Strays: A Romantic Fantasy Adventure

Ren glanced over at the sleeping pair in the main room as he finished drying the last dish, trying to ignore the needling feeling in the back of his mind.

Earlier, Sakura had returned on Zero’s back just after he and Ivy had finished preparing supper, whooping and hollering and pulling around the devil’s new, larger horns, any trace of her misery now smothered by elation. The boy had lost every match, resulting in him having to carry the demon back.

Ivy had told him that the taller horns were nice before hugging him, making them recede back into his skull. Zero was barely able to stumble inside to the nearest futon before collapsing, completely out for the night.

The girl had been extra clingy with the woman all throughout supper, snuggling closely against her and speaking in whispers that only the vixen could hear. Once they were finished, Ren offered to do the cleaning while Sakura shooed Ivy off to bed with a hug and kiss to the cheek before making her escape outside. Ivy complied and followed the boy to bed, laying with him and humming her pleasant melodies until she followed him into slumber.

The man observed them now; their similar breathing patterns, the way they held each other, how their bodies fused, seemingly becoming a single entity. Zero was as good as dead to the world when he slept like this, but the moment the girl laid down next to him, his arms had reached out and took a hold of her, pulling himself against her and burrowing into the solace of her embrace.

In the beginning, Ren thought Zero had just been taken by the girl’s rare beauty, as most boys his age were apt to do. Though the quiet devil was a bit different, a boy is a boy and a pretty face is a pretty face, and even Ren had never seen a prettier one. It would only be natural for him to be enticed the moment she batted those long lashes at him.

But it didn’t take long for Ren to realize just how wrong he had been. The devil wasn’t taken by the girl’s looks or even her personality. He could see how Zero looked beyond that, drawn in by a force that lured in the girl as well, pulling them closer and wrapping around them, binding them together.

That day in the bookshop, Ren had been sure that he would have to smile and lay the charm on thick in order to get Zero out of the conundrum that he had put himself in with this girl. But instead of seeing the terror that he had grown so accustomed to whenever anyone looked into the boy’s blood red eyes, he saw something that he could have never expected. That tiny, lovely creature gazed up at the devil without the slightest hint of fear, bright violet glowing as if they’d found the treasure they’d long been waiting for.

As if Zero had been something lost that had finally been found.

And after years of carefully tending to the boy, giving so much while receiving so little in return, the girl had oh-so-naturally taken his hand and pulled him along, effortlessly bringing out in him all the things that Ren never could. Like watching an infant grow a month at a time, the changes were noticeable and drastic.

There was more between the two of them than just infatuation or attraction or even love. Something the angel couldn’t put his finger on. Something so very different about the two.

What a strange pair they were.

But staring at them as they slept was also strange.

A little creepy.

It was probably best if he stopped.

The man left the room, sliding the door to the home closed, and walked over to the demon sitting on the veranda. He sat behind her, dropping his arms over her shoulders, and rested his cheek on top of her head. No matter how they aged or their heights fluctuated, she always seemed to fit just right.

“Do you feel better now that you’ve finally gotten your way?” he asked.

“There’s room for improvement, but he’s not too bad,” she admitted as she took one of his hands and gently bent and twisted the fingers. “He’s so fucking loud though.”

“He’s not loud. Your hearings just too good.”

“You should have taught him to be quiet.”

Ren shook his head, tightening his hold. “Nope. Only I can sneak up on you. No one else can hear him anyways.”

Sakura huffed. It drove her crazy that he had managed to get better over the years at walking lightly enough that she sometimes couldn’t hear him. He never even bothered to do it when it would be useful, like with hunting, only when he wanted to take her by surprise and be an all around menace by tickling her or scooping her up and dumping her into a river. But no matter how hard he tried, he still sometimes made blunders by stepping on a twig or kicking a rock, allowing the woman to escape his clutches.

“Do you want to leave tomorrow?” he asked.

The demon was quiet, feeling conflicted.

“We don’t have to. We can stay for as long or as little as you like. Golden City isn’t going anywhere.”

She chewed her cheek, considering it a little longer. “I’ve been thinking about talking with Akiko. She’s a healer, and it would be good if Ivy could learn from her. I remember her always taking care of everyone, but I guess she’s one of the best healers in the region. I’ve heard people in Golden City talk about her. They pay good coin to have her go there. And if we’re already here, what’s the harm in asking? If she agrees, we’ll stay for a bit. If not, we’ll go.”

“Is that the only reason you want to stay?”

Sakura tilted her head up, looking at the man with a jesting curl to her lips. “They do say that foxes rarely leave and always yearn for their den. Maybe I just can’t to resist the lure to stay.”

Ren nodded, considering the possibility. “If that’s what you want. I can sleep anywhere.”

“I know you can.” She smiled and stared forward into the night. “This house makes me sad. But it’s where I lived with Mama and Papa. I just want to stay a little longer. Have that little piece of them.”

The angel understood, he felt the same every time he walked through the door of the cottage. “Like home?”

“Kind of. I only have a few memories of here, and they’re all not exactly great. Some are, but a lot aren’t. Homes different. There’s so much more there. It’s hard to go, but it’s always harder to leave.” She trapped her hand across the man’s mouth before he could speak. “Don’t. We’re not going back.”

He took her hand, pushing his thumb into her palm and spinning circles. “Yet.”

“Yet,” she agreed softly, turning her attention to the stars above, the sky littered with them. “I used to sit out here with Papa, and he’d point out the stars and their names. I don’t remember what any of them were called but I think there’s a book inside about them.”

“We don’t need a book.” Ren pointed to a particularly bright star. “You see that one right there? That’s called a star. And that bright cluster right there, that’s just a bunch of stars close together.”

The woman sighed. “Wow. Thank you for that. Very informative.”

“I could keep going,” he offered cheerfully. “There’s so many more out there. So much more for you to learn.”

“I’d prefer if you didn’t.”

“Suit yourself.” He brought his arm back around the woman. “What about your mother?”

The blue dress.

“She collapsed in the field one day. She was trying to dig up something, I don’t know what. There was nothing anywhere. Everything was dead. Then she just… fell. And her body started convulsing. I remember it didn’t stop until she died. It took days. Then Papa got it not long after and the same thing happened to him. They’d burn the bodies outside of the village. It was supposed to stop the spread of the fever. I left the day they burnt Papa. I couldn’t stand listening to them anymore.”

The man pulled her closer, tightening his hold. “I was hoping to hear a happy story about her. Give me one of those.”

Sakura nodded. “When I was really little, she took me to go look at the cherry trees when they were blooming. She held me up to the branches so I could try to catch the petals as they fell. I remember she looked so happy, and I just thought she was the most beautiful person ever.”

“That is happy. Give me another.”

She was silent as she attempted to give Ren what he wanted, racking her brain but unable to find even a glimmer. “I don’t know. I can’t think of any. I know she loved me, but she started to change. Like, get sick, you know.” She tapped against her temple. “Up here. Papa used to tell her to stop listening. I think she could hear the way I do. There was one time she took me to get something from someone, and there were two men talking to each other a ways off. I don’t remember what they said, but it was about me, and she fucking lost it. Left me there and rushed them, tackled one of them and just went after him. Hitting and screaming and clawing at his face. It took a few men to pull her off.”

“Sounds like you got more than just good hearing from her.” A hand came up to tweak the vixen’s ear. “Are you gonna be able to handle listening to all the bullshit. I’m sure there will be plenty of it.”

“It is what it is, and I’m done feeling sorry for myself. It’s not going to change anything. I’m going to have to face it head on and deal with it if we plan on staying.”

“Well, if they hurt your feelings just let Ivy know.”

The demon snorted. “Oh, I will.”

“I’m serious. She’s been practicing.”

She turned and looked in bemused disbelief at the angel. “No she hasn’t.”

“She has.” Ren smirked. “Today while you were being mean to poor, sweet Zero, she started her intensive training to learn how to be a ruthless warrior.”

“How’d that go?”

“Well, her first punch missed my hand and got me in the ribs. Then she cried. So pretty good.”

“She’s so damn cute,” the woman gushed like a mother over the mundane accomplishments of their small child. “I’m surprised she got that far.”

“You know, I talked her into it because I thought it would be fun. Like with Zero.” He shook his head, the wasted opportunity weighing heavy on him. “It was not. All it did was make me feel like shit and I got punched. The punch didn’t hurt, but those tears of hers sure did. I’m surprised you never taught her to spar.”

She stared up at him with wide-eyed exasperation. “I tried! She would run away and hide. Anything that was even remotely violent had her in tears. Hunting and fishing with her was awful. It took months for her to stop crying when she ate meat after I first found her. Then she’d cry more when I told her to suck it up or starve.”

The man shook his head sadly. “That poor girl, having to put up with you this whole time.”

“Life is hard. Fortune doesn’t favor the weak.”

“It doesn’t necessarily favor the strong either,” he pointed out.

“I guess that’s true.” Sakura pushed herself to her feet, her hand taking Ren’s, encouraging him to follow. “I want to prove them wrong. Show them that I’m not what they thought I was.” She paused, reconsidering what she had just said, then looked up at the angel. “Or maybe I want to prove them right. What do you think would be better for me and worse for them?”

“I don’t know. It doesn’t matter. Do whatever makes you happy.” He grinned. “Just don’t destroy the village.”

She turned and led him to the door. “I don’t think you really mean that.”