It wasn’t hard to find her Stanley, he was in the kitchen sitting by a table watching the giant rectangular device that she had mistaken for a magic mirror. It might as well be for it had moving images not unlike some scribe bowls only so much more. Ezraphel couldn’t help but look in awe and wonder as a story was played out before her. She had no idea what was going on but the visuals alone was enough to distract her.

That is until a sound akin to a bell sounded from the door. Ezraphel jumped her gaze turning to the door. Stanley didn’t seem concerned as he strolled over to the door and opened it to reveal a man carrying square packages. The man in some kind of brightly colored uniform handed him the boxes before his eyes caught sight of her. Just like Stanley he stared but unlike Stanley she did not feel the rush accompanied with it.

Stanley snapped his fingers in front of the man “huh?” as if coming from a trance he looked down at Stanley who was annoyed.

“You want this money or what?” Stanley said very annoyed

“Right, right. Sorry” he took a small card but once again his gaze found her “who’s that?”

Stanley took a glance at her, rolled his eyes then pushed the man outside and followed before closing the door. A moment later he came back in looking even more annoyed while the man spoke “is she available?” but all he got for an answer was a door slammed in his face.

Stanley bolted the locks, picked up the boxes and stopped before her “I ordered dinner” he muttered then left for the kitchen.

Ezraphel blinked but followed behind him to the counter where he gestured for her to take a seat. After placing the boxes down he retrieved cups, washed them and went into a large rectangular box. The moment he opened it Ezraphel noted the cold wafting off of it and found herself fascinated.

“What is that?” she couldn’t help but say then winced a little.

Stanley looked at her then the box and spoke “it’s a refrigerator, one part keeps things cold” he opened the other side “the other freezes them and before you ask it’s not magical” he added.

Ezraphel was impressed “how does it do this without magic?”

Stanley shrugged as he retrieved to brightly colored metal cylinders “don’t know.”

Ezraphel pursed her lips “then what is that?” she pointed to the box with moving images.

“It’s called a television” he pulled the top off the cylinder and poured its contents, a dark liquid that fizzes, inside the cup “before you ask no I don’t know how that works either but think of it as a way for people to record theatre and show it to the rest of the world.”

“Theatre?” she looked at the ‘television’ in wonder. She had seen some plays before.

“Yep, those people are actors and what they’re doing isn’t real but damn if you can tell the difference. We’ve basically perfected the art of storytelling and showing, here.”

Ezraphel took the cup, her hand brushed against his, not that he seemed to notice seeing as he was busy with one of the square boxes. The Lilim tentatively took a sip of the strange liquid but before long her sips turned into gulps. The beverage had tingly sensation running down her mouth but it was so sweet and –BELCH-

A hand slapped over her mouth, Stanley stared at her with a smile stretching in tandem with her reddening cheeks.

“Daaamn princess” Stanley deadpanned but the mirth was obvious in his eyes. Before Ezraphel could sputter a reply he had moved one of the boxes between them “before you ask, this is called a pizza.”

Then he opened the box and allowed the scent to envelope the area. It certainly smelled delicious, she was not sure of its presentation however, but seeing Stanley take a slice and bite into it with a satisfied expression Ezraphel followed suit and with some hesitance bit into the greasy looking-

“Hmm~” she moaned in delight, what was this delicious thing?

“Hmm is right” Stanley spoke “I had them put different toppings on the slices so you never eat the same one”

Ezraphel could literally leap across the table and smother him right then but in lieu of that she swallowed the cheesy goodness and said “you are very thoughtful.”

They continued to have a peaceful meal, finishing the second box of pizza, well mostly Ezraphel ate while Stanley tried to distract himself.

Eventually he broke the silence with a question “are you serious?’

Ezraphel paused to give him a questioning look “hm?”

“Were you serious…about…liking me?” he asked awkwardly.

Ezraphel swallowed and put down her half eaten slice “Stanley. I don’t ‘like’ you.”

“Oh”

She reached across the table and held his hand in a reassuring grip “I love you.”

Embarrassment and frustration flashed across his face and his hand left hers “why? How can you sit there and tell me something like that and mean it? What the hell do you even see in me? I know it’s not because of my ‘dashing’ good looks, muscular physique or stellar attitude. If it wasn’t already obvious I’m not much to look at, I don't lift and I’m an asshole at the best of times.”

Ezraphel pursed her lips, that question was a tricky one to answer. She could tell him that all the things he’s mentioned in his self depreciating speech are some of the things she loved about him but Ezraphel had a feeling that would only earn his ire. No, he wanted to get to the root of the issue and that is why she was attracted to Stanley in the first place.

The first instance of her attraction started when she tasted his spirit energy. It just clicked at that moment and both her body and mind accepted him as the perfect man for her. After that she just went with it and the more time she spent around him the more things she found to adore about him. She loved the fact that he was so small she could literally pick him up and smother him in her embrace. She found his snark and temperament endearing despite being the source of her current frustrations and a hindrance to their relationship. She admired the fact that he managed to resist her charms instead of blindly giving in to her even though they both know he would rather do that.

What he lacks in stature Stanley makes up for in will and Ezraphel would admit, sometimes she wished she had such a will. It was a fundamental part of a mamono’s very being and no matter who they are or how much power they have in the end mamono are slaves to their baser instincts. Even the most standoffish of her sisters who claim to not have any interest in romance, all it would take is for them to encounter the right man who meets their instinctive (and most likely outlandish) standards and they will never be able to let him go.

Could she explain this to him?

Would he believe her?

Did she even want to?

The answer was clear to her before she even wondered these questions. Stanley was confused, curious and not one to easily trust. If an honest answer from her would get him closer to accepting her then Ezraphel would do it and so she did. In a very calm and placid manner she told him of her earlier musings, the mamono instinct to know when they have found their husband, how she first realized he was her husband and how she fell in love with him after their time spent together.

By the end of it Stanley had his head in his palms for a long time before an explosive sigh blew past his lips “I’m not gonna lie and no offense to you or mamono in general but that is kinda fucked up”

Ezraphel’s brows furrowed at the words “how so?”

“So what, you just go along with this hypothetical instinct that says ‘hey this guy is the one’ and you don’t question it, at all?”

Ezraphel shook her head “for us mamono to have a husband is to find happiness. Why would anyone deny their happiness?”

“That’s not the-” his aggravated retort petered out as it seemed he came to an epiphany and for a long moment he sat there occasionally giving her glances before thrusting his hands in the air “you know what, fuck it” he pointed a waving finger at her and spoke “I understand the ‘how’ and the ‘why’ I was chosen (I think) but I still think you’re deluding yourself into believing you’re in love with me.”

“I can assure you Stanley that I am no delusional fool and it is impossible for me to be wrong” even if the spell had not worked as intended she would have known through his spirit energy which does not lie.

“Alright, point” he waved her down “but personally I don’t believe in love at first sight and the concept of marriage is impractical to me. I understand your reasons for doing what you did.”

He understood?

A smile came to her face as she straightens “does that mean-”

“Now hold on” he said while warily regarding her growing excitement “I’m not about to fuck you okay. My human ways may be strange to you but I would at least like to know the woman who wants to…marry me” he finished off with an expression of tasting something particularly terrible on his tongue “before getting to that part”

Rather than being put off by his regards for one of the most sacred of Mamono tradition Ezraphel’s eyes twinkled as a teasing smile grew “oh Stanley~” she cooed “are you asking permission to court me?”

“…yeah sure, why not” he answered in that endearing way she has become fond of.

Other people would call it awkward.

Ezraphel chuckled resting her chin on her knuckles while her tail swished back and forth “there are not many men brave enough to attempt to court a mamono princess.”

 “Oh shit, you’re a princess?” he spoke in a sarcastically surprised tone and calm demeanor “well I apologize your highness it must have slipped my mind. I mean you’ve done so many princess-like things since you got here. Uh tell me is it customary for princesses to flash themselves in front of random men they’ve just met?”

‘Has he forgotten what we just talked about?’

Not willing to pass the chance up she answered back in a similar tone to his but with an underlying tease to her words “actually it is but only for the ones whom we deem worthy to see it” she capped off with a wink.

He did not avert his gaze as she would think but he did blink several times in astonishment as if seeing her for the first time “you really are a sex fiend aren’t you?”

His tone was one of mild astonishment and her smile turned sultry while her tail inexplicably formed a heart.

Stanley was suddenly aware of the implications of his decision. For all the profiles that he had read up on and all the fanfictions he remembered reading there was always one aspect of Mamono that everyone agreed to as far as he knew. That is, when you give a mamono an inch they will take a mile and this one was looking like she was going to take him for a long, long ride.

This thought, as well as the look the Lilim princess continued to give him caused the smaller human to chuckle nervously then swallow “oh god”

‘What the hell did I get myself into?’