A month after the fated game of chess, Issei was called to the Student Council office to discuss something, though he didn't need an invite to come in and out. Over the past month he had gotten close to everyone in both the student council and the kendo club, and when he wasn't hanging out with the perverted duo he spent most of it with Momo, and Reya, who were in his class as well as Kaori Muramaya and Yui Katase, the first year Kendo girls who also happened to be in his homeroom, but he spent most of the time with both Sona and Tsubaki getting to know them to the point where they considered each other best of friends, and after having learned that most of the Council wanted to become teachers of some sort he mentioned to them if he wasn't predicted to die he wouldn't mind becoming a teacher himself one day.
During the last month, it hadn't taken long for the whole student body of Kuoh Academy to figure out that Issei had the full support of both the Student Council and the Kendo club, which surprised most people that the Kendo girls didn't mind him since he hung out with the perverted duo a lot. If anyone tried to learn what caused the two groups to fully support him, they would only say to ask Issei as it was a personal matter between them and he wouldn't give an answer if asked himself.
Walking inside, he called out to Sona. "You called for me Shitori?" He asked looking around to see all the Council in attendance, while also not missing the slight glare that Sona sent his way even if it didn't have much force behind it, which it never did.
"I told you long ago to call me by my first name, you've earned that much by now." She said back knowing that's just how he was after all the time they had spent together so didn't put too much force behind the words.
"Sorry, force of habit. What's up?"
Deciding to get right into one of the points of this meeting right off the bat, she started. "What if I told you that Devils are real." She said watching his face to see an interested look come into it as well as thoughtful which had her confused till his next words made her eyes widen in shock, which was soon on all of the Council's faces.
"You know about them too?" "How do you know about them?" Came from Issei's and Sona's mouths respectively. Having her motion for him to go first he commented. "When I was little a lady from the church I went to found I had powers and taught me how to do this," pausing his words to both make in his left hand a flower made of ice, and making her blush by handing it to her and a bright red metallic gauntlet on his right. Continuing his story, he commented, "Aunt Griselda as I knew and called her taught me everything she could about devils, fallen and normal angels, while also helping me to control my powers as much as she could, as she figured someone from the supernatural world might try and recruit me one day or do any other amount of things and wanted me to have a chance if it came to it, but she had to move away to Italy a few years ago to help with the next batch of exorcists and I haven't been in touch with her in a while."
After his comments about how he knew about the supernatural, she couldn't help but think in the back of her head that she had heard that name before as well as seen a picture of that gauntlet somewhere.
After thinking for a moment, also thinking about the gauntlet and that she had seen it before, she made a mental note to herself to look into it more as it felt to her like a draconic Sacred Gear now that she had seen it up close, she nodded her head in acknowledgment of his words and while commenting and watching his reaction he cut her off mid-sentence to her chagrin again. "You should know, especially as close as you have become to everyone here, that we are all- "
"You're all devils, yes I know I can sense it from everyone here as well as everyone in the Occult Research Club," he said stopping her next words as he had already felt the signatures coming off of them but hadn't worried about it as nice as everyone had been to him.
Surprised by this turn of events as she had heard there was only a select few who could sense what others were and she had a question to ask with the new information she had. "I don't know anyone outside of a few exorcists, angels, and devils that can sense what others are. What can you sense from me?" She asked making another mental note his fire powers made sense considering his Draconic in origin, from what she could feel, Sacred Gear. Now she just had the issue of his ice magic to figure out. Could he have devil's heritage? That was the only way she could figure it out at the moment.
Letting his senses out he took a moment to make sure before he answered her question, "From you I sense mostly water magic, a hint of ice but small. I also sense a commanding presence." Getting a nod from her.
Moving on to her next point she idly settled back into her seat glancing over at her peerage to see how everyone was taking this turn of events that they were learning of their friend. Most of them had a shocked or concerned look on their faces as they thought about what he had said but she could see the gears grinding in her Queens mind thinking about what they had learned now and putting it into perspective with the past, probly getting the same ideas she was. As she moved onto her next question, her mind went to the next issue, "What do you know about your family? I'm still confused on how you knew about us being devils." Thinking in her mind, 'With his ice magic, he could have devil heritage which would more than likely make him a bastard child as very few families currently were able to use ice magic. And with the amount of power that I can feel off of him, it has to have been at least a high-level devil at that and I only know two families that have ice magic.'
"I honestly can't answer that as I'm adopted. I heard from my adopted parents that they found me after heading home from a movie one night and saw a strange looking guy…", pausing here as he seemed to realize something and smacked his head, "I'm an i***t. I don't know how I never figured this out before, but they likely saw a devil leave me in a box in an alleyway and they took me in after that."
Once again nodding her head she had one final question to ask before she got to the final point of this meeting, "One final question Issei. Can you use water magic," hoping that the answer would be no. If the answer came back as positive it meant that there was a high chance of them being half siblings as one of her parents likely had him in secret. If it had been her sister Serafall she would have learned about it the same time she did or close to it.
Thinking about it for a moment, he replied, "If I really concentrate I can but it always brings on an attack so I would say no to water magic. Ice magic comes easily and freely to me and I have no issues when I want or need to control it for something." He said noticing that her face seemed less tense after admitting that and wondered what was going on inside her head at the moment.
Nodding her head once again, thanking that one of her fears was unfounded now with those words but it brought up another possible issue. 'With that answer he helped me by letting me know we aren't half-siblings,' not wanting to dive too deep into where that thought leads her thoughts on her feelings for him came up to the forefront of her mind, 'but that does mean he's likely related to the Lucifuge family, and I can only think of one person that has that heritage, and I sure don't want to dive down that possible rabbit hole right now,' she thought knowing that the person is married to one of the Maou's and considered the strongest Queen currently.
Shaking her head out of that train of thought she moved on to why she called him here. "To get to the final point of the meeting, I called you here to let you know and ask about reviving you as a devil under me."
Giving it some thought, as he didn't think he would mind being under her, he could only come up with one reason to say no and it was enough for him to turn it down for now at least, giving a small smile. "I'm sorry Sona but I have to turn down the offer." Noticing a stunned look on Sona's face, he had to ask. "Sona? Is everything ok?"
Noticing the smile and thoughtful look on his face she could only think of one thing, 'He looks just like Grayfia when he smiles like that, as well as that thoughtful look.' And without realizing it had a shocked face until he asked if everything was ok. Nodding her head trying to get over the shock for a minute more she asked why he answered with a no.
"Much as I would love to, I think it would be a great experience if nothing else, I'm afraid with my illness that it would follow me past the reincarnation and I'd rather not have to deal with it over hundreds, if not thousands of years as it can get really bad at times."
Nodding her head at his words, finding no fault in them, she had one thing left to mention, "I can understand that and won't disagree it's a possibility. I also want to mention that this request won't go away anytime soon so please keep it in the back of your mind for me." Getting a nod of acknowledgement.
Timeskip
A year later after she made the offer, they were back in the Student Council office playing another game of chess during free time for both of them when another attack hit him hard, making him cough up a decent amount of blood. He had even been offered a spot in the Student Council earlier in the year as a interim IT person to help them get the jobs they do for the school and students more into the modern age.
"Issei I know this might sound like I'm trying to force you to change your mind, but your attacks have been coming a lot more often and seem sometimes a lot worse too. Are you sure you don't me to reincarnate you? I do believe it might help some with your illness having a better body." Sona commented as she wiped the blood off of his mouth.
"Thank you, Sona, and while I do agree with you there might be a chance, I don't feel like risking it. I'd rather not live the long life that a devil has worrying about my illness and causing others to do the same." He said, once again realizing how close the two of them had come over the past year getting to know each other. Most people would probly think they were joined at the hip with how much time they spent together, or calling them a couple, and while neither would mind dating, he didn't want to saddle her with a boyfriend that was dying, along with her duties as Student Council President.
Sadly, acknowledging his fact, she realized she hadn't brought up one question she'd been meaning to ask him. "I do understand that but please, if something happens where you die by anything else that isn't your 'illness', please allow me to reincarnate you. Please give me that much assurance. While I don't want anything to happen it's better to be prepared now then lose the chance I might have." She pleaded with him trying not to cry as she let him lean against her, sighing in contentment as she felt his icy/hot powers wash over her and help ease her aches and pains.
After giving it a second's thought he agreed to that much, "If I die by something other than my 'illness you have full permission to reincarnate me." While he had heard having a better suited body should help with his power's struggle over dominance over him, her water magic should also help with toning down his fire magic some and help bolster his ice magic some, which would hopefully stop his body from tearing itself apart.
"Thank you Issei for that. You've become more important to me over the last year and I can't stand the thought of losing you to something other than your illness. The illness I can understand, anything else I can't stand to believe." Her words once again made him realize just how much he had come to adore her over the last year, and if the comments from the other Student Council were to be believed she felt the same way towards him. Which she did reciprocate the feelings, but she didn't know how to word them without seeming like she was pressuring him into dating her which wasn't her style. Rias did enough of that for both of them.
Speaking of the red headed devil, something had happened to where she had a grudge against him and had started, along with her club except for the Rook Koneko, to spread all kinds of rumors that all but the Student Council, and the Kendo club and a couple teachers accepted as true. Sona even went to the point of decking another student in the mouth after he had caused Issei to cough up blood for 'forcing Sona to spend time with him.' Which none of the Student Council knew to be true and caused Tsubaki to step in when the punch caused a few teeth to come out in defense and state that Sona's sister, being the overprotective person she is had her learn martial arts before attending public school, which was true as she could defend herself in all sorts of ways before she was one in human years, which is 10 in devil years.
"I'm just sorry I have to keep breaking people's hearts," he commented not catching both the hurt and confused look Sona had on her face at that comment. "just yesterday I turned down a fallen angel dressed as a girl around my age from another school who asked me to be her boyfriend, and I made her cry, after I told her I didn't date anyone due to personal reasons," loving the feeling of leaning against her.
"Is it wrong I'm glad you turned her down just like you turn everyone down?" She said surprised that there was one, a fallen angel in her town, and two that she asked him to be her boyfriend, not quite as mad as she might have been since he was leaning on her and his magic was helping calm her muscles.
"You know me I don't differentiate due to the fact someone isn't human. If you take away the wings and supernatural powers, what does that leave you as? You're just a human." He commented making her nod her head in acknowledgement of that statement as she felt a new presence make its way into the room by use of a magic circle, and one that she knew all too well.
Moving to allow him to lay his head down in her lap she told him to take a nap and she'd wake him for his next class. Blushing, he complied as he curled up around her putting his arms around her waist holding her down unless she wanted to use her strength to get out which she never would. "Thanks, sounds like a plan," he said as she started carding her hand through his hair as he yawned and snuggled his head into her stomach and fell asleep. Waiting until she heard his breathing slow down to show he had fallen asleep she looked towards where she had felt the new presence show up through a magic circle. It was one that was both welcome and surprising due to how often she had seen her this week. "Hello Peko, it's nice to see you again, even though it's the fourth time this week and its only Tuesday."