A night with company

Aki was a surprisingly good chef.

You couldn't even remember the last time you've had a meal this good.

On your former life, you had never bothered to learn or look up how to cook.

Keeping your body fueled was as far as you were willing to go for yourself.

Aki raised an eyebrow when you got up first from the table, holding your plate in your hand.

"Where are you going with those?"

His accusatory tone made you hesitate.

You weren't familiar with Japanese culture afterall, so you had no idea if what you were doing was considered odd by others.

"Oh, sorry. I was just... trying to put the plates in the sink, if that's okay."

Aki dropped his spoon in shock.

Power took his momentary distraction as a chance to hoard his share of beef all over to her plate.

"If that's okay, I mean."

You hurriedly added.

"Y-yeah... that's fine."

Aki nodded.

He still looked at you as if you just dropped from the moon as you went to the kitchen to put your plates in the sink.

After a few mintues, Aki came over with his empty plates, then leaned over to you and whispered.

"Are you sure you're doing alright?"

"Yeah, apart from the amnesia...why?"

Aki looked you up and down, as if he was determined to find something that was broken inside you.

"...nothing. It's your turn to do the dishes tonight, by the way."

"Yeah, okay. I'll get it done, don't worry.

Thanks for the meal. It was really good."

"..."

Aki flinched as if you suddenly brandished a knife in front of his eyes.

By now, even you were catching on that Aki was acting very odd.

"...what?"

You asked.

"Nevermind. I'm going out for a minute."

Aki stepped out of the front door.

'...Did I do something worng?'

You wondered.

You turned your eyes to Power, wondering if she might give you some answers.

"All of your base belongs to mine!"

Power shouted gleefully while she attacked her food with two sets of spoons.

...you decided not to indulge with her for now.

It didn't seem like she was going to be much help anyway.

After half an hour, Power was finally done "eating", and promptly left the dinner table without cleaning up behind her.

You silently picked up her plates, did the dishes and cleaned up the mess Power had made.

"You are acting weird."

"Huh?"

You looked up from the floor, just in time to get a foot to the face.

"Since when were you such a good boy?

You are supposed to be like me, a true demon of terror!"

Power laughed maniacally at her own words.

You grunted and pushed her foot out of your face.

"I thought you were something called a Fiend."

You vaguely recalled overhearing Aki and Himeno talking with the doctor about Power, back at the hospital.

From what you had gathered, Fiends were devils that had inhabited a corpse...and by doing so, they usually became far weaker than they used to be.

However, Power scoffed at your words.

"Bah! A preposterous lie! Every human tried to make me sound weak, because they are all afraid of Power, the great Blood Devil!"

Power tried to step on your face again.

"Hey!"

You quickly ducked out of the way and tried to push her back.

"Bad touch!"

Power snatched your arms with a childish grin and tried to throw you back on the ground.

Even as a fiend, she had alarming strength, but you managed to resist enough to not get rag-dolled to the floor.

Both you and Power locked up in some sort of a wrestling match, trying to push each other while trying not to go down yourselves.

"Eek...you, traitor...!"

Power growled through clenched teeth.

"How...am...I...the traitor?"

You replied while trying to subdue her.

Then, Power unexpectedly pulled back.

"Whoa!"

You stumbled forward.

Power quickly wrapped her arms around your neck into a back choke as both of you fell to the floor.

"Hrrck...!"

You tried to pull away Power's arm from your neck, but her strength proved to be too much.

It also didn't help that you could feel Power's ample breasts pressing at the back of your head while she tried to strangle you.

"Ha, ha! Time to admit defeat!"

Power gloated.

You tried to say something, anything, but you couldn't draw breath.

It felt like Power was actually going to choke you to death, when you heard the front door open.

"Hey!"

A scurry of footsteps, a pained yelp from Power and your throat was free.

You coughed maniacally as you breathed in oxygen.

"I get out for one mintue..."

Aki grumbled, looking down at Power who was rolling around on the floor with her hands on her forehead.

"You good?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine..."

You rubbed your neck.

Aki gave a pat on your back before poking Power with the butt of the mop, which, apparently, was the weapon he had used to force Power to let you go.

Power rolled away from Aki and got on all fours, nearly knocking over the dinner table during the process.

"I am a ferocious devil! Fear me, mortals!"

"Is she always like that...?"

You asked.

Aki sighed and rubbed over his eyebrows.

"Technically, she is one of the better Fiends around...since we can at least talk to her, and she understands us..."

"Oh."

You looked back at Power, who was still growling like a feral animal.

Then, a cat stepped in front of Power.

"Nyah~"

"Ooh, Nyako!"

Power immediately dropped her hostile attitude and scooped up the cat.

Power rolled around the floor again, now playing with the cat while giggling uncontrollably.

Aki sighed and went to the bathroom.

You looked down at Power.

She seemed to have completely forgotten about being mad at you, or having tried to strangle you just a few minutes ago.

And somehow, you couldn't find it in yourself to be mad at her as well.

You sighed, following Aki's example, and sat down a few feet away from her.

All in all, this wasn't the worst night you have ever had.

It was certainly better than being alone, that's for sure.