Chapter 15: The Otaku Gains a Fan (And a Confusing Kiss)
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The morning after the update finished, Meliodas decided to take a walk.
He needed to clear his head. Hundreds of options. A dragon race. Angel powers. Companions he couldn't afford. It was enough to make anyone's brain hurt.
Harlem was its usual chaotic self. Bodegas open for business, kids playing on the sidewalks, old men arguing about sports on street corners. Normal. Comforting. The exact opposite of the chaos inside his head.
He wandered further than usual, crossing into neighborhoods he didn't know well. The buildings got older, the streets quieter. It was peaceful.
{Danger Sense} pinged.
Not urgent. Not a threat to him. But something nearby. Violence.
He moved toward it instinctively.
---
In an alley behind a row of abandoned buildings, three men had cornered someone.
They were typical street thugs—young, stupid, armed with knives and bad attitudes. The kind who thought hurting people made them strong.
Their target was pressed against the wall, and Meliodas got his first clear look at her.
She was... striking.
Short chestnut hair, tousled and messy. An athletic build, slender but clearly strong. Skin that was tanner than tan—almost olive, with a warm glow. Her face was beautiful in a way that made you look twice. Sharp cheekbones, full lips, eyes that burned with something barely contained.
Those eyes were glowing faintly red.
Meliodas's {Knowledge Mage} activated.
[TARGET IDENTIFIED: LYRA]
Species: Demon (Former Hell-dweller)
Status: Power suppressed by magical seal
Years on Earth: 20
Current predicament: Being mugged by three idiots who have no idea what they're dealing with
Notes: Her seal is straining. If she breaks it, bad things happen.
Meliodas moved.
---
The thugs never saw him coming.
One moment they were threatening the pretty girl in the alley. The next, three of them were on the ground, unconscious, their weapons scattered.
Meliodas stood over them, dusting off his hands.
"You okay?" he asked.
The woman—Lyra—stared at him.
Her red-glowing eyes widened. Her mouth opened slightly. The red glow flickered and died as her power receded, the seal reasserting itself.
"You... you're..."
She took a step forward. Then another.
Meliodas blinked. "Are you hurt? Did they—"
She grabbed his face with both hands and kissed him.
Not a peck. A real kiss. Full on the lips, firm and warm and utterly unexpected.
Meliodas's brain crashed.
'What. What is happening. Why is she—'
She pulled back, her eyes still wide, her cheeks flushed.
"Oh," she breathed. "Oh wow."
"What—why—"
"You're beautiful," she said, as if that explained everything. "I mean, really, really beautiful. I thought you were a girl at first, but you're not, but you're still—" She stopped, realizing what she'd done. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have—I just—you smell amazing. Like... like sunshine and something sweet. I couldn't help myself."
Meliodas touched his lips, completely lost.
"You kissed me because I'm... pretty?"
"And you smell nice. Really, really nice." She bit her lip. "Do you... do that often? Smell like that?"
"I... don't think so? I just woke up like this."
She nodded slowly, her eyes roaming over his face with an intensity that made him uncomfortable.
"Right. Okay. That's fine. I'm fine. This is fine." She took a deep breath. "I'm Lyra. Thank you for saving me from those idiots."
"Meliodas." He pointed at the unconscious thugs. "What were they even after? You look like you could have taken them."
She winced. "I can't. Not really. I've got... restrictions. Power suppression. If I use too much, bad things happen."
"From who?"
"Someone very powerful. We made a deal a long time ago." She glanced at the sky. "She lets me stay here, live among humans, as long as I don't cause trouble."
Meliodas filed that information away. 'Someone powerful. A deal. Interesting.'
"Well, you're safe now."
"Thanks to you." She grinned suddenly. "My hero."
"I just—"
"Shush. Let me have this." She stretched, seemingly unconcerned by the whole situation. "So, Meliodas. What's a pretty boy like you doing in a neighborhood like this?"
"Walking. Thinking."
"Deep." She laughed. "I like you already."
---
They sat on the steps of an abandoned building, the unconscious thugs forgotten.
Lyra told him her story—or parts of it. Escaped from Hell twenty years ago, found her way to Earth, nearly got herself killed until someone intervened. A deal was struck: she could stay, live quietly, but her power would be sealed. She'd lived that way ever since, working odd jobs, staying under the radar.
"Twenty years," Meliodas said. "That's not as long as I expected."
"Time moves differently in Hell. Twenty years here feels like a vacation." She stretched. "I've spent most of it catching up on human culture. Movies, music, anime—it's all amazing."
"That explains the enthusiasm."
"Hey, when you've spent centuries in literal Hell, a good anime is practically divine." She grinned. "Speaking of which—you really do look like a character. Have you considered cosplay?"
"I have not."
"You should. You'd kill it." She leaned closer. "Especially as Rimuru. That androgynous beauty thing? You've got it down."
Meliodas wasn't sure if that was a compliment or not.
---
An hour later, he finally made his escape.
Lyra had gotten his number—"in case I need saving again," she said, with a wink that suggested she'd be creating situations that required saving—and had promised to find him later.
He walked back to the safehouse in a daze.
'She kissed me. A demon kissed me because I'm pretty and smell nice. What even is my life?'
---
That evening, he sat on the rooftop, thinking.
Anastasia appeared beside him, as usual.
"You look confused," she observed.
"A demon kissed me today."
Anastasia's expression flickered—jealousy, quickly hidden. "A demon?"
"Female demon. Escaped from Hell. Lives here under a seal." He shrugged. "She said I was beautiful and smelled nice."
"You do smell nice," Anastasia muttered.
"What?"
"Nothing." She crossed her arms. "This demon. What did you do with her?"
"Nothing. She kissed me, I helped her, we talked, I left."
"Hmm." Anastasia's eyes narrowed. "If she tries anything—"
"She's not a threat. Just... enthusiastic."
Anastasia said nothing, but her expression spoke volumes.
---
Later that night, Meliodas headed for the bathroom.
The safehouse had one shared bathroom, and he'd learned to grab it late when everyone else was asleep. He was tired, confused, and desperately needed a shower.
He opened the door.
Tandy was inside.
Naked.
They stared at each other.
"Meliodas?" She didn't scream. Didn't cover up. Just looked at him with confusion. "What are you doing in here?"
"I—the bathroom—I thought—" He turned away, face burning. "I'm sorry! I didn't know you were in here!"
"It's fine. Door was unlocked." She sounded unconcerned. "You can turn around, you know. It's not like I mind."
"What?"
She laughed. "Relax. I'm just teasing." A pause. "Actually, since you're here, want to shower together? Save water?"
Meliodas's brain short-circuited. "WHAT?"
"Kidding! Mostly." She stepped past him, wrapped in a towel now. "You're cute when you're flustered. Very cute. Almost girly, actually."
"I am NOT girly."
"You kind of are, though. In a pretty boy way." She patted his cheek. "Don't worry, it's a good look on you. Very ethereal. Very 'I just stepped out of an anime.'"
She walked away, leaving him standing in the doorway.
He stumbled into the bathroom and locked the door.
---
In the mirror, he stared at himself.
Really stared.
Soft features. Big eyes. Full lips. His hair, slightly damp, framed his face in a way that could definitely be described as... androgynous.
He turned his head. Different angles. Different expressions.
'I look like... like Artoria Pendragon and Rimuru Tempest had a baby. A very pretty baby.'
He touched his face.
'Is this the {Adorable} perk? Is this what it does? Makes me look... like this?'
He thought about Lyra's reaction. Tandy's teasing. Even Anastasia's lingering glances.
'People think I'm pretty. Pretty enough to kiss. Pretty enough to want to shower with.'
He wasn't sure how to feel about that.
---
The Next Morning
Lyra was waiting outside the safehouse.
She'd found him. Of course she had.
"Morning, pretty boy!" she called, waving. "I brought coffee."
Meliodas approached cautiously. "How did you find me?"
"I'm a demon. We have skills." She handed him a cup. "Also, you're not exactly hard to find. Word travels fast in certain circles."
He took the coffee. "Thanks."
"So. I've been thinking." She fell into step beside him. "You saved my life. That means I owe you. And I pay my debts."
"You don't owe me anything."
"I decide what I owe." She grinned. "So I'm going to be your friend. Your ally. Your biggest fan. Deal with it."
"My biggest fan?"
"Absolutely. I've already started a scrapbook."
"You have a scrapbook?"
"I have a scrapbook." She pulled out a small notebook filled with newspaper clippings—articles about the Fisk takedown, the vampire incident, even a blurry photo of him from the gala. "See? Fan."
Meliodas stared. "This is insane."
"This is dedication." She flipped a page. "Also, I've made a list of all the supernatural factions in New York and how they might react to you. Want to see?"
He looked at her—this strange, beautiful demon woman who'd kissed him yesterday and was now apparently his self-appointed manager.
"...Sure."
She beamed.
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[END OF CHAPTER 15]