm not that surprised.
"Definitely. It's strange, even though I had proposed to Serafall before I'm more nervous this time than I was then. Fortunately her family helped me out a lot." The Gremory family helped me find a ring, and I hope Rias likes it. They said she would, and that's all I can hope.
(A/N: Use your imagination, I don't know shit about engagement rings.)
"Is this seat taken?" I turn and see a very familiar woman.
"Not at all Venelana." She sits down next to me and smiles. "How are you on this fine day?"
"I couldn't be happier. My daughter is about to graduate and be engaged." Rias steps up to start her speech and she looks up at her mother and I. I give her a smile and she gives one back. She starts her speech going over normal things, memories from school, teachers helping mold the minds of the youth, things along those lines, and the future. When she thanks the teachers I can't help but get a grin on my face, and Akeno turns to look up at me and laughs when she sees me. Next year I'll still be teaching, though it'll be Issei and everyone in his grade. Rias finishes her speech and she looks up at me again, and another smile hits her face.
"That speech was really good," Venelana says. "Did you help her Y/N?"
"Not really. I looked it over but that was about it. She wrote it by herself and I just gave her some pointers." Rias rejoins her class and after awhile they all go across the stage getting their diplomas. We all go down to join and congratulate everyone. Rias runs up and puts her arms around me. "Congratulations Rias. I told you your speech was great." Venelana smiles at us and comes to hug her daughter. There's still a lot of daylight left so we all stay together and hang out to celebrate. We end up going back to Issei's house, which is basically a mansion that houses almost all of Rias' house. I haven't been over here a whole lot and it feels really strange being in the biggest house on the block, but the point is to have a good time so that's why we're here. The discussions are devil related mostly because at this point Issei's parents know about all of this, and they don't seem to care that much. Rias sits down on my lap and looks up at me.
"Do you mind if I sit here?" I shake my head and she rests her head on my shoulder.
"You seem tired Rias."
"I am," she replies. "I couldn't sleep last night."
"That's unlike you," I say. "You're usually asleep before I am. Are you feeling okay?"
"Not really," she whispers. I put my arms around her.
"We can go home you know. If you aren't feeling well you shouldn't push yourself." Rias looks into my eyes and smiles.
"I'll be okay Y/N." I don't say anymore on the issue and we enjoy the day with the houses of Gremory and Sitri. It isn't very often we all can gather in one place like this, so this is really nice. During the day Rias seems to be lagging even more so I go to tell Issei that we're about to leave. He thanks us for staying and I go back over to Rias.
"Alright it's time to go. You're not feeling well, so let's leave." She doesn't argue and we teleport home. "Do you want me to take you to a doctor?" She shakes her head.
"I have something to tell you." She sits me down on the couch and looks at me dead in the eyes. Whatever she has to say is very important, and I pay full attention to her. Her nerves seem to be getting to her so I put my arms around her.
"It'll be okay Rias, just tell me what's going on." She seems to have calmed down a little bit so she removes my arms from her.
"Okay, here it is. I'm pregnant." I give her another hug and hold on tight. We've been fairly sexually active but I never really thought about this.
"That's wonderful news Rias. Whatever you want to do I'm in support." She looks at me surprised.
"You really mean that Y/N?" I give her a smile.
"Of course I do. What have I continually told you? No matter what happens, I'm here for you 100%. I know it's a lot earlier than we may have intended, but if you're ready to be a mother than I couldn't be happier." Her worries turn into tears and she holds onto me tightly now.
"Y/N, that's all I wanted to hear. I've known for a couple of days, but I was worried how you would react. Yes, it is sudden, but I want to have this baby, and I want you here every step of the way." I reach into my pocket.
"I don't think you'll have to worry about that." I move off of the couch, drop onto one knee in front of her, and present the ring. "Rias Gremory, will you marry me?" She cries even more and grabs onto me again.
"Yes Y/N, a thousand times yes." Now I'm crying and we're both sharing our tears of joy. The two of us stay holding onto each other for what seems like an eternity, and it feels like time has stopped. "I had a hunch you were going to ask me, but I didn't want to get ahead of myself."
"Please, if I waited any longer I risked losing you. That's not something I want to go through."
"Sorry Y/N, but you'll never be rid of me." The two of us laugh together and I take her to bed just like last night, except now I have a fiance again and an expectant child on the way. We lay down and Rias' face is one of pure joy. Her smile makes me happy and we hold onto each other. "So what do you want our child to be Y/N?"
"If I'm being honest, I want a daughter, one that's exactly like you. Either way though I'd be happy. The next few months are going to be stressful, but I'm not worried so long as I have you with me." I kiss her on the head and she plays with my hair.
"Well I want a son like his father. Someone who would be sweet and strong and who would do whatever he could for the people around him."
"That does sound nice too. Having a son would give me a good chance to train someone again." Rias shakes her head. "Okay, maybe for more reasons than that, but it's the first one that came to mind. Either way I bet our child could be stronger than us if they wanted, but I don't want to force anything on them. Basically I just want to be a good dad." Rias looks up at me.
"You will be Y/N, I believe it. Some days will be harder than others, but when that time comes I know you'll step up." I rest my head atop hers.
"That's nice to think about, but how about our wedding? There's a lot to figure out, and I'm not sure where to even begin." Rias laughs at me.
"You don't need to worry about that either. My family will help us out for sure. Whatever we want they'll put together. I know we haven't been in this apartment long, but we'll need something bigger for when our child comes. Just another room would do wonders." I can't help the smile that hits my face, and Rias notices it. "What?"
"You're going to be a fantastic mother Rias. That's one of the things I noticed about you early on. You can be strict and firm, but more so you're a very caring person. I'm lucky that the mother of my child will be you." We kiss each other and lock eyes, and I think about the future. I may be taking the mantle of an important devil house, and at the same time having a child, but it doesn't stress me out like a lot of people would. The beautiful redhead in front of me will be there every step of the way and whatever obstacle we face we can get over. Rias rolls on top of me.
"I think that's enough talking for now. It's been a long day and I'm ready for bed. I love you Y/N."
"And I love you, Rias Gremory."
The Next Morning
A knock arrives at our door which causes me to wake up. Rias stirs awake as well. "Do you know who that is?" She asks. I shake my head but decide to go answer it. "Hurry back," she says as I leave the room. When I open the door I see red hair and a beard, and I start to worry.
"Zeoticus, what can I do for you?" He sits down on the couch.
"I'd like to see my daughter, where is she?"
"She's just waking up, I'll go get her." I'm not sure why he is here but we haven't spoken since him and Sirzechs attacked me. I enter Rias and I's room and she sees my uneasiness. She finds her clothes and we make our way out to the living room. We sit across from Zeoticus and he looks at us sternly.
"What can I do for you Father?" She knows all about his involvement in my torture, and she hates it. He notes the rings on our fingers.
"I see," he comments. "There's nothing that can help it then." Zeoticus looks my way and it makes me uncomfortable. It's almost like he could kill me with his stare. "So are you happy with him Rias?" She senses my nerves and puts her arms around the one closer to her.
"I am Father. I love Y/N more than anything in the world, and he feels the same about me." Rias' grip tightens on me. "If you intend to do anything to him, you have to get through me."
"Rias that's a bad idea," I say. Zeoticus smiles at us.
"No worries, I won't do anything. I just wanted to make sure you were happy. The story I had been told was a lie from all accounts, and your brother told me that to get me to help him."
"What do you mean?" I ask. Zeoticus sighs.
"From what he had told me you had raped my daughter. Venelana had told him about you two first, and he came to me before she did. I hadn't seen either of you that day so I wasn't sure how to verify it, but it seemed as if he was telling the truth. The way that you defended him made me worry Rias." My eyes widen. If he really thought that then he must have assumed by Rias coming to save me that she was minimizing any trauma I may have caused her.
"That is absolutely false Father. Y/N was very respectful and didn't force me into anything."
"I'm glad," he responds before looking back at me. "Take care of her Y/N. If you don't your dead."
"No worries Zeoticus, she is more important to me than life itself." Rias blushes at my words. Zeoticus stands up.
"That's what I wanted to hear. I'll be making my leave. Whenever you two have decisions on your wedding let me know, your mother and I are in charge of it. As quickly as it can be done sounds pleasant to me." Zeoticus teleports away and I breathe a sigh of relief, causing Rias to laugh.
"Hey Rias." I turn to her. "Does anyone else know you're pregnant." She shakes her head.
"Only you my love. Akeno told me to get a test but I didn't tell her the result." It makes me glad knowing that Rias and I have a good family around us for things like this.
"I bet she would be excited," I tell Rias. "Our child will have a lot of aunties who would love to take care of them." Rias grins back at me.
"Yeah they will. If we ever need some alone time I'm sure someone will be there." She pushes me and I lay down on the couch. She crawls towards me and kisses me. "I love you Y/N."
"I love you too Rias." She lays down on top of me on her back and I start rubbing her belly. There's no real sign she is pregnant yet but since I know it's there I'm trying to be gentle. Her eyes close and it seems like she is falling asleep again. In fairness she did have to hurry awake so I understand if she is tired. "If you're tired feel free to sleep. I'm not going anywhere." She smiles and falls asleep.
So much will be happening soon, and ultimately I just hope I'm ready for. That's a lot of stress for anybody to go through, wedding, child, and royalty. Even if I start to falter I have my rock to hold on to, and Rias has the same thing. Another knock comes at the door.
"It's open," I say softly not to wake Rias. Akeno walks in and sits on the couch across from us, noting our engagement rings like Zeoticus did.
"That's so cute," she squeals. "You two are perfect for each other."
"It won't be only two for long," I say. Akeno's eyes widen and she looks really giddy.
"She never told me if she was or not." She comes and gives me an awkward hug considering the position I'm in. "I'm so happy for both of you." Akeno sees Rias completely asleep and giggles.
"Her dad was here just a minute ago. She's tired so once he left she laid down and went to sleep. I've got nowhere else to be right now so I'm just making sure I don't move too much."
"I remember when we first met you. I could tell Rias was interested in you, even if she tried to hide it." My ears perk up. "Anytime we talked about you she would just get the biggest smile on her face. Everyone knows the story of how it all went down, but selfishly I'm glad I get more of Issei and don't have to compete with my best friend." That makes me think and realize. Akeno sees my face. "Is everything alright Y/N?"
"Yeah," I say, "just thought of something." Akeno catches on quickly.
"You didn't tell Serafall did you?" I nod.
"She'll find out from Sona if not from me. Last I checked it seemed like we were on good terms, but part of me still feels guilty for what I did to her. She'll find someone better, I'm sure of it. Someone who will see her and never turn his gaze to another woman. Back then I'm not sure if I was ready for the responsibility I would have been shouldering, but now I know I am."
"Do you want my advice Y/N?" I nod. Akeno's advice goes one of two ways and I'm hoping it's on the right track. "If it was me, I would let Sona tell her. If she still loves you it would crush her if you told her yourself that you're getting happily married to another woman." I look at Rias who is still sleeping comfortably on top of me. "If I know anything about you Y/N, it's that you aren't interested in hurting anyone. What happened when you and Serafall were together hurt her more than it did you."
"That's what the problem is though," I interrupt. "I wasn't hurt by it much. All I wanted then was for Rias and I to be together. I didn't show her any remorse the day I broke up with her."
"Then here is what you'll have to do. Break off any personal contact with her. You'll have this cloud of guilt hanging over your head for a long time, and the more you try to smooth things over the worse it may get. When's the last time you two talked?" I think about it.
"A couple of weeks ago," I respond.
"Leave it there. It may hurt you both, but look at what you have. You have someone you truly love who is also bearing your first child. You need to dedicate to Rias, and hanging your head over a decision you made isn't helping anything."
"You're right Akeno. I was cold to begin with, and I shouldn't mend that bridge. Who knows? Maybe the day will come she finds someone who was better than me in every single way and come to brag that she's happy."
(A/N: Would anyone be interested in a Serafall story?)
Akeno shakes her head. "That's one way to think about it. I'll let you two get some rest." I put my arms around Rias. Akeno is right, I need to focus all of the energy I'm still using on Serafall into my relationship with Rias. We're getting married in a month or two anyway, so there is no point hanging my head about an ex that I dumped. I rub Rias' belly again, and a warm smile hits my face. If I do have a son, he isn't going to do what I did to Serafall to anyone. I'll raise him better than that.
"Hey Akeno," I stop her before she leaves. "Between us, do you want Rias and I to have a boy or a girl? Something tells me you'll be the first one to step in if we need help." She looks at me gladly.
"It doesn't make a difference to me. I have a feeling I know what you two want. She had told me before that she wanted a boy, and I wouldn't be surprised if you were the other way. You two would have a very cute child either way, and if you ever needed anything Aunt Akeno would be there." My face lights up.
"You'll be the first one we ask if we need help then. Have a good day Akeno." She leaves and I rub Rias' belly again. Engagement ring, pregnancy, I guess now I really am in too deep.
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So there it is. The next part will be the finale of this story, though I will probably do a short epilogue after it. I do like this story but the direction I ended up going with it led it to a very different ending than I expected. Originally there wasn't going to be a proposal, but ideas changed and here we are.
For everyone who has enjoyed this story I want to thank you. The idea for this came on a whim and I wanted to see what I could come up with. Someday I may look back and rewrite this, but for now I'll leave it. I won't ask for suggestions since I know what the end is going to be like, so I'll just say have a good one.
-Coop