The Devil and The Assassin

Chapter 8 – If We Could Pretend

WARNING: This chapter has not been beta read; I only proofread this. SEXUAL SCENES AHEAD, IF YOU ARE UNDERAGE, PLEASE PROCEED WITH CAUTION.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairy tail, Hiro Mashima does.Chapter 8 – If We Could Pretend

"You're obviously the bigger moron around here, moron."

"Huh, ran out of words, Gay?"

"Say that again and I'll—"

Lucy smirked to herself, tail swaying behind her with amusement as she eyed the fight breaking out beneath her, chin propped elegantly on decorated knuckles. She was perched high up on a railing, watching the two rivals bicker like an old married couple near the entrance of the palace. Idiots, she thought to herself. The lot of them. She wondered why humans were even considered the greater race when demons weren't nearly as stupid as the two men currently serving as her entertainment.

She snickered with glee when Natsu landed a punch on Gray's cheek and it was all wonderful from then on.

"Gray, Natsu, quit it," came an exasperated male voice. Her mood soured instantly. "I don't know if you've noticed, but you've been entertaining this demon since one of you opened your mouth."

She rolled her eyes before glaring at Jellal, the said man paused at the top of the stairs to her left. "Must you always ruin my mood?"

"I should be asking you that, demon," he said in a clipped tone.

She bared her teeth and hissed, slipping out of her relaxed position and dropping onto the carpeted floor in front of the rivals. Her tail slithered slowly across the carpet before it curled dangerously around her ankle.

"Uh-oh, the demon's pissed," Natsu whispered to Gray. "Think Jellal can handle her?"

The ice mage gave the pink-haired man a withering look. "She wouldn't be tamed to him if he couldn't, idiot."

"Hey! Call me an idiot again and—"

Lucy's ears perked and she grinned. "Oh, good, here it goes again."

"We have a mission," Jellal interrupted, stepping down to join the trio with a grimace. He threw the princess a scroll and allowed her to read it while he worked on quickly stopping Natsu and Gray from further destroying each other's faces. Erza would kill him if she found out that he let them fight—again.

Crimson irises scanned the document quickly. It was simple enough. Infiltrate the headquarters of one of the yakuza and kill the leader. She could do that in her sleep. Nodding, she threw it back at her tamer and placed her hands on her hips. "So?" she asked, lifting a brow. "When do we leave?"

Jellal started walking to the door. "Now."

She groaned and followed after him, heels clicking. She really did hate him.

Lucy worked on tying all of her hair in a low ponytail in a traditional style called osuberakashi. The hairstyle allowed her to hide the signature pointed ears of a demon, and she had used a little of her magic to lengthen her hair considerably. This was because she refused to have her hair dyed black. She figured this was a fair enough compromise.

Though their mission was simple, the emperor ordered them to be as discreet as possible—meaning, in no condition were they to reveal that the famous Seraphim had a demon now, and that it was the emperor that had ordered the leader killed. If it were up to Lucy, she would have just killed everyone and burned the evidence to ashes. But of course, humans were always so stupid. They loved working overtime.

An opportunity arose when the Hatori announced an evening celebration in lieu of their heiress' coming-of-age. They decided that it was the perfect time to sneak in, have a drink or two, dance with a couple of drunk humans, and then execute the plan. And even though Jellal was technically the assassin, she was tasked with the job to kill the head of the Hatori Clan while Jellal kept the family busy.

Some assassin, she couldn't help but grumble to herself. She never knew that humans could be this lazy, too.

Rather than the usual revealing dresses she adored, she wore a traditional kimono to please the Hatori. It was made of the finest silk—courtesy of her brilliant tailor—that gleamed like obsidian, the gold threads contrasting nicely along with the hand-painted white cranes and red hibiscuses adorning the nagagi. The obi was a brilliant red, and it should have matched her eyes, if not for the magic she had poured in to alter them to a rather boring chocolate color. Nevertheless, she had to make do.

She finished fastening the obiage and worked on tying the gold obijime over it, ignoring the burning stare of her tamer from behind.

"I didn't know demons wore kimonos," Jellal piped in with interest. "Do you wear it often?"

Lucy decided to indulge him. "Only on special occasions. My mother, however, is fond of them, so she has a whole room where she stores her kimono."

"I see."

She picked up the raven-colored haori, its design similar to the kimono but less gaudy, and slipped her arms through the sleeves. The many layers of clothing already made her sick. "Ugh," she groaned as she slid her socked feet into zori. She was saved from the geta, at least.

"Are you done?"

Lucy turned around, about to snap a retort when she found herself blinking. She tilted her head curiously to the side.

They were supposed to match, but she supposed that men preferred simplicity. His kimono was plain but of the same color, his hakama the color of indigo and slightly on the grayer side of the spectrum, matching the haori that he wore on top. Lucy had to admit that he looked rather elegant in this getup.

His lips lifted into a smirk. "Like what you see, demon?"

She wished she hadn't worked so hard on her hair so she could flip it over her shoulder to spite him. Instead, she sniffed, walking past him to put makeup on her face. "Conceited men are said to be the worst in bed, so perhaps I should let you continue."

"I'd prove it to you, but," he paused, his breath suddenly tickling her neck. She suppressed a chill. "You would not want me to tire you."

She snorted. "Yeah, right. I have more stamina than you ever will." She then looked over her shoulder and smiled slyly at him, eyes flashing to a brilliant vermillion. "Want to test it out, Fernandes?"

The act dropped, and Jellal's face twisted with disgust. "I'd rather die, thank you."

"And I," she paused while she concentrated on lining her eyes with kohl, "would rather kill you."

"Fair enough."

She painted her lips a ruby red and eyed him as her irises faded back to its fake color. He hummed thoughtfully. "Well, we have the acting down. Remember, no fangs."

She bared said fangs at him. "I am not a child!" she seethed.

"None of that, either," Jellal chided, clicking his tongue and smirking when the demon snarled at him. Oh, he enjoyed tormenting her as much as she did him. It was nice to be on the giving end for once.

Lucy bent to pick up the poison and slid it into the sleeve of her haori. He decided that demons weren't allowed anywhere near makeup anymore. Especially this princess. They did strange things to their eyes that he found alluring. Shame, he thought to himself. If she wasn't a demon, he could learn to like her. Maybe even court her.

Jellal blinked to clear away the haze in his head. "No blood, Lucy."

"Still impossible—but I know already. Quit it."

"Hn."

The Hatori household was as grand as its family's reputation. The main hall was surrounded by exquisite fusuma, and Lucy could tell that it must have cost a fortune to simply purchase all of the sliding panels, especially when there was a scarce amount of shoji. She knew that the panels were hand-painted too, evident by the slight texture it had when she passed a feathering touch over one of them. Fascinated—she was. She would have to ask her mother to remodel their palace.

They stopped at the genkan to remove their sandals. It was part of their act to have Jellal remove her zori for her, but she delighted in the way he served her and inwardly grinned to herself. She knew how much he had hated the idea of touching her feet.

Once he was finished, he stood up and held his arm out for her. She smiled demurely. Together, with her hand on the crook of his elbow and a sleeve held over her mouth, they strolled into the main hall.

The moya was already filled with nobles and other yakuza, different clans mingling with each other and a thin level of animosity lingering in the air. Lucy was almost tempted to wrinkle her nose at the smell. Her eyes crinkled slightly in a smile, nodding to fellow women whose stares lingered a second too long on her kimono. She smirked behind her sleeve. Her tailor was the best in all of Earthland. She knew she was already the most envied of all the women at this dinner.

"You look beautiful tonight," Jellal muttered under his breath. You're already slipping. Keep your arrogance leashed.

Oh, shut it. They won't notice. Lucy fluttered her eyelashes at him. "Thank you, Myst-sama."

Ah, she wanted to punch herself for even saying the word. This time, he glanced at her victoriously, lips twitching into a grin. "Let us greet the heiress." His eyes glinted in reminder. "Shall we, Kimiko?"

"We shall, milord." With a tuck of her chin, he led her further into the crowd.

There was a hint of tobacco in the air, and she spotted noblemen laughing and smoking on the engawa. She pressed her sleeve harder over her nose and mouth. She truly did hate the smell of cigar. She did not understand why humans liked them so much, though she supposed she should try one before judging them.

She noticed that the celebration was rather somber for its purpose, but it was well managed. There was an elevated area where a single geisha performed, accompanied by the sorrowful song from a shamisen and sung by a pale-faced woman. Servants dressed in plain kimono floated in and out of the moya, bringing in food and drinks for the party, assuring that everything was in order.

One of them approached Lucy and handed her a small cup. "Sake—for the young lady," the servant murmured in permission.

Lucy smiled gently. "I would love one, thank you."

The servant flushed under her gaze and with practiced, graceful movements, poured Lucy sake. Not a drop spilled even as she lifted the bottle higher and stopped altogether. The servant stepped back and bowed lowly before excusing herself.

The demon took an experimental sip and hummed. "They have good sake."

Jellal glanced at her from the corner of his eye, smiling his agreement. The Hatori Clan makes their own sake. They still make it traditionally compared to other breweries, and are best known for their smooth but slightly sweeter taste.

Before we kill them, can we at least get a bottle?

She heard him scoff in her head. Alright. But only one bottle.

As Lucy took another sip of her sake, she realized that it was strange. For the first time, she enjoyed the presence of a human. Though, enjoyed was a big overstatement. She'd prefer to think of Jellal as a tolerable companion tonight rather than an enjoyable one. Perhaps it was because of the fact that they were not at each other's throats for once. Less bloodshed for this mission too. Not entirely her favorite kind of trips but she'd take what she would get.

She remembered the many balls she was mandated to attend when she was a child. As she was an only child, she was meant to accompany her parents to many social events to show her face as their heiress. Granted, they were never boring. Demonic festivities were raucous compared to the one they were attending now. And as a child, she had hated going with her mother to her social gatherings. A demon or two would always accidentally hurt someone, and modesty was foreign to them.

It was always in parties that she caught two demons fucking each other in the hallway (sometimes even three). She realized with a start that this must be the reason why humans were considered the greater race—they weren't animals.

She laughed inwardly to herself. She was completely fine with that.

Jellal slowed into a stop beside her and she naturally followed. Together, they bowed to the two people in front of them.

Hatori Gorou and his successor, Hatori Mai—their targets for tonight.

Lucy straightened and put on a practiced smile that she had only ever used in court. "A pleasant evening, Hatori-sama," she greeted them with ease.

The Hatori heiress was obviously timid, unmistakable by the slight flush that had begun to spread across her cheeks and down the expanse of her neck. Her hime-cut swayed as she nodded at them, and Lucy's eyes didn't fail to notice the way the girl had fisted the sleeves of her kimono in her hands. Lucy delighted at the sight.

Their target was a little mouse. Oh, she was going to devour her.

"Satoshi!" Gorou exclaimed in joy, shaking hands with Jellal. "I heard your father was out of town. I guess you came in his place?"

Jellal, who was disguised as Satoshi Myst, son of a famous samurai in Pergrande, gave a light chuckle in response. "Yes, well, my father sends his regards. I hope you are not too disappointed, Hatori-san."

"Tell him he owes me a beer, and please, call me Gorou! You're practically my nephew by how close your father and I was when we were teens," insisted the man. He placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "Have you ever met my daughter?"

The blue-haired man smiled wryly. "I'm afraid I never had the chance to." He directed his stare to the heiress. "Satoshi Myst, milady."

Her skin reddened considerably, and it took all of Lucy's self-control to not burst into laughter. "My name is M-Mai. It is a pleasure to meet you, Satoshi-san."

"Please, call me Myst, and likewise."

Mai averted her eyes at last, staring at the floor. "A-Alright, Myst-san."

What a lovely little mouse we have here.

Watch it. Jellal smiled and gestured to Lucy. "This is my fiancée, Miyahara Kimiko."

She lowered the sleeve from her mouth and smiled, bowing with ingrained grace. "I wish you a blessed birthday, Mai-sama," Lucy intoned kindly. It was not lost to her how the girl's face fell at the mention of Jellal being engaged. She smiled even wider. "It is not every day that a girl turns into a woman, and so we have come bringing you gifts."

"Ah, yes," Jellal affirmed. He brought out a small rectangular box from his sleeve, wrapped delicately in lilac silk and sealed with a gold braided rope. He handed Mai the gift. "We hope it is to your liking, Mai-san."

The heiress accepted the gift with trembling hands. "T-Thank you very much, M-Myst-san, Miyahara-san."

Lucy noted with glee how the girl had used her last name rather than her first. Oh, this is lovely. The little mouse likes you, Fernandes.

Hn. We can use that to our advantage.

At least enjoy her for a little while before she dies, human.

Enjoy…?

Oh, silly me. She tittered in his head and he inwardly rolled his eyes, receiving a cup of sake from another servant. I meant—fuck her for a while, and then leave it to me to kill her. Do not worry, I will not listen in on your business.

Jellal choked on his drink.

"M-Myst-san!" Mai shouted in worry, taking his cup away as her father pounded his fist on Jellal's back. "A-Are you okay? What—What's wrong?"

"Yeah, kid! What happened?"

Lucy's euphoric laughter pounded painfully in his mind. He smiled weakly and waved a hand, brushing off their concern. "Just went down the wrong—pipe," he finished lamely, coughing once more. He turned to his side in pretense of coughing, shoulders going rigid when he felt the demon's hand caress his back in soothing circles.

"We should sit down, Myst-sama," she cooed, though there was no mistaking the mischief in her eyes. He wanted to glare at her. "If you'll excuse us, Hatori-sama, Mai-san."

Gorou frowned, rubbing his chin. "Alright. Take care of Myst, Miyahara-san."

Lucy smiled kindly and tucked her chin. "Of course, Hatori-sama." Without waiting for Mai to speak, she guided Jellal away from them and out onto the engawa. She dropped her hand as soon as they were outside and covered her mouth with a sleeve, unable to suppress her laughter this time around.

Jellal leaned against a wooden pillar and stared at the night sky. You almost blew our cover, he snarled mentally. Oh, he was livid. I should punish you right now.

Please, I know you want to at least taste her.

They clinked their sake cups together and tossed it back. I do not get intimate with just anyone, unlike your ilk.

Hm, I suppose I can see why. She thanked the servant that had refilled their cups. Even I would not want you in my bed, no matter how desperate I might be.

Likewise, demon.

They regarded each other with veiled hostility. She couldn't wait to get out of this guise. She was getting sick of it already and they weren't even getting closer to their goal. Lips tight, she made the deception of fixing her 'fiancé's' hair while searching the small crowd of people with keen eyes.

She grimaced. There's at least ten guards out in the open inside, and fifteen others hiding in the shadows. One next to Gorou is—oh shit. The two men behind Hatori Mai is looking this way. Hurry, do something!

Jellal's eyes widened and in his panic, he did what any other sane person would have done in his place.

He kissed her.

"Did you get a visual?"

The bodyguard nodded. "She is talking to the Lates right now. Before that, she had gone out to the engawa for some air with Satoshi Myst, talked, and returned inside without him."

"Where is he?"

"Conversing with Gorou-sama."

Mai wrinkled her nose behind her fan, manicured nails unconsciously coming between her teeth. She nibbled anxiously. "I do not like that woman," she hissed before putting on a demure smile, nodding to a passerby who greeted her. She returned to seething once they had left. "Keep an eye on her."

"Yes, Mai-sama."

She lifted her chin and glared at Miyahara Kimiko through thick lashes. She was going to have that man, and nothing, not even an engagement, was going to get in her way.

Lucy giggled at something the Lates heir said, appearing to be flustered when he called her laugh lovely. "You are kind to say so, Lates-sama." They moved positions. One is behind you, slightly to your left, leaning against the sliding panels. Yeah—that one. The other is following Hatori Mai to the stage.

"Ah, but I am not being kind," he drawled, swirling the sake in his cup. "You are truly beautiful, Kimiko-san." He took her hand and brought her fingers to his lips. He placed a soft kiss on her knuckles. "Such a shame that Satoshi-san found you first."

Alright. We move when it's time for the toast.

She ducked bashfully. "Your future wife will be lucky as well, Lates-sama," she said shyly, staring up at him to look enticing. "But…"

He lifted a brow. "But what?"

Lucy gestured for him to come closer. He leaned in and she inclined her head towards him. With a saccharine smile, she whispered, "What he does not know will not hurt him, Hibiki."

He couldn't help but chuckle. "Is that so?" He mused. "I like the way you think, Kimiko-san."

She purred. "What do you say, Lates-sama?"

He grinned into her hair. "I think…" he trailed off, his breath blowing across the shell of her ear, "we should take this somewhere else… no?"

The next thing she knew, she was shoved against the wall. Her obi was undone and her kimono had slipped over her shoulder, exposing her breasts that were currently held in Hibiki's hands. She mewled softly when he latched his mouth onto a nipple. Lifting her leg, she wrapped it around his waist and pressed herself against him. Oh, she was so hot. And needy. She could feel his erection against her core, and she rubbed greedily.

She hid her face in his neck and licked a protruding vein. "You like that, Hibiki-sama?" She grinded hard against him.

He released a long groan. "What a naughty fiancée you are, Kimiko-chan," he tutted, moving to grab her ass so he could buck against her. She gasped in delight. "You don't know who you're messing with."

Lucy grabbed onto his hair and tugged. "Oh, I know," she said breathlessly. "And we have no time, Hibiki-sama." His hands were already undoing his hakama. "The toast is—hah!"

Suddenly, he was inside her. And he was so wonderfully big and hot. He filled her nicely and she couldn't stop the moan that left her lips when she sunk even further, settling on him until his cock was buried to the hilt. A second later and he was thrusting inside of her with an urgency that made her grin. This was maddening. This was—

"Why the fuck did you do that?" she whispered harshly to Jellal. She was not angry. She didn't know why she was bothered.

Lucy moaned and reached down with her hand, rubbing at her clit hurriedly. She had to do this quick.

"You said it so sudden. I panicked!" Jellal explained, throwing his hands up in the air. They were hiding behind a fusuma, covered by the shadows of the walls. He ran a hand through his hair.

"It was not as if I wanted to kiss you, demon."

Hibiki slapped her hand away and replaced them with his own. Her belly was alight with lightning. He sucked on her neck and she wanted to growl at him. No human was allowed to leave a mark on her skin. No matter. When she was done with him, he wouldn't remember that any of this had happened. So she let him be, and she raked her nails across his back, mewling, urging him to go faster, faster, until he reached the point of zenith and she could return.

"So good, Hibiki-sama," she moaned into his ear, "you feel so good."

Lucy clenched her jaw and turned away from him, not before giving him a fake smile. "Perhaps you should return to Hatori-sama, my dear. We had gone too quickly—he seemed to have much more to tell you."

Hibiki panted heavily, "I—I'm close, Kimiko."

"H-Hurry," she faked, shuddering when his fingers on her clit sped up. She couldn't deny that she was enjoying herself.

"And what will you do, my Kimiko?" he asked her, and something in his eyes wanted to say something, but she could not tell what it was.

Instead, her smile tightened. "I will see if we have any of our dear friends attending the dinner as well, Myst-sama." She tipped her head. "I will return."

"Alright. Enjoy yourself, Kimiko."

Lucy felt Hibiki tense and he snapped his hips upwards, burying himself as he came, a deep-throated groan leaving his lips. Her eyes flashed a glowing crimson. With a wicked grin, she bared her fangs. She pitied him then. But while he was lost in his bliss, she clamped her teeth around his neck and ripped out his throat.

She swallowed his screams in a mind-numbing kiss.

"She left with the Lates heir, Mai-sama," one of their men muttered to her.

The heiress furrowed her brows. "And where is her fiancé?"

"Still talking to your father, it seems."

Before Mai could open her mouth, the gong sounded and she immediately smiled shyly, clasping her hands in front of her. She spared a brief glace at the slightly opened fusuma with suspicion.

"My dear daughter!" Gorou announced, and she whipped her head to face her father. "Come! It is time for the toast!"

"Of course, otou-sama."

Lucy slipped into Jellal's side without anyone noticing, and she quickly placed her hand on the crook of his elbow, smiling up at the heiress' whose stare slid fleetingly towards them.

He tugged her closer to him, albeit rather harshly. "Where have you been?"

"I wasn't feeling well, Myst-sama," she explained softly and coughed into her sleeve. "I apologize if I kept you waiting."

"As long as you are here now."

She hummed in response.

What the fuck, Lucy? He snapped mentally, and she had to stop herself from rolling her eyes lest she blew their cover. I told you—no blood.

Oh, calm down. I got rid of the evidence.

He is the only heir to the Lates Clan! Do you understand what you've just done?

She snorted in her head. He smelled of opium. He might have been a benefactor of Akihiro's underground business. Lucy smirked with triumph at his surprised face. Relax. I have everything under control.

"E-Everyone, I would like to thank you for c-coming tonight," Mai spoke to the crowd, that flush of hers palpable under the fluorescent lights, and Lucy was sure of it now. The heiress was faking it. "Even though the—the journey was l-long, you made it here and—" her breath caught in her throat as she made eye-contact with Jellal, "—thank you, f-for the wishes and gifts."

He felt Lucy's fingers tighten around his arm. He didn't question it.

"S-So… I would like to propose a t-toast!" Mai lifted her cup and everyone followed, "to my father!"

The crowd laughed in surprise when Gorou choked on his saliva, turning to his daughter with wide eyes. She smiled warmly at him. "For raising me well even after… even after mother died, you never stopped loving me and for that," she beamed, "you deserve this toast."

That's my cue.

Jellal nodded, though it appeared as if he was agreeing with the heiress and not answering to his demon. Gorou first, then the daughter. He felt her curiosity through their link. She suspects too much. I trust you can deal with her…?

Yeah, yeah. No blood. I got it.

Confused at her odd behavior, he made a move to question her. Usually, she'd be at his neck, snarling insults nonstop into his head until he snapped. But when he finally turned, she was nowhere to be found.

A/N: An update at last! I'm proud to announce that the rating for this story has gone up a notch, because of the future scenes that have been planted in my head. I apologize for the slow updates, but my mus is feeling nice lately so let's hope for the best, aye? By the way, Japanese architecture interests me so much, so if you want to find out what the slanted words are (yes i know they are italicized), check it out and google and have a blast! I wanted to end the mission here, but I figured that would be too much of a treat for you guys, so I'll keep you waiting for a bit longer.

Some JeLu action right here, but I still don't want to rush things. Lucy will still be Lucy, and they will still hate each other... for now.

Please review if you liked it!

"That devil—she liked to feast upon men at twilight, their screams serving as her lullaby."

Bye! -Anne :D

- Please support/read my other stories: Celebrity Issues, Forgotten Memories, Nyctophilia, Life's Challenges, Queen of Stars, A Love That Lasts Forever, Fragile and Going Against The Current.