"Matchmaker, Matchmaker" Chapter Two
Chapter Two
~1986~
Worry wasn’t a very common emotion for Wolfen to experience, but ever since Jiro Fujimori had met Yuri Aso, it had become almost normal for him. Meeting Yuri had changed his life, because the beautiful Fangire hunter had somehow changed him: she gave him something worth fighting for. And she gave him a reason to keep on fighting.
Somewhere between saving her life out of a sense of obligation, and making plans to restart the Wolfen race with her at his side, Jiro had actually fallen for the brave, spirited, and no-nonsense Yuri. She was everything he could have wanted in a potential mate, and his first instinct was to protect her at all costs.
Unfortunately, it was that instinct that had caused his current predicament: rushing to find her before she did something incredibly stupid.
Earlier that afternoon, Yuri had begged him for the IXA rider system, intending to go after Rook, a deadly Fangire who was responsible not only for the death of her mother, but also the extermination of Jiro’s entire clan. Immediately, the wolf had refused, mainly because he feared what Rook would do to her if she went up against him alone, namely, killing her. Of course, Jiro had a bit of a problem actually voicing that fear to her, and had made it sound like he wanted to defeat Rook on his own. He had hoped that his determination in the matter would make Yuri back down, but instead it made her angry and she had stormed out on him.
Not exactly the reaction he had been hoping for, to say the least.
And then, of course, that idiot, Otoya Kurenai, had to go and trick him.
Looking back on it, Jiro marveled at his own stupidity. There’s no way Otoya could have ever gotten a hold of something as rare as that autograph. He should have known better, but his excitement, coupled with Master Kido’s once he had seen it, had caused the Wolfen to drop his guard, and that meddling violinist had only needed to strike.
And strike he did: stealing IXA and getting away before Jiro could even realize he’d been duped.
There was only one thing Otoya could have done with it: give it to Yuri. The violinist was constantly trying to come between Jiro and the girl, and would stop at nothing to steal her away.
Growling lowly to himself, Jiro continued in his frantic search, vowing to bash Otoya’s head in as soon as he made certain Yuri was okay.
Of course, Jiro’s haste made him completely unaware of the pair of strangers walking towards him.
Maya and Masao had managed to crash land in the Kurenai family home, back in 1986 and apparently in a good place. The only issue was that the house was disgusting.
Once they’d managed to procure clothing and money, they set out to go observe things, hoping not to draw too much attention to themselves.
Unfortunately, things didn’t quite go as planned.
Masao, for instance, certainly wasn’t expecting to crash, literally, into the past version of Akane’s father right away.
At first Jiro was all set to apologize to whoever he had slammed into, but then he saw who it was…or rather, who he thought it was.
“Kurenai!” Gripping Masao’s collar tightly, the wolf glared at the young musician. “Where is she?!”
“Huh?”
Eyes narrowing, Jiro lifted the cellist up as if he weighed no more than a feather, his eyes shifting to gold behind his sunglasses. “Where’s Yuri, you bastard? Don’t make me ask more than once.”
“I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t give me that! You stole IXA and then gave it to her, right? Sold her some crap about always being at her side so she would trust you, and then let her go off to fight that monster on her own! Do you have any idea what you’ve just done?! She could be seriously hurt! Or killed!”
“ I didn’t do anything!” Masao shouted, or at least, tried to shout. He was in the throes of utter panic. “I don’t know where IXA is! I don’t even know who Yuri is! Please, I’m not Otoya Kurenai!”
Jiro scoffed. “I’m not falling for your tricks again…” but then, he inhaled sharply and realized that the man was telling the truth. His scent was nothing like Otoya’s, though it had traces that were similar.
Once again, Jiro’s eyes narrowed, though the gold in them began to die.
“It’s not a trick,” Masao shook his head. “I’m not Otoya. I’m…I’m related to him,” Well, it was a version of the truth, at least.
“What sort of relative?”
Masao had to think quickly. “A distant cousin.”
The look in the Wolfen’s eyes was still suspicious but, slowly, he put Masao down.
Maya looked utterly terrified at this point and was relieved to see her brother be put down. “Come on oniichan…” With that, she tugged him away.
Jiro stared after them for a second before shrugging the strange encounter off, turning around, and returning to his quest to find Yuri.
“So, he really does love Yuri-san.” Maya remarked as she and Masao walked away. “Oniichan, we’re in the perfect position! We have to act.”
“Yes. We came at the right time. Now, we just have to get some clothes, some other items and rent you a harp so you can work your magic.”
“Oh, oniichan… I don’t always need a harp. I can sing, you know?” Maya smirked and then she looked a little worried. “What if he tries to bed me?”
“He won’t try to bed you, okay? Grandfather wasn’t a complete slime ball, after all.”
Maya wasn’t fully convinced, but she nodded. “Okay, now where do we start?”
“…Another excellent question…Man, Tokyo looks a lot different than from the current day…”
“It would figure that you would take us back in time only to get lost, oniichan.”
As it turned out, they were only somewhat lost. It wasn’t long before Masao, managing to use his charm, and Maya, her smile, managed to get them to a clothing shop so she could be outfitted in something more feminine and he in something that wasn’t as outrageous as the leopard print jacket he had on.
Now, the trick was to find Otoya and have Maya work her magic.
Meanwhile, Jiro had finally gotten a decent hold on Yuri’s scent and followed it till he reached an old church.
Stepping inside, he looked around to find her, only to not have to look far at all.
His heart sunk at the sight of her: sitting on the floor, her head bowed, shivering uncontrollably.
Tentatively, so not to scare her entirely, Jiro approached her. “Yuri…”
She glanced over her shoulder, and his heart twisted even more as he realized that she’d been crying.
Wordlessly, he knelt at her side. “What happened? Why are you crying?” gently, he reached out, tracing over her cheek while wiping her tears away. “What did Rook do?”
Yuri looked into Jiro’s eyes, startled at the concern and sincerity there, her heart beginning to race as she instinctively leaned into his touch. She tried to bring herself to say something but couldn’t form the words, and only managed to say his name in a whisper that caused his heart to break even further.
Sighing, he cupped her chin between his fingers. “Yuri…talk to me.”
Once again, she tried to figure out what to tell him, but couldn’t bring herself to state the truth: that she had frozen, and done nothing, and Rook hadn’t even looked at her as a threat before walking away. Her pride had been shattered and now her prince had shown up to rescue her, and she couldn’t even be honest with him.
Before he could try to coax her further, Yuri tore away from Jiro and bolted out of the church as a fresh bout of tears surfaced, unwilling to let him see her so weak.
Just as Yuri tore out of the church, crying, she was spotted by Masao, who was hiding near a tree, watching silently as she went past. As Jiro emerged, looking heartbroken, Masao bit his lip.
Jiro’s emotions were written all over him and Masao was more determined than ever to help make things right.
Once Masao was sure it was just him and Jiro, he stepped out into the Wolfen’s line of sight.
“You look as though your heart has just been torn out.”
“You again.” Jiro was hesitant to come closer. “What are you doing here?”
“Believe it or not, I’m here to help you. And judging by your face, you do need
help.”
“What do you know?” Jiro muttered gruffly, which made Masao resist the urge to roll his eyes. Some things, it seemed, would never change.
“I know, by that look on your face alone, that you love that woman. The problem is that she is not aware of it… and you’re running the very real risk of losing her… to my grandfather.”
“YOUR WHAT?!” Jiro’s jaw hit the ground.
“You’re Wolfen, yes? You inhaled my scent when you thought I was Otoya. I don’t smell like him, but enough for you to realize I’m a close relative. The scents have similar traces. Trust me, please. I only want to help you win Yuri.”
“Is she your grandmother?” Though he didn’t want to accept that horrifying possibility, Jiro still had to ask.
Masao closed his eyes for a brief moment and his Fangire markings emerged, staining his face. “No. She’s not.”
The relief that Jiro initially felt over Yuri not being related to Masao was overcome by a rage at realizing the young man was definitely not human. “You’re a Fangire and you expect me to trust you, much less believe you?!” He almost wanted to tear Masao’s head clean off. “How do I know you won’t kill me?”
“Because if I wanted you dead, you would be dead already.” It was the truth and they both knew it. “Jiro-san; I am willing to help you win Yuri’s heart. I can ensure that you win her away from my idiot grandfather and right into your arms.”
All Jiro could do was stare.
Elsewhere, Otoya Kurenai was practicing his violin in a church courtyard, making roses bloom around him as he played. He was content to do this, satisfied that he had done right by Yuri… right until he heard an enchanting voice singing.
Entranced, Otoya put down his violin, following the beautiful sound, curious as to whom was singing. He’d only ventured a few steps beyond his usual spot when the singer revealed herself, stepping out from behind a wall covered in ivy.
Otoya’s mouth fell open at the sight. The singer was a beautiful young woman, pale skinned and dark eyed, with silky black hair. Her voice was the voice of a goddess…and she certainly looked the part.
Almost as if on cue, she stopped. “Hi there.” She said, red lips curved into an alluring smile.
Otoya’s mouth just remained open, causing the young woman to laugh.
“Close your mouth.” She murmured, giggling as she moved up to him and did it for him, since he seemed to be having so much trouble. “You’re not a fish, you know.”
He took that moment to study her. She was petite, as most Japanese women were, ivory-skinned, with rich black hair and brown eyes. She wore something quite attractive and black, and all he could do was just stare. He couldn’t even think of one of his traditional pick up lines to say to her.
“My name is Maya.” She said. “What’s yours?”
It came out in a breathless hush. “Otoya…”
She giggled again. “Hello. Ot-o-ya,” her tone took on a singsong quality.
The way she said his name made his heart flutter.
Maya couldn’t help laughing softly. “Are you always this quiet around beautiful women?” She asked, teasing gently.
“I…I…uh…wow…” He tried, but words were not coming out the way he wanted them to.
“Do you play?” She pointed to his violin.
He nodded.
“I play, too. Would you like to listen?”
He nodded again and Maya giggled, taking the violin from him and beginning to play something from the opera Carmen, singing softly as she played.
Otoya fell head over heels.
At the same time, another beautiful woman Otoya had met earlier in the day was watching this encounter with a mix of jealousy and amusement.
“My, my, my…” Maya, the Fangire Queen murmured to herself. “Looks like I have myself a little bit of competition for this violinist. This game will be fun.”
Meanwhile, Masao and Jiro were sitting in the café, trying to come up with some kind of plan to help Jiro woo Yuri away from Otoya.
But Jiro, of course, had a lot of questions.
“If you’re Otoya’s grandson, how are you Fangire?”
“I can’t go into too many details about that, you know.” Masao sipped his iced tea. “But the short form of the story is that one of my parents is pure Fangire, while the other is half Fangire, half human. My grandmother is also Fangire. Somehow,
somehow, I wound up being full Fangire instead of being, as you would assume, at least partially human.”
“That doesn’t even
begin to make sense.” Jiro muttered.
“If I told you the entire story, you would never believe it.”
“I’ll take you word for that. Now, how exactly, do you plan to help me?”
“In my time, I am considered to be something of a Cupid. It is my honest desire to see all women, everywhere, happy, Yuri included. She would not be happy with my grandfather, of that I can assure you. She would be happy with you, but you have to let her know. My role is to show you how. It’s up to you to win her heart, though.”
“What are you then, a fairy godfather of some sort?”
“You could say that, yes.”
“And I thought my life couldn’t get any stranger…” Jiro sighed. Then he remembered something. “Now…how, exactly, do you plan on keeping Otoya occupied so he’s not there to interfere?”
Masao just smiled. “Oh, I have my ways.”
Just then, Otoya and his “distraction” came into the café.
“Oh, speak of the devil…” Masao beamed.
At the sight of the beautiful woman accompanying Otoya, Jiro stared at her, then back at Masao, and then back at the woman. It was the same woman who he’d heard calling Masao “oniichan” earlier. “You have
got to be kidding.”
“Maya is a master seductress,” Masao explained. “She was the perfect temptation to lure Grandfather away.”
Jiro had to force himself not to spit his coffee right back into his cup. “If you say so…”
“Anyway, distracting Otoya is besides the point. Right now, what’s most important is Yuri. She needs you.” Masao said, smiling softly. “Deep in her heart, I think she loves you as much as you love her, so right now, the best thing you can do is to give her comfort. Go find her: be with her...even if all you do is let her cry… it’ll be more than enough.”
Jiro glanced down at his coffee before looking back at Masao. “You really think that’ll work?”
“Jiro-san, despite the way I look, I actually believe that the simple way is best. The girl already likes you, so you’re halfway there. You just need to be more open about your feelings.” Masao explained.
The wolf sighed. “You’re right…I wouldn’t be in this mess if I had just told her exactly what I felt the first time.”
“Then I think you shouldn’t waste any more time…don’t you?”
Jiro took one more look at the cellist, who smiled encouragingly, before he nodded and rose from the table, and then set out to find Yuri.
Meanwhile, fully aware that she had Otoya’s complete attention, Maya looked at her brother and then at the departing Jiro’s back, pleased when he gave her the thumbs up sign.
Everything was working according to plan.
Jiro didn’t have to look quite as hard this time around, as once he picked up Yuri’s scent and followed it, he quickly found her sitting at the edge of the riverbank, watching the sunset.
Her posture was melancholy: shoulders slumped, arms resting over her drawn up knees, her lovely features set in a pensive frown and face streaked with tears from crying. Seeing her like that made his heart ache and he wasted little time in crossing over to her, sitting at her side.
For a few moments, it was completely silent, the two of them staring out over the water, before Yuri spoke, her tone soft. “I’m sorry for running out on your earlier.”
Jiro glanced over at her before shaking his head. “I’m the one who should be apologizing.”
She looked over, confusion in her eyes. “What do you mean?”
“I was being unfair to you earlier…about IXA,” Jiro elaborated, moving closer to her side. “I didn’t mean to be so harsh to you about it. I know how much defeating Rook means to you, but…the thought of losing you scared me.”
Yuri’s eyes widened. It was the first time Jiro had been so open about his own feelings to her and hearing him all but confess his love right there made her heart start pounding relentlessly in her chest. “You were afraid of losing me?”
A wry smile crossed the wolf’s handsome face. “Of course I was. You mean everything to me…” he reached out and took her hand in his. “I’m sorry for not saying so in the first place.”
“Jiro…”
Smiling further, Jiro touched Yuri’s face tenderly. “And I’m sorry that you spent all afternoon crying…without someone there to lean on.”
She finally managed a slight smile of her own. “Well…you’re here now.”
“But am I too late?”
Yuri shook her head. “Late, yes, but not
too late,” and then she curled against him, resting her head against his shoulder.
Jiro sighed in relief, resting his head against the top of hers. “So…are you going to tell me what happened today? Or would you rather not?”
Yuri shifted slightly to get even more comfortable. “I froze. Rook was there, and I had the weapon…I could have used it at any time but…I just froze. I’ve never felt so afraid before,” her tone was hushed and still had a trace of that fear, which made Jiro wrap an arm around her waist and squeeze her tightly.
“It’s okay to be afraid, Yuri.”
“I’m a warrior, Jiro. Fear is a weakness.”
“No. Fear makes you stronger,” he shook his head, before tilting her chin up so she was looking him in the eyes. “And don’t ever think that there’s something wrong with being afraid. It’s what makes you human.”
“You’re never afraid,” she pointed out.
He snorted. “Of course I get afraid. I was afraid of losing you, remember?”
She blushed a little. “You really meant that?”
“Yuri…” he stroked over her cheek sweetly, before finally saying what he’d been meaning to say for a long time. “I love you.”
Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes went wide and her jaw dropped. “You what?”
“I love you,” he repeated, tucking her hair over her ear.
She tried to form a reply but couldn’t quite get the words out, opening and closing her mouth repeatedly in a manner that made Jiro bite back a laugh before he leaned in and whispered. “And I should have done this a long…long time ago.”
Before she could ask what, he had closed his mouth over hers, initiating a loving kiss that made her feel like she was floating on air.
Jiro curled his fingers into Yuri’s hair, deepening the embrace just slightly, careful not to take too much, too soon, but still pouring all his feeling into it.
She responded by grasping at his shoulders, holding onto him tightly as they kissed languidly until he finally pulled back to let her breathe.
Yuri’s heart fluttered further when Jiro smiled brightly, which had to be the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen, and then nuzzled his nose against hers.
“Yes, you
definitely should have done that a long time ago,” she managed, which made him laugh, lean in, and kiss her again, briefly this time.
“Yes, I should have. But I think I have plenty of time to make up for it now.”
She giggled. “You do.”
“And…to also make it up to you…at least, for what happened today, I think it’s time I finally took you on a proper date.”
“You’re finally, officially asking me out on one?”
“Is that a yes?”
She pretended to think for a moment before smiling brightly herself. “That’s a “when are you picking me up, you baka?”
Jiro merely arched an eyebrow before letting a playful growl emerge and lunging, causing Yuri to shriek happily as he pinned her against the grass and kissed her again, only far more passionately this time.
He pulled back to gaze at her after several moments, taking in the vision she made laying there, her hair fanning out over the ground, chest heaving as she panted for air. Grinning, he leaned down and touched his forehead to hers. “Does tomorrow at 7 work for you?”
“Sounds perfect…”
Maya had to admit that she found her grandfather quite charming. He was an idiot, as she’d been told, but there was a good heart in there somewhere. If he weren’t her blood relative, Maya would have seriously considered keeping him as a pet. At least then, he’d be out of Jiro and Yuri’s hair… permanently.
As Maya walked back to wherever it was her brother had managed to get them to stay (apparently, Jiro had an apartment nearby), she suddenly sensed a powerful presence… another Fangire.
And it was not just any Fangire: it was a Checkmate Four member. The presence made the hair on the back of her neck prickle somewhat and Maya immediately prepared to defend herself… or die trying.
“You should stay away from that Otoya Kurenai.” A soft voice said, accompanied by the sounds of heels clicking on the pavement. “Another Fangire has already laid claim to him.”
“Oh, have they?” Maya asked, raising an eyebrow. “And who is this Fangire? Who else has laid claim to Otoya Kurenai?”
“
I have. So you should back off… or else face the wrath of Queen.”
The color went out of Maya’s face at the words and she turned around to find a black-hooded figure standing only a few feet away from her. The figure slowly lowered the hood and Maya’s heart just about stopped.
Even though she had only ever seen a painting of the Fangire she was named after, Maya knew immediately who it was… it was her grandmother, the fallen Fangire Queen. Unlike her elder siblings, Maya and her twin had no memories of their grandmother Maya, who had finally died from old age and a broken heart when they were just a year old. But still, Maya recognized her grandmother… and she was even more beautiful than in the painting Masao had made.
“Little girl…” The Fangire Queen purred. “What is your name?”
“Maya.” Maya replied, trying her best not to fall over in shock. “And you’re the one with an interest in Kurenai Otoya? But… he’s human.”
“He amuses me.” The elder Maya replied. “And I could say the same for you. Are you in love with him?”
The younger Fangire snorted. “Hardly. He’s not my type.”
“Then why…” The elder Maya got very close now, a little closer than the younger would have liked. “Are you with him?”
“I am here to right a wrong. Otoya’s in the way. I am to seduce and tempt him, nothing more, nothing less.”
The elder Fangire smirked. “Little girl, I am only warning you once. Stay away from my meal.”
“Your meal?” Maya raised an eyebrow.
“Yes. I like that silly little violinist, so, I am going to have him do something for me and then I am going to eat him. I am the Queen. I can do whatever I damn well please.”
Even though it was her grandmother challenging her, Maya would not back down easily. “Then you should make sure that your husband never finds out… or he’ll ruin you, mmmkay?” And with that, the younger turned and walked away quickly, trying to ignore the venomous stare being aimed her way.
When Yuri came home the next day a couple hours early in order to get ready for her date, she was surprised to find a package waiting for her.
Eyebrows quirking, she inspected the box sitting on her coffee table, and opened it carefully to find a note resting on the tissue paper.
Picking it up, she recognized Jiro’s familiar handwriting.
Yuri,
I saw this and thought of you. I hope you like it, and I’d like it if you’d wear it tonight. I’ll see you at 7.
-Jiro
Her heart fluttered at the gesture and she enthusiastically pushed the tissue paper aside to reveal a simple, but incredibly pretty summer dress. It was white and strapless, made of fine linen with an eyelet pattern that gave it a more romantic appearance. It was exactly something she would have picked on her own, as she liked feminine clothes, but ones that weren’t terribly restricting to her own movement.
“Oh Jiro…it’s perfect,” she murmured, pulling the dress from the box and holding it up to her body. Glancing at her reflection in the mirror, she smiled, before bounding off in order to decide what to wear with it and get ready for the night.
After taking a shower, Yuri put on the dress, delighted when it fit her perfectly. She took the time to dry her hair, put on some light make-up, and then added a pair of her favorite earrings and a matching bracelet to complete the look.
Smoothing the fabric of the dress over her body, she walked over to the floor length mirror in the corner of her bedroom to inspect the final result.
Smiling, satisfied, she checked the clock and realized it was nearly time for Jiro to arrive, so she grabbed her purse and headed out to the living room.
Right at 7, the doorbell rang, and she opened it to reveal Jiro standing on the other side, wearing tight black jeans and a white, button down shirt, opened, as always, liberally at the collar. It was a casual version of his usual style, and it suited him perfectly. Her heart skipped a beat when she realized he was holding a bouquet of pale white lilies.
Jiro’s eyes widened at the sight of her. “Yuri, you look wonderful…”
“Well you have a good eye,” she teased. “Are those for me?”
“Lilies for a lily,” he joked, referring to the meaning of her name, before handing them over to her with a smile. “I thought they would suit you better than roses.”
“They’re my favorites,” she admitted, sniffing the flowers before turning around to put them in water before they left. “Come on in while I take care of these.”
He did, looking around at her apartment curiously. “You have a nice place…”
“Oh? You didn’t sneak in earlier to drop off the gift?”
He chuckled. “No, I had a friend do it…it’s not very polite of me to sneak into a lady’s home, uninvited.”
“So the gentleman has his less-than-reputable friend do it for him,” she came out from the kitchen, a large smile on her face. Already, she felt relaxed and content while with him, which meant that they were off to a good start. “So…what, exactly, are you planning for me tonight?”
“Well…” he extended an arm towards her, and she took it, allowing him to escort her from her home. “I was thinking it would be best to keep it simple. So I thought we’d go and have dinner at this nice Italian restaurant by the lake…and then maybe go for a walk or a boat ride?”
“Or both,” Yuri offered, leaning her head against his shoulder as they walked. “That sounds wonderful.”
His smile made her insides flutter hopelessly. “I’m glad you approve.”
After a quiet, intimate dinner, and then a nice, relaxing walk through the park, the couple found themselves rowing out towards the middle of the lake. The full moon was high in the clear, midnight-colored sky, and the stars twinkled brightly, bathing the water in a soft glow.
It had easily become the most romantic night of Yuri’s life. Everything so far had been utterly perfect, and she kind of wanted to kick herself for not realizing just how special and wonderful Jiro was earlier. But then again, that mattered little now. They were finally together, and that’s what was most important.
And just when she thought the night couldn’t get any better, the soft, sweet strains of a cello being played nearby floated through the air.
“Do you hear that?” Yuri looked around, wondering where the sound was coming from. “What beautiful music…”
Just as she asked the question, another boat seemed to appear out of nowhere, carrying two young men. One was wearing a sailor suit, the other, what could only be described as an elaborate facemask. The man in the mask was playing the cello, his bow angled perfectly.
“Oh, Jiro…a serenade!” Yuri smiled. “How beautiful!”
Jiro instantly recognized the pair as Ramon and Masao and had to resist the strong urge to burst out laughing. “Yes…beautiful…” instead he chose to focus on Yuri’s reaction, loving the way her face lit up as she listened to the music.
Masao discreetly gave Jiro a thumb’s up, and Ramon actually tipped his cap and waved at Yuri as the boat passed them. The urge within Jiro to laugh became so strong that he had to bite his lip to keep it at bay this time.
Yuri waved back at Ramon, giggling.
“You’re glowing.” Jiro remarked, smiling warmly when Yuri’s attention turned back to him.
“That’s because I’m so happy,” she dazzled him with a bright smile. “Because I’m with you.”
His heart began to thunder against his chest. “Yuri…” he started to lean forward.
“…Jiro...” She began to slowly bridge the space between them, until their lips were just inches apart. Just as they were about to kiss, something rocked the boat and they found themselves immersed in water.
Sputtering, Jiro surfaced first, looking around for her. “Yuri!”
She came up seconds later, gasping for air. “What was that?”
“I have no idea,” he swam close and gathered her in his arms.
Just then, a loud, very annoying laugh could be heard: one that Yuri recognized from her nightmares. “Oh…oh don’t tell me…” she buried her face against Jiro’s neck.
The wolf growled from low in his throat, his protective nature rising to the surface. “That creature again?”
“I thought we’d seen the last of him,” she shivered, attempting to wrap herself up in him as much as she could.
Sure enough, Yuri’s stalker, Ryo, emerged from the water, laughing. “I found you, Yuri!” He said in his very high, very irritating voice. “Just in time to interrupt!”
What Ryo didn’t know was that another boat was slowly coming up behind him.
Just as he made his move to grab at Yuri, an oar came crashing down on his head and something green leaped into the water, and carried the Fangire off.
Jiro blinked. “And I thought I’d seen just about everything.”
Yuri was staring in just as much shock as he was. “Me too.”
“Are you two alright?” She recognized their savior as the cellist from earlier. “Here, get in my boat so I can get you back to shore.”
“Thank you, you’re so kind,” Yuri took his hand gratefully, and he swiftly pulled both her and Jiro out of the water.
“No problem at all.” The cellist said. “It was a pleasure to serenade you and when I saw the boat tip over, I had to come to your aid.”
Immediately, Jiro gathered Yuri to his side again, rubbing at her arms to keep her warm. “We appreciate it.”
The musician smiled. “Again, it’s no problem.”
“What’s your name?” Yuri asked politely, leaning into Jiro more as they were taken back to the shore. “So I can thank our rescuer properly.”
The cellist smiled, but did not remove his facial mask. “I am called Masao.” He said, bowing his head.
“Thank you, Masao. You’ve made this evening even nicer.”
Seeing Yuri’s smile and how perfect Yuri and Jiro were together made Masao even happier. His work was not yet done, but that didn’t matter: the plan was off to a good start.
Still somewhat smarting over her uneasy encounter with her grandmother, Maya was nearly back at the apartment when she sensed another Fangire presence behind her. About ready to tell the Queen to shove it, Maya turned around and found herself staring at a man who could only be described as a bad Gackt cosplayer.
“Sing for me.” The voice was low and commanding and Maya, sensing that this Fangire was as powerful as her own father, Taiga, did as she was told. She didn’t want to know what would happen if she said no.
Very softly, Maya began to sing another piece from the opera Carmen, the sound of the sweet melody causing the Fangire’s eyes to close and a smile to appear. He chuckled and it sent a shiver down Maya’s spine. “Your voice is lovely… Maya.” He praised, coming closer and kissing the young Fangire’s hand. “We will meet again.” Suddenly, as quickly as he had appeared, he was gone.
Unsure what to think, Maya took off her heels and ran as fast as she could, all the way back to Jiro’s apartment.
Despite the unexpected turn of events that had occurred, Yuri was still all-smiles when she and Jiro finally made it back to her apartment.
She turned to bid him goodnight after unlocking her door, and thank him for a wonderful time, but suddenly found herself speechless…and staring at the sight of him.
What Yuri had failed to take notice of earlier was just how transparent Jiro’s shirt had become thanks to their impromptu swim, and the way it clung to nearly every muscle of his torso. That combined with the already tight jeans…well, it was no wonder her next act was to pretty much jump him.
Jiro grunted softly when she suddenly catapulted herself into his arms, claiming his mouth in a searing kiss that made him growl appreciatively and return it with equal passion.
Moaning quietly, she tangled her fingers into his unruly, still damp hair and yanked him further into her embrace.
They continued to kiss passionately outside her door, hands wandering, tongues meeting and dueling as the heat between them began to spiral out of control, and then, reluctantly he pulled away to give her air.
Yuri’s eyes glittered at him. “You know that old saying about “never on a first date”? Well I think I’m about to break every single rule.”
He chuckled, hoisting her in his arms and carrying her towards her door. “Rules are made to be broken.”
She just giggled and let him take her inside.