The late evening air was cool, amber-colored lamps lining the trail cast long shadows behind Arthur and Lavinia as they walked hand-in-hand.
Lavinia was now wearing Arthur's blazer, the fabric slightly oversized on her frame, draping loosely down to her thighs.
She had been shivering earlier, and Arthur had silently slipped it off and placed it on her shoulders without a word.
She smiled warmly at him as her fingers gently squeezed his.
Arthur glanced sideways at her as they walked, their steps soft on the gravel path.
He looked hesitant for a moment before finally speaking.
"...Can I ask you something, Lavinia?"
She hummed in acknowledgment, her hand never leaving his.
"Why me?"
He asked, voice low.
"I mean, we only met about a month ago. And then... the day after we met, we ended up... y'know. Not that I'm complaining or anything, but... why? What exactly did you see in me?"
Lavinia blinked, taken slightly off-guard.
She stopped walking for a second, tightening her hold on his hand before turning to face him.
Her expression was thoughtful, vulnerable.
"...Honestly, I've asked myself the same thing. It all happened so fast. I'm not usually that... forward. But when I saw you, when I was near you, I just felt something inside me stir."
She touched her chest lightly.
"My heart, my spirit, my whole being just... knew. That I belonged to you."
She looked up at him, her eyes reflecting the soft golden light from the lamp nearby.
"Do you feel the same, Arthur?"
Arthur went quiet, his gaze lowering as he considered her words.
"...At first, I thought it was just the heat, my hybrid body reacting to you. I tried to suppress it, tried to hold myself back, but the more I resisted, the stronger it got. But then I realized it wasn't just the heat making me act like that."
He turned to face her fully, their hands still linked.
"When we kissed for the first time... it was like everything fell into place. Like the entire world stopped, and only you and I existed. And I knew then... I felt it too. That same pull. That same feeling."
He brought his free hand up to her cheek, gently brushing a strand of blonde hair behind her ear.
"I don't know why you'd choose someone like me... but if you truly love me for who I am, then I swear as long as I live, we'll always be together. No matter what trials come at us. No matter what hardships we face. If you're willing to accept a monster like me, then I'll give you my everything."
He took a step closer and embraced her tightly.
Lavinia's arms circled his waist, and she pulled him in even tighter, burying her face against his chest.
"You're such an idiot, you know that?"
She murmured.
"You're not a monster. You're Arthur Pendragon. And yes, I accept you, all of you. The good, the bad, the broken, everything."
He exhaled, shoulders relaxing as the tension melted from his body.
"Thank you, Lav. That really means a lot."
She leaned back just enough for their eyes to meet, and without another word, their lips met in a soft, loving kiss.
It was gentle, warm, full of emotion, and unspoken feelings.
As they kissed, a light breeze passed by, brushing through them.
A chuckle broke the silence nearby.
"Young love, such a precious sight."
An elderly woman said to her husband as they strolled past, holding hands like they'd done for decades.
The elderly man chuckled as well, nodding.
"Aye. Just like us back in the day, remember?"
Arthur and Lavinia pulled away slightly, their foreheads touching now, and both smiling faintly.
"I love you, Arthur Pendragon."
Lavinia whispered.
Arthur closed his eyes and whispered back.
"I love you too, Lavinia Reni."
They lingered there, sharing their moment beneath the soft light of the moon, their fingers entwined.
But just as they were about to resume walking, a disturbance echoed from the nearby docks, a raised voice, then a small scuffle.
Arthur turned his head toward the sound, narrowing his eyes slightly.
Lavinia also looked in that direction, concern forming on her face.
"We should check that out, just in case it's dangerous."
Arthur said.
"Yeah."
Lavinia agreed.
They made their way toward the source of the noise.
As they approached, they saw a middle-aged drunkard grabbing the arm of a young boy in a hoodie.
The dark-skinned boy looked no older than seven, struggling silently but failing to escape the man's grip.
"You no-good stowaway!"
The man shouted.
"Sneakin' into my damn ship like some damn rat! I should toss you into the river!"
The boy said nothing, his eyes wide with fear, lips pressed tightly together.
Just as the man began dragging the kid along the dock, Arthur stepped forward.
"Is there a problem here?"
The drunk turned and scoffed.
"Ain't none of your business, ginger. Beat it."
He shoved Arthur's shoulder, but Arthur didn't even flinch.
"I'll ask again. What happened here?"
Arthur said calmly.
"This brat tried sneakin' into my ship like some thief. I oughta beat some sense into him!"
Arthur's eyes narrowed.
"C'mon. He's just a kid. Isn't that a bit too much? Maybe try soberig up and we'll settle this like grownups."
The man snorted, then roughly released the boy, causing the kid to stumble backward and fall hard on the dock.
Arthur stepped between them immediately.
The man squared up to Arthur, trying to intimidate him with his bulk and reeking breath, but Arthur didn't move.
His nose wrinkled at the stench of alcohol and sweat.
"What? You gonna pay for the damage this brat stole? Cuz its gonna be a lot of money."
His eyes wandered past Arthur and landed on Lavinia.
"...Or maybe your little lady friend can keep me company on my ship. It gets real lonely at night."
He leered, licking his lips.
Lavinia immediately pulled the blazer tighter around herself, her expression disgusted and revolted.
*Creak!*
The air shifted.
A sudden pressure fell onto the dock, and it started creaking, the atmosphere becoming heavy.
The man staggered, falling to his knees, drenched in cold sweat as his intoxicated face seemed to vanish under the weight of a raw, terrifying presence.
Arthur's eyes are shadowed by his crimson hair, it shows his glowing emerald eyes with slit pupils.
"Have you sobered up now?"
Arthur asked, voice low and cold.
"Good. Because I want you to think very carefully."
He leaned down, his face inches from the now trembling man.
"How do you want to die?"
The drunk man whimpered incoherently, mouth moving but no words coming out.
"What's the matter?"
Arthur asked, his tone mocking and dark.
"Afraid of a ginger? If you are, then I'll put you out of your misery."
Arthur's hand moved to his pocket slowly, fingers showing his obsidian claws.
Just as he was about to reach the man...
"Arthur."
Lavinia's voice snapped him out of it.
He turned, eyes locking with hers.
She shook her head slowly.
"Don't. It's not worth the effort, or your attention."
Arthur stared at her for a moment, then sighed.
The pressure around them faded as he looked back at the man with narrowed eyes.
"...Get lost."
The man didn't hesitate.
He scrambled to his feet and ran off screaming incoherently, stumbling down the dock like a madman as onlookers stared in confusion and disbelief.
Arthur exhaled, then turned his attention to the hooded boy still sitting on the dock.
The kid looked up at him with wary, cautious eyes, unsure of whether to be scared or thankful.
Arthur crouched down in front of him with a gentle smile.
"Hey."
"...Hello."
The boy replied shyly.
Right on cue, the boy's stomach let out a loud growl.
His face turned red with embarrassment.
Arthur chuckled.
"Wanna get a bite to eat, kid?"
The boy's eyes lit up as he quickly nodded, the caution in his expression replaced with a small glimmer of hope.
DxD
Inside the small 24/7 convenience store, it was quiet, save for the occasional beep of a register and the hum of a distant refrigerator.
Near the back corner, by the small tables, Arthur, Lavinia, and the hooded boy sat together.
The dark-skinned boy was currently devouring a hot bowl of instant noodles with a fork, slurping like he hadn't eaten in days. A half-unwrapped egg sandwich sat open next to his soda cup, and crumbs of crackers and cookie wrappers were strewn across the table.
Lavinia leaned toward Arthur, whispering so only he could hear.
"He's really going at them..."
Arthur gave a soft chuckle, his arms folded on the table, watching the boy in quiet amusement.
"Yeah. Poor kid's eating like it's his first meal in days... which probaby is."
After a few minutes of non-stop eating, the boy finished the last bite of his sandwich and took a final gulp from his oversized soda.
Then, he let out a loud, unbothered burp and slumped back slightly in his seat, finally still for the first time since they sat down.
He stared blankly at the cluttered table, breathing steadily, one hand still holding his chopsticks.
"Thank you..."
The boy spoke in gratitude.
Arthur glanced at Lavinia, who shrugged slightly as if to say, 'Should we say something?'
Arthur nodded faintly, then turned his attention to the boy.
"So... What's your name, kid?"
Arthur began gently.
There was a pause.
The boy hesitated, his head slowly tilting down as his fingers tightened slightly on his lap.
"...Leonardo."
Arthur's expression flickered for a brief second, his breath hitching ever so slightly.
His eyes widened for a fraction of a moment, but he quickly masked the reaction with a soft smile.
"Leonardo, huh. Nice to meet you."
Lavinia perked up beside him.
"Hi, Leo. I'm Lavinia, and this scary-looking redhead here is Arthur."
She said cheerfully.
Arthur gave her a deadpan look, narrowing his eyes.
"Seriously?"
She giggled, nudging him under the table with her knee.
He sighed, shaking his head, then looked back at Leonardo.
"Where are you from? Where're your parents?"
Lavinia asked and Leonardo didn't answer right away.
His purple eyes were cast downward again, fixed on the now-empty noodle bowl as his expression hardened slightly.
"Nowhere... and I don't know."
Arthur frowned, leaning in just a little.
"...What's your story, kid?"
Leonardo's hands clenched on his lap.
He went silent, jaw tightening as if he didn't want to speak.
Lavinia caught the look and gently placed her hand over Arthur's under the table.
"...Maybe it's a sensitive topic."
She whispered softly.
Arthur sighed and leaned back a little, his gaze thoughtful.
Then an idea came to him.
He reached into Lavinia's purse and pulled out the teddy bear she had won earlier at the arcade.
"A howdy doody to you, everybody."
Arthur said in a deeper, goofy voice, holding up the stuffed toy.
"I'm Mr. Teddy. Nice to meet you, Leo."
Leonardo blinked, surprised by the sudden change.
His eyes moved from the bear to Arthur, unsure of what to make of it.
"Go on. Mr. Teddy gives good hugs."
Arthur continued with a slight smile.
Leonardo stared for a moment, then slowly reached out.
His small fingers wrapped around the plush animal and pulled it into his lap.
He held it gingerly, eyes staring at it like he wasn't sure if he was allowed to.
But then... a small smile formed on his lips.
Lavinia's face softened as she watched him.
She gently reached over under the table and laced her fingers with Arthur's.
Arthur gave her hand a small squeeze.
"Did you know, Mr. Teddy is a really good listener."
Arthur said gently.
"Mind telling him your story instead?"
Leonardo looked at the bear, then at the two of them.
After a long pause, he gave a small, hesitant nod.
"...I don't remember much. Only that I grew up in an orphanage somewhere. I don't know where. We didn't go outside much. The adults weren't nice. They'd hit us, lock us in our room, sometimes they didn't even feed us."
Lavinia's breath caught slightly, and Arthur's expression darkened, but he didn't interrupt.
"A month ago, I ran away. I've been sneaking into trucks, hiding in boats, anything I could to get away. I stole food, but only when I had to. I tried not to hurt anyone. I just wanted to go somewhere... better."
He looked down again, fingers gripping the teddy bear tighter.
"Then that drunk guy caught me. I thought he was gonna hurt me. But... you two showed up."
He didn't speak further.
The room went quiet again, save for the low hum of the fridge behind the counter.
Arthur and Lavinia exchanged a look.
She leaned closer, whispering.
"So... what do we do?"
Arthur stared at Leonardo for a few seconds, watching how the boy gently cradled the bear in his arms, as if it were the first soft thing he'd ever held.
"I believe we should keep an eye on him. Just until we could think of what to do."
Lavinia blinked, a little surprised.
"You mean like... bring him with us?"
Arthur nodded slightly.
"I know it's sudden, but... trust me. I know what I'm doing."
Lavinia looked at him, confused but not skeptical, then gave a small smile and nodded.
"Alright. I trust you."
They turned back to Leonardo.
Arthur leaned forward again.
"Hey, kid."
Leonardo looked up.
"You said you don't have a place to go, right?"
Leonardo nodded slowly.
"How about coming with us, then?"
The boy froze.
"...Why?"
Arthur raised an eyebrow.
"Why what?"
"Why are you being nice to me? I'm a nobody."
Lavinia laughed softly and reached out to ruffle his hood gently, brushing his grey hair.
"Because it's the right thing to do. And... because Arthur was very insistent."
Arthur rolled his eyes and looked away, feigning indifference.
Leonardo stared at them both for a long time.
His lips quivered slightly, and for a moment, it looked like he was going to cry, but he didn't.
Instead, he nodded once.
"...Okay."
Later, the trio walked together back home, Arthur on one side, Lavinia on the other, with Leonardo in the middle, hugging the teddy bear to his chest.
They moved slowly, their pace relaxed, peaceful.
To anyone watching, they looked like a young family returning home from a long evening out.
"So, Leo. Hope you're ready to have your mind blown."
Arthur said with a grin, hands in his coat pockets.
Leonardo looked up at him in confusion.
"...Mind blown?"
Lavinia giggled and leaned down to his level.
"You'll see. Trust us. You're gonna love it."
As they turned the corner toward the next district, they passed the same elderly couple from before.
The woman watched them go with a warm smile on her face, her husband giving a soft chuckle beside her.
"Look at that, such a lovely little family."
The old woman said.
"Reminds me of us back in the day."
Her husband replied, squeezing her hand.
"Good on that boy, raising a child already... what a responsible young man."
The old couple continued their slow walk down the sidewalk, the gentle breeze carrying their voices away as Arthur, Lavinia, and Leonardo disappeared into the night.
DxD
The next day.
The early morning sun bathed the training grounds in a soft golden hue.
Heracles stood with his arms crossed, looking around in mild confusion.
Cao Cao was beside him, and Georg was adjusting his glasses.
"So... did he say why he called us here this early?"
Cao Cao asked, rubbing the back of his neck.
"No. Just said it was important. No further context."
Georg replied, still scanning the field.
Heracles yawned, stretching his arms high above his head.
"Could've used another hour of sleep, man. Hope this is worth it."
Just then, a red magic circle shimmered in the center of the training grounds.
It expanded briefly before Arthur and Lavinia appeared in a gentle flash of light.
"Yo."
Arthur greeted casually, giving them a short wave.
Heracles grinned and waved back.
"Hey, lovebirds. How was the date?"
Lavinia gave a cheerful smile.
"Arthur was amazing. Treated me like a queen."
Arthur's face turned a shade redder, but he scratched his cheek and chuckled awkwardly.
"Come on, no need for these idiots to know..."
Georg stepped forward slightly, glancing between them.
"So... what's this all about?"
Arthur raised a hand and took a step forward, his expression shifting to something more composed.
"Alright, lend me your ears, boys."
The three of them exchanged glances, curious but attentive.
Arthur gestured toward Lavinia, who turned slightly and gently motioned behind her back.
"It's okay. Don't be shy. They're nice people, I promise."
She said softly, her voice filled with encouragement.
There was a moment of hesitation, then from behind Lavinia's mage robes, a small figure cautiously stepped out.
Leonardo, now in clean clothes, peeked out at the group, his teddy bear tucked under one arm.
He looked around with cautious eyes before raising one hand and giving a silent little wave.
"...Hello."
He mumbled, barely audible.
Cao Cao blinked once, then again, his brow furrowing.
"Arthur... what's going on?"
Arthur crossed his arms and grinned proudly.
"...We have a kid now."
There was a long beat of silence.
Heracles tilted his head.
"That was fast..."
Cao Cao slowly turned his head toward Georg.
"...Did I miss something? Like an entire nine months?"
Georg shook his head.
"No. You definitely didn't."
Heracles raised a brow and looked at Arthur again.
"Wait. Are you saying you two had a-?"
Arthur groaned.
"No! It's not like that! Dum-"
Lavinia gave him a 'sweet' smile, which made Arthur shiver instinctively.
"D-Dummy..."
Lavinia laughed softly behind him.
"Leo's not ours like that. We found him last night. He'll be staying with us for a while."
Leonardo remained behind Lavinia slightly, gripping her sleeve without a word, still eyeing the three strangers warily.
Cao Cao folded his arms and gave Arthur a look.
"So, what exactly happened?"
Arthur shrugged.
"He needed help. I helped. That's all."
Georg leaned forward, adjusting his glasses as he inspected Leonardo more closely.
"Is he... Supernatural-related?"
Arthur's expression tightened slightly.
"...That's what I'm planning to find out."
"But right now, he's just a kid who's been through too much and needs a place to feel safe."
Lavinia added gently.
Heracles gave a low whistle, kneeling down a bit and offering a relaxed grin to Leonardo.
"Hey, little guy. Name's Heracles. You wanna wrestle?"
Leonardo blinked at him, then slowly shook his head.
"...Not yet, huh?"
Heracles chuckled and stood up again.
"We'll fix that."
Arthur rolled his eyes.
"Don't scare him."
Cao Cao looked at Arthur and asked.
"So what exactly is your plan here, Arthur?"
Arthur looked back at him with a calm, determined gaze.
"I want to keep a close eye on him. Just until I figure out what to do next."
Lavinia stood by Leonardo, her hand protectively resting on his back.
"And until then, he's with us for the time being."
She said, smiling gently down at the boy.
Georg frowned, his analytical mind already processing implications.
"Something tells me this is going to get complicated."
Arthur smirked faintly.
"When is it ever not?"
Heracles clapped his hands together, cracking his knuckles.
"Well, if we're gonna have a kid hanging around, we better teach him a few things. Gotta toughen him up, y'know?"
Leonardo looked up at Heracles, then at Arthur, his small voice barely audible.
"...Can I really stay here?"
Arthur's expression softened, and he knelt in front of him, placing a hand gently on Leo's head.
"As long as you want, kid."
"Welcome to the team, little man."
Heracles grinned.
Cao Cao exhaled deeply, muttering to himself.
"...This is gonna be weird."
DxD
Hello readers!
I think I could only focus on this fanfic at the moment, the others will be on a break.
College has been taking a toll on me and I've been struggling to keep you readers updated.
I sincerely apologize but I will try to keep up with the updates during my free time.
Thank you everyone and see you later!