Ghost Rider (Male Reader) x Highschool DXD

Chapter 3

"Where...am I?"

"You're awake." Called out a female voice.

"Who are...you?"

"I'm just a temple shrine maiden looking after you. I found you outside my shrine along with your motorcycle. You were in a bloody mess and your clothes were torn up, just what have you been doing?"

'Such innocence, such purity coming from this woman.' He thought.

"I'm sorry to have bothered you. Just forget what you saw." He then got up from a futon she laid out and started to get his belongings.

"It's no problem at all, rather, aren't your parents worried?" When the shrine maiden asked him that, he stopped moving which was a clear indication she asked the wrong question.

"I...don't have parents. My father...he died long ago during a war and for my mother, well, I never had one."

"Oh dear, I'm sorry to have asked that. Don't you have any siblings, perhaps older siblings?"

"A younger brother and sister but I doubt they would recognize me. I'm nothing more than a stranger to them if they saw me. I should really get going, thank you again...really, thanks." He then slid the door open and walked out. The shrine maiden decided to follow him after hearing such heartbreaking responses.

"Wait! Uhm, would you like to stay here with me? I have enough space to accommodate the both of us. There's no need for you to travel by yourself if you have a place to stay, right?" The stranger turned his head slightly for a side glance.

"You barely know of me and you're offering me a place to stay? What if I'm a thief, runaway, or rapist? What would you do then?" He asked while turning around and walking up to her. She slowly backed up because of how close he was getting. Even with all these questions being asked, she felt no such hostility coming from the battered man.

"I don't think you're anyone of those things. Based on the look of your eyes, you look as if you suffered a great deal. Without having anyone to rely on, you've been keeping all of these emotions bottled up and held them to yourself. You're not a bad person, I can tell." She explained as she slowly reached out to cup his cheek. He flinched and widened his eyes after the explanation since she told the truth. The man has never felt such innocence and purity in his lifetime that he felt overwhelmed. A single tear fell from his eye as he's never felt such compassion in his eternal struggle against himself.

"Oh my, are you okay? Did I hurt you?" She quickly panicked but calmed down when he gently grabbed her hands.

"I'm fine, you know, you act as if you're my mother. It's funny though, I don't have the right of saying that since I've never had one before."

"Then, would you like it if I became your mother?" She offered.

"Please spare me, you look as if you're not that much older than me."

"You're still a teenager, respect your elders." She puffed her cheeks and pointed her finger at him.

"Yeah, yeah...mom..."

"Kya! Again, again!"

"No."

"Hmph! Oh well, I guess that's good enough for now. Care to come back inside?"

"Sure but where's my bike?"

"I managed to hide it down at the bottom. I couldn't bring it up the stairs since the temple is so high."